Chesco DA Addresses Recent Slayings of Prosecutors

Yes, prosecutors are in danger, Tom Hogan says, but others face even more peril.

The recent killings of prosecutors in Texas have prompted people to ask Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan whether prosecutors, like those who work in his office, are in danger.  "The simple answer is yes," Hogan wrote Wednesday on Facebook: Mark Hasse, prosecutor in Texas' Kaufman County, was shot Jan. 31. The Kaufman County District Attorney, 23-year Army veteran Mike McLelland, vowed to find Hasse's killers, but on Saturday, McLelland and his wife were fatally shot at their home. Hogan's previous post, in which he praised law enforcement officers for apprehending burglars who drew guns on a woman and her daughter, underscored his point about the dangers faced by first-responders.

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Corrupt PennDOT Supervisor Convicted in Fake ID Case

Khalif Abdullah Ali was found guilty of multiple felonies after he helped fugitives obtain drivers' licenses bearing the identities of innocent people.

A Philadelphia man who worked as a supervisor at the PennDOT Driver License Center in Frazer was convicted Wednesday of multiple felonies, including Identity Theft, Tampering with Public Records, Computer Trespass and related offenses.  Khalif Abdullah Ali, 44, manipulated the PennDOT computer system to supply wanted criminals with authentic drivers' licenses bearing the identities of innocent citizens. Keep up on breaking news by liking Malvern Patch on Facebook. He created the new licenses by processing them as name changes, but the only change in each case was the removal of a comma meant to separate the first name and middle initial in the backend of the system. The change allowed Ali to print a new driver's license with a new …

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Earnest

9:52 pm on Sunday, February 3, 2013

What would be the reason for that?   more ›

Two Charged as Wife-Beaters, Chesco DA Says

One defendant is a police officer and SWAT team member, the other is a West Chester University student whose marriage was arranged in Macedonia.

Editor's note: The story below contains language some readers might find upsetting. All defendants are innocent until proven guilty. Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan announced Monday the arrests of two men in separate domestic assault cases. Lirim Rufati, 24, is a student at West Chester University and lives in West Chester. According to the DA's statement, Rufati began physically and sexually abusing his wife, a Macedonian citizen, after their arranged marriage in Macedonia in 2011.  A neighbor reported the abuse to West Goshen Police, who transported Rufati's wife to a safe house: The criminal complaint describes multiple brutal and demeaning acts Rufati allegedly perpetrated against his wife. Rufati was arrested Jan. 11 and …

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David Curran

11:43 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Strong language there Tony (your deleted comment is still viewable by highlighting your name). I was kind of hoping you would have been over the election and all by now. Who could have thought that both Aiken and Murdock would both lose. LOL   more ›

[UPDATE] DA: Fugitive O'Neill Fled to Ireland

O'Neill, 23, who killed a friend in Willistown in 2006 and drunkenly crashed his SUV into a home on Thanksgiving 2011, failed court-ordered drug-tests and fled to Ireland, according to the District Attorney.

Update 11/28/12 3:25pm: The Chester County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that Sean O'Neill is in Ireland. Below is an excerpt of the release from DA Tom Hogan: District Attorney Hogan added, "If O'Neill ever returns to the United States, he will be arrested immediately." Original story continues below. Editor's note: The following information comes from the Chester County District Attorney's Office. [Link added] Convicted Criminal Sean O'Neill a Fugitive Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan announced a bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of Sean O'Neill, age 23.  O'Neill, most recently convicted on a DUI and previously adjudicated as a juvenile for killing a friend, has violated the terms of his supervision …

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DA Commends Willistown PD for Nabbing Bank Robber

The police even used an old movie-style trick to gather evidence on the robber—and it worked.

Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan presented a commendation to the Willistown Police Department at a township meeting Tuesday night.  The commendation recognized excellent police work in the investigation of a bank robbery that lead to the arrest of 31-year-old Malvern resident Kim Nguyen. The commendation was only the third one given out in Chester County this year. Hogan, a Willistown resident, was in his second day as DA when he got the report of a bank robbery in Willistown on Jan. 3. During the commendation ceremony, he recounted his response that day. "Willistown? I'm like, eh, don't worry about it. That guy doesn't stand a chance, because the Willistown PD will take care of this, no problem," Hogan said, though he did send …

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Chesco DA to Commend Willistown Police

District Attorney Tom Hogan will attend the Nov. 13 Board of Supervisors meeting.

On Jan. 3, a bank robber walked into TD Bank in Paoli and handed the teller a note saying he had a bomb, and to give him money or he'd detonate it. He escaped with $2,760 in cash. Two days days later, a Willistown Police officer on patrol spotted the getaway car—which was captured on video—in a nearby neighborhood. The robber was in front of a judge the morning of Jan. 6.   At the upcoming Willistown Board of Supervisors meeting, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan will commend the Willistown Police Department for the quick apprehension of the suspect, who pleaded guilty. The supervisors work session will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Willistown Township meeting room. Meetings are typically held Monday nights, but …

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News Next Door

Devon Man Charged in $2.5M Drug Bust

Devon resident James Lippert allegedly helped run a multi-million dollar marijuana operation with ties to Chester and Philadelphia counties.

A Tredyffrin Township man and another man from Philadelphia are now in prison, after police confiscated $135,000 in cash and more than $2.5 million worth of marijuana in simultaneous raids in Tredyffrin Township and Philadelphia. According to Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan, a neighbor's report of an overwhelming smell of marijuana from the Philadelphia home of David Eisenstadt, 50. The complaint led to an investigation of Eisenstadt and his alleged accomplice, Devon resident James Lippert, 49, by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Chester County DA's drug unit, and the Philadelphia nad Tredyffrin Police Departments. When police raided Lippert's home in June, they found $135,000 in cash and marijuana packaged for sale. "In…

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Dealer Pleads Guilty After Traffic Stop Reveals Hidden Kilo of Cocaine

After Felix Vazquez was pulled over for speeding in Charlestown Township, state police found a kilo of cocaine hidden in his vehicle.

A 40-year-old Reading man pleaded guilty to cocaine possession with intent to distribute, after a March 19 traffic stop in Charlestown revealed a stash of cocaine in his vehicle. According to the criminal complaint, Vazquez was told he was free to go after being issued a warning for speeding and window tint, but he kept answering questions and agreed to a search of his Lincoln Navigator. Below is the full press release from the Chester County District Attorney's office: Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan announced the conviction of Felix Vazquez for drug dealing. The defendant pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute over a kilogram of cocaine. The defendant was sentenced to 9-20 years in state prison. The defendant …

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DA: Exton Cigar Shop Sold Synthetic Drugs

JM Cigars stocked 'designer drugs,' despite being warned they were made illegal in 2011, according to the Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan.

Editor's note: The following information comes from the Chester County District Attorney's office. Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan announced the execution of a search warrant at JM Cigars in Exton. The police recovered over 1,000 doses of alleged synthetic drugs at the cigar store. The Uwchlan Township Police Department spearheaded the search, assisted by the Chester County District Attorney’s HIDTA Strike Force. Synthetic drugs go by many names: bath salts, synthetic marijuana, spice, salvia, potpourri, and others. These so-called "designer drugs" are analogues of traditional illegal drugs, such as cocaine and PCP, often with only slight chemical alterations in an attempt to evade prosecution. These drugs can cause symptoms …

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Chesco DA, a Willistown Resident, Lauds Township Police

"My goal is simple, I want all of Chester County merely to be as safe as Willistown Township," District Attorney Tom Hogan said.

At Willistown's annual police awards ceremony Monday night, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan praised the township's officers and administration, calling them one of the best law enforcement organization's he's seen. Hogan, a Willistown resident who was elected in November 2011, said he hoped to make the rest of the county as safe as the township. "If I could achieve that goal, this would be the best county in the world, the safest county in the world to live in," he said. In his remarks, he praised the department's ability to to perform community policing and also handle major crimes, citing an example of each. The first was a personal anecdote: "My father-in-law was down for Thanksgiving, tripped, fell and broke his hip. Two …

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