Two men accused of badly beating two Green Parrot bouncers on July 28, initially charged with misdemeanor battery, are now charged with felony battery.

Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward on Friday confirmed that Assistant State Attorney Colleen Dunne, after interviewing witnesses to the Key West event, has amended the charges.

Now Joshua Michael Kirby, 33, and Pavel Chernestov, 23, could face up to five years in prison if found guilty of beating Parrot bouncers Tim Grandy and Adam Daytz.

Grandy and Daytz allegedly spotted Kirby and Chernestov rummaging through bicycle and scooters baskets outside the bar around 4 a.m. When the bouncers confronted the pair, Kirby and Chernestov allegedly rushed them, knocking Daytz unconscious and stomping on Grandy's ankle to the point he had to have pins surgically implanted at Lower Keys Medical Center.

Daytz was released but Grandy remains in critical condition.

Kirby is in the Stock Island Detention Center in lieu of $5,000 bond while Chernestov bonded out Tuesday. Ward says the next step is an Aug. 10 hearing to seek higher bail. If granted, it would lead to Chernestov being re-arrested.

Friends of Daytz and Grandy have rallied around their friends and have organized an Aug. 18 fundraiser at the Green Parrot, 601 Whitehead St., from 1 to 5 p.m. ——— ©2012 the Florida Keys Keynoter (Marathon, Fla.) Visit the Florida Keys Keynoter (Marathon, Fla.) at www.keysnet.com Distributed by MCT Information Services AMX-2012-08-04T11:45:00-04:00