Just in case a kid can’t cope with having a parent in prison, Sesame Street designers have created a kit to help children get through the emotional issues involved with having an incarcerated parent. Apparently, a couple of million kids have at least one parent in prison, and now children between the ages of 3-8 [...]
Sesame Street Kit for Kids With a Parent in Prison
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"Do You Have A Right to Remain Silent? Thoughts on the “Sleeper” Criminal Procedure Case of the Term, Salinas v. Texas"
This interesting post is by Orin Kerr at The Volokh Conspiracy. In part: [I]t’s unclear to me what is supposed to happen when a suspect outside of custody clearly asserts his Fifth Amendment privilege. Recall that under the pre-1965 caselaw,...
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Former School Superintendent Charged with Mortgage Fraud
James F. Habel, 56, Dunedin, Florida, previously of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, a former school district superintendent is named in a pair of indictments by a Monmouth County, New Jersey, grand jury charging him with various schemes, including mortgage fraud totaling more than $1 million. The defendant’s other schemes were aimed at fleecing the [...]
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Guilty Plea in $600 Million Prepaid-Funeral Ponzi Scheme
A St. Louis woman has pled guilty to her role in a massive Ponzi scheme that billed itself as a nationwide leader in the sale of prearranged funerals. Sharon Nekol Province, 69, of Baldwin, Missouri, entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors in advance of a pending August trial date, pleading guilty to six federal charges, including wire fraud, mail fraud, and misappropriation of human premiums. Province is scheduled to be sentenced on November 7, 2013, before United States District Judge Jean Hamilton, and prosecutors have agreed to recommend a maximum sentence of three years in prison, with the possibility that Province could avoid prison time through a sentence of probation.
According to authorities, National Prearranged Services ("NPS") was created in 1979 and based in Clayton, Missouri. Beginning in 1992, and through the use of its two subsidiaries, Lincoln Memorial Life Insurance ("LMIS") and Memorial Service Life Insurance ("MSLI"), it employed an aggressive sales strategy extolling the idea of pre-paying for funeral costs and playing on fears that family members could be footed with the bill. Potential investors were told that the 'funeral contract' was essentially was an insurance policy ensuring that most, if not all, funeral costs would be taken care of upon an investor's death. After agreeing on the amount of the policy, which often ranged from $5,000 to $10,000, investors were given the option to pay the entire policy in full or through periodic installments. To ensure the safety of investor funds, NPS represented that it would deposit the majority of funds with a third-party trustee, often a financial institution, that would hold the funds until they were needed for funeral services. From 1992 to 2008, about 150,000 people purchased prearranged funeral policies through NPS.
However, many of these representations were untrue. For example, the majority of investor funds were not deposited with neutral third-parties as promised, but instead were retained by NPS. Additionally, NPS borrowed large amounts of the cash surrender value of the insurance policies taken out by investors, which in turn reduced the amount of death benefits that would be available to policy holders. Funds were also used from new purchasers to pay policy premiums on the lives of previous purchasers, as well as for reimbursal of funeral services for earlier purchasers.
In 2008, authorities unsealed a 50-count indictment against six individuals that served as officers, directors, or advisers of NPS, including Province and several members of the Cassity family. Province, who started as an administrative secretary, had risen to serve as secretary of NPS and vice-president of LMIS. Her attorneys portrayed her as much less culpable than her co-defendants, who enjoyed immense wealth from their role in the scheme. For example, James Cassidy, who had previously served time for conspiracy and tax fraud violations, purchased several expensive homes - including a Nantucket home he sold to Google co-founder Eric Schmidt for $16 million in 2005. Cassidy, who is described by some as the "Bernard Madoff of Missouri," has maintained his innocence.
A trial is scheduled for early August for the remaining defendants.
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Drinking And Biking In Minnesota
A recent newspaper article discussed an increasing tendency among young, urban Minnesotans to use bicycles as a preferred mode of transport. This article also helped spark a lot of lively debate on the Minneapolis Star Tribune blog on the subject. A survey commissioned by state transportation officials found that four percent of Minneapolis commuters now [...]
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Drinking And Biking In Minnesota
A recent newspaper article discussed an increasing tendency among young, urban Minnesotans to use bicycles as a preferred mode of transport. This article also helped spark a lot of lively debate on the Minneapolis Star Tribune blog on the subject. A survey commissioned by state transportation officials found that four percent of Minneapolis commuters now [...]
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Like Sex-Offender Registry, Dangerous Chemicals Website Would Pinpoint Plants
6-18-2013 Texas:
Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, who is the chairman of the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee, has asked that the State Marshall’s Office and Department of Public...
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Mortgage Broker Sentenced for Preparing False Loan Applications
Derrick Ivan Lance, 41, Edina, Minnesota, a mortgage broker, was sentenced for his role in a $20 million mortgage fraud scheme that involved 57 properties. The defendant was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Joan N. Ericksen to 46 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to commit [...]
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Inmate allegedly extorted sex offenders to run drug trafficking ring
6-18-2013 Washington:
CENTRALIA, Wash. -- An inmate is now facing new charges after he was busted allegedly running an organized drug trafficking ring from inside prison.
According to the...
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Motion to dismiss charges for DWI is denied.
The defendant is charged with violating five sections of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. Two of the violations—of section 1192 (2) and (3), driving while intoxicated (per se) and driving while intoxicated (common law), respectively—are unclassified misdemeanors,...
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Incarceration is deemed foolish in this case.
In this drug crime, the People contend that the defendant, a 17-year old with no prior criminal record, assisted a co-defendant in the sale of 7/8ths of an ounce of cocaine to an undercover police purchaser. Defendant was then a...
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"Efforts to Fix a Broken System: Brown v. Plata and the Prison Overcrowding Epidemic"
The title of this post is the title of this Note available via SSRN and authored by Lauren Salins and Shepard Simpson. Here is the abstract: Excessive incarceration is a national problem. Across the country, prisons face dangerous levels of...
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Crime scene is important in this and other cases
The Drug Enforcement Task Force initiated an investigation into an organization in Brooklyn that was purportedly selling a brand name of heroin called "Raw". As a result of that investigation, the defendant was convicted, after trial, of selling narcotics to...
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Crash involving commercial vehicle near Lemhi
IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE - generated by our News Release ListServer
DO NOT REPLY
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Idaho State Police
District 6 1540 Foote Dr.
Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402-1828
(208) 525-7377 FAX: (208) 525-7294
For Immediate Release: 6/18/13 8:15 p.m.
Please direct questions to the District Office
The Idaho State Police and Lemhi County Sheriff's Office are investigating a fatality crash involving a commercial vehicle hauling fertilizer. The crash occurred on State Highway 28 near milepost 105, three miles southeast of Lemhi. Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area until the crash has been cleared. More information will be provided when it is available.
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Drugs from overseas are found in apartment
In this drug offense case, defendant was found in his apartment with 6¼ grams of heroin about twenty to thirty minutes after a package containing 13 grams of heroin was delivered by mail to his apartment. Customs and postal inspectors...
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Santa Clarita Valley Sheriffs Plan Undisclosed DUI Checkpoint for June 20
The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station recently announced that they will be conducting a DUI (driving under the influence) checkpoint on June 20 from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. As reported by Hometownstation.com, the checkpoint will be at an undisclosed location in Santa Clarita County.
According to Sheriff's Office officials, the checkpoint is being run by the Office of Transit Safety and is being funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Officers at the checkpoint will be searching for signs of drivers operating their vehicles while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Beyond arrests, representatives from the department have stated they hope the checkpoint will be a deterrent to drunk driving.
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The Department of Justice Honors LGBT Pride Month
“Despite all that we’ve achieved in recent years, the road ahead – toward equality, opportunity, and justice for every American, regardless of identity or orientation – still stretches beyond the horizon. Although we can be encouraged by the work that’s underway . . . the fact remains that, across the country, far too many LGBT [...]
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FBI's internal investigation of officer shootings questioned
From The New York Times: But if such internal investigations are time-tested, their outcomes are also predictable: from 1993 to early 2011, F.B.I. agents fatally shot about 70 “subjects” and wounded about 80 others — and every one of those...
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Jacksonville Drug Crimes Defense Lawyer :: 32 Arrested in St. Johns County Meth Lab Investigation
Last week, investigators with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office arrested 32 of 43 suspects over the course of two days on charges of conspiracy to produce methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine after conducting an 18-month investigation into St. Johns County meth labs.
Police claim to have search warrants for 11 more people and believe there could be as many as 200 people involved in manufacturing and dealing meth.
For the last year and a half, detectives, as well as agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Florida Department of Law Enforcement, have been actively monitoring the activity of suspects believed to play a role in distributing and producing methamphetamine in what they called "Operation Ancient Brewers."
Detectives said that they remain determined to deter any and all criminal activity associated with the drug, especially since methamphetamine labs have become increasingly common in the community.
According to reports, investigators were able to identify suspects that allegedly purchased large quantities of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the production of methamphetamine, by reviewing pharmaceutical logs.
The two day sweep to locate and arrest suspects accused of manufacturing or distributing meth involved representatives from the Clay County Sheriff's Office, Flagler County Sheriff's Office, St. Augustine Police Department, St. Augustine Beach Police Department and St. Johns County Fire Rescue.
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The above agencies assisted in identifying three potential meth labs at three separate locations in St. Johns County - the 5000 block of Avenue B, the 1400 block of San Juline Circle and the 2500 block of State Road A1A South.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, the meth epidemic is growing worse by the day in St. John's County, extending across all races, ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Police described "Operation Ancient Brewers" as the county's first preemptive strike at stopping the problem.
During a news conference after the sweep, deputies said they did not uncover any active meth labs or find any children inside any of the properties.
Investigators also mentioned that the state attorney's office played a dynamic role in these cases.
While numerous arrests have been made, the investigation is reportedly ongoing.
In order to net these 32 arrests, police used the logs from local pharmacies to track individuals purchasing medications with pseudoephedrine. In 2006, a federal law was enacted as part of the Patriot Act requiring all pharmacies to place over-the-counter medications containing pseudoephedrine behind the counter. In order to purchase medications with pseudoephedrine, like various common cold and allergy pills, the law requires that people show identification and provide a signature.
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The above agencies assisted in identifying three potential meth labs at three separate locations in St. Johns County - the 5000 block of Avenue B, the 1400 block of San Juline Circle and the 2500 block of State Road A1A South.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, the meth epidemic is growing worse by the day in St. John's County, extending across all races, ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Police described "Operation Ancient Brewers" as the county's first preemptive strike at stopping the problem.
During a news conference after the sweep, deputies said they did not uncover any active meth labs or find any children inside any of the properties.
Investigators also mentioned that the state attorney's office played a dynamic role in these cases.
While numerous arrests have been made, the investigation is reportedly ongoing.
In order to net these 32 arrests, police used the logs from local pharmacies to track individuals purchasing medications with pseudoephedrine. In 2006, a federal law was enacted as part of the Patriot Act requiring all pharmacies to place over-the-counter medications containing pseudoephedrine behind the counter. In order to purchase medications with pseudoephedrine, like various common cold and allergy pills, the law requires that people show identification and provide a signature.
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Utah Man Arrested For Stealing Police Car
A Utah man who’d just been arrested for some criminal action is now facing additional charges after he stole a police car and took off in it. The man was arrested after police caught him and a woman doing drugs in a car sitting in a parking lot. He was handcuffed and put in the [...]
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