Recent Blog Posts in March 2010

Arizona lawmakers are considering new legislation that would make it legal for any U.S. citizen 21 years of age or older to carry a concealed weapon without needing a permit.

If the bill is passed, Arizona would be the third state in the U.S. to allow adults to carry a weapon without a permit, the other two states being Alaska and Vermont.

Under current Arizona laws, carrying a concealed weapon is a misdemeanor offense, punishable by up to six months in jail and up to $25,000 in fines. If you were arrested in Phoenix or the surrounding areas for carrying a concealed weapon, it’s important to contact an attorney right away. The prosecutors won’t care if the weapon in your possession is legal or illegal, if you do not have a permit you will face criminal charges.

At the Knowles Law Firm, we have extensive experience in Arizona criminal law, and can provide you with the aggressive defense you need against your weapons charges. Although carrying a concealed weapon is just a misdemeanor offense, you could still be sent to jail and a conviction will still appear on your criminal record. As when facing any charges, it’s best to leave your case in the hands of trained criminal lawyer.

Please feel free to contact the Knowles Law Firm today if you are searching for an experienced and dedicated Phoenix criminal defense attorney to help you fight your charges!

Last week a federal judge sentenced a man to 17 years in prison for his involvement in a $9.5 million mortgage fraud scheme.

According to Phoenix authorities, 51-year-old Mario G. Bernadel of Haiti led a scheme for a year and a half in which he would purchase multiple properties—37 to be exact—with fraudulent loan documents. When the properties would close he would receive cash back. 

Bernadel was convicted of 19 counts of mortgage fraud, including mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering.

Also charged in connection with the scheme were seven co-conspirators, each of whom pleaded guilty.

A 20-year-old youth center worker will spend the next 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to arson and manslaughter.

John Antonucci started what turned out to be a deadly fire at the youth center where he worked in order to cover up evidence that he stole money from the center.  According to officials, Antonucci was a former employee of Young Champions for America, and was under investigation for embezzlement.

Jack Balentine of the Phoenix Fire Investigation Department said that Antonucci set the blaze with an accomplice who also worked at the youth center. Antonucci’s job was to stand outside and keep watch while the other man doused the building in gasoline and set it on fire. Authorities say Antonucci told them he heard a loud explosion while he was outside, and then saw his accomplice run out of the building on fire.

Instead of staying to help his friend, Antonucci fled the scene without calling for help. It was Antonucci’s accomplice, 28-year-old Josh Robinson, that died in the fire.

When deputies from the Coconino Sheriff’s Department were called to a home in Williams to investigate reports of domestic abuse, the last thing they expected to find was dozens of marijuana plants.  

While the deputies were talking to the couple on their front porch, they could smell burning marijuana. The couple told the deputies they had been smoking marijuana just before they arrived, but both Roy Maciejewski and Mary Ann Schmidt were arrested and taken into custody.

The next day, the deputies and the Northern Arizona Street Crimes Task Force returned with a search warrant. Inside the home they found a special light for growing immature marijuana plants and more than 50 mature plants in a hidden room off the garage. The deputies also found marijuana plants drying throughout the house.

Both Maciejewski and Schmidt have been charged with possession of marijuana, cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of a dangerous drug, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Drug offenses are taken very seriously in the state of Arizona, so seriously in fact that it’s imperative to contact an experienced drug defense lawyer if you’ve been arrested in connection with a drug crime. At the Knowles Law Firm, we have extensive experience in Arizona criminal law, and have helped many clients successfully fight their drug charges. We understand the consequences a conviction carries, and are dedicated to using our experience, resources, and knowledge of the law to help our clients beat their charges.

For more information about our drug defense services, please contact the Knowles Law Firm today to schedule an appointment with a   Phoenix drug crimes lawyer at the office.

Ten registered sex offenders have been arrested by Yuma County Sheriff’s deputies for failing to register their e-mail addresses and online user names, a requirement of the their sentences.

Over the course of two days, with help from the Yuma Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals, and Yuma County Adult Probation, officers were able to make their arrests.

The arrests are the culmination of a month-long investigation. As part of their sex offender registration requirement, all of the men were required to report their username and email address if they joined a social networking site.

Since their arrest, each of the ten sex offenders has been booked in the Yuma County Jail.

Three men have been taken into custody for stealing hundreds of gallons of gasoline from two Circle K gas stations.

After an alarm had been activated signaling the station was losing large amounts of gas, the clerk immediately contacted the police. When police arrived at the scene, they were able to successfully detain the suspects, Jared Desanti and George Brabakos. Upon searching their vehicle police found another suspect inside the vehicle who was passed out from the fumes. The man, Robert Jeter, was taken to the hospital where he later regained consciousness.

According to police, the men would stop a white van over the gasoline pumps and then park an Altima next to the van to make it look like the Altima was assisting the van with mechanical problems. The van was equipped with a false bottom, siphoning equipment, and a 450 gallon tank, making it possible for them to steal gasoline.

At the time of the arrest, the men had already filled the tank with 200 gallons of gas, and their equipment was still in the ground.

All three suspects were arrested and booked in the Fourth Avenue Jail for armed burglary.