'Dumb' American criminals attempt robbery with ‘permanent marker pen disguises’

Two hapless robbers in America, Matthew McNelly and Joey Miller, have been arrested with the “worst disguises ever” after trying to hide their faces with permanent marker pen.

By Andrew HoughPublished: 9:25AM GMT 30 Oct 2009

Matthew Allan McNelly and Joey Lee Miller were caught in Iowa with permanent marker pen scrawled over their faces. Photo: AP
McNelly, 23, and Miller, 20 were arrested by armed police in Carroll, Iowa, last Friday after witnesses reported seeing two men trying to break into an apartment with fake beards and "masks" scrawled on their faces.
Police responding to a call about the attempted burglary later pulled over a car matching the alleged suspects' vehicle.
When they stopped their 1994 Buick Roadmaster, bewildered police discovered the drunk hapless pair – nicknamed “dumb and dumber” – complete with makeshift disguises.
Police issued-mugshots of the pair show the black ink scribbles on their faces, in what some commentators described as “the worst disguise ever”.
"We're very skilled investigators and the black faces gave them right away,” local police chief Jeff Cayler told CNN.
"I have to assume the officers were kind of laughing at the time.
“I've never heard of colouring your face with a permanent marker."
He added: "They probably were just not thinking straight and figured we'll go out and scare the guy or whatever.
“[They were] being dumb and combine that with alcohol and it was the perfect storm.
"I've been chief here almost 25 years, been with the department 28½ years and I've seen a lot of things that make me laugh and weird things but this was probably the best combination of the two - strangely weird and hilariously funny all at the same time.”
He had earlier told Radio Iowa: “It's a little weird.
"I've been here long enough that I've seen a lot of things, but this one's a little different compared to most ... I mean, just the face thing is what sets it apart."
The men may have been under the influence of alcohol when they devised the idea for their disguises.
"For what it's worth, it appeared they had both been drinking quite a bit and maybe weren't thinking quite rationally," Mr Cayler said.
McNelly and Miller were each later charged with attempted second-degree burglary and released on bail after appearing at Carroll County Magistrate Court on Monday.
McNelly was also charged with drunk driving.
Lawyers for the pair declined to comment.
The pair are due back in court next month.

Rubbish fine for bank

A BANK has been ordered to pay £3,645 in fines and court costs for leaving bags of waste at the rear of its Romford branch. The rubbish outside NatWest, in Exchange Street, included the personal bank details of a customer. Havering Council took action after enforcement officers found bags and boxes of documents on several occasions. Despite a number of written warnings and fixed penalty notices being issued, the offending continued. The bank pleaded guilty to an offence under section 34(6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. It also admitted breaching its duty of care with respect to refuse disposal on dates between October 22 and October 29, 2007. It also asked for similar offences on February 11, March 3 and June 30, 2008, to be taken into consideration. NatWest was fined £3,000 and was also ordered to pay costs. The magistrates said that the fine would have been £4,500 had the bank contested the action and been found guilty. The maximum fine for such an offence is £5,000. Bob Wenman, head of Streetcare at Havering Council, said: “It is extremely disappointing that we had to take such a well-known high street bank like NatWest to court, but they had several warnings so legal action appeared to be the only way to solve this problem. “We are working hard to make Havering better with safer, cleaner and greener streets and will take individuals and companies - no matter how big - to court if necessary.”

Breakdancing council expert in £75,000 benefits con

Breakdancing council expert in £75,000 benefits con
Dan Thompson
October 30, 2009
A COUNCIL benefits adviser used his expert knowledge to plunder £75,000 of taxpayers' money - but was caught out when spotted break dancing at a town hall event.Laqad Yacoob, 40, who worked for Manchester council, fraudulently claimed income support, disability living allowance and carer's allowance for him and his family over five years, a court heard.A government investigation in 2007 discovered he was driving a new BMW and VW Golf through the Motability scheme.He was caught after a colleague raised concerns as part of a whistle-blowing policy.Yacoob pleaded guilty to 11 counts of making false representations to obtain benefits and was jailed for 14 months at Manchester Crown Court.
Plundered Judge Iain Hamilton said: "You have systematically, cynically and dishonestly plundered the state benefits system for the benefit of yourself and your family. That seems to me to be wholly and totally unacceptable. You lived to a standard well above many other families, both in employment and those who have to rely on benefits."Yacoob, of King's Road, Stretford, worked for the council for four years before resigning in October 2008 when the offences came to light. His previous jobs included a voluntary post at the Citizens Advice Bureau and as a financial assessment officer at Trafford social services. These roles gave him expert knowledge of the benefits system, the court was told.He claimed disability allowance for himself, saying he suffered panic attacks and severe spinal pain that caused him to fall over.
Dancing But, the court was told, he never showed difficulties walking at work and colleagues saw him dancing and spinning on the floor during a staff party in September 2007.Natalia Cornwall, prosecuting, said claims involving his family were `grossly exaggerated'.
"You have systematically, cynically and dishonestly plundered the state benefits system"Judge Iain HamiltonDepartment of Work and Pensions investigators found Yacoob was claiming more than £500 a week in benefits.Iain Johnstone, defending, said some of the claims were originally legitimate, such as the disability living allowance for son Jameel and daughter Zahida.But he failed to inform the DWP when their health improved.
Wept Yacoob's wife Shaida wept in court as he was sent to prison.His niece Shabana Khan told the M.E.N: "Because of his job they have tried to make him a scapegoat. Lots of other people have committed more serious frauds and have not been given such a long sentence. They want to make an example of him."Yacoob's job involved offering advice on a wide range of benefits, including claims for housing and council tax.Manchester council does not deal with the benefits he was found to be fraudulently claiming. Council spokesman Bernard Priest said: "I am pleased justice has been done."

Tea-leaf jailed for biscuit theft

Published Date: 23 September 2009
A biscuit thief has been jailed for a year for stealing tea and snacks from hotel rooms.
David Richardson pleaded guilty to entering The Ambassador Hotel, The Red Lea Hotel and Brooklands Hotel, all in Scarborough, North Yorks, before taking the refreshments, and confronting holidaymakers, which left one woman "frightened to death".A shocked female hotel guest returned to her room to find Richardson had let himself in, helped himself to the hospitality tray and was drinking a cup of tea while watching TV. The 39-year-old, of no fixed abode, was given the maximum sentence available to Scarborough magistrates who handed him two six-month sentences to run consecutively.Richardson argued with the court clerk over two of the charges, and asked for three similar offences at hotels in York and Harrogate to be taken into account, the court heard

British man gets ASBO for playing Status Quo songs all day

16/09/2009 - 21:04:23
His music had his neighbours 'Rockin’ All Over The World' – but now British man Paul Lloyd is risking going 'Down Down'.Blasting out Status Quo rock songs at all hours of the day, Lloyd was proving to be a menace to his neighbours.But he has now been silenced after he was hit with a two-year anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) preventing him from playing loud music.Lloyd has also had thousands of pounds worth of equipment, including six televisions, four DVD players, hi-fis and set-top boxes seized from him.The 34-year-old, of Hampstead Road, Benwell, Newcastle, England was prosecuted after ignoring a string of Newcastle City Council notices ordering him to keep quiet.Noise team officers received complaints from people living near him who had been kept awake all night by the thud of the bass beat from his stereo equipment, including hits by Status Quo, whose songs include 'Rockin’ All Over the World', 'Down Down' and 'Whatever You Want'.Lloyd pleaded guilty to four charges of failing to comply with Noise Abatement Notices and Newcastle magistrates gave him a two-year ASBO which prevents him making any noise that can be heard outside his flat between 11pm and 7am.He has also been banned from causing alarm, harassment or distress to his neighbours.If he breaches the terms of the order, Lloyd could be fined or jailed for up to five years.Stephen Savage, the city council’s director of public protection said: “We will not tolerate any sort of behaviour which has a negative effect on other people’s quality of life.“This ASBO shows we’ll take appropriate action if necessary.”Councillor Anita Lower, executive member for community safety and regulation said: “I urge Newcastle residents to report any instances of anti-social behaviour via the Neighbourhood Helpline 0300 1000 101.“The ASBO that Mr Lloyd received sends a clear warning out to those who choose not to consider their neighbours’ quality of life.”Lloyd was also told to pay £100 (€112.07) prosecution costs, while the court also ordered the forfeiture of his electronic equipment. Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/british-man-gets-asbo-for-playing-status-quo-songs-all-day-426662.html#ixzz0VMSzrXEy

Porsche-driving benefits cheat claimed £23,000

Published Date: 20 October 2009
A PORSCHE-DRIVING South Yorkshire benefits cheat woke up behind bars this morning after being caught fraudulently claiming £23,000 from the tax payer.
Paul Russell, aged 38, claimed incapacity benefit for six years from 2001, claiming he could not work because of his bad back. He also drew council tax and housing benefits.Prosecutor Michael Rawlinson told Sheffield Crown Court that the first time inspectors visited Russell he insisted on being interviewed in bed, claiming he was in so much pain he could not get up.But Russell was actually running a building firm making between £44,000 and £59,000 a year.The court heard that he had savings of more than £3,000 when he started claiming in 2001, already making him ineligible for full incapacity benefit.By 2003 he had enough money to buy his council house in Lindsay Avenue, in Parson Cross, Sheffield, for £18,500, and in 2006 secured a mortgage to buy a second house in Hungerhill Road, Kimberworth, Rotherham for £135,000.He also managed to buy a £28,000 Porsche in 2005.In 2007 Russell remortgaged his Parson Cross house for £73,500, in order to pay off the mortgage on his Kimberworth property. Russell now rents out the Sheffield house for £380 a month.Andrew Smith, defending, said Russell had started off by making a genuine claim for incapacity, and had an operation for a prolapsed disc.Jailing Russell, who pleaded guilty to fraudulently claiming benefits, Judge Alan Goldsack QC said: "You decided to milk the system as well as earning relatively high sums of money. For many years you were blatantly dishonest with your fellow citizens' hard earned cash."Russell showed no reaction as Judge Goldsack sentenced him to 14 months in jail.The judge also set confiscation proceedings for January 2010.After the hearing Vernon Sanderson of the Department for Work and Pensions said: "When people commit benefit theft they don't get away with it. They face imprisonment, fines and other penalties."

Not his lucky day

Lee Terrance Prosser, 37, of St Matthews Green, Bridgwater, touched a woman sexually without her consent, sent to prison for 22 weeks; stole £47 cash, a hairbrush, a packet of cigarettes, deodorant, plastic cigarette and packet of tobacco, sent to prison for 16 weeks