Dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been charged with the murder of Jamaican promoter Barrington Burton

. Photograph: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been charged with murder. A police statement issued in Kingston on Monday said that the 35-year-old artist was charged with murder, conspiracy to murder and illegal possession of a firearm. Investigators accuse the rapper, whose real name is Adijah Palmer, of conspiring with others to kill a 27-year-old promoter who was murdered earlier this year.

"The allegation is that on Monday, July 11, 2011, Palmer, along with other men, conspired to murder Barrington Burton o/c 'Bossie', a 27-year-old businessman/promoter of a Gregory Park address in St Catherine. Burton was murdered while he was standing with friends along Walkers Avenue in Gregory Park," the police release said. A preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

Kartel's defence attorney was reported to have said that his client was prepared to fight the charges. Kartel was initially arrested on Friday for marijuana possession.

Kartel has previously been arrested on charges including assault and illegal gun possession. Those charges were later dropped. A long-running feud with fellow artist Mavado is alleged to have fuelled mob attacks in inner-city neighbourhoods of Kingston. In December 2009, the two met government ministers in an attempt to calm the situation.

Kartel has worked on collaborations and remixes with the likes of Jay-Z, Rihanna and MIA. His international hits include Ramping Shop, Dollar Sign and Clarks. The success of the latter song last year sent sales of the British shoes soaring in Jamaica. A businessman in his own right, Kartel also has his own brands of rum and condoms as well as his owncontroversial range of skin-lightening cosmetics.

Recently, the singer also became the star of locally produced reality TV show Teacha's Pet. Officials from the telecommunications company that sponsors the show were said to be discussing the new charges levelled against Kartel last night.

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Alleged hit-run death case on hold until next year

 

trial over an alleged hit-and-run death of a man in the rural area of Darwin has been put off until March next year. Hells Angels member Nicholas Frank "Shonky" Cassidy has been charged with causing the death of Levi Griffiths, whose body was found on the side of the Stuart Highway at Coolalinga last month. It is alleged he was hit by a utility and that his body was moved. Darwin Magistrates Court heard today that more than 100 witnesses will be called in the case. The court was told that all of the prosecution's forensic evidence has not been handed in yet. Cassidy's bail was continued.

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OUTLAW bikies are believed to have put a $500,000 price on the heads of gang members who allegedly shot the son of a former Finks member.

Former Finks Bikie gang member Mark Sandery outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court.

South Australian police are aware of the offer, which leaves them in no doubt club members want to handle reprisals for the shooting of the 11-year-old without their intervention.

Mark Sandery's son was shot twice in the leg after armed intruders forced their way into a Semaphore house on Friday night. Police have received no co-operation from witnesses.

A source told Melbourne's Herald Sun: "The Finks are offering $500,000 to bring this bloke into any clubhouse in Australia. Every crook in Australia knows about it."

The Advertiser understands the Women's and Children's Hospital, where the boy is recovering, remains on high security alert, with some staff said to be terrified there could be further outbreaks of violence.

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tattoo-faced sex offender living in Springfield, Missouri may win the prize for scariest mugshot ever with this menacing photo.

What a difference a few years make.

A tattoo-faced sex offender living in Springfield, Missouri may win the prize for scariest mugshot ever with this menacing photo.

Michael Campbell, 36, has been in and out of jail since the mid-nineties but as his 2008 mugshot shows, he still has found time to get his entire face etched in ink - including a pentagram emblazoned on the centre of his forehead.

Before and after: Convicted Missouri sex offender Michael Campbell's booking photos in 2003 and 2008 show two very different looking men

The before photo was snapped following an arrest in 2003 for theft in Jefferson County, Colorado and shows Campbell sporting three facial tattoos, including Pit bull dog in the centre of his neck.

Five years later, following a second arrest in Jefferson County, he appears as a completely different looking man - with a mosaic of demonic markings on his face. 

 

 

 

A pentagram etched on his forehead, and the markings of a skeleton on his nose are frightening additions, along with the surprisingly whimsical addition of a polka dot bow tie tattooed in the centre of his neck.

Campbell, a Colorado native, has been in and out of jail for over a decade. In 1995, at age 20, he was convicted for the attempted sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. 

Most recently he was arrested for going within 500ft of a playground or public pool. Campbell was booked on Sunday and later released.

According to the Missouri sex offender registry, Campbell also has tattoos on his back, left and right arms, chest and abdomen.

But he is not alone in the competition of scariest mugshots.

Caius Veiovis, 31, has undergone extensive implants to create horns on his head and had the number of the devil - 666 - tattooed on his forehead.

Veiovis' terrifying mugshot was released last month when he was arrested as part of a gang who are said to have kidnapped and murdered three Hells Angels. The horn-headed Satan-worshipper is said to have drank the blood of one of his victims.

And in June, the mugshot of 26-year-old Randon Reid, arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, showed a man with manic eyes and a scary gurning smile taken into custody after shots were fired at a grounded plane parked at Deer Valley Airport.

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Danish court jails 15 motorbike gang members for murder attempts on rivals

 

Danish court has sentenced 15 motorbike gang members to jail for six murder attempts on rival gang members. The court said Thursday the bikers would spend from three to 15 years in prison, following the country’s biggest biker-related trial. Loading... Comments Weigh InCorrections? Copenhagen’s city court ruled earlier this month that members of the Hells Angels and their support group, AK81, were guilty of a series of shootings in the Danish capital in 2009. No one was killed but one victim had his leg amputated. The gangs have been feuding over control of criminal markets, including drug trade.

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Attorney for alleged Hells Angels member seeks personnel records of sheriff, sergeant

 

attorney for a Sonoma County man charged in connection with a June fight between rival motorcycle gang members is seeking access to the personnel records of Lake County's sheriff and other agency staffers, alleging political motivations in the case's handling. Oakland attorney Michael Clough filed the Pitchess motion for the personnel records of Sheriff Frank Rivero and Sgt. John Gregore, lead investigator in the case, on Sept. 12. Clough represents 33-year-old Nicolas Carrillo of Santa Rosa, arrested in August for a June 4 fight at Konocti Vista Casino outside of Lakeport. The Sept. 12 filing leaves open the possibility of other sheriff's staffers being added to the list of individuals whose records Clough wants to access. “It's possible that we will file additional Pitchess motions as we get additional discovery,” said Clough. “We anticipate that there's going to be a substantial amount of discovery and motions in the case.” Clough's Pitchess motion is scheduled to be heard on Oct. 17 in Lake County Superior Court. County Counsel Anita Grant, whose office represents the sheriff's office in the matter, said the county will fight the attempt to delve into the men's records. Carrillo – along with fellow Sonoma County residents Timothy Bianchi, Joshua Johnson and David Dabbs – is alleged to be Hells Angels members who participated in the beating of a member of the rival Vagos motorcycle gang, according to the original sheriff's report in the case. In the wake of his arrest for the Lake County case, Josh Johnson was just recently arrested by the FBI, according to Peter Lee of the FBI's San Francisco office. However, Lee could not offer Lake County News further information about the arrest. The District Attorney's Office previously reported that charges against Carrillo include felony participation in a criminal street gang, misdemeanor fighting in public, misdemeanor battery and several special allegations relating to the infliction of great bodily injury and the participation in a criminal street gang. Clough wants information about any complaints filed against Rivero alleging violations of civil and constitutional rights, selective enforcement or prosecution and bias against the Hells Angels, as well as any evidence of “providing or authorizing subordinate officers to release false and/or misleading information about pending investigations to the media” as well as “use of office to conduct politically motivated investigations.” He's seeking similar information for Gregore, as well as evidence of mishandling or failing to disclose evidence, submitting unreasonable requests for excessive bail, preparation of false or incomplete reports, and false or perjured testimony. Other information of interest to Clough is anything that would support allegations that the Lake County Sheriff's Office, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office and the FBI selectively targeted members of the Sonoma County Hells Angels chapter for investigation and prosecution, and if there was a conspiracy to violate the chapter members' civil rights. The goal is to find information favorable to Carrillo's defense that would impeach the testimony of prosecution witnesses at trial, according to the document. Pitchess motions are based on a 1974 California Supreme Court case, Pitchess v. Superior Court, and have since been included in the California Evidence Code. A Pitchess motion is based on the theory that a defendant in a criminal case should have any information that could help their defense, including information about potential misconduct in an arresting officer's personnel files. The right of a defendant to have that information is balanced against a peace officer's rights to maintain the privacy of his or her personnel file. California law has firm protections to guard peace officers in such cases. Grant, whose office has received the motion, said they will respond as the county always does in such cases. The county always and “without exception” responds to Pitchess motions, Grant said, due to concerns that are described in case law as “fishing expeditions.” The legal definition of a “fishing expedition” describes open-ended attempts to get information, and overly broad, unfocused questioning that is not within the case's scope. The county has fought previous attempts to open peace officer records, including one lodged in 2009 during the trial of Bismarck Dinius, who was acquitted in a fatal boating crash. Dinius was steering a sailboat hit in 2006 by a motorboat driven by an off-duty sheriff's deputy, Russell Perdock. Dinius' attorney sought Perdock's records through a Pitchess motion, which both county counsel and Perdock's attorney successfully fought. Carrillo's case is continuing to move forward, with a preliminary hearing still to take place. Bail in Carrillo's case was set at $500,000, which Clough had argued in court filings was excessive. He asked to have it reduced to $75,000. Clough said in his motion that Carrillo has never been charged with a violent criminal offense before this case, and his only conviction on record is for driving on a suspended license. Clough argued that it appeared that Carrillo's Hells Angels membership led to the high bail, and if that's the case it violates Carrillo's constitutional right to freedom of expression and equal protection. The filings in the case also reference a May 14 event during which the Vagos visited Lakeport. That same day, county law enforcement received information from an FBI agent claiming that a group of Hells Angels members were en route to the county to confront the Vagos. Rivero sent a group of deputies to the Middletown area in case the Hells Angels appeared. It's alleged that he was planning to turn the Hells Angels back if they arrived, which Rivero has denied, stating instead in an investigative report that he planned to put in place a roadblock in order to engage in contact with the bikers. Possible civil rights violations in the case remain under investigation by the Lake County District Attorney's Office. Rivero has continued to voice concern over the rival gangs and their activities, sending an e-mail to local media and county leaders over the weekend referencing a news story about a fight and shootout between the two groups that claimed the life of a California Hells Angels leaders in a casino in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sept. 23. A subsequent e-mail from Rivero informed county leaders that there is a statewide law enforcement alert from the US Marshals Service on possible retaliatory actions because of the gang shooting.

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Shootout erupted without warning

 

While Sparks police continued their investigation into Friday's fatal shooting between rival motorcycle gangs inside John Ascuaga's Nugget, Washoe County's counterterrorism unit said it had no intelligence indicating a shootout was about to take place that night. Killed in Friday's incident was Jeffrey "Jethro" Pettigrew, 51, president of the San Jose, Calif., chapter of the Hells Angels and a heavy equipment operator for the city of San Jose. Two members of the Vagos, Leonard Ramirez, 45, and Diego Garcia, 28, were wounded in the gunfire Friday night. The only man arrested immediately after the shooting -- Cesar Villagrana, 36, a Hells Angel member from California -- was being held Monday on $500,000 bail at Washoe County Jail. He faces a court appearance on felony assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a stolen firearm charges. It was not immediately clear if Villagrana had a lawyer. Also on Monday, police identified Shane Smith, 40, a member of the Vagos motorcycle gang, as the victim of a Saturday morning drive-by shooting. Sparks police said a dark blue BMW 3 series pulled up beside Smith and shot him in the stomach as he was walking on Victorian Avenue, near the Nugget. His condition was not released. Police said the two shootings have not been definitively linked, though both prompted Sparks officials to declare a state of emergency before canceling the remainder of the annual Street Vibrations rally, which attracts thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to the region. A state of emergency gives a city the power to enforce a curfew, use private property to stage emergency responses and call on the state for additional resources, such as the Nevada National Guard, which Sparks did not do. The declaration lasted 24 hours starting at 5 p.m. Saturday. Video shows crowd seeking cover Deputy Sparks Police Chief Brian Allen said Monday that casino surveillance video won't be made public until investigators complete the painstaking work of identifying about 60 Vagos and 12 Hells Angels amid a crowd of several hundred people gambling and partying. Members of the crowd suddenly dove for cover when gunfire erupted. "We don't want to sensationalize it. We don't want to influence the groups. We don't want to have something happen somewhere else," Allen said in an interview. "A lot of the players are from out of the state and out of the region. If you look at it historically, there've been tensions between these two groups. But we're still looking at what exactly set off this specific incident." In Arizona, more than two dozen members of the rival groups were arrested in August 2010 after a shootout left five people wounded in Chino Valley, north of Prescott. In California, an annual organized crime report from the state attorney general calls long-standing tensions between the Hells Angels and the Vagos "particularly poignant." It cited instances in which the Hells Angels have forced Vagos out of chapters in Hells Angels hotspots. It's not the first time a motorcycle rally has turned deadly in Nevada. According to a 2002 story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, court documents and gaming officials showed Southern Nevada law enforcement had intelligence that a fight was about to break out between the Hells Angels and Mongols motorcycle gangs during the River Run motorcycle rally in Laughlin that year. Police warned casino operators, according to the story, about the potential for violence before the event turned fatal when a shootout ensued inside the Harrah's Laughlin casino, leaving three bikers dead. Law enforcement officials in Northern Nevada, meanwhile, said no such information existed ahead of Friday's violence that would have alerted them of a melee about to erupt between the Hells Angels and Vagos gangs.

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FALKLANDS war veteran went on a lavish £1million spending spree after ripping off two gangsters

 

FALKLANDS war veteran went on a lavish £1million spending spree after ripping off two gangsters. Ex-Royal Navy officer Dean Priestley had been asked by the crooks to drive the used notes across the Channel to Spain. But instead of sticking to the plan the 47-year-old went on the run and set about leading a life of luxury for six months. Advertisement >> Priestley splashed out on holidays, homes, cars, boats and jewellery as he hid from the villains who put out a hit on him. A court heard the furious crooks, known only as Mull and Steve, vowed to spend £5million hunting him down. The extraordinary case emerged as wife Derry, 48, was convicted of conspiracy to launder money. Her husband was jailed for three and a half years earlier this year after pleading guilty to conspiring to convert criminal property. Detective Constable Graham Duncan said: “This is the first case I have come across in 25 years of someone who allegedly stole £1million from criminals and has not given it back. “Dean Priestley was spending money like it was going out of fashion. He has shown a brass neck to the criminals he stole money from and shown no remorse.” Dad-of-two Priestley fled his £900,000 home in a water mill in Bielby, East Yorks, after stealing the cash. He called his wife to say: “I’ve done something really bad. I’m going to have to stay away for a long time.” He opened bank accounts in his privately-educated son’s names before depositing thousands of pounds in stolen cash. Priestley quickly splashed out on a luxury £230,000 Sealine S48 motor cruiser on Lake Windermere to hide from the villains. He also bought a £162,000 stone cottage for son Nathan, a semi-pro rugby player, in Wilsden, Bradford. He blew £20,000 on a Land Rover Defender 90 to drive between Lake District marinas and two £23,000 Audi A3s for cash from showroom dealers. He soon traded in one of the Audis, swapping it for a £32,000 black BMW 630 cabriolet picked out by his wife. At the time, Priestley was also being hunted by the police as he was wanted for extradition to France after being convicted in his absence of cannabis smuggling in his lorry. Wife Derry told Hull crown court she was threatened by two men from Manchester’s underworld to tell them where her husband was. She was told to take his birth and medical certificates to them just before they attacked his two sons with spray paint and an iron bar at their home. She said: “I got very depressed and suicidal. I was very low for a long time. I fled my home.” She remained in contact with her husband by mobile phone and made repeated visits to the Lake District to see him. The court heard Priestley bought a £5,000 diamond and 18 carat gold pendant from a jeweller for his wife’s birthday. He then paid for holidays to Spain, Amsterdam and a £4,000 trip to Australia. He even roped in his nephews, paying them £1,000 for every £10,000 they could put into banks. Mrs Priestley stopped using her Range Rover after finding a tracking device put on it by the Manchester criminals. It was Mrs Priestley’s call to the police saying the gangsters had told her that her husband had stolen £1million which started the investigation. Twice-married Mrs Priestley denied joining him when he ran up credit card bills on shopping trips. Prosecutor Timothy Capstick said her husband’s empire came crashing down when he was arrested by police coming out of a Leeds Hotel. They knew criminals had put a price on his head. The jury took less than 60 minutes to find Derry Priestley guilty. As well as the money laundering charge, she was also convicted of attempting to convert criminal property and converting criminal property. She will be sentenced at a later date. Her luxury home in Bielby, which the family had a mortgage on, has since been repossessed and sold on. Dean Priestley along with sons James, 23, Nathan, 22, and nephews Simon Taylor, 35, and Christopher Taylor, 32, all pleaded guilty to conspiring to convert criminal property before the start of their trial in March. His sons and nephews got suspended prison sentences. Priestley now faces an assets recovery hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act to seize any criminal cash he has left.

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Hawi trial nears end

 

THE four-month trial of former bikie leader Mahmoud "Mick" Hawi, who is charged with murdering a man at Sydney Airport in 2009, entered its closing phase on Wednesday. Mr Justice Robert Allan Hulme began summing up the case to the jury in Sydney West Trial Courts, Parramatta. Hawi, 31, of Bexley, once one of the heads of this area's Comanchero Motorcycle Club, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Anthony Zervas, whose brother was a Hells Angels member. Justice Hulme was expected to continue his summation of the case until Friday, after which the jury will retire to consider its verdict. Five other Comanchero members or associates are also standing trial co-accused of the same murder. During the trial, medical experts gave evidence that bollards, a pair of scissors and a knife found in a drain might have played a part in the death of Mr Zervas. The court heard the injuries he suffered included internal bleeding, stab wounds and a fractured skull and that his head might have been stomped on or hit by a bollard. Justice Hulme said most of the available closed-circuit video footage of the attack was "average" and "quite poor". The jury should not draw any inference from the fact that a particular camera was not working during crucial moments, he said. Justice Hulme said part of the Crown case was that the Comancheros intended to inflict grievous bodily harm on Mr Zervas, who was one of five Hells Angels or associates at the airport. The jury had to decide if there was a joint criminal enterprise. The trial continues. Hire-car driver was drunk A CRONULLA father-of-six who pleaded guilty to a mid-range drink-driving offence allegedly told police who pulled him over for a random breath-test he knew he had had too much to drink. Graeme John Purcell, 58, of Cronulla, was stopped by police in August after attending Cronulla Bowling Club with his wife. His solicitor said the couple had four children still at home and his client relied on the success of a Cronulla car hire business to get "the whole family out of a financial quagmire".

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Tony Montana would be displeased at the news Scarface is going to be remade again

In 2011 there have already been a slew of remakes of familiar movie favourites.

So it should come as no surprise Hollywood is returning to the well again to reboot silver screen classic Scarface.

Unlike examples such as the critically maligned Straw Dogs or the panned Arthur however, it will be a completely re-imagined flick based on the original concept.

Say hello to my little friend: Perhaps Tony Montana would be displeased at the news Scarface is going to be remade again

Interestingly, while most people think of the 1983 version that starred Al Pacino as iconic Cuban anti-hero Tony Montana when they hear the title today, it is not the original.

The 1932 first entry in the series was a seminal film in its own right, and is regarded as the more ground-breaking of the pair, holding a position as one of the first great talkies.

 

 

It followed the exploits of Italian gangster Tony Camonte as he climbed the criminal underground ladder in prohibition era Chicago.

According to Deadline Hollywood the new version will take the same basic concept, in which an immigrant outsider barges his way into the criminal establishment, but have a new distinctive story.

Gunning for revenge: And maybe Tony Camonte would not to too happy either

He will then become a kingpin through his own ruthlessness and brutality, but will be brought down by his flaws and weaknesses.

Specifics about the new main character are being kept under wraps, but no doubt his origin and background will be as vital to the new story as in the previous versions.

Universal Pictures is developing the project, and has reportedly been tasking writers to script a take for a film that will be produced by the company's former chairman Marc Shmuger and heavyweight Martin Bregman. 

Good business: Legendary Martin Bregman and Marc Shmuger are producing

The latter produced the Pacino version, as other key hits in the legendary actor's career such as Serpico, Carlito's Way and Sea Of Love.

The decision to remake the movie will no doubt draw howls of derision, although the Brian De Palma remake also drew a lot of criticism at the time because the original is considered a cinematic classic.

The original picture was produced by colourful mogul Howard Hughes, and followed the exploits of the insanely violent gangster Camonte as he claws his way to top.

Original and (arguably) best: The poster for the classic first film

It starred legendary actor Paul Muni in one of his breakthrough roles, which led to a storied career that would see him win an Oscar and be nominated for five others.

The film's second lead George Raft became a professional success thanks to his role as Camonte's best chum Guino Rinaldo, with his character's trait of habitually flipping a coin becoming a classic reference. 

After the original ending was deemed too violent by censors, Hughes funded a new one, but when it was still deemed too violent he had the original put back in and showed it in more lenient states in the US.

The De Palma version charts the life of Montana, as the Cuban refugee rises from the bottom to become a cocaine kingpin in Miami.

It contains iconic cinema moments including Al Pacino sniffing away at a small mountain of cocaine on his desk as he prepares for a final shootout with gangster rivals.

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Killings described as assassinations

 

Gang violence moved from West Bay to George Town on Monday night when teenager Jason Christian became the fourth fatal shooting victim of the week.  A second victim, 22-year-old Keith Montique, was also shot but survived.  Police Chief Superintendent John Jones described how a police patrol officer had been answering an unrelated incident around 9.30pm Monday in Birchwood Drive, off Crewe Road, when an obviously injured Mr. Montique staggered up to the police car and opened the door, saying he had just been shot.  As the officer was transporting the gunshot victim, who had been shot four times, to the Cayman Islands Hospital, the wounded man told him his friend had also been shot and was still in nearby Cranbrook Drive.  When police went to Cranbrook Drive, they found 18-year-old Jason Christian in the driver’s seat of a white Toyota LiteAce van. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Mr. Jones said he was “barely alive” when police arrived, but died very shortly afterwards and was pronounced dead at the scene.  Mr. Jones described Monday night’s killing, and three earlier fatal shootings in West Bay, as “assassinations”. All four victims who have been killed this week were shot in the head.  Mr. Montique underwent emergency surgery at the Cayman Islands Hospital on Monday night and was airlifted off island for further medical treatment Tuesday. He had also been shot in the head, receiving an injury to his ear.   Medical staff at the hospital 
described his condition as “serious, but stable”.  Police said no suspects were found at the scene in Cranbrook Drive, but officers recovered a loaded revolver inside the van. It had not been fired.  At least 10 spent shells have been found at the scene of the killing. Police said Monday night’s shooting may be related to the three killings in West Bay, but said it was too early to say definitively if that was the case. “There are connections between the individuals who were victims of this shooting and with certain people affiliated to gangs or groups in the West Bay area,” Mr. Jones said. “Given the timing, so close to the other three shootings that we’ve had, we think there is a strong possibility that it may be connected.” Preston Rivers, 18, was shot dead near Thatch Palm Villas on Andersen Road in West Bay about 10.30pm Saturday. On Thursday, Andrew Anthony Baptist, 24, was gunned down shortly before 9pm Thursday in a yard of a house on Sand Hole Road in West Bay. Two days earlier, Robert Macford Bush, 28, was shot in the head as he sat in his car on Captains Joe and Osbert Road on Tuesday night.  “To have four murders in such a short period of time is unprecedented for the Cayman Islands,” Mr. Jones said.  Crimestoppers has offered a $50,000 reward for information on these killings and other robberies and gun-related crimes seen in Cayman recently.  He said Mr. Montique had told police that he and Mr. Christian had gone into Cranbook Drive to visit a premises there, but when they got there, the person they were looking for was not there. “After that, it would appear that a gunman approached from bush and fired several shots at Mr. Montique and his friend, who attempted to drive away,” Mr. Jones said.  Police said the white van at the scene had featured in their investigations into an armed robbery at Tortuga Liquor Store in Pasadora Place on Thursday, 15 September. “Whilst that vehicle was not seen to be used by the suspects in that robbery, it did feature in a line of inquiry,” Mr. Jones said.  The shootings in George Town Monday occurred just hours after Commissioner of Police David Baines said gang members who they were seeking in West Bay had moved out of areas they usually frequented.  Police continue to appeal to the public to give them information relating to the shootings, but also to let them know who has weapons in their possession and if further attacks are planned. Mr. Jones said police were rounding up known members of gangs. They mounted an operation on Monday afternoon to target those who they suspect are involved in gangs and have arrested four people in connection with gang affiliation.   A further two people also remain in custody who were arrested in connection with the West Bay murders. A third person who had been arrested in connection with the killings has been released.   Detective Superintendent Marlon Bodden said he was angered that people were now sending police photographs that had appeared on social media like Facebook, of victims of the killings holding firearms.  “We are inundated now with various photographs, various emails, various bits of information extracted from social media, pictures of individuals holding guns. Now, if we had this information before that, I’m very certain we could make some interventions and saved some lives,” Mr. Bodden said.  He said police were pushing for legislation under which they could prosecute people for brandishing firearms in photographs. “We want legislation to be enacted that those individuals prove, the burden of proof is shifted for them to say I was not holding a real firearm... We want to be able to charge them and deal with them because they are the individuals causing the havoc here in the Cayman Islands,” he said.

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Authorities confirmed Monday were captured Saul Solis Solis, aka El Lince, one of the main leaders of the group of Knights Templar.

 

The action was carried out by the Mexican Army. The Lynx, is a cousin of Henry Plancarte Solis, also leader of the Knights Templar. The Attorney General's Office offered a reward of up to 15 millions of dollars for information leading to his capture. The action was achieved in the town of Mujica, in the municipality of Nueva Italia, Michoacán. In the raid also arrested Mario Alberto Gallardo Rodríguez, alias El Mayo, and a young child.

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Gunmen halt traffic, dump 35 bodies on busy downtown avenue in Gulf coast city in Mexico

 

Suspected drug traffickers dumped 35 bodies at rush hour beneath a busy overpass in the heart of a major Gulf coast city as gunmen pointed weapons at frightened drivers. Mexican authorities said Wednesday they are examining surveillance video for clues to who committed the crime. Horrified motorists grabbed cell phones and sent Twitter messages warning others to avoid the area near the biggest shopping mall in Boca del Rio, part of the metropolitan area of Veracruz city. 11 Comments Weigh InCorrections? inShare ( no / Associated Press ) - Soldiers and police block off an area where 35 bodies lay under an overpass in Veracruz, Mexico, Tuesday Sept. 20, 2011. Masked gunmen blocked traffic on the busy avenue in a Gulf of Mexico coastal city and left the bodies piled in two trucks and on the ground, according to authorities. The scene was a sharp escalation in drug violence in Veracruz state, which sits on an important route for drugs and Central American migrants heading north. The gruesome gesture marked a sharp escalation in cartel violence in Veracruz state, which sits on an important route for drugs and Central American migrants heading north. The Zetas drug cartel has been battling other gangs for control of the state. Prosecutors said it’s too soon to draw conclusions from the surveillance video. “We’re not going to confirm or deny anything,” Veracruz state Attorney General Reynaldo Escobar Perez told the Televisa network Wednesday. “We’re looking at it in different ways, we’re seeing different numbers, that’s why we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.” Escobar said the bodies were left piled in two trucks and on the ground under the overpass near the statue of the Voladores de Papantla, ritual dancers from Veracruz state. He said some of the victims had their heads covered with black plastic bags and showed signs of torture. Police had identified seven of the victims so far and all had criminal records for murder, drug dealing, kidnapping and extortion and were linked to organized crime, Escobar said. Motorists posted Twitter warnings said the masked gunmen were in military uniforms and were blocking Manuel Avila Camacho Boulevard. “They don’t seem to be soldiers or police,” one tweet read. Another said, “Don’t go through that area, there is danger.” Veracruz is currently hosting a conference of Mexico’s top state and federal prosecutors and judiciary officials. Local media said that 12 of the victims were women and that some of the dead men had been among prisoners who escaped from three Veracruz prisons on Monday, but Escobar denied the escaped convicts were among the dead. At least 32 inmates got away from the three Veracruz prisons. Police recaptured 14 of them. Drug violence has claimed more than 35,000 lives across Mexico since 2006, according to government figures. Others put the number at more than 40,000.

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Mexican Gulf Cartel gangster Manuel Alquisires Garcia paraded with his bling

Mexican marines have recaptured a fugitive suspected trafficker, who had been arrested 13 years earlier, along with the man who was to become the Gulf Cartel's top leader.

Manuel Alquisires Garcia is the cartel's alleged finance officer, the Mexican navy said in a statement, and he was captured by marines on Saturday in the city of Tampico.

Among the items seized allegedly from Manuel Alquisires Garcia included a gold plated pistol, wads of cash and jewellery.

Recaptured: Mexican Navy marines escort Manuel Alquisires Garcia, alias 'El Meme,' during a presentation to the press in Mexico City

Alquisires, aka ‘El Meme’, was originally arrested in June 1998 along with Osiel Cardenas Guillen.

Cardenas later escaped and went on to become the Gulf Cartel's leader before being recaptured in 2003.

 

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He was extradited to the U.S. in 2006 and sentenced last year to 25 years in federal prison.

Alquisires escaped from a prison in Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in 2002, three years after his arrest, prosecutors said yesterday.

The golden gun: A gold plated pistol and jewellery were among the items allegedly seized from Mauel Alquisires Garcia in Mexico

 

Bling seized: Part of the arsenal and personal things of alleged financial agent of the drug 'Cartel del Golfo', Manuel Alquisires Garcia, including wads of cash

Zetas hitmen, who at the time were still allied to the Gulf Cartel, allegedly orchestrated his escape.

He had evaded authorities until Saturday.

Alquisires is suspected of trafficking cocaine from Guatemala for the Gulf Cartel.

Also on Monday, the Mexican navy said it captured 13 gunmen, including a suspect in the killing of a marine, who said to be members of the Zetas drug cartel.

The navy said in a statement the men were arrested Friday in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz and were carrying grenades and computers. 

Mass of weapons: The arsenal and personal items allegedly belonging to Garcia were shown during a presentation to the press in Mexico City

 

Under arrest: Mexican marines escort alleged financial agent of the drug 'Cartel del Golfo', Manuel Alquisires Garcia, aka 'El Meme' and also know as Agustin Sanchez Morua

 

Detained again: Alquisires was originally arrested in June 1998 along with Osiel Cardenas Guillen

 

 

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Teenage gunman receives 40 to life

 

Salinas teenager was sentenced Thursday to 40 years to life in prison for the 2008 attempted murders of two students outside Alisal High School. Judge Adrienne Grover opted not to give Jorge Sanchez, 19, the maximum 80-to-life sentence because he was 16 years old at the time of the Feb. 18, 2008, attack. In June, a jury convicted Sanchez after his co-defendant testified the pair were driving near the school about noon when they spotted two boys, ages 14 and 15, whom they believed to be rival gang members. Sanchez, who was the passenger, said, "Let's go smoke them," said prosecutor David Rabow. Sanchez opened fire. One boy was shot in the shoulder and hand. The other boy was shot in the ankle. Rabow said the boys were associated with the Sureño street gang but were not active members. The jury convicted Sanchez of two counts of attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic weapon and being an active participant in the Norteño criminal street gang. The accomplice confessed and was placed on probation in return for his testimony.

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14-year-old boy was arrested trying to snatch a Russian tourist's handbag in Pattaya

14-year-old boy was arrested trying to snatch a Russian tourist's handbag in Pattaya later the handbag was stolen by a motorbike man who was arrested for theft and possession of marijuana.

Pattaya, August 3, 2011 [PDN]; Pol.Lt.Col. Panlop Ringrod, Pattaya police was informed of a bag-snatch at Lam Balihai. The suspect was caught by the victims and the onlookers.

At the scene, the police found the victims; Mr Yuri Safonov, age 33, Russian and his girlfriend, Ms. Galina Irgizkina, age 29, and witnesses who caught the suspect “Pol” age 14.

Mr Yuri Safonov reported to the police, that as he and his girlfriend were going back to the hotel, the two suspects rode their motorbike close to them and snatched his girlfriend’s handbag. He ran after them and grabed the suspect’s shirt and one of suspects fell from the motorbike with the handbag. The other suspect escaped to South Pattaya where the volunteer police was waiting to arrest him. The suspect tried to escape again and hit two volunteer police injuring them. Later the suspect was arrested along with the Honda Wave motorbike, registration Ngor-Kor-Kor 351 Chonburi.



The 14- year-old suspects confessed that they were from Rayong and had skipped school and went to visit their friend in Pattaya, borrowed his bike in order to snatch bags from tourists which they did twice before being arrested.

During the investigation, the victims informed the police that their handbag had disappeared. The suspect told the police that the handbag fell during the snatch. Later, they were informed by the onlookers that the handbag was taken by a motorbike man.



The police searched and found the motorbike man, Mr Pradu Konklong, age 37. He denied the accusation at first. The police searched his body and found a pack of marihauna. After being investigated by the police, he confessed that he took the handbag from at the incident and went to hide it at the motorbike taxi stand. The police went to the motorbike taxi stand and found the victim’s handbag containing 1,720 THB, a Sony mobile phone, a Sumsung digital camera, a hotel key card and cosmetics.

Both 14 years old suspects were detained and charged of stealing and Mr Pradu was charged of Marijuana posession and theft.

In addition, during 18:00-24:00 hrs on the same day there were five motorbike to bag-snatch cases in Pattaya. Only one case led to the arrest of the suspects. The police assumes that the suspects were teens from Pattaya and nearby provinces. The police will set up special team to prevent further bag-snatches.

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Pattaya Municipalily called for the jet ski operators to register their jet ski businesses

Pattaya Municipalily called for the jet ski operators to register their jet ski businesses, to have insurances and stop extorting money from tourists. The jet ski operators claimed that they could not afford the insurance fee.

Pattaya, August 3, 2011, [PDN]; Pattaya Municipal Administration, Mr Chaowalit Seanguthai, Banglamung Deputy Chief Officer, Mr Ronnakij Ekasing, Pattaya Deputy Mayor, Mr. Soontorn Rattanavaraha, Pattaya District Chief, Pattaya Police and a various jet ski operators met to solve Pattaya’s jet ski problem.



Mr Soontorn Rattanavaraha, Pattaya District Chief said that the news of jet ski operators extorting money from tourists has affected the image of Pattaya. Therefore, the following recommendations were discussed; the jet ski operators must be registered and the data checked by the police annually. The area for permitted jet ski usage would be set up and the operators must have their jet skis insured.

Two types of insurance; a long term insurance and an hourly insurance. The insurance would cover the jet ski, property and life. Implementation of a jet ski tax insurance; a coupon which the operator could buy at Pattaya municipality. The coupon would be divided into three parts; jet ski rental, insurance and tax.



Mr. Chaowalit Seanguthai, Banglamung Deputy Chief Officer and his team had investigated the jet ski problem and found that tourists were still exploited by the jet ski operators. When a jet ski was damaged the operator would collect a lot more money than the actual cost for repair.

As for the jet ski operators, they disagreed with the Pattaya Municipality’s recommendation because the cost of insurance was high compared to their revenue. They admitted that there were some jet ski operators who extorted money from the tourists. The jet ski operators they wanted the municipality to monitor all operators to prevent further incidents.The police should prosecute the unlawful operators and their jet ski operation permits should be cancelled. As for the insurance, an independent insurance company should to assess a fair price of insurance.



In addition, August 9-10 2011, (PDN) The jet ski operators in Pattaya should have their jet skis and their drivers registered with the Pattaya municipality as soon as possible.The registration would allow the officers to know the jet ski owner/operator in case of a problem or an accident. If the operators will not register they will be not be allowed to rent their jet skis to tourists.

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Thai police have arrested two Swedish nationals as prime suspects in the murder of a compatriot earlier this week on Phuket Island

Thai police have arrested two Swedish nationals as prime suspects in the murder of a compatriot earlier this week on Phuket Island, police said Thursday.
Phuket police arrested Tommy Viktor Soderlund, 26, and Johan Sebastian Ljung, 26, on Tuesday, a day after the death of Russian-born Swede Maksim Schantz, 25.
'The two Swedes have confessed to the murder of Schantz and if found guilty could face a maximum sentence of life in prison,' said Police Colonel Komol Wattraporn, Phuket's deputy chief of police.
According to their testimony, Soderlund and Ljung traced Schantz to Phuket, 600 kilometres south-west of Bangkok, via his Facebook page and followed him to the island on a mission of revenge.
They said they had previously worked with Schantz running an internet scam in Pattaya, a Thai beach resort situated 100 kilometres east of Bangkok, involving selling shoddy products via their website.
Schantz had allegedly informed Pattaya police of the swindle, leading to the arrest of Soderlund on charges of working in Thailand without the proper permits.
After Soderlund was released from Pattaya prison, the two Swedes tracked Schantz down to Phuket three weeks ago, and equipped with a knife, gun and rope, attacked him Monday night with the intent of taking him back to his rented house.
When Schantz put up a fight, Ljung allegedly stabbed him in the neck, killing him.
The two Swedes fled the scene but were caught the next day at the Surin Sweet Hotel on Surin beach.
According to their pasports, Soderlund and Ljung had been living in Thailand on tourist visas for about three years, Komol said in a telephone inetyrview with the German

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A revolver belonging to notorious Chicago gangster Al 'Scarface' Capone has sold for £67,250 at auction.

The six-shot, double action weapon was made in May 1929, just months after the iconic American mobster ordered the murder of seven of his rivals in the infamous St Valentine's Day Massacre.

The nickel-plated Colt .38, which was sold at Christie's auction house in London by a private collector, came with a letter signed by Capone's sister-in-law confirming its authenticity.


A piece of history:The nickel-plated, six-shoot weapon belonging to infamous mobster Capone, left, sold for £76,250

Born in New York, Capone dominated the Chicago underworld during prohibition until his 1931 arrest for tax evasion.

He was once king of the Chicago rackets and is thought to have personally killed many rivals and ordered the deaths of others.

 

Christie's spokesman Leonie Ashfield said earlier this month when the aution was revealed: 'We've had film memorabilia but nothing related to the actual Al Capone that's coming up on my computer in the last 10 years.'

Although it is not known if the weapon was used by Capone in any of his numerous killings, it is the first item of his to be auctioned by Christie's in over a decade.


Public enemy: Al Capone's mugshot, complete with three-piece, shirt and tie

Capone was a Prohibition-era gangster who ruled a multi-million dollar empire of illegal booze, gambling and prostitution in the 1920s.

After his arrest in 1931 for tax evasion, Capone served seven years and six months in federal prison, which included a stay at Alcatraz.

He was paroled in November 1939 but by that time, he reportedly suffered badly from paresis brought on by syphilis.

He went into seclusion at an estate near Miami, Florida, where he died of a stroke and pneumonia in January 1947.

Since Capone's death, many of his belongings have made their way into auction houses.

A bullet-proof 1928 Cadillac that Capone owned sold at auction for $37,000 (£23,000) in 1971.

According to the November 21, 1971, issue of the Daytona Beach Morning Journal, the winning bid was roughly $8,000 more than the price paid for President John F. Kennedy's 1963 Lincoln Continental sedan.

In 1982, a rare signed photo of Capone sold at auction for $4,250 (£2,600).

The previous high price for a 20th century photograph at that time was a signed picture of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon, which went for $3,200 (£1,985).

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Gangsters are a hit with Chicago tourists

When Louise Leach planned her vacation, she had three priorities for her visit here: "architecture, pizza and gangsters."
Leach, 63, a retiree from Manchester, England, took an architecture boat tour and by Day Three of her stay had eaten at two pizzerias. She came to the Biograph Theater, where John Dillinger was fatally shot in 1934, for a taste of the gangster life.
"Next we're going to the site of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, even though I know it's not there anymore," Leach says. "Someone told me the house where Al Capone once lived is still standing, so we'll go there as well. Do you know where I can find some former speakeasies?"
For Leach and her three traveling companions, Chicago's gangster past is part of its allure. "It was quite a dangerous place then, wasn't it?" muses Sally Wetherford, 61. "You see it in the movies all the time, so we simply have to sample it in person."
PHOTOS: Top shots of Chicago gangster tours
STORY: Bulger hopscotched U.S., gambled in Vegas
Las Vegas, St. Paul and Kansas City, Mo., have tours celebrating the often-violent history written by gangsters in the 1920s and '30s. New York has the Museum of the American Gangster. Chicago, though, may relish its links to gangsters more than any other American city.
Bus tours visit the secret bars where they sold alcohol during Prohibition and the places they died. At Holy Name Cathedral, bullet holes from a 1926 gangster shootout are still visible. The Renaissance Blackstone Chicago Hotel, which boasts that Capone patronized its barbershop, offers a "good to be a gangster" package.
"Hollywood got it right. These were exciting, charismatic guys who really captured the imagination of the public," says Jonathan Eig, a Chicago resident and author of the 2010 book Get Capone.
Chicago had a reputation for illicit activity by the 1840s, but the arrival of Capone from New York in 1919 and Prohibition's start in 1920 launched the headline-grabbing reign of criminal groups that ran gambling, alcohol and prostitution rackets. Gangsters here were and are still called the Outfit. The moniker probably originated with Western ranch hands and military buddies, says John Binder, a University of Illinois-Chicago finance professor who wrote the 2003 book The Chicago Outfit.
Binder, who leads tours of gangsters' lavish suburban homes four times a year, says Capone's notoriety during and after his lifetime cemented Chicago's reputation as a rough-and-tumble haven for criminals. "He crossed over from being an historical figure to a legend, like Billy the Kid," he says. "As time goes by, the nasty side of it is forgotten and the fascinating side rises to the forefront. The interest doesn't go away."
One of Binder's favorite spots is the site of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in a garage where Capone's gang allegedly gunned down seven rivals. At Capone's grave in Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery in suburban Hillside, he says, admirers often leave whiskey bottles, coins and Valentine cards. Binder doubts Chicago's bloody history taints its current reputation. "It's history," he says. "It's not going to go away, and it's part of what Chicago is."
Jim Peters, president of the preservation group Landmarks Illinois, says the city "has been very hesitant to glorify or recognize" its gangster sites.
Capone's onetime headquarters, the Lexington Hotel, was designated a Chicago landmark by the group for its architecture but was torn down in 1995, he says. An effort to have Capone's home added to the National Register of Historic Places failed.
The Biograph has landmark status "more because of the significance of the building," Peters says.
Craig Alton, owner of the Untouchable Tours, a two-hour bus journey to Chicago gangster locales that's marking its 24th summer, says he had trouble getting city licenses for his business when it began. He believes the city's gangster era is worth commemorating.
"It's history," he says. "We get people who have found this stuff interesting for their whole life. Everybody has a relationship with Al Capone."
Interest in gangsters was one reason Tamotsu Hata and his wife, Yuki, both 29, included Chicago in their first visit to the USA from their home in Tokyo. They took a taxi to the massacre site and planned to stop next at the Biograph.
"We love this part of American history and we have seen many movies about it," says Tamotsu Hata. His wife's favorite was the 2009 movie Public Enemies and the star who portrayed Dillinger. What intrigues Yuki Hata most about Chicago's gangsters? "Johnny Depp."

 

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Christopher 'Dudus' Coke is reportedly still in good spirits, despite languishing in a United States maximum-security prison since last year

Christopher 'Dudus' Coke is reportedly still in good spirits, despite languishing in a United States maximum-security prison since last year June. He is slated to return to court on July 8, for a scheduling hearing, at which time a date for the start of his trial could be set. Below is a motion filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by Attorney-at-law Stephen Rosen to exclude all wiretap evidence from use at the trial.

The defendant, Christopher Michael Coke, through undersigned counsel, files this motion to exclude all wiretap evidence. This motion is filed pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 12.

From the year 2005 through the year 2009, federal law-enforcement agents from the government of the United States were engaged in a joint venture with law-enforcement personnel of the Government of Jamaica to conduct a narcotics investigation of defendant Coke.

During the above period of time, defendant Coke was a citizen of Jamaica, who never visited the United States. However, defendant Coke participated in telephone communications between himself, while physically in Jamaica, and others, who were physically present in the United States and who were predominately physically present in the State of New York.

During the above period of time, federal law-enforcement agents of the government of the United States and Jamaican law-enforcement agents, working together in a joint venture, intercepted and interpreted many, if not all, of the above referenced telephone conversations involving defendant Coke.

Privacy

The country of Jamaica has a Constitution, which grants to Jamaican citizens the equivalent of what is considered in the United States to be a constitutional right of privacy, more specifically freedom of expression that is protected from government interference.

The country of Jamaica has an Interception of Communications Act, which was enacted in the year 2002. In pertinent part, this act requires that any non-consented-to electronic interception of a private telephone call be done upon obtaining an order from a judge, based upon a legally sufficient application for a warrant.

Additionally, this statute limits both those persons, who can conduct the court-ordered interception, and those persons, to whom the intercepted communications can be disseminated to, ie limits the persons who can listen to or read any transcripts of the intercepted communications. It is a crime under Jamaican law for an authorised officer to disclose an intercepted communication to someone whom the judge and the intercept law do not authorise to have the interception disclosed.

Interception orders

During the above time period, a Jamaican judge issued approximately 13 interception orders in the year 2005, approximately six interception orders in the year 2006, 19 interception orders in the year 2007, five interceptions in the year 2008, and seven interception orders in the year 2009. At no time was the Jamaican judge advised that the agents of the Government of the United States would be involved in the interception and dissemination of the interceptions of defendant Coke's private telephonic communications.

On May 31, 2011, the United States Government declassified and provided to undersigned counsel two previously secret memoranda of understanding between the executive branch of the government of the United States and the Government of Jamaica. The person who signed these agreements on behalf of the Government of the United States was the chief of operations of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration on April 27, 2004. This agreement established a joint venture between Jamaican law enforcement and United States law enforcement regarding, among other things, dissemination of interceptions of private communications by law-enforcement personnel in Jamaica.

Law-enforcement agents of the government of the United States knowingly obtained interceptions of defendant Coke's private communications while knowing that judges of the country of Jamaica were not advised that the United States law enforcement persons were obtaining the Jamaican interceptions of Coke, and that those interceptions were being obtained in violation of Jamaican constitutional and statutory law.

Moreover, these two secret agreements were never provided to the Senate of the United States for its advice and consent, as is done with treaties.

In essence, the Government of the United States knowingly and surreptitiously stole the Coke wiretap interceptions from Jamaica.

On June 14, 2011, an investigative body of the Government of Jamaica filed a detailed report of an investigation, which that Government conducted of the interceptions of defendant Coke's communications. Following the calling of 20 named witnesses before The Commission Of Enquiry Into The Extradition Request [of the Government of the United States] for Christopher Coke, this report made the following conclusions.

First, the Jamaican Interception of Communications Act did not intend that interceptions obtained pursuant to that act be disclosed to foreign governments.

Second, the above-discussed secret memoranda of understanding did not comply with Jamaican Interception of Communications Act.

Third, the giving, by Jamaican law-enforcement personnel to federal law-enforcement agents of the United States, was a breach of the Jamaican constitutional rights of defendant Coke.

The present Jamaican attorney general has prepared an affidavit signed January 6, 2011, which undersigned counsel possesses, that comes to the same conclusion as that of the above-stated Commission of Enquiry.

Rights violation

The introduction at defendant Coke's trial in this court of the wiretap evidence knowingly illegally obtained by the Government of the United States from interceptions conducted in Jamaica will violate defendant Coke's Fifth Amendment rights under the Constitution of the United States. The basis of exclusion is the action of the United States Government in obtaining this wiretap evidence from Jamaica.

Defendant Coke was an aggrieved person able to contest interceptions obtained under Title III within the United States. The basis of applications for those interceptions conducted within the United States by federal agents, were various above-discussed Jamaican wiretaps. Wiretap evidence from those domestic interceptions, which the government intends to introduce at defendant Coke's trial in this Court, are excludable as tainted from the above illegal conduct by the government of the United States in its actions in Jamaica.

Wherefore defendant moves to exclude all wiretap evidence from use at defendant Coke's trial.

 

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JAMAICA Undertakers' pockets impacted by murder drop

WHEN Tommy Thompson and his Brite-Lite Funeral Services shot to fame in the early 2000s, the murder toll in Jamaica averaged 1,000 each year. By the middle of the decade, when the numbers gradually increased to upwards of 1,500, Brite-Lite had become a virtual household name, popular for its extravagant, showy ceremonies and long list of reputed don and gang leader/clientele.
The funerals of former Arnett Gardens don William 'Willie Haggart' Moore in 2001, former Clansman leader Donovan 'Bulbie' Bennett in 2005, and former One Order head honcho Andrew 'Bunman' Hope in 2006 were said to have cost millions of dollars each.
But those were the good days.
Thompson said that since late last year, when the police started announcing a consistent trending down of the murder figures, the undertaking business has been taking a battering.
"(Business) has gone down, maybe 40 per cent over maybe a six-month period because as you know the present commissioner has been doing a good job as it relates to the curtailing of murders and I must say, yes, it has affected the pockets of undertakers and there is no question about that; whether directly or indirectly, it has affected undertakers," he told the Sunday Observer.
"It definitely affects the funeral homes because once the murder rate goes down then it affects the earnings and everything that surrounds the funeral home... Let's say 100 people die in a week and then all of a sudden it cuts to 50, then you have less funerals and less intake of funds, that's what it comes down to," Thompson added.
The Brite-Lite head said a funeral home can gross over $10 million a year.
"For the year you can do anything over maybe 10 million, especially if the business is thriving. You can earn over that quite easily, because you can get four or five or six funerals for the month, let's say at $200,000," he said. Using four funerals per month, the total earnings, less expenses, would be $38.4 million for the year.
Even at rates of between $60,000 and $65,000 a funeral business can gross millions in any given year. If the parlour does three funerals per week, at $65,000 each, it can earn just over $10 million, minus expenses.
In January this year, the police reported that all major crimes -- murders, shooting, rape, carnal abuse, robbery, break-ins, and larceny -- declined by seven per cent in 2010, when compared to 2009. Murder itself, they said, decreased by 15 per cent, totalling 1428 in 2010, as against 1682 in 2009.
They have linked much of the reduction to the apprehending of former Tivoli Gardens 'don' Christopher 'Dudus' Coke who was extradited to the United States after a bloody police/military operation in West Kingston last May.
But undertakers like Thompson, who say that as Jamaicans they welcome news of a reduction in crime, can't ignore the effects on their bottom line.
Telbert Roberts of Roberts Funeral Home, which operates in St Ann and St Catherine, said he had more business up to January this year. He spoke from the point of view of being a government-contracted undertaker for St Catherine.
"I am one of the contractors for the Government, so from that end (the reduction in murders) affects me. Compared to November, December, January when murders were rampant, and moreso in the Spanish Town area, I was doing more cases for the Government," said Roberts.
On the other hand, president of the 15-member Funeral Directors Association Ferdinand Madden said his members were not experiencing any fallout from the drop in murders.
"I can safely speak on behalf of the members of the association that the drop in murders is not affecting our business. In fact, I can speak for all funeral homes because I don't know of any funeral home that survives from murder cases.
"I don't think it would affect us much because that's just one cause of death. It doesn't affect us much as how people think. If anything, it affects us in a positive way because we are all Jamaicans and we deserve to live free from murders."
Madden, whose Madden's Funeral Home handles cases for the Government, said he deals mostly with cases of natural and sudden death, death by accident, death by suspicious methods, for "No funeral parlour would want (murder) to be their core business".
"Natural causes like hypertension and cancer would be a larger piece of the pie," he told the Sunday Observer.
Over in Manchester, operator of Lyn's Funeral Services — which has branches in Mandeville and Christiana — Calvin Lyn, said the impact on his family-owned business has been negligible.
"It is likely because if you have more deceased persons, then it's more business, but we don't depend on murder cases for our business, " he said.
"Violent deaths don't even account for 10 per cent of our business. Deaths from illnesses such as sugar, diabetes, hypertension, etc, account for the vast majority of our cases," he added, pointing out that suicide, drowning and traffic accidents were also classified as violent deaths.
"So, no, it doesn't affect us adversely in the sense that we are in the funeral industry and we don't really wait for people to die violently or by sickness, but whether the murder rate increases or not does not mean that funeral homes do more business, " said Lyn.
"We, and I personally as a patriotic Jamaican, I am happy when crime is down and hope that we can eliminate it."
One reason he and his colleagues say the effect of the reduced murder figures has been barely noticeable is the increased competition in the field and an influx of untrained personnel. This situation, the undertakers said, was begging for the industry to be regulated.
Adding to the conversation, Joseph Cornwall Sr of House of Tranquillity, with branches in Portmore and downtown Kingston, said: "It wouldn't really affect us in any great way because our core business is sudden death and repatriation. We get four, five, six cases per month from overseas from countries like the USA, Canada, England.
"The numbers (earnings) will always go up because of the increase in prices and in the number of cases, but when
you consider the overhead expenses and the adjustment in funeral packages based on the financial situation of individual families, it doesn't necessarily mean that we're making all this money," he added.
Michael Jones, whose undertaking business is based in downtown Kingston, had a similar position.
"It's not affecting me because I don't depend on murders. I depend on the word of God. He is the one that is providing for me. I do mostly natural causes (of death). I don't like to deal with violent deaths and it's more work for me than the natural causes, which don't need autopsy. I do them if I get them, but even if they stop murder people, I will survive.
"Two-thirds of my cases are from natural causes, the rest is from accidents, homicides etc," said Jones.
And in Hague, Trelawny, operator of Reynolds Funeral Home, Howard Reynolds, said the decreased murder numbers have had no impact on his bottom line given that the cane farming area is relatively poor and has never had a high murder rate.
"Where we are based, we have a low murder rate, something you can count on one of yuh hand, so in terms of business it never fluctuate neither up nor down because of that low rate.
"Many people here don't have any money... we have a $65,000-package. We well want to move (up) from there, but people just don't have the money.
"We have had a cedar casket worth $450,000 for the past four or five years. People would like to get it, but they just don't have the money," Reynolds said.

 

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TWO British women were subjected to a horrific gang rape on a tropical holiday island

TWO British women were subjected to a horrific gang rape on a tropical holiday island it emerged today.
The women, aged in their 30s, were camping on an idyllic beach on the Caribbean island of St Lucia when the attack took place.

They were reportedly ambushed by a group of six masked men as they packed their belongings to move camp for the night.

The terrifying assault happened shortly before midnight on Tuesday May 10, at the isolated Grande Anse Beach on the island's north east coast.

The gang ran away when they noticed the headlights of an approaching car.

Cops were questioning six men over the attack today.

The female pals were apparently enjoying an environmental expedition on the far-flung tropical island and had been staying at the remote spot since the previous night.

It is believed that they had felt worried after returning to their campsite on Tuesday evening to find that someone had ransacked through their belongings.

It is not clear if anything had been stolen.

Police say the women started packing up when they were ambushed by the gang.

Both women were raped.

The island's Rape Crisis Centre has issued safety warnings and is advising women to be extra vigilant especially when visiting the beaches after dark.

The British High Commission in St Lucia has reportedly sent its sympathies to the victims, while expressing concern that local police had failed to alert them to the alleged attack.

British High Commissioner Karl Burrows described the incident as a "dreadful crime", adding: "We are in touch with the St Lucia police force and they are confident of a successful outcome."

Mr Burrows said that such violent attacks on tourists were rare in St Lucia, a popular holiday destination for families and honeymooning couples.

He said: " As far as all crimes are concerned, we obviously have a particular responsibility for British nationals in St Lucia.

"To put it into context, we have about 75,000 British visitors to St Lucia each year and the vast majority of visits are incident free.

"Our advice to British nationals is that common sense rules apply.

"There is crime as there is everywhere but St Lucia is a friendly and welcoming country.

"Overall crime rates are low but common sense rules do apply. We advise against being in isolated areas after dark."

Grande Anse is St Lucia's most secluded beach, known for its rougher waters and unspoilt, rugged coastline.

It is a popular spot for turtle watching, attracting organised daytime tours and smaller groups of explorers and nature-lovers.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We can confirm an incident involving two British nationals in St Lucia. We have offered consular assistance."

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Fraudster Lynda Smith was so successful posing as a top businesswoman that she featured on a documentary about the rich and famous – eyeing up a luxury yacht.

The programme, called That’s Rich, also showed Smith at a glitzy charity event at a premiere of the Keira Knightley film Pride and Prejudice. To friends and investors, she was every inch the company director – even if she was seen as a little eccentric.

Her Wilmslow home was littered with dozens of soft-toy frogs and frog ornaments, as well as expensive frog-shaped jewellery. But investigators from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills discovered that behind her lavish spending lay a web of lies and deception.

The judge at Manchester Crown Court accepted Smith’s Les Frogs brand had enjoyed a ‘considerable measure’ of early success. But from the middle of 2003, Smith embarked on a series of bids for funding from banks, in which the jury had found she acted dishonestly.

Smith had painstakingly compiled a portfolio that included celebrity endorsements and pictures of some of the world’s most recognisable figures wearing her clothes. She used it to deceive people into believing that her business was thriving. An analysis of company bank accounts showed outgoings of more than £1,080,000, with an income – excluding bank loans – of just £167,000.

Even romantic partners found themselves out of pocket. On one occasion she fleeced a retired merchant seaman lover out of thousands of pounds investment, which produced little in return.

When one of her firms, Les Frogs Promotions, reached its £10,000 overdraft with a bank in 2002, she never repaid it and instead passed it on to another bank. In August 2003 she obtained another overdraft of £10,000 and loans of £70,000.

As Smith’s problems spiralled, the overdraft was increased to £40,000. By 2005, the bank was demanding £150,000.

None of it was repaid. Instead, Smith went to another bank with a ‘seriously misleading’ business plan and secured an £80,000 overdraft that was later extended to £120,000. Smith also borrowed £15,000 from a friend that was never repaid and obtained a loan of £40,000 from a finance company in May 2006.

She later set up a business in north Wales and was given loans from two men totalling £300,000. Another lover, a caricaturist, gave her £115,000. The jury was told at the end of the case that she had previously been jailed for 18 months for fraudulent trading in 1993.

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Klansman' gangsters are losing their grip on business in Spanish Town, St Catherine.

WITH the recent conviction of leader Tesha Miller and the deaths of several of their more notorious cronies, police say 'Klansman' gangsters are losing their grip on business in Spanish Town, St Catherine.
"Klansman is disappearing more and more and what we are seeing is a rise in the confidence and security of consumers and businesses," said Deputy Police Superintendent Victor Hamilton, one of the commanders in the St Catherine North police division.
Members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force on patrol in Spanish Town, St Catherine. (Observer file photo)
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"Persons, bus operators and store owners, are breathing a sigh of relief because they can operate their businesses better and safer. That is the feedback we are getting, and we have been getting a lot of praises for it," Hamilton told the Observer.
According to the police officer, a series of police operations and curfews in the old capital have forced many Klansman gangsters to flee previously safe havens.
At least nine curfews have been implemented in Klansman-controlled communities in Spanish Town since Friday. The curfews encompassed sections of March Pen, Corletts Road, Rivoli, Railway Premises, Dallas Lane, Damhead and Crescent District.
"They (gangsters) have taken to the bushes and river banks," said Hamilton, noting that the police remain vigilant and committed to maintaining their periodic searches of these areas. Their task is far from easy, however, as thickly vegetated areas abound in St Catherine, the island's third largest parish.
Earlier this year, divisional head, Superintendent Anthony Castell said that the Klansman gang was crumbling under the pressures of an internal power struggle. The rivalry, he said, resulted in its members fleeing to other parishes.
"Right now, there is no war between them (Klansman) and members of the 'One Order' gang (The other major criminal network operating in Spanish Town)," said Castell.
"They are fighting amongst themselves, it is an internal or intra-gang conflict. That is the reason they have shifted their operations to places like Portmore," he said.
The police theorise that the gang will continue to disintegrate without its leader, Tesha Miller, who was earlier this month sentenced to 15 years in prison for gun-related offences.
Since Miller's arrest last December, at least seven alleged members of the gang have been killed; five by the security forces and the others by their cronies, police said.
Those killed by the security forces were Donovan Topping, Joel Jennings, otherwise called 'JJ'; 24-year-old Amal Roman, otherwise called 'Satan'; and two unidentified men.
Gunmen, in the meantime, shot and killed Jermaine Morrison, alias 'Speedy', 31; and a man whom police identified only as 'Pazzam'. He was among five persons shot dead on January 24, a week before Morrison's murder.
Their killings have not only fuelled brazen attacks on police personnel in Spanish Town but have also resulted in the murders of several residents, including two women said to be Morrison's relatives.
While the Klansman gang "implodes", police say they are keeping a keen watch on their rivals, the 'One Order' gang, which they claim is also showing signs of weakening.
"There are persons in the Homestead community (one of the stomping grounds of 'One Order' gangsters in St Catherine) who say they are not 'One Order' and that they are not taking any orders from 'One Order' leadership. So, they have separated from the main group and have called themselves 'Unity,'" Hamilton said.
"But, what is happening is that some members of 'Klansman' are seeking refuge in communities controlled by 'Unity' members. And you know that once that happens there is always going to be very serious conflict between the groups," he said.
Hamilton said that as a result, police presence had also been increased in Homestead, as well as in sections of John's Road, Tawes Pen, and Elleslie Pen, which are some of the other areas frequented by 'One Order' gang members.
While Hamilton declined to say whether the fact that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) — of which 'One Order' members are staunch supporters — is currently in power has contributed to the lull in criminal activity by that faction, a recent study by anthropologist Dr Herbert Gayle on social violence, has indicated that there may be some merit to that view.
"Our Government is in power. I do not expect any attacks right now. Tivoli is enough," a young man from a JLP-based community was quoted as saying in Gayle's study.
President of the St Catherine Chamber of Commerce Dennis Robotham confirmed the claim by the police that life in the old capital had become safer and more comfortable for business owners in the parish.
"There is a distinct decline in extortion. What has happened is that the fellows that would normally target the businesses have grown wary," Robotham said.
"Ever since the (Tivoli Gardens) incursion, and with the many operations in Spanish Town, extortion has declined. Without question we have to give high marks for the efforts of the police.
"Sometimes their (police) measures seem draconian but one would have to understand exactly what we are up against to fully understand why they have to operate in the way they do," he said.
On Friday, two operators in the public transportation system also confirmed an increase in comfort and safety inside the Spanish Town Bus Terminal; once the prime feeding ground for Klansman and One Order extortionists.
"Extortion? It not so bad like one time. Now you can eat a food," said a taxi driver who plies the route between Spanish Town and Linstead, also in St Catherine.
"You just have to pay your $150 for the day in the office and you good. Is not like one time when the boy them use to full up out here," he said.
A minibus operator who plies the Old Harbour route offered: "Apart from the loader-men (touts) who pressure you for money on every trip, we good. Is just dem alone come in like ticks out here."
But things were not as kosher for one taxi driver who operates from a service station at the intersection of Young Street and Burke Road.
According to him, extortion is still rampant in that area, where thugs demand upwards of $200 per day from taxi operators.
"Police don't know what they are talking about. Maybe in the bus park which is gated they don't have that problem, but out here they make life miserable," he said.
"Every day dem (extortionists) out here; we can't work in peace... and they come from both Klansman and One Order," he said.

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