New York

Published on: January 23, 2012

College Student Arrested for 22 Fake ID’s

by Stephen Bilkis

A 20-year old college student has been arrested in Boulder, CO, for allegedly picking up a box that contained fake identifications, sources have told a New York Criminal Lawyer. The University of Colorado sophomore had allegedly gone to the local grocery store to pick up a box that had been delivered to the store bearing a friend’s name.

Although the young man initially told police that he simply got “caught in the middle” of his friend’s scheme to distribute fake ID’s, police soon discovered there was more to the story that what they were just told by the suspect. During a routine check for weapons, officers discovered the suspect’s wallet. Within the wallet was a fake id. This was all the arresting officers required in order to charge the youth with “suspicion of forgery, criminal possession of a forged instrument and unlawful acts,” police told the NY Criminal Lawyer.

Authorities were tipped off as to the contents of the package when the package was delivered to the a grocery store by UPS, and an employee opened the package by mistake. She discovered a total of 22 fake ID’s that were grouped in pairs for 11 people. Sources went on to inform a Staten Island Criminal Lawyer that although each of the ID’s did match a real person as well as their address, each of the ID’s listed the person as being at least 21 years of age.

Published on: January 20, 2012

Army Crime-Lab Worker Blotched Tests Leaving Many DNA Cases in Doubt

by Stephen Bilkis

Over the past several years, DNA science has made extraordinary progress and its implementation in many criminal cases has both convicted the guilty and exonerated the innocent. A New York Criminal Lawyer has learned that one federal crime lab is struggling to keep its reputation afloat following reports that one of its more senior and experienced forensics examiners not only blotched, DNA tests, but also falsified records.

A worker at the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, near Atlanta, is being investigated for alleged mistakes that may have allowed the guilty to go free and may have contributed to many to be wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit, sources tell.

Unfortunately, the problem appears to go much deeper than just one worker that was making mistakes and then attempting to cover them up. Sources alleged to a New York City Criminal Lawyer that the forensic examiner’s supervisors were not only slow to recognize his mistakes, but also wanted to keep any investigation of these mistakes in-house so that the facility would not lose its accreditation.

Published on: January 2, 2012

Court Discusses New Program That Evicts Drug Dealers from Real Property

by Stephen Bilkis

This summary holdover proceeding is brought by the New York County District Attorney’s office under a new program created by the Prosecutor’s office and other governmental agencies designed to evict drug dealers from residential and other real property used for illegal drug trade, business or manufacture pursuant to RPAPL Section 715.

A New York Criminal Lawyer said this eviction program is the progeny of the explosion of drug related crimes which have overwhelmed the City of New York and have sent a wave of fear throughout the communities of the city. The District Attorney’s office has realized that many of the drug dealers are conducting their insidious trade directly from residential premises, with impunity, since many local residents and neighbors are in fear for their safety and lives to report such illegal activities to the authorities. The Prosecutor’s office and other City agencies realized the need for intervention.

Police officers found heroin and the total amount of $22,983.00 in the apartment of the respondents. Respondent-tenants contend that Petitioner has failed to present any evidence of illegal drug crime conducted in the premises since there was no evidence offered by Petitioner to show that any of the Respondent-tenants engaged in a sales transaction of a controlled substance nor did the police find any controlled substance in the premises.

Published on: January 1, 2012

Proof in Drug Possession Case Must be Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

by Stephen Bilkis

The Drug Enforcement Task Force initiated an investigation into an organization in Brooklyn that was purportedly selling a brand name of heroin called “Raw”. As a result of that investigation, the defendant was convicted, after trial, of selling narcotics to an undercover police officer. The detective testified that on May 17, 1988, he and a confidential informant went to 31 Patchen Avenue in Brooklyn, where they met with the defendant for the purpose of arranging a purchase of five packages of heroin. A New York Criminal Lawyer said after telephoning his connection, the defendant told the detective that the heroin would be arriving shortly. A man thereafter arrived on a motorcycle with the packages and he and the detective agreed to a purchase price of $4000. After the defendant complained, however, that he was being cut out of the deal, the man raised the price to $4700. The detective gave the man the $4700 from which $700 was given to the defendant.

After the informant contacted the defendant by beeper, he and the detective agreed to another sale. A New York Criminal Lawyer said the defendant then contacted his connection, who thereafter arrived with a brown paper bag filled with 500 glassine envelopes, which he gave to the defendant. handed over $4700 to the defendant in exchange for the bags. Although Joseph The detective attempted to deal directly with the man who brought the narcotics, the man refused to give him his beeper number. Instead, he told the detective that any dealings would have to go through the defendant.

They then returned to 31 Patchen Avenue where another man and the defendant got into the confidential informant’s car. A New York Drug Possession Lawyer said the detective and the confidential informant, then followed the other man and the defendant to Crescent and Fulton Streets, and then to 2958 Atlantic Avenue, which was a radio car repair shop. Once at this location, the defendant directed the detective inside. The man then entered the shop while the defendant remained outside. The man told the detective to get the money ready. When he returned to the shop, the man dropped the five paper bags which later were determined to contain 485 glassine envelopes of heroin, to the floor. The detective knelt down to pick them up and, while still on the ground, handed up the money. The defendant, who had entered the shop, grabbed the money from the detective, counted it and handed it over to the man.

Published on: December 4, 2011

There’s nothing sadder than a mother maltreating her own children

by Stephen Bilkis

There’s nothing sadder than a mother maltreating her own children. This case is about a mother who inspite of having four children already, still didn’t have the maternal instinct to care for her kids. She has two kids from her first partner and twins with a man reported to have been physically and emotionally abusing her.

It was determined by the court and by the Social Welfare Department that the mother has actually sexually abused her eldest son. The court and the Social Welfare Officers are trying to establish if the mother’s behaviour is a result of domestic violence that was brought about by the father of the twins.

The mother has gone through a lot of counselling and therapy. She has also undergone sexual offender therapy because of what she has done to her eldest son. This is very disturbing because this is not a common case. It is not every day that we hear that mothers are involved in sex crimes against their son or daughter. She had actually completed all of the seminars, counselling and therapies except for the sex offender therapy. The reason for this is she refused to admit what she had done.

Published on: November 11, 2011

Animal Doctor Murders His Pregnant Technician

by Stephen Bilkis

It is one of the grisliest murders the locals have seen in a while. The incident is right out of an “America’s Most Wanted” episode. An animal doctor was arrested last week for killing in cold blood his veterinarian technician, 27, who was also pregnant. The man has been charged with criminal homicide according to one source and a possible sex crime. The suspect has also been charged with the death of her unborn child. Snyder is from North Whitehall Township near Allentown Pennsylvania. The suspect is a veterinarian at Montgomery County’s animal health facility.

Authorities found the victim’s body in a wooded, hilly area outside of North Whitehall Township. Her body had multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities told a N York Criminal Lawyer that on March 17, 2011, they found Snyder’s car parked in an industrial park. One of the windows was shattered. Shell casings and blood were found inside the vehicle. Upon reviewing security tapes, authorities observed that a man drove the woman’s car into the park and exited the vehicle after a short time. Upon exiting the vehicle the man, later identified as the suspect, tossed some items into a dumpster. After investigating, police removed a bleach container and some sealed medical records belonging to the victim inside the dumpster.

Friends of the technician told police that they were aware that the 27 year old was going out with her “boyfriend” whom they identified as the suspect. There were accounts that the couple was fighting a lot recently due to her pregnancy. Her roommate told police in the court report that on the fateful day she received a strange text from her phone. She was suspicious as to who wrote the text because it was written differently than her usual texts.

Published on: November 3, 2011

Guilty Plea From Convicted Sex Offender Thought Likely in Kidnapping Case

by Stephen Bilkis

A convicted sex offender on trial for kidnapping and raping an 11-year-old girl and keeping her captive for 18 years was expected to give a guilty plea – until his lawyer asserted the grand jury was improperly selected and acted inappropriately.

The public defender in this case is defending her clients against charges of rape, kidnapping, and other charges in an amended indictment, and she urged them to plead not-guilty.

The public defender did not elaborate on her claims regarding the jury, but did say she had questions about the racial makeup and the geographical makeup of the jury that indicted the couple on trial – the kidnapper and his wife. They were indicted mainly for the kidnapping of the 11-year-old girl, who is now 30. The public defender has been instructed to outline her objections in writing.

Published on: October 31, 2011

A convicted sex offender on trial for sex crimes inclluding: kidnapping & raping a child & keeping her captive for 18 years was expected to give a guilty plea – until his lawyer asserted the grand jury was improperly selected and acted inappropriately.

by Stephen Bilkis

Huntington Beach goes under a transformation every night. During the day, it is a row of stucco building shops, where one can buy beach towels, sunglasses, surfboards, and other beach essentials. At night, the bartenders ply their trade, serving hard liquor under neon and black light.

Bartenders have explained about all the fights they’ve had to break up, or instances of throwing naked men out of their clubs. It has become almost common for a drunk to try to get into the wrong house, causing the police to answer calls for robbery – and the ‘robber’ turns out to be someone so intoxicated, he doesn’t recognize his own house.

All of this leads to a greater problem – Huntington Beach is first in victims killed and injured in traffic accidents related to alcohol, when it comes to cities of its size in California. There are only half as many DUI arrests in Irvine, a college town of about the same size.

Published on: February 10, 2010

Schumer might just close the loopholes in the sex offender law says a New York City Criminal Lawyer

by Stephen Bilkis

It has been noted that even though many convicted sex offenders are listed in registries they are still able to acquire jobs that place them in direct contact with children, often working as tutors, coaches and in other positions that place them close to children. Senator Charles Schumer might propose legislation to change that. The legislation would propose that it is illegal for registered sex offenders to work or volunteer in positions that put them in “direct and substantial” contact with children.

A New York Criminal Lawyer says business owners will have to screen the employees to make sure that they are not registered sex offenders. Businesses that are not in compliance would be fined and would face greater fines for repeat offenders. Many believe that a law such as this is already in existence but in actuality it is not. Businesses can check if an employee is registered by contacting the Division of Criminal Justice Services online or at 1-800-262-3257.

This law will be set out to prevent cases such as the one where school teacher who was on probation for a sex offense conviction privately tutored a 15 year old boy in. It was determined that he violated the terms of his probation and was once again arrested. Many sex offenders are not on parole or probation therefore they are not barred from acquiring such positions. The Schumer Legislation will prevent this from occurring.