On behalf of Louis Elias Lopez, Esq. posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, May 23, 2013
On May 19 at approximately 5:00 p.m., authorities in a Texas town responded to an emergency report of a house fire. When they arrived on the scene, they allegedly discovered what was described as a 'full scale marijuana operation," including grow lights, humidifiers, timers, 41 hydroponic marijuana plants and an irrigation system. Police also reported finding additional marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The resident is now charged with a drug-related crime.
Police believe that the fire began when the 26-year-old resident of the property intentionally started a fire in a burn barrel in the backyard. The wind then carried sparks and ignited the grass. The blaze spread to a storage shed, which was completely destroyed, and to the house. Firefighters were able to save the residence. They located the alleged growing operation when they entered the house to look for any spots that might reignite the blaze and notified police.
On behalf of Louis Elias Lopez, Esq. posted in Criminal Defense on Friday, May 17, 2013
The Texas legislature may be faced with considering a new law to lower the current drunk-driving blood alcohol content threshold from .08 to .05 if it follows recent recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB has recommended that all states lower the BAC limit so that a DUI charge could be made at a much lower intoxication level, as well as giving police the right to confiscate licenses from those who fail field sobriety tests.
In the past, states had BAC limits as high as .15 percent, nearly double the current national limit. However, the NTSB believes that while lower BAC levels have reduced drunk driving impacts, the fact remains that one-third of all fatal car accidents involve alcohol. In order to eradicate drunk driving, the NTSB is urging states to take tougher stances on BAC levels.
On behalf of Louis Elias Lopez, Esq. posted in Felonies on Friday, May 10, 2013
On May 2, an El Paso man was quickly transported to a nearby medical facility after he sustained serious injuries when he was allegedly beaten by his roommate. A 61-year-old man was taken into custody and charged with criminal attempted murder, a felony, and possession of marijuana, less than 2 ounces. He was held pending the payment of $150,300 bond.
The wounded man, 55, was found by someone in the area. He was lying in the street and suffered wounds to his head and his chest. Authorities later discovered that the men had argued and that the accused man allegedly hit the injured man several times with a shovel in his head and in the upper portion of his body.
On behalf of Louis Elias Lopez, Esq. posted in Felonies on Thursday, May 2, 2013
A 42-year-old Houston man is currently on trial for his 2012 attempt to allegedly murder his daughter by opening fire on a crowd outside of a Beaumont courthouse. The shooting spree resulted in the death of a 79-year-old woman and the injury of three others, including the purported intended victim, who was accusing her father of sexual assault. The man was charged with capital murder for retaliation against a witness and other felony crimes.
The incident occurred while the man stood trial for an alleged assault nine years prior. After shooting from his truck into a frantic crowd with a semi-automatic weapon, the man reportedly hit his daughter and fled to a nearby business where he held workers hostage. He surrendered to law officers shortly after.
On behalf of Louis Elias Lopez, Esq. posted in Felonies on Friday, April 26, 2013
The millionaire artist, who was creator of the pop art called "Cadillac Ranch", was indicted on sexual assault charges by a grand jury in Amarillo, Texas. The 14 count indictment consisted of charges of sexual assault along with other sexual crimes involving minors. These felonies can carry a penalty of as much as 20 years in prison, and he may also be fined $10,000 for each count.
The complainants in the indictment are two males who were teenagers, 15 and 16, at the time of the alleged sex crimes. They allege that the crimes occurred before 2011, which was when the 75-year-old defendant suffered a stroke. The artist's defense attorneys have stated that the boys also have filed million-dollar lawsuits in civil court. From 1996 to 2001, the artist settled lawsuits and faced charges stemming from sexual misconduct, abuse and other alleged crimes against minors.
On behalf of Louis Elias Lopez, Esq. posted in Drug Charges on Friday, April 19, 2013
The U.S. Attorney's office charged a 55-year-old El Paso doctor on April 1 with the illegal distribution of prescriptions between Dec. 2012 and March 2013. The alleged drug-related crime included the sale of a hydrocodone prescription for $450 and distributing medications to those who had no legitimate need for them.
The doctor was allegedly operating his fraudulent business out of a building that had no running water, examination table or basic medical equipment such as scales, a stethoscope or a blood pressure cuff. Three employees supposedly worked there, including a nurse/receptionist, an armed security guard and a bodyguard who carried brass knuckles.
On behalf of Louis Elias Lopez, Esq. posted in Federal Crimes on Friday, April 12, 2013
A 21-year old man arrested for stealing guns in Texas has arranged a plea bargain and is pleading guilty to possession of stolen firearms or or aiding and abetting the theft of firearms. The man was charged with possession of stolen firearms and transporting said firearms from Texas to New Mexico, which is a federal crime. As part of the plea bargain, the man has pled guilty to stealing or aiding and abetting the theft of firearms from four federal firearms licensed dealers between May and November 2012.
The man admitted to playing a role in burglarizing four dealers in Las Cruces and El Paso and stealing 72 firearms. He affirmed that these firearms were transported to New Mexico shortly thereafter and that the firearms traveled in interstate or foreign commerce before being stolen.
On behalf of Louis Elias Lopez, Esq. posted in Felonies on Wednesday, April 3, 2013
A man seen in a video surveillance pictures as he allegedly points a handgun toward workers at a credit union is accused of robbing a bank on March 18 in Odessa. FBI personnel in El Paso made no comment on the incident. Although the authorities have released limited information on the alleged crime, Odessa law enforcement personnel believe that bank workers know the man accused of the felony.
The robbery occurred in the morning before the financial institution opened as the man pointed the weapon at two women and ordered them to give him money. They complied, and he ran from the scene. The women were not hurt, and he did not take any personal items from them. That branch of the credit union closed for the day but reopened on March 19. Personnel of the financial institution made no further comments about the crime.
On behalf of Louis Elias Lopez, Esq. posted in Drug Charges on Tuesday, March 26, 2013
El Paso police report that two local men, one 19 years old and the other 29, were allegedly found to have concealed marijuana within a purple, sticker-covered ice cream truck. Each man was charged with a drug-related crime. It has not been determined if they were using the vehicle to distribute the drug.
Police initially stopped the ice cream truck near an undisclosed area high school because of an expired registration tag and the fact that the windshield was cracked. During the traffic stop, the 19-year-old man reportedly attempted to leave the scene, and he was apprehended. A search of the vehicle allegedly revealed two containers that held what appeared to be marijuana.
On behalf of Louis Elias Lopez, Esq. posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, March 21, 2013
A recent Carson County traffic stop led to the arrest of a 43-year-old woman from Oklahoma City and a 60-year-old woman from New Mexico. Police reportedly found 200 pounds of marijuana hidden in their vehicle during the March 1 stop.
The pair was pulled over for a traffic stop on Interstate 40 near Conway. A drug canine alerted, and police found 108 packages of marijuana hidden in the hatchback of the Honda Odyssey. The estimated value of the marijuana is approximately $114,000, and it is believed the drugs were being moved from El Paso to Oklahoma City. The women face drug-related crime charges for possession of marijuana, which is a second-degree felony with a possible prison term of two to 20 years.
