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Descendant of prominent family accused of thefts

By WTOP Staff

CAROLYN THOMPSON
Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A member of a prominent western New York family is charged with stealing family heirlooms, including guns, and selling them to support a heroin addiction, police said Wednesday.

One of the stolen guns was used in a shooting that seriously injured a man in Buffalo last week, police said.

Megan Hubbard-Riley, 22, was being held on $75,000 bail one day after appearing in Buffalo City Court on weapons charges. She and her boyfriend also are charged with grand larceny in East Aurora for the alleged thefts from her mother’s home over a six-month period.

Hubbard-Riley is the great-great-granddaughter of Elbert Hubbard, who at the end of the 19th Century founded the Roycroft artisan community outside Buffalo as a cradle of the arts and crafts movement. The campus in East Aurora remains active today.

Hubbard-Riley was arrested June 20 following an investigation that began when her mother, Mary Hubbard, reported the theft of 13 antique and modern-day handguns from her home.

Hubbard then discovered numerous other items had been taken, East Aurora Police Detective Patrick Welch said, including a 2-carat diamond ring, Roycroft literature, an antique Roycroft coffee pot, leather goods and other valuables that together were worth more than $50,000.

The investigation led to Hubbard-Riley and her 36-year-old boyfriend, John Lawandus, both of whom lived with Hubbard and abused drugs, the detective said.

“They were stealing things they knew to be valuable in order to get fast cash to feed their addiction,” Welch said.

Many of the items, excluding the ring and guns, have since been recovered at pawn shops, where they had been sold for a fraction of their value.

One of the guns was recovered following a shooting outside a Buffalo restaurant June 26 that injured a 30-year-old man. Police allege Lawandus sold the stolen guns to two Buffalo men who then resold them on the streets. Lawandus, Hubbard-Riley and the two Buffalo men face multiple weapons charges.

Hubbard-Riley’s attorney, Brian K. Parker, said the family is troubled by the danger the missing guns continue to pose as relatives pursue a treatment plan for Hubbard-Riley’s addiction.

“They’re concerned. They’re not happy with the actions or situation, obviously,” he said.

Mary Hubbard could not be reached for comment Wednesday because a phone listing was not in service.

Parker described Hubbard-Riley as “very emotional.”

“She’s never been in this position before,” he said.

Court records list no attorney for Lawandus. He and Hubbard-Riley were being held Wednesday at the Erie County Correctional Facility.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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