Princeton Math Teacher Arrested on Charge of Sexual Assault of a Child www.privateofficer.com

Fort Worth TX May 12 2013 A teacher with the Princeton Independent School District has been arrested on a charge of sexual assault of a child, a first-degree felony.

Matthew Pappas, 30, is an 8th math grade teacher at Clark Jr. High School who moved to McKinney after graduating from Ohio State University in 2004, according to his web page on the district’s website.

Pappas, who is married, was arrested shortly after midnight Wednesday by McKinney police and booked into the Collin County Detention Center. He was released after posting $100,000 bond.

In a statement released Thursday morning, the district said Pappas has been placed on leave and that the alleged incident did not occur on school property and did not involve a student in the Princeton district. Thursday afternoon, McKinney police clarified the district’s earlier statement and said the victim was a student in the Princeton district, but that the alleged offense occurred in McKinney.

Philip Anthony, superintendent of schools for the Princeton ISD, released the following statement after learning of Pappas’ arrest:

“The safety of our students is our top priority. The District will fully cooperate with law enforcement as it investigates the charges.”

A letter outlining the teacher’s arrest was sent to parents of students in the district.

Source: NBC Fort Worth

Former Treasurer of the Carterville School District Charged with Embezzling Funds www.privateofficer.com

 

Grand Rapids MI May 11 2013
Todd Ryan Frazier, 30, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was indicted by a grand jury and charged in a 16-count ndictment with
•counts 1—3, embezzlement and theft from the Carterville School District—a unit of local government that received federal funds;
•counts 4—13, wire fraud in furtherance of a scheme to defraud the Carterville School District;
•count 14, false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
•count 15, attempting to access a computer of a financial institution without authorization;
•count 16, uttering a forged check of the Carterville School District, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. The offenses each carry a total statutory maximum sentence of up to 250 years in prison, a fine of up to $3,400,000 and mandatory restitution.
The indictment alleges that Todd Ryan Frazier, from August 2008 and continuing through February 2012, engaged in a scheme to defraud the Carterville School District, Unit 5, in Williamson County, Illinois, while he was the School Business Official which included the duties and responsibilities to act as the treasurer and payroll officer for the district. The indictment further alleges that Todd Ryan Frazier lied to the Federal Bureau of Investigation during its investigation when he stated that he had not stolen money from the Carterville School District, nor did he make any false entries into Carterville School District’s payroll system.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The indictment is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith.

Georgia man, girlfriend kill grandfather, 78, steal his truck www.privateofficer.com

Cobb County GA May 9 2013 For several days, Edward Smith’s family had no idea where he was. But they had a feeling something was wrong.
And it was.
By the time the 78-year-old’s family reported him missing to police Sunday, Smith had been dead for four days, according to Cobb County police. And the last two to see Smith alive, his grandson and the grandson’s girlfriend, are now the two charged with his death.
 Smith’s grandson, Casey Ryan Collins, 30, and Collins’ girlfriend, Sarah Elizabeth Cook, 23, both of Mableton, allegedly stabbed and strangled Smith to death inside the older man’s truck, according to arrest warrants obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Then after killing him, Collins and Cook allegedly drove around town in the dead man’s white Ford pickup truck with his body still inside, the warrants state.
The duo later abandoned the truck, which was found Tuesday with Smith still inside, police said. On Wednesday, as Collins and Cook remained in the Cobb County jail facing homicide charges, family members struggled to make sense of a seemingly senseless crime.
“This is a nightmare. It’s a complete nightmare,” Smith’s daughter, Lisa Stitley, told The AJC by phone Wednesday night. “I can’t even begin to imagine. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up.”
Stitley said even though her father lived in Gwinnett County, he made the trip daily from his Lilburn home to see her and other family members in Cobb County. From there, Smith would sometimes make the trip to Villa Rica to see his 39-year-old girlfriend, Stitley said.
“He was very young at heart,” Stitley said. “And was in extremely good health for his age.”
Stitley last saw her father last Thursday morning, she said. From there, Smith planned to visit his grandson before driving to Villa Rica. But Smith never made it out of Cobb County. He had a cell phone, but it wasn’t working Thursday, possibly from a late payment, Stitley said.
Outside the Mableton home where Collins and Cook lived, the two allegedly assaulted Smith as he sat inside of his parked truck, warrants state.
“Cook stabbed Smith twice in the chest with a knife while Collins used a belt to choke Smith,” the warrants state. “After Smith was dead, Collins removed Smith’s wallet from Smith’s pocket.”
Then, investigators believe Collins and Cook drove around metro Atlanta and went shopping — all while Smith’s body was concealed in his truck, according to police.
For several days, Smith’s family worried endlessly about him. Collins and Cook played along, Collins’ mother told The AJC.
“They were upset,” Tammy Smith Connor said. “They acted just like they were worried just like we were.”
On Sunday, Stitley reported to Cobb police that her father was missing. Two days later, police made the gruesome discovery of the man’s body inside his truck left in south Cobb.
Cook has allegedly confessed to police what she and her boyfriend did, arrest warrants state. But Smith’s daughters said that other than stealing the older man’s money, they can’t imagine what motive the two would have had.
“My dad had been good to both of them,” Tammy Smith Connor said. “He always went the extra mile with family.”
Funeral arrangements for Smith have not yet been finalized.

source-ajc

Florida man accussed of passing counterfeit $100 bills in Alabama www.privateofficer.com

GULF SHORES, Alabama April 30 2013 — After trying to pass a counterfeit $100 bill at a local pharmacy, a Florida man was arrested thanks to an employee’s description of the suspect, according to Gulf Shores police.
Mark Joseph Elking Jr., 30, of Panama City was charged with first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a forgery device.
According to Gulf Shores police, Elking tried to use the counterfeit money about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23. While the suspect left the drug store before police arrived, the employee’s description of suspect and his vehicle allowed officers to track him down.
Elking was pulled over shortly after leaving the pharmacy and, according to a new release, “led to evidence of a counterfeiting operation being conducted by the suspect.”
As of Monday, Elking remained in Baldwin County Corrections Center in Bay Minette with bail set at $30,000.
Possession of a forged instrument is a Class B felony in Alabama and carries a possible jail sentence of no less than two years and no more than 20 years. Possession of a forgery device is Class C felony with a sentence range of one to 10 years.
Gulf Shores police say the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding the crime is ask to call Detective Shane Lindsey at 251-968-2431.
Source- AL.com

Bristol, Tenn. man arrested for allegedly stealing from teacher on field trip www.privateofficer.com

 

BLOUNTVILLE TN April 30 2013 — A Bristol, Tenn. man was arrested on theft charges late last week after he allegedly stole a Sullivan County teacher’s debit card while she was on a field trip with her class at a local park.

Jorge Cervantes, 30, Kendricks Hollow Road, Bristol, Tenn. was arrested April 26 by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office on a single count of theft and two counts of identity theft. According to police reports, the incident allegedly occurred April 18 when a Blountville Elemntary School teacher was on a field trip at Steele Creek Park with her class.

The teacher reportedly left a bag containing her wallet in a building next to the lake while she was on the playground with her students. Authorities said the teacher was notified by Eastman Credit Union a short while later that her account had been used to make several suspicious purchases.

It was after that alert from the credit union that the teacher noticed her wallet was missing, authorities said. Authorities said three of the suspicious purchases were made at a Sears located on Gate City Highway in Bristol while another was made at the Scotchman Market on West State Street in Bristol.

Authorities obtained surveillance footage from the convenience store, which allegedly showed a man later identified as Cervantes using the victim’s card.

Witnesses also reportedly told investigators that Cervantes was seen at the park prior to the card being taken from the teacher’s wallet.

Cervantes was transported to the Sullivan County Correctional facility following his arrest. Cervanted is being arraigned this morning in Bristol, Tenn. General Sessions Court. Source- tines news.net

Off duty Winnipeg cop assists store security in shoplifting arrest www.privateofficer.com

 

Winnipeg Canada April 17 2013 An off duty Winnipeg cop was at the right place at the right time to stop an assault and make an arrest in the West Kildonan area Saturday night.
The officer was driving in the 1000 block of Leila Avenue around 11:30 p.m. when he saw a man assaulting a security guard outside a business.
Police said Monday the security guard had seen the man stealing merchandise from the business, and was trying to detain the man outside the business when the suspect started assaulting him.
The officer pulled over, identified himself as a city cop, and helped take the suspect into custody.
The security guard was not injured.
Damien Paul Harry, 30, of Winnipeg is facing charges of assault, theft under $5,000 and breach of probation, and has been detained in custody.

Alert Hard Rock Hotel & Casino security officers lead police to major drug bust www.privateofficer.com

TULSA OK April 15 2013-

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino security responded to a smoke alarm in a seventh-floor hotel room, where 31-year-old Raven Holmes was found smoking meth, according to arrest affidavits.

The officers found that Holmes had more than a pound of meth, scales and other drugs packaged for sale in the room.

Hard Rock officials then called for police backup, which, with the help of local, county and federal law enforcement, set up a sting that netted seven suspects.

The suspected buyers were all arrested for charges ranging from possession of a controlled substance to endeavoring to traffic drugs.

John Hunt, 68, Gene Miller, 53, Shelley Boothe, 30, Carol Fogelman, 30, Ayla Jones, 20, Charles Yahola, 24, and John Cooper, 34, were busted trying to buy large amounts of meth at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa last week.

All seven, with the exception of Cooper, are listed as Tulsa residents.

Holmes and 35-year-old Gonzalo Ponce-Arturez of Austin, Texas, were indicted on federal drug charges Monday.

According to court documents, Holmes admitted to selling large amounts of meth out of Tulsa hotels on several occasions. She claims to have sold the drugs for a man who is member of a Mexican drug cartel.

“This is a plague in our community,” said Rogers County District Attorney Janice Steidley. “With the efforts of all the law enforcement and the casino security staff, that were involved, we got that off the streets of Rogers County. That’s something we are quite proud of.”

Former Bank Teller Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement www.privateofficer.com

 

JACKSON MS April 9 2013—Heather Brewer, 30, of Ridgeland, Mississippi, pled guilty in federal  court today to embezzlement from a federally insured bank, U.S. Attorney Gregory  K. Davis and FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen announced.

She will be  sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan, III on June 27, 2013, at 9:30  a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million  fine.
Brewer admitted that, from December 2010 through June 2012, while working as  a bank teller for BankPlus in Ridgeland, she embezzled approximately $59,470  from her teller drawer, another teller drawer, and from the ATM that she was  responsible for balancing and replenishing with cash.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and  prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.

Rock Hotel & Casino meth suspects await prosecution www.privateofficer.com

TULSA OK April 5 2013 – Seven suspected methamphetamine users are awaiting prosecution after a sting at a Green Country casino led to their arrest.
John Hunt, 68, Gene Miller, 53, Shelley Boothe, 30, Carol Fogelman, 30, Ayla Jones, 20, Charles Yahola, 24, and John Cooper, 34, were busted trying to buy large amounts of meth at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa last week.
Casino security first responded to a smoke alarm in a seventh-floor hotel room, where 31-year-old Raven Holmes was found smoking meth, according to arrest affidavits. The documents go on to state Holmes had more than a pound of meth, scales and other drugs packaged for sale in the room.
Hard Rock officials then reportedly called for police backup, which, with the help of local, county and federal law enforcement, set up a sting that netted the seven suspects.
The suspected buyers were all arrested for charges ranging from possession of a controlled substance to endeavoring to traffic drugs.
All seven, with the exception of Cooper, are listed as Tulsa residents.
Holmes and 35-year-old Gonzalo Ponce-Arturez of Austin, Texas, were indicted on federal drug charges Monday.
According to court documents, Holmes admitted to selling large amounts of meth out of Tulsa hotels on several occasions. She claims to have sold the drugs for a man who is member of a Mexican drug cartel.
“This is a plague in our community,” said Rogers County District Attorney Janice Steidley. “With the efforts of all the law enforcement involved, we got that off the streets of Rogers County. That’s something we are quite proud of.”
Steidley’s office is expected to prosecute the suspected buyers.

source- http://www.kjrh.com/

Two Mesa women arrested in $4500 shoplifting spree www.privateofficer.com

Mesa AZ March 11 2013 Two Mesa women were arrested Monday in a shoplifting spree that netted more than $4,600 in stolen property and ended in a high-speed chase before their apprehension, police said.

Police said Betty Jamerson, 30, and Iesha Mitchell, 33, committed the series of thefts from various Walgreens pharmacies, Safeway supermarkets and Chandler Fashion Center stores. Jamerson and Mitchell would use Sketchers store bags to conceal items taken from other stores inside Chandler Fashion Center, According to a court document.

The two women then traveled to a Mesa Walgreens, 1305 S. Greenfield Road, where they took three cell phones from a display case and concealed them in a large black purse, police said. Jamerson and Mitchell then exited the store, activating the store’s alarm system, according to a court document.

The two were followed by an unmarked police car to Superstition Springs Mall, where officers tried to stop them. Jamerson ignored their commands and sped westbound on the U.S. 60 at speeds of up to 100 mph, police said. Jamerson then exited the freeway on Greenfield Road, traveling upwards of 70 mph in a posted 45 mph zone.

According to police, both Jamerson and Mitchell fled from the vehicle but were quickly apprehended. Police said investigating officers recovered 11 bags of merchandise and 22 cellphones in boxes with anti-security devices still attached. Officers also recovered two small pry bars and a large, heavy-duty magnet, commonly used to deactivate security devices. Jamerson and Mitchell will face organized retail theft and unlawful use of theft detection device charge, police said.

Source:AZCentral.com

Former Tennessee Driver License Service Center Employee Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Bribery www.privateofficer.com

U.S. Attorney’s Office
FBI Press Release
Nashville TN March 1 2013
Larry Murphy,54, of Antioch, Tennessee, and Anny Castillo, 30, of Madison, Tennessee, were sentenced on February 15, 2013, on federal bribery charges stemming from the fraudulent issuance of Tennessee driver licenses, announced Jerry E. Martin, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Murphy, who had been employed by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security as a licensing clerk, was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to forfeit almost $70,000 in bribes he received for issuing driver’s licenses to unauthorized applicants.
Castillo was sentenced to 90 days in prison and nine months of house arrest for paying bribes to Murphy to obtain licenses for applicants who did not pass the required tests. Castillo was also ordered to forfeit $42,500 which she received to broker the transactions. Both defendants requested more lenient sentences, but U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp noted that the sentences imposed were called for due to the serious nature of the offense.
“Government employees owe a duty of trust to the citizens of middle Tennessee that they serve,” said United States Attorney Jerry Martin. “Public employees who corruptly breach that trust should expect to go to prison, even if, like Mr. Murphy, they have not previously been in serious trouble with the law.
Raymond R. Parmer, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New Orleans, who oversees the region that includes Tennessee, added, “Fraudulent documents threaten the security of all citizens by making it easier for criminals to commit a range of offenses from identity theft to potential terrorism. HSI and its law enforcement partners continually work together to identify and prosecute criminals who violate the public trust.”
Tennessee Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons stated, “There are homeland security concerns with identity crimes as it relates to driver licenses. Our department initiated this investigation as soon as we learned of possible criminal activity by Mr. Murphy, an employee in one of the state’s driver services centers. With the help of our federal partners, justice was served and the sentence was appropriate for the crime.” This case was jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hilliard Hester.

Stock Manipulators Sentenced in Texas to Prison for $1 Million Securities Fraud Scheme www.privateofficer.com

WASHINGTON DC Feb 28 2013—An employee of a Texas securities firm and a broker-dealer who conspired with him and others to artificially pump up the stock prices of several publicly traded companies were sentenced to prison terms today for their roles in the $1 million scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Valerie Parlave.
Blake Williams, 30, of Dallas, and Derek Lopez, 46, of Torrance, California, were sentenced to 32 and 24 months in prison, respectively. U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade imposed the sentences today in Dallas federal court. In addition to the prison terms, Williams was ordered to forfeit $125,000; Lopez was ordered to forfeit $72,442; and the pair was sentenced to serve two years of supervised release. Each defendant previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of securities fraud.
Williams was an employee of TBeck Capital Inc., a purported investment banking and securities trading firm in Grapevine, Texas. Lopez was a securities broker-dealer who provided services to TBeck Capital. According to court documents, from June 2006 through December 2008, Williams, Lopez, and their co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to manipulate the price and volume of stocks traded in the over-the-counter market.
According to court documents, companies owned and controlled by a co-conspirator obtained control of large positions of free-trading stock in various publicly traded companies. Williams, Lopez, and others then coordinated trades with each other and with other alleged co-conspirators to create the false appearance of greater investor interest in the stock. Williams and Lopez admitted to trading stock in their own names as well as through TBeck Capital and other companies to keep the stock price artificially inflated. These actions allowed the defendants and their alleged co-conspirators to then sell that stock at an artificially high price.
Specifically, Lopez admitted to trading in his own name, as well as in the name “Da Big Kahuna” to disguise his trades. Williams admitted to trading in the names of several companies to make it appear there were multiple unrelated entities buying and selling the stock. According to court documents, Williams received cash payments and Lopez received free-trading stock and cash payments in return for their assistance in manipulating the stock prices of companies in which TBeck Capital owned and controlled large positions of free-trading stock.
The gain to all the co-conspirators from the fraudulent scheme exceeded $1 million, according to court documents.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Nicholas Acker and Trial Attorney Luke B. Marsh of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas provided valuable assistance.
This case was prosecuted in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices, and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory, and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions, and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.stopfraud.gov.

Thirty People Indicted in Massive Florida-Arizona Drug Conspiracy www.privateofficr.com

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Press Release

Florida Feb 22 2013
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; Antonio J. Gomez, Acting Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Field Office; and Ric L. Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, announce the arrests of 30 individuals engaged in a massive drug conspiracy that trafficked drugs from Arizona to Florida. The defendants were arrested earlier today and are expected to make their initial appearances today in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dave Lee Brannon in West Palm Beach at 1:00 p.m.

Charged in the 12-count indictment are George Evans Bivins, Jr., a/k/a “Ziggy,” 30, of West Palm Beach; Antonio Markeith Beverly, a/k/a “Tony,” 29, of West Palm Beach; Daniel Emmanuel Torrez, 31, of Tucson, Arizona; Lavaris Reshard Bivins, a/k/a “Varis,” 22, of West Palm Beach; William Alvarenga, a/k/a “Chico,” 19, of Boynton Beach; Jessica Marie Arvizu, 30, of Tucson, Arizona; Michael Maxwell Barkley, a/k/a “Tater,” 38, of Lake Worth; Jerrick David Bartee, 30, of West Palm Beach; Kirk Douglas Bivins, a/k/a “Kirky,” 38, of Riviera Beach; Demetri Pernell Cobb, a/k/a “Meechi,” 23, of Lake Worth; Darren Duane Donnally, 39, of Palm Springs; Quatavious Carnell George, a/k/a “Jelly Boy,” 26, of Riviera Beach; Wellington Timothy Glinton, a/k/a “Timmy,” 20, of Lake Worth; Javaris Reshad Bartelmy, 24, of Boynton Beach; Ernest Andrew Holiday, a/k/a “Bam,” 30, of Riviera Beach; Jean Innocent, a/k/a “Barko,” 20, of Lake Worth; Demetrice Lemane Jones, 37, of Riviera Beach; Dominic Perry Lamare, 33, of Port St. Lucie; Patrick Jarrod Lowe, 24, of Lantana; Richard John Mercy, 30, of North Palm Beach; Frank Davis Moore, Jr., a/k/a “Bow Head,” “Bodeen,” 33, of Royal Palm Beach; Evens Pierre Louis, a/k/a “E-Bo,” 27, of Palm Springs; Theresa Lashai Razz, 28, of West Palm Beach; Lori Beth Mae Saccoman, 50, of West Palm Beach; Jeannot Saintelus, a/k/a “Jit,” 23, of Lake Worth; Calvin Leon Sirmans, Jr., a/k/a “CJ,” 28, of Lake Worth; Jamie Toby, 24, of Lake Worth; Monica Deloris Toby, 47, of Lantana; Eric Lanard Williams, a/k/a “Baby Boy,” 29, of Lantana; and David Lendell White, a/k/a “Popper,” 25, of Lake Worth.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer stated, “Today, the streets of Lake Worth and the surrounding areas are just a little safer, thanks to the concerted efforts of the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office. Thanks to their hard work, we have removed more than two dozen drug traffickers from our streets.”

“Through the combined efforts of local and federal law enforcement, this massive drug trafficking conspiracy is out of business,” said Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Miami. “Drugs and the violent gangs that profit from them have a devastating effect on our communities and we will continue to work with our partners to make South Florida a safer place.”

Antonio J. Gomez, Acting Inspector in Charge for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service stated, “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and all of our law enforcement partners in making our communities safer by working to eradicate narcotics from the U.S. mail stream.”

More specifically, the indictment, filed on February 7, 2013 and unsealed today, charges the defendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and/or cocaine hydrochloride, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and/or cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), and 846. If convicted, the defendants each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison up to a statutory maximum term of life in prison.

According to statements made in court, this conspiracy involved multiple kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride that were shipped from Tucson, Arizona to Palm Beach County for sale and distribution as both cocaine hydrochloride and cocaine base. Much of the cocaine was sold in and around the streets of Lake Worth, Florida.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rinku Tribuiani and Robert Waters.

An indictment is only an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Gallatin TN church treasurer charged with theft www.privateofficer.com

Gallatin TN Feb 19 2013 A woman who was the acting treasurer of a small Gallatin church has been accused of stealing about $160,000 from the congregation.
Crystal Dycus, 30, of Gallatin is charged with theft of property over $60,000 and money laundering, according to Maj. Don Linzy of the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department.
The money allegedly stolen included about $30,000 in cash and and the rest CDs from Douglass Chapel United Methodist Church, according to Sumner County Sheriff Sonny Weatherford.
The church has a typical Sunday attendance of around 30. There hasn’t been any discussion of closing the church, but “the loss of that kind of money causes us to pay closer to our finances and bills,’’ Pastor Ron Wright said.
Dycus was not paid by the church, Wright said.
She has been released from the Sumner County Jail on a $7,500 bond. A court date is scheduled for this Friday.

Source- The Tennessean

Nashville Musician Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Attempted Enticement of a Minor www.privateofficer.com

U.S. Attorney’s Office
FBI
Press Release

DALLAS TX Feb 16 2013—Abraham Eugene Spear, 30, of Nashville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Dallas before Chief U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to one count of attempted enticement of a minor. He faces a statutory penalty of not less than 10 years and not more than life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release. Spear, who has been in federal custody since his arrest in September 2012 in Dallas, is to be sentenced by Judge Fitzwater on June 7, 2013. Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

Spear admitted that from August 27, 2012 through September 20, 2012, he used the Internet and a cell phone to knowingly attempt to persuade an individual, whom he believed to be a 7-year-old girl, to engage in sexual activity. Spear, using the monikers of MUSICMAN30 and BANJOPAINE, communicated over several weeks with an undercover law enforcement agent, whom Spear believed to be the mother of two girls, ages 7 and 9. During these communications, he persuaded, or attempted to persuade, the “mother” to allow him to meet her two girls to engage in different sexual acts with him. On September 20, Spear traveled from Tennessee to Dallas to perform with the Josh Thompson band at a bar in Dallas. That day, he agreed to meet the mom at a restaurant in Dallas, and, after he was identified, he was arrested by special agents with the FBI. Spear admitted that many of the messages he sent were sexual in nature and geared toward the “mother’s” 7- and 9-year-old daughters. Spear also admitted sending a sexually explicit photo of himself to the “mother,” asking what the girls would think of the photo.

Spear also admitted that he had engaged in sexually explicit communications with other mothers of minor girls, including one in which he offered to pay $200 to engage in sexual acts with the mother’s minor daughter.

The matter was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative that was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”

The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks is in charge of the prosecution.

Palm Beach County Health Department Employee Arrested for Stealing Patient Information www.privateofficer.com

Palm Beach Fla Feb 15 2013

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announce that Salita St. Simon, 30, of Belle Glade, was arrested today on a charge of identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028(a)(7). If convicted, St. Simon faces up to five years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release.

According to the criminal complaint and information provided in Court, St. Simon was a senior clerk at the Palm Beach County Health Department (PBCHD) until earlier today. For approximately the last year, St. Simon obtained patient identification information, including patient names and Social Security numbers, from the PBCHD’s computer system and provided that information to her accomplices. These accomplices, in turn, used the information to file fraudulent tax returns seeking the patients’ refunds. Over the last year, St. Simon stole more than 2,800 patients’ information in this way.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and thanked the PBCHD for its substantial assistance in investigating this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Osborne.

A complaint is only an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Eleven South Florida Residents Charged in $34 Million Stolen Identity Tax Refund Scheme www.privateofficer.com

U.S. Attorney’s Office /FBI
PRESS RELEASE

Miami Fla Feb 13 2013

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Paula Reid, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, announced the unsealing of a 43-count indictment charging defendants 11 South Florida residents with stolen identity tax refund fraud.
Charged in the indictment are Henry Dorvil, aka “D,” 35, of Hollywood; Herve Wilmore Jr., 29, of Aventura; Dukens Eleazard, aka “DK,” 33, of Pembroke Pines; Marie Eleazard, aka “Fanfan,” 32, of Miami; Jesse Lamar Harrell, 26, of Miramar; Luckner St Fleur, aka “Nene,” 32, of Miami; Ruth Cartwright, aka “Princess,” 30, formerly of Plantation; Miguel Patterson, 35, of Miami; Brandon Johnson, 29, of Miami Gardens; John Similien, 24, of Plantation; and Marc Leroy Saint Juste, 26, of Tamarac. Defendants Dorvil, Harrell, Patterson, Johnson, and Saint Juste made their initial appearances in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow in Fort Lauderdale at 1:00 p.m. today. Defendant Cartwright was arrested in the Northern District of Georgia and will make her initial appearance there. Defendants Wilmore, both Eleazards, St Fleur, and Similien remain at large.

Specifically, each defendant is charged with one count of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, commit wire fraud, and commit aggravated identity theft, all in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. § 371; as well as two counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., §§ 1343 and 2. In addition, defendants Dorvil, Wilmore, Dukens Eleazard, Marie Eleazard, Harrell, St Fleur, Cartwright, Patterson, Johnson, and Similien are charged with two counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. §§ 1028A(a)(1) and 2. The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of $443,449.07 seized from a bank account; a 2011 Cadillac Escalade EXT Premium Sport and 2010 Nissan Maxima registered to defendant Dukens Eleazard; a 2011 Infiniti M37 registered to defendant Marie Eleazard; and a 2010 Porsche purchased by defendant Wilmore.

According to the indictment, the defendants recruited knowing participants and unknowing victims to put businesses, bank accounts, and Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs) in the defendants’ names. The defendants used this information to execute their fraud scheme, including tax refund fraud. The defendants also used the personal identification information of real people, including some deceased, to file false income tax returns with the IRS. In this way, the defendants received IRS refund checks [U.S. Treasury checks and Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) checks] at addresses and bank accounts that they controlled. To avoid having the fraud discovered, the defendants negotiated the fraudulently obtained income tax refund checks at each other’s businesses.

According to the indictment, from about January 2009 through March 2012, the defendants filed with the IRS approximately 6,961 federal income tax returns, requesting refunds totaling approximately $34,096,321. Of the 6,961 field tax returns, 2,763 used the identities of deceased individuals.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer, “Stolen identity refund fraud is spreading in South Florida like an out of control wildfire. Two days ago, we announced charges against 14 individuals in six separate cases on charges of stolen identity refund fraud. Today, in just one case, we are charging another 11 individuals who used stolen identities, including that of almost 3,000 deceased persons, to file fraudulent returns seeking close to $35 million in tax refunds. My office, in conjunction with the members of the South Florida Identity Theft Tax Fraud Strike Force, will continue to prosecute these thieves, not just to punish them, but also to deter others from thinking they can get away with stealing honest taxpayers’ hard-earned refunds.”

Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Gonzalez stated, “These defendants conspired to use the personal identification information of taxpayers, including deceased individuals, to file false income tax returns with the IRS. These actions not only pose a serious problem for taxpayers but adversely affect the integrity of our tax system. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to remain vigilant in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those individuals who seek to willfully defraud the United States Treasury and have a blatant disregard for the victims of their schemes.”

“Unfortunately, this is another example of the rapidly growing wave of stolen identity tax refund fraud,” said Xanthie C. Mangum, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Miami Division. “The FBI continues to actively target these fraudsters who seek illicit gains by victimizing hard-working taxpayers.”

Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Paula Reid stated, “The existence of identity theft in the South Florida region is an unfortunate criminal epidemic. At any time, anyone is subject to being a victim. The investigative efforts of the law enforcement community must remain strong and unwavering as the offenders’ continuous success and harm with this stealthy crime cannot prevail.”

If convicted, the defendants face a possible maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and two years consecutive in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI, FBI, and USSS. Mr. Ferrer also thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Labor, and the Social Security Administration for their help on this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Karadbil.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

Security officer killed in Fort Worth head on collision www.privateofficer.com

FORT WORTH TX Feb 5 2013 — Two men were killed early Monday when a car traveling the wrong way in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 30 crashed into another vehicle headed east on the freeway near the Beach Street overpass.
The accident occurred about 2:30 a.m. when a black BMW 740i struck a Toyota Prius, police said. The drivers of both cars were pronounced dead at the scene.
They were the only occupants of the vehicles.
The driver of the Prius security car was identified as Billy Gonzalez, 30, of Fort Worth an on duty security officer working for Securitas Security. The other driver’s name had not been released.
Shortly before the accident, a witness called 911 and said a black car was headed the wrong way on I-30 at high speed near the Oakland Bouleveard exit.
Several minutes later, police received the report of the accident.
Traffic investigators determined that the BMW swerved into the Prius, striking it head-on.
The accident forced the closure of I-30 overnight but the lanes were reopened by rush hour Monday morning.

Parolee fatally shot by police after kidnapping of college student www.privateofficer.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.Jan 19 2013 (AP) – A parolee abducted and raped a Central Michigan University student, set a house on fire where the woman had fled for help and was fatally shot miles away by a sheriff’s deputy, authorities said Thursday.

Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski said the man was identified as Eric Ramsey, 30, of Mount Pleasant.

“We don’t know what possessed him to do that. We may never find out,” Mioduszewski said.

The woman was abducted Wednesday from the campus in Mount Pleasant, about 120 miles northwest of Detroit. The sheriff said Ramsey drove the woman in her own vehicle to a home off campus and bound and raped her there.

He said Ramsey then put her back in the Ford Escape and pledged to kill her, but she escaped the moving vehicle and ran to a home yelling for help.

While the woman was inside the home talking to an emergency dispatcher on the phone, Ramsey “ended up pouring gasoline on the house and then lit on fire,” Mioduszewski said in a statement.

A 14-year-old boy, his 11-year-old sister and 2-year-old brother were alone inside the home in nearby Lincoln Township when the woman banged on the door for help. The teenager, James Persyn III, told Mlive.com that he let the woman in, locked the door and grabbed his hunting knife.

He said he while the woman was using his phone to call 911, he moved her, his siblings and the family dog into the bathroom.

Meanwhile, the sheriff said, “one of the homeowners arrived home … and was able to put the fire out,” using an extinguisher.

Ramsey was spotted early Thursday in Otsego County, where he rammed the first of two state police cars. The sheriff said he subsequently stole a garbage truck and was fatally shot by a deputy in Crawford County, about 70 miles north of the university.

Campus police Chief Bill Yeagley said Ramsey told the woman that he chose her at random outside the Student Activity Center on campus. The chief said the woman saved her own life by fleeing from the car.

“I believe she made all the right choices,” Yeagley said. “She’s the true hero in this.”

Central Michigan University President George Ross said the school would support the Grand Rapids-area woman and her family.

Ramsey had been on parole since last summer after serving the minimum five-year prison sentence for assault with intent to do great bodily harm, according to Corrections Department online records. The maximum sentence was 15 years. Inmates are eligible for a parole review once they serve the minimum punishment.

“The parole board generally doesn’t give a rationale for why or why they don’t parole (an inmate),” said Russ Marlan, a Corrections Department spokesman. “I looked at his behavior in prison. He was pretty good. He had six misconducts over five years. That’s a small amount. He was in minimum security the entire time.”

Ramsey had a job, regularly met with his parole officer and had tested negative for drugs, Marlan said.

His record also included convictions for destruction of police or fire property, resisting police and assault with a dangerous weapon.

Three Schaumburg police officers conspired to steal drugs www.privateofficer.com

Schaumburg IL Jan 18 2013 Three Schaumburg police officers conspired to steal drugs they had seized during legitimate busts, then split the profits after their informant put the drugs back on the streets, with one of the officers later admitting he did it for “the thrill of it,” according to prosecutors.

John Cichy, 30, Matthew Hudak, 29, and Terrance O’Brien, 47, were captured on video surveillance and audio recordings stealing money and drugs from the dealers, and all three have made incriminating statements, prosecutor Audriana Anderson said in court this morning.
“Everything you have on tape, I did. You got me on that,” Anderson quoted Hudak as telling authorities. O’Brien told investigators they did “it all for the thrill of it,” she said.

Authorities said they began investigating the officers more than two weeks ago after a search warrant was executed on a storage locker in Carol Stream and 275 grams of cocaine were recovered.

The person who had control of the locker told authorities the officers had been using him since the middle of 2012 to buy and sell cocaine and marijuana from the cash and drugs they stole while executing search warrants. Investigators then set up a sting, with the informant wearing a wire, authorities said. The officers were arrested Wednesday.

“What began as a routine narcotics investigation quickly evolved into something far more sinister,” DuPage State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said after the court hearing.

Defense attorney Thomas Glasgow, who represents Hudak, said his client was falsely accused by an unreliable “snitch” set up the officers. “In order to collar the bad guy, you have to look like the bad guy,” Glasgow said.

Judge Elizabeth Sexton set a cash bail of $750,000 for each of the officers. Sexton granted a prosecution request requiring the officers to remain in custody until a hearing is held to ensure any money posted as bail was not obtained through illegal means.

“I believe these guys have nothing to lose,” the judge said. “And they are a flight risk.”

Defense attorneys had sought to lower the bonds, arguing the officers could not come up with that much money.

A girlfriend of one of the officers was also charged with drug conspiracy, accused of allowing her Hoffman Estates home to be used as a “stash house,” Anderson said.

Anderson said authorities recovered six pounds of marijuana and some cocaine from the garage of Nicole Brehm, 44. She was ordered held on $150,000 bail.

Cichy and Hudak were each charged with manufacturing or delivering between 100 and 400 grams of cocaine, armed violence, criminal drug conspiracy, conspiracy to manufacture or deliver between 100 and 400 grams of cocaine, official misconduct, theft between $10,000 and $100,000 in a school or place of worship, and burglary.

O’Brien was charged with manufacturing or delivering between 100 and 400 grams of cocaine, armed violence, drug conspiracy, official misconduct, theft of stolen property between $10,000 and $100,000 from a school or place of worship, and burglary.
Authorities said Schaumburg police officials have fully cooperated in the investigation. About 20 search warrants were executed Wednesday at the police station, the officers’ homes and their cars.

Officials said the investigation is ongoing, but authorities do not believe any other officers were involved in the scheme.

“This is not a good day for the good guys,” said Jack Riley, special agent-in-charge of the DEA’s Chicago field division. “No matter who you are — federal, state, or local law enforcement — your badge took a ding and, for me quite frankly, it makes me sick to my stomach.”

“I really do believe we have successfully removed the cancer within that (Schaumburg police) department,” he added.

Berlin said dealers were arrested under lesser charges under the scheme so the charged officers could steal part of the confiscated drugs for their own profit.

Berlin said there is only one case in DuPage County in which the officers were involved, and he has spoken with Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez to determine how many criminal prosecutions may have been compromised there.

Criminal defense experts said prosecutions could be tainted because of questions about the officers’ credibility and their unavailability to testify in cases.

To that end, a representative of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office said the office has already begin assembling an inventory of cases involving the officers to determine if those cases were compromised and, if so, to seek the dismissal of charges.
“We’re getting a list of pending cases together. We’re working on an inventory of our clients who are in the predicament they are in because of these three officers,” said Assistant Public Defender Scott Slonim, a supervisor in the Rolling Meadows branch courthouse, where most criminal cases out of Schaumburg are heard.
Slonim said one defendant in a pending case, whom he did not name, has an upcoming hearing at which “I’m confident that the State’s Attorney’s Office will do the right thing. The credibility of those officers will not stand up in court.”
Also today, Schaumburg Village Manager Ken Fritz released a new statement the village is disappointed in the officers and reiterating that the village will cooperate with authorities.
“The Village of Schaumburg fully supports efforts to prosecute these officers to the fullest extent under the law,” the statement said. It added that the village took immediate steps to place the men on leave when officials learned Wednesday of their arrests and will seek to have them terminated if the allegations prove true.
Relatives and neighbors of Hudak expressed shock at his arrests.
Hudak’s uncle, Michael Magazzine of Ohio, said he didn’t believe his nephew would be capable of the crimes prosecutors are alleging. Magazzine said Hudak grew up in the Cleveland-area and the uncle said he still sometimes sees his nephews at holidays.
“He’s a good kid. I changed his diaper,” Magazzine said.“I can’t see him selling (drugs). … That’s not the man I know.”
Howard Bean, Hudak’s neighbor in Algonquin, said he had “nothing but good things to say about” Hudak and his wife. “He’s a good man, a good father, he’s been a good neighbor.”
Howard’s wife Arlene said she has baby sat for the Hudaks’ two young children.

Source-tribune.com

Police Arrest Las Vegas Store Clerk in Man’s Death www.privateofficer.com

LAS VEGAS NV Jan 9 2013 – Two men, including a convenience store clerk, are in custody facing a murder charge following the death of a man outside a convenience store.
Genaro Padilla Junior, 30, the store clerk, and Kenneth Glosson, 50, both face one count of 1st degree murder with a deadly weapon.
According to a Metro Police report, the victim, 30-year-old Deng Kuangmabior, walked into the liquor store where Padilla was working and got into an argument with the first suspect Monday evening. The victim left the store and Padilla followed, police said.
A witness told police that Padilla hit Kuangmabior with a stick that the victim had brought into the store. He also told police that he saw the second suspect stabbing the victim several times.
Officers found Kenneth Glosson in a bathroom at a nearby park. He had blood on one of his hands and a box-cutter type knife in his pocket, police said.

source:8NewsNow.com

Chillicothe police arrest alleged serial shoplifters www.privateofficer.com

CHILLICOTHE OH Dec 18 2012— A Columbus couple was arrested Tuesday during an investigation into multiple recent shoplifting reports.
Maria E. Dilisio, 30, of Columbus, was charged with felony receiving stolen property, misdemeanor possession of drug abuse instruments and possession of drug paraphernalia. Jeremy L. Dabney, 33, also of Columbus, was charged with driving under suspension and served warrants on two counts of theft connected with recent shoplifting incidents.
Chillicothe police stopped the couple at the River Trace Lane gas station about 10:50 a.m. They were in a black two-door Ford Explorer that allegedly matched the description from the theft of a desktop computer from Walmart, a security system from Menards and a purse from a vehicle parked in Zane Plaza on Saturday.
Police allegedly have security video showing the pair in at least two shoplifting incidents.
According to the report, police allegedly recovered the security system, the purse and its contents, including credit cards and a Social Security card, and a blood pressure cuff discovered missing from a Walgreens. During the search, police also allegedly found drug paraphernalia and 9 grams of heroin.
Additional charges could be filed pending lab results.

Source-ChillicotheGazette.com

NY man arrested for making alleged terrorist threat at airport www.privateofficer.com

New York NY Nov 22 2012 An upstate New York man was arrested by Port Authority police Monday after making an alleged terrorist threat, causing a delay for a Spirit Airlines flight, sources said.

Samuel Aristil, 30, of Spring Valley NY allegedly made comments which officials deemed “threatening,” while he was a passenger on Spirit Airlines Flight 197 to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a Port Authority spokesperson reportedly said.

The Airbus A320 aircraft, which was scheduled to depart at 10:50 a.m. this morning, had 145 passengers on board, an airline spokesperson said.

Officials did not specify the threat, but a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York andNew Jersey told reporters that Aristil made remarks to another passenger that were “deemed threatening.” The spokesperson said a different passenger then notified the flight crew, who in turn notified Port Authority police.

In a statement, Spirit spokeswoman Misty Pinson said: “This morning, as Spirit flight 197 was preparing to depart LaGuardia for Fort Lauderdale, a customer would not comply with instructions to turn off his cell phone and made a threat to the flight crew. Following procedures, the crew contacted authorities and the customer was removed from the aircraft.” Pinson said the flight had already departed for Fort Lauderdale, when reached just before 3 p.m.

According to law enforcement sources, Aristil has been charged with filing a false report and making a terroristic threat. Arraignment details were not immediately available.

Pittsburgh security officer shoots motorist dragging his partner www.privateofficer.com

Pittsburgh PA Nov 22 2012

A private security officer working at the Crafton Heights shot and wounded a motorist Tuesday night who was dragging his partner at the housing development city police said.

The shooting occurred shortly after 9 p.m. at the development on Woodlow Street where the security officers had cited the motorist for defiant trespass and were holding him for Pittsburgh police, city police Lt. Daniel M. Herrmann said.

Before city police arrived, the security officers told detectives, the motorist began to drive away, dragging one of the guards along the street. His partner then shot the motorist in the arm, Herrmann said.

Robert Moore, 30, of Wilkinsburg, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless endangerment and one count of defiant trespass

According to criminal complaint, Mark Miksic, a security officer with Pond Security Service, was patrolling the Mountain View complex on Woodlow Street when he spotted Mr. Moore, who is not allowed on the property, with his girlfriend, a resident, in the parking lot walking towards a Chevy Lumina.

Mr. Moore got into the driver’s seat and his girlfriend into the passenger’s seat. Mr. Miksic pointed his gun at Mr. Moore and ordered him out the car.

He put his gun back in the holster and grabbed Mr. Moore.

The guard told police Mr. Moore started driving away with him holding on, dragging him.

Another guard, Brian Quinn, was in front of the car and yelled at Mr. Moore to stop, he told police.

“He felt he could not get out of the way so he fired his weapon at … the driver,” police wrote in the complaint.

The shot struck Mr. Moore in the arm. When police arrived on scene, he had a T-shirt tied around the wound.

He was taken to the Allegheny County Jail after being released from Allegheny General Hospital, where he was treated for the gunshot wound.

Pond Security Service executive director Kelly Sieber said both guards are legally certified to carry firearms.

“Pond Security is following our corporate procedures, and we are fully cooperating with the Pittsburgh Police with their ongoing investigation,” she wrote in an email. “That is all the information we can provide at this time.

NJ ambulance worker killed in police pursuit crash www.privateofficer.com

 

Newark NJ Nov 21 2012 A Newark, N.J. responder was reportedly killed Monday in a crash believed to have been caused by a police chase, reported local media.

“Keith Chipepo, 30, of Montclair, N.J., was killed in the accident when a Chrysler Pacifica that was apparently being chased by police slammed into the private ambulance in which he was riding,” the station reports.

The driver of the ambulance reportedly drove into an intersection trying to get out of the way of the police chase coming up from behind.

The ambulance was heavily damaged and was part of a chain-reaction crash that also included a food distribution truck and a transportation bus.

Chipepo was pronounced dead at University Hospital in Newark, where three other people remained hospitalized as of Monday evening, the station reports: the 26-year-old ambulance driver, a 57-year-old woman, and a 34-year-old man who was driving the food truck.

Fed indicts 17 in $75 million Charlotte mortgage fraud scheme www.privateofficer.com

CHARLOTTE, NC Oct 26 2012

17 people were charged in a major mortgage fraud investigation made public by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Wednesday afternoon.

The charges include racketeering, investment fraud, mortgage fraud, bank bribery and money laundering.

It’s the latest round of charges resulting from Operation Wax House, a mortgage fraud scheme that stole more than $75 million from investors and mortgage lenders.

The federal racketeering indictment was returned by a federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte on July 26, but remained sealed until Wednesday.

The indictment alleges that the 17 defendants and others were part of a criminal organization, known as the Enterprise, that operated principally in the cities of Charlotte and Waxhaw, and stole more than $75 million from investors and mortgage lenders.

The indictment was unsealed following the arrests this week of 11 members of the Enterprise, including three of its leaders, James Tyson, Jr., his mother, Carrie Tyson, and Victoria Hunt. James Tyson Jr. was arrested on Sunday, October 21st at Washington Dulles InternationalAirport upon arrival in the United States from a flight originating in Dakar, Senegal, which is Tyson’s last known residence.

The Enterprise, which operated from about 2005 through the present, engaged in an extensive pattern of racketeering activities, consisting of investment fraud, mortgage fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and distribution of illegal drugs.

Members of the Enterprise also bribed bank officials and committed perjury before the Grand Jury. The co-conspirators targeted professional athletes and doctors as well as their personal and professional acquaintances and convinced them to invest in a series of sham corporations controlled by the Enterprise.

The co-conspirators stole over $27 million from more than 50 investor victims, including monies that the investor victims were induced to obtain as loans from financial institutions. Rather than investing victims’ money as promised, the Enterprise diverted victims’ money to finance its mortgage fraud operations and to support its members’ lifestyles. For example, members of the Enterprise used the stolen money to purchase luxury vehicles, take lavish vacations, organize extravagant dinners and parties, and invest in other sham businesses or investments. In addition, the conspirators made Ponzi-style payments to other victims.

The Enterprise’s mortgage fraud operations involved acquiring luxury homes in neighborhoods inSouth Charlotte and Waxhaw. One member of the Enterprise would agree with a builder to purchase a property at the “true price.” The Enterprise would then arrange for a buyer to purchase the property at an inflated price.

In most circumstances, the buyer would agree to purchase the property in his or her own name and sign whatever documents were necessary, in exchange for a hidden kickback. The builder would sell the property at the inflated price, the lender would make a mortgage loan on the basis of that inflated price, and the difference between the inflated price and the true price would be extracted at closing by the Enterprise.

The 17 defendants charged in Wednesday’s indictment and the 14 defendants who have agreed to plead guilty bring to a total of 81 the number of defendants charged in connection with “Operation Wax House” to date. (A complete list of all 81 defendants is attached). Charged in the indictment are:

Ramin Amini, 44, of Tehran, Iran, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Leader and promoter in the scheme. Status: Fugitive.

• Vonetta Tyson Barnes, 38, of Wahiawa, Hawaii, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud to defraud investors and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Promoter. Status: Released following arrest and initial appearance.

• Travis Bumpers, 36, of Charlotte, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, mortgage fraud, wire fraud to defraud investors, bank bribery and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Promoter. Status: Fugitive.

• Glynn Hubbard, 35, of Charlotte is charged with Racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Promoter. Status: In federal custody, pending release on conditions, following arrest and initial appearance.

• Victoria Hunt, 36, of Charlotte, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, mortgage fraud, wire fraud to defraud investors and money laundering. Role: Leader and promoter. Status: Currently in federal custody pending detention hearing.

• Toby Hunter, 37, of Fort Mill, S.C., is charged with racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud to defraud investors and money laundering. Role: Promoter. Status: Released following arrest and initial appearance.

• Steven Jones, 44, of Waxhaw, is charged with securities fraud, wire fraud to defraud investors and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Promoter. Status: Currently in federal custody pending detention hearing.

• John McDowell, 40, of Dunn, N.C., is charged with racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, mortgage fraud, wire fraud to defraud investors and money laundering. Role: Promoter. Status: Arrest warrant issued.

• Kurosh Mehr, 52, of Charlotte is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering. Role: Promoter and buyer. Status: Currently in federal custody pending detention hearing.

• Ann Tyson Mitchell, 61, of Charlotte, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering. Role: Facilitator. Status: Released following arrest and initial appearance.

• John Wayne Perry, Jr., 31, of Charlotte, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Promoter. Status: Released following arrest and initial appearance.

• Donte Thorogood, 34, of Durham, N.C., is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering. Role: Promoter. Status: To appear for an initial appearance pursuant to a summons.

• Carrie Tyson, 58, of Winterville, N.C., is charged with racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, mortgage fraud, wire fraud to defraud investors and money laundering. Role: Leader and promoter. Status: Released following arrest and initial appearance.

• James Tyson, Jr., 32, of Dakar, Senegal, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, mortgage fraud, wire fraud to defraud investors, bank bribery and money laundering. Role: Leader and promoter. Status: Currently in federal custody pending detention hearing.

• James Tyson, Sr., 61, of Charlotte, N.C., is charged with racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud to defraud investors and money laundering. Role: Promoter. Status: Currently in federal custody pending detention hearing.

• Nathan Shane Wolf, 41, of Charlotte, is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering. Role: Real estate agent. Status: To appear for an initial appearance pursuant to a summons.

• Purnell Wood, 41, of Palmyra, N.J., is charged with racketeering conspiracy, mortgage fraud and money laundering. Role: Promoter. Status: Arrest warrant issued.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office also filed criminal bills of information and plea agreements against 14 other defendants who acted as mortgage brokers, real estate agents, straw buyers, and a home builder in the scheme. They acknowledge taking part in the mortgage fraud conspiracy and have agreed to plead guilty. They are:

• Crystal Goodson-Hudson, 44, of Kannapolis, N.C., is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Mortgage broker. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• Shannon Lee (Somer Bey), 47, of Charlotte, is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Real estate agent. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• Robert Mahaney, 52, of Ridgeway, S.C., is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Mortgage broker. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• George Moore, 44, of Charlotte, is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy. Role: Buyer. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• Kevin Smith, 46, of Oxford, N.C., is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy. Role: Buyer. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• Holly Pasut, 56, of Charlotte, is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Real estate agent. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• Danielle Vaughn, 34, of Greenbelt, Md., is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Mortgage broker. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• Mary Vaughn, 58, of Charlotte, is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy. Role: Buyer. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• Jamaine Wallace, 41, of Conyers, Ga., is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy. Role: Buyer. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• Phillip Wellington, 46, of Charlotte, is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Promoter. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• William Wellington, 30, of Amityville, N.Y., is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy. Role: Buyer. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• Marcia Williams, 36, of York, S.C., is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Mortgage broker. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• Sean Williams, 41, of Orangeburg, S.C., is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Role: Mortgage broker. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

• Mark, Wittig, 41, of Matthews, N.C., is charged with mortgage fraud conspiracy. Role: Builder. Status: To appear for initial appearance upon a summons.

Source-WBTV

Okla. women charged with theft from Premium Outlet Mall www.privateofficer.com

Osage Beach MO Oct 21 2012 Officers responded to Brooks Brothers located at the Osage Beach Premium Outlet Mall in reference two black females who were caught stealing merchandise Sunday afternoon. The women had stolen merchandise, returning a short time later stating that they wanted to return the items for store Gift Cards.

While officers were at the Brooks Brothers Store, they learned that the women had also been at the Tommy Hilfiger Store and received store Gift Cards and merchandise exchange. Officers searched the area and located the women, one as she was entering another store. At the time of apprehension, gift cards, and merchandise from other stores, within the mall, were located.

Shanita Butler, 30, from Tulsa, Okla., and Julie R. Ware-Berry, 43, of Broken Arrow, Okla., were taken into custody and transported to the Camden County Jail.

Butler and Berry provided officers with false identification at the point of initial contact.

Butler was charged with felony stealing over $500 and misdemeanor stealing under $500. Her bond was set at $1,000 cash and $10,000 surety. Ware-Berry was charged with stealing, 3rd offense and forgery. Her bond was set at $750 cash and $7,500 surety.

Police charge man-woman with robbery during Macy’s store shoplifting incident www.privateofficer.com

 

MONTGOMERY TWP PA Oct 15 2012  — A man and a woman from Philadelphia are headed to county court to face theft, robbery and assault charges from an alleged attempted theft of clothes from the Macy’s store at the Montgomery Mall last month.

Letitia Marie Parker, 30, and Eric Dawhite Hartage Jr., 18, both faced preliminary hearings before District Judge Andrea Hudak Duffy of Montgomery Township on Thursday morning.

According to police, both are accused of trying to take several bags of clothing worth more than $4,000 total from the Macy’s store at the Montgomery Mall on Sept. 22, and Hartage is alleged to have assaulted a store security officer when confronted over the attempted theft.

Parker waived her preliminary hearing in exchange for police dropping one felony count of committing a robbery by taking property with deadly force. She declined to comment before and after waiving the hearing, and remains in custody at Montgomery County Correctional Facility in lieu of posting $25,000 bail. According to her lawyer Gina Capuano of Philadelphia and Sgt. Robert Hart of the Montgomery Township Police Department, that charge was dropped because Parker was not seen using a weapon during the course of the alleged robbery.

Testimony during the preliminary hearing for Hartage included his alleged use of a weapon — Hart and both store and Mall security officers all testified that they saw Hartage spray a small can of an unknown substance at the Macy’s security officer as he confronted Hartage over the attempted theft.

The Macy’s security officer testified that he was monitoring video cameras inside the Macy’s around 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 22 when he noticed a man and woman, whom he identified as Hartage and Parker, moving men’s polo shirts to a rear corner of the store without checking the size, color or price.

 The Macy’s officer testified that he saw the two take shirts off of shelves, move them roughly 50 feet to a far corner of the store, then hide them beneath a rack before placing them into empty Macy’s bags they had brought with them into the store. He offered to describe the layout of the store during the hearing; Duffy replied she could “personally attest I know the layout of that Macy’s.”

Source-the reporter

Teacher charged with felony possession of controlled substance -endangering welfare of child www.privateofficer.com

 

 

CLARK COUNTY, MO. Oct 9 2012– According to Clark County Sheriff Paul Gaudette, Cheyenne Pinson, 30, of Wyaconda, is charged with felony counts of possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child. She has been released pending a court appearance.

Pinson is the Lifetime Learning Instructor at Scotland County High School.

Superintendent Dave Shalley tells KHQA’s sister station KTVO in Kirksville that Pinson is currently on paid leave from the school district. Investigators are continuing to investigate her involvement in the incident.

Also arrested in the drug bust was Mitchell Pinson, 31, also of Wyaconda. He is charged with distribution of a controlled substance. Mitchell Pinson is being held in the Clark County jail under $50,000 cash only bond.

The arrests were part of an ongoing drug investigation by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office, North Missouri Drug Task Force and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

During the search, a large quantity of marijuana was found, along with drug paraphernalia and items used in the manufacture and distribution of a controlled substance. The items were found in areas accessible to small children residing in the home.

Source-KHQA

CoolSprings Galleria mall security, Franklin police capture men with $70k worth of stolen goods www.privateofficer.com

 

Franklin TN Sept 13 2012  Police, working with alert clerks and with Galleria Security, arrested two felons accused of stealing $70k worth of stolen goods from the CoolSprings Galleria mall in Franklin on Monday.

Security utilized cameras to track two suspects whom a clerk reported were attempting to use bogus credit cards to buy diamond jewelry inside of the mall.

When the suspects were approached by Franklin Police officers approached, one of the men fled on foot but was quickly apprehended.

In all, both suspects possessed 14 fraudulent credit cards and two counterfeit driver’s licenses. Inside the duo’s rental car, officers discovered merchandise purchased in Ohio, Nashville, and Franklin valued at approximately $70,000. Recovered merchandise included high-end jewelry, designer handbags, and an Apple computer. Also found in the vehicle were 13 additional fraudulent credit cards.

Jermon Trammell, 30, and 27-year-old Jai Barker are both thought to be from Dayton Ohio and have been charged with theft over $60,000 and criminal simulation. Trammell was also charged with evading arrest. His bond is set at $1,003,000.00. Barker’s bond was set at $1,002,00.00. Both men remain in custody and are due in court on September 20.

Source:tennessean