Office of the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick finally pled guilty to two felony counts of Obstruction of Justice as part of a plea agreement that would ultimately conclude his scandalous run as a politician in the state of Michigan. Kilpatrick’s term as Mayor was saturated with rumors of conspiracy, misconduct in office, and theft; his ultimate incarceration would prove to be the first time in Detroit’s history that a mayor would be ordered to serve time in jail.

To find out just what the former Detroit Mayor did to deserve a four-month sentencing and $1 million owed in restitution, watch this episode of In Touch with Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson and Officer Don Evans.

Defendants Roy Rankin, Jr. & Samantha Monahan

On August 22, 2005, 6-month-old Cecilia Alvarardo was pronounced dead due to traumatic head injury at the U. K. Medical Center shortly after her arrival.  Her mother’s boyfriend, Roy Rankin, Jr., claimed that she was murdered by her 2-year-old brother while Rankin was out of the room.  Rankin maintained his innocence throughout the trial, claiming that the toddler strangled his little sister that tragic afternoon.  Autopsy results did not support this claim.  Roy Rankin, Jr. was charged with Wanton Murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison.  Samantha Monahan, Cecilia’s mother, was charged with Criminal Abuse in the 1st degree and sentenced to 10 years.

Watch this episode of In Touch with Officer Don Evans and Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson as they discuss the details of this case.

This week’s episode of In Touch features a variety of issues that are important to our community, as well as national issues that may directly effect the Lexington community in the future.

Watch the latest episode of In Touch as Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson and Officer Don Evans discuss these important current events.

Michael Mastromarino & Lee Cruceta

Between February 2004 to 2005, Michael Mastromarino, the owner of Biomedical Tissue Services of Fort Lee, New Jersey, was involved in a plot with funeral home directors that accepted money in exchange for ignoring obviously forged death certificates and consent forms. The victims included families of the deceased whose body parts were illegally taken, as well as individuals who had been implanted with tissues. One tissue distributor estimated that about 8,000 people received tissue from the cadavers.

Mastromarino pled guilty to hundreds of charges of Body Stealing, Forgery, Grand Larceny and Enterprise Corruption and was sentenced to between 18 and 54 years in prison.  Lee Cruceta, a former nurse who allegedly ran the body “cutting crew,” pled guilty to his wrongdoings and agreed to a deal that resulted in a sentence of between 8 and 25 years in prison.

Watch this episode of In Touch with Officer Don Evans and Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson as they discuss the details of this disturbing and gruesome case.

In 2006, a shootout occurred between the Hells Angels and Outlaw motorcycle gangs just outside of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.  Two Hells Angels members stopped at a motel and convenience store and found several members of the Outlaw motorcycle gang present; throughout the course of the confrontation, four Outlaws and two females were shot by Hells Angels members.

Watch this episode of In Touch with Officer Don Evans and Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson as they discuss the details of this case.

Defendant John Todd

This week on In Touch, Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson discussed the 2007 murder of 49-year-old Charlene Todd with Officer Don Evans.  John Todd, Charlene’s husband, was convicted of First Degree Manslaughter in relation to her murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Watch Ray and Officer Don discuss the details surrounding this crime and also watch Intern Rebecca Wichard discuss the interns’ recent tour of the Lexington Police Mounted Horse Patrol.

Every other Tuesday, 30 – 40 parolees and probationers meet at the Fayette County Courthouse for the Fayette County Re-Entry Program.  The goal of the program is to keep individuals who have recently been released from prison on parole from re-offending and being sent back to prison.  Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson, the Office of Probation and Parole, The Hope Center, the Dismas House and Vocational Rehabilitation all meet with these individuals.  So far, so good, whereas the national statistics reveal that 67% of parolees are re-incarcerated within three years.  Of those going through the Fayette County Program, only 20% are re-incarcerated.

Listen as Tom Gorbett, Intern Jon Strom and Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson discuss the Re-Entry Program on In Touch with Officer Don Evans.