News from the SAO Office Newsletter (because prosecutors read the blog too and they should get their due recognition): Assistant State Attorney's (ASAs), Jessie Friedman and Sara Narkes, won a conviction on charges of Felony Battery, False Imprisonment and Resisting Without Violence. ASAs Breezye Telfair from the Public Corruption Unit and Rachel Walters from the Gangs/Homicide Prosecution Unit convicted a Prison Release Re-Offender (PRRP) of Attempted 1st Degree Murder and Armed Robbery Chief of the Sexual Battery Unit Laura Adams and ASA Sophiea Bailey from the Economic Crimes Unit got a conviction on 2 counts of Sexual Battery before Judge Rebull. Division Chief (DC) Scott Warfman and ASA Jennie Conklin successfully prosecuted a 2nd Degree Murder case before Judge Colodny. DCs Bill Howell and Alicia Priovolos convicted a defendant of 1st Degree Murder before Judge Sayfie. ASA Cristina Cabrera with an assist from ASA Wei Xiang won a guilty verdict for Burglary/Unoccupied Dwelling and Grand Theft. ASA Ayana Duncan and co-counsel ASA Ethan Timmins convicted on charges of Tampering With Physical Evidence and Resisting Without Violence before Judge Hirsch.(We double checked the SAO newsletter and this is exactly how the sentence reads. We doubt these two fine prosecutors were convicted and fully believe they successfully OBTAINED a conviction for the above charges. Memo to KFR: language matters. Get a good editor.) Homestead Mayor Steven Bateman has been arrested for felony crimes derived from using his official capacity as Homestead mayor to provide himself with private employment and private income. Circumstances relating to needed sewage system upgrades in downtown Homestead provided Mayor Bateman with an opportunity to gain supplementary private payment for functioning as Homestead's elected mayor in violation of Florida's criminal statutes. As Homestead's elected mayor since November 2009, Steven Bateman has been advocating for the development of the city's downtown area. Community Healthcare of South Florida Inc. (CHI) a Florida not-for-profit corporation founded in 1971, received $1.89 million in Miami-Dade County funds to build a Children's Crisis Center in downtown Homestead. However, construction could not commence due to the "absolute moratorium" on new sewer connections in the area until a sewage pump station could be replaced. Problems with Homestead's plans and design for the proposed pump station replacement and Miami-Dade County's existing consent decree with the Federal Government all worked to stall the Children's Crisis Center project, frustrating both Mayor Bateman and the leadership of CHI. In February 2013, Mayor Bateman became a paid consultant for CHI and at the end of February, CHI authorized payments to Mayor Bateman of up to $120,000 for one year of services. The CEO of CHI, Col. Brodes Hartley Jr., recalled Mayor Bateman offering to assist the agency with its construction program. Col. Hartley clearly recalled that Mayor Bateman solicited employment at this same meeting. Subsequent to his hiring, Mayor Bateman performed a number of actions relating to the Homestead sewage situation in which he ostensibly was acting as the Mayor of Homestead (i.e. meeting with the Mayor of Miami-Dade County and making contact with Homestead city employees) and for which he billed his employer, CHI, for his work. "Enriching oneself by utilizing an elected public office not only enrages the community, it is a crime," commented Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. "This is a very sad day for the people of the City of Homestead Site Feed
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