Updated March 4, 2010, 2:15pm

By Melissa E. Holsman

STUART — A judge this week ordered a Stuart man arrested in July for possessing 20,000 pounds of fireworks inside his garage to spend 25 years behind bars for trafficking in morphine.

James Buhs, 46. a convicted felon with a history that includes possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a machine gun, was arrested at his East Ocean Boulevard home in Stuart as state and federal authorities seized about $100,000 in illegal fireworks, explosive materials and several weapons.

Members of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, Tactical Unit, SWAT Team, Bomb Disposal Team and Special Investigations Section served a search warrant at the address.

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Kobie Orande Gary, a son of prominent Stuart attorney Willie Gary, is one of three men indicted Thursday on federal charges of maintaining a grow house where authorities say they found 213 marijuana plants.

The U.S. District Court grand jury in Fort Pierce indicted Kobie Gary, 30, of Jensen Beach; Stephen Shepherd, 33, a tenant at the $125,030 home in the 7200 block of Mulberry Drive in Hobe Sound that was the alleged grow house; and Scott Daniel Gibson of Stuart. (more…)

GOLDEN GATE — State fire investigators were called after five vehicles were found burning late last night and early this morning.

Residents at homes along Birch Avenue, Ellendale and Delmar Streets woke up in the dark to find their vehicles in flames, according to Martin County Sheriff’s reports.

The first fire was reported shortly before midnight on Thursday, the last at 3:30 this morning.

None of the residents reported seeing anyone near the fires. One man was able to pull out his garden hose to douse out the fire in his vehicle.

A Palm City man reported he was stabbed early this morning, and detectives are now investigating the incident.

Coquina Cove resident Paul Embry, 33, told Martin County Sheriff’s detectives that he saw a teen by his vehicle at about 5:30 a.m. He said he confronted the boy and then felt what seemed like a “bee sting” in his abdomen, according to sheriff’s spokeswoman Rhonda Irons.

A relative drove Embry to the hospital for treatment. His injuries do not seem to be life-threatening, Irons said.

Detectives have not yet recovered a weapon.

Thomas Butt

Thomas A. Butt, 57, dialed the emergency line that night to report that two men were raping a woman behind the Bank of America on U.S. 1.

When Martin County Sheriff’s deputies arrived, they didn’t find anyone except Butt, who was crouching down behind some bushes, according to a sheriff’s report. Butt told deputies the attackers were by a telephone pole but deputies said they found no one there.

Dispatchers told the deputies that Butt had called two other times that night to make false reports. In one call, he reported a burglary in progress but when deputies investigated they found that it wasn’t true, the report states. But also called to report a disabled vehicle on Interstate 95 that might be blocking the road.

Butt faces charges of making a false report using 911, loitering and resisting arrest.

Kevin Alicea

Damon Long

A tipster told Martin County Sheriff’s detectives that Kevin L. Alicea, of Lake Worth, and Damon J. Long, of North Palm Beach, had planned a drug deal for Thursday night.

When investigators arrived near the Kanner Highway Chevron gas station by Interstate-95 and found both men.

Alicea, 30, had 16 grams of cocaine and 58 pills of ecstasy in his pocket, according to a sheriff’s report.

Thirty-two-year-old Long — whose arrest paperwork lists him as an employee of Palm Beach Pain Management – had 3.9 ounces of cocaine, the report states.

Michael Gearde

That’s what Martin County Sheriff’s deputies said happened before they were alerted that Hobe Sound resident Michael F. Gearde had broken into his ex-girlfriend’s house early this morning.

Gearde, 44, now faces felony charges of armed burglary, aggravated assault and false imprisonment.

The woman told deputies she was in her room when Gearde appeared holding a knife.

When she tried to flee, Gearde allegedly grabbed her and kicked her. Eventually the woman’s mother came in and the two were able to get Gearde to leave, according to a sheriff’s report. (more…)

Mario Andres

Oscar Jimenez

Witnesses reported seeing the two men breaking into the Heritage Ridge Pro Shop in the Heritage Ridge Golf Club in Hobe Sound on Friday night.

Oscar F. Jimenez, 18, grabbed two bank bags from behind the counter, according to a Martin County Sheriff’s report.

Mario J. Andres, 24, told investigators he took clothes that he “really liked.”

Nearly two hours after the theft, Jimenez was spotted walking on U.S. 1. Sheriff’s deputies handcuffed him and found the cash inside his jean pockets and wallet, the report states. He was shocked twice with a Taser as deputies tried to restrain him, investigators said.

Andres, a former employee of the golf club, was stopped by two golfers as he ran from the shop.

Deputies said $595 was taken from the shop.

Both men face charges of burglary and grand theft.

Henry Froats

Henry Froats, 30, told a Florida Highway Patrol trooper late Wednesday night he had been robbed on the side of Interstate 95 as he was fixing a flat tire shortly before 9:30 p.m.

Froats, who works a jewelry store, told the trooper a man in a blue vehicle pulled up behind him and robbed him at gun-point, taking off with a half-million dollars in jewelry and his cell phone.

Martin County Sheriff’s investigators checked Froats’s trunk and found a suitcase with a computer case that contained diamonds, a cell phone and a cell phone’s memory chip, according to a sheriff’s report.
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Detectives with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit in partnership with the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco conducted an undercover operation on Thursday, when they checked 17 convenience stores throughout Martin County to see if they sold alcohol to minors.

One-hundred percent compliance was reported on that date. No sales were made to the concerned citizen volunteer that worked with detectives.

This operation was the second conducted in the past thirty days. Two arrests were previously made on May 7, 2009. These operations continue year-round.