Department of Justice Press Release
For Immediate Release
August 26, 2009 United States Attorney's Office
Southern District of Florida - Contact: (305) 961-9000
City of Miami Police Officer and Two Others Charged in Crime Stoppers Scam
Jeffrey H. Sloman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael J. Folmar, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, and Robert Parker, Director, Miami Dade Police Department, announced that City of Miami Police Officer Wayne Fortella and two civilian associates, Kurt Burgess and Ainsworth Stanley, were charged in a Criminal Complaint with wire fraud and conspiring to commit wire fraud by scheming to collect Crime Stoppers rewards to which they were not entitled, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1349. Fortella and Burgess made their initial appearances in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick A. White, and were released on bond. Defendant Stanley remains at large. Today’s charges arose from a long-term investigation jointly conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Miami-Dade Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the cooperation and assistance of the City of Miami Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit. According to the Complaint, Fortella, an 11-year veteran of the Miami Police Department, was assigned as a detective at the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Crime Stoppers Unit. In this capacity, Fortella was responsible for taking anonymous tips from citizens regarding crimes that had occurred within Miami-Dade County. Fortella, Burgess, and Stanley allegedly took advantage of Fortella’s position to implement a scheme to fraudulently obtain Crime Stoppers reward payments that had not yet been collected by the actual tipsters. According to the allegations in the Complaint, Fortella used his position at the Crime Stoppers Unit to identify tips that had been authorized for payment but which had not yet been collected by the tipsters, and to learn the substance of the information provided in those tips. Fortella also obtained the unique codes needed to collect these rewards, and then passed this reward collection information to Burgess and Stanley. Thereafter, Burgess and Stanley would use this tip information to fraudulently collect the rewards. In this way, Burgess is alleged to have collected numerous reward payments totaling more than $9000, and Stanley is alleged to have collected reward payments totaling more than $5000. Acting U.S. Attorney Jeffrey H. Sloman stated, “Corruption by public officials, no matter at what level of government, undermines the public’s trust in our public servants. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to helping to restore that trust and to maintain untarnished the good name of the many honest public servants who work and risk their lives each day to help make our communities a better place. Michael J. Folmar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Office, added, “Crime Stoppers is a valuable and essential program that has assisted law enforcement in catching countless criminals. It is unfortunate that one police officer chose to take advantage of the anonymity that this program offers for personal gain. Nonetheless, the success of Crime Stoppers surpasses the acts of one police officer. Public corruption is a top priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners, and we will continue to investigate corruption at all levels.” Director Robert Parker of the Miami-Dade Police Department stated, “It is vital that we take immediate action to root out anyone who participates in illegal activity. Corruption will simply not be tolerated. Anyone who chooses to engage in activity that undermines the public trust will be investigated and prosecuted. The Miami-Dade Police Department stands ready to fully engage with our law enforcement partners to address any allegation of corruption and misconduct.” If convicted, all three defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of up to twenty (20) years in prison on each count charged in the Complaint. A complaint is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Mr. Sloman commended the efforts of the numerous detectives of the Miami-Dade Police Department and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who have been working on this investigation. Mr. Sloman also thanked the City of Miami Police Department for their assistance during this investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward N. Stamm and Karen E. Gilbert. 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 www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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SURPRISING ORDEAL BY BAD COP, MARIO GUTIERREZ (30-BADGE 1856), MIAMI DADE POLICE DEPTT., AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DATED JULY 24 , 2010.
I WOULD LIKE TO BRING MIAMI DADE RESIDENTS ATTENTION TOWARDS SPECIFIC ABOVE MENTIONED NAME MR. MARIO GUTIERREZ, VERY UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNETHICAL ANGRY OFFICER. OFFICERS LIKE HIM ARE CROSSING THE BOUNDARY, ABUSING POWERS ASSIGNED TO THEM AND MOST OF ALL FISHING UNDER TROUBLED WATER AS WE ALL KNOW HOW THE ECONOMY OF THE COUNTRY TAKING A PLUNGE AND HOW EVERY INDIVIDUAL IS STRIVING TO MAKE BOTH ENDS MEET.
MY MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO BRING THIS INCIDENT/ORDEAL TO THE PUBLIC AS PUBLIC AWARENESS AND LET THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY DECIDE WHETHER MY WAY OF PERCEIVING IS WRONG IF NOT THEN SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE TO AMEND THE LAW IN WASHINGTON. JUST KEEPING QUIET AND BELIEVING NEXT DAY ALL WILL BE FORGOTTON AND ALL WILL BE FINE IS NOT THE RIGHT CHOICE INFACT, WE ALL ARE ABLING THE DISRESPECTFUL AND INSULTING ATTITUDE OF THE MIAMI DADE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHICH EVERY CITIZEN IN SOUTH MIAMI IS ENDURING FOR NOTHING. POCKETING AN INSULT FROM OFFICERS LIKE MARIO GUTIERREZ BECOME OUR DAILY ROUTINE. HAS ANYONE REALISE THAT WE ARE NOT FREE, WE ALL ARE INFACT THE SLAVES OF THE SYSTEM, THE CORRUPTED POLICE OFFICERS. JUST THINK AND THINK OVER. WE AVERAGE CLASS OR AVERAGE EMPLOYED CITIZENS CANNOT AFFORD ATTORNEYS OR HIGHER LEGAL COSTS AND ARE QUICK TO PAY FINES TO MAKE OUR RECORD CLEAN.
I RECALL TWO SHOP ROBBERIES AND A HOUSE OF A FAMILY GOT ROBBED VERY CLOSE TO 184 AND DIXIE HWY IN SOUTH MIAMI. MIAMI DADE POLICE TOLD THEM INVESTIGATORS WILL BE THERE TO INVESTIGATE AND FINGER PRINTING PROCEDURE. TILL DATE NO ONE HAS COME TO INVESTIGATE. TO SERVE AND PROTECT FROM WHAT?
I DO NOT SAY OR OF THE OPINION THAT ALL POLICE OFFICERS ARE ARROGANT AND DISRESPECTFUL LIKE MR. GUTIERREZ MARIO. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING PRIVATE DETECTIVE KNOWS, MEDIA KNOWS, EVERY CITIZEN KNOWS THE POLICE INDECENT BEHAVIOUR FOR NO REASON. HOW WE ALL JUSTIFY THAT. IN TODAYS WORLD EVERYTHING HAS BECOME A BUSINESS, MONEY IS THE MAIN INTEREST. IN MY OPINION THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BECOMES THE PARASITE THAT FLOURISHES ON LOW INCOME, HARDWORKING CITIZENS WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE BOTH ENDS MEET. OUR POLICE FORCE, LAW AND ENFORCEMENT SHOULD BE PERSUING MORE ON OTHER MORE IMPORTANT CHALLENGES THAT OUR COUNTRY IS FACING AT PRESENT TIME.
NOW COME BACK TO MY ORDEAL AND YOU BE THE JUDGE. I AM 42 YEARS OLD, MENTALLY SANE AND RESPONSIBLE. THIS INCIDENT IS ONE SIDED, MY STORY, ONE SIDE OF THE COIN BUT EVERY WORD SAID IS TRUE. A GENERAL QUESTION TO FOLKS FROM ALL WALK OF LIFE AND TO ALL IQ LEVELS: CHARGES AGAINST ME: 1) PARKING TICKET AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 2) REFUSAL TO SIGN PARKING TICKET WHICH LEADS ME TO EMBARRASSING JAIL TIME. 3) NO FELONIES ON MY BACKGROUND, NO WEAPONS, NO DRUGUS, NO GANGS.
I WAS TAKEN TO THE CORRECTION DEPARTMENT AND EXPERIENCED SURPRISING SCENE, NUDE GIRL WHICH COULD BE ONE OF OURS DAUGHTER, SISTER OR WIFE WAS BEEING PARADED IN THE CORRECTION DEPARTMENT CLOSE TO MIAMI DADE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. ONE OF THE MALE OFFICER WAS GIVING INSTRUCTIONS AND THE FEMALE OFFICER WAS VIDEO TAPING THE TATTOES AND CURVES OF THE NUDE BODY OF YOUNG GIRL. WHAT A SHAME....
ON AUGUST 27, 2010 I PLEADED NOT GUILTY AGAINST THE ABOVE CHARGES AND ACCEPTED PRETRIAL DIVERSION PROGRAM. BUT I STILL HOLD ANGER AGAINST THIS VERY UNPROFESSIONAL AND RACIST OFFICER MR.GUTIERREZ MARIO. NEVER REFUSED TO SIGN THE CITATION BUT THE OFFICER WAS TOO QUICK TO ARREST WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR ARRIVAL GUEST IN THE RUNNING VEHICLE, WHICH WAS NEVER LEFT UNATTENDED. THIS IS A CLEAR WARNING TO FOLKS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNG OR ETHNICITY IF SOMEONE IS BLACK OR LOOK LIKE MIDDLE EASTERN THEY BETTER AVOID LEAVING OR RECEIVING GUESTS FROM AIRPORT. IF IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU.
I DONT BELIEVE IN SPEECHED NO MATTER WHERE THEY COME FROM THEY ARE LIKE LULLABY OR A FAIRY TALE TO ME UNLESS AND UNTIL THOSE SPEECHES ARE IMPLEMENTED AND ENDORSED AS LAW. HOW MANY SPEECHES DELIEVERED WERE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED.
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