The conspiracy to frame NMPD Commander Hollant: Who wins, who loses, who gets promoted?

Larry Juriga always wanted to be a cop.  After all, his daddy was a cop.  His uncle was a cop.  And besides, he couldn’t cut it on the gridiron.  Or pretty much anywhere else.  So the dumb jock quit Parks & Rec, put away his football helmet, and joined the NMPD family business where he could still tackle someone to the ground every once in a while.

It didn’t take long for Larry Juriga’s white privilege, not to mention his family name, to allow him to rapidly move up the food chain at the North Miami Police Department.  He was appointed as Assistant Chief after only 16 years as a cop, but then hit the proverbial glass ceiling.  Since he was so used to having undeserved promotions being handed to him, and even though he wasn’t even remotely qualified for the position (after all, he failed his Lieutenant’s exam, but was promoted anyway), he actually believed he was entitled to be the Chief of Police.

After five years as Assistant Chief, a frustrated Juriga decided it was time for drastic measures.  On July 6, 2015, he filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, hilariously claiming that he has been “marginalized” for being white.  Juriga whined to the EEOC that he had been twice been “passed over” for promotion to chief in favor of a “black assistant chief” (Stephen Johnson), and then a second time by a “Haitian-American” (Marc Elias).

When the incompetent Leonard “Chief Lenny” Burgess was forced to resign in 2016, Larry Juriga believed the Holy Grail was finally within his reach.  He had to be positively furious when, two months later, he watched the appointment and swearing in of yet another Haitian-American as Chief of Police, Gary Eugene.

Much to Juriga’s dismay, Chief Eugene proceeded to appoint two Hispanics, a Black and a Haitian, along with a token white dude, to his Command Staff, while “passing over” several of Juriga’s fellow Illuminati members for promotion to positions they believed were rightfully theirs.

Thus began Team Juriga’s mission to undermine the newly appointed Chief and his newly appointed Command Staff.  In less than a week, the golden opportunity presented itself.

On July 18, 2016, Charles Kinsey, a mental health therapist, was trying to persuade Arnaldo Rios-Soto, his autistic patient, back to the group home.  Mr. Kinsey was sitting on the street next to Rios, who was playing with a toy truck.  A witness drove by them and, believing that Rios was holding a gun, immediately called the police, who rushed to the scene.

The moment Officer Jonathan Aledda pulled his trigger and shot an unarmed black man with his hands up, Larry Juriga was not about to let a good crisis go to waste.  With the vision of a promotion dancing in his head, he quickly hatched his plot for revenge even as Mr. Kinsey’s blood was spilling onto the pavement.

Juriga’s first thought was to protect Aledda, the negligently hired cop, from the consequences of his own incompetence.  When he realized that Chief Eugene’s newly appointed Commander Emile Hollant was the commander on the scene, Juriga set out to somehow blame him for the shooting.

Commander Emile Hollant arrived within minutes of the 911 call and stood approximately 150 feet from Kinsey and Rios.  From that distance, it appeared to Hollant that Rios loading a weapon.

According to the FDLE’s timeline (page 15 of the report):

  • At 17:05:30, Commander Hollant announced over the police radio, “He looks like he’s loading up his weapon.”
  • Thirty seconds later (17:06:00), Officer Alens Berndadeau announced, “units use caution it might be a toy.”
  • Thirty two seconds later (17:06:30), Jonathan Aledda announced that he has a “clear shot of the subject.”
  • Twenty three seconds later (17:06:55), Officer Bernadeau announced, “I have a visual, does not appear to be a firearm.”
  • Thirty seconds later (17:07:25), Commander Hollant announced, “shots fired.”

When NMPD investigators arrived at the scene, Commander Hollant told them that he did not personally witness the shooting.  He explained that after he announced over the radio that Rios appeared to be loading a weapon, he ran to his vehicle to get a pair of binoculars so he could get a better view of Kinsey and Rios.  Hollant also testified that he heard the shots fired as he was returning from his vehicle.

In an interview with the FDLE on August 11, 2016, Commander Hollant reiterated to Special Agent Daniel Mosquera that as “he was retreating to his vehicle, he heard a three round burst of gunfire,” and then “got on the air advising ‘shots fired, shots fired.'”  When a radio “dispatcher asked if rescue was needed,” Hollant “could not answer that question because he did not have a visual of the scene.”

Hollant has never wavered from his testimony.

When witnesses were first interviewed the day of the shooting, not one person disputed Commander Hollant’s testimony.

Six months later, however, when coached questioned by NMPD Internal Affairs Sergeant Diana Roman, several of her “key” witnesses recovered their “repressed memories” and miraculously “recalled” completely different versions of their original testimonies.

Funny how that works … especially when promotions are in the offing.

Larry Juriga and his Illuminati Hit Squad were not about to let a little thing like the truth get in the way of their thirst for power.

Five days after Juriga’s SWAT Team screw up, city officials announced at an ill-conceived press conference that both Aledda and Hollant were suspended; the shooter with pay, the scapegoated Commander without pay.

Although his paycheck was eventually reinstated, Commander Hollant was placed on House Arrest, which forced this 28-year professional law enforcement veteran to remain in his home during “business hours,” as if he were a mail room copy boy instead of a police officer.

Oh, and he had to ask the hall monitor IA Sergeant Roman for a pass to use the little boys’ room.

As if that weren’t humiliating enough, Herr Juriga sent his flying monkey Gestapo army to destroy what was left of his personal life by stalking, bullying and intimidating Emile Hollant and anyone who dared to defend him.

Including this blogger.

Yeah.  Good luck with that.

Despite the fact that the State Attorney’s Office immediately cleared Commander Hollant of all wrongdoing (and a second time six months later), Juriga convinced Chief Gary Eugene to initiate an Internal Affairs investigation of Hollant under the pretext that he gave “conflicting information.”

This wasn’t even remotely true, of course.  But once the investigation was underway, Team Juriga was not going to rest until they manufactured enough “evidence” to justify getting rid of Emile Hollant.

Their web of deception succeeded.

On Friday, December 8, 2017, the Commander’s House Arrest – and career – ended when his accuser, jury and judge, Larry Juriga, summoned him to the police department and fired him…

Exactly two weeks after Commander Hollant’s attorneys, Michael Pizzi and Ben Kuehne, filed a federal lawsuit against him.

But, nah.  No retaliation there.

The Miami Herald reported that, despite all evidence to the contrary, Hollant was fired because he “falsely claimed to not have witnessed the incident.”

Adding insult to injury, Juriga handed him a memo stating, “The city manager has authorized me to terminate your employment.  We have determined that you are not fit to serve in a sworn capacity.”

If anyone is not fit to serve in any capacity, even as a football player, it would be Larry Juriga.

This is a dirty cop who falsely accused Hollant of lying, conspired with his cronies to manufacture “evidence” against him, rigged a kangaroo court-like internal affairs investigation, and then promptly fired the first Haitian-born Commander of the North Miami Police Department.

Right on the heels of conspiring to have the Haitian Chief of Police fired.

Seems legit, right?

There is no question that from the very beginning Commander Emile Hollant was set up to take the fall for the screw up of the entire North Miami Police Department.

The real question is “WHY?”

Here’s where it gets really interesting.

As we’ve already mentioned, Larry Juriga’s obvious goal was to first get rid of Chief Gary Eugene.  Once that was accomplished, he proceeded to systematically target Eugene’s command staff appointments and fill those positions with his Illuminati cronies.

Juriga teamed up with his Bootlicker In Chief, Commander Angel Rivera, who also happened to have it in for Chief Eugene.

Even though Rivera had only been a cop for 16 years at the time, he felt entitled to be promoted to Major.  He must have seethed when, instead of Rivera, Chief Eugene chose to appoint Timothy Belcher, an African-American, as his Major.

In response, Rivera threw a tantrum and resigned from the SWAT Team.

You showed him, Angel, right?

Angel Rivera’s ambitions were further stymied when his SWAT Team protégé, Jonathan Aledda, sent three bullets whizzing toward an autistic man holding a toy truck … and missed!

Thus demolishing what little credibility the North Miami Police Department had left after losing its state accreditation only two months earlier.

Rivera’s last hope for redemption was to conspire with Larry Juriga to somehow blame the entire fiasco on the new Haitian-American Chief of Police and his newly appointed Haitian Commander.

To make that happen, Angel Rivera accused Commander Hollant of withholding information that could have “helped his officer.”  Team Juriga ran with that false narrative and immediately told Chief Eugene that Hollant lied about his involvement in the shooting, which prompted Chief Eugene to immediately suspend Hollant without pay.  By the time he realized that Juriga and Rivera were the liars, it was too late.  The damage was already done.

Team Juriga’s next move was to try to get the State Attorney’s Office to file criminal charges against Commander Hollant.  In defiance of Chief Eugene’s order to wait until the FDLE completed its investigation, Larry Juriga, Angel Rivera and Sergeant James Mesidor did so anyway behind the Chief’s back.

Within two days, the State Attorney’s Office cleared Hollant of all wrongdoing, emphatically stating, “Commander Hollant did not lie.”

Larry Juriga then had to come up with Plan B.

Last June, Gary Eugene went on medical leave.  Once again, Juriga defied Eugene’s orders to hold off on Commander Hollant’s Internal Affairs investigation until he returned.  Immediately upon being appointed as “acting chief”, Juriga rushed through the investigation and immediately attempted to fire the very person he framed in the first place.  While the Chief was still on leave, Larry Juriga then conspired with city officials to have Eugene fired, too.

With both Gary Eugene and Commander Hollant conveniently out of the way, along with the well-timed retirement of Major Trevor Shinn, three new positions in the NMPD command staff were suddenly up for grabs.  As a bonus round, once those spots were filled by Juriga flunkies, it provided the opportunity for more of his toadies to move up the ladder as well.

Now that Larry Juriga is looking at yet another opportunity to become the chief, let’s take a look at who else stands to benefit by his devious framing and curiously timed firing of Commander Hollant.

Before the Aledda shooting, Sergeat Milton Reid was vying for a prestigious position in the Detective Bureau.  On the day of the shooting, he was interviewed by Detective Michael Gaudio, and two weeks later by State Attorney Ed Principe.  In neither one of those sworn statements did he mention Commander Hollant’s name.  Curiously, when interviewed by Chief Assistant State Attorney Esther Jacobo on February 13, 2017 and by NMPD Internal Affairs Sergeant Diana Roman on February 15, 2017,  all of a sudden   he conveniently “remembered” seeing Commander Emile Hollant during the shooting.

During his questioning by Sergeant Roman, she repeatedly asked him about Commander Hollant’s binoculars – the ones never mentioned in his first two interviews – and whether or not Hollant had been looking through them during the shooting, he responded with, “I don’t know but I’m assuming it’s a possibility.”

When she asked him if he believed that Commander Hollant actually witnessed the shooting, Sergeant Milton Reid responded with, “Yeah, he was there.  That’s right where I saw him looking so he should have seen it.”

Sergeant Reid was transferred to the Detective Bureau some time between the day of the shooting and the time he was interviewed by the NMPD Internal Affairs division.

But, we’re sure it’s just a coincidence.

Then there’s Officer Alens Bernadeau, who was one of the first officers to arrive on the scene, according to page 252 of the FDLE report.  Bernadeau was first interviewed by Detective Gaudio, testifying that he heard Mr. Kinsey scream that Rios was holding a toy car.  When questioned, Bernadeau testified that “he saw marked police vehicles just to the north of his location.”

Bernadau was the officer who first announced over the police radio, “units use caution it might be a toy,” and then stated, “I have a visual, does not appear to be a firearm.”  He also told Gaudio that as he was trying to get closer to the subjects, he heard two to three shots in fairly close sequence.

The FDLE interviewed Officer Bernadeau on August 1, 2017 to further question him about what he heard over the radio and his communications with Officer Crespo.

At no time during either interview did Officer Alens Bernadeau mention seeing Commander Emile Hollant at any time before, during or after the shooting.

However, when he was interviewed by Sergeant Diana Roman six months later, Officer Bernadeau miraculously recalled seeing Sergeant Milton Reid and Commander Hollant positioned “behind several marked vehicles” parked to the north of his location … but he didn’t remember exactly where they were at.”

Alrighty then.

Bernadeau swore he saw Reid and Hollant hiding somewhere “behind several marked vehicles,” even if he couldn’t remember where.”

When asked what he saw Sergeant Reid was doing, Bernadeau said, I believe standing there behind cover.”

When asked what Commander Hollant was doing, he said, “He was – same thing – same – same area.”

When Sergeant Roman asked him if he saw Hollant “prior to the shooting or after the shooting,” he said, “It was prior to and after.

When she asked him if he believed Hollant witnessed the shooting, he answered, “I mean I believe he should have … but I’m not sure … if at that time he was looking or not, but I think he should have.”

Whoa, dude.  That’s some credible eyewitness testimony.  That’ll hold up in court.  For sure.

While we’re told that Officer Alens Bernadeau has no aspirations for promotion – at least not any time soon – we’ve also learned that he and Jonathan Aledda are BFFs, as well as colleagues on the SWAT Team.  And although, judging from his testimony, while Bernadeau is not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, he did have a strong motive to push the false narrative against Commander Hollant.

So there’s that.

Then there’s Detective Gaudio, who had been patiently waiting his turn for a promotion to Sergeant for years.  Gaudio was in charge of interviewing witnesses on the day of the shooting, yet when he was interviewed by Sergeant Diana Roman months later, he had plenty of time to conspire with Team Juriga about what story to tell.

For one thing, Diana Roman arrived at the scene at 5:25 PM and immediately spoke with Commander Hollant.  Gaudio showed up 15 minutes later, yet in his February 3, 2017 interview, he told Roman that when he got there Hollant stated he had “just arrived.”

Diana Roman was fully aware that Hollant had been at the scene long before either she or Gaudio showed up, and knew very well he did not “just arrive.”

Roman had to have known that Gaudio was either mistaken, confused or outright lying, yet she never pressed him to clarify his statement.  Nor did she attempt to confirm Gaudio’s testimony with Commander Hollant, who had already told FDLE he never spoke with Gaudio at the scene.  In fact, she did not interview a single person who claimed they saw Gaudio and Hollant speaking with each other.

Yet somehow, Sergeant Roman merely accepted Gaudio’s testimony on it’s face and proceeded to base her entire investigation on an uncorroborated assumption that Hollant lied.

Detective Michael Gaudio was just recently promoted to Sergeant just days before the list was to expire.

But, nah.  He had absolutely no reason to lie under oath.

Last, but by no means least, Internal Affairs Sergeant (and recent Team Juriga recruit) Diana Roman had her own reason for aiding and abetting in the crimes against Commander Hollant.

For 18 years, this 49 year old female police officer has watched her male counterparts get the accolades and promotions she lusted after.  She wanted to become a Commander so desperately that when Chief Lenny assigned her to Internal Affairs, she was determined to prove her mettle as a cop by taking no prisoners.

As we’ve already noted, Diana Roman “investigated” the bogus charges against Commander Hollant with a vengeance.

And, as we also pointed out, her role in this ongoing drama was to make the charges stick … no matter how contrived the “logic.”

In addition to the completely illogical conclusion she arrived at in her Investigative Summary, Sergeant Roman hounded the State Attorney’s Office to reopen its inquiry of Commander Hollant, and even asked them to “change the verbiage” in their close out memo, which they absolutely refused to do.  Apparently, the State Attorney’s conclusion that “Commander Hollant did not lie” didn’t help advance Team Juriga’s preconceived narrative to sustain the bogus allegations against him.

After all, Larry Juriga instructed her to find a way, by any means necessary, to sustain the bogus charges so he could get rid of Commander Hollant.  If Diana Roman could make that happen, she’d finally get a chance for that promotion to Commander.

But, nah.  She had absolutely no motive at all.  None whatsoever.

Yeah, right.

And let’s not forget that Diana Roman opened a second Internal Affairs investigation against Commander Hollant on July 25, 2017 in retaliation for his advising her that he was going to give a statement to the State Attorney’s Office later that week.

Here’s the thing.  The notification was dated more than six months after the date Chief Gary Eugene allegedly  initiated this new “investigation.”  The letter also happened to be dated 18 days after  Chief Eugene was fired.

Even more mysteriously, this second IA investigation was closed fifteen days later without any interviews being conducted, and with absolutely no explanation given.

But, nah.  She’s not at all vindictive, huh?

The railroading of North Miami Police Commander Emile Hollant was devious and deliberate.  The conspiracy was conceived and executed by a handful of rogue cops who stood to benefit by playing their parts.  Like the infamous Miami River Cops, every single one of them had a motive that would lead to personal gain.

But make no mistake, none of this happened in a vacuum.  They could not have accomplished their collective goal without the behind-the-scenes help from Deputy City Manager Arthur “Duke” Sorey.

Larry Juriga and Duke Sorey are as thick as thieves.  They share a long history in North Miami, pulling each other up the corporate ladder one step at a time, from their teenage years in Parks & Rec to the number two positions at both the Police Department and City Hall.  And now, with the ultimate victory within their grasp, they will stop at nothing to secure the titles of Police Chief and City Manager.

City Manager Larry Spring may think Sorey has his back, but in reality, Sorey has always coveted that position.  Once Juriga is firmly ensconced in the top position at the PD, he will in turn pull out all the stops so his buddy can be the Top Dawg of North Miami.

Juriga, Sorey and their conniving gang of corrupt cops have already managed to get rid of Chief Gary Eugene and one of his Commanders, both of whom just happen  to be Haitian.  What’s to stop them from targeting Larry Spring next?  After all, they only need three votes on the Council to have him fired.

Just saying.

The conspiracy to frame Commander Emile Hollant produced winners and losers.

The obvious winners are Milton Reid and Michael Gaudio, both of whom changed their testimony about Hollant, and both of whom have achieved their career goals as a result.

Larry Juriga will win big if he can convince Larry Spring to appoint him as Chief.  If that happens, there will be an opportunity for Angel Rivera and Diana Roman to be promoted to their next respective ranks.

Officer Alens Bernadeau is apparently just happy to be here.  He neither wins nor loses anything, but if his testimony somehow helped his best friend, Jonathan Aledda beat the rap for attempted murder, he’ll still have a drinking buddy at the pool hall.

Or something.

Team Juriga’s hungry quest for power, however, produced way more losers than winners.

The obvious losers are Chief Gary Eugene and Commander Emile Hollant, both of whom were nothing but collateral damage in the skullduggery.

But the framing and firing of Commander Emile Hollant produced the the biggest losers of all – the 62,000 residents of the City of North Miami.

Not only did they lose an honorable law enforcement officer, but their lives are now literally in the hands of one of the most corrupt police departments in South Florida.

Absolutely no one is safe!

North Miami residents deserve so much better.

But the way things have been going, that won’t happen any time soon.

Stephanie

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7 thoughts on “The conspiracy to frame NMPD Commander Hollant: Who wins, who loses, who gets promoted?

  1. The corruption in the NMPD is nothing new. That anybody on the city council would approved Juriega becoming chief is pathetic. If Larry Spring appoints him then we know for sure the city is being run by incompetent people. And that the city, pushed by Spring, wants a multi million bond is insane. North Miami looks like crap and is being run by individuals who don’t give a damn.

  2. Stephanie,
    This story could have been written in Hollywood, and made into a movie, if only it had the good guys winning… But sadly it is a travesty and great injustice that has taken place at the City Of North Miami… The residents do deserve better, but in the end they will be the one’s who will pay for the corruption and ineptitude of their city officials and police department… Thanks for bringing the facts to light… GOD bless…

  3. Emile Hollant is a life-long friend and a fellow law enforcement officer. His professionalism,courage, integrity, and honor have always been above question. I am glad to see that he has escaped the corrupt NMPD with his reputation intact.

    When the internal police culture deteriorates into petty fiefdoms, and factions based on race, both black, white, and hispanic, the criminals win and the public loses. Commander Hollant was always above this kind of despicable discrimination, open, cordial, and willing to work with and befriend any fellow officer. North Miami has lost a great man, and a great officer.

  4. Stephanie,

    Once again you have written an excellent article which covered the disgraceful events by the North Miami Police leadership that destroyed the career of several wonderful men. Emile Hollant does not deserve the actions taken by many that we’re only looking for their own selfish interests.

  5. Both Commander Hollant and Chief Eugene are honorable men who will prevail. The taxpayers will lose out on this one. The decision to terminate was ill conceived and will cost millions as these two exemplary officers rehab their careers with both monetary and non monetary punitive damages.

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