Stupid criminals of the week
Thanks to KoB and Jeff LPH 3 for providing some (or all) of these.
Florida prison guard nabbed for allegedly trafficking cocaine to inmates
A prison guard in South Florida was arrested after allegedly accepting payment and agreeing to traffic an undisclosed amount of cocaine into a correctional facility outside of Miami.
Dade Correctional Institution Sgt. Travis Thompson has been charged with one count of cocaine trafficking, a first-degree felony, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced Saturday. Bond was set at $25,000.
He posted bail and remains under house arrest, the Miami Herald reported, citing Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation records.
“Bringing drugs into a prison is like lighting a match near an open container of gasoline, dangerous and foolish,” Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. “Drugged inmates can be totally unpredictable and potentially violent as they relate to other inmates and to guards, placing everyone in danger. I commend the Miami-Dade Police Department and the investigators and prosecutors of our Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office for aggressively pursuing this investigation.”
Prosecutors said Thompson, who has worked for the Florida Department of Corrections since 2015, made contact with an undercover officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department and agreed to accept a cash payment of $3,000 and an undisclosed amount of cocaine “with the intention of bringing the cocaine into the Dade Correctional Institution premises.”
He was taken into custody upon taking possession of the cocaine, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
The prison is in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County between Florida City and Homestead. Thompson’s arrest came as the result of a joint investigation by the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
Source; Fox News
Peruvian cops dressed as Santa Claus, elf have last laugh in drug raid
Police Navidad!
Peruvian narcs disguised as Santa Claus and his elf were not exactly spreading cheer on a sleigh when they jumped out of an undercover van and broke down the door of a man who made the naughty list, Reuters reported.
“We are the police! We are the green squad! This is an anti-drug operation!” one of the agents was captured on video yelling at the hapless suspect in the Villa El Salvador district of Lima.
The crime-fighting Saint Nick and his trusty sidekick – wearing flak jackets under their costumes — tackled the alleged cocaine and dope dealer, making sure he will have a less-than-merry Christmas behind bars.
The suspect had been videotaped selling drugs outside his home near a school, a police spokesman said.
During the raid, police recovered a bag with hundreds of small bags that appeared to contain drugs, a handgun and a balaclava, he said.
“With the results we are seeing, a significant amount of drugs has been confiscated, both marijuana and basic cocaine paste in ketes (small packages of drugs), a firearm has also been seized,” said Col. Fredy Velasquez, chief of the Grupo Terna narcotics squad.
The tactic of launching raids by officers in disguise is a common tactic of Peruvian police to maintain the element of surprise.
Source; Fox News
Former state unemployment employee, husband arrested on federal fraud charges
A former employee of the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and her husband were arrested in Texas on federal charges that allege they filed fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits.
Tiffany Pacheco, also known as Tiffany Tavery, 35, was hired by the DUA in April 2020 after being released from federal prison, where she was serving time for an identity theft conviction, according to a statement from US Attorney Andrew Lelling. She is accused of using her job to submit a fraudulent claim on behalf of herself and her husband, Arthur Pacheco, 47, who was incarcerated in Texas until Sept. 4 and not eligible for pandemic unemployment assistance.
She is accused of submitting an initial claim in June that reflected $0 of income in 2019 and no dependents.
Lelling said that Tiffany Pacheco obtained access to the computer system in July and changed claim information for herself and her husband to increase the amount of money they would receive.
“For example, Tiffany allegedly increased the amount of 2019 income for her and Arthur to more than $240,000, and increased the number of their dependents to seven,” Lelling wrote. “Tiffany further used her access to the PUA system to verify the increased reported 2019 income on both claims without the required income verification documents.”
Both of the Pachecos are also accused of misrepresenting the length of time that Arthur Pacheco was incarcerated when interviewed by officials.
Lelling’s statement said that a September search warrant of the Pachecos’ New Bedford apartment led investigators to tools used for identity fraud, including an ID laminator, blank ID cards and hundreds of sheets of blank checks.
“Law enforcement also seized approximately $17,000 cash and a notebook that appeared to contain the personal identifying information of various individuals,” Lelling said.
Tiffany Pacheco was fired by the state on the next day.
Both Pachecos face charges of criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Tiffany Pacheco was also charged with one count of wire fraud.
They were arrested Thursday night in San Antonio, Texas.
During a Friday afternoon press conference, Gov. Charlie Baker said he was not aware of this case, but said that state officials had been in “constant contact with federal authorities” about the issues of fraud in the unemployment program during the pandemic.
“I don’t know much about that specific case but I can tell you that, I would guess that every unemployment operation in America has been in pretty close contact with the feds and with other folks in federal law enforcement – and state law enforcement – about the issues associated with fraud on a very regular basis since this was deemed to be a problem back in the spring,” Baker said.
Source; MSN.com
Category: "Teh Stoopid", Crime, Police, Politics
first
Stoopid, stoopid prison guard.
It would have been so easy to turn that situation around. These things usually don’t happen overnight, they take time, from “first contact” to final delivery.
It would have been so easy for the prison guard to go to his boss, “Boss, I got some asshole wanting me to smuggle dope to an inmate. How do ya wanna handle this? Wadda ya want me to do?”
But then again, I’m a (relatively) honest man.
“But then again, I’m a (relatively) honest man.”
Of course you are Tox. I’d trust to to guard just about anything of mine…well..’cept for Class VI Supplies, my seegars, the Sunday Morning Gunz Girl Ms Thang, and a fresh case of C Rats. Presented as facts in evidence is the following photo of you protecting said case of C Rats:
What was the body count you had to achieve to keep a hold of that bottle of Heinz?
The prison guard story reminds me of an episode of Miami Vice. Biggest difference is Tubbs had to go in as a prisoner to get the corrupt guards.
Who is the idiot in the third story? You have a convicted ID thief doing what ID thiefs do in one corner. In the blue (D) corner a state that hires a recently released Federal prisoner to do a job where they can steal identities and commit more Fraud.
Howie Carr is gonna have a field day with this one.
Sounds like at least there’s at least one other idiot in the mix here besides the criminals:
Only a moron would approve hiring someone with that kind of a background to a government job having anything to do with providing cash benefits to members of the public.
Hondo and Cobra; yeppers word up on that. Big WTF moment when I ran across that article to send in. 2 part idiocy, her getting hired after a felony time served and WTF is the state doing even considering paying unemployment to someone locked up? I’m of the opinion that a state grubmint or a private company for that matter, would hire some top notch investigators just to look into cases. Let’s say a decent wage in some areas would be in the $75-100K range (pretty good money ’bout anywhere). The savings from this one case would pay for a coupla of them. And this is just the tip of the iceberg and we are all on the Titanic.
The phone factory had a “Security Section.” When I FIRST hired on, I thought it was to look after the security of the employees and the physical facilities. Nope, not really. They were used to investigate employees that were suspected of nefarious activities. Unfortunately, certain workers of ethnic background were given a pass, or protected by the union, or by other management types. Just as in the military, many times the offender would be promoted and sent elsewhere.
When I read that she was just released from prison and what she did time for I nearly smashed my head against my desk.
Or having access to PII in any way, shape, or form.
But then again, this is Massivetwoshits, where had the RMV pulled the commercial license of one Volodymyr Zhukovskyy when he got busted for DUI in CT, he would likely not have killed SEVEN motorcyclists last year.
He’ll soon have company, the asshole who killed 5 bicycle riders in Nevada tested positive for amphetamines.
Police Navidad!