New Bern, North Carolina- The city of New Bern has been a thorn in Greg Sakas' side since the beginning of January. That's when police chief Frank Palombo and his jack boots raided Sakas' store Pure Bliss. And when that wasn't good enough, they raided him again nine months later on 9/11.
During which time Sakas has fought to have his inventory and store records returned to him but to no avail. The police continue stonewalling Sakas, and even the legal system isn't working.
Sakas was due in court yesterday but the case was continued. And faced with another court date next month stemming from the 9/11 raid, Sakas has now asked that both cases be rolled into one. And now Sakas learns that Polombo intends to run for U.S. Congress, backed by the Christian Coalition.
As I spoke to Sakas Friday he was coming out of his attorney's office. And now he fully intends to sue the city of New Bern.
"We are going to sue the city," confirms Sakas, noting that Palombo's move is an attempt to move him into the North Carolina political hierarchy and then on to the national front.
"This is all political with him," states Sakas.
On Thursday Sakas had another postponement in his case.
"They really don't want to pursue this," he says. "But at this point because of the second arrest they wanted to get all the attorneys together to get on the same page. We want to consolidate to one trial and that was the reason for the continuance. They didn't want to go in on this first charge. In the mean time, we have the police sitting across from my store. We feel real protected. How many man hours are they using up to sit there and watch the store?"
According to Sakas' one attorney Mark Chestnut, he wouldn't be surprised if there was yet another raid before the next trial date, now scheduled for late October. Sakas said Chestnut is the top criminal lawyer in the city of New Bern. Sakas' other attorney, Glen Barfield, is one of the top criminal lawyers in eastern North Carolina and also deals with First Amendment.
Rounding out his team are two attorneys from Paul Cambria's law firm.
"And we're trying to get this story out more," states Sakas, noting that monkey business has been going on with a porn poll being conducted by the New Bern Sun Journal.
Sakas is hearing that someone got into the site and removed all the favorable comments which were about 5 to 1 in favor of Sakas. When I mentioned that it's an obvious inside job aided and abetted by the Christian Coalition Sakas was not inclined to argue.
"The city newspaper is claiming they weren't aware that someone did this," Sakas continues. A story that smells of the same fish that Sakas' ongoing police harassment does.
"How much money and tax dollars are being spent on this case when you have real crime out there?" asks Sakas reflecting months of frustation of trying to get answers and action and fighting red tape.
"We've got people who have to be saying to themselves this is not politically wise. People have got to be sick of the Christian Coalition coming in here and telling us this is what it's all about when it's not. It's about the Constitution."
