Crime and Law

Alfonso D'Arco, Mob Boss, Turncoat: His Extraordinary Story Detailed In New Book

For authors Jerry Capeci and Tom Robbins, the long road to their fascinating new book about mafia boss Alfonso D'Arco, who became the federal government's most successful cooperator, began a decade ago. In Mob Boss: The Life of Little Al, the Man Who Brought Down The Mafia, which hits bookstores to ... More >>

Daniel McGowan: The FBI's Least Wanted

He did his time for burning down two Oregon lumber mills, but he's not exactly a free man

On FX's The Bridge, Serial Killers Are a First-World Problem

Jose Lagos, Upstate Latin Kings Leader, Sentenced to 40 Years for Ordering Murders

In January, 26-year-old Jose Lagos pleaded guilty to orchestrating three murders in Newburgh between 2008 and 2011--he was one of three Latin King gang members ordering the hits. One of those shootings targeted a rival Bloods member but instead killed a 15-year-old bystander. Another shooting, also ... More >>

Despite State Ban, Federal Inmate Ronell Wilson Is Sent to Death Row

Election Day Hotline Will Run Today To Make Sure Voters Have Access

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has announced a statewide election day hotline, a way for people encountering any trouble accessing their right to vote to get help. This is the second time the hotline has been used. The first was last November, when the state received hundreds of complai ... More >>

Orange Is the New Black's Radical Critique of American Prisons

The Ballad of Donovan Drayton

He spent five years in jail awaiting trial. Call it justice, Queens-style.

The Butler Finds Urgency in the Conventional

Piper Kerman Says 'Orange Is The New Black' Prison in Danbury, Connecticut Plans to Transfer Female Inmates to Alabama

Orange Is The New Black, everyone's new favorite show, is based on a true story. Officer Porn-stache, Big Red the prison cook, and Piper Chapman, the sweet, yuppie purveyor of artisan bath products-turned-convicted felon--they're all modeled after real people. Lichfield Correctional Facility, the ... More >>

Queens MS-13 Gang Leader Gets 30-Year Prison Sentence

The leader of an MS-13 chapter in Queens was sentenced on Friday to 30 years in prison. Hector Aleman Lemos, 32, had been accused of two homicides, including the shooting of a 13-year-old boy. He pleaded guilty to murder conspiracy and racketeering charges in March. "Lemos spread death and destruc ... More >>

A Drug Dealer Nicknamed "Nugget" Is Sentenced in Six-County-Wide Oxycodone Drug Ring

The tide of prescription drug abuse across the country might start to ebb now that law enforcement officials know what to look for. Yesterday the New York State Attorney General's office announced the sentencing of Bronx resident John "Nugget" Bland, 49, kingpin of an oxycodone drug ring that reache ... More >>

State's Highest Court Overrules Precedent on Sentencing for Minors

In 2008, a 17-year-old named Reece Rudolph was arrested after Glens Falls police found more than 300 bags of heroin in his apartment and his vehicle. Rudolph pleaded guilty to one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. As part of the plea deal, he was sentenced ... More >>

Ronald Bozeman, Wrongly Arrested and Jailed for a Year, Sues

A man who spent a year in jail before robbery and kidnapping charges were tossed out of court is suing the New York City Police Department and the city for "generating false evidence and ignoring evidence of his innocence," court records show.

Program Launches Pet-Friendly Housing for NYC Survivors of Domestic Abuse

Humans aren't the only survivors of domestic abuse. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 71 percent of female pet-owners who sought shelter from abusive homes reported that their abuser had also hurt, maimed, killed, or threatened family animals. That's part of the reason ... More >>

Alfonso Portillo, Former President of Guatemala, Gets U.S. Noriega Treatment

It's not often that a former president of an entire nation is extradited to the United States on criminal charges, but that happened today as the feds took custody of former Guatemalan president Alfonso Portillo on money-laundering charges.

Jeremy Hammond Pleads Guilty in Stratfor Hack, Could Serve 10 Years in Prison

Jeremy Hammond pleaded guilty today in federal court to a single count of conspiracy. Hammond had been facing 30 years to life in prison for his part in the hacking of the corporate spy agency Strategic Forecasting, or Stratfor, in 2011. Today's plea is part of a deal with prosecutors under which Ha ... More >>

City Used Memo Leak to Drag Stop-and-Frisk Judge Through the Mud, Lawyers Say

In an act of desperation, the city of New York has used the media to launch a "despicable" attack on the federal judge presiding over a landmark stop-and-frisk trial, attorneys for the plaintiffs say. Early Wednesday morning, the New York Daily News published a story describing an internal report c ... More >>

New York's Sen. Gillibrand Prepares to Introduce Military Sexual Assault Bill Next Week

If sexual assault in the military has persisted with a nauseating frequency of terror, shame, and muted protest, this week has amplified that signal to a roar. On Monday, the officer in charge of the Air Force's Sexual Prevention and Response unit was charged with sexual battery for assaulting a wom ... More >>

An Op-Ed by Brooklyn District Attorney Candidate Abe George: Stop Arresting New Yorkers for Carrying Condoms

Carrying a condom in New York could lead to your arrest. Why? Because it is legal for law enforcement to cite condom possession as evidence that a person engaged in prostitution. Targeting condoms, however, is an ineffective deterrent to prostitution and threatens public health. The practice also co ... More >>

New Numbers on Domestic Violence-Related Murders in New York

At the end of last year, city officials announced that New York saw the lowest number of murder victims in 2012 in over 50 years. A new report by the NYPD provides the data behind those rates and a visual analysis of the 419 victims, as well as the 290 suspects identified in their murders. Among the ... More >>

Who is Stockpiling and Sharing Private Information About New York Students?

Most New York City public school parents don't know that their child's personal information will be available to third-party companies through a new data-sharing initiative.   Parents and advocates opposed to the new initiative believe it will put sensitive student information at risk and allow com ... More >>

Bloomberg's Sneaky Fix For All Those Stop-and-Frisk Lawsuits

Why the Police in Michael Premo's Occupy Wall Street Trial Are Unlikely To Face Perjury Charges

Many of the readers who commented on last week's story about Michael Premo, the Occupy Wall Street protester who beat his criminal charges last week thanks to video evidence, wanted to know: Would the police officer whose testimony was contradicted by the video face any consequences? Would he be cha ... More >>

Even A Blizzard Didn't Stop A Ton Of Violence From Happening This Weekend

Nemo was able to shut down power, the Long Island Expressway and most of the news over the weekend. But, somehow, it apparently couldn't prevent the unfortunate plague of crime in New York City. The first shooting victim came Friday night during the apex of the snowstorm. At a baby shower up on Eas ... More >>

9 People Were Non-Fatally Shot While You Were Stumbling Home On New Year's

As we know, New Year's Eve brings out the worst in people. An hyped-up party atmosphere mixed with thousands of people mixed with alcohol will produce that blowback; on my walk from the Flatiron District to the East Village at around 2am, I witnessed two huge fights, five ambulances and a streaker p ... More >>

Brooklyn Deserves a New D.A.

Why the 23-year reign of Charles Hynes must end

Settlment Reached in Poly Prep Sex Abuse Scandal

Prestigious Brooklyn private school Poly Prep has reached a settlement with plaintiffs from a 2009 lawsuit that alleges decades of sexual abuse by former football coach Phil Foglietta, according to the Daily News. The News has closely followed the lawsuit--which highlights a situation eerily simil ... More >>

Gun Show Located Near Newtown Still a Go, Because Of Course

It's now been four days since the Adam Lanza's killing spree in Newtown, Connecticut, where he killed 27 people, including 20 small children, before committing suicide when he heard first responders to the scene. For the first time ever, it seems, we're talking seriously looking at gun control, and ... More >>

NYCLU Files Lawsuit Against State Over DOC's Solitary Confinement Policies

The New York Civil Liberties Union yesterday filed a lawsuit in federal court charging New York State prison officials with overseeing policies that lead to the "arbitrary and unjustified use" of solitary confinement for prison inmates.The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Leroy Peoples, spent more than two ... More >>

"Krills," "Yams," and "Grizz": Decoding NYC Gangsters' Facebook Faux-Pas

In October, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly publicly announced that he was doubling the size of the Department's Anti-Gang Unit and would be stepping up efforts to bust gangsters using social media websites like Facebook and Twitter -- where gangsters have recently taken their turf wars.New York City's ... More >>

Cops Go To Question Westchester Women-Slasher About Cold Case Murders; Find Woman's Body

What are the odds that when detectives go to question a parolee about two cold case murders they find another body in his house? In the case of Westchester killer Lucius Crawford -- who's already served prison time for stabbing six women -- the odds were apparently pretty good, because that's exactl ... More >>

'Killer' Nanny Yoselyn Ortega Hit With First-Degree Murder Charges

The Upper West Side nanny accused of brutally stabbing two children in her care has been formally indicted on first-degree murder charges -- a charge reserved for the state's most heinous criminals, including those who murder cops and judges.In addition to the two first-degree murder charges, 50-yea ... More >>

Former NYPD Officer Nicholas Mina Headed To The Hoosegow For Selling Guns To Drug Dealers

A former NYPD officer who pleaded guilty last month to charges that he stole several NYPD-issued firearms from fellow officers and sold them to a Queens drug kingpin was in court today, where he was sentenced to 15-and-a-half years in prison.Additionally, former Officer Nicholas Mina -- who claims h ... More >>

The Costliest Battle in the High-Tech World

On the front lines of the new Cold War

Robbing the Same Bank Over and Over Whenever You Need Cash Is a Thing, Apparently

On Monday, we wrote an article about a Brooklyn bandit who has robbed the same Crown Heights Apple Bank three times in the past year and a half. We, for the record, were flabbergasted by the amount of chutzpah the guy had for returning to the scene of the crime where he ostensibly could have (should ... More >>

Hudson River Park Rapist Opts For The Old Four Lokos And Weed Defense

A convicted sex offender accused of violently raping a woman at Hudson River Park last month told police that he doesn't know if he raped the woman because he'd consumed five Four Lokos before the attack -- but that was only after drinking vodka, and smoking weed and K-2, a brand of synthetic mariju ... More >>

Another School Bus Driver Charged With DWI (Sigh)

For the third time this month, a New York school bus driver is accused of driving a bus drunk.The latest allegedly tipsy driver is 47-year-old James Sommer, of Massapequa. At the time of his alleged DWI, Sommer was transporting 29 seventh graders on a field trip to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory ... More >>

Nassau Police Officer Shot and Killed During Queens Traffic Stop; Second Homicide Also Linked to Suspect

A traffic stop in Queens led earlier today to the shooting deaths of a Nassau County Police Officer and a bystander. Authorities locked down eight public schools in a search for the suspect, which was still ongoing by late afternoon. The shooting took place on an entrance ramp onto the Cross Islan ... More >>

Former NYPD Officer Nicholas Mina Cops Plea; Admits To Stealing NYPD Guns And Selling Them To Drug Dealers

A former NYPD officer admitted in court today that he stole several NYPD-issued firearms from fellow officers and sold them to a Queens drug kingpin over a six-month period earlier this year.The plea deal accepted by former officer Nicholas Mina, 32, includes a 15-year-prison sentence when he's sent ... More >>

Duo Pulls off Robbery Almost Exactly the Way It's Done in the Movies, Then Decides to Run out with the Safe

NYPD say that yesterday, two robbers robbed a physician's office, because as everyone who has watched a good heist film knows, one guy isn't enough, and more than guarantees that someone's going to snitch. The robbery took place in the 43rd Precinct of the Bronx on 2029 Westchester Avenue (Manhatta ... More >>

New York Has A Drunk Bus Driver Problem

Several New York pols are pushing to have breathalyzers installed in every school bus in the entire state. You might be thinking, "does New York really have a drunk bus driver problem?" Well, yeah, it does.In the last two weeks, two school bus drivers have been accused of driving a bus while drunk. ... More >>

Murder, Inc.

The biggest criminals are on the loose

Man Who Threatens Life of Two Pro-Life Advocates Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison

Yesterday, 51-year-old New York native Theodore Shulman was sentenced by Manhattan federal court to 41 months in prison for threatening the lives of two pro-life advocates online after pleading guilty in May. It all started in January 2010, when Shulman, the son of feminist political activist Alix ... More >>

Man Who Threatens Life of Two Pro-Life Advocates Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison

Yesterday, 51-year-old New York native Theodore Shulman was sentenced by Manhattan federal court to 41 months in prison for threatening the lives of two pro-life advocates online after pleading guilty in May. It all started in January 2010, when Shulman, the son of feminist political activist Alix ... More >>

New York Department Of Corrections Defends -- But Is Reviewing -- Solitary Confinement Policies

The New York Civil Liberties Union released a report yesterday detailing the "inhumane, arbitrary use of solitary confinement" in New York state prisons. Based on the report, the group is now calling for drastic reforms in how the New York State Department of Corrections deals with inmates in segre ... More >>

Letters From the Hole: SHU Inmate Says Prison Staff Confiscated His Son's Report Card

The New York Civil Liberties Union recently released a report outlining the "inhumane, arbitrary use of solitary confinement" in New York state prisons.Included in the report are handwritten letters from several inmates placed in segregated housing (solitary confinement) for various -- in many cases ... More >>

Ray Kelly Goes Gangbusters: NYPD to Double Size of Anti-Gang Unit; Target Facebook Thugs

New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly will give a speech later today in which he will announce his plans to double the size of the NYPD's anti-gang unit to combat the escalating problem of gang violence in the city.Kelly is calling the plan "Operation Crew Cut," which will bring the number of ... More >>

New York Prisoner Spent More Than 20 Years In Solitary Confinement: Report

It's not easy to feel a great deal of sympathy for many of the convicted criminals locked away in New York's prisons, we know. But a new report from the New York Civil Liberties Union might just conjure up at least some compassion. Then again, maybe it won't -- they're still criminals.Regardless, th ... More >>

Syringe-Wielding Robbery Suspect Angel Cintron In Custody

Breathe easy, New York -- the man police suspect was using a hypodermic needle to rob people of their iPhones, iPods and other pricey electronics currently is in police custody.The NYPD says Angel Cintron was arrested this morning in Yonkers after he was identified over the weekend as the suspect in ... More >>