Latest news with #Ex-Miami
New York Post
26-05-2025
- New York Post
The Menendez brothers' most surprising advocate is a tough-on-crime ex-judge
A retired tough-on-crime judge has become a surprising advocate for allowing Erik and Lyle Menendez to be released on parole after the shotgun murders of their parents more than three decades ago. And it was all because of his beloved golden retrievers. Ex-Miami criminal court judge Jonathan T. Colby has visited the brothers numerous times in prison in the last 10 years, accompanied by his pups, as part of an outreach program that uses dogs to soften the hearts of hardened killers. Colby has touched more than just the Menendez brothers with his work for the Love on a Leash pet therapy nonprofit. Sirhan Sirhan, who has been behind bars since the 1968 murder of Robert F. Kennedy, 'cried like a baby' when he met Colby's golden retriever Grace, he told The Post. Advertisement 6 Jonathan T. Colby became an advocate for the Menendez brothers getting resentenced after visiting them in prison numerous times as part of a dog therapy program. Instagram/@ 6 The Menendez brothers' sentences were reduced by the Los Angeles County Superior Court from 'life without parole' to '50 years to life.' California Department of Corrections via AP, File But what he saw in the brothers astounded him. Other inmates praised the convicted killers for transforming the prison yard's vibe by 'painting these incredible murals throughout the whole [prison] yard,' Colby said. Advertisement The brothers painted murals 'honoring the veterans that are in prison, both guards and inmates,' and others showing Disney characters. Colby, 67, said one mural stood out. It shows the Coronado dog beach in San Diego near the famous Hotel Del Coronado, where pooches paddle in the water. Colby recounted how the Menendez brothers told him, 'We know we will never be able to see it. So we got a picture of it. We painted it up on one of the walls with a golden retriever, so we could enjoy it too.' Colby testified in favor of Lyle and Erik Menendez being resentenced at a hearing earlier this month after family members argued that their case should be reevaluated, in part because of new evidence that the boys were sexually abused. He was joined by many members of the brothers' family. Advertisement 6 Colby is a former Miami criminal court judge. Courtesy of Jonathan T. Colby Following the hearing, on May 13, a judge ruled that the brothers' sentence of life in prison without parole should be knocked down — making them eligible to be released by the parole board. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman strongly objected to the move, arguing the brothers never fully copped to their culpability in the gruesome 1989 murders, which saw them shoot their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, 16 times with shotguns, including reloading to deliver a fatal shot to their mother. But Colby told The Post that he was struck during his visits with them to see that they set up a mentoring program, helping younger and newer inmates helping to care for the elderly ones. Advertisement He said he saw the two 'make a difference in the lives of other inmates, in promoting education, in promoting peace, in promoting 12-step programs, and in promoting a better design of the facility to make it more conducive to rehabilitation.' 6 Lyle (left) and Erik Menendez were convicted of murdering their parents, Kitty and Jose, in 1994. The retired jurist said the brothers 'did so many things that I observed and witnessed that were commended before they had any hope of being recognized with a pardon, parole or resentencing.' Colby, who handed out his share of tough sentences during the drug-fueled 90s in South Florida, said that what he saw in Erik and Lyle shifted his understanding of how inmates can change for the better once incarcerated. 'When I saw the work they did and the degrees they received from the University of California while incarcerated, plus all their work, plus the programs they set up, and realize they did that for no other reason than that, perhaps this is what rehabilitation in prison looks like,' Colby, who grew up in Rego Park, Queens, said. 6 Colby said the Menendez brothers improved their prison yard by painting murals 'honoring the veterans that are in prison, both guards and inmates.' Photo by VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty Images 'I never believed in rehabilitation as part of sentencing,' he said. 'I believed that when a person who committed a crime was convicted by a jury in my court and was sentenced to prison, and they were violent, my purpose was to keep society safe from this person, from further harm.' Following their resentencing, Lyle and Erik have parole hearings set for Aug. 21 and 22. It will then be up to the state's parole board and Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom as to whether they're allowed to go free. Advertisement Colby's experience with infamous inmates extends beyond the Menendez brothers. He's also worked with Sirhan Sirhan, who is serving life without parole for assassinating Robert F. Kennedy, the father of current Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. 6 Colby with his therapy dog Grace. Courtesy of Jonathan T. Colby He said the elderly, diminutive Sirhan cautiously approached Colby inside the prison and asked to pet Grace, the volunteer's current canine. ''I'm honored to meet you, sir,'' Colby recalled the convicted killer saying. 'He said, 'May I pet Grace? I've heard about her.' Advertisement Sirhan 'got down on his hands and knees. [He] cried like a baby and held her like he was seeing his child, and he stated that he's been in prison for 50-plus years, and this was the first time that he's seen a dog or touched a dog, and this meant so much to him.' Colby and his dogs have crossed paths with countless souls — hospitalized children, veterans, and notorious inmates, including Suge Knight of Death Row Records fame, and members of the murderous Manson 'family,' all housed at California's only 'super-max' prison, located in San Diego County. One person who isn't shocked by Colby's transformation from crime-buster to compassion-provider is his sister, Jamie Colby, a former Fox News Channel anchor. 'The imprisoned duo 'just were different than many of the other people Jon met in his courtroom,' she said in a phone interview, her voice warm with pride. 'He really did, in his courtroom, see the worst of the worst, the MS-13 [members], murderers, child molesters, just the worst of the worst, and he spotted a goodness in the Menendez brothers.'
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Former Miami corrections officer sentenced for COVID loan program fraud
A former federal corrections officer from Miami-Dade County has been sentenced to four months in prison and ordered to pay over $75,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to wire fraud schemes involving pandemic relief programs. Angelo Stephen, 33, was sentenced Thursday in federal court after pleading guilty in March before Chief U.S. District Judge Cecila M. Altonaga. In addition to the prison term, Stephen was sentenced to three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Stephen worked as a correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institute in Miami. He is jailed at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. MORE: Ex-Miami cop pleads guilty to ripping off COVID loan program. He faces decades in prison Prosecutors say that while serving in that role, he orchestrated a series of fraudulent schemes to siphon federal COVID-19 relief funds and exploit individual bank accounts. He faced a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. PPP fraud and bank takeovers Stephen admitted to submitting a false application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan in August 2020, falsely claiming to own an event planning and entertainment business with 10 employees and over $62,000 in revenue, according to federal court records. Based on the claims, the Small Business Administration issued him $20,000 in disaster relief funds, which were deposited into his account at Navy Federal Credit Union, according to court documents. MORE: First Broward deputy sent to prison for COVID loan fraud that put $31,000 in her pocket In 2021, the federal government says Stephen submitted two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications using the Womply online portal. He claimed to be a sole proprietor operating under the name 'Angelo Stephen,' falsifying tax documents and reporting an inflated gross income of $106,554 for 2020. The applications led to the disbursement of an additional $41,666 in federal funds. Beyond pandemic-related fraud, the Department of Justice say Stephen also engaged in unauthorized access to personal financial accounts. In March 2023, federal prosecutors say he and his accomplices orchestrated a wire transfer of $20,000 from the Wells Fargo account of an unsuspecting victim in Virginia into a newly opened Chase Bank account under Stephen's control. He quickly drained the account through Zelle payments and large cash withdrawals. In July 2023, Stephen exploited another victim — this time in Panama — by redirecting blank checks from the victim's Guardians Credit Union account to an address under his control. He then cashed one of the checks for $8,500 at a Guardian's branch in Palm Beach County, falsely labeling the transaction as payment for remodeling services. The Department of Justice and Small Business Administration's Office of Inspector General investigated Stephen. Miami Herald staff writer Jay Weaver contributed to this report.
