Recent Blog Posts in January 2010

Tatiana Khan, the 69-year-old owner of Chateau Allegre gallery on La Cienega Boulevard, has been accused of allegedly hiring an artist to draw a copy of a 1902 pastel drawing by Picasso called "The Woman in the Blue Hat."

Kahn then advertised that the copy was the original Picasso from the estate of Malcom Forbes and sold the painting to an art prospector for $2 million. The FBI began investigating last year after the buyer learned that the painting was a fake. Khan told the artist of the copy not to disclose any information about the fake Picasso.

Kahn was charged this week in the United States District Court with several Federal crimes including; wire fraud, making false statements to the FBI and witness tampering. While serving the summons, the FBI also seized a painting by Willem de Kooining, which they believe was purchased by Kahn with $720,000 of the proceeds from the sale of the fake Picasso. If she is convicted of all charges, she faces up to 45 years in Federal prison.

If you or someone you know has been charged with a Federal Crime such as wire fraud, false statements to authorities or witness tampering, contact Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer Robert M. Bernstein as soon as possible. As a former prosecutor, Attorney Bernstein knows both sides of the courtroom and uses this knowledge to create winning defense strategies. Call for a free consultation today.

Christopher Thompson, a 60-year-old physician, was arrested on July 4, 2008 after driving his car in front of two bicyclists and slamming on his brakes; causing one to break his teeth and nose on Thompson's car, and leaving the other with a separated shoulder after hitting the sidewalk. According to police reports, Thompson had stated that he had caused the accident in order to "teach them a lesson."

In November of 2009, Thompson was convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court of several felony charges including reckless driving, assault with a deadly weapon, battery and mayhem. The Judge noted that Thompson had not shown sufficient remorse for his act of violence throughout the trial. He subsequently sentenced Thompson to 5 years in prison.

If you or someone you know has been charged with Assault, Battery or Mayhem, contact Robert M. Bernstein today. Attorney Bernstein and his staff will thoroughly review the circumstances of your arrest to determine exactly how to best defend your case. Call for a free consultation today.

A 20-year-old man from Yorba Linda has been charged with raping three women - two of whom he had met on MySpace. Jason Erpinar allegedly invited an 18-year-old MySpace "friend" to a party where he raped her in a bathroom after she became too intoxicated to resist. Three weeks later he met another 22-year-old MySpace "friend" at a Newport Beach motel. She was also raped by Erpinar once she was too intoxicated to defend herself and woke up to find scratches on her face as well as a chipped tooth. The third victim is Erpinar's ex-girlfriend who came forward as a result of the investigation, and claims he raped her several times throughout the course of their relationship.

Erpinar is charged with two counts of using drugs to commit rape and one count of forcible rape, with a sentencing enhancement for sex crimes against multiple victims. If convicted of all charges, Erpinar faces a 45-year-to-life prison term. He is currently being held at the Orange County jail on $1 Million bail.

Don't let a conviction for a sex crime ruin your life and destroy your future. If you, or someone you know has been arrested　or is under investigation for a sex crime,　Contact Los Angeles sex crimes defense lawyer Robert Bernstein for a free consultation. As a former prosecutor, Attorney Bernstein has the experience with both sides of the criminal process to provide you with most effective, aggressive representation　in all aspects of your criminal case.