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AROUND SOUTH FLORIDA with ELGIN JONES 07-02-10 PDF Print E-mail
Written by ELGIN JONES   
elginjones3web.gifPalm Beach County

METAL THEFT

Scott Jason Silvestri, 36, of Palm Beach Gardens, was charged with grand theft on Monday, June 27 for stealing $82,000 worth of carbide from his job at BA Manufacturing in Riviera Beach. The expensive metal was sold to a local scrap yard for just a small percentage of its value. Carbide is used to coat drill bits, saw blades and other machine tools to make them harder. Silvestri admitted stealing the metal, and was caught after catching a ride home with a co-worker. Investigators say he accidentally left some of the metal behind in the car.



Broward County

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

In 2009, the Broward County Human Rights Division found that former police officer Theresa Williams, 34, suffered retaliation at the hands of Lauderhill Police Chief Ken Pachnek. Now, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued similar findings. The U.S. Depart-ment of Justice is monitoring the case, which means it could file a lawsuit on Williams’ behalf. Williams filed a complaint alleging gender discrimination after she was passed over for promotion in 2008. The gender discrimination charge was not substantiated, but the allegations of retaliation for filing the complaint were. Williams, 34, said that after filing the complaint, she was stripped of her normal duties, and started getting reprimands along with charges of workplace violations. Now, she has filed a new charge of retaliation against the department after she was fired in March from her $65,000-a-year job.

SHAKE UP CONTINUING
Jim Acton asked to be relieved from his duties as director of the Broward County Human Resources Division. He is now working in the county’s library system. County Administrator Bertha Henry says Acton took a voluntary demotion, which is odd under any circumstances, and even more curious in today’s economy. Sources say Acton is the subject of an ongoing Office of Professional Standard investigation, and that may have hastened the move.

SHOW ME MONEY
In 2008, then-Deerfield Beach City Manager Mike Mahaney determined that 44 managers were receiving pay above their salary ranges, without authorization. For example, then-Director of Finance Sally Siegel ­­ was being paid $138,612.45, even though her pay range is supposed to be capped at $115,741. Siegal announced her retirement earlier this year. Human Resources Director Marva Gordon was earning $128,748.46, which is more than $20,000 above her position’s maximum of $107,168. Gordon retired in 2009. In all, Mahaney found overpayments of $170,000 annually, but recommended that the city not seek a return of those funds. Even more amazing, no one seems to know how this happened. During a city commission meeting, City Attorney Andy Maurodis said the extra payments were made with
“no authority.” Today, those overpayments are continuing. While some workers are being laid off, a select few are being paid extra, with “no authority.” This would be a good issue for Michael Kessler, of the auditing firm Kessler International, to investigate.

MAKING HISTORY
As the city of Sunrise’s population continues to grow, including an increasing number of black people, so do political opportunities. Imogene Ferguson, 66, became the first black person and first woman to ever qualify to run for mayor in Sunrise. The city had a 70-percent white population and just 20-percent black in 2000, according to the U.S. Census. Ferguson is active in the sprawling Sunrise Lakes condominium association, and hopes to benefit from this if several white candidates enter the race.

COP ALLEGES THREAT
Terrance Donovan, 22, was arrested Sunday, June 26 after allegedly threatening a deputy and pointing a rifle at him. Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a domestic violence disturbance at his Dania Beach home in the 4600 block of Southwest 33rd Avenue around 9 a.m. That’s when Donovan allegedly threatened to kill the deputy several times, while pointing a rifle at him. The deputy fired one shot, which missed, and Donovan was taken into custody.

CLOSE RELATIONSHIP
Beverly Stracher is a former Sun-Sentinel reporter and aide to Broward County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman. Her husband is Leslie Stracher, formerly an attorney with Scott Rothstein’s dissolved Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler firm. Stracher is cooperating with prosecutors in several public corruption cases, and Lieberman must be uncomfortable. Vicente Thrower, the former Pompano Beach advisory board member who was charged with taking kickbacks in April, says it was Stracher who asked him to introduce Shawn and Bruce Chait to now-jailed former Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion. Thrower is seeking a deal, but several people have beaten him to it. Now, he is reportedly shopping information he claims to have on the politicians whose campaigns he worked on. Should be interesting.

Miami-Dade County

LOWEST OF THE LOW

Michael A. Vargas, the 36-year-old owner of Security Professional Group, was arrested for allegedly running a lowly scam that led people to believe they had been hired. The victims paid Vargas $250 for security guard training, with guarantees they would receive good-paying jobs. Some even quit the jobs they had, thinking they were ready to report to their new employers. But when they showed up for work at shopping malls and car dealerships, the businesses informed them they had no work, and had no idea who Vargas was.

BUTT-GRABBING ROBBER
Miami-Dade police arrested Benjamin Marcus Raucher, 22, after he attempted to rob a woman and allegedly grabbed her buttocks. Raucher is believed to be the suspect caught in several surveillance videos robbing women and then fondling them. He was caught after allegedly trying to rob a woman on June 26, but that woman fought back. A passerby saw the commotion and pulled over to help. Raucher fled, but was caught a short distance away. He is charged with armed robbery, strong armed robbery and five counts of simple battery.

JULY FOURTH DANGERS
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, Miami City Commissioner Richard Dunn and rapper Pit Bull are teaming up for the “One Bullet Kills The Party” campaign. The effort seeks to educate people about the dangers of gunfire during celebrations. Miami has seen an increase in shooting from stray bullets in recent years. Coupled with public service announcements, the campaign will include increased police presence.

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Comments (6)Add Comment
Amazing
written by David Gross, July 20, 2010
It amazes me how some folks can always point out what they think is wrong without substantial evidence. There are jobs being lost all over, and it is not because of the conspiracies that are mentioned here. These are tough times. Budgets are being cut all over. I haven't had a job in years.
Why are my comments not posted? I have written several comments and none were listed.
written by David Gross, July 20, 2010
It appears you are biased and only post certain things. There was no profanity or any other reason not to post.
Lowest of the Low
written by Meralda Vargas, July 20, 2010
Your article on Michael Vargas,"Lowest of the Low" leaves much to be said about your slanted and bias reporting. Do you have all the facts in this case? Obviously not! Yet, you take on the role of judge and jury to label, and judge him without benefit of due process. When has an advancement in education and or further training for a career been a low act? Nothing could be further from the truth.

Hmmm...I wonder how many of those students who took the training and enhanced their theoretical and practical skills in security training and who were unemployed at the time, now have jobs because of the further training skills acquired through efforts of Michael Vargas. Or, was the baby thrown away with the wash water?

...
written by FYI, July 18, 2010
The true victims in all of this are the citizens of Lauderhill. Over the years, many city employees have been fired due to personal and malice reasons. Most have been fully reinstated at the expense of the taxpayers. Yet programs are cut, services are limited, and employees are laid off, all in the name of funding issues. The people responsible, should be held personally accountable and have to pay for these mistakes with their own funds. Instead, they have a large piggybank filled with other people’s money and can spend it at will, because there are no reprisals for their actions. If you need to pick up or file a police report in Lauderhill, don’t bother because the office may be closed. All the employees working in that department have been laid off due to budgeting issues. The media should inquire about the number of people fired and the expense associated, when it is later determined the terminations were unjustified. The answer will be shocking and perhaps the citizens will demand a change in leadership.

LHPD DOJ. RETALIATION IS THE NORM
written by fortyacres4reparations@hotmail.com, July 09, 2010
Ms. Williams, if your desire to advance was perceived as a threat, by the Top Brass of Lauderhill, it’s logical that, they may have conspired against you, after all there can only be one QUEEN BEE, review the 2006 Promotions as well as what happened to the Careers of the dearly departed Major Hurst and Cell Phone Gate and Sgt. Harnish's @ the end of his career with "Injury Gate",

Shaffer was promoted to the rank of Capt., in 2008, although during the 2006 Promotional proceedings the Chief originally required the caveat that all Candidates who sought advancement possess a College Degree, consequently Shaffer was ineligible during the 2006 Promotions because, he did not have a College Degree. However when the former Asst. Chief, Tucker bolted subsequent to the revelation of the SEX Scandal between Tucker and the infected Capt. Stanley, Shaffer, who previously did not meet the 2006 criteria was suddenly promoted to the Rank of Capt. Chief Pachnek, clearly never wanted Shaffer to attain the Level of Capt. with the LHPD thus Shaffer maintained the role briefly before he was allowed to retire with the Rank of Capt. And then quickly transitioned into the role as Asset Maintenance Coordinator, for the LHPD. Sounds a whole lot better than what, the Chief as well as those who were willing to do his bidding did to Ms. Wms. Don't be afraid to get your Race Card out, N.O.B.L.E. may be proud of the fact that Lauderhill has two Black Women Captains a Black Assistant Chief and three Black Lieutenants however the Chief needed to create a divergence from the truth concerning the Command Staff Sex Scandal between Tucker and Stanley, which may have had a direct affect in the prevention of your advancement with the LHPD. It's a shame that the domino affect of the 2008 promotions were due to Capt. Stanley's willingness to sexually compromise herself Superior Officer, former Asst. Chief Tucker. No one can cry Racism under the present Day Command Staff Alignment because given their History, that's the last thing the City of Lauderhill needs.

Ms. Wms., hurry before the relevant Data is suppressed or vanishes, like the former Asst. Chief did, when the truth was revealed about him & the INFECTED Capt. Stanley. Open up the Pandora's Box, and expose the complete truth about the wicked machinations of the LHPD, there certainly are many People who have been similarly arrayed in Lauderhill that will applaud your Actions.
LAUDERHILL P.D. U.S. DOJ.
written by fortyacres4reparations@hotmail.com, July 05, 2010
Hopefully the Chickens are coming home to roost for Chief Pachnek and the LHPD.What former Officer Wm.s may need to do to resuscitate her EEOC Gender Discrimination charge is research the particulars regarding the sudden departure of former Asst. Chief Tucker in 2008.

Ms. Wms. may learn that Tucker's 2008 Departure may have been directly related to the fact that personal E-Mails were revealed to Chief Pachnek, the Mayor and the City Mgr. Depicting a sexual relationship between the current Public Information Officer who was promoted to Capt. in 2006 and the former Asst. Chief.

What Ms. Wms. needs to understand is the 2008 Promotions were perhaps a feeble attempt to prevent the opening of potential flood gates of a large amount of litigation from all of the People who were passed over during the 2006 Promotions, due to the fact that two of the highest ranking members of the LHPD's Command Staff, were if their personal E-Mails are believed to be true sexually involved, neither one of them should have ever had the right to conduct evaluations of their peers particularly since the current Public Info Officer had an unfair advantage, as she was being graded on a curve or her curves by her Superior Officer who was 2nd in Command. Ms. Williams you have a legitimate grievance as does anyone else that was passed over during the rash of 2008 promotions, everyone should have received a promotion because the playing field for the 2006 Promotions which was the precipice for the 2008 Promotions, was never fair or balanced. Why do you think the former 2nd in Command disappeared so quickly and they briefly suspended the current Public Info Officer, from her Captain's duties? In fact, you may want to review what type of evaluations both the former Asst. Chief and current Capt. gave you and compare those evaluations with the former 2nd in Command's evaluations of the current Capt. He may have been evaluating something altogether different, which was not fair to you or any of the other candidates who sought a Promotion in 2006. Ms. Williams move quickly to obtain all the relevant data which will help your cause from Lauderhill, because they have a strong history of suppressing Records. The former 2nd in Command should also move quickly, to the STD Clinic as it turns out, his former Command Staff Colleague provided testimony in a 2007 Deposition that, she has been infected for over 10 years with a STD that Penicillin can't cure because there is no cure, you just keep it forever like luggage.

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