Briefs

Local and VCU

Byram’s Lobster House owner convicted, avoids jail

The owner of Richmond’s popular Byram’s Lobster House avoided a stint in jail Thursday on two convictions related to damaging a neighboring building in a real estate dispute.

Konstantinos Nikiforos, 56, entered guilty pleas to two counts of misdemeanor property damage in a brief hearing before Richmond Circuit Judge Margaret P. Spencer.

In exchange for his guilty pleas, prosecutors agreed to recommend a 24-month suspended jail term on the condition that Nikiforos make restitution and stay out of legal trouble for three years.

Spencer accepted the pleas and sentenced Nikiforos according to the agreement. Prosecutor Julie McConnell said Nikiforos has already made full restitution of about $35,000.

“I really respect the fact that Mr. Nikiforos has tried to make it right,” McConnell said after the hearing.

Nikiforos was indicted in November on three charges: felony property damage and felony threatening to blow up a building, and a misdemeanor charge of property damage. Prosecutors elected against prosecuting himon the threatening count.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Outlaws president gets 20 years

Jack Rosga, the national president of the American Outlaws Association motorcycle club, was sentenced Friday to serve 20 years in prison.

Rosga, 54, was convicted by a jury in Richmond in December of racketeering charges and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.

The bearded, graying Rosga, wearing a black-and-white-striped jail uniform, quietly declined to make remarks moments before he was sentenced.

Rosga, of Milwaukee, Wis., a self-made businessman, widower and grandfather with no prior criminal convictions, became the leader of the Outlaws in 2006. A number of witnesses testified and wrote letters to Hudson attesting to Rosga’s good character.

“I think the positive side of you deserves some recognition,” said Hudson, explaining why the sentences would run concurrently.

Last year’s indictment accused 27 bikers, most of them members or former members of the Outlaws and a few with the allied Pagans club, with engaging in attempted murder, kidnapping, assault and other crimes.

In all, 16 pleaded guilty, three were acquitted, charges were dismissed against two, and one was shot to death in Maine when authorities attempted to arrest him. Five Outlaws, including Rosga, were found guilty in jury trials.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Trial date set for Monroe Park campers

A trial has been scheduled next week for nine people charged last month with unlawfully staying in Richmond’s Monroe Park.

Authorities said the nine will be tried as a group Tuesday in Richmond General District Court.

Charged March 17 were Matthew J. Castle, 21, of no fixed address, and Moriah M. Karn, 24, of the 2000 block of Barton Avenue in Richmond. Each was charged with unlawfully remaining in a public park after dark and released at the scene.

The other seven were were charged with unlawfully remaining in a public park after dark as well as obstruction of justice for allegedly failing to identify themselves to a magistrate. All charges are misdemeanors.

The seven are Katheryn M. Petrick, 49, of no fixed address; David C. Stubbs, 26, of Charlotte,N.C.; Lawrence W. Oleksa, 18, of Henrico County; Leilani R. Combs, 19, of the 1300 block of West Cary Street in Richmond; Daniel Fargason, 26, of no fixed address; Stephen J. Loughman IV, 20, of the 2000 block of Barton Avenue in Richmond; and Darick Neth, 23, of no fixed address.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

National and International

Shutdown averted after budget deal

Perilously close to a government shutdown, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders reached a historic agreement late Friday night to cut about $38 billion in federal spending and avert the first federal closure in 15 years.

Obama hailed the deal as “the biggest annual spending cut in history.” House Speaker John A. Boehner said that over the next decade it would cut government spending by $500 billion, and won an ovation from his rank and file —tea-party adherents among them.

“This is historic, what we’ve done,” agreed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., the third man involved in negotiations that ratified a new era of divided government.

They announced the agreement less than an hour before government funding was due to run out. The shutdown would have closed national parks, tax-season help lines and other popular services, though the military would have stayed on duty and other essential efforts such as air traffic control would have continued in effect.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Fervor of Wis. debate shifts to recall elections

Nearly a month after the Wisconsin standoff over union rights ended, some of the fervor from that debate has shifted to recall efforts targeting lawmakers in both parties — Republicans who voted to cut back collective bargaining and Democrats who fled the state to try to stop them.

Now that the law has passed, organizers are focusing on signature-gathering efforts. But of the 16 state senators who were originally targeted, only six appear likely to face an election threatening removal. And before recall elections can be held, supporters need to find candidates to run against the incumbents.

Still, voter outrage remains high in many places, helping to stir interest in the recalls.

“A lot of legislators are going to be looking over their shoulders a little more in the future,” said Michael Kraft, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay. “And if they are in the middle of a recall effort, they might be nervous about that. They might moderate what they say and how they approach the budget.”

Last week, Democrats filed their first petition to try to recall a GOP senator who supported Gov. Scott Walker’s law, which eliminated collective bargaining for most public employees.

Sen. Dan Kapanke of La Crosse represents a Democratic-leaning district in western Wisconsin. Two other Republican senators and three Democrats also face probable recall elections.

Brief by The Associated Press

UN, French fire on Gbagbo residence in Ivory Coast

United Nations and French helicopters fired rockets on strongman Laurent Gbagbo’s residence on Sunday in an assault the U.N. said was to retaliate for attacks by his forces on U.N. headquarters and civilians.

Residents from nearby neighborhoods reported seeing two U.N. Mi-24 attack helicopters and a French helicopter open fire on the residence, where Gbagbo is holed up in a bunker. The residents couldn’t be named for fear of reprisal.

An Associated Press reporter saw the helicopters take off from the French military base followed minutes later by explosions coming from the direction of the residence. Successive waves of French helicopters took off from the base in the following hours and additional bombardments could be heard.

Gbagbo has been living in a bunker in his residence in Abidjan for nearly a week. After a decade in power, he refuses to step aside even though the United Nations has ruled that he lost the November presidential election to Alassane Ouattara.

Forces loyal to Gbagbo were encircled at the presidential residence earlier this week but broke out on Saturday, ambushing a patrol of soldiers loyal to his rival and advancing downtown.

Pro-Gbagbo forces also attacked U.N. headquarters on Saturday and again on Sunday.

Brief by The Associated Press