Tag: Fort Lauderdale

Damara Holness Broward commissioner daughter did $300K fraud || Fort Lauderdale News

Broward politician's daughter Damara Holness did $300K fraud

Fort Lauderdale News

Fort Lauderdale, FL. — Damara Holness appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick M. Hunt on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale to face federal charges for allegedly lying to get $300,000 that were expected to help small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Holness, 28, applied for $300,000 in Paycheck Protection Program aid on behalf of Holness Consulting, Inc with fraudulent payroll tax forms to allege her company employed 18 people and had about $120,000 in monthly payroll expenses — while she actually didn’t have any employees at all, prosecutors said.

FBI Miami special agents found that a bank in Georgia approved her fraudulent application and wired $300,000 to a Holness Consulting, Inc. bank account in Florida in July 2020 and that she paid accomplices a fee to pretend they were her employees, endorse the checks and return them to her, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Holness cashed fraudulent checks at the company’s bank.

Holness is a former president of the Broward County Democratic Black Caucus. She’s also the daughter of former Broward County Mayor Dale V.C. Holness, a current Broward commissioner who is running for Congress.

Damara Holness is accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Hunt released her from custody on a personal surety bond of $100,000.

Officials are asking anyone with information about fraud related to pandemic aid to call the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or file a complaint online.

Damara Holness’ attorney, Sue-Ann Robinson, issued the following statement Thursday morning:

“My client Damara Holness is a 28 year old single mom who despite having a high profile parent has had to chart her own path personally and professionally. There have been allegations made regarding her business and access to funds made available through the PPP loan program. Like everyone else, Ms. Holness is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

“Despite a full investigation by the feds confirming no involvement by her father or his campaign; there has been an unexplained rush to complete and publicize this indictment. It is unfortunate that the timing of these allegations against my client has seemingly been synced to allow it to be folded into her father’s campaign for federal office.

“Ms. Holness maintains her confidence in the judicial process and we stand prepared to have these allegations against her fully and fairly addressed by the Courts at the appropriate time.”

Stay tuned for more updates and Fort Lauderdale News.

Man shot at holiday park after chasing people with a knife || Fort Lauderdale News

Man shot at holiday park after chasing people with a knife

Fort Lauderdale News

Fort Lauderdale, Fl. – Officials said that a man shot at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale Tuesday morning after chasing people armed with knives.

The incident happened at 5:15 am in the park at 1150 g Harold Martin Dr.

According to Sgt. DeAnna Greenlaw, a spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, witnesses told officers that one of the people the man was chasing pulled out a gun and shot the man in his leg once.

The man then managed to get to a nearby gas station in the 1400 block of East Sunrise Boulevard, where he asked an employee for help.

Erica Thomas, who works at a Chevron gas station and knows the man, said she called 911 after the shooting.

“He came banging on the window,” she said. “He was like, ‘Help me, sister. They shot me, they shot me.’ And I thought he was playing at first, but then he died. So I ran out the door, tried to help him, and I saw two bullet holes in his leg and a bullet in his stomach.

Thomas said the man went in and lose consciousness.

According to Greenlaw, the man who was shot suffered non-fatal injuries. He said he was uncooperative with the authorities and said he did not want to be prosecuted.

Greenlaw said officers have not been able to locate the other person involved in the shooting or the other victims he was allegedly pursuing.

Stay tuned for more updates and Fort Lauderdale News. 

Florida delegate is 7th in office to pass on of Covid

seventh in office to pass on of Covid

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA- A Florida sheriff’s representative has become the seventh individual in the office to pass away difficulties from the Covid.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office said on its Facebook page that 48-year-old Sgt. Shane Owens who passed away on Saturday had worked for nearly 30 years with the organization’s detention division.

According to the sheriff’s office, he had been hospitalized and on a ventilator preceding his passing.

According to news Owens’ dad, David Owens, additionally worked for the Broward Sheriff’s Office, serving for a very long time in the Department of Detention and resigning in 2019.

The director of the Department of Detention’s operation and Administration said, “Shane was no-nonsense, the tell-it-like-it supervisor who held people accountable. But more importantly, he taught them how to be the best they could be.”

Florida couple die from COVID-19 just minutes apart

Florida couple die from OVID-19

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA- According to the news, a Florida Couple who had been married for decades died just minutes apart due to COVID-19. The couple had served as missionaries and ministers for decades.

The couple, Bill and Esther were married nearly for 67 years, according to their daughter. She also said that although there’s no one more than her who misses them, she’s at ease because they both passed away together. The couple died while being treated for COVID 19 at a Palm Beach hospice.

Both spent years serving; 10 years in Jamaica and another 7 in Lebanon as missionaries. The couple made the decision to move to West Palm Beach in the 1970s and started an Assemblies of God’s church.

The couple would have celebrated their 67th anniversary this weekend, according to the news.

49-year-old pediatrician arrested on child pornography charges in Fort Lauderdale

9-year-old pediatrician arrested on child pornography

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA: The reports say a South Florida pediatrician has to remain away from children after his arrest on child pornography charges, during a bond hearing on Wednesday.

Judge Corey Amanda Cawthon set bond at $30,000 for Dr. Michael Mizrachy, 49. Mizrachy will be permitted supervised visitation with his two children.

On Tuesday, the Broward Sheriff’s Office arrested Mizrachy. As per the authorities, the office got a tip in June that he may be in possession of child pornography. The tipster also said the physician, who worked at West Broward Pediatrics, might actually be dispersing child porn.

The practice issued a statement on Wednesday, saying Mizrachy was terminated last year.

The statement said, “We are shocked and deeply disturbed by these accusations,”. “We have no evidence that any crimes were committed in the course of his professional duties. We have been in close communication with our patient families, referral sources, and others to reaffirm our absolute commitment to the health and well-being of our patients.”

Further, the statement added, “In addition to the initial video described in the tip, detectives located several photos depicting what appear to be young children in their bathing suits, underwear or shorts in which none of the children appear to be aware the photos were being taken,”

In October, detectives got a court order for Mizrachy’s home search in Parkland. Officials said Mizrachy used an application to chat with a kid who was 15 at that point, which additionally included sexually explicit photographs.

He was set up for prison on Tuesday evening and faces two counts of possession of sexual performance by a child and one count of computer pornography.

As a condition of his release from jail, Mizrachy surrendered his passport.

29-year-old man threw 1-year-old out of window and stabbed mother’s eye in Fort Lauderdale

of window and stabbed mother's eye in Fort Lauderdale

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA: According to the recently released reports, police have arrested a Fort Lauderdale man who stabbed a woman in her eyes and tossed their 1-year-old baby through a window.

29-year-old Pierre Francois is facing charges of one count of aggravated assault and two counts of attempted felony murder.

As per the records, the woman is visually impaired, and both the child and the mother suffered life-threatening-injuries. Broward Assistant State Attorney Eric Linder said the mother’s vision is not expected to come back. The reports say the mother also has a slashed trachea and liver.

The 1-year-old baby is non-responsive and suffered painful brain injuries.

Records show Broward Circuit Judge Daniel Kanner set Francois’ bail at $550,000. Officials said a mental health assessment will be arranged for Francois.

No more details have been released about the incident. Stay Updated!

1 killed and 1 critically injured in a crash in Fort Lauderdale

critically injured in a crash in Fort Lauderdale

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA: According to the reports, a deadly crash in Fort Lauderdale left one killed and 1 injured.

Records say the incident happened at the 500 block of Northeast 3rd Avenue. The driver of a 2018 Porsche coupe loses control. As per the Fort Lauderdale Police, the vehicle crashed with a poll and then collided with another vehicle. The vehicle ignited and one person was pronounced dead at the scene.

The reports say another person inside the vehicle got life-threatening injuries after being pulled from the vehicle. The person was immediately rushed into the hospital.

The identity of the victims’ has not been released. The crash is under investigation.