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STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE NEWSLETTER
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Recently, Ralph Celestin, the leader of an Identity Theft Fraud and Income Tax Fraud Ring with at least 2500 victims was sent to prison after pleading guilty to varying white collar ID theft related charges.
Celestin was using the personal identity information from his unsuspecting victims to file fake tax returns.
Upon executing a search warrant, the North Miami Beach Police Department found ID and income tax information stored in multiple handwritten ledgers which provided Celestin's fingerprints prints linking him to the crime.
Celestin was sentenced to a three year minimum mandatory sentence followed by ten years of reporting probation. Upon his initial surrender, he paid $80,000 in restitution that will be paid to the victims of his crimes and the Internal Revenue Service.
Identity theft is not only one of the most frustrating crimes that out citizens have to confront, it is also one of the most frustrating crimes for us as prosecutors. This case shows that when investigators do all of the backbreaking case work needed to meet the requirements of our courts, police and prosecutors can get these slick new-wave thieves off of our streets.
I remind you that our office, by way of our Community Outreach Division, can visit your company, community, or organization to conduct a presentation on Identity Theft Prevention. These presentations are offered free of charge and offer supremely valuable information. If you want to schedule one of these sessions, please call my office at 305-547-0724 to make arrangements.
Sincerely,
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| Human Trafficking Prosecution Yields 27 Year Sentence |
Samuel Lowry was sentenced to 27 years in prison as a habitual offender for pimping a 17 year old girl out of his drug den in Opa Locka in a Human Trafficking related prosecution.
Lowry took advantage of his young victim by providing her with crack cocaine, to which she became addicted, and then selling her body for profit. The defendant was convicted of varying counts of Deriving Support from Prostitution, Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor, and Providing a Controlled Substance to a Minor.
Last October, Steve Sawyer, was sentenced to a 10 year prison term for his participation as a "john" in this same case.
"Combatting Human Trafficking requires a variety of effective approaches. Charging and convicting the adults who profit by using our children for their own benefit is the foundation of our prosecution efforts," commented State Attorney Fernandez Rundle. "If you try to steal the futures of our children by betraying their trust, you will pay the consequences."
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| Man Who Fled Country Brought Back to Face Charges |
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| Source: Miami-Dade Dept. of Corrections |
After being on the run for close to a decade, a man who nearly killed a Florida State Trooper in a fiery DUI crash in 1998 was extradited from Panama back to Miami to complete his original sentence and to face new additional charges.
The state's case against Samuel Silva went to trial in February of 2001 and the Defendant was found guilty of DUI Serious Bodily Injury, DUI Injuries, and three counts of DUI Property Damage.
Silva appealed his conviction and asked for a Supersedeas Bond, (for defendant to be out on bond while appeal pending) a motion that was granted. The Third District Court affirmed the conviction in June of 2004 and the defendant was to surrender on June 29, 2004 but he never appeared.
After Silva disappeared, the state filed charges of Failure to Appear While on Bond and was in contact with the U.S. Marshals Service to have the defendant extradited from wherever he was found.
Almost 10 years after disappearing, Silva was found in Panama with a false passport issued under a relative's name. He was quickly extradited back to the United States. The defendant is now in the custody of the State of Florida and is awaiting trial in October to face the new charges.
The trooper involved in the crash has undergone extensive surgeries and skin grafts and has since had to retire because of the extent of her injuries.
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| State Attorney's Office Alumni Profile |
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| Miami-Dade Inspector General Mary Cagle Source: Miami-Dade County |
Mary Terpstra Cagle spent 22 years with the State Attorney's Office. She loved the office and the work, believing it was always about justice and a commitment to fairness for all parties. This is no surprise, given Mary's background. Her minister father taught Mary and her 6 siblings the value of service to the community and doing the right thing.
Mary attended Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. During her senior year of college, she was working full time at St John's Home for emotionally disturbed children as a supervisor and was planning to obtain a Master's Degree in Social Work. One of her professors suggested to her that she should go to law school instead. Her father agreed, and it changed her future. After graduating from Calvin College, Mary went to Thomas M. Cooley Law School, where she met her future husband, Peter Cagle. After graduation, they both came to Miami where Peter was born and raised. Mary was hired by Janet Reno and eventually became the head of the Public Corruption unit and later a Chief Assistant under Katherine Fernandez Rundle.
When Florida decided to privatize the child welfare system, she was contacted by a search firm and asked if she would consider a position as Chief Executive Officer for CHARLEE HOMES FOR CHILDREN. She had not sought the position. Mary initially told the recruiter that although she would meet and discuss his proposal, she really had no intention of leaving the SAO. However, it was a natural progression given Mary's interest in child welfare and service ultimately leading her to accept the challenge.
3 ½ years later, newly appointed Secretary of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), Bob Butterworth, recruited Mary to revise how legal services were provided by DCF. In 2007, Mary became the Director of Children's Legal Services for DCF where she supervised 256 lawyers and 200 support staff throughout the state. She completely changed the way DCF delivered legal services by implementing a prosecution model where the lawyers were focused less on paperwork and bureaucracy and more on doing the right thing for the children they were serving.
Relying on her history and experience with the SAO, she implemented a training program and established a recruiting program. Butterworth gave her the authority to hire regional directors and she traveled throughout the state every week to oversee the newly formed operation. Mary says that she looked back to her days at the State Attorney's Office and patterned many of her ideas for training and recruitment on those she saw effectively used at the SAO. After seven years of travel and child advocacy she was again looking for a new challenge.
In 2013, Mary applied for the position of Miami-Dade County Inspector General. More than 100 applicants applied, and through a competitive process set by County Ordinance, she was selected as the Inspector General for Miami-Dade County by a 5 member Ad Hoc committee, chaired by Katherine Fernandez Rundle. She has been the Inspector General since February of this year and is thoroughly enjoying the position. In her words, it has been like "coming home". Many of the people she now interacts with are members of the law enforcement community with whom she has spent a large portion of her career. As Miami-Dade's Inspector General, Mary is charged with ferreting out and investigating fraud, waste and corruption and refers cases for prosecution to the State Attorney's Office. Her years at the State Attorney's Office investigating and prosecuting public corruption made her a great fit for the position.
Mary and her husband Peter Cagle have 2 sons both of whom live locally. Mary says that Peter, a civil attorney, has always been supportive of her career while still pursuing his own. She feels blessed by the wonderful support she has received throughout her career, and the role models who helped her along the way.
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| Courthouse Highlights |
Assistant State Attorney's (ASAs) Chris Flanagan and Melissa Roca convicted a Habitual Violent Offender (HVO) and Prison Releasee Reoffender (PRRP) of Burglary/Occupied Dwelling and Grand Theft.
ASAs Johanna Garcia and Kerrie Crockett from the Insurance Fraud Unit successfully prosecuted a case of Filing False and Fraudulent Insurance Claims.
Assistant Chief in Career Criminal/Robbery Unit Melba Pearson and ASA Michelle Jones got a guilty verdict for Attempted Voluntary Manslaughter.
ASA Melissa Roca and ASA Cristina Hurst won a guilty verdict for Felony Battery and False Imprisonment.
ASA Derek Goldsmith and ASA Evan Gilead convicted a HO and PRRP for Aggravated Assault/Deadly Weapon.
Sr. Trial Counsel Michael Von Zamft, ASA Ansley Peacock from the Organized Crime Unit, and Division Chief (DC) Alejandra Lopez won a conviction for a double homicide.
DC Tammy Forrest and ASA Scott Thailer won a conviction for 2nd Degree Murder/Firearm and Attempted/Voluntary Manslaughter before Judge Thomas.
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REPORT PUBLIC CORRUPTION !
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Don't Allow the Public's Trust to be Jeopardized.
Hotline:
305-547-3300
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| Our Community Outreach Events |
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July 1 - Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting, 9101 NW 25 Street, Miami, FL, 33172, 6:30PM - 8:30PM
July 11 - Educational, Safety, and Fun Day, Clubhouse Mandarin Lakes, 27450 SW 142 Avenue, Homestead, FL, 33032, 10:00AM - 2:00PM
July 12 - Community Meeting with Church Leaders and Ministerial Alliance, Greater St. Paul AME Church, 3680 Thomas Avenue, Miami, FL, 33133, 7:30AM - 11:00PM
July 16 - Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting, Miami Lakes NW Police Station, 5975 Miami Lakes Drive East, Miami Lakes, FL, 33014, 7:00PM - 9:00PM
July 19 - Family Day Party, Miami Dade College North Campus, 11380 NW 27 Avenue, Miami, FL, 33167, 10:30AM - 4:00PM
July 24 - Sealing & Expungment Event, Second Baptist Church, 11111 Pinkston Avenue, Miami, FL, 33176, 4:00PM - 7:00PM
July 25 - Christmas in July, Miami Rescue Mission, 2020 NW 1 Avenue, Miami, FL, 33127, 9:30AM - 2:00PM
July 26 - Jackson North Summer Health Fair, Jackson North Hospital, 160 NW 170 Street, North Miami Beach, FL, 33169, 10:00AM - 3:00PM
July 31 - Veterans Job Fair, Miami VA Auditorium, 1201 NW 16 Street, Miami, FL, 33125, 8:30AM - 1:00PM
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