Category: Violent Crimes

KTLA reports that five men were arrested over the weekend that are believed by authorities to have forced their way into a person’s home and held them at knifepoint.

According to the article, at about 4 a.m. on July 10, deputies in Orange County responded to reports of the alleged home invasion in San Clemente. Officials allege the men attempted to rob the man living in the home by holding him at knifepoint. The five men are suspected gang members. A perimeter was set up around the house and deputies arrested all five men, with the last man arrested around 10:30 a.m. All of the men were arrested on suspicion of home invasion with gang enhancements. Officials report that nothing was taken from the man’s home that was allegedly invaded by the men.

When police make an arrest, there is certain protocol that must be followed, in addition to having just cause for making the arrest. When these important steps are overlooked, serious charges made against a suspect can be lessened or dropped altogether. It is important for anyone who has been arrested for a violent crime or any other crime in California to understand due process and their legal rights to ensure police did not make any errors. Being charged with a crime can have serious repercussions on a person’s life, which is why it is important to consult with a skilled Los Angeles violent crime defense lawyer to determine whether an arrest was made properly and what legal options are available.

For over 40 years, attorney Lawrence Wolf has been helping people who have been charged with a crime in California. To learn how Mr. Wolf can protect your rights, call [number type=”1″] to schedule a free consultation today.

For the first time since the late 1960s, Los Angeles has had fewer than 300 murders in the city in 2010, according to latimes.com. In the early 90s, there were over 1,000 murders in the city for three consecutive years.

The statistics are promising, not only because of the huge decrease in murders in the city, but also because a large number of the murders, as well as other violent crimes, are viewed as “repressible.” Repressible crimes are those which can be prevented with an increase in the police force, or improvements in the nature of police work. Crimes which are not repressible are crimes that no amount of police work could prevent, such as domestic violence.

About 50 percent of the murders that occurred this year were gang crimes. Gang crimes are repressible in large part. Gang crimes are considered repressible because Los Angeles has seen a big decrease in gang crime due to efforts such as community programs and early intervention.

Have you been charged with a violent Los Angeles crime, such as homicide or murder? If so, you may receive 25 years to life in prison, or even the death penalty, under California’s mandatory minimum sentencing laws. Whether or not a crime is considered a violent crime depends on whether or not a weapon was used, whether or not the crime was intentional, and how seriously the victim was injured.

If you have been charged with a violent crime, contact the Los Angeles violent crime defense attorneys at The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf by calling [number type=”1″]. We have extensive experience in defending against a variety of criminal charges.

The largest antipiracy raid in Los Angeles history occurred this month, according tolatimes.com.

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 10 individuals and seized over $4 million worth of counterfeit goods. The raids began in November and ended on December 20. The raids were conducted by L.A.’s antipiracy task force. Dozens of officers from the LAPD, as well as investigators from private companies, were involved in the raids.

The counterfeit goods included CDs, DVDs of recently-released movies such as “Tron” and “The Tourist”, purses, sunglasses, and other goods. Much of the merchandise was seized from vendors and downtown flea markets. Gangs were said to be responsible for most of the piracy.

According to officials, counterfeit goods cost local area businesses over $5.2 billion each year in lost revenue, and $4.4 billion in lost wages. Since 2004, the LAPD’s antipiracy team has made 498 arrests and seized almost $100 million worth of illegal merchandise.

Counterfeiting is a serious crime. White collar crimes, such as counterfeiting and forgery, can be prosecuted by state or federal officials, or both. Penalties for such crimes usually include fines, restitution, and sometimes prison. Many individuals accused of a white collar crime are not aware of their legal rights, which may increase the chances of illegal search and seizure taking place as well as other rights violations.

If you are ever questioned in connection with a white collar crime, do not talk to officials or submit to any police questioning until you have talked with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf have been helping defendants navigate the criminal justice system for over 30 years. For a free consultation, call us today at [number type=”1″]. Our aggressive lawyers will defend your rights and help you obtain a successful case outcome.

Members of a crime ring based in New York and Los Angeles have been arrested for defrauding Medicare, according to The Wall Street Journal. It is the largest Medicare fraud operation in history.

The crime ring defrauded over $35 million from Medicare, starting in 2006. They submitted $100 million in fake bills, but only received $35.7 million in payments. Experts say Medicare has been especially vulnerable to fraud, although improvements have been made.

The criminals used doctor and patient identities to set up dozens of fake clinics across the country that were nothing more than post office boxes. The organization also stole the identities of these doctors and patients, including over 2,000 from a medical center in northern New York. Separate from this white collar crime, members of the group staged car accidents in order to submit claims to insurance companies.

The man behind the operation was a high-level organized crime figure from the former Soviet Union, arrested in Los Angeles. A total of 44 people were charged, although three remain at large. Most were members of a group from Armenia, but some of those arrested were doctors, lawyers and patients. Charges include health-care fraud, racketeering, identity theft, bank fraud and money laundering.

If you have been charged with a white collar crime in Los Angeles, contact Lawrence Wolf. As a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, Mr. Wolf will help you find the best possible defense for your case. To ensure that your rights are protected, call today at [number type=”1″]for a free consultation.

Earlier this month, two Hispanic gang members were convicted of first degree murder for killing a 14-year old African-American girl and a potential witness in Los Angeles, according to the L.A. Times.

The gang members, aged 22 and 23, were found guilty of killing the 14-year old because of her race. They shot her in 2006 while she was standing with some friends in a driveway in broad daylight. The shooting allegedly occurred because one of the gang members was still angry from an earlier argument with a black man. However, the defendant’s attorney claimed that race was not a motivation in the slaying of the 14-year old.

They also killed a 21-year old male gang member that the rest of the gang suspected of communicating with police about the murder of the girl. He was stabbed over 60 times, wrapped in a blanket, and dumped beside a road. At trial, another gang member testified about the killing of the fellow 21-year old in exchange for a lighter sentence.

One of the gang members could receive life in prison without parole, while the other faces the death penalty. Three other gang members are expected to be tried in connection with the killings.

California hate crimes are serious offenses that typically carry harsher penalties than similar crimes that are not hate-driven. If you have been charged with a California hate crime, it is in your best interest to hire an aggressive, skilled California criminal defense attorney who will fight for your rights and freedom. Contact the Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf today at [number type=”1″].

A 14-year old Stockton boy was beaten and stomped to death allegedly by a group of teens, ranging in age from 14 to 19 years old, according to RecordNet.com. The incident happened at a park on Friday, August 6 and all six teens accused of the crime have been charged with first-degree murder. Investigators say that some of the boys were also charged with street-terrorism causing officials to suspect that the beating was an act of gang violence.

The juvenile justice system in California is very complex and in many cases, someone under the age of 18 will be charged as a minor. However, in instances of serious or violent crime such as rape, murder and kidnapping, the minor may be tried as an adult. In this specific case, while there was only one suspect over the age of 18, all six boys will be tried as adults in California court.

Being tried as an adult with a serious charge like murder or another violent crime can alter a juvenile’s life forever. Harsh penalties including a long stint or life sentence in prison come with a murder conviction. If your juvenile has been charged with murder or another serious crime, retaining the services of an aggressive California juvenile crime defense attorney is crucial. The lawyers at The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf understand the juvenile justice system and can inform you and your child of their rights. Don’t wait until it’s too late to seek quality legal counsel. Call The Law Offices of Lawrence Wolf at [number type=”1″].

According to The Los Angeles Times, three individuals have been charged with multiple counts of white collar crimes for their alleged involvement in a credit card scam. Apparently, the individuals are being charged with stealing $2 million from unaware gas station consumers. Reportedly, credit card skimming devices were installed on computerized gas pumps, collecting consumer credit card information and personal identifying numbers (PINs). The information was then downloaded onto computers and other electronic devices, and transferred to equipment used to create credit cards and debit cards.

Based on the article, the three men accused of being involved in the scam were arrested after a three year investigation. The men now face counts ranging from conspiracy to grand theft to computer access fraud, which could result in 20 years of imprisonment. Authorities recovered 10,000 stolen credit and debit card numbers.

Instances of white collar crime in Los Angeles and throughout California affect a large number of consumers each and every year. However, not all individuals accused of such crimes are in fact guilty of wrongdoing. In some cases, alleged wrongdoings may not necessarily be representative of a crime. Regardless of the circumstances of any white collar crime case, the best course of action always involves retaining the services of a skilled defense attorney that will build a strong defense on behalf of the accused.