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TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that a Broward County man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on numerous criminal charges. A Broward County jury returned the guilty verdict against Alvara Valdez in August 2009 for burglary, grand theft, resisting arrest, aggravated assault charges and violating the terms of his probation. Valdez was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution and the State Attorney’s Office for the 15th Judicial Circuit.

In November 2007, Valdez entered an unoccupied residence in West Palm Beach and was stopped by police while trying to leave with the victim’s jewelry box. Valdez, 57, struggled with police and attempted to break free by continually swinging a screwdriver at an officer. At the time of the arrest, Valdez was serving three years probation for previous criminal charges of racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, grand theft and burglary for his participation in a series of jewelry burglaries.

Valdez, of Ft. Lauderdale, was sentenced as a prison releasee reoffender and habitual felony offender. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Judge Karen Miller in the 15th Judicial Circuit.