Level 3 Sex Offender Junaid Maalik Loses His Job

Photo By John Hoff

I was eating breakfast at Burger King when my phone rang with its Sponge Bob Square Pants ring tone, and it was the CEO of a fairly good-sized company. He'd accidentally hired a Level 3 Sex Offender, and he was pretty unhappy to learn about it from some blogger dude called Johnny Northside...

I didn't get a lot of words in edgewise. The CEO was a "power talker" and took control of the conversation immediately. He wanted me to know how glad he was I had informed him of the situation, and how Maalik had been fired the minute he walked in Monday morning. Both a state and federal background search--required as part of the hiring process for the job, which basically involved driving around--had failed to turn up the felony conviction. The CEO was beside himself that something this big and ugly could just slip through the cracks.

"Off The Scale Heinous"

"He's not just a felon, but what he did is really..." he was searching for the word.

"Heinous," I supplied, helpfully.

"Heinous," he agreed.

"Off the scale heinous," I added, and he was agreeable to that, too.

Maalik had been a reasonably good employee, however, giving no cause for concern or complaint. When fired, Maalik was meek and thankful for the opportunity he'd had to work for the company.
The CEO was concerned about some days off Maalik had taken, supposedly to tend to a sick girlfriend. I assured the CEO that Maalik may very well have a girlfriend--I had seen him with a woman who looked like she was either a girlfriend or a sister--so hopefully he hadn't been doing something awful and evil.

"He's been out of prison for two years," the CEO said. "But that doesn't mean (expletive) to me. Somebody like that shouldn't be running around unsupervised. Work in a factory on an assembly line is more appropriate."

Unimpressed With The Sex Offender Safeguards

The CEO had talked to Maalik's supervisor, Mary Ann Mowatt, and was spectacularly unimpressed with her. Here Maalik had lied about his background to get a job, and yet Mowatt didn't seem at all concerned.

"Yeah, well, I've talked to her in the past, too," I told the CEO. "Now you see the (expletive) we have to deal with."

The CEO was curious about the situation with Maalik living in a house which was past the period of foreclosure and redemption and what on earth was up with that. I filled him in as best I could. The CEO wanted to know my "angle" with this issue--he asked as tactfully as he could--and I told him I was looking out for the neighborhood, and Maalik driving a commercial vehicle had just been something which emerged in the middle of keeping an eye on the house at 3024 6th Street North.

He didn't want a stink for his company. I assured him I wasn't out to cause one. He was once again beside himself over the fact he had performed two background checks--both of which cost money--revealing nothing, and yet a mere bit of Googling had turned up this shocking information.

Lesson Learned: Google Your Employees

I suggested to the CEO that he should Google all his employees, as well as performing background checks. Just to see what turns up, I suggested.

"Maybe when you go to your business get togethers," I suggested. "Your Rotary Club or whatever, you might talk in general terms about this matter, and point out how background checks aren't perfect. It's best to do a little digging on the internet, as well."

The CEO told me he does periodically meet with others who are involved in running similar companies. He would tell them the story; and not just in general terms, but with specifics. As we talked, I could see how an anecdote like this could become almost legendary in business circles.

Company Logo Removed

I saw Maalik's dark green minivan in front of 3024 6th Street North. The company logo had been removed from the rear window, like a dishonored soldier whose uniform is stripped of rank and unit insignia. I could almost feel bad, but I keep thinking about what happened to Dru Sjodin just because dear sweet Mama Rodriguez gave a brand new car to her little Alphonso so he could drive to his sheet rocking job.

I have worked as a commercial driver to pick up extra money--the long period of blogging inactivity in mid-July was due to a trip to Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois on behalf of my employer, who kindly gave me the camera which took the very picture you see above--and the job has given me insights into the kind of opportunities for abuse inherent to the profession.

I show up with a company vehicle, I pick up cargo, (dead things in dark plastic bags) I go long distances and my time is accounted for.

Who questions what cargo is aboard? Who searches to make sure crimes have not been committed against vulnerable human beings? Nobody.

Of all the jobs you could give a violent sex offender, the job of a free ranging commercial driver is probably among the worst, at least the worst among the not-so-obvious choices. Not letting him work in a school or daycare facility is a no-brainer, but hardly anybody says, emphatically, "Sex offenders should not be allowed commercial driving jobs."

Well, Junaid Maalik's little venture into commercial driving is squelched. For now.

"All The Fault Of Society"

I was at my property--cleaning up the house and yard for a special reason I will discuss in a day or two, probably--when I looked out my second story window and saw Maalik talking to a woman in front of his house. She had pulled up in a vehicle almost identical to Maalik's vehicle, and despite the fact it bore no company insignia, I took her to be some kind of supervisor from his job.

On the other hand, maybe the similarity in vehicles was a coincidence, and this was Mary Ann Mowatt herself, dropping by. Who knows? In any case, I snapped some pictures. The one I've chosen for this post is my favorite. Maalik seems to be explaining something--how he acted reasonably in what he did, and if you want to blame something or somebody--well, blame society for putting him in a position where he had to lie to get a job.

Poor widdle Level Three Sex Offender.

Sniff. Sniff.

US Bank & Trust Inherits The Problem

I found out who owns the house at 3024 6th Street North. It is US Bank & Trust. When they foreclosed on the mortgage, they took ownership of the house...and it appears a Level 3 Sex Offender comes with the property like dog-pee-stained living room carpet.

Good luck with THIS mess, US Bank & Trust.

Jeff Skrenes of the Hawthorne Area Community Council figures if he tried to contact US Bank & Trust, he'd get the runaround for hours, even days as they tried to figure out who, precisely, is in charge of this particular problem. No, better to deal with the City of Minneapolis, and the housing inspectors.

Jeff has a call in. He is waiting to hear back.

Sigh. These things take time.