Attorney General Bondi's Weekly Briefing

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From: "Attorney General Pam Bondi" <agnews@myfloridalegal.com>
Date: Dec 11, 2015 2:15 PM
Subject: Attorney General Bondi's Weekly Briefing
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PROTECTING FLORIDIANS | TEXT VERSION | EN ESPAÑOL Attorney General Bondi's Weekly Briefing The holiday season is a time of giving, and this week, I am providing Floridians with tips about how to avoid charity scams. Unfortunately, scam artists use this time of year to prey on the goodwill of others by posing as a representative of a legitimate charity or espousing a fictional charity in order to solicit funds online, in person or over the phone. Before donating, be sure that the receiving organization is legitimate and understand how much of the donation will go toward the work of the charity. If a charity you are interested in donating to initiates contact, ask for a pledge form and information about the charity in the mail. Do not give credit card or bank account information over the phone or in response to an unsolicited email. Also, be sure to pay close attention to the name of the organization. In an effort to deceive potential victims, some scam artists will choose names similar to that of legitimate, widely-known charities. For more responsible giving tips, please read our Holiday Shopping Guide here. It is always important to remember those less fortunate and to help those in need. This holiday season help us make sure donations go to those that truly need them the most and not scammers preying on the generosity of others In The News Florida gets Sun Trust settlement check, Tallahassee Democrat Former deputy charged with impersonating agent, ABC Action News Former sheriff's deputy charged with posing as federal agent, Associated Press Governor Rick Scott, Cabinet Celebrate Holidays With Florida-Grown Christmas Trees, Space Coast Daily Protecting Floridians Attorney General Bondi Meets With her Citizen Services Office About the Great Work They are Doing Attorney General Bondi joined her Citizen Services Office for a holiday party this week. The Attorney General's Office of Citizen Services serves as the point of contact for consumers with an astounding range of complaints and inquiries. Citizen Services, working with the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division and Special Investigations Unit, communicates with consumers and scam victims about how to spot, stop and report fraudulent schemes and outright scams. They also help consumers gain refunds, restitution and victim's services. Within the last year, Citizen Services has successfully recouped $600,000 for consumers by quickly bringing complaints to the direct attention of responsible business owners and managers. For more information on the Florida Attorney General's Citizen Services Office, visit MyFloridaLegal.com. Psychiatric Hospital Employee Arrested for Biting Patient Attorney General Pam Bondi's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with the assistance of the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office, arrested a Florida State Hospital employee for allegedly abusing an elderly individual. According to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit's investigation, Stephanie Rena Sharpe, 26, bit a disabled patient on the back while employed at the state's psychiatric hospital in Chattahoochee. Sharpe faces one count of abuse of a disabled adult, a third-degree felony. If convicted, Sharpe faces up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines. The State Attorney's Office for the Second Judicial Circuit will prosecute the case. More. Floridians to Receive More Than Six Million Dollars in SunTrust Settlement Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that more than 4,000 Florida borrowers are receiving checks this week from SunTrust Mortgage as part of a multistate settlement. Florida's share of the settlement payments is second in the nation only to Georgia. The 2014 settlement with SunTrust Mortgage Inc. by Attorney General Bondi, 48 other states, the District of Columbia and the Federal government required Suntrust to provide $550 million in various forms of relief to homeowners, including a $40 million fund for payments to certain borrowers who lost their homes to foreclosure. More. Florida Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Holds Leadership Gathering and Workshop The Florida Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys convened a leadership gathering and held a youth workshop in Tallahassee. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness, promote dialogue and identify successful existing and emerging opportunities aimed to prepare black youth across the state with knowledge, skills and employment opportunities. The council's mission is to research and propose measures that improve conditions affecting black men and boys in Florida. More. Former Florida Sheriff's Deputy Arrested for Impersonating a DEA Agent General Pam Bondi announced the arrests of former sheriff's deputy Don Wheeler and Michael Maine on charges related to impersonating a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. According to the investigation, Wheeler, who is not currently a law enforcement officer and was not at the time of the commission of the alleged criminal activity, impersonated a DEA agent in an effort to coerce Maine's wife into halting divorce proceedings. The defendants allegedly created counterfeit DEA credentials to pass Wheeler off as a federal agent. According to court documents, Wheeler also called associates of Maine's wife claiming she was involved in drug trafficking and that the DEA had an active criminal investigation into her involvement. More. Attorney General Bondi's Statement Recognizing Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Attorney General Pam Bondi released the following statement in recognition of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: "Seventy-four years ago today, our nation was attacked and thousands of Americans lost their lives. We must not forget the civilians killed at Pearl Harbor and our military members whose lives were taken that day and in World War II serving as protectors of democracy and freedom worldwide. I am forever grateful to these members and all members of the Armed Forces for their selfless bravery." Second Former HARC Employee Pleads Guilty To Making United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Marsha C. Weisse, 56, Tampa, pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the Social Security Administration. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. In her plea agreement, Weisse also agreed to make full restitution to the Social Security Administration Program (SSA) or its designee. According to court documents, the Hillsborough Achievement and Resource Centers, formerly the Hillsborough Association for Retarded Citizens, was established in 1953 to positively impact the future for people living with developmental disabilities, such as Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome. HARC opened and operated group homes that served its target client population. HARC also spearheaded various community programs for its clients focused on inclusion activities for youths, adults, and seniors with disabilities. More Events This Saturday, Dec. 12, Attorney General Bondi will be featured on Fox News Channel's The Property Man, hosted by Bob Massi. Tune into Fox News at 12 p.m. to watch. Attorney General Bondi joining Governor Scott and fellow Cabinet members for the annual Capitol Christmas Tree Presentation Ceremony. This year, Powell Tree Farms, located in Sneads, provided the trees for the Capitol. Powell Tree Farms is a family owned Florida business that has been growing Christmas trees for more than 30 years. For more information about Florida's Christmas tree industry, visit FlChristmasTrees.com. On Tuesday, Attorney General Bondi joined Governor Rick Scott and fellow Cabinet members, Chief Financial Officers Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, for a meeting of the Florida Cabinet in Tallahassee. Attorney General Bondi introduced Socks at the Florida Cabinet meeting, but the shelter dog was not available for adoption long. Trey Stapleton, the Florida Attorney General's Director of Public Affairs, fell in love with Socks and quickly adopted her just minutes after she was introduced. For more information about rescue pets in the Tallahassee area, visit TalGov.com/Animals. Attorney General Bondi, Governor Scott and fellow Cabinet members recognizing Officer Keith Holmes of the Fort Pierce Police Department with the Medal of Heroism for his brave and selfless actions in saving multiple lives by rescuing five minors. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Deputy Attorney General Tyler Cathey, Deputy Attorney General Kent Perez and Deputy Attorney General Trish Conners, recognizing Citizens Services Director Kym Oswald, for her 25 years of excellent service with the Florida Attorney General's Office. During Kym's tenure with Citizen Services, the office successfully added the State's Price-Gouging Hotline, the Medicaid Fraud Hotline and the Lemon Law Hotline. Under Kym's leadership, Citizen Services established direct communications and relay systems with numerous consumer organizations, law enforcement authorities, public agencies and responsible companies, to quickly seek the meaningful resolution of complaints and questions. Attorney General Bondi, Governor Scott and fellow Cabinet members, with member of the Florida Commission on the Status of Women. At the Florida Cabinet meeting, the commission, housed in the Attorney General's Office, provided an update on upcoming events and the Florida Women's Hall of Fame inductees.

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