The DA is throwing the book at the one-legged ex-con millionaire who was convicted of assaulting a Russian stripper in January. Manhattan prosecutors want to sentence Thomas Hartmann, who was found guilty of smacking Sophia Kandelaki with his Rolex watch, to a year in prison for the misdemeanor assault. Hartmann's lawyer has asked for more time to respond to the prosecutions' 11th hour demand: "We're hoping he can stay out (of jail) altogether," said Joseph Tacopina. more ›

A man who has been in state prison twice for at least three counts of robbery really wants to work at Red Lobster. So much so that he's suing the seafood chain to hire him, alleging that the manager at the Times Square branch rejected his application because of his criminal history which is discrimination. And the Post's experts "say he has a case." more ›

An 8-months-pregnant teacher's aide was shot while sitting inside her car in Springfield Gardens yesterday. Leba Toussaint was talking to a friend who had recently gotten out of prison, and was shot in the shoulder by someone firing from a passing green Acura. Her father believes the bullet was intended for her friend, though he was unharmed in the shooting. He told the Daily News, "She's going to be okay. They have to be careful with anything they do because she's pregnant." Police couldn't confirm that the ex-con was the intended target of the shooting. more ›

The ex-convict who was arrested for shooting his parole officer at the downtown Brooklyn parole office on Thursday was trying to kill the officer. Police say that after Robert Morales, 50, fired into Samuel Salters' shoulder, tried to pull the trigger of his Ruger 9mm again—aiming at Salters' face—but the gun jammed. Morales seem to confirm that version of events, because he told reporters, as he was being taken to court, "Unfortunately he ain't dead. That was the plan... He's an a-hole. He deserved it." more ›

Last night, a NY State parole officer was shot by an ex-convict in the State Division of Parole offices on Schermerhorn Street near Nevins Street in downtown Brooklyn. Parole officer Samuel Salters was hit in the right shoulder while another parole officer tackled suspect Robert Morales, 50, who was convicted of second-degree murder (an arson that killed a boy) in 1979 and paroled in 2002. Another parolee, Terrance Cofield, who witnessed the shooting said, "It was crazy. Everybody was running around, trying to figure out what was going on. The parole officers were scared. The adrenaline was pumping. " more ›

Today Imam Zulqarnain Abdu-Shahid, the Correction Department chaplain and ex-con caught carrying sharp objects (razor blades and a pair of scissors) into a downtown prison, is set to testify in front of a grand jury. Last week the Imam was charged with four counts of first-degree promoting prison contraband. According to his layer, the blades caught by an X-ray machine as the chaplain entered the prison are "the kind found in barbershops." more ›

At a press conference on Sunday the president of the NY State Federation of Taxi Drivers demanded to know what had become of missing cabbie Victor Ovalles, only to find out he was in jail for pulling a knife on another driver. "I should have checked with the police before asking for help," admitted Fernando Mateo. Ovalles had been behind bars for nearly a month, according to the Daily News, but hadn't told his family. What's more, since he lacked a taxi license and had a criminal record, he shouldn't have been driving a cab to begin with. His family says police were unhelpful in their quest to find their missing relative. "They didn't get us any answers," said the jailed driver's brother. "We were surprised when we heard he was arrested. But we're glad he's okay." more ›

On Sunday night, a livery cab driver was killed in the Bronx. It turned out that Jose Peña-Segura's suspected killer was a man on parole for attempted murder: Benny Delgado, 31, who was caught while fleeing the scene, "has more than 20 arrests on his rap sheet" and was "released from prison in 2007 after serving 12 years on an attempted murder conviction," according to the Daily News. Now Delgado has allegedly confessed to the murder, saying that he and a friend named Jason called Peña-Segura to exact revenge—a Bronx prosecutor read Delgado's statement, "Jason was upset because Jose's associate took some pills from him but didn't pay. We weren't able to find Jose's associate, so I went after the next person. I told Jose to go to an address that I knew was fake. When we arrived, I shot him in the back of the head." And in the process of questioning, Delgado also admitted to shooting another man (a heroin dealer) in the Bronx, "[John Latigua] said he didn't give a f--- about us dope fiends. I then took out my gun and shot him in the chest." more ›

Last week, a bodega owner and his teenaged son were killed during a robbery attempt at their Crown Heights store. Now police say that a paroled rapist is in custody in connection with the murders, thanks to a tip from CrimeStoppers. The Daily News reports, "Charles Judd, who did 15 years for sexually attacking two 12-year-old girls, told his mother he was carrying a toy gun." A police source further explained, "Judd let some family members know what happened, but claimed he only robbed them, didn't shoot anyone and used a fake gun." It's believed that two men were involved in the fatal robbery: A bodega employee who survived by playing dead said that the robbers had forced him, owner Mohammed Mansoor Abuzaid, Abuzaid's son Abdul, and a customer into a basement; the Abuzaids fought back and were shot. Police are looking for the other suspect. more ›