Since the Tampa Theater opened its doors in 1926, it has been a Tampa institution and icon.  The Tampa Theater website sums it up best by saying, “Tampa Theatre is a passionately protected landmark and one of America’s best-preserved examples of grand movie palace architecture.”  This is the precise reason why Tampa attorney Kevin Napper, of law firm Carlton Fields, pledged his support to the theater for years.

Kevin Napper is an ardent supporter of film and the arts, so his involvement with the Tampa Theater is naturally symbiotic.  Much like his support of and work with WMNF, Kevin quite enjoys giving back to his community.  He thinks that the Tampa Theater serves a special purpose in the community, in a variety of ways.  “Something like 60,000 school kids go to the theater every year on field trips in one form or another. They go for musical performances, for lectures, for puppet shows, for musical acts.  And it also serves as, I think, an important bridge, sort of an historical bridge between Old Tampa and New Tampa,” says Napper.  The theater’s cultural and artistic significance isn’t lost on him either.

It was the first air conditioned theater in the South. It’s been continuously operating since 1926. They don’t make them like that anymore. John Eberson who was the architect that designed it, also designed the Gusman Theater in Miami Beach, which is another historical theater.”  Mr. Napper’s appreciation of the theater grew so much, that he eventually joined the board of directors, later becoming the chairman of the board for 3 years (1999-2002).

“I was on the board for 6 years at least; maybe 8 in four two year terms.  It’s a great historic theater.  It’s on the national register of historic places.  It’s the Tampa city landmark.”  Kevin continues discussing his fondness of the theater, noting, “I have been there a lot for concerts and movies. My wife and I both like films, we go to a lot of films there, and I just really liked it.”  Eventually his patronage of the theater got noticed.

“The former board chair…knew that I liked the theater and they had a board opening coming up, and asked if I was interested on applying.  I did.  I got appointed to the board…just sort of worked my way up. Attended monthly board meetings, and we started a capital campaign during that time.  We started a number of things when I was on the board including the largest annual fundraising activity they have.”  Kevin helped the theater immensely by working through the complex real estate challenges facing it.

“We were able to consolidate some of the real estate through the city and the theater.”   The real estate consolidation led to a “… partnership with the county, the city, a private foundation, and the state.  And we get funding from the feds, the state, the city, and the county, so it was very complicated; a lot of moving parts, and very unmanageable arrangement in terms of budgetary concerns,” says Napper.  He concludes saying, “It’s a very difficult financial arrangement, and it’s very difficult to manage and to keep all the parts moving. You have a 100 year old building that needs a lot of expensive maintenance, that the city is primarily responsible for maintenance and upkeep but a little bit of the county is responsible, and a little bit of the state, and you get a little bit of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. It’s a difficult situation.”  Nevertheless, you can tell that despite the challenges and hard work, Kevin’s tireless support and passion for the theater never wanes.

About Kevin Napper

Kevin J. Napper is one of Carlton Fields’ top attorneys. A graduate of the University of North Dakota School of Law, Mr. Napper has been practicing for over 28 years, and he has successfully represented executives in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations involving allegations of bribery of foreign government officials. He has also successfully represented executives involved in federal grand jury investigations into a range of allegations, including violations of criminal antitrust law and the Food and Drug Act.  Kevin Napper is widely recognized as a leading expert in the field of white collar defense.

Links:

• http://dooid.me/kevinnapper
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevin-napper
• http://about.me/kevin.napper
• http://www.kevinnapper.com
• http://www.legalprofile.info
• http://www.lookuppage.com/users/kevinnapper/
• http://www.kevinnapper.net
• http://www.kevinnapper.org
• http://www.kevinnapper.weebly.com
• http://www.kevinnapper.info/
• http://www.quora.com/Kevin-Napper
• http://500px.com/kevinnapper

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Jonathan Rhys Meyers, well-known actor and model, was rushed to the hospital Tuesday June 28^th when he was rumored to have attempted to take his own life. Meyers was found at his home in Maida Vale, London where authorities believe that he had taken a large amount of pills.

More recently, a source has told US Weekly magazine that he was not suicidal, but rather just intoxicated.

Paramedics tried to help him for a half hour when they found him before calling the police when the actor refused to cooperate or accept any treatment. When sent to the hospital, Meyers was treated in the urgent care. Police also confirmed their role in the intervention at the actor’s home. Meyers, however, had no comment for the press.

Whether or not Jonathan Rhys Meyers tried to take his own life might remain a mystery, but it is confirmed that he has struggled with alcohol abuse for years. Just one month ago he checked into rehab for the fifth time at a five-star center in South Africa. It is rumored that the actor uses alcohol to suppress his pain, especially following the death of his mother in 2007.

The actor, who owns homes in Los Angeles, Dublin, London, and Monaco, was born in Dublin and lived in Ireland with his parents and three younger brothers until his parents’ separation when he moved in with his mother.

Rumors are circulating that this recent episode is connected with his struggling seven-year relationship with heiress Reena Hammer, daughter to the owner of the Urban Retreat spa in Harrods department store.

Meyers has even spoken about his addiction in the past admitting, “When I do drink…I’m all over the place like a 16-year-old kid.” He has also been arrested twice for drinking-related incidents. The first arrest was made in Dublin Airport in November 2007, but the charges were dropped.  The second arrest occurred at the Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris in June 2009 where he allegedly assaulted a bar staff member.

It was reported in May 2010 that United Airlines banned the actor from flying their airline after an alcohol related incident at John F. Kennedy airport. He was reportedly behaving in a “belligerent” and “disruptive” manner.

Meyers is most known for his role as Henry VIII in the BBC series “The Tudors”. He also starred in “Mission Impossible III,” “Alexander,” “Bend it Like Beckham,” Woody Allen’s “Matchpoint,” and “August Rush” where he showed off his musical talents. In 2005 he received an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe win for his role as rock king Elvis Presley in the four-hour CBS mini-series “Elvis”.

Signed with London’s agency Independent Models, Meyers has had a successful career working with some very big names. He was chosen to be the face of Versace men’s collection in 2006 and 2007. He has also remained the face of the Hugo Boss fragrance since 2005.

Meyers has also been the celebrity ambassador for the charity The Hope Foundation since February 2008.

Currently, Meyers is preparing to check into rehab for the sixth time to finally get the help he needs for his addiction.

Rena Schild / Shutterstock.com

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Six individuals are charged in South Florida and Pakistan for conspiring to provide financing to murder, maim and kidnap persons overseas as well as providing financing to the Pakistani, Taliban- a designated foreign terrorist organization.  South Florida U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer announced all six defendants would be charged on four-count indictments.

The defendants charged: Hafiz Muhammed Sher Ali Khan, 76, a U.S. citizen resident of Miami;  his son Irfan Khan, 37, a U.S. citizen resident of Miami;  and one other son, Izhar Khan, 24, a U.S. citizen resident of North Lauderdale, Fla.  Three other individuals also charged residing in Pakistan,  Faisal Ali Rehman, Alam Zeb and Amina Khan.  Amina Khan is daughter of Khan and her son Alam Zeb is Khan’s grandson.

Hafiz Khan and Izhar Khan were arrested by FBI agents in South Florida and are schedule to appear in federal court in Miami at 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 16, 2011.  Irfan Khan was arrested in Los Angeles and is expected to make an appearance in court the same day.   The remaining defendants are at large in Pakistan.  If convicted for each count of the indictment-could face 15 years in prison.

The FBI in collaboration with the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) had been investigating from around 2008 through November 2010 suspicious bank accounts and wire transfers from the U.S. to the Pakistani Taliban.  The funds were intended to buy guns to sustain militants, their families and support terrorism.

According to the allegations the defendants provided money and financial services to support the Pakistani, Taliban.  As of December 2007, the Pakistani-based terrorist organization was formed by an alliance of radical Islamist militants.  The U.S. State Department designated the Pakistani Taliban as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality act on August 12, 2010.  In Afghanistan, the Pakistani Taliban has ties to both al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer stated, “Despite being an Imam, or spiritual leader, Hafiz Khan was by no means a man of peace. Instead, as today’s charges show, he acted with others to support terrorists to further acts of murder, kidnapping and maiming. But for law enforcement intervention, these defendants would have continued to transfer funds to Pakistan to finance the Pakistani Taliban, including its purchase of guns. Dismantling terrorist networks is a top priority for this office and the Department of Justice.”

“Today terrorists have lost another funding source to use against innocent people and U.S. interests. We will not allow this country to be used as a base for funding and recruiting terrorists,” said John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Office. “I remind everyone that the Muslim and Arab-American members of our community should never be judged by the illegal activities of a few.”

According to the indictment, the Pakistani Taliban has committed remorseless violence acts against Pakistan, allies, U.S. and enforcement of strict Islamic law known as Sharia.  Countless suicide bombings resulting in the death of civilians, Pakistani Police, army, government personnel, and other brutal acts of murder, kidnapping and maiming.  The indictment alleges that defendant Khan supported the Pakistani Taliban through a madrassa or Islamic school.  Khan alleged to use the madrassa as shelter and has sent children from the madrassa to train to kill Americans in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for attacks against U.S. interests, including the December 2009 attack bombing at a U.S. military base in Khost, Afghanistan.  Along the Pakistan border seven U.S. citizens were killed.  An April 2010 suicide bomb killed six Pakistani citizens at the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar.  On May 1, 2010, Faisal Shahzad attempted to detonate an explosive device in New York City’s Times Square.  Lastly, the most recent devastating suicide attack on May 13, 2011 killed 80 people at a military training facility in northwest Pakistan.  The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.

The allegations in the indictments recorded conversations in July 2009 between Khan and Irfan plotting an attack on the Pakistani assembly that resemble the September 2008 suicide bombing of the Islamabad Marriott Hotel in Pakistan.  On September 2010 another recorded conversation, Hafiz Kahn provided information to a Pakistani Taliban militant in Karachi that the mujahideen in Afghanistan had killed seven American soldiers and declared his wish that God kills 50,000 more.

In closing, Mr. Ferrer noted, “Let me be clear that this is not an indictment against a particular community or religion. Instead, today’s indictment charges six individuals for promoting terror and violence through their financial and other support of the Pakistani Taliban. Radical extremists know no boundaries; they come in all shapes and sizes and are not limited by religion, age or geography.”

An indictment is only an accusation and a defendant are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

(Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation Miami Field Office)

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