Miami - Bal Harbour cops spent lavishly with seized drug loot

 

The Bal Harbour Police Department is under scrutiny not only for how it seized drug money, but how it spent the money.

Flush with millions of dollars seized from drug dealers, Bal Harbour police financed a freewheeling spending spree: $3,200 for a Miami-Dade police chiefs golf outing at Miami Shores Country Club; $1,000 for two nights’ stay at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and thousands more in sumptuous meals at Carpaccio Restaurant in the Bal Harbour Shoppes.
There were trips galore to Home Depot and Party City, for items such as cooking fuel and folding tables and chairs; to Publix and BJs Wholesale Club for food platters, dessert trays and picnic supplies; to BrandsMart USA for a flat-screen TV, a microwave oven and other appliances.
What did these expenses have to do with the department’s duty of serving and protecting Bal Harbour?
Little to nothing, according to the findings of an investigative report released last week by the U.S. Department of Justice that slams a Bal Harbour police task force that traveled the country picking up drug cash and laundering it during undercover investigations. The Justice Department said the task force laundered more money for criminals than it seized, and made no significant arrests or prosecutions — but spent the cash it did seize lavishly on salaries and benefits for officers, exceeding government spending guidelines with first-class flights, luxury car rentals and posh lodgings during undercover operations.
Catered DUI stops
Even when police were not working undercover, they tapped federal forfeiture funds to buy hundreds of dollars worth of pizzas, sodas and snacks for Mothers Against Drunk Driving events or Crime Watch meetings, and they pulled out all the stops for DUI checkpoints, which frequently became occasions for catered cookouts for the cops, according to Bal Harbour credit card statements.
Expense records show Bal Harbour police routinely spent hundreds and sometimes thousands on party supplies and other items that had little to do with actual law enforcement, such as $1,500 worth of Apple iPads and accessories purchased at the Aventura Mall in August 2011 for a drug-prevention event.
Bal Harbour officials have declined to comment on the array of purchases made under Police Chief Thomas Hunker, who is accused of professional misconduct in the Justice Department’s investigative report. He was suspended with pay by the village last week.
Bal Harbour’s mayor, Jean Rosenfield, said she will reserve judgment on Hunker pending the outcome of an investigation into related allegations that the chief sold his influence for gifts, interfered with arrests and prosecutions, and landed a deal on his wife’s personal Jeep after the police department bought several vehicles from the same dealership.
“People can allege anything,’’ she said. “I want to know where these allegations came from.’’
However, some Bal Harbour residents said they are outraged by the Justice Department’s report and the revelations that the village police are conducting undercover operations in far-flung locations that have nothing to do with their small coastal community.
“This is Southern Florida,’’ said Neil Alter, who lives in the Balmoral complex. “Why are we pursuing criminals and drug traffickers who are on the West Coast of the United States? To what degree does it serve the Bal Harbour community?’’
In October, the Miami Herald reported that the village police department — a small town force heretofore known for writing traffic tickets — conducts undercover operations all over the country, and was under federal investigation for allegedly doling out hundreds of thousands in payments to informants, running up $23,704 in one month for cross-country trips with first-class flights and Cadillac and Lincoln Town Car rentals, and misspending seized funds on salaries and benefits for contract officers who work on the money laundering unit.
In a rare move, federal officials froze more than $8 million that Bal Harbour helped confiscate under the program, and the Justice Department now wants the village to hand over more than $4 million.
‘Jealous’ feds
The village police chief since 2003, Hunker, 61, is about to complete the third year of a four-year employment contract that pays him a base salary of $141,959.80 a year, and provides him with a car, health insurance and pension plan.
He has hired a criminal defense attorney, Richard Sharpstein, who denied the allegations and lambasted the Justice Department for airing unproven accusations in public.
“It’s doing nothing other than slurring and smearing Tom’s reputation unnecessarily and wrongfully,’’ said Sharpstein, who vowed that the chief would be vindicated.
Sharpstein said the Justice Department’s investigation was motivated by professional jealousy — and the federal government’s refusal to share millions seized by village police from drug dealers and money launderers.
“What this is about is they’re holding about $8 or $9 million that’s due and owning to Bal Harbour that they don’t want to pay. This has a lot to do with that,’’ he said. “They’re jealous because he got this money and they want it.’’
Indeed, Bal Harbour’s force became a massive cash generator after Hunker broke from the federally sponsored South Florida Money Laundering Strike Force and partnered with the Glades County Sheriff’s Office in Central Florida to form the independent Tri-County Task Force, which included police officers contracted out of retirement and based in New York, Southern California and Florida’s West Coast.
In the first year of the task force’s operations, Bal Harbour increased its share of federal payouts from drug seizures fourfold over the previous year: from $240,689 in 2008 to more than $1 million in 2009.
By 2011, Bal Harbour police helped reel in $5.1 million — more any other law enforcement agency in Florida.
But according to the Justice Department’s findings, the task force operated like a rogue unit.
Unlike other multi-agency task forces that investigate money laundering and drug trafficking, Bal Harbour police had no federal sponsor looking over its shoulder.
Its detectives made no arrests related to money laundering, and never presented a case for prosecution for money laundering, according to the Justice Department. The unit produced no investigative reports.
Instead, the Justice Department said, task force officers spent their time managing informants and picking up cash from drug dealers — with no limits on how much money an undercover cop could collect, and no standard operating manual for handling the large sums that sometimes exceeded $1 million.
A typical operation would begin with a task force informant receiving a phone call from a money broker, who acted as a middle man between the drug dealer and the money launderer. One of the task force’s undercover detectives would then arrange to pick up the cash, and coordinate the operation with DEA agents.
But DEA agents rarely took possession of the cash. Instead, task force detectives would deposit the money into undercover bank accounts maintained by Bal Harbour police. According to Justice Department investigators, Bal Harbour never audited those undercover bank accounts.
From the undercover bank accounts, the money would be wired throughout the country according to the money broker’s instructions.
Divvying it up
The role of DEA agents was to conduct surveillance of the people who dropped off the money to the undercover detective, and then make the arrests, according to the Justice Department.
Any money associated with the arrest was then subject to federal asset forfeiture.
Once the seized cash was released by a judge, the Justice Department kept 20 percent and distributed the remainder to the participating law enforcement agencies in line with the amount of hours, intelligence and personnel each contributed to the operation.
In three years, the Bal Harbour-led task force conducted 227 money pickups and laundered $56.2 million, the Justice Department said..
In conjunction with the pickups, the task force claimed 84 arrests and $49.7 million in cash seized.
But those arrests were conducted by other agencies, and Hunker was unable to provide federal investigators with a single example where task force cases were presented for prosecution by the Florida State Attorney’s Office.
What’s more, according to the Justice Department, Bal Harbour officers routinely inflated the hours worked on each operation, citing 2,000 hours in some cases and 4,000 hours on others.
In one email exchange between a Bal Harbour police captain and a DEA agent in May 2011, the federal agent writes to the village officer regarding the amount of time claimed: “Good thing you and Vargas don’t have to justify 4,200 hours!! COME ON MAN.’’
When asked by federal investigators why he claimed so many hours on the forms, the Bal Harbour police captain answered that he thought he was allowed to list a running total of hours spent on all money laundering investigations, and not just the hours specific to one operation.
Timothy Wagner, director of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, a federal program that coordinates multi-agency law enforcement efforts, said federal agencies have very specific guidelines for undercover investigations of money laundering and drug trafficking.
If a law enforcement agency wants to form a task force under the HIDTA umbrella, he said, that agency must present a strategy with “a worthy end game.’’
“We look for the organizations that you’ve dismantled,’’ he said. “Arrests and seizures are a means to an end. The endgame in a HIDTA world is to disrupt and dismantle organizations that are trafficking in drugs or drug money or drug violence.’’
Bal Harbour police’s endgame was not so much about building criminal cases as it was about seizing cash, said Brian Mulheren, a resident of Carleton Terrace and a retired officer with the New York Police Department.
“Why would we be connected to Glades County that’s nowhere near us when there’s a task force in Miami that we should be part of,’’ Mulheren said. “It’s not for the benefit of the residents of Bal Harbour, and not for the benefit of the residents of Glades County, but to go out and get money.’’

Credit : Miami Herald

Bishop Eddie Long's wife files for divorce

The wife of Georgia televangelist Bishop Eddie Long has filed for divorce, according to a statement issued Friday by her attorney.

Vanessa G. Long's statement did not specify why she is seeking a divorce from Long.
"It is my sincere hope that this matter can be resolved expeditiously, harmoniously, and fairly," she said in the statement. "I ask that you respect my privacy and that of my family, as my attorneys and I have agreed that we will not try this case in the media, and I do not intend to make any further statements concerning this matter."
Last spring, Long settled a lawsuit filed by four young men who accused him of pressuring them into sexual relationships while they were teenagers and members of Long's congregation at New Life Missionary Church in Lithonia, Georgia.
Long is also being sued by former parishioners who accuse him of getting them to invest in a Ponzi scheme that wiped out at least $1 million in their retirement savings.

Arkansas weatherman Brett Cummins found in hot tub with naked dead man wearing 'dog collar': police

KARK 4 News

Brett Cummins, 33, woke up Tuesday to discover that a man he'd been with the night before was dead beside him in a hot tub, naked and wearing a dog collar, police say.

An Arkansas weatherman didn't predict he would wake up in a hot tub with a naked dead man, but that's exactly what police say happened.

Now authorities are trying to determine what killed Dexter Williams, whose body was found with a "dog collar" around his neck, according to a police report.

The mystery began Monday night, when KARK 4 News meteorologist Brett Cummins arrived at the home of John Barbour around 11 p.m. in Maumelle, just north of Little Rock, the report stated. The 33-year-old weatherman brought Williams, 24, with him. Barbour said he did not know the doomed man.

"They then began to drink and use illegal narcotics," Officer Gregory Roussie said Barbour told him. "Mr. Barbour stated he was not sure of the drugs that they were using but that they were snorting them."

About two hours later, Cummins and Williams went into the Jacuzzi to have a drink, and Barbour later joined them, police said. Shortly afterwards, Barbour said he left the two and went into the living room, where he fell asleep on the couch.

Barbour told police he awoke about 8 a.m. Tuesday and could hear Cummins snoring in the hot tub, the report said. He proceeded to gather glasses in the bathroom and wake up Cummins before realizing Williams was dead.

"Dexter's head was lying behind Brett's left shoulder," Barbour told police, according to the report. "After Brett awoke they discovered that Dexter was not conscious and his face was a different color."

The meteorologist was horrified, the report indicated.

"Brett screamed and became ill and left the bathroom and vomited on the carpet in the living room," Barbour told police, according to the report. The weatherman then left the house, but insisted he would return.

"Cummins did return to the residence and gave a statement to investigators," Roussie said in the report. No details of what he said have been released.

When police arrived they observed Williams "lying on his right side in a fetal position, his face was blue and purple in color with a chain around his neck," Roussie said in the report. "The chain was silver in color and consistent with what I believed to be a dog collar."

He also noted that he "observed a small ring of blood around the bottom of the tub."

An autopsy is underway to determine what killed Williams, but so far no charges have been filed in his death.

KARK 4 News stated online Tuesday that "Brett will not be on the air as he is mourning the loss of his friend."

Social Network : N.Y. Teacher Could Be Fired Over Controversial Facebook Post

A Brooklyn teacher could be out of a job very soon, after making some controversial comments about her students on Facebook.

Just a day after a 12-year-old girl drowned on a school field trip to the beach, fifth-grade teacher Christine Rubino posted a status update, implying that her students may deserve the same fate. "After today, I'm thinking the beach is a good trip for my class. I hate their guts," Rubino wrote. A friend soon commented, asking, "Wouldn't you throw a life jacket to little Kwami?" But the teacher said she wouldn't -- not even "for a million dollars."

One of Rubino's colleagues saw the post and alerted school authorities. After school investigator Richard Condon conducted a probe into the matter, Rubino was confronted, about six months after she posted the controversial status. At first, the teacher blamed the incident on a friend who had access to her account. A longtime friend later corroborated Rubino's claims, and took responsibility for the post. But school officials haven't bought her story.

Now, the teacher is in the midst of termination hearings, facing accusations of "conduct unbecoming a teacher" and witness tampering. (Rubino insists that her friend came to her defense without coercion.)

Insensitive as her comments may have been, some believe that termination would violate the teacher's right to privacy. "There's an expectation that this posting is to be shared with friends, not the general public," said Marshall Bellovin, a lawyer who specializes in teacher rights. "Therefore, any severe measure taken against a teacher, in my opinion, would be unfair."

Rubino, meanwhile, acknowledges that her post was inappropriate, but argues that it shouldn't jeopardize her 15-year teaching career. "It was something I said out of anger," Rubino told the New York Post. "I would never take my class to the beach. I would never hurt them."

Video : Julian Assange Defends WikiLeaks, Manning and Free Press on '60 Minutes'

Last night, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sat down for a rare, extended interview with Steve Kroft of '60 Minutes.' In what CBS has called Assange's "most extensive television interview to date," the Australian national defended his organization's mission, discussed the roots of his own anti-authoritarian philosophy, and compared WikiLeaks' core principles to "those of the U.S. Revolution."

Assange, who is still fighting an extradition warrant to Sweden, has spent the last several weeks at a 600-acre English estate, where British authorities have placed him under house arrest. And, although he told Kroft that even this "gilded cage" has been cramping his nomadic style, Assange certainly seemed as sharp and preternaturally poised as he's ever been. He eloquently defended his free-speech activism, and confidently defended the legality of his actions.

Unlike fellow '60 Minutes' stalwart Lesley Stahl, who displayed a genuine, child-like fascination during her softball interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Kroft seemed determined to get a rise out of Assange. His interrogation was pointed. ("For somebody who abhors secrets, you run a pretty secret organization," Kroft accused.) His counterarguments were terse. ("There's a special set of rules in the United States for disclosing classified information.") And his disposition was largely frigid. During several cutaway shots, he looked as if he'd just bitten into a lemon.

Through it all, though, Assange remained calm and collected. He firmly reiterated his belief in WikiLeaks' pursuit of global transparency, and defined his brand of activism with laconic confidence. "We are free press activists," he said. "It's not about saving the whales. It's about giving people the information they need to support whaling or not support whaling." Only when Kroft pointed out that some Americans think of Army Private Bradley Manning as a "traitor" did Assange's eyes light up. "That's clearly not true," he quickly responded.

Assange also roundly denied accusations that his organization has an explicitly anti-American agenda. "We don't 'go after' a particular country," he explained. "We just stick to our promise of publishing material that is likely to have a significant impact." Doing his best Glenn Beck impersonation, Assange even likened his core libertarian principles to those of America's founding fathers. "Our founding values are those of the U.S. revolution," he argued. "They are those of the people like Jefferson and Madison. And we have a number of Americans in our organization. If you're a whistleblower and you have material that is important, we will accept it, we will defend you and we will publish it. You can't turn away material simply because it comes from the United States."

Video : The Rex Ryan press conference was uncomfortable

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan was asked about the foot fetish videos that leaked on the web the other day. The New York media constantly peppered him with the same question over and over and he continually responded that it was a “personal matter”.

It was ugly, and it was embarrassing and frankly, I felt pretty bad for the guy.

Watch for yourselves.

Rihanna, Christina Aguilera Too Risky for British Primetime?

Print

Rihanna and Christina Aguilera are under fire for their racey performances on the finale of British talent search 'The X Factor.' The performances took place on Dec. 11, the night before Matt Cardle was crowned the winner, but since then the British broadcasting regulator Ofcom and the show's network, ITV, have received almost 4500 complaints, prompting an investigation into the show's finale.

Both females wore lingerie-like outfits, but provocatively shook their hips a little too much for the nearly 20 million viewers watching. Although the finale aired at the 7-9PM slot, before what the U.K. calls the "watershed" hour or 9PM cutoff for adult content, ITV and the show face the possibility of being slapped with fines and a formal apology, if they broke section 1.3 of the broadcasting code. The rule charges that "children must be protected by appropriate scheduling from material that is unsuitable for them."

Rihanna's performance recalled Britney Spears' 'I'm a Slave 4U' snake spectacle at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. The Bajan beauty took off a striped tunic mid-song and showed off her curves to the oh-na-nas of her current hit single 'What's My Name?' Aguilera and her dancers, on the other hand, looked more like strippers during her performance of 'Express,' but it was in the similar vein of Xtina's winter blockbuster 'Burlesque,' off which the song is featured. Check out the videos below and decide for yourself if U.K. viewers are overreacting ... or not.

Paterson Fined Over Yankees Tickets

ALBANY—Gov. David Paterson contradicted his staff, the Yankees and common sense when he falsely claimed he always intended to pay for five tickets to the first game of the 2009 World Series at Yankee Stadium, a state commission said in assessing him a $62,125 fine.

In a report Monday, the Commission on Public Integrity said Mr. Paterson performed no ceremonial function at the game, which still wouldn't have entitled him to free tickets for his son and son's friend. The others were used by the governor and two staff members. He and two of his staff paid for four of the tickets a few days later.

"The moral and ethical tone of any organization is set at the top. Unfortunately, the governor set a totally inappropriate tone by his dishonest and unethical conduct," said commission Chairman Michael Cherkasky. "Such conduct cannot be tolerated by any New York State employee, particularly our governor."

The commission said the civil penalty consists of the $2,125 value of the tickets and $60,000 for three violations of the state's public officer's law.

Mr. Paterson had said it was his duty to attend the opening series game at the new Bronx stadium. A call to his lawyer Theodore Wells Jr. was not immediately returned.

In August, special counsel Judith Kaye said there was a question whether the governor gave "intentionally false testimony" about having written an $850 check in advance for two tickets.

However, Kaye said the perjury issue was "clouded" by the way Paterson's commission testimony was given, with the entries read aloud to the legally blind governor, instead of him personally examining a check that was not filled out in his own handwriting.

Wells said then that Paterson didn't lie, and he noted Kaye's report didn't recommend bringing charges.

However, she said the evidence warranted consideration of criminal charges.

Albany County District Attorney P. David Soares said in August the case was under consideration but they would have no comment until the review was complete.