"JOHN DOE'S 30-YEAR CRIME SPREE: SENTENCED WITHOUT A NAME & TURKEY LEG HUT OWNER'S GUN ARREST"

0:03 Callaroga Shark Media. Good morning, I'm reed Carter. Thursday, November sixth, twenty twenty five, Queen's Supreme Court. This morning, a man stands before Judge Lee K. Cheng for sentencing. He's pleaded guilty to grand larceny, identity theft, and deed fraud. He's facing twelve and a half years in prison. The judge asks his name for the record. Nobody knows. The man has been arrested over fifty times since nineteen ninety two, used at least fifteen different names, Elvis Teller, Bobby Jackson, John Stamp, Marco Ferrari, Craig Taylor, Carl Avenger. Each time a new identity, a new birth date, a new Social Security number, a new backstory, thirty three years of crime, assault, drug trafficking, real estate fraud, cycling in and out of prison, and nobody, not the NYPD, not the FBI, not prosecutors, not even the mother of his child, knows his real name.

1:14 This morning, Judge Chang sentences him as John Doe, the only defendant in New York State currently imprisoned without a confirmed identity. Also today, Lynn Price, owner of the wildly popular turkey leg Hut, in Houston, arrested yesterday for the fourth time in three years another gun charge, while awaiting trial for allegedly assaulting employees with her car while already on bail for two previous weapons charges. The viral restaurant Queen can't stop catching cases. I'm Red Carter today, the man with no name and the woman who can't stay out of trouble. This is Celebrity Trials. Nineteen ninety two, New York City. A teenager gets arrested for burglary in Manhattan, tells police his name is Elvis Teller, says he's sixteen years old. Officers book him, take his mugshot, fingerprints, process him through the system. Elvis Teller gets arrested five more times that year, burglary, assault, reckless endangerment. A typical young offender in and out of the system, Except Elvis Teller wasn't real. The sixteen year old who told police his name was Elvis never existed. The birthday was fake, the social Security number was fake. Everything was fake, but NYPD didn't know that yet. Over the next ten years, the man whoever he was, got arrested twenty nine more times in New York City. But now he had different names.

2:46 Sometimes he was Bobby Jackson, eighteen years old, charged with reckless endangerment. Sometimes he was Marco Ferrari twenty six charged with grand larceny. Sometimes he was John Stamp sixteen, charged with attempted murder while stealing a vehicle in Brooklyn. Investigators would eventually connect these identities by comparing mugshots and fingerprints. Same face, same prints, different names, different ages, different backstories. The man was a chameleon, reinventing himself every time he got caught. November nineteen ninety five, convicted of assault and weapons possession under one of his aliases. Sentenced to two years in prison, served his time, released, immediately violated parole, locked up again, cycled in and out for five more years, prison release parole violation, prison release parole violation. The system couldn't figure out who he was, but it kept processing him anyway. February two thousand and two, Queensborough Correctional Facility, the man met a fellow inmate named Dwayne Avenger. They became friends prison buddies. Dwayne told the man about his family back in Greensboro, North Carolina, his mother, his younger brothers, Carl, and another sibling their five bedroom house. The man listened, took mental notes, stored that information away for later. April seventh, two thousand and three, the man was released from prison again after another parole violation. After another stint inside, he

4:19 needed a place to stay. Dwayne's mother had died two weeks earlier. The family was mourning. Dwayne told his younger brothers that his prison buddy needed somewhere to crash. The youngest brother agreed. Carl Avenger, twenty years old at the time, objected, I'm not going to allow a stranger to stay in my mama's house. Carl told his brothers, I don't care who says what. He is not welcome inside mama's house. You don't know who this dude is. You don't know who you are dealing with. But the man showed up anyway. Carl told him to leave. The man refused. Carl's wallet was sitting unattended in the house. One day, inside Carl's high school, id his driver's lifens, his social Security card, about one hundred dollars in cash. The man took it.

5:05 Months later, he moved out took Carl Avenger's entire identity with him. Carl didn't realize what had happened. Immediately, around two thousand and five, he started receiving mail from debt relief companies, collection notices, credit card offers, bills for things he'd never purchased. He filed police reports, Nobody cared, nobody investigated, just another identity theft case in a system drowning in them. But Carl kept watching, kept searching his own name online, watching his credit score tank, watching his criminal record grow, Unable to lease an apartment, unable to get a job, because on paper, Carl Avenger was a career criminal, cycling in and out of prison. Except it wasn't Carl. It was the man, the stranger his brother had invited into their dead mother's house, the prison buddy who stole his wallet and disappeared. Make it make sense. February seventh, two thousand and six, about one hundred miles outside Oklahoma City, a state trooper pulls over a Dodge Mini van for veering into the wrong lane. The driver is shaking, nervous, sweating.

6:24 The trooper asks for identification. The driver says his name is Carl E. Avenger, twenty three years old from Knoxville, enrolled in school in Tennessee. The E stands for Edward. The trooper looks in the van, sees a discarded marijuana stem on the floor, searches the vehicle, finds fifty one pounds of marijuana wrapped in cellophane. Drug trafficking quantities. Carl E. Avenger is arrested, booked, fingerprinted, but when prosecutors run the prints, they discover something. This isn't Carl Avenger, this is someone else, someone using a stolen identity. They charge him with false impersonation under one of his previous aliases, John Stamp Now supposedly thirty three years old, convicted, sentenced to three years in prison, released on parole in two thousand and nine.

7:16 By January twenty eleven, the man was back in New York, arrested fifteen more times between twenty eleven and twenty twenty two, driving with a suspended license, DUI, intimidating a witness. Most of the cases are sealed, but in the unsealed ones he's either Marco Ferrari or Carl Avenger. His rap sheet kept growing, which meant Carl Avenger's rap sheet kept growing. The real Karl, now living in Tennessee, couldn't escape it. Every time he applied for an apartment, ran a background check, or tried to get a job, the system flagged him as a convicted felon with an extensive criminal history. You don't know who you are dealing with, Carl had told his brother back in two thousand three three. He was right, but the man wasn't done. In twenty twenty three, he launched his most elaborate scheme yet. Enter Autumn. Valerie, vice president at Fave Realty, Inc. A real estate firm based in New York. She oversaw the company's office in East Northport, stood out everywhere she went. Fitted leather pants, ribbed black turtlenecks, red lipstick, pointed toast to lettos, large sunglasses, manicured nails, high fashion, high commissions. She once earned twenty five thousand dollars on a single sale. The man in Autumn became partners in business and in life. They ran a deed fraud operation, simple but effective. They found vacant houses in wealthy neighborhoods, particularly in Queen's, filed fake deeds with the

8:47 city claiming to be the owners, transferred those deeds to shell companies they controlled, impersonated notaries to approve the transfers, then resold the homes for massive profits. Did it wants? Got away with it? Did it again? Got away with it. April twenty fifth, twenty twenty three, Q Gardens Hills, Queen's. A mother and her fifty two year old daughter had owned a home there since nineteen ninety seven. The man and autumn forged their signatures, filed a fake deed, transferred the property to a shell corporation. May thirty first, the shell company flipped the house for six hundred thousand dollars sale registered with the city nine days later. That's when the mother and daughter received notice that their home had been stolen and sold. They reported the fraud to the Queen's District attorney. In June twenty twenty three. Prosecutor Rachel Stein, deputy Chief of the Housing Bureau, began investigating. By January twenty twenty four, the man was living in a house in Saint Albans, Queen's, according to public records, and his house stood out on a block of pre war half timbered homes. His was painted entirely black, every brick, security cameras everywhere, blackout curtains covering every window, A towering metal roll up gate erected in the alleyway, blocking the backyard from view Fortress architecture. Around that time, Autumn became pregnant with the man's son. The family lived together for about

10:18 fourteen months while rachel Stein built her case. By March twenty twenty five, she had enough. Grand jury returned an indictment forty seven counts of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, conspiracy, and other crimes. March eighteenth, twenty twenty five, the man, Autumn Valerie, and two accomplices were arraigned in Queen's Criminal Court. All pleaded not guilty. When the man went before the judge, he introduced himself as Carl Avenger, seven hundred and fifty miles away in Tennessee. The real Carl Avenger was online searching his own name, a habit he'd developed ever since the man stole his identity. The search returned news articles about a real estate scam in Queen's a fraudster named Carl Avenger. Carl saw the mugshot.

11:09 It was him, the guy he knew is Ace, the stranger from his mother's house twenty two years ago. March twenty seventh, Carl called. Prosecutors told them the man arrested as Carl Avenger wasn't Carl Avenger, that he was the real Carl Avenger, that Ace had stolen his identity. In two thousand and three, prosecutors investigated, confirmed Carl was telling the truth, jailed the man. But if the defendant wasn't Carl Avenger, who was he. April twenty first, twenty twenty five, Queen's criminal court hearing on the defendant's identity. His attorney, Milton Flores, tells the judge his client says his real name is Craig Taylor, that his mother is Margaret Curtis.

11:53 Prosecutors tracked down Margaret Curtis, except her name wasn't Margaret Curtis anymore. It was Margaret Forbe lives in Texas. They asked if she was the man's mother. She said yes, but she said his name wasn't Craig Taylor. She said it was Angelo Alexander Forbes born January thirteenth, nineteen seventy six in Nassau. The Bahamas prosecutors tried to verify birth records from the Bahamas Immigration Records, Social Security Administration FBI databases. Nothing. No Angelo Alexander Forbes born on that date in Nassau. No record of him entering the United States, no trail, no proof. Margaret Forbes could be lying, could be telling the truth, could be part of another ruse. Nobody knows.

12:39 August twenty twenty five, the man pleaded guilty to stealing Carl Avenger's identity, sentencing three and a half to seven years. October eighth, twenty twenty five, the man returned from Riker's Island for another plea one count first degree grand larceny, two counts second degree grand life larsony for those crimes up to nine years total sentence twelve and a half year's maximum. At the back of the courtroom sat Autumn Valari. She'd already pleaded guilty, herself, lost her real estate license, got five years probation, her lips were pursed. Eyes fixed on the man hunched over the defense table, officers removing his handcuffs. He's the father of her one year old son, and she doesn't even know his name. Before the proceeding, Judge Lee K. Cheng called the attorneys to the bench, so are we planning to charge this man as mister Avenger and list his aliases, do we know his name? No, Rachel Stein said, He's not going to admit it. It is what it is. Judge Cheng ticked through the parameters of the plea deal. The man, appearing bored, mumbled that he understood, picked up a pen to sign the paperwork, wiped his face with his hand. When the hearing concluded, the man stood and grinned, turned to his attorney, gave him a fist bump, never looked back at the mother of his child. Court officers put him in handcuffs led him out of the room. This morning, November sixth, twenty

14:11 twenty five, Judge Chung sentenced him as John Doe, the only prisoner in New York State currently incarcerated without a confirmed identity. Fifty plus arrests over thirty three years, at least fifteen different names. Elvis Teller, Bobby Jackson, John Stamp, Marco Ferrari, Craig Taylor, Carl Avenger, Angelo, Alexander Forbes, none of them real, all of them tools identities he wore like masks and discarded when they no longer served him. The real Carl Avenger spent twenty two years watching his life destroyed by a stranger, his credit, ruined, his criminal record, fabricated, his opportunities stolen, all because he tried to stop his brother from letting a prison buddy crash at their dead mother's house. You don't know who you are dealing with, Karl had said. He was right smart enough to run a multi state, multi decade criminal operation, too arrogant to realize that eventually someone would notice that, eventually the real Carl Avenger would find him, that eventually he'd run out of names. Make it make sense, Houston, Texas Turkey Leg Hut if you don't know what you should. Viral sensation started in twenty sixteen as a tiny family run operation.

15:34 Lynn and Knakia Price, married couple selling turkey legs, seafood and soul food lines out the door. Social media exploded, celebrities visiting. Beyonce shouted them out, Lebron James posted about them, Travis Scott, Megan v. Stallion. The restaurant became a cultural phenomenon by twenty twenty five. Turkey Leg Hut has multiple locations, merchandise line, food, truck catering, and higher. The Prices built something special, a black owned business success story. But Linn Price can't stop catching cases. Yesterday, November fifth, twenty twenty five, Houston Police arrested Lynn Price again, fourth arrest in three years, this time unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

16:20 Posted twenty thousand dollars bond released within hours. Let's back up. March twenty twenty three, Linn Price was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Allegedly struck two employees with her car during an argument outside the restaurant. Both employees injured, one seriously. Lynn claimed self defense, said the employees attacked her first, she was just trying to get away. Charged with two counts felony assault. Posted bail, case still pending, trial scheduled July twenty twenty three. Four months later, Linn Price arrested again unlawful carrying of a weapon, different incident, different location. Prosecutors argued she shouldn't have a gun while awaiting trial on assault charges. Posted bail released. February twenty twenty four, Linn Price arrested a third time, another gun charge.

17:12 Prosecutors tried to revoke her bail on the assault case, said she was a danger to the community. Judge denied the motion let her remain free on bail with conditions. Now yesterday, fourth arrest another gun charge while still awaiting trial on the assault charges, while already on bail for the previous gun charges. The pattern is clear. Lin Price either doesn't understand the conditions of her bail or doesn't care. When you're arrested for felony assault, the judge typically orders you not to possess weapons. When you're arrested for weapons charges. The judge reinforces that order when you're arrested for weapons charges again. The judge warns you when you're arrested for weapons charges a third time, you're testing how much patience the system has. Linn Price just discovered the answer not much more. Prosecutors will file a motion to revoke bail, arguing she's violated conditions repeatedly, that she's a danger to herself and others, that she shouldn't be free while awaiting trial.

18:12 The judge will have to decide does Lynn Price get another chance, or does she sit in jail until her assault trial. Here's the frustrating part. Turkey leg Hut is a success. The restaurant is thriving, the brand is powerful, the price is built something real, something valuable, but Lynn keeps jeopardizing it with these arrests. The assault case is serious. If convicted, she faces years in prison. But even if she beats that case, these weapons charges are piling up. Prosecutors have evidence, arrest records, bail violation, documentation. This isn't going away, and the employees allegedly struck by her car they're suing civilly millions in damages, medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering. Even if Lynn avoids prison, she could lose everything financially. The viral success, yes, the celebrity endorsements, the empire they built, all of it threatened because Linn Price can't follow the most basic condition of her bail, don't carry a gun, your tax dollars at work. Police arresting the same defendant four times in three years for the same type of offense, Prosecutors filing the same motions, judges issuing the same warnings, and the defendant learning nothing.

19:22 The tragedy here isn't just Lynn Price's legal troubles. It's watching a black owned business success story potentially destroyed by bad decisions. Turkey leg Hut should be a celebration, a model, an inspiration. Instead, it's a cautionary tale about what happens when you can't get out of your own way. Knakia Price, Lin's husband and co owner, has stayed out of trouble, focused on the business, but Lin's arrests affect the brand, affect their reputation, affect their ability to expand nobody wants to partner with a business owner facing multiple felony charges. The assault trial will determine Lin's fate. If she's convicted, prison time is likely. If she's acquitted, the weapons charges remain, and yesterday's arrest the fourth shows prosecutors she hasn't learned, hasn't changed, hasn't taken the court's warnings seriously. The real victims here are the two employees allegedly hit by Lynn's car.

20:17 They're the ones who suffered physical injuries. They're the ones whose lives were disrupted, and they're watching their alleged attacker get arrested three more times while awaiting trial for assaulting them. That's got to feel like justice delayed. Turkey leg Hut will survive. The food is too good, the brand is too strong. But whether Lynn Price will be part of that future, that's up to a jury and based on yesterday's arrest up to whether she can finally follow the rules. That's Celebrity Trials for Thursday, November sixth, twenty twenty five. A man sentenced today as John Doe. Fifty plus arrests over thirty three years, at least fifteen different identities, stole Carl Avenger's entire life in two thousand and three, ran a queen's real estate scam with his pregnant girlfriend. Prosecutors still don't know his real name. Twelve and a half years in prison, the only inmate in New York without a confirmed identity. And Linn Price arrested for the fourth time in three years another gun charge while awaiting trial for assault while already on bail for two previous weapons charges.

21:25 Prosecutors will move to revoke bail. Turkey leg Hut thriving, but Linn Price jeopardizing everything with these arrests. Two people who can't follow the most basic rules, one hiding behind fake names for decades, the other ignoring bail conditions repeatedly, both learning the hard way. Eventually the system catches up. I'm read Carter, see you tomorrow. This is Celebrity Trials