New York Criminal Lawyer Blog

Published on: February 6, 2012

Roosevelt Cabbie along with two men that robbed him face criminal charges in Nassau County

by Stephen Bilkis

A 25 year old cab driver noticed two men were following him as he drove on Franklin Street in Hempstead. The cabbie stopped his cab and pursued the two men bearing a knife. The two men also left their car with bats. It has been reported that the two men took cash from the cab driver along with a cell phone after they beat him with the bats. The cabbie was able to stab one of the perpetrators. The cabbie was arrested and treated at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow. Police found the other two men who were later identified. One of the men was charged with robbery and possession of a dangerous weapon. He was also arrested and held at the hospital in a guarded location. According to a New York Criminal Lawyer, the cabbie was charged with assault and possession of a dangerous weapon.

If you are being charged with a crime you need skilled legal counsel by your side. Speak to Stephen Bilkis today for advice and a free consultation.

Published on: February 6, 2012

Dead squirrel lands man in jail, states a Brooklyn Criminal Lawyer

by Stephen Bilkis

An eighty-one year old man has been convicted of misdemeaner animal abuse and will be spending 30 Days in jail for the killing of a squirrel, says a New York Criminal Lawyer. Last February, the man was reported for abuse using a pellet gun to shoot the animal at his home. He has been arrested 12 times in the past for misdemeanor violations including criminal contempt, for violating orders of the court, but most of the arrests have been due to wildlife violations.

Upon his release from his 30 day jail sentence, the man will face 15 other charges all related to his use of a BB gun. The octagenarian, who lives in East Northport, has had many disputes in the past involving his neighbors.

He is an 81 year old Army Veteran who served in the army air corps for 3 years after World War II. Following his military career, he ran an aerial photography business. He spent many years flying out of the Fleshing Airport and the Bayport Aerodrome.

Published on: February 6, 2012

Drunk Driving Police Officer causes accident, says a Long Island Criminal Lawyer

by Stephen Bilkis

An intoxicated New York City police officer was killed after causing a deadly car crash that also injured four others, according to a New York Criminal Lawyer. He had attended a surprise party for a fellow officer before the incident, and the guests at the event had seen the cop drinking. Two of the injured stated that they were just not aware of how intoxicated the driver was.

The 35 year old officer was driving his vehicle when he left the party just after 6AM on May 16th, reported a New York Criminal Lawyer. Another New York City police officer was one of the victims, as he had been riding in the car. The other cop, only 25, had also consumed alcohol at the party and had a blood alcohol level of .21. Both officers had been riding in the front seat of the car.

The driver had offered to drive the four victims home, despite his blood alcohol level of .16, which is twice the state ís legal driving limit of 0.08. All four victims were women, two of whom currently remain in critical condition. Two sisters were also seriously injured as a result of the automobile accident. The sisterís mother was angry that the police officersí reckless actions had landed her daughters in the hospital and caused their critical injuries such as a shattered pelvis, a spinal cord injury, and fractured legs.

Published on: February 5, 2012

Guantanamo Detainee’s Request Denied

by Stephen Bilkis

A New York Criminal Lawyer says that a federal judge in Manhattan rejected a Guantanamo detainee’s request to drop his guilty verdict. The detainee claims that he should be tried as a civilian in the court and that his first trial was not legal or just. The judge ruled he would not drop the earlier guilty verdict and that there was enough evidence to continue with his keeping his charge of conspiracy. The detainee will probably appeal this ruling as well.

Last year, the detainee was convicted on one act of conspiracy to destroy a government building. The New York Criminal Lawyer was informed that the man was convicted of conspiring to blow up the US embassy in East Africa. There were 224 people who were killed in that attack and many more were injured. The attack also killed one dozen Americans.

The detainee was held on the conspiracy charge, but he was exonerated on 280 different counts in the same incident. The attack on the US embassy took place in 1998 and he has been in US custody ever since. He faces life in prison when he sees the judge for the sentencing portion of his trial, which will happen in the next few weeks. The detainee’s lawyer tried to dismiss the guilty charge by saying the verdict was inconsistent with other verdicts in the US since then. The judge dismissed the lawyer’s arguments and held the detainee on the guilty charge.

Published on: February 5, 2012

E-Mail Protected by Fourth Amendment

by Stephen Bilkis

The role of emerging technology and how the government, in particular those branches of the government charged with public protection and order, deal with it is one of the great challenges of the twenty first century, said a New York Criminal Lawyer the other day.

In particular, the issue of how to treat Electronic Mail, or E-Mail, has been a thorny issue for the courts to deal with. On the one side are privacy advocates, who believe that the Fourth Amendment protections against warrant less searches of one’s person, house, papers, and effects should include E-Mail. They believe it is a logical extension that the founding fathers would have supported had E-Mail been in existence at the formation of the Republic.. On the other side of the issue are those arguing that individuals have no expectation of privacy to their E-Mails and that as a result they are not afforded protection form warrantless searches. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals heard the case just recently and has agreed with the former: E-Mail searches require a warrant prior to being conducted. The decision is considered a victory for privacy advocates.

The court believed that since E-Mail mimics the form and function of traditional mail that it would be illogical to not extend the protections. The case now sets a precedent to be followed by all courts within the Sixth Circuit. An appeal to the United States Supreme Court is expected and no doubt the nation’s highest court will eventually decide on this issue.

Published on: February 5, 2012

Immigration Attorney Could Spend Decades in Prison

by Stephen Bilkis

A 40 year-old immigration attorney faces charges for 28 counts of fraud, conspiracy activity, and 42 counts of alien harboring with the intent of personal financial gain, so reports a New York Criminal Lawyer. The accused attorney held a great understanding of the US visa program, and used his inside knowledge to manipulate the system by intentionally overlooking his clients eligibility for three consecutive years.

The accused also charged his clients unreasonably high fees, claiming that he would help them obtain faulty ‘green-cards’. This kind of behavior would lead many to believe that they would be receiving resident alien status, something that would dramatically change their lives. Not only has this man taken advantage of many clients financially, but also emotionally, by holding out unrealistic promises—based on lies.

A Brooklyn Criminal Lawyer explains, that the charged, after being presented before the court was released on a $50,000 secure bond, under the pretenses that he would be forced to surrender US & UK passports. The future doesn’t looks so bright for the accused, as with each count he will have to deal with a quarter of a million dollars in fines. In addition, with each count, he will also face a decade in prison, with exception of the conspiracy charge, that stipulates a maximum of five years in prison. Whatever personal gain, this man thought he had coming, it will pale in comparison to the years he will spend in prison, and the lives he ruined along the way.

Published on: February 5, 2012

Former murder suspect living as a woman, says New York Criminal Lawyer

by Stephen Bilkis

John Mark Karr, who became semi-famous in 2006 for associating himself with the death of JonBenet Ramsey, is living here in the United States as a woman, according to a New York Criminal Lawyer. Karr falsely confessed to the murder of Benet Ramsey in Boulder, Colorado but it was later proven that he did not perform the murder nor did he help commit the crime. JonBenet Ramsey was a 6 year old beauty queen found murdered in her home in Boulder, Colorado

in 2006. The crime has never been solved and Karr was ruled out as the perpetrator.

Karr was a Thai teacher previously and he is now living in Washington state as a woman. There is no evidence that Karr has had any surgical procedures to officially become a woman. Karr is using the alias Alexis Valoran Reich and recent photographs of him show a much more feminine appearance then in the past. The pictures suggest to New York Criminal Lawyers that he is attempting to portray himself as a woman and further evidence to this attempt is that he is

Published on: February 4, 2012

Under the law: Celebrities cited for tax discrepancies respond in different ways

by Stephen Bilkis

Consider the following phrase: Tax season. What thoughts come to mind? If you find yourself cringing, you are not alone. Several notable celebrities have failed to maintain their obligations to Uncle Sam, as observed by a New York Criminal Lawyer.

Did you ever consider that Batman might have tax trouble? A popular star of “Batman Forever” fame was issued a $498,165 IRS lien last November for failing to fully pay taxes in 2008, according to the Associated Press. However, the star righted this wrong in a responsible way in 2009 by paying up, according to an entertainment website called TMZ.

What about the “A-list” “National Treasure” star who faced several successive IRS tax liens in the past few years, which at one point amounted to a tab of $13.3 million owed. The details included a disagreement between the star and a financial advisor/manager as well as a legal action on the part of both men, against one another. Again, a Brooklyn Criminal Lawyer notes that the actor smoothed over his troubles responsibly: according to People.com he is “under new business management and am happy to say that I am current for 2009.”

Published on: February 4, 2012

A growing local church in Palm Beach Gardens faces economic woes

by Stephen Bilkis

A non-denominational community church was recently threatened with foreclosure following verification that it owed $11.3 million in principal, as well as substantial interest and moderate late charges, as reported by a New York Criminal Lawyer.

The non-profit community church in Palm Beach Gardens was cited for a possible foreclosure along with its fellow tenants, including a construction company and a real estate counseling firm. The principal amount owed by the church stemmed from a past loan from a local bank in 2006, and the case was heard in the Palm Beach County 15th Judicial Circuit. The non-profit community church originated in a former cinema complex in Palm Beach Gardens, and in 2008 upgraded to its current location, a retail/office/entertainment complex. A New York Criminal Lawyer notes the postulation of Palm Beach Gardens’ vice mayor that the church’s financial situation may be due, in part, to a struggling economy and the resulting decline in giving among members and guests. His insight is relevant due to his further involvement in commercial lending; the vice mayor serves as vice- president of commercial lending for another bank.

The community church houses a 50,000-square-foot cultural center oriented toward the local community, as well as a banquet hall that houses a commercial kitchen and features a capacity of 500 individuals. According to the aforementioned vice mayor of the city, it is likely that an agreement will be reached between the church and the bank- perhaps a payment plan- rather than pursuing a mortgage foreclosure. The vice mayor is quoted as saying, “Foreclosing on a church is not good public relations for a bank”.

Published on: February 4, 2012

Hit-and-Run Suspect Could Not Avoid Hitting Woman, New York Criminal Lawyer Reports

by Stephen Bilkis

A New York Criminal Lawyer has learned of the arraignment of an East Hills man in the hit-and-run death of an 81-year-old Roslyn Heights woman. According to his account, he saw the woman, but could not avoid hitting her. The driver, 26, is charged with felony, leaving the scene of an accident with a death, and with a traffic violation, leaving the scene of an incident without a report.

The prosecution said that the driver hit the 81-year-old woman with his Jeep Cherokee and just kept driving without alerting the authorities. She was thrown at least 75 feet by the impact and pronounced dead on the scene.

Nassau police sources said that the driver was found when he took his car to a Queens body shop and someone called the Nassau police department tip line. The driver says he was alone the night of the accident, according to a New York Criminal Lawyer.