Justin Lavelle

Justin Lavelle is the social media director and blogger for BeenVerified.com. He is based out of Northern Virginia.

El Chapo: The US Rap Sheet

Justin Lavelle

January 13, 2016

Joaquin Guzman Loera AKA “El Chapo” is back in the news again as he was finally recaptured in Mexico after a dramatic prison escape last year. The leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, El Chapo has been wanted on both sides of the border for an array of drug-trafficking related offenses. Part of the reason his escape (the second jailbreak of his career) was so newsworthy last year was that Mexican authorities had refused to extradite him to the United States to face the music for the chaos that his sprawling drug empire has created in a multitude of American cities.

Holiday Dangers of Social Media Sharing

Justin Lavelle

December 16, 2015

Social Media is our largest public forum. Our newsfeeds are a constant and steady stream of the personal details of our friends and families’ lives. When something major happens in our lives we take to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to post pictures, Tweet and make status updates. But there are times when the information that we post on our social media accounts can be used against us. Here are a few ways that over sharing on social media can put you in harm’s way.

Legal Term Tuesday: Defamation

Justin Lavelle

January 19, 2016

This is the latest entry in BeenVerified’s legal term library designed to help you better understand public record information, criminal records and related terminology. The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For many people, reputation means everything. So when it’s damaged, it can impact both their personal and professional relationships. When a statement begins to tarnish someone’s reputation, it can in some cases be legally considered defamation.

Legal Term Tuesday: Disturbing the Peace

Justin Lavelle

January 26, 2016

This is the latest entry in BeenVerified’s legal term library designed to help you better understand public record information, criminal records and related terminology. The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Disturbing the peace sounds like a mere nuisance, but it’s actually a criminal offense. What constitutes a disturbance of the peace and will it remain on the guilty party’s public record?

Legal Term Tuesday: Failure to Appear

Justin Lavelle

January 13, 2016

This is the latest entry in BeenVerified’s legal term library designed to help you better understand public record information, criminal records and related terminology. The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Failure to appear equates to the missing of a court date when a person is scheduled to appear before a judge. What are the penalties for failing to appear, and will an incident such as this appear on your public record?

Online Dating Newbie? Read This

Justin Lavelle

January 6, 2016

This week marks the busiest time of year for online dating sites, with the most new signups this week than at any other point of the year. People join these sites full of hope, often with New Years resolutions to get out more or to find his or her “soulmate.” Many will accomplish these objectives and many more will give up with a bad taste in their mouths. Online dating can be many things: fun, a diversion, a way to meet a serious partner, or simply a way to make new connections.

The Bachelor: Top 3 Red Flags on a First Date

Justin Lavelle

January 11, 2016

The Bachelor is back and everyone is talking about it. The first episode, when a gaggle of attractive women are introduced to the eligible young man (played this season by Ben Higgins), tends to be one of the most entertaining and talked about of the entire season. While each collection of eligible singles are distinct, it seems certain themes bubble up perennially on the show, now in its 20th season.

The Year in Crime: Celebrities

Justin Lavelle

December 28, 2015

In some ways celebrities are just like ordinary folks. Some times they have bad tempers, drink too much (and decide to drive), get in fights or ride their hoverboards in inadvisable places. And some times, they even have to answer for their bad behavior in a court of law. Below is a list of notable celebrity arrests and convictions in 2015: Justin Bieber The boy pop wonder had a busy year, convicted on multiple charges including careless driving, assault and resisting arrest, in multiple countries.

Top 3 Extremist Armed Standoffs

Justin Lavelle

January 5, 2016

Over the weekend a group of armed extremists occupied a wildlife refuge in Oregon. This is the latest episode in a long simmering dispute between the Federal government and anti-government ranchers out West. The group’s leaders have been quoted by The New York Times as being willing to “kill and be killed” over their dispute with the government. If history is any guide, this could get ugly. To remind you, here are the top three armed stand-offs from similar groups in recent American history:

Year in Crime: Craziest Crimes

Justin Lavelle

December 31, 2015

Crime is unfortunately a mundane fact of life, but every once in awhile a crime makes headlines that is so unbelievably crazy, stupid and shocking, that we sit up and take notice. Here is a roundup of some of the craziest crime stories of 2015: 81-Year-Old Grandma Arrested After Brawl An “ongoing Facebook dispute” apparently boiled over as no less than three generations of a family—including an 81-year-old grandmother—were arrested in a brawl in an Athens, GA.

Explore BeenVerified

Justin Lavelle

Recent Articles by Justin