COUNCILWOMAN HELD IN GANG BUST BURBANK OFFICIAL, BOYFRIEND ARRESTED.Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer BURBANK - Councilwoman Stacey Murphy was arrested after police found drugs and guns at her home in an investigation into whether her longtime businessman boyfriend supplied guns to the notorious Vineland Boys street gang, officials said Thursday. Reached at her home after she was released on $100,000 bail, Murphy declined to talk about the charges. ``I'm really pretty shocked about this whole thing,'' she said in a brief interview. A three-term council member and former mayor who was the highest vote-getter in February's council primary, Murphy was arrested at her home Wednesday night by a task force of federal and local officers. Her arrest came hours after her longtime companion and his roommate were arrested at their Glendale home, officials said. ``This is a difficult situation for all of us,'' Burbank Police Department The Burbank Police Department is the police department serving Burbank, California. Tim Stehr became the Police Chief of the department on August 1, 2007. The previous chiefs were Thomas Hoefel, David Newsham and Glen Bell. spokesman Sgt. Jay Jette said at a news conference Thursday. ``To have somebody (on the council) who may have some connection to this organization ... is really heart-breaking.''' Businessman Scott Schaffer, 51, the former co-owner of Sun Valley-based City Cab Co., where Murphy works as controller, was arrested on suspicion of violating federal firearm firearm, device consisting essentially of a straight tube to propel shot, shell, or bullets by the explosion of gunpowder. Although the Chinese discovered gunpowder as early as the 9th cent., they did not develop firearms until the mid-14th cent. and drug laws. His roommate, Robert Polloreno, 54, was arrested on suspicion of firearm theft, police said. Schaffer was taken into federal custody. Polloreno was freed on $50,000 bail. Jette said Schaffer is suspected of supplying at least three handguns to people in the Vineland Boys gang, whose members include two men suspected of gunning down Officer Matthew Pavelka of the Burbank Police Department in 2003. Pavelka's father, Detective Mike Pavelka of the Los Angeles Police Department "LAPD" and "L.A.P.D." redirect here. For other uses, see LAPD (disambiguation).  This article or section is written like an . , said Murphy has become a friend since his son's slaying and has been a strong supporter of his family. ``I held her in high esteem. If the charges are true, it's disappointing. Hopefully it's not (true),'' Pavelka said. ``It's very distressing, obviously, to hear.'' Burbank Mayor Jef Vander Borght said he was shocked. ``Stacey Murphy has been a friend and a colleague. To the extent we can help her family and her, we'll stand next to her.'' Murphy would be forced off the council if convicted of a felony. Vineland Boys task force officers recently arrested a gang member in possession of a handgun registered to Schaffer, Jette said. Detectives had learned earlier that Schaffer might have provided guns to Vineland Boys members in exchange for cocaine, Jette said. At Schaffer's home Wednesday night, officers said they found nine handguns and an undisclosed amount of cocaine. Jette said they also learned that more guns, drugs and ammunition were at Murphy's home. Officers said they found an undisclosed amount of cocaine in Murphy's bedroom at her home and three handguns in an unlocked storage container next to a bicycle in the garage, plus 900 bullets. The guns were registered to Schaffer, officials said. Murphy was arrested on suspicion of drug possession and child endangerment. Loaded guns were readily accessible to her 12-year-old son, Jette said. The arrests came less than a month after Operation Silent Night, in which more than 1,300 officers, making raids across Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , swept up some 40 purported members of the Vineland Boys gang on allegations of assault, robbery, drug dealing and murder. Murphy's Lime Street This article is about Lime Street, an American television series. For the railway station in Liverpool, see Liverpool Lime Street railway station. Lime Street neighbors were stunned stun tr.v. stunned, stun·ning, stuns 1. To daze or render senseless, by or as if by a blow. 2. To overwhelm or daze with a loud noise. 3. by her arrest. ``I never knew her to be anything but upstanding,'' said Sally Aquila, 66, who lives down the well-manicured street from Murphy's single-story, pre-World War II stucco stucco (stŭk`ō), in architecture, a term loosely applied to various kinds of plasterwork, both exterior and interior. It now commonly refers to a plaster or cement used for the external coating of buildings, most frequently employed in house. Added Aguila's husband, Tony: ``I personally like her. ... She's done great things for the city.'' Murphy's former husband, Timothy Murphy Timothy Murphy (1751 - 1818) was a sniper in the American Revolutionary War. At the Battle of Bemis Heights (Second Battle of Saratoga), 7 October 1777, Murphy is reputed to have shot and killed Sir Francis Clerke and General Simon Fraser. , a Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Superior Court commissioner and a Burbank councilman from 1989 to 1993, said he was shocked. ``She's a fantastic mother. She loves her kids. I hope it's a terrible mistake,'' said Timothy Murphy, divorced from Stacey Murphy in the 1990s. ``A reminder: An arrest is only an arrest. It has to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt in court.'' Correspondent Rick Coca contributed to this story. Jason Kandel, (818) 546-3306 jason.kandel(at)dailynews.com STACEY MURPHY, 47 --Controller of Sun Valley-based taxi company since 2001. Ran a transcription computer support service out of her home from 1984 to 2000. --Ex-wife of Timothy Murphy, a former Burbank councilman --Mother of three sons, ages 12 to 21 Graduated from Hollywood High School
Managed her husband's Burbank City Council campaign, 1989 Appointed to Burbank Parks and Recreation board, 1995 Elected to Burbank City Council, 1997 Elected to City Council second term, 2001 Elected to City Council third term, February 2005 Notoriety NOTORIETY, evidence. That which is generally known. 2. This notoriety is of fact or of law. In general, the notoriety of a fact is not sufficient to found a judgment or to rely on its truth; 1 Ohio Rep. nothing new at City Hall BURBANK - Councilwoman Stacey Murphy isn't the first Burbank city official linked to gangsters or drugs. In the 1950s, Burbank's police chief was fired and the city manager resigned after the California Crime Commission reported that organized crime's presence in Burbank put citizens at risk. Noted mobster Mickey Cohen Meyer Harris Cohen (4 September 1913 in Brooklyn, New York – 29 July 1976 in Los Angeles, California) was a gangster based in L.A. from the 1930s through 1970s. Early life In 1913, Mickey Cohen was born in Brooklyn, NY. was accused of running a gambling operation busted bust·ed adj. 1. Slang a. Smashed or broken: busted glass; a busted rib. b. Out of order; inoperable: a busted vending machine. 2. by Burbank police in 1949 at the Dincara Stock Farm. ``Mickey Cohen had a haberdashery, and the chief always had really beautiful clothes and a big boat and all kinds of things that really weren't too normal,'' said Mary Jane Strickland, 80, founder of the Burbank Historical Society. In 1997, Councilwoman Susan Spanos disappeared for two days after her husband took her to an Anaheim medical facility. That followed her absence for weeks from council meetings and her accusation in a lawsuit that a newspaper columnist Noun 1. newspaper columnist - a columnist who writes for newspapers agony aunt - a newspaper columnist who answers questions and offers advice on personal problems to people who write in columnist, editorialist - a journalist who writes editorials sexually assaulted her during a late-night interview in his car. Spanos' husband told police who took a missing person's report that his wife was addicted ad·dict·ed adj. 1. Physiologically or psychologically dependent on a habit-forming substance. 2. Compulsively or habitually involved in a practice or behavior, such as gambling. to cocaine, but he later recanted, saying he had been speculating. The episode prompted council members to consider subjecting themselves and the elected city clerk In the United States, a City Clerk is an elected or appointed official who is responsible as the official keeper of the municipal records. In some places, the Clerk may be known as the "Village Clerk" or "Town Clerk". and treasurer to voluntary random drug and alcohol tests. The proposal was defeated 3-2 in July 1997. Murphy, who had recently replaced Spanos on the council, was among the three opponents. ``I don't think there is any reason for it,'' she said at the time. CAPTION(S): photo, 2 boxes Photo: (color) STACEY MURPHY Box: (1) STACEY MURPHY, 47 (see text) (2) Notoriety nothing new at City Hall (see text) |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion