Ocala, Florida — The Florida Department of Health in Marion County will launch the WIC electronic benefits transfer system in all Marion County WIC offices March 3, 2014.
Marion County WIC offices in Ocala, Belleview, Dunnellon, Lynne and Reddick will close February 24th–28th to allow staff to complete the conversion from paper checks to the electronic benefit transfer, or EBT debit card system. WIC offices will reopen March 3, 2014 and begin issuing the new EBT cards.
WIC, the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, is rolling out the EBT system statewide to better serve Florida families who rely on the program. The EBT debit cards will replace the paper check system currently in use.
“The EBT system will make it easier for families who need WIC services to get the nutritious foods they need,” said Cheryl Brown, acting health officer for the Florida Department of Health in Marion County. “Easier access to healthy foods will mean better health for moms, kids and babies.”
“The transition to the EBT system will be more efficient and cost effective for the WIC program, for vendors, and for Marion County families,” said Mary Anne Hitson, director of the Public Health Nutrition Program at the Florida Department of Health in Marion County. “The electronic card will allow for faster checkout times for families, and easier processing for vendors.”
WIC is a federally funded program that provides healthy food, as well as breastfeeding education and nutrition counseling to needy families. Marion’s WIC Program operates five sites throughout the county where families improve their diet and food choices with the assistance of licensed nutritionists and nutrition educators. In Marion County, the average annual value of WIC foods received by WIC clients is more than $7 million.
For more information on WIC services in Marion County call 352- 622-1161.
Belle Glade, Florida — As of February 11, 2014, ROTH FARMS Inc. of Belle Glade, Florida, is recalling its “ bunched Curly Parsley” because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
The recalled “Curly Parsley” was distributed in South Florida distribution centers.
The product comes in a Three Wire Wooden Crate with the lot # AG01GN on the outside tag.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by the company revealed the presence of Salmonella in some “Curly Parsley” samples.
Production of the product has been suspended while FDA and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.
Consumers with questions may contact the company at 561-996-2991
EU — The European Parliament should withhold its consent to an EU-U.S. trade deal unless it fully respects EU citizens’ data privacy, says an inquiry report on U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and EU member states surveillance of EU citizens, approved by the Civil Liberties Committee on Wednesday. It adds that data protection rules should be excluded from the trade talks and negotiated separately with the U.S.
The text, passed by 33 votes to 7 with 17 abstentions, condemns the “vast, systemic, blanket collection of personal data of innocent people, often comprising intimate personal information”, adding that “the fight against terrorism can never be a justification for un-targeted, secret or even illegal mass surveillance programs”.
“We now have a comprehensive text that for the first time brings together in-depth recommendations on Edward Snowden’s allegations of NSA spying and an action plan for the future. The Civil Liberties Committee inquiry came at a crucial time, along with Snowden´s allegations and the EU data protection regulation. I hope that this document will be supported by the full Parliament and that it will last beyond the next European Parliament’s mandate”, said rapporteur Claude Moraes (S&D, UK), after the vote.
Data protection must be excluded from trade talks
Parliament’s consent to the final Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal with the US “could be endangered as long as blanket mass surveillance activities and the interception of communications in EU institutions and diplomatic representations are not fully stopped and an adequate solution for data privacy rights of EU citizens, including administrative and judicial redress is not found”, MEPs say.
Parliament should therefore withhold its consent to the TTIP agreement unless it fully respects fundamental rights enshrined in the EU Charter, the text adds, stressing that data protection should be ruled out of the trade talks.
MEPs call for the “immediate suspension” of the Safe Harbor privacy principles (voluntary data protection standards for non-EU companies transferring EU citizens’ personal data to the US). These principles “do not provide adequate protection for EU citizens” say MEPs, who urge the US to propose new personal data transfer rules that meet EU data protection requirements.
The Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP) deal should also be suspended until allegations that US authorities have access to EU citizens’ bank data outside the agreement are clarified, say MEPs. The EU-US data protection framework agreement to be struck in spring 2014 must ensure proper judicial redress for EU citizens whose personal data are transferred to the US, they add.
Digital “new deal”
The EU needs a “digital new deal”, to be delivered by the joint efforts of EU institutions, member states, research institutions, industry and civil society, say MEPs, noting that some telecoms firms have clearly neglected the IT security of their users and clients.
MEPs also urge member states to accelerate their work on draft EU data protection reform legislation so that it can be passed by the end of this year.
Trust in US cloud computing and cloud providers has been damaged by surveillance practices, MEPs note. They propose that Europe should develop its own clouds and IT solutions to ensure a high standard of personal data protection. They note that by 2016, the cloud market is likely to be worth $207 billion a year, double its 2012 value.
EU whistle-blower and media protection program
The resolution urges the European Commission to examine whether a future EU law establishing a “European whistle-blower protection program” should also include other fields of EU competence “with particular attention to the complexity of whistleblowing in the field of intelligence”. EU member states are also asked to consider granting whistle-blowers international protection from prosecution.
MEPs also cite the UK’s detention of David Miranda and seizure of material in his possession under the UK Terrorism Act and its demand that the Guardian newspaper hand over or destroy such material. They see these acts as “possible serious interference with the right of freedom of expression and media freedom”, as recognized by the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter.
EU countries should check their own secret services
The UK, France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Poland should clarify the allegations of mass surveillance – including potential agreements between intelligence services and telecoms firms on access to and exchange of personal data and access to transatlantic cables – and their compatibility with EU laws, it says.
Other EU countries, in particular those participating in the “9-eyes” (UK, Denmark, France and the Netherlands) and “14-eyes” arrangements (those countries plus Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Sweden) are also urged to review their national laws and practices governing the activities of intelligence services, so as to ensure that they are subject to parliamentary and judicial oversight and public scrutiny and that they comply with fundamental rights obligations.
MEPs deem bilateral “anti-spying” arrangements concluded or under negotiation between some EU countries (the UK, France and Germany) and the US as “counterproductive and irrelevant, due to the need for a European approach to this problem”.
Next steps
The full Parliament will vote on the resolution on 12 March in Strasbourg.
The Civil Liberties Committee inquiry into mass surveillance of EU citizens began in September 2013. A total of 15 hearings have been held since then.
Over the past few weeks, I have listened to a growing number of Northwest Floridians who have strong opinions about the medical use of cannabis, or marijuana. In the grocery store, in church, in the emails I receive and during my door-to-door neighborhood walks, folks are sharing their questions and concerns.
Part of the reason the issue is being talked about is that cannabidiol (CBD), a non-euphoric ingredient in some marijuana plants, has been found effective in helping children suffering from violent seizures associated with severe epilepsy. This substance is called “Charlotte’s Web” and it is not the marijuana that is smoked recreationally to create a “high.”
Parents of children with frequent and severe seizures recently brought their sons and daughters to a hearing before the House Criminal Justice Committee. One of the dads from our area is a former law enforcement officer and now a respected lawyer. His wife is a nurse. If they were to even possess the CBD that would ease their child’s profound and perhaps fatal suffering they would be breaking the law. So they are caught – between the life of their child and their respect for the law.
As a father myself, I am unwilling to require these parents to be criminals in order to get treatment for their children. As the father of Representative Matt Gaetz, I am proud of my son for his political courage in fighting for these families as they fight for their children’s’ lives.
This past week, Matt has received the support of Speaker Weatherford to introduce a stand-alone bill (HB 843) to decriminalize this non-euphoric CBD solely for the purpose of helping these children with medical conditions that cause seizures. Today, a group of Republican Senators led by Senator Rob Bradley filed a companion bill in the Senate, SB 1030. To become law, this legislation will have to pass both House and Senate committees and earn the votes of a majority of legislators on the floor as well as the Governor’s signature. As your senator, I will support this legislation as it moves through the committee process and I will vote for it should it reach the Senate floor.
I recognize the position Matt and I have taken may be controversial in the minds of some of our Northwest Florida neighbors. It has taken time and prayer and struggle for me to arrive at my position. I respect those with differing points of view. Regardless of your opinion, I hope you will call, write, email or contact me with your questions, concerns or criticisms.
Let me assure you that my support for compassionate use of CBD in these extreme cases is far different from the marijuana constitutional amendment being sponsored by trial attorney John Morgan in an effort to generate voter turnout for his employee, Democrat gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist. That constitutional amendment misleads the public into a broad-based legalization of euphoric marijuana going far beyond acute medical justification.
On Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at approximately 9:00 a.m., a female traveling north in a red vehicle on the Florida Turnpike between the Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter exits, had a flat tire and pulled over to the side of the road. Shortly after, a white male driving a white vehicle pulled over and asked the victim if she needed assistance. The suspect asked the victim to retrieve an object to assist in removing the hub cap. The victim walked over to the passenger side of her car, opened the door, and as soon as she leaned inside the vehicle, the suspect came up behind her and pushed her in the vehicle. After the victim was forced into the vehicle, the suspect sexually assaulted her.
If anyone was driving northbound on the Florida Turnpike between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 11, 2014, and noticed two vehicles on the side of the road in the northbound lanes between Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter, you are urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS or Detective Carey Jimenez at 561-688-4146.
Leroy Stevens [Mugshots]Ocklawaha, Florida — For the second time in less than a month, deputies responded to the 19600 block of 92nd Place in reference to construction material being illegally dumped.
On February 11, 2014 deputies were called out to the area and made contact with Leroy Stevens, 61.
Deputies advised Stevens that they had received a call stating [he] had been dumping construction material after being issued a warning for the same offense on January 14, 2014.
Upon investigation, deputies learned not only had Stevens dumped more, but he didn’t remove the previous construction material that had been dumped. When deputies asked Stevens why he didn’t take care of the previous materials, he responded, “I did, I covered them up with dirt.”
According to reports, Stevens dug a hole in the street (dirt road) and buried old tiles and other construction materials. Stevens said he was renovating a rental property and needed a place to put the construction materials in order to get the house ready and on the market quickly.
Stevens also said,” I dumped it there for filler, the ground is soft and people get stuck.”
Stevens was arrested and charged with Commercial Dumping of Hazardous Material over 500 Pounds (Felony) and booked into the Marion County Jail. He was released the same day on $2000.00 bond.
BJ Helvy [Mugshot]Belleview, Florida – Convicted felon BJ Helvy, 48, of Belleview has been charged with one count of Exploitation of the Elderly and one count of Fraud.
The investigation started January 14, 2014 when a victim who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia hired Helvy to perform tree service around her Ocklawaha home. Helvy reportedly charged the 70-year-old victim $7,740 for the work, when all [he] actually did was trim the trees.
A family member helped the victim contact the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators learned from two other tree service companies that the charges were on the extreme end of excessive. Estimates put the actual value of the tree service between $1,700-$2,330 tops.
“That shows the suspect as grossly overcharging the victim for tree services,” Said investigators.
Helvy has been arrested 10 times since 2002. His previous charges include Battery, Obstruction, DUI, Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Injury, he is considered an Habitual Offender for Driving While License Suspend, and his driver’s license were permanently revoked prior to his 2002 arrest. Helvy also has previous convictions for Exploitation of an Elderly Person.
Helvy was booked into the Marion County Jail and later released on a $2,000 bond.
Orange County, Florida — Sheriff Jerry Demings said, “Last night we lost a hero. But a family grieves for the loss of a husband, father, a son, a brother.”
Deputy Jonathan Scott Pine, 34, was shot and killed in the line of duty on February 11, 2014; the first reported officer fatality in Florida for the year.
Deputy Pine was investigating a call about car break-ins in the Westminster Landing neighborhood in Orange County around midnight.
Upon arrival on the scene, Deputy Pine spotted and confronted Benjamin Holtermann, 28, who fled on foot. Deputy Pine began to chase Holtermann on foot, but Holtermann was armed and opened fire on Deputy Pine.
Two bullets struck Deputy Pines bulletproof vest; sadly, the third bullet struck his armpit, ripping through his chest hitting major arteries.
Shortly after Holtermann shot Deputy Pine, [he] cowardly put the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger, committing suicide.
Erica Pugh (left) and Benjamin Holtermann (right)
Sheriff Demings said the Sheriff’s Office helicopter was already in the air and caught the entire shooting on camera. “It shows deputy Pine chasing a fleeing subject, ultimately being shot and then it shows life slipping away from him,” Demings said.
Erica Pugh, 18, the girlfriend of Holtermann as well as his accomplice, was arrested at the scene and booked into the Orange County Jail on charges of Burglary and Grand Theft.
According to court records, Holtermann was released from the Maryland Department of Corrections in November of 2012 after serving seven years for two bank robberies. His sentence was originally set at 17 years, however, the judge suspended the 10-year sentence for the second bank robbery.
Deputy Pine is survived by his wife Bridget Kay Roseboom, and their three small children.
Deputy Jonathan Scott Pine had only been on the job for three years.
Louie McGowin [Mugshot]Ocala, Florida — Louie Malone McGowin, 55, of Ocala has been charged with one count of grand theft from a person 65-years-old or older. According to the arrest affidavit, McGowin used the threat of arrest to deprive the victim of at least $50,000.
According to officials, McGowin told the victim he was a Navy Seal and was very close with a Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agent (FDLE), and he would arrest her if she did not pay [him] money he felt was owed. McGowin told the woman that her son had cost [him] a high salaried job and she was to either pay or go to jail.
McGowin is not a member of any law enforcement agency, and although he was in the military; McGowin was never a Navy Seal. Detectives learned that McGowin claimed to have a friend in law enforcement and that the friend would arrest the victim and her son, if the victim didn’t give McGowin money.
The 70-year-old victim told detectives McGowin received several vehicles and was provided with large amounts of cash. During the investigation, it was discovered McGowin did not have a friend in law enforcement. Plus, McGowin is accused of using the victim’s bank card.
During the investigation detectives also learned that McGowin fled to Indiana. Members of the Porter County Sheriff’s Office were contacted in Harborview, Indiana. That agency found McGowin and placed him under arrest in reference to having an outstanding warrant in Marion County.
McGowin is a convicted felon; he has been arrested in Florida as well as Georgia for Identity Theft and Grand Theft, all relating to fraud.
McGowin is awaiting extradition to the Marion County Jail.
Tallahassee, Florida — Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Michael Crews announced today a new Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) mobile app which provides information and notification of an offender’s status to victims of crimes committed by inmates in the Department’s custody or under its supervision.
“Ensuring that Florida families are safe is the Department of Corrections’ priority,” said Secretary Crews. “The information accessible through VINE allows victims to stay informed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and helps prevent re-victimization.”
The new VINEmobile app, which is available in the Google Play Store and iTunes, is an additional tool in the VINE service system and is available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Those who don’t have a mobile device or who prefer to speak to an operator can call a toll-free number at 1-877-VINE-4-FL (1-877-846-3435).
Through VINE, victims can register to receive an automated notification when an inmate is released, transferred, escapes, is placed in a work release facility, transfers to another jurisdiction, returns to the Department’s custody, or dies while in custody. The VINE Service is anonymous and confidential.
VINE is part of the Department’s commitment to public safety and is facilitated through the Victim Services office whose primary function is to assist victims of crimes committed by inmates in the Department’s custody or under our supervision, and to notify victims prior to an inmate’s release. Victim Services also provides referral services to victims with specific needs, such as counseling, support groups, crimes compensation, and crisis intervention.
Currently there are 216,770 VINE registrants statewide, with an average of 18,992 new registrants per month in 2013. In 2013 VINE made 4,510,016 phone calls and sent 273,562 emails to victims for status changes involving offenders. With the implementation of the VINEmobile app, the Department hopes to increase awareness and registrations for victims of crimes committed by offenders on community supervision and inmates in all 67 county jails and the Department of Corrections.
Marion County — Residents should beware of traveling “home improvement” contractors looking to scam you out of your money. The con artists are targeting Central Florida residents, and often prey on the elderly. The frequency of these types of scams will increase as the weather begins to warm up.
Here’s how the scams work:
An adult male approaches your house out of the blue, telling you that he is in the area doing some other type of construction or home improvement work, and has some leftover material he’d be willing to use to complete any projects at your house, for a “significant discount.” Two common offers are sealing driveways, or roofing repairs. The con artists are typically driving newer trucks or large vehicle, and will not have any company decals or logos on it. The con artists will most likely not have any business insignia’s on clothing, and will not have business cards to offer.
Below are a several tips to remember when dealing with those who solicit “home improvement” business door-to-door:
* Request a written estimate on all home improvement offers and compare the prices. Con artists are notorious for charging a higher price for inferior materials and unnecessary repairs. Without a written estimate, victims get trapped into paying extremely high total costs when the job is “finished.”
* Do not be rushed into a “special bargain” – often described as a “one-time” offer. An example is that a Traveler will claim he has excess asphalt, tar, etc. from another job and he will sell it “cheap.” Remember, if it sounds too good to be true – it probably is.
* Do not do any business with any “contractor” with an out-of-state vehicle license.
* Any legitimate contractor soliciting work should have a Business Tax Receipt from the County in which they are offering the services (If applicable), a soliciting permit from the Clerk of the Courts (If applicable), and a Florida Contractor’s License. If they do not have them, do not do business with them.
* Be careful responding to any roadside sign offering work, as this tactic is often used by Travelers. Out-of-state telephone numbers are also used in many of these scams.
* Call trusted family or friends to help you verify soliciting “contractors.”
* Do not pay for anything until all services are completed to your satisfaction.
* Do not give out credit card numbers over the phone.
* Your best option is not to do business with any travelling soliciting contractor, instead, contact local trusted construction companies and ask for references for honest local contractors.
If you suspect a con artist is lurking in your area contact authorities immediately.
Ocklawaha, Florida — Corporal Porcelli and Deputy Hunt of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office were greeted by a citizen who found a donkey in the 5400 block of SE 180 Avenue Road, Ocklawaha, during a torrential down pour. The citizen gave Corporal Porcelli the halter to the donkey and didn’t stick around.
While attempting to find the owners, Corporal Porcelli started feeding the donkey carrots from inside the patrol vehicle, apparently making a new friend.
However, that friendship was short lived. When the carrots ran out, the donkey unleashed a temper tantrum against the drivers side mirror of the patrol vehicle, snapping it off. Needless to say, the donkey made an ass of himself.
Continued Below
Broken Mirror
Deputies were unable to locate the owners of the donkey, therefore animal control took possession of the donkey.
The donkey received a meal and was unharmed during the incident.
Corporal Porcelli is heartbroken, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Dale Stewart [Mugshot]Deland, Florida — On Sunday February 9, 2014 at approximately 9:00 a.m., Volusia County dispatch received a 911 call from a business owner stating he was holding a burglary suspect at gunpoint.
At 9:14 a.m. Deputy Wagers arrived on the scene to find the owner of West Crane Services holding suspect Dale Stewart, 43, at gunpoint at which time Deputy Wagers secured Stewart.
The business owner told Deputy Wagers he heard a noise outside and when he investigated, he saw Stewart loading spreader bars into the back of his pickup truck.
Stewart told the deputy he saw metal items located behind the business and they appeared to be junk metal. Stewart said he pulled his truck up and began to load the metal bars into his truck at which time the business owner came out with a gun, pointed it at him, then ordered him on the ground. Stewart admitted he did not have permission to remove the items from the property.
According to reports, Stewart said he did it because his home repair business is failing, therefore he has resorted to scrapping metal to make ends meet. According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office scrap metal data base, Stewart has scrapped one ton of metal in the last 30 days with only 10 transactions.
Stewart has been arrested in Volusia County and other areas in Florida six other times on Charges to include Cocaine Possession, Tampering With Evidence, and Violation of Probation.
A search of Stewarts vehicle yielded several pills identified as muscle relaxers in which Stewart admitted to not having a prescription for them.
Stewart was arrested and transported to the Volusia County Jail and charged with Burglary of an Occupied Structure and Possession of a Legend Drug without a Prescription. He remains in custody at this time.
Mary Wise [Mugshot]Ocala, Florida — An Ocala woman was arrested after undercover detectives said she solicited sex for money.
Two detectives with the Ocala Police Department were patrolling the area of South Pine Avenue in separate unmarked vehicles when they spotted a female identified as Mary Wise, 30, walking southbound on Pine, waving at passing cars.
One of the detectives pulled up to the woman and asked her if she needed a ride home at which time she opened the car door and got in.
After getting into the vehicle Wise said, “I heard you were a cop.” The detective responded, “No.”
Wise then showed the detective her breasts by pulling up her shirt and requested the detective to touch her vagina, but the detective refused. The female continued to insist that the detective touch her vagina in an attempt to confirm he was a cop. The detective then slowly put his hand towards Wise and she grabbed his hand and touched it to her crotch on the outside of her jeans.
Wise then said, “I need help with rent but I am not going to discuss money.” The detective replied, “I have to go the ATM to get money, would it be OK if we f***ed in the truck.” Wise replied, “Yes.”
The detective told Wise he had been with a prostitute in the past that only charged $20.00 and asked if that amount was OK. According to reports, Wise nodded her head to indicate yes.
According to reports, it was at that time the detective pulled into a parking lot and the other detective pulled up next to them. The second detective opened the car door and asked what they were doing at which time Wise replied, “I’m sure you heard it on the recording.”
Wise told detectives she had nothing to say because she never agreed on a price.
Wise was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail. She was later released.
Wise has been arrested 11 times beginning in August 2009 to include charges ranging from Burglary, Dealing in Stolen Property(multiple), Obstruction of Justice, Battery, and Driving While License Suspended.
Stephen J Concannon (left) and Gloria Dianne Woodside (right) [Mugshots]Ocala, Florida — Two people were arrested after they claimed they were part of an organization called the Navy Seal Foundation.
Ocala Police Officer Diesso, was dispatched to Big Lots located on East SR 40 in reference to solicitors suspected of illegally accepting nonprofit military contributions.
When Officer Diesso arrived on the scene he saw a male and female dressed in military fatigues standing next to a portable table. There were multiple items on the table, to include military stickers, key chains, drinking cups, flags and lanyards. All of the items had various insignias to include, Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. These type of giveaways are typically obtained from military recruiters.
Officer Diesso made contact with both subjects identified as Stephen J Concannon, 53, and Gloria Dianne Woodside, 48. Concannon was advised that there had been a complaint to the legitimacy of his solicitations and that the officer needed to verify that he was within the guidelines of the law. Concannon stated that he was collecting donations for the Navy Seal Foundation and that he was from the Support the Troops Foundation that is based out of Kissimmee, Florida.
Concannon then provided several sheets of paper to include a computer printed Support the Troops and Families Foundation that stated that he was a part of a nonprofit organization collecting monies for the troops and their families. The second sheet was a computer generated letter for the Navy Seal Foundation/ Nonprofit organization. The third sheet was a photo copied Certificate of Status from the Secretary of State, Dawn Roberts, with the seal of Florida and an authentication code of 101202085648-600188281156#1 on it. The certificate showed that it certifies that the United States Veteran Assistance, INC is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Florida and that they have paid their dues and filed with the state on December 31, 2011. The fourth document Concannon provided was a FORM 1023 from the IRS stating that a David West with United States Veteran Assistance, INC was exempt. The form also had the name and employee ID number (EIN) of 27-4109842 for David West as well as a phone number . The final documents that he provided were photo copies of a corporation filing from the Florida Division of Corporations for United States Veteran Assistance, INC.
While looking through the documents Officer Diesso noticed that the phone number for David West and the Support the Troops phone number was the same. Officer Diesso asked Concannon where the office was and he stated that the Kissimmee office closed down and they were opening an office at Six Gun Plaza on Monday. With all of the conflicting information Officer Diesso decided to call David West at the phone number listed on the documents, and when he did, Concannon’s phone rang at the same time.
According to reports, Officer Diesso saw Concannon open his phone, and at the same time Officer Diesso’s call was disconnected. Officer Diesso then asked Concannon if he had just answered his call and he stated “Yes”. Concannon stated that everything was fake. He also said that he didn’t belong to any organization and that all the documents that he provided were forged and fake. He said that he had worked for this organization in the past but he no longer represents them and that he was doing this on his own.
Gloria Woodside was then questioned about the incident at which time she attempted to deny knowing what was going on. However she later admitted to illegally taking money from people under the false pretense of a donation for a military organization.
Concannon and Woodside said they are engaged and have been running the scam for several months. They told police they have been making approximately $200.00 or more per day with the scam. The couple said they did it because “times are hard.”
Concannon and Woodside were arrested and charged with Failure to Register Prior to Soliciting Contributions (Felony) and released on $1,000 bond.
Chula Vista, California— On February 5, 2014, firefighters with the California Chula Vista Fire Department responded to a serious crash on Interstate 805 near East Naples Drive, where a sedan had flipped over a concrete guard rail leaving two people injured inside the vehicle.
Upon arrival, the firefighter driving the engine positioned it behind an ambulance in order to provide a safety barrier for emergency crew.
Shortly after, a California Highway Patrol Officer, who has refused to give his name, arrived on scene and ordered Jacob Gregoire to move the fire engine from blocking the traffic lane or he would be arrested for blocking traffic. Gregoire, who was attending to the overturned vehicle and injured victims, responded, “I will have to check with my captain.”
That is when the CHP officer became angry and ordered Gregoire away from the accident. The CHP Officer then placed Gregoire in handcuffs and escorted him to his patrol car.
CHP officer arresting fire fighter
Chula Vista Fire Chief Dave Hanneman said fire crews are trained to position their fire engines to block oncoming traffic for safety reasons. He went on to say, “I know clearing the highway is a priority for CHP, but our number one priority is the safety of our firefighters and patients.”
Supervisors from both agencies had to meet at the crash scene before the CHP officer would release Gregoire.
Attorneys said that the CHP could actually be sued for falsely detaining a firefighter. In 2008, a firefighter in Hazelwood, MO. was awarded $17,500, after he was arrested by an officer for refusing to move his fire engine while protecting an emergency scene.
Fire engine blocking traffic
The CHP officer is being accused of allowing his ego to get in the way of his duty to protect and serve.
Both agencies met today to discuss the matter. CHP issued a statement, calling it an unfortunate incident.
Ocala Post reached out to CHP, our e-mails were not returned.
Ocklawaha, Florida — On February 3, 2013 Deputy Robert Rath responded to the 17000 block of SE 87th Street in reference to a disturbance.
Upon arrival Deputy Rath said he could hear someone screaming, “Let me the f**k up!”
Deputy Rath entered the residence then saw the step-father holding the suspect later identified as Rafael Ogrady, 20, down on the living room floor with his arms pinned behind his back. Deputy Rath noted that both of Ogrady’s arms were very tense. The step-father told Deputy Rath that Ogrady was intoxicated and he had been kicking and punching the walls and cabinets.
Deputy Rath then secured Ogrady in handcuffs in an attempt to control the situation. Deputy Rath then stood the victim up. Once Ogrady and Deputy Rath were on their feet, Ogrady tried to walk out the front door. Deputy Rath had his hand on the handcuffs and when he stopped Ogrady, he turned around, looked Deputy Rath in the face then head butted him in the mouth causing a laceration to his lip.
Deputy Rath escorted Ogrady to the floor at which time he became compliant.
Ogrady was transported to the Marion County Jail and charged with Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer.
Houston — Today, an act of kindness swept across Houston’s Valley Oaks Elementary School after a man paid the balance on more than 60 student’s past due lunch tabs.
Kenny Thompson said he felt compelled to help out the children after he learned staff at an elementary school in Utah had walked up to nearly 40 students that had already been through the lunch line, and trashed their lunches. The cold hearted act brought tears to eyes of the children, along with embarrassment.
Parents said what Uintah Elementary cafeteria management did to those children is despicable. The students had their lunches seized and thrown away on Tuesday, January 28, 2014 after a district official arrived at Uintah Elementary to investigate a large number of overdue lunch accounts. One witness who works at the school said it was done in such a heartless and humiliating way that it actually made her sick to her stomach.
“To me, this rises to the level of bullying,” State Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross said. “These children were humiliated in their own school, in front of their classmates.”
Thompson, who lives in Houston, and is a long time school tutor said he had to do it because all he could think about was past due lunches being an issue at his school. Thompson said after he inquired about it, he learned there were more than 60 children with past due lunch accounts. Thompson then took $465 of his own money and paid off those accounts.
“These are elementary school kids,” he said. “They don’t need to be worried about finances. They need to be worried about what grade they got in spelling.
School officials said that many times students are embarrassed that they owe money, therefore students will bypass the lunch lines to avoid being humiliated in front of classmates.
Thomas said it is the best money he has ever spent.
The cafeteria manager and the district supervisor for Uintah Elementary school have been suspended pending a full investigation.
Ricardo Cummings [Mugshot]Ocala, Florida — On February 4, 2014 Officer Sirolli was dispatched to the Re-Entry Center of Ocala in reference to an escape.
Upon arrival Officer Sirolli spoke with the discipline coordinator, Napoleon Dubois, who said inmate Ricardo Cummings, was being transferred back to Marion Correctional Institute for violating conditions of his stay. Dubois said after notifying Cummings about his return, he ran out the rear door of the facility. Cummings ran into a nearby neighborhood.
According to reports, after Cummings escaped from the facility, he cut off his GPS tracking device from his ankle and also removed a part of the GPS tracker from his waist band. Cummings then removed the clothing he was wearing when he fled. The GPS and clothing were found in the 900 block of NE 20th Street.
After an extensive search of the area by the Marion County Sheriff’s helicopter and K-9 unit assisting OPD officers, Cummings was found hiding behind a house in the 1200 block of NE 22nd Street by Officer Esquivel and MCSO K-9 Officer Parker.
After returning to the Re-Entry Center Cummings was questioned as to why he escaped. Cummings told the officer he wasn’t trying to escape, he just didn’t agree with why he was being sent back to Marion Correctional. Cummings said, “Since I was getting in trouble for nothing, I figured I would do something to get in trouble. I was going to get some p***y…. then I was going to turn myself in.”
Cummings was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail. He was charged with Escape and is being held without bond.
Dr. Robert Terdiman talking to people waiting to buy drugs from his clinic. [Photo courtesy of NYC Special Narcotics Prosecutor]Dr. Robert Terdiman
New York – James J. Hunt, the Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Bridget G. Brennan, the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York (“SNP”) and William Bratton, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment against 24 defendants in connection with a massive drug distribution ring that operated out of a purported medical clinic with multiple locations in the Bronx, New York, known as “Astramed,” and unlawfully distributed more than five million tablets of the prescription painkiller Oxycodone over a three-year period. The participants in the distribution ring included doctors, clinic employees, and drug traffickers who oversaw crews of “patients” who they sent into the clinics in order to obtain medically unnecessary prescriptions. The prescriptions were then filled at pharmacies, and the resulting pills resold on the streets of New York and elsewhere.
Twenty-one defendants were arrested yesterday in connection with today’s charges. The defendants will be presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein later this afternoon. Related charges against one of the clinic doctors were also unsealed today by SNP. The defendant is expected to be arraigned later today in Manhattan Supreme Court before Judge Bruce Allen.
Authorities said Dr. Robert Terdiman was selling Oxycodone to drug addicts as well as drug dealers. The dealers would by them from Terdiman then turn a high profit by selling them on the street. Delaers and addicts would drive from other states including Florida to buy Oxycodone from Terdiman, according to reports.
Drug addicts and drug dealers nearly rioting to get into the clinic to buy there illegal prescriptions. [ NYC Special Narcotics Prosecutor]According to federal court documents, when one doctor announced he would not be accepting any additional “patients,” he was “threatened at gun point just outside of the Westchester Avenue Office by three masked individuals upset that [he] was not writing more medically unnecessary prescriptions.”
Officials said they have never seen anything like it.; its like the state of Florida in one town.
DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt said, “Twenty two arrests, the dismantlement of the largest pill mill in the northeast and the ability for residents living near Southern Boulevard and Westchester Avenue in the Bronx to reclaim their neighborhood from drug dealers are the end results of unified police work by local, state and federal law enforcement in New York. I commend the diligent work of the numerous law enforcement agencies who participated in this investigation.”
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “The world of prescription drug trafficking is looking more and more like the world of old-school trafficking in narcotics like heroin, cocaine and crack. In this case, the drug spot was a clinic controlled by traffickers, often through intimidation and violence. The traffickers were supplied with prescriptions by corrupt doctors and clinic employees, dispensed to lower-level ‘pretend’ patients so that massive quantities of Oxycodone could be distributed wherever the most money could be made, often in communities hundreds of miles away. This is poison by prescription, and the volume and money allegedly involved would make hardened illegal drug traffickers envious – over 31,000 medically unnecessary Oxycodone prescriptions for 5.5 million tablets sold with a street value between $170 million and over half a billion dollars. Even legal drugs illegally obtained can be deadly, and more people have been dying from prescription drug abuse than heroin and cocaine combined. Unnecessary painkillers can simply end up being killers. This has to stop and we will do everything we can to stop it.”
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said: “These clinics have long been a source of community concern and complaints. Dr. Robert Terdiman is charged with selling prescriptions for highly addictive painkillers on a scale we have not seen before – flooding the black market with Oxycodone carrying a street value of over $90 million. Not only is he charged with perpetuating a practice that did little to heal and much to harm, both he and The Clinic reaped huge profits. We would like to recognize the extraordinary commitment and dedication of all of the agencies that participated in this investigation.”
NYPD Commissioner William Bratton said: “Instead of abiding by the Hippocratic Oath, these doctors scheduled pseudo physical exams for greed and self-profit. They fueled a criminal operation which distributed highly addictive prescription drugs in the Bronx community and surrounding areas. Thanks to the investigators and prosecutors in this case, Lowe and his crew will no longer traffic illegal drugs.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and other documents unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
Oxycodone is a highly addictive, prescription narcotic-strength opioid used to treat severe and chronic pain conditions. More than 13 million Americans abuse Oxycodone, with the misuse of prescription painkillers such as Oxycodone leading to as many as 500,000 annual emergency room visits. Oxycodone prescriptions have enormous cash value to street level drug dealers, who can fill the prescriptions at most pharmacies and resell the resulting pills at vastly inflated rates. Indeed, a single prescription for 180 30-milligram Oxycodone pills has an average resale value in New York City of more than $6,000, and up to $18,000 in nearby states.
From approximately January 2011 until January 2014, a drug distribution ring centered at “Astramed,” a purported medical clinic with multiple locations in the Bronx, including a primary location on Southern Boulevard (the “Clinic”), unlawfully diverted and trafficked millions of Oxycodone tablets, which netted participants in the distribution scheme hundreds of millions of dollars in proceeds.
Astramed was owned and operated by KEVIN LOWE, a medical doctor, who reaped millions of dollars by charging cash for the thousands of medically unnecessary prescriptions written by the clinic doctors (the “Doctors”). The Doctors were corrupt, Board-certified, state- licensed doctors who, in exchange for cash, were willing to write medically unnecessary prescriptions for large quantities of Oxycodone. The Clinic typically charged $300 in the form of a money order for “doctor visits” that usually lasted just a minute or two, involved no actual physical examination, and consistently resulted in the issuance of a prescription for large doses of Oxycodone, typically 180 30-milligram tablets, or a daily dosage of six 30-milligram tablets. Indeed, the Doctors, who worked directly for LOWE, were paid only for each prescription they wrote – rather than for each patient they saw – and they were paid nothing if they did not write a prescription.
Various employees of the Astramed clinics controlled access to the Doctors and created false documents in exchange for cash payments. To avoid detection by law enforcement, the Doctors sometimes asked the “patients” for medical documentation, such as MRIs, purporting to document injuries, or urine samples purporting to show that the “patient” was taking Oxycodone. Fake MRIs and urine samples were sold by members of the conspiracy to Astramed’s “patients,” typically inside the Clinic or immediately outside its premises.
The Clinic itself bears little resemblance to a standard medical office. For example, on a daily basis during the time set forth in the Indictment, crowds of up to one hundred people gathered outside the Clinic, clamoring to see one of the doctors at the clinic and thereby get a prescription for Oxycodone. The majority of these individuals had no medical need for Oxycodone, or any legitimate medical record documenting an ailment for which Oxycodone would be prescribed. Instead, most of these individuals were members of “crews” – that is, they were recruited and paid by high-level drug traffickers, Oxycodone distributors (the “Crew Chiefs”), to pose as “patients” in order to receive medically unnecessary prescriptions from the Doctors. The Crew Chiefs then arranged for and oversaw the filling of the resulting prescription at various pharmacies and took possession of the Oxycodone pills to be resold on the street. Crew Chiefs also paid the Clinic’s employees hundreds of dollars in cash at a time to get their Crew Members into the Clinic to see one of the Doctors. The Crew Chiefs maintained their joint control over the operations of the Clinic, in part, as a result of intimidation and the threat of violence.
In total, between approximately January 2011 and January 2014, Astramed Doctors issued approximately 31,500 medically unnecessary prescriptions for Oxycodone, comprising nearly 5.5 million Oxycodone tablets with a street value of up to $550 million. LOWE alone collected nearly $12 million in fees for “doctor visits” during this time period. Based on the street market value of the pills distributed, the participants in the distribution ring together made hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of the clinic fees charged and the proceeds obtained from the resale of the illegally obtained oxycodone.
All of the defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
A chart containing each defendant’s age and residence information is attached. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
Mr. Bharara thanked the DEA and the NYPD for their work in the 15-month investigation, which he noted is ongoing. Mr. Bharara also thanked, the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York, the Town of Orangetown Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the United States Marshals Service, the New York State Health Department’s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, New York City’s Human Resource Administration, the New York State Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Beacon New York Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the El Dorado Task Force for their assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward B. Diskant and Tatiana R. Martins are in charge of the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Smith of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture Unit is responsible for the forfeiture of assets.
