Stupid people of the week

East Texas man held hostage after killing dog, owner forces him to dig grave at gunpoint

A Mineola man was arrested on Thursday after allegedly forcing another man to dig a grave for his dog at gunpoint.

According to an arrest affidavit for Alberto Joshua Hernandez, a resident reported that they were driving home on Sept. 8 when they hit a dark-colored animal in the road. The driver stopped to fix their bumper when a silver Ford pick-up truck pulled in behind his vehicle.

The victim reported that the driver of the silver Ford got out of his truck and pointed a gun at him, saying, “I should shoot you now for it.” The victim then pleaded for his life by explaining that he had a family, but the driver, who was identified as Hernandez, commanded the victim to search for his dog.

The victim said he then found the dog in a nearby ditch and was forced to carry the dead animal to Hernandez’s property. Hernandez, who was still pointing the gun at the victim, then demanded that he dig a grave for the dog and bury it, an arrest affidavit showed.

While digging the dog’s grave with a shovel, the victim reported that Hernandez demanded his phone and keys. Once he gave up his phone and keys, Hernandez allegedly went inside his home and came back out with an AR-style rifle with attached optics and magazines.

After the dog was buried, the victim told the Mineola Police Department that Hernandez forced him to drive to a local bank to pay him for the dog. They got in the silver Ford, and the victim drove to the bank, while Hernandez continued holding the rifle, according to his arrest affidavit.

The victim stated that Hernandez took a photo of his driver’s license and told him he knew where he lived if he didn’t compensate him for the dog. In Hernandez’s affidavit, the victim states that he took out $200 from the ATM and gave the money to Hernandez before they drove back to his vehicle.

On Sept. 19, the victim identified Hernandez from a photo line-up. On the same day, officials secured video from the bank showing the victim handing money to his passenger, who was holding a gun at the time.

Hernandez was then arrested by Mineola PD on Thursday for a charge of aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, five counts of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance less than one gram, delivery of marijuana and possession of a dangerous drug.

He’s currently being held in the Wood County Jail on a total bond of $660,000.

Source; KETK

Miami cop arrested after allegedly firing gun during ‘inappropriate messages’ argument with boyfriend

A Miami cop was arrested and fired from her job after she shot her gun during an argument with her boyfriend over “inappropriate messages” she found on his phone, according to police.

Sthephany Canizares, 27, turned herself in Friday after initially fleeing when cops arrived at the couple’s home, according to a police report obtained by NBC Miami.

She then admitted to cops that the frightening incident was sparked after she found the texts in her paramour’s phone.

Canizares’ boyfriend told the deputies the pair had been having “relationship issues” for the past few days. When he arrived at the house on Friday, he found her outside holding the gun.

She refused to come inside when he asked, and then she fired a shot from her weapon outside, police said. Nobody was hit, authorities confirmed.

The boyfriend, who has not been identified, bolted inside and locked himself in one of the bedrooms with his young daughter and his own gun.

Hours later, Canizares called the police and turned herself in, handing over her firearm with a spent casing inside, the police report said.

She told investigators the shooting was sparked by the discovery of “inappropriate messages” in her boyfriend’s phone.

Canizares was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and discharging a firearm outdoors in a residential area.

She was initially taken to a hospital after displaying “abnormal behavior” before she was booked into jail on Sunday, police said.

She bonded out on Monday and the Miami police department confirmed that she has been relieved of duty with pay pending the results of the investigation.

Video shows Canizares singing the National Anthem at a swearing-in ceremony for former Police Chief Art Acevedo in 2021.

She’s also been photographed with current Chief Manny Morales, according to NBC Miami.

Source; NY Post

Former Postal Fraud Inspector Charged With Massive Theft

A former U.S. postal investigator tasked with protecting elderly fraud victims allegedly stole more than $330,000 from the very people he was supposed to help, spending the money on escorts, pool renovations and vacations, Fox News reported.

Scott Kelley, 51, of Massachusetts, faces a 45-count indictment including wire fraud, mail fraud, mail theft and money laundering charges, the Justice Department announced Friday, according to Fox News. The former team leader of the Postal Inspection Service’s Mail Fraud Unit allegedly intercepted 1,950 packages between 2019 and 2023, the DOJ said.

Prosecutors say Kelley sent deceitful emails to postal workers, instructing them to intercept packages from victims of Jamaican lottery scams and forward them to him, according to the outlet. The scammers had convinced victims they needed to send money to claim fake lottery winnings.

Kelley allegedly spent $15,400 on escorts, sometimes during workdays, $30,188 on a swimming pool patio and lighting, and $4,300 on a Caribbean cruise, the outlet reported. He laundered the stolen cash through postal money orders and spread deposits across four bank accounts at two banks.

In one instance, Kelley met with a victim and falsely claimed their package wasn’t found, telling them “that their loss was their own fault because they had mailed cash,” according to the DOJ.

He also allegedly stole $7,000 from an evidence locker using another inspector’s key, then blamed that employee for the theft. Kelley faces up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud, money laundering and mail fraud charge if convicted, the outlet reported.

Source; Daily Caller

House of Prayer church leaders indicted for alleged $22M fraud scheme targeting military vets

Federal prosecutors have indicted the founder and several leaders of the House of Prayer Christian Churches of America, accusing the Georgia-based ministry of running a decades-long, $22 million fraud scheme that targeted U.S. military members and veterans.

Following the indictment, the FBI on Wednesday conducted a raid near Augusta, Georgia, arresting leaders after years of allegations that the church operated like a cult and preyed on military communities nationwide.

FBI Atlanta public affairs specialist Jenna Sellitto confirmed to Fox News Digital it carried out a raid at a home in Columbia County, Georgia, and made authorized arrests related to the church investigation.

Sellitto said she could not immediately release the identities of those taken into custody.

The charges come after the FBI in June 2022 raided at least three churches associated with the House of Prayer Christian Churches in Georgia and Texas, established just miles from Fort Gordon, Fort Stewart and Fort Hood.

Following the 2022 raid, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a forfeiture motion for almost $150,000, claiming the church and its Bible seminary swindled hundreds of military members out of more than $22 million.

The indictment, filed Thursday in the Southern District of Georgia, charges church founder Rony Denis and church leaders Anthony Oloans, 54, Joseph Fryar, 51, Dennis Nostrand, 55, Gerard Robertson, 57, David Reip, 52, Marcus Labat, 42, and Omar Garcia, 40, with a series of crimes, including bank fraud, wire fraud, misuse of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits and false tax returns.

Denis, whose true identity remains unknown but who obtained U.S. citizenship in 2002, is accused of exercising strict control over members through intimidation, manipulation and forced obedience, according to the indictment.

Leaders allegedly aided in the manipulation by maintaining members’ personal information, controlling their finances and orchestrating divorces and property transfers.

Dating back to at least 2004, prosecutors allege the church orchestrated “straw buyer real estate purchases,” using church members’ names to obtain mortgages under false pretenses and then transferring the properties to entities under its control.

Church leaders allegedly collected more than $5.2 million in rental income from 2018 to 2020 while allowing mortgages to default, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors also accuse the leaders of defrauding the VA by falsely certifying students for GI Bill benefits through HOPCC-affiliated Bible seminaries.

Funds intended for veterans’ education were instead diverted to church leaders and affiliated entities, according to the indictment.

In addition to the other crimes, court documents note Denis allegedly aided in filing false joint tax returns in 2018, 2019 and 2020, resulting in claims of hundreds of thousands of fraudulent refunds each year.

In a motion to designate the case as complex and exclude time under the Speedy Trial Act, prosecutors claim they reviewed more than 175 bank accounts, conducted dozens of witness interviews, executed five search warrants across four states and seized more than 100 electronic devices and 80 boxes of documents.

“The defendants are accused of exploiting trust, faith and even the service of our nation’s military members to enrich themselves,” said Paul Brown, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. “This indictment makes clear that using coercion, manipulation and fraud under the guise of religion will not shield wrongdoers from accountability.”

More than 200 grand jury subpoenas were issued in the alleged fraud schemes, which spanned nearly two decades and involved 150 to 200 properties, according to court documents.

Denis is being represented by attorney Steven Sadow, who was lead counsel for President Donald Trump during his Georgia election interference case. Sadow could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for additional information about Denis’ citizenship status and identity.

Source; Fox News

Category: Crime, Police, Stupid Criminals