Florida Agenda

DULUTH, MN – Two men have been charged in an assault upon a gay man that occurred during a May 26 graduation party. Max Pelofske, of Duluth, Minnesota, said that he was attacked by at least nine men during the party, which was being held in honor of a friend’s graduation. Pelofske, 21, claims that he was approached by a stranger, who asked him about his sexual orientation. According to the Duluth News Tribune , when Pelofske acknowledged that he is gay, he “was struck in the head by a flying beer can, and a crowd of young men surrounded him, threw him to the ground and began punching and kicking him.”

RENO, TX – Reno Police Chief Jeff W. Sugg announced in a two-sentence statement this morning that Daniel Martin, 33, and James “Tray” Mitchell Laster III, 31, have been arrested in the violent beating of 26-year-old Burke Burnett. Friends of Burnett, the gay man, say the savage attack was a hate crime.

Burnett ,  that in the early hours of Sunday morning he was stabbed at least twice with a broken beer bottle and thrown onto a fire at a private party by up to four men who yelled gay slurs during the attack.

Burnett needed more than 30 stitches to close stab wounds to his back and forearm, as well as a cut above his left eye from being sucker-punched at the start of the attack. He also suffered second-degree burns from being thrown onto a lit burn barrel.

Martin and Laster were arrested late Monday. Each is charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury – first-degree felonies punishable by anywhere between five to 99 years in prison., according to the detectives’ statement.

Reno police spokeswoman Alicia Myrick said it will be up the Lamar County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether the case is prosecuted as a hate crime.

“That’s not our decision,” Myrick said.

Under Texas law though, there is no penalty enhancement for a hate crime as the offense will be prosecuted as a first-degree felony, meaning it is highly unlikely that prosecutors will pursue the matter.

Photo: Rob Kohl

FORT LAUDERDALE – Rob Kohl, 35 of Wilton Manors is currently being held in the Broward County jail charged with two counts of grand theft, one count of petit theft and one count of cashing a forged check. Kohl was a former employee of Mark’s List and did advertising sales for Florida Agenda newspaper and Mark magazine.

According to Chris Caputo, Kohl’s roommate, on Thursday morning, March 3, Caputo went online to check his bank account and noticed that a check had been written on his account for $600 and made out to Kohl. Caputo confronted Kohl concerning the check and Kohl denied any knowledge. Upon looking at the back of the check online, Caputo said that he noticed that it had been withdrawn through a bank in Texas. When Caputo contacted the bank, they told him it cashed through a Ft.

Lauderdale check cashing store here. Caputo then contacted the check cashing store which confirmed to Caputo that Kohl was a regular customer.

Caputo also claimed that Kohl had pawned a television set owned by Caputo without Caputo’s permission. Upon investigation, Wilton Manors police found out that there was already an arrest warrant pending on Kohl.

Another man has come forward as a victim of Kohl. The local man stated that he had become friends with Kohl over a few months and that Kohl had lied to him, and pretended he had cancer. He asked him for $1,500 for some treatment he was going to have. The man lent him the money and even had Kohl sign a repayment agreement. A few weeks after this Kohl gave him a check which bounced.

Victims of Kohl are urged to come forward. Please contact Investigator Cameron on 954–828-4224.