Federal Prison

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) -- Former New York City police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, who was proclaimed a hero after the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, reported to federal prison Monday to begin a four-year sentence for tax fraud, lying to the White House and other felonies. He went behind bars as inmate No. 84888-054 at the Cumberland Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Md., said Felicia Ponce, spokeswoman for the Bureau of Prisons. She said Kerik, 54, reported at about 1:45 p.m., 15 minutes ahead of his deadline.

A Boonsboro man indicted in October by a Washington County grand jury on charges of physically neglecting and stealing from a vulnerable adult was recently sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for health care fraud and drug distribution convictions. Paul P. Boccone, 56, of 19310 Manor Church Road, was sentenced Nov. 9 in Alexandria, Va., by U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Boccone, the former owner and operator of Chantilly Specialists, a Chantilly, Va., pain-management clinic, was convicted in August of conspiring to distribute and distributing oxycodone, health care fraud and payroll tax evasion, the release said.

Former Maryland Del. Robert A. McKee was released from federal prison Friday after serving a sentence for possessing child pornography, according to a Federal Bureau of Prisons official. In November 2008, U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles Jr. sentenced McKee to 37 months in prison, starting in January 2009. McKee was released after about 32 months because of "good time" credit, which inmates get if they follow the rules. Although McKee's release date officially was to be Sunday, the bureau generally doesn't release prisoners on weekends, so it was moved up to Friday, spokesman Chris Burke said.

Former Hagerstown stockbroker William Singer Hatcher Sr. reported to the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Md., Tuesday to begin serving a 21-month sentence for misappropriating funds of three of his clients, including his father and his stepmother. A spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons in Annapolis Thursday confirmed Hatcher was at the institution chosen after his sentencing Nov. 19 in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. Hatcher, 40, of 135 Broadway, had been allowed to remain free until the prison bureau determined which federal institution he was to report to within the next 40 to 60 days, according to Dale Kelberman of the U.S. Attorney's office who prosecuted the case.

W.Va. man receives 33 months in federal prison A Martinsburg man was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court to 33 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for retaliation against a federal witness. Johnnie Lee James Jr, 35, of 226 Winchester Ave., Martinsburg, was convicted March 20 of one count of retaliation against a witness. James assaulted Jeff Hollis on Oct. 8, 1999 in connection with Hollis' appearance in an October 1999 federal trial.

A Harpers Ferry, W.Va., area man charged in the robbery of a BB&T bank outside Martinsburg Dec. 22 and the attempted robbery of a City National Bank in Ranson this week was paroled on Nov. 3 after serving time in federal prison for a bank robbery, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department and federal prison records. Mark Daniel Haines, 40, had served time for robbing a BB&T branch in Mount Airy, Md., in January 2004, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Deputy Lt. Gary Harmison confirmed Friday.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Two sentences were handed down and four pleas were taken Tuesday in U.S. District Court before Judge W. Craig Broadwater - all involving illegal drugs, according to a press release from the office of U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Johnston. Jason Lucius Ingram, 21, of 29 Capital Drive in Martinsburg, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 6.5 grams of crack cocaine. Ingram entered a plea of guilty in March to the offense, which occurred in January 2004 in Martinsburg, the press release said.

One of three men charged in the 2008 shooting death of Kenneth E. Waybright pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of felony murder, first-degree robbery and conspiracy in Berkeley County Circuit Court. The trial for Dale E. Knight, 26, was set for March 19 by 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Gray Silver III during an arraignment hearing. Waybright, 37, of Stephens City, Va., was determined by police to be an innocent bystander in the July 20 shooting at the former Orioles Club at 214 Mid Atlantic Parkway.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A Martinsburg man is expected to report to a federal prison after he was sentenced Wednesday to four months imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Jansen Victor Carr, 21, pleaded guilty in August 2006 to one count of possession, and as part of his plea, he agreed to give up $4,122, four guns and a bulletproof vest, according to a press release from the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia. Carr will be on probation for three years after his release, according to the release.

Four Eastern Panhandle residents were sentenced May 8 in U.S. District Court in Martinsburg by Judge John Preston Bailey, according to U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld II. • Larnell Torrence Minor, 35, of Harpers Ferry, W.Va., was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison to be followed by 35 years of supervised release. Minor was convicted on Jan. 25 of failure to register as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA)

Larry Togans, a former eight-year member of the Jefferson County Board of Education, has been chosen to fill out the remainder of the term of former board President Peter Dougherty. The vacancy was created last month when he was appointed to succeed ousted Jefferson County Sheriff Bobby Shirley. Shirley faces up to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty in a civil-rights case involving the brutal beating of a fugitive bank robber in December 2010. His sentencing is pending in U.S. District Court in Martinsburg, W.Va.  Togans, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday, will serve out Dougherty's term.

A Boonsboro man indicted in October by a Washington County grand jury on charges of physically neglecting and stealing from a vulnerable adult was recently sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for health care fraud and drug distribution convictions. Paul P. Boccone, 56, of 19310 Manor Church Road, was sentenced Nov. 9 in Alexandria, Va., by U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Boccone, the former owner and operator of Chantilly Specialists, a Chantilly, Va., pain-management clinic, was convicted in August of conspiring to distribute and distributing oxycodone, health care fraud and payroll tax evasion, the release said.

One of three men charged in the 2008 shooting death of Kenneth E. Waybright pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of felony murder, first-degree robbery and conspiracy in Berkeley County Circuit Court. The trial for Dale E. Knight, 26, was set for March 19 by 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Gray Silver III during an arraignment hearing. Waybright, 37, of Stephens City, Va., was determined by police to be an innocent bystander in the July 20 shooting at the former Orioles Club at 214 Mid Atlantic Parkway.

A veteran accused of claiming to be a recipient of the Purple Heart and Combat Infantry Badge to obtain disability and retirement benefits was sentenced to serve 10 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld's office said Tuesday. Ronald Lamont Clements, 44, of Martinsburg is to be placed on three months of supervised release following the prison sentence imposed Monday by U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh, according to a news release from Ihlenfeld's office. Clements pleaded guilty in March to one count of false writing and document by stating on aU.S.

Four Eastern Panhandle residents were sentenced May 8 in U.S. District Court in Martinsburg by Judge John Preston Bailey, according to U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld II. • Larnell Torrence Minor, 35, of Harpers Ferry, W.Va., was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison to be followed by 35 years of supervised release. Minor was convicted on Jan. 25 of failure to register as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA)

Former Maryland Del. Robert A. McKee was released from federal prison Friday after serving a sentence for possessing child pornography, according to a Federal Bureau of Prisons official. In November 2008, U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles Jr. sentenced McKee to 37 months in prison, starting in January 2009. McKee was released after about 32 months because of "good time" credit, which inmates get if they follow the rules. Although McKee's release date officially was to be Sunday, the bureau generally doesn't release prisoners on weekends, so it was moved up to Friday, spokesman Chris Burke said.

A Hagerstown man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Thursday for distributing cocaine, U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said. After serving the 10-year sentence, Jokari Lee Barnett, 32, will face five years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, Rosenstein said in a news release.  According to a guilty plea in U.S. District Court, Barnett obtained crack and powder cocaine from suppliers in 2008 and 2009 and sold the drugs to his own customers, some of whom then sold the drugs to others, Rosenstein said.

A Harpers Ferry, W.Va., area man charged in the robbery of a BB&T bank outside Martinsburg Dec. 22 and the attempted robbery of a City National Bank in Ranson this week was paroled on Nov. 3 after serving time in federal prison for a bank robbery, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department and federal prison records. Mark Daniel Haines, 40, had served time for robbing a BB&T branch in Mount Airy, Md., in January 2004, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Deputy Lt. Gary Harmison confirmed Friday.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) -- Former New York City police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, who was proclaimed a hero after the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, reported to federal prison Monday to begin a four-year sentence for tax fraud, lying to the White House and other felonies. He went behind bars as inmate No. 84888-054 at the Cumberland Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Md., said Felicia Ponce, spokeswoman for the Bureau of Prisons. She said Kerik, 54, reported at about 1:45 p.m., 15 minutes ahead of his deadline.

TRI-STATE -- It might take at least six months to award a contract for a halfway house in or near the Tri-State area, according to a federal prison official. A planned halfway house for federal prison inmates must be within 40 miles of Martinsburg, W.Va., and Hagerstown officials have expressed concern it could end up downtown. East Franklin Street property owner Alan Greenwald said a month ago that he considered leasing his building for the planned halfway house. Last week, though, Greenwald said he has backed off, has put his building on the market and is considering moving to Los Angeles to return to singing and songwriting.