America's Criminal Defense Group - Our Legal Blog

The three defendants in the Anaheim Hills murder case, Charles Anthony Murphy, Iftekhar Murtaza and Vitaliy Krasnoperov need to pay a little more attention to technical advancements in communications. It is now possible to track cellphones even though the phone itself is mobile. Part of this case rests on the fact that the the defendants did not know that a cellphone could be tracked to a location. You cannot use an alibi that you where somewhere else, when you cellphone can be tracked to a separte location. Oops! Anthony Partipilo, America’s Criminal Defense Group.

In the latest move by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Los Angeles, agents raided several car dealerships in East Los Angeles on Wednesday, August 15, 2007, according to www.abc7.com. Agents searching for cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana served several search warrants at some of the many used car dealerships in East LA, including Brooklyn Auto Sales located on 3^rd St and Eastern Avenue. The DEA impounded many cars looking for hidden compartments in the cars, which are commonly used in smuggling drugs.

As drug trafficking appears to be on the rise in many states, the DEA is stepping up its efforts to crack down on any person(s) or establishments even remotely connected to the trafficking operations. People need to remember, that although being in possession of an item or items commonly used in trafficking of drugs, that fact alone is not necessarily enough to get you convicted of a crime. However, be prepared to invoke your 5^th Amendment rights and not discuss anything you may or may not know about those items. Always remember, once you are the target of a criminal investigation, regardless of how remotely connected to the crime you may be, you’re not going to be able to talk your way out of it. You’re better off staying quiet, and contacting a criminal defense attorney, like those at America’s Criminal Defense Group.

http://www.americascriminaldefense.com/

Thieves posing as Dunbar Security armored car guards made off with $405K Tuesday in Westminster, Ca. Two men, ages 25-35, entered the Little Saigon money exchange business in attire matching the uniforms of the real Dunbar Security guards. Witnesses reported that they drove off in a Ford Econoline van with the “Dunbar Security” sign on the side.

Employees of the money exchange only realized that the guards were imposters after the real armored truck arrived for the regularly scheduled pickup 30 minutes after the thieves left with the cash. With the police assigning a forensics unit to the investigation, the thieves may soon need to think about putting some money away to hire a couple of experienced criminal defense attorneys.

http://www.americascriminaldefense.com/

Two of Michael Vick’s co-conspirators in the federal dogfighting conspiracy case are scheduled to enter pleas on Friday. Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips are scheduled in back-to-back hearings in front of U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson.  Vick still maintains his innocence in the face of many co-conspirators turning on him. Co-conspirator Tony Taylor has already pleaded guilty and has an agreement with prosecutors to testify against Vick.

Although it is unknown what deals Vick’s co-conspirators have received in conjunction for their future testimony against Vick, this demonstrates exactly how conspiracies are handled by prosecutors. Once they’ve focused-in on the alleged ringleader, they invariably seek to turn the co-defendants against the ringleader, burying that person. With this added pressure, it would not be surprising to see Vick enter into a plea bargain soon. It’s kind of amusing how prosecutors nationwide arrest people for their alleged indiscretions, but immediately join that person’s side and believe everything they have to say once they’ve agreed to testify as a prosecutorial witness. This creates problems for some criminal defense attorneys, but also opportunities for experienced criminal defense attorneys, like those found at America’s Criminal Defense Group. This is why it is extremely important for anyone accused of acting in conspiracy with other to violate the law, be them ringleader or someone lower on the toadem pole, to acquire good criminal defense representation. Certainly these prosecutorial tactics can be difficult to overcome, but it is a game that seasoned criminal defense attorneys are accustomed to playing.

Ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty this morning to conspiracy and wire fraud in Brooklyn federal court. Donaghy, admitted to providing nonpublic information on NBA games and receiving cash payments for successful bets. Donaghy faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. Donaghy’s criminal defense attorney left the courtroom without comment.Two of Donaghy’s alleged co-conspirators were also arrested this morning. Thomas Marino and James Battista are scheduled to be arraigned later today, according to Roslynn Mauskopf, spokeswoman for the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney.

While the public awaits more arrests, those involved who have not yet been detained should begin consulting with attorneys. Certainly attorneys with America’s Criminal Defense Group, and their collective experience in handling such white collar crime defense, on both the state and federal level, would be a proper fit for anyone connected to this scandal.

In 2004, Kenneth Sodomsky took his personal computer into a Circuit City in Pennsylvania to have a new DVD burner installed. When Circuit City employees tested the machine to make sure the installation was successful they discovered child pornography/videos on Mr. Sodomsky’s computer. They immediately contacted police, who later informed Sodomsky of the investigation. Sodomsky argued that he did not expose the information contained on his computer to the public and that the pornographic material should be suppressed. The judge of the common pleas court in Reading, PA, agreed with Sodomsky’s criminal defense attorney and suppressed the material.

Jump forward to August 2007, and the Pennsylvania Superior Court panel has ruled that the suppression should not have been granted. According to Judge Mary Jane Bowes, “if [Sodomsky] exposed the video contents of his computer to Circuit City employees, he abandoned his privacy interest in those computer contents because those employees were members of the public.” Therefore, the files were public, open to anyone, including the police.

The moral of the story: If you have sensitive information on your computer that you truly want to keep secret and private, don’t take your personal computer to a store to get upgrades. Once you show something private to a person in the public, it is no longer private – so don’t expect to receive favorable treatment in court. Hopefully you never find yourself in this position – but, if someday, somebody looks into something of your’s that you think is private – you may need to hire a criminal defense attorney at America’s Criminal Defense Group to help you.

UCLA campus police arrested Santa Monica’s self-proclaimed pedophile Jack McClellan on Monday, August 13, 2007, after he was observed sitting just outside the child development building. Normally this would be a non-issue, as Mr. McClellan has a clean criminal record, however his presence outside the building may have violated the statewide restraining order prohibiting him from coming within 10 yards from any child in California.  McClellan became headline news in Southern California earlier this summer after publicly admitting his attraction to watching little girls. Santa Monica police took the step of posting his picture on their website to warn residents.

After being detained and taken into custody by university police, McClellan was later released on his own recognizance, and told to stay away from the campus. McClellan later returned to the UCLA campus for a television interview, and was booked by police on a trespass violation. It will be interesting to see how the McClellan saga will play out. Mr. McClellan will be in need of a criminal defense attorney real soon here on the trespass and violation. However, it may just be a matter of time until he’ll need a heavy hitting attorney like the type of attorneys America’s Criminal Defense Group can offer.

 While the lone survivor of a three-teenager slaying recovers in the hospital, a second suspect turned himself into authorities today. The highly publicized slaying in Newark, has been described as an execution style killing of three college students. According to authorities close to the investigation, the three victims were forced to kneel against a wall and were shot at close range. The survivor, 19-year-old Natasha Aeriel, is recovering in the hospital from a wound to her head. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20145099/)

28-year old Jose Carranza turned himself in Thursday, the night after a 15-yr old suspect, whose name has not been reported due to his age, was arrested. According to reports from Mayor Booker, ballistics and fingerprints tied Carranza to the crime, and his photo was released to the public on August 9. Carranza is expected to be charged with three counts of 1^st degree murder, attempted murder, and additional charges. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20145099/)

Although Newark has increasingly become accustomed to violence, with the murder rate up to 50% since 1998, this latest killing really touched the community. Although authorities initially believed the crime to be gang related, it is now believed that the motive was robbery. A decrease in crime is exactly what Mayor Booker campaigned so vigorously on last year.

With so much publicity surrounding this heinous crime, and the Mayor and Police Director being so visible, any suspect related to the crime will need excellent and experienced representation. Justice must be done, but it must be achieved in a Constitutional manner. Those involved in this crime will invariably receive their punishment, but without adequate legal representation, they too may soon find themselves victims of the justice system. The court system must remember that it has a process, and public outcry is not an excuse to deny any criminal defendant their Constitutionally protected rights. America’s Criminal Defense Group understands the highly sensitive nature of tragic events, and stops at nothing to ensure their client’s receive complete representation, even when it might be against public opinion. The suspects involved in this crime will no doubt require the type of representation that America’s Criminal Defense Group can offer.

http://www.americascriminaldefense.com/