TAVARES, Fla.—A tax preparer has bonded out of jail for the third time in a little over three months and police say she scammed at least three of her clients.
Shaqueena Fabra Lister, 34, of Tavares is accused of stealing nearly $25,000 from three of her clients who utilized her business, World Wide Taxes, 1020 East Alfred St., Tavares, according to several probable cause affidavits.
Between April and June, three victims reported to Tavares Police Department they used Lister to file their taxes but never received their refunds.
In one case, a man told police he paid Lister $1,200 in March and gave her his bank account information so his $12,684 tax return could be deposited into his account. He received word from the IRS that his return had been deposited into his account in April but soon realized his return had been deposited in Lister’s account. He confronted Lister about the discrepancy, he told police, and she refused to give him his money and told him she would be suing him for defamation.
Three separate warrants were issued for Shaqueena Lister’s arrest since May.
TPD Det. Courtney Sullivan, who also serves as the agency’s public information officer, spent months working on the cases.
“These victims entrusted Shaqueena Lister and her tax business to manage their taxes for them,” Sullivan told Inside Lake. “Instead of being professional while handling something so personal, she took advantage of these hardworking individuals by stealing their hard-earned (tax) refunds. What she has done is unacceptable and frankly, corrupt.”
Through Sullivan’s investigation in all three cases, she found that Lister had the tax refunds loaded onto prepaid cards, and she used these cards in many ways, including cash withdrawals, multiple fast-food purchases and a purchase at a beauty supply store in Eustis. Several ATM withdrawals were captured on surveillance video and Sullivan was able to determine it was Lister completing the transactions, even using her tattoos to identify her, according to the affidavit.
An ad for Shaqueena Lister’s tax services on Facebook. PHOTO: Queena Lister/Facebook
Three separate warrants were issued for her arrest and the most recent warrant was issued last month. Following an Aug. 19 social media post on TPD’s popular Facebook page, Lister turned herself into authorities on Sept. 3. She was booked into the Lake County Jail, where she was released on $20,000 bond. In Sullivan’s three cases, Lister is facing three counts of grand theft, and 21 counts each, of fraudulent use of a credit card and criminal use of personal identification information. Her legal troubles may not stop there.
“We will be turning these investigations over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to conduct its own investigation into how Shaqueen Lister handles her tax business,” Sullivan said.
TAVARES, Fla.—More details have been released in the death of a 2-year-old boy Monday night and a fundraiser has been set up to help his family.
Asher Lepping, 2, was out riding his blue toddler tricycle with his sister near a cul-de-sac in his Oak Bend neighborhood while his parents watched, shortly after 7:15 p.m. Monday; Asher’s mom, Kyrsten Lepping heard a vehicle speeding and observed a silver Toyota Tacoma speeding as it turned onto the street. Asher’s mom and dad yelled at the truck to slow down, and the truck struck Asher, dragging the toddler and his tricycle several feet. Asher’s parents and neighbors rushed over to the boy in an attempt to help him and he was transported to AdventHealth Waterman hospital in Tavares, where he later succumbed to his injuries, according to a Tavares Police Department arrest affidavit.
The driver of the truck, 19-year-old Joshua Aidan Montero, had a strong odor of alcohol emitting from his breath following the crash, according to the affidavit, and the 911 caller who reported the crash said Montero appeared to be intoxicated. Montero, who was not wearing shoes or a shirt, clad in only swim trunks, was denied access to the truck due to the crash and DUI investigation and had “apparent mood swings.” He asked if he was under arrest or just detained when he was denied access to the truck and repeatedly asked what he would be charged with. He then requested to be put in the back of a TPD patrol vehicle because of the rainy weather and his lack of clothing. Montero first refused to complete field sobriety exercises but then said he would complete them and requested to perform them on the sidewalk near the crash site. There were “many indicators” he was impaired, and he was arrested for DUI.
Montero, of Sanford, was transported to the Lake County Jail and while en route to LCJ, he made statements, presumably about the crime, but the statements are redacted from the affidavit. He consented to a breath test and two samples came in at .062 and .057—anything above .02 is considered impaired if an individual is under 21 years old, TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan said. The breath samples were provided several hours after the crash, and the arresting officer believes his alcohol level was likely higher at the time of the crash, she noted in the affidavit.
The arresting officer then received information Asher had passed away and Montero was informed he would be charged with DUI manslaughter. Montero, who has multiple driver license suspensions, was booked into LCJ on no bond. As part of the investigation, a detective requested Montero’s passcode to his phone, and he gave it up voluntarily, according to the affidavit.
Family friend and neighbor, Annie Brown set up a fundraiser for Asher’s family to help them through this tragedy. “As a mom, I want to take this pain from her, but I can’t,” Brown stated. “However, I can ask we all support her monetarily through this GoFundMe.” If you would like to donate, visit Support for the Lepping Family in Honor of Sweet Asher
Many of the TPD officers who responded to the scene Monday night are parents and stepparents.
“We (TPD) are deeply saddened that an innocent child’s life was taken during a careless a preventable act last night,” Sullivan said.
TAVARES, Fla.—A 2-year-old Tavares boy was hit by truck Monday night and the 19-year-old driver has been arrested for DUI manslaughter.
Witnesses told police Joshua Aidan Montero, of Sanford, was driving a silver 2017 Toyota Tacoma “recklessly” prior to the crash around 7:30 p.m. Monday.
“Neighbors observed the vehicle driving recklessly prior to turning on the Black Dog Court,” Tavares Police Department Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan told Inside Lake. “When he turned onto Black Dog Court, people yelled to slow down, and he ultimately hit a 2-year-old boy.”
The boy’s name has not been released.
Neighbors immediately rendered aid to the boy and he was transported to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares, where he was pronounced deceased.
Montero was arrested for DUI manslaughter and is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond.
TAVARES, Fla.—Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Stefano Gargano has been released from the hospital.
More than 100 fellow law enforcement officers, friends and family members lined the sidewalk to welcome Gargano as he was released from HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford, exactly one month after he was shot while attempting to rescue Master Deputy Bradley Link Aug. 2 from a home outside of Eustis. He was escorted to Lake County by multiple law enforcement agencies across Central Florida under a bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds.
Gargano was shot multiple times, as he and a team entered the home of Michael, Julie, Cheyenne and Savannah Sulpizio, to rescue Link after he was shot multiple times and trapped in the home. Link succumbed to his injuries.
K9 Master Deputy Harold Howell was also shot; he was released from the hospital Aug. 6 and has been recovering at his home.
Michael, Cheyenne and Savannah Sulpizio all died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Julie Sulpizio, who set the tragic night in motion by starting an altercation with her neighbors, was Baker Acted from the scene before the shootings occurred. She was later indicted on charges of principal to premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer, three counts of principal to attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, conspiracy to commit murder, battery on law enforcement officer and three counts of battery.
TAVARES, Fla.—A Lake County grand jury has indicted Julie Sulpizio for her role in the death of one Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy and the attempted murder of two others on Aug. 2.
Sulpizio is now officially charged with principal to premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer, three counts of principal to attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, conspiracy to commit murder, battery on law enforcement officer, three counts of battery. The battery charges stem for her original altercation with neighbors.
Sulpizio has been held on no bond since her arrest Aug. 5 after she was medically cleared from AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares. She was detained since the night of the incident on a Baker Act, LCSO said earlier this month.
On Aug. 2, Sulpizio started an altercation with her neighbors on Brookside Drive in unincorporated Eustis. She attacked the neighbors and LCSO responded, and during a well-being check at her home, just down the street from the original call, Master Deputy Bradley Link was shot and suffered fatal wounds. In an immediate rescue attempt of Link, K9 Master Deputy Harold Howell was shot in the wrist and in a subsequent rescue attempt, Deputy Stefano Gargano was shot multiple times. Howell was released from the hospital and continues to recover at home; Gargano is still in the hospital and is in stable condition.
Upon entering the home, LCSO’s SWAT Team extracted Link and found Michael, and his adopted daughters, Cheyenne and Savannah Sulpizio, all dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Evidence at the scene indicated all three opened fire and ambushed the deputies.
Sheriff Peyton Grinnell revealed during Link’s Celebration of Life Service, that Link’s wife, Brittany, called her husband that tragic night and one of the assailants answered his phone and spoke to her.
Sulpizio is being held at an undisclosed detention center in the area, “That’s not uncommon in high publicity cases such as this one,” Lt. John Herrell told Inside Lake in an earlier interview.
Sulpizio charged with multiple capital crimes and could face the death penalty.
TAVARES, Fla.—Lake County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Bradley Link is scheduled to be honored Wednesday night by a young man who will run his 1,550th mile in support of fallen first responders.
Zechariah Cartledge founded Running 4 Heroes Inc., a non-profit organization in 2019, to raise funds for fallen first responders. Cartledge is scheduled to run the mile at 8 p.m. Wednesday, at Tavares Middle School, 13032 Lane Park Cutoff Road, Tavares. Attendees are asked to arrive between 7 and 7:30 p.m.
CLERMONT, Fla.—A celebration of life and memorial service for fallen Lake County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Bradley Link will livestream at 11 a.m. today.
The livestream will be available for those who cannot attend in person. You may watch by clicking here.
Hundreds of people are attending the service, including community members, dignitaries and law enforcement officers from across the country, in addition to family and friends.
Link, 28, was a 2015 graduate of Lake Minneola High School, served in the Army Reserves and became a deputy sheriff for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in 2017. He was hired at LCSO in October 2019. He served in the Agriculture and Marine Unit at the time of his death.
Master Deputy Bradley Link and Sheriff Peyton Grinnell in October 2019.
TAVARES, Fla.—The Lake County Sheriff’s Office released a video of K9 Master Deputy Harold Howell leaving the hospital, along with his first statement to the public Wednesday.
“Hello all— it is bittersweet to finally be home after this event. I would like to thank my Lake County Sheriff’s Office family for their unending love and support,” Howell said.
He also had a message for the community that has rallied behind him, Deputy Stefano Gargano and the family of fallen Master Deputy Bradley Link.
“To everyone in Lake County, as well as state and even nationwide—I have seen and heard your prayers, love, and support. I want to thank each and every one of you. Please continue to support the family and friends of Deputies Link and Gargano through this most difficult time. Stay safe and take care of each other. God bless you all.”
Howell was shot in the wrist in an ambush on deputies Friday night and is expected to make a full recovery, LCSO Lt. John Herrell said earlier this week. Gargano has underwent four surgeries and remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Howell and Master Deputy Bradley Link were ambushed Friday night in what Sheriff Peyton Grinnell called a “horrific nightmare,” at a press conference Monday. Gargano was shot multiple times, as he and a team entered the home of Michael, Julie, Cheyenne and Savannah Sulpizio, to rescue Link after he was shot multiple times and trapped in the home.
Link was later extracted from the home by LCSO’s SWAT Team and succumbed to his injuries.
Michael, Cheyenne and Savannah Sulpizio each committed suicide and were found in the home by the SWAT Team after they tore the home on Brookside Drive to pieces in an effort to extract Link. Julie Sulpizio, who was detained on a Baker Act and removed from the scene before the ambush, was arrested Monday on multiple charges including principal to premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer.
Link’s unit, Agriculture and Marine, arrested her with Link’s handcuffs and transported her to the Lake County Jail in Link’s patrol truck.
Julie Sulpizio was booked into the LCJ on no bond and transferred Tuesday to an undisclosed detention center in the area, Herrell said. “That’s not uncommon in high publicity cases such as this one,” he told Inside Lake.
CLERMONT, Fla.—A celebration of life and memorial service for fallen Lake County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Bradley Link has been announced.
It is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, at Real Life Christian Church, 1501 Steve’s Road, Clermont. For those unable to attend in person, LCSO will livestream the service, the agency said in a social media post.
TAVARES, Fla.—Julie Sulpizio, the woman who set Friday night’s tragic events in motion, has been arrested and is a facing a litany of charges.
Sulpizio is facing charges of principal to premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer, seven counts of attempted murder, battery on law enforcement officer, battery by strangulation, and two counts of battery.
She was arrested Monday afternoon at AdventHealth Waterman and transported to the Lake County Jail in Master Deputy Bradley Link’s patrol truck and cuffed with his handcuffs, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said at a press conference following her arrest.
Link’s unit, Agriculture and Marine, made the arrest after detectives worked around the clock to develop probable cause for her arrest.
Master Deputy Bradley Link’s handcuffs were used to arrest Julie Sulpizio Monday. She was transported to the Lake County Jail in Link’s patrol truck. PHOTO: Lake County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Peyton Grinnell released details unknown to the public until Monday and choked back tears several times during a press conference as he explained how the events unfolded and called his deputies’ actions heroic.
Sulpizio attacked several of her neighbors early Friday evening, prompting them to call LCSO for help around 7:45 p.m. The complainant said a female was trespassing on his property, attacking them, “acting religious,” accusing them of being sinners and said she “knows what they did.” The complainant identified her as Sulpizio, his neighbor, but she was stated she was “Helen under God’s will.”
An LCSO corporal arrived at 38226 Brookside Drive in unincorporated Eustis just before 8 p.m. and Sulpizio approached him with her hands behind her back. He ordered her to back up and she continued to walk toward him until he unholstered his taser and pointed it at her.
She accused her neighbors of being involved in pedophilia and claimed again her name was “Helen,” and said, “Juile is in heaven,” and asked one of the neighbors, “Who is your god,” Grinnell said.
She then said, “You see, the thing is, we needed to trick Lucy.” Lucy, LCSO learned, is Sulpizio’s nickname for Lucifer. She then pointed at the corporal and said, “See, you are one of them. See, we needed to trick the evil to come out.”
One of the victims told deputies Sulpizio wanted the neighbors to walk in front of her and go to her house, but they refused because they did not trust her, Grinnell said.
The victim asked her if Michael Sulpizio was OK, and she said, “Oh see, he sent me down here.”
The victim responded, “Oh, did he,” and she said, “Yes, my husband, my God.”
She attempted to convince them to go to her house and said, “Yes, Michael I’m coming,” and walked toward the LCSO corporal who put out his hand to block her and Sulpizio pushed his hand away. He pointed his taser at her which emits a piercing sound and a flashing light and Sulpizio said, “That’s God’s light.”
She walked toward the corporal again and he redirected her to the ground and told her to stay down. He began to cuff her, and she said, “You wanna play? You’re just making me madder.”
Sulpizio, now on her back, stated, “Let’s do this now. I can feel him.” Then she yells, “Michael, Gabriel, Timothy; it’s time now to protect my children.” Another deputy arrived and the corporal handcuffed Sulpizio.
The corporal and a sergeant arrived at the Sulpizio home, which is in walking distance of the original incident, to conduct a well-being check on Cheyenne and Savannah Sulpizio, Julie’s biological daughters and the adopted daughters of Michael.
They announced themselves at the door and attempted to make contact with someone inside. No one responded and the sergeant saw three people run through the home and one of them looked at the sergeant as they passed the closed door. Deputies also found two small dogs dead in the front yard.
Deputies heard loud banging but could not identify what it was and the corporal noticed an open window with a broken screen and was concerned the occupants may have been victims of a home invasion or a burglary, Grinnell said, and the corporal asked for additional deputies to respond.
Backup deputies arrived and positioned their marked units with their lights on, in view of the Sulpizio home. Master Deputy Bradley Link made multiple announcements over a PA identifying the deputies and calling out to the residents.
A neighbor gave deputies Julie’s number, and deputies called the phone, believing it was inside the home, but it went straight to voicemail.
Shortly after 9 p.m., Link, Master Deputy Harold Howell and and two other deputies attempted to enter the Sulpizio home. They entered through the rear door near the driveway. The door opens to a small laundry room that leads into a hallway that goes left and right.
Link approached the hallway and announced he was going left and indicated Howell should go right. As Link walked into the hallway, his bodycam picked up several frames of what appeared to be a male wearing a black shirt or body armor, with a rifle, positioned on the arm of a couch, ready to ambush deputies. Link did not see the man because he was looking left down the hallway, and the bodycam was facing forward, Grinnell said.
Link entered the hallway and the suspect, believed to be Michael Sulpizio, opened fire, shooting Link in the back several times. Howell is also shot in the wrist. Howell and the other two deputies were forced to retreat out of the residence and Link was immobilized, suffering multiple gunshot wounds and he attempted to crawl on his back to cover, but was unsuccessful. Link emptied his duty weapon of all rounds, Grinnell said.
Link moved his hand in what appeared to be an attempt to answer his radio as his ID number was called out but was also unsuccessful. He was shot several more times.
Someone in the home then started shooting at deputies outside, they took cover and returned fire. Deputies and supervisors on scene attempted to negotiate with the suspects for the release of Link—but they refused.
Link’s bodycam continued to record audio and video and was pointed toward the ceiling, and at 9:24 p.m., a female yelled, “My king kill all of you. You are Lucifer’s children,” in response to deputies asking for Link’s release.
Two minutes later the rescue team entered the home, with Deputy Stephano Gargano in the lead with a ballistic shield as cover. As he approached the threshold of the hallway, Gargano was shot through the wall multiple times, by a high-caliber round, causing him to become incapacitated. The rest of team extracted Gargano and he was transported to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital as a trauma alert.
Link’s body cam continued to record, capturing a female making statements about suicide, in addition to capturing the sound of racking and reloading firearms, Grinnell said.
Just after 11 p.m. deputies heard two rapid gunshots and a third shot a few minutes later and LCSO’s SWAT Team ripped a wall off the residence and extracted Link. He was rushed to a waiting ambulance for transport to a landing zone so he could be flown out for treatment. While en route, the decision was made to transport him to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares, where he was ultimately pronounced deceased.
As the SWAT Team cleared the home, they found two deceased females on the couch, dead from what appeared to be self-inflicted gunshot wounds to the head. Michael Sulpizio was found on the couch with a gunshot wound and a faint pulse. He was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.
A search of the home revealed a stockpile of 20 firearms placed strategically around the home. Ammunition, food and water, medical bags and bugout bags, in addition to anti-government propaganda were also found. No illegal drugs were found in the home.
In a later interview, Julie Sulpizio, claiming to be God and often Helen, said God speaks to her. She said Michael was the guardian angel which obeys her (God’s,) command. She said she planned to lure the neighbors to her home so Michael could murder them. She told a detective she could visualize souls and whether they were black or white and her job was to bring Michael dark souls.
“She was not successful because of our deputies,” Grinnell said.
When Julie was informed her family was dead, she said they are free and in heaven now, but did not seem to grasp the concept they are dead, Det. Josh Mercer said.
Several of Sulpizio’s charges are capital crimes that are punishable by death; 5th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson said his office has 45 days to decide whether they will seek the death penalty.
5th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson speaks with the media Monday about the arrest of Julie Sulpizio. PHOTO: Bonnie Whicher/Inside Lake
She is being held in the Lake County Jail on no bond in protective custody and is on suicide watch.
Gargano and Howell are still in the hospital, and Gargano’s condition has been upgraded from critical to stable. He underwent his third surgery Monday. Howell also underwent surgery Monday and is expected to make a full recovery.
