State Attorney, Florida's 7th Circuit

06/10/2026

Assistant State Attorneys Jeanne Stratis and Haley Mark were both honored to be a part of the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) when the event made its way to the Volusia County Courthouse on Friday night.

Nearly 100 students participated in mock trials coordinated by Volusia County Teen Court with help from guests like Stratis and Mark.

Fun fact: Before becoming an Assistant State Attorney, Mark volunteered with Teen Court herself, making this experience a full-circle moment as she mentored the next generation of legal professionals.

06/10/2026

We are so lucky to have Assistant State Attorney Haley Mark as part of our team!

From Teen Court volunteer to Assistant State Attorney.

Haley Mark, a former Volusia County Teen Court volunteer, spoke with students during the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards event at the Volusia County Courthouse.

She promoted Teen Court, shared her experience, and assisted during the mock trials.

Her story is one of many examples of the positive impact Teen Court can have on students who volunteer their time.

Interested in volunteering with Flagler or Volusia County Teen Court? Visit: https://circuit7.org/teen%20court/

Volusia County Teen Court

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

The last of the checks were awarded to our Crime Stoppers Poster Contest winners at the St. Johns County School Board meeting this morning 🎨🏆

Congratulations to all of the creative students, including our high school grand prize winner: Surrey Dotson from Bartram Trail High School!

06/08/2026

𝐒𝐓. 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐘

During a hearing on Friday, defendant Estevez Wheaton was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by 10 years of probation as a Habitual Felony Offender.

A St. Johns County jury in April found Wheaton guilty of Burglary of a Dwelling, Grand Theft over $100,000, Director of Dealing in Stolen Property, Grand Theft (Motor Vehicle), and Unlawful Use of Two-Way Communication Device.

On January 29, 2023, Wheaton planned and executed the burglary of a Ponte Vedra Beach home while the owner was on vacation.

The defendant disconnected the home surveillance cameras and stole a safe containing personal documents and about $350,000 worth of jewelry. He then stole the victim’s vehicle to take the items back to his own vehicle.

Hours after the burglary, the defendant posted photos of some of the stolen jewelry to Facebook and Instagram in an attempt to sell it.

Detectives also located video of Wheaton on the victim’s property before the break-in and a map with directions to the home.

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office investigated the case. Assistant State Attorneys Jennifer Lieb and Bailie McLaughlin successfully prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Florida. The Honorable Christopher Ferebee heard the case and imposed sentence.

06/08/2026

Congratulations to Putnam County Judge Mark Johnson on his investiture.

Johnson was an Assistant State Attorney with our office for 17 years. He served in our Homicide Investigations Unit for most of his tenure, but also had a short stint as Managing Assistant State Attorney of our Palatka office.

State Attorney R.J. Larizza was honored to speak at Johnson's formal swearing-in ceremony at Ravine Gardens State Park on Friday. Chief of Homicide Jason Lewis, who tried many cases with Johnson, also took the podium and proudly introduced him to the large crowd of attendees.

06/03/2026

Homicide Investigations Unit Investigator Nicole Quintieri and St. Augustine Managing Assistant State Attorney Sarah Thomas were honored today by the Sons of the American Revolution's St. Augustine Chapter.

Both were presented with the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal in recognition of their outstanding public service.

We are proud of their accomplishments and grateful to the Sons of the American Revolution for their continued support of our employees.

06/03/2026

During a hearing in St. Johns County on Monday, defendant Dawn Embry was sentenced to seven years in prison followed by 10 years of probation.

Embry entered a plea of no contest last month to Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Possession of Fentanyl, Possession of Alprazolam, Possession of Clonazepam, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Resisting an Officer Without Violence.

Before trial was set to begin last week in St. Johns County, defendant Dawn Embry entered a plea of no contest to Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Possession of Fentanyl, Possession of Alprazolam, Possession of Clonazepam, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Resisting an Officer Without Violence.

On April 30, 2025, detectives pulled over a vehicle on State Road 16 for traffic violations.

During the course of the stop, one of the detectives asked the driver, Embry, to step out of the vehicle. As she did, a pipe fell, which Embry later admitted was a m**h pipe.

Detectives then searched the vehicle and found a purse. Inside the purse were IDs belonging to Embry, more than $2,000 in cash, 25 grams of m**hamphetamine, and other drugs.

During the investigation, Embry identified the drugs recovered from her purse, which included m**hamphetamine, fentanyl, and Xanax. She also admitted to weighing and selling some of the m**hamphetamine before the stop.

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office investigated the case. Assistant State Attorney Leah Owens successfully prosecuted the case for the State of Florida. The Honorable Christopher Ferebee heard the case and is set to impose sentence on June 1, 2026. The defendant faces up to 47 years in prison for the crimes.

05/29/2026

During a hearing on Thursday, defendant Yuvrajjit Gill was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

A St. Johns County jury found Gill guilty in March of two counts of Armed False Imprisonment, Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Improper Exhibition of a Firearm, Domestic Violence Battery, Battery, and Tampering with a Witness by Depriving Communication to Law Enforcement.

𝐒𝐓. 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐊

After a three-day trial, a St. Johns County jury found defendant Yuvrajjit Gill guilty of two counts of Armed False Imprisonment, Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Improper Exhibition of a Firearm, Domestic Violence Battery, Battery, and Tampering with a Witness by Depriving Communication to Law Enforcement.

On May 2, 2025, Gill threatened his wife with a gun, dragged her into the primary bedroom, and repeatedly struck her with his fists and a shoe.

The couple’s son came home and entered the room during the incident. With the gun still in his hand, the defendant immediately took his son’s phone and ordered him to sit next to his mother while he continued to batter her. He held them both hostage at gunpoint for over an hour until they were able to escape to a neighbor’s home.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they found a gun matching the victims’ description inside their St. Johns County home and arrested Gill.

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office investigated the case. Assistant State Attorneys Monica Smith and Bailie McLaughlin successfully tried the case for the State of Florida. The Honorable Christopher Ferebee presided over the case and is set to pronounce sentence on May 4, 2026.

05/28/2026

For our final Real Talk: Safety & Success episode before summer break, Putnam County School District students Joshua Payne and Allison Stables bring together an audience of their peers to real talk about what it means to be an upstander.

Listen on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts!

🎙️: https://rss.com/podcasts/real-talk-safety-success/2866827/

You can also watch the full episode on YouTube.

🎥: https://youtu.be/1KOsZ6UE-I4?si=5fQ3iM9io2jE1kz7