Virginia
Pair convicted in secret $1.6M silencer deal
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A senior Navy intelligence official and a California race-car mechanic have been convicted for their roles in pushing through a secret Navy contract to build hundreds of untraceable rifle silencers for an unspecified program.
Navy civilian Lee Hall of Sterling was convicted of conspiracy and theft of government money for steering the nearly $2 million no-bid contract to his boss’ brother, Mark Landersman of Temecula, California. Landersman was convicted of a single conspiracy count.
Witnesses said Landersman learned how to make the silencers off the Internet and had costs of only $10,000.
Prosecutors say the silencers didn’t work and in some cases amplified sound. Defense attorneys say the deal was legitimate and had been authorized.
A judge in federal court in Alexandria issued the convictions Wednesday after separate bench trials.
Ohio
Veteran found guilty, fined $50 over pet ducks
COSHOCTON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio Army veteran who says his pet ducks help relieve his post-traumatic stress disorder and depression has been convicted of a minor misdemeanor for keeping them.
Darin Welker was cited for violating a ban on keeping farm animals in West Lafayette, a village 80 miles east of Columbus. He was found guilty Wednesday and was fined $50 plus court costs.
A prosecutor says the ordinance is clear and the judge’s hands were tied.
The Coshocton Tribune reports Welker recently gave away eight of the ducks but still has six.
Welker argued for a change in the law. He said in court the ducks are fenced in his yard but sometimes have been in his house or sitting on a recliner.
Alabama
Man’s dog helps police bust him on drug charge
PRATTVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Police in central Alabama say a man’s own dog helped officers bust him on a drug charge.
Prattville Police spokeswoman Paula Barlow says the pooch named Bo followed his fleeing master, who was being pursued by officers. When the dog stopped and wagged his tail in tall grass, she says, officers found and arrested Edwin Henderson.
Barlow says the chase began when two drug officers arrived Wednesday with a search warrant and Henderson took off running.
After an investigator pointed at Henderson and told the dog “go get him,” that’s what Bo did.
Barlow says Henderson is charged with failure to obey police, manufacturing a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. It’s unclear if he has an attorney, and there’s no word on who’s taking care of Bo.
Massachusetts
Lawyers say prosecutors lifted passages
FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — Lawyers for former Patriots player Aaron Hernandez are accusing Massachusetts prosecutors of lifting passages from a court filing by federal prosecutors arguing against moving the trial of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Hernandez’s lawyers are to argue in court Thursday that his trial be moved from Bristol County.
In an earlier filing, Bristol prosecutors questioned the reliability of a defense poll finding 7 in 10 Bristol County adults believe Hernandez is either definitely or probably guilty in the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd. He has pleaded not guilty.
Hernandez’s lawyers said Wednesday prosecutors borrowed heavily, without attribution, from arguments federal prosecutors made against a defense poll in Tsarnaev’s case.
Prosecutors said they wouldn’t respond to “personal attacks,” but said citing the same Supreme Court cases on the same legal issues is “standard practice.”
Arizona
Kennel owners plead not guilty in 21 dog deaths
PHOENIX (AP) — The owners of a suburban Phoenix kennel pleaded not guilty Wednesday to animal cruelty charges stemming from the deaths of 21 dogs this summer.
Green Acre Dog Boarding owners Jesse Todd Hughes and Malesia Maurine Hughes have said the animals died of heat exhaustion June 20 in an 8- by 12-foot room because one dog chewed through the air conditioner’s power cord after the caretakers left the facility for the night.
Investigators said they found no proof that a chewed-up wire had cut power to a cooling unit, and a veterinarian said some of the dogs likely suffocated.
Also charged in the case are the business’ caretakers — the couple’s daughter, Logan Flake, and her husband, Austin, a son of U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake. The Flakes are scheduled to enter pleas Nov. 13.
The Hugheses were indicted earlier this month by a Maricopa County grand jury on 22 felony counts, seven misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and one felony count of fraudulent schemes. Their next court date is Dec. 17.
“We plan on fighting each and every one of those allegations,” said Robert Jarvis, the attorney for the Hugheses. “The case will unfold in the court.”
The Flakes were looking after the dogs at the Gilbert boarding facility while the Hugheses were on vacation in Florida, according to court records. The Flakes were indicted on 21 felony counts and seven misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals.
The Flakes reportedly tried to save the animals by hosing and icing them down, but authorities said they didn’t call for emergency assistance before the dogs died.
A telephone message left for the Flakes for comment on the case wasn’t immediately returned Wednesday afternoon.
New Mexico
DNA from toilet leads police to burglary suspect
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police in Albuquerque say a man suspected of a $250,000 heist should have flushed the evidence he left behind.
KOAT-TV reports investigators tied Ramon Herrera to the September burglary using DNA left on a toilet. Police say the 33-year-old relieved himself while taking $250,000 worth of jewelry from a home while the owners were on vacation, but he didn’t flush.
Police say Herrera also took a Coke from the fridge, drank it and left the can along with his DNA. Investigators say DNA from the can and toilet was matched to Herrera. He was recently arrested and booked into the Bernalillo County jail.
Herrera has pleaded not guilty to charges of residential burglary and larceny over $20,000.
It’s not known if he has an attorney who could be reached for comment.
