Over $300,000 Cash, Boxes Of Documents And A Stuffed Bear Seized From Tax Business
May 13, 2010
Recently unsealed federal court documents show that FBI and IRS agents seized over $300,000, boxes of tax documents, computers, vehicles and even a stuffed teddy bear when they raided three locations of a tax and check cashing business along with the home of the business owners.
The search warrants were executed the morning of March 4 against Alice Preyear Mobley, Lloyd Preyear and Preyear Tax and Check Cashing Services, LLC. Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service served a federal search warrant at the Preyear’s Tax & Check Cashing, LLC on Ridgely Street in Atmore, as well as locations of the business in Monroeville and Thomasville, Alabama, and the Monroeville home of Alice Preyear Mobley. According to the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office, Mobley is the owner of the tax and check cashing business.
The exact reason the U.S. government sought the search warrants is still secret; a federal judge sealed the search warrant applications and reasons for obtaining them. But other unsealed documents in the case reveal that the government was seeking “business, bank and accounting records, documents and proceeds related to fraud against the government, tax fraud and money laundering, U.S. currency, property that constitutes evidence of the commission of a criminal offense and contraband, fruits of a crime or other things criminally possessed therein.”
Alice Preyear Mobley, Lloyd Preyear and Preyear Tax and Check Cashing Services, LLC have requested that the government return property from the home and business locations in Atmore and Monroeville. The defendants claim that the search warrants were missing a necessary attachment in order to be valid.
Items seized during the execution of the search warrants included $263,000 in $100 bills from the defendants’ house, many boxes of tax records and other documents and even a “stuffed white bear”.
At the time of the search, spokesperson for both the IRS and the FBI would only confirm that they executed the search warrants, with an IRS spokesperson saying “we were there on official business”. Otherwise, the government has not provided any public information about the search warrants.
Some of the items seized during the execution of the search warrants, according to federal court documents, were:
Residence at 2193 Monroe Station Road, Monroeville, AL
- $263,000 from a safe in the master bedroom at the main house
- $6,900 in the pool house
- multiple computers
- various documents and paperwork
- cellular telephones
- one stuffed white bear
- a Cadillac Escalade
- a 4×10 trailer
Business at 200 North Main Street, Atmore
- tax documents
- tax software
- cellular phones
- trash
- loan applications
- client tax files
- tax records
- CD’s from a Ford Expedition
Business at 1150 West Front Street, Thomasville
- checks
- client folders
- binders and documents
- boxes of documents
- papers from trash can
- information copied from hard drives
Business at 2181 South Highway 21 Bypass, Monroeville
- $39,141.45 in cash
- checks
- boxes of documents
- sticky notes from toilet
- deposit records
- hard drive
- videotapes
Pictured above: A federal agent enters Preyear’s Tax & Check Cashing, LLC in Atmore March 4. Pictured inset: Agents search a vehicle at the business. Pictured below: A federal agent and Atmore Police officer talk to an employee of the business during the raid. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Memorial Held For Pedestrian Killed Last Week
May 13, 2010
Friends and family gathered at his favorite fishing spot on Pensacola Beach Wednesday night to remember Billy G. Beck III.
Beck, 23, was walking on New Chemstrand Road May 6 when he was struck by at least three vehicles. The driver of the first vehicle to strike Beck fled the scene and has not yet been located by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Family members said that by sharing the photos here on NorthEscambia.com, they hope that it will show that Beck was loved and the amount of pain his death has caused his family. They hope that someone will step forward with information that will lead to the arrest of the unknown driver.
For more photos from the service, click here.
Billy Beck III is survived by his parents, Billy Jr. & Cathy Beck; brothers, Victor (Desiree) and Austin Beck; grandparents, C.A. & Mildred Longo; aunts & uncles, James Beck, Darlene Thompson, Susan Fonté, Anthony Longo and Charles Longo; his girlfriend, Jesseca Madrid; and close friends, Jason Fetters, Clint Wooten & Cami Wooten and a host of other family and friends.
“Superman loved to draw and fish the Bob Sikes Bridge, Ft. Pickens and area ponds and creeks. One can imagine that he’s finally found that perfect fishing hole,” his obituary stated.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Beck was walking northbound on the paved portion of New Chemstrand Road just south of 10 Mile Road when he was struck by a northbound vehicle. That vehicle fled the scene.
Beck was then struck by the front undercarriage of vehicle driven by Devin J. Poe, 18, of Cantonment. Poe and passenger in his vehicle, Joshua F. Valentine, 18, of Pensacola, were not injured.
A third vehicle, driven by Julian J. Donato, 24, of Pace, then struck Beck.
Charges are pending the outcome of the investigation, according to the FHP.
The FHP said they have no information or description of the vehicle that fled the scene. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Cpl. Michael J. Tucker at the Florida Highway Patrol Station in Pensacola, (850) 484-5000 ext.331.
Pictured top: A memorial service Billy G. Beck III of Cantonment was held Wednesday night on Pensacola Beach. for Pictured inset: Parents Billy Jr. & Cathy Beck. Pictured below: Brothers Victor and Austin Beck. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Take A Survey: What Do You Think Of Your Child’s School?
May 13, 2010
The Escambia County School District is giving you the chance to take a survey and rank how well your child’s school and its staff performed.
The survey, offered on the district’s web page, allows participants to rank many school performance areas based upon how they feel about statements such as:
- I feel welcome at this school.
- Learning is interesting at this school.
- The principal at this school communicates effectively.
- Students are challenged to their ability at this school.
- Students receive recognition for good performance in academics.
There is also an open-ended question designed to recognize outstanding persons in the school district: “Can you identify one individual in the Escambia School District who has had an impact on you or your family during this school year?”
The survey is completely anonymous with no attempt to identify the participants, the district says, and the survey asks for “frank and honest” responses.
To take the survey, click here and then click on the red “Take the School Climate survey” link near the upper right corner of the page.
Mark Your Calendars: Molino Memorial Festival Is Coming
May 13, 2010
The Molino Annual Memorial Festival will be held Saturday, May 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at CrossFaith Church.
The day’s activities will include food, arts and crafts vendors, auction, live music and plenty of activities for the kids. Guest speakers will include John Krause, Congressional District 1 candidate and Captain Charlie Code from the NJROTC program at Northview High School.
Live entertainment will include Ashton Gibbs, Keith Rowell, Denise Palmer, Wayward Bypass, FACE and Ember.
Food and craft vendors are needed, contact Debra Smith at (850) 587-6060 or CrossFaith Church at (850) 587-3187.
Woman Accused Of Faking Prescriptions For Cop Jailed In Florida
May 13, 2010
The Atmore woman accused of calling fake prescriptions into a Century pharmacy for an Atmore police officer has been extradited to Florida to face charges.
Ashley Megan Nall, 24, of Atmore, was arrested earlier this month in Escambia County, Ala., on Escambia County, Fla., warrants for two felony counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. She was held in the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center in Brewton pending extradition to Florida.
Nall was booked into the Escambia County (Fla.) Jail early Wednesday evening. She was released on $5,000 bond.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Nall called in prescriptions for Lortab and Keflex to area pharmacies. The prescriptions were then picked up by Ronald Sanford Freeman, 23, of Flomaton. The pair would then split the pills, according to the Sheriff’s Office incident report.
Freeman turned himself in at the Escambia County Jail last Friday on two felony counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Prior to his arrest, Freeman resigned his position as a police officer in Atmore for “personal reasons”, according to Atmore Police Chief Jason Dean.
Nall was employed by Dr. Francis Salter of Atmore, and she is Salter’s granddaughter, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Two such prescriptions were called in to the Century Pharmacy and filled on February 5 and March 5. Both were in Ronald Freeman’s name, and both were for 90 Lortab pills, according to the ECSO report. When Century Pharmacy received another call-in prescription on April 19 for 90 Lortabs and 20 Keflex, they became suspicious and called Dr. Salter to verify that she had issued the prescription. When Dr. Salter said that she did not issue the prescriptions and that Freeman was not her patient, the sheriff’s department was contacted.
To read more about the case and Freeman’s arrest, click here for an earlier story.
Northview Names 2010-2011 Volleyball Teams
May 13, 2010
Northview High School has named their Lady Chiefs volleyball teams for next year.
Last year’s Lady Chiefs varsity team advanced to the regional quarterfinals, just the third time in Northview’s history that a volleyball team had advanced beyond the district level. The Lady Chiefs also made the first round of the quarterfinals in 2007 and back in 1997.
Members of the 2010-2011 Northview Lady Chiefs volleyball teams are:
VARSITY
- Trestine Dean
- Ashley Digmon
- Misty Doran
- Josie Doucette
- Ashton Gibbs
- Kara Hardin
- Sarah Killam
- Shawna Montgomery
- Morgan Payne
- Peyton Sandoval
- Raylin Spence
- Katie Wieborg
JUNIOR VARSITY
- Madison Arrington
- Alison Bardin
- Lana Clayton
- Hannah Fiellin
- Rebecca Grim
- Paeton Hadley
- TeAndreia Knight
- Ally Martin
- Rebecca Masaitis
- Shelby Nielson
- Tiffany Pritchett
- Taylor Roberson
- Danielle Steadham
- Lily Townson
- Mallory Wiggins
Thousands Of Feet Of Oil Containment Boom Stolen
May 12, 2010
Thousands of feet of oil containment boom has been stolen from Escambia County waters.
Yesterday, Lance Thayer,, an employee of First in Rescue Safety and Training of Deer Park, Texas, reported 3,400 feet of orange oil containment boom missing from the south end of the Bob Sikes Bridge on Pensacola Beach, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The boom is valued at about $68,000, according to Thayer.
Thayer, who has been contracted by BP to assist in the oil clean up, said that more boom is missing from the Three Mile Bridge area also. Thayer told the Sheriff’s Office that it is not uncommon for boom to go missing and then the thieves try to resell it or lease it at another location.
The boom is owned by Eagle SWS Environmental Co. Thayer stated the company checked the surrounding waterways to see if the boom had broke loose but was unable to locate it.
Imprisoned Atmore Dentist Office Manager Pays Restitution
May 12, 2010
A former dentist office manager serving four months in federal prison has paid just over $5,000 in restitution.
Toni McMurphy, 55, pleaded guilty to health care fraud and mail fraud in federal court in March. McMurphy was sentenced by Judge Kristi K. DuBose to four months in prison. She is due to be released from the Marianna Federal Correctional Institution on August 11.
Her prison term will be followed by four months of home confinement under the supervision of the Bureau of Prisons during which time she will be subject to electronic monitoring or another location verification system.
Late last week, McMurphy paid $5,267 in restitution, according to federal court documents.
In her plea agreement, McMurphy admitted that while working for Buckley and Buckley Family Dentistry between January 1, 2006, and November, 2008, she bilked about $45,000 from insurance companies by filing false claims for services never performed or by upgrading lower cost procedures to higher cost procedures.
“The insurance carriers would then send reimbursement checks to Buckley Family Dentistry to pay for the fraudulent claims,” McMurphy stated in her plea agreement. “I would then misapply said fraudulent proceeds, thereby allowing me to apply proceeds to different patients and to withdraw cash from Buckley Family Dentistry.”
The mail fraud charge stemmed from an incident in June, 2008, when McMurphy admitted that she filed a false claim with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama asking for reimbursement on behalf of a patient claiming that the dentist had extracted two of her teeth. Blue Cross and Blue Shield then mailed a payment for the services never performed to an Atmore post office box.
McMurphy faced up to 20 years in prison, three years probation and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Updated: Boy, 11, Facing Felony Charge After Pulling Gun At Ballpark; Girl, 13, Pulls Knife
May 12, 2010
A fifth grader has been charged with a felony after pulling an unloaded gun at a local ballpark Tuesday night.
The 11-year boy is facing a third degree felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon and a first degree misdemeanor charge of improperly exhibiting a firearm.
The incident happened just before 8:00 p.m. at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill as ballgames were played nearby.
Two 13-year old girls “were involved in a verbal altercation when (the boy) pulled a handgun out from underneath his shirt and displayed it in a reckless manner, pulling back the slide of the firearm and waving it around,” according to the Sheriff’s Office report. The report notes that the gun was not loaded.
“At some point (a 13-year old girl) pulled a knife out of her back pocket, but did not threaten anyone with it,” the report released Wednesday afternoon states.
The gun, according to the Sheriff’s Office was taken by the 11-year old from his grandfather’s locked filing cabinet. The grandfather told deputies that he was unaware how his grandson had removed the firearm.
The boy was transported to the county’s juvenile justice facility for processing. The 13-year old girl that allegedly pulled the knife was not charged.
The gun, according to the report, was a Armi Gales .35 caliber. The gun and the boy were secured shortly after the incident by an off-duty Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy that was coaching a game at the park.
“It was an isolated incident. No one was hurt, and no one was in danger,” Pam Brown, the ballpark’s president, said. “Everyone was safe and is always safe here.”
NorthEscambia.com does not identify juvenile suspects unless they are charged as adults.
Pictured above: A fifth grade student that produced a gun Tuesday night at a Walnut Hill ballpark is questioned by Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge. (Editor’s note: The photograph has been altered to conceal the identity of the juvenile.)
School Graduation Dates Set
May 12, 2010
The Escambia County School District has released graduation schedules for the Class of 2010. Graduations will be held as follows:
- Escambia Charter: 7 p.m. May 27, University of West Florida
- Northview High: 4 p.m. June 5, Northview High
- Tate High: 1 p.m. June 3, Pensacola Civic Center
- Escambia High: 7 p.m. June 2, Pensacola Civic Center
- Escambia Westgate: 9 a.m., June 3, Escambia Westgate
- Judy Andrews Center: 6 p.m. May 24, National Naval Aviation Museum
- Pensacola High: 4 p.m. June 2, Pensacola Civic Center
- Pine Forest High: 7 p.m. June 3, Pensacola Civic Center
- Washington High: 1 p.m. June 2, Pensacola Civic Center
- West Florida High: 4 p.m. June 3, Pensacola Civic Center