Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Cyprus Police Arrest Suspect in Alleged Russian Spy Ring

A man suspected of being the 11th member of a U.S. spy ring allegedly working for Russia was arrested and released on bail in Cyprus, AFP reported Tuesday.

Russia is now asking for access to the 11 people arrested.

Robert Christopher Metsos, 55, was arrested at Cyprus' Larnaca airport as he tried to leave the island for Budapest early Tuesday, police said.

A magistrate released Metsos on bail of $24,410 to reappear in court within 30 days, when an extradition hearing was due to start.

"Based on the (Interpol) red notice we received, he is wanted for money laundering and espionage," police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos told Reuters.

One of the 10 alleged Russian spies already arrested by the FBI had a fake British passport to help her to travel to and from Russia, it was alleged Tuesday.

A woman calling herself Tracey Lee Ann Foley and posing as a naturalized U.S. citizen traveled to Moscow on the passport forged for her by Russian intelligence services, it was claimed.

The woman was instructed in a coded internet message to pick up the passport in Vienna, sign it and “train yourself to be able to reproduce your signature when necessary."

The message from her handlers at the SVR, the Russian spy agency which succeeded the Soviet KGB, ends: “In the passport you’ll get a memo with recommendations. Pls, destroy the memo after reading. Be well.”



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Monday, June 28, 2010

Judge Denies Bail for Men in Synagogue Bomb Attempt

June 25 (Bloomberg) -- Bail was denied for three of four men accused of plotting to blow up New York synagogues and attack aircraft at a military base with heat-seeking missiles. The fourth wasn’t eligible for pretrial release because of his immigration status.

U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon in White Plains, New York, ruled on bail for James Cromitie, 44, David Williams, 28, and Onta Williams, 32.

“The court is also aware that the Government’s case may not be as ironclad as it appeared in the hours and days immediately after the defendants were arrested,” McMahon said in a ruling issued today. “Nonetheless, the court concludes that defendants Cromitie, Onta William and David Williams have failed to rebut the presumption and so they will remain on remand status.”

The three men and Laguerre Payen, 27, were arrested in May 2009 after planting the bombs in cars outside two synagogues in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, authorities said. Payen is Haitian and if released from jail would be turned over to immigration authorities.

Guided Missiles

The four men were indicted on charges that include conspiracy and attempted use of weapons of mass destruction in the U.S., conspiracy to use surface-to-air guided missiles to destroy and kill officers and employees at the New York Air National Guard Base located at Stewart International Airport in upstate New York. They face as much as life in prison.


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Friday, June 25, 2010

Dallas Man Accused of Threatening to Kill Presiden Obama is Denied Bail

DALLAS, June 24 (UPI) -- A Dallas man arrested for allegedly posting a death threat against President Obama on the Internet was denied bail at a detention hearing, court records show.

Brian Dean Miller, 43, was arrested March 25 after admitting to Secret Service agents he posted the threat on Craigslist on March 21, the day Congress passed the healthcare bill, The Dallas Morning News reported.

"It is time for Obama to die," the posting said. "I am dedicating my life to the death of Obama and every employee of the federal government."

Authorities traced Miller through the e-mail address used for the Internet posting.

At a detention hearing Wednesday, a prosecutor argued Miller's posting shows he is too dangerous to be freed on bail.


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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Madoff Accomplice DiPascali Freed on Bail, Monitored at Home

June 23 (Bloomberg) -- Frank DiPascali Jr., who pleaded guilty to helping Bernard L. Madoff carry out history’s biggest Ponzi scheme, was released on bail on the conditions that he stay at home and wear a monitoring device.

DiPascali, 53, the former chief financial officer for Madoff’s company, had been in federal custody since pleading guilty on Aug. 11, 2009, and has cooperated with prosecutors in a bid for leniency at sentencing. Both he and his lawyer, Marc Mukasey, declined to comment yesterday as they left a federal courthouse in Manhattan.

Among the 11 conditions for bail U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan set in February were posting a $10 million bond secured by $2 million in cash or property, including $600,000 in equity in three New Jersey homes; 24-hour house arrest except under escort; and wearing an electronic monitoring device. DiPascali had been held at the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla, New York.

Sullivan’s order requires DiPascali to forfeit all of his family’s assets, except about $300,000. His release comes after Sullivan signed a $170 billion order of forfeiture for DiPascali on June 18.

DiPascali has turned over to the government his home in Bridgewater, New Jersey, a yacht, watches and jewelry, a Jet Ski, cars, two motorcycles, two minibikes, a scooter and a snowblower.

He pleaded guilty to 10 counts, including conspiracy, fraud and money laundering. He admitted misleading thousands of clients at Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, saying no securities trades took place in their accounts. Investors lost billions of dollars.



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Monday, June 21, 2010

Actor Chris Klein Arrested for DUI

Chris Klein may have had his dog along for the ride this morning, but his new best friend is a bail bondsman.

E! News spotted the American Pie star leaving Van Nuys Jail this afternoon along with the guy who helped Lindsay Lohan post bail after her recent SCRAM violation.

Klein's bail had been set at $25,000 following his arrest at 3:15 a.m. for alleged DUI. A rep for the California Highway Patrol told E! News that the actor's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent when he failed a field sobriety test.



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Friday, June 18, 2010

Forget Tim Tebow, Florida Gators should erect statue of Bail Bondsman

AddThis Social Bookmark ButtonIt’s great that the Florida Gators will build bronze statues outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium that will honor Tim Tebow, Danny Wuerffel and Steve Spurrier, but aren’t the Gators forgetting somebody?

How about a statue for the two most important people in the program – the Unnamed Bail Bondsman and Huntley Johnson, the legendary local attorney who traditionally gets all of UF’s football players out of trouble when they get arrested?

The latest player to get arrested and suspended from all team activities is up-and-coming wide receiver Frankie Hammond, who was arrested for DUI last weekend when police said he was speeding, swerving and driving with two open bottles of Crown Royal whiskey in his car.

I know many college students drink and drive, but isn’t there a deeper problem when a guy is driving around with two open bottles of blended Canadian whiskey? If this is the type of binge drinking that UF football players do, it’s no wonder that former defensive end Carlos Dunlap became one of the biggest goats in UF athletic history when he fell asleep at a red light, was arrested for DUI and missed the SEC Championship Game last December.

It’s hard to keep track of all the arrests, but this is believed to be the the 28th football player to be charged with a crime since Florida coach Urban Meyer took over as coach in 2005. I know players from other programs also get arrested, but not at this rate.


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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Bail Bondsman In Haleigh Cummings Case Under Indictment

South Florida bail bondsman William Staubs, also known as ‘Cobra’, was arrested last week on charges of false imprisonment.

Putnam County Lt. Johnny Greenwood said Cobra, 51, allegedly detained a 55-year-old man, William Snodgrass, who was free on bail after being arrested for sex abuse.

Cobra drove to Snodgrass’ home on Mar. 20, and turned on his siren. Snodgrass told Cobra his bond was revoked, but Cobra threw him to the ground, handcuffed him, and forced him into a vehicle.

Read more here.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Bail Bondsman Angry with Lindsay Lohan

Bail bondsman David Perez tells X17online he was called by Lindsay Lohan's attorney Shawn Chapman Holley today to appear at the Beverly Hills Courthouse in response to today's emergency hearing for what has been deemed as a violation of probation.

After officials received no fewer than FIVE violations by Lindsay, as recorded by her SCRAM alcohol and drug monitoring ankle bracelet on Sunday night when the information was uploaded to the city's computers, Judge Marcia Revel had Lindsay's attorney appear at the Beverly Hills Courthouse to hear her decision on the situation which is ... a warrant issued for Lindsay's arrest AND a bail increase to $200,000 (from a previous $100,000 which is now forfeited due to her violation).

Perez tells us: "We don't even know what we're gonna do right now; we're just waiting."
He confirmed to X17 the $100K was now forfeited. He refused to answer questions about whether Lindsay has been a reliable, responsible client but when asked if he thinks Lindsay is a risk he said, "Sure, I do."

Read more here.
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Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Colorado Bail Agents Respond to Negative Press

A recent story by 9News in Colorado alleged that bail agents are attempting to petition courts to get out of paying forfeitures. Many members of the Colorado bail community believe that the reporter was unfair to the majority of Colorado's bail agents who play by the rules. Mike Donovan, Director of Government Affairs from Bail USA, gave AboutBail.com his take on the article. Visit http://www.AboutBail.com to learn more.

Lax Bail System Helped Cop Killer

While he sat in the Pierce County Jail last year, Maurice Clemmons was obsessed with two things — getting bailed out, then killing as many cops as possible.

With more than a decade behind bars in Arkansas and having worked briefly for a bail-bond company himself, 37-year-old Clemmons knew how to manipulate the judicial system.

With incessant phone calls, he cajoled friends, family and bail agents to orchestrate his release — three times in seven months, making small down payments while offering shaky collateral.

Despite the customary 10 percent down, Clemmons got out one time on a $40,000 bond by making only a $1,700 payment. Another time, facing a $190,000 bond for a rash of felonies, including rape and assault, he won freedom with $8,000.

Six days later, he assassinated four Lakewood police officers at a Parkland coffee shop.

Read more here.
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