State vs. Macario Reyes Morales
Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child
Lead: Kristen vanBolden
2nd Chair: Deborah Bankhead
DA Investigator: Laura Brakefield
DA Victim Advocate: Yvonne Macias
Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department
The defendant continuously sexually abused a child under the age of 14. After listening to four witnesses testify during the trial, the defendant changed his plea to guilty and agreed to serve 40 years in prison, day for day.
GUILTY plea and sentenced to 40 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
State vs. Jennifer Stricker
Theft of Property >=$150K<$300K
Lead: Andrea Ingram
2nd Chair: Melissa Meyers, Steve Fawcett
DA Investigator: Seancory Patton
DA Forensic Analyst: DeAnna Debenport
Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department
The defendant was employed by Daniel’s Trading, LLC, a wholesale company, for over 5 years as an office manager and bookkeeper with oversight and control over many of the company’s financial accounts, including the transfer of eBay sales from the company Paypal account into Daniel’s Trading’s bank account.
In October of 2019 the company owner, Daniel Perez, was barely able to pay bills and make payroll due to the company bank balance not reflecting what he knew the approximate sales revenue to be. On October 17, 2019, Mr. Perez, being minimally computer literate and entirely dependent on Ms. Stricker to handle the finances, sought the assistance of his accountant to help him identify the discrepancy. Within minutes it became apparent that the financial loss was due to numerous unauthorized transfers from Danei’s Trading’s PayPal accountant to Jennifer Stricker’s PayPal account. Following an investigation by Detective Martinez of the Dallas Police Department’s Financial Crimes Division, over 318 unauthorized transfers were identified to have been initiated by Jennifer Stricker and transferred into her personal PayPal account over three years, resulting in a theft of $178,770.00.
Ms. Stricker used this embezzled money to fuel her gambling habit.
Following a four-day trial and a quick guilty verdict on May 9, 2024, the punishment hearing was set several weeks out to allow for a presentence investigation report due to Ms. Stricker being probation eligible. Beginning May 10th and during the following weeks, the prosecutors learned she had continued to prey upon small businesses, using them as her personal bank accounts for the sole purpose of support her gambling habit. The Dallas DA’s office was contacted by Ms. Stricker’s current employer, Troy Ballenger of Tristar Repair & Construction and TriStar Roofing, to report he discovered she had embezzled at least $314,000 from his company.
After being contacted by Mr. Ballenger, a third business and former employer of Ms. Stricker discovered she also embezzled at least $167,461.07 from their company over the course of two and a half years.
In addition to the State presenting evidence of Ms. Stricker’s combined embezzlement of $773,000 and proving that half of the money was embezzled while she was on bond for her theft from Daniel’s Trading, the State further showed Ms. Stricker’s complete disregard for the criminal justice and judicial system.
At the conclusion of the punishment evidence, including testimony from all three business owners, Judge Gary Stephens sentenced the defendant to 14 years in prison.
GUILTY and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
State vs. Jonathan Ramos
Sexual Assault of a Child
Lead: Conner Sheets
2nd Chair: Kristen vanBolden
DA Investigator: Walter Clifton Jr., Laura Brakefield, Tomicka McCloud, Lorraine Resendez
DA Victim Advocate: Flor De La Fuente
Investigating Agency: Grand Prairie Police Department
The defendant was found guilty of sexually assaulting a child.
GUILTY and sentenced 10 years in prison.
State vs. Younus Hassen
Aggravated Robbery
Prosecutors: Andrew Anagnostis & Clint Stiffler
Investigating Agency: Garland Police Department & ATF
The defendant shoplifted candy from a 7 Eleven. When confronted by the manager, the defendant pointed a pistol at him and ran. The manager called 911, and officers with the Garland Police Department quickly located the defendant’s vehicles. They recovered the pistol which was equipped with a “switch” device that converts semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic machine guns. After his arrest, the defendant bonded out.
While on bond, he was arrested by Lewisville Police for unlawfully carrying a weapon (an AK pistol) and possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl). This arrest resulted in his bond being held inefficient.
While awaiting the resolution of his case, he was involved in several jail incidents, including fighting, possessing stolen property, and possessing contraband.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the court and asked for probation, but the court sentenced him to 10 years in prison.
GUILTY plea and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
State vs. Sam Tamborello
Cruelty to Animal
Lead: Jessica Trevizo
2nd Chair: Priscilla Pelli
DA Investigator: Steve Wilson
DA Victim Advocate: Maggie Negrete
Investigating Agency: Highland Park Police Department
On Tuesday May 30, 2023, Highland Park Police received a call from the defendant that his neighbor Jay Arthur threatened to kill him, and he wanted Jay Arthur arrested. Jay Arthur and his wife also called Highland Park Police to report that their neighbor Sam Tamborello had pepper sprayed their dog without cause. Officers first met with Jay Arthur who stated that he was walking his dog and crossed paths with the defendant who proceeded to pepper spray the dog.
Officers then met with the defendant who stated he was out jogging and crossed paths with Jay Arthur when all of a sudden Mr. Arthur’s dog lunged at him, and he was in fear for his life so he pepper sprayed the dog.
The evidence showed at trial that the defendant started recording the incident on his phone well before Jay Arthur and his dog were even aware that the defendant was coming towards them. The dog was on a leash being restrained by Mr. Arthur and the dog was pepper sprayed as Mr. Arthur was moving out of the defendant’s way to let him pass. Mr. Arthur then told the defendant that if he squirted his dog he would kick the defendant. The dog was in distress afterwards and the pepper spray also irritated Mr. Arthur’s wife when she tried to clean it off the dog.
The defendant had a long history of spraying random leashed dogs without cause and was known for harassing neighbors without cause.
GUILTY with an agreed sentence of 5 years in prison probated over 4 years, waived right to appeal and can never own pets.
