On August 26, 2007, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office District Three Street Crimes Unit responded to 14822 Par Club Drive in Tampa to investigate an anonymous tip, which reported alleged drug activity at the residence. The tip was received via the Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay website, which offers members of the community an opportunity to anonymously report information about crime in their neighborhoods via the Internet. Deputies made contact with 21 year Antonio Maddox, who voluntarily consented to a search of his residence.  Deputies located several pieces of drug paraphernalia in plain view as well as a loaded firearm. Maddox was subsequently arrested and a search warrant was obtained for the residence.

            During the search of the residence, deputies seized over $165,000 worth of illegal drugs and firearms, to include a Colt AR-15 assault rifle and two semi-automatic handguns. Antonio Maddox was charged with Armed Trafficking in Cocaine, Armed Trafficking in MDMA/Ecstasy, Possession of Cocaine, Possession of MDMA/Ecstasy, Possession of 20 or more grams of Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell or Deliver, Possession of a Controlled Substance (Xanax), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  Maddox is currently being held in the Orient Road Jail. His arrest report and booking photo are available on the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office website at www.hcso.tampa.fl.us .

Photograph of Narcotics and Firearms Seized

          Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay announced today a major, technological break through in anonymous tip reporting – anonymous text messaging.  Text messaging, also known as Short Message Service (SMS), has become a very effective and popular means of communication, with over 300,000 text messages being sent every minute in the United States.  Agile Communications Group of Tampa, FL and Anderson Software of Nacogdoches, TX, have partnered to provide a service that will allow citizens with information on crime to send that information to Crime Stopper organizations securely and anonymously via text messaging. 

            The process is very simple.  To send a text message tip from a cell phone, you must text "TIP155" plus the tip information to 25735. The key word TIP155 must appear on the first line of the text message in order for the tip to reach Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay. The tipster will then receive an automatic text message reply that will contain their confidential code number that will allow the tipster to provide follow up information to their tip if necessary.  Crime Stoppers will be able to send  text messages back to tipsters without knowing their cell phone numbers to advise them of the status of their tips or to ask additional questions. According to Debbie Carter, President of Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay, “Our organization continues to try and make crime tip reporting as easy and convenient as possible for our tipsters.  This new technology will allow us another avenue to receive secure and anonymous crime information from our citizenry.”

Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay received an anonymous tip regarding an indoor marijuana grow operation at 8426 Lopez Drive in Tampa. The tip was forwarded to the Hillsborough County Sheriff`s Office, District Three Street Crimes Unit, for investigation. On the evening of October 8, 2007, deputies made contact with the occupant of the residence, 28 year old Kirk Bevil. Deputies detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the residence, and as a result, they secured the residence and obtained a court-authorized search warrant for the residence.

Execution of the search warrant resulted in the seizure of 204 marijuana plants with a street value of $204,000 and grow equipment valued at $5,000.

Twenty-eight year old Kirk Bevil was arrested and charged with manufacturing marijuana, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. His booking photo is available on the Sheriff`s Office website at www.hcso.tampa.fl.us .

Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay provides an anonyomous tipline (1-800-873-TIPS) as well as anonymous webtip reporting for the purpose of obtaining information on unsolved crimes and the whereabouts of wanted persons. Tipsters never have to give their name and may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

On September 17, 2008, Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay received an anonymous tip regarding the possible identity and whereabouts of the unknown Caucasian male responsible for committing the following pharmacy robberies:  

1) Publix Pharmacy 12139 Linebaugh Avenue Tampa, FL ; 7/03/08, 9:00am

2) St. George’s Pharmacy 31201 U.S. Highway 19 N Palm Harbor, FL ; 7/15/08, 10:00am

3) Publix Pharmacy 8975 Racetrack Road Tampa, FL ; 08/13/08, 11:55 am

4) Sweetbay Pharmacy 13016 Racetrack Road Tampa, FL ; 08/18/08, 7:10pm

5) Armenia Pharmacy  8338 N. Armenia Avenue #B Tampa, FL ; 08/28/08, 9:09 am (attempt robbery)

6) Target Pharmacy 900 Eastlake Road Oldsmar, FL; 08/29/08, 12:00 pm

Detectives from the Hillsborough and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Offices as well as the Tampa Police Department immediately began investigating the tip, which culminated in the arrest of 33 year old Patrick Fitzgerald Papach of 1126 King Arthur Court #418 Dunedin, FL  34698.  Papach was initially identified in the August 13, 2008, robbery of the Publix Pharmacy located at 8975 Racetrack Road in Tampa. Hillsborough County Robbery detectives obtained a warrant for Papach’s arrest, who was subsequently arrested without incident at his residence in Pinellas County. As a result of today’s investigation, Papach will be facing a minimum of nine counts of armed robbery with a firearm and 1 count of attempted armed robbery with a firearm in all six of the above listed cases as well as two additional cases in Pinellas County and one in Pasco County. Please visit the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office website at http://www.pcsoweb.com/InmateBooking/SubjectResults.aspx?id=1322031 for Papach’s booking photo.   

This is just another example of how the Crime Stoppers program functions as a conduit to bring together the community, law enforcement and the media to solve crime.

Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay will hold its 8th Annual Charity Golf Tournament on Thursday, October 16, 2008, at the Buckhorn Springs Golf and County Club located at 2721 S. Miller Road in Valrico, FL.  Registration will begin at 11:00 am and there will be a shotgun start at 1:00pm.  The cost is $360 per foursome or $90 per player. Each player will received a goodie bag, polo shirt, lunch, and dinner.  Sponsorship opportunites are also available. For more information, contact event chairperson Cindy Wilson at cindy.wilson13@verizon.net or the Crime Stoppers Administrative Office at (813)247-8056.  

Players can register and pay online at http://tournease.com/app/Public/Default.aspx?tid=6571

Downloadable Player Registration 

Tournament Sponsor Form