Florida Attorney General - Volume 8, Issue 2

Publication of the Office of the Attorney General • Volume 8, Issue 2 • January 15, 2010

Aid to the Haitian Community

On Tuesday night, the people of Haiti experienced a natural disaster of historic proportions. The level of devastation and number of fatalities caused by the earthquake is unparalleled to anything in recorded history. Our thoughts remain with the survivors of this colossal tragedy as they begin the long road to recovery.

Yesterday, my office dispatched the Florida Crisis Response Team to the Haitian community in South Florida. The team is specially trained to provide support in the aftermath of disasters and will be working directly with Floridians who have family and loved ones in Haiti affected by the catastrophic earthquakes.

As Floridians, we should be doing everything possible to offer support to the Haitian community, but be on the lookout for fake charities who may try to take advantage of this situation. Consumers can check whether a charity is registered in Florida by calling 1-800-435-7352 and can report fraud to 1-866-966-7226. Floridians may also donate to the Florida Disaster Recovery Fund by visiting http://www.FlaDisasterfund.org or by calling 1-800-825-3786.

An Orange County man has been arrested on charges of possession of child pornography. Danny Joe Robinson was arrested by law enforcement officers with the Attorney General’s CyberCrime Unit with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the Winter Park Police Department, the Winter Springs Police Department, and the New Smyrna Beach Police Department.

A Taylor County man has been arrested on charges of possession of child pornography. Lavine B. Neal was arrested by law enforcement officers with the Attorney General’s CyberCrime Unit with assistance from the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and the Perry Police Department.

Attorney General McCollum announced the arrest of a Palm Beach County man on charges he exploited his elderly father. Ronnie Odum Beverly was arrested by law enforcement officers with the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit Patient Abuse Neglect and Exploitation (PANE) team.

A Brevard County man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for writing threatening letters to a Brevard County judge while in prison. Charles Schaaf, 34, entered guilty pleas to three counts of extortion and was immediately sentenced. He was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.

Attorney General Announces Verizon Wireless Connection Center to Help Floridians Contact Haitian Earthquake Victims

Attorney General's Statement on the Shooting Death of Dixie County Sheriff Captain Chad Reed

Attorney General Certifies Florida's Application for Federal Education Funding

Orange County Man Arrested on Charges of Possessing Child Pornography

Taylor County Man Arrested on Charges of Possessing Child Pornography

Palm Beach County Son Arrested for Exploiting Elderly Father

McCollum Sends Crisis Response Team to Florida's Haitian Communities

Attorney General Issues Statement on Deadly Haitian Earthquake

Prison Inmate Receives Additional 10 Years for Threatening Brevard County Judge

Attorney General Calls for Transparency, Accountability in Outside Counsel Contingency Fee Contracts

Attorney General McCollum sends letter to State Board of Administration in advance of Cabinet meeting

Attorney General McCollum announced that a Verizon wireless connection center has been set up in South Florida to help Haitian Americans make calls to Haiti. The connection center was set up after the Attorney General reached out to the president of Verizon’s southeast region and requested the company’s assistance in establishing a method of communication for the Haitian community in South Florida.

Attorney General Bill McCollum issued the following statement on the shooting death of Dixie County Sheriff's Captain Chad Reed:
"I was deeply saddened to learn that Dixie County Sheriff Captain Chad Reed last night made the ultimate sacrifice, placing the safety of his community above his own life.

Attorney General McCollum certified the Florida Department of Education's application for the federal Race to the Top grant funding program and commended Education Commissioner Eric Smith for his efforts to secure federal funding for Florida's schools. The application process required the Attorney General to officially certify that Florida's application was in accordance with Florida law before it could be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education.

Attorney General McCollum sent the Florida Crisis Response Team (FCRT) to Florida's Haitian communities to Miami. The FCRT is specially trained to provide support in the aftermath of disasters, and the teams will be working directly with Floridians who have family and loved ones in Haiti who were affected by Tuesday night’s devastating earthquakes.

Attorney General McCollum issued the following statement on the deadly earthquake in Haiti last night:
"My heart goes out to the Haitian people as they grieve for lost family members and friends and begin the long road to recovery from last night's devastating earthquakes.

Attorney General McCollum announced his top legislative priority, the Transparency in Private Attorney Contracting Bill (SB 712/HB 437), designed to protect the Attorney General’s Office from undue influence when contracting with outside law firms on a contingency fee basis. The legislation, sponsored by Senator John Thrasher (R-Jacksonville) and Representative Eric Eisnaugle (R-Orlando), creates transparency and accountability while imposing sensible limitations on contingency fee awards for outside counsel.

Attorney General McCollum sent a letter to State Board of Administration (SBA) Executive Director Ash Williams, asking that he provide the Trustees a brief explanation of the SBA's use of outside securities litigation counsel and a status update on the securities litigation counsel selection process at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting. The Attorney General noted that it would be important for Trustees to have the opportunity to discuss contingency fee limitations in an effort to protect any recovery for the State of Florida and its pension funds.