Gambino Crime Family Associate Convicted By Federal Jury In Murder and Robbery Of Brooklyn Man: Defendant Shot His Longtime Friend In The Back Of The Head And Stole The Assets Of The Victim’s Loan Business

 The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Anthony Pandrella, an associate of the Gambino organized crime family, was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn of all three counts in an indictment charging him with the Hobbs Act robbery and murder of 77-year-old Vincent Zito and unlawful use of a firearm.  The verdict followed a one and a half-week trial before United States Chief District Judge Margo K. Brodie.  When sentenced, Pandrella faces up to life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Keechant Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdict.

“Today’s verdict has found that the defendant is a cold-blooded killer who shot his elderly friend in his home, execution-style with a bullet in the back of the head, to avoid returning a large sum of money he was holding for the victim,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “In addition to the brutal betrayal, the defendant also robbed luxury watches from the victim’s loan business.  I commend the FBI special agents and the NYPD detectives who solved the case and brought Pandrella to justice.”

Mr. Peace also expressed his thanks to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for their assistance on the case.

“Today’s conviction underscores that no one – including associates of organized crime – is above the law,” stated Commissioner Sewell. “Because of the outstanding work of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District and our law enforcement partners at the FBI, this defendant’s callous disregard for human life will not go unanswered. I thank and commend everyone who worked on this case and helped us hold this violent criminal accountable for his actions.”

The evidence at trial proved that Zito was running an illegal loansharking business and had been told by Pandrella that he was “hot,” meaning that he was under investigation by law enforcement.  Zito had given Pandrella $750,000 from the business to hold for safekeeping, but when he tried to collect the money back from Pandrella, the defendant failed to return it.  On the morning of October 26, 2018, Pandrella went to the Sheepshead Bay home of Zito and while there, shot his friend of more than 30 years in the back of the head at close range.  Pandrella also stole expensive foreign-made wristwatches that the victim was holding as collateral for a customer’s loan.  Pandrella was captured on security camera footage entering and leaving Zito’s residence at the time of the murder and robbery.  After leaving the victim’s residence, Pandrella went home and additional security video from his neighborhood showed that the defendant changed his shoes and clothing, and removed the driver’s side floor mat of this vehicle so it could be cleaned.  Zito’s body was discovered by his 11-year-old grandson upon returning home from school.  The murder weapon was recovered at the scene and Pandrella’s DNA was found on the trigger and grip of the firearm.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime & Gangs Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys M. Kristin Mace and Matthew R. Galeotti are in charge of the prosecution.

FBI: Overview Of Preliminary Uniform Crime Report, January–June, 2020

The FBI released the below information:

The FBI’s Preliminary Uniform Crime Report, January–June, 2020, reveals overall declines in the number of violent crimes and property crimes reported for the first six months of 2020 when compared with figures for the first six months of 2019. The report is based on information from 12,206 law enforcement agencies that submitted three to six months of comparable data for both years to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

Violent Crime

• When data from the first six months of 2020 were compared with data from the first six months of 2019, the number of rape offenses decreased 17.8%, and robbery offenses were down 7.1%. The number of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses increased 14.8%, and aggravated assault offenses were up 4.6%.
• The overall number of violent crimes decreased in four city population groups. Law enforcement agencies in cities with populations of less than 10,000 reported the largest decrease, 7.2%. Law enforcement agencies in cities with populations of 100,000 to 249,000 reported the smallest decrease, 0.3%.
• Violent crime decreased in three of the four regions of the nation. These crimes were down 4.8% in the Northeast, 1.8% in the Midwest, and 1.1% in the West. However, violent crime increased in the South, 2.5%.

Property Crime

• In the property crime category, offenses declined 7.8%. Larceny thefts were down 9.9%, and burglaries decreased 7.8%. Motor vehicle thefts increased 6.2%.
• The overall number of property crimes decreased in all city population groups. Law enforcement agencies in cities with populations under 10,000 inhabitants reported the largest decrease, 14.2%. Law enforcement agencies in cities with populations of 250,000 to 499,999 reported the smallest decrease, 3.7%.
• Property crime decreased 9.3% in nonmetropolitan counties and 7.3% in metropolitan counties.
• Property crime decreased in all four regions of the nation. Reports of these offenses reflected declines of 10.3% in the Midwest, 9.3% in the South, 5.7% in the Northeast, and 5.3% in the West.

Arson

In the FBI’s UCR Program, arson offenses are collected separately from other property crimes. The number of arson offenses increased 19.2% in the first six months of 2020 when compared with figures for the first six months of 2019. All four regions reported increases in the number of arsons. Arsons were up 28.0% in the West, 16.4% in the Northeast, 15.7% in the Midwest, and 10.2% in the South.

Arson offenses rose 52.1% in cities with populations of 1,000,000 and over. Cities with populations under 10,000 experienced a 5.7% increase in arson offenses. Arsons increased 13.7% in nonmetropolitan counties and 11.6% in metropolitan counties.

Caution Against Ranking

When the FBI publishes crime data via its UCR Program, some entities use the information to compile rankings of cities and counties. Such rankings, however, do not provide insight into the numerous variables that shape crime in a given state, county, city, town, tribal area, or region. These rankings lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that can create misleading perceptions that adversely affect communities and their residents. Only through careful study and analyses into the range of unique conditions affecting each local law enforcement jurisdiction can data users create valid assessments of crime. The data user is, therefore, cautioned against comparing statistical data of individual reporting units from states, metropolitan areas, cities, or colleges or universities solely on the basis of their population or student enrollment.

The FBI released the below information:

Preliminary statistics show overall declines in both violent and property crime in the first half of 2019 compared to the same time frame the previous year, according to FBI crime statistics released today.

The Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report covers January through June 2019. It contains data from more than 14,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide that voluntarily submitted information to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

According to the report, all categories of violent crime offenses decreased between the first half of 2018 and the first half of 2019, including:

• Robbery (-7.4 percent)
• Rape (-7.3 percent)
• Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (-3.9 percent)
• Aggravated assault (-0.3 percent)

Property crime also declined during the same period, specifically:

• Burglary (-11.1 percent)
• Motor vehicle theft (-6.7 percent)
• Larceny-theft (-4.2 percent)

The full Crime in the United States, 2019 report will be released later this year.

Full Report 

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/preliminary-report/home 

Dumbest Criminal of 2016 (So Far): Kidnapper Nabbed At Meeting He Scheduled With Victim

Stephanie Farr at the Philadelphia Daily News offers a piece on a candidate for the dumbest criminal of 2016.

JUST DAYS into 2016, one Delaware County teen already has made his bid for the stupidest criminal of the year, by showing up for a follow-up meeting he'd scheduled with an elderly woman he had kidnapped and robbed the day before, according to police.

Nether Providence Police Chief David Splain said the suspect, 17-year-old Jason Donte Hayes, was surprised when he was met in a shopping center parking lot by police instead of the victim.

"We were the last ones he was waiting to see. He was waiting for a little old woman," Splain said. "If he can survive the remaining 340-some days of the year, he will definitely win the dumbest criminal of the year on Dec. 31."

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/news&id=364938121 

My Crime Beat Column: Philadelphia Police Inspector Gives Overview of Crime In Center City

The below column originally appeared in the South Philadelphia American in 1997.

Last week I overheard an elderly woman tell a friend that her car had been stolen that morning.

"The Devil's alive," the woman sadly told her friend.

In my time I've seen much of what this woman calls the "Devil's work." I've long been a student of crime, dating back to my days as a 12-year-old South Philly street kid and aspiring writer. I went on to do security work in the U.S. Navy and later as a Defense Department civilian employee. As a writer I've specialized in crime reporting for newspapers and magazines.

I've grown up on the mean streets of South Philly and I've been to the "Badlands" of North Philly, as well as those tough areas of Olongapo in the Philippines, Tijuana, Mexico and a number of other exotic and dangerous cities. One area I've often visited is a place that one does not normally think of as a hot-bed of crime.

While many Philadelphians and tourists call Center City, our business and cultural center, "downtown," when I was growing up in South Philly, we who were located geographically as far south as one can be within the city limits, called Center City "in-town." As in "I'm going in-town this afternoon."

I ventured in-town to pay a visit to Philadelphia Police Inspector Frank M. Pryor, the commanding officer of the Central Police Division in Center City. Pryor has commanded the Central Division for five years and he is responsible for a five square mile area that encompasses the 6th, 9th and Center City Police Districts. He also  commands the Central Detectives Division.

I sat across from Pryor's desk in his office near 21st and Pennsylvania Avenue. He told me that Center City's crime is down 7.4% in all part-one crimes (such as murder, rape, robbery).

"In my five years we have seen a 24% decrease in crime," Pryor said. "I like to think that community policing has made some impact."

Pryor said they pushed down the responsible duties of a captain and inspector to a sergeant. He noted that a month ago the mayor had a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce and he asked the inspector to accompany him.

"I brought a sergeant with me because he's the guy who solves our problems," Pryor said. "He's in charge of a 12-officer service detail trained to deal with the homeless. A sergeant meeting with the mayor was unheard of years ago."

Pryor said each district has a community policing team made up of a community relations officer, a victim assistance officer and a statistician who does crime mapping.

"Community policing has put a name on the face of the cop," Pryor said.

Pryor said they have a major problem with the homeless. It's not a crime to be homeless, Pryor explained, but many people don't want them in their neighborhood.

"Unless they do something illegal, we are not going to bother them," Pryor said. "In the winter and during hot weather we transport them to shelters. But we have zero tolerance for aggressive panhandling."

Pryor explained that many of the so-called homeless are in fact street hustlers.

"We have identified 70 to 80 hard-core drug and alcohol abusers on the street. They don't want to be in a shelter, so we are looking at their conduct. They have their constitutional rights, but when they infringe on other's rights it is time to take appropriate action."

Pryor offered a bit of some common sense crime prevention advice.

"Car phones left visible on the console are often stolen. Put your phones and laptops in the trunk," Pryor said. "It only takes 30 seconds to hit that window and get your valuables."

Pryor said drugs were a problem in Center City, but it was not as severe a problem as other parts of the city.

"There are approximately 15 to 18 drug locations and we are working with the community and making a lot of arrests. I have a narcotics field unit that has beepers and the community people contact them directly."

Pryor said that male and female prostitution is a problem around certain areas. He said they also have a big problem with what they call retail theft, or shoplifting. He said that last year they arrested 2, 800 people.

Pryor told me that he is assigning more foot beat patrols back into the community. Bike patrols are also very successful. He had the idea to go to Corestates, who sponsors the bike race, and ask for a grant to provide bikes for the police. There are now 150 bikes in the city.

"From my perspective, I've seen the renaissance of Center City," Pryor said. "There are more restaurants, more businesses and more hotels. There is the Avenue of the Arts and the Convention Center. Most people don't realize that 40% of all taxes are generated from Center City residents and businesses," Pryor concluded.                                          

From The FBI Files: The Life And Death Of Bonnie & Clyde

The FBI website offers a piece with photos on the FBI's hunt for the notorious criminals Bonnie & Clyde.

Clyde Champion Barrow and his companion, Bonnie Parker, were shot to death by officers in an ambush near Sailes, Bienville Parish, Louisiana on May 23, 1934, after one of the most colorful and spectacular manhunts the nation had seen up to that time.

 

Barrow was suspected of numerous killings and was wanted for murder, robbery, and state charges of kidnapping.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), then called the Bureau of Investigation, became interested in Barrow and his paramour late in December 1932 through a singular bit of evidence. A Ford automobile, which had been stolen in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, was found abandoned near Jackson, Michigan in September of that year.

At Pawhuska, it was learned another Ford car had been abandoned there which had been stolen in Illinois. A search of this car revealed it had been occupied by a man and a woman, indicated by abandoned articles therein. In this car was found a prescription bottle, which led special agents to a drug store in Nacogdoches, Texas, where investigation disclosed the woman for whom the prescription had been filled was Clyde Barrow’s aunt.

Further investigation revealed that the woman who obtained the prescription had been visited recently by Clyde Barrow, Bonnie Parker, and Clyde’s brother, L. C. Barrow. It also was learned that these three were driving a Ford car, identified as the one stolen in Illinois. It was further shown that L. C. Barrow had secured the empty prescription bottle from a son of the woman who had originally obtained it.

On May 20, 1933, the United States Commissioner at Dallas, Texas, issued a warrant against Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, charging them with the interstate transportation, from Dallas to Oklahoma, of the automobile stolen in Illinois. The FBI then started its hunt for this elusive pair.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/bonnie-and-clyde 

Three Colombian Nationals Sentenced to Prison for the Kidnapping and Murder of DEA Agent Terry Watson

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Three Colombian nationals were sentenced to decades in prison today in the Eastern District of Virginia for their roles in the kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent James “Terry” Watson in Bogotá, Colombia, on June 20, 2013.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart and Bill A. Miller, Director, U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service made the announcement.

“Throughout his law enforcement career, Special Agent Watson’s service was both selfless and courageous,” said Attorney General Holder.  “With this action, we continue our work to hold accountable those who were responsible for his murder.  In the weeks ahead, we expect to take additional steps to bring the perpetrators to justice.  And in all that we do, our nation’s Department of Justice will continue to honor Special Agent Watson’s sacrifice, to safeguard the nation he served, and to protect the values and principles he defended all his life.”

“Terry Watson was a courageous and accomplished DEA Special Agent who we will forever honor and remember for his dedicated career and sacrifice,” said DEA Administrator Leonhart.  “DEA is grateful that those who carried out this reprehensible and senseless act are now facing U.S. justice.  We will honor his life and career by continuing our global crusade with our domestic and international partners to defeat violent drug trafficking networks.”

Héctor Leonardo López, 34, Julio Estiven Gracia Ramírez, 32, and Andrés Álvaro Oviedo García, 22, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap and aiding and abetting the murder of an internationally protected person.  Today, U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of the Eastern District of Virginia sentenced López to 25 years, Gracia Ramírez to 27 years, and Oviedo García to 20 years.
In addition, Wilson Daniel Peralta-Bocachica, 31, pleaded guilty today to obstruction of justice and Edwin Gerardo Figueroa Sepúlveda, 39, pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2014, to conspiracy to kidnap and aiding and abetting the murder of an internationally protected person.  Sentencing hearings for Peralta-Bocachica and Figueroa Sepúlveda are scheduled for Feb. 18, 2015.

In the statements of facts filed with their plea agreements, López, Gracia Ramírez, Oviedo García, and Figueroa Sepúlveda admitted that they conspired to conduct “paseo milionarios” or “millionaire’s rides” in which victims were lured into taxi cabs, kidnapped and then robbed. 

They admitted that on the evening of June 20, 2013, they were part of a robbery crew that targeted Special Agent Watson.  Gracia Ramírez picked up Special Agent Watson in his taxi, while López drove a second taxi carrying the assailants.  Figueroa Sepúlveda entered the taxi carrying Special Agent Watson and shocked him with a stun gun while another defendant stabbed him.  Special Agent Watson was able to escape from the taxi, but he later collapsed and died from his injuries. 

Oviedo García was part of the robbery crew, but shortly before Special Agent Watson was targeted, a third taxi encountered mechanical issues and Oviedo García stayed with the disabled taxi.  Peralta-Bocachica admitted that in the days following the kidnapping and murder, he washed the taxi in which Special Agent Watson was stabbed, removing blood from the back seat then discarding the cleaning rags, before turning the taxi over to the Colombian National Police. 

Two other defendants, Omar Fabián Valdes Gualtero, 27, and Édgar Javier Bello Murillo, 27, are charged with second degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap in connection with their alleged involvement in the murder.  Trial is set for Jan. 12, 2015.  The charges in the indictment against these defendants are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the FBI, DEA and the Diplomatic Security Service, in close cooperation with Colombian authorities and with assistance from INTERPOL and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.  The case is being prosecuted by Special Counsel Stacey Luck of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Ben’Ary of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Virginia.

The Department of Justice gratefully acknowledges the Colombian Attorney General’s Office, Colombian National Police, Colombian Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol (DIJIN), DIJIN Special Investigative Unit, Bogotá Metropolitan Police, Bogotá Police Intelligence Body (CIPOL) Unit and Colombian Technical Investigation Team for their extraordinary efforts, support and professionalism in responding to this incident.

Six Members of Philadelphia Police Narcotics Unit Charged in Racketeering Conspiracy

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

PHILADELPHIA—An indictment was unsealed today charging six members of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Narcotics Field Unit (NFU) in a conspiracy to abuse their official positions to rob suspected drug dealers. Thomas Liciardello, Brian Reynolds, Michael Spicer, Perry Betts, Linwood Norman, and John Speiser are charged in a racketeering conspiracy that the indictment alleges included robbery, extortion, kidnapping, and drug dealing.

In one alleged incident, a person was removed from his own home and held captive for several days in a hotel room while members of the enterprise threatened him and made threats against his family. Charges include RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to deprive of civil rights, deprivation of civil rights, Hobbs Act robbery, extortion, carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, falsifying records, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The alleged conduct occurred between February 2006 and November 2012, while the defendants were working as members of NFU.

The charges were announced today by United States Attorney Zane David Memeger, FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Edward Hanko, and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

According to the indictment, during searches of suspected drug dealers and their homes, the defendants stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and personal items, including Rolex watches and electronics and, in some incidents, used excessive force such as: leaning one victim over an 18th floor balcony railing in an attempt to obtain information; kicking a victim in the mouth; punching a victim causing damage to his teeth; and hitting a victim in the back of the head with a steel bar.

The indictment alleges that the defendants not only stole suspected drug proceeds but also stole cash from safes in the victims’ homes and, in one incident, stole the safe and then made false entries on official Philadelphia Police reports about what was seized.

“The reprehensible conduct alleged to have been committed by the six charged officers tarnishes the badge held by the thousands of officers who currently serve—and have previously served—this city with distinction,” said Memeger. “Today’s indictment makes clear that my office will continue to thoroughly investigate credible allegations of police misconduct to bring to justice those officers who disrespect the badge.”

“The crimes alleged here are indefensible,” said Hanko. “That many of the victims were drug dealers, not Boy Scouts, is irrelevant. Police officers are sworn to uphold the law—and to do it ‘by the book.’ This corrupt group chose to make their own rules. Now they will have to answer for it.”

“It’s never a good feeling when you have to deliver this type of news about members of your department; however, it shows the ongoing efforts of our FBI/Internal Affairs task force to rid the department of individuals who don’t belong in our ranks,” said Ramsey. “These officers don’t represent the majority of this department. The majority of our department was represented in the dedicated police work displayed during the past few days, working endlessly with the community and getting wanted criminals off the street. We will continue to be transparent; we will continue to pursue those involved in corruption, and remove those who don’t belong in this department. We will continue to make strong efforts in developing trusting relationships with every community as we build a safer Philadelphia for our citizens.”

According to the indictment, members of the conspiracy engaged in the following acts: -Stole suspected drug proceeds and a safe containing $80,000 from the home of a suspected drug dealer. -Interrogated a suspect by lifting him off his feet and leaning him over a balcony railing on the 18th floor of his apartment house. -Broke into a residence and threatened to shoot the occupant. -Stole approximately $13,000 from a safe in a home that belonged to the parents of a person they suspected of drug dealing.

After each incident, the indictment alleges that one of the defendants, most often Liciardello, subsequently authored Philadelphia Police Department reports which falsely stated the amount of the seizure or did not mention the seizure at all.

If convicted, each of the defendants faces a maximum possible statutory sentence of life in prison, with the exception of defendant Speiser who is facing up to 40 years.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony J. Wzorek.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Gambino Family Administration Member Bartolomeo Vernace Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information on May 27th:

Earlier today at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Bartolomeo Vernace, a member of the administration of the Gambino organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (the Gambino family), was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, plus 10 years. On April 17, 2013, following a five-week jury trial before the Hon. Sandra L. Townes, Vernace was found guilty of a racketeering conspiracy spanning 1978 through 2011. The jury found that Vernace participated in all nine racketeering acts alleged as part of the conspiracy, including the 1981 double homicide of Richard Godkin and John D’Agnese, heroin trafficking, robbery, loansharking, and illegal gambling.
The sentence was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and George Venizelos, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI).

“For more than four decades, the defendant dedicated his life to committing crimes for the mafia. He rose through the ranks to become a powerful Gambino family leader by making money from crime and committing brutal acts of violence, including the 1981 murders of two innocent bar owners over a spilled drink. Though they were taken from their families long ago, Richard Godkin and John D’Agnese—two businessmen who also ran the local Boys’ Club—have not been forgotten,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “We hope the victims’ families are able to take some measure of comfort from the fact that, with this life sentence, one of the killers has now been brought to justice.” Ms. Lynch expressed her grateful appreciation to the FBI, the agency that led the government’s investigation.

“After more than 33 years evading justice, Bartolomeo ‘Bobby Glasses’ Vernace can hide no more. Vernace made a life of being a key player in the Gambino crime family where his activities led to his convictions for heroin trafficking, robbery, loansharking, gambling, and firearms, as well the vicious double murder. Today’s life sentence ensures the rest of Bobby Glasses’s life will only be seen inside of a federal facility,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Venizelos.

The evidence at trial established that Vernace, known by various aliases including “Bobby Glasses,” had a long career in the mafia that began in the early 1970s and culminated in his rise to the rank of a captain who served on the three-member ruling panel overseeing the Gambino family. Vernace was arrested on January 20, 2011, as part of a national sweep of almost 100 members and associates of organized crime led by the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Among the crimes he committed for the mafia, Vernace, together with two Gambino family associates, murdered Richard Godkin and John D’Agnese in the Shamrock Bar in the Woodhaven neighborhood of Queens on April 11, 1981, after a dispute arose between a Gambino family associate and others in the bar over a spilled drink. The associate left the bar and picked up Vernace and a third accomplice at a nearby social club. A short time later, the three men entered the bar and gunned down Godkin and D’Agnese—the owners of the bar—as the bar’s patrons fled for cover.

In the weeks after the murders, Vernace went into hiding. He did not reemerge until years later when, having successfully avoided state charges for the murders, Vernace returned to Queens and to an active role in the Gambino family. Over the next two decades, his power within the mafia grew, as he operated a large and profitable crew from a café on Cooper Avenue in the Glendale neighborhood of Queens.

In 1998, Vernace was charged in Queens County Supreme Court with the Godkin and D’Agnese murders but was acquitted after trial in 2002. During testimony in the federal trial in 2013, an eyewitness to the murders testified that he had lied during the state trial about Vernace’s role in the murders out of fear of retribution. The eyewitness testified in the federal case that he recognized all three assailants but that he had been afraid to testify against them because, in his words, “two men were dead over a spilled drink. I think that was reason enough to be afraid.”

The government’s case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Evan M. Norris, Amir H. Toossi, M. Kristin Mace, and Claire S. Kedeshian.

Sixteen Current and Former Puerto Rico Police Officers Indicted for Allegedly Running Criminal Organization out of Police Department

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Sixteen current and former Puerto Rico police officers have been indicted for their alleged participation in a criminal organization, run out of the police department, that used their affiliation with law enforcement to make money through robbery, extortion, manipulating court records and selling illegal narcotics.

Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. O’Neil of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez of the District of Puerto Rico and Special Agent in Charge Carlos Cases of the FBI’s San Juan Division made the announcement.

“ The criminal action today dismantles an entire network of officers who, we allege, used their badges and their guns not to uphold the law, but to break it,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General O’Neil.   “The indictment portrays a classic criminal shakedown, an organized crime spree of which the most experienced mafia family would have been proud.   But the people wielding the guns and stealing the drugs here weren’t mob goodfellas or mafia soldiers – these were police officers violating their oaths to enforce the law, making a mockery of the police’s sacred responsibility to protect the public. ”
“This is a troubling day for law enforcement in Puerto Rico. Officers who use their badges as an excuse to commit egregious acts of violence and drug trafficking are an affront to the rule of law,” said US Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez.  “According to these allegations, the law enforcement officers charged today sold their badges by taking payoffs from drug dealers that they should have been arresting, extorting money, planting evidence and stealing from them, to mention a few of their crimes.  They not only betrayed the citizens they were sworn to protect, they also betrayed the thousands of honest, hard-working law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.  We will continue to work with our local law enforcement partners to end this cycle of corruption and renew Puerto Rico’s trust in its police officers.”

“Today is a sad day for Puerto Rico, where a group of police officers allegedly disgraced their uniform and are a shame to the Police of Puerto Rico,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Cases.   “They not only let their colleagues and family down, they let the citizens of Puerto Rico down.”

The indictment, returned yesterday by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico, includes 36 charges against the following individuals: Osvaldo Vazquez-Ruiz, 38; Orlando Sierra-Pereira, 37; Danny Nieves-Rivera, 34; Roberto Ortiz-Cintron, 34; Yovanny Crespo-Candelaria, 33; Jose Sanchez-Santiago, 31; Miguel Perez-Rivera, 34; Nadab Arroyo-Rosa, 33; Jose Flores-Villalongo, 52; Luis Suarez-Sanchez, 36; Eduardo Montañez-Perez, 29; Carlos Laureano-Cruz, 40; Carlos Candelario-Santiago, 46; Ruben Casiano-Pietri, 36; Ricardo Rivera-Rodriguez, 39; and Christian Valles-Collazo, 28.   At the time of the crimes charged, Flores-Villalongo and Candelario-Santiago were sergeants with the Police of Puerto Rico (POPR); the others were police officers.

The first 13 defendants listed are charged with conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.   Other charges against certain defendants include extortion and attempted extortion under color of official right, conspiracy to commit robbery and attempted robbery, illegal use and sale of firearms, narcotics trafficking, civil rights violations, theft of government property, and false statements to federal agents.

According to the indictment, the officers charged with RICO conspiracy were members of a criminal organization who sought to enrich themselves through a pattern of illegal conduct.   The officers worked together to conduct traffic stops and enter homes or buildings used by persons suspected of being engaged in criminal activity to steal money, property and narcotics.    The officers planted evidence to make false arrests, then extorted money in exchange for their victims’ release from custody.   In exchange for bribe payments, the defendants gave false testimony, manipulated court records and failed to appear in court when required so that cases would be dismissed.   The officers also sold and distributed wholesale quantities of narcotics.

For example, in April 2012, defendants Vazquez-Ruiz and Sierra-Pereira allegedly conducted a traffic stop in their capacity as police officers and stole approximately $22,000 they believed to be illegal drug proceeds.   Vazquez-Ruiz later attempted to extort approximately $8,000 from an individual they believed to be a drug dealer’s accomplice in exchange for promising to release an alleged prisoner.

In another example, the indictment alleges that in November 2012, defendants Sierra-Pereira, Nieves-Rivera, Ortiz-Cintron and Valles-Collazo illegally entered an apartment and stole approximately $30,000, which they believed were illegal lottery proceeds.

The indictment charges that the defendants frequently shared the proceeds they illegally obtained and that they used their power, authority and official positions as police officers to promote and protect their illegal activity.   Among other things, the indictment charges that they used POPR firearms, badges, patrol cars, tools, uniforms and other equipment to commit the crimes and concealed their illegal activity with fraudulently obtained court documents and falsified POPR paperwork to make it appear that they were engaged in legitimate police work.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations.   The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s San Juan Division.   The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Brian K. Kidd, Emily Rae Woods and Menaka Kalaskar of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mariana Bauza of the District of Puerto Rico.

Citizens of Puerto Rico with allegations of law enforcement corruption are encouraged to contact the FBI’s San Juan Division at (787) 754-6000.

Pennsylvania Governor Signs Death Penalty For Cop Killer

Vinny Vella at the Philadelphia Daily News reports on Pennsylvania Governor Corbett approving the death penalty for Lewis Jordon, who was convicted in 2009 for the murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Chuck Cassidy (seen in the above photo) during a robbery.

You can read the piece via the below link:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140429_Guv_approves_death_penalty_for_cop_killer.html

O.J. Simpson, Cookie Monster

Fox Sports News reports that O.J. Simpson, serving time in prison for robbery and kidnapping, was caught stealing cookies in prison.

When O.J. Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison in 2008 for kidnapping and armed robbery, the assumption of many was that would effectively be the last we heard of perhaps the most notorious athlete in American history. 

Well, Simpson may have evaded tacklers as good as any running back in history, but he has struggled mightily to avoid trouble and headlines — and not even prison can change that.

The 66-year-old Simpson was reportedly caught by guards recently at Nevada's Love­lock Correctional Center trying to steal more than a dozen oatmeal cookies, a violation of prison rules. According to the Daily Mail, "Guards noticed the 66-year-old hiding something under his prison clothes as he walked back to his cell after lunch."

Simpson was reportedly let off with only a warning, but suffered humiliation at the hands of fellow inmates and was in strict violation of doctor's orders.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/oj-simpson-steals-oatmeal-cookies-prison-nevada-lovelock-correctional-center-kidnapping-armed-robbery-33-year-sentence-092613

Down Philly's Mean Streets: One Dead In Philadelphia Shooting Involving Murder and Robbery Suspects, the FBI and The Philadelphia Police

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported yesterday on the shooting in Philadelphia that involved murder and robbery suspects, the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department.

The men were apparently related, but they shared more than a family tie.

Police said they were a tag-team of crime and violence, responsible for murder and robberies across the city. And they had vowed to resist arrest.

As officers and FBI agents swarmed their East Mount Airy hangout early Monday afternoon, the suspects stormed from a back door with weapons drawn, police said. The ensuing gunfight near Musgrave Street seemed to last 10 minutes, a neighbor said.

When it ended, 21-year-old Tevin Hammond was dead and 19-year-old Justin Mackie was severely wounded.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20130723_One_dead_in_shooting_involving_FBI_agent__police_officer.html

Suspect Arraigned In Home Invasion, Beating of Mom Caught On Nanny Cam

The New York Daily News reports on the arraignment of the suspect in the Nanny Cam case, in which a mother was brutally beaten in front of her small child during a home invasion.

The hulking brute who was caught on a nanny-cam beating up a helpless New Jersey mom capped the brutal attack by throwing her down a flight of stairs.

“We believe it was his intent to kill the woman,” Essex County chief assistant prosecutor Tom Fennelly said Tuesday. “We believe the charges are supported by the evidence.”

Fennelly’s revelation came after 42-year-old Shawn Custis (seen in the above mugshot) pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, robbery, burglary and child endangerment at his arraignment at state Superior Court in Newark.

Dressed in a blue button-down shirt and speaking in a barely audible whisper, Custis said he was unable to post the $750,000 bail and was marched out of the court.

... Custis, who lives in the Inwood section of Manhattan, has a rap sheet going back to the 90s. He was released from a New Jersey prison in December after doing time for four burglaries.
But Custis became infamous last month when he allegedly broke into the mom’s home in well-off Millburn, N.J. and attacked the young woman while her 3-year-old daughter looked on in horror.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/suspect-arraigned-home-invasion-beating-article-1.1388065