Florida Sentinel Bulletin

BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

The Hillsborough County Democratic Black Caucus (HCDBC) is being joined by some elected officials to host an event at the Belmont Heights Little League Park Complex, 2101 E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd., Saturday, November 3^rd. at 10:30 a.m.

Kathy Castor, U. S. Congresswoman, and State Representative Betty Reed, will sponsor the Early Voting Rally. At 11:45 a.m., the “March From The Park To The Polls” will leave the park and walk to the C. Blythe Andrews, Jr., Branch Public Library, corner of N. 26^th Street and E. Dr. M. L. King, Jr.

Dr. H. Bruce Miles, President of the State Democratic Black Caucus, said, “The Hillsborough County Democratic Black Caucus is working with local elected officials for the purpose of getting out the vote.

“We want to get President Barack Obama, Senator Bill Nelson, Congresswoman Kathy Castor, and all Democrats running for public office elected.

“We are encouraging everyone to vote early and we hope to be in the park throughout the day until the polls close. We’re going to have an old fashioned march for Democrats.”

Rep. Reed said, “Saturday is the last day of Early Voting. We are doing a very hard push to reach those who have not voted. It is so extremely important that everyone who can, vote. The lines may be long now, but they will be extremely long on Election Day.”

Ms. Dianne Hart, President of the Hillsborough County Democratic Black Caucus said, “This is a critical time in our lives and this country, It is crucial that we re-elect President Barack Obama so that he can continue to move forward. We must also vote to retain all three Florida Supreme Court Judges on the ballot.”

Ms. Hart further stated that representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have been invited to help with the application process.

Others slated to attend include Hillsborough County Commissioner Les “Les” Miller, Jr., Otis Anthony, Mason Caine, Janesia Kelly, Macknum, Romantic Expressions, the Revealing Truth Ministries Drumline, Omar Davis, D. J. & Keyboardist and Shemida J., of Sir Pass Events. For more information, call (813) 748-0952.

BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

Once Mrs. Candace Crossley went into labor at her Wesley Chapel home, things happened quickly. Within a very short time, she, her husband, Clenton Crossley, her 2-year-old daughter, Cayla, and older sister, Ms. Chrystal Bussey, were in the car en route to the hospital.

Her due date was November 15^th. However, as the labor pains began to come closer together, Mrs. Crossley realized they weren’t going to make it to the hospital. Her husband pulled the car over to the side of the road and she said, Ms. Bussey went around to the front passenger side as the 9-1-1 dispatcher gave instructions over the phone.

“I’m glad my sister was there. We stayed calm and we all had a part to play,” Mrs. Crossley said.

Within five minutes, Catelyn Crossley made her debut into the world. She weighs 5 pounds, 13 ounces and is a healthy addition to the family.

Once emergency personnel arrived, mother and daughter were transported to St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital. Both are doing well.

Of the birth that is unique is more than one way, Mrs. Crossley said, “It was amazing and I feel blessed because so many things could have gone wrong. But it didn’t and she’s just perfect.”

A Tampa native, Mrs. Crossley graduated from Hillsborough High School in 2004. She’s a stay-at-home wife and mother.

When asked if she plans on having more children, she said no, and that her husband is “fine with two girls.”

As far as her daughter being born on Halloween, Mrs. Crossley said, “It’s just something freaky that happened on Halloween.”

BY LEON B. CREWS

Sentinel Staff Writer

Early last Saturday morning, Ary Jean was behind the wheel of his Checker Cab when he got a call for a pickup.

“I picked up a fare in Ybor City and he wanted to go to Harbour Island. When we arrived, he got out of the cab, gave me a $20, and asked for $2.00 back.”

Jean said as that transaction was taking place, he was hit in the face and on the leg with raw eggs.

“The customer pointed at who threw the eggs, and I saw two people. I called 9-1-1, and when the officer arrived, he asked me what happened. When he asked me who did it, I pointed to the building.”

Jean said when the officer went to the building and to the apartment, the people inside refused to open the door.

“The officer came back and asked me what did I want him to do. He said he couldn’t force them to come to the door.

“I asked him what would happen if I threw a rock into the window, and he said I’d go to jail.”

Jean said he described what they were wearing, and he saw one of them at the rear of the building making obscene gestures at him.

“The officer had left, so I tried calling him again. When he came back, he again asked me what I wanted him to do. He also cursed me, and refused to give me his badge number.

“I called 9-1-1 a third time and requested to see a supervisor. Another officer told me I could go to jail for using 9-1-1 for this purpose. I was eventually arrested and charged with misuse of the 9-1-1 system.”

Jean said as a victim, he doesn’t think it was fair for him to be arrested, and the people who hit him with the eggs were never arrested.

“The officer handcuffed me, took my cell phone, and put me in his cruiser.

“To make matters worse, when my brother came out to get my taxi, the officer told him if he tried, they would arrest him. They told him my taxi would be impounded. This whole thing cost me the money to be bonded out of jail and the impound fee to get my taxi back.”

Jean, a Haitian citizen, said he tried to explain to the officer, he didn’t understand the law regarding the use of the 9-1-1 system, and if he had, he would have handled the situation another way.

“It didn’t make any difference to the officer, because I was jailed anyway. This is not the way the law is supposed to work. They are not supposed to lock up victims of crimes, and let the perpetrators go free, but that’s exactly what happened to me.”

Police spokesperson, Andrea Davis, said when the officers arrived at the scene, Jean wanted them to kick the door in at the apartment where the eggs were allegedly thrown from, and arrest everyone inside.

“When the officer told him he couldn’t do that, Jean threatened to throw eggs at the apartment. The officer told him if he did that, he would be arrested, and that didn’t set well with Jean.”

The body of a man found at the City of St. Petersburg’s Water Resources Compound has been identified as 62-year-old Leroy Fowler, Jr.

Fowler had been reported missing to the St. Petersburg Police Department by his wife on October 29^th.

Police later learned that Fowler had driven from his home in Tampa to visit a relative in South St. Petersburg on October 27^th. That relative later reported that Fowler had arrived at her home and left about 3:30 p. m. in his vehicle.

Mrs. Sharon Fowler reported that when her husband had not returned home, she became concerned and drove to St. Petersburg to see if she could find him.

Mrs. Fowler spotted her husband’s vehicle parked on the side of the highway of northbound I-275. It was not occupied, but did have a flat tire. She had the vehicle towed and later called police to report her husband missing.

According to detectives, it appears Fowler left the car after it developed the flat tire, walked along the Interstate, and apparently fell off the overpass into a secluded area of the Water Resources Compound.

Detectives said it appears this happened sometime on Saturday, October 27^th, during a period when no one was working at the compound.

Investigators said there was no evidence Fowler was the victim of foul play, was struck by a vehicle, or was trying to harm himself.

Detectives said there was an oak tree near where Fowler was found, and they speculate he may have been trying to get off the overpass by climbing down the tree when he fell. A broken tree branch was found near his body.

According to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office, nearly 40,000 people cast ballots in two days. Early Voting began on Saturday, October 27^th, and for the first time, voters were able to cast ballots on Sunday.

The Supervisor of Elections Office said 20,742 people voted on Saturday in Hillsborough County. On Sunday, the numbers were slightly lower at 15,960. During the 2008 General Election, the two-day total was 16,946 votes.

On Saturday, the Jan Platt Library topped the list with 2,016 people casting ballots. The Jimmie B. Keel Library reported 1,879 people voted at that location.

On Sunday, 20,o45 people voted at the Jimmie B. Keel Library. The Jan Platt Library was second with 1,633 ballots cast.

The C. Blythe Andrews, Jr., and West Tampa Libraries reported large voter turnouts.

The Andrews Library recorded 1,266 votes on Saturday and 1,163 on Sunday for a total of 2,429 ballots cast. In the 2008 General Election, the library recorded 572 and 676 respectively for a total of 1,248 votes.

The West Tampa Library recorded 1,086 votes on Saturday and 521 on Sunday for a total of 1,607 ballots cast. In the 2008 General Election, the library recorded 389 and 427 respectively for a total of 816 votes.

Two Bay area men have been charged in connection with tax fraud in separate investigations. Both men are being held in the Pinellas County Jail.

According to court documents, on July 31, 2011, Clearwater Police Department conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle 23-year-old Carlos Oscar Johnson was driving. They reportedly found five debit cards believed to be related to tax refund fraud and contacted an agent with the IRS.

The agent launched an investigation and discovered that Johnson and others were allegedly involved in a scheme to defraud the federal government.

The cards were reportedly loaded and with tax refunds from five different people. Johnson had allegedly made several purchases on the cards, the court records showed. Some of those purchases included airplane tickets and a hotel stay at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The investigation also revealed that from about February 23, 2012 to October 2, 2012, at least 173 fraudulent tax returns have been filed from Johnson’s residence. Johnson is alleged to have field at least 42 fraudulent tax refunds during two stays at a hotel. The 173 refunds requested were valued at $1.3 million in refund amounts. Johnson is accused of having filed more than 200 fraudulent tax returns worth a total of $1.7 million. Johnson was arrested Friday.

In a separate investigation, police arrested Larry Lee Northern, Jr.,  on October 22^nd. He is also awaiting trial in the Pinellas County Jail.

According to court documents, Northern, 28, is accused of theft from the government and aggravated identity theft. In November 2011, the Florida Highway Patrol arrested Northern after a traffic stop. At the time of his arrest, he was charged with possession of marijuana.

During the search following the arrest, police found two cell phones, 15 Green Dot prepaid debit cards in several names, and 17 Walmart MoneyGram gift cards.

Police confiscated corporate documents that contained personal information of 32 clients of Optimum Healthcare, Inc. Eight of the cards had the same names listed on the Optimum documents. Northern had never been an employee of Optimum, the court document stated.

After being read his rights, Northern reportedly told police that he was not responsible for making the prepaid debit cards, but a female asked him if he wanted to make some extra money by delivering the cards. He refused to provide any additional information.

During a search of the vehicle, police discovered $15,700 in cash and a laptop computer.

The 2009 Dodge Challenger Northern was driving was still in the name of the previous owner. When contacted by police, the seller said Northern had paid him $20,000 for the vehicle.

Northern pleaded guilty to the state charges of trafficking in counterfeit credit cards and possession of cannabis. He was sentenced to 90 days in the Manatee County Jail and scheduled for a release date of October 19.

The income tax refunds claimed on 154 returns totaled $121,642. Federal agents arrested Northern on federal charges on October 22.

Tampa Police Homicide detectives are investigating the murder of a man at a Drew Park club.

According to police, at 2:52 a. m. Monday, two men were shot during a disturbance at Flash Dancers, 4202 West Cayuga Street.

Police said Cornelius Dix, 26, was pronounced dead at the scene, and a second man, Jose Ortiz, 20, was hospitalized in serious condition.

Detectives have not released any suspect information or motive in the shooting, and are still actively investigating the incident.

Mary Dix, the victim’s mother, and Peggy Broadnax, the victim’s aunt, said they preached to Cornelius all the time about how dangerous it is going out these days.

“We told him Saturday night, and now this,” said Ms. Broadnax.

“Cornelius was really trying to get his life back together. That’s what he cared about more than anything.”

Cornelius Dix has two siblings, and was the youngest son of Dwight and Mary Dix.

“We were always concerned about some of the places he’d go to sometimes,” said Ms. Broadnax.

“His mother was always worried about the company he kept, especially when it was someone who wasn’t Black. But when you’re young, they don’t listen.”

Mrs. Dix said her son loved cookouts, because that gave him the opportunity to do what he loved the most, and that’s being around his family.

“I hear all the time what happens to our young men, and they are becoming an endangered species.”

Mrs. Dix said Cornelius left the house with a Hispanic guy who would sometimes call her momma, and it wasn’t the guy who was shot with him.

“As far as we know, Ortiz or the guy he left here with might have been the target. The guy he left the house with could have called to tell us what happened, instead of  me getting a call at work. We still haven’t heard from him.”

Mrs. Dix said they want to know exactly what happened that cost Cornelius his life.

“This is a time when I’m glad we’re a close family, and can draw together for strength,” said Ms. Broadnax.

“I’ll also bet anyone this had something to do with an incident that wasn’t worth taking someone’s life.”

Harmon’s Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements at this time.

Tampa Police were called to the Ashford Place Apartments, 10610 North 30^th Street, at 9 p. m. Saturday night on a report of shots fired.

When officers arrived, they found Jett T. Gilmore, 26, lying in the street, conscious, but not responsive. He was airlifted to a local hospital and is reported to be in critical condition.

Detectives are investigating the incident to determine what led up to the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call (813) 231-6130.

BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

A longshoreman, who is a also a Tampa minister, was killed and another man injured in an industrial accident Tuesday afternoon. The accident took place aboard a ship docked in the Port of Tampa.

According to the Tampa Fire Rescue, the call for help was received at 3:56 p.m., Tuesday. Fire crews responded to 2150 Guy N. Verger, after being notified that men were trapped in one of the hatches on a ship.

Some employees were able to get out of the hatch after a strap broke and the pipes fell. However, Elder Hercules Gilmore, 56, and Andre Futrell, 50, were trapped.

Futrell suffered an injured leg and underwent surgery. He is listed in fair condition at a local hospital. He has been a longshoreman with ILA 1402 since the early 2000s. When contacted by the Sentinel, Futrell declined comment, stating that he was reflecting on the loss of Elder Gilmore.

A resident of St. Petersburg, Elder Gilmore died at the scene. According to the website of Divine Worship House of God, Inc.,  Elder Gilmore was a member of House of God, an affiliate of the House of God International. However, the church underwent a separation. The remaining members reorganized and changed its name to Divine Worship in April 2009.

In July 2009, Elder Gilmore was appointed pastor of the church. Under his leadership, the church became incorporated as Divine Worship House of God, Inc.

James Harrell, President of the (ILA) International Longshoreman’s Association, Local 1402 said, the men had just started their shift at 3 p.m. The accident happened less than an hour later.

“This is very dangerous work. The guys load and unload these ships and the hatches are 60 feet deep or more. The District and OSHA are investigating the accident,” he said.

Harrell said Robert Dixon was killed in an accident at the Port of Manatee in May.

Larry Coleman, Vice President of the ILA said, “One of the nylon straps broke causing the steel pipes to fall. Some of them fell on the dock, some fell on the ship, and some fell in the hole where the men were working. From that point, we really don’t know what transpired.”

Coleman said both men are union members in good standing.

Funeral services for Elder Gilmore were incomplete as of press time.