New chief

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Sources spotted Toth at the City Hall with the City Mgr, Mayer, and City attorney. Looks like its a done deal.

[Unregistered]

I sincerely hope that you are wrong.
That would be one humongous step backwards.
Think “Hialeah South” and “Banana Republic”
Major sell-out!

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Most MPD guys don't have many good things to say about him.

[Unregistered]

Most MPD guys don't have many good things to say about him.

Interesting.
Most of the MPD guys that I talk to speak highly of him; makes me wonder who you are talking to.

[Unregistered]

Guzman is a zero. He may have been a good SWAT guy but he definitely is NOT a leader. He was actually demoted to Lt. from major at MOD before retiring.

[Unregistered]

Guzman is a zero. He may have been a good SWAT guy but he definitely is NOT a leader. He was actually demoted to Lt. from major at MOD before retiring.

Listen Dan Rather, get the whole story before flapping your gums.
Guzman was in fact demoted by the NEW Chief in order to put his cronies and the new mayor’s cronies in staff level positions.
Guzman was a victim of Miami (Banana Republic) politics and it had nothing to do with his abilities; there were other casualties in that revolution that were equaling wronged.

[Unregistered]

The above poster is correct, Guzman was demoted for political reasons. But it is also true that he isn't a very good leader. He will not fight for the troops and will be a yes man for the City Manager and Mayor. He plays favorites, especially with Cubans. His nickname at MPD was "mommas boy" because he got beat up,in high school and his mother took him out of Miami High and put him in a private school. As far as being a good SWAT guy, several SWAT team members were indicted while he was commander due to his lack of supervision and leadership

[Unregistered]

The above poster is correct, Guzman was demoted for political reasons. But it is also true that he isn't a very good leader. He will not fight for the troops and will be a yes man for the City Manager and Mayor. He plays favorites, especially with Cubans. His nickname at MPD was "mommas boy" because he got beat up,in high school and his mother took him out of Miami High and put him in a private school. As far as being a good SWAT guy, several SWAT team members were indicted while he was commander due to his lack of supervision and leadership

Armando was the Training Sergeant, while I was in the academy...BLE #106. Armando, is a very good human being, and I know him to be a cops friend. However, he never supervised me in the field, but several of my academy class mates ended up being on swat, I believe, Because Armando stuck out his neck for all of them, and he took care of them while they worked for him in swat.

Good leader....was involved in numerous Riots with him in Miami, and he was Always QRU, and not afraid to go into a house or apprehend a subject...he's Not a tyrant and I've always found him to be very approachable.

The guys that got in trouble that were in swat, Didn't get in trouble , as a direct result of any swat mission, but as a result of their actions, while assigned to their daily assignments...Can't hold others responsible for Your actions.

The part of calling him "mommas boy "...have absolutely no direct knowledge of that.

To early to tell if he's going to fight for the troops, he just got this position. In Miami, he was a Major and in his 30+ years on the force, and during my time there, I NEVER saw him go out of his way to HURT anyone. I don't believe him to be malicious or a capricious individual that will " Witch Hunt people. "

Tom Cannon, was one of my FTOs and a Man's Man. I have the upmost Respect for Tommy, and he also could've been an excellent choice. During my time at MPD, Tommy always worked the street, and was a Cops Cop! A Kick Ass MOFO !!!!

Give Armando a chance, and approach him with whatever ideas you have, that can improve your department. I think, that you will be surprised, that he will be receptive and make changes if he believes that it will benefit your department, AND if he doesn't make the changes, that you seek, he will tell you why, he didn't implement the changes, he won't leave you hanging. Armando, is not an abrasive person.

Sad, that people will come on here and bash someone that they don't know, or will perpetuate innuendos, that they don't know to be true.

Be Safe & Hoping Good Things for your Dept.

Jesus D
BLE #106

[Unregistered]

Macias was indicted from his action on a SWAT mission. Others that were on SWAT were also indicted for other activities. Most of them should have been removed from SWAT but they were Hispanic and he always takes care of Hispanics. He won't go out of his way to hurt you but he won't go out of his to help you either.

Actually most of the SWAT guys thought he was kind of funny because he tried to be a tough guy but he was more of a little kid playing soldier.

[Unregistered]

Macias was indicted from his action on a SWAT mission. Others that were on SWAT were also indicted for other activities. Most of them should have been removed from SWAT but they were Hispanic and he always takes care of Hispanics. He won't go out of his way to hurt you but he won't go out of his to help you either.

Actually most of the SWAT guys thought he was kind of funny because he tried to be a tough guy but he was more of a little kid playing soldier.

1. My friend get your facts straight....Macias Wasn't indicted as a result of ANY SWAT Mission...read below, the article from the Sun-Sentinel.

2. All of these "Hispanics" that supposedly Guzman took care...Were INDICTED...how is it that he took care of ANYONE ?

3. This is what happens, when you try to Smear someone with Falsehoods...Lies...and Deceit....Please post your Name,since your, So Brave...I post mine on All of my Posts !


Miami Police Cover-up Alleged

September 8, 2001|By Ellis Berger and Vicky Agnew Miami Bureau and Staff Writer Akilah Johnson contributed to this report.

Miami — A day after the shooting deaths of a pair of petty thieves, five Miami police officers shared barbecue lunch and thoughts on how to cover up the fact that they planted guns to make it look as if the fleeing suspects were armed, two of the officers say in sworn statements.

Their statements -- and guilty pleas -- were unsealed Friday by federal prosecutors soon after the arrests of 11 other city officers, including three of the participants in the 1995 shootings near Miami Avenue and the Interstate 395 overpass. All are accused of a years-long conspiracy to cover up unjustified shootings.

It is the biggest shakeup in the Miami police department since the infamous River Cops scandal of the mid-1980s, when dozens of officers were implicated in murder and drug ripoffs.

"The circle of officers is not yet closed, the investigation continues, and time is running out for those others to come forward," said Hector Pesquera, special agent in charge of the FBI office in Miami.

Unlike the River Cops case, none of the charges against these officers is for monetary gain. Rather, they stand accused of covering up abuse of power and questionable shootings in four highly visible cases between November 1995 and June 1997 in which three unarmed men died, another was wounded and one was shot at.

At the request of Police Chief Raul Martinez, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Justice Department will review the department's internal procedures in an effort to correct shortcomings that allowed such misconduct to flourish.

Identified but not among those arrested Friday were the two former officers, William Hames, 53, and John Mervolion, 47, who gave sworn statements in a closed courtroom to U.S. District Judge Alan S. Gold -- Hames on Wednesday, Mervolion on Thursday.

They are free on bond after pleading guilty to the same basic charges as the 11 others: obstruction of justice and conspiracy in civil rights violations that included planting at shooting scenes weapons they had seized at other locations but failed to turn in to the department's property room.




U.S. Attorney Guy A. Lewis announced the 15-count indictment and the arrests of Lt. Israel "Izzy" Gonzalez, 42; Sgt. Jose Acuna, 43; Sgt. Jose "Pepe" Quintero, 37; and Officers Jesus "Jessie" Aguero, 38; Arturo Beguiristain, 41; Jorge Castello, 34; Rafael "Ralph" Fuentes, 34; Jorge Garcia, 38; Eliezer Lopez, 34; Alejandro "Alex" Macias, 39; and Oscar Ronda, 39.

All of the officers are additionally accused of giving false or misleading statements to investigators. Garcia and Gonzalez are also charged with perjury. The charges each carry penalties of between five and 10 years in prison and fines of $250,000.

Prosecutors wanted Aguero and Beguiristain jailed until trial, but only Aguero was held without bond. Special restrictions were placed on Beguiristain, who was released along with the others on $100,000 bond. He is confined to his home for much of the day and night.

Lewis said Hames and Mervolion, who each face five years in prison, have agreed to cooperate in the prosecutions of the others.

`Badges stained'

The allegations, Lewis said, "are certainly disturbing -- officers sworn to uphold the law engaging in official misconduct, false testimony, planting firearms, stealing property, obstructing justice."

"The conduct of these officers has stained the badges of every hardworking, faithful, and honest police officer who puts his or her life on the line every day."

The four cases are referred to as:

I-395 Shooting, Nov. 7, 1995: Antonio Young and Derrick Wiltshire, both 20 and suspects in a smash-and-grab robbery, are fatally wounded as they bail out of a car and jump from an on-ramp to the expressway as Aguero, Garcia, Gonzalez, Mervolion and Hames fire 37 rounds. The indictment says Aguero fired "ricochet rounds" into the pavement near Young in an attempt to make it look as if he was shot from the front.

Beguiristain and Quintero arrived on the scene afterward and are accused of planting guns near the bodies. Hames and Mervolion say in their sworn statements that they and the others plotted their cover-up during lunch the next day at the Bar-B-Q Barn, 11705 NW Seventh Ave., a block west of I-95 in North Miami.

Northwest Seventh Court Shooting, March 12, 1996: 72-year-old Richard Brown is killed in a drug raid at his two-room home, 1344 NW Seventh Court, as Beguiristain, Macias, Fuentes, Lopez and unnamed SWAT team members fire 123 shots through the walls and door. Beguiristain "found" a gun prosecutors say was planted by another officer.

43rd Street Shooting, April 13, 1996: Beguiristain is accused of planting a gun, obtained from Mervolion, in the back yard at 347 NW 42nd St. to cover up for Aguero's having fired at an unarmed purse-snatching suspect named Steven Carter, who was not hit. Aguero allegedly had given the gun to Mervolion months earlier after failing to turn it in as evidence in a crime

Jesus D
BLE #106