The Michelle Spence-Jones Rip Off

Just hours after Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones surrendered to authorities Thursday on a charge she solicited a bribe from real estate developer Armando Codina, Gov. Charlie Crist reaffirmed her suspension.

Michelle Spence-Jones

Crist released an amended executive order Thursday afternoon that included the bribery charge and another tied to a separate charge that Spence-Jones illegally diverted county grant money to a family business. Both charges are felonies that were part of a grand jury indictment Wednesday.

Crist had suspended Spence-Jones twice since she won election in November based on a grand theft charge from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

Spence-Jones challenged Crist’s authority to suspend her in court, asserting he was undermining the will of the public, which had voted her into office twice since November.

Last week, a circuit court judge hearing Spence-Jones’ challenge of the suspension raised a question as to whether the governor had the authority to suspend Spence-Jones because the grand theft charge had come from prosecutors, not a grand jury. More HERE

The grand jury indictments opened the door to Crist’s amended order and may directly impact the circuit court judge’s ruling on her challenge, which is pending.

Spence-Jones' arraignment has been set for March 18.

The alleged $25,000 bribe was tied to a planned 2006 vote on extending the Brickell Avenue name to Miami's downtown core, according to a grand jury indictment announced Wednesday.

Codina's company, then named Codina Group, and Metropolitan Miami developer MDM Development Group asked city commissioners to extend the Brickell Avenue name from the financial district to Southeast Second Avenue in Miami's downtown core. The Brickell name carries international prestige and, theoretically, might have added to the prestige of the mixed-used Metropolitan Miami, which is north of the Miami River.

Flagler Development Co., which bought Codina's company, is the broker for the MDM project's Met 2 office space, according to Flagler's Web site.

The name change never happened, but the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office said Spence-Jones solicited $25,000 for a charity event and "deposited those funds into an account" well after the event happened. Half the money allegedly came from Codina, who was described by State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle as feeling victimized, and the other half came from a hotel associated with MDM partner Ricardo Glas.

“This matter is under active investigation by the State Attorney’s office and, as the victim, they have asked us not to comment,” Codina spokesman Bruce Rubin said in a statement.

Spence-Jones told The Miami Herald she did not solicit a bribe and questioned the timing of the indictment, given recent efforts to keep her suspended for other alleged misdeeds.

Glas could not be reached for comment. More HERE

Thanks Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones for ripping us off by illegally diverting county grant money to your family business!

SCDAA Charity Rip Off

Part 1 of a 10 part Series

Speaking of national black organizational turmoil, charity abuse, misappropriation of funds, poor financial management, and little government oversight of black organizations. How about the group out of Baltimore Maryland called The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. They have received millions of Federal tax dollars, and millions of dollars from Pharmaceutical interest with little Federal, or state charity oversight.

Welcome to the city of Baltimore! Home of former Mayor Shelia Dixon who also ripped off the poor, using debit cards for her own use. It appears that the former Mayor and this group have something in common - ripping off people in need...

Word on the street is the group was recently under fire by their dwindling membership at their last annual meeting in Florida for failing to provide annual accounting of monies received and expended. Federal auditors have previously made serious findings in previous Federal grant audits.

One of the many items under contention is a grant of $20,000 provided in 2008 to make major revisions to its national website. The funds received from a grant from Novartis Pharmaceuticals were suppose to go towards a redesign of their website. The money was misappropriated and the organization never provided an accounting for the money to the state charity organization, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, or its membership organizations.

The website remains the same, while member organizations complain about the sites outdated look, feel and dated content.

Elizabeth Simpson

Duane Bruce

It appears Maryland charity and federal agencies may be investigating for possible misappropriation of funds and a cover-up by the current Chair, Duane N. Bruce, and acting CEO Elizabeth B. Simpson.

Reliable sources indicate key staff were recently let go because they knew too much. There appears to be serious ethical breaches that charity executives may be attempting to cover up. A number of the shrinking membership organizations have asked for the acting CEO and board chair to resign. There have been complaints that the group is no longer relevant and has failed to bring sickle cell disease to national attention.

Reliable sources also indicate the entrenched and constant recycling leadership on the national board of directors have allowed the charitable organization to pay excessive cost for the acting CEO to travel back-and-forth from her home in north or South Carolina to SCDAA offices in Baltimore every week. These reliable sources also indicate membership organizations who pay dues, are paying for the high cost of the CEO travels, out of their dues, and contributions from donors. Many of the donations were air marked for direct services for those with sickle cell disease, not for the high end salary of a former board member of SCDAA - turned acting CEO.

Reliable sources indicate the acting CEO receives payments of up to $10,000 -15,000 per month part-time, 3 day a week salary, along with limo service, breakfast, lunch and dinner, hotel expenses and other excessive cost. Reports are the acting CEO works part-time with SCDAA drawing down and billing longer hours with little or no oversight.

It appears the acting CEO has been spending thousands of dollars per month on air travel, while holding down her consulting business through the use of time paid by SCDAA to complete task on her consulting company.

 

Our sources indicate the acting CEO-COO and Chairman of the Board have refused to release full certified public accountant audit findings to it's member organizations. More on this, in our three part series regarding this national organization later.

It appears SCLC and SCDAA have something in common. No one was monitoring the money given to SCLC or for that matter SCDAA - until now!

Reports are a number of member organizations for this national organization are considering filing formal inquires with the Office of the Inspector General to call for a federal Investigation of the organizations financial operations and accounting practices.

The Black Rip Off Report agrees with The American Institute of Philanthropy, when they wrote:

 

"Too many nonprofit governing boards are not taking their positions seriously and shirking their oversight responsibilities. The American Institute of Philanthropy is calling on all nonprofit board members who are more focused on social or networking opportunities for themselves than on overseeing and governing their organization to resign." Read More Here

Black Rip Off Report: Thanks national headquarters of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Your charity abuse and ripping folks with sickle cell disease off is a national disgrace. What a shame, and the rip off impacts all sickle cell organizations throughout the U.S.

Maybe the membership of this organization should call for the board members, who appear to be more focused on social or networking opportunities, to resign.

Read part 2 of our 10 part series HERE