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Jury convicts Johnson of Valentine’s Day murders
Dec 27th
Maurice Johnson could face the death penalty, a life sentence or life without parole after being convicted for the Valentine’s Day murders in 1999.
On Monday, a jury found Mr. Johnson guilty on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of especially aggravated robbery.
Jurors deliberated nearly six hours before rendering the verdict just before 5 p.m. They will return to the courthouse today at 9:30 a.m. to begin deliberating on whether Mr. Johnson should get the death penalty.
Prosecutor Richard Fisher said he could wrap up his portion of today’s proceeding in 30 tiffany jewellery minutes and then allow defense attorneys to present any mitigating factors.
Throughout closing arguments and court proceedings Monday, Mr. Johnson sat expressionless, occasionally conferring quietly with his attorneys.
Prosecutors alleged that, early in the morning of Feb. 14, 1999, Mr. Johnson, along with co-defendant Michael Younger, broke down the back door of 431 19th St. and shot O.J. Blair, 18; Cayci Higgins, 19; and Dawn Rogers, 25, in the back of the head as they knelt on the floor with their hands tied behind their backs.
Local media dubbed the event the “Valentine’s Day murders.”
The third defendant, Twanna “Tart” Blair, was also in the apartment at the time of the shootings and was shot in the back. Police first considered her a victim, but in 2006 she was charged as a participant.
During closing arguments Monday, Mr. Johnson’s defense attorney, Steven Ward, told the jury that “the silver bracelets state’s theory isn’t even based on assumptions; it’s pulled out of thin air.” In his opening arguments Thursday, he said the case was based on assumptions and that police manufactured facts to fit those assumptions.
“No one knows who killed them,” Mr. Ward said about the triple murder.
In his closing statements, Mr. Fisher pointed to multiple testimonies during the trial that Mr. Johnson had bragged about killing the three victims over money he believed Mr. Blair stole from him.
“Maurice goes back and tells his little circle of friends that ‘I’m the man; I killed those people,’” Mr. Fisher said.
During the trial, Mr. Fisher played phone calls recorded by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in which Mr. Johnson said that police had no evidence against him.
Witness testimony showed that Mr. Johnson and Mr. Blair fought at a party in Sweetwater, Tenn., the night silver cufflinks before the killings. Mr. Fisher said the fight was part of a series of incidents that led to the murders.
Mr. Ward argued that the prosecution produced no physical evidence linking his client to the killings and that each of the witnesses had given different versions of conversations and events throughout the investigation.
He also pointed out the drug use and criminal history of many of the witnesses.
W-B drug ring boss gets 12 years
Dec 10th
The leader of a major drug ring that operated in the Wilkes-Barre area tiffany jewelry was sentenced Monday to 12 years in federal prison.
The sentence imposed against Gregory Woods comes more than four years after he and 30 other people, including Woods’ son and wife, were charged in connection with the “Operation Main Street” drug bust.
Woods, 48, formerly of Academy Street, Wilkes-Barre, pleaded guilty in January to a single count of intent to silver bracelets distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine. He later sought to withdraw the plea, arguing his defense counsel had not properly represented him. U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo denied the motion in October.
Federal prosecutors allege Woods was the leader of a drug ring that sold up to $200,000 worth of crack cocaine, powder cocaine and marijuana per week in Luzerne County. Agents with a drug task force broke up the ring in October 2005.
At his sentencing Monday, Woods disputed that he was the leader of the ring. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert O’Hara said investigators had audiotapes of phone conversations in which Woods discussed pricing with others involved in the ring. That proves he held a supervisory role, O’Hara said.
The sentence was part of a negotiated plea in which prosecutors agreed to drop numerous silver bangles other charges. Caputo was not obligated to accept the plea, however.
Woods’ attorney, Carl Poveromo, asked Caputo to consider Woods’ troubled upbringing in considering whether to accept the plea and negotiated sentence.
Poveromo said Woods was one of 11 children. Both his parents were dead by the time he was age 7 and he was raised primarily by his sisters.
“He’s the product of very tragic circumstances,” Poveromo said. “He developed a drug problem at an early age and was drug dependent his entire life.”
Caputo acknowledged Woods had a troubled life and that it likely played a role in his criminal conduct silver rings. The judge said he felt the 12-year sentence was appropriate given the seriousness of the case and Woods’ background, which included three prior drug convictions.
The majority of defendants in the case were prosecuted by state authorities. Woods, his wife, Carmen Tinson, and their son, Bashir Woods, were among five defendants whose cases were taken over by federal authorities.
Bashir Woods was sentenced in August to six years and eight months in federal prison. Two other co-defendants who were charged federally, David Savage and Dominic Wilkins, also pleaded guilty. Savage was sentenced in August to eight years and four months in prison; Wilkins was sentenced in June to 11 years and eight months.
Tinson was scheduled to go on trial today, but her attorney sought a continuance,silver cufflinks saying she is negotiating with prosecutors and might enter a guilty plea.
Terrie Morgan-Besecker, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 570-829-7179.
Online Retailers Fear a Quiet Christmas Because of Postal Strikes
Dec 3rd
Nadeem Azam, marketing manager of http://www.eDealsUK.com said: “It is important to silver jewelry stress that online retailers use a number of different ways to deliver items to the customers, such as couriers and alternative postal companies.
“However Christmas is obviously a very busy period for retailers, so we do advise customers to not leave purchases till the last minute.”
When purchasing online, people are entitled to a refund if goods are not provided by the agreed date.
If no date was agreed then they can claim a refund if goods and services are not provided within 30 days.
Nadeem added: “The Office of Fair Trading offers fantastic protection to shoppers so there is a silver bracelets greater incentive for retailers to ensure that purchased items are delivered within the agreed time period.”
eDealsUK.com now has 600,000 members across its network of 200 sites, buying from 2,000 mainstream retailers.
Cashback is a very simple concept that is experiencing extraordinary growth during the recession.
Customers log into the cashback site before visiting any of 2,000 mainstream retailers and buying goods and services as normal.
A portion of the referral fee paid by online retailers is returned to the consumer – this is the cashback.
Because it can monitor purchases from more than 2,000 retailers, eDealsUK.com has access to more silver cufflinks UK online sales information than any single retailer.
The network is operated by V A C Media, the biggest operator of customer loyalty websites in the UK.