Recent Blog Posts in January 2010

A sex tourism case has reached its conclusion with the defendant being sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison.

Charles A. Soderman of Marathon, Florida was arrested in Yuma after detectives uncovered evidence that he was planning to fly to Mexico to engage in illicit sexual activities. During the trial, prosecutors revealed evidence that showed Soderman flew from Florida to Arizona and then traveled to the Mexican border with the intent to have sex with a boy as young as 6.

Soderman’s arrest was part of the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s undercover operation to stop sex tourism into Mexico.

In addition to the prison sentence, the Phoenix judge presiding over the case also ordered Soderman to register as a sex offender once he’s released from prison. Soderman was also ordered to a lifetime of supervised release.

An East Valley man is facing manslaughter charges after fatally striking an 8-year-old boy crossing the street with his family.

The accident occurred last Wednesday around 5:30 p.m.  According to the police, traffic stopped to let the boy, his step-father, and his two siblings cross the street.  That’s when Juan Miguel Aguirre allegedly swerved around the stopped vehicles and hit the boy, whose name has not yet been released.

Despite being rushed the hospital, the boy passed away.

Investigators are saying that Aguirre left his vehicle at the scene and ran away.  Officers were eventually able to catch up with him and bring him into custody.  He has since been booked at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office jail.

Although Aguirre was booked on manslaughter charges, he could face additional charges for hit & run and DUI.  Police suspect Aguirre could have been drunk at the time of the accident.

A months-long investigation has reached a turning point with the arrest of a Phoenix man who allegedly used the Internet to sexually exploit children.

Police arrested John Christopher Fredrickson, 45, at his Phoenix home after serving a search warrant.  Fredrickson allegedly sent sexual images of himself to what he thought was a minor.

According to police, throughout the four-month long investigation Fredrickson, using several identities, allegedly used a web camera to lure minors for sexual exploitation.

Police were able to trace Fredrickson’s location and online usage to both his home and his office. 

He was booked in the Maricopa County jail and faces one count of aggravated luring of a minor for sexual exploitation and three counts of furnishing harmful items to minors.

The investigation is still going, and anyone with information about Fredrickson is asked to contact detectives at the Phoenix Police Department.

Sen. Russell Pearce (R-Mesa) is proposing new legislation designed to help fight the drug smuggling problem in Arizona.

If Senate Bill 1026 becomes law, the Department of Public Safety would need to seek grant funding to install high-tech underground seismic sensors at rural airfields.  These sensors would then be used to monitor areas being used for drug and human smuggling around the Mexican border.

Pearce feels that if the federal government will not build a fence to stop the problem, then the state of Arizona needs to take action.  He also claims the bill would not cost the state anything, as federal stimulus money is available.  If federal money was not available, or if the state could not obtain federal money, the program wouldn’t launch.

Critics of the legislation feel it could overburden the DPS, which is already stretched thin with budget cuts and hiring freezes.  Sen. Leah Landrum Taylor (D-Phoenix), for example, is concerned that the DPS does not have enough resources to comply with the law. 

DPS officials are also concerned.  Lt. Lynn Ideus said the time it would take just to identify the state’s remote landing strips and write grant proposals would be a huge undertaking for the department.

However, supporters of the legsilstion say that if the DPS doesn’t have the man power or resources to get these sensors set up, they could ask for help from county sheriffs and volunteers.

The bill was passed by the Senate Public Safety on Human Services Committee with a 6-0 vote.  It now goes on to the Senate Rules Committee.

If you are interested in learning more about these or any other drug crime laws in Arizona, an experienced Phoenix criminal defense lawyer at the Knowles Law Firm, PLC would be more than happy to answer your questions.

Contact the Knowles Law Firm, PLC today!

Two separate traffic stops resulted in the discovery of more than 10 pounds of cocaine and more than two pounds of crystal methamphetamine.

The first arrested took place on December 30, when officers from the Department of Public Safety pulled over a GMC pickup truck on Interstate 10 about 50 miles west of Phoenix.

While searching the vehicle, officers found 10.34 pounds of cocaine hidden in speaker box behind a seat.

The driver, 33-year-old Francisco Enrique Ozuna, was arrested and charged with transporting cocaine, possession of cocaine for sale, and illegal control of an enterprise.

The second traffic stop took place January 3 on Interstate 40 near Holbrook.

DPS officers pulled over two vehicles that appeared to be traveling together.  With permission, the officers searched the vehicles and found 2.25 pounds of crystal meth in the spare tire of one of the vehicles.

Frank Fernando Canez of Phoenix was arrested for possession of dangerous drugs, possession of dangerous drugs for sale, and transportation of dangerous drugs for sale.  The driver of the second vehicle, Rafael Cardenas-Uriarte, a Mexican national, was also arrested.  He faces charges for possession of dangerous drugs, possession of dangerous drugs for sale, transportation of dangerous drugs for sale, conspiracy, and child abuse (there was a 1-year-old child in his vehicle).

Both men were booked in the Navajo County Jail.

After robbing an apartment complex and crashing into a wall, two teenagers in Scottsdale were arrested Saturday on burglary charges.

Bridgette Egbert and Joshua Milton, both 19, were trying to flee an apartment complex after robbing several vehicles when Milton lost control and crashed into a wall.

Once officers from the Scottsdale Police Department arrived at the scene, they reportedly found three golf bags, multiple electronic devices, and several other items in the trunk of the vehicle.   It was clear the items did not belong to either Milton or Egbert.

Milton and Egbert eventually admitted to stealing the items, and were consequently arrested and booked on burglary charges.

If convicted of the charges, Milton and Egbert could be sentenced to prison, probation, license suspension, community service, restitution to the victims, and more.