Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog

November 24, 2015

Don’t Be a Victim: Black Friday Shopping Safety Tips

It’s that time of year again – Thanksgiving, followed by one of the busiest, most hectic, and dangerous shopping days of the year, Black Friday. Whether you intend to go out and hit all of the great deals in-store, shop online, or do a little of both, it’s important to keep yourself, your identity, and your bank account safe.

Grabel & Associates has a few Black Friday shopping safety tips we hope you’ll find useful.

When shopping the malls, outlets, and retail stores in person, the key to staying safe is awareness. Whether you’re leaving the car to go into a store or coming out with an armload of packages, pay attention all around yourself – and watch behind your back.

November 23, 2015

Brandon, FL Woman Charged with DUI After Driving Wrong Way

by Scott Grabel

On Saturday, 45-year-old Frances Cassandra Claridge of Brandon was pulled over after she was observed driving in the wrong direction in Seffner. The incident occurred at approximately 5:30 in the morning when Claridge was caught allegedly driving northbound in the southbound lane on Lakewood Drive.

According to news reports at Fox 13 and WTSP, a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office patrol lieutenant pulled her over for driving the wrong way, when he noticed that her breath smelled of alcohol. According to the officer, she was also disoriented and not clear about what day it was, the time, or where she was driving. She was arrested for DUI following an investigation on the scene, and taken to Hillsborough County Jail. It was determined at the jail that Claridge’s blood alcohol content was .278 percent, more than three times the legal limit of .08 percent.

In every state, the punishment for driving under the influence is harsh although penalties may vary. In the state of Michigan, for example, anyone who is found to have a BAC of 0.17 percent or higher while operating a vehicle may be charged with Super Drunk driving. A Super Drunk OWI offense will result in penalties which are more severe than those for a regular DUI conviction. In fact, the penalties are about double for those of a regular DUI, and may include up to 180 days in jail, driver’s license suspension for 45 days with license restricted for 320 days following the suspension period, required installation of an ignition interlock device, potential community service, and more.

November 20, 2015

Former Inkster Police Officer Convicted in Beating of Motorist During Traffic Stop

by Scott Grabel

On Thursday November 19, former Inkster police officer William Melendez was found guilty of assault with intent to do great bodily harm in the beating of a motorist during a traffic stop. The beating of 58-year-old Floyd Dent, who is black, was captured on video. Melendez was also charged with assault by strangulation, however he was cleared of that charge. He was also found guilty of misconduct in office.

The incident which led to the charged occurred in January, when Melendez pulled Dent over for disregarding a stop sign. A dash cam video captured the scene, which according to news reports shows Melendez punching Dent in the head 16 times. Following airing of the footage on a local news station, Melendez was terminated. Dent suffered several injuries including blood on his brain and broken ribs, and was awarded $1.4 million by the city of Inkster, a Detroit suburb.

Melendez’s attorney said during the trial that his client was justified in assaulting Dent, because the defendant resisted police and was aggressive at the time of the traffic stop. He also said that following his December 3rd sentencing hearing, Melendez plans to appeal his conviction.

November 19, 2015

Man Appeals Conviction for Manufacturing and Mailing Ricin

by Scott Grabel

On April 16, 2013 letters which included ricin were delivered to President Obama, Sadie Holland, a Mississippi judge, and Senator Roger Wicker of MS. Shortly thereafter, 41-year-old James Everett Dutschke was arrested by federal authorities on charges he manufactured ricin and sent the potentially deadly chemical through the mail in the letters mentioned above. Now, Dutschke is appealing his conviction once again.

Dutschke pleaded guilty to the charges against him, and is currently serving a 25-year sentence in a Colorado federal prison. Last month, he appealed his conviction claiming the charges were flawed because ricin was listed in the charges as a “biological” weapon rather than a “chemical” weapon. He also now claims he is innocent of the allegations against him, and that his attorney at the time was ineffective. In that appeal, Dutschke was unsuccessful as U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock concluded he waived those rights by initially pleading guilty. Aycock said that at the time he pleaded guilty, he told the court he was satisfied with his lawyer.

Dutschke was required to serve his 25-year sentence in solitary confinement, an administrative measure imposed by the U.S. Dept. of Justice; he appealed this measure as well earlier this year.

November 17, 2015

PA Mother and Son Face Drug Charges After Allegedly Peddling Drugs from Their Home

by Scott Grabel

Recently, a mother and son were arrested at their home in Main Line, PA after detectives conducted surveillance at the residence where they suspected drug activity was occurring. In all, three people were arrested including 24-year-old Jean Boller, 53-year-old Joann Badey, and 24-year-old George Badey IV. Badey’s ex-husband is Democratic Party chairman George J. Badey III.

According to an article at Fox 29, Badey and her son have been charged with possessing and peddling marijuana, prescription drugs, and heroin. Investigators said the pair was selling the drugs from the home to local college students, residents of the community, and to undercover officers. News reports indicate a local Cub Scout pack met at the residence, and that there were Boy Scout signs displayed outside as well. Undercover officers purchased drugs at the resident on several occasions, and upon searching inside found $800 in cash, heroin, prescription drugs, and approximately $4,000 worth of marijuana.

While Radnor Township police received several tips indicating sales of drugs at the residence were frequent, they also said the mother and son received drug deliveries at the home once or twice each week. In a press conference, investigators said the deliveries were what they would consider “heavy.”

November 16, 2015

Clinton Township Man Charged with Felony OWI Child Endangerment

by Scott Grabel

On November 8, 25-year-old Timothy Chevalier of Clinton Township was arrested after police say he was operating his vehicle while intoxicated with his 3-month-old baby in the back seat. The incident took place in Bloomfield Hills when Chevalier was pulled over by a public safety officer about 6 p.m. for excessive speed and possible OWI, according to Lt. Noel Clason.

Chevalier refused a roadside preliminary breath test according to news reports, and failed the standard field sobriety tests. He was arrested for OWI 2nd offense, however the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office issued enhanced charges due to the fact that Chevalier’s baby was in the back seat. In addition, reports claim the vehicle contained open alcohol containers. While at the police station, Chevalier submitted to a Breathalyzer test which indicated his BAC was 0.23, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Chevalier was placed in the Oakland County Jail on a $75,000 cash or surety bond and was scheduled for a preliminary hearing for November 16 as of last reports.

November 13, 2015

Man Wanted in May Shooting Death in Flint Located in Oklahoma Following Crime Stoppers Tip

by Scott Grabel

On Tuesday November 3, Dominick Wright was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma following a tip Crime Stoppers in Flint received which led them to Wright, a man wanted for allegedly shooting and killing Jermaine Moore in May of this year.

The Crime Stoppers agency was offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that would lead to Wright’s arrest, and while numerous tips were received, director Julie Lopez said one in particular led them to find the fugitive more than 900 miles away.

The shooting took place at just after 8:30 in the evening on May 27, as people gathered to mourn a man at a nearby park who had passed away after suffering a heart attack. Authorities believe Wright shot 35-year-old Jermaine Moore when the two became involved in a dispute over a parking spot.

November 11, 2015

Four Arrested for Drug Trafficking by MDEA in Maine

by Scott Grabel

Recently, four individuals were arrested for trafficking crack cocaine and heroin in Biddeford, Maine. The arrests came after the MDEA (Maine Drug Enforcement Agency) conducted an investigation into the illegal distribution of these schedule drugs over several months, and found the suspects were conducting business from a Hazel Street apartment.

Two of the individuals trafficking drugs from the apartment are from New York, 20-year-old Raymond Naveo and 20-year-old Celina Rodriguez. The other two suspects live reside in Biddeford, and include 33-year-old Corey Harmon and 33-year-old Niaomi Butts. According to a news article at WCSH 6, undercover agents bought crack cocaine from Harmon and Naveo on various occasions during the investigation. It was also determined that Naveo and Butts traveled to New York to purchase additional drugs for distributing in Biddeford.

Naveo, Butts, and Rodriguez were arrested when state police stopped the vehicle driven by Butts, who was arrested for operating a motor vehicle after suspension. Rodriguez was found to be in possession of heroin, and Naveo was arrested as well. Meanwhile at the Biddeford apartment, Harmon was arrested after agents found him inside and searched the apartment, where they found four grams of heroin and other items that indicated drug trafficking was taking place. Authorities were alerted that Butts was concealing illegal drugs within a body cavity at the time she was pulled over for operating after suspension; she was taken to a nearby health care facility where about 38 grams of crack cocaine was seized.

November 10, 2015

Grand Rapids Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Filing False Tax Return with IRS

by Scott Grabel

On Wednesday November 4 it was announced by U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr. that 40-year-old Yashica Toshian Tucker of Grand Rapids had been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after filing a false tax return with the IRS (U.S. Government). Special Agent in Charge Jarod J. Koopman of the IRS – Criminal Investigation joined in the announcement.

Close up of a hand signing a check. Please note that the signature is fictitious.

Tucker pleaded guilty in August to one of 10 counts against her involving the filing of fraudulent tax returns on behalf of others. This activity occurred beginning in January of 2011 and continued until February of 2013, according to news reports. The total of the false tax returns filed with the IRS was $71,606 according to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. Tucker was charged in April of this year.

November 9, 2015

Lincoln School Bus Driver Charged with DUI

by Scott Grabel

On Friday November 6, 27-year-old Ayla Johnson of Lincoln, RI was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence after she allegedly drove a school bus while intoxicated.

Modern LED light bar on police cruiser flashing red and blue emergency lights.

According to a news report at WCVB, Johnson stumbled off the bus she was driving and entered Northern Elementary School. An administrator with the school notified police, who found Johnson in the nurse’s office at the school. Police say the bus driver had a strong odor of alcohol, and they proceeded to administer a field sobriety test, which she failed. She was arrested for DUI.