Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Authorities have filed additional criminal charges in Los Angeles against a man investigators liken to fictional secret agent Jason Bourne.

The L.A. Times reports that prosecutors have filed additional counterfeiting and weapons charges in Los Angeles against the man, who spent six weeks on the run after making a dramatic escape from a downtown loft overlooking the Federal Reserve building. In all, the man faces seven new felony counts, including forgery and drug charges, under an amended criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The 34-year-old New Jersey resident had already been charged with possession of an AK-47 assault rifle, manufacture of a short- barrel shotgun and possession of firearms by a felon. He has pleaded not guilty to all 10 felony charges against him. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

Authorities likened him to the fictional Jason Bourne after he evaded police by jumping down a fire escape from his downtown L.A. loft. After six weeks on the run, he was arrested without incident on June 3 at his girlfriend's hotel room in Little Tokyo. Investigators, who say the defendant has several different looks, report he was sporting close-cropped hair dyed auburn and fingers covered in glue to avoid leaving fingerprints.

The case began in late April after a neighbor called firefighters to report fumes coming from the penthouse. Police broke down the door in time to see a man escaping through a window carrying a duffel bag. Inside the $3,400 a month loft, police found sophisticated counterfeiting equipment and a collection of weapons, including the AK-47. Investigators also reported finding $15,000 in counterfeit $100 bills, a camera tripod, and a formula for Molotov cocktails written on the wall. A mosaic of the CIA seal was found on the floor.

Police have not determined why the defendant was so close to the Federal Reserve building on Grand Avenue, which the loft overlooked.

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The Mexican government is seeking the extradition of a television producer accused in the death of his wife, CNN reports.

A Los Angeles federal criminal defense attorney should be sought whenever a defendant faces charges in federal court. The rules and laws of federal court are entirely different from those in state court. An attorney with experience in defending clients in federal court will be best able to provide an aggressive defense. Los Angeles defendants facing extradition also have specific rights under the law.

In this case, Mexican Attorney General Francisco Alor said he has a "very concrete" case against former "Survivor" producer Bruce Beresford-Redman, who is wanted for the death of his wife at a Cancun resort. The request must go through the U.S. State Department in Washington and then to the Justice Department, before it would pass to a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, the defendant is living with his children in Los Angeles.

Once the request arrives in L.A., the U.S. Attorney's Office here would ask a federal magistrate to issue an arrest warrant. A defense lawyer could then choose to fight extradition. His attorney has indicated that will happen, claiming Mexican officials have engaged in a rush to judgment in this case. The defendant was briefly detained after his wife's body was found in a sewer at the resort on April 8. His passport was confiscated and he was told not to leave Mexico. However, he returned to Los Angles last month without the knowledge of investigators, CNN reported.

The initial investigation suggested his wife died of strangulation. CNN reported that the wife had cleaned out the family bank account and took the children to Hawaii because she was upset about her husband's extramarital affair. The couple had reportedly been in Cancun in an attempt to repair their marriage.

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A hacker is facing charges in connection with Los Angeles computer crimes after authorities allege he extorted women and teenagers girls into providing sexually explicit videos, the Associated Press reports.

The digital age has brought an entirely new class of criminal charges to the forefront of criminal defense. Hiring a Los Angeles defense lawyer experienced in handling computer crimes is vital to ensuring a defendant's rights are protected.

In this case, the 31-year-old Santa Ana defendant was arrested at his home by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He faces an extortion charge that carries a maximum federal prison sentence of two years, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Authorities allege that he extorted women and teenage girls into providing sexually explicit videos by threatening to release their personal data. He made an appearance in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday and was released on a $10,000 unsecured appearance bond. Conditions of his release include home detention and no computer use. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also put a detainer on him and will take him into custody as an illegal alien.

The alleged crime was sophisticated; authorities report that the defendant studied several computer languages, including Java and C++. Some victims have been identified and most are believed to be from the Southern California area. Although victim could be located elsewhere in the world. Authorities allege that the defendant found the victims on peer-to-peer networks in which users share files and communications pathways. He is accused of sending out files disguised as popular songs, but which contained malicious computer code. The code then spread to other computers through instant messaging.

Once he had control of their computers, he searched for sexually explicit images of the women. He also hacked e-mail accounts and posed as boyfriends requesting images. Occasionally, authorities say he was even able to turn on web cams and record explicit images without the user's knowledge. He is then accused of contacting some of the victims and threatening to distribute the videos unless they made more videos for him.

Investigators believe more than 100 computers were infected, involving about 230 people, including at least 44 minors.

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Drunk driving offenses in Los Angeles are in the news this week after a former NFL star was arrested on a DUI charge and a report was released detailing nearly three dozen alcohol-related incidents involving L.A. County sheriff's deputies.

Former NFL running back Corey Dillon has pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor drunk driving charges in Southern California, according to the Associated Press. The former Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots star was arrested in northwestern Los Angeles County.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times released a report claiming that 33 alcohol-related incidents have involved sheriff's deputies through May of this year. The allegations include:

-An off-duty sheriff's deputy arrested on suspicion of drunk driving with her children in the car -- She was arrested months later on another DUI charge. And then she was arrested a third time for allegedly negligently shooting her firearm while off-duty and under the influence of alcohol.

-An on-duty officer who allegedly caused a car accident while under the influence of alcohol.

-An off-duty officer who was arrested for allegedly driving a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit. She reportedly asked the arresting officer to be let off the hook.

Hiring a Los Angeles DUI defense attorney can have a significant impact on a drunk driving case. An experienced attorney will frequently be able to challenge evidence in your case, including the results of field sobriety tests and breathalyzer examinations. In other instances, the probable cause of a car stop and/or the admissibility of seized evidence may be challenged. When an attorney is successful, charges are often reduced or dismissed.

Fighting a DUI charge is more important than ever before. The tiered nature of penalties faced by DUI defendants means having a charge on your record exposes you to the serious risk of jail time or increased punishment in the event of another offense. Of course, no one plans on being charged with drunk driving once, let alone twice. But defendants face good chances of defending against a first-time DUI offense. While those with a DUI offense on their record face an increased likelihood of being stopped by law enforcement and rearrested for a subsequent offense.

Meanwhile, job loss can result from being convicted of drunk driving, particularly for those who must drive as part of their job, including commercial drivers, law enforcement and even postal employees.

The best defense against a Los Angeles drunk driving charge is a good offense.

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A 44-year-old woman is facing murder charges in Los Angeles in connection with the death of an aspiring actress two years ago, the L.A. Times reports.

The woman's 34-year-old roommate was also arrested but the district attorney's office has declined to charge him pending further investigation. Authorities have said little about the woman's connection to the slain model and have not released a potential motive, claiming the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are possible. It also remains unclear how she was connected to the slaying nearly two years after the crime.

But the case illustrates the importance of contacting a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney as early as possible if you believe you are being investigated or could be criminally charged. Few cases are as zealously investigated and prosecuted as murder, even in Los Angeles where hundreds of cases go uncharged each year. Murder charges are possible years or even decades after a crime. While it remains unclear, what, if anything, the roommate had to do with the case, prosecutors and investigators can certainly be counted on to attempt to force those surrounding a case to cooperate. Often authorities may threaten criminal charges are use other tactics to force someone to cooperate.

Consulting an aggressive and experienced defense attorney is the only viable means of protecting your rights. Authorities have one job: To gather evidence of guilt and prosecute those responsible. Your attorney will be the only person able to fight for your rights and ensure that you are protected under the law.

The arrests were made last week in Camarillo and the defendant in the case was scheduled to be arraigned this week in Los Angeles on one county of murder. She faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

The crime sent shockwaves through the tony community along Santa Monica Boulevard and Centinela Avenue. The Arizona native had moved to Los Angeles to pursue work as an actress and model. She had appeared in Maxim magazine before her death and was working at a tapas bar in Venice.

Police responded to her condo after her mother called from Tucson to report her daughter was not returning phone calls. Her body showed signs of physical assault.

Santa Monica police report devoting thousands of hours to the investigation, working in concert with local state and federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Dynasty Actor James Farentino has been arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge after authorities claim he attempted to physically remove a man from his home, the Associated Press reported.

The circumstances of this case are unclear. But, from the perspective of a Los Angeles defense lawyer experienced in handling assault and battery charges, Farentino should not be convicted of battery. He has every right to make someone to leave his home and may use force if necessary as an act of self defense.

However, media reports indicate that the man called police and invoked his right to make a citizen's arrest. Unless the 72-year-old Farentino is under some sort of court-ordered guardianship for health and welfare reasons, we find it unlikely that he could be convicted of battery for attempting to force someone to leave his home when the person refused to leave voluntarily. If mental health is an issue, a defense attorney will also take that into account in arguing for a dismissal of this case.

Farentino spent the night and jail and was released on $20,000 bail.

The California assault and battery charge was filed as simple misdemeanor battery. Assault and battery can be either a misdemeanor or felony and is one of the most overused laws on the books. Authorities in L.A. frequently charge someone with battery in order to end a confrontational situation after being called to the scene of an argument. Self-defense is a viable argument against an assault and battery charge.

Under California law, assault and battery can be charged as a felony, and may even count as a strike under California's Three Strikes Law. Sex crimes, assault on a police officer, the use of a deadly weapon and the extent of a victim's injuries may all contribute to an assault or battery charge being elevated to a felony.

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A California man has been arrested on a stalking charge in Los Angeles for allegedly trying to sneak into the gated community of Disney stars Aly and AJ Michalka, E! News reports.

Stalking charges can be very serious and should always be handled by an experienced Los Angeles defense lawyer. Often, such charges are filed among former couples. But celebrity stalking cases frequently occur in the Los Angeles area. Sometimes stalking charges are filed with complete justification, and sometimes a defendant or fan faces very serious criminal allegations simply because a celebrity (who is in the business of courting attention) jumps to an unfair conclusion.

In either case, a defendant is unlikely to be given the benefit of the doubt by law enforcement, particularly when a celebrity is involved. Under California Law (PC 646.9(a)) authorities must prove that a defendant acted willfully, maliciously and repeatedly in conduct that harasses another person and makes a credible threat.

The Los Angeles sheriff's department reports the man was taken into custody after security guards saw him wandering around near the sister's Calabasas home in violation of a restraining order the sisters had taken out against him. He was charged with a misdemeanor for disobeying the court order but was slapped with a felony stalking charge.

It is not the first case involving the siblings. An Ohio man was arrested in 2008 after repeated attempts to contact the sisters by phone calls, letters and e-mails and for allegedly making online threats. The siblings, ages 19 and 21, have starred in a number of TV roles on "Phil of the Future" and "Super Sweet 16:The Movie." Their 2005 debut album "Into the Rush" went platinum.

Last week, a Florida man was found guilty of felony stalking and burglary charges in a case involving Olympic star Shawn Johnson. He was found to be legally insane at the time of his arrest and sentenced to a mental hospital.

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Congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers on winning their 16th NBA title. However, the Times reports that police arrested at least 12 people for a variety of crimes, including public drunkenness, vandalism and inciting a riot. One person was arrested and charged with assault on a police officer.

Anyone who was arrested outside the Staples Center should contact a Los Angeles defense lawyer. It is unlikely that the state will be able to prove most of these charges. Despite a heavy police presence, fans naturally took to the street in celebration. Frequently in such cases, police become overwhelmed and a few bad apples ruin the party for everyone. When that happens, authorities are apt to arrest whoever they can get their hands on.

The Times reports that some in the crowd threw bottles, smashed marquees, jumped on vehicles, broke windows and set dumpster fires along Figueroa and Flower streets near the Staples Center. At least one person was injured in a fight and an L.A. Sheriff's department vehicle struck a bicyclist. One officer reportedly suffered a broken nose but no one was seriously injured.

While we don't condone those who used the celebration as an excuse to be violent or destructive, it seems equally absurd that the LAPD declared an unlawful assembly moments after the game ended -- at a location where tens of thousands of people had ... lawfully assembled.

Hundreds of officers in patrol cars, on foot and on horseback moved in to clear the streets and break up the crowds. Some fans were seen urging others to act appropriately and celebrate peacefully. By 11 p.m., the celebration began to ease -- indicating this was certainly not a night of carnage.

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