Lawrence Wolf - Part 28

Public Aid Sought in Double Murder Prosecution

There has been an arrest in the case of two Highland Park boys who were shot and killed in Piedmont Park on March 13th. Authorities have arrested an 18-year-old and charged him with two counts of murder in California with the special circumstance of multiple murders, according to a published report in LA Times online.

The arrests come after 4 months of investigations following the tragic shootings. According to authorities, someone from the community had stepped forward and accused the teen, a documented member of the Dogtown gang whose street monikers include the name “Shorty.”

The shootings occurred when the two boys, a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old, were walking home from Piedmont Park near the Highland Park Recreation Center. A gang member confronted them, which lead to an altercation. That is when the gang member called for help. Homicide Det. said another gang member ran to the scene and then pulled a handgun and shot the two boys.

Although authorities have someone in custody, they need more individuals to come forward to insure prosecution. Commanding officer of the northeast police division was quoted as pleading with the public:

“Many people saw this crime, many, many. We would like them to come forward,” he said. “Please help us get a conviction on this man for this heinous crime,” he said. “Let’s put him away for a long time, if not forever.”

CHP Applicant Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

A 29 year old El Monte man, who disclosed on his application to the highway patrol that he had viewed pornography on his computer, was arrested and charged with suspicion of committing lewd acts with a minor, according to a published LA Times report.

The disclosure on his application spurred an investigation by CHP officials, working in conjunction with the FBI on a multiagency task force. Hernandez also admitted having viewed illicit photos of a minor within a month of filling out the application, a disclosure that probably had more to do with the full blow investigation then his admission of viewing pornography on the Internet.

After performing a search of his home, CHP officials were able to find child pornography on a computer he was using, including sexually explicit photos of a 5-year-old girl. The photos appeared to have been taken in the bedroom of the home where the man now lives.

Los Angeles Murder of Teenage Girl

In the early morning of Saturday, June 25, 2009, a seventeen year old female student was discovered dead in the passenger seat of her car, which was parked in a lot on the edge of Downtown Los Angeles at the corner of Alameda and 5th street. According to an article, her death is currently being investigated as a homicide in which a fifty year old parolee has been charged with murder in Los Angeles after his fingerprints were found in the teen’s vehicle.

Apparently, the parolee approached the teen and kidnapped her in an attempt to have her access money from an ATM using her credit card. Police claimed there were signs of struggle inside the teen’s car and the initial cause of death reported was said to be blunt force trauma. The teenage girl left her Los Feliz home on Friday at 2pm to run an errand at the Southwestern University School of Law but sadly never made it back home.

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program defines homicide as the “willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.” Anyone facing a homicide conviction in California must prepare for some of the most severe penalties a person can be charged with. Based on highlights from the California Office of the Attorney General’s 2006 homicide report, there were 665 individuals by the end of 2006 under sentence of death in California for being convicted of murder in which of these persons seventeen were sentenced.

Man Convicted of Fatally Poisoning his Wife Dies at the Age of 81

An orange county man who was convicted of poisoning his wife has died in prison at the age of 81, according to a published LA Times report. The highly publicized California murdertrial occurred in the late 80’s and gripped the nation with its headlines.

The decedent’s trial involved the story of a couple who was married 19 years but was anything but perfect. According to evidence presented by the prosecution, the marriage was filled with lies, mistrust, infidelity and eventually murder. The prosecution alleged that the husband was extremely jealous of his beautiful wife, who was a popular school board member in the community. He suspected her of cheating on him and by all accounts was unhappy in his marriage. She refused divorce, however, so he allegedly took matters into his own hands.

The prosecution alleged that he began to poison his wife by slowly exposing her to toxic levels of cyanide and selenium. The exposure caused the woman to suffer from dehydration and lesions on her body that were so painful that she could hardly bear to move around, having to endure the pain of having them rub against her clothing. She died on Jan. 24, 1988, leaving behind her son.

Ventura Women Stabbed to Death in Home

The latimes.com website reported in an article on June 6, 2009 that Wendy DeRodio, 61 was found dead in a house she shared with her elderly parents. Shockingly, this homicide in California comes just two weeks after a couple were also stabbed and killed in their home after encountering an intruder.

A neighbor who asked not to be identified said, “Everyone’s on guard. Everyone’s wondering what will happen next.”

Will Hoag, a retired Ventura County personnel manager who has lived in the Ventura Keys for 36 years said, “I don’t want to sit in fear with the doors closed.”

Investigators are trying to figure out whether the two violent crime scenes are connected. Capt. Ross Bonfiglio said, “Victims with multiple stab wounds in beachfront-type residences: Those are obvious similarities that cause us concern.”

Rick Harmon, the victim’s dance partner said, “She loved to laugh. We taught a beginner’s class before the Friday night dances. She was a playful dance partner who always liked to do things to throw me off.”

The concern of law enforcement agencies to find solutions to crime and public safety issues is something that every U.S. citizen can appreciate. Another important matter in our society is that those accused of crimes receive a fair trial and have their constitutional rights upheld during an arrest, investigation, and in court.

Los Angeles Pension Board Appointees Investigated By the SEC

A latimes.com report from May 13, 2009 stated that an investigation into the offices of former assessor Bill Postmus has prompted the San Bernardino County Supervisors to file suit against Postmus and five of his co-workers in an attempt to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars. The report was done by former federal prosecutor John Hueston who gained fame for prosecuting Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling of Enron. The investigation revealed that crime, fraud, and drug use were a common occurrence in Postmus’s office. In addition, the 30 page document states that people not qualified for the job were hired and did not do any assessor related jobs but instead conducted unauthorized political campaigning. The investigation’s most shocking accusations are related to Postmus’s drug use. His assistant said he, “looked like he fell off a park bench.”

Colleagues even suspected him of inhaling canisters of DVD cleaner. Soon afterwards, Postmus was arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine. He resigned in February.

Gary Ovitt, board Chairman, said, “As a taxpayer and as a public official, I find the activities detailed in the report deeply disturbing. There is certainly enough information in this report to compel the Board of Supervisors to pursue legal action against these individuals and seek damages for the taxpayers.”

Officials have arrested three of those mentioned, who have posted bail. Postmus has been charged with six felonies and former assistant assessor Erwin is facing 10 felonies, mostly for failing to properly report gifts while in office.

In today’s world of politics and business, the line between what is ethical is sometimes misinterpreted and can lead to serious accusations of white collar crime. If you or a loved one has been accused of a white collar crime in San Bernardino, contact the skilled lawyers at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf. We have helped our clients win for over 30 years. Please call [number type=”1″] for a free consultation.

Mexican Surfer Caught Trying To Smuggle Marijuana Into U.S.

The website latimes.com reported in an account on June 8, 2009 that the U.S. Border Patrol has arrested a 30 year old Mexican national who was trying to smuggle 24 pounds of pot on his surfboard. According to the border patrol the suspect of the drug crime was seen early in the morning paddling north approximately 200 yards off the coast of Imperial Beach, which is in close proximity to the Mexican border.

Border agents commanded the surfer to come ashore, at which point he threw a blue duffel bag in the water. Agents were forced to go in to the water to make the arrest. Sometime later the duffel bag washed ashore with five packets of marijuana, worth an estimated $74,000. The man acknowledged that he was in the U.S. illegally.

The Controlled Substance Act is a consolidation of laws that regulates the possession, manufacture and distribution of narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, anabolic steroids, and chemicals used in the illicit production of controlled substances or illegal drugs. Marijuana laws vary slightly from the above and are generally based on the amount of marijuana or hashish seized. However the penalties for marijuana and hashish can be equally as severe, depending upon the quantity.

Federal Judge Dismisses Most Serious Charges against LA Lawyer in an Illegal Campaign Finance Case

A latmes.com report on June 9, 2009 stated that U.S. District Judge S. James Otero has dismissed the most severe charges against well known attorney Pierce O’Donnell in an illegal campaign finance case. This is a definite hit to the prosecution’s case against O’Donnell. Otero ruled that prosecutors had wrongly charged O’Donnell with two violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act. Originally, U.S. attorney’s office had claimed that O’Donnell had violated the law by asking employees to make donations to the 2004 presidential campaign of John Edwards and then paid them back for their donations.

Judge Otero said that the law prosecutors referred to does not forbid such doings. O’Donnell’s attorney, George Terwillger, said, “The charges were dismissed because the U.S. attorney overreached in an attempt to use the law far more broadly than its terms allow.”

Prosecutors are reviewing Judge Otero’s 11 page ruling and are thinking about their options, including a review by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Otero did not dismiss a third charge that O’Donnell “knowingly and willfully” forced a treasurer of a political action committee to make false reports about the contributions.

White collar crimes under this category include: concealing assets during a bankruptcy; filing a false claim for postal or pension loss; possessing false papers in order to defraud the United States; making false credit applications; bank and deposit account fraud; using a computer, radio, or television to commit a fraud against another; and money laundering.

Man Convicted of Murder 12 Years after the Committed Act

The dailynews.com website reported in a story on June 12, 2009 that Richard Joseph Bojorques Jr, 48, a parolee, has been convicted of murdering a woman back in October 1997 after investigators matched his DNA with that found at the crime scene. Veronica Fuentes Linasero, was found partially clothed on the property of a church in Eagle Rock. She had been strangled. Bojorques was detained in February 2007 at his parole agent’s office after LAPD detectives discovered his DNA matched evidence found at the crime scene. He faces 25 years to life in state prison.

There are various types of homicide, which in the United States carry with them different penalties and consequences. Listed below are short descriptions of a few types of homicide:

Criminal homicide– This is intentional homicide, such as voluntary manslaughter, murder, and criminal negligence which results in involuntary manslaughter.
Justifiable homicide– A form of non-criminal homicide in which proof is necessary to show that the victim did not die from a criminal act. An example of justifiable homicide is a death that is the cause of self defense.
Excusable homicide– A homicide which is the result of an accident in which no laws were broken and which can be defended in court.

CHP Applicant Arrested For Child Porn

The latimes.com website reported in a story on June 13, 2009 that Christian Hernandez, 29, from El Monte, had been arrested for possessing child pornography. Laura Eimiller, FBI spokeswoman stated Hernandez divulged on his application to the CHP that he had viewed illegal porn on the internet, which led to a multiagency investigation. He acknowledged he had viewed child porn of a minor within a month of filling out his application.

Investigators with the CHP carried out a consent search of Hernandez’s home and found child pornography on a computer he was using which included sexually explicit photos of a 5 year old girl. The pictures looked like they were taken in the bedroom of the home where Hernandez now lives.

He was charged in federal court with possessing and manufacturing child pornography. He is being detained without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles.