Small Bits of News You Didn’t Know You Needed

Man fails to win at poker, gets prison

An Albuquerque man was sentenced to prison after he asked to repay his investment scam victims through poker tournament winnings, but failed to find luck at the card table.

"This was long overdue," said J. Dee Dennis Jr., the superintendent of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department. "This individual wanted to con us into believing that keeping him out of prison would help his victims get their money back. ... We're calling his bluff. It's about time we sent him to prison."

Samuel McMaster Jr. stayed out of prison after prosecutors agreed to a request from his attorney to delay sentencing so that he could earn money to repay his victims. The former insurance agent was accused of stealing nearly $450,000 from 23 investors over several years.

After he failed to pay, McMaster was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison, five years of supervised probation after his release and ordered to make full restitution to his victims.

Investors had been promised up to 10 percent interest, but Bowman said they never received anything, not even the return on their original investments.

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Handcuffed suspect steals patrol car

Police in Texas said a burglar suspect was handcuffed and buckled into the back seat of a patrol car was able to climb to the front seat and drive off.

Police said Robert Cantrell, 41, was pulled over in Atascocita about 6:30 p.m. by a Harris County Deputy Sheriff who determined the Ford pickup truck had been reported stolen.

The truck was found to contain a number of apparently stolen electronic devices, police said.

"He (the deputy) turned around and saw the guy (Cantrell) jump over the back seat to the front seat," Capt. Wally Wieghat said.

Cantrell drove the vehicle in reverse, struck a parked vehicle, spun around and sped away from the scene with the deputy chasing on foot, authorities said. The suspect drove through about 15 back yards before crashing into a deep bayou and fleeing the patrol car on foot.

Deputies found the suspect hiding in the back seat of a nearby parked car, authorities said.

Cantrell is facing counts of felony escape and criminal mischief among other charges, police said.

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Typo gives away fake wine

Fake bottles of Australia's best-selling Jacob's Creek wine have flooded the UK market, but were discovered because of a typo on the label.

Hundreds of bottles of imitation Jacob's Creek, which have made their way into bottle shops across the country, have already been seized.

The wine appears identical to the real thing apart from a tell-tale misspelling of Australia on the label - and the apparently horrible taste.

The fakes are believed to have come from China.

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Pot was found in a shipment of steel beams

Authorities say a North Carolina man is facing drug trafficking charges; accused of accepting a delivery of 266 pounds of marijuana packed in a shipment of steel beams.

It was reported Thursday that the pallet of a half dozen 8-square-inch beams had been welded shut and sent from Brownsville, Texas, to a shipping company in Charlotte. Authorities say the drug was detected by a canine unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Gaston County Police arranged for an undercover officer to deliver the pallet to the address on the package. Police say Carson David Hyde of Charlotte was arrested after accepting the shipment. Police said Hyde's name was on shipping papers.

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Woman steals church guitar, sells it for $20

Someone who walked into the Higher Ground Baptist Church took the low road out.

Police in Kingsport, Tenn. have charged 25-year-old Cassie K. Chapman with felony theft after a bass guitar that was stolen from the church showed up at a pawn shop less than a mile away.

Surveillance video from the church showed two women and a small child walking in on March 30.

A court affidavit states a pawn shop employee called police and said the shop had just bought the instrument for $20. Video from the store showed the same woman as the church surveillance did.

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Fake priest gets prison in collection-plate theft

A Michigan man who authorities say dressed like a priest and stole a collection plate during Mass has been sentenced to at least four years in prison in the case.

Jackson County Circuit Court Judge John McBain on Thursday sentenced 52-year-old Alan Fiddler of Jackson to four to 20 years in the November theft of a collection plate containing about $3,600 from St. John Catholic Church. The judge noted that Fiddler had nine parole violations on his record in issuing the sentence.

At the time the collection plate was taken, Fiddler was on parole in another theft case.

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Getting An Elephant Massage

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Obsessed woman over the color pink

Wanda Matthews, 20, loved pink from a young age – and, as soon as she moved into her own place, she set about transforming her home into a shrine to the color

Her bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom and children’s playroom are a candy-colored testament to her passion for pink, with everything from the carpets, wallpaper, furniture and bedding in varying shades of the rosy hue.

The mother of two, from Bolton, wears something pink every day from her pink wardrobe, and even her kitchen has a pink kettle, toaster, pots and pans.

She only buys pink cleaning products, listens to a pink iPod and makes calls on her pink cell phone. Her young daughters have happily fitted in with the color scheme, wearing pink clothes and playing with pink toys.

‘You could describe it as over the top. Some people think it’s a bit much but I don’t care – I’ve always loved pink,’ she said.

Her family are used to her fixation but she admits it has left boyfriend Danny, 24, a little bemused.

But it’s too late to stop her now – and there’s always something more to do.

‘I’m looking for some pink wood-paint to do my garden fence with and I’ve found this special heat-proof pink paint for the oven,’ she said.

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Man delivers 2-day-old DB to ER

A strange scene unfolded in Espanola after a man delivered a decomposing body to an emergency room.

Police say Jerry Maestas, 64, drove up to an Espanola hospital with the body of Amy Marquez, 33, propped up in the passenger seat of a vehicle.

Maestas then asked the hospital staff to come out and help his friend who was sick but when hospital employees came closer to the car, it was clear the woman had been dead for awhile.

“They found some early stages of decomposition, also the smell they detected when they walked up the vehicle,” explained Jeremy Apodaca with the Espanola Police Department.

Police estimate Marquez may have been dead for 24 to 36 hours. There’s still no word on the exact cause of her death. Meanwhile, Maestas will be charged with failing to report a death.

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Small Bits of News You Didn’t Know You Needed

Recyclers arrested for taking 47p worth of scrap from tip

Two keen recyclers claim bungling police blew £20,000 on a huge operation to arrest them – for taking 47p worth of scrap from a rubbish tip.

Salvage experts Owen Gray, 50, and Angela Cubitt, 34, helped themselves to an old PlayStation 3 and a Black and Decker drill which had been dumped at their local recycling centre.

But they were stunned when eight officers in a police helicopter, two vans, two dog units and three patrol cars swooped to arrest them as they walked home.

Computer engineer Owen was later fined £20 and Angela was released without charge.

They claim officers told them the cost of the arrest operation was £20,000 and that the scrap value of the old electrical goods was just 47p.

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Colon cleansing course fined for Toilet Shortage

The arrangers of a Hawaiian colon cleansing course in northern Sweden that worked a little too well have been fined for not having enough toilets.

One of the course's female participants reported the company that arranged the course after she was forced to empty her bowels outside in front of other participants, according to local media reports.

According to the woman, the fact there were more participants than toilets forced participants to employ a "first come, first served" policy, much to the detriment of those for whom the treatment worked less urgently.

The cleansing process is completed by drinking large quantities of lightly-salted water and herbal concoctions over the course of several days.

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Small Bits of News You Didn’t Know You Needed

Woman sold inmate's car

Police said a 19-year-old woman took the vehicle of a Johnson County Jail inmate and sold it along with many of his possessions including laptop for $150.

According to Iowa City police criminal complaints, the victim, who is not identified, was arrested at Menards. Police said the man was to be incarcerated for 42 days.

During that time, Daisha R. Adams, address unknown, took possession of the man's 1993 Buick Regal Custom, forged his name on the title and sold it for $150. According to Kelly Blue Book, a Buick Regal Custom with 150,000 miles in fair condition is worth more than $800.

Police said the man's laptop computer, iPod, gaming system, EBT card and several items of clothing were in the car and reported stolen. Police said when Adams forged the signature of the victim, she misspelled his middle name. Adams remains in the Johnson County Jail on a $20,000 cash-only bond.

Man stole doughnut delivery truck

Police in Ocala, Florida said they arrested a man who said he stole a doughnut delivery truck from a Wal-Mart parking lot because he was tired of walking.

Ocala police said they responded to the scene of a reported collision between two vehicles Thursday and one of the drivers, Randall Roberts, 20, of Davenport, told them at the scene he had taken the doughnut truck from a parking lot in Tampa.

Roberts told investigators he took the truck, which had been left unlocked with the keys in the ignition, because his feet hurt from walking and he "needed somewhere to sleep."

Police searched the truck and found 338 boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and 10 grams of marijuana.

Roberts, who denied ownership of the cannabis, was charged with grand theft auto and possession of marijuana less than 20 grams. He was taken to the Marion County Jail.

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Driving mower without license

A Virginia court tossed out a $50 fine for a man accused of driving without a license when he rode a power lawnmower from one job to another.

Circuit Court Judge Rodham Delk threw out the fine levied against Leslie Dildy, 35, ruling Monday a riding lawnmower is considered a "farm tractor" under state law, meaning no driver's license is required to operate one.

Dildy was stopped while driving the mower from the scene of a lawn-mowing job to another home and issued a summons for driving without a license. He was fined $50 when he appeared in General District Court.

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Woman crashed car while brushing her teeth

A teacher who crashed her car while brushing her teeth told police she had lost concentration.

Cherie Margaret Davis, 65, who was treated at Blenheim Hospital for her injuries after a crash, had also been drinking, Blenheim District Court was told yesterday.

Sergeant Graham Single said Davis was driving toward Picton when she set the cruise control of her car at 100km/h, "got out her toothbrush and started brushing her teeth".

After veering to the left, she over-corrected and crashed into a rock bank on the right side of the road. Her blood alcohol level was 135mg. The legal limit is 80mg.

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Ohio man charged after barking at police dog

Police say a Mason, Ohio man has been charged with a misdemeanor for barking at a police dog.

A police report says 25-year-old Ryan James Stephens was charged with teasing a police dog in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason.

Officer Bradley Walker wrote that he heard the K9 dog barking uncontrollably inside his patrol car while he was investigating a car crash at a pub early Sunday morning. Walker says Stephens was making barking noises and hissing at the animal.

Walker reported that Stephens said "the dog started it" when asked why he was harassing the animal. The officer said Stephens appeared highly intoxicated.

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Judge accuses 13-year-old girl of seducing pedophile

A judge was slammed yesterday for allowing a child sex pervert to walk free from court and accusing a girl of 13 of seducing him.

David Barnes, 24, was given a suspended jail sentence after admitting having cyber-sex with the schoolgirl and downloading child porn.

Judge Peter Fox QC admitted people would be puzzled by his decision to let Barnes go, as official guidelines suggested a short jail sentence for his offences. But he told Barnes: “In addition to the images, there were activities over the internet with the 13-year-old, who, I accept, appears to have seduced you.”

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Spokesperson Neil Atkinson said: “Thirteen-year-olds have to be protected. They are children. Intellectually, ethically and legally, this girl could not be on the same level as a man in his 20s.

“The judge is right that most people will be disturbed by an adult receiving a suspended sentence for this.

They found 600 child porn images and film clips on his computers. Prosecutor Paul Newcombe said evidence of internet chat between Barnes and the young victim from Stoke were also discovered.

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Scissors left in woman for three years by surgeons

The routine op should have been a snip - but Veronika Cruz, 35, was left in agony for three years after bungling surgeons left a huge pair of scissors inside her.

The surgeons had left the eight-inch long scissors behind during an operation to remove her ovaries in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

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But doctors dismissed her complaints that something was wrong until she collapsed in agony years later and this X-ray revealed the truth.

A spokesperson for the Sao Paulo medical council said: 'There was damage to her intestine and her other ovary, which had to be removed. We are investigating.'

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Small Bits of News You Didn’t Know You Needed

Man arrested for throwing puppy of bridge

Police in Harlan, Kentucky have arrested a man after they say he threw a puppy off of a bridge in town into the river below-twice.

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Police arrested 21 year-old Jerry Russel, Jr and charged him with Animal Cruelty charges after it was reported he threw the dog off the Georgetown Bridge.  The dog was in a plastic grocery bag.  A 13 year old boy with Russel retrieved the dog from the water and Russel is alleged to have thrown the dog into the river again.  The second time the dog was rescued by a homeless man under the bridge.

According to Mikel Taylor with the Harlan County Animal Shelter, the puppy, who shelter workers have named Lucky, was checked by a veterinarian and was in good physical shape.

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Woman arrested when she refused to clean dog mess

Police in East Memphis, Tennessee said they arrested a woman who allegedly struggled with officers after refusing to pick up after her dog.

Police officers witnessed Kristen Hall, 24; fail to pick up after her pit bull while walking the canine Thursday in the park at Spottswood and Prescott.

Officers said they informed Hall she would have to clean up the dog's droppings but she replied she takes her dog to the park every day and had no intention of cleaning the mess.

The officers said Hall ignored a second warning and refused the officers' request to provide some identification.

Police said Hall resisted when they attempted to detain her. One officer said the woman kicked him and bit him on the hand.

Hall was arrested and charged with assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

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Fearless K-9 dog faces python to find drugs

Italian authorities say a police dog got past a large dog, a cat, a rabbit and a nearly 6 1/2-foot python to find an alleged drug dealer's stash of marijuana.

Police said the dog, Umos, was brought into the 22-year-old suspect's apartment near La Spezia and ignored most of the animals to face off against the python, which investigators said the man was using to cover the smell of marijuana,

Investigators said Umos "soon turfed out the snake and we found the man's cannabis as well as equipment to process it."

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Man calls 911 when strippers don't show

Police in Franklin, Wisconsin said a man who visited a gentlemen's club called 911 to report a pair of strippers had failed to show up at his motel room as promised.

Franklin police said the 37-year-old Illinois man told them he spent $1,000 on lap dances from two exotic dancers at the On The Border gentlemen's club Sunday night, and the women promised to visit his room at a local motel later in the morning for "on the house" lap dances.

The man called police at 1:26 a.m. Monday to report the strippers hadn't shown up and he felt he had been cheated.

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“Objection Your Honor”

A Pennsylvania judge was charged with trying to enter a female judge's hotel room wearing only a bed sheet.

Alexandria District Judge Douglas Gummo's cases were turn over to other county magistrates. Gummo is charged with public drunkenness and harassment.

Police say Gummo tried to enter the other judge's room three times in 40 minutes before he was taken into custody early Friday. Investigators say Gummo had met the other judge at a conference being held at the hotel in Camp Hill, near Harrisburg.

Gummo is charged with public drunkenness and harassment.

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Getting Caught By His Thang

Suspect left t-shirt with his picture at crime scene

After being released from a North Carolina prison in mid-November, the 25-year-old felon--who had spent nearly seven years locked up for armed robbery and breaking and entering--apparently printed up a nifty t-shirt with his picture and the slogan “Making Money Is My Thang.”

As seen in the below police evidence photo, the image Huntley chose is a mug shot taken after one of his earlier arrests.

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The t-shirt is in police custody because, investigators allege, Huntley participated in the home invasion robbery. According to cops, one victim told investigators that two black males “willfully and unlawfully entered his residence” and stole valuables, including jewelry and a wallet.

But as the robbers fled the crime scene, the black t-shirt somehow fell out of the duo’s getaway car. Huntley surrendered to police a day after a Crime Stoppers appeal was made seeking the public’s help in identifying the man pictured on the garment.

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