PDA

View Full Version : FL-Tampa mayor tooling around in SUV seized from man not convicted of anything.




Anti Federalist
08-27-2011, 12:15 PM
Granted, this Fox character seems pretty seedy.

That's not the point.

The point is his property was taken from him just for being charged: so that now Mayor Quimby can tool around in it.

Must be nice to be part of the ruling class, where you can just have your enforcers steal whatever shit you need.

And of course, nothing from the media on that angle, just the left handed swipe that the SUV is a gas guzzler, not like the "green" vehicle driven by the previous mayor.



Tampa police: Mayor's city-issue car once carried pimp, prostitutes

http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2011/aug/25/5/tampa-police-mayors-city-issue-car-once-carried-pi-ar-252975/

TAMPA --
They un-pimped his ride.

Mayor Bob Buckhorn's city vehicle, a jet black GMC Yukon Denali with tinted windows, was seized from a man charged last month with sex trafficking, sexual battery and forcing someone to become a prostitute.

Charles "Boogy" Melvin Fox, accused of running a prostitution ring, has driven prostitutes in the SUV everywhere from Tampa to Orlando, Daytona, Chicago and Tulsa, Okla., and he placed proceeds his prostitutes gave him into a money clip in the SUV's console, police reports state.

Tampa police seized the SUV on Sept. 28 during their investigation. In addition to transporting prostitutes and the proceeds of prostitution, the SUV was purchased from proceeds of prostitution, police maintain in court documents. In a letter, Fox denied that, saying a cousin's husband bought the SUV at a Clearwater car auction.

Buckhorn pulled the gas guzzler from the department's forfeiture fleet in April, the same month he took office. It has about 105,000 miles on its odometer and averages about 14 miles per gallon.

"The vehicle is a vehicle that was seized by the Tampa Police Department from someone engaged in criminal activity," Buckhorn said. "It's got 105,000 miles on it. It's seven years old."

This morning Buckhorn said he didn't know what crime the suspect had been charged with committing.

"If you're gonna engage in crime here and we catch you, you're going to lose your assets," Buckhorn said. "If that was one of his assets, he deserves to lose it."

Buckhorn's wheels are a sharp contrast from predecessor Pam Iorio's environmentally friendly hybrid, which got about 40 miles per gallon. The former mayor drove the hybrid to work throughout much of her second term, after trading in a powder-blue, 12-mpg Lincoln Town Car.

The city provides a car to the mayor for travel to city-related business and pays for gas.

"The reason I drive it – number one is because I have a family. I have young kids who travel with me a lot and I need a car that's safe," Buckhorn said. "Secondarily, as you can see we often travel with staff and we get a lot of work done while we're traveling. It's easy to do work in a larger car. Thirdly, in the event of a hurricane I need a vehicle that can get though high water, get through debris, get me to a zone where we can take care of business."

Fox wasn't arrested back when the SUV was seized, said his attorney, Ty Trayner.

Upon his arrest last month, Fox's BMW was seized, Trayner said. Although Fox handled the SUV's seizure himself and lost, Trayner said Fox also will fight to keep the BMW.

Fox is accused of 21 felony counts, including sex trafficking, sexual battery, forcing another to become a prostitute and deriving support from proceeds of prostitution.

The first incident happened in November 2008; the last happened last month, when investigators say he committed a robbery.

He attended a court hearing this morning.

Petar
08-27-2011, 12:20 PM
Don't hate the player, hate the game.

flightlesskiwi
08-27-2011, 12:55 PM
you know what's really freaking frustrating? it takes the local media pointing out the ridiculousness of this. notice that the mayor has no problem with it.


"The reason I drive it – number one is because I have a family. I have young kids who travel with me a lot and I need a car that's safe," Buckhorn said. "Secondarily, as you can see we often travel with staff and we get a lot of work done while we're traveling. It's easy to do work in a larger car. Thirdly, in the event of a hurricane I need a vehicle that can get though high water, get through debris, get me to a zone where we can take care of business."

buy your own damn vehicle and pay for your own damn gas, freaking jackass! (we have the same problem in my locale-- mayor drives the same vehicle and the county engineer just purchased one to sport around in).

the "perks" of civil service.

:mad::mad:

Lifesoup
08-27-2011, 12:57 PM
Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Name the game.
kleptocracy.

AKA Civil Asset Forfeiture

Napoleon's Shadow
08-27-2011, 12:57 PM
Reason had a great article about this last year.

MRK
08-27-2011, 04:58 PM
I like how the number one reason the mayor is driving a spacious vehicle formerly used by an alleged pimp is because of his family. Does he entertain his kids in the backseat with blacklights?

mtmedlin
08-27-2011, 06:33 PM
I really dont like Buckhorn. Mayor Iorio was before him and she was a great lady and a decent mayor. I met her on several occasions and did some grassroots work for her. She is a Democrat but was fair and lead Tampa in the right direction...Bucky on the other hand is a popous ass and I cant stand him. Always has bad breath at events. I tell all my candidates to not eat and I hand them mints all night long!