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Philly Leader Of Armed Robbery Crew Who Shot Store Employee Sentenced To 32 Years: DOJ
A Philadelphia man who led a string of six violent armed robberies across the city and nearby counties in February 2021 has been sentenced to 32 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Lawrence McKay, 37, forced cell phone store employees at gunpoint to hand over cash and merchandise during a three-week crime spree, authorities said. In one robbery, McKay shot a store employee in the stomach, and in another, co-conspirator Brenton Holmes shot an employee in the leg. Both victims survived, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero.
McKay, wh…
$33K Laundered, Vehicles Sold To Drug Traffickers By PA Car Dealership: Usdoj
A Lancaster car dealership laundered more than $33,000 in drug money through vehicle sales, leading to federal prison sentences for two men, prosecutors announced on Monday, Jan. 27.
Christopher Lopez, 41, and Michael Torres, 43, both of Lancaster, were sentenced after being convicted of conspiring to launder cash proceeds represented as cocaine sales, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Lopez, the owner of C&D Motorsports, received one year and one day in prison, while Torres, a salesperson, was sentenced to six months. Both were also orde…
Philly Kingpin Linked to 12 Murders, Deadly Firebombing Spared Death Penalty by Biden
The life of a notorious Philadelphia drug kingpin has been spared as President Joe Biden commuted the death sentence of Kaboni Savage, who was convicted in 2013 for orchestrating the brutal firebombing of a family home that killed six people.
Savage, 49, was initially sentenced to death for the 2004 arson attack on the home of Eugene Coleman, a former associate who had begun cooperating with federal investigators. The fire killed Coleman's mother, infant son, and four other relatives, according to federal prosecutors.
Savage, a former boxer turned drug trafficker, was also found guilty of i…
Guilty! Philly Man Permanently Disfigures Ex-GF In Soda Ash Attack: Usdoj
A Philadelphia man was convicted on Friday, Sept. 6 after a trial of stalking his ex — a federal employee — and burning her face with a corrosive substance, nearly blinding her in one eye while she was on her way to work, federal authorities said.
Victor Ortiz, 47, of Philadelphia, threw a "caustic substance" — soda ash — at her face and torso, on May 4, 2022, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero.
His attack temporarily blinded her in the left eye and caused severe pain and permanent scarring on her body, Romero said.
Investigators found that Ortizz had attached a GPS device to…
Philly Man Who Sex Trafficked Child In Bucks, Delco Sentenced: Usdoj
A 29-year-old Philadelphia man has been sentenced to 23 years in federal prison for sex trafficking multiple victims including a minor, authorities said.
Kevin L. Smith was sentenced on Wednesday, July 31, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero.
The charges stemmed from Smith’s operation of a sex trafficking ring in Philadelphia and the surrounding region, including Bucks and Delaware counties.
In September 2019, Smith knowingly harbored, maintained, and advertised a minor, knowing the minor would be caused to engage in sex for money, Romero said.
The defendant also o…
Reading Man Sentenced For Trying To Kill FBI Agents: Prosecutors
A Reading man was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for the attempted murder of three FBI agents, according to the US Attorney's Office.
Rafael Vega-Rodriguez, 42, was also given five years of supervised release, a $4,500 fine, and an $800 special assessment, prosecutors said in a release on Wednesday, July 24.
Authorities said Vega-Rodriguez was wanted for a state parole violation when the agents spotted him on West Greenwich Street on March 1, 2020.
They tried to stop him but Vega-Rodriguez drew a handgun from his waistband and opened fire as he fled, authorities …
