Perjury charges for recanting murder witnesses

Two people who told a Nassau grand jury that they witnessed a murder, then changed their stories after prosecutors say they were intimidated, were charged Monday with perjury.

[Law Lady]

Unfortunately for them, they aren't powerful politicians. They perjure themselves all the time.

[Arlo Guthrie]

another case of blind justice

[News Story]

Perjury charges for recanting murder witnesses

BY ANN GIVENS | [e-mail]
9:13 PM EDT, June 8, 2009

Two people who told a Nassau grand jury that they witnessed a murder, then changed their stories after prosecutors say they were intimidated, were charged Monday with perjury.

Initially, both Latoya White, 25, of Roosevelt, and Sansui Galloh, 37, of Hempstead, told police and grand jurors that they saw Carl Perryman shoot his childhood friend David Baez on the steps of a Rockville Centre community center in May 2008, according to court documents and testimony.

But by the time Perryman's murder trial came around this spring, both White and Galloh insisted on the stand that they hadn't seen anything on the night of the murder. Days later, Perryman, 23, of Rockville Centre, was acquitted.

Now prosecutors are charging the two with first-degree perjury, saying that their original sworn testimony in the grand jury conflicted with their testimony on the stand at Perryman's trial. If convicted, they could face 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison, prosecutors said.

Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice "will use this to send a very clear message that this will not be tolerated in our court system," said Eric Phillips, a spokesman for Rice.

Lawyers for White and Galloh could not be reached for comment late yesterday.

After a hearing during Perryman's murder trial to determine if witnesses had been intimidated, Nassau County Court Judge George Peck said he found the witnesses' initial statements credible and found that they later had been influenced to change their stories.

Peck allowed prosecutor Michael Canty to use the statements at trial, even if the witnesses were not present. Later, White and Galloh took the stand for the defense, saying that they had been intimidated by police into making statements against Perryman.

[Goose n Gander]

Nassau Cop Convicted of Perjury Keeps His Job & Pension

By Sid Cassese
Newsday

ROOSEVELT, N.Y.— A Roosevelt man has filed an $80-million federal lawsuit against Nassau County, its Police Department and several officers, one of whom lied to a grand jury when he said he had recovered a gun he saw the man drop.

The officer, Craig Buonora, was convicted later of third-degree perjury and is now on desk duty in the Third Precinct in Williston Park.

Darryl Coggins, 26, had his constitutional rights violated by illegal acts, including false arrest, unlawful imprisonment and malicious prosecution, attorney Fred Brewington said in papers filed last month.

Coggins was charged with having a gun, resisting arrest and speeding after a traffic stop in Floral Park on Oct. 9, 2004.

Brewington said his client fled after one of the two Nassau officers threatened him.

Buonora testified that he found a 9-mm pistol that fell as Coggins fled after being pulled over. Fellow Officer James Vara backed him.

But later a village police officer who joined the foot chase said he found the gun 40 minutes after the failed chase. That was confirmed by records.

The district attorney's office and the Nassau police internal affairs unit investigated and 10 months later all charges against Coggins were dismissed. Buonora was subsequently indicted for perjury.

Law enforcement sources said a deal allowed Buonora to plead guilty to the misdemeanor charge and to keep his job, but not work on the streets. He pleaded guilty Nov. 17, 2005, and in January 2006 Nassau Judge Jeffrey Brown gave him a conditional discharge and a $1,000 fine, prosecutors said. Buonora's partner, Vara, has been facing disciplinary action over the incident since April 2006.

Buonora, a police officer since 1997, refused to talk when reached at his desk yesterday. Vara, a highway patrolman, could not be reached, nor could the Floral Park officer.

Nassau Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey said he had no comment on a case involving pending litigation.

Brewington said he was disappointed with the Buonora plea deal, "but to learn this person who said he gave false testimony to a grand jury is still a Nassau police officer and that the other officer has yet to be disciplined, is outrageous and violates every sense of public confidence in the D.A.'s office and the Police Department."

Mulvey was not with the department when the incident occurred, and Kathleen Rice did not start as district attorney until January 2006.

Copyright 2007 Newsday

[Nassau_Needs_New _ DA]

You've gotta be kidding.
How about prosecuting the bad guys that threatened the good guys (also called witnesses) into changing their story?
Also, don't these folks have a "duress" defense...nah, they don't teach that in the Brooklyn DA's Office.

[TGC]

Nassau_Needs_New_ DA wrote:

You've gotta be kidding.
How about prosecuting the bad guys that threatened the good guys (also called witnesses) into changing their story?
Also, don't these folks have a "duress" defense...nah, they don't teach that in the Brooklyn DA's Office.

They may well have a defense, but to use it they have to give the information, which is probably why the DA is going after them, to force them to explain the change, with evidence.

[Col GB]

Well I guess the bad guy who did the killing is back on the street. I wonder if he got his gun back so he can take another brother down. Give him more ammo too!!!

[MAGDALENA BAEZ]

IM THE VICTIMS SISTER AND IM REALLY UP SET # 1 BECAUSE HOW ISIT THAT SOMEONE WHO KILLS A HUMAN BEING IS RUNNING THE STREETS AND I HAVE TO SEE HIM WALK AROUND LIKE HE NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG. I BELIEVE THAT THE WHOLE COURT SYSTEM JUST LETS YOU KNOW THAT THERES THOUSAND OF PEOPLE IN JAIL RIGHT NOW DOING TIME FOR NO REASON.

[MAGDALENA BAEZ]

DAVID BAEZ DID NOT DESERVE TO DIE IT'S JUST NOT FARE AT ALL , I'M ALSO UPSET BECAUSE THEY TOOK DOWN A DOMINICAN FLAG THAT I HAD PUT UP FOR MY BROTHER DURING CHRISTMAS SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE , CARL PERRYMAN NEEDS TO GO TO JAIL TODAY , AND FOR LATOYA WHITE YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF YOU KNOW YOUR BROTHER KILLED MY BROTHER YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE.

[Stop Snitching]

This shows why snitchin' is wrong.
You never talk to the police.

The police hate snitches too. Remember Serpico? Thirty years later and the officer is still reviled.

Snitchin' is wrong. Friends don't let friends be snitches.

[thehoodlum]

Col GB wrote:

Well I guess the bad guy who did the killing is back on the street. I wonder if he got his gun back so he can take another brother down. Give him more ammo too!!!

Yes, he's out and Im scared to death, and the no justice no peace and the hood is in grave danger

[thehoodlum]

Stop Snitching wrote:

This shows why snitchin' is wrong.
You never talk to the police.
The police hate snitches too. Remember Serpico? Thirty years later and the officer is still reviled.
Snitchin' is wrong. Friends don't let friends be snitches.

friends don't kill each other either, and what about the parent of the decease, just take her out of her misery too and shot her, I don't think so we need to come together and stop the violence,

[thehoodlum]

MAGDALENA BAEZ wrote:

DAVID BAEZ DID NOT DESERVE TO DIE IT'S JUST NOT FARE AT ALL , I'M ALSO UPSET BECAUSE THEY TOOK DOWN A DOMINICAN FLAG THAT I HAD PUT UP FOR MY BROTHER DURING CHRISTMAS SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE , CARL PERRYMAN NEEDS TO GO TO JAIL TODAY , AND FOR LATOYA WHITE YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF YOU KNOW YOUR BROTHER KILLED MY BROTHER YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE.

You go girl, sorry for you lost but keep fighting justice will prevail. You have a very large following of supporters.

[none-ya]

karma is a b^t@h

[none-ya]

its funny how carl is out chillin n0w.. nd hes sister is in..!! its her fault this all happened... good for her!!

[blunt_force_trau ma]

My guess - they were pressured to change their stories and the DA is punishing them for her embarrassment and frustration rather than attempting to discover how they were co-opted. To me, the latter is far more interesting and important....

[into the streets]

first off, everyone has no right to judge this man who was aquitted of murder...nobody know the reason behind this incident, not saying it's ok but there's protocalls that must be followed...now everyone want to act like they miss and love dave but when he was here his own family was direspectin him...

[RockTheMic]

Col GB wrote:

Well I guess the bad guy who did the killing is back on the street. I wonder if he got his gun back so he can take another brother down. Give him more ammo too!!!

Since his release, this bad guy has shot another man 5 times, ran to the South but in three day he was captured. Yes, he used intimidation throughout the neighborhood, because he killed two individuals and never convicted for it. Since this last shooting, Nassau County District Attorney's Office is working diligently to attach a heavy sentence to Carl Perryman. I certainly have no pity for him or anyone who gets away with murder.

[in due time]

thehoodlum wrote:

<quoted text>friends don't kill each other either, and what about the parent of the decease, just take her out of her misery too and shot her, I don't think so we need to come together and stop the violence,

I agree, Martin Luther King did it, He died for it but he left a legacy for us to unite together, we are scattered thats why we are conqured on this front, its hard to lose a child to a gun. its hard to no that a family is forever changed. is hard to accept that black men are killing one another more than the cops are killing them. Its hard to look at sons and daughters who are now angry children because there dads are gone for all the wrong reasonS. Its hard to see a man driven to a point that injustice is his only means of survival. I've talk to some who have crimminal past as youth some of them were really innocent...UP. GOD WILL.

[freeee carl carl]

in due time wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree, Martin Luther King did it, He died for it but he left a legacy for us to unite together, we are scattered thats why we are conqured on this front, its hard to lose a child to a gun. its hard to no that a family is forever changed. is hard to accept that black men are killing one another more than the cops are killing them. Its hard to look at sons and daughters who are now angry children because there dads are gone for all the wrong reasonS. Its hard to see a man driven to a point that injustice is his only means of survival. I've talk to some who have crimminal past as youth some of them were really innocent...UP. GOD WILL.

carl should be free
hes back in and he innocent too it aint rite