Fox News Flash top headlines for Dec. 31
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A Florida man who police say had a “hit list” and weapons in his home after a standoff with police last year did not deserve a no-jail plea deal, attorneys for the people on the hit list say.
Ryan Flanzer, 27, pleaded no contest on Dec. 19 to multiple charges, including firing a weapon into a dwelling and possession of a controlled substance, WWSB reported.
Flanzer was arrested in Sarasota in May 2018 after firing several rounds at a condo door before fleeing to a hotel. There he barricaded himself in a room until police convinced him to surrender.
Ryan Flanzer will receive no jail time for shooting through a condo and engaging in a standoff with police during an incident in May 2018, prosecutors said. (Sarasota County Sheriff's Office)
He was subsequently treated for mental health problems, and his firearms and assault weapons were seized by police. Flanzer has since resided at an addiction treatment rehab center in Malibu, Calif., the Herald-Tribune reported.
As part of Flanzer’s plea agreement, the charges of first-degree attempted armed burglary, second-degree impersonating an officer, and third-degree wearing a bulletproof vest during a crime, were dropped, according to the paper.
Flanzer was sentenced to more than 11 months in county jail and 48 months of probation, but he won't serve jail time because Sarasota County Circuit Judge Charles Williams gave him credit for time served in the Malibu treatment center.
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After his arrest in May 2018, authorities discovered drugs, an arsenal of weapons, shirts bearing the faces of the Columbine shooters and a “hit list” of at least six people, police said.
Attorneys for some of those people say their clients are terrified and have hired personal security. They also question why Flanzer won’t receive any jail time.
Prosecutors said they agreed to a no-jail plea for Flanzer because of the good behavior he has shown in rehab, pointing to good grades and a psychological report that did not deem him a threat.
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“This is a man who had no prior criminal record, no one was injured, and he was able to successfully pursue recovery and treatment over approximately the past 18 months," Assistant State Attorney Art Jackman told the Herald-Tribune. “Based upon the defendant’s exceptional turnaround over the last 18 months, Judge Williams, an experienced judge, in conjunction with three separate psychological reports and evaluations showing the defendant was a very low risk to re-offend, approved and accepted this plea disposition as fair and appropriate.”
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