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Anderson Alabama firefighter killed rescuing grandson from house fire www.privateofficer.com
Anderson AL July 13 2012 A member of the Anderson Volunteer Fire Department died after rescuing her grandson from a house fire early Wednesday morning.
Firefighter Elizabeth Childers, 42, handed her 2-year-old grandson out of a window to safety, but she was not able to make it out, according to WHNT-TV.
The fire occurred around 1 a.m. on County Road 50 near an intersection with Highway 207 in Lauderdale County.
As a community and fire department mourn, they remember their fellow fire fighter for her selfless act of heroism.
Anderson Assistant Fire Chief Johnny White said, “Within a half mile of the residence, I could see coming up the county road there that it was their residence. I did not know which person it was.”
Chief White got a sinking feeling when he pulled up to the county road 50 home of Scott and Beth Childers.
The couple woke up to smoke filling their home
Childers’ husband, Scott — who also is a firefighter — and their 17-year-old daughter made it out alive along with the boy.
All three were transported to a local hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.
Middle School Security Guard Honored By Middle School Marching Band www.privateofficer.com
Garden City NY July 13 2012 “Our veterans are our families and Mr. Nick Mascitti is an important part of the Middle School Family,” explained Mrs. Martha Boonshaft, Garden City Middle School Marching Band director, to her band members at the annual Memorial Day parade held in honor of Mr. Nick Mascitti, middle school security guard and veteran of the Vietnam War. With assistance from Jennifer Iovino, assistant band director, and a host of parent volunteers, the band, 170 members strong, assembled at the middle school and prepared itself for the hourlong parade route lined with town residents.
This year’s parade honored Sergeant Nick Mascitti who rode in a special car within the band’s colors. The middle school band color guard marched in front of the car with a special banner that read: “OUR VETERANS ARE OUR FAMILIES.” Along the parade route, all three soldiers were applauded and thanked for their sacrifices and service to their country by the thousands of residents who watched the parade.
The parade was led by the William Bradford Turner Post 265, American Le- gion, led by Cmdr. John Donovan, who conducted a service at the newly erected monument to all of our war veterans to the east of the Garden City Library where the reviewing stand was placed.
Mr. Nick, as the children respectfully call him, has worked for the Garden City Middle School for the past 10 years and has waited 50 years for a homecoming parade. He served in Vietnam as a member of the 5th Special Forces Group, Green Berets that was activated by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to combat the Viet Cong insurgency. The Special Forces, known as the Green Berets because of their distinctive service headgear, were a special operations force tasked with three primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, and special reconnaissance.
During his time in the Green Berets, Mr. Mascitti was decorated with three Purple Hearts, the Army Defense Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge. Known as the “Quiet Professionals” and working under the motto “De oppresso liber” (Liberate the oppressed), his unit was the most decorated unit in U.S. military history.
Source:Garden City News
Struggle at SC strip club leaves 1 man dead, security guard shot www.privateofficer.com
Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell says the 53-year-old man was escorted out of The Gentlemen’s Club at around 3 a.m. Thursday. He was reportedly being disruptive.
Ravenell says the man pulled a gun on two security guards once outside and a struggle followed.
“The guards and the suspect began fighting for the weapon,” he said. “The gun went off and the 19-year-old security guard was shot in the hip. The 53-year-old Vance man was struck during the altercation, fell to the ground, and never got up.”
We are in the initial stages of this investigation. We are analyzing forensic evidence and awaiting autopsy results to determine cause of death and the timeline of events.”
The 19-year-old security guard was treated for the gunshot injury. The 22-year-old security guard was not injured.
Source: WCIV
W.Va. man tortured wife for years www.privateofficer.com
Peter Lizon, 37, was in jail yesterday on $300,000 bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing tomorrow on a charge of malicious wounding, authorities said.
Investigators said they have 45 photographs showing burns on 43-year-old Stephanie Lizon’s back and breasts from irons and frying pans and scars on her wrists and ankles. Jackson County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Tony Boggs said investigators continue to investigate one of the most terrible cases he has seen.
“This appears to go beyond abuse to what I would consider torture,” he said yesterday.
Shawn Bayliss, Peter Lizon’s attorney, said the allegations are “the fabrication of a fertile imagination or a feeble mind, one of the two.”
“The alleged victim didn’t make these accusations. It was a third party,” Bayliss said. ” … Stephanie would say this story is absolutely untrue, and the charges levied against her husband are blatantly false.”
The details of the alleged abuse came out after Stephanie Lizon fled July 2 in Parkersburg, which is about 50 miles north of the couple’s home in Leroy. She entered another part of the building while her husband was inside Bosley Rental & Supply returning a rototiller and told the staff, “I’m trying to get away from my husband. I just need to hide for a few minutes,” one employee told The Associated Press.
The employee declined to give her name, citing concern for her safety and that of her co-workers at the rental shop.
In an office, the wife “seemed pretty calm but kept looking out the window to see if he was looking for her,” the employee said.
Stephanie Lizon told the staff she didn’t want to involve police, but she accepted the number for the domestic violence shelter and called it, the store employee said. She also called family to ask for money, and the employees gave her cash and called a cab to take her to a Western Union office and the shelter.
At the shelter, Stephanie Lizon told another woman about the abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of her husband, a native of the Czech Republic, according to the criminal complaint. The wife said her family was from Alexandria, Va.
The criminal complaint said a witness at the Parkersburg shelter provided the following account:
The witness described Stephanie Lizon as “gaunt and filthy” and covered in scars, bruises and burns. She had “mutilated and swollen” feet, a scar in the shape of a clothes iron on one breast and burns on her back that the victim said came from a hot frying pan.
She said her husband had smashed her foot with a piece of farm equipment, among other things.
The wife said she was called a “slave” and ordered to kneel before her husband every time she entered a room. The wife also said she had delivered a fully developed stillborn child while in shackles, and her husband buried the corpse on their farm.
Another child survived a similar delivery, but Stephanie Lizon said the child had never received medical attention.
Boggs said state child-welfare authorities have been notified, but Peter Lizon’s attorney said the child — a 1-year-old boy — remains with his mother.
The complaint says investigators confirmed that the wife was treated in the emergency room of St. Joseph’s Hospital in June and that photographs were taken at the shelter to document her injuries. A Sunbeam iron was among the items seized during a search last Thursday of the couple’s home. Lizon was arrested that day.
But Bayliss compared the charges to the childhood game of “telephone,” where something whispered from one person to another ultimately bears no resemblance to reality.
“This is a situation where a person has taken a nugget of information, taken an acorn and tried to turn it into a tree,” he said. “And the tree won’t support this story.”
Both Peter and Stephanie Lizon were arrested in Maryland in 2004 and later performed community service for cutting up Bush-Cheney campaign signs with a bayonet. The couple was apparently living in Randallstown, Md., at the time.
Court records also show that Stephanie Lizon was arrested on drug charges a few months later in Baltimore County. She pleaded guilty and got probation.
Jefferson County deputy sheriff dies after falling ill www.privateofficer.com
LOUISVILLE, KY July 13 2012 – A deputy with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has died after becoming ill while on the job.
According to Lt. Col. Carl Yates, Deputy David Brown was outside the Hall of Justice on July 11 when he began experiencing chest pains. Brown was taken by ambulance to Jewish Hospital where he died after arriving from an apparent heart attack.
Brown, 58, had been with JCSO for 20 years and was most recently assigned to the Court Security Detail. He is survived by a daughter and a son.
At this time, funeral arrangements for Brown have not been completed.
Phoenix man arrested for having bible study at home www.privateofficer.com
Phoenix AZ July 13 2012 Bible study leader Michael Salman is sitting in jail today after his home was raided earlier this week by more than a dozen Phoenix, Ariz. police officers and city officials. His offense? The city says people aren’t allowed to hold private Bible studies on their own property.
Salman was sentenced to 60 days in jail, three years probation and received a $12,180 fine for “the crime.” His wife Suzanne spoke with Fox and Friends this morning to express her shock and disbelief at the entire situation. According to Suzanne, the city told her that her husband was essentially arrested because the Bible study was at a private house .. and that essentially, it’s a church. Since they weren’t zoned for church, they were told they were breaking the rules.
“It defies logic, honestly. I don’t understand … that something so small got so large like this,” Suzanne said. “People do it all over the United States all the time.”
John Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute believes the family is being discriminated against because of their faith. “The key is — the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion … the right to assemble and talk to each other wherever you want to be – in public or in your home,” he said. “The thing that I think is so shocking is that you might expect this in Iran or [some place] around the world … but happening in the United States, this is so shocking it’s beyond belief.”
Phoenix City Prosecutor Vicki Hill said in a statement: “It came down to zoning and proper permitting. Anytime you are holding a gathering of people continuously as he does, we have concerns about people being able to exit the facility properly in case there is a fire, and that’s really all this comes down to.”
What do you make of this case? As Suzanne says in the below interview, is this different than a regularly meeting Tupperware group or the like? And if so, how and why?
Former guard who killed partner, stole $2.3 million won’t face death www.privateofficer.com
PITTSBURGH PA July 13 2012 AP - Prosecutors announced today that they will not pursue the death penalty against a former armored car guard who allegedly stole $2.3 million from the vehicle after killing his fellow guard.
The jailed guard, Kenneth Konias Jr., 22, is charged with murdering the other guard, 31-year-old Michael Haines, before stealing the money from the Garda Cash Logistics vehicle on Feb. 28.
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. had previously said he might not seek the death penalty in order to deprive Konias of the notoriety that sometimes attaches to death penalty defendants, especially since Konias will spend life in prison if he’s convicted of first- or second-degree murder.
It could take 18 months for a death penalty case to go to trial, compared with six months if the death penalty was not a factor.
“If we’re successful in our case, this guy’s never leaving the joint,” Zappala said.
Authorities believe Konias was driving the armored car when he opened a door behind the driver’s seat and fatally shot Haines, who was in the middle of the truck’s three compartments. Zappala has also said the physical evidence doesn’t support what Zappala considers Konias’ self-serving claim that he only shot Haines after Haines aimed a gun at him during some kind of argument.
Haines was shot in the back of the head and there was no evidence in the truck or in the way Haines clothes appeared that day to suggest the men struggled before Haines was shot, Zappala said.
Zappala spokesman Mike Manko said Tuesday the prosecutor met with Haines’ family a couple of weeks ago seeking input on whether to pursue the death penalty, but he otherwise didn’t comment on the decision.
Haines’ family released a statement Tuesday saying they told Zappala they hoped to avoid the prolonged death penalty process.
“Our desires were voiced in favor of avoiding the extensive trial period involved in such a pursuit, and diminishing the degree of prolonged stress on our family,” the statement said.
The family added that “Michael loved super heroes and had faith that right triumphs over wrong” and said a swifter trial “will help to expedite such triumph in Michael’s honor.”
The FBI and Pittsburgh homicide detectives have gone to Florida and otherwise spent the weeks since the robbery trying to trace Konias’ movements before his arrest and trace the stolen money.
Konias reportedly confided in a prostitute in Florida who then told a male acquaintance about Konias’ role in the robbery, and that man contacted Pittsburgh police the night before Konias was arrested.
At least $1.1 million has been recovered in Florida along with nearly $300,000 in Pennsylvania. The FBI has been trying to determine if more money is stashed somewhere or whether Konias spent it all, though Konias may have given a large sum to a cab driver who investigators said may have been trying to help Konias escape to an island in the Caribbean.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Recalls 200 Badges Given To Citizens www.privateofficer.com
Los Angeles CA July 13 2012 The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which has faced criticism for handing out official-looking credentials to civilians with no law enforcement duties, is recalling an estimated 200 badges the department gave to local politicians, according to documents and interviews.
Sheriff Lee Baca’s decision to recall the badges comes two weeks after the FBI arrested three city officials in Cudahy on bribery charges. In support of the charges, the U.S. attorney’s office released a photo of a smiling young woman in a Cudahy nightclub, brandishing two handguns and wearing a councilman’s badge on her chest.
One command-level sheriff’s official briefed on the badge recall said the move was prompted by the revelation in Cudahy. Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore, however, said that the timing was a coincidence and that a 2007 state attorney general’s warning prompted the call to return the badges.
Asked why it took more than four years for the Sheriff’s Department to take action on the attorney general’s legal opinion, Whitmore replied, “That’s a good question.”
The emergence of the Cudahy photo is the latest in a series of incidents in which official-looking credentials given to civilians by law enforcement agencies have come under scrutiny. Critics have long said badges and identification cards appeared to be rewards for political contributions and had the potential for abuse.
After a series of Times stories, California police chiefs and sheriffs were told by then-Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown in 2007 that handing out badges created the potential for civilians to falsely pose as law enforcement officers. The attorney general’s opinion covers any badge “that would deceive an ordinary reasonable person into believing that it is authorized for use by a peace officer.”
In the wake of the opinion, some agencies pledged to stop issuing the IDs and badges.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recalled official-looking identification cards but continued giving badges to council members and city managers in cities that contracted for the department’s police services.
At first glance, the badges closely resemble those deputies wear, with the same six-pointed star design. Instead of identifying the person as a “deputy sheriff,” the badges read “City Official Los Angeles County.”
Whitmore said the badges were given to city officials for use during emergencies so they could pass through sheriff’s command posts. He estimated that about 200 badges will be recalled from about 40 cities.
Aside from the Cudahy case, Whitmore said he was not aware of any other incident in which a city official misused a badge. But civilian abuse of such credentials has been a problem in the past.
In the 1980s, the issue caught the attention of members of the county Board of Supervisors after they learned that “Hillside Strangler” Kenneth Bianchi had used a county emblem to pose as a police officer while luring his victims.
Prior to the attorney general’s 2007 opinion, two political contributors to the Riverside County sheriff told The Times they displayed their honorary badges during encounters with law enforcement. One used it to gain access to a secure area of Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. The other showed it to police officers serving a search warrant at his business.
About the same time, a Compton man was arrested after allegedly flashing Redondo Beach police officers a badge issued to him by a state assemblyman.
The Times also reported that Baca gave official-looking identification cards to members of his Homeland Security Support Unit, a civilian group that was staffed by many of his political donors.
According to an internal policy memo, the practice of giving badges to city officials has been going on since 1986. In fact, the policy was reexamined in 2010 but allowed to continue despite the attorney general’s warning on the matter three years earlier.
Whitmore said the photograph of the woman wearing Councilman Osvaldo Conde’s badge at the El Potrero nightclub in Cudahy was “a vulgar display.”
Three Cudahy officials were arrested June 22 as part of a federal investigation into allegations of corruption in the city’s government. Conde, then-Mayor David Silva and Angel Perales, the former head of code enforcement, are accused of taking a total of $17,000 in bribes from the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary who wanted to open a store in the city.
In a transcript of a secretly recorded conversation, Perales is quoted talking about “a crooked deputy.”
“Well, he just got transferred to Cudahy, but I knew all about him before … he came in,” Perales tells an FBI informant.
The two men talk about paying off the deputy.
Source:latimes.com
Police officers frequently face ethical challenges www.privateofficer.com
BILOXI, MS July 13 2012 - Police officers are supposed to “protect and serve.” But perhaps the greater challenge, is doing so with dignity. A law enforcement workshop in Biloxi is equipping officers to better meet that challenge.
More than 50 officers are attending a “law enforcement ethics” class in Biloxi.
Whether it’s their conduct during a traffic stop or when to use deadly force, officers often deal with moral or ethical decision making.
“We have to make split second decisions that could be life or death,” said instructor Nick Valltos, as he taught a room full of law enforcers at the Donal Snyder Community Center.
That’s one major difference between police officers and most other occupations. Additionally, the conduct of police officers is often very open and subject to public scrutiny.
“Police officers are a symbol of trust in the community. And people have to have trust in their police officers. And part of that trust is treating the public equitably. And when I mean equitably, I mean with respect,” said Valltos.
These officers recognize that their decision-making and behavior is held to a higher standard than other professions.
And the reality is, one bad cop can ruin the reputation for all.
“Our officers need to understand that the things they do affect not just them, every other officer in the world just about. Because we’re all lumped into a group. And you’re held at a higher standard, and you should be. And you need to uphold that standard,” said Biloxi officer Bruce Johnson.
This workshop is a reminder of that higher standard and a review of things like “ethical standards” that must start with the leadership.
“I think ethics, we train on so many issues and ethics is one that seems to be left out a lot of times. And it doesn’t hurt, we have good, ethical cops and it doesn’t hurt to reiterate some things and make sure they’re staying on the right track,” said Chief John Miller of Biloxi.
The ethics course is designed to help keep them on that “right track” and remind officers about their professional oath and duty.
“We’re the good guys. We’re the ones that do things right. We’re the ones with the public’s trust. We’re ensured with the public’s safety,” said instructor Valltos.
Police officers say one thing they must battle is the public perception of their profession; a perception often fueled by police dramas on TV.
Officers say while such dramatizations may be good entertainment, they often present a very distorted view of real life law enforcement.
Source:WLOX.com
Memphis man arrested in teacher certification scam www.privateofficer.com
MEMPHIS, TN – July 13 2012– One man has been indicted on 45 counts of conspiracy to violate United States laws in connection to a teacher certification scam that involved at least 50 teachers and aspiring teachers in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.
According to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Edward L. Stanton, Clarence Mumford, 58, of Memphis was charging teachers money and in return, finding other people to pose as them to take their teacher certification examinations.
Aspiring teachers are required to pass the PRAXIS examinations in order to obtain a teaching license.
According to the indictment, the scam began in 1995 and went on until March 2010.
Mumford is accused of charging teachers and aspiring teachers between $1,500 and $3,000 per test. As part of the operation, Mumford would get the teachers’ identifications, as well as I.D. from the people actually taking the tests. He made fake I.D.’s that were used by the test-takers to gain admission into the exams.
Mumford reportedly made tens of thousands of dollars from the 15 year operation.
“In an area that should be sacrosanct – the education of our children – Mumford has created an atmosphere in which teachers who are not only unqualified, but who have also gained credentials by fraud, stand in front of our children every day,” said U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton in a written statement.
The investigation into Mumford’s scheme was conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service.
His charges consist of mail fraud, wire fraud, social security fraud, aggravated identity theft, and fraud in connection with identification documents.
Mumford is currently a counselor in Hughes, AR. He receives retirement from Memphis City Schools.
He was released on his on recognizance.
Source: WMC-TV
FBI offers $20,000 reward for missing GA banker information www.privateofficer.com
ATLANTA Ga July 13 2012
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a $20,000 reward for a missing Georgia banker accused in a multimillion dollar investment scheme. A federal grand jury indicted him Wednesday on criminal charges.
Aubrey “Lee” Price vanished after sending relatives and regulators a suicide note and confession letter. The Securities and Exchange Commission and the FBI have both filed complaints against him, which would seem to indicate agents believe he may be on the run.
“I think that he is alive. I have nothing to base that on other than that I think he is a coward, and I think cowards don’t kill themselves,” investor Wendy Cross told Channel 2 investigative reporter Jodie Fleischer.
Cross said she invested $300,000 with Price, and months of bogus statements from Price’s investment firm led her to believe she had about $360,000 in her accounts.
“It’s not just my money. It was my dreams. It was my future. It was my freedom gone,” said Cross.
She said she had worked her entire adult life to save that money for her retirement. She currently runs a food truck which she may have to sell.
“He’s a thief, and he’s a liar, and those people, nothing fazes them. So it doesn’t matter how angry I am,” Cross said.
Federal investigators said Price lost about $40 million belonging to roughly 115 investors.
Cross told Fleischer, “I understand now why people commit suicide when they lose everything. I get it.”
Though, Price was the one threatening suicide. He sent a 22-page letter entitled “Confidential Confession for Regulators” to several family members and others.
The letter reads, “I realize that time is up, and there is no way that I can work my way out of the mess that I have created.”
Price went on to say, “No one else had any knowledge of any fraudulent activity.” He signed the letter “with deepest regrets, sorrow, and sadness.”
Cross believes the whole thing was contrived.
“He was planning this exit for a long time. He’s a very smart individual. It’s too bad it was used for such evil,” said Cross.
Property records show Price sold his waterfront home in Florida in May for more than $800,000. Different companies now occupy his offices in McDonough. The SEC has frozen his assets.
“We have no information that he’s not alive,” said Bill Hicks, the SEC’s associate regional director in Atlanta.
According to the FBI arrest affidavit, Price told others he planned to kill himself off the coast of Florida by jumping off of a ferry boat. Investigators found some evidence to indicate he boarded a ferry from Key West to Ft. Myers, but the trail ended there. The agent wrote, “Despite a recent search by the Coast Guard, Price’s body has not been recovered.”
The same affidavit indicates that Price is believed to have purchased real estate in Venezuela and that he frequently traveled there. He also told others about owning a boat that would be large enough to travel to Venezuela from Florida.
“I hope they find him, and I hope he suffers, and I hope he sees some of this path of financial carnage he has left behind,” said Cross.
Investiators say Price’s scheme also contributed to the failure of Montgomery Bank and Trust in South Georgia. Federal regulators shut down branches in Ailey and Vidalia last week, hauling away boxes of evidence.
Price invested $10 million in the bank, purporting to try to help save it from failing. But the latest court filing says he instead used his position as a bank director in charge of investing the bank’s capital, to have money transferred to his own investment accounts.
During an 18 month period, federal investigators believe Price stole, misappropriated and embezzled over $21 million from MB&T. To cover up his fraud, investigators say Price also provided bank officials with bogus account statements which falsely indicated the bank’s capital was safely held in an account at a financial services firm.
As a result of Price’s alleged fraud upon MB&T, the bank’s cash assets and reserves were depleted
Source:wsbtv.com
Knox County man arrested while doing yard work in the nude www.privateofficer.com
KNOXVILLE TN July 13 2012 - A Knox County man was arrested Wednesday after he was seen naked working in his yard.
Knox County sheriff’s deputy Scott Ritch says he saw Lindsay Medd Stevens standing completely nude in his yard on Windwhisper Boulevard.
The officer says when he arrived at the house Stevens was cutting a tree.
When Stevens saw the officer, the crime report says, Stevens ran inside his house.
A neighbor had called the sheriff’s office to complain about Stevens, who reportedly had been seen naked in his yard by neighbors several times in the past.
Stevens was booked in the Knox County Detention Center and charged with indecent exposure.
Source:WATE
Man jumps to his death from Hoover Dam bridge www.privateofficer.com
BOULDER CITY NV July 13 2012 – A man jumped to his death this afternoon by Hoover Dam.
Bureau of Reclamation officials say that the man was hanging onto a railing for two hours before letting go. Witnesses say he hit the rocks and fell into the water. Officials have recovered the body.
This is the third suicide off the O’Callaghan-Tillman bridge this year.
The investigation has been turned over to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
The Clark County coroner’s office will release the victim’s identity.
Traffic was tied up for several hours as officials closed the U.S. 93 Hoover Dam Bypass bridge in an attempt to talk the man down
Source: KSNV
Anaheim choir teacher charged with child molestation www.privateofficer.com
Orange County Sheriffs Department’s deputies were on routine patrol Wednesday afternoon when they spotted a woman and a young man kissing in a car parked off Starr Street and Beach Boulevard, authorities said.
“They noticed that he was quite a bit younger, so they spoke to them,” said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Judy Lee, 39, has taught at Magnolia High School in Anaheim for eight years. She admitted to having sexual relations with the student on school grounds and in other parts of Orange County since November of last year, Amormino said.
Lee is married to a pastor and the mother of four children, KTLA reported.
The boy’s name and age have not been released. But officials said he was younger than 18 and older than 14 when he graduated from school this year.
As of Thursday morning, the principal of Magnolia High School was aware of the case and deferred all questions to the school district.
“There’s always a possibility there are additional victims,” Amormino said.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department officials are asking any victims or witnesses to call (855) TIP-OCCS.
Source:LANOW
Phoenix police bust $25 million fake coupon operation www.privateofficer.com
Phoenix AZ July 13 2012 Police say they have seized more than $25 million worth of fake coupons and $2 million in other assets from the homes of three women linked to a widespread counterfeiting and forgery operation.
Officer James Holmes said officers served several warrants Tuesday morning at the Phoenix-area residences, and 40-year-old Robin Ramirez, 42-year-old Amiko Fountain and 54-year-old Marilyn Johnson were arrested after an eight-week investigation.
“We used undercover and covert operations to make purchases and to identify the three suspects,” Holmes said.
Police say Ramirez, believed to be the leader of the operation, bought the counterfeit manufacturer coupons overseas and then sold them on a website, savvyshoppersite.com, which is not associated with Phoenix’s Savvy Shopper Magazine. Fountain and Johnson are suspected of helping operate the site and helping to ship the coupons.
People who purchased the coupons could use them for items from major national manufacturers like Procter & Gamble, and could get cash back if the value of the coupon exceeded the item’s price.
For example, homes said a person could use a $25 coupon to purchase a $15 bag of dog food and receive the difference in cash. He said people were buying multiple coupons for multiple items, and the costs add up quickly since the manufacturer has to reimburse the retailer.
“These people aren’t buying a few coupons from this site,” Holmes said. “They’re buying bunches, and they’re redeeming them in bunches.”
Holmes said manufacturers have lost hundreds of millions of dollars to coupon fraud overall.
Phoenix-based Bar-S Foods Co. has lost around $250,000 in the last three months to fraudulent coupons, Holmes said.
Crystal Harrell, communications manager with Procter & Gamble, said the company joined with others and the Coupon Information Corporation to protect the company and its customers. She said consumers should never buy coupons because that means they are counterfeit and therefore illegal.
“Consumers are hurt when they pay money for coupons,” Harrell said. “The retailers are hurt if they accept fraudulent coupons, and manufacturers are hurt.”
Holmes said cash-only bonds are set at $450,000 for Ramirez and $250,000 each for the two others.
It was unclear if the women had attorneys.
Source:www.azcentral.com/news
Cape Coral Police arrest man for masturbating at Target store www.privateofficer.com
CAPE CORAL FLA July 13 2012 - Cape Coral Police released security video that they say shows a man inappropriately touching himself in the parking lot of a Super Target.
On May 24, police were called out to the Target located at 1890 NE Pine Island Road.
Store security reported that a man – later identified as 56-year-old Jeffrey Shafer – was sitting in a truck in the parking lot and exposing himself, according to reports.
The arrest report states that by the time police had gotten to the Target, Shafer was already inside the store and walking around.
While one officer went to speak with Shafer, the other responding officer was in the security office watching video that had been recorded with security cameras.
According to the arrest report, Shafer was sitting inside a brown GMC truck and was parked in the first spot from the entry and exit doors.
The video zoomed in and, according to the report, clearly shows Shafer looking toward the doors of the business, remove and start rubbing his penis.
The report states he did this as a woman walked in front of his truck.
The store security officer told police the only reason the he had been recording Shafer in the first place is because he had seen Shafer in the parking lot making rapid movements while sitting inside his truck and believed that he was masturbating.
Shafer was arrested for giving a false name to a law enforcement officer and public exposure of sexual organs.
He was taken to the Lee County Jail, and according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office website, he is still in custody there.
Source:nbc-2.com
Masked men spook armed guard, who fires gun www.privateofficer.com
The guard told deputies that he was sitting in his car in the 1500 block of Birch Avenue when somebody broke his window just after 1 p.m., Lt. J.T. Faulkner said. The guard told deputies that he feared the two masked men outside of his car were trying to rob him, so he fired once, Faulkner said. The guard said he got out of his car and fired twice more as the men ran away, the lieutenant said.
The guard then drove to nearby Bear Valley and San Pasqual roads, where he called 911 to report the incident, he said. Faulkner said investigators found no reports that anyone sought help for a gunshot wound.
Tulsa man impersonated police during robbery www.privateofficer.com
Tulsa OK July 13 2012 – A man is behind bars on Wednesday after allegedly impersonating a police officer Sunday night.
24-year-old Adam Odell McAdoo of Tulsa was arrested Wednesday afternoon on complaints of impersonating a police officer and larceny from two people Sunday night.
Tulsa PD Corporal Will Dalsing told Tulsa’s Channel 8′s crew Sunday night that McAdoo and another suspect posed as police officers at the Bristol Park Apartments just before 11:00 p.m. Sunday.
McAdoo and the other suspect reportedly pulled up in a green minivan next to two Hispanic men, rifled through their pockets, got cash from their wallets, and left.
“With this Hispanic population being targeted, that’s always a big concern for us,” Dalsing said Sunday night.
Cpl. Dalsing suggested that anyone who questions the credentials of people claiming to be police officers may call the police department to confirm that officers are officially at a location taking some action.
McAdoo had been arrested in May for kidnapping with extortion. He bonded out and was awaiting trial for that charge.
The other suspect in Saturday’s alleged crimes has not been located.
McAdoo’s bond was set at $100,000.
Former New Orleans pastor sentenced to 10 years in prison in theft of $1 million dollars www.privateofficer.com
NEW ORLEANS LA July 13 2012 (AP) – A former New Orleans pastor has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing nearly $1 million in disaster loan payments meant to rebuild a church after Hurricane Katrina.
Toris Young pleaded guilty in January to theft of government funds and mail fraud. The sentence handed down Thursday by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier was roughly twice that recommended in federal sentencing guidelines.
Young also must pay $963,900 in restitution to the Small Business Administration.
Prosecutors said money meant for the Bible Way Baptist Church was used for Young’s personal expenses, including jewelry, vehicles and clothes.
Young submitted fraudulent invoices and receipts to the SBA after the 2005 storm. The church property was vacant with overgrown weeds when the SBA checked to see how he spent the money.
Waterville Maine woman charged with bank robbery www.privateofficer.com
SOUTH PORTLAND ME July 13 2012– A Waterville woman was arrested early Sunday morning in connection with the robbery last week of a TD Bank branch near the Maine Mall in South Portland.
Jamilee Kus, 28, was arrested by detectives from the South Portland Police Department during a traffic stop on I-95 in Scarborough at 1 a.m. Sunday following a brief investigation, according to Sgt. Steve Webster.
She is charged with class A robbery and class C theft. Kus is being held at Cumberland County Jail on bail of $5,000. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
Police say Kus is the woman who was caught on camera wearing a Gap sweatshirt and a New York Yankees cap as she entered the bank, located at 250 Maine Mall Road, at around 7 p.m. on July 5 and took from a teller an undisclosed amount of cash.
The woman then left the building and entered a white SUV-type vehicle parked behind Friendly’s Ice Cream. It appeared that someone else was driving the vehicle.
Two Polk County women busted in shoplifting spree www.privateofficer.com
LAKELAND Fla July 13 2012- Two Polk County women are facing a variety of charges after they were arrested Thursday night for stealing clothes from the Lakeland Square Mall.
Quantavia Ponder and Teisha Wimbush were booked into the Polk County Jail and released Friday after they each posted a bond of $4,250.
Both suspects were charged with 10 counts of grand theft, one count of battery on a law enforcement officer and one count of resisting arrest.
The incident occurred just after 8 PM Thursday.
According to a Lakeland Police Department report mall security contacted authorities after following Ponder, 22, and Wimbush, 21, into the parking lot.
Inside their vehicle detectives discovered hundreds of clothing items allegedly stolen from a variety of retail stores throughout Central Florida.
Investigators say the women took items from several businesses within the Lakeland City limits. Among the stores they hit – Dillards, Old Navy, The Children’s Place and Aeropostal.
In all a total of $3,246 worth of merchandise was confiscated from the suspect vehicle. All of the clothing items still had the retail tags on them.
When officers attempted to prevent Ponder and Wimbush from driving away they engaged in a physical confrontation with the pair.
At least two LPD officers were struck by the suspects according to the arrest report. Fortunately they were not injured.
Additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
Source: FOX 13
Naperville School District employee arrested for stealing nearly three tons of copper wiring www.privateofficer.com
Naperville IL July 13 2012 A former maintenance worker of Naperville School District 203 is free on bond and awaiting trial for allegedly stealing nearly three tons of copper wiring and $1,000 since last summer from the district.
James W. Logan, 52, of Montgomery, surrendered just before 3 p.m. July 2 at the Naperville police station, 1350 W. Aurora Road, according to police records. He is to be tried in DuPage County Circuit Court on two felony charges of theft of more than $500 but less than $10,000 from a school, place of worship or government agency.
Naperville police were sent about 2:30 p.m. May 18 to a trailer parked on the 600 block of Fifth Avenue on the city’s north side, Sgt. Gregg Bell said. Investigators learned approximately $1,000 had been stolen from a locked cabinet inside the trailer, which is owned by the school district, Bell said via email.
“Logan was identified as a possible suspect, and also believed to be involved in the theft of copper from a storage area” on the grounds of Naperville Central High School, 440 W. Aurora Ave., Bell said. The copper, which totaled more than 4,500 lbs. and was valued at about $9,000, disappeared between Aug. 11 and June, he said.
District 203 officials fired Logan within a week of the cash theft. A warrant was issued late last month for his arrest.
An examination of court records indicated Logan has no criminal record in DuPage County. His arraignment date is pending.
Virginia man accused of spying on women at Kohl’s store www.privateofficer.com
Albermarle County VA July 13 2012 A Madison County man was arrested Sunday after allegedly taking photos and video of women walking around the Kohl’s department store in Hollymead Town Center then tussling with police in the parking lot, Albemarle County police said Tuesday.
Maurice L. Monroe, 28, was charged with felony assault on a police officer, officials said, and more charges are pending based on what’s found on his phone.
Kohl’s security personnel noticed Monroe’s behavior and called police, according to Albemarle police Sgt. Darrell Byers.
The assault charge stemmed from an encounter with police outside, Byers said, in which Monroe turned and an officer was elbowed in the chest.
Source:the daily progress
Philadelphia IRS employee charged in identity theft scheme www.privateofficer.com
According to an indictment, Domeen Flowers, 48, of Maitland Florida, used her position with the IRS to make unauthorized computer entries into the IRS’ Integrated Data Retrieval System. Back in 2009, investigators say Flowers gained personal information on a taxpayer who she was renting a house from in Philadelphia. She then allegedly used that information to apply for credits from different credit card companies in the victim’s name.
Flowers was arrested and charged with aggravated identity theft, unauthorized inspection of tax returns and other related offenses. Flowers first appeared at U.S. District Court in Orlando. She was released on bail pending an appearance in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.
If convicted of all charges, Flowers faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison with a maximum possible sentence of 46 years, maximum fine of $1,254,000, a special assessment of $900 and two years of supervised release.
Armed man with fake police badge arrested at Southwest Florida International Airport www.privateofficer.com
Lee County Fla July 13 2012 A Cape Coral was arrested Wednesday at Southwest Florida International Airport on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and unlawful use of a police badge.
According to the arrest report, Joshua Watson, 28, raised suspicions at the airport by wearing camouflage pants, a black T-shirt, tan boots and silver badge on his waist that said “police.”
A Port Authority police officer approached Watson and asked him if he was a law enforcement officer, he replied “no, I’m just an instructor for kung fu.” The officer then asked for his ID, Watson complied.
While searching for warrants, another officer removed a common folding knife from Watson’s left pocket.
The officer had asked Watson if he had any other weapons, Watson said yes and began reaching toward his back but the officer took control of his hands and found a knife in a black sheath attached to Watson’s belt.
The knife was a 4-1/2 inch fixed blade. The officer asked if Watson had a concealed weapons permit to which he replied “no.”
Watson did have an expired concealed firearm permit in his wallet for the state of Washington and a “Police Self Defense Instructors” identification.
He was placed under arrest and taken to the Lee County Jail without incident.
Source:news-press.com
