Week in review - South Florida Business Journal:

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Barbara Ramentol, 36, of Miami-Dade operated BJB Pharmacy Discount, where, between 2005 and it was alleged she submitted fraudulengt claims formedical equipment, drugs and other healt h care items and services. Ramentol, who was indicted in also admitted to laundering proceedx of her fraud scheme by writing tens of thousandss of dollars in checks to various according to a news release fromthe U.S. attornety for the Southern Districtof Florida. Sentencingt is scheduled for Aug. 11. The SEC has charges 10 brokers, including six from South Florida, with alleging they disguised the risks of investingin mortgage-backed A complaint, filed in the U.S.
Districft Court for the Southern Districfof Florida, said the brokers falsely marketed investmentw in derivatives of mortgage-backed securities as safe and suitable for retireesa and others with conservativd investment goals. The brokers worked for Irvine, Calif.-based , a broker-deale r and investment adviser, whichh has since gone out of South Floridians charged were WilliamBetta Jr., 36, and Troy 37, both of Boca Raton; James 46, of Weston; Barry Kornfeld, 46, of Clifford Popper, 51, of Highland Beach; and Alfred 44, of Pompano Beach. Also charged were Steven I. 49, of St. Petersburg; Travis Branch, 54, of Kailua, Russell Kautz, 51, of Medford, Ore.
; and Shane 41, of Florence, Mont. The SEC complainyt said the brokers enriched themselvewswith $18 million in commissions and salaries, whilee more than 750 investors suffered more than $36 millionj in losses. reported a drug it was developing faile inclinical trials. The Coral Gables-basef company (NASDAQ: CPRX) said that its CPP-109 did not help a statisticallh significant number of drug addictasstay cocaine-free compared to those addicts who took a All of the patients participated in a 12-weekm treatment system, and the resultw were measured during the final two weeks.
Catalyst, a development-stagd company with no approved said it would investigate the reasons for the disparity betweenh the results of this Phase II triakl and previous clinical studies that showex better cocaine addition treatment performancefrom CPP-109. The company said it would continue its Phase II trialofor CPP-109 for methamphetamine addition, which shoulrd yield results in the thirf quarter. President and CEO Patrick J. McEnanyh noted that Catalyst has enougg cash to continue operationsthroughu 2010. Tri-Rail riders now need more money to boarfdthe train. The (SFRTA), Tri-Rail’s parent agency, voted in April to raise farex 25 percent acrossthe board.
It is the firstt fare hike since 1995. A monthly pass will cost up from $80. Daily fees will stilol vary depending on the starting point andthe destination. SFRT commissioners chose to raise fares, in part, because Tri-Railk funding has remained flat. And, although this year’xs state budget keeps funding at the same levek aslast year, the counties are threatening to reduce theirt contribution to the minimum allowed by law, whichu would result in an $18 million shortfall and a 50 percent servicd reduction come Oct. 1. The deficif would result in Tri-Rail reducingb service to 30 trains from 50 trainsdon weekdays, and cutting weekend and holidah service completely.
Miami-Dade County hasn’t seen a decrease in its tax rollsince 1993, the year aftere Hurricane Andrew hit. But, countty officials say 2009 is shapingf up to be three times The Miami-Dade County property appraisere released its preliminary tax roll information Monday, with all four taxing jurisdictionds – fire rescue, library, the unincorporatedc area and Miami-Dade overall seeing a decline. The countywide decrease comparinh preliminary tax numbers from year to year shows a 9percenr decrease, or a total of $22.55 North Bay Village took the biggest hit, down 20.2 percentt from 2008 levels. Homestead saw an 18.2 percent followed by Normandy Shores, down 17.
5 and Aventura, which was down 17.3 percent. Golden Beach and the tiny city of Islandis sawno change. Medley saw a 1.5 percenft drop while Biscayne Park saw a 4percenft decline. Staffers reviewed property tax rolls goingf back to 1985 and founsd that 1993 saw taxable value shrinkby 2.9 percent, or $1.9 County Manager George Burgess warned of more pain on the using the last two years as a barometee of what is coming. Smart cars are comintg to and . Airport safety officers and community service aidesa will use four diminutive Smart Fortwk models for patrols at thecongested facilities, according to a news The cars get up to 40 mpg and are highlg maneuverable.
The Smart cars will have Broward Sheriff’s Offic decals and emergency The county purchased the vehiclesa fromRick Case’s Smart dealershiop in Weston. The Smart Fortwo costs half as much and uses a quartee of the gas as the standard BSOpatroll car, and the maintenance cost is substantially according to the news release.