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Man arrested in $65 million U.K. jewelry heist

Well-dressed robbers fled in getaway cars after daring daytime robbery

	This jeweler on London's New Bond Street was robbed last Thursday by two well-dressed men.
Clive Gee / AP

updated 3:26 p.m. ET, Wed., Aug 12, 2009

LONDON - Police said Wednesday they have arrested a suspect in connection with a daring daytime heist that netted $65 million worth of jewelry from a prominent London diamond merchant last week.

Police said the 50-year-old man, who was subsequently released on bail, is not one of two dapper dressers captured in security camera footage released by Scotland Yard on Tuesday. The footage showed two men in smart suits being let into Graff Diamonds flagship store, where police say they produced guns, briefly took a member of staff hostage and escaped in a series of getaway cars across central London.

Police believe at least two others helped the pair escape. No one was hurt in the robbery, one of the biggest in British history.

British authorities seldom release suspects' names until they are charged.

Amateur video shot outside the store appeared to capture the men's escape and screaming shoppers as a warning shot is fired into the ground.

Expensive loot
Police said the men made off with dozens of high-end rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches with a retail value of 40 million pounds, or $65 million. A full list of the 43 pilfered items was made public Wednesday: Among the jewels was a flowing flower necklace made from 272 separate diamonds and a lavish pair of triple-hoop earrings bearing no fewer than 216 gemstones.

Although the man was arrested Monday, a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said police kept news of his capture secret until now for "operational reasons." She spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with department policy. Police declined to say what amount they set as bail. 

  The same store lost jewelry worth 23 million pounds, or $38 million, in 2003 when it was robbed by Nebojsa Denic, a Kosovar Serb and a member of the notorious gang of Balkan robbers known as "the Pink Panthers." Denic was caught and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Britain's Press Association news agency quoted an unnamed police source as saying that the Pink Panthers were unlikely to have been behind the latest raid.

Asked about the matter by the Associated Press, a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said only that police were keeping an open mind.

http://wcbstv.com/cbs2crew/new.jersey.teacher.2.1126563.html

http://www.kpho.com/news/20379728/detail.html

August 13, 2009

LA PLATA, Md. (WUSA) -- Judge Robert Nalley says he let the air out of a woman's tire when she parked in his assigned space. The woman says she's upset.

"I was almost in tears," said Jean Washington.

She says that because of construction, she's been parking along the street for a few weeks.

But when she parked there Monday, "One of the security guards said to me, 'Jean, someone from holding called over and said Judge Nalley flattened your tire,'" said Washington.

Washington says she thought the restricted parking signs were meant for visitors. They are not. Those who park there have a permit.

"The only warning that I got was that my tire was flattened," Washington said.

Judge Robert Nalley has not apologized, and he wouldn't go on camera, but he talked with 9 NEWS NOW before walking to his vehicle.

He said when other cars have parked in his spot, he left notes. But decided against it this time.

He said, "Notes are not terribly effective. Letting air out of tires is."

Washington says she wants the judge held responsible for his actions. The La Plata Police Chief says he's still investigating the incident, and does not know whether there will be any charges.

Lindsey Mastis
9NEWS NOW

LINK TO VIDEO:

http://www.wusa9.com/rss/local_article.aspx?storyid=89691

Bumbling bank robber shows teller his ID, account number

JAMES HALPIN
Anchorage Daily News

Published: August 12th, 2009 06:01 PM
Last Modified: August 12th, 2009 11:03 PM

Then he handed over a piece of paper -- a receipt -- with a note scribbled on the back.

"I have a gun. Give me all the money in your drawer."

The FBI says the man walked out of the Alaska USA Federal Credit Union on Juneau Street with about $600.

It was a less than perfect crime and now the man is in jail, the FBI says. They identified him as Jarell Paul Arnold, 34, and he's being held on a federal bank robbery charge.

According to charges filed in court, the robber walked into the credit union about 1:05 p.m. Friday and inquired about the balance on his account. The teller, Letecia Chroust, asked for his name, account number and photo identification, according to an affidavit filed in court.

After complying, the man slipped Chroust the note, the charges say. He didn't show a gun, but had his hand in his jacket like he had one, the charges say. The robber stuffed the cash in his jacket and took off.

The suspect eluded capture as police and FBI agents closed in following the heist. But FBI Agent Steven Payne's curiosity was aroused when he recalled that he had previously arrested the owner of that same bank account, Arnold, on a charge of bank robbery back in 2004, according to the affidavit.

In that case, Arnold pleaded guilty to the bank robbery charge and was sentenced to 57 months in prison, according to court records.

After confirming through surveillance images that Arnold provided his correct identity to the teller, FBI agents arrested him Monday. He subsequently admitted he was the robber, though denied he actually had a gun, according to the affidavit.

Arnold remains in custody at the Anchorage jail, according to the Department of Corrections.

 

 

 

 

 

Antonio Menezes AP

The attorney for Wallace Souza (center) says he is being targeted by a disgrunted police officer.

SAO PAULO, Brazil — In one murder after another, the "Canal Livre" crime TV show had an uncanny knack for being first on the scene, gathering graphic footage of the victim.

Too uncanny, say police, who are investigating the show's host, state legislator Wallace Souza, on suspicion of commissioning at least five of the murders to boost his ratings and prove his claim that Brazil's Amazon region is awash in violent crime. Police also have accused Souza of drug trafficking.

"The order to execute always came from the legislator and his son, who then alerted the TV crews to get to the scene before the police," state police intelligence chief Thomaz Vasconcelos charged in an interview with The Associated Press.

The killings of competing drug traffickers, he said, "appear to have been committed to get rid of his rivals and increase the audience of the TV show."

Souza denied all the criminal allegations and called them absurd, insisting that he and his son are being set up by political enemies and drug dealers sick of his two decades of relentless crime coverage on TV and crusading legislative probes.

"I was the one who organized legislative inquiries into organized crime, the prison system, corruption, drug trafficking by police, and pedophilia," Souza said in an interview with the AP.

Souza's lawyer, Francisco Balieiro, said that the only witness is a disgraced police officer hoping for leniency in nine murders he is charged with.

"There is not one piece of material proof in these accusations," Balieiro said.

Vasconcelos said the accusations, which have made headlines in Brazil, stem from the testimony of several former employees and security guards who worked with the Souzas, allegedly as part of a gang of former police officers involved in drug trafficking.

Souza's son, Rafael, has been jailed on charges of homicide, drug trafficking and illegal gun possession.

Police said Wallace Souza faces charges of drug trafficking, gang formation and weapons possession, but has not been charged with any killings.

Souza remains free because of legislative immunity that prevents him from being arrested as long as he is a lawmaker. He is being investigated by a special task force, and state judicial authorities will decide whether the case goes forward.

Vasconcelos said the crimes appear to have served the Souzas in two ways: They eliminated drug-trafficking rivals, and they boosted ratings.

"We believe that they organized a kind of death squad to execute rivals who disputed with them the drug trafficking business," he said. Souza, he charged, "would eliminate his rival and use the killing as a news story for his program."

Souza became a media personality after a career as a police officer that ended in disgrace, according to Vasconcelos, who said the lawmaker was fired for involvement in scams involving fuel theft and pension fraud.

Souza denied those allegations, but said he was forced to leave the force in 1987 after being wrongly accused of involvement in a college entrance exam fraud scheme that he was investigating.

He started "Canal Livre" two years later on a local commercial station in Manaus, the capital of Brazil's largely lawless Amazonas state. It became extremely popular among Manaus' 1.7 million residents before going off the air late last year as police intensified their investigation.

The show featured Souza, in a studio, railing against rampant crime in the state, punctuated with often exclusive footage of arrests, crime scenes and drug seizures.

"When I became a police officer in 1979, bandits weren't raised in this city — no way," he told the audience in one show. Brazil was then a dictatorship, whose police ruthlessly targeted criminals with little concern for civil rights.

One clip showed a reporter approaching a freshly burned corpse, covering his nose with his shirt and breezily remarking that "it smells like barbecue." Police say the victim was one of the five allegedly murdered at Souza's behest.

Souza denied any role in that killing and explained how his reporters manage to get so quickly to crime scenes, using well-placed sources and constantly monitoring scanners for police radio dispatches. The show also posted workers at police stations, and at the Manaus morgue, where word often came first about newly discovered bodies.

"To say that a program that has had a huge audience for so many years had to resort to killing people to increase this audience is absolutely absurd," Souza said.

Souza parlayed his TV fame into a career in the state legislature, getting elected three times — twice with the most votes of any lawmaker in the state. At the same time, he remained a fixture on television.

Souza's biography on the state legislature's Web site says the show, which he ran with his brother, was investigative journalism aimed at fighting crime and social injustice.

"The courageous brothers, as they're known, bring hope to the less fortunate," reads the description, "showing a 'naked and raw reality' to call authorities' attention to social problems."

Anti-wrinkle cream among items as ‘career shoplifter,’ 86, arrested for 61st time

Bond set at $10,000, prosecutors recommend she be placed on an electronic monitoring device

Bond was set at $10,000 Monday for an 86-year-old woman who notched her 61st arrest for shoplifting over the weekend for allegedly taking several items -- including anti-wrinkle cream -- from a North Side grocery.

While setting the bond, Associate Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesel also recommended to the Cook County Sheriff's office that Ella Orko, 86, of an unknown address in Chicago, be placed on an electronic monitoring device, according to Cook County State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton.

Ella Orko, 86, was arrested for the 61st time for shoplifting after she allegedly took several items, including anti-wrinkle cream, from a North Side Dominick's Finer Foods.

Orko was charged with felony shoplifting, according to a Belmont District police lieutenant, who said she was arrested at 3 p.m. Sunday at Dominick's Finer Foods in the 2500 block of North Clyborn Avenue.

Orko allegedly took five packs of salmon, 11 packs of AA batteries, two packs of L’Oreal RevitaLift anti-wrinkle cream, eight boxed jars of Olay face cream and four jars of instant coffee, according to the lieutenant.

She was arrested when someone from the store allegedly saw her take the items, which have a total value of $252.26, and place them in her clothing before attempting to exit the store without paying, according to a police report.

Orko, who has been arrested 61 times including Sunday, was arrested for the first time in 1956 in Chicago for petty larceny and again in 1958 for grand larceny, according to the lieutenant.

“She’s a career shoplifter,’’ the lieutenant said.

Police said she has 13 convictions shoplifting, but Simonton, citing court records, could confirm only five, four in Illinois and one in Wisconsin. She said Okro's last conviction -- for retail theft in 2006 -- resulted in prison time before she was paroled in 2007.

Orko's next scheduled court appearance is Monday, Aug. 10, in North Felony Court (Br. 42) at 2452 W. Belmont Ave.

UPDATED STORY

86-year-old shoplifter: 'She's an actress'

2-day sentence: Some skeptical of wheelchair, judge doubts she has hearing problem

Ella Orko wore a neck brace as she sat in a wheelchair Monday and clutched her purse -- as though she were afraid someone might pinch it.

The 86-year-old woman could easily have been mistaken for a crime victim waiting to testify, as she sat in court at Belmont and Western.

 

Ella Orko wore a neck brace and sat in a wheelchair during court on Monday. The presiding judge raised questions if the woman -- who police say has been arrested 61 times -- was really hard of hearing.
(Brian Jackson/Sun-Times)

But there was little sympathy for Orko, who police say has been arrested 61 times, including on Aug. 2, when she was caught trying to shoplift anti-wrinkle cream, packets of salmon, coffee and batteries from the Dominick's store at Fullerton and Clybourn. Police say Orko has used at least 50 aliases during a life of petty crime.

At court Monday, skeptical workers questioned whether she really needed the wheelchair and neck brace -- she was using neither when arrested last week. And the judge even doubted whether she was really hard of hearing.

"I've been doing this for a lot of years," Judge Marvin P. Luckman said after the hearing. "She's an actress."

Orko was originally charged with a felony, but prosecutors agreed to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor in exchange for her guilty plea. Luckman then sentenced her to two days in jail, time she's already served.

"We felt this was the appropriate disposition, after consulting with the victim . . . and also based on the fact that all of the merchandise was returned," said Andy Conklin, a spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney.

While in Luckman's courtroom, Orko claimed to be too deaf to hear the judge, even though he was shouting.

"I can't hear too good," she mumbled.

Luckman asked a man in the back row if he could hear, and the man replied, "Every word."

"I don't know if she's playing a game or if she's serious," said Luckman, who wears two hearing aids.

All the same, Luckman agreed to step down from his bench and stand directly in front of Orko as he took her guilty plea.

"Do . . . you . . . have . . . any . . . questions?!" Luckman bellowed, enunciating every word.

"No," Orko said, adding, "Very seldom would some judge [step off the bench]. Thank you so much."

As Orko, who lives in the city but was born in Poland, was wheeled away from the courthouse, she waved off a reporter wanting to chat.

"You've done enough damage," she said.

 

By Bonnie Malkin in Sydney
Published: 10:32AM BST 12 Aug 2009

Cucumber: In the latest of the 11 thefts, 50 bags of cucumbers were stolen from a glasshouse on Saturday night. Photo: AFP

In the past three months more than $10,000 (5,000 lbs) worth of cucumbers have gone missing from allotments and gardens.

In the latest of the 11 thefts, 50 bags of cucumbers were stolen from a glasshouse on Saturday night.

Police, who have very few leads, have appealed to the public for help.

Chief Inspector Kym Zander said the crimes were certainly "unique".

"We're having difficulty establishing where they're going," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation "It's obvious or evident that it is somebody in the know to establish which glasshouse is growing cucumbers, tomatoes, et cetera.

"We find that the cucumbers are being picked, they're being either packed in bags or in buckets ready for the market the next morning and when the growers turn up with their vehicles the glasshouse is bare."

Insp Zander admitted that even if police could trace the missing vegetables, it would be hard to determine which ones were stolen.

"The issue with the cucumber is how do you and I tell who owns a different cucumber?"

Randall J. Giesbers, 47

Marion County Sheriff's Office

August 11, 2009 Salem man arrested while wearing stolen panties Stacey Barchenger Statesman Journal A Salem man found wearing women’s underwear was arrested Monday allegedly in the middle of a burglary, officials said today. Marion County sheriff’s officials said a woman at the house being broken into identified the underwear as her own. Just after 10 p.m., deputies were called to the 4500 block of Prince Court Northeast by the report of a burglary in progress, sheriff’s spokeswoman Lt. Sheila Lorance said. A woman and her boyfriend called emergency dispatchers after they found a man inside their garage nearly naked. Deputies arrived and found the man being held down by the victim’s boyfriend. The woman identified the undies on the suspect as her own, which she said had been taken from her garage, Lorance said. During the continuing investigaiton, deputies went to the suspects home across the street and found several large garbage bags in his garage. Each was full of women’s clothing, underwear, shoes and accessories, Lorance said. “There’s the potential for other victims, there was such a large amount of clothing,” Lorance said. The woman identified some of the clothing as hers and said beginning several months ago, she’d noticed clothes and undergarments missing from her laundry in her garage, Lorance said. “Over a period of time he was going in and doing this,” Lorance said. “He was taking dirty clothes, too.” Also found in the suspect’s garage was a large number of illegal fireworks that were handled by Oregon State Police, Lorance said. Randall Joseph Giesbers, 47, of Salem, was arrested and is being held in Marion County jail on charges of theft, 10 counts of burglary, 10 counts of trespassing and 42 counts of possessing illegal fireworks, Lorance said.

Strong Meteor Shower Expected Tonight By Robert Roy Britt Editorial Director posted: 11 August 2009 08:42 am ET

The annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show this week for those willing to get up in the wee hours of the morning and wait patiently for the shooting stars.

In North America, the best time to watch will be between midnight to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but late Tuesday night and also Wednesday night could prove fruitful, weather permitting.

The Perseids are always reliable, and sometimes rather spectacular. The only things that puts a damper on the August show are bad weather or bright moonlight. Unfortunately this week, as the Perseids reach their peak Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the moon will be high in the sky, outshining the fainter meteors.

Still, skywatchers around the globe will have a good chance of spotting the brighter meteors. Some already are enjoying the show.

Already underway

The Perseids are bits of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has laid down several streams of debris, each in a slightly different location, over the centuries as it orbits the sun. Every August, Earth passes through these debris streams, which spread out over time.

"They are typically fast, bright and occasionally leave persistent trains," says Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Skywatching Columnist. "And every once in a while, a Perseid fireball will blaze forth, bright enough to be quite spectacular and more than capable to attract attention even in bright moonlight."

Low numbers of Perseids, including some dazzling fireballs, have already been reported as Earth began entering the stream in late July. Seasoned observers have counted up to 25 per hour already, or nearly one every two minutes.

Most meteors are no bigger than a pea. They vaporize as they enter Earth's atmosphere, creating brilliant streaks across the sky.

The Perseids appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus, which rises high in the sky around midnight and is nearly overhead by dawn. Like most meteor showers, the hours between midnight and daybreak are typically the best time to watch, because that's when the side of Earth you are on is rotating into the direction of Earth's travels through space, so meteors are "scooped up" by the atmosphere at higher rates, much like a car's windshield ends the lives of more bugs than does the rear bumper.

Astronomers expect up to 200 meteors per hour in short bursts of up to 15 minutes or so. But many of the fainter meteors will simply not be visible due to moonlight, and rates will go down even more for those in urban areas. More likely a typical observer under reasonably dark skies might hope to see a meteor every couple minutes when the bursts come, and fewer during lulls.

When to watch

The best time to watch is between midnight and dawn Wednesday. Forecasters say the best stretch could come between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. ET (1-2 a.m. PT), which would be after daybreak in Europe. Some Perseids might be visible late Tuesday night, and Wednesday night into Thursday morning could prove worthwhile, too.

Meteor forecasting is still in its infancy, however, so the best bet for anyone truly hungry to spot shooting stars is to get in as much observing time as possible from around 11 p.m. Tuesday night until dawn Wednesday, and if you miss that show, try the same time frame Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.

Meteors should be visible in the pre-dawn hours, weather permitting, all around the Northern Hemisphere.

"Earth passes through the densest part of the debris stream sometime on Aug. 12," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "Then, you could see dozens of meteors per hour."

Viewing tips

The best location is far from city and suburban lights. Ideally, find a structure, mountain or tree to block the moon.  Then scan as much of the sky as possible. The meteors can appear anywhere, heading in any direction. If you trace their paths backward, they'll all point to the constellation Perseus.

People in locations where any chill might occur should dress warmer than they think necessary to allow for prolonged viewing.

Seasoned skywatchers advise using a blanket or lounge chair for comfort, so you can lie back and look up for long periods. Allow at least 15 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust to the darkness. Then expect meteors to be sporadic: You might see two in a row, or several minutes could go by between shooting stars.

Avid meteor watchers might want to try scanning the northeastern horizon from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. local time (your local time, wherever you are) Tuesday and Wednesday for Perseids that graze the horizon.

Cooke points out that these earthgrazers, as they are called, are rare but remarkable.

"Earthgrazers are meteors that approach from the horizon and skim the atmosphere overhead like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond," Cooke explained. "They are long, slow and colorful – among the most beautiful of meteors."

The family of nine travellers living in a $1million home paid for by benefits

Neil Sears
Last updated at 12:30 AM on 12th August 2009
Daily Mail

A family of travellers is living in a $1million house at taxpayers' expense.

John and Serena Connors and their seven children have their rent paid by housing benefit.

Their landlady is trying to evict them because she claims they have caused tens of thousands of pounds of damage.

Luxury: The house the travellers live in has five bedrooms and three bathrooms

Her case is lent weight by a leaflet issued by the Metropolitan Police allegedly about the family, which claims they are suspects in a series of 'distraction' burglaries.

But the parents, who have five girls and two boys aged four to 19, are determined to stay put and are threatening legal action over 'racism against travellers'.

The Connors moved into the home in February with the help of Barnet Council in North London. They are benefiting from the Local Housing Allowance, which was introduced last year to encourage private landlords to take in the homeless because of a shortage of council housing.

The council is under obligation to find them a large enough house, hence the family being placed in one of the most expensive areas.

The property in Totteridge, which has been valued at nearly £1million, has five bedrooms and three bathrooms and lies on a usually peaceful street.

Businesswoman Sapna Bukhari and her IT project manager husband Zulfi, both 38, used to rent it to professionals for $4,000 a month.

But with the market deteriorating they agreed to let it out to the Connors for £2,400 a month through housing benefit, after being assured that they were 'good tenants'.

Mrs Bukhari alleged: 'Within a few weeks of them moving in, a radiator was pulled off the wall and the water from it made the ceiling collapse.

'They failed to tell us about it promptly, they threatened me, my builder and my plumber, they abused me - calling me a "Paki" - and gave anti-Semitic abuse to neighbours.

' They've twice blocked the drains so sewage has flowed on to the pavement, have thrown food, clothes, cat excrement and all manner of rubbish into the gardens, and shout and scream vile obscenities.

Parents: John and Serena Connors

'They won't even let the builders come in to carry out repairs. I'm worried the damage will cost tens of thousands.'

Mrs Bukhari went on to claim that she had run into problems with paperwork while trying to evict them because the Connors 'seem to know the system'.

'Social services are paying their rent but I'm sure they will not stump up for the damage', she added.

The police leaflet was issued by the Totteridge Safer Neighbourhood Team to all houses in the street except the Connors.

Although the family is not named, officers apparently readily confirm to neighbours that members of it are involved.

Headed 'Warning', the leaflet tells of thieves targeting homes by 'asking to use your toilet and general stories of hard luck'. It says: 'All will end in them trying to enter your house and steal anything they can get their hands on.'

It adds that the suspects are 'from the travelling community', and describes two teenage girls with Irish accents.

Mrs Connors, who is originally from County Wexford in Ireland, agreed that the leaflet was targeted at her family but said: 'I'm making a complaint to the police about this leaflet.

'My kids are cheeky but they aren't thieves. We haven't damaged the house either.

'The landlady doesn't like traveller. It's racism, I'm going to get her done for harassment.'

She added that she didn't even want to live in the house and would prefer to be in a travellers' camp.

'They put people into places you wouldn't put dogs into,' she said.

A spokesman for Barnet Council said anyone evicted for unreasonable behaviour would not be rehoused, and a source said they were not aware of the family ever asking for an alternative home.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the force had not received a complaint about the leaflet.

Homeless woman leaves Hebrew U $150K

Published: Aug. 11, 2009 at 7:52 AM

MINNEAPOLIS — When Link Christin boarded a Continental Airlines flight from Houston to the Twin Cities on Friday night, he expected to be on the ground in about three hours and ready for a comfy bed.

Instead, he was among 47 passengers who spent the night trapped inside a small plane, parked at the Rochester, Minn., airport, complete with crying babies and the aroma of over-used toilets.

The ExpressJet Airlines that operated the plane says the flight was diverted to Rochester because of Twin Cities thunderstorms and that airline regulations prevented passengers from getting off the plane.

Christin is incredulous that the airline couldn't figure out an option besides trapping passengers on the plane for nine hours.

“It's not like you're on a (Boeing) 747 and you can walk around,” said Christin, a professor at William Mitchell College of Law.

“This was a sardine can, with a single row of seats on one side of the plane and two rows of seats on the other. And they've got about 50 people inside, including babies, for the whole night. It was a nightmare.”

Continental Airlines, which issued the tickets for Flight 2816, initially referred inquiries to ExpressJet Airlines. ExpressJet spokeswoman Kristy Nicholas said the flight ran into several problems.

Today, Continental apologized.

"We are working closely with ExpressJet to resolve the issues surrounding this extended delay as service provided to customers on this flight was completely unacceptable.

"We are apologizing to our customers and will be offering them a full ticket refund and a certificate good for future travel."

The airline crew on the plane reached their maximum work hours in the air, so another crew had to be flown in. The alternative of chartering a bus didn't work out. And letting the passengers into the Rochester airport was not possible because they would have to go through security screening again, and the screeners had gone home for the day.

What about just letting the passengers sleep in the airport terminal?

“That was not provided as an option by ground services personnel at the airport,“ said Nicholas.