Recent Posts in Arizona Category

A Santa Ana man was charged with abducting and raping a 16-year-old girl as she was walking home from a fast-food restaurant. Police were led to Juan Humberto Avila, from DNA collected after he was convicted of a federal weapons charge in Ariznoa.

The girl was walking home after meeting friends at an In-and-Out Burger in Santa Ana about 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 21, 2008, when her attacker jumped on her and punched her, according to prosecutors. Avila allegedly dragged the girl across the street while threatening to stab her to death if she screamed. He allegedly forced her behind large storage containers at the rear of a parking lot, where he repeatedly raped and sodomized the teenager before forcing her to orally copulate him.

Avila stole the girl's bank card before fleeing. She ran home and reported the assault to the Santa Ana Police Department. Prosecutors said DNA was recovered from the girl during a medical rape examination, but the case remained cold until recently, when the recovered DNA was matched to Avila's.

Avila is charged with felony sexual penetration by a foreign object by force and two felony counts each of forcible rape, sodomy by force and forcible oral copulation. He is also accused of inflicting great bodily injury and kidnapping. Avila has a previous strike against him from a 1997 conviction for participating in a criminal street gang. He faces a maximum sentence of 355 years to life in state prison if convicted. Prosecutors planned to request that Avila be held on $2-million bail.

If you have been charged with a rape or kidnapping, you will need the services of a Los Angeles rape criminal defense lawyer who has the special knowledge of this area of the law. At Marks & Brooklier, attorneys Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier are qualified Los Angeles and Beverly Hills sex crimes lawyers to represent you. You will need the over 33 years of experience that our law firm can provide you with. Our legal team has handled high profile cases involving rape and kidnapping with great success and can do the same for you. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7, strictly confidential.

In Phoenix, Arizona, Stanley William Taylor, Jr., of Cleveland, Ohio, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute by a federal jury in Phoenix. The trial began before United States District Court Judge Susan R. Bolton on September 8, 2010, and the jury returned its verdict of guilt on September 15, 2010. The defendant was taken into the custody of the United States Marshal Service. 

The evidence at trial showed that a marijuana trafficking organization was acquiring wholesale quantities of marijuana in Arizona, and then shipping the drug to purchasers in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The defendant agreed to use his position as a UPS delivery driver in Cleveland, Ohio to assist the drug trafficking organization with the delivery of boxes filled with illegal drugs. A Special Agent with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration testified that the organization’s drug ledgers reflected the sale of more than 6,900 pounds of marijuana. The banking records of the defendant’s associates showed more than $900,000 in cash deposits while the two-year conspiracy was underway.

“The success of a drug trafficking organization requires the complicity of many, and this verdict demonstrates you will be held to answer,” said Dennis K. Burke, the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona.

A conviction for conspiracy to possess at least 100 kilograms of marijuana with intent to distribute carries a maximum penalty of 40 years, a $2,000,000 fine, or both. In determining an actual sentence, Judge Bolton will consult the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. 

The investigation leading to the guilty verdict was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the Mesa Police Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Tempe Police Department, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by the Assistant United States Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix

Federal criminal defense lawyers Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients on drug trafficking matters for three decades. We are well aware of all the issues and complexities that can arise from such charges and have successfully handled numerous cases. When faced with marijuana drug trafficking charges you need a skilled Los Angeles and United States drug trafficking criminal defense attorney with experience in representing clients for drug crimes. Such charges could include offenses for drug possession, drug trafficking and other drug related charges. If you or someone you know has been charged with a drug trafficking crime, we recommend you contact us in order to begin to prepare your case for a successful defense.