YA EITHER LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM, BUT YOU WON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH HIM ANYMORE

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery Del Fuoco, considered by many to be one of the most aggressive prosecutors in the office who also was accused of bending the rules to get his way, resigned effective last Monday, according to this story in today's Tampa Tribune.

Del Fuoco was successful in a couple of public corruption cases, winning convictions of six Manatee County sheriff's deputies and three Plant City police officers who allegedly stole money from drug dealers and motorists by threatening them with deportation (many were Mexicans).

U.S. Attorney Paul Perez said the regisnation was "voluntary", but it was clear that Del Fuoco was on the outs in his office. Del Fuoco had claimed that his bosses were not supportive of his investigations, while his supervisor, Criminal Division head Robert O'Neill, testified in a civil suit against Manatee County Sheriff Charlie Wells that Del Fuoco "...went off the deep end."

There had been rumours for months regarding Del Fuoco's status in the U.S. Attorney's office, and the St. Petersburg Times ran a story in June (which it had to collect later) that he had been fired.