…Faustin Denis, Jr., formerly awaiting trial on charges including three counts of felony Racketeering and Organized Fraud?  It turns out he copped a plea just in time to avoid a trial scheduled for today, according to the docket.  The last time we checked in on the status of his case in Faustin Denis, Jr.: Another Neverending Story was August 10, 2013.  At that time, a trial date had not yet been set.  Since then, there’s been a flurry of activity in Judge Miguel M. De La O’s courtroom, including a couple of subpoenas for trial sent out on November 18, 2013 to one Jessica Alvarez and one Brian Pfeiffer, followed by an immediate scheduling of a plea hearing on November 19, 2013.  I imagine that someone on Faustin’s defense team wanted to avoid having these two witnesses testify under oath, although that’s just a guess.

On November 26, 2013, the judge approved four separate “payment plans” of $50.00 per month of varying lengths, totaling $2,650.00, plus court costs of $728.00, for a grand total of $3,378.00.  Denis was arrested on November 25, 2009.  Four years later, almost to the day, Faustin Denis, Jr. cops a plea for an amount that I imagine is a mere fraction of what his trial cost the taxpayers.  I suppose we should be grateful since it would cost even more to feed and house this felon for the next however many years he should have spent in prison.  Oh, and by the way, he got two years’ probation for violating four county ordinances, for which the judge withheld adjudication.  Big freaking deal!

On the upside, though, Faustin Denis Jr. was also ordered to pay restitution to the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust, the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office in the amounts of $10,000.00, $10,000.00 and $5,000.00, respectively.  So it wasn’t a total loss.  I imagine he’ll have no problem paying his debt since his company, IMECO, Inc. still has the no-bid contract at Biscayne Landing for the construction of a deep-injection well system.  I hear that’s going very well.  Unless you take into consideration the latest Biscayne Landing’s Toxic Troubles.  But we won’t split hairs over that trivial issue here.

In case you’re also wondering the fate of Faustin’s co-conspirators in his Racketeering scheme, here are the updates:

Terence Kenneth Pinder’s trial is also set for today, according to the docket.  Luckily for him, his lawyer is none other than the Criminal Attorney to the Stars and Master of Delay, Benedict P. Kuehne, who filed a Motion for Continuance (SURPRISE!) on December 4, 2013, the same day a Notice of Hearing was filed by the prosecution.  Two days later, the Court set a hearing date for Kuehne’s Motion to Dismiss that he had previously filed on November 14, 2013, which hearing is set for today.  We’ll see how that goes, won’t we.  Don’t hold your breath waiting.

As for Dante Edward Starks, his Motion to Dismiss is also scheduled to be heard today according to the docket.  Starks is represented by Roderick Vereen, who unsuccessfully attempted to unseat State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle in August of 2012.  Vereen, apparently taking notes right out of Ben Kuehne’s playbook, also filed a Motion for Continuance on December 4, 2013, two days before he filed the Motion to Dismiss.  As is the case with Pinder’s trial, we shall await with bated breath the final outcome of the Starks trial.

Curiously, Faustin Denis, Jr.’s lawyer, Edward Tapanes, never filed a Motion to Dismiss.  Either he figured his client was so obviously guilty that he’d be laughed out of court by attempting such a stunt, or he’s just bush league compared to Kuehne and Vereen in the field of criminal law.  Considering that Edward Tapanes is the Registered Agent for Denis’ company, IMECO, Inc., I’m thinking that maybe Faustin should have considered hiring a criminal lawyer to represent him in a felony trial instead of one who specializes in corporate law.  Just saying.

In case you were wondering about the trial status of the Three Racketeers from Opa-locka, there’s your answer.  Consider yourselves informed.  Happy Monday.

Now, what are you doing sitting here wasting time?  Step away from the computer and get to work.  Somebody’s gotta pay for all these trials!

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”