Tag: robbery

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Beaten & Robbed In Boystown

A man was beaten and robbed of his cell phone in an attack on Halsted Street near Buckingham Place in the Boystown neighborhood. Police are searching for the suspects who robbed and beat a man as he walked early Monday in the Boystown neighborhood. The 24-year-old man was walking at 3341 N. Halsted St., near Buckingham Place, around 4:50 a.m. Monday when four men attacked him, police said.

"They began punching him about the face and body and they took his cell phone,'' police News Affairs Officer Robert Perez said. The assailants didn't take any money, he said.

The man was able to get away and went home. He suffered swelling and declined to go to a hospital, according to the officer.  One of the attackers was wearing black clothing, and clothing on the other three was not known, according to Perez. All the attackers were between the ages of 20 and 30, Perez said. Since Thursday, there have been at least five similar attacks in the Lincoln Park neighborhood about a mile and a half south. In those incidents, a group of at least four attackers sneaked up on the victims from behind and beat them savagely as they robbed them. Those attacks happened Thursday in the 600 block of West Fullerton Parkway and the 2100 block of North Stockton Drive; Saturday in the 2000 block of North Cleveland Avenue and the 300 block of West Webster Avenue; and Tuesday at Fullerton and Cannon drives. All of the victims were young men walking alone. The address where the attack occurred is outside Minibar, one of many gay bars and nightclubs that line the Boystown strip on Halsted Street. It is not known whether police are investigating if sexual orientation could have played any role in the motive for the attack.

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Porn Star Found Guilty Murder1

A Denver, Colorodo jury has found a former gay porn star guilty of murdering a local businessman. Timothy John Boham, 26, was found guilty of first-degree murder after deliberation in the death of John Paul Kelso. The jury also found Boham guilt of first-degree felony murder and aggravated robbery. See previous post Boham is accused of shooting Kelso in his home during a botched robbery attempt. Prosecutors said Boham had worked for Kelso in the past. Boham is believed to have been under the impression that Kelso kept large amounts of cash in his home. Boham told police that he needed money to support his pregnant girlfriend. Boham also contends Kelso shot himself because he was depressed over failed relationships. After the murder Boham fled to Mexico but turned himself in to police in Arizona after confessing to the crime to his mother by phone. Using the stage name "Marcus Allen", Boham starred in a series of gay porn movies from 2004-2005. He also appeared on the cover of the gay soft-porn magazine Freshmen. The jury was handed the case late last Friday and deliberated most of Monday. They returned the verdict after 3 p.m. Boham faces life in prison without parole when he appears for sentencing Tuesday at 2 p.m.

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X-PornStar Murder Trial Begins

Boham fled for Mexico, but gave himself up to authorities at the border crossing in Arizona. In November 2002, Boham appeared on the cover of Freshmen magazine.  He was voted "Freshman of the Year" in 2003.   Between 2004-2005, Boham made a dozen movies as Marcus Allen  with Falcon Entertainment,  He was also in "Never Been Touched" by Chi Chi LaRue.   In 2006 Boham appeared on the cover of Playgirl Magazine's "campus hunks" issue, advertising himself as "John" of Denver. Ironically enough, an acquaintence of Boham's said he "hated gays and their lifestyle." Kelso, who was openly gay, was a philanthropist who gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars to charities across the world. He co-owned a Denver debt recovery business called Professional Recovery Systems, where Boham briefly worked. Court documents claim that Boham had bipolar disorder and was prone to fits of rage.  He has pleaded insanity.

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Gay Cruising - Murder?

Police blaming victim in Midtown murder? The murder in Piedmont Park Thursday—15 minutes before a second stabbing a few blocks away in Midtown—was first pitched as a robbery attempt by the Atlanta Police Department. Now, the embattled agency hints in an email to an anti-gay nightlife activist that the homicide might have been the result of gay cruising. Huh? Like another high-profile crime in Midtown—the beating of a gay man leaving Blake’s in March—the police department’s take on the case is shifting and quickly. But this time, they don’t have the changing accounts of the victim to explain their changing dynamics.  (NOTE: YOU MAY RECALL I ASSISTED HIM TO BACK TO THE BAR WHILE WE WAITED FOREVER FOR THE POLICE TO ARRIVE) The publicly-known facts of the case seem to undercut their spin—if the victim was out cruising for sex, how does that mesh with a second stabbing 15 minutes later near 6th and Juniper Streets? Some crazed lunatic stabbing guys looking for play late at night? Let’s hope not, but that’s where the police seem to be pointing us. The police explanation, first reported by Southern Voice and picked up today by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, almost smells of blaming the victim. Put another way, it hints at the notion of, well, this dude was in the park after hours and shit happens. Heard that one before? How about this: She was wearing a short skirt and tight blouse, so she was looking to get raped. Maybe that’s a little harsh. But I’ve got a beef with a police commander sending emails about the case to Peggy Denby, a cranky Not In My Backyard activist. She was behind the fight to close Backstreet and wants to run all gay nightlife establishments out of Midtown and away from her high-priced condo that was, incidentally, built after the gay clubs she despises were already in place.

An email sent by Maj. Khirus Williams, head of the police department’s Zone 5, at 1:10 p.m. offered more details. “This morning’s homicide, at Piedmont Park, is ‘likely’ to be ‘male-hustling’ related,” Williams wrote in an email to Midtown activist Peggy Denby. “A person found with blood stains and injuries this morning, in Midtown, is being interviewed by our Homicide Unit. “This person has claimed to have been inside of the park but has not made any confessions,” Williams continued in the email, which was obtained by Southern Voice. “The investigation continues. Our personnel are tasked with park checks throughout the night, to address ‘anyone’ being inside the park, after dark. We will continue the efforts and initiate arrests when there are violations.”

When it comes to Piedmont Park, the police department has little credibility with the city’s gay population. It is, after all, the same department that harassed and arrested six gay men who walked through the park after hours on their way home from a bar. No suspects have been named in the attacks and police haven’t yet linked the incidents from Thursday morning. As the investigation continues, let’s hope they focus more on finding justice for the murder victim and less on blaming him and dismissing the homicide as simply “male-hustling related.” In a sidebar to the case, the normally reserved Georgia Log Cabin Republicans seemed to step off a cliff late Thursday. The group issued a statement calling on Mayor Shirley Franklin, whose term ends this year, to resign.

The group called on Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican, and the Georgia National Guard to take control of the city’s “crime mayhem” and reminded LGBT residents of their right to bear arms and use deadly force to protect themselves.

The full statement, according to Southern Voice:

“It has become obvious that Mayor Shirley Franklin is incompetent to fulfill her duty and obligation to protect the citizens of Atlanta from violence. The latest rash of murders, robberies, hate crimes, and lawlessness are a direct result of her failure to provide proper protection by an effective police force.  Mayor Franklin has recklessly cut the hours of our police force, which has left our citizens in grave danger, and now it’s time for her to cut her own hours permanently, we just can’t afford to wait until a new election and mayor, she must go now.” “We are also urging Governor Sonny Perdue to take control of the situation, and requesting that he order in the Georgia National Guard or Georgia State Patrol into Atlanta to help stabilize the current crime mayhem in the city.” “The Georgia Log Cabin Republicans are avid supporters of the 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, and want to remind our fellow citizens that our state currently lacks any effective Hate Crimes law to detour crimes against LGBT Georgians.  However, the Georgia Legislature passed SB396 several years ago that allows all citizens to legally defend themselves with deadly force when necessary, without an obligation to retreat when attacked.  Until our city is safe again, we recommend that Atlanta’s LGBT citizens find a way in which they are comfortable, to defend themselves, loved ones, and families from the latest crime wave out of control.” STORY BY: Blogger Matt Hennie is the founder and managing editor of Project Q Atlanta. He’s a longtime Atlanta resident who’s worked in journalism since his days as a Purple Paladin at Furman University in the early ‘90s

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Craigslist Robbery

A man has been arrested after he was accused of meeting another man through Craigslist and robbing him in Apex, North Carolina. Apex is a growing suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina. Police say Gary Rezendes and the victim met through the “casual encounters” section of Craiglist and decided to meet in person on April 4 at an Apex, North Caroina, Home Depot parking lot. Sgt. Sean Pearson of the Apex Police Department told Q-Notes that Rezendes was carrying a knife, stole $40 from the victim and fled the scene afterward. The victim was unharmed.

“From my interview with [Rezendes], he had stated that the whole purpose of being on [Craiglist] was to commit a robbery, that there was no previous intent of meeting anyone,” Pearson said. “He was on Craigslist initially looking at things to buy and saw the ads in the personals and thought of it as a quick way to make some money by committing a robbery.”

More On The Story at Q-Notes - Click Here To Read

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30 Years In Prison

A 32-year-old Garland man was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday, March 4 for his role in a brutal anti-gay hate crime that occurred in the heart of Oak Lawn community of Dallas, Texas last July. Reported By the Dallas Voice. Before recommending the sentence to Judge Ernest White, the same 12-person jury found Jonathan Russell Gunter guilty of first-degree felony aggravated robbery following a two-day trial in Dallas County’s 194th District Court. Gunter and Bobby Jack Singleton, 29, also of Garland, are accused of beating and robbing now-43-year-old Jimmy Lee Dean on Dickason Avenue, just a block from the Cedar Springs strip, in the early morning hours of July 17, 2008. Dean, who was hospitalized for 10 days after the attack and suffered permanent physical damage, said Wednesday he was relieved Gunter had been convicted. Dean added that he hopes Singleton, who’s still awaiting trial, is sentenced to at least a 60 years in prison because he was responsible for inflicting most of the injuries. “I’ve got to live with this for the rest of my life,” Dean said. “The only thing that will really make it easier is after the other trial. One down, one to go.” Dean, who identifies as bisexual, testified during Gunter’s trial that he’s undergone two surgeries attempting to repair his badly disfigured face. He also said he’s lost his sense of smell and may never regain it, and that he suffers from depression. “I just hope that when the jury considers the punishment, they make sure that the punishment fits the crime,” Dean testified before Gunter’s sentencing. “I know that no one’s perfect. I’ve made mistakes in my life, too. I’m sure that even some of the jury has. “But I have never and could never see a reason to beat someone nearly to death just to have a good time,” Dean said. According to court records, Gunter and Singleton pistol-whipped Dean with a 9mm Glock handgun, then kicked him repeatedly in the head and body as he lay unconscious on the pavement, on Dickason Avenue between Throckmorton and Reagan streets. Gunter and Singleton reportedly drank about six pitchers of beer between them at an unidentified establishment near Forest Lane and Greenville Avenue before traveling to Oak Lawn, according to witness testimony. Six empty 16-ounce beer cans also were found in their vehicle, and they reportedly fired the handgun twice en route to the area. Gunter and Singleton, who were initially apprehended by security guards from nearby gay nightclubs, were charged with aggravated robbery because they were in possession of a Zippo lighter and a set of keys belonging to Dean.Pictured Jonathan Gunter, left and Bobby Singleton Gunter and Singleton yelled anti-gay epithets during the attack, and police said the suspects admitted targeting Dean because they thought it would be easier to rob a gay man. Dallas police classified the case as an anti-gay hate crime for FBI reporting purposes. But the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office chose not to seek a hate crime enhancement because it wouldn’t result in a longer prison sentence but that charge could increase their burden of proof. Under Texas law, a hate crime enhancement doesn’t result in a longer prison sentence if the charge is already a first-degree felony. Michael Robinson, a gay man who witnessed the crime and has since launched an LGBT hate crimes advocacy group, said after the trial he was "somewhat relieved.” “A family just lost a son for 30 years,” said Robinson, who testified during the trial. “Jimmy’s messed up for the rest of his life. It’s emotional from both sides, but justice has been served, and hopefully this will send a message to the community that these kinds of crimes will be punished to the maximum.” Robinson, founder of United Community Against Gay Hate Crimes, had called for people from the LGBT community to attend the trial to show their support for Dean and to educate themselves about the process. But despite Robinson’s efforts, only a handful of gays and lesbians attended portions of the trial. “I’m disappointed that the community didn’t stand up behind one of its own,” Robinson said. “For such a large gay community, it was a miniscule turnout.” Elizabeth Pax, a local lesbian activist who attended part of the trial on Tuesday, said she was also disappointed and suggested that more people would have attended if the victim had been a “twink.” “Where is the outrage?” Pax said. “It could have been any one of us.” In an unexpected twist, Gunter’s younger brother took the witness stand before sentencing Wednesday and announced that he’s openly gay. Jeremy Gunter, 29, testified that Jonathan Gunter doesn’t have anything against gay people. “My brother hangs out with me and my friends,” Jeremy Gunter told the jury. “He’s been down there [to Oak Lawn] many times with us, to the same bars that Jimmy Dean would go to.” Jonathan Gunter’s parents, Donald and Helen, also pleaded with the jury for mercy. Gunter’s defense attorney, Charles Humphreys, suggested to the jury that his client, who was on probation for three felonies at the time of the attack, should be sentenced to six to 10 years in prison. But Assistant District Attorney Marshall McCallum suggested a sentence of 40 years in prison. A first-degree felony is punishable by five to 99 years in prison, and Gunter will be eligible for parole after serving half his sentence. The prosecution showed the jury photographs of Dean taken before and after the attack, and the graphic nature of the evidence caused one juror to fall ill on Tuesday. The sick juror was replaced by an alternate. Gunter’s parents said they felt the sentence was overly harsh. They said although their son was partially guilty, Singleton deserved most of the blame. After their son was sentenced, Gunter’s parents handed letters of apology to Dean that were written by themselves, Jonathan Gunter and Jeremy Gunter. “This whole time we’ve been as concerned for him as we have been for our son,” Helen Gunter said of Dean. Paul Scott, executive director of Equality Texas, said late Wednesday that Dean’s case had been discussed earlier in the day during a legislative committee hearing at the State Capitol. The hearing was on a bill seeking to launch a study of the state’s hate crimes statute to determine why it isn’t being used more often. Since the statute was passed in 2001, more than 1,800 cases have been classified by police as hate crimes, but only nine have been prosecuted as such. “It was passed in order to serve as a deterrent,” Scott said of the hate crimes statute. “It doesn’t do anything for preventing hate crimes if it’s never used.” McCallum, the prosecutor, declined comment after the trial. Judge White said he expects Singleton to face trial sometime this summer in the same courtroom.

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Hilton Robbed (Hot Suspect)

Paris Hilton says police needn't look far to find the culprit who broke into her new mansion early morning 12/19 and stole nearly $2 million worth of jewelry and personal items. The heiress believes it was an inside job. "I think whoever did this, definitely has been there before," Hilton, 27, told E! News at the L.A. boutique Intuition. "We have some suspects that I'm thinking of."

At around 5 a.m. while Hilton hung out at Hollywood hotspot Bar Deluxe, police say that a man in a hooded sweatshirt and gloves forced his way through the socialite's front door. The burglar took her "jewelry, watches, every ring I own," Hilton said. "All my necklaces, jewelry that my grandmothers gave me that I'll never be able to replace. Hilton called the break-in an "invasion of privacy" and says she was afraid to enter her house after it happened.

"Obviously. it's devastating and disturbing that someone was in my home," Hilton said. While the newly single Hilton can no longer count on the protection of ex-boyfriend Benji Madden, she has since "upped the security majorly" at her Sherman Oaks, Calif., home so she feels safe."We have three security guards there and a 24-hour guard who is always on my property," Hilton said. "We have the alarm on, the dogs we have, the guards with the gun, so, no one is going to be coming into my house."

And as for the sticky-fingered thief, "I would tell them to please return my things," she says. "They just have to anonymously have a taxi drop it off in my front gate in a box with my jewelry and everything they won't get in trouble." But her vow of mercy does have an expiration date. "If all this goes on for much longer," she says, "they're going to get in more trouble."

Dressed more for shopping and being photographed than skiing, Paris Hilton and her new BFF Brittany Flickinger take the luxury resort of Aspen by storm over the holidays. (see photograph above left). Here is her 7,000-sq.-ft. Beverly Hills mansion in the gated Mulholland Estates. Now you would really wonder who in the hell who be the robber of this swanky pad. ( photographed left). We have some ideas . . .

Now ... For fun we here at Just One Hot Minute have our depiction of the suspect in fantasy being escorted into custody by police. 

We hope you have enjoyed our parody of this event

READ MORE AND ENJOY A REALLY GOOD TIME

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Robbers in Drag OMG !

CNN is reporting that Four armed robbers -- two of them men disguised as women -- walked into a luxury jewelry store in Paris and swiped an estimated €80 million (U.S. $101 million) in jewels, the Paris prosecutor's office said

The incident, which lasted about 15 minutes, took place Thursday around 5:30 p.m. at the Harry Winston store near the famed Avenue des Champs-Elysees, around the corner from a police station.

The case has been turned over to the unit in charge of handling organized crime cases, said Isabelle Montagne, assistant to Paris prosecutor Jean Claude Marin.

No shots were fired and no one was wounded, she said.  Watch more on the heist - click here to see video.

After they entered the store, the four thieves pulled out their weapons, forced the customers and employees -- about 15 people in all -- into a corner, and grabbed jewels out of display cases and safes, the prosecutor's office said. The robbers seemed to know the locations of secret hiding places for jewels and called some employees by their first names, it said.

The group then fled the store, which is located on a wide street near subways and other public transportation. French state radio reported that it was not immediately clear how the robbers left the area.

Investigators believe it was the work of a highly professional group, and that the culprits were French or from elsewhere in Europe, state radio reported.

In a written statement, the Harry Winston company said, "We are cooperating with the authorities in their investigation. Our first concern is the well-being of our employees."

The same shop was robbed of an estimated €20 million ($25 million) in jewelry just 14 months ago, in October 2007.