Popular blogging sites and social networks such as Facebook may now be portals for threats, according to a CNN article.

One man allegedly used social networking sites to threaten witnesses to keep silent after the recent murder of a young football player – Jasper Howard – at the University of Connecticut.

Christopher Mutchler - also a student at the university - wrote blogs online and allegedly made threats in attempt to keep witnesses from coming forward with any information about the murder.

On one site he allegedly posted, “”STOP the snitching and post the names of anyone you know who gave information to the cops.”

Howard and another football player – Brian Parker - were allegedly murdered by a small group of young men after a student dance at the campus. They were involved in an altercation with the men, and both student athletes were stabbed during the incident.

Parker suffered minor injuries during the fight. Howard was stabbed in the abdomen and taken to the hospital in Hartford. He later died as a result of the stab wounds.

Mutchler allegedly posted two threats online, one on the ESPNU sports network blog that posted the story of Howard’s murder. The second posting appeared on Facebook; a social group was started for the football player labeled “RIP Jasper Howard” and over 13,000 people joined to show support for family and friends.

CNN reported that Mutchler was charged with five counts including hindering prosecution, acts of terrorism and a few other misdemeanors. He has been released on a $15,000 bond.

The police stated Mutchler allegedly wrote, “Two separate internet postings that were threatening in nature and appeared to be directed at witnesses that either had or would provide information in conjunction with the investigation.”

The police stated that even though they had reason to believe that the postings were meant stop witnesses from coming forward, they now believe the postings are “empty threats.” Police continue to encourage anyone with information about the murder to come forward, CNN reports.

The men involved in the fight have been identified as 21-year- old John Lomax, 20-year-old Hakim Muhammad, and 21-year-old Jamal Todd. All young men are facing some serious criminal charges.

Lomax has been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit assault; Muhammad faces conspiracy to commit assault; and Todd faces charges of falsely reporting an incident and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment. Todd pulled the fire alarm, causing the entire student body to leave the dance.

Police have not linked Mutchler with the other men involved at this point. The university is looking into the situation to determine if he violated any codes of conduct, and will then decide on the best action to take.

Rapper Lil Wayne – real name Dwayne Carter – recently pleaded guilty to attempted gun possession in front of Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge of criminal possession of a weapon because he claims the gun was not his.

The Associated Press reported that Lil Wayne received one year in prison for his conviction. If he would have been convicted of criminal possession he would have faced three-and–a-half years in prison, which is the mandatory sentence in the state of New York.

Lil Wayne was arrested back in July 2008 for possession of a .40 caliber pistol. Police pulled over the rapper’s bus after it left the Manhattan concert venue, The Beacon Theater.

Police claimed they smelled marijuana smoke coming from the bus when it was parked in the lot of the venue. The officers made everyone exit the bus, and then they found Lil Wayne in the back.

Police stated that as they approached the rapper, he discarded a Louis Vuitton bag containing the gun. Lil Wayne is not licensed in the state of New York to carry a gun.

Lil Wayne’s defense attorney, Stacey Richman, claimed the gun did not belong to her client but to one of his associates who was willing to take full responsibility and ownership of the gun.

Richman continued to state the prosecutors allegedly used faulty forensics to investigate the case. There was a very tiny sample of cells taken from the trigger that match Lil Wayne’s genetic profile.

During the court proceedings both sides argued to determine if this small sample was evidence enough to link the gun to him.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office states the small amount of DNA cells linked the gun to Lil Wayne, and they believe this method of DNA testing is accurate, but the defense disputes the accuracy.

Lil Wayne is also facing trial in Arizona on felony drug possession and a weapons charge. He was stopped and arrested at a border patrol checkpoint in2008. He pleaded not guilty to these charges brought against him.

His slew of legal troubles may or may not have any effect on his music career besides the obvious that he will be unable to tour for the year he is in prison. At this point he is still a popular artist.

His court date for his New York arrest is December 15 of this year - the same day his new album “Rebirth” is scheduled to be released.

In Birmingham, Ala., Mayor Larry Langford was recently accused of allegedly taking bribes from investment bankers in exchange for money to excel their businesses, according to a USA Today article.

The accusations are pointed toward Langford’s time spent as President of Jefferson County Commission from 2002 to 2006. He later ran for mayor in 2007 and – with his background as a television news reporter – won by a landslide.

During his four year period as the President, Langford allegedly supplied $7.1 million in swap bonds with Blount Parrish and Co. in exchange for bribes which consisted of cash, clothes and jewelry.

The “deals” created a financial crisis for the state of Alabama, in addition to the economic credit downfall.
He has been charged with multiple counts of bribery, conspiracy, fraud, money laundering and tax evasions. If Langford gets convicted on any one of these felony charges alone, he could face not only jail time, but removal from office.

Investment banker Bill Blount pleaded guilty to paying bribes to the Mayor along with Lobbyist Al LaPierre who claimed to play the middle-man role in the bribes, sometimes exchanging money between the two other men.

According to a CNN article, U.S. Attorney Alice Martin said the three men conspired to solicit and to accept bribes; and to use influence and position to ensure that Blount and his company, Blount Parrish Inc., was involved in Jefferson County’s bonds and swap transactions related to multibillion-dollar sewer debt.

In his plea agreement, Blount will serve as a witness for the prosecution. He admitted to bribing Mayor Langford to commit to the deals that made his company millions richer.

Langford claims the so called “bribes” were really an exchange of gifts between friends and that the charges brought against him was by a Republican prosecutor to target against Alabama Democrats for political reasons.

Jim Spearman who is the executive director of the Alabama Democratic Party said that Republican prosecutors do appear to target Democrats, but he also stated that Langford has not been associated with the Democratic Party for many years.

His trial will be held 55 miles outside Birmingham in Tuscaloosa, Ala., because of all the publicity already surrounding the case. This is to ensure that there will be no biases or effect on the trial itself.

All three men could face fines and prison time. They could face a maximum of 10 years for each count of bribery and money laundering; 20 years for fraud; five years for conspiracy; and three years for each tax count.

Langford himself has 60 counts charged against him.

Richard Heene, the father of the boy who was allegedly trapped inside the helium balloon that was in flight for two hours before crash-landing 40 miles from home, is now under investigation for fabricating the entire event, according to a Wall Street Journal article.

The balloon stunt was allegedly planned to help the family land a reality television show - the family has already appeared on the TV series Wife Swap.

Colorado officials are planning to press criminal charges against the boy’s parents. Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden confirmed that after investigation, the balloon situation is believed to be a hoax - though the family has denied it.

Among the potential charges the Heenes have coming their way are two felony charges - attempt to influence a public servant and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The parents could face up to six years in jail and over $500,000 in fines, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In an interview with Larry King, Falcon Heene - the “balloon boy” - said his parents told him to hide. The boy was also recorded saying, “You guys said that, um, we did this for the show.”

Jaycee Dugard, the 11-year-old girl who was kidnapped from a bus stop near her home in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. in 1991, is starting to speak out about her 18 years of captivity.

According to a CNN report, the now-29-year-old mother of two says she is glad to be back with her family.

Dugard was kept in a backyard compound at the home of Phillip Garrido and his wife in Antioch, Calif. Garrido is allegedly the father of Dugard’s two daughters, who are now 11 and 15.

The transition from living in captivity to leading a normal life has been a tough one for Dugard and her daughters, according to CNN - but Dugard’s step-grandmother says the family is living a, “surprisingly normal life, considering the circumstances.”

Criminal charges against the Garridos include 29 felony counts connected to the kidnapping and rape of Dugard. She will testify against her captors - and will have to relive the kidnapping and 18 years of her captive life when she shares her story in court, CNN reported.

When a private jet was stolen from Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho just across the border from Canada last week, United States’ law enforcement had a new lead on a few other burglaries that have recently taken place in the region.

According to a CNN report, a teenager known as the “Barefoot Burglar” is the prime suspect for a series of crimes that have happened in the state of Washington in the past few years.

Colton Harris-Moore was first arrested at age 12 for a burglary, and had been arrested nine times before he was 15 years old. In light of recent events, police in five Washington counties are looking for him.

After he dropped out of high school, police suspect he was preying on Camano Island, a vacation community off the Washington coast, where he burglarized homes wearing no shoes - hence the nickname “Barefoot Burglar.”

In 2007, Harris-Moore was caught and plead guilty to three burglary charges. He was represented by a criminal defense lawyer.

He allegedly left a juvenile halfway house less than one year later - and police on Camano Island started to hear of burglaries that fit the style of the Barefoot Burglar.

The criminal dropped off the radar for a while, until last November when a private airplane was stolen from the San Juan Islands. Harris-Moore again became a suspect, and authorities thought he might be island-hopping and committing these crimes, according to CNN.

After the most recent plane theft in Idaho last week, the plane was found crashed in a clearing in Granite Falls, Wash. Additional reports of petty theft have come to the police - just things like food, blankets and clothing.

As of now, Harris-Moore is considered a fugitive, and has not been taken into custody.

Police in Albertville, Ala. received a call over the weekend about a minivan driving down a state highway with a kid riding on the roof.

According to an Associated Press article, the 37-year-old mother driving the minivan was arrested for allowing her 13-year-old daughter to ride inside a cardboard box that was secured to the top of the minivan with a coat hanger.

The woman told police that the box wouldn’t fit inside the vehicle, so her daughter was inside it holding it down.

No one was harmed, and the girl was turned over to a relative when her mother was arrested. The woman was allegedly out on bond as of yesterday.

There is no indication that criminal charges have officially been made in this case.

When nude videos of ESPN sports journalist Erin Andrews appeared, concern arose wondering how the video was captured.

According to a Los Angeles Times report, Michael David Barrett, 47, was charged with interstate stalking - following Andrews to hotels in different cities. While that charge may have been deserved, Andrews’ lawyer doesn’t think Barrett is solely to blame for his ability to find the journalist.

How did he know where Andrews was staying? How was he able to book a room right next to her? The Los Angeles Times reported that at a Marriott in Tennessee, the hotel staff honored Barrett’s request to room next to Andrews - begging the question: Just how private and secure are hotel guests, celebrity or not?

The peephole on Andrews’ hotel door had been damaged so a cell phone video camera was able to capture footage inside the room.

Of seven Internet videos posted of Andrews, six of them seem to have been taken at the Marriott in Tennessee. The same person who posted those videos also posted nude videos of other women in hotel rooms, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Barrett is scheduled for a hearing today that will determine if he is to be escorted in federal custody to California to officially face criminal charges for this case.

Tom DeLay, former U.S. House of Representatives majority leader, is a current competitor on the hit television series “Dancing with the Stars,” and according to an Associated Press report, DeLay is also dealing with criminal charges of money laundering and conspiracy.

The charges were originally brought against DeLay four years ago, based on state legislative elections from 2002 - and the case is now waiting to be determined by appeals courts in Texas. The case may never even go to trial, the Associated Press reported.

While the pending charges are somewhat of a nuisance for the former politician, he’s nothing but smiles when it comes to “Dancing with the Stars.”

According to the Associated Press, DeLay has a great time on stage, and even takes time to give extra attention to the judges.

Prosecutors in DeLay’s criminal case have allegedly not paid much attention to the TV show, and have said they don’t see that it would affect the case in any way.

The well-known movie director, Roman Polanski, was recently arrested in Zurich, Switzerland by Swiss authorities because of a sex crime he committed in the United States in 1977.

In 1978, Polanski fled the U.S. to avoid sentencing for the charges against him - he allegedly had sex with a 13-year-old girl.

According to a New York Times report, supporters of the director are asking the question, “Why now?” After all, this crime was committed in a different country more than 30 years ago.

The Los Angeles district attorney’s office says the arrest was simply a matter of opportunity - Polanski was in a place at a time when the authorities “knew he would be available.”

Many people wonder why the arrest wasn’t made in the past, because authorities have apparently had the opportunity before, the New York Times reported.

Polanski has openly traveled around the world in the last 30 years - but has avoided visits to countries like Britain where extradition might be easier for Los Angeles authorities to achieve.

According to the New York Times, the victim of Polanski’s crime has publicly forgiven him.

Polanski, now 76, has appealed to Swiss authorities for his release, and a decision should be reached in the coming weeks. His defense lawyers have not made any official decisions regarding the case.

Many members of the film-directing world are very upset by the decision of American and Swiss authorities to arrest the Oscar-winning director.