New York Paralegal Blog

The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program is an invaluable source for understanding crime trends across the nation. While we're always looking at the most recent data, sometimes it's helpful to revisit past years to see patterns and shifts. Let's take a quick look at some key insights from the 2019 FBI UCR data, focusing on violent crime. In 2019, there were an estimated 1,203,808 violent crimes nationwide, representing a slight decrease of 0.5% compared to 2018. This category includes murder, rape (revised definition), robbery, and aggravated assault. Looking deeper into the violent crime offenses and associated arrest demographics: Aggravated assaults accounted for the largest portion, making up 68.2% of violent crimes reported. Of the 274,376 arrests for aggravated assault, White individuals accounted for 61.8% (169,467 arrests) and Black or African American individuals accounted for 33.2% (91,164 arrests). Robberies comprised 22.3% of violent crime...

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, joined by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, today announced charges against two men in connection with a terror plot targeting New York synagogues. AHMED FERHANI, 26, and MOHAMED MAMDOUH, 20, are charged with Conspiracy in the Second Degree as a Crime of Terrorism, Conspiracy in the Second Degree as a Hate Crime, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree as a Crime of Terrorism and Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the First Degree as a Crime of Terrorism. The conspiracy charge relates to a planned terrorist arson attack, and is an A-1 Felony, carrying with it a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. According to the criminal complaint filed by the District Attorney, FERHANI and MAMDOUH systematically engaged in conversations with an undercover NYPD Officer, making clear his desire to obtain weapons and training to engage in terrorist activities in New ...

Inmate interviews are part of an ongoing BAU program to understand the minds of violent offenders. Behavioral Interview Program Attempting to Understand Violent Offenders 05/09/11 The inmate’s wrist and leg shackles were removed and he was led into a small conference room to meet two special agents from our Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). The agents were there to conduct an interview into every aspect of the inmate’s life—from his earliest childhood experiences to the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of a preteen girl that sent him to prison for life without the possibility of parole.   Special Agent Mark Hilts discusses the Behavioral Analysis Unit-2. Podcast Such interviews are part of an ongoing BAU program to understand the minds of violent offenders. The offender interview program is in keeping with BAU’s overall mission to provide behavioral-based support to federal, state, local, and international law enforcement agencies investigating...

Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Emmanuel Tavarez pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, and the use of a firearm in relation to these crimes for his participation in multiple armed robberies of narcotics traffickers in the New York City metropolitan area and elsewhere while he was employed as a police officer in the New York City Police Department. The guilty plea proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Viktor V. Pohorelsky. When sentenced by United States District Judge Sandra L. Townes, Tavarez faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The conviction was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York As alleged in the indictment and other court filings by the government, Tavarez participated in a violent robbery crew responsible for more than 100 armed robberies of narcotics traffickers that netted more than 250 kilograms of cocaine and $1 million i...