Alberto Gutman
Encyclopedia
Alberto Gutman — also known as Al Gutman — of Florida. Born in Havana
(La Habana), Cuba
, January 4, 1959 and moved to the United States when he was 6 years old. He lived and went to school in Miami Beach, Florida. Republican
. Member of Florida House of Representatives
, 1984–92; member of Florida Senate
34th District, 1992-99. Jewish. Member, Freemasons; B'nai B'rith
; Phi Kappa Phi
; Phi Theta Kappa
. Father of 2 daughters, one of whom is disabled. In 1992 won first election to Florida Senate and defeated Democrat Kendall Coffey, who was subsequently appointed by President Bill Clinton
as the United States Attorney
for the Southern District of Florida. Gutman resigned his post as chair of the Senate Health Care Committee over alleged improprieties in brokering a Medicaid health plan during his term as vice chairman of the committee. He had obtained the permission of the Senate legal counsel before brokering the deal and maintained his position on the Senate Select Committee on Social Services Reform and the Ways and Means subcommittee. Gutman accused his opponent in the 1998 senatorial election of using voodoo
against him after Santería
paraphernalia was tossed at him and scattered on his vehicle by his opponent's supporters; Gutman won the election. In 1998 he was indicted along with his wife by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida on charges of conspiracy to commit Medicare fraud. Charges were related to 1992 events in a home health care company with an office that was used during his senatorial campaign as a headquarter. Charges against wife were dropped to one misdemeanor count; On 6th day of trial he pleaded guilty to one felony conspiracy count that he benefited from home health care companies that defrauded Medicare. He resigned from the Florida Senate as part of the plea bargain that called for a 2-year prison term. Judge Alan Gold rejected the plea agreement and sentenced him in 2000 to five years in prison, fined him $50,000 and ordered to pay $98,175 in restitution. He appealed the conviction and sentence after discovering that the prosecutor manipulated the system so the case would be assigned to Judge Alan Stephen Gold
; Judge Gold had a conflict of interest
and failed to disclose that he was Kendall Coffey's former law partner; Judge failed to disclose close relationships to his political adversaries. Court of Appeal refused to hear the case. He was released on 2003. Paid fine and restitution on 2007, during which time he also registered for a patent for cigar cutter
that he transferred to Nicaragua Tobacco Imports, Inc., Miami, Florida.
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
(La Habana), Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, January 4, 1959 and moved to the United States when he was 6 years old. He lived and went to school in Miami Beach, Florida. Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Member of Florida House of Representatives
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
, 1984–92; member of Florida Senate
Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032....
34th District, 1992-99. Jewish. Member, Freemasons; B'nai B'rith
B'nai B'rith
B'nai B'rith International |Covenant]]" is the oldest continually operating Jewish service organization in the world. It was initially founded as the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith in New York City, on , 1843, by Henry Jones and 11 others....
; Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
; Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa, also ΦΘΚ or sometimes PTK , is the international honor society of two-year colleges and academic programs, particularly community colleges and junior colleges. It also includes Associate's degree-granting programs offered by four-year colleges...
. Father of 2 daughters, one of whom is disabled. In 1992 won first election to Florida Senate and defeated Democrat Kendall Coffey, who was subsequently appointed by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
as the United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the Southern District of Florida. Gutman resigned his post as chair of the Senate Health Care Committee over alleged improprieties in brokering a Medicaid health plan during his term as vice chairman of the committee. He had obtained the permission of the Senate legal counsel before brokering the deal and maintained his position on the Senate Select Committee on Social Services Reform and the Ways and Means subcommittee. Gutman accused his opponent in the 1998 senatorial election of using voodoo
Afro-American religion
Afro-American religions are a number of related religions that developed in the Americas among African slaves and their descendants in various countries of Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of the southern United States...
against him after Santería
Santería
Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi. Its liturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumi....
paraphernalia was tossed at him and scattered on his vehicle by his opponent's supporters; Gutman won the election. In 1998 he was indicted along with his wife by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida on charges of conspiracy to commit Medicare fraud. Charges were related to 1992 events in a home health care company with an office that was used during his senatorial campaign as a headquarter. Charges against wife were dropped to one misdemeanor count; On 6th day of trial he pleaded guilty to one felony conspiracy count that he benefited from home health care companies that defrauded Medicare. He resigned from the Florida Senate as part of the plea bargain that called for a 2-year prison term. Judge Alan Gold rejected the plea agreement and sentenced him in 2000 to five years in prison, fined him $50,000 and ordered to pay $98,175 in restitution. He appealed the conviction and sentence after discovering that the prosecutor manipulated the system so the case would be assigned to Judge Alan Stephen Gold
Alan Stephen Gold
Alan Stephen Gold is an American lawyer and a United States federal judge. He currently serves on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.-Early life and education:...
; Judge Gold had a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
and failed to disclose that he was Kendall Coffey's former law partner; Judge failed to disclose close relationships to his political adversaries. Court of Appeal refused to hear the case. He was released on 2003. Paid fine and restitution on 2007, during which time he also registered for a patent for cigar cutter
Cigar cutter
A cigar cutter is a mechanical device designed to cut one end off a cigar so that it may be properly smoked. Although some cigars are cut on both ends, or twirled at both ends, the vast majority come with one straight cut end and one end in a "cap" which must be cut off for the cigar to be smoked...
that he transferred to Nicaragua Tobacco Imports, Inc., Miami, Florida.
External links
- "Governors pledge to reach out and touch", Chuck Shepherd, Orlando Weekly, November 30, 1998.
- "All-American Al", BILL DURYEA, St. Petersburg Times, April 14, 2000