Archive for the 'Criminal Arrests' Category

You probably know what Twitter is. Just in case, though, here’s a quick explanation: Twitter is an internet networking site that allows users to post thoughts and comments, known as “tweets”, provided those thoughts are less than 140 characters, including spaces.

With such a small space limit, what could Twitter possibly be good for? You can go to Twitter to find witty comments, links to other websites, quick news, and of course, to catch criminals.

You read that correctly. Recently, Twitter led to an arrest on the Boston’s metro system, the MBTA, more commonly known as the “T”.

Nay Kuhn was riding the red line train into Boston last week, when he noticed a man exposing and fondling himself, reports the Boston Herald. He wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t want to call 911, because he didn’t think he would be able to relay what he was seeing. And he didn’t want to confront the man in case he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Instead, he pulled out his cell phone and tweeted the following message: “#mbta pervert on 2nd car of red line going to Braintree just passed Charles help me report him in hat.” He also took a picture of the man, and added it to the tweet. He decided to allow the internet work its magic and trust that someone would report the tweet to the appropriate authorities.

And the crazy thing is that it worked. At first, all he got was a reply from another Twitter user, stating, “call the MBTA Police at (617) 222-1212.” But someone else must have reported the message to the transit system, because detectives met him in person later that week, and wanted posters of the perpetrator were put up in the T.

According to WBZTV, MBTA cops arrested Lawrence Maguire late Friday night in connection with the incident. He was criminally charged with gross and indecent exposure.

MBTA manager Richard Davey reportedly loves the idea of using Twitter to help catch criminals. Davey has announced that a system-wide Transit Police Twitter account is going to be launched soon. He recognizes the value of getting real-time information from passengers.

Many passengers now carry smartphones and other devices that would allow them to help report problems as they happen, making the job of the transit police that much easier.

In recent weeks, the system has used more photos taken on cellphones to make wanted posters, and has been using social media to catch criminals. Davey cautions, though, that social media is no replacement for calling 911.

Should Jerry Hobbs go free? His attorney says yes, as do many other people in the legal community. But who is Jerry Hobbs, and why has he been held without bail since he was charged in 2005?

Jerry Hobbs is a man with a long rap sheet. Some of his crimes include assault, possession of marijuana, and resisting arrest. But Jerry Hobbs is not in jail for those crimes.

Jerry Hobbs is in prison for the alleged murder of two little girls in Zion, Illinois, one his daughter and the other her friend. As the story goes, Mr. Hobbs was angry because his daughter did not come home when she was supposed to, and he killed both of the children. He then dragged them to the woods and laid them side-by-side. During the search the next day, he “found” the girls. He was arrested and charged with two counts of murder in the first degree, according to the original report from CBS News. He even admitted to the crime during a videotaped confession.

There is only one problem: the DNA at the scene does not belong to Hobbs. Moreover, his attorneys insist that the confession was forced out of him during a 20-hour interrogation, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The lack of physical evidence linking Hobbs to the scene of the crime is not a new problem; in fact, it has been known since the beginning of proceedings that the DNA at the scene does not match. Nevertheless, Hobbs remained in prison for a crime he may have committed.

However, the Washington Post reports that on June 25, an individual was taken into custody in Arlington County, Virginia for a number of felony charges. Virginia is one of eighteen states to participate in “arrest sampling.” As soon as an individual is arrested, a DNA sample is taken from him, rather than waiting until after his conviction. In this case, the DNA of Jorge “George” Torrez matched the semen found at the scene of the crime in Zion, Illinois. Torrez lived in Zion until his graduation from high school in 2006, placing him neatly in the vicinity of the crime. Investigators from Lake County, Illinois, have already traveled to Arlington in order to take more DNA samples to verify the match.

Hobbs’ defense attorneys think that the DNA evidence should cast enough shadow on the prosecutor’s case that it will not meet the standard of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt.” href=”http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-girlsdead-hobbs,0,3247031.story”>The Chicago Tribune reports that Circuit Court judge Fred Foreman has set a July 21 hearing date for arguments on the evidentiary matter, but prosecutors insist they need more time to investigate. Hobbs will still not be released on bail, however, according to Chicago Breaking News. The judge feels that there should be no premature speculation in this case.

So the question remains: Will Jerry Hobbs be freed? Or will he be convicted of a crime he may not have committed?

Stories of false pregnancies and kidnapped babies seem to pop up in soap operas or primetime dramas, but one small Midwest town is making headlines after two new parents were stabbed as a woman allegedly tried to snatch their one-month old baby.

Stephanie Foster, 34, of Terre Haute, Indiana, is facing five felony charges after allegedly stabbing Ashley and Michael Speer as part of a complicated ruse to hide a miscarriage from her husband.

Vigo County Sheriff Jon Marvel said Foster hid her miscarriage from her husband, who was “elated” about the pregnancy, by gradually stuffing her shirt with pillows, and using a paintbrush hidden inside her clothing to make it seem like the “baby” was moving, according to the Boston Herald.

She also attended baby showers that were held in her honor, and forged birth certificates while taking classes at Ivy Tech Community College.

As her delivery date approached, she began checking the birth announcements in the local newspaper, which is how she found the Speers and their month-old baby boy. Ms. Foster allegedly entered the home with no intention of hurting the couple, and she simply asked to use the phone. Mrs. Speer let her in. Her husband, who works nights, was sleeping inside the home. Ms. Foster dialed a random number, hung up and went back to her car. She then returned with a BB gun and a knife, according to police reports.

Ms. Foster began stabbing Mrs. Speer, and when Mr. Speer heard her yells, he woke up and entered the living room to find an apparently pregnant woman stabbing his wife. Ms. Foster then turned to attack him until he subdued her. The police arrived soon after to arrest her.

Both the Speers were treated for stab wounds. Mr. Speer was released immediately; Mrs. Speer was in critical condition but has since been released. As for the baby, he slept through it all.

Ms. Foster has since been charged with no less than five felonies: attempted murder, attempted armed robbery, attempted criminal confinement, and two counts of aggravated battery, according to CBS News. If convicted of all five crimes, she could face up to 160 years in jail.

The Terre Haute Tribune-Star reported that Ms. Foster appeared from jail via video link and seemed confused, though she expressed concern for Mrs. Speer’s health.

She has been appointed a public defender, and it is not yet clear whether she will enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. No cameras were allowed in the courtroom while Ms. Foster was being charged, though the hearing had members of state, local, and national news media listening in and taking notes.

California-area prosecuting attorneys are defending the forced entry to the home of an online writer, as well as the seizure of his computers, as part of a criminal investigation surrounding a lost prototype for a new iPhone.

San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said on April 27 that consideration had been made on whether reporter-shield laws should prevent the search and seizure of Gizmodo editor Jason Chen’s property. But after reviewing the laws that protect journalists from having to turn over notes to law enforcement and other legal reaching into their work, they went through with the seizure, according to CNN.

Chen came into possession of what was discovered to be a new iPhone after it was found in a bar in Redwood City, Calif. An unknown person who found the phone then sold it to Gizmodo staff for $5,000. Apple then sent a letter to Gizmodo asking them to return the phone, which Gizmodo promptly did.

Yet Apple still reported a theft, which led to the search, Wagstaffe said. Officers who searched Chen’s home were from the Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team (REACT), a law enforcement group based in the tech-focused Silicon Valley area of California, according to CBS News.

The search and seizure has sparked debate on whether the journalist shield laws should be applicable to this case, which would make the search illegal. However, other discussions have also begun as to whether Gizmodo’s purchase of the lost phone constitutes a purchase of stolen goods, which might mean criminal charges against the website.

Gawker Media, who owns Gizmodo, immediately fired back with accusations that the search did violate the shield laws and was a crime itself. Gaby Darbyshire, CEO of Gawker Media, wrote a letter to police that said Chen had shown officers a letter that said under state and federal law he should be protected from such a search and seizure, according to Yahoo News.

Wagstaffe said that if police delayed in performing the search, evidence might have been lost. He said that no charges have been filed yet, but the warrant used for the search did say that seized evidence may involve a felony.

“I think the people who are saying, ‘No, we should have waited’ and did it the other way first don’t understand that in the world when you’re investigating crimes, evidence sometimes gets deleted and destroyed,” Wagstaffe said. “If you sit there and work by the Marquess of Queensberry rules, then bad guys win.”

Items seized were three Apple laptops, a Seagate 500 GB external hard drive, USB flash drives, and an HP MediaSmart server.

A Santa Monica restaurant allegedly decided to serve meat from an endangered whale to their patrons

Criminal charges were filed this week against The Hump restaurant and one of its chefs for allegedly selling meat to customers that came from an endangered whale. The restaurant immediately released a statement through their attorney Gary Lincenberg admitting to wrongdoing and that they are willing to cooperate with court system, according to the L.A. Times.

Lincenberg said the Hump took “responsibility for the wrongdoing charged by the U.S. attorney.” The misdemeanor charge of illegal sale of a marine mammal product could be punished by up to a year in prison, as well as a $100,000 fine against an individual and a $200,000 fine against an organization, The L.A. Times reported

The restaurant was exposed through an unlikely team effort between a documentary producer, two vegans and federal agents.

Charles Hambleton, associated producer of the Oscar-winning documentary about water body abuses in Japan called “The Cove” (watch the trailer below), was tipped off about The Hump’s nefarious menu option. Crews that worked on the film helped to outfit two vegan women with a hidden camera before going into The Hump for a meal.

Once inside, the women ordered a $600 Chef’s Special called the omakase, and asked the server if they could sample whale meat. Eight pieces of what were described as whale by the server were then brought out to the two women, the Times reported.

The two women then took samples of the whale meat that were later verified through testing by Scott Baker, associate director of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University. Baker’s tests found that the whale meat came from a Sei whale, an internationally protected species of whale identified as endangered.

Sei whales, the third largest in the world behind humpbacks and blue whales, are protected in the U.S. under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The law makes the sale of any whale meat illegal throughout the U.S.

“Someone should not be able to walk into a restaurant and order a plate of an endangered species,” U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. wrote in a news release.

The Typhoon Restaurant Inc., owners of The Hump, and Chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto were named in the official criminal complaint filed in the Los Angeles area U.S. District Court.

Typhoon is currently renegotiating their lease with the city of Santa Monica, an aspect of the case councilmen said they would be taking into consideration while they debate on how to punish the company.

Utah State Senator Sheldon Killpack recently resigned from the state legislature after he was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence, according to the Washington Post.

Although this was his first time accused, it was not his first experience with drunken driving. Killpack’s father was killed by a drunken driver when he was a teenager. Since then he became a strong advocate against driving under the influence.

The Washington Post reported that Killpack, the former Republican Utah state Senate majority leader, devoted his six years in office to efforts against drunken driving. He hoped to stop intoxicated drivers from cruising on the roads.

As a member of the Mormon Church, Killpack was encouraged to abstain from alcohol. Under the circumstance, Killpack thought it would be best to resign.

He made the decision to resign saying, I have a tremendous amount of respect for the legislative process. In light of that, I have decided to tender my resignation as majority leader and as a Utah state senator, effective immediately.

Senate President Michael Waddups said he did not advise Killpack to resign. He said that is was a personal matter in which he would need to figure out for himself.

Waddups also added that it might be difficult for Killpack to face his conservative constituents in light of the situation.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the evening Killpack was pulled over, he attended a boxing fundraiser for Representative Greg Hughes. No alcohol was served at the event.

The Utah Highway Patrol spotted Killpack’s vehicle driving erratically on the road several hours later.

The state trooper said he smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from the senator. He then ordered Killpack to take field tests. Killpack obliged, but refused to give a breathalyzer test.

Killpack was arrested and taken to the Salt Lake County jail at around 2:45 a.m. and was released two hours later.

The UHP was able to get a warrant for a blood test to determine the senators blood alcohol content. It could take up to two weeks to a month before the test results are in and criminal charges are issued. No court date has been set at this time.

A young Nigerian man was taken into custody for an alleged attempt to blow up an airplane on Christmas Day.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab boarded a plane flying into Detroit, Mich. carrying an explosive device.

According to a CNN article, he was arrested and now faces criminal charges of attempting to destroy the plane and placing a destructive device on the aircraft.

Abdulmutallab had a multi-entry visa into the United States. But the 23-year-old was added to a watch list of 550,000 potential terrorists.

Abdulmutallab’s father - Umar Abdulmutallab – stated he contacted the National Counter-Terrorism Center providing information about his son and shared his concerns of what his son was capable of.

Abdulmatallum’s family further stated that he was studying abroad in London when he disappeared and no longer communicated with them.

His father claimed Abdulmutallab’s new attitude was something the family had never seen before. He further claimed that Farouk was becoming “radicalized” and he felt that his son was planning something.

He also contacted the U.S Embassy in Nigeria to alert them of his son.

A U.S. official stated that the embassy flagged his visa so when he tried to renew it in six months they could investigate his visa renewal.

But he was never stopped or questioned before he boarded the plane.

When Abdulmatallum boarded the flight leaving Nigeria; he went through “regular screening.” He walked through a metal detector and his bag went through an x-ray machine.

He flew into Amsterdam and went through a second screening.

Next Abdulmatallum boarded Northwest Airlines Flight 253 to Detroit. There were 290 passengers on board. He injected chemicals into the explosive device that authorities say he had hidden in his underwear.

The bomb device contained an explosive chemical called pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). He had enough of the explosive to blow a huge hole in the side of the plane.

According to a CNN article - passengers heard a popping noise on the plane and then saw his seat go up in flames.
The passengers were able to put out the fire and tackle him before any further issues could arise.

Abdulmutallab was taken to a nearby hospital to treat his injury burns and was released into the custody of a U.S. Marshall - as of now he has been taken to an undisclosed location.

The bomb is said to be from Yemen and according an LA Times article, the Yemen sector of Al Qaeda has claimed to be behind the bomb attempt.

In Covington, La., a dad gagged and tied up his daughter in the passenger seat of his pickup truck and drove down the highway.

Obviously he got caught - which is apparently what the pair was going for, alleging that the whole thing was a stunt - merely a practical joke, according to an Associated Press report.

Tim Williams, 45, bound and gagged his 12-year-old daughter with duct tape and drove down a Louisiana interstate, where other drivers were stunned by the sight and surrounded Williams’ car until a state trooper arrived.

Both Williams and his daughter were arrested, Williams on charges of criminal mischief and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and his daughter was cited for criminal delinquency.

The girl was later released to her uncle, and Williams was released on bond.

The sheriff’s department reportedly did not know whether Williams has a defense lawyer to help with his case.

According to a CNN article, Tony Alamo - found and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries - was recently sentenced to 175 years in prison.

The 75-year-old minister was accused of allegedly sexually abusing underage girls and bringing them over state lines to engage in sexual activity. He violated the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting young children across state lines for illegal purposes such as sexual activity.

Alamo was arrested in Flagstaff, Ariz. in Sept. 2008. Police intercepted the minister with his wife at the Little American Hotel. During his arrest, over 100 federal and state agents searched his compound in Texarkana, Ark.

During the search, Arkansas police found six young girls in the compound and removed them from the premises. All the girls alleged that Alamo had sexually abused them.

Alamo claimed the accusations were a hoax. He claimed the young girls who made the accusations were “just trying to make {the] church look evil by saying I’m a pornographer. Saying that [he] rape[d] little children.”

Alamo was convicted on 10 federal counts for crimes dating back to 1994. He was charged for offenses that spanned over an 11 year time frame.

In addition to prison time, Alamo was fined $250,000 for all his criminal charges.

The U.S. attorney for Western District of Arkansas stated, “Given the number of victims and the difficult type of testimony they had to provide in order to get to trial, it’s gratifying for them to see him get this sentence.”

Alamo’s defense lawyer has filed an appeal.

Alamo awaits a second court hearing in January, when Judge Harry F. Barnes will make the decision if the victims will receive restitution. He will remain in Texarkana until the court date and then he will be transported to federal prison.

According to a New York Times article, Judge Barnes stated, “Alamo abused his powers as a fatherly figure.”

Alamo first started preaching in California where he started a commune. Once he established ministries in Arkansas, he became a controversial preacher.

Alamo’s ministry was described as a cult by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups. They claimed Alamo preached that females were fit for marriage when they became sexually mature.

This is not the first time Alamo has been charged with a federal crime. He was also convicted on charges of tax evasion back in 1994. The IRS claimed he owed $7.9 million, and he spent four years in prison.

According to the Akron Beacon Journal, an Ohio man arrested for allegedly robbing a bank actually consumed the evidence while officers were cuffing him.

A “DashCam” video shows the man munching on a piece of paper while the officers are searching his pockets and handcuffing him on the hood of their police cruiser.

John H. Ford, 35, allegedly handed a note to a bank teller in Streetsboro, Ohio that demanded she hand over some cash.

Ford was pulled over and arrested in Twinsburg, Ohio, where officers searched his pockets and threw their findings on the hood of the car. Later, the note was nowhere to be found, and officers reviewed the footage from the “DashCam.”

In the video, officers said they saw Ford lean over to eat something off the hood of the police car. “He grabbed it in his mouth, just like Pacman,” said Twinsburg patrolman Daniel Biada.

Authorities said a .38-caliber pistol was found in Ford’s vehicle. Ford is also a suspect for bank robberies that took place in Stow and Akron, Ohio.