5 charged in election-day tire slashings

Sons of prominent Milwaukee politicians among those facing felonies

By DERRICK NUNNALLY

dnunnally@journalsentinel.com

Posted: Jan. 24, 2005

 

Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann announced this morning that five of the seven men arrested in the election-day slashing of Republican vehicles’ tires - including the sons of two prominent Milwaukee Democratic politicians - have been charged with felonies and will appear in court this afternoon.

The five who were charged with felony criminal damage to property for slashing 40 tires on 25 vehicles are:

 

* Michael Pratt, 32, of the 400 block of N. 16th St., Milwaukee. Pratt is the son of former acting mayor Marvin Pratt.

 

* Sowande A. Omokunde, 25, of the 4000 block of N. 19th Place, Milwaukee. Omokunde is the son of U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore.

 

* Lewis G. Caldwell, 28, of the 2900 block of N. Summit Ave., Milwaukee.

 

* Lavelle Mohammad, 35, of the 4700 block of W. Lloyd St., Milwaukee.

 

* Justin Howell, 20, of the 2400 block of N. Olive St., Racine.

 

The vans had been rented by the state Republican Party to transport voters to the polls on election day Nov. 2.

 

If convicted, each of the five faces up to a $10,00 fine and up to 3 1/2 years in prison. The crime met the $2,500 damage threshold as a felony because the slashed tires and towing costs totaled more than $5,300, according to the criminal complaint filed today. It says the men were caught after a security guard in the Republican Party headquarters parking lot saw the vandalism and wrote down the license-plate numbers of a fleeing car.

 

McCann said the state’s relatively clean political history makes such election-day sabotage without precedent in his memory.

 

“This isn’t what goes on all the time in Wisconsin,” he said, citing his recollection of contentious elections from the late 1960s. “... There might be signs town down in those campaigns, but never anything like this.”

 

He said the investigation had taken nearly 12 weeks because witnesses had dispersed after the election to states including Georgia, Virginia, Maryland and New York, and FBI investigators were sent to conduct the interviews.

 

“Lying to an FBI agent is a federal offense,” McCann explained.

 

He said the FBI reports only got back to his office Jan. 14 because the slashings, though locally controversial, probably weren’t the highest priority for federal investigators more concerned with terrorism threats.

 

“You’ve got to understand how this looks elsewhere,” McCann said. “It’s a tire-slashing case. ... I never got a call from (Attorney General John) Ashcroft about the case."

 

 

Just imagine that this was a group of 'young Republicans' that slashed the tires of some vans that Operation Push had hired to get people to voting places, or any such similar group. I bet it would have taken less than 12 weeks to get press.

Torture: OK.

Perjury: OK.

Vote Tampering: OK.

Tire Slashing: Jail.

Torture: OK.

Perjury: OK.

Vote Tampering: OK.

Tire Slashing: Jail.

Torture, perjury? Who said anything about those? Vote tampering, yeah, this could get there, albit it would be a stretch to do that. Quit trying to change the subject. Idiots thought they would get away with something, and got caught. And it just so happens that they either belong, or have parents who belong, to the party that was screaming the loudest about having 'every vote count' and all that. Sure, let's just stop people from even GETTING to the voting booths by messing up their transportation. (can you say disenfranchised Republican voters?) They slashed the tires on 25 cars. That wasn't just an impulse, they had to have thought about that one for a bit. Is this on the same level as torture? No, and I never said or impied that it was. You were the one making that astronomical leap because you don't really have anything smart to say about the situation. Defend, deflect and deny.

Actually I was just being flip, thanks. But if you really wanna get into it, I'll bite. Tires got slashed in an obviously poor attempt at election fraud. The kids are arrested and assuming they're found guilty, they'll go to jail. As they should.

 

But, the White House Counsel who authored memos in 2002 promoting the use of torture was not held accountable when the same methods surfaced in Iraq and in Cuba.

 

Numerous White House cabinet members have directly lied under oath, and what kind of accountability have they been held to?

 

Very solid allegations of vote tamperring did happen in Ohio. Not enough to affect the election, but that shouldn't matter. Those responsible, including those responsible for the election itself should be held accountable. Instead the Secretary of State in Ohio is instead thinking about running for Governor.

 

There are a lot of problems in this world that our administration is not solving, there are a lot of problems in this country that our administration is causing. And unfortunately one too many sheeple are taking their eyes off that and on to stories about kids doing something wrong and being punished.

 

I'm sorry that I can't get too outraged about kids slashing tires. Maybe its because I see my freedom being eroded before my very eyes, my social security being tossed asunder for a crisis that doesn't exist, and a smash and grab foreign policy that makes the world a more dangerous place rather than a safer one.

 

But when it comes to politics, you want to focus on slashed tires. Good for you.

HEY! FOCUS! Stay on topic here. This is not about Bush, this is not about making some Muslims eat pork, nor about alleged election fraud in Ohio. If there was enough to procecute someone in Ohio, don't you think that Mr. Soros, with all his gazillions, would make it his personal mission to have that person or persons busted? ESPECIALLY after having just wasted $20+million trying to defeat Georgie? Give it up. The party that screams 'foul' the loudest once again got caught doing what they blame eveyone else for. Being 'flip' my ass! You are as big a flaming liberal (no pun intended) as anyone on here, and I almost predicted your response to the letter. I actually thought someone else would have responded first, though. 'Very solid allegations ' are just that. ALLEGATIONS. These guys were busted, on film, and with witnesses.

 

I wasn't looking for you, or anyone, to get 'outraged' at the guys slashing tires. I just seem to remember around election time it seemed like every other post was about how the Republicans were trying 'steal the election', or disenfranchise minorities, or have political insiders rig voting machines, etc. Well, here is a case of the other side doing just what they scream so loudly about. Only they were stupid enough to get caught. You want to argue Alberto's views on 'torture', go to a different post.

Numerous White House cabinet members have directly lied under oath, and what kind of accountability have they been held to?

 

The same kind of accountability Clinton was held to?

Last time I checked, Bill Clinton went through Impeachment. I'd say that's being held accountable.

Last time I checked, Bill Clinton went through Impeachment. I'd say that's being held accountable.

 

 

He lied under oath. Did he face a perjury charge?

He lied under oath.  Did he face a perjury charge?

 

Yes, it was called an impeachment trial. He was found innocent.

Boy, this got hijacked fast!

Uh... thank you!

Uh... thank you!

Excellent work. Do you work for the National Party?

National Party?

As a US president he faced impeachment. As a US citizen, he didn't face trial for perjury.

National Party?

As opposed to "local"

You would be correct he did not face trial for perjury as a US citizen. However there was an attempt to remove him from office and it failed. The perjury charge could not even get 50 votes in a Senate with more than 50 republicans. I don't know if being acquitted in an impeachment trial would keep you from a regular trial, but I'd argue that no prosecutor would want to bring up the case because the burden of proof for an Impeachment trial is lower than a regular one.

 

I seem to remember lots of law experts say that what Clinton got impeached for wouldn't have met the most basic standards of perjury in a regular court of law as well.

As opposed to "local"

 

Nope, not at the moment anyway. Shame these talents are going to waste, eh?

This dead horse has had enough of a beating. I'm out.

Again context is everything. Slashing tires of GOP workers is a direct & obvious act to undermine the democratic voting process of the USA.

 

That is what the thread topic is about. Clinton's perjury, the war in Iraq, prison abuse scandals, voting irregularity allegations in FL, OH, & PA have nothing to do with this topic.

 

This is not heresay nor is it an allegation. It's an obvious criminal act which has both state & federal implications. It should be treated by the courts as such.

doesn't surprise me one bit. I thought about helping out with driving people, but my area already had enough people.

Again context is everything.  Slashing tires of GOP workers is a direct & obvious act to undermine the democratic voting process of the USA. 

 

That is what the thread topic is about. Clinton's perjury, the war in Iraq,  prison abuse scandals, voting irregularity allegations in FL, OH, & PA have nothing to do with this topic.

 

This is not heresay nor is it an allegation.  It's an obvious criminal act which has both state & federal implications.  It should be treated by the courts as such.

 

Its an allegation until the person has been found guilty in a court of law. Or perhaps you've forgotten about the due process thing we got going on here. Even though it's quaint, we still have it.

Its an allegation until the person has been found guilty in a court of law. Or perhaps you've forgotten about the due process thing we got going on here. Even though it's quaint, we still have it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No it is an allegation until law enforcement believes there is sufficient evidence to charge a person with a crime. In this case they have been charged with crimes against the district, the state, & fed. That's pretty serious.

Splitting hairs.

 

And since are you one to complain about thread hijacks anyway?

No it is an allegation until law enforcement believes there is sufficient evidence to charge a person with a crime.  In this case they have been charged with crimes against the district, the state, & fed.  That's pretty serious.

 

They can be charged all they want but there is still that little presumption of innocence until found guilty.

I'm glad they were caught and being punished. I was surprised it was a felony. I assume they will plead out at something less, pay restitution, and get probation.

 

Let's see, if these were young republicans there would probably be more political pressure from the Republican controlled Legislative and Executive branch

 

Seriously, if this wasn't a political deal, would we have the FBI investigating? If it was November 3rd, there would have been a police report taken down and then filed away no matter if the individuals were Dems or GOPers. If they took men off other cases to rush this, they would have been accused of having their priorities out of place.