| |
 
|
Florida's Coordinated Community Anti-Crime Initiative
Every opportunity to make Florida a safer place is an opportunity we should pursue eagerly. Next week, I'll join Senator Victor Crist and other state and community leaders in Tallahassee to participate in a pilot program designed to develop strategies for safe and sustainable communities.
The Coordinated Community Anti-Crime Initiative was first tested in the University Area in Hillsborough County, which carries the sixth highest crime rate in Florida. Through the community-building process, the neighborhood was transformed by a coordinated effort among vested community members.
With this model, which can be adapted and implemented in any neighborhood, we can address challenges such as unemployment, poor housing conditions, little or no access to social services, and other issues, which are often the precursors to criminal activity.
Our state will only benefit from having more people involved in building safer neighborhoods and communities. Join us at the free symposium on February 9, and pre-register online at http://symposium.uacdconline.org.
|
A Duval County man has been arrested on charges of possession of child pornography. Joseph Anthony Pappalardo was arrested by the Attorney General's CyberCrime Unit with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
|
Attorney General McCollum announced that his office has filed a lawsuit against a California company providing loan modification services to homeowners facing foreclosure. According to the lawsuit filed today in Orange County, 21st Century Legal Services, Inc. allegedly charges consumers up-front fees in violation of Florida's Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Prevention Act.
|
A former resident of Collier County was convicted for conspiracy to traffic cocaine and trafficking cocaine. Daniel Cisneros, 29, faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced at a later date. He was prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution.
An Orange County man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in a heroin trafficking operation that distributed heroin throughout Central Florida. Moises Benjamin Acosta, Sr., pled guilty in July of 2009 to conspiring to traffic in heroin. He was prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution.
Attorney General McCollum announced that his Office of Statewide Prosecution is searching for two fugitive gang members. Jesus Ravelo and Luis Gelpi are two members of the Latin Kings gang and are wanted on charges of criminal racketeering. Both men are considered armed and dangerous. The men are the top two fugitives currently listed on the Attorney General's Most Wanted website, http://www.myfloridalegal.com/mostwanted.
Attorney General McCollum and Office of Financial Regulation Commissioner J. Thomas Cardwell announced that a Seminole County man was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to a criminal racketeering scheme that involved mortgage fraud in home purchasing. Upon his release from prison, Stanford Morgan, president and owner of Homes for Sale by Owner, Inc., must also pay full restitution, including $200,000 to an investing couple in one transaction and compensation to the lending institutions he defrauded in other transactions. Morgan was prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution.
Attorney General McCollum issued a follstatement on the upcoming statewide grand jury on public corruption, which is scheduled to begin jury selection next week The Statewide Grand Jury was convened by the Florida Supreme Court in early December to examine a list of specific crimes including bribery, extortion, unlawful compensation for official behavior, corruption by threat against a public servant, official misconduct, falsifying records, and misuse of confidential information.
|
Former Collier County Resident Convicted for Trafficking Cocaine
California Company Sued for Foreclosure Rescue Fraud
Orange County Man Gets 30 Years for Conspiracy to Traffic Heroin
Attorney General Announces Search for Two Fugitive Gang Members
CyberCrime Unit Arrests Duval County Man for Possession of Child Pornography
Seminole County Man Gets Prison Term for Mortgage Fraud
Attorney General Applauds Senate Banking and Insurance Committee's Interim Report and Proposed Legislation Involving Debt Collectors
Attorney General Recognizes Commencement of Black History Month
Attorney General: Statewide Grand Jury will Help Restore Trust in Government
|
Attorney General McCollum issued statements on the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee's report and proposed legislation involving debt collectors and the commencement of Black History Month.
In honor of Black History Month, the Attorney General recognizes Levi Williams, a partner at the law firm of Fertig and Gramling, for his extraordinary contributions to his state and to his community. As a current member and former Chairman of the Florida Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, Levi works with state and community leaders to identify the quality of life limiting factors that afflict this population and develop recommendations to cure or mitigate those elements in the lives of Black men and boys in the State of Florida. Levi is also a great advocate of equity in education and believes every child has the right to a quality and competitive education. He enjoys providing motivational interaction opportunities to many students in the public and private educational systems in Broward. Levi has made service to his community and his state a priority, and for that the Attorney General offers his commendation.
|
| |
|