elgin_jones_web_13.jpgPalm Beach County

BELT DISCIPLINE
Suzy Alexis, 23, of Lake Worth is charged with multiple counts of child abuse. She is accused of disciplining her son by lashing him with a belt. Palm Beach County Sheriff's detectives responded to her home following an anonymous tip to the Florida Department of Children & Family Services. The boy reportedly had a deep cut on his chest and welts on his back and side. The mother admitted the belt beating but said she did not intend to hurt him.

MOLESTATION CHARGES
chateau_b._destin.jpgChateau B. Destin, 34, of Delray Beach was arrested over allegations that he molested two young sisters in a neighbor’s backyard.  The children told their mother, who called police. The children described the attacker to police, who found a man fitting the description walking on a nearby street and made the arrest. Following the arrest, three witnesses alleged that Destin admitted molesting the girls. Police said Destin confessed and claimed the girls, aged 11 and 13, “made him do it.”

Broward County

HATIN’ THE HOMELESS
bob_caudill_1.jpgHomeless and charitable organizations are circulating fliers that read, “Stop the Hate,” throughout Oakland Park. The effort is being led by the Rev. Bob Caudill of the All Saints Catholic Mission, located in the city. They hope to stop city commissioners from imposing a ban on people asking for money in streets and medians and panhandling in city rights of way. This is outrageous. The homeless just can’t seem to catch a break.

CONVICTED POLITICIANS
mandy dawson.jpgFormer state Sen. Mandy Dawson, 56, has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for income tax evasion related to bribes she took from lobbyists, including Hollywood ophthalmologist Alan Mendelsohn who is serving a four-year prison term for his role in the scheme. The payments took place while she was serving in the Florida Senate.  At her sentencing, Dawson told U.S. District Judge Robert Scola Jr. she abused drugs and alcohol while serving in the Senate and during the time she was out on bond awaiting her fate. In a similarly disappointing event, former Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, 63, served a 30-month sentence for tax evasion, accepting bribes and money laundering. He was released from federal prison.

CHECK FRAUD
Wilson Lau, 75, of Coral Springs and his wife Kate Yuee Lau, 54, who operated the American Quick Cash Depot check cashing store in Oakland Park, were arrested last winter by federal agents and charged with cashing income tax refund checks they knew were fraudulent or counterfeit. They also allowed customers to use fake identification to cash the checks. The couple was accused of cashing more than 4,000 fraudulent government checks between 2009 and 2011. Both have now pleaded guilty.  He was sentenced to seven years in prison; she will serve two years. Book ’em, Danno!

HELEN FERRIS, 93
Civic activist and staunch government watchdog Helen Ferris has died of natural causes. She was 93. Mrs. Ferris garnered national attention for her work to expose corruption at the Port Everglades Authority. She went on to spearhead the effort which led to the governing body for Port Everglades to be dissolved, leading to county commissioners assuming control over the port. She was fearless and at one time was one of the most powerful political forces in South Florida. During a visit to her home in the late ’90s, she asked me if I “liked chicken soup.” I replied yes and the said, “Sit down, I knew you were honest,” and went on to say “crooks” never eat chicken soup. She was quite a lady, slightly built but feared by politicians and public employees who were up to no good. She will be missed.

SEXUAL ASSAULT
eloy_posada.jpgEloy Posada, 41, of Hollywood has been arrested after allegedly approaching a 17-year-old girl as she walked home from school, displaying a gun and forcing her to go to his apartment. Once inside, he forced her to drink an unknown substance, which rendered her intoxicated, and then raped her, police said. He is charged with sexual assault with a weapon and armed kidnapping and has no bond.

CYCLIST PROBLEM
Broward Sheriff’s Deputy Dominic Raimondi issued a citation to a cyclist for riding outside the bike lane in Weston. That has caused a stir because the cyclist, Molli Serrano, was the only one cited even though she was riding with more than a dozen other cyclists at the time. As her defense, Serrano says she was simply passing joggers and had to exit the bike lane to go around them. A court magistrate is expected to rule on the case soon. However, cycling continues to grow in popularity and there have been many clashes between them and motorists. Cyclists often ride in groups, blocking traffic and creating a danger to themselves and motorists. The judge will determined Serrano’s guilt or innocence but her case highlights the need for law enforcement officers to crack down on this increasing hazard.

Miami-Dade County

CAPITAL CALL
richard_rosenbaum_3.jpgRichard Rosenbaum, CEO of the Miami-based Greenberg Traurig law firm, has issued a cash call from its partners to raise capital. Greenberg Traurig, the largest law firm in South Florida, has been implicated in a mortgage fraud lawsuit and has agreed to pay a $61 million settlement with investors.

ROTTA RELEASED
dan_rotta.jpgDan Rotta, a millionaire importer of Seiko watches, has been released from jail after being arrested for allowing his teenage son to elope to Las Vegas with their housekeeper’s daughter. Rotta, of Fisher Island, had been sentenced to six months but was released early. The judge ordered the son to be enrolled in a boarding school as his parents sort out a long-running dispute.

NFL PLAYER ARRESTED
elvis_dumervil_2.jpgDenver Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil is charged with aggravated assault with a firearm. The incident occurred on South Beach, where the 28-year-old Dumervil and another man, Andy Aguste, got into a dispute over a traffic incident. According the victim’s statement, both men made threats and then approached her vehicle and pulled up their shirts to display handguns.  The woman called 911 to report the incident and expressed fear for her life. Police recovered the weapons and arrested both men. Dumb, I mean really dumb.