| Incident Text |
| Type | Date | Comments |
| INITIAL | 07-24-2008 | CRIMMINAL CONTRACTINB |
| | | OWNER STATES THAT LAST YEAR HE HIRED A CONTRACTOR TO BUILD |
| | | A HOUSE AT 509 N ST. HE STATES THAT HE MADE A 30,000 |
| | | DEPOSIT BUT THE CONTRACTOR WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE PROPER |
| | | PERMITS. OWNER STATES THAT INSTEAD OF RETURNING THE DEPOSIT |
| | | THE CONTRACTOR TOOK THE MONEY. OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR HE (THE |
| | | OWNER) FILED A POLICE REPORT REFRENCE TO THIS ISSUE |
| | | (CASE#2007-0023716) . HE WAS ADVISED BY THE POLICE |
| | | DEPARTMENT THAT THIS WAS A CIVIL CASE AND HE SHOULD CONTACT |
| | | AN ATTORNEY, WHIC HE DID. SINCE THEN HE HAS BEEN AWARDED |
| | | DAMAGES AGAINST THIS CONTRACTOR IN THE AMOUNT OF $53,500 |
| | | (DEPOSIT + LAWYERS FEES). OWNER STATES THAT THE CONTRACTOR |
| | | HAS SINCE DISAPPERED. HIS LAWYER ADVISED HIM TO CONTACT THE |
| | | POLICE BECAUSE DURING THE TRIAL THE CONTRACTOR WAS FOUND TO |
| | | BE DOING THING FRAUDULANTLY WHICH IS A CRIME. HE HAS BEEN |
| | | IN CONTACT WITH THE POLICE ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS TO CONVEY |
| | | THIS INFORMATION SO THAT THIS MAN WILL NOT DO THIS TO OTHER |
| | | SENIOR CITIZENS. HE STATES THAT THERE ARE CRIMES BEING |
| | | COMMITED BY THIS MAN AHD NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE. HE ALSO |
| | | STATES THAT THE OFFICERS THAT HE HAS SPOKEN TO HAS BEEN |
| | | RUDE AND MOST UNHELPFUL. HE STATES THAT HE IS ONLY LOOKING |
| | | FOR 5 MIN OF SOMEONES TIME TO PASS ALONG THE INFORMATION |
| | | DISCOVERED DURING THE TRIAL. HE IS DEMANDING THAT SOMEONE |
| | | CONTACT HIM REGARDING THIS MATTER. |
| FOLLOW-UP | 09-09-2008 | HI JOSE, I SPOKE WITH MR. VALES ON TODAY (TUESDAY, 9/9/08) |
| | | - I RELAYED TO HIM THE INFO THAT I RECEIVED FROM DET. |
| | | UTECHT. MR. VALES UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT |
| | | DET. UTECHT AND THE MAYOR COULD DO TO ASSIST HIM WITH HIS |
| | | CIVIL CASE AGAINST THE BUILDER (WHOM HE STATES OWES HIM |
| | | MONEY). HE WAS APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF THE HELP THAT HE |
| | | RECEIVED FROM US AND HAS ASKED ME TO FORWARD HIS THANKS TO |
| | | ALL INVOLVED. |
| | | THERE IS NOTHING FURTHER TO BE DONE ON THIS MATTER. |
| | | PLEASE ADD TO THE MRT FILES THAT THIS CASE IS CLOSED. LET |
| | | ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND HAVE A |
| | | GREAT DAY! |
| | | LEILA A. BRYAN |
| | | ASSISTANT TO THE MAYOR |
| | | 200 2ND STREET |
| | | P.O. BOX 3366 |
| | | WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33402 |
| | | (561)822-1400 |
| | | MR VALES CALLED AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS ITEM HAS BEEN |
| | | CLOSED AND FURTHER INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN LEFT UP TO THE |
| | | STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE. HE WAS VERY UPSET HE BELIVES THAT |
| | | HE WAS TREATED UNFAIRLY AND HE THINKS ITS BECAUSE HE IS AN |
| | | SPANIS-AMERICAN. HE IS NOT PLEASED WITH THE POLICE |
| | | DEPARTMENT AND DOES NOT THINK THEY ARE DOING THEIR JOB. |
| CLOSING | 07-30-2008 | IN RESPONSE TO THIS COMPLAINT LODGED BY MR.VALES I WOULD |
| | | LIKE TO APPRAISE YOU OF THE FOLLOWING FACTS. ON THURSDAY, |
| | | 7-24-08 @ 1130 HRS. MYSELF AND DETECTIVE UTECHT CONTACTED |
| | | MR. VALES VIA TELEPHONE. WE ATTEMPTED TO SPEAK WITH VALES |
| | | AND EXPLAIN TO HIM CERTAIN FACTS THAT ARE PERTINENT |
| | | REGARDING THE PROPERTY LOSS HE SUFFERED. MR. VALES AS YOU |
| | | MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT FOR A NEW HOME |
| | | WITH A COMPANY CALLED WC CUSTOM HOMES ON 5-12-2006. HE |
| | | (VALES) ALLEGEDLY PROVIDED A $53,000.00 DOWN PAYMENT FOR |
| | | THIS BUILDING CONTRACT. THE BUILDER WAS NEVER ABLE TO |
| | | BEGIN THE CONSTRUCTION DUE TO SOME TYPE OF LICENSING ISSUE |
| | | WITH THE CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH. THE WORK CONTRACTED TO |
| | | BE COMPLETED, WAS NEVER DONE, AND THE MONETARY DOWN PAYMENT |
| | | THAT VALES MADE TO THE CONTRACTOR WAS NEVER RETURNED TO |
| | | VALES. SUBSEQUENTLY, VALES CONTACTED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT |
| | | AND A REPORT WAS COMPLETED AND TITLED CIVIL ACTION ON |
| | | 10-15-2007. THE INCIDENT WAS NEVER INITIALLY ASSIGNED TO A |
| | | DETECTIVE. DURING THE TIME PERIOD OF 10-15-2007 THROUGH |
| | | 6-19-2008, MR. VALES RETAINED LEGAL COUNSEL AND PROCEEDED |
| | | WITH A CIVIL ACTION AGAINST THE CONTRACTOR. VALES WAS |
| | | EVENTUALLY AWARDED A JUDGEMENT BY THE COURT AGAINST THE |
| | | CONTRACTOR. THE ALLEGED CONTRACTOR NEVER SATISFIED THIS |
| | | JUDGEMENT WITH VALES. BECAUSE THE PAYMENT WAS NOT |
| | | RENDERED, MR. VALES' LEGAL COUNSEL ADVISED HIM TO PROCEED |
| | | WITH A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST THE CONTRACTOR. THIS |
| | | COMPLAINT AS NOTED ABOVE WAS TITLED A CIVIL ACTION AND IS |
| | | CAPTIONED UNDER WPBPD CASE #07-23716. THE CASE WAS |
| | | EVENTUALLY ASSIGNED TO DET. UTECHT BY SERGEANT LEFONT FOR |
| | | REVIEW AND POSSIBLE CRIMINAL CHARGES ON 6-19-2008. IN HIS |
| | | REVIEW OF THE INCIDENT, DETECTIVE UTECHT AS WELL AS |
| | | DETECTIVE CHATMAN (BOTH CERTIFIED FRAUD EXAMINERS) |
| | | DETERMINED THAT CRIMINAL INTENT TO DEFRAUD VALES WOULD BE |
| | | VERY DIFFICULT TO PROVE. FURTHERMORE, SINCE VALES HAD |
| | | ALREADY BEEN AWARDED A CIVIL JUDGEMENT IT IS THE OPINION OF |
| | | BOTH DETECTIVES THAT THE STATES ATTORNEY WOULD NOT PROCEED |
| | | WITH CRIMINAL PROSECUTION AGAINST THE CONTRACTOR. |
| | | THESE FACTS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO MR. VALES ON SEVERAL |
| | | OCCASIONS BY THE AFOREMENTIONED INVESTIGATORS. EACH TIME |
| | | HE IS TOLD THIS, IT IS VERY APPARENT THAT IS NOT THE ANSWER |
| | | HE WISHES TO RECEIVE. CONSEQUENTLY, AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED, |
| | | CONTACT WITH VALES WAS AGAIN MADE ON 7-24-08. DURING THIS |
| | | TELEPHONE CONVERSATION, I ATTEMPTED TO AGAIN EXPLAIN TO MR. |
| | | VALES THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CASE, AND FURTHER EXPLAIN THE |
| | | INVESTIGATION WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE STATE ATTORNEY'S |
| | | OFFICE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF FORMAL CHARGES. HOWEVER, I |
| | | TOLD VALES, THAT IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT PROSECUTION |
| | | MAY NOT OCCUR DUE TO SEVERAL FACTORS INCLUDING THOSE NOTED. |
| | | MR. VALES AT THIS POINT BECAME VERY ARGUMENTATIVE, AND |
| | | UPSET AND ONLY WISHED FOR US (POLICE) TO DO OUR JOB AND |
| | | COLLECT HIS MONEY. I ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THE |
| | | POLICE DEPARTMENT IS NOT A COLLECTION AGENCY AND THE ONLY |
| | | ASSISTANCE THAT WOULD BE RENDERED WOULD BE IN THE CRIMINAL |
| | | ARENA. THIS WAS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR MR. VALES, HE BECAME |
| | | BELLIGERENT WITH ME AND I ENDED THE TELEPHONE CALL. |
| | | AS OF THIS DATE, DETECTIVE UTECHT IS COMPLETING HIS WORK ON |
| | | THE INCIDENT AND WILL CONTACT THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE |
| | | WITH RESPECT TO FORMAL CHARGES BEING FILED IF ANY WILL BE |
| | | FILED AT ALL. |
| | | SERGEANT DAN HENRY |
| | | CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION |
| | | 600 BANYAN BLVD. |
| | | WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33401 |
| | | OFFICE: 561-822-1653 |
| | | CELL: 561-662-2979 |
| | | FAX: 561-822-1704 |
| | | E-MAIL: [email protected] |
