October 29, 2024 • 34 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's that time.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Time, time, time, luck and load.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
So Michael Verie Show is on the air.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
After all we have been through together, we stand on
the verge of the four greatest years in the history
of the USA. With your help, from now until election Day,
we will restore America's promise. We will put America first,
and we will take back the nation that we all love.
(00:40):
We bleed the same blood, we share the same home,
and we salute the same great American flag. We are
one people, one family, and one glorious nation under God.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
We will never give in. We will never give up.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
We will never ever back down. Together, we will fight, fight, fight,
and we will win, win, win.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
We're gonna win, win, win.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Have our American ancestors pushed onward, marched forward, and overcame
every single obstacle that stood in their way. Together they
crossed the oceans, settled the continent, came the wilderness, laid
down the railroads, raised up those mighty skyscrapers, built the highways,
(01:45):
won two World Wars, defeated fascism and communism, and launched
American astronauts.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
To the moon.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
It was hard working patriots like you who built this country.
And nine from now it's hard working patriots like you
who are going to save.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Our cont.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I received a message from a fellaw who is on
a Facebook page called True France True True fans only
group of the Houston Oilers. So I guess it's a
(02:33):
closed group, he says. A fellow named Gary posted the
following quote, what's up with Ken Stabler? Is he still around?
A man named Richard made the following comment, Gary, since
you asked about Ken Stabler and you are from or
(02:54):
live in Houston, as I am from Houston now living
in Alabama, let me share a piece of little known
trivia about Ken Stabler and Don Sutton both having Houston backgrounds,
Ken with the Oilers and Don with the Astros. Sutton
(03:15):
played for the Astros eighty one eighty two, and Stabler
of course comes over in March of eighty plays one year,
holds out the beginning of the next year, plays the
first of a two year contract. He's released, goes down
to New Orleans, and at thirty seven his career is done.
That second year that he is with the Oilers, they
(03:38):
went seven to nine and the luster was gone. I
think I think both teams lost out of the Pastorini
and Stabler trade. I think that had Pastorini stayed, the
Oilers would have been better. Had Stabler stayed in Oakland,
it was probably a better fit for their offense. Pastorini,
(04:01):
as you know, has a broken leg five games into
the season. Jim Plunkett comes in, the team goes to
the Super Bowl. It didn't work out for either quarterback.
Such things happen, so Ken played with the Oilers in
Don with the Astros. Ken went to high school in
La Lower Alabama, and Don went to high school across
the border in the Florida Panhandle. Neither high school was
(04:24):
that well known. Don Sutton, of course, had a Hall
of Fame career in baseball with some years in Houston,
and Ken had a similar career in college and professional football.
In Don Sutton's three years of varsity high school baseball,
he lost only one game, and the pitcher who beat
(04:47):
him was Kenny Stabler, who played one year of baseball
at the University of Alabama and then his baseball career
was shut down by coach Bear Bryant. We'll never know
the what if of that story. I don't know if
that's true, but that's what was posted, and I thought
(05:07):
it was interesting, and I had a Houston connection. I
do know this. I went back and looked at Don
Sutton's career Hall of Fame career started with fourteen years
with the Dodgers, and then he bounced around and that's
when he came to the Astros, and he would go
on to other teams and he would have incredible success
(05:29):
and longevity, finishing his career having started in sixty six.
In eighty eight as a Dodger, they brought him back
for the one year to finish his career there well.
In nineteen seventy eight when he was at the peak
of his career, Steve Garvey was the star of those
Dodgers teams, and Don Sutton told member of the media
(05:52):
he was annoyed that Garvey was getting all this attention.
And Don Sutton told a member of the media, Reggie
Smith is actually the best player on this team. Y'all
can stop swooning for Steve Garvey. Garvey finds out about
it and confronts him before the next game. They have
to be separated because they're in a scuffle, which is
(06:14):
impressive because Garvey had those big, old popeye arms. I
didn't think Don something could hold out for that, but hey,
he did. As luck would have it, Garvey is back
in the news today because he is the Republican Senate
candidate in the state of California against Adam Pencilneck Schiff.
(06:35):
I just thought that was just thought that was rather interesting.
I thought that was interesting, Rebecca writes with regard to
the Frank Lorenzo interview on Friday, Frank Lorenzo was the
worst airline CEO ever. I had to turn off your program.
He destroyed Continental and he was banned from ever running
(06:58):
any other airline. He hated his employees and his customers.
He was caught drunk driving with the male prostitute years
later in Houston. He's a disgusting human being that will
burn in hell one day. You should ask those who
worked with him at Continental to find out what his
real character is like. I didn't have to ask. I
(07:18):
heard from a number of people, and this is a
gentle reminder that I don't think some people will ever get.
Just because I have someone on the show does not
mean I endorse everything, or for that matter, anything about them.
Just because we have a book author on doesn't mean
that I think that the book makes great sense. I
(07:40):
think that listeners are very sophisticated, and I try to
expose you to things that I'm interested in. But since
the subject has arisen, I had heard the name Frank
Lorenzo for many years. By the time I kind of
came on the scene in Houston. He was gone from
his career in the Mayhem. He had caused it Continental Airlines,
(08:05):
But I'd always heard what a demon he was. And
so the book came out his attempt to tell his
side of the story, and I didn't know it was
still alive. So I said, sure, I'd love to talk
to him. I'd like to find out what the story
is about. So in doing my research and asking around
in things that were written at the time and things
(08:25):
that were written later, it was pretty clear that he
had problems with the pilots, pretty clear he had problems
with employees, pretty clear he had a real image problem
as not liking human beings. And I started with the
premise of I'm going to give the guy every chance.
I will tell you at the end of the interview,
I found him as unlikable as I had been advised. Well, well, well,
(08:52):
lucky you, the Michael Berry Show continues. Your lucky Dave,
you not just time early voting in Harris County. You'll
have to check your county. If it's not Harris County,
Harris votes dot com, it's a Harris County site. The
polls open at seven o'clock this morning. They will open
(09:14):
at seven o'clock through Friday of this week. Next Tuesday
is election Day. Please vote early. If you show up
on election day, you're going to have problems. The only
reason to vote on election day is that you haven't
voted yet and would rather you vote than than not
(09:35):
vote at all. It's going to be a deluge of people.
It's going to be a cluster, it's going to be
a mess. Vote early shocks me how many people are
constantly late to everything they do because they leave at
(09:56):
the time the event starts, and then they rush and
everybody needs to get out of the way, and everything
is a problem, and everything is everybody else's problem. Just
vote early. Seven am to eight pm tonight, seven pm,
seven am to eight pm tomorrow, and then till nine
(10:23):
o'clock on Thursday, and till back till seven o'clock on Friday.
But the polls open at seven a m. Through eight
days of early voting in Harris County early in person
voting seven hundred and eighty three thousand, almost seven hundred
and eighty four thousand mail ballots mailed, seventy nine thousand
(10:48):
mail ballots returned. Forty six thousand total early votes so
far eight hundred and thirty thousand. Top polling locations Yesterday
Weekly Community Center in Cyprus thirty three hundred votes gasts
(11:08):
Jurgen's Hall Community Center in Cyprus thirty three hundred votes
gasts Metropolitan Multi Service Center on West Gray three thousand.
When your top voting locations just Harris County alone, when
your top voting locations are in Cyprus. Good things are happening,
but we have to keep the heat on. Galveston County
(11:30):
voting hours seven am to seven pm all the way
through Friday, consistent. Montgomery County the same, seven am to
seven pm. By the way, if you live in Galveston,
it's Galveston votes dot org Galveston votes dot org. If
you need any voting information. If you live in Montgomery County,
(11:53):
it's a little harder to remember, it's Elections dot Montgomery
County text dot org. So CTX dot org. You can
look this stuff up. That is your voting update. Remember
you can vote anywhere early in the county in which
you live. You can vote anywhere early in the county
(12:16):
in which you live. All right, Kim Ogg, the Harris
County District Attorney, will be our guest here shortly. But
in the meantime, let me set up this story about
two hundred teachers in Texas fraudulently obtained their teaching certification.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announcing yesterday that arrests
(12:37):
have been made. It was led allegedly by the high
school basketball coach, Vincent Grayson of Booker T. Washington. The
assistant principals at Yates High School and Booker T. Washington
High Schools have also been arrested in charge with two
counts of engaging in organized criminal activity. These people don't
(13:00):
I don't have a teaching certificate, and yet they paid
to fraudulently get one. The story clip thirteen. Mister Roebliss
Ramone's fifteenth wedding anniversary. By the way, so congratulations to
Amy for fifteen years of putting up with Ramone. Clip
number thirteen.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
Khou Vincent Grayson is facing serious charges after investigators say
this longtime basketball coach at Booker T. Washington started a
scheme to help people who could not pass their teachers
Certification exam by letting them pay someone else to take
it for them.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
The kingpin and organizer of this scheme.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Here's how the Harrison County District Attorney's Office says his
scheme work. The teachers would pay Grayson about twenty five
hundred dollars. He would allegedly share some of that money
with Tauana Guilford, Mason, and Duran Wilty at the testing
centers so they could turn a blind eye and let
someone else take the test for the teachers investigators. The
(14:00):
person taking and passing the test was Nicholas Newton, an
assistant principal at Booker T. Washington High School.
Speaker 6 (14:07):
In fact, when he was caught red handed in February
of twenty twenty four, he was logged into one test,
he said to investigators, will look at the screen behind you,
and he was logged in as a different person taking
another test on another terminal.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
That same day.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
Also charge Lashonder Roberts, the assistant principal at Yates High School,
for allegedly recruiting teachers for this scheme. Investigators saying twenty
twenty three, the TA became aware of the irregularities and
patterns of these teachers who filled the test.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
They then drove sometimes four or more hours to the
Houston area and suddenly they were passing the test with
flying colors.
Speaker 5 (14:45):
Meanwhile, HISD said they condemn this behavior.
Speaker 7 (14:49):
And say if any teacher currently working at HISDD passed
their tests and through fraudulent means and has a passing
Texas school that was obtained through fraudulent means, their contract
will be terminated.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
In the meantime, investigators say two of those teachers with
fraudulent Teachers certificates have been arrested for even more serious crimes.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Least two sexual predators who once falsely certified, had access
through their employment to underage kids on campus and off.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Yeah, it's almost as if they're trying to get into
the schools to diddle the kids, isn't it. Harris County
Prosecutor Mike Levine, who works for kim Ogg, says this.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Vincent Grayson is the kingpin.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
He's made one million, ninety thousand dollars from this scheme
as best we can tell, and it's almost certainly more
than that. Because there's cash as well here, which is
harder to trace. Tawanna Gilford Mason, the testing proctor and
compliance certification officer for Htech, was paid at least one
hundred and twenty five thousand dollars by mister Grayson via
(16:00):
more than three hundred and fifty separate transactions on Zell
and cash up. Nicholas Newton, the proxy taker, was paid
over one hundred and eighty eight thousand dollars from May
of twenty twenty through February of twenty twenty four, and
our best estimates are that he took over four hundred
and thirty certification tests fraudulently impersonating teachers that paid for
(16:23):
those services. As I mentioned, he was caught more or
less red handed, and he gave essentially a full confession.
Lashonda Roberts is charged as a recruiter and referral agent
who knowingly sent business into the scheme.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Records indicate and the evidence leads us to believe.
Speaker 6 (16:40):
She sent over ninety teachers into the scheme and she
personally sent over two hundred and sixty seven thousand dollars
to mister Grayson, frequently profiting along the way. And finally,
the main testing center of this took place like you
heard me say, it was called h Tech was shut
down in mid twenty twenty three a suspicious activity mounted.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Rather than ending the scheme, Vincent Grayson went and found a.
Speaker 6 (17:06):
New location where they could could continue the scheme.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
That's where defendant Darien Willheit comes in.
Speaker 6 (17:12):
She was a young procer working at a different testing
center known as Tactics in Houston. She willingly participated and
accepted cash bribes in the amount of approximately two hundred
and fifty dollars each time that she lets somebody sign in,
leave and let someone test in their place.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
All five defendants phase two counts of engaging one is
based on money laundering.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
Because they've profited over three hundred thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
That is a first degree felony.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
And the second charge that east defendant faces is also
engaging in organized criminal activity based on tampering with a
government document. That's based on the false statements that are
made when you sit down and test knowing you're not
the person that you say you are.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Harris County District's Attorney Kim Ogg will be our guest
coming up. You know what a kingpin is? Do you
know where that term comes from. In ten pen bowling,
the five pen, which is a center most pen, It's
the most important pen. It's Steve King pen Cruse story
(18:18):
the Michael Barry Show, Simple Man story breaking last night.
Some two hundred teachers in Texas allegedly fraudulently obtained their
teaching certification, and the Harris County District Attorney's office has
uncovered a million dollar cheating ring they say was led
by Booker T. Washington High School basketball coach Vincent Grayson,
(18:41):
involving assistant principals at Yale at Yates High School and
Booker T. Washington High School, and a number of other folks.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Augus is our guest. Kim.
My understanding is this came to y'all's attention now, this
is all public informations him Deiell's attention because an individual
(19:02):
left coaching or teaching and went into being a police officer.
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
That's my understanding. Up in North Texas, tea got a
tip from a ranger who got a tip from a
police officer, et cetera. But it started with a guilt,
not a guilty content. Let's just say a good content
somebody who knew about the cheating going on among teachers
and coaches to get certified and who felt like that
needed to stop.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
When we look at the numbers here, they get pretty
significant because of the pure scale, and that makes me think,
you know you've got this woman and I know you'll
charged our Leashonda Roberts, assistant principal at Yates High School.
And she's kind of a feeder is she sort of
a commissioned salesman on this?
Speaker 2 (19:51):
That's her role in the We wouldn't call it a
conspiracy because they carried through with this for a long time.
How long were we talking about and since May twenty
is how far our investigation goes back. And so we
know that four hundred tests at a minimum have been
taken at that since that time by at least two
(20:14):
hundred teachers who've been certified really illegally.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
So when you begin an investigation like this, obviously you've
got the top guys in it, but how do you
fan out and start finding because nobody wants to admit
they cheated.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Amazingly, over twenty different coaches and teachers were interviewed by investigators.
Speaker 8 (20:42):
And admitted that they had cheated, admitted who they cheated with,
and so the evidence is strong against these individuals that
were charged because people did tell the truth when confronted
and let me say they were dead to write call
I mean the prompt the proxy as they call them,
(21:05):
or than the impostor as we call him, would sometimes
take two tests at a time because.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
A proctor who's supposed to keep the testing fair and
observe the participants and make sure they are who they
say they are, she was on the take, and so
he was able to take more than one test at
a time. He didn't notice irregularities. Who gives these tests,
to their credit noticed the irregularities and started looking at it.
(21:34):
So we got help from all sides. And the defendants
themselves you would think are just really a shameful, shameful
crime given their positions. It's understanding that several of them
have also admitted. I can't say which ones, but I
think we're going to see this could be replicated in
(21:56):
other places. I know that one of the parties is
now in Ohio and she's partners with another individual that
was involved in running the testing center down here, and
so it could be going on in other states. As
we speak, we're just trying to clean up Texas and
Harris County.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
I noticed and you alluded to her earlier. The allegation
is in the woman who's been charged to Wanna Gilford
Mason fifty one, the former director and the certifying official
at the Houston Training and Education Center. So you got
the top person at the Training and Education Center alleged
to be as part of this. I mean, that's that's
(22:36):
pretty rotten.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Now, it's all rotten. This is such a betrayal of
school children. And these are individuals, especially those who are
locally placed in the schools, in positions of authority and respect,
the assistant principal, the coach. I'm you know, I think
that Houstonians have a right to be more than disappointed
(22:59):
in these They betrayed our kids. They presented, they presented
one image to the kids while making thousands of dollars
putting unqualified teachers into classrooms.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
We expect fairness, We expect a system that preserves the rules,
and it's disturbing when it doesn't. We turn from the
school system where we expect the teachers who were there
to have passed the test to election integrity and we're
in the middle of that. I couldn't help but notice
(23:33):
a press release that came out a few days ago
that had the Election Security task Force, and it had
every local law enforcement official except Harris County's district attorney.
I can't imagine that that was an oversight to keep
you off of there.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
No, that was an intentional act. It started in the primary.
Tanisha Hudsbeth, our district our county clerk, informed me that
we would not be on the task force. She wasn't
going to be able to pay our people to be
at the command center like they were every other law
enforcement employee who has to work over time. And so
(24:13):
because we're under the same labor laws that the rest
of the county is, we would need to pay our
folks over time to be out there. This is not
a money issue. This was a specific exclusion. I think
it's clear that the county leaders do not want anybody
who's working anti corruption cases anywhere near this election. And
(24:34):
so I look forward to the public's comments and tips
about what's happening at our polls, because everyone on both sides,
everyone that I talk to, is concerned about the integrity
of this election.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
And what is that process if someone sees something untoward,
is that to go to the Harris County District Attorney's
office if it's in Harris County? Is there a tip line?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Is there a person they've got it?
Speaker 8 (25:00):
Well?
Speaker 2 (25:01):
It certainly if you complain to the Election Security Task Force,
that's the right place to go. We've got a DA
Info email that you can certainly send information through, and
we've got our switchboard and law enforcement is who would
have to who will some first responder will have to
actually go out and make a report, and we can
(25:24):
contact whoever's got the jurisdiction at the poll where the
problem is. But I'd say contact the Election Security Task
Force and our office.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Peris County District Jurney kim Oh, can you hold with
us for one more segment?
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Certainly Michael taking our call.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
In short notice, I appreciate it. And Michael Barry in
the Paris County District Attorney him is our guest. After
(26:02):
the big news broke her office revealing an investigation and
now charges against teachers, assistant principles, the head of the
testing center, ahead basketball coach that were falsely certifying school teachers. Wow.
(26:23):
Disturbing to say the least, this has been an interesting
election cycle. Robert F. Kennedy Junior coming out endorsing Donald
Trump for president. Tulsey Gabbard, the former vice president of
the National Democratic Party, Barbara Bush, George W. Bush's daughter
(26:43):
and obviously Barbara Bush's granddaughter, seen in photos yesterday campaigning
for Kamala Harris. It seems to be a realignment for
a lot of people based on a number of different things,
and one of the big news items of this Sitelechael
is Harris County Democrat District Attorney Kim Ogg endorsing publicly
(27:06):
appearing in campaign ads for Republican Senator Ted Cruz. I'm
curious to know your friendships go back. Your father was
in politics sixty years ago. I'm curious to know what
has been the range of responses you have received from
the very high profile endorsement Kim Ogg.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Michael, It's been very positive because my message is positive,
crime is nonpartisan. Ted Cruz reached across the aisle when
Joscelyn Nungera was murdered by two Venezuelan nationals that ICE
had captured but had to release under the policies of
(27:48):
this administration. Nationally that's just wrong. They released two predators
right into our backyard and they murdered a little girl.
And what Senator Cruise and I shared as we've gotten
to know each other is that we both worked on
the peena Ertmann murders back in nineteen ninety two, when
(28:09):
two young girls were murdered by a gang. They were
brutally raped and murdered along White Oak, Bio in a
neighborhood two miles from me, and I knew their parents.
I still know their parents that are living These cases
never leave you. One of the murderers in that case
was a Mexican national also here Legally, the state of
(28:31):
the border is ridiculous. It's absurd, and it's affecting crime.
And I supported Ted Cruz loudly because he's trying to
do something about it. He's followed legislation, and Americans are
really tired of hearing why Democrats and Republicans won't work together.
So I just took that sentiment that I'm hearing all
over and I accepted the request to work with him
(28:58):
on this. He's one of a one hundred senators in
the country. Why wouldn't we want to work together with
him to make the borders at least safer. If you're
not going to close them, at least keep the people
you catch in custody until you can determine their true identities.
These Venezuelans coming across the border, we have no way
(29:21):
of checking their background because the Venezuela and American governments
are aren't talking. And so to release illegal people who
are committing a crime by coming into the country just
right into Houston and other cities all across Texas and
(29:41):
now pushing forward into the rest of the country, I
think we have to do something about that, and that
it's a non partisan issue. I do not see law
as a partisan issue. And it's illegal to come into
the country without the immigration channels that we have. They
may stink and they need to be reformed, I'm sure,
(30:03):
but this can only be done by working together. So
the middle of America, the eighty percent that isn't represented
by the extremes of both parties, I think, really needs
their problems fixed. So that's why I supported Ted Cruz.
I believe he's doing that, and I'll support that by anybody.
(30:24):
The Democrats and their candidate did not reach out to me,
and so I'm the top law enforcement official. You asked
me if immigration is affecting crime, and I tell you
the truth. Yes.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
There is also the two eighty seven g issue, and
Ed Gonzalez, the current sheriff, is widely criticized for his
role in that and the hold that ICE puts on
folks and whether or not he is cooperating. Mike Knox,
who's a Republican challenger not to drag you into another race,
has made a big issue of that. You have thoughts
(30:58):
on Harris County's and Ed Gonzalez's role in that, and
whether ICE should be detaining and deporting these folks. We're
talking about violent criminals here.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
I think that falls entirely into Ed's lane, and I
try and stay out of other public officials lanes. I
would tell you that we need to follow the law,
and if it requires folks who are here illegally and
who are in custody to be identified by ICE so
that they can be deported, then we should be following
(31:33):
that law. I don't know the specifics of Sheriff Gonzalez's
policies or his practices, but I know that I'm seeing
bad things happen in courts where folks who are from
other countries and get some kind of probation, are being
(31:54):
terminated early by some of our judges. We're seeing we're
seeing things happen with prisoners being brought here. For example,
there's a hearing this morning because one of our judges
issued an order that brought a man off death row
(32:14):
and into a medical clinic here some testing, and it
was done outside the presence of the knowledge of the
prosecutors or anything. So why we're seeing this advanced by
some in the judiciary to go outside or around the law,
whether it's immigration or whether it's being against the death penalty.
(32:39):
I think rule of law is going to have to
be established and maintained in our court system. And it
starts with the immigration laws again, and then we're back
to voting integrity. Right, it ends at at the election code.
So judges following the law, sheriffs following the law. DA's
(33:01):
following the law. You know, it's led to legislation that
says we're supposed to do our job. People ask me
if the Rogue Prosecutor Bill affected me, Well, it was
used politically against me, But you know it's our oath
to follow the law. So I need to have access
to people in custody to determine if they're deportable. I
(33:25):
just don't know what the sheriff, what his particular policies are,
but you should invite him on and ask him.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Harris County District Attorney Kim On, can you hold with
us for one more?
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Absolutely? All right?
Speaker 1 (33:36):
The contract was for two segments. I don't know if
y'all have over time. I don't know what the Union
of Media Guests demands on that, but hang with us,
Harris County District Attorney. Him is our guest.
It's that time.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Time, time, time, luck and load.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
So Michael Verie Show is on the air.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
After all we have been through together, we stand on
the verge of the four greatest years in the history
of the USA. With your help, from now until election Day,
we will restore America's promise. We will put America first,
and we will take back the nation that we all love.
(00:40):
We bleed the same blood, we share the same home,
and we salute the same great American flag. We are
one people, one family, and one glorious nation under God.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
We will never give in. We will never give up.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
We will never ever back down. Together, we will fight, fight, fight,
and we will win, win, win.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
We're gonna win, win, win.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Have our American ancestors pushed onward, marched forward, and overcame
every single obstacle that stood in their way. Together they
crossed the oceans, settled the continent, came the wilderness, laid
down the railroads, raised up those mighty skyscrapers, built the highways,
(01:45):
won two World Wars, defeated fascism and communism, and launched
American astronauts.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
To the moon.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
It was hard working patriots like you who built this country.
And nine from now it's hard working patriots like you
who are going to save.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Our cont.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I received a message from a fellaw who is on
a Facebook page called True France True True fans only
group of the Houston Oilers. So I guess it's a
(02:33):
closed group, he says. A fellow named Gary posted the
following quote, what's up with Ken Stabler? Is he still around?
A man named Richard made the following comment, Gary, since
you asked about Ken Stabler and you are from or
(02:54):
live in Houston, as I am from Houston now living
in Alabama, let me share a piece of little known
trivia about Ken Stabler and Don Sutton both having Houston backgrounds,
Ken with the Oilers and Don with the Astros. Sutton
(03:15):
played for the Astros eighty one eighty two, and Stabler
of course comes over in March of eighty plays one year,
holds out the beginning of the next year, plays the
first of a two year contract. He's released, goes down
to New Orleans, and at thirty seven his career is done.
That second year that he is with the Oilers, they
(03:38):
went seven to nine and the luster was gone. I
think I think both teams lost out of the Pastorini
and Stabler trade. I think that had Pastorini stayed, the
Oilers would have been better. Had Stabler stayed in Oakland,
it was probably a better fit for their offense. Pastorini,
(04:01):
as you know, has a broken leg five games into
the season. Jim Plunkett comes in, the team goes to
the Super Bowl. It didn't work out for either quarterback.
Such things happen, so Ken played with the Oilers in
Don with the Astros. Ken went to high school in
La Lower Alabama, and Don went to high school across
the border in the Florida Panhandle. Neither high school was
(04:24):
that well known. Don Sutton, of course, had a Hall
of Fame career in baseball with some years in Houston,
and Ken had a similar career in college and professional football.
In Don Sutton's three years of varsity high school baseball,
he lost only one game, and the pitcher who beat
(04:47):
him was Kenny Stabler, who played one year of baseball
at the University of Alabama and then his baseball career
was shut down by coach Bear Bryant. We'll never know
the what if of that story. I don't know if
that's true, but that's what was posted, and I thought
(05:07):
it was interesting, and I had a Houston connection. I
do know this. I went back and looked at Don
Sutton's career Hall of Fame career started with fourteen years
with the Dodgers, and then he bounced around and that's
when he came to the Astros, and he would go
on to other teams and he would have incredible success
(05:29):
and longevity, finishing his career having started in sixty six.
In eighty eight as a Dodger, they brought him back
for the one year to finish his career there well.
In nineteen seventy eight when he was at the peak
of his career, Steve Garvey was the star of those
Dodgers teams, and Don Sutton told member of the media
(05:52):
he was annoyed that Garvey was getting all this attention.
And Don Sutton told a member of the media, Reggie
Smith is actually the best player on this team. Y'all
can stop swooning for Steve Garvey. Garvey finds out about
it and confronts him before the next game. They have
to be separated because they're in a scuffle, which is
(06:14):
impressive because Garvey had those big, old popeye arms. I
didn't think Don something could hold out for that, but hey,
he did. As luck would have it, Garvey is back
in the news today because he is the Republican Senate
candidate in the state of California against Adam Pencilneck Schiff.
(06:35):
I just thought that was just thought that was rather interesting.
I thought that was interesting, Rebecca writes with regard to
the Frank Lorenzo interview on Friday, Frank Lorenzo was the
worst airline CEO ever. I had to turn off your program.
He destroyed Continental and he was banned from ever running
(06:58):
any other airline. He hated his employees and his customers.
He was caught drunk driving with the male prostitute years
later in Houston. He's a disgusting human being that will
burn in hell one day. You should ask those who
worked with him at Continental to find out what his
real character is like. I didn't have to ask. I
(07:18):
heard from a number of people, and this is a
gentle reminder that I don't think some people will ever get.
Just because I have someone on the show does not
mean I endorse everything, or for that matter, anything about them.
Just because we have a book author on doesn't mean
that I think that the book makes great sense. I
(07:40):
think that listeners are very sophisticated, and I try to
expose you to things that I'm interested in. But since
the subject has arisen, I had heard the name Frank
Lorenzo for many years. By the time I kind of
came on the scene in Houston. He was gone from
his career in the Mayhem. He had caused it Continental Airlines,
(08:05):
But I'd always heard what a demon he was. And
so the book came out his attempt to tell his
side of the story, and I didn't know it was
still alive. So I said, sure, I'd love to talk
to him. I'd like to find out what the story
is about. So in doing my research and asking around
in things that were written at the time and things
(08:25):
that were written later, it was pretty clear that he
had problems with the pilots, pretty clear he had problems
with employees, pretty clear he had a real image problem
as not liking human beings. And I started with the
premise of I'm going to give the guy every chance.
I will tell you at the end of the interview,
I found him as unlikable as I had been advised. Well, well, well,
(08:52):
lucky you, the Michael Berry Show continues. Your lucky Dave,
you not just time early voting in Harris County. You'll
have to check your county. If it's not Harris County,
Harris votes dot com, it's a Harris County site. The
polls open at seven o'clock this morning. They will open
(09:14):
at seven o'clock through Friday of this week. Next Tuesday
is election Day. Please vote early. If you show up
on election day, you're going to have problems. The only
reason to vote on election day is that you haven't
voted yet and would rather you vote than than not
(09:35):
vote at all. It's going to be a deluge of people.
It's going to be a cluster, it's going to be
a mess. Vote early shocks me how many people are
constantly late to everything they do because they leave at
(09:56):
the time the event starts, and then they rush and
everybody needs to get out of the way, and everything
is a problem, and everything is everybody else's problem. Just
vote early. Seven am to eight pm tonight, seven pm,
seven am to eight pm tomorrow, and then till nine
(10:23):
o'clock on Thursday, and till back till seven o'clock on Friday.
But the polls open at seven a m. Through eight
days of early voting in Harris County early in person
voting seven hundred and eighty three thousand, almost seven hundred
and eighty four thousand mail ballots mailed, seventy nine thousand
(10:48):
mail ballots returned. Forty six thousand total early votes so
far eight hundred and thirty thousand. Top polling locations Yesterday
Weekly Community Center in Cyprus thirty three hundred votes gasts
(11:08):
Jurgen's Hall Community Center in Cyprus thirty three hundred votes
gasts Metropolitan Multi Service Center on West Gray three thousand.
When your top voting locations just Harris County alone, when
your top voting locations are in Cyprus. Good things are happening,
but we have to keep the heat on. Galveston County
(11:30):
voting hours seven am to seven pm all the way
through Friday, consistent. Montgomery County the same, seven am to
seven pm. By the way, if you live in Galveston,
it's Galveston votes dot org Galveston votes dot org. If
you need any voting information. If you live in Montgomery County,
(11:53):
it's a little harder to remember, it's Elections dot Montgomery
County text dot org. So CTX dot org. You can
look this stuff up. That is your voting update. Remember
you can vote anywhere early in the county in which
you live. You can vote anywhere early in the county
(12:16):
in which you live. All right, Kim Ogg, the Harris
County District Attorney, will be our guest here shortly. But
in the meantime, let me set up this story about
two hundred teachers in Texas fraudulently obtained their teaching certification.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announcing yesterday that arrests
(12:37):
have been made. It was led allegedly by the high
school basketball coach, Vincent Grayson of Booker T. Washington. The
assistant principals at Yates High School and Booker T. Washington
High Schools have also been arrested in charge with two
counts of engaging in organized criminal activity. These people don't
(13:00):
I don't have a teaching certificate, and yet they paid
to fraudulently get one. The story clip thirteen. Mister Roebliss
Ramone's fifteenth wedding anniversary. By the way, so congratulations to
Amy for fifteen years of putting up with Ramone. Clip
number thirteen.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
Khou Vincent Grayson is facing serious charges after investigators say
this longtime basketball coach at Booker T. Washington started a
scheme to help people who could not pass their teachers
Certification exam by letting them pay someone else to take
it for them.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
The kingpin and organizer of this scheme.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Here's how the Harrison County District Attorney's Office says his
scheme work. The teachers would pay Grayson about twenty five
hundred dollars. He would allegedly share some of that money
with Tauana Guilford, Mason, and Duran Wilty at the testing
centers so they could turn a blind eye and let
someone else take the test for the teachers investigators. The
(14:00):
person taking and passing the test was Nicholas Newton, an
assistant principal at Booker T. Washington High School.
Speaker 6 (14:07):
In fact, when he was caught red handed in February
of twenty twenty four, he was logged into one test,
he said to investigators, will look at the screen behind you,
and he was logged in as a different person taking
another test on another terminal.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
That same day.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
Also charge Lashonder Roberts, the assistant principal at Yates High School,
for allegedly recruiting teachers for this scheme. Investigators saying twenty
twenty three, the TA became aware of the irregularities and
patterns of these teachers who filled the test.
Speaker 6 (14:38):
They then drove sometimes four or more hours to the
Houston area and suddenly they were passing the test with
flying colors.
Speaker 5 (14:45):
Meanwhile, HISD said they condemn this behavior.
Speaker 7 (14:49):
And say if any teacher currently working at HISDD passed
their tests and through fraudulent means and has a passing
Texas school that was obtained through fraudulent means, their contract
will be terminated.
Speaker 5 (15:05):
In the meantime, investigators say two of those teachers with
fraudulent Teachers certificates have been arrested for even more serious crimes.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Least two sexual predators who once falsely certified, had access
through their employment to underage kids on campus and off.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Yeah, it's almost as if they're trying to get into
the schools to diddle the kids, isn't it. Harris County
Prosecutor Mike Levine, who works for kim Ogg, says this.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Vincent Grayson is the kingpin.
Speaker 6 (15:39):
He's made one million, ninety thousand dollars from this scheme
as best we can tell, and it's almost certainly more
than that. Because there's cash as well here, which is
harder to trace. Tawanna Gilford Mason, the testing proctor and
compliance certification officer for Htech, was paid at least one
hundred and twenty five thousand dollars by mister Grayson via
(16:00):
more than three hundred and fifty separate transactions on Zell
and cash up. Nicholas Newton, the proxy taker, was paid
over one hundred and eighty eight thousand dollars from May
of twenty twenty through February of twenty twenty four, and
our best estimates are that he took over four hundred
and thirty certification tests fraudulently impersonating teachers that paid for
(16:23):
those services. As I mentioned, he was caught more or
less red handed, and he gave essentially a full confession.
Lashonda Roberts is charged as a recruiter and referral agent
who knowingly sent business into the scheme.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Records indicate and the evidence leads us to believe.
Speaker 6 (16:40):
She sent over ninety teachers into the scheme and she
personally sent over two hundred and sixty seven thousand dollars
to mister Grayson, frequently profiting along the way. And finally,
the main testing center of this took place like you
heard me say, it was called h Tech was shut
down in mid twenty twenty three a suspicious activity mounted.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Rather than ending the scheme, Vincent Grayson went and found a.
Speaker 6 (17:06):
New location where they could could continue the scheme.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
That's where defendant Darien Willheit comes in.
Speaker 6 (17:12):
She was a young procer working at a different testing
center known as Tactics in Houston. She willingly participated and
accepted cash bribes in the amount of approximately two hundred
and fifty dollars each time that she lets somebody sign in,
leave and let someone test in their place.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
All five defendants phase two counts of engaging one is
based on money laundering.
Speaker 6 (17:35):
Because they've profited over three hundred thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
That is a first degree felony.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
And the second charge that east defendant faces is also
engaging in organized criminal activity based on tampering with a
government document. That's based on the false statements that are
made when you sit down and test knowing you're not
the person that you say you are.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Harris County District's Attorney Kim Ogg will be our guest
coming up. You know what a kingpin is? Do you
know where that term comes from. In ten pen bowling,
the five pen, which is a center most pen, It's
the most important pen. It's Steve King pen Cruse story
(18:18):
the Michael Barry Show, Simple Man story breaking last night.
Some two hundred teachers in Texas allegedly fraudulently obtained their
teaching certification, and the Harris County District Attorney's office has
uncovered a million dollar cheating ring they say was led
by Booker T. Washington High School basketball coach Vincent Grayson,
(18:41):
involving assistant principals at Yale at Yates High School and
Booker T. Washington High School, and a number of other folks.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Augus is our guest. Kim.
My understanding is this came to y'all's attention now, this
is all public informations him Deiell's attention because an individual
(19:02):
left coaching or teaching and went into being a police officer.
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
That's my understanding. Up in North Texas, tea got a
tip from a ranger who got a tip from a
police officer, et cetera. But it started with a guilt,
not a guilty content. Let's just say a good content
somebody who knew about the cheating going on among teachers
and coaches to get certified and who felt like that
needed to stop.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
When we look at the numbers here, they get pretty
significant because of the pure scale, and that makes me think,
you know you've got this woman and I know you'll
charged our Leashonda Roberts, assistant principal at Yates High School.
And she's kind of a feeder is she sort of
a commissioned salesman on this?
Speaker 2 (19:51):
That's her role in the We wouldn't call it a
conspiracy because they carried through with this for a long time.
How long were we talking about and since May twenty
is how far our investigation goes back. And so we
know that four hundred tests at a minimum have been
taken at that since that time by at least two
(20:14):
hundred teachers who've been certified really illegally.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
So when you begin an investigation like this, obviously you've
got the top guys in it, but how do you
fan out and start finding because nobody wants to admit
they cheated.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Amazingly, over twenty different coaches and teachers were interviewed by investigators.
Speaker 8 (20:42):
And admitted that they had cheated, admitted who they cheated with,
and so the evidence is strong against these individuals that
were charged because people did tell the truth when confronted
and let me say they were dead to write call
I mean the prompt the proxy as they call them,
(21:05):
or than the impostor as we call him, would sometimes
take two tests at a time because.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
A proctor who's supposed to keep the testing fair and
observe the participants and make sure they are who they
say they are, she was on the take, and so
he was able to take more than one test at
a time. He didn't notice irregularities. Who gives these tests,
to their credit noticed the irregularities and started looking at it.
(21:34):
So we got help from all sides. And the defendants
themselves you would think are just really a shameful, shameful
crime given their positions. It's understanding that several of them
have also admitted. I can't say which ones, but I
think we're going to see this could be replicated in
(21:56):
other places. I know that one of the parties is
now in Ohio and she's partners with another individual that
was involved in running the testing center down here, and
so it could be going on in other states. As
we speak, we're just trying to clean up Texas and
Harris County.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
I noticed and you alluded to her earlier. The allegation
is in the woman who's been charged to Wanna Gilford
Mason fifty one, the former director and the certifying official
at the Houston Training and Education Center. So you got
the top person at the Training and Education Center alleged
to be as part of this. I mean, that's that's
(22:36):
pretty rotten.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Now, it's all rotten. This is such a betrayal of
school children. And these are individuals, especially those who are
locally placed in the schools, in positions of authority and respect,
the assistant principal, the coach. I'm you know, I think
that Houstonians have a right to be more than disappointed
(22:59):
in these They betrayed our kids. They presented, they presented
one image to the kids while making thousands of dollars
putting unqualified teachers into classrooms.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
We expect fairness, We expect a system that preserves the rules,
and it's disturbing when it doesn't. We turn from the
school system where we expect the teachers who were there
to have passed the test to election integrity and we're
in the middle of that. I couldn't help but notice
(23:33):
a press release that came out a few days ago
that had the Election Security task Force, and it had
every local law enforcement official except Harris County's district attorney.
I can't imagine that that was an oversight to keep
you off of there.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
No, that was an intentional act. It started in the primary.
Tanisha Hudsbeth, our district our county clerk, informed me that
we would not be on the task force. She wasn't
going to be able to pay our people to be
at the command center like they were every other law
enforcement employee who has to work over time. And so
(24:13):
because we're under the same labor laws that the rest
of the county is, we would need to pay our
folks over time to be out there. This is not
a money issue. This was a specific exclusion. I think
it's clear that the county leaders do not want anybody
who's working anti corruption cases anywhere near this election. And
(24:34):
so I look forward to the public's comments and tips
about what's happening at our polls, because everyone on both sides,
everyone that I talk to, is concerned about the integrity
of this election.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
And what is that process if someone sees something untoward,
is that to go to the Harris County District Attorney's
office if it's in Harris County? Is there a tip line?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Is there a person they've got it?
Speaker 8 (25:00):
Well?
Speaker 2 (25:01):
It certainly if you complain to the Election Security Task Force,
that's the right place to go. We've got a DA
Info email that you can certainly send information through, and
we've got our switchboard and law enforcement is who would
have to who will some first responder will have to
actually go out and make a report, and we can
(25:24):
contact whoever's got the jurisdiction at the poll where the
problem is. But I'd say contact the Election Security Task
Force and our office.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Peris County District Jurney kim Oh, can you hold with
us for one more segment?
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Certainly Michael taking our call.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
In short notice, I appreciate it. And Michael Barry in
the Paris County District Attorney him is our guest. After
(26:02):
the big news broke her office revealing an investigation and
now charges against teachers, assistant principles, the head of the
testing center, ahead basketball coach that were falsely certifying school teachers. Wow.
(26:23):
Disturbing to say the least, this has been an interesting
election cycle. Robert F. Kennedy Junior coming out endorsing Donald
Trump for president. Tulsey Gabbard, the former vice president of
the National Democratic Party, Barbara Bush, George W. Bush's daughter
(26:43):
and obviously Barbara Bush's granddaughter, seen in photos yesterday campaigning
for Kamala Harris. It seems to be a realignment for
a lot of people based on a number of different things,
and one of the big news items of this Sitelechael
is Harris County Democrat District Attorney Kim Ogg endorsing publicly
(27:06):
appearing in campaign ads for Republican Senator Ted Cruz. I'm
curious to know your friendships go back. Your father was
in politics sixty years ago. I'm curious to know what
has been the range of responses you have received from
the very high profile endorsement Kim Ogg.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Michael, It's been very positive because my message is positive,
crime is nonpartisan. Ted Cruz reached across the aisle when
Joscelyn Nungera was murdered by two Venezuelan nationals that ICE
had captured but had to release under the policies of
(27:48):
this administration. Nationally that's just wrong. They released two predators
right into our backyard and they murdered a little girl.
And what Senator Cruise and I shared as we've gotten
to know each other is that we both worked on
the peena Ertmann murders back in nineteen ninety two, when
(28:09):
two young girls were murdered by a gang. They were
brutally raped and murdered along White Oak, Bio in a
neighborhood two miles from me, and I knew their parents.
I still know their parents that are living These cases
never leave you. One of the murderers in that case
was a Mexican national also here Legally, the state of
(28:31):
the border is ridiculous. It's absurd, and it's affecting crime.
And I supported Ted Cruz loudly because he's trying to
do something about it. He's followed legislation, and Americans are
really tired of hearing why Democrats and Republicans won't work together.
So I just took that sentiment that I'm hearing all
over and I accepted the request to work with him
(28:58):
on this. He's one of a one hundred senators in
the country. Why wouldn't we want to work together with
him to make the borders at least safer. If you're
not going to close them, at least keep the people
you catch in custody until you can determine their true identities.
These Venezuelans coming across the border, we have no way
(29:21):
of checking their background because the Venezuela and American governments
are aren't talking. And so to release illegal people who
are committing a crime by coming into the country just
right into Houston and other cities all across Texas and
(29:41):
now pushing forward into the rest of the country, I
think we have to do something about that, and that
it's a non partisan issue. I do not see law
as a partisan issue. And it's illegal to come into
the country without the immigration channels that we have. They
may stink and they need to be reformed, I'm sure,
(30:03):
but this can only be done by working together. So
the middle of America, the eighty percent that isn't represented
by the extremes of both parties, I think, really needs
their problems fixed. So that's why I supported Ted Cruz.
I believe he's doing that, and I'll support that by anybody.
(30:24):
The Democrats and their candidate did not reach out to me,
and so I'm the top law enforcement official. You asked
me if immigration is affecting crime, and I tell you
the truth. Yes.
Speaker 1 (30:36):
There is also the two eighty seven g issue, and
Ed Gonzalez, the current sheriff, is widely criticized for his
role in that and the hold that ICE puts on
folks and whether or not he is cooperating. Mike Knox,
who's a Republican challenger not to drag you into another race,
has made a big issue of that. You have thoughts
(30:58):
on Harris County's and Ed Gonzalez's role in that, and
whether ICE should be detaining and deporting these folks. We're
talking about violent criminals here.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
I think that falls entirely into Ed's lane, and I
try and stay out of other public officials lanes. I
would tell you that we need to follow the law,
and if it requires folks who are here illegally and
who are in custody to be identified by ICE so
that they can be deported, then we should be following
(31:33):
that law. I don't know the specifics of Sheriff Gonzalez's
policies or his practices, but I know that I'm seeing
bad things happen in courts where folks who are from
other countries and get some kind of probation, are being
(31:54):
terminated early by some of our judges. We're seeing we're
seeing things happen with prisoners being brought here. For example,
there's a hearing this morning because one of our judges
issued an order that brought a man off death row
(32:14):
and into a medical clinic here some testing, and it
was done outside the presence of the knowledge of the
prosecutors or anything. So why we're seeing this advanced by
some in the judiciary to go outside or around the law,
whether it's immigration or whether it's being against the death penalty.
(32:39):
I think rule of law is going to have to
be established and maintained in our court system. And it
starts with the immigration laws again, and then we're back
to voting integrity. Right, it ends at at the election code.
So judges following the law, sheriffs following the law. DA's
(33:01):
following the law. You know, it's led to legislation that
says we're supposed to do our job. People ask me
if the Rogue Prosecutor Bill affected me, Well, it was
used politically against me, But you know it's our oath
to follow the law. So I need to have access
to people in custody to determine if they're deportable. I
(33:25):
just don't know what the sheriff, what his particular policies are,
but you should invite him on and ask him.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Harris County District Attorney Kim On, can you hold with
us for one more?
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Absolutely? All right?
Speaker 1 (33:36):
The contract was for two segments. I don't know if
y'all have over time. I don't know what the Union
of Media Guests demands on that, but hang with us,
Harris County District Attorney. Him is our guest.
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