Category Archives: Victimless Crimes

UPPER DUBLIN >> Jules Mermelstein has been a criminal lawyer, social studies teacher, township commissioner and UD Medal winner.

In November, hell be vying to add Judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court to his resume.

A lifelong township resident, Mermelstein, 62, says he was happily retired until January of this year, when the state Senate started trying to mess with our liberties, by trying to take away funding from so-called sanctuary cities, which he calls constitutional cities.

Its unconstitutional to force local government to hold someone for immigration, he said. What is legal is before police release an immigrant in the country illegally held on a criminal charge that they let immigration authorities know the person is going to be released, he said.

He further cited a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy now legal until 24 weeks in Pennsylvania though the courts have said there has to be fetal viability and struck down restrictions of 20 weeks, Mermelstein said. The state Senate passed it; they didnt care.

The Trump administration put me over the edge, he said. The immigration order finally did it.

A supporter of Bernie Sanders, the longtime Democrat became disillusioned when the party started to drift to the right in the 1990s, he said. He joined the Green Party last year after it was clear Sanders was not going to get the nomination and recently began an effort to run in November for one of the four open spots on the state Superior Court.

I think the judiciary needs to stand up to the state taking over our rights, Mermelstein said.

Green Party candidates are not listed on primary ballots, they are endorsed by the party and then need to get 2,500 signatures to be on the November ballot, he said. Although his name wont be on the ballot, his supporters will be outside polling places primary day asking voters to sign a petition to get him on the November ballot, he said.

A Dresher resident and graduate of Upper Dublin High School, Mermelstein earned a bachelors degree in political science from Temple University and a law degree from American University Washington College of Law. A licensed attorney since 1980, he practiced criminal law, later earning a masters in education and teacher certification and started teaching in 2005. After two years at Germantown High School in Philadelphia, he was hired in 2007 by the Upper Dublin School District and taught U.S. history, government and economics until 2013, when he went on leave while doctors attempted to diagnose and treat a chronic illness.

Mermelstein served as an Upper Dublin commissioner from 1992-2011 and received the Upper Dublin Medal for Outstanding Citizen in 2011 in recognition of his service.

They [doctors] dont know what I have, they are treating the symptoms, he said, adding he has been stable for more than a year. The only job I could have would be one where I can manage my own schedule or be my own boss, and the judiciary has that flexibility, he said.

The Superior Court is the appellate court I most practiced in front of when I practiced law, Mermelstein said. And as a practical political reason, there are four seats available.

The judiciary has to stop what legislative and executive branches are doing in order to protect our natural rights, he said. People are born with rights, they are not given by government. The government is supposed to protect rights from the people who will take them from you. The current crop is trying to take rights away.

Mermelstein said he would like to bring more of a sense of real justice question the ability of the government to do what it is doing.

In a case of limited government, my question is, does government have the authority to label something as a crime that has no victim, he said, referring to what he termed victimless crimes, such as the possession or use of drugs.

Incarceration as a public policy should be restricted to someone who does violence to someone.

Mermelstein, the married father of two and grandfather of two, said he has joined several local progressive groups and is on the Inclusion Committee and Gun Violence Protection Task Force at Or Hadash in Fort Washington.

It will be uphill, he said, but I see a path where I could win.

The original intent [of the Constitution] was to protect our natural rights. The courts need to get involved, he said.

This candidacy is my way of resistance to forces going on now.

Originally posted here:

ELECTION 2017: Upper Dublin's Jules Mermelstein to run for ... - Montgomery Newspapers

A LONER obsessed with UFOs, aliens and child sex abuse has avoided jail despite being caught with a stash of more than 10,000 images.

Welder Simon Hermes suffered terrible misfortune in his life so withdrew from society into his own fantasy world.

Tragically for young children this included downloading hundreds of the most vile and horrific images.

The 48-year-olds house was raided in June last year by police. They found eight hard drives, five of which contained child abuse images.

Hermes admitted three counts of downloading indecent images at Chelmsford Crown Court earlier this year. He was sentenced yesterday, by Judge David Turner QC, having been caught with 531 images at the highest category A.

He also had 10,405 in category B and 468 in category C.

The court heard Hermes, of High Street, Braintree, suffers from recurrent depressive disorder and has repeatedly taken overdoses to try to end his own life.

Six years ago his mother died of breast cancer and his partner is believed to have killed herself due to illness.

Judge David Turner said: The court faces a dilemma when coming to sentence men like you. You have sufficient understanding and intelligence to recognise these are by no means victimless crimes.

Every single one of these children featured in the images you have been looking at for a number of years are someones daughter or son.

Often the lives of these children are permanently damaged.

There will have to be a prison sentence. The only question is whether it is suspended.

He continued: You possess some strange views and obsessions not related to sex and there is no doubt at all you have led an isolated life.

You are very obviously psychologically if not psychiatrically vulnerable."

Hermes was jailed for 14 months to be served concurrently on each count suspended for two years.

He will have to carry out 180 hours unpaid work, 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days with a five year sexual harm prevention order limiting his use of the internet.

He will also be on the sex offenders register for a decade.

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Alien-obsessed loner Simon Hermes caught with 10000 child sex abuse images but avoids jail at Chelmsford Crown ... - Braintree and Witham Times

A sex offender was caught with images of child abuse on his computer for the second time by police officers who were monitoring him.

Francis Chowns latest offending was revealed when he received an unannounced visit by an officer from the public protection unit.

The defendant took the officer into his one-bedroom bedsit and it was immediately obvious hed been using a laptop open and facing his bed, prosecutor Rachel Masters told Teesside Crown Court today.

The officer could not find any internet history on the laptop and the computer-savvy 55-year-old offender said he had no idea how he could help.

Chowns computer was seized and 74 indecent pictures of children were found on it after the visit to his home on August 12, 2015.

He said he had sole access to the machine and had viewed adult pornography but claimed he did not recall how the illegal images of children got there.

Chown, of Hartington Road, central Stockton, admitted three charges of possessing indecent photographs of children and one of possessing two images of extreme pornography.

He had a 2013 conviction and suspended prison sentence for having indecent pictures of children.

He flouted that sentence and a sexual offences prevention order by having contact with children, not telling their family he was a convicted sex offender.

For those crimes he received another six-month suspended jail term in April 2015, which he breached with his latest offences.

Alex Bousfield, defending, said Chown expressed remorse and shame and there were no difficulties since the pictures were discovered.

But there were concerns about his ongoing fantasies.

Hes been told its a custodial sentence, added Mr Bousfield.

It has to be a custodial sentence. Hes breached the first suspended sentence. Hes breached the second suspended sentence.

Hes clearly very anxious and worried about a custodial sentence.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, said Chowns pre-sentence report from the Probation Service made rather depressing reading.

It said Chown initially claimed he had no idea how the indecent images found their way on to his computer and he tried to play down his behaviour.

The judge told Chown: When you were before this court in April 2015 you had been told what would happen should you commit any further offences during the currency of that suspended sentence.

With those words ringing in your ears you went on to commit these offences. Within four months you are looking at these images.

I say this repeatedly - this is not a victimless crime. You may think its without a victim looking at these images in your home.

They are real children being made to carry out these acts. It most certainly does have victims. These poor children have to carry out those acts for your pleasure.

He jailed Chown for 18 months.

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'Computer savvy' pervert caught with sick child abuse images a second time - Gazette Live

Twenty two people have now been arrested in a massive drive to end a crimewave hitting some of Liverpool city centres busiest streets.

A month-long crackdown has seen police target those suspected of raiding shops and restaurants from Dale Street to Bold Street , with eight charged on suspicion of burglary.

The arrests follow fears raised by business owners that they are seen as easy targets by thieves aiming for their stock and hard-won earnings.

In a statement issued today, Merseyside Police announced 22 people had been arrested since April 10 as part of a probe into crimes against city centre businesses.

Of those 22, 13 were arrested on suspicion of burglary and eight have been charged and appeared before the courts.

Others were arrested for offences including being drunk and disorderly, possession of a controlled drug, affray and possession with intent to supply.

The action follows a spate of break-ins at restaurants and bars across the area.

Among the worst hit streets is Dale Street, where the Dead Crafty Beer Company and the Delkery restaurant have both been raided several times in recent months.

On the other side of the city centre, on Bold Street, recent break-ins at Koop, Bakchich and Crust have sparked proposals for safety wardens to be hired and frustration aimed at the Liverpool Business Improvement District (BID).

The BID currently represents 630 city centre firms and aims to support and improve the business trading environment in the city centre. Its work is paid for in part by a levy on the firms it represents.

In its statement today, Merseyside Police sought to reassure business owners and said a community policing team had been patrolling the area and providing shops with security advice.

Plain clothes and uniformed officers have also been patrolling some of the main city centre streets to identify those responsible for committing such offences.

The force also said its crackdown had been carried out in partnership with the BID.

Superintendent Mark Wiggins said: Business burglaries are not victimless crimes, many of these businesses are local people who just want to earn a living.

It is in everyones interest to solve and prevent these crimes against businesses that provide a vital service to our communities.

Liverpool city centre, has continued, year on year, to be awarded with Purple Flag status, and is consistently recognised as one of the safest cities in the UK.

We will continue to work hard with our partners to ensure the city remains a safe place, with a good reputation which encourages people to continue to enjoy what the city has to offer. Our primary aim is to protect the public and ensure they have an enjoyable time in a safe environment and the recent arrests we have made demonstrates our commitment in dealing with these issues.

We will also continue to work with our local businesses and communities to deter and prevent business burglaries and would welcome any information from the community.

Anybody with information is urged to contact Merseyside Police on 101 or the confidential Crimestoppers number 0800 555 111.

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22 arrested as police fight back after Liverpool city centre crimewave - Liverpool Echo

In his first news media interview after receiving the Libertarian Partys nomination for Governor of Virginia on Saturday, May 6, Mechanicsville lawyer and business owner Cliff Hyra predicted that Virginia will legalize marijuana before it privatizes the states ABC stores.

Of course, Im for both, he said, noting that as we see the trend nationwide, marijuana will be legalized or decriminalized within the next few years but I really havent seen any movement toward deregulating liquor sales.

Hyra ran unopposed for the Libertarian Party of Virginias gubernatorial nomination. He earned the nod at a special convention held in the Meadowdale Library in Chesterfield County, by a vote of 43 to one for none of the above, which is always a choice in Libertarian Party nomination contests.

Married with three children under the age of 7 and one more due in August, Hyra is a patent attorney, like the GOPs 2013 nominee, Ken Cuccinelli. He said he was motivated to run because he was dissatisfied with the choices offered by Republicans and Democrats.

The candidates who are out there now, he said, are not proposing real solutions. Theyre not addressing a lot of the issues that are very important here in the Commonwealth, so he thought adding a Libertarian to the ballot would bring those issues before the public.

Growth, reform, choice His top three issues are economic growth, criminal justice reform, and adding choice to the education and health-care systems.

Economic growth, he said, has been much too slow in Virginia over the past decade or so. We need some bold action on tax cuts [and] cuts to regulations to encourage the formation of small businesses throughout the Commonwealth.

Virginia really lags behind other states in criminal justice reform efforts, Hyra said. There are arrest quotas; that needs to end. I would grant pardons to people who have been convicted only of victimless crimes, such as drug use. I would order that the laws against drug use be given lower priority.

He pointed out that Virginia is arresting so many people, about 35,000 to 40,000 each year, just for drug use. On top of that, he said, it costs $25,000 a year to incarcerate a single person. Its really out of control.

Hyra said he wants to introduce elements of competition and choice into the educational system [and] health care system. Thats where we need to bring expenses down [and] quality up, across the board.

After Sarvis The Libertarian gubernatorial candidate believes his party can build on the foundation laid by Robert Sarvis in his campaigns for governor (2013) and U.S. Senate (2014).

Were really riding an upswell, he said. We have so many great volunteers now. We have so much great information about where the voters are receptive to our message, whos really interested in libertarian messages that were sending.

Its worth noting that Hyras campaign manager is John Vaught LeBeaume, who also ran the two Sarvis campaigns and served as a national media director in the 2016 Gary Johnson for President campaign. With that experience on the campaign side, Hyra said were going to reach out to all those people.

He added that the libertarian message is one that resonates with young people, especially criminal justice reform. Generally, the message of freedom and choice is one that is popular with people who are not affiliated with one of the big-government parties. There is a lot of room for growth among that new generation of voters and were looking to keep all the voters that we picked up with Rob Sarviss great campaign in 2013 [and] the Johnson-Weld campaign, and then grow even further from that.

Democans and Republicrats As for his potential opponents in the governors race, Hyra does not think highly of them.

Former Congressman Tom Perriello, a contender for the Democratic nomination, is, he said, a big money guy. Hes just another in a long line of basically corrupt big-government candidates that are being funded by a very small number of donors, noting that Perriello has received donations from financier George Soros.

Hes not going to do anything to address the issues Ive raised, Hyra said, and hes not going to improve the business climate here in Virginia, which, he added, is really true of both of them, whether its Ralph Northam or Perriello. Theyre not talking about criminal justice reform at all, which is something that Virginia desperately needs.

The candidates from both parties, Democrat and Republican, he said, are really trying to avoid these hard issues. Theyre beholden to a lot of special interests. Theyre not presenting real solutions. In Virginia, weve alternated back and forth. Weve had Republican governors, Democratic governors. For the most part, theyve all done pretty much the same thing.

No matter which party wins elections, he said, Government just grows and grows. For both of them, thats what I see.

Commenting on the Republican candidates, he said that Corey Stewart is running on a Trump message, a divisive message. I dont see a lot of substance there. Hyra met Stewart at this years Shad Planking and thought he was a nice guy but hes always talking about the [Confederate] monuments. To me, there are a lot of bigger issues than those and it just doesnt seem that the solutions, the ideas are there in Stewarts campaign.

He said he was surprised to hear state Senator Frank Wagner advocate for raising taxes during a Liberty University debate. Thats a really strange position for a Republican, he said. Its really important for me to shrink the role of government in peoples lives [and] reduce the amount of taxpayer money that were spending.

He agrees with Wagner that transportation is an important issue, but weve got to find that funding from waste. Weve got to cut other things. We cant continue to increase taxes on the citizens of Virginia.

Republican front-runner Ed Gillespie, who ran against Robert Sarvis in the 2014 U.S. Senate race, is just an establishment candidate, Hyra said. Hes coming from out of state. Hes got a big lead and hes trying not to offend anybody, I think, but hes not proposing the sort of real solutions we need.

Hyra took issue with the underlying assumptions of Gillespies proposed tax cut.

Its tiny, he said. Hes trying to tell people that its going to save the typical family $1,300 a year. Obviously, he didnt go to school here in Virginia because the numbers just dont add up.

Virginias top tax rate is 5.75 per cent. How much money do you have to be making for a 10 percent rate cut to amount to $1,300 a year? Youd have to be making $250,000 a year. Is the average family here in Virginia making $250,000 a year? I dont think so. The math doesnt add up. His tax cut is really about $300 a year, which is about a tenth of the size of my proposed tax cut. My proposed tax cut would be $3,000 a year back in the pockets of the average household here in Virginia, ten times bigger than Gillespies.

Qualifications Hyra believes his business and legal backgrounds are assets in his quest to be elected governor, and his lack of experience in public office is not a hindrance.

I have experience running a small business. Im a lifelong resident of Virginia. As a lawyer, Im familiar with some of the legal issues we have here, including the tax climate, business climate issues. I understand how government regulations impact business decisions. Thats very real for me.

Hyra noted that if you look at the sitting governors around the country, about 25 percent of them have had no prior elected office. I dont think its critical that you have prior political experience, and I dont have any.

What people want, he said, is somebody whos not in the machine, someone who is not bought and paid for. A successful candidate for governor, he added, should be a regular person whos interested in the welfare of other people here in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Ballot Access While he has secured the nomination of the Libertarian Party of Virginia, Hyra still faces ballot-access obstacles before he can legally be a general-election candidate.

In a separate interview, state party chairman Bo Brown told me that the drive for petition signatures to qualify Hyra for the November ballot is well under way.

A candidate for statewide office must have 10,000 valid signatures of registered voters, including 400 such signatures from each of the eleven congressional districts. The deadline for turning them in is the same day as the Democratic and Republican primaries, the second Tuesday in June.

Were nearly at 6,000 turned in, Brown said. I believe it was somewhere in the 5,600 range. Ive got another 1,200 or 1,400 that just got turned in to us today, so I imagine were probably at 7,000 or more at this point, with what I have basically in hand or what Ive turned into the State Board of Elections.

As one might expect, LPVA chair Brown is enthusiastic about his partys nominee.

Cliff is just an incredible candidate, he gushed. Hes brilliant. His wifes incredible. Theyve got this great family. Theyre a great representation of Virginians. Weve got to let a lot of our [voters] understand that there are other candidates out there. You dont have to stay stuck to one of those two old parties.

In addition to nominating a gubernatorial candidate at the special convention in Chesterfield, the Libertarian Party of Virginia also elected state party officials (vice chair and secretary) and delegates to the national LPs platform and credentials committees.

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Here is the complete audio recording of Bearing Drifts interview with Cliff Hyra:

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Here is video of Hyras pre-nomination speech to the Libertarian special convention, with a Q&A with party activists:

Here is Hyras speech accepting the LPVA nomination for governor of Virginia:

Rick Sincere is a senior contributor for Bearing Drift.

See the rest here:

Libertarian Party Nominates Cliff Hyra for Virginia Governor - Bearing Drift (press release) (blog)

Fake designer clothes, sunglasses and perfume with an estimated value of 8m - and more than 270,000 in cash - were seized during raids across Strangeways businesses.

Police launched a crackdown on counterfeit goods at homes, firms and storage units in the early hours of Wednesday, May 3, and Thursday, May 4.

A haul of bogus items were discovered, including clothes, perfume, jewellery, sunglasses and other items.

Police believe the street value of the fake items would has an estimated street value of 8m.

As part of the searches more than 270,000 in cash was also recovered.

A 44-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, as well as counterfeit and trademark offences.

Both have been released on bail.

Greater Manchester Polices Challenger Team, Trading Standards officers and Visas and Immigration officers joined forces to clamp down on the sale of counterfeit goods in the area.

The raids were part of an ongoing enforcement operation in Strangeways, which has been dubbed Britains knock-off capital.

Det Insp Paul Walker, from GMPs Challenger Manchester Team, said: These raids are a great example of successful partnership working investigating the counterfeit world.

The raids took place following intelligence from our partners and send out the clear message that fakes are illegal and will not be tolerated by the police.

People often see selling knock-offs as a victimless crime but buying these goods helps to line the pockets of criminals which can often fund more sinister crimes.

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Police seized more than 8m worth of fake goods in latest ... - Manchester Evening News

Police shut down a house at 1014 Fifth Avenue West after complaints of drug use and fights.

By Bill Moss, Published: May 5, 2017

It took months of investigation and a special overtime patrol before city police, with help from the district attorney, could shut down a bungalow on Fifth Avenue West that neighbors called the drug house.

Neighbors, who met at City Hall to complain about the drug activity, expressed impatience with the time it took. But given property rights and the need to build a solid case to declare a private a home a nuisance, the authorities acted as fast as they could, police, city officials and the district attorney said. On April 17, finally armed with the legal paperwork they needed, city police descended on the house at 1014 Fifth Avenue West, made sure no one was inside and locked it up at last, ending months of frustration by neighbors who had come to fear for their safety. The action that occurred really was the culmination of several months of work between the police department, the state agencies and the D.A.s office and frankly a local private attorney who was working with the property owner, City Manager John Connet said. Behind the scenes, the district attorney and a private attorney, Ron Justice, had been working with the homeowner to get the legal authority to evict the vagrants and shut down the house. The house was originally owned by Bob Kauss, who is in the Henderson County jail awaiting trial on multiple drug related felonies. When Kauss turned ownership over to his father, who lives in California, the city finally had the break it needed. Ron Justice received the necessary power of attorney to execute the paperwork in the police department to go and evict everyone and post a no-trespass sign on the property, Connet said. The patrol side had been working with the attorney and the detectives had been working with the ALE (the state Alcohol Law Enforcement agents) on nuisance and abatement. Connet knew first-hand that getting a judge to OK a petition to declare private property a nuisance was not easy. With hundreds of calls about drugs and violence at the Alpine Woods trailer park, city and county attorneys presented a detailed petition in 2015 asking a Superior Court judge to declare the property a nuisance and appoint a special master to run it. The judge said no. Judges and D.A.s typically do not take that action without extensive evidence that it is a nuisance, Connet said. Councilman Jeff Miller, who got involved the day the police shut down the house, shared the neighbors impatience over the pace of the investigation. You cant always trust the system to move as fast as you want it to, he said. Ive got to give them credit. The police were working on it. The D.A. was working on it. They got it together. Private property rights While Newman was telling residents what they didnt want to hear that the drug house could not be shut down immediately he was working behind the scenes to make that happen. I facilitated the son deeding the house over to his mother and father, he said. I was able to get him brought over from the jail so the lawyer for the father could get that done immediately. With the signed affidavit in hand, Justice accompanied police officers to the house around noon. They tacked the notice on the door that declared the house off-limits and threatened arrest of anyone caught trespassing. Thats the only way it could have been done, Newman said. I appreciate the city police. None of us want to live in a place where our police are kicking in doors and taking peoples property without the proper evidence." Aggressive about patrolling the street, the city was also cautious about trampling on property rights of the absentee owner. You can have anybody you want in your house, police Capt. Bruce Simonds. We had zoning go out and look at it on a couple of occasions. For three weeks in a row we had extra patrols set up out of our budget for four hours a night. Thats an extra expense but we did it just to make sure the neighbors knew we were serious about shutting down that house because we knew what a problem was. We understand the frustration that the neighbors had, Simonds said. We completely understand. Chief Herbert Blake also said the city acted as fast as it could. We were aware of the problems. We made them aware we were working on it but we had to do it the right way, he said. We cant just go into a home and remove the occupants because of their lifestyle. ... During the process we made the decision to find money and pay overtime for several weeks for several officers to frequent that area just to increase our presence, Blake said. We do know that it made a significant difference in the reduction of calls and complaints from people in the community. Renters with leases have renters rights. Squatters who pay nothing dont, Newman said. Those people have no rights, he said. They would have rights if they had a signed contract but none of these people had that. In fact, what I was told that in exchange for drugs they could stay there or in exchange for various other illegal and nefarious activity they could stay there. Newman said he still wants the house cleaned up and sold. If its not cleaned up and sold Im going to consider it a nuisance, the end result of which I can ask the court to divest him of that property, he said. Im not trying to be heavy-handed. I am trying to strongly encourage some movement here. I want him to understand that he cant just dilly dally around and not have anything happen here. An abandoned house is not good either. We hope we can put him in contact with an interested buyer. Its a good lesson. Its a great older neighborhood. I think people have a had a real life experience about what drug activity can do to an area. If you allow that type of activity it can impact an entire neighborhood and it can do so quickly. People think these are victimless crimes and nothing could be further from the truth.

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Shutting down Fifth Avenue 'drug house' required patience, coordination of agencies - Hendersonville Lightning

The head of a crime ring found guilty of coercing drug-addicted women to live and work as prostitutes at several motels in Northeast Philadelphia was sentenced Thursday to 37 to 74 years in prison.

John C. Guerra, 41, shook his head from side to side as Common Pleas Court Judge Sean F. Kennedy announced his sentence on 13 charges including human trafficking, sexual exploitation of a minor and corruption of minors, conspiracy, assault and drug dealing.

Among the women Guerra was convicted of pimping was A.H., a 17-year-old drug-addicted runaway from Bucks County whom he picked up on the streets of Kensington. The Inquirers policy is to withhold the identities of victims of sexual crimes without their consent.

According to state Senior Deputy Attorney General Heather Castellino, who handled the case with state prosecutor Michelle Laucella, Guerra and three other members of his ring fed A.H.s drug habit while forcing her to have sex with men 10 to 15 times a day, seven days a week.

Castellino said Guerra also raped and beat A.H. and other women whom he pimped.

This was one of the most heinous crimes that I have sat through in six years sitting on the bench, Kennedy told Guerra. The abuse you inflicted on these women. They will never be the same.

Over the last decade, law enforcement has recast prostitution from victimless crime to human trafficking as the reality of the lives of many sex workers has become better known.

In March, the Philadelphia law firm Kline & Specter filed the first-of-its-kind lawsuit against the owners and operators of the Roosevelt Inn in Northeast Philadelphia on behalf of a teenage girl who was pimped in one of its rooms for two years.

The lawsuit, filed under a 2014 Pennsylvania law that allows victims of sex traffickers to sue hotels and motels where abuse occurs, contends that the runaway 14-year-old girl was sold into sexual slavery.

The lawsuit, which did not involve the Guerra operation, is pending in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.

Before he was sentenced, Guerra apologized for what he did and said that in prison he was trying to better my life and become educated and try to be an upright member of society. Im sorry for what happened in this whole mess.

Defense attorney Stephen T. OHanlon told Kennedy that Guerra had made efforts at self-reform and argued that Guerra deserved credit for agreeing to a nonjury trial, which saved the court system money and did not force the victims to testify before a jury panel.

OHanlon argued that another member of the ring, Elton Cromwell, was responsible for abusing A.H., and that Cromwell was sentenced to only six to 20 months in prison after pleading guilty in 2012.

Cromwell, 40, of Brooklyn, N.Y., is scheduled to go to trial next Thursday in Bucks County Common Pleas Court on charges that he tried to intimidate witnesses in the prosecution of the Guerra ring.

Two other members of the ring also pleaded guilty. Duane Roger Thomas, 31, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was sentenced to two to four years in prison. Edinelson Mendez Jr., 26, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to two years probation.

According to Castellino, Guerras operation was active from 2008 through 2010, booking his prostitutes for days at motels including the Roosevelt Inn and the Days Inn, both on Roosevelt Boulevard in the Northeast.

For Guerra, who was a fugitive for four years after his ring was busted, prostitution was a family business. Last June, his younger brother Jason Guerra, now 38, was sentenced to 48 to 96 years in prison by a Philadelphia judge for operating his own prostitution ring that preyed on drug-addicted runaway girls and women.

Castellino argued that John Guerra should be sentenced to 72 to 144 years in prison because hes the one that taught his younger brother Jason the trafficking business.

Published: May 4, 2017 2:49 PM EDT

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Leader of Philly prostitution ring gets 37 to 74 years in prison - Philly.com

Rarely, if ever, has a Robbie Savage column polarised public opinion as sharply as his insistence that Joey Barton's 18-month ban from football is excessive' for a victimless 'crime'.

In essence, Savage believes the FA's draconian sanction which effectively brings the curtain down on Barton's caereer, as he will be 36 before he is allowed to play again was using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut.

Here, in our weekly Sav Says trawl through his online postbag, Mirror Sport's most-read pundit answers your points of view on the big Barton debate...

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Ollie Olly Oli @OllieClaco1882: Let's be honest, Joey Barton has had this coming to him for years! Good bloody riddance. Awful footballer that thinks rules don't apply to him SAV SAYS : Well, he isn't an 'awful' footballer, for a start. He's good enough to have won an England cap and played his entire career at Premier League or Championship level. Yes, he has been involved in misdemeanours in the past, but he has paid the price for them. I just feel this punishment is out of proportion with the nature of the offences.

Brendan Crisp @brendancrisp: He received a letter from the FA about his gambling, he chose to ignore it. If you ignore it then it just gets worse like toothache SAV SAYS : This is where Joey has let himself down, Brendan. If he has ignored a written warning from the FA to curb his betting habits, he can't expect to get a three-match ban, a fine and a slap on the wrist. But if you have an addictive personality or addictive genes and I know people for whom that is a dominant part of their make-up it probably takes more than a letter to stop your compulsive habit. If a heavy drinker got a letter from Alcoholics Anonymous warning him to cut down on his alcohol intake, would he be able to go down the pub, have one pint and go home again? Probably not. If Joey Barton's betting is caused by an addiction, as he admits, I feel we should be placing more emphasis on treating the addiction than taking away his livelihood.

Lord Vegetable @HenrikVegetable: Does it cloud judgement if you have a contract with a betting company? SAV SAYS : No, your Lordship, my judgement is not clouded in the slightest. Whoever paid me or employed me, I would still take issue with the length of Barton's ban. In my opinion, it's too much. But since you raise the issue of my links with bookmakers William Hill, I am acutely aware of the nature of their industry, their investment in football as sponsors and their #GambleResponsibly hashtag. I am also proud to be ambassador for their charity, and my involvement in building a school classroom and providing fresh water to a remote village in Kenya. They do a fantastic amount of good with their Close To Home initiative and supporting the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research. Call me a hypocrite if you like, but I have never hidden my connections with William Hill because I regard those charitable projects as privileges.

Mark Nesbitt @marknesbitt_P3: Seems the FA view this addiction differently to drugs/alcohol or is it just because it's @Joey7Barton? If he had been addicted to an illegal drug/alcohol he would have been treated differently as per @PaulMerse #tonyadams SAV SAYS : I don't know whether the FA apply the rulebook in relation to gambling any different to cases involving alcohol or misuse of drugs, and it's not for me to set the tariff for players who find themselves involved in disciplinary cases. But in my view, addictions whether they involve drink, so-called recreational drugs or gambling need to be treated with compassion, not a big stick. And like you, Mark, I wonder if Joey Barton's reputation has gone before him in this case.

Andrew Murray @aMurrayMusic: A continuously naughty child first gets lines, then detention... suspended... expelled. Same thing. SAV SAYS : I'm not sure you can treat this case as one strike, two strikes, three strikes and you're out. Yes, I accept that in many workplaces and other walks of life, you might get a verbal warning, a written warning and then you're fired if you repeatedly flout the rules. But in many cases, those employees would be a liability because their conduct is damaging their companies' output or reputation. Of course Barton is in the wrong, and we have to protect football's integrity, but he has still added value to the teams he has been playing for. That's why I still maintain his betting 'crimes' have been victimless.

Andy Wilson @Andy_Wilson68: So what should the punishment be? SAV SAYS : Good question, Andy, and it goes to the heart of my column. If you look at the penalties handed out for alleged racist remarks to opponents, kung-fu kicks on spectators, doping offences or biting opponents, none has come close to the 18-month ban Barton has incurred. Betting against your own team crosses a line, and it is right that he should be suspended. But in my opinion, a six or eight-month ban would have been sufficient, with the rest of it suspended for the remainder of his career, and Joey would have to go on an education course to tackle his compulsive betting under the auspices of the PFA players' union. For me, that would serve both as a deterrent and show an element of compassion in recognition that gambling addiction is an illness.

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Gail Hawthorn @ghawthorn86: If you break rules you're sanctioned. Simple fundamental rule of life. Your examples are all heated moments on the pitch, this is pre-conceived SAV SAYS : I understand the difference, Gail, and I don't dispute your basic precept: If you break the rules, you get punished. But Barton's betting misdemeanours didn't harm anyone, whereas heat-of-the-moment incidents can do terrible damage. A single punch, for example, may not be a premeditated act of violence, but it can cause terrible harm.

Andrea Gledhill @a_gledhill: Disagree, he knows the rules and think he can flout them just because he can. Don't do the crime if you can't take the consequences SAV SAYS : I get that, Andrea and I have no qualms about Joey being punished. It's just the severity of the punishment that doesn't sit right with me.

AND FINALLY...

BBC 5 live Sport @bbc5liveSport: The chicken was dry - When @RobbieSavage8 stood up to manager John Toshack's decision to change Wales' food SAV SAYS : Our Monday night think-tank Flintoff, Savage and the Ping Pong Guy is still No.1 in the podcast charts, which is incredibly gratifying, and this week's programme included a segment on times when you felt let down by your team-mates. I picked out the time when John Toshack took over as Wales manager from Mark Hughes and where 'Sparky' had placed a high emphasis on the importance of nutrition and gave us a wide choice of healthy options to refuel, Mr Toshack abolished the popular menu and replaced it with fried bananas and dry chicken. No sauce, no gravy, just dry chicken. I agreed with a few of the lads that we should make our feelings known to Toshack and I piped up at a meeting that dry chicken was not going to make us run faster or play better, believing some of my team-mates would back me up. But when I had finished saying my piece, they all stayed silent. Dry chicken wasn't the only factor, but I never played for Wales again.

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'We should be treating Joey Barton rather than taking away his livelihood' - Robbie Savage responds to your tweets - Mirror.co.uk

More than 270,000 in cash was recovered

Millions of pounds worth of fake designer goods were seized after raids in North Manchester.

Officers executed warrants at homes, businesses and storage units in Strangeways today, Thursday 4 May 2017, and the early hours of Tuesday 3 May 2017.

It forms part of a joint operation with GMPs Challenger team dedicated to targeting organised crime as well as partners from Trading Standards, Visas and Immigration and the designer brands to clamp down on the sale of counterfeit goods.

An estimated 8million worth of items were seized including clothes, sunglasses, jewellery and perfume.

As part of the searches, more than 270,000 in cash was also recovered.

A 44-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering as well as counterfeit and trademark offences.

Both have been released under investigation.

Detective Inspector Paul Walker, from GMPs Challenger Manchester Team, said: These raids are a great example of successful partnership working investigating the counterfeit world.

The raids took place following intelligence from our partners and send out the clear message that fakes are illegal and will not be tolerated by the police.

People often see selling knock-offs as a victimless crime but buying these goods helps to line the pockets of criminals which can often fund more sinister crimes.

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8million worth of fake designer goods seized in Manchester raids - Cumbria Crack