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STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE  NEWSLETTER 
   

Florida Supreme Court Justice (Ret.) Gerald Kogan recently administered the Oath of Office to me for a seventh term as Miami-Dade County's State Attorney on February 23rd at a ceremony held at Miami-Dade College's Wolfson Campus in Downtown Miami.
 
Chief Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Bertila Soto followed by administering the Oath to our 300 prosecutors and Southern District of Florida U.S. Marshal Amos Rojas, Jr. swore in our office investigators.
 
Notables who took center stage alongside myself included Honorary Consul of Israel to Puerto Rico David Efron; United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Wifredo Ferrer; Professor Alan M. Dershowitz, lawyer, jurist, author, and prominent scholar; Reverend Arthur Jackson III, Pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Miami Gardens; and Rabbi Pinchas Weberman, President of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of South Florida and Chaplain to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms as well as the Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County Police Departments.
 
Former Circuit Court Judge and television personality Cristina Pereyra Alvarez moderated the event.

I want to thank everyone wholeheartedly for making this momentous occasion such a memorable one.  
 
I feel exceptionally honored and proud to be embarking on a new term as Dade's chief prosecutor. I am deeply committed to my community and I will ensure that we continue to strive for a safe environment for our children, families, and visitors.
 
Our Assistant State Attorneys, investigators, and our entire support staff come to work and labor to seek justice. We see ourselves as guardians not only of our community's constitutional rights but also of their personal safety and their rights as victims of crime. We are their voice and their advocate.
If you would like to view the investiture ceremony in its entirety click here.
                                                         Sincerely,

 





Dentist, Ex-FHP Officer, & Body Shop Owner Charged
As a result of a joint investigation by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, the Miami Beach Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Miami-Dade Police Department and Florida's Division of Insurance Fraud, Coral Gables dentist Jesus Enrique Del Valle, former Florida Highway Patrol Officer David Casillas, and automobile body shop owner Ariel Perera have been charged with a variety of crimes originating from a  2015 accident on Miami Beach wherein a Range Rover allegedly struck and seriously injured a landscaping employee and then fled the scene.
 
It is alleged that De Valle brought the damaged Range Rover to an auto repair shop owned by his girlfriend's cousin, Perera, for repair work. In order to obtain an insurance payment for the work, De Valle allegedly contacted his friend, former Florida Highway Patrol Officer David Casillas, who provided a false accident report which then facilitated the insurance payment for the repair work. The alleged manufactured report indicated a collision with a palm tree far from Miami Beach and dated the "accident" seven days after the true June 30th date of the incident. In January 2017, Casillas was dismissed from the Florida Highway Patrol.
 
The investigation also revealed that Perera allegedly submitted inflated invoices for payment from Del Valle's insurance company. Perera included charges for replacement parts that were never replaced.
 
"In an effort to avoid prosecution for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, a dentist, a former police officer, and a body shop owner all committed a variety of serious crimes," noted State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. "This community has seen too many tragedies where injured people suffer on the side of our roads. This must stop."
 
Jesus Enrique De Valle, David Casillas, and Ariel Perera have all have been charged with numerous charges including Organized Scheme to Defraud, False Insurance Claim, and Grand Theft.
 Grand Jury Report Released
The Final Report of the Spring Term 2016 Miami-Dade Grand Jury was recently released to the public.  The report, titled "Addressing Condo Owners' Pleas for Help:  Recommendations for Legislative Help", was released in an effort by the Grand Jury to help improve the management of condominiums which provide homes to so many of our Florida residents.  The Grand Jury believed it was important to address these problems in a focused legislative manner.
 
"The Grand Jury Report makes it clear the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation is not effective and doesn't protect condominium owners from fraud and mismanagement," Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said. "This makes condo owners even more vulnerable to manipulations and in some cases leads to the loss of their homes."

To view the 2016 Spring Term Grand Jury report click here.
Employee Recognition Awards Held




State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle presided over the SAO Quarterly Employee Recognition Awards whereat 72 employees with a combined total of 895 years of service to our community were recognized with Certificates of Meritorious Service.

The State Attorney also took the opportunity to present former Assistant State Attorney David Macey and his wife Shari with a Certificate of Appreciation for their work with the Maya Macey Foundation, a non-for-profit they created in me mory of their baby daughter Maya, who passed away just four days after birth.

The Maya Macey Foundation is dedicated to providing scholarships for students who have overcome adversity in their lives and who have not given up on themselves or given up on continuing to pursue their dreams in spite of the obstacles they have faced. The Foundation has helped many youngsters attend college who might not otherwise have had that chance.

For more information on the Maya Macey Foundation click here.
State Attorney's Office Alumni Profile
Kevin Jones, City of Miami Division Chief for Labor & Employment
Although he was born in Tampa, Florida, Kevin Jones has lived all over the world. "I'm from a military family and we moved around. I lived in Italy and Germany. My father, my uncle and my cousins were all in the military."

Mr. Jones even lived in Miami from 1980-1984 while his father was stationed at Homestead Air Force Base.

He had planned to go to school to become a fighter pilot but his vision and need for glasses dashed that dream. After attending the University of Florida for his undergraduate degree, Mr. Jones planned to go into the military as an officer. But as he started to explore his options, he decided to study law and earned his Juris Doctorate at the University of Florida Law School.

"I gravitated toward criminal law. It was sexy," he chuckles. "Getting trial practice was really important to me."

Mr. Jones had friends in Miami whom he was visiting, so during his trip he scheduled an interview at the State Attorney's Office through his university. "Honestly, I didn't think that I passed the first interview but I did!"

"I remember my third interview with State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. It was very interesting and the questions were pointed."
"The fact that she has been State Attorney for all of these years speaks volumes. The standard always comes from the top down. She always requires you to do your best and to do the right thing."

Mr. Jones started as an Assistant State Attorney in August of 1997. As a new lawyer at the office, he was assigned to County Court DUI Crimes.

"On my first day in County, I didn't even make it past lunch when I was pulled into a trial by a colleague. I remember that I was at the Pickle Barrel, the courthouse cafeteria, when I was recruited for a trial that was to start in an hour."

"One of Kevin's greatest qualities was not just his enthusiasm about the work he was doing as an ASA, but his willingness to always go forward at a moment's notice," commented State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. "He never seemed to get unruffled by confronting the unexpected. This impressive quality has proven invaluable in our criminal courts and must be a gift as Kevin helps solve the issues confronting the City of Miami."

After completing his initial tour, Mr. Jones was asked to stay on in County Court to serve as Assistant Chief of County Court. He then served in the felony division before being selected for the Career Criminal/Robbery Unit.

"I tried a lot of cases which is what is great about being an ASA. It is an opportunity that you don't get anywhere else. Every day you take it seriously and do the right thing."

"At the time I was in Robbery, many German Tourists were falling prey to robberies and violent crime. We prepared many warrants and written motions. Effective writing is a crucial skill for any lawyer and I certainly had the opportunity to exercise that skill during my time in Robbery."
One of the cases that Mr. Jones remembers the most was a strong armed robbery case. The victim was a snowbird from Canada and had been a part of the Argentine National Soccer Team in his youth. He was an elderly man who was also a Holocaust survivor.

"The defendant was 6'5'' and just ripped the chain off the victim's neck. It was a special chain which was very strong and it almost ripped the victim's neck off."

The Judge hearing the case had warned Mr. Jones that there would be no continuances on the case. "The trial day came and my victim had pneumonia and was in the hospital. I didn't know what to do. So when the Judge asked if I had something to say, instead of asking for a continuance, I asked for a delay. The judge smiled and granted my request."

There was a positive result in the case and the defendant was sentenced to life, a term of which he will serve 30-40 years in prison.
In 2001, Mr. Jones went to work for an insurance defense firm but did not find the work as satisfying as being a prosecutor.

A year later in 2002, he went to a private firm where he practiced criminal defense, civil and corporate law. He did that for about five years.

"Then a former prosecutor who went to work at the City of Miami told me that I should apply. It is as close to the SAO environment as you can get."

Mr. Jones is currently the Division Chief of the Labor and Employment Division for the City of Miami.

He offers up this advice to current ASAs:
 
"Not everyone is a lifelong prosecutor, but the experience at the SAO is invaluable to you as a lawyer. Take advantage of your time at the SAO and go to trial every time that you possibly can."
 
"Remember that the best lawyers never stop learning. So it is important to always add to your skills and abilities constantly and as often as you can."  
Courthouse Highlights











Division Chief Annette Rasco and Assistant State Attorney (ASA) Elena Doyle got a guilty verdict in a 2nd Degree Murder case before Judge Hersch after which the defendant was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder.
 
ASAs Jenisse Grace and Keri Bagala obtained a guilty verdict in a very complex Sexual Battery/Helpless Victim case. Jenisse and Keri skillfully examined several expert witnesses (DNA, serology, and forensic toxicology), picked a fantastic jury, and cross-examined the defendant.
 
ASAs Allison Freidin and Wally Hernandez got a guilty verdict on a Burglary of a Dwelling case. The defendant is a career criminal, qualifying as a PRRP, an HO, HVO, and a VCC.
ASAs Kim Rivera and Eliot Folsom convicted an HO and PRRP defendant with an extensive criminal history of Attempted 2nd Degree Murder. This defendant has terrorized his victims in the past, even preventing some from cooperating in prior cases.
 
ASAs Lindsay Maultasch and Adam Finkel got a guilty verdict against a defendant charged with Armed Robbery with a Firearm, Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling, and Resisting an Officer Without Violence. The case was proven using circumstantial evidence as the victim could not identify the defendant due to severe mental health issues.
 
ASAs Chris Flanagan and Eileen Keeley convicted a defendant of Attempted Premeditated Murder, Witness Tampering, and Conspiracy to Commit Premeditated Murder. The defendant had arranged the murder of a victim on a prior robbery case of his.
 
ASAs Sheila Vasquez and Keri Bagala got a guilty verdict on a defendant who qualifies as a GORT and PRRP. He was convicted of Burglary of a Dwelling, Grand Theft, and Criminal Mischief.
 
DC Christine Hernandez-Baldwin and ASA Elena Doyle secured a guilty verdict on a 10 year old homicide case using a flipped co-defendant and a jailhouse informant. The defendant was convicted of 1st Degree Murder and was immediately sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

REPORT PUBLIC CORRUPTION ! 
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Don't Allow the Public's Trust to be Jeopardized.
Hotline:
305-547-3300
Quick Links
 
Grand Jury Reports
Need the latest Grand Jury Report or any other Grand Jury Report dating back to 1965?  Click Here
 
Our Community Outreach Events
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March 4 - Community Meeting with Church Leaders & Ministerial Alliance, Greater St. Paul AME Church, 3680 Thomas Avenue, Miami, FL, 33133, 7:30AM to 11:00AM 

March 4 - Sealing & Expungement Event, Charles Hadley Park, 1350 NW 50 Street, Miami, FL, 33142, 9:00AM - 1:00PM.
 
March 4 - Key Biscayne Public Safety Day, 88 West McIntyre Street, Key Biscayne, FL, 33149, 12:00PM - 4:00PM

March 9 - Coconut Grove Citizens' Crime Watch Meeting, Greater St. Paul AME Church, 3680 Thomas Ave, Miami, FL 33133
 
March 13 - Community Employment & Resource Fair, Guskins Cultural Arts Center, 5525 NW 7 Avenue, Miami, FL, 33142, 10:00AM - 3:00PM
 
March 18 - 17th Annual Bike Rodeo Safety Day, Miami Lakes Picnic Park West, 15151 NW 82 Avenue, Miami Lakes, FL, 33016

March 23 - April 16 - Miami-Dade County Youth Fair & Exposition,10901 Coral Way, Sweetwater, FL, 33172, 12:00PM - 12:00AM
 
March 25 - Overtown Community Resource Fair, Williams Park, 1717 NW 5 Avenue, Miami, FL, 33136, 10:00AM - 2:00PM

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