Homicide Investigation Action Report: Black's Beach Intercept

Consensual wire (#2) with confidential informant Grant A. ROY on April 28, 2007, San Diego, (La Jolla), California Locations: Marriott Hotel (La Jolla), Torrey Pines State Park, Blacks Beach and back to Marriott Hotel (La Jolla).

SYNOPSIS: On April 28, 2007, Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office Detective Lieutenant Daniel YURSHA, Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Leo HANNON, Sans Diego City Police Department Sergeant Robert DONALDSON, Drug Enforcement Agent Andrew PAPPAS and Naval Criminal Investigator Special Agent Kim Kelly met with, Grant A. ROY, who is being used as a confidential informant to obtain Information (via a second wiretap) from two (2) homicide suspects Harlow CUADRA and Joseph KEREKES of Virginia Beach, Virginia.

DETAILS: On April 28, 2007 at 1:26 P.M.; The above Law Enforcement Personnel met and prepped ROY in a remote area behind the Von’s Super Market located on the corner of Governor and Genesee Drives, La Jolla. Accompanying ROY was his partner Sean LOCKHART (both Roy and LOCKHART participated in a successful wiretap one day earlier April 27, 2007 with the same Law Enforcement Agencies).

On April 28, 2007 at 1:50 P.M.; ROY was given a tape recording key fob (key remote for a vehicle) from Special Agent PAPPAS, the key fob was being used because Roy would be executing the wiretap at a nude beach (Black’s Beach) and therefore couldn’t be body wired. The key fob was activated at this time, and both ROY and LOCKHART drove ROY’S black Ford Expedition, Texas registration number XXXXXX to the La Jolla Marriott Hotel to pick up CUADRA and KEREKES. ROY, who was carrying the recording key fob device, was under constant surveillance.

On April 28, 2007 at 2:03 P.M.; ROY and LOCKHART picked up CUADRA and KEREKES at the La Jolla Marriott Hotel and proceeded to the Torrey Pines State Park.

On April 28, 2007 at 2:15 P.M.; ROY, LOCKHART, CUADRA, and KEREKES arrived at the Torrey Pines State Park, and headed down the steep and lengthy cliff to Black’s Beach, which is a nude beach.

On April 28, 2007 at 2:31 P.M.; ROY, LOCKHART, CUADRA, and KEREKES laid in a remote area on the beach, directly below the Torrey Pines Golf Course.

On April 28, 2007 at 2:36 P.M.; Det, Lt. YURSHA performed a direct, nearby surveillance on the nude beach of informant ROY accompanied by LOCKHART, CUADRA and KEREKES. At 3:39 P.M.; Det. Lt. YURSHA was accompanied by Corporal HANNON and Special Agent KELLY who remained on the beach until the departure of ROY, LOCKHART, CUADRA and KEREKES.

On April 28, 2007 at 5:03 P.M.; ROY, LOCKHART, CUADRA and KEREKES left the Black’s Beach and got into ROY’S black Ford Expedition and left Torrey Pines State Park.

On April 28, 2007 at 5:14 P.M.; ROY, LOCKHART, CUADRA, and KEREKES arrived at the La Jolla Mariott Hotel where they chit-chatted for approximately five (5) minutes before ROY and LOCKHART left.

On April 28, 2007 at 5:29 P.M.; ROY and LOCKHART returned to the rear of Von’s Super Market and met with Law Enforcement Personnel. At 8:25 P.M.; ROY met with investigators at the San Diego City Police Department.

Homicide Investigation Action Report: Crab Catcher Restaurant Intercept

Consensual wire (#1) with confidential informant Grant A. ROY on April 27, 2007, San Diego, (La Jolla), Califbrnia. Locations: Marriott Hotel, Crab Catcher Restaurant, La Jolla Park, Prospect Street, Starbucks back to the Marriott Hotel. All of the above locations are in the La Jolla area.

SYNOPSIS: On April 27, 2007 at 8:00 AM. Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office Detective Lieutenant Daniel YURSHA and Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Leo HANNON, met with San Diego Law Enforcement personnel in preparation for a wire tap that was going to occur with a San Diego resident, Grant A. ROY being used as a confidential informant to obtain information (via wiretap) from two (2) homicide suspects Harlow CUADRA and Joseph KEREKES of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Participants for the initial meeting were Det. Lt. YURSHA and Corporal HANNON, San Diego City Police Department Detectives Robert DONALDSON, Lynn RYDALCH, and Laurie AGNEW, San Diego District Attorney’s Office Investigator Ronald THILL, and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Special Agent Andrew PAPPAS. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Special Agent Kim Kelly who was not present for the initial meeting is also part of the wiretap team. A prep meeting is scheduled with ROY at 12:30 P.M. at the San Diego City Police Headquarters.

DETAILS: On April 27, 2007 at 12:45 P.M.; Dot. Lt. YURSHA and Corporal HANNON met with Grant A. ROY at the San Diego City Police Department Headquarters in preparation for the consensual wire that was to occur on the same date at approximately 2:45 P.M.; Det. Lt. YURSHA and Corporal HANNON reviewed all of the preliminary details with ROY, and then invited Det. DONALDSON, investigator THILL and Special Agent KELLY to join the meeting with ROY, and finalize ROY’S instruction plan, including execution, security, and safety measures in the event of a problem. ROY was advised to meet Law Enforcement personnel at Marian Bear Park, La Jolla, at 2:15 P.M. where he would be properly wired.

On April 27, 2007 at 2:22 P.M.; ROY arrived at Marian Bear Park with his partner Sean LOCKHART. ROY was wired by Special Agent PAPPAS and was given final instruction by Law Enforcement personnel. Roy was being monitored at this point by Special Agent Pappas, Special Agent KELLY assisted by Det. Lt. YURSHA. ROY was followed at all times by Law Enforcement from the beginning to the end of the wiretap.

On April 27, 2007 at 2:45 P.M.; ROY with LOCKHART drove his black Ford Expedition, Texas registration number XXXXXX (see ATTACHMENT #1) to the La Jolla Marriott Hotel and picked up Harlow CUADRA and Joseph KEREKES.

On April 27, 2007 at 3:07 P.M.; ROY, LOCKHART, CUADRA and KEREKES arrived at the Crab Catcher Restaurant where Law Enforcement personnel were strategically placed inside, Law Enforcement personnel were also placed at both exits. All four (4) of the above were seated at a designated table in front of the large window pane in full view of the monitor team during their entire meal.

On April 27, 2007 at 4:42 P.M.; ROY, LOCKHART, CUADRA and KEREKES left the Crab Catcher Restaurant and walked to the La Jolla Cove Park.

On April 27, 2007 at 5:11 P.M.; ROY, LOCKHART, CUADRA and KEREKES walked up to the La Jolla Shopping District on Prospect Street, and were window shopping.

On April 27, 2007 at 5:25 P.M.; ROY, LOCKHART, CUADRA and KEREKES went into Starbucks Coffee Shop, purchased some coffee and continued to window shop.

On April 27, 2007 at 5:40 P.M.; ROY, LOCKHART, CUADRA and KEREKES returned to ROY’S Ford Expedition parked in front of the Crab Catcher Restaurant, and proceeded to the Marriott Hotel.

On April 27, 2007 at 6:02 P.M.; ROY and LOCKHART dropped off CUADRA and KEREKES at the La Jolla Marriott Hotel.

On April 27, 2007 at 6:10 P.M.; ROY and LOCKHART returned to Marian Bear Park to meet with Law Enforcement Personnel.

Harlow and Joe's Weekly Docket Round-Up

As usual, I'm posting a complete listing of docket updates for Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes that ocurred during the past week...

Harlow Cuadra:

1. 01/28/2008 Entry of Appearance by Fannick, Demetrius Wm.
2. 01/28/2008 Entry of Appearance- Atty Tim Fannick by Cometa, Thomas S.
3. 01/29/2008 Order of Court filed. Transport for Hearing on 2-20-08 by Olszewski, Peter Paul Jr.
4. 01/29/2008 Order of Court filed. Hearing on 1-30-08 continued to 2-20-08 by Olszewski, Peter Paul Jr.

Joseph Kerekes:

1. 01/29/2008 Order of Court filed. Hearing on 1-30-08 continued to 2-20-08 by Olszewski, Peter Paul Jr.
2. 01/30/2008 Def's Omnibus Pre-Trial Motion filed by Bufalino, Mark William.
3. 01/30/2008 Notice of Possible Alibi Defense filed by Bufalino, Mark William.

Meanwhile, I'm planning to post the Black's Beach Tape transcripts this week... the publication of such has been a bit more delayed than I wanted it to be, but as the old saying goes... good things come to those that wait. (Besides, 108 pages takes a bit of time to digest, not to mention having to re-transribe it all into blog capable reading).

Go Giants! ... enjoy the Super Bowl.

Cuadra Felt Better After Kocis Murder, Transcript Says

The Citizen's Voice is reporting that accused killer Harlow Raymond Cuadra couldn’t sleep for a week after the killing of Back Mountain porn producer Bryan Kocis, but the murder “made me feel better inside,” Cuadra says in a 108-page transcript of a wire tap of Cuadra and his accused accomplice Joseph Kerekes on a San Diego beach.

Luzerne County Assistant District Attorneys Tim Doherty and Michael Melnick filed the document Tuesday at the county courthouse.

Cuadra and Kerekes discuss their fledgling adult film business, making adult films with Sean Lockhart and how Kocis’ murder negatively affected their business in the transcript.

Lockhart, along with adult film producer Grant Roy, worked with police to set up the wire tap on April 28. Kerekes and Cuadra killed Kocis to lure Lockhart from Kocis’ Cobra Video to their business, prosecutors claim.

In the transcript, Cuadra talks about how to get rid of Kocis’ business and how paperwork related to it likely burned in the fire.

“Well, if you guys wanna take care of Cobra for once and for all,” Cuadra said. “I don’t think there’s a real hurry on it, unless he had a copy of all that paperwork at his lawyer’s office, it’s all gone.”

Cuadra and Kerekes tell Lockhart and Roy about several of Kocis’ possessions during the transcript, from computers to video equipment.

“That’s misinformation …,” Cuadra said in the transcript. “(Kocis) took everything and showed it to me for proof and … I got rid of all of that (stuff) too, it’s all disintegrated, it’s all gone computers, everything.”

Cuadra and Kerekes also repeatedly discussed in the transcript media reports about the murder and what they saw at Kocis’ house. Cuadra said he did “recon” of the place. He dismissed the idea that Kocis would have had to “know his killer” and let him in. He described the front door and said it didn’t have a “peephole” but there were “two square blocks of windows on top and Bryan’s not tall enough to see through that.”