On July 3rd, 2007, Judge Mike Carr (more information about Mike Carr is detailed further down the page), signed a search warrant to seize computers and files from three of the four bail bonds offices owned by Mr Houston and Ms Williams (SEE NEWS ARTICLE 1 / SEE NEWS ARTICLE 2). The three locations searched were all in Collier County. The fourth location, located in Lee County, was not searched as a warrant could not be obtained. The warrant was served on July 5th, 2007, and their computer equipment, along with other files and paperwork, were seized. The search warrant was not stamped by the clerk of courts, and when it eventually was filed at the courts, the date on the stamp read July 10th, 2007 - seven days after it was signed.
The warrant accused Mr Houston & Ms Williams of paying an inmate to solicit business at the jail. The inmate was named on the search warrant as Patrick Rosemillia. Three detectives interrogated Mr Rosemellia while he was incarcerated. Mr Rosemillia details what was said in a letter he sent to Mr Houston after the interrogation. His letter is dated 7/5/07. The letter is below (click to enlarge).
After his release, Mr Rosemillia went on camera for a local television broadcast and spoke about certain things that were said about Mr Houston during the interrogation (CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TV SHOW IN ITS ENTIRETY). A warrant was issued for the arrest of Mr Rosemillia since the show was broadcast, and Mr Rosemellia turned himself in to Collier County authorities, and given a $20,000 bond on charges that he acted as a bail bond agent. The show was first broadcast on Saturday 15th December, 2007. Mr Houston, Ms Williams, and Mr Houston's secretary were arrested on December 18th, 2007. Ms Williams and Mr Houston's secretary were both released on bond during the night, but Mr Houston remained in jail to face County Judge Mike Carr the following morning. All three were given the same charges. Mr Houston was released on bond later that day.
On December 19th, 2007, the Naples Daily news posted three different versions of an article about the arrests on their website. The original article was published at 11.49am, with the headline, "Two Arrested in Collier Bail Bond Case". The original article is no longer available on their website, but a copy of the original was printed before it was updated.
The first paragraph read, "Two people investigated for possible paying inmates to act as bail bond agents inside the Collier County jail have been arrested on separate charges".
Paragraph three read, "The two were arrested on charges that they stole a vehicle from a defendant and forged documents to make it appear it was used as collateral for bond".
In fact, not one of the charges included a 'stolen vehicle'. The newspaper declined to mention where they had received any information regarding that particular statement. There was, however, an administrative complaint that Ms Williams received that was filed with the State of Florida concerning a Tahoe. This is an administrative complaint, and is not public record. The only way that the Naples News COULD have been aware of the complaint is if they received direct information from somebody INVOLVED in the complaint. The complaint is a separate issue... or at least it SHOULD be... a closer look at the two separate issues will show that they are probably related.
Below, Mr Houston is pictured with the vehicle in question, and holds up the title to the Tahoe. The vehicle was never 'stolen', as the Naples News suggests. It was in fact used by a client, who has since bragged to friends and neighbors about how she was offered $200,000 after meeting with a Detective, an Investigator, and a Bail Bondsman if she testified to the truck being 'stolen'. Witnesses can be called to verify this. So how did the writers of the Naples Daily News article (who were not named in the original article, but were named later in the updated version as Ryan Mills and Aisling Swift) have any idea about the administrative complaint? They would have had to talk to somebody who WAS INVOLVED IN the complaint - the person who tipped them off and got the arrest information incorrect. CLICK HERE TO READ THE LAST VERSION OF THE ARTICLE, AFTER IT WAS UPDATED. You will see that the article refers to Mr Houston as 'Teflon Joe'. This is a name by which Mr Houston is NOT known, and does not wish to be known. Mr Houston is a legitimate business man, and works hard to make an honest living despite the repeated attacks from law enforcement, and the newspaper, over the years. To reference Mr Houston as a name which could imply that he has 'mob ties' is a further effort to destroy his character and credibility.
On December 13th, 2007, five days before the arrest, Ms Williams filed a complaint against Detective John Paccione (Representing Alex Sink, Chief Financial Officer for the State of Florida - a position that Tom Gallagher held until early 2007), who had been harassing her, and harassing her neighbors, friends and relatives in an attempt to arrest her without a warrant (the State Attorney had told him on multiple occasions that a warrant could not be issued because the case is a civil matter). Detective Paccione knows what his job allows him to do, but he has knowingly, and consistently, overstepped his duties leading to the harassment of Ms Williams, and her friends, relatives, and neighbors in the quiet community in which she lives.
The arrests that took place on December 18th, 2007, were based on the investigation of Patrick Rosemillia. The search warrant dated 7/3/2007 (presented to County Judge Mike Carr by Detective Raymond Wilkinson - a Detective with the Collier County Sheriff's Office Violent Crimes Bureau), states that an investigation began on December 6th, 2006, after 'the Criminal Investigation unit at the Naples Jail Center received information that inmates incarcerated in the Collier County jail may be acting as a bail bond agent'. Raymond Wilkinson is one of the three detectives that interrogated Mr Rosemellia and used many racial slurs during the interrogation. The three arrests were made with Capias warrants for the following charges (all charges were based on their 'investigation' of Patrick Rosemellia):
648.44-8 Allow convicted person to be a bail bond agent (Charge given to Mr Houston, Ms Williams, and Mr Houston's secretary)
648.30-1 Act as bail bond agent without license (Charge given to Mr Houston, Ms Williams, and Mr Houston's secretary)
648.44-1p Bail Bond Agent violation business jail/courthouse (Charge goven to Mr Houston)
648.44-1b Solicit business in jail (Charge given to Ms Williams)
At around the same time that the search warrants were executed (the warrants signed by County Judge Mike Carr on 7/3/07), officers relentlessly and illegally harassed the companys' employees. Employees were illegally handcuffed, detained in cars, and threatened. The employees were told by officers that all they needed to do to be freed is tell them what "they needed" about Mr Houston, and "what he is doing". They wanted "information about Joe".
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