NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until March 24, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Crocs, Inc. (NasdaqGS: CROX), if they purchased the Company’s shares between November 3, 2022, and October 28 2024, inclusive (the “Class Period”). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.
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Crocs investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nasdaq-crox-1/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.
About the Lawsuit
Crocs and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.
In February 2022, the Company completed its acquisition of HEYDUDE, a footwear brand focusing on casual, comfortable, and lightweight footwear. On October 29, 2024, the Company reported its financial results for 3Q 2024, disclosing that HEYDUDE revenues fell below the Company’s expectations and that “HEYDUDE’s recent performance and the current operating environment are signaling it will take longer than we had initially planned for the business to turn the corner” due to “excess inventories in the market,” among other things.
On this news, the price of Crocs common stock declined $26.47 per share, or approximately 19.2%, from a close of $138.05 per share on October 28, 2024, to close at $111.58 per share on October 29, 2024.
The case is Carretta v. Crocs, Inc., et al., No. 25-cv-00096.
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ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.
Dotted across northern Australia are 21 saltwater crocodile farms, home to around 130,000 crocodiles. Their skins are turned into crocodile leather, long sought for use in luxury handbags, belts and other items.
While fur lost favour due to welfare concerns about animals such as mink, chinchillas and arctic foxes raised for their skins, crocodile leather has kept selling. Australia dominates the global market of saltwater crocodile skins, producing almost 60% of all such skins traded internationally.
But the industry now faces real headwinds. Major retailers and fashion events in Australia and internationally are phasing out or banning crocodile and other exotic skins due to growing concerns over animal welfare.
The Northern Territory government’s crocodile farming plan acknowledges shifting consumer demand and increasing scrutiny as the industry’s largest threat.
Early animal rights activists in the 19th century focused on feathers due to concern about the enormous environmental damage done by plume hunters killing ostriches and egrets. Only later did activists turn their focus to fur.
In the early 20th century, countries such as the United States and Britain enacted bans or restrictions on feathers. In this century, sentiment has largely turned against wearing real fur, though faux fur and vintage fur are still popular.
But even as feathers went out of fashion, new animal products were arriving. By 1928, exotic skins such as crocodile, alligator and snake began commercialisation in Europe and the US. By the 1970s, they were widely used in fashion.
That looks to be changing.
By 2026, department store David Jones will phase out all exotic skins, including ostrich, crocodile, alligator, lizard and snake. The move builds on the company’s existing animal welfare policies, which already prohibit the sale of fur, angora rabbit wool and foie gras (duck or goose liver).
The 2025 Melbourne Fashion Festival will also ban exotic leathers, while London Fashion Week will be the first of the “Big Four” fashion weeks to follow suit.
In recent years, the kangaroo leather industry has also come under pressure due to concerns over animal welfare. California banned it altogether, and a full US ban is under consideration.
Feathers are also under increasing scrutiny, with fashion weeks in Copenhagen, Helsinki and Melbourne announcing feather bans starting this year.
These decisions reflect a growing shift toward ethical fashion, driven by consumer demand and rising awareness of animal welfare.
Crocodile leather is described as an “exotic” skin, even though saltwater crocodiles are native to Australia.
Two-thirds of Australia’s skins come from the Northern Territory, while Queensland and Western Australia have smaller industries.
Crocodile farms operate by harvesting eggs from the wild and raising the animals in captivity. In the wild, they are protected from hunting. But in farms, they are legally considered stock or production animals, which means they lose these protections.
When we farm animals, it’s common to think of them as resources waiting to be used for our purposes.
But the fashion backlash suggests another way of thinking is emerging. My research points to a more animal-centric perspective on how animal-derived materials are produced for fashion.
Crocodile farms emerged as a way to protect these reptiles from being hunted to extinction. But the industry is now under increasing scrutiny. RWK007/Shutterstock
From unregulated hunting to farmed crocodiles
Skin hunters nearly drove the saltwater crocodile to extinction in Australia. An estimated 300,000 animals were killed for their skins between 1945 and 1970. Saltie populations fell as low as 3,000 animals before authorities acted.
Freshwater crocodiles, too, were hunted for their skins from 1959. After both species were protected in the 1970s, their populations rebounded.
But this agreement doesn’t rule out uses for fashion. As crocodile experts at the International Union for Conservation of Nature write:
[…] crocodile farming was seen not only as a way to reduce pressure on the wild populations, but also as a means through which commercial incentives for the conservation of crocodilians could be generated.
As the website of one Australian crocodile farm states, crocodiles are a “natural renewable resource with considerable potential for sustainable commercial use”.
By 2018, the crocodile farming industry was worth A$26.7 million to the Northern Territory’s economy. Around 100,000 juvenile crocodiles are raised annually on farms. The NT industry plans to expand in coming years, with a target of 50,000 skins annually.
Trends in fashion heavily influence how crocodiles are farmed. While saltwater crocodiles can live up to 70 years in the wild, it takes three to four years for a crocodile to reach 1.5 metres, at which point their skins can make larger fashion items.
But in recent years, crocodiles have been slaughtered at around two years. Their smaller skins are used for smaller accessories.
Welfare concerns
The crocodile farming industry promotes its sustainability and positive economic impacts on First Nations communities. But this has come under question in recent years, with the release of documentaries featuring ex-crocodile farm workers, while activists from the Farm Transparency Project flew drones over crocodile farms and released footage of slaughtering practices in an effort to increase scrutiny and draw media coverage.
This image of a crocodile in a Northern Territory farm was taken by activists using a drone. Farm Transparency Project, CC BY
Animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA have long opposed the practice.
In 2023, the federal government announced an update of the code of humane treatment of wild and farmed crocodiles to incorporate new science and techniques, according to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. The updated code was expected late last year but has not been released.
In response, NT Crocodile Farmers Association chief Jodi Truman said the industry “supports independent audits to ensure humane treatment”. She added:
[…] animal rights activists have made clear that they are against all farms and the farming of all animals.
This drone image taken by animal activists shows the slaughter of crocodiles at a NT farm. Farm Transparency Project, CC BY
What’s likely to happen?
While commercial operators and governments plan to expand, there are now real barriers to the industry’s growth.
For decades, animal derived products such as fur, feathers and leather have been prized in fashion. But consumers are increasingly less comfortable with how these products are made. That’s the thing about fashion – it changes.
The author has previously been a member and lower-house candidate for the Animal Justice Party in Victoria.
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Biswell, age 39, of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, to be followed by a life term of supervised release, after a federal judge determined that he is a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
In July 2024, Biswell pled guilty to interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and transportation of child pornography. After his plea, the United States Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Probation Office, and the FBI obtained evidence that Biswell had previously sexually abused an infant, which established that Biswell is a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors – significantly enhancing his sentencing range under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Faced with the evidence amassed by the government, Biswell informed the prosecution that he would waive an evidentiary hearing and his objection to being sentenced as a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors in exchange for an agreed-upon sentence of 20 years’ incarceration and a life term of supervised release.
According to the plea agreement and documents submitted to the Court, Biswell admitted that between January and April 2023, he communicated with an individual he believed was the mother of an 11-year-old girl through an internet-based social networking application and using his cellular phone. Over the course of those communications, Biswell expressed his interest in engaging in sexual contact and impregnating the 11-year-old and ultimately purchased airfare to travel from his home in Arkansas to Albany, with the intent to engage in illicit sexual contact with the child on April 8, 2023. Upon his arrival in the Capital Region on April 8, 2023, Biswell was arrested by FBI agents and admitted that he had traveled from Arkansas to Albany for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with a child he believed to be 11 years old. Biswell further admitted that he brought child pornography with him on his cell phone. The cell phone was subsequently searched by the FBI and found to contain numerous videos and images depicting child pornography, including several videos depicting the sexual abuse and rape of children under the age of 5.
In sentencing Biswell today, United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci found that he had previously engaged in oral-to-genital contact with an infant, making him a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors. In addition to a 20-year term of incarceration and a lifetime of supervised release, Judge Nardacci imposed restitution in the amount of $9,000 and a special assessment of $200. When Biswell is released from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
ALBANY, NEW YORK –Jabree Jones a.k.a. “Breezy,” age 32, of Schenectady, New York, has been charged by indictment with crimes including conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and to possess firearms, including a machinegun, in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division; and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The 16-count indictment charges Jones for his participation in a drug conspiracy from January to May 2023, that included 11 instances of drug distribution between January and May 2023, and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine on May 23, 2023, when the ATF and DEA searched a property on Western Avenue in Albany, and a property in Halfmoon, New York. Jones’ coconspirators, Anthony Luizzi and Brandon Bartley, were each found at the Halfmoon property and the Western Avenue property, respectively. Between the two properties, Jones, along with his coconspirators, possessed 39 firearms, including an illegal machinegun, along with large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
Another suspect in the investigation, Anthony Zaremski, was fatally shot during the execution of a federal search warrant on May 23, 2023, at Zaremski’s apartment in Clifton Park, after Zaremski opened fire and wounded two officers.
The following defendants have also been charged in connection with this investigation:
Brandon Bartley also pled guilty to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and his possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 180 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Devon Newsome pled guilty to transferring 29 firearms to Jones that were ultimately found at the Western Avenue property, and was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), the Rotterdam Police Department, and the Henry County Police Department in Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises State Highway 15 is expected to reopen between Maungatapere and Otaika around 2pm this afternoon.
The road has been closed since yesterday morning (Wednesday 29 January) to allow NZ Police to investigate following the unexplained death of a motorcyclist.
NZTA thanks everyone for their patience during the closure.
Airmen from the 51st Security Forces Squadron trained alongside soldiers from the U.S. Army Correctional Facility-Korea, 94th Military Police Battalion during Beverly Herd 25-2 at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea Jan. 27, 2029.
Beverly Herd exercises are held throughout the year and designed to test the wing’s ability to survive and operate in a contested environment on the Korean Peninsula.
Integrating with joint partners during wing exercises helps foster relations and allows the two services to share tactics, techniques and procedures.
Trail bikes seized during targeted Launceston operation
Thursday, 30 January 2025 – 12:50 pm.
Police seized two trail bikes and intercepted five riders during a targeted operation in Launceston yesterday. A 15 year old was arrested and charged and a second 15 year old will be proceeded against under the provisions of the Youth Justices Act – both are facing charges of aggravated evade, unlicensed driving, reckless driving, and riding an unregistered vehicle. Their bikes have been seized for a period of six months. A 14 year old will receive a formal caution for riding offences, and a 10 year old and 11 year old will be proceeded against for noise and riding offences. Anyone with information about illegal trail bike activity should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Allens has advised the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) Real Estate team and QIC’s inhouse legal team on QIC’s circa $900 million sale of Westpoint Shopping Centre in Blacktown, New South Wales, the largest individual retail asset transaction in Australian history.
Australian property investor Haben and US investment manager Hines have partnered to acquire the shopping centre and neighbouring Kmart centre.
At the time of opening in 1973, the complex was one of the biggest in Sydney’s west and now features approximately 104,000 square metres of core retail space, 270 retail stores, co-working facilities and 4378 parking spaces. QIC held the asset for 34 years.
‘It was fantastic to work with the QIC team on this sale, which enabled QIC to realise value for its clients at the perfect time. It demonstrates there is demand for well-managed retail assets in strategic locations like Westpoint,’ said lead partner John Beckinsale.
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath announced today that the Southern District of California collected $18,932,200in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. Of this amount, the office collected $7,364,438 in criminal actions and $11,567,761 in civil actions.
The Southern District of California also worked with other U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $22,465,562 in cases pursued jointly. Of this amount, the offices collected $2,714.08 in criminal actions and $22,462,848 in civil actions.
“When a crime leads to financial ruin, we are committed to helping victims recover and rebuild their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Over the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborated with investigators to streamline the process for victims to recover lost funds, prioritizing swift and meaningful restitution.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected$69,911,795in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after the Senate Appropriations Committee fully organized, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) announced his full slate of committee and subcommittee assignments for the 119th Congress.
Senator Reed will continue serving on four ‘A’ committees: Armed Services; Appropriations; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and the Select Committee on Intelligence. These assignments include two of the three ‘Super A’ Committees: Armed Services and Appropriations.
Senator Reed will serve as Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and as the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), which has jurisdiction over a diverse group of agencies responsible for regulating the financial and telecommunications industries; collecting taxes and providing taxpayer assistance; providing small business assistance; overseeing the White House and judicial branch operations, and the District of Columbia; construction and management of federal buildings; and overseeing the Federal workforce.
With these assignments, Reed is well-positioned to deliver for Rhode Island while overseeing the U.S. Department of Defense and federal spending decisions through the appropriations process.
“These key committee posts help me fix our roads and bridges, strengthen our economy, deliver for Rhode Island, and chart a responsible fiscal path. My new assignment on the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee provides another tool to support small business growth, expand economic opportunity, boost Rhode Island’s broadband connections, and ensure the health and safety of our financial markets,” said Reed. “As Congress grapples with a range of complex challenges, I will do everything in my power to help lower prices for working families and ensure Rhode Islanders’ needs are met. I will continue to be a relentless advocate for our state and focus on the issues that Rhode Islanders care about. And I will promote and uphold the constitutional role of Congress, including Congress’s power of the purse. ”
ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
Senator Reed is the Ranking Member of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, which is responsible for overseeing the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), military services operating across the domains of land, sea, air, cyberspace, and space, and all DOD agencies, including their budgets and policies, and national security aspects of nuclear energy. Each year, SASC is tasked with producing and passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
In 2024, under Reed’s leadership as SASC Chairman, Congress passed the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorized $883.7 billion for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the national security programs of the U.S. Department of Energy. The NDAA offers a blueprint to equip, supply, and train U.S. forces; provide for military families; and strengthen oversight of the Defense Department and military programs. The defense industry is a high-tech sector that contributes to Rhode Island’s economic growth, generates good-paying jobs, and has been a resilient segment of the state’s economy. According to the latest Rhode Island data, the defense industry generated over $4.3 billion in annual economic impact for Rhode Island and a total employment share of 6.2 percent of the state’s workforce.
In addition to his leadership on the Armed Services Committee, Reed is also a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, which provides him with additional oversight responsibilities in determining how defense dollars are spent.
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
Senator Reed will continue to serve as Rhode Island’s only member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, which controls the funding of the federal government.
Senator Reed is the third most senior Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. He works tirelessly to direct federal funding to the Ocean State to create jobs, strengthen infrastructure, and support economic and community development initiatives.
Senator Reed will give up his leadership post on the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch in order to help lead the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee.
The FSGG subcommittee drafts the spending plan and oversees annual funding for financial-related agencies including the U.S. Department of Treasury; the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It is responsible for funding the Executive Office of the President and federal election security initiatives. The panel also has jurisdiction over two dozen key agencies and programs that have a direct impact on Rhode Island, including:
– The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which supports local entrepreneurs and small businesses with outreach and loans and also provides loans following federally-declared disasters.
– The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which helps ensure competition in broad sectors of the economy and helps protect consumers from false advertising and business practices.
– The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has jurisdiction over telecommunications and broadband matters.
– The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), which provides funding for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas nationwide and to Rhode Island.
– The Federal Election Commission (FEC), with has jurisdiction over federal campaign finance laws.
– The General Services Administration (GSA), which manages federal properties in Rhode Island and nationwide.
– The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund which provides hundreds of millions annually to generate economic growth in local communities and provide access to credit and technical assistance to underserved areas.
Additionally, Senator Reed will serve on five other Appropriations Subcommittees: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS); Defense; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H); Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA); and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD).
BANKING, HOUSING & URBAN AFFAIRS
A champion of affordable housing, consumer protection, and mass-transit, Senator Reed will continue serving as a key member of the Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee, which has broad oversight over our nation’s financial institutions, capital markets, consumer finance, monetary policy, and housing and mass-transit programs.
Senator Reed is the most senior Democratic member of the panel, but Senate rules dictate that members may only serve atop one full committee at a time.
Senator Reed has used his Banking Committee post to author Wall Street reform and consumer protection laws, including his ‘warrants law,’ which forced the return of over $10 billion dollars to taxpayers. He also successfully urged the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to focus greater attention on climate risk disclosures for public companies. The committee also oversees federal housing policy and authorizes mass-transit investments, and Senator Reed used his role on the committee led to create two affordable housing funds: the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund.
It was Senator Reed’s leadership on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, coupled with his work on the Appropriations Committee, that earned him a spot as one of twenty members of the bipartisan working group that was tasked with developing the CARES Act (Public Law No. 116-136). Senator Reed was the driving force behind the successful effort to create the $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) in the CARES Act and successfully secured a small state minimum of $1.25 billion in the law. Senator Reed continues to play an active role in pushing legislation to direct additional federal funds to states and local governments to help save lives and address the economic impact caused by the pandemic.
As America faces an affordable housing crisis, which worsened during the pandemic, Senator Reed will play a key role in providing relief for renters and homeowners, and helping to revitalize communities by expanding the supply of affordable housing. Reed will also use his seat on this committee to boost mass-transit infrastructure in order to help connect communities and more Americans to jobs and economic opportunity.
Senator Reed will serve on three key Banking subcommittees: Economic Policy; Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection; and Securities, Insurance, and Investment.
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
By virtue of his leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Reed is also an ex officio member of the high-profile Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversees the U.S. Intelligence Community. As an ex officio member of the panel, Senator Reed regularly participates in open and closed-door briefings and hearings with top intelligence officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and the National Security Agency (NSA), but he does not vote in committee.
The Intelligence Committee was established in 1976 to oversee the range of civilian and military agencies and departments that make up the U.S. Intelligence Community, and has wide influence over U.S. national security and foreign policy.
The President of the United States is required by law to ensure that the Intelligence Committee is kept “fully and currently informed” of intelligence activities. As a result, U.S. intelligence agencies must notify the Committee of its activities, including covert actions.
Police in Avondale caught up with two speeding vehicles within minutes of each other during the early hours of this morning.
Just after 2am, officers observed a Toyota Aqua driving at speed along Blockhouse Bay Road.
Auckland City West’s Area Commander, Inspector Alisse Robertson, says Police signalled for the vehicle to stop, however it fled.
“We elected not to pursue and engaged the Police helicopter, to provide commentary as the vehicle continued to travel around Auckland for about 40 minutes.
“The vehicle reached high speeds along the motorway and around surrounding residential areas before it was spiked on Ash Street.”
She says the vehicle then came to a stop and two occupants ran into nearby properties.
“The Police dog unit was able to locate both people quickly, with one receiving a minor dog bite.
“Thankfully no one was seriously hurt”
Two youths, aged 16 and 14, have been referred to Youth Aid Services.
Inspector Robertson says about 30 minutes later officers spotted another vehicle allegedly speeding while travelling on Blockhouse Bay Road.
“Officers attempted to stop the vehicle however it has failed to stop and continued on at speed.
“The vehicle was not pursued and was located by the Police helicopter down a driveway on Eastdale Road where the driver was taken into custody without incident.”
She says the driver was breath tested and allegedly blew 1200mcgs, more than five times the legal limit.
“This sort of driving behaviour is incredibly reckless, and unacceptable”
A 35-year-old man will appear in Auckland District Court today charged with failing to stop, driving with excess breath alcohol and dangerous driving.
Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced that she has been named the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism. Senator Rosen was also named a member of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues; and the Subcommittee on Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental Policy.
“I’m grateful for the honor to serve as the leading Democrat on the Senate Subcommittee on the Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism,” said Senator Rosen. “At a time of unrest throughout the Middle East, U.S. leadership is needed more than ever to support Israel, oppose Iranian aggression, and navigate political transitions in Syria and Lebanon. I look forward to working with Chairman Dave McCormick to tackle these complex challenges and maintain strong, bipartisan support for the US-Israel relationship.”
Senator Rosen has been a strong leader in maintaining U.S. support for Israel and our partners in the Middle East. Following the October 7th terrorist attack on Israel, Senator Rosen has repeatedly taken action to ensure Israel receives the unconditional support necessary to defend itself, defeat Hamas, and bring the hostages home. Senator Rosen was also outspoken in pushing her own party to counter Iranian aggression, including by freezing its assets. She sent a bipartisan letter calling on President Biden to leverage the U.S. relationship with Qatar to secure the immediate release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza by Hamas and urged the Administration to designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Police are treating the death of a motorcyclist in Otaika as suspicious, and a homicide investigation is now underway.
A man’s body was discovered in a creek adjacent to Otaika Valley Road, State Highway 15, after 5am on 29 January.
Whangārei CIB is launching an appeal for any witnesses or motorists travelling through the area on Tuesday night or in the early hours of Wednesday.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer says a post-mortem examination is currently ongoing.
“Formal identification procedures have not yet been completed, but we anticipate releasing further details about the victim once this process is complete,” he says.
“Our investigation team are working with the family, who are coming to terms with their loved one succumbing to foul play.”
Police believe the homicide occurred between 7pm and 11pm on 28 January, in a layby opposite to the entrance to the Otaika Valley Scenic Reserve.
There are two key appeals the investigation team are making today.
Firstly, any sightings of the blue and silver coloured road bike that was found parked in the layby area.
“We are particularly interested in any sightings of this bike between 8pm on 28 January through to 5am on 29 January,” acting Detective Senior Sergeant Pilmer says.
Secondly, anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage around key locations between 7pm on 28 January and 5am on 29 January should contact Police.
Those areas of interest are along Otaika Valley Road, between the intersections with State Highway 14, Maungatapere, and Loop and Cemetery Roads, in Otaika.
“I am asking anyone with a dashcam or CCTV cameras to prioritise checking these now, and contact our investigation team,” acting Detective Senior Sergeant Pilmer says.
An online portal has been set up for any footage or photographs to be uploaded.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Pilmer says: “Our investigation is still in the very early stages, and our team will work hard to ensure we get answers as to why this homicide has occurred.”
Anyone with further information should call Police on 105 and reference the file number 250129/0335.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Allens has advised a syndicate of domestic and international lenders on its $722 million debt financing package to fund the development of Stages 1 and 2 of the Supernode battery energy storage system (BESS), Australia’s largest standalone BESS project financing to date.
The 520MW/1856MWh BESS, being developed by global investment manager Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, is located adjacent to the central node of Queensland’s electricity network, allowing for efficient storage and redistribution of surplus solar energy.
The BESS will form part of a $2.5 billion hyperscale data centre, renewables and battery storage project at Brendale in Queensland which will offer significant low-emissions data storage capacity for domestic and international customers.
The syndicate of lenders includes Bank of America, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Deutsche Bank, Mizuho Bank and MUFG Bank. ICA Partners were the financial advisers to Quinbrook.
‘We are delighted to have advised the lenders on this landmark investment in Australia’s energy future, which will play a critical role in Australia’s energy transition by providing renewable capacity to the energy-intense, rapidly growing data centre sector,’ said lead partner Rob Watt.
GREAT FALLS — A Box Elder man who admitted to assaulting a woman by cutting her face with a knife during an argument on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced today to five years and seven months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Colten Tyrone Small, also known as Colton Swan, 22, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in the early morning hours of May 3, 2023, Small punched the victim, identified as Jane Doe, in the face while he held a butcher knife in a residence in Box Elder, on the Rocky Boy’s Reservation. A witness to the assault told law enforcement that Small sliced Doe’s face in the residence. Small and Doe argued, and the fight got more aggressive. After Small cut Doe’s face, the witness beat up Small. There was some fentanyl and alcohol use occurring at the time. Doe was treated at Northern Montana Hospital in Havre for facial injuries from the knife.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Rocky Boy’s Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
SANTA ANA, California – A federal grand jury today indicted an Orange County man who allegedly distributed fentanyl, which resulted in the overdose deaths of two people during the spring of 2023.
Michel Joseph Abdallah, 21, a.k.a. “Mike,” of Laguna Niguel, is charged in a six-count indictment with two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
Abdallah’s arraignment is expected to occur in United States District Court in Santa Ana in the coming weeks. He currently is in state custody.
According to the indictment, Abdallah distributed fentanyl to a victim – identified as “C.R.” – on March 25, 2023, in Mission Viejo. C.R. used the drug, which resulted in a fatal overdose. On May 15, 2023 in Aliso Viejo, Abdallah again distributed fentanyl – this time, to victim “L.F.,” who ingested the powerful synthetic opioid and died.
The indictment further alleges that Abdallah possessed a total of 1.3 kilograms (2.9 pounds) of fentanyl on June 10, 2023. On this date, he allegedly also possessed two firearms, including an AR-15-style pistol bearing no serial number, which commonly is referred to as a “ghost gun.”
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted of all charges, Abdallah would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and the Santa Ana Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Lisa J. Lindhorst of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Paul Barris, Jr., 40, of Telluride, and Michael Anthony Manners, 40, of Montrose, were each sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution of a controlled substance containing fentanyl resulting in death. Barris Jr. was sentenced to 141 months in federal prison. Manners was sentenced to 160 months in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, in September of 2021, Baris purchased fentanyl with the help of Manners in the Montrose, Colorado area. Baris then provided the fentanyl to a woman who later died of an overdose.
“Stopping illicit fentanyl distribution is a priority for the Administration, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado J. Bishop Grewell. “Our office will relentlessly pursue drug dealers to get this scourge off our streets.”
United States District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Agency handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney R. Josh Player handled the prosecution.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
January 29, 2025
In his speech on the Senate floor, Durbin recounts the threats posed by insurrectionists who have been released by President Trump’s pardons just nine days ago
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, rebuked President Trump for his pardon of approximately 1,500 January 6th insurrectionists, several of whom have already been rearrested or are wanted for vile crimes committed prior to January 6, 2021, including soliciting a sexual relationship with a minor. Because of President Trump’s pardons, dangerous individuals, who have recently made extreme statements calling for more violence, are threatening public safety.
Durbin began his remarks by recalling his own experience in the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“I was in this chair when the mob that you’ve seen on television, in the videos over and over again, were taking control of this Capitol. Presiding over the United States Senate—we were all in our seats—was the Vice President of the United States. We were counting the electoral votes in each state to decide who was the official winner of the presidential election. It was happening right after President Trump had his rally not far from here and told his supporters and demonstrators [to] come up to the Capitol building, which they did in vast numbers,” Durbin began. “They didn’t just come here for a casual visit. They came to break down the doors and break down the windows and to invade this building.”
“The net result is a lot of brave men and women, who were part of the Capitol police force and the D.C. police force, stood in their way and tried to stop them and were beaten back. Over 140 of these officers were seriously injured by the demonstrators and the insurrectionists coming into this building. Several lost their lives. That was the reality of what happened,” Durbin said. “The net result was one of the largest prosecutions in the history of the United States, ultimately hundreds of them paid a price for that violent activity on January 6 and what they did to our police.”
During the siege of the Capitol that day, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted, as well as more than 60 officers from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. As a result of the insurrection, five law enforcement officers died and at least 140 officers were seriously injured.
“The men and women, who were dedicated to their cause, did things that were outrageous in terms of desecrating this building. The United States Capitol Building, a symbol of America, they desecrated it, and they had to be stopped. A lot of brave men and women in uniform risked their lives, some gave their lives as a consequence of it,” Durbin said.
Last week, President Trump, who incited the violence, commuted the sentences of 14 individuals and granted full, complete, and unconditional pardons to approximately 1,500 others convicted of offenses related to the January 6th attack. Many of the perpetrators have shown a stunning lack of remorse following their violent assaults on the brave members of the U.S. Capitol Police and D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department who protected the Capitol that day.
“You would think these men, largely men, who had served time in jail, some of them for lengthy sentences up to 20 years, when they were released with this pardon by President Trump would go about their business and resume a normal, law-abiding life. That was not the fact,” Durbin continued.
Durbin then spoke about the vial crimes of insurrectionists who were released with President Trump’s pardon just nine days ago. At least one of the rioters has already returned to jail while another is wanted for a sex crime involving a minor.
“Matthew Huttle, released by President Trump by pardon, [was] shot and killed by the Indiana State Police earlier this week after a traffic stop when he resisted arrest while in possession of a firearm,” Durbin said. “Daniel Ball has already been rearrested since he was released with the Trump pardon, on gun charges related to past convictions for domestic violence by strangulation and battery against a law enforcement officer.”
“Andrew Taake, assaulted the police at the Capitol with bear spray and a metal whip, [is] now wanted in the State of Texas for soliciting a minor for sex, a felony carrying up to ten years in prison,” said Durbin.
“Enrique Tarrio, the head of the Proud Boys organization, a domestic terrorist group which has been identified for many years. He was convicted of seditious conspiracy on January 6 for his role in planning that riot. Here’s what he said after his release, ‘Success is going to be retribution. Now it’s our turn,’” Durbin continued.
“Stewart Rhodes, the head of the Oath Keepers, another domestic terrorist group, convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in planning the riot, said after his pardon by Trump and release, ‘The people who did this, they need to feel the heat. They need to be put behind bars and they need to be prosecuted.’ He said January 6 should be remembered as ‘Patriots’ Day’ and said he has no regrets, ‘Because we did the right thing,’” Durbin said.
“Jacob Chansley, the so-called ‘QAnon Shaman’ posted on X after his pardon, ‘NOW I AM GONNA BUY SOME MF GUNS!!!’ and ‘EVERYTHING done in the dark WILL come to light!’”Durbin said.
Durbin concluded his remarks, noting that law enforcement may have to engage with these insurrectionists who violently attacked Capitol Police Officers on January 6, 2021.
“Sadly, for law enforcement officers across the country, they are going to face many of these people again,” Durbin concluded.
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
Earlier this week, Durbin joined more than 40 of his Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution condemning President Trump’s pardons of more than 1,500 individuals who were found guilty of assault Capitol Police Officers on January 6, 2021. Yesterday, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) brought the resolution to the floor, but its passage was blocked by U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY).
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, approximately 1,572 defendants have been federally charged with crimes associated with the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. This includes approximately 598 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 171 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. As proven in Court, the weapons used and carried on Capitol grounds during the January 6th attack include firearms; OC spray; tasers; edged weapons, including a sword, axes, hatchets, and knives; and makeshift weapons, such as destroyed office furniture, fencing, bike racks, stolen riot shields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, flagpoles, PVC piping, and reinforced knuckle gloves.
Last week, Durbin delivered a speech on the Senate floor further denouncing President Trump’s decision to pardon the violent insurrectionists.
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Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) reintroduced the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, which passed the Senate last year,to help address the increasingly pervasive sexual assault and harassment of Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees by inmates:
“No law enforcement officer should have to fear for their safety when they show up to work,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act would help us end the sexual abuse of prison staff who are simply trying to do their jobs.”
“I remain focused on oversight of the Federal prison system and ending sexual abuse in prisons and jails, including the abuse of prison staff,” said Senator Ossoff. “Senator Blackburn and I are introducing this bipartisan bill to help end sexual abuse in Federal prisons.”
Representative Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives last Congress and is reintroducing the bill this week:
“It is unacceptable that nearly half of Bureau of Prisons staff experience sexual harassment or assault by inmates. The Bureau of Prisons must take stronger action to protect corrections officers and hold perpetrators accountable,” said Representative Lee. “That is why I am reintroducing the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act to provide much-needed oversight to the federal prison system and to combat these ongoing abuses. I want to thank Senator Blackburn for her leadership on this bill in the Senate.”
BACKGROUND:
According to a February 2023 report by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG), a staggering 40% of 7,000 surveyed BOP staff stated they had been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted by an inmate.
THE PRISON STAFF SAFETY ENHANCEMENT ACT:
The Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act would require:
The BOP to fully implement the recommendations in the Inspector General’s 2023 report regarding mitigating inmate-on-staff sexual harassment and assault and fully ascertaining the scope of the problem;
The DOJ OIG to conduct an analysis of punishments for sexual harassment and sexual assault in BOP facilities; and
The U.S. Attorney General to promulgate a rule adopting national standards for prevention, reduction, and punishment of sexual assault and harassment of BOP staff by inmates.
Senators Blackburn and Ossoff sent a letter to BOP Director Colette Peters requesting that BOP release information about inmate-on-staff sexual assault and harassment reporting procedures, correctional methods, and staff assistance programs.
ENDORSEMENTS:
This legislation is endorsed by the American Correctional Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Council of Prison Locals 33.
“The American Correctional Association (ACA) applauds Senators Blackburn and Ossoff for their leadership on the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act, which addresses the critical issue of sexual assault and harassment of Bureau of Prisons employees by those in custody. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress on bipartisan efforts to ensure safe working conditions for correctional officers nationwide.” – Robert Green, American Correctional Association Executive Director
“Federal correctional officers and other prison staff deserve the same standards of safety as law enforcement patrolling our communities. Every employee—both officer and staff—deserve a safe working environment. The passage of this critical legislation would mean the basic human rights and dignity of prison employees would be better safeguarded, and Bureau of Prison employees would be better suited to perform their duties at full capacity and free from fear. We greatly appreciate Senator Blackburn and Senator Ossoff’s introduction of this bill and look forward to working together to get it across the finish line.” – Patrick Yoes, President of the Fraternal Order of Police
“This legislation sends a powerful message that the safety and dignity of BOP staff are non-negotiable. By prioritizing their protection, the Act not only improves working conditions but also contributes to a more effective and professional correctional system. I urge Congress to fully support the Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act and work towards its swift passage. It is imperative that we stand with those who serve in our federal prisons and take action to create a safer and more respectful environment for all.” – Brandy Moore White, National President of National Council of Prison Locals 33
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
WATCH: Padilla criticizes Bondi’s ability to serve as an independent Attorney GeneralWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted against advancing the nomination of Pamela Jo Bondi to be U.S. Attorney General during a Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) executive business meeting. In his remarks, Padilla voiced serious concerns over Bondi’s ability to run the Department of Justice independently from President Trump’s improper influence, especially given her support for Trump’s false claims of 2020 presidential election fraud. He criticized Bondi for her refusal to commit to defending birthright citizenship as clearly defined by the 14th Amendment after President Trump issued an unlawful Executive Order attempting to overturn the constitutional right.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Bondi’s nomination on a party-line vote of 12-10.
Key Quotes:
Colleagues, after carefully evaluating Ms. Bondi’s record and after her testimony before this committee, I continue to have significant reservations about her ability to serve as an independent Attorney General who will put her duty to the Constitution and to the American people above her loyalty to President Trump. So for that reason, I’m unable to support Ms. Bondi’s nomination to serve as our nation’s chief law enforcement officer.
I was particularly struck by the fact that despite practicing law for decades, two terms as Attorney General of the State of Florida, private practice experience, despite all that, Ms. Bondi claimed to be unfamiliar with the 14th Amendment and the citizenship clause within it? She and I discussed the very issue when we met one-on-one, it’s clearly been in the news, and when given the opportunity to discuss it during the hearing, here in public, she refused to answer. Even worse, offensively, either claimed that she needed to study or telling me that she was not going to be doing my homework. Colleagues, in that moment, I wasn’t asking her to do my homework. I was asking her if she did hers.
The law is clear. The Constitution is clear. But what’s increasingly clear is that when push comes to shove, Pam Bondi is not the kind of person who will defend the Constitution, defend the 14th Amendment, or defend Americans when the President instructs otherwise.
There were some glimmers of potential agreement in areas that I’d be hopeful to maybe agree and work together on. Things like tackling the threat and the dangers of human trafficking. Things like her positions on gun safety, building on some of the work in the state of Florida, where she served as Attorney General, that seemed to be commonsense ideas that can and should be spread across the country. But instead of focusing on those, Ms. Bondi kept coming back to her unwillingness to answer some key questions.
I remain deeply concerned about Ms. Bondi’s willingness to go on national television and propagate lies about the results of a free and fair election despite a total lack of evidence. I raised this during the hearing, colleagues, as you recall, not because they were political talking points that she was pushing that I might have happened to disagree with, but they were outright lies that pose a real threat to our democracy, a threat to voters, and a threat to the election workers who dedicate themselves to administering our elections.
Ms. Bondi will face far more daunting challenges as Attorney General to shield the department’s work and professional civil servants from politicization and weaponization, and we’ve seen what’s happened just in the last couple of days as evidence of what will continue to happen. It is not hypothetical. Look at the President’s activities this last week alone. Despite some of my colleagues’ assurances that he would refrain, President Trump has issued roughly 1,500 blanket pardons for January 6th insurrectionists and commuted the sentences of 14 of his supporters, including those convicted of violence against police officers.
The American people need and deserve to have faith that the Department of Justice enforces the law fairly, neutrally, and free from political interference. We need and deserve an Attorney General who will push back against illegal, immoral, and unethical requests. And unfortunately, I don’t believe Ms. Bondi is up to the task.
Bondi was one of the leading defense lawyers for President Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial. She traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the day after the general presidential election in 2020 to appear alongside Rudy Giuliani where she falsely asserted that Trump had won Pennsylvania despite there being at least 1 million outstanding ballots still left to count. She has continued to double down in her support of President Trump’s false claims of election fraud.
Padilla pressed Bondi for refusing to uphold the constitutionally guaranteed principle of birthright citizenship and declining to disavow the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen during an SJC hearing earlier this month.
Video of Senator Padilla’s remarks is available here.
Footage of his remarks can be downloaded here.
Issued for Hogwash Bend Conservation Park near Cadell in the Riverland.
Just after 9:00pm on Wednesday 29 January, approximately 26 CFS firefighters on 8 trucks supported by heavy machinery responded to a scrub fire which was burning in hard to access terrain.
The fire was located 300m from the campgrounds, with wind pushing the fire in the opposite direction from campers limiting immediate risk. SA Police were on scene supporting with informing campers in the area.
Crews remained on scene into the early hours of this morning and created a control line around the fire, which has now been extinguished. National Parks and Wildlife Services will be in attendance over the coming days to ensure the scene remains safe.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined and Fire Investigators will be attending.
Roads are currently open around this incident however this may change at short notice. Continue to monitor road closures at: traffic.sa.gov.au. Emergency services may be working on and around roads in the area, and motorists are advised take care and drive to the local conditions.
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey man was sentenced to 57 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to receive, retitle, and “re-VIN” stolen vehicles, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Nathaniel Bell, 27, of Linden, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to a seven-count information charging him with one count of conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles, five counts of altering or removing motor vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and one count of transportation of stolen vehicles.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Bell was the leader of a criminal conspiracy that obtained stolen vehicles from New Jersey, New York, Florida, and other states, obtained fraudulent titles for the stolen vehicles, and altered vehicle identification numbers to conceal the fact that the vehicles were stolen. Bell and his co-conspirators then sold the stolen cars to dealerships or individual purchasers so they could make a profit. In at least two instances, the co-conspirators sold a stolen car to an individual purchaser and then stole it back so they could sell it again. Bell also knowingly altered or removed the VIN numbers on five vehicles and knowingly transported a stolen vehicle between New York and New Jersey.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Chesler sentenced Bell to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution.
Bell’s co-conspirators, Johnathan Tanksley, 31, of Orange; L’Hubermane Felix, 25, of Miami, Florida; and Dayanna Sarango-Hidalgo, 29, of Newark, have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles. Felix was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison. Tanksley and Sarango-Hidalgo await sentencing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation that led to the sentencing. He also thanked the New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force; the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office; the National Insurance Crime Bureau; the Jersey City Police Department; the Belleville Police Department; the Rahway Police Department; the Linden Police Department; the Roselle Police Department; the Eatontown Police Department; the Freehold Police Department; the Elizabeth Police Department; the Miami Police Department (Florida); the Florida Highway Patrol; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; the Howard County Police Department (Maryland); the New York Police Department; the Nassau County Police Department (New York); the Georgia Department of Revenue; the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice; the Deputy Attorney General’s Office; the FBI Miami Office; the FBI Cleveland Office; and the FBI Milwaukee Office
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Kober of the Organized Crimes/Gangs Unit in Newark.
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Santa Fe men were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking operation that utilized social media to advertise and distribute drugs.
According to court documents, the Santa Fe Police Department (SFPD) and the FBI began investigating a fentanyl-based drug-trafficking organization in the fall of 2020. During the investigation, officers uncovered the defendants, Mario Guizar-Anchondo and Werni Lopez-Perez, social media activity advertising the sale of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
In December 2021, SFPD officers encountered Guizar-Anchondo and Lopez-Perez twice.
December 4, 2021: SFPD responded to a report of suspected drug activity involving Lopez-Perez in a white Ford F-150 truck. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a loaded firearm, over $18,000 in cash, 635 grams of methamphetamine, 40 grams of fentanyl pills, and drug paraphernalia.
December 30, 2021: SFPD officers stopped the same Ford F-150 truck, this time driven by Guizar-Anchondo with Lopez-Perez as the passenger. A search of the vehicle, authorized by federal and state warrants, revealed approximately 1,730 grams of methamphetamine, 32,000 fentanyl pills, five loaded firearms, and additional drug paraphernalia.
Despite the ongoing investigation, Guizar-Anchondo and Lopez-Perez continued to advertise fentanyl pills for sale on social media platforms. These posts depicted baggies of fentanyl pills similar to those recovered from the vehicle.
Lopez-Perez and Guizar-Anchondo bothpled guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Lopez-Perez was sentenced to 80 months in prison, while Guizar-Anchondo was sentenced to 108 months.
Upon their release from prison, Lopez-Perez and Guizar-Anchondo will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Fe Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Trenton Alan Cremeans, 24, of Seth, was sentenced today to three years and six months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for possession of prepubescent child pornography. Cremeans must also register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 17, 2024, Cremeans possessed child pornography on his cell phone. When combined with child pornography also possessed in his Snapchat accounts, Cremeans possessed a total of approximately 373 images and 31 videos of child pornography. These images and videos included depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and some of the images depicted sadistic and masochistic abuse. Cremeans further admitted that he downloaded these images and videos online, and used his cell phone to search online for child pornography and related information by using specific search terms, including terms that specifically sought child pornography depicting infants and toddlers.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-41.
GREAT FALLS — A Helena man accused of trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl he received from suppliers in California and Oregon admitted to a conspiracy charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Charles Clifford Hamlin, 61, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Hamlin faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 5. Hamlin was detained pending further proceedings.
In a plea agreement filed in the case, the parties agreed that Hamlin would serve a sentence within a stipulated range of 15 years to 20 years in prison.
In court documents, the government alleged that the Missouri River Drug Task Force and United States Postal Service began investigating Hamlin after they intercepted a package intended for Hamlin in August 2021. The package contained approximately three pounds of meth. Over the next several years, investigators spoke with numerous sources who identified Hamlin as a large-scale narcotics distributor. Two sources worked with Hamlin to bring meth from California to Montana, and one source went to Oregon to obtain meth for Hamlin to distribute. The sources stated the deliveries to Hamlin ranged from between one pound to three pounds.
Another source told investigators about receiving ounces of meth and “rolls” of fentanyl pills regularly from Hamlin. Hamlin received deliveries every two and one-half weeks from a source in Oregon. Each delivery was approximately seven pounds of meth, 4,000 to 7,000 fentanyl pills, two ounces of cocaine and two ounces of heroin.
In December 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Hamlin and his truck was searched based on a suspected probation violation. Officers located approximately 18 grams of meth in his gas tank flap. Investigators also made controlled buys of meth and fentanyl pills from Hamlin. In February 2024, law enforcement stopped an individual in Powell County, and the person had nine pounds of meth and 6,200 fentanyl pills. Approximately six pounds of the meth was destined for Hamlin.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Helena Police Department, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Kayla Nicole Dent, 34, of Mount Hope, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 23, 2024, Dent sold approximately 1.5 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $140 at Dent’s residence. Dent admitted to the transaction and to arranging it with the confidential informant beforehand.
Dent is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Alexander A. Redmon are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-140.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force have arrested a 35-year-old man in relation to a domestic violence incident that occurred in Amoonguna this morning.
Around 5:30am, police received reports that a 36-year-old woman had been stabbed by her partner within the community.
Police and St John Ambulance attended the scene and the woman was conveyed to Alice Springs Hospital in a stable condition with a laceration to her head.
The 35-year-old man was arrested at the scene and remains in custody, expected to be charged later today.
Investigations are ongoing and police urge anyone with information to call police on 131 444 and quote reference P25029595 . Anonymous reports can also be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Support services for those affected by domestic or family violence are available, including 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) and Lifeline (13 11 14).
Headline: President Trump Signs the Laken Riley Act into Law
A statement from Secretary Noem on the signing of the bill is below:
“Thank you, President Trump, for signing the Laken Riley Act. This law restores commonsense to our broken immigration system. Under President Trump, violent criminals and vicious gang members will no longer be released into American communities.”
The Laken Riley Act is named after a Georgia nursing student who was killed by a Venezuelan alien who was previously arrested and paroled into the U.S. under the previous administration.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
INDIANAPOLIS— Lamone Lauderdale, 37, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 248 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on January 19, 2022, a Zionsville Police Department K9 officer pulled Lamone Lauderdale over for speeding. A K9 sniff indicated the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle. When Lauderdale was asked to step out of the car, he fled and led officers on a high-speed pursuit down US-421. Lauderdale eventually came to a stop after striking two other vehicles and popping his tire on a median near Michigan Road in Indianapolis. Lauderdale then fled on foot carrying a black bag.
Lauderdale was eventually found and arrested but was no longer carrying the black bag. Officers located the abandoned bag, which contained 170 grams of methamphetamine, 60 grams of fentanyl, 111 grams of cocaine, a pill press, a digital scale, a 9mm handgun, and 11 rounds of live ammunition.
A later search of Lauderdale’s vehicle recovered an additional 22 grams of methamphetamine, another digital scale, another handgun and five rounds of ammunition.
“Traffickers of deadly drugs, armed with deadly weapons, are a poison in our communities,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Those who choose to endanger our families to further their own greed will be identified and prosecuted. With our federal, state, and local partners, we are committed to ensuring dangerous criminals are taken off our streets and held accountable for their actions. I commend the talented professionals at the Zionsville Police Department and ATF, and our federal prosecutor, for their efforts to apprehend and successfully prosecute this dangerous criminal.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Zionsville Police Department and investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who prosecuted this case.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BOSTON – Two Dorchester men were charged yesterday with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition following the execution of a federal search warrant in Dorchester.
Rickey Simmons, 46, and Robert Campbell, 35, were each charged by criminal complaint with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to the charging documents, two loaded firearms were allegedly recovered from the first floor living area occupied by Simmons. Campbell was allegedly found in possession of a key to a safe in in his bedroom that was found to contain thousands of dollars along with a loaded Glock firearm. The room also contained a small amount of what is believed to be cocaine. Additionally, just outside the door of the bedroom, a bag containing three additional Glock firearms was located, including one that was equipped with a machine gun conversion device, allowing it to fire fully automatically. In the same bag, a loaded, extended magazine that fit the converted machine gun was recovered. According to court records, Campbell has prior convictions for assaulting police officers and resisting arrest.
The charge of being a felon in possession provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Grady and Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
