Latest news with #felonycharge
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Driver Accused of the Hit-and-Run Death of Hamptons' 'Realtor Sara Burack Says She Thought She Hit a Traffic Cone
The woman suspected of killing Million Dollar Beach House realtor Sara Burack pleaded not guilty to leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving a fatality in court on June 21 Amanda Kempton's lawyer said she thought she had hit a traffic cone, and that alcohol is not considered a factor in the case Burack died in the hospital from her injuries after the incident on June 19The woman accused of killing Sara Burack in a hit-and-run incident in Hampton Bays, N.Y., has spoken out for the first time. Amanda Kempton, who was arrested on Friday, June 20, appeared in court for the first time on Saturday, June 21, when she pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving a fatality, according to the New York Post. Kempton's lawyer told the court that the woman thought she had hit a traffic cone in the incident, and that alcohol is not considered a factor in the case, the outlet reported. According to the New York Post, the marine biologist was emotional as prosecutor MacDonald Drane requested that the judge give her a higher bail, since she had allegedly initially fled the scene of the crime and was scheduled to return to Virginia for a wedding on June 21. The prosecutor also claimed that Kempton, 32, allegedly spent time at a tavern prior to the hit-and-run incident, per the outlet. Leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident is a class D felony in the state of New York. Kempton could face up to seven years in prison. Kempton was released from prison on $100,000 bail, according to the New York Post, which cited officials during her arraignment. Her family, who live on Long Island, put up collateral in lieu of the money, the outlet said. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office (SCDA) and the Southampton Town Police Department (STPD) did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on the case on June 21. Burack, who appeared in the Netflix series Million Dollar Beach House, was fatally injured in the alleged hit-and-run that occurred on Thursday, June 19, at approximately 2:45 a.m. local time. She was 40. The real estate agent, who was a resident of Southampton, was found unconscious on Montauk Highway near Villa Paul Restaurant, according to authorities. After being found, she was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she died from her injuries. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The successful luxury real estate broker was a former agent with Nest Seekers International, located in The Hamptons and New York City, per Greater Long Island. Burack previously told in 2020 that her 'family has a commercial construction material sales business that I spent many years of my life working for," and that she had 'been spending half the year in the Hamptons for the past 11 years.' She added, 'It was only natural to turn my love for real estate into a blossoming career." Million Dollar Beach House was released on Netflix in 2020. Read the original article on People
CBS News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Harvey, Illinois Ald. Colby Chapman returns to City Hall after latest arrest
Just days after an alderman in the south Chicago suburb of Harvey was arrested and charged with a felony, she was back at a Harvey City Council meeting. Ald. Colby Chapman (2nd) chalks the charges up to political retaliation by the mayor. Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark says no such thing is happening. The allegations stem from an April city council meeting where Chapman was removed from the meeting and charged with misdemeanors that were later dropped — but now she is faced with a felony from that same encounter. On Monday night, Chapman was back at Harvey City Hall. "Our city needs men who lead with integrity, love and courage," Chapman said at a City Council meeting. Late last week, Chapman turned herself in to Harvey police on a felony charge. In April, Mayor Clark said Chapman was disruptive at least three times, and asked the Harvey City Council to censure and remove her. Chapman was charged with misdemeanors for this encounter with officers. The charges were dropped last week by the Cook County State's Attorney's office. But a day later, the State's Attorney's office approved a new felony charge against Chapman of aggravated battery to a police officer for the same April incident. "This is my fourth time arrested, third time jailed," Chapman said. Chapman has been arrested before for incidents at City Hall. The charges have all later been dismissed. Chapman is a frequent critic of the mayor, and said she believes the mayor has unfairly targeted her. Mayor Clark denies any allegations of political retribution. "When the State's Attorney's office has an opportunity to make full review of the entirety of what happened on Monday, April the 28th, I think that they'll make a good decision, favorable," Chapman said. Back inside Harvey City Hall, some residents came to the defense of Chapman. "I'm sick and tired of you arresting Colby Chapman," said Harvey resident Mazurk Irvin. Meanwhile, some fellow aldermen accused chapman of grandstanding. "This is not a way to run a city," Irvin said. Mayor Clark said the video of the April City Council incident speaks for itself, and shows Ald. Chapman striking a police officer. The mayor added that the charges should send a clear message that no one is above the law. "For the next six months to the end of 2025, I'm hopeful that there will be no more arrests; that nobody will be silenced because they talked," said Chapman. The day Ald. Chapman turned herself in last week, she announced her candidacy for mayor. Chapman has also filed a civil lawsuit against the mayor.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Muffley Homes CEO back in court, faces felony charge related to business practice.
The Brief High-end Atlanta home builder Mikel Muffley appeared in court, waiving his arraignment hearing on the felony charge of "conversion of payments for real property improvements." Some of Muffley's clients claim that they used the money they paid for their home build on other projects. The case has been in limbo for more than two years due to a backlog at the Fulton County courthouse. ATLANTA - Muffley Homes CEO Mikel Muffley waived his arraignment hearing on the felony charge of "conversion of payments for real property improvements." The owner of the high-end home-building group was arrested in 2022 after clients claimed in court he used the money for their home build on other client projects. The case has been dragged on because of a case backlog at the Fulton County courthouse. He is expected back in court this summer. His company has since gone into bankruptcy protection, but he is still listed as a real estate agent with the Georgia Real Estate Commission. MORE: Experts say homeowner's dream house is a construction mess The backstory The last time we saw Mikel Muffley in court was November 2022. And it was unusual. The builder of some of Atlanta's more well-to-do was charged criminally with conversion of payments. His clients claimed they paid him for a home build, but their money didn't always go to their construction. Then the case didn't move much until May 2025. Muffley appeared in Fulton County Superior Court from a virtual location. His attorney spoke for him in person at his arraignment hearing. Raymond Guidice simply said, "Waive formal arraignment." And that was that. He passed on a public plea and to have criminal charges officially read to the court. But the last time the FOX I-Team saw him in a courtroom, he talked a lot. "Been in Atlanta 22 years," he told the judge in November 2022. "I've been in real estate the entire time." According to state records, Muffley is still a state-licensed real estate agent, but his company, Muffley Homes, has been administratively dissolved. At the time, it was advertised as "master luxury builders" offering "full design build services." "I'm not an accountant. I'm not a licensed builder. What I did was make an attempt to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. I count on other people to do what I hire them to do," he said in court, explaining his business model. He would buy the lots, hire the architects, facilitate the financing, then hire the contractors. He dealt with high-end buyers with high-end expectations. "Because we had so many issues with past builders, what was to a create a more transparent system," he said. The other side But how he ran his program got him arrested at the end of that hearing. His client Kasey Asarch, at the time, testified to fuzzy accounting, not transparency."Our account was drained and emptied by the time we terminated our contract," she told the judge. Between the pandemic backlog and Fulton County's busy docket, it's been two and a half years since his first court appearance. But in that time, there were two other big developments. In March 2024, he sued his one-time bookkeeper who testified for the prosecution. "The money was taken out of the Asarch job account and the money was placed in another job account," Sharon Adams testified. Muffley claimed she stole his personal property, downloaded files, took trade secrets, mishandled duties, and more, causing him to lose clients. He also accused her of defamation. There are no court records showing she defended herself, so the judge ordered a default judgment. Mikel Muffley was awarded $3.2 million. The judgment, it reads, is "based upon the evidence heard and for good cause shown." The Fox 5 I-Team reached out to Ms. Adams for comment but didn't hear back What's next A month later, Muffley's company, MDM Opportunity Ventures, filed for bankruptcy. The Asarches are among 45 listed creditors. Muffley is expected back in court in September. The Source The I-Team attended court hearings, tracked the bankruptcy filing in federal court, and checked the Georgia Real Estate Commission's site for licensing information. The judgment against the former bookkeeper is also a public court record.
