5 things to know about the Jeffrey Garcia AB fraud plea deal

5 things to know about the Jeffrey Garcia AB fraud plea deal

As expected, Congressman Joe Garcia‘s former chief of staff pleaded guilty Monday to soliciting absentee ballots illegally without the voter’s permission in a deal where he agreed to serve 90 days in jail. Jeffrey Garcia, who was the congressman’s campaign consultant when he came up with the hair-brained scheme to send absentee ballots to low-performing […]

Balanced justice? Jeffrey Garcia to plea, get 90 days in AB scam

Balanced justice? Jeffrey Garcia to plea, get 90 days in AB scam

Looks like Congressman Joe Garcia‘s former campaign consultant-turned-chief of staff could be doing time. Jeffrey “No Relation” Garcia, who admitted immediately to a scam that generated hundreds of unauthorized absentee ballot requests in last year’s Congressional race, has reportedly reached a plea agreement and will be sentenced to 90 days in jail. His crime: illegally […]

Fraud alert: ABs drop in Homestead, Miami Lakes

Fraud alert: ABs drop in Homestead, Miami Lakes

While all eyes are on the Miami-Dade County Commission and its budget hearing today, there will be phones ringing off the hook at the homes of voters in Miami Lakes and Homestead, where there are city elections Oct. 1. That is because absentee ballots drop for voters in both cities Tuesday and Wednesday. Miami-Dade Elections […]

Tainted Commissioner Steve Bovo should walk the walk

Tainted Commissioner Steve Bovo should walk the walk

When the unions come to heads with the Miami-Dade Commission today on their multiple impasses, one commissioner may be even more aggressive toward them than others. Judging by Monday’s committee of the whole performance, Commissioner Esteban “Stevie” Bobo has taken on the role of labor raider in the county’s very obvious efforts to lay blame […]

Will Tio Sergio Robaina be in court today? Or not, again?

Will Tio Sergio Robaina be in court today? Or not, again?

One of the boleteros nabbed last year in a series of politically-connected absentee ballot arrests is set to be in court today. Or is Tio Sergio Robaina, uncle of former and indicted Hialeah mayor Julio Robaina, going to escape the limelight of the courtroom again and further prolong answering questions? There was a motion filed July 26 to […]

Hialeah incumbents lead early in election money race

Hialeah incumbents lead early in election money race

Former Hialeah Mayor Julio Martinez, who jumped into the race for his old job on qualifying day, has a lot of catching up to do. Hialeah Mayor Carlos “Castro” Hernandez has already amassed more than $170,000 for his re-election campaign so far. And that is not counting any possible PAC money. Much of his funding is […]

Hialeah hero Ricky Garcia will be missed, remembered

Hialeah hero Ricky Garcia will be missed, remembered

It’s been driving me crazy all week, but I can’t remember the exact time or place that Ladra met Ricky Garcia, the veteran Hialeah Police officer who played a large role in exposing the wrongdoing by the administration and who decided to run for city council seat after he retired last year. I do remember, […]

Miami-Dade corruption cops, Part II: PR and lip service

Miami-Dade corruption cops, Part II: PR and lip service

Scaling back the Miami-Dade Police public corruption unit is actually a good thing for local investigations and is being done in an effort to work more closely with federal authorities. That’s what Miami-Dade Police Director J.D. Patterson, who took over after the last chief suddenly took an early retirement last year smack dab in the […]

Miami-Dade corruption cops are transferred out

Miami-Dade corruption cops are transferred out

Maybe Deisy Cabrera, the Hialeah boletera, did get an anniversary present from Mayor Carlos “Not So Golden Boy” Gimenez after all. It appears that at least 16 of the investigators from the public corruption unit have been transferred to other divisions, like the economic crimes bureau, homicide, narcotics, the warrants bureau and even the marine […]

Hialeah candidate, former cop Ricky Garcia dies

Hialeah candidate, former cop Ricky Garcia dies

Former Hialeah Police Officer Ricky Garcia was excited about running for council in the city where he had lived and worked for nearly three decades. But but before he could qualify Monday morning, Garcia died of a massive heart attack. Julio Rodriguez, who qualified to run against Council Vice President Luis Gonzalez and had hoped to […]