FROM: U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE
October 24, 2013 Mark A. Gunnoe, Deputy U.S. Marshal
Eastern District of Louisiana (504) 589-6079
Triple Murder Suspect's Time on the Run Ends in New Orleans, LA
New Orleans, LA – United States Marshal Genny May announces the arrest of Robert Bell, 33, at 425 South Roman Street, New Orleans, LA. Bell is the suspect of a triple homicide that occurred in Snellville, Georgia. He was booked into the Orleans Parish Prison and is awaiting extradition to Gwinnett County, Georgia.
On September 15th, 2013, Gwinnett County Police Department homicide detectives allege that Bell was involved with the murders of Angelina Benton, 34, her 12-year-old son, Joseph McDonald, and 19-year-old family friend Raymond Daniel. A fourth victim – 23-year-old Justin Cato – was hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Detectives established that Robert Bell and his wife Danielle Hill-Bell met Benton while attending church. Bell and his wife did not have a place to live so Benton invited them into her home. Detectives recovered Bell’s vehicle along with an AR-15 found inside of the vehicle that may have been used during the tragic shooting incident. After the Gwinnett County Police Department homicide detectives exhausted local efforts to locate Bell they referred the case to the U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force. Investigators with the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force developed information that Bell had fled to New Orleans, LA. The Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force contacted the Gulf Coast Regional Task Force-New Orleans office and requested assistance with locating and apprehending Bell.
Today, Investigators with the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force-New Orleans office developed information that indicated Bell was linked into the homeless scene of New Orleans where he attempted to blend-in and fly under the radar of law enforcement. However, dedicated and vigilant task force members combed through the city and discovered that Bell was visiting a homeless shelter (under an alias) within the 1800 block of Gravier Street. Bell was arrested after a brief foot pursuit with the assistance of the Louisiana State University Health Science Center Police Department.
Showing posts with label NEW ORLEANS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NEW ORLEANS. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Friday, September 28, 2012
WOMAN INDICTED FOR IMPERSONATING OSHA EMPLOYEE FOR MONEY
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Individual Indicted in Louisiana for Impersonating an OSHA Employee to Conduct Fraudulent Hazardous Waste Safety Trainings During Gulf Oil Spill Clean up
A 22-count federal indictment was unsealed today in federal court in New Orleans charging Connie M. Knight, 46, with impersonating a federal employee for the purpose of enticing people to pay her for fraudulent hazardous waste safety training, announced Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The indictment also charges Knight with possessing false federal identification documents, creating false federal identification documents and transferring false federal identification documents to her employees.
Knight, previously of Belle Chasse, La., was arrested by federal agents earlier today in Wiggins, Miss., where she currently resides. She was scheduled to appear in federal court in New Orleans at 2:00 p.m. today.
The indictment states that Knight impersonated an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) "Master Level V Inspector and Instructor" by utilizing false OSHA credentials, a false OSHA email address, and various other means. Knight thereby enticed individuals to pay for fraudulent hazardous waste safety and awareness training under the pretense that they would get work helping to clean the Gulf.
In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, many fisheries were closed, causing many fishermen in the Gulf region to seek other sources of employment, including as oil spill cleanup personnel. All cleanup personnel were required to receive hazardous waste safety training before working in contaminated areas due to dangers from the oil itself and cleanup materials.
According to the indictment, from August to December of 2010, it is estimated that Knight defrauded more than 1,000 individuals throughout the Eastern District of Louisiana. The indictment alleges that Knight created and used fraudulent OSHA credentials, along with numerous false diplomas and certifications, to convince individuals that she was an authorized trainer and that they would be able to procure lucrative cleanup work if they attended and paid for her hazardous waste training courses. Knight targeted members of the Southeast Asian communities in Southern Louisiana, many of whom neither read nor spoke English proficiently.
According to the indictment, in October of 2010, while impersonating an OSHA employee, Knight created false federal OSHA identification badges for others as well. Knight is charged with creating those additional false OSHA identification badges, as well as providing them to four residents of Southern Louisiana fishing communities whom she had hired as employees. The indictment states that Knight knew she had no authority to produce or transfer the false OSHA identification badges.
The charges of producing and transferring fraudulent federal identification documents each carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possessing a fraudulent federal identification document carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of $5,000. The 19 counts of falsely impersonating a federal employee each carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The allegations in the indictment are mere accusations and all persons are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from OSHA, the FBI, and investigators from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s office.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Individual Indicted in Louisiana for Impersonating an OSHA Employee to Conduct Fraudulent Hazardous Waste Safety Trainings During Gulf Oil Spill Clean up
A 22-count federal indictment was unsealed today in federal court in New Orleans charging Connie M. Knight, 46, with impersonating a federal employee for the purpose of enticing people to pay her for fraudulent hazardous waste safety training, announced Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The indictment also charges Knight with possessing false federal identification documents, creating false federal identification documents and transferring false federal identification documents to her employees.
Knight, previously of Belle Chasse, La., was arrested by federal agents earlier today in Wiggins, Miss., where she currently resides. She was scheduled to appear in federal court in New Orleans at 2:00 p.m. today.
The indictment states that Knight impersonated an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) "Master Level V Inspector and Instructor" by utilizing false OSHA credentials, a false OSHA email address, and various other means. Knight thereby enticed individuals to pay for fraudulent hazardous waste safety and awareness training under the pretense that they would get work helping to clean the Gulf.
In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, many fisheries were closed, causing many fishermen in the Gulf region to seek other sources of employment, including as oil spill cleanup personnel. All cleanup personnel were required to receive hazardous waste safety training before working in contaminated areas due to dangers from the oil itself and cleanup materials.
According to the indictment, from August to December of 2010, it is estimated that Knight defrauded more than 1,000 individuals throughout the Eastern District of Louisiana. The indictment alleges that Knight created and used fraudulent OSHA credentials, along with numerous false diplomas and certifications, to convince individuals that she was an authorized trainer and that they would be able to procure lucrative cleanup work if they attended and paid for her hazardous waste training courses. Knight targeted members of the Southeast Asian communities in Southern Louisiana, many of whom neither read nor spoke English proficiently.
According to the indictment, in October of 2010, while impersonating an OSHA employee, Knight created false federal OSHA identification badges for others as well. Knight is charged with creating those additional false OSHA identification badges, as well as providing them to four residents of Southern Louisiana fishing communities whom she had hired as employees. The indictment states that Knight knew she had no authority to produce or transfer the false OSHA identification badges.
The charges of producing and transferring fraudulent federal identification documents each carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possessing a fraudulent federal identification document carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of $5,000. The 19 counts of falsely impersonating a federal employee each carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The allegations in the indictment are mere accusations and all persons are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from OSHA, the FBI, and investigators from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s office.
Monday, March 19, 2012
SUSPECT IN 5 MURDERS CHARGED IN EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:
Thursday, March 15, 2012New Orleans Man Charged for Alleged Role in Five Murders
WASHINGTON – A New Orleans man was charged today by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana in a 17-count superseding indictment for his alleged role in five murders, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten in the Eastern District of Louisiana and Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
The superseding indictment charges Steven Earl Hardrick, 27, with violations of the federal controlled substances act and federal firearms laws, carjacking, witness tampering and murder. The superseding indictment alleges that Hardrick allegedly carried out the Oct. 1, 2007, murder of Dwayne Landry; the Oct. 13, 2007, home invasion, shooting and killing of off-duty New Orleans Police Officer Thelonius Dukes; and the Oct. 24, 2007, carjacking and murder of Brett Jacobs, David Alford and Howard Pickens.
According to the superseding indictment, Hardrick conspired to possess with intent to distribute drugs. He did so by obtaining drugs through force and violence, as well as firearms, which he then used to facilitate the theft or robbery of the drugs. The superseding indictment alleges that Hardrick obtained firearms in all three incidents, and in two of the incidents, he attempted to obtain drugs. The superseding indictment alleges that Howard Pickens was killed in the Oct. 24, 2007, murders to prevent him from reporting information about the carjacking that resulted in the murders of Brett Jacobs and David Alford.
An indictment is merely a charge and a defendant must be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The superseding indictment includes offenses with a maximum penalty of death.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Duane A. Evans and Elizabeth Privitera of the Eastern District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Laura Gwinn of the Organized Crime and Gang Section of the Justice Department’s
Saturday, August 27, 2011
NEW ORLEANS SIX YEARS AND COUNTING SINCE KATRINA
The followng excerpt is from the FEMA websit:
"NEW ORLEANS – In support of the state of Louisiana’s recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided approximately $17.5 billion in individual, public and hazard mitigation assistance over the past six years.
“As we pause to reflect upon the anniversaries of Katrina and Rita’s landfalls, six years of recovery has led us to recognizable accomplishments across six noteworthy sectors—individuals and families, education and learning, health care, public safety, infrastructure and partnerships,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Acting Executive Director Joseph Threat.
Regarding individuals and families, after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, hundreds of thousands of Louisiana residents needed help rebuilding their lives from the ground up. Consequently, FEMA has provided approximately $5.8 billion in Individuals and Households Program grants to 915,884 individuals and families statewide. These dollars helped to afford housing assistance for rent, repairs and replacement housing, as well as other needs assistance for such things as furniture, clothing and replacement vehicles.
FEMA also housed more than 92,000 households in travel trailers, park models and mobile homes across Louisiana to combat the largest housing shortage ever seen in the agency’s history. Units were located on private properties, at industrial sites, in commercial mobile home parks and across 111 FEMA built and maintained group sites throughout the state.
“With only 54 temporary housing units remaining in use as of mid-August this year, nearly all 92,000 households have moved on to more permanent housing,” said FEMA Region VI Administrator Tony Russell. “This is a huge accomplishment for our dedicated staff and local and state partners who have worked relentlessly in support of this monumental housing mission.”
Additionally, to assist in rebuilding disaster-damaged public infrastructure, FEMA’s Public Assistance Program has provided approximately $10.8 billion for the restoration of roughly 23,177 Katrina and Rita recovery projects throughout Louisiana. Such FEMA aid lends itself to significant impacts across various public sectors, including approximately:
• $4 billion for education and learning facilities
• $842.4 million for public safety facilities
• $1.2 billion for general infrastructure (e.g., roads, transportation, parks and sewerage and water facilities)
• $900 million for health care facilities
Lastly, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program also services individuals and public entities impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita by providing grants to communities and state agencies for projects that are designed to save lives and protect properties. Specifically, in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, FEMA has made $1.47 billion in HMGP funding available to the state of Louisiana, of which 420 projects have been approved so far for a total of $873.2 million in obligated HMGP funding.
“As recovery momentum continues to grow throughout New Orleans and other local communities, FEMA will stay steadfast in our resolve to best aid the great state and people of Louisiana,” added Threat.
For more information about Louisiana’s ongoing recovery efforts, visit FEMA’s website dedicated to the sixth anniversary of hurricanes Katrina and Rita: www.fema.gov/la6year
All data is as of June 17, 2011, unless otherwise noted.
When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are made available to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, who disburses them to the applicant for eligible work completed.
The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion."
"NEW ORLEANS – In support of the state of Louisiana’s recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided approximately $17.5 billion in individual, public and hazard mitigation assistance over the past six years.
“As we pause to reflect upon the anniversaries of Katrina and Rita’s landfalls, six years of recovery has led us to recognizable accomplishments across six noteworthy sectors—individuals and families, education and learning, health care, public safety, infrastructure and partnerships,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Acting Executive Director Joseph Threat.
Regarding individuals and families, after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, hundreds of thousands of Louisiana residents needed help rebuilding their lives from the ground up. Consequently, FEMA has provided approximately $5.8 billion in Individuals and Households Program grants to 915,884 individuals and families statewide. These dollars helped to afford housing assistance for rent, repairs and replacement housing, as well as other needs assistance for such things as furniture, clothing and replacement vehicles.
FEMA also housed more than 92,000 households in travel trailers, park models and mobile homes across Louisiana to combat the largest housing shortage ever seen in the agency’s history. Units were located on private properties, at industrial sites, in commercial mobile home parks and across 111 FEMA built and maintained group sites throughout the state.
“With only 54 temporary housing units remaining in use as of mid-August this year, nearly all 92,000 households have moved on to more permanent housing,” said FEMA Region VI Administrator Tony Russell. “This is a huge accomplishment for our dedicated staff and local and state partners who have worked relentlessly in support of this monumental housing mission.”
Additionally, to assist in rebuilding disaster-damaged public infrastructure, FEMA’s Public Assistance Program has provided approximately $10.8 billion for the restoration of roughly 23,177 Katrina and Rita recovery projects throughout Louisiana. Such FEMA aid lends itself to significant impacts across various public sectors, including approximately:
• $4 billion for education and learning facilities
• $842.4 million for public safety facilities
• $1.2 billion for general infrastructure (e.g., roads, transportation, parks and sewerage and water facilities)
• $900 million for health care facilities
Lastly, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program also services individuals and public entities impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita by providing grants to communities and state agencies for projects that are designed to save lives and protect properties. Specifically, in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, FEMA has made $1.47 billion in HMGP funding available to the state of Louisiana, of which 420 projects have been approved so far for a total of $873.2 million in obligated HMGP funding.
“As recovery momentum continues to grow throughout New Orleans and other local communities, FEMA will stay steadfast in our resolve to best aid the great state and people of Louisiana,” added Threat.
For more information about Louisiana’s ongoing recovery efforts, visit FEMA’s website dedicated to the sixth anniversary of hurricanes Katrina and Rita: www.fema.gov/la6year
All data is as of June 17, 2011, unless otherwise noted.
When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are made available to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, who disburses them to the applicant for eligible work completed.
The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion."
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