Federal convict, and yoga student, Kevin McCarty is half-way home
Tags: Kevin McCarty, Mary McCarty, Palm Beach County Commission, Tony Masilotti
| Wednesday 2 December 2009 12:49 pm
Kevin McCarty and Mary at a court appearance in March (Palm Beach Post photo)
Kevin McCarty, the husband of jailed former Palm Beach County Commissioner Mary McCarty, has left the federal prison camp he was sent to in the wake of the public corruption scandal that ensnared the power couple.
According to records, the 60-year-old Kevin was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Miami Oct. 27. On the same day, he checked into a halfway house downtown West Palm Beach, where he’ll finish his sentence.
Incidentally, the halfway house is operated by the Salvation Army, for which McCarty and his family raised hundreds of thousands over the years.
“I’m almost done,” McCarty told Page2Live in an exclusive interview. His release date is Jan. 24. “I’m extremely gratified about how folks have reached out to me to support me over the past few months.”
McCarty, a former chairman of the South Florida Water Management District and a bonds trader, started serving in May his eight-month sentence for not reporting his wife’s misdeeds, including her commission votes that financially benefited both of them.
At the prison camp, McCarty slept two bunk-beds away from Tony Masilotti, the first commissioner to fall in a wave of political scandals that shook the county’s establishment in 2006-07. Masilotti is serving five years for using his elected office in crooked land deals from which he may have made as much as $10 million.
“I saw a lot of Tony,” McCarty said. “When I got there and we saw each other for the first time, we just had to laugh. He was a gentleman to me from day one. We’ve become friends.”
For more, how McCarty took up yoga, and the poll, look below or click
Masilotti (Palm Beach Post photo)
Masilotti was known as the nemesis of McCarty’s wife on the county commission. He once wondered out loud if McCarty flew through county hall on a broom.
Masilotti, Kevin McCarty said, works at the camp chapel, as janitor, and has become a work-out fiend. He is on a special diet because of acute diabetes.
“There are personal trainers incarcerated with us,” McCarty said, “so Tony is working out with them. He is fit.”
McCarty described how the inmates at the camp were awoken at 6 a.m. He first headed to the computer room to e-mail his wife, who’s serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence at a minimum security camp in Bryan, Texas. After breakfast, McCarty exercised for an hour on the prison outdoors track, showered then reported to his job, as a food service worker.
“In the afternoon, there’d be a nap at 1 p.m. Then I’d get back to work. It was lights out at 10 p.m.”
McCarty also took up yoga.
“I did a lot of yoga,” he said. “I was in this group with five guys and we did it several times a week. It helped. My first night there was pretty depressing. But after that, you get used to it.”
Now, McCarty lives at the Salvation Army on weekdays. He is allowed to drive his 2008 Trail Blazer to Delray every morning so he can report to his secretarial job at a law offfice. He earns minimum wage running documents to the courthouse and answering the phones. Back at the halfway house, his nightly chores includes cleaning showers. He also pays 25 percent of his meager salary to the Salvation Army for room and board.
“On weekend, I get to stay with my mother-in-law,” he said.
Mary McCarty’s mother, well-known political-campaign worker Jeanne Ray, lives nearby.
So, what’ll happen after Kevin is sprung for good?
“On the first weekend, I’ll fly to Texas to see Mary,” he said. “After that, we’ll see.”
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Not enough for all the crimes he committed and was not charged with!
he didnt commit a crime
After his term is completed, here’s hoping that Kevin –and, in time, Mary — hit the road.
Yes, they’re doing time. But the harm that these two people have done to faith in government in Palm Beach County remains.
Do they deserve a second chance?
Yes, but not here!
Indeed their leaving here would be a sign of remorse on their part.
We can only hope Jon Levinson is next. His association with Neil Sterling and Pirtle Construction need to be looked at by prosecutors
What about all the BEAR STERNS SCHOOL DISTRICT BONDS? Millions were sold during the same time as the County ones? Does anyone know any facts about that? Put “Kevin McCarty” in the school district website’s search window-what do you think?
So when do they look into al the permits from the water management district issued for county projects that he rammed through for his wife?
Lesson learned: Crime pays.
Henry Handler and Burt Aaronson should be next!
Just imagine, there doing this on a loca level. Think about what the congress and senate are getting away with and we are paying for it!
Did you know it costs $5,700,000 for fuel alone for Palosi’s private jet ride to Ca. each week/year!
I can’t believe I’m the first poster to bring up the fact that this “camp” that he was in, and Masilotti still is in, is so cushy. They work out, have special diets, take naps in the afternoon, sounds like “summer camp” to me. I think they should have gone to a real prison.
Kevin never should have gone to prison in the first place and his wife’s sentence was also extreme. Tony looked great before he went to prison–can’t wait to see what he looks like when he gets out! OK now, don’t stone me!
Lynn-a, there is no need to stone you, Your obviously already stoned.
Most people know that there is deep corruption in PBC, but the depth of it goes beyond belief. Yes, Kevin and Mary walked away easy and were only charged with a very small fraction of what they have done evil in this county. The sick ones in this county will still cow tow to the dirt! They will unfortunately not be leaving us, as they are too embedded with the rest of the scum in this county at all levels. Mary, nor Kevin would have gotten away with some of their dirty deeds, but not for the clout of Mary’s brother (Brian Ballard). What ever she needs from dirty judges to free hotel stays, all she has to do is place a call to him. Its convenient that he is married to former secretary of state, Jim Smith’s daughter. They are even partners in their own law firm in Tallahassee. Brian is one of the top lobbyist in Florida and has the ability to raise money, like he did for good ole “Charley” (the worst governor)governor’s race. He will be doing it again for Charley’s senate race. It is one big cluster “F”! Our politicians have made there dirty deeds legal or impossible to track.