I Love Snitches
This month celebrates the end of Bonnie and Clyde's violent rampage at the hands of the FBI 74 years ago. Guess how they were lured into the FBI's snare? If you think a snitch had something to do with it, you're exactly right. Snitches are beautiful creatures that respond so well to that selfish tendency to look out for number one. A smaller variety of snitch simply kicks into survival mode when faced with no alternative. Whatever the motive, I love snitches.
Well, let me clarify that. I love snitches that augment criminal investigations; the girl who times your lunch and tattles to the boss when you're five minutes late...not too much love for her.
Anyway, you can read about Bonnie and Clyde's adventures if you like, but I'm most interested in the snitching part. The two the FBI calls America's most notorious crime couple associated with the Methvin family of Louisiana. After a bit of convincing, the Methvins decided to join the good guys and help catch Bonnie and Clyde.
Well, let me clarify that. I love snitches that augment criminal investigations; the girl who times your lunch and tattles to the boss when you're five minutes late...not too much love for her.
Anyway, you can read about Bonnie and Clyde's adventures if you like, but I'm most interested in the snitching part. The two the FBI calls America's most notorious crime couple associated with the Methvin family of Louisiana. After a bit of convincing, the Methvins decided to join the good guys and help catch Bonnie and Clyde.
On May 23, 1934, officers hid in the bushes along a dirt road near Gibsland, Louisiana. Around nine a.m., Bonnie and Clyde drove up in their tan Ford. They slowed at the sight of their family friend, Ivy Methvin standing next to his truck that appeared broken down. Seconds later, Ivy jumped aside and the officers opened fire, killing Bonnie and Clyde instantly. Bravo, Mr. Methvin!
Law enforcement uses snitches in almost every type of investigation you can think of. Sometimes, informants are paid while others broker better sentencing deals for themselves, or complete immunity occasionally. Of course snitching is dangerous and provisions are in place to protect the informant as best as possible. Snitching is a death sentence on the streets, as you can imagine.
Still, people are willing and crooks know this. It makes for a healthy dose of paranoia on the dark side.
The Devil's Alive and Well in New York City
Judith Leekin adopted 12 disabled children. Noble, huh? Yeah. She then used their monthly subsidy checks for…herself. Tax payers are out $1.6 million intended to feed, clothe and care for handicapped kids in New York, officials said. Instead of diligently using the funds as they’re intended, The FBI’s investigation resulted in a guilty plea to mail and wire fraud from Leekin yesterday. She could face up to 40 years in prison and a minimum $250,000 fine. Music to my ears.
Leekin ran this scheme for nearly 20 years, having adopted the children from 1988 – 1996 and only being discovered as a filthy crook in 2007. How so, you wonder? After adoptions of special needs kids are formalized, most states only require continued paperwork to receive the monthly checks, not home visits. Leekin cooked up fraudulent report cards for seven of the children, none of which ever attended school. She also submitted fake annual certification forms, among other things.
New York pays disabled subsidies to adoptive parents monthly for children through their 21st birthday, regardless of the new family's income. The adoptive family does not even have to live in New York to receive the funds. Leekin had recently moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida, where she enjoyed a tropical estate while her children lived in a locked basement storage room.
I don’t know which is worse, the fact that she had 11 kids in her custody and used the money for herself or that she kicked the twelfth one out of her home in 2000 and continued accepting that child’s subsidies for seven more years, until she was discovered.
Who would let one woman adopt 12 disabled kids in the first place? Leekin misrepresented herself to authorities, using fake names, lying about her living conditions and the children she’d already adopted. Apparently, she’s either a real smooth operator or – surprise – there’s something inherently broken about the Department of Child Services, maybe a combination of both.
All I can say is, 1) I tried to adopt a dog and was rejected because I work full-time, this after I’d signed an application agreeing to spontaneous home visits up to one year post adoption, and 2) I know what happens to child abusers in prison. That makes me smile. Watch your back, Judith, literally.
Delete China
Have you received an official email urging donations to China earthquake relief funds, conveniently processed by PayPal? DELETE! The FBI reports the latest email scam targets the generosity of Americans who want to help Chinese earthquake victims.
The messages look very legitimate, as most e-scams do, including exact logos of PayPal and other trusted sites. Clicking on these links will redirect you to the crook's fraudulent cyber front, where you'll enter your PayPal info or other financial data to their delight.
The FBI advises the usual preventative measures for avoiding this email scam, such as deleting mail from unknown senders and never opening mysterious attachments, no matter how official they seem. Full story.
Spread the word to your network and make sure no one you care about gets taken advantage of.
Your Gas Tank is at Risk
If you live in America, you know all about the climbing price of gas. But, what about the nationwide crime trend born out of it? Crooks are puncturing gas tanks and draining your gas into buckets. In my jurisdiction, they mostly resell the gas at half the market price, although some use the gas themselves.SUVs are prime targets since they sit higher off the ground, making it easier to climb underneath the vehicle and puncture the tank. The thieves use screwdrivers with hammers to poke holes, and some are even daft enough to use electric drills. We can only hope a little spark might ignite some of that stolen gas on its way into their buckets.
Two things you can do: first, get vandalism insurance on your car. I have an SUV and it would cost nearly $400 to replace my gas tank, plus labor. I added vandalism coverage to my auto insurance policy this week for about $4 extra per month. In most cases, this crime is considered vandalism rather than a theft because the damaged tank is not taken. So, for about $50 a year I’m covered for a stupid crime that would suck nearly $700 out of my pocket.
Second, keep your eyeballs pealed for people loitering with buckets or other containers in hand. They rarely use the traditional gas containers, usually those big white dry wall buckets, sometimes even the 35 pound plastic kitty litter buckets. These gas thieves have been caught on bikes and on foot hauling their buckets of gas; they’re not always in vehicles. Before I learned about this crime trend, I doubt I would have looked twice at some guy carrying a bucket around my neighborhood. Now I’ll call police to report a suspicious person.
Be a watchdog for your gas and your neighbor’s. Beware of bucket carriers.
Next Time: Academy Learning Series Begins! Why can your debit card lead to financial ruin? Subscribe and learn how to avoid this mess.
Where are You Most Likely to be Murdered?
Are you surprised by the top 10 countries for murder?- India
- Russia
- Colombia
- South Africa
- Mexico
- America
- Venezuela
- Thailand
- Ukraine
- Indonesia
Okay, let's be fair. This list doesn't account for population size, just the number of murders reported. Still, there are a few countries in the top 10 murder list here that have only moderate populations. Check out the full list of 62 countries ranked. Can you guess which is #62 with only one reported murder during the two-year data period?
Next Time: How crooks are stealing gas and what to do about it. Subscribe and be informed!
Duped by Uninsured Drivers
Have you ever had a car accident? If so, you know how nerve wracking even the mildest fender bender can be. While your gathering your bearings, remember to take a photo of the other party's license plate right away. Use your cell phone camera, whatever, but do this even before you exchange information.
Taking the photo does two important things: first, it shows the other party you're no idiot and reduces the likelihood they might lie about their identity, if they're so inclined. Second, if they do go ahead and pull bull with you anyway, your photo of the plate gives the investigator a lot more to work with than the fake insurance card or ID they gave you to copy down.
Remember, police don't usually respond to the scene unless there are injuries or the vehicles are unable to move out of traffic. If the other driver is being hinky with you, you may need to inform the dispatcher you think you are injured or your vehicle is disabled, if you catch my drift.
Of course, there's a chance they are driving a stolen car in which the plate photo won't help you anyway. But at least give yourself a fighting chance and snap the shot.
Is Your Child a Drug Dealer?
When did you last fill your medication prescription? If you, like me, can't remember the date, then you don't know exactly how many pills should be left right now. When I'm low, I refill it and that's the end of it. If any of my pills are missing, the only culprits are my partners in crime - my cats Moby and Black Magic.
Your missing pills might be more sinister. Do you have kids aged 12 - 17? This is the most common age range for addiction to prescription pills taken right out of your medicine cabinet. Five or six pills removed from several full bottles are hardly noticeable, and your on the ball, right? Imagine your children's grandparents with numerous prescriptions and a little less attention to detail. Recipe for disaster.
No one wants to believe their child has crossed over to the dark side. But in crime analysis, ignorance is not bliss. Keep private records of when you fill your prescriptions and routinely count remaining pills. Hopefully all will check out. If something's fishy, consider this alarming trend of school kids bringing prescription drugs to campus. The Office of National Drug Control Policy says at least 2,500 children try a pain killer for the first time every day in the U.S.
I'm aware of children using the drugs and becoming addicted, selling the pills to classmates, or both. Besides the obvious dangers, children caught with prescription pills at school that they are not prescribed can face serious charges, like Class A felonies punishable by up to 50 years in prison.
"Pharming" parties are like Russian roulette without a gun. Kids bring the stolen pills to school and meet at a location where all the pills are poured into a bowl. They reach in, take a handful of unknown medication and see what happens; not the kind of "Truth or Dare" game from my childhood.
If your child takes ADHD medication, think twice about the trend I'm describing. Adderall is one of the most commonly sold and traded drugs on school campuses. Kids who have prescriptions have been approached to sell or trade their pills and they become walking talking medicine cabinets.
I hope your kids stay safe from this dangerous illegal activity. Help protect them by checking your stash regularly.
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