Thursday, May 9, 2013
Case will go to trial on July 18.
The case against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski, the Air Force's sexual assault prevention chief who is charged with sexual battery, will go to trial in July. Arlington County General District Court Judge Richard McCue set the trial date at an arraignment Thursday afternoon, scheduling the session for 2 p.m. July 18. Krusinski, a 41-year-old Arlington man who works at the Pentagon, was charged this weekend by local police after a woman said he groped her in Crystal City parking lot. More than 20 media outlets were in court as the judge called Krusinki's name. He entered with his attorney, Fairfax-based Sheryl Shane, wearing a dark blazer and khaki pants. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Cari Steele, who is handling the case for the …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
U.S. Air Force JAG office requested case be turned over to the military.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for Arlington and Falls Church will proceed with the the sexual battery case against Air Force Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski rather than hand it over to the military for prosecution. Krusinski, a 41-year-old Arlington man who works at the Pentagon, was charged this weekend by local police after a woman said he groped her in Crystal City parking lot. Thanks to his position as chief of the U.S. Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Branch, his face — scraped and cut in a booking photo — appeared in national news stories Monday afternoon. Upon hearing the news, the Air Force removed him from his position. Gen. Mark Walsh, Air Force Chief of Staff, told U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine on Tuesday that an area …
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Arlington police and the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office found no criminal activity or intent, county officials say.
Arlington County announced this week that it had restructured a popular senior travel program in the wake of problems caused by lax oversight — including employees maintaining independent bank accounts for the program that were not subject to county auditing or financial controls. “The Senior Travel Program is a very successful program that unfortunately, cut corners in its operations,” Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan said in a statement. The county found out about the accounts in November 2010 and subsequently coordinated an investigation with the Arlington County Police Department and the local Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. That concluded in May 2012 and no criminal activity or intent was found, according to a news release…
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
James Sylvester Caroline entered an Alford plea Wednesday in Arlington County Circuit Court.
A 53-year-old Washington man pleaded guilty Wednesday in Arlington County Circuit Court to charges related to the shooting death of Tommy Wong, a Columbia Pike jewelry store owner, last summer. James Sylvester Caroline pleaded guilty to capital murder and the use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life in prison plus three years. Caroline entered an Alford plea before Chief Judge William T. Newman Jr. That means he does not admit to the crimes, only that the commonwealth had enough evidence against him so that it was in his best interest to avoid a trial. Had the matter gone to trial, Caroline could have received the death penalty upon conviction. "This was an appropriate outcome," said Commonwealth's …
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
James Caroline is accused of killing a Columbia Pike jewelry store owner last summer.
James Sylvester Caroline, the Washington man accused of killing a Columbia Pike jewelry store owner in July, will appear in Arlington County Circuit Court on Wednesday. Caroline is accused of shooting 52-year-old Tommy Wong of Herndon to death during the robbery of Capital Jewelers in July. An Arlington County Grand Jury indicted Caroline on capital murder and weapons charges in December. Commonwealth's Attorney Theo Stamos and Senior Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Frank Frio are prosecuting the case. Stamos declined to comment on the case on Monday.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Rodolfo Hernandez-Suazo, 54, was also charged with abduction and incest.
A 54-year-old Arlington man convicted of raping and abducting his adult daughter is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison. Rodolfo Hernandez-Suazo was sentenced in the Arlington County Circuit Court by Judge Louise M. DiMatteo, who imposed the jury’s recommend 80-year sentence. DiMatteo ordered the concurrent sentencing of 50 years for rape, 25 years for abduction and five years for incest, which means Hernandez-Suazo will serve 50 years. The sentence also includes a $25,000 fine. According to a news release from the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for Arlington and Falls Church, Hernandez-Suazo lured his adult daughter to a south Arlington hotel room in January 2013 after saying he was going to do some maintenance work there. …
Friday, December 21, 2012
James Caroline is accused of killing jewelry store owner this summer.
Discovery is now under way in the capital murder case involving 53-year-old James Sylvester Caroline. Caroline, of Washington, is accused of shooting a 52-year-old Herndon man to death during the robbery of a Columbia Pike jewelry store in July. Prosecutors and defense attorneys can begin the pre-trial work necessary to discover the relevant facts of the case following a hearing Thursday in Arlington Circuit Court. An Arlington County Grand Jury indicted Caroline on capital murder and weapons charges earlier this week. Thursday, Arlington Circuit Judge Louise DiMatteo set a status date of April 17 — a hearing at which point the trial date will be set. DiMatteo also appointed Ed Ungvarsky with the Northern Virginia Capital Defenders Office …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Gonzales to be sentenced early next year.
A 45-year-old Washington man has pleaded guilty to simple abduction, a felony, after a jury couldn't reach a unanimous decision on more severe charges. Francis M. Gonzales pleaded guilty to the lesser count on Friday after a trial last week ended in a hung jury, according to the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for Arlington and Falls Church. Gonzales was accused of holding a prostitute against her will on Jan. 19 at the Radisson Hotel at 2020 Jefferson Davis Highway, Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Molly Newton told Patch. Gonzales and the woman had set up a meeting, but things "didn't go as planned," Newton said, citing evidence presented in court. A dispute followed, in which Gonzales refused to let the woman leave the room. Authorities …
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Commonwealth's Attorney's Office: Victims' testimony helped lead to conviction.
Storme Gary Swann, 51, formerly of La Plata, Md., was found guilty this week in Arlington County Circuit Court of two counts of robbery, two counts of abduction and one count of statutory burglary. A jury found Swann guilty Thursday following a three-day trial and recommended a 95-year sentence, according to an Arlington County Police Department news release. On Aug. 14, 2010, Swann forced his way into a hotel room and assaulted, detained and bound two female tourists — a 73-year-old woman and her 51-year-old daughter, both visiting from Canada, the release states. The hotel was in the 2400 block of South Glebe Road. Swann robbed them of cash, jewelry and electronics and sexually assaulted one of them, the release states. Swann's criminal …
Friday, May 25, 2012
Arlington men convicted of robbing Four Mile Run gas station at gunpoint.
An Arlington County jury this week found two men guilty of a Christmas Day robbery of a gas station and recommended to a judge that they serve at least a decade behind bars. Liban Jama, 24, and Earl Brown, 28, both of Arlington, were arrested Dec. 25, 2011, following an armed robbery. Jama entered the Mobil gas station at 4154 S. Four Mile Run Drive shortly after noon that day. He brandished a gun — later determined to be a BB gun — and demanded money and cigarettes. After the heist, he joined Brown, who was waiting in the getaway car. The robbery "drew numerous police officers to the area with guns drawn in an effort to arrest the two as they tried to flee the scene," according to the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for Arlington and …
SouthArlJD
11:25 am on Saturday, May 11, 2013
Given the peculiar provision in the UCMJ which allows a commander to overturn the findings of a military court I can't blame the Arlington CA for refusing to allow the military to take on this case. more ›