What to Know
- Noriega’s complaint stemmed from a statement that a former village manager confirmed saying that she was instructed to fire the chief.
Residents living in North Bay Village could be getting their police chief back within the next two weeks if a plan is approved by commissioners – and the man in question drops his whistle blower complaint against the village.
Mayor Brent Latham posted a message on social media Wednesday announcing that Carlos Noriega, who begin serving in the position of police chief in December of 2015 before being removed during the investigation of criminal activity by the former mayor last year, would regain his title after a May 14th meeting.
“This closes a sad and troubling chapter in North Bay Village’s history,” Latham wrote. “I look forward to continuing to lead our city forward on an ambitious and just path.”
Noriega told the Miami Herald that the agreement is still “in principle” and must be worked out by both his attorneys and the village’s commission before the meeting in less than two weeks.
The former police chief for both North Bay Village and Miami Beach, Noriega’s complaint stemmed from a statement that former village manager Marlen Martell confirmed saying that she was instructed to fire the chief by former Mayor Connie Leon-Kreps during alleged efforts to blackmail a member of the village’s commission.
Leon-Kreps denied the allegations and the State Attorney’s Office later found no evidence that any blackmail occurred.
