I Call That A Bargain
You may have heard of George C. Parker or William McCloundy, two of the early 20th century's most infamous hustlers, but if you haven't, you've probably heard the expression, "selling the Brooklyn Bridge." Parker actually sold the bridge as many as two times a week to unsuspecting tourists and McCloundy served two and a half years in Sing-Sing for selling the bridge in 1901.

Perhaps these bold con men have inspired future would-be shysters. A press release from the U.S. Department of Justice District of Connecticut reports Christopher M. Pearson, 50, of Ledyard was found guilty Nov. 19 of eight counts of wire fraud stemming from a fraudulent investment scheme.

During the trial, evidence was released that this former deputy chief operating officer for the Mashantucket-Pequot Tribal Nation defrauded investors of $280,000, given to him to purchase land on the Island of Roatan, Honduras. Pearson had said the land would be used for a resort and casino. Instead of buying land with the money, Pearson bought boats, cars, vacations and improvements to his waterfront home on the island. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 5 and faces a maximum prison term of 20 years for each count, and fine of up to $250,000.

Chicken Little or Loon?
On Nov. 18, St. Francis Hospital security received a phone call from a person threatening to blow up the building. It was later determined the call was from an angry patient who was irritated at not being able to see her doctor, according to Hartford Police. Security officers located Diane C. Juracka in Manchester, where she was taken into custody.

Juracka, according to the Connecticut Judicial Branch pending case detail, among other charges, was found guilty of a Nov. 12, 2005, false incident report, first-degree, and has pending cases for a June 17 misuse of emergency 911-false alarm, July 18 misuse of emergency 911-false alarm, Oct. 10 false incident report, second-degree, and Oct. 12 misuse of emergency 911-false alarm.

According to a document from The Hartford Corporate Loss Control, about 5 to 10 percent of bomb threats involve real bombs. Perpetrators may be motivated by revenge, vandalism, political or religious convictions, or mental illness.

I'm All Shook Up
Perhaps he was nervous driving a car with a suspended license, or he was just having an off day. Whatever the reason, Joseph M. Boucher, 19, of Rocky Hill faces a slew of charges for two accidents he caused Nov. 5, which, according to East Hampton Police, resulted in damage to three cars, including his own.

At 2:30 p.m., Boucher hit a car while driving down Summit Street in East Hampton, near Bevin Court. He immediately left the scene and within a half-mile, hit another car on Lakeview Street near Flanders Road. At this point, police say, Boucher's car became disabled, and he jumped out and ran from the accident on foot.

Police caught him a short time later and arrested him for failure to drive right, illegal operation of a motor vehicle while under suspension, and evading responsibility for the first incident; and also for failure to travel at a reasonable distance apart, illegal operation of a motor vehicle under suspension and evading responsibility. He has been released on a $1,000 non-surety bond and is due back in court Dec. 11.

A Not-So-Easy Target
It must have seemed like the perfect crime: Pass off fraudulent American Express checks to unwitting department store clerks. But all too often, crooks get greedy and fly too close to the sun.

On Nov. 19, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced an indictment against Dwayne Ricardo Spencer, 23, of Brooklyn, N.Y., for possessing and passing counterfeited American Express travelers checks. According to a press release, Spencer paid for merchandise Nov. 2 at a Target in Waterford using 10 fake $100 checks.

He was arrested that day by Waterford Police. In his car, police discovered 71 additional counterfeit $100 checks, along with receipts for other purchases in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

If convicted, Spencer faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Off the Road, On the Rails
On Nov. 10 at 3:45 p.m., West Hartford Police found Pablo Omar Flores, 22, of Hartford, operating a quad on the railroad tracks. When an officer signalled for Flores to pull over, the suspect ignored the request and took off running on foot, leaving the quad on the tracks, nearly causing an oncoming train to collide with the abandoned vehicle.

Once apprehended, Flores was charged with a battery of crimes, including a felony, possession of narcotics: third-degree criminal trespass, illegal possession of marijuana, interfering with an officer, no insurance, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, reckless driving, reckless endangerment, first-degree; and restricted turns, failure to signal. Flores was released on a $500 professional surety bond and is due back in court Jan. 6.

Whoop There it is
At 8:18 p.m., on Nov. 19, a Hartford police officer observed a man and woman seated on a park bench on the green near Main Street. The man, Bernard Steben, 46, of Hartford, had his pants unbuttoned, partially down, with his penis exposed — in full view of people driving and walking down Main Street, according to the police report. As officers approached, Steben shoved his penis back into his pants, then gave police conflicting stories.

At first, Steben said he didn't know how it became exposed. Then his story changed as he admitted he was playing with himself. Soon, Steben's account morphed into blaming his companion, saying the female wanted to touch him. Regardless of the true cause of the suspect's denudation, police charged him with public indecency, which is punishable by up to six months in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.

Shooting Blanks
We thought people could get into relatively little trouble while riding a bicycle down the street, but were proved wrong by one man who pedaled his bike down Tower Avenue on Nov. 20 at 1:39 a.m. A Hartford police officer saw David Blanks, 51, of Hartford, riding his Roadmaster along the yellow line in the middle of the road with no lights on the front or back of his bike. Blanks, who gave his name as "David Smith," was stopped, and police also found a crack pipe and spoon used to cook heroin.

Blanks was charged with failure to ride a bicycle on the right side of the road, failure to install reflectors, possession of drug paraphernalia and interfering with police. He's being held on $500 bond.

Below the Belt
Which of the following arrests made last week is the more embarrassing?

The first is that Stewart B. McKinney Jr., a Bridgeport Public School teacher, son of the Fourth District's late congressman Stewart McKinney and the brother of current state Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield).

A police officer allegedly caught McKinney, who teaches seventh grade at Longfellow School, doing 55 in a 25-mile-per-hour zone on Bridgeport's East End. The officer smelled alcohol on McKinney's breath. When asked where he'd been, McKinney repeatedly said "Rich and Richie's," presumably meaning downtown restaurant Ralph and Rich's. He also said he'd just dropped his "21-year-old girlfriend" "off in the ghetto," according to police.

The officer asked McKinney if he had a weapon and he allegedly answered, "Yes, between my legs." There was a semi-automatic pistol on the floor of the car's driver's seat, so McKinney may or may not have been making a dick joke to a cop.

Police charged him with DUI, carrying a firearm while intoxicated and interfering with police.

The second is the arrest of state Rep. Jason Barlett (D-Bethel), who was taken in and booked after police allegedly caught him talking on his cell phone while driving through Newtown.

The state representative was apparently driving with a license the DMV had suspended in August 2008 because he had previously been caught driving while talking on a cell phone in Hartford and never paid the fine. (Bartlett wasn't in the House when it passed the law banning driving while using a handheld device in 2005.)

So which arrest is more humiliating? Well, Bartlett looks like a hypocrite, but for the rest of his teaching career, when McKinney asks students if they have their homework, some smart ass is going to say, "Yes, between my legs."

All of the information contained in the Advocate's police blotter comes from police reports or officials, or has been shamelessly swiped from other published accounts. Individuals charged have not been independently investigated by the Advocate. All those arrested are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.