By Joseph Snook
Investigative Reporter

Pensacola, Florida – Reports of prosecutorial abuse in Pensacola have become frequent topics of discussion in recent years, specifically one prosecutor’s alleged continued pattern of filing false charges.

Escambia County’s Chief Special Prosecution Attorney, Russ Edgar, for the 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida, and his Assistant Prosecutor, John DuBose, are currently under investigation by the US~Observer. It is reported that Russ Edgar has continuously fabricated RICO (Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) charges against innocent people.

CURRENT ABUSE

Five entrepreneurs struggling to make their new business prosper are now facing RICO charges by Assistant State Prosecutor John DuBose, who works directly under Russ Edgar. Grand Theft and Conspiracy to conduct/participate in an enterprise through racketeering are the newly amended charges leveled against defendants Jimmy Rodgers, Sheila Rodgers, Rusty Liscoe, Pepper Rodgers, and Pamela Fanning.

The entrepreneurs started Comfort Club in late 2009, which was a referral-based business. The goal was to provide a free service for realtors using a call-capturing system that allowed potential homebuyers to easily access property information by calling a phone number listed above the realtors’ for-sale signs. This service is becoming the standard across the county for top-level realtors.

In return for offering the free service to realtors, the Comfort Club was to be promoted by the realtors to potential home buyers, which would give them access to the Comfort Club’s vendor list — this included essentials for new homeowners like alarm systems, pest control, insurance, contractors, and many more services.

INVESTIGATOR DAVID INGRAM INVENTS FALSE CHARGES

After a reported nine months on the job, David Ingram, former manager at Kay Jewelers and now an investigator for the State of Florida, became the lead investigator on the arrest and is now pursuing the conviction of the Comfort Club owners. Ingram, during taped interviews with potential witnesses, clearly helped rubber-stamp the false charges, which will be exposed once our investigation is concluded, should the false charges proceed against the Comfort Club founders.

The evidence provided to this writer clearly shows that, at best, Comfort Club had some communication issues, but at no point did its members knowingly commit any crimes.

For others in Pensacola who have been charged under RICO statutes, the feeling is all too familiar. Another victim of the “light on justice” system in Florida’s first district beat his RICO charges, but it didn’t come without a cost. He was charged by Edgar’s office with real estate fraud. It took him a reported 1.6 million dollars and five years of his life, fighting to prove his innocence. He has since won a separate fight against Deutsche Bank.

The burden of proof should fall upon the state, which highlights the old saying — innocent until proven guilty. In today’s criminal justice system, specifically within the First Judicial District of Florida, the burden of proof clearly lies with the defendants who have already lost their business. They have been forced to spend countless amounts of money to find the “best” attorneys, while labeled as criminals. This has all happened before they have been to court in front of a jury of their peers — This is a perfect example of prosecutors Russ Edgar and John DuBose promoting themselves as judge, jury, and executioner, while they trample the constitutional rights of five innocent people.

Edgar’s boss, elected prosecutor Bill Eddins, oversees 76 state attorneys across Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties, giving him ultimate responsibility for ensuring that Justice is served in Florida’s First Judicial District. At this juncture, prosecutor Eddins’ only defense is that he doesn’t have direct knowledge of all the cases being filed within his District. Eddins is now publicly informed of this specific case of prosecutorial misconduct and abuse on the part Edgar and DuBose – If he chooses to allow this case to continue, the US~Observer will focus our investigation and exposure in his direction…

Editor’s Note: Anyone with information on prosecutors Russ Edgar or John DuBose is urged to contact the US~Observer at 541-474-7885 or by email. Be responsible and help us stop these unwarranted and malicious prosecutions. We are seeking personal information as well as information related to false prosecutions…