Corruption Watch: Bay County Commission, Panama City, Bay County Sheriff's Office (this past week)
Corruption Watch: Bay County Commission, Panama City, Bay County Sheriff's Office (this past week)
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Oct. 5, 2023 - The City of Miami is being sued for OVERCHARGING BUILDING PERMIT FEES, and then using the surplus as tax revenue.
That's against the law.
Florida requires surplus building permit fees to be spent on very specific functions within the building services fund.
Last year, I reported that Bay County lost $8.7 million out of its Building Services Fund, according to a forensic audit.
I met with then-Commissioner Griff Griffitts and several County officials who explained that creative government accounting tricks allow for millions of dollars to be in different places at the same time.
I failed to follow up on that story. But it needs attention again right here in Bay County.
Have you noticed how much more expensive and difficult and lengthy it is to deal with the County and City building departments?
Oct. 4, 2023 - Convictions overturned after possible planting of drugs, illegal searches, and fake informant by the Bay County Sheriff's Office.
Oct. 4, 2023 - Today I watched a Judge vacate the 25-year prison sentence of Steven Stottlemyer because of misconduct by the Bay County Sheriff's Office.
Several others had their pleas or convictions overturned as well.
Details aren't clear yet, but they center around possible planting of drugs, illegal searches, and a fake confidential informant.
Despite having their plea deals, convictions, and prison sentences vacated, State Attorney Larry Basford insists on starting over from scratch with their prosecutions.
The people who were wrongly convicted must wait in jail until the Court has time to hear their cases all over again.
State Attorney Basford said that he and his prosecutors were unaware of fake a confidential informant during the trial.
Sheriff Tommy Ford suspended the deputy involved back in 2022 for 40 hours, and removed him from Special Investigations, SWAT, and the U.S. Marshall's Task Force.
The deputy was demoted to patrol officer after drug evidence was found in his desk rather than in the evidence locker.
Sheriff Ford and State Attorney Basford face reelection in August.
This story is developing rapidly. Even WMBB-TV is reporting on it.
Oct. 3, 2023 - My video showing nearly a dozen Panama City cops disrupting a WJHG news interview about a damaged grave is approaching a million views.
They surrounded and questioned the Good Samaritan who was trying to bring dignity to the person buried in the City-owned Millville Cemeterey.
Assistant City Manager Jared Jones called Police Chief Mark Smith after WJHG requested an interview. Instead of talking to the reporter, they sent the police!
There’s a fraudulent police report that indicates “an unknown passerby” reported “suspicious persons” messing with the grave. A complete and utter lie.
It makes me wonder how many times they write false police reports, and how many people have been arrested and/or put in jail for it.
The City Commission needs to look into this.
See the video by clicking the link in the comment section below.
