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Topic: The never ending Rizzo Trash deal
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BillPayer
F L I N T O I D

Wow, I certainly wasn't expecting that even after the city pulled their motion. Big news, we will see how it develops. So far I've read the contract is between 1 and 2.5 years. They mentioned it should be voted on at the city council meeting on the 24th. But yeah this entire situation is crazy. The dualing trash trucks.. thing is funny. They sure are checking up on each other. You know we had 6 trash trucks come by last week because it was a recycling week here. Republic trucks also go by both ways! Crazy stuff.

You mentioned pulling the case? That does seem like a much better way to get information. How does that work? Would the point of contact for that just be the clerk then?

I've had a lot of fun trying to learn about local politics lately. For me the most unexpected part was how similar it felt to my normal obsessions/day job. I do computer programming which in entirely analytical. Things are usually a little more black and white, but my passion still transfered over. I don't think I'll be able to turn my back on ask this now.

And by the way, in sorry to hear about your issues with the past clerk. At a minimum that seems unethical and isn't ok for someone in that position. But I am glad to hear imply you were a reporter. At first I didn't know what to make of your posts. I do still feel bad for posting in then though. It's a good collection of info that has my 'hate' all interleaved in it now Wink
Post Wed Oct 19, 2016 11:02 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Look up the case number for the story that interests you. Second floor of the Court house, south side is the records section. Fill out a pink card and say you want to pull the file for review. There is a room to your right where you can review the file and a section to send it back.

Some older files may have to be ordered as they did not include enough space for file storage when they completed the addition.

Good luck. When you are looking up an agency for research, Fonger is a good resource. He told me how to research nonprofits and their 990 forms.

The original Republic contract was for 3 years with 2-one year extensions optional. The latest Flint Journal references the extensions. You are right as the original stories in the media were in conflict.
Post Thu Oct 20, 2016 8:12 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Bill Payer- Have you seen the WJRT 12 videos. How embarrassing for our city to have a pastor chasing the City Administrator, who appears to be trying to avoid a public conflict and then Mays confronting Woodson. This is an RTAB meeting that will go down in history.


My concerns are what will Weaver do about the contract she signed with Republic under her emergency powers? And why was Oakes in Farah's Courtroom acting as "first chair" when she should be on the sidelines allowing her hired guns do the work. She seems to be violating the original Appeals Court decision regarding "conflicts of interest". She should not represent one side of our city government against the other.

Weaver needs to pay more attention to the people she places as management into some departments, especially in the Community and Economic Development.
Post Thu Oct 20, 2016 8:24 am 
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BillPayer
F L I N T O I D

Spin continues in city blog post where major claims victory before dealings even finalized

---

October 21, 2016 (FLINT, Mich) — A tentative agreement has been officially reached in the dispute over waste collection services in the City of Flint. As of Friday morning the matter has been amicably resolved and upon approval by the Receivership Transition Advisory Board, the Mayor, City Council and Genesee County Court agree that the case (#16-107434 ) will be dismissed with prejudice.

“This agreement will give Flint residents what I’ve been fighting for all along and that’s the best service possible, at the lowest cost possible,” said Mayor Weaver.

City officials have extended a one year contract to Republic Services. During this period, Republic will agree to collect waste in Flint for the same price as offered by Rizzo Environmental Services. Furthermore, Republic will agree to provide solid waste collection services equal to those specified in the bid proposal submitted by Rizzo.

“This has been a long process and I’m glad it’s just about over,” said Weaver. “But most of all, I’m glad we are going to be saving the citizens and the City of Flint money without compromising the quality of service provided.”

Mayor Weaver thanks the residents of Flint for their patience and understanding during this negotiation process. Now that this matter is nearly resolved, she and her team look forward to continuing the progress being made in the City of Flint and will soon announce the start of phase three of the FAST Start pipe replacement initiative where lead-tainted pipes will be removed and replaced at hundreds more homes in Flint.

--
Post Sun Oct 23, 2016 8:19 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

URGENT: Federal Target Letter US Attorney Office...
www.federalcharges.com/target-lette...

... Federal Target Letter US Attorney Office Pre ... More About Target Letters. When a federal prosecutor believes a felony that is punishable by more than one ...
Post Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:26 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

URGENT: Federal Target Letter US Attorney Office Pre-Indictment
By Editor

The purpose of the website is so that people who receive a target letter from the United States attorney’s office retain counsel for the limited and immediate purpose to intervene and alert the United States attorney’s office that the target of a federal grand jury investigation will be engaging counsel. Then decisions whether to cooperate in the investigation or not can take place once local counsel has been retained. We are national practice group seeking to assist people who receive target letters, or have been notified that they are the subject of a grand jury investigation.

The client benefit is that it stops an arrest warrant from issuing and a decision can be made whether or not to stop the grand jury investigation by way of deciding to plead out to an information which limits the scope of criminal exposure in accordance with the United States federal sentencing guidelines which provide for a departure from the guidelines because of substantial assistance provided to law enforcement.

Contact a Federal lawyer immediately.
SAMPLE TARGET LETTER

targetlettersample
More About Target Letters

When a federal prosecutor believes a felony that is punishable by more than one year in prison has been committed, the prosecutor must convene a grand jury and ask for a formal indictment of any suspects. This is a Constitutional duty that protects potentially innocent people against unfair and groundless prosecution. Most of the time, the suspect will be informed that he or she is a target of the grand jury investigation. When the suspect is subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury, the suspect will receive an official target letter.
What is in the Target Letter

A target letter informs the recipient that he or she is being called as a witness to testify before the grand jury. It offers a brief explanation of what the grand jury is and what its role is in the prosecution of federal crimes. The letter will also inform the recipient of what the suspected criminal activity is and warn the recipient that he or she is prohibited from destroying any potential evidence relating to the suspected criminal activity. Finally, the target letter informs the recipient of his or her rights when testifying before grand jury. Informing a suspect of his or her rights is not a legal requirement, but it is the policy of the Department of Justice to do so. The rights that a suspect will be informed of are:

What criminal activity the witness is suspected of committing;
That the witness has the right not to incriminate him or herself;
That anything the witness says can be used against him or her; and,
That the witness will be allowed to step out of the grand jury room to consult with legal counsel if he or she desires to do so.

What to Do if You Receive a Target Letter

It should be obvious that if you receive a target letter the first thing that you should do is to call an attorney. You will only receive the target letter if you are suspected of a serious crime that is being investigated by a grand jury and you are being called as a witness before the grand jury. Although the target letter tells you what your rights are, you will still want to consult with an attorney about how you can protect those rights in your particular case. In some cases, it is possible that a grand jury will decline to issue an indictment after hearing the suspect’s side of the case. An attorney can help make that more likely.
What Else You Can Do About a Target Letter

Many people who are the targets of a grand jury investigation want to present their own witnesses and other evidence to the grand jury. This is one way that the target can attempt to convince the grand jury that it should not issue an indictment. The prosecution does not have to allow the target to do this, but ordinarily will allow it if doing so is unlikely to cause undue delays or confusion.

A target who knows that he or she is guilty might also want to negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecution at this point. Because the prosecutor does not yet even have a formal charge against the target and might not even get one from the grand jury, the prosecutor is often willing to offer a deal for a lesser sentence than he or she would be willing to do after the grand jury issues an indictment. An attorney can advise the target whether or not a plea bargain is a good idea in any particular case.
When Suspects Are Not Notified of Grand Jury Investigations

If the prosecution believes that a suspect might flee the country or destroy evidence if notified that he or she is the suspect of a grand jury investigation, the prosecution will not notify the suspect. Notification will also not be given if there is a possibility that doing so would be dangerous for other reasons, such as putting other potential targets on notice. Finally, if a case is routine, the target will not usually be notified of the grand jury. For example, someone who is caught with a large amount of drugs on his or her person might not be notified of the grand jury because the testimony of the arresting officer is all that is needed for the grand jury to issue an indictment and the suspect is aware that any number of federal charges are likely to be filed against him or her.
Summary

A target letter can shake your nerves. It is official notice from the government that someone is suspected of a serious federal crime. For that reason it is urgent that anyone who receives a target letter speaks to an attorney as soon as possible.
Have a pending criminal or federal case?
Have a Pending Criminal or Federal Case?
Request Free Evaluation Right Now.
Post Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:28 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

There are several lawyers on line describing a target letter and a proffer, but I thought this one was more complete.

Rizzo, by their cooperation with the FBI, will probably get a break, but their level of immunity depends on the proffer document they signed.. Watch to see if this case is just the "tip of the iceberg" so to speak. It appears they have already led the FBI to other links in the corruption pipeline.

As I read the original articles, it appeared to me that financially strapped Reynolds was not above extorting money from Rizzo and probably other vendors. I can't wait to see how far this case goes and I bet more will get trapped in this FBI web.

I am curious as to just how many are sweating about being discovered and just how many "target letters" are going out.

I wonder about the timing of their announcement, but even Us Attorney Haviland called me nosey over one of my Freedom of Information requests .
(Jackie Poplar's "get out of jail free" card.)
Post Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:38 am 
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BillPayer
F L I N T O I D

untanglingwebs, what is going on with this new contract? I'm going to devote some time into it later tonight or tomorrow...

But is this a completely new bid? I don't think it is..

How the heck did they make modifications to the rfp to make it 1 yr with an extension? Did they need to or how did they come about?

Was Rizzo deemed an irresponsible bidder?
Was republic merely allowed to price match?
Does the accepted bid reflect republic or Rizzo offered services?

Does the court have any involvement other with the new contract?

* RTAB special meeting pack for Wednesday, October 26, 2016
2:00 Pm...

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/treasury/Flint_RTAB_Packet_-_10-26-16_539103_7.pdf


Last edited by BillPayer on Tue Oct 25, 2016 5:10 pm; edited 1 time in total
Post Tue Oct 25, 2016 10:02 am 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

The original contract by Kurtz was for three years wit two-one year extensions.
The change in the contract may signal that the RFP or bid that was created by Muhammad may not have met the criteria established by the City of Flint purchasing policy. There is the possibility that Muhammad was too invested in her relationship with Republic to actually write the document in such a way that guaranteed a full and open competitive process.

Personally, I found her comments to the RTAB board to be self serving. And, I am disturbed at the comments of council indicating special personalized service from Republic. Also, I have heard comments indicating certain council have been lobbied by Republic and received gifts.

This is no different than council member who in the past begged the Mayor at the time to fund their favorite non profits so they could ensure re-election. I saw too much of that crap in the past. HUD came to the same conclusions, but an honest City government was blocked. HUD, the State and the city all tried to cover their behinds instead of admitting there was malfeasance and fraud in the process.

Williamson was blamed for losing federal funding after Kurtz made lame duck allocations to two nonprofits that did not qualify for HUD funding. Council played the same self-serving games, refused to reallocate funds, and tried to send HUD money to the county.
Post Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:49 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

UPDATE: Head of Rizzo Environmental Services resigns as federal investigation into trash hauler grows


By ABC12 News Team | Posted: Tue 3:49 PM, Oct 25, 2016 | Updated: Tue 4:04 PM, Oct 25, 2016

MACOMB COUNTY (WJRT) - (10/25/16) - The head of Rizzo Environmental Services, Frank Rizzo Jr. has resigned in the wake of a growing federal corruption investigation into the trash hauler.

Tuesday, Macomb Township Trustee Clifford Freitas was named in a second alleged public corruption case filed by federal prosecutors.

The FBI claims Freitas took money to help his employer win a contract with the township. Several reports indicate Freitas worked for Rizzo Environmental Services at that time.

This comes two weeks after a Clinton Township trustee was charged in the investigation for taking bribes.

Until recently, Rizzo Environmental Services was Flint Mayor Karen Weaver's choice to haul trash for the city. The city has since approved an agreement with Republic Services instead. The mayor's office says the change of heart came when Republic agreed to haul trash for the same price as Rizzo.

GFL Environmental, Inc. recently acquired Rizzo Environmental Services. The company released this statement Tuesday regarding Rizzo's resignation:


“The allegations surrounding Rizzo Environmental’s potential involvement in the FBI’s investigation were first brought to our attention following local press reports which speculated that a principal at Rizzo had made cash payments to Dean Reynolds in connection with a Clinton Township contract. These allegations, which reportedly occurred in late 2012 through 2015, predate GFL’s acquisition of Rizzo last month. We had no prior knowledge of the FBI’s investigation or the allegations associated with elected officials in Macomb County, Michigan.

Upon learning of the situation, we immediately began the process of conducting our own internal investigation to better understand the facts. While our review is ongoing, the allegations that have been presented in two Federal criminal complaints are completely counter to the way that GFL does business. Adhering to the highest ethical policies and conducting our business with the utmost integrity are among GFL's most important priorities. We are outraged by the allegations that have been reported and have zero tolerance for employee misconduct or unprofessional behavior.

Therefore, in the best interests of the company and our customers, Chuck Rizzo, Jr. has resigned, effective immediately. I will oversee Rizzo’s business on an interim basis until further notice.

We are committed to providing the highest quality waste collection and recycling services to commercial, municipal and industrial customers while following only the highest legal and ethical standards.”

Patrick Dovigi
President & CEO, GFL Environmental, Inc.

You can find a copy of the federal complaint against Freitas in the 'Related Documents' section of this story.
Post Tue Oct 25, 2016 3:58 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

http://www.abc12.com/content/news/Head-of-Rizzo-Environmental-Services-resigns-as-federal-investigation-into-trash-hauler-grows-398422091.html
Post Tue Oct 25, 2016 4:02 pm 
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BillPayer
F L I N T O I D

This is from the RTAB meeting plan for October 26th I updated my previous post to link to. Important to note they EM order no. 3 is also going to be modified. This could be worth looking into as well.

---

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that Case No: 16-l07434-CZ shall be
dismissed with prejudice and in accordance with the following terms and conditions:
1. The City of Flint shall extend the solid waste collection contract with Republic Waste
Services (“Republic”), at the 3 year bid price of Rizzo Environmental Services
(“Rizzo”) as set forth in Bid Proposal 16-541, prorated over a 1 year period
($3,736,032). The extended contract period shall be from November 12, 2016
through November 12, 2017.
2. The City of Flint shall be authorized to enter into a revised extended contract with
Republic which includes the revised 1 year contract price, and requires Republic to
provide solid waste collection services equal to those specified in the bid proposal
submitted by Rizzo.
3. If Republic satisfactorily provides solid waste collection services in accordance with
the revised extended contract, the Mayor of Flint shall have the discretionary right, in
accordance with the contract, to extend the term of the contract with the Republic for
1 year, from November 12, 2017 through November 12, 2018.
4. The Administration of the City of Flint shall develop a detailed request for bid and
bid evaluation procedure for solid waste collection services. The parties agree that
the Mayor, at her discretion, may solicit bids for a solid waste collection contract.
The starting date for any contract awarded through this bid process shall be no soonerthan November 13, 2017. The bid process remains subject to all provisions of the
Purchasing Ordinance(s) ofthe Flint City Code. (18-21 et seq.)
5. The agreement of the parties to dismiss the instant cause of action pursuant to the
terms stated herein, and to have the City of Flint enter into a revised extended waste
collection contract with Republic shall require the review and approval, for financial
accountability, of the Receivership Transition Advisory Board (“RTAB”). This Order
of Dismissal will take effect immediately upon the approval by the RTAB.
6. The terms of this Order of Dismissal shall not apply to any claim for attorney fees
which may be made by Attorney Barry Wolf for legal services provided to the
individual Plaintiffs named herein, and the defenses the City of Flint may assert
relative to such claim.
Post Tue Oct 25, 2016 5:17 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

Office of the United States Attorneys The United States Department of Justice
Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. Attorneys » Eastern District of Michigan » News


Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of Michigan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Macomb Township Trustee Arrested and Charged for Demanding and Taking Bribes

An elected Trustee of Macomb Township was arrested by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) today based on a criminal complaint charging him with demanding and taking bribes in exchange for his vote and official assistance on a municipal contract, United States Attorney Barbara McQuade announced.

McQuade was joined in the announcement by FBI Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios and Manny J. Muriel, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office.

Clifford Freitas, 43, of Macomb Township, is charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, including demanding and accepting money in exchange for official acts as a Trustee. Freitas’ arrest is another part of an ongoing and long-running investigation into systemic corruption in multiple municipalities in southeast Michigan, primarily Macomb County. The investigation has employed telephone wiretaps, consensual audio and video recordings by cooperative individuals, undercover operations, physical surveillance, telephone tracking warrants, and subpoenas of financial records and other documents.

The complaint charges that Freitas demanded and accepted money from a municipal vendor in exchange for using his official position as a Trustee to get the vendor a municipal contract and to secure favorable terms for the company. In July 2015, Macomb Township put out a request for proposal for a municipal contract. Soon thereafter, Freitas approached a representative of a prospective vendor, and Freitas demanded money in return for Freitas’ support as a Trustee. Freitas agreed to accept $7,500 from the vendor in return for his assistance in getting the contract. Through his position as a Trustee, Freitas obtained sensitive bid information on the municipal contract in order to help the vendor, telling the vendor what bid was needed to beat out competing contractors. After the vendor was awarded the contract by Macomb Township, Freitas demanded an additional $35,000 from the company representative for his additional assistance as a public official relating to the contract. In May 2016, Freitas accepted $2,000 in cash from an undercover agent of the FBI, with the payment being video recorded.

“Bribery in municipal contracting undermines clean and effective government and erodes public trust,” said U.S. Attorney McQuade.

“The citizens of Michigan must be able to trust that government officials will perform their duties in the best interests of the communities they serve,” said David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of investigation. “Today’s arrest is another unfortunate reminder that some public officials have lost sight of that obligation choosing instead to utilize their positions of authority to serve their own interests. The Detroit FBI along with its partners assigned to the Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force remain committed to investigating those who criminally violate their oaths of office. I would encourage anyone who has information about corrupt activity in Macomb County or any other community in Michigan to contact the Detroit FBI Public Corruption tip line at 313-965-2222.”

This investigation is being conducted by the Macomb Resident Agency of the FBI and the FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the FBI Detroit Division and comprised of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Michigan State Police, Michigan Attorney General’s Office, and several other local and federal law enforcement agencies. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys R. Michael Bullotta and David A. Gardey.

Freitas will be in federal court this afternoon at 1pm for his initial appearance.

Upon conviction for a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666, federal program bribery, Freitas faces a maximum of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
Post Tue Oct 25, 2016 5:19 pm 
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BillPayer
F L I N T O I D

So my understanding is that the court case is being settled out of court by extending the original Republic contract by one year. However, they are going to use Rizzo prices for that year, and the services they are to be provided are only those Rizzo offered??

So this isn't a new bid, it's an extension of the original contract republic already has. But they are gutting the extention and putting Rizzo services and pricing????!

Ok, my mind is just blown over this. So you know how mad I would be to find out the proposal I created was stolen from me and given to someone else? That can't be legal, they must own the proposal still? I wonder if Rizzo agreed to this?
Post Tue Oct 25, 2016 5:30 pm 
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo

The documents involving the complaint can be located on the channel 12' story as well as after the press release by the US Attorney/

The complaint is interesting.
Clifford freitas was elected as a Macomb Township Board Trustee in 2012.
Macomb Township receives over $10,000 in federal funding;
Beginning in June of 2014, Freitas began working for Rizzo Environmental.
When the Request for proposal (RFP) was announced, Freitas offered to help secure the contract, but that help would come at a cost.

Although Freitas was paid $7,500, the company treated the money s a loan and payments were deducted from his checks.

Freitas was excluded from the negotiations due to his employment. However, there was a "source", unnamed of course that provided sensitive information to freitas because of his position as a trustee.

An attorney is mentioned twice, but was the attorney representing the township and is the attorney involved in a conspiracy?
Post Tue Oct 25, 2016 6:04 pm 
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