Stupid people of the week

New Kensington Man Sentenced for Misappropriating VA Benefits

ChipNASA sent this one in. I can’t believe that they not only allowed this plea but have the balls to put out a congratulatory pat-on-the-back press release on it.

A resident of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court following his guilty plea to a charge of misappropriation of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) beneficiary funds, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

United States District J. Nicholas Ranjan sentenced Andrew Ziacik, 57, to one day of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Ziacik was also ordered to pay a $4,000 fine.

During the defendant’s plea hearing on June 2, 2021, the defendant admitted that between 2013 and 2017, he was the appointed Federal Fiduciary for a VA beneficiary—his older brother, who was a service-disabled veteran. In his role as a Fiduciary, the defendant was responsible for receiving his brother’s VA income and ensuring that all of his debts were paid. Between July 2013 and late 2017, the defendant admitted that he violated the terms of his Fiduciary Agreement by, among other things, misappropriating his brother’s VA funds for the defendant’s personal benefit, including by using VA funds to finance a Harley Davidson motorcycle, purchase a diamond ring, and buy a GMC Sierra truck The defendant also failed to maintain accurate records and receipts related to the disposition of his brother’s VA benefits, and he likewise failed to provide complete and accurate records in response to a formal accounting initiated by the Department of Veterans Affairs in August 2016.

As part of the defendant’s sentence, Judge Ranjan ordered that the defendant make restitution to his brother in the amount of $75,000.

Assistant United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation of the defendant.

Source; DOJ

Civilian police oversight group recommends 3-day posthumous suspension for slain cop

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability’s review of the 2019 botched police raid on the wrong home – whose occupant was forced to stand naked for a time concluded half the officers involved should face consequences.

The report is also notable for its apparent insensitivity in recommending a three day suspension for a Chicago police officer who was later killed in the line of duty.

Officer Ella French died after she and her partner were shot in August. The victim of the wrong house raid in February 2019, Anjanette Young, later said through a spokesperson Officer French was the only officer to “show her dignity or respect” during the raid.

Despite the praise from Young and Officer French’s murder, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability’s newly released report found fault with French’s actions during the 2019 raid.

“Officer French failed to timely activate her body-worn camera and failed to document the detention and search of the male and his vehicle in an Investigatory ‘Stop Report,’” COPA’s investigatory report concluded. “Accordingly, COPA recommends a 3-day suspension.”

The report also noted: “COPA has considered Officer French’s complimentary history, her lack of prior disciplinary history, and her over 3 years of service to the Department, and her status as PPO at the time of the incident in mitigation.”

What the report did not acknowledge was Officer French’s later line of duty death, infuriating some of her fellow police officers.

“This is the latest example of why that agency has zero credibility in the eyes of every CPD officer,” police union President John Catanzara told WGN Investigates. “We demand an apology immediately for the intentional harm caused to Ella’s family, friends and co-workers.”

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said Thursday that the report on the raid was finalized in April when Officer French was alive, and that making mention of her death would have required the report to be redone entirely, which is not in accordance with established procedures.

“This is disgraceful,” said brother Andrew French. “This is disrespectful to her name, disrespectful on so many levels.”

A COPA spokesperson called it “an unfortunate situation.”

Yeah, being a dick is “an unfortunate situation.”

Source; WGN-TV

Couple having sex before toddler suffers fentanyl overdose: Sheriff

Investigators in central Florida said a man and a woman were having sex just before their two-year-old daughter suffered a fatal fentanyl overdose.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrested 36-year-old Joseph Arthur Tierney and 36-year-old Jalynn Nichole Davis on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child.

The investigation began in June when deputies responded to a home in Umatilla where they found the couple’s young daughter, Miya, unresponsive.

According to the arrest report, the couple told investigators they left their sleeping daughter alone in a bedroom as they had sexual intercourse. When they checked on her 30 minutes later, they found her unresponsive with vomit coming out of her mouth. They called 911. Miya died at the hospital.

The autopsy report showed Miya died from fentanyl toxicity.

The sheriff’s office said investigators learned Tierney actively used fentanyl while Davis sold it.

“The senseless death of this innocent child is the ultimate tragedy, and it should serve as a reminder of why we must continue our fight to keep opiates out of our communities,” said Sheriff Billy Woods. “Everybody should know that if you or somebody you know uses drugs and wants to get clean, our community has resources available to help you.”

At the time of his arrest, Tierney was in the Marion County Jail on charges of tampering with a witness and aggravated assault in a separate case.

Davis is jailed in Lake County on murder charges related to the distribution of fentanyl in a separate investigation.

Fair warning: For those who will click this link out of curiosity to see these two parent of the year candidates, I can guarantee you will regret the decision. Choose wisely.

Source; MSN

A new bond court judge debuts with a fresh mindset that restrains victims and frees violent men on recognizance bonds

This hug-a-thug judge really could deserve her own article, but she’s definitely stupid.

This week, Cook County [Illinois] Chief Judge Timothy Evans is expected to officially announce changes to the roster of judges who set bail conditions for defendants in the city. As CWBChicago reported, three new judges began handling the city’s bond court sessions last week in advance of Evans’ formal announcement.

And one of those judges, Kelly McCarthy, gave an eye-popping performance in felony bond court Friday.

McCarthy set bail for 27 defendants during the session. She gave 22 of them recognizance bonds — including two charged with felony robbery. She refused to grant prosecutors’ requests to have several defendants held without bail, including one charged with attempted murder for allegedly beating, stomping, and choking his pregnant girlfriend for 20 minutes.

But that’s not all. In one case, even though nobody asked for it, McCarthy took the unprecedented step of ordering a robbery victim to show up in court to be served with an order to protect the man who allegedly robbed her at gunpoint.

In another case, prosecutors said a convicted felon admitted that a gun police found inside a purse in a car he was driving was his. Despite the alleged admission, McCarthy ruled there was no probable cause for the man to be detained because “obviously it’s not his purse.”

And when prosecutors made routine requests for her to hold defendants without bail for violating the bond terms in pending felony cases, McCarthy refused. Twice.

McCarthy is no stranger to the courts. Before being elected to the bench last year, she was a lawyer and supervisor in the public defender’s office. And, as strange as her decisions may seem, her Friday bond court session may provide Chicagoans with a glimpse of what lies ahead when Illinois outlaws cash bail in 2023.

Click through the link for all the details. It’s really, really worth the read. With the caveat that you should take your blood pressure medication first.

Source; CWB Chicago

Category: "Teh Stoopid", Crime, Stupid Criminals