Al Sesona
Meet Mr. B87-1055 also known as Albert John Sesona.
This shameful man called St. Augustine home – then didn’t – then did. The “then didn’t” is because he was incarcerated in a Florida prison for a while.
Sesona was arrested on May 7, 1987 on indictments handed down on drug charges related to conspiracy – trafficking in cocaine, a second charge related to conspiracy – selling and delivering ethchlorvynol and a third charge of conspiracy – selling and delivering cannabis.
A day later, new and additional charges related to felony trafficking in cocaine, felony possession of cannabis over 20 grams, felony possession of codeine, felony possession of barbital, felony possession of valium and felony possession of amphetamine were filed.
But that ain’t all, folks! On September 18, 1987, four months after the drug arrests, another shocking arrest of Al Sesona.
This time, Sesona was charged with willful First Degree homicide with a weapon and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations violations.
In a plea bargain negotiated by the prosecutor in this case in lieu of a trial, the state dropped several of the lesser and included drug possession charges and Sesona entered a plea of “nolo contendre” (no contest) to the charges of felony conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, felony manslaughter and a felony violation of 895.03 F.S. – Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Sesona was adjudicated GUILTY by Judge Richard G. Weinberg on February 17, 1988 and sentenced to 12 years in state prison with a three year minimum mandatory sentence (less 286 days credit for jail time served) and a $50,000.00 fine. Adjudication was withheld and a series of concurrent probation sentences were imposed – between 2 and 5 years each for the drug charges.
By February 5, 1991 Sesona’s probations were terminated.
This man is a public embarrassment and is now contributing to political campaigns. Most recently, Sesona was supporting Ben Rich with a letter to the editor titled “County blessed with Rich’s leadership” followed by calls to a local radio program. This came on the heels of the same newspaper writing an editorial saying that then Commission Chairman Ben Rich made “erratic and irresponsible comments”. Referring to Sesona’s candidate, the newspaper commented that “Elected officials should not create a hostile or intimidating environment for the people they serve. Our commission chairman should not behave like a schoolyard bully.”
On at least two documented occasions, Sesona gave money to Ben Rich’s “running partner”, current County Commissioner Ken Bryan; who has also been known to behave like a schoolyard bully.
Sesona is a dangerous man. He is a criminal. He has killed at least one other human being and should be considered risky and unsafe at best.
When political cronies accept money from felons like Sesona (and they themselves have demonstrated their own aggressive, violent behavior) the decent citizens of our town must ban together to protect themselves from that danger.
February 19th, 2009 at 9:01 PM
And THIS is the guy who holds himself as a ‘respectable and experienced businessman’ at various community organizations such as the Civic Association, etc?
Yeah. he’s experienced alright. What kind of deals has he made with Ken Bryan, I wonder.
May 20th, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Letters to the Editor: Community self serving
Directing attention to the 8 May Ponte Vedra Recorder issue front page article featuring County Commissioner Ron Sanchez’s commentary and all the other recent similar front page County Commissioner remarks — this St. Johns County private-property-owner-taxpayer since 1974, business person for nearly 60 years, has this to say, and say it with all due respect to all parties concerned. My criticism, first and foremost, is directed solely at eliminating wasteful spending of our tax dollars.
Item: Anyone naive enough to believe a well-informed-serious-minded entrepreneur would invest money, energy and time establishing a sizable commercial enterprise in St. Johns County is blind, a wishful thinker, or both. A “for profit” business person is frugal and extremely cost conscious.
Item: We have a St. Augustine Record senior management and editorial staff praising the Airport Authority Board & Executive Direcor, year after year, squanderer of huge amounts of State and Federal Grant money, in addition to County tax dollar contributions in the millions. Baffling!
Item: We have County Commissioner Airport Authority Liaison person Ron Sanchez, permissive of the squander (if one is to judge his associated commentaries accurately) praising Airport Authority repeated performance shown to be less than what one would expect over a lengthy period of time. The plunder of private property, some 300 plus parcels no longer on the tax roll, is zany, folks. The bankrupt skybus airline hanger having cost in the millions remains un-rented. General aviation air traffic tending down considerably, predicted to remain so for years to come. One ponders the potential disastrous effect, should anchor tenants, North-Grumman, SK Logistics, Ring Power Corp, etc., become seriously impacted by the sour economy taking further negative hits. What’s the “Plan B?”
Item: We have a Chamber of Commerce leadership, also praising the virtues of the Airport Authority Board and Executive Director, given “mediocre-achievement-past performance.” Sure to impresses a new business prospect into locating in St. Johns County and initiative to nowhere being praised, right?
Item: We have a City tourism industry suffering from “want.” Year after year road congestion and parking problems, galore! Try driving east into town via King Street from US Hwy 1? Try exiting the Post Office parking lot and managing that intersection traffic light? Travel US Hwy in the vicinity of SR 312? Who, besides a few, isn’t yelling and screaming for something to be done about all this? Are you, Mr. & Mrs. St. Johns County Taxpayer, happy with the state of affairs?
Item: Master of the Obvious commentary is totally useless. Demand for new hard-nosed leadership is what this once small town, now a small city, “desperately” needs. Unless more taxpayers start raising hell about all the razzle-dazzle nonsense, just settle back and get what’s coming to the County in terms of more mortgage failures, higher taxes, less job opportunities and lower quality lifestyle. We lost the shrimp industry, oyster industry, scallop industry in harmony with nature type enterprises, only to be replaced by County-wide land development exploitation resulting in congested roadways and all other associated negatives. The recent Tea Party happening at the Fort was a fantastic showing of force. We need to repeat this type demonstration, frequently!
Please, make a difference! Please, get involved!
Al Sesona