Page 2 - 4-10-15 Friday's Edition

Features
Popular W. Tampa Woman’s Live-In Boyfriend Arrested For Her Murder
DENISE ALBURY COGMON
On Tuesday night, Tampa Police reported that an arrest was made in the death of a popular West Tampa woman.
James Ware, 56, the live- in boyfriend of Denise Al- bury Cogmon, 60, was arrested and charged with first- degree murder in her death.
Detectives said Ms. Cog- mon’s murder was the result of a domestic argument and Ware confessed to the mur- der.
Tampa Police reported that Ms. Cogmon had suffered upper body trauma. Ware had not been seen since before her body was discovered, and her car, a Gold 1996 Toyota Camry, Tag Number BXYA96, was missing.
Concerned family members had reported her missing until one of them went to the house, kicked open a locked bedroom door, and found Ms. Cogmon dead.
Not many families have the distinction of being identified by their last name, especially in inner-city communities. But there isn’t one person who has called West Tampa home for the past 70 years who doesn’t know the Albury family.
Ms. Cogmon’s son, Willie Pittman, III said his mother had her own house, but moved out to take care of her mother, who passed away last year.
“She attended college for a couple of years, and was one of the first African American women to drive buses for HARTline,” said Willie.
“After leaving HARTline, she started her own business, and was operating a successful cleaning service.”
Willie, one of two children, said he visited his mother every day.
“The Albury family is very close and we always spent time together.
“My mom enjoyed exercis- ing and loved to dance. The bottom line is she was always loyal to her family. She was the mother for a lot of kids and a born leader.”
JAMES WARE
Live-in boyfriend charged
with first-degree murder.
Willie said he got a call at 9 p. m. from police that they had arrested Ware some- where in the Gunn Highway area.
“We were never comfort- able with him from day one, but we said nothing because Mom always saw the best in people.
“They met years ago when I was a small child. They parted ways until Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. That’s when he reentered her life, and after my grandmother passed and Mom moved into her house, he came along with her.”
Willie said as far as the family is concerned, Ware was over-protective, over bearing, and didn’t want his Mom to have any personal freedom.
“It was so unnatural. He didn’t want to see her flourish. When friends or family would come around, he wouldn’t greet anyone, and didn’t like any of her male friends.
“My mom and I talked day and night, and we talked about what was going on with her and Ware.”
Ms. Cogmon had four sib- lings, Gail, Bernard, Michael and Leonard.
Prior to the desegregation of public schools in 1971 in Hillsborough County, Ms. Cogmon attended E.E. Just Junior High School and later Howard W. Blake High School. She was very popular, and de- spite the celebrity her older brother, Anthony had as a basketball player, everyone knew who Ms. Cogmon was, and respected her honesty and down-to-earth attitude.
Willie said the entire fam- ily is grateful to police for mak- ing a quick arrest.
“I’ll always remember the times we spent together on cruises and just being to- gether.”
Police reported that Ms. Cogmon’s vehicle had also been located.
Ray Williams Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Ex-Police Cpl. Pleads Guilty To Theft Of $88,504 In Tax Fraud Case
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Nearly two years ago, Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor fired a twenty-year veteran of the department. She was accused of taking money from evidence that had been confiscated in tax fraud inves- tigations. The money was in the form of 13 checks valued at $88,504.71; 21 money orders worth approximately $10,000; and one refund anticipation loan check valued at $3,007.15.
On Tuesday, that em- ployee, Ms. Jeanette Hevel, entered a guilty plea to the charge of the theft of govern- ment funds in federal court. She has also agreed to make full restitution to the U. S. De- partment of Treasury, and to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $88,504.71.
According to court docu- ments, beginning in 2008 and
JEANETTE HEVEL
... Facing a maximum of 10 years in federal prison
continuing until September 2013, Ms. Hevel was em- ployed as a Corporal with the Tampa Police Department, in the Criminal Intelligence Bu- reau. Investigations pertaining to identity theft and related tax fraud allegations were among her areas of responsibility.
Court records stated that
during a 8-month period, from September 2011 until May 2012, Ms. Hevel abused her position to obtain the checks and money orders and would check them out in her capacity as a law enforcement investi- gator. Once in her possession, she would conspire with oth- ers outside the department to cash the checks and money or- ders and shared the profits with those individuals.
In some instances, the checks or money orders were sent to her department for fur- ther investigation by other of- ficers.
Ms. Hevel can be sen- tenced to up to 10 years in fed- eral prison, order to pay a fine of up to $250,000, a term of a maximum of 3 years of super- vision after her release, and a special assessment of $100 per felony count.
Ms. Hevel was arrested and terminated from the de- partment in September 2013.
Three Grant Writing Workshops Planned
The Center for Non-Profit and Community Development and the National Institute for Strategic and Tactical Planning will host free professional grant-writing workshops. The workshops will take place on two separate dates.
The first workshop will take place on April 27th, and the second workshop will take place on April 28th. Both workshops will be held from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m., and both will take place at the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, 1002 E. Palm Avenue.
The same material will be covered in both workshops.
The National Institute for Strategic and Tactical Planning workshops will describe the different types of grants available; describe the different types of grantors; identify research tools available to those seeking grants; describe the fundamental of grant writing; describe the proposal writing process; describe the concept paper, letter of intent, and letter of inquiry process, and identify grant terms.
Seating is limited and anyone wishing to attend the workshops must email wefindgrants@aol.com
to confirm a seat and to obtain an invitation and workshop packet. No one will be admitted without an invitation.
For more information contact Michael Randolph at (813) 857-7657.
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