(WSVN) - 2018 was a busy year for the 7Investigates team. We looked into everything from a disgraced doctor’s past to a controversial aquarium’s future. Here’s 7 investigative reporter Brian Entin.
From a used car lot, to hotels and gas stations, to outside the federal courthouse, this year, we went looking for answers from people who were not always happy to see us.
Brian Entin: “I wanted to ask you why you are calling yourself a doctor again.”
We found a disgraced former New York doctor who moved to South Florida and started a skin care business despite his dark past.
A patient died because of his negligence, and he went to prison for poisoning his wife.
Brian Entin: “Why did you put M.D. on your LLC paperwork, sir?”
We also wanted to know how this man pretending to be in the military was able to get onto Homestead Air Reserve base, right next to a fighter jet.
Brian Entin: “Were you told not to come back on the Air Force base?”
Diomonte Jean: “They said, because of the prank and stuff like that, ‘Don’t try to come back.'”
Hitting the road, we showed you a new technology to help beat speeding tickets.
Chris Hylander, got ticket dismissed: “I was angry. Yeah, I knew I wasn’t going 90.”
A dash camera that recorded this driver’s speed proved the trooper who pulled him over was wrong.
Brian Entin: “Have you ever heard of a ticket getting thrown out because of a dash cam, GPS like this?”
Ted Hollander, attorney: “No, this is the first one that I’ve heard of.”
In 2018, an upgrade to Florida’s SunPass system melted down.
Driver: “Oh, it hurts, because, these are charges that you’re not expecting.”
Nicknamed Tollgate, a massive backlog led to drivers getting charged over and over again for old tolls.
Brian Entin: “What do you say to South Floridians who are overdrafting? We have talked to them almost every day. Their bank accounts are overdrafting because these SunPass charges keep coming.”
Gov. Rick Scott: “Well, there’s no penalties. There’s no late fees.”
A day later, the state decided to reimburse SunPass customers for bank overdraft fees.
Since the summer, we’ve covered a controversial aquarium’s plan to open inside the Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale.
We uncovered SeaQuest’s past problems across the country.
The city has yet to give the aquarium the green light.
This year, we exposed problems inside Florida prisons. Video shows fighting, drug use and weapons.
Inmate (in video): “Where’s the machete at? Oh, hell no.”
Brian Entin: “There’s a machete in the prison?”
Former inmate: “I mean, they got stuff like that in all types of prisons. It’s everyday life. That’s how it is.”
In 2018, we covered national issues like immigration that have impacted people right here at home.
This undocumented father was brought into the country illegally as a child and arrested during an immigration interview with his pregnant wife, who is a U.S. citizen.
Deedee Hernandez: “I went in with my husband. I certainly did not think I would leave without him.”
He was set to be deported, but after we started investigating, the dad was released.
Deedee Hernandez: “Yeah, it’s him!”
This father’s fight to become a legal resident will continue into 2019.
And we will continue our fight to expose scams and injustices.
CONTACT 7INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
clue@wsvn.com
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