TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Haines City Police Chief, Captain Violated Ethics: Grand Jury

Haines City Police Department

Police Capt. Mervin Stewart, left, is accused of lying about sexual relationships he's had.

ADVERTISEMENT

By RAY REYES and JENNIFER LEIGH

The Tampa Tribune, News Channel 8

Published: November 14, 2008

HAINES CITY - A grand jury probe into the Haines City Police Department has found that the top two men in charge used their rank and standing in the community to violate law enforcement ethics policies.

Police Chief Morris West has resigned and Capt. Mervin Stewart was arrested Thursday on charges of felony perjury, according to the state attorney's office in Polk County. Stewart was released from Polk County Jail on Thursday after posting $50,000 bail.

West was suspended indefinitely with pay in October after the grand jury indicted him on three counts of soliciting prostitution, all misdemeanors. He has also agreed to give up his police certification, which means he will never again be allowed to work in law enforcement in Florida.

Stewart was suspended this week as part of the grand jury investigation. He is accused of lying about a sexual relationship he had with a female officer under his command, said Chip Thullberry, spokesman for the state attorney's office.

West's "long-standing ties to the community, the ties of both friendship and family" came before his "commitment to upholding the law and supporting his officers," according to the grand jury's findings, which were filed Thursday in Polk County Circuit Court.

West has ordered officers not to arrest people the chief considered friends, the document states. On July 23, West's sister was involved in a single-vehicle crash outside of the jurisdiction of Haines City police and West told an officer to write a report but not issue her a ticket, the grand jury said.

PASCO

Robbery Victim Dies Of Injuries

A 62-year-old woman who was the victim of a strong arm robbery Wednesday died Thursday at a local hospital, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office said.

Linda Rose Roma of Hudson was shopping at TJ Maxx, 12209 U.S. 19, at about 9 p.m. Wednesday when a man snatched her purse, deputies say. Roma fell to the ground and hit her head, Pasco County sheriff's spokesman Kevin Doll said.

The man is described as Hispanic, between 25 and 30 years old, with a thin build, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and between 160 and 170 pounds. He was wearing a blue baseball cap and a gray-green shirt with blue jeans.

The man left the scene in a champagne-colored 90s model Buick Regal. The driver of the car is described as a Hispanic female with long brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information can call Detective Lisa Schoneman at 1-800-854-2862, ext. 7473.

HILLSBOROUGH

Victim Said She Had An STD

One of the two Apollo Beach restaurant workers kidnapped and raped in August told investigators she was able to save herself from further assault by convincing her attacker she had a fatal sexually transmitted disease.

The victim recounted the ploy in a statement to deputies. The statement was among about 300 pages of documents in the case prosecutors released Thursday.

The statement will likely be used in the case against Rigoberto Moron Martinez, Vicente Reyes-Carbajal and 13-year-old Jose Walle. The trio is charged in the Apollo Beach rapes on Aug. 15 as well as a similar attack at a St. Petersburg restaurant in July. Martinez also faces another rape charge in Hillsborough County.

The women were held for several hours and repeatedly sexually assaulted, then dumped along the highway, where they used a roadside phone to call for help.

Police: Man Traded Drugs

Cameron Ata gave 73 grams of mushrooms to an undercover Temple Terrace police officer in exchange for 40 ecstasy pills, police say.

Ata, 24, of Clearwater, was arrested at 1:27 p.m. Wednesday.

He was charged with trafficking in ecstasy and delivery of a controlled substance.

He remained in Orient Road Jail on Thursday.

A staff report

News Channel 8 reporter Lynn Carson contributed to this report. Tribune reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920. News Channel 8 reporter Jennifer Leigh can be reached at (863) 284-1418.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT