Florida Sentinel Bulletin

Tampa Police report that after a thorough investigation, a 24-year-old woman has been charged with stealing from an elderly person.

According to the report, on March 31st, officers were called to a home in the 2200 block of 17th Avenue on a report of credit card fraud. The investigation revealed that an elderly woman suffering from dementia had been robbed of her bank debit card.

On August 6th, police arrested Lacey McCloud and charged her with exploitation of an elderly person, theft from a person 65 or older, and fraudulent use of a credit card.

Police said McCloud allegedly used the victim’s bank debit card to make on-line computer purchases for various items, including money transfers into pay-pal accounts.

An investigation revealed the victim suffered $15,000 in loses.

McCloud is being held under a bond of $11,500 on the charges.

FREDERICK GREEN

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Frederick R. Green, 33, of Naples, with making false claims against the government, fraudulently using access devices, aggravated identity theft, fraudulently using fifteen or more access devices, and stealing government property.

If convicted, Green who has also been arrested in Hillsborough County faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for each of the five false claim charges.  He faces up to ten years in federal prison for each of the charges of fraudulently using access devises, as well as the theft of government property charge.

For the aggravated identity theft charge, Green faces a mandatory penalty of two years in federal prison.  The indictment also notifies Green that the United States intends to forfeit a Volvo and a Dodge Charger, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.

According to the indictment, from January 20, 2012 through July 12, 2012, Green knowingly prepared and filed five false income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service seeking tax refunds.

He also possessed fifteen or more unauthorized access devices. Green allegedly used one of the unauthorized access devices, a debit card, to obtain more than $1,000.  Green allegedly obtained the debit card by unlawfully using the identification of another person.

O. J. MURDOCK

2/15/1987 — 7/30/2012

                Funeral services for a young athlete who died Monday, will be held on Saturday. The services will take place, at 2 p.m., at The Calvary Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church, 10930 N. U. S. Highway, 301, in Thonotosassa.

Pastor James Wolfe will officiate over services for Orenthal James (O. J.) Murdock. The 25-year-old Tampa native died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot on Monday. After being located in his car across from the Middleton High School football field, Murdock was transported to Tampa General Hospital. He was pronounced dead at 10:43 a.m.

Murdock was a standout athlete who excelled in football and track and field. He graduated from Middleton High School in 2005. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Tennessee Titans.

He was the recipient of numerous awards and commendations. Murdock is survived by his parents Kelvin Murdock and Jamesena Murdock; 1 brother, 2 sisters, and numerous other family members, friends, and teammates.

The Murdock family will receive friends from 7 p.m., to 8 p.m., Friday, August 3^rd, at the Church.

Wilson’s Funeral Home is in charge of handling arrangements.

BY LEON B. CREWS

Sentinel Staff Writer

On Thursday, July 19^th, HART Bus operator, Colin Brown, was assaulted as he drove the #2 bus route. A female patron entered the bus, paid her fare, and then attacked Brown, hitting him at least 20 times with her fist.

Brown reportedly tried to protect his face as he pushed the immediate assistance button on the bus. Brown said he tried the button several times, but HART staff was not available and did not respond.

Brown was able to finally open his seatbelt and get out of the driver’s seat. He then pushed  the patron off the bus and she just sat on a bench at the bus shelter as if nothing had happened.

Brown then called dispatch from his cell phone and informed HART he had been severely assaulted, and he needed police, a road supervisor and medical help.

Brown was transported to the hospital by ambulance. The patron, identified as Mayi Nathali Rijo-Martinez, was subsequently arrested and charged with battery of a public service employee. Her bond is set at $1,000.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local #1593, who represents HART drivers, mechanics, and customer service personnel, released a statement about the incident.

ATU Local 1593 Chief Steward, Michaela Stuckey, said nobody from HART informed Brown’s wife about the incident, or check on his condition to see how he was doing.

“Mr. Brown has a severe concussion, and it seems no one from the authority cares.

“Brown is not the only driver that’s been attacked. We have drivers being assaulted all the time, but when it’s a driver of color, little or nothing is done about it. They are hiding how they are wasting the money of taxpayers.”

Stuckey said the union has filed several unfair labor practice claims on behalf of the drivers, asking HART to treat the drivers like they are human.

“As far as the incident with Brown is concerned, they told us he knew the woman, but even if that’s true, that’s no excuse for him being attacked.”

HART Public Information Office spokesperson, Marcia Mejia, said the incident is under internal investigation.

“We take these incidents seriously. We did test the vehicle to make sure the communication equipment was working properly, and on Thursday, it was working, so the bus was put back out on route. Safety is number one for us.”

Mejia said as far as they are concerned, this is not a widespread problem, and the incidents are pretty much isolated.

“But, one is too many for us. We have safeguards for crime deterrents. It isn’t an epidemic. This was the only incident where a driver was actually injured.

“Mr. Brown is out on leave, and we are currently negotiating with the union on a new contract.”

Brown said he’s currently receiving Workman’s Compensation, and has not set a date when he will be returning to work.

“Because I was strapped into my seat at the time of the attack, I couldn’t really defend myself. I received several blows to my head, and I messed up my back trying to move around in my seat.

“My attacker didn’t seem angry at first, but something set her off, and I don’t know what it was.”

Brown said he started driving for HART 8 years ago, and this is the first time something like this has happened to him.

“As a driver, this is not something you see coming. You don’t prepare yourself from being attacked by a patron. That is not something you’re trained to deal with when you start working here, and no one ever talks about it.”

Brown said he does feel HART could do a better job protecting the drivers by listening more to what they are trying to tell them, and be more concerned about their safety than increasing ridership.

“I think if they put certain policies in place, it would stop this kind of violence.

“I will say it could have been a lot worse, because the bus was pretty full when I was attacked. The response time of a supervisor coming to my aid should have been a lot better, and it was only after I used my cell phone when one actually showed up.”

Brown said he doesn’t think it’s fair that he’s being investigated to see if he instigated the incident.

“There are rumors going around that the woman who attacked me was my ex-girlfriend.

“She was not my girlfriend, and I only recall seeing her riding the bus on a couple of routes I’ve driven on. We’ve never had a conversation, and I don’t know her name or anything about her.”

Ms. Altamese Saunders passed away on July 26^th, two days after attending a concert with her family in Clearwater. She was 83.

Her daughter, Karen Saunders, said her mother’s death came as a shock to the entire family, because her doctor had just given her a “clean bill of health” on July 19^th during a visit.

“She was already planning her 84^th birthday in October, because she knew it was a big event the entire family looked forward to,” said Karen.

Affectionately called “Gramms” by family members, Ms. Saunders was a lifelong resident of Tampa. She was educated in the Hillsborough County School System, first at Helping Hand Day Nursery, then at Harlem Academy, where her mother was a classroom teacher, and her grandmother, Christine A. Meacham (the elementary school was named in her honor), was principal.

Ms. Saunders was Salutatorian of the Middleton High School Class of 1946, and she always looked forward to meeting with some of her classmates, such as Alice Wade, Peggy Jo Jones, Harry Morris, James Hammond, and Ernest Calhoun.

Ms. Saunders received her B. A. degree in English Education from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1950. While at FAMC, she was initiated into the Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She was a stalwart Diamond Life member of the Sorority with 64 years of continuous service.

Upon returning to Tampa, Ms. Saunders taught in Plant City, and received tenure at what was then College Hill (now J.W. Lockhart) Elementary. She retired form Robert E. Lee Elementary with 38 years of service.

Ms. Saunders married Jasper Saunders in 1952, and the couple remained husband and wife for 53-1/2 years. Rev. Saunders passed away in 2005.

Ms. Saunders is the mother of 3 daughters and one son, and has 6 grandchildren.

BY GWEN HAYES

Sentinel Editor

                What has been brewing for several weeks at A. T. Jones Math Science and Technology Academy, came to an end on Monday when the Hillsborough County School Board voted unanimously to take the school’s charter.

In spite of the revocation, Bob Morrison, a member of the A. T. Jones Academy board, said, “We were, as a board, pleased with the academic results of the scholars in 2 years.  The K-2 students showed a 95% proficiency in the national standardized test, and the 3-4-5th grade scholars exceeded the district and state statistics in 5 of 8 categories. This shows the education model was working,” he explained.

The School District stated last week that the school was in trouble because of its lack to turn in monthly financial statements.

Morrison said, business-wise three things happened. 1) The 2011 Legislature cut funding in K-12 by $500 per student, which meant the school received $100,000 less in revenue in year 2 than it did in year 1; 2) 3 key academic components were not considered part of the core curriculum – they were electives – Mandarin Chinese, technology and physical education daily. The salaries for 6 teachers for these courses went up to $220,000. And 3), between October and February, the student count dropped from 230 to 200, mainly because parents were moving out of the area, out of state, or couldn’t afford gas prices. By mid-March, the school was losing $22,000 per month, Morrison further explained.

At that point the officials of the academy made 2 commitments: 1) to make sure the current obligations were met and 2) not to open in 2012-2013 unless they raised the needed donations through their “Proposal For Support.”

“We’ve met most, if not all, of our current obligations. Because we’ve spent so much effort in closing out the current year successfully, did not have the time to partake in the fundraising.

“From a business standpoint, it would not be feasible to start another year. We want to assure our parents, teachers and staff that we would have the financial backing to complete the upcoming year.”

Morrison stated that the parents were upset with the school closing because they were pleased with the educational progress of their children.

On Thursday during their regular City Council meeting, board members approved without discussion, the tentative settlement between a former Tampa Police Captain and the City of Tampa. The settlement brings to a close a lawsuit that has spanned 5 years.

Mayor Bob Buckhorn said the City has agreed to pay former police Captain Marion Lewis $350,000.

The presiding judge over the lawsuit must also approve the settlement.

When contacted by the Sentinel, Lewis said, “Obviously, it has been a long journey and I’m glad that it has come to a conclusion. It was a family decision.”

He further stated that three important issues have been clarified by the lawsuit.

“The Courts have ruled that qualifying for an election by taking the Oath of Candidate is not an automatic resignation and that’s why I was discharged. Secondly, the Courts showed in the case where the law is applicable, the remedy for the government to take is to remove the person from the ballot and not from his or her job.

“This case has set precedent and the government must abide by the Court’s decision in the future. If my journey has cleared the path so that no other government employee wanting to run for office has to experience the trials and tribulations that I went through, then my journey was worth it. This was never about money, it was about principle.”

Lewis said he believes retirement should be a happy time and that was taken from him in the manner in which he left the Tampa Police Department.

He said now that it is over, he can close this chapter and move on to the next chapter in his life. He said he is grateful for the prayers and support he received during this journey.

BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

                The Alternative Christian Entertainment (TACE) organization has offered a different atmosphere to Christians has been in existence since 2010. The organization targets a segment of the population, but others are welcome.

Greg Brown, founder of TACE, said the organization is not limited to just Christians, but “For people who want to socialize, but who don’t like the bar scene.

“It’s an alternative to what’s out there for Christians, which is nothing, really.”

Brown said the organization doesn’t have a permanent home yet, but has recently been meeting at the Tampa Club, 101 E. Kennedy Blvd., on the 42^nd Floor. It typically meets on the first Friday of the month.

On Saturday, August 11^th, at 6 p.m., Brown and members of TACE will sponsor “An Evening With Kim Burrell.” The concert will take place at the Center For Manifestation, 3102 E. Lake Avenue.

He stated that by sponsoring gospel concerts, it offers an alternative to the club scene to Christians as well as members of the general community.

Brown said TACE generally targets the 18 to 35 age group. However, older people in the age range of 65 to 70, have come out to enjoy themselves. The attendees have also come from surrounding counties as well.

Brown said he initially had a vision to create the organization during a business class. “We were talking about ideas and I had a vision of bringing something unique to Tampa. Others have tried it in the past, but were unsuccessful.

                “It started out as a “First Friday” type of venue with about 30 people. God gave me a vision and He has certainly provided.”

TACE combines faith with entertainment, music, the arts, social, and professional networking.

Brown has already began the next phase of planning. In March 2013, TACE will host its First Gospel Music Festival at the Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa.

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Brown moved to Tampa in 2001 to attend the University of South Florida. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering. Brown currently teaches at Hillsborough Community College.

A member of Exciting Central Tampa Baptist Church, Brown is single and the father of 1 daughter. He enjoys spending time with his family, outdoor activities and working out.

BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

The Hillsborough County Health Department recently changed the way methods are printed. The purpose of the change follows on the heels of a breach of security.

Steve Huard, Public Information Officer for the Hillsborough County Health Department said, the information was removed from the facility on or about February 15, 2012, by an employee.

However, the department became aware of the potential breach on May 25, 2012. Huard said a small police department in Georgia made a traffic stop and arrested a couple in the vehicle. As the officers searched the car, they discovered the illegally obtained documents. He declined to provide the names of the individual suspect because the case was forwarded to a federal law enforcement agency for investigation.

However, he did say the employee was dismissed.

Huard said once the department was notified, the 311 individuals whose information may have been compromised were immediately contacted.

He stated that although no financial information was taken, information such as the person’s full name, date of birth, social security number, and patient identification number were included in the printout.

In addition to letters, the individuals were also offered a year of credit monitoring for those affected.

Huard said this is the first time, since he became an employee that something of this nature has happened. He further said that preventative measures. The employees can no longer print out the person’s personal information.

“They can print about as much information that goes on a mailing label, which is very general, such as the name and address of the person.

Huard said the State of Florida, the Florida Department of Health, and the Hillsborough County Health Department are fully committed to safeguarding all confidential information.