Chief Moya Reportedly States Gainesville Police Department Has “Challenges They’re Working on Internally”
Tucked below an advertisement at the bottom of a TV20 report on Anthony Gainey’s arrest is a sentence stating that “The [Gainesville Police Department] chief [Nelson Moya] says they have some challenges they are working on internally and take everything people say into consideration.”
TV20 doesn’t state if Moya got more specific, but GPD does have numerous internal challenges, including, but not limited to, employing officers who allowed a former GPD corporal to commit sexual assault, allowing two sergeants to make inappropriate comments on a publicized podcast, and permitting a captain and sergeant to give an interview where they were dismissive of credible evidence of the concealment of sexual abuse within a local church.
The Ignite Life Center Interview:
On September 19, GnvInfo conducted an interview with Criminal Investigations Head Captain Paris Owens and Sergeant John Pandak about the criminal activity at Ignite Life Center.
On August 19, Chief Nelson Moya was contacted for a request for comment on bribery accusations issued by a former Ignite School of Ministry student (ISM).
Three people from ILC have been arrested: (1) former Ignite School of Ministry (ISM) student/former volunteer/former employee convicted child molester Gabriel Hemenez; (2) head pastor Mark Vega’s son, alleged rapist Christian Vargas; and (3) former associate pastor Jose Cruz’s son, alleged statutory rapist Noel Cruz.
GPD posted a press release on Facebook about Hemenez’s arrest but didn’t make one about Vargas’ or Cruz’s arrests.
The former ISM student alleged that GPD was being bribed by ILC because they “blew up” Hemenez’s arrest but didn’t say anything on social media about Vargas’ or Cruz’s arrests.
Moya was informed of numerous potential reasons for the allegations, including photo evidence showing GPD Sgt. Tony Ferro was involved with ILC, GPD Officer Bobby White building ILC’s basketball court with his foundation and a picture of Vega standing next to former GPD Chief Lonnie Scott.
Moya never responded, and contact hasn’t been attempted since the email was sent. However, a few weeks later, Tim Durst of GPD Internal Affairs contacted GnvInfo about “information provided” on ILC and asked for more information.
The interview was conducted a few days later. Durst was with Owens and Pandak, and he didn’t talk during the interview; he just listened.
Pandak said there wasn’t “probable cause” to charge Mark Vega despite supervising a GPD Supplemental Report where the victim and her father detailed his evidence concealment. Her sister said in an interview that GPD hasn’t contacted their family since Cruz’s arrest in February.
Pandak confirmed that GPD hasn’t reached out to anyone and said “victim advocates do that through the state attorney’s office.”
Pandak went on to say that the bribery allegations were the main reason he and Owens were calling and implied GnvInfo was being accusatory towards GPD.
Owens did most of the talking throughout the interview.
Owens was asked why there haven't been any recent statements from GPD about ILC. She said "Any time we have a case that rises to the level the public needs to know about it or something that we need information from the public, we absolutely will go through our public information officer and get that information out there to the community. Especially if it's a danger to the community or information that we need from the community."
Moya and ILC’s leader Vega are both from New York. Vega is from the Bronx, and Moya is from Long Island.
Despite his history in NYC, Vega has made misogynistic and racist statements aimed at NY mothers, in addition to Black people and Hispanic people.
Vega has a longstanding presence in NYC, with websites and posts showing he served as the Yankees Chaplin and is a long-time friend and business partner of former Yankees pitcher, five-time World Series champion and White Plains resident Mariano Rivera.
Moya has reportedly been successful in decreasing the shootings in Gainesville. It remains to be seen if he’ll be successful in overseeing any evidence concealment arrests.
Sgt. Tristan Grunder’s Appearance on the Dr. Phil Show and Inappropriate Comments with Sgt. Jon Rappa:
On August 29, First Amendment Auditor Sean Paul Reyes uploaded a Youtube video showing GPD Sergeants Jon Rappa and Tristan Grudner making inappropriate comments on their now deleted Youtube channel.
Grunder was talking to Rappa about going on the Dr. Phil show to discuss First Amendment auditing.
Grunder’s appearance on the Dr. Phill show is further confirmed by a LinkedIn post made by Rappa.
Rappa's LinkedIn video. In the caption he wrote “Catch my partner on the Dr. Phil show.”
The following are the sets of clips that Reyes posted from Grunder and Rappa’s discussion:
Clips originally republished on Long Island Audit YouTube channel.
Grunder and Rappa both said they "got permission from the chief."
As of this writing, the episode has not aired.
The Employment of Sgt. Aaron Wagle and Officers Tommy Alvin and Emma Spaulding:
Two years ago (now former) GPD Corporal Brooke Shutterly walked into Coconut Cabaret with Officer Tommy Alvin and GPD 2023 Officer of the Year Emma Spaulding. The three were under the jurisdiction of Sergeant Aaron Wagle.
The three officers walked into the club without the owner’s permission. Shutterly would sexually assault three employees in a dressing room while Spaulding watched and Alvin stood by the door.
GPD Internal Investigator Sgt. Leah Hayes didn’t recommend charges to the State Attorney’s Office and gave all the officers written warnings except Spaulding, who was given no reprimand and would later be awarded GPD 2023 Officer of the Year.
Spaulding’s continued employment at GPD was confirmed by her appointment as 2023 Officer of the Year and her recent response to a domestic abuse incident in Gainesville.
Spaulding being awarded 2023 GPD Officer of the Year on February 13, 2024. (video cred. gnvinfo)
Alvin’s continued employment at GPD has been confirmed by his recent response to a domestic battery incident.
Wagle’s continued employment is confirmed by a recent GPD Facebook post showing him sitting on a motorcycle at a local parade.
Shutterly is the only officer involved who is no longer a member of GPD.
In the aforementioned interview, Captain Owens was asked how GPD can be relied on to investigate sexual abuse at Ignite Life Center since GPD found Shutterly "unfounded" of committing sexual assault.
Owens said, “I cannot comment on that because I have no idea what that has to do with Ignite. Those are two totally different situations, or incidents, and I’m not at liberty. We haven’t found any allegations of anything sexual regarding Brooke Shutterly, and she no longer works for us.”
Other controversial GPD employees include Officer Andrew Milman, Officer Larry Prunty, and Corporal Casey Walsh.
