Some white coller odds and ends

Baltimore Rabbi indicted for stealing checks from school.

Meanwhile...
What do you get If you spend 45 years being a fraudster? apparently not much.

Finally:
Maryland feds take down a internet gambling/money laundering operation after a yearlong investigation.

BaltimorePolice POLICE INVOLVED SHOOTING, 2805 ORLEANS ST, ADULT MALE STABBED PO IN BACK,2ND PO SHOT SUSPECT

update: the suspect has died, the officer was unhurt.

Inquiring minds...

Update: "department sources identified the detained student as John Pontolillo, 20, of Wall, N.J."

Pontolillo is a junior, prior to Hopkins he attended the Ranney $chool in Tinton Falls, six years behind the "Marie Antoinette" actress Kirsten Dunst.

Rice has a seedier background: police say he pulled a loaded .22 on an officer in 2007.
But his sister claims her brother was "too fat" to pose a threat.

Srsly? Kevin Clarke's lawsuit lives on!

Appopos of nothing

NY bike thief beatdown

FL busts Craigslist hookers in "Operation Hot Date"

Dayum!

"Police: JHU Student Killed Intruder With Samurai Sword"
Former roomie Diego tells WBAL, "it was, like, a wakizashi ... it, like, fit nicely with the rest of the room."

Update @1:30: "The intruder is identified as Donald Dwayne Rice of Baltimore City."

... but hode up. did the incident happen in the garage, as students say... or, as WBAL writes, on the patio?

They know when you've been sleeping...

Three break-ins in Charles Village, including two while residents were sleeping, from JHU security via Spotcrime. Lock those doors & windows!:

Burglary (Private Residence) – 200 Blk. E. University Parkway – On Sept. 13th between 12:00 AM and 1:30 AM, an undergraduate’s laptop computer, iPod and iPod base station were taken from his 3rd floor bedroom.  Preliminary investigation revealed that entry had been gained via an unlocked 1st floor rear window.  Baltimore Police responded.  Investigation continuing.

Attempt Burglary (Private Apartment Building) – Hopkins House, 110 W. University Parkway -- On Sept. 11th at 11:30 PM, an unknown person shined a light through the 2nd floor bedroom patio window and pushed the unlocked sliding door open. The resident startled the suspect who then fled in an unknown direction.  Nothing was taken.  Outside, trash cans were available to the suspect to reach the balcony.  Baltimore Police responded. Investigation continuing.

Burglary (Private Apartment) – 2900 Blk. N. Calvert St. (odd side) – On Sept. 13th between 3:30 PM and 10:30 PM, a non-affiliate’s laptop computer was taken from a 2nd floor bedroom.  Entry had been gained via an unlocked rear 2nd floor door leading to the fire escape.  Baltimore Police responded. Investigation continuing.

Police-involved

shooing of robbery suspect on White Ave

Suspicious

Baltimore PoliceDept SUSPICIOUS DEATH - 500 E PRATT ST, ADULT FEMALE FOUND DEAD.
update: fenton tweets it may be suicide

Again?

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At around midnight police Tweeted another shooting Presstman, an adult male in the 500 block. What is going on?
.. update: the shooting = fatal

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and a man shot to death while standing at W. Cold Spring and Reisterstown Rds. on Sunday afternoon.

Bupe and crime

Supporters say buprenorphine, a treatment for heroin addiction, has helped lower the homicide rate.

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Two fatal shootings today
: Israeli Mason, 18, on McCulloh St. at 1:42 a.m., and André Williams in the 100 block of West Cross St.

Michael Chase shot in 1988, is added to the toll, along with two killings "previously undisclosed" by police

"Medical Marijuana Finds a Mellow Audience in Md."

Boo frickin hoo

Alleged mortgage-buyback fraudster Michael K. Lewis left people homeless, but his sentence is 78 months in the federal big house (serving time in a Dubyaville down by the river is apparently not an option.) Sobbed Lewis, "I was focused on teaching people how to bring in more money." More details from the DOJ.

Surprise Guilty Plea for Murder of Deron Hope, 16

An exceptionally verbose and compelling PR from the SAO:

Baltimore, MD – September 11, 2009 – The murder trial of William Key, AKA Anthony Banks, 21, of the 300 block of E. Lafayette Avenue ended in a hung jury Thursday following 3 days of deliberations and a 5 day trial. Then suddenly, mid-afternoon yesterday, Key pled guilty before the Honorable Timothy J. Doory. After the jury’s inability to reach a unanimous decision by one vote, based on what jurors reported was a public defender seated on the jury and the lone holdout juror, Key entered a guilty plea to the second degree murder of Deron Hope and use of a handgun in a crime of violence. Judge Doory sentenced Key to 40 years in prison, 30 years for the second degree murder to be served consecutive to a 10 year sentence for the use of a handgun in a crime of violence. Prosecutor Terry Shaffer read a poignant note of remembrance written by Hope’s mother as part of her victim impact statement, as she sobbed quietly on a courtroom bench, unable to speak in court.

A co-defendant, Kenneth Robbins, pled guilty May 13, 2009 to second-degree murder and is pending sentencing scheduled November 23, 2009 before the Honorable Martin Welch, Room 228 Courthouse East. During court proceedings in May, Key was held in contempt for assaulting Robbins while they sat side by side awaiting the court proceedings.

Through evidence and witnesses, the State showed that Key was a member of the Black Guerilla [sic] Family (BGF) gang and that he had been trying to recruit Kenny Robbins into the gang. Kenny was reluctant because he knew he would have to take a “beat down”, subjecting himself to a brutal gang beating, so Key told Kenny there were other ways to achieve status in the BGF gang, including murder. Deron Hope was not known to either defendant, and his murder was a random act of violence. The Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted Keys and Robbins on November 28, 2007 for first-degree murder and handgun counts.

Facts and evidence presented during opening statements, during the trial and subsequent plea, showed that at the time of the murder on October 13, 2007, Deron Hope was a rising football star who was being recruited by Mount St. Joseph’s High School. He did not know the defendants, and was shot at point blank range as part of a Black Guerrilla Family gang recruitment initiation for a new gang member, while spending the day with friends. At the time of the murder defendant Key was under a court commitment order to the Department of Juvenile Services and living with his grandmother in the Latrobe community.

On October 13, 2007, Deron spent the day hanging out with two girls in the 1700 block of Latrobe Street. Deron Hope, aka BJ, was a junior student with outstanding football talent, a tight end and running back, with offers from Mount St. Joseph High School. Around midnight, when sitting on steps outside with friends, 2 friends got up to go into the house to get shoes and money, when shots were fired. They ran back to look out the door and saw William Key and Kenneth Robbins, a co-defendant, running up Latrobe Street. Key appeared to be tucking something into his pocket. During testimony they recalled that earlier that evening they noticed the two at another house in the 1700 block of Latrobe Street and that at some point they left and eventually returned.

William Key lived with his grandmother at 326 E. Lafayette, about 300 feet from where the body of Deron Hope was found. A neighbor of Key testified that as he was getting ready for bed around midnight and heard someone jumping over his fence. The next morning, before leaving for work, the neighbor found two guns in the back yard. The neighbor placed the guns in a box, took them into the house, and called the police.

The two guns recovered were a .38 caliber revolver, and a .38 caliber bullet was recovered from below the victim’s right eye. A revolver does not eject a casing. There were 4 live bullets in the .38 and one spent casing. Key’s DNA was found on the handle of the gun. The DNA from the trigger was not conclusive, but was consistent with Key’s DNA. The second gun was a .22 caliber semi automatic that ejects a cartridge. A .22 caliber casing was recovered from the scene with the same characteristics as the gun found in the neighbor’s yard and the second bullet recovered from the victim’s skull was consistent with this gun.

Deron was shot twice, once by each gun. He was shot in the head at point blank range, in the face and through his earlobe. The State was able to confirm this through the testimony of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and co-defendant Kenny Robbins. Robbins lived with his Aunt at in the 200 block of E. Lafayette. He had watched the police recover the guns and knew it was just a matter of time [ED: how does the SAO know what he knew?] before he was implicated. When police came he was mirandized, waived his rights and told police what had happened.

Assistant State’s Attorney Theresa Shaffer of the Homicide Division prosecuted this case.

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Four more homicides added to the Sun map:
Trenton Marshall, 20, 2300 E Northern Parkway, shot to death while on "a red bicycle near a bus stop on Northern Parkway" "without warning"

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Shelton Elliott, 43, 500 N Carey St. Sept. 9, shooting

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Michael Chase, 47, 601 E Fayette St. (!! at/in/near the police station? is that right?) Sept 9, shooting

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Charles Mack, 47, 2700 Ashland Ave, Sept. 8, blunt force trauma

Jessamy on ACORN

Press release sent out about an hour ago:

Baltimore, MD – September 11, 2009 – We have received inquiries from citizens and the media asking whether the Baltimore City State’s Attorneys Office would initiate a criminal investigation for acts allegedly committed at ACORN offices located in Baltimore. The only information received in reference to this alleged criminal behavior was a YouTube video. Upon review by this office, the video appears to be incomplete. In addition, the audio portion could possibly have been obtained in violation of Maryland Law, Annotated Code of Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article §10-402, which requires two party consent.

If it is determined that the audio portion now being heard on YouTube was illegally obtained, it is also illegal under Maryland Law to willfully use or willfully disclose the content of said audio. The penalty for the unlawful interception, disclosure or use of it is a felony punishable up to 5 years.

In case you're one of the five people who hasn't heard about this story, link to CNN coverage here. Latest twist, there's a second tape from the DC office, with some intriguing insights on how to set up a legal "lady of the night marketeer" consultancy.
It's kind of sweet, how helpful everyone is!

Correction: TDR says feds are not seeking the death penalty for Brian Rose.

This just in: Baltimore's courthouses= dangerous heck-holes

FHBIII sensibly nixes the Honey-Hole cam

triple shooting & fatality

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Three adult males shot @ 9 pm, one has died, 500 Radnor Ave

Today is the day when the hippies of MD cry

Geroge Kraft gets 13 years for selling magic mushrooms. A good article on him in the City Paper from last November.

Shootings, Stabbings and Firebombings, Oh my!

Man arrested for stabbing in Edgewood.

But of course why use a knife when you have a gun? Which is what this 17yr old did in Baltimore city.

But then again, why run the risk of missing, when you can just firebomb their house, thus ensuring that no one on your street survives your domestic squabble.