True Detective

Todd R. Willoughby pleaded guilty to one count of possession

Wednesday 30 April 2008

Todd R. Willoughby, 25, is charged with providing a man with a pair of shoes “to wear into the (facility) which contained crack cocaine in the sole area,” according to court documents.Willoughby pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine and one count of possession of an offensive weapon.
Pennsylvania State Police filed the charges against Willoughby following a visit to a Newton Hamilton home in March 2007.While in the home, officers found Willoughby, along with other individuals and a loaded semiautomatic handgun in the room, police said.One of the other men in the home, Jevon A. Everett, was arrested by police at the time for possession with intent to deliver, documents indicate.Everett, who supplied police with false identification, was found to be in possession of more than $3,000 and two cell phones, police said.Documents indicate that while they were in the home, Willoughby told police that the handgun belonged to another man who had brought it to trade for crack cocaine.However, police said Willoughby later wrote a letter to Everett in the correctional facility, in which he discussed the Marc incident and tried to get the cops to look toward another person, and discussed “the crack cocaine later found in Everett’s shoes, which — according to the letter — belong to Willoughby.”Willoughby remains free on bail and he is tentatively scheduled for sentencing on July 8. He is represented by defense attorney Brian Baker.

Read more...

Mejia Munera known as one of the "twins" killed in a shootout

Mejia Munera was wanted for drug trafficking in the United States and had a $5 million reward on his head offered by the U.S. government, as does his brother, Victor Manuel. "He was one of our most wanted," said Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos in announcing that Miguel Angel Mejia Munera had been shot dead along with two of his men in a rural area near the northern city of Medellin.
Police killed a drug lord known as one of the "twins" who controlled Colombia's biggest emerging cocaine gang staffed by former right-wing militia fighters in a shootout on Tuesday.An informant guided police to the farmhouse where Mejia Munera, dressed in camouflage military fatigues, was found with his bodyguards, three of whom were captured.He and his still-at-large twin brother gained influence after they and other cocaine-funded paramilitaries disbanded under a government peace deal criticized by rights groups for not forcing former militia fighters to give up crime.
"The twins were the most powerful leaders in Colombia's new generation of criminal bands, which combine paramilitary and drug-cartel structures and pose the biggest threat to Colombia's future," said Pablo Casas, an analyst at Bogota think tank Security and Democracy.The twins were paramilitary leaders who demobilized in 2006. But they refused to turn themselves in to face jail time along with other militia leaders as part of the peace pact.The "paras" were formed in the 1980s to help rich Colombians beat back leftist rebels who are still fighting the state in the name of socialist revolution.The United States has given Colombia about $5.5 billion in aid over the last seven years aimed at combating the drug trade and bolstering security.
Urban crime rates have plummeted and investment is up in Colombia due to the military push. But cocaine exports from the Andean country remain steady at more than 600 tonnes per year, according to the United Nations. (Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Read more...

Housejacking, Three masked men attacked the chalet belonging to Juan Mora, the owner of the Matola restaurant in Elche

Three masked men attacked the chalet belonging to Juan Mora, the owner of the Matola restaurant in Elche, in the early hours of yesterday. The victim was woken up at 4.15 in the morning by the thieves who complained that they could not find the money.
After ransacking the property they made off with an estimated 10,000 €. As they left they warned him ‘Call the police after 15 minutes. Don’t do so before as we know where your children live’.Información newspaper reports that family members of the victim say he was beaten up by the thieves, and were armed with a large screwdriver and used a large leather belt as a whip. For some reason the house alarm had not been activated and the three men managed to gain access without upsetting the dogs.
Reports say that one of the men was black and they had a foreign accent. Juan Mora is now back at home after a medical check up at Elche hospital.

Read more...

Spaniard, Jesús G.R., who is alleged to have caused the coach crash in Benalmádena ordered to prison without bail

27 year old Spaniard, Jesús G.R., who is alleged to have caused the coach crash in Benalmádena on Saturday April 19th, in which nine Finnish tourists, including a seven year old girl, lost their lives, has been ordered to prison without bail by the judge in Instruction Court One in Torremolinos. He attended with his father, was wearing a neck brace, and showed difficulty in walking.He is thought to have lost control of his KIA four wheel drive vehicle while overtaking the bus at speed on a curve on the A7 motorway, crashing into the bus and causing it to overturn.
The judge called the youngster to the court this morning where he arrived at 1125am and left in a National Police car at 1310pm.
He now faces nine charges of serious negligence resulting in death, and 41 counts of serious negligence resulting in injury. There is also a charge of dangerous driving, and another of driving while under the influence of alcohol. He had breath tested at 0,50 milligrams of alcohol after the accident, double the legal limit in Spain.
Speaking to the Diario Sur newspaper last week Jesús’s father said that his son is deeply depressed and has said he wished he had been killed in the crash.

Read more...

Marbella Town Hall has ordered a zero tolerance policy for those who sell their wares by foot in the town

Caracuel is reported to have referred to the immigrants as ‘a threat’ and as ‘invaders’ of the town, leader IU to comment ‘We cannot doubt that this type of sale is illegal, but the way of combating it is not adequate’.The Defensor del Pueblo, the Spanish Ombudsman, has asked for an explanation from Marbella Town Hall following a spate of immigrant arrests in the town. The PP local councillor for citizen safety, Francisca Caracuel, has ordered a zero tolerance policy for those who sell their wares by foot in the town, and this has resulted in 500 arrests in a few months. Most of the sales were of counterfeit goods, and 50,000 such items were recently crushed by a steam roller in Puerto Banús to underline the policy. However 17 Chinese beach masseurs have also been arrested, and criticism of the harshness of the police has come from the IU left wing.The Ombudsman, José Chamizo, met with the left wingers and a local Senegalese association last September and called on the Town Hall to ‘only apply the law’. Some claim that in fact things have improved considerably for the immigrants compared to the time of the GIL administration.
Two recent court cases in Spain have seen immigrants charged with such sales being released, given that profits made were minimal and the activity was necessary for their survival.

Read more...

Charles Edward McRae, along with Linda M. Jones, were arrested

Ongoing investigation of a drug ring operating in Langston Terrace in Northeast, DC.
A 38-count federal indictment was unsealed today, charging eight individuals with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin. The arrests were a result of an operation by members of the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force. Authorities believe the ring was led by Rex Pelote, Sr.Today, Charles Edward McRae, along with Linda M. Jones, were arrested, in the District of Columbia. Each are members of the Rex Pelote, Sr., crew. Previous arrests consisted of Loretta Belt on April 7, 2008 and Edward Tyrone Farley on April 15, 2008.During the arrests and execution of the search warrants, authorities seized more than 200 grams of heroin, more than 300 grams of crack cocaine, and one firearm.
“If you’re a resident in that community you would be concerned about a daily operation of any quantity,” Chief Lanier said. She said the investigation into Langston Terrace began after a spate of violence in 2006. Chief Lanier called the take down in Langston Terrace significant.“Today’s announcement of the indictments, arrests and searches relating to members of the Langston Terrace Crew illustrates the success of the Team DC concept wherein the FBI and MPD share resources, personnel and intelligence to address violent crime issues in the District of Columbia,” ADIC Persichini said. “The FBI will continue to participate in this joint law enforcement effort to make the streets of the District of Columbia safer for its citizens.”Mayor Fenty also praised the efforts of Team DC and said, “I’m pleased that many of the arrests occurred in the Fifth District, an area that has experienced a critical amount of violence.”
US Attorney Taylor stated, “Today is a good day for Langston Terrace. We want to bring some justice and peace back to our communities.”

Read more...

Jose Rayuela-Lanuza customs uncovered $4 million in heroin concealed in Peruvian candy boxes at Newark Liberty International Airport

Customs and Border Protection agents say they uncovered $4 million in heroin concealed in Peruvian candy boxes at Newark Liberty International Airport. Tuesday's discovery came three days after a Colombian citizen was arrested on charges of trying to smuggle $1 million dollars worth of liquid heroin through the airport.
In the latest incident, authorities say they were suspicious about the travel documents of a Spanish man who arrived on a flight from Peru. Jose Rayuela-Lanuza was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Read more...

Michelle McKenzie sentenced to four years in prison

Michelle McKenzie of Negril, Westmoreland was fined 860,000 Guyanese dollars, the value of the drugs she was caught with.One of three Jamaicans held with cocaine in a dart board at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana last Friday was sentenced to four years in prison on Tuesday.The Court ordered that she be deported at the end of her sentence.McKenzie, who is four months pregnant, pleaded guilty to having trafficked 956 grams of cocaine.…McKenzie left behind a two-year-old child in Jamaica

Read more...

Carlos "El Puma" Landin sentenced to the maximum life imprisonment


Carlos "El Puma" Landin, the suspected leader of Mexico's powerful Gulf drug cartel who was one of the country's most wanted men, was arrested last year by U.S. authorities while shopping in the Texas border town of McAllen.The Gulf cartel and its armed wing the Zetas dominate smuggling routes into Texas via the violence-wracked Mexican border cities of Matamoros, Reynosa and Nuevo Laredo.
Landin was found guilty by a jury in January of a total of nine counts of drug trafficking and money laundering."U.S. District Judge Randy Crane sentenced Landin to the maximum -- life imprisonment -- for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and various counts of distributing more than 50 kilograms of cocaine," the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement."Landin also received the maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and laundering more than $1.6 million in drug proceeds," it said.

Read more...

Ashley Harrod high school secretary has been arrested for allegedly serving students cocaine.

Bernalillo County deputies went to 21-year-old Ashley Harrod's northeast Albuquerque apartment Tuesday to serve her with eviction papers.New Mexico high school secretary has been busted for allegedly serving students cocaine. Inside they found Harrod and two teenage boys with cocaine on the table. Deputies also found four vials of cocaine and a glass pipe in the apartment. The boys told deputies that Harrod invited them over to get high at lunchtime. Sandia High School Students were surprised to hear an administrator was allegedly supplying drugs to students. "You'd think there would be some kind of hiring procedure to make sure we are not getting people like this, and it's a real problem and it makes teachers that are really good and really dedicated to their students, it makes them look really bad," said Dylan Waters. Albuquerque Public Schools officials said they put Harrod on paid administrative leave as soon as they found out about the incident. Harrod is facing contributing to the delinquency of a minor and drug possession charges along with two counts of child abuse.

Read more...

Ghul Khan Arghun Shah,Zarbadan Minajan executed for drug smuggling

Ghul Khan Arghun Shah and Zarbadan Minajan were sentenced to death for bringing into the kingdom packets of heroin hidden in their stomachs.They were executed in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. Separately, Syrian Ibrahim Hussein al-Jarkh, also convicted of drug smuggling, was beheaded in the northern city of Tabuk, the ministry said.

Read more...

Montriel Ramont Esaw will serve more than six years in a federal prison following his conviction of distributing crack cocaine.

Montriel Ramont Esaw 23-year-old Anchorage man will serve more than six years in a federal prison following his conviction of distributing crack cocaine.
Montriel Ramont Esaw was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Anchorage. The U.S. Attorney's Office said Esaw sold more than 21 grams of crack on three occasions in 2007. Officials say when he was arrested, he was found with 20 grams of crack, 16 grams of marijuana, and just more than $2,000 in drug sale proceeds.

Read more...

Simone Ferre charged with drug smuggling after cocaine worth £80,000

Simone Ferre, 65, has been charged with drug smuggling after cocaine worth £80,000 was found in her bag at Birmingham International Airport.Custom Officers stopped Simone Ferre, 65, as she arrived on a flight via Brussels from Nairobi, Kenya.The cocaine was discovered concealed in her hand luggage. She was remanded and will appear at court in Solihull.

Read more...

Jason Young, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Jason Young, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, was sentenced to eight years in prison.Jason Young, 37, of Upton Road South, Bexley, is one of four men sentenced to a total of 52 years at the Old Bailey for their roles in the plot to deal 43 kilos of the Class A drug.He was arrested on August 4 last year following a covert police operation which tracked the men to a hotel by Dartford Bridge. From there the gang went to a nearby car park where Young and Alister Morin, 34, stayed while there other accomplices, Michael Linker and James Scarciglia followed a lorry just arrived from France to Bow Arrow Lane, Dartford.Both vehicles parked up on opposite sides of the road then Linker went to the rear of the truck with the rucksacks while Scarciglia waited in the car. A bag, which was later found to contain £6,000 payment for the transportation of the drugs, was transferred to the parked vehicle.Police then swooped on the men when Scarciglia backed his car up to the rear of the lorry and Linker, who was inside the lorry, had put 43 kilos of cocaine into the rucksacks. Young, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, was sentenced to eight years in prison.Morin, 34, of Burns Avenue, Chadwell Heath, Romford, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to 15 years.Scarciglia, 40, of Harrow View, Harrow, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to 15 years.Linker, 37, of Church Road, Frenchay, Bristol, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to 14 years.Mr Young was arrested last August following a covert police operation which tracked the four men to one of their exchanges in Dartford.Det Insp Grant Johnson of the specialist crime directorate said: “In this case, class A drugs with an estimated value of £5 million have been taken off the streets and the perpetrators punished for their crime.”

Read more...

Shant Esrabian, is charged with first-degree murder

"The cocaine underworld is one to which violence is no stranger, and Mr. Esrabian spoke of, condoned and recognized this fact," Mr. Mack said.Hussein El-Hajj Hassan was an ambitious 27-year-old cocaine dealer who had subverted the chain of command in Ottawa's drug underworld when he was shot twice in the early evening hours of Aug. 20, 2004, assistant Crown attorney Dallas Mack told a jury yesterday. He was making his opening statement to the jury in the trial of Shant Esrabian, who is charged with first-degree murder in Mr. El-Hajj Hassan's death.Mr. Mack told the jury that Mr. Esrabian was one of the three men who stood over Mr. El-Hajj Hassan the night he was killed in an isolated wooded area of Ottawa's west end. The other men, Mark Yegin and Fadi Saleh, are also charged with first-degree murder.
Mr. Esrabian, dressed in a crisp pink button-down shirt in the prisoner's box, has pleaded not guilty.Mr. Mack told the jury that Mr. El-Hajj Hassan was fast becoming a major player in Ottawa and Cornwall's cocaine markets in the months leading up to his death. He bought tens of thousands of dollars' worth of the drug each month from Mr. Saleh, his primary supplier, Mr. Mack said.
"In the months leading up to the murder, Mr. El-Hajj Hassan had grown frustrated with Mr. Saleh's organization," Mr. Mack said.He decided to go over his supplier's head and deal directly with Rafei Ebrekdjian, the Toronto man who supplied Mr. Saleh with his cocaine, Mr. Mack said.He told the jury that the day before Mr. El-Hajj Hassan died, he travelled to Toronto with $170,000 to purchase cocaine directly from Mr. Ebrekdjian, which brought the total he had paid the Toronto supplier to more than $400,000.The shipment was supposed to come on Aug. 21, 2004.Mr. El-Hajj Hassan met with Mr. Yegin, Mr. Esrabian and Mr. Saleh on Aug. 20, under the pretense that he was going to sort out issues related to his Cornwall dealings, the prosecutor said."No one was there that night by accident," Mr. Mack told the jury.
Mr. El-Hajj Hassan's mostly naked body would not be found until almost a year later when Mr. Yegin directed police to his shallow grave.On June 27, 2005, his body was recovered, curled into the fetal position, his skull crushed and right hand hacked off.Mr. Mack described Mr. Esrabian, 29, as a Montreal cocaine dealer who had been a high school friend of Mr. Saleh's and a powerful associate in his drug organization.
Mr. Mack told the jurors they would be presented with evidence that shows Mr. Esrabian travelled from Montreal to Gatineau on Aug. 19, 2004, and that calls made from his cellphone place him in the area of Ottawa at the same time and place that Mr. El-Hajj Hassan was killed.Mr. Mack told jury members that, during the five-week trial, they would hear from drug dealers, a member of the Hells Angels, and Mr. Yegin.The first witness, who is to testify this morning, is Soumia Labrouki, Mr. El-Hajj Hassan's widow.She gave birth to their third child three months after he died

Read more...

Gentra Maria Taylor was charged with cocaine distribution and smuggling contraband into a detention facility

Tuesday 29 April 2008


Gentra Maria Taylor, 39, of 8603 N. 39th St., was charged Thursday with cocaine distribution and smuggling contraband into a detention facility.The sheriff's office reported that on April 17, a jail employee discovered the .2 grams of cocaine in a letter that was sent to inmate Detrick D. McGriff, 41. McGriff had been arrested Dec. 4 on a charge of violation of probation for possession of cocaine.The cocaine was contained in three Zip-Lock style bags.While Taylor sent McGriff two letters that day, only one contained the drug, the report said. They did not appear to have been tampered with, the report addedTaylor was picked up on a warrant at 1002 S. Lake Anoka Blvd., in Avon Park.

Read more...

Nehemiah Hellems,Jimmie Rodgers Sr., and Jimmie Rodgers Jr arrest and convictions

Nehemiah Hellems appeared before the court charged with kidnapping. He's accused of holding a woman at gunpoint at a Durant Motel in August of 2007.The ultimate of several drug suppliers, began with a frantic phone call from a Durant convienence store. A woman called police saying she had escaped from a motel next door, where she had been held at gunpoint for an entire night. When her captures began cooking meth inside the room, they started a fire, which gave her a chance to escape.Authorities say the woman was kidnapped because she had snitched on a man accused of selling meth. That man, Jimmie Rodgers Sr., was one of the largest suppliers of meth to Bryan and Marshall County drug users. An investigation by Durant police and the Bryan County Drug Task Force led to at least 4 other arrests, including that of Jimmie Rodgers Sr. And police say those involved were part of one of the largest drug families in the area. "By taking them two down, it made a dent [in meth production], but like always there is someone waiting in the wings to take over," said Chuck Carroll with the Bryan County Drug Task Force.Investigators say Hellems is a secondary player in all of this. The two men in charge of the family meth ring - Jimmie Rodgers Sr., and Jimmie Rodgers Jr. - have already been to court and are now facing prison time. Hellems trial began Monday morning, and the jury began deliberations Monday afternoon.

Read more...

Jonathon Griffin was charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

Jonathon Griffin, aged 19, from Bonnington Close, was charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to supply.18 bags of cocaine with an estimated street value of £50,000 were recovered when police raided a property in St Helens.Officers executed a drugs warrant at Bonnington Close, Eccleston, on Saturday, April 26.

Read more...

Border guards have started implementing a directive ordering them to open fire on smugglers who fail to stop

The entering into force of this directive came amid discovering the close relationship of smuggling networks with terror groups, as well as the use of arms by smugglers while securing tracks to their goods.Furthermore, some smugglers tend to extend their activities to arms and explosives trafficking, like for instance in Tlemcen province where gendarmerie and border guards managed foiling about five attempts of smuggling weapons and explosives.Besides, many armed clashes have taken place between border guards and security services against smugglers, later last year and early this year, in border provinces, eastern, western and southern the country.
The Majority of armed clashes have been underscored in Bechar and Tlemcen provinces, western Algeria, followed by Illizi and El-Oued provinces, southern the country, then Tebessa province, eastern Algeria.
It is worth mentioning that joint security forces in Bechar have led, a couple of weeks ago, helicopter raids against a group of 4X4 belonging to smugglers, while hardly fled from being arrested by border guards.

Read more...

300 illegal homes in Cañada Hermosa

20 minutos reports that there are 300 illegal homes in Cañada Hermosa, and local resident, Pedro Cerón, noted some of them have been there for more than ten years. He said they would not be legalised because people simply don’t know what to do, and he called on the City Hall to visit the area to explain the procedure. There are a further 200 homes in Cañada de San Pedro in the same position.Murcia City Hall is threatening to demolish as many as 4,000 homes which have been built illegally in the region’s countryside. Property owners have been given the deadline of January 31 2009 to bring their properties into legality, and Town Planning Councillor, Fernando Berberena, has warned that after this date legal processes will be started which could end in demolition. Illegally built warehouses are also included in the new crackdown.Bringing as many as 4,000 properties into legality in such a short time is a tall order, given that all of last year saw only 80 homes regularised in the region.The 2001 PGOU General Ordinance Plan gave five years for making the homes and industries legal, but over the five years only 1,000 homes and 150 warehouses were regularised.Murcia City Hall says that leaflets will be handed out in the areas concerned. These show that to bring a property into legality the owner has to provide an application form with a report from Emuasa, technical documentation which includes the provision of services such as water and sewerage, several plans and a budget.

Read more...

bloodiest days in Tijuana's history Luis Alfonso Velarde aka "Crutches," "Mr. Three Letters" "La Perra," all might be dead

"Crutches," a.k.a. Luis Alfonso Velarde, a reputed local drug lord with a handful of YouTubevideo tributes to his name.Another, even bigger "cartel" operative nicknamed "Mr. Three Letters" might be dead too, along with "La Perra," reported El Sol de Tijuana. And they may all have been ambushed by another cartel leader known as "El Cholo."But no one was willing to confirm any of that on the record.
Official silence, many here argue, helps feed the culture of corruption. It is a widely recognized truth that drug traffickers operate in Baja California and elsewhere with the protection of some public officials.On Tuesday, Gen. Sergio Aponte Polito, the commander of troops in the Baja region, took the extraordinary step of writing an open letter to a local newspaper that identified several law enforcement officials he alleged were linked to organized crime.
The letter's implicit argument was that officials who protect organized crime are likely to escape prosecution thanks to the culture of secrecy that surrounds law enforcement here."Isn't this corruption?" the general asked. "What a disgrace for the society of Baja California!"Calderon's government has worked hard to clean up law enforcement. His top police official, Genaro Garcia Luna, has purged the Federal Investigative Agency of corrupt cops. Soldiers have temporarily disarmed police in Tijuana and other cities, and several reputed drug bosses have been extradited to the United States.Yet the widespread violence shows few signs of abating. An estimated 2,500 people were killed in drug-related violence last year, officials say. So far this year, more than 850 people have been killed, according to tallies by news agencies.The objective measures by which U.S. officials determine the strength of the drug trafficking business also offer a mixed bag.

Read more...

David Bancroft alleged to have been found smuggling 15kilos of the Class A drug in Dover

Monday 28 April 2008

David Bancroft, 61,accused of smuggling nearly £250,000 worth of cocaine is alleged to have been found smuggling 15kilos of the Class A drug in Dover, Kent at the weekend.Bancroft of Nesbit Close, Wickford has been released on bail.He will appear at Dover Magistrates' Court on Thursday to face the charge

Read more...

John Green ran the AAA Coin and Jewelry business in Mulberry and was charged with selling counterfeit rare and antique coins.




John Green ran the AAA Coin and Jewelry business in Mulberry and was charged with selling counterfeit rare and antique coins.Customers who bought from Green over the past two years are asked to have the coins appraised and if the items turn out to be counterfeit to contact the Polk County Sheriffs Office.Polk County Sheriff's office is looking for anyone who may have been a victim of buying rare coins only to find they are counterfeit.The investigation started in mid-April. Green was charged with 3 counts of cheating and 3 counts of grand theft. More charges are pending.

Read more...

Nicholas Garland,Shane Liddy,Richard McNamara,Darryll Bennett attacked Stephen Green who died from a blood clot in the brain after the attack

Sunday 27 April 2008

The four teenagers are facing life sentences after being convicted of murder. Nicholas Garland, 18, Shane Liddy, 19, Richard McNamara, 19, and Darryll Bennett, 18, all from Luton, had all denied the charge.Four youths who were "fuelled by drink and drugs" stamped on his head and struck him with a stick. The impact of the blows dented his cycle helmet.
Stephen Green, 55, a corporal who served with the Army for nine years, was attacked in an underpass as he was cycling home from work in Dunstable, Beds.One of the teenagers was later overheard boasting to the others: "Did you see his face, did you see the way I was battering him."Prosecutors said the killers were unemployed and desperate for a "raise", which is a slang term for robbery to raise cash for alcohol and drugs.Mr Green's rucksack was taken but discarded shortly afterwards with its contents of £5.65.The victim died in hospital from a blood clot in the brain after the attack last May.
Mr Green served in the Royal Ordnance Corps and did tours of duty in Belize, Cyprus and Norway as well as serving with the UN. After leaving the Army he took a job as a factory worker in Dunstable.He was attacked last May 4 on a path that ran under the M1. Bennett stopped Mr Green as he cycled through the tunnel and demanded: "What have you got for me?"Mr Green had no time to hand anything over before he was punched to the ground and kicked repeatedly.He was left severely injured as the youths ran away laughing. It was two hours before a passer-by found him and he died 10 days later.Luton Crown Court heard that the youths went back to McNamara's home, where his mother overheard them talking.Mrs McNamara heard Bennett say: "Did you see his face, did you see the way I was battering him." McNamara replied: "You were going mad, man. I tried to get you off."Bennett then said: "I know, I was hyper. I was saying, 'I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him'."The teenagers were arrested on May 16. McNamara sobbed and had to be supported by a woman police officer. Mr Green's blood was found on trainers belonging to McNamara and Garland.Det Chief Insp John Giles, who led the murder inquiry, said: "These four people would clearly target innocent members of the public to pay for drugs and alcohol."In this case Mr Green was the person to fall into their trap. The amount of violence used towards him was unimaginable. This was a callous and pre-meditated crime."During this investigation we have received help from some people who are very close to the offenders and I would like to thank them for their assistance."Mr Green's brother, Richard, 53, said: "Our family was devastated by the loss of Stephen."Memories of him, especially his smile, will be with us for ever. He loved life, enjoying trips out, the theatre, football and most of all he enjoyed our family gatherings."His mother, Thora, said: "We were very proud of him. Stephen was loved by us all and also by our friends. He was so generous and kind and gave donations to charities."He was also a blood donor and had a tie pin for 10 years reflecting his commitment to giving blood and helping others. Stephen will never be forgotten."

Read more...

Brittany Baxter-Stuchell lost her job as a preschool teacher for selling cocaine

20-year-old Carson City woman who lost her job as a preschool teacher for selling cocaine in an undercover sting was sentenced to 30 days in Douglas County Jail as part of her probation.District Judge Michael Gibbons ordered Brittany Baxter-Stuchell to turn herself in on Monday. He delayed imposition of the sentence so Baxter-Stuchell could attend a funeral.She pleaded guilty to sale of a controlled substance stemming from a Feb. 28, 2007, transaction in the parking lot at Target in north Douglas County.According to court documents, the sheriff's Street Enforcement Team set up the purchase. Baxter-Stuchell allegedly took the cocaine from her purse and said she could provide marijuana, Ecstasy or hallucinogenic mushrooms.She said Monday she no longer associates with her co-defendants, one of whom had been her boyfriend."These are not people or situations I surround myself with," she said.
"You may not think you're a drug dealer - you're not importing drugs from Colombia - but in pleading guilty to sale of a controlled substance, you're a drug dealer," Gibbons said.Her lawyer, Derrick Lopez, said Baxter-Stuchell realized the felony conviction put her dreams of becoming a teacher on hold for at least 15 years until her record may be sealed."She did have dreams of becoming a teacher," Lopez said. "She knows now that is gone for a very long time. That is a significant punishment."She received probation because she cooperated with law enforcement in other drug investigations. "I know I made a very big mistake," Baxter-Stuchell said. "I am not on drugs. I hurt my family very badly and I hurt my schooling. I am taking full responsibility."Gibbons suspended a three-year sentence in Nevada State Prison and placed Stuchell on three years probation.She must undergo substance abuse evaluation and treatment and may not use drugs or alcohol during probation.
He ordered her to pay $1,000 restitution at $150 per month. She must graduate from high school or earn her general educational development certification and pay $500 to reimburse the county for her court-appointed attorney.She faced six years in prison and a $20,000 fine

Read more...

Curtis Newton Jr aka Munchy charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance

Curtis Newton Jr., who is also known as "Munchy," was charged with Thursday third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (cocaine), a felony; fourth-degree criminal possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor; and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, because his 11-year-old brother was present during the alleged crime.Newton's girlfriend, 22-year-old Megan Martin, was at the scene of 102 Greenvale Circle, a Greenburgh Housing Authority property, and was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation.Newton had been barred from the housing property for several years, but had recently had his restriction order rescinded and was living with his mother at the time of the arrest, according to police.

Read more...

Puerto Banus shooting mystery..70 shots were fired in the assault and the two victims were hit by 16 bullets between them.









After the shooting an Algerian-born French businessmen went to the National Police to say he thought he was the intended target. He had been in the hairdressers at the time of the shooting and his friend – bodyguard, who was waiting in their car outside the hairdressers, was one of those injured. The companion was arrested in his hospital bed for the possession of a gun that was found beneath their car.
Police have stressed that neither the Frenchman nor his companion have any previous convictions in Spain. The businessmen is said to be involved in high fashion, owns several shops in Puerto Banús and commutes between his homes in Paris and Marbella. He was allowed to return to his home after being interviewed by police.
The police say they do not know the identity of the four attackers nor have they yet found the man who entered the hairdressers before the shooting and asked for an appointment in English. He is said to have acted in a very suspicious manner and left the shop seconds before the shooting started.Whilst police still believe the shooting bears all the hallmarks of a “settling of accounts” between criminals they have stated that the modus operandi suggests that they had no clear identity of their target. More than 70 shots were fired in the assault and the two victims were hit by 16 bullets between them.
Meanwhile in neighbouring Estepona the civilian security group has formed a special squad of local police officers to tackle organised crime. The town hall fears that this violence may spread from Marbella to Estepona. The new group of officers will pay special attention to the many urbanisations in the east of the municipality bordering on to Marbella where a Rumanian gang is said to have already carried out robberies.

Read more...

Limerick centre for Super Gang warfare feud in Crumlin-Drimnagh, which has been going on for eight years

Gardai fear that the situation in Limerick, in particular, will further worsen later this year when key figures from both the main gangs are released. Both have sworn vengeance against each other and their families.
Gardai also believe that Russell was murdered because he was suspected of murdering Gerard Byrne, 25, of Ferryman's Crossing, Dublin, who was shot dead in the IFSC on December 13, 2006. A €50,000 contract is believed to have been put on Russell's head. The north inner city feud has been underway for over two years since it emerged that a previous gang leader, Christy Griffin, had been raping and sexually abusing his partner's daughter from since she was only eight years of age. When Griffin was finally jailed for life in April last year the woman, from the Summerhill area, assumed control of his gang. She is thought to be the only woman gang leader in Ireland and is described by gardai as "highly dangerous".
Although it was initially thought last week that there had only been two murders resulting from the feud prior to Russell's killing, it has since emerged that a fourth murder, that of Paul Kelly, 26, who was shot dead outside his apartment off the Malahide Road in April last year, also stemmed from the feud. The other man to die was Stephen Ledden, 28, shot dead in Oriel Street in the financial services district in December 2006.The feud is showing no signs of abating, gardai say. It is one of nine or 10 current feuds between drugs gangs in Ireland, all of whom continue to step up their armed capacity. The Dublin gangs also continue to attempt to develop a bomb capacity. Gardai say that the two bomb makers in Dublin are showing signs of improvement and that it is "only a matter of time" before some one is killed. This followed the discovery by gardai of components for up to 20 pipe bombs in a car parked in Greenhills Road in Tallaght. The feud in Crumlin-Drimnagh, which has been going on for eight years, is now the longest and bloodiest in Dublin and has been made worse by the entry of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) into the fighting on the side of one of the gangs. The INLA is also believed to be behind the introduction of the pipe bombs. The republican terror-turned-drugs gang was once capable of constructing highly sophisticated bombs and used a tilt-switch under-car device to kill the Conservative Party spokesman on Northern Ireland, Airey Neave, in the underground car park of the House of Commons in 1979. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that since leading Dublin and Limerick gangsters have become acquainted in prison, they have formed mutual-assistance pacts where the sides supply each other with weapons and even contract killings out to each other while also assisting in drug trafficking. There is now understood to be an alliance involving the Dundon-McCarthy gang from Limerick, the south inner Dublin gang allegedly led by "Fat" Freddie Thompson, the INLA and figures from Finglas. This is probably the largest crime organisation in Ireland at present. This has exacerbated the situation in Dublin where the leader of the opposing gang, led by a man currently in Mountjoy Prison, still has use of mobile phones in the jail and is understood to be sending out instructions for people to be killed. This gang has formed an alliance with the Dundon-McCarthy's rivals in Limerick, the Keane-Collopys. Both these two "super gangs" are, however, inherently unstable. The groups forming the alliances all have their own personal agendas and vendettas underway. The INLA has been involved in what is effectively side-bar feuding in Dublin since one of its leading members, Patrick Campbell, was killed in a melee at an industrial park in Ballymount in 1999.
At least four men have been shot dead since Ballymount and gardai in Dublin say the INLA is still intent on settling scores over the matter. As some of their targets have been associates of the gang opposed to Freddie Thompson's gang, this has helped continue the eight-year-old Drimnagh-Crumlin feud. While the feuds in the north and south inner city areas remain active, garda action has, temporarily at least, stopped the blood feuding in the Finglas-Blanchardstown areas which claimed over 10 lives in the past three years. Garda arrests are the main reason for the reduction in violence in this area which culminated in the murder of former gang leader, Martin "Marlo" Hyland in December 2006. Much of the violence in the Finglas-Blanchardstown area was a result of the break-up of the once powerful "Westies" gang, whose original leaders, Shane Coates and Stephen Sugg, were assassinated in Spain in late 2003. The situation in Limerick remains as volatile as ever. A man in his forties had a narrow escape on Wednesday afternoon when he was the subject of a drive-by shooting, now the favoured form of assassination in the city. He was outside his house in Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra West, on when the attack took place at around 4pm. Local sources said the attack was linked to one of about seven feuds, though others say that these are now not so much feuds as acts to assert the dominance of the Dundon-McCarthy gang which prompt occasional acts of retaliation.
Some of the families formerly at the forefront of the feuding with the Dundon-McCarthys are now said to be struggling to hold on in the city and their families are being subjected to daily acts of intimidation.
One of the Dundon-McCarthy allied gangs in Moyross has recruited up to a 100 teenagers who cause havoc in the area and have access to weapons.

Read more...

Mazher Raja has been jailed for six years

Saturday 26 April 2008

A west London gang master who cheated the tax man of up to £4m in a lucrative empire trading on the work of airport staff has been jailed for six years.Multi-millionaire Mazher Raja, 50, of Hanworth, defrauded the Inland Revenue from at least 1993 to 2001, London's Southwark Crown Court heard.In a "complex" and sophisticated fraud, Pakistan-born Raja told "endless lies" to inspectors and "despicably" targeted his own community, Judge Geoffrey Rivlin, QC, said.To escape detection he used various methods to distance himself from many of his phoenix-like firms that appeared, disappeared, and then rose again with a new name.The jury heard that Raja, who mainly supplied labour to clean planes and prepare onboard meals at Gatwick and Heathrow, not only conned workers into thinking their deductions were being made properly but created fictitious employees to pocket even more.He then tried to conceal as much of his ill-gotten gains as possible by channelling large chunks into accounts controlled by his wife, children and other relatives.When revenue investigators moved in they found millions in tax and national insurance contributions missing.The judge told Raja: "Umpteen sums of money in terms of PAYE contributions in respect of goodness knows how many workers were not paid as they should have been."In respect to some of the off-the-record companies, no tax was paid at all. You made not just a handsome profit yourself and your family but a veritable fortune."Raja, of Hanworth, Middlesex, was sentenced to six years' jail to run concurrently on each of nine counts of cheating Inland Revenue between February 1998 and April 2001.He got an 18-month and a three-year sentence, also to run concurrently, for being found guilty on two charges of false accounting.The 11-week trial heard Raja's companies had acted as labour agencies providing a large number of workers to other businesses.Prosecutors put the amount of money stolen at in excess of £4m. Raja's accountant puts it to at least £2m. The judge said the amount owed to the Inland Revenue is "in the very least the sum of £2.75m" and a confiscation hearing will take place at a later date.Raja "despicably" targeted his own community, Geoffrey Rivelin, QC, said.

Read more...

Australian Crime Commission is intent on seizing documents relating to wealthy Australians accused of money laundering and tax evasion.


Corner Banca, a private institution which assures its clients of "discretion", has found itself at the centre of unwelcome publicity. First, it featured in a major money-laundering case in the US; now the Australian Crime Commission is intent on seizing documents relating to wealthy Australians accused of money laundering and tax evasion.Banking records relating to companies controlled by the entertainment figures Paul Hogan and John Cornell, through the Swiss accounting firm Strachans, have been high priorities for the commission. The duo say they paid tax and have acted honestly.
Court documents reveal the commission has claimed that Strachans organised bank accounts at the Corner Banca which allowed its Australian clients to access their funds from ATMs anywhere in the world through Corner Banca-issued credit cards.
When the commission was seeking access to the documents in Switzerland in 2005, Swiss authorities were told that Australian investigators believed Strachans not only provided accounting and banking services but was "a willing participant in facilitating criminal activity".For the last three years, lawyers for Strachans in Australia have sought to prevent the commission from obtaining the documents.
This week, the commission had a victory in the Federal Court in Melbourne when Justice Richard Tracey ruled that the former attorney-general Philip Ruddock's request to Swiss authorities for business records from the bank and accountancy firm was valid.Justice Tracey's judgment revealed that key targets for the commission were entertainment figures "H" and "C", who were arguing that the Swiss should not hand over business records because material provided to the Swiss about them was wrong.What was wrong, the court heard, was details about whether or not they were Australian residents for key tax years."I do not accept these contentions," said the judge. "In the first place, [they] are founded on a mistaken assumption that H and C, had they not been Australian residents, could not have committed offences against Australian law."Justice Tracey said even if they had been non-residents, they were obliged to comply with Australian tax law on income generated from their Australian companies.He also noted that "H" had told the US Internal Revenue Service in 2003-2004 that "his personal and economic relations were closest to Australia, where he maintains his permanent home"According to the judge, investigators knew what documents they were looking for in Switzerland after they examined the laptop computer of the Strachans principal Philip Egglishaw.Egglishaw had come to the notice of Australian authorities during an investigation into a friend and client, the Melbourne entertainment barrister Michael Brereton.

Read more...

James "Whitey" Bulger $1 million reward



Leader of the Winter Hill Gang, an Irish American crime family based in Boston that controlled illicit drug trade and extortion rackets in South Boston. Bulger has shown how hard it can be to capture a criminal. The FBI has pursued Bulger for more than a decade for Bulger's alleged roles in numerous murders. His wealth is estimated between $30 million and $50 million and he has associated with major criminal enterprises throughout North America and Europe, including the Irish Republican Army. The 78-year-old is using the wealth and contacts he developed through his criminal operations to stay out of the reach of law enforcement and is believed to be on the run with his longtime girlfriend. The FBI has a $1 million price tag on him, but by concealing his appearance and using false identities, Bulger has evaded the substantial effort to bring him to justice. There are indications that he recently traveled to Sicily.

Read more...

Matteo Messina Denaro Italian mafia's playboy



The world's most famous organized crime network remains powerful and arguably its most formidable fugitive member is Denaro, who is also known as "Diabolic." The Italian mafia's playboy, Denaro is known for living a fast lifestyle, driving Porches and fancying Rolex watches. He is believed to be taking over the mafia's operations in the fallout surrounding the capture of long time Cosa Nostra leaders, most notably Bernardo Provenzano, who Italian authorities finally grabbed in 2006. Denaro played an important role in a Cosa Nostra campaign in 1993 involving deadly bomb attacks to force the government to stop its mafia crackdown.

Read more...

Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov face of the modern Russian mob



Originally from Uzbekistan, Tokhtakhounov is the face of the modern Russian mob, especially since Semion Mogilevich was detained earlier this year. Tokhtakhounov is known as "Taiwanchik" for his Asian features. The U.S. government calls him a "major figure in international Eurasian Organized Crime" who has been involved in "drug distribution, illegal arms sales and trafficking in stolen vehicles." He is suspected of fixing everything from beauty pageants to Olympic events in Utah. In 2002, the U.S. government indicted him for bribing Olympic figure skating judges to favor the French team, robbing Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier of gold medals in the pairs competition. The U.S. tried to get him after he was arrested in Italy, but the Italians eventually freed Tokhtakhounov, who has since disappeared and is probably in Russia.

Read more...

Joaquin Guzman Mexico's most powerful drug trafficker



Mexico's most powerful drug trafficker has taken over the drug racket once dominated by Colombians like Pablo Escobar. Guzman, known as el Chapo, or shorty, heads the Sinaloa Cartel, specializing in importing cocaine from Colombia and smuggling it into the U.S., often through elaborate tunnels. Ruthless and determined, Guzman has lorded over a bloody power struggle in Mexico over transport corridors to the U.S. that have left thousands dead. After the Mexican courts ruled he could be extradited to the U.S. in 2001, Guzman escaped from prison in a laundry truck. Since then he has evaded close encounters with the Mexican military. The U.S. government has indicted Guzman and placed a $5 million bounty on this fugitive.

Read more...

Omid Tahvili Persian organized crime family in Canada


Omid Tahvili
Tahvili is the kingpin of a Persian organized crime family in Canada connected to various Triads and other global criminal groups. Known as Nino, Tahvili walked out the door of a maximum security prison in British Columbia in November after bribing a guard with the promise of $50,000. He was awaiting sentencing after being convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault. Tahvili, 37, had tortured a relative of someone he suspected stole $500,000 of his drug money. The U.S. government wants him for his alleged operation of a fraudulent telemarketing business that scammed $3 million from elderly American victims. The scamsters told victims they would win a lottery if they would pay a bogus advance fee. Tahvili is believed to have connections throughout Europe and the Middle East, and remains an international operator.

Read more...

Brian Brendon Wright was jailed for 30 years ordered to pay a confiscation order of £2,311,371

Friday 25 April 2008

Convicted drug smuggler Brian Brendon Wright was today ordered to pay a confiscation order of £2,311,371 following a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court. Wright, 61, who headed an international drugs smuggling gang, was jailed for 30 years in April 2007 having been found guilty of conspiracy to evade prohibition on the importation of a controlled drug and the conspiracy to supply drugs. His Honour Judge Peter Moss today told Wright that he would have to serve a consecutive 10 years default sentence if the money was not paid in 12 months. Robert Alder, Head of Restraint & Confiscation Unit, HM Revenue & Customs, Criminal Investigation Division, said: "The size of this Confiscation Order reflects Brian Brendon Wright's role at the very top of a global organised crime network that lived off the misery of the countless victims of the illegal drug trade. "Confiscation Orders like this ensure that career criminals such as Wright are denied the opportunity to profit from their crimes."
Wright, originally from the Republic of Ireland, lived a luxurious lifestyle. He portrayed himself as a wealthy entrepreneur and professional gambler with an avid interest in the horseracing world. His friends and associates included many noted figures from the sports and entertainment industries. However, in reality he was the mastermind behind several multi-million pound cocaine shipments into the UK.
Passing sentence, Judge Peter Moss told him: "You were a master criminal, manipulative, influential and powerful." He added: "I accept that you will be a very much older man when you are entitled to be released." The investigation that led to 20 convictions worldwide with jail sentences totalling over 250 years, followed an unsuccessful smuggling attempt in September 1996 using a vessel named the Sea Mist which was discovered carrying 599kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of £80 million. Over the next two years four further drug shipments were smuggled ashore.
In February 1999, officers seized 472kg of cocaine from a lock-up garage in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex and from a farm in Laleham in Surrey. Following the arrest of several members of his gang, Wright, fled to northern Cyprus in 1999. He was eventually discovered in hiding in Spain in 2005 and extradited to the UK.
The case was prosecuted on behalf of HMRC by The Revenue & Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO) which was created by Royal Assent on 07 April 2005 and is an independent prosecuting authority reporting directly to the Attorney General.

Read more...

Mohammed Tayeb Ahmed one of the world's top hashish traffickers captured

Mohammed Tayeb Ahmed was arrested Wednesday as he was driving around in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Morocco's northern coast.
Spanish police have captured one of the world's top hashish traffickers, who escaped from a Moroccan prison five months ago, police said Thursday. Morocco had issued an international arrest warrant for the drug lord, known in Spain as El Nene, who was serving an eight-year sentence in the prison of Kenitra, 40 kilometres north of the capital Rabat. Ahmed, who had accumulated a fortune estimated to be worth 30 million euros (47 million dollars), had bribed prison personnel into allowing him to have three cells with air conditioning, television, DVD and a computer with internet access, according to Spanish police. His escape with the help of prison guards did not become known until a week later. Eight guards have been handed sentences ranging from 2 to 4 years in the affair. Ahmed was originally from Ceuta, a city of some 75,000 residents, many of whom are of Moroccan origin. Ceuta had stepped up security controls after nine Islamists fled from the same Kenitra prison earlier this month. The nine had been convicted of involvement in the 2003 Casablanca suicide bombings which claimed 45 lives. Morocco has been regarded as the world's top hashish producer, but it could be losing that position to Afghanistan after a government campaign against cannabis cultivation eradicated a part of the crop. Moroccan farmers are growing cannabis - the plant from which hashish is made - on an estimated 60,000 hectares. Traffickers like Ahmed then smuggle the drug through Spain to the European market.

Read more...

Juan "The Ice Man" Romo-Jimenez arrested charged with criminal racketeering

Juan "The Ice Man" Romo-Jimenez, whom authorities identified as the leader of a drug ring, was arrested Wednesday morning when cops raided his home near Apopka.Nearly three dozen people, including Romo-Jimenez, were named in a grand-jury indictment accusing them of conspiracy to traffic cocaine over 400 grams, a first-degree felony, the Orange County Sheriff's Office stated.Five documented gang members and associates, also including Romo-Jimenez, were charged with criminal racketeering.
The street gang named in the indictment is linked to homicides, home invasions and armed robberies across the state, sheriff's Cmdr. Victor Payne said.
"This case had a huge community impact," said Lt. Carl Metzger of the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. "Residents in that portion of Orange County should sleep better."Four SWAT teams executed the search warrants early Wednesday, netting 33 arrests, including seven people in custody from a March sting and four others not named in the indictment.Officers are still searching for 14 people.Six months ago, Orange County's gang unit began investigatinggang members and associates selling drugs in Pine Hills, Apopka, Winter Park and northwest Orange County. Investigators found that the drugs being sold were coming from Mexico, Payne said.Last month, seven people connected to the drug-smuggling ring who were supplying the Orange County dealers were arrested, including Romo-Jimenez's main supplier, Metzger said.
Deputies recovered 4 kilograms of cocaine worth about $300,000 and four guns in March, Payne said.On Wednesday, several agencies worked together on the arrests. Metzger called the collaboration a "perfect example of teamwork."During Wednesday's operation, officers recovered $3,000 in cash, six cars, 110 grams of cocaine and several guns, including three rifles and four handguns.

Read more...

Plane loaded with drugs crashes at Spanish banker Botin's estate

The plane was carrying 200 kilograms (441 pounds) of hashish when it missed the airfield and crashed into a nearby gully, Dmaz-Cano said. Two people were killed at the crash and a third one was arrested.
Police are investigating a small plane loaded with drugs that crashed Friday at the estate of one of the country's most prominent bankers, killing two people on board, an Interior Ministry representative said.The plane crashed around midday Friday as it tried to land at a private airstrip on the country estate of banker Emilio Botin, Maximo Dmaz-Cano said.The plane was carrying 200 kilograms (441 pounds) of hashish when it missed the airfield and crashed into a nearby gully, Dmaz-Cano said.
A third person has been detained at the 11,000 hectare (27,180 acres) estate, located 230 kilometers (143 miles) southwest of Madrid. Police are combing the area in search of other people who might have been involved in the suspected smuggling.
Botin is president of Banco Santander Central Hispano, Spain's largest bank by market capitalization.

Read more...

Dennis George Grant is alleged to be a "major figure in the ring,"

Thursday 24 April 2008


Canada-wide arrest warrant for Dennis George Grant, 31, following a month-long probe into the smuggling operation, in which a man imported narcotics into Canada and then sold the drugs to distributors.The ring was uncovered by officers working out of Peel police 12 Division.Grant, who lives in the City Centre, is alleged to be a "major figure in the ring," according to Peel Cst. Samantha Nulle.He's wanted for unauthorized possession of a firearm (two counts), careless storage of a firearm (two counts), possession of a controlled substance and numerous other firearms, drug and property offences."Investigators believe that he is in possession of a firearm and should be considered armed and extremely dangerous," Nulle said.Grant is described as black, 5-foot-8, 150 pounds. He has short black hair and a large mole on his right cheek next to his nose.He's known to travel extensively throughout Canada, the United States and Jamaica. He might be travelling under an alias, Shawn Aulotte, police said. He holds a passport under that name. Grant is also known to frequent downtown Toronto.

Read more...

Tibor Liska pleaded guilty of selling by mail some 12,000 packets a month of sildenafil

businessman who sold Viagra-laced chocolate as a food supplement called "Boom" was indicted Wednesday for mail fraud by a federal judge, and faces 20 years in jail if found guilty.Tibor Liska pleaded guilty of selling by mail some 12,000 packets a month of sildenafil -- a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction sold under various names, including Viagra -- mixed with chocolate and herbs, US Attorney Michael Garcia said.The "Boom" food supplements were distributed between March 2006 and November 2007 through the Yoi Jin Sei company in the United States, Australia, Colombia, Switzerland, Russia, Argentina, Japan and Slovakia, Garcia added.
The publicity surrounding the product said it contained plant-based food supplements, without specifying that it contained a drug that requires a prescription and could have side effects.Liska was charged with mail fraud and could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years behind bars and fined up to 250,000 dollars if found guilty, Garcia said.He is due for trial on July 25.

Read more...

Tyrone Bolden sentenced to 30 years as a career offender on drug and firearm charges

Tyrone Bolden, 30, who has 13 prior convictions, was sentenced to 30 years as a career offender on drug and firearm charges by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony Alaimo.Bolden must serve the entire sentence and, upon release from prison, will be supervised for eight years by probation officers."He's a longtime drug dealer, gun-toter and thug. He's earned the status of career offender, and I recommend a life sentence because he's certainly earned it," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrin McCullough, arguing for the maximum penalty allowed in the case.During the sentencing, Bolden maintained his innocence and said he needed treatment for a cocaine addiction.A federal jury in Brunswick convicted Bolden on Feb. 5 of his most recent crimes, single counts of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm by a felon.Bolden had a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol to protect his hidden stash of crack on Dec. 12, 2006, when investigators with the Glynn-Brunswick Narcotics Enforcement Team searched his bedroom at his family's Reynolds Street home, according to testimony and evidence during his trial.Investigators discovered about a half-ounce of crack with an estimated street value of $1,200 to $1,400, along with some Xanax tablets in a hidden compartment behind the headboard of Bolden's bed, Capt. Terry Wright, the commander of the enforcement team, told the Times-Union after the sentencing.
The gun was found beneath the mattress of the bed, McCullough said during the sentencing.Wright said Bolden fled before the search but the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him later in Orlando. An investigation by U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents determined Bolden had gotten the pistol from another individual, he said.Before being sentenced, Bolden protested his conviction to Alaimo."I'm wrongly accused. ... I'm not guilty and I'm appealing because it's not right," complained Bolden, who also said he needed treatment for his cocaine addition, not prison.
His attorney, John Gilmore, argued for leniency, telling the judge that Bolden's many children needed him and that his past convictions involved "very small amounts" of drugs.
"He keeps going back to dealing drugs to support his own [drug addiction] needs. He has a large number of children that depend on him, and because he was dealing crack, there is a large racial disparity in sentencing against him," Gilmore said.
In response, McCullough told the judge that Bolden at 30 already has "13 convictions, nine illegitimate children and is a danger to the public."
Three of Bolden's past convictions were for felony drug offenses, court records show.
The judge ordered Bolden, who has been jailed since his arrest, immediately taken to prison to begin serving his sentence.

Read more...

Drug smugglers arrested for the murder of a revenue intelligence officer Tarun Knti Dutta

Gang of drug smugglers with one of them wanted by the Assam police for the murder of a revenue intelligence officer have been arrested by the North 24
Parganas district police and two vehicles used by them seized.The four were arrested from a flat at Baguihati near the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport on Saturday night, said Additional Superintendent of Police North 24 Parganas, Subrata Sen.Ten kg of gangja, 500 grams of heroin and 21 cell phones were seized from them, he said. They were dentified as Pakhi Miyan alias Hazi Samsul Haque, Karim, Gyanendra Das and Ali Ahmed. After interrogating them the police raided a place in Bally in Howrah district and seized two vehicles used for transporting consignments, Sen said.Of the four Pakhi, originally a resident of Bharat 1village in Assam's Nagaon district was wanted by Assam police for his alleged involvement in the murder of a revenue
intelligence officer, Tarun Knti Dutta in 2006. According to police sources, Dutta was murdered because he conducted a series of raids in the Mourajhar area in Assam, where Pakhi operated from.Pakhi also had 21 drug smuggling cases against him. "He is a very big catch so far as drug peddling in concerned and after interrogation we think we might get some leads," Sen said.

Read more...

Yasemin Vatansever and Yatunde Diya are being held in a correctional home for girls in Accra should be released July 17


Two teenage British girls sentenced in January by a Ghana court to one year in prison for smuggling cocaine will serve the full 12 months of their sentence and should be released July 17, a lawyer told AFP today.The sentence included time already served and a British diplomat said at the time of the sentencing the two girls, now aged 17, were likely to be released April 18 as they would qualify for a three-month reduction."The defence lawyer told us that once the girls were sentenced to one year, it would mean nine months as a three-month remission would routinely be allowed provided there was good behaviour," said Sabine Zanker, a lawyer with Fair Trials Abroad, the Britain-based body that provided legal representation for the girls."Until two or three weeks before April 18 it was his understanding they would be released" on that date, she told AFP by telephone from London."But the prison authorities said the reduction would not be applicable to juveniles. The rationale behind this is that the idea of rehabilitation is more important than punishment," Zanker continued.Yasemin Vatansever and Yatunde Diya are being held in a correctional home for girls in Accra.The two were stopped with 300,000 pounds worth of cocaine on July 2 last year, during a joint Ghanaian-British narcotics operation, British officials have said.They had entered the country in late June and been due to board a British Airways flight back to London when they were arrested.

Read more...

Transtar, Neptune Tours, Los Primos, USA-MEX and Ameri-MEX charter services

The indictment identifies five ringleaders who were owners and managers, including three from the area: Abel Trevino Jr., 43, of Houston; Victor Hinojosa, 41, of Houston; and Oscar Jaime Garcia Prado, 42, of Brookshire. Others are Miguel Montemayor, 39, of Roma and Eduardo Trevino, 40, of Linares, Mexico.Those accused as drivers and loaders include: Leticia Enedina Fournier, 58; Guadalupe Karr Cortez, 47; Jesse Trevino, 48; and Alejandro Carmargo-Guerra, 59, all of Houston; Victor Rocha, 39, of Dickinson; and Enrique Alvaro Saldana, 53, of Roma. Another set of defendants is accused of using and paying for drug-transport services: Rafael Armando Ramirez, 32, of Houston; Guadalupe Castaneda, 46, of Roma; Eduardo Cirilo, 43, of Pharr; Eduardo Salinas, 29, of Mission; Jose Armando Muniz, 33, of Weslaco; and Luis Larios, 36, and Robert Salazar Rivera, 48, both of Monterrey.

Read more...

Eighteen people have been charged in the alleged Mexican drug importation ring that used modified commercial buses

Eighteen people have been charged in the alleged Mexican drug importation ring that used modified commercial buses to smuggle cocaine and marijuana to Houston, Dallas and other U.S. cities.A 16-count federal indictment unsealed Wednesday charges the defendants with drug trafficking and money laundering among other felonies that carry penalties up to life in prison.At least 10 defendants, including several from the Houston area, were arrested Wednesday. The list includes owners, managers, drivers and loaders. The indictment alleges that the owners and managers of Transtar, Neptune Tours, Los Primos, USA-MEX and Ameri-MEX charter services transported drugs in exchange for thousands of dollars in kickbacks from cartels. The managers used their share to pay drivers and loaders. The companies have offices and terminals in Houston, San Antonio, Roma, Rio Grande City and across the border in Monterrey, Mexico.Drug dealers paid $500 to get one kilo of cocaine from south of the border to Houston and as much as $7,000 to get the same load all the way to New York.White House Drug Czar John Walters, in Houston Wednesday for a news conference about the investigation, said this case shows officials are "taking meat off the bone" by reducing the flow of drugs into the United States and forcing smugglers to resort to sophisticated schemes to avoid detection."They are paying sums they never paid before because it's more dangerous to bring drugs into the United States because we are creating more risk at the border and inside the United States," Walters said."Our goal is to reinforce what's going well in these individual cases on a wider and wider scale and drive the information that these cases give us back to the top of these criminal organizations. ... "Walters also credited cooperation from the Mexican government.Officials said the operation sent millions to Mexico and linked it to Mexican and South American drug cartels, but declined to offer specifics. U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle said unsuspecting passengers who booked seats on the buses secretly packed with illegal drugs were in potential danger, but traveled unharmed.Authorities were alerted in 2001 about allegations that passenger bus services were fronts for drug smuggling. Officials opened an investigation in 2003. The probe was nicknamed Operation Road King II and continued through last month.During the undercover operation, officials seized 570 kilograms of cocaine, 3,000 pounds of marijuana and thousands in cash, DeGabrielle said.Cocaine and marijuana were found in clandestine nooks in luggage compartments, undercarriages and other places in at least seven vehicles, he said. Contraband is alleged to have been smuggled from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston, Dallas, Allentown, Pa., and Joliet, Ill.Prosecutors pursued criminal charges last year. A Houston grand jury handed down an indictment on March 31. The government also seeks forfeiture of eight Houston homes that were allegedly purchased with the proceeds of the enterprise.All 18 in Houston's indictment are charged in the conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana and face a minimum sentence of 10 years if convicted. Most are also included in the conspiracy to launder drug proceeds, which carries up to 20 years upon conviction. The other 14 counts of the indictment involve aiding and abetting the possession of drugs with intent to distribute, which carries a range of punishments from five years to life imprisonment plus millions of dollars in fines.

Read more...

Juan Antonio Roca return to prison brings a rapid end to his week of freedom on bail during which time he made many claims to the press, including one

Wednesday 23 April 2008


The bail conditions against Juan Antonio Roca, the ex Marbella Municipal real estate assessor in the case known as ‘Saqueo 1’ have been increased today to three million €. The Roca family had already paid the lower level of bail, set at 450,000 € in the case, but today Roca finds himself sent to prison again, with bail now set at 3 million €.This is separate from the 1 million € which it took his family 17 days to raise in the Malaya case.The Saqueo 1 case is also known as the 'false facturas' case and is linked to the alleged diversion of public funds from Marbella Town Hall to private companies between 1991 and 1995 amounting to 27.6 million €. The late Mayor Jesús Gil and six others were charged in the case, where Roca is accused of money laundering, defrauding Hacienda, bribery, the alteration of prices in public auctions and tenders, the misuse of public funds and even a charge against damaging flora and fauna, amongst others.Today the National Court judge, Pablo Ruiz, accepted an appeal presented to him from the legal department of Marbella Town Hall which said they feared that Roca was a flight risk. The Town Hall say that it is ‘curious’ that the Roca family could find such amounts of money as had paid, 1, 450,000 € despite having all his assets supposedly frozen in the Malaya case.Roca’s defence team said they did not understand why their client was seeing his bail conditions revised, considering that Roca’s circumstances had not changed.
His return to prison brings a rapid end to his week of freedom on bail during which time he made many claims to the press, including one of innocence.

Read more...

The Playa de Bakio, with 13 Spanish and 13 African crew on board, was attacked by around 10 pirates armed with grenade launchers


Ambassador Nicolás Martín Cinto was expected to travel to the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday, coinciding with the arrival of a Spanish warship off Somalia's north coast where the fishing boat was boarded.The Playa de Bakio, with 13 Spanish and 13 African crew on board, was attacked by around 10 pirates armed with grenade launchers at around 1pm on Sunday.Crew members who managed to speak to relatives in Spain by telephone yesterday said the pirates appeared to be "well-trained soldiers" who accused the crew of stealing Somalia's fish stocks and who spoke of a "senior commander" who would negotiate their release in exchange for ransom money.At 7am yesterday, one of those onboard said the Playa de Bakio was moored in sight of the Somali coast and that the crew members were being treated well.The Playa de Bakio is the first Spanish fishing boat in eight years to be seized by pirates after the Almacora IV was attacked off Somalia in 2000. The crew were reportedly freed after the boat's owner paid the pirates EUR 400,000.

Read more...

Hacienda tax authorities has announced that they are to investigate 198 Spaniards

Hacienda tax authorities has announced that they are to investigate 198 Spaniards who have bank accounts in Liechtenstein for possible fiscal crimes. A statement from the Agencia Tributaria, said that the deposits correspond to family groups with several different titles and beneficiaries.
The data obtained in the investigation will be sent over to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor.
It comes with the revelation that Spain is working in coordination with Australia, Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, the U.K. and the United States in the Lichtenstein investigation.
Spanish investment there alone is 22.11 million € in the past 15 years, although there are no numbers since 2005 when the country was considered as a financial haven.
Spanish investments offshore are estimated to have reached 95 million € in the first half of last year, some 50% lower than for the same period in 2006.

Read more...

Welsh tourist was left for dead following a bungled bag snatch on the Costa

Ray Griffin, of Dowell Street, fell victim to thieves preying on tourists while staying in a hotel resort in Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol earlier this month.
The incident happened just two weeks after a Welsh tourist was left for dead following a bungled bag snatch.
The female victim was thrown to the ground as a man on a moped tried to snatch her bag, leaving her with a blood clot on the brain.Mr Griffin was on holiday with his wife, Valerie, when thieves made off with a purse, containing 150 Euros, a silver lucky charm and a Nintendo DS with four games."I was sunbathing by the pool and it was quite breezy," Mr Griffin told the Herald."When I got up, I saw our bag had blown to one side. I didn't know it had been moved by thieves."I realised the items were missing when I looked inside."Mr Griffin reported the theft to police and was later able to view CCTV footage, which, he says, clearly showed two local men in their 40s and 20s as the culprits."I saw the hotel manager and had a go at him about security. There is no security whatsoever," he said."It's getting terrible in Spain. Villains are making a living out of ripping off tourists."A few days after the theft, Mr Griffin was astounded to see the same men back in the hotel's grounds."I went over and challenged them, and they threatened to shoot me!" he said. "One of them had a bag and he went to unzip it as he said it."Other holidaymakers joined me in challenging them and they left the site."Mr Griffin believes the men were accessing the hotel grounds via insecure gates. He has taken pictures of the gates - to illustrate how they are being left unlocked or secured with a plastic tie.Mr Griffin travelled to Spain as an independent tourist and not as part of a package deal with a tour operator.

Read more...

“We’re waking up from the property dream and finding ourselves in a situation where prices are falling in Spain for the first time,”

“We’re waking up from the property dream and finding ourselves in a situation where prices are falling in Spain for the first time,” said Fernando Encinar, a founder of Idealista.com, a real estate Web site.In Spain, more than four million homes were built in the last decade, more than in Germany, Britain and France combined. Average house prices tripled in parts of the country, as Spain’s torrid economy attracted immigrants and Northern Europeans snapped up holiday homes along the Costa del Sol.
Now, though, thousands of those houses stand empty. The I.M.F. estimates that property is overvalued by more than 15 percent. With mortgages drying up and prices swooning, speculators who once viewed Spanish property as a no-lose proposition are confronting hard reality.In 2005, Julian Felipe Fernandez bought three small apartments, as an investment, in a huge development being built outside Madrid. He paid 100,000 euros as a deposit for the units, and now he is eager to sell them to avoid having to taking on a costly mortgage. But with the market stalled, Mr. Fernandez’s asking price is what he paid for them.“Three years ago, it looked like I would be able to flip them for a nice profit before they were finished,” he said. “I just want to get them off my hands, to get rid of this headache.”If he unloads them, he will be lucky. Enric Bueno, head of marketing for Ibusa, a real estate company in Barcelona, said his firm was closing six or seven sales a month, compared with 40 a month a year ago.“Things are really bad,” Mr. Bueno said. “If this goes on for five years, we won’t make it.”Economists have been busy cutting their growth forecasts for Spain, with a few saying that it may stagnate this summer. BBVA, a leading Spanish bank, forecasts that unemployment will rise to an average of 11 percent this year, from 8.6 percent in 2007.

Read more...

Juan Antonio Roca is accused of money laundering, defrauding Hacienda, bribery, the alteration of prices in public auctions and tenders

Tuesday 22 April 2008

Juan Antonio Roca, is in the National Court on Wednesday morning in the so-called Saqueo 1 case, in which he is currently released on 450,000 € bail. He has also had to pay 1 million € bail in the separate Malaya case.The hearing on Wednesday at 10am comes under article 5050 of the Criminal Judgement Law which consists of a revision of his bail conditions in the Saqueo case. The appearance comes following a formal appeal made against bail by Marbella Town Hall legal department, in which they ask for a reconsideration of the bail granted.
Both sides will be able to question Roca during the hearing, and then the judge will make a ruling. Already Roca’s defence team has said they do not understand why the hearing has been called as nothing has changed in the Saqueo case and there can be no destruction of evidence. They also claim there is no ‘social alarm’ and no risk of flight.
The Saqueo 1 case is also known as the 'false facturas' case and is linked to the alleged diversion of public funds from Marbella Town Hall to private companies between 1991 and 1995 amounting to 27.6 million €. The late Mayor Jesús Gil and six others were charged in the case, where Roca is accused of money laundering, defrauding Hacienda, bribery, the alteration of prices in public auctions and tenders, the misuse of public funds and even a charge against damaging flora and fauna, amongst others.

Read more...

Viva Estates had 15 offices across southern Spain and was selling 2,000 properties a year.

Monday 21 April 2008

Viva is down to one office and sells 200 homes a year if it is lucky. “It’s as if we’ve been hit by a tsunami,” says McCarthy, who is focusing on Hot Properties, a magazine he has set up to help people sell privately. “The property boom was over by 2004. Chris McCarthy, a Briton living in Marbella, set up Viva Estates, an estate agency aimed at selling property to the hordes of his fellow countrymen keen to buy on the Costa del Sol. At its peak, the company had 15 offices across southern Spain and was selling 2,000 properties a year. Last year, it was oversupplied, overpriced and illegal, then came the Spanish property market collapse, the US sub-prime crisis, Northern Rock, followed by UK house prices falling, rate increases, the mortgage freeze and the stock market collapse. It’s been like wave after wave hitting us.” Spain – and especially the south coast – consistently tops the list of the most popular overseas buying destinations for Britons, with an estimated 65% of the properties sold each year on the Costas going to UK buyers. With the British market in trouble, the Costa del Sol is feeling the draught. While the value of their own houses in Guildford and Birmingham is at a standstill or even falling, people are less willing to invest in a holiday home abroad. Other places popular with Brits, such as Florida and the Caribbean, are also beginning to hurt. Even in the south of France and Italy, markets are taking a knock, thanks to the strength of the euro, which has risen 15% against the pound since September, adding to the cost of buying. Couple this with tighter mortgage conditions for borrowers at home and abroad, and the picture is far from rosy. “There has definitely been a slowdown in the normal sales rates that one might expect,” says James Price, head of international residential development at Knight Frank. “It’s taking longer to get people to commit. There needs to be a compelling reason for them to buy abroad.”
“Super-prime property appears to be relatively unaffected by the tightening of lending conditions,” says Price, although he thinks even the top end of the market in most countries will begin to slow as turmoil in the financial world hits confidence. He warns: “The next 12 months will see a gradual slowing of price growth in the main international buying destinations, especially France, Italy and the Caribbean.” So what is really happening in the six most popular overseas destinations, and what should you do?

Read more...

Jarvis McKenzie, a/k/a "Jay Rock," faces a mandatory minimum of twenty ( 20 ) years imprisonment and a maximum of Life on the charges.

A federal jury convicted Jarvis McKenzie, a/k/a "Jay Rock," age 30, of Columbia, on drug and firearms violations. McKenzie was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of crack and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine; three counts of use of a telephone to further a drug felony; and felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. McKenzie faces a mandatory minimum of twenty ( 20 ) years imprisonment and a maximum of LIFE on the charges.The case arose out of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) led Columbia Violent Gang Task Force into the illegal activities of members of the Gangsta Killer Bloods set of the Bloods street gang. The FBI obtained information from confidential sources, cooperating defendants and federally issued wiretaps.
The investigation identified McKenzie as one of the primary suppliers of cocaine and crack cocaine to the gang members. In January of 2007, federal agents executed nine federal search warrants at various residences, including McKenzie's. Agents seized over $250,000 in cash from McKenzie's residence, as well as two automobiles and two firearms. Over $320,000 in cash was seized overall in the nine searches. McKenzie is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm and ammunition based upon his prior state convictions for voluntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm during a violent crime and possession of crack.
This case was investigated by agents of the FBI's Columbia Violent Gang Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacey D. Haynes and Jane B. Taylor of the Columbia office

Read more...

Johann Dupleiss was found to be carrying cocaine valued at €142,000 internally when he was searched at Dublin Airport

Johann Dupleiss (aged 41) was found to be carrying cocaine valued at €142,000 internally and inside the lining of a briefcase when he was searched at Dublin Airport on his way to England after travelling from Kenya.Dupleiss, of Laurimen Road, Penhill, Stellaback, Capetown, pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs at Dublin Airport on June 5, 2007. He had no previous convictions.Judge Patrick McCartan imposed a sentence of four years imprisonment, backdated to the date of his arrest.Sergeant Martin Halpin told Mr Remy Farrell BL, prosecuting, that 1.84 kilograms of cocaine was found by Customs and Excise officials inside the lining of a briefcase carried by Dupleiss. He volunteered that he had also swallowed 20pellets which were recovered via a "dry toilet" facility.
Sgt Halpin said the total amount of cocaine recovered was 2,038 grams with a street value of €142,000.Dupleiss told gardaí he believed he had swallowed pellets containing gold and that the suitcase contained confidential documents for a man in the United Kingdom which was his ultimate destination.Dupleiss said he had became friends with a man in Nairobi who had asked him to transport the items for a fee of Stg£1,500 (€1,866) and he agreed, as he was under financial pressure due to his girlfriend’s pregnancy and his mother’s illness.Mr Timothy O'Leary SC (with Mr Niall Nolan BL), defending Dupleiss, said his client "simply wished to serve the sentence that the court imposes, survive the sentence, and go back to Africa".
He said his client had cooperated as fully as he could with gardaí and had entered an early guilty plea.Mr O'Leary asked Judge McCartan to note that Dupleiss had been assessed to have a "significant suicide risk" due to depression, complications with a malarial illness and being in custody away from home.

Read more...

Five men and a woman were arrested yielding a considerable amount of cocaine and heroin

Five men and a woman were arrested over the past few days in three operations which yielded a considerable amount of cocaine and heroin, the police said. In the first operation, some 300 grams of heroin were found on Friday hidden in 30 capsules. A 31-year-old man from Kirkop was arrested after a car chase which saw two police cars damaged. The police explained that early on Friday afternoon members of the Drug Squad saw a man who was already known to them acting suspiciously as he drove a Mercedes near the Bulebel traffic lights. The police tried to stop his but he escaped, damaging a police car in the process. The police followed in a high speed chase towards Ghaxaq and they eventually stopped him at Zejtun where he damaged another police vehicle, as well as his own. The second drugs discovery was made on Saturday when a Brazilian was intercepted by customs officers and members of the Police Drug Squad upon arriving on a flight from Rome. The man was found to be carrying 26 capsules with 260 grams of cocaine. The Brazilian was arraigned in court and pleaded not guilty. He has been remanded in custody.
Last night a 24-year-old Nigerian carrying a Spanish ID card was arrested at the airport after he was found carrying more than 800 grams of heroin. The police later arrested two Nigerian men and a woman in connection with this case.

Read more...

Ijaz Rahim pleaded guilty to importing the class A drug from Pakistan.


Ijaz Rahim, 25, studying for a management diploma at Yorkshire College in Manningham Lane, was desperate to raise cash to pay his second year fees, Bradford Crown Court heard.Undercover officers intercepted the package of heroin and substituted the drug for sugar and flour before putting the parcel into his hands.Rahim pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to importing the class A drug from Pakistan.The student, whom the court was told to be of "impeccable character", was sentenced to six years and eight months in jail.The court heard he fell prey in a moment of weakness to accepting delivery of the heroin, with a street value of up to £90,000.Prosecutor Tom Storey said the Serious Organised Crime Agency intercepted the parcel after it arrived in the country on November 23 last year. It was addressed to a property in Hollins Street, Girlington, Bradford.Officers replaced 16 packages of heroin in the parcel with a mixture of sugar and flour.The 4.41 kilograms of heroin seized had a 62 per cent purity.An undercover officer delivered the package and Rahim answered the door and took it, Mr Storey said.Rahim, of Hanover Square, Manningham, was also linked to a property in Northampton Street, Bradford, the court heard.Before the delivery, Rahim received a text message alerting him to details of four parcels, it was alleged.But Mr Storey stressed there was no evidence Rahim received any other drugs consignments.He said another package of heroin was delivered to an address in Thursby Street, Barkerend, Bradford.A test purchase officer took it to the door after that delivery was also intercepted.Mr Storey said the Serious Organised Crime Agency took over the inquiry from West Yorkshire Police."The Crown says it is part and parcel of a wider picture," he told the court.Judge Roger Scott said: "I call it a conspiracy because that is in essence what it is."Nick de Lapoer, Rahim's barrister, said the student was having difficulty paying his fees while on an educational visa.He worked at a Bradford takeaway called Posh Nosh to boost his income but, said Mr de Lapoer, he borrowed cash from a man and "accepts he knew he was to be involved in a conspiracy"."He found himself impecunious and in the financial power of someone else and he was weak," he added.Mr de Lapoer conceded Rahim prevaricated with the police and his probation officer."He is a young man who found himself in a terrible position facing a very lengthy term of imprisonment," he said.Judge Scott said although it may seem a "mundane" way to smuggle drugs into the UK, very many items arrived in packages from Pakistan.The judge said the heroin had a street value of between £60,000 and £90,000."We are awash with cocaine and heroin in West Yorkshire, as they are in other parts of the world, and courts must send a message out that drug crime is not worth it," he said.The judge said Rahim was "at the end of the line" of the chain."In other areas, you would be described as a mug, but even mugs caught importing heroin get sent to custody for a long time," Judge Scott said.

Read more...

Megan Spychalski,Daryl Griffin are charged with first-degree reckless homicide and face up to 40 years in prison.

Megan Spychalski, 20, of West Allis, and Daryl Griffin, 51, of Milwaukee are charged in Grabowski's death.Bryan Grabowski went to sleep on a futon in his girlfriend's bedroom Monday and never woke up.body bore a single but, for police, all too familiar mark: a small puncture wound on his right arm between the bicep and forearm. Spychalski is charged with selling Grabowski the heroin that killed him. Griffin is charged with selling Spychalski the heroin she sold to her friend. Both are charged with first-degree reckless homicide and face up to 40 years in prison.



According to the criminal complaints:Grabowski, 21, lived in Florida and was staying with Spychalski while visiting family and friends in Wisconsin.Spychalski told investigators that she began injecting heroin in November. On Monday, a day after Grabowski arrived in West Allis, he asked her if she would buy some for him.Spychalski called Griffin, picked him up and together they drove to a gas station on Milwaukee's north side. Griffin came out of the gas station with half a gram of heroin for her and half a gram for himself. She paid him $100.Griffin shot up as Spychalski drove him back to the city's south side. After she dropped him off, she drove a few blocks, pulled over and shot up.She told investigators the heroin was stronger than she was used to and she immediately threw up.Spychalski drove home and sold Grabowski what was left of her half gram. She left to get groceries, and when she returned, Grabowski was high. They went for a walk. Grabowski took the hypodermic needle he had used, broke it in half and threw it into someone's yard.
They came home. Grabowski went to sleep.On Thursday, Spychalski, cooperating with police, called Griffin and told him she wanted to buy more heroin.They met in a car at S. 49th St. and W. National Ave. Police recorded their conversation."My guy wants to know if it's the same stuff as last time," Spychalski told Griffin."It's better," he said.

Read more...
Related Posts with Thumbnails

  © Blogger template Nightingale by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP