South Florida Criminal Attorneys Blog

“Millionaire Madam” Guilty Of Promoting Prostitution: Accepts Plea Bargain

September 25, 2012 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

Accused Manhattan madam, Anna Gristina ended her seven month ordeal by agreeing to a plea deal of a single count of promoting prostitution in exchange for six months in prison which essentially reflects time already served. She was also put on 5 years’ probation. If the case went to trial, the defendant would have faced a prison sentence of up to seven years. It was reported that Gristina originally refused to take a plea because she believed it could mean that she’d be deported back to Scotland.

“We are left with a straightforward promoting prostitution case – a defendant who ran a brothel for many years and who profited from the sex trade,” said Assistant District Attorney Charles Linehan. “That is all.”

Gristina, described as a soccer mom, in comparison to the leader of a high-priced service for sex, the 44 year old mother of four spent time awaiting trial at Riker’s Island charged with running a high-priced prostitution ring out of her E. 78th Street residence. Her alleged co-conspirator, Jaynie Mae Baker, who was accused of running the brothel along with Gristina, took a plea deal earlier last month that allows her to avoid additional jail time as well. Ms. Baker was known as a recruiter for VIP Life a matchmaking service that was earlier exhibited on “20/20” and in a New York Times article.

The case received National attention when claims were made that she supplied under-aged prostitutes to her clientele; one of which was said to be embattled two-time presidential candidate John Edwards. Edwards was recently found not guilty on one of six charges of campaign finance corruption where it was alleged that the purpose of the acceptance of these secret campaign donations was to assist in the covering up of his affair with filmmaker Rielle Hunter who was hired to work for his presidential campaign. Their relationship included the birth of their child.

Another high-profile participant associated with the case was David Walker, a Wall Street investment banker who worked for Morgan Stanley. Upon release of the information Walker was identified of hosting a meeting where prosecutors alleged that Gristina was trying to raise money for a business venture. Walker wasn’t charged with any crime and Morgan Stanley stated that there was no evidence linking him to any criminal activity. However, Walker was placed on paid administrative leave until the conclusion of the investigation.

Another aspect of the case which helped it gain notoriety in the press was the amount of bail imposed upon the accused. The 2 million dollar bond appeared excessive to distraught family members. During the course of her incarceration four attempts were requested to lower the set amount unsuccessfully. On April 8th Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon vetoed arguments by Gristina’s attorney who stated that the steep bail amount was not properly considered by the original judge. The prosecution had won the stunning bail figure by arguing that she headed a multi-million dollar pay for sex ring with the assistance of unnamed law enforcement officials. The original judge also agreed with prosecutors who claimed that the Scottish-born Gristina could also be a flight risk. To date none of the unnamed law enforcement personnel has been revealed.

The family set up a Website asking for donations to “bring her back to us.” “There’s Mother’s Day, the prom, graduation. She should be out. These are once-in-a-lifetime things that she’s missing because of an unjust bail.” According to the Website, Gristina was being held in solitary confinement. It also goes on to say that the authorities are trying to humiliate her by making her “wear only a T-shirt and a diaper.” The Department of corrections told the New York Daily News there’s no truth to those claims.
“She doesn’t sell sex, she sells discretion for wealthy men” said her daughter, Suzanna Pak in an Anderson Cooper TV interview.

Gristina’s legal problems began when she allegedly boasted to friends in Scotland claiming the bragging rights to “Building and Empire” which was reported in the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail tabloid. The defendant also made numerous claims that she had connections and influence in any number of city, state and federal agencies, including the DA’s office, NYPD, FBI, the governor’s office and Customs, among others.

During the proceedings the prosecution requested and was denied Gristina’s client list. In a recent article posted in the Daily Mail Gristina said: “I have a deep sense of loyalty and I’m Scottish” when asked why she wouldn’t release the names of her clients.

Hallandale Beach man injures two in drunken driving crash

September 25, 2012 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

Luis Uriel Hernandez-Hernandez, 20, a native of Mexico is in custody after he allegedly seriously injured two people in a hit-and-run mishap last Saturday night, an arrest report said.

The report stated that Hernandez-Hernandez, who works in the construction industry was arrested on two counts of DUI; serious injury to another, leaving the scene of an accident, and various other charges. He is being held without bail at the Joseph V. Conte medium-security custody facility, awaiting trial in Pompano Beach.

According to jailbase.com it was only two weeks earlier that Hernandez-Hernandez was stopped by police and charged with going through a red light, driving with expired license tags, and operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license.

In the crash, Hernandez-Hernandez’s blood-alcohol level was more than double the .08 level at which a driver in the state of Florida, is recognized as legally impaired.

After the accident, Officer Cheryl Ramsaroop and her partner Officer Edward Grange noticed a gold 2003 Chevrolet SUV driving erratically on South. Dixie Highway. The vehicle according to the description of the vehicle given previously smashed into two other vehicles, and then left the scene located near the corner of Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Federal Highway.

After performing an “investigatory traffic stop” on the vehicle and questioning Hernandez-Hernandez the defendant told Officer Ramsaroop and her partner that he didn’t understand English when he was asked to submit to a sobriety test. A third officer was then called to the scene who spoke Spanish. When he requested to conduct the sobriety test, in Spanish, Hernandez-Hernandez still said that he didn’t understand the instructions. He allegedly smelled of alcohol and was unstable on his feet according to the report
As he was again given the instructions of how to proceed with the test in Spanish, he was said to have voiced, “I don’t know,” and, “I’m drunk,” several times in both Spanish and English,” the report said.

Hernandez-Hernandez, who did not have a valid driver’s license as well as proof of insurance, was then arrested. The report also mentioned that “he was unable to sign traffic citations due to his intoxicated state”.

Police also said that two semi-filled beer cans were found that were still cool to the touch in the back seat of the SUV. Grange also wrote in his report dealing with the arrest that when he asked Hernandez-Hernandez how many alcoholic beverages he had consumed that night, his reply was “10 Coronas,”
“As a result of the accident, two individuals suffered serious injuries and had to be transported to the hospital,” the police report said. The hospital that the injured individuals were taken to was not indicated by police. The injured were identified by police as Rona Wexler and Cheila Grinberg. No other details about them were given in the report, and their conditions were unavailable as of Tuesday.

When appearing in Court before Broward Judge John “Jay” Hurley, the Judge said: “Sir, the court believes you represent a danger to the community. The court notes that you have previously allegedly committed the same crimes – at least to the extent that you were in a crash and didn’t have a driver’s license.”

Palm Beach County resident convicted on drug trafficking charges

September 19, 2012 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

Shane McKenney was branded a racketeer and principal of a prescription pill mill responsible for illegally obtaining thousands of pills from local pharmacies. Shane’s drug of choice is oxycodone and has been addicted to the narcotic for several years.

The guilty verdicts were returned by the jury that consisted of five women and one man at the beginning of their second day of deliberations. The jury convicted him of dozens of trafficking charges going back to 2007. He was also found guilty of lesser trafficking charges due to the actual weights of the pills in some of the cases. Out of the more than 100 trafficking charges he was only acquitted of an insignificant amount.

In 2008, McKenney, a resident of North Palm Beach was rounded up with more than a dozen others in connection with an oxycodone ring which surfaced at the end of an investigation of a home burglary in Palm Beach Gardens.

Prosecutor Christy Rogers called upon other persons arrested with McKenney to provide testimony against him including Michael Zimmerman who explained to the jury how McKenney attained phony prescriptions on the Internet and then handed them out to other members of the group to be filled by local pharmacies. Zimmerman was quick to suggest that the pharmacies did very little or nothing at all to verify the authenticity of the prescriptions. All the prescriptions were paid for with cash. McKenney’s attorney argued the same point before the court and pointed out that her client was an oxycodone addict who heavily used the drugs he was suspected of trafficking.

McKenney will be sentenced on Oct. 29 to a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison. Still because of the conviction of racketeering McKenney could face a much longer term of imprisonment. At the discretion of Circuit Judge Richard Oftedal, the term can vary but family members commented that because he is an addict the case should not be compared to that of Chris and Jeff George who plea bargained a 25 year minimum mandatory sentence in a similar type of case. Chris George received 17 ½ years and his Brother Jeff’s penalty was capped at 20 years in prison.

After the verdict was read the defendant’s lawyer stated that she planned to file papers showing that her client should have been charged with fraudulently obtaining a prescription which is a third degree felony which carries a maximum five-year sentence as opposed to the minimum five years that he is now looking at.

It is important to note that narcotic addiction and dependence are medical illnesses that need the full attention of the health care community. McKenney’s mother told a deputy that Shane was a man whose pill addiction propelled him to get fake prescriptions for others to primarily feed his own habit.

Broward County Man charged with Murder of his wife

September 12, 2012 | Michael B. Cohen, P.A.

The last thing Jorge Rodriguez expected to hear when he answered the phone at 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning was the words spoken by his close friend Alberto Ramos. Ramos repeatedly told his friend “I have killed my wife”. Ramos disclosed to his friend that he killed his wife in a struggle the previous evening. After digesting the grim proclamation, Rodriguez called the police to report the possible crime. When police contacted Ramos he gave them an address that proved to be bogus. Rodriguez was then able to give police a description of the building where Ramos lived which they were later able to find. Upon arrival at the premises, located in the 600 block of Antioch Avenue in the Central Beach area of Fort Lauderdale, police witnessed a bloody Ramos leaving the building. Ramos’ wife, Danitza Gomez Reyes, 36 was found dead by detectives inside the apartment in its rear bedroom. She was observed face down lying in a pool of blood surrounding her head. A number of knives were also found in the area where the victim was found.

As police approached Mr. Ramos they found him talking on his cell phone with a 911 dispatcher reporting that he did indeed kill his spouse. No motive was given by him for his action.

According to the police report, after the alleged murder, Ramos ingested 30 to 40 pills and inflicted superficial cuts to his own forearms. The report doesn’t specify if he communicated to the detectives why he chose to do this.

Ramos, 49, was ordered to be held without bond in the Broward County jail. His primary court appearance will be on Wednesday, Sept. 26th. He’s charged with first-degree murder.

Murder charges can be punishable by up to life in prison depending upon their degree and in cases involving premeditation and heinous atrocious and cruel acts can be punishable by death. If you’ve been charged with a murder of any degree, it is essential that you understand the charges brought against you. It is also vital that you are represented by an attorney that thoroughly knows and understands the laws relating to murder charges and is vastly experienced in providing aggressive representation.