Family Corruption In The Big Easy

Insurance Agent Accused Of Bribery

2008-04-04T01:26:00.002-05:00

A Harlingen insurance agent is accused in a federal indictment of providing cash, plane tickets and condo rentals to some Edcouch-Elsa school district officials in exchange for public contracts.

Arnulfo Olivarez was named in a three-count federal indictment returned last month.

The indictment alleges the bribes were made to then-school board president Aaron Luiz Gonzalez and other district officials between 1999 and 2005 in exchange for votes on insurance contracts with the district.

Ruling On Illegal FBI Search To Stand

2008-03-31T19:51:00.002-05:00

The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a lower court ruling that the F.B.I. went too far in searching the office of Representative William J. Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat accused of using his position to promote business deals in Africa.

The appeals court did not find that the raid itself was unconstitutional; rather, it found that the F.B.I. violated constitutional separation of powers by allowing agents to look freely through Congressional files for incriminating evidence.

The ruling last August told the bureau to return legislative documents to Mr. Jefferson. It did not, however, affect other items seized from his office, including computer hard drives. Nor did it affect evidence seized in a separate raid on the Congressman’s Washington-area home, including $90,000 found wrapped in aluminum foil in frozen-food containers in his kitchen freezer.

The 18-hour search of Mr. Jefferson’s office on Capitol Hill marked the first time that the F.B.I. had searched a Congressional office, and it touched off a clash between the Bush administration and lawmakers of both parties. Mr. Jefferson has been indicted on charges of bribery, racketeering, conspiracy, money laundering and obstruction of justice. He has pleaded not guilty. The Justice Department said last August that the circuit court ruling would not affect the prosecution of Mr. Jefferson.

Authorities Search For woman In Securities Fraud Case

2008-03-30T17:04:00.001-05:00

Federal authorities continue to search Saturday for a woman convicted of securities fraud in a case likened to the Enron and WorldCom scandals who failed to wear an electronic monitoring device ordered by the court.

Rebecca Parrett, a former vice chairwoman of National Century Financial Enterprises in suburban Columbus, was supposed to be confined to her home in Arizona until sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Squires said Friday that Parrett was not wearing the monitoring device. She failed to report to authorities and a warrant was issued for her arrest.

Former Alabama Gov. Appeals Bribery Conviction

2008-03-28T05:45:00.001-05:00

Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman is not just getting to go home after spending nine months in federal prison. He's also getting a chance to testify before Congress about possible political influence over his prosecution.

A federal appeals court on Thursday ordered Siegelman released pending the appeal of his corruption case, just hours after the House Judiciary Committee announced that it wants to hear his views when it probes claims of selective prosecution by the Justice Department.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in its ruling Thursday, said the former governor had raised "substantial questions of fact and law" in challenging his conviction.

Salem Man Sentenced In Bribery At Prison

2008-03-27T02:24:00.001-05:00

A Salem man convicted of accepting bribes and smuggling drugs into a federal prison will serve two years in prison, officials said.

James Stephen Rolen, 31, a former corrections officer who had worked at Sheridan federal prison since 2003, received the sentence Monday by U.S. District Judge Garr M. King, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Horsley. Rolen pleaded guilty in November after an indictment on charges related to receiving a bribe to smuggle heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia to inmates.

City Employees Admit To Bribery

2008-03-26T00:19:00.001-05:00

A former New York City transportation official and an engineer pleaded guilty to bribery charges on Monday, admitting they took part in a scheme to help a company that was seeking millions of dollars in a contract dispute over a bridge renovation.

The pleas were entered in United States District Court in Brooklyn by Balram Chandiramani, 65, who was the director of movable bridges for the city’s transportation agency, and by Uday Shah, 46, an assistant civil engineer on the agency’s staff.

Detroit Mayor and Aide Face Criminal Charges

2008-03-25T03:28:00.002-05:00

The civic soap opera engulfing Detroit Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick took a new plot twist Monday when a county prosecutor charged the onetime rising political star with obstruction of justice, perjury and misconduct in office, all related to a romantic relationship with his former chief of staff.

Facing political catastrophe and a long prison term, Kilpatrick defiantly vowed to fight the civil felony charges, which grew out of an $8.4-million settlement of a lawsuit against him by police officials and the leaking of steamy romantic text messages between the mayor and longtime aide Christine Beatty.

Justice Dept. Opens Alcoa Bribery Probe

2008-03-21T03:39:00.003-05:00

The Justice Department is opening a criminal inquiry into allegations that Alcoa Inc. was involved in bribery in the Persian Gulf country of Bahrain.

Allegations against Alcoa by the government of Bahrain in a recent civil lawsuit in Pittsburgh are "the subject of an ongoing federal criminal investigation," prosecutors said last night in a filing seeking a temporary hold on the civil case in order to protect their criminal inquiry.

The suit claims that for 15 years Alcoa systematically overcharged Alba for supplies of alumina, a precursor to aluminum used in smelting. Some of the proceeds of the overcharges were used to fund potentially improper payments to a senior Bahrain government official who is already under investigation in that country, according to court papers and interviews.

State Rep. Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering

2008-03-20T00:53:00.002-05:00

State Rep. Ron Sailor on Tuesday pleaded guilty to laundering what he believed to be $375,000 in drug money for an undercover officer posing as a drug dealer.

Sailor, 33, a Democrat who represents parts of DeKalb and Rockdale counties, agreed to resign his position in the legislature. Shortly after his arrest three months ago, Sailor admitted his wrongdoing and began providing information for a public corruption investigation.

Sailor was arrested by federal agents at a metro Atlanta hotel on Dec. 19, after taking what he believed to be $300,000 in cash from a drug dealer, who actually was an undercover officer.

Sailor entered his negotiated plea before U.S. District Judge Jack Camp, who will sentence Sailor on May 22. Sailor faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison but is expected to get credit for his cooperation with authorities, his lawyer, Bruce Maloy, said after the plea.

Money laundering involves structuring financial transactions to conceal the source of funds.

Star Witness Testifies At Rezko's Trial

2008-03-19T02:16:00.003-05:00

Antoin "Tony" Rezko, 52, a prominent fundraiser for Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is Stuart Levine’s alleged partner in what prosecutors describe as a massive fraud scheme in the heart of Illinois government. Neither Obama nor Blagojevich have been accused of wrongdoing.

Rezko sat and watched intently as Stuart Levine took the stand.

Rezko is charged with plotting to split a $1 million bribe with Levine and scheming with him to pressure $7 million in kickbacks out of firms that sought to invest the assets of the $30 billion fund that pays the pensions of downstate and suburban school teachers.

Rezko denies that he took part in any such scheme.

Levine did not come to the stand until late in the afternoon and barely got started talking about Rezko. But he is expected to remain on the stand for at least two weeks at the threeto four-month trial.

As he began to testify, there was none of the frantic stammering and mile-a-minute chatter that jurors have heard on tapes FBI agents made after getting a court order allowing them to wiretap Levine’s home phone.

Levine calmly testified that he took drugs for decades, including LSD, Quaaludes, marijuana, cocaine, crystal meth and kaetamine, and sometimes more than one in a single session. But he said he took them only once or twice a month and quit in 2004.

Rezko’s chief defense counsel, Joseph J. Duffy, a former federal prosecutor, has already claimed that drugs hammered Levine’s brain so hard that his memory is now faulty.

Levine testified he sprinkled bribes across state and city government to land contracts for companies that paid him big money. He said he made payoffs on behalf of companies that sold tires to the City of Chicago and school buses to the Chicago Board of Education.

Levine said he paid bribes on behalf of a health maintenance organization that wanted business from a postal union and a dental insurance plan to get business from the Chicago Board of Education.

He said he funneled payoffs through former Chicago Alderman Edward R. Vrdolyak, who currently is facing charges in connection with a real estate deal that also touches on Rezko and Levine.

Vrdolyak has pleaded not guilty. His attorneys, Michael Monico and Terence Gillespie, were not reached immediately for comment. A message was left on Monico’s voicemail and with Gillespie’s answering service.

Meanwhile, Levine, a Republican, said he hired such big GOP guns as William Cellini and Robert Kjellander to lobby the state government on behalf of the dental plan. He told the jury he was involved in politics much of his life and was a key supporter of former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan, a classmate at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Cellini, Kjellander and Jim Ryan are accused of no wrongdoing. But the embarrassment of finding their names tied to Levine’s underlines the explosive potential of the biggest political corruption case in Illinois since former Gov. George Ryan went to federal prison. Kjellander is a former treasurer of the Republican National Committee.

Levine estimated he contributed $500,000 to Jim Ryan’s campaign for governor in 2002 in which he was defeated by Blagojevich.

Former House Speaker Lee Daniels and George Ryan were also among the beneficiaries of his political contributions, Levine testified.

Jury To Decide In Wecht Case

2008-03-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

The scheming in the Allegheny County morgue had no Snidely Whiplash character, snickering wickedly while plotting the demise of Dudley Do-Right, a federal prosecutor told jurors Monday.

Instead it was Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney James Wilson, who as county coroner schemed and devised a plan to use county employees and resources to benefit his private pathology consulting business. That business, Cyril H. Wecht and Pathology Associates, grossed nearly $800,000 in 2004 while using public workers on public time, Wilson said.

Jurors will begin deliberations in earnest today, after getting the case about 4 p.m. Wecht, 76, of Squirrel Hill faces 41 counts of fraud and theft.

Spanish Police Charged With Bribery & Embezzlement

2008-03-17T01:43:00.001-05:00

Four inspectors from an elite unit that combats organised crime in Malaga have been charged with bribery, embezzlement, dereliction of duty, ownership of illegal arms, and revealing confidential information.

Alfredo Marijuán and Carlos Farré have been detained in custody and Isaac Pacheco Suárez and Eusebio Vázquez Fernández were released on bail.

Forty officers have been questioned in connection with the case, which relates to alleged payments received by Inspector Marijuán from Russian nationals for reports on police surveillance operations.

The officer was also alleged to have delivered an envelope containing details about the girlfriend of a Russian who was arrested for cocaine smuggling in the US.

Councilwoman Implicated At Bribery Trial

2008-03-16T04:30:00.001-05:00

The Brooklyn lawmaker charged with seeking a new house for $1 from a developer, claimed that a former city councilwoman also got a house for a buck. Prosecutors say Assemblywoman Diane Gordon agreed to steer a valuable parcel of city land to developer Ranjan Batheja in exchange for a home in a gated community.

She was unaware that he was secretly recording their conversation when she implicated retired Councilwoman Priscilla Wooten in a similar scam.

"They gave her [Wooten] the house for one dollar," Gordon said in the Nov. 2, 2004, recording played at her bribery trial in Brooklyn Supreme Court. "You got to give a dollar. That's how you buy, you know, a dollar....And then she paid the taxes. So that's the same thing I'm doing."

Batheja testified Friday that he heard "information floating around in East New York" that Wooten had given a local developer some property and she received a new home in return.

Reached for comment Friday, Wooten forcefully denied the allegation.

Scruggs Plead Guilty In Bribery Case

2008-03-15T01:08:00.002-05:00

One of the best-known plaintiffs’ lawyers in the country, Richard Scruggs, unexpectedly agreed to plead guilty on Friday to a criminal charge of conspiracy in the attempted bribery of a judge.

Mr. Scruggs was accused of an effort to obtain a favorable ruling in a lawsuit brought by a rival over legal fees in litigation related to hurricane Katrina. Sidney Backstrom, a lawyer charged along with Mr. Scruggs, also pleaded guilty. Their pleas came in federal court in Jackson, Miss.

The single charge — five others were dismissed under the agreement — carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the agreement.

Mr. Scruggs’s son, Zachary, who was also named in an indictment handed up in November, did not plead and so is expected to go to trial beginning March 31.

Brooklyn Assemblywoman's Bribery Trial Begins

2008-03-14T00:32:00.002-05:00

Opening statements began yesterday in a Brooklyn courthouse for the bribery trial of Assemblywoman Diane Gordon. Ms. Gordon, 57, of Brooklyn, is accused of accepting an offer for a $500,000 house in Queens in exchange for supporting a developer's bid for a city-owned piece of property in her East New York district.

She was indicted in 2006 after a yearlong investigation in which she was caught on videotape allegedly accepting the bribe from developer Ranjan Batheja.

Former Graham Aide Faces Fraud Charges

2008-03-13T00:54:00.001-05:00

A former aide to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has been indicted on breach of trust and financial fraud charges in connection with money missing from the South Carolina Republican's campaign accounts.

Jennifer Adams of West- minster is accused of taking about $215,000 from the senator's accounts between 2002 and 2007. According to a report in the Independent-Mail of Anderson, she also is charged with using the senator's personal information to obtain a credit card for her own use.

Adams was arrested in December and released on $60,000 bail.

Guilty Plea Filed In Bribe Case

2008-03-12T00:40:00.001-05:00

From T-P:

Stacy Simms, a City Hall appointee under two New Orleans mayors and the daughter of former Orleans Parish School Board President Ellenese Brooks-Simms, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to helping her mother access a series of bribes that totaled $140,000 over several years.

Court documents have identified the source of the bribes as Mose Jefferson, the elder brother and chief political strategist of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., who is awaiting trial himself in Virginia on 16 unrelated bribery-related counts.

Mose Jefferson was a consultant for the firm JRL Enterprises, which makes a computer-based algebra curriculum called "I CAN Learn." Court documents say Jefferson, who is usually identified as "Mr. A," was paid more than $900,000 for marketing the product to the New Orleans school system. Brooks-Simms urged the board to go along with the sale.

Legislator's Bribery Trial Starts In Brooklyn

2008-03-11T00:02:00.000-05:00

Jury selection began Monday in the trial of State Assemblywoman Diane M. Gordon of Brooklyn, who is charged with arranging to receive a bribe from a developer.

Prosecutors say that Ms. Gordon, a Democrat from East New York, offered to help the developer acquire city-owned land in return for a new half-million-dollar home in Queens.

Ms. Gordon, 57, was elected to the Assembly in 2000. Her indictment in July 2006 did not prevent her from winning re-election to a fourth term that year. She would face 5 to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count, bribe-receiving in the second degree. She has pleaded not guilty. Her trial, before Justice Robert C. McGann in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, is expected to last four to six weeks.

Kodak Kickback Trial To Begin

2008-03-10T02:46:00.001-05:00

Barring a last-minute hitch, jury selection is scheduled to begin this morning in a trial alleging the payment of kickbacks to manipulate property assessments in Monroe County, primarily on Eastman Kodak Co. holdings in Greece.

About 120 potential jurors from nine counties are expected to be called to U.S. District Court in Rochester to be screened for the trial of appraiser John E. Nicolo, former Kodak executive David N. Finnman and Nicolo's wife, Constance J. Roeder.

The jury will hear evidence alleging that Nicolo and Finnman conspired with former Greece Assessor Charles A. Schwab and former Kodak executive Mark S. Camarata to manipulate assessments in exchange for kickbacks. Schwab and Camarata have pleaded guilty and could be called as witnesses.

Roeder, along with her husband, is charged with hiding fraudulently obtained funds through dummy corporations and falsified tax returns.

US Oil Exec Jailed For Iraq Bribes

2008-03-09T00:54:00.001-06:00

A US oil executive has been jailed for two years for paying bribes worth millions of dollars to the government of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. David Chalmers, the head of Bayoil Inc, paid bribes from 2000 to 2003 to gain access to Iraqi crude oil being sold under the UN oil-for-food programme.

The $60bn (£32bn) UN programme allowed Iraq to sell oil to buy civilian goods to ease the impact of UN sanctions. A number of people have been convicted of abuses linked to the UN initiative.

Last year, Benon Sevan, the former director of the scheme set up because of international sanctions imposed on Iraq after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, was charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit fraud.

Former Nursing Home Executive Convicted

2008-03-08T01:12:00.001-06:00

Following one hour of deliberation, a federal jury in Fort Worth convicted Bedford, Texas, resident, Stephen Michael Ewing, a/k/a “Stephen Michaels,” on various offenses related to his operation of nursing homes in Texas and elsewhere, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Following this afternoon’s verdict, U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means remanded Ewing to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Specifically, the jury convicted Ewing, 60, on one count of conspiracy, seven counts of tax evasion, five counts of mail fraud, seven counts of making false statements to government agencies and seven counts of making false statements regarding health care.

The maximum statutory sentence applicable to the conspiracy, false statements and tax evasion counts are five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, per count; the maximum statutory penalty applicable to the mail fraud counts is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, per count. Restitution could be ordered. Sentencing has been set for July 21, 2008.

Former Beaumont Officer Sentenced For Mail Fraud

2008-03-07T00:03:00.001-06:00

BEAUMONT, Texas — A former police officer accused of pilfering money from the police officers' union was sentenced Thursday to four months in federal prison and four months of home confinement, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Paul Perritt, 54, of Port Neches, also was ordered to make restitution of $142,000. He pleaded guilty in November to mail fraud.

Perritt had been treasurer of the Beaumont Police Officers Association and had the authority to write checks for the union's accounts, which included money from dues.

Prosecutors contend he wrote a $3,300 check from a BPOA account to pay his personal credit card. The check was mailed to the credit card company in June 2003, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Ex-Judge Pleads To Mail Fraud

2008-03-06T01:16:00.001-06:00

Former Knox County Judge-Executive Raymond C. Smith pleaded guilty to a federal mail-fraud charge Monday.

Smith admitted that during his term from 2002 to 2006, he had false bids prepared for county projects to cover the fact that companies owned by him or family members did the work. Smith mailed false information to a state auditor, which resulted in the fraud charge, according to a court document.

The maximum prison sentence under the charge is 20 years, but Smith’s sentence probably will be much shorter. The plea deal also calls for him to pay restitution of $110,000 to the county.

Smith’s brother Henry Matt Smith pleaded guilty to aiding the scheme. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years, although it also is likely to be much shorter.

The brothers are to be sentenced in June.

Ex-Chief of Bellevue Hospital Accused Of Bribery

2008-03-05T00:01:00.000-06:00

The former executive director of Bellevue Hospital Center, the nation’s oldest public hospital, was charged on Tuesday with taking $27,500 in bribes from a private vendor.

The bribery scheme unfolded, prosecutors said, when the head of a medical transcription service, Professional Transcription Company, met with Mr. Perez in 2000 to promote his company and try to get an exclusive contract with Bellevue.

In that 2000 meeting, Mr. Perez went to dinner at an Upper East Side restaurant with the head of the company, who paid for the meal, prosecutors said. They said the company then hired Mr. Perez’s companion, Regina Morris, who has since become his wife, in what they called essentially a no-show job.

Professional Transcription Company paid Ms. Morris, who has not been charged, $25,000, which prosecutors are now calling a bribe intended for Mr. Perez, for turning in four pages of work: a two-page brochure and a two-page marketing plan.

Mr. Perez then tried to use his influence to help the company win a contract through the hospital’s regular competitive bidding process, prosecutors said, by arranging meetings with company representatives and calling his subordinates on their behalf.

Prosecutor Held For Alleged Bribery

2008-03-04T01:21:00.001-06:00

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) placed Urip Tri Gunawan in detention on Monday as part of a bribery investigation targeting the state prosecutor. The graft body also detained Artalita "Astuti" Suryani, the woman that investigators alleged gave Urip US$660,000 in cash.

Both Urip and the woman have been named suspects in the case, the second criminal case to involve a state prosecutor since South Jakarta prosecutors Burdju Roni and Cecep Sunarto were each sentenced to 20 months in jail in February last year for extortion.

The arrest comes as the KPK investigates the alleged misappropriation of Rp 100 billion in Bank Indonesia funds, in a case involving current and former bank officials and House of Representatives members.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said investigators were seeking possible connections between Astuti and Gadjah Tunggal Group owner Sjamsul Nursalim, whose graft case involving Bank Indonesia liquidity funds was dropped by the Attorney General's Office.

Sociopaths Among Us

2008-03-03T01:57:00.004-06:00

After all that Hurricane Katrina victims have gone through, it is just plain awful that now they have to deal with a sociopath and known burglar in their midst. Can you imagine rebuilding your life only to have some heartless sociopath come along to try and take everything you have?

I know we cannot tell convicted felons where to live, but the innocent should be made aware of their presence when there is a strong possibility that they are searching for their next victims.

Japan's Prime Minister Speaks Out

2008-03-02T00:02:00.000-06:00

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Sunday rejected calls for his defence chief to resign, saying he was needed to reform the scandal-ridden defence ministry, Kyodo news agency said.

Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been harried by accusations of a cover-up over the circumstances behind a collision between a destroyer and a fishing boat earlier this month.

Ishiba has admitted the ministry's handling of the inquiry had flaws, but denied any attempt to hide information and pledged to resign if a cover-up was shown to have taken place.

Marlon Samuels Charged In Scheme

2008-03-01T01:02:00.002-06:00

West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels has been charged with misconduct after an internal investigation by the WICB into bribery and match-fixing allegations against him.

The Jamaican batsman was suspected of playing a part in fixing the first One-Day International against India in Nagpur on January 21, 2007. The allegations led to the ICC asking the WICB to conduct an investigation.

Alcoa Sued for Fraud and Bribery

2008-02-29T01:09:00.001-06:00

Alcoa was sued by a metals company controlled by the Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain for at least $1 billion on claims of fraud and bribery of officials overseas.

Aluminium Bahrain, or Alba, sued Alcoa in federal court in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, claiming it was overcharged for 15 years for alumina, an ingredient used to make aluminum. Alba, the 10th-largest aluminum producer, claims Alcoa bribed unidentified Bahraini government and company officials to get business. Alcoa is the world's largest producer of alumina and third-largest aluminum producer.

Former Prosecutor Arrested For Bribery

2008-02-28T00:02:00.001-06:00

Police have arrested a Delaware County attorney and his private investigator for bribery. The attorney once served as the county prosecutor. Michael Alexander and his investigator Jeff Hinds were escorted out of Alexander's office in handcuffs Wednesday. According to an FBI affidavit, between 2005 and 2007 Alexander and Hinds offered three witnesses thousands in cash to change incriminating statements against a client.

Investigators say the witnesses recorded false statements about the crime in Alexander's office and the suspects coached the witnesses on what to say. According to the affidavit, the bribery worked because the client's charges were reduced. Experts believe this may not be the only bribery incident.

S.C. Johnson Wins Award In Kickback Scheme

2008-02-27T01:36:00.001-06:00

A jury awarded consumer products giant S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. $147 million in damages Tuesday to compensate it for losses suffered in a trucking kickback scheme.

The Racine-based maker of products like Ziploc and Glade sued its former transportation director, Milton Morris, and a dozen other people and companies alleging a widespread scheme to bilk it out of millions of dollars. The company had asked for more than $100 million in damages.

The company claimed Morris, trucking company owner Thomas Buske, and others inflated rates and pocketed the excess. They paid each other with trips to places such as Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, rounds of golf and cash transferred through poker games.

Argentine's Former President Charged With Bribery

2008-02-26T00:53:00.001-06:00

Former Argentine President Fernando de la Rua was charged with bribery Monday in connection to an alleged scheme to buy support from senators a year before his government collapsed, a court official said.

De la Rua, who governed Argentina from 1999 until December 2001, has repeatedly denied any involvement in an alleged bid by his aides to push labor reforms through Congress by giving senators millions of dollars. The scandal prompted his vice president to abruptly resign.

Flipping Scheme Sentencing Hearings Set

2008-02-25T00:54:00.002-06:00

Sentencing dates have been set for next month for two of the three men who pleaded guilty in April 2006 to multiple fraud charges in a real estate flipping scheme involving rundown rental homes sold at inflated prices in Springfield and Decatur.

Gary Knox, the mastermind of the scheme, is to be sentenced March 5 and faces 151/2 to 191/2 years in prison. Frank Kelly Ciota, of Riverton, is to be sentenced March 12 and could face 61/2 to 8 years in prison, according to Sharon Paul, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office.

A third man, Dennis Wiese Jr., of Washington County, faces sentencing in May. His sentence range has not been determined.

Temporary Prison Repreive

2008-02-24T01:55:00.003-06:00

Vernon Jackson and Brett Pfeffer, key figures in the federal prosecution of Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, were released recently from federal prison -- but it was only temporary. Their release from federal prison facilities in Pennsylvania and West Virginia was ordered so that they could testify at Jefferson's federal corruption trial.

But with the trial, which had been scheduled to begin Monday, postponed while a federal appellate court considers an appeal of a pretrial ruling, from Jefferson's attorneys, it's likely they will be returned to their prison cells shortly. The federal marshals' service had contracted with a local jail near Alexandria, Va., where the Jefferson case is being heard, to house the pair during the trial.

Jackson and Pfeffer pleaded guilty to participating in what the government says was a bribery scheme in which Jefferson was to help Jackson's company, iGate Inc., win telecommunications contracts in western Africa. Jackson was sentenced to seven years, three months in prison, while Pfeffer, a former aide to Jefferson, got an eight-year sentence. The government is expected to ask Judge T.S. Ellis III to reduce the sentences, but only after Pfeffer and Jackson testify and the Jefferson trial is over. Jefferson has pleaded innocent.

Former VW Boss Jailed In Bribery Scandal

2008-02-23T01:10:00.001-06:00

A German court sentenced former VW works council head Klaus Volkert to almost three years in prison on Friday, the first person to be given jail time in the bribery and sex trips scandal that rocked Europe's biggest carmaker.

The court found Volkert guilty of inciting and abetting a breach of trust and handed the former labour boss a two year and nine month sentence.

Government Employee Sentenced In Bribery Case

2008-02-22T01:48:00.002-06:00

A former D.C. government employee, who was in charge of assigning first-time criminal offenders to do cleanup and other community service tasks, was sentenced yesterday to 13 months in prison for taking bribes from people who did no work, prosecutors said.

Eric A. Shannon, 41, was a sanitation supervisor for the D.C. Department of Public Works, which uses first-time offenders on weekends to help with tasks such as cleaning alleys, removing leaves and removing graffiti. If the work is done and the offenders commit no other crimes, their cases are dismissed.

Prosecutors said that Shannon took bribes on at least six occasions from offenders who did not do the work. In exchange for payments of $50 to $400, Shannon provided signed letters on city stationery falsely claiming that the work had been performed, prosecutors said. Last June, for example, he solicited and took $400 in return for providing a letter attesting that an offender completed 88 hours of community service, prosecutors said.

U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy Jr. ordered that Shannon serve two years of supervised release after leaving prison.

Scruggs Sought Trent Lott's Influence

2008-02-21T01:32:00.003-06:00

Powerful plaintiffs attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs tried to use his brother-in-law, former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, to influence the ruling of a sitting Mississippi judge, a government witness testified Wednesday in federal court. He also testified that in another case a judge, and not Scruggs, first floated the idea of a $40,000 bribe.

The testimony about Lott came during a hearing in a federal case in which Scruggs, his son Zach, and law partner Sidney Backstrom are charged with trying to bribe Circuit Judge Henry Lackey to get a favorable ruling in a dispute over $26.5 million in legal fees.

Lott is not charged with any wrongdoing. U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers Jr. refused Wednesday to dismiss the charges against Scruggs and others in the alleged bribery attempt involving Lackey. The hearing was scheduled to continue today. A trial is scheduled to start March 31.

Contractor gets 12 years for bribery

2008-02-20T01:45:00.003-06:00

A federal judge in San Diego, California, sentenced defense contractor Brent Wilkes to 12 years in prison Tuesday for bribing then-Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, federal prosecutors said.

He was accused of providing more than $700,000 to Cunningham in exchange for the Southern California Republican's help steering more than $70 million in defense contracts to Wilkes and another contractor, Mitchell Wade.

Prosecutors accused Wilkes, 53, of paying off a $500,000 note on Cunningham's California home; picking up the tab for vacation outings, private jet travel and limousines; buying Cunningham a $14,000 speedboat; and having an employee line up prostitutes for himself and the lawmaker during a two-night stay in Hawaii.
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If Wilkes was anything like Stan "Pampy" Barre, III, he would have just performed oral sex on the prostitute for free.

Defense Seeks Acquittal In Volkswagen Bribery Trial

2008-02-19T01:17:00.003-06:00

The former head of Volkswagen AG's powerful employee council, on trial in a scandal involving special bonus payments, deserves no more than a suspended sentence and fine if found guilty of incitement to breach of trust, his attorney said in closing arguments Monday.

Volkert is a key figure in an investigation revolving around whether VW employee representatives received illegal privileges, including lavish foreign trips involving prostitutes paid for by the company. The probe started after Volkswagen alerted prosecutors to possible wrongdoing.

In its closings last week, the prosecution recommended that Volkert, who headed the council for 15 years, be convicted on all counts and sentenced to three years and nine months in prison. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Former Officials Press Cabinet To Quit

2008-02-18T00:12:00.001-06:00

More than 50 former Philippine officials called for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Cabinet to resign, stoking political turbulence yesterday in the face of corruption charges that have battered her presidency.

The officials from previous administrations, including former Arroyo Cabinet members, made the public appeal after attending a Mass led by Roman Catholic groups and ex-President Corazon Aquino to show support for a star witness in a new corruption scandal. At least 3,000 protesters attended the Mass at a Catholic university in suburban Manila.

Ex-Brookshire Mayor pleads guilty in bribery scheme

2008-02-17T01:11:00.001-06:00

A former mayor of Brookshire and another ex-city official have pleaded guilty in a contract-related bribery scheme.

Federal prosecutors say ex-mayor Keith Allen Woods and former Brookshire public works director Henry Anthony Cheney pleaded guilty Friday.

The investigation involved contracts for Brookshire, a town of about 4,100 located 30 miles west of Houston.

Defense Contractor Called A War Profiteer

2008-02-16T19:54:00.001-06:00

Federal prosecutors say Brent Wilkes is a war profiteer, a lecher and a liar whose decade-long bribery of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham netted him $46 million.
For that, and for orchestrating the largest congressional bribery scheme in history, they say the Poway defense contractor should be sentenced to 25 years in prison.

In court papers filed this week, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office threw the book at Wilkes, 53, who is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday. They blasted his once-high-flying lifestyle, belittled his claims of innocence and branded him an “overgrown frat boy” fueled by greed and avarice.

At minimum, Wilkes should receive no less than 16 years and eight months in prison, prosecutors said. That would be exactly twice the length of the sentence Cunningham received after pleading guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion.

Investigators Take Samsung Files In Bribery Probe

2008-02-15T00:53:00.001-06:00

South Korean prosecutors confiscated computer files from Samsung Electronics Co.'s offices yesterday as part of a probe into allegations that Samsung Group bribed government officials and other influential figures.

Investigators took files from the company's offices in Suwon, south of Seoul, Yun Jong Sok, a spokesman for the probe, said by telephone in the capital. Lee Eun Hee, a Samsung Electronics spokeswoman, confirmed special prosecutors were at the company's offices, without providing further details.

Special prosecutors also obtained court approval to search the National Tax Service's offices for computer files needed for the investigation, Yun said, without elaborating.

Did Craig Act Improperly?

2008-02-14T02:43:00.001-06:00

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Ethics Committee says Idaho Sen. Larry Craig acted improperly in a men's room sex sting. In a letter Wednesday, the ethics panel says Craig's attempt to withdraw his guilty plea in a June arrest at a Minneapolis airport was an effort to evade legal consequences of his own actions.

The letter says Craig's actions brought discredit on the Senate.

The panel took no further action.

Best Funded House Incumbents

2008-02-13T23:24:00.001-06:00

Money follows power. That simple axiom helps explain why incumbent members of Congress, on average, raise so much more campaign cash than the candidates who want to supplant them.

In fact, 65 U.S. House incumbents each reported more than $1 million in total receipts last year, including six who topped the $2 million mark, according to a CQ Politics analysis of updated campaign finance reports filed by candidates to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) at the end of January.

Many of the members of Congress who raked in seven-figure sums last year are politically influential figures who hold party leadership posts or chair key committees, and they wield fundraising clout commensurate to their stature. Most of these incumbents have “safe” seats that ensure they can stay in Congress for as long as they want.

Other big House fundraisers, though, come from the other end of the electoral security spectrum. They have to raise a lot of money because they face difficult re-election campaigns this year. |Read on|

Politics Unclothed

2008-02-12T23:40:00.001-06:00

Brought to you from the T-P:

With the Democratic presidential race too close to call, the nomination could be decided by an elite group of party insiders and elected officials known as "super-delegates," reigniting controversy about just how democratic the party selection process is.

While most of the 4,049 Democratic delegates are assigned proportionately based on how well a candidate does in a state's primary or caucus, 794 of them -- nearly a fifth -- can swing to any candidate they want.

Righteous Warrior - Biography of Jesse Helms

2008-02-11T23:16:00.000-06:00

Appearing on “Larry King Live” in 1995, Jesse Helms, then the senior senator from North Carolina, fielded a call from an unusual admirer. Helms deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, the caller gushed, “for everything you’ve done to help keep down the niggers.” Given the rank ugliness of the sentiment — the guest host, Robert Novak, called it, with considerable understatement, “politically incorrect” — Helms could only pause before responding. But the hesitation couldn’t suppress his gut instincts. “Whoops, well, thank you, I think,” he said. With prodding from Novak, he added that he’d been spanked as a child for using the N-word and noted (with a delicious hint of uncertainty), “I don’t think I’ve used it since.” As for the caller’s main point — the virtue of keeping down blacks — it passed without comment.

William A. Link, a historian at the University of Florida, recounts this incident in “Righteous Warrior: Jesse Helms and the Rise of Modern Conservatism,” his hefty life of the blunt, bullheaded, hard-right leader who — more than anyone besides Ronald Reagan — embodied conservatism in the 1980s and beyond. Summoning a measure of sympathy for his rather unsympathetic subject, Link can be overly diplomatic in discussing, as he calls it, Helms’s “racial insensitivity.” But it’s to his credit that even when engaging Helms’s more odious views, he shuns stridency while still managing to demonstrate the centrality of Dixie-bred racism to Helms’s career — and to the book’s larger tale of Southern-style conservatism’s ascent since the 1960s.

Smart Advice From Laura Scott

2008-02-10T23:01:00.000-06:00

KEEP POLITICS OUT OF THE SELECTION OF JUDGES

Having High Hopes

2008-02-09T22:38:00.000-06:00

Sometimes when a new politician is about to be elected to office, the citizens have high hopes that things will change; this will be the time the politician looks out for the citizens rather then their family and friends.

Sometimes that hope is dashed thus resulting in more harm being caused to the citizens and their beloved city. How tragic!!!

Convicted Felons Profit From Contracts In New Orleans

2008-02-08T13:18:00.000-06:00

Only in New Orleans can a convicted felon profit financially from city contracts while the convicted felon awaits sentencing from looting from other city contracts. This is how the scheme works:

1. You get rich under New Orleans' city contracts.
2. You receive a plea bargain for stealing from one contract.
3. As a result of your plea bargain, your sentence is reduced.
4. You transfer ownership of your business to your wife, thus she now holds the interest in your other questionable city contracts.
5. When you go to prison, your wife still collects from the city contracts.
6. Any fines you have to pay are paid with proceeds from the city contracts that is still under you and your wife's control.
7. When you get out of prison, you are able to go on with your life, from the proceeds that your wife was collecting, from the city contracts while you were in prison.

Only in New Orleans could such a thing happen. Although the City of New Orleans has hired a new Inspector General, he too feels that the City is stuck with this arrangement. As a result, New Orleans' politics will never change.

Political Hype vs. Reality

2008-02-07T23:03:00.000-06:00

Sometimes a politician's campaign is run on "political hype" that gets citizens excited. This "political hype" usually centers on corny phrases that the politician feels will keep the people motivated that a change is about to come.

I remember one cornered in New Orleans: "There's a New Posse in Town" by former New Orleans' Mayor, Marc Morial. The New Orleans'citizens now know what that phrase meant: HELPING OUT YOUR CRONIES

New Orleans Political Machine

2008-02-06T22:24:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I wonder whether New Orleans has some sort of political machine whereas no politicians are completely innocent from some type of corruption. Why I would call it a political machine because it seems that every politician is following the same path: Their behavior is always in question.

If a politician is black, however, he always try to play the race card whenever someone question his/her behavior. This is so disturbing because since the race card is always played, no one will ever listen if race is really the issue.

The Politician's Mark

2008-02-05T20:12:00.000-06:00

Some politicians leave office on a good foot while others leave office surrounded by controversy. Sometimes the controversial politician will try to seek a new political office. Their constituents, however, may remember their past failings and decide that they are no longer capable of holding public office.

This may leave some of their supporters disappointed. For example--some supporters may have held roles under their administration. Now they are left in the cold trying to search for new

The Art Of Politicking

2008-02-04T18:46:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you may think that you are just one voice, on the world wide web, where no one can hear you crying out for change. That is where it all start: One voice at a time calling for change.

It does not matter what change you are rooting for. It can be on a national, state, or city level; just allow your voice to be heard and watch that change come about.

New Orleans' Politics

2008-02-03T18:19:00.000-06:00

New Orleans politics is like none other. Here you will find politicians changing their race or creed. For example, you might read, information online, about how some politicians were the first black to accomplish this or that; later you might read online articles about how some politicians were the first Creole to accomplish this or that. I know this may be confusing but only in New Orleans will you find politicians being immortalized as black when they want to push the agenda on how they aggressively broke down barriers in order to get to where they are.

Then when they die, somehow they have now become Creoles---as if to say----look at me---I wasn't really black after all. Thanks for voting for me anyway---you black fools---who otherwise I would never have anything to do with. You see, my main purpose was to represent the Creole folks of New Orleans and help them move up in the political arena.

A Wanna Be Politician

2008-02-02T20:42:00.000-06:00

Are politicians made or is it that being a politician, you have characteristics, from early on, that determine your destiny? Sometimes people try so hard to fit into that mode but it only leads them desperately in that circle of politicians trying to fit in.

That wanna be politician will find himself desperately trying to climb the political ladder, however, that climb will eventually lead to his demise and the world will know that he is only a pathetic wanna be politician who will only find himself in legal trouble.

Passing The Torch

2008-02-01T20:04:00.000-06:00

When a politician is in office, he usually run in circles with other politicians. Sometimes, however, it may be more conducive for the politician to seek out others who are more like them.

This is a good way for the politician to feel assured that his confidences won't be broken. He usually seek out those who have the same values and beliefs. That way, his secrets can go with him to his grave.

The Politician's Confidant

2008-01-31T21:15:00.000-06:00

When someone becomes a politician, they are exposed to people who want something from them. It could be a simple favor as using his clout to score a football ticket or using his clout to pass a piece of legislation.

How does the politician choose who will be his confidant? When he is surrounded by his bodyguards, drivers, etc., how does he know he can trust that person to not go to the press with the every day to day mundane details. After all, some news publications are always lurking for the next story.

Sometimes it may take the person, who travels in his inner circles, who has his own dirty little secrets to hide. That way, the politician can rest assured that if he has any dirty little secret, that person will keep them. In essence, a CONFIDANT is born...

Effective Governing vs. Vindictive Governing

2008-01-30T16:28:00.000-06:00

When a politician leads with an iron hand, he loses support of the people. Sometimes the people are prevented from eliminating a noneffective politician until his terms runs out. As a result, the City suffers because of the vindictive politician's actions.

The people can later take control when they send a powerful message, to the vindictive politician, that they will never allow him to serve in any future political positions.

Power vs. Control

2008-01-29T18:34:00.000-06:00

Sometimes power can be too much for some politicians. In their effort to exhibit their power, they often cross the line into control. When a politician tries to control those around him, the ones who feel that they are being control will resort to measures that try to show the controlling politician that they will not bow down to his demands.

A more effective politician knows that he can be more effective if he listens to the other parties point of views. Then and only then can a solution be worked out that benefits everyone.

The Damaging Effects Of Cronyism

2008-01-28T17:19:00.000-06:00

When someone is in a powerful position and that person gives one of his cronies access to information, benefits, etc. it weakens the organization. This is especially true when that organization is city or state government and the crony who has gained access is not qualified to do so.

If a Mayor, of a large metropolitan city, allows cronies to oversee city contracts, it opens the doors to the possibility that that particular City will suffer. I know cronyism is not illegal, but what about the damage the cronie has caused. Shouldn't that elected official be somehow held responsible----if not criminally---what about civilly. Maybe the citizens of that particular city should bring a class action suit against the individual. It may have never been done before--but it could set a precedent and send a message to those who engage in cronyism and allow the city to suffer.

Underage Drinking

2008-01-27T13:09:00.000-06:00

Several states have passed laws that punishes adults who allow underage drinking in their homes. Some states, however, find it permissible for adults to allow their own children to drink in their home. This has caused some adults to believe that they can provide alcohol to other people's children.

It is difficult, however, to prosecute these individuals. They are only brought under law enforcement's microscope when the underage drinker has caused some type of damage; whether to themselves or to some innocent bystander.

The Xbox 360 Is A Popular Commodity

2008-01-26T11:56:00.000-06:00

The Xbox has become a popular item amongst the young as well as the old:

More than 17.7 million Xbox 360 consoles were sold worldwide by the end of 2007. In Canada, the Xbox 360 outsold both Sony's Playstation 3 and Nintendo's Wii in December, the first time the console has beaten both its rivals since September when the wildly popular game Halo 3 shattered records upon its release.

The Xbox has also been the target for thieves. The Christmas season is usually a time when law enforcement warn shoppers to be very careful, in the shopping malls, due to thieves trying to steal their purchases. Some people have also experience home burglaries during this time and they may have had their XBox stolen. There has been times when even older adults have broken into residences to steal the popular Xbox.

Older Man-Younger Woman

2008-01-25T19:02:00.000-06:00

You have heard the stories about a lot of older men getting involved with younger women..example..a woman who is at least sixteen years his junior. If the woman is barely legal, her parents may try to intervene in the relationship.

But what does a parent do when their daughter is so hell bent on being with that older man? Well, sometimes parents have to sit back and allow their adult children to make their own mistakes. You can try to instill the proper values, but it is up to them to follow your lead.

Is It Their Fault?

2008-01-24T21:40:00.000-06:00

Sometimes the accuse try to blame others for their actions. We usually view this as an excuse to get out of the dilemma they find themselves in. But what if the accuse is a young follower; by that I mean someone who may be mentally challenged and find themselves following the lead of someone they trust. Should they then be held responsible for their actions.?

Maybe the question should be; should they be held more responsible than the person who led them astray? This may be debatable but one should question the motives of the guilty party who may have gotten off lightly. Did they intentionally lead the mentally challenged astray?

Most People Love Dogs

2008-01-23T16:41:00.000-06:00

Most people own dogs because they love animals. It is hard for me to imagine anyone mistreating an animal. But what if you are a drug addict? Then you are capable of doing just about anything. You may even stoop so low as trading that dog for drugs until you are able to repay your drug supplier his money.

That is abuse and that type of person is psychotic. I would have to say that the rest of the family members should keep that particular drug abuser from the family dog.

The Dangers of Psychopathy

2008-01-22T19:42:00.000-06:00

When someone is a psychopath, there are no visible signs when you first meet one. Usually a person is taken in by a psychopath because they can be very charming. We all have heard about Scott Peterson; the psychopath who killed his wife Lacy.

Lacy had no idea of what she was getting into. That is the allure of the psychopath; you never know who he/she is until you become deeply involved.

Baby for "Dollars"

2008-01-21T20:00:00.000-06:00

I know this sounds like a strange title to a blog post but I wanted to point out a little known phenomenon that sometimes have happened to well known athletes, rap stars and other high profile people with money: baby mama drama...

I call it baby mama drama when a desperate and naive young woman tries to attach herself to a man by having his illegitimate child. But what happens when they do this and later find out that the man they were trying to trap has no money? That may sound strange, but it does happen.

Divided Loyalty

2008-01-20T20:56:00.000-06:00

It must be extremely difficult, for a family member, to know that a relative is capable of the unspeakable yet feel torn between doing what is right or helping that particular relative in their time of need.

How betrayed one must feel to take a criminally insane relative into their home only to be pulled into their drama later. What a complicated dilemma.

Does Crime Run In Families?

2008-01-19T20:43:00.000-06:00

Sometimes people try not to judge a family just because some of its members have a long history of engaging in criminal activity. Sometimes, however, we do judge one family members' criminal activity as a gauge into the prospect of whether or not their younger siblings or children will follow their lead.

It should also be noted that large crime families have a tendency to support and keep quiet about their family members criminal activities. This makes it very difficult for the police when they are investigating crime and suspect that a criminal's family member can provide the needed information.

Do Home Detention Deter Crime?

2008-01-18T19:57:00.000-06:00

When a criminal is sentence to home detention, he can also commit crimes while doing so. The internet is the perfect little space for the criminal to carry out his crime spree.

Perhaps when prosecutors agree to plea bargains, that result in home detention sentences, they should ban those criminals from using the internet.

Can Myspace Make Its' Site Safe?

2008-01-17T16:22:00.000-06:00

Although Myspace has taken the first step toward making its site a little safer,they cannot truly keep kids and teens safe from online predators. Most of that responsibility has to rest with the parents.

It is imperative that parents put safeguards in place to protect our youth. Myspace is in the business of making money and your child's safety is the last thing that is on their mind. There is a predator, on Myspace now, and the site was not able to completely deter his use. He just started using another profile in order to carry out his reign of terror.

What's New With Jefferson?

2008-01-16T11:28:00.000-06:00

Well there is a little news, from the old home front, that Rep. William Jefferson is trying to have his bribery charges dismissed.

What a tangle web we weave when we practice to deceive.

Chat Lines Can Be Dangerous

2008-01-15T09:55:00.000-06:00

You never know who you are talking to on a chat line. The other person may have motives you are not aware of. They can be working for the feds or some other agency who just want to get the goods on you.

It is also possible that they are out to do you harm in other ways. Best advice: Stay away from chat lines because they may lead to your downfall.

Myspace To Speak Out

2008-01-14T09:28:00.000-06:00

Myspace is scheduled to speak at a news conference regarding their plans on how they will deal with online predators. This is good news if their plan outline specific details on how they will deal with eliminating those predators from their site.

What Do We Do About Deadbeat Dads?

2008-01-13T11:21:00.000-06:00

There is a growing number of deadbeat dads in this country and we as a society have to pay the cost for their lack of neglect. The problem only increases when those deadbeat dads are drug addicts. Now we are burden by the drug addicts addiction problems.

The problem increases three fold when those children are illegitimate. Mothers of illegitimate children have a harder time getting support for their children. Some of the dads just walk away from these children and never look back.

It's No Laughing Matter

2008-01-12T10:22:00.000-06:00

It is no laughing matter when a person is broken by someone else's actions. Yes New Orleans was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, but who helps those mend from their suffering from a Hurricane evacuee who has destroyed so many lives after the hurricane?

The Toll Of Drug Addiction

2008-01-11T08:46:00.000-06:00

When there is a drug addict in the family, it usually takes its' toll on the entire family. It is quite unusual for family members to support other family members' drug addiction. That however was not the case for one New Orleans' family. This particular family supported all three of their children's drug addiction.

I guess that gives a different meaning to the words "tough love".

The Different Faces Of Plea Agreements

2008-01-10T10:17:00.000-06:00

There is a problem in our legal system regarding plea bargaining. As a result of a plea agreement, some dangerous criminals are allowed to go free with just a slap on the wrist.

It does however depend on the jurisdiction: Some states are more tougher on those who commit crimes. It just amazes me on how it depends on what state a criminal commits his crime determines the severity of the sentence.

I feel that there needs to be some sort of across the board sentencing guidelines before our legal system accepts plea bargains.

Fraud On Myspace

2008-01-09T10:09:00.000-06:00

There has been countless news stories about people using the online social networking site, Myspace, as a playground for child predators, burglars, scam artists and other social deviants. Several attorney generals have also battled with Myspace in order to obtain the records of convicted sexual predators.

Now Myspace may soon be viewed as a victim of its users' actions. Prosecutors are trying to bring fraud charges against Lori Drew, an unstable woman, who used the social networking site to harass a 13 year old girl. The girl later committed suicide, however, Lori Drew was never charged with committing a crime.

Can you imagine that Myspace is now being considered a victim? I hope that other fraudsters face the same fate.

What Will The Convicted Felon Do?

2008-01-08T10:41:00.000-06:00

Will the convicted felon ask his wife for forgiveness once he gets out of prison?

Who knows; psychopaths are unaware of their behavior.

Jerry Seinfeld and Wife Gets Sued

2008-01-08T07:28:00.000-06:00

You remember Jessica Seinfeld; the author who Oprah praised on her show? It turns out her words may not be her own:

Missy Chase Lapine, the author of “The Sneaky Chef,” a cookbook whose recipes camouflage puréed vegetables and fruits in comfort food for children, sued Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld on Monday, charging copyright infringement and defamation.

In the lawsuit, which was filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, Ms. Lapine accuses Ms. Seinfeld of “brazen plagiarism.” Ms. Seinfeld wrote a cookbook, “Deceptively Delicious,” that also employs hidden puréed vegetables in its recipes for children.

Guess what: Jessica Seinfeld's publisher is standing behind her work. I guess being married to a celebrity has it's advantages.

Widow Fights For Deceased Husband

2008-01-07T05:28:00.000-06:00

This was such a touching article, I decided to copy it in its entirety:

In the 26 years since former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal gunned down her cop husband on a Philadelphia street, Maureen Faulkner has often felt like a reed in a tornado.

As death penalty opponents around the world rallied to win Abu-Jamal a new trial, contending that he had been framed by local police, Faulkner quietly fought back one hearing at a time.

She never missed a court hearing through the long appeals process, even after she moved from Philadelphia to suburban Ventura County. She's appeared at pro-Mumia events, handing out fliers to explain the evidence that led a jury to convict and sentence Abu-Jamal to death.

Now, with a new book that presents her view of what she believes is the misguided support that has made her husband's killer a global cause celebre, Faulkner, 51, says she is determined to remain the voice of her late husband, Danny.

"Here's a man who murdered another man with premeditation and malice. Why does he have a voice?" asked Faulkner, calm and articulate, from the sun-filled dining room of her hilltop home north of Los Angeles. "My husband has been silenced."

Jeff Mackler, a national coordinator of the Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, said he hadn't yet read Faulkner's book but planned to do so. What happened to her husband is a "terrible tragedy," Mackler said.

"But it's an equally terrible tragedy that an innocent man is going to be executed in the name of satisfying her grief."

To Faulkner, "Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain, and Injustice" is a way of countering misinformation that Abu-Jamal's supporters have distributed in a campaign to free him, or at least to win him a new trial.

But it's also a look at a woman who decided to honor her late husband by not running away from the controversy.

The Faulkners had been married a year when she got "the knock" in the middle of the night Dec. 9, 1981. Faulkner was a five-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department.

"With his shiny adornments glistening against the dark night, I thought maybe I was dreaming," Faulkner writes of the officer who stood outside her door that night. "My heart pounded furiously against my rib cage, and my knees felt weak as I opened the door."

It was the beginning of a new life that would take Faulkner from Philadelphia to California and cast her as the living symbol of her dead husband.

"I don't want people to think I'm angry, because I'm not. I've moved on in my life," said Faulkner, who has lived with her companion, Paul Palkovic, for 16 years.

"But there's just something inside of me that says I have to seek justice for Danny."

Faulkner's book covers the well-established events of that night. Her husband, a patrolman in the city's red-light district, stopped Billy Cook, Abu-Jamal's brother, for a traffic infraction. Cook punched Faulkner, and the two started to scuffle.

Abu-Jamal, who was driving a taxicab that night, saw the confrontation from across the street and leaped from his cab to intervene.

Several shots were fired, and police moments later found Faulkner face-up on the sidewalk with bullets in his back and forehead. Abu-Jamal had also been wounded and was taken to a hospital for surgery. After recovering, he was ordered to stand trial on a charge of first-degree murder.

Prosecutors produced four witnesses who said Abu-Jamal had fired on Faulkner as he approached and then straddled the officer to fire several more rounds.

Ballistics evidence tied the bullets to Abu-Jamal's gun, which was found beside him when police arrived.

A bullet from Faulkner's service revolver was recovered from Abu-Jamal's chest. Abu-Jamal did not testify at the trial, nor did his brother. A jury found him guilty and imposed the death sentence.

Maureen Faulkner, then 25, thought that was the end of her nightmare. In 1983, she moved to California, eager to get away from the trauma and to start a new life.

"My friends were married and having children," she said. "I was pretty much alone."

But she was pulled back repeatedly to Philadelphia and that cold December night.

A nascent "Free Mumia" movement picked up steam in 1995 with the publication of Abu-Jamal's first book, "Live From Death Row." A radio reporter before his arrest, he was articulate, charming and a prodigious writer.

He was frequently invited to contribute to respected publications, and with each one, support to free him grew.

In 1995, dozens of celebrities, including Mike Farrell, Salman Rushdie, Susan Sarandon and Paul Newman, paid for a full-page ad in the New York Times laying out a case for a new trial.

The next year, a British-made documentary, "Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Case for Reasonable Doubt?," aired on HBO. Abu-Jamal was invited to appear, via audiotape, at college commencements.

Each time, Maureen Faulkner responded. She would call the publisher and ask if they knew they were supporting a convicted cop killer. She and Palkovic flew to events at which Abu-Jamal's case was being made before students, and they would sit in the front row.

They handed out brochures, watching as some supporters torched the papers in front of them. Faulkner said she's been spit on and has received threatening phone calls. For that reason, she's reluctant to specify the city where she lives or other aspects of her life.

During a December book tour, Faulkner said, she was flooded with support from people who urged her to continue the fight. The book has sold about 70,000 copies and is in its third printing, said Khuong Phan, a spokesman for the publisher, Globe Pequot Press.

Faulkner, meanwhile, is waiting for the latest twist in a long appeals process.

In 2001, a federal judge upheld Abu-Jamal's conviction but threw out his death sentence, saying the jury had been improperly instructed.

Both sides appealed and are waiting a decision on whether Abu-Jamal should be granted a new sentencing hearing -- or even a new trial.

Faulkner, who took an early retirement from work in a medical office, says she isn't looking forward to another round of court hearings.

But she said she would be there.

It never ceases to shock me how people fight for the criminals.

Does Myspace Protect Online Predators?

2008-01-06T09:17:00.000-06:00

With an estimated 100 million registered users, MySpace.com is reportedly the world’s busiest social networking Web site. Critics say the Web site’s operators don’t do enough to stop child predators from misusing it.

Last February, a federal judge in Austin, Texas, dismissed a $30 million lawsuit filed against MySpace by the family of a 13-year-old girl who said she was sexually assaulted by a 19- year-old man she met on the site. The man had falsely told the girl he was a high school senior and convinced her to give him her telephone number.

The judge said MySpace was protected under the Communications Decency Act and cannot be required to verify the age of every user. MySpace officials have said they have worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on security improvements, including free parental notification software.

Do you think Myspace protect predators?

Domestic Violence Is An Alarming Statistics

2008-01-04T08:49:00.000-06:00

TWENTY-FIVE thousand Victorian children a year see horrific family violence attacks, mostly between their parents.

How could anyone expose their children to this?

Two out of five of them are aged under five.

A Herald Sun analysis of Victoria Police figures shows an average of 25,000 children a year are directly exposed to domestic outbursts so violent that police are called.

Over the past five years, 124,022 children were at family violence incidents attended by police. Of those, 46,937 were under five.

Last year, 20,816 children under 18 saw attacks and more than 8300 of them were under five years old.

At least one child is present at every second domestic incidents police attend, figures show.

Maybe the drug addicted Katrina evacuee should wake up.

Gauging Online Prostitution

2008-01-03T03:15:00.000-06:00

I found this article intriging and I thought about a New Orleans evacuee who left the "Big Easy" after Hurricane Katrina, in order to perform "Oral Sex Acts" on a prostitute. That same evacuee was later convicted of residential burglary in Pierce County Superior Court in the State of Wash9ngton. He took the long ride to find a prostitute. He did not use craiglist for his ventures but he later used Myspace and a chatline, In Tacoma, to find other prostitutes to perform oral sex on.

When it comes to finding clients, the modern streetwalker lets her fingers do most of the work, the click clack of a computer keyboard replacing the sound of stiletto heels pacing the pavement.

Just how much illicit e-commerce is going on in the area is hard to measure. But after Fife drew attention to the issue recently when it passed an ordinance targeting online sex solicitation, we decided to set up an experiment to attempt to find out.

The Fife ordinance is the first in Washington to target Internet sex ads. And there are a lot of them. A quick check one day last week turned up more than 1,000 “escort” ads in the South Sound on one Web site, the free online bulletin board Craigslist.

Told of the large numbers of Internet solicitations we found, law enforcement agencies in other local jurisdictions said they’re aware of online flesh peddling, but have mainly chosen to target their limited resources at “real world” prostitutes who are disruptive to local businesses and residential neighborhoods.

Spokesman Lt. Dave Guttu said Lakewood police had done a couple of stings using Craigslist, but made relatively few arrests considering the time and manpower required.

“And there’s a lot of down time,” he said.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department tried a Craigslist operation, but also found it labor intensive, spokesman Ed Troyer said. With only limited funding for vice operations, such operations won’t be a priority in the future, he said.

Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said, “We get a lot more complaints about prostitution on the streets.”

Police in other jurisdictions have set up sting operations on Craigslist. In Seattle last year, officers using a covert ad arrested 71 people, including a bank officer and a surgeon. A recent Cook County, Ill., operation rounded up 60 women.

So what The News Tribune wondered was: How many people in the South Sound are using the Internet to find pay-for-play sex? |Read on|

What Do One Do On House Arrest?

2008-01-02T04:31:00.000-06:00

Ask Stan "Pampy" Barre, III. The expert crime offender who spends his days thinking up new schemes to lick the pros... between the legs.

Hey Stan..They do have prostitutes in New Orleans.

Crime Stories

2008-01-01T02:21:00.000-06:00

ALTHOUGH scores of them are published every year, mystery anthologies are harder to assemble than you might think. Maybe it was easier for 1920s editors who had to contend with a smaller, albeit rich, universe populated by Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle, among others, from the 19th and early 20th centuries. As the number of writers expanded, later anthologists narrowed their focus -- to the P.I. novel, the police procedural or standout work by women, gay and lesbian or African American crime writers.

But in recent years, mystery anthologies with original premises are like variations of those darned green bean casseroles -- there's only so far you can take them. Houghton Mifflin's annual "Best American Mystery Stories" are reliable exceptions as is small press Akashic Books' city-themed Noir series, including this year's "Los Angeles Noir," which gives readers a far-ranging, multicultural view of crime from Los Feliz to Belmont Shore. But after reading the fifth single-sport mystery collection or the detective anthology featuring White House pets (sad to say), a reader can become a little jaded. |Read more|

Strange Meanderings of a Psychopath

2007-12-31T05:02:00.001-06:00

This is what you get when you mix a prostitute and an idiot together. A strange dose of lemon pie.

New Year's Resolutions

2007-12-30T08:38:00.000-06:00

Sometimes the feds have New Years resolutions of their own. It is never too late to go after the bad guys. Bad boys, bad boys, what are you going to do when the feds come after you.

Willing To Forgive Infidelity

2007-12-29T04:34:00.000-06:00

When it comes to presidential candidates' extramarital affairs, Democrats -- at least in Iowa and New Hampshire -- are much more apt to be forgiving than Republicans.

According to a new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, 73% of Democrats who intend to go to Thursday's caucuses in Iowa and 72% of those planning to vote in the Jan. 8 primary in New Hampshire said learning that a candidate had an extramarital affair would have "no effect" on their support.

On the GOP side, 39% in Iowa and 52% in New Hampshire said a contender's infidelity wouldn't affect their support.

On the attack: The poll also found that Democrats in the two states thought Hillary Rodham Clinton had done the most negative campaigning among the major contenders in their party.

In New Hampshire, Clinton was rated the most negative by a wide margin; 40% said she led the way. John Edwards was next at 11%.

Among Republicans, Mitt Romney was regarded as the king of negativity in Iowa at 35%. None of the other candidates climbed into double figures.

In New Hampshire, none of the Republican candidates stood out as negative.

Trapped In The Cycle

2007-12-28T02:31:00.000-06:00

When a person is trapped in a cycle of drug addiction, how far will they go to live out their fantasy? Their fantasy can be so great where they find themselves becoming prostitutes or sleeping with prostitutes. It is sad, however, when a father risks his own health and the health of his children to perform oral sex acts on various prostitutes.

Christians Attacked At Christmas Time

2007-12-27T02:05:00.000-06:00

Christians across India's Orissa state were terrorized this Christmas season by hate groups opposed to the Gospel. Anti-Christian extremists attacked Gospel for Asia native missionary Matish Junni on December 23.

They also destroyed a newly-built GFA-related church building on Christmas Eve.

What Are Your Friends Reading?

2007-12-26T05:42:00.001-06:00

Google Reader has streamlined the process of tracking what your friends are reading by automatically adding their shared items to a new, aptly named, "Friend's Shared Items," option in the main menu of Reader. Of course you could already be subscribed to your friends' shared items via their public RSS feed, but the new features eliminate the need to manually add that information.

The friends are pulled from Google Talk (the chat component of Gmail) and once you’ve logged into Reader and looked over the change notice, you’ll see a new settings tab labeled “friends,” where you can see the new feeds you’re now subscribed to, along with an option to hide an individual’s feed.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T01:44:00.000-06:00

Will The Convicted Felon Provide More?

2007-12-24T07:26:00.000-06:00

Will convicted felon Stan "Pampy" Barre provide useful information?

In August, then-City Council President Oliver Thomas pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from Barré, who was seeking to hang onto a contract to manage a city-owned parking lot. Thomas was sentenced last month to 37 months in prison, a stretch that is set to begin Jan. 3.

Since the Thomas case has run its course, the government's request for an additional delay of Barré's sentence -- for a sixth time -- indicates the restaurateur has provided other information authorities have deemed useful. The motion says as much: Barré "is cooperating with the government regarding other matters under investigation, but not yet completed," it reads.

One lead known to be under investigation is Barré's assertion, made to authorities, that he helped deliver bribes from two local trash haulers to the husband of Orleans Parish School Board member Una Anderson.

Barré has told the government that Jimmie Woods of Metro Disposal Inc. and Alvin Richard of Richard's Disposal Inc. provided the money in exchange for Anderson's promise to support the award of a trash-collection contract to be shared by the two firms, according to sources close to the investigation.

What's On Your Holiday Reading List

2007-12-23T03:41:00.000-06:00

As the year comes to a close, it's time to look at some outstanding books published this year by Louisianians.

1. No One Knows the Son by James Cobb

2. Blink of an Eye by Rexanne Becnel

3. The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish by Elise Blackwell

4. Life in From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By

5. Louisiana Architecture 1840-1860 by Frederic O. Daspit

6. Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson

7. The exceptional Creole Houses: Traditional Homes of Old Louisiana (Abrams) by New Orleans' John H. Lawrence, with photos by Steve Gross and Sue Daley.

8. Landsmen by Peter Charles Melman

9. Skinny Brown Dog by Kimberly Willis Holt

10. Morbid Curiosity by Deborah LeBlanc

11. The Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke

12. New Orleans' Favorite Shotguns by Mary Fitzpatrick and Alex Lemann

Two fabulous cookbooks out this year were John Folse's encyclopedic tome, After the Hunt: Louisiana's Authoritative Collection of Wild Game & Game Fish Cookery, published by his Gonzales company and Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes From Susan Spicer's New Orleans by Susan Spicer with Paula Disbrowe (Knopf), a book as fun to read and mull over as it is for its recipes.

A coffee table beauty to savor is Richard Sexton's Terra Incognita: Photographs of America's Third Coast (Chronicle Books), which captures the Gulf Coast in brilliant black and white photos.

This list only mentions a few of the wonderful Louisiana books published this year, but perusing these titles will prove once again that this state owns some of the finest literary minds around.

Book news
Betsy Miguez, reference librarian and associate professor of library science at the UL's Dupré Library, has been appointed to the American Library Association's 2009 Newbery Award Committee, which will review and evaluate children's books published in 2008. The committee bestows Newbery awards to "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."

Investigative journalist Ethan Brown has sold his Katrina book The Goddess and the Suicide King, according to Publisher's Weekly. The book chronicles Zackery Bowen and Addie Hall as they live in the French Quarter through Katrina and its aftermath until Bowen commits a shocking murder-suicide. The couple was featured on the front page of the New York Times for their Katrina experiences.

Acadiana resident Cheré Coen is an author under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Visit her Web site at www.LouisianaBookNews.com and write her at bacoen@cox.net.

HarperCollins and Myspace Join Forces

2007-12-22T06:47:00.000-06:00

HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, has partnered with MySpace, the world's most popular social network, to launch MySpace/HarperTeen (www.myspace.com/harperteen), a customized interactive community for teen readers to connect with one another, read author blogs, interact on message boards and forums, learn about upcoming releases, post photos, and participate in HarperTeen contests, programs and online polls.

Beginning January 2008, HarperTeen authors will regularly interact with readers via the HarperTeen/MySpace site through author chats.

Advice

2007-12-21T05:20:00.000-06:00

It amazes me on the amount of advice on the web as to what constitutes a good blog post. Some have even suggested that you use 250 words or less. I tend to agree with my readers. Does it matter? If no one wants to read what you have to say, they won't read your posts. Advice: No tricks. We all have free will.

From The Critic

2007-12-20T09:53:00.000-06:00

A tidbit from blogcritics.

Philip Orbanes — the man who knows about all things Monopoly and the writer of The Monopoly Companion, a book primarily devoted to winning strategies for the game — is the perfect person to answer these questions. His book Monopoly: The World's Most Famous Game — And How It Got That Way is a rich history of this classic board game. He traces the game back to its earliest roots as The Landlord Game, which was created in 1903 as a way to teach students about progressive real estate tax policy.