Week In Review: Armed Confrontation With Police Leads Monroe County State Attorney Round-up
Violent felony sentence tops week that also included vehicle theft convictions and a marine resource violation.
A Key West man sentenced to more than eight years in state prison after a dangerous confrontation with police led a week of criminal cases announced by the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office, which also included convictions for vehicle theft and a marine resource violation involving an undersized lobster.
Prosecutors across the Florida Keys reported several cases resolved in recent days, with charges ranging from aggravated assault on law enforcement officers to property crimes and fisheries violations.
Armed Confrontation With Police Results in 8.5-Year Prison Sentence
The most serious case involved Abraham Amado Acosta, 26, , who was sentenced to 8.5 years in Florida State Prison after pleading guilty to multiple felony charges stemming from a confrontation with Key West police officers.
Acosta was adjudicated guilty of two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed firearm during the commission of a felony, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and resisting an officer with violence.
The charges stem from a March 16, 2024 incident at Little Hamaca Park on Government Road in Key West, where officers responded to a report of a felon possibly armed with firearms inside a suspicious vehicle.
When officers approached and ordered the occupants out of a BMW matching the description provided in the officer safety alert, Acosta started the vehicle and attempted to flee. As he accelerated in reverse, one officer was forced to jump out of the way to avoid being struck. Officers then entered the moving vehicle in an effort to stop it before it crashed into a guardrail.
Authorities recovered two firearms inside the vehicle, including a Springfield .45 caliber pistol and an AR-15-style rifle with a loaded magazine, one of which had previously been reported stolen. As a previously convicted felon, Acosta was prohibited from possessing firearms.
County Judge Mark Wilson sentenced Acosta to 8.5 years in state prison, with 706 days credit for time served, and imposed a three-year minimum mandatory sentence on the aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer counts.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Carter J. Reeves.
Habitual Felony Offender Sentenced for Stolen Taxi
In Marathon, Misael Asaria Bocio, 44, was sentenced as a habitual felony offender after pleading no contest to grand theft of a motor vehicle and driving while license suspended or revoked (third or subsequent offense).
County Court Judge Derek Lewis sentenced Bocio to 364 days in the Monroe County Jail and placed him on 36 months of probation.
The court also ordered Bocio to participate in the Jail Incarceration Program, which could allow his release after 210 days if successfully completed.
According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, an Island Time Taxi was taken from a staging area behind a business on 55th Street in Marathon on Nov. 2, 2025. Deputies later located the vehicle traveling northbound on U.S. 1 and conducted a traffic stop in Islamorada.
Investigators determined Bocio was driving the stolen taxi and had not held a valid driver’s license since before June 2001, with multiple prior convictions for driving while his license was suspended.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney K. Philip Harte.
Stock Island Car Theft Leads to Prison Sentence
In another vehicle theft case, Daniel Christopher Gomez, 35, was sentenced to 18 months in the Florida Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to grand theft of a motor vehicle.
County Judge Mark Wilson adjudicated Gomez guilty and ordered him to pay $963 in fines and court costs.
The charge stems from the Jan. 21–22, 2025 theft of a 2002 black Ford Thunderbird convertible from a business on Stock Island.
Deputies entered the vehicle into the FCIC/NCIC stolen vehicle database and issued a be-on-the-lookout alert. On Jan. 23, Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies located the Thunderbird parked behind a business along Riviera Drive in Key West.
According to investigators, Gomez was found sitting in the driver’s seat and was arrested at the scene.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Madeline Thompson.
Undersized Lobster Case Results in Probation
The week’s cases also included a fisheries violation involving Yin Fong Lam, 59, who was adjudicated guilty of possession of an undersized spiny lobster and harvesting lobster with a spear.
County Judge Albert Kelley sentenced Lam to 12 months of probation and prohibited her from fishing or diving in Monroe County waters while on probation.
The court also imposed a suspended 30-day jail sentence, ordered completion of a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission education course, and assessed $568 in fines and court costs.
According to investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, officers conducting patrol near White Street Pier on Nov. 23, 2025 observed Lam discard a plastic bag into a nearby trash can after leaving the pier.
Inside the bag, officers discovered an undersized spiny lobster with puncture marks consistent with being taken by a spear. Officers also recovered a spear belonging to Lam during the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Robert DeWitt and Nick Trovato.
Officials said the cases illustrate the range of crimes prosecuted across the Florida Keys, from violent felony offenses to property crimes and environmental violations.