LEESBURG, Fla. – A Florida woman with multiple convictions for drugs, forgery, and theft is serving yet another prison sentence – for two separate crimes she committed more than eight months apart. In August 2023, Kathy Sheree Sanders was the passenger in a car that was pulled over for “failing to stop at two separate stop signs” in Lake County, Fla. She was immediately arrested on a warrant from nearby Sumter County. The charge was a violation of her probation for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Hospital or No Hospital?
“After the defendant was informed of her warrant,” the arrest report said, “she began to state she was having difficulties breathing and a boil on her vagina was irritating her. Lake EMS was notified and responded to our location for further medical treatment.
“Lake EMS advised the defendant did not meet their criteria at the time for her to be transported to UF Hospital for further medical evaluation.”
But the nurse in the jail’s booking area disagreed and won out.
“The defendant would need to be medically cleared from a hospital before they would accept the arrest,” the arrest report continued. “Upon arrival at the hospital, the defendant’s clothing was removed to allow the nursing staff to examine the defendant’s complaint about her vagina.
“When the defendant’s clothing was removed, a small white rock-like substance was located in the waistline of the defendant’s underwear. The substance was collected, weighed .5 grams, and field-tested positive for cocaine.”
Sanders eventually went to jail, charged with possession of cocaine. She stayed more than a month, when she was released on her own recognizance.
Florida Woman Arrested Again Before Sentencing
Fast forward to April 2024, when she was caught stealing from a Target store’s baby and shoe departments. The affidavit said that Sanders “selected, concealed, and deprived Target of” a dozen items with a total value of $133.99. Then, she and an accomplice were seen “loading all of the items into a gold Chevrolet Suburban [known] as being utilized in numerous other Lady Lake retail theft cases,” a detective wrote.
Sanders wasn’t identified until later, and charged with petit theft-third conviction. The detective noted she had “numerous prior convictions of retail theft,” and she got a warrant for Sanders, who was finally arrested in June. This time, Sanders spent more than three months behind bars.
Two Cases Before One Judge
Finally, on Sept. 5, she faced a judge on both her coke and shoplifting charges. For the theft at Target, Sanders changed her plea to no contest. She was sentenced to 32 months in prison with credit for 79 days served, plus more than $1,400 in fines, costs, and other charges.
The Florida woman also admitted violating her probation on the cocaine charge and was sentenced to the same 32 months to be served concurrently, with credit for 121 days served. On Sept. 24, Sanders, 61, was sent to the Lowell Correctional Institution. Her release is scheduled for Sept. 20, 2026.
