Arrest of Bank Robbery, Carjacking Suspect Pedro Luis Valdes

The FBI announces the arrest of Pedro Luis Valdes, 48, of Miami, Florida, for his alleged involvement in two recent bank robberies and a carjacking involving a 3-year-old child (the child was returned safely).

The arrest was made without incident by the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Miami-Dade PD, Hialeah PD, City of Miami PD, Miami Beach PD, and the South Florida Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force (SFVCFTF) around 9:45 p.m. last night at 3141 SW 8th Street in Miami, Florida.

Valdes is in federal custody and is expected to face federal charges. It is anticipated that his initial appearance will be today (Friday) in federal court in Miami.

The FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, Miami-Dade PD, Hialeah PD, City of Miami PD, and all members of the SFVCFTF continue their investigation. No further information will be released at this time.

Miami Police Sergeant Indicted for Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of Justice

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Jeffrey C. Mazanec, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Manuel Orosa, Chief, City of Miami Police Department (MPD), announced the indictment of Raul Iglesias, 40, of Miami, Florida, a City of Miami Police sergeant, on nine counts, including conspiracy to commit a violation of civil rights; civil rights violations; conspiracy to possess and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine; obstruction of justice; and making false official statements.

The indictment alleges that the defendant, in his capacity as a supervisor of an anti-narcotics unit in the City of Miami Police Department, planted cocaine on a subject, stole drugs and money from other subjects, obstructed justice, and made false statements to federal investigators.

The defendant is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate William C. Turnoff on Friday, July 20, 2012. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum statutory maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

The indictment is the result of a joint investigation by the City of Miami Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit and the FBI’s Public Corruption Squad. Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the City of Miami Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ricardo Del Toro and Michael Berger.

An indictment is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Justice Department Opens Investigation into the Miami Police Department

MIAMI– The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a civil investigation into allegations of excessive use of deadly force by members of the city of Miami Police Department (MPD), in accordance with the pattern or practice provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.

The department’s investigation will seek to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law by officers of MPD.   During the course of the investigation, the Justice Department will consider all relevant information, particularly the efforts that MPD has undertaken to ensure compliance with federal law and the experiences and views of the community.   The Justice Department has taken similar steps involving a variety of state and local law enforcement agencies, both large and small, in jurisdictions such as Newark, N.J.; Seattle; Puerto Rico; New Orleans; and the District of Columbia.  

This matter is being investigated by attorneys and staff from the Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.   They will be assisted by experienced law enforcement experts.   The department welcomes the views of anyone wishing to provide relevant information.   If you have any information, please feel free to contact the department at 1-877-218-5228 , or via email at community.miamipd@usdoj.gov.

Thirteen Defendants Sentenced in Liberty City Cocaine Trafficking Ring

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; James K. Loftus, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department; and Manuel Orosa, Acting Chief, City of Miami Police Department, announced the sentencings of 13 defendants for their role in distributing multiple kilograms of cocaine into the Miami community.

The 13 individuals each previously pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore in Miami as follows:

■Shawn Maurice McNeil was sentenced to 262 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release;

■Cleveland Rozier was sentenced to 37 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release;
■Samuel Pearce was sentenced to 37 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release;
■Daryl Reed was sentenced to 222 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release;
■Elton Perry was sentenced to 77 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release;
■Jermaine Seay was sentenced to 188 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release;
■Felton Allen was sentenced to 46 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release;
■Richman Allen Simmons was sentenced to 188 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release;
■Andre Julius Hicks was sentenced to 188 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release;
■Hoarce Allen was sentenced to 100 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release;
■Craig Larry was sentenced to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release;
■Gary Johnson Jr. was sentenced to 46 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release; and
■Gary Johnson was sentenced to 27 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

The case was the result of a two-year joint investigation into cocaine distribution in the Liberty City area of Miami. In total, the 13 defendants distributed approximately 20 to 25 kilograms of cocaine during the course of the conspiracy. Many of the defendants had violent criminal histories and were sentenced as career offenders.

Mr. Ferrer commended the efforts of the FBI, DEA, Miami-Dade Police Department and the City of Miami Police Department for their efforts in the investigation and prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher V. Parente and Michael Gilfarb.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

U.S. Marshals Capture Sexual Assault Subject in Killearn Estates

Tallahassee, FL – The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force today announced the arrest of Lyndell Davis, 48, of Tallahassee, Florida for the offenses of Armed Kidnapping, Armed Sexual Assault, and Armed Robbery on a Miami Police Department case dating back to 1988. Miami Dade Police Detectives made the connection on the unsolved case involving the kidnapping, rape, and robbery of a 16 year old female after receiving a DNA match for Davis through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Combined DNA Index System. An affidavit filed by detectives alleged that on May 23, 1988 the victim in the above case was followed by an unknown black male after getting off a Metro Bus near her residence while returning from her after school job. The victim was rushed from behind and forcibly dragged into a parking lot behind a nearby church where the male suspect proceeded to forcibly rape and rob her. Miami Dade Police Detectives assigned to the Special Victim’s Bureau, Sexual Crimes Section had been searching for Davis for the past month and had recently received information that Davis was in the Tallahassee, Florida area. Miami Dade Police Department (MDPD) Detectives contacted the U.S. Marshals task force who quickly located Davis in the 4000 block of

Ardara Drive

in the Killearn Estates area. Davis, who was outside his residence doing yard work at the time, was quickly surrounded and arrested without incident. Davis is currently being held in the Leon County Jail awaiting removal back to Miami, Florida.

U.S. Marshal Dennis Williamson stated that the arrest of Lyndell Davis highlights the great cooperation between the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force and local area law enforcement to track down and apprehend those individuals wanted for violent crimes. The U.S. Marshals task force is comprised of Deputy U.S. Marshals who work side by side on a daily basis with law enforcement officers from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office, Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Tallahassee Police Department, Perry Police Department, and the Leon County State Attorney’s Office to locate and apprehend the most violent offenders in the State of Florida.

Trombetta, Holmes and Ronczkowski

May 17, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three local law enforcement officials who have written books.

Jack Trombetta is a retired detective sergeant from the Lower Township Police Department. Jack Trombetta served twenty-five years, retiring as the bureau command of the investigative unit. He is a certified instructor whose expertise is in criminal investigations, interview and interrogations. Currently, he instructs at the Cape May County Police Department in defensive tactics and boxing. Jack Trombetta attended the FBI National Academy and has a BA in Criminal Justice. In addition to instructing at the police academy, in his retirement he is a high school social studies teacher, teaching “at risk” young people. Jack Trombetta is the author of Material Evidence: Who Would Want to Steal a Corpse, and Why.

According to the book description, Material Evidence is “a thought-provoking and thrilling investigation into the theft of the body of Jesus of Nazareth. Using historical records Jack Trombetta skillfully uncovers the facts surrounding this event.”

Warren Holmes was a member of the Miami Police Department from 1951 to 1963. He was assigned to the Lie Detection Bureau from 1955 to 1963 and then left the police department at the rank of Detective Sergeant to open a private polygraph testing firm. Warren Holmes is the past president of Florida Polygraph Association and the Academy for Scientific Interrogation (the predecessor name of the American Polygraph Association). Warren Holmes is the author of Criminal Interrogation: A Modern Format for Interrogating Criminal Suspects Based on the Intellectual Approach.

Michael Ronczkowski, MPA, began his law enforcement career in 1983 as a police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department. Having risen through the ranks, he continues to serve in an upper management capacity as a Major overseeing the Department's Homeland Security Bureau. He is also an adjunct professor teaching courses on terrorism, analysis, and the criminal justice system at Florida Atlantic University.

A graduate of the FBI National Academy and recognized internationally for his analytical skills and crime mapping expertise, Mike has presented analytical material at numerous conferences and workshops for various international associations and the National Institute of Justice. He managed a county-wide analytical intelligence unit for over 8 years, has written analytical policy, procedures, and training protocols, and has developed analytical databases and information resources. Michael Ronczkowski is the author of Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime.

According to the book description of Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime, “In response to the current terror threat, law enforcement agencies must now determine how to train analysts and properly identify and respond to critical intelligence. This book explores the issues that all analysts face, including what information to gather, how to analyze it, and the effectiveness of crime analysts investigating terrorism. Events now mandate the unavoidable importance of understanding "terrorism analysis." This expert overview provides the crucial foundation of criminal intelligence gathering and analysis and defines the nature of terrorism and its practitioners, subjects of vital importance if agencies are to play an effective role in the battle against terror.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 1005 police officers (representing 421 police departments) and their 2116 police books in 33 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Corruption, murder and tragedy

Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books added three police officers who have written books about corruption, murder and tragedy in American policing.

Antonio Bustillo is a former Miami Police Department police officer. His first novel, Renegade Crew, is based on the 1980s Miami Police Department corruption scandal often referred to as the Miami River Cops. According to one reader of his novel, “Books about cops are usually the same old re-hashed, ponderous stuff. Renegade Crew is the exception. It is fast-paced, action-packed and humorous all in one. The author allows the reader to feel empathy for any or none of the river cops in question. Whether you agree with how they went about arresting criminals or not, the story is different from any other cop book that is out there. Giving it even more credibility is the author who is a former police officer. "Renegade Crew" deserves five-stars. I did not want to put it down and I will be re-reading it again tonight. I'd like to read the sequel to see what ever happened to these guys. I wonder if they are swimming with the fish, yet?”

Antonio Bustillo’s second book is a Steady Training, and is “recommended for any karate enthusiast who wonders how to adapt his training to real fighting encounters. Bustillo’s advice: train realistically, keep in shape, and keep it simple.”

Lieutenant Nelson Andreu (retired) dedicated nearly his entire police career with the Miami Police Department to homicide and death-investigation cases. During his nearly 23-year tenure with Miami Police Department, Lieutenant Nelson Andreu spent over 21 years in the Homicide Unit. He investigated thousands of death cases ranging from routine natural deaths, accidental deaths, industrial deaths, murders and suicides, to his working on five separate serial killer investigations. His murder investigations culminated in 2002 with the conviction of Francisco Del Junco, a Miami serial killer who bludgeoned to death and then set fire to four women in South Florida.

According to the book description of Nelson Andreu’s Dead Read, “Detective Peter Copeland wakes up on the beach one morning with a killer headache and no clue how he came to be there. Before long, he discovers that the exotic redheaded stranger he met at a party the night before is washed up on the beach, dead. What's this? Another detective mystery? But finally, here's one that departs from the mold. "Dead Red" is based on first-hand knowledge of solving mysterious deaths, thanks to author Nelson Andreu's twenty-two years in Miami's Homicide Unit. Readers who are curious about the workings behind crime investigations finally get what they want: insight on the inner workings of homicide(extracting answers from a reluctant witness, capturing an elusive fingerprint, distilling evidence from a mutilated victim) woven within an intriguing plot. Of course, Detective Copeland uncovers the answer--but that answer is what every cop dreads.”

According to the Library Journal, “On a summer day in 1986 Steven McDonald, a New York Police Department police officer, was patrolling his Central Park beat when a teenager whom he approached shot him, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. This book, with its alternating voices, recounts how Steven and Patti Ann have survived the incident and its aftermath.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 383 police officers (representing 160 police departments) and their 833 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.