[Press] Hospice to Host Comic Book Show

Hospice to Host Comic Book Show

West Orange, NJ –  Superheroes For Hospice is hosting their 2nd Comic Book Show on Saturday, October 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Saint Barnabas Health Care System Corporate Building, located at 95 Old Short Hills Road, West Orange.  All proceeds will support the patients and families of the Saint Barnabas Hospice and Palliative
Care Center (SBHPCC).

This project started in December 2008 by Volunteer Coordinator, Spiro Ballas.  “I’m reliving my youth for a good cause,” says Ballas.  SBHPCC relies heavily on donations and fundraising projects to bridge the gap between the cost of care and the insufficient reimbursement received from insurance companies.

Over 25,000 comic books have been donated to the project, some of which have been converted into over $800 for SBHPCC.

“It is a win/win situation for all involved,” thinks Ballas, explaining, “1st, comic book donors get a tax write-off for their
generosity—which can be more valuable than what they would get in today’s market if they tried selling them on Ebay—2nd, comic book fans will pick-up books at the show at a very strong discount, and, 3rd, hospice receives extra revenue to support their special kind of care.”

Comic books are still being collected for this and future shows.  Area artists and writers are welcome to showcase their material at the show, as long as a percentage of sales at the show is donated to SBHPCC.

For more information about the show, or to make a comic book donation, please contact Spiro Ballas at SBallas@SBHCS.com or 973-322-4866.

Established in 1981, the Saint Barnabas Hospice and Palliative Care Center, located at 95 Old Short Hills Road in West Orange, provides comprehensive care for patients with advanced illness, and their families, throughout ten counties in the State of New Jersey.  The Saint Barnabas Hospice and Palliative Care Center supports inpatient units at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, NJ, as well as Van Dyke Hospice at
Community Medical Center in Toms River.  It also provides home care and services for individuals in long-term care and assisted living facilities.

Police: Denver meth ring bought collector comic books to launder millions in cash – Entertainment Daily

Police: Denver meth ring bought collector comic books to launder millions in cash

Police: Denver meth ring bought collector comic books to launder millions in cash
P. Solomon Banda
August 24th, 2009

Police: Drug ring used comic books to launder cash

DENVER — Two brothers accused of running a drug ring that imported and distributed millions of dollars worth of methamphetamine in Denver bought hundreds of collector comic books to launder the money, authorities said Monday.

Police seized comic books worth at least $500,000 while arresting Aaron Castro, 29, of Commerce City and Alfonzo Castro, 30, of Denver, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said.

“It was their intent to launder money, and their choice was collector comic books,” Suthers said.

Some of the seized comic books were first edition Superman and Batman publications encased in protective plastic covers, Adams County District Attorney Don Quick said.

“It appeared as they were working on a startup company for high-end comic books,” he said. One of the comic books was worth about $3,500.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the brothers had started selling the comic books.

The ring imported and distributed as much as 100,000 doses of meth each month, collecting about $500,000, Suthers said.

Women acting as “mules” would insert the drugs into their vaginal cavities to ferry the drugs to houses throughout the metro area where it would be sold, authorities said.

“It’s a tawdry piece of information, but it’s a big part of what this group was doing,” Suthers said.

Denver once had more than 100 meth labs broken up each year. But a change in the law and stepped up enforcement has reduced the amount of locally manufactured meth, leaving such drug rings to fill the void, Quick said.

Suthers said members of the drug ring would pick up pounds of meth in Phoenix, which led him to believe it was produced in a “superlab” in Mexico

Forty-one people were indicted in the case, with all but one in custody. Nineteen, including the Castro brothers, face racketeering and conspiracy charges, while the rest are accused of possession and intent to distribute drugs and other charges.

Phone numbers listed for the Castro brothers have been disconnected. It’s not clear whether they have attorneys.

The brothers and two other suspects were being held on $1 million bail, while 15 others charged with racketeering and conspiracy were being held on $500,000 bail, Suthers said. Bail varied for the remaining suspects.

The indictment was filed after a yearlong investigation that included undercover police work and wiretaps.

More than 200 police officers fanned out across the Denver metro area on Aug. 14 to make arrests, said Broomfield Police Chief Tom Deland, head of the North Metro Task Force that lead the investigation.