Gregory Davis Goes On Trial Today For Murder Of Brianna Jones, Who Apparently Interrupted His Burglary...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

It's a story that has gotten short shrift from the mainstream media: Gregory Davis, accused of murdering a woman who interrupted his burglary, goes on trial today. I hear that jury selection has already started.

Davis sort of knew the victim. He was dating her boyfriend's mother. The murder happened at 1518 Emerson Ave. N. 

An Interesting North Minneapolis Connection With Kao Xiong, Father Of 4-Year-Old Who Shot 2-Year-Old Brother...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

Most JNS blog readers have heard about the sad case of Kao Xiong, the father of a 4-year-old boy who shot and killed his 2-year-old brother with a weapon left in the home, unsecured. The incident happened in a town home in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood. I've never thought of the story as connected to North Minneapolis.

Until tonight, when I was looking at the jail roster...

What Has Become Of Vietnam-Hong Kong International, The Most Mysterious Store In North Minneapolis?

Photo, blog post by John Hoff

Vietnam Hong Kong International of 404 West Broadway has been a mystery to many on the Northside. Even people who drive by the place twice daily seldom know what's within. A friend of mine once told me he thought it was a bar, "the scariest bar in the world, where they would kill you just for walking in the door."

No. It's a grocery store. Or it was.

Well, it's...kind of a grocery store, I guess.

Or it was.

But now it seems to have expired while nobody was watching...

Minnesota Court Of Appeals Rules First USA Title Must Post Bond For "Too Little, Too Late" Appeal In Mortgage Fraud, Identity Theft Judgment...

Contributed photo, 1564 Hillside Ave. N. at the time it
was sold for a small fortune by slumlord Keith Rietman,
blog post by John Hoff

JNS blog has been following the "progress" (if that's the word) of a post-eleventh hour, beyond-the-last ditch appeal of a massive judgment against First USA Title, et al.

Click here for previous blog coverage.

First USA Title didn't bother to show up in district court and fight a lawsuit regarding its negligence in a massive mortgage fraud/identity theft scheme which wiped out the credit of John Foster. A house at 1564 Hillside Ave. N. was involved in the scheme. Larry "Maximum" Maxwell went to prison as a result of the fraud. 

The civil suit which came out of the Maxwell case resulted in a judgment of more than $800,000. It is expected the judgment will be quite difficult to collect, and that has certainly been the case so far...

Corey Davis, Jr., Arrested For Being A Prohibited Person In Possession Of A Gun IN HIS CROTCH...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

Pictured above, a World War Two-era German flare pistol. Probably one of the last pistols on earth you'd want to hide IN YOUR CROTCH.

This was NOT the weapon Corey Davis, Jr. was accused of hiding IN HIS CROTCH, click here for criminal complaint. 

But actually, we don't know what type of weapon it was. The criminal complaint isn't specific. It doesn't matter, though, because...

Steven Creamer and Aaron Jerome Williams Accused Of Involvement In Multiple Robberies And Then Standing At A Bus Stop Like Dummies Where They Were Spotted By Alleged Victims...

Creative stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

In late March, police received reports of "multiple robberies at gunpoint" around the 900 block of Oliver Ave. N. One of the victims reported the robbers were standing at a bus stop in front of 923 Penn Ave. N., according to a criminal complaint.

When police showed up, they arrested Steven Creamer and Aaron Jerome Williams. A cell phone belonging to one victim was found in the pocket of Creamer's pants. There's no mention in the criminal complaint that a tracking device on the phone helped to locate the robbers but, well, one wonders.

A realistic-looking BB gun was found in the vicinity and Creamer pretty much admitted he'd handled the gun. He's prohibited from having guns due to a prior conviction. Yes, even a BB gun.

On the criminal complaint, Creamer's home address is listed as 3743 Logan Ave. N., a property owned by A Vision LLC with the taxpayer listed as Bruce D. Barron of Savage, MN.

The name "A Vision LLC" keeps coming up in association with dubious people in North Minneapolis...

Police Investigating Guns Sold To Gang Members Arrest Jiyaad Jamaal Copeland Of 2518 4th St. N., Featured In MPR Story About Gun Crimes...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

When I saw the name "Jiyaad Jamaal Copeland" on the jail roster, the first thing I wondered was whether this guy is related to Donquarius Copeland, accused of murdering Rayjon Gomez. Are they brothers? Half brothers? Cousins? Or is the last name merely a coincidence?

So far, I've been unable to link the two Copelands, whose names sit side-by-side on the Hennepin County Jail roster. Donquarius was born January 10, 1995, and his home address is listed as NPA. (No permanent address) Jiyaad Copeland was born June 14, 1991, which makes this blog posting his belated birthday present.

Happy birthday, Jamaal!

Anyway, Jamaal's address is listed on the jail roster AND the criminal complaint as 2518 4th St. N., a rental property owned by Paul Bertelson which I have been unable to link to anybody else. (Yes, the owner is listed as Mission Inn Mn Inc., but that's Paul Bertelson) The address also comes up as the location of a "shot spotter activation." The address also merited a mention on the North By Northside blog, click here.

Anyway, on to the nuts and bolts of what Jiyaad Jamaal Copeland did...

Rick Clark Briggs Accused Of Raping Woman He Met At A North Minneapolis Bar...

Creative stock photo, Cuban rum for
sale in Germany, blog post by John Hoff

Rick Clark Briggs is accused of picking up a woman at a bar on Lyndale Ave., bringing her to a home at 4651 Queen Ave. N., raping her, then sending her away in a Blue and White taxi. Taxi records linked the incident to the house at 4651 Queen Ave. N. and the victim was able to identify the suspect.

Reading the criminal complaint, click here, it's like a textbook example of date rape. The disturbing details are in the complaint and I'll not replicate them here. But please note there is a typo in the complaint. Briggs' address is "Minneapolis," not "Minnetonka."

Looking more deeply into the address where the incident reportedly happened, 4651 Queen Ave. N. does not appear to be a problem property based upon my internet search. There is quite a history of yard sales at the property, often involving the sale of plants. The home is owned by a woman with the same surname as Rick Clark Briggs. So when Briggs told the victim they were going to his mama's house, well, that part was apparently true.

But, according to the criminal complaint, mama wasn't home.

And while mama wasn't home, Briggs allegedly...

Well, um, read the criminal complaint. 

Wayne Barlow, Accused Of Being The "Parking Garage Bandit," Is Reportedly A Resident Of The Address Pictured Below, JNS Blog Says "Not Likely"

Photo, blog post by John Hoff

The house at 2619 Newton Ave. N. doesn't look like this anymore. It was torn down not long ago, as reported here on JNS blog. The house had sustained tornado damage and reportedly looked WORSE than the photo above.

Currently, another house is being built there. A permit was pulled not long ago to "rough in" the plumbing, so I doubt the house is ready for anybody to live there.

And yet Wayne Barlow, accused of stealing a woman's car from a downtown parking garage, is listed on a criminal complaint as residing at this address. Click here for the criminal complaint.

According to the complaint...

JNS Blog Reader Unearths More Information On Accused "Northeast Nazi" Michael Karkoc...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

After my recent story about Michael Karkoc, accused of involvement in Nazi war crimes and (good heavens!) a longtime resident of Northeast Minneapolis, interested readers have been sending me bits and pieces of info dug up through internet sleuthing. It's the same sort of sleuthing I do, then publish my findings on this blog. But when somebody else does the work it's only right to give credit...even if I'm not naming the individuals who did the digging.

Anyway, here's what we're finding out about Karkoc in the words of one helpful reader...

JNS BLOG SUPER EXCLUSIVE: "Shot Across The Bow" Letter Mailed To Minnesota Department Of Corrections By Hennepin County Board Of Commissioners On The Issue Of Level Three Sex Offender Concentration, PART TWO...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

The official name of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners is actually "Board of Hennepin County Commissioners." But I prefer my way, better, and I hear everybody else using the same name for the board. So I'm doing it my way.

In Part One, I published the first half of a "shot across the bow" letter written by Mike Opat, Chair of the County Board, about the topic of Level Three Sex Offender Concentration in Hennepin County. At the end of Part One, Opat was in the middle of citing particularly egregious examples of dangerous predatory offenders dumped on Hennepin County who rightfully belonged in OTHER counties.

The letter continues, as follows...

Michael Karkoc, Accused Of Nazi War Crimes, Lives At 708 Fifth Street NE, Minneapolis, According To Rumors On Facebook...(UPDATE: Other Info Puts Him At 1919 Pierce St. NE)

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

Michael Karkoc, 94, accused of involvement with Nazi war crimes, was recently revealed to be living in Northeast Minneapolis, click here for article.

Information floating around on Facebook pages states his address is 708 Fifth Street NE. However, I have been unable to link Karkoc's name with that property. It is a homestead owned by somebody named Heinecke. Further confirmation is needed. Anybody with more info, please share.

This blog has long engaged in the practice of linking specific incidents (and accusations, such as those found in criminal complaints) with specific addresses. Nazi war crimes allegedly committed by a man in his 90s are not an exception to my general rule.

Here is one (not all) of the examples I have found of the info floating around on Facebook...

Somebody Appears To Be "Scrubbing The Internet" Of References To Tajreed Edward Rich's Association With North High, But Google Caches Tell The Tale...

Creative stock photo, West Bank Area of Minneapolis,
blog post by John Hoff

Yesterday I published the criminal complaint against Tajreed Edward Rich, who is accused of having sex with a minor student from Robbinsdale Cooper High School. Rich was reportedly employed at that school as a hall monitor, counselor, and staff member of the boy's football team. Looks like he was also bucking to be the sex education teacher. (Comedy drum sound effect) 

There is widespread talk, both here on JNS blog and elsewhere, that Rich worked at North High for a while, that he was affectionately known as "Taj," and that he was frequently noted to have young girls in his office.

References to Taj's association with North High can be found on the internet, however...