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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 2002)
September 25, 2002 Page A2 Con Artists Wanted in African American Seniors Scam P ortlan d P o lice, in c o o p e ra tion w ith C rim e S to p p ers, are asking for your help in id e n ti fying and a p p re h en d in g con artists w ho are A fric a n -A m e ri can and appear to be ta rg e tin g se n io r A fric an -A m erica n s in a scam know n as "T he Ja m aican S w itch.” S ince A ug. 21, P o rtlan d P o lice have taken th ree rep o rts from people in n o rth ea st P o rt land w ho have fallen v ic tim to th e s c a m . In J u ly , th e C lac k am a s C o u n ty S h e r iff ’s O ffice had a c a se w ith som e sim ilarity. T he susp ect w ho m akes in i tial c o n ta c t w ith the victim has so m e tim es been m ale, so m e tim es fem ale, b ut the story is alw ay s the sam e. T hey claim to be from South A fric a, w here they say they m ust retu rn im m e d iately . T h ey also claim to be in p o sse ssio n o f a large sum o f cash (so m etim e s as m uch as se v eral h u n d red th o u san d d o l lars) and show the victim a large “ w a d ” o f w hat ap p e ars to be ro lle d -u p m oney. T he m oney re p o rted ly c a n not be ta k e n b ac k to S outh A fric a, th e re fo re the su sp ect White Men Stand Trial in 1969 Murder (AP) — Jury selection began Monday in York, Pa., in the m ur der trial of three white men, in cluding the city’s former mayor, accused of the fatal shooting of a black woman during 10 days of paralyzing race riots in 1969. P ro se c u to rs say C h a rlie Robertson, a young police of ficer who later became mayor, gave ammunition to white gangs that ambushed a car in which Lillie Belle Allen was riding with relatives. The other two men are accused of taking part in the am bush. The slayings o f 27-year-old Allen and a white rookie police officer during the riots helped fuel a subsequent effort to build bridges betw een blacks and whites, even as the truth of the killings remained elusive. “I think it’s important for all Yorkers to know the truth, to know what happened in 1969,” said John Brenner, Y ork’s current mayor, who was just a year old when the riots erupted. “I think we all want the same thing: who did it, w ho’s responsible for birth murders. And we want them to be held accountable.” A llen's shooting remained un solved until late 1999, when pros ecutors say new information sur faced and investigators reopened the case. Since then, 10 white men have been charged in A llen’s killing. Charlie Robertson Six pleaded guilty to shooting at the car or being gang look outs. Some may testify. A 10th man is to be tried separately. One former white gang member killed him selfin April 2000 after talking to prosecutors. Two black men await trial in the killing of the white rookie o ffic e r, 2 2 -y e a r-o ld H enry Schaad. Years of tension found a spark on July 17, 1969, when a black youth said he had been set on fire by whites, a story he later re canted. The same day, white gang member Robert Messersmith shot two black youths. Rumors spread that a white police officer was responsible for the shootings and rioting broke out. has d ec id e d to g iv e it to c h a r ity and ask s the v ic tim ’s help in g ettin g it th ere. B ut, b efo re the su sp ect w ill hand o v er such a larg e sum o f m oney to the v ictim , the victim m ust prove they are h o n est by p u ttin g up th eir m oney. As th e victim soon learn s, the large “ w ad ” o f m oney that is su p p o se d ly w rap p ed in the b a n d a n n a th e y h a v e b e e n giv en tu rn s out to be cu t n e w s paper. T he m ale is d e sc rib e d as in m id-30s, approxim ately 5 feet 8 inches tall, m edium build, short Police released the sketches above to depict a man and woman accused of targeting senior African-Americans in a scam known as "The Jamaican Switch.’ h air and a v ery d ark c o m p le x ion. T h e fem ale is d escrib ed as in h er 30s, ap p ro x im ately 5 feet 6 in c h es ta ll, m edium b u ild , m edium co m p lex io n , and black h air th a t is ju s t long en o u g h to be w orn in a pony ta il. B oth are alw ay s w ell d ressed . C rim e S to p p ers is o ffe rin g a cash rew ard o f up to $ 1,000 fo r in fo rm atio n , rep o rted to C rim e S to p p e rs, w hich lead s to an a rre st in th is ca se , or any u n so lv ed felo n y crim e, and you need n ot g iv e y o u r n am e, C all C rim e S to p p e rs at 5 0 3 -8 2 3 - HELP. Terrorism Force Renewed Complaints of police surveillance fail to sway city leaders ing p o lice su rv eillan c e raises co n cern s ab o u t w h eth e r the city is co n trib u tin g o ffic ers w ith o u t en su rin g th a t they u p h o ld sta te civ il lib e rties g u a ra n te e s. T he 1981 law re stric ts p o lice from g ath erin g in fo rm a tio n a b o u t in d iv id u a ls or g ro u ps u n less th e re is re a s o n a b le c a u s e to s u s p e c t them o f sp e cific crim es. T he same law brought P o rt land n atio n al atte n tio n last fall w hen C ity A tto rn ey Je ff R o g ers in stru c ted p o lic e not to q u estio n 23 M iddle E a s t ern im m ig ran ts on a list p ro v id ed by the U .S . Ju s tic e D epartm ent. P o rtlan d w as the first city to opt out o f the national drag- (A P ) — P o rtlan d city co m m i s s i o n e r s v o te d u n a n i m ously T h u rsd ay to renew the city p o lic e 's c o n trib u tio n to an FBI terro rism task force. M ayor V era K atz said she had a “re sp o n sib ility to the c itiz en s o f P o rtla n d ,” to e n sure th e ir safety . T h e C ity P o lice B u reau c o n trib u te s eig h t o ffic e rs to the FBI Jo in t T erro rism T ask F o rce, a gro u p c o o rd in a tin g federal and local law e n fo rc e m ent w ork in the m e tro p o li tan area. S im ilar arran g em en ts exist in 55 larg e c itie s, ac co rd in g to P ortland Police C h ief M ark Kroeker. B ut in P o rtla n d ’s c a se , a state law ag a in st w id e-ran g - net. A lso an issu e at the m e e t ing T h u rsd ay w as the P o rt lan d P o lice B u re a u ’s C rim i nal In tellig en ce D iv isio n h is to ry o f c o lle c tin g file s on a c tiv ists such as th e B lack P an th e rs, en v iro n m e n ta lists an d p ea ce g ro u p s in p a st d e c a d e s. Files dating from the 1960s to the early 1980s from the d iv isio n w ere tak en illeg a lly by fo rm er o ffic e r W in field F alk , w ho died in 1987, and sto red in a b arn . T he files in clu d ed su rv e il la n c e on 5 7 6 g ro u p s an d m ore than 3 ,000 in d iv id u als. O ne file h eld a p ic tu re o f a young V era K atz sp eak in g at a g rap e b o y c o tt rally . No Proof in Allegation Against Cleric Tests show Muslim leader’s bags free of explosive residue imam at the Islam ic C enter in Portland, was arrested Sept. 8 as he tried to board a flight to the United Arab Emirates with his brother and four children. K ariye, 41, is accused of using false inform ation — in cluding a changed nam e — w hile applying for and receiv ing three different Social S e curity cards between 1983 and 1995. The federal indictm ent also alleges K ariye used an (AP) — Tests that found ex plosive residue on the bags o f a Muslim cleric arrested at the Port land International Airport have been thrown out after they were reviewed at an FBI crime lab. Stanley C ohen, a New York civil rights attorney w ho took the case o f Sheik M oham ed A bdirahm an Kariye, said the FBI tests show ed the bags were free o f explosives residues. K ariye, w ho served as an Giving our best. '^ altered birth date in a 1998 asylum application. Police have not said they suspect K ariye o f terro r-re lated offenses, other than to say that the FB I-led Joint T errorism Task Force d e tained him. K ariye’s support ers question why the task force w as even involved, becau se K ariye has been charged only with Social Se curity fraud. Portland Police Chief Mark Kroeker Kroeker Misses LA Cut (A P ) — F o r the th ird tim e, P o rtla n d P o lic e C h ie f M ark K ro e k er has com e up sh o rt in an a tte m p t to get the to p jo b w ith th e L os A n g eles P o lice D ep artm en t. K ro e k er liste n e d to the Los A n g eles P o lice C o m m issio n ’s a n n o u n c e m e n t v ia h is c e ll p h o n e T h u rsd ay to fin d o ut he is not on e o f the th ree fin alists. “ I’ ve been h o n o red to be the c h ie f h ere in P o rtlan d an d to serv e th e p eo p le in P o rtla n d ,” K ro ek er said . “It ap p e ars I ’m g o in g to be d o in g ju s t th a t.” K ro e k er, 58, w as am ong the 13 s e m ifin a lists in te rv ie w e d th is m o n th . j “ Make Your Next M Attention SENIORS Extra Lean G ro u n d B eef N S W FO R S 1 M IO R S OMLV... Safeway Senior Shuttle Service! V a lu Pack. O r 3-lb. Chub. 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