Articles Posted in In the News

According to reports, Joseph Graves, the boyfriend of Broadway actress Ashley Yeater, allegedly beat his girlfriend’s yorkshire terrier with a belt buckle. It is further alleged that Mr. Graves admitted to striking the dog when investigators confronted him. Although the case has not been presented to a New York County (Manhattan) Grand Jury, Mr. Graves was arrested and charged with the “E” felony of Aggravated Animal Cruelty pursuant to Agriculture and Markets Law section 353 (AML 353). If convicted, Mr. Graves faces up to 1 and 1/3 to 4 years in state prison although a mandatory term of incarceration is not required by law.

Not only is Mr. Graves accused of striking and injuring the featherweight animal, but the ASPCA’s Joseph Pentangelo stated that he did not seek medical attention for the six pound dog until two days after the alleged incident.

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Joseph Gullotta, a Queens fourth grade elementary school teacher, and Abraham Fox, a teachers assistant, were arrested and arraigned in Queens County Criminal Court after it was alleged that the two adults encouraged and permitted a nine year old and ten year old to engage in a physical confrontation. Both men are charged with two counts of New York Penal Law 260.10(1), Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

According to the Queens County District Attorney Richard Brown:

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Tensy May Smith, a letter carrier for the postal service who has worked in the town of Pound Ridge (Westchester County), was arrested earlier today in a joint investigation by the Pound Ridge Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service.

After receiving numerous complaints of people losing debit cards, gift cards and other items of value, law enforcement set up a sting and executed a search warrant Ms. Smith’s home. According to reports, the police allegedly recovered approximately $70,000 worth of stolen property belonging to residents along Ms. Smith’s delivery route. Moreover, law enforcement caught Ms. Smith “red handed,” when she allegedly was found trying to steal from the mail under the watchful eye of Postal Inspectors and local police.

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A die-hard Mets fan and employee at old Shea stadium, Gerald Tacopino, pleaded guilty today in Queens Criminal Court for the misdemeanor crime of Petit Larceny. When sentenced, Mr. Tacopino was fined $500 and paid just over $800 in restitution. Mr. Tacopino was previously arrested after a search warrant at his residence revealed Mr. Tacopino had stolen 23 Mets security caps, three Mets security jackets, five Mets security shirts, three seat bottoms and one seat back.

District Attorney Brown clearly meant business when he stated:

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What only can be describe as a horrific act if true, a Queens woman is under arrest after she was accused of submerging her three year old son in scalding water. According to the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, Regina Cooper came home to find her son had soiled his diaper. Ms. Cooper allegedly became enraged that the child was not successful in his “potty training” and began swearing at the child and stripping off his clothes. Shortly thereafter, prosecutors claim that the little boy was forced into the scalding water of a bathtub.

District Attorney Richard Brown stated in a press release:

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According to the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, Ron Scott, a Long Island contractor and the owner of US Builder NYC and a representative of Phoenix International Construction Company, is alleged to have defrauded a 74 woman out of $140,000. Mr. Scott is charged on a criminal court complaint with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree (NY PL 155.40), Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Second Degree (NY PL 165.52) and a violation of the New York State Lien Law. Each of the theft related charges are “C” felonies punishable by a maximum of 5 to 15 years in state prison and are associated with the theft or possession of stolen property valued in excess of $50,000, but $1,000,000 or less.

According to the District Attorney’s Office press release, Mr. Scott was paid this money in both a personal check and bank check after he contracted to build an addition on the home of a Queens woman. It is alleged that the woman paid Mr. Scott this money nearly two years ago and that once deposited, the money was used by Mr. Scott to pay old debts. To date, the work has not been completed.

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Naquan Thompson, a 22 year old man arrested for an alleged Robbery in Staten Island, New York, decided that life on the chain gang wasn’t for him. As police escorted him and his chain gang fellows to Criminal Court, Mr. Thompson decided he would slip the cuffs and take off running. Unfortunately for young Thompson, WABC-TV cameras happened to be filming at the exact moment he broke free.

After hiding out for nearly 30 minutes, the NYPD arrested Mr.Thompson near the ferry where they found him with a broken ankle. Mr. Thompson has compounded his tenuous situation well beyond his fractured ankle. Now, Mr. Thompson potentially faces a new charge of Escape.

According to the Brooklyn (Kings County) District Attorney’s Office, a Brooklyn, New York Grand Jury indicted Peter Galin on 27 counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, Scheme To Defraud in the First Degree and Petit Larceny. Galin, a travel agent and proprietor of TravelCenterOnline.Com, is alleged to have defrauded 12 clients by taking their money and using it for his personal use as opposed to booking and arranging for their travel and vacations. It is alleged that clients paid Mr. Galin between $400 and $5,500 for travel plans that were never made. Despite being given receipts for his services, Mr. Galin’s clients allegedly received nothing at all. One such client arrived at the airport on the scheduled day of departure to learn that no airline reservations had been made.

If convicted at trial, Mr. Galin faces no mandatory minimum sentence, but up to 2 and 1/3 to 7 years in state prison on the top charges.

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The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has announced the arrest and indictment of John Runowicz, a University administrator for an alleged ongoing theft in the neighborhood of $400,000. According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Mr. Runowicz was indicted by a Grand Jury for the crimes of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony and six counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony. If convicted, Mr. Runowicz faces up to 5 to 15 years and up to 1?? to 4 years in state prison on the respective charges.

As administrator for the University’s chemistry department, Mr. Runowicz oversaw and managed the budget and handled the financial matters for that department. In this capacity, prosecutors alleged that Mr. Runowicz “caused thousands of fraudulent requests for petty cash reimbursement to be submitted to the university Bursar’s Office. [Mr.] Runowicz scavenged discarded cash register receipts from a local liquor store, attached them to reimbursement request forms, and falsely claimed that the expenses were for chemistry department supply purchases and other functions. None of those receipts reflected legitimate business expenses. Carrying on his scheme for over five years, [Mr.] Runowicz fraudulently submitted over 13,000 receipts from the liquor store and stole $409,000.

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