Christian Sentenced for Felony Theft

Former Arts Director P. David Romei will spend between 30 and 90 days in jail as a condition of his probation, a district judge decided Monday.

He must also pay $268,000 in restitution to the city of College Station and the Arts Council of Brazos Valley. That amount was agreed upon by prosecutors and defense lawyers minutes before Judge Steve Smith determined Romei's terms of probation.

Romei was convicted by a jury in November of felony theft for stealing $7,400 of city money paid to the Arts Council to light a firefighter statue -- a job that was done for free by the electrician. He also was convicted of a misdemeanor for misappropriating funds by making $750 worth of political donations with Arts Council money.

"You gradually transformed from an executive director responsible to a volunteer board to someone who was the Arts Council, and the volunteer board was simply an impediment to your personal goals," Smith said as he read his decision. "I believe I have a duty to ensure that the Arts Council of Brazos Valley and others harmed by your conduct are made as whole as the law permits."

Romei said he was unsure about his plans for the future.

"I will fulfill my obligations under the law here and then I will make a final decision about what I am going to do, but I am much more interested now in living a non-public life," he said, predicting that his academic, nonprofit and government career is over. "Probably much more inclined to a theological future, writing about the Old Testament and the New Testament in the Bible and correlating it in ways that make my experiences meaningful to other people."

Christian Leader Sentenced for Rape of Teenage Girl

A senior member of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) and two other men have been sentenced to a combined total of 95 years in jail for raping three teenaged girls in separate incidents.

In the first incident, senior ZCC member Alec Mokoena, 37, of Siyabuswa in Mpumalanga was sentenced in the Mdutjane Magistrate's Court on Tuesday to 25 years for raping a 13-year-old church member in January last year.

Siyabuswa police spokesperson Inspector Mbeki Aphane said the girl had gone to Mokoena for help with a personal matter, but was raped throughout the night and released only the following morning.

Pastor Sentenced for Molestation

An Anaheim pastor, who had videotaped himself molesting a 13-year-old parishioner in a church office, cried and clutched a Bible behind his back Monday as he was led from a courtroom in handcuffs after pleading guilty to 34 felony sex counts.

Raul Rosas Hernandez, 44, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Francisco Briseno to 90 years in prison after he admitted molesting four girls and one boy over a 10-year span beginning in 1996.

Briseno said the sentence is tantamount to a life term because Hernandez must serve 85 percent of the 90 years before he becomes eligible for parole.

Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown said Hernandez, who was the pastor of Faith in Action Church, could have faced a life term plus 214 years in prison had he been convicted at trial.

She said she agreed to the 90-year sentence in part to save victims the psychological trauma of testifying at Hernandez's trial and – in one case – watching the graphic videotape.

The tape shows a naked Hernandez engaging in various sex acts in his church's office with the 13-year-old girl, Brown said.

Catholc Priest Sentenced for Rape of 8 year old.

A former Akron Catholic priest was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 1992 rape of an 8-year-old boy.

Joseph Williams, 64, was a priest from 1969 to 1976. The jury found his guilty of three counts of rape and kidnapping.

The jury also learned that Williams sexually molested a 12-year-old boy beginning in 1984. These crimes occurred outside of Summit County, prosecutors said.

Christian Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Counterfeit CDs

A member of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries church faces a Jan. 8 criminal sentencing for trafficking in counterfeit musical compact discs.

Leslie Ray "Buster" White, 58, of Texarkana, Texas, pleaded guilty in September to one count of trafficking the counterfeit CDs. He will be sentenced in federal court in the Eastern District of Texas.

White reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and was released from custody so he could attend religious services at the Alamo compound in Fouke.

That request was part of the plea agreement because Alamo is a convicted felon. When a person is convicted of a felony, federal criminal guidelines restrict their association with other convicted felons, U.S. District Judge David Folsom said.

The agreement asks for an exception to the rule and allow White to "attend organized religious church services of Tony Alamo."

Alamo remains in federal jail in Texarkana after he was arrested in September. The evangelist is accused of taking minors across state lines for sexual purposes.

Christian Missionary Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of Daughter

A Christian missionary who impregnated his 17-year-old daughter was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison Monday.

The 44-year-old man was convicted by a Pima County jury last month of four counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of child abuse.

According to court documents, the daughter called the Tucson Police Department last summer and told detectives that her father had been sexually abusing her since the age of 12.

The girl said that her father and mother were Christian missionaries who traveled from state to state and much of the abuse had occurred in Colorado and Arizona. Since she was now 18 she felt she could report the abuse, and she wanted to prevent it from happening to anyone else, she said.

Her father started out molesting her when she was 12. By the time she was 15 her father was forcing her to have sexual intercourse or oral sex on a daily basis, the girl said.

Her mother learned of the abuse by reading her daughter's diary, but instead of confronting the father, the girl said her mother threw the diary out a car window.

Her mother witnessed them engaged in a sexual act when she was 15, and a family meeting was held, the girl said. Her father was told it wasn't right for fathers and daughters to have sex, but the abuse continued, she said.

She became pregnant at 17 but had a miscarriage after her father instructed her to take pills he'd obtained in Mexico, the girl told detectives.

She said her father told her God told him to have sex with her and she should think of him as her husband. Her father also often quoted Scripture during the acts.

Episcopalian Boy Scouts Leader Sentenced for Molestation

Former West Lake Hills Boy Scout leader Martin Turner was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday for molesting pre-teen boys, something prosecutors said he did to at least 12 children over more than 30 years.

After state District Judge Melissa Goodwin announced the sentence, the oldest of Turner's known accusers took the stand before a packed courtroom.

"Martin, I have lost a child, and that does not come close to the pain and suffering you have inflicted upon me," said Sam Meacham, 41. He said he had a daughter born with severe brain damage who died at 5.

Meacham recounted that Turner first met his family at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in West Lake Hills and later, after his family moved close to Turner's house, "Martin took an interest in me, playing sports with me."

He said that Turner put "his hand in my pants" several times in 1978 — "in his home, on his couch."

Baptist Pastor Sentenced for Child Pornography

A former pastor escaped jail time but was ordered to register as a sex offender for possession of child pornography, 10TV News reported on Thursday.

John W. Adams was arrested in July 2007 during an Internet investigation led by Upper Arlington police. Investigators said Adams was caught downloading child pornography at his north Columbus home.

Adams was the former pastor of the Calvary Freewill Baptist Church in Darbydale.

In September, Adams pleaded guilty to a felony charge of pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor.

On Wednesday a judge sentenced Adams, 67, to three years probation, which prohibits him from accessing the Internet and having unsupervised contact with children, 10TV News reported.

He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the next 25 years.

Deacon Sentenced for Child Pornography

A former Gainesville church deacon maintained his innocence of child pornography charges Thursday before being sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison.

Marvin D. Bridges, 37, addressed U.S. District Court Judge William C. O’Kelley in a sentencing hearing on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography. Bridges was convicted by a federal jury in Gainesville following a three-day trial in October.

"I am innocent of these charges, and me and my family will continue to do everything we can to prove my innocence," Bridges told the judge.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Steinberg said the evidence presented at trial showed "there was child pornography all over this defendant’s computer, and it was put there at all times of the day and night, and there is just no other explanation but that the defendant put it there."

Prosecutors said some 1,900 illegal still images and 114 illegal videos were found in a search of Bridges’ computer, which was seized from his home in September 2007 during the course of a larger U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation dubbed "Project Flicker."

"Project Flicker" targeted several illegal Web sites that trafficked in child pornography and tracked individuals who used the Web sites.

Bridges, who operated a pressure-washing business, was a deacon at Victory Baptist Church on Skelton Road.

Pastor Sentenced for Fondling 9 Year Old Girl

A northern Idaho district judge has rejected a plea agreement and sentenced a former pastor who pleaded guilty to fondling a Priest Lake girl to two to five years in prison.

First District Judge Steve Verby cited Steven D. Bicknell's betrayal of the trust placed in him as a spiritual leader as an aggravating factor when he sentenced Bicknell on Tuesday.

"The violation of trust when you're in a position as a minister or pastor is even more damaging because those individuals are individuals that we need to be able to trust," the Bonner County Daily Bee quoted Verby as saying. "We, as a society, must be able to have faith in people who are placed in trust of dealing with our souls, our development."

Prosecutors said Bicknell touched the breasts of a girl in 2005 and 2006 when she was 9 and 10 while he was a pastor at Priest Lake Community Church.

Bicknell, 57, pleaded guilty in October to felony battery in an agreement that would have required him to serve 60 days in jail.

Verby rejected that deal, but retained jurisdiction. That means he will review the case and Bicknell could be released after serving six months.

"I hope that in time, somewhere down the line, that like the good book says that we take so faithfully, that you will find it within your heart to forgive as we have been forgiven," Bicknell said in apologizing to the victim and her family.

Presbyterian Church Elder Sentenced for Molestation

A former Abington church elder will do jail time for having multiple improper sexual contacts with a 13-year-old girl he was mentoring.

Norman Brooks, 61, of Roslyn, was sentenced to three to 23 months in Montgomery County Prison, which he will start serving on Jan. 2, and a five-year probationary sentence.

Brooks, who held numerous volunteer positions at Carmel Presbyterian Church including youth group leader, also was fined $1,000, directed to undergo and complete any psychiatric treatment recommended by the probation department and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.

In addition, Brooks was ordered to have no contact with the girl, her family, youth groups or the church.

“This young lady was betrayed by the trust she and her family placed in you and by your actions, which were more than reprehensible,” Judge Thomas C. Branca told Brooks. “This young lady will be dealing with the impact of your crimes for a long time.”

Claiming he was “filled with remorse,” Brooks apologized to the girl and her family, who were not present at the sentencing.

Brooks, who has no prior criminal history, said he did not know why he did it but that he was undergoing therapy to deal with the problem.

Since his arrest, Brooks said his wife has filed for divorce, kicking him out of the family home, he has lost his job at Abington Memorial Hospital and he voluntarily left Carmel Presbyterian Church and has had to find a new church.

Catholic Priest Sentenced for Sexual Assault

A Roman Catholic priest charged with sexually assaulting a young woman in Holyrood last summer has been given a suspended sentenced.

Rev. Patrick Robert Offin apologized for his actions this afternoon in provincial court in St. John’s after pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault in provincial court in St. John’s.
The charge stemmed from an Aug. 21 incident at the priest’s house.

Offin — from Ghana, West Africa — was serving a two-month stint at Holy Cross parish in Holyrood at the time.

Hindu Priest Sentenced for Rape

A woman raped by a Hindu priest has tried to kill herself several times and says she has been ostracised by the community after she was attacked.

The 41-year-old was raped by Shashikant Vyas in February this year, and now says her life has been ruined as friends and neighbours blame her for bringing about the prosecution of the priest.

Vyas is facing a spell behind bars for raping the woman, ripping off her clothes, pinning her down, and leaving her with multiple injuries to her arms and breasts after he attacked her.

She fled after the rape and was helped by a passerby who called the police in to arrest Vyas.

The woman has tried to kill herself at least four times, and the latest attempt on Sunday has left her in hospital with burns to her head, arms and chest.

She will need to have multiple skin grafts to repair the damage, and it is believed her injuries are life changing.

Her husband and son have also turned on her since she was raped, refusing to speak to her and defending Vyas' actions even after he admitted carrying out the attack.

Shashikant Vyas has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail .

Vyas, 61, pleaded guilty to pinning down the 41-year-old in the attack on February 1, leaving her with scratch marks all over her arms.

Christian Sentenced for Crime Spree

A Dowagiac man who broke into his neighbor's garage, stole her deceased husband's truck, drove it while he was drunk, hit a tree and went through the windshield, will spend the Christmas holidays behind prison bars.

Timothy Bowker, 41, of 61078 M-51, got five to 20 years for the crime spree he committed June 10 while on parole from a prior conviction.

The neighbor was a woman who helped him out time and again and had known him ever since he was 3 years old.

The neighbor, Carol Goodman, who lives on Thomson Road, Niles, told Judge Michael Dodge Friday morning in Cass County Circuit Court that Bowker is a good man when he is off drugs and alcohol.


Bowker began crying and said he was on cocaine and other stuff and admitted he is a "broken man."

He said he tried repeatedly to kick the habit through different treatment programs. He said ever since his son was born he began doing drugs and drinking. His son is now 12.

He referred to Goodman as a "truly good woman." He said he prayed to God and has done Bible studies.

"I can't find the answer, but I saw God," he said asking for 14 months.

Catholic Priest Sentenced for Embezzlement

An Omaha priest who stole more than $83,000 from an Omaha parish has received probation.

Judge Russell Bowie sentenced Rodney Adams to three to five years of probation. Adams must also pay $23,000 in restitution over the next five years. The defense has established a restitution account at Wells Fargo bank for anyone who wants to help Adams pay back the church. He also must complete 500 hours of community service.

Adams told the court that he spent the last six months in therapy for manic depression and a spending addiction.

He has been on administrative leave since resigning as pastor of St. Bridget and St. Rose parishes in May.

The archdiocese chancellor, the Rev. Joseph Taphorn, said Adams will get a new assignment by the end of the year, one that does not involve handling any money.

Adams had taken the money only from St. Bridget.

Christian Sentenced for Theft

A 33-year-old Gardnerville woman who faked cancer for sympathy and attention was sentenced Monday to four years in Nevada State Prison because she bilked thousands of dollars from friends who felt sorry for her.

District Judge Michael Gibbons told Erika Williams she must serve one year before she is eligible for parole. He gave her credit for 96 days in custody.

“This is a really sad day,” Gibbons said. “I don’t like doing this but I have to protect everyone else.”

She pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining money under false pretenses.

Dana Dolan said she met Williams as her dental hygienist and also at Bible study.
When Williams started feigning cancer, Dolan said she felt the woman was alone and offered friendship.

Messiah Sentenced for Sexual Conduct with Minor

The leader of an apocalyptic northeastern New Mexico sect was convicted today of 1 count of criminal sexual contact of a minor and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Self-described Messiah and leader of The Lord Our Righteousness Church Wayne Bent faced two counts each of criminal sexual contact of a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The allegations involved 14- and 16-year old sisters in July and August 2006.

Baptist Minister Sentened for Accepting Bribes

A former New Jersey Assemblyman who is also a Baptist minister has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.

Alfred E. Steele pleaded guilty in October 2007 to accepting $15,500 in bribes in exchange for steering public contracts to an insurance brokerage that was really a front for the FBI.

Steele was arrested with 10 other public officials and one private citizen in a bribery scandal from northern New Jersey to the shore.

At his sentencing on Monday, the 54-year-old Steele also was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and serve two years of supervised release after completing his prison term.

Steele, a Paterson resident, was once one of Passaic County's most prominent political leaders.

He resigned from the Assembly and from his post as a Passaic County undersheriff following his arrest.

Pastor Sentenced for Molestation

A Pastor caught molesting his foster daughter when he accidentally left his webcam on has had his sentence reduced by six months on appeal.

The Court of Appeal in Brisbane heard a woman who regularly "chatted" with the man on the internet noticed he had left his webcam operating and saw him indecently deal with his 10-year-old foster daughter.

The woman sent a message to the man telling him what she had seen. He sent a message back denying he had touched the girl.

The court was told the man and his wife, who had adult children and were pastors at a church, had been foster parents for 10 to 15 years when the girl came to live with them.

Police said the girl initially denied the man had molested her on February 9 her but later admitted he had touched her. She had not wanted to complain because she liked his wife and feared she would be moved.

After a trial in the Ipswich District Court, the man, 50, was found not guilty on two counts of indecently dealing with a child aged under 16 years but guilty of two others, including the incident with the girl.

He was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

The man, who cannot be named because it could identify the victim, appealed on the grounds the two convictions were unsafe and unsatisfactory.

In a unanimous judgment, the Court of Appeal upheld the appeal in relation to one count and quashed the conviction but dismissed the appeal against the February 9 offence.

Justice Hugh Fraser said that as the man was now convicted of only one charge, his jail sentence should be reduced to 12 months.

He said the offence was made worse because the man had intended to capture the images of him molesting his foster daughter but had not meant to transmit them.

Mormon Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of a Child

A Southern Utah man was sentenced in 5th District Court on Monday to one to 15 years for each of two second-degree felony counts of sexual abuse of a child.

Wayland Wightman Wyler, a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, pleaded guilty to both counts back in June, after being incarcerated for eight months awaiting trial.

Prior to sentencing a 90-day diagnostic evaluation was made of Wyler, 41, and a therapist did a psycho-sexual evaluation. Deputy County Attorney Troy Little said both then made recommendations to the court.

Wyler was originally arrested in March 2006 on charges of sexually molesting a female relative multiple times over three years, beginning when she was 8 years old. After bailing out on the charges, Wyler failed to appear in court last October, Little said.

Wyler had a warrant out for his arrest because of the appearance failures, said Iron County Det. Mike Crouch. He was arrested again after being hospitalized, treated and released for carbon monoxide poisoning, reportedly after being found unconscious in his garage with a vehicle running.

Pastor Sentenced for Murder

Former Hickman Community Church pastor Howard "Doug" Porter, convicted of murdering an 85-year-old rancher in a vehicle crash in April 2004, was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole this afternoon in Stanislaus County Superior Court.

Porter sat stoically as one of Craig’s family members got up to speak. He nodded in agreement to some of the things the man said about Craig, then sat immobile while the man accused him of taking Craig’s life.

Jurors also said Porter is guilty of two special circumstances that require a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole: murder for financial gain and murder to silence a witness to theft.

Craig enlisted Porter’s help in 1999, when the rancher inherited $2 million from a brother and struck a deal with the preacher to build an agricultural museum. Authorities said Porter siphoned $1.1 million from Craig, using the money to supplement his lifestyle and subsidize a family compound in La Grange.

Craig was crippled March 5, 2002, when Porter’s truck veered off Lake Road and slammed into a tree. Craig drowned April 22, 2004, after his truck, driven by Porter, veered off an embankment and plunged into the Ceres main canal.

Muslim Sentenced for Smuggling Drugs

A woman caught smuggling drugs worth more than £18,000 into Armley jail in her knickers has been jailed for four years.

Atia Ashraf, 24, hid heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis wrapped in a sausage shape finger of a latex glove which was discovered in her knicker elastic, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Ashraf had got through prison security measures but was stopped by police in the jail and strip-searched.

The court heard Ashraf is a well-educated, strict Muslim who is anti-drugs.

Ashraf had denied three counts of possessing drugs with intent to supply but was convicted by a jury at Leeds Crown Court after a trial.

Catholic Sentenced for Theft of $350,000

A principal who fed her gambling addiction by stealing more than $350,000 from St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic school in north Minneapolis was sentenced Friday to three years in prison,

Joyce A. Klevence, 68, who left the school 18 months ago, was convicted on seven counts of theft by swindle for stealing from the school, which has 93 students in kindergarten to eighth grade. Restitution will be determined at a later date.

Her attorney asked that she be spared prison time, but Hennepin County District Judge John Holahan Jr. countered that the theft was "particularly egregious" because its victims were countless schoolchildren. He gave Klevence more time than recommended by state guidelines.

"It's also particularly troubling that you were in a position of trust," he told her.

Standing before the judge, Klevence turned and addressed members of the school and apologized for the first time, reading from a statement she had prepared.

"I am very, very sincerely sorry for the pain that my actions have caused," she said. "I would ask for forgiveness, but I do not expect it right away as it has been difficult to forgive myself. I will let it be in God's hands, as I know He has forgiven me."

Christian Sentenced for Rape of Child

Judge Joseph Calabrese sentenced Allocco, of Baldwin, to serve 4 to 12 years in prison for his crimes. Prosecutors recommended a sentence of 5 to 15 years.

Allocco pleaded guilty in March to second- and third-degree rape, forcible touching and possessing a sexual performance by a child. He was then rearrested in April after he sent a sexually graphic text message to a 15-year-old and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, prosecutors said in court.

"This is a man standing here who has a serious, serious illness," said Allocco's lawyer, Charles Ferzola of Westbury. "The only thing that's going to help him is therapy."

Calabrese said he will recommend that the defendant undergo therapy in prison for his sexual issues.

Allocco was first arrested in 2004, when he was charged with the statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl he met in church. The rape occurred in Allocco's car near Bethpage State Park, prosecutors said. Two years later, Allocco raped his 17-year-old former girlfriend near her home, prosecutors said.

He also admitted to forcibly touching a 20-year-old Nassau Community College classmate while driving her home from a club meeting in May 2007. Only after that classmate came forward did Allocco's former girlfriend tell police that she had been raped, and that Allocco had numerous child pornography photos and videos on his computer.

Baptist Minister Convicted for Making Threats

A community activist who ran for Congress from prison, where he had been sent for warning that a judge could be tortured by God, can post bond while he appeals his conviction, an appeals court has ruled.

After being convicted and sentenced to probation in 2007 for paying people to vote in a Benton Harbor recall election, Edward Pinkney wrote an article in a small Chicago newspaper saying the judge who handled the case could be punished by God with curses, fever and "extreme burning" unless he changed his ways.

Another judge considered the article a threat and sentenced Pinkney to three to 10 years in prison for violating his probation. Pinkney, who says he's a Baptist minister, and his attorneys say he was only paraphrasing some Bible verses from the book of Deuteronomy.