We have to fine you for not wearing a mask because we've got serious budget issues

County commissioners and city councils across the state of Florida have passed (and voted against) mandatory mask ordinances over the past few weeks, but in doing so they' re finding themselves in the rather awkward position of explaining their votes to constituents. 

Peel away the onion layer and you get to the bottom line motive: cash--strapped cities who deflect from the budget shortfalls they're facing.

Take the City of Sanibel.

The fraught-with-exceptions mask ordinance they passed by a vote of 3-1 was opposed by member Jason Maughan, a candidate to succeed State Rep. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero who is running for State Senator. 

Maughan argued that a mask rule would put police in an "untenable position" in enforcing the rule, resulting in public mask-shaming. Per the Sanibel order:

"Violations are subject to fines of $50 per violation. Businesses or other places of public accomodation are encouraged to post signage of this Proclamation and adopt a "no mask, no service" policy to facilitate enforcement. are encouraged" 

The City of Sanibel faces a budget deficit in the millions and a reported $600,000 shortfall in beach revenues.

Then there's Martin County. 

They too have a fraught-with-exceptions mask mandate that passed unanimously 5-0. Their ordinance shall be enforced by county law enforcement agencies, who are now being placed in situation of not stopping or preventing REAL crimes but serving as revenue agents.

"The ordinance will be a noncriminal infraction but "shall be enforced by county law enforcement agencies." A person cannot be arrested for violating the proposed mandate.

Offenders could be fined $50 on the first offense, $100 for a second offense and $250 on a third offense."

Martin County commissioners will hold their budget workshop July 20-21.

But it was Miami Mayor Suarez equating the wearing of a mask to that of the mandatory wearing of seat-belts in automobiles.

Wearing a mask is no different than being forced to wear a seat-belt!! The headline read.

Well the purpose of states passing mandatory seat-belt laws was so they would be eligible for Federal funds.And to be eligible for Federal funds law enforcement needs the authority to issue citations.

So there you have it. The mandatory mask ordinances have ZIP, ZERO, ZILCH to do with illnesses, viruses and everything to do with using your tax dollars against you in an effort to compensate for the revenue shortfalls their local governments are facing.

ICE adds Venezuelan attorney, businessman to Most Wanted List for money laundering

County Examiner was opposed to the idea of Congress granting Temporary Protected Status or TPS from deportation for Venezuelans in the United States. Back in July 2019 CE published a story about two bills winding their way through Congress which sought to give an amnesty to Venezuelans whose asylum applications could be denied or those whose visas were approaching expiration.

CE cited public documents obtained from the Florida Department of Children and Families Refugee Task Force with knowledge of thousands of Venezuelans in the Tampa Bay area intending to thumb their nose at our Rule of Law and remain in the community without documentation.

An announcement was made to 63 attendees of the Tampa Bay Area Refugee Task Force meeting held January 22, 2019.

“…a brief announcement by Norma Reno, president of the Casa de Venezuela of Tampa Bay organization. She announced that there are currently over 20,000 from Venezuela in the Tampa Bay area. While some are seeking asylum, many are also concerned about being denied asylum and are staying in the community without documentation. Casa de Venezuela is offering English classes & civic classes to educate the community as well as support services for those in need. Task Force members will stay connected with this and other organizations serving those from Venezuela to ensure that they are aware of the services we can provide for those who qualify and are in need."

Now today we learned a Venezuelan attorney and businessman wanted for conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and several counts of money laundering was added to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Most Wanted List earlier this month, according to an ICE news release.

MIAMI – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced earlier this month the addition of Raul Antonio De La Santisima Trinidad Gorrin Belisario, a Venezuelan attorney and businessman, to its Most Wanted list for conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and several counts of money laundering. The action follows an indictment filed August 16, 2017, in the Southern District of Florida, Gorrin Belisario’s subsequent escape from justice, and the updated FinCEN advisory (FIN-2019-A002, published by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network May 3, 2019) regarding widespread public corruption in Venezuela.

The indictment alleges that Gorrin Belisario, 50, a Venezuelan citizen with a residence in Miami, Florida, paid millions of dollars in bribes to two high-level Venezuelan officials to secure the rights to conduct foreign currency exchange transactions at favorable rates for the Venezuelan government. In addition to wiring money to bribe the officials, he allegedly purchased and paid expenses for them related to private jets, yachts, homes, champion horses, high-end watches, and a fashion line. To conceal the bribery payments, Gorrin Belisario made payments through multiple shell companies. Furthermore, he allegedly partnered with other subjects to acquire Banco Peravia, a bank in the Dominican Republic, to launder bribes paid to Venezuelan officials and stash the illicit proceeds of the scheme.

Gorrin Belisario was last seen in Caracas, Venezuela, and currently remains at-large

Read the rest here

Another aviation safety issue in Miami- this time it's bribery

A former Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) safety inspector was sentenced to 75 months in prison after a jury convicted him of twenty-one criminal counts related to his participation in a bribery and fraud scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami, Florida announced yesterday.

Over a three-year period Manuel R. Fernandez, 42, of Miami,served as a FAA Aviation Safety Inspector with the FAA South Florida Flight Standards District Office (“FSDO”). Patricia Suarez and Rolando Suarez were the co-owners, officers, and directors of AVCOM, a Miami aviation repair company, which was subject to the jurisdiction and official responsibility of the FAA South Florida FSDO.  

The evidence showed that, at the same time he was working for the FAA, Fernandez also held various positions at AVCOM, including Vice President of Operations.

Miami, Florida - In exchange for Patricia Suarez and Rolando Suarez corruptly providing over $150,000 in cash, as well as jewelry, a cruise, clothing, and approximately $15,000 funneled to Fernandez’s mother, Fernandez violated his lawful and official duties as an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector.  

Fernandez provided AVCOM with advanced notice and warnings as to pending FAA inspections of AVCOM, disclosed financial information about AVCOM’s competitors, and provided AVCOM with improperly obtained aviation repair manuals produced by original equipment manufacturers such as Honeywell and Delta, saving AVCOM from paying vast sums of money for this proprietary information.  

The evidence further showed that Fernandez provided materially false statements to the FAA and DOT in order to hide his participation in these AVCOM-related activities. Additionally, Fernandez submitted a fraudulent sick leave request to the FAA, utilizing a forged doctor’s note.

Read the rest here.

This conviction comes on the heels of County Examiners coverage here, here and here of the former American Airlines mechanic in Miami charged in Federal court with sabotage of an airline. 

A jury trial date is set for Abdul Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani on December 9, 2019. The case is 1:19-cr-20603 in United States District Court, Southern District of Florida.

Report: Miami top locale for calls requesting services from ICE VOICE Office

A report published by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveals 304 requests for service by victims and families impacted by crimes committed by removable criminal aliens were handled by the VOICE (Victims Of Immigration Crime Enforcement) Office in Q4 2018. Callers in the ICE Areas of Responsibility (AOR) of Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles comprised approximately 34% of the total calls handles by the office.

The ICE AORs of Los Angeles, New York City and Miami comprised approximately 35% of the 295 calls handled by the office in Q3 2018.

Established by Executive Order 13768 titled Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States, the VOICE office serves the needs of crime victims and their families who have been impacted by crimes committed by removable criminal aliens. With the creation of the VOICE Office, victims of crimes committed by individuals with a nexus to immigration now have a government resource that can provide timely information on their cases.

The 2017 Executive Order also directed the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to produce quarterly reports studying the effects of the victimization by criminal aliens present in the United States.

The 4th quarter 2018 report discloses fifteen case studies of victim engagement which include the following:

Document: government investigating Abdul Alani's connection, to terrorist organizations

A document on file with a federal court in Miami reveals the multitude of reasons why a judge in Miami, Florida denied bail and ordered former American Airlines mechanic Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani detained pending trial. 

Court papers reveal American Airlines terminated Alani's employment and that Alani moved out of the shared rental apartment where he lived for the past eight years, facts demonstrative of Alani and his family not only lacking sufficient income but lacking sufficient ties to the Miami area. Through counsel Alani proposed that if let out on bond, he would live with a brother-in-law in Orlando.

Court records validate earlier news reports that Alani was less than candid with Pre Trial Services, failing to disclose to a PTS officer of his travel to Iraq earlier this year. This led the court to doubt whether Alani would faithfully follow the requirements of a bond. 

Furthermore, court documents available to the public make known the message and content of a video Alani forwarded to a second individual:

"The government is engaged in an ongoing investigation of the Defendant's connection, if any, to ISIS or other terrorist organizations. Law enforcement inspected defendant's personal phone and learned that he had downloaded and retained a violent propaganda video by the terrorist group ISIS, and then forwarded that video to another person with a message espousing the wish that Allah cause harm to non-Muslims." 

As is often standard procedure for County Examiner, we publish the key portions of public documents so you can draw your own conclusions about the credibility of Alani's initial claims he disrupted airline operations to get overtime as a result of stalled contract negotiations between the airline and the mechanics union. 

 

Magistrate Judge imposes pre-trial detention on American Airlines mechanic determined to be flight risk

Earlier today the Associated Press reported the American Airlines mechanic charged with sabotaging an airplane in July 2019 was denied bail and is subject to pre-trial detention on the grounds he is a flight risk and a danger to the community at large.

Although County Examiner cannot independently confirm the AP reports at this time, they also report prosecutors presented evidence that Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani
has a brother in Iraq who may be involved with the Islamic State extremist group and other disconcerting details.

From the Associated Press:

The new evidence presented by prosecutors includes that Alani has a brother in Iraq who may be involved with the Islamic State extremist group as well as statements Alani made about wishing Allah would use “divine powers” to harm non-Muslims.  

Alani, 60, also recently sent a $700 wire transfer to someone in Iraq — where he has extended family — and had videos on his cellphone depicting Islamic State mass murders he shared with others, prosecutors said. In addition, the new evidence shows Alani traveled to Iraq in March but did not disclose that to authorities after his arrest.  

“You may be very sympathetic to terrorists,” Judge McAliley told Alani at the hearing. “That’s very disconcerting.

County Examiner also notes the most recent court filings reveal that at the advice of defense counsel, Alani dropped the use of an Arabic interpreter, although one remains on "standby". 

On September 9th we reported on the Federal Aviation Administration requirements for a US Citizen who seeks to obtain a mechanics certificate ----which include the ability to read, write, speak and understand English.

Controversy emerging over Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani's proficiency with English

A controversy is emerging about the English proficiency of the American Airlines mechanic charged in federal court Friday with willfully damaging or disabling a plane. 

Court documents reviewed by County Examiner and a report by the Associated Press reveal Chief Magistrate Judge John J. O'Sullivan allowed Alani to speak in court through an Arabic interpreter, however in the same AP news account, according to American Airlines, Alani is proficient in English and became a U.S. citizen in 1992.

Miami (AP) (emphasis mine)

"Alani, who was born in Iraq and became a U.S. citizen in 1992,  

In Miami on Friday, Alani wore shackles and tan jail clothes as he spoke to Magistrate Judge John O’Sullivan through an Arabic interpreter. Mostly, he answered basic questions about his assets and whether he could afford a lawyer. The judge appointed a public defender and scheduled a bond hearing for next Wednesday and an arraignment hearing on Sept. 20.

According to American, Alani is proficient in English."

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the requirements a US Citizen must meet to obtain a mechanics certificate include the ability to read, write, speak and understand English:

Here's a copy of the minute order on file with the Southern District of Florida reflecting the 
use of an Arabic interpreter at Friday's hearing:

Let me be clear. This blog post should in no way be interpreted as an assertion of wrong doing on anyone's part. The issue of Alani's English language proficiency is a serious and significant question involving airport, aircraft security which must be asked and answered. 

Criminal complaint against Miami man arrested for sabotage of American Airlines plane

Today, Friday September 6th County Examiner awakened to news of the arrest of an American Airlines employee at Miami International Airport for the willful damaging, destroying, disabling or wrecking of an aircraft. 

Unlike the media who simply refuse to publish or link to court documents, County Examiner uploaded a copy of the criminal complaint here so you can read it yourself.

My hubby was on duty as an air traffic controller on 9/11 and with thousands of ATC's and FAA employees across the United States and Canada facilitated the landing of all domestic and inbound international aircraft without incident on that fateful day.

We take ANY news of aircraft, airport sabotage seriously.

https://www.scribd.com/document/424745964/American-Airlines-Sabotage-Criminal-Complaint

Analysis to follow.

Update:

1. As you read the complaint, one of the first things you'll notice is the use of airport surveillance video to identify American Airlines mechanic Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani

2. Alani claimed he tampered with the aircraft hoping to cause a delay or flight cancellation so he could get overtime work and pay, as he was upset about a financial impact on him due to stalled union negotiations.

Report: LA, NY, Miami top locales for calls requesting services from ICE VOICE Office

A report published by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveals 295 requests for service by victims and families impacted by crimes committed by removable criminal aliens were handled by the VOICE (Victims Of Immigration Crime Enforcement) Office in Q3 2018. Callers in the ICE Areas of Responsibility (AOR) of Los Angeles, New York City and Miami comprised approximately 35% of the total calls handles by the office.

The ICE AORs of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami comprised approximately 34% of the 362 calls handled by the office in Q2 2018.

Established by Executive Order 13768 titled Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States, the VOICE office serves the needs of crime victims and their families who have been impacted by crimes committed by removable criminal aliens. With the creation of the VOICE Office, victims of crimes committed by individuals with a nexus to immigration now have a government resource that can provide timely information on their cases

The 2017 Executive Order also directed the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to produce quarterly reports studying the effects of the victimization by criminal aliens present in the United States.

The 3^rd quarter 2018 report discloses eleven case studies of victim engagement which include the following:

An April 2017 article posted on Breitbart News announced the formal unveiling of the VOICE (Victims of Immigration Crime Enforcement) Office and contained a photo of then GOP Presidential Nominee Donald Trump taken during his 2016 appearance and speech at The Remembrance Project conference luncheon.

Disclosure: I attended The Remembrance Project Luncheon in 2016

Federal Court Bars Florida Tax Return Preparer and Her Businesses From Preparing Tax Returns

In 2009 Edwin Rubenstein introduced his new report, “The Earned Income Tax credit and Illegal Immigration: A Study in Fraud, Abuse, and Liberal Activism.” The report documents how abuse is rampant in the collection of fraudulent income tax refunds from the IRS, especially by illegal aliens.

And on Tuesday July 16, 2019 comes this press release from the U.S. Department of Justice:

“A federal court in Miami, Florida permanently barred Georgina Gonzalez and Georgina Gonzalez LLC, Ideal Tax Pros LLC, and Trinity Tax Service LLC, from preparing federal tax returns for others and owning or operating a tax preparation business, the Justice Department announced today. The court also ordered that Gonzalez and Trinity Tax Service LLC disgorge $48,214.30, representing the ill-gotten gains that they received for the preparation of tax returns making false claims.

The government’s complaint alleged that the defendants prepared tax returns that included fraudulent claims for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) based on fabricated income or business expenses. The complaint further alleged that defendants prepared returns for some customers that reported bogus “Household Help” work income, and returns claiming phony business loss deduction so as to falsely maximize their customers’ claim to the EITC. The complaint also alleged that defendants falsely claimed education credits on the tax returns of customers who did not attend college and had no qualifying educational expenses (read the rest here)”