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| Bal Harbour Police Chief Tom Hunker, left, and Al Capone. |
Bal Harbour Police Chief Tom Hunker has responded to charges by the U.S. Department of Justice [DOJ letter embedded below] that his department mishandled and misused seized drug money.
At a meeting Thursday morning at the Bal Harbour Village Hall, Hunker told residents and the village council, “People say this is all about the money. It’s not about the money to me."
From the Miami Herald's Daniel Chang:
Though some residents expressed surprise that Bal Harbour cops had been jetting around the country, seizing millions from drug dealers while being paid to protect the village, elected leaders voiced support Thursday for their embattled police chief, Thomas Hunker.
During a contentious special meeting of the village council, Hunker staunchly defended his agency, which came under fire this week from the U.S. Justice Department for tapping into seized drug money to pay for first-class flights, luxury car rentals and cash rewards for drug informants hundreds or even thousands of miles away.
“This is my responsibility,’’ Hunker said of the federal probe first reported by the Miami Herald on Sunday. He added, “We have not done anything wrong.’’
[...]
While accepting responsibility for the federal investigation, Hunker sounded a defiant note and repeated accusations that the investigation was spurred by envy over his department’s success investigating drug dealers trying to launder money.
“We can do it better,’’ he said, “and when you do it better, people get a little jealous.’’
Bal Harbour police’s forfeiture program has been wildly successful, bringing in $5.1 million of drug money seized from criminals in 2011 — more than any other agency in Florida.
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Hunker could be acting like Scott Rothstein was after the Feds nabbed him. Rothstein was defending all his actions, saying they didnt have a case, while he was wearing a wire to rat out everyone else to reduce his own sentence. All the police supported Rothstein (he paid them well too, just like Hunker)
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ReplyDeleteWhat a joke, its about time that someone caught up with “Hunkalicious” he has been laundering money for years and the city and their mayor and commissioners kept quiet because his laundering ways has been paying the tab for the police department. What exacly is the direct nexus between Bal Harbour and all these places they have been seizing money and drugs from…….the answer is NONE. His boys have been seizing and laundering money throughout the country and been taking a nice cut, lets do a public records request and find out how much money all these detectives make every year. Oh never mind the Feds are already doing it. HAAAAAAAAAAAA
How many 'drug dealers' that Capone took the money from have been convicted of anything? How many people have even been arrested? Bal Harbor only arrested 54 people for the whole year of 2011. That comes out to about 2 arrests per year per police officer WOW- and how many for being drug dealers? (as opposed to shoplifters etc) I'm waiting for the fireworks form the Feds!
ReplyDeleteI think it would be a good idea to take the Police Chiefs passport away. He has been know to go off to other lands in his time as Chief. His closest 'buddies' know where he has been going. Europe? Germany?..............
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