Bad Teacher Sold Assault Weapons to Cops

BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 18- District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced the conviction of a 51-year-old teacher on charges of selling illegal firearms, including assault rifles to undercover detectives and untaxed cigarettes to store owners during a year-long sting operation.

Theophilis Burroughs pled guilty to one count of criminal sale of a firearm in the first degree, one count of money laundering in the first degree, one count of criminal tax fraud in the first degree, one count of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the third degree, one count of conspiracy in the fourth degree, and one count of Tax Law 1814(c) (2) Evasion of the NYS Cigarette Tax.

Burroughs, (aka Mike) of Newark, New Jersey, pled guilty before Acting State Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett who set sentencing for Monday, October 28, 2013 in Part 60. The judge has indicated that Burroughs will be sentenced to 10 years in prison with five years of post-release supervision. Justice Barrett also signed a $9,000,000 judgment against Burroughs representing taxes and penalties owed to New York State. Burroughs has been fired from his job as a music teacher at Stuyvesant High School and has surrendered his license to teach in New York State.

The conviction was the result of a joint investigation, beginning in July 2009, by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. During the course of the investigation Burroughs arranged the sale of 12 firearms and ammunition to undercover detectives. The transactions were negotiated in the Bronx with the undercover detectives taking physical possession of all but one of the firearms at a storage facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The weapons were sold between October 20, 2009 and May 19, 2010. Burroughs also conspired to make additional sales after the completion of the May transaction and also sold the narcotic pain killer, Oxycodone, to undercover detectives during the course of the investigation.

The nerve center of the sting operation was a Bronx warehouse at 2605 Halperin Avenue, which was leased by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and equipped with audio and visual surveillance technology. Between August 11, 2009 and July 20, 2010 Burroughs bought and re-sold more than 36,000 cartons of cigarettes and thereby evaded more than one $1.75 million in New York State Taxes. The cigarettes that were sold either had no tax stamp or a tax stamp that was purported to be counterfeit. It was during the repeated transactions involving what Burroughs believed to be untaxed cigarettes that he offered to broker the sale of guns and ammunition to the undercover detectives.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Grim Discovery

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Grim Discovery: Fire Victims Discovered a Week After Blaze By David Greene   BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 17- Three victims killed after a fire tore through a...

Grim Discovery

Fire Victims Discovered a Week After Blaze

By David Greene

 

BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 17- Three victims killed after a fire tore through an abandoned home were discovered a week after the blaze when a contractor came to gut the home.

 

According to officials close to the investigation, the three victims were discovered at just after 9 a.m. on September 16, inside the burned-out 3-family home at 61 Buchanan Place in University Heights.

One fire department source stated that two victims had been discovered inside a second-floor living room and the third victim in a bathroom inside the home that was declared, "structurally unsound," before the September 9 fire.

 

All three were burned beyond recognition and the medical examiner will attempt to identify the trio through missing person reports and medical records.

 

Law enforcement officials believe the three victims were squatters who were living in the boarded-up home before the fire began.

 

An investigation into the origin of the fire was already underway. A second investigation is now underway to determine why the home wasn't properly searched.

 

One witness recalled, "The fire department put the fire out and left and the construction workers who were ripping down the building, found the bodies in the house."

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Fraud at the Polls?

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Fraud at the Polls?: Calls for Election Investigation Here Broken levers on voting machines have candidates crying foul. 100 PERCENT By Robert Press BRONX...

Fraud at the Polls?

Calls for Election Investigation Here

Broken levers on voting machines have candidates crying foul.

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 16- After six days of pondering, and loosing his supporters day after day second place finisher in the Democratic Primary Bill Thompson has called it quits and conceded to front runner Bill deBlasio. This now clears a path for all Democrats to unite behind Bill deBlasio in his race for mayor against Republican Joe Lhota.

Our headline refers to the two great mayoral battles that ended with each candidate winning one race. Joe Lhota was a Deputy Mayor to Mayor Giuliani, while Bill deBlasio was an aide in the Dinkins administration. This election will be the rubber match of those two mayors with their disciples running this time.

There will however still be a run off election between Public Advocate candidates Brooklyn State Senator Dan Squadron and Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James as neither could win the race with over 40 percent of the vote needed to avoid the run off election. Now that it is 100 percent sure that there will be no run off for mayor it is anybody's guess how many people will come out to vote in this run off election.

There was however fireworks in one Bronx race, and it seems that trouble follows the 86^th A.D. There was a special election to fill the vacant seat of Nelson “the Informant” Castro who stepped down after wearing a wire the past five years for the U.S. Attorney rather then be prosecuted for petition fraud in 2008. In this election there have been several charges made against candidate (and current vote leader) Victor Pichardo, State Senator Gustave Rivera, Bronx Democratic County Leader Carl Heastie, and even the Board of Elections by four of the candidates in the race. 86^th A.D. Candidates Hector Ramirez, Yudelka Tapia, Haile Rivera, and Kenny Nunez jointly have sent letters to Governor Cuomo, the U.S. Attorney, New York City Department of Investigations, and the Civil Rights Bureau of the Attorney General of New York State. A copy of the letter and the full list of allegations, a photo of missing levers, and more can be found on my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com . There are several different postings in the archive section on the lower left index of the blog.

Wanting to be fair I stopped by the Bronx Board of Elections last Friday, the day that the re-canvassing of the voting machines began. These voting machines were secured with only a plastic zip-locking strip on the front and one one the back. Many of these voting machines stayed in polling sites and were not picked up until midnight Thursday two days after the election. When myself and other watchers were allowed into the storage room where the Bronx voting machines were, we noticed that all the front plastic strips had been cut. This was not the case as was reported on NY1 where the plastic strips were cut in front of those who were watching at the Manhattan Board of Elections.

I stopped by later Friday and called on Monday State Senator Gustavo Rivera's office for any comment by State Senator Rivera. On Friday, Senator Rivera was not in, and a promised statement from Senator Rivera on Friday & again on Monday did not come in time of my deadline which I had been able to extend. Patrick Jenkins the political spokesman for Bronx Democratic County Leader Carl Heastie in an interview said that these were complaints by a bunch of sore losers. He added that how do we know that those candidates themselves did not break any levers, and said that some of them were doing what they accuse others of doing.

On another note I asked Mr. Jenkins for his opinion of the low percentage of victory in some races such as 40 percent in the Mayor's race, that the Public Advocate race which did not produce a winner over 40 percent (and is going to a run off election), the 15^th City Council race where Ritchie Torres won with only 34 percent, and in the 86^th A.D. where Victor Pichardo was winning with only 22 percent of the vote. Mr. Jenkins replied with the increased number of candidates the winning percentage should go down proportionality. Overall it was a good election day for the Bronx Democratic County organization as every county backed candidate other than Bill Thompson did not lose.

I received a late phone call right before my deadline that indeed there was going to be an investigation of the Special Election in the 86^th A.D. One of my usually reliable sources outside the 86^th A.D. said that the Bronx Democratic County organization would be under investigation (but not what for), State Senator Gustavo Rivera for electioneering inside poll sites, and some of the candidates (again with no target). As to who or which agency was going to do the investigating, I was told to take my pick. Let's hope this does not get ugly or take five years to find the answers out.

Don't forget to check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com for daily updates on the 86th A.D. race, as it may take weeks or even months to declare a winner in this race that Mr. Victor Pichardo holds a slim 72 vote lead. Also look for other items that did not make it into this column like the naming of New York Ranger great Mark Messier as CEO of the new Kingsbridge National Ice Center, The upcoming Liberty Democratic Association meeting Sunday September 29^th, and the photos that were taken of the events.

If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail uis at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): No Ring Rust for Former Champ

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): No Ring Rust for Former Champ: By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 16- After an absence from the ring of nearly two years, former World Welterweight Champion Jos...

No Ring Rust for Former Champ

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 16- After an absence from the ring of nearly two years, former World Welterweight Champion Joshua “Grand Master” Clottey (37-4, 22 KO’s) made his boxing comeback at the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, Long Island on September 14. Clottey defeated his opponent Dashon “Fly Boy” Johnson (14-13-3, 5 KO’s) of Escondido, California in a one-sided, 10-round unanimous decision. The judges’ scorecards read 100-89, 100-89, 99-90 in favor of the former champ. The bout was fought in the middleweight division.

At a Wednesday press conference prior to the bout, Clottey expressed his desire to return to the squared circle, “I’ve been off for a while, but I’m anxious to get back in the ring and start my path towards winning another world title. He spoke confidently of making a good impression in his comeback bout, “I have been thinking of nothing but a KO for this fight. This fight will not go the full distance.” Although, Clottey dominated the encounter, he was not able to fulfill his prediction to KO his opponent.

The Star Boxing card, “Rockin’ Fights 10” on September 14 was headlined by undefeated junior welterweight Chris Algieri (18-0, 8 KO’s), who stopped Wifredo Acuna in the seventh to continue his undefeated pro career. A special feature of the show was a live screen presentation of the heralded Floyd Mayweather/Saul “Canelo” Alvarez title fight that was seen by the crowd after the live bouts concluded.

Clottey, a 35-year old signed a contract with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing promotions in August. Clottey is not the first world champion to be guided by the experienced promoter/manager from the Bronx. The partnership is especially appropriate as the native of Ghana is now a resident of the Bronx, the borough that is the birthplace of the renowned promoter and the home base of his successful promotion, Star Boxing.

DeGuardia, very familiar with the newest addition to his stable of boxers, spoke in high praise of Clottey, “He’s fought the very best in the world including Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto and he fits very well in the mix in the top 10 middleweights in the world. His world title fight against Miguel Cotto was one of the most memorable bouts New York City fight fans had seen for many years.”

Clottey began his pro career in his native land in 1995. After winning 25 of his first 26 bouts, Clottey had his first bout in the U.S. in 2003. His first world title tilt was for the WBO Welterweight crown against Antonio Margarito on December 2, 2006. The 12 round loss by decision for Clottey may have been affected by Margarito’s hand wraps, which in some bouts were allegedly filled with plaster, but definitely was affected by Clottey breaking his hand early in the encounter.

That loss was followed by four impressive victories that gained the Ghanaian an IBF Welterweight Title bout over Zab Judah, for the crown vacated by Margarito. Clottey won his first world title by defeating Judah.

Clottey’s next two bouts were 12 round losses by decision to two of the most renowned boxers of the current age, Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao.

The defeat by Cotto was on a split decision and was in Cotto’s “home” arena, Madison Square Garden.

Since Clottey’s most recent bout in November, 2011, he has put on weight and is now competing as a middleweight.