MIAMI HERALD 03/27/2014 Ex-South Miami cop named in Sweetwater case.

[WE THE PEOPLE]

Ex-South Miami cop named in Sweetwater case

MIAMI HERALD 03/27/2014
Brenda Medina
Authorities arrested a former South Miami detective on extortion and fraud charges in a case that reaches into Sweetwater.

Richard Muñoz, a 15-year South Miami veteran until his retirement last year, pleaded guilty March 14 on charges of taking advantage of his position and using false information with intent to commit fraud.

Muñoz’s crimes may be linked to charges against Sweetwater officer William García, arrested in August on charges of identity theft and credit card fraud, but public documents in the federal case did not provide details. However, sources familiar to the case said Muñoz, 45, will be an important witness against García.

Muñoz, who was arrested on March 10, reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors last week after he agreed to be on a list of more than 50 potential witnesses against García when his trial begins in April.

Muñoz had pleaded not guilty when he was first arrested. He is now free on bail and his sentencing has been scheduled for May 9, at which time he could face up to five years in prison.

Muñoz’s lawyer, Gustavo Lage, could not be reached for comment.

South Miami Police Chief Rene Landa said on Wednesday that the crimes committed by Muñoz do not reflect the culture of his department.

“We were not aware of these activities until now, when they were made public,” Landa said. Muñoz was detached to the Drug Enforcement Administration on a task force for more than a year, Landa said.

According to the agreement with federal prosecutors, Muñoz was not charged with giving false information in an official DEA statement.

Sweetwater suspended García after his August arrest. He has maintained his innocence. His defense attorneys say their client acted within his authority as an officer and, in several cases, under orders from his supervisors.

In early March, García asked the city to pay his legal fees. Sweetwater commissioners denied the request.

FBI agents arrested García in August, accusing him of using counterfeit credit cards and stealing credit card numbers, including the card of a suspect he had arrested. García worked with an informant, who later agreed to cooperate with the FBI.

García’s arrest was another scandal that shook Sweetwater in 2013. The FBI also arrested then-Mayor Manuel “Manny” Maroño on charges of accepting bribes in exchange for official favors using his position as an elected official. Maroño plead guilty and is now in federal prison, serving a 40-month sentence.

The scandal also affected other officers. Octavio Oliu and Reny García have been suspended with pay since September, while federal and county authorities conduct an investigation of the Sweetwater force. Auxiliary police officer Richard Brenner also was suspended, but was reinstated, then fired late last year.

Also, as part of the investigation, authorities are reviewing the activities of a towing company linked to Maroño in connection with the police department

[Unregistered]

To the F.D.L.E. & the FBI: Who was that a civilian has access to the police files:?

Who has given him the authority to do so?
Why hasn't the chief put a stop to this, knowing how many laws and charters he is violating?

Non-other then Richard Pichardo, that's who.

1- Richard Pichardo looking at police officers files with even being a city employee
2- Pichardo could be removing/inputting documents from police officers files.
3 - Pichardo in violation of "hipa". Officers have medical records in their file.
4 - Pichardo is not a sworn officer nor a contract employee in very sensitive areas of the police department.
5 - Pichardo has access to evidence / property room materials.
6 - Pichardo is in violation of civil rights ad police officer L.E.O. bill of right.
It is unfortunate that nothing has changed in a place that COULD be an awesome department

[EL DUENDE]

This is the truth.

After manny maroÑo's arrest and before pumpking head era, the city of sweetwater police department initiated a wide open investigation on the secret evidence room as well as the corruption, the missing money and the lost vehicles that were towed by southland, the towing company.
It is very funny that pumpkin head declares that the fdle found
these violations due to his request... When the reality is that this has been an open federal and state investigation since 2013.

Liar!!

[EL DUENDE]

This is the truth.

After manny maroño's arrest and before pumpking head era, the city of sweetwater police department initiated a wide open investigation on the secret evidence room as well as the corruption, the missing money and the lost vehicles that were towed by southland, the towing company.
It is very funny that pumpkin head declares that the fdle found
these violations due to his request... When the reality is that this has been an open federal and state investigation since 2013.

Liar!!

[ALI]

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT JONH RIVERA

Sweetwater novel

Just like Homestead, Sweetwater PD is operating in a fog these days. Sadly, and unlike Homestead, the place was improving and becoming a more professional department under the leadership of Jessie Menocal. Morale was high and the personnel were motivated. Then, the world of politics came into play and the new Mayor, Orlando Lopez, won purely on a technicality and immediately unjustly fired 15 officers for no reason other than they didn’t support him for office. Polling indicated that Lopez was going to lose the election by a huge margin, but here in the greater Miami-Dade area controversies and uncommon things are commonplace. The mayor’s decision to fire the officers was overturned by the Council by a vote of 6 to 1.

However, I have a funny feeling that Mayor Lopez suffers from a disease recently revealed as Gimenezitis, a condition of severe narcissism, which affects the brain matter. So, stay tuned – this one might become as juicy as Homestead before it’s all over.

MESSAGE FROM OUR VICE PRESIDENT PABLO LIMA

City of Sweetwater

Yes, the City of Sweetwater is back to its old ways during the days of Mayor Manuel Marono’s “maranas” (shading dealings). By the way, he is in jail right now for those maranas. The City had started its long road to professionalize and cleaning up its tarnished image under the leadership of Mayor Jose M. Diaz. Mayor Diaz is an honest professional whose only interest was only to the City of Sweetwater residents and the City’s employees. Due to a technicality, Mayor Diaz was unable to run for re-election for mayor and the maranas started all over with the present default mayor by the name of Orlando Lopez. Mr. Lopez has been nickednamed “pumpkin head,” you be the judge as to why. Mr. Lopez’ first act was to hire all his colonies, whether qualified or not. Mr. Lopez then forced out several highly qualified city professionals, including Chief Jesus Menocal to make room for his pumpkin patch. Chief Menocal is a highly qualified professional who rose through the ranks and is well-liked by the officers and the community. I was also told that Mr. Lopez even has former Lieutenant Richard Pichardo writing departmental memoranda for the new chief. Yes, the same Lieutenant Pichardo that was fired over a year ago that had the City’s missing horse at his house for almost a year. It appears that Mr. Pichardo is conducting city functions although doesn’t appear on the payroll. HUMMM!!!

As part of the pumpkin patch, Mr. Lopez hired Mr. Palcido Diaz. On Mr. Diaz’ first day in office he unjustly fired 15 officers. The City commission, under the leader of Vice Mayor Jose M. Diaz passed a resolution 6-1 to re-hire back all of the officers. Guess who was the one that voted against the resolution, Isolina Marono, Manny’s mother! As of this writing, we are still awaiting the chief to carry out the commission’s directive — just another sad day in Sweetwater politics.

[Unregistered]

Corrupt "Chief" PUMPKIN HEAD, ARE YOU PLANNING TO ARREST YOURSELF

[Unregistered]

Special Commission Meeting August 26th, 2015 on YouTbe.
.Watch "Special Commission Meeting August 26th, 2015" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/WDZTeSq9AFA

[ALI]

WATCH,- Special Commission Meeting August 18th, 2015
CITY OF SWEETWATER.
https://youtu.be/ZtUsc2sn-4I

*********************************
Watch "Special Commission Meeting August 26th, 2015" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/WDZTeSq9AFA

INVESTIGATION STARTED IN 2013, AFTER MAROÑO ARREST.
Tainted by scandal, Sweetwater Police Department is in turmoil

BY M SANCHEZ, B MEDINA AND JWEAVER@ELNUEVOHERALD.COM
DECEMBER 2013.
The way those who have been arrested in Sweetwater tell it, cops in this small city targeted low-level criminals, people with little credibility and no resources to defend themselves.

“I know my brother isn’t innocent,” said Leslie Anne Torres, who is trying to recover the three vehicles and other belongings Sweetwater police seized from her brother after a credit-card fraud arrest. “But if the police go to your house and steal your things, then they ain’t no better than my brother.”

Federal authorities are investigating accounts like this one in a widening criminal probe of problems in the Sweetwater Police Department that range from excessive use of force to the unreasonable seizure of suspects’ vehicles.

So far, the FBI has arrested just a single detective on separate fraud charges, though he is also suspected of playing a central role in the larger alleged abuses of power. Two other detectives face possible charges for brutality and theft.

Others have also been tainted by the scandal, including an officer-turned-city-commissioner who was once responsible for the evidence room where thousands of dollars in cash went missing, and a commander who supervised the detectives accused of the most egregious offenses.

Sweetwater’s former police chief, Roberto Fulgueira, who retired in October claiming it was a personal decision, did not leave unscathed. Soon after his retirement, city leaders announced that cash was also missing from the city’s towing-fee revenue — cash Fulgueira made it a point to count himself. No one has accused the former chief of stealing that money.

But the U.S. attorney’s office and FBI view the relationship between Fulgueira and former Mayor Manuel “Manny” Maroño, who recently pleaded guilty to corruption charges, as symbiotic. Maroño chose Fulgueira for the chief’s job in 2005, and in turn he gave the mayor’s former towing company a no-bid agreement to operate in the city. Today, authorities are investigating Fulgueira’s police department and the ex-mayor’s towing business as two sides of a suspected criminal enterprise.

This week, top city officials said they could not turn over any more personnel files of police officers or civilians because the FBI had seized all of those records for its broadening investigation. El Nuevo Herald and CBS4 have been reporting on the former mayor’s questionable connections to the towing company since August.

John Rivera, who heads the county’s Police Benevolent Association, blamed a corrupt chain of command that went all the way up to the strong mayor, Maroño.

“When you see this type of culture it’s like a disease, a cancer that keeps growing,” he said. “But despite these problems, there are still great cops in Sweetwater. And the good ones keep hoping things will get better.”

One case that drew criticism was the 2011 beating of Alberto Domínguez, who had been arrested by Sweetwater police for vandalism.

A video of the incident showed that Domínguez was handcuffed and didn’t lunge at officer Paul Abreu, as the officer had claimed. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office concluded there was no criminal intent.

Dominguez never filed a complaint with police because, he said, he didn’t think anybody would believe him — although this year he filed a civil suit against the city for excessive use of force.

Abreu’s attorney, Oscar Marrero, said the incident should be judged on its own, and not in the context of other problems in the police department.

“It’s very important to examine all the facts and not rush to judgment,” he said. “Other than this matter, he has a good history serving as a police officer.”

Another civil suit alleges that Sweetwater detective Octavio Oliu and auxiliary officer Richard Brenner arrested and paraded a special-needs teacher in front of his students — despite the fact the school isn’t even in Sweetwater. Police had charged Daniel Larosa with threatening a public official after posting comments online such as: “It’s Sweetwater pd that’s gotta die!!! Lol.”

Larosa had posted the comments after learning that his ex-girlfriend was dating a Sweetwater cop, according to the suit. The charges against Larosa were dropped and in February he sued the city, alleging civil liberties violations, false arrest and abuse of process.

“Such behavior by the city was wholly outrageous and went far beyond the bounds of decency in that it was a violation of the great power and authority we as a community entrust to police officers,” his attorney, Domingo Rodriguez, wrote in the suit

[THE LAW]

Future arrests in the City of Sweetwater.
Future arrests in the City of Sweetwater.
Based on the investigations beginning in 2013, there are rumors among city employees that authorities of the federal and state government will begin to arrest some of the ex-policemen of the City like ex-commander Mario Miranda, the ex-policeman and ex-commissioner Catalino Rodríguez, and the active lieutenant Roberto Ochoa,
as well the ex-chief of Police Roberto Fulgueiras.

[Unregistered]

NEW FEDERAL CHARGES for RACKETEERING & VIOLATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS" are coming for criminal convicts.
MANUEL "MANNY" MAROÑO,
WILLIE GARCIA,
OCTAVIO OLIU &
ROBERTO MURIEDA.

GOOD ADVISE:
If you have any previous illegal business connection with any of these four convict criminals, be prepared and look for a good attorney, they are going to cooperate with the feds for sure.