Page 12 - Florida Sentinel 3-7-17

Local
Former Detective Enters Plea Agreement In Tax Fraud Case
Illness Claims Life Of 85- Year-Old Gospel Musician
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
A Tampa gospel singer well known in the church commu- nity has died. Mr. Robert Lewis, Jr., was 85-years-old. He slipped away on Tuesday, February 28th, surrounded by his family.
Mr. Lewis played for sev- eral churches in the area. A tal- ented musician, he was proficient playing the piano, organ, and guitar, among other instruments. Having estab- lished himself as an accom- plished musician, Mr. Lewis was presented an award as a “Gospel Legend” in 2014.
Music was a lifelong love of Mr. Lewis. In addition to playing, he also taught music to others, his wife, Mrs. Glo- retha Watson Lewis said.
At the time of his death, Mr. Lewis was a member of New Progress Missionary Bap- tist Church, where he sang in the Male Chorus.
Mr. Lewis was born in Tampa, but moved to Chat- tanooga, Tennessee. However, he returned to Tampa while a senior in high school to help
ROBERT LEWIS, JR.
his mother. He entered the workforce and stayed in Tampa for the remainder of his life.
He retired from the Univer- sity of South Florida 23 years ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis were married for 53 years, and were the parents of 6 children, and grandparents to 45. In addi- tion to his wife, children, and grandchildren Mr. Lewis is survived by two sisters and other family members and friends.
Funeral services for Mr. Lewis will be held on Satur- day. Harmon’s Funeral Home is in charge of handling arrangements.
Last week, a federal judge set a sentencing date for a former police detective accused of par- ticipating in a tax fraud scheme. The trial date for the detective and his wife had been scheduled for May 2017.
According to public records online, Federal Judge Richard A. Lazzara will sentence for- mer Tampa Police Detective Eric Houston March 22, 2017. However, the plea agreement was not available as of press time.
The plea agreement will re- veal the charges Houston is going to plead guilty to having committed.
The trial of his wife, former Tampa Police Sergeant La- Joyce Houston is still sched- uled to take place in May 2017.
In Oct0ber 2015, Mrs. La- Joyce Caldwell Houston and her husband, Eric Houston, were charged in federal court with conspiracy, theft of govern- ment property and money laun- dering.
Mrs. Houston is also charged with obtaining informa-
tion from a protected computer with the in- tent to de- fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The indict-
ment also noti-
fied the Houstons that the federal government is seeking a forfeiture money judgment of at least $239,116.91, which is con- sidered proceeds of the crime.
According to the indictment, as part of her duties as a Tampa Police Sergeant, Mrs. Houston had access to local, state, and federal law enforcement data- bases, including the State of Florida’s Driver and Vehicle In- formation Database, known as DAVID.
Eric Houston was formerly assigned to the Detective’s Divi- sion as a Homicide investigator.
The indictment alleges that beginning in 2010, the couple conspired to obtain personally identifiable information using various sources, including the
law enforcement databases. The indictment also alleges that the couple then gave the in- formation to Ms. Rita Girven and others. It also alleges that the couple “knew the informa- tion was being used to commit crimes that included filing false federal income tax returns, the receipt of fraudulently obtained tax refunds, establishing and using bank accounts in others’
names, and identity theft.”
The government contends that the money was used to make purchases, pay off lines of credit, purchase money orders, and cash was withdrawn from
ATM machines.
Investigators said Ms. Gir-
ven admitted to receiving funds as a result of filing the fraudu- lent returns. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in March 2015.
She reportedly admitted to receiving $33,002.00 as a result of filing the false income tax re- funds. She is currently serving a sentence of 12 years in federal prison.
ERIC HOUSTON
Sickles High School Wins 8A State Basketball Championship
Sickles High School may have been considered a sleeper or an underdog last week in Lakeland, but on Saturday evening the boys’ basketball team became the champions of the 8A contest at the Lakeland Civic Cen- ter.
The Gryphons (29-4) of Sickles, coached by Re- naldo Garcia, defeated Lincoln High of Tallahassee,
51-45 in the title game. The last basketball champi- onship that the Hillsbor- ough County Public School System brought to the county was in 1982 when Plant City High, coached by Jimmie Smith, won the state championship game.
On Friday afternoon, Sickles defeated Lakewood Ranch, 54-49 in the semifi- nals.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Featured In Vogue Magazine
The March 2017 issue of Vogue magazine features ‘The Women Of Alpha Kappa Alpha,’ the first African-Amer- ican sorority founded in the United States in 1908.
The article in the 125th an- niversary issue, by Chioma Nnadi, talks about the organi- zation’s founders, the pearls the women of the sorority wear and their colors.
Nnadi talked with women on the campus of Spelman Col- lege following a Founders’ Day
luncheon. The writer talked about the sisterhood of the women when there appears to be so much divisiveness in the country. Daeja Langston was the spokesperson. The sorority celebrates Founders’ Day around the nation in mid January.
To read more on the article go to http://www.vogue. com/projects/13528828/amer ican-women-first-african- american-sorority-alpha- kappa-alpha-history/.
PAGE 12 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017