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Armored guard, wife sent to prison for robbery plot www.privateofficer.com
Jason Jackson had been working for about six months as an armored-truck driver when he hatched a plot with his wife and best friend to stage a robbery of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from his truck, authorities say.
The friend, John Robinson Jr., posing as the robber, made off with $407,000 last March 4. But the plot quickly unraveled when the FBI suspected an inside job after a witness saw the masked bandit enter the armored car through an unlocked door at a gas station in Hazel Crest. Arrests were made the same day as the robbery and all the cash was recovered.
Today, Robinson and Jackson’s wife, Richella Goeloe, who acted as a getaway driver, each pleaded guilty to a single count of theft of bank funds. Moments later, Jackson was sentenced to 2-½ years in prison for his role in the heist. He had pleaded guilty last summer to larceny. All three reside in Chicago.
Jackson, who worked for Garda Armored Services, wept as he asked to be sentenced to about a year in prison.
“I need a chance, your honor, to be a productive citizen,” he said.
But U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo imposed the maximum sentence under federal guidelines. “This is unforgiveable in my book,” the judge said. He also warned Robinson and Goeloe to keep out of further trouble before their sentencing in April
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Philadelphia police officer death possible suicide www.privateofficer.com
By: Brett Davis/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
www.privateofficer.com Authorities say that an off-duty Philadelphia police officer apparently shot himself while driving his pick-up truck last night and crashed on Kelly Drive, police sources said.
Police responded to an accident and discovered that the driver, officer Joseph Dillman, 53, was involved. Police say that he was pronounced dead at Hahnemann University Hospital.
Details about the incident were sketchy for much of the evening.
Dillman, a 20-year veteran, was married with a son and two daughters.
He most recently worked in the elite Highway Patrol Unit.
Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said that officers responded to a single-car accident on Kelly Drive and Brewery Hill Road about 9 p.m.
The cops found Dillman inside a 2006 Chevrolet Colorado, with a gunshot wound.
A gun was found inside the truck, Vanore said.
Police are waiting for a medical examiner to make a ruling on Dillman’s death, and have not confirmed it to be a suicide just yet.
Scores of officers, including members of Highway Patrol, flocked to Hahnemann last night to mourn their comrade and pay respects to his family.
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OFFICER DOWN
Pennsylvania State Police
Pennsylvania
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 16 years
Badge Number: Not available
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: At large
Trooper Paul Richey was shot and killed when he and another trooper responded to a domestic disturbance call in Cranberry Township, Venango County, at 11:45 am.
Both troopers arrived at the scene and exited their vehicles when Trooper Richey was struck by a shot fired from inside the residence. Additional units arrived and removed Trooper Richey from the scene.
The suspect fled the scene and remains at large.
Trooper Richey had served with the Pennsylvania State Police for 16 years. He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
Agency Contact Information
Pennsylvania State Police
1800 Elmerton Avenue
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Phone: (717) 783-5556
Please contact the Pennsylvania State Police for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
OFFICER DOWN TEXAS
Arlington Police Department
Texas
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Motorcycle accident
Date of Incident: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Officer Craig Story was killed in a motorcycle accident when his department motorcycle collided with a school bus at the intersection of South Cooper Street and West Inwood Drive. Officer Story had activated his lights and siren as he entered the intersection, but struck the side of the bus.
His motorcycle burst into flames upon impact. Witnesses to the crash smothered the flames on Officer Story’s clothing and pulled him to a safe area, however, he passed away at the scene.
Agency Contact Information
Arlington Police Department
620 W Division Street
Arlington, TX 76011
Phone: (817) 459-5600
Please contact the Arlington Police Department for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
OFFICER DOWN
OFFICER DOWN
Louisiana State Police
Louisiana
End of Watch: Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Biographical Info
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: 15 years
Badge Number: Not available
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Trooper Duane Dalton was killed in an automobile accident near Moss Bluff while on patrol.
His vehicle was struck by another car at the intersection of Highway 171 and Gloria Lane, causing his vehicle to be pushed into a ditch. Trooper Dalton was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Trooper Dalton had served with the Louisiana State Police for 15 years. He is survived by his wife and three sons.
Agency Contact Information
Louisiana State Police
7919 Independence Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Phone: (225) 925-6325
Please contact the Louisiana State Police for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund informati
Man charged with kidnapping, robbing casino guest www.privateofficer.com
source: valley news After playing blackjack for several hours at Mystic Lake Casino on Jan. 2, an Eagan woman accepted a ride home from a man she met earlier that night, who then robbed her at gunpoint and sexually assaulted her, according to charges filed by the Dakota County Attorney’s Office this week.
Neville Grant, 35, of Plymouth, was charged with first-degree aggravated robbery, kidnapping and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct on Tuesday. He was later arrested by the sheriff’s office in Hennepin County, where he is also a suspect in a similar case that also occurred on Jan. 2 in Minneapolis.
According to the criminal complaint:
The woman took a bus from Eagan to Mystic Lake Casino on Jan. 2. She arrived at the casino between 6:30 and 7 p.m., where she played blackjack for several hours at various tables in the casino.
While playing cards, the woman met a man with a Jamaican accent who called himself “Rick” or “Ricardo.” As the woman moved from table to table at the casino, “Rick” followed her around.
The woman told police she was ready to leave the casino at about 4 a.m. when the man offered her a ride home if she paid for gas. The woman told police she agreed and left with him in a green Chevrolet Suburban.
When the woman and “Rick” arrived in the area of her home, he stopped the truck and pulled out a small black handgun.
The woman told police that the man pointed the gun at her thigh and told her to give him all of her money. She also stated that she had won about $800 while gambling, which she had hid in her bra and didn’t immediately give to him.
The woman told police that the man then drove from Yankee Doodle Road onto Highway 13 toward Highway 55, and she eventually gave him all her money. The man then drove back to her apartment complex, where he put the gun away and attempted to kiss her. “Rick” then sexually assaulted the woman.
The woman told police she was fearful because she knew the man had a gun, which he had previously pointed at her.
Detectives with the Eagan Police Department then contacted Prior Lake police and the security staff at Mystic Lake Casino.
Through video surveillance, detectives located video of both the woman and the man. Video also detailed the man’s license plate number, which was registered to Neville Grant.
Security at Mystic Lake Casino showed the detectives video and still photos of the suspect with the woman in an elevator as well as in the casino. The surveillance footage also showed the vehicle driven and licensed to Grant stop at the Shakopee Dakota Convenience Store after leaving the casino.
Detectives put together a lineup of photographs containing six photos, one of which was Grant. The woman picked Grant’s photo out of the lineup as the person who robbed and sexually assaulted her. The woman further told police she was “100 percent sure that that was the photograph of the offender.”
During the investigation, detectives learned that a similar robbery involving a handgun occurred in Minneapolis earlier that day. In that robbery, the suspect stole a woman’s diamond ring, purse, credit cards and cash. Minneapolis police showed that woman a photographic lineup, and she also picked out Grant as the perpetrator in that robbery.
According to court records, Grant has previous criminal convictions going back to 1993, which include theft of more than $2,500 and intent to escape motor vehicle tax in Hennepin County; driving on a restricted driver’s license in Steele County; and several traffic violations in Washington County.
If convicted, Grant faces a mandatory minimum of three years in prison and a maximum of 20 years and $35,000 in fines for each of the first-degree aggravated robbery and kidnapping charges. He also faces a mandatory minimum of eight years in prison and a maximum of 25 years in prison for each of the second-degree criminal sexual conduct charges.
Grant made his first appearance in Dakota County court on Tuesday. An omnibus hearing was set for Feb. 8 in Hastings.
Albuquerque teacher arrested for sexual crimes www.privateofficer.com
By: Rick McCann/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
www.privateofficer.com A local high school teacher has been arrested for misconduct with a student and the principal has sent home a letter notifying parents about the arrest .
Authorities say 34-year-old Volcano Vista High School science teacher Patrick Matthews was accused by a female student of having sex with her and police say that there was enough evidence of the crime to justify the arrest.
Matthews has been charged with criminal sexual penetration and tampering with evidence after the 16-year-old female student came forward about the sexual contact the teacher had with her at her home over the summer.
In her letter to parents, Volcano High Principal Yvonne Garcia said the teacher was immediately removed from the classroom and he has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into alleged employee misconduct.
Garcia said she wants to assure parents that student safety is of utmost importance.
Police are not saying if they suspect Matthews of being involved with any other student.
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School security guard arrested, fired for smoking pot with teen www.privateofficer.com
Larry Brown, 63, was dismissed from his job at the high school during a closed session portion of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District board meeting on Tuesday night. Brown had been on unpaid leave since his arrest in November.
Jim Watson, the district’s Human Resources Director, declined to comment on details of Brown’s dismissal because it is a personnel matter, but confirmed Brown is no longer a security guard at the high school.
“I can verify that Larry Brown is not currently employed by Lake Tahoe Unified School District,” Watson said.
An El Dorado County Sheriff’s deputy arrested Brown during a traffic stop after allegedly smelling marijuana coming from a vehicle occupied by Brown and the teenage girl. The pair told the deputy that they had smoked marijuana and drank beer together, according to authorities.
Prosecutors have charged Brown with a single count of employing a minor for unlawful transactions, a felony. Conviction of the charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in state prison.
A pre-preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Jan. 29.
Brown’s attorney, John Castellanos, did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday afternoon.
Conviction of a crime is not required to dismiss classified employees at the district, Watson said. Classified employees include non-certified employees like administrative assistants, janitors and security guards, Watson said.
“There are requirements for behavior and performance that may run different from a court of law, that may require dismissal or discipline,” Watson said.
The school district employs two full time security guards at the high school and is embarking on a new system where a pool of pre-screened security guards will be maintained on an as needed basis, Watson said. The system will provide security to students and staff, while reducing costs at a time that is likely to see more belt-tightening at the district, Watson said. Currently, there are four people in the security guard pool, Watson said.
South Lake Tahoe Police Aaron Crawford will also take over as the high school’s resource officer following the retirement of former school resource officer Scott Willson, Watson said.
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Private transport guard stabbed, prisoner flees www.privateofficer.com
The murder suspect allegedly over powered his guards at an Arkansas rest stop and escaped in a prisoner transport van Thursday.
The prisoner transport guards, employed by North Atlantic Extradition Services, stopped at a Van Buren, Arkansas rest area, to let 5 inmates including Welch, use the restroom. Once inside the bathroom, police say Welch stabbed one guard, stole his gun, shot at another guard and then commandeered the prisoner transport van, parked outside.
It’s labeled “North Atlantic Extradition” on the side.
Authorities believe Welch was headed east on I-40 (towards Memphis) in the van. Law enforcement agencies, including Arkansas State Police, Memphis Police and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office were alerted.
Shelby County Sheriff Spokesperson, Steve Shular says, “Because the I-40 corridor runs through the heart of Memphis. Everything involving I-40 especially from a neighboring law enforcement agency, we’re gonna find out quickly, which we did and got the information to our deputies.”
Before taking off from the rest stop, police say Welch handcuffed the guards to the other prisoners and stole a jacket and a cell phone from a truck driver. Investigators say there were guard uniforms and other clothing, inside the transport van Welch took.
Shular says, “By now he’s probably changed clothes, changed vehicles, never the less our deputies are on the lookout for this fellow.”
The private security company had no comment on the incident.
The injured guard was transported to the hospital.
Again, Justin Welch is considered armed and dangerous.
The transport van, he’s believed to be driving has a Mississippi license plate, LTC-537. If you spot the van or Welch, call your local police department.
