Orlando police charge teen in security officer's death www.privateofficer.com

Orlando Fla May 25 2013A 17-year-old with a prior arrest for stealing a gun during a home burglary was charged by Orlando police Thursday with one count of first-degree murder in the death of an apartment complex security guard.
Terrance Anthony, who was already being detained on several unrelated charges, is accused of killing Allen Ray McPherson on Oct. 20.
McPherson, 48, was working at the Sabal Palm Apartments as a uniformed security guard when he was shot to death late that evening.
Police have said McPherson's body was found near his patrol car at Care Car Garage, a car wash on the east side of the apartment complex on Raleigh Street.
McPherson is survived by a wife of 25 years and a son.

                                                                                                                                                                             

Orlando police have released few details about the shooting, and documents that would explain Anthony's suspected involvement were not public Friday.
Detectives also arrested 18-year-old Khadijah Browne with one count of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder in the case. She remains at the Orange County Jail.
Court records show Anthony was charged with breaking into an Orange County home in March 2011 and stealing the resident's gun.
He pleaded no contest to burglary and grand theft charges in that case April 1. His plea agreement form said prosecutors recommend prison followed by probation. He faces up to 20 years behind bars.
Anthony is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday in that case, as well as an additional vehicle theft case.
Records show Anthony was arrested in November after he was caught driving a stolen BMW at the Excel alternative school.
He struck an unmarked patrol car while fleeing from deputies, ditched the BMW at a business on Orange Blossom Trail, and was later tracked down.
Deputies said Anthony was "disrespectful and refused to cooperate."
He was arrested on charges of grand theft motor vehicle and aggravated assault with a motor vehicle.
Anthony also pleaded no contest in that case.

Source-: Orlando Sentinel

Myrtle Beach security guard reports robbery attempt www.privateofficer.com

MYRTLE BEACH SC May 25 2013— A security guard on patrol at a Myrtle Beach hotel told police that two men tried to rob her, but she didn’t have any money to give them, so they ran away, according to a police report.
The 49-year-old woman told officers she was making her normal rounds at 4:20 a.m. Thursday when she stopped outside the corner of the parking garage at 2001 Cassandra Lane and the men approached her, police said.The victim said one robber put a gun to her face and demanded all her money, but she told him she didn’t have any, according to the report. The victim said she emptied her pockets to show she didn’t have any money and the men ran west on 20th Avenue South.
The report did not identify which hotel the woman works for, according to the report. Officers searched the area, but did not locate the men. Source- myrtlebeachonline.com

source myrtlebeachonline.com/

Halifax store security officer knifed by shoplifter www.privateofficer.com

Halifax Canada May 25 2013 A security guard was injured after trying to stop two alleged shoplifters this morning in Dartmouth.
Two women entered an unidentified business (there are at least two 24-hour stores in the area) on Tacoma Drive shortly after 3:30 a.m.
They tried to steal numerous items, but were confronted by staff and security and a brief scuffle ensued, Halifax Regional Police said in a news release.
One of the females pulled some kind of weapon from her pockets and slashed the security officer before the two women fled, police said.
The security officer was treated for his injury and later released.
Police say they have identified the suspects, whose names were not released, and are still looking for them.

Source-herald news

Franklin County To Provide Their Own School Security Force www.privateofficer.com

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ala. May 25 2013  – This week the state legislature voted to over-turn Governor Bentley’s veto of a local bill arming certain teachers and administrators in Franklin County Schools.
With the passing of the bill, school administrators and law enforcement must now write a new chapter in the book of protecting students at school.
To say that all eyes will be on the Franklin County School System this upcoming school year, could be an under-statement.
The school system is the first in the state to take student protection into their own hands.
“We don’t want a misconception to be out there that every teacher and employee is going to have a weapon, that is certainly not the case,” explained Superintendent Gary Williams. “There will be some qualified people who are able to handle emergency situations and well as handle a weapon. And they will have to go through training.”
Williams said he must now start the process of working with law enforcement to train educators for possible intruders.
According to Williams, there will be an application process for certifying that certain school personnel can handle emergency situations.
Only then, Williams stated, can the training process begin.
“With this in place, and even with an intruder knowing or a potential intruder knowing that there is someone in the school that can protect those kids, it might change their mind about entering the door.”
Superintendent Williams stresses the main reason for the arming of educators, is to slow down a possible intruder until law enforcement can get to the school.
Williams said the legislation is important because law enforcement response times to certain rural schools in the district can be more than twenty minutes.

source- whnt

Sixth Former Roxbury Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty www.privateofficer.com

WASHINGTON DC May 25 2013—Jeremy McCusker, a former correctional officer at Roxbury Correctional Institution (RCI) in Hagerstown, Maryland, yesterday pleaded guilty to assaulting an inmate and conspiring with other officers to cover up that assault. McCusker is the sixth former RCI officer to enter a guilty plea in federal court.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, McCusker admitted that, during the midnight shift on March 8-9, 2008, he, Lanny Harris, Philip Mayo, and two other RCI officers were involved in an assault of an inmate, identified by the initials K.D. McCusker acknowledged that he and other RCI officers assaulted K.D. in order to punish him for striking an officer during a prior shift.
McCusker also admitted that he and other RCI officers discussed how they would cover up their involvement in the assault of K.D. McCusker admitted that he provided false and misleading information to federal and state authorities in an effort to cover up his involvement in the assault.
“Mr. McCusker has admitted that he and other correctional officers assaulted an inmate in order to punish him and that they subsequently conspired to cover up their criminal conduct,” said Roy L. Austin, Jr., Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute officers who use their official position to both commit and cover up violations of federal criminal law.”
McCusker faces a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Sentencing is set for August 23, 2013, before U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar.
In related cases before Judge Bredar, former RCI Correctional Officers Ryan Lohr, Philip Mayo, Dustin Norris, Walter Steele, and Lanny Harris each has entered a guilty plea. Nine other current or former RCI officers still face federal charges in connection with the alleged assault of K.D.
The investigation by the Frederick Resident Agency of the FBI is ongoing. The case is being prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Forrest Christian and Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, with the assistance of Michael Cunningham of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

Health Care Clinic Director Sentenced for His Role in Health Care Fraud Scheme www.privateofficer.com

WASHINGTON DC May 25 2013—A former health care clinic director and licensed therapist was sentenced in Miami to 111 months in prison today in connection with a health care fraud scheme involving defunct health provider Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN).
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations, Miami Office, made the announcement.
Paul Thomas Layman, 66, of Miami, pleaded guilty on March 7, 2013, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
During the course of the conspiracy, Layman was employed as a substance abuse counselor, therapist and clinical director of HCSN’s Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP). A PHP is a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness.
HCSN of Florida (HCSN-FL) operated community mental health centers at three locations. During his employment, Layman worked full time at all HCSN-FL locations in various capacities. According to court documents, Layman was aware that HCSN-FL paid illegal kickbacks to owners and operators of Miami-Dade County Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) in exchange for patient referral information to be used to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. Layman also knew that many of the ALF referral patients were ineligible for PHP services because many patients suffered from mental retardation, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Court documents reveal that Layman was aware that HCSN-FL personnel were fabricating patient medical records. Many of these medical records were created weeks or months after the patients were admitted to HCSN-FL for purported PHP treatment and were utilized to support false and fraudulent billing to government sponsored health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Florida Medicaid. During his employment at HCSN-FL, Layman signed fabricated PHP therapy notes and other medical records used to support false claims to government sponsored health care programs.
HCSN of North Carolina (HCSN-NC) operated one location in Hendersonville, North Carolina. At HCSN-NC, Layman served as the clinical director and assisted HCSN owner Armando Gonzalez in obtaining necessary licensing, credentials and Medicare authorizations for HCSN-NC. According to court documents, from 2008 through 2009, Layman purportedly supervised the therapists within the HCSN-NC PHP, including Alexandra Haynes, who was an unlicensed therapist purportedly performing PHP therapy to HCSN-NC patients. Gonzalez and Haynes were sentenced to 168 months and 70 months, respectively, in prison.
According to court documents, from 2004 through 2011, HCSN billed Medicare and the Florida Medicaid program approximately $63 million for purported mental health services.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Allan J. Medina and Special Trial Attorney William J. Parente of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5 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 www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.

Virginia Couple Outraged, Walmart Security Accused White Dad of Kidnapping Biracial Daughters www.privateofficer.com

Prince William County VA May 25 2013 Joseph and Keana, an interracial couple from Virginia, are already used to getting stares from other people. However, they were shocked and outraged when a police officer suddenly appeared at their doorstep to investigate if the three biracial children were theirs as a response to Walmart security's concern that they may have been kidnapped.
      

The couple has been married for 10 years now and they were blessed with a 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old twin girls. Joseph, who did not want to reveal his last name, took his girls to the Walmart store close to their Prince County home.

He was there to cash a check and then spent some time in the parking lot. A concerned security staff reported to the Prince William County Sheriff's Department that a white male appears to have kidnapped the three biracial girls.

"He asks us very sincerely, 'Hey, I was sent here by Walmart security. I just need to make sure that the children that you have are your own,'" Joseph shared. His wife Keana interjected and said she was dumbfounded.
 "He took my ID and asked my 4-year-old to point out who her mother and father were. I sat there for a minute and I thought, 'Did he just ask us if these were our kids knowing what we went through to have our children?'" Keana revealed.
After clarifying the issue with the police officer, the outraged couple called the Walmart store asking for a good explanation. However, Walmart denied that it was their security staff who contacted the police but it was a customer.
According to Keana, the customer was alarmed after seeing Joseph with the three girls. "Well, the customer was concerned because they saw the children with your husband and he didn't think that they fit," Keana told the news station Fox5DC.
"And I said, 'What do you mean by they don't fit?' And I was trying to get her to say it. And she says, 'Well, they just don't match up,'" Keana further added. Walmart has issued a statement to the TV news station assuring that they are looking into the situation. Regardless, the couple decided that they will begin to boycott the Walmart store.
Even though the US state Virginia leads the percentage of black and white marriages, Joseph and Keana are still one of the many interracial couples who become a topic under discussion on racial prejudice. The couple disclosed their story to increase awareness on the issue.

TSA finds man carrying gun on prosthetic leg www.privateofficer.com

SALT LAKE CITY UT May 25 2013  (AP) — Police have arrested a man who went through Salt Lake City airport security with a loaded gun strapped to his prosthetic leg.
The Transportation Security Administration says airport police arrested the man Thursday night after security detected the .22 pistol.
TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers says the gun was strapped to the ankle area of man's prosthetic leg, which was inside of a boot.
Details about the man's identity and whether he intended to carry the weapon on the plane were not immediately available.
Dankers says the man's ticket was for a flight to Charlotte, N.C.
The incident marks the 19th time this year and third this week that security at the airport detected a passenger carrying on a gun. The airport detected 20 passengers with guns in 2012.

 

Former Employee of Oklahoma City Assisted Living Center Gets Prison for Fraud www.privateofficer.com

U.S. Attorney’s Office
PRESS RELEASE

OKLAHOMA CITY OK May 25 2013—Yesterday, James Lester Hausam, Jr., 29, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison in connection with a scheme to steal money from a resident at a metro retirement home, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
In 2010, Hausam worked at an assisted-living center in Bethany, Oklahoma. There, he became friends with Monica Michelle Brown, who also worked at the center. Hausam befriended a 96-year-old resident at the center, fraudulently gained access to the resident’s bank account, and stole more than $250,000 belonging to him. Hausam used online banking to write checks to themselves from the resident’s account, forged the resident’s signature on blank checks, and purchased personal items through a PayPal account they set up in the resident’s name.
On September 11, 2012, Hausam was charged in a one-count information with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and to make and possess forged securities. The information alleged that, from January through June 2011, Hausam and Brown conspired to steal tens of thousands of dollars for their personal benefit from a bank account belonging to the assisted-living center resident, without his permission. On September 25, 2012, Hausam pled guilty to the conspiracy count. Hausam admitted that he asked the victim in 2010 for money to help with bills; the resident gave Hausam a $1,000 check and a few blank checks. Hausam later started accessing the resident’s bank account online and writing checks from that account. Hausam admitted he also forged the resident’s name on a blank check that the resident had given him. At the plea hearing, Hausam admitted that he used the funds for his personal benefit, but never told the 96-year-old resident that he and Brown were writing checks for thousands of dollars from the account.
At yesterday’s sentencing, United States District Judge Robin J. Cauthron sentenced Hausam to serve 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Hausam was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $249,653.38. Hausam was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin service of his sentence.
The alleged conspirator, Monica Michelle Brown (a/k/a Monica Agee), 40, from Oklahoma City, was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 7, 2012, and charged with conspiracy to defraud, mail fraud, and forgery of checks. If convicted, Brown faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The public is reminded that the indictment is merely an accusation and that Brown is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Brown has not been arrested and remains a fugitive. Anyone with information on her whereabouts should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 405-290-7770.
These cases are the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bethany Police Department. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris M. Stephens.

Ephrata teen gets jail time for assaulting security agent while shoplifting www.privateofficercom

Ephrata WA May 25 2013— An Ephrata teen with a criminal history pled guilty recently to third-degree assault in Grant County Superior Court.
Thomas M. Henderson, 18, was sentenced to one year in Grant County Jail.The 18-year-old has a previous felony conviction of first-degree attempted unlawful possession of a firearm.
Moses Lake police responded to a disturbance at Safeway involving three males on in November. Police were reportedly advised that two of the men had placed the other in handcuffs.
According to witnesses, the three men were fighting outside of Fashion Bug next to Safeway on Pioneer Way.
The men were later identified as Henderson, a Phoenix security guard and Safeway security staff.
According to the police report, the Phoenix security guard reportedly followed Henderson throughout the store and advised Safeway security that he may attempt to steal a cart full of groceries.
As Henderson was allegedly trying to leave the store, security identified themselves and Henderson reportedly tried to flee, according to court documents.
According to statements by the security guards, Henderson struggled and swung his elbows allegedly hitting one of the Phoenix security guard in the face.
The Safeway security staff member reportedly suffered a large scrape on the left side of his face from the struggle and indicated he wanted to press charges.
When officers contacted Henderson inside Safeway he was reportedly belligerent and trying to start a fight with the security guard while handcuffed.
Henderson reportedly claimed that security had attacked and molested him during their search.
He was arrested and booked into Grant County Jail.
The amount Henderson tried to allegedly steal was $206.03 worth of groceries. Source-tri-city herald          

source- www.tri-cityherald.com

Fired library security officer sues county www.privateofficer.com

SOUTH BEND IN May 25 2013 -- A former security guard for the St. Joseph County Public Library has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the library that alleges he was unfairly fired after he came forward with knowledge regarding a workplace sexual harassment complaint against his supervisor.

The suit, filed Wednesday in federal court in South Bend, claims that the supervisor of plaintiff Joseph Kiama repeatedly threatened him after he came forward as a witness and then terminated him while upper-level staff looked the other way.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Kiama by attorney Thomas Dixon, also claims the library staff discriminated against him because he is from Kenya.

The suit names as defendants the St. Joseph County Public Library, library director Donald Napoli
and Robert Sanders, former security supervisor at the library.

Both Dixon and Napoli declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Kiama was hired as a part-time security officer at the library in 2003 and then as a full-time officer in 2005, the lawsuit says.

Sanders was hired as Kiama's security supervisor in 2008, according to the suit.

The lawsuit claims that Kiama witnessed Sanders sexually harass a female employee, which was the subject of a formal complaint.

In January 2012, Kiama took security camera footage to the library's assistant director that the lawsuit says captured Sanders intentionally grabbing a female employee in an inappropriate way.

The lawsuit alleges that Sanders then threatened and harassed Kiama for cooperating with the investigation.

Sanders also made it known that he does not like Kenyans, the lawsuit alleges.

Kiama told Napoli and other library staff about the threats, but the suit says they never took care of the problem.

In August 2012, the library fired Kiama without warning, acting on a recommendation from Sanders, the suit says.

The lawsuit claims Sanders was let go from his position as security supervisor earlier this year in connection with the sexual harassment investigation.

The suit argues that the actions of the library staff were discriminatory and violated the state's whistleblower laws.

It asks the court to award monetary damages and bar the defendants from acting in such a way in the future.

Source- south bend tribune

San Diego deputy shoots man who uses Taser on her www.privateofficer.com

SAN DIEGO CA May 25 2013  -- San Diego sheriff's officials say a deputy shot a man after he grabbed her stun gun and fired it at her.
U-T San Diego reports ( http://bit.ly/16XMeUr) Thursday that the shooting happened outside an apartment complex in Vista, after deputies arrived to investigate a report of a drunken person.
Lt. Glenn Giannantonio (jon-ahn-tonio) says deputies discovered four men smoking marijuana in a laundry room and one of them began to fight with the deputy. She tried to use the taser to subdue 20-year-old Anthony Fernando Garcia. He took it from her and fired it at her, but missed.
The deputy then shot Garcia, who was taken to a hospital. His condition was described only as stable.
The deputy was treated for minor injuries

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/

Man shoots at Memphis police-commits suicide www.privateofficer.com

Memphis TN May 25 2013 Police investigators are looking into a shootout between an armed man and several Memphis police officers in Whitehaven.
The situation unfolded around 12:45 a.m. Friday on Raines Road between Orleans and Auburn.
Police say a woman came into the Raines Station precinct headquarters and told officers that a man wearing camouflage shot at her near Craft and Orleans.
Officers went out to check the area and found the man on Orleans. He shot at officers and one of them returned fire.
Police say the suspect wasn’t hit — but a police cruiser was damaged by bullets. The man then ran off into the woods.
A police helicopter later spotted him by a dumpster at an apartment complex. By the time officers on the ground caught up with the man, he shot himself.
He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Source-wreg

 

Chelsea High School teacher arrested for sexual encounter with student www.privateofficer.com

CHELSEA, Alabama May 25 2013- A Chelsea High School teacher has been arrested for a sexual encounter involving a student.
The Shelby County Sheriff's Office today announced the arrest of John Martin Noles, 36, of Hoover. A press release issued by the sheriff's office said Noles is charged with one count of a school employee having sexual contact with a student under the age of 19.
Noles, a history teacher, was arrested Thursday about 12:30 p.m. He was booked into the Shelby County Jail but has since been released after posting his $6,000 bond.
Noles has been an employee of the Shelby County Board of Education for about eight years and has taught at at least two schools, including Thompson High School.
Cindy Warner, spokeswoman for Shelby County School District, released the following statement: "We are aware of these allegations and take them very seriously.  The school district took immediate action when we were made aware of these allegations in early May.  Mr. Noles has been placed on administrative leave while the school district continues to conduct an ongoing investigation into this matter,  in cooperation with law enforcement officials."
Warner said she could not release any additional information about Noles or his past employment and/or placement in the Shelby County school district.

Source- AL.com

Milwaukee Catholic school teacher arrested for sex assault on student www.privateofficer.com

MILWAUKEE WI May 25 2013  —A teacher at a well-known Catholic school is under arrest after she was allegedly caught performing a sex act on a male student.  

Police said the teacher works at Messmer High School, and the boy is a student there.  

Officers said the car was parked in a lot at Destiny High School, 7210 N. 76th St., Thursday night.   Police said a passerby reported a sexual assault around 6:30 p.m.

The suspect and the victim are not associated with Destiny High School.

After being confronted, police said the suspect attempted to commit suicide. 

The woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries but remains hospitalized in custody, according to Milwaukee Police. The boy was not injured.  

Mike Bartels, acting president at Messmer, said in a statement, "We, at Messmer High School, are disturbed to learn about an alleged incident that occurred recently involving a Messmer High School teacher and a student."

"The teacher has been suspended, pending the Milwaukee Police investigation," he said.

WISN 12 News is not naming the teacher as she has not been charged with a crime.  She has no prior criminal record.

source- www.wisn.com

 

Chicago School Security Pushes Student Down Stairs www.privateofficer.com

Chicago IL May 25 2013 A former prosecutor representing a Chicago family said he anticipates criminal charges will be filed against a school security officer who was captured on cell phone video being aggressive with a student.

Chicago Public Schools officials said they removed the employee from duty following the Tuesday incident. Video appeared to show him throwing the female student down the stairs at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy and punching her in the face.

"Seeing this video, it boiled my blood," said attorney Mark Sutter. "[It] made me wish I was a prosecutor again because I would love to prosecute this man for doing what he did to this young child."

The video was first published to the website WorldStarHipHop.com with the title "Caught On Cell Phone: Chicago School Security Guard Pushes Female Student Down Staircase & Then Decks Her In The Face For Allegedly Putting Hands On Him!" In it, 16-year-old Lauren Goodlow is seen  lying on the floor. She was approached by a woman who appears to be a teacher or administrator at the South Side school. Goodlow then stood up and moves toward the guard. The guard appears to punch Goodlow in the face.

"I broke down crying because I couldn't believe that a staff member at a school would treat a child like that," said the girl's mother, Pershaun Goodlow.

A second video showing more of the scuffle was released Friday.

Other students said they believed the safety official was trying to intervene in a fight between two students, one of whom was Goodlow. Witnesses said the girl began hitting the guard about the head and chest as he tried to separate her from an altercation.

"He grabbed her arms to stop her. And she was like, 'Don't touch me,' and she started hitting him. She hit him in his chest. He got mad. He just picked up her arm and threw her down the stairs," said freshman Antonese Brown. "She was laying on her side. Then he tried to help her up and when the girl got up she went to hit him and he pushed her by her head and pushed her back down to the ground."

"He was wrong, but then again, if you're trying to attack this man, why are you trying to attack the man when he grabbed you and told you to calm down," added student Breana Jones.

Pershaun Goodlow said her sophomore daughter went to the emergency room immediately after the scuffle. Days later, she said the teen was still in pain and hadn't yet returned to school.

"She's upset. She's right now complaining about a great deal of pain," the mother explained.

School officials said they do not condone such behavior and turned the case over to the Chicago Police Department.

"The safety of our students is our top priority," CPS spokeswoman Becky Carroll said. "CPS takes matters of employee misconduct very seriously, especially when it involves an employee whose job it is to ensure the safety of students."

Both CPS and CPD officials said interviews and the investigation were ongoing. It wasn't known by Friday afternoon if charges would be filed against anyone involved.

Source-www.nbcchicago.com

Unarmed park ranger pusted in Seattle crime riddled parks www.privateofficer.com

SEATTLE WA May 25 2013 — The city plans to hire two full-time park rangers to patrol Cal Anderson Park and Occidental Square in the wake of recent violent incidents that have left some park users fearing for their safety.
Mayor Mike McGinn and Interim Police Chief Jim Pugel made the announcement to hire two new workers at city hall Thursday. The unarmed parks employees will work “closely” with Seattle police in order to impose park rules and help keep the parks safe, Parks Security Supervisor Corby Christensen said.
I encourage all park users to approach park rangers with any questions or concerns you have,” Christensen said. “We need the public to be actively involved in our efforts to keep our parks safe.”
The new park rangers will be hired, trained and on duty by the end of June. In the meantime, police will continue their effort to curb park crime with emphasis patrols in Cal Anderson and Occidental, and existing parks employees will work overtime to create a safer atmosphere, officials said.
The funds for the new rangers will come from the Seattle Parks and Recreation operating budget. The department will still remain under budget, McGinn said.
“By hiring new park rangers we can create a safer and more welcoming atmosphere in our parks,” McGinn said. “And we’re asking park users to be proactive as well — our officers need your help to keep our parks safe.”


Read more: http://q13fox.com

Clayton GA officer fired-arrested after pointing gun at apt. resident www.privateofficer.com

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. May 25 2013 -- "He says he is going to shoot me. And he has his hand on his pistol and he's supposed to be the Courtesy Officer."
With those frantic words, Jonathan Fernandez began taking cell phone video of a man who appears to have his hand on a gun. He says the man in the video threatened to shoot him and his dog, after his pit bull mix Big Boy got loose yesterday. He says his pet playfully approached the other man's dog, which was being walked by the other man's wife at the time.
I proceeded to walk up my stairs, and the gentleman stood behind me the whole time with his chest behind my back, with the firearm to his hand."
Fernandez says he began to knock on his neighbors' doors at the Wellington Ridge apartment complex for help. When no one answered he took out his camera phone and ran to the parking lot, where in front of witnesses he dared the man, who neighbors say is the complex's courtesy officer, to repeat what he had said when they were alone.
"Say it again! You're on camera now!" Fernandez can be heard telling the man. At that point, the video shows him charging Fernandez in a violent, epithet-fueled attack.
"He started pushing me, punching me, holding me, and hitting me with the gun," he said recounting the incident. "I didn't know what to do; I stood there; I froze. You have a gun in your face. I saw my whole life flash before my eyes."
Joshua Green was arrested for aggravated assault and was later released from jail on bond. A woman who answered the door at his apartment had no comment on the incident. But Fernandez says he's outraged that he was told he has to wait three days to apply for a restraining order, while Green is out of jail less than 50-feet from his home.
In a press release Thursday afternoon the Clayton County Police Department said after an internal investigation, Green was terminated.
"Once I saw that firearm, and it wasn't in the holster, I knew he wasn't in the right state of mind or he was willing to do something with that firearm."
Fernandez says he had put his dog away and apologized profusely to Green's wife. In fact, he thought it was all over until Green confronted him.
Despite repeated attempts for comment, the apartment complex management did not respond tonight. Clayton County police officials say they hope to be able to provide more information on their investigation later this week.

Source-nbc11

Two Michigan men face federal fraud charges in Home Depot scheme www.privateofficer.com

FLINT, MI May 25 2013 -- Two men are facing federal charges in Flint after authorities say they headed a retail fraud operation that bilked Home Depot stores in 13 states out of more than $300,000.
In federal complaints unsealed in Flint U.S. District Court Tuesday, May 22, authorities detail a scheme that stretched from Florida to Michigan and involved more than 100 Home Depot stores.
Neither man has been indicted or arraigned on any charges.
An affidavit filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the complaint alleges that the two men operated a scheme that began in February 2011 and included switching UPC codes on expensive items with those of cheaper items in order to purchase the goods for less than the marketed price.
FBI officials declined to comment on the allegations.
Authorities claimed that the men would use UPC codes from cheaper items that matched the general description of the more-expensive item to allay possible concerns of Home Depot employees during checkout.
Federal investigators allege that the men, along with accomplices who have not been charged, would then return the purchased items without receipts in order to receive store credit for the more-expensive original price.
The men would typically target self-checkout registers, according to the complaint.
Authorities claim the scam led to roughly $311,000 in fraudulent transfers.
Home Depot officials declined to comment on the specifics of the case but said that they cooperated extensively with the investigation.
Richard Mellor, vice president of loss prevention for the National Retail Federation, said this case would be considered a large-scale fraud operation.
"Any time you get into six figures, it's considered a large case," Mellor said.
Home Depot store policy requires people making returns without receipts to provide identification along with the return. The two men used more than 150 different forms of identification during the operation, according to the complaint.
The two men are accused of making more than 640 returns. They are also accused of enlisting nearly 20 accomplices to assist them in the fraud.
Authorities say the men used the store credits to purchase major appliances and high-end cabinetry. Some of the store credits are also believed to have been sold to others, according to the complaint.
The merchandise was stored in storage units in Shelby Township and Troy, according to the affidavit.
In one incident, authorities say one of the men traveled to a Northville Home Depot Store April 16, where he purchased $150 in lights for just $17.78 after switching the UPC code.
The man was also accused of purchasing more than $530 worth of lights for roughly $40 on April 30 from a Macomb Township store.
On one instance, the complaint alleges, the two men were approached by a cashier at a Utica Home Depot store April 24 when they had six cases of ceiling tiles on a cart, according to the complaint.
The men told the cashier that they paid for the items but when questioned by the cashier the men said they simply scanned the top box of tiles six times. The men gave their receipt to the cashier.
Authorities say the cashier recognized the tiles rang up at too low a price and needed to be re-scanned. One of the men attempted to have the cashier scan a box of tiles that had the UPC taped to the box, according to the affidavit.
After spotting the UPC code, one of the men allegedly stated to the cashier: "Oh my God. Look at this. This UPC is different. I had no idea. I just scanned the first case six times," according to the complaint.
The men are accused of targeting stores in Metro Detroit, Ypsilanti, Flint, Owosso, Lapeer, Bay City and Midland while operating in Michigan.
Cases like this highlight the growing problem with organized retail fraud nationwide, according to Mellor.
Mellor said return fraud costs retailers $9 billion annually and fraud involving the manipulation of UPC markers is becoming more common with advances in technology.
"That's growing a little bit more prevalent with the evolution of the self-checkout," Mellor said of UPC fraud.
Stephen Holmes, senior manager of corporate communications with the Home Depot, agreed. Holmes added that his company has taken an aggressive stance in cracking down on fraud and working with law enforcement.
"It's an extremely serious problem," Holmes said.
Mellor said as fraud increases, retailers are often forced to put expensive security measures in place, which, combined with the loss, can drive up the price of merchandise or limit the selection available to consumers.
"It's one of those things that the technology retailers use to make it convenient for the customer and efficient for the retailer -- it comes with a cost," Mellor said. "The cost is you have to be more attentive. You have to spend money to put controls in place."
Preliminary exams are scheduled for June 11. Both men were issued $50,000 unsecured bonds.
Source-mlive.com

NJ Officer Accused Of Firebombing Boss’ Home www.privateofficer.com

MONROE TOWNSHIP NJ May 25 2013 -- An Edison police officer was arrested and charged for allegedly setting fire to the home of the Edison police captain and his family.
Edison Police Officer Michael Dotro entered the courtroom, briefly glancing at his family.  It was his first appearance after being charged with five counts of attempted murder, and one count of arson. His attorney entered his plea of not guilty.
At 4 a.m. on Monday morning, a Molotov cocktail was hurled at Edison Police Captain Mark Anderko's home in Monroe.
His wife, two young kids, and 92-year-old mother were all inside asleep as the flames grew.
All escaped unharmed.
The Middlesex County Prosecutor says evidence points to 35-year-old Dotro.
"The vast majority of officers are excellent. The best way we can help them is to weed out the bad ones," said Andrew Carey, Acting Middlesex County Prosecutor.
As for a motive, there is word the captain signed off on a negative evaluation for Dotro's work on the force.
Eyewitness News asked his attorney.
"I'm not aware of anything like that," said Lawrence Bitterman, Dotro's attorney.
Dotro's family would not comment after court.
Edison's police chief said in a statement, "It is with deep regret that something of this nature should befall the department."
Judge Bradley Ferencz left bail at $5 million cash, with no 10% option because of the severity of the crime.
If convicted, Dotro faces 30 years to life in prison.

Source- WABC

Albuquerque high school teacher arrested for touching a student www.privateofficer.com

ALBUQUERQUE NM May 25 2013 - A Cibola High School teacher was arrested on Thursday, charged with criminal sexual contact of a minor.
37-year-old Antonio Ortega allegedly took advantage of a 17-year-old female student in his classroom on Wednesday – the last day of school.
According to the criminal complaint, the language arts teacher and golf coach at the school allegedly came up from behind her, placed his hands on her neck and began touching her.
The complaint goes on to says he also repeatedly told her she couldn't tell anyone what he was doing.
According to the report, when she told him to stop, he left - only to come back in the room and forcefully touch her private parts.
When she was able to fend him off and leave, he allegedly propositioned her for sex as she was walking out the door.
Ortega faces additional charges for intimidation of a witness.
The complaint says he repeatedly told the victim not to tell anyone because he could lose his job.
APS says he was put on paid leave yesterday while they investigate.
He's been with the district for five years.

Source-KRQE

Judge finds Sheriff Arpaio’s agency engaged in racial profiling www.privateofficer.com

Maricopa County AZ May 25 2013 The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has engaged in racial profiling and must not use Hispanic ancestry as a factor when making law-enforcement decisions, a federal judge has ruled.
U.S. District Judge Murray Snow issued the ruling Friday, more than eight months after a seven-day trial on the subject concluded. The trial examined longstanding allegations that Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s emphasis on immigration enforcement led deputies to target Latino drivers based on their race, and that by doing so, they violated the constitutional rights of Maricopa County residents and the sheriff’s own policies requiring constitutional policing.
Snow’s ruling will likely be appealed, as both sides promised throughout the trial to challenge whatever decision Snow rendered. However, Arpaio’s attorney said he was still reviewing the ruling Friday afternoon.
Dan Pochoda of the Arizona chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union called the ruling “a real vindication for the community. It was a terrific win — it was a very solid, comprehensive piece of work, and clearly demonstrated the unconstitutionality from top to bottom at MCSO for many years.”
The class of Hispanic citizens that brought the racial-profiling lawsuit against the Sheriff’s Office never sought monetary damages. Instead, the group asked for the court to issue injunctions barring Arpaio’s office from discriminatory policing.
Snow obliged — and indicated more remedies could be ordered in the future.
“Therefore, in the absence of further facts that would give rise to reasonable suspicion or probable cause that a violation of either federal criminal law or applicable state law is occurring, the MCSO is enjoined from (1) enforcing its LEAR policy (on checking the immigration status of people detained without state charges), (2) using Hispanic ancestry or race as any factor in making law enforcement decisions pertaining to whether a person is authorized to be in the country, and (3) unconstitutionally lengthening stops,” Snow wrote in his 142-page ruling.
“The evidence introduced at trial establishes that, in the past, the MCSO has aggressively protected its right to engage in immigration and immigration–related enforcement operations even when it had no accurate legal basis for doing so,” Show said.
Snow was the sole arbiter of facts in the bench trial conducted without a jury. He was tasked with weighing the plaintiffs’ arguments that the Sheriff’s Office developed an immigration enforcement policy that encouraged deputies to discriminate against Latino drivers, depriving them of their Fourteenth Amendment rights to equal protection. A ruling from Snow late last year expanded the plaintiffs in the 41/2-year-old case to cover a class that includes every Latino driver the Sheriff’s Office has stopped since 2007. The plaintiffs were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and pro-bono attorneys from a Bay Area law firm, and were faced with the burden of proof in the case.
The case began when Manuel de Jesus Ortega Melendres, a Mexican tourist who was in the United States legally, was stopped outside a church in Cave Creek where day laborers were known to gather. Melendres, the passenger in a car driven by a White driver, claims that deputies detained him for nine hours and that the detention was unlawful.
Eventually, the case grew to include complaints from two Hispanic siblings from Chicago who felt they were profiled by sheriff's deputies, and from an assistant to former Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon whose Hispanic husband claims he was detained and cited while nearby White motorists were treated differently.
The lawsuit did not seek monetary damages. Instead, the plaintiffs asked for the kind of injunctive relief that the Sheriff's Office has resisted in the past — a declaration that spells out what deputies may or may not do when stopping potential suspects, and a court-appointed monitor to make sure the agency lives by those rules.
Snow gave each side 20 hours to present their case in a tightly controlled trial that took place in late July and early August in the federal courthouse in downtown Phoenix.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs took a three-pronged approach, using Arpaio’s own statements about undocumented immigrants along with racially insensitive requests from constituents for immigration enforcement to show the sheriff’s callous attitude toward the rights of Latinos and his the agency’s intention to discriminate. Data showing that Latino drivers were more likely to be stopped during the sheriff’s immigration sweeps, and that those stops were likely to last longer, was designed to show the outcome of that intent. And statements from residents who claimed they were victims of profiling was intended to illustrate the impact of the sheriff’s policies.
Arpaio’s attorneys used their allotted time taking apart the statistical data and relying heavily on the testimony of sheriff’s deputies, commanders and administrators who testified repeatedly that the agency does not tolerate racial profiling, despite the lack of a policy expressly prohibiting the practice.

Source- azcentral.com

San Antonio hotel security network curbs crime www.privateofficer.com

SAN ANTONIO TX May 25 2013 -- You can call it a crime-fighting network of sorts. Area hotels and motels work together to help keep you safe. "You never know when a situation will come up, " said Bill Brendel, General Manager of the Crockett Hotel downtown.

Brendel told News 4 there are about a hundred hotels on an email chain, reporting criminal activity. Awhile back, police busted a counterfeit ring happening in area hotels.

"They were eventually caught because we had shared the information amongst the hotel network, they were caught by the police department, " added Brendel.

Businesses also rely on surveillance cameras to alert each other of suspicious activity, 'So that we can all be on the lookout, " he added.

Unfortunately, Brendel went on to say the crime at the top of hotels’ list are car burglaries. You'll find most hotels have signs warning you about them. "So we just tell people don't leave a bunch of things in your car, ' Brendel went on to say.

During the peak of the summer tourist season Brendel says the San Antonio Police Department will work closely with downtown hotels to keep an extra eye on your car. "And they do extra surveillance, and it's been very effective, " said Brendel.

Source-woai
 

Child run down by mother fleeing shoplifting in critical condition www.privateofficer.com

Centerville GA May 25 2013 A 25-year-old Macon woman allegedly fleeing store security ran over her 4-year-old son in the parking lot of the Houston County Galleria in Centerville.
Arkebia Albury faces multiple charges, and the boy is in critical condition with injuries to his head and internal organs, Centerville Police Chief Sidney Andrews said.
“The child is in bad shape,” Andrews said. “It wasn’t looking too good.”
The youngster remained in critical condition late Friday afternoon.
Thursday night, a Belk loss prevention officer followed Albury into the parking lot as she, the boy and a younger child were heading toward her car.
As the officer told her to stop, she cranked up the four-door 2001 Toyota Camry, but only the younger child, who is about 2, had made it into the passenger side, Andrews said.
As the security officer rushed to the injured boy, the mother got out and tried to pick him up, ignoring the officer’s pleas to leave him where he was until an ambulance could get there.“She picks the little boy up and throws him in the car and drives off,” Andrews said.
A Centerville patrol officer stopped the car on nearby Wilson Drive, and emergency medical workers were called to the scene.
The chief said contrary to media reports, Albury’s sister and niece were not charged in the case, as they had stayed in the car and were not involved in the alleged theft.
Andrews said he wasn’t sure exactly what was taken, but noted nothing would be worth hurting a child.
“I believe it was a couple of T-shirts. I do know it was clothing. It was a misdemeanor amount,” he said. “This certainly was not worth it.”
The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the accident, he said, and has charged Albury with serious injury by motor vehicle, failing to stop at an accident with injuries, driving with a suspended license and two counts of child seat belt violation.
Centerville police charged her with two counts of cruelty to children, reckless conduct and theft by shoplifting.
Andrews, who has two children, said: “These kind of cases are hard for us.”  Source- the telegraph          

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2013/05/24/2491091/centerville-police-say-accused.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2013/05/24/2491091/centerville-police-say-accused.html#storylink=cpy

Large amount of coins spill when armored truck doors open www.privateofficer.com

WELD COUNTY CO May 25 2013 -- The rear doors of a Brink's armored car came open Thursday, spilling a "large amount of coins" on westbound Colo. Highway 66 near Weld County Road 7, according to the Weld County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies slowed traffic to allow nearly $3,000 in coins to be collected, said Bureau Chief Steve Reams.
Reams said most of the coins were recovered, but he does expect to see some locals with metal detectors searching the area Thursday evening and Friday.

Las Vegas prison guard conspired with security guard to rob bank www.privateofficercom

Las Vegas NV May 25 2013 Benjamin Kyker is very familiar with the Nevada prisons system, but the veteran prison guard could soon be bunking with the kind of men he’s been guarding.
Kyker, a sergeant with the Southern Desert Correctional Center in Indian Springs, was arrested Thursday and faces charges in connection to conspiring with a security guard to rob a bank.
According to his Las Vegas police arrest report, Kyker, 37, went to the Wells Fargo at 10475 S. Decatur Blvd., near Cactus Avenue in the southwest valley, about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday as the ATM was being serviced.
Kyker placed his .45 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun to the head of the security guard, William Stack, and said, “Give me all you got,” the report said. The ATM technician, a woman in her mid-60s, gave the robber two cassettes containing about $21,000 and one cassette of 84 postage stamps.
The sergeant then used Stack as a human shield before speeding away in a red Volvo sedan with no license plates, the report said.
But Kyker didn’t make it very far. Police stopped his car five miles away, near Rainbow Boulevard and Windmill Lane. Officers say they found the stolen cash and a handgun in Kyker’s car.
Kyker told detectives he is an 18-year veteran law enforcement officer who has fallen on hard times. His wife recently lost her job, and the couple couldn’t afford to pay their bills, he said.
He also told detectives he was an Army National Guard member, and recognized the bank guard, Stack, as another guardsman.
“At this point, I felt Kyker and Stack had conspired to commit the robbery,” Detective Craig Dunn wrote in the report.
Dunn said he pressed Kyker to tell the truth, and Kyker eventually admitted that Stack had suggested “it would be easy to rob the money for the ATM tech.”
Stack told Kyker that “he was guarding an older lady,” the report said.
He told police he didn’t load his handgun as a precaution against an accidental discharge.
Stack, 25, first told police he didn’t know Kyker and hadn’t seen the robber’s face, but eventually revealed that he knew Kyker for six years through the National Guard.
Stack, who worked with Southern Nevada Security Patrol, said the ATM technician didn’t know about the plan and was “very scared” during the robbery, the report said.
Stack and Kyker were booked at the Clark County jail on charges of robbery with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery.
Kyker was being held without bail. Stack’s bail status remained unclear; he was not listed in Clark County jail records Friday.
Kyker told police “he knows what he did was wrong and was very remorseful.”
The Nevada Department of Corrections did not return a call seeking comment about Kyker’s job status.

Source- las vegas review journal

Two Brothers Stabbed To Death In Huntsville Church www.privateofficer.com

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. May 24 2013 – Church members are hurting and a community is in shock.  Huntsville Police are looking for the person who killed two brothers inside West Huntsville United Methodist Church on Tuesday morning.
Police released the mens’ names Wednesday.  Anthony Jackson was 76 and Terry Jackson was 69.  Both lived in Huntsville.  
Police are asking for the community’s help to find the suspect in the crime.  They don’t have a good description of him, only saying witnesses saw a black male, possibly in his 40s, run from the church.  Police haven’t said what led to the incident.
If you have any information about the person, or saw something that might help the investigation, please call (256) 722-7100.
Investigators talked with several witnesses on Tuesday.
“We are not going to comment on exactly how we feel,” said Harry Hobbs, Huntsville Police spokesperson.  “It could have happened anywhere.  We are going to stick with trying to get it solved right now.”
Both men were reportedly involved in a fight with a knife.  One man died in the church and the other was rushed to Huntsville Hospital, but didn’t make it.
“It is sad, just very sad. They were out helping people. They were there to help people and they got hurt,” said Schella Jones.
Police found a knife on a street across from the church, and say the suspect may have been hurt in the fight.
None of the church members talked with us on camera.  One did say Tuesday is the day church members meet in the mornings to pack up food and give to the needy.

Source- WHNT

Ex-Pa. judge hired in Alaska stole coke from cases www.privateofficer.com

PITTSBURGH PA May 24 2013  AP  — A western Pennsylvania judge who abruptly resigned last year was charged Thursday with stealing cocaine from evidence in cases before him.
The state police say the charges against former Washington County Judge Paul Pozonsky will be prosecuted by the state attorney general, though the spokesman for that office, Dennis Fisher, says he can't confirm or deny the investigation.
Pozonsky was arraigned by Washington District Judge Robert Redlinger on 15 counts, including theft and obstructing the administration of law.
Pozonsky did not comment after his arraignment, according to the (Washington) Observer-Reporter. His defense attorney, Robert Del Greco Jr. did not immediately return a request for comment, and a home telephone for Pozonsky couldn't immediately be found.
He moved to Alaska last year and was briefly hired there as a worker's compensation hearing officer before he quit amid questions about his residency status.
The charges brought Thursday, based on a state grand jury investigation conducted by the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, provided a long-delayed explanation for Pozonsky's abrupt and mysterious departure from the bench.
The 57-year-old Pozonsky was a Washington County Common Pleas judge when he announced June 29 that he would retire the next day after 15 years on the bench. He had served as a magisterial district judge - similar to a justice of the peace in many other states - for 13 years before that.
Pozonsky left the bench a month after Washington County President Judge Debbie O'Dell Seneca abruptly reassigned Pozonsky, who handled most of the county's criminal cases, to preside only over civil court cases. Seneca made the move after Pozonsky ordered the destruction of evidence in 16 criminal drug cases.
Pozonsky withdrew that order after county prosecutors pointed out that defendants had due process rights regarding their property, but evidence was already destroyed.State police investigators, acting on Seneca's orders, examined the evidence in drug cases Pozonsky handled and found "cocaine was either missing or had been tampered with," according to a news release issued Thursday.
The state police investigation determined that in May 2011, Pozonsky began insisting that police bring drug evidence to his courtroom, where the judge or his staff retained the drugs.
It was not immediately clear if investigators believe Pozonsky used the drugs or did something else with them, but a grand jury report detailed the judge's unusual behavior in handling drug evidence.
The grand jury found that Pozonsky would often require police to bring drug evidence with them to pretrial hearings - one officer told the grand jury it was the only time in 14 years he had ever been asked to do that by a judge - and then insist that the drugs be stored in the judge's chambers instead of being returned to a police evidence locker.
In several cases, state police investigators found cocaine was missing after they compared crime lab reports about drugs that had been tested and the amounts later found in evidence envelopes stored in a locked file cabinet in Pozonsky's chambers. In some instances, the cocaine had been replaced by other white powders that didn't contain drugs and, in one instance, police were able to match DNA found on a baggie inside an evidence envelope to Pozonsky.
In one case involving nearly seven ounces of cocaine, state police found just three ounces remaining in the evidence envelope, although some of the missing cocaine had been replaced by other white powders, including baking soda, the grand jury found.
Pozonsky announced he was taking a two-week vacation to Alaska, where he has family, after his resignation.
Then, in October, Pozonsky was hired by the Alaska Division of Workers' Compensation as a hearing officer making $79,464, though The Anchorage Daily news raised questions about the legality of his hiring because the job was supposed to be open to Alaska Residents only.
After the newspaper ran an editorial questioning the hiring, Pozonsky resigned Dec. 6.
In response to questions, Alaska's Labor Department said state law limits release of public information about specific workers, but it confirmed it was conducting an investigation into Pozonsky's hiring. The status of that investigation could not immediately be determined Thursday as Pozonsky was charged before Alaska offices opened for business.
Online court records list an Anchorage address for Pozonsky, who was allowed to remain free until a preliminary hearing June 13.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/

New Jersey Doctor Convicted in Drug Distribution Conspiracy www.privateofficer.com

NEWARK, NJ May 24 2013—An internal medicine specialist who wrote illegal prescriptions for oxycodone was convicted today by a federal jury in New Jersey for his role in a conspiracy that put tens of thousands of prescription pills on the streets for resale, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Michael Durante, 59, of Montclair, New Jersey, was convicted of 16 of the 17 counts in the superseding indictment against him: one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and 15 counts of unlawful distribution of the drug. The jury returned the verdict on the second day of deliberations following a nearly three-month trial before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court.
According to the evidence at trial:
Between 2009 and March 2011, Durante regularly sold prescriptions of oxycodone to several people knowing the drugs would be resold on the street for profit. Two individuals in particular—Andre Domando, 48, of Belleville, New Jersey; and Dennis Abato, 61, of Lakewood, New Jersey—each had a stable of patients they brought to Durante’s medical practice in Nutley, New Jersey, so he could give them prescriptions for large quantities of oxycodone that would ultimately be sold through the redistribution network. Domando and Abato have each pleaded guilty in connection with the scheme.
In February 2011, several undercover recordings were produced that showed Durante’s understanding of the illegal distribution he facilitated. At one point, Durante said he knew Domando was reselling the prescriptions for a large profit, stating, “I just know because my friend does the same thing you do. He sells these for a thousand to 1,200 dollars a bottle.” Durante, referring to prescriptions he provided to Domando over the previous week, then stated “[s]o two last week, four this week—you should have 6,000 dollars in your pocket,” adding, “I know what people do with these things. You gotta have at least 1,200, 1,500 dollars a month of income here.”
Durante was also captured on tape accepting $300 from Domando in exchange for prescriptions, as well as $100 for an extra prescription he sold to an undercover agent. At trial, a witness testified that he delivered envelopes of cash to Durante in exchange for extra prescriptions.
Additionally, Durante falsified medical records in the files of the patients who received the oxycodone prescriptions he sold to Domando, Abato, and others. Typically, Durante would omit from the progress notes for those patients many of the additional prescriptions he had sold. On other occasions, he falsely wrote that prescriptions had been provided to replace lost prescriptions—including noting on one occasion that a dog may have eaten one of the prescriptions he provided to Domando.
In total, Durante provided prescriptions for more than 70,000 oxycodone pills to be illegally resold by his coconspirators.
At sentencing, Durante faces a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the 16 counts of which he was convicted. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A hearing has been scheduled for tomorrow, May 23, 2013, to discuss the forfeiture of nearly $300,000 in cash found in Durante’s home.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited the New Jersey DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, made up of DEA special agents, diversion investigators, and intelligence analysts; FBI and IRS special agents; and law enforcement officers from the Essex County Sheriff’s Department and the Elizabeth, Clinton Township (Hunterdon County), Toms River, and Newark Police Departments with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Mahajan and Osmar J. Benvenuto of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

Beaverton police officer for rape of 5-year-old child www.privateofficer.com

VANCOUVER WA Ma 24 2013  -- A Beaverton police officer already accused of food stamp fraud was arrested by SWAT officers at his Vancouver, Wash., home in connection with the sexual assault of a 5-year-old child.
Christopher Warren, 33, was arrested Wednesday. He was booked into the Clark County Jail on an accusation of first-degree rape of a child, said Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp.
Warren was arrested about 3:20 p.m. at the home in the 9200 block of NE 14th Way by tactical officers assisting detectives from the Children's Justice Center unit.
Neighbor Ben Ruth told KGW he was shocked and appalled by the arrest of his neighbor.
"I couldn't believe this was happening, especially with Chris being affiliated with the police department," he said.
In 2009, Multnomah County investigators looked into allegations of inappropriate touching of a minor dating back to when Warren was a teen. The case was dropped when the alleged victim declined to cooperate.
A year later, Warren was accused of failing to report a crime after a friend was convicted of child sex abuse. He was fired, then reinstated.
Last month, Warren pleaded not guilty to unlawfully obtaining public assistance, unlawfully obtaining food stamps and theft.
Warren has been on paid administrative leave.  Beaverton police Officer Mike Rowe said an internal investigation of Warren was ongoing.

Source-kgw