Source: European Commission – Justice
European Commission Speech Strasbourg, 07 Oct 2024 I am proud to live in the Schengen area.
And I think all of us are.
The biggest area of free movement in the world.
450 million people in 29 countries, who can …
Source: United Nations – Geneva
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was this afternoon briefed by representatives of civil society organizations on the situation of women’s rights in Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand, whose reports the Committee will review this week.
In relation to Lao People’s Democratic Republic, speakers raised concerns regarding gender-based violence, human trafficking, and the experiences of Hmong women and girls.
Non-governmental organizations speaking on Saudi Arabia raised topics on the imprisonment of women human rights defenders, women on death row, and the treatment of female domestic workers.
On New Zealand, speakers addressed the situation of Māori women and girls, the treatment of transgender and intersex persons, and the gender pay gap.
The following non-governmental organizations spoke on Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Association for Development of Women and Legal Education; Gender Development Association; the Alliance for Democracy in Laos; Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization in affiliation with its member the Congress of World Hmong People; and Hawai’i Centre for Human Rights Research and Action and on behalf of the Advocates for Human Rights, the World Coalition against the Death Penalty, and Harm Reduction International.
The following non-governmental organizations spoke on Saudi Arabia: Amnesty International; MENA Rights Group and ALQST; the Advocates for Human Rights, the World Coalition against the Death Penalty, and the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights; Migrants Rights and Global Detention Project; and Sema Nami, Global Alliance against Traffic in Women, Solidarity Centre, IZWI Domestic Worker Alliance, and Africa End Sexual Harassment Initiative.
The New Zealand Human Rights Commission spoke on New Zealand, as did the following non-governmental organizations: Te Whare Tiaki Wahine Refuge, Homeless Women’s Coalition and Maori Women’s Welfare League; Pacific Allied Council (of women) Inspires Faith Ideals Concerning All; Shakti; Pacific Women’s Watch; and the National Council of Women.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s eighty-ninth session is being held from 7 October to 25 October. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.
The Committee will next meet in public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 8 October to consider the tenth periodic report of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (CEDAW/C/LAO/10).
Opening Remarks by the Committee Chair
ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chairperson, said this was the first opportunity during the session for non-governmental organizations to provide information on States parties that were having their reports reviewed during the first week, namely Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand. A second meeting would be held on Monday, 14 October, where civil society would provide information on the countries under consideration in the second week of the session.
Statements by Non-Governmental Organizations from Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
On Lao People’s Democratic Republic, speakers, among other things, said the percentage of women and girls who experienced gender-based violence was high. Authorities had misconceptions about what violence against women looked like. It was recommended that the Government develop an appropriate platform to raise awareness and expand shelter services, to ensure women and girls had access to protection and legal mechanisms. There were also limitations for women’s access to the justice system, especially in the context of violence against women. Customary law was often applied to violence against women cases, without women representatives. It was recommended that the Government enhance the capacity of law enforcement and mediation units, and review relevant laws for ensuring the full protection of women and girls.
There was a great difference in the rates of young births between the rural and urban areas; 23.5 per cent of girls aged 15 to 19 were married or in a relationship. It was recommended that the Government develop communication tools for ethnic women and provide community hospitals and resources. Around 32 per cent of young females between 15 and 17 years of age did not go to school, primarily due to financial reasons. It was recommended that the Government enhance the monitoring and data collection system. Many young women and girls were often offered for sale to men in China on the internet. The internet trade continued unabated, and perpetrators roamed free. Many women human rights defenders were murdered or disappeared. The Government had announced that it would do everything to improve the situation, but there were many laws which only existed on paper and had not truly been implemented.
The systemic discrimination faced by the Hmong had been underlined but was not present in the list of issues. The Hmong were the third largest ethnic group in the country, and their women and girls endured poverty, deprivation and a lack of health care services. The Hmong were targeted for extrajudicial killings. Women and girls were strategically targeted when searching for food, particularly for trafficking, sex slavery and rape. Lao People’s Democratic Republic must address gender-based violence against this group. It was strongly requested that the Committee raise these concerns with the State party. Women faced greater oppression when standing up for those who had been disappeared. Many people were waiting for their loved ones bodies to be returned or for more information on their whereabouts. Women often received unfair trials with mandatory death sentences, particularly when it came to drug-related crimes. There should be a moratorium on the death penalty.
Saudi Arabia
Concerning Saudi Arabia, speakers acknowledged some positive reforms on the male guardianship system since the last review. However, authorities had pursued a ruthless crackdown on human rights defenders, unfairly trialling women human rights defenders and subjecting them to torture and imprisonment. The family law, which entered into force in 2022, showed that newly enacted legislation entrenched a system of discrimination in all aspects of family life and did not adequately protect women from domestic violence or rape.
The Government was called on to release all women rights activists in prison and repeal discriminatory legislation. Many women human rights activists were placed under illegal travel bans and were being subjected to arbitrary arrests for being vocal about human rights issues. The authorities used anti-terrorism laws to target women human rights defenders, who were often placed in secret detention centres and denied contact with their families. Saudi Arabia needed to ensure women human rights defenders were protected and included in shaping society.
Between 2020 and 2024, at least 11 women were executed for drug-related crimes, all of whom were migrant women. Several women had been convicted without legal counsel. Increased transparency was needed in the judicial process, particularly for women on death row. There needed to be a moratorium on the death penalty.
Speakers highlighted the plight of domestic and migrant workers within the country, and said Saudi Arabia should improve its treatment of migrant women and their families during the immigration process. Saudi Arabia should rescind its regime which punished women seeking to escape exploitation. Immigration detention for women who became pregnant at their place of work should be ended. Saudi Arabia should ratify International Labour Organization Convention 198 and incorporate domestic workers into their labour legislation. Domestic workers in Saudi Arabia were subjected to lower pay and forced to live in inhumane conditions which diminished their dignity. Some were subject to extreme abuse, including physical violence, starvation and sexual harassment. Justice remained out of reach for most of these women.
New Zealand
Among other things, speakers urged the New Zealand Government to focus on gender equality. Too many indigenous women were unhoused and unsafe. The New Zealand Government was a serial perpetrator of colonial violence. Māori women and girls were profiled as a minority group and were othered. They were in urgent need of a global, indigenous women’s forum and needed the Government to develop a national action plan on their behalf. The Committee had the power to recommend that the Government affirm its commitment to the Convention. The New Zealand Government should endorse and recognise Pacific women’s leadership and aspirations.
The issue of forced marriage remained unequally addressed despite recommendations by the Committee. Women on non-permanent residence visas faced immense barriers in accessing justice and social security. Religious abuse was unrecognised; women were kept in limbo about their marital status in the name of religion. The Committee should call for stronger reforms for migrant women living in an increasingly ethnically diverse New Zealand.
The Government should adhere to its commitments to establish stalking as a criminal act. The Government should evaluate legal and court processes to ensure victims were not prohibited from seeking justice. The Government ought to establish an enquiry into non-consensual surgeries on intersex persons and provide redress. Transgender and intersex persons needed to be protected. In rural areas, internet coverage was limited, which impacted outcomes for rural families. The Government should invest in mobile communications and infrastructure for these communities. Pay gaps for women, including Māori women, needed to be closed. The State was urged to implement national machinery which ensured disaggregated data was available to inform policy.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked what the Government of New Zealand should do to release women from religious marriages? What should be done to combat forced marriage?
Another Expert asked if there were situations of statelessness among Māori women and girls in New Zealand? Were there issues relating to women, nationality and citizenship?
An Expert asked about the internet trade in Lao People’s Democratic Republic which saw young girls being trafficked. Did the Government recognise this as a great problem? What was the view on increasing family violence?
A Committee Expert said given the Government of New Zealand had established an intersex clinical reference group, were there any positive recommendations or movements coming out?
Another Expert asked New Zealand if there were any specific challenges affecting education? What could be done to address these challenges?
An Expert asked about the situation of education in Lao People’s Democratic Republic?
A Committee Expert said information provided claimed that there was a genuine change in Saudi Arabia; women could obtain drivers’ license and travel with their own passport, among other things. Could more information on these reforms be provided? How many women human rights defenders were in jail?
An Expert asked about data sovereignty in New Zealand? There had been an important climate case decided in New Zealand, regarding the extractive industry being sued for alleged contribution to climate change. Could more information on this be shared with the Committee?
A Committee Expert asked non-governmental organizations from Saudi Arabia what were the main issues when it came to the limitations of legislation on trafficking?
Responses by Non-Governmental Organizations
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Responding to questions, speakers said the Government did not take any effective actions against human trafficking, especially for young girls. Internet control for criminals was not effective in Lao People’s Democratic Republic. People in the country were very poor and their income was very low. Around 30 per cent of young people did not have any employment.
Saudi Arabia
Answering questions on Saudi Arabia, speakers said since 2018, Saudi Arabia had implemented reforms to its male guardianship system, including allowing women to obtain passports and be legal heads of households, among others. However, there were still issues under the Personal Status Code, including that women needed permission from males to marry, and that women were considered as custodians of their children rather than guardians. There was also a disobedience law still in place. Families feared speaking about women in prison so there were no official statistics. There were dozens of cases of women who had been jailed for expressing their views on women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, but without open and fair trials, there were no exact numbers.
New Zealand
Speakers answering questions on New Zealand said women’s connection to culture empowered them to navigate diverse environments. It was essential that the Government recognised this to empower women and communities. The reference group had been established in New Zealand for intersex persons which sought to establish medical guidelines. As this was quite recent, it was hard to say its impact. Even if it was successful, it would not help those who had already been through the system. Further answers would be provided in writing.
Statement by the National Human Rights Institution of New Zealand
SAUNOAMAALI’I DR KARANINA SUMEO, Acting Chief Commissioner of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, said Māori women’s rights in New Zealand were at serious risk due to a lack of constitutional protection and regressive policy and legislative measures. Today, Māori women and girls continued to experience inequities across health, justice, state care, employment, income and housing. Despite this, the Government was currently working through a reform programme that looked to further undermine Māori rights. The programme included disestablishing the body created to advance Māori health equity and self-determination; introducing a bill to reinterpret treaty principles to omit reference to Māori self-determination and recognition of Māori as indigenous peoples; and reviewing the role of the Waitangi Tribunal, the primary avenue for Māori to raise claims regarding Crown breaches of Te Tiriti.
The Government had already overridden Māori rights recognised by the Tribunal and courts, and stopped all work to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Acting Chief Commissioner urged the Committee to recommend that the Government strengthen legal and constitutional protection of Te Tiriti; take meaningful action to implement the Declaration; and ensure all law and policy reforms met obligations under Te Tiriti and general recommendation 39.
New Zealand unfortunately had one of the highest rates of family and sexual violence. Women were more at risk of sexual violence and family violence than men, particularly Māori, Pacific, ethnic and disabled women. In 2022, the Government launched Te Aorerekura – the National Strategy and Action Plan to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence. However, there had been a recent reduction in funding to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, further impacting access to justice for women.
In September 2024, the report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-based Care (2018-2024) was publicly released, revealing the grave extent of physical, psychological and sexual abuse that took place, in some cases amounting to torture. Gender-based abuse of women and girls included regular intrusive genital exams and ‘health checks’ providing cover for abuse. The Government had committed to designing a new redress system, but survivors still had no immediate prospect of full redress, including compensation and rehabilitation. The Committee was urged to recommend that the Government develop and implement an updated Te Aorerekura action plan and mainstream gender-specific issues; resume the regulatory review of online services and platforms; and implement all the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.
In 2019, the Welfare Expert Advisory Group made 42 recommendations to restore dignity to the social security system. Some recommendations were progressed but some had recently been reversed, which would disproportionately affect the incomes of women, particularly older, disabled, and Māori and Pacific women. The social security system still did not allow people to retain their individual income if they were viewed to be in a relationship ‘in the nature marriage’. This created risks for women, including social isolation, financial entrapment, and difficulties leaving violent or abusive relationships.
The previous Government had announced its intention to introduce mandatory gender and ethnic pay gap reporting. The current Government announced in July 2024 that it would not progress mandatory reporting but develop another voluntary tool. This decision neglected the role factors, including racism, ableism and violence and harassment in the workplace, playing a role in affecting pay, progression, income security and preparation for a dignified life in retirement for women. The Committee was urged to recommend that the Government adjust income support rates to those recommended by the Welfare Expert Advisory Group adjusted for inflation; individualise income support entitlements; and introduce appropriate temporary special measures to ensure equal employment opportunity by gender, ethnicity and disability.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert said that at the last dialogue with New Zealand, the outlook for Māori women and girls had been positive; what was the reason behind the setback?
Another Expert asked if there were specific references within the proposed framework which dealt with the rights of women and girls?
An Expert asked about the situation of abortion in rural areas?
A Committee Expert asked if there were cases where temporary special measures had a negative effect?
Responses by the National Human Rights Institution
In response, Ms. Sumeo said New Zealand did not have a formal constitution which was one of their weak areas, leaving indigenous women vulnerable. If there was a law which weakened women’s rights, it was difficult to push against targeted policy. There was now a different Government, which was why there was a different view from the previously positive position. The previous Government’s policies assumed everyone was equal to begin with, which was not the case now.
New Zealand was far away from having equal pay despite having an Equal Pay Act since 1972. Many women were facing situations of homelessness. Under the Human Rights Act, there was the ability for organizations to develop measures which ensured equality. Unfortunately, those measures were seen as somehow violating human rights and were seen as discriminatory in some parts of New Zealand. The ability to address inequity had become more difficult under the current climate. It was difficult to address issues such as the gender-pay gap if there was a reluctance to use temporary special measures.
BRITTANY PECK, Legal Advisor, said the Government was not providing an adequate response to gender-based violence, including police attending fewer family-based callouts. These compounded the existing high rates of violence in New Zealand. Because of this retrogression, it was expected this would be reflected in the cases of Māori women over time. It was expected that over 90 per cent of sexual violence was not reported to police. New Zealand was experiencing a workforce health crisis and there was a gap in the availability of abortion services in rural areas.
Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media;
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.
CEDAW24.023E
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
On September 28, 2024, at approximately 11:55 pm, Portage la Prairie RCMP were patrolling when an individual was observed with a flashlight outside of a residence on Oak Bay. Officers stopped and told the male to approach the police vehicle in an attempt to identify him. The male then fled on foot.
Officers pursued the male on foot for a short distance. The male was apprehended. He was in possession of approximately 172 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine and approximately 15 grams of fentanyl. Police also seized an undisclosed amount of Canadian currency.
James Borden, 41, from Portage, is charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking x2, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, and Resist Arrest.
Borden remains in custody.
Source: NASA
Whether protecting crops from diseases and pests or sanitizing contaminated surfaces, the ability to spray protective chemicals over important resources is key to several industries. Electrostatic Spraying Systems Inc. (ESS) of Watkinsville, Georgia, manufactures electrostatic sprayers and equipment that make this possible. By licensing NASA electrostatic technology, originally made to water plants in space, ESS’s improved spray nozzles efficiently use basic laws of electricity to achieve complete coverage on targeted surfaces.
ESS traces its origins to research done at the University of Georgia in the 1970s and ’80s. An electrostatic sprayer works by inducing an electric charge onto atomized droplets. Much like an inflated balloon sticking to a wall when it’s gained a charge of static electricity, the droplets then stick to targeted surfaces.
NASA’s interest in this technology originated with astronauts’ need for an easy way to support plant-growth experiments in space. On the International Space Station, watering plants without the help of gravity isn’t as easy as using a garden hose on Earth. In the future, using a system like an electrostatic sprayer on the space station or other orbiting destination could help the water droplets stick to the plants with uniform coverage. However, most spraying systems require large sources of water and air to properly aerosolize fluids.
As both air and water are precious resources in space, NASA needed an easier way to make these incredibly small droplets. Charles Buhler and Jerry Wang of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida led the efforts to develop this capability, with Edward Law of the University of Georgia as a consulting expert. Eventually, the NASA team developed a new design by learning from existing technology called a mister nozzle. The benefit of a mister is that even though the interior volume of the nozzle is small, the pressure inside never builds up, which makes it perfect for enclosed small spaces like the space station.
As the sprayer industry is a tight-knit group, technology transfer professionals at NASA reached out to the companies that could use a nozzle like this on Earth. Electrostatic Spraying Systems responded and later licensed the sprayer design from the agency and incorporated it into the company’s Maxcharge product lines.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01)
ALBUQUERQUE — Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) was proud to welcome Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries for a community conversation at the New Hope Full Gospel Baptist Church in Albuquerque.
The conversation brought together community members, local leaders, and advocates to discuss pressing issues impacting New Mexicans. Leader Jeffries and Rep. Stansbury touched on a broad range of topics including how Democrats are delivering for Americans in tangible ways like lowering costs for Americans, expanding access to healthcare, protecting the environment, and ensuring our democracy stays secure.
“I am so proud to welcome Leader Jeffries to our beautiful state and share the stage with him and to showcase all the work Democrats are doing for New Mexicans,” said Stansbury. “We have brought millions of dollars back to New Mexico through federal programs, legislation, and Community Project Funding that support education, housing, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic development. We will continue this momentum – including tackling pressing issues such as climate change, economic inequality, and access to quality education as we continue to work for New Mexico and our communities.”
“House Democrats will continue to lean into lowering housing costs and growing the middle class with a particular emphasis on access to affordable homeownership,” said Leader Jeffries. “Being able to purchase a home, keeping that home and being able to pass it onto the next generation is central to the great American dream. And we will fight to maintain the principles of free and fair elections and ensure the right to vote, which John Lewis would always say to us, is sacred, is sacrosanct and is essential to the integrity of our democracy. We have to push back against the extreme right-wing efforts to take it away, so one of our top priorities in Congress will be to pass the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.”
Find photos from the event here.
Since taking office, Rep. Stansbury has secured more than a billion dollars in funding for New Mexico’s First Congressional District, including more than $44.5 million for 37 community projects for public safety, economic development, and other needs.
Some of what Congresswoman Stansbury has delivered to New Mexico’s First Congressional District include:
Crime Prevention and Public Safety:
Behavioral Health Resources:
Gun Violence and Safety:
Reproductive Rights:
Economy and Jobs:
Water Access and Water Rights:
Environmental Justice and Protection:
Housing:
Healthcare:
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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Alan J. Disomma Jr., 61, of Payson, Arizona, was sentenced today to life in prison for two counts of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity.
A federal jury found Disomma guilty on February 23, 2024, following a two-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that on December 10, 2021, Disomma began messaging a woman located in West Virginia whom he believed to be the mother of two minor girls. Disomma stated in his messages to the individual that he wished to engage in sexual relations with both girls. Disomma also brought up possibly traveling to West Virginia to meet the girls during this online conversation.
From December 21, 2021 to December 18, 2022, Disomma exchanged text messages with the woman and continued to express his interest in engaging in sexual relations with both girls. During this text messaging, Disomma asked about flying to West Virginia to visit them and also stated that he had previously engaged in sexual relations with a prepubescent girl and subjected her to bestiality. Disomma also expressed interest in having the woman and the girls move to Arizona to live with him.
On December 18, 2022, Disomma flew from Arizona to Charleston, West Virginia, where he planned to meet the individual and travel with her to her residence where he intended to engage in sexual activity with both girls. Disomma flew to West Virginia with a nearly full bottle of Viagra. Upon his arrival in Charleston, Disomma was arrested by law enforcement officers.
“This case involved horrific facts that painted a vivid picture of defendant’s intense desire to have sex with two children,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The offense conduct in this case was reprehensible, and today’s sentence reflects their gravity. I commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) West Virginia Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force and the West Virginia State Police for their investigation of this case. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Lesley C. Shamblin and our trial team for their work in this case, which resulted in guilty verdicts on all three counts in the indictment.”
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Disomma was sentenced to life in prison for each of the two counts of attempted enticement of a minor, and to a concurrent 30-year term for traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual activity. The Court also imposed a lifetime of supervised release.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://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. 5:22-cr-227.
###
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
FAIR LAWN, N.J., Oct. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Columbia Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLBK) (the “Company”), the mid-tier holding company for Columbia Bank, announced today the completion of the merger of Freehold Bank with and into Columbia Bank, effective as of October 5, 2024. Prior to the bank merger, Freehold Bank and Columbia Bank were held and operated as separate subsidiaries of the Company.
In connection with the completion of the bank merger, James H. Wainwright, President and Chief Executive Officer of Freehold Bank, was appointed to the Board of Directors of Columbia Bank.
About Columbia Financial, Inc.
Columbia Financial, Inc. is a Delaware corporation organized as Columbia Bank’s mid-tier stock holding company. Columbia Financial, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of Columbia Bank, MHC. Columbia Bank is a federally chartered savings bank headquartered in Fair Lawn, New Jersey that operates 68 full-service banking offices and offers traditional financial services to consumers and businesses in its market area.
Columbia Financial, Inc.
Investor Relations Department
(833) 550-0717
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
On October 4, 2024 at approximately 5:30 p.m., Pinehouse RCMP received a report that an adult male, who was wanted on warrant, was seen walking near Hilltop Avenue in Pinehouse, SK.
Officers responded and while conducting patrols of the area they located the adult male. The adult male observed the police vehicle and fled on foot into a nearby treed area. An officer exited the police vehicle, indicated that the male was under arrest, and followed him on foot. When the officer caught up to the adult male, he assaulted and attempted to disarm them. A second officer attended the scene and the adult male was arrested without further incident.
During subsequent investigation, officers located and seized bear mace, a knife, and a small amount of drugs from the adult male’s backpack.
As a result of continued investigation, 29-year-old Jerry Natomagan from Pinehouse, SK is charged with:
Jerry Natomagan was also arrested on two outstanding warrants from Pinehouse RCMP for charges including sexual assault and assault with a weapon causing bodily harm.
Jerry Natomagan appeared in court in La Ronge on October 7, 2024.
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
On October 3, 2024 at approximately 4:15 p.m., Battlefords RCMP received a report of a shooting on the 1400 block of 109th Street in North Battleford, SK.
Officers responded immediately and located two adult males, who had gunshot injuries, at a residence in North Battleford, SK. Both males were taken to hospital by EMS with injuries described as serious in nature.
Officers located and arrested two adult males and an adult female near the scene.
As a result of continued investigation, 21-year-old Adrian Dreaver from North Battleford is charged with:
The other adult male and adult female were later released without charge.
Adrian Dreaver appeared in court in North Battleford on October 7, 2024.
Battlefords RCMP continue to investigate with the assistance of Battlefords RCMP Municipal General Investigation Section
Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Police have recovered a firearm after a stolen ute was stopped in rural South Auckland in the early hours of this morning.
Information was received after midnight that a stolen commercial ute was travelling south through the Wiri area.
Counties Manukau South Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Clive Wood, says the Police Eagle helicopter was deployed as a result.
“Eagle quickly picked up the vehicle’s movements and relayed this information to staff on the ground,” he says.
“The vehicle carried on south until arriving at an address in Ararimu.”
A Police unit quickly moved in behind the ute.
“The driver was taken into custody without incident and a further search was invoked of the stolen vehicle,” Senior Sergeant Wood says.
Inside, Police located a 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition, cannabis and methamphetamine.
Senior Sergeant Wood says the 32-year-old male driver’s night took a turn, with additional charges being laid on top of being in possession of a stolen vehicle.
The man has also been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition, as well as drugs offences.
He will appear in the Pukekohe District Court today.
Senior Sergeant Wood says: “Investigations are still ongoing into the original incident where several commercial vehicles were stolen from an Ōtara business last week and have been recovered.
“This is another great result from our team working overnight, with a firearm taken out of circulation in our community and an offender to face up to the courts.”
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
Source: Tasmania Police
High range drink driver arrested- Launceston
Tuesday, 8 October 2024 – 9:11 am.
A 45 year old man has been arrested and charged following a drink driving incident in Launceston recently.
Police received numerous calls about the man driving a white Ford Ranger in an erratic manner through Launceston on Friday 4 October, causing several crashes in Launceston and Nunamara.
Police arrested the man in Launceston a short time later where he returned a breath analysis reading of .202 (over four times the legal limit).
The man was immediately disqualified from driving for 12 months, was charged with driving offences and will appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court at a later date.
Acting Sergeant Caitlin Rawlings said one driver doing the wrong thing, was one too many.
“Police will continue to conduct targeted high visibility traffic operations, however road users can expect to see us anywhere, anytime,” she said.
“Being caught doing the wrong thing is one risk, but causing a crash that results in serious injury or death is a far more serious consequence. Police are committed to enforcing the road rules, to keep people as safe as possible on our roads – but we can’t do it alone.
“If you’re out on the roads we need you to pay attention, buckle up, watch your speed, rest if you’re tired, and never drink drive.”
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Alec Zwozdesky was located deceased this afternoon in a rural area near Highway #16 west of Yorkton. His family has been notified.
Yorkton RCMP continues to investigate the circumstances of his death in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)
Washington, D.C. — The Biden administration has ignored a bipartisan request from Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) and 11 other Senators to authorize a reward of up to $25 million for information that brings Hamas leaders to justice.
On September 26, 2024, Senator Budd led a dozen Senators to request that the State Department establish “a reward of up to $25 million under the State Department’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program for information that leads to the arrest of, locates, or disrupts the financial support for Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders or operatives responsible for the murder and kidnapping of Americans on October 7, 2023.”
The deadline to respond was today, the one year anniversary of the October 7th attacks, and the senators have not received a response and no reward has been issued, as of this release.
The letter was co-signed by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Kevin Cramer (R-NC), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
Senator Budd said in a statement:
“One year ago, Hamas terrorists murdered and kidnapped dozens of American citizens. After 365 days, the State Department has failed to issue a bounty that would help bring these terrorists to justice. The fact that the Biden-Harris administration continues to leave tools unused shows a complete disregard for the safety and security of American citizens around the world.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker said:
“The Biden-Harris administration should have posted the reward for these monsters’ capture months ago. They are not using every tool at their disposal to defeat Hamas.”
Full text of the letter:
Dear Secretary Blinken:
We write requesting the immediate authorization of a reward of up to $25 million under the State Department’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program for information that leads to the arrest of, locates, or disrupts the financial support for Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders or operatives responsible for the murder and kidnapping of Americans on October 7, 2023. The United States must use every tool and resource at its disposal as leverage to secure the release of hostages, including seven Americans, still being held in Gaza and to bring those terrorists responsible to justice.
As you know, Congress established the RFJ program when it passed the 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism. We can think of no better way to fulfill congressional intent than to offer rewards for those Hamas leaders identified in the recently unsealed federal criminal complaint charging Yahya Sinwar, Mohammad Al-Masri, Khaled Meshaal, Ali Baraka, and others with terrorism, murder conspiracy, and sanctions-evasion charges related to October 7th.
We respectfully request a response to this letter no later than October 7, 2024.
Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a component agency of the Department of Homeland Security, working in close coordination across the department, including with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, continued to facilitate removal flights of single adults and family units between Sept. 30 and Oct. 4.
Those included removal flights to Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Peru. If a noncitizen arrives and has no legal basis to remain in the United States, they are processed and removed quickly, consistent with U.S. law.
In the year following the end of the Title 42 public health order — between May 12, 2023, and May 12, 2024 — DHS removed or returned over 742,000 individuals, the vast majority of whom crossed the southwest border, including more than 111,000 individual family members. Total removals and returns in that period exceeded removals and returns in every full fiscal year since 2010.
Since the presidential proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of certain noncitizens across the southern border and the complementary joint interim final rule issued by DHS and the U.S. Department of Justice seventeen weeks ago, DHS has removed and returned more than 140,000 individuals to more than 144 countries, including by operating more than 430 international repatriation flights. DHS has almost tripled the percentage of noncitizens processed through Expedited Removal while in CBP or ICE custody. Expedited Removal processing was already at record levels prior to the Proclamation.
In keeping with standard practice, the United States ensures that all noncitizens without a legal basis to remain in the United States are properly screened for valid protection claims and withholding of removal in accordance with our laws and U.S. international obligations. This applies to all noncitizens, regardless of nationality, to ensure the orderly and humane processing, transfer and removal of single adults and family units.
Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings present their claims for relief or protection from removal before immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. Due to operational security reasons, ICE does not confirm or discuss future or pending transportation operations.
ICE Air Operations facilitates the transfer and removal of noncitizens, including family units, via commercial airlines and chartered flights in support of ICE field offices and other DHS initiatives. In fiscal year 2023, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted 142,580 removals and 62,545 Title 42 expulsions to more than 170 countries worldwide.
B-roll for removal flights is available here. DHS has made additional videos available to the public and the media, including b-roll footage of removal flights, a public service announcement and testimonials from migrants who have been removed.
Source: Government of India
The 425-bedded hospital being built with an outlay of Rs244 core will fulfill the health related needs of the people of Mansa for the next 25 years
Recently, Delhi Police has seized drugs worth Rs 5600 crore and destroyed the international drug syndicate involved in it
After Modi government came into power, it destroyed the drugs trade which was growing rapidly in the entire North India including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi
Only Narendra Modi government can achieve the resolve for a Nasha-Mukt Bharat
Gujarat government has seized drugs worth Rs.8500 crores in just 3 years
Modi ji has started a campaign to make people healthy with a holistic approach
Medical education will be started in Gujarati in Mansa Medical College
Children of Gujarat will become doctors after getting medical education in their own language and it will begin from Mansa
In 10 years from 2004 to 2014, 1,52,000 kg of drugs worth Rs 768 crore were seized, while in the 10 years of Modi government from 2014 to 2024, 5,43,600 kg of drugs worth Rs 27,600 crore have been seized
Posted On: 04 OCT 2024 9:36PM by PIB Delhi
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various development projects worth Rs.329 crore in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Several dignitaries, including Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, were present on this occasion.
In his address, Shri Amit Shah highlighted that the Gujarat government is working on the construction of a 425-bed hospital at a cost of ₹244 crores for the residents of Mansa. He mentioned that this 425-bed hospital will cater to the health needs of the people of Mansa for the next 25 years. He also noted that today, the inauguration, foundation laying, and e-inauguration of 10 development projects of the Mansa Municipality are taking place, along with the foundation laying and inauguration of other development projects costing ₹329 crores.
Union Home Minister said that a beautiful Chandrasar Lake has been developed in Mansa, and efforts have been made to supply water from the Narmada River to this lake. He mentioned that the work of connecting a total of 16 lakes, including Chandradu, Malan, Malai, including previously built 13 lakes in the state, and supplying of Narmada water to them has been completed this monsoon season. He added that this will raise the water level in all surrounding areas and improve agricultural yield, leading to the prosperity of farmers.
Shri Amit Shah mentioned that the foundation-laying projects include the civil hospital, beautification of Malan Lake, programs for Sasni and Malan lakes, a community hall in Ranyapur, double-laning of the Pilvai-Mahudi road, and a dry waste segregation plant. Moreover, the new hospital will provide all facilities, such as a critical care trauma center, orthopedic surgery, pediatric department, medicine, gynecology, physiotherapy, dialysis, X-ray, CT scan, and MRI, all available in a single building for everyone.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has initiated the teaching of medical science in local languages for the first time in India. He mentioned that medical courses
Source: Tasmania Police
Police investigate fatal Beaconsfield crash
Saturday, 5 October 2024 – 7:24 am.
Police are investigating a fatal vehicle crash that occurred on Weld Street Beaconsfield at approximately 5pm on Friday 4/10/2024.
A blue Mitsubishi was being driven in a southerly direction, on Weld Street, by a 44-year-old Beaconsfield woman, when the vehicle collided with a tree. Tragically the driver died at the scene.
A 20-year-old woman was walking along the roadside at the time of the crash, and she was also injured. The woman is currently in the Launceston General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police will be preparing a report for the coroner.
Police offer heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased woman and also would like to thank the members of the community who assisted both victims at the scene.
Anyone with information, or who saw the blue Mitsubishi driving in Beaconsfield prior to the crash, is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05)
Today, Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) led a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding accountability for his agency’s failure to respond to a congressional inquiry into the integrity of American elections. Earlier this year, the Congressmen, joined by 60 of their House and Senate colleagues, inquired about the measures that have been taken by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to safeguard American elections from being hijacked by illegal aliens. The initial inquiry, dated July 12, received no response from Garland’s DOJ. The DOJ’s failure to respond to congressional inquiry is unacceptable.
Reports regarding alarming events in South Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio raise justified concerns as to the integrity of our federal elections. There is no publicly available information to suggest that the Department of Justice is investigating or bringing cases against aliens who violate federal election law.
Congressman Biggs and Senator Hagerty’s letter requires AG Garland to provide information regarding the steps, if any, taken by the DOJ to prosecute non-citizens for illegally voting or registering to vote in federal elections. The letter also inquires into whether the DOJ has contacted election officials in Virginia and Texas to obtain information on each of the aliens removed from voter rolls who were unlawfully registering and voting in elections.
“American citizens must have confidence in the security of our elections,” said Congressman Biggs. “The DOJ’s failure to provide timely answers to our important questions is not acceptable.
“At least 10 million illegal aliens have been released into our country through our porous borders during Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s Administration. Americans should not have to be concerned that their voices will be drowned out by the voices of illegal aliens when electing officials for public office.
“I’m grateful to Senator Hagerty for leading this effort in the Senate and to my colleagues who understand the significance of this oversight.”
House cosigners of this letter include: Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL), Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL), Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO), Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS), Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Rep. Michael Guest (R-TX), Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX), Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), Rep. Greg Lopez (R-CO), Rep. Keith Self (R-TX), Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX), Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX), Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV), and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
Senate Cosigners: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), Sen. James Risch (R-ID), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Sen. Shelley Capito (R-WV), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC), Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).
The initial letter may be read here.
The follow-up letter may be read here.
Fox News covered the letter here.
Source: United States Attorneys General
Defendant Allegedly Did Not Report Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from His Law Practice
A federal grand jury in Detroit charged a Michigan attorney yesterday with filing false tax returns and willfully failing to file tax returns.
According to the indictment, Shawn Smith, who calls himself “Shawn the Law,” is a lawyer residing in Birmingham. For 2017 through 2020, Smith allegedly filed false individual income tax returns that did not report hundreds of thousands of dollars of gross receipts that he earned from his law business. In addition, Smith allegedly did not file an individual income tax return for 2021 and 2022.
If convicted, Smith faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each false return count and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan and IRS Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jeffrey A. McLellan and Kenneth C. Vert of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JERMEL BATES, also known as “Mel Kitty” and “Kitty,” 28, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of June 25, 2023, Bates crashed his vehicle into a parked car in Bridgeport and fled the scene on foot. Law enforcement conducted a search of Bates’ vehicle and found plastic bags containing numerous blue/green fentanyl pills stamped “M/30,” wax paper folds containing fentanyl and other controlled substances, and approximately 78 grams of crack cocaine. Bates was arrested later that day and charged with state offenses.
On March 19, 2024, Bates was arrested on a federal criminal complaint. In conjunction with his arrest, investigators searched his person and his Newfield Avenue apartment and found plastic bags with thousands of blue-green fentanyl pills stamped “M/30” and weighing more than 400 grams, hundreds of wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, and a bag containing approximately 12 grams of crack cocaine.
Bates has been detained since his federal arrest. On May 10, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
This matter was investigated by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Norwalk Police Department. The Task Force is composed of personnel from the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Trumbull Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.
In March 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA’s New England Field Division released a public service announcement warning of the danger of fentanyl and the proliferation of counterfeit prescription pills. Click here for more information.
Source: United States Attorneys General
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles returned an indictment yesterday charging a California man with evading the payment of his individual income taxes and obstructing the IRS in its efforts to collect those taxes.
According to the indictment, Gabriel Guerrero, a Los Angeles-based commercial real estate agent, did not timely file tax returns for many years. In 2014, he allegedly filed more than 10 years’ worth of returns but did not pay the amounts he self-reported he owed. When the IRS began trying to collect those outstanding taxes, Guerrero allegedly sought to prevent the IRS from being able to do so in at least two ways: by not depositing substantial commission checks he earned from commercial real estate sales into his bank accounts and using cashier’s checks to circumvent IRS levies of those accounts. The indictment also alleges that Guerrero further obstructed collection efforts by submitting false financial disclosure forms to the IRS, which significantly underreported his income and by not disclosing a bank account he used to deposit his income.
In total, Guerrero is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $350,000.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion and three years in prison for obstructing the IRS. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Robert Kemins and Christopher Gerace of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Arkow for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tyrone Anderson, 44, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base and for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Anderson is among the 15 federal defendants arrested in 2021 and charged in a 45-count indictment for trafficking narcotics as part of a DEA-led multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers in North Sacramento. Anderson was intercepted during wiretaps in 2018 and 2019 trafficking kilograms of cocaine and heroin to sub‑distributors in California and from the East Coast. During the wiretap, agents seized 4 kilograms of cocaine that Anderson had sold for $118,000 to a Baltimore sub-distributor. At the time of his arrest, agents seized 567 grams of powder cocaine and 949 grams of heroin from Anderson’s stash location and two loaded firearms from his residence.
Below is the status of Anderson’s co-defendants:
On Sept. 29, 2022, Jason Tolbert, 47, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
On Nov. 17, 2022, Charles Carter, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.
On Nov. 17, 2022, Andre Hellams, 40, of North Highlands, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Hellams is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 24, 2024.
On Dec. 8, 2022, Michael Hampton, 57, of Vallejo, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.
On March 16, 2023, Arlington Caine, 50, of Rio Linda, was sentenced to 22 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
On March 14, 2024, Bobby Conner, 53, of Sacramento, was sentenced to six months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
On March 28, 2024, Maurice Bryant, 53, of Antelope, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base. Bryant is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 17, 2024.
On April 25, 2024, 2023, Dwight Haney, 52, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
On May 30, 2024, Jerome Adams, 56, of North Highlands, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for two counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
On Aug. 8, 2024, Steven Hampton, 65, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine.
On Sept. 26, 2024, Mark Martin, 63, of Sacramento was sentenced to time served for using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
On Aug. 1, 2024, Alex White, 61, of North Highlands, was sentenced to a term of 38 months (time served) for distribution of cocaine base.
Charges are pending against Yovanny Ontiveros, 41, of Sacramento and Wilmer Harden, 52, of Elk Grove. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Marvin Fredrick Wagner, II (25, Oviedo) with one count of attempted production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and one count of receipt of CSAM. If convicted, Wagner faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the attempted production offense and a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for the receipt offense.
According to the indictment, the conduct underlying the attempted production offense took place between June 23 and October 11, 2023. Wagner received CSAM on October 11, 2023.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oviedo Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
Seattle – Law enforcement fanned out across the country and in western Washington yesterday arresting 17 people on indictments and criminal complaints for a multi- state drug trafficking conspiracy. The two-year investigation alleges that the trafficking ring has been linked to a fatal fentanyl overdose on the Lummi Nation reservation in Whatcom County. Law enforcement in Georgia, Missouri, Texas, and Arizona executed search warrants and some arrests. Ten of 13 defendants arrested in Washington remain detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, pending hearings later this week and next week. Three defendants were released on bond.
“This investigation revealed that the trafficking organization was a supplier to a community that was rocked by four fentanyl overdose deaths in just four days,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Fentanyl continues to claim lives in our community – especially in our Tribal communities. We will do all we can to stop the flow of this deadly drug.”
“The significance of this case is that a family drug trafficking organization expanded from Seattle beyond Washington state to locations across the country,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “This group distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States, including in Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, and Georgia. Together with our partners, this demonstrates the national impact of today’s operations by disrupting this source of supply.”
The drug ring was led by Marquis Jackson, 31, who splits time between Atlanta and the Renton, Washington home of his parents, defendants Mandel Jackson, 50, and Matelita (Marty) Jackson, 49. Also linked to the Renton family home were defendants Markell Jackson, 21, and Miracle Patu-Jackson, 22. Members of the Jackson family are indicted for various conspiracy counts including drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. Records filed in the case link some of the Jacksons to a Seattle area street gang.
Markell Jackson is a fugitive still being sought by law enforcement. Matelita (Marty) Jackson, Miracle Patu-Jackson and Adean Batinga were released on bond.
The other defendants indicted for drug trafficking include:
Edgar Valdez, 26, of Phoenix
Keondre Jackson, 29, Wichita, Kansas
Michael Young Jr., 43, Tacoma, Washington
Sir-Terrique Devon Milam, 20, Federal Way, Washington
Tyrell Lewis, 32, Federal Way, Washington – a fugitive
Robert Johnson, 20, Renton, Washington
Diyana Abraha, 22, Seattle – a fugitive
Adean Batinga, 20, Burien, Washington
Tianna Karastan, 21, Seattle -a fugitive
Diallo Redd, 34, Tacoma, arrested in Montana on a Montana indictment.
Two additional defendants were arrested in the Seattle area in connection with the serving of yesterday’s search warrants:
Chad Conti, 47, Covington, Washington
Phillip Lamont Alexander, 48, Des Moines, Washington
Over the course of the investigation law enforcement seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine and 29 firearms. They also seized more than $116,000 in cash.
In Whatcom County, teams led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested four people on criminal complaints for fentanyl distribution. According to the complaints, the Whatcom drug traffickers were linked by phone communication and surveillance to the Jackson drug trafficking organization.
In September 2023, four tribal citizens died of fentanyl overdose within a period of just four days, prompting the Lummi Indian Business Council to declare a state of emergency in response to the escalating fentanyl crisis.
Tribal and federal partners examined the phone of one of the overdose victims and found connections to the Jackson Drug Trafficking Organization. DEA, the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have continued to work closely with the Lummi Nation Police to identify additional members of this drug trafficking organization with the goal of stopping the flow of fentanyl into Indian Country and elsewhere.
Those arrested on complaints this week include:
Robert Bellair, 41, Ferndale, Washington
Thomas J. Morris, 42, Bellingham, Washington
Patrick James, 40, Bellingham, Washington
Ronald Finkbonner, 50, Bellingham, Washington
All four are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
“The Drug Enforcement Administration’s top priority is to combat fentanyl traffickers responsible for deaths and misery in our communities,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This case highlights the lengths to which DEA and our partners will go to ensure people trafficking fentanyl are held accountable for the suffering they cause.”
“The Seattle Police Department appreciates the collaboration with our federal partners in combatting the scourge of the fentanyl crisis and the proliferation of guns from drug trafficking organizations,” said Deputy Chief Eric Barden of the Seattle Police Department. “Fentanyl caused over 1,000 overdose deaths in King County last year. Seattle Police are delighted to partner with the FBI, DEA, USAO and other state and local jurisdictions to dismantle a drug distribution network undoubtedly responsible for deaths in our community.”
The charges contained in the indictment and criminal complaints are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, (Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, Kansas City, Dallas, Las Vegas, Montana), DEA (Seattle, Kansas City, Wichita, Montana), the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, the Lummi Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Border Patrol Blaine Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Crystal Correa, and Michael Harder.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker announced that a federal grand jury in Alaska returned five unrelated child exploitation indictments in September, emphasizing Alaska law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute cases to keep children safe.
“Those who target children for sexual gratification are an urgent threat to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “My office, alongside our dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement partners, maintains our steadfast commitment to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting anyone who tries to harm our children—especially in this digital age, where predators can reach victims from anywhere in the world.”
“These arrests demonstrate the FBI’s continued prioritization of combatting child exploitation crimes in Alaska – no matter where these violations occur or who commits them,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Together with our law enforcement partners and the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, we will identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who put our most vulnerable at risk.”
“We, whether it is as a federal law enforcement agency such as HSI or as a community as a whole, have a duty to protect the most vulnerable among us, our children,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Victims of any type of child exploitation crime are survivors of unimaginable trauma. When we successfully stop child predators, we help victims attain safety and a chance to reclaim their lives.”
“The U.S. Secret Service stands firmly with our law enforcement partners to investigate crimes that exploit and target children,” said Glen Peterson, U.S. Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Seattle Field Office. “We continue to use our tools, resources and expertise to identify and arrest individuals that victimize children.”
U.S. v. Feltovic
According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2024, William Alexander Feltovic, 36, an Anchorage U.S. Postal employee, allegedly attempted to coerce an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity. Feltovic was arrested on Sept. 23 and is charged with one count attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schroeder is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Hadley
According to court documents, in June 2023, Jesse Hadley, 31, of Kotzebue used a minor in Bethel to produce and possess visuals of child pornography. Hadley was arrested on Sept. 30 and is charged with one count sexual exploitation of a child—production of child pornography and one count sexual exploitation of a child—possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the Bethel Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Madros
According to court documents, on Aug. 27, 2024, George Floyd Madros III, 43, of Anchorage, contacted an individual he thought was a 13-year-old female on a social media platform. Madros and the individual began communicating through a private chat via the platform and text messages. Madros then allegedly asked the individual for sexually explicit content, asked to meet in person, and talked about potential sexual interactions if they met in person. Madros was arrested on Aug. 28 on related charges filed in a criminal complaint. The indictment charges Madros with one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ainsley McNerney is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Rose
According to court documents, on Aug. 27, 2024, Robert Nicholas Roy Rose, 44, of Anchorage, contacted an individual he thought was a 13-year-old girl on a social media platform. Throughout the course of the chat, Rose allegedly had sexually explicit conversations with the individual, including explanations of actions he wanted to do or perform with the 13-year-old, and organized a time to meet in person.
In 2006, Rose was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree in the Superior Court for the State of Alaska. As part of the conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender in Alaska. Rose was arrested on Aug. 30 on related charges filed in a criminal complaint. The indictment charges Rose with one count of attempted exploitation of a child – production of child pornography, one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count offense by a registered sex offender. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison for the one charge of attempted production of child pornography, followed by an additional mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison that runs consecutively for the count of offense by a registered sex offender.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ainsley McNerney is prosecuting the case.
U.S. v. Steadman
According to court documents, William Steadman, 34, of Juneau, allegedly produced child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) depicting a minor known to him. Additionally, court documents indicate that he allegedly spent time with other children in his community. Steadman was arrested on Sept. 6 on related charges filed in a criminal complaint. The indictment charges Steadman with sexual exploitation of a child, also known as production of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison.
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Caille Petursson, Jack Schmidt, William Reed and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
TOLEDO, Ohio – Amanda Hovanec, 37, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp, II, after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including distributing a controlled substance that resulted in the death of her husband. Amanda Hovanec was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,108,559.36.
According to court documents, Hovanec and her husband, Timothy, were married and had three children. They moved several times for his job with the U.S. Department of State, which included an assignment in South Africa around 2018. While there, Hovanec developed a relationship with a South African citizen named Anthony Theodorou. Hovanec initiated divorce proceedings against her husband in 2020 after returning to the United States. In December 2021, she began to deny her husband visitation with their children despite a court order to permit it. After her husband filed several contempt motions against Hovanec for denying visitation, a judge ordered that the children be given visitation with their father in April 2022, and further ordered that the husband become the residential parent and legal custodian of their children for two months that summer, beginning in May.
The children went with their father for an April weekend visitation, as ordered, after which their father returned them to Hovanec’s Wapakoneta residence. Later, a missing persons investigation was opened when the husband failed to check out of an area hotel where he had been staying.
During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered the husband’s abandoned car in Dayton, Ohio. It had been equipped with a dash camera. Review of the camera’s video showed that the husband had returned the children to Hovanec’s residence around 7 p.m. on April 24, 2022. Video footage showed Hovanec and her mother, Anita Green, waiting outside the residence next to the garage. Hovanec was then seen walking toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and heard telling the children, “I have a surprise for you inside.” The children entered the residence, followed by Green. Seconds later, the victim was heard saying, “What the heck are you doing? Did you just assault me?” and then, “Get away from me . . . Get off of me.” The victim and Hovanec came into the camera’s view, at which time video footage captured her pulling on her husband’s shirt as he tried to use his cellphone. She wrestled with him and eventually knocked the phone out of his hand. She then pulled on his back to bring him to the ground, holding him around the neck until his body went limp and he became unresponsive, lying on the driveway. Hovanec stood up, picked up her husband’s cellphone, removed his smart watch, and turned off his vehicle’s engine, at which point the dash camera stopped recording.
After first attempting to cover up her crimes, Hovanec later confessed to investigators that she injected her husband in the shoulder with “poison” that she understood would kill him within minutes. She also admitted to disposing of his car in Dayton, and burying his body in a wooded area not far from her home. Theodorou was in Ohio at the time of the incident. He not only obtained the substance used to kill the victim, but also helped Hovanec bury her husband’s body. Green, who both Hovanec and Theodorou confirmed knew about the plan to murder the victim in advance, was charged as an accessory after the fact. She agreed to drive them and the victim’s body to the grave site, which was dug in advance of the murder.
The investigation determined that the victim was injected with M-99, also known as Etorphine, a Schedule I controlled substance approximately 1000 times more potent than morphine. It is used in veterinary medicine for zoo and wildlife anesthesia.
According to court records, Hovanec considered killing her husband for at least a year before the murder and had considered alternate means to do so, including hiring a hitman, before settling on injecting him with M-99.
“Hovanec’s violent and intentional actions were cold-blooded, calculated, and cruel. Her extreme malevolence toward her husband and complete disregard for how his murder would affect their innocent children is incomprehensible and unforgiveable,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We know that no amount of time served can bring back a family’s loved one. But our hope is that the victim’s family may find some sense of closure as they painstakingly work to heal from this unimaginable and horrific tragedy.”
Theodorou was sentenced to 18 years in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to import, importation and distribution of a controlled substance that resulted in death. He was also ordered to pay $2,108,559.36 in restitution, of which a part will be paid jointly and severally with Hovanec and Green. Anita Green was sentenced to 10 years in prison and two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to being an accessory to the crimes committed by Amanda Hovanec and Anthony Theodorou.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Lima Resident Agency, the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the Lucas County Coroner’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alissa Sterling and Michelle Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
CLEVELAND – A jury convicted two men for conspiring to artificially inflate prices on a low-value stock being sold to investors. After a trial that proceeded in two stages for over four weeks, Paul Spivak, 65, of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, and Charles Scott, 70, of Alexandria, Virginia, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Spivak was also found guilty on two counts of wire fraud in the first stage of trial, and he then pled guilty to four other counts of wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, and a separate count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Scott was then found guilty of a securities fraud conspiracy and one count of securities fraud in the second stage of trial.
According to court documents, trial testimony, and exhibits, Spivak was the majority owner and chief executive officer of U.S. Lighting Group, Inc. (USLG), a publicly traded Florida corporation based in Euclid, Ohio, that focused on the design and manufacture of commercial LED lights, aftermarket auto parts, and fiberglass recreational campers and boats. The company traded on OTC Markets under the ticker USLG and was considered a “penny” stock due to its lower market value. Penny stocks are more vulnerable to price manipulation because they draw less scrutiny and have lower trading volume than other stocks.
Between 2016 and 2019, Spivak and his co-conspirators manipulated USLG’s stock price to their financial benefit. He and his co-conspirators arranged to take USLG public through a reverse merger with a shell company. They sought to artificially inflate or “pump” up the price of USLG stock using call rooms and other manipulative practices. One co-conspirator who helped to take USLG public and inflate the stock price was Richard Mallion, who was previously convicted of securities fraud and banned for life from participating in the securities industry. Numerous investors throughout the country were pressured to purchase USLG stock while Mallion and other co-conspirators covertly arranged for sell orders to match with the buy orders that the call rooms generated.
While the stock price was artificially inflated, Spivak arranged for co-conspirators to act as unlicensed stockbrokers, cold-calling investors to sell them restricted shares of USLG stock. The brokers used aliases and represented the stock as offered at a steep discount relative to the apparent market price. Spivak arranged to pay those brokers large, undisclosed commissions, while concealing the true nature of USLG’s payments to those brokers by entering into fraudulent consulting agreements with them and requiring them to submit invoices that falsely described commission payments as payments for other services.
Between 2016 and 2019, USLG took in approximately $6.9 million from numerous restricted stock investors—many of them elderly and located throughout the country—in increments between $4,000 and $1 million. During that time, the company made approximately 200 payments totaling $2 million in undisclosed commissions to those unlicensed stockbrokers.
From February through June of 2021, Spivak and Scott engaged with undercover agents and a confidential source, who together posed as co-conspirators arranging to artificially inflate or “pump” up the price of USLG. Spivak arranged for them to receive stock, to be sold at inflated prices, from Scott and another co-conspirator, who had also agreed to kick back proceeds to USLG.
Spivak and Scott arranged for Scott to sell free-trading USLG stock to undercover agents and to send approximately half of the proceeds of those sales back to USLG in exchange for additional restricted stock. Undercover agents, in turn, would sell USLG stock at inflated prices, and then use some of the profits to buy more free-trading shares from Scott, who would then kick back additional money to USLG to buy more restricted stock.
Six of the defendants’ co-conspirators previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and other charges in this matter. Those co-conspirators included Mallion, Spivak’s wife, Olga Smirnova, and a number of the unlicensed stockbrokers. A seventh co-conspirator, Robert Louis Carver, also admitted to participating in this scheme as an unlicensed stockbroker using a stolen identity, all while he was a fugitive in a long-pending securities fraud matter in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Case No. 8:11-CR-62).
“These men orchestrated an aggressive, fraudulent scheme to benefit their company, enrich themselves, and to add to their personal coffers at the expense of others. They not only withheld information, but also purposely engaged a team of affiliates that devised tactics to make it appear that USLG shares were a valuable and valid investment to people who thought they were investing in good faith,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will not tolerate those who think they can outsmart and manipulate the system through fraud and misrepresentation. This verdict helps protect our citizens and our business communities from these predatory methods and serves as a warning to others who are tempted to break federal securities laws because of greed.”
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2025 for Spivak, and Jan. 16, 2025 for Scott. Spivak faces a maximum penalty of 170 years in prison. Scott faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Morrison, Megan Miller, and Stephanie Wojtasik for the Northern District of Ohio.
Report investment, financial, and related violations at https://www.sec.gov/submit-tip-or-complaint.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Rashad Dominic Griggs, 36, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced today to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department (HPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, on August 20, 2022, HPD officers responded to a call for service following reports that Griggs was waving a gun at his girlfriend. The officers knew Griggs had active warrants for his arrest for violating a domestic violence protection order and carrying a concealed firearm. Upon arriving at the location, Griggs emerged from the residence and was arrested on the existing warrants. Following a search of the residence, HPD officers found a white powdery substance that was later lab tested and confirmed to be fentanyl. In addition, officers recovered multiple firearms from the residence, including an AR-15 type rifle, multiple magazines including a drum magazine with shotgun rounds, and multiple rounds of ammunition. The officers knew Griggs had prior convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Court records show that Griggs pleaded guilty to a state offense and was placed on probation.
According to court documents, on June 28, 2023, law enforcement conducted a search of the defendant’s home pursuant to his probation terms. During the search, law enforcement found a rifle magazine loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, a pistol, and multiple rounds of ammunition. During an interview with law enforcement, Griggs acknowledged that he had obtained a pistol approximately seven to eight months prior and stated that he kept the firearm for protection.
On May 16, 2024, Griggs pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. He remains in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and HPD for their investigation of the case, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, Community Supervision, for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Regina Pack and Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
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.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
Malachi S. Royster, 21, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting aggravated robbery of property of the United States and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Royster admitted that he helped pre-plan a May 11, 2023, robbery of a postal carrier. He accompanied co-conspirators that morning while they scouted for potential postal workers to rob; served as the getaway driver before, during and after the robbery on West Broad St.; and accompanied co-conspirators while they returned the firearm used in the robbery to other co-conspirators. Royster’s plea agreement includes a sentence recommendation of 60 to 84 months in prison.
Royster is one of six men charged in connection with six central Ohio postal robberies between November 2022 and May 2023.
Anthony J. “A.J.” Williams, 20, of Columbus, was the gunman in a Nov. 9, 2022, postal carrier robbery. Williams committed the armed robbery of a USPS letter carrier who was delivering mail on Michigan Ave. in Columbus. The postal carrier was delivering mail to an apartment complex’s “cluster box” at the time. Williams approached the mail carrier and brandished the handgun directly at the victim. Williams demanded the victim’s postal keys and then yanked the postal keys off of the carrier’s belt. Williams also admitted to planning a postal robbery and conspiring to commit the robbery on Christmas Eve 2022. Williams pleaded guilty in July 2024 and faces a sentence of 84 to 108 months in prison.
Theirno S. Bah, 20, of Columbus, used firearms and robbed postal carriers of their U.S. Postal Service keys on four occasions between December 2022 and May 2023. Cameron D. Newton, 20, of Westerville, aided and abetted the aggravated robberies of mail and the use of a firearm during the crimes of violence.
Bah used a handgun to rob a postal carrier in German Village on Dec. 29, 2022. Bah pointed the handgun at the victim’s stomach and demanded his vehicle and service keys. Newton, who was on probation and consequently wearing a GPS ankle monitor at the time, recruited two juveniles to assist with the robbery. Newton also arranged for Bah to use the handgun, which was provided by co-conspirator Jaemaun Evans, 20, of Columbus.
On Jan. 3, 2023, Bah pushed a postal carrier into her mail truck while she was sorting mail in the back of the truck on East Columbus Street. He then pushed a gun into the victim’s side before stealing her keys. At this robbery, Newton provided surveillance from his vehicle nearby, using the cover of making DoorDash deliveries to evade his home confinement.
Later that day, Bah committed another armed postal robbery, this time in Whitehall. Bah approached the victim and pushed the handgun into her stomach before stealing her personal car keys and the USPS service keys. Newton again provided surveillance in the vicinity. He also worked to arrange buyers for the stolen postal keys.
On May 11, 2023, Bah robbed a postal worker at the Post Office Retail Store on West Broad Street. Bah approached the victim while she was outside on a break. Bah asked the victim for her keys, and when she asked, “What keys?” he pistol-whipped her in the head with his handgun. Bah forcibly accompanied the victim into the post office to retrieve her service keys. Newton obtained a firearm for Bah to use during this robbery from Kenan M. Lay, 21, of Columbus. Lay provided the 9mm handgun used in the armed robbery of the elderly female postal worker in exchange for $100.
Bah faces a sentence of 20 to 25 years in prison and Newton faces a minimum of 20 years and up to life in prison. Lay was sentenced in April to 66 months in prison. Evans was sentenced in September 2024 to a 24-month term of imprisonment to be followed by a 12-month term of house arrest.
Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at future hearings.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Westerville Police Chief Charles Chandler; and Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen announced the guilty plea entered this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in these cases.
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Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
On October 4, 2024, at approximately 1:55 am, Lynn Lake RCMP received a report of an assault in progress involving two teens outside a residence located in Black Sturgeon Falls.
Officers attended and located a 16-year-old male, who was pronounced deceased, outside the residence.
A 16-year-old male was arrested and remains in police custody.
Lynn Lake RCMP, along with RCMP Major Crime Services and RCMP Forensic Identification Services, continue to investigate.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to time served – 64 months – for concealing his attempts to provide material support to Hamas, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, FBI-Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado Jr., and FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism David J. Scott announced.
Jonathan Xie, 25, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with one count of concealing attempts to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
“Jonathan Xie not only admitted sending money that he hoped would be used by the terrorist organization Hamas to fund violent acts against civilians in Israel, he professed his desire to travel to Gaza to join them. Brandishing a gun and holding a Hamas flag, he also posted that he was going to shoot everybody at a pro-Israel march and ruminated how one could go on a rampage by ramming pro-Israel demonstrators with a car. This supporter of Hamas learned the true cost of supporting terrorists.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
“Xie is an unfortunate example of an emerging and extremely dangerous threat the FBI Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force is seeing with much more frequency,” Newark FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado said. “The average age of the international and domestic terrorism subjects we investigate is under 21 years old, and they’re being radicalized in only a few months. Xie was a teenager when he decided to send money in support of a terrorism organization and then threaten to carry out a plan to kill pro-Israeli people. We need this case to serve as a warning to parents and guardians – pay attention to what your teenagers are doing online.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Xie knowingly concealed and disguised the nature, location, source, ownership and control of his attempt to provide material support and resources to Harakat alMuqawamah al-Islamiyya and the Islamic Resistance Movement, an organization that is commonly referred to as Hamas. Xie admitted that he knew Hamas was a designated foreign terrorist organization and has engaged in terrorist activities. He said he attempted to conceal his attempted support believing it would be used to commit or assist in the commission of a violent act.
In December 2018, Xie sent $100 via Moneygram to an individual in Gaza who Xie believed to be a member of the Al-Qassam Brigades – a faction of Hamas that has conducted attacks, to include suicide bombings against civilian targets inside Israel. At approximately the same time that Xie sent the money, he posted on his Instagram account “Just donated $100 to Hamas. Pretty sure it was illegal but I don’t give a damn.”
In April 2019, Xie appeared in an Instagram Live video wearing a black ski mask and stated that he was against Zionism and the neo-liberal establishment. When asked by another participant in the video if he would go to Gaza and join Hamas, Xie stated “yes, If I could find a way.” Later in the video, Xie displayed a Hamas flag and retrieved a handgun. He then stated “I’m gonna go to the [expletive] pro-Israel march and I’m going to shoot everybody.” In subsequent Instagram posts, Xie stated, “I want to shoot the pro-israel demonstrators . . . you can get a gun and shoot your way through or use a vehicle and ram people . . . all you need is a gun or vehicle to go on a rampage . . . I do not care if security forces come after me, they will have to put a bullet in my head to stop me.”
In April 2019, Xie sent a link to a website for the Al-Qassam Brigades to an FBI employee who was acting online in an undercover capacity. Xie described the website as a “Hamas” website and stated he had previously sent a donation to the group. Xie then sent screenshots of the website to the undercover employee and demonstrated how to use a new feature on the website that allows donations to be sent via Bitcoin. On April 18, 2019, when the undercover employee asked whether Bitcoin was anonymous, Xie responded: “yah… i think thats why hamas is using it now because money transfer is not that anonymous.”
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Xie to 20 years of supervise release, including six months of home detention with location monitoring for the first six months.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger and Assistant Attorney General Olsen credited special agents of the FBI and task force officers of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado; and the U.S. Department of Defense, Army Counterintelligence, 902d Military Intelligence Group, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanks the U.S. Secret Service for its assistance.
The government is represented by Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit and Trial Attorney Taryn Meeks of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division (currently detailed to the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section).