After audit reveals corruption, Florida town's days could be numbered

Yahoo News ^ | 3/10/14 | Mike Krumboltz

[Kartographer]

Critics of the town (population less than 500) argue that it has long existed for the sole purpose of enforcing a speed trap on a 1,260-foot stretch of highway. Issued tickets (12,698 between 2011 and 2012, according to the New York Times) resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

But where did the money go? No one knows. Auditors were told by city officials that some of the records were "lost in the swamp," according to CNN.

[Kartographer]

Some thing just never change. It seems like every State has one of these towns.

[VRWCarea51]

Let me tell ya something boy, No one comes round here asking those kind of questions. You Hear?

[boycott]

I received a ticket from a small town in Georgia — Richland, GA. They wanted cash or a money order. They didn’t want a certified check I got from the bank. I found that a bit unusual.

[Blood of Tyrants]

More than one. Crooks are drawn to these places and become corrupt politicians stealing from the people.

[AppyPappy]

Bluffton SC
Sedalia NC

Old speed trap towns

[immadashell]

Speed traps on U.S. 301 are a cottage industry in Florida. They should next audit Lawtey and Waldo. It has become so bad private citizens have paid for billboards warning about the ripoffs.

[Liz]

.....a 1,260-foot stretch of Florida highway was a speed trap that took in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. But where did the money go? ...city officials told auditors that some of the records were "lost in the swamp".......

NICE TRY BUT THEY'RE NOT GETTING AWAY WITH IT. Time to mobilize the Bank Secrecy Act.

The Bank Secrecy Act passed by Congress, requires banks to establish, implement and maintain programs designed to detect and report suspicious activity indicative of money laundering, govt fraud, and other financial crimes.

“The Bank Secrecy Act was enacted to protect the tax-paying public from harm by identifying and detecting money laundering from criminal enterprises, govt fraud, tax evasion, and other unlawful activities."

Taxpayers should demand copies of (1) city checks, (2) wire transfers, (3) bank account statements, (4) invoices, (5) bills, (6) delivery tickets, (7) correspondence including e-mail, employment contracts, loan agreements, and, (8) any other govt books or records. Scrutinize govt bank accounts for suspicious activites: (A) large deposits, (B) funds transferred from one account into another, (C) request for withdrawals.

CONTACT
enforcement@SEC.gov
FBI TIPS PAGE https://tips.fbi.gov/

SAMPLE LETTER:

SUBJECT: Collusion, conspiracy, and bribery
IN RE: financial irregularities
REFERENCE: govt fraud, ID theft, bank fraud, falsified govt documents, illegal wire transfers,

NARRATIVE Taxpayers demand to know the scope and dimension of multiple conspiracies by government insiders to collude in sub rosa deals to personally profit and/or to facilitate redistribution schemes.

OF INTEREST TO LAW ENFORCEMENTCongress should demand the FBI investigate evidence of multiple schemes to falsify govt documents.......and whether illegal wire transfers were employed to deposit city monies offshore.

Crimes might include---govt fraud, financial conspiracies, collusion, falsifying official documents, ID theft, money laundering, illegal wire transfers, tax evasion, extorting taxpayers, theft of govt monies, misuse of public office, misuse of government positions.

[Liz]

“Falsifying Government Documents” involves altering, changing, or modifying a document for the purpose of deception.......can also involve forgery and/or passing copies of false documents. Falsifying documents is usually done in connection with broader criminal aims, such as extortion, government fraud, tax evasion, money laundering, financing personal expenses........

Types of documents commonly falsified may include:
◾Tax returns and income statements
◾Personal checks
◾Bank account records
◾Business record keeping books
◾Immigration documents (such as visas, passports, etc.)
◾Identification cards and birth certificates

Many different types of acts can be considered as falsifying a document, including:
◾Altering or misrepresenting factual information such as prices or monetary amounts
◾Stating false information when requested to provide truthful statements
◾Forging a signature
◾Using official letterheads without authorization
◾Concealing assets or property WRT obtaining federal/state grants))
◾Knowingly using or distributing a fake document

A person can only be held criminally liable if they are deliberately acting with the intention of deceiving or defrauding another party.

Falsifying documents is a very serious offense and is generally classified as a felony. This means that a person charged with falsifying documents may be subject to the following legal penalties:
◾Having to pay a monetary fine
◾Incarceration in a prison facility

Depending on the gravity of the offense, as well as individual state laws, falsifying documents can result in a prison sentence of 5-10 years. Also, if government documents or authorities were involved, the legal penalties may be more severe. ..... legal penalties may increase with repeat offenses.

The penalty for falsifying government documents is outlined in the Crimes Act of 1958.

[Logical me]

Speaks of lots about law enforcement.

[RayChuang88]

This used to be a MUCH bigger problem, because even larger city police departments were in on this scam. But citizens and lawyers filing lawsuits pretty much ended the practice in bigger city police departments.

Unfortunately, as this story states, it's still a problem in small towns, though.

[skinkinthegrass]

yeah..Stay off of US Interstate -10, in Louisiana, many are
as (historically corruptible) according to some media sources..
(any out-of-state traveler..subject to confiscated/"alleged" drug $$$$).

[skinkinthegrass]

reply #8/#9THANK YOU!, both are great information/posts, liz

[Liz]

You are very welcome.

[Dubh_Ghlase]

Went through a podunk town in VA over the weekend with a (VA local friend) and we were stopped by 3 state troopers (lights flashing) at a “license checkpoint”. They went over his car with a fine-tooth comb, looking for “infractions”. I asked him afterwards if this was normal and he indicated they set up there a lot trying to catch “travelers”. I thought it quite odd that VA can afford to have 3 State trooper cars and troopers sitting in an out-of-the-way (dying) town, trying to find vehicle infractions in order to write tickets...

[GBA]

Two areas I go slow:
Highway 301, especially around Waldo, FL, and Ridgeland, SC on I-95.
(Ridgeland might not be a speed trap any more.)

[Blood of Tyrants]

Most of the time they are snooping around the car trying to get a glimpse of anything that would give them an excuse to search your car. We have become the police state our founding fathers feared.

[ken5050]

LIZ ROCKS!!!!!!

[Liz]

(Blush)

[catnipman]

“”If I was some kind of drug dealer, I would at least have a car. I ride a bicycle around town. I had my lights cut off twice last year. If I am a dope dealer, why are my lights getting cut off?””

Uh, because you use too much of your own product?

[Kartographer]

"Uh, because you use too much of your own product? "

GIVE THAT MAN A CIIIGGGAAAR!