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Target shoplifter points gun at LP agents privateofficer.com
Chicago IL March 5 2011 Bond has been at $750,000 for a man who allegedly pointed a loaded handgun at security personnel detaining him for shoplifting at a Logan Square neighborhood Target store last month.
Rikki Rodriguez, 26, of the 1800 block of North Humboldt Boulevard, was charged Tuesday with attempted armed robbery, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, five counts of aggravated assault to a security officer and possession of ammunition without a valid FOID card, police said. He was also wanted on a parole violation warrant.
In bond court Tuesday, Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered him held on $750,000 and set a preliminary hearing for March 8, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton.
Rodriguez was arrested at his home Sunday night after being identified in a photo array as the person who was detained on Feb. 21 at the Target at the 2600 block of North Elston Avenue, police said.
He allegedly pulled a loaded .22 caliber handgun from his waistband and pointed it at five store security staffers who were holding him for taking a pair of headphones and a watch, the report said.
Rodriguez fled the store, allegedly pointing the gun in the face of a staffer who tried to hold a door closed, the report said. But he dropped a clip for the weapon while leaving, the report said.
Rodriguez, who has a tattoo of a star on his face and was possibly with a second person, got into a small gold sedan driven by another person.
A .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun and 15 live rounds were recovered from a dresser in his studio apartment, the report said.
Grand Central Area detectives continue to investigate.
Source:Chicago Sun Times
Student sues school security guard for sexual harassment www.privateofficer.com
According to a lawsuit filed by the former student at Owen Academy and her mother, the harassment escalated on Feb. 12, 2008, when Detroit Public Schools officer Kenneth Matchett entered her classroom, sneaked up behind her, grabbed her hair, body and breast and said, “Who is this?”
The girl said she told Matchett to stop.
“You must be on your fourth day,” Matchett responded — a comment the girl said she believed to be about her menstrual cycle.
The alleged account from the girl, now 16, came in her and her mother’s legal action against the school district for $3 million — Matchett, Owen’s principal and curriculum leader are also being sued. They claim administrators knew Matchett had a history of harassing female students but didn’t stop him.
Matchett, 43, was convicted in 2008 of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct for the incident at Owen Academy, 2001 Martin Luther King Blvd., and landed on the state’s sex offender list. He couldn’t be reached for comment.
The district doesn’t dispute Matchett committed a criminal act. But as the lawsuit heads before Wayne Circuit Court Judge Wendy Baxter on Sept. 14, the district will ask to the judge to dismiss it on claims it shouldn’t be a party to the suit.
Since the incident, the girl has transferred to another district school, West Side Academy, and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. In June 2008, she cut her wrist with a razor and rushed to the hospital, records show. The News does not identify victims of sexual assault.
The suit alleges Owen officials knew about Matchett’s previous actions and warned a counselor to be wary when he was with female students, according to the suit. He had taken sexually inappropriate photos of girls with his camera phone and brought some back to his home, the suit alleges.
Detroit Public Schools declined to comment on the ongoing case.
In court papers, DPS contends the girl was cutting herself before the incident and neither she nor friends reported to administrators any prior inappropriate actions by Matchett.
DPS argued that Matchett was at fault — but not the district — and contends they acknowledged Matchett committed a criminal act. “
The suit alleges the girl told a school nurse and counselor, who told a principal. The principal urged the girl to “keep this between us,” the suit also alleges.
Matchett was later transferred to Northwestern High School, the suit says. It wasn’t until a warrant was issued that Matchett was taken off duty.
Matchett failed to respond to the girl’s suit and the court entered a default judgment of $900,000 against him, according to court papers.
While the school district can argue it’s protected from the lawsuit because of governmental immunity, the girl’s attorney, Richard Bernstein, said the school leaders’ actions are so “egregious” that immunity should not apply.
Bernstein wants the district policies to change to ensure kids are protected and wrongdoing is reported. “If it’s not corrected, more kids are in danger,” Bernstein said.
Source:From The Detroit News
Family of murdered security officer denied closure www.privateofficer.com
Cincinnati OH July 18 2010
By: Rick McCann/CEO
PRIVATE OFFICER INTERNATIONAL
http://www.privateofficer.com
An Ohio family today still has no justice in the killing of their loved one who was gunned down in 1999 while working as a security officer.
It all started at a New Year’s Eve party in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Oasis bar and grill, a popular local club was filling up fast as the celebration of another New Years was fast approaching.
Police say that as the night wore on, a fight broke out and bar security officers began pushing people toward the front of the bar and out the doors to de-escalate the situation.
That’s when one of the brawlers returned within moments with a gun and began shooting into the business.
Jerry Gilbert, one of the nightclub security officers was found laying on the ground with a bullet wound. A fellow security officer started first aid but Gilbert died on the scene from his wounds.
Investigators were able to identify a suspect in the murder and named Cyril L Byrd as their prime suspect and with the assistance of the FBI, the U.S. Marshals office and Americas Most Wanted television program, officers across the country began their manhunt.
Somehow Byrd had managed to avoid capture and stay one step ahead of law enforcement for almost nine years until an AMW tipster lead authorities to Arizona.
Arizona authorities were familiar with Byrd because they had arrested him in 2005, but Byrd allegedly used an alias and posted bond before cops realized he was wanted for an Ohio murder.
So, when an anonymous tipster called the Phoenix field office of the FBI, they knew just who the tipster was talking about, and they were not taking any chances with the man they say was a violent fugitive.
At around 3 p.m. on Monday, September 17, 2007, members of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force went to the address and they were able to take Byrd into custody without any resistance and he admitted to officers who he was. Investigators found a weapon and cash inside the home, but thankfully no one was hurt during the arrest.
With the fugitive in custody they extradited him back to the State of Ohio so that justice could be served and the family of security officer Gilbert could at last find closure.
But closure would be denied by Hamilton County judge who said that there was not enough evidence to proceed with murder charges against Bryd and on Nov. 18, 2008, he was acquitted of the charges against him and set free.
Authorities in Cincinnati still say that they beleive that they had the right man in custody for the murder but the case is now in the hands of the Cold Case Squad who may be able to turn up new leads as they start the investigation process all over again.
In the meantime, Gilbert’s family now wonders if they’ll ever see justice or have the true peace that can only come with the arrest and conviction of the man who killed their loved one.
Contributors to this story: Brian Hollstegge, AMW
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Shoplifter tried to run down security agent with her car www.privateofficer.com
Theresa Drew, 57, of Quincy was trying to avoid being detained by a Wal-Mart security guard Friday when she almost hit the guard with her car, police said.
In addition to larceny of property valued at $250 or less, she is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon – the car.
She was arraigned Monday in Quincy District Court. She pleaded innocent and was released on personal recognizance. She is to return to court July 23 for a pretrial session.
Drew allegedly tried to take a shopping cart full of goods out of the Wal-Mart on Falls Boulevard at about 2:45 p.m. Friday, by going through the lawn and garden section.
When she tried to flee in her Hyundai sedan without the merchandise, she shifted into reverse and almost hit the security guard, who had to jump out of the way, police said.
She was stopped at Caddy Park on Quincy Shore Drive a short time later by police officer John Grazioso and other officers.
Grazioso saw Drew’s car pass him on Sea Street after her plate number had been sent out on an alert. Drew was identified by the Wal-Mart security guard.
Teen killed running from security officer www.privateofficer.com
Raheem Key of Orlando was running through the parking lot of the Water Lakes shopping center on Alafaya Trail when he got hit by a car.
The driver, Joel Davis, 30, of Orlando, could not stop this Chevy truck in time and hit Key as the teen jumped through shrubbery and into the road on Waterford Lakes Parkway.
The teen was found with drugs on him, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Investigators said the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was attempting to trespass Key from the movie theater when he fled.
1100 Security officers needed for G20 Summit www.privateofficer.com
Contemporary Security Canada has posted job openings for security screeners, who will be using metal detectors to vet people going into the security perimeters in Toronto and Huntsville.
Guards are expected to work from June 15 to June 28, clocking as many as 120 hours.
“They’re going to be an augmentation to the security staff,” said Sgt. Michele Paradis of the summits’ Integrated Security Unit.
Meanwhile, a director with a Toronto security firm said a work order has been distributed that requires security guards be posted at GO Transit stations “all across the line.”
GO spokesperson Vanessa Thomson said the service is looking to hire security for the summit, but declined to discuss details because it “could compromise the safety and security of our customers.”
“GO Transit is taking reasonable steps to ensure the movement of our customers as best as possible,” she said.
None of the CSC guards will be carrying weapons and they will always be working alongside police officers, Paradis said.
Details of the guards’ specific tasks haven’t been released yet, but they will mainly be used as screeners at checkpoints, entrance gates and other busy locations, she said.
“It’s much the same way (private guards) were used at the Olympics,” she said.
In fact, CSC was in charge of 90 per cent of the Vancouver Olympics security screening staff who x-rayed bags and performed security checks as spectators entered the venues.
The firm received 11,236 applications for the Olympic gig and many of the 5,000 jobs went to students, First Nations and retired police and military personnel.
All staff hired to work the summits must have an Ontario Security Guard licence and pass mandatory training, the CSC job posting said.
The full-time gig pays $20-24 an hour. Accommodation, transportation, uniforms and most meals will be provided.
The company is holding interviews at the Humber College School of Creative and Performing Arts from now until June 7.
Security officer kills man speeding toward him www.privateofficer.com
A man who police said was speeding toward a security guard after a domestic quarrel at a Woodlawn neighborhood apartment complex died after he was shot by the guard Monday afternoon.
Quintin Sharp, 25, of the 6300 block of South King Drive, was pronounced dead at 5:30 p.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Sharp was attempting to flee the scene about 3:40 p.m. in a car with a 6-year-old boy when he was stopped in the parking lot of the South Side complex by security guards, said Police News Affairs Officer Robert Perez. When Sharp accelerated toward one of the guards with a vehicle he had taken from a woman, another guard opened fire, striking Sharp in the head, Perez said.
It is not clear if the woman was a girlfriend or wife, or if the boy was Sharp’s son.
After Sharp was shot, he crashed nearby in the 6400 block of King Drive, Perez said. The child, who was a passenger in the car, suffered minor cuts from flying glass in the shooting, Perez said. Sharp was taken to the hospital where he later died.
So far, the incident is not being investigated as a homicide but as an aggravated assault because the car was being used as a weapon, Perez said.
Catholic priest arrested for felony theft at Wal-Mart www.privateofficer.com
spource:bnd.com
A Roman Catholic priest who formerly served in Belleville and Breese is accused of shoplifting butter and a sofa cover at a Wal-Mart in Southern Illinois.
Police in the village of West City arrested 41-year-old the Rev. Steven Poole on Friday. He’s charged with two felony theft counts.
Investigators say Poole failed to scan a $3.22 container of butter and a $60 sofa cover at a self-checkout. Poole then allegedly went to the store’s bedding section, picked up a memory foam mattress and switched the pricing bar code. That caused the $145 item to be scanned for $31.
Allegedly, Poole also possessed a stolen laptop computer power pack.
He’s the priest for St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Christopher and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sesser.
Poole does not have a listed home telephone number, and messages left for him at the churches were not returned.
In 2001, Poole was convicted in St. Louis County Circuit Court of stealing an antique pub sign from a Ladue, Mo., antiques shop. He was sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service.
In January 2001, Poole filed a false report with the Breese Police Department that he had been beaten and robbed at St. Augustine’s Church. He was sentenced to six months of court supervision.
After the incidents in 2001, Poole was assigned to St. Mary’s Church in Belleville to serve as an assistant to the pastor there. Diocesan leaders said then that Poole had undergone counseling. He remained at the Belleville church for about a year.
Home Depot employee arrested in thefts www.privateofficer.com
Deputies say Grace Anne Stewart, of the Town of Batavia, stole the money between Nov. 1 and Monday from the Home Depot at 4181 Veterans Memorial Drive.
The store loss prevention personnel investigated the thefts but did not release how the thefts took place.
She must appear in Batavia Town Court on June 14 to answer the charge.
Indianapolis police officer charged with arson www.privateofficer.com
Police say 31-year-old Jesse Russel, Jr. was an IMPD officer for three years. He was arrested Thursday, held on two counts of arson, and has resigned immediately.
The first case involved a fire that happened May 14 at Lakeview Terrace Apartments near 21st and Mitthoeffer on the far eastside.
Federal, state and local teams worked the investigation, ruling out accidental causes early in the process. While there were no injuries, the damage was estimated at $30,000.
Investigators are still unclear if there is a connection to two additional fires at the Nottingham Village apartments. Those fires occurred April 23 and May 6.
Police are not releasing a mug shot for investigative purposes.
Alabama parent arrested after bringing shotgun to school www.privateofficer.com
Thomas Brian Smoak was arrested Tuesday and charged with having a weapon on school grounds and making a terrorist threat.
Athens Police Capt. Floyd Johnson says dispatchers were told the school had received a call informing them a father of one of the students was on his way with a shotgun. Officers arrived and learned that a student had been involved in an incident and that his father was upset over the way it was handled.
Johnson says Smoak’s vehicle entered and exited the campus and was stopped by officers, who discovered the weapon and ammunition.
Man arrested after smuggling murdered wife out of hotel www.privateofficer.com
Scott Hahn, of Venice, Florida, has been charged with second degree murder after his wife Kimberley’s body was found propped up against his car outside a hotel.
According to court records, witnesses told police they saw legs protruding from beneath a blanket as Mr Hahn wheeled a trolley across the lobby of the Holiday House Hotel in Florida on May 14.
He had allegedly smothered her to death in the hotel.
When one guest asked what was under the blanket, a flustered Hahn replied ‘garbage.’
Police said Hahn was later spotted in the car park with his dead wife’s alongside the car.
Lt. Ron Solanes from the Venice Police Department said: ‘I believe out of the four witnesses two indicated they were fairly sure it was a body, judging from I guess the feet sticking out of the blanket.’
He was arrested after a security guard called police.
Court records revealed that the 37-year-old social worker had checked into the Holiday House Hotel in Venice, Florida, while visiting her father Richard who lived in nearby Punta Gorda.
She had separated from her husband and since filed a restraining order against him for domestic violence.
The documents said the couple’s year-long marriage had been punctuated by bouts of domestic violence.
Hahn allegedly threatened to kill his wife earlier this month, telling her ‘It’s your time to die’ and ‘I’m going to chop you into little pieces.’
Police records showed that he has been arrested 29 times for alcohol related crimes.
Hahn is being held without bail.
Vegas Casino Counseling Services Come Underfire www.privateofficer.com
Las Vegas Metro Police Officer Jose Montoya tells you United States Justice Associates could save your career. Just admit you’re guilty, waive rights to an attorney and pay $500 immediately, and all your problems go away.
Robert Draskovich is the attorney representing USJA and its owner. He says using the private counseling service kept Metro from dealing with petty crimes and that the program and video just streamlined a normally slow process.
“It was easier, not only for the casinos personnel, it was easier on Metro. It was easier on all those involved in the justice system,” he said.
“Basically saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got you now and we’ll call the police unless you give us money.’ There is a word for that: it is called extortion,” said Allen Lichtenstein with the American Civil Liberties Union.
Lichtenstein was disgusted with the video and USJA’s tactics. His opinion echoes that of Metro’s investigation: twice over the last seven months, police raided USJA looking for evidence of extortion and the “very threatening” nature of the program.
“The casinos do not have the right to pretend that they are the police,” said Lichtenstein.
He says the legal threats are exaggerated and the theatrics and official tone are misleading. The county, the courts or Metro have not given any true approval and Lichtenstein says it scares people into complying.
One account they didn’t snag was MGM Mirage. Corporate security chief Tom Lozich questioned the legality, and the intent, of the program. For every $500 fee, the casinos got $100 in return. Lozich says that’s incentive to haul people in.
“When you look at it from an integrity standpoint, that kind of brings that into kind of a questionable area,” he said.
Station Casinos security chief Bill Young did like the program. He says security officers can decide guilt or innocence best in most cases.
“It reduces the need for a prosecutor being involved — a public defender,” he said.
But Young not only runs security for Station, he’s the former sheriff of Clark County and says he used USJA at the urging of Chief Judge Doug Smith. In a letter supporting the counseling program, Smith said he has “never used one that is better” and that he “wholeheartedly, without reservation” recommends using it.
Smith declined to comment, but USJA was in court Tuesday trying to find out more about the raids.
Despite the investigation and court activity, Young stands his ground. He thinks the program does not look like extortion and their tactics shouldn’t be criticized.
“I don’t know who’s pushing this. I don’t know if it’s the ACLU, but it’s a crock of s*** as far as I’m concerned. Excuse my language,” he said.
Casinos in charge of the law. No oversight, no accountability but finally some scrutiny making its way into the backrooms.
Shortly after Sheriff Doug Gillespie came on board, the officer in the video was taken out and replaced by an actor. Metro never approved this program or signed off.
Bill Young and Stations ended their contract after learning USJA was not actually forwarding cases to prosecution if the person failed to follow through on counseling.
The owner of USJA, Steven Brox, has not been charged on this case. Because of the Metro raids, the program has temporarily been shut down.
Officer injured, nine arrested in college brawl www.privateofficer.com
LEWISTON, Maine May 26 2010A party that got out of control ended with several arrests and an injured officer on the Bates College campus early Wednesday morning, according to police.
Investigators told News 8 that students were celebrating on campus Tuesday night when someone called 911 and requested an ambulance for a girl who needed help.
According to police, students would not let the ambulance through. Bates College security officers were finally able to get people to move for the ambulance, but that’s when police said the crowd became unruly, yelling and taunting officers.
Security called in Lewiston police for help. When they responded, police said, the crowd turned on them. Lewiston Sgt. Rob Ullrich was attempting to arrest a student when he broke his leg in two places, according to police.
In all, nine people were arrested on charges of failure to disperse and disorderly conduct.
Man arrested for attacking hospital security with knife www.privateofficer.com
Allen Rubin Newsom Jr., 47, was charged with aggravated assault on medical staff.
Police said a security guard at Bay Medical Center confronted Newsom after he spotted him attempting to burglarize a vehicle in the hospital parking lot.
Newsom ran, but the guard pursued and caught up with him, police said. At that point, Newsom reportedly pulled a knife and attempted to open it, but was tackled to the ground first.
Houston security officer shoots-kills man www.privateofficer.com
— A security guard shot and killed a man at a southeast Houston apartment complex, police said Monday.Residents at an apartment complex in southeast Houston say a security guard shot and killed one of the people who lives there.
It happened at the Cullen Park Apartments on Wenda near Coffee. Witnesses tell Eyewitness News that a man was returning home around 11pm Monday.
We’re told he had gone to the store to get something for his mother. When he returned to the complex, he apparently tapped a woman’s car with his car.
She complained and that’s when a security guard tried to stop the man from driving through. But the man bypassed the guard and kept driving, which is when witnesses say at least one security guard opened fire.
“The man was coming back to his house. They shot his vehicle six times,” said resident Ranaisha Jones. “They shot through the window and shot the man in his back and he died.”
The victim, who hasn’t been identified yet, is in his early 20s. Homicide detectives are interviewing witnesses right now, trying to determine what exactly happened
Top Gun Security, who runs security at the apartment, refused to comment on the shooting.
Maryland school bus driver arrested for producing child porn www.privateofficer.com
Scott Smallwood, 27, of Upper Marlboro was arrested May 21. Prince George’s schools spokesman Darrell Pressley said that Smallwood had been employed as a driver since 2005 and that he has been placed on leave. Pressley said he did not know which schools were on Smallwood’s routes. Federal authorities said his routes included elementary schools.
According to court documents, the investigation started March 15 when a man found a memory card on the counter of a 7-Eleven on Coventry Way in Clinton.
Within an hour, the customer called Prince George’s police and told them that the card contained videos of a man sexually assaulting a young boy.
Investigators eventually identified the boy and Smallwood from the videos, according to court records. On May 21, the boy told Prince George’s social service workers that Smallwood was his “night” bus driver and someone who “took him to church,” the records say. It was not immediately clear whether Smallwood knew the boy from a school route.
The boy told officials that he had “sleepovers” with Smallwood and that Smallwood offered him candy, the documents say.
Smallwood acknowledged to federal agents that he had “several inappropriate contacts” with the boy, the documents say. He also told agents that he took the memory card out of his cellphone to destroy it but then lost it.
Casino security officers injured in brawl www.privateofficer.com
Investigators say the fight happened early Saturday morning near the front entrance of the Tachi Palace in Lemoore. They arrested Carl Conley, Corry Harper, Aaron Sparks and Luis Villalobos.
Three security guards who tried to break up that fight were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Police are not sure what sparked the violence and the investigation is continuing.
Off duty intoxicated police officer arrested at concert www.privateofficer.com
Anthony “Tony” Hollis, 42, Martinsville, was arrested Saturday night at Verizon Wireless Music Center and charged with misdemeanor counts of public intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement.
According to a statement from Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy Vicky Dunbar, Hollis and his girlfriend, Candace Lyles, 41, Martinsville, were attending Saturday’s Nickelback rock concert when she needed to use the restroom. Because the lines for the women’s restroom were so long, police say, Hollis took his girlfriend into the men’s restroom. When the two exited the men’s room, the two “literally walked into” a deputy working security at the event, Dunbar said.
When the deputy questioned the two, Hollis reportedly told the officer twice, “there’s no need to worry about it,” and told Lyles to leave.
As Lyles attempted to leave, the deputy grabbed her by her arm to stop her. Hollis then grabbed the officer’s arm, sparking a minor scuffle. Other officers arrived moments later and helped subdue Hollis, placing him under arrest.
“When he arrived at our office, he continued to be verbally belligerent,” Dunbar said. “He told officers he was a Martinsville police officer and they didn’t know what they were doing.”
Hollis was released the next day after posting a $2,500 bond.
Dunbar said alcohol played a major factor in the altercation.
“Hollis was administered a portable breath test, which registered 0.14″ blood-alcohol count, Dunbar said. “He admitted he’d been drinking all day (at the concert).”
Lyles registered a 0.11 percent blood alcohol level, and was cited for misdemeanor public intoxication.
Martinsville Police Chief Jon Davis said he couldn’t comment on the situation until he had seen the police report and talked to Hollis, who had the day off. He refused to say what kind of discipline Hollis may face in the near future.
“We’re still looking into it,” Davis said.
Davis said this was the first time in his 27 years with the department that an officer had been arrested.
Airplane pilot arrested after landing on Tybee Island beach www.privateofficer.com
The single-engine, two-seat aircraft touched sand on Tybee’s north end about noon. Two occupants casually climbed out for a walk on the beach, police Lt. Jonathan Hagan said.
“There was nothing mechanically wrong with the plane – they just landed to visit the beach for the day,” Hagan said. “It was strictly for pleasure.”
The pilot, identified as Mark Jensen, 36, of Arkansas, was arrested on charges of reckless conduct and operating a motorized craft on the beach, Hagan said.
Jensen’s mother, the passenger, was not charged.
The pair reported that they’d landed similarly on other beaches in the past.
“It’s unacceptable,” Hagan said. “It jeopardized the safety of our beachgoers.”
Virginia Beach police officer charged with sex crimes www.privateofficer.com
Ronald S. Dunn, 44, a 20-year veteran of the police department, was charged with custodial indecent liberties and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Custodial indecent liberties refers to incidents involving an adult who has some form of authority over the child.
The department began investigating Dunn on Thursday after receiving a report of inappropriate conduct. He was arrested on Sunday and released on a personal recognizance bond. He was placed on unpaid suspension pending the outcome of the investigation.
Cheesecake Factory employees charged in credit card scheme www.privateofficer.com
Investigators with the U.S. Secret Service allege the servers were working for a larger fraud ring and were using electronic devices to “skim” the credit card numbers of customers they served at the restaurant. The devices were handed off to others, and the stolen numbers were used to make fake credit cards and later used to buy gift cards and merchandise in the Washington area, according to court records in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.
Federal officials became aware of the scheme in April of last year, when Citibank investigators reported numerous fraudulent charges on cards that had been used at the Cheesecake Factory at 5345 Wisconsin Ave. in Friendship Heights, just south of the Maryland line. Because servers at the restaurant have to swipe a server card unique to them before processing a credit card, investigators were able to narrow the transactions to three servers, according to court documents.
Secret Service agents interviewed two servers, identified in court documents only by their initials because they are cooperating with the investigation, who said they were recruited by Nicole L. Ward, another server at the restaurant. Ward allegedly provided the servers with “skimmers” to capture the credit card numbers and would then hand off the devices to two men, known only as “Slim” and “G.”
Investigators also interviewed Ward, in November at another District restaurant, and say in court documents that she admitted her role.
“Nicole Ward stated that ‘Slim’ had approached her after work one day about a potential scheme to earn some extra money,” wrote Special Agent Nathan Fleisher. “Nicole Ward stated that ‘Slim’ had provided her with a skimmer in order to capture credit card account numbers” and that they worked together for about a month.
Security officer stabbed stopping theft www.privateofficer.com
CHULA VISTA CA May 23 2010 — A security guard was knifed in the abdomen and leg when he tried to stop two men from stealing alcohol from a grocery store, Chula Vista police said today.
The assault occurred about 2:45 p.m. Friday at the Food-4-Less on Palomar Street near Industrial Boulevard, police Lt. Fritz Reber said.
Two men reportedly grabbed some containers of alcohol and started to run out of the store. A security guard tried to stop them and got into a fight with the pair, Reber said.
One of the thieves stabbed the guard once in the abdomen and once in the left thigh. The men ran toward a nearby trolley station and escaped. The guard was hospitalized but is expected to recover, Reber said.
Wal-Mart employee charged in fraud incidents www.privateofficer.com
ST. GEORGE Utah May 23 2010
source:the spectrum news – A Walmart employee was arrested Thursday on charges she changed the prices on merchandise.
Julia L. Richmond, 53, 414 E. Pennees Place, Washington City, was booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility on 11 counts of retail theft, one for each incident alleged to have occurred.
Officers responded to the Bloomington store and met with Walmart security following an in-store investigation of the incidents.
The price-changing had allegedly occurred between the morning of March 27 and the afternoon of May 15, St. George Police Lt. James Van Fleet said.
Van Fleet said investigators were able to get little information from Richmond, and are currently operating under the assumption she was allegedly altering the prices for her own benefit.
“She alluded to another person who was involved,” Van Fleet said. “(But) this may be a situation where she was overwriting the prices for herself. … She hasn’t given us enough information for us to dig into.”
Richmond was booked on $6,545 bail.
Rape suspect deported 9 times www.privateofficer.com
source:king5 – The KING 5 Investigators have learned that an illegal immigrant accused of raping a woman in Edmonds Sunday has been deported nine times. That’s much more than previously reported.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement won’t comment on the case of Jose Lopez Madrigal. But KING 5 got the information through confidential sources and documents.
Larry Klein was the man who heard the alleged victim’s cries for help. Police say the suspect pulled the woman off the street to a dumpster and raped her.
“I could see the back of his head. I could see his pants were down. I could see her lying on the ground. I could hear her crying, but I couldn’t really see her face,” said Klein.
Klein called police, who quickly arrested the suspect. But learning his identity took much longer because of some 30 aliases. It was only through fingerprints that they identified him as Madrigal, a Mexican citizen.
Madrigal’s arrest and immigration record includes a staggering number of contacts with law enforcement since 1989. That’s the year he was convicted of theft using a firearm in California.
He was deported a couple of times after that. Then in 1999, he was arrested for drug sales in both San Diego and San Francisco. Records show that he was deported three times that year between April and August.
He was arrested for drugs again in Stockton, Calif. in 2000. In 2002, he pleaded to third degree sexual assault in Denver. Later that year, he was deported again. And in 2003, records show he was deported three more times.
People who live near the scene of Sunday’s alleged rape wonder how it could keep happening.
“Makes you wonder, what are we doing wrong? How is he getting back in here?” said Kirby Aumick.
“It’s troubling. I mean, if this man should not have been in this country, he should have been behind bars then, really, this is a senseless tragedy,” said Klein.
According to our sources, Madrigal’s last contact before Sunday was around 2003. So, it’s not clear how much of that time Madrigal was in this country.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has refused to comment on the case which started making national headlines when it was learned that Madrigal had been deported several times prior to the Edmonds case.
In reviewing records and talking with confidential sources, the KING 5 Investigators learned just how extensive Madrigal’s immigration and arrest record is.
They found he was first deported in California in 1989 and since then he’s returned from his Mexican homeland and been arrested for drug crimes, a sex assault in Colorado and other offenses.
One criminal justice source says Madrigal is a “poster boy” for the federal governments ineffectiveness at keeping the most serious “criminal aliens” – illegals who commit crimes – out of the United States.
Security officer injured during robbery www.privateofficer.com
By: Brett Davis/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
http://www.privateofficer.com/ Wichita police are investigating an attempted robbery of the Al Noor Grocery & Biryani House where a security officer was injured.
Police say around five o’clock Wednesday afternoon, two suspects entered the store and tried to rob the store owner. The man fought with suspects, and a security officer who arrived at the store to assist the owner.
The victims suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Police say that security was able to detain one of the suspects before the other ran away empty-handed.
Police say the outstanding suspect was a light-skinned black or Hispanic man with a slender build. Investigators say the man ran away with no shirt on because it was ripped off during the fight, and he was also wearing blue surgical gloves.
Police have not released the name of the man arrested or the injured security officer.
Harrington Raceway security help nab attempted murder suspect www.privateofficer.com
By: Rick McCann/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
http://www.privateofficer.com/ Authorities have made an arrest of a man wanted in a shooting in Seaford last month.
According to police, Harrington Raceway security personnel spotted Leondre Williams and notified police.
Seaford Police determined that 32 year old Leondre Williams of Bridgeville was responsible for a shooting that hospitalized a 21 year old man.
Williams was quickly taken into custody by security and State Police in the parking lot. Williams was turned over to Seaford Police who have charged him with attempted murder & other offenses.
JetBlue pilot threatens suicide at Boston airport www.privateofficer.com
BOSTON MA May 22 2010 (CBS) ―
A JetBlue pilot was pulled from a flight Thursday night after claiming he wanted to commit suicide “in spectacular fashion.”
A JetBlue pilot was pulled from a flight Thursday night after claiming he wanted to commit suicide “in spectacular fashion.”
It was, perhaps, the most unsettling news for passengers about to take off on JetBlue last night in Boston: A potential danger in the cockpit.
“I don’t think its appropriate, especially with what’s going on the world, with air travel,” said one traveler.
A source tells CBS News that the pilot, so personally distraught, e-mailed his girlfriend threatening to crash the plane he was about to fly if they didn’t reconcile their relationship.
Massachusetts State Police said on Friday that a gun the pilot was carrying was taken away by authorities after he told an acquaintance he might harm himself.
“It’s ridiculous,” said a passenger. “But people say things they don’t always mean.”
But this was certainly taken seriously. The TSA confirms the pilot was taken into custody. He admitted he wasn’t fit for duty and needed help, and was taken to a local hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
The airline released a statement saying:
“A JetBlue pilot was removed from duty for health-related reasons. At no point were any customers or aircraft in danger.”
The airline says the reports that the pilot threatened to crash his place are “pure speculation.”
JetBlue say it is working closely with Boston authorities to ensure the crew member receives appropriate medical attention.
Facebook,MySpace caught giving out personal data www.privateofficer.com
Facebook isn’t alone this time: rival social-media site MySpace has also been called out in Friday’s Wall Street Journal report by Emily Steel and Jessica E. Vascellaro — together with the content-sharing sites Livejournal and Digg.
The report says that the companies have delivered user data to major online advertising companies such as Google’s DoubleClick and Yahoo!’s Right Media, despite explicit pledges to protect such information. The released material includes user names and ID numbers, together with data that could be used to accumulate a host of additional information on individual users, such as where they live, their names, occupations, incomes and places of employment.
As Steel and Vascellaro write:
“Across the Web, it’s common for advertisers to receive the address of the page from which a user clicked on an ad. Usually, they receive nothing more about the user than an unintelligible string of letters and numbers that can’t be traced back to an individual. With social networking sites, however, those addresses typically include user names that could direct advertisers back to a profile page full of personal information. In some cases, user names are people’s real names.”
Representatives of both DoubleClick and Right Media told the Journal reporters that they were unaware they were receiving such data — and stressed that they hadn’t tried to make use of any of it.
After the Journal contacted Facebook, the company announced a change in software to prevent transmission of the identifying code, the Journal said. MySpace announced that it’s in the process of adopting the same user protections. Digg, Livejournal and other sites named in the report are apparently holding off on enhancing privacy safegaurds because they don’t require users to register with real names.
Still, the report is another black eye for Facebook, which has already caused such an uproar that four U.S. senators — not exactly your typical Web activists — entered the fray over the company’s user privacy standards. Meanwhile, Facebook is generating plenty of bad PR all by itself, with an executive’s backlash-provoking Q&A at the New York Times and recent reports that users who posted comments critical of founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg have seen their profiles mysteriously deleted.
These episodes may well explain the company’s other piece of bad news this week: a poll disclosing that 60 percent of Facebook users have considered deleting their accounts because of qualms about the site’s privacy policy.
