. . . .In addition, the identity of the confidential informant who paid the bribe money to both men was revealed accidentally in court this afternoon by Clifton in a moment of raw emotion as he spoke to Scriven.
Clifton and Mitchell were each paid $5,000 in June 2010 by an unnamed "investor's representative" who was interested in having liens against the River Club Condominiums, 3131 S. Ridgewood Ave., reduced.
That investor's representative, or confidential informant, is Stuart Buchanan, a planner with Brevard County government who has also worked with the cities of South Daytona, Holly Hill and Daytona Beach.
Both Mitchell and Clifton accepted the cash in exchange for Mitchell's guarantee that the $241,000 in liens against the condominium property would be lowered.
In a sentencing memorandum made public Tuesday, Mitchell's attorney Mike Lambert claims that the meeting where the cash bribes were paid and the plan to reduce the liens was discussed was set up by law enforcement.
"It does not appear that the 'purported investor's representative' represented anyone other than law enforcement and that the scheme put together to obtain a reduction in the City of South Daytona liens placed upon 3131 South Ridgewood Avenue was one generated by law enforcement, and not any real potential investor, or investment group."
The maximum penalty for bribery is up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI began investigating Clifton and Mitchell in October 2010, records show.
In June of that year, Mitchell and Clifton met with Buchanan at the Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Port Orange. Clifton had met with Buchanan two months prior to the June dinner -- in April 2010 -- and they talked about getting the code enforcement liens reduced. . . .
read the complete article in the dbnj
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Former South Daytona mayor, magistrate face 3 years in prison for bribery
Daytona Beach News-Journal
In June of that year, Mitchell and Clifton met with the investor's representative at the Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Port Orange. Clifton had met with the investor's representative two months prior to the June dinner -- in April 2010 -- and they talked ...
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july 16 11 South Daytona tightens qualifications for special magistratesSpecial magistrates will face a stiffer selection process as the city amends its ordinance after the bribery case involving a former mayor and special magistrate.
July 16, 2011
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| June 30 2011 Former South Daytona magistrate pleads guilty to bribery
Mitchell elaborated on his role in the bribery, which took place June 1, 2010, at the Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Port Orange. "I got a call from Mr. Clifton," Mitchell said. "I arrived there, another person showed up and it was discussed the need to reduce fines at the River Club Condominiums. I agreed to do that, I took the money and reduced the fines." You might also be interested in:
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June 29 2011 Friendship turned rocky for South Daytona pair charged with briberyexcerpts from the Daytona Beach News-Journal article, follow: DAYTONA BEACH -- Jerome Mitchell, an attorney, and Ron Clifton, a city commissioner, were longtime friends back in 2004. At the time, City Manager Joe Yarbrough said, Clifton recommended Mitchell be appointed to preside as magistrate over code enforcement matters in the small city to the south of Daytona Beach. Yarbrough said he couldn't recall exactly what was said, but remembered telling Clifton to have Mitchell fill out a resume. "And that's exactly what happened." The men, both 42, shared business interests. Court records hint at a rough spot in their friendship earlier this year, when Clifton Financial Services sued Mitchell in January for failing to pay the mortgage on a property they bought together in 2003 at 1912 S. Ridgewood Ave. The lawsuit settled quickly, with a voluntary dismissal filed by Clifton in March. . . . ... The men's names have appeared together in a number of business deals. State records indicate Mitchell and Clifton are the officers of Express Title of Central Florida. Prosecutors say Mitchell's failure to return $164,000 in escrow funds he was entrusted to hold for a real estate deal that fell through led to state felony charges being filed in 2009. That case remains pending, even if it takes a back seat to the federal bribery case. Clifton is not named in that criminal case. .... ...In the pending escrow case against Mitchell, court records indicate Pacific Equity Trust entered into a contract to buy property from Robert N. Davis to build high-rise condominiums on Seabird Island in Port Orange. The deal to sell a mobile home park there for $25 million fell through when the city didn't rezone the land to allow the project. Pacific Equity sued to get its $250,000 deposit back. Mitchell was unable to come up with more than $160,000.... ....Mitchell's hearing today will make official a plea agreement that calls for his cooperation in a larger investigation. That probe deals with matters that include mortgage fraud and money laundering....
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....Buchanan, a planner for Brevard County, has declined comment on the case. Realtor Garrett said Buchanan has no ties to the investment group. Filjones also did not detail why the Department of Insurance is involved, but did say they're part of an FBI task force that investigates crimes. A pair of FBI agents attended the Orlando hearing Friday. So did Brian Brueggemann, a detective with the Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety. The director of that agency, Stephan Dembinsky, said Brueggemann was assigned to an FBI task force investigating "other things" than the bribery case, including mortgage fraud. "That's all I'm going to say," Dembinsky said. Clifton, who has not been jailed while awaiting resolution of the case, was ordered to surrender his passport and remain within the U.S. Middle District -- which encompasses much of Central Florida, not including South Florida and the Panhandle -- pending his sentencing. That date has not yet been set. Mitchell has a plea hearing next week before Kelly.
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The first court appearance in the South Daytona federal bribery case is set for Friday, when former South Daytona Mayor Ron Clifton is scheduled to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge in Orlando. |
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Former co-workers quiet about man's possible role in South Daytona bribery caseFormer colleagues describe Stuart Buchanan as a "great planner" who is well-versed in land use and zoning laws. But he also may have played the key role in the South Daytona federal bribery case that netted a former mayor and a former special magistrate, city documents and other records suggest.
June 19, 2011 |
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June 13 2011Bribery case shines light on magistratesThe arrest of a former South Daytona special magistrate on a federal bribery charge has cast a spotlight on the workings of the judge-like figures, who preside over code enforcement actions and make decisions on municipal fines and liens.
June 13, 2011 excerpts from the Daytona Beach News-Journal follow: In 2009, Mitchell was disbarred as an attorney in Florida because he represented a gasoline distributor who left the country with $25 million in phony real estate loans. Biju Abraham, whom Mitchell said left him "holding the bag," has not been seen since. City staffers liked working with Mitchell, even after he'd been disbarred. To keep him on board after the 10-year Florida Bar suspension was ordered, city leaders considered changing the ordinance to allow the position to be held by "an attorney," records show. "In hindsight, you think why didn't we remove him," Yarbrough said, referring to Mitchell's earlier legal troubles. "At the time, we looked into it, and didn't find anything criminal." Yarbrough said the thought at the time was that Mitchell was doing a good job for the city. Of his other troubles as an attorney, Yarbrough said, the thinking was "you could be stupid and not be immoral." ....
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June 12 2011
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above profile of Ramara Garrett found at //////////////////////////
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///////////////////// AT LEAST 12 PAGES OF GOOGLE ENTRIES ON RAMARA GARRETT ////////////////////////////
see http://www.corporationwiki.com/Florida/Daytona-Beach-Shores/3131-south-ridgewood-llc/27470719.aspx ////////////////////////
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South Daytona condo investor stunned by bribery scandal ////////////////// excerpts follow from the Daytona Beach News-Journal ....Perhaps no one would like those questions answered more than Ramara Garrett. Garrett and other investors make up a partnership called 3131 South Ridgewood LLC. The partnership in turn owns the vast majority of the units at River Club Condominiums, located at 3131 South Ridgewood Ave. in South Daytona. Garrett is also owner of The Waverly Property Group, the real estate company that is selling the units at River Club.... .....But Garrett believes that unnamed person is Stuart Buchanan. Reached at his office last week by a News-Journal reporter, Buchanan, 40, declined comment and hung up the phone. He is currently a planner for Brevard County. Between 2000 and 2006, he worked for the cities of Deltona, Daytona Beach, South Daytona and Holly Hill. In South Daytona, he was the city's planner from 2003 to 2005. In 1989, Buchanan was found guilty and sentenced to eight years incarceration by a court-martial of the U.S. Army for receiving, transporting and selling stolen property, as well as conspiracy and selling firearms without a license, according to city records and U.S. Army officials. In 2004, then-Gov. Jeb Bush granted Buchanan clemency, which restored his civil rights except for one restriction: He could not possess a firearm. Garrett said Buchanan first made contact with her with an email on Feb. 15, 2010. She had no idea who he was, although he implied they'd already met. "HI!" Buchanan's email began. "I believe we've met in the past." He stated that he had handled "entitlement work" for various developers in Volusia County, and he attached a lengthy biography to the email. He also wrote, "Recently I was assisting in getting issues with the River Club condos in South Daytona resolved with the city of South Daytona. I also brought in the general contractor that wrote up the building for needed repairs. I was mainly involved because I have a buyer interested in making a bulk unit purchase. My client has purchased a number of properties in Volusia County previously. "I would like to meet you for drinks and see if any of the units are still available from the new owner for purchase," Buchanan's email ended. Garrett said she declined to meet with Buchanan at that time. "He was always very determined to meet," Garrett said. "It was very creepy to me." ... ....On July 8, although he wasn't on the agenda, minutes indicate Buchanan showed up at a magistrate's hearing Mitchell was conducting. Buchanan said he was there representing The Waverly Property Group regarding the condo complex. Over the objections of city officials, Mitchell reduced the liens against the condos from $241,000 to $12,000. .... On the letter of intent, Buchanan stated that the buyer interested in purchasing the condos is "Marat Balegula." Out of curiosity, Garrett typed that unusual name into Google. What popped up were numerous references to a "Marat Balagula." .....Balagula is a reputed member of the so-called Russian crime syndicate. He served time in federal prison from 1992 to 2004 for a credit card scam and for a gasoline bootlegging operation. Various news accounts have tied him to organized crime in New York. He was released from a federal prison in Bastrop, Texas, in 2004. The News-Journal could not ascertain his whereabouts, whether he is even still alive or actually has any connection to this case. .... complete article at news-journalonline.com ///////////////////////// Found in a google search. Many google references to
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to the left of the name to see the Connection Visualizer. 
Former South Daytona official asked for lesser fine in bribery caseThe man who requested the code fine reductions that sank two former South Daytona officials is a longtime government planner who has a criminal past himself, records show.
June 8, 2011
Excerpts from the Daytona Beach News-Journal article:  Buchanan
The man who requested the code fine reductions that sank two former South Daytona officials is a longtime government planner who has a criminal past himself, records show. Now working as a planner in Brevard County, the personnel record of Stuart Arthur Buchanan from his days working at South Daytona show he was court-martialed in the Army in the 1980s for dealing in stolen property, conspiracy and selling weapons without a license. But he went on to work for several governments and was involved in major projects in South Daytona. Buchanan, as a senior planner at South Daytona starting in 2003, was key in the redevelopment efforts of South Ridgewood Avenue and in his time at Deltona, Holly Hill and in other government jobs received positive reviews. Buchanan, as a senior planner at South Daytona starting in 2003, was key in the redevelopment efforts of South Ridgewood Avenue and in his time at Deltona, Holly Hill and in other government jobs received positive reviews. But records show Buchanan's latest move in South Daytona involved getting $241,000 in code fines reduced to $12,500 during a code hearing in which he identified himself as a representative of condo investors. The fine reduction was at the heart of the federal investigation that resulted in former Mayor Ron Clifton and former Special Magistrate Jerome Mitchell being charged with bribery by the U.S. Attorney's Office. . . . . Buchanan, who did not return phone messages left Tuesday, had a prominent role in the South Daytona code enforcement hearing on July 8 that is at the center of the federal government's charges against Clifton and Mitchell, city documents show. . . . . At the July 8 code enforcement hearing in South Daytona, though, Buchanan -- already employed with Brevard County -- said he was from a company called Innovative Zoning Solutions of Rockledge and that he was representing Waverly Properties for 3131 S. Ridgewood Ave. The latter is the address for the River Club and Waverly Property Group is the broker for the sale of units at the River Club, records show. The owner of the condominium property is a concern called 3131 South Ridgewood LLC. Waverly Property Group owner Ramara Garrett has strongly stated that Buchanan has never represented her company. At the code meeting Buchanan asked Mitchell for a reduction in fines for the condominium property. In the government's version of the July 8 code hearing, the federal government stated that Mitchell reduced the fines to an amount "previously discussed by the investor's representative, Clifton and Mitchell." Government documents do not name Buchanan. The 40-year-old Buchanan never told his superiors at Brevard County that he was involved in another business, as required by county policy. . . . . In 2005 Buchanan helped the city eliminate some mobile home parks and the development district had been approved for at least three condominium projects, including Halifax Landings on South Ridgewood Avenue. Others, land with mobile home parks and a bowling alley/lounge, are still vacant. Buchanan, who no longer worked for South Daytona in September 2006, represented then-Commissioner Clifton at a Land Development Regulation Board meeting. Clifton and a partner petitioned for a zoning change for properties they owned while seeking to dislodge Ramar Mobile Home Park on Ridgewood Avenue. In 1989, Buchanan, then in the U.S. Army, was court-martialed after he was charged with receiving, transporting and selling stolen property. Buchanan, who lives in Brevard County, also was charged with conspiracy and selling arms without a license. In 2004, then-Governor Jeb Bush granted him clemency, restoring civil rights he lost with the court-martial. There was one restriction against Buchanan -- he could not possess a firearm.
complete article at dbnj on line poanposted 6 9 11 at 106 am
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SOUTH DAYTONA OFFICIALS CHARGED BY FBI:Poan Hank had asked the City of Port Orange to provide any records of Mr. Mitchell or Mr. Clifton appearing before the Port Orange City Council. After an exhaustive search, in installment parts, no such records have been found. /////////////////////////////// I have searched more of our old documents and have found nothing with Mr. Mitchell’s name or Mr. Clifton. It does not appear either appeared before the Port Orange Council. If I may be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Robin
ROBIN FENWICK DEPUTY CITY CLERK CITY OF PORT ORANGE 1000 City Center Circle Port Orange, FL 32129 poanposted 6 8 11 at 206 pm |
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July 8 2010, Minutes of the Special South Daytona Magistrate Hearing,
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Ex-mayor to plead guilty to bribery
1 other man takes deal in lien case
By LYDA LONGA, Staff Writer
 Daytona Beach News-Journal June 7, 2011 12:05 AM
Posted in:
Tagged:excerpts follow: Clifton and Mitchell admitted in documents obtained Monday that they accepted bribes in exchange for reducing city code liens against a condominium property that was for sale in South Daytona last year. According to the federal charges, Clifton accepted $7,500 in bribes from a representative of an investor interested in purchasing the River Club Condominium at 3131 S. Ridgewood Ave. Federal authorities have declined to identify the investors' representative and have not charged that person with bribing the public officials. At the time, the 40-unit condo was owned -- and is still owned -- by a group called 3131 South Ridgewood LLC. The broker for the sale of the condominium is Waverly Property Group, which is owned by Ramara Garrett. The owner's mother, Marilyn Garrett, is the registered agent for 3131 South Ridgewood LLC, according to state corporate listings. In exchange for his services, Mitchell received $5,000 after he lowered the $241,000 code liens to $12,500, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Mitchell's actions were carried out on July 8, 2010, at a code enforcement hearing in South Daytona where he presided as the special magistrate, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. While the investors' representative remains a mystery, the minutes of the code enforcement hearing show that a man identified as Stuart Buchanan said he was representing the Waverly Property Group of 3131 S. Ridgewood Ave. When reached at his job in Brevard County on Monday, where he works as a planner, Buchanan asked whether the call pertained to his work. Then he hung up. There are several unanswered questions, including the identity of the investors' representative, and whether that person will be charged because he paid two public officials off with bribes. The U.S. Attorney's Office would not comment on that aspect of the case Monday, with a spokesman saying he could neither "confirm nor deny" when asked whether the person who paid the bribes -- the unidentified investors' representative -- would be charged with a crime. Meanwhile, the attorney for Mitchell, Mike Lambert, said he believes "someone was obviously eavesdropping" when Clifton met with the investor's representative on May 26 to discuss how Mitchell -- who was not at that meeting -- would reduce the code liens in exchange for the bribes. Mitchell's plea hearing has been set for June 29 at 11:30 a.m. in U.S. District Court in Orlando before Magistrate Judge Gregory J. Kelly. Clifton's hearing date was not available. complete article at dbnj on lline 6 7 11 |
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Former South Daytona officials plead guilty to accepting bribesEx-mayor and City Council member Ron Clifton and ex-magistrate Jerry Mitchell face federal prison time and fines.excerpts follow: A disbarred lawyer who pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe while working for the city of South Daytona is a target of two other criminal investigations, court documents revealed Monday. The U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are looking into whether Jerome "Jerry" Mitchell, 42, of Port Orange, committed mortgage, bank, wire or mail fraud, money laundering, forgery or making false statements to a financial institution, a plea agreement shows. Those charges may be filed separately and disposed of in a separate plea agreement, papers state. Prosecutors agreed not to charge Mitchell with other crimes they were aware of that related to his work as a code-enforcement special magistrate in South Daytona. . . . . Mitchell and Clifton admitted accepting bribes from a company called 3131 South Ridgewood, LLC, which bought River Club condominiums on the Halifax River in May 2009. The four-story building contains 40 condos. 6 6 11 |
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Marina Resorts Properties, LLCThank you Mr. Paker. If his company had come before the port orange city council, it is no bad reflection upon the city council, but in these days because of these too prevalent kinds of dealings, we need to pay attention to implicated companies and/or developers coming before the city council. I think you all did well with the Internet Gambling issue, and I would think it is in the nature of the game to be sued by a company such as Allied Veterans. Good luck to you and for all of us.
Thank you for your information and help to me, so that we can keep vigilant about who might be coming in front of the city council. The marina company mentioned might very well be reputable, despite Mitchell being on the managing board. We are alert and watching. It is what it is in America, and indeed South Daytona is not Port Orange, and we are happy to know that such things have not happened here, and we stay alert to come down hard if it does.
I think there was a negative happening some years ago in regards to a federal investigation of some aspect in Port Orange. I remember a former mayor speaking of the investigation at a Port Orange Historical meeting, and I think I recalled that nothing concrete came out of the invetigation. A few years ago, top managers of Family Days were investigated, and one member charged for wrong doings as representatives of that non profit organization.
It seems prudent for citizens to stay alert and be aware of any ties of unethical people to businesses that might come before the city council.
But in no way do I mean to suggest that the city council is connected or have ties to undesirable elements.
Mr. Mitchell will have his day in court, and meanwhile, we citizens will remember how close South Daytona is to Port Orange. I wish such alleged nefarious deeds are not processed in a Port Orange restaurant or behind McDonalds. I like our eating establishments in Port Orange.
Thank you for looking into my request for information. -- hank springer www.portorangeareanews.com
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Former Mayor Ron Clifton was charged Friday by the U.S. attorney's office with accepting $7,500 in bribes to help reduce city and county liens on a condominium complex and then lying about it to the FBI.
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////////////////////////// Also found on the internet: 18 years since Jerome David Mitchell was first licensed to practice law.
found at http://www.avvo.com/attorneys/32129-fl-jerome-mitchell-527848.html //////////////////////////////// Also found on the internet , mug shot Nov. 09, of Jerome Mitchell. \//////////////////////////// also found on the internet from the Orlando Sentinel: Mitchell is a lawyer who was disbarred in 2009 for 10 years for failing to pay mortgages and liens with $25 million from the sale of gas stations and other real estate, documents show. He gave the money to a client — the seller of the stations — without making sure the encumbrances were satisfied, papers from The Florida Bar state. above excerpt from http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-06-03/news/os-corruption-bribery-south-daytona-20110603_1_liens-city-magistrate-bribery ///////////////////////////////  MItchell
above phot found in Daytona Beach News-Journal, http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2011/06/04/former-south-daytona-mayor-charged-with-bribery-making-false-statements.html /////////////////////// also found on the internet: DISBARRED LAWYER CHARGED WITH MISAPPROPRIATION OF ESCROW-- Daytona Beach News-Journal, http://www.news-journalonline.com, Aug. 27, 2010. found at http://www.floridabar.org/DIVCOM/ ////////////////////////// corrections if needed will be added to this section. POAN hank will be inquring to find out if Jerome D. Mitchell is the same as Jerome Mitchell, and if Marina Resorts Properties, LLC has come before the Port Orange City Council on any issue. Poan Hank also wants to know when Jerome Mitchell was appointed special magistrate, and if he served in such position after being disbarred. If you have any infomation on such matters, please let me know. 6 4 11
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 06/03/2011 The City of South Daytona http://www.southdaytona.org/ from Jeanne Willard, Public Information Officer FORMER CITY OFFICIALS CHARGED SOUTH DAYTONA – City officials confirmed that United States Attorney Robert O’Neill of the Middle District of Florida filed felony information charges of bribery and making false statements against former Mayor Ron Clifton today. In a separate filing former Special Magistrate Jerome Mitchell was charged with bribery.
City Manager Joe Yarbrough expressed his regret upon hearing the news. “This is an example of how the public trust can be breeched. In my thirty five year career I have never experienced an indictment of a city official. I am thankful that the FBI has thoroughly investigated and is pursuing the alleged charges. Though serving and contracted by the city at the time of the alleged actions, Mr. Clifton and Mr. Mitchell acted outside the knowledge or sanctions of the city administration and the city council,” Yarbrough said. “On a personal note, should these men be found guilty of the charges against them, I am saddened by the consequences to their families.” Clifton was first elected to the City Council in 1994. He became acting Mayor on April 9, 2010 when Mayor Blaine O’Neal died and was sworn in as interim mayor on April 27, 2010. He served in that capacity until the election of a new mayor on August 24, 2010. Clifton resumed Council Seat 4 until his resignation on January 12, 2011. He did not provide City officials with a reason for his resignation. Special Magistrate Jerome Mitchell was appointed by the City Council in January 2004 and was replaced as Special Magistrate on July 13, 2010. |
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Former South Daytona mayor charged with bribery 6 3 11 |
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