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2nd-Grade Teacher Snared In Drug Deal

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By JOSH POLTILOVE

jpoltilove@tampatrib.com

Published: November 15, 2008

  Valerie Sabarese

A second-grade teacher at Summerfield Crossings Elementary School has been charged with possession and delivery of heroin and crack cocaine, Hillsborough County deputies say.

Valerie Elaine Sabarese, 27, of Ruskin, sold 0.3 grams of heroin and 0.3 grams of crack cocaine to undercover sheriff's detectives at a convenience store at Fowler Avenue and 56th Street on Nov. 7, sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway said.

"She did tell us that she did use the drugs but she did not use them during the school hours," Callaway said.

Deputies began the case with an investigation into Sabarese's boyfriend but eventually ended up making a drug deal with her, Callaway said.

Sabarese was arrested Friday after deputies stopped her vehicle at U.S. 301 and County Road 672.

Sabarese remained in Orient Road Jail on Friday. Her bail was set at $19,000.

HILLSBOROUGH

Man Faces Murder Charge

TAMPA - Police on Thursday night arrested Ramon Antonio Varela, whom they say took part in a robbery last week in which the victim fought back and shot and killed Varela's partner.

Varela, 34, was arrested shortly before 9 p.m. He is charged with second-degree murder, robbery with a firearm and armed kidnapping.

Florida law allows prosecutors to charge offenders in the deaths of their accomplices if they die during the commission of the crime.

Varela, who said he was homeless, remained in Orient Road Jail on Friday.

Tampa police said two armed men entered the West Hillsborough Avenue apartment of 21-year-old Anthony Valez on Nov. 6, tied him up and demanded money. Valez broke free, wrested a gun from one of the intruders and shot one of them. Police identified the dead man as Christopher Sherman, 25, of St. Petersburg.

Son-In-Law Found Guilty

TAMPA - Alex Shevgert was convicted Friday of all counts by a jury that found him responsible for orchestrating attacks on his parents-in-law, Grigori and Galina Komissarchuk, because they cut him off financially.

Shevgert was convicted of two counts of traveling in interstate commerce to injure, kill or harass and one count of conspiracy.

The judge scheduled Shevgert's sentencing for Feb. 20, the same day as the other three defendants - Larik Cholak, Sergey Zub and Edmon Vardanyan. They entered guilty pleas.

A staff report

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