3 November 2-8, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | MusiC | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | ▼ FLORIDA MURDER FOR HIRE TRIAL LOOMS FOR DENTIST ACCUSED OF ORCHESTRATING DAN MARKEL’S 2014 MURDER. BY NAOMI FEINSTEIN N ine years after Florida State Uni- versity law professor Dan Markel was fatally gunned down in his driveway in broad daylight, the man accused of masterminding the murder plot is about to stand trial. Broward County periodontist Charlie Adelson, who prosecutors claim paid Sig- fredo Garcia and Luis Rivera $100,000 to kill his former brother-in-law, is facing charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation to commit murder. He has remained in a Leon County jail with- out bond since his arrest in April 2022 after prosecutors argued he might tamper with witnesses and flee the country ahead of trial. Monday, October 23, was the first day of jury selection. In the aftermath of Markel’s killing in July 2014, the story immediately gripped the na- tion. It became the subject of countless true- crime shows and podcasts including Wondery’s Over My Dead Body as spectators tried to solve the mystery of who murdered the esteemed law professor and father. After nearly two years of little-to-no move- ment in the case, police made a huge break in their investigation. Police charged North Miami gang leader Luis Rivera (who was locked up in an Orlando federal prison at the time for an un- related case) and his friend Sigfredo Garcia for Markel’s murder. Tollbooth footage caught the pair driving from South Florida to Tallahassee in a Toyota Prius that was seen leaving Markel’s driveway the morning of the killing. Their arrests led police to uncover an al- leged murder-for-hire plot that prosecutors say centered around Markel’s former brother-in-law, Charlie Adelson. At the time of the execution-style killing, Markel was fighting a bitter custody battle with his ex- wife Wendi, Adelson’s sister. Prosecutors claim Adelson came up with the murder-for-hire plot after Markel did not allow his two sons to move to South Florida with their mother. They say Adelson’s girl- friend at the time, Katherine Magbanua, had connected him with Garcia, her ex-boyfriend. Garcia was sentenced to life in prison in 2019, whereas Rivera cooperated with prose- cutors and received a 19-year sentence. Mag- banua was given a life sentence in July 2022. (She was retried in May 2022 after her case ended in a mistrial in 2019.) While the hitmen and go-between went down for the murder, Adelson remained free despite being on police and prosecutors’ ra- dar for years. Following her ex-husband’s murder, Wendi told investigators her brother had made jokes about hiring a hit man to kill Markel. Jeffrey Lacasse, an ex-boyfriend of Wendi, said during a police interview in 2015 that she talked about her brother hiring a hit man to kill her ex-husband. The police investigated Adelson’s family, including his mother Donna Adelson, by con- ducting sting operations and using wiretap recordings. Wendi and Donna have not been charged in the scheme and deny any involve- ment. Wendi, who now lives in South Florida with her two sons, testified in Magbanua’s trial and retrial, reportedly under a deal that precluded her testimony from being used against her by prosecutors. Evidence in Charlie Adelson’s case includes an enhanced FBI audio recording of a conver- sation between Magbanua and Adelson from 2016. During the conversation at a Miami res- taurant, Adelson allegedly told Magbanua about a blackmailer approaching his mother about the murder and how to potentially deal with him. The would-be blackmailer was actu- ally an undercover FBI agent who approached Adelson as part of a “bump” operation to get them to talk about the murder plot. Earlier this month, Adelson’s attorney, Daniel Rashbaum, argued in court that the re- cording should not be permitted as evidence in the trial because Magbanua’s part of the conversation was still inaudible, the Tallahas- see Democrat reported. Prosecutors disagreed and said the jury in Magbanua’s trial found the recording to be audible and compelling. Leon County Circuit Judge Stephen Everett ruled in favor of the state and allowed for the recording to be presented at Adelson’s trial, though he agreed to hold off on permitting the jury to see a transcript of the 2016 recording. Adelson’s parents will not be appearing as witnesses in their son’s trial despite recent in- dications they would be called to the stand. Prosecutors had issued subpoenas for them to appear for questioning ahead of the trial. It would have been their first time sit- ting down with prosecutors, as reported by the Tallahassee Democrat. The judge threat- ened to hold the pair in contempt of court if they failed to comply after a prosecutors’ mo- tion indicated they “will not honor the state’s investigative subpoenas” and planned to in- voke their Fifth Amendment rights. However, last week, Adelson agreed to re- move his parents from the witness list, and the state withdrew its subpoenas for ques- tioning, the Democrat reported. | RIPTIDE | GET MORE NEWS & COMMENTARY AT MIAMINEWTIMES.COM/NEWS Charles Adelson (center) is charged with arranging the murder of law professor Dan Markel. Screenshot via WCTV ▼ BROWARD BAD SANTA? CHILD PORN SUSPECT SERVED AS TOWN COMMISSIONER, FIRE CHIEF, AND VOLUNTEER SANTA. BY NAOMI FEINSTEIN P arents’ worst holiday nightmare has come true in the wake of the arrest of a South Florida volunteer Santa Claus. James Silverstone, who used to dress up as jolly Saint Nick to lead the Town of Lauderdale- by-the-Sea’s annual Christmas celebration, was charged with possessing more than 1,500 child pornography files. The former town commis- sioner and fire chief was recently indicted in fed- eral court after state prosecutors handed off the case to the feds. Photos archived on the town’s official Face- book page depict Silverstone decked out head to toe in Santa garb, posing with smiling families and children, some of whom are seated on his lap. The occasion: the 2016 edition of the small beachside municipality’s annual Christmas-by- the-Sea event. In July 2023, the Broward Sheriff’s Office ar- rested Silverstone on multiple charges of transmit- ting child pornography. During their investigation, police say, they uncovered 93,900 deleted files from Silverstone’s hard drives, and a partial review of the data revealed more than 1,500 files contain- ing child porn images and videos. The Broward State Attorney’s Office later turned over the case to federal prosecutors, and on September 28, Silverstone was indicted on federal charges in the Southern District of Flor- ida. State attorney’s office spokesperson Paula McMahon tells New Times prosecutors and po- lice made a routine decision that the matter would best be handled in federal court. “This happens frequently. We work very closely with our law enforcement partners to en- sure that cases are handled in the most appropri- ate jurisdiction and to use resources in the most appropriate way,” McMahon explains in an email. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea’s Christmas celebra- tion during Silverstone’s run as the town’s Santa Claus included vendor booths, live perfor- mances, and family activities. In 2016, a nook decorated with ribbon-tied gift boxes and a glowing Christmas tree was set up for Silver- stone to pose with kids. “It’s a wonderful night for the entire family, with holiday music, dancing, and entertainment in the midst of a festive and expanded Yuletide market – and of course, Santa!” the town’s promo- tional post for the event said. The town clerk con- firmed to New Times last week that Silverstone was the volunteer Santa during the 2016 Christmas-by-the-Sea event. A town spokesperson declined to comment on the criminal case. In May 2023, law enforcement zeroed in on Silverstone after his home was tied to an IP ad- dress that shared 217 images and videos of child pornography via the peer-to-peer file-sharing app BitTorrent, according to the federal com- plaint. He allegedly distributed 39 additional files that were deemed to have “involved the sexually explicit depiction of children” but did not meet the feds’ definition of child pornography. During a police interview, Silverstone alleg- edly told investigators he uses BitTorrent for “searching and downloading all types of files to include movies of all sorts.” He claimed he was unable to distinguish between small children and adults on the internet, though when presented with the images he allegedly downloaded, he showed disgust and identified them as juveniles, according to the complaint. The complaint claims Silverstone admitted to using the search term “PTHC” (shorthand for “preteen hardcore”) to find files. Some of the files he allegedly downloaded depicted sexual activity with infants. If convicted, Silverstone faces up to 20 years in prison. The former Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Santa worked as the town’s volunteer fire chief from 2005 to 2007 and served as commissioner from 2006 to 2010. [email protected] JAMES SILVERSTONE WAS CHARGED WITH POSSESSING MORE THAN 1,500 CHILD PORNOGRAPHY FILES.
