An interesting thing happened in North Miami yesterday.
It was so interesting, in fact, I had an immediate flashback to April 12, 2011.
That was the day that I finally busted North Miami Beach EX-Mayor Myron Rosner for felony campaign finance fraud over his illegal campaign bus benches.
After months of studying the Campaign Treasurer’s Reports he filed during the 2011 election, I had an “aha” moment, dashed off the blog PRICELESS!, and WITHIN TWO HOURS those damn bus benches came down!
Myron desperately tried to cover his ass with all kinds of spin, to no avail. I nailed (and blogged) every one of his lies, shooting down his lame defenses like clay pigeons at a skeet range.
A year later, Myron did the perp walk and the rest is history.
Yesterday, after posting the blog, Predictably, sexual predator North Miami cop does it again!, it felt like 2011 all over again.
Talk about déjà vu!
I knew I gave North Miami Police Chief Leonard Burgess some serious heartburn when, after a month of trying desperately to bury a complaint against North Miami Police Officer Jodlyn Antoine, the minute the Chief found out he was caught, he went into hyper spin control mode.
Just like Myron did.
Had the Chief ordered an Internal Affairs investigation when the complaint was received, complainant Gregg Swift would have been contacted within a couple of days or so to make a formal statement. Instead of ordering an IA investigation, Chief Lenny tried to close this matter as quickly as he could by minimizing it.
Which is kind of like downgrading the crime of “armed robbery” to “receipt of stolen property.”
By not initiating an Internal Affairs investigation, Chief Lenny could avoid alerting City Manager Aleem Ghany that there’s another problem with his problem child, Jodlyn Antoine.
Until yesterday, Chief Lenny thought he had this problem all all wrapped up into one tidy package that he could easily sweep under the rug before anyone at City Hall noticed.
But I blogged it.
Then all hell broke loose.
Like magic, WITHIN TWO HOURS, complainant Gregg Swift was contacted by North Miami Police Department Internal Affairs Sergeant Diana Roman.
Not once. Not twice. Not even three times.
She called him FOUR TIMES in an attempt to “take his statement” due to their “ongoing investigation.”
Ongoing?
Oh, REALLY?
Here’s a news flash: There was no “ongoing investigation” before yesterday.
If an Internal Affairs investigation had been initiated from the time the complaint was made, Mr. Swift would have been contacted IMMEDIATELY!
After letting him cool his heels for over a month, and not returning any of his calls, all of a sudden Chief Lenny wants Mr. Swift’s statement.
HOW CONVENIENT!
Chief Leonard Burgess is so BUSTED!
The same way he denied being the subject of a sexual harassment investigation, he’s now lying through his teeth again!
He’s even lying in the response I just now received to my public records request about Mr. Swift’s complaint against Officer Antoine.
The letter signed by Major Franzia Brea advised me that “a complaint made by Gregg Swift against a North Miami Police Officer cannot be released at this time as it is part of an active investigation.”
Oh, so NOW there’s an investigation! LMAO!
Furthermore, because Mr. Swift didn’t name Jodlyn Antoine in his initial complaint, but only referred to the officer who responded to the call, Chief Lenny is attempting to claim, “As for any complaints made against Officer J. Antoine since September 12, 2014, our records reflect none.”
Mr. Swift may not have known Antoine by name at the time he made the complaint, but he sure does now.
So does Chief Leonard Burgess, Major Franzia Brea, and Sergeant Diana Roman. They’re all just playing a game of semantics and they know it!
Chief Lenny might be able to bamboozle the City Manager and some of the council members with his smooth talking spin.
But he knows in his gut he can’t fool me.
He also knows he’s full of crap.
Before yesterday, Chief Lenny had NOT ordered an Internal Affairs investigation.
Before yesterday, he had no intention of taking Mr. Swift’s statement, or taking him seriously.
Before yesterday, he thought he dodged this bullet!
Unfortunately for him, I got his number!
And he has mine.
In fact, I challenge Chief Leonard Burgess to call me personally and tell me I’m making any of this up.
To my face!
“Since my phone still ain’t ringin’ I’ll assume it still ain’t you!”
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
Great Job Steph at uncovering the corruption that continues to be swept under the rug in the City of North Miami. In chief part, because of you, one day the residents and taxpayers of North Miami may actually get the politicians, city manager, police chief and city staff that they deserve. Your expose of the current and former rats is making you the Truly Nolen Pest Controller of our local politicians. Keep up the great work and eventually the pests will be eliminated from local government. The only problem we all face is that there is only one of you and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of locals like Chief Lenny who need to go away so you have your job cut out for you.
Thanks for doing the job that our local Ethics Commission and State Attorney’s Office fails to do.
Truly Nolan Pest Controller? That’s a good one LOL! Thanks for the vote of confidence, though. It’s nearly impossible to get agencies like the M-D Ethics Commission and State Attorney’s Office to do their jobs when the State Attorney herself is the top corruptocrat in the county. Citizen watchdogs and bloggers have become necessary sentinels in a political climate where “THE AUTHORITIES” (as North Miami Ellen likes to scream) are the problem!
Chief Leonard Burgess is nothing but a political animal of the worst kind. I get that he’s desperately trying to save the job he didn’t deserve in the first place. But while he’s out there schmoozing the politicians and trying to get the media to cover his bullshit feelgood “community” events and ignore the real crimes, the residents of North Miami keep getting shot.
With bullets.
But, but… Flag football!
What the hell is the city administration waiting for?
The Messiah?
Go ask Sgt Joe Kissel he’ll tell you all about Scott Croye sucking ass by covering Antoine’s complaint up for the chief. Make an IA a shift level complaint so a kiss ass supervisor who wants to be a major will do whatever the chief asks so he gets promoted. You want it to disappear? Sure chief whatever you want!
Scott Croye. A legend in his own mind.
Diana Roman. Following orders even if it means she doesn’t have an ounce of ethics left.
You just go on and do anything to climb that ladder people. We all know how important those stars and bars and titles are to you. Who needs ethics anyway!
I have called nmb non emergency a few times and man there is a male operator there that needs some attitude adjustment ! He taks to you like you are working for him, hope he gets better ! At midnight shift