Charlotte Crime

Charlotte Anti-Violence Candlelight Vigil Interrupted By Gunfire :: Charlotte North Carolina DWI DUI Criminal Attorney Lawyer

Published on: September 5, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “If I simply intend to plead guilty, why do I need a lawyer?”

In a bizarre episode earlier this month, police say four people were shot at an anti-violence rally sponsored by the Mothers of Murdered Offspring. Police say the vigil, meant to commemorate lost loved ones, occurred near Pinckney and Matheson Avenues in the Villa Heights neighborhood of Charlotte.

Bullets Charlotte North Carolina DUI DWI Criminal Defense Attorney Lawyer.jpg According to the Mothers of Murdered Offspring, the vigil was taking place to call attention to the recent death of a Charlotte man who police say was shot and killed when he attempted to rob a convenience store. About 50 people were gathered to honor the man killed in the shooting when, at around 10:30 p.m., gunshots erupted.

Authorities have so far revealed that four people were shot and wounded in the gunfire, including an 11-year-old boy. Thankfully, authorities say none of the injuries were life threatening. CMPD says they were called to the scene when a participant in the vigil called 911 to report that someone in the group had pulled a gun and began firing at those gathered.

Police said when they arrived on the scene most of the crowd had scattered and they had to spend time tracking down witnesses and taking statements. Some property damage occurred as a result of the shooting, with tires and windows being shot out of several nearby cars. Police say an investigation into the episode is still ongoing. So far no arrests have been made.

U.S. Attorney’s Office In Western North Carolina Charge 17 In Meth Conspiracy :: Charlotte North Carolina DWI DUI Criminal Attorney Lawyer

Published on: July 9, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?”

The office of the U.S. Attorney announced that it had issued indictments for 17 men and women living in and around Charlotte, NC this past week regarding their involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking operation. The charges were unsealed earlier this week and the individuals were arrested on Tuesday.

Coffee Filter Charlotte North Carolina Criminal Defense DUI DWI Attorney Lawyer.jpg Police say the recent indictments were the result of a large-scale, multi-year joint federal and state investigation that targeted those responsible for manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine in Western North Carolina. The 17 people charged in the criminal enterprise were accused of conspiring to distribute, possess, distribute and manufacture more than 500 grams of methamphetamine as well as possession of pseudoephedrine.

Those charged range in age from 21 to 53. Police say that those indicted also possessed a variety of substances to help further their production of meth, including huge supplies of coffee filters, lithium batters and two-liter plastic bottles. When police finally moved on their information to arrest the participants, they ended up shutting down 15 different methamphetamine labs spread across the region.

Authorities say the meth conspiracy charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years behind bars and a maximum of life in prison. The charge also includes a potential $10 million fine. Possession of pseudoephedrine comes with a prison term of up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine. Possession of materials to make meth also includes a term of up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine. That means those arrested in the recent bust are facing potentially decades behind bars.

Charlotte Police Crack Down On Crimes At Transit Center :: Charlotte North Carolina DWI DUI Criminal Attorney Lawyer

Published on: June 6, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “If I simply intend to plead guilty, why do I need a lawyer?”

A recent news report revealed that far too many crimes are occurring at the Charlotte CATS transit center. The bus station in Uptown has become something of a hangout destination for some unsavory groups, which has led to increasing incidents of crime. Now that the issue has been raised publicly, Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD says they will aggressively work to stamp it out.

Skyline Charlotte North Carolina DUI DWI Criminal Defense Attorney.jpg A spokesperson for the Central Division of CMPD says that officers will be working hard over the coming days and weeks to impress upon people that the bus station is for catching a bus and nothing more. The spokesperson said the department’s position is clear that those interested in loitering can go elsewhere to hang out.

CMPD Captain Mike Campagna said that after receiving reports of various criminal activities, the police approached Allied Barton, the private security company that CATS contracts out work to. The two organizations are launching a joint effort to put a stop to loitering at the bus terminal and, hopefully, the petty crime that results from all the loitering.

Women Arrested After Walking Naked Down Busy Charlotte Road :: Charlotte North Carolina DWI DUI Criminal Attorney Lawyer

Published on: May 14, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?”

A very bizarre incident happened this past weekend along a busy thoroughfare in Charlotte. According to police, a woman in her 20s was walking along Providence Road with her 40-something mother, a toddler and a newborn. The scene was fairly standard: spring stroll, nice weather, pleasant afternoon. The only oddity was that no one in the group was wearing any clothing.

Authorities with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department say that the two women and the two children were completely naked while walking down the 6000 block of Providence Road. The scene was apparently so startling that it created serious traffic delays on Saturday afternoon. Feet Charlotte North Carolina DUI DWI Criminal Defense Attorney Lawyer.jpg

According to a police spokesperson, there was not so much as a stitch of clothing on any of the four. The spokesperson was quoted as saying “This was Adam and Eve stuff, not even a loincloth.” The startled motorists eventually alerted police to the naked group’s Saturday afternoon walkabout. When the officers arrived and stopped to question the women, police say the two only said that the Lord told them to take the naked walk. According to a police report, the women said that the Lord spoke to them and suggested they take the two young children on a naked walk down the street.

12-Year-Old Girl Leads Charlotte Police On Midnight Car Chase :: Charlotte North Carolina DWI DUI Criminal Attorney Lawyer

Published on: February 21, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “Can I be arrested without evidence against me?”

Police in Charlotte have said that a 12-year-old girl will be charged after leading police on a chase late at night across several local interstates. A pre-teen in a police car chase? You heard that right.

CMPD says the girl managed to drive more than 50 miles from her home in Gaffney, SC all the way to the I-85/I-77 interchange here in Charlotte, North Carolina. Police say that the girl had threatened to run away before but had never followed through with her threats until earlier this week. The girl is thought to have been unhappy after her father won custody of the girl from her mother who lives in Myrtle Beach. The girl had no friends in Gaffney and wanted to go back there when she stole a neighbor’s vehicle and fled. Her father believes she was headed to Myrtle Beach, but that she got lost along the way and ended up in Charlotte instead.
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The girl was able to get the pickup truck by going to a nearby VFW Hall where a neighbor had left his vehicle after he broke the key off in the ignition. The girls’ father said she was last seen doing chores around the house a little after 11 p.m. when he fell asleep on the couch. He awoke a half hour later and discovered she was missing. He drove around town for about an hour before flagging down a cop and alerting the officer to his missing daughter.

Charlotte, NC Criminals Arrested After Selling Stolen Goods to Undercover Officer

Published on: January 22, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

If you’re going to be a thief one important rule that is good to keep in mind is to never sell your stolen goods to a police officer. Unfortunately, three teens in the Valley Dale community forgot that lesson and are now in jail as a result. According to WCNC, earlier this month burglary investigators arrested 19-year-old Jeremy Moody, 17-year-old Detevin Butts and 18-year-old Tai-Quan Rodgers on burglary charges.

The story began when a woman, who has declined to be identified, walked out of her house Monday morning and realized her car had been stolen. She was stunned and immediately called the police to report the crime. Police detectives believe the thieves stole the woman’s care to help haul off stolen goods given that her BMW was reported near the scene of two other break-ins in the area.
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The three men attempted to sell their stolen goods, but one of the potential buyers became suspicious and called police to report the situation. After the tip, CMPD officers mobilized and called the suspected criminals posing as a buyer, which led to their eventual arrest. Police have said they are currently attempting to figure out how many other robberies can be tied to the group of thieves.

Crime in Charlotte Schools On the Rise

Published on: January 17, 2013 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

School Desks.jpg According to data collected by WBTV, schools located in South Charlotte saw an increase in crime rates along with those in the rest of the district. The increases were caused largely by a jump in crime at Alexander Graham, Community House and Quail Hollow middle schools along with South Mecklenburg High.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released statistics that showed violence and crime incidents at Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools increased and there are now 11.33 acts per 1,000 students, up slightly from previous years. Though the crime in South Charlotte was on the rise, it still falls well below the district average, with only 8.36 acts per 1,000 students. This represents a rapid rise given that 2010-2011 saw only 6.42 acts of violence or crime per 1,000 students.

The biggest increase occurred in South Charlotte middle and high schools. At South Charlotte middle schools, 14.67 violent acts were committed per 1,000 students, up from 13.78 incidents per 1,000 students last year. The increase was largely attributed to an increase in the possession of controlled substances at Alexander Graham, sexual assaults at Community House and possession of weapons at McClintock and Quail Hollow.

One thing that school officials pointed out was that the increase in possession of weapons had nothing to do with guns. Items like syringes and Swiss Army knives count as weapons. In one incident, even a pencil eraser thrown from the window of a moving school bus counted.

Which Charlotte Malls See the Most Car Break-Ins

Published on: December 20, 2012 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

As the holiday shopping season is in high gear, the people at Channel 9 came up with a list of which malls typically see the most crime in the Charlotte area. The list is based on the number of incidents that took place during the holiday season last year.

Reporters started by looking up the number of car break-ins that took place in November and December of last year within a quarter mile of each major Charlotte mall. The safest mall according to this measure was Northlake Mall, which had just one break-in. Second place was SouthPark Mall which had five car break-ins, while Concord Mills saw a fairly high number of 20 incidents. Figures were not available for the Carolina Place Mall.

Smashed Car Window.jpg Officers with CMPD say they will be extra vigilant during the holiday season and are warning shoppers to be careful about leaving smartphones or tablet computers in a car where they might be visible. Also, they suggest activating GPS functions in your devices in case they are stolen so they can be easily tracked.

The malls are also working hard to provide safety to their shoppers. A manager at Northlake Mall has said they will be partnering with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department this year and will host a crime watch tower in their parking lot during the holiday shopping season.

Juvenile Crime Drops in Charlotte and Throughout North Carolina

Published on: October 18, 2012 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

According to some recent local news, it appears that juvenile crime rates in Mecklenburg County have been dropping recently due to work by the police to fight teen crime and gang activity.

Numbers released from the state recently reveal that while overall violent crimes have declined by nearly 14% in the state since 2002, the number of teens younger than 16 charged with violent crimes has dropped by nearly 37%. In Mecklenburg County, the juvenile crime rate closely reflected the drops seen across the state, decreasing each year between 2007 and 2010. Post #4 criminal image.jpg Despite a small rise last year, the juvenile rime rate was 29.72 per 1,000 youths, still below the 2007 rate of 31.75.

Though juvenile crime is down nationwide, the numbers show that North Carolina’s drop is almost twice as great as other states. Some say the reason is that the legal system has begun to emphasize treatment and early intervention as approaches to deal with crime among young people rather than simply punishing offenders. As a result of this new approach, the state is locking up far fewer teens than it did a decade ago.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have been commended for working hard to avoid putting young criminals into the system by giving them the opportunity to participate in programs that require them to pay restitution and receive counseling. For example, if a juvenile is caught vandalizing a building, police might take him home and make his parents aware of the situation. But rather than making a formal arrest, the officer may set him up in a deferral process that sends the young person to alternative programming rather than juvenile court.

Many of these changes got their start 15 years ago when the state legislature revamped the existing approach to juvenile justice. Legislators implemented a program that was designed to treat juveniles according to the seriousness of their crimes, the risks they posed and their personal histories. The system was changed to rely more on therapeutic alternatives and less on simple punishment.

The reforms took a while to kick in, but starting in 2006 the number of children being sent to detention centers began to drop. The change is dramatic, according to state officials who say that in 1998, North Carolina locked up 1,400 children each year in such centers while today there are only 300 kids in such facilities.

Prostitution Bust by Charlotte Police Lands Five Women in Jail

Published on: October 2, 2012 | On behalf of Arnold & Smith, PLLC

According to WCNC, five women in Charlotte have been arrested in connection with prostitution.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say they received anonymous tips from people complaining about prostitution activity near Frontenac Avenue and Eastway Drive, south of The Plaza. Robberies, as well as various other incidents of crime, have been reported in the area which led police to focus attention on the vicinity.

The police say the department sent uniformed and undercover officers to saturate the area to help lead to the arrest of the prostitutes. Post #2 criminal image 10.4.jpg The operation was successful from the police’s point of view, as five women were arrested earlier this week and charged with various prostitution-related crimes.

Prostitution and related offenses are outlawed in the state of North Carolina. In a rather brief section of the law, North Carolina General Statutes § 14-204 defines prostitution and other related offenses including pimping and brothel ownership. Loitering is considered an offense on its own, and multiple convictions of all related offenses result in more severe penalties.

North Carolina law defines prostitution as the receiving of or the offering of the body for sexual intercourse for hire. Penalties for prostitution and patronization of a prostitute are Class 1 misdemeanor charges and result in sentences of up to 45 days in jail or a fine. Defendants may receive probation in lieu of imprisonment. Individuals with more than two convictions within a year may be convicted of a crime in the first-degree, resulting in a more severe penalty. Sentencing for first-degree crimes includes imprisonment for 1 to 3 years and a fine.