Raymond Morales said he once thought becoming a government witness to bring down the multimillion-dollar drug organization he operated

Raymond Morales said he once thought becoming a government witness to bring down the multimillion-dollar drug organization he operated was the worst thing he'd ever done.Upon reflection, it was his participation in six murders that was, perhaps, worse, he said, speaking clearly and with no remorse."You've got to understand, that's the life I was living at the time," he testified. "That's when I was in the drug game. ... Things happen."Morales, 37, who is in a witness-protection program, is testifying against accused hit man Juan Rivera-Velez, 35, who is charged with drug conspiracy, murder, and witness tampering.Both men are facing possible life sentences. Rivera-Velez has pleaded innocent; Morales pleaded guilty to a nine-count indictment, including six murders. Rivera-Velez, prosecutors say, was the trigger man in one of those murders and in the attempted murder of another man targeted to cover up the slaying.After two days of questioning by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Carrig, Rivera-Velez' defense attorney, Harold Shapiro, began cross examination, questioning whether Morales, who started selling drugs at 13, had any reason to cooperate other than to help himself."If you didn't cooperate, you would never see the light of day?" Shapiro asked."They'd probably give me lethal injection," Morales responded, adding later, "I'm hoping to come home one day."In exchange for this cooperation, prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. Prosecutors also may write a support memo for U.S. District Judge Joseph Irenas to consider at sentencing.
Morales testified against three others last year. So far, 23 people have been convicted. Rivera-Velez, also known as "Two Face," is the last to stand trial.Last week, Morales told how he became close to Rivera-Velez, especially after Rivera-Velez was severely disfigured in a car accident. Morales said he visited Rivera-Velez frequently, warmed food for him, and even vacuumed."What kind of vacuum was it?" Shapiro asked yesterday. Morales didn't know.
He did, however, recall the night the two went to Obsession's, a Camden bar where they had numerous beers and tequila shots before luring rival drug dealer Manuel Batista to his death in 1996.Morales said Rivera-Velez shot Batista. Shapiro has pointed out that witnesses identified two other men, neither of whom was Rivera-Velez. Morales also said Rivera-Velez shot Rafael Colon-Rodriguez on his order in 2003 after Colon-Rodriguez threatened to tell authorities about the Batista murder.Under questioning, Morales admitted yesterday that he lied, cheated, stole and killed when it was in his best interest."I kind of made up my own rules," he testified. "I made them, broke them, and sometimes I enforced them."The trial will resume today.

Danny Delgado of Juarez, Mexico, will be deported when he completes his 200-month term in federal prison.

Federal prosecutors say the ring smuggled cocaine across the border from Ciudad Juarez to El Paso, Texas. Delgado then arranged for truck drivers to haul the drugs to Indianapolis, from where it then was delivered to customers in Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Akron, Ohio.The operation allegedly transported more than 100 pounds of cocaine a week from Mexico to Indianapolis from late 2006 to August 2007.

Amir Mulner in court.

A week after police proudly announced they shut down an enormous cocaine smuggling network involving senior Israeli mobsters and Panamanian criminals, alleged underworld kingpin and explosives expert Amir Mulner, who was a suspect in the case, was released from custody on Tuesday.

arrested Sarah McCoy, 32, of Salisbury, Jesse McCoy, 32, of Salisbury, and Casey Prevette, 23, of Willards. All three were charged with possession of

arrested Sarah McCoy, 32, of Salisbury, Jesse McCoy, 32, of Salisbury, and Casey Prevette, 23, of Willards. All three were charged with possession of controlled dangerous substance paraphernalia, possession of cocaine and possession of heroin. The McCoys were also charged with theft. The three were was taken to Wicomico County Detention Center for a hearing with the commissioner.

Strider Lee Moore faces up to 20 years in prison

Twenty-year-old Strider Lee Moore faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced in January. The local U.S. Attorney's office says probation officers that were searching Moore's home found a coffee table with a removable panel, and cocaine and marijuana hidden inside.

Lisa Trautman, 41, no city listed, with trafficking in cocaine in the vicinity of a school.

Lisa Trautman, 41, no city listed, with trafficking in cocaine in the vicinity of a school.

James Wilson, 52, of Van Wert, with trafficking in Schedule 1 or II drugs.

James Wilson, 52, of Van Wert, with trafficking in Schedule 1 or II drugs.

Shawn Thomas, 24, no city listed, with trafficking in Schedule III,IV,V drugs in the vicinity of a school.

Shawn Thomas, 24, no city listed, with trafficking in Schedule III,IV,V drugs in the vicinity of a school.

Bronson Pate, 27, of Van Wert, with trafficking in Schedule 1 or II drugs in the vicinity of a school.

Bronson Pate, 27, of Van Wert, with trafficking in Schedule 1 or II drugs in the vicinity of a school.

Mindy Kremer, 29, of Van Wert, with trafficking in heroin in the vicinity of a school.

Mindy Kremer, 29, of Van Wert, with trafficking in heroin in the vicinity of a school.

Scott Kishler, 29, of Van Wert, with trafficking in heroin in the vicinity of a school.

Scott Kishler, 29, of Van Wert, with trafficking in heroin in the vicinity of a school.

Daniel Hunnaman, 32, of Van Wert, with trafficking in Heroin in the vicinity of a school.

Daniel Hunnaman, 32, of Van Wert, with trafficking in Heroin in the vicinity of a school.

James Fuller, 30, of Van Wert, with trafficking in heroin.

James Fuller, 30, of Van Wert, with trafficking in heroin.

Daniel Craig, age 27, of Van Wert, with trafficking in methamphetamine in the vicinity of a school.

Daniel Craig, age 27, of Van Wert, with trafficking in methamphetamine in the vicinity of a school.

Christopher Blue, 30, of Van Wert, with trafficking in heroin in the vicinity of a school.

Christopher Blue, 30, of Van Wert, with trafficking in heroin in the vicinity of a school.

Oscar Sergio Machuca,officers found about 25 pounds of cocaine valued at an estimated $1.2 million hidden in a secret compartment

Oscar Sergio Machuca, of Burbank, Calif., was on his way from Dallas to Charlotte when officers found about 25 pounds of cocaine valued at an estimated $1.2 million hidden in a secret compartment.

Leah A. Jakobi, 43, admitted to attempted third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for having cocaine

Leah A. Jakobi, 43, of Devlin Avenue, admitted to attempted third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for having cocaine with the intention of selling it Aug. 29 and Sept. 1. At the lawyers’ request, Judge Sara Sheldon Sperrazza committed to a prison sentence of no more than 2z ye 1/2 r 1/3 when Jakobi returns to court Aug. 7. The legal maximum for the charge is 5z ye 1/2 r 1/3 in prison.

Jakobi’s son William, 27, was among three people who died of drug overdoses in a Niagara Falls home May 30.

In another drug plea Thursday, Judge Matthew J. Murphy III scheduled sentencing Aug. 14 for Joseph B. Jones Jr., 44, of Ontario Avenue, Niagara Falls, who admitted to attempted fifth-degree possession of crack cocaine and a misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated. He was arrested May 3, 2008, at 19th Street and Pine Avenue in Niagara Falls, when police found him asleep at the wheel of his car with a rock of crack in one hand and a 40-ounce bottle of beer between his legs.

Jorge Sabala-Cruz house raifed about 8 p.m. June 4, after a two-week investigation

Jorge Sabala-Cruz house raifed about 8 p.m. June 4, after a two-week investigation, police said. Detectives from the New Brunswick police Anti-Crime Unit recovered 78 bags of cocaine, each weighing about 1.5-ounces, with a street value of $50.
Sabala-Cruz, 43, was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of more than 0.5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute. He also faces separate offenses for intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school zone and 500 feet of a public park, police said.He was being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick, but was later released after posting a $75,000 bond.

Pete Doherty has been released on £50,000 bail, provided by his manager, following his arrest.

Pete Doherty has been released on £50,000 bail, provided by his manager, following his arrest . In the early hours of Thursday morning Pete got into a car chase with police, drove while under the influence of alcohol, and heroin was found in his car and, later, his house.He was in Gloucester for a gig on Wednesday night, when police tried to stop him for driving erratically, Pete then apparently sped away and mounted a kerb and when he stopped he tried to swap seats with a female passenger.
Pete denied a charge of dangerous driving at Stroud Magistrates' Court today, and pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of Class A drugs, driving without a licence and driving without insurance. He didn't enter a plea to the charge of driving while under the influence of alcohol. His lawyer said:

Arrested Monroe Robert Jones

Officers arrested Monroe Robert Jones on May 23 and say they found more than 30 items of evidence in his Felker Street apartment, along with packaging materials and the basic ingredients and tools to "cook" crack cocaine.Outside court, an officer estimated the drugs had a street value of $3,000.Jones, 59, faces charges of possessing cocaine and crack cocaine for sale, manufacturing crack cocaine, transporting a controlled substance for purpose of sales and a sentencing enhancement due to a prior conviction.Prosecutor Kristina Oven said he was convicted of selling crack cocaine in Santa Cruz County in 1995 and faces a maximum sentence of 18 years in prison under the current charges."He had a sophisticated set-up, with lots of cash involved," she said outside court.Public defender Diana August said the case is still young and will take time to sort out.At a preliminary hearing Friday, officer Erich Hoppe testified that Jones was pulled over on Ocean Street and that a search of his pockets and his 1999 Ford F-150 uncovered seven bindles of cocaine and $1,251.When questioned about the items, Jones "didn't wish to speak with me," Hoppe said.But the bulk of the evidence was found in his one-bedroom apartment, according to officers' testimony.There, the police department's street crimes unit allegedly found more than 40 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine divided into several small packages, about $24,000, a police scanner, a scale and evidence that Jones had manufactured crack cocaine by mixing and heating cocaine and baking powder, officer Carter Jones said.Most of the money and drugs were in a safe in his bedroom, he said, as were keys to a Lincoln Navigator, a Hummer and a Mercedes. After swabbing and testing several areas in the kitchen, police determined there were traces of crack cocaine in a cabinet, several drawers, a pitcher, a plate, a coffee pot and a calculator, he said.Jones is in County Jail with bail set at $50,000. When arrested, he listed his occupation as a car detailer, Oven said.Asset forfeiture proceedings have been launched to seize his cars and other assets if he is convicted, she said.Prior to the hearing, August argued that at least a portion of the basis for a search warrant police obtained to enter his apartment and search him and his vehicle should be unsealed."We have to be told something about why they were allowed in his house," she said.
But Judge Paul Marigonda said the life of a confidential informant would be at risk if his identity were revealed.Outside court, an officer estimated that Santa Cruz police make roughly one arrest per month for drug dealing of similar scale.

Raymond O. from Nigeria who was found to be transporting cocaine in plastic packages in his stomach

Slovakia’s police have pressed charges against 34 year-old Raymond O. from Nigeria who was found to be transporting cocaine in plastic packages in his stomach after he was detained by customs police at the Bratislava Airport on June 9, the SITA newswire reported. The accused may face a prison sentence of twenty years to life for the extremely serious crime of unlawful production of drugs and psychotropic substances, poisons and precursors, and their holding and trafficking, said Tatiana Kurucová of the Bratislava Regional Police to SITA on June 11.

Indictments alleged that Alejandro S. Corredor, 34, a Colombian citizen living in Kansas City, purchased cocaine from Martin Gaspar Castaneda-Morales

Indictments alleged that Alejandro S. Corredor, 34, a Colombian citizen living in Kansas City, purchased cocaine from Martin Gaspar Castaneda-Morales, 35, of Juarez, Mexico.According to the indictment, conspirators smuggled the drug from Mexico and distributed it in Kansas City. After collecting money, they shipped cash back to Mexico to pay off debts and purchase more cocaine.Corredor appeared in court Friday but declined a judge’s offer of court-appointed counsel.The largest single cash seizure — $1.6 million — came earlier this spring.On March 9, agents watching a home in the 900 block of Ewing Avenue in Kansas City saw at least three men dismantle the door panels of a Jeep and place items into the vehicle. A Missouri Highway Patrol trooper in Cass County later stopped the Jeep, which was towing another vehicle. A search uncovered 163 bundles of cash, according to the indictment.In addition to charges against Corredor, the first indictment contained conspiracy allegations against Corredor’s wife, Cindi M. Corredor, 28, Vincent E. Charles, 40, Adrian L. Dunn, 35, Roy D. Murray, 35, Danny R. Moore, 52, Cheo D. Miles, 36, Dennis Westbrook, 30, Daoud L. Holmes, 30, Nicholas L. Lathen, 23, and Sean Charles, 25, all of Kansas City; Terrance M. Harris, 23, of Independence; Kendall L. Howard, 30, of Kansas City, Kan.; and Delondo Bellamy, 43, of Oakland, Calif.The second indictment charged Castaneda-Morales and these defendants with conspiracy: Arturo Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 37, and Rafael Carranza-Vejar, 36, both Mexican citizens living in Kansas City; Carlos I. Portillo, 34, a Mexican citizen living in Kansas City, Kan.; Juan Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 37, Joel Guevara, 28, Cesar Perez-Rodriguez, 46, Jose Carron, 29, all citizens of Mexico whose addresses are unknown; Fernando Loya, 50, address unknown; and two defendants known only as “Rene” and “Charlie.”

Rose Marie Rivera, 23, of Doten Avenue, was arrested Tuesday in a Wilton motel, and James Roche, 37, of Allen Drive, was arrested last week

Rose Marie Rivera, 23, of Doten Avenue, was arrested Tuesday in a Wilton motel, and James Roche, 37, of Allen Drive, was arrested last week, police said.Also charged are: Christian Maldanado, 28, of the Bronx; David Garcia, 35, of Van Dam Street and the Bronx; Alexander Reyes, 27, of the Bronx; David Graham, 19, of the Bronx; Christopher Simione, 52, of Gordon Lane, Gansevoort; Debra Curtis, 43, of Route 9N, Lake George; Samuel Wattree, 25, of Division Street, Schenectady; Katie Barton, 29, of Green Street, Mechanicville; and Mark Galvin, 40, of James Court, Northumberland.
Several ounces of cocaine were recovered in the probe, which started when police from three agencies identified a group of people who were loosely connected, police say. Investigators first arrested Garcia and Barton stemming from an alleged armed robbery at a motel in Moreau. Law enforcement used undercover officers and information from neighbors to establish their cases. Each arrest resulted in more information and suspects, Veitch said. Police allege that members of the ring traveled to the New York City area to purchase bulk quantities of cocaine and used female couriers to deliver the drugs to Saratoga and Warren counties. Suspects allegedly cooked the powder into crack at various local locations before it was packaged for street-level sales by members of the group, Veitch said. The sales took place in motels, residences and parking lots, he said. At least one member of the group also is charged with felony robbery, Veitch said. All the suspects have been arraigned, although the dispositions of the cases could not be obtained Friday. More charges could be filed, but police don't anticipate more arrests, Veitch said.

Rose Marie Rivera, 23, of Doten Avenue, was arrested Tuesday in a Wilton motel, and James Roche, 37, of Allen Drive, was arrested last week

Rose Marie Rivera, 23, of Doten Avenue, was arrested Tuesday in a Wilton motel, and James Roche, 37, of Allen Drive, was arrested last week, police said.Also charged are: Christian Maldanado, 28, of the Bronx; David Garcia, 35, of Van Dam Street and the Bronx; Alexander Reyes, 27, of the Bronx; David Graham, 19, of the Bronx; Christopher Simione, 52, of Gordon Lane, Gansevoort; Debra Curtis, 43, of Route 9N, Lake George; Samuel Wattree, 25, of Division Street, Schenectady; Katie Barton, 29, of Green Street, Mechanicville; and Mark Galvin, 40, of James Court, Northumberland.
Several ounces of cocaine were recovered in the probe, which started when police from three agencies identified a group of people who were loosely connected, police say. Investigators first arrested Garcia and Barton stemming from an alleged armed robbery at a motel in Moreau. Law enforcement used undercover officers and information from neighbors to establish their cases. Each arrest resulted in more information and suspects, Veitch said. Police allege that members of the ring traveled to the New York City area to purchase bulk quantities of cocaine and used female couriers to deliver the drugs to Saratoga and Warren counties. Suspects allegedly cooked the powder into crack at various local locations before it was packaged for street-level sales by members of the group, Veitch said. The sales took place in motels, residences and parking lots, he said. At least one member of the group also is charged with felony robbery, Veitch said. All the suspects have been arraigned, although the dispositions of the cases could not be obtained Friday. More charges could be filed, but police don't anticipate more arrests, Veitch said.

Cocaine was found in a hidden compartment behind a Jeep Patriot's glove compartment

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a driver Wednesday after cocaine was found in a hidden compartment behind a Jeep Patriot's glove compartment, Border Patrol officials said Friday.Agents found 14 packages of cocaine, with an estimated street value of about $371,000, after a drug-sniffing dog alerted on the glove compartment during a routine inspection at the Tecate Port of Entry. A subsequent x-ray of the vehicle found anomalies in the vehicle's firewall. Officers arrested the driver, and seized the vehicle and narcotics. CBP turned the driver over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who transported him to the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Gavin Donald, 26, was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years at Minshull Street Crown Court

Gavin Donald, 26, was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years at Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition. The court heard Donald, now of Copperfield Place, Leeds, moved away from Manchester after losing an eye in a shooting in an effort to get away from the gang lifestyle.But, after falling back into his old ways, he brokered deals between villains looking to buy and sell guns in two separate conspiracies.Former Manchester United youth starlet Aaron Rouse, 25, of Stretford, also acted as an underworld go-between and has been jailed for eight years.Minshull Street Court heard Rouse, who admitted two counts of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition, was on the cusp of a professional football career before getting sucked into south Manchester's notorious Doddington gang.Last April, Donald and Rouse put Jonathan Martins and Sahr Sundu, both 24, from London, in touch with Marlon Small, 25, of Leeds as a potential buyer of a re-bored Arminius revolver.
Martins and Sundu were arrested by armed officers on their way to Small's house in Leeds and their co-conspirators were linked by mobile phone evidence

Brandt Corby,is facing a felony drug possession charge and a misdemeanor count of criminal impersonation.

Brandt Corby, 29, is facing a felony drug possession charge and a misdemeanor count of criminal impersonation. Police also charged Corby with violating his parole, also a felony.Police say that Corby tried to impersonate someone else when he was stopped for a traffic violation on Pike Street. Officers Robert Card and Jeremy Eagan say they subsequently discovered there was a parole warrant out for Corby and then discovered the heroin.Corby spent the night in city lock-up and then was sent to Orange County Jail without bail.

Jimmy Smith attempted to flee on foot after being confronted in the driveway, but officers used a Taser to subdue him.

Jimmy Smith was at the top rung of drug dealing on Cape Cod, an elusive figure who maintained several addresses and an erratic schedule that kept his whereabouts murky, traveling first-class in shiny black luxury cars. Those who knew of his lucrative, illegal operation kept silent, fearing retaliation, authorities said.
Police were familiar with Smith because he had been locked up for a manslaughter conviction in the early 1990s, and several years ago, after a drug-related arrest, he forfeited almost $50,000 without a legal fight, police say. But that would prove to be a pittance compared with what authorities discovered at Smith's house Tuesday.
In one of their largest cash and drug seizures ever, Barnstable police said they took about $250,000 in cash and $400,000 worth of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy from one of Smith's residences in Sandwich. Police said they also found two 12-guage shotguns, two handguns, and seized a Mercedes-Benz, and a Cadillac.
"We're pretty happy about it," said Detective Lieutenant Sean Balcom. "Myself and other officers have been chasing him for years. Over the last several years, he had grown to be probably the biggest cocaine and heroin source around. He was pretty sophisticated in what he would do to defeat law enforcement."Smith, 28, had no permanent residence and moved frequently between Cape Cod, New Bedford, and Boston, where he had additional residences, police said. Smith, considered a wholesale drug distributor, had several people working for him, police said. "When you start crossing jurisdictions and move residences within those jurisdictions, it's hard to get search warrants," Balcom said.Last Thursday, based on information from an informant, police conducted surveillance of Smith as he carried out a drug deal in a supermarket parking lot in Sandwich. Police arrested the four men who allegedly received the drugs, but it wasn't until late Monday night that they went after Smith. Again acting on a tip from an informant, police showed up at a Hyannis residence where Smith was allegedly planning to sell heroin.
Balcom said Smith attempted to flee on foot after being confronted in the driveway, but officers used a Taser to subdue him.Smith was charged with drug trafficking. Other charges are pending."This will certainly reduce some of the drug trafficking going on here," Balcom said. "A lot of the big traffickers who worked for him are already in prison."After the arrest, police secured a search warrant for Smith's house and found the drugs and money on Tuesday. The Cape and Islands district attorney's office stands to get half of the cash seized, while the Barnstable Police Department and other investigating departments will divide the remaining 50 percent, Balcom said.

Executed Sadeq Shah Hadrat Shah and Dhia al-Haq Saheb al-Haq were found guilty of smuggling the heroin concealed "inside their bodies,"

Sadeq Shah Hadrat Shah and Dhia al-Haq Saheb al-Haq were found guilty of smuggling the heroin concealed "inside their bodies," it said in a statement carried by the state SPA news agency. The execution brings to 80 the number announced by Saudi Arabia this year. In a report released on Tuesday, Amnesty International complained that the Saudi government "continues to execute people at an average of more than two a week." Almost half of them are migrant labourers from poor and developing countries, the London-based watchdog said. Last year, a record 153 people were executed in the conservative Muslim kingdom, which applies a strict version of sharia, or Islamic law. This figure compared with 37 in 2006 and the previous record of 113 in 2000. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking can all carry the death penalty in the oil-rich Gulf state, where executions are usually carried out in public.

Michael Ross went into a restaurant on Orkney island in 1994 wearing a balaclava and executed 26-year-old Shamsuddin Mahmood in front of diners.

Michael Ross, now aged 30, was 15 when he went into a restaurant on Orkney island in 1994 wearing a balaclava and executed 26-year-old Shamsuddin Mahmood in front of diners.Iraq soldier who was sentenced to life in jail for the racist murder of a Bangladeshi waiter had said at the time that "blacks should be shot and have a gun put to their head".The Black Watch soldier, who was decorated for bravery as a sniper in Iraq, was told by the judge, Lord Hardie, that he must spend at least 25 years in jail before being eligible for parole.Describing Ross's actions as "a vicious, evil, unprovoked murder of a defenceless man", Hardie told Ross: "On June 2 1994, you murdered [Mahmood] in cold blood in a premeditated fashion. He is a great loss to his family and friends and the people he served."Ross's defence barrister, Donald Findlay QC, told the court Ross believed he was innocent, not a racist, and that his conviction was a "great loss" to his family and country.The murder was the first on Orkney for 25 years and today's verdict ended a 14-year quest for justice.The procurator fiscal for the Highland and Islands, Andrew Laing, described the murder as "callous" and said the "cowardly act" had shocked the local community and Scotland."Prosecutors and officers from Northern constabulary were determined that justice would be done in this case," he said. "Many people have worked on this investigation over the years and all will be satisfied with today's outcome."Laing thanked the "great public spirit" of people who came forward from Kirkwall, the administrative centre of the Orkney Islands and its largest settlement.A Northern constabulary spokesman said: "The sentencing today finally brings a conclusion to a long and difficult period for the family of Shamsuddin and the community in Orkney."
Despite circumstantial evidence, the crime went unsolved until a new witness came forward last year and Ross was convicted. His father, Eddie Ross, who was a 57-year-old policeman on the island at the time, spent four years in jail for covering up vital evidence. He was stationed outside the restaurant after the killing.
0n June 20 this year the jury found Ross guilty by majority verdict after a six-week trial.After the verdict was read out, Ross leapt over the witness stand and fled through the side exit at Glasgow's high court. He made it outside before being apprehended by a court official.He was also found guilty by majority of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of the murder weapon and changing his clothing.

Anthony Morley sliced and seasoned bits of his victim's flesh after a frenzied knife attack was found guilty of murder

British chef who sliced and seasoned bits of his victim's flesh after a frenzied knife attack was found guilty of murder Friday. A court in the northern English city of Leeds took less than 2 1/2 hours to convict Anthony Morley, 36, the first winner of the "Mr. Gay UK" title in 1993.Morley hung his head when the verdict was read as members of the packed public gallery cheered and clapped. Several jury members left the court in tears.Morley acknowledged killing Damien Oldfield but denied murder, saying there were mitigating circumstances. He told the jury at Leeds Crown Court that he had been traumatized when he was molested by an older man when he was younger.When Oldfield unexpectedly initiated sexual contact during an evening the pair spent together at Morley's home in Leeds in April, memories of the abuse came flooding back, Morley said. He said he feared was going to be raped.Prosecutors said Morley slashed Oldfield's throat and stabbed him repeatedly before carving out pieces of flesh, chopping one chunk up on his kitchen's cutting board, and seasoning it with fresh herbs and olive oil. Forensic experts found a chewed piece of flesh in a trash bag.Morley, covered in blood, then walked to a nearby restaurant to tell staff he had killed someone because they had tried to rape him.Morley said he had no memories of what happened after the attack, though he acknowledged he may have cooked a piece of his victim.

David Gilbert Dube, 30, of Lethbridge, appeared in court Wednesday.

Lethbridge police have concluded a five-month investigation that resulted in the third largest cocaine bust in the city's history.Project Red October concluded Tuesday when police stopped a Chevrolet Avalanche and found half a kilogram of cocaine destined for Lethbridge streets.Investigators also searched a house in the 600 block of 7th Street S. They seized $39,106 in cash, 47 grams of cocaine, five tablets of ecstasy, small amounts of marijuana and packaging supplies and weigh scales.

Ambrozine Heron, 77, was a "willing participant" in the crime

Ambrozine Heron, 77, was a "willing participant" in the crime, which also involved her daughter, Paulette Chambers, 49, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Canterbury Crown Court heard how the pair, from Smethwick, were stopped by customs officers as they arrived at the port of Dover after travelling over from France in March.A search of Heron's specially-adapted Nissan Pathfinder led to 16kg of uncut cocaine being found in carrier bags on the back seat, hidden inside tins of palm oil.
Sentencing the pair, Judge Williams said Heron, who the court heard suffers from a range of illnesses including diabetes, asthma and hypertension, became involved in the crime to alleviate suspicion."I have no doubt that your role in the car was to add some respectability to the journey in respect of your age and your ill-health."But she added: "The vehicle in which you were travelling was the mobility vehicle which you, Ambrozine Heron, were entitled to.
"You Heron, in all the evidence before me, were a willing participant in this importation."

Delhi Police had arrested three persons, including a head constable of Delhi Fire Service

Delhi Police had arrested three persons, including a head constable of Delhi Fire Service, who was smuggling fine-quality heroin hidden in cavities of apple boxes. Around 14kg of heroin was seized from their possession worth Rs 6 lakh. Those arrested told police that the consignment was meant to be supplied in smaller quantities to different drug peddlers. However, the police failed to nail these peddlers

Drug-related murders Tijuana

Mexican border city of Tijuana have found 16 bodies in 24 hours, in what police believe is part of a wave of drug-related murders. Twelve of the bodies were found on a patch of wasteland near a school just before it opened. Most showed signs of having been bound and tortured. A wave of murders linked to the drug trade has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people in Mexico this year. Tijuana is a key area for smugglers aiming to get drugs into the US. City officials suspended lessons at the school near where the bodies were found. Tijuana police spokeswoman Prisna Perez said some of the bodies were partially clothed and showed signs of torture.
Shortly after the discovery, four other bodies turned up on another patch of wasteland in a residential area. Both sets of bodies had notes attached suggesting they were victims of gang violence related to the drugs trade.
Two more bodies were discovered late Sunday next to a factory on Sunday, although officials believe they were victims of street crime rather than drug related.
Almost two years ago President Felipe Calderon launched a nationwide battle to take back territory controlled by some of the world's most powerful drug gangs.
But the cartels have responded with unprecedented violence - including kidnappings and killings that have sparked public outrage and huge street protests.
The country has overtaken Colombia and Iraq for the number of kidnappings.

Ali Kabeer and the four other suspects — Thomas Suarez, 26, of Brooklyn and Staten Island; Ali Hassan 42, of Queens

Ali Kabeer, 25, of Queens was arrested in Charlotte County, said Kevin Ryan, a spokesman for the Queens district attorney’s office. Mr. Kabeer was being held in Charlotte County jail, said Bob Carpenter, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office there.
Mr. Kabeer and the four other suspects — Thomas Suarez, 26, of Brooklyn and Staten Island; Ali Hassan 42, of Queens; and two brothers, Scott Kwaak, 21, and Clinton Kwaak, 24, of Brooklyn — were charged in a 63-count indictment including criminal sale of a firearm, the Queens district attorney, Richard A. Brown, announced on Wednesday.
The four suspects already in custody in New York City were arraigned on Wednesday in Queens County Supreme Court as details of the case were announced at police headquarters. Sawed-off shotguns, assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols displayed on tables illustrated the results of the quiet, anonymous and dangerous work of the 13-month long operation.
The police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, said the illegal weapons were among 38 purchased from the five suspects who mostly operated in East New York and South Ozone Park. The five men sold the weapons individually but knew each other, Mr. Kelly said.
The announcement of the arrests made Mr. Kelly pause to recall the work of two detectives who were killed doing similar work. The detectives, James V. Nemorin, who was 36, and Rodney J. Andrews, who was 34, were shot to death during a covert assignment to buy a gun in Staten Island in 2003. A Staten Island man, Ronell Wilson, was sentenced to death in 2007 for the killings.
“It is the most dangerous type of police work that there is,” said Mr. Kelly. “The undercover officers of course involved in these transactions are very much at risk. Just in 2003 we lost detectives Andrews and Nemorin, in essence assassinated on Staten Island doing precisely this: buying illegal guns. So it is very, very dangerous work but that is the world we live in.”
The operation, called Tommy Gun, suggested a lot of patience, a trickle of information from a confidential informant, and at least some convincing acting ability: the detectives must pose as criminals.
In July 2007, detectives assigned to the department’s Firearms Investigation Unit, whose focus is taking guns directly off the streets, picked up “street information” that the suspects were gun merchants, the district attorney’s office said.
A “sting” was set up. Telephone conversations were exchanged and then face-to-face meetings were held. The latest took place last month, when an officer bought a .45 caliber assault rifle for $2,400 in Brooklyn.
The officers paid a 200 percent mark-up of the retail price, or about $500 to $2,400 for each weapon.
“The work of the Firearms Investigation Unit is some of the most dangerous in all of law enforcement,” said Mr. Kelly. “The suspects come armed. And they know that our undercovers are coming with cash.”
“Basically we use an undercover officer to pose as a person on the street who is involved in firearms, looking to purchase a firearm,” said Capt. James Coan, one of the supervisors of the operation.
“He is believed to be, by the subjects we deal with, as another person on the street involved in this illegal activity,” he said. “Thereby he is able to gain their confidence and purchase weapons from them.”
About 60 percent of homicides in New York City are caused by guns, according to the police. So far, one of the guns purchased in the operation was traced to a shooting – that of a 20-year old woman in Queens on Sept 19. as she came out of a club called Swerve on Merrick Boulevard. She survived the shooting, which has never been solved, but Mr. Kelly said that the department was now closer to doing so.
Overall, the police department has taken 3,000 guns off the streets so far this year, Mr. Kelly said. He said that 90 percent of the guns were brought in from out of state.
A Police Department program gives $100 to any person who turns in a gun to any police facility in the city. In July, six churches in central Brooklyn invited people to anonymously drop off firearms in exchange for cash cards worth hundreds of dollars.
“We are going to continue very much to focus on the issue of guns,” Mr. Kelly said.

62-year-old Irish man was arrested as he and three Spaniards berthed a boat which is alleged to have been full of cannabis.

62-year-old Irish man was arrested as he and three Spaniards berthed a boat which is alleged to have been full of cannabis. Police pounced on the vessel as it landed in Cadiz in the south of Spain. It is believed that the boat was carrying a tonne of dope. Detectives questioning the Dubliner have refused to reveal his identity except to say that his initials are DAJ. Police sources have said that this seizure was part of a major operation and have heralded it as a big success in the fight against drugs. Before the arrests, the gang is believed to have been under surveillance for two months. Gardai in Ireland say they are not aware of the man's identity, but said he may have entered Spain illegally. It is believed that the gardai were not involved with the arrests and were not asked to liaise with the Spanish police. It is suspected that the arrested man could be travelling on a false passport or may have dual nationality. The drugs that were seized off the boat will be forensically examined in the coming days, and Spanish police will be investigating who the drugs were destined for.

T. Nguyen Thi Trang was caught at Bangalore international airport allegedly trying to smuggle out over four kg heroin

Vietnamese woman was caught at Bangalore international airport early Thursday when she was allegedly trying to smuggle out over four kg heroin worth Rs.140 million in the international market, an official said.Commissioner of Customs, A.K. Kaushal told reporters that the woman identified as T. Nguyen Thi Trang, 24, was detained while boarding a Thai Airways flight to Bangkok enroute Hanoi. She had arrived from Delhi and Bangalore customs officials had been tipped off by their Delhi colleagues.
“Nguyen had concealed the drug in specially made cavities of her sandals and false bottom of her suitcase,” Kaushal said.This is the biggest drug haul at the four-month old new international airport.In the first week of July, a Thai national and a Tanzanian had been caught trying to smuggle out Rs.100 million worth of heroin.

Julio Soler, 35. He was arrested as the result of five months of investigation. What resulted was the seizure of a kilo of cocaine

The drug bust netted cocaine from two houses. Apparently, the Bolingbrook, Indiana police brought down a large operation. Arrested was Julio Soler, 35. He was arrested as the result of five months of investigation. What resulted was the seizure of a kilo of cocaine, which values at around $116,000. There were individuals in the home with Soler, but they were not arrested. There were also two cars seized during the raid.Soler is a forklift operator and has been formally charged with five counts of delivery and manufacture of a controlled substance.

Suspected of having a Glock handgun but had a pocketful of marijuana

Suspected of having a Glock handgun had a pocketful of marijuana, but no gun, according to a Crestview Police Department arrest report. The 27-year-old man was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. While in the patrol car, he began to kick the divider and yelled, "You're gonna pick the wrong day to come knocking on my door." The man continued to talk about his gun and told the officer, "I got something waiting for you." He was booked into the Okaloosa County Jail without further incident, the report noted.

Joe Conway Elder was charged in Pierce County Superior Court

Joe Conway Elder was charged in Pierce County Superior Court today. Police believe Elder killed Ramoncito Barro, a 38-year-old father of five, in his home Tuesday.Barro, who worked part time at the facility owned by his parents, was preparing to take Elder to a medical appointment when Elder pulled out a gun and opened fire, said Ed Troyer, Pierce County sheriff's spokesman.
Barro was dead upon arrival at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, Troyer said.
The small facility, in the 5800 block of 62nd Street West, houses five people including Elder. A worker at the home said Elder had never threatened patients or staff.Elder, who is being held at Pierce County Jail, is to appear in court Oct. 2 for a competency hearing

ex-detectives Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa were involved in racketeering activity beyond the crucial statute of limitations date of March 6, 2

ex-detectives Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa were involved in racketeering activity beyond the crucial statute of limitations date of March 6, 2000.With that decision, the appeals court reversed a June 2006 ruling by Brooklyn federal Judge Jack B. Weinstein that threw out the convictions of both men. Weinstein ruled that there wasn't enough evidence to show they were involved in a far-reaching conspiracy within five years of indictment, or March 9, 2005.But the appellate court found that there was sufficient evidence to support the jury's decision that the conspiracy existed beyond that date. The court noted that the jury had also found that by its verdict.Eppolito and Caracappa were convicted in 2006 after a trial in which Burton Kaplan, a garment district entrepreneur who was a go-between with the Luchese crime family, linked both ex-cops to mob murders from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s.
In an intricate post-conviction proceeding, Weinstein, who castigated Eppolito and Caracappa for their crimes, sentenced them provisionally to life in prison, only to dismiss the main conspiracy charge on legal grounds.

John "Jay" Brooks paid $5,000 cash to a family friend who testified yesterday he sledge-hammered a three-inch hole in the skull of a Derry handyman.

"I wanted to help my friend's father; I felt loyalty to the family," said Michael Benton, 32, of Manchester, who went to Londonderry High School with Brooks' son, Jesse, 31.John "Jay" Brooks paid $5,000 cash to a family friend who testified yesterday he sledge-hammered a three-inch hole in the skull of a Derry handyman.
But Benton said he did not deliver the fatal blow to Jack Reid Sr.Brooks is on trial for capital murder after allegedly organizing a plan to kill Reid in the summer of 2005. Benton yesterday gave jurors their first eyewitness account of the murder, alleged to have happened in a barn owned by Brooks' business partner, Michael Connors."It all went so fast and so slow at the same time," he calmly said yesterday.
He said two other accomplices, Joseph Vrooman and Robin Knight, led Reid down a dark, narrow hallway at a farmhouse in Deerfield. Benton was hiding at the end of the hallway in the closet of an attached barn. When the three men entered the barn, Vrooman quickly stepped aside, allowing Knight to push Reid into the closet. Reid was spun around and fell down with his back against a wall. He screamed, "What the (expletive!)"Benton swiftly delivered two or three successive blows to the left side of Reid's skull with a sledgehammer, which Brooks had said should be used in the murder.Benton stepped out of the closet as Vrooman tried to bind Reid's legs with plastic zip ties."At that point Robin Knight said to me, 'He's not dead yet. Come back and finish it,'" Benton testified.He delivered two or three more blows to Reid's forehead before going outside for a cigarette. While outside he heard a number of "thumps" in the barn but could not identify what, or who, was making the sound.Prosecutors have said Brooks, angry over the disappearance of a moving truck, delivered some of the fatal hammer blows.Benton said when he came back in, Reid was dead. Knight, Vrooman and Brooks were cleaning up a puddle of blood in the closet and wrapping Reid's body in thick, construction-grade plastic.
"It seemed to me that it was taking forever," he said.
Benton, nervous that someone might hear the men, told Brooks to hurry up.
"He said we needed to do this right and we needed to clean this up," Benton testified.In exchange for his truthful testimony against Brooks, prosecutors agreed not to pursue capital murder charges. Benton instead pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He faces a minimum of 33 years in jail, though Brooks' defense team yesterday played jailhouse phone recordings where Benton said he might only have to serve 22 years.The four men parted ways after abandoning Reid's body in a Saugus, Mass., parking lot and agreed not to contact each other. But less than two months after the murder, police were investigating Brooks, who had flown back to his home in Las Vegas. Brooks paid for his co-conspirators to come to Las Vegas to allegedly create a cover story.

Anthony McKnight former Navy sailor who is already serving 63 years in prison for raping and trying to murder three women.

Anthony McKnight, a 54-year-old former Navy sailor who is already serving 63 years in prison for raping and trying to murder three women, was also found guilty of five special circumstances, including murder committed in the course of rape and sodomy and multiple murder.No one was arrested in the killings until DNA evidence left on the victims' bodies or clothes linked McKnight to the slayings in the late 1990s, Alameda County prosecutors said. Such DNA testing had not been developed when the young women were slain, the prosecutor said.The penalty phase of McKnight's trial will begin next Wednesday in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland, after which a jury will determine whether McKnight should be sentenced to death or spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.In his closing argument to jurors, Senior Deputy District Attorney Jim Meehan said, "The killer of these women did not leave their fate to chance. The method of attack was designed, unambiguously, to bring the immediate deaths of the victims. There was nothing halfhearted or unclear about the killer's intent."One of McKnight's attorneys, Alexander Selvin, has argued that some of the victims worked as prostitutes and that the sexual contact could have been consensual.McKnight was convicted of killing Betty Stuart, 22; Diane Stone, 17; Talita Dixon, 13; Monique Davis, 18; and Beverly Bryant, 24. Stuart was found Sept. 22, 1985, at Aquatic Park in Berkeley, two days after her sister last saw her at their mother's house in West Oakland. Her neck had been slashed.On Sept. 29, 1985, police found Stone's body near an elementary school in Oakland. Like Stuart, she had been stabbed in the neck.Nine days later, Dixon's body was found on a trail in Redwood Regional Park in the Oakland hills. The teenager had been stabbed numerous times.On Dec. 9, 1985, Davis' body was found by a worker behind a Richmond business. She had been killed by blows to the head.Bryant's body was found on Christmas Eve 1985 at an elementary school in the Oakland hills. She also died of head injuries, Meehan said.All five victims were sexually assaulted before they were killed, the prosecutor said.During the trial, jurors heard from three former prostitutes who survived being raped and attacked by McKnight from 1984 to 1986 in Oakland and Emeryville. McKnight was arrested in January 1986 and later convicted in a separate trial of rape and attempted murder.

Tai Chum Tang, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court this afternoon charged with one count of murder following his arrest earlier today

The woman's charred body was discovered by firefighters about 5.50am (AEST) on Sunday.Tai Chum Tang, 50, of Richmond, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court this afternoon charged with one count of murder following his arrest earlier today.
They were extinguishing a fire in the dumpster outside a pasta business in Keysborough, in Melbourne's southeast, when they made the grisly find.Mr Tang appeared frail and looked down for most of the preliminary hearing, during which he was assisted by a Cantonese interpreter.His lawyer Sharon Healey said Mr Tang would "vigorously" defend the charge.Ms Healey said a nurse had tended to her client while in custody and would be kept on watch for the next day because of a risk of potential self-harm.Mr Tang did not apply for bail.Magistrate Elizabeth Lambden remanded him to appear for a committal mention hearing on February 5.

Slawomir Zakrzewski, was charged with killing Colombian Gloria Burgos, 54, who ran a thriving diner close to London Bridge for more than a decade.

Slawomir Zakrzewski, 22, from Whitely Road, south-east London, was charged with killing Colombian Gloria Burgos, 54, who ran a thriving diner close to London Bridge for more than a decade.He was remanded in custody at Greenwich Magistrates' Court and will next appear before a judge at the Old Bailey on December 12. Officers were called to the restaurant in Bermondsey Street, south-east London, after a delivery man found the woman's body on Monday night.