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Brent Capley, Branch Manager, Coral Gables Miami-Dade Public Library System |
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This month, we highlight a distinguished alumni member of our SAO family. We present our SAO Alumni Profile - Brent Capley. |
| Growing up in a family where public service and duty were an integral part of life had a profound impact on the lives of Brent Capley and his older brother. Their mother, a native of the area now known as Allapattah, was a School Media Specialist with Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Their father, originally from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was a Navy Veteran and worked as a Civilian Welder for the Coast Guard at their Miami Beach Station. |
| Brent was born and raised in Miami Springs. As a child, he was passionate about marine biology and even wrote a book about a magical fish that traveled the world. “My friend did the illustrations. We had one copy published that I still have on my desk to this day.” |
| Though his father always encouraged his boys to follow their passions, he did share the difficulties or challenges of finding stable employment as a marine biologist in those days. While attending Miami Springs Senior High School, Brent became involved in almost every club on campus from bowling to Odyssey of the Mind, and was even editor of the yearbook. It was during this time that his passion turned toward Art History. |
| Brent attended Florida International University where he earned a B.A. in Art History and a B.A. in History while graduating from the Honors College in 2007. He intended to work towards a Ph.D. in Art History but to do that you needed to speak a few different languages. “I wasn’t good at languages, so I knew that wasn’t going to be an option for me,” he says. |
| It was then that his best friend encouraged him to join him in studying for the LSAT and going to law school. Brent really enjoyed the challenge of studying for the exam. He passed and was accepted at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. It was there that became fascinated by tax law. “It was difficult, but I understood it and liked it.” |
| “But in 2008 the economy tanked and the job market for tax lawyers shrunk, the few jobs available required a bachelor’s in accounting and business so that didn’t seem like a field for me to pursue.” |
| After earning his Juris Doctor in 2010, Brent took and passed the Florida Bar. He was working as a substitute teacher until a friend who worked at SAO Child Support Services, James Watson, suggested that he apply for the law librarian position that was open at the SAO. “I thought about it and remembered that the only happy people I saw in law school were the law librarians. So, I applied, got the job, and started at SAO on June 6, 2011.” |
| “Anyone who has worked with Brent knows that his passion for helping others added to his research and analytical skills made him an invaluable asset to the office’s mission of keeping our community safe,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “His enthusiasm and willingness to collaborate with office projects outside his duties prove that he is a consummate team player.” |
| Brent explains that the key to being a good librarian is not necessarily knowing all the answers but knowing where to look to find them. “As a law librarian, you help with statutory research. At that time, certain things were only in books and not yet online. I also helped the Legal Department and Litigation Support staff on certain assignments. My responsibility was managing the library and being there to help people when they have questions.” |
| He enjoyed mentoring young attorneys when they first started and served as an audience for them as they tried out opening and closing statements and served as a sounding board. |
| “I especially enjoyed working with the State Attorney on proposed legislation. Depending on what issue she was focusing on, I would research what was going on in other states on that topic and present my findings. I loved working with her. She was a great boss and mentor. I always enjoyed my interactions with her.” |
| Besides all the technical and legal work, Brent also worked closely with SAO Communications when media outlets would interview State Attorney Fernandez Rundle in the Law Library. Whether it was local media or Dateline NBC, Brent was present to assist in any capacity. He even ended up being a hand model for some B-roll footage of someone passing the pages of a book. |
| “I remember watching Ms. Rundle being interviewed and she was always so poised and knowledgeable about whatever topic was being discussed. And I will never forget one day during a taping she advised me to always remember, “Brent the camera is always on.” |
| Brent also loved being Santa Claus at the Annual SAO Toy Drive Distribution. “Playing Santa was special because, especially the little ones, actually believed they were getting toys from the man himself.” |
| During his almost nine-year tenure at SAO, he took advantage of the State Employee Tuition Waiver Program and earned his Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science. His brother, who was almost three years older than him, had been working at the Miami-Dade Public Library System (MDPLS) for over 12 years and had been trying to encourage Brent to join him. |
| Though he loved the work and the people at SAO, in February 2020 Brent went to work as a librarian at the MDPLS. “I love the fact that it is public service, and you get to work with children. I was hired to work at the Miami Springs branch which is only a three-minute commute to work. You can’t beat that!” |
| Brent was promoted quickly and in 2021 became manager at the West Flagler/ Flagami Branch. “It is the most fun and dynamic neighborhood you can imagine. There is a lot of activity and a diverse group of people who would come in. Some had only been in the country for a week, and we were able to connect them to services that were available to them. The library is more than a place to check out books. It is a community resource center.” |
| In 2023, he became manager of the MDPLS Coral Gables Branch before the reopening of the old location which had been remodeled. “As branch manager you set the tone for your location with everything from what types of programs, outreach, and collections will be carried. You even influence the décor and layout of areas. After that, you just try to step back and let your great employees do their jobs.” |
| “You have to always consider what your community wants and what their needs are. For that, you need to speak to them and actually go out in the community. There are 50 MDPLS branches throughout Miami-Dade. Each is different because it reflects the culture and interests of the area they are in. For example: in Flagami there was interest in Spanish literature and spirituality books. In Coral Gables, there is a large interest for books on travel and architecture.” |
| Even in his new career, Brent continues to support the mission of SAO by having our Community Outreach Representative Angie Fernandez hold office hours at the Coral Gables Branch. This offers community members access to information about our SAO programs and also receives answers to any questions they may have. |
| “We also host other social services and programs like the Social Security Administration, tax services, etc. There are movies, meditation, board game vents, author talks, and other events made possible by cultural grants from the City of Coral Gables.” |
| Brent encourages everyone to visit their local library or go to their website and sign up. If you are a resident of Miami-Dade County, you can do so at www.mdpls.org |
| Though Brent is extremely fulfilled in his new professional journey, there is always a part of him that belongs to the SAO. “What I miss the most are the people because we are truly a family. We shared important moments in our lives. We saw people get married and have children. We built special bonds and have special memories of each other.” |
| Brent’s advice is to always follow your passions wherever they may lead. They may take you on a journey of happiness and adventure that will fill the pages of the book of your life. |
| Congratulations to Economic Crimes ASAs Mary Ernst and Suzanne von Paulus for securing a guilty verdict of one count of First-Degree Grand Theft and one count of First-Degree Organized Scheme to Defraud before Judge TinklerMendez. The Defendant now faces a minimum sentence of 21 months and a maximum sentence of 30 years in state prison. |
| The case, filed in 2020, involved a series of wire transfers from 2018 and 2019. The Defendant stole funds from a personal bank account of the Victim, a wealthy Panamanian businessman. The Victim had known the Defendant since 1998, and he considered the Defendant a friend and trusted business associate. That relationship enabled the Defendant to acquire the Victim’s banking information and personal identification information. In 2018, after the relationship deteriorated, the Defendant began wiring large sums of money from the Victim’s personal bank account into a bank account controlled by the Defendant. He committed 13 separate, illegal transfers totaling more than $461,000.00 over a 10-month period. |
| Although the case was handled by felony division ASAs for three years, the felony division chief requested that ECU attorneys take over the case before trial because the case was so complex. Mary Ernst and Suzanne von Paulus graciously volunteered to take on the case with relatively little time to prepare. The Defendant’s planned defense involved attempts to tarnish the Victim’s honesty and credibility, but Suzanne and Mary successfully moved in to keep out the unfounded attack. In the end, their skill allowed them to successfully prove the Defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. |
| Congratulations to Felony Division Chief Alex Bergida and ASA Jennifer Garcia for securing a guilty verdict of Second-Degree Murder before Judge Jean. |
| On March 16, 2019, the Defendant and the Victim got into an argument at Club Rolex. The Defendant stormed out of the club. Then he circled it in his vehicle waiting for the Victim to leave. Some of the Defendant’s friends began a fight with the Victim which ultimately spilled outside the club. The Victim got in his car and drove out of the parking lot. The Defendant was seen following the Victim as he drove away. A few seconds later, the Defendant opened fire killing the Victim. Later, the Defendant is seen at his apartment complex exiting his vehicle with a rifle before celebrating the murder with his friends from inside the club. |
| The prosecutors are grateful for the assistance of Felony Division Chief Casey Hughes, ASAs Ruben Scolavino, William Gonzalez, and Julianne Ruiz-Necuze. They are also grateful for the assistance and dedication of Trial Coordinators Jackie Sanchez and Isabella Martinez and Homicide Counselor Idalma Gurruchanga throughout the pendency of this case. The ASAs would also like to thank the Litigation Support Unit, especially Rene Ferrer whose assistance with the closing argument presentation was invaluable. |
| Congratulations to ASAs Andrew Vinson and Lauren Gutierrez for securing a guilty verdict of one count of trafficking in Dimethylpentylone, one count of possession of cocaine, one count of possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, and one count of knowingly driving with a suspended license before Judge William Altfield. |
| On August 8, 2022, while his license was revoked, the Defendant drove a car with an illegal tint level on its vehicle windows and failed to use turn his signal. A traffic stop was conducted. After asking for and getting the Defendant’s permission to search the vehicle, the officers discovered a white “Thank You” bag located in the center console. Inside the bag was suspected narcotics and drug paraphernalia, including empty tinted baggies and a scale. The Defendant was arrested without incident. |
| A few days before trial, the State learned that the chemist who analyzed the narcotics was out on maternity leave until June. The State immediately filed a motion for an emergency continuance, and it was denied. Fortunately, with the help of Lead Officer Cepero, the lab was able to reanalyze the narcotics within a day and in time for trial. |
| The Defendant’s theory was that the police officers were corrupt and targeted him. He specifically argued in both pretrial motions and at trial, that the police lied about obtaining his permission to search his vehicle and that the body worn camera videos had been altered. |
| The Defendant argued chain of custody and tampering with evidence. The State successfully introduced body-worn camera videos that captured the encounter between the Defendant and the officers, the narcotics, and the drug paraphernalia. The State called the lead officer, responding officers, and the chemist. The jury deliberated for about 20 minutes before finding the Defendant guilty as charged beyond a reasonable doubt. |
| The prosecutors would like to thank the following people for helping make this trial victory possible: Division Chief Sara Imm, Division Chief Shawn Abuhoff, Narcotics Unit ASA Nicholas Sconzo, ASA David Gilbert, Kioceaia Stenson, Career Criminal ASA Ashley Moussa Martinez, ASA Maritza Clop-Liriano, ASA Allison Dopazo, and ASA Natalie Mendez. The prosecutors are thankful for Supervisor Shenique Ferguson, Victim Witness Specialist Lauren Jimenez, and Trial Coordinator Matthew Schultz, as well as the staff in the Litigation Support Unit. Additionally, the ASAs are grateful to the City of Miami Police Department and the laboratory staff for their commitment and professionalism throughout the process. |
