National Roundup

New York
DNA on beer cans leads to NY suspect’s arrest
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a burglar’s decision to knock back a couple of beers during a break-in at an upstate New York home led to his arrest.
Onondaga (ahn-uhn-DAH’-gah) County prosecutors tell The Post-Standard of Syracuse that 29-year-old Moses Wilson was stealing copper piping from a vacant rental home in Syracuse in early February when he found an unopened case of beer in the basement.
Officials say he drank some of the beer during the burglary. Prosecutors say police were able to match Wilson’s DNA to DNA found on the cans.
Wilson was arraigned Tuesday in Onondaga County Court on charges of burglary and petit larceny. He is being held in jail on $10,000 bail. It couldn’t immediately be determined if he had a lawyer.

California
‘Chili Finger Lady’ sent back to prison again
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California woman sentenced to four years in prison for planting a severed finger in a bowl of Wendy’s chili is going back behind bars for creating another tall tale, this one about a shooting involving her son.
The San Jose Mercury News reported Tuesday that Anna Ayala pleaded no contest to three felony charges and will receive a two-year prison term when formally sentenced in September.
The so-called Chili Finger Lady was arrested in October after she told police that her son had been shot in the ankle by two men.
Guadalupe Reyes accidentally shot himself and Ayala lied to prevent him from going to prison as a felon in possession of a firearm. Reyes will also receive two years in prison for that very charge.

California
AEG Live CEO: Jackson lawsuit is just extortion 
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The head of AEG Live told a jury on Tuesday that he believes a lawsuit filed by Michael Jackson’s mother against the concert promotion company was a baseless extortion attempt.
CEO Randy Phillips also said the company bears no responsibility for Jackson’s 2009 death, as his mother contends.
Katherine Jackson is suing AEG Live LLC, claiming it failed to properly investigate the doctor who was later convicted of her son’s death. AEG denies wrongdoing.
Phillips said he agreed with statements attributed to him and defense attorney Marvin S. Putnam that the case was a shakedown.
“Yes or no, answer? Yes,” Phillips said in response to a question by Katherine Jackson’s attorney Brian Panish.
Phillips is the highest-ranking AEG executive to testify in the case, now in its sixth week.
He will likely be asked about numerous emails he sent and received about Jackson’s health in the final weeks of the superstar’s life, as well as any interactions he had with former cardiologist Conrad Murray.
Murray agreed to serve as Jackson’s doctor for $150,000 a month while he performed 50 shows titled “This Is It” in London’s 02 Arena in 2009 and early 2010.
AEG denies hiring Murray and agreeing to pay Murray’s fee as an advance to Jackson.
Phillips’ testimony came after several days of often tense testimony from AEG Live executive Paul Gongaware, who told jurors he did not remember numerous details about Jackson’s rehearsals and emails he sent about the singer.
Panish sparred with Gongaware, and pointedly questioned Phillips, whom he called to the stand as a hostile witness.
Panish asked Phillips whether he was eager to tell his side of the story.
“I believe you called me as a witness, so I’m here,” Phillips said flatly.
Panish at one point asked the executive whether he was familiar with the music industry.
“Familiar with the music industry? I was working in it,” Phillips replied.
At another point in his testimony when the executive appeared to crack a smile, Panish asked if he thought the proceedings were funny.
“No, I think it’s tragic.” Phillips replied.

New Hampshire
State court says  sex offender must register
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire Supreme Court says a man convicted of attempted sexual assault must register as a sex offender, rejecting his argument that there wasn’t an actual assault.
Justin Czyzewski, 28, was convicted in October 2009 based on online conversations with an undercover detective he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.
New Hampshire law requires all persons convicted of sex crimes involving victims under age 18 to register as sex offenders wherever they live. Czyzewski now lives in Drexel Hill, Pa., and is listed in that state’s sex offender registry.
Czyzewski appealed the trial judge’s ruling denying his request for a declaration that he does not have to register. The Supreme Court’s unanimously upheld that ruling in its decision released Wednesday.
Czyzewski argued that he doesn’t fall within the registration requirements because his attempt involved a police officer and not an actual child.
The court ruled the law was not intended to give a break to convicts who take “a substantial step in targeting an ‘actual victim’ but do not complete the crime.”
“There is no indication in the statute that the legislature intended either to categorize attempt crimes in this way or to benefit a category of manifestly dangerous criminals for no other reason that the fortuitous fact that their intended victims turned out to be undercover police officers,” Justice Gary Hicks wrote.
Czyzewski’s lawyer, Philip Desfosses, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Montana
Billings man gets 17 years for shooting spree
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A 26-year-old Billings man who pleaded guilty to opening fire on several houses and businesses nearly three years ago, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison.
The Billings Gazette reports District Judge Gregory R. Todd sentenced Joshua Leo Weber on Tuesday. Weber earlier pleaded guilty to felony criminal endangerment by common scheme for the 4 a.m. shootings on Sept. 17, 2010. Court records say bullets struck at least 20 homes, businesses and a church. People were inside nine of the buildings.
Todd also sentenced Weber to 13 years with the Department of Corrections for violating his probation on a 2006 conviction for burglary and robbery and ordered him to pay nearly $11,000 in restitution to the shooting victims. Todd also recommended Weber be considered for the boot camp program.