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This article is about American law enforcement officer. For the martial artist, see Grégory Tony.

Gregory Tony
17th Sheriff of Broward County
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 11, 2019
Appointed byRon DeSantis
Preceded byScott Israel
Personal details
Born (1978-11-16) November 16, 1978 (age 46)}[1]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic[2]
SpouseHolly Tony[3]
Residence(s)Broward County, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater
OccupationLaw enforcement officer

Gregory Scott Tony[4] (born 1978) is an American law enforcement officer and the 17th Sheriff of Broward County, Florida.

Tony was initially appointed sheriff in 2019 by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, to fill a vacancy. In November 2020, Tony won election to the office of sheriff, which he had previously held by appointment.

Early life and education

Tony was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the youngest of five children of Gloria Tony and William Scott. He attended Olney High School in Philadelphia, graduating in 1997.[5]

Tony moved to Tallahassee, Florida, and attended Tallahassee Community College.[5] He then attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, where he played football under Bobby Bowden. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminology in 2002.[5] Tony's resume indicates he later obtained a master's degree in criminal justice from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[6][7]

Early career (2005-18)

He was first employed as a police officer by the suburban Coral Springs Police Department from 2005, when he was 26 years old, to 2016, ultimately becoming a sergeant.[8][9][10][11] Tony's resume indicates that for years he has also served as an adjunct professor.[6][7] He lived in Boca Raton, Florida.[12] Tony resigned from the Coral Springs Police Department on September 19, 2016, amid tensions with his superiors regarding his sick leave usage.[13]

From shortly thereafter in 2016 through 2017, for over a year, Tony worked as Director of Community Development at North American Rescue, a South Carolina company that sold bleeding-control kits and stations.[14][15] A company Tony founded, Blue Spear Solutions, that is now run by Tony's wife, has sold North American Rescue's products since 2015.[14][15] The Blue Spear Solutions website said it was a “proud partner” of North American Rescue, and displayed North American Rescue products.[16] In a June 2019 financial disclosure statement, Tony said he had a negative net worth, and did not list any income from Blue Spear Solutions.[17] Between July and September 2019, as Tony was Sheriff of Broward County, the Broward Sheriff's Office purchased over half a million dollars of North American Rescue's bleeding-control stations.[14][13]

Sheriff of Broward County (2019–present)

Appointment

While running for Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis made a campaign promise to replace Broward Sheriff Scott Israel.[18] Press reported that Tony was one of three possibilities for the position, along with former sheriff Al Lamberti and county judge John Fry.[19]

According to the Sun Sentinel, newly elected governor DeSantis's vetting of Tony was "rushed".[18][20] The governor's office requested that a background check be performed on Tony one day before DeSantis appointed Tony to the position.[21]

On January 11, 2019, days after Florida governor DeSantis took office, DeSantis suspended the prior sheriff for allegedly mishandling the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting and the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. DeSantis at the same time appointed Tony the Sheriff of Broward County, Florida.[22][23][24] DeSantis appointed Tony largely on the recommendation of a parent of a Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victim, who had met and worked out with Tony in a gym.[25][26] The Miami Herald called Tony "an unlikely choice."[27]

Union vote of no confidence, and call for Tony's removal

In April 2020, four days after a 39-year-old Broward Sheriff's Office deputy died from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, and after 20 other deputies tested positive for the virus, President Jeff Bell of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies Association – a 1,400-member branch of the International Union of Police Associations – criticized Tony over the lack of personal protective equipment for the officers, and Tony's failure to respond to their memos about the situation.[28][29][30] Tony said Bell’s actions were "dishonorable."[28] Three days later, Tony suspended the union president without pay, and placed him under administrative investigation. Tony then terminated the union president in January 2022.[31][29][28][32]

The union announced a vote of no-confidence by its officers in Tony.[30] A total of 88% of 786 voting road deputies and sergeants voted "no confidence" in Tony.[30]

On June 3, 2020, the union wrote governor DeSantis to formally request that Tony be removed.[33][34] The governor did not take any action.[35]

Discovery of 1993 killing by Tony

On May 3, 1993, when he was 14 years old and living in Philadelphia, Tony killed an 18-year-old male neighbor with a .32 caliber revolver. Tony shot his neighbor six times, including twice in the back of his head and twice in his back.[1][36][37][38]

He surrendered to police the next day. Tony was arrested for murder and weapons offenses at 10:40 AM, fingerprinted, arraigned, incarcerated in a juvenile detention center maximum security unit, initially charged and ordered to stand trial as an adult for murder and several weapons offenses, and held without bail pending a preliminary hearing.[1][22][39][40][41][42] One week later, bail was set at $15,000.[43][44] The case was then transferred to juvenile court.[43] There, he was found not guilty after he maintained that the shooting was in self-defense; the family of the deceased disputed that assertion, witnesses who said they had seen the killing and that the deceased had not been armed nor was it a case of self defense were not called.[5] The court records relating to the killing are sealed.[5][16] However, the Philadelphia police homicide report outlining key events and witness statements in the case has been published publicly.[5][16]

Tony did not disclose the killing when he applied for law enforcement jobs.[40] He later declined to be interviewed by FDLE agents reviewing the matter.[40]

In his application to the Coral Springs Police Department, Tony answered "no" to "Have you ever been arrested, charged, received a notice or summons to appear for any criminal violation?"[45] Years later, Tony asserted that he was not "technically" charged with a crime.[45] When asked about the shooting, Tony denied he had been arrested, asserting that he simply went to the police station to provide a statement and was allowed to leave with his father.[46][45] The FDLE said that he was in fact charged with murder, and that Tony lied.[47]

In Tony's Coral Springs Police Department application process he also answered "no" to other questions that – had he answered them truthfully – would have revealed that he had once killed a man.[21][48]

DeSantis did not know about Tony's killing prior to appointing Tony, and it did not come up in a background check of Tony during vetting.[49][45] When DeSantis found out about Tony's killing in May 2020, he distanced himself from Tony, but said that the shooting had not come up in the background check because it was self-defense and would not have made a difference. DeSantis added that he would leave the matter for Broward voters to decide.[50]

Investigations of Tony

2020

On January 7, 2020, Tony filled out a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Affidavit of Applicant form. On this official document, Tony checked off "no" to the question of ever having a criminal record sealed or expunged. Tony later asserted that since he did not have a criminal record, he had filled out the form correctly. However, on May 8, 2020, the FDLE announced the matter had been upgraded from an inquiry to an FDLE investigation.[51]

On May 19, 2020, it was discovered that in 2003, Tony had applied to the Tallahassee Police Department, but had been rejected for employment, after he admitted that he had used the psychedelic drug LSD. In rejecting Tony, the department pointed to its “zero tolerance for felony drug use.”[52][53][54]

Tony then applied to the Coral Springs Police Department in 2005, at which time Tony omitted mentioning his drug use on his application, and denied using drugs such as LSD.[26][55][56] Tony also omitted the fact that he had applied to — and been rejected by — the Tallahassee Police Department, even though he listed other agencies to which he had previously applied.[52] He was hired by the Coral Springs Police Department. The former Coral Springs Police Chief from the time Tony was hired later said that the Coral Springs Police Department would certainly not have hired Tony, if it had been aware that Tony had used LSD.[55]

2022

In January 2022, a 20-page FDLE report said that Tony had lied on multiple police applications.[57][58][22] The report said that Tony failed to disclose that he had fatally shot a teenager, and been arrested for the killing.[58][22] The police applications that he had completed had required Tony to disclose all times he had been arrested, irregardless of the court decision; however, the FDLE said that Tony could not be charged criminally for his failure to report the killing and his arrest, because the relevant statute of limitations had expired.[59][60][57][22] According to the report, Tony also lied when he applied to the Coral Springs Police Department, when he answered "no" when he was asked whether he had ever been in a fight in which a weapon was used.[22] Tony also answered "no" when he was asked on the application whether he had ever injured or caused the death of another person.[22] State investigators found, however, that Tony had in fact been arrested and charged with murder and with several weapons offenses, and further that he had lied on his applications about his traffic violations, his driver license suspension, his drug use, and a charge against him for passing a bad check.[60][57][22] Tony declined to be interviewed for the report.[60] The FDLE referred its report to the Florida Ethics Commission for its consideration.[57][61] The South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board wrote: "The plain truth: Tony’s lies make him unfit for sheriff’s badge."[62]

In June 2022, an FDLE investigation found that Tony had in February 2019 provided false information on an application for a driver's license.[5][63] The FDLE recommended that Tony be charged with the felony of "false affidavit perjury."[38] That is one count, of a total of eight, leveled against Tony for “Unlawful Acts in Relation to Driver License.”[38]

A three-member Florida Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission panel recommended that a disciplinary process be initiated, and that Tony be barred from being a law enforcement officer in Florida.[63][5][38] In July 2022, Tony filed a request for an administrative hearing with the Criminal Justice Standards Commission; that hearing would be before an administrative law judge.[5][38]

In early September 2022, the Florida Commission on Ethics, at a hearing arising from a referral by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, opined that probable cause existed supporting the belief that when Tony applied for positions with the Coral Springs Police Department and the Broward Sheriff’s Office, he misused his public position as he submitted false information or failed to submit information.[64][65] The Commission also found probable cause that Tony submitted false information or failed to disclose information about his past drug use, and about his having been arrested for homicide, when he was appointed to his current sheriff position.[22] The Commission in addition found that Tony had submitted false information on a number of Florida driver's license renewals, falsely claiming that his driving privileges had never been revoked, suspended, or denied.[22] Commissioner Michelle Anchors said: "I think we all find this respondent’s conduct despicable. I don’t want to be an apologist for a person who has lied continuously and repeatedly."[66]

Later in September 2022, as a result of the ethics commission's statement, Tony was added by Broward state prosecutors to its list of law enforcement officials who could be perceived as having credibility issues that might render their testimony in a trial less than credible.[65]

In December 2022, the Florida Commission on Ethics, at a hearing arising from a citizen complaint—separate from its September 2022 hearing on Tony arising from a referral by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement—"found probable cause to believe ... Tony misused his public position when he provided false information or did not disclose information during the appointment process for his service as Broward County Sheriff."[64] The Commission focused at this second hearing on a notarized form that Tony had submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and when he had applied to renew his driver’s license.[64] The research director at government watchdog Integrity Florida, a nonpartisan organization, said that he viewed the charges as serious, and that: "It’s more perplexing why the governor hasn’t taken action."[64]

2020 election

Tony first contended against Scott Israel (whom he defeated with 37% of the vote, to 35% for Israel) and several lesser-known candidates in the August 2020 Broward County Democratic primary election.[67] As of May, Tony had raised $1.1 million, to $0.1 million raised by Israel.[68] In the November general election, Tony then won against Republican H. Wayne Clark and independent Charles "Chuck" Whatley, with 63% of the vote in the overwhelmingly Democratic county.[69][70]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Homicide Record; Case #H93-144," Philadelphia Police Department, Homicide Division, May 3, 1993.
  2. ^ "Broward County Sheriff Bio". Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  3. ^ Skyler Swisher (November 4, 2019). "Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony officially files to run for election". Sun Sentinel.
  4. ^ "Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony wouldn't have been hired as a cop if he revealed he killed a man, former boss says". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Christensen, Dan (May 2, 2020). "Sheriff Gregory Tony has a secret: As a teenager, he shot and killed a man". Florida Bulldog.
  6. ^ a b "'I'm Here To Serve': New Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony On New Position". CBS News. January 11, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Sheriff Gregory Tony" Broward County Sheriff's Office. 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  8. ^ Terry Spencer (January 27, 2022). "Florida sheriff fires deputy union head after COVID-19 fight". The Seattle Times.
  9. ^ Henderson, Joe (September 18, 2022). "Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics — Week of 9.11.22". Florida Politics.
  10. ^ Rafael Olmeda, Brittany Wallman and Eileen Kelley (May 8, 2020). "From rough past to top cop, here's what we know — and don't know — about Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony". South Florida Sun Sentinel.
  11. ^ "Florida governor considering punishment for Broward sheriff". MyNorthwest. February 1, 2022.
  12. ^ Lisa J. Huriash, Stephen Hobbs and Rafael Olmeda (January 11, 2019). "'I'm here to serve': New Sheriff Gregory Tony says he's a cop, not a politician". South Florida Sun Sentinel.
  13. ^ a b Christensen, Dan (May 28, 2020). "While a Coral Springs cop, Sheriff Tony used city email to build private firm". Florida Bulldog.
  14. ^ a b c Christensen, Dan (June 17, 2022). "Miami FBI office chief Piro retires; Bid-rigging probe of Tony back in Miami". Florida Bulldog.
  15. ^ a b "BSO spent big on bleed control kits from sheriff 's ex-company, then his PAC got $5,000 contribution from kit vendor". South Florida Times. May 15, 2020.
  16. ^ a b c Christensen, Dan (April 8, 2021). "FBI probes Broward Sheriff Tony for bid rigging in bleeding control kits deal". Florida Bulldog.
  17. ^ Skyler Swisher (June 30, 2019). "Filing: Broward Sheriff Reports Negative Financial New Worth". Florida Sun-Sentinel.
  18. ^ a b Swisher, Skyler (June 8, 2020). "Newly released records shed light on Gov. Ron DeSantis'hurried vetting of Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony". Sun Sentinel.
  19. ^ Burke, Peter (January 11, 2019). "With DeSantis' announcement looming, this could be Israel's last day as sheriff". WPLG.
  20. ^ Christensen, Dan (May 6, 2022). "What to do about Broward Sheriff, scalding FDLE report? No decision yet from DeSantis". Florida Bulldog.
  21. ^ a b "State confirms wider investigation into Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony". Tribune Content Agency. November 24, 2020.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prazan, Phil; Hamacher, Brian (September 14, 2022). "Ethics Commission Finds Broward Sheriff Tony Gave False Info, Misused Position". NBC Miami.
  23. ^ "Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Gregory Tony Sheriff of Broward County". flgov.com. January 11, 2019.
  24. ^ "State of Florida Office of the Governor Executive Order 19–14" (PDF). flgov.com. January 11, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  25. ^ Christensen, Dan (May 11, 2020). "BSO spent big on bleed control kits from sheriff's ex-company". Florida Bulldog.
  26. ^ a b Pipitone, Tony (May 20, 2020). "Broward Sheriff Facing More Controversy Over Drug Use Question on Job Application; Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony, who failed to reveal his arrest on murder charges as a juvenile when he applied for his only Florida law enforcement job, also misrepresented his use of the hallucinogen LSD on that application". NBC Miami.
  27. ^ "Local," The Miami Herald, February 13, 2019.
  28. ^ a b c "BSO Union President Who Clashed With Sheriff Fired After Investigation". NBC Miami. January 27, 2022.
  29. ^ a b Cohen, Howard (April 4, 2020). "BSO deputy dies of COVID-19. 'And we're probably going to lose another'". Miami Herald.
  30. ^ a b c Anwer, David Selig, Terrell Forney, Saira (April 20, 2020). "Deputies vote no confidence in Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony". WPLG. Archived from the original on May 2, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ Solomon, Janine Stanwood, Michelle (April 10, 2020). "Sheriff suspends union president accusing him of politicizing coronavirus". WPLG.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  32. ^ Christensen, Dan (February 11, 2022). "BSO deputy Thurston fired; brass countermands 3-day suspension". Florida Bulldog.
  33. ^ Lolo, Sabrina (June 4, 2020). "BSO Deputies Association asks DeSantis to remove Sheriff Tony from office". WPEC.
  34. ^ Selig, David (June 4, 2020). "Broward deputies union asks Gov. DeSantis to remove Sheriff Gregory Tony". WPLG (local10.com).
  35. ^ Swisher, Skyler (June 4, 2020). "Governor's office passes on union's request to oust Sheriff Gregory Tony". Sun Sentinel.
  36. ^ Sean Pitts (September 22, 2022). "911 audio: Gregory Tony charged with murder in 1993 Philadelphia shooting". Sun Sentinel.
  37. ^ Christensen, Dan (September 17, 2022). "Witnesses told Philadelphia police it wasn't self-defense when Tony killed". Florida Bulldog.
  38. ^ a b c d e Christensen, Dan (August 18, 2022). "Tony fights Criminal Justice Standards move to revoke police license". Florida Bulldog.
  39. ^ David Smiley and Charles Rabin (May 5, 2020). "Broward sheriff defends '93 shooting he kept secret". Tampa Bay Times.
  40. ^ a b c "FDLE Investigation Finds Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony Lied Multiple Times On Official Documents". CBS News. February 4, 2022.
  41. ^ Russell, Don (May 5, 1993). ""Joke" turned sour for 2 pals in North Phila". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 5.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  42. ^ Gibbons, Thomas, Jr. (May 5, 1993). "Suspect, 14, surrenders in killing of friend". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 18. Retrieved May 9, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  43. ^ a b Christensen, Dan (May 6, 2020). "Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony under oath: I had no case sealed". Florida Bulldog.
  44. ^ "Teen Facing Slay Trial". Philadelphia Daily News. May 13, 1993. p. 14. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  45. ^ a b c d Bryan, Susannah; Man, Anthony; Wallman, Brittany (May 3, 2020). "Broward sheriff's race rocked by decades-old incident: When Gregory Tony was 14, he killed a man". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  46. ^ Willard Shepard (May 4, 2020). "Broward Sheriff Gives Details on Fatal Shooting When He was 14". NBC 6 South Florida. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  47. ^ Kevin Deutsch (February 1, 2022). "Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony Could Face Suspension For Lies to Coral Springs Police, Other Falsehoods". Coral Springs Talk.
  48. ^ "Gov. DeSantis still hasn't made decision over sheriff's lies". San Diego Union-Tribune. May 11, 2022.
  49. ^ Dean, Mensah; Brennan, Chris (May 6, 2020). "Fla. sheriff under scrutiny for not disclosing that he killed a man 27 years ago in Philadelphia". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  50. ^ Swisher, Skyler and Man, Anthony (May 4, 2020). “‘I didn’t even know the guy.’ Gov. Ron DeSantis distances himself from Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony, whom he appointed’”, South Florida Sun Sentinel
  51. ^ Huriash, Lisa J. (May 8, 2020). "State starts investigating Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony's paperwork". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  52. ^ a b Nicol, Ryan (May 20, 2020). "Gregory Tony failed to disclose past LSD use on Coral Springs Police application". Florida Politics.
  53. ^ "Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony Was Rejected By Tallahassee Police Department For Admitting LSD Use". CBS News. May 20, 2020.
  54. ^ Huriash, Lisa J. (May 19, 2020). "Sheriff Gregory Tony was rejected for cop job after admitting LSD use. The next year, he left it off another application and was hired". Sun Sentinel.
  55. ^ a b Brandon Beyer (May 19, 2020). "Report: Broward sheriff rejected from Tallahassee Police job after admitting to using LSD". WSVN.
  56. ^ Huriash, Lisa J. (May 19, 2020). "Sheriff Gregory Tony was rejected for cop job after admitting LSD use. The next year, he left it off another application and was hired". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  57. ^ a b c d Ayumi Davis (February 1, 2022). "Florida Sheriff Didn't Put on Applications That He Killed Someone: State". Newsweek.
  58. ^ a b Batchelor, Amanda (February 1, 2022). "Investigators: Broward sheriff lied about past; no criminal charges". WPLG.
  59. ^ Terry Spencer (February 1, 2022). "Florida Governor Considering Punishment for Broward Sheriff,", U.S. News & World Report.
  60. ^ a b c Terry Spencer (February 1, 2022). "Florida governor considering punishment for Broward sheriff". AP News.
  61. ^ Lisa J. Huriash (February 1, 2022). "Gov. DeSantis on Sheriff Gregory Tony: 'We're going to review everything' now that state found he concealed his past on forms". Sun Sentinel.
  62. ^ Sun Sentinel Editorial Board (February 4, 2022). "The plain truth: Tony's lies make him unfit for sheriff's badge | Editorial". Sun Sentinel.
  63. ^ a b "Criminal justice panel moves forward disciplinary process for Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony". CBS News. June 21, 2022.
  64. ^ a b c d Vela, Hatzel (December 7, 2022). "Sheriff Tony faces more scrutiny after ethics panel finds probable cause in second complaint". WPLG.
  65. ^ a b Nicole Linsalata (September 21, 2022). "Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony added to Brady List". WSVN.
  66. ^ Geggis, Anne (September 14, 2022). "Ethics Commission finds probable cause Broward Sheriff lied". Florida Politics.
  67. ^ "Summary Results – Election Night Reporting". Joe Scott; Broward Supervisor of Elections.
  68. ^ Nicol, Ryan (May 13, 2020). "Gregory Tony adds more than $100K in April, remains atop BSO field in fundraising". Florida Politics.
  69. ^ Eileen Kelley (November 3, 2020). "Gregory Tony wins brutally fought race for Broward sheriff". Sun Sentinel.
  70. ^ Man, Anthony (January 17, 2020). "The clash between sheriff's candidates Scott Israel and Gregory Tony". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
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