Did any of y’all watch the show Sons of Anarchy? I loved the show and have watched the entire series multiple times. One thing that always struck me (I mean, besides the realization that white writers can’t write Black dialog for shit) was all the times the mostly white biker gang committed murders, attempted murders and other violent crimes and tried to set them up to look like they were done by the Black gang, the One-Niners.
I bring up SOA because there’s a man in Florida who either watches too much TV or represents the reality of racist, negro-blaming criminals being depicted on the show. In June of last year, during the wave of protests against systemic racism in America, federal investigators claim this man attempted to have his ex-girlfriend and two of her family members killed and have the murders blamed on Black Lives Matter protesters. Fortunately, the person this Shonda Rhimes script waiting to happen tried to hire as a hitman turned out to be working for the FBI.
From the Washington Post:
Daniel Slater, 51, of Jupiter, Fla., wanted his ex-girlfriend killed, along with the woman’s sister and brother-in-law, whom he blamed for sabotaging the couple’s relationship, court documents state. Slater believed he had found someone to carry out the job and instructed them to spray paint “Black Lives Matter” at the scene of the crime, according to investigators. Slater devised the plan as protests erupted across the country last year in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.
The person Slater was trying to hire, though, turned out to be an undercover FBI agent.
Now Slater, who was indicted in June 2020 within days of trying to launch the plot, could serve up to 10 years in prison. He pleaded guilty last week to murder-for-hire in a deal in which federal prosecutors dropped several other charges against him.
A few things:
First, if you’re like me, you’re currently thinking about what a ridiculously light sentence “up to 10 years” is for someone accused of attempting to take the lives of three people all because he couldn’t get over a break up by smoking a blunt and crying into a glass of rum and Coke with Luther Vandross and Toni Braxton playing in the background like a normal person.
Secondly, maybe if he spray-painted “BLM” at a scene where he broke a few windows, set a dumpster on fire and looted a few things, some gullible cop would believe it was the work of anti-racism protesters. But a professional hit-style triple homicide, my dude? Nah, bruh. Unless a Robert E. Lee monument got murked, I just don’t see a little graffiti throwing investigators off his trail.
Lastly, why is it always Florida? Why does it seem like all the crazies of Crazytown always come to America’s dong to give us real-life stories you can’t make up—even though the stories sound totally made up?
More from the Post:
Law enforcement officials began investigating Slater after a woman was found dead in Everglades National Park in February 2020, court documents state. The woman was identified as Brianne Slabaugh, a 26-year-old whom Slater had recruited to spy on his ex-girlfriend and kidnap and kill “multiple individuals associated with” her, a prosecutor said during a November 2020 federal detention hearing.
Slabaugh was ultimately “unable to go through with the murder,” the prosecutor said. Her body was later found in the Everglades, according to the Sun-Sentinel. The Miami-Dade County medical examiner ruled her death an accidental drug overdose.
Investigators said that after the murder plot with Slabaugh didn’t work out, Slater recruited someone who owed him a drug-related debt. Slater promised his associate that he would clear the debt and also pay him in cash and cocaine to arrange the murders. The associate promised to hire a hitman but what they actually did was work with the FBI to bring Slater down. (I didn’t really watch Power, but I feel like this had to be a story plot at some point in the show.)
Prosecutors wrote in court documents that Slater wanted his ex’s teeth knocked out, her nose broken and acid thrown in her face, but he was fine with the other two just being shot. (But nah, I’m sure it was the family members who sabotaged the relationship, not Slater being a crazy and violent Florida man.)
According to the FBI, the associate told Slater he killed his main target’s relatives and showed him doctored pictures of their dead bodies. Slater then paid the associate $400 and said he’d pay more when banks reopened.
I’m sorry, I know this isn’t a laughing matter but—$400, MY NIGGA? LOL!
This man really tried to hire some BrandsMart hitman at Great Value prices and then hit them with a Kevin Hart “See, the way my bank account is set up…” routine.
Anyway, three days after he (kinda) paid his associate, Slater was indicted on attempted murder and other charges. According to the Post, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed that he should serve the entire 10-year sentence. A judge will be deciding his fate later this year.
DISCUSSION
Here’s why: Florida, uniquely, has an “open government” policy where all government business, which includes police arrest records, are made public.
“Since 1909, Florida has had a proud tradition that all government business is public business and therefore should be available to the public. That means all records, including photos and videos, produced by a public agency are easily accessible…
However, those same laws are also the reason your mugshot appears online days after your arrest, and those laws make it incredibly easy for journalists to write about weird Florida news stories.
You’ll notice something when you read so many “Weird Florida” news stories. They almost always include the phrase “according to the arrest report.” As journalists, all we have to do in most cases is call the police department and ask for an arrest report, and the cops are required to give it to us. Nowadays a lot of cops simply email the reports, and some departments even post arrest records online.”
This is how the legend of “Florida Man” came to be. Truth is we all do it (I live near Venice Blvd in LA and Citizen is easily the best reality show we have out here). Floridians just get put on blast when they do. Now please excuse me. I have someone’s face to go eat.
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/how-floridas-proud-open-government-laws-lead-to-the-shame-of-florida-man-news-stories-7608595