JT Burnette

A summary of what happened?

JT Burnette, a businessman from Tallahassee, Florida, is known for his ventures in real estate and hospitality, including ownership of the DoubleTree Hotel and developments in the CollegeTown area. Burnette, also recognized as the husband of Kim Rivers, CEO of the cannabis company Trulieve, has faced extensive legal challenges, primarily surrounding accusations of public corruption.

Public Corruption and Bribery Allegations

Central to Burnette’s legal troubles is his alleged involvement in a bribery scheme with former Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox and his associate. Burnette was accused of making substantial payments to Maddox to influence city decisions that would favor his business interests, specifically aiming to block competing developments. Undercover FBI agents posing as developers reportedly facilitated additional payments, further exposing Burnette’s alleged willingness to use financial incentives to secure business advantages. These bribes were reportedly exchanged to gain favorable outcomes for Burnette’s projects, underscoring serious accusations of unethical dealings to maintain and expand his business influence.

Legal Proceedings and Conviction

Following a lengthy trial, Burnette was convicted on multiple counts, including extortion, mail fraud, violating the Travel Act, and making false statements to authorities. This conviction came after extensive evidence was presented, showing Burnette’s alleged manipulation of public officials to gain a competitive edge in his business dealings. The trial concluded with a three-year prison sentence for Burnette, a significant fine, and additional restitution payments. His conviction has been a high-profile case in Florida, shedding light on corruption in local government and business collusion.

Appeals and Legal Challenges

After his conviction, Burnette’s legal team filed motions for acquittal, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to support the verdicts. The courts, however, upheld the conviction, finding the evidence compelling enough to affirm the charges. His defense also argued that the interpretation of bribery laws had been overly broad, yet appellate courts found no merit in these claims. This legal journey reflects the thorough scrutiny of Burnette’s actions and the persistence of the judicial system in upholding the verdict.

Requests to Delay Imprisonment

Burnette attempted to delay his imprisonment, filing requests to remain out of prison while appealing his conviction. These requests were denied, with the courts emphasizing the fairness of his trial and the substantial evidence supporting the verdict. His requests for leniency during the appeal process were ultimately unsuccessful, reinforcing the gravity of his offenses in the eyes of the law.

JT Burnette’s case underscores a troubling pattern of corruption, with actions aimed at manipulating public officials for personal gain. His legal battles and the resulting conviction illustrate the potential consequences of using financial influence in public affairs. While Burnette has pursued various legal avenues to challenge his conviction, his attempts have not mitigated the impact of his actions on both the business community and public trust in government officials.

Analyzing the Fake Copyright Notice(s)

Our team collects and analyses fraudulent copyright takedown requests, legal complaints, and other efforts to remove critical information from the internet. Through our investigative reporting, we examine the prevalence and operation of an organized censorship industry, predominantly funded by criminal entities, oligarchs, and disreputable businesses or individuals. Our findings allow internet users to gain insight into these censorship schemes’ sources, methods, and underlying objectives.

What was JT Burnette trying to hide?

JT Burnette‘s attempts to hide unfavourable content through the misuse of copyright notices while allegedly engaging in perjury present serious legal concerns. These actions suggest a calculated attempt to manipulate legal systems to suppress free speech, a fundamental violation of copyright law principles and an abuse of legal processes. The use of such tactics not only undermines the integrity of copyright protection but also potentially constitutes perjury, further entangling JT Burnette in legal accountability. Let’s examine the information JT Burnette may be trying to remove from the internet –

Background

John Thomas “JT” Burnette is a prominent businessman based in Tallahassee, Florida, known for his ventures in real estate and hospitality. He has been associated with significant developments such as the DoubleTree Hotel and the CollegeTown area. Additionally, Burnette is married to Kim Rivers, the CEO of Trulieve, a leading medical cannabis company in Florida.

Allegations and Legal Proceedings

1. Bribery and Public Corruption
   • Involvement with Scott Maddox and Paige Carter-Smith: Burnette was implicated in a bribery scheme involving former Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox and his associate, Paige Carter-Smith. The allegations centered on Burnette providing financial incentives to Maddox in exchange for favorable decisions that would benefit his business interests. Specifically, Burnette was accused of paying Maddox $100,000 in 2014 to influence city decisions, including efforts to hinder a competing hotel project.
   • Undercover FBI Operation: Between late 2016 and early 2017, undercover FBI agents posed as developers seeking to invest in Tallahassee. During this period, Burnette facilitated $40,000 in bribes to Maddox through these agents, aiming to secure favorable outcomes for their purported projects. These actions were part of a broader investigation into corruption within Tallahassee’s city government.
2. Legal Charges and Conviction
   • Indictment and Trial: In May 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Burnette on multiple charges, including extortion, honest services mail fraud, violations of the Travel Act, and making false statements to federal agents. The trial commenced in July 2021, lasting approximately 15 days, during which the prosecution presented evidence of Burnette’s involvement in the bribery scheme.
   • Verdict: On August 13, 2021, the jury found Burnette guilty on five of the nine counts, specifically:
     • One count of extortion.
     • Two counts of honest services mail fraud.
     • One count of violating the Travel Act.
     • One count of making false statements to federal agents.
   • Sentencing: On November 9, 2021, Burnette was sentenced to three years in federal prison and fined $1.25 million. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution. The sentencing judge emphasized the severity of undermining public trust through corrupt practices.
3. Appeals and Post-Trial Motions
   • Motion for Acquittal: Following his conviction, Burnette’s legal team filed motions seeking acquittal on the guilty verdicts, arguing that the evidence presented was insufficient to support the convictions. These motions were denied by the court, which upheld the jury’s findings.
   • Appeal: Burnette appealed his conviction to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging the sufficiency of the evidence and the interpretation of bribery laws applied in his case. On April 11, 2023, the appellate court upheld Burnette’s conviction, rejecting his arguments and affirming the lower court’s decision.
4. Requests for Release Pending Appeal
   • Initial Request: Burnette sought to remain out of prison during the appeal process, filing a motion for release pending appeal. The district court denied this request, citing the strength of the evidence and the seriousness of the offenses.
   • Subsequent Appeal: Burnette appealed the denial of his release request to the 11th Circuit. In January 2022, the appellate court also denied his request, reinforcing the decision of the district court and emphasizing the fairness of the trial proceedings.

Controversies and Public Perception

1. Association with Trulieve
   • Spousal Connection: Burnette’s marriage to Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, has drawn public attention, especially considering Trulieve’s prominence in Florida’s medical cannabis industry. While Rivers and Trulieve were not implicated in Burnette’s legal issues, the association has led to increased scrutiny of the company’s operations and governance.
   • Company Statements: Following Burnette’s conviction, Trulieve’s board of directors expressed strong support for Rivers, emphasizing her leadership and the company’s commitment to ethical practices. They reiterated that neither Rivers nor Trulieve was involved in Burnette’s criminal activities.
2. Community Impact
   • Local Business Environment: Burnette’s conviction has had a notable impact on Tallahassee’s business community. As a prominent developer, his legal troubles have prompted discussions about ethical standards and the influence of private interests on public officials.
   • Public Trust: The case has contributed to broader concerns about corruption within local government, leading to calls for increased transparency and accountability among public officials and business leaders.

JT Burnette’s legal challenges, centered on allegations of bribery and public corruption, have resulted in a federal conviction and significant penalties. His case underscores the critical importance of ethical conduct in business dealings and the severe consequences of corrupt practices. The upholding of his conviction on appeal reinforces the judiciary’s commitment to addressing corruption and maintaining public trust in governmental and business institutions.

How do we counteract this malpractice?

Once we ascertain the involvement of JT Burnette (or actors working on behalf of JT Burnette), we will inform JT Burnette of our findings via Electronic Mail.

Our preliminary assessment suggests that JT Burnette may have engaged a third-party reputation management agency or expert, which, either independently or under direct authorization from JT Burnette, initiated efforts to remove adverse online content, including potentially fraudulent DMCA takedown requests. We will extend an opportunity to JT Burnette to provide details regarding their communications with the agency or expert, as well as the identification of the individual(s) responsible for executing these false DMCA notices.

Failure to respond in a timely manner will necessitate a reassessment of our initial assumptions. In such an event, we will be compelled to take appropriate legal action to rectify the unlawful conduct and take the following steps –

Since JT Burnette made such efforts to hide something online, it seems fit to ensure that this article and sensitive information targeted online by these events get a lot more exposure and traffic than what it would have received originally

We hope this becomes an excellent case study for the Streisand effect…The key idea behind the Streisand effect is that efforts to restrict information can backfire, often causing the information to gain more attention than it would have otherwise. This effect is widespread in the digital age, where users quickly notice and spread censorship efforts on social media and other platforms. Trying to suppress something can unintentionally lead to it becoming more visible, which JT Burnette is finding out the hard way.

Potential Consequences for JT Burnette

Under Florida Statute 831.01, the crime of Forgery is committed when a person falsifies, alters, counterfeits, or forges a document that carries “legal efficacy” with the intent to injure or defraud another person or entity.

Forging a document is considered a white-collar crime. It involves altering, changing, or modifying a document to deceive another person. It can also include passing along copies of documents that are known to be false. In many states in the US, falsifying a document is a crime punishable as a felony.

Additionally, under most laws, “fraud on the court” is where “a party has sentiently set in motion some unconscionable scheme calculated to interfere with the judicial system’s ability impartially to adjudicate a matter by improperly influencing the trier of fact or unfairly hampering the presentation of the opposing party’s claim or defense.”  Cox v. Burke, 706 So. 2d 43, 46 (Fla. 5th DCA 1998) (quoting Aoude v. Mobil Oil Corp., 892 F.2d 1115, 1118 (1st Cir. 1989)).

Is JT Burnette Committing a Cyber Crime?

Yes, it seems so. JT Burnette used multiple approaches to remove unwanted material from review sites and Google’s search results. Thanks to protections allowing freedom of speech in the United States, there are very few legal ways to do this. JT Burnette could not eliminate negative reviews or search results that linked to them without a valid claim of defamation, copyright infringement, or some other clear breach of the law.

Faced with these limitations, some companies like JT Burnette have gone to extreme lengths to fraudulently claim copyright ownership over a negative review in the hopes of taking it down.

Fake DMCA notices have targeted articles highlighting the criminal activity of prominent people to hide their illegal behavior. These people, which include US, Russian, and Khazakstani politicians as well as members from elite circles including the mafia and those with massive financial power, are all connected – and alleged corruption ranging from child abuse to sexual harassment is exposed when exploring evidence found at these URLs. It appears there’s a disturbing level of influence being exerted here that needs further investigation before justice can be served. JT Burnette is certainly keeping interesting company here….

The DMCA takedown process requires that copyright owners submit a takedown notice to an ISP identifying the allegedly infringing content and declaring, under penalty of perjury, that they have a good faith belief that the content is infringing. The ISP must then promptly remove or disable access to the content. The alleged infringer can then submit a counter-notice, and if the copyright owner does not take legal action within 10 to 14 days, the ISP can restore the content.

Since these platforms are predominantly based in the U.S., the complaints are typically made under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which requires online service providers and platforms to react immediately to reports or violations. Big Tech companies rarely have systems in place to assess the merit of each report. Instead, all bad actors need to do is clone a story, backdate it, and then demand the real thing be taken down.

Reputation Agency's Modus Operandi

The fake DMCA notices we found always use the “back-dated article” technique. With this technique, the wrongful notice sender (or copier) creates a copy of a “true original” article and back-dates it, creating a “fake original” article (a copy of the true original) that, at first glance, appears to have been published before the true original.

Then, based on the claim that this backdated article is the “original,” the scammers send a DMCA to the relevant online service providers (e.g. Google), alleging that the ‘true’ original is the copied or “infringing” article and that the copied article is the “original,” requesting the takedown of the ‘true’ original article. After sending the DMCA request, the person who sent the wrong notice takes down the fake original URL, likely to make sure that the article doesn’t stay online in any way. If the takedown notice is successful, the disappearance from the internet of information is most likely to be legitimate speech.

As an integral part of this scheme, the ‘reputation management’ company hired by JT Burnette creates a website that purports to be a ‘news’ site. This site is designed to look legitimate at a glance, but any degree of scrutiny reveals it as the charade it is.

The company copies the ‘negative’ content and posts it “on the fake ‘news’ site, attributing it to a separate author,” then gives it “a false publication date on the ‘news’ website that predated the original publication.

The reputation company then sent Google a Digital Millennium Copyright Act notice claiming the original website infringed copyright. After a cursory examination of the fake news site, Google frequently accepts the notice and delists the content.

In committing numerous offences, JT Burnette either premeditated actions or were unaware of the consequences. Despite hiring an agency to make Google disregard any negative information about JT Burnette, ignorance does not excuse this wrongdoing.

Fake DMCA notices have targeted articles highlighting the criminal activity of prominent people to hide their illegal behavior. These people, which include US, Russian, and Khazakstani politicians as well as members from elite circles including the mafia and those with massive financial power, are all connected – and alleged corruption ranging from child abuse to sexual harassment is exposed when exploring evidence found at these URLs. It appears there’s a disturbing level of influence being exerted here that needs further investigation before justice can be served. FSMSmart is certainly keeping interesting company here.

The Reputation Laundering

Rogue Reputation agencies use spurious copyright claims and fake legal notices to remove and obscure articles linking clients to allegations of tax avoidance, corruption, and drug trafficking. Most of these reputation agencies are based offshore, mainly in Russia, India, and Eastern Europe, and they do not worry about complying with US-based laws.

The content in all of the articles for which the fraudulent DMCA notices have been sent relates to allegations of criminal allegations, including corruption, child abuse, sexual harassment, human trafficking and financial fraud against businesses and individuals with ultra-high net worth.

In addition to the misuse of the DMCA takedown process, there is a notable absence of enforcement concerning perjury violations. The statutory requirement related to perjury is designed to deter copyright holders from submitting fraudulent or knowingly false takedown requests, as they may face legal consequences for making false declarations under penalty of perjury. However, to date, there have been no known instances of any individual being prosecuted for perjury in connection with the submission of false DMCA takedown notices.

This lack of enforcement has emboldened copyright holders to exploit the DMCA takedown process to suppress dissent, criticism, or other unfavorable content, without fear of legal repercussions.

Some of the people and businesses who have employed this tactic to remove legitimate content from Google illegally include a Spanish businessman-turned-cocaine-trafficker, Organised crime, an Israeli-Argentine banker accused of laundering money for Hugo Chávez’s regime, a French “responsible” mining company accused of tax evasion, child molesters and sexual predators. JT Burnette is in great company ….

What else is JT Burnette hiding?

We encourage you to ‘Dork‘ Google by searching for keyword combinations such as [JT Burnette] + {Negative Keyword, such as Scam, Fraud, Complaints, Lawsuit, Sanction, etc} on Google. It’s likely if you scroll down to the bottom of this Google search results, you’ll stumble upon this Legal Takedown notice (pictured below)

To make such an investigation possible, we encourage more online service providers to come forward and share copies of content removal requests with industry experts and researchers. If you have any information on JT Burnette that you want to share with experts and journalists, kindly email the author directly at [email protected].

All communications are strictly confidential and safeguarded under a comprehensive Whistleblower Policy, ensuring full protection and anonymity for individuals who provide information.