Judge Was Target For Informing FBI, 2nd Detective Says
By JOHN
W. ALLMAN and MICHAEL FECHTER
The Tampa Tribune
The targets of the
investigation would ``stop at nothing'' to keep Circuit Judge Gregory P. Holder
from helping with the case, Detective Dolvin ``Bill'' Todd Jr. writes in an affidavit obtained by The Tampa Tribune.
Holder is fighting for
his job - and his reputation - in the face of allegations that he plagiarized a
research paper he wrote as an officer in the Air Force Reserve. He has
vehemently denied the allegations but is scheduled to stand trial on them in
January before the Judicial Qualifications Commission, the agency that polices
Todd's affidavit, dated
Aug. 18, is the second to detail Holder's role through 2001 and 2002 as an
undercover FBI informant in the corruption investigation. The other was written
in October by Detective James W. Bartoszak, a former member of a joint federal
and state task force running the corruption investigation.
Todd, like Bartoszak a
respected Tampa police veteran, has spent the bulk of his career as a detective
specializing in organized crime and drug investigations and has worked alongside
federal agents.
Holder met secretly with
agents at locations across
Eventually agents came to
believe that Holder's role as an informant had been discovered. They urged him
to take precautions and gave him an FBI cell phone because they believed that
his cell phone was being tapped. Holder also began carrying a gun.
In his affidavit, Todd
says he knows who was being targeted in the corruption probe but does not name
names or provide details.
``I warned Judge Holder
that he should take extreme caution to protect not only himself but also his
family as these individuals would stop at nothing to prevent his testimony and
their possible indictment by federal authorities,'' Todd wrote.
``Based upon my knowledge
of
Bartoszak expressed much
the same view in his affidavit.
Status Of Probe Unclear
In other developments,
Holder on Thursday stood by his assertion that the FBI has abandoned the
corruption investigation without pursuing leads and evidence.
``I have no knowledge
with respect to any continued investigation by the FBI,'' he said. But, he said,
it is possible that state agents are continuing with the probe.
Holder complained to the
U.S. Justice Department 13 months ago that FBI supervisors had halted the
investigation, according to documents obtained Wednesday by the Tribune.
A Justice Department
official wrote back that Holder's assertion was being turned over to the
department's inspector general.
The FBI and the
Moses Jordan, chief of
investigations for the
On Thursday, Tampa Police
Chief Stephen Hogue sought to distance the department from the corruption
investigation and Bartoszak's affidavit.
``It wasn't authorized by
the police department; it was something he did on his own,'' Hogue said. ``I
think it was more of a character reference. ... I think that's what he was
trying to do.''
Hogue didn't know that
Todd had also written an affidavit, he said. ``I haven't ever seen that one.''
Hogue said his only
concern about Bartoszak's involvement is whether he might have compromised the
corruption investigation.
``Nobody has told me this
investigation is closed. ... I haven't been briefed on it by anybody at the
FBI,'' Hogue said. ``My only concern was this was an open investigation.''
Bartoszak wasn't
disciplined for not seeking permission from higher-ups before submitting the
affidavit, Hogue said.
Holder Gets
Colleagues' Support
As for Holder, he
declined late Thursday to comment directly on Todd's affidavit, but said he had
received broad support during the day after the disclosure of his letter to the
Justice Department and Bartoszak's affidavit.
``Many of my colleagues
have come by and been extremely supportive - judges, judicial assistants,
clerks, bailiffs and support personnel,'' Holder said.
The corruption
investigation is a labyrinth of allegations that include case-fixing, bribery,
prostitution, loan-sharking and illegal gambling. Some elements of it have
stalled in the past year. Others are ongoing.
The research paper that
Holder is alleged to have plagiarized surfaced anonymously last year shortly
after Holder wrote the Justice Department to complain about the corruption
investigation. It soon reached Air Force investigators in
Holder wrote the paper as
part of a process to win promotion from lieutenant colonel to colonel in the Air
Force Reserve. He often spent weekends presiding over Air Force courts-martial
as a judge advocate. The Air Force removed him as a judge advocate when the
plagiarism accusation was made. Then the Judicial Qualifications Commission took
up the case.
In his affidavit, Todd
says he often uses computer technology in his investigations and oversaw an
experiment to catch wanted people in
``I am aware ... that it
is extremely simple, using current computer technology in the public sector, to
produce what appears to be a plagiarized document,'' Todd wrote.
Todd declined Thursday to
comment further.
``It's not appropriate to
air it out in public until we resolve the other issues,'' Todd said.
Reporter John W. Allman can be
reached at (813) 259-7915. Reporter Michael Fechter can be reached at (813)
259-7621.
This story can be found at: http://tampatrib.com/nationworldnews/MGAI828TTND.html