Both Former Port Richey Mayor, Acting Mayor Facing Charges

PORT RICHEY, FL -- First the mayor; now the vice mayor. Following the well-publicized arrest of the Port Richey mayor last month, Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials announced that the acting mayor of Port Richey has now been arrested on obstruction charges.

The FDLE said Terrence Hagan Rowe, 64, was arrested Wednesday after agents received information that he was conspiring to interfere in an investigation. He's been serving as the acting mayor since the elected mayor, Dale Massad, 68, was arrested on Feb. 21.

Massad subsequently resigned after he was suspended from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis following his arrest on charges of practicing medicine without a license and shooting at members of the Pasco County Sheriff's SWAT Team.

According to FDLE officials, the charges against Rowe are connected to a recorded jailhouse phone call Massad made to Rowe on March 3 at 10:48 p.m.

During the call, Massad said to Rowe, "I believe (the Port Richey Police officer) was hired illegally, fired legally and re-hired illegally. I don't know why he is in on everything (referring to Massad's Feb. 21 arrest," according to the arrest affidavit.

Rowe responded, "I'm on it."

Massad replied, "OK, so anything you can do is good."

Rowe then said, "You know, this doesn't go down without somebody answering for it."

Massad was also re-arrested Wednesday night and charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate the commission of a crime.

Massad has been held at the Land O' Lakes Detention Center without bond since his arrest on five counts of attempted murder, four counts of practicing medicine without a license and two counts of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

At an arraignment Thursday on the new charges, Massad's attorney maintained there was no probable cause for the charges because his client did nothing illegal. He requested "a reasonable bond" be set so Massad can get out of jail while he awaits trial. Judge Mary Handsel denied the request.

Rowe's bond was set at $15,000. He was released from the Land O' Lakes Detention Center on Thursday after posting bail.

According to the FDLE, Rowe faces charges of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice by influencing, intimidating or hindering a law enforcement officer and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate the commission of a crime.

Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will handle the case.

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