Better Call Saul

Mayor Connie Leon-Kreps - She's Melting

Both the Miami New Times and the Miami Herald report on the latest self inflicted wound in North Bay Village, the lawsuit filed by former police chief Carlos Noriega.

In his lawsuit, Carlos Noriega says he was fired after he named names and dates in the ongoing investigation into the extortion against Doug Hornsby.  Specifically, he names Connie Leon-Kreps, the mayor of North Bay Village, Mary Kramer, employer and spouse of Commissioner Jose Alvarez and Ana Watson, a friend and ally of the mayor who is facing four counts of felony fraud, as suspects in the case and he named them on May 24, 2017.  

Further, he says that he was fired this year because of this and he is seeking compensatory damages and reinstatement.  

North Bay Village Commissioner Jose Alvarez

In the meantime, our mayor, Connie Leon-Kreps, along with the wife of Commissioner Mary Kramer's Husband, one Mary Kramer herself, have refused to cooperate with State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle in the extortion investigation, while Ana Watson continues to serve on two Village Boards while awaiting trial for four felony fraud counts.   

It's getting even dicier in here.  

You see, you can say whatever you want in a lawsuit but when the legal process known as "Discovery" hits the courts, people, even mayoral people, even people who are only on the commission because their employer/wife told them they had to be, even people on trial for other crimes, face serious penalties like jail time if they lie.   They can of course plead the Fifth.  

This case will require "Discovery" and they are all going to have to state their participation in the circumstances that led to the police chief's firing, even faux Commissioner Laura Cattabriga who lost twice in her lawsuits to unseat Doug Hornsby and who only prevailed when one Norman C. Powell, our Village Attorney whose only known qualification was his work as a registered strip club lobbyist in North Miami Beach prior to his employment by our commission, made up a new law that got her the seat.  

Sidenote on Laura Cattabriga.  She is either a disingenuous liar or a complete tool who last month leaked an internal affairs tape on our police department and pretended she didn't know that the investigation had been closed and disciplines issued.  Cattabriga did this to destroy our police department and because she wants to be mayor.   Also, she refused to vote for an Ethics clause on our boards because she did not want to unseat Ana Watson, who is facing four counts of felony fraud.   Cattabriga!  

Anyway, our Village Manager, Marlen Martell, a strip club supporter from Norman Powell's days workin' the circuit for Black Diamonds, is named in the suit as she was the one who actually, on paper, did the firing.   Marlen Martell, whose nickname is Mayhem Marlen, was brought in to run the village in spite of the fact that her previous experience was as "Assistant to the City Manager", you know "Get me those files, Mayhem Marlen" kind of assistant, not an Assistant City Manager as Kreps falsely claimed, and is the nominal person in charge of the Police Department.  

Mayhem publicly stated that she wanted to take the North Bay Village Police Department in a "different direction" which she promptly did by hiring a police chief whose previous highest rank had been lieutenant and who has never had departmental command responsibility.  Also, who is not averse to Leaking Laura Cattabriga's misuse of police videos. 

Oh, by the way, don't believe me that Martell is a key supporter of Strip Clubs.  Here's a quote from her after she was the swing vote on extending the hours for Norman C. Powell's client Black Diamonds in North Miami Beach.  

“We need to make sure that our Biscayne corridor doesn’t have these type of establishments.” — Councilwoman Marlen Martell, before voting yes to approve the Black Diamonds extension.  Source: Miami Herald July 9, 2015

Anyway, so here we are.  Getting sued.  Waiting for court dates, trials, more revelations, more scandal.  It needs to be over.  

Kevin Vericker

June 1, 2018