Woman stold over $26,000 from elderly couple

Some people work all their lives and save every penny to have a few spending bucks after retirement. Whether they worked all their lives or not, the money saved is theirs. Now, imagine that someone you hire to help you after you have aged and can no longer help yourself, steals your money by writing checks to themselves and forging your signature.

That's what happened to Walter and Rita Bernstein, a Parkland couple. Walter Bernstein took care of the finances and when he lost his vision, the couple hired Rosemary Hawthorne, 59. They hired Hawthorne as a personal bookkeeper to write checks. According to Detective John Murray, between the time of June 8, 2006 and August 10, 2007, Hawthorne forged 42 checks that totaled $26,169.08.

Hawthorne has been charged with exploitation of the elderly and is held on a $500,000bond.

For more information on the story, go to, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-1207elderlyrob,0,5604269.story

CBS freelancer....turned sexual predator

Has no one heard of the reality show, 'To Catch a Predator,'? I barely watch television, and when i do, i always, for some reason, come across this show. Anyways, for a few years now, it seems that under cover investigations on sexual predators have become pretty popular. Maybe it was the show, or maybe there has just been a spike in sexual interest in minors, who knows? What i do know is that people keep falling into these traps knowing that the issue of sex with minor has become so popular.

A CBS freelancer from New Jersey pleaded guilty after allegedly arranging a meeting with an 11-year old girl. Now tell me, what kind of abuse is this? On Sept. 29, Daniel Barron, 56, was arrested for trying to meet this young girl and her father, only to find out, all he was meeting were law enforcement officers.

Barron was in South Florida covering the Miami Dolfins and arranged via-internet to meet at 1300 block of Southeast 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale.

His sentencing is scheduled for March 3 and may face between 10 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

For more information, go to, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-1207minorsex,0,2527478.story

Therapist charged with Medicaid fraud

It doesn't surprise me that people continue to try and lie to make an extra few bucks. I also realize that this may be a great example on why Medicaid and health insurance companies have been out ruling therapy services, like, psychological and rehabitational services out of their coverage.

Today, Jennifer Baxt, 34, is being held in a Broward County Jail with charges of grand theft, after allegedly falsifying more than $6,000 of claims to Medicaid.

Baxt is an employee at the South Florida Family Centers Inc. According to the Sun-Sentinel, Baxt was a licensed therapist and mental health counselor.

Investigators from The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit found that Baxt had made 71 appointments and only showed to seven sessions. Baxt can face up to five years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

For more information, go to, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-1206medicaidfraud,0,3376088.story

More officers loose their life while on duty

It amazes me to find out exactly how many law enforcement deputies have passed away in the past 5 months. Whether it's a gun shot wound, or accident, there have just been too many lives lost.

On Nov. 28, Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies, Donta J. Manuel and Jonathan Wallace were struck by Greg Fernandez, another Palm Beach County sheriff's vehicle. The two were in the path of the vehicle after trying to remove the tire deflation device, placed on the road while Fernandez was pursuing a stolen car.

The bodies of the two police officers were laid to rest on Wednesday Dec. 5, after a funeral ceremony attended by 5,000 people.

For more information, go to, www.pbpost.com

Murder-Suicide spike!

Incredibly, yet another murder-suicide, however, a comment made by Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Lt. Ed Worthington to News Channel 5 makes me cringe. He told the news station that he believes police witnessed a murder-suicide. What are they doing? I thought that law enforcement should not witness a murder-suicide and do something before something does happen. It started at Riviera Beach and ended in Bee Line Highway, i don't know how long police were following the vehicle, but if they witnessed a flash that came from a gun and then another a few moments later, i think they should have been a little smarter.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, neighbors say they saw Isaac Benjamin, 27, chasing Tonya Raines, 37 in the yard around midnight Dec. 6. Benjamin was seen forcing Raines into a white Ford Mustang. According to police, they followed the vehicle and saw two flashes that may have come from a gun.

The couple has had history of domestic violence. Raines had a no-contract court order against Benjamin in August.

The investigation continues. For more information, go to, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-1206rivbchmurder,0,238446.story

Sean Taylor dies from gun shot wounds

On Nov. 26 Sean Taylor was shot in his home during a burglary. The next day, Taylor died. Since then, the alleged gunman who shot Taylor, and three others allegedly involved with the crime, have been indicted on first degree felony murder and armed burglary by a grand jury.

The gunman, identified as, Eric Rivera, 17, was in custody in Fort Myers and has been transported to Miami-Dade County.

The other alleged co-defendants have been identified as, Charles Wardlow, 18, Jason Mitchell, 19, and Venjah Hunte, 20. They remain under a suicide watch.

For more information on the story and more, go to, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/other/sfl-flspnflrdp02sbdec05,0,4372866.story