Michael Anthony Johnson is a fugitive who was on the run from authorities for numerous violent felony charges. He is also a cocaine trafficker who attempted to kill two Broward County Deputies when they tried to stop him in July of last year. Johnson rammed one of the deputy’s vehicles and then attempted to run over the other deputy who was on foot. The deputies fired into Johnson’s vehicle as he escaped. Crimestoppers aired his picture on local TV and in newspapers in an attempt to gain information on his whereabouts. Numerous agencies including FBI, DEA and FDLE began conducting their investigations into his location. All attempts to locate Johnson were unsuccessful. Fugitive Detective Chuck Morrow also began his investigation and targeted Johnson’s associates, some of who were arrested on outstanding warrants. During interviews with these associates Detective Morrow was able to gain some useful information. Surveillances were utilized in Sunrise, Plantation and Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale Criminal Investigations Division welcomes Sergeants Pat French, Ted Tyzo and Steve Lerman to the Bureau.

On January 10, Detective Morrow learned that Johnson was at an apartment complex in Lauderhill. Prior to the police arrival Johnson fled the area. The detective’s investigation continued where he made numerous contacts with street sources and informants. After surveillances were conducted on more of Johnson’s associates Detective Morrow was confident that he was hiding in an apartment in Coral Springs. The detective then requested assistance from ATF and the US Marshal Service in continued surveillance of the Turtle Run Apartment complex in Coral Springs. After several hours Johnson was observed arriving at the apartment. As Johnson was entering the apartment Detective Morrow notified Coral Springs Police Department for assistance of additional uniform officers. When Johnson realized the police were knocking at the door he slammed the door and attempted to escape. He only got as far as the living room when he was handcuffed and taken into custody. Located on the floor of the room was a Tech 9 machinegun pistol, 150 grams of crack cocaine and $4500 in cash. Johnson’s vehicle was searched, and located between the front seat was a 9 mm handgun and crack cocaine. Both firearms were fully loaded.

Johnson was transported to the police department where he confessed to owning the firearms and cocaine, but refused to talk when asked about the attempted murder of the BSO deputies. DEA will possibly be filing federal charges for firearm and trafficking charges.

In March of 2001 the manager of a Self Storage facility was found dead in his apartment. A substantial scene was established and evidence was collected. One such item was a bloody bed comforter. Crime Scene Investigator Detective Juan Cabrera was able to develop a partial bloody palm print on the comforter. Chief Latent Examiner Car Ciotola examined the palm print and was unable to identify the print due to the fabric background associated with the comforter’s weave pattern.

In April the long awaited installation of the More Hits Digital Enhancement System occurred. During the following month the Crime Scene Unit and Latent Examiners received extensive training on the system. On May 15 the bloody palm print was entered into More Hits for the purpose of attempting to enhance the previously unidentifiable print. Within a short time the murder’s bloody palm print was revealed. The enhancements had removed the background pattern and had rendered the print identifiable. Chief Latent Examiner Ciotola was now able to compare the print to the known standard of a possible suspect named Geoffrey Kennedy. It was a match. Detective Cabrera did not hesitate to say that without the More Hits System this crucial piece of evidence would still unidentifiable.

Palm Print Before Enhancement

Palm Print After Enhancement

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Crime Scene Unit is the first Broward County agency to have successfully admitted digitally enhanced images in court. Fort Lauderdale is the first agency in the state to have done so, as well as the Southeastern United States. This case is only one of three cases in the entire United States that have resulted in a guilty verdict.

Gregory Hadden, a teacher at Sunland Park Elementary School was issued an Apple laptop computer on October 3. This item was the property of the School Board of Broward County and Hadden signed a document acknowledging this. On the same day he pawned the computer at a pawnshop in Fort Lauderdale. He signed the store’s required control slip and placed his thumbprint on it. By signing, Hadden stated that the computer was his own property and was paid $200 for it. He allowed it to remain at the pawnshop for 49 days, buying it back on November 20. A week later he sold the computer again, signing the control slip saying it was his property. The fingerprint on the control slip was compared and identified by Latent Examiner Carl Ciotola and was a match to Hadden. He was arrested and charged with grand theft and false verification of property. Hadden was cooperative and remorseful.

Brunner Noel, a Haitian Gang member is a violent drug trafficker who was being sought by federal authorities including DEA, INS and US Border Patrol. He was wanted for federal warrants reference kidnapping, armed robbery, escape and other firearm violations. He has also had numerous drug charges over the past ten years and operated a drug organization in Fort Lauderdale. Fugitive Detective Chuck Morrow was contacted by both US Border Patrol and the INS who requested assistance in finding Noel who was on the run. Noel was involved in a chase and struggle with Border Patrol Officers several months earlier when they attempted to take him into custody. He also eluded capture even after Broward County Aviation and K-9 assisted in utilizing area search. Detective Morrow began his investigation into Noel’s whereabouts by conducting surveillances on several associates’ residences in Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes and Sunrise. Street sources revealed a possible location in Lauderhill that Noel frequented and after surveillance on the location he was seen arriving at the residence. Noel was dropped off by associates and immediately entered another vehicle leaving the area. Detective Morrow kept Noel under close watch while waiting for assistance from patrol and K-9. A felony stop was conducted on the vehicle and Noel was taken into custody without incident. He was taken to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department while federal authorities arrived to take him into custody.

On December 21, Economic Crimes Detective Kevin Allen arrested 46-year-old Jeanine Hager. She was the bookkeeper for Hodges Real Estate, a 3rd generation realtor at 2644 East Oakland Park Boulevard. She was arrested after it was discovered she had stolen $319,000 from the business over a two-year period. The funds, taken from the victim’s trust fund account, were in the form of over 100 checks which Hager made payable to herself. The business, located in Fort Lauderdale since 1924, was almost put out of business by this substantial loss. An interesting note on this case: Hager is on probation for embezzlement. A few years ago she stole $21,000 from her daughter’s PTA in Coral Springs. Her probation officer violated her parole after Detective Allen’s arrest. She will be spending time in prison.

On December 15 a victim was carjacked for his 2002 Toyota Highlander SUV valued at $30,000. General Duty Detective Rich Rodriguez was on the scene and gained information on a possible juvenile culprit. Detective Rodriguez contacted the juvenile’s father and told him that Fort Lauderdale detectives needed to talk with him. Violent Crimes Detective Jack DiCristofalo was assigned the case and the next day the juvenile’s parents brought him into the station to be interviewed. The juvenile confessed to the carjacking from the previous night and to another auto theft from the Coral Ridge mall. After showing Detective DiCristofalo where the car, pellet gun and car keys were located he was booked reference the carjacking. Both vehicles were returned to the victims.

On October 4, 2000 Dietayvious Taylor was a suspect in an armed robbery that occurred at 728 NW 9 Avenue at Acme Scrap Metal. A bolo was issued for Taylor and he was observed by Fugitive Detective Chuck Morrow a short time after the robbery occurred. Following a brief foot pursuit he was taken into custody with the assistance of patrol officers. Witnesses positively identified Taylor at this time. Violent Crimes Detectives Rod McGowan and Gabe Carmichael located an additional witness who also gave a positive identification on Taylor in a photo lineup. On December 4, both Detectives McGowan and Carmichael testified at the trial. Taylor was found guilty and may serve 30 years. According to the detectives Taylor has been a suspect in several armed robberies and has an extensive criminal history. Thanks to the hard work of the detectives and cooperation of witnesses, this habitual offender who has been preying on victims in the community for a long time is now off the streets.

Congratulations to Jack and Pat Baran on their recent retirement.
We wish them well.

Emanuel Potts was on the run from authorities reference escape. He also had several outstanding felony warrants for narcotics. For the past three months Fugitive Detective Chuck Morrow has been tracking Potts throughout Broward County. Detective Morrow obtained information from a confidential source that Potts was possibly hiding in an apartment complex in Margate. Surveillance was utilized at 400 NW 65 Avenue where Potts was observed leaving the complex by vehicle. Detective Morrow followed Potts who was eventually stopped at NW 9 Street and NW 24 Avenue with the assistance of patrol. Potts showed the detective a drivers license with an alias name of Eric Jackson. A search of Potts revealed that he had hidden cocaine and cannabis in his underwear. He was taken into custody at that time.

On November 9, Ramsey Auto Body located at 209 SW 15 Street was the victim of a robbery in which $700 in cash and company checks were taken. Violent Crimes Detective Steve Palazzo was assigned the case and was told by employees that the 2 male subjects that robbed the business had come in several days prior to get an estimate for work on a blue Buick. The following week Detective Palazzo learned that a female had cashed one of the stolen checks. She was located and named Rodrick Pitts as one of the suspects who had robbed the auto body shop. A lineup was prepared and showed to the victim and employees, Pitts was positively identified. The victim also identified the Buick, which was found at 801 SW 15 Avenue. Detective Palazzo had the stolen recovered check processed for prints and found one of the prints on the check to belong to Pitts. He was arrested and charged with armed robbery, grand theft and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Pitts has 12 prior robbery and drug convictions. Detective Palazzo continues his investigation into the identity and arrest of Pitts’ partner.

In an ongoing investigation into the robberies that occurred in the Riverside Park area Detective Steve Palazzo arrested Horace Ross for the robbery that occurred at the Racetrack Gas Station. Ross named Michael Brown as the 2nd of 4 culprits who also robbed the Bayside Market. Both were charged with the robberies. The investigation continued into the identity of the other two suspects.

On January 23, 2002, The Fort Lauderdale Police Department, BSO, Miami Dade Police Department and the FBI, all members of the Broward County LEACH Task Force (Law Enforcement Against Child Harm) on the internet arrested Harry Draper after a year long investigation that alleges Draper, using the internet service provider WEB-TV, solicited and enticed undercover Detective Rich Love for sex and transmitted harmful materials to Detective Love who had been posing as a fourteen year old girl. Draper, a Tech Sergeant with the 93rd Fighter Squadron stationed at Homestead Air Force Base, had been communicating with an undercover FBI agent in Tampa, who had also been posing as a fourteen-year-old girl. The agent supplied information to the LEACH Task Force that Draper had been posting personal ads for sex with young girls on the Internet in newsgroups such as Alt.teen. Detective Love posing as a fourteen year old girl made contact with Draper who used numerous screen names such as “Wanslove”. He sent in excess of 165 emails to the undercover detective professing his love for the girl. He also sent 18 Internet movies, which depicted adults involved in various sexual acts. In addition, Draper had numerous sexually explicit telephone conversations with one of Fort Lauderdale’s female officers who posed as the fourteen year old on the phone. Draper was arrested when the Task Force executed a search warrant at this home located at 2024 SE 26 Lane in Homestead. He gave a full confession and is currently being held on no bond.

On November 17, Dewey Freeman approached a female in the parking lot of the Publix supermarket located at 3500 West Davie Boulevard, shoved her to the ground and fled with her purse. Although shaken she was able to get up and see the tag of the culprits vehicle and remember it until the police arrived. Violent Crimes Detective Steve Palazzo began his investigation and from the tag information was able to get a driver’s license photo for a lineup. The victim positively identified Freeman as the subject who took her purse. On December 28 Freeman was located in the area of 441 and NW 8 Street. His vehicle was followed to NW 6 Street and NW 17 Avenue and with the assistance of patrol officers a felony stop was conducted. Freeman was arrested and taken to the police department where he admitted to the robbery as well as two in Lauderdale Lakes and one in Tamarac. The victim’s phone was recovered from Freeman’s vehicle.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Special Investigations Division, which is comprised of street, mid-level and upper level units makes a dynamic impact on cleaning up the areas of the city that drug dealers and prostitutes frequent. The following are some of the locations the division has cleaned up.

• During the month of January members of SID gained information about a cocaine distributor from Coral Springs distributing cocaine to the various nightclubs in the downtown Fort Lauderdale area. Information was received that this cocaine distributer was going to a Coral Springs address to distribute 1 ounce of cocaine. Through a coordinated effort between SID and Coral Springs Narcotics Detectives, the individual was contacted utilizing K-9. One arrest was made and the cocaine seized.
• On January 4, members of SID along with members of the DEA, BSO and PBSO acted on a tip of two suspicious packages. Search warrants were obtained for the packages and the address in Delray where they were in route to. A controlled delivery of the packages was done and the search warrant was executed. Inside the packages was approximately $5000 worth of Ketamine and Steroids. Located inside the residence was approximately 3 pounds of hydroponic Marijuana valued at $13,000. One arrest was also made.
• On December 21, a two-month long investigation ended in the arrest of a sales clerk at the Romantix Video located at 3520 North Federal Highway. Members of SID received information that cocaine was being sold from the video store. Using a confidential informant, several cocaine buys and one arrest were made.
• After a two-week joint undercover investigation, Vice Detectives along with agents from ATF made 11 arrests at Chaps, a popular gay nightspot located at 1727 North Andrews Extension. Arrested was the owner, Steve Holt, 2 bartenders and 8 patrons. Those arrested were charged with indecent exposure, lewd behavior, nudity and alcohol violations. The investigation revealed that the lounge set aside two areas that encouraged and promoted illicit sexual activity between club patrons. In addition, Holt was charged with blocking and emergency exit after detectives discovered several exits were actually barricaded and would have blocked an escape in the event of an emergency.
• On January 8, members of SID along with members of Coral Springs PD gained information that a marijuana distributor was traveling from his residence to an unknown destination to pick up and then return to the original location with about ½ pound of marijuana. Surveillance followed the target to an apartment in Margate where a drug transaction was observed to take place. Utilizing narcotics K-9, he was found to have approximately ½ pound of marijuana in his vehicle and about 6 grams of cocaine. Surveillance was maintained on the address in Margate and with the assistance of their narcotics unit contact was made with the resident and consent to search the apartment was gained. Inside was located approximately $3500 in cash, marijuana and paraphernalia. An address of a warehouse in Deerfield Beach was found on documents inside the residence and with the assistance of BSO consent to search the warehouse was obtained. Utilizing K-9 1 more pound of marijuana was seized. Along with the sized marijuana and paraphernalia, two arrests were made.
• On January 18th and 19th the Raiders conducted several narcotics operations along the Sunrise Corridor. Reverse stings, buy-busts and search warrants resulted in 32 arrests and 9 vehicles confiscated.
• During a routine traffic stop conducted by Raiders Detective Tim Shields, his K-9 partner “Sparky” alerted to the vehicle. A search revealed 40 ounces of cocaine, 1 handgun and $1,570 in cash.

On December 13, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Strategic Investigations Unit, Burglary Unit and the U.S. Secret Service, joined forces to arrest Roger Chris Perritt and John Grassano. After receiving an anonymous tip from a concerned citizen, SID Detective Tony Magnanti began an investigation in to the alleged sale of narcotics and stolen property from 512 NE 7 Avenue in the Victoria Park area of the city. With the assistance of Burglary Detectives Jack Gee and Cheryl Donisi, undercover narcotics purchases were conducted from within this residence. During these transactions, SID Detective Mike Nahum was able to secure several hand-to-hand narcotics deals with Roger Perritt. During one of these transactions, Perritt purchased a VCR from Detective Nahum, which was allegedly stolen.

Perritt became confident that Detective Nahum was just another criminal and introduced him to John Grassano. Grassano met with the detective and placed an order for approximately $11,000 worth of stolen merchandise. Through the cooperation of Target Corporate Security, 32 items of electronics equipment were utilized as a decoy. They settled on a price of $3,000 for all of the property. Grassano also offered to provide Detective Nahum with fraudulent gift cards, redeemable at local department stores, as part of the payment for the electronics. Grassano met with Detective Nahum at Cypress Creek Station to complete the deal. He produced the money, began to take possession of the equipment and was subsequently arrested by members of SID. While this arrest was taking place, a team of Raiders went to Perritt's residence, took him into custody, and recovered the VCR. The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the fraudulent gift cards.

• Detective Carl Hannold led the investigation at 1705 NW 7 Court in Durrs Area…$788 seized and 2 arrests made
• Detective Todd Hill led the investigation at 418 NW 13 Avenue in Dorsey Riverbend…1 arrest made.
• Detective John Jenson led the investigation at 2312 NW 9 Court
• Detective Dana Swisher led the investigation at 518 NW 8 Avenue…1 arrest made
• Detective Mike Heller led the investigation at 720 NW 4 Avenue…1 arrest made

• Drew Cheney, charged with Firearm Violations…from 3040 N A1A, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Isasiah Gaines, charged with Trafficking in Cocaine, Aggravated Stalking, Burglary and Resisting…from 109 SW 2 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Angelo Forbes, charged with Robbery…from NW 8 Street & NW 14 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Damian Tukes, charged with Robbery and Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon…from 4200 NW 16 Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Robert Bartlett, charged with Burglary of Structure…from 6810 Rio Pinar, North Lauderdale, FL
• Richard Ganer, charged with Dealing in Stolen Property…from 1111 SW 73 Avenue, North Lauderdale, FL
• Rodney Simpkins, charged with Dealing in Stolen Property…from 7862 Kimberly Boulevard, North Lauderdale, FL
• Richard Fata, charged with Trafficking in Cocaine and Delivery of Cocaine…from 8000 Fairview Drive, Tamarac, FL
• Marce Sevilla, charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine…from 1803 W SR 84, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Jason Bacino, charged with Delivery of Cocaine…from 1130 NW 41 Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Antwon Johnson, member of the street gang “Thug Life” charged with Possession of Cannabis and multiple Traffic Warrants…from 817 NW 14 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL