BANK EXPECTED TO RESPOND TO TAX SCANDAL

Bank of America (Photo/googleimages.com)

A LAWSUIT FILED IN D.C. SUPERIOR COURT, DUE TO THE TAX OFFICE SCANDAL WHERE NEARLY $50 MILLION WAS STOLEN FROM THE CITY, HAS LEFT THE BANK OF AMERICA WITH LESS THAN 20 DAYS TO RESPOND.

THE LAWSUIT, WHICH IS BEING LED BY MAYOR ADRIAN FENTY AND ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL PETER NICKELS, WAS FILED ON OCT. 31, AND IS ASKING FOR $105 MILLION IN DAMAGES. THE SUIT CITES BANK OF AMERICA AS RESPONSIBLE FOR FAILING TO SUPERVISE AND TRAIN ITS EMPLOYEES IN RELATION TO ABOUT $35 MILLION OF THE STOLEN FUNDS.

THE SCANDAL TOOK PLACE OVER A 2O-YEAR PERIOD AND CAME TO LIGHT IN JUNE 2007. ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THE LEADER BEHIND THE SCANDAL WAS FORMER D.C. OFFICE OF TAX AND REVENUE MANAGER HARRIETTE WALTERS.

UNDER THE FALSE CLAIMS ACT, THE DISTRICT ALSO SEEKS $1.1 MILLION ON TOP OF THE $35 MILLION LOST IN THE SCANDAL. U.S. ATTORNEYS PROSECUTING THE CASE ARE EXPECTED TO RECOVER $10 MILLION TO PAY BACK TO THE CITY.

SOURCE: THE AFRO

INAUGURATION TICKETS EXPECTED TO GO FAST

NOW THAT BARACK OBAMA HAS BEEN ELECTED AS OUR NATION'S NEXT PRESIDENT, PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD HAVE ALREADY BEGAN REQUESTING TICKETS TO GRANT THEM ACCESS TO THE INAUGURATION ON JAN. 20.

THE FRENZY STARTED JUST A FEW DAYS FOLLOWING OBAMA'S VICTORY AND THE DEMAND FOR TICKETS HAS ALREADY EXCEEDED SUPPLY. THE TICKETS ARE FREE, HOWEVER, THAT ARE LIMITED TO ONLY 240,000. THE TICKETS CAN ONLY BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, WHO ARE EACH ALLOCATED A CERTAIN AMOUNT TO BE DISTRIBUTED AMONGST RESIDENTS IN THEIR DISTRICTS.

THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION, DISTRICT DEL. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON REPORTED THAT SHE SET UP A SPECIAL TELEPHONE LINE AND E-MAIL ADDRESS TO TAKE REQUESTS. HOWEVER, HER OFFICE WAS SO FLOODED WITH CALLS THAT IT PREVENTED MORE URGENT CALLS FROM GETTING THROUGH AND SHE EVENTUALLY HAD TO STOP TAKING NAMES.

OFFICIALS EXPECT THE CROWDS TO SURPASS THE 1.2 MILLION THAT ATTENDED PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON'S INAUGURATION IN 1965, WHETHER THEY HAVE TICKETS OR NOT.

SOURCE: THE AFRO

POLICE TO STEP UP PATROL OF LAUREL AREA SCHOOLS

POLICE HAVE DECIDED TO STEP UP PATROLS IN THE LAUREL AREA AFTER REPORTS OF SEVERAL BREAK-INS IN NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.

IN FACT, ONE OF THE SCHOOLS INCLUDED IN THE REPORTS IS THE SAME ONE THAT RESULTED IN THE SHOOTING OF A POLICE OFFICER. ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES, BREAK-INS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT OAKLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON SEPT. 13 AND NOV. 4.

ON NOV.2, DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER MIDDLE SCHOOL AND JAMES H. HARRISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WERE BOTH BROKEN INTO. POLICE HAVE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING ALL OF THE INCIDENTS AND HAVE NOT DETERMINED EITHER THE MOTIVE OR WHAT HAD BEEN TAKEN.

FOR NOW, COUNTY POLICE ARE REVIEWING SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE FROM THE BURGLARY AT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, WHICH IS THE ONLY SCHOOL WITH SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS.

SOURCE: THE GAZETTE

OFFICERS IN HILLCREST HEIGHTS SHOOTING IDENTIFIED

THE OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THE SHOOTING THAT KILLED A MAN ATTEMPTING TO CARJACK AN UNMARKED POLICE VEHICLE IN HILLCREST HEIGHTS ON MONDAY NIGHT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY PG COUNTY POLICE.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS, PG COUNTY OFFICER JAMES G. MCCREARY, WAS TRYING TO ENTER HIS VEHICLE AROUND 11 P.M. ON THE 3200 BLOCK OF NAYLOR ROAD WHEN HE WAS APPROACHED BY THE ALLEGED ARMED SUSPECT, JOSHUA DAVID SANDS, 19.

MCCREARY THEN FIRED HIS WEAPON, STRIKING SANDS, OF THE 1200 BLOCK OF STEVENS ROAD IN THE DISTRICT, IN THE UPPER BODY. HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE BY PARAMEDIC PERSONNEL.

BOTH MCCREARY AND CPL. MOISE APOLLON, WERE CONDUCTING AN UNDERCOVER ASSIGNMENT FOR THE NARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT DIVISION NEAR THE 51 CLUB, LOCATED ON NAYLOR ROAD.

THEY HAVE BOTH BEEN PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.

SOURCE: THE GAZETTE

TEEN STABBED AT LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL

YESTERDAY MORNING, A 16 -YEAR- OLD BOY WAS STABBED AT MONTGOMERY BLAIR HIGH SCHOOL BY A GIRL, AGE 16.

THE BOY WAS TRANSPORTED TO HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL AND TREATED FOR WHAT MEDICAL PERSONNEL ANNOUNCED WERE NON LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THE PARAMEDICS WERE CALLED OUT TO THE SCHOOL AROUND 9: 20 A.M. FOR A REPORTED STABBING NEAR A HEALTH ROOM IN THE SCHOOL.

THE BOY, WHOSE NAME HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, WAS TREATED FOR A GASH IN THE UPPER PORTION OF HIS ARM. ACCORDING TO POLICE, THE GIRL TOOK OFF AFTER THE INCIDENT AND WAS LATER APPREHENDED OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL.

WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE BOY PUSHED THE GIRL, AND SHE CAME UP WITH SOMETHING IN HER HAND.

SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON POST

MS-13 POSSIBLY LINKED IN BUS SLAYING

MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICIALS DECLARED YESTERDAY THAT THEY ARE NOW SEARCHING FOR TWO SUSPECTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE FATAL SHOOTING OF A 14- YEAR OLD STUDENT ON A COUNTY TRANSIT BUS IN SLIVER SPRING, WHOM THEY BELIEVE ARE CONNECTED WITH THE MS-13 GANG.

HECTOR M. HERNANDEZ, 20, WAS RECENTLY ARRESTED AS THE ALLEGED GUNMAN IN THE BUS SLAYING. HE WAS ARRESTED A MONTH PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT ON A WEAPONS CHARGE AND WA RELEASED WITHOUT ANYONE REALIZING HE WAS IN THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY.

POLICE ARE NOW SEEKING GILMAR LEONARDO ROMERO, 20 , (LEFT IN THE PIC) AND MARIO ERNESTO MILAN-CANALES, 30, (RIGHT IN THE PIC) IN CONNECTION WITH THE BUS SHOOTING.

ACCORDING TO POLICE, HERNANDEZ BOARDED A RIDE ON BUS IN SILVER SPRING WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS. HERNANDEZ'S GROUP EXCHANGED WORDS WITH A LARGER GROUP, NONE OF THEM KNOWN TO BE GANG MEMBERS, ACCORDING TO POLICE.

ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, WHEN THEY GOT OFF, ONE PERSON IN THE GROUP HELD A REAR DOOR OPEN, WHILE HERNANDEZ FIRED SEVERAL SHOTS INTO THE BUS, KILLING TAI LAM, AND STRIKING TWO OTHER TEENAGERS INSIDE.

SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON POST