This case shows the public what a corrupt judicial system we have. How can anyone expect to be treated fairly in our court today. The government is upset about the IRS, that’s not news, its been happening for many years to the little man. What about Judges and Prosecutors sending innocent men to prison and nothing is done about it. When is the government going to get upset about that? Not only get upset but do something. Right the Wrong.
If investigated thoroughly, its not difficult to see that IRP6 were railroaded by a corrupt judge, Christine Arguello and prosecutor, Matthew Kirsch. They both assisted in a cover-up for big businesses wanting case investigative software that the small IRP Solutions business had to offer to law enforcement throughout this country!
It is amazing to me that the Associated Press was extremely vocal when the unethical practices of the DOJ was directed at them, but have been very silent when it comes to reporting stories on average American citizens, like the IRP6 and how ‘prosecutorial misconduct’ played a huge part in these six business executives being wrongfully convicted and sentenced to prison for a crime they didn’t commit!
In order to free these men and to restore their good names, business & lives will take the DOJ to conduct a thorough General Inquiry in to this case:
(1) for missing transcripts,
(2) violations of 5th Amendment Right, and lastly.
(3) right to a Speedy Trial.
If a proper investigation is done, there will be no doubt that the Prosecutor & Judge were working together with big businesses to run their small competitor, IRP Solutions Corporation out-of-business to maintain their lucrative, large dollar government contracts!
Our American government is never thought of as being our enemy. We don’t go to be nightly thinking or worrying about the door being kicked in by our own government.
And because I believe in an America where justice is colorblind as well as blind to the size of ones pocketbook, I am doing another post about this case, these men and their families.
This post will be different because it will concentrate & focus on the human side of Gary Walker, David A. Banks, Kendrick “Ken” Barnes, Clinton A. Stewart, Demetrius K. Harper & David A. Zirpolo. This post will introduce you to their families and the up close and personal side of how injustice effects families….just like yours.
This case shows the public what a corrupt judicial system we have. How can anyone expect to be treated fairly in our court today. The government is upset about the IRS, that’s not news, its been happening for many years to the little man. What about Judges and Prosecutors sending innocent men to prison and nothing is done about it. When is the government going to get upset about that? Not only get upset but do something. Right the Wrong.
If investigated thoroughly, its not difficult to see that IRP6 were railroaded by a corrupt judge, Christine Arguello and prosecutor, Matthew Kirsch. They both assisted in a cover-up for big businesses wanting case investigative software that the small IRP Solutions business had to offer to law enforcement throughout this country!
It is amazing to me that the Associated Press was extremely vocal when the unethical practices of the DOJ was directed at them, but have been very silent when it comes to reporting stories on average American citizens, like the IRP6 and how ‘prosecutorial misconduct’ played a huge part in these six business executives being wrongfully convicted and sentenced to prison for a crime they didn’t commit!
In order to free these men and to restore their good names, business & lives will take the DOJ to conduct a thorough General Inquiry in to this case (1) for missing transcripts, (2) violations of 5th Amendment Right, and lastly, (3) right to a Speedy Trial!
If a proper investigation is done, there will be no doubt that the Prosecutor & Judge were working together with big businesses to run their small competitor, IRP Solutions Corporation out-of-business to maintain their lucrative, large dollar government contracts!
I will outline some specifics that will show you how this entire case against The IRP6 is wrong and unjust.
IRP Solutions Corporation was formed a couple of years after the tragedies of 9-11 (IRP is an acronym for “Investigative Resource Planning”). This was a country in shock. We experienced the worst attack in history against our country on our native soil. Many of the events of that day and months that would follow showed gaps in the investigative processes of our law enforcement agencies, but yet there were no solutions readily available to address the need. Meanwhile, years prior to 9-11 the founders of IRP Solutions had begun development of a small stand-alone software application to be used as an individual work product for law enforcement.
That initial work was done under the company name Leading Team. Although the initial software developed by Leading Team was an enterprise-class solution, it was not web-enabled or capable of addressing the major gaps that were identified post-911 (i.e., Lack of ability to share intelligence/investigative information between law enforcement at all levels of government, etc.). The company founders knew that with a little hard work, they could develop a software application that could significantly impact our nation’s law enforcement operations. However, they didn’t feel that the current company name accurately reflected the new strategy. Thus, IRP Solutions Corporation was formed.
The Call from DHS: A Dream Opportunity….
In October 2003, IRP received a call from the Program Manager at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for an initiative that was called the Consolidated Enforcement Environment Initiative. DHS wanted IRP to conduct a web demo of the software solution that IRP had developed. IRP’s web demo was very successful and the company was asked to travel to Washington, DC to conduct a demo before a larger audience.
In November 2003, IRP travelled to Washington, DC to demonstrate their software solution before the DHS Consolidated Enforcement Environment Initiative team which comprised of DHS, FBI, Secret Service, Federal Air Marshals, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, TSA, U.S. Coast Guard, and Deloitte. This audience questioned IRP on the technical and functional aspects of the software. This was, yet another, successful demonstration of the software that IRP had developed. Following the meeting, DHS provided IRP with “Eyes Only” documentation and asked IRP to begin working (non-contractually) on capabilities to meet certain federal law enforcement scenarios.
IRP Solutions’ Case Investigative Life Cycle (CILC®) The Software:
Although CILC software was considered the most promising, strong political winds from large entrenched competitors significantly slowed the sales cycle, which subsequently caused a cash flow crunch and aging debt related to the development of the software.
Departments: Computers & Software
FEATURE
IRP Solutions Case Investigative Life Cycle
Accessible by PDA, tablet, notebook, or desktop, this new software can help you manage all aspects of a case.
February 1, 2004 by Bob Davis
Nowadays, technology seems to be providing ways to solve everything in our complicated professional lives. So why not find a technical solution that eliminates slipshod case management and poorly executed investigative processes? That’s the idea behind IRP-Solutions Corp.’s new Case Investigative Life Cycle (CILC) Precinct software.
CILC (pronounced “silk”) is an enterprise level client-server application that could be the detail-oriented manager you’ve always wanted for your investigations unit. It may also be the solution for your records management woes and a way to rid yourself of the endless stacks of paper.
Developed over the last four years by a team of software engineers, CILC comes with a built-in law enforcement pedigree. It already knows the basic ins and outs of competent police work thanks to contributions from law enforcement professionals at all levels of government.
And once you decide to implement CILC, IRP can customize the software to give it expertise on the procedures that are unique to your agency. CILC is built on a robust Oracle database engine by an engineering staff that works directly with your organization creating business rules and procedures necessary for your environment.
This customization and IRP Solutions’ attention to detail make CILC powerful enough to become your agency’s primary computerized investigative management tool. But this application is not just a one-trick pony. CILC Precinct is capable of handling your administrative processes, too. From subpoenas to injury reports, from commendations to disciplinary actions, CILC Precinct can automate numerous personnel tasks and protect the individual officer’s right to privacy in all personnel matters.
Here’s how it works. At the beginning of the investigative process, CILC creates a “thread” of information for each incident based on the concept that each case is supported by four pillars: collection, analysis, distribution, and presentation.
Realizing that many agencies have multiple contribution points, CILC is designed to be used on desktops, portables, tablets, and PDAs. In other words, CILC goes into the field with as many persons as you need and on any available Windows computer, allowing immediate collection and documentation of information.
The value of having this tool in the field becomes evident in a hurry at a crime scene, as it reminds you about the little details. You know, things like getting the paramedic’s name and work schedule, finding out the ambient room temperature at the crime scene, and the other little stuff that tends to be forgotten and later becomes a big headache.
Consider the following scenario. You start your preliminary investigation, and your supervisor decides it’s time for you to take the lead. It will be your responsibility to conduct this investigation from its beginning and follow it through to its prosecution. You were fine a few minutes ago but now your mouth seems as if it’s full of cotton balls. Your stomach begins to churn. Your boss says he has confidence in your ability. He gives you a pat on the back and reminds you to just follow the “silk thread.”
After stepping outside for some air and chugging down some water along with some of those new over-the-counter purple heartburn pills, you take a deep breath and get to work. And because your agency has implemented CILC, you realize that you’re going to be OK. CILC furnishes you with a starting point for harvesting information, followed by logical steps for investigating and conducting follow-up work. Finally, it steps you through the necessary requirements for submitting your work to the local prosecutor. It can even be set up to remind you about getting a warrant, scheduling an autopsy, and sending fibers to the state laboratory for further analysis.
Also, CILC gives you backup. Your boss, the one with all that confidence to give you the lead on your first big case, can monitor your work through CILC’s built-in security administration. Just think of him as your guardian angel, keeping a mentoring eye on you and the progress of your case. If you stumble, he’s there to get you back on the right track. If everything is fine, he’ll know his judgment about you was on target.
In addition to its investigative tools, CILC is also useful for first responders. Its “Crime Scene Log” gives first responders instructions on how to maintain an orderly crime scene.
This is a critical need for all agencies. Today’s world is going to require more from first responders. Not only will they need their array of criminal codes and street sense, they’ll also need immediate information on how to handle incidents involving everything from hit-and-run traffic accidents to terrorist attacks. When used properly, CILC can direct first-responder activities such as crime scene protection, command post setup, performing notifications, canvassing for witnesses, taking statements, and properly documenting identities of those with important information.
Sure, all of this can be done by officers without the aid of computers or CILC. But the benefits of CILC are easily demonstrated. All of the information inputted into this system is properly documented, legible, and uploadable to the server. Also, it can be shared at all levels of your agency without paper shuffling or repetitive typing. This means that units from within your organization can instantly have access to case information.
CILC sounds expensive, what with all this client-server and custom application talk. But don’t let that scare you off. IRP-Solutions offers a stand-alone version of CILC Precinct if you’re not ready for the full-blown client-server version.
And if you want the client-server version, you may discover that grant money is available to help fund its implementation. IRP has an on-staff grant writer who can help you with this process.
In addition, IRP may help you. The company is interested in developing reference agencies for itself, and that’s a win-win for everyone.
A 25-year police veteran, Bob Davis currently runs the San Diego Police Department’s computer lab.
Departments; Computing / Software
FEATURE
Who Killed the Virtual Case File?
How the FBI blew more than $100 million on case-management software it will never use
September 2005 by Harry Goldstein
In the early 1990s, Russian mobsters partnered with Italian Mafia families in Newark, N.J., to skim millions of dollars in federal and New Jersey state gasoline and diesel taxes. Special Agent Larry Depew set up an undercover sting operation under the direction of Robert J. Chiaradio, a supervisor at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington, D.C., headquarters.
Depew collected reams of evidence from wiretaps, interviews, and financial transactions over the course of two and a half years. Unfortunately, the FBI couldn’t provide him with a database program that would help organize the information, so Depew wrote one himself. He used it to trace relationships between telephone calls, meetings, surveillance, and interviews, but he could not import information from other investigations that might shed light on his own. So it wasn’t until Depew mentioned the name of a suspect to a colleague that he obtained a briefcase that his friend had been holding since 1989.
“When I opened it up, it was a treasure trove of information about who’s involved in the conspiracy, including the Gambino family, the Genovese family, and the Russian components. It listed percentages of who got what, when people were supposed to pay, the number of gallons. It became a central piece of evidence,” Depew recalled during an interview at the FBI’s New Jersey Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory, in Hamilton, where he is the director. “Had I not just picked up the phone and called that agent, I never would have gotten it.”
A decade later, Depew’s need to share information combined with his do-it-yourself database skills and connection to his old supervisor, Chiaradio, would land him a job managing his first IT project–the FBI’s Virtual Case File.
Depew’s appointment to the FBI’s VCF team was an auspicious start to what would become the most highly publicized software failure in history. The VCF was supposed to automate the FBI’s paper-based work environment, allow agents and intelligence analysts to share vital investigative information, and replace the obsolete Automated Case Support (ACS) system. Instead, the FBI claims, the VCF’s contractor, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), in San Diego, delivered 700 000 lines of code so bug-ridden and functionally off target that this past April, the bureau had to scrap the US $170 million project, including $105 million worth of unusable code. However, various government and independent reports show that the FBI—lacking IT management and technical expertise—shares the blame for the project’s failure.
In a devastating 81-page audit, released in 2005, Glenn A. Fine, the U.S. Department of Justice’s inspector general, described eight factors that contributed to the VCF’s failure. Among them: poorly defined and slowly evolving design requirements; overly ambitious schedules; and the lack of a plan to guide hardware purchases, network deployments, and software development for the bureau.
Fine concluded that four years after terrorists crashed jetliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the FBI, which had been criticized for not “connecting the dots” in time to prevent the attacks, still did not have the software necessary to connect any new dots that might come along. And won’t for years to come.
“The archaic Automated Case Support system—which some agents have avoided using—is cumbersome, inefficient, and limited in its capabilities, and does not manage, link, research, analyze, and share information as effectively or timely as needed,” Fine wrote. “[T]he continued delays in developing the VCF affect the FBI’s ability to carry out its critical missions.”
This past May, a month after it officially ended the VCF project, the FBI announced that it would buy off-the-shelf software at an undisclosed cost to be deployed in phases over the next four years. Until those systems are up and running, however, the FBI will rely on essentially the same combination of paper records and antiquated software that the failed VCF project was supposed to replace. The only recent addition has been a new “investigative data warehouse” that combines several of the FBI’s crime and evidence databases into one. It was completed as the VCF started its final slide into oblivion. In addition, the FBI recently digitized millions of its paper documents and made them available to agents.
As the FBI gears up to spend hundreds of millions more on software over the next several years, questions persist as to how exactly the VCF went so terribly wrong and whether a debacle of even bigger proportions looms on the horizon. Despite high-profile Congressional hearings, hundreds of pages of reports churned out by oversight bodies, and countless anguished articles in the trade press and mainstream media, the inner workings of the project and the major players have remained largely invisible. Now, detailed interviews with people directly involved with the VCF paint a picture of an enterprise IT project that fell into the most basic traps of software development, from poor planning to bad communication.
Lost amid the recriminations was an early warning from one member of the development team that questioned the FBI’s technical expertise, SAIC’s management practices, and the competence of both organizations. Matthew Patton, a security expert working for SAIC, aired his objections to his supervisor in the fall of 2002. He then posted his concerns to a Web discussion board just before SAIC and the FBI agreed on a deeply flawed 800-page set of system requirements that doomed the project before a line of code was written. His reward: a visit from two FBI agents concerned that he had disclosed national security secrets on the Internet.
Successes, challenges and opportunities in city’s $7M, decade-long effort to upgrade police technology
November 13, 2012 by Juliana Reyes
On any given day, you can find a Philadelphia cop clacking away at a typewriter. He might be a detective writing a search warrant, or she could work in the Narcotics Unit and be writing a report about the drugs she just confiscated.
It’s just another part of the job.
Right now, Philadelphia’s cops use typewriters to write two kinds of reports: property receipts, which must be filed when an officer takes any object off someone, and search warrants. Cops have to use typewriters for these tasks because the reports are pre-formatted and numbered to keep track of them and to protect against fake versions. The reports must be fed into the typewriter or handwritten. In simpler terms, the cops just don’t have a system to replace this one.
But not for lack of trying. The cops were supposed to have a new system years ago, a system that would digitize all the typewriter-generated reports and make the department worlds more efficient. The city has been waiting 10 years and has spent more than $7 million on this proposed system, so why are cops still using typewriters?
Philadelphia’s police department isn’t unique in this regard. In 2009, UPI reported that New York City was working on a system to upgrade the NYPD‘s police software but, in the meantime, was spending nearly $1 million on new typewriters.
This also isn’t to say that the Police Department is stuck in the dark ages. It has an electronic system for its arrest warrants, an electronic evidence management system and a brand new GIS mapping and crime analysis system [check back later this month for a story on this]. Technically Philly has regularly covered the department’s use of web communication for earning leads on cases. As the City of Philadelphia goes, the Police Department is often seen as among the most embracing of IT upgrades.
“We’re lagging behind in one small area,” said police spokesman Lt. Ray Evers about police IT.
The department is lagging behind in this area because Philadelphia police officers, like others in the country’s biggest cities, are still doing some of their most common and important administrative tasks on a communication tool that was first innovative in the 19th century.
A brand new system.
It all started with the mid-1990s 39th District police scandal, one of the worst police corruption scandals in the city’s history. Several civil rights organizations threatened to sue the city, but the city agreed to several conditions and was able to settle out of court.
One of those conditions was to computerize several types of records, as the Daily News reported in 1996. A federal judge would watch the department closely and make sure it was getting a new, digital system that would increase transparency, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer article from that time. That meant the Police Department was under a lot of pressure to deliver, and quickly, at that.
Following recommendations from an investigative committee, in 2002, IBM won the $4.7 million contract to computerize the department’s records, according to a Technically Philly review of the contract. IBM would develop a system that would automate three kinds of records: investigative reports, filed during every criminal investigation, property receipts and search warrants.
It would mean the end of typewriters for the police. It’d also mean no more wasted time on redundant data entry, no more worrying about paperwork getting lost, no more hoarding stacks of paper reports for court. The whole project was supposed to take 30 months, said Police Department project manager Tom Olson.
The ten-year effort
The trouble started immediately.
IBM hired a subcontractor to carry out the contract, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based company called CRISNET. (Today, another unrelated Salt Lake City firm, named Public Engines, manages the police department’s online crime data map.)
Soon after the contract began, the city realized it bought the wrong product, Olson said. It wasn’t a case management system that would allow police to digitize its records. Instead, it was a crime reporting tool. CRISNET was a small company, so it had a rough time customizing the system on the fly, Olson said.
CRISNET successfully launched one part of the system in 2004, which Olson called a major victory for the department. It digitized the process that the department uses to generate some 250,000 investigation reports filed every year. In 2009, CRISNET also implemented a system that allowed cops to send relevant paperwork to the District Attorney’s office through a digital system. This was another success, Olson said, since before, cops had to hand-deliver paperwork to the District Attorney’s office and worry about important documents getting misplaced in the process [find our story on this system here].
That’s the extent of the contract’s direct success, said those interviewed.
Project manager Olson, his team and global IT consulting firm Ciber, which had also been retained, were unhappy with the rest of CRISNET’s work and never implemented the property receipt system, though it had been finished, he said. The search warrant system was forgotten.
An example of a property receipt, one of the reports that cops still need to file with a typewriter. Click to enlarge.
Still, the city renewed this IBM contract multiple times from 2004 to today so the vendors could do maintenance and to push the project forward, said Lt. Fred McQuiggan, who has worked on the project since it began. Since the contract had a fixed price, scrapping it would cost the city more money in the end, McQuiggan said. IBM had also already built parts of the system that would be lost if the city had ended the contract.
The extensions did not cost the city extra money because of the fixed price, but the city did pay consultant Ciber roughly $20,000 per month for its decade’s worth of work on the project, McQuiggan said, putting the total price of the project at roughly $7.1 million. It’s important to note that the city did not pay IBM for any part of the project that it did not complete, Olson said.
[Updated, see below]
So, after ten years and $7.1 million, what really went wrong?
Endless back-and-forth between the city and the contractors, on needs assessment, analysis and user testing, among other normal development processes clogged by bureaucracy. Different administrations came and went (Ed Rendell was mayor when the police corruption scandal broke, first pushing forward interest in digital record keeping and greater transparency. John Street was mayor when the contract began, and there have been three police commissioners since that time, not to mention the initial creation of a director of Police IT position in 2006 [find our story on that here] and multiple attempts at consolidating city IT processes. CRISNET was acquired by Motorola halfway through the project, which brought even more decision makers into the process.
When asked for comment, IBM spokesman Michael Rowinski said that IBM is working with the city to “develop and deploy solutions that provide its police department with the modern tools it needs to protect residents and visitors,” adding that IBM is building “additional enhancements which can add value to the [project's] ongoing success.”
Olson thinks the city and the vendor underestimated the project. The Police Department had no experience doing anything like this, Olson said. He also thinks the pressure from the courts following that corruption scandal didn’t help.
“We were not driven by business needs solely,” he said. “We were driven by what was going to get the judge off our back.”
What’s next
The city is still in negotiations with IBM and cannot comment on the contract, said Deputy Police Commissioner John Gaittens, who has overseen the project. It’s still unclear if the city will implement CRISNET’s property receipt system. As for the search warrants, detectives will have to wait for a new system. For now, the typewriters will stay.
Read the next story in our series here. It’s about how police leadership, specifically one deputy commissioner, changed the way cops do their jobs by introducing new technology tools in the ’80s and ’90s.
Updated 11/12/12 4:37 to clarify that the city did not pay IBM for any part of the project that it did not complete, according to Olson.
The IRP Dream Becomes A Nightmare February 9, 2005
The morning of February 9th, 2005 started like most days at IRP Solutions. Company staff began to show up for work. The day was a typical business day until unexpected guest showed up at the reception desk. IRP Solutions was being raided by federal agents for alleged wrongdoing. There were 21 federal agents at the front door of a business, that at the time, only had approximately 20 employees. A warrant was presented stating that IRP Solutions and its executives were accused of mail and wire fraud.
Let’s rewind a couple of years and set the stage for how all of this came about…..
In 2003, IRP Solutions (IRP) was established to develop software for law enforcement agencies. Through its marketing efforts, IRP became engaged with major agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As IRP became more engaged with agencies like DHS and NYPD, there were more requests for modifications to the software. DHS even told IRP to “…put a federal face on the software…”. Agencies were sending very positive signals and continued to ask for modifications to the software to meet their respective needs. Because of the modification and customization requests from agencies, IRP management began to explore ways to meet the increased demand for software development. IRP began to explore the option of augmenting the staff with contract labor.
IRP contacted staffing companies and explained the dilemma of trying to meet the requests of the law enforcement agencies. Several companies did their due diligence and considered IRP an acceptable risk for executing a contract. There were several companies that chose not to team with IRP. Contracts were executed to bring on technologists to incorporate technical enhancements requested by the federal government and local law enforcement. The agencies were fully engaged with IRP to make enhancements to the software, which resulted in the need for IRP to continue extending its engagement with staffing companies. Consequently, the debt continued to grow.
In the meantime, in late 2004, DHS requested pricing quotes that exceeded $100 million. Additionally, DHS explicitly stated that they were working on the budget and needed the pricing quotes as part of their budget exercises. This was later substantiated by FBI interview documents in which a DHS official stated that they (DHS) were setting up a pilot project for IRP.
Now fast forward to February 2005…IRP business offices are raided by over 20 federal agents for alleged fraud and running a scam, accused of not developing software, but bilking staffing companies of millions of dollars. IRP was also accused of making up stories about customers like the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, NYPD, Colorado Bureau of Investigations, and several others.
There was no fraud or scheme…IRP Solutions was a legitimate business that incurred business debt.
Gary Walker – President, CEO & Chief Technology Officer: 20+ years of Information Technology experience. Experience includes technology leadership roles as a consultant with companies such as Xcel Energy and Kaiser Permanente. Walker previously held the position of CTO at M3 Publishing, a media technology company providing corporate communications software to Fortune 1000 companies. As CTO, he directed the architecture, implementation and roll out of the company’s products to its global customers. Gary graduated from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science.
FROM GARY:
Everything I own, wear and snack on fits in a locker that is waist high and shoulder width, with 5 clothes hooks and 2 laundry bags. Everything I can buy at the “store” fits on one sheet of paper. My bed is about the width of a baby’s crib and is either a metal or concrete slab or has springs like wire hangers.
I am told when to wake, eat, talk, not talk, go to bed, go to work, where to work, when to “shop”, what to eat, who I live with, where I can go, what I can do and not do.
If you’re in for a nonviolent offense you’re spared living with people who’re in for violent crimes but your neighbors and cell mates are a mix of drug dealers, drug addicts, alcoholics, psychopaths, sociopaths, pathological liars, mentally retarded, narcissists, illiterates, over educated jackasses, gang members, white racists, hispanic racists, black racists, extortionists, fraudsters, sexual deviants, malcontents,cynics, wrongfully imprisoned, with personalities ranging from Mister Rogers to Mr. T.
In my journey from city holding cells, federal detention and federal prison camp I’ve lived in a dorm where I never saw the sun and never left the dorm, a 2 man cell with stainless steel toilet, and a 2 or 3 man cell crammed with beds, lockers, a chair that wasn’t large enough for me to drop and do push-ups in. I’ve been strip searched so much that it’s no longer
a big deal. I haven’t experienced any time of peace and quiet.
The racial make-up in prison lets me know that we haven’t achieved “liberty and justice for all” and lady justice is far from blind.
Prison is a place where the common reply to “what’s up?” is “S.O.S”, for same old s**t. Unlike higher security level facilities such as USP, medium security prisons and detention centers, there is little risk of death, rape or stabbing in prison camps. But, there is still the separation from your loved ones, the bad food, the loss of your freedom and liberty, and the boredom. The boredom drives some to adopt rigid routines to get through each day and causes others, like me, to avoid routine at all costs.
It’s a place where best friends disappear, wedding vows lose their meaning or some marriages against all odds, through love and resolve manage to survive, or miraculously some become stronger. A place where long sentences, lost appeals and life’s unrealized hopes cause some to lose the will to wake up to another day or causes you to summon untapped mental and spiritual strength. Where hearing your favorite songs can put a wide smile on your face and send you bopping around the joint or drive you into a deep bout of home sickness. We’re in this place, but we all know that our families are serving time of their own.
Sincerely,
Gary
Demetrius K. Harper – President, DKH Enterprises: Over 15 years Information Technology experience including information systems management and support, software development, and systems integration and architecture. DKH Enterprises partnered with IRP Solutions to provide staff augmentation for the development of IRP’s Case Investigative Life Cycle (CILC) software suite.
FROM DEMETRIUS:
I had often wondered, what my ancestors felt like when they were taken and sold into slavery against their will. Taken from their families and stripped of freedom and taken from the people that loved them.I now know and have a better understanding of what a slave might of felt when they were uprooted, beaten, tortured and deprived of what most humans are allowed to experience.
What is the definition of a slave:
to reduce to bondage. Slavery: the practice or institution of keeping slaves.
I can say that the justice system of America is actively promoting and furthering this notion and bringing individuals that do not conform or those who stand up against an oppressive system are punished and/or enslaved. Prison is such a destination for those who fight for what is right. We stood and fought valiantly and told our story. A story to bring the Law Enforcement community into the 21st century, but yet found guilty by a corrupt system (Prosecutor, Judge and false witnesses).
I know my brothers and I are innocent, this is why I am writing to you from inside of a prison camp in Colorado, being enslaved and having our freedom trampled upon by a gov’t that has perverted justice for far too long. Now when someone is innocent of wrong-doing and then still put in prison, that is SLAVERY. The next question is, “How many innocent people are now slaves in America? Don’t talk about other countries, let’s look at this country. A country described as “America the free and the brave”! FREE like Freedom….
I have witnessed and seen with my own eye’s that this very system, this so-called justice system has been built on corruption (the departure from what is pure or correct: depraved/evil; perverted into a state of moral weakness). But yet, America preaches to other countries of the treatment of their citizens (Iraq/China/Russia), but yet that same corruption exists here and thrives under the guise of justice!
If my voice can be heard from outside this camp, I would say that my freedom has been stripped and thanks be to God, that I have friends and family, who also know of my innocence, as well as, that of my brothers and continue to fight for that which is RIGHT! This systems has to change; Why?? Corruption/Freedom/Justice (the lack thereof). I am not bitter, but I am a fighter for that which is right, and what has happen here is NOT RIGHT and those in this judicial system know it!
Corruption must stop in the judicial system. Justice must be blind and impartial. America has long gotten away from this fact. Freedom: the liberation from slavery, imprisonment or restraint or from undue arbitrary and despotic power control of another. I WANT MY FREEDOM BACK!
Sincerely,
Demetrius
David A. Banks – Chief Operating Officer: 20 years of Information Technology experience, including Big 4 consulting with Fortune 500 and start-up companies. Has held positions as Director of Information Technology, Corporate Data Manager, Enterprise Data Architect and Database Administrator. Was responsible for overseeing IRP Solution’s internal operations, including finance, information technology, and human resources. Personally developed several major client relationships at the federal, state and local level. Established IRP’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board and Investigations Center of Excellence.
FROM DAVID:
I have been in prison for 8 months now, for something I didn’t do. Somedays, I can hardly believe it. Throughout the day, I always see the sign that says Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons and I say to myself, “I can’t believe I am in prison”. Of course, I don’t like being here, but I refuse to let it bring me down. I refuse to be sad and I refuse to get bitter and angry at the system, as a whole. To let bitterness and hatred reign in my heart will destroy me and will cloud my vision to fight constructively for my freedom. I have complete faith and confidence that God will not let this injustice stand and I will gain my freedom. I am grateful that I have a strong support system from my family, friends, church and the organization, A Just Cause, who tirelessly fight to expose the government and its judicial corruption that brought me here.
What I think about the most in prison is the pain this has caused to my family, friends and church. Additionally, I am filled with continual thoughts about the corrupt, reprehensible actions by the prosecutor and the judge that brought me here. The judge and the prosecutor knew from the evidence presented, we never committed a crime. When I think about the things they’ve done, all I can do is shake my head in disbelief that there are justice officials with such depravity of mind that they knowingly and willfully can take a person’s liberty when they know that a crime was not committed. They saw the evidence of innocence and completely ignored it.
It was obvious that Judge Arguello wanted the prosecutor to win the case, which prompted her refusal to let key expert witnesses testify, forced the testimony of a defendant and lied about it on the record. Then she covererd up the lie, by conspiring with the court reporter to destroy the transcript. It is the height of hypocrisy that Judge Arguello sits in judgment of others actions, but refuses to take responsibility for her own. The prosecutor is complicit with the judge and also refuses to take responsibility for their part in this corruption. I try to figure out what their motivation was to deny us a fair trial. Was it money? Big business? Racism? Political favor? I have concluded that probably all were contributors.
I have only seen such depravity of mind with the likes of Saddam Hussein, Assad in Syria and, yes even, Osama Bin Laden. Some people might say that it is an extreme reach for me to compare these U.S. justice officials to the likes of these individuals, but these justice officials are responsible for taking lives and destroying families—just because they have the power to do so. They all are tyrants that use their power in corrupt ways to destroy life. In some ways these justice officials are worse than those mentioned above because they do their acts in secret and cover it up under a cloak of justice. Some may say to my comparison is unfair because Hussein murdered innocent people and I am still alive. To that I say “Life is Liberty” and to take liberty is to take life.
This experience has not soured me on the justice system as a whole but has enlightened me. I still believe that there are good judges and prosecutors, but I believe that our system of justice is in desperate need of reform. For example, Judge Emmitt Sullivan, who presided over the Senator Ted Stevens corruption investigated into the corruption of the Government when they hid exculpatory evidence and made the results public. Who do we have to investigate judicial corruption? Other judges that are part of the judicial fraternity? Can’t expect much from that.
When you give someone great power and authority without accountability that encourages tyranny. Judicial and prosecutorial immunity promotes tyranny from prosecutors and judges and until Congress passes laws that really punishes judicial and prosecutorial corruption citizens will continue to be hurt. Everyday, I continually hear from people and attorneys that the Government can do whatever they want to do and there is nothing that can be done about it. I have never seen so much fear of the Government from everyone I talk to, including attorneys and the media who refused to cover our story. Makes me think the media is state-controlled.
Thomas Jefferson said “When the government fears the people there is liberty. When the people fear the government there is tyranny”. I realize that justice only comes from God and that is where my faith lies.
Sincerely,
David
David A. Zirpolo – Vice President of Professional Services: 25 year veteran of business and technical consulting. Has held management positions in information technology, specializing in the service and delivery of Internet and Electronic Commerce solutions and improving the use of technology in business. Has provided business consulting and business practice reengineering expertise to public and private retail/wholesale organizations with annual revenues up to and exceeding one billion dollars. David was responsible for the overall direction of IRP’s professional services initiatives. He holds a Bachelors of Arts in Industrial Engineering from Northeastern University.
FROM DAVE:
Today is my birthday and I am spending it in the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) in Florence, Colorado. You may wonder, if it is a happy birthday or an unhappy birthday. It is neither; it is just another day in the camp. I will do the same things I do every day. I will eat (not very much), sleep (not very well), read, listen to news, pray, work (for 18 cent per hour) and talk with friends. Not much different from an average day.
The big difference between your world and my world is my world consists of about 1 square mile of land that I cannot leave and a 7′ x 11′ cubical where my bed and locker are (as well as my cellmate’s bed and locker). The locker is 2 feet wide by 4 feet tall and stores all my possessions. I wear a green shirt, green pants and black boots everyday. You have choices where to live, what to wear, what to eat, when to eat and where to work. I do not.
If you were to ask everyone that has ever known me where I would be spending my birthday, a federal prison camp would not even be on the list. It never even crossed my mind, in every scenario I thought my life would take, that I would be here. It would be easier to understand and endure, if I had actually committed a crime, but I did not. This experience has opened my eyes to how easily our judicial system can destroy a person’s life and family without cause. It seems like every week you hear about another person being released after decades in prison because they were wrongfully convicted. This is due to corrupt prosecutors, law enforcement personnel, judges and witnesses. It has become an epidemic in the United States, but unfortunately, one where there is no great effort to produce a cure.
I question our representatives and courts that allow laws that are so vague that the average American can commit a felony just by going about their daily routine at work or at home. More and more we see money buys “justice”. When a large corporation can admit to committing a huge fraud against the United States Government and only pay a fine, but the average citizen who is accused of fraud (wrongfully convicted) will end up in prison for a significant sentence, something is wrong. We even have judges who believe the sentences are not strong enough.
My sense of understanding justice in America has been completely turned around by this experience. We, as a country, complain about other countries oppressing their citizens while we do the same thing under the cover of our judicial system. But once “criminals” are imprisoned there is no rehabilitation provided. Inmates are oppressed by the system both before and after they are released from prison. Felons have a stigma that prevents them for obtaining a good job and those that want to better themselves do not have the opportunity (besides a GED) in prison. No wonder recidivism is so high.
I now see that my view of the justice system was through rose colored glasses. I drank the kool-aid and believed we had the best and most just system in the world. I was wrong. I found it is true that money makes the world go round and it can buy freedom or imprisonment. Everyday I see how oppression is encompassing our country, but people turn a blind eye to it or allow amnesia to overtake them.
I am glad my eyes are now open and as our story is told that maybe it will help someone else going through the pain of a wrongful conviction.
As I observe the differences between me (and the rest of the IRP6) and other inmates, one of the biggest differences is support. I see many inmates with friends and relatives in the immediate area, who never visit them. While we have visits every weekend from friends and family. I see men here who never see or hear from their attorney, while we have attorney calls and visits. While at the Denver Detention Center, the first night we were incarcerated our attorney arrived after midnight to see each one of us. The men in Denver were shocked that someone came out. Some of the men had never even seen their attorney and may not until the day of their trial.
Having a support system, as we have, is very rare. To know there are people who are showing their support for you in many different ways, (books, visits, marches, calls, letters, and so much more) is so uplifting and encouraging. We could have easily been left behind and forgotten. I experienced that personally with my immediate family. So for me, having the support of a church family and a pastor who truly cares makes my heart swell. There is not enough that can be said about having people on the outside that truly care and support you wholeheartedly.
It is said by the prison counselors and case workers that family and friend support is very important, but when you have an incident report the first thing they take alway are calls and visits. The prison system is hypocritical in all that they do. Change to the system must come, if we are to have inmates released to society that are reformed, improved and productive members of society and wrongful convictions must cease!
Sincerely,
Dave
Kendrick “Ken” Barnes – Chief Information Officer: 15 years experience including Information Systems Management and support, software development, systems integration and architecture. Ken has lent his expertise to such corporations as Cendant, Merkle, Great West Life, UL, Western Union, and Comcast Communications.
FROM KENDRICK:
Acts 20:24 describes best for me the feelings I have associated with being in prison for a crime that I’m not guilty of…”But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy…”
Everything has been taken from me and is now gone, so in my heart I have to let everything go for the time being. Nothing here belongs to me and I can’t provide anything for myself. But I still ,somehow, feel the need to live to the fullest and make the best of this situation. So, the aforementioned scripture is how I do it, because without it, I would be in despair, crushed with boredom and blinded to a good future. If I would allow it, you are constantly surrounded by a depressed resignation which tries to take your hope away. Like a sickness, it is in everyone here and they try to spread it to anyone that passes by. But everyday, I reject it and keep moving forward, because each day only GOD keeps me above it.
I’m very thankful for the support of my family and friends. I don’t take it for granted, because there are so many that go without any visits, calls, and positive interactions. I am glad, we are getting some good developments (with the marches, inquiries, and new stories) and I hope when people Google the IRP6 that all this pops up. I am sure the goverment would not want this type of information to be shared on search engines, but this is just the beginning.
Today, it is still hard to believe, at times, that this is all happening to us but it is and it is a wild ride. I just hope and pray that a serious change comes soon!
Sincerely,
Kendrick
Clinton A. Stewart – Vice President of Business Development: Over 20 years experience leading and developing federal, state, and local government engineering documentation, and proposal development activities for large-scale systems and platforms namely; aerospace systems, telecoms billing systems, embedded security systems, command & control systems, video systems, and collaborative computing systems. Managed and directed IRP business development and corporate partnering.
FROM CLINTON:
Imagine yourself convicted and sentenced to years in prison for a crime you didn’t commit and having to adjust to an environment that is less than humane. Then, imagine sleeping on a steel bunk bed with a 2″ pad, eating meat and cereal that is labeled, “not fit for human consumption” and being forced to wear underwear, previously worn by someone else. It is so demeaning; no guilty person, in prison should have to endure this type of treatment and certainly not those, like myself that are innocent of all charges!
Sincerely,
Clinton
Ever since my father, uncle, and friends were wrongly convicted, I’ve experienced many different feelings. Just thinking about where these men are now and what they are going through is enough to bring tears to my eyes. To know that these men are innocent and are still being punished is heart wrenching. It is hard for me and all of families these men to deal with this injustice that has been done.
From the time I was a little boy I had always believed that the government did the right thing. Believing that, for the most part, every person who was in jail truly deserved to be there. However, going through this period in my life has changed my perspective. I saw government agents raid my father’s office as well as come to another one of his jobs and sabotage his place in the company. I have seen a judge, during these men’s trial, who would not give them the opportunities they should have for a fair trial. And now I see six undoubtedly innocent men suffering in prison where they do not belong. How could my perspective not be changed?
Even though this is the most difficult and painful time in my life, it is now that I am most thankful for the way I was brought up. I was raised in the church and taught that God can bring anyone through any trial in their life. I pray each and every day that God will bring this injustice to light and bring our men back home where they belong. I know that it is because of Him that these men and their families have not given up hope and continue to remain strong, and I will continue to believe in Him and never yield to any injustice.
In the midst of all this trouble, there is one good thing that has come from it. That is the determination to fight against injustice in this country. Having gone through this myself, I want to be able to help others who have been wronged by the government. I don’t want anyone else to have to go through the pain of having innocent loved ones taken away, and it is with that resolve that I will stand firm and fight for true justice for as long as I live.
Sincerely,
Kyle W.
This is page 1 of a poem written from the Primary Sunday School class to express how much they miss Dave Zirpolo.
This is page 2 of a poem written from the Primary Sunday School class to express how much they miss Dave Zirpolo.
These six men have families and friends who miss them. Imagine yourself being imprisoned unjustly, family and friends without you.
Kayla is the 15 year old daughter of Demetrius. These kids have lost so much because of this miscarriage of justice.
How do I feel about my dad being in prison even though he is not guilty? That’s a funny question mostly because I have so many different feelings about my dad being in prison.
One day I will be perfectly fine. Then the next day is just anger, sadness, and a feeling of emptiness. Who knows maybe one day all these emotions will just come all at once or slow and steady ease its way out. These mixed emotions about my dad being in prison causes a lot of stress on me. There are so many stressing points I will reach just in a day that is just hard to do homework. When I was able to do soccer competitively all the stress was still there when I was playing. There would be moments where I would just break down crying in the middle of practice thinking about my dad. Now I have had to quit soccer and other extracurricular things. My schoolwork is still up but gets harder and harder to do as I think about my dad. I certainly don’t want all this stress but really no one does. Even a kid doesn’t need to worry or stress about anything especially if someone they love is in prison.
However it is nice to get to talk to him and see every week but I always imagine what if he was somewhere else? Then what? Visiting would be very limited but I am thankful now that he is close. Whenever he emails me my feelings get lighter because he just brings so much happiness when I am down. It’s nice to talk, email, and visit but, it would be even better if he was just home.
This is a picture of Kendrick and Tesia Barnes. They have no children just a dog they love like a kid. A picture of Stevie their furry child will be posted soon.
This is Stevie Kendrick and Tesia’s child. He misses his daddy but can’t tell anyone cause he’s a dog.
Kea Banks & Tiffany Stewart are the daughters of David Banks and Clint Stewart
Tiffany Stewart Daughter of Clint expresses her feelings about the travesty of her innocent father going to prison.
Madness!!!
On July 27, 2012, 3 days before my birthday, my father went to prison for a crime that he did not commit! The government wanted software that they didn’t want to pay for, so when they couldn’t steel it they decided to put the 6 men who created the software, (including my dad) in prison. The emotions I feel inside cannot be described. The worst part of all is waking up in the morning, expecting to see your dad and he’s not even there. It’s definitely not something you get used to, you just learn how to deal with it. Most of the time I am in disbelief, how could someone send 6 innocent men to prison for a crime they didn’t commit?
Being the only child in my household and having a single parent who is now incarcerated, is EXTREMELY difficult. It’s hard to focus in school; it feels more like a job than fun to be social. I am a huge jokester most of the time, always trying to make light of the situation, but inside I’m a ticking time bomb… waiting to explode! I know that I have friends and family around me but at times I feel so alone. Sometimes I can see myself balled up in a corner, in a dark room, praying, crying, weeping and wondering, “When will life go back to normal?” Saturday is my favorite day of the week because I get to see my dad. Different emotions hit me every time we leave the prison. Just to know that my father is being fed food that is not fit for human consumption, being strip searched for contraband and being treated like a slave makes me cry. It makes me want to fight for justice.
The judge, the lawyers and whoever else is behind this scheme will one day wish they would not have messed with those 6 men. God will judge them for what they did! I must stand up and make my voice be heard, even if it’s just making a t-shirt that says “Free the IRP 6″, or attending a march, my voice will be heard! I know that God is the only one who can bring justice and equality to this world. God is the one truly holding us all together… Without Him and my family I don’t know what I would do!
Free the IRP6 The girls have been making these t-shirts to get the word out as they go about their daily tasks.
Kea Banks, daughter of David Banks wrote a letter to express her feelings about this surreal experience.
The most defining thing in my life right now is my father’s incarceration. It is phenomenal how one thing is able to define a person’s whole life. My life did not change over-night; rather it was over the course of seven years. First, the raid happened. I was in middle school then. Next, the indictment, I did not understand what an indictment was; all I knew was that my father was on the cover of the Gazette. After the indictment was the trial. The trial sticks with me, because I was there. I only missed 4 or 5 days, because I had school.
I sat through jury selection; the prosecuting attorney kissing the judge’s behind; and the defendants giving proof of their innocence. I remember closing arguments. All of the men gave wonderful closing arguments. My dad’s closing argument was the longest. It was so long that I dosed off, woke up and he was still speaking. However, I was not there the day the judge rendered the verdict. I was doing school with my cousin wondering why we had not heard from anyone all day. Later that afternoon my cousin, a friend of mine, and I were taken to my grandmother’s home. It was my grandmother who would tell us that our father’s had been found guilty, arrested, and taken into custody. For one split second I almost lost myself, but then I knew I had to keep it together. My best friend was sitting next to me. If I lost it I knew she would as well. My cousin said “We are going to be alright, we are going to be strong, and we are going to fight this.” On December 1, 2011 the men sentenced to home confinement were released from jail pending sentencing.
Then on July 24, 2012; for some reason that I cannot answer I went to court for the guys sentencing. Uncle Gary and Mr. Kendrick were being sentenced that day. Uncle Gary’s was early in the morning. The main thing I remember was the judge giving my uncle over 11 years in prison for crimes he did not commit. I just kept thinking 11 years, 11 years!? Then after that the very next image in my mind is Uncle Gary pulling his wallet out of his pocket, taking his belt, suit coat, and watch off. Then he was handcuffed and taken out of the room. While I was watching him getting ready to be taken to prison, I stood there balling. I see it so vividly in my head. It’s still making me cry.
Three days later on July 27, 2012; my father, Mr. Clint, and Mr. Demetrius were each sentenced and taken into custody. Mr. Dave was sentenced July 30, 2012. It is April of 2013 and these guys are still in prison for crimes they did not commit. So much has happened in the last eight months. The guys have missed so much. They have missed seeing their children start high school, finish high school, and start college. They have missed birthdays, thanksgivings, and Christmas. When will they stop missing things? When will this end? When will the judge and prosecutor answer for their conduct? I want to know.
An innocent man’s daughter,
Kea Banks
The Videos From The Family….
IRP-6 Children Making Their Voice Heard
The Videos Of IRP6:
IRP Solutions round table part 1
Published on Mar 19, 2013
The federal government targeted this company, shut them down, prosecuted and convicted its executives
Dr. Alan Bean, Executive Director of Friends of Justice, has partnered with A Just Cause to look into the wrongful conviction of six executives who ran a software development company. A synopsis of Dr. Bean’s initial review is shown in the following paragraphs.
Telling the IRP-6 Story
by Dr. Alan Bean
Executive Director, Friends of Justice
This is a story about how prosecutorial tunnel vision created a tragic communication failure. The criminal justice system exists to give everyone a chance to tell their story. Juries decide who brings the best story to the table. Bad things happen when the system amplifies one story while silencing the other.
The IRP-6 case is characterized by an unusually deep divide between the government’s story and the defendants’ story.
Such a wide gap is rare, 95% of federal cases are resolved short of trial because few defendants ultimately maintain their innocence. If a federal case proceeds to trial it is either because the government isn’t offering much of a plea deal or because the defendants actually believe in their own innocence. There are two ways of approaching the issue and everything depends on where you start. It has been said that where we place our focus determines what we miss.
IRP Solutions round table part 2
Published on Mar 19, 2013
Is Big Blue Too Big To Fail?
Did IBM Run IRP Solutions Corporation Out of Business?
This story goes hand-in-hand with the story of how the executives of IRP Solutions Corporation had a dream, but as they went after new business, IBM undermined their efforts in Philadelphia. Did this multi-billion dollar corporation feel threatened by a small start up? Is IBM too big to fail, and IRP too small to succeed?
Did this major government vendor/contractor play a role in undermining the executives of IRP and help facilitate the investigation and subsequent indictment/trial/conviction?
How can this be substantiated? The trail leads back to 2009 when IRP attempted to do business in Philadelphia with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). IBM had a contract to build an electronic search warrant capability but was failing at delivering on the contract. After IRP Solutions conducted a demo of IRP’s capabilities, Philadelphia was ready to do business with IRP Solutions. IBM’s project managers realized that they might be out and IRP in, so they went to the managers within the OIG and presented a newspaper article showing that IRP was under investigation (NOTE: The article was supposed to have been under seal but, somehow, it was leaked). This prompted the Philadelphia IG to inquire about the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Denver communicated to the Philadelphia OIG that “…an indictment was coming…” against executives of IRP Solutions. At this point the OIG communicated to David Banks (IRP) that Philadelphia “…had to regretfully pull the project from IRP…” because of the pending indictment. NOTE: Obviously an indictment came but it was 6 months later. IBM and The U.S. Attorney’s office interfered with IRP’s ability to do business. The Philadelphia business would have put IRP in a position to address its debts, and there would have been no basis for an indictment/trial, etc.
There is plenty of email correspondence between IRP and the City of Philadelphia to substantiate that this was not a pipe dream but a very real business transaction in the making. Why would IBM go to these lengths to stop IRP from doing business with Philadelphia? The bottom line is IBM had plenty to lose. Not only would they have lost a significant contract with the City of Philadelphia, but it would have also placed IRP in a position to gain business that was being sought at the federal level.
As for other IBM connections, IBM uses the services of the same Denver law firm that sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney’s office “instructing” the U.S. Attorney to prosecute the executives of IRP. Additionally, the attorney who sent the letter to the U.S. Attorney was a former Assistant US Attorney. This, along with other information that has been uncovered, points to a scenario that the IRP Solutions case is about something far more than the “alleged scam” that the federal government wanted everyone to believe.
IRP would have easily been able to take care of its debt, but there were deliberate attempts to prevent that. Consequently, IRP was literally run out of business, and removed from the equation (via incarceration). Is all of this speculation? We think not. Federal contractor watchdog organizations have previously documented misconduct on the part of IBM, so this wouldn’t be the first time.
This type of behavior on the part of a major contractor begs for an investigation. Not to mention the appearance of how IBM is connected to a Denver law firm that has close connections to the U.S. Attorney’s office as well as the judge presiding over the case.
The federal government targeted this company, shut them down, prosecuted and convicted its executives
Missing Transcript & Colorado Senator Bennet’s Unwillingness to Inquire Sparks A Protest
Published on Mar 18, 2013
Early Friday (March 15,2013) Morning Outside Of Colorado Senator Bennet’s Office Advocates Of Justice Made There Voice Heard Check This Out!
This is original music inspired by the wrongful conviction of 6 men in Colorado. It is produced by Platinum Producer and son of Roger Troutman, Larry Gates and written by H.A. Jabar. The video was produced and edited in association with A Just Cause
These 6 innocent men are currently in prison serving unjust sentences of 7-11 years. Help us to get the word out about this corruption by sharing the video and link !! Read more at freetheirp6.org
If you feel strongly against injustice and you feel you have been wronged by the government PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION https://www.change.org/petitions/u-s-…
Tomorrow, the White House is kicking off “We the Geeks,” a new series of Google+ Hangouts to highlight the future of science, technology, and innovation here in the United States.
We’re covering topics like commercial space exploration, STEM education, and turning science fiction to science fact.
Note: Watch the first ‘We the Geeks” Hangout on Thursday, May 16, at 2:00 p.m. EDT on WhiteHouse.gov and on the White House Google+ page. You can join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #WeTheGeeks.
On May 16th, the White House is kicking off “We the Geeks,” a new series of Google+ Hangouts to highlight the future of science, technology, and innovation here in the United States. Topics such as commercial space exploration, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, turning science fiction to science fact, and others will be discussed with Administration officials and key private sector contributors.
The first “We the Geeks” Hangout will focus on Grand Challenges, ambitious goals on a national or global scale that capture the imagination and demand advances in innovation and breakthroughs in science and technology. Grand Challenges are an important element of President Obama’sStrategy for American Innovation. On April 2nd, the President called on companies, research universities, foundations, and philanthropists to join with him in identifying and pursuing the Grand Challenges of the 21st century.
In this photo provided by Downtown Montessori Academy teacher Jenny Aicher, Aicher holds a note, Monday, May 13, 2013, in Milwaukee, written by Vice President Joe Biden to Myles, a 7-year-old second-grader at the school. / AP Photo/Jenny Aicher
MILWAUKEE — A Wisconsin boy wrote Vice President Joe Biden with an unusual suggestion for making the nation safer: Create guns that shoot chocolate bullets.
On Monday, he got an unusual response: A handwritten note from Biden on vice presidential stationery.
The response thrilled the child, a 7-year-old second-grader, along with his classmates and staff at Downtown Montessori Academy in Milwaukee. Hours later, teachers and others at the school were still abuzz.
“Everybody was impressed. You should have seen everybody. Their faces were just wide-eyed,” said Virginia Flynn, the head of school. “The fact that it was handwritten made it really special,” she added.
The student, Myles, wrote to Biden, President Barack Obama and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore several months ago. It was after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and gun violence was in the news. Myles had been having lunch with the school’s reading specialist, Barbara Rankin, when he told her he had an idea.
“He said if we have chocolate bullets, nobody would get hurt and nobody would be sad,” Rankin said. “I’m going to start crying again because he was so insightful.”
Rankin told Myles it was a good idea and that they should share it with people who could do something about the problem. They received a response a few weeks ago from Moore, but it was a form letter with a quick, personal note jotted at the bottom.
Then an envelope from Biden’s office arrived Monday at the school office. It went to Flynn since Myles had signed his letter with his first name but no last name and the school’s address. The school did not release Myles’ last name Monday, and his mother did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press.
Flynn rushed the letter up to Myles’ class where she shared it with him and his classmates.
“Dear Myles,” the letter said. “I’m sorry it took me so very long to respond to your letter. I really like your idea. If we had guns that shot chocolate, not only would our country be safer, it would be happier. People love chocolate. You are a good boy, Joe Biden.”
Dr. Jill Biden to Deliver 2013 Commencement Address at Navajo Technical College
On Friday, May 17th, at 10:00 AM MT/ 12:00 PM ET, Dr. Jill Biden will deliver the commencement address at Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint, New Mexico. Dr. Biden will address the 33rd graduating class of Navajo Technical College (NTC), one of two tribal colleges serving the Navajo Nation. NTC was recently recognized for the second consecutive year by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program as being one of the top 120 community colleges in the United States, in part because of its graduation rate near 80 percent.
NTC offers 20 certificate programs, 15 associate degrees, and six baccalaureate degrees to a student population of nearly 1,800 students. Many of the programs at NTC are designed to help create new jobs and economic opportunities on or near the Navajo Nation, while equipping their students with the skills they need to succeed in those jobs. Through this approach, NTC has developed partnerships and collaborations with other universities, including Arizona State University, the private sector, and federal agencies.
DEVELOPING: New Orleans police are searching for three suspects Sunday after at least 12 people were shot during a Mother’s Day parade.
Chief Serpas announced in a press conference that the youngest victim is believed to be a 10-year-old girl. Police say she suffered a graze wound, WVUE Fox 8 reported.
Police say about 300 were attending the traditional jazz band parade when shots were fired.
Serpas said that the procession had been accompanied by officers, who saw two or three suspects run from the scene in the city’s 7th Ward.
Nobody has been arrested. It’s unclear what sparked the gunfire.
Eleven patients have been admitted to Interim LSU Public Hospital with no life threatening injuries, hospital spokesperson Marvin McGraw said.
Second-line parades are loose processions in which people dance down the street, often following behind a brass band. They can be impromptu or planned and are sometimes described as moving block parties.
A social club called The Original Big 7 organized Sunday’s event.
12 people reported shot at New Orleans Mother’s Day parade
New Orleans police said at least 12 people were hurt after a shooting at a Mother’s Day parade, according to local media reports Sunday.
No deaths were immediately reported after the shooting, which hit a “second line” in the 7th Ward in east New Orleans.
The second line is a New Orleans tradition in which parade-goers typically follow a parade’s official participants. Hundreds of people were reportedly taking part and also watching the event.
A 10-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet,according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, which had a reporter at the event. The newspaper’s site, NOLA.com, showed photos of two victims, one apparently shot in the calf, the other apparently shot in the shoulder.
Four people were in surgery after the shooting, which happened around 2 p.m. local time, the Times-Picayune reported.
New Orleans Police Department Supt. Ronal Serpas told the newspaper that three people, apparently working together, were seen running from the scene and that at least two different guns had been used.
The Gambit, a New Orleans publication, reported that one of its writers had been injured in the shooting.
April 29, 2013: Calaveras CountySheriff’s deputies and volunteers stand watch at Jenny Lind Elementary School, after the murder of one it’s students over the weekend, in Valley Springs, Calif.(AP)
Authorities have arrested a 12-year-old boy in the fatal stabbing of his 8-year-old sister at her home in a quiet Northern California community last month.
Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz told reporters at a news conference that the boy was taken into custody Saturday afternoon and will be charged with homicide, Fox40.com reported.
“Citizens of Calaveras County can sleep a little better tonight,” Kuntz said.
The April 27 attack shook the tightknit Valley Springs community of about 7,400 people and set off a massive manhunt. The boy had told police that he encountered an intruder in the home and described the man as being tall with long gray hair.
Investigators did a door-to-door sweep of houses, storage sheds and horse stables scattered across oak-studded hills. Divers also searched two nearby reservoirs in search of clues.
As part of the investigation, authorities seized several knives from the home Leila shared with her father, stepmother and siblings to determine if one could have inflicted the fatal wounds.
A neighbor who told detectives she saw a man flee the Fowler home later recanted the story and was discredited by police.
Several days after the killing, hundreds of people gathered at Jenny Lind Elementary School where Leila was a popular 3rd grader.
Her mother, Krystal Walters, tearfully thanked the crowd for the support. “It will never be forgotten,” she said.
Police did not release any further details about the case at Saturday’s press conference, but noted that the investigation is still ongoing, according to the Fox40.com report.
Several days after the killing, hundreds of people gathered at Jenny Lind Elementary School where Leila was a popular 3rd grader. Her mother, Krystal Walters, tearfully thanked the crowd for the support.
“I just want to thank the entire community and all of our family and friends for all the overwhelming amount of support you’ve given our family,” Walters said at the time. “It will never be forgotten. Thank you.”
The 12-year-old brother of a California girl found stabbed to death in their home last month was arrested Saturday, authorities said.
Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz told reporters that Leila Fowler’s brother, who had said that an intruder killed her, was taken into custody after a two-week investigation. Kuntz said the boy would be charged with homicide, NBC station KCRA of Sacramento reported.
The 8-year-old girl and her brother were home alone on the afternoon of April 27 at their Valley Springs home when she was killed, KCRA reported, citing school district superintendent Mark Campbell, who met with the parents. The parents were at a Little League game in the small town at the time of the attack, Campbell said.
Officials said at first that Fowler’s brother told them he had found her body and described her killer as a tall man with long gray hair. The county coroner told KCRA that Fowler died of shock and hemorrhaging caused by multiple stab wounds.
Authorities searched the home and neighborhood, while dive teams searched two reservoirs near the house. A neighbor who told authorities a man ran from the home was discredited, KCRA reported. Investigators have said there was no sign of a burglary or robbery.
Her death and her brother’s account of a murderous intruder put the town of about 7,400 on edge.
“Nobody is staying alone,” parent James Barci told KCRA in April.
Barci, a truck driver, who is a volunteer at Jenny Lind Elementary School, where Leila was a popular third-grader, added: “I told my work I’m not coming in, and I’m just going to have all of my kids’ friends at the house until this is over.”
And Sheriff Kuntz said then: “We will not rest until we capture the responsible person.”
But NBCBayArea.com reported that he said at the news conference: “Citizens of Calaveras County can sleep a little better tonight.”
Teacher Cecilia Richardson helps a student tie a ribbon honoring third-grader Leila Fowler, at Jenny Lind Elementary School in Valley Springs, Calif., on April 29.
People react during a hostage situation in Trenton, New Jersey, May 11, 2013. A gunman suspected of killing his wife was barricaded with two or three of his children inside a Trenton house in an armed standoff with police.
Three children are safe after a 36-hour standoff with an armed man in Trenton, New Jersey ended early Sunday, state law enforcement officials said.
But the bodies of a woman, presumed to be home owner Carmelita Stevens, 44 — the mother of the children — and a young boy, presumed to be her 13-year-old son, were found decomposing in the home, police revealed at a Sunday morning press conference.
The freed children, a 4-year-old boy, and 16- and 18-year-old girls, were being treated at a local hospital.
The hostage taker, identified as Gerald “Skip” Murphy, 38, was also killed during the rescue, officials said. He was not believed to have been related to any of the children.
Lt. Steve Varn of Trenton Police said the hostage situation ended shortly before 5 a.m. ET, adding that the area around the home where it took place is now secure.
Police were alerted to the situation on Grand Street in Trenton at 2:47 pm on Friday, officials said.
Cops had received a call from a relative of Stevens, saying she hadn’t been seen for a “long period of time” and that her two daughters had not been in school for 12 days, said Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph L. Bocchini Jr. at the Sunday morning press conference.
When officers arrived at the Stevens home, they didn’t get a response when they knocked on the door, so made a forced entry through a rear door, Bocchini said. When they entered the residence, they immediately smelled the stench of a rotting corpse, and could see maggots.
Upstairs, they found Murphy had barricaded himself inside the house with “multiple” hostages, saying he had a gun and explosives.
When police officers secured the rest of the premises, they discovered a 19-year-old man in the basement, also Stevens’ son, who said he hadn’t seen his mothers or sisters since mid April.
Homes in the surrounding area were also evacuated as a precautionary measure as hostage negotiators spent nearly two days communicating with Murphy, officials said. Food and bottled water was passed through an upstairs window for the children.
But, noting what NJ State Police Col. Rick Fuentes called Murphy’s “deteriorating state of mind,” officers eventually made an entry into the room where the hostages were being held, and a single shot was fired at the suspect as he made a violent move toward one of the children.
Murphy, who had warrants for not registering as a sex offender, and a rap sheet that included assault, robbery, weapons and child endangerment charges, was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Officials said it was too early to determine exactly when Stevens and the young boy had been killed, but said that they were in a state of decomposition.
Trenton police were supported by state police and FBI as well as the city’s arson and bomb and canine units, Varn said.
NBC News’ Justin Kirschner and Alastair Jamieson contributed to this report.
Franklin County Sheriff Jeff Richards said early Sunday that remains believed to be those of Lana Leigh Bailey — who had been presumed dead — were found Saturday in Osage County in eastern Kansas.
“It is with great sadness that I report a body found in Osage County, Kansas, is believed to be the remains of 18-month-old Lana Bailey,” Richards said in a statement he emailed to The Associated Press.
He said the body was found by an Osage County sheriff’s deputy who was scouring an area for items that could be connected to the deaths reported at the farmhouse May 6 in nearby Franklin County. The evidence collected Saturday when the body was found led investigators to believe it was the infant’s body, his statement said.
“We hope that a forensic examination will make a final identification,” Richards added.
Richards told The AP by telephone that he would not have additional information beyond his statement early Sunday.
The search crews had been using boats and sonar equipment but Richards did not say in his statement exactly where the body was found. Earlier authorities had said investigators were scouring ponds and other waterways in the area looking for the body of Lana Leigh Bailey.
The investigation has included searching the farm and other rural areas in the 50-mile stretch between Ottawa and Emporia, where Kaylie Bailey’s car was found Tuesday.
Franklin County Attorney Stephen Hunting said Friday that a firearm was used against the victims recovered at the farm, but didn’t elaborate on whether that meant they were fatally shot. Authorities have not commented on a motive.
Richards said previously that the extensive investigation has taken a toll and that members of the investigative team have required medical attention after searching in difficult areas. Others have sought counsel from a chaplain.
A search by air and sea is underway for a man, 30, and woman, 27, who can be seen in surveillance video falling from the Carnival Spirit’s deck Wednesday night. Their disappearance was discovered when the ship docked in Sydney Harbor. NBC’s Keir Simmons reports.
Two passengers went overboard while a Carnival cruise ship was sailing off the east coast of Australia, officials said on Thursday.
A vast area of sea was being scoured by aircraft and boats in an attempt to find the missing 30-year-old man and 26-year-old woman.
They were reported missing when the Carnival Spirit docked at Sydney Overseas Passenger Terminal at 11:30 a.m. Thursday local time (9:30 p.m. Wednesday ET) after 10 days at sea, New South Wales Police said in a statement.
William West / AFP – Getty Images: Two police officers check for fingerprints on the balcony of the cabin of the two passengers who went overboard.
They had been traveling with family and friends, according to the cruise ship firm.
Police said surveillance camera footage determined the two missing people went overboard at about 8:50 p.m. Wednesday local time (6:50 a.m. ET Wednesday), more than 14 hours before the alarm was raised.
“Officers are investigating the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the pair and, in these early stages, are focused on the search efforts,” the police statement said.
Police said a “thorough search” was made of the ship after staff contacted officers. Police then looked through the surveillance camera footage and established that the missing people had gone overboard.
New South Wales Police Superintendent Mark Hutchings told reporters that investigators were having the video enhanced in a bid to determine whether the couple had jumped or had fallen by accident, according to The Associated Press. No life preservers were missing, he added.
The incident is not considered suspicious, according to The Austrailian.
“This is a tragic event at the moment, but we’re holding out hope we might be able to find these people alive,” Hutchings added.
Police aircraft and boats were involved the search and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority also sent a plane to look for them.
A spokeswoman for the authority said they were searching an area of 120 square nautical miles. “People can survive in the water for quite some time,” she added.
The couple had been among 2,680 passengers on a South Pacific cruise.
Peter Taylor, spokesman for the ship’s operator, Carnival Cruise Lines, said in a statement on Thursday that “the guests in question were traveling with family and friends, and initial reports indicated that the couple was last seen on board the vessel last night,” the AP reported.
“The ship immediately initiated standard missing person procedures, including a full search of the vessel, as per protocol,” he added.
Carnival Cruise Lines is a subsidiary of Miami-based Carnival Corp., the world’s largest cruise operator, the AP said.
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