Watchdog Report Vol.22 No.48 December 11, 2022-EST:05.05.05 – A free community education resource – I go & cover when you cannot for 22-years
WATCHDOG REPORT
Miami-Dade, Fla.
Vol.22 No 48, December 11, 2022, Celebrating 22 -years of free weekly publishing! www.watchdogreport.net & Former Miami Herald news & editorial columnist. 05.05.00, I go when you cannot, for almost 22-years & a trusted community education resource & news service, without the attitude
>>> Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. –Pericles (430 B.C.)
ARGUS REPORT:
>>> Nine Florida Residents Arrested for Orchestrating $37 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme, South Florida has two FBI Medicare fraud units, because of all the fraud that we sometimes export to other states, Tupperware parties for patient file info, the fraud gold standard, former U.S. Atty., Acosta called Miami “graduate school of fraud.”
>>> Cardiac EKG screening should be required by state, number one killer of young athletes in schools, highlighted at school board Wednesday.
FLORIDA: The Florida Ethics Commission has $799,569.in ethics fines unpaid and the list is a cross section of people on state boards.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY: Will Home Rule Charter & Septic to Sewer? Be top legislative county lobbying issues in Tallahassee
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Charter schools have expanded to 155 schools and receive $797 million from the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The schools do not have to follow the same procedures as public districts, and many are managed by private for-profit companies. The district does audits of these schools. Sometime using related properties improvements using public funds– The board’s student advisor Ms. Cori Anna White with a unique perspective made some saliant comments recently when the schools code of conduct was being discussed. With all the mass shootings she noted “student safety was paramount regardless of zip codes. She inquired about the role of “threat assessment teams,” and “reporting lines,” and their role “in identifying patterns of behavior,’ of students.- Chair Hantman & Perez saying sayonara, after decades helped to stabilize rocky public district plagued by scandals
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST: Oct. JHS financial dashboard: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/jacksonhealth/b071ed27-6113-11ed-95a3-0050569183fa-6872cee3-98a7-4865-85f1-4b68344022ed-1669154377.pdf
CITY OF MIAMI: No commission meeting dec.8, as Dist.1 commissioner Ken Russell is denied his last commission meeting in office and could not get the support of two commissioners Joe Carollo and Alex Diaz de la Portilla, both republicans and have opposed Russell a democrat at every turn. I asked the commissioner why no meeting and he said, “petty politics.” The commissioner who ran for various offices from the senate and house has been vulnerable to Miami politics and he must resign Jan.3., please don’t replace with disgraced former judge Zilber, abused judicial staff personal errands
COMMUNITY EVENTS: Culture Fest 305 is at History Miami
EDITORIAL
>>> 10 county commissioners indicted & removed over the years new commissioners don’t add to that
With new county commissioners and school board members. These new public figures should remember the voters have put their sacred trust in them, and that should not be betrayed and what they do in public is a reflection on them and in Miami if you want to stay out of the limelight don’t embarrass your parents with questionable actions.
Further, the Miami-Dade County Commission has had 10 commissioners arrested and removed over the years. Not a resume builder so fly right in public office.
ARGUS Heard & Seen on the Street
>>> Press release: Nine Florida Residents Arrested for Orchestrating $37 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
MIAMI – Nine Florida residents were arrested this morning by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after being charged by a federal grand jury in Miami with health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The fraud scheme allegedly involved tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent health care billing by 30 South Florida physical therapy clinics.
According to allegations in three related indictments and statements by the government in federal court this afternoon, the defendants—Arisleidys Fernandez Delmas, 32; her mother Leidys Delmas Garcia, 51; her husband Pedro Hugo Prieto Garcia, 32; Daimara Borroto Garcia, 32; Elias Caises Maurino, 52; Yohana Iriza (a/k/a Yohana Lozada), 51; her ex-husband Gabriel Lozada, 50; their son Anthony Lozada, 23; and Julio Acosta Perez, 40—conspired to submit approximately $37 million in fraudulent health care claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield.
From approximately 2018 to present, the defendants allegedly paid kickbacks to beneficiaries of health insurance plans managed by Blue Cross. They offered these kickbacks to employees of JetBlue Airways, AT&T Inc., and TJX Companies Inc. to induce the beneficiaries to serve as patients at various South Florida physical therapy clinics. The defendants who owned the clinics then submitted fraudulent health insurance claims to Blue Cross for health care benefits that were medically unnecessary and not even provided.
These defendants also allegedly paid kickbacks and bribes to their co-defendants in return for referring additional Blue Cross beneficiaries to the physical therapy clinics so more fraudulent health care claims could be submitted. These defendants also allegedly paid licensed massage therapists—who also were arrested this morning—to act as “nominee owners” and operators of the physical therapy clinics. This allowed the leaders of the scheme to avoid various medical clinic licensing requirements and attempt to evade criminal prosecution.
The indictments charge each defendant with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison per count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is a charging instrument containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt, FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the charges.
FBI, Miami Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael B. Homer and Will Rosenzweig are prosecuting it.>>Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 22-cr-20560, 22-cr-20561, and 22-cr-20562.
>>> Cardiac EKG screening should be required by state, number one killer of young athletes in schools, highlighted at school board Wednesday
Student Athletes dying from sudden cardiac death, was highlighted at Wednesday’s school board meeting. Sudden death is common with athletes and the need for a EKG screening is important. And advocates say screening should be mandatory. And Florida has nine districts that have this screening requirement before entering school. Further, some parents are hesitant to screen, and just have to be notified, said advocates including a girl with an implantable defibrillator. For more go to: https://nzdsos.com/2022/09/09/unexplained-coincidental-collateral-damage/
FLORIDA
>>> Is Florida changing its political stripes, Crist was a flawed candidate with too much political luggage & chameleon
With governor Ron De Santos easily defeating Charlie Crist a democrat and Sen. Marco Rubio defeating Val Demings. Florida is no longer a swing state that even touched normally Democratic Miami-Dade County and the election over here in Miami-Dade candidates will emerge to run for all the new state voters approved creating a sheriff, tax collector.
>>> The Florida Ethics Commission has $799,569.in ethics fines unpaid and the list is a cross section of people on state boards and to see the list go to:
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
>>> Will Home Rule Charter & Septic to Sewer? Be top legislative county lobbying issues in Tallahassee, Regalado asks
The county’s legislative agenda was the talk of the commission body with commissioner Raquel Regalado leading the challenge on using ballots to determine what they will be. Protecting Home Rule Charter, she recommended should be number one, along with septic to sewer given the 120,000 septic systems polluting Biscayne Bay.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Charter schools have expanded to 155 schools and receive $797 million from the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The schools do not have to follow the same procedures as public districts, and many are managed by private for-profit companies. The district does audits of these schools.
What about students’ threat assessment teams?
The board’s student advisor Ms. Cori Anna White with a unique perspective made some saliant comments recently when the schools code of conduct was being discussed. With all the mass shootings she noted “student safety was paramount regardless of zip codes. She inquired about the role of “threat assessment teams,” and “reporting lines,” and their role “in identifying patterns of behavior,’ of students.
Dr.Steven Gallon, III, a former principal overseeing 3,200 students said the goal was not “to suffer situations that take away opportunities to educate. He said, “parents send the best students they have, and the district policy was going to be applied with “firmness and equity.” Noting a large public school “is one of the most challenging education jobs there is said the veteran teacher
>>> Chair Hantman & Perez saying sayonara, after decades helped to stabilize rocky public district plagued by scandals
Two iconic board members are leaving after serving since 1996. Perla Tabares Hantman and Dr. Marta Perez, also an attorney since joining the board and was an advocate for a ethics committee chaired at one time by judge Kogan. She also pushed for the inspector general at the district. Hantman the chair most of her years was calm did things by the book after scandals rocked the district. Further, there was a state oversight board. Both women were very supportive of the WDR over the years, and they will be missed on the nine-member school board.
Retired Florida Supreme Court Judge Gerald Kogan was honored posthumously by the school board Wednesday. The jurist was the point of the spear after the Miami-Dade Chamber created the Alliance for ethical government after scandals and arrests at the county and bogus land deals at the public district, where matchbox degrees were prevalent, and the community outrage was palpable and confidence in government was abysmal. Editor’s note: I was at many meetings with Kogan, and he helped convince me that I should keep at my efforts and had a card, which read “Citizen Advocate for Ethical Government.”
PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST
>>> Oct financial dashboard: https://d3n9y02raazwpg.cloudfront.net/jacksonhealth/b071ed27-6113-11ed-95a3-0050569183fa-6872cee3-98a7-4865-85f1-4b68344022ed-1669154377.pdf
CITY OF MIAMI
>>> No commission meeting dec.8, as Dist.1 commissioner Ken Russell is denied his last commission meeting in office and could not get the support of two commissioners Joe Carollo and Alex Diaz de la Portilla, both republicans and have opposed Russell a democrat at every turn. I asked the commissioner why no meeting and he said, “petty politics.” The commissioner who ran for various offices from the senate and house has been vulnerable to Miami politics and he has to resign Jan.3., please don’t replace with disgraced former judge Zilber, abused judicial staff personal errands
Could the commission appoint his seat? done many times in the past and saving some $350,000 in election costs with the county?
Yes, and many names are mentioned but one scares me former county judge Martin Zilber, who is a republican and lives in the south Grove. He resigned in disgraced after abusing a employee and having them do personnel errands. I knew the Republican justice from the public health trust, where he was always late and dressed like just off the beach, forget socks. At the time I dubbed him ‘citizen lite.’ And his mother Linda Zilber is a solid transportation maven on many boards. Attorney Zilber is known to the commissioners since he submitted a letter from former Gov. Jeb Bush supporting his appointment to the Jackson Trust. However, his appointment would be a real mistake since he doesn’t work hard but would enjoy having a police officer watching over him.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/18/us/miami-judge-zilber-resigns-trnd/index.html
>>> Will Commissioner Ken Russell, be allowed to have last meeting in December as two commissioners say no? clerk working to get it on, Reyes in, Chair King unknown
The cancellation of Decembers commission meeting had leaving commissioner Ken Russell walk off the dais since his last meeting in December was being cancelled because commissioners Joe Carollo, and Alex Diaz de la Portilla, wanted to spend time with family over the holidays a first. Russell is trying to get three commissioners to agree to have the December meeting that commissioner Manolo Reyes has agreed to and just chair Christine King must agree. Russell has projects he wants to finish before leaving the body and the commissioners who often take shots at Russell
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>>> And having a member of the press at public meetings gives teeth to the Florida Sunshine Law (and why you get a Flu Shot) and open meetings tape recorded keeps good governance in place and reduces waste fraud and abuse, and public corruption, and is why you don’t speed in front of a state trooper for example. And hope you can support the WDR efforts to have informed residents to public institutions issues, in our community.
>>> Further the www.watchdogreport.net in South Florida is an established news service presence, because most people are too busy to go to these important meetings., and all the information comes through me as a central point allowing me to see things at a 100-mile altitude and being an early warning system when projects have overruns or other issues. But my job is to sound the alarm and I have done so many times over the past years in a host of ways.
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>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years. https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2003-01-20-0301190341-story.html
Published on January 20, 2003, Page 1E, Orlando Sentinel, PAPERWORK TIGER, Miami’s citizen watchdog piles up government files in his quest to keep the “little people” informed. https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2003-01-20-0301190341-story.html
>>>Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times
The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen” award to me and I am honored. Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/best-of/2003/people-and-places/best-citizen-6399517
Publisher’s Statement on the mission of the Watchdog Report and the special people and organizations that make it possible: Government Subscribers/Corporate Subscribers/Sustaining Sponsors/Supporting Sponsors
>>> The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel & Sun-Sentinel articles on the Watchdog Report publisher over the years.
Published on September 9, 1999, Page 1EA, Miami Herald, the (FL)
CITIZEN ADVOCATE’ KEEPS TABS ON POLITICIANS
Published on January 3, 2000, Page 1B, Miami Herald, the (FL)
MIAMI-DADE WATCHDOG WILL BE MISSED
Published on January 20, 2003, Page 1E, Orlando Sentinel, PAPERWORK TIGER, Miami’s citizen watchdog piles up government files in his quest to keep the “little people” informed. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2003-01-20-0301190045-story.html
>>> Watchdog Report publisher named ‘Best Citizen’ 2003 by the Miami New Times
The publisher would like to thank the weekly alternative paper Miami New Times for bestowing their 2003 Best of Miami, ‘Best Citizen’ award to me and I am honored. Thank you. To read the full story go to http://www.miaminewtimes.com/best-of/2003/people-and-places/best-citizen-6399517
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