Hard Boiled News

True Crime and News of the Weird from around the Globe

Cop Sentenced to 11 Years For Dealing Drugs in Uniform

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James Edgerson had been a Dumas police officer for 14 years

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — A former small town cop was sentenced to more than a decade in prison for his role in a multi-state drug operation which saw him at times selling cocaine and methamphetamine while in uniform.

James Edgerson, 39, had been with the Dumas police department in Arkansas for 14 years when he was arrested along with five others in 2015 for dealing drugs, federal  prosecutors said.

Investigators say Edgerson sold drugs while in uniform and carrying his department-issued weapon on numerous occasions and in one instance, dealt drugs while standing next to his police cruiser.

“Police officers take an oath to protect and serve their communities,” said acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Harris. “Edgerson’s significant sentence reflects his absolute violation of this oath, and his abuse of the trust placed in him by members of his community. This sentence also demonstrates that no one is above the law.”

Edgerson pleaded guilty in February. Four of his co-conspirators had previously pleaded and Edgerson’s cousin, Kendrick Lamar Edgerson is scheduled to go to trial in September.

Prosecutors say Edgerson admitted to participating in the conspiracy from May 2015 through through September 2015. He had been charged with buying and selling multi-ounce quantities cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana by the pound.

 

Police Seize 600 Pounds of Meth-Lollipops in Houston

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HOUSTON — There will be no trick or treating going on at one Houston household this year.

Police seized a 600 pound load of meth-laced lollipops worth $1 million from a Houston couple while responding to a burglary call.

The Harris County Sheriff’s office says deputies received a call from a concerned neighbor on Monday reporting a burglary next door and when they arrived at the house they found a man and a woman carting out bag after bag of meth-infused candy.

“They had so many narcotics in their vehicle they couldn’t close the back hatch of their car,” Lt. Ruben Diaz said.

The bags contained candy shaped like flowers, butterflies and bats plus Star Wars characters like Yoda and R2D2. Investigators say they believe the candy was intended to be sold to juveniles for $20 to $40 each.

Police say the house appeared to be where the candy had been manufactured and that the woman had lived there at some point.

Investigators didn’t immediately identify the couple.

Chicago Gang Leader Faces 70 Years After Instagramming Pics From Gun Range

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CHICAGO — A Chicago gang leader faces up to 70 years in prison for firing a pistol with pals at a gun range and then posting pictures on Instagram that documented the day.

Labar “Bro Man” Spann, 38, is barred from having a gun due to a variety of prior felony convictions including aggravated battery of a police officer, drug offenses, harassment of a witness and armed robbery.

The reputed leader of the Four Corner Hustlers pleaded guilty to going with a gal pal and a friend to Midwest Sporting Goods in Lyons, Illinois in September 2014 and loading a Glock 19 and opening fire at targets at the range.

Prosecutors alleged that Spann later posted a number of photographs and videos on Instagram showing him at the range and the targets at which he’d fired.

“Ya’ll know I had to go first just to show my b***ch how this s**t works lmao I do this s**t,” Spann wrote below one picture he posted showing a target with holes in the head and chest.

Spann also pleaded guilty to pressuring his girlfriend, Ladonah Hampton, to lie to authorities and say that he had never fired a gun while at the range.

He was also pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to sell after cops found dozens of small bags of the white powder in his home.

Spann faces up to 70 years in prison when he is sentenced on Sept. 5, 2017.

In addition to his various felony offenses, Spann was acquitted of being the mastermind behind the 2003 killing of Rudy Rangel, a notorious high-ranking member of the Latin Kings street gang.

Florida Dealer Flashing Cash on Facebook Live Captures Drug Raid on Camera

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Breon Hollings before and after cops stormed his house

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — This guy wishes it had been Candid Camera.

Police stormed into an alleged Florida drug dealer’s house as he broadcast himself on Facebook Live counting fats stacks of cash and boasting about how much money he had.

The video begins with 22-year-old Breon Hollings joyfully flipping through handfuls of bills and declaring to his audience: “It don’t stop, man. It don’t stop.”

But about a minute into his showing off, officers outside Hollings’ Jacksonville house began shouting over a loudspeaker, “This is the Jacksonville Sheriff’s office. We have a warrant.”

Soon after a series of loud bangs can be heard and flashes of light seen coming from another part of the house as Hollings darts out of the room and isn’t seen again.

Later, a body-armor clad cop wanders into the room, stares into the camera and turns it off. Cops told WFTV-TV that the raid had been planned in advance and the raid being caught on camera was purely coincidental.

Police say Hollings was arrested for possessing cocaine and paraphernalia for selling drugs and was held on $425,000 bond.

Mexican Biker Gang Charged with Stealing 150 Jeeps in Southern California

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SAN DIEGO — Nine members of a Mexican motorcycle gang have been charged in a series of high-tech auto heists in which they made off with more than 150 Jeep Wranglers by hacking into a database that allowed them to get duplicate keys.

Prosecutors said the men, members of the Hooligans motorcycle gang based out of Tijuana, had been running the scheme since at least January 2014. In all, they allegedly netted $4.5 million worth of cars they brought back from southern California to Mexico to be sold or stripped for parts.

“The joy ride is over for these Hooligans,” said Deputy U.S. Attorney Mark Conover. “These arrests have put the brakes on an organization that has victimized neighborhoods.”

The gang operated brazenly, taking off with cars they would snatch out of people’s driveways overnight as they slept nearby.

Prosecutors allege that the Hooligans would scout vehicles out in advance and collect their vehicle identification numbers. They would then gain access to a proprietary database used by the manufacturer to create duplicate keys for cars. Using the codes, the gang was able to create a key for the specific Jeeps they were targeting, prosecutors said.

Investigators said that enabled the thieves to make with cars in sometimes less than two minutes. For months, investigators were baffled as to how the Hooligans were managing such effortless thefts.

They got a break when one car owner whose Jeep was stolen, happened to have surveillance camera trained on her driveway and captured footage of the thieves in action. The footage revealed that the men had a key to the car.

The FBI then contacted Chrysler and were able to determine that 20 of the cars that were stolen had had duplicate keys issued to a dealership in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. None of the owners were aware that the keys had been issued.

Three of the nine defendants — Henry Irenio Pulino, 24, Alejandro Guzman, 23, and Reynaldo Rodriguez, 33 — have been arrested and the other six at large and are believed to be in Mexico.

Prosecutors say the men similarly targeted motorcycles, prosecutors said.

 

School Guard Busted in Quadruple Homicide and Cocaine Conspiracy

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Joseph Biggs worked as school guard by day/ alleged killer by night

WHITE PLAINS, New York — A school security guard has been charged in a quadruple homicide case that has already ensnared a cop and led a retired officer to commit suicide as the FBI was closing in.

Joseph Biggs is the second suspect arrested in the slayings of the four men who investigators say were killed over a drug debt. Their bodies were found on the Otisville, New York property of Nicholas Tartaglione, a retired Briarcliff Manor cop who was arrested in December.

Biggs, who works as a school security guard in Hastings-On-Hudson, New York, is alleged to have been working with Tartaglione to sell five kilograms of cocaine.

He allegedly helped Tartaglione lure the four victims to a Chester, New York bar, the Likquid Lounge, where they were each shot in the back of the head, gangland style a part of a cocaine deal gone wrong, authorities said.

“Murders are always frightening, but when allegedly committed by people entrusted with the safety of others, it is all the more disturbing,” said acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim.

Federal prosecutors were closing in on Biggs in March but were forced to take a step back after another suspect, ex-NYPD officer and international strongman competitor, Gerard “The White Rhino” Benderoth, shot himself to death as he was being pulled over by the FBI.

Biggs was charged with 17 counts, including kidnapping, narcotics conspiracy and unlawful use of firearms. He pleaded not guilty and faces life in prison if convicted.

Dirty Ex-Cop Convicted of Moonlighting as Drug Courier

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Antonio Tillmon, — cop by day, drug runner by night

GREENVILLE, North Carolina — A former cop has been convicted of taking on a side gig as a drug courier for a criminal gang with the intention of using his badge to get through any drug stops by police.

Antonio Tillmon, 33, a former officer with the Windsor Police department in North Carolina had come to the attention of the FBI as part of an investigation, called Operation Rockfish, that was looking into corruption among officers in Northampton County.

Prosecutors say Tillmon agreed to transport 30 kilograms of heroin to Maryland in exchange for $6,500 in a series of three deals arranged in 2014 and 2015 by undercover agents posing as drug dealers.

Each time, prosecutors say Tillmon carried his law enforcement badge and gun during the journeys and was prepared to use his badge to get of trouble in the event he was ever stopped by cops.

In a fourth arranged drug transport, investigators say Tillmon arrived with five guns, including an assault rifle with three magazines of ammo.

Tillmon was convicted on multiple counts of conspiring to distribute controlled substances, conspiring to use and carry firearms in relation to drug trafficking offenses and other charges. He is set to be sentenced on August 8.

Fourteen other defendants — 13 of whom were law enforcement officers — were scooped up in the probe. All have pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and firearms charges and are awaiting sentencing. Tillmon was the only one whose case went to trial.

Teflon Hitman Cleared of Attempted Murder Charges for the 10th Time

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David Warren is a member of Baltimore’s “10-Grand Club” of pro hitmen, cops have said

BALTIMORE — An accused gang hitman has been acquitted on five counts of attempted murder in a quintuple shooting a Memorial Day barbecue last year, marking the 10th time he has been cleared of such charges.

David Warren, 24, has proven to be a teflon defendant dating back 10 years, having faced his first attempted murder rap when he was just 14-years -old with the charges later being dropped.

The Baltimore Sun noted that since Warren began his alleged shooting spree, the city has had three mayors, four police commissioners and three state’s attorneys.

“David Warren is a trigger-puller,” Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said at the time of his arrest in the barbecue shooting. “David Warren is a member of the 10 Grand Club in Baltimore. That’s a club of people who consider themselves hitmen for hire.”

He “should absolutely not be on the streets of Baltimore,” Davis concluded.

The state’s case against Warren in the barbecue shooting relied on the testimony of one eyewitness, a 61-year-old woman who only reluctantly identified him in court as the gunman even after telling police she was sure he was the man she saw pull the trigger.

Warren’s lawyer, Stephen Patrick Beatty, said his client had been unfairly accused because of his history with police.

“What happens is a person gets wrongfully accused, and he ends up on the radar of police, and he stays on the radar even when it’s a case they can’t make,” Beatty told the Sun. “Anytime something happens, he’s someone who they come looking for.”

Authorities said they struggled to get witnesses to come forward but that people were scared to testify.

“It just can’t be a 61-year-old woman stepping up,” City Councilman Brandon Scott said. “It has to be men, young men, who know what happened and won’t say something. You can’t let someone’s grandmother be the only voice.”

“I totally get people’s fear and hesitance,” he added. “That fear allows these people to continuously commit these crimes and leads to neighborhoods where people fear to go outside.”

Warren’s voluminous rap sheet dates back to 2006 when he was first hit with an attempted murder charge which was later dropped.  Three years later, he was once again charged with attempted first-degree murder but those charges were also eventually dropped.

In 2010, he was charged with attempted first-degree murder for the third time, but  the charges were later dropped. In 2012, authorities charged him with being part of a conspiracy of murder and retaliatory violence by an East Baltimore drug gang, but the charges were later dropped.

In 2015, he was charged with firearms counts and with conspiracy to distribute drugs, but those charges were dropped last year.

In the Memorial Day barbecue shooting, Warren still faces federal gun possession charges related to two handguns he attempted to ditch while being arrested by Baltimore cops.

Man Caught Trying to Set Up Marijuana Farm in California’s Giant Sequoia Park

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FRESNO, California — A man carrying 10,000 marijuana seeds was arrested on his way to what authorities believe would have been a secret grow site deep in California’s Giant Sequoia National Monument.

Rosario Beltran-Leal, 43, a Mexican citizen who had been living in nearby Delano, was caught at a drop point for a cultivation site in a remote area of the forest — which is famous for its soaring trees — that is closed to the public, according to federal authorities.

Prosecutors say he was also carrying a large amount of food and cultivation supplies.

The U.S. Forest Service says such illegal grows are not uncommon on public lands and are often associated with criminal gangs in Mexico. The growers often use harmful pesticides and clear out native plants to make way for the marijuana.

Last year, officials uncovered 22 grow sites in the mountains near the forest in Tulare County.

Beltran was charged with conspiring to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute and manufacturing marijuana in a federally designated area. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Ex-Guyana Health Minister Sentenced in Illegal New York Pain Pill Enterprise

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Noel Blackman was Guyana’s health minister from 1985-1992

NEW YORK — A Long Island pain doctor who had once been the minister of health for Guyana, was sentenced to 50 months in prison for illegally prescribing hundreds of thousands of powerful pain pills to addicts.

Noel Blackman, who served as the health minister of the South American country in the late 1980s and early 1990s, ran a number of pain management clinics in Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island, from which he wrote prescriptions for oxycodone in exchange for $300, federal prosecutors said.

In total, the 68-year-old Blackman had been charged with writing 1,920 prescriptions for 365,000 30-milligram pills. Authorities said the pills had a street value of approximately $57,000.

He was arrested in February 2016 by Homeland Security agents who took him off a plane bound for Guyana. A search of his bags revealed $30,00 in cash tucked inside.

He pleaded guilty last August. In addition to the jail time, Blackman was ordered to pay $536,000 in fines.

“Blackman violated his professional oath to put his patients’ legitimate medical needs first, and instead chose to line his pockets with the proceeds of sales from oxycodone, which has ravaged communities in New York City and on Long Island,” said acting U.S. Attorney Bridget Rohde.

News outlets in Guyana said Blackman was headed back there to become the  Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. He is also the co-owner of Guyana’s Channel 9 television station, which is also known as HBTV, or Hoyte-Blackman Television.