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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

HARTFORD POLICE SERGEANT FAILS TO REPORT SHOOTING INCIDENT AT HIS HOME

Some days it just seems like Hartford's Police Chief James Rovella just can't catch a break.

The latest incident just seems to defy common sense.

On September 25, 2013 a Windsor resident called the Windsor Police Department to report that his 12 year old daughter found a metal item in her bed that she thought was some sort of "capsule". The father, Marc Simpson recognized the "capsule" as the spent round from a gun. Simpson also found a hole in the outside wall of his daughters bedroom that appeared to be a gunshot hole.

Simpson called Windsor Police to report the incident and turn the round over to the Windsor Police . They conducted an investigation and determined that the round was fired from the home of Simpsons next door neighbor , Hartford Police Sergeant Eric Smith. Although Smith knew he fired the round, according to the timeline in the Police report, he never notified the Windsor police or the Hartford Police department that he had fired his weapon.

Smith only admitted to firing the shot from his Glock 40 caliber weapon after being confronted by Windsor officers.

The Hartford Police Department was only made aware of the incident apparently after a Windsor officer called Hartford IAD Sergeant Marty Cunningham, who assured Windsor that the matter would be handled "internally". Windsor Sergeant Spencer then  informed Cunningham that if they were "handling" it "we" , Windsor, would not be taking any further action.

The report also mentions that Hartford Police Union Vice president Nazario Figueroa was at the scene, but mentions no other response by any HPD supervisor.

The amount of time between the shooting incident and the actual reporting by Simpson is unclear. At one point in the report, Smith states it was the day before and at another point states to Sergeant Spencer it "was a couple days ago"

The troubling part is that Hartford Police Sergeant Eric Smith, despite his experience and training, did nothing after the shooting. The fact that the round was found in the bed of a 12 year old girl could have been disastrous if she was actually laying in her bed sleeping at the time. Smith apparently made no efforts to check on his neighbor and make sure that no one was injured or even make an attempt to apologize for the bullet hole in his neighbors home.

According to sources, in the report it mentions  Smith's wife Betty Perez, she is a Hartford 911 Dispatcher Other sources have also confirmed that Smith apparently has a friendship with Windsor Police Sergeant Spencer.The incident was provided with the complete addresses, I have chose to redact the house numbers.

Also, according to sources, the HPD Internal Affairs report has just recently been completed and is making its way though the chain of command for Chief Rovella's review and potential discipline.

Here is the Windsor Police incident report:


THE PLOT THICKENS

Much attention has been placed on subpoenas served by the FBI at Hartford City hall last week. For whatever reason, the Segarra Administration had apparently tried to avoid releasing the actual subpoena. Although it appears that City legal experts from the Corporation Counsel Office were apparently advised on Friday by FOI Commission employees that the subpoenas were public documents and had to be released. 

The dog and pony show continued, but earlier today, the City released the actual subpoenas. Those documents are below.

More interesting though are documents obtained through sources late this afternoon. The Hartford Public Schools were also served with the federal subpoenas for documents. The cover letter for the subpoena is also interesting in that it specifically states the subpoena is for "a Federal grand jury into the possible commission of a felony".

Although the subpoena's served on City Hall specifically identify Mayor Pedro Segarra, Treasurer Adam Cloud and former Finance Director Jose Molleda (Molleda's name is actually Julio) and requests for specific documents from the three, in addition to general legal wording for any and all related documents. The Hartford Schools subpoena is less specific and no individuals are named. According to sources, only Hybrid insurance's CEO Earl O'Garro has been notified that he is a "target" of the Grand Jury at this time.

The Hartford Schools subpoena's are below, including the cover letter for "possible commission of a felony"

Friday, October 25, 2013

WHO IS EARL O'GARRO? ENTREPENEUR OR CON MAN

A few weeks ago, most people in Hartford had never heard the name Earl O"Garro. Now it is the name that is sending shock waves through Hartford City Hall as FBI agents have descended with Federal Grand Jury subpoenas looking into the dealings of Hartford's City Treasurer Adam Cloud and others with O'Garro's company Hybrid Insurance.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars are now unaccounted for as O'Garros' dealings with the City of Hartford and others begin to unravel. This appears to be the beginning of the end for O'Garro's quick rise in the Insurance and business community

As you watch the video, I think you might agree, he would have been better served if he actually took his mothers advice.

Click here to watch directly on you tube if the embed below doesn't work



THE 2013 HOOKER DAY PARADE VIDEO


FEDERAL GRAND JURY TO INVESTIGATE HYBRID PAYMENT

According to sources , the City of Hartford has been served with subpoenas requesting documents related to payments to Hybrid Insurance and dealings with Earl O'Garro. Numerous City Departments, including the Treasurer were apparently requested to provide documents ordered by the Federal subpoenas.The letter to City Departments was distributed by the Corporation Counsel, according to sources. More on this as information is made available

Thursday, October 24, 2013

DEMOCRATIC REGISTRAR VAZQUEZ SETTLES ELECTIONS COMPLAINT FOR $3000.00 PENALTY

An Elections Enforcement complaint filed against Hartford's Democratic Registrar of Voters, Olga Vazquez has been settled after a lengthy investigation. Vazquez was fined $3000.00 for her involvement in the scheme.

The allegations surrounded Vazquez illegally signing petitions that were improperly filed with Vazquez in her capacity as Registrar of Voters. According to the complaint Vazquez and her Deputy Registrar Garry Coleman had signed off the improperly filed petitions to apparently keep the petitions from being thrown out as not being filed properly under Connecticut law.

For me this raises several questions that have to challenge the integrity of the Registrar of Voters Office. In a democracy, voters need to know that the system is beyond reproach. In this case it is not. We wonder why Hartford suffers from such low voter turnout and voter involvement in the system. Might it be because they just don't trust the process and have no confidence that it is above board?

Any one that reads this decision would have to agree with that mistrust. In an office that has three Registrar's , why was Vazquez and her assistant anywhere near these petitions in the first place . Vazquez was actually a candidate on the same petitions she was illegally signing and should have been smart enough to stay away from them to avoid any sign of impropriety or tampering. Clearly she was not.

For another story on Registrars behaving badly, click here

It is time for the Secretary of the State and the legislature to overhaul this system.