2012-28034 Reso RESOLUTION 2012 -28034
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE
CITY MANAGER OR HIS DESIGNEE AND CITY CLERK TO
EXECUTE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, ON BEHALF OF THE
MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE INTERNAL
REVENUE SERVICE, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION MIAMI FIELD
OFFICE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FINANCIAL INVESTIGATIVE
STRIKE TEAM, FINANCIAL CRIMES TASK FORCE, FOR THE
PURPOSE OF DEVELOPING AND ASSISTING WITH
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES
THROUGHOUT MIAMI -DADE, FLORIDA.
WHEREAS, the Miami Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal
Investigations Division (IRS -CI) has established the Financial Investigative Strike Team,
Financial Crimes Task Force for the purpose of apprehending and prosecuting
individuals who are involved in money laundering operations and other major crimes;
and
WHEREAS, the Financial Investigative Strike Team enhances the effectiveness
of Federal, State and local law enforcement resources through a well coordinated law
enforcement initiative, which seeks the most effective investigative and prosecutive
avenues to obtain large asset forfeitures in pursuit of individuals and organizations
involved in money laundering; and
WHEREAS, a detective from the Miami Beach Police Department will be
assigned to the Financial Investigative Strike Team, to work in conjunction with Federal,
State and local law enforcement personnel in identifying, locating and apprehending
individuals who commit these crimes in the City of Miami Beach and South Florida; and
WHEREAS, it is a great benefit to the Miami Beach Police Department to
participate in this Financial Investigative Strike Team based upon the access to
investigative resources, capabilities, and potential revenue sharing under forfeiture
proceedings; and
WHEREAS, the IRS -CI will reimburse the City of Miami Beach and the Miami
Beach Police Department for overtime expenses, and related travel, for the term of the
agreement with the Financial Investigative Strike Team; and
WHEREAS, the Miami Beach Police Department and the IRS -CI wish to execute
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to participate in the Financial Investigative
Strike Team, which should commence upon the signatures of all parties, and will remain
in effect for 2 years from the date the MOU is signed.
t
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the City Manager or
his designee and City Clerk are hereby authorized to execute a Memorandum of
Understanding between the City of Miami Beach, on behalf of the Miami Beach Police
Department, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Miami Field Office
to participate in the Financial Investigative Strike Team, Financial Crimes Task Force, for
the purpose of developing and assisting with criminal investigations of illegal activities
throughout Miami -Dade, Florida.
PASSED and ADOPTED this day of October, 2012.
ATTEST:
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...
,age R. Exposito
Vie -Mayor
INCORP ORATED' � l
aFE 4 E: GRANADO, QLE try j ,'` APPROVED AS TO
0 ' ' FORM & NGUAGE
& F EXE TION
a :F - 2
TORNEY T
COMMISSION ITEM SUMMARY
Condensed Title:
A resolution of the Mayor and City of the City of Miami Beach, Florida authorizing the City
Manager or his designee and City Clerk to execute a memorandum of understanding between the City of
Miami Beach on behalf of the Miami Beach Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service ,
Criminal Investigation Miami Field Office tol:participate in the Financial Investigative Strike Team, - Financial
Crimes Task Force for the purpose of developing and assisting w_ ith criminal investigations of illegal
activities throughout Miami -Dade,
Key Intended Outcome Supported:'' ° "`
Maintain crime rates "or below national trends.
Supporting Data (Surveys, Environmental Scan, etc.): Since the City began its participation in the
Strike Team in 2010, there have been seventeen (17) federal arrests, and a total of thirty - three (33) cases
initiated. In total, the Strike Force has seized over $1.7 million in personal property, almost $1 million in
real estate property, $40,000 in currency, and almost $11 million in other assets.
Issue:
Shall the City-adopt the Resolution?
Item Summa /Recommendation:
Investigative Strike Team, Financial Crimes Task Force for the purpose of apprehending and prosecuting
individuals who are involved in money laundering and other major crimes. This Strike Team has enhanced
the effectiveness of Federal, State and local law enforcement resources through a well coordinated
initiative seeking the most - effective investigative and. prosecutive avenues that identifies persons and
organizations involved in money laundering.
In an effort to further support the Strike Force, the Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) has been
asked again by the Miami Office of the IRS Criminal Investigations Division to continue to participate and
execute an updated Memorandum of Understanding agreement between the IRS Criminal Investigations
Division and the City of Miami Beach on behalf of the MBPD. As a result, a detective from the Criminal
Investigations Unit will be assigned to the Strike Team to work in conjunction with their personnel in
identifying, locating and apprehending individuals who commit these crimes in the City of Miami Beach and
South Florida.
For Fiscal Year 2011/2012 a total of $261,467.19 in forfeiture funds was received by the City, as a result
of the assigned Detective's investigative support to the Strike Team. Pursuant to this Agreement, IRS
Criminal Investigations will continue to reimburse the City of Miami.Beach for overtime and travel expenses
incurred -by the Detective in connection with Strike Team investigations for the term of the Agreement
which is 2 (two) years from the time"the Agreement is signed, as well as provide for the sharing of assets
seized and forfeited by artici atin agencies.
Advisory Board Recommendation:
\' NA
Financial Information:
Source of Amo
unf co Ac unt
t .
Funds:
OBPI Total
Financial Impact Summary:
NA
City Clerk's Office Legislative Tracking:
Michael Gruen, Manager
Planning and Research Section
Sign -Offs:
`Departmerit Director ;Assistant; '.City Manager.. Cit 'Manager
Raymond A. Martinez,
Police Chief
AGENDA ITEM C 7F
DATE I 1 - Z
, l
BEACH MIAMI
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the Cit Commission
i
FROM: Kathie G. Brooks, Interim City Manager
DATE: October 24, 2012
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER OR HIS
DESIGNEE AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE A MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, ON BEHALF OF
THE MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE INTERNAL REVENUE
SERVICE, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION MIAMI FIELD OFFICE TO PARTICIPATE
IN THE FINANCIAL INVESTIGATIVE STRIKE TEAM, FINANCIAL CRIMES TASK
FORCE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEVELOPING AND ASSISTING WITH
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT MIAMI-
DADE, FLORIDA.
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION
Approve the Resolution.
ANALYSIS
The Miami Office of the IRS Criminal Investigations Division has established the IRS Financial
Investigative Strike Team, Financial Crimes Task Force for the purpose of apprehending and
prosecuting individuals who are involved in money laundering and other major crimes. This Strike
Team has enhanced the effectiveness of Federal, State and local law enforcement resources through
a well coordinated initiative seeking the most effective investigative and prosecutive avenues that
identifies persons and organizations involved in money laundering. On September 14, 2011 the City
of Miami Beach Commission approved a resolution authorizing the Miami Beach Police Department to t
participate in this Strike Team with the assignment of a Detective.
In an effort to further support the Strike Force, the Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) has been
asked again by the Miami Office of the IRS Criminal Investigations Division to continue to participate
and execute updated Memorandum of Understanding agreement between the IRS Criminal
Investigations Division and the City of Miami Beach on behalf of the MBPD. As a result, a detective
from the Criminal Investigations Unit will be assigned to the Strike Team to work-in conjunction with
their personnel in identifying, locating and apprehending individuals who commit these crimes in the
City of Miami Beach and South Florida.
Participation in the Strike Force will benefit the City of Miami Beach and the MBPD because of access
to greater investigative capabilities, and potential revenue sharing under forfeiture proceedings. For
Fiscal Year 2011/2012, a total of $261,467.19 in forfeiture funds was received by the City, as a result
of the assigned Detective's investigative support to the Strike Team. Asset sharing among the
participating agencies is case dependent, and is determined by the level of participation of assigned
Detectives from participating agencies on each case that yields forfeited funds. .
As a result of the work of the Strike Team, several cases have been investigated which have resulted
in significant seizures and arrests. The following table provides a sample of workload measures
. tracked and reported to all participating agencies in the IRS Strike Team for each 6 month reporting
period per the IRS Initiative Review Worksheet.
i
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October 24, 2012 Commission Meeting
Resolution — IRS Strike Force
Page 2
IRS Strike Force Workload Measures by Reporting Period
July 1— January 1— July 1— January 1— Totals
December June 30, December 31, June 30, 2012
31,2010 2011 2011
Currency 0 $20,000 $20,000 0 $40,000
Seized
Real Estate $831,000 0 $62,000 0 $893,000
Property
Seized
Personal 0. $1,752,196.27 0 0 $1,752,196.27
Property
Seized
Vehicles 0 0 $90,000.00 0 $90,000.00
value
Other Assets 0 0 $10,988,136 0 $10,988,136
Total HIDTA 21 3 8 8 40
initiative
investigations
initiated
Cases 15 5 5 8 33
Arrests 2 4 1 �10 17
Full -time 29 29 27 29
Staffing
Part-time 3 4 5 4
Staffin
Since the MBPD began its participation in 2010, the Strike Team has made seventeen (17) federal
arrests, and initiated a total of thirty -three (33) cases. In total, the Strike Team has seized over $1.7
million in personal property, almost $1 million in real estate property, $40,000 in currency, and almost
$11 million in other assets.
In addition, pursuant to this Agreement, IRS Criminal Investigations will continue to reimburse the City
of Miami Beach for overtime and travel expenses incurred by the Detective in connection with Strike
Team investigations for the term of the Agreement, which is 2 (two) years from the time the
Agreemen is signed, as well as provide for the sharing of assets seized and forfeited.
KGB /RAM /MNO/DM /MG