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Tag: Theft

  • ‘This is a game changer’: Ahead of Amazon Prime Day, a new law makes it harder for online sellers to hawk fake or stolen products

    ‘This is a game changer’: Ahead of Amazon Prime Day, a new law makes it harder for online sellers to hawk fake or stolen products

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    Shopping online has just gotten safer.

    The INFORM Consumers Act, which went into effect Tuesday, aims to limit the sales of stolen and counterfeit products on e-commerce platforms. 

    The measure, which requires e-commerce sites to verify and disclose information about their high-volume third-party sellers, was passed into law following a lobbying campaign to address counterfeit products after being left out of the bipartisan Chips and Science Act last year.

    All online marketplaces, including eBay, Etsy, Poshmark and Amazon’s third-party sales platform, will now be required to collect information from high-volume sellers, defined as those selling 200 items or more totaling at least $5,000 over the previous 12 months. These third-party sellers must submit information such as a government-issued ID, a bank-account number, a working email address and phone number, and a taxpayer identification number. 

    Customers will also be able to find the verified contact information for bigger third-party sellers — those with sales of over $20,000 a year — and to get in touch with them outside of the e-commerce platform. In the past, consumers often had to engage within the platform operator in order to communicate with a seller. 

    Those bigger sellers will also have their full names and physical addresses listed on their product pages in addition to their contact information, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s business guide. 

    “This is a game changer,” said Teresa Murray, director of the consumer watchdog office at U.S. PIRG, a nonprofit that lobbies on behalf of the public interest. “For bad guys, stealing items has generally been the difficult part. Selling things online once you’ve stolen them is easy. We hope that with the INFORM Act, it’s not nearly as easy in the future.”

    “‘The only people opposing this may be thieves.’”


    — Teresa Murray, U.S. PIRG

    The act goes into effect just weeks before Amazon Prime Day, when the world’s biggest e-commerce site rolls out discounts for Prime members. This year, Prime Day will be held over two days, on July 11 and 12.

    Picks: Amazon Prime Day is July 11-12. You’ll need the $139-a-year Prime membership to access the deals, but is it actually worth it?

    Also see: Amazon sued by FTC, which alleges people were ‘tricked and trapped’ into Prime subscriptions

    Several e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and eBay, supported the INFORM Consumers Act. TechNet, a national network of technology CEOs and senior executives representing what it calls the innovation economy, wrote to leaders in Congress last December, saying the law would improve consumer safety and increase transparency. 

    In a statement provided to MarketWatch, eBay
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    +2.32%
    said it “fully supports transparency and is committed to a safe selling and buying experience for our customers. We were proud to support” the law “to protect consumers from bad actors who seek to misuse online marketplaces, while also ensuring important protections for sellers. We are fully prepared to comply with the new law.”

    Etsy
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    +3.45%
    said it “has long been supportive of the INFORM Act passing into law, as a balanced and thoughtful approach to make the ecommerce landscape safer for both consumers and sellers.” In a statement provided to MarketWatch, the company said, “We are taking appropriate steps to comply with the INFORM Act requirements.”

    Amazon
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    and Poshmark, owned by South Korea–based Naver Corp.
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    did not immediately respond to MarketWatch requests for comment.

    Some analysts, however, said the new law lacks stronger protections that were included the SHOP SAFE Act, an earlier bill that did not get passed by Congress. The INFORM Act, they noted, does not hold online platforms liable when a third party sells harmful counterfeit products or when the platform has not followed certain best practices. 

    “Notably, the legislation is supported by Amazon and other marketplaces as it’s seen as a watered-down bill that would head off more stringent legislation like the SHOP SAFE Act,” Ben Koltun, director of research at Beacon Policy Advisors, wrote in a note last year.

    So how can consumers spot counterfeit or stolen items? A guide from PIRG has tips, such as keeping an eye out for products with suspiciously low prices or featuring misspellings or mislabeling or low-quality, photoshopped photos in their listings.

    PIRG also cautions consumers about purchasing medications online. Always check the legitimacy of online pharmacies, it says. 

    “Many online marketplaces haven’t been doing enough to protect consumers from sellers who appear to be peddling stolen or counterfeit goods,” Murray said. “The only people opposing this [new law] may be thieves.”

    Victor Reklaitis contributed.

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  • Woman Demands Mother’s Remains After Father’s Donated Body Allegedly Stolen From Harvard

    Woman Demands Mother’s Remains After Father’s Donated Body Allegedly Stolen From Harvard

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    A woman is demanding the return of her mother’s remains after learning that her father’s body was stolen as part of an alleged gruesome theft ring at the Harvard Medical School morgue.

    According to The Boston Globe, Paula Peltonovich’s father, Nicholas Pichowicz, died in 2019 and had his body donated to Harvard Medical School. His wife, Joan Pichowicz, died in March, and her remains were also donated to the school.

    Harvard Medical School accepts such donations through its Anatomical Gift Program. The bodies are used for education and research purposes — a common practice in medical schools across the country. After the bodies are used, Harvard cremates the remains and either returns them to the families or sends them to a cemetery.

    “This is what they chose to do years ago,” Peltonovich told the Globe on Thursday. “They gave back to science.”

    But Peltonovich now believes her father’s body encountered a more grisly fate.

    Between 2018 and 2022, Harvard’s former morgue manager Cedric Lodge and his wife, Denise, allegedly stole and cut up donor cadavers from the medical school and sold parts of them ― including brains, heads and skin — to buyers in Massachusetts and other states.

    The body parts were allegedly bought by Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor and Mathew Lampi. Maclean allegedly purchased body parts from Lodge — including two dissected faces — to resell to buyers or in her Massachusetts shop, which largely sells macabre dolls and other oddities. Maclean also allegedly sent skin to suspect Jeremy Pauley to have it tanned to create leather. It is illegal to buy or sell human organs in the United States.

    On Wednesday, Cedric and Denise Lodge, along with Taylor, Lampi, Maclean and Pauley, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to the alleged trafficking scheme.

    After learning about the alleged theft ring on Wednesday, Peltonovich reached out to Harvard and was told that her father’s remains were among those stolen. The status of her mother’s body is unclear. But Peltonovich said she and her family want it back, if the institution still has it, so she can bury her mother.

    “It’s just unthinkable. There’s no words,” she told the Globe. “We were just disgusted. Sick, like we were going to throw up.”

    According to a Department of Justice press release, Lampi and Pauley allegedly sold and bought body parts from each other over a long period of time, exchanging over $100,000 in online payments. The federal indictment also alleged that Taylor sent 39 PayPal payments to Lodge for body parts between 2018 and 2021, totaling $37,355.56. The payments allegedly included a $1,000 transaction that read “head number 7,” and another with the note “braiiiiiins,” Vice reported.

    “The defendants violated the trust of the deceased and their families all in the name of greed,” FBI agent Jacqueline Maguire said in the press release on Wednesday. “While today’s charges cannot undo the unfathomable pain this heinous crime has caused, the FBI will continue to work tirelessly to see that justice is served.”

    Harvard released a statement following the indictment with the subject line “An abhorrent betrayal.”

    “We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus — a community dedicated to healing and serving others,” the statement read. “The reported incidents are a betrayal of HMS and, most importantly, each of the individuals who altruistically chose to will their bodies to HMS through the Anatomical Gift Program to advance medical education and research.”

    The school sent out letters on Wednesday to the next of kin of the donors who were found to have been affected, and vowed to examine its records and work with the U.S. Attorney’s office to continue identifying the victims.

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  • New York City goes after Hyundai, Kia after security flaw leads to wave of social media fueled theft

    New York City goes after Hyundai, Kia after security flaw leads to wave of social media fueled theft

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    New York City has filed a lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia, joining a host of other cities beset by a social media fueled wave of car thefts due to a flaw that made some car models highly susceptible to theft.

    Viral how-to videos on TikTok and other sites show how to start the cars using only USB cables and a screwdriver. The reason is that some models sold by Hyundai and Kia in the U.S. came without engine immobilizers, a standard feature on most cars since the 1990s that prevent the engine from starting unless the key is present.

    The lawsuit, which was filed with the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York late Tuesday, alleges that Hyundai Motor America and Kia America Inc. failed to keep up with other automakers by not adopting immobilizer technology that ensured cars could not be started without their keys.

    “Hyundai’s and Kia’s business decisions to reduce costs, and thereby boost profits, by foregoing common anti-theft technology have resulted in an epidemic of thefts,” the lawsuit states.

    The city claims the vehicle thefts are straining the resources of its police department, as well as negatively impacting public safety and emergency services.

    The New York City police department reports that about 287 Kias were stolen last year, compared with approximately 119 in 2021. Approximately 415 Hyundais were reported stolen in 2022, compared with 232 a year earlier. And the problem has continued, with an estimated 977 Hyundai and Kia vehicles reported stolen in the first four months of this year. There were only 148 such thefts in the same months last year.

    New York, the nation’s biggest city by population, joins a growing list of cities going after the carmakers following a raft of thefts, including Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego and Seattle.

    New York City, which is seeking a trial by jury, is requesting an order providing for abatement of the public nuisance Hyundai and Kia have created or contributed to, compensation for the economic losses suffered as a result of the nuisance and injunctive relief.

    Hyundai says it’s committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of its products.

    “A subset of Hyundai vehicles on the road in the U.S. today – primarily “base trim” or entry-level models – are not equipped with push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices. It is important to clarify that an engine immobilizer is an anti-theft device and these vehicles are fully compliant with federal anti-theft requirements,” the automaker said in a written statement.

    Hyundai made engine immobilizers standard on all of its vehicles made from November 2021 onward. The company also said that it’s speaking with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on the actions it is taking to assist its customers.

    “Lawsuits filed by municipalities against Kia are without merit. Like all Kia vehicles, these specific models are subject to and comply fully with the requirements outlined in applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, including FMVSS 114 that governs theft protection measures,” Kia said in a prepared statement.

    The company said it has been working with law enforcement agencies in New York City to combat car theft and the role social media has played in encouraging it.

    “We remain committed to supporting our customers and to vehicle security,” Kia said.

    Last month Hyundai and Kia reached a settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit prompted by a surge in vehicle thefts.

    The settlement could be valued at $200 million and covers about 9 million 2011-2022 model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the U.S., the companies said at the time.

    The settlement will provide cash compensation to customers who suffered theft-related losses or damage not covered by insurance — as well as reimbursement for insurance deductibles, increased insurance premiums and other losses, Kia and Hyundai said.

    A software upgrade will also be provided to eligible owners. For customers with vehicles that cannot accommodate the software upgrade, the agreement will provide a reimbursement of up to $300 for anti-theft devices.

    Kia and Hyundai have also given impacted customers tens of thousands of free steering wheel locks through local law enforcement and direct shipments, the companies said.

    That proposed settlement is expected to be reviewed in court for preliminary approval in July.

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  • Browns defensive players robbed of jewelry, vehicle by masked men in downtown stickup

    Browns defensive players robbed of jewelry, vehicle by masked men in downtown stickup

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    BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski expressed relief that two of his defensive players were not physically harmed while being robbed at gunpoint by six masked men outside a downtown nightclub.

    According to Cleveland Police, the players had jewelry and a truck taken during the early morning stickup.

    Police redacted the names of the players in a field case report. However, a person familiar with the situation identified the players as cornerback Greg Newsome II and tackle Perrion Winfrey. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

    The Browns opened mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. After the workout, Stefanski said he has spoken to Chief Wayne Drummond.

    “I’m glad our guys are OK,” he said. “I want all of our community to be safe. The Cleveland Police have been outstanding. We want everybody to be safe and we want to get violent people off of our streets.”

    Stefanski did not reveal the players’ names.

    According to the report, one of the players was returning to his truck in a parking lot at 3:30 a.m. Monday when the masked suspects jumped out of a car and robbed him of jewelry before fleeing in his vehicle. The player told police he was not injured.

    Newsome, a starting cornerback drafted by the Browns in the first round in 2021 from Northwestern, posted Monday night, “It’s a cruel world we live in” on Twitter.

    All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said he spoke to both Newsome and Winfrey, offering his support.

    “I’m just glad to see they’re all right,” he said. “Just making sure they’re in the right head space, they feel like they’re surrounded by family and letting them know that anything that they need, we’re the perfect resource for them and we have their back with whatever happens.

    “We’re just going to try to make sure that none of our guys are ever in that situation again and how we can help, we’re going to do that. But I’m just glad to see them safe and sound with us and still walking around. Still blessed to this day no matter what happens, still able to wake up in the morning and just glad to that we still have them here.”

    Newsome was on the field as the Browns opened their three-day minicamp, while there was no sign of Winfrey, a former Oklahoma defensive tackle arrested in April on a misdemeanor assault charge in Texas.

    In a separate incident, Browns running back Demetric Felton had his vehicle stolen from a downtown parking garage on Sunday.

    Garrett has been outspoken about his fondness for Cleveland and said the incidents have not changed his feelings about the city.

    “It shows that me, my team, all of us here at the Browns have more work to do in the community,” he said. “There’s more that we can do here. There’s still more lessons that we need to give each other, because it’s not just one side or another side. Things like this happen because of so many different actions that led up to that.”

    ___

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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  • Malaysia detains Chinese barge on suspicion of looting WWII British warship wrecks

    Malaysia detains Chinese barge on suspicion of looting WWII British warship wrecks

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    Malaysia’s maritime agency says it has detained a Chinese-registered vessel on suspicion of looting two British warship wrecks in the South China Sea

    This undated photo released by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Monday, May 29, 2023, show scrap metal and an old cannon shell on a Chinese-registered vessel after detained by MMEA in the waters of east Johor. Malaysia’s maritime agency said Monday it found a cannon shell believed to be from World War II on a Chinese-registered vessel and was investigating if the barge carrier was involved in the looting of two British warship wrecks in the South China Sea. (Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency via AP)

    The Associated Press

    KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s maritime agency said Monday it found a cannon shell believed to be from World War II on a Chinese-registered vessel and was investigating if the barge carrier was involved in the looting of two British warship wrecks in the South China Sea.

    Malaysian media reported that illegal salvage operators were believed to have targeted the HMS Repulse and the HMS Prince of Wales, which were sunk in 1941 by Japanese torpedoes, days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

    A total of 842 sailors perished, and the shipwrecks off the coast of central Pahang state are designated war graves. Fishermen and divers alerted authorities after spotting a foreign vessel near the area last month.

    The agency said it detained the vessel registered in Fuzhou, China, on Sunday for anchoring without a permit off southern Johor state. It said there were 32 crew members aboard, including 21 Chinese, 10 from Bangladesh and a Malaysian.

    The agency said officials from the National Heritage Department and others will work together to identify the cannon shell.

    Britain’s National Museum of the Royal Navy last week said it was “distressed and concerned at the apparent vandalism for personal profit.”

    The maritime agency said it believed the rusty cannon shell was linked to the police seizure of dozens of unexploded artillery and other relics at a private scrapyard in Johor. The New Straits Times newspaper reported that the ammunitions were believed to be from the warships and that police conducted an on-site controlled explosion of the weapons.

    Pictures and a video released by the agency showed a barge carrier with a large crane and heaps of rusty metal on board. Known as pre-war steel, the material from the two warships is valuable and could be smelted for use in manufacturing of some scientific and medical equipment.

    It was not the first time that the two shipwrecks were targeted.

    The New Straits Times reported that foreign treasure hunters used homemade explosives in 2015 to detonate the heavy steel plates on the ships for easy pickings. Other media said authorities detained a Vietnamese vessel involved in the looting of the wreckage at the time.

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  • Indiana funeral director pleads guilty to 40 theft counts after decomposing bodies found

    Indiana funeral director pleads guilty to 40 theft counts after decomposing bodies found

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    The director of a southern Indiana funeral home where 31 decomposing bodies and 17 cremains were found has pleaded guilty to more than 40 counts of felony theft

    JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — The director of a southern Indiana funeral home where 31 decomposing bodies and the cremains of 17 others were found pleaded guilty Friday to more than 40 counts of felony theft.

    Randy Lankford, owner of Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, faces a proposed sentence of 12 years: four years in prison and eight years of home incarceration, Clark County Circuit Court Judge N. Lisa Glickfield said.

    Lankford was charged with theft for failing to complete the funeral services he was paid for, and must also pay restitution to 53 families totaling $46,000.

    Lankford was released to home incarceration following the hearing. A formal sentencing hearing is planned for June 23.

    Jeffersonville Police began investigating the funeral home early last July after the county coroner’s office reported a strong odor emanating from the building. The unrefrigerated bodies were found in various states of decomposition, and some had been at the funeral home since March.

    Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull said the many charges against Lankford and existing court backups from the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the process. He said he felt the state’s move to eliminate about half of the counts will grant the most immediate form of relief.

    “We wanted to get justice for these families,” he said.

    Derrick Kessinger attended Friday’s court hearing. He said he trusted Lankford while the remains of three loved ones sat inside the funeral home.

    “It’s been tough, but I do forgive him for what he did,” Kessinger said. “I hope he can find forgiveness.”

    Kessinger eventually received the cremains.

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  • Indiana funeral director pleads guilty to 40 theft counts after decomposing bodies found

    Indiana funeral director pleads guilty to 40 theft counts after decomposing bodies found

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    The director of a southern Indiana funeral home where 31 decomposing bodies and 17 cremains were found has pleaded guilty to more than 40 counts of felony theft

    JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — The director of a southern Indiana funeral home where 31 decomposing bodies and the cremains of 17 others were found pleaded guilty Friday to more than 40 counts of felony theft.

    Randy Lankford, owner of Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, faces a proposed sentence of 12 years: four years in prison and eight years of home incarceration, Clark County Circuit Court Judge N. Lisa Glickfield said.

    Lankford was charged with theft for failing to complete the funeral services he was paid for, and must also pay restitution to 53 families totaling $46,000.

    Lankford was released to home incarceration following the hearing. A formal sentencing hearing is planned for June 23.

    Jeffersonville Police began investigating the funeral home early last July after the county coroner’s office reported a strong odor emanating from the building. The unrefrigerated bodies were found in various states of decomposition, and some had been at the funeral home since March.

    Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull said the many charges against Lankford and existing court backups from the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the process. He said he felt the state’s move to eliminate about half of the counts will grant the most immediate form of relief.

    “We wanted to get justice for these families,” he said.

    Derrick Kessinger attended Friday’s court hearing. He said he trusted Lankford while the remains of three loved ones sat inside the funeral home.

    “It’s been tough, but I do forgive him for what he did,” Kessinger said. “I hope he can find forgiveness.”

    Kessinger eventually received the cremains.

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  • Prosecutor: Trio convicted of murder in fatal shooting of former Indiana U football player

    Prosecutor: Trio convicted of murder in fatal shooting of former Indiana U football player

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    Three people have been convicted in the fatal shooting of a former Indiana University football player who was gunned down during unrest in Indianapolis following the death of George Floyd

    FILE – In this June 12, 2020 file photo, a mourner signs a tribute wall during a memorial service for former Indiana University football player Chris Beaty in Indianapolis. Three people have been convicted in the fatal shooting of a former Indiana University football player who was gunned down during unrest in Indianapolis following the death of George Floyd. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy File)

    The Associated Press

    INDIANAPOLIS — Three people have been convicted in the fatal shooting of a former Indiana University player who was gunned down during unrest in Indianapolis following the death of George Floyd.

    Marcus Anderson, Alijah Jones and Nakeyah Shields were found guilty of murder and multiple counts of armed robbery, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced Friday.

    Businessman Chris Beaty, 38, was shot and killed May 30, 2020 as he walked through an alley near his apartment building during violence that followed protests over Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

    Beaty played for three state championship-winning teams at Indianapolis Cathedral High School before going on to play for Indiana University. He was known to some as Mr. Indianapolis because of his unwavering support and enthusiasm for the city.

    “Chris tragically lost his life while caring for others and his city,” Mears said. “His death was felt by many throughout Indianapolis, Bloomington, and beyond. In a time of unrest and doubt, his legacy inspired many to live each day to the fullest, look out for others, and to do the right thing.”

    Anderson, Jones and Shields are scheduled to be sentenced June 21. They were indicted by two grand juries after months of investigations into events that occurred prior to Beaty’s slaying. Six robberies or attempted robberies were committed before Beaty was shot.

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  • Father-Son Duo to Serve Time for $20 Million Lottery Scheme | Entrepreneur

    Father-Son Duo to Serve Time for $20 Million Lottery Scheme | Entrepreneur

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    A father and son had their day in court after a decade of lying and scheming to defraud the Massachusetts State Lottery – illegally claiming more than $20 million in lottery winnings to avoid federal taxes.

    Ali Jaafar, 63, was sentenced to five years in prison, and his son, Yousef, 29, will serve 50 months for “unlawfully” claiming more than 14,000 winning lottery tickets in a “ten-percenting” scheme involving multiple convenience stores across the state from 2011 to June 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a press release. The scam resulted in $6 million in federal tax losses.

    The Jaafars purchase winning lottery tickets at a discount from people who wanted to avoid having to identify themselves — lottery winners in the state are legally required to identify themselves to collect their winnings. This allowed the winners to dodge any outstanding tax or child support payments, which are deducted from the prize money if owed, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

    RELATED: A Florida Woman Was Scammed Out $11,000 By People Claiming to be Arizona Lottery Winners. Now She Wants Justice.

    The scammers would pay convenience stores for leads on winners and then lie to the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission to claim winnings on their behalf. The Commission is set to revoke or suspend more than 40 licensed lottery agents as a “direct result of this case,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy in a press release. “This case is, at its core, an elaborate tax fraud.”

    “Instead of using business savvy and skill to build a legitimate multi-generational family business, the Jaafars carried out a complex decade-long tax and lottery scam, building a vast network of coconspirators to further their illegal activities. Tax violations have been erroneously referred to as victimless crimes, but it’s the honest law-abiding citizen who is harmed when someone tries to manipulate our nation’s tax system,” said Joleen Simpson, special agent in charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigations in Boston, in the release.

    Ali, his other son Mohamed (who’s awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service in November), and Yousef have been some of the highest individual ticket cashers in the state for years.

    “This case should serve as a warning to those who think they can cheat the system for their own financial gain: you will be identified, prosecuted and held accountable,” Levy said.

    RELATED: This Retired Mathematician Won $26 Million From State Lotteries … Legally

    In addition to defrauding the Commission, the Jaafars would then report their winnings on their income tax returns as fake gambling losses, which allowed the family members to avoid federal income taxes and pocket fraudulent tax refunds totaling $1.2 million.

    Ali and Yousef were convicted by a federal jury in December for one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both were also hit with one count each of filing a false tax return. They were ordered to forfeit their profits from the scheme and pay $6,082,578 in restitution.

    “The outcome of this case sends a clear message that anyone complicit in the avoidance of financial obligations through fraudulent Lottery prize claims faces real and severe consequences,” said Mark William Bracken, interim executive director of the Massachusetts State Lottery, in a statement.

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    Sam Silverman

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  • Authorities capture 1 inmate who escaped Ohio prison, but convicted murderer still on the lam

    Authorities capture 1 inmate who escaped Ohio prison, but convicted murderer still on the lam

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    Authorities say one of two inmates who escaped from an Ohio prison has been captured in Kentucky after a police pursuit of a stolen car the men were believed to be in ended in a crash and a foot chase

    This combo made from photos provided by Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction shows from left, Bradley Gillespie and James Lee. One of two inmates who escaped from an Ohio prison was captured early Wednesday, May 24, 2023 in Kentucky after a police pursuit of a stolen car the men were believed to be in ended in a crash and a foot chase, authorities said. Lee was captured at the scene but Gillespie remained at large. (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction via AP)

    The Associated Press

    LIMA, Ohio — One of two inmates who escaped from an Ohio prison was captured early Wednesday in Kentucky after a police pursuit of a stolen car the men were believed to be in ended in a crash and a foot chase, authorities said.

    James Lee, 47, was captured at the scene but Bradley Gillespie, 50, remained at large. Gillespie has been imprisoned since 2016 for murder, while Lee was serving a sentence he received in 2021 for burglary and safecracking.

    The two men were reported missing from the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima, Ohio on Tuesday, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Lee was discovered missing during a prisoner count at 11 a.m. Tuesday, prompting an emergency prisoner count that revealed Gillespie was also missing. Authorities later determined the two men were last seen on surveillance video inside the facility just after 8:40 a.m. Monday.

    Allen County Sheriff Matthew Treglia said officials believe the two inmates had been traveling together but did not provide further details.

    The vehicle chase in Henderson, Kentucky, began around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday when officers spotted a car the men were believed to be traveling in and tried to stop it. A chase ensued and the crash occurred a short time later. Both inmates then fled the scene on foot.

    Residents in the area were being told to keep their doors locked while authorities searched for Gillespie. They were urged to call 911 if they spotted him or had information regarding his whereabouts.

    The Ohio State Highway Patrol is leading the investigation into the escape.

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  • Kia, Hyundai settle class-action lawsuit after a rash of thefts due to security flaw

    Kia, Hyundai settle class-action lawsuit after a rash of thefts due to security flaw

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    Hyundai Motor America and Kia America say they have reached a settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit prompted by a surge in vehicle thefts

    FILE – A line of 2022 Santa Fe SUV’s sit outside a Hyundai dealership Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Littleton, Colo. Hyundai Motor America and Kia America will resolve class-action lawsuit prompted by a surge in vehicle thefts with a settlement agreement that could be valued at $200 million, the automakers announced Friday, May 19, 2023. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

    The Associated Press

    WASHINGTON — Hyundai Motor America and Kia America said Friday they have reached a settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit prompted by a surge in vehicle thefts.

    The settlement could be valued at $200 million and covers about 9 million 2011-2022 model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the U.S., the companies said.

    The cars are not equipped with push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices. That has allowed thieves to easily steal them using just a screwdriver and a USB cord, creating a recent rash of auto thefts across the country.

    The settlement will provide cash compensation to customers who suffered theft-related losses or damage not covered by insurance — as well as reimbursement for insurance deductibles, increased insurance premiums and other losses, Kia and Hyundai said.

    A software upgrade will also be provided to eligible owners. For customers with vehicles that cannot accommodate the software upgrade, the agreement will provide a reimbursement of up to $300 for anti-theft devices.

    Kia and Hyundai have also given impacted customers tens of thousands of free steering wheel locks through local law enforcement and direct shipments, the companies said.

    The total settlement amount will depend on how many customers participate.

    “Hyundai and Kia failed to sell cars equipped with fundamental anti-theft features, and that was not a victimless act,” attorney Elizabeth A. Fegan of Fegan Scott, one of the law firms representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement. “We are pleased with the settlement reached and its immediate ability to hinder thieves, as well as compensate victims of thefts that have already occurred.”

    The proposed settlement is expected to be reviewed in court for preliminary approval in July.

    The wave of Hyundai and Kia thefts began in 2021 and spread nationally, with a spike last summer, fueled by instructional videos posted on TikTok and other social media sites. Some police departments report continued thefts despite the automakers’ unveiling of anti-theft software nearly three months ago.

    Both Jason Erb, Hyundai Motor North America’s chief legal officer, and John Yoon, Kia America’s chief legal officer, stressed that the companies are committed to customer safety.

    “We appreciate the opportunity to provide additional support for our owners who have been impacted by increasing and persistent criminal activity targeting our vehicles,” Erb said.

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  • Man indicted in theft of ‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland

    Man indicted in theft of ‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland

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    A man has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of stealing a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz,” federal prosecutors in North Dakota say. The shoes were stolen in 2005 and recovered by a 2018 FBI sting operation, but no arrests were made at the time.

    Terry Martin was indicted Tuesday with one count of theft of a major artwork, prosecutors announced Wednesday. The indictment did not provide any further information about Martin and online records do not list an attorney for him.

    Garland wore several pairs of the ruby slippers during production of the 1939 musical, but only four authentic pairs remain. When they were stolen, the slippers were insured for $1 million but the current market value is about $3.5 million, federal prosecutors said in a news release.

    The slippers were on loan to the Judy Garland Museum in the late actor’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, when someone climbed through a window and broke the display case, prosecutors said when they were recovered.

    Over the years, several enticing rewards were offered in hopes that the slippers would turn up. Law enforcement offered $250,000 early in the case, and an anonymous donor from Arizona put up $1 million in 2015.

    The road to the missing slippers began when a man told the shoes’ insurer in 2017 that he could help get them back. After a nearly year-long investigation, the FBI nabbed the shoes in Minneapolis in July 2018. At the time, the bureau said no one has been arrested or charged in the case.

    On Wednesday, a summons was issued for Martin. An initial court appearance was set for June 1, and it will be via video. Terry Van Horn, spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department in North Dakota, said he could not provide any information beyond what was included in the indictment.

    The shoes are famously associated with one of the iconic lines in “The Wizard of Oz,” as Garland’s character Dorothy clicks her heels and repeats the phrase, “There’s no place like home.”

    The shoes are made from about a dozen different materials, including wood pulp, silk thread, gelatin, plastic and glass. Most of the ruby color comes from sequins but the bows of the shoes contain red glass beads.

    When they were stolen, the slippers were on loan from Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw. The three remaining pairs Garland wore in the movie were held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Smithsonian, and a private collector.

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  • ‘Outraged’ letter carriers demand action to stop robberies

    ‘Outraged’ letter carriers demand action to stop robberies

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    PORTLAND, Maine — Postal carriers have more worries than snow, rain or the gloom of night keeping them from their appointed rounds. They’re increasingly being robbed, often at gunpoint, from Maine to California.

    Robberies of postal carriers have exploded, surging 78% to nearly 500 in 2022, according to data provided by U.S. Postal Inspection Service to The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act.

    Letter carriers are demanding action from the U.S. Postal Service.

    “The National Association of Letter Carriers is outraged and angered by the assaults, armed robberies and even murders that America’s letter carriers increasingly face as they deliver the mail. These attacks are completely unacceptable,” said Paul Barner, the union’s executive vice president.

    The Postal Service said it’s adapting and implementing new measures to address the robberies, which are taking a toll on letter carriers tasked with delivering about 162.1 million pieces of first-class mail each day.

    “Every postal employee deserves to work in safety and to be free from targeting by criminals seeking to access the public’s mail,” said Michael Martel, spokesperson for the inspection service.

    The robberies have more than quadrupled over a decade, the data show. Weapons were used in most of the 496 robberies, injuring 31 postal carriers, last year. One, Milwaukee letter carrier Aundre Cross, was shot to death, leading to three arrests.

    “They definitely need some type of security,” said Cross’s friend, Jared Tangle. “They need someone watching their back, so they can do their jobs safely.”

    Many of these criminals are becoming more sophisticated and organized. Some are targeting the special keys that carriers use to access collection boxes and to deliver mail in apartment buildings.

    A case this January north of Boston was typical. A letter carrier in Peabody was on his route when a 20-year-old man told him, “Give me your keys” and “Hurry up or I’ll shoot you” while pointing a semi-automatic handgun at the carrier, law enforcement officials said. The assailant fled but was later arrested.

    In March, a postal carrier was slashed with a machete in Lowell, Massachusetts. That assailant also was located and arrested.

    The Postal Service leadership is preparing to announce more measures to address the problem, USPS spokesperson Dave Partenheimer said.

    Already, the service is working to enhance collection box key and lock technology; implement dual authentication to make keys less attractive targets for criminals; and “harden” blue collection boxes to prevent tampering, while continuing to work closely with other law enforcement agencies to bring the criminals to justice, Partenheimer said.

    Partenheimer added Monday that the USPS is in the process of briefing congressional committees on its responses to postal crime.

    Theft of mail carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, and possession, concealment or disposal of property carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, Martel said. Assault carries a sentence of up to 10 years for a first offense, and up to 25 years for a subsequent offense, he said.

    “We will continue to adapt to evolving security threats and implement expanded measures to safeguard our employees and preserve the security of the mail that our customers expect and deserve,” Partenheimer said.

    But Barner said letter carriers “demand solutions now.”

    “While we will continue to engage with the Postal Service and relevant law enforcement agencies to develop measures that will enhance the safety of letter carriers, the fear and the danger that letter carriers are confronting has to end,” Barner’s statement said.

    ___

    Follow David Sharp on Twitter @David_Sharp_AP

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  • US joins UN in suspending food aid to Ethiopia’s Tigray

    US joins UN in suspending food aid to Ethiopia’s Tigray

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    ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The United States aid agency says it has suspended all food assistance to the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray “until further notice” while it investigates the theft of humanitarian supplies. The U.N. confirmed earlier reports that it was doing the same.

    USAID Administrator Samantha Power said that her group has “uncovered that food aid, intended for the people of Tigray suffering under famine-like conditions, was being diverted and sold on the local market.”

    After discovering food was missing, the agency alerted its inspector general, who launched an investigation. “Following this review, USAID determined, in coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa and our implementing partners, that a temporary pause in food aid was the best course of action,” Power said in a statement.

    She added that USAID has raised its concerns with Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigray authorities.

    Nearly all of Tigray’s 6 million people rely on food aid, after two years of civil war and government-imposed restrictions on humanitarian relief pushed parts of the region to the brink of famine.

    The war ended in November with a cease-fire, which also saw aid deliveries resume.

    It was unclear who was responsible for the theft of the food aid and how much was taken. Last month, AP reported the missing supplies included enough food to feed 100,000 people, taken from a warehouse in the Tigray city of Sheraro.

    The U.N.’s World Food Program in Ethiopia told its partners on April 20 that it had suspended deliveries of food to Tigray. Late Wednesday, the agency confirmed the suspension, which was first reported by AP. It said food relief efforts “will not resume until WFP can ensure that vital aid will reach its intended recipients.”

    Getachew Reda, the interim president of Tigray, said he had formed a task force ”to prevent and investigate crimes committed in relation to humanitarian aid and enforce the supremacy of the law.”

    He called the diversions of aid “a double injustice and crime that is being done to children, elderly and disabled (people) who are suffering from starvation and sickness.”

    The U.S. is the biggest single humanitarian donor to Ethiopia, providing $1.8 billion in humanitarian assistance to the country in the 2022 fiscal year, according to USAID.

    In addition to civil conflict, the country is also struggling with a prolonged drought.

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  • Man convicted of killing mom of 2 New Mexico police officers

    Man convicted of killing mom of 2 New Mexico police officers

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    A Mexican national has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2019 slaying of the mother of two state police officers in a case that drew national attention and spotlighted Albuquerque’s struggle with crime

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Mexican national was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday in the 2019 slaying of the mother of two state police officers in a case that drew national attention and spotlighted Albuquerque’s struggle with crime.

    Jurors also found Luis Talamantes-Romero, 35, guilty of eight other felonies in the death of Jacqueline Vigil, who authorities say was killed outside her northwest Albuquerque home in an attempted burglary.

    Vigil, 55, was shot in her driveway in November 2019 as she prepared to leave for a gym.

    The case went unsolved for months, drawing the attention of then-President Donald Trump as he pushed his tough-on-crime agenda. Vigil’s family also traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with Trump.

    Prosecutors said Talamantes-Romero also was convicted of aggravated burglary, attempted armed robbery, tampering with evidence, conspiracy and other charges.

    They said a man who was with Talamantes-Romero when Vigil was shot agreed to testify against him as a condition of his plea agreement with the state on charges unrelated to the murder.

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  • 5 indicted in NY for scheme to drug, kill and rob men

    5 indicted in NY for scheme to drug, kill and rob men

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    NEW YORK — Julio Ramirez, a 25-year-old social worker, died in a taxi of an overdose last April after leaving a bar in Manhattan with a group of men. Relatives grew suspicious when they discovered money missing from his bank account.

    A month later, John Umberger was found dead in a townhouse after leaving a nightclub so incapacitated that he had to be helped by several companions, police say.

    Umberger’s family suspected foul play, doubting that the 33-year-old political consultant visiting New York City from Washington, D.C., would have purposely taken a lethal dose of drugs. Suspicions heightened when his bank account, too, appeared to have been drained.

    A grand jury indictment unsealed Tuesday names five men in connection to the drugging deaths of Ramirez and Umberger as part of a criminal operation to steal money. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said the group targeted men at bars and clubs — befriending them and then plying them with potent and dangerous drugs. When their victims became incapacitated, they were robbed of their wallets and cellphones, which were used to make purchases and digitally siphon money from their bank accounts.

    The medical examiner’s office last month ruled both deaths were the result of “drug-facilitated thefts” and homicides. Lab tests showed both men had fentanyl, cocaine and lidocaine, among other substances, in their systems when they died.

    “There were numerous victims in this pattern of crimes,” said NY Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell during a Tuesday news conference announcing the arrest of five suspects wanted in connection with the operation that led to the men’s deaths.

    “They were targeted for robberies, and many of the victims are from our LGBTQIA-plus community,” Sewell said.

    The grand jury indictment unsealed Tuesday charged Jayqwan Hamilton, 35; Robert Demaio, 34; Jacob Barroso, 29; Andre Butts, 27; and Shane Hoskins, 30, for robbery and conspiracy to commit the robberies. All were charged with identity theft and grand larceny.

    Hamilton and Demaio were charged with two counts of murder, while Barroso was charged with one murder count.

    A sixth defendant, Eddie Ashley, who had been previously arrested, was separately indicted in connection with a single robbery incident.

    “Their motive, we allege, was simple: To make money,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said.

    “They approached people, leaving bars and nightclubs late at night, engaged them in conversation and offered them illicit and dangerous substances,” Bragg said. “The defendants use these substances as weapons to incapacitate their victims, giving them an opportunity to steal their phones and credit cards in the subsequent hours and days after each incident.”

    The alleged crimes did not appear to specifically target gay men, Bragg said. However, the neighborhood where the criminal enterprise focused attacks has a high concentration of LGBTQ+ residents.

    Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, said he recognized the heightened anxiety being felt by some of the city’s residents.

    “We want to send a message to our LGBT community that we understood the trauma that you experienced during this time,” he said, adding that authorities will “investigate any potentiality of a hate-crime component to this.”

    Police say they have identified at least five killings, including Umberger and Ramirez, attributed to different groups that while using similar tactics, seemed to be operating independently.

    Not all victims were gay men, officials said.

    In March 2022, Nurbu Sherpa, a 29-year-old chef, was found dead on the sidewalk after leaving a bar where he had been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. The Manhattan district attorney said at least one suspect has been charged in Sherpa’s killing and that of Ardijan Berisha, 26, who had passed out on a sidewalk with a friend in July after drinking at a bar on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

    Other men have since come forward with stories about being drugged by strangers and waking up to find money gone. Police urged others to report similar incidents.

    Chief of Detectives James Essig said investigators have looked into 17 similar incidents between September 2021 and August 2022, when men were befriended in bars or nightclubs and offered narcotics or marijuana.

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  • Employee Theft is More Common Than You Think. This is What You Should Do About It. | Entrepreneur

    Employee Theft is More Common Than You Think. This is What You Should Do About It. | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Are you a fan of chicken wings? So much so that you’d be willing to drop $1.5 million on the stuff?

    According to a CBS News report, Vera Liddell — a former director of food services at a school district in suburban Chicago — was. She purchased, yes, $1.5 million worth of wings from July 2020 until February 2022 — placing hundreds of unauthorized orders, which were then paid for by the district and then received by her. Authorities are still investigating the scheme, but it’s obvious that Liddell — assuming she’s guilty — likely sold the wings for a profit.

    How did the scheme get uncovered? A $300,000 budget overage caught the eye of accountants. Oh, and someone noticed that the school district doesn’t even serve chicken wings.

    The theft of so many chicken wings may be a little unusual. But fraud at a business certainly isn’t. Almost every day, you can read reports about how employees are stealing from their employers.

    There’s the legal secretary in New Jersey that allegedly wrote more than $184,000 in checks from her firm’s account for her friends and family. Or the procurement manager at a New York business that has been accused by the FBI of creating fraudulent invoices that directed payment into his personal account. Or the human resources manager at a small manufacturer in Pennsylvania who gave herself raises and also spent thousands of dollars of her employer’s money using the firm’s credit card. There’s the financial manager of a Minnesota-based property management company who embezzled more than $1 million from company funds. And the director of accounting services who stole more than $2 million from her employer and used it for trips and other personal expenses.

    Related: I Know How To Easily Steal Money From Your Company’s Bank Account

    There’s the employee at a small bank who created and paid himself with cashier’s checks using forged signatures. Or the office manager at a law firm in Rhode Island that walked away with hundreds of thousands of dollars in firm funds. Or the employee at a Florida beer distributor that tampered with the company’s accounts receivable system to steal more than $300,000. Or the bookkeeper of a Delaware nonprofit who stole more than $2.6 million over a 25-year period.

    It doesn’t really matter to you and me why these people did these things. And it doesn’t really matter how. What really matters is when.

    Like many cases of fraud, these incidents — and countless others — happened over a period of time and were ultimately discovered long after the money disappeared. And although prosecuting these people may provide some psychological relief to the business owners who were victims they’re still out of pocket. The money stolen over all those years has been spent. Some of it may be reclaimed. But most of it is long gone. You don’t want this happening. So what should you do to prevent this kind of thing from happening before it happens? Well, there are a few things.

    For starters, you don’t put one person in control of everything. You segregate duties. Entering a customer invoice into your accounting system and inputting cash received should be done by two different people. The same goes for the payables side. If three people were ordering, receiving and paying for those chicken wings, it’s likely that one of them would have questioned why the school district was buying chicken wings, let alone why there wasn’t any buffalo sauce included. You should also have an outside person — an hourly financial temp worker — do your bank reconciliations.

    Your open accounts receivable report — and financial statements — should be closely reviewed every month by someone other than your accounting staff. That’s you. And while you’re at it, ask your bookkeeper to print out your monthly general ledger activity and take an hour out to read it. It’s not exactly pulp fiction, but your general ledger is basically the financial diary of your business and the devil’s always in the details. Identify and investigate any transaction that seems unfamiliar or unusual. Hopefully, you’ll get reasonable answers, but there’s always a chance you won’t.

    Related: How to Reduce the Risk of Fraudsters Accessing Your Business and Personal Bank Accounts

    Oversight is critical. A police friend of mine once told me that to perform the perfect crime you can’t include anyone else because once more people get involved it’s no longer perfect. The same goes for accounting.

    Another important tactic is to require that everyone — particularly anyone who deals with your money — takes a vacation. When someone is out of the office, and someone fills in for that person, you’re not only making sure that there’s cross-training, but it’s very likely that the fill-in will stumble on something unusual if something unusual is happening. The more frequent vacation is required — at least twice per year — the more you potentially limit the amount of time a fraud could take place. You don’t need workaholics. You need your money.

    It’s also important that you have a formal process for disbursing funds. That means getting written approval from multiple people for transactions over a certain amount. The approvals can come using an electronic signing platform, or you can ask your accounting software provider. Yes, even this type of procedure can be circumvented by the wily bookkeeper. But putting these controls in place and sticking to them will pick up anything significant and at the very minimum send a message to all employees that you have a control system and deem it important.

    Finally, get insurance and get your financial employees bonded. Make sure you have coverage for theft and business loss or interruption that’s caused by theft. This kind of insurance is relatively inexpensive so buy a lot of it.

    As business owners, the problem we all have is we trust too much. We are generally optimistic souls who believe that people wouldn’t harm us. But that’s not really true, is it? If you don’t believe me, I’ve got a few thousand pounds of chicken wings to sell if you’re interested.

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    Gene Marks

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  • Jurors never heard of accomplice letter in death row case

    Jurors never heard of accomplice letter in death row case

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    MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Sixteen years after David Phillip Wilson was sentenced to death for killing a man during a 2004 burglary, the state of Alabama turned over a letter allegedly written by an accomplice saying she was the one that beat the victim with a bat until he fell.

    A federal judge last month ordered the Alabama attorney’s general’s office to turn over a copy of the letter, noting the jurors never got a chance to hear about it even though prosecutors possessed the letter before Wilson’s trial and believed it to be authentic. The judge said while it’s “plausible” Wilson might still have been convicted and sentenced to death, the letter must be turned over to determine its importance.

    “The jury was not told that an accomplice of petitioner’s who admitted entering (the victim’s) home also claimed that she beat the victim with a baseball bat while he was alive,” U.S. District Keith Watkins wrote in the March 27 court order.

    A portion of the letter was turned over to Wilson’s new attorney last month after a lengthy legal battle that unfolded over several years as they seek to win him a new trial. The Alabama attorney general’s office argued in court filings that Wilson knew about the letter’s contents since before his trial and that it did not exonerate him since Wilson told investigators he also hit the man and put an extension cord around his neck. Wilson’s new attorney argued prosecutors and the state actively hid potentially exculpatory evidence.

    “For almost twenty years, since August 2004, the State of Alabama through its District Attorney for Houston County and its Attorney General has hidden, withheld, and actively obstructed the disclosure of a written confession by petitioner’s co-defendant,” Wilson’s lawyer, Bernard Harcourt, wrote in a court filing. The state gave Wilson’s attorney only one page of the letter that discussed the killing. Harcourt is asking the judge to force the state to turn over the remainder.

    Wilson was convicted of capital murder for the 2004 death of Dewey Walker, 64, during a robbery and burglary. Walker was found dead in his home, after failing to show up for work. Investigators said Wilson confessed to being there to steal a computer and that after Walker discovered him, he admitting to hitting Walker with a bat and then putting an extension cord around his neck to try to get him to drop a knife. Three others were sentenced to between 23 and 25 years in prison for Walker’s killing. Wilson was the only one sentenced death after a jury recommended a death sentence by a 10-2 vote.

    At issue in the case is a 2004 letter allegedly written by one of the three accomplices who said she was the one who began hitting the man with a bat. The writer identifies herself as Catherine Corley. Corley pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison for Walker’s death.

    According to court filings, the letter, in which she discusses the possibility of an insanity plea, was sent to another detainee at the Houston County Jail and that detainee provided the letter to an attorney, who then provided the letter to prosecutor Douglas Valeska.

    “David slipped up behind Dewey and put an extension cord around his neck, Dewey would not fall. I did not know what to do so I grabbed the baseball bat & hit Dewey with it till he fell. David & I loaded up all we could find. … About one week later we got caught. I threw baseball bat in trash dumpster,” the letter states.

    Corley, who is still serving her sentence, could not immediately be reached for comment and it was not immediately known if she has a lawyer to speak on her behalf.

    Prosecutors are required to turn over exculpatory evidence, also known as Brady material, to criminal defendants.

    Judge Watkins chided the prosecutors for their handling of the matter. He said Wilson’s trial counsel was given a series of police “offense reports” that described acquiring a letter where the writer claimed to have “hit Mr. Walker with a baseball bat until he fell.”

    “At best, it appears the (accomplice) confession was disclosed to the defense in a manner designed to not attract attention to it, thus to put the defense at a trial and sentencing disadvantage. As the Supreme Court has made clear, Brady’s disclosure obligation is not readily discharged via gamesmanship,” the judge wrote in a footnote in the ruling.

    The Alabama attorney general’s office argued state courts had already ruled there was no evidence suppression because, “Wilson knew – at the very least – that the letter stated that Corley had also struck Mr. Walker and that the State believed she was its author.” They also argued that Wilson had confessed to hitting and strangling Walker.

    “The Corley letter is not exculpatory. Wilson gave a detailed confession to the investigators in which he admitted that he broke into Dewey Walker’s home, that he struck Walker with a baseball bat, that he choked Walker with a mouse cord until it broke, and that he continued to choke Walker for six more minutes with an extension cord,” state lawyers wrote in a December court filing.

    The judge also wrote that while Wilson’s “own confession was damning and, as (the state attorney general) argues, supported the jury’s verdict that petitioner is guilty of capital murder” that it “is no stretch, however, to argue that a co-defendant’s admission of a possibly greater role in the murder… might be a material consideration in a jury’s deliberation on whether to recommend a death sentence.”

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  • Risk firm: Pirates board Chinese-run ship in Gulf of Guinea

    Risk firm: Pirates board Chinese-run ship in Gulf of Guinea

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    A risk management company says pirates have boarded a Chinese-run oil tanker in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea

    BySAM MEDNICK Associated Press

    DAKAR, Senegal — Pirates boarded a Chinese-run oil tanker in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, a risk management company operating in the area told The Associated Press on Tuesday. It was the second such incident in a little more than two weeks.

    Pirates got on the ship, Success 9, approximately 300 nautical miles southwest of Ivory Coast’s capital on Monday, according to Martin Kelly, a senior analyst with the London-based EOS Risk Group.

    It’s unclear how many crew members were on the tanker or how many pirates boarded the vessel.

    “Whilst the details remain obscure, there are two possible plausible explanations,” Kelly said. “The first is that this incident could be a (kidnap and ransom) incident. … The second is that this could be cargo theft.”

    The Gulf of Guinea is the world’s most dangerous spot for attacks on ships. In June, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution strongly condemning piracy, armed robbery and hostage-taking in the area.

    On March 25, pirates boarded a Danish-owned oil tanker with 16 crew members southwest of Port Pointe-Noire, Congo, which is also in the Gulf of Guinea. French naval forces have since located that vessel and escorted it to Togo’s capital, Lome.

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  • Man pleads guilty to robbery-killing of rapper Pop Smoke

    Man pleads guilty to robbery-killing of rapper Pop Smoke

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    One of four men charged in the killing of rapper Pop Smoke during a robbery at a Hollywood Hills mansion has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter

    INGLEWOOD, Calif. — One of four men charged in the killing of rapper Pop Smoke during a robbery at a Hollywood Hills mansion pleaded guilty Thursday to voluntary manslaughter.

    The 20-year-old man, who was 17 when the killing occurred, also pleaded guilty in Inglewood juvenile court to home invasion robbery. He was sentenced to four years and two months in a juvenile facility.

    The judge has barred the public use of his name because he was a minor at the time of the shooting.

    The 20-year-old New York rapper, whose legal name is Bashar Barakah Jackson, was killed on Feb. 19, 2020, at a rented home where he was staying while on a four-day trip to Los Angeles. A 911 call from a friend of someone in the house reported armed intruders inside the home, police said.

    The robbers knew the address because a day earlier, Jackson had posted a photograph on social media of a gift bag he had received and the address was on a label, authorities said.

    Jackson was in the shower when masked robbers confronted him. During a struggle, one attacker, who was 15, pistol-whipped the rapper and shot him three times in the back, according to court testimony cited by the Los Angeles Times.

    The attackers stole Jackson’s diamond-studded Rolex watch and sold it for $2,000, a detective testified.

    The teenager, whose name also is being withheld, was charged in the case along with Corey Walker, who was 19 at the time, and Keandre Rodgers, who was then 18. They are accused of murder during the commission of a robbery and burglary.

    Pop Smoke arrived on the rap scene in 2018 and broke out with “Welcome to the Party” a gangsta anthem with boasts about shootings, killings and drugs that became a huge sensation, and prompted Nicki Minaj to drop a verse on a remix.

    He had several other hits, including the album “Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon,” which was released posthumously.

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