The Vice Mayor of Boynton Beach is now facing criminal charges after grabbing a political rival’s phone during a tense encounter at City Hall earlier this year.
Thomas Turkin, a Republican who won re-election in March to the District 3 seat on the Boynton Beach Commission that he’s held since 2022, was formally charged with battery June 26 by the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.
According to court documents, the misdemeanor charge stems from a Jan. 10 incident involving Dominick Vargas, a political operative who unsuccessfully ran against Turkin this year.
Security camera footage, a video Vargas shot on his cellphone and witness statements corroborated Vargas’ account that Turkin snatched his iPhone during a verbal dispute in the City Hall lobby.
A probable cause affidavit Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Gregory Accomando filed, which Florida Politics obtained, says Turkin “forcibly pulled and twisted the phone away from Vargas (and then) held the phone for approximately 21 seconds before handing it back to Turkin.”
“Several other video clips were reviewed … from different camera angles; all showed the same details with no discrepancies,” Accomando wrote.
Vargas’ five-second cellphone video shows Turkin grabbing Vargas’ phone and saying, “You’re not allowed to video tape me. I didn’t approve that.”
Consent is not required to film people in public.
Turkin, 33, was also initially charged with robbery by sudden snatching and theft, although State Attorney Alexcia Cox’s Office filed only the battery charge as of late July.
Vargas, a 25-year-old with no party affiliation, said in a statement Thursday that he isn’t seeking special treatment, “just equal treatment.”
“I went to City Hall to file paperwork, something any resident should be able to do without interference. Instead, I was confronted and physically touched by an elected official in a public building in front of witnesses,” he said.
“I have cooperated fully with the investigation and provided a sworn statement. I am speaking now not as a candidate but as a resident who believes public service is a responsibility, not a license to intimidate or cross personal boundaries … What happened was inappropriate for anyone, let alone someone in public office. This process should bring accountability not just for what was done to me but for the principle that public spaces should feel safe, respectful, and fair for all of us.”
Turkin. a veterinarian and real estate agent in private life, defeated Vargas on March 11 with 58% of the vote.
Turkin has not publicly commented on the charges and has not responded to requests for comment from multiple media outlets. The city of Boynton Beach has also declined to comment on the ongoing case.
If convicted of the first-degree misdemeanor charge, Turkin could face up to one year in jail and up to $1,000 in fines.
He is set to appear in court Monday, Aug. 4 at 8:30 a.m. in the South County Courthouse in Delray Beach.
Post Views: 0