Results tagged “federal court” from Inland Empire Courts

By Stacia Glenn on November 18, 2008 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

(AP) -- A man who was convicted of murdering four people and sentenced to death for one of the murders has filed a notice of appeal in federal court.

Joseph Edward Duncan III was given three death sentences and three life imprisonment sentences in federal court earlier this year for the 205 kidnapping, sexual abuse and torture of 9-year-old Dylan Groene and 8-year-old Shasta Groene, and for Dylan's murder.

He was also given three life imprisonment sentences in state court for the murder of their older brother, Slade Groene, their mother, Brenda Groene, and her fiance, Mark McKenzie.

By Lauren McSherry, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 11/14/2008 12:04:53 AM PST

Three environmental groups have announced they intend to sue a federal agency for slashing critical habitat protection for the endangered San Bernardino kangaroo rat.

"The whole point of critical habitat is to recover the species to viable population levels," said Ileene Anderson, a biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity. "We just felt it's an outrage that the Bush administration would make these substantial cuts that have no basis in science."

The Center for Biological Diversity, the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society and Friends of the Northern San Jacinto Valley sent a letter notifying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday that they intend to file the lawsuit.

Lori Consalvo, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 11/10/2008 10:04:46 PM PST

A Rancho Cucamonga couple are facing a 75-count federal indictment on charges of bribery, money laundering and other charges for accepting payments to adjust the immigration status of aliens, officials said.

Constantine Kallas, a senior attorney with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and his wife, Maria Kallas, were originally arrested on June 26, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

They were originally indicted July 9 on charges of bribery and aiding and abetting. But further investigation led to more charges. The 75 counts, which were added by a federal grand jury on Oct. 29, include fraud and misuse of entry documents, false statements on foreign labor-certification petitions and federal workers' compensation fraud, Eimiller said.

Riverside County prosecutors intend to extradite convicted child killer Joseph Edward Duncan and try him in the death of a 10-year-old Beaumont boy, despite objections from the father of one of Duncan's other victims.

Earlier this week, a federal judge in Idaho sentenced Duncan to three life prison terms for kidnapping and sexually abusing two children. Those federal terms were in addition to three more life terms, imposed the same day in state court, for the murders of the children's mother, her fiance and the children's 13-year-old brother.

Duncan was sentenced to death in August for the kidnapping, sexual exploitation and murder of 9-year-old Dylan Groene in 2005. The 45-year-old convicted pedophile also kidnapped the boy's younger sister.

Meanwhile, Riverside County prosecutors have been waiting for their chance to prosecute Duncan on charges in the abduction and death of Anthony Martinez.

November 4, 2008 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOISE (AP) -- The father of Dylan and Shasta Groene says the man who kidnapped his children and received three death sentences should not be tried for additional crimes he is accused in a California slaying.

Ten-year-old Anthony Martinez of Indio was abducted and killed in 1997.

Steve Groene says another trial for convicted child-killer Joseph Duncan could subject the family of that child to the same type of graphic evidence his family had to endure.

Jurors watched a horrifying video Duncan made of his sexually abusing, torturing and hanging Dylan until the boy lost consciousness.

Dylan and then 8-year-old Shasta were taken from their Coeur d'Alene home in 2005. Shasta was rescued after a waitress recognized her at a restaurant.

Duncan received three death penalties in August for the kidnapping, torture and murder of 9-year-old Dylan.

For more details, read:

Child-killer Duncan gets 6 life sentences

By Stacia Glenn on November 3, 2008 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

A federal judge in Idaho has sentenced convicted child killer Joseph Duncan, who is also wanted for the kidnapping and killing of a 10-year-old Beaumont boy, to three life prison terms for kidnapping and sexually abusing two children.

Those federal terms imposed today are in addition to three more life terms imposed the same day in state court for the murders of the children's mother, her fiance and the children's 13-year-old brother.

Duncan was sentenced to death in August for the 2005 kidnapping, sexual exploitation and murder of 9-year-old Dylan Groene (GROAN'-ee). The 45-year-old convicted pedophile also kidnapped the boy's younger sister.

Jason Pesick, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 10/27/2008 09:29:26 PM PDT

A state appeals court ruled Monday that San Bernardino County violated its own policies and state law in 2005 when it approved a development project in Lake Arrowhead.

The Fourth Appellate District court's Riverside division sided with the Center for Biological Diversity, Save Our Forest Association, San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society and the Sierra Club Mountains Group that the Board of Supervisors erred when approving the 57-lot Blue Ridge Estates.

"There are issues that are unique to the mountains that were not properly dealt with here," said Douglas Carstens, a lawyer with the Santa Monica firm Chatten-Brown and Carstens, which represented the groups suing the county and Hawarden Development Co.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department may have reached a settlement with a Muslim woman who sued and alleged her religious freedom was violated when she was forced to remove a head scarf while being booked at a county jail in 2005.

A document filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, by lawyers for the Sheriff's Department says a settlement was reached in the matter. Sheriff's officials confirmed Tuesday that its Civil Liabilities Division is aware of the document.

"But nothing has been finalized yet," said Sgt. Dave Phelps, a department spokesman. The department's position is that the settlement is not yet completed, and he could not comment further.

Here's another update from Sun Staff Writer Stacia Glenn, who cover public safety issues, about six men who were sentenced in federal court in connection with a cigarette scheme.

By Stacia Glenn on October 1, 2008 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Six Inland Empire men pleaded guilty Tuesday for trafficking contraband cigarettes into the area and cheating the state out of more than $908,000 in taxes.

Ali Salem Abdelhadi of Hesperia; Ghaleb Salem Almasad of Hesperia; Ahmad Salem Almasad of Hesperia; Samir Jamil Jaber of Corona; and Adnan Bawaneh of Victorville all pleaded guilty in Riverside Federal Court to conspiracy and trafficking contraband cigarettes. Adel Muhammed Shahin of Rancho Cucamonga pleaded guilty to conspiracy and smuggling goods into the United States.

A federal judge has set the sentencing date for convicted child molester Joseph Edward Duncan III in an federal capital case in Idaho for later this fall.

Duncan is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 3 on a jury's recommendation of the death penalty for the 2005 kidnapping, torture and murder of a northern Idaho boy, according to federal court records. Jurors deliberated only three hours before reaching their decision.

Riverside County prosecutors have been waiting for their chance to prosecute Duncan on charges stemming from the 1997 abduction and death of 10-year-old Anthony Martinez, of Beaumont.