Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Author: Robert Moran

  • Air Force captain in South Jersey convicted of pursuing sex with person he believed was underage girl

    Air Force captain in South Jersey convicted of pursuing sex with person he believed was underage girl

    A federal jury in New Jersey late last week convicted a Burlington County man in connection with illicit 2024 conversations he had while serving as an Air Force captain with a person he believed was a 14-year-old girl, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazier said Monday.

    Gabriel Perez, 31, of Eastampton Township, faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life after having been found guilty on Friday of attempted enticement and coercion of a minor, Frazier said. Perez also faces up to 10 years in prison for attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.

    Perez, who was indicted in early April, is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 9. The trial lasted five days before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court.

    An attorney representing Perez could not be reached for comment. The Air Force also could not be reached for comment on his status.

    In August 2024, Perez, then a 29-year-old Air Force captain, communicated on a social media platform with a law enforcement officer posing as a 14-year-old girl, investigators said.

    Within around a day of learning the purported girl’s age, Perez expressed interest in sexual contact with the young teen, investigators said.

    On Aug. 28, 2024, Perez sent an obscene photograph of himself to the purported girl and arranged to meet her the next day for sexual contact, investigators said.

    Perez drove to the prearranged meeting location with condoms in his pocket and was arrested, investigators said.

  • A man was critically wounded in a stabbing on a SEPTA bus in North Philly

    A man was critically wounded in a stabbing on a SEPTA bus Friday afternoon in North Philadelphia, police said.

    Around 3:30 p.m., a fight escalated into the stabbing on a Route 54 bus near the intersection of Germantown and Lehigh Avenues, said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.

    The victim, who was stabbed in the neck and torso, ran to a nearby apartment, police said. He was reported in critical condition at Temple University Hospital, police said.

    The victim said he did not know his attacker, police said.

    The suspect, who was wearing a Snoop Dogg shirt, was last seen running from the scene on Germantown Avenue, police said.

  • Mayfair man charged in arson attack against Northeast Philly mosque

    Mayfair man charged in arson attack against Northeast Philly mosque

    A 60-year-old Mayfair man was arrested Thursday and charged in connection with the arson fire last week at a Northeast Philadelphia mosque, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said Thursday.

    On July 5 around 2 a.m., Vincent Lang allegedly threw an incendiary device into the entrance of the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center on the 1400 block of Tyson Avenue. The mosque was unoccupied and no injuries were reported.

    Two days later, investigators received a tip that Lang allegedly was the perpetrator.

    Federal investigators conducted surveillance at Lang’s home and observed his black 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe had handwritten messages on the rear and passenger side windows that included “White Pride” and “F- Islam,” the criminal complaint said.

    The aftermath of a July 5 arson attack at the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center.CAIR

    Stickers on the back of Lang’s vehicle included one that appeared to say “Federal Terrorist Hunting License,” the complaint said.

    Investigators found what they believed was a Facebook account allegedly used by Lang. On July 10, a post was created on the account that included anti-Islamic comments and also a comment using racial slurs about the rape of a young girl.

    Lang also allegedly commented on posts about the arson investigation: “How can it be a hate crime they might have done it out of love,” the comment said with a red heart emoji.

    Lang was charged with one count of maliciously damaging or destroying by means of fire any building or property used in interstate commerce, or attempting to do so.

    If convicted, Lang faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment, Metcalf said.

    After the attack, Masukul Islam Khan, the mosque’s president said: “Our mosque is more than a place of worship. It is a welcoming community center that has served families, neighbors, and people of all backgrounds for many years.”

    He added: “Any act of violence or hatred directed at a house of worship is an attack on the values of safety, religious freedom, and unity that our city cherishes.”

    Metcalf said the case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Arson and Explosives Task Force, with assistance from the FBI, Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office Special Investigations Unit, Philadelphia Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda R. Reinitz and J. Jeanette Kang, with the assistance of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Metcalf said.

  • Guilty pleas, sentences in large Philly region fraud conspiracy involving checks stolen from mail, prosecutors announce

    Guilty pleas, sentences in large Philly region fraud conspiracy involving checks stolen from mail, prosecutors announce

    Federal prosecutors in New Jersey on Thursday announced guilty pleas and prison sentences for five people connected to fraud schemes involving large checks stolen from the mail, including from a postal annex in Camden.

    Juawan Reed, 30, of Sharon Hill, a former postal worker, pleaded guilty on July 15 to charges of conspiring to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, theft of public money, theft of U.S. mail, money laundering, and filing a false income-tax return, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazier said.

    Reed stole checks from the mail while he worked at the U.S. Postal Service Camden Carrier Annex, prosecutors said.

    Reed sold checks or provided them to two other conspirators who advertised some of the stolen checks on social media or resold them to others, prosecutors said.

    In one 2022 example, Reed stole a $686,541.88 U.S. Treasury check payable to a business in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Reed then provided the check to a conspirator, Christopher Hayman, 30, of Philadelphia, who then posed as the CEO of the business to open a bank account. Hayman then withdrew a substantial portion of the money before the bank was able to detect the fraud and closed the account, prosecutors said.

    Hayman pleaded guilty on July 14 conspiring to commit bank fraud, Frazier said.

    Reed admitted that he created and used a stolen identity to open financial accounts, which he used to launder some of the fraud proceeds, prosecutors said. He also admitted that he failed to report on his tax returns “hundreds of thousands of dollars that he earned from his crimes,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

    Reed admitted that the bank fraud conspiracy caused more than $2.4 million in actual losses and was intended to fraudulently obtain more than $20 million, prosecutors said.

    Also as part of the fraud scheme, checks were stolen from blue mail collection boxes, and counterfeit version of stolen checks were created, and stolen checks were altered to increase their value, prosecutors said.

    In a separate part of the conspiracy, fraudulent debit cards were created that led to more than $400,000 in actual losses for victims and intended losses exceeding $1.5 million.

    On June 22, Tyree Holmes, 34, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud.

    Kharon Parson-Wright, 28, of Marlton, was sentenced on June 22 to 57 months imprisonment, after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    Yasmene Johnson, 29, of Marlton, was sentenced on May 12 to 57 months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    Reed is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 17. Hayman is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 16, and Holmes on Oct. 27.

  • Police officer ‘legally justified’ in shooting of Pottstown man, Chester County DA says

    Police officer ‘legally justified’ in shooting of Pottstown man, Chester County DA says

    A police officer in Chester County was “legally justified under Pennsylvania law” when he shot a 40-year-old man who allegedly stole his police vehicle and attempted to hit the officer with it last month, the District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

    Joshua McFadden, who was shot in the shoulder by the East Coventry Township officer, was charged Thursday with aggravated assault, robbery of a motor vehicle, burglary, possession of methamphetamine, and related offenses.

    Court records did not show a lawyer representing McFadden, who is listed as a Pottstown resident. The officer who shot him was not identified.

    “Following a comprehensive review of the evidence, investigators determined that the officer’s use of force was legally justified under Pennsylvania law,” the Chester County District Attorney’s Office said.

    On the afternoon of June 22, North Coventry Township police went to a Lowe’s Home Improvement store to investigate a prior retail theft. They saw a suspect, later identified as McFadden, exiting the store, according to an investigative report released by District Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe.

    McFadden entered his vehicle, a Silver Infiniti QX30, and was approached by a detective for questioning, the report said. “Am I going to jail?” McFadden allegedly asked before starting his car and fleeing the parking lot.

    The North Coventry police did not pursue McFadden, the report said.

    McFadden allegedly crashed into another vehicle on Pennsylvania Route 724 and ran into the woods on foot.

    A uniformed North Coventry officer responding to the crash tried to catch McFadden and allegedly heard McFadden threaten to shoot the officer, the report said. The officer lost sight of McFadden in the woods.

    Police later learned McFadden allegedly entered the home on the 200 block of Pearl Street and demanded a glass of water and the use of the homeowner’s phone to call his wife, investigators said. He left when a family member arrived and told him to leave.

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    That evening, an East Coventry Township police officer saw McFadden in the area of Kline and Lindberg Avenues and exited his vehicle to stop him.

    After a short pursuit in the neighborhood, McFadden allegedly made his way back to the police officer’s patrol vehicle and attempted to steal it, the report said.

    The officer returned to his vehicle from the front and McFadden allegedly “hit the gas” and “revved the engine.” The patrol vehicle moved forward and the officer fired one shot, the report said.

    “Pennsylvania law makes clear that police may use deadly force to protect themselves and others from death or serious bodily injury,” the report said

    During the immediate search and investigation that day, police learned that McFadden had active warrants.

    McFadden allegedly told police later that he had used methamphetamines about two hours before he first encountered the police, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

  • 4 wounded when gunfire erupts in Southwest Philly, police say

    4 wounded when gunfire erupts in Southwest Philly, police say

    Four people were wounded when gunfire erupted at a basketball court Monday night in Southwest Philadelphia, police said.

    The shooting happened at the James Finnegan Playground around 8:20 p.m. near 69th Street and Guyer Avenue in the city’s Elmwood section, police said.

    The location was initially reported as South 68th and Harley Streets, next to the Paschall Playground, which is nearby the other playground.

    Three victims, ages 18 and 19 and 20, were shot in the lower parts of their body, said Inspector D.F. Pace. Two of the victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. The third victim was transported by private vehicle to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

    All three were listed in stable condition, Pace said.

    A 40-year-old man mowing a residential lawn was hit in the face with what was believed to be a fragment of a bullet that ricocheted off something, Pace said.

    That man was treated at the scene.

    Three persons of interest were taken into custody and a car with three guns, including a long gun, was being held by police, Pace said.

    A fourth gun was found near the basketball court, he said.

    There was no early indication of a motive.

  • Retired cop in South Jersey charged with sex assault of underage girl

    Retired cop in South Jersey charged with sex assault of underage girl

    A 67-year-old retired South Jersey police officer has been charged with sexually assaulting an underage girl, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said Friday.

    Louis J. Baselice, who worked for the Haddonfield Police Department, was taken into custody Tuesday at the Maple Shade Police Department and was being held in the Burlington County Jail pending a detention hearing, Bradshaw said.

    Baselice was a school resource officer from 2005 to 2009, the Haddonfield Police Department said in a statement on social media.

    He has not served with the Haddonfield police for more than a decade, the department said.

    “During his time here, the department received no complaints or reports of any wrongdoing,” the department said.

    The investigation began after acquaintances of the girl reported the alleged sexual abuse, Bradshaw said.

    According to investigators, Baselice allegedly purchased an electric scooter and cell phone for the girl, among other items, and provided her with a credit-card number so she could order food, Bradshaw said.

    Additional details of the case are being withheld to shield the identity of the girl, Bradshaw said.

    Baselice was charged with second-degree sexual assault and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

    Anyone with information that could help investigators can call the special victims unit of the prosecutor’s office at 609-265-5035 or send an email to tips@co.burlington.nj.us.

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  • Man wanted for Puerto Rico homicide arrested in Philadelphia

    Man wanted for Puerto Rico homicide arrested in Philadelphia

    A 25-year-old man wanted in Puerto Rico in connection with a homicide was arrested Thursday in Philadelphia, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

    Keimy Colon-Medina was arrested on the 500 block of East Godfrey Avenue in the city’s Crescentville section, the U.S. Marshals Service in Philadelphia said.

    Colon-Medina allegedly was involved with a homicide by firearm on Jan. 28 in Patillas, a beach town on the southeast corner of the island territory, the agency said.

    A murder warrant was issued June 9 and assigned to the U.S. Marshals Puerto Rico Fugitive Task Force. The arrest in Philadelphia was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and Philadelphia police.

    No further information about the case was immediately available.

  • A South Jersey K-9 sergeant is charged in the death of two dogs in hot patrol vehicle

    A South Jersey K-9 sergeant is charged in the death of two dogs in hot patrol vehicle

    A sergeant with the Salem County Sheriff’s Office has been charged in connection with the deaths of two K-9 dogs who were left for seven hours in an unattended hot patrol vehicle, prosecutors said Wednesday.

    Cody Henderson, 41, was charged Tuesday with two counts of recklessly causing bodily injury to a living animal, and related offenses, including unnecessary cruelty to animals, Salem County Prosecutor Kristin J. Telsey said.

    According to the complaint filed against Henderson, surveillance video showed the K-9 handler arriving to work on May 29 shortly before 8:30 a.m. in his county issued 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe with Rip, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, and Boomer, a 6-year-old springer spaniel.

    Henderson did not return to the vehicle until just after 3:30 p.m. and found both dogs dead in his patrol vehicle, prosecutors said.

    He then transported the two dogs to an animal hospital in Delaware, prosecutors said.

    Later that evening, the sheriff’s office notified the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office about the K-9 deaths.

    Necropsies conducted on both dogs determined that they likely died from heat stroke with no evidence of other causes, prosecutors said.

    There was no evidence that a K-9 heat alarm “Hot-N-Pop” device in the vehicle malfunctioned, and that it was “presumably turned off on the above date,” the complaint said.

    The “Hot-N-Pop” device lowers windows and triggers sirens and flashing lights if the interior of a vehicle is too hot.

    Henderson could be reached for comment.

    In a statement posted on social media, Salem County Sheriff Charles M. Miller wrote that Henderson had been charged in connection with the “deaths of his assigned canine partners.”

    Rip and Boomer “exemplified the highest standards of service, loyalty, and dedication. Their contributions to public safety and their commitment to duty will not be forgotten. The loss of these loyal partners has had a profound impact on our agency, our law enforcement community, and the citizens they faithfully served,” Miller said.

    “We continue to honor the memory and service of Rip and Boomer and extend our thoughts to all those affected by this tragic loss,” Miller said.

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  • Police investigating after a man in Roxborough dies from puncture wounds to the chest

    Police investigating after a man in Roxborough dies from puncture wounds to the chest

    Police on Wednesday were investigating the death of a man who suffered puncture wounds to his chest Wednesday afternoon in the city’s Roxborough section, police said.

    Around 2 p.m., police responded to the 400 block of Ripka Street for a report of an injury. The victim was transported by medics to Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:45 p.m.

    Homicides detectives were investigating the case and a man was being questioned, police said.

    No further information was released.