PART 4: THE REAL GREGORY TONY – JP

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This is the fourth installment of a seven-part investigative series into Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony, a man who built his career on lies, violence, and manipulation. The series charts Tony’s misdeeds from the streets of Philadelphia to the most powerful political office in South Florida.

PART FOUR

“We will make sure that those who break the law, including our own employees, are held to account when they commit crimes.” – Sheriff Gregory Tony

In his final year as a Coral Springs Police Department sergeant in 2016, Greg Tony forwarded various law enforcement documents and a sensitive FBI report from his city email address to his private training business, Blue Spear Solutions. He also sent similar documents in his official CSPD capacity to North American Rescue, a “casualty care” company in South Carolina. Tony would later work at the company as director of community development after leaving law enforcement for a brief stint in the private sector. Subsequently, while Tony was sheriff, the FBI would investigate Blue Spear Solutions and North American Rescue for cronyism and bid rigging, respectively.

To his credit, Tony did his best to cover his tracks. When appointed sheriff in 2019, he concealed his previous employment at North American Rescue and removed any mention of the company from his LinkedIn profile.

Surely, highlighting a company that provides specialized training and tactical medical equipment and supplies for military, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and first responders would only enhance his credibility. But, against the interest of transparency, Greg Tony saw an opportunity.

Tony is a self-professed “expert in active shooter training and response.” In his professional estimation, bleeding control kits were what Broward County public and charter schools needed. And wouldn’t you know it? Tony had a relationship with a company specializing in these medical products. That’s right. North American Rescue.

Under the perception of a fair bidding process, North American won the contract with the lowest bid of $392,000. Shortly after, the order mysteriously ballooned to $750,000, an increase approved without inquiry by Tony’s then-Department of Administration Head, Colonel Jem “James” Reyes.¹

Two weeks after BSO issued a purchase order for the bleed kits, North American Rescue’s CEO, Robert Castellani, contributed $5,000 to Tony’s political action committee. The contribution was initially recorded under a misspelled version of Castellani’s name, then changed to list Circle Creek Holdings as the contributor – a company owned by North American Rescue’s CFO.

The FBI took notice. Three sources confirmed to the Florida Bulldog that federal investigators were probing Tony’s activity for suspected bid rigging, fraud, and kickbacks related to the North American Rescue purchase. The perceived financial wrongdoing continued through Blue Spear Solutions, which the FBI was also investigating.

During a 2019 press conference, Tony was asked about Blue Spear’s connection to North American Rescue and whether his side company was involved in the bleed kit purchase.

“Blue Spear was not involved…,” he stated. “I’m disconnected from Blue Spear and absolutely no.”

Yet, Tony still owned the trademark for Blue Spear’s name and logo. He founded the active shooter training company, which is now run by his wife, Holly. The company marketed North American Rescue as a “proud partner.”

The connection with North American Rescue may have prompted the inquiry, but another issue reportedly kept it open. Tony promoted and provided substantial raises to five BSO employees who moonlight for the company. Most notably, Fire Rescue Captain Heath Clark saw his annual salary increase by nearly $50,000 after Tony promoted him to Chief of BSO’s Fire Rescue training division, bypassing the rank of Battalion Chief entirely.

BSO employee Joel Campbell was promoted from Fire Rescue Driver Engineer to Lieutenant, increasing his salary by $6,500. Brian Powell was elevated from Captain to Battalion Chief with an $8,000 raise. Two other BSO employees who were also promoted as Blue Spear instructors, Ana Murillo-Quigley and Brian Vengoechea, received significant pay increases under Tony’s leadership.

This web of financial relationships raises serious questions about conflicts of interest, particularly as BSO policy explicitly forbids off-duty employment that could “cause the appearance of impropriety” or “cause, or appear to cause, a conflict of interest.” The pattern is evident: Loyalty. Promotion. Pay raise.

Despite these steep financial entanglements with BSO employees, Blue Spear’s own viability appears questionable. Tony’s financial disclosure forms revealed that the company paid him little or no money when he ran it in 2018, and he reported a negative net worth of over $73,000 in 2019.

Like so many other questionable or illegal actions by Greg Tony, the bid-rigging, kickbacks, and cronyism seem to have been granted a pass, and the investigation into this matter has disappeared. The FBI inquiry that began in 2021 was initially transferred from Miami to South Carolina by then-Miami FBI Special Agent-in-Charge George Piro. The transfer was controversial. A source who spoke with the Florida Bulldog claimed Piro made the decision because he did not want to be the FBI agent known for arresting the first Black sheriff of Broward County. There was an additional concern about damaging the working relationship between BSO and the FBI.

Reports from June 2022 indicate that FBI headquarters pushed Piro into an early retirement after “a complaint by a subordinate that Piro improperly transferred his office’s bid-rigging investigation” of Sheriff Tony. After Piro’s retirement, the case returned to Miami, but soon vanished. The reason is unknown.

Bid rigging and cronyism occurring right under the governor’s nose are merely a small part of the wrongdoing at the Broward Sheriff’s Office under Greg Tony’s command. Shielded by the noble mission of public safety is a man who will sacrifice anything to advance his own image and self-promotion.

“You’ve had counties that have virtually no population increase on net — like Broward — that have had a massive increase in their budget,” Governor DeSantis said at a recent press conference. “And the question is why? What are they doing with that money?”

If Governor DeSantis wants to find unnecessary spending in Broward County, he must look no further than his favorite Democrat. Tony’s pattern of flagrant and potentially illegal spending is not limited to his questionable contracts; it extends to his greatest vanity project—the Research, Development and Training Center (RDTC).

The entrance lobby of the RDTC, which opened last year, honors the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. A two-floor wall memorial lists the names of each, while somber music plays in the background.

Beyond the tasteful, understated aesthetic of the lobby is a gaudy promotional campaign that would make PT Barnum blush. Tony’s name adorns every wall in the defensive training room. An enlarged Gregory Tony Ph.D. logo is printed on the floor. A mural at the gun range features the sheriff’s image. His name appears on the light fixtures, the gym walls, the ice bath in the locker rooms, and even the shower curtains. Inspirational quotes attributed to Tony are painted on the walls.

On the second floor, a display honors BSO’s history. A photo of Tony is directly in the center. There is nowhere inside the RDTC that Sheriff Gregory Tony, Ph.D cannot be seen. And to see you off as you leave the building, an oversized BSO Logo with Tony’s name is affixed to its side.

This glaring narcissism sent the RDTC’s costs soaring. The original estimated building price tag was $34 million, but that number skyrocketed to over $73 million at the grand opening. The auditor’s office flagged Tony’s excessive branding as one reason. And none of the branding promoting Tony is permanent. According to the audit, it will require removal by future sheriffs and likely some form of associated cost.

“This list is not all-inclusive of displays of the Sheriff’s name and likeness throughout the facility,” reads the auditor’s report. “Additional examples may be embedded within other branding displays, and the costs are not readily identifiable.”

This exaggerated sense of self-importance and the endless need for attention and admiration are all courtesy of you, the taxpayer. Tony’s ethos is “Service Equals Reward.” Eventually, you have to ask yourself who is receiving that bounty.

Another deceptive motto of Tony is ‘The People’s Office.’ So reads the brushed metal placard attached to his office door. In Greg Tony’s words, the nameplate was affixed there, “…as a reminder that my duties and responsibilities are for the people.” Tony’s name might not be on his door, but in his six years in office, he has ensured that it is everywhere else, often at the taxpayers’ expense, and even at the risk of their health and safety.

In early 2020, COVID-19 was spreading. Time was of the essence. Residents were ill, and nothing was more important to public health and safety workers than personal protective equipment (PPE). These vital sanitary measures enabled them to stay on the front lines, continuing to do their jobs to the best of their abilities.

BSO contacted Hero Solutions and ordered 10-ounce and 2-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer for its first responders. The bottles could be expedited to arrive in 15-17 days or delivered in 22 days with a custom label. The choice was obvious. Yet, Tony’s first responders’ health and safety were placed second on his list of priorities. A decision was made to delay the shipment—five days. This critical time was used to place the sheriff’s name and the BSO logo on each bottle.

The overwhelmingly inadequate supply of this and other PPEs angered the first responders and incensed IUPA, the deputies’ union. IUPA President Jeff Bell wrote an editorial for the South Florida Sun Sentinel detailing the problem. He emphatically stated that the sheriff hadn’t provided first responders with the necessary equipment to do their jobs. The conditions were unsafe. The sheriff’s inexperience was putting them in further danger. At the time, there were 72 confirmed cases of Coronavirus within BSO alone.

The sheriff immediately suspended Bell. In an ironic twist, Tony alleged that the union head made false statements, engaged in corrupt practices, and exhibited unbecoming conduct. In a subsequent letter sent to union members, a vote of no confidence was called for the sheriff.

“It is unconscionable that the delivery of desperately needed hand sanitizers would be delayed intentionally for political promotional reasons,” it read.

Tony lost the vote in a landslide. Of the 786 ballots cast by deputy union members, “Six hundred and ninety-three of our members have no confidence in Sheriff Gregory Tony,” said Frank Voudy with the BSO Deputies Association. “The morale is in the toilet. It’s dismal.”

In a letter to Governor DeSantis two months later, Jeff Bell asked that he remove Tony from office, “before his lack of ability, lack of qualifications and lack of judgment cost more lives at the Broward Sheriff’s Office.”

But Tony’s dangerous ignorance and self-obsession wouldn’t be stopped. He continued self-promotion at all costs and without restraint. When he received his doctorate in June 2024, he demanded that all digital and printed materials be rebranded to reflect his new title: “Sheriff Gregory Tony, Ph.D. This resulted in thousands of dollars spent on new, updated promotional items to replace the old. Paid for by you, the taxpayer.

As election season approached, Tony kicked into full campaign mode. Broward was flooded with glossy mailers touting “Sheriff Doctor” Tony’s accomplishments. BSO mailboxes span all precincts, yet observers noted that the mailer appeared to be distributed disproportionately to frequent Democratic voters. This very group effectively determines the outcome of Broward primaries.

The shameless self-gratification continued with a video of the sheriff’s employees praising his doctoral achievement. Five BSO colonels, two lt. colonels, six majors, the undersheriff, the fire chief, three additional fire rescue employees and the general counsel sat alone in front of the camera. Each delivered stilted embellishments, their strained expressions and monotonous delivery reminiscent of hostages fed lines from a script.

The video was filmed at Sheriff Tony’s edifice of ego— the BSO Research, Development and Training Center.

The Story Continues in Part Five: Sheriff Tony has engaged in questionable moral conduct in his personal life. His personal decisions on the job and those of some command staff members are equally dubious.

This investigation is built on court records, police reports, interviews with current and former law enforcement officials, public records and extensive newspaper coverage of Gregory Tony’s corruption. Some juvenile records referenced in this series appear to have been sealed or destroyed, raising additional questions about Tony’s past that remain unanswered.

1. Tony later contributed $250,000 to James Reyes’s unsuccessful bid for Miami-Dade sheriff through his political action committee, Broward First.