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Nashville Man Booted From Kenny Chesney Concert for Looking Like Singer www.privateofficer.com
Nashville TN June 27 2012 The Nashville, Tenn., man who was kicked out of Kenny Chesney’s Saturday night concert in the Music City for looking too much like the country-music singer says the resemblance is out of his control.
“I can’t help the way I look,” Nathan Blankenship told ABC affiliate WKRN-TV in Nashville.
Blankenship was dressed similar to Chesney, wearing a sleeveless shirt and straw cowboy hat, and he says people sometimes say he looks like the star.
Security at the concert venue, LP Field, claims Blankenship was causing a disturbance among fans who thought they were seeing Chesney in the audience. Security personnel escorted Blankenship out of the stadium as a result.
“I think the way they handled it made it seem worse, like they were really escorting Kenny Chesney through the crowd,” he said.
It seems Blankenship has been through this kind of thing before. An official at LP Field says Metro Nashville police knew about Blankenship’s looking like Chesney, 44, before the concert began. Country stars at previous Nashville concerts have apparently spotted Blankenship in the crowd and thought he was causing a similar disturbance.
Blankenship is also upset about having to give up his $200 concert ticket to the show. Chesney’s camp released a statement Monday saying it didn’t know about Blankenship’s getting kicked out of the concert until it was reported in the media
Concert promoter Kate McMahon of the Messina Group says they are reaching out to Blankenship to remedy the situation.
Source:ABC News
Judge hands out 87-year sentence to KC bank robber who shot security guard www.privateofficer.com
It lead to the death of a 70-year-old bank guard.
And on Tuesday, one of those perpetrators, now 25, was sentenced to 87 years in federal prison.
Iralee French Jr. was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, where a jury last year found him guilty of bank robbery, attempted bank robbery, conspiracy and two counts of using a firearm in a crime of violence.
French and a co-defendant, Thirplus Moose, also now 25, robbed the now-closed UMB Bank branch at 7901 Wornall Road on Feb. 9, 2006. During that robbery, French was armed with a shotgun. They forced a teller at gunpoint to hand over about $8,200.
They tried to force her into the trunk of her car, but when she began screaming and crying, they left her behind and fled in her car.
They returned to the bank a few weeks later before it opened. This time they confronted bank guard Dwight Mayhugh inside the parking garage. Mayhugh was sitting in his vehicle when French shot him from close range. The robbers then forced Mayhugh into the bank, but after they were unable to gain access to any money they fled in Mayhugh’s vehicle, leaving him in the garage.
He died at a hospital the next day.
At trial, the defense presented testimony that Mayhugh died as a result of complications from his medical treatment and not as a result of the shotgun wounds to his neck and shoulder. The jury acquitted French of the more serious charge of using a firearm in a crime of violence resulting in death.
But U.S. District Judge Gary Fenner said Tuesday that French “shot to kill” that morning.
“You showed no regard for Mr. Mayhugh’s life in order to satisfy your selfish needs and desires,” Fenner said.
Defense attorney Steve Moss asked for a sentence of 42 years, citing French’s age at the time of the crime and the remorse he showed after his arrest. He also noted that Moose was looking at a sentence of only 22 to 25 years as a result of a plea agreement with prosecutors.
“He is not someone you need to lock up and throw away the key,” Moss argued. “Forty-two years is not a lenient sentence in any way.”
Acting U.S. Attorney David Ketchmark argued that French was the one who pulled the trigger and questioned whether the emotion he showed after his arrest was the result of remorse or the fact that he had been caught. Ketchmark asked the judge to sentence French to life in prison.
Before he was sentenced, French apologized to his family and to the Mayhugh family and said he was ready to accept his sentence.
“I’m not here to make excuses,” he said.
Moose is scheduled to be sentenced Friday.
Source:www.kansascity.com
Louisiana man pleads not guilty in DUI crash that killed seven www.privateofficer.com
CLINTON, LA June 27 2012 – The man accused of killing seven people while allegedly driving drunk was arraigned Tuesday morning.
Brett Gerald, 30, of Greensburg pleaded not guilty seven counts of vehicular homicide. His trial date was set for Dec. 10. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 200 years in prison.
He went before Judge William Carmichael at the East Feliciana Parish Courthouse in Clinton. Attorney Tommy Damico represents him. District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla expected Gerald to plead not guilty to all charges.
Judge William Carmichael set Gerald’s bond at $1 million earlier in the month.
Gerald, still bound to a wheelchair with two broken ankles had nothing to say as he left the courtroom Tuesday morning.
The wreck happened on LA 67 near LA 412 in the town of Slaughter just before 10 p.m. on May 30. Investigators said Gerald’s 2007 Dodge pickup drove head-on into a 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis.
Investigators said Grandmother Brenda Gaines was driving her daughter, Denise Gaines, and Denise’s four children: Diamond Johnson, Jyran Johnson, Willie Gaines and Rogerick Johnson, Jr. Fellow church member, Angela Mosley, was also in the car. The group was headed back to Baton Rouge from a bible study in Clinton.
Brenda, Denise, Diamond, Jyran and Angela were all killed instantly in the crash. Willie Gaines was taken off life support June 3. Rogerick Johnson died Sunday, June 10.
According to the Louisiana State Police, Gerald was out celebrating his 30th birthday and was under the influence of alcohol. After testing his blood alcohol content, troopers said Gerald’s BAC was .15g percent, which is nearly twice the legal limit of .08g percent.
Geralds charges also include a second offense DWI, an element his attorney says he plans to review with a fine toothed comb.
This incident is not the first time Gerald has been charged with a DWI. Records show he was arrested in 2008 in East Feliciana Parish for DWI, but served no jail time. He was also charged with DWI last spring in Denham Springs. He served 48 hours in jail for that.
After Tuesday morning’s court hearing, the victims’ family returned to the scene of the crash to pray at the crosses marking the spot where the lives of seven were lost.
Source: WAFB
Indiana man demands apology from TSA after grandpa’s ashes is spilled www.privateofficer.com
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. June 27 2012– An Indiana man is demanding an apology after a TSA agent insisted on sifting through his grandfather’s ashes, spilling a third of his remains onto the terminal floor.
John Gross told WRTV that he was attempting to pass through security at Orlando International Airport with the remains of his grandfather, Mario Mark Marcaletti, placing the ashes in a tightly sealed jar labeled “human remains.”
Gross says when an agent began going through his bag, he asked her to be careful not to disturb his grandfather’s ashes. He says he was shocked when the woman began opening the jar, and sifting through the ashes with her finger.
“She picked up the jar. She opened it up,” Gross told WRTV. “I was told later on that she had no right to even open it, that they could have used other devices, like an X-ray machine. So she opened it up. She used her finger and was sifting through it. And then she accidentally spilled it.”
Gross estimates a third of his grandfather’s ashes spilled to the floor, forcing him to scramble to sweep up what he could with his hands while a line built up behind him.
What he says was even more enraging, the agent’s reaction.
“She didn’t apologize,” Gross said. “She started laughing. I was on my hands and knees picking up bone fragments. I couldn’t pick up all, everything that was lost. I mean, there was a long line behind me.”
Gross says he’s also upset because he thinks the agent should have never opened the container and touched his grandfather’s remains in the first place.
According to WRTV, TSA rules require a crematory container in carry-on baggage pass through the X-ray machine at the security checkpoint, adding the agency’s website says human remains are to be opened under, “no circumstances.”
“I want an apology,” Gross said. “I want an apology from TSA. I want an apology from the lady who opened the jar and laughed at me. I want them to help me understand where they get off treating people like this.”
Five charged with organize crimes in Houston area Walmart thefts www.privateofficer.com
HOUSTON TX June 27 2012—Five suspects have been arrested for stealing from numerous Walmarts across Houston.
On Wednesday, June 20, the Walmart located at 27650 Tomball Parkway reported a theft to Tomball police and provided a description of the suspects and their vehicle.
Officers stopped the described vehicle and arrested Stephanie Chavez, Deann Drab, Matilda Vargas, Brandy Hernandez and Randall Contreras.
According to police, the five suspects have been linked to a large theft ring that has been operating for more than two years
All five suspects were charged with organized retail theft and are currently in police custody awaiting court appearance.
Security officer injured when driver runs her down www.privateofficer.com
PORTLAND OR June 27 2012 – A Rose Quarter security guard was seriously injured Tuesday morning by a man she confronted in the arena parking lot, who then ran into her with his SUV.
The vehicle went on to slam into a TriMet bus shelter and then was later found abandoned.
Police were dispatched about 6:21 a.m. to a report of a hit-and-run on North Benton Avenue and Winning Way in the Rose Quarter complex, said Sgt. Pete Simpson.
They found Elizabeth Forcia, 44, suffering from serious, but not life-threatening injuries. She was taken quickly to a hospital and released later Tuesday morning.
Forcia told police she saw a white Ford Explorer in a lot that was supposed to be secured. She saw that a chain had been cut or broken. She walked up to talk to the driver of the SUV, who was standing away from the Explorer.
Forcia said then, he ran to the vehicle, drove towards her and struck her with the SUV, Simpson said. She was able to photograph the man before he got into the car. (See photo above)
The driver fled northbound on Winning Way, tried to turn left onto Williams Avenue but crashed into a power pole, then the bus shelter.
After that, he fled on foot has not been found.
He was described as a in his 30s, balding, with a little blonde hair on the top of his head, sideburns below the ears, a short beard, a dirty black shirt that looks more grey, and black plants.
source:kgw.com
Former CT security guard sentenced to prison for equipment thefts www.privateofficer.com
Among the merchandise stolen from technology firm PerkinElmer in Shelton and later sold by 28-year old Gabriel Quinones were 11 copies of the firm’s proprietary Pyris software, which the company’s website said is designed to operate thermal imaging equipment.Federal prosecutors said copies of the software sell for $7,200 a copy and that Quinones sold the software through the Internet auction company eBay to buyers in California.
Perkin Elmer officials were could not be reached.
Quinones’ lawyer J. Patten Brown III said in a legal filing that the theft “is clearly an aberration in his otherwise exemplary life…”
PerkinElmer develops technology with applications to health and environmental sciences. Federal prosecutors said Quinones was the on-site supervisor at the Shelton company for the security contractor Securitas Security services.
Federal prosecutors said Quinones stole 126 items, mostly computer hardware equipment, and auctioned the merchandise to the highest bidder on eBay. The thefts took place in 2008 and 2009, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors would not identify the buyers, but said they were located in the U.S. and abroad.
Quinones was accused of interstate transportation of stolen merchandise. U.S. District Judge Janet B. Arterton ordered him to pay PerkinElmer for the stolen goods when he gets out of prison.
Source:courant.com
Off-duty Lafayette police officer killed in boating accident wwwprivateofficer.com
The Lafayette Police Department said Cpl. Joel Grayson, 29, had been with the department for more than five years and had earned a Medal of Valor.
He was off duty at the time of the Saturday evening accident.
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said the accident happened after a passing boat sliced the anchor line from Grayson’s boat and he jumped into the water to get the anchor.
Grayson died at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Gonzales.
FBI reports bank crime down in 2011 www.privateofficer.com
According to the FBI, there were 5,014 robberies, 60 burglaries, 12 larcenies and seven extortions of financial institutions reported to law enforcement agencies in 2011, representing a total of 5,093 violations reported for the year. This represents a decrease from 2010, which saw 5,641 reported crimes against banks.
In addition, the FBI noted that of the reported bank robberies, burglaries and larcenies reported in 2011, “loot” was taken in 89 percent of these incidents. Loot was also taken in two of the seven reported bank extortions. The total amount taken during these incidents was valued at more than $38 million and more than $8 million was recovered and returned to financial institutions.
Among the some other bank crime statistics for 2011 include:
•Perpetrators most often used written demand notes (2,958 incident), followed by oral demands (2,678 incidents). Use of a weapon was threatened in 2,331 incidents and 1,242 incidents involved the use of a firearm.
•Acts of violence were committed in 201 of the reported robberies, burglaries and larcenies. Seventy of these incidents included the discharge of a firearm and 116 involved assaults. Overall, these acts of violence resulted in 88 injuries, 13 deaths and 30 persons being taken hostage.
•Most reported incidents took part on Friday and the most common time for a crime, regardless of the day, was between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
•Most bank crimes occurred in the southern region of the U.S. with 1,576 reported incidents
Source:FBI
Stamford security officer aids police in assault-drug arrests www.privateofficer.com
Stamford CT June 27 2012 Authorities made four arrests with the assistance of a security guard at the Rumba Cafe early Sunday morning, authorities announced Monday morning.
At approximately 1:39 a.m., an officer was posted on closing time detail at 470 W. Main St., monitoring patrons as the evening ended, police said. This officer heard screams and observed four men push a fifth man to the ground where, according to police, he observed the four men begin punching the fifth man and stomping on the head.
According to authorities, the officer radioed for backup and went to the aid of the victim, detaining one of the attackers. A security guard from the Rumba Cafe assisted the officer, detaining two of the additional suspects, police said.
Arriving backup managed to detain the fourth suspect outside, who’d attempted to jump in the back seat of a vehicle outside the establishment, police said.
The victim was taken to Stamford Hospital for swelling to the face and right eye, where he was treated and released.
Cesar Augusto Catalan Veliz, 23, of Taylor Ave. in Norwalk, Christian Veliz-Lopez, 18, of Cove Rd., Gerson Veliz-Veliz, 20, of Lockwood Ave., were all charged with second-degree assault and conspiracy to commit second-degree assault. They were each held on $10,000 bond.
Jorge Lopez-Catalano, 32, of Taylor Ave. in Norwalk, was charged with second-degree assault and possession of narcotics after authorities allegedly found a small amount of suspected cocaine on his person. He wa sheld on a $15,000 bond.
Former Fort Gaines police chief arrested www.privateofficer.com
Sonny Davis was chief of police in Fort Gaines.
The GBI says in November of 2011 Davis confronted a man who was arguing with an officer.
The victim said Davis, who was off duty, cursed him, ran him out of the station and then hit him on the head with a gun.
Davis lost his job shortly after the incident.
He was booked into the Clay County Jail but no mugshot was taken of him.
Source: WALB
Five people arrested in Atlanta area using counterfeit money www.privateofficer.com
The next day, Roberts was pulled over for unknown reasons with McDew and Taylor in the car. Among the three of them, they had 14 counterfeit $50 bills, according to the Cobb County Sheriff’s Department. In a separate case, Yakira McCaskill, 19, was caught by security cameras using a counterfeit $100 bill at the store Buckle in Town Center Mall on June 12, according to a warrant for her arrest. The bill was a real $5 bill that had been printed over to look like a $100 note, the warrant states.The same day, Carol Clark, 25, was caught on camera trying to use three counterfeit $100 bills at Belk in Town Center Mall, according to a warrant for her arrest. Clark’s bills were similar to McCaskill’s in that they were $5 bills altered to look like $100 notes, the warrant states.
It is unclear if McCaskill and Clark were working together.
The Cobb Sheriff’s Department usually gets one to two cases of fake money each week, but “last week we received reports that five businesses were victims of counterfeit currency,” Cobb Sheriff spokeswoman Nancy Bodiford said Friday.
“Most businesses do not learn of counterfeit bills until the bank notifies them,” Bodiford said.
While Bodiford said she does not know of a counterfeiting ring in Cobb County, they have received notes that appear to come from the same source.
“We have received multiple counterfeit currencies with the same serial numbers,” she said. “The bills appeared to have been passed in several jurisdictions in the metro area.”
McDew, Roberts and Taylor are all being held without bail in the Cobb County Jail. Clark was released June 14 on a $5,200 bond, and McCaskill was released June 15 on a $7,500 bond.
Source: The Marietta Daily Journal
Increasing number of guns brought to South Florida airports www.privateofficer.com
Miami Fla June 27 2012 In these days of tight security, it might seem incredible that air travelers would pack a firearm in their carry-ons.
Yet, on average, about four guns per month are detected and impounded at South Florida’s airports — and the numbers have been on the rise.
In most cases, the travelers kept the gun in a purse or bag and forgot it was there when they headed to catch their flight, officials said.
They might have been in a rush or absent-minded, but one way or the other, they didn’t take the necessary time to carefully check their belongings before leaving on a trip, officials said.
“It’s hard to believe,” said Roy Liddicott, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office chief at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. “But with most, you can tell they genuinely were unaware they had an item in their bag.”
In the past two years, the number of passengers stopped for possessing a firearm at the West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami airports has increased from a total of 27 in 2010 to 48 in 2011.
That includes a jump from 14 to 22 guns at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, from 12 to 25 at Miami International and from 1 to 3 at Palm Beach International. Nationwide, the number of guns caught increased from 1,123 in 2010 to 1,306 in 2011.
So far, 27 guns have been intercepted in 2012, on pace to match or beat last year’s haul. Since mid-April alone, the Transportation Security Administration has spotted eight guns at South Florida’s airports.
TSA spokeswoman Sari Koshetz said the trend has been escalating for several years, as the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks become “a less vivid memory.”
“We know most people who have brought guns to checkpoints did not have evil intent,” she said.
Why the increase?
It may be due in part to the growth in the number of airline passengers, from 786 million in 2010 to more than 800 million in 2011 nationwide. Also, guns laws across the nation are easing, and more people are carrying one, authorities say.
Just the same, “whether it was absent-mindedness, a failure to peruse a bag that was last used for a road trip, or intent to carry,” Koshetz said there is no legally recognized excuse.
“Our mission is to stop the weapon from being brought onto an aircraft, and we continue to do that every day,” the TSA official said.
Most people caught with firearms at checkpoints have gun permits, but they do not entitle their bearer to take a firearm onto a plane. As a result, the travelers are usually charged with carrying a concealed weapon, a first-degree misdemeanor in Florida, punishable by up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. They also may face federal civil penalties of up to $7,500.
After being questioned by police, they are given a notice to appear in court and usually make their flights. The guns are kept as evidence but usually returned later to their owners.
Would-be fliers who don’t have a concealed weapon’s permit face felony charges, arrest and jail.
“That’s the end of your trip. You’re not going anywhere except with us,” said Liddicott, of theBroward Sheriff’s Office. He added that if convicted of criminal charges, offenders can get their weapons back only by obtaining a court order.
Among the South Florida cases this year:
Marisol Collazo, 41, a United Airlines ramp agent, brought a loaded Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 to Palm Beach International Airport on June 3. A TSA security officer spotted the pistol in her purse as it passed though an X-ray machine.
Collazo, of Port St. Lucie, who has a concealed weapons permit, told police she forgot to take the gun out of her purse before leaving home. While off duty, she had intended to escort her mother to the gate of a flight to New Jersey.
She was given a notice to appear in court, the gun was impounded and Collazo was allowed to put her mother on the flight.
Todd Vanlinda, 41, of Lake Worth, also said he forgot a loaded Colt .45 was in his carry-on bag before boarding a US Airways flight at Palm Beach International on June 9. Because he had a concealed weapons permit, Vanlinda was given a notice to appear and allowed to make his flight.
In contrast, Catherine Provenza had no permit when she brought an unloaded Taurus .25 caliber handgun to Palm Beach International on April 14. She told police that her boyfriend probably put the firearm in her purse to stop her from boarding a Delta flight to New York.
“He probably wanted me to get caught with the gun,” she said, according to a police report.
Provenza, 35, of West Palm Beach, was arrested and booked into Palm Beach County Jail, where she spent about 12 hours before bonding out. Her case was eventually dropped.
When the TSA finds a gun or any other dangerous item, it calls local authorities in to question the passenger and determine whether an arrest is warranted. TSA officers have no arrest powers.
South Florida airport police say they have never had to deal with any passengers who were armed and had terrorist intentions. Rather, people are genuinely are shocked when authorities find a gun in their possession, Liddicott said.
Such was the case on May 22, when Jean Apollon, 38, a security guard, brought a Hi-Point 9mm to a checkpoint at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, and Liddocott was called in to investigate.
This guy almost passed out when we found it,” Liddicott said.
While firearms are prohibited in carry-on items by federal law, they can be transported in checked luggage as long as they are not loaded, are declared to the airline and are packed in a proper carrying case.
Police, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers are allowed to travel with guns, as long as they do so “in the performance of their duties” and meet specific TSA requirements, Koshetz said.
“There are special identification verification procedures they must go through before entering the sterile area of an airport,” she said.
Koshetz said guns are just one of the TSA’s targets as the agency works to keep dangerous objects, including knives, tools and explosives, off commercial airliners.
“While the threats to aviation have evolved over the years, with improvised explosive devices being our gravest concern, we remain steadfast in our efforts to intercept all threats, including, of course, guns,” she said.
source:tribune.com
Nevada Highway Patrol troopers sue over bogus K-9 program www.privateofficer.com
LAS VEGAS NV June 27 2012 – A group of Nevada Highway Patrol troopers and a retired police sergeant have filed a racketeering complaint against the NHP and Las Vegas Metro Police in U.S. District Court.
The complaint alleges that after then-Gov. Jim Gibbons approved a K-9 program to target drug runners on Nevada’s highways, Nevada Highway Patrol Commander Chris Perry intentionally undermined the program.
The complaint alleges that the drug-sniffing dogs used by troopers in the program were intentionally being trained to operate as so-called trick ponies, or dogs that provide officers false alerts for the presence of drugs.
The dogs were being trained to alert their handlers by cues, instead of by picking up a drug’s scent by sniffing, the complaint said. When a dog gives a false alert, this resulted in illegal searches and seizures, including money and property, the complaint said.
The 103-page complaint alleges that Perry, along with others, used the K-9s to undermine the program to systematically conduct illegal searches and seizures for financial benefit.
The complaint also alleges the defendants, which also includes the state’s Public Safety Department and individuals in NHP and Metro, were involved in a Federal RICO conspiracy, also known as the Federal Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act.
NHP, Metro and the state have not returned calls from 8 News NOW for comment.
Allegations also include corruption, abuse of office and official cover ups.
Source:news8now.com
Vegas women arrested in NY shoplifting incident www.privateofficer.com
NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. June 27 2012 - Two women from Las Vegas have been charged after authorities say they stole clothes from Sears and then threatened a pursuing officer with a large stick.
According to New Hartford Police, on June 24 around 4 p.m., officers were called to Sears for a report of a larceny. Prior to the officers’ arrival on scene, Store Security told authorities that two females had fled the store on foot.
Store security followed the females – Joanne D. Henderson, 22 and Sebbra J. Kerr, 31, both of Las Vegas, Nevada – across Seneca Turnpike into a residential area where police said Kerr picked up a large stick and threatened the officer with it. Police located the duo on Balsam Crescent and they were eventually arrested after a brief foot pursuit.
New Hartford Police said that Henderson and Kerr worked together to steal more than $170 in clothing from Sears. Both were charged with petit larceny and resisting arrest.
Kerr was additionally charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree menacing.
They were both arraigned in the Town of New Hartford Court and remanded to the Oneida County Jail in lieu of bail.
Police said they located additional clothing from other stores with both women and additional charges are possible, pending further investigation.
Source:WKTV.com
Wanted pedophile captured after FBI tricks him to attend child’s party www.privateofficer.com
Salt Lake Utah June 27 2012 It took a determined FBI agent and a mother in Utah seeking retribution for her son to finally ensnare a pedophile who filmed one of the most widely distributed pieces of child porn on the Internet before fleeing the country.
Antonio Cardenas was sentenced last week to 35 years in prison on child sex abuse-related charges. Getting there, however, required good timing and a trap that was certain to lure Cardenas back to the United States: an invitation to a child’s surprise birthday party.
“Here is a kid who has no father figure,” FBI Special Agent Jeff Ross told The Salt Lake Tribune, which reported the case of Cardenas molesting a 7-year-old boy from Utah.
“This guy comes in and fills that void. . . . To them, the sexual abuse is a small price to pay for the attention they receive from these guys,” Ross told the newspaper.
Cardenas, 32, first came into contact with the boy in 2004 as his mentor through Big Brother Big Sisters of Utah.
The child’s family trusted Cardenas, inviting him on their outings and even allowing him to take the boy to Las Vegas.
When Cardenas moved back to Mexico, he still kept in touch through emails and phone calls, The Tribune reported.
Unbeknown to the family, the child was being preyed upon. Cardenas had raped him repeatedly and filmed the abuse, prosecutors said, with images and video of it spreading quickly online.
The boy tried to tell his school that Cardenas had shown him dirty movies in 2008, but later recanted, The Tribune reported.
In June 2009, the child porn produced by Cardenas reached Ross’ attention and he began investigating. Identifying the child seemed impossible, although a computer forensics team was able to determine the abuse was taking place in Utah and Las Vegas because of clues in the video’s background.
It wasn’t until that October when Ross said he caught a break: FBI agents investigating a child-porn ring found a Missouri man who posted Cardenas’ porn online, and he knew the name of the victim and who filmed the images, according to The Tribune.
Ross tracked down the boy, who at that point was age 12, and learned the back story. He also knew that Cardenas had returned to Mexico.
Ross was able to convince the mother of the boy to invite Cardenas to a fake surprise party in honor of her son’s birthday in January 2010.
Cardenas even paid someone $2,500 to help smuggle him back into the United States so he could make the festivities, The Tribune reported. The agents nabbed him once he was in Utah and on his way to the family’s home.
“We had him in custody thanks in large part to mom’s ability to keep her cool and play this script we had written out,” Ross told The Tribune.
Two months later, the agent made another major discovery during a trip to France to help Interpol review child porn cases: A video surfaced showing three Hispanic children being molested by a man whose face was blacked out.
Ross recognized the man’s visible features — his ears and hairline — and found photos of Cardenas to compare.
“It was the same guy,” Ross told The Tribune, later finding out that the kids were his nephews.
As part of a plea deal, Cardenas admitted guilt to one count of aggravated assault for the abuse against the boy in Utah. Instead of life in prison, prosecutors agreed to 30 years behind bars, although the judge added five more years as an extra penalty, noting how widely distributed the images had become online. Cardenas must also get sex-offender treatment in prison.
The victim’s family during the sentencing said the predator had shown “no remorse” and they felt betrayed by his actions, according to reports.
Cardenas told the judge he must “pay the consequences of those choices” and that he hoped the family could forgive him, The Tribune reported.
Cardenas will be behind bars until he’s 67 — which Ross told the newspaper is a relief for the victim: “Knowing that this kid isn’t going to be hurt again by this guy is awesome,” he said.
Source:www.nydailynews.com
Oklahoma youth gymnastics coach faces lewd sex charges with teen www.privateofficer.com
Bartlesville OK June 27 2012 An Oklahoma youth gymnastics coach is facing sex charges for allegedly luring a teen boy into a gym tanning booth and then stripping and trying to kiss him, police said.
Betsy Ann Brashear, 24, began eyeballing the 15-year-old as soon a he walked into Colaw Fitness in Bartlesville last Thursday, the boy’s mother told Newson6.com.
The mother, who accompanied her son to the gym, told cops she asked other gym members to keep an eye on him because Brashear was flirting with him, the news report said.
A fellow gym-goer then reported seeing Brashear lure the boy into a tanning booth and lock the door, the police complaint said.
The boy’s mother knocked on the door, and when the boy opened it, she saw Brashear with wearing a sports bra but no pants.
The two scuffled briefly, before Brashear fled back into the booth, where cops later found her.
The boy told police that Brashear asked for a lifting spot and then convinced him to go into the booth, where she pulled her pants off and kissed him.
She was charged with lewd acts with a minor under 16 and bonded out of jail on Friday.
Brashear said she never got naked but admitted to smooching the teen, saying there was “nothing wrong or illegal” about it, according to Newson6.com.
She’s due in court next month.
Source:www.nydailynews.com
San Antonio Spurs basketball player sues NY club for $20 million www.privateofficer.com
The suit was filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Thursday.
It says that the W.i.P club in SoHo and its operators were negligent in security and supervision, which allowed the fight to take place.
Chris Brown, his girlfriend and his bodyguard were among eight injured during the fight inside the club last week. Police say members of Drake’s entourage stopped Brown as he was leaving. The fight escalated and bottles were thrown.
There was no answer at phone numbers listed as affiliated with those named in the lawsuit.
Fitchburg woman arrested after baby found locked in hot vehicle at mall www.privateofficer.com
LEOMINSTER MA June 27 2012 – A Fitchburg woman was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment of a child after police received calls of an infant locked in a car outside the Mall at Whitney Field Sunday afternoon.
Ruth Allende, 31, was arrested for being disorderly after police and mall security found the infant in a vehicle outside of Old Navy at around 5:45 p.m., Leominster police Lt. Michael Ciccolini said. Allende was the caretaker of the child at the time, but not the mother.
“Leominster police and mall security were able to unlock the car with a ‘lockout’ device,” the lieutenant noted. “(Allende) was arrested for being a disorderly person after she came out and saw that the infant was being taken by police.”
Allende also faces a charge of reckless endangerment of a child. The infant appeared to be without injury after the incident and was taken into custody by the Department of Children and Families, Ciccolini said.
Source:www.sentinelandenterprise.com
Former Montgomery Central High School football coach charged with sexual battery www.privateofficer.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn.June 27 2012- A former Montgomery Central High School football coach has been arrested and charged with sexual battery by authority figure.
Police said 29-year-old former coach Marcus Bragg was booked into the Montgomery County Jail late Monday night. Bragg resigned as the football coach for Montgomery Central High School about two months ago.
Officials with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department said that the victim’s mother called police to lodge a complaint against the coach, which led to a full investigation.
Bragg was charged with three counts of sexual battery by authority figure. He was being held on $75,000 bond.
source-newschannel5.com
Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputy left gun in hospital bathroom www.privateofficer.com
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. June 27 2012
An off-duty Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputy left a gun behind at a local hospital but it was who picked it up and what he did after that sparked an investigation.
While patients shuffled in and out of Presbyterian Hospital Saturday, the search for the missing gun had hospital security and Albuquerque Police on high alert. “Anytime a weapon is involved, we’re very concerned, but we have highly trained security staff on site that make routine patrols,” explained Paul Sandoval, Director of Security for Presbyterian.
The Sheriff’s Department confirmed an off-duty deputy carrying his personal weapon left it in a restroom by accident. Worried who might find it and pick it up, APD sent officers to the security room of the hospital where detectives reviewed surveillance video.
Roughly 160 cameras are scanning the hospital everyday and one camera shows the hallway leading in and out of the bathroom where the gun was left. “It took a little while to determine who the person was and to make sure that we knew who exactly it was,” Sandoval explained.
Video showed just one person entering the restroom after the deputy from the time the gun was reported missing – Dr. Robert Gordon, a non-Presbyterian physician with privileges to practice there.
Hours after the gun went missing, APD found and questioned Gordon. Sources said at first he hesitated to give the gun back but finally handed over the weapon.
As for the deputy who clearly fouled up by leaving a gun behind, the Sheriff’s Department said he won’t be disciplined. “We definitely wouldn’t want handguns to be left where the public can have access to them, so that’s definitely a concern,” said Sgt. Sam White, of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department.
While the hospital has a strict no guns policy, that excludes on and off-duty commissioned officers. “When they’re off duty, they actually have a duty to take law enforcement action if something occurs around them or in front of them that warrants their action,” explained Smith. “Therefore we encourage, we don’t require but we highly encourage deputies to carry their weapons off duty.”
KRQE News 13 was told a search warrant was in the works to get the gun back from the doctor but it’s unclear if the warrant was ever executed. The hospital is sending the police report to the medical staff to review Gordon’s privilege to practice there.
Source: KRQE
Saginaw Michigan police chief becomes director at National White Collar Crime Center www.privateofficer.com
SAGINAW, MI June 27 2012 — Gerald H. Cliff, hired in 2005 as the Saginaw Police Department’s chief, will step down July 10 to become research director at the National White Collar Crime Center in Fairmont, West Virginia, officials say.
Saginaw Assistant Director of Public Safety Phillip A. Ludos, who oversees the city’s police and fire agencies, said he received a retirement letter from Cliff on Friday.
“Chief Cliff said that the nearly eight years in Saginaw has allowed him to gain experience in leading a police agency as a chief and said that the city of Saginaw has been a positive and learning experience for him,” Ludos said, “and was thankful for the opportunity that Saginaw provided him.”
The Saginaw News could not reach Cliff on Monday evening. Ludos said Cliff was attending a statewide police chief’s meeting in Petoskey.
“It has been both an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of this great city,” Cliff said in a statement from the city.
City Manager Darnell Earley said he has not named an interim police chief. He plans to present “a leadership transition plan” to address the vacancy at the City Council’s 6:30 pm meeting on July 9 at City Hall, 1315 S. Washington.
“I’m encouraged by this opportunity to address some longstanding issues,” said Earley, who at Monday’s council meeting asked the governing body to increase the 2011-12 budget by about $1 million to account for a larger-than-expected number of retirements by city employees — including in the police department.
Earley and the council for years have struggled to fund the agency, which is supported by the city’s general fund and a public safety millage.
The city manager said he received news of Cliff’s resignation today.
“We wish the chief well in his future endeavours,” Earley said.
Cliff has overseen large-scale changes during his tenure with the Saginaw Police Department, including violent crime statistics that dropped despite cuts in funding and personnel.
Saginaw from 2003 to 2009 topped the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ ranking of most violent cities with more than 50,000 residents. That streak ended in 2010, when the FBI ranked Saginaw as No. 2.
Violent crime peaked in 2008 with 1,833 violent incidents reported, but the number decreased steadily — by about 34 percent — between 2008 and 2010, FBI numbers show.
“Under Chief Cliff’s leadership, violent crime was reduced in Saginaw to a 30-year low in 2010,” Ludos said. “Chief Cliff also was instrumental in the development and use of technology, raising Saginaw to both national and state prominence.”
Cliff was in charge in 2009 when his agency installed the ShotSpotter technology that triangulates the location of gunshots in the city. Later, another technology advance included adding surveillance cameras for the system known as RAPTOR, or Regional Analysis of Police Technology and Operations Reporting.
In 2011, he was appointed a new supervisor when Earley hired Ludos to a position aimed at re-imagining the city’s public safety services as a more efficient, less-costly expense to the city.
Before arriving in Saginaw, Cliff served 31 years in the Detroit Police Department.
When hired by former Saginaw City Manager Cecil A. Collins Jr. in January 2005, Cliff told The Saginaw News he always envisioned commanding a department in a community about Saginaw’s size.
He succeeded Donald F. Pussehl Jr., who departed to take the reins with Saginaw Township’s police department. Cliff took over a force with a headcount that dropped to 104 from 154 in 2000. Today, the police force numbers 88 people.
Cliff was among three finalists when he was hired in 2005.
The local candidate, Brian D. Booker, was interim chief for several months. He stepped down after a 19-year Saginaw career, saying he was unhappy that city officials failed to act sooner in naming a permanent chief. Booker later became Buena Vista Township’s police chief until officials fired him earlier this year. The other final candidate during Cliff’s hiring was Charles Barbieri, a Detroit Police Department precinct commander.
Cliff arrived in Saginaw with accolades from across the state.
In 2003, he earned a doctorate from Wayne State University. He achieved his degree in public administration with minors in urban politics and policy analysis. His previous studies were at Michigan State University and the University of Detroit-Mercy.
Cliff’s advanced studies during his tenure in Detroit took place in conjunction with a series of promotions. He became a sergeant in 1986 and a lieutenant in 1995. His specialties there ranged from handling police dogs to supervising underwater recovery to combating residential burglaries.
He had experience investigating armed robberies, sex crimes, child abuse, domestic assault, cyber crime and commercial auto theft.
His experience in Detroit nearly landed him other jobs before he was hired in Saginaw. In 2002, he was a finalist in Haverhill, Mass., a community of 59,000 that is 20 miles north of Boston. He was a semifinalist in 2003 in Milwaukee, a city of nearly 600,000.
While in Saginaw, he applied to become the police chief in Albany, N.Y., but didn’t make the final cut.
Cliff has said his family roots were linked to Bay City before World War II, although he grew up in Battle Creek. He described an uncle, Frank Cliff, as former owner of Bay City’s Wenonah Park acreage.
He is the only child of Gerald W. and Wilma Cliff, who both died during the late 1980s. His father was a Battle Creek police officer who rose to the rank of lieutenant, but did not encourage him to follow in the same career footsteps.
He entered Kellogg Community College with an open mind, and then moved toward a law enforcement career when he discovered a cadet training program for the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department, Cliff once told The Saginaw News.
“My father accepted my decision,” Cliff said in 2005. “I was finally attracted to police work, because there’s something different every day. I like to constantly try to solve problems.”
Source:mlive.com
