District Attorney's Office News Report

Four drug defendants have jury trials; others plead guilty

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The DA’s Drug Prosecution Team prosecuted 14 defendants the week of August 6, 2012, through August 10, 2012, in Mecklenburg County Superior Court. Trials and motions were held in courtroom 5150 before The Honorable Linwood O. Foust, Superior Court Judge, and in courtroom 5130 before The Honorable Anna M. Wagoner, Superior Court Judge.

Shaneff Little, 35, was tried for one count of possession of cocaine. The jury returned a verdict of guilty. Judge Wagoner sentenced Little to 6-8 months in prison; that sentence was suspended pending Little’s successful completion of 30 months of supervised probation.

David Cook, 33, was tried for 1) possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana and 2) felony possession of marijuana. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on felony possession of marijuana and not guilty on possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana. Judge Foust sentenced Cook to 4-5 months in prison; that sentence was suspended pending his successful completion of 18 months of supervised probation.

Roxine Hassan, 21, was tried for 1) sale of marijuana and 2) possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty on sale of marijuana and was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana. Judge Wagoner declared a mistrial on the charge of possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana.

Dewayne Hemphill, 22, was tried for possession of cocaine. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

Kevin Duffy, 33, filed a motion to suppress evidence seized by law enforcement, alleging violations of his legal rights. After hearing testimony and arguments from the defense and the Assistant District Attorney, Judge Foust granted Duffy’s motion.

Claude McClinton, 32, filed a motion to suppress evidence seized by law enforcement, alleging violations of his legal rights. After hearing testimony and arguments from the defense and the Assistant District Attorney, Judge Wagoner granted McClinton’s motion. As a result, the State dismissed the case.

Clifford Martin, 32, filed a motion to suppress evidence seized by law enforcement, alleging violations of his legal rights. After hearing testimony and arguments from the defense and the Assistant District Attorney, Judge Foust granted Martin’s motion. As a result, the State
dismissed the case.

Keith Griffin, 35, filed a motion to suppress evidence seized by law enforcement, alleging violations of his legal rights. After hearing testimony and arguments from the defense and the Assistant District Attorney, Judge Foust granted Griffin’s motion.

Levi Toney, 27, filed a motion to suppress identification, alleging violations of his legal rights. After hearing testimony and arguments from the defense and the Assistant District Attorney, Judge Foust denied Toney’s motion. At the conclusion of the motion, the defendant requested a continuance, which was granted by Judge Foust. The case will proceed to trial at a later date.

Lamarcus Seabrooks, 26, filed a motion to suppress evidence seized by law enforcement, alleging violations of his legal rights. After hearing testimony and arguments from the defense and the Assistant District Attorney, Judge Wagoner denied Seabrooks’s motion. The defendant then pled guilty as charged to 1) possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, 2) felony possession of marijuana and 3) possession of drug paraphernalia. Judge Wagoner sentenced Seabrooks to two consecutive sentences of 5-6 months in prison; those sentences were suspended pending his successful completion of 30 months of supervised probation.

Four defendants pled guilty when their cases were called for trial:

Gilberto Gabino, 33, pled guilty to one count of trafficking in cocaine. Judge Wagoner sentenced Gabino to 35-42 months in prison.

Antonio Massey, 26, pled guilty to 1) possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, 2)assault on government official and 3) resisting a public officer. Judge Foust sentenced Massey to 5-6 months in prison.

Kimberly Dubose, 32, pled guilty to 1) three counts of sale of cocaine, 2) four counts of delivery of cocaine and 3) four counts of possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine. Judge Wagoner sentenced Dubose to 3 sentences of 13-16 months in prison; those sentences were suspended pending Dubose’s successful completion of 36 months of probation. As a condition of probation, Dubose must serve 90 days in the county jail.

Cedric McCray, 31, pled guilty to possession of cocaine. Judge Wagoner sentenced him to 6-8 months in prison. That sentence was suspended pending his successful completion of 24 months of supervised probation. As one of his conditions of probation, McCray must complete the DART program.

Couple Arrested for University-Area Robberies

A Charlotte couple is behind bars after a series of similar robberies at the Shoppes at University Place on  July 28 and August 3. According to reports, the couple robbed bystanders at this location on both dates, taking purses, jewelry, and other items. The robbers forced the victims to withdraw money from an ATM during the July robbery, while they fled after being denied the PIN number to the victim's debit card during the August robbery.

Tommy Leon Moses, 28, and Latoya Bianca Howie, 24, both of Charlotte, were arrested on August 6th and 9th, respectively. Police found implicating evidence inside the couple's apartment. They have been charged with four counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, four counts of kidnapping, and conspiracy. Moses was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Moses and Howie are both jailed in Mecklenburg County.

Iredell County Sheriff Busts 5-Man Burglary Ring

Five people have been arrested in connection with a major burglary ring, according to Iredell County authorities, who worked with law enforcement from at least 7 other North Carolina counties to apprehend the suspects.

The group is suspected to have been behind over 40 burglaries in North Carolina, including 8 counties spanning, from McDowell to Union.  Though the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office claims the ring involved 6 people, only the arrests of 5 suspects have been made public.

Keenan Wade Hildebrand was arrested in Statesville on July 3rd.  About two weeks later on the 19th, Christian Dean Ser Catarino and Jessica Brady were arrested in a hotel in Charlotte.  Finally, on July 24th, John Willard Blackwelder and Trisha Marie Nelson were apprehended at the Conover Wal-Mart in Catawba County.

The arrests stem from an Iredell / Rowan County Sheriff’s investigation in which stolen goods were recovered in Statesville at both the Quality Inn and the Advantage Mini Storage on July 3rd. This led to the arrest of Hildebrand, who is currently in an Iredell County jail.  According to investigators, they recovered stolen goods valued at over $20,000, including firearms and jewelry.

The success of the July 3rd search led investigators to the remaining suspects.  After a disturbance at a Charlotte hotel, Catarino and Brady were arrested, with Catarino being charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.  Following their apprehension, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police notified Iredell County officials of the arrests, where Brady was taken to Iredell County jail as Catarino remains incarcerated in Charlotte.

Blackwelder and Nelson were found days later at the Conover Wal-Mart, with assistance from the NC Highway Patrol and Conover Police.  The couple, now jailed in Catawba County, was driving a stolen car.  Inside the car were stolen goods including firearms and items connected to a Mooresville burglary.

Iredell County authorities have asked that anyone who might have been a victim of these burglaries and who may be able to identify stolen items to contact the agency where they filed a burglary report.

Detectives Conducting a Shooting Investigation in the Freedom Division

UPDATE: Mr. McConico has been charged with an Infraction for CCW Permit Violation (fail to disclose that he had a valid permit and was carrying a concealed handgun when approached by an officer). Note, the first violation of this General Statute is an infraction; subsequent offense are a Class 2 Misdemeanor. Mr. McConico was also issued a criminal summons to appear in court by a magistrate for Shooting a Firearm in the city limits.

The vehicle, a 2011 Jeep Compass, which struck the sedan occupied by Mr. McConico and his wife was located yesterday unoccupied at Marshall Acres Drive and Barry Oaks Circle, off the 8300 block of Wilkinson Boulevard. The Jeep is a rental vehicle and it has been reported stolen. At this time it is unknown if any of its occupants were struck by gunfire. This investigation remains active.
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Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Homicide Unit are conducting a shooting investigation at 6200 Freedom Drive. The call for service was reported at 9:46 this morning. CMPD Freedom Division Officers initially responded to a Hit & Run call approaching a construction zone. Multiple calls for service immediately came in to 911 stating that shots were fired at the scene.

When officers arrived on scene, they located a small sedan and its two occupants. The sedan was rear-ended by a light colored SUV, which fled the scene on Freedom Drive towards I-85. The passenger of the sedan, Terry McConico, is an off-duty Detention Officer with the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. He has been employed by the MCSO since January 14, 1998. Mr. McConico exited his vehicle and ran after the suspect vehicle and fired his personal weapon at least twice at the suspect vehicle as it fled the scene.

At this time, it is unknown if the vehicle or any of its occupants were struck by gunfire. The driver of the sedan, Mr. McConico’s wife, was transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries she sustained in the crash. The CMPD Homicide Unit is investigating the case, which is standard practice in all law enforcement related shootings.

Crime Scene Search responded to the call for service to process the scene and collect physical evidence.  Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 704-432-TIPS and speak directly to a Homicide Unit Detective. Detective Santiago is the lead detective assigned to the case. In addition, you may also call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

A&E's 'Beyond Scared Straight' Features MCSO's 'Reality Program'

Links:
* Mecklenburg County Sheriff Office - 'Reality Program'
* Direct Link to Full Episode without commercials
* Download/Save Full Episode

2,600th post!

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Office Featured on A&E's 'Beyond Scared Straight'

Tune-in to A&E on August 18th at 10pm to watch the 90 minute Season Premier of Beyond Scared Straight which highlights the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office’s 'Reality Program'. The show was filmed in June and features MCSO Officers who participate in the program designed to educate young people about the long term results of criminal behavior.

The goal of the MCSO Reality Program is to educate youth about the potential consequences of poor choices and to help them build a solid foundation for the future.  The show visits youth prevention programs all over the country. 

The MCSO wants to make it clear to viewers that the show is deemed “entertainment” and the Production Company was not able to effectively reflect the total program and what it does. The show focuses on the highlights of the program and normally focuses on a couple of kids and officers specifically. Please focus on what the show was able to show and not on what they had to leave out.

The production company is very excited about the premier and want you to be excited too. Because the production company saw this as such a worthy program, they made a $10,000 donation to our agency which will be used to supplement the Reality Program. I hope you enjoy the show.