A former Fort Lauderdale firefighter, wanted on forgery charges, turned himself in to police early Friday morning.
Michael Reimer was booked at the Broward County Jail just after 1 a.m. He is expected to face a judge Friday or Saturday.
One current Fort Lauderdale firefighter is still in jail, as well. Three others have bonded out. Freddie Batista, Steve Loleski, Gregory Jones, and Joseph Perri have all been charged with faking mandatory training certifications and receiving a raise for them.
Michael Reimer is a former firefighter and creator of Safety Solutions, a company that trains firefighters.
"I'm proud to be a firefighter, going on 15 years," said Freddie Batista as he walked out of jail Thursday evening. "It's hurtful, but it's one of those things. Proud to be a firefighter."
Batista's mother broke down as a judge addressed her son during his bond hearing.
"These individuals are alleged to have formed a conspiracy to commit perjury, and that to me shows an utter disregard for the law," said prosecutor Ellen St. Laurent.
According to Fort Lauderdale Police, an investigation began after the Florida Department of Health found a fraudulent cardiovascular life support training certificate during an audit.
An internal investigation found more forged certificates.
The men are accused of doctoring their certification cards to look as if they were up to date, making them eligible for raises up to $15,000.
State law requires certificates of renewal every two years for fire rescue personnel. An 8-hour course is offered through the Fort Lauderdale Fire Department.
Batista is charged with creating the fake certifications. According to the arrest affidavit, he claimed to be a certified trainer for Safety Solutions.
READ: Local 756's statement
PHOTOS: Firefighters arrested
The charges against the five men are below:
- Reimer has an active warrant for the following charges:
1 count of Uttering a Forged Document
1 count of Grand Theft
1 count of Official Misconduct - Batista, a 14 year veteran, has been charged with the following:
5 counts of Forgery
5 counts of Official Misconduct - Loleski, a 12 year veteran, has been charged with the following:
1 count of Uttering a Forged Document
1 count of Grand Theft
1 count of Official Misconduct - Jones, a 6 year veteran, has been charged with the following:
1 count of Uttering a Forged Document
1 count of Grand Theft
1 count of Official Misconduct - Perri, a 6 year veteran, has been charged with the following crimes:
1 count of Uttering a Forged Document
1 count of Official Misconduct
Defense Attorney Martin Jaffe would not comment on the matter Thursday night.
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