Tallahassee, FL—According to Tallahassee’s news outlet WTXL, Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood called a recent anti-gang operation a “success.” In the WTXL online article entitled, “Leon County Deputies Arrest 58 People During Anti-Gang Operation,” states in part, “As a result of working with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, juvenile curfew and probation was conducted. These checks resulted in the arrest of a Hit Squad gang member who is the primary suspect in a drive-by shooting.”
Citizens of Leon County should be demanding to know why a gang member who is the primary suspect in a drive-by shooting was apprehended as the result of an anti-gang operation through the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, juvenile curfew and probation. All juveniles under the supervision of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice must check in with their probation officer. A juvenile being the primary suspect in a drive-by shooting has a mother and a father. The Department of Juvenile Justice is not designed to just work with law enforcement agencies—the Department of Juvenile Justice also works with families. Citizens of Leon County should be outraged with Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood.
Law enforcement agencies across the United States are seeking ways to build bridges between their agencies and the communities that they have sworn to protect and serve. Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood, an appointee of Governor Rick Scott, was busted with drugs as a teen. Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood’s family connection with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office afforded him the ability to get his teen life on track and serve with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office for over 25 years as a certified law enforcement officer. After the death of Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell in December of 2014, Governor Rick Scott first appointed Robert Swearingen as Leon County Sheriff. Mike Wood had retired out of the D.R.O.P program. It was quickly announced that Governor Rick Scott was appointing Mike Wood. Not very many kids who are affiliated with drugs have a close family connection with a law enforcement agency as Mike Wood did when he was a teen. Have been in possession of narcotics as a teen, Sheriff Mike Wood should know the importance of going after the adults who put guns and drugs in the hands of children. Going to homes and arresting juveniles is traumatizing for other little children that may be in the home. How does inflicting trauma on a child help to build a bridge between law enforcement and the community? How many of the juveniles that were arrested as a result of Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood’s anti-gang operation are going to get a second chance or a third chance? Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood is a criminal. Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood is the remnant of the late Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell—kids in Leon County were NOT SAFE when Larry Campbell was the sheriff and they ARE NOT SAFE NOW!
According to WCTV news article entitled, “LCSO Anti-Gang Operation Leads to 58 Arrests in 8 Weeks,” State Attorney Willie Meggs, who has been the state attorney in Leon County and five other surrounding counties for more than 30 years, states, “It’s a sad, sad thing when you look in some of these communities where these gangs operate; where the people, good people that live there do not feel comfortable stepping out on their front porch or having their children play in the yard. We just don’t need to have that in our community.” Willie Meggs further states, “The gangs and drug dealers are not going to take over our community.”
Fortunately, the citizens of Leon County and the five other surrounding counties will not have to worry about the dictatorship rule that Meggs has held them under for more than 30 years. Represent.Us reported in November 2014, sixty-percent of Tallahassee citizens voted to enact an Anti-Corruption Amendment. The citizens voted for the Amendment for a reason—a “great” reason. Citizens of Tallahassee are SICK OF THE CORRUPTION. State Attorney Willie Meggs’ Office has REPEATEDLY used convicted criminals as KEY witness to score convictions against other inmates in the Leon County Jail. Which is probably why Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell did not announce the use of combating gang members and drug dealers as his platform to run for Second Judicial State Attorney in 2016 (Willie Meggs is not running for re-election).
In August 2012, State Attorney Willie Meggs announced the additional charge of Solicitation to Commit 1st Degree Murder against juvenile defendant DeShon Thomas. DeShon Thomas, under INNOCENCE pleas, had been in the Leon County Jail for nearly two years awaiting trial without any mention of gang activity. DeShon, who was being prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell, the son of then Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell, had plotted with 27-year-old, Dawuan Williams and others to have DeShon charged with Solicitation to Commit 1st Degree Murder. In May 2012, Dawuan Williams, a previously convicted felon, was arrested in Tifton County, Georgia by the Tifton County Sheriff’s Office and the Southeast Regional Task Force, after fleeing Tallahassee for having committed TWO ARMED BANK ROBBERIES. The banks that Dawuan Williams robbed were the Farmers and Merchants Bank and the SunTrust Bank. Dawuan Williams had Arrest Warrants from the Tallahassee Police Department and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Prior to Dawuan Williams’ apprehension, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office Release of Public Information naming Dawuan Williams as the suspect for the bank robbery of Farmers and Merchants Bank does NOT mention Dawuan Williams as being a gang member.
In the August 2012, Summary of Offense for Solicitation to Commit 1st Degree Murder and Probable Cause Affidavit drafted by State Attorney Investigator Jason Newlin, Jason Newlin states that Dawuan Williams IS a gang member. Dawuan Williams was released from the Leon County Jail and was provided with financial support by State Attorney Willie Meggs’ office and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell was so DESPERATE to send DeShon Thomas, an INNOCENT CHILD—to prison—that both Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell and State Attorney Investigator Jason Newlin bypassed the federally funded Gang Task Force Unit within the Leon County Sheriff’s Office—and utilized Leon County Sheriff’s Deputy Ronald O’Brien to smuggle contraband into the Leon County Jail.
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office and State Attorney Willie Meggs’ Office are FAR WORSE than the gang members and the drug dealers that they use as KEY witnesses. Both Dawuan Williams and Walter Cole Rayborn were RANKED NUMBER ONE with State Attorney Willie Meggs’ Office. After Dawuan Williams was released from the Leon County Jail on bond, Dawuan Williams missed numerous court appearances without a Warrant ever being issued for his arrest or his having his bond revoked. There was a previously convicted felon, who had been charged with TWO ARMED BANK ROBBERIES free in the community and Judicial Officials in Leon County turned their heads away. Eventually, Dawuan Williams was arrested in Gadsden County for Armed Home Invasion Robbery with Kidnapping, Assault with a Deadly Weapon and more charges.
In July 2015, After Tallahassee Fire Department responded to a fire in an apartment located on Tharpe Street, firefighter discovered two young adult males bound in a bathtub with gunshot wounds to their heads. The two adult males, 22-year-old Lance Love and 21-year-old Cornellius Poole, were murder execution style. Within days, Walter Cole Rayborn was arrested in Gadsden County and charged with Two Counts of 1st Degree Murder and Arson. Walter Cole Rayborn was another one of Assistant State Attorney Jack Campbell and State Attorney Investigator Jason Newlin’s KEY witnesses.
Until there is a SIGNIFICANT change in LEADERSHIP in the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, in the State Attorney’s Office, and in the Leon County Judicial System i.e. county and circuit judges, KIDS ARE NOT SAFE IN TALLAHASSEE.
CRIMINALS POLICING OUR CHILDREN WILL NOT NET A SAFE COMMUNITY. THE ARREST OF GANG MEMBERS (KIDS) WILL BRING IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO THE LEON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE. THE ARREST OF KIDS WILL HELP FILL FLORIDA’S PRISONS—STATE AND PRIVATE PRISONS. OUR KIDS ARE BEING PREYED UPON AND IT MUST STOP NOW!
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