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Florida Bulldog

Broward Sheriff Tony failed to keep “good moral character,” but shouldn’t lose license to be a cop

By Dan Christensen, FloridaBulldog.org

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony violated a state law regarding the state’s “minimum qualifications” to be a law enforcement officer by failing to maintain “good moral character,” but shouldn’t lose his license to be a cop, a state administrative judge ruled today.

Judge James Kilbride’s decision, in the form of a recommendation to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, recommended instead that Tony receive a “written reprimand, an 18-month period of probationary status and a requirement that (he) complete Commission-approved ethics training.”

Tony was accused of submitting eight applications for a driver’s license between 2002 and February 1, 2019 – a month after he was sworn in – when he falsely answered no when questioned if his driving privilege had ever been revoked, suspended and denied in any other state. Tony’s license had been previously suspended in Pennsylvania.

Judge Kilbride dismissed all of the other charges against Tony “as not being proven by clear and convincing evidence.”

In June 2022, a three-person panel of the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission found “probable cause” to believe the allegations against the sheriff were true and that his police license should be revoked.

The case now goes back to the commission for a final determination.

Tony refused to be interviewed by FDLE agents when they conducted a broad investigation of him that began six days after Florida Bulldog exclusively reported in May 2020 that as a 14-year-old in Philadelphia in 1993 Tony shot and killed a young man. Tony was charged with murder, but was acquitted in juvenile court. All court recrods in the case are sealed.

Tony’s version of the killing was that he acted in self-defense. During the FDLE probe, agents obtained Philadelphia police reports of interviews with witnesses who contradicted Tony and described the shooting as an execution.

Tony did not disclose the killing to Gov. Ron DeSantis before the governor appointed him as sheriff in January 2019 to replace Scott Israel, who gained notoriety during the fallout of the Parkland school killings.

Tony’s lack of candor about his arrest for murder, his statements under oath that he did not have his case sealed and certain other instances of his alleged lies he told never made it to Judge Kilbride for consideration. They were dropped as either lacking sufficient evidence or barred by the statute of limitations.

A prosecutor in Fort Myers, where Tony’s case was transferred after Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor asked DeSantis to remove him, found one “potentially viable” criminal charge against Tony – one that FDLE agents had recommended should lead to a felony charge of “false affidavit perjury.” It was not charged, however.

That was the same charge that Judge Kilbride sustained today, albeit on a lower standard of proof “clear and convincing evidence” – Tony’s application for a replacement driver’s license in February 2019 when he answered “no” when asked about where his license had been previously suspended.

Tony still faces another hearing before another administrative judge who will make a recommendation regarding a recommendation by the Florida Ethics Commission on essentially the same matters. That hearing before Judge June McKinney is to be held June 26-27.

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Comments

13 responses to “Broward Sheriff Tony failed to keep “good moral character,” but shouldn’t lose license to be a cop”

  1. It appears that Gov. DeSantis has two standards in administering justice: one for those that support him and another for those that don’t. Apparently Tony is a supporter so he gates a free pass; even with a homicide charge and lying in his past. The rank hypocrisy is what we came to expect from the Gov and his flunkies, which apparently reach down to the Courts.

  2. Apparently so Rory, here in the so called “free state of Florida”.

  3. Birds of a feather, stick together.

  4. For several years, I was the personnel supervisor for the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. The idea is to hire the best qualified individual for the position. In the State of Florida, you do not have to be a certified law enforcement person to be sheriff, however, if you are, you should at least have command (captain or above) experience. In my opinion and based on my many years of interviewing and hiring law enforcement personnel, Tony was not the best qualified for the job. Of course, our governor is not known for his excellent selection of individuals, starting with the two doctors he hired for Florida Surgeon General and his Florida Supreme Court appointments.

  5. Grady Muhammad Avatar
    Grady Muhammad

    What a bunch of Hypocrites you people. This shirt happen when he was a kid. White people are made as hell. 40-50 years later. Get it over ot. When White people do shirt you don’t go after them.

    Lying Satanic Bastards you people are. Get a Life.

  6. Perhaps the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission will have better judgement than the Administrative Judge. The accumulated violations should outweigh the time constraints. Using hallucinogenic drugs, (LSD), automatically precludes you from holding a Law Enforcement Certificate in FloriDUH. Tony used LSD according to his own (late) admission. Failing to admit to a juvenile record; failure to report a previous application to a law enforcement agency; failure, (several times), to acknowledge a driver’s license suspension. What REPUTABLE law enforcement agency would HIRE this individual, let alone retain him when the truth came out??? We EARNED the name, FloriDUH!

  7. Concerned Citizen Avatar
    Concerned Citizen

    The ONLY thing (besides DeSantis) that Tony/Toney has going for him, is that he’s NOT white, like Israel; otherwise, he would’ve been gone a loooong time ago. DISGUSTING. GET HELP GRADY MUHAMMED!!! When ALL else fails, revert back to the good ole’ “race card…” NO ONE HAS THE BALLS TO REMOVE THIS MURDERER, LSD USER, AND PERJURER!

  8. He has avoided removal for only one reason. African

  9. Judge James Kilbride finds that “Broward Sheriff Tony failed to keep ‘good moral character,’ but shouldn’t lose his license to be a cop.” This is impossible, as Greg Tony has never had “good moral character,” proven by his documented lifetime of lies.

    Perhaps this judge can have Tony appointed to his county so his family can deal with this liar and murderer. Tony, appointed by Ron DeSantis, committed murder in Philadelphia and lied about it. He self-reported LSD usage on his FSU Police Department application and wasn’t hired, as LSD use disqualifies law enforcement applicants. Tony then lied on subsequent applications and was hired by the Coral Springs PD. He also lied about his driver’s license being suspended.

    Do you want a compulsive liar as sheriff? How do you feel about dirty cops who plant evidence? Tony is on the Brady list and can’t testify in Broward County because he’s a proven liar.

    Surprisingly, Ron DeSantis, not George Soros, appointed Tony. DeSantis seems indifferent to Broward’s high concentration of Democrats. One day, Tony’s actions will go too far, and blood will be on DeSantis’s hands. DeSantis removes everyone else but leaves Tony alone. No other cop would keep their certification after all this. Why won’t DeSantis do the right thing? I hope the CJSTC does what Patti Lynn implied: a lifetime suspension for a lifetime of lies, followed by immediate removal!

  10. The election is Nov 5. Is anyone challenging him for sheriff? Desantis will do nothing and he’s in Tally till January 2027. Only Broward voters can bring change. And a candidate. Please.

  11. People can do bad things in the past and then reform. How is he doing now?

  12. Concerned Citizen Avatar
    Concerned Citizen

    Hey Mark, the choice for Broward’s Sheriff is clear…vote Colonel Al Pollack; an honorable, of “good-moral-character,” respected, reputable 30+years BSO VETERAN who deserves to be Broward’s NEXT Sheriff…
    Hey Paul Citro, this Toney CLOWN has COMMITTED CRIMES! He murdered another human being in cold blood (read the FACTS), he’s an ADMITTED LSD DRUG-USER AND A PROVEN PERJURER… that DISQUALIFIES ANYONE FROM BEING A SHERIFF!
    If someone is a “PEDOPHILE,” do you believe they too are “reformed,” and therefore should be allowed to run a daycare center??? Just saying…

  13. Chinos death rattle Avatar
    Chinos death rattle

    Hey Paul. The guy was a known drug dealer by the name of Lynx. He has sold and used drugs all through adulthood- and lied about it. If that wasn’t enough, before fleeing Pennsylvania. He shot his unarmed friend in the head and back multiple times. Was arrested for murder as a result. After turning into an informant, he ran to florida and continued to use drugs and lie about it. Then as sheriff, lied on several official documents and to the governor. And continued the lies to aquire a drivers license that he still would not be eligible for.

    If you feel that that is someone qualified to be a sheriff, that’s disturbing and youre part of the problem. But the law says differently and a habitual lying criminal does not meet the criteria for the position. No matter how enamored you are with him.

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