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By Tonya Alanez, Sun Sentinel

January 22, 2010


A suspended Broward Sheriff's Office deputy accused of intimidating eight undocumented male immigrants into performing sex acts with him will be allowed to go to Oregon until his trial, a Broward County judge ruled Friday.

Jonathan Bleiweiss, 29, has been jailed since his August arrest.

Broward Circuit Judge Michael Gates set bail at $250,000 and agreed to let Bleiweiss stay in Oregon with his father while awaiting trial.

Bleiweiss has been charged with 73 counts ranging from sexual battery to false imprisonment.

Authorities say that while on duty, Bleiweiss fondled the men during traffic-stop pat downs in Oakland Park. He is accused with intimidating the men into allowing him to either fondle or perform oral sex on them.

Bleiweiss' attorney, Thomas Sclafani, argued that the state's case is based "entirely on hearsay."

The only evidence against his client, he said, is the statements of the alleged victims, all of whom are acquainted with each other or lived in the same apartment building.

Each alleged victim has been granted a special visa to remain in the country while aiding the prosecution, Sclafani said.

"If they don't know anything, they certainly know what it takes to stay in this country," Sclafani said. "There's certainly motive for these individuals not to tell the truth."

Prosecutor Dennis Siegel countered that under federal law, the alleged victims are allowed the visas.

Each victim described "very similar conduct under very similar circumstances" because that was the deputy's way of committing the crimes, Siegel said.

In his two-page ruling, Gates said "the state's evidence is arguably sufficient to convict" but did not, however, meet the more extensive legal burden required to deny bail.

Tonya Alanez can be reached at tealanez@sunsentinel.com


http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/browar ... 1537.story