A new report in the Florida Bulldog gives disgusting details how Florida Justice Center (FLJC) founder Jonathan Bleiweiss molested young Hispanic men and still avoided a criminal trial. Last month, REDBROWARD exposed how Bleiweiss co-hosted a City of Tamarac criminal record expungement event with Vice-Mayor Elberg Mike Gelin. Local expungement events are usually coordinated with the Broward State Attorney Office. For some reason, Gelin partnered with Bleiweiss.
When he was a Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) deputy, Bleiweiss was accused of detaining undocumented Hispanic men and forcing them to perform sexual acts to avoid arrest. The Florida Bulldog documents how Bleiweiss molested the men:
M.C.” and his brother “J.C.” were on bicycles when Bleiweiss approached them, flashed his emergency lights and stopped M.C. “While [Bleiweiss was] inquiring as to M.C.’s relationship status,” the motion says, J.C. rode up to them. Bleiweiss sent him away.
Then Bleiweiss forced M.C. into the back of his patrol car and molested him.
A few days later, Bleiweiss spotted M.C. on a bicycle, stopped him and administered a sobriety test. The deputy dimmed his emergency lights and the bicycle light, had M.C. lean against the patrol car as if for a pat-down, and molested him again.
Afterward Bleiweiss handcuffed M.C. and put him in the back of the patrol car while he wrote something on a piece of paper. Months later, he pulled over another man near the River Oaks Apartments and made him write his name on a notepad.
Bleiweiss would later agree to a plea deal which included prison but no sexual offender label. How did Bleiweiss get so lucky?
According to the Florida Bulldog, five of seven Bleiweiss victims were deported before trial.
In 2019, Prosecutor Neva Rainford-Smith told Florida Bulldog, “I agonized over the case. I know that he did it but without cooperating witnesses, we’re dead in the water.”
In December 2021, Bleiweiss tried to shorten his probation. In a hearing before Broward Judge Marina Garcia-Wood, Bleiweiss’ attorney tried to paint a rosy picture of his client.
The Bulldog reports how Judge Garcia-Wood replied, “And did he tell you the reason he was able to negotiate a plea to a non-sex offense was because the sheriff’s office … systematically rounded up those victims and deported them?”
Gelin ignored pleas from Tamarac residents to cancel the May 14th event with Bleiweiss. A smiling Gelin doubled down by snapping pictures with Bleiweiss at the event. Days later, Gelin posted an Instagram video featuring Bleiweiss.
News of the the deportation of Bleiweiss’ victims comes days after REDBROWARD reported how Gelin launched a bigoted attack on Tamarac Commissioner Elvin Villalobos.
After lamenting how Villalobos created discord at meetings because of a lack of advice by city attorney John Herin, Gelin lectured how Tamarac Commissioners could not “regulate” Tamarac Talk, Tamarac Post nor REDBROWARD. He said this First Amendment concept need to be “explained” to Villalobos.
“This is America. We have freedom of speech,” Gelin lectured. “That should be explained to the Commissioner who may still think that Latin American rules apply in America. And it doesn’t.”
“Excuse me? Excuse me? What do you mean that it doesn’t apply to Latin America, Vice Mayor?” Villalobos asked.
Later, Gelin stated the City Attorney needed to better educate Commissioners, “Who may not understand how this country is governed.”
Does Elberg Mike Gelin realize how many Hispanics reside in the City of Tamarac?
Does Elberg Mike Gelin have a problem with Hispanics?
Gelin is running against popular incumbent Mayor Michelle Gomez.
Does Elberg Mike Gelin think Mayor Gomez needs a refresher course on the U.S. Constitution?
REDBROWARD 