Recent Posts in Los Angeles County Category

A Beverly Hills movie producer pleaded guilty to molesting a teenage girl he met on the internet through MySpace. Prosecutors in Orange County, California said Iren Koster, 62, met her on the website when she was 14 years old and starting chatting with her online on a regular basis.

He met the girl in person four times starting in 2007 after she was 15 and 16 years old, and had oral sex with her in his vehicle and at her residence. A person in the Internet community became concerned about their communication and alerted the Fullerton Police Department in 2009. Mr. Koster pleaded guilty to two felony counts of lewd acts on a child and two felony counts of oral copulation of a minor. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in a California state prison. His film credits include producing the movies "Invisible Kids" and "Mustang Sally's Horror House."

When an individual is arrested for any type of sex crime, it usually means they have attempted or have performed a sexual act on another person using force and against their will. Anyone accused of a sex crime is labeled a sexual offender, pervert or sexual deviant. A conviction requires a person to register with a sex offense registry for the remainder of their lives. Once you have labeled as a sex offender, it is difficult to remove the reputation. If you are convicted of a sex crime, you will be viewed with distrust by friends and neighbors. Securing employment will prove to be extremely difficult, even finding a place to live can be a huge challenge. Therefore, it is critical that you handle obtain the services of the best possible sex crime criminal defense attorney. At Marks & Brooklier, we are highly skilled  Los Angeles Sex Crimes defense attorneys who know how to defend you against these charges.

Sex Crimes Attorneys Donald Marks and  Anthony Brooklier have years of experience in handling all types of sex crimes cases. With our knowledge of sex crime laws and how the courts will prosecute these cases. we work closely with our clients to defend them from unwarranted charges. As experienced court litigators, we can bring your defense to trial if necessary. We offer legal defense representation for all types of sex crimes criminal charges including Prostitution, Sexual assault, Sexual battery, Lewd & Lascivious conduct, Rape, Statutory Rape, Indecent exposure and child pornography charges.  Call our office for a free review of your case.

A Garden Grove man was sentenced to four years, four months in a California State prison for kidnapping his daughter and assaulting her mother with a handgun in Lake Forest. The assault occurred during a custody drop-off in the mother's home, where Daniel Chomina was angered at seeing a male friend at the home.

He was accused of pointing a handgun at the girl's mother and her male friend at the home and then hitting the man with the gun. When the two locked themselves inside the home, Chomina broke in, took his 3-year-old daughter, and fled. A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge sentenced him to four years and four months in prison.

After driving away in his car, he called his former girlfriend and agreed to leave their daughter with his mother at an Anaheim restaurant. Chomina was facing 15 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of assault with a firearm, a misdemeanor count of being in possession of a firearm, and felony counts of kidnapping and first-degree burglary.

Kidnapping is defined as using force or threats of force to take a person against their will. Abducting an individual by force and holding them against their will could result in being charged for felony kidnapping. Regardless of your relationship to the victim, the consequences of your actions will be prosecuted aggressively.

If you have been charged or under investigation for kidnapping, it is critical that you obtain an experienced Los Angeles kidnapping criminal defense lawyer right away. At Marks & Brooklier, our law firm will specially design a top legal team who will defend you against these charges. Attorneys  Donald Marks and  Anthony Brooklier are skilled kidnapping criminal defense attorneys, who will ensure you receive the legal assistance you need to aggressively fight your criminal charges.  Call our office today to schedule a free consultation.

Two men were arrested in connection with what police call a complex, multimillion-dollar car theft ring. Kirsio Cruz, of Norco and Luis Marroquin, of Huntington Park, California were taken into custody by the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Motor Vehicles after a long investigation. The men are believed to have stolen 26 cars valued at least $1.2 million by using fake documents to remove the actual lien holders from the vehicles' titles. 

The men conspired to remove the lien holders using fraudulent notary stamps, fraudulent CHP stamps and fraudulent DMV stamps. The arrest were made at King City Auto Sales in Los Angeles. Police also served a search warrant at an unlicensed registration service in Los Angeles, where more evidence of fraudulent activity was found. The state attorney general’s office has filed multiple charges in Los Angeles County Superior Court against the men. CHP authorities said the theft investigation is still ongoing.

Regardless of what type of theft charges you are facing, our Los Angeles car theft criminal defense lawyers are confident we can assist you with your defense. We will aggressively approach your theft case with the intention of either having the charges lessened or getting the charges dismissed.

At Marks and Brooklier, we have  successfully defended individuals since 1976 in all types of theft crimes including: burglary, robbery, commercial burglary, conspiracy, counterfeiting, grand theft, grand theft auto, petty theft, petty theft with prior, residential burglary, shoplifting, carjacking, forgery, embezzlement and white collar crimes.  Contact our office to learn more about what we can do for you.

Los Angeles police used a Taser to subdue former USC football standout Everson Griffen after he assaulted a police officer during a traffic stop near the campus. Griffen, who is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings, was booked on felony battery after the incident, which was reported at 30th and Hoover streets, in Los Angeles.

The incident took place during a routine traffic stop. Police asked Griffen for his license, which turned out not to be valid. Griffen then told them "he did not want to go back to jail" and sprinted away from the officers, who caught up with him after a short distance. When one of the officers tried to subdue him, he grabbed the officer in the groin area. Moments later, officers used a Taser to subdue him. Griffen was arrested in 2009 in Massachusetts on suspicion of breach of the peace.

If you or someone you know have been arrested for an assault and battery charge, this can lead to serious consequences. Due to the complexity and severity of this type of charge, you will want to have a skilled and experienced Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer to defend you. At Marks & Brooklier, we have the experience you need to offer a criminal defense that can lessen the chances of your being convicted. In assault and battery cases, there can convincing evidence proving that you might have been acting in self defense. With decades of dedication to our client's needs, our highly trained legal staff will supply you with strong legal advice to best handle your criminal charges. We will review all evidence against you and conduct our own investigation as needed. If you find yourself facing assault or battery charges, it is best to confront it quickly and get the best legal counsel you can to direct your defense. Attorneys  Donald Marks and  Anthony Brooklier have been  successfully representing clients since 1976, and we can do the same for you.  Call our office anytime, 24/7, for a free case evaluation.

A former employee of an adult day-care center in El Monte pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting three severely disabled women with the mental capacity of children. The plea came in exchange for an agreement with prosecutors that he be sentenced to no more than eight years in prison.

Juan Fernando Flores faced up to 27 years had he been convicted of all the charges, which included multiple assaults and the transmission of a sexual disease. The victims all have mental disabilities, including Down's syndrome. He worked as a cook and driver at the government-subsidized facility, then known as Healthy Start. After the arrest, he confessed to assaulting the three women. Police suspected there may have been other victims but did not have enough evidence to press more charges. Under the terms of the plea, Flores would have to serve 85% of the sentence and register as a sex offender upon release.

The criminal case was set for trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Pomona. Instead, the judge set a sentencing hearing for which the victims and their families will be given an opportunity to describe the effect of the crimes on their lives. Several families pulled relatives out of the facility after the arrest, and police sent letters to clients' families suggesting they be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

When someone is accused or charged with a sex crime, it usually means that they have attempted or have performed a sexual act against another person using force and against their will. Anyone accused of a sexual assault is labeled a sexual predator, pervert or sexual deviant. A sexual assault conviction requires a person to register with a sex offense registry for the rest of their lives. If convicted of a sex crime, you will be viewed with distrust by neighbors and friends. Obtaining employment will be difficult. Therefore it is critical you handle this type of a charge with the best possible sex crime criminal defense attorney. At Marks & Brooklier, we are highly experienced Los Angeles sexual assault criminal defense attorneys who know how best to defend you against these charges. Attorneys  Donald Marks and  Anthony Brooklier have been successfully representing clients for decades and can do the same for you.  Call our office anytime, 24/7, for a free case evaluation. All consultations are strictly confidential.

A man identified as a drug kingpin and a key defendant in a federal gang sweep was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for overseeing the racketeering and drug activities of the Varrio Hawaiian Gardens street gang. George Manuel Flores was arrested in 2009 as part of Operation Knockout, one of the nation's largest gang sweeps. He was labeled a leader in the Hawaiian Gardens gangs and was accused of ordering gang members to collect taxes from drug dealers in this Los Angeles county city. He pleaded guilty to five counts including racketeering conspiracy, being a felon in possession of ammunition and other drug charges. Flores was sentenced by a United States District Judge, who is presiding over the 57-defendant racketeering indictment. Prosecutors portrayed Flores as a drug lord.

As part of his guilty plea, he admitted to distributing mass quantities of drugs, including more than 30 kilograms of heroin, more than 4.5 kilograms of crack cocaine, more than 1.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, more than 15 kilograms of narcotics that contained methamphetamine, and more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.

The investigation began after Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Jerry Ortiz was murdered in 2005 by a gang member he was attempting to arrest. In 2009, about 170 gang members were taken into custody in the massive operation. Flores is the last defendant to be sentenced in this federal prosecution. Marcos Romero was sentenced last November to 291 months in federal prison for being a primary wholesaler of narcotics. Brian Viramontes was sentenced in September to 210 months in federal prison for distributing narcotics. This case also revealed a link between the Nazi Low Riders and the gang. Frank Wayne Henley, a member of the Nazi Low Riders gang, was sentenced last November to 262 months in federal prison for supplying members of the Hawaiian Gardens gang with methamphetamine and heroin.

Federal crimes can be labeled as such by falling under federal legislation of Title 18 of the United States Code. A federal crime is defined as a crime that is either made illegal by falling under this legislation, or because of occurring on federal property. Federal crimes are normally investigated by the FBI and are tried in the Federal Court system. Federal courts have their own governing rules and regulations which are different from California State laws. If you are facing federal criminal charges, you will need to discuss your case with a federal criminal defense lawyer who has the special knowledge of this area of the law. At Marks & Brooklier, we have qualified Los Angeles federal criminal defense attorneys to represent you.

Federal criminal defense attorneys Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier are uniquely qualified to represent you in court. They have represented defendants in virtually every major organized crime case prosecuted in Southern California. In 1980, Marks & Brooklier was lead counsel in the "Los Angeles Mafia" case in a major RICO conspiracy case. Conact our office anytime, 24/7, for a free case evaluation. All consultations are strictly confidential.