Tamara Wallace stole approximately $1.36M from local nonprofit Donate 2 Impact from 2015 to 2019 per public records and local news reports.
Wallace spent on everything from meals at Panera to fifth-row seats at Dallas Mavericks games. She also spent almost $10,000 of the nonprofit’s funds on SOTA weight-loss treatment in Frisco, another $6,000 at Le Beau Visage, a medical spa.
She spent another $6,500 at Louis Vuitton and a $10,000 purchase at high-end audio and visual retailer Starpower.
Tamara Wallace
Wallace’s methods for the embezzlement were similar to others where one person controls both payment methods and ledgers. Similar financial problems were found with Dallas Democrats, though no accusations have been made there of stolen funds, just slipshot accounting.
Dwaine Caraway released from federal prison and back on the Dallas streets per a recent Twitter post by Dallas Morning News oped columnist Robert Wilonsky.
Last time I saw Dwaine Caraway he was about to head off to federal prison in Big Spring in May 2019. Just ran into him at the 7-Eleven at Marsh and Walnut Hill.
While we were talking a guy (probably a Ticket listener) pulled up, rolled down his window and said, “Welcome back.” pic.twitter.com/BwJg2rj2Ny
Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn cited “Caraway’s credibility while testifying” when she ordered his fifty-six month sentence only lowered by five months to a fifty-one month sentence.
Caraway had been serving time at Big Spring Federal Correction Institution. The federal lock up is about three hundred miles west of Dallas, near Midland, Texas.
Judge Lynn sentenced Caraway in 2019 after he pleaded guilty to taking $450,000 in bribes from promoters of a school bus stop-arm camera system in exchange for helping advocate for the system’s widespread adoption. The governmental entity Dallas County Schools was dissolved amid the scandal.
Caraway also solicited bribes from two other unrelated sources – first, Hamilton, and second, two undercover FBI agents posing as developers.
Caraway was never charged for those secondary bribary crimes, but he testified about them during Hamilton’s trial.
It is unclear what Caraway’s next move might be politically, if any. Former state representative Terri Hodge was found guilty of tax evasion after accepting bribes, but was still nominated to be the Electoral College representative for her Congressional District if Joe Biden had won Texas.
The Dallas Police Department has curious timing. A press release dropped Monday saying DPD Honored for Violent Crime Reduction just one day after a mass shooting involving ten victims and no suspect in downtown Dallas.
Garcia’s plans have been mostly kept under wraps from citizens and journalists. The award also comes after Dallas was hit by a data breach which affected nearly twenty thousand cases including assaults, rape, and other crimes against persons.
DPD Honored For Violent Crime Reduction – Numbers, Not Neighborhoods
Police Chief Eddie Garcia had a number of comments in the city press release.
Garcia said, “The Violent Crime Evidence-Based Reduction Plan is the result of work closely with criminologists, hearing from other departments within the City, and, most importantly, listening to our neighborhoods most impacted by violent crime. Our ultimate goal is the reduction of crime, with an increase in community trust. We will strive for both, as these concepts are not mutually exclusive. We will see further challenges in 2022 and our priority now is for our men and women to continue to partner with our community and strive to achieve an even safer Dallas.”
Spring Break Still On For Dallas ISD Transportation – A Continuing Issue
Other Side Dallas has previously reported on several times when buses were not running on time immediately following a holiday.
In November 2021 after Thanksgiving and again in January 2022, transportation services was unable to ensure buses arrived in time to get students to campus on time.
Two officers with the City of Richardson Police sue Richardson Police and the City of Richardson over allegations that they have been illegally requiring them to follow a ticket quota system.
Officers Kayla Walker and David Conklin filed the lawsuit against the City of Richardson. Walker was seen last year speaking before Richardson City Council stating an illegal ticket quota system was occuring for years.
They lawsuits also allege senior officers retaliated against them after they made public statements to the Richardson City Council and media outlets in 2021. They also allege retaliation after they filed criminal reports with outside law enforcement authorities.
Richardson Police Sue Richardson Police – The Case
The lawsuit claims an outside legal investigation confirmed the city was acting inappropriately, but also stated that the policy was not illegal “because it was part of a broader policy that included components that were not unlawful.”
A Dallas District Court judge is being asked to “declare the ticket quota policy in violation Section 772.002 of the Texas Transportation Code that prohibits all formal or informal ticket quotas, order the Richardson Police Department to stop the illegal policy, and compensate the officers for the violations of their First Amendment right to free speech.”
A high school trainer was shot by Kimball High School student from Dallas Schools in San Antonio while the team was there ahead of the UIL Boys State Basketball Tournament today.
The firearm was in a player’s bag when it accidentally discharged. The unnamed player has been arrested and the student trainer was rushed to a local hospital for surgery.
Accidentally Shot By Kimball High School Student
This is not the first firearms incident in Dallas this year.
Former Vice President Mike Pence accused Colin Allred of being soft on Russia for not supporting the KeystoneXLpipeline in an earlier Congressional vote.
Allred reacted via press release. His statement in part is below.
“It is abhorrent for Mike Pence and the GOP to use the war in Ukraine to score cheap political points. Ukrainians are fleeing their homes and losing family members to a senseless invasion by a murderous dictator. “
“This is the same Vice President who stood with Trump as he cozied up to Putin and did nothing while he blackmailed the Ukrainians and withheld the arms they needed to defend themselves.”
Some have been critical of the 32nd District Congressman for trying to run against Donald Trump instea of Antonio Swad or Justin Webb, who will face one another in the Republican runoff.
Allred’s Local History Mixed
Colin Allred is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and recently took a CODEL – a Congressional Delegation trip – to Ukraine recently.
The two term Congressman has been considered vulnerable since his first election and has concentrated on securing his own seat rather than working locally to build a strong Democratic base. He lost the chance to face Brad Namdar in November after voters in the primary placed him fifth.
He was asked by the Congressional Black Caucus to give a response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union as a way to raise his profile.
Allred reportedly faced an ethics investigation two years ago over harrassment allegations, but neither he nor the House Ethics Committee would comment.
Additionally, last year when Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh came to Dallas he avoided taking questions about why SBA was not funding loans to local nonprofits.
Locally nonprofits received loan qualifications, but SBA staff never finalized the loan to keep them afloat. The student was briefly detained by staff believed to have been associated with Secretary Walsh or the Congressman.
“Nathan has no idea how to do constituent service and may be the worst state senator in Austin,” said a Democratic political consultant based in the state capital.
She continued, “he got lucky with his redistricting, but if Dems are apathetic and don’t show up or forget to vote down ballot this could be a GOP pick up.”
Nathan Johnson Losing Support From Left?
Among complaints is that Senator Johnson has not gotten Medicare expansion passed in Austin.
In a recent Facebook ad he was accused of being too willing to work with Republicans and not fighting hard enough for the rights of persons of color, women, the disabled, and other minorities…”
Johnson and United State Representative Allred were reportedly going to face centrist challengers per a rumor last August.
Johnson’s district has been re-written to be D+30.
Locally, while he is not coming in last in the field of six, Brad Namdar looks to have taken a major hit with local voters after allegations were reported he solicited an escort.
Primary Election Results 2022 – Symptom Of Something Bigger?
For years conservatives have questioned Dallas County Elections Department, particularly after John Wiley Price placed a close confidante in the role, Toni Pippins-Poole.
The inability of local elections departments to ensure a smooth electoral process with announcement of vote totals the same night – particularly with the Democrats emphasis on Early Voting options – decreases the overall trust in the process.
Dallas County Democrats have numerous contested races including at the top of the ballot where they are expected to nominate Beto O’Rourke. This is the Democrat sample ballot.
Dallas County Republicans mostly have contested races at the top of the ticket including Don Huffines challenging Greg Abbott for the gubernatorial nod and who will face Colin Allred in TX32.
