It has been a busy month in Hernando County Circuit Court as the court worked through nearly forty cases on the January 21st docket. While many of last week’s cases were continued to a future date or disposed of in some other manner, here are some of the cases resolved in hearings last week.
It’s back to the big house for Melvin Wayne Beck (66) of 4074 Arrowhead Avenue in Spring Hill. Beck was adjudicated guilty on January 21st by the court on a charge of Battery-2nd or Subsequent after initially being charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Court records indicate that Beck was found previously found guilty on two similar counts in 2018, along with a charge of Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer. At that time, he was sentenced to 5 years in state prison and $3298.00 in court costs. His latest appearance sends him back to prison with a sentence of three years and a fine of $1458.00.
Eivilyn Chernukhin (27) of 2201 NE 112th Ave #142, Vancouver Washington probably didn’t have such a great trip to Florida. Chernukhin was charged with a couple of counts of Organized Fraud Less than $20,000 in January of 2024, and appeared in court last week to enter a guilty plea. Her sentencing has been set for February 11th.
It wasn’t the first trip around the block for Karles Chenier Jackson (39) of 21341 Campbell Drive in Brooksville. Jackson faced a trial by jury on January 22, charged with one count of Battery-2nd or subsequent, Aggravated Battery With a Deadly Weapon, and Leaving The Scene of An Accident With Property Damage. Following one day of testimony in his jury trial, he was acquitted of the Battery -2nd and Leaving the Scene of an Accident charges, and found guilty for Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon. Jackson, who has an extensive criminal record in Hernando County dating back to 2011, is scheduled to be sentenced on February 11, 2025 by Circuit Court Judge Daniel Merritt
Jr.
Demetri Jordan Sanders (23) of 949 Capital Rd #5301 in Brooksville was probably pretty nervous as he walked into Judge Daniel Merritt Jr.’s courtroom on January 16th, and he should have been. Sanders was facing fourteen counts of Possession of Material Including a Sexual Performance By a Child and five counts of Possession of Child Pornography.
According to a media release by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, Sanders was arrested following an August 2023 investigation in which detectives received information that he was in possession of child pornography. Detectives interviewed Sanders at which time he allowed detectives to look through his phone. Detectives observed several photos that appeared to be child pornography and obtained a search warrant. Following analysis of Sanders’ phone, thirty-three files containing “child sex abuse material” were located.
During his appearance in court, Sanders was adjudicated by the court to be guilty on seven counts of Possession of Material Including a Sexual Performance By a Child, with the prosecution declining to pursue the remaining seven. He was also found guilty on all four counts of Possession of Child Pornography. Sanders was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison followed by 5 years probation, as well as an assessment of $6,848.00. Sanders also received “time served” credit for the 16 months he has been in jail prior to this month’s
hearing.
Danielle Kathleen Thompson (39) of 9467 Melrose St. in Spring Hill was found guilty by the court of one felony count of Organized Fraud $20,000 – $50,000. Thompson was sentenced to three years probation and a restitution order was entered by the presiding Judge Daniel Merritt Jr. (Hernando County Court Records do not indicate the amount of restitution ordered as of press time). She will also pay court costs of $1156.00. Thompson previously appeared in Judge Merritt’s court for a 2020 Grand Theft Case, and was placed on a pretrial diversion program for that offense in
2021.
Thomas Frank Kornfeind (51) of 13063 County Line Road #37 in Spring Hill was sentenced by the court on January 21st to four years in prison and fined $1458.00 in court costs after appearing on a 2023 battery case. After initially being charged with Sexual Battery, the charge was modified by the court to Felony Battery. Kornfeind was credited with the 1 year and 11 months he has already spent in jail prior to his
hearing.