Jacksonville police release details in Applebee's shooting

The estranged couple in Sunday’s deadly shooting at the Lane Avenue Applebee’s have been identified as suspect 44-year-old Sheridian Landell Veney Sr. and 42-year-old victim Lisa Marie Veney.

The couple had domestic issues, but Sheridian Veney did not have a criminal record, Chief of Investigations Chris Butler said.

He had been gone to the Applebee’s to meet with their visiting 18-year-old daughter in the military. The mother arrived and the couple got into an argument. Lisa Veney started to walk away when the shooting occurred with a .38-caliber revolver, Butler said.

“The suspect followed her to the door, at which time he fired at her,” Butler said. “He shot her five times, killing her there.”

There were some “undocumented domestic violence issues” between the two, Butler said. The couple did not live together, while the daughter was visiting from a military base, Butler said.

Sheridian Veney of the 900 block of Deer Spring Drive remained as customers and staff — 40 to 50 people — ducked, crawled and ran to safety. He apparently didn’t put up much resistance in being detained there until officers arrived.

Ariz. Woman Accused of Trying to Poison Children

An Arizona woman is accused of trying to poison her four children, including one who died, and of stabbing her former husband, all on Christmas.

Casa Grande police say 35-year-old Connie Villa was arrested Sunday on suspicion of one count of first-degree murder and four counts of attempted murder.

According to police, the ex-husband called 911 after he was stabbed when he went to Villa's residence. Officers found the body of 13-year-old Aniarael Macias, while Villa with stab wounds believed to have been self-inflicted.

Autopsy and toxicology results are pending on the girl, believed to have been poisoned.

The three other children are in good condition and are now with their father's family.

It's not immediately known whether Villa has an attorney. A possible motive hasn't been disclosed.

Arthur Gerald Reid Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of Children

Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that Arthur Gerald Reid, 27, of Macon, Georgia, pled guilty to sex trafficking of children on Monday, December 23, 2013. The defendant’s guilty plea was entered before the Honorable Hugh Lawson, United States District Court Judge, in Macon, Georgia.
In his plea agreement, the defendant admitted that beginning in September 2011 and continuing until February 2013, he prostituted a juvenile victim from various motel rooms in Macon, Georgia, and in Tybee Island, Georgia, through the utilization of backpage.com, an erotic services website. Mr. Reid was physically violent toward this juvenile victim. The defendant was encountered by law enforcement on February 26, 2013, at a Macon, Georgia, motel. In his custody and control was the juvenile victim connected to  Mr. Reid's guilty plea, as well as two additional juvenile victims. Mr. Reid admitted to prostituting these juveniles through the utilization of backpage.com. Hidden within the motel room was a BB gun, which the juveniles believed to be an authentic firearm.
At sentencing, Mr. Reid will be subject to a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of $250,000, or both and a term of supervised release of five years up to lifetime supervision. Mr. Reid will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to potential additional prosecution should he fail to register as required by Title 18, United States Code, Section 2250.
“The defendant seized upon the opportunity to exploit these vulnerable victims. All children deserve to be safe from predators like the defendant, and it is the duty of the law to protect them. These three victims are not alone, and my office will continue to vigilantly prosecute any and all who seek to gain from the abuse of children,” said United States Attorney Michael J. Moore.

Former South Carolina Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation

WASHINGTON—Robin Smith, a former corrections officer at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County, South Carolina, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, to violating the civil rights of a pre-trial detainee.
During his guilty plea, Smith admitted that on February 11, 2012, while working as a corrections officer, he used unreasonable, unprovoked force against a restrained inmate with mental illness. During the course of a routine search of the victim’s cell, Smith twisted the victim’s wrist and arm and kicked him in the upper body. During the assault, the victim was lying on the floor of the cell with one hand cuffed. The victim was not combative and did not pose a threat to Smith.
“The overwhelming majority of correctional officers dispatch their difficult duties with honor and professionalism,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those who cross the line to engage in acts of criminal misconduct.”
“Every minute of every day, corrections officers across this state handle extraordinarily difficult situations in a way that protects the detainees, the institution, and the public,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles for the District of South Carolina. “However, when a corrections officer’s conduct crosses the line between lawful use of force and an abuse of authority, we will take that case before the grand jury.”

Correctional Institution Employee Sentenced on Bribery-Related Offense

RALEIGH—United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced today Rashonda Cross, 27, a former correctional officer at the Rivers Correctional Institution in Winton, North Carolina, was sentenced by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan for one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, to three years’ probation, 45 days' intermittent confinement, and a $100 special assessment.
Investigation revealed that Cross, while employed as a correctional officer at the Rivers Correctional Institution, accepted payments from inmates within the facility in return for smuggling in contraband items such as cell phones and cigarettes. It further showed that some inmates paid bribes to correctional officers to gain their cooperation in the scheme. Four others have been previously convicted and sentenced for their conduct in the scheme: former Rivers Correctional Officer Rhonda Boyd was sentenced in July 2013 to 20 months’ imprisonment; former Rivers Correctional Officer Raye Lynn Holley was sentenced in October 2013 to 20 months’ imprisonment; former Rivers’ inmate Roland Bazemore was sentenced in April 2013 to 30 months’ imprisonment; and former Rivers’ inmate Kenneth Dodd was sentenced in October 2013 to 37 months’ imprisonment.

Louisburg Child Predator Sentenced to 18 Years

RALEIGH—United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced Joseph Patrick Murphy, 21, of Louisburg to 216 months’ imprisonment, followed by lifetime of supervised release. Upon his relase from prison, Murphy will be required to register as a sex offender.
Murphy was named in an indictment filed on May 21, 2013, charging him with three counts of distribution of child pornography and 10 counts of the receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. On August 15, 2013, Murphy pled guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.
According to the investigation, Murphy used the Internet to distribute numerous images of child pornography to undercover law enforcement agents. A search warrant was executed at Murphy’s residence on April 19, 2012. Murphy was present and after being advised of his rights, he admitted to having created and used an online account to download and share images and movies of child exploitation.

Chico Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography

SACRAMENTO, CA—Amado Hernandez, 34, a former resident of Chico, California, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Garland E. Burrell, Jr. to eight years in prison for receipt of child pornography, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, in the summer of 2010 in Glenn County, California, a concerned citizen reported to law enforcement that he had found child pornography on a computer he had gotten for free at a garage sale. The computer initially appeared to be inoperable, but the citizen repaired it and discovered images of child pornography on the hard drive.
The FBI conducted a forensic review of the computer, which showed that the Microsoft Windows software loaded on the computer was registered to the defendant. The computer also contained photographs of Hernandez. The forensic review revealed that there were approximately 450 still images of child pornography and approximately 250 videos of child pornography on the abandoned computer. Many were downloaded by Hernandez using a peer-to-peer file-sharing network.
On January 2, 2011, the defendant was contacted in San Diego on the cruise ship where he worked. Law enforcement agents found child pornography on the laptop he had in his possession at that time. Hernandez admitted that he had abandoned the other computer in Chico in 2009 before he left to work on the cruise ship.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michele Beckwith prosecuted the case.
The investigation in this case was undertaken as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC). PSC is a United States Department of Justice initiative established to increase federal prosecutions of violent sexual predators of children and to reduce the number of Internet crimes against children including child pornography trafficking. As a part of PSC, the United States Attorney’s Office has teamed with state and local agencies and organizations to increase law enforcement presence on the Internet and to educate the public about safe Internet use, thereby reducing the risk that children might fall prey to online sexual predators. For additional information on the PSC initiative, please go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and ask to speak with the PSC coordinator.