VOLUSIA EXPOSED.COM

Was FDLE Agent Ivey's investigation and arrest of Melbourne police officer Frank Carter politically motivated? Does it also bring insight into why the FDLE will not investigate the Volusia County jail in-custody deaths Is Agent Ivey playing politics with his badge?

Updated October 28, 2011

"POLITICAL AGENDAS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT POWERS ARE THE MOTHER AND FATHER
TO THE BOUNCING BABY KNOWN AS POLICE CORRUPTION"- VolusiaExposed.Com



VolusiaExposed.Com has been unsuccessful in getting the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate our concerns surrounding the apparent falsification of records regarding several in-custody deaths at the Volusia County jail.

In the particular, we invite you to review the 2009 death of Volusia County jail Inmate Tracey Veira. Please take the time to review the documents attached to this death - Is there any doubt, that jail officers falsified their reports? If there is no doubt, then why did FDLE Agent Wayne Ivey refuse to investigate this death?

Click here - VolusiaExposed's Tracey Veira web page

Click here - Other questionable deaths within the Volusia County Jail that FDLE refuses to investigate

FDLE Resident Agent In-Charge - Wayne Ivey apparently had little reservations in arresting Melbourne police officer Frank Carter on charges of falsifying traffic tickets.

The charges against Officer Carter allege that he engaged in racial profiling in his alleged ticket writing campaign. Officer Carter maintains that he was targeted by the Melbourne Police Chief in retaliation for his union leadership activities.

Was Officer Carter targeted for political reasons - and did the Florida Department of Law Enforcement knowingly assist in the character assassination of Officer Carter?

Lets examine the documents attached to the case against Officer Frank Carter and see if we can determine if he was prosecuted by both the Melbourne PD and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to forward a political agenda.

Apparently, Sgt. Daniel Lynch is the Melbourne PD internal affairs investigator. In December 2009, Sgt. Lynch was investigating a complaint logged against Officer Carter from an ex-girl friend. The ex-girl friend's allegations were assigned Melbourne PD internal affairs case number IA-2009-052.

While "investigating" the ex-girl friend's allegations, Sgt. Lynch developed his own concerns that Officer Frank Carter had been issuing illegal traffic tickets. We invite you to review the below attached December 22, 2009 memorandum from Sgt. Lynch to Police Chief Carey whereas Sgt. Lynch clearly indicates that he (Lynch) is the complainant (not the ex-girl friend) regarding the ticket allegations.

Click here - Sgt. Lynch's December 22, 2009 memo.

Due to the above memorandum, another, separate investigation (IA-2009-059) was opened on Officer Carter.

VolusiaExposed wanted to verify our suspicions that MPD Sgt. Daniel Lynch was the complainant regarding the allegations of illegal traffic ticket issuance by Officer Carter. In order to verify our suspicions that Sgt. Lynch was indeed the complainant, we sent a public records request to the City of Melbourne requesting, in the particular, the name of the complainant regarding the allegations of illegal traffic ticket issuance as outlined in MPD IA-2009-059.

In response to our request, the City of Melbourne sent VolusiaExposed, the single document record of MPD Sgt. Lynch's December 22, 2009 memorandum to Melbourne Police Chief Carey. Doing such, in our opinion, verifies that even the City of Melbourne recognizes that Sgt. Lynch is the complainant regarding IA-2009-059.

Click here - City of Melbourne response to our public record request.

So, if the City of Melbourne knew that Sgt. Lynch was the official complainant regarding the allegations of illegal traffic ticket issuance by Officer Carter, then why did Chief Carey in a January 4, 2010 memorandum assign Sgt. Lynch to investigate his own complaint?

Click here - Chief Carey's memo assigning Sgt. Lynch as the investigating officer.

Isn't there a problem with the complainant investgiating his own complaint?

And in the words of Gomer Pyle, surprise !!, surprise!!, surprise!!, by the 25th of January 2010, Sgt. Lynch determined that there is probable cause to support a criminal investigation into Officer Carter's alleged actions.

Click here - Sgt. Lynch's January 25, 2010 memorandum.

Shortly thereafter, Officer Carter found himself being arrested by the local branch of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (Supervised by, then Resident Agent In Charge, Wayne Ivey). Did the probable cause that Sgt. Lynch came to, by investigating his own complaint, help support the probable cause that FDLE needed to make the arrest? Notice how quick the arrest came after Sgt. Lynch made his probable cause conclusion. What does that say about the quality of the FDLE investigation?

Click here - Media article regarding Officer Carter's January 2010 arrest.

Shortly after Carter's arrest, the City of Melbourne found themselves in the rather embarassing position of having to apologize to Officer Carter. The local State Attorney also discovered that the FDLE case against Officer Carter was too weak to even bring in front of a jury. The State Attorney dropped all charges against Officer Carter.

Click here - Media article regarding the City of Melbourne's apology to Officer Carter

Click here - Media article regarding the State Attorney dropping charges against Officer Carter

We wonder - Did FDLE Agent Ivey offer an apology to Officer Carter?

The City of Melbourne now finds itself dealing with a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by Officer Carter.

Click here - Copy of Officer Carter's lawsuit.

Click here - Media article regarding Officer Carter suing the city for $50 million dollars

In late October 2011, Office Carter had to defend his Florida law enforcement certification at a Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC) probable cause hearing.

Click here - Copy of MPD CJSTC complaint on Officer Carter.

The CJSTC is a branch of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Their mission is to ensure that all citizens of Florida are served by criminal justice officers who are ethical, qualified, and well-trained.

Click here -- CJSTC Website.

During the CJSTC Probable Cause hearing, CJSTC Chairman John Rivera stated the following in regards to the Melbourne PD complaint against Officer Carter, "If it looks like a skunk, walks like a skunk, and smells like a skunk, it must be a skunk, this stinks. I move, as chairman to a finding of no probable cause." (There was a second and a unanimous vote, whereupon the people in the room stood up in applause.)

Frank Carter had an excellent legal team representing him, to include an expert law enforcement witness, Roy Bedard. We invite you to review the rather extensive and detailed report filed by Mr. Bedard.

Click here -- Roy Bedard' report - Expert Witness / law enforcement matters

Click here - Officer Carter's Attorney's office web page regarding the CJSTC Probable Cause hearing

Remember, the CJSTC is a branch of the FDLE - so what does that say about the veracity of FDLE's arrest of Officer Frank Carter?

This whole Officer Carter mess reminds us of the Lance Larsen scandal.

Lance Larsen was the Deputy Property Appraiser for Brevard County. FDLE Agent Wayne Ivey had him arrested for fraud.

Click here - State Attorney press release - FDLE (Wayne Ivey) charges Brevard's Deputy Property Appraiser with fraud

It's been alleged, in certain circles within Brevard County, that Mr. Larsen's arrest was just another example of criminal charges being filed in order to promote a political agenda. Was it? Who knows for sure - we ask you to review the documents and come to your own conclusions.

On Mr. Larsen's third day at trial - the judge acquitted Mr. Larsen of all charges - stating that the State Attorney did not have enough evidence to support their charges.

Click here - Media article - three days into his criminal trial - the judge acquits Deputy Property Appraiser Lance Larsen on all charges

All of the above - brings to the table a series of observations and questions

First, and the most obvious observation is that, Agent Ivey has little reservations in arresting fellow law enforcement officers and / or government officials

In most circumstances - a law enforcement officers willingness to arrest a fellow corrupt officer or corrupt government official is seen as a "good thing". But given the fact that both Officer Carter and Deputy Property Appraiser Larsen were eventually cleared - we are left wondering if these men were targeted for political reasons.

Why has Agent Ivey refused to look into our concerns involving falsification of records by Volusia County correctional officers? Maybe, the answer is also for political reasons. Agent Ivey is currently a 2012 candidate for Brevard County Sheriff.

Remember, in 2008 State Attorney John Tanner (Seventh Circuit) lost his bid for re-election. Mr. Tanner stated that he believed that his investigation into possible corruption into the Flagler County jail was the reason why he was not re-elected.

Click here - Several media articles - State Attorney Tanner vs. the Flagler County Jail

Is Agent Ivey playing politics with his badge? We leave that for you to determine for yourself.




OTHER DOCUMENTS SURROUNDING THE OFFICER CARTER INVESTIGATION

Click here - Complete Copy of IA-2009-059 on Officer Carter.