European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 13, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Fugitive arrested charged in fraud against veterans saturday May 13, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 7 Cox new service West Palm Beach Fla. Michael j. Crosby traded on sympathy when he persuaded 6,000 people Man of them veterans to buy a $100 Silver medallion honouring America s forgot ten Man from the Vietnam War. But it was Crosby s investors who were forgotten when it came time to de liver prosecutors charge. Crosby. 42, a fugitive from a novem Ber conviction on mail fraud charges was arrested thursday by the Fri at his Home at the Polo club of Boca Raton. He was ordered held without bail until he can be resumed to Minneapolis where he could face a prison sentence of 160 years. I think he exploited the feelings of people that Vietnam vets were not Given a fair shake said assistant . Attorney Joan Lancaster of Minneapolis. Through exploitation he induced peo ple to make an investment they otherwise would be prevented through common sense to make. He is a cold carted fraud  Crosby s company vets for vets solicited investors in a plan to build a veterans memorial Park near mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota Lancaster said. But Crosby re need on a $90,000 land contract and the Park was never built. Likewise Only 400 of the 5,000 people throughout the United states including Florida who bought Crosby s commemorative medallions Ever received the coins Lancaster said. To lure investors Crosby played a song about Vietnam veterans called the for gotten Man recorded by his wife Jolene be Noil Llic 1974 miss Minnesota. Crosby also defrauded former test Pilot Chuck Yeager who made a promotional videotape touting the veterans Park officials say. But Yeager the first Man to Fly faster than sound testified on oct. 19 that he never signed a contract permitting Cros by to use the videotape. A Cager had hoped to Check out Crosby s company before granting such permission he said. Crosby was arrested at 6 20 . Thursday As he left his Florida Home to walk his Rollic said Fri special agent Bob Neumann. Winds rip anti drug balloon Tucson Ari. A Strong Swir Ling winds called a dust Devil Tore a giant $ 18 million anti drug radar balloon from its moorings causing extensive but repairable damage a customs service offi Cial said thursday. Jerry Young chief of the customs aviation Branch office in Tucson said an investigative panel will try this weekend to reconstruct what happened wednes Day to the 6 / ton Aerostat. The Blimp like helium balloon is made of lightweight and highly resistant thin materials and is 245 feet Long and 72 feet in diameter. I think it ripped itself apart by being moored on a pad with a tremendous amount of wind Force associated with one of these dust devils said Young. A dust Devil a whirlwind or miniature Tornado struck the balloon which carries a sophisticated 3,500-Pound radar package underneath Tore it from its mooring Padang caused it to deflate rapidly he said. Officials said the balloon which can be tethered up to 10,000 feet in the air was Down because of High winds. The Aerostat deployed last june and tethered at the army s fort Hua Chuca i Sierra Vista is definitely repairable we be already determined that Young said. No one was injured. Us he repairs a Light fixture in in the Center of Flint  worker Al Ronkowski seems to be wearing u big Spring hut cops Over Fra n at drinking session mobster Scarf o Lawrence ind. A an improperly super Vised police training session on the effects of alcohol took a wrong turn when a dispatcher had to be hospitalized for drunkenness the mayor says. Mayor Thomas d. Schneider said one officer was suspended for driving his car after taking part in the training and further disciplinary action is expected As a result of the May 2 session which ended with dispatcher Linda d. Offin Backer passing out and being taken by ambulance to Community North Hospital. The evening training program in this Indianapolis suburb was designed to educate 15 Volunteer Reserve officers about the effects of alcohol. Police chief Robert a. Jones said three dispatchers and two police officers drank alcohol for the session. Reserve officers then observed the participants behaviour gave sobriety tests and used the Bra thalimer machine to measure blood alcohol Levels. Capt. Lana Robinson bought two cases of Beer and two bottles of wine for the five drinking participants at a Cost of about $23, her expense voucher showed. I threw in a bottle of Seagram s whiskey that 1 had at Home because i Don t drink myself Robinson said. Officer Steve York who is certified to teach the training sessions was in charge. However Jones said the session was run improperly without Superior offi cers at the scene. A Hospital spokeswoman said Offenbacker was treated in the emergency room and released. She re turned to work the next Jay. Jones said officer Mike Lair was suspended for one Day because he drove his police car to a part time Security Job immediately after taking pan in the drinking session. This mailman could use some rain Syracuse . A v mail carriers Are sup posed to get the Job done come rain sleet Snow or really mean dogs. In this Case the mail Carrier could use a Good hard rain. For the second year in a Row the level of Skaneateles Lake is so Low mid lakes navigation co. Can t use its regular mail boat to make summer deliveries to Lakeside residents. So the company is using a smaller boat a Boston whaler with an outboard motor to serve the 20 to 30 stops along the route. Each Stop has one to four customers. We just can t get to the docks because of the Low water said Peter Wiles manager of mid lakes. Mid lakes contracts with the postal service to de liver mail to summer residents on the Lake s Southern end from july 1 to the Day after labor Day. They can t use rough weather As an excuse they can t use Low water As an excuse said William Pavlus the  postmaster. Mail service has been available on the water since before world War 11. At one Point there was a steam boat with a Post office aboard Wiles said. Gets 55 years Philadelphia a mob Boss Nicodlmo Little Nicky Scarfo was sentenced thursday to 55 years in Federal prison and fined $500,000 for a racketeering conspiracy that included 13 murders and at tempted killings. He was described by the government As a remorse less and profoundly evil  Scarfo 59, and 16 other members of his Phila Delphia Southern new Jersey mafia gang were convicted in november. The government said Scarfo ran the mob from his Home in Atlantic City n.j., and was the Leader of on of the most important and powerful of 24 la Cosa Nostra families in the country. As a member of the mafia s National commission he became one of the most powerful criminals in the United states prosecutor David Fritchy said in court. His lawyer Robert Simone told a reporter Nicky does t blame or have ill will toward the judge or the prosecution because what else were they to do with the false information they got. His beef is against those who lied about him in the courtroom referring to mobsters who turned government informants. Earlier in the Day . District judge Franklin Van Antwerp in sentenced Scarfo s Nephew Philip conc tit of Margate n.j., who was identified As mob under Boss to the maximum sentence of 45 years. The judge rejected a plea for probation after noting conc tit was involved in four murders an attempted murder and 15 extortion. For the other defendants sentences ranged from 3 i years to 45 years