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Cell door slams on God Howard

By Justin George, Times Staff Writer
In print: Tuesday, June 24, 2008

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TAMPA — God Lucky Howard, 39, landed in the Hillsborough County Jail on cocaine charges Saturday.

The crime drew little notice. The name was another story.

This God made TV and the Internet.

But God Lucky Howard is not the only God in Florida, nor is he even the only God in trouble.

Elsewhere, there's Glory of God Cummings of Pensacola, God Fearing Philippe of Lakeland, None God of Jupiter, God Medeiros of New Port Richey and God Goldman and God V. Torres of Dade County, state records show.

Allahzar God Allah, 62, has been in a Lake County prison for almost a quarter century serving a life sentence for first-degree murder.

God is not simply in Florida.

God is also in Illinois.

The day before Howard was arrested, an Illinois judge gave a man named Steve Kreuscher permission to legally change his name to "In God We Trust," the Lake County News-Sun reported.

The 57-year-old artist and bus driver said the name grew from his devotion to God.

He also confessed to an ulterior motive.

"There are billions of artists out there," We Trust told the News-Sun. "If you don't do something to stand out in the crowd, the world won't recognize you."

Howard, if convicted, might be recognized by the Florida Department of Corrections. He previously served prison time on drug charges, state records show.

When booked in the Orient Road Jail on Saturday, he reported that he was a self-employed mortgage broker and that he lived at 3505 20th St. N.

Now he faces eight charges of cocaine delivery and possession. Tampa police say he sold drugs near a public housing complex, near a school and near a church.

Bail is $86,500.

News researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Justin George can be reached at (813) 226-3368 or jgeorge@sptimes.com.