Week in Review
Fatal hit-and-run conviction, major prison sentences and fisheries enforcement headline Monroe County State Attorney prosecutions
KEY WEST, Fla. — The Monroe County State Attorney’s Office secured a series of convictions and sentencings this week spanning violent crime, narcotics trafficking, DUI enforcement, environmental violations and firearm theft cases across the Florida Keys.
Among the most significant developments, a Monroe County jury convicted a Key West man of leaving the scene of a fatal crash, while another defendant received a 20-year prison sentence in a Marathon stalking, arson and burglary case prosecutors described as “calculated” and “predatory.”
Jury convicts man in fatal Key West crash
A Monroe County jury found Anthony Rainford, 58, guilty of leaving the scene of a crash involving death following a trial before Mark Jones.
Prosecutors said the conviction stemmed from a June 7, 2024, crash on College Road in Key West in which Heather Michelle Marcotte crossed into oncoming traffic on an orange scooter and collided head-on with Rainford’s Jeep.
Although evidence showed Marcotte caused the crash, prosecutors argued Florida law still required Rainford to remain at the scene, render aid and contact law enforcement.
Instead, prosecutors said, Rainford exited his vehicle, observed Marcotte critically injured in the roadway, returned to his Jeep and drove away without calling 911 or attempting to help.
A bicyclist later discovered Marcotte and called emergency responders, but she later died from her injuries.
Rainford was located about two hours later and, according to investigators, never contacted authorities or returned to the crash scene.
He is scheduled to be sentenced June 17 before Jones. The charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield said the verdict sends a message that abandoning injured crash victims “is both criminal and inexcusable.”
Marathon man sentenced to 20 years
In one of the week’s most severe sentences, Brian James Bardwick was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a consolidated case involving aggravated stalking, armed burglary, arson and repeated injunction violations.
According to prosecutors, Bardwick repeatedly contacted and harassed the victim despite court orders prohibiting contact. Investigators later determined he unlawfully entered the victim’s residence and set fire to the home.
The court cited video evidence showing Bardwick inside the victim’s trailer with an open knife while allegedly waiting for her return.
County Judge Derek Lewis sentenced Bardwick to multiple prison terms, including 20 years for armed burglary and five years for aggravated stalking. He also received two consecutive 10-year probation terms following his release.
Mansfield described the conduct as “calculated, violent, and extraordinarily dangerous.”
Big Pine Key woman receives four-year prison sentence
Crystal Lord, 40, was sentenced to four years in state prison after pleading no contest in four separate felony cases involving narcotics offenses.
The cases included charges of selling amphetamine within 1,000 feet of a place of worship, cocaine possession, introducing contraband into jail and drug paraphernalia offenses.
One investigation involved undercover narcotics operations conducted by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in Big Pine Key.
Following her prison term, Lord will serve concurrent probationary terms with mandatory drug treatment, frequent urinalysis testing and Narcotics Anonymous attendance requirements.
DUI case follows extreme breath alcohol readings
Caleb Avery, 24, of Marathon, was sentenced to 12 months probation after pleading no contest to DUI in a case involving breath alcohol readings of .267 and .270, more than three times Florida’s legal limit.
Deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office stopped Avery on U.S. 1 near mile marker 30.5 after reports of erratic driving. Investigators said his Chevrolet Equinox repeatedly crossed the center line and fluctuated dramatically in speed.
Judge Albert Kelley ordered Avery to complete DUI school, undergo substance abuse treatment, perform community service and serve a six-month driver’s license revocation.
Commercial fisherman jailed in lobster case
In an environmental enforcement case, commercial fisherman Raidel Alvarez Perez, 52, was sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to 23 lobster-related violations.
The charges included possession of wrung spiny lobster tails while on the water and possession of undersized lobster harvested near Woman Key.
Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discovered a drifting bucket containing wrung lobster tails during a March 2025 investigation.
Judge Kelley ordered concurrent jail sentences, six months probation and nearly $2,900 in fines and court costs.
Mansfield said illegal harvesting practices threaten conservation efforts and undermine commercial fishermen who comply with state regulations.
Two sentenced in Cudjoe Key firearm burglary
Co-defendants Derek Gonzalez, 29, and Stif Robert Benitez, 28, were each sentenced to 18 months in state prison following a residential burglary and firearm theft investigation in Cudjoe Key.
Investigators said the pair stole a safe containing firearms from a residence before deputies later recovered the safe and weapons near Kemp Channel.
Both defendants also received lengthy probationary terms and periods of community control, a highly restrictive form of supervised release similar to house arrest.
Repeat offender sentenced in methamphetamine case
Meanwhile, Jonathan Allen Parish, 48, was sentenced to 16.5 months in state prison after pleading no contest to methamphetamine possession.
The case originated from a Christmas Day 2024 incident on Duval Street in which Key West police encountered Parish after reports of a man banging his head against a wall. Officers later located methamphetamine during a pat-down search.
Judge Jones imposed prison time, revoked Parish’s driver’s license and ordered him to pay more than $1,300 in fines, costs and transportation fees.
Prosecutors noted the sentence marks Parish’s third commitment to state prison.
Miami Man Sentenced in Western Sambo Illegal Fishing Case
Yadiel Mederos Labrador, 40, of Miami, pleaded no contest to 14 fish and wildlife violations after being caught fishing inside the Western Sambo Ecological Reserve, a protected no-take zone off Key West.
Judge Kelley adjudicated him guilty on all counts and sentenced him to six months of probation per count, to run concurrently, along with completion of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission education courses, a 20-day vessel impoundment, and fines and court costs totaling $463 plus a $103.66 donation to the agency.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, officers observed him fishing inside the reserve and later found a floating bag containing multiple snapper, including undersized yellowtail snapper. A vessel search turned up additional fish, with investigators saying he possessed 24 snapper total—more than double the legal recreational limit.
He was also cited for fishing in a restricted area, interference with officers, failure to display a required license decal, and possession of undersized fish.
The case was investigated by officers aboard the FWC patrol vessel TRIDENT.
Mansfield praised the investigation, saying: “The Florida Keys’ marine ecosystem is one of our greatest natural treasures. These regulations are in place to protect our fisheries and preserve fragile marine habitats for future generations. Those who choose to ignore these laws threaten resources that belong to all of us.”