13 Cleveland firefighters indicted by a grand jury in payroll abuse cases www.privateofficer.com

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio May 16 2013 — A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted 13 Cleveland firefighters Wednesday, accusing them of illegally paying co-workers to cover most of their shifts — freeing them to work other full-time jobs or run their own companies while continuing to collect salaries and benefits from the city.
The indictments, which include theft in office and soliciting or receiving improper compensation, might mark the first time firefighters anywhere in the country have faced felony charges for the illegal practice, commonly known as “caddying.”
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty said in a news release that the firefighters each failed to work at least 2,000 hours — about one year — of their scheduled time. The most serious case involved firefighter Calvin Robinson, who had colleagues work 8,456 hours on his behalf. That amounts to about 4 ½ years.
“The public’s trust was violated,” McGinty said in the release. “In addition to not working and receiving full pay, these individuals abused the system and collected retirement, vacation, medical and other benefits. They caused other firefighters to work multiple days without rest. Fatigued firefighters put the safety of the people (they serve) at risk as well as their fellow firefighters.”
The indicted firefighters, in addition to Robinson, 52, are: Kevin Dever, 42; Bernard Frohnapple, 51; Barry Kifus, 40; Kevin P. Kelly, 52; James Oleksiak, 44; Robert Graham, 50; Michael Milano, 53; Nicholas Rucella, 49; Gary McNamara, 48; Peter Corso, 57; Thomas Jurcisin, 41; and Daniel Losteiner, 45.
They each face up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine for the felony theft in office charge. Receiving improper compensation is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, as well as a seven-year exile from public employment.
The indictments come nearly a year after a special investigator hired by the city released his report recommending the prosecution of five firefighters. The investigator, retired federal prosecutor Ronald Bakeman, spent six months probing whether systemic payroll abuses in the Fire Department, flagged in a series of city audits, rose to the level of criminality.
Bakeman recommended Robinson, Dever, Kifus, Milano and Scott Uline for prosecution.
Uline was not among those indicted Wednesday. Bakeman’s report said he worked for a private company as a heating and cooling technician and often paid a colleague $100 to work the first eight hours of his 24-hour shifts so he could work his other full-time job.
Former firefighter Timothy Debarr also was a target of Bakeman’s investigation.
Debarr, who worked a second job selling industrial communications equipment, pleaded guilty in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court last April and was sentenced to 60 days in jail — though he was released after serving a third of the time.
Thirteen firefighters suspected of accepting money to work for their colleagues were granted immunity from prosecution and administrative punishment in exchange for submitting to interviews, Bakeman wrote in his report.
Bakeman’s investigation, including a review of all electronic and handwritten payroll records, exposed shift trade abuses that were even more egregious than the audits previously had identified, Bakeman wrote.
Robinson, who records show doubled as a substitute Cleveland teacher and an assistant Glenville High School football coach and operated a child-care center, worked only one full shift in two years. Sometimes, Robinson orchestrated trades that allowed him to be paid by both the Cleveland School District and the Fire Department on the same day.
Dever, who worked for his family’s paving company, traded nearly twice as many hours as he worked and was credited for four training drills during shifts he traded away.
Milano traded more than 2,500 hours to operate a construction company that received lead-abatement contracts from the city and county.
And Kifus worked as a real estate agent and received accolades for performing in the top 5 percent of all Realtors nationally.
“Kifus paid his trade partner to take all the risks while he was a ‘mega-million-dollar’ real estate agent,” Bakeman wrote.
Bakeman debunked the defense frequently tendered by firefighters and their attorneys that the Fair Labor Standards Act considers shift trades to be a matter left to the two parties involved and does not require firefighters to pay back traded shifts. A 1993 U.S. Department of Labor opinion often cited by firefighters suggests that a firefighter could pay a colleague to cover a shift as a means of “payback.”
But Bakeman pointed out that the Fair Labor Standards Act includes a provision clarifying that the federal law should not be construed to impair a state’s ability to enforce its own criminal laws.
The following were included in today’s indictment:
Calvin Robinson, 52, of Cleveland
Kevin Dever, 42, of Cleveland
Bernard Fronhapple, 51, of Rocky River
Barry Kifus, 40, of Painesville
Kevin P. Kelly, 52, of Olmsted Falls
James Oleksiak, 44, of Cleveland
Robert Graham, 50, of Lakewood
Michael Milano, 53, of Broadview Heights
Nicholas Rucella, 49, of Cleveland
Gary McNamara, 48, of Bay Village
Peter Corso, 47, of Concord
Thomas Jurcisin, 51, of Cleveland
Daniel Losteiner, 45, of Cleveland

Source: Cleveland.com

Bridgeport Bank Manager Arraigned for Embezzlement www.privateofficer.com

 

SACRAMENTO, CA April 30 2013 —Roxanna Foley, 52, of Bridgeport, was arraigned today in federal court in Sacramento, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

On April 18, 2013, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging her with theft and embezzlement by a bank employee. According to the indictment and statements made in court, between October 2011 and March 20, 2012, Foley embezzled approximately $320,000 from the Eastern Sierra Community Bank where she was employed as a manager.

Foley was released today on a $50,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear before United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on May 29, 2013, for a status conference.

If convicted, Foley faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and a five-year term of supervised release. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mono County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mono County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Reardon is prosecuting the case.

Georgia trucker indicted in State Police trooper death near Litchfield www.privateofficer.com

HILLSBORO IL April 24 2013 — A Macoupin County grand jury has indicted a Georgia truck driver on a charge of reckless homicide in the death of an Illinois state trooper.
Trooper Kyle Deatherage, 32, of St. Jacob died Nov. 26 when a tractor-trailer struck him on Interstate 55 at milepost 62 near the Raymond exit.
Johnny B. Felton Jr., 52, of Hinesville, Ga., who was driving the semi, was indicted Monday on charges of reckless homicide and operating a commercial motor vehicle without the proper license. The reckless homicide charge is a special Class 2 felony punishable by up to three to 14 years in prison.
Illinois State Police said Felton was taken into custody Tuesday in Georgia and waived extradition to Illinois, where he will be arraigned. He will be held in the Montgomery County Jail on $250,000 bond.
The U.S. Department of Transportation in November said Felton lost consciousness prior to the accident and declared him an “imminent hazard.” He was barred from commercial driving.
The department said Felton has a medical condition that should have made him ineligible for a commercial license.
Felton was working for Dot Transportation Inc. of Mount Sterling at the time of the crash and was based at Dot’s Georgia offices. Both Felton and the company are defendants in a wrongful death suit filed in January by Deatherage’s widow, Sarah.
Monday’s indictment alleges that Felton was operating a 2013 Volvo tractor-trailer in violation of the restriction of his Georgia commercial driver’s license and at a speed greater than what was reasonable and proper for existing traffic conditions.
It also says Felton failed to change lanes or reduce speed after seeing a stationary emergency vehicle with its light activated and traveled across the fog line — the solid white line at the outside edge of the highway lane — striking Deatherage, a motorcycle officer who was off his motorcycle when he was hit.
Deatherage had been a state trooper since 2009.

Source- SJ-R.com

Baldwin County teacher’s aid arrested on meth charges www.privateofficer.com

 

LOXLEY, Ala April 23 2013 – The Baldwin County Sheriff’s office says Lynda Rigsby, 52, and Steven East, 29, were arrested Friday at a Loxley, Alabama home where Narcotics officers serving a warrant discovered an active methamphetamine lab and finished product.
A child who was present inside the home during the arrests is being cared for by family members.
Baldwin County School’s Communication’s Director, Terry Wilhite, confirmed that Rigsby is a special aide who assists teachers who work with special education children.
Rigsby worked at the Magnolia School in Foley.
Wilhite said Rigsby has been employed with the school district since 2001. She has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the police investigation and judicial process.
If convicted, Wilhite said Rigsby would be terminated.
Wilhite also said a background check was completed on Rigsby during her initial hiring and she did not have any negative reports in her file.
East is charged with first-degree unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and is being held on $61,000 bond.
Rigsby is charged with first-degree unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and is held on $26,000 bond.

Source: WALA

Man sentenced for death of accomplice during armored car robbery www.privateofficer.com

 

Chicago IL April 21 2013 A man convicted of murder after his co-offender was killed during a 2011 attempted robbery of an armored car was sentenced to 40 years in prison today, the state’s attorney’s office said.
Robert Carey, 52, of Chicago was sentenced by Cook County Judge Matthew Coghlan, the office said in a release.
On Jan. 28, 2011 Carey and his accomplice Jimmy Townsend tried to rob an armored car guard outside a Dollar Store near Chicago and Homan Avenues on the West Side, authorities said.
Although Carey had a .22 caliber handgun and Townsend had a sawed-off shotgun, the guard shot and killed Townsend while Carey was shot and wounded by the guard’s partner during a struggle for a money bag, prosecutors said.
A jury previously had convicted Carey of first-degree murder because Townsend was killed during the robbery attempt.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Indiana Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Religiously Motivated Attack on Toledo-Area Mosque www.privateofficer.com

 

CLEVELAND OH April 17 2013—An Indiana man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for hate crimes stemming from the arson of the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, law enforcement officials announced today.

U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary sentenced Randolph Linn, 52, of St. Joe, Indiana. Linn pleaded guilty in December to intentionally defacing, damaging, and destroying religious real property because of the religious character of that property; using fire to commit a felony; and using and carrying a firearm to commit a crime of violence.

“Defendant Randy Linn attempted to burn down a mosque because of the religion of its members,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Roy L. Austin Jr. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to partner with the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country to ensure that anyone who desecrates or burns a place of religious worship because of the creed practiced there is brought to justice.”

“Hate crimes like this seek to damage more than buildings; they take aim at our American way of life. But today’s 20-year prison sentence and the coming together of this community to support our Muslim neighbors show that our freedoms are stronger and more resilient than this man’s hatred,” said Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

“We are pleased that Randall Linn got a significant sentence for his destructive act of setting fire to a sacred place of worship,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office. “The FBI, along with its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, remains committed to protecting the rights of all citizens to practice their chosen religion by enforcing the laws that defend those liberties.”

“This sentence is the culmination of the tireless efforts of so many agencies to bring this case to justice,” said Robin Shoemaker, Special Agent in Charge, Columbus Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “Criminal damage to a house of worship is taken very seriously by ATF.”

According to court documents, Linn left his home on September 30, 2012, in a red four-door Chevrolet Sonic. Inside the vehicle were numerous firearms and three red gas cans. Linn stopped at a gas station near Perrysburg, Ohio, filled the three gas can, and then drove to the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo. Linn made numerous efforts to enter the Islamic Center before gaining entry. He walked through several rooms with a handgun in his left hand before exiting, and then returning with a red gas can, according to court documents.

Linn then entered the prayer room on the second floor and poured gasoline on the prayer rug, a large Oriental-style rug used by members of the Islamic Center during prayer services. He then set fire to the prayer rug, according to court documents.

Linn acknowledges he intentionally set the fire because of the religious character of the Islamic Center property, according to court documents. Linn agrees to pay restitution and understands that the amount may exceed $1 million due to the amount of fire and water damage sustained by the Islamic Center, according to court documents.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bridget M. Brennan, Ava Dustin and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Howe-Gebers.

This case was investigated by the Perrysburg Township Police Department, the dtate of Ohio Fire Marshal, ATF, and FBI.

Alpharetta Ga police officer shot 5 times during traffic stop www.privateofficer.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. April 15 2013 — The officer and perpetrator in Friday night’s officer-involved shooting and chase have been identified.
Curtis Hicks, 52, of Marietta, shot Alpharetta Police Officer David Freeman five times during a ga400croppedroutine traffic stop in downtown Alpharetta.
According to Alpharetta Police, the shooting happened on Main Street in the parking lot of a Christian bookstore. Hicks was stopped by Freeman for an expired tag before he opened fire.
Nearby is a DUI school where instructor Lynn Hayes said she and her students heard the string of gunfire. Fellow officers rushed to aid Freeman, and found he had been shot several times.
Police later confirmed Freeman took five gun shots – wounds to his left shoulder, right elbow, the lower abdomen, the left leg above the knee and a bullet-graze on his back.
Immediately after the shooting, Hicks led additional police officers on a brief high-speed pursuit. It appeared he had no intentions of stopping.
The chase ended when Hicks wrecked on GA400 SB, just north of the Northridge exit.
On the scene of the wreck Hicks was shot and killed by authorities after he exchanged fire with the officers who had responded to the accident.
Police said during the chase, Hicks continued to shoot at them, and one of his bullets hit a passing female driver in her hip.
The officer and the woman were transported to North Fulton Hospital where they are both in recovery. Traffic on GA400 was re-routed to the Holcomb Bridge Road exit.
The investigation has been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
As of Saturday afternoon, the family of Freeman would not speak to the media, and preferred to not be contacted regarding the incident.

Source: NBC 11

Local Home Health Care Agency Owners Sentenced for Roles in Nearly $1.3 Million Health Care Fraud Conspiracy www.privateofficer.com

U.S. Attorney’s Office
FBI
Press Release

DALLAS TX Feb 26 2013—Two owners of Alliance Healthcare Services L.P., a Dallas home health care agency, were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle for their roles in a nearly $1.3 million health care fraud conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas. Richardson, Texas residents George Opurum, 62, and his wife, Agatha Opurum, 55, were each sentenced to 37 months in federal prison. They were ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on March 27, 2013.

George Opurum was the chief financial officer and alternate administrator of Alliance. Edith Opurum was the director of Nursing at Alliance. Co-conspirator Ernest Amadi, 55, was the chief executive officer of Alliance and his wife, Edith Amadi, 52, was a nurse at Alliance. Alliance was located on Estate Lane in Dallas.

The Amadi’s, residents of Wylie, Texas, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Edith Amadi was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison; a sentencing date has not been set for Ernest Amadi. Another co-conspirator in the case, Ollie Futrell, 57, of Garland, Texas, pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and is currently serving a 33-month federal prison sentence.

The five defendants in the case billed a total of $1,296,357 and are ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $853,702.

According to documents filed in the case, as part of the conspiracy, from November 2008 through mid-February 2011, Alliance submitted claims to Medicare for home health services purportedly provided to Medicare beneficiaries. Alliance employees, including the owners, falsified Medicare documentation and skilled nursing notes indicating that the patients were homebound and eligible for home health care services. In fact, the majority of Alliance patients were not eligible for the services because they were not homebound. Alliance employees and owners falsified time sheets and patient visit logs for services that were not adequately rendered or were never provided at all. Alliance then billed Medicare as if the services were adequately provided.

Further, according to documents filed in the case, Alliance owners conspired with Futrell to recruit Medicare patients for the company so Alliance could increase its Medicare billing and revenue. Futrell, who was paid in cash by Alliance owners, recruited Medicare beneficiaries in a variety of ways and initiated Alliance services for them. She agreed to pay kickbacks—sometimes $100 a month—to patients so that they would continue to use Alliance. Alliance owners knew about, and at times facilitated, these kickbacks.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Pfeifle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Dallas and Trial Attorney Benjamin A. O’Neil of the Fraud Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division are in charge of the prosecution.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to http://www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.

Sherry Roebuck Imprisoned for Algiers Fire District Embezzlement www.privateofficer.com

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

Brattleboro VT Feb 13 2013

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Sherry Roebuck, 52, of Guilford, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court in Brattleboro following her convictions last summer by a federal jury on charges of federal program embezzlement and mail fraud. Senior U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha sentenced Roebuck to 18 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The court ordered Roebuck to pay slightly less than $83,000 in restitution. Roebuck was ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on March 19 to begin serving her sentence.

On October 5, 2011, a federal grand jury in Rutland returned two-count indictment accusing Roebuck of embezzling more than $80,000 from the Algiers Fire District. Algiers Fire District #1 was established in 1993 by residents of Guilford to provide sewer service to people who lived in the village of Algiers. Between 2007 and March 2011, Roebuck served as the treasurer of the fire district, mailing out quarterly bills to district members, receiving payments, and handling the district’s banking. According to the evidence at Roebuck’s trial, beginning in late 2007 and continuing until March 2011, Roebuck embezzled from the district by writing numerous checks to herself without authorization and then cashing the checks at local banks. Roebuck’s theft was not uncovered until early 2011, shortly after she resigned.

This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Roebuck is represented by John Mabie. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples

Prince George’s County building inspector charged with extortion www.privateofficer.com

Prince George County VA Jan 6 2013 A Prince George’s County building inspector has been charged with attempted extortion and other related counts after police say he tried to force a Clinton restaurant owner to hire his band for $1,000 a week — and threatened to revoke the restaurant’s permits if he could not play the gig.
John Brown, 52, of Clinton, was arrested Thursday after police say he negotiated his band’s price down to $550 with an undercover police officer posing as the newly hired entertainment manger for Levi’s Restaurant on Coventry Way. The undercover operation, officials said, came after the restaurant’s staff called police to complain that Brown had been threatening to pull their permits and shut them down if they did not hire his band, Intimate Sounds.
Julie Parker, a Prince George’s County police spokesman, said Brown was wearing his county ID badge and driving his county car when he was arrested. She said he has since been released on personal recognizance. Adam Ortiz, the director of the county’s Department of Environmental Resources, said he was suspended with pay while the investigation continues.
Reached by phone, Brown declined to comment, saying he was seeking the advice of an attorney.
“When the true story comes out, then everybody will know,” Brown said.
According to officials and police charging documents, Brown, who was hired by the county in September 2007, began frequenting Levi’s as a patron after going there for work in March 2012. At some point, according to the documents, Brown suggested to the owner that he should hire his band to play Saturday nights — for $1,000 a night. The owner said he left entertainment decisions up to his bar manager, who told Brown they could only pay $450 per gig, and Saturday probably would not work, according to the documents.
Brown, though, persisted, according to the documents, saying he would do a free performance as a “trial run.” Intimate Sounds performed on Nov. 21, according to the documents, and afterward, Brown demanded $1,000 from Levi’s owner. When the owner refused, according to the documents, Brown suggested the restaurant might be running afoul of Prince George’s new so-called Dance Hall bill. He returned a few days later, according to the documents, and when the staff refused to book his band for more gigs, he showed his county ID badge and said, “I can have this place shut down.”
A day after that, according to the documents, he returned again with a stack of papers, telling restaurant staffers unless they applied for a “Dance License,” they would be shut down.
Restaurant staffers confirmed their permits were in order, then called police, according to the documents.
Ortiz said that Brown never actually moved to have any of Levi’s permits revoked, and if he had, that would have been reviewed by him and a supervisor. He said officials believe his conduct to be an “individual act,” though he and police urged others who might have had contact with Brown to call authorities.
“There’s no hesi­ta­tion in acting in this case or any other with charges this serious,” Ortiz said.
Parker said Brown never actually got any money from Levi’s.

Source-Washington Post

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

Teacher kills ex-wife during church service www.privateofficer.com

COUDERSPORT, Pa.Dec 4 2012 — An elementary school music teacher walked into a church in the middle of Sunday services and shot and killed his ex-wife as she sat in a pew, police said.

Gregory Eldred, 52, of Coudersport, has been charged with first-degree murder, accused of twice shooting Darlene Sitler, 53, at the First United Presbyterian Church, where she served as organist and choir director. It wasn’t immediately clear if she was serving in those capacities when she was shot.

Witnesses told police they saw Eldred pacing outside the 180-year-old church before the service and that other members of the congregation grabbed Eldred after the shooting around 11:20 a.m., and held him until police arrived. Nobody else was injured.

The defense attorney listed in online court records did not immediately return a call for comment Monday.

Eldred has taught music at the borough’s elementary school since 1986.

Trooper Michael Knight told the Bradford Era newspaper on Sunday that Eldred allegedly walked down the church’s middle aisle and fired two shots at Sitler.

Trooper Knight told the newspaper there were no children in the church when the shooting happened, but that police bused all those who witnessed the shooting to a building which houses PotterCounty offices so they could be interviewed by police. Mental health counseling was also being made available to those witnesses, Knight said.

Potter County Commissioner Susan Kefover told the newspaper the shooting was “devastatingly tragic for the community.”

“It’s hard to even comprehend it. You just feel this tremendous grief and you’re trying to process what happened,” Kefover said.

In addition to her church duties, Sitler taught music at the Northern Potter Children’s School, an elementary school that neighbors the district where her ex-husband taught, for 30 years.

“She’s just the consummate professional,” Northern Potter Superintendent Scott Graham told The Associated Press on Monday. “The kids loved her. She just did so many things here for the school and the community.”

The NorthernPotterSchool District is based in the tiny borough of Ulysses, about 160 northeast of Pittsburgh, very near the New York border. It’s about 20 miles northeast of Coudersport, where her ex-husband taught school and she attended church, Graham said.

Sitler taught music to all students in the Pre-K through 6th-grade school, and also headed the chorus and band for 5th and 6th graders. She’s taught at the district since 1982, spending just one year after college teaching elsewhere before coming to Northern Potter, so the staff and students throughout the district knew her well, Graham said.

Crisis counselors from surrounding districts and a member of the local pastors’ ministerium were at the district Monday.

“There’s a lot of good things about growing up and living in a small community, and I believe we have a lot of help for the children and the staff members who may need it,” Graham said.

Graham said the couple had been divorced for several years and offered no rationale for the shooting.

Officials with the CoudersportAreaSchool District, where Eldred taught, did not immediately return a call and email for comment. Eldred also played clarinet for the Southern Tier Symphony Orchestra in Allegany, N.Y.

Multi-state drug ring busted in Nashville-29 people arrested www.privateofficer.com

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn.Oct 31 2012 – A six month long investigation has led to the arrest of 29 people involved in a multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy.

Police said the investigation revealed that hundreds of pounds of high grade marijuana were being shipped from California, Arizona, and Nevada to two men in Nashville.

“This investigation is noteworthy in that, while 21 of the defendants are from the Nashville area, 3 are from Nevada, 2 are from California, 2 are from New Mexico and 1 is from Arizona,” Chief Steve Anderson said. “The message being sent is that drug trafficking involving Nashville is very much on the radar of our detectives, regardless of where the defendants live. Serious conduct will be met with serious charges, including engaging in a marijuana conspiracy, money laundering and the requested judicial forfeiture of property.”

The two main distributors of the drugs were found to be James E. Roberts Jr., 55,  and William Gupton III, 28. Roberts was also a volunteer assistant basketball coach at Martin Luther King, Jr. Magnet High School, but police said there was no evidence that he was distributing the drugs at school. Police estimated that both Roberts and Gupton had been working in the Nashville area since 2008.

A local Nashville realtor was also found to be involved in the nationwide trafficking. Police said that 60-year-old Alexis Mayes used homes that were for sale in the Nashville area as a place to receive drug shipments.

A Nashville’s General Sessions Court drug treatment manager was also alleged to have been involved. Officials said that William Scott Ross, 44, was charged with engaging in a marijuana conspiracy after it was discovered that he had tipped off a co-defendant about the drug investigation. Ross later resigned his position within the courts.

Other persons charged in this case are:

 •Tifphany Wilson, 39, Roberts’ girlfriend, of Candlewood Drive, Nashville. She is accused maintaining a stash house.

 • Shelly Roberts, 48, Roberts’ wife, of Hawkins Street, Nashville. She is accused of taking part in the marijuana conspiracy.

 •Vanessa Roberts-Fuqua, 48, Roberts’ sister, of Meharry Boulevard, Nashville. She is alleged to have accepted marijuana parcels on behalf of Roberts.

 •Markia Gupton, 36, Gupton’s wife, of Riverchase Boulevard, Madison. She is accused of engaging in the marijuana conspiracy, attempting to take part in a money laundering conspiracy and attempted forgery.

 •Matthew Hoffman, 37, of Strada Mia Court, Las Vegas, Nevada. He is alleged to be one of theNevada suppliers of marijuana that was shipped to Nashville.

 •Crystal Zornes, 27, Hoffman’s fiancée, of Strada Mia Court, Las Vegas, Nevada. She is accused of assisting Hoffman in supplying marijuana to Nashville from Las Vegas.

 •Enrique Gomez “Pig” Ahumada, 39, of Fillmore Street, Phoenix, Arizona. He is alleged to be anArizona supplier of marijuana that was shipped to Nashville.

 •Anthony Guajardo, 28, of Waterlilly View Street, Henderson, Nevada. He is alleged to be aNevada supplier of marijuana that was shipped to Nashville.

 •Richard (Rick) Valmonte, 35, of Medinah Street, Fontana, California. He is alleged to be aCalifornia supplier of marijuana that was shipped to Nashville.

 •Michael Hummer, 29, of Lyndie Lane, Temecula, California. He was arrested with Valmonte after a parcel of marijuana was sent to Gupton.

 •David Davis, 30, of Packard Drive, Antioch. He is alleged to be a local distributor of marijuana received from Gupton.

 •Carl Dunn, 40, of Saunders Avenue, Nashville. He is alleged to have received marijuana parcels on behalf of Gupton.

 •Mark Gerald, 45, of West Yorkshire Court, Old Hickory. He is alleged to have bought large amounts of marijuana from Roberts.

 •Antonio Swinger, 32, of Blackstone Avenue, Madison. He is accused of buying large quantities of marijuana from Roberts.

 •Mamie Brinkley, 59, of Kirkwood Avenue, Nashville. She is charged with accepting marijuana parcels on behalf of Roberts.

 •Mable Anita Sowell, 55, of N. 2nd Street, Nashville. She is alleged to have accepted marijuana parcels on behalf of the organization.

 •Joseph Travierso, 48, of Green Harbor Court, Old Hickory. He is accused of buying marijuana from Roberts and investing in the organization.

 •Rudolph Woodberry, 55, of Chateau Valley Drive, Nashville. He is charged with buying large amounts of marijuana from Roberts.

 •Michael Phillips, 54, of Setter Court, Nashville. He is accused of picking up marijuana parcels on behalf of Roberts.

 •Jubal Boyce, 34, of Wright Avenue, Alamogordo, New Mexico. He is charged with driving marijuana to shipment points on behalf of Roberts.

 •Jennifer Boyce, 26, Jubal Boyce’s wife, of Wright Avenue, Alamogordo, New Mexico. She is accused of accompanying her husband in the transportation of marijuana to shipment points.

 •James Keith Kephart, 53, of Old Horton Highway, Nolensville. He is accused of buying large amounts of marijuana from Roberts.

 •Corey Clemons, 36, of Apple Valley Road, Madison. He is charged with buying large amounts of marijuana from Gupton.

 •John Scott Orr, 52, of Illinois Avenue, Nashville. He is charged with taking part in the marijuana conspiracy.

 •Donald Halbert Lauderdale, 65, of Sam Davis Boulevard, Smyrna. He is accused of taking part in the marijuana conspiracy.

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 Officer Arrested for Cold Case Murder www.privateofficer.com

 

New Milford, PA Oct 26 2012 The Susquehanna County District Attorney pressed to reopen a cold case, results in the arrest of a part time Silver Lake Township police officer for murder.

John David Walker, 52, of Montrose is accused of shooting his estranged wife in November of 1983.

Lynda Walker died from a single close-range gunshot wound to the chest.

Walker claimed he returned to his home in New Milford and found her dead in the bedroom with his gun lying next to her. The coroner at the time was not a trained forensic pathologist ruled the death a suicide.

But in 2010, DA Jason Legg asked the state Attorney General’s office to investigate. As part of a grand jury investigation, Lynda’s body was exhumed. A new autopsy concluded the cause of death was not consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Walker is being held at the Susquehanna County Jail without bail and his preliminary hearing is set for November 5 at 1 p.m.

Source-WBNG

Man storms Florida hair salon killing estranged girlfriend, three others and himself www.privateofficer.com

 

Casselberry Fla Oct 19 2012

A chaotic scene, with dead bodies and others shot huddled up inside a small hair salon in a scene straight out of a movie but it was no drama video.

Bradford Baumet stormed into a Casselberry salon Thursday, shot his estranged girlfriend, killed three other women, and soon after turned the gun on himself — just hours before he was expected in court to defend himself at an injunction hearing.

The slayings are the latest in an onslaught of recent domestic-violence related murders and suicides in Central Florida. Thursday’s mass shooting was the second time in three weeks that men hunted down their former girlfriends at work and shot multiple people, then killed themselves.

Since late September, domestic violence has claimed the lives of at least 11 Central Floridians.

Marcia Santiago and Eugenia “Mari” Marte, friends who managed and owned the Las Dominicanas M & M Salon on State Road 436, feared Baumet would kill them. Each sought and obtained temporary injunctions against the 36-year-old.

But Baumet armed himself with a stolen gun late Thursday morning and went to the salon.

Casselberry police said 44-year-old Santiago, Baumet’s ex-girlfriend, was critically injured. Marte’s family said she was killed, though police had not confirmed her death late Thursday.

Authorities confirmed Baumet fatally shot salon employee Noelia Gonzalez-Brito of Kissimmee, and customer Gladys Cabrera, 52, of Orlando.

As news of the slayings spread throughout the day, dozens of the victims’ friends and relatives gathered outside the hair salon.

“Mi niña, mi niña,” screamed Marte’s mother, Josefa Herrera. “She was my only girl. If God had been the one to take her, I could accept it, but no!”

Herrera told the Orlando Sentinel she warned Santiago and 45-year-old Marte they needed to be cautious with Baumet, because he would harm them.

Guillermo Agramonte, whose girlfriend, Gonzalez-Brito worked at the salon, paced around the parking lot trying to call her. But the 28-year-old, who was five months pregnant, did not answer.

Agramonte gave police a description of her tattoos, and officers confirmed Gonzalez was one of those killed.

‘A bunch of dead bodies’

At 11:04 a.m. Thursday, Casselberry police received a 911 call about the shootings. Several women inside the salon escaped the bullets — one hid in a bathroom and another ran out the back door, officials said.

Juan Diaz was inside the Metro PCS store next to the hair salon when he and customers heard four gunshots, then saw the gunman leave the salon.

“We saw the guy with the gun in his hand…..coming this way…on foot with the gun in his hand,” Diaz said. “When we realized the guy was gone … we went in the hair salon.

“And once we were in the hair salon we just saw a bunch of dead bodies,” Diaz said.

After the shooting rampage, Baumet went to a friend’s home on nearby Paradise Lane, said Seminole County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Heather Smith. Baumet told his friends he had “some problems.”

Then he shot and killed himself.

Source-orlando sentinel

NYC man sentenced to eight years in prison for stabbing security guard www.privateofficer.com

NEW YORK, Oct. 5 2012  (UPI) — A New York City man who claimed to be a pimp at a McDonald’s restaurant was sentenced to eight years in prison for stabbing a McDonald’s security guard.

Anthony Jones, 52, of Brooklyn, was sentenced in a Manhattan courtroom for the stabbing, the New York Post reported Thursday.

Prosecutors said Jones would often take money from drunk patrons at an Eighth Avenue McDonald’s and give them a business card for a nearby strip club.

Many customers complained and Jones was banned from the restaurant, prosecutors said.

On May 6, 2011, a security guard told Jones to leave, and Jones hit him with his cane. When the security guard pursued Jones, Jones knocked him down and stabbed him twice in the leg, prosecutors said.

Four motorcycle club members arrested in VFW murders www.privateofficer.com

 

 

WINTER SPRINGS Fla Oct 2 2012 — Police today arrested four suspects in Sunday’s fatal shooting of two members of the Warlocks motorcycle club and the wounding of a third man outside a VFW post in Winter Springs.

Details of the shooting have not been released, but Winter Springs police noted that a Pennsylvania Warlocks chapter that was not affiliated with the Florida Warlocks tried to start a second chapter in Seminole County.

Officials identified the victims of Sunday’s shooting as Harold Liddle and Peter Schlette. Their ages and addresses were not released. Critically wounded victim David Jakiela remains hospitalized at Orlando Regional Medical Center, police said.

The suspects are Victor Amaro, 41, Robert W. Eckert, 38, David Maloney, 52, and Paul Smith, 47. They are all charged with two counts of homicide and one count of attempted homicide, according to Seminole County jail records. They remain held without bail.

Smith of Florence, SC, was supposed to be sentenced this morning in Lake County for a felony arrest in April on a charge of carrying a concealed firearm. The sentencing was postponed.

The shooting happened about 10:40 a.m. in the parking lot of the Veterans of Foreign Wars post when the Warlocks were about to leave on a charity ride for an undisclosed charity, according to police. Police spokesman Lt. Doug Seely said a confrontation preceded the shooting.

Witnesses to the shooting said at least 30 shots were fired when six unidentified motorcycles arrived in the VFW’s parking lot.

Winter Springs police taped off the neighborhood adjoining the post and evacuated people from a senior center next door. Authorities did not say whether they thought there was a single shooter or more.

“We have a lot of crime scene,” Seely said. “We have a lot of people detained and a lot of weapons detained, and we’re ascertaining what matches what.”

Several men in biker gear, including one in a Warlocks jacket, were handcuffed and questioned after the shooting. It was not clear how many people were at the post at the time of the shooting or how many shots were fired.

Representatives of the VFW post and the Warlocks could not be reached for comment.

The Warlocks motorcycle club has military ties going back to its founding in the late 1960s. According to the group’s website, the first chapter was founded in the Lockhart area of Orange County by Navy veteran Tom Grub shortly after he left the service.

Today, the club has chapters not only in Central Florida but around the U.S., England and Germany, the website says.

Source:Orlando Sentinel

Boiling Spring Lakes police chief-son indicted on felony charges www.privateofficer.com

 

BOILING SPRING LAKES, NC Aug 23 2012 – The police chief in Boiling Spring Lakes and his son were in court Wednesday morning after being indicted by a grand jury earlier this week.

Chief Emmett Ballree, 52, and his 27-year-old son, Michael Ballree, turned themselves into authorities Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office.

In court Wednesday, they both asked for court appointed attorneys in their cases.

The NC Department of Justice said Emmett Ballree faces one felony count of aiding and abetting and his son faces one felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Both currently reside in Southport.

The police chief was suspended by the city in July for allegations of potential abuse of powers. The SBI is investigating Ballree as well, but BSL’s city manager said the two investigations are unrelated.

According to a spokeswoman for the SBI, the investigation began at the request of a superior court judge and District Attorney Jon David. David’s request for an investigation stemmed from a complaint he received regarding Ballree.

Source:WECT

Aberdeen Proving Ground employee pleads guilty in metal theft www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Baltimore MD Aug 9 2012 An employee at Aberdeen Proving Ground pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing tons of copper wire from government buildings and other locations in Harford County while on the job, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Baltimore.

Timothy J. Bittner, 52, of Bel Air, used work vehicles and his experience as an electrician in the APG Department of Public Works to conspire with others to steal thousands of dollars worth of the metal from inside government buildings in Edgewood and from underground locations in Eagle Point between March and November of 2011, prosecutors said.

Bittner would file false work reports to “disguise the fact” that he and co-workers were collecting the wire, taking it to their APG vehicles and transferring it to their personal vehicles in the APG parking lot while on duty, prosecutors said.

At home, they would strip the wire of its plastic coating and sell it to metal recyclers, prosecutors said.

In June 2011, after Bittner and his partners in the scheme realized there was a large amount of copper wire underground in Eagle Point, they spent two days while on duty tying exposed portions of the wire to their APG vehicles and pulling it out of the ground, prosecutors said.

“Because the stolen wire weighed approximately five tons, Bittner and a coconspirator rented storage space in Edgewood to store the stolen wire, and bought a stripping machine to remove the insulation from the copper wire at a much faster pace than by hand,” prosecutors said.

They then sold the wire to metal recyclers in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania for more than $48,000, prosecutors said.

In another scheme, they stole another large amount of wire from two government buildings and from three generators near Eagle Point and sold it for more than $30,000, prosecutors said.

Under the agreement, Bittner faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy to steal government property and must forfeit more than $87,000 made through the scheme and pay more than $33,000 in restitution to the government, prosecutors said.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 30.

Source:baltimoresun

Three San Benito employees charged in theft scheme www.privateofficer.com

 

SAN BENITO TX July 15 2012 — A city worker’s tip led to the arrests of three San Benito water department employees on charges of theft of city asphalt millings and unauthorized use of a dump truck, a police detective said Tuesday.

Adolfo Gamez, 51, Javier Villarreal, 52, both of San Benito, and Esequiel Diaz, 31, of Harlingen, were charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and misdemeanor theft, Detective Rogelio Banda said.

Justice of the Peace Manuel Flores arraigned Gamez and Villarreal on $5,000 bail while setting a $5,000 personal recognizance bond on Diaz, Banda said.

“Another city employee came forth and said this happened over the weekend,” Banda said. “They were using city vehicles for personal benefit.”

The police department’s Internal Affairs Division launched an investigation which found the men used a city dump truck to haul about two cubic yards of asphalt millings to Gamez’s home on Pennsylvania Street, outside city limits, Banda said.

The asphalt millings were worth about $50, he said.

The men surrendered at the police station, Banda said.

Gamez had worked for the city since 2007, while Villarreal had worked there for four years and Diaz was hired last year, Banda said

Source:Brownsville Herald

Naperville School District employee arrested for stealing nearly three tons of copper wiring www.privateofficer.com

Naperville IL July 13 2012 A former maintenance worker of Naperville School District 203 is free on bond and awaiting trial for allegedly stealing nearly three tons of copper wiring and $1,000 since last summer from the district.
James W. Logan, 52, of Montgomery, surrendered just before 3 p.m. July 2 at the Naperville police station, 1350 W. Aurora Road, according to police records. He is to be tried in DuPage County Circuit Court on two felony charges of theft of more than $500 but less than $10,000 from a school, place of worship or government agency.

Naperville police were sent about 2:30 p.m. May 18 to a trailer parked on the 600 block of Fifth Avenue on the city’s north side, Sgt. Gregg Bell said. Investigators learned approximately $1,000 had been stolen from a locked cabinet inside the trailer, which is owned by the school district, Bell said via email.

“Logan was identified as a possible suspect, and also believed to be involved in the theft of copper from a storage area” on the grounds of Naperville Central High School, 440 W. Aurora Ave., Bell said. The copper, which totaled more than 4,500 lbs. and was valued at about $9,000, disappeared between Aug. 11 and June, he said.

District 203 officials fired Logan within a week of the cash theft. A warrant was issued late last month for his arrest.

An examination of court records indicated Logan has no criminal record in DuPage County. His arraignment date is pending.

Piedmont Airlines pilot arrested with loaded gun at Buffalo International Airport www.priavteofficer.com

BUFFALO, New York May 20 2012  (Reuters) – An airline pilot was arrested Friday morning at Buffalo Niagara International Airport after security screeners discovered a loaded revolver in his baggage.

Brett Dieter, 52, of Barbersville, Virginia, arrived at the upstate New York airport Friday to pilot a flight to New York City’s LaGuardia International Airport for Piedmont Airlines, a passenger airline that subcontracts under U.S. Airways.

While at a security checkpoint, a scan of Dieter’s bag revealed a .357 magnum revolver loaded with five rounds. It was not immediately clear if the pistol was in his carry-on luggage.

Federal prosecutors in Buffalo allege he began traveling with the weapon when he reported for work on May 16 on a flight from Charlottesville, Virginia, to LaGuardia, but skipped a security screening of his baggage.

“The defendant did not submit this bag to X-ray screening at the Charlottesville airport,” the federal indictment states.

Deiter, and the gun, traveled on “several other flights” over a two-day period, prosecutors allege.

He is charged with unlawfully possessing a concealed firearm, a charge punishable by 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney William Hochul, whose office in Buffalo is handling the case, said Dieter shouldn’t have been allowed to carry the gun, although sometimes, exceptions are made for law enforcement officials.

“In this day and age, we simply can’t afford to have anyone ignore these important regulations,” he said in a statement issued following the arrest.

Dieter is due in court next week to answer the charge.

U.S. airline pilots who receive special training may carry guns in the cockpit but are not allowed to have them elsewhere in the plane or in airport terminals. The program began some 10 years ago following the September 11, 2001 aircraft hijacking attacks.

Father and son busted on charges of running multimillion-dollar sex ring www.privateofficer.com

Manhattan NY April 24 2012 A father-and-son pimp team were busted for running a multimillion-a-year sex ring – branding women with degrading tattoos and employing livery car drivers to shuttle them around, according to an indictment from the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

“This as not your typical father-and-son business,” said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, whose department partnered with prosecutors to crush the ring.

Vincent George Sr. (“Vee), 55, of Queens taught his son Vincent George Jr. (“King Koby”), 33, of Allentown, Pa., the ways of the flesh trade over the last 10 years, prosecutors charge.

The pimp daddy and his pimp son set up a phony business, Grip Entertainment, to launder their illicit money.

The two ventured out in the city night after night offering business cards to men on the street and in hotels, bars and the back of their livery cars.

The women were kept subservient with degrading tattoos, according to a source. One woman had a bar code inked on her neck; another had a crown with a $ tattooed on her pubic bone.

The women earned $200 to $500 per customer, but were given only enough money a night for food and essentials and were forced to turn all their earnings over to the Georges.

One prostitute earned half a million dollars last year alone, according to court records. Some of the money was transferred to offshore accounts, according to prosecutors.

They were threatened with violence if they failed to bring in big money, according to the district attorney.

“Prostituted women, men and children are often physically abused, psychologically coerced, and fearful of reporting their abuse to authorities,” Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said.

Investigators, using tapped phones at Rikers Island, were able to identify three woman, who agreed to cooperate.

The two men were busted on April 5, driving through Allentown from Buffalo en route to the city with a woman they had recruited.

A joint taskforce of NYPD, prosecutors and the feds seized 10 cars and more than $200,000 cash.

The two Georges were charged with sex trafficking, promoting prostitution and money laundering.

In addition to the father-and-son team, livery car drivers Oabari Gaber, 57, Theo Jones, 52, David Lombardo, 56, Assaf Nahomove, , Sokol Perkaj, 41, and Ausama Ahamad, 37, were also charged with promoting prostitution.

Jones’s lawyer, Bob Walter, said his client was just trying to help his passengers.

“What livery car driver doesn’t know where you can get a girl?”

Source:www.nydailynews.com

Naples Fla man faces felony in theft of $1 McDonald’s soda www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Naples Fla April 24 2012 A Naples, Fla., man arrested for walking out of a McDonald’s with soda in a courtesy water cup now faces a felony theft charge.

Mark Abaire, 52, was stopped by the restaurant manager after leaving the East Naples McDonald’s in the 500 block of 14th Street North.
 Collier County (Fla.) Sheriff’s deputies arrived to arrest Abaire shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday, according to a sheriff’s spokeswoman.

The charge for stealing the soda, which is valued at $1, was for petty theft, but raised to a felony because of Abaire’s prior petty theft convictions. In Florida, a third-degree felony can result in a sentence of up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Fullerton civilian police employee charged with theft www.privateofficer.com

 

 

FULLERTON CA March 4 2012  – A Fullerton police employee was arrested on suspicion of grand theft Thursday after authorities allege she stole from the department’s property room.
April Baughman, 52, was arrested after a sworn employee discovered that she stole money from the property room over a two-year period, said Dan Hughes, Fullerton’s acting police chief, in a written statement.
 Hughes indicated he had been informed of the theft about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, after a discrepancy in a cash count from a money supply kept in the property room was discovered. The other employee had reported the discrepancy to his division commander after discovering it, police said.
“When there are violations of public trust or actions which result in the reduction of confidence in the police department, disciplinary action will be taken swiftly and decisively,” Hughes said in the statement.
Authorities say the money is believed to have been stolen between 2009 and mid-2011, but they did not comment on how much cash was missing.
Authorities did not comment on how they linked Baughman, a 22-year Fullerton Police Department employee, to the theft. She was reportedly booked into Orange County Jail after her arrest.

Utah police arrest man who threatened to assassinate Utah Governor www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Salt Lake Utah Feb 5 2012 Authorities announced Saturday they had arrested a man who they said threatened to assassinate Utah Gov. Gary Herbert last week.

The threat prompted the governor to be placed on lockdown and moved by his security detail, according to a probable cause statement released by the Salt Lake County Jail Saturday night.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Dwayne Baird said officers working an undercover sting arrested Brian Biff Baker, 52, whose city of residence wasn’t known, in the area of 900 East and South Temple just before 10 p.m. Thursday after someone called West Valley police earlier in the day to report he had sent them text messages threatening the governor’s life.

Baird said he couldn’t go into a lot of detail about the alleged plot, but said authorities believe he posed a legitimate threat to Herbert’s life.

“He was going to wait for the governor and kill him,” he said.

Investigators said Baker threatened to use explosives to blow up the governor’s mansion and told his acquaintance he had been hiding in the bushes waiting to get the governor, according to the probable cause statement. He also allegedly threatened to shoot a police officer he saw drive by, the statement says.

Baird said Baker was arrested after he unknowingly met with undercover investigators on an unrelated matter.

After arresting Baker on suspicion of the second-degree felony making terroristic threats to a governmental unit, Baird said officers executed a search warrant on his car. The PC statement says Baker told investigators he had M-80s, other fireworks and ammunition, inside his vehicle.

Baird said investigators found ammunition and fireworks in the car, but no guns.

“I don’t know what his explanation was [for having those items],” Baird said.

He said he didn’t know why Baker would want to kill Herbert, but he said authorities take any threats against public officials very seriously.

Saturday evening, Baker remained in custody at the Salt Lake County Jail.

Source:sltrib.com

Arizona constable resigns after felony conviction www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Willcox AZ Jan 20 2012 Robert L. Stewart, 52, of Willcox, was suspended and subsequently resigned from his elected, but unpaid office as constable of Justice Court Precinct 4 after he pleaded guilty to and was sentenced for a class 4 felony in Cochise County Superior Court on Dec. 12.

Superior Court Presiding Judge Wallace R. Hoggatt wrote a letter to Stewart Dec. 13, which stated:

“Dec. 12, 2011, you were sentenced for a class 4 felony to which you had earlier pleaded guilty. Your crime was that you attempted to commit aggravated assault upon Bruce C. Shane by using a firearm to place him in reasonable apprehension of imminent physical injury.”

“As a consequence of your conviction, you were placed on two years’ supervised probation by the Honorable John F. Kelliher, Jr., Judge of the Superior Court in Cochise County, Division Two. The conviction resulted from your acts of May 17, 2010, when you encountered Mr. Shane while attempting to serve process on Norman Harbolt, Jr.”

Stewart said Thursday, “I feel that this should never have gone to court. I felt threatened at the time it happened.”

“I took a plea because I didn’t want to fight it due to personal reasons. In my situation, I didn’t have a choice. I took the lesser of two evils,” he said. “Even the Constable’s Association didn’t understand how it got this far.”

Stewart said he had “no problem with the people I dealt with in court or the judges – they were very nice.”

But, as presiding judge with authority over constables in Cochise County, Hoggatt “had to do what he did. He accepted my plea and that was the end of it.”

Hoggatt said in his letter, “I believe that the only appropriate discipline to impose is one that removes you from office immediately – and probably for the remainder of your term, depending on any response you might make within the time allowed.”

Hoggatt’s reasons were as follows:

1. “Your crime shows that you cannot be trusted to represent the judicial branch of government in Cochise County. Your crime was serious not merely because it was an armed class 4 felony, but because you committed the crime while you purported to act as an officer of the judicial branch.

2. Your felony conviction means that you are no longer a qualified voter. Under Article VII, � 15, of the Arizona Constitution, “Every person elected or appointed to any elective office of trust or profit under the authority of the State, or any political division or any municipality thereof, shall be a qualified elector of the political division or municipality in which such person shall be elected. As of yesterday, you are not a qualified elector of Precinct 4 – or anywhere else in the State of Arizona.

3. Your conditions of probation state that you cannot associate with anyone you know to have a criminal record without first obtaining written approval of the probation department. A constable is likely to encounter persons with known criminal records. As a practical matter, this provision would prevent you from discharging at least some of the duties of the office.”

Hoggatt was set to review the suspension to determine if it would be permanent on Jan. 5, considering “any response you may wish to present to me,” by Jan. 4.

However, instead of a response, Stewart sent a letter of resignation to the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, dated Dec. 19. It was received and later approved by the Supervisors at their Jan. 9 meeting.

Stewart said he’d like to have continued as constable even though he was paid only $1 per year, and eventually he may have been paid.

He said the Legislature has passed a law that will make the position paid based on the amount of papers served, with a minimum salary. That is supposed to go into effect after the next election, he said.

But, Stewart said that even after his probation is over, “I wouldn’t do anything for this county anymore,” as he is distressed by the way the Sheriff’s Office handled the situation.

“Some people in law enforcement don’t believe that position (constable) should exist. They feel they are the only one’s who should do it. We have mandatory training – we are trained to do the job,” he said. “I have been constable for three years, and that’s the only confrontation I’ve had.”

Source:willcoxrangenews.com

CT police arrest man in Yankee Stadium dirt scam www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Fairfield CT Jan 18 2012 A Westport man has been charged with defrauding a Fairfield resident of $35,000 in a scheme to market what he said was dirt from the original Yankee Stadium.

The alleged victim reported the scam to Fairfield police last May, police said Monday.

The Fairfield man told police that he met Mark Hayward, 52, of Conte Place in Westport, in late 2008 and that Hayward had asked him to invest in a business that would market corporate gift items — a key chain encapsulating dirt from the former Yankee Stadium.

Hayward and the alleged victim agreed that the latter would invest $35,000 in the venture, in return for a 20 percent share, police said. The men reportedly planned to sell the key chains through a sporting goods store licensed to sell Yankees merchandise in New York, according to the police report.

The Fairfield resident made his $35,000 investment through a series of transactions in 2008 and 2009. Hayward told the man he had more than $1 million deposited in a Barclays Bank account in England and that he would be able to release funds back to the Fairfield resident as a return on his investment, police said.

After the Fairfield man became suspicious, Hayward supplied him with a series of letters supposedly from the bank, police said. The first letter in 2009 stated that Hayward had a hold on more than $1 million. Another letter stating that funds would become available was signed by a person the alleged victim believed to be an operations manager at Barclays Bank, police said. A subsequent letter from the bank said there would be a delay in the release of funds from the account.

The alleged victim later demanded that Hayward return his $35,000 after he began to have doubts about the deal, police said.

A police investigation determined the so-called bank letters were forgeries and that there were insufficient funds in Hayward’s account to cover the investment. Hayward’s account was, in fact, overdrawn, police said.

Hayward was charged Friday with first-degree larceny and third-degree forgery. He was released on $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear Monday in state Superior Court in Bridgeport.

Source:www.ctpost.com

North Carolina fire chief killed while responding to traffic accident www.privateofficer.com

 

 

MAXTON, N.C. Jan 10 2012– A volunteer fire chief and president of the Robeson County Firemen’s Association was killed Sunday night while responding to a wreck on Interstate 74, the Highway Patrol said.

Samuel Butler, 52, chief of the Evans Crossroads department, died about 10 p.m. when his Toyota was hit by a tractor trailer about six miles east of Maxton at Exit 197 Cabinet Shop Road, according to a report filed by Trooper M.J. Miles.

Department members were responding to an accident in the westbound lanes of the highway, the report said.

Butler came down the exit ramp for the eastbound lanes and was making a U-turn to cross the median, the report said.

That was when an eastbound 18-wheeler driven by Robert Barrett of Malden, Mass., slammed into Butler’s car, the report said.

Butler was pronounced dead at the scene.

No charges will be filed, according to the report.

Butler, a firefighter for about 30 years, was named as chief of Evans Crossroad department in January 2010.