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Tipster fired from job
By
Holly Wagner, WINK News
Story Created:
Nov 12, 2007 at 6:41 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Nov 13, 2007 at 10:52 PM EDT
LEE COUNTY, Fla. - Fired for doing the right thing, that's what a Lee County man says happened to him after he turned in one of the county's most wanted fugitives.
"I thought I did the right thing," said Kirk Zahradka.
Newspaper photographs of Crimestoppers most wanted tipped Kirk Zahradka off. "Bunch of us seen the electricians name on it, picture on it," says Zahradka. The man in one of the pictures, Stanley Forcier, was his co-worker. "I called Crimestoppers reported him, got the case number," said Zahradka. That phone call did them both in. "He got arrested," said Zahradka.
Zahradka got fired the same day. "She (his boss) handed me my paycheck said I was detrimental to the company and I shouldn't have done it like that. Her son said that I just should have keep my nose out of other people's business," said Zahradka.
Zahradka worked at Advanced Machine Repair off Metro Parkway in Fort Myers for six years. "I've never done anything to the company. She said I was fired. I told just her I can't believe you are firing me over this," said Zahradka.
He claims his boss knew about his co-workers trouble with the law and claims they even hung up the Crimestoppers photos at his work.
WINK News wanted to know how a call to Crimestoppers justified firing someone. His boss, Linda Wright says they had other internal issues with Zahradka. Wright says Zahradka had also been bad mouthing management.
Attorney Dennis Webb who doesn't represent anyone in the story says right or wrong, Florida law can't help. "It's the classic no good deed goes unpunished situation, I don't think these people have any recourse," says Webb.
Now Zahradka is looking for a new job.