Remember Jose Pimentel, the "lone wolf" terrorist the NYPD arrested last year after a tip from a questionable informant? The one whose first lawyer said he was entrapped and whose case the FBI absolutely, to the NYPD's embarrassment, wanted nothing to do with? Well, the Manhattan's DA office is reportedly working on a plea deal for the "stoned squirrel" as you read this, despite the fact they haven't actually indicted him yet. more ›

The Pennsylvania construction worker accused of viciously beating and sexually assaulting a woman at a Midtown bar—because she refused to dance with him—pleaded guilty yesterday. Mbarek Lafrem had originally tried to blame the victim, a pediatric nurse, claiming, "She was trying to push me so I punched her in the face twice and pushed her back in the stall," but yesterday his lawyer said, "He felt it was the right thing to do at this juncture." more ›

Last spring, five Brooklyn high school girls were accused of beating up a fellow classmate with a padlock-in-a-sock. The victim, Shacara McLaurin, said that the vicious beating was fueled by jealousy over an upcoming talent show. Today, one of those alleged attackers, Chazmia Morrison, didn't do herself any favors while appearing in Brooklyn Supreme Court —she came off as such a "brat" that the judge decided to rescind her no-jail plea deal! more ›

Last December, WABC 7 weather anchor Heidi Jones was arrested after allegedly lying to cops by claiming that she'd been nearly raped by a Hispanic man in Central Park. She pleaded not guilty to filing false a police report, but now it looks like she's looking for a plea deal. Her lawyer told the judge at a hearing yesterday, "We're involved in active discussions about a possible resolution in the case." more ›

One of the more upsetting recent medical malpractice cases going has come to an unsatisfying conclusion. For the past three years Mikhail Sorodsky, 63, has been in jail waiting to face charges that he posed as a cancer doctor who would not only swindle dying immigrants out of their money but would also sexually abuse them while he was at it. He remained locked up since there was no way he could pay his $33 million bail (the highest on record in the state). Jury selection for the case was supposed to begin this week but that's over now since Sorodsky has made a plea deal. And it's a doozy. His 102-count indictment has been reduced down to 20 charges and Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Guy Mangano yesterday set down a sentence of six years (three of which he's already served). more ›

When Kyle Shaw was 17, he really loved the movie Fight Club and he also set off a crude improvised explosive device outside an Upper East Side Starbucks. Now he's 19 and he's pleaded guilty to the incident in a plea deal with the Manhattan DA's office. The Daily News reports he'll go "to prison for 3-1/2 years. He faced a minimum of 15 years and a max of 25 years if convicted of a top arson count by a jury. Assistant District Attorney Christopher Ryan said his office took Shaw's age into account when offering the shorter prison term. Defense lawyer Adam Perlmutter noted that his client, who graduated from high school around the time of the incident, has no criminal history." more ›

Everyone's favorite Fight Club-loving, Starbucks-bombing teen, Kyle Shaw, is considering a plea deal. The Daily News reports that the 18-year-old was given an option of "3-1/2 years in prison." A prosector told the judge, "The offer is being made after careful consideration of the factors, including his age." Plus, that bomb he set off outside the Upper East Side java joint was crude and his trying to start his own Project Mayhem is so cute! The Post says, besides "That's a latte prison time," that Shaw must decide by September 7 or a trial will set. Last we heard from Shaw, he was getting into fights at Rikers. more ›

Powerhouse Democratic fundraiser Hassan Nemazee was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his $292 million Ponzi scheme. Nemazee, who was Hillary Clinton's national finance chairman for her 2008 presidential campaign, John Kerry's NY finance chairman for his 2004 presidential campaign, and raised $500,000 for Barack Obama in 2008, said in court, "I'm guilty of these crimes. I'm also guilty of hypocrisy. I have spent countless hours trying to understand why and how I came to cross the line: pride, ego, arrogance, self image, self-importance. All were among the reasons I traveled down this destructive path." more ›

The Irish national who killed his ex-girlfriend, an NYPD lab tech, last year was sentenced to 29 to 37 years in prison. Gary McGurk, who pleaded guilty to murdering Michelle Lee last month, apologized to her family in court. According to the Daily News, he said, "I hope that in the years to come God will help you through this. Michelle is safe with him now. I don't ask for forgiveness because I don't deserve it..." more ›

As suspected, the Long Island driver who fatally struck a 15-year-old Hamptons Bay teen last year was sentenced to six months in jail. Caroline Goss, who had her 6-year-old son in the car and a 0.13 blood alcohol level at the time of the incident, agreed to the plea deal from the Suffolk County DA's office. But the victim's mother feels that prosecutors are "basically blaming the victim." more ›

Last August, 15-year-old Joseph Marino died after being struck by a drunk driver in Hampton Bays. Now the driver, Caroline Goss, who was found with an open container of alcohol in the car as well as her 6-year-old son, is reportedly close to making a deal with prosecutors to serve a six month sentence. A lawyer for Marino's family called the deal a "joke." more ›

Carmen Huertas, who, while driving drunk, fatally crashed her car on the West Side Highway, killing her daughter's friend and injured six other, is hoping for kindness from a judge. According to the Daily News, her lawyer wants the judge to let her "plead guilty to a top manslaughter charge but give her less than the 5-to-15 year prison term prosecutors are demanding." Defense lawyer Steve Rubin claims Huerta was abused by "many different individuals" in the past, "It's a whole history of who Carmen Huertas is... [That] doesn't excuse, but explains her behavior." The father of the dead girl has previously said he wants Huertas to serve at least ten years, "She took my child away - she has to pay for that." more ›

The surviving Somali pirate involved in taking a U.S. container ship captain hostage a year ago may plead guilty. The NY Times reports the U.S. Attorney's office has asked a judge to schedule a plea proceeding for Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, who pleaded not guilty last May to charges including piracy under the law of nations and kidnapping: "If convicted of piracy, Mr. Muse would face a mandatory life sentence. One possible strategy by Mr. Muse’s lawyers would be to seek a deal in which he could plead guilty to a lesser charge that would reduce his potential sentence; or to have any cooperation be factored into a request for leniency." It's unclear how old Muse is: Prosecutors said he was 19 last year, while his defense said he was 15. more ›

The man who strangled the daughter of two NYU professors pleaded guilty to manslaughter yesterday in exchange for a 25 year prison sentence. Michael Cordero apologized, "I just want to let the family know I'm really sorry... I know this is nothing to them, but I'm really sorry. If I could take it back, I would," —and also added, "I'll never do it again." more ›

The man accused beating Oreo the dog and throwing her from the roof of a Red Hook building this summer failed to show up to his sentencing hearing on Tuesday. After initially pleading not guilty, Fabian Henderson, 20, changed his mind and pleaded guilty last month to aggravated animal assault for hurling the 1-year-old pit bull six stories. more ›

Former NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik faces a lengthy prison sentence and almost $5 million in fines if convicted on all 16 counts of fraud, conspiracy, and corruption. But sources tell the Daily News he's been offered a plea deal that would get him out of jail in under three years. Kerik is facing three federal trials; the first, set to begin on November 9th, accuses Kerik of letting a mob-controlled contracting firm renovate his apartment for free, while telling city investigators that that same firm had no criminal ties. more ›

Miguel Matias pleaded guilty to strangling his 14-year-old daughter and throwing her body into a Bronx building's boiler in 2008. Earlier this year, rape and incest charges were added against him, because DNA evidence showed his daughter was 12 weeks pregnant with his child. With this plea, Matias faces up to 25 years to life in prison; his lawyer said he would have faced up to 50 years to life if the case went to trial, "We had to [plead]. It’s not a triable case." more ›

Back in March, Real Housewife Kelly Bensimon was charged with beating up her boyfriend. But now her record will be wiped clean if she serves two days of community service and stays on the straight and narrow. Bensimon said she was pleased with the deal, "Justice was served." While battered boyfriend Nicholas Stefanov previously said he'd like to get back together, Bensimon said that's not happening, repeating her lawyer's earlier refrain that she was trying to get him to leave her apartment (hence pushing him so hard that he told the tabloids, "My injuries are worse than Rihanna's - and Chris Brown was charged with two felonies"). The Columbia graduate also posed the ultimate Deep Thought, "Is it good for your career when bad things happen to good people?" more ›

Raffaello Follieri, the Italian playboy-con man, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy yesterday, in a plea deal that will land him a minimum of five years and three months in prison. Follieri, who claimed to be a representative of the Vatican, would take investors' money and spend it on his extravagant lifestyle, which included a Trump Tower apartment and squiring his girlfriend, actress Anne Hathaway. The new news is how he agreed to surrender claim to jewelry "recovered" from Hathaway (here's a list) as well as "precious metals and jewelry" found in his Bronx storage unit. Also found among his belongings: A letter from a former Vatican secretary of state telling him to stop pretending to be affiliated with the Vatican. The Post described him as looking pale while the Times said he needed a haircut. more ›

In a change of plans, Robert Chambers decided to accept a plea deal and pleaded guilty to charges of selling cocaine and assaulting an officer during an undercover drug sting last year. Police had found Chambers, who gained infamy in NYC as the "Preppy Killer" for killing Jennifer Levin in 1986, and his girlfriend selling cocaine in her apartment. more ›

The two women who are accused of stealing from open houses are looking for deals from the prosecutors. more ›

Multiple sources say that Governor Eliot Spitzer is resigning and has begun notifying top state officials of his decision and is now scheduled to speak at 11:30 a.m.. Of course, he was expected to step down , but it seems that after "an agonizing night," his resignation is all but confirmed. (The Times has a Q&A conducted with Paterson in January; like Spitzer he's a big Hillary Clinton booster.) more ›

Shawn Kovell, who was arrested in an undercover drug sting in October, was released from jail yesterday to head into a drug treatment program. She was able to get out by making a deal with the Manhattan DA's office: Kovell pleaded guilty to charges that she sold cocaine with her boyfriend, Robert Chambers, the infamous "Preppy Killer" in the 1986 death of Jennifer Levin. Kovell was originally held on $25,000 bail, and Kovell's lawyer had... more ›