Caregiver accused of slapping woman in wheelchair at Marin mall www.privateofficer.com

 

Marin County CA June 17 2013 A caregiver was arrested in Terra Linda on allegations she repeatedly slapped a 63-year-old client who was in a wheelchair at the mall.
Tuyet Ngoc Tang, 56, of Rohnert Park was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of cruelty to a dependent adult. Her bail was set at $25,000.
The investigation began at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Northgate mall, where witnesses reported a woman being slapped in the head by someone who was pushing her in a wheelchair, said San Rafael police Sgt. Mike Vergara.
Police arrived and identified the suspect as Tang, the woman’s caregiver. Police watched surveillance video provided by mall security and then arrested Tang.
The woman in the wheelchair showed no obvious signs of injury and did not require medical treatment, Vergara said.
On Friday, the district attorney’s office filed three misdemeanor charges of endangering an elder or dependent adult. One was for the incident on Thursday, and the others were for two other alleged incidents last month.
Tang is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Marin Superior Court.
Source- The Marin Independent Journal

Former Norfolk City Employee Convicted of Fraud www.privateofficer.com

 

NORFOLK, VA May 10 2013 —Patrick R. Lambert, 56, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to fraud in connection with a local government receiving federal funds.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Royce E. Curtin, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation Norfolk Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by Chief United States District Judge Rebecca B. Smith.
Lambert faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment when he is sentenced on August 16, 2013.
In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Patrick R. Lambert was a facilities maintenance supervisor with the city of Norfolk and was acquainted with Andrew T. Zoby, Jr., who had a plumbing contract with the city of Norfolk. Lambert owned a home and several rental properties in the cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach and at various times from approximately 2006 through 2011, would request that Zoby’s plumbing business perform certain work on the properties. Zoby’s employees performed the requested work which had a total value of $17,547.57. Lambert did not pay Zoby or his company for the work that was performed on these properties. In order to obtain reimbursement for these services, Zoby, with the knowledge of Lambert, would submit fraudulent invoices for alleged plumbing services to the city of Norfolk. Lambert was aware of and acquiesced in the payment of these fraudulent invoices. As a result of this scheme, Lambert received free plumbing services in the approximate amount of $17,547.57, and Zoby was reimbursed this amount from the city of Norfolk funds. Zoby has previously pled guilty and will be sentenced on July 10, 2013, in United States District Court in Norfolk.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Norfolk Office. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Seidel, Jr. is 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.

Former Doctor Pleads Guilty in More Than $19 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme www.privateofficer.com

HOUSTON TX April 2 2013—Donald Gibson II, 56, of Richmond, has been convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud relating to medically unnecessary diagnostic testing and physical therapy, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.
Gibson entered a plea of guilty just minutes ago, admitting he conspired to commit health care fraud along with co-defendant, Sunday Joseph Edem, 53, also of Richmond.
Gibson ordered, prescribed, and authorized medically unnecessary diagnostic tests and other procedures which included allergy tests, pulmonary function tests, vestibular tests, urodynamic tests, and physical therapy, among others. These services were then billed to Medicare and Medicaid for payment under Gibson’s billing number.
From January 2007 through January 2012, Gibson caused more than $19.4 million in medical claims to the Medicare and Texas Medicaid Programs. As a result, Medicare deposited approximately $8.5 million into a bank account owned and controlled by Gibson.
Edem operated medical clinics under the names of other individuals to conceal his financial interest in the businesses. Edem and Gibson conspired with one another to cause the submission of false claims to the Medicare and Medicaid programs and share in the proceeds. Gibson and Edem paid patient recruiters for referring Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries and also paid Medicare beneficiaries for showing up at the medical clinics.
Gibson is set for sentencing on July 1, 2013, at which time he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
Edem also pleaded guilty to the same charge on February 25, 2013. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2013.
This case is the result of a joint investigation involving multiple federal and state agencies including agents and investigators of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, Railroad Retirement Board, Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Leuchtmann are prosecuting this case.

Cleveland security officer wins $13.2 million verdict for civil rights violations against police www.privateofficer.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio March 10 2013 – A federal jury awarded $13.2 million to a former housing authority security officer Friday after finding two Cleveland detectives fabricated or withheld evidence at his 2000 murder trial.

David Ayers, 56, who spent 11 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, and several jurors wept as the verdict against detectives Denise Kovach and Michael Cipo was read in U.S. District Court.

“These detectives didn’t do their jobs at all,” juror Stephanie Kocian told The Plain Dealer in an interview. “They manipulated the evidence, and didn’t look at anyone else except the most convenient suspect to convict.

The word ‘railroaded’ was thrown around the jury room during deliberations.” At the time of his 1999 arrest, Ayers had been working for more than eight years as a security officer with the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority.

He was accused and eventually convicted of the beating death 76-year-old Dorothy Brown, who lived in a CMHA high rise in Cleveland. Ayers continued to maintain his innocence, filing appeals while serving a life prison term for aggravated murder. He finally prevailed in 2011, when DNA tests proved that a single pubic hair found in Brown’s mouth did not come from him.

The lawyers representing Ayers in the civil rights lawsuit argued that anti-gay sentiments caused the two detectives to frame their client for the slaying despite evidence that Brown also had been sexually assaulted.

Brown’s body was found naked from the waist down, and her top pulled up, exposing her chest.
A statement released by Ayer’s Chicago lawyers on Friday said the detectives had “no reason to suspect Mr. Ayers of having murdered Ms. Brown. Mr. Ayers was innocent and had nothing to do with the crime. Moreover, as a gay man, Mr. Ayers did not fit the profile of the killer in the case, given the obvious sexual nature in which the victim had been attacked.”

Kovach and Cipo blamed the pubic hair on Brown’s messy apartment. The 11-member jury reached its verdict after four days of testimony and one day of deliberation. “This should have been stopped a long time ago,” Ayers told The Plain Dealer minutes after the vedict was read. “My goal is that it never happens to anyone else ever again.”

Cleveland Law Director Barbara Langhenry, whose office defended the detectives, released a one-sentence statement: “We are disappointed in the verdict and are considering our options.” Attorney Rachel Steinback of Chicago, who represented Ayers, said the city is self-insured, so the $13.2 million will come from taxpayer money, not an insurance company. Kocian said she was proud of the jury’s verdict and troubled by the poor quality of the homicide detectives’ investigation. She said she was “appalled” that the case even made it to trial. “We did him justice,” she said. “He deserved it. I found him absolutely credible and believed every word he said.”

In 2008, the Ohio Innocence Project went to work on Ayers’ case, and in 2009, the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals ordered Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo to allow the DNA testing — which absolved Ayers. Subsequently, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Ayers’ conviction, ruling that his constitutional rights were violated when Russo admitted the testimony at trial of a jailhouse informant. Ayers denied confessing to the murder or telling anything to the informant.

Ayers walked out of prison a free man in 2011. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office announced they would not retry Ayers for the murder, although they left open the possibility if new evidence was discovered.

“Hopefully, this verdict will convince the prosecutors to run a DNA search to find the real killer who is still on the loose,” said Russell Ainsworth, one of the Chicago lawyers who presented the civil rights case in federal court.
Source: Cleveland .com

Bensalem investigation leads to arrest of 20 people in theft of more than $1.5 million www.privateofficer.com

Bensalem PA Feb 14 2013 A year-long corruption investigation culminated in the arrest of 20 people associated with the theft of more than $1.5 million from the Bensalem School District, police announced Tuesday morning.
Bensalem investigators made the arrests after they launched two separate investigations into alleged misdoings involving district staff. One investigation focused on “ghost employees,” the other on theft and illegal distribution of vehicles and related parts, township Public Safety Director Fred Harran said.
District Attorney David Heckler and Harran both said the investigation is not finished and more arrests are possible.
Jack Myers, the retired Bensalem School District business manager, was among those arrested in the corruption probe. He is charged with misapplication of entrusted property. Law enforcement said the 63-year-old Philadelphia resident knew of the many thefts occurring in the district and even participated in some of the activity.
The district’s current facilities manager, Robert Moseley, 61, of Bensalem was arrested and charged with misapplication of entrusted property for his part in the ghost employee investigation. In that case, police said multiple ground crew workers were getting paid for shifts they did not work. One employee did not report for work for up to three years, police said.
Head mechanic Fred Lange, 68, of Croydon was charged in August after it was uncovered he led the theft scheme being operated out of the bus garage, police said. Authorities called Lange the operations mastermind.

District mechanics Martin Chappell and Patrick Hammond were also arrested along with Lange.
Detectives told Patch that Chappell’s home garage was found to have a large surplus of vehicle parts suspected of being purchased with taxpayer money. One box of headlights was even addressed to the school district.
Hammond is suspected to have played a smaller role in the thefts. A search of his personal garage uncovered several small items believed to have been purchased using district funds.
One aspect of the crime involved ordering equipment through the district’s discounted consortium rates and then selling them out the figurative back door for less, keeping all the profits. Between nearly 7,000 bus tires and close to 2,200 batteries, the thieves are said to have swindled the district of over $1 million, police said. More money is alleged to have been spent on windshield wipers, oil filters and engine fluids, Harran explained during a late morning press conference.
Another angle involved Myers and Lange turning over the titles of 30 district buses, vans and pick-up trucks to Joel Zober, who owns a junkyard in Pipersville, police said. The vehicles were given to the junkyard and a group of classic car enthusiasts were able to pick other vehicles at the junkyard for free. Police called the group “The Breakfast Club,” due to their regular breakfast trips.
“All their people, their friends got to go to that junkyard and get parts free of charge,” Harran said. “There was a definite monetary value back.”
Harran called the group “very organized.”
Joseph Bound, owner of Bound Beverages on Bristol Pike in Bensalem, told police he bought items to maintain his vehicle fleet from Lange for the past 10 years. He said he paid cash for tires, synthetic transmission oil and transmission filters order by the school district, according to an affidavit.
“When gone unchecked for years, [the suspects] continued to do it. Those days are over,” Harran told reporters.
All of the suspects arrested on Wednesday were lead from the police station to District Justice Leonard Brown’s courthouse where they were arraigned.

Below is a list of the people arrested by authorities on Wednesday:
Current and Former District Employees

Former 28-year district business manager Jack Myers, 63, Hendrix Street, Philadelphia: misapplication of entrusted property
Facilities manager Robert Moseley, 61, Byberry Road, Bensalem: misapplication of entrusted property.
District bus mechanic Patrick Hammon, 53, of West Bensalem Avenue, Bensalem: theft and receiving stolen property
Mechanic Roland “Tex” Angle, 72, of Mildred Avenue, Bensalem: conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property
“Ghost Employees”

Former Groundskeeper Supervisor Joseph Dyer, 43, of West Bensalem Avenue, Bensalem: theft and criminal conspiracy
Former Groundskeeper Shannon Dyer, 39, of West Bensalem Avenue, Bensalem: theft and criminal conspiracy
Groundskeeper Anthony Ruggiero, 38, of Ogden Avenue, Bensalem: theft and criminal conspiracy
Stolen Property Receivers and Distributors

William “Gill” Slowe, 73, of Crescent Avenue, Bensalem: criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property
Alfred Venturino, 59, of Fourth Avenue, Croydon: criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property
Robert Lord Sr., 64, of Dunksferry Road, Bensalem: criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property
Bound Beverages owner Joseph Bound, 65, of Ford Avenue, Middletown: criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property
Smith’s Auto Repair owner Elwyn Smith, 56, of Ritter Avenue, Bristol: criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property
Classic car club member William Klosz, 63, of Hawthorne Avenue, Bensalem: criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property
Classic car club member Leo Cannon, 65, of Hampton Court, Newtown: criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property
Classic car club member Wiliam O’Hara, 56, of Ash Avenue, Bensalem: criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property
Classic car club member Ronald Stoud, 69, of Cliff Road, Bensalem: criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property
Upper Bucks County junkyard owner Joel Zober, 70, of Magnolia Drive, Croydon: criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property
Tow truck operator Wilson Lopez, 29, of Lincoln Avenue, Bristol: criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property

Source: Bensalem Patch

Men arrested in connection with kidnapping, assault, impersonating police officers www.privateofficer.com

Tulare County  CA Dec 9 2012 Two men are behind bars after dressing as police officers and trying to kidnap a man near Porterville, according to Tulare County Sheriff’s deputies.

Deputies responded Thursday to the 900 block of North Main Street in Porterville, where they say two men dressed as police officers assaulted a man and tried to handcuff him.

At one point, one of the suspects pulled a handgun on the victim. The victim managed to free himself from the two men and fled to call police.

Deputies questioned the men, who were still at the scene, and arrested William Morton, 56, and Christopher Morton, 29. The men were taken to the Porterville Substation and booked on suspicion of kidnapping, assault, impersonating a police officer and brandishing a firearm.

The men were transferred to the Main Jail in Visalia and are awaiting arraignment on the four felony charges.
Source:Visalia times

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

Giant Eagle employee admitted to stealing between $30,000 and $35,000 www.privateofficer.com

 

ELYRIA OH June 17 2012 — A Giant Eagle employee was issued a summons after she admitted to stealing between $30,000 and $35,000 while she worked at the store.
Pamela Kmitt, 56, of Birmingham, was charged with theft following an internal investigation at Giant Eagle, 820 Market Drive, where she worked as a cashier. During her employment, Kmitt allegedly performed fraudulent transactions to steal money.

After performing an “exception report (audit),” an employee said she found Kmitt had completed several fraudulent returns. The employee said Kmitt would also print out coupons from the cash register and then keep money from those transactions.

According to the employee, during Kmitt’s shift on Sunday, Kmitt took $55 in cash from five false coupon transactions.

Police issued Kmitt a citation for the theft of $55. According to the report, Giant Eagle management will complete an internal investigation and notify the Elyria Police Department to pursue charges.

Source:chronicleonline.com

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

Former York Symphony Orchestra employee admits to $200,000 thefts www.privateofficer.com

York PA April 6 2012 A former York Symphony Orchestra employee admitted in court Wednesday to stealing more than $200,000 from the symphony to cover her gambling addiction.

Phyllis A. Shoff, 56, of New Cumberland, will serve 9 to 23 months in York County Prison, followed by 10 years’ probation for theft and access-device fraud.

“I wrote them to myself to cover my gambling debts, and so my family wouldn’t know,” a tearful Shoff said Wednesday as she confessed to using the symphony’s checkbook to write checks to herself that covered food, bills and hotel rooms for casino trips.

During her eight years as office manager, Shoff wrote checks to herself and to the name “Phyllis A. LoPresti” totaling almost $150,000. She also used two credit cards and a local bank card – meant to purchase symphony supplies – for bills and gambling expenses. Those charges totaled almost $70,000.

Shoff must pay $177,967.85 in restitution to Federal Insurance Co., the company that insures the YSO. Additionally, she will pay $42,994.78 to the YSO for the amount not covered by insurance.

“I’m satisfied with it,” said Henry Nixon, former executive director of the symphony, who first alerted police to the theft. “When something like this happens, it’s very personal.”

Nixon, who attended Wednesday’s hearing, said Shoff’s sentence met his main criteria of seeing her serve jail time and preventing her from being able to steal from an employer again.

“That was critical to me. She’s never going to be able to hold a job where she can handle money. That gives me a lot of satisfaction,” Nixon said.

Shoff had no comment after the trial.

“It is what it is. It’s what you heard in the courtroom,” said James Rader, Shoff’s public defender.

Nixon said the thefts did not affect the symphony’s programs.

Symphony treasurer Jolleen Biesecker provided a victim impact statement during Shoff’s hearing.

“There will likely be donors that never return. Ultimately, we had people trust us with their money, and it was stolen from us,” the statement reads. “Phyllis’s actions have caused some of our volunteers to become disillusioned as well as wary about continuing to work to raise money for an organization whose employee was able to do what was done.”

Judge Gregory Snyder rejected an initial plea deal that required Shoff to serve only 3 to 23 months in prison, followed by probation. The original plea took into consideration Shoff’s medical condition and gambling addiction, according to the prosecution.

Source:ydr.com

Two Massachusetts men faces lit of charges in Walmart stolen credit card scheme www.privateofficer.com

 

 

HUDSON NH March 16 2012 – Two Massachusetts men were arrested Wednesday afternoon after police were called by a Wal-Mart security officer saying the pair might have stolen credit cards.

The men face an array of charges, from attempted theft of merchandise to auto theft to possession of a narcotic, police said.

Arrested were Frank Phillips, 30, of Boston, and Randy Steele, 56, of Dorchester.

Phillips was charged with on count of attempted theft by deception and one count of possession of a controlled substance. He was held on $1,000 cash or surety bail.

Steele was charged with one count of theft of a motor vehicle, one count of unauthorized use of a propelled vehicle, on count of possession of a controlled drug and 10 counts of attempted theft by deception. He was held on an $8,000 cash or surety bond.

Both men were scheduled to be arraigned today at Nashua District Court.

Source:nashua telegraph

Police: 3 men traded crack for sex with 6-year-old www.privateofficer.com

 

 

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. March 6 2012- A Jacksonville Beach mother accused of trading sex with her 6-year-old daughter in exchange for drugs, and two men who police said had sex with the girl are all in custody, and a third man is being sought.
The mom, Dalina Nicholas, 39, was arrested in Columbus, Ga., and is awaiting extradition to Jacksonville Beach.

Quinn Brooks, 56, and John Hagans, 47, were booked into the Duval County Jail on charges of rape. Police said they’re looking for 51-year-old Norman Thompson in connection with the rape.

Jacksonville Beach police said the crimes took place in mid-January. According to police reports, the girl gave a detailed account of what she said the men did to her, saying some of the acts were physically painful.

Detectives said they started investigating after a homeless man flagged down an officer and told him that he knew of a young girl getting sexually abused by multiple men and it had been going on for the last two years.

He then told police Nicholas “would allow different men sexual access to the victim in exchange for drugs and/or money while at her house,” according to the police reports.

The man told police he “witnessed Nicholas tell the victim to take off her clothes and lay on a mattress in the living room, saw the suspect give Nicholas $20 and then perform oral sex on the victim,” according to the reports.

The man said he told detectives because the girl asked him to help her “make it stop,” according to the reports.

Nicholas told police she had no idea what was going on and said she was a victim of sexual abuse as a child as well.

The Florida Department of Children and Families said the girl and her 1-year-old brother were removed from the home and were with a relative and receiving counseling from a team of doctors. DCF said it believes only the girl was a victim of sexual abuse.

“Our primary concerns at DCF are the safety and well-being of this child,” Harrell said. “This child is now in a safe environment with relatives. And additionally, our partners at the Children’s Home Society are providing services to help this child, which include therapy and counseling.”

Harrell said the therapy and counseling may need to continue for several years.

“This girl has been through a very rough ordeal and we obviously want to make sure that she’s getting all of the services and assistance that she needs,” Harrell said. “If there’s going to be any situation where further details are needed about what happened to this child, they can refer back to this documented interview and that will spare this child the pain hopefully of having to go on the stand (at a trial).”

Nicholas’ Jacksonville Beach neighbors told Channel 4 they never saw any police activity at her home and could never have imagined what was going on.

“It’s disgusting. I can’t even fathom the thought,” said April Wishman. “I have a 3-year-old and a 2-year-old. I can’t fathom it.”

Hagans has been arrested at least 12 times in Duval County; Brooks has been arrested seven times. Both were being held without bail.

Nicholas has a prior arrest on a misdemeanor marijuana charge.

Jacksonville Beach police were expected to head to Muscogee County, Ga., to pick Nicholas up sometime this week.

If you have any information on Thompson’s whereabouts, call Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.

Source:newsjax4.com

CVS shoplifter tries fleeing with 45 items www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Middletown NJ Jan 25 2012

CVS security watched a female shopper as she strolled through the store filling up her shopping car and her purse with more than 45 items.
Police were called to the CVS on Main Street Extension and arrested Lisa Marshall, 56, of Main Street for the theft of the merchandise which was valued at $318.48.
Security told police that she left the store without paying.
She was apologetic and offered to pay for the items but was charged with larceny.

Two employees charged with stealing thousands of dollars from the City of Buffalo www.privateofficer.com

 

BUFFALO, N.Y. Dec 14 2011– U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced Monday that James Bagarozzo, 56, and Lawrence Charles, 39, both of Buffalo, New York, were arrested and charged in two Criminal Complaints (one for each defendant) with stealing thousands of dollars from the City of Buffalo, a Governmental agency which receives federal funding. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O’Donnell, who is handling the case, stated that the defendants are employed as parking meter mechanics for the City of Buffalo. In this capacity, both defendants had the responsibility of repairing defective parking meter machines, but were not authorized to collect any money deposited into the machines.

According to the Complaints, in the time periods alleged, defendants Bagarozzo and Charles – instead of repairing the meter machines for which they were responsible – systematically utilized their positions as City of Buffalo Parking Enforcement repairmen to steal the money which was inserted into the parking meter machines. On some occasions, the Complaints allege that the defendants rigged parking meter machines in order to make the money collect in an area of the machine easier to access and steal.

In the time period of 2003 to 2011, the Bagarozzo Complaint alleges that the defendant systematically stole an estimated $210,000 from the parking meters he was charged with repairing. The Complaint indicates that agents also recovered approximately $40,000 hidden in the ceiling of the defendant’s bathroom as well as $3,000 in quarters and another $4,100 in cash.

Regarding defendant Charles, the Complaint alleges that Charles stole between $3,363 and $4,712 in one 32 day period, and additional funds over various months in the time period from 2009 to 2011.

“Public corruption by an employee at any level of government is a breach of the public’s trust,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “This Office stands committed to pursuing any allegations regarding public corruption wherever it occurs. This case should serve as a warning to any individual who would consider committing similar behavior.”

“Today’s developments demonstrate the FBI’s continued commitment to identify and defeat public corruption on all organizational levels,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Piehota.”With the initial and continual support of the City of Buffalo’s Parking Commissioner, Kevin Helfer, the FBI and the Buffalo Police Department worked collaboratively to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion.”

The arrests are the culmination of an investigation on the part Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.

Marion Local Elementary School teacher accused of sex crimes commits suicide www.privateofficer.com

 

CELINA OH Dec 5 2011 — A Marion Local Elementary School teacher arrested Friday for sexual imposition of a minor apparently committed suicide early Saturday, the Mercer County sheriff’s office said.

Paul Mizer, 56, of Maria Stein, had been distraught over his misdemeanor arrest, which involved an incident that didn’t occur on school property or during school hours. He was found dead about 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the pond at the Maria Stein Spiritual Center, 2365 St. John’s Road.

Mizer was brought to the Mercer County Adult Detention Facility and was booked in, but was later released when his wife, Penny, posted bond. The sheriff’s office said it received a call from Penny Mizer stating that Mizer had left the house between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Source:Dayton Daily News

More guns found at California airport www.privateofficer.com

 

Ontario CA Aug 20 2011 For the second time this week, Ontario airport officials arrested a man for storing a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag.
Transportation Security Administration officers at Ontario International Airport found a .38 caliber revolver in a briefcase during the x-ray screening process Friday morning in Terminal 4, airport police Sgt. Belinda Nettles said.

Ronald Hill, 56, of Chino Hills was booked at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm. Hill was on his way to Sacramento, Nettles said.

On Wednesday, TSA officers arrested Thomas Joseph Fee, 69 after spotting a loaded .38 caliber revolver in his carry-on bag, said Airport Police Sgt. Belinda Nettles. Fee, who was on his way to Denver, was taken to West Valley Detention Center.

Firearms are permitted in checked baggage but need to be unloaded, in the proper carrying case and declared to the airline, airport officials said.

Source:www.sbsun.com

Special education teacher arrested for rape of student www.privateofficer.com

 

VALLEJO Ca June 16 2011
A special education teacher at a Vallejo elementary school has been arrested on suspicion of raping a developmentally disabled student aide, police said.

Jerry Johnson, 56, of Elk Grove (Sacramento County), a teacher at Loma Vista Elementary School on Rainier Avenue, raped an 18-year-old student who has the mental capacity of a 7-year-old in February, authorities said. The alleged attack happened on campus, police said.

Johnson was booked Monday on a $750,000 warrant alleging rape of a person who is incapable of consenting due to her mental and developmental disabilities, police said

Source:www.sfgate.com

Thief steals Walmart greeters oxygen tanks www.privateofficer.com

 

American Canyon CA May 10 2011 A man was arrested Wednesday at the Walmart Supercenter on suspicion of taking portable oxygen tanks that belonged to one of the greeters, American Canyon Police Chief Jean Donaldson said Thursday.

Jimmy Green, 56, of Vallejo was arrested without incident at about 8:45 p.m. after store security detained him at the store, Donaldson said. The value of the two portable oxygen tanks was estimated at $1,100, he said.

Green, who was allegedly found in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine and marijuana, did not say why he took the tanks, the chief said. “But they’re fairly expensive,” he said.

He was arrested and booked into the Napa County jail on suspicion of grand theft, marijuana possession and drug possession, jail logs show.

Shoplifter with 40 prior convictions gets prison term www.privateofficer.com

 

WEST NYACK NY April 21 2011— A man described by prosecutors as a career criminal with nearly 40 convictions will be sentenced in July after he was found guilty of trying to steal more than $1,000 in video games from a store in the Palisades Center mall.

Joe Smith, 56, of 416 Liberty St., Newburgh, was convicted after a jury trial of a felony count of grand larceny and misdemeanor charges of attempted criminal possession of stolen property and criminal possession of an anti-security item.

The convictions stemmed from an incident at the Best Buy at the mall two years ago in which Smith entered the store carrying a disguised foil-lined “booster bag,” designed to conceal stolen merchandise.

A store security guard followed Smith and saw him take a handful of video games and put them in the booster bag.

Clarkstown police officers, responding to a call from Best Buy security personnel, arrested the Smith in the parking lot near J.C. Penney following a foot chase through the mall.

Store security officers determined the total value of the stolen games was $1,159.

Jurors deciding the case in the courtroom of Rockland County Court Judge William K. Nelson reached a verdict on April 11, following a week-long trial and eight hours of deliberations.

Smith was remanded to the Rockland County Jail and will be sentenced July 12. He faces a maximum of four years in state prison.

Smith has a total of 39 convictions, including two felony convictions for which he served time in state prison. The defendant has several additional charges pending, including petty larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

Source:lohud.com

Small town shocked by Christmas murder-suicide www.privateofficer.com

Baxter County AR Dec 26 2010 Three people were found dead Friday morning from gunshot wounds in what Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery said appeared to be a murder-suicide.
Montgomery said Baxter County deputies and an Arkansas State Police trooper responded to a residence at 124 Forest Hills Drive in the Robinson Point area just after 9 a.m. Friday after 911 dispatchers received a call from a concerned neighbor.
Montgomery said the neighbor checked on the house and saw someone lying on the floor in a pool of blood and then called 911.
The officers made forced entry into the residence and found three bodies, each of whom appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds.
Preliminary investigation determined that the three were a man and his wife, who lived at the residence, and the woman’s son, who was visiting from out of state.
Montgomery said evidence at the scene suggests that the husband shot and killed his wife and her son, and then shot and killed himself. The investigation, however, is still continuing, Montgomery said.
A handgun was found at the scene, as well as spent shell casings and other items, the sheriff said.
“There were no signs of forced entry.” Montgomery said. “We’re still early in the investigation, but it does appear to be a murder-suicide.”
Montgomery said the bodies have been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Little Rock for autopsy.
Authorities identified the victims as Harry D. Svensson, 52, of 124 Forest Hills Drive, his wife, Louise Svensson, 56, and her son, Victor A. Robles, 20, of Villa Parks, Ill