The ESL Free Press

Credit Union Official, Wife, and Businessman Charged

Three people in Yuma, Arizona, have been charged with bank fraud: A businessman, a credit union official who lent to him, and the official's wife.

The charge says William Liddle, former vice president of the AEA Credit Union, plotted with Frank Ruiz. Liddle would lend Ruiz money from the credit union, and in return Ruiz would give Liddle and his wife, Rhonda, some of the money. They got nearly $1 million this way, the charge says.

Ruiz owned several businesses, including one called the Yuma Fun Factory. All have gone bankrupt. Ruiz still owes the credit union more than $25 million.

The Liddles and Ruiz have all declared bankruptcy (made an official statement that they don't have enough money to pay their bills).

The U.S. Attorney says, "Financial institutions are not personal fun factories."

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printable:Download Credit Union Official, Wife, and Businessman Charged.pdf (21.5K)

 

 

 

Former Sailor, Fake Soldier

A California man is going to prison for six months for using a fake military ID card.

Joseph Baca was in the U.S. Navy for three months in 1982. He was discharged for "unsatisfactory performance".

Last August, he was seen wearing an Army uniform and medals. When a police officer asked for ID, Baca showed a fake Army ID card he had made himself.

Baca pleaded guilty to this.

source

printable:Download Former Sailor, Fake Soldier.pdf (18.5K)

Operation Scratch Off

Nine people from Houston, USA, have been arrested on drug charges. They are accused of planning to get and sell the drug PCP. The Drug Enforcement Administration spent 18 months on this case. They call it "Operation Scratch Off".

The DEA also seized 57 gallons of PCP -- its largest amount ever.

Two of the suspects were arrested in other States. The rest are expected to go to court today in Houston.

source

printable:Download Operation Scratch Off.pdf (18.6K)

Homeless Man Goes to Prison -- Local Judges Sat Out

A homeless man in Kansas City, USA has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for making bomb threats.

Manuel Garcia pleaded guilty in July. He admitted that he put a cooler (container for cold drinks) at the U.S. courthouse in Kansas City with a note saying it would explode. He also called police and said there were three other bombs in the courthouse. The building had to be closed for most of that day.

A judge from another district took charge of this case. The judges in Kansas City recused themselves (did not take part because they felt they could not be completely fair).

source

printable:Download Homeless Man Goes to Prison -- Local Judges Sat Out.pdf (20.5K)

Illegal Immigrant Gets Six Years for Attacking Border Guards

A Mexican who fought with U.S. Border Patrol Agents has been sent to prison for 72 months.

Jaime Martinez-Garcia had been deported on May 20th, 2009, but went back to the U.S. on the 23rd. In a canyon west of Nogales, Arizona, he ran into a border guard.

The guard told Martinez-Garcia to stop. Instead, he kicked the guard and ran away.

Another guard chased Martinez-Garcia, who picked up a rock. The guard took out his gun and told Martinez-Garcia to drop the rock. He refused, and the guard shot him.

source

printable:Download Illegal Immigrant Gets Six Years for Attacking Border Guards.pdf (21.0K)

Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Church Fire

Ronald J. Pudder pleaded guilty on Monday to setting fire to a church in his town, Conneaut, Ohio. Pudder admits he did it because the church members were black.

The First Azusa Apostolic Faith Church of God is the only African-American church in the area. Pudder set fire to it on May 20th.

Early in the morning, neighbors saw the church burning and called the police. The door was damaged, but the inside of the church was not.

U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach says, "Crimes like these leave scars. Not just physical scars to the building, but emotional ones, to the souls of the congregants [church members]."

source

printable:Download Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Church Fire.pdf (21.1K)

Pirate Gets 30 Years

A Somali man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for piracy. Like the pirates who were found guilty of attacking the USS Nichols, he attacked a U.S. Navy warship thinking it was a merchant ship.

Jama Idle Ibrahim is also known as Jaamac Ciidle. He pleaded guilty in August. Ibrahim admitted he and five other Somalis sailed the Gulf of Aden, looking for a ship to capture. They found the USS Ashland and thought it was a cargo ship. They fired at it, hoping the crew would surrender and the ship could be held for ransom.

Instead, the pirates lost the fight and were taken to the U.S. for trial.

source

printable:Download Pirate Gets 30 Years.pdf (18.4K)

 

Mosque Set on Fire in Bombing Suspect's Hometown

A mosque in Corvallis, Oregon, was set on fire Sunday night. This came two days after a young Muslim man from the town was arrested and charged with planning a bombing. (See the post below.)

The fire at the Salman Al-Farisi Islamic Center started sometime after midnight. The building's office was damaged.

There is a reward up to $10,000 for information on who was responsible.

The FBI says it will not tolerate anyone trying to strike back at Muslims.

source

printable:Download Mosque Set on Fire in Bombing Suspect's Hometown.pdf (20.1K)

Albanian Extradited

An Albanian man charged with drug dealing and violent crimes has been extradited (sent for trial) to the U.S.

Almir Rrapo had been in the U.S., then gone back to Albania to get away from the charges. He had gotten a job as assistant to Albania's Deputy Prime Minister.

His country's police arrested him in July.

Rrapo is charged with belonging to a criminal gang, the Krasniqi Organization. The charge says this group sold marijuana and used violence to protect its business. For example, Rrapo and other members are said to have kidnapped a rival drug dealer and threatened to kill him. They are also accused of killing another dealer, Erion Shehu, in a drive-by shooting in New York.

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Somali Pirates Convicted

A jury in Virginia, USA, has found five Somali men guilty of piracy. This is the first time this has happened in over 190 years, the U.S. Attorney says.

The five men fired at the USS Nicholas in April, near the Horn of Africa. They thought it was a merchant (commercial) ship. It is actually a U.S. Navy warship. The pirates used assault weapons and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher in the attack.

source

printable:Download Somali Pirates Convicted.pdf (18.9K)