Satz Should Investigate Deerfield’s Sylvia Poitier

BY CHAZ STEVENS
Guest Columnist
 
After spending the last two years closely scrutinizing the political career of Commissioner Sylvia Poitier and more recently, former Commissioner Gloria Battle‘s brief tenure, it became readily obvious that something was seriously amiss over in District #2, so with that in mind, I filed the following grievances:

  • Nine ethics complaints with the City of Deerfield Beach and the Florida Ethics Commission.
  • Nine criminal complaints with the Broward State Attorney’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the United States Department of Justice, and the FBI.
  • Two whistleblower complaints with the IRS.

and last, but not least:

  • Two criminal complaints with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.

All totaled, I filed 22 ethical and criminal complaints against these two officials.

As a direct result of my blog’s work, MyActsOfSedition, the Inspector General’s office spent the summer of 2010 auditing our grants department and their recently released findings disclosed the following:

1. There was no assurance that the City did not practice favoritism in the awarding of funds.

2. The City awarded funds to the Haitian American Consortium and Westside Deerfield Businessmen Association; both directly related to Poitier who voted to approve their awards — thereby violating Federal conflict-of-interest regulations.

3. Battle denied working with the Haitian American Consortium, yet their grant application contained her resume and listed her as program manager.
$258,186.00, including $224,742.00 in fines, must be reimbursed from the city’s $9M undesignated fund reserve.   Unfortunately for the taxpayer, Poitier’s ethically challenged and criminally compromised activity doesn’t stop at a quarter million dollars.

Yesterday, I learned that Mr. Stanley Fina of F & G National Construction Company, a firm that received state home rehabilitation grant money (also known as SHIP funds), indicated the following during a sworn deposition:

“For every application F&G received, Commissioner Sylvia Poitier was to be paid $500.00.

After carefully re-reviewing the Kessler Report with regards to similar rehabilitation projects, in particular their associated change orders, I found items were liberally added, many times billed out in even dollar amounts, and equally as troubling, items were sometimes removed but never properly financially credited back to the project.

Accordingly, I formally requested Mr. Timothy Donnelly of the Broward State Attorney’s Office investigate Commissioner Sylvia Poitier for violating Federal and State corruption law, a situation that seems to mirror events regarding recently arrested Broward School Board Member Stephanie Kraft and her relationship with developers Bruce Chait and Shawn Chait.

That makes it a total of 23 complaints filed against Poitier and Battle.

XXXXX

 

Deerfield Beach Commissioners Violated Federal Conflict of Interest Voting Laws

For Immediate Release

New York, NY
Wednesday, October 06, 2010

HUD investigation finds organizations with ties to Commissioners Sylvia Poitier and Gloria Battle received housing grants

 The United States Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General has ordered the City of Deerfield Beach (Florida) Community Development Division to pay back $224,662 in grants received. The money must be reimbursed because HUD’s audit determined Commissioner Sylvia Poitier and former Commissioner Gloria Battle violated Federal Regulations 24 CFR 570.611 and 92.356, guidelines intended to curb special interests, specifically the practice of favoritism in the awarding of funds.

HUD’s interest in Deerfield Beach was a consequence of Kessler International’s own audit of how the city was dispersing public funds and the blogging of Chaz Stevens earlier this year. Following an in-depth investigation, Kessler’s team of forensic accountants discovered evidence of suspected fraud, conflicts of interest, unaccounted-for money, and a lack of internal controls.

At the time of its publication in April, Kessler recommended our 189-page review be referred to HUD’s Inspector General, the United States Attorney, the Florida Attorney General, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. Kessler has since been retained to carry out an investigation of Festivals paid for by the Deerfield Beach Parks and Recreation Division and the Deerfield Beach Housing Authority.

“Kessler International is pleased that HUD has mirrored our own findings, and we would also like to acknowledge and applaud the dogged work of blogger Chaz Stevens tackling the culture of corruption in Deerfield Beach,” said Michael G. Kessler, founder and President of Kessler International. “Over the past two years, Stevens has been shining light into the darkest corners of political life in this city through his blog MyActsOfSedition.com, and has made our own work there that bit easier.”

The multidisciplinary staff of Kessler International includes experts in forensic accounting, high technology crime, asset tracking and fraud and corruption investigation. This diversified staff includes former state and federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents, attorneys, forensic accountants, CPAs and analysts. For more information please refer to the firm’s website: www.investigation.com or call (212) 286-9100 or (800) 932-2221. 

 Michael G. Kessler
President and CEO
Kessler International
New York, NY
212-286-9100
212-730-2433



13 Responses to “Satz Should Investigate Deerfield’s Sylvia Poitier”

  1. Anonycommenter says:

    Go Chaz go.

  2. Dorissy says:

    Sylvia Poitier should be investigated and so should Mike Satz.

    No one’s buying the 11th inning corruption fighter routine.

  3. Roy L. Fuchs says:

    For all the beatings you take, Chaz, this is among your best work.

  4. Chaz Stevens, Genius says:

    @Roy

    Bro…

    I get in the ring several times a week and get punched and kicked.

    Here on the Internet with the Tough Guys… Hahahah… They are just fools hiding behind a keyboard and monitor.

    Thanks for the kind words.

    PS Keep an eye tuned to a national cable news outlet in the upcoming weeks. Hint hint.

  5. augusta says:

    Congratulations Mr. Stevens.

  6. Politico says:

    Good work Chaz. I’ve been following your progress on MAOS.

  7. Clean Up Broward says:

    Sylvia Poitier has a decades long history of corruption that makes Eggelletion, Kraft, Gallagher and Atkins-Grad look like pillars of the community!

  8. david says:

    Has Sylvia played the race card yet ?!

  9. Fred says:

    It’s too bad so much time has passes since Gwyn Clarke Reed’s tenure in Deerfield Beach.

    Peas in a pod.

  10. Hey Mr Genius says:

    People In GLass Houses- Thats all I am saying

  11. Anonycommenter says:

    Glass houses? Really?

    Last time I looked I didn’t have a vote on the dais.

    Idiot.

  12. Maybe you will says:

    If you raise your game Chaz.

  13. David says:

    Ok, so you have investigated the main two African-American members who had votes. Did you do the same for all the , members…Did you follow the money, where did it lead b/c it definately was not in the black community and Ms. Poiteir and Ms. Battle have not upgraded their lifestyles…So where did the money actually go..I do see the East side of Deerfield has gone through a major beautification, though. Yet, the A-A portion of Deerfield couldn’t even get City support their festival. So, please tell me where the money went. Did the “Forensic Accountants” uncover that???