Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog

Heather Lyn Johnston and Ashley Nicole Miller, the women who were arrested after robbing a Bank of America branch at a Kroger grocery store in Georgia last year, received their sentences today.

Miller, 19, was ordered to serve 2 years of her 10 year prison sentence, while the remainder must be completed as probation. Johnston, 22, was sentenced to 10 years probation.

Johnston and Miller and Benny Herman Allen, 23, had all pleaded guilty to theft by taking. Miller’s boyfriend, Michael Darrell Chastang, was convicted of theft by taking.

The two women, both strippers at the time, and Chastang decided to rob a bank.

The following day, Chastang called the girls with instructions. He told them that he knew a teller at a B of A branch that could act as their “inside man.” The teller was Benny Herman Allen.

Allen told the women what to include on the demand note, which asked for loose bills and included the statements, “Remember, I will not hesitate to kill you. Keep hands where I can see them. Do not pull switch.”

The two women were videotaped committing the bank robbery. They stole 11,000, which was to be divided among the four of them.

The two girls immediately went shopping at Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square mall for clothes and shoes, got their hair done at Carter-Barnes Hair Artisans, and bought a television at a Wal-Mart.

They were arrested two days after the robbery.

Johnson also pled guilty to a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge, while Miller also pled guilty to possession of Ecstasy with intent to distribute.

In Massachusetts, our Boston criminal defense attorneys represent clients arrested or charged with all kinds of theft crimes. We can fight the theft charges against you and work towards the best outcome for your case.

'Barbie Bandit' is sentenced to 10 years in prison for a bank heist, International Herald Tribune, March 24, 2008

The Fall of the "Barbie Bandits," ABC News, March 24, 2008

The Barbie Bandits saga winds down, AJC.com, March 24, 2008

Related Web Resource:

The General Laws of Massachusetts

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A Hull, Massachusetts man was arrested on five counts of larceny and securities fraud.

According to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, Jeffrey Gruber, 44, misrepresented himself as a stockbroker and certified financial planner from October 2005 until March 2006. He gave a “client” advice about stocks, bonds, a real estate loan, and placed money into accounts under the name Gruber Financial Services Inc. The victim gave $187,000 to Gruber and asked him to invest the funds.

A complaint filed by the Secretary of State’s Security Division says that Gruber used the funds himself and did not invest them. He also allegedly failed to comply and honor the victim’s demand that he account for her investments and give her the money back.

In Brockton Superior Court on Wednesday, Gruber pled not guilty to the charges. Bail was set at $500,000.

In Massachusetts, the penalty for larceny over $250 is five years maximum in prison.

Our Boston, Massachusetts white collar crimes attorneys have represented many clients throughout Massachusetts in criminal cases.

White collar crimes can include:

• Mail fraud
• Wire fraud
• Investment adviser fraud
• Medicare/Medicaid fraud
• Real estate fraud
• Tax fraud
• Embezzlement
• Pension fraud
• Insider trading
• Tax fraud
• Computer crimes
• Identity theft
• Bankruptcy fraud

White collar crime fraud cases require the legal experience of a law firm that is experienced in handling such matters.

Former financial advisor arrested on charges of securities fraud and larceny, Boston.bizjournal.com, March 13, 2008

Related Web Resources:

White Collar Crimes, Justia

Massachusetts Securities Division

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Actress Bai Ling was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly shoplifting a pack of batteries and two magazines, valued at $16, from a gift shop at the Los Angeles International Airport.

She was apprehended after someone else in the store reported seeing her take the items. The Chinese-born actress admitted to police that she didn’t pay for the items.

A major movie star in China, Bai Ling has appeared in American films, including “The Crow” and “Red Corner.” She also has appeared in the ABC TV series “Lost.”

Shoplifting in Massachusetts
Massachusetts has a shoplifting statute that makes it a crime to steal merchandise from a store. The severity of the charges will depend on the value of the items stolen and whether the defendant has any prior criminal offenses.

If the stolen merchandise is worth less than $100:
1st offense: A $250 maximum fine
2nd offense: A $500 maximum fine
3rd offense: 2 years maximum jail sentence

If the stolen merchandise is worth $100 or greater:
1st offense: A $1,000 maximum fine and up to 2.5 years in jail
2nd offense or more: A larger fine and a longer jail sentence

Police officers in Boston and other cities in Massachusetts are allowed to arrest anyone without a warrant if there is probable cause to think that the suspect has committed a shoplifting crime. If a storeowner, store employee, or store representative provides a statement to law enforcement officers naming you as a shoplifting suspect—that is considered probable cause.

One of our Massachusetts theft crimes lawyers would be happy to discuss your case with you.

'Crow' actress arrested on shoplifting suspicion, CNN.com, February 15, 2008

Bai Ling arrested for shoplifting in L.A., Reuters, February 14, 2008

Related Web Resource:

Chapter 266: Section 30A. Shoplifting; penalty; arrest without warrant, Massachusetts General Laws

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In Massachusetts’s Suffolk County, a grand jury indicted former federal prosecutor Philip Giordano on charges that he stole at least $150,000 from his former law firm. The Boston native’s arraignment will take place in Suffolk Superior Court on January 15, 2008.He faces charges that he made false entries in a corporate book, as well as multiple larceny charges.

The Suffolk District Attorney’s office says that Giordano linked his debit card to get money from a Giordano, Champa & Powers account to cover personal expenses and withdraw cash. Giordano is also accused of paying himself thousands of dollars worth of compensation checks. “ At the time, Giordano shared the account with his law partners, Gina DeAcetis Powers and James Champa.

Giordano currently has his own law practice, the Boston-based corporate and securities law firm Giordano & Co. From 1986 to 1991 he served as an assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey and was a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission staff attorney.

Larceny
Larceny can include taking any object, embezzlement, check larceny (depositing a check that is not yours), purse stealing, and pick pocketing. When a person embezzles funds, he or she had a legitimate reason to access the funds so the funds could be stolen. Larceny usually doesn’t involve any violence.

Under the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 266: Section 30. Larceny; general provisions and penalties defines larceny as:

Whoever steals, or with intent to defraud obtains by a false pretence, or whoever unlawfully, and with intent to steal or embezzle, converts, or secretes with intent to convert, the property of another as defined in this section, whether such property is or is not in his possession at the time of such conversion or secreting, shall be guilty of larceny…

The penalty for a Massachusetts larceny crime involving more than $250 dollars is five years maximum in prison or up to two years and $25,000 maximum fine.

Former Federal Prosecutor Accused of Raiding Law Firm Account, ABA Journal.com, December 20, 2007

Former fed prosecutor indicted on larceny charges, Boston Herald, December 20, 2007

Chapter 266. Crimes Against Property, The General Laws of Massachusetts

Related Web Resources:

Larceny, Lectlaw.com

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