Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald - August 22, 2007
Wanda J. Demarzo, wdemarzo@MiamiHerald.com
Wilk was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Cohn after a panel of eight women and four men found him guilty on June 13 of murder, possession of child pornography, obstruction of justice and the attempted murder of Deputy Angelo Cedeno.
Both Fatta and Cedeno were part of a multiagency task force that raided Wilk's upscale Fort Lauderdale home to serve a search warrant for child pornography.
Wilk, who claims he has AIDS-related dementia, apologized Wednesday before a courtroom filled with BSO deputies for killing Fatta, 33, and seriously injuring Cedeno but insists he did not "intentionally" murder Fatta.
Wilk also said Wednesday that he wanted the money from the sale of his forfeited home to be added to the reward fund for anyone with information about the murder of Sgt. Chris Reyka.
'He said that the money can be used to get a 'legitimate cop killer,' " Wilk's attorney, Bill Matthewman, said. "It's now up to the federal government where the money goes. But he was sincere about giving the money to the Reykas."
Reyka was murdered Aug. 10 at a Walgreens in Pompano Beach. A reward of $106,000 is being offered to anyone with information that will lead to an arrest in the case.
The government forfeited Wilk's home and sold it. The proceeds total $140,000, Matthewman said.
A U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman could not be reached for comment.
During the trial, the defense and Wilk argued that he acted in self-defense, only opening fire after the deputies burst through the living room front door.
Wilk's attorneys argued deputies botched the raid by not properly announcing themselves or having sufficient backup in light of Wilk's previous threats against law enforcement. Fatta's family is pursuing a wrongful death suit against the Broward Sheriff's Office for mistakes they allege were made during the raid.
Prosecutors maintained Wilk held a grudge against law enforcement because his boyfriend, Kelly Ray Jones, had been arrested and later convicted of possessing child pornography and trying to have sex with a 12-year-old boy, prosecutors said. Wilk had made several threats against law enforcement officers.
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