A Broward County judge granted bail this afternoon to one of two deputies accused of extorting hush money from a Fort Lauderdale marijuana grower.
Fausto "TJ" Tejero, 34, was arrested Oct. 9 on charges of extortion, attempted bribery, armed burglary and unlawful compensation.
Armed burglary is a no-bail offense, but prosecutor Tim Donnelly advised the judge today that the state would not be filing that charge, said Tejero's defense attorney, Mike Dutko.
Judge John Hurley granted Tejero $75,000 bail and ordered that he wear an electronic ankle monitor, Dutko said.
Also charged in the cash-for-silence scheme is Deputy Manuel Silva, 40. He has been held without bail since his Oct. 2 arrest.
According to a search warrant, the deputies promised to protect the pot grower in exchange for $15,000.
Silva proposed the arrangement after seeing five marijuana plants at Orlando Gutierrez's home in Fort Lauderdale, the warrant states. Tejero is accused of acting as Silva's accomplice.
Gutierrez reported the deputies to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, which provided the cash and set up a sting operation to record the transaction.
"I've spoken at length with my client and in the end I think he'll be vindicated of all these charges, but we're not there yet," Dutko said. "Although the bond is high, it is justifiable and appropriate under the circumstances."
Tejero's family is working with a bondsman to try to post the bail, Dutko said.
Showing posts with label Armed burglary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Armed burglary. Show all posts
Friday, October 23, 2009
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Officer Adam Willis Arrested for Extortion
AVON PARK
Complaints about police misconduct in Avon Park stemmed from within the Hispanic community, officials have said.
The allegations include extortion.
An undercover operation that led to the Wednesday arrest of Avon Park Police Officer Adam Willis, 30, used a vehicle that was "suggestive that the owner of the vehicle was of Hispanic dissent [sic]," the arrest report stated.
According to court documents generated in the case of the State of Florida v. Adam Willis, an investigation started in June 2008 in reference to complaints that officers within the Avon Park Police Department were stealing from citizens, "namely those of a Hispanic background."
During the investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Willis was determined to be one of the officers involved, said Yolanda Carbia, resident agent in charge of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Sebring field office.
The FDLE investigation eventually focused on two officers, Willis and Alberto Perez, court documents said.
Perez has yet to be charged, but has since been put on paid administrative leave by the APPD.
Patricia Austin, president of Council Three of the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said she fielded many complaints from the Hispanic community.
"(Avon Park Police Chief Matthew Doughney) said (the complaints) would definitely be looked into and taken care of," she said Friday. "He got right on it ... I was really impressed with the chief on that."
Some of the complaints included extorting money.
"Hispanics talked about how they had been pulled over and told if they would pay a certain amount, (officers) wouldn't write them a ticket," she said, citing examples of individuals being pulled over for infractions such as having a headlight out or window tint too dark.
"I was furious. I couldn't believe it ... everyone knows you don't pay officers for a ticket," she said. "Some of them, from what they had told me, had given the officers cash."
Two separate individuals told her they paid between $200 and $300 to officers.
Carbia said she had no comment on whether or not the officers extorted money in this manner, but did say that LULAC officials provided both the FDLE and APPD with information.
Austin recalled witnessing one of her Hispanic neighbors being pulled over for running a stop sign from the front porch of her house.
"He did not run that stop sign," she recalled.
Austin went to help the officer deal with a language barrier, as she said her neighbor didn't speak English very well. The officer let the alleged offender go with a warning.
Austin remembers who that officer was, but wouldn't give a name.
"It was one of the officers they are questioning now," she said.
The Undercover Operation
The operation involved an unlocked vehicle parked on the shoulder of North Central Avenue in Avon Park with $310 in marked bills inside a wallet, a package of cigarette rolling papers and a fake temporary registration.
Willis arrived on scene in response to an anonymous complaint regarding a suspicious vehicle.
Electronic surveillance from inside the vehicle reportedly recorded Willis taking the wallet and rolling papers. He also reportedly found the temporary registration.
"The registration's purpose was to see if the officer would make an effort to locate the owner of the vehicle, which Willis did not do," the arrest report stated. "He located the registration, simply looked at it, and then placed it back in the center console."
Newly released court records indicate there was information in the wallet not investigated by Willis.
They stated he put the wallet into his pocket after flipping through it "without looking at the names and telephone numbers written on pieces of paper inside the wallet in an attempt to identify the owner of the vehicle."
Willis locked the car and radioed dispatch, stating he did not find any identification in the vehicle, and without mentioning the found property, reports stated.
Officials from the FDLE and APPD searched in and around the vehicle after Willis left, reportedly unable to find the wallet, money, or rolling papers.
On Monday, the APPD temporary evidence hold was checked, but none of the items allegedly removed by Willis were found.
The serial numbers of the bills in the wallet were all recorded by the FDLE and when Willis was arrested, $40 of the missing money was found in his front pants pocket.
He allegedly admitted to FDLE agents that he spent the additional $270.
Reduction of bail
Initially Willis was held without bond until first appearance.
After his first appearance on Thursday, bond was set at $100,000 for the charge of armed burglary, and $25,000 for the charge of grand theft, at the request of the state.
"Namely stating that the alleged crime was horrible in that an officer of the law had violated the public's trust, and that the State Attorney's Office feared that the Defendant may interfere with further investigations and possibly tamper with witnesses," court documents from Judge Anthony Ritenour said.
At continued first appearance, granted so the judge could hear testimony from both the state and the defense on the amount set for bond, it was lowered to $1,000 for grand theft and $15,000 for armed burglary.
"The issue remains, though, as to whether the defendant can be charged with armed burglary as, in fact, it would be impossible for him not to be armed at the time of entering the vehicle, due to his being a law enforcement officer," Ritenour said.
The judge mentioned in the documents that the state failed to prove any possibility that Willis would harass potential victims or witnesses.
"The court cannot set bond based on innuendo," he said.
The Highlands County Sheriffs Office Web site indicated Willis was released from jail at 6:30 p.m. Friday on the reduced $16,000 bond.
His next scheduled court date is set for Dec. 15.
Complaints about police misconduct in Avon Park stemmed from within the Hispanic community, officials have said.
The allegations include extortion.
An undercover operation that led to the Wednesday arrest of Avon Park Police Officer Adam Willis, 30, used a vehicle that was "suggestive that the owner of the vehicle was of Hispanic dissent [sic]," the arrest report stated.
According to court documents generated in the case of the State of Florida v. Adam Willis, an investigation started in June 2008 in reference to complaints that officers within the Avon Park Police Department were stealing from citizens, "namely those of a Hispanic background."
During the investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Willis was determined to be one of the officers involved, said Yolanda Carbia, resident agent in charge of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Sebring field office.
The FDLE investigation eventually focused on two officers, Willis and Alberto Perez, court documents said.
Perez has yet to be charged, but has since been put on paid administrative leave by the APPD.
Patricia Austin, president of Council Three of the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said she fielded many complaints from the Hispanic community.
"(Avon Park Police Chief Matthew Doughney) said (the complaints) would definitely be looked into and taken care of," she said Friday. "He got right on it ... I was really impressed with the chief on that."
Some of the complaints included extorting money.
"Hispanics talked about how they had been pulled over and told if they would pay a certain amount, (officers) wouldn't write them a ticket," she said, citing examples of individuals being pulled over for infractions such as having a headlight out or window tint too dark.
"I was furious. I couldn't believe it ... everyone knows you don't pay officers for a ticket," she said. "Some of them, from what they had told me, had given the officers cash."
Two separate individuals told her they paid between $200 and $300 to officers.
Carbia said she had no comment on whether or not the officers extorted money in this manner, but did say that LULAC officials provided both the FDLE and APPD with information.
Austin recalled witnessing one of her Hispanic neighbors being pulled over for running a stop sign from the front porch of her house.
"He did not run that stop sign," she recalled.
Austin went to help the officer deal with a language barrier, as she said her neighbor didn't speak English very well. The officer let the alleged offender go with a warning.
Austin remembers who that officer was, but wouldn't give a name.
"It was one of the officers they are questioning now," she said.
The Undercover Operation
The operation involved an unlocked vehicle parked on the shoulder of North Central Avenue in Avon Park with $310 in marked bills inside a wallet, a package of cigarette rolling papers and a fake temporary registration.
Willis arrived on scene in response to an anonymous complaint regarding a suspicious vehicle.
Electronic surveillance from inside the vehicle reportedly recorded Willis taking the wallet and rolling papers. He also reportedly found the temporary registration.
"The registration's purpose was to see if the officer would make an effort to locate the owner of the vehicle, which Willis did not do," the arrest report stated. "He located the registration, simply looked at it, and then placed it back in the center console."
Newly released court records indicate there was information in the wallet not investigated by Willis.
They stated he put the wallet into his pocket after flipping through it "without looking at the names and telephone numbers written on pieces of paper inside the wallet in an attempt to identify the owner of the vehicle."
Willis locked the car and radioed dispatch, stating he did not find any identification in the vehicle, and without mentioning the found property, reports stated.
Officials from the FDLE and APPD searched in and around the vehicle after Willis left, reportedly unable to find the wallet, money, or rolling papers.
On Monday, the APPD temporary evidence hold was checked, but none of the items allegedly removed by Willis were found.
The serial numbers of the bills in the wallet were all recorded by the FDLE and when Willis was arrested, $40 of the missing money was found in his front pants pocket.
He allegedly admitted to FDLE agents that he spent the additional $270.
Reduction of bail
Initially Willis was held without bond until first appearance.
After his first appearance on Thursday, bond was set at $100,000 for the charge of armed burglary, and $25,000 for the charge of grand theft, at the request of the state.
"Namely stating that the alleged crime was horrible in that an officer of the law had violated the public's trust, and that the State Attorney's Office feared that the Defendant may interfere with further investigations and possibly tamper with witnesses," court documents from Judge Anthony Ritenour said.
At continued first appearance, granted so the judge could hear testimony from both the state and the defense on the amount set for bond, it was lowered to $1,000 for grand theft and $15,000 for armed burglary.
"The issue remains, though, as to whether the defendant can be charged with armed burglary as, in fact, it would be impossible for him not to be armed at the time of entering the vehicle, due to his being a law enforcement officer," Ritenour said.
The judge mentioned in the documents that the state failed to prove any possibility that Willis would harass potential victims or witnesses.
"The court cannot set bond based on innuendo," he said.
The Highlands County Sheriffs Office Web site indicated Willis was released from jail at 6:30 p.m. Friday on the reduced $16,000 bond.
His next scheduled court date is set for Dec. 15.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Officer Adam Willis Arrested for Armed Burglary and Grand Theft
AVON PARK
"It's been a long day, but a day that has come to an end. It ended in the arrest of one of our police officers today."
That was the opening statement from Avon Park Police Chief Matt Doughney at a press conference Wednesday night, where he announced that Officer Adam Wayne Willis, 30, was taken into custody following a lengthy investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for misconduct.
Willis was charged with first-degree armed burglary and grand theft of more than $300 but less than $5,000. He remained in jail Thursday in lieu of a $125,000 bond.
The charges stem from an undercover operation administered Sunday by special agents with the FDLE and the Avon Park Police Department, according to the arrest report. A vehicle equipped with electronic surveillance devices, as well as a wallet containing an undisclosed amount of money, was parked on the east shoulder of North Central Avenue. All the doors were unlocked and the driver's side door was left slightly open.
Willis reportedly arrived to its location after receiving an anonymous complaint of a suspicious vehicle in the area. He was on duty, wearing an APPD patrol uniform and armed with a semi-automatic handgun.
Footage from the electronic surveillance equipment reportedly showed Willis, with gloved hands, get into the vehicle and remove the wallet from the console. He then looked through it, took off the right glove, covered the wallet with it, got out of the vehicle and put the wallet in his right pants pocket.
Willis eventually went back to the driver's side a second time and, with the right glove back on, removed a pack of cigarette rolling papers, the report stated.
At one point, Willis found inside the console a temporary registration, which was placed there by FDLE agents and contained a fictitious owner's name and address.
"The registration's purpose was to see if the officer would make an effort to attempt to locate the owner of the vehicle, which Willis did not do," the report stated.
The APPD's temporary evidence hold was also checked on Nov. 17, following Willis' shift, to see if the items taken from the vehicle had been placed into evidence for safe keeping, which they allegedly were not.
At Wednesday's press conference, Doughney said the undercover operation stemmed from complaints of police misconduct they had received from community residents.
The first such report came about six months ago, around the time of Doughney's instatement as chief.
"These types of allegations rip the moral fiber of what we as law enforcement officers swear to uphold," Doughney said. "They will be investigated and I hope that the people out there understand that when you come forward with an allegation like this, it will be investigated to its fullest."
Yolanda Carbia, resident agent in charge with the FDLE's Sebring field office, said the complaints weren't specific to Willis. Some of them referenced thefts occurring during traffic stops, with people of Mexican descent being the targets.
"We identified Adam Willis as being one of those officers," Carbia said.
Willis has been a member of the APPD since September 2006 and was in the army prior to becoming a police officer. Doughney said he was put on unpaid administrative leave.
Another officer, Alberto Perez, who has been with the APPD since July 2007, was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation. No charges have been filed against him. Doughney said the two officers worked together on the same shift.
Willis is set to appear in court on Dec. 15.
Family In Shock
Joshua Willis, 20, was in disbelief Wednesday night after receiving the news that his older brother had been arrested.
"That doesn't even sound like him," said the Alabama resident.
Willis said Adam has served in both Iraq and Kuwait and was never the "type of person to even take anything."
He added that he has been on about 10 ride-a-longs with his older brother and never saw anything out of the ordinary occur.
"Everybody (in my family) pretty much is in shock," Willis said. "Nobody knew anything about this. That makes no sense."
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