A 29-year-old Detroit man was sentenced today in federal court to 116 years in prison for his role in six cellular telephone store robberies, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced.
Joining McQuade in the announcement was Paul M. Abbate, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Office.
U.S. District Judge Sean F. Cox imposed sentence on Timothy Ivory Carpenter, who was convicted after a two-week jury trial in December. The jury found Carpenter guilty of committing six robberies of cell phone stores and of using a gun during five of the robberies. The evidence at trial established that Carpenter and his brother, Timothy Sanders, conspired with others to rob cell phone stores in Detroit, Highland Park, Eastpointe, and Warren, Ohio between December 13, 2010 and December 1, 2012.
“Armed robberies at neighborhood stores make citizens fearful to carry out their daily business in our community,” McQuade said. “This lengthy sentence sends a powerful message that using guns to commit crimes will not be tolerated.”
“Aggressively pursuing violent offenders, particularly those associated with organized criminal groups, is among the highest priorities of the FBI,” stated Paul M. Abbate, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Today’s sentence, along with others seen recently, sends a strong message to violent perpetrators whose actions wreak havoc upon our community—the FBI, our local, state, and federal partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly to combat violent crime and bring justice to bear on these offenders.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth Chadwell.
Showing posts with label cellphone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cellphone. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Prosecutors: This wasn't the first blow-up for Florida theater shooter Curtis Reeves
A few weeks before a texting dispute turned deadly inside a Florida theater, suspect Curtis Reeves had another run-in with a moviegoer, prosecutors said.
During Reeves' first court appearance on Tuesday, prosecutors said they had heard from another theater patron who said the 71-year-old former Tampa cop saw her texting and "glared at her the entire time throughout the movie" during a screening about three weeks ago.
When the woman got up to use the restroom, Reeves followed her and "made her very uncomfortable," prosecutors said.
CNN affiliate WTSP later identified the woman as Jamira Dixon of Wesley Chapel, the Tampa suburb where Monday's shooting took place.
"He became just upset about the whole situation and kept staring and kept giving us dirty looks," Dixon told the station.
Dixon said she first heard about Monday's shooting on the radio while she was driving.
"I had to pull over the car because ... it could have been us," she said. "It was just so close to home. It really makes you think how things could have went."
In the aftermath, heroes responded.
An argument, then a shot.
The shooting happened early Monday afternoon at the Grove 16 theater, just before an afternoon showing of "Lone Survivor," a film about a Navy SEAL mission.
Reeves was with his wife and sat behind Chad Oulson, 43, and his wife, authorities said. Oulson was using his cell phone during the previews before the film and Reeves told him to put it away, according to police and witnesses.
The two men began to argue and Reeves walked out of the auditorium. Police said Reeves was going to complain to a theater employee.
But Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco told CNN Tuesday night that the manager was busy with another customer and Reeves never addressed his complaint with a supervisor.
When Reeves returned, witnesses and authorities said that Oulson asked him if he had gone to tell on him for texting.
Police said Tuesday that Oulson was texting his young daughter's babysitter.
Voices were raised. Oulson threw a bag of popcorn at Reeves, police said. Then, the former police officer took out a .380 semi-automatic handgun and shot Oulson, police said.
Opinion: Texting killing tells us one thing
Standing his ground?
Reeves made his first court appearance Tuesday on a charge of second-degree murder.
His attorney, Richard Escobar, tried to persuade Circuit Court Judge Lynn Tepper that his client was actually the victim in the incident and that Oulson was the "aggressor."
Police said despite Reeves' claim that he was in fear for his safety, this was not a case for Florida's "stand your ground" defense.
"Working with the state attorney's office it was determined that stand-your-ground does not fly here in this case," Nocco said.
Authorities said a preliminary investigation determined that there was no physical contact during the incident. It was popcorn, thrown by Oulson, that struck Reeves.
Tepper said there was no evidence to support the claim that the shooter was a victim. She denied him bond.
Is this 'insanity' or 'just a matter of time?'
Sadly, theater violence is nothing new. Less than two years ago, an Aurora, Colorado, cineplex was the scene of a shooting massacre that left 12 people dead.
Theater chains had already moved to ban handguns. Cobb Theater, which owns the Grove 16 and more than 120 other theaters, says posters displaying its zero weapons policy are posted on its front doors. Other chains have also stepped up safety measures.
Still, is that enough?
"The question is going to become: how are they enforcing them? Is a sign sufficient to give notice that you shall not bring a handgun on our premises?" CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos asked.
There are theater chains that take it a step further, employing security guards at some locations to keep patrons safe.
"If somebody were to bring in a bag, for instance, they're immediately going to spot something like that or if they're acting unusual or nervous they would spot something like this, whereas a metal detector is only looking at one thing," according to Howard Levinson, the president of Expert Security Consulting.
The National Association of Theatre Owners doesn't comment publicly on theater security matters, but says "we encourage our patrons to remember that they are sharing a common wish to be entertained and to treat their fellow moviegoers with courtesy and respect."
During Reeves' first court appearance on Tuesday, prosecutors said they had heard from another theater patron who said the 71-year-old former Tampa cop saw her texting and "glared at her the entire time throughout the movie" during a screening about three weeks ago.
When the woman got up to use the restroom, Reeves followed her and "made her very uncomfortable," prosecutors said.
CNN affiliate WTSP later identified the woman as Jamira Dixon of Wesley Chapel, the Tampa suburb where Monday's shooting took place.
"He became just upset about the whole situation and kept staring and kept giving us dirty looks," Dixon told the station.
Dixon said she first heard about Monday's shooting on the radio while she was driving.
"I had to pull over the car because ... it could have been us," she said. "It was just so close to home. It really makes you think how things could have went."
In the aftermath, heroes responded.
An argument, then a shot.
The shooting happened early Monday afternoon at the Grove 16 theater, just before an afternoon showing of "Lone Survivor," a film about a Navy SEAL mission.
Reeves was with his wife and sat behind Chad Oulson, 43, and his wife, authorities said. Oulson was using his cell phone during the previews before the film and Reeves told him to put it away, according to police and witnesses.
The two men began to argue and Reeves walked out of the auditorium. Police said Reeves was going to complain to a theater employee.
But Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco told CNN Tuesday night that the manager was busy with another customer and Reeves never addressed his complaint with a supervisor.
When Reeves returned, witnesses and authorities said that Oulson asked him if he had gone to tell on him for texting.
Police said Tuesday that Oulson was texting his young daughter's babysitter.
Voices were raised. Oulson threw a bag of popcorn at Reeves, police said. Then, the former police officer took out a .380 semi-automatic handgun and shot Oulson, police said.
Opinion: Texting killing tells us one thing
Standing his ground?
Reeves made his first court appearance Tuesday on a charge of second-degree murder.
His attorney, Richard Escobar, tried to persuade Circuit Court Judge Lynn Tepper that his client was actually the victim in the incident and that Oulson was the "aggressor."
Police said despite Reeves' claim that he was in fear for his safety, this was not a case for Florida's "stand your ground" defense.
"Working with the state attorney's office it was determined that stand-your-ground does not fly here in this case," Nocco said.
Authorities said a preliminary investigation determined that there was no physical contact during the incident. It was popcorn, thrown by Oulson, that struck Reeves.
Tepper said there was no evidence to support the claim that the shooter was a victim. She denied him bond.
Is this 'insanity' or 'just a matter of time?'
Sadly, theater violence is nothing new. Less than two years ago, an Aurora, Colorado, cineplex was the scene of a shooting massacre that left 12 people dead.
Theater chains had already moved to ban handguns. Cobb Theater, which owns the Grove 16 and more than 120 other theaters, says posters displaying its zero weapons policy are posted on its front doors. Other chains have also stepped up safety measures.
Still, is that enough?
"The question is going to become: how are they enforcing them? Is a sign sufficient to give notice that you shall not bring a handgun on our premises?" CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos asked.
There are theater chains that take it a step further, employing security guards at some locations to keep patrons safe.
"If somebody were to bring in a bag, for instance, they're immediately going to spot something like that or if they're acting unusual or nervous they would spot something like this, whereas a metal detector is only looking at one thing," according to Howard Levinson, the president of Expert Security Consulting.
The National Association of Theatre Owners doesn't comment publicly on theater security matters, but says "we encourage our patrons to remember that they are sharing a common wish to be entertained and to treat their fellow moviegoers with courtesy and respect."
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