Honorable Steve Meadows

I've pasted in below a copy of my first letter to Florida State Attorney Steve Meadows. Steve hasn't replied to my second one, either. For that matter, FL AG Crist never replied to even any earlier one. Checks and balances? Don't count on it!

CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT # 7004 2510 0001 0583 6369


May 13, 2005

The Honorable Steve Meadows
State Attorney's Office
P.O. Box 1040
Panama City, FL 32402


Dear State Attorney Meadows,

Gov. Bush suggested that I bring any evidence of my charges of official misconduct by the FDLE and Holmes County Sheriff’s Department to my state attorney. My charges include the following: illegal interception of wire, oral, and electronic communications, misuse of official position, threatening witnesses, conducting so called "investigations" under the color of law, harassment, falsifying official records, and obstruction of justice. Before I do present any evidence, however, I have some questions and concerns that I'd like to share with you and would appreciate your help in resolving. First, what sort of evidence would you consider sufficient to open an investigation into my charges? Three electronic surveillance experts all verified illegal law enforcement devices on the utility poles, but refused to supply their reports. The first one said that law enforcement would arrest me if he did so. The second one confirmed that law enforcement installed a tracking device in one vehicle and he even identified the supplier of the surveillance device on the utility pole, but said that he would lose his license if he supplied his report. The third had a conflict of interest, which he didn't disclose. Incidentally, a nationally recognized expert confided not too long ago there is an official cover-up of this on-going scandal.

So what would you accept as evidence in lieu of a signed report of findings? Would affidavits attesting to the above be sufficient? If I'm able to record an echo effect indicative of electronic surveillance, would that be sufficient? Would videotapes help? For example, I videotaped (with his permission) the second expert refusing to check the utility pole for any surveillance devices. I also videotaped (again with his permission) an electric utility official telling me that I put the devices in the transformer on the utility pole myself. I also videotaped other suspicious incidents, such as a utility foremen threatening me with arrest if I searched the power transformer's lightening arrester and fuse for any concealed device myself after he refused to search as he previously had agreed. I certainly will not go near the power transformers, but what if I located the remotely activated tracking device hard-wired into the motor vehicle and remove it? Would doing so destroy its evidentiary value? I also have a number of inane letters from law enforcement and other public officials refusing to investigate. Would these documents help you decide whether or not these officials are covering up?

I would also like to know what would you do with any evidence that I present? Will you seriously consider it or summarily dismiss it? For that matter, does your office have the authority and/or legal responsibility to investigate my credible charges? And, if so, do you have qualified personnel and equipment to conduct such an investigation? If your office isn't authorized or properly equipped, do you know a state agency that is and will investigate my charges since neither the FDLE nor Holmes County Sheriff's Department will do so and, instead, are covering up? The "smoking gun" with a satellite uplink is on the utility pole in the backyard and possibly there's a similar one on the utility pole up front. Finally, am I just being silly expecting you to investigate my charges since Florida law enforcement seems to be above the law and the cover up officially sanctioned?


Sincerely,



Joe Keegan

FL Attorney General Charlie Crist and Safety Net

FL Attorney General Charlie Crist wrote the following in his Feb. 18, 2005 newsletter about Safety Net, which is a national program to expand the use of high-tech tools to protect domestic violence victims here in Florida:

"In the right hands, modern technology can be a wonderful tool. But in
the wrong hands, it can become weapon unleashed by aggressors against
the most vulnerable among us."

Amen to that!

AG Crist continued: "Not only will the program educate victims, but it will also educate those who can protect and aid those victims - such as law enforcement
officers, victim advocates and emergency care personnel."

and

"Now law enforcement officers will receive training on how to identify
and hold perpetrators accountable for misusing technology to terrorize
victims."

Right on! Can't argue with that. However, I'd appreciate it if Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist would answer the following if he actually practices what he preaches: What if law enforcement officers are misusing technology to terrorize and torture citizens in order to cover-up their own misconduct? Will these perpetrators be held accountable? Or, is it that the same rules that they enforce against others don't apply to them? Isn't that called a police state?

literati

The FDLE deified Sheriff Dennis Lee based on a letter that he sent them regarding the "drug problem" in Holmes County, which somehow escaped his attention for the previous seven years. Recently it appears that the FDLE even awarded his business manager a "Who's Who of Prevention Leadership" here in the sunshine state. According to the local paper, Dr. Gail Honea nominated the Holmes County Sheriffs Department Business Maager for the honor stating in part,"Her people, planning and writing skills led to funding CASE by the Federal Drug-Free Communities Support program." Holmes County is suredly blessed with such a collection of talented writers. Maybe I should ask them to write a letter to the Governor's Office of Drug Control to investigate my charges?

SUCH A DEAL!

FDLE Comm. Tunnell still hasn’t investigated or even replied to my petition that Governor Bush sent to him. Guy is covering-up, but why? The reason is the deal that the state cut with my drug-dealing neighbors. This deal is a touchy issue and seems to concern the FDLE more than the illegal surveillance, threatening witnesses, or even attempt to kill us.

AG Charlie Crist hasn’t gotten back to me, either. I mailed the AG a certified letter (see June 8th blog post) to him on April 21 charging former Director of Executive Investigations Jamie McLaughlin with official misconduct. Coincidentally, FDLE Internal Affairs began another separate investigation of the Director on April 22 based on an "anonymous tip." McLaughlin resigned suddenly and unexpectedly the very next day on April 23, coincidentally the same day USPS confirmed delivery of my April 21 letter to AG Crist (bureaucrats can move when they want to).

FDLE’s investigative report revealed that the dates covered by its investigation of McLaughlin were from Oct. 1999 to April 22, 2004. However, FDLE General Counsel Ramage and Assistant Director Richard Lober advised the investigators, Special Agent Pritt and Chief Metz , on April 22 of the receipt of the anonymous allegation of potential sexual harassment of by the Director. After their briefing (remember this was on April 22, the day after I mailed my letter to AG Crist), the investigators conducted a preliminary fact-finding inquiry into what they deemed an ongoing course of conduct "that could be considered a type of Sexual Harassment." They used Oct. 1999 as the start date of their investigation because that’s when the Director and another Executive Investigations employee began their consensual affair and April 22, 2004 as the end date. So FDLE began their investigation the same day Lober receives an anonymous allegation and McLaughlin resigns the next day, which is the day the USPS verified that the Attorney General received my April 21 letter. No rational person would find that coincidental. But why go after the Director now? Could it be that this anonymous tip and sudden resignation served as a cover story for McLaughlin’s role in the cover-up that I describe in my April 21 letter to AG Crist and the FDLE’s deal?

Another scandal is that there’s been an inordinate number of bum drug arrests over the past year here in Holmes County. I suspect that the reason for all the drug arrests is that it is an FDLE manufactured problem orchestrated by the FDLE to rehabilitate the Sheriff’s image and serve as a cover if I ever went public with the following (i.e. "the deal"). The Sheriff’s well publicized crackdown on drugs began about 2 weeks after I notified someone that that FDLE offered my neighbor a deal if she’d implicate the Sheriff in her drug dealing. This was the first of two deals that the FDLE offered her and she declined it, preferring to do the time if necessary. The FDLE was in the awkward position of trying to nail the Sheriff on drugs while having to cooperate with him to cover up their involvement in the illegal surveillance and harassment. Apparently, there’s more flexibility in the so-called “war on drugs” than is portrayed in the media. I’ve also heard allegations of "cash register justice" which might explain some botched cases, but I believe that my theory is the reason.

I don’t know if the Sheriff was involved or not in drug dealing, but the FDLE believed that he was. The meth problem is no worse in Holmes County than any other rural community. The FDLE wanted to create a problem and then offer a solution. So the Sheriff made a lot of questionable arrests, resulting in an extremely low conviction rate. They needed numbers in order to justify a problem, which would require state intervention. Even the Holmes County Sheriff’s Department knows what cases prosecutors accept and won’t accept. There’s also a cost effectiveness factor. For the Sheriff to realize that after expending considerable resources that the County can’t afford it is ludicrous. It provided the excuse to go to the state for help with a manufactured problem that is no worse than that of neighboring counties. The FDLE then got some friendly reporters to portray the Sheriff as hard on drugs and puff up his image. State officials then presented the Sheriff with a commendation and remark that he “understands the drug problem.” They should know, especially since they believed that he was part of it. Realize that the Sheriff’s epiphany and subsequent well-publicized apotheosis by the FDLE didn’t manifest itself until only after I notified people about the FDLE’s first deal regarding implicating the Sheriff in their activities. This is the scandal that concerns the FDLE. If the recent awards, honors, and fluff news pieces are any indication of the Sheriff’s redemption, then I certainly deserve part of the credit. Realize that he largely ignored this "drug problem" during his previous seven years of service.

Finally, realize that the Patriot Act legalizes or else makes the government unaccountable in what I describe in my blog. Ask yourself, is this an example of the "democracy" and "freedom" that we’re bringing to Iraq? Maybe we should restore the rule of law here first.

"Refused not at the address"

An "Express Letter Service" envelope from "National Credit Council" listing a DC POB return address arrived here yesterday addressed to someone we never heard of and don't know. The envelope has a clear cellophane face revealing the unknown addressee, our address, and some supposed credit account info, including PIN, notifying the addressee of easy auto financing. A Google search on National Credit Council revealed some government agency in the Philippines by that name. I also checked the telephone directory for the addressee and there is a person by that name in another town.

It's probably just a simple mistake, but I contacted USPS anyway for advice. I explained that we're the only ones that have ever had this street number and we don't know the person who's erroneously listed at our address. USPS suggested that I simply write 'Refused not at the address" and put it in the outgoing mail. I followed their advice. I'm probably making a big thing out of nothing, but also notified the Governor's office of this mistake. Who knows? I don’t want an FDLE SWAT team kicking in the door some morning looking for this person. I've read about mistakes like that happening. You'd be surprised at the problems simple mistakes can cause.

ACLU Forums connection refused again

I've been having trouble with internet connections and email for sometime. However, I usually was at least allowed to access websites, although I had problems with some forums. Recently, I've experienced difficulty connecting to the ACLU website, but dismissed it as heavy traffic. However, I always eventually managed to access the ACLU website and even post to their forums messageboard. That changed recently. I've tried to access ACLU's "Forums" numerous times this morning and each time the following message appeared:

"The connection was refused when attempting to contact forums.aclu.org."

I realize, of course, that there are many logical reasonable explanations other than someone doesn't want me to access the forums or there's some "conspiracy" to deny me my First Amendment rights. I'll try again later this evening. If this problem persists for the next day or two,however, I will become suspicious. Who knows? Someone might be attempting to intercept my transmissions to this website.

WOW!!!

Wow! again, just a few minutes ago I had a first. Years ago when I lived in the Mid Atlantic electrical surges knocked out my computer (despite a three surge protector array) and even my transitor radio tuned to a rap station which I had taped to the window for the benefit of the laser bug. This incident wasn't as dramatic, but even as a non-techie it impressed me even more. Approximately around 8:20 a.m. Central the computer began acting strange and the ceiling lights flickered on and off. Discounting the paranormal, I watched in awe for about 10 seconds or so, but I didn't wait to see where this was going, so I pulled the phone line plug from the jack (dial up modem). I was checking the rbnlive website at the time. I've had a lot of weird stuff happen over the years, but what impressed me about this incident was its accuracy. Wow! It didn't effect any of the lights in the rest of the house or even the radio that was playing in the great room. Ghosts in the telephone line, perhaps?