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Gary Eugene new police chief of North Miami Police Department

Gary Eugene new police chief of North Miami Police Department

Here is a picture of Gary Eugene who sworn in as new police chief of the North Miami Police Department. He is in this picture with Mayor Smith Joseph.

Gary Eugene, a 30-year law enforcement veteran and the Assistant Police Chief of the North Miami Police Department since December 2014, has been sworn in as the North Miami Police Chief, replacing Leonard Burgess, who announced his retirement earlier this month. Eugene began his career as a Police Detective of the Miami City Police Department in 1985. Gradually, in 1996, he became the first Haitian-born lieutenant within the department, serving the Little Haiti community. He is a holder of Master Degree in criminal justice from Florida International University, a bachelor's degree in liberal studies from Barry University and an associate's degree in criminal justice from Miami-Dade College. He completed graduate courses from two police academies such as, Southern Police Institute (S.P.I.) in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Senior Management Institute for Police Executives (S.M.I.P.) at Harvard's Kennedy School. One of Eugene's notable awards and commendations came from the U.S. Coast Guard for his seventh month's participation in search and rescue operations throughout the Caribbean Sea.

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Police shooting of unarmed black man in North miami

Police shooting of unarmed black man in North miami

Here is a picture of the incident that took place in North Miami where the Police shot an unarmed black man.

In the broad daylight of July 18, 2016, the North Miami police shot and injured an unarmed black man named Charles Kinsey while he was treating an autism patient on the Northeast 14th Avenue. A cell phone video, showing moments before the gunshot depicts Charles Kinsey was lying on his back, both hands raised in the air, while another man sitting near him cross-legged. Charles Kinsey is an African-American who works as a behavior therapist at the MacTown Panther Group Homes. As per police reports, they were alerted by a 911 call that a disturbed man is walking around with a gun, threatening suicide. However, Kinsey during his interview to local TV news Channel 7 WSVN from his hospital bed, said, the white man sitting next to him was his patient named Rinaldo and the reported gun was actually a toy truck. There was no need for guns. As per police sources, the officer had intended to shoot the patient, whom he thought could harm Kinsey, but accidentally he shot Kinsey instead. Jonathan Aledda, a 30-year-old SWAT team member with four years experience on the job, went on leave amidst public protest. He was the man behind the gunshot.

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Charles Kinsey, Black therapist shot by North Miami Police

Charles Kinsey, Black therapist shot by North Miami Police

Here is a picture of Charles Kinsey, a black therapist shot by North Miami police while his hands were up in the air as he was trying to calm an autistic patient.

On Monday, July 18, 2016, Charles Kinsey, an African-American, who works as a behavior therapist at the MacTown Panther Group Homes was shot in the leg by North Miami police while he was trying to calm a white person, a sudden victim of autism on the Northeast 14th Avenue. As per police reports, they were alerted by a 911 call that a disturbed man is walking around with a gun, threatening suicide. The police officer (Jonathan Aledda ) had intended to shoot the patient, whom he thought could pose a danger, but accidentally shot the caregiver instead who kept his hands high in the air. However, Kinsey said that man was one of his patients, Rinaldo, and the reported gun was actually a toy truck. According to Kinsey's attorney, the policed fired two or three shots before hitting Kinsey once in his right leg. The incident till the shootout started, was recorded on a cellphone video which shows Kinsey is lying on the ground holding both hands in the air, next to a 23-year-old man with autism who sits near him cross-legged, not responding to orders to lie on the ground. The video went viral and sparked outrage nationwide.

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Miami Police arrested Farah Juste at protest

Miami Police arrested Farah Juste at protest

Here is a picture of Haitian singer Farah Juste in a protest against recent election in Miami. She was arrested by Miami Police

Haitian-American protest singer and songwriter, Farah Juste, was arrested by Miami police while she took part in protesting the presidential election results in Haiti. The majority of Haitians believe the elections were rigged to put Jovenel Moise in first place. According to Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), Moise received 33% of the vote, but exit polls show just 6% of voters chose him. On a follow-up poll when the preliminary results were made public, the same sampling of voters said the elections were unfair (90%); whereas the exit polls showed 82% thought the elections were fair.

Juste, along with other protestors, showed up at a rally for Jovenel Moise, a presidential candidate running under the Parti Haitien Tet Kale banner. The rally happened at Miami's Little Haiti Cultural Arts Center. The police later let her go in spite of the fact the demonstrators she was with did not possess a protest permit.

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North Miami School Principal Jean Coty Ridore Arrested

North Miami School Principal Jean Coty Ridore Arrested

Here is a picture of Haitian-American Jean Coty Ridore who was the School Principal at North Miami Adult Education Program. He was arrested for corruption

Jean Coty Ridore (38), the principal of North Miami Adult Education Center has been arrested on Monday, October 5th, on multiple felony charges, such as accepting unlawful compensation, official misconduct and grand theft. Multiple law enforcement agencies are investing his conduct after receiving anonymous complaints about his hiring and employment practices. Ridore used to pay employees who did not show up to work and some employees used to receive higher than their real wage so that Ridore can collect his kick back from them; some even lost their jobs who earned the ire of Ridore. On Monday he was arrested on complaints that he took $1,000 in cash to hire a no-show employee and then arranged for illegal kickbacks from the man. North Miami has suspended this year's (2015-16) grant funding of about $100,000 to the school. Ridore with salary around $110,000 had been with the school since July 2005; he was in charge of more than 400 employees.

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Miami Miami Mini Bus serving Little Haiti

Miami Miami Mini Bus serving Little Haiti

Here is a picture of a Miami Miami Mini Bus that serves the Cities of Little Haiti, El Portal, Miami Shores, North Miami and North Miami Beach.

Started in 1989, the Miami Mini Bus Transportation Service is a Miami Shores, Florida, privately held company. Under the category of Local Bus Charter Services, they offer cash only rides that are never late, with one of their fleet passing stops every 10 minutes (arguably faster than the metro-bus). Their reliability has led to success, as their annual revenue estimate is $130,000. For the cost of about $1, one may get a lively bus ride on routes like North and Southbound on NE 2nd Avenue and Biscayne Blvd.

Contact information:
8340 NE 2nd Ave Ste 222 - Little Haiti, Florida 33138
(305) 759-2221

Other ground transportation services available:
Le Transporteur Bus Line, Port-au- Prince, Gonaives and Cap-Haitian
Capital Coach Line Haitian bus company
Transport Chic bus Service, Cayes - Port-au-Prince

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La Patissiere - Haitian Bakery in W Dixie Highway

La Patissiere - Haitian Bakery in W Dixie Highway

LA Patisserie Sweets Delight.

It is commonly known Haitian bakeries proliferate in South Miami where a large Haitian Diaspora exists, but you need not look far to find them in North Miami as well. LA Patisserie is a family-run and privately-owned bakery in North Miami, founded in 1999.

As a special-occasion bakery, they create wedding, birthday, and graduation cakes, among other types of cakes for any celebratory event. They also offer an array of made-on-the-premises pastries and confections from around the world.

14540 W Dixie Highway - North Miami, Florida 33161
(305) 944-5318

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Mayor Lucie Tondreau arrested by FBI for mortgage fraud

Mayor Lucie Tondreau arrested by FBI for mortgage fraud

Here is a picture of Mayor Lucie Tondreau before her arrest by FBI for mortgage fraud. She was the first Haitian-American woman to hold the position. She has been a Haitian activist in the Haitian community in Miami for several years

Her three other co-conspirators were Karl Oreste, Marie Okechukwu Josiah and Kelly Augustin.

Oreste used to identify residential properties in South Florida that were open to sale. Oreste and Tondreau advertised the unique services offered by KMC Mortgage. They recruited some paid individuals who posed as the borrowers of KMC Mortgage. The conspirators prepared loan applications for these straw borrowers with false information which were submitted to various mortgage lenders throughout the United States. Once these loan applications were approved, the lenders wired loan funds to O.J. Odunna, and other title companies for closing. The conspirators created and submitted several duplicate HUD-1 Settlement Statement Forms where the price of the property was grossly inflated and it represented many false cash and down payments of earlier loans by the straw borrowers to close obligations which they never made. The disbursed portion of the loan amount was channelled through Oreste's corporation to the conspirators' bank and other accounts. A substantial portion of the funds went to Tondreau's bank accounts of the LTO Investment Corporation. It has been estimated that the lenders have suffered a loss amounting around $8 million. If convicted, the conspirators may face a maximum term of 30 years in prison.

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Lucie Tondreau's Trial to begin this week

Lucie Tondreau's Trial to begin this week

Here is a picture of Ms. Lucie Tondreau, the former North Miami Mayor. She is charged for participating in an $11 million mortgage fraud scheme.If convicted, Ms. Tondreau could spend up to 30 years in prison

Disgraced and ousted former Mayor of North Miami Lucie Tondreau is set to begin trial for fraud shortly. The jury selection has begun for a group of Ms. Tondreau's peers who will decide whether she was guilty of being part of a mortgage scheme that defrauded some $11 million or not. If convicted, the suspended mayor could spend up to 30 years in prison. While Karl Oreste, her business partner, has pled guilty, Tondreau turned in a plea of not guilty for the charges.

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Mayor of North Miami Joseph Smith Introduction Ceremony

Mayor of North Miami Joseph Smith Introduction Ceremony

Here is a picture of the new Mayor of North Miami Introduction Ceremony. This took place in North Miami City Hall

Mayor of North Miami Joseph Smith Introduction Ceremony

It is hoped that, following the introduction ceremony for Mayor-elect of North Miami Dr. Joseph Smith, he will be able to rebrand the image of North Miami after the 'bad leadership' attested to by former challenger and one-time mayor, Kevin Burns. Burns was undoubtedly referring to Mayor Smith's predecessors Andre Pierre, who during his time referred to the daughters of a councilman as prostitutes and issued police-like badges to his staff members, as well as ousted former mayor Lucy Tondreau, who was found in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme valuing $8 million.

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