Florida Sentinel Bulletin

BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

Last week, a task force arrested a man wanted for a triple murder. The murders took place nearly 38 years ago in West Virginia.

According to police, 59-year-old Eddie Jack Washington was taken into custody without incident last Thursday. He was arrested on a warrant issued February 6^th, by the Fairmont Police Department in West Virginia.

According to the Fairmont Police Department, on August 2, 1974, groundskeepers employed by a West Virginia park discovered the bodies of a woman and two men. All three had been badly beaten and shot execution style in the head.

The victims were identified as Wanda Jane Phillips, 19, her husband, Guy Lester Phillips, 20, and 27-year-old Billy Ray Cobb. The case had become a cold case until recently.

Last September, the U. S. Marshal’s Service had been requested to keep Washington under surveillance from his residence at 2409 E. 17^th Avenue, Apartment B.

Last Thursday, police followed Washington from his apartment to the Friendly Meat and Grocery, 1910 N. 34^th Street, where he was arrested without incident.

The task force consisted of representatives from the United States Marshals Service, Tampa Police Department, Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force, Tampa Office.

While Living In Tampa

Washington had reportedly lived in Tampa for several years. According to police records, he has come in contact with local police and had been arrested.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office web page, Washington was arrested July 22, 1999, and charged with driving under the influence and no valid driver’s license. Tampa Police officers arrested him after he was reportedly observed driving in the 1400 block of Estelle.

On March 19, 2003, Washington was stopped by Tampa Police while riding a bicycle. A records check showed an active warrant issued on November 18, 1999 by the Sheriff’s Office for violation of probation on a DUI charge.

Officer Ronald Paulk wrote in his report that Washington allegedly said, “He would have killed me and Officer Mako if he had a weapon.”

Washington was arrested again June 21, 2004, and charged with two counts of possession of cocaine. Washington remained in jail for 234 days and was released on February 10, 2005.

BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

The Florida NAACP State Conference has planned a two-day Town Hall meeting for Friday (today), at 7 p.m., at the Tampa Airport Doubletree, 4500 W. Cypress Street. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss redistricting.

Among those slated to participate in the Town Hall Meeting include: Leon Russell, Vice Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors; Hilary O. Shelton, NAACP Washington Bureau Director; Jotaka Eaddy, NAACP Senior Director for Voting Rights; Gary Bledsoe, Texas NAACP State Conference President; Victor Goode, NAACP Assistant General Counsel; Carroll Rhodes, NAACP Mississippi State Conference Attorney; and Allison Riggs, Southern Coalition for Social Justice Staff Attorney.

Leon Russell, Vice President National Board of Directors said, “Redistricting is the most important factor in determining the political future of the nation. There are going to be representatives there from Florida, Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, and New York — all states that have legal issues continuing about redistricting. We are having this summit to develop a consistent plan across the country.

“Redistricting determines who will control the policy-making process at the local, state, and national levels. This summit is intended to insure that our community has a voice in that process.”

The purpose of the meeting is to give an overview of the redistricting process in Florida; educate the community on amendments and their impact; and educate the community about the Florida NAACP State Conference’s litigation to protect the rights of minority voters.

The Redistricting Summit will continue throughout the day on Saturday, February 9^th, at the hotel.

BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

Earlier this week, a federal judge rendered Ms. Cortnee Brantley guilty of misprison. She will be sentenced on the charge on Monday, April 29^th, at 8:45 a.m. The rarely used federal charge of misprision carries a maximum sentence of 3 years in federal prison.

In a 12-page written decision, federal Judge James Moody, Jr., said “the Court concludes that, by the thinnest of legal threads, the jury’s verdict is supported by the evidence.”

Judge Moody also denied or dismissed all pending motions filed by Ms. Brantley’s court appointed representative, Attorney Grady Irvin, Jr.

In response to the decision, Attorney Irvin said, “…The 12-page opinion by Judge Moody, in its entirety, is the best comment.  … Therefore, we defer comment to Judge Moody’s order… because clearly this is one of those occasions where the judge, for the most part, said it best.”

Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor also issued a written comment. “The members of the Tampa Police Department are pleased to hear that Judge Moody has upheld the findings of the jury in the case against Courtnee Brantley.”

Murder Suspect’s Mother Calls Sentinel After Ruling

Mrs. Selecia Watson, the mother of Dontae Morris and Dwayne Calloway, contacted the Sentinel after the ruling.

Mrs. Watson, who has been a fixture at both the state and federal courtrooms during the last three years, said she was compelled to speak out about the ruling. She also wanted to establish the fact that she is not “an angry mother.”

“I feel I just had to speak out about the verdict and the judge upholding the ruling against Courtnee Brantley. It is unspeakable, awful because my son has not been found guilty of anything, he has been charged with. For Courtnee to be guilty of misprision is awful.

“I was at the trial and the jury convicted her on the text messages that came from a telephone. Angela Murphy testified under oath that when Dontae came to her house, he gave the phone to Angela and when Dontae called her phone from the phone he was using that day, someone else’s name appeared. It was not even his phone.

“So my question is, ‘who really sent those text messages?’

“When Jennifer Porter ran over those 4 kids and killed two of them, her parents washed her car and hid it for days. Her parents were never arrested and she never spent a day in jail.

“But all this girl did was give a ride to a friend. She gave the police her information and cooperated.

“The warrant was in the computer for Dontae, but he was in prison when his identity was stolen.  That night she felt her life was in danger. Anyone in their right mind is going to take off when they hear gunshots. That’s just common sense.”

Mrs. Watson also posed another question: “My son has not been tried yet for anything. So how can she be found guilty? It seems that something is wrong with our system. It’s telling me that you don’t have what you need to convict the person you said killed 2 officers.”

Mrs. Watson said she has attended every court hearing since the two officers were killed on June 29, 2010.

She stated that her other son, Dwayne Calloway, was originally charged with theft by sudden snatching, but the charge was upgraded to robbery.

“During Dwayne’s trial they continually referred to him as Dontae’s brother. They sentenced Dwayne because he is Dontae’s brother and they had the opportunity to lock him up. But he did not score out for prison and they never found the chain he supposedly took. Everyone else in the case walked away, but they gave him 15 years in prison.”

Mrs. Watson said the murders of the two police officers happened right after Dontae was released from prison, but they did not start looking for her son until after the two officers were killed. She wondered, “had not these two officers been killed would he (Dontae) still have been sought for the other three murders?”

“I’m not an angry mother, I’m just in disbelief,” Mrs. Watson said.

U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida Responds

Mrs. Watson posed the question, ‘“My son has not been tried yet for anything. So how can she be found guilty?’

The Sentinel contacted the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for an answer. Their response was:

“To obtain a conviction for Misprision of a Felony (Title 18, USC Section 4), the jury was required to find that: The federal crime of a felon in possession of a firearm was committed; The defendant knew of that crime; The defendant did not as soon as possible report the crime; and The defendant acted to conceal the crime.

“Dontae Morris’ guilt was not an issue or element. The government proved, and the jury clearly found, that Morris was a convicted felon who possessed a firearm.”

On Monday, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s detectives charged a 35-year-old woman with manslaughter after she allegedly stabbed her live-in boyfriend to death during an argument.

Detectives said Luz Maribel Myers was interviewed, and later charged with manslaughter with a weapon.

Deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call at 2 a. m. in the 8300 block of Country Square Court in Town ‘N Country concerning a man who had been stabbed. A few minutes later, deputies said they heard commotion inside the apartment, and forced their way in and found Orlando Rangel-Benitez, 28.

Deputies tried to help Rangel-Benitez, but paramedics later declared him dead at the scene.

Detectives said the couple got into an argument that escalated into Myers stabbing Rangel-Benitez in the chest.

On Monday night at 10:47 p. m., Tampa Police responded to a call of shots fired in the area of 36^th Street and Mohawk Avenue.

Officers arriving on the scene reported finding a Chevrolet truck abandoned and crashed through a fence in the yard of a vacant residence in the 3500 block of Mohawk. Officers said there were several bullet holes in the truck, and blood was found inside.

A short time later, police received another call from the 3600 block of Mohawk that a teenager had been shot.

Officers discovered Sherrod McWhite, 17, had been shot in the buttocks, and had him transported to a local hospital.

Officers later came in contact with Navarres Boyd, 16, at the same address. A subsequent investigation revealed McWhite and Boyd had been driving the truck when they got involved in an alleged altercation over drugs.

Police said the person McWhite and Boyd were arguing with pulled a handgun and fired several shots into the truck. He allegedly shot McWhite as he ran from the truck after it crashed. Boyd sustained minor facial injuries.

Police later discovered that McWhite had several warrants. One of them was for the Christmas Day 2012 robbery of a boy on 40^th Street and Knollwood.

McWhite was identified, along with Quwdray Smith, Telvin Wright, and Tyler Johnson, all teens, as suspects in the robbery. The teens stole the boy’s bicycle and shoes at gunpoint. All of the suspects, but McWhite, the alleged gunman, were caught that day.

Investigators said they had been looking for McWhite. He was booked on armed robbery charges when he was released from the hospital.

Boyd had been reported as a runaway by his family on Christmas Day, 2012. He was later released to the custody of his mother.

An investigation is ongoing as to where the teenagers got the pickup truck. It has already been reported that it wasn’t stolen.

Captain Rocky Ratliff said the area where the incident occurred has been a problem for years.

“We’ve stepped up our activities in that area, and this week, we got a couple of warrants drawn up for arrests.

“We’ve served notice on that area, and I’ve even gone to a couple of suspicious residences and let them know we have our eyes on them. We’ve also talked to other citizens and let them know we’re doing as much as we can to restore order in that area.”

Capt. Ratliff said they first want to identify who all the players are, then lock the area down.

“Our plan is to hit the area hard for a month, and just maintain complete control of the area after that. We don’t want the lawbreakers to feel comfortable in that community, and feel they have taken it over. It still belongs to the law abiding people who want a safe neighborhood to raise their children.”

Capt. Ratliff said they have identified one house that has a high volume of foot and vehicle traffic, and they are gathering more evidence before taking any action.

BY GWEN HAYES

Sentinel Editor

Since 2007, Reverend Pauline L. Cole, R. N., has been collecting and storing data for a documentary on the Black Nurses of Hillsborough County. During the years since then, others have joined her as historical project assistants, research assistants or advisors.

On February 28, 2013, 6-8 p. m., the work that has been done on the project will be unveiled at the C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. Branch Library, 2607 E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. The program theme is “The Plight of Black Nurses in Hillsborough County: What A Difference A Day Makes.”

Speakers for this event will be Mrs. Frances Cheeks Jennings, RN, ARNP, and Mrs. Margaret Ewen, RN.

Rev. Cole, a retired RN, co-founder of the Minority Nurses Association and founder of the Black Nurses Association, states the purpose of the documentary is “to document history for our Black nurses here in Hillsborough County with regards to their experiences, accomplishments and contributions made to the nursing profession – RNs, LPNs, and student nurses.”

Registered nurses who have worked on this project chaired by Rev. Cole are: Mrs. Ewen, Mrs. Jennings, Ruby Williams, RN, Mary Ann Watson, RN, Janie M. Simpson, RN and Olga Douglas, RN.

Project assistants are: Barbara Hawkins, Katelyn Humphrey and Gerard Williams. Mary Watson is assisting Research Advisor, Dr. Kim Curry of the University of Tampa.

Community advisors are: Faith Miller-Burston, Hillsborough County School Board; and Albert Coleman, African American Liaison, Hillsborough County Office of Community Affairs.

For additional information, call (813) 442-4156 or email  HYPERLINK “mailto:wozint@netzero.com” wozint@netzero.com.

A Tampa native, who spent his professional years as an educator in Pinellas County, died Friday in St. Petersburg. Vyrle Davis was 76 years old.

In 2004, Mr. Davis was diagnosed with Parkinson disease. He was eventually bound to a wheelchair.

The graduate of Florida A&M University followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and mother as teachers. His grandfather founded the first school for Black children in Jackson County and his mother taught Black students in a one-room schoolhouse in Citrus Park.

His first assignment as a teacher was at 16th St. Elementary and Junior High School (now John Hopkins Middle School). This is the same year he married the former Mozell Reese.

He became assistant principal in 1971 at Gibbs High School, where he impacted the lives of students for 2 years.

When he became principal of St. Petersburg High School in 1973, Davis received numerous threats and racist phone calls. He never backed down from those who made verbal threats. He was the principal until 1983.

He continued to climb the ladder, becoming Operations Director for Pinellas County Schools in 1983 and served in that position until 1986. He then became the first African-American in Pinellas County to serve as Area Superintendent, holding this position until 1995.

In an effort to provide financial support to high achieving African-American students, he founded Ebony Scholars in 1984.

Mr. Davis was not only an educator, but a community activist, too. He founded organizations that would advance the political causes of African-Americans. He co-founded African-American Voters Registration and Education Committee in 1996 and founded Concerned Organizations for Quality Education for Black Students in 1998.

He has numerous awards and commendations.

In addition to Mrs. Davis, Mr. Davis is also survived by 2 daughters, Desiree Green and Celeste Davis.

A memorial service and wake for Mr. Davis will be held Friday, February 8, 2013, 4-6 p. m. at St. Petersburg High School. The Saturday service will be held at First Unity Church, Downtown St. Pete, at 11 a. m. Creal Funeral Home of St. Petersburg is handling the arrangements.

BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

Within the last week, eight individuals have been arrested in connection with aggravated identity theft and federal income tax fraud. Each person is facing several charges.

The U. S. Attorney’s Office unsealed an indictment for the theft of government property and aggravated identity theft for Kayla Noble. Noble was charged with 12 counts of filing fraudulent income tax refunds in the names of 12 different taxpayers. The U. S. Treasury Department lost $102,237 as a result of the fraudulent filings.

Others taken into custody were brothers, Tommy Lee and Dennis Cuyler, (pictured, top left); Andres Garcia, (pictured, top right), Connie Lee, Addia Webb, Nikki Bowers, and James Smiley (pictured, bottom left). 

Plea Agreements

In other tax fraud related cases, a federal judge has accepted plea agreements of Tanya Cullens, (pictured, bottom right), and Arlista Hawls.

Ms. Hawls entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, theft of government funds, and to commit wire fraud on the first count. On the second count, she entered a plea of aggravated identity theft.

In addition to prison, she must pay mandatory restitution and supervision upon her release.

Ms. Cullens entered a plea to conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, theft of government funds, and to commit wire fraud on the first count. On the second count, she entered a plea of aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, Ms. Cullens was employed at a hospital and illegally obtained the personal information of 48 patients. She allegedly provided it to her co-c0nspirators, identified as Ms. Hawls and Ms. Alesia Ann Spivey for income tax fraud. Ms. Spivey signed a plea agreement in December.

A former employee of Jabil Circuit, Ms. Spivey, also allegedly admitted to conspiring with Ms. Cullens and Ms. Hawls to defraud that company through its relocation benefits program.

Darcien Shubbar said she repeatedly warned her daughters to not take the shortcut when they had to go to the store on Busch Boulevard.

At 10:46 a. m. Sunday morning, 8-year-old Jayla Shubbar and her 12-year-old sister were heading to the store at Busch Boulevard and 14^th Street, and once again, Ms. Shubbar said she warned them to not take the shortcut.

The shortcut she warned them about was a fence that had been torn down so people could cut across the railroad tracks on the south side of Busch Boulevard at the dead end of 14^th Street near Sulphur Springs, then take their chances crossing to the other side amid the busy traffic.

According to Tampa Police, Jayla and her sister were going to the store when they tried crossing the busy street. Jayla was hit by a vehicle that was heading east on Busch Boulevard. The driver reportedly did not see Jayla, and hit her. She was transported to Tampa General Hospital in critical condition, but was later pronounced dead.

Detectives are investigating the incident as an accident.

Ms. Shubbar said she wants to be an advocate to get the fence repaired and also get some kind of traffic signal at that intersection.

“When the kids see the grownups cutting through the fence, they think it’s alright for them to do it. I never was comfortable with it, because they have to cross a bad section of the railroad tracks, then try to get across the street.

“I want to find out who is responsible for that fence, and do whatever it takes to make them fix it. I don’t want to see this happen to another child.”

Ms. Shubbar didn’t comment further, as she became overcome with grief and was trying to figure out what to do next. She did have friends and family members with her at her home.

Jayla was a third grade student at Sulphur Springs Elementary School.