Former Accounting Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $75,000 from Charter School www.privateofficer.com

 

WASHINGTON DC June 11 2013 —Darlene Ford, 46, of Temple Hills, Maryland, pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from the theft of more than $75,000 from a charter school where she worked as a temporary accounting employee.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr.; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department; and Steven Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Mid-Atlantic Region.
Ford pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of theft from a program receiving federal funds. The Honorable Robert L. Wilkins scheduled sentencing for September 16, 2013. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the parties have agreed that the applicable range is 12 to 18 months in prison and a fine of $3,000 to $30,000.
Under the plea agreement, Ford must pay $75,350 in restitution to the César Chávez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy. She also is subject to the forfeiture of a money judgment of the same amount.
According to the government’s evidence, Ford was a temporary employee at the César Chávez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy. She was placed at the school’s finance department by a temporary accounting staffing firm from January 2010 until March 2010. Her responsibilities included the processing of invoices from vendors, including presenting documents to the director of Finance for signature on payments.
Public charter schools are independently operated public schools that are open to all District of Columbia residents. César Chávez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy received various government funds, including funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
While in the finance department, Ford carried out her scheme by accessing the school’s accounting system and changing names listed on pending checks. She replaced the names of legitimate vendors with those of fictitious vendors and then forged the signature of the director of Finance on the checks. Ten such checks were made out to fictitious vendors, totaling $75,350.
These checks were then cashed and used for the benefit of Ford and/or her friends and associates.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, Chief Lanier, and Special Agent in Charge Anderson commended the work of those who investigated the case. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked
on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Diane Hayes and Krishawn Graham and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lionel André, who is prosecuting the matter.

Former Bank Officer Admits Accepting Bribes in Connection with Financial Transactions www.privateofficer.com

 

U.S. Attorney’s Office
PRESS RELEASE

CAMDEN, NJ June 2 2013—A former bank officer today admitted his role in soliciting and accepting bribes in connection with financial transactions, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Jose Dominguez, 46, of Newark, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with soliciting and accepting bribes as a bank officer in excess of $1,000. Dominguez solicited and accepted corrupt payments of $55,529, intending to be influenced and rewarded in connection with a bank transaction. He entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 1988 to February 2007, Dominguez was employed as a loan officer at Spencer Savings Bank in Elmwood Park, New Jersey. In 2003, Dominguez was contacted by a bank customer because the customer wanted to refinance some loans with Spencer Savings Bank and wanted to do so without paying significant prepayment penalty fees. Dominguez advised the customer that if the customer made corrupt payments to Dominguez, as the loan officer, the customer could obtain a lower interest rate without paying a prepayment penalty to Spencer Savings Bank.
Between August 2003 and December 2003, Dominguez accepted $55,529.57 in corrupt payments from the customer to influence the requested loan modification. Dominguez also admitted to accepting additional bribes from other bank customers in the amounts of $4,500 and $5,000, respectively.
The bank bribery charge to which Dominguez pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Dominguez also previously pleaded guilty on May 23, 2012, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and bank bribery as a Spencer Savings loan officer in connection with a separate case. Sentencing related to the charges from both cases is currently scheduled for September 19, 2013.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zahid N. Quraishi and Vikas Khanna of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

Olean Nurse Charged with Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography www.privateofficer.com

 

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Press Release

BUFFALO, NY May 2013—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Willie G. Reid, 46, of Olean, New York, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with distribution and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward H. White, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant is a registered nurse at Olean General Hospital. As a nurse, Reid’s duties included working in the Pediatric Unit. According to the complaint, between February 9, 2012 and February 8, 2013, the defendant downloaded videos and images of child pornography using a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Some of the videos and images included pre-pubescent children and depictions of violence.
The defendant made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. Reid is being detained pending a detention hearing on May 8, 2013, at 2:00 p.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state ,and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
The arrest is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Richard M. Frankel, Acting Special Agent in Charge and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Former CEO of Newport News Investment Firm Convicted of Fraud www.privateofficer.com

 

NEWPORT NEWS, VA—May 7 2013 Jeffrey A. Martinovich, 46, of Norfolk, Virginia, was convicted today by a federal jury for his involvement in fraud related to the mismanagement of a Newport News-based hedge fund. Specifically, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, five counts of mail fraud, and seven counts of unlawful monetary transactions.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Tom Kelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s Washington, D.C., Field Office; and Royce E. Curtin, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement today after the verdict was accepted by United States District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Martinovich faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each conviction when he is sentenced on August 7, 2013.
“As a hedge fund manager, Martinovich promised investors that he would act in their best interest in managing their hard earned money,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Instead, Martinovich acted solely in his own self-interest and engaged in financial sleight of hand to fraudulently maximize his management fees. His conviction should send a strong message that fraudsters who violate the trust of the investing public will be brought to justice.”
Martinovich was indicted on October 10, 2012, on 26 charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, unlawful monetary transactions, and bankruptcy fraud. According to court records and evidence at trial, Martinovich was the CEO of MICG Investment LLC, an investment firm based in Newport News, Virginia. In 2007, Martinovich started three hedge funds through MICG and began seeking investments. Acting on behalf of MICG, Martinovich purchased approximately two million shares of a privately traded solar energy company for the MICG Venture Strategies LLC hedge fund. At the end of each calendar year, in order to calculate the management and incentive fees he had earned as hedge fund manager, Martinovich needed to obtain an estimate of the value of the solar company shares held by Venture Strategies. Because the solar company was not publicly traded, MICG was required to seek an independent, external, valuation of the company’s worth when calculating the management and incentive fees to be paid.
In 2008, under the guise of seeking an independent valuation, Martinovich and others fraudulently inflated the value of the solar company to falsely indicate an increase in the overall value of the hedge fund. Martinovich then used this fraudulent, unsupported, and inflated value of the solar company to convince new investors to invest in Venture Strategies, as well as to pay himself greater fees. The solar company eventually declared bankruptcy, resulting in serious financial problems for many Venture Strategies investors who had collectively invested over $1.5 million.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and the Virginia State Corporation Commission. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian J. Samuels and V. Kathleen Dougherty prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.

Utah soccer referee dies after being punched by a teenage player www.privateofficer.com

 

MURRAY, Utah May 6 2013 (AP) — A Utah soccer referee who was critically injured and in a coma after being punched by a teenage player during a game died Saturday night, police said.
Ricardo Portillo, 46, of Salt Lake City passed away at the hospital, where he was being treated following an assault during a soccer game last weekend, Unified police spokesman Justin Hoyal said.
Police have accused a 17-year-old player in a recreational soccer league of punching Portillo after the man called a foul on him and issued him a yellow card.
“The suspect was close to Portillo and punched him once in the face as a result of the call,” Hoyal said in a press release.
The teen has been booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of aggravated assault.
Hoyal said authorities will consider additional charges since Portillo has died.
He said an autopsy is planned.
Portillo suffered swelling in his brain and had been listed in critical condition, Dr. Shawn Smith said Thursday at the Intermountain Medical Center in the Salt Lake City suburb of Murray.
The victim’s family, which publicly spoke of Portillo’s plight this past week, has asked for privacy as they deal with his loss, Hoyal said.
Last week, Johana Portillo, 26, spoke about her father’s condition. She said that she wasn’t at the April 27 game in the Salt Lake City suburb of Taylorsville, but she said she’s been told by witnesses and detectives that the player hit her father in the side of the head after he issued the yellow card.
“When he was writing down his notes, he just came out of nowhere and punched him,” she said.
His friends who were there told her Ricardo Portillo seemed fine at first, but then asked to be held because he felt dizzy. They sat him down and he started vomiting blood, triggering his friend to call an ambulance

Ohio man indicited for fraudulently getting $1.25 million in medical services www.privateofficer.com

 

DAYTON OH May 4 2013

A Dayton man is alleged to have fraudulently received more than $1.25 million worth of medical services from Miami Valley Hospital, according to an indictment in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.
Court documents indicate Timothy P. Subick, 46, used the name Frankie Bello while defrauding the hospital for 4 1⁄2 years. He was charged with two second-degree felony aggravated theft charges, one for more than $500,000 and one for more than $750,000. The indictment was filed April 26.
A Dayton police report said a Miami Valley Hospital police specialist conducted an investigation after receiving a complaint from the patient financial services office. The report said Subick had an outstanding felony warrant from Summitt County for grand theft. The police specialist’s report including a fraudulent debit Mastercard in the name of Frankie Bello, which was turned over to a Dayton police detective. Subick was arrested March 11 at the hospital.
A Miami Valley Hospital spokesperson did not return phone calls and a communications official said no one with any information was available after-hours to answer questions about the case, such as any characterization of what the medical services were.
Public defender Chuck Grove said he doesn’t have much information about the case and that he’s filed a motion for discovery materials. Since he didn’t have all the information, Grove wasn’t sure why this case was criminal instead of civil collection action.
“I don’t know what services were rendered for that amount of money,” said Grove, whose last action with the case was at a March 21 preliminary hearing in Dayton Municipal Court. Grove said he wasn’t sure where Subick was and that some documentation lists his client as being “at-large.
The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office was contacted but did not return messages seeking comment during business hours.
The indictment said that a grand jury found probable cause that Subick “did knowingly and by deception, obtain or exert control over said owner’s property or services” between Sept. 5, 2008 and March 11, 2013.
The police report lists the complainants as Miami Valley Hospital and Frank Bello of Cleveland. The police report also accused Subick of stealing $997,825.66 worth of medical services and an ID belonging to Bello. The initial report listed forgery as a possible crime.
Subick, listed as being 6 feet, 2 inches tall, 200 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, has no other criminal complaints against him in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.

Source- Dayton Daily News

Former North Carolina Probation Officer Sentenced to 17 Months in Prison on Extortion and Drug Trafficking Charges www.privateofficer.com

 

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Press Release

ASHEVILLE, NC April 30 2013 —A former North Carolina probation officer was sentenced on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in U.S. District Court to serve 17 months in prison for extortion and drug trafficking offenses involving persons under his supervision, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

James David Franklin, 46, of Lenoir, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following his prison term. U.S. Attorney Tompkins is joined in making today’s announcement by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Director Gregory McLeod of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations (NC SBI).

According to court documents and court proceedings, from April 2001 through July 2010, Franklin, was employed as a surveillance officer by the North Carolina Department of Correction’s Division of Community Corrections (DCC) and supervised probationers on intensive supervision in Burke and Caldwell Counties. According to filed documents, Franklin primarily conducted curfew checks and compliances searches and had arrest power over probationers and parolees. Court records indicate that from in or about July 2009 to in or about July 2010, Franklin used his position on multiple occasions to extort drugs from an individual who had been under Franklin’s supervision (“probationer #2”). Specifically, court records show that Franklin, via text messages and other communications, repeatedly asked probationer #2 to supply him with narcotics, including methamphetamine and hydrocodone.

Court records show that Franklin would arrange to retrieve the narcotics from probationer #2’s driveway in exchange for cash. Law enforcement officers were alerted to Franklin’s conduct when probationer #2 complained to his federal probation officer and to his primary North Carolina probation officer. Subsequently, Franklin was placed on desk duty. While on desk duty, Franklin sent a text message to probationer #2 asking him to sell hydrocodone pills in exchange for a portion of the proceeds from the sale. Specifically, Franklin told probationer #2 he would pay him “three dollars a piece” for 125 hydrocodone pills. According to court records, Franklin was apprehended by law enforcement officers when he went to probationer #2’s house to deliver the hydrocodone pills in exchange for $375 in cash.

In December 2011, Franklin pleaded guilty to one count of extortion under color of official right and one count of possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone. When announcing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger noted that the sentence imposed was more than minimally required under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines because the defendant was “a person who by reason of his position had taken actions that undermine the integrity of the legal system.”

Franklin has been in custody since April 2011. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.

The investigation was handled by the FBI and SBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Savage of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.

East Orange Construction Officer Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Extortion www.privateofficer.com

U.S.  Attorney’s Office April 11,  2013

District of New  Jersey (973) 645-2888

NEWARK, NJ—A longtime construction official in the property maintenance  department of the City of East Orange, New Jersey was sentenced today to 18  months in prison for extorting money from a property owner in exchange for the  official’s assistance in city government matters, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman  announced.

Kim Davis, 46, of New York and formerly of Newark, previously pleaded guilty  before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls to count two of an indictment  charging him with extortion under color of official right for accepting a $5,000  corrupt payment in exchange for official action. Judge Walls imposed the  sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements in court: Davis was a certified technical assistant to construction officials in the  building division of the property maintenance department of East Orange. The  building division is responsible for the enforcement of the New Jersey Uniform  Construction Code and the approval of all applications for construction,  alterations, and renovations of buildings within the city.

Davis and an inspector in the code and enforcement division of the property  maintenance department—referred to in the indictment as “Co-conspirator One” and  identified in court proceedings as Billie Muhammad—conspired in 2007 to advise  an East Orange property owner—referred to in the indictment as “Individual  One”—that Davis would provide Individual One, in exchange for a $5,000 cash  payment, the requisite permits and certificates from the building department to  build a new residence.

On September 7, 2007, Davis met with Individual One and accepted a $5,000  cash payment in exchange for Davis’ official assistance in expediting the  process of obtaining the requisite permits and certificates. In addition to the prison term, Judge Walls sentenced Davis to one year of  supervised release and fined him $1,000.

On January 21, 2010, Billie Muhammad pleaded guilty to an Information  charging him with attempted extortion under color of official right. U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction  of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford, for the investigation leading to  today’s sentence. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vikas Khanna and  Barbara Llanes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in  Newark.

Hidden recorder leads to arrest of Forestbrook Elementary School special needs teacher and aide www.privateofficer.com

MYRTLE BEACH SC April 6 2013— Police arrested a pair of Horry County schools employees Wednesday after authorities reviewed digital recordings of possible, in-classroom abuse involving a 5-year old special needs student at Forestbrook Elementary School.

The arrests resulted from an investigation conducted after the child’s parents turned in the recordings to school officials.

Linda Joyce Warriner, 46, and Anna Marie Rogers, 38, of Myrtle Beach are charged with unlawful neglect of a child or helpless person by legal custodian.

The police report lists Rogers as a teacher and Warriner as class aide. Police began an investigation after officers were called on March 20 by officials from the school. A principal, assistant principal and human resources employee said the school was handling the complaint internally, but wanted to know if the allegations could warrant criminal charges.

Horry County School Superintendent Cindy Ellsberry said Wednesday that Rogers and Warriner are now on administrative leave.

Police said the child’s parents sent the child to Forestbrook Elementary wearing a hidden digital recorder then turned in the recording, on which police said Warriner could be heard telling the child he “was bad and had to go to the office” which is described as a small bathroom in the classroom.

Inside the ‘office,’ police said Warriner made the child repeat over and over how he had misbehaved and wouldn’t do it again.

Parts of the recording also include, the child screaming for someone to stop pinching him and not to hit him, the report said. Police said it sounded like someone had been slapped during the recording, but it was impossible to tell who may have been pinching or hitting the child

. Police said that on the recording they also heard a door shut, and Warriner and Rogers speaking, when one of them remarked about “it being a good thing there are not cameras in the room yet.”  Source-myrtlebeachonline.com

Indictment Names Former and Current Police Officers in Charges Related to Loan Sharking www.privateofficer.com

FBI PRESS RELEASE

PHILADELPHIA PA March 9 2013—One former and one active Philadelphia police officer were charged by indictment, unsealed today, with extortion in an alleged loan-sharking scheme.

According to the indictment, Gary Cottrell, 46, a former 14th district police officer, made high interest loans to others, including Cheryl L. Stephens, 46, an active 18th district police officer. Cottrell, who was arrested this morning, is charged with four counts of making an extortionate extension of credit, four counts of collecting an extension of credit by extortionate means, and eight counts of obstruction; Stephens is charged with two counts of making false statements to the grand jury.

The charges were announced today by United States Attorney Zane David Memeger and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge John Brosnan.
The indictment alleges that during the time he worked as a police officer and for a time after he left the Philadelphia Police Department, Cottrell operated a business in which he extended credit to borrowers, typically in amounts ranging from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.

He allegedly required each borrower to repay the amount of money he loaned to them plus interest. The interest generally was in an amount equal to $25 for every $100 borrowed and generally had to be repaid in four weeks. The interest rate on these loans was substantially greater than the legally enforceable rate of 25 percent per annum.

The indictment further alleges that some of the individuals borrowing money from Cottrell understood that he would use force, if necessary, to collect the money he loaned them plus the interest, and Cottrell did use force and the threat of force to collect money from borrowers.

At times Cottrell allegedly sent threats of force to the borrowers via text messages.
It is further alleged Stephens falsely testified that Cottrell did not charge interest on her loan from him and did not tell her to deny paying interest when talking to law enforcement officers.
If convicted, Cottrell faces a maximum statutory sentence of 320 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $4 million fine, and a $1,600 special assessment.

Stephens faces a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and a $200 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation/Philadelphia Police Department Public Corruption Task Force and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony J. Wzorek and Special Assistant United States Attorney Vicki J. Markovitz.

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.

Spokane Woman Sentenced for Embezzling More Than $28,000 from Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe www.privateofficer.com

COEUR D’ALENE—Debora J. Zimmerman, 46, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced today in United States District Court to five years’ probation and four weekends in jail for theft from an Indian tribal organization, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Zimmerman to pay $28,275.93 in restitution. She pleaded guilty to the charge on September 21, 2012.

According to court documents, between September 2008 and September 2010, Zimmerman, who was the finance operations director for the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Housing Authority, stole money by issuing herself unauthorized paychecks, making unapproved purchases, and through other means.

“Those who are entrusted with public funds have a solemn obligation to act in the public interest,” said Olson. “Ms. Zimmerman violated the trust placed in her by the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. She put personal gain ahead of her public obligation. Appropriately, as a part of her sentence, Ms. Zimmerman must reimburse the Coeur d’Alene Tribe the money that she stole. I commend the thorough investigation in this case.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.

Baltimore police instructor involved in shooting trainee identified www.privateofficer.com

Baltimore MD Feb 16 2013

Baltimore Police have released the name of the officer involved in the incident that left a police trainee critically wounded Tuesday afternoon.
Officer William S. Kern, 46, was assigned as an instructor in the education and training section in Baltimore Police. A University of Maryland Baltimore Police trainee was shot in the head by an instructor during an exercise at an Owings Mills training facility at the Rosewood Center, which is run by the department.
The University of Maryland Baltimore police trainee, a man in his 40s, was in critical condition Wednesday, and Baltimore Police did not have an update on his condition Thursday afternoon.
Family members asked police not to identify the trainee because they are not from the area and have not yet notified family and friends of the incident, Baltimore Police Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told reporters at a press conference Tuesday night, according to ABC2news.com.
Kern was hired by Baltimore Police Department on Nov. 7, 1994. The department’s internal affairs bureau is investigating the incident in conjunction with the Maryland Police Training Commission, a press release said. The Maryland State Police is also conducting its own separate investigation.
The Baltimore Sun reported that top Baltimore police commanders, including the director of the training academy, did not know training exercises were happening in Owings Mills Tuesday. Law enforcement sources close to the investigation said they think the officer who shot the trainee had his service weapon instead of a weapon that fires simunitions, ink-filled projectiles that break on impact and leave a mark, The Sun reported.
During the press conference Tuesday, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts did not answer a question from a reporter about why live ammunition was used during the exercise. Det. Angela Carter-Watson, a city police spokeswoman, also declined to answer a question about live ammunition.
The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit is conducting an investigation, which will take weeks, according to a state police press release. The homicide unit conducts criminal investigations into all police shootings that involve Maryland state troopers and allied police departments when requested, the release said.
When the investigation is complete, it will be reviewed by the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, which will then determine if action will be taken. State Police will not make further public comment as per state policy regarding ongoing criminal investigations, police said.

Former Parking Lot Attendant Sentenced to 27 Months for Stealing Nearly $900,000 in Fees from Udvar-Hazy Center www.privateofficer.com

ALEXANDRIA, VA Feb 9 2013—Freweyni Mebrahtu, 46, of Sterling, Virginia, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing nearly $900,000 in visitor parking fees when she was employed by Parking Management Inc. (PMI), the company contracted to manage parking services at the Smithsonian Institution’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Scott S. Dahl, Inspector General for the Smithsonian Institution; and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.

Mebrahtu pled guilty on November 1, 2012, to theft of public money. At sentencing, she was ordered to pay $895,680 in restitution and to forfeit an equal amount in the form of a money judgment in favor of the United States.

Mebrahtu was a full-time employee of PMI, which managed the 2,000-vehicle parking lot at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Over the course of three years, Mebrahtu stole cash entrance fees paid by tens of thousands of museum visitors, taking upwards of $4,000 in a single day by failing to hand out parking ticket stubs to paying customers and by unplugging an electronic vehicle counter that had been installed to measure vehicle traffic. At the end of each shift, Mebrahtu would submit a daily work summary to PMI that repeatedly under-reported the true number of vehicles that had entered the parking lot through her lane. These falsified PMI reports were provided to the Smithsonian. The total loss due to her theft is calculated at $895,680. Based on the $15 entrance fee, it is estimated that Mebrahtu stole from 59,712 visitor vehicles over the course of her crime.

Instead of reporting the thefts, Mebrahtu shared advice with co-workers about how to steal money from the museum. A co-worker, Meseret Terefe, 37, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced on January 18, 2013, to 20 months in prison.

The investigation was initiated by the Smithsonian Office of the Inspector General and jointly investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jasmine Yoon and Special Assistant United States Attorney James McDonald are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.

Three sought in beating of bouncer at Spring Lake bar www.privateofficer.com

Fayetteville, N.C.Jan 24 2013 — Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office detectives said Tuesday that they are searching for three men wanted in connection with the beating last week of an employee of a Spring Lake bar.
Robert Matthews, 25, was working the door of FUBAR, at 2350 Lillington Highway, on Jan. 14 when he was repeatedly hit on the back of his head with a pool cue, authorities said. His assailants continued to punch and kick him as he lay on the floor unconscious.
Arrest warrants have been issued charging Travis Jake Cockman, 41, of 3291 South River Road in Lillington, with attempted first-degree murder and charging Benny Joe Ray, 46, also of 3291 South River Road, and Mark Anthony Wood Jr., 28, of 141 Capitol Hill Road in Lillington, with being accessories after the fact.
Investigators determined that five men were acting rowdy in FUBAR, and Matthews approached Cockman to warn him against trying to steal pool balls from a pool table. Cockman ignored Matthews and walked back to the pool tables inside, and the attack began moments later, authorities said.
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Cockman, Ray or Wood is asked to call the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office at 910-323-1500.

source-WRAL.com

Myrtle Beach Wal-mart security nabs 10 shoplifters in 24 hours www.privateofficer.com

Myrtle Beach SC Dec 18 2012 Police arrested 10 people in less than 24 hours on Saturday on charges of shoplifting from a Myrtle Beach Wal-Mart.

According to online police records, officers arrested 10 people between 1:20 a.m. and 10:05 p.m. Saturday and charged them with shoplifting from the Wal-Mart located at 541 Seaboard St.

The following people were charged with shoplifting a value of $2,000 or less:

• Mary Ellen Schultz, 41, Joshua David Beal, 37, and Allan Sandoval Coen, 38 – who all share a Myrtle Beach address – are accused of leaving the store without paying for merchandise, according to a police report
• Dennis Matthew Marden, 51, of no address was seen by police removing concealed items hidden on his body while in the parking lot, according to the report
• Timothy Young, 52, and Cynthia Denise Jones, 42, both of Myrtle Beach are accused of concealing more than $500 in merchandise and trying to leave the store
• Kimberly Fay Shular, 47, of Myrtle Beach is accused of leaving the store without paying for merchandise
• Scott Paul Spehar, 46, of Pawleys Island is accused of leaving the store without paying for merchandise, which police listed as being a soda and a few protein bars

The following people were charged with shoplifting-third or subsequent offense:
• Dawn Michelle Galloway, 36, of Conway is accused of attempting to leave the store without paying for merchandise
• Robert Scott Schwedes, 40, of Myrtle Beach – details not available

Source:MyrtleBeachonline.com

Vineland school guard arrested on drug charge www.privateofficer.com

VINELAND NJ Dec 16 2012 — A Vineland Public Schools security guard was suspended without pay Friday following his arrest Dec. 8 in the Blackwood section of Gloucester County.
Angel Minguela, 46, of Vineland, was charged with possession of prescription medication, impersonating an officer and soliciting a prostitute, according to Gloucester Township Police records.
After his arrest, Gloucester Township Police said, Minguela was released on his own recognizance.
Minguela was immediately suspended with pay from his $15,900-a-year security guard position, pending the investigation, according to school district officials. His status was changed to suspended without pay following a civil service hearing Friday.
Minguela has worked for the school district since April 2009, according to school district records.
He is a former Vineland Police officer. In 2006, he retired after about 15 years on the job due to accidental disability, according to the state Police and Firemen’s Retirement System records.
Minguela could not be reached for comment.

School volunteer charged with threatening Gov. Nikki Haley www.privateofficer.com

LIBERTY, SC Dec 6 2012

Gov. Nikki Haley was making two stops in Pickens County on Tuesday morning where local police said a woman was in custody after making a threat against the governor.

Liberty police said they have a woman in custody who is accused of making a threat against Haley on Tuesday morning.

Haley had a stop at Liberty Elementary School at 10 a.m. and was scheduled to speak at the Easley Rotary Club meeting at the William A. Carr Conference Center at 12:30 p.m.

John Eby, spokesman for the School District of Pickens County, said about 8:30 a.m. a parent volunteer at Liberty Elementary was talking to a school staff member when she made a remark about harming the governor.

The staff member contacted the principal who in turn called police, who responded to the school and took the woman into custody, Eby said.

The woman was not at the school for the governor’s visit, but was there helping another program and was already gone before Haley’s arrival, Eby said.

“A staff member made a difficult decision but the right one, and did exactly what needed to be done,” Eby said. “We hope what was said wasn’t meant seriously, but it had to be taken seriously nonetheless.”

Haley’s stop at Liberty Elementary was to talk with third- through fifth-graders about leadership and bullying prevention.

Police said they charged Jennifer Johnson Phillips, 46, of Liberty, with threatening the life of a public official. According to the police report, Phillips told a school counselor that “I am going to smuggle a gun in and kill this governor.” When asked about the comment by police, Phillips said she didn’t mean anything by the comment and did not own a gun, the report said.

Officers said Phillips had a bond hearing Tuesday afternoon at the Pickens County Detention Center. She faces up to a $500 fine and/or 30 days in jail if convicted, police said.

As for Phillips’ status as a volunteer, Eby said, “She will not be allowed to continue on as a volunteer. We have not made a decision at this point as to whether she will be put on a permanent no trespass from the school.”

Source:FoxCarolina

Johnson City man struck security officer with his car www.privateofficer.com

Johnson City TN Nov 18 2012 A mall shoplifter struck a security officer with his car and struggled with police while trying to escape arrest last week, police said this morning in a news release.

Barry T. Gray, 46, 401 E. Myrtle Ave., was arrested Nov. 9 following a series of incidents that began at the Belk store in the Mall at Johnson City and ended with the police struggle on Mockingbird Lane.

Police were initially called to the mall to investigate a shoplifting complaint, but before they arrived, a Belk loss prevention officer approached Gray and he became combative and threatened the store official before going outside to his car, police said.

Mall security officers arrived and tried to detain Gray until police arrived. Gray got in his car with a female passenger and backed the car up at high speed. He struck a security officer twice. As he drove out of the parking lot, police arrived and tried to stop him, but he refused until the car finally stopped at Mall Street and Mockingbird Lane, police said.

Police ordered Gray and his passenger out of the car, and he initially refused before lunging at an officer from the car, leading to a struggle. Gray was finally detained and had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. Police found two open containers of alcohol in the car, according to the news release.

Police returned the original item taken from Belk, a $68 bottle of cologne, to the store.

Gray was charged with DUI, felony evading arrest, resisting arrest, aggravated assault with a vehicle, reckless endangerment, violation of the open container law and misdemeanor shoplifting. He was jailed in the Washington County Detention Center on $71,000 bond and scheduled for arraignment Tuesday in Sessions Court.

source-www.johnsoncitypress.com

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

Police arrest seven people from Georgia involved in international fraud ring www.privateofficer.com

 

Naperville  IL Oct 20 2012 Police have arrested seven people from Georgia they say are part of an “international fraud group,” operating out of the western suburbs.

The group members posted fake ads on Craigslist and made more than 50 fraudulent money/wire transfers, according to police.

Investigators this week located a makeshift lab equipped with computers and specialized printers used to make counterfeit identification, police said in a news release. They also found 62 counterfeit identification cards and numerous passports.

Police say the seven people they took into custody are part of a larger crime group operating in eastern Europe. Alicia Y. Jordan, 38, of Clarkston, Ga.; Darrick, L. Jordan, 23, of Decatur, Ga.; Jacqueline C. Gibson, 46, of Decatur, Ga.; Rickey L. Gibson, 43, of Atlanta, Ga; Decopeland S. Harris, 41, of Conley Ga.; Sierra S. Chambers, 25; of Decatur, Ga.; and Shanekie D. Head, 28, of Scottsdale, Ga. have each been charged with identity theft and forgery. They are being held at the DuPage County jail.

Two Charged In New Rochelle Home Depot Thefts www.privateofficer.com

 

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. July 10 2012– Two men were accused of shoplifting over the past two days at New Rochelle’s Home Depot, 55 Weyman Ave.

Robert Winckelman, 40, of 11 Peach Tree Court, Tivoli, N.Y., was charged with petty larceny, a misdemeanor. He was accused Tuesday of trying to take an 8,000 BTU air conditioner worth $219 from the store, police Capt. Joseph Schaller said.

Thomas Lorusso, 46, of 249 Robinson Ave., the Bronx, also was charged with petty larceny, a misdemeanor. He was seen by Home Depot store security trying to take $21.95 worth of items from the store, Schaller said.

Source:New Rochelle Voice

Ex-employee of EMHS fundraising nonprofit indicted for theft www.privateofficer.com

 

BANGOR, Maine July 3 2012 — A former employee of the charitable arm of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems who allegedly stole $56,000 from the nonprofit was indicted Wednesday by a Penobscot County grand jury.
Laurena Cunningham, 46, of Bangor was indicted for theft by unauthorized taking for misusing funds collected by Healthcare Charities, according to Michael Roberts, deputy district attorney for Penobscot County.

Cunningham was responsible for handing off donations to a courier who deposited the money in the bank, Roberts said. She allegedly skimmed off cash donations and made up the difference with check donations she held back from earlier deposits, he said.

“By basically juggling checks over a period of time she was able to keep this going,” Roberts said.

The nonprofit determined that $56,183 in donated funds were diverted between November 2011 and March 2012, according to a press release from EMHS. The release does not identify Cunningham by name.

Cunningham worked for several years in a clerical position at the Bangor office of Healthcare Charities, which discovered the missing funds in early March through a regular accounting review.

Cunningham appears to have acted alone, Roberts said.

If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to twice the stolen amount, and paying restitution.

Healthcare Charities sent letters in March to all of its current donors to alert them to the losses. The nonprofit raises $10 million to $15 million each year to benefit the health organizations that fall under the EMHS umbrella, including Eastern Maine Medical Center.

Healthcare Charities now plans to attempt to recover the missing funds.

“We are disappointed that a member of our team appears to have violated our trust, as well as the trust of our donors and the communities we serve,” said Michael Crowley, president of Healthcare Charities. “Every dollar is important to our mission. We take this matter very seriously and accept full responsibility for the safeguarding of these vital funds.”

The nonprofit hired an independent accounting firm to assist in the investigation and instituted new internal controls after the discovery of the missing funds, including requiring that two staffers be involved in receiving and processing donations and making deposits, Crowley said in March.

Healthcare Charities also planned to run criminal background checks on all new employees.

“We appreciate the community’s overwhelming understanding and support as we continue through this unfortunate process. Our mission goes on,” said Lynne Spooner, vice chair of the Healthcare Charities board. “The board is pleased with the swift and decisive action taken as soon as the discrepancies were discovered. We place a high value on transparency and integrity at Healthcare Charities, and those attributes remain intact.”

Donors who have questions about their gifts to Healthcare Charities are invited to call 866-348-4078.

Source:BDNMaine.com

Power company security guard charged in credit card theft www.privateofficer.com

 

TOWN OF MARCY NY July 1 2012 — A security officer with the state Power Authority working at the Clark Energy Center is accused of abusing a company gasoline credit card over the course of several years.

Michael Perry, 46, of Clinton, used the company credit card to put gas in his own personal vehicle, charging thousands of dollars to the Clark Energy Center since 2008, according to the state Inspector General’s Office. The CEC has a fleet of Power Authority vehicles available for the security staff while on duty, and each vehicle has its own fuel credit card to be use solely for that vehicle.

But authorities said Perry took the fuel card out of one of the vehicles and filled up his personal vehicle’s tank at a nearby gas station on numerous occasions. Authorities said Perry also entered false information during the transaction in order to cover up what he was doing.

“Rigorous investigation and prosecution of cases such as this are necessary to not only punish wrongdoing, but also to preserve the faith of the public that taxpayer dollars are being safeguarded through deterrence of future thefts,” said District Attorney Scott D. McNamara in a release.

Authorities said Perry is charged with felony first-degree falsifying business records and misdemeanor petty larceny. He is scheduled for arraignment in Utica City Court on July 24, and faces four years in state prison if he is convicted.

State officials said Perry worked as a security sergeant for the Power Authority since November 2007, and has an annual salary of $60,410. Perry was responsible for supervising and overseeing the night shift security at CEC. He has since been suspended without pay, and the Power Authority has started disciplinary proceedings against him.

Source:RomeSentinel.com

East Baton Rouge detectives arrest couple in brutal death of 8-year-old www.privateofficer.com

 

 

BATON ROUGE LA June 14 2012 - A man and a woman were arrested by East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Detectives after a deceased 8-year-old was found with 56 bruises and bite marks, according to EBRSO spokesperson Casey Rayborn Hicks.

Michael Robertson, 46, of 11480 Glenda Drive and Lavaughn Riley, 32, of 8711 Coy Ave. were charged with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile following the death of their 8-year-old son Xzayvion Riley, according to the release.

Hicks says the child’s death is still under investigation, and detectives are awaiting the autopsy. Deputies responded to the Coy Avenue apartment Tuesday afternoon in reference to the unresponsive 8-year-old.

Xzayvion was pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital, Hicks said.

According to the release, the medical staff documented 56 various bruises, cuts and abrasions on the child, including an adult-size bite mark on his stomach.

Riley admitted causing bruises on the child during a beating and also stated the victim’s father, Robertson, caused bruises and scratches on the victim’s neck.

The victim’s sibling told detectives that Robertson beat the child with his closed fist from noon Monday until Monday evening. The sibling also said they witnessed Robertson bite the child on a regular basis.

Robertson denied any involvement in his son’s injuries. Hicks said more charges could be pending.

source-wbrz.com

Parolee convicted in murder of Riverside police officer www.privateofficer.com

 

Riverside CA May 13 2012 A Riverside County jury convicted a parolee Friday of first-degree murder for shooting a Riverside police officer in 2010, a brutal slaying that occurred after the officer pleaded with the killer.

Earl Ellis Green, 46, faces a possible death sentence for the murder of Officer Ryan Bonaminio, an Iraq War veteran who had been on the force for four years.

The jury deliberated for about three hours before returning with the guilty verdict with special circumstances that would make Green subject to execution. The same panel is scheduled to return to court on May 21 for the penalty phase of the trial.

The trial began with defense attorneys acknowledging that Green had shot and killed Bonaminio in a church parking lot in November 2010. Green’s attorneys tried to convince jurors that their client should be convicted of a lesser charge that would not carry the death penalty, saying he was in mental distress after being exiled from his family.

On the night of the shooting, Green, a convicted felon then on parole, jumped out of a stolen big rig that had been involved in a hit-and-run accident and ran into Riverside’s Fairmount Park.

Bonaminio, 27, chased Green into a parking lot at an adjacent church. When the officer slipped in the mud near a stairwell, Green emerged and bludgeoned the officer with a metal pipe, prosecutors told the jury. Green then took the injured officer’s .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and chambered a new round, according to the prosecution.

Stephen J. McQueen, a homeless man who volunteered at the church, told the jury that he witnessed the shooting while smoking a cigarette in the parking lot.

Bonaminio held his hands up and told the killer, “Don’t do it. Don’t do it,” McQueen testified.

In his opening statement, prosecutor Michael Hestrin said Green’s first two shots missed the officer. Green then walked up to Bonaminio, severely injured and on his knees, and fired at the back of the officer’s head from a foot or so away.

“He died there, on the cold and dirty asphalt,” Hestrin told the jury.

Among the evidence presented at the trial was Bonaminio’s gun, which later showed traces of the officer’s blood and DNA, and was found in a closet inside the home of Green’s girlfriend. Green’s fingerprints were lifted from electrical tape he apparently used when hot-wiring the rig.

The jury also convicted Green of vehicle theft and gun charges.

Bonaminio was a military police officer in the Army, serving in Baghdad and Mosul, Iraq, as well as in Kuwait City and Hohenfels, Germany. When he left the military to join the Riverside Police Department in 2006, he remained in the Army Reserves and was called back to duty in Iraq in 2008-09.

Two Cuban brothers arrested in $80-million heist of pharmaceutical drugs from a Connecticut warehouse www.privateofficer.com

 

Enfield CT May 5 2012 Two brothers from Cuba have been arrested in the $80-million heist of pharmaceutical drugs from a Connecticut warehouse, solving what was one of the largest — and most daring — such robberies in U.S. history, officials said Thursday.

Some of the drugs believed stolen in the March 2010 robbery of the Enfield, Conn., building were recovered in a storage facility in Florida, officials said at a news conference from New Haven, Conn. At least 11 people were arrested Thursday in Florida, accused of possessing and selling stolen goods — including some from the Connecticut warehouse.

An errant water bottle played a role in identifying the suspects, officials said.

Amaury Villa, 37, and Amed Villa, 46, citizens of Cuba who have been living in Miami, were arrested in connection with the Connecticut robbery. During the heist, thieves scaled a wall of the Eli Lilly & Co. warehouse, cut a hole in the roof, then lowered themselves with ropes into the interior, officials said. Once inside, the suspects disabled the security system and loaded dozens of pallets of costly anti-depressants and other drugs onto a truck.

The Villa brothers were charged in an indictment unsealed Thursday with conspiracy and theft of interstate shipment, according to U.S. Atty. David B. Fein.

“The charges announced today are the result of a sustained and thorough investigation by the FBI and the Enfield Police Department,” Fein said. “As a result of their efforts, and our counterparts in Florida and across the country, we believe that a prolific cargo theft ring has been dismantled.”

At the televised news conference, Enfield Police Chief Carl Sferrazza praised the spirit of cooperation that led to the arrests; the heist was the biggest in the state’s history and one of the largest thefts of legal drugs in the nation.

“I am extremely happy that the alleged perpetrators in this case have been identified and arrested,” Sferrazza said. “I believe this case shows that collaborative efforts between federal law enforcement officers and local law enforcement officers can yield successful results.”

The robbery reads like the plot of a “Mission Impossible,” movie, complete with an unexpected twist.

According to the indictment emailed to reporters, Amaury Villa flew from Miami to LaGuardia Airport in January 2010, rented a car and drove to Windsor, Conn., where he checked into a hotel. The following day, Eli Lilly surveillance video captured an individual looking through the front door of the warehouse in Enfield.

On the day before the robbery, two individuals purchased a “particular combination of tools” at a Home Depot in Flushing, N.Y., officials allege.

Just before the heist, Amaury Villa again flew from Miami to LaGuardia Airport, arriving in the early morning hours of March 13, according to the indictment. Villa rented a car and, later that morning, checked into a hotel in Windsor, Conn.

Between 10:22 p.m. and 10:32 p.m. on the night of March 13, 2010, surveillance video recorded individuals at the scene. After 10:30 p.m., the individuals using the tools purchased at Home Depot cut a hole in the roof of the warehouse and disabled parts of the facility’s security system, authorities say.

Over the next five hours, Amed Villa and others used a forklift inside the warehouse to load numerous boxes of drugs, including the schizophrenia drug Zyprexa, the antidepressant Prozac and the chemotherapy drug Gemzar, into a tractor-trailer truck, officials charge. During that time, they say, Amed Villa touched a water bottle that had been stored within the warehouse; he reportedly left that bottle inside the warehouse when he departed.

Officials did not give further details about the evidence, saying they were waiting for the trial to present it

The tractor-trailer carrying the stolen drugs was on the road by 3:40 a.m. on March 14.

Later that morning, Amaury Villa checked out of the hotel room, and his rental car is logged going through a southbound toll station on the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge at approximately 11:35 a.m. On March 15, he flew from LaGuardia Airport to Miami, according to the charges.

In Connecticut, Amaury Villa and Amed Villa are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit theft from an interstate shipment; that charge carries a maximum penalty of five years. They also face four counts of theft from an interstate shipment; each of those counts could bring 10 years in prison.

In Florida, 11 people — including Amaury Villa — face a variety of charges, including attempting to sell some of the medications taken from Enfield. A storage facility in Florida was searched in October 2011, and some of the drugs from Connecticut were recovered, officials said.

As part of the overall investigation, Amed Villa has been charged with the theft of more than 3,500 cases of cigarettes valued at more than $8 million from a warehouse in Tazewell County, Ill., near Peoria, on Jan. 24, 2010, according to an indictment unsealed on Thursday in Illinois.

SC DNR volunteer charged in gas thefts www.privateofficer.com

 

MCCLELLANVILLE, SC May 5 2012 - SLED agents arrested a volunteer with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday after they say he filled his own vehicle with gas from DNR pumps.

Charles Darren Arthur, 46, of McClellanville, is charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent, value $2,000 or less.

Investigators say between September 2011 and February 22, 2012, Arthur used DNR fuel at the Santee Coastal Reserve for personal use on several occasions. Agents say he even filled up his girlfriend’s car with DNR gas one time last winter.

SLED officials say SCDNR requested the investigation. Based on monthly gasoline audits, investigators say Arthur stole 346.8 gallons of fuel valued at $1,148.

Arthur was taken to the Charleston County Detention Center.
 
Source:wis.com

Woodbury School was charged with felony theft www.privateofficer.com

 

SALEM NH May 4 2012 — A teacher at Woodbury School was charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing another teacher’s camera from his classroom, police said on Wednesday.

Stephen Pierce, 46, of Salem was booked at the Salem police station on Monday night, charged with theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

Police began investigating the camera theft on April 6.

A sixth-grade teacher at Woodbury School reported to police that a Nikon camera worth $679 was taken from his classroom, according to Patten.

Police suggested on Wednesday that they are investigating other cases of theft possibly linked to Pierce.

“While we have made an arrest in this case, we believe there may have been similar types of theft, and he may be a suspect in those cases as well,” Deputy Police Chief Shawn Patten said.

School Resource Officer Robert Genest asked an administrative assistant at the police department to review local pawn slips to see if the camera turned up at a nearby second-hand store, police said.

The assistant found a slip on April 20 that matched the stolen camera, Patten said.

Genest confirmed the stolen camera was sold by Pierce, according to police. Pierce had to submit his driver’s license to the pawn shop in order to sell it, Patten said.

Such information is regularly shared with police. The camera was pawned for $150, police said.

Pierce was released on $2,500 personal recognizance bail pending arraignment in 10th Circuit Court in Salem.

Each of the charges are Class B felonies, punishable by up to 3½ to 7 years in state prison.

Pierce’s job status remained unclear as of last night.

School officials could not be reached for comment.

Death of man who fought with security ruled a homicide www.privateofficer.com

 

San Antonio TX April 27 2012 A man who became unresponsive outside of a downtown nightclub while celebrating his daughter’s homecoming from Iraq in January died as a result of a struggle with security guards who kicked him out of the Bonham Exchange, an autopsy report states.

Gilbert Garza, 46, died in January of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or heart disease, exacerbated by the fight, according to the Bexar County medical examiner’s office. The death was ruled a homicide.

San Antonio police watched surveillance video footage from inside the club, located in the 400 block of Bonham Place, and saw a security guard approach Garza around 2 a.m. and ask him to get rid of his drink, officials said.
He reportedly refused, and the guard physically escorted him away.
 According to the report, Garza fell down and a second guard helped place handcuffs on him; as the three men left the club and went outside, Garza’s body became limp and he collapsed.

Garza was pronounced dead at the scene.

Relatives told a reporter Garza had been out with his son and daughter, both soldiers, and a couple of other relatives but that no one in the party had that much to drink.
According to the autopsy report, Garza’s blood-alcohol content was 0.21, nearly three times the legal limit.

Reached by telephone Wednesday, Garza’s son declined to comment. An employee of the Bonham also declined to comment.

Source:www.mysanantonio.com