Cops & Bloggers

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Tuesday 27 April 2010

MMA Stomping Grounds: UFC fighter Tito Ortiz arrested - Mixed martial arts blog by The Baltimore Sun - baltimoresun.com

MMA Stomping Grounds: UFC fighter Tito Ortiz arrested - Mixed martial arts blog by The Baltimore Sun - baltimoresun.com: "Tito Ortiz has been arrested, on a felony domestic violence charge, according to TMZ.
They are reporting that his wife Jenna Jameson had “visible injuries” when the cops arrived at the Huntington Beach Bad Boy's house in California.
Ortiz was recently a coach on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series on Spike TV. He was supposed to fight Chuck Liddell in the season finale. But was replaced by light heavyweight Rich Franklin because of personal issues with his family."

Monday 26 April 2010

"Most Wanted" fugitives has been extradited from the island of Antigua in the West Indies

One of Hudson County's "Most Wanted" fugitives has been extradited from the island of Antigua in the West Indies after his arrest by local authorities working with the U.S. Marshals Service, county officials said yesterday.
"We appreciate, as always, the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, especially since we were dealing with an international fugitive," said Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio of Wednesday's arrest of Weston Gordon, 45, formerly of Clendenny Avenue.
Several Caribbean newspapers reporting on Gordon's arrest refer to him as an ex-police officer, but no additional information is given. He was taken into custody on Feb. 2 and left Antigua for New Jersey on Monday on a flight on which he was escorted by two U.S. marshals.
The Antigua native is wanted in connected with a Sept. 16, 2005 incident on Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City in which he allegedly attacked a man with a knife in a store after an argument over money.
A warrant for his arrest on the charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons offenses was issued on July 18, 2006 when he failed to show up for a court hearing and became a fugitive, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Guy Gregory said yesterday.
Assisting in the extradition was the U.S. Marshals International Investigations Branch, U.S. Marshals Jamaica Foreign Field Office, U.S. Marshals District of the Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Department of Justice -- Office of International Affairs.
Gordon's picture ran in The Jersey Journal as one of "Hudson County's Most Wanted."

Sunday 25 April 2010

updated 4:47 p.m. ET April 23, 2010 CAMP HILL, Pa. - Police are investigating a corrections officer for allegedly smuggling drugs and cell phones into


updated 4:47 p.m. ET April 23, 2010 CAMP HILL, Pa. - Police are investigating a corrections officer for allegedly smuggling drugs and cell phones into the Camp Hill State Prison.

When I was a “police officer”



When I was a “police officer” back in the early ’70s the transformation was just starting to take place from a mentality of a public servant working for the citizens to “law enforcement”. The first I noticed of it was when the police departments started preferential hiring of ex-military people returning from Viet Nam. They started introducing military tactics into the department, including the first SWAT team. They quit referring to people on the street as citizens and started calling them “civilians”, or more commonly “assholes”. “They looked for opportunities to use their new toys provided from “federal help” monies in the war on drugs. They changed the uniforms from the blue-suited cop with an 8-sided hat with a shield on front to a set of black or navy fatigues and a ball cap. They started shaving their heads and pumping iron. They gave up on the thought that they place themselves in the line of fire to protect and serve the public and took on a combat marine attitude of protect their own above all else. I’ve known them to murder cop-killers in the street

Friday 23 April 2010

Police: Man Shot To Death Inside Car In Newport - Cincinnati breaking news, weather radar, traffic from 9News | Channel 9 WCPO.com

Police: Man Shot To Death Inside Car In Newport - Cincinnati breaking news, weather radar, traffic from 9News | Channel 9 WCPO.com: "Police continue to investigate after an altercation leads to a deadly shooting in Newport Thursday evening.Newport police say the altercation began at the River Crest Apartment Complex in Newport Thursday around 7:30 p.m.Investigators say a man in his mid-30's was then shot and killed inside a moving car on Columbia Street between 4th and 5th streets.Police say a .9mm gun was recovered in the car. Whether that is the gun used in the shooting has not been released.
'There was an event inside the vehicle. Some kind of argument. There were some shots fired. They drove about a 50 yard straight shot up the street to 5th and Columbia here and the car came to a rest. And a passenger got out of the car and fled west toward Covington,' said Lt. Tom Collins with the Newport Police Department."

Wednesday 21 April 2010

IRAN: FOUR HANGED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING

IRAN: FOUR HANGED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING: "Iran hanged four men in a prison in the southeastern province of Kerman for drug smuggling, Iran's Students News Agency reported, quoting local judicial authorities without saying when the hangings took place. The report identified the executed men as Mehdi N., Feizollah B., Nazar B. and Gholam H."

Tuesday 20 April 2010

Australia's 'smiling assassin' killed in high security prison - Telegraph

Australia's 'smiling assassin' killed in high security prison - Telegraph: "locked in a maximum security section of a Victorian jail, he was bludgeoned over the head with the stem of an exercise bike by a fellow inmate. He later went into cardiac arrest and died.
The murder, if it is linked to Williams's criminal activity before he entered prison, would make him the 30th victim of a vicious gangland war, which he stoked between 1999 and 2006. 'the baby-faced killer' and 'the smiling assassin' Williams, 39, was serving three life sentences for the killing of five underworld figures.
With a minimum of 35 years before he was eligible for parole, he was due to be released when he was 71.
Kept under close watch by guards and CCTV cameras, it was assumed that he would eek out the next decades in jail, his infamy slowly dimming.
But someone had other plans.
After walking into the prison day room, which he shared with two other inmates, and which was supposed to be watched at all times by prison guards, one of the men hit him on the back of the head with part of an exercise bike. Williams returned to his cell and was later found having a cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at 1.47pm."

Monday 19 April 2010

Woman guilty of running Glasgow brothel - Crime Gossip

Woman guilty of running Glasgow brothel - Crime Gossip: "Sheriff court: Woman guilty of running brothel A woman could face a jail term after being convicted of running a brothel in Glasgow. Ruth Hewson was found guilty of assisting in the management of the New Blythswood Sauna, in the Anderston area, on November 13 2008. The 56-year-old had gone on trial last month at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Hewson, who lives in the city's leafy Dalziel Drive, Pollokshields, was due to be sentenced on Monday"

Saturday 17 April 2010

Fulton sheriff's deputy caught with cocaine, pot  | ajc.com

Fulton sheriff's deputy caught with cocaine, pot  | ajc.com: "Fulton County Sheriff’s deputy was arrested Friday night for drug possession, authorities said.
More Atlanta/Fulton news »
Deputy Jacqueline Dunn was charged with cocaine and marijuana possession, but it is unclear how much of either drug she had on her at the time of her arrest.Atlanta police picked Dunn up in Adams Park in southwest Atlanta, authorities said.
Fulton County Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Tracy Flanagan said Dunn will be placed on indefinite suspension and is being investigated by the Sheriff’s office’s internal affairs division."

Despite Death Row settlement, still a fight :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime

Despite Death Row settlement, still a fight :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime: "Wallace 'Gator' Bradley received an undisclosed settlement for his work on former Death Row inmate Aaron Patterson's court cases last week.
A court hearing last week pitted Bradley, a former Gangster Disciples enforcer, against Patterson, who appeared via a closed-circuit TV feed from a federal prison where he's serving a gun conviction.
In Patterson's gun case and wrongful-conviction lawsuit that led to a $5 million settlement with the city, Bradley had accompanied him in court as a so-called 'urban translator.'
Once the cases were over, Bradley sought payment from Patterson and his lawyer, Frank Avila. After the hearing last week, Bradley settled with Patterson for an undisclosed sum under $100,000. But his fight with Avila continues.
Before settling, Patterson questioned the street credibility of Bradley, who kept referring to Patterson as his 'mellow' during the hearing April 8. Patterson said someone who is street-wise would not have gone to the feds about an e-mail from Patterson that Bradley found threatening. 'You talk street, but then at the same time, you want to call' the government? Patterson said. Bradley responded, 'These e-mails are monitored. They called me.'"

The Associated Press: Drug smuggler arrested in bestiality case in Wash.

The Associated Press: Drug smuggler arrested in bestiality case in Wash.: "convicted cocaine smuggler has been arrested for running what authorities say appears to be a bestiality farm in Washington state in which visitors could engage in all sorts of twisted sex acts with animals.
Douglas Spink was arrested at his ramshackle, heavily wooded compound near the Canadian border in Whatcom County along with a 51-year-old tourist from Great Britain who is accused of having sex with three dogs.
Dozens of dogs, horses and pet mice were seized, along with what investigators described as thousands of images of bestiality and apparent child pornography. The mice were euthanized, said Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo, whose office assisted federal agents in the case."

The Press Association: Premier league footballer 'threatened by gang'

The Press Association: Premier league footballer 'threatened by gang': "member of a south London gang told the BBC that one Premier League player had grown up with gang members and now had to pay them protection money or risk being attacked and having his career ended.
The gang member said: 'The people above me have ordered this person that he has to pay them a certain amount of money every couple of months.
'That's just in case, so no one can touch you for three or four years but you are still paying that money every three months to keep yourself safe.
'It's £15,000 every two or three months, that may not seem a lot to a Premier League footballer but it's a lot of money.'
The gang member said hiring private security would not protect the player, adding: 'We know where your family, friends and the people close to you live and your security isn't going to protect them all the time.'
The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) said the claims underline the need for clubs to be aware of security issues surrounding players and their families.
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: 'Football reflects society and sometimes society can be not very pleasant.
'If these threats are a reality it's a terrible intimidating thing for the player concerned. Clubs and players are a lot more conscious [about security], we have made them aware of this, and there's a strong need for private security to go alongside the police.'"

Friday 16 April 2010

Dutch to raise minimum age for prostitutes to 21

Dutch to raise minimum age for prostitutes to 21: "Dutch government said yesterday it plans to raise the legal minimum age for prostitution to 21 from 18 as part of stricter permit rules for brothels and registration requirements for prostitutes.
Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin has sent the proposal to Parliament as an addition to legislation which updates the law regulating prostitution and sex businesses. “People at the age of 21 can make a better judgment about working as a prostitute than 18 year olds; also they are better equipped to deal and negotiate with clients,” the Ministry of Justice said in a statement.
Prostitution was legalised in the Netherlands in 2000 but authorities have toughened their stance on the business in recent years to fight organised crime and clean up inner city areas."

Police probe Steven Purcell on 'drugs and corruption' - Scotsman.com

Police probe Steven Purcell on 'drugs and corruption' - Scotsman.com: "Glasgow Council leader Steven Purcell was last night at the heart of a full-scale criminal investigation.The former Labour councillor is facing a police inquiry which is understood to centre on his admitted use of cocaine and allegations of corruption.
In an unusual move Strathclyde Police yesterday formally confirmed the 37-year-old was under investigation.Their announcement came after one of Mr Purcell's closest allies was questioned at a Glasgow police station on Wednesday by the force's elite group of detectives, the Major Crimes and Terrorism Unit.A police spokeswoman yesterday said: 'Strathclyde Police can confirm that following assessment of information surrounding allegations of drug taking and other matters concerning Steven Purcell, a criminal investigation is now under way"

Thursday 15 April 2010

CTV Montreal - Police demand leads to strip club closure - CTV News

CTV Montreal - Police demand leads to strip club closure - CTV News: "Club Temptation, on Ste. Catherine at Mansfield, was a hangout for street gang members, and officers were worried the club would become the scene of a deadly shootout.
The club is owned by Richard Goodridge, who reportedly co-founded a gang called The 67 ten years ago with Ducarme Joseph.
Over the years the pair had a falling-out, and Goodridge is now considered to be an associate of the Mafia.
Last month Joseph escaped an attempt on his life that left two men dead, and injured two more, and police are worried that Joseph's associates would seek revenge by attacking people at Club Temptation.
So, to avoid a potential target, police asked the Alcohol and Gambling Board to immediately suspend the club's license.
Police have done this nine times since 2002, and the suspension is followed by a hearing with the Board, police, and the bar owner.
Joseph is currently in jail after pleading guilty to assaulting a doorman at the Buona Notte nightclub."

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Sisters sentenced for smuggling suspected drug money | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Sisters sentenced for smuggling suspected drug money | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "San Benito sisters were sentenced to federal prison Monday for trying to smuggle into Mexico nearly $400,000 of suspected drug money that had been picked up in Houston.
Zu-Haidy Berenice Torres, 31, and Karla Judith Torres, 25, were each sentenced to two years in prison for evading a currency reporting requirement, according to federal authorities.
They each must also serve three years of supervised release.
They were convicted Jan. 7 after pleading guilty.
Federal officials said the pair tried to smuggle $399,113 in cash across the border at the Los Indios International Bridge in Brownsville on Aug 12.
Karla Torres told authorities a man in Mexico she knew only as “Gordo“ paid her $5,000 to pick up the cash in Houston. She said she believed the cash was drug money, though officials did not elaborate on her contention.
Federal officials said Karla Torres told them she picked up the money in the parking lot of a Houston Wal-Mart, where a man she didn't know gave her a black briefcase stuffed with the cash.
Once she got to the Rio Grande Valley, she asked her sister to help her smuggle the money across the border.
At the border crossing, agents noticed that the sisters appeared nervous and searched them and their Ford Expedition.
They discovered cash hidden in the lining of the women's purses and stashed under the SUV's back seat, federal authorities said.
Federal regulations require people to declare money in excess of $10,000 when they cross the border into Mexico"

A1 gang member smuggled phone and drugs into jail | Derby Evening Telegraph Newspaper | Find Articles at BNET

A1 gang member smuggled phone and drugs into jail | Derby Evening Telegraph Newspaper | Find Articles at BNET: "Jacob Alps passed the phone, anabolic steroids and cannabis to a 40-year-old inmate at Nottingham Prison.
The 20-year-old was under an anti-social behaviour order at the time of the offence, after a district judge said she was satisfied he was a member of the notorious Derby gang, the A1 Crew.
The gang has been linked to a number of firearms incidents in Derby.
For the latest smuggling offence Alps was jailed for 15 months.
Judge Jonathan Teare said: 'The Court of Appeal says that those who smuggle phones into prison must go to prison themselves.'"

Hamburg Police Seize 1.4 Tons of Cocaine in Biggest German Haul - BusinessWeek

Hamburg Police Seize 1.4 Tons of Cocaine in Biggest German Haul - BusinessWeek: "Police in the German port of Hamburg seized 1.3 metric tons (1.4 tons) of cocaine concealed in wood briquettes shipped from Paraguay, the biggest-ever haul of the drug in Germany.
In nationwide raids that followed interception of the drug shipment yesterday, police made seven arrests, seizing cash and searching 19 properties with suspected links to the crime. Further individuals are being investigated, Hamburg police said today in a statement.
The cocaine, hidden in more than 1,240 compressed sawdust bricks, is of a very high quality and has a street value of 40 million euros ($54 million), according to the police statement.
Customs and police monitored the suspects since last year. They observed those behind yesterday’s haul making six “dummy” runs of briquettes without cocaine in shipments between Asuncion, Paraguay’s capital, and Hamburg. The cocaine in the seventh shipment was “packed very professionally,” police said"

cocaine king" Darko Saric allegedly planned the assassination of Serbian President Boris Tadic

Balkan criminal gang accused of drugs smuggling and led by "cocaine king" Darko Saric allegedly planned the assassination of Serbian President Boris Tadic, officials said Monday.
The Serbian secret service had uncovered several assassination plots targeting Tadic and several other state officials involved in an investigation against Saric and his gang, state secretary for the Ministry of Justice Slobodan Homen told Beta news agency.
"Because of these and other information, the security level was raised to the highest possible level," he said, adding that the plots were made in retaliation for the seizure of several properties belonging to Saric's gang.
The plans allegedly envisaged several hitmen murdering all those involved in an investigation against Saric "in a highly coordinated action."
The powerful Saric clan is said to be one of the major cocaine suppliers in Europe.
It was involved in the attempt to smuggle 2.7 tons of cocaine to Europe in the autumn. The shipment was stopped in Uruguay in an international police raid, but it is estimated that many more have made it to their destination.
Saric and other suspected leaders of the organization disappeared in Montenegro after the raid, which was spearheaded by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency.
Belgrade media reported over the weekend that the group has laundered more than 1.3 billion dollars in Serbia alone

Abu Dhabi court has sentenced a woman to life in prison for smuggling a large amount of the sedative valium

Abu Dhabi court has sentenced a woman to life in prison for smuggling a large amount of the sedative valium, in the first such ruling against a woman in the emirate, the local press said Tuesday.

The seven-month pregnant Palestinian was arrested in Abu Dhabi while trying to sell part of the shipment, which was valued at 300,000 dirhams (81,677 dollars), to an undercover police officer, The National daily reported.

At an earlier hearing on Sunday, prosecutors had called for her to face the death penalty.

The woman is expected to give birth in prison, a fact which under United Arab Emirates law must be withheld from the child's birth certificate, the paper said.

In the first hearing on March 28, the woman who was identified only by her initials, F.A., said that her Jordanian employer had asked her to deliver the package without her knowing its contents.

Her defence lawyer said that she was the victim of the actions of her employer, who was identified only as S.A. The lawyer also charged that she had been arrested without a proper warrant.

Her employer was tried in absentia and was also sentenced to life in prison.

It is the first time that a woman has been sentenced to life in prison in the oil-rich Gulf emirate.

Valium is legal in the UAE, but can only be bought as a prescribed medication and is distributed by pharmacies under strict guidelines. It is commonly used to treat anxiety and muscle pain.

Under UAE law, drug traffickers can receive the death penalty. Several foreigners have been sentenced to death for drug trafficking in recent years, but death sentences are usually commuted to life imprisonment.

Tribeca '10 | An Insider's Look at the Russian Mafia in Alexander Gentelev's 'Thieves By Law' - indieWIRE

Tribeca '10 | An Insider's Look at the Russian Mafia in Alexander Gentelev's 'Thieves By Law' - indieWIRE: "Russian Mafia: what can’t they do? After this insider’s look into the world of, ahem, “hypothetical” crimes, it’s pretty clear that the answer is nyet. Following the stories of three mafiosi-cum-businessmen, Thieves By Law paints a fascinating tableau of men that would make Tony Soprano cringe. Most intriguing, though, are their personal histories interwoven with the evolution of the Russian Mafia itself. Beginning in Stalin’s gulags and slowly transforming into an international organization, the mafia and Code of Thieves have always directly correlated to the political struggles of the Soviet Union—reflecting society back to the government like a funhouse mirror."

UK's Anti-Gun Unit "Operation Trident" present rented replica guns on national TV as recovered il, page 1

UK's Anti-Gun Unit "Operation Trident" present rented replica guns on national TV as recovered il, page 1: "Here at Mick's Guns we are often asked if we have replica guns to hire out for film and theatre work. We actually have quite a collection, and this collection will significantly increase when Operation Trident are forced to return all of Mick's possessions. You may remember seeing Mick's replica guns used by Operation Trident in their media fiasco, telling the British public they have taken real guns off the street, holding them in certain ways that hid the tell tale signs they were actually replicas and blank firing guns.

They did the same with Mick's Air Arms air rifle, three times in fact in front of the TV cameras, trying to show the media they had recovered a military assault rifle !

If Operation Trident would like to hire any of our replicas to further their campain of misleading the British public, we will be happy to enter into a hire contract with them at double the normal price !

Genuine film makers and dramatists need only apply"

Monday 12 April 2010

Murphy 'shocked' over gangster at fundraiser - Scotsman.com News

Murphy 'shocked' over gangster at fundraiser - Scotsman.com News: "Scottish Secretary was forced to deny a gangster had contributed to his election campaign after a notorious underworld figure was spotted at a Labour Party event.Jim Murphy said he was 'shocked' that Lewis Rodden – who is known as 'Scooby' and was jailed in 2005 for extortion – had been seen at the fundraising dinner in the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow last month.He was compelled to deny that Mr Rodden, who was shot in the chest in Amsterdam in an attempted gangland hit in 2001, had contributed to Labour Party coffers at the event, which was organised to boost Mr Murphy's local campaign in East Renfrewshire"

SCOTLAND NEWS INFORMATION BLOG.: MURPHY EMBROILED IN GANGSTER SCANDAL

SCOTLAND NEWS INFORMATION BLOG.: MURPHY EMBROILED IN GANGSTER SCANDAL: "Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy and the Labour party face serious questions
today after reports a convicted gangster - on first name terms with a
Labour member of Strathclyde Police board - attended a fundraiser for his
election campaign.

This is not the first time Scottish Labour has been exposed over links to
convicted criminals, drug dealers and gangsters, with the Red Rose dinner
in 2002 and most recently revelations that Labour's former leader in
Glasgow was interviewed by the SCDEA over links to organised crime.

Following reports in today's News of the World and Sunday Herald that
Lewis Rodden attended a fundraiser for the Scottish Secretary, which also
featured former Defence Secretary John Reid, the SNP put the following
seven questions to the Labour party:"

Hundreds of Hells Angels gang members converge for funeral | Herald Sun

Hundreds of Hells Angels gang members converge for funeral | Herald Sun: "HUNDREDS of Hells Angels gang members from around the world have converged in Adelaide for the funeral of former member George Petropoulos, The Advertiser reported. Mr Petropoulos, 44, died of a heart attack in Sydney last month.
Once charged with murdering three members of an opposition outlaw motorcycle club, Mr Petropoulos was cleared in that 1999 case when prosecutors dropped the charges because witnesses would not testify.
Meanwhile five members of the Hells Angels in town for the funeral were due to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today following a brawl in the city's adult entertainment strip, Hindley St, about 1:45am this morning.
Three men, aged 25, 39 and 40, all from Victoria, a 50-year-old man from the United Kingdom and a 31-year-old South Australian man, were arrested and charged with affray.
SA police allege 10 Hells Angels members confronted a group of five New Boys gang members in a vicious brawl which saw metal poles and chairs used as weapons."

Friday 9 April 2010

'Fagin' gang mutilated kids | The Sun |News

'Fagin' gang mutilated kids | The Sun |News: "Cops say the gang of modern-day Fagins had sneaked 168 kids aged seven to 15 into the country for 'criminal activities'.
Gang members believed disabled children were more likely to evoke pity in passers-by, so maimed their own children to increase their earning potential.
This included deliberately breaking their arms and legs.
Romanian police also confirmed that 17 people were now in custody as a result of raids in the gipsy dominated village of Tandarei in Ialomita county, southern Romania.
Those in custody can be held for up to 29 days while investigations continue before they need to appear in court.
Tandarei, famous for its massive gipsy palaces, was last in the news when locals were found to be running a massive UK benefits fraud.
Police seized documents from the parents authorising gang members to transport the children across borders as well as large amounts of money, much of it in British.
They also found high-powered hunting rifles and machine guns.
Some of the smuggled children have already arrived back in Romania and are being given counselling."

6 suspected gang members arrested in Livermore

6 suspected gang members arrested in Livermore: "alleged Norteño gang members went after people they thought were rival Sureños, but in many cases their targets were innocent Latinos, said Livermore police Lt. Ava Garavatti.
The crimes were committed at the behest of Norteño gang leaders who directed that Sureños be attacked 'on sight,' Garavatti said.
The most serious incident was the Oct. 26 stabbing death of a man near Walnut Street and Livermore Avenue. The victim, whose name wasn't released, was mistaken for a rival gang member, police said. Raul Martinez Jr., 25, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail.
In November, a man waiting at a bus transfer station was beaten after being mistaken for a Sureño, police said. Anna Delarosa, 20, and David Navarro, 26, are being held on suspicion of attempted murder.
Then, in December, a man was stabbed, kicked and punched, again after being wrongly accused of Sureño membership, police said. Ronnie Martinez, 18, and Fernando Perez and Juan Preciado, both 19, were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder."

Goldman seeks to foreclose on Tiger apology resort | Business News | Reuters

Goldman seeks to foreclose on Tiger apology resort | Business News | Reuters: "Goldman Sachs Mortgage Co, which holds the $193 million senior mortgage on the Sawgrass Marriott golf resort, said owner RQB Resort LP filed for bankruptcy protection on March 1, a day before a hearing was scheduled to foreclose on the property, according to court documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Middle District of Florida.
Bankruptcy is often used to head off foreclosure as it bars most creditors from collecting what they are owed.
Goldman said the property today was worth less than the mortgage and that it wanted to sell the resort to recoup its investment, according to court documents. The hearing is set for April 22.
When it filed, RQB Resort listed estimated assets and liabilities of up to $500 million, according to court documents.
The company has not paid Goldman since August 2009, according to the filing.
Tough economic conditions have caused a significant downturn in business spending, including destination business conferences, affecting the company's operations, according to the filing.
The Sawgrass Marriott resort is a 65 acre resort in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and the venue for the public apology by Tiger Woods on Feb. 19."

Teachers charged with smuggling alcohol - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Teachers charged with smuggling alcohol - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "Two school teachers have been charged with smuggling alcohol into a dry community in the remote Kimberley.
Two years ago, Wangkatjungka became the first Aboriginal community in the state where it became illegal to possess or consume alcohol, under section 175 of the liquor act.
Acting on a tip-off, police allege they found alcohol in the two teachers' government house and in their car.
Inspector Jim Cave says it is a disappointing situation.
'We're obviously not very happy. It takes a fair amount of work to get a section 175 up and running.
'Teachers obviously work and live in the community, and we will allege that they were fully aware that they should not have had alcohol in their possession.'"

Mexican Ring Smuggled Hundreds of Pounds of Meth a Month into Southern California : Eastern Group Publications

Mexican Ring Smuggled Hundreds of Pounds of Meth a Month into Southern California : Eastern Group Publications: "Ten people in LA and the Inland Empire were arrested last Thursday, April 1, for alleged involvement with a Mexico-based drug trafficking ring accused of smuggling 200 pounds of methamphetamine every month into Southern California.
According to Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the ring, known as the “Don Chuy Trafficking Organization,” would obtain meth in Mexico and transport it to the U.S. through hidden compartments in false car batteries in vehicles driven across the border. The ring’s alleged leader, Jesus Marquez-Marquez, known as “Don Chuy,” would store the drugs in Tijuana stash houses before it was moved across the border.
The charge they carry has a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison without parole. During the eight-month investigation of the organization, authorities seized 90 pounds of meth, a street value of over $5 million."

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