Former Hells Angel Member Sentenced for Stealing Shipment from Railcar

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Richard E. Riedman, 40, of Webster, New York, who was convicted of conspiracy to burglarize a railroad car and theft of an interstate shipment following a jury trial, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $4,669.26 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that, in the early morning hours of June 30, 2009, Riedman, a former member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, along with co-conspirators Christopher Monfort, Anthony Toscano, Anthony Russell, and Timothy Stone, stole more than 17 gross tons of a high-grade scrap steel from a railcar at a CSXT rail yard in Batavia, New York. Riedman and his co-conspirators used a logging truck to remove the scrap steel from the railcar, wore dark clothing, used lookouts to avoid detection by law enforcement authorities and pedestrians, and used two-way radios to communicate with each other during the theft. The defendants were caught by members of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office in the logging truck and a pick-up truck as they left the scene of the theft in the early morning hours of June 30, 2009. The bales were in the process of being shipped to a steel mill in Pennsylvania when they were stolen. Riedman, Toscano, Russell, and Stone were convicted after a two-week jury trial before Judge Siragusa in September 2012.
Judge Siragusa previously sentenced Toscano to 18 months in prison, Russell to 15 months, and Stone to 12 months. Monfort, who pleaded guilty to burglary from a railroad car and the manufacture of 50 or more marijuana plants, was sentenced by Judge Siragusa to 78 months in prison.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian P. Boetig, and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Gary Maha.

Police: In Cold, Escaped Inmate Turns Himself In

Just how cold is it in Kentucky? Apparently cold enough for an escaped prisoner to decide to turn himself in.

Authorities said the inmate escaped from a minimum security facility in Lexington on Sunday. As temperatures dropped into the low single digits Monday, officials say the man walked into a motel and asked the clerk to call police.

Robert Vick, 42, of Hartford told the clerk he wanted to turn himself in and escape the arctic air, Lexington police spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts said.

Vick was checked out by paramedics and returned to Blackburn Correctional Complex, Roberts said.

"This was definitely of his own volition," she said. "It's cold out there, too cold to run around. I can understand why the suspect would turn himself in."

Vick would have been dressed in prison-issued khaki pants, a shirt and a jacket when he escaped, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Lisa Lamb said. Wind chill readings were 20 below zero Monday in Lexington.

The Lexington Fire Department treated Vick for hypothermia Monday evening, Roberts said. A call to the department was not immediately returned Tuesday morning.

Vick was serving a six-year sentence for burglary and criminal possession of a forged instrument at the time of the escape from Blackburn Correctional Center.

There was no answer at the Sunset Motel and Restaurant, where Roberts said Vick surrendered, on Tuesday morning.

Grinch Steals Fla. Family's Presents and Puppy

This "Grinch" was a mean one.

Police say burglars broke into a Florida woman's home, stole her two children's gifts from under the tree and snatched the family's puppy.

Melody Russell, a 33-year-old property manager, said the thieves broke in to her home northeast of downtown Tampa while she was at work Monday. She came home to find the back door open, all presents under the tree gone and Honey, their 12-week-old Shih Tzu, missing.

Her two children, 7-year-old Marissa and 5-year-old Marcus, were at her sister's home when the burglary happened. Marissa cried for a half hour when Russell broke the news about Honey.

"My kids are so in love with that puppy," she said.

The white and tan puppy did not yet have a microchip, Russell said.

Russell said she had bought a handful of modest gifts for each of her children — Nerf guns and slippers and Ninja turtle toys.

"Typical Christmas stuff," said Russell, who is a single mother. "Nothing extravagant."

Tampa Police are investigating the case — and they also tried to save Christmas for the Russell family.

Russell said that after the officers wrote their reports and processed the crime scene at her home, she sat in the living room, praying to God for strength. It was 1 a.m. on Christmas Eve, she said, and the phone rang.

It was a Tampa Police officer, telling her that he and his entire squad were coming to her house with gifts.

When police dispatchers and Squad 204 heard about the theft, they quickly chipped in to buy Marissa and Marcus presents.

"Every single one of them had gifts in their hands," Russell said. "I was so in shock."

Each present was signed "From Santa."

Colorado Springs Teen Shot, Killed by Stepfather

Police say a 14-year-old Colorado girl was fatally shot by her stepfather after a report of a burglary at her home.

Colorado Springs police spokesman Larry Herbert said the girl's stepfather fired the shot, but said it was unclear if he had mistaken the teen for a burglar.

Police say the girl was shot around 6 a.m. Monday and later died at the hospital.

The stepfather hasn't been arrested and it will be up to prosecutors to decide whether charges should be filed. Colorado's "Make My Day" law allows residents to defend themselves against intruders.

Brooklyn Man Who Broke into Pharmacy Sentenced to 65 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Sell Stolen Oxycodone

TRENTON, NJ—A Brooklyn, New York man was sentenced today to 65 months in prison for his involvement in a plot to burglarize a pharmacy in Marlboro Township, New Jersey, and sell the stolen narcotics for cash, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
David Mordukhaev, 22, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Union Hill-Supremo Pharmacy in Marlboro Township was burglarized shortly after 4:00 a.m. on June 17, 2012. Mordukhaev and his fellow conspirators filled 17 garbage bags and two cardboard boxes with merchandise from the pharmacy, including 1,988 dosage units of methylphenidate, 500 dosage units of hydromorphone, 300 dosage units of Opana (a trade name for oxymorphone), and 3,800 dosage units of oxycodone—all Schedule II controlled substances.
The stock lost by the pharmacy was valued at approximately $335,000.
Mordukhaev admitted that he stole the drugs and that he did so knowing they would be sold for profit.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Mordukhaev to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $334,722 in restitution.
Two of Mordukhaev’s conspirators, James Zarbailov, 23, and Dzheykhun Avshalumov, 24, both of Brooklyn, have previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. Zarbailov was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment on November 18, 2013. Avshalumov’s sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2013.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, and law enforcement officers from the Marlboro Township Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Bruce E. Hall, for the investigation leading to today’s sentence.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Clabby of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

Homeowner catches burglar in East Patchogue

EAST PATCHOGUE - An alleged burglar was caught in the act in East Patchogue, and police say the homeowner held him down until police got there.
According to police, a man was notified his home alarm was going off around 1:30 p.m. yesterday.
Police say when he got back to his home on Blueberry Lane he saw a 20-year-old man coming out of his backyard.
MORE: Long Island Crime Stories
Police say the homeowner grabbed the man and held him down until they arrived.

FBI Seeks Two Men in Government Theft Case

The FBI is releasing photographs of two men wanted for questioning in a series of break-ins in Northwest Houston. During the latest crime spree, burglars broke into the home of an FBI agent, stealing government weapons and the agent’s personal property. The men pictured in the photographs below were captured on surveillance cameras at the Willowbrook Mall while using the agent’s personal credit cards during a shopping spree on September 24, 2013.

Burglars broke into the agent’s home in the area of Hollister and West Little York in Northwest Houston on September 23, 2013. It is one of several break-ins to occur in the area over the past several months. Among the government property taken were a Remington 870 short-barreled shotgun and a Glock-22 handgun, both secured in a green gun locker, which was also stolen. The FBI is seeking information about these two men or others who may have been involved in the crime. If you have possession of either of these stolen weapons, we ask that you call the Crime Stoppers tipline or the Houston Office of the FBI. The theft of government property is a federal felony.
The first man is described as a Hispanic male with a heavy-set build. On September 2013, he was pictured wearing a white T-shirt with the logo “Play Cloths High Rollers” on the front. Later the same day, he was pictured wearing a black T-shirt and black shorts. The second man is described as a taller Hispanic male, with a thin build. On September 24, 2013, he was wearing a red shirt with the logo “Ca$h Only” on the front of the T-shirt. He also had a large gold chain around his neck and a large white wrist watch. The men were last seen driving away from the Willowbrook mall in a black four-door sedan.
Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the charging and arrest of anyone involved in the case. If you have information about this crime, or the property stolen, please call the Crime Stoppers tipline at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or the Houston Office of the FBI at 713-693-5000.

Third Englishtown Burgular Admits Role in Conspiracy to Distribute Stolen Oxycodone

TRENTON, NJ—A Brooklyn, New York man today admitted his involvement in a plot to burglarize a pharmacy in Englishtown, New Jersey, and distribute stolen narcotics, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Dzheykhun Avshalumov, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Union Hill-Supremo Pharmacy in Englishtown was burglarized shortly after 4:00 a.m. on June 17, 2012. Avshalumov and his conspirators filled 17 garbage bags and two cardboard boxes with merchandise from the pharmacy, including approximately 1,988 dosage units of methylphenidate, 500 dosage units of hydromorphone, 300 dosage units of Opana (a trade name for oxymorphone), and 3,800 dosage units of oxycodone—all Schedule II controlled substances.
The stock lost by the pharmacy was valued at approximately $350,000. Avshalumov admitted that he stole the drugs and that he did so knowing they would be distributed.
The conspiracy to distribute oxycodone charge to which Avshalumov pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2013.
Two of Avshalumov’s conspirators have previously pleaded guilty to this criminal conduct. James Zarbailov pleaded guilty before Judge Wolfson on May 9, 2013, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. Zarbailov will be sentenced on October 3, 2013. David Mordukhaev pleaded guilty before Judge Wolfson on August 22, 2013, to the same offense. Mordukhaev will be sentenced on December 3, 2013.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, and law enforcement officers from the Marlboro Township Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Bruce E. Hall, for the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Clabby of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.