Zombro Hearing set

[KatherineA]

According to Matt Umstead, the preliminary hearing for the second Zombro Brother is set for Nov. 10th at 10:00 a.m. He will most likely waive his right to the prelim. enter a not guilty plea and that will be it.

I cannot attend, because I am getting married that day. (good reason??). Anyway, the more people who show in addition to Honeybee the more the County Attorney knows people are upset and do not want to see this pled out to a nominal sentence for either brother.

[Pfeifcat]

Thanks for that update. I may be able to attend with Honeybee and will need a little more information as to what I am actually there to witness. I do not know the Zombros, nor have I been a victum of one of their crimes, but am very interested to see how J. Cnty and WV's court system operates - at least the little bit of it that I will see.

BTW - Congratulations Katherine!

[KatherineA]

Not much at all will happen. You may have a chance to see if he has posted bond (i.e. does he come in court dressed in jail clothes or civilian clothes). He will likely say not guilty to the charges and waive his preliminary hearing (that takes less than 5 minutes) The Magistrate should find probably cause and order the case to be moved to Circuit Court and for an indictment. If the Magistrate does not find probable cause and lets him go free, then you will have been there to witness why and to express your displeasure at the outcome to the Prosecuting Attorney (not to the Magistrate - but at least you will know which one let him go). If he has not posted bond, his attorney may ask for a bond reduction.

[honeybee]

Thanks Katherine YOU HAVE BEEN A BIG HELP:)

[berube27]

i guess if i went the first thing i would want to know is how many of the robberies are being linked to these guys... i bet thats not something we can debate in that courtroom...

either way i think i wanna go and hopefully those of us who do can talk to the county attourney so they fully understand our position...


MARRIED?!? oh! so you are ditching me kathy?!? LOL

[Willis]

I met a State Trooper at Gold's Gym this AM- Trooper Glende. He had noticed the Shannondale.org iron-on decal on my jacket. He seemed very interested in/sympathetic to our efforts and confirmed just what KA has said. The more bodies that show up at the the courtroom, the better chance we have of getting a favorable outcome. BTW, he indicated he was one of the guys who collared the Z-Boys. The Trooper also emphasized the need for us to write the Colonel of the State Police and the politicos who appropriate money for LE. Those guys in Charleston are clueless as to our plight. If Trooper Glende signs onto the Board, treat him gently!

[berube27]

from what i have read all over this board, the majority of the LE beef is with the county and absolutely NOT the state. our troopers rock and always seem to be the ones who help us the most.


ok, back to topic: so are we gonna get a huge group effort out to this trial to make a point? im gonna try to be there.

[betcsu]

wait a minute......



willis was at the GYM??? [:0]



http://www.frontiernet.net/~betcsu/hystery.gif

(you know i love ya, willis!) ;)

[derricksonb]

I will not be able to attend due to locality issues, but I have spoken with Det bonifant who has my new contact info as well as my intent to deny the plea bargain in absentia if a link between them and the break-in at my residence can be proven.

[berube27]

a little birdie told me that the subpoena for the victim was delivered... and the above info on the date is correct.

[Willis]

Things have been rather quiet on the criminal activity front recently. One [u]might</u> infer a connection with that fact and the arrest and incarceration of the the Zombro brothers last month. This is a reminder that a hearing date was established:

Thursday, November 10th, 2005 the day after tomorrow.

If you have the opportunity to attend, this is a reminder. As KatherineA said above, don't expect any drama but at least by being there, those dispensing "justice" will know our Mountain Community cares.

[berube27]

while i am thrilled to have them gone (for the moment),lets temper that statement with:

- we have a black VW terrorizing the streets. lets get this guy.

- we still have dangerous dogs running loose. bug the heck outta animal control.

- our cops are still way underpaid. write your govenment officials.

- ATVs are gonna lead to a major tragedy eventually around here. get evidence.

- etc...


we have started to win a war with the zombros.
keep the vigilance going.

peace out

[Pfeifcat]

Zombro hearing update:

There were 6 of us there to witness the hearing, of which 4 were actual victims of his crimes.

Zombro (I?m not sure which brother he was) waived his right to a hearing and will now go directly to Circuit Court. I believe the next step is the Grand Jury in January, or if they are waiting for more evidence to be presented, it may be pushed to April. At that point the actual indictments are handed down.

He was dressed in an orange jumpsuit with a chain around his waist, so he is still incarcerated. The PA stated that bail is in the $100,000-$200,000 range, so there is little chance of him being released any time soon.

The PA and Victim?s Rights Advocate stressed the importance for ANYBODY that has been victimized or has ANY information or evidence to please contact the PA, Victim?s Rights Advocate, and the arresting officer immediately, so that they can add evidence and/or charges to the existing list. The more information they have, the stronger the cases will be, and will also increase the chance of a longer sentence.

The PA also stated they have at least one very strong case against them, but are waiting on further evidence to add to the charges.

All victims that have been in touch with the Victim?s Rights Advocate will be notified of the case(s) and definitely will be contacted to discuss ANY type of a plea bargain that may or may not be requested. The victims must agree with the plea bargain before one will be entered. The PA ensured us that they will be spending time in the penitentiary, regardless of any sort of a plea bargain. So, if you are a victim, make sure you stay in contact with the Victim?s Rights Advocate.

I am not a lawyer, so if anybody has clarification on what I witnessed above, please chime in!

Also, if anybody has the names and contact information of the PA, Victim?s Rights Advocate, and the arresting officer, I?m sure that would be of great importance to anyone who has been a victim.

Although not much happened, I did seem to learn a lot, so it really wasn?t a wasted trip. That?s all I have for now, folks!

[betcsu]

great update pfeifcat! thanks for going!!

[Willis]

For Pfeifcat http://www.shannondaleclubalumni.org/images/EyeCatchingGraphics/Misc/gold_medal_rocking_lg_wht.gif and honeybee http://www.shannondaleclubalumni.org/images/EyeCatchingGraphics/Misc/gold_medal_rocking_lg_wht.gif

[berube27]

thats excellent... i had SO hoped to be there. honeybee, were you there?

[honeybee]

I was there

[honeybee]

Friday, November 11, 2005 ? Time: 12:07:05 AM EST


Zombro waives right to hearing

By MATTHEW UMSTEAD, Journal Staff Writer


CHARLES TOWN - A Jefferson County grand jury in the coming months will decide whether to indict two brothers on charges linked to at least one in a string of Blue Ridge Mountain area break-ins and larcenies this summer.

Michael Craig Zombro, 31, of 31 Campsite Trail, waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Magistrate Court Thursday, a decision his 25-year-old brother, Ryan David Zombro, made last month. In exchange for waiving the right, prosecutors agreed to provide defense counsel with early discovery.
Both brothers were charged with burglary, grand larceny and conspiracy after they were arrested Oct. 4 for an incident in Keyes Ferry Acres subdivision in the mountainous area.

The victim in the case was joined in the hearing Thursday by four other residents who collectively told Assistant Prosecutor Gina Groh and county victim advocate Debra Young they did not want to see any "plea bargaining" for either man.

Groh assured them that any deal needed their consent.

Young encouraged the group to contact the investigating officers in each incident to make sure any other possible evidence is reviewed and, in the mean time, write their state lawmakers about the plight of law enforcement shortages.

Police at the time of the Zombro brothers' arrest hoped to solve several other breaking and entering cases reported this summer.

No additional charges have been filed against the Zombros in magistrate court, but a grand jury scheduled to be seated in January could very well hear direct testimony from investigating officers about other incidents, Groh said.

But when presented with often routine delays in processing evidence at the State Police Crime Laboratory in Charleston, Groh advised that comprehensive indictment arguments could be delayed until another grand jury is selected again in April.

One woman after the hearing Thursday, recounted how every piece of jewelry, except a small, diamond-less ring, was taken from her home, along with medications prescribed to her and her husband, who are both cancer survivors.

Groh told the group that the brothers likely will remain in jail through the duration of court proceedings because of the $100,000 bonds set in the cases.

"He's not going anywhere," Groh said of the older sibling who was joined in the hearing by attorney Chris Janelle.

The brothers were arrested one day after witnesses told investigating State Police Trooper C.D. Kuhn they saw the siblings walking in the opposite direction of an Old Oak Lane residence carrying a bow case, maroon suitcase on wheels and two garbage bags, records show. One of the residents of the ransacked home told Kuhn she believed the breaking and entering happened sometime after she left the residence about 9:45 a.m. and returning in the early afternoon hours. Another individual told police the brothers were taking stolen items to pawn them in Frederick, Md., en route to Baltimore to buy drugs, according to police reports.

Court records indicate Michael Zombro has been arrested more than 10 times and charged with an array of criminal activities beginning in 1996. He has been indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury twice and on one of those occasions counts of burglary and grand larceny were levied against him. He ultimately pleaded guilty to trespassing in that case. He also was detained as a fugitive from Frederick County authorities.

His younger brother has been arrested on four separate occasions and indicted by a grand jury in 1999, records show.


- Staff writer Matthew Umstead may be reached at 725-6582 or email ct@journal-news.net





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[Willis]

I was thinking(I get into a lot of trouble that way) that we ought to award Matt Umstead with a
"Pullet Surprise" http://www.shannondaleclubalumni.org/images/EyeCatchingGraphics/Nature/animals/chick_hopping_md_wht.gif for his reporting on the Zombro case.
We've complained about press coverage and it appears Mr. Umstead is atoning for that oversight. If you're so inclined, you can email him at ct@journal-news.net to express your pleasure with his keeping the "Mountain" informed. An ally in the media can be of great benefit to our area.

[angel]

Hi
I just found this site today and am pleased to read about these Zombro brothers. Last April my house was broken into between 2 and 4 in the afternoon while I was at work. My home is in the Wide River Farms area near Keyes Ferry Acres. Whoever did it smashed through my screen door and broke it off the hinges. They used a crowbar to gain entrance through the front door. They took off with a big TV set, my VCR, computer and monitor, and a few other things. They had to have had a vehicle because the TV was a 32 inch screen. Does this sound like the kind of breakins that these guys would pull? I called the police and got a machine. I called another number and she said she would try to find someone. (By this time I half expected Barney Fife to come with his one bullet in his pocket.) About 45 minutes later the state troopers finally came. They didn't dust for fingerprints or anything and left quite quickly. I never heard anything from them again. Later a neighbor told me that she had heard one of the Zombro guys was selling a computer that he had said was stolen. I called the state trooper and told him, and he said "Oh yeah, we know him." He said he couldn't do anything. Never heard anything again. So I have no idea what may have happened after that.

[berube27]

yup angel... that sounds like stuff that has happened to lots of us.

[Willis]

From the news article posted by honeybee

quote:Young encouraged the group to contact the investigating officers in each incident to make sure any other possible evidence is reviewed and, in the mean time, write their state lawmakers about the plight of law enforcement shortages.

Police at the time of the Zombro brothers' arrest hoped to solve several other breaking and entering cases reported this summer.

No additional charges have been filed against the Zombros in magistrate court, but a grand jury scheduled to be seated in January could very well hear direct testimony from investigating officers about other incidents, Groh said.

Young being the victims' advocate. It might help keep these knuckleheads off the street longer if you were to pursue your case further, angel. I'm sure that honeybee, who's becoming quite the courthouse maven, could steer you in the right direction. You can contact her in the forum or thru the email function in her profile.

And welcome to our/your forum, angel. Take some time to browse around. The search function in the upper right of the page is a helpful tool. I think you'll find us pretty good pretty good folks.

[JennyLynn]

Hello All,
I recently ran into the Safety Patrol and asked about any possible leads on the burgurlary in my driveway on Shenandoah River Drive of my Nissan Titan on 22 July of this year. (I desperately miss my family photos that were stored on the removeable harddrive AND all of my back-up software and data CDs that were in CD binders with the laptop.) The theft occured between 11pm and 4am. Trooper Smith arrived around 0930 but after taking a report, he did not feel that dusting for fingerprints would be worthwhile as I had already opened my truck door. (Initially I stated that I had NOT locked my truck, which is where the laptop was awaiting unloading. But recently, I was detailing my truck and found that my driver's door had been pryed back at the upper right corner of the window with an instrument that had a red plastic protector and looked 2-pronged. It damaged the door gasket and left distinct imprints of the tool on my door jamb.) Since the theft that night, I have not slept peacefully. I installed motion-detection lights and with Trooper Smith's recommendation, I allow my dog free outside at night. However, it scares me to death that someone could break into my truck, steal everything of value (including all my loose change and my owner's manual for my truck!) and not be seen or heard by me with my bedroom window overlooking my driveway?? Very scary.

I had mentioned my theft to a young lady at my dog's vet in Charlestown. She had stated that her jeep along with 2 other vehicles were broken into at Torlone's Restaurant around that time as well (but they didn't report it). Strangely, all of their CDs and loose change was stolen as well. (Same apparent technique as my vehicle, except in my vehicle they got the added bonus of my laptop and software!).

As a side note, last Sunday night at 1130pm, I heard a loud scraping noise that sounded like something large was being dragged across my front porch. I jumped up from bed and ran to the window to see that someone had lost a wheelbarrow from their vehicle and it had skidded upside down nearly into the middle of the road in front of my house. Oddly, the noise did not alert the driver...and the driver never returned to retrieve "his" or "her" lost wheelbarrow. Which made me think it did not belong to the driver. Is someone missing a wheelbarrow...maybe in addition to other items?? If so, your wheelbarrow is sitting in my front yard on Shenandoah River Drive.

I have posted a $1500 reward for my laptop (or just the removeable harddrive) and the software binder at all pawn shops that I could find. Obviously I have not heard anything about it. Would love to have more information on where these suspected brothers have sold items in the past as the $1500 reward is FAR more than what the laptop is worth now.

It's amazing that I just moved from Los Angeles and have NEVER been robbed. Then I move to a quiet mountain in WV and within my first 5 months of living here, some of my most precious memories/pictures and most expensive electronics are stolen from underneath my bedroom window.

I have never felt quite so insecure and unsafe.

Regards,
JennyLynn

[berube27]

welcome to da hood...