Category : illegal possession of a weapon

Football Star May Face Further Gun Charges

Following his arrest last November for two counts of felony gun possession, New York Giants wide-receiver Plaxico Burress‘ home was searched by law enforcement last week where they seized weapons and clothing that could lead to additional illegal possession of weapons charges.

Burress Accidentally Shot Himself with Illegal Firearm

On Nov. 8, 2008 Burress unintentionally shot himself in the leg while attending a Manhattan night club. After a subsequent trip to the hospital, local police caught up with him and found that he had no proof of legal ownership for the gun he had shot himself with.

Police Seize Additional Firearms

When police searched Burress’ New Jersey home last week they seized the following items:

• 9mm handgun
• .30-06-caliber rifle
• a clip for a .45 gun
• ammunition
• Sneakers worn by Burress during the accidental shooting

Burress was not present during the search but his wife and attorney were.

Police Yet to Determine Legal Ownership of Firearms

Police investigators are trying to determine whether the weapons are registered, so it is unclear whether Burress will face additional charges.

Police detective Dennis Blakely, who lead the search commented, “He’s not around, we don’t have any paperwork for the weapons, so we’ll have to find out.”

Burress Faces Lengthy Prison Term

Burress currently faces two counts of second degree criminal possession of a gun.  If convicted of both charges he would face a:

• Minimum 3-and-a-half year prison term
• Maximum 15 year prison term

Burress Suspended and Scrutinized

In addition to criminal charges, Burress was suspended for the remainder of the NFL season and has faced a large amount of public scrutiny. The incident has also sparked a gun law debate by many who feel that while Burress obviously displayed very poor judgment, the punishment he faces is unjustified.

(Source: CNN)

Have you been charged with a crime? If so, contact us today to talk to an experienced criminal law attorney who will provide you with the legal support you need to get your charges reduced, if not dropped altogether.

Maryland Men Charged with Armed Robbery

Four men from Ellicott City, Maryland have been charged with five felonies for their alleged roles in a recent robbery of a Pizza Hut in Clarksville, Maryland.

Hugo Perez, 30, Pablo Ramos, 30, Adan Ramos, 27, and Tulio Sandoval, 19, were indicted on the following criminal charges:

• Armed robbery
• Assault
• Theft
• Weapons violations
• Reckless endangerment

According to authorities, these four men all live together in eastern Maryland.

Jose Lopez, 33, a fifth man allegedly involved in the robbery, will also be charged at a later time for his role in the crimes. Lopez, who now has an arrest warrant out, is currently being treated for a gun wound at an area critical care center. Police have stated that Lopez accidentally shot himself in the leg while fleeing the scene in the getaway car.

Details of the Crimes

This pizza place robbery occurred at around 10 p.m. when masked and armed gunmen entered the eatery and corralled all five employees into a backroom freezer. No customers were in the restaurant at the time of the incident, nor was any innocent employee hurt.

While employees were locked away, the robbers proceeded to take all of the money out of the registers and the office safe. They then departed in a white SUV that had been parked outside.

Employee Alerted Police on Cell Phone

Authorities became aware of the robbery when an employee, still locked in the freezer, called 911 from his cell phone and described the robbers, as well as their getaway car, to operators.

Within minutes, a nearby patrolling officer spotted the getaway vehicle and continued to tail it until other patrols could come to backup a traffic stop.

Following the stop, police found both money and guns in the car. All men in the SUV were arrested on the spot.

(Source: The Baltimore Sun)

Have you been charged with a crime? If so, contact us today to talk to an experienced professional who will provide you with the legal support you need to get your charges reduced, if not dropped altogether.

Connecticut Student's Criminal Charges Settled

Christian Haughwout, a 14-year old freshman student, was charged with illegal possession of a weapon and a series of other crimes after converting a throwaway camera into a taser-like weapon and bringing it to school.

In April 2008, Christian was suspended from The Morgan School in Clinton, Connecticut and was officially charged with:

• Possession of a weapon on school property
• Attempted assault
• Disturbing the peace

Following Christian’s suspension, the Haughwout family challenged the School District’s actions in court and eventually worked out a deal that permitted Christian to return to the school.

Event Sparked National Debate

However, this was only the first battle the Haughwout family would face and overcome, as Christian’s taser has also sparked both a criminal and civil trial within the Connecticut courts. Similarly, Christian’s case has triggered a national debate over whether the school and police overreacted or handled the situation appropriately.

Criminal Charges against Christian

The three criminal indictments Christian faced have recently been settled by Kim Coleman, Christian’s defense lawyer, and the U.S. District Attorney.

Although Christian’s file is sealed (due to the fact that he is a minor), Coleman has stated that Christian and his family are incredibly happy over the outcome of Christian’s criminal case.

Mother Files Federal Suit against Connecticut Police

With the settlement of Christian’s criminal case, Carolyn Vangemert, Christian’s mother, has just filed a federal lawsuit, alleging that an area policeman:

• Wrongfully arrested her son at the time of his controversial taser incident
• Inaccurately characterized Christian’s “taser” as a deadly weapon, placing him at the center of controversy that drew national audiences.

In defense, Stunjo and his lawyers argue that the officer’s response was appropriate, as the information he had received necessitated immediate action. The presence of “speedy information” in a case legally allows police to make arrests without first having to secure an arrest warrant.

Arguments for Vangemert’s civil lawsuit are currently ongoing. A decision and potential settlement for this case aren’t expected to be handed down until early 2009.

(Source: The Hartford Courant)

Have you been charged with a crime? If so, contact us today to talk to an experienced criminal attorney who will provide you with the legal support you need to get your charges reduced, if not dropped altogether.