Port Richey City Council To Temporarily Fill Empty Council Seat

PORT RICHEY, FL -- Following the arrest of both its mayor and interim mayor, the Port Richey City Council is hosting a special meeting Thursday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. to appoint a resident to the now-vacate Port Richey City Council seat.

The appointee will serve as an interim member of the city council until a special election can take place June 18 to elect a new mayor and city council member.

The city was left short a mayor and council member after Mayor Dale Massad, 68, was arrested on Feb. 21 followed by the arrest of Councilman and Vice Mayor Terrence Rowe on March 13. As a result of the arrests, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended both officials from office.

The remaining city council originally intended to make appoint an interim council member at its March 26 meeting but had to postpone the meeting due to the lack of a quorum.

Thursday's special council meeting will take place at Port Richey City Hall, 6333 Ridge Road. Port Richey residents interested in temporarily filling Rowe's vacant seat will have three minutes to speak.

Candidates must have lived within the city limits for the past year, be registered Pasco County voters and have no felony charges.

The situation that has made Port Richey the butt of jokes round the country began Feb. 21 when the Pasco County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team attempted to serve Massad with a Department of Law Enforcement arrest warrant on charges of practicing medicine without a license.

Massad, a former medical doctor who gave up his license in 1992, was the focus of an undercover investigation into accusations that he was performing medical procedures and administering drugs to people without a license.

Sheriff Chris Nocco said he enlisted his SWAT Team to serve the warrant at Massad's waterfront home at 8221 Hayward Lane because he was aware that Massad owned multiple firearms. The SWAT Team arrived at 4:40 a.m. and repeatedly knocked on the door of Massad's home before forcing its way in. Once inside the front door, SWAT Team members heard the sound of gunfire and retreated.

Eventually, Massad gave himself up. He has been in the Land O' Lakes Detention Center without bond since his arrest on five charges of premeditated attempted murder and practicing medicine without a license.

Although neighbors testified that they clearly heard the SWAT Team announce itself, Massad claimed he fired his gun because he didn't realize it was the sheriff's office and thought his life was being threatened.

"I’m groggy; it’s 4:30 in the morning; I just jumped out of bed; I’m scared to death," Massad said in a jailhouse interview released by the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.

Massad said he fired his gun out of fear.

“So I shot in two directions that I knew could not hit a policeman," he said. "And one of them was into my elevator shaft — that’s nine inches of concrete to go through. It’s not going through there. I never ever, ever, ever shot at a policeman, or would."

Massad believes he was set up by Port Richey Police Chief Gerard Decanio due to a prior encounter in which the police conducted an illegal search of his property. It was Decanio who tipped off the FDLE about the allegations that Massad was practicing medicine without a license.

Weeks later, the story was further complicated when the city's acting mayor was arrested as well.

The FDLE charged Rowe, 64, with obstruction, saying he conspired to interfere with the investigation into Massad based on a jailhouse phone call Massad made to Rowe on March 3.

During the call, which was recorded by authorities, Massad asked Rowe to obtain information on the Port Richey police officer involved in the undercover investigation into Massad practicing medicine without a license. The officer posed as a patient complaining of a knee problem.

Massad, who was elected mayor in 2015 and ran unopposed in 2017, told Rowe he believed the officer involved in the undercover operation wasn't legally hired by the police department and wanted Rowe to check it out. When Rowe was arrested, Massad was arrested again on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate the commission of a crime.

Rowe's bond was set at $15,000 and he posted bail the following day.

Despite the stain on the office, four people have prefiled to fill Massad's seat as mayor -- Greg Smithwick, current council member Richard B Bloom, Bill Colombo and Scott Tremblay. Filing officially opens on April 15.

The remaining members of the city council are Bloom, Councilwoman Jennie Sorrell and Councilman William Dittner.

See related stories:

Gov. DeSantis Suspends Port Richey Mayor Following Arrest

Port Richey Mayor Arrested After Shooting At SWAT Team: Sheriff

Both Former Port Richey Mayor, Acting Mayor Facing Charges