Meritorious Service Award – Detective Jose Nuñez and Detective Jorge Carvajal:
The following is a summary of the award write up submitted to Chief Smith regarding a bank robbery that occurred on April 27, 2018 at the TD Bank.
• Bank employees reported that a robbery had just occurred.
• When officers arrived, the TD Bank teller gave the description of the suspect, as well as details of the robbery.
• Detective Jose Nuñez quickly noted the similarities between this robbery and a robbery that had occurred at the same TD Bank back on January 3, 2013.
• At the time of that 2013 investigation, the TD Bank suspect was also a suspect in several other bank robberies that occurred in Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter and Palm Beach County jurisdictions. The suspect was charged Federally for the bank robberies and sentenced to five years in Federal prison.
• Side note: Prior to those bank robberies, the suspect had also conducted bank robberies in 2007 in Palm Beach Gardens and was subsequently charged and arrested.
• Due to all of the direct similarities between the two TD Bank robberies, Detective Nuñez and Detective Jorge Carvajal conducted a search of the name Sprague through the Federal Bureau of Prisons` website to check on the status of his incarceration from his previous bank robbery charges. The inquiry revealed that Sprague had been recently released from prison. His release date was March 6, 2018.
• After a detailed investigation and positive ID from a photo-lineup, the Detectives were able to apprehend the suspect, and he is now serving 15 years in State prison.
Meritorious Service Award – Officer Ronald Ghianda (now Lieutenant Ghianda):
The following is a summary of the award write up submitted to Chief Smith regarding actions above and beyond the call of duty.
Officer Ronald Ghianda assisted an elderly Juno Beach couple who were no longer able to adequately take care of themselves and were rapidly declining both mentally and physically. It was the compassion and professionalism of Officer Ghianda, working with the Department of Children and Families, that got the couple the medical assistance they needed and the eventual placement into an assisted living facility.
Officer Ghianda’s professionalism and dedication to the community was key to getting this couple the assistance they needed and to improving their quality-of life.
The compassion of Officer Ghianda, and all of the members of the Juno Beach Police Department, exemplifies the embodiment of Community Policing in the Town of Juno Beach.