Crime and Punishment
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A Bronx judge just threw out a gang of cases thanks to a narcotics police officer who has been accused of playing dirty in order to secure numerous drug busts.
According to Gothamist, a judge in the Boogie Down dismissed 67 cases that were linked to undercover narcotics detective Joseph Franco who was fired from the NYPD in 2020 for making false statements about his arrests. With the 67 cases thrown out, the courts in the Bronx have now thrown out 324 cases due to “potentially wrongful convictions.”
The Gothamist reports:
“Prosecutors had relied on evidence from someone with compromised credibility, and the district attorney cannot stand behind these convictions,” Bronx DA Darcel Clark said in a press release.
Neither the NYPD nor Franco’s attorney immediately responded to requests for comment.
The latest batch of dismissed cases involves people who were charged between 2011 and 2015, when Franco was a detective in the Bronx. Of the 67 convictions, 24 were for seventh-degree criminal possession of a substance — a low-level drug possession charge — and nine were for marijuana offenses that are no longer illegal in New York, according to the DA’s office. Others were for fourth-degree criminal facilitation — when someone helps another person to commit a crime — and for using drug paraphernalia.
Franco himself stood trial for perjury and misconduct earlier this year as prosecutors accused him of lying about drug sales he claimed to have witnessed on both police paperwork and in court. Armed with videos that they claim show it would have been impossible for Franco to have seen what he said he had witnessed, the DA’s office called him out in a court of law but Franco ultimately had the charges dismissed as prosecutors failed to give the defense all the evidence they had as is required by law.
“His lies were a poison that tainted any fair or legitimate case,” Assistant DA Samantha Dworken said during opening statements in January.
Franco’s defense attorney, Howard Evan Tanner, denied that the former detective lied and said any contradictions in his statements were unintentional.
“I think he was trying to do his job to the best of his ability,” Tanner said in court.
Of course you do, Mr. Tanner. Of course you do.
What do y’all think? Sound off in the comments section below.
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Source: handout / Crime Stoppers
Residents in Pennsylvania are on high-alert as a convicted murderer remains on the loose six days after he escaped from police custody in a while Spider-Man-ish manner.
According to Raw Story, 34-year Brazilian national Danelo Cavalcante was able to escape the Chester County Prison this past August 31st when he was left alone and literally crab walked up two parallel walls before ultimately making it onto the roof where he then sprinted to freedom. While residents should be worried about having Cavalcante roaming the streets, you lowkey have to appreciate his athleticism and wonder what kind of calisthenics program this man was on to make such a daring escape.
Local schools have shut down and authorities are asking residents to lock their doors as the manhunt for Cavalcante continues. Danelo Cavalcante was recently sentenced to life in prison for stabbing his girlfriend to death, so naturally he’s considered a very dangerous individual.
Raw Story reports:
Bevins warned residents that Cavalcante was likely looking to burglarize their homes looking for food, clothes and other supplies.
“Cavalcante has clearly already obtained some clothing and unknown other supplies and we want to minimize any opportunity to obtain anything more,” Bevins said. “It is important that we keep pressure on him as we continue the hunt.”
Resident Joe Delahanty, 40, was stopped four times by officers on his way to work early Wednesday, including a state trooper asking him to open the trunk of his car as they looked for Cavalcante.
“This is the first time in nine years that I’ve felt the need to lock my house doors when leaving for work,” Delahanty told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Keep those doors locked and make sure the chimney’s are well guarded too because this killer’s a climber.
Cavalcante was last seen on Monday night when he was captured by trail cameras at a botanical garden near Philadelphia. Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the athletic murderer but until that hot tip comes in, authorities will be using drones, helicopters, night-vision goggles, and dogs to get their man.
Check out video of the escape below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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The family of Blac Youngsta is moving a step closer to gaining clarity on the death of the Memphis rapper’s younger brother. Memphis police have named a suspect in the case and an arrest warrant was issued earlier this week.
Local outlet Action 5 News reports that Randy Ewing is a suspect in the murder of Tomanuel Benson, who was shot and killed on August 18 in the morning hours near a South Memphis gas station. Sammie Benson is the birth name of Blac Youngsta.
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It isn’t known if Ewing and Benson were known to one another ahead of the shooting, but police have published Ewing’s photo to one of its social media accounts.
From MPD’s Facebook page:
MEMPHIS, TN – On August 18, 2023, at 9:37 a.m., officers responded to the 500 Block of South Parkway East regarding a shooting. Officers made the scene and found Tomanuel Benson with an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.
During the investigation, Randy Ewing was identified as the person responsible for the homicide.
Randy Ewing is currently wanted for 2nd Degree Murder and two counts of Criminal Attempt 2nd Degree Murder.
Blac Youngsta eventually spoke about the loss of his brother, taking to his Instagram Stories feed to express his grief and added that he was going to “make the world pay.”
“I Love U My Baby Brother Rest Up,” Blac Youngsta wrote. “I’m Gone Make The World Pay. I Swear To God. Nobody Safe. Standing Over Everybody. Everybody. 4LIFE.”
Our condolences to the Benson family and Blac Youngsta.
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Lul Timm, a close associate of Quando Rando who shot and killed Chicago rapper King Von, appears to have evaded serving time for the incident. According to the attorney for Lul Timm, his charges were dropped ahead of standing before a judge for a trial.
XXL exclusively received a statement on Sunday (August 20) from Noah Pins, Timm’s attorney, who said in the correspondence that his client will not face the felony charges connected to the matter.
“The case against Mr. [Timothy] Leeks was dismissed prior to ever being indicted,” a portion of the statement reads.
Lul Timm was involved in a fight between King Von and Quando Rando’s entourage outside of the Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta, Ga. A shootout in a nearby parking lot took place shortly after the skirmish, leaving a total of three persons dead in the aftermath.
Timm has been free on bond since March of 2021 but as the outlet notes, he is facing several drug and traffic-related charges dating back to last October.
Asian Doll, the partner of King Von, reacted to the news of Lul Timm’s charges being dropped, writing on social media, “Because the police said Tim ain’t kill him the police did” before deleting the message from the X platform.
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Photo: @lul_timm3 / Instagram
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Howard University, which maintains a sprawling campus in Northwest Washington, D.C., is currently on alert after a recent violent incident went wide. According to reports, a group of suspected locals beat students on campus grounds and police are investigating the matter.
As reported by local outlet WRC-TV, Howard University officials confirmed that an attack from a large group did take place on campus near two residence halls in the early morning hours of Monday (August 16). One student explained that a large group of what they described as “D.C. locals” began to attack them. Another explained that the group stomped them so badly that they thought death was near.
“I was prepared to die,” the student said. “When I was on the ground getting stomped out, I just stopped feeling the pain at one point.”
The outlet added in its report that another student was stabbed in the back and beaten by over two dozen people. According to witnesses, security guards at Howard University allegedly did nothing to help the harmed student. It hasn’t been shared what sparked the group to attack the students.
So far, campus police say that they managed to arrest one teen suspect who was found with a handgun in their possession. Marcus Lyles, executive director of public safety and chief of police at Howard University, announced a series of investigations and other actions connected to the incident. A lieutenant for the campus police was suspended after internal findings, and a security contractor is no longer working with the university.
The school shared plans to install over 1,000 cameras across cameras. In addition, the school will also establish walking paths for students that will keep them near a security officer.
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Photo: The Washington Post / Getty
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The Montgomery Riverfront dustup continues to shake up social media and the headlines, and new developments have emerged. According to reports, arrests have been made by the Montgomery Police Department, with three men facing charges thus far.
Local outlet WVTM reports that three men, Richard Roberts, 48; Zachery Shipman, 25; and Allen Todd, 23, were sought by Montgomery police after warrants for their arrests were issued. The three men turned themselves, this after police took 13 people in total into custody.
As previously reported, last weekend, the Harriott 2 double-decker riverboat was attempting to dock on the riverfront when a pontoon boat carrying a number of guests docked out of turn. A Black dock worker removed the boat’s rope so that the Harriott 2 could dock, prompting the group of white boaters to confront the worker.
In a report from TMZ, the dock worker claims that one of the men used a racist slur ahead of their group attack before being met with another group of Black bystanders and one of the crew members of the riverboat. Since then, the incident has sparked a number of memes and reactions across social media and has become its own entity of sorts.
Police say they are also looking for Reggie Gray, 42, who was seen throwing around a chair against the boaters.
Among the arrested, Roberts is charged with two counts of third-degree assault. Shipman and Todd both face one count of third-degree assault.
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Joseline Hernandez was involved in a backstage fight with Big Lex that erupted into an all-out brawl, leading to her arrest back in June. Now, the reality television star is facing felony charges after the FLA Live fight after the Mayweather-Gotti exhibition boxing match.
Joseline Hernandez,36, was initially arrested shortly after throwing blows at Big Lex after the Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti III exhibition fight at the arena in Sunrise, Fla., which too ended in a brawl. Big Lex, 26, caught the worse of the fight and her top came off as a result during the brawl. Big Lex was a former contestant on Hernandez’s show, Joseline’s Cabaret.
According to a report from local outlet WPLG, Hernandez was in Florida court on Thursday (August 3) for arraignment. She faces two felony counts of battery on a law enforcement officer. At one point in the video, Hernandez can be heard saying to one officer “I don’t want no white man touching me” and had some choice words for a Black Sunrise officer.
The backstage fight escalated when another person threw a drink at Hernandez, enraging her further, and footage shows she began fighting with Sunrise police officers and even knocked the bodycam off one officer. It took several officers to restrain Hernandez and eventually handcuff her.
Along with the two new felony counts, Hernandez faces battery, trespassing, and resisting an officer with violence charges. Hernadez agreed to enter a pre-trial release program but cannot leave Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties without permission from the court. She was also ordered to not own any weapons or maintain contact with Big Lex.
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FN DaDealer, a young rapper signed to Young Thug‘s Young Stoner Life recording label, was arrested and charged with murder. FN DaDealer is currently being held without bond in Fulton County, Georgia.
As reported by local news outlet WSB-TV, FN DaDealer, 20, was arrested in late June after he was connected to a fatal shooting at an apartment complex in Mechanicsville.
FN DaDealer, real name Jakobe Moody, was arrested on June 29 and charged in the shooting death of Tremaine Glasper, 28. The outlet adds that Moody is currently behind bars at Fulton County Jail facing charges of murder along with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
According to details provided by the outlet, Glasper was shot on June 5 while sitting inside a vehicle, prompting officials to respond to calls regarding the shooting. The investigation revealed that Moody was one of three gunmen.
The outlet spoke with Moody’s mother, who claims her son was not involved in any street activity and that he was primarily focused on his burgeoning music career.
Police did not reveal details about the other two suspects.
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CLOSE
Andrew Tate controls a significant corner of the Internet as a figure who purports to be a leader of men and sells the angle of being the so-called “Top G” among other titles. Andrew Tate was charged with rape and human trafficking charges along with others in Romania, and both fans and critics of Tate are reacting as expected.
As seen in The Washington Post, Andrew Tate, his brother Tristan, and two others were hit with charges by Romanian officials with the official charges reading as human trafficking, rape, and forming an organized crime group. Tate, his brother, and two Romanian women were arrested last December with the Tate brothers reportedly being on house arrest since March of this year.
The charges come after a months-long investigation into the activities and alleged criminal acts involving Tate and the three other individuals. According to officials, Tate orchestrated forced participation in online pornography onto the alleged victims under violent and psychologically controlling means.
Tate’s legal team maintains that their side is innocent and expected the charges to be read while stating that they will “vindicate” their clients.
“The indictment now allows us to present a comprehensive body of evidence, diligently collected and prepared over time, which will undoubtedly substantiate the brothers’ claims of innocence,” the legal team shared in a statement.
Today, Tate enjoys millions of followers across his social media pages who buy into his brand of brash masculinity and is framing the criminal investigation and indictment against him as an attack on the issues he stands for while authorities ignore other figures who have allegedly committed similar or worse crimes on record.
The timeline of Tate’s arrest can be pinpointed to a Twitter exchange between him and climate activist Greta Thunberg. Tate fired the first salvo at Thunberg, boasting of his cars and their collective emissions total. Thunberg returned fire with a snappy email targeting Tate’s manhood which prompted Tate to fire back with a video response featuring him eating pizza from a known Romanian chain.
It was all the spark authorities needed to raid Tate’s villa in Romania after being tipped off by U.S. officials in the embassy at Bucharest that the Tate brothers were holding a young woman against her will.
Defiant as ever, Andrew Tate is still tweeting and declaring this is a takedown of what he stands for and not connected to his charges.
We’ve got reactions from Twitter below.
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Fetty Wap has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for drug trafficking. The “Trap Queen” rapper recently asserted that he only resorted to drug dealing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, the New Jersey rapper pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine, after his arrest for the infraction October 2021. Born Willie Junior Maxwell II, at the time he was reportedly facing up to five years in jail.
But on Wednesday (May 24), the judge reportedly handed Fetty Wap a six-year sentence, with five years of probation as well.
TMZ reports that the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, requested that the judge give Fetty between seven and nine years behind bars. Peace asserted that Fetty was part of drug trafficking conspiracy that littered Long Island with cocaine.
Back in 2021, Fetty was arrested by the Feds on a two-count federal indictment while he was on his way to the Rolling Loud festival at New York’s CitiField in New York City. Then he didn’t help his casewhen he was again pinched a year later, this time for allegedly threatening a “snitch” on Facetime.
At the time of his arrest, the FBI had confiscated $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, two 9mm handguns, a rifle, a .45 caliber pistol, a .40 caliber pistol and ammunition from various locations tied to the alleged conspiracy
This story is developing.