Feature List - Offbeat

My Hero? I did not vote for CNN's Efren Peñaflorida!
Frank A. Hilario
Not being voted a hero doesn't make me less.
It Has Been Reported ...
Krista Dandridge-Barnett
Wednesday [11.18.2009] - 'Societe Generale' reportedly informed [its] consumers to prepare for a global economic collapse. Thursday [11.19.2009] - The first President of Europe, Belgium Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy, has been appointed by the European Union. Monday [11.23.2009] - 'Citadel...
An important message frrom The World Voice (AVAAZ) organization.
Joseph Raglione
Gentle readers within this American Chronicle, could it be the United States and Canadian governments are controlled by the Banks and the Banks are controlled by the Oil corporations? With so much economic control, it is no wonder the U.S. and Canadian governments are wavering in Copenhagan. I do be...
Taking Great Digital Photos in Low Light Conditions
Sam Chapman
Taking great digital photos is a snap with today´s digital cameras when you have good light. However, things can get a little tricky in low light situations. However, you can take great digital photos in low light conditions even without using your camera´s flash. Let´s say yo...
PTPA Media.com Reveals Packaging Parents Hate
Sharon Vinderine
TORONTO (CNW) - PTPA Media .com – a website, which tests products by having volunteer parents use them in the real world, offer what they say is the most objective product rating family products, to Media, retailers and consumers. Products that make the grade receive the PTPA Media Seal of Approval,...
Download Me and Orson Welles Online | Watch Me and Orson Welles Free
Mariah Joseph
Zac Efron will star as high school senior Richard Samuels—an age and grade level the actor knows well—who, while walking the streets of Manhattan one day, comes across Orson Welles' still unopened Mercury Theater, where the Shakespearean auteur, pre-Citizen Kane, is staging a production of Julius Caesar.
Download The Road Online | Watch The Road Free
Mariah Joseph
Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortensen, Academy Award winners Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and 12-year-old Kodi Smit McPhee star in the big-screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel
Download The Princess and the Frog Online | Watch The Princess and the Frog Free
Mariah Joseph
When the free-spirited, jazz-loving Prince Naveen of Maldonia comes to town a deal with a shady voodoo doctor goes bad and the once suave royal is turned into a frog.
Download Old Dogs Online | Watch Old Dogs Free
Mariah Joseph
Two best friends—one unlucky-in-love divorcee (Robin Williams) and the other a fun-loving bachelor (John Travolta)—have their lives turned upside down when they´re unexpectedly charged with the care of six-year-old twins while on the verge of the biggest business deal of their lives.
Download Ninja Assassin Online | Watch Ninja Assassin Free
Mariah Joseph
Raizo is one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Taken from the streets as a child, he was transformed into a trained killer by the Ozunu Clan, a secret society whose very existence is considered a myth.
IRS Announces 2010 VITA Grant Recipients
Newswire Services
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced for the second year in a row it has awarded nearly $8 million in matching grants to support its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Under the VITA Grant Program, the IRS awarded matching grants to 147 organizations that will off...
Huntsville Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years on Child Pornography Charges
Crime Blotter
HUNTSVILLE—U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor today sentenced REUBEN EUGENE FERGUSON to 17 ½ years in prison for possessing, receiving and transporting child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick Maley. Ferguson, 65, of Huntsville, ...
Two Defendants Plead Guilty in ATM Skimming Scheme
Crime Blotter
ATLANTA, GA—ROMULUS BACIAN, 40, and MARIUS ENACHE CSAPAY, 45, both of Romania, pleaded guilty today to their roles in a conspiracy to steal ATM/debit card account information from hundreds of Washington Mutual customers using "skimming" equipment they illegally affixed to ATMs around the metro...
International Effort Defeats Major Hacking Ring
Crime Blotter
ATLANTA, GA—VIKTOR PLESHCHUK, 28, of St. Petersburg, Russia; SERGEI TŠURIKOV, 25, of Tallinn, Estonia; and OLEG COVELIN, 28, of Chişinău, Moldova, along with an unidentified individual, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fra...
Oregon Man Sentenced for Producing Child Pornography Using His Daughters
Crime Blotter
PORTLAND, OR—Mark A. Hoffman, 35, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones to 50 years in prison following Hoffman´s guilty plea to two counts of production of child pornography. Hoffman will also serve a lifetime of supervision. Judge Jones stated this was one of the w...
Federal Indictments Charge Eight Defendants with Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin
Crime Blotter
MEDFORD, OR—A federal indictment was unsealed today charging eight defendants with trafficking heroin in Southern Oregon. Ismael Anaya, 27, of Medford, Oregon, and Eliot Delavirgen, 33, of White City, Oregon, previously appeared in federal court on October 5, 2009 and remain in custody pending...
Mortgage and Real Estate Broker Sentenced to Prison for Mortgage Fraud
Crime Blotter
HOUSTON—Clarence Lewis III, 46, of Houston, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole for running a mortgage fraud scheme, United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today. United States District Judge Lynn N. Hughes handed down the prison sentence at a hearing this aft...
Former Police Officer Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Robbery
Crime Blotter
PHILADELPHIA—Malik Snell, 37, of Philadelphia, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for an attempted home-invasion robbery in Pottstown, and the robbery of a large-scale drug dealer, Ricardo McKendrick, in Philadelphia, announced United States Attorney Michael L. Levy. Both robberies wer...
Former High School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography
Crime Blotter
LEXINGTON, KY—A former Paris, Ky. high school teacher pleaded guilty in federal court today to two counts of possession of child pornography. Kenneth Shadoan, 31, admitted he possessed child pornography images in his vehicle and at his mother´s residence in Pulaski County between May ...
Mortgage Broker Pleads Guilty to Six Felony Counts in Cash-Back Mortgage Fraud Scheme
Crime Blotter
PHOENIX—Jeffrey Todd Crandell, 33, of Mesa, Ariz., pleaded guilty on November 9, 2009, to six counts of Bank Fraud for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme. Sentencing will take place on February 22, 2010, before U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow. Crandell was the leader of a sophisticated ...
Kitsap County Bank Robber Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison
Crime Blotter
ERIC M. HAWKINS, 40, a former resident of Bremerton, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to seven years in prison, five years of supervised release and $11,846 in restitution for Armed Bank Robbery. HAWKINS had been incarcerated in Texas on drug charges when authorities ...
Accomplice of Former UBS Investment Banker Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading
Crime Blotter
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MICHAEL KOULOUROUDIS, an accomplice of a former UBS investment banker, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge PAUL G. GARDEPHE on charges of conspiracy and securities fraud as a result o...
Jury Finds Shelton Man Guilty of Structuring Cash Transactions
Crime Blotter
Nora R. Dannehy, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a federal jury in New Haven has found JAMES BOTTI, 46, of Shelton, guilty of one count of conspiracy to structure cash transactions and one count of structuring cash transactions. The jury found BOTTI not guilty ...
Career Offender Bank Robber Sentenced to 151 Months in Federal Prison
Crime Blotter
PORTLAND, OR—Johnathan Darrell Singleton, 43, Portland, Oregon, was sentenced on November 10, 2009, by U.S. District Judge Ancer L. Haggerty to serve 151 months in federal prison for bank robbery. Singleton was also ordered to serve a federal supervised release term of three years following hi...
Idaho Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Defrauding Investment Company of $3.1 Million
Crime Blotter
BOSTON, MA—A Boise, Idaho man was charged today and agreed to plead guilty in federal court with wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud an investment company of $3.1 million in order to buy and sell securities using the company´s money rather than his own. United States Att...
Ware Man Charged with Illegal Possession of Ammunition and Manufacturing Explosive Materials
Crime Blotter
SPRINGFIELD, MA—A Ware man was charged today in federal court with Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon and Manufacturing Explosive Materials without a License. United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Glenn N. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fir...
Accomplice of Former UBS Investment Banker Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading
Crime Blotter
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MICHAEL KOULOUROUDIS, an accomplice of a former UBS investment banker, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge PAUL G. GARDEPHE on charges of conspiracy and securities fraud as a result o...
The IRS and FBI are Seeking Victims and Information in Rothstein Investigation
Crime Blotter
The Miami Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Miami Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are seeking information from individuals who have invested in the Rothstein Structured Settlement Investment (RSSI) or from individuals who have information that would be ...
The IRS and FBI are Seeking Victims and Information in Rothstein Investigation
Crime Blotter
The Miami Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Miami Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are seeking information from individuals who have invested in the Rothstein Structured Settlement Investment (RSSI) or from individuals who have information that would be ...
Former Willbros International Consultant Pleads Guilty to $6 Million Foreign Bribery Scheme
Crime Blotter
WASHINGTON—A former consultant for Willbros International Inc. (WII), a subsidiary of Houston-based Willbros Group Inc. (Willbros), pleaded guilty today to engaging in a conspiracy to pay more than $6 million in bribes to government officials of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and officials fr...
Anniston Man Sentenced Today for Three Armed Bank Robberies
Crime Blotter
BIRMINGHAM—U.S. District Court Judge Inge P. Johnson today sentenced an Anniston man to 20 years and 4 months in prison for the armed robbery of three Alabama banks in 2007, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick Maley. A federal jury in July convi...
Connecticut Investor Sentenced for Scheme to Bribe Government Officials in Azerbaijan
Crime Blotter
WASHINGTON—Frederic A. Bourke Jr., of Greenwich, Conn., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to one year and one day in prison, announced Mythili Raman, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division and Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern Di...
Korean Businessman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in $206 Million Contract Fraud Scheme
Crime Blotter
WASHINGTON—A South Korean businessman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to five years in prison for his role in a bribery conspiracy involving a $206 million telecommunications contract and employees of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)...
Fifteen Indicted in Drug Trafficking Investigation
Crime Blotter
Fifteen individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury relating to charges of conspiracy to distribute crack and powder cocaine in Bay City, Michigan, United States Attorney Terrence Berg announced today. The indictments are the result of a joint FBI and ATF investigation targeting members of the...
Chicago Resident Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Prohibited Items to Inmate
Crime Blotter
MADISON, WI—Stephen P. Sinnott, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Mesha Hamlin, 35, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced on November 10th in U.S. District Court in Madison by U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker to one year of federal probation...
Former DPS Trooper Sentenced to Prison for Cocaine Trafficking Conviction
Crime Blotter
BROWNSVILLE, TX—Former Department of Public Safety Trooper Jesus Rafael Larrazolo has been sentenced to federal prison without parole for possessing with intent to distribute 26 kilograms of cocaine, United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today. Larrazolo, 31, of Brownsville, was ind...
Three Ohio Men Indicted in $4.5 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme
Crime Blotter
DAYTON—A federal grand jury here has indicted James L. Mack, 64, a former loan officer at the Centerville branch of Republic Bank, Walter A. Millat, 70, and his son William E. Millat, 49, all of Dayton, charging the three men with operating a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $4.5 millio...
Tempe Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison for Credit Union and Bank Robberies
Crime Blotter
PHOENIX—Jorge Gutierrez, 31, of Tempe, Ariz., was sentenced yesterday to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Neil W. Wake. Gutierrez pleaded guilty on August 25, 2009, to three Credit Union and Bank Robberies. Between October 30, 2008, and March 24, 2009, Gutierrez entered De...
Bookkeeper Indicted on Charges of Stealing More Than $948,000 From Wichita Law Firm
Crime Blotter
WICHITA, KS—Vicki J. Olivarez, 34, Wichita, Kan., has been indicted on charges of stealing more than $948,000 from her employer, Pistotnik Law Offices. Olivarez is charged with one count of bank fraud and 10 counts of forging the signature of Brian Pistotnik on checks drawn on the law firm&...
Federal Firearms Charges Filed Against Man Who Shot at FBI Agents
Crime Blotter
KANSAS CITY, KS—Nicholas Henry, 26, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after felony convictions, U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch said today. A criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., alleges that on Nov. 1, 2009, Henry attempted to av...
Anchorage Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Crack Distribution
Crime Blotter
ANCHORAGE, AK—United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that on November 9, 2009, Cassero Lenell Washington, a resident of Anchorage, Alaska, pleaded guilty in federal court in Anchorage to one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Washington, age ...
Anchorage Drug Dealer Sentenced to 90 Months in Federal Prison
Crime Blotter
ANCHORAGE, AK—United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that Ropati Talamaivao, a resident of Anchorage, Alaska, was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to 90 months for his convictions of drug trafficking conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances. Chief United State...
Woman Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Wire Fraud
Crime Blotter
MONIQUE MARIE JACKSON, age 28, a resident of Hammond, Louisiana, was sentenced in federal court today by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to three (3) years probation and ordered to serve 50 hours of community service for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. According to court documen...
Tennessee Executive and Portfolio Manager Charged with Wire Fraud
Crime Blotter
NASHVILLE, TN—United States Attorney Edward M. Yarbrough; Martin P. Phanco, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, and My Harrison, Special Agent in Charge, Memphis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced today the filing of a federal felony crim...
Edgewater Park Man Sentenced to 462 Months in Prison for Committing Two Armed Bank Robberies
Crime Blotter
CAMDEN—An Edgewater Park man was sentenced to 462 months in federal prison today for committing two violent armed bank robberies of the same PNC bank branch in Glendora, during which he forced bank employees at gunpoint into the bank´s vault, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. U...
Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Mail Fraud and Possession of a Weapon in Prison
Crime Blotter
Dennis Pfannenschmidt, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced today that Paul Reinthaler, age 47, has been sentenced by United States District Judge William J. Nealon to 37 months´ imprisonment for mail fraud and possession of a weapon in prison. According...
Connecticut Man Sentenced for Role in Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy
Crime Blotter
Nora R. Dannehy, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAYMOND PACHECO, also known as "Tito," 39, of Fairfield, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised rele...
"South Side Myfas" Street Gang Members Convicted of Cocaine Trafficking
Crime Blotter
ATLANTA, GA—A federal jury late today returned guilty verdicts against RICARDO LARIOS-TRUJILLO, a/k/a "Rico," 34, of Lawrenceville, Georgia; RAMON CORTEZ, a/k/a "Toro," 21, of Lawrenceville, Georgia; and HOMER LARIOS, a/k/a "Hummer," 34, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, for conspiring to possess wit...
Two Charged with Armed Bank Robberies
Crime Blotter
PHILADELPHIA—A five-count indictment was returned today charging Shawn K. Johnson and Keenan Danan Quinn with conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, bank robbery, armed bank robbery, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced United States Attor...
California Man Sentenced for Using Internet to Obtain Sex with Minor
Crime Blotter
SACRAMENTO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that JERALD P. D´SOUZA, 50, of Dublin, Calif., was sentenced this morning by United States District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to 10 years in prison for using the Internet to attempt to commit criminal sex acts w...
Leader of St. Tammany Parish Cocaine Distribution Ring Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Law Violation
Crime Blotter
NEW ORLEANS, LA—NATHANIEL JACKSON III, age 23, a resident of Covington, Louisiana, entered a guilty plea today in federal court before U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey admitting that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, or "crack," between August 13, 2008, and November 26,...
Oklahoma Doctor Indicted for Health Care Fraud Committed While Practicing in New Orleans Area
Crime Blotter
NEW ORLEANS, LA—DR. GREGORY KHOURY, age 55, a resident of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a 48-count indictment with over $1 million in health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. According to today´s indictment, between 1999, until about Ju...
Missouri Deputy Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Teenage Girl
Crime Blotter
WASHINGTON—Steven W. Burgess, a former Jackson County, Mo., sheriff´s deputy, pleaded guilty in federal court today to violating the civil rights of a teenage girl whom he sexually assaulted in his patrol car, the Justice Department announced. Burgess, 35, of Independence, Mo., pleade...
Anchorage Drug Dealer Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison
Crime Blotter
ANCHORAGE, AK—United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today, November 12, 2009, that Wendy Lynn Starr, a resident of Anchorage, Alaska, was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to 60 months for her conviction of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. U...
Forfeiture Sought from Alavi Foundation of Interest in Building Controlled by Iran
Crime Blotter
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the filing of an amended civil Complaint seeking forfeiture of the Alavi Foundation's interest in a 36-story office tower located at 650 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan (the "Building"). The Building i...
Former NYPD Officer Sentenced for Armed Bank Robbery
Crime Blotter
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that former New York City Police Officer CHRISTIAN TORRES was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 78 months in prison for armed bank robbery, bank larceny, and conspiracy to defraud a bank. United St...
Seventeen Gang Members and Associates Charged with Narcotics Violations
Crime Blotter
Hundreds of Sheriff´s deputies and FBI agents executed arrest and search warrants this morning in the final phase of a coordinated operation in which members of a violent street gang were taken into custody for their alleged roles in the distribution of narcotics and illegal possession of fire...
California Man Charged with Unauthorized Display of Navy Medals
Crime Blotter
A Palm Springs man is expected to surrender himself to federal authorities tomorrow morning after being charged with the unauthorized display of numerous Navy medals, including the Navy Cross, which is the highest medal awarded by that branch of the military. Steven Burton, 39, has agreed to surr...
Dundalk Woman Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography
Crime Blotter
BALTIMORE, MD—Michelle Lynn Smith, age 32, of Dundalk, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. "The FBI worked quickly in response to a tip from a cooperating witness and was able t...
Virginian Pleads Guilty to $16 Million Fraud Scheme
Crime Blotter
ALEXANDRIA, VA—Hanif Hassan Moledina, 46, formerly of Great Falls, Va., pleaded guilty today to a fraud scheme that resulted in illegal gross proceeds exceeding $16 million. Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant ...
New Jersey Hospital to Pay $3 Million to Resolve Allegations of Medicare Fraud
Crime Blotter
WASHINGTON–The United States has entered into a settlement with a New Jersey hospital and filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit against a New York hospital involving allegations that the hospitals defrauded Medicare, the Justice Department announced today. The United States settled for $3.02 m...
Two Columbia Men Sentenced for $3 Million Investment Fraud
Crime Blotter
JEFFERSON CITY, MO—Matt J. Whitworth, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two Columbia, Mo., men were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a multi-million dollar investment fraud. Daryl Miles Brown, 32, Sylvester L. Mitchell III, 39, bo...
Chicopee Man Arrested and Charged with Possessing with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
Crime Blotter
BOSTON, MA—A Chicopee, MA man was arrested and charged today in federal court with possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine. United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division announced...
Indiana Man Charged with Possession of Unregistered Guns, Destructive Device
Crime Blotter
INDIANAPOLIS—Kerry A. Thomas, 46, Oakland City, Indiana, was charged late yesterday with Possession of unregistered machine guns and a destructive device, announced Timothy M. Morrison, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Indiana, following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, F...
Former Navy Sailor Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison in Online Child Exploitation Case
Crime Blotter
JACKSONVILLE, FL—U.S. Attorney A. Brian Albritton announces that U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan yesterday sentenced Robert William Godwin (age 31, of Jacksonville) to 10 years and one month in federal prison and a lifetime term of supervised release for using the Internet to attempt t...
Gregg County Man Sentenced for Federal Firearms Violations
Crime Blotter
TYLER, TX—U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today that a 27-year-old Longview, Texas man has been sentenced for firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas. GOLDIED PARKER pleaded guilty on Aug. 4, 2009, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced today to 37...
Smith County Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking
Crime Blotter
TYLER, TX—U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today that a 24-year-old Tyler, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas. JOSHUA LEE DEAR pleaded guilty on July 29, 2009, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribu...
Morris County Woman Sentenced for Wire Fraud
Crime Blotter
TYLER, TX—U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today that a 38-year-old Daingerfield, Texas woman has been sentenced to federal prison for wire fraud in the Eastern District of Texas. CHARLINE LEE GOLSTON pleaded guilty on Apr. 29, 2009, to knowingly creating a scheme to defraud a local b...
Investigation Continues Into Fort Hood Shooting
Crime Blotter
The FBI continues to work closely with the Department of the Army in the joint, ongoing investigation into the tragic events that occurred last Thursday at Fort Hood. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and their families. With respect to the investigation—the Army Crim...
Duo Charged with Stealing Nearly $13,000,000 in Embezzlement Scheme
Crime Blotter
NEW ORLEANS, LA—DONNA WHITE, age 46, a resident of Avondale, Louisiana, and DANIEL KINNEY, age 44, a resident of Whitesville, Kentucky, were charged in a one-count bill of information with mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten. According to court documents, DONNA WHITE was employed...
Lubbock Businessman Admits Causing More Than $50 Million in Losses to Investors
Crime Blotter
LUBBOCK, TX—Benny Lee Judah, 50, a businessman from Lubbock, Texas, was remanded into federal custody this afternoon following his guilty plea to felony offenses stemming from his defrauding at least 250 investors of more than $50 million, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern...
Two Computer Programmers for Bernard L. Madoff Charged in New York
Crime Blotter
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, JOSEPH M. DEMAREST, JR., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), ALAN D. LEBOWITZ, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of ...
Former Evangelist Receives 175-Year Sentence for Sexual Exploitation Offenses
Crime Blotter
TEXARKANA, AR—Bernie Hoffman, aka Tony Alamo, founder and leader of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, age 75, was sentenced to 175 years' imprisonment today by U.S. District Court Judge Harry F. Barnes in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, announced U.S. Attorney Debo...
Detroit Consultant Sentenced in Bribery Scheme Related to Synagro Contract
Crime Blotter
Rayford Jackson, 44, of Detroit, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Avern Cohn to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to commit bribery, United States Attorney Terrence Berg announced today. Berg was joined in the announcement by Andre...
Seven Charged in 53-Count, Million-Dollar Mortgage Fraud Scheme
Crime Blotter
OAKLAND, CA—A federal grand jury returned a 53-count indictment charging seven individuals with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering for their roles in a mortgage fraud scheme that involved more than 100 properties in Northern California, United States Attorney Jos...
Two Birmingham Men Sentenced for February Carjacking
Crime Blotter
U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn this week sentenced two Birmingham men for a February carjacking in the parking lot of a drugstore on West Valley Avenue in Homewood, U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance announced. On Thursday, Blackburn sentenced Stephen L. Parker, 24, to nine years and ...
Texas Deputy Sentenced on Drug and Firearms Charges
Crime Blotter
DALLAS—Standric Choice, 36, a former Dallas Sheriff´s Deputy, was sentenced today to 180 months (15 years) in federal prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release, for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern Dist...
Florida Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Receiving Child Pornography
Crime Blotter
WASHINGTON—Jeffrey Robert Libman, 42, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was sentenced to 87 months in prison today for receiving child pornography, Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer and Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jeffrey H. Sloman announ...
Two Sentenced for Offering to Bribe U.S. Army Contracting Official in Afghanistan
Crime Blotter
WASHINGTON—Rohullah Farooqi Lodin and Hashmatullah Farooqi were each sentenced today in Alexandria, Va., to four years in prison for their roles in a scheme to offer $1 million in bribes to a U.S. Army contracting official in Afghanistan, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of...
Virginia Resident Pleads Guilty to Bribing Panamanian Officials for Maritime Contract
Crime Blotter
WASHINGTON—Charles Paul Edward Jumet, of Fluvanna County, Va., pleaded guilty today in connection with his role in a conspiracy to pay bribes to Panamanian government officials to secure a maritime contract, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer, U.S. At...
Former Las Vegas Resident Charged with Committing Mortgage Fraud in Nevada
Crime Blotter
LAS VEGAS—A former Las Vegas resident has been charged with federal conspiracy and fraud charges for his involvement in a Nevada mortgage fraud scheme involving straw buyers and falsified mortgage loan documents, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada. ...
Three Arrested in Texas and Charged in Arizona for Counterfeiting and Selling DVDs
Crime Blotter
TUCSON—An indictment was unsealed today in Tucson charging four naturalized U.S. citizens with a scheme which involved the unauthorized reproduction and distribution of copyrighted DVDs which netted them approximately $3 million dollars. A federal grand jury in Tucson returned a 10-count indic...
Former Miramar Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman Indicted
Crime Blotter
Jeffrey H. Sloman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, announced the filing of an Indictment charging Fitzroy Salesman, 52, of Miramar, Florida, with committing mail fra...
Former Jefferson County Commissioner Sentenced for Obstruction of Justice
Crime Blotter
BIRMINGHAM—U.S. District Judge Inge Johnson today sentenced former Jefferson County Commissioner MARY MILLER BUCKELEW to three years' probation, 200 hours community service with the Jefferson County Board of Education, and a $20,000 fine for obstruction of justice, announced U.S. Attorney Joyc...
Anniston Architect Sentenced for Helping Former Two-Year College Chancellor Obstruct Justice
Crime Blotter
U.S. District Judge Karon O. Bowdre today ordered Anniston architect JULIAN JENKINS to repay $300,000.00 to Alabama´s two-year college system for helping its former chancellor obstruct justice during a federal grand jury investigation of corruption in the system, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce ...
Belle Chasse Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Louisiana Road Home Program
Crime Blotter
NEW ORLEANS, LA—THOMAS G. STEELE, age 62, a resident of Belle Chasse, Louisiana, pled guilty in federal court today before U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt to one count of making false statements to a federal agency in connection with a Louisiana Road Home Program application, announced...
New Jersey Exec Sentenced for Embezzling from Oil and Gas Company
Crime Blotter
TRENTON—The former general manager and minority owner of an oil and gas company was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for his scheme to defraud the business of over $1 million, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. U.S. District Judge Mary L. Cooper also ordered Mark Sinibaldi, 41...
Maryland Man Sentenced for Trying to Obstruct Child Pornography Investigation
Crime Blotter
BALTIMORE, MD—U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced James A. Vilkas, age 26, of Essex, Maryland, today to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for seeking to obstruct a federal child pornography investigation by erasing images from his computer, anno...
Thanks For Offering Me Your Buttons!
Joseph Raglione
Gentle readers within this American Chronicle, go out and buy a Button! Dear Natalie Foster: If I were an American I would run out and by your button, but I am not an American and I am basically broke, therefore, I will not run out and buy your button. My problem is that I am a social ...
Barbara Stopped the Stupid Stupak Amendment.
Joseph Raglione
It is strange how far we have not come.
10 Reasons why Christmas is Ridiculous
John W. Sammon
Can you see the logic? The close relationship, the natural progression, from one thought to the next? Each year at Christmas we celebrate the birth of a First Century AD Galilean holy man and prophet, who preached, according to what we find in the Bible, humility, forbearance, sweetness and frug...
Sarah Palin's book energizes fans and critics
Dan Liftman
Not all are hailin' Palin
Sombody is washing Pigs at the Washington Times.
Joseph Raglione
What kind of soap do you use to wash Hogs? Is Hogwashing a sport?
We Are Going to Out Organize the Multi-Millionaires!
Joseph Raglione
Gentle readers within this American Chronicle, the enemy is at the gates. They have more arrows (dollars) than we do but have faith, we can organize faster and better than they can...> Joseph -- Hundreds of insurance company lobbyists. Millions in TV ads from anti-reform organizations. Countl...
Who Will Be The Democrat Turncoat? Is There A Traitor Among The Democrats In The Caucus?
Joseph Raglione
Gentle readers within this American Chronicle, the way the Republicans are carrying on in Washington, you'd think each one was being forced to swallow a Pint of Castor Oil! The Health Bill is not a bad thing, it is a good thing, and it will protect U.S. citizens. If Republicans don't like it, they c...
Climate Changes. The Miracle of Copenhagen
Frank A. Hilario
MANILA - Are you looking for a miracle in Copenhagen in December? So am I. Only a miracle can save the day for climate change in that premier city of Northern Europe, Scandinavia's "most fantastic city" (Copenhagen.com). This city has the oldest monarchy in the world. Some things never cha...
Saudi America
John W. Sammon
I call for an immediate attack on Saudi Arabia to take over their oil and to install an American-backed regime in Riyadh friendlier to the United States. It's been eight whole years, and we haven't attacked a third country yet. We only attack countries weaker and smaller than ourselves. It was Saud...
Obama's China visit no fun
Dan Liftman
Obama's miscues mar China visit
The Men Who Stare at Zygotes
Peter Fotis Kapnistos
The Men Who Stare at Goats is a book by Jon Ronson about the U.S. Army´s investigation of the paranormal. Famed paranormalist Uri Geller relates to Ronson´s observations. Did something weird happen to Geller when he jumped as a paratrooper? Today, the prospects for life on the moon are better than ever. Does the government have connections with human looking moon visitors living on earth?
World Alert! GreenPeace Activists Need Your Help To Fight Tar Sands Polluters In Court!
Joseph Raglione
GreenPeace Activists Are Going to Court in Alberta Canada. They need your help!