|
Post by WaTcHeR on Jan 9, 2007 13:29:43 GMT -5
01.09.2007 - Goshen — A judge today sentenced a former Middletown cop to seven weekends in Orange County Jail and three years on probation for lying about the identity of the suspect in the theft of a $5.50 chicken dinner. Patrick Moser of Middletown pleaded guilty last year to official misconduct, a misdemeanor. He was accused of punching the suspect in the chicken dinner theft, leading to a civil rights lawsuit against the city that was settled for $400,000. Moser must surrender at the jail in Goshen on Friday. Orange County Court Judge Jeffrey G. Berry told Moser, "You've done a lot of positive things as a police officer. I've taken that into account." Moser was accompanied by family and friends who tried to block photographers from taking his picture. One of them suggested that their equipment might be damaged in an accident. Moser declined to say anything to the judge in his defense. He was calm and composed as he left the courtroom, but said he didn't think the sentence was fair. www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070109/NEWS/701090336
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on Jan 9, 2007 13:29:43 GMT -5
01.09.2007 - Goshen — A judge today sentenced a former Middletown cop to seven weekends in Orange County Jail and three years on probation for lying about the identity of the suspect in the theft of a $5.50 chicken dinner. Patrick Moser of Middletown pleaded guilty last year to official misconduct, a misdemeanor. He was accused of punching the suspect in the chicken dinner theft, leading to a civil rights lawsuit against the city that was settled for $400,000. Moser must surrender at the jail in Goshen on Friday. Orange County Court Judge Jeffrey G. Berry told Moser, "You've done a lot of positive things as a police officer. I've taken that into account." Moser was accompanied by family and friends who tried to block photographers from taking his picture. One of them suggested that their equipment might be damaged in an accident. Moser declined to say anything to the judge in his defense. He was calm and composed as he left the courtroom, but said he didn't think the sentence was fair. www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070109/NEWS/701090336
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 24, 2006 9:45:53 GMT -5
05.24.2006 - Goshen - The stolen dinner was worth $5.50. The case cost a decorated police officer his job.
Middletown police Officer Patrick Moser yesterday pleaded guilty to official misconduct in a deal that ended his 16-year police career and publicly labeled him an alcoholic.
The events began with a police call at 3 a.m. April 9, 2005. Someone had walked out of Kennedy Fried Chicken on North Street without paying.
Moser, 39, and another officer answered the call and later arrested Jacob Fitzgerald, who was charged with petty larceny and resisting arrest.
But Fitzgerald suffered a broken jaw that night and levelled charges of his own. He accused Moser of punching him while he was handcuffed and said that police deprived him of medical attention for hours. Moser later testified that Fitzgerald was drunk and hit his own face on the patrol car partition as he struggled against police.
At a pretrial hearing in September, Moser testified that after arresting Fitzgerald, he brought him to the restaurant so the owner could identify him.
But the owner later told prosecutors that Moser never brought Fitzgerald back to the restaurant. With Moser's credibility in question, prosecutors asked City Court Judge Steve Brockett to drop the case.
On Dec. 16, Moser was indicted in Orange County Court on three felony charges of lying and filing false records as well as the misdemeanor official misconduct.
Yesterday, the prosecution accepted Moser's misdemeanor guilty plea, capping a sentence at a maximum of 60 days in jail and three years on probation.
Prosecutor Chris Borek said he accepted a doctor's report that Moser suffers from alcoholism and recurring depression and didn't intentionally lie.
Judge Jeffrey Berry accepted the plea and said he would sentence Moser on July 26.
The case was a blow for the Middletown Police Department. Moser's guilty plea is likely to harm the department's defense against the federal lawsuit that Fitzgerald filed against police claiming he was assaulted and mistreated.
And it has left a bad mark on the force.
"An incident like this erodes public trust," Chief Matthew Byrne said. He said the department is in a tight spot when an officer might be suffering from a problem but there is not enough evidence to take action.
Moser, who was once commended for pulling people out of a fire, did a lot of good for the department, he said.
"It's a shame," Byrne said. "Sometimes cops throw their career in the toilet before they get any help."
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 24, 2006 9:45:53 GMT -5
05.24.2006 - Goshen - The stolen dinner was worth $5.50. The case cost a decorated police officer his job.
Middletown police Officer Patrick Moser yesterday pleaded guilty to official misconduct in a deal that ended his 16-year police career and publicly labeled him an alcoholic.
The events began with a police call at 3 a.m. April 9, 2005. Someone had walked out of Kennedy Fried Chicken on North Street without paying.
Moser, 39, and another officer answered the call and later arrested Jacob Fitzgerald, who was charged with petty larceny and resisting arrest.
But Fitzgerald suffered a broken jaw that night and levelled charges of his own. He accused Moser of punching him while he was handcuffed and said that police deprived him of medical attention for hours. Moser later testified that Fitzgerald was drunk and hit his own face on the patrol car partition as he struggled against police.
At a pretrial hearing in September, Moser testified that after arresting Fitzgerald, he brought him to the restaurant so the owner could identify him.
But the owner later told prosecutors that Moser never brought Fitzgerald back to the restaurant. With Moser's credibility in question, prosecutors asked City Court Judge Steve Brockett to drop the case.
On Dec. 16, Moser was indicted in Orange County Court on three felony charges of lying and filing false records as well as the misdemeanor official misconduct.
Yesterday, the prosecution accepted Moser's misdemeanor guilty plea, capping a sentence at a maximum of 60 days in jail and three years on probation.
Prosecutor Chris Borek said he accepted a doctor's report that Moser suffers from alcoholism and recurring depression and didn't intentionally lie.
Judge Jeffrey Berry accepted the plea and said he would sentence Moser on July 26.
The case was a blow for the Middletown Police Department. Moser's guilty plea is likely to harm the department's defense against the federal lawsuit that Fitzgerald filed against police claiming he was assaulted and mistreated.
And it has left a bad mark on the force.
"An incident like this erodes public trust," Chief Matthew Byrne said. He said the department is in a tight spot when an officer might be suffering from a problem but there is not enough evidence to take action.
Moser, who was once commended for pulling people out of a fire, did a lot of good for the department, he said.
"It's a shame," Byrne said. "Sometimes cops throw their career in the toilet before they get any help."
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 25, 2006 14:19:47 GMT -5
05.25.2006 - District Attorney Joe DeCecco said Sheboygan police have been exonerated of allegations by a black man who claimed officers made racial slurs toward him and used excessive force during his arrest in April 2005.
Isaac D. Thomas, the man who accused three officers of wrongdoing, pleaded no contest to a charge of lying about those allegations, DeCecco said Wednesday.
"I wanted him to admit that he was lying and that's what he did," DeCecco said of the plea. "He's conceded that the racial slur never occurred, that the undue force didn't occur."
But Thomas, 26, formerly of Sheboygan, said Wednesday his no-contest plea doesn't mean he lied about the incident.
"I have not and I won't concede to saying that I lied about the racial slur and the other allegations," Thomas said. "It's all true."
Police Chief David Kirk said Thomas' plea clears the three officers involved in the traffic stop of any wrongdoing, along with the Sheboygan Police Department.
"I believe … it exonerates our officers," Kirk said. "This (incident) never took place."
Thomas said DeCecco's and Kirk's comments are "ridiculous."
"I'm disturbed that the DA and the police chief would make statements saying that I lied when nothing in the plea deal admits any wrongdoing at all," Thomas said.
The incident occurred during a traffic stop early in the morning of April 19, 2005, on North Eighth Street.
Thomas claimed an officer called him a "f***ing n*****" before Thomas was struck four or five times with a baton during the stop for a making a U-turn and for illegal window tint on his car. Thomas was charged in May 2005 with resisting an officer for 2005 incident and was charged in July with filing a false complaint of police misconduct.
Thomas' attorney, William Kerner of Milwaukee, said Thomas pleaded no contest to the ordinance violation to resolve the matter.
"The realistic assessment of this is that both sides made significant concessions to resolve this with their reputations intact," Kerner said. "He has under this plea agreement been exonerated of any wrongdoing in an incident in which he was treated roughly."
Police wanted to see Thomas take his case to court, Kirk said.
"We were looking forward to having this matter heard in the courts so that the truth could be heard," Kirk said.
The officers involved in the April 2005 incident — Sgt. Brad Riddiough, Officer Jeffery Mares and Officer James Priebe — couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday.
The plea agreement, reached May 11, called for the dismissal of the criminal misdemeanor charge of resisting an officer and a civil violation of filing a false report of police misconduct. The reduced charge of obstructing police, to which Thomas pleaded no contest, is an ordinance violation that carries a $181 fine.
DeCecco said authorities suspected from the beginning that Thomas lied because his own witnesses didn't hear any racial slur. Officers acted correctly in their dealings with Thomas, he said.
"They clearly followed their protocol in the use of force," DeCecco said.
Kirk said the department takes allegations of police misconduct seriously.
"When there's alleged wrongdoing, we will look into it and if it's true that my officers have been unprofessional or my employees are, we will hold them accountable," Kirk said. "Yet in like manner, we will investigate and address those who twist the facts or allege things that never occurred."
Last July, DeCecco had released a 17-page opinion indicating no racial slur had occurred during the traffic stop, and charged Thomas with filing a false report of police misconduct.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 25, 2006 14:19:47 GMT -5
05.25.2006 - District Attorney Joe DeCecco said Sheboygan police have been exonerated of allegations by a black man who claimed officers made racial slurs toward him and used excessive force during his arrest in April 2005.
Isaac D. Thomas, the man who accused three officers of wrongdoing, pleaded no contest to a charge of lying about those allegations, DeCecco said Wednesday.
"I wanted him to admit that he was lying and that's what he did," DeCecco said of the plea. "He's conceded that the racial slur never occurred, that the undue force didn't occur."
But Thomas, 26, formerly of Sheboygan, said Wednesday his no-contest plea doesn't mean he lied about the incident.
"I have not and I won't concede to saying that I lied about the racial slur and the other allegations," Thomas said. "It's all true."
Police Chief David Kirk said Thomas' plea clears the three officers involved in the traffic stop of any wrongdoing, along with the Sheboygan Police Department.
"I believe … it exonerates our officers," Kirk said. "This (incident) never took place."
Thomas said DeCecco's and Kirk's comments are "ridiculous."
"I'm disturbed that the DA and the police chief would make statements saying that I lied when nothing in the plea deal admits any wrongdoing at all," Thomas said.
The incident occurred during a traffic stop early in the morning of April 19, 2005, on North Eighth Street.
Thomas claimed an officer called him a "f***ing n*****" before Thomas was struck four or five times with a baton during the stop for a making a U-turn and for illegal window tint on his car. Thomas was charged in May 2005 with resisting an officer for 2005 incident and was charged in July with filing a false complaint of police misconduct.
Thomas' attorney, William Kerner of Milwaukee, said Thomas pleaded no contest to the ordinance violation to resolve the matter.
"The realistic assessment of this is that both sides made significant concessions to resolve this with their reputations intact," Kerner said. "He has under this plea agreement been exonerated of any wrongdoing in an incident in which he was treated roughly."
Police wanted to see Thomas take his case to court, Kirk said.
"We were looking forward to having this matter heard in the courts so that the truth could be heard," Kirk said.
The officers involved in the April 2005 incident — Sgt. Brad Riddiough, Officer Jeffery Mares and Officer James Priebe — couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday.
The plea agreement, reached May 11, called for the dismissal of the criminal misdemeanor charge of resisting an officer and a civil violation of filing a false report of police misconduct. The reduced charge of obstructing police, to which Thomas pleaded no contest, is an ordinance violation that carries a $181 fine.
DeCecco said authorities suspected from the beginning that Thomas lied because his own witnesses didn't hear any racial slur. Officers acted correctly in their dealings with Thomas, he said.
"They clearly followed their protocol in the use of force," DeCecco said.
Kirk said the department takes allegations of police misconduct seriously.
"When there's alleged wrongdoing, we will look into it and if it's true that my officers have been unprofessional or my employees are, we will hold them accountable," Kirk said. "Yet in like manner, we will investigate and address those who twist the facts or allege things that never occurred."
Last July, DeCecco had released a 17-page opinion indicating no racial slur had occurred during the traffic stop, and charged Thomas with filing a false report of police misconduct.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 17, 2006 9:56:30 GMT -5
05/17/2006 - A 29-year-old West Melbourne police sergeant has been demoted after an investigation concluded he shredded several nominations, including two for the department's Medal of Valor award, highlighting the work of fellow officers.
Sean Harnage, who apologized for his actions, was stripped of his rank and placed on a two-week suspension without pay, according to a report issued by Police Chief Brian Lock this week.
Harnage, a police dog handler and tactical trainer at the department for the past decade, will return as an officer with a yet-unspecified reduction in his $41,450 annual salary, according to city finance and police officials.
The report said he also was placed on probation for a year.
The incident, labeled "officer misconduct," occurred Jan. 9 at the West Melbourne Police Department and was captured on the agency's in-house surveillance camera.
Lock would not comment on the case, and Harnage did not return phone calls.
"The investigation's summary stands on its own," said Cmdr. Steve Wilkinson, West Melbourne Police Department spokesman. "Obviously, we still have confidence in him; otherwise, he would be gone."
The nominated officers were involved in the arrest of a drug suspect during a traffic stop, reports said. One of the officers was bitten by a police dog while attempting to restrain the suspect, Wilkinson said.
The administrative report said Harnage was upset that the officers nominated each other. The report also said he was disappointed because they placed the forms in a commander's mail slot without going through him.
Wilkinson said Harnage took the nominations from the slot and later admitted putting them through a shredder.
He said no West Melbourne officer ever has received the award, which would be the department's highest.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 17, 2006 9:56:30 GMT -5
05/17/2006 - A 29-year-old West Melbourne police sergeant has been demoted after an investigation concluded he shredded several nominations, including two for the department's Medal of Valor award, highlighting the work of fellow officers.
Sean Harnage, who apologized for his actions, was stripped of his rank and placed on a two-week suspension without pay, according to a report issued by Police Chief Brian Lock this week.
Harnage, a police dog handler and tactical trainer at the department for the past decade, will return as an officer with a yet-unspecified reduction in his $41,450 annual salary, according to city finance and police officials.
The report said he also was placed on probation for a year.
The incident, labeled "officer misconduct," occurred Jan. 9 at the West Melbourne Police Department and was captured on the agency's in-house surveillance camera.
Lock would not comment on the case, and Harnage did not return phone calls.
"The investigation's summary stands on its own," said Cmdr. Steve Wilkinson, West Melbourne Police Department spokesman. "Obviously, we still have confidence in him; otherwise, he would be gone."
The nominated officers were involved in the arrest of a drug suspect during a traffic stop, reports said. One of the officers was bitten by a police dog while attempting to restrain the suspect, Wilkinson said.
The administrative report said Harnage was upset that the officers nominated each other. The report also said he was disappointed because they placed the forms in a commander's mail slot without going through him.
Wilkinson said Harnage took the nominations from the slot and later admitted putting them through a shredder.
He said no West Melbourne officer ever has received the award, which would be the department's highest.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 27, 2006 11:32:38 GMT -5
Sheriff Beary broke privacy laws 04.05.2005 - ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary is apologizing Wednesday to a woman in Winter Park. Alice Gawronski wrote a letter to the editor of the Orlando Sentinel criticizing Beary and his department's use of Taser guns, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported. That's when the outspoken and sometimes controversial sheriff found out where Gawronski lives, and he fired back a letter directly to her. Beary volunteered to be shocked by a Taser gun last summer to prove they're safe. It was his appearance at that news conference that was attacked in a letter to the Sentinel. Gawronski, of Winter Park, wrote, "There was something else Beary established during the press conference; that he would be too overweight and out of shape ever to apprehend a suspect already in handcuffs. Could this be a problem with all his officers?" Beary was so upset by the letter that he had his staff look up Gawronski's address using driver's license records and fired off a letter to her. "I recently read your slanderous remarks about the Orange County Sheriff's Office in the Orlando Sentinel. It is unfortunate that people ridicule others without arming themselves with the facts before they slander a law enforcement agency or individual," Beary wrote. Gawronski, who declined to go on camera, said she was very surprised to get the sheriff's letter. She considers it a form of intimidation and questions if the sheriff broke privacy laws when he used the driver's license database to get her address. In a letter sent to Gawronski Wednesday, Beary appeared to try to smooth things over, but still defended his actions. "I never in any way sent that letter to you with the intent of intimidating you. Please know that I am confident I was within the purview of the Florida Public Records Law when I obtained your mailing address. I sincerely regret the fact that my letter upset you," Beary wrote. In his apology letter, Sheriff Beary also said he wrote the letter to set the record straight on a matter of public concern, and that his passion and desire to do so evolved into a misunderstanding. WESH NewsChannel 2 attempted to reach Beary Wednesday night but was told he was not commenting on the issue.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 27, 2006 11:32:38 GMT -5
Sheriff Beary broke privacy laws 04.05.2005 - ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary is apologizing Wednesday to a woman in Winter Park. Alice Gawronski wrote a letter to the editor of the Orlando Sentinel criticizing Beary and his department's use of Taser guns, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported. That's when the outspoken and sometimes controversial sheriff found out where Gawronski lives, and he fired back a letter directly to her. Beary volunteered to be shocked by a Taser gun last summer to prove they're safe. It was his appearance at that news conference that was attacked in a letter to the Sentinel. Gawronski, of Winter Park, wrote, "There was something else Beary established during the press conference; that he would be too overweight and out of shape ever to apprehend a suspect already in handcuffs. Could this be a problem with all his officers?" Beary was so upset by the letter that he had his staff look up Gawronski's address using driver's license records and fired off a letter to her. "I recently read your slanderous remarks about the Orange County Sheriff's Office in the Orlando Sentinel. It is unfortunate that people ridicule others without arming themselves with the facts before they slander a law enforcement agency or individual," Beary wrote. Gawronski, who declined to go on camera, said she was very surprised to get the sheriff's letter. She considers it a form of intimidation and questions if the sheriff broke privacy laws when he used the driver's license database to get her address. In a letter sent to Gawronski Wednesday, Beary appeared to try to smooth things over, but still defended his actions. "I never in any way sent that letter to you with the intent of intimidating you. Please know that I am confident I was within the purview of the Florida Public Records Law when I obtained your mailing address. I sincerely regret the fact that my letter upset you," Beary wrote. In his apology letter, Sheriff Beary also said he wrote the letter to set the record straight on a matter of public concern, and that his passion and desire to do so evolved into a misunderstanding. WESH NewsChannel 2 attempted to reach Beary Wednesday night but was told he was not commenting on the issue.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 27, 2006 11:29:09 GMT -5
Audit questions Sheriff Beary's accounting of homeland security work
04/21/2006 - Orange County released its audit this afternoon of how Sheriff Kevin Beary's agency used public money to start a nonprofit that later paid Beary a consulting fee. The 37-page audit says the Orange County Sheriff's Office "did not maintain appropriate documentation to support labor, travel, facilities, equipment, and ancillary services costs incurred in direct support" of the nonprofit National Domestic Preparedness Coalition. The report notes that auditors were unable to determine the total amount of time and money that the Sheriff's Office spent on starting the coalition. The sheriff's office and NDPCI's "prevasive focus on the performance goal of creating and demonstrating a vulnerability assessment methodology overshadowed normal accountability and procedures," the report from the Orange County Comptroller. (We'll be seeking the sheriff's comment but don't have it yet. The sheriff's office comments are included in the audit, however.)
The audit is a "limited review." In its executive summary, auditors note that they did not evaluate whether the sheriff's "arrangement with NDPCI was legal" or in compliance with state ethics statutes, or whether it was "in the best interests of Orange County taxpayers."
"In addition," the report says, "we did not determine if the relationship between OCSO and NDPCI provides NDPCI an unfair business advantage over other private companies providing like security assessments and consulting."
The audit was announced in July 2005, a month after it was disclosed that Beary had received $43,000 for work he did for the NDPCI -- money Beary later returned, although he said all the work was done on his own time. The question the auditors examined was whether any county money was used improperly to start NDPCI, which developed an assessment tool that law enforcement agencies and others used to determine how vulnerable public buildings were to terrorist attacks
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 27, 2006 11:29:09 GMT -5
Audit questions Sheriff Beary's accounting of homeland security work
04/21/2006 - Orange County released its audit this afternoon of how Sheriff Kevin Beary's agency used public money to start a nonprofit that later paid Beary a consulting fee. The 37-page audit says the Orange County Sheriff's Office "did not maintain appropriate documentation to support labor, travel, facilities, equipment, and ancillary services costs incurred in direct support" of the nonprofit National Domestic Preparedness Coalition. The report notes that auditors were unable to determine the total amount of time and money that the Sheriff's Office spent on starting the coalition. The sheriff's office and NDPCI's "prevasive focus on the performance goal of creating and demonstrating a vulnerability assessment methodology overshadowed normal accountability and procedures," the report from the Orange County Comptroller. (We'll be seeking the sheriff's comment but don't have it yet. The sheriff's office comments are included in the audit, however.)
The audit is a "limited review." In its executive summary, auditors note that they did not evaluate whether the sheriff's "arrangement with NDPCI was legal" or in compliance with state ethics statutes, or whether it was "in the best interests of Orange County taxpayers."
"In addition," the report says, "we did not determine if the relationship between OCSO and NDPCI provides NDPCI an unfair business advantage over other private companies providing like security assessments and consulting."
The audit was announced in July 2005, a month after it was disclosed that Beary had received $43,000 for work he did for the NDPCI -- money Beary later returned, although he said all the work was done on his own time. The question the auditors examined was whether any county money was used improperly to start NDPCI, which developed an assessment tool that law enforcement agencies and others used to determine how vulnerable public buildings were to terrorist attacks
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 27, 2006 11:27:35 GMT -5
Kevin Beary Has Three Paying Jobs Besides Being Sheriff
08/05/2005 - ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Eyewitness News has learned that Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary has three other paying jobs besides being sheriff. Some Orange County commissioners are concerned that's too many.
Orange County taxpayers pay Sheriff Beary $140,000 a year. He also gets an additional $25,000 in retirement and a vehicle. With the outside work, he managed to earn an additional $73,000 last year in his off time.
When Sheriff Beary wasn't keeping people off the streets after last summer's hurricanes, or briefing reporters on an arrest, he was busy and not just doing taxpayer's business.
Beary said he spends eight hours a week at Florida Metropolitan University off John Young Parkway where he teaches classes on criminal justice. For that, he earned $18,343 dollars, according to his state financial disclosure.
Then there's Beary's consulting work for a company based out of a building in Pittsburgh. ChemImage has developed technology to detect "threats agents" in the air and water. The president didn't return Channel 9's calls, but Beary's financial records indicate he made $12,500 last year from ChemImage.
Finally, there is the non-profit company that produced a homeland security manual. Beary started the National Domestic Preparedness Coalition with the help of taxpayers. Months after telling Channel 9 he wouldn't earn any money from the venture, and just weeks after winning re-election, records show he earned $43,000. Beary said it was for 348 hours of consulting over two and a half years. That works out to 43.5 eight-hour workdays. He said it was all off-duty.
Commissioner Bob Sindler was surprised to see the income for someone already making so much. Commissioner Bill Segal asked the legal department to give him a definition of exactly what constitutes a full time job.
Sheriff Beary also has unpaid work outside of the sheriff's office. This year he became the president of the Florida Sheriff's Association and the president of the Florida Domestic Security Task Force.
Beary wouldn't agree to an interview, but he said in a statement that he works more than 40 hours a week and he'd compare his schedule with any other elected official in Orange County.
Meanwhile, the Orange County comptroller's office said Monday that they're making progress in their inquiry into the sheriff's non-profit homeland security company. The audit started after a Channel 9 investigation in April. For months, the comptroller had been waiting for a copy of a contract between the non-profit and the Department of Homeland Security. Late last week, an attorney for the feds said they found the contract and would mail it very soon.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 27, 2006 11:27:35 GMT -5
Kevin Beary Has Three Paying Jobs Besides Being Sheriff
08/05/2005 - ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Eyewitness News has learned that Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary has three other paying jobs besides being sheriff. Some Orange County commissioners are concerned that's too many.
Orange County taxpayers pay Sheriff Beary $140,000 a year. He also gets an additional $25,000 in retirement and a vehicle. With the outside work, he managed to earn an additional $73,000 last year in his off time.
When Sheriff Beary wasn't keeping people off the streets after last summer's hurricanes, or briefing reporters on an arrest, he was busy and not just doing taxpayer's business.
Beary said he spends eight hours a week at Florida Metropolitan University off John Young Parkway where he teaches classes on criminal justice. For that, he earned $18,343 dollars, according to his state financial disclosure.
Then there's Beary's consulting work for a company based out of a building in Pittsburgh. ChemImage has developed technology to detect "threats agents" in the air and water. The president didn't return Channel 9's calls, but Beary's financial records indicate he made $12,500 last year from ChemImage.
Finally, there is the non-profit company that produced a homeland security manual. Beary started the National Domestic Preparedness Coalition with the help of taxpayers. Months after telling Channel 9 he wouldn't earn any money from the venture, and just weeks after winning re-election, records show he earned $43,000. Beary said it was for 348 hours of consulting over two and a half years. That works out to 43.5 eight-hour workdays. He said it was all off-duty.
Commissioner Bob Sindler was surprised to see the income for someone already making so much. Commissioner Bill Segal asked the legal department to give him a definition of exactly what constitutes a full time job.
Sheriff Beary also has unpaid work outside of the sheriff's office. This year he became the president of the Florida Sheriff's Association and the president of the Florida Domestic Security Task Force.
Beary wouldn't agree to an interview, but he said in a statement that he works more than 40 hours a week and he'd compare his schedule with any other elected official in Orange County.
Meanwhile, the Orange County comptroller's office said Monday that they're making progress in their inquiry into the sheriff's non-profit homeland security company. The audit started after a Channel 9 investigation in April. For months, the comptroller had been waiting for a copy of a contract between the non-profit and the Department of Homeland Security. Late last week, an attorney for the feds said they found the contract and would mail it very soon.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 27, 2006 11:26:08 GMT -5
Sheriff Kevin Beary Public pays to clean up yard of home that Sheriff Beary owns 05/27/2006 - A Winter Park home owned by Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary is such a neighborhood eyesore that city officials cleaned up the lawn Thursday on the taxpayers' dime, officials said. The Orwin Manor home has been choked with 5-foot-tall weeds, neighbors said. A tarp from Hurricane Charley in August 2004 has long since fallen to pieces, scattering blue, shredded plastic through the neighborhood. Rusted paint cans that once held the tarp in place sit on the roof. And then there are the rats, said next-door neighbor Sharon Lilley, an Orwin Manor Homeowners Association board member.They're big, ugly and live in the weeds. "They're not exactly the kind of pets you'd like to have around," Lilley said. Beary said that reporters are covering the property problems because they are trying to work against him. He added that the house is his wife Rebekah's project and referred a reporter to her for most questions. Rebekah Beary denied that there were rats at the residence, and said they were unaware of all but one of the code-enforcement violation notices. Neighbors have not complained to them, she said. At their highest, the weeds were 8 inches tall, she said. "It's only an issue to certain people there," she said. Winter Park will bill Beary a $100 administrative fee for the lawn service plus the cost of labor, said Sylvia Wooten, the city's chief code-enforcement officer. If he doesn't pay, a lien will be placed on his property, which is department policy. "Basically, we try to treat people the same way," Wooten said. The problem started in 2004, when a tree fell on the one-story house during Hurricane Charley, Lilley said. Tenants moved out, and the Pelham Road house remained in disrepair, she said. Rebekah Beary said that the insurance company wouldn't pay for all the hurricane damage, and they have disputed the matter for more than a year. Rebekah Beary said she had the lawn mowed once a month, but frustrated residents in the neighborhood of about 300 homes prompted code-enforcement officials to notify Beary that his house had too much overgrowth and damage, Wooten said. City officials notified Beary repeatedly about the violations, but the property remained in poor condition, Wooten said. When a tarp disappeared from the roof of the house, a code-enforcement official thought it was fixed, Wooten said. In fact, Lilley said, the tarp disintegrated after almost two years in the sun and rain. Blue plastic flecks littered the block. The paint cans that held it down rusted. "It's not a very pretty view from the bedroom," Lilley said. She's afraid the paint cans will blow off during the next Charley-like storm -- perhaps into her house. Rebekah Beary said she went to the house this week and it was not in bad shape. Wooten said a code-enforcement officer will reinspect the house today. Wooten said her office was unaware until Thursday that Beary owns the property. His property-ownership records are confidential because he is a law-enforcement officer. The city sent code-violation notices to the Property Appraiser's Office, which has the responsibility to forward them to Beary. There is no indication he failed to receive them, she said. Beary said he never received the notices sent by mail. He called the Property Appraiser's Office on Thursday to tell them to make sure communications reach him, he said. Code-enforcement workers will keep his case open until they're satisfied the house will remain in good shape, Wooten said. "We're going to keep an eye on it," she said. Rebekah Beary said she hopes to raze the current house and build a new one within the year.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on May 27, 2006 11:26:08 GMT -5
Sheriff Kevin Beary Public pays to clean up yard of home that Sheriff Beary owns 05/27/2006 - A Winter Park home owned by Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary is such a neighborhood eyesore that city officials cleaned up the lawn Thursday on the taxpayers' dime, officials said. The Orwin Manor home has been choked with 5-foot-tall weeds, neighbors said. A tarp from Hurricane Charley in August 2004 has long since fallen to pieces, scattering blue, shredded plastic through the neighborhood. Rusted paint cans that once held the tarp in place sit on the roof. And then there are the rats, said next-door neighbor Sharon Lilley, an Orwin Manor Homeowners Association board member.They're big, ugly and live in the weeds. "They're not exactly the kind of pets you'd like to have around," Lilley said. Beary said that reporters are covering the property problems because they are trying to work against him. He added that the house is his wife Rebekah's project and referred a reporter to her for most questions. Rebekah Beary denied that there were rats at the residence, and said they were unaware of all but one of the code-enforcement violation notices. Neighbors have not complained to them, she said. At their highest, the weeds were 8 inches tall, she said. "It's only an issue to certain people there," she said. Winter Park will bill Beary a $100 administrative fee for the lawn service plus the cost of labor, said Sylvia Wooten, the city's chief code-enforcement officer. If he doesn't pay, a lien will be placed on his property, which is department policy. "Basically, we try to treat people the same way," Wooten said. The problem started in 2004, when a tree fell on the one-story house during Hurricane Charley, Lilley said. Tenants moved out, and the Pelham Road house remained in disrepair, she said. Rebekah Beary said that the insurance company wouldn't pay for all the hurricane damage, and they have disputed the matter for more than a year. Rebekah Beary said she had the lawn mowed once a month, but frustrated residents in the neighborhood of about 300 homes prompted code-enforcement officials to notify Beary that his house had too much overgrowth and damage, Wooten said. City officials notified Beary repeatedly about the violations, but the property remained in poor condition, Wooten said. When a tarp disappeared from the roof of the house, a code-enforcement official thought it was fixed, Wooten said. In fact, Lilley said, the tarp disintegrated after almost two years in the sun and rain. Blue plastic flecks littered the block. The paint cans that held it down rusted. "It's not a very pretty view from the bedroom," Lilley said. She's afraid the paint cans will blow off during the next Charley-like storm -- perhaps into her house. Rebekah Beary said she went to the house this week and it was not in bad shape. Wooten said a code-enforcement officer will reinspect the house today. Wooten said her office was unaware until Thursday that Beary owns the property. His property-ownership records are confidential because he is a law-enforcement officer. The city sent code-violation notices to the Property Appraiser's Office, which has the responsibility to forward them to Beary. There is no indication he failed to receive them, she said. Beary said he never received the notices sent by mail. He called the Property Appraiser's Office on Thursday to tell them to make sure communications reach him, he said. Code-enforcement workers will keep his case open until they're satisfied the house will remain in good shape, Wooten said. "We're going to keep an eye on it," she said. Rebekah Beary said she hopes to raze the current house and build a new one within the year.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on Apr 20, 2006 8:27:37 GMT -5
04/20/2006 - A Haywood County deputy has been suspended with pay after being charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Micah Horner, 30, is scheduled to appear in Haywood County General Sessions Court on May 18 on the charge, according to the court clerk's office.
According to an affidavit, Horner provided a 16-year-old girl with a cell phone so that he could contact her. Her parents had asked Horner not to do so. Horner is also accused of helping the teen in a runaway attempt on March 26.
Sheriff Melvin Bond said that the county mayor agreed with him that Horner should be suspended with pay until they can get legal advice on the case. Bond said that the county attorney resigned recently, and that officials will have to wait until another county attorney is appointed to decide what should be done next. Bond said that Horner has been with the sheriff's office since April 2002.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on Apr 20, 2006 8:27:37 GMT -5
04/20/2006 - A Haywood County deputy has been suspended with pay after being charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Micah Horner, 30, is scheduled to appear in Haywood County General Sessions Court on May 18 on the charge, according to the court clerk's office.
According to an affidavit, Horner provided a 16-year-old girl with a cell phone so that he could contact her. Her parents had asked Horner not to do so. Horner is also accused of helping the teen in a runaway attempt on March 26.
Sheriff Melvin Bond said that the county mayor agreed with him that Horner should be suspended with pay until they can get legal advice on the case. Bond said that the county attorney resigned recently, and that officials will have to wait until another county attorney is appointed to decide what should be done next. Bond said that Horner has been with the sheriff's office since April 2002.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on Mar 22, 2006 13:01:06 GMT -5
03/22/2006 - BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore City auxiliary police officer said city police officers barged into her house and falsely arrested her family without cause.
WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Darrielle Snipes said the officers claimed they were pursuing a suspect, but Winnie Gibson Watts said no suspect came into her home. Watts said when she tried to explain that, the officers got belligerent and started threatening her and her family with their authority.
"I'm not speaking out as a part of the department," Watts said. "I'm speaking out as a citizen of the city."
Watts said four city police officers from the Northeast District came into her home in January searching for someone, but she said they didn't have a warrant.
She said when she asked them for their names and badge numbers that they declined. When she told them she was an auxiliary officer for the last 14 years, she said they didn't care.
"When a police officer says to me that because they are police they can do and say what he wants -- that says something," Watts said.
Watts said her grandson was arrested for loitering on his own porch and her daughter for disturbing the peace.
"You charge her with disturbing the peace in her own home because she inquiring about the arrest of her 15-year-old son," she said.
Snipes reported her daughter let go with a citation, but her grandson was taken to Central Booking with adults. Watts filed a complaint with the commissioner's office and Internal Affairs.
She said she also feels there is some retaliation going on since is speaking out about the run in with police.
"If the department need dirty police like these officers, something is wrong with this picture," she said.
Police officials said they couldn't comment on an on going investigation.
|
|
|
Post by WaTcHeR on Mar 22, 2006 13:01:06 GMT -5
03/22/2006 - BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore City auxiliary police officer said city police officers barged into her house and falsely arrested her family without cause.
WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Darrielle Snipes said the officers claimed they were pursuing a suspect, but Winnie Gibson Watts said no suspect came into her home. Watts said when she tried to explain that, the officers got belligerent and started threatening her and her family with their authority.
"I'm not speaking out as a part of the department," Watts said. "I'm speaking out as a citizen of the city."
Watts said four city police officers from the Northeast District came into her home in January searching for someone, but she said they didn't have a warrant.
She said when she asked them for their names and badge numbers that they declined. When she told them she was an auxiliary officer for the last 14 years, she said they didn't care.
"When a police officer says to me that because they are police they can do and say what he wants -- that says something," Watts said.
Watts said her grandson was arrested for loitering on his own porch and her daughter for disturbing the peace.
"You charge her with disturbing the peace in her own home because she inquiring about the arrest of her 15-year-old son," she said.
Snipes reported her daughter let go with a citation, but her grandson was taken to Central Booking with adults. Watts filed a complaint with the commissioner's office and Internal Affairs.
She said she also feels there is some retaliation going on since is speaking out about the run in with police.
"If the department need dirty police like these officers, something is wrong with this picture," she said.
Police officials said they couldn't comment on an on going investigation.
|
|