MBI Back in Orlando News

We all knew it couldn't be too long before the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation was back in the news for one screw-up or another. I just watched the MBI Director, Phil Williams, on WFTV Orlando defending the agent that groped a woman's breast in one of those sex investigations at a massage parlor back in September 2009. I do feel for Williams as he has an impossible task in central Florida: defending the MBI.


Most residents in the Orlando area are all too aware of the many years of misconduct of agents with the MBI, so Williams has no easy job. He is a latecomer to the MBI debacle, taking over when longtime director William Lutz retired in December of 2008. Williams doesn't deserve to be attacked – let's go dig-up Lutz instead. The agent's name didn't ring a bell with me (James Edmundson), but I certainly am curious if he is a Lutz hire, and even around during my own case. Groping breasts was not unusual back then, in my case or the Rachel's Men's Club case.

The case in question today involves a massage parlor named Natural Therapies. The ladies charged by the MBI are Xueyan Zhou – case # 2009-MM-011904-A and Li Cheng – case # 2009-MM-011908-A. Each was charged only with two second degree misdemeanors, so at least the MBI didn't pursue them on racketeering charges as was often the situation in past. Still, I would like to see all charges dropped and the MBI's sex mission abandoned.


A Story about a breast-groping MBI agent:

When I first spoke with Michelle in 2000 she told me of her recent experience with the MBI only because I asked if she had ever been arrested. She was not arrested on any prostitution or related charge, but was arrested for "failure to obtain an occupational license" by the MBI at a downtown Orlando Marriott. Michelle was seeking work, but also needed to know where to get an occupational license. I informed her of the necessary paperwork and listened to the story. By the way – Michelle and her husband John were swingers and he had no issue with her working as an escort, so I met them both. She was 30 years, or close to, at the time, and John was in his early forties. Her arrest happened during the short period of time she worked for a $400 per hour agency out of Miami: Miami Companions. To my knowledge MBI never went after that agency at all, though they arrested several escorts on their calls. As stated many times – I was special.

According to Michelle, the agent lifted her sweater up over her head to remove it and fondled her breasts for a solid minute while doing it. Michelle and John were from L.A. and considered this normal police behavior. After the first agent removed her sweater and fondled her breasts, other agents suddenly appeared from the adjoining room. All that Michelle knew was that after quiet discussion among the agents she was charged only with the license violation. Of course I have the name of the grabbing agent, but won't state it here. He was Michelle's arresting officer and she showed me the arrest report.

Oddly enough, the MBI and prosecutors threatened to call Michelle and John as witnesses for the state in my racketeering trial. My response was that this was a great idea – find them in L.A. and fly them back. They knew Michelle later worked for my agency as a photo of her was on my website. I look forward to seeing them both again. Of course the state never followed through on this. I will imagine that someone with the MBI informed the prosecutor that it wasn't a great idea at all. They had simply been listing anyone they could find that had ever met me or spoke to me, figuring I would fear it. Laughing out loud here…

Okay, I won't jump on the bandwagon and rag on MBI on this one, but I had to tell my little story. And then of course there was Dusty's Sworn Statement.

Marijuana is still the "gateway" drug.

For years we have been told that Marijuana is the "gateway" drug for teens who are more likely to struggle with drug abuse or addiction. Recent studies now demonstrate the truth in Marijuana as a "gateway" drug. According to SAMHSA (www.samhsa.gov), in 2008, the specific drug categories with the largest number of recent initiates (first time drug users) among persons aged 12 or older were marijuana use (2.2 million) and use of pain relievers (2.2 million), followed by use of tranquilizers (1.1 million), Ecstasy (0.9 million), inhalants (0.7 million), cocaine (0.7 million), and stimulants (0.6 million).
In summary, marijuana was the illicit drug with the highest rate of past year dependence or abuse in 2008, followed by pain relievers and cocaine.
Most parents who call Inspirations Teen Addiction Treatment Center, with reports of marijuana addiction, are very well aware of the addictive behaviors associated with use of marijuana. Most parents or loved ones reporting a teen addiction, also report a beginning use of marijuana, leading to marijuana abuse and then other drugs and a "preferred drug of choice. If you suspect or know a teen in your family is abusing or addicted to drugs (including marijuana), get help immediately. Teen Addiction Treatment Centers are instrumental in the recovery process of Teen Drug Abuse and Addiction.

Changing My Mind

I am a woman and a Gemini, and sometimes I plan something and simply change my mind in the middle of it. In this case I have changed my mind about the focus on police misconduct. Previously when I searched for books on the topic I found few; however, recently I found many great books that contain extensive research on various forms of police, prosecutor, and judicial misconduct in the U.S. criminal justice system. That's all that I ever wanted – the information available to interested parties.


My first subject for my spotlight on misconduct was an officer known to many in Brevard County, Florida. His name is Frank Carter and he was arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement at the end of January 2010. Carter is a controversial officer in that many claim his abusive police practices have helped to bring crime under control in Melbourne, Florida. There are many that consider him a racist as most of his victims are African-American, but I am not so sure about that part. Perhaps most of the victims are not white as Carter's area is a predominantly black area.

When an officer must violate law in order to uphold law the entire point is defeated. I have no doubt that Frank Carter has many victims in the course of his 21-year career with the Melbourne Police Department as I have spoken to several and could offer a list of cases here. No matter what happens with Carter's criminal case, one thing is sure, and that is his life will be forever changed, not unlike the lives of his many victims.

If Carter wanted to pull you over on a traffic stop he did exactly that, regardless of his lack of reasons for the initial traffic stop. It all went downhill from that point. It was Carter's town and he ran it his way – to hell with the damned Constitution. Victims have been shot running away from his traffic stops; unarmed victims that feared Carter.

For all of the stated reasons, I do hope that Carter gets what he has coming. It is time to pay the piper officer. One reason that I have decided not to dig-in here is that he is also entitled to his day in court. Have I already decided guilt or innocence? Yes, but only due to the fact that I've met some of his victims.

While I initially considered my spotlight on abusive cops to be a great idea, I would be no better than they are for deciding their guilt based on what I have read in the news or in court documents. Instead I shall let each have that day in court, and then I'll talk about them one by one. In the meantime I intend to resume writing my usual articles here while I wait and see if Jon Burge ever actually has a trial.

Lights out in Colorado

In June 2009 I wrote an article: Overkill in Colorado. I described the indictment and takedown of one Nan O'Reilly, a longtime massage parlor owner in Grand Junction. Nan's business was investigated by local, state, and federal agencies and the entire attack was indeed overkill.

The Grand Junction P.D. went so far as to open a hotline and request that clients of Nan's parlor contact them before they were contacted. They actually thought that they were going to parade hundreds of clients in a courtroom fiasco. Is that laughable or what? From what I've been reading recently some cities and towns in Colorado can't even afford to keep the street lights on anymore.


There was all sorts of news on the indictment and publicity for the hotline. The police chief actually had the audacity to insinuate that "human trafficking" charges could be filed against Ms. O'Reilly as well. They had already charged her with racketeering, pimping, tax evasion, keeping a place of prostitution, and promoting sexual immorality. Well, the plea deal is for Nan to plead to the pimping charge and the tax evasion charge and receive a sentence of probation, and possibly up to 90 days in jail.

Considering that the overkill case could have resulted in 2 to 30 years in prison and up to $850,000 in fines, this is an amicable agreement. I wonder where all of this goodwill comes from? I can just imagine the answer though.

Besides the answer that is on my mind, I must also imagine that Grand Junction and the State of Colorado can't afford to prosecute as the original agents intended and desired. It is all about the economy, and I will suppose that keeping the courts functional is more important than overzealous morals prosecutions. The state and local budgets simply do not have room for such a morals agenda. It is time to throw the overzealous agents back in their closet. You see, this is the good part in relation to states running out of money.

Nan O'Reilly won't be sentenced until April, but the deal has already been made. It is a deal that anyone would agree to.

Congratulations to Nan and her attorney Stephen Laiche!

New Jersey Teen Addiction

Teen drug abuse and teen addiction is being taken seriously in the state of New Jersey. A recent article in a Cape May County newspaper, addressed the issue of teen drinking, by providing the following information: "According to the New Jersey Prevention Network, the average age of first use of alcohol is now 11 years old and the research further indicates that young people in New Jersey appear to be experimenting with alcohol at a rate above that reported nationally. Approximately 407,000 underage youth in the state drink each year." "According to a report in the Journal of Substance Abuse, more than 40% of individuals who start drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol abuse problems later in life. "Teens need to realize their brains are still developing until they are in their mid 20s and alcohol abuse could have long term consequences."
Prevention is the first step in addressing teen addiction. Preventing teen alcohol addiction begins with good communication between parents and teens. Teens who feel comfortable approaching their parents with challenging situations, peer pressure, and teen problems, are more likely to reach out to their parents, when help is needed.
Teen alcohol addiction and teen drug addiction are national problems, surfacing in every city throughout the United States. New Jersey has been a state which faces problems head-on and seeks to find resolution quickly. It is comforting to read and know, the residents of New Jersey are openly discussing teen addiction and seeking solutions for their youth.