The men and women of the Commonwealth's Attorney Office are always working hard to keep Kenton County safe.  This newsletter is intended to keep all interested parties up to date on the latest in prosecution and law enforcement news.  If you have any questions or would like additional information about the cases you see in this email, please call (859) 292-6580 or email the Commonwealth's Attorney Office at robsanders@kentonprosecutor.com .

Judge: Summe

Prosecutors: Rob Sanders

Police Agency: NKDSF

In the fall of 2006, the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force began investigating Dean Puetz for suspected narcotics sales.  On November 1, 2006, NKDSF Agents Mike Kappes and Scott Hardcorn arranged to have a confidential informant call Puetz and set up a drug deal.  The undercover agents followed their informant to Puetz's residence in the 1500 block of Jefferson Avenue in Covington where they used covert electronic equipment to monitor the drug transaction.  As arranged, the informant paid Puetz $400 of marked NKDSF funds for 1/2 ounce of powder cocaine.  The informant then returned and delivered the drugs to the NKDSF agents.  Subsequent testing by the Ky State Police Crime Lab confirmed that the substance was, in fact, cocaine.

 Puetz's case was taken directly to the Kenton County Grand Jury in 2007 as several NKDSF investigations culminating in a "round-up" of dozens of suspected drug traffickers in Kenton County .  Puetz was indicted for a single count of First Degree Trafficking in a Controlled Substance (cocaine).  After a change in defense attorneys delayed the original trial date, Puetz stood trial on 4/2/08 in the 4th Division of the Kenton Circuit Court.  After hearing testimony from NKDSF Agents Kappes, Hardcorn, and Duane Rolfson in addition to that of the informant, a jury of 10 men and 2 women deliberated for approximately 45 minutes before returning a guilty verdict. 

 After brief testimony from an officer of the Department of Corrections, Division of Probation & Parole, the jury again went into deliberations before returning with a recommended 7 year sentence.  Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders, who prosecuted the case, applauded the jury's sentence for Puetz, who had no prior criminal history.  "What I found especially offensive about this case was the fact that the drug deal took place in the presence of the Defendant's children," said Sanders, noting that the Defendant's 5 year old daughter could be heard talking to her father during the transaction.  "If a drug dealer is so brazen and callous as to peddle cocaine right in front a little girl, there's no telling what he wouldn't do," said Sanders, "Not to mention the poor example he's setting for her."  Sanders also said "We see generations of criminals from the same family come through our office and this is exactly why."

Sanders also applauded the work of the agents from the NKY Drug Strike Force.  "The Strike Force, by the nature of their undercover work, is probably the most low-profile law enforcement agency in the area," said Sanders.  "I don't think most folks realize what an asset we have in the NKDSF," said Sanders, noting that few other agencies have the training and resources necessary to combat major drug traffickers.  Sanders said he hopes to draw more recognition to the efforts of the NKDSF because recent cuts in Federal Byne Grant Funding are causing a strain on the Strike Force.  "Northern Kentucky didn't $2 Million in state funding for our program like Project UNITE in Eastern Kentucky ," said Sanders, "So like so many other needs in NKY, the burden falls on the county governments."  Sanders said Kenton, Boone, and Campbell Counties will each need to increase funding for the Drug Strike Force to make up for the loss of federal funds.  "The Strike Force does a whole lot with very little," said Sanders, "and if we lose their services, NKY will become a haven for drug dealers!"

 Puetz is scheduled for final sentencing before Kenton Circuit Judge Patricia Summe on May 19, 2008.

As the man ran through the back yards he tossed the gun under a bush.  Miskanin chased the man out from between two of the houses and back into  Collins street where the man was nearly hit by a police car driven by Officer David Hoyle who was responding to assist.  Miskanin and Hoyle took the suspect into custody at which time Miskanin ran back into the yard and recovered the discarded handgun.  The suspect was identified as Domenico Sergio Vilardo.  A criminal history check revealed that Vilardo, 24, had been convicted of 4 separate felonies.  The first prior felony was actually committed on Vilardo's 18th birthday when he was found driving a stolen car.

Vilardo was indicted by the Kenton County Grand Jury for Possession of a Handgun by a Convicted Felon and Persistent Felony Offender 1st Degree in May, 2007.  Vilardo was scheduled to stand trial on 2/13/08 but on the morning of trial and with the jury waiting in the hallway, Vilardo announced his intention to plead guilty to the handgun charge and waive a jury trial on the persistent felon charge, choosing to instead take his chances with Judge Martin Sheehan.  After 3 1/2 hours of testimony from an officer from the Dept. of Probation and Parole and legal arguments, Sheehan found Vilardo guilty of Persistent Felony Offender 1st Degree. 

On 4/1/08, Vilardo appeared in court for sentencing.  Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders is recommended the maximum sentence of 20 years.  Sanders called Vilardo "one of the most dangerous people in Kenton County " and said he had never seen such a long criminal history on such a young defendant.  Vilardo's priors include 1st Degree Wanton Endangerment and 2 convictions for Possession of a Controlled Substance (cocaine).  Defense counsel argued for the minimum 10 year sentence, noting that under Kentucky law, Vilardo must serve a minimum of 10 years before being eligible for parole.  Vilardo was sentenced to 16 year in prison.

While in jail awaiting trial, Vilardo also got into a fight with detention center deputies who requested that he submit to a drug test.  During the fight, Vilardo began to shout racial slurs at an African-American deputy and then attempted to spit blood on him.  The blood missed its intended target but landed on 2 other deputies.  For that encounter, Vilardo was indicted for 3 counts of 3rd Degree Assault on a Peace Officer and Persistent Felony Offender 1st Degree.  The 3rd Degree assault charges carry penalties of 1-5 years which would be enhanced to 10-20 years if convicted of the persistent felon charge. Any sentence Vilardo receives on the new charge must, by law, be served consecutive to the 16 year sentence imposed for the previous charge.

Study Says Crime Costs The U.S. $2 Trillion A Year

With violent crime down in the U.S. , crime is not on the top of people's agenda, but that may change soon.

The media and many politicians are now focused on the number of convicted criminals in our nation's jails and prisons and are calling for a significant reduction in that number.

However, it will be difficult to sell sentencing "reforms", unless the decision-makers can assure the public that their "reforms" will keep crime down and our citizens safe.

According to the University of Chicago 's Jen Ludwig, crime already costs the U.S. around $2 trillion.

Commonwealth v. Rashaad Jones