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Defendant's Words May Be Bullet In Case

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI esilvestrini@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 16, 2008

TAMPA - Randy Nowak's own words will be the most important evidence in his trial on charges he tried to hire a hit man to kill an IRS officer, a federal prosecutor told jurors Monday.

Nowak, 49, of Mulberry, is accused of hiring a man he knew as "Reaper" to kill an IRS revenue officer for a total of $20,000 because he was afraid of going to prison for tax evasion.

Nowak's attorneys gave jurors no inkling of his defense. Attorney William Sites, in a brief opening statement, cautioned the jury to wait until all the evidence is presented before making a decision.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Reidel said Nowak asked a friend, Walter McGhee, about hiring someone to kill an IRS officer, the prosecutor said. She said Nowak thought McGhee would be able to find someone because McGhee had loose connections to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club.

Worried that he might be implicated, McGhee alerted law enforcement, Reidel said, and allowed agents to record his conversations with Nowak.

Reidel described meetings between Nowak and "Reaper," an undercover officer, and said there was no question Nowak wanted the IRS agent killed. Nowak paid the first $10,000 and was arrested with $10,000 in cash in his vehicle after he thought the deed had been done, Reidel said.

Two Teens Bring Guns to School
Two teenagers brought handguns to their high schools Monday in separate incidents, authorities said.

Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies found an unloaded 9 mm semiautomatic pistol and a loaded clip in the backpack of Alonso High School ninth-grader David Robert Costillow, the sheriff's office said.

Costillow, 15, faces charges of possession of a firearm on school property.

Earlier Monday, another 15-year-old student took a .45-caliber handgun to Hillsborough High School in an attempt to sell it, Tampa police said.

Kevin Brantley was arrested at the school after his mother called Hillsborough High to report her son might have a gun, police said.

Police said he stole the gun from his girlfriend's house.

He faces charges of theft of a firearm, possession of a concealed firearm and possession of a firearm on school grounds.

Man Robs 3 In Past Month

Tampa police say that three times in the past month, a man threatened to shoot employees at area businesses if they did not give him money from their cash registers, police say.

The robberies occurred at 10:50 p.m. Nov. 18 at Burger King, 9211 N. Florida Ave.; 10:47 p.m. Dec. 7 at Subway, 8410 N. Florida Ave.; and 11:05 p.m. Saturday at Burger King, 9211 N. Florida Ave.

In the first two robberies, the man implied he had a gun, according to a Tampa Police Department news release. He took money and left, running toward the Sulphur Springs area.

"In the first two robberies, the suspect was polite, referred to his family, talked about his mortgage and stated that times were tough," according to the release. "In the third robbery, he had a handgun, used profanity and was more aggressive."

He is 5-foot-8, black and 18 to 22 years old. He was wearing jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (813) 231-6130.

Brandon Man Dies In Crash

A 28-year-old Brandon man died after a crash at 2 a.m. Monday at Kings Avenue and Oakfield Drive.

Anthony Christopher Montgomery was southbound on Kings in a 2005 Nissan Frontier when his vehicle went into a median, hit a palm tree and then struck an oak tree, Hillsborough County deputies say.

Montgomery, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, died at the scene, the sheriff's office said.

An investigation is continuing.

A staff report

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