NEWARK, N.J. – An East Orange, New Jersey man today admitted possessing quantities of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine he intended to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Ibraheem Muhammad, 41, of East Orange, New Jersey pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an Indictment charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Law enforcement investigated Muhammad for his drug distribution from an apartment in East Orange (the “Residence”). On May 9, 2022, Muhammad was arrested on a warrant after law enforcement saw him exit the Residence and engage in a suspected drug transaction. He was caught in possession of numerous envelopes of suspected heroin and keys to the Residence. A subsequent search of the Residence revealed Muhammad to be in possession of controlled substances that subsequently lab tested positive for heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl, and various glassine envelopes and other paraphernalia used for packaging drugs. Law enforcement also recovered approximately $14,000 in cash; a Girsan 9mm semi-automatic handgun, loaded with fourteen (14) rounds of 9mm ammunition; and an additional fifteen (15) rounds of 9mm ammunition.
The drug charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. The felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime charge carries a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 24, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., Newark Field Division; and the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Maurice Boyd.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
CLEVELAND – A six-count indictment was unsealed today charging a Viroqua, Wisconsin, man for allegedly selling firearms and related parts without a license to buyers in Saudi Arabia, shipping the prohibited items, and then lying to federal inspectors about it.
According to allegations in the indictment, Mark John Buschman, 60, conducted an illegal export conspiracy for more than five years, lasting from about February 2019 to about December 2024. Buschman obtained firearms and firearms parts in the U.S. and advertised the items for sale on eBay and other online marketplace-style websites. When buyers in Saudi Arabia expressed interest in the items for sale, he agreed to sell and ship the items out of the country to them. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Saudi Arabian-based buyers paid the defendant approximately $398,000.
Court documents indicate that serial numbers from some of the firearms and firearms parts were removed before he shipped the items. The defendant then prepared the items further before shipping them, by concealing the firearms and firearm parts inside of common household appliances and tools such as toasters, coffee makers, space heaters, fans, and landscaping edge trimmers. For example, the defendant concealed rifle barrels in items such as car axles, and smaller pistols inside of toasters. Using a fake return address, the defendant shipped the items through the U.S. Postal Service to freight forwarders, which are companies that specialize in the logistics of shipping items from one country to another. The defendant allegedly shipped the items to freight forwarding companies that operated out of Ohio, New Jersey, Oregon and elsewhere, without declaring that the shipments contained firearms and firearms parts.
Buschman is charged by indictment with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States; attempted smuggling of goods from the United States; transporting and shipping firearms with removed, obliterated, or altered serial numbers; mailing firearms as non-mailable prohibited items; unlawful dealing in firearms without a license; and making false statements to law enforcement.
If convicted on all counts, Buschman faces a penalty of 42 years in prison and fines of up to $1.5 million. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cleveland Office (of the Pittsburgh Division), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Elements of the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also assisted HSI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Shepherd and Jerome J. Teresinski for the Northern District of Ohio. Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan of the Western District of Wisconsin U.S. Attorney’s Office, assisted during the investigation of this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted four Birmingham men with multiple crimes related to three separate carjacking events in Jefferson County, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
Those indicted in January include:
Dearrius Dontrell Pace, 30, who was charged with carjacking and kidnapping. This incident occurred on July 16, 2024;
Charles Avery Pruitt, 22, who was charged with carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. This incident occurred on July 10, 2024; and
Kyone D’Mias Harris and Brandon Taylor Ezell, both 24, who were charged with carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. This incident occurred in October 2024.
FBI investigated each case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John G. Camp, Daniel S. McBrayer, and Darius C. Greene are prosecuting these cases.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Natasha Lindstaedt, Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex
The website for the United States Agency for International Development (USAid), the world’s biggest aid donor, has gone dark.
Donald Trump’s new administration plans to place the autonomous agency under the control of the state department. The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has now declared himself as head of the agency to “align” it with Trump’s priorities.
Several days ago, on January 26, Rubio said: “Every dollar we spend, every programme we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”
But the decision to freeze USAid, which is part of Trump’s policy to put “America first”, places everyone at risk. Organisations that provide vital care for vulnerable people around the world are being forced to halt operations. The boss of one such organisation said: “People will die.”
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a close adviser to Trump, is playing an active role in the destruction of USAid. He has claimed – without providing any evidence – that the agency is “beyond repair”. “It needs to die,” Musk wrote on X.
Musk, who leads the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), is gearing to cut trillions of dollars from the US budget. However, by seeing cuts to USAid as a solution, Trump and Musk are catering to an audience that has a fundamental misunderstanding about US foreign aid more generally.
Surveys demonstrate that Americans believe 25% of the federal budget is spent on foreign aid. In reality, the US gives about 0.2% of its gross national product (GNP), the total value of goods and services produced by a country, to foreign aid – or less than 1% of its federal budget. This is far below the UN target of 0.7% of GNP.
But, despite this, USAid provided 42% of all humanitarian aid globally in 2024. This included about US$72 billion (£58 billion) in aid in a wide range of areas, from helping people access clean water, sanitation, healthcare and energy, to providing disaster relief, shelter and food.
USAid also delivered programmes aimed at supporting democracy, civil society, economic development and landmine clearance in war zones, as well as working to prevent organised crime, terrorism and conflict. The gutting of USAid will have a profound impact on human security.
The Trump administration has granted a waiver for the continuation of “life-saving humanitarian assistance”. This includes a programme that helps 20 million people living with HIV/Aids access anti-retroviral drugs. But there are questions about the future of US Aids organisation, the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar).
To date, over 43 million people worldwide have died from Aids. But one of the biggest success stories of the George W. Bush administration was its launch of Pepfar in 2003. The World Health Organization says that Pepfar, working in partnership with USAid, has saved 26 million lives.
Pepfar employs more than 250,000 doctors, nurses and other staff across 55 countries. One of the functions that USAid performs is ordering and procuring the drugs used by Pepfar to keep the millions infected with HIV alive. It remains to be seen whether federal payments to USAid’s locally run partner organisations will be stopped.
We are, in any case, likely to see an uptick in other infectious diseases. USAid had been working to prevent current outbreaks of mpox and Marburg virus from spreading beyond Africa. It is not clear what the future is for these programmes.
And USAid’s work with malaria, a disease that kills about 450,000 children under the age of five each year, is facing uncertainty. From 2000 to 2021, USAid’s work helped to prevent 7.6 million deaths from malaria. Also in doubt is USAid’s work to develop and implement the malaria vaccine, which was considered a gamechanger for combating the disease.
At the same time, USAid responds to an average of 65 natural disasters each year. In 2024 alone, it responded to 84 separate crises across 66 different countries. The government is letting go all of the staff important for implementing these types of programmes.
Dozens of senior USAid officials have been placed on leave, while contractors working on the agency’s programmes have been furloughed. Up to 3,000 aid workers in Washington DC could reportedly be laid off this week.
What Trump’s team misunderstand is that the work of USAid is also vital for preserving American interests. China, which has poured more than US$1 trillion of assistance into infrastructure projects in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America since 2013, will now be given an opportunity to exert more influence around the world. The void in US aid is a gift for China in the battle for soft power.
White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, lists some of what she calls the ‘insane priorities’ that USAid has been spending money on.
Global aid sector in disarray
Foreign aid relies on certainty and transparency about the future of aid programmes. But the Trump administration has offered little clarity while US foreign aid programmes are all being reviewed. One aid organisation referred to the situation as an “absolute dumpster fire” due to the uncertainty.
There have already been reports of total confusion in health clinics previously supported by USAid, which were shut down without warning. Africa will probably be the region most negatively affected. Local workers in healthcare-related projects on the continent will lose their jobs, while nurses, doctors and healthcare workers across clinics will be unable to continue their vital work.
The Democrats have claimed that Trump does not have the legal authority to eradicate a congressionally funded independent agency. They have said court challenges are already in motion and have pledged to try to block approval of Trump’s state department nominations until the shutdown is reversed.
Trump did try to cut US foreign aid during his first term, but Congress refused. He then tried – and ultimately failed – to freeze the flow of aid appropriated by Congress. This time, Trump is not bothering to play by the rules.
Natasha Lindstaedt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Rakim Tillery, who died on January 3, 2024 following an encounter with the New York State Police (NYSP) in Ramapo, Rockland County. Following a thorough investigation, which included interviews with witnesses, review of home and body-worn camera footage, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ actions were justified under New York law.
At approximately 2:53 p.m. on January 3, two NYSP troopers pulled over a car on the New York State Thruway based on a report about an incident that had taken place earlier the same day in Albany. The troopers were in two separate marked police vehicles, with their turret lights activated. The first trooper pulled over behind the car, and the second trooper pulled over behind the first trooper’s vehicle. As the troopers were getting out of their vehicles, the driver of the car, Mr. Tillery, was already out of his vehicle, armed with a firearm, and discharged his weapon at the troopers. One trooper discharged his service weapon in response, and Mr. Tillery fell to the ground. As the trooper approached Mr. Tillery, he got up, and a struggle ensued. Mr. Tillery grabbed for the trooper’s gun, and the second trooper discharged his service weapon three times, striking Mr. Tillery.
Under New York’s justification law, a police officer may use deadly physical force when the officer reasonably believes it to be necessary to defend against the use of deadly physical force by another. In this case, the troopers had reason to believe Mr. Tillery had been involved in an earlier incident in Albany and had reason to stop Mr. Tillery based on the radio dispatch. When the troopers encountered Mr. Tillery, he discharged a firearm at officers and engaged in a struggle with one trooper, attempting to grab his service weapon. Under these circumstances, given the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ use of deadly physical force against Mr. Tillery was justified, and therefore OSI determined that criminal charges would not be pursued in this matter.
NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in calling on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to demand further testimony from Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director nominee Kash Patel following reports of a planned purge of thousands of FBI agents and staff involved in investigations and prosecutions related to the January 6, 2021 riots at the Capitol. In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Attorney General James and the coalition expressed grave concern over reports that the Trump administration is planning to fire agents and staff who participated in January 6th investigations at the FBI, eliminating approximately 15% of the FBI workforce. The attorneys general warn that these actions could have dangerous consequences for the rule of law and public safety nationwide.
“This effort to defund the FBI to fulfill a political vendetta puts the American people at risk. The FBI is critical to keeping Americans safe from violent crime, terrorism, and threats to our democracy,” said Attorney General James. “Any effort to retaliate against career law enforcement officials for doing their jobs is unacceptable and a direct threat to our justice system. Before the Senate votes on Kash Patel’s confirmation, the American people deserve to know whether he plans to carry out a politically motivated purge of FBI agents and staff. Our nation’s safety depends on it.”
Reports indicate that more than a dozen January 6th prosecutors have already been dismissed and that the administration is considering the removal of at least six more high-ranking FBI officials. Additionally, the acting deputy attorney general has reportedly ordered the FBI to compile a list of all FBI employees who worked on January 6th investigations. If this list is used for its reported intent of firing all agents and staffers involved in the January 6th investigations and prosecutions, it could impact more than 6,000 FBI personnel and severely weaken federal law enforcement efforts across the country, in red and blue states alike.
At the time of Mr. Patel’s confirmation hearing, reports of the alleged FBI purge had not yet been made public. The attorneys general are urging the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to seek answers from Mr. Patel on these matters before the body votes to confirm his nomination. Senators, as representatives of the American people, should know what Mr. Patel plans to do with the list of FBI agents and staff that is being compiled before they cast their votes.
The attorneys general argue that purging more than 6,000 FBI agents and staff will have disastrous effects for public safety nationwide and will put communities in danger. FBI employees and staff protect the country from many of the public safety harms that the administration itself has identified as law enforcement priorities, including but not limited to fentanyl, cartels, and foreign terrorist organizations.
Members of the FBI’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces assist federal and local law enforcement agencies in stopping cartels from smuggling fentanyl and guns into our communities. These task forces also contributed to the recent convictions of five New York members of La Cosa Nostra. The FBI also runs the Joint Terrorism Task Force across the country, protecting Americans from terrorism and other security threats. The hardworking agents, prosecutors, and staff at the FBI keep Americans safe every day, and mass firings would have a disastrous effect, undoubtedly resulting in countless criminals roaming free.
Attorney General James and the coalition are calling on Congress to take immediate action to prevent this ridiculous attack on law enforcement and ensure that the FBI remains independent and fully operational. Congress has a responsibility to the nation to keep Americans safe and hold the administration accountable. The attorneys general urge Congress to start by calling Mr. Patel back before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions about the purported FBI purge before voting on his nomination.
Joining Attorney General James in sending this letter to Chairman Grassley are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Through the BC Fast Pilot program, Innovate BC and the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) are investing a combined total of $1.5M in funding across twelve B.C.-based companies to pilot innovation projects. Projects areas include wildfire management, critical minerals, water treatment, artificial intelligence and data analytics in applications to clean technology and agriculture, and more. The funding will support pilot testing for new technologies.
“Through BC Fast, local companies have the opportunity to show what they are capable of by creating new technology solutions to the challenges we’re facing in public health, resource management and so much more,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “I look forward to watching these companies grow by selling to local and diversified international markets, and increase global awareness of the talent and business opportunities available in the B.C. tech ecosystem and our rapidly expanding knowledge economy.”
The BC Fast Pilot program helps regional small-medium sized enterprises design, build, and operate a pilot plant or small demonstration of their technology in real-world conditions. This allows B.C. technology companies to demonstrate the impact of their product, measure the value of their solution, and encourage customer adoption, with the goal of scaling their solutions while strengthening key industries, solving local and global challenges, and driving prosperity for British Columbians.
“Innovation transforms industries and helps them remain competitive in global markets, and through the BC Fast Pilot program, we’re supporting the growth of B.C. companies creating new solutions that aim to do just that,” said Peter Cowan, President + CEO of Innovate BC. “This year’s recipients, which are addressing critical areas such as emission reduction, wildfire management, and health sciences, emphasize the immense value in advancing entrepreneurship and the impact of innovation in creating a more prosperous, future-ready British Columbia. We’re proud to deliver this initiative in partnership with NRC IRAP, strengthening the region’s innovation economy and cementing B.C.’s reputation as a global leader in technology.”
Projects funded through this round of BC Fast Pilot are working to provide innovative solutions in support of high-impact sectors such as sustainability, resource management and public health, emphasizing pilot testing to validate effectiveness and scalability. One of this year’s recipients, FireSwarm Solutions, is working to enhance wildfire detection and management through advanced drone technology and is being piloted in Squamish. joni, piloting their project in both Victoria and Richmond, are addressing menstrual care accessibility in public spaces with an IOT-enabled technology.
This is the sixth round of funding through the BC Fast Pilot program, which was launched in 2019. Since the program’s inception, and including this year’s awardees, $11.4M has been invested into 87 B.C. pilot demonstrations.
“Through the BC Fast Pilot program and our partnership with Innovate BC, we are supporting Canadian innovators in bringing their ideas to life,” says Mitch Davies, President, National Research Council of Canada. “By enabling companies to demonstrate their technologies in practical applications, we are helping them gather valuable market insight. This in turn brings them closer to customer adoption, and to providing innovative cleantech solutions to address current challenges.”
Previous program participants include Open Ocean Robotics, which, since receiving funding in 2019/20, has partnered with the Royal Canadian Navy on marine innovation, expanded to Canada’s east coast, secured $800,000 from PacifiCan’s Business Scale-up and Productivity program, and landed major contracts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Similarly, pH7 Technologies, a 2022/23 participant, secured $1.5M from PacifiCan, raised $16M USD in a Series A round, and was recognized as one of the Global Cleantech 100 companies in 2024 and 2025.
This funding prioritizes regional projects, with a focus on cleantech and projects that involve physical installations and are capital intensive in nature, and those that involve Indigenous communities or organizations.
To view and download digital assets relating to this announcement, please click here.
A Crown Agency of British Columbia, Innovate BC works to foster innovation across the province and bolster the growth of the local economy through delivering a wide range of programs that help companies start and scale, access talent and encourage technology development, commercialization, and adoption. Innovate BC also harnesses crucial data collection and research, and works to forge strategic industry and community partnerships that create more opportunities for B.C. innovators.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
February 04, 2025
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “The Poisoning of America: Fentanyl, its Analogues, and the Need for Permanent Class Scheduling.” During today’s hearing, Democratic Senators will speak to the negative impact that the Justice Department purges of senior law enforcement officials will have on combating the fentanyl crisis, how dragooning U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents into mass deportations will take their focus away from their drug enforcement duties, how the Trump Administration’s proposed funding freeze will affect state and local law enforcement, should it go into effect, and the need to hold social media companies accountable for peddling fentanyl to our nation’s kids.
Key Durbin Quotes:
“In just a decade, this synthetic opioid [fentanyl] has emerged as the deadliest drug in American history. All it takes is two milligrams—that’s a fraction of the size of a penny—to cause an overdose. It is so cheap that dealers are lacing lethal amounts into street drugs like cocaine and heroin, and their buyers are none the wiser.”
“There is an overdose crisis in America, but we’ve learned that evidence-based solutions reduce deaths. In fact, in 2023, overdose deaths actually decreased for the first time since 2018 – going down by more than 10 percent. We need to look at every factor that contributed to this reduction. Counseling and treatment, training for first responders, and getting Naloxone to our hardest-hit communities are all making a difference.”
“We must also address how this poison gets into the hands of the most vulnerable people in America—our kids. Too often, fentanyl is peddled in the open on some of the world’s largest social media platforms.”
“Last Congress, the Judiciary Committee advanced several bipartisan bills that would finally hold these companies accountable and demand safeguards be put in place to protect our children. One of those bills is the Cooper Davis Act. Cooper is a 16-year-old Kansas teen who tragically lost his life to a fentanyl-laced pill he bought through Snapchat. This bill would require Big Tech companies to take a more proactive role in stopping drug dealers from using their platforms… In the coming days, I will join Senators Marshall, Shaheen, and others to reintroduce what will now be called the Cooper Davis and Devon Norring Act. I hope the Committee will again advance this critical legislation on a bipartisan basis.”
“And I hope that Congress will finally – finally – allow these companies to be sued by their victims’ families so they can be held accountable in a court of law. Enough teens have died due to Big Tech’s deliberate indifference.”
“We must also acknowledge the role the U.S. has played in arming cartels to the teeth. We send hundreds of thousands of firearms south of our border in an ‘iron river’… and they facilitate the use of violence to traffic fentanyl into the U.S.”
“The federal funding freeze, which we’ve been talking about, if it is going to stop the efforts of law enforcement to combat fentanyl is a bad idea. The same is true of the recent order diverting federal law enforcement agents, including from the DEA and ATF, away from combatting fentanyl and firearms trafficked by cartels and working, instead, on a mass deportation effort.”
“I’m also gravely concerned about the negative impact of mass removals of senior career law enforcement at the Department of Justice and FBI, and our ability to hold traffickers accountable and cut off the supply of fentanyl.”
“The recent actions we’ve seen distract us from the need to take a comprehensive bipartisan approach to tackle this crisis—including investing in addiction prevention and treatment, enforcing and strengthening our gun laws, and giving federal, state, and local law enforcement the resources they need to do their jobs effectively.”
“Getting fentanyl off the streets is a herculean task that will require us all to come together and work across the aisle to make this country healthier and safer.”
Video of Durbin’s opening statement is availablehere.
Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is availablehere.
Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is availableherefor TV Stations.
Yesterday, Durbin and U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) led the bicameral introduction of the Stop Arming Cartels Act. The bill would seek to stem this “iron river” of firearms trafficking from the United States to Mexico, enabled by weak American gun laws and dangerous gun industry practices. The deadly stream of firearms trafficking exacerbates violence, enables cartels who smuggle migrants to our southern border, and facilitates the illicit trade of narcotics, including fentanyl, across the border back into the United States. According to a 2021 study from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), 70 percent of crime guns recovered in Mexico from 2014-2018 and submitted for tracing were U.S.-sourced.
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, age 29, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to civil rights and firearm charges related to his firing shots outside of an Albany synagogue.
Alkhader pled guilty to obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, brandishing a firearm during the commission of this offense, and conspiring to purchase a firearm unlawfully. Alkhader was arrested on December 7, 2023, and has been in federal custody since that date.
On the afternoon of December 7, 2023, Alkhader took an Uber from his home in Schenectady to Temple Israel in Albany. Upon arriving, he walked up the front steps of the synagogue, removed a shotgun from a duffel bag, and discharged two rounds into the air shouting, “Free Palestine!” Still holding the shotgun, he then attempted to remove an Israeli flag from a flagpole outside of the synagogue before walking away. He was arrested shortly after by Albany Police Officers.
United States Attorney Carla Freedman stated: “The defendant’s violent, antisemitic and terrifying act targeted the Temple Israel congregation, the larger Jewish community, and the right of every person to practice their religion without fear of violence. I commend law enforcement for acting swiftly to arrest Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, to investigate his motives and his illegal acquisition of the shotgun, and to bring about today’s guilty plea to a crime carrying a minimum term of 7 years in prison.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli stated: “Mr. Alkhader’s plea confirms his deliberate and premeditated intentions to illegally acquire a gun and use it to bring terror to the Temple Israel community as they were preparing to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. Thanks to the swift actions of the Temple Israel community and our law enforcement partners, justice has been served. The FBI remains steadfast in our mission to ensure all our communities can live without fear of hateful violence.”
Alkhader’s threatening actions forced the daycare operating inside of Temple Israel at the time of his actions to go into lockdown. Alkhader also significantly disrupted activities that the Temple Israel community had planned to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and made congregants afraid to return to their place of worship.
Alkhader also admitted that in November 2023, he and Andrew Miller agreed that Miller would purchase a shotgun for Alkhader by lying to a firearms dealer and falsely representing that Miller was the purchaser of the shotgun. On November 5, 2023, Alkhader and Miller drove to a federal firearms dealer in Albany and Miller purchased the Kel-Tec KS7 12-gauge pump-action shotgun; Miller later gave the shotgun to Alkhader. Alkhader fired this shotgun outside of Temple Israel.
ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller stated: “This guilty plea shows accountability for unlawfully obtaining a firearm and using it to instill fear. By stopping those who seek to use firearms to threaten and intimidate others, we are sending a message that gun violence will not be tolerated. This case demonstrates the dangerous consequences of unlawful gun possession. The cooperation between federal, state and local agencies remains critical in dismantling illegal gun trafficking. The successful resolution of this case was made possible due to collaboration between ATF NY Albany, FBI Albany, Albany PD, New York State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox stated: “The Albany Police Department wants to reassure the community that these incidents are taken very seriously, and we are dedicated to maintaining peace and safety for everyone in our community. Alkhader directly targeted the Jewish community, and I am pleased with our department’s quick action in apprehending the defendant, as well as the collective partnerships with the FBI Albany Office and the ATF who helped bring justice to this case.”
Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Alkhader faces at least 7 years and up to life in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 5 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The FBI Albany Field Office, in conjunction with the ATF and the Albany Police Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Belliss and Alexander Wentworth-Ping for the Northern District of New York, Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and Trial Attorney Trevor Kempner of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), member of the Senate Committee on Small Business, along with Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), re-introduced the SBA Disaster Transparency Act, which requires the Small Business Administration to make its monthly reporting requirements for the Disaster Loan Account available to the public. As of 2015, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has followed this transparent reporting model for its Disaster Relief Fund (DRF).
Senators Scott and Schiff are joined on the legislation by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Ted Budd (R-N.C.).
“When I surveyed the devastation from Hurricane Helene, I knew the road to recovery would be long and difficult, but that South Carolinians are resilient,”said Senator Tim Scott.“The SBA Disaster Transparency Act makes simple but necessary reforms to the Disaster Loan Account that will provide increased transparency and ensure Congress is able to act before it’s too late. I am grateful to my colleagues for joining me on this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. I remain committed to working on lasting solutions with President Trump and Congress to ensure we have effective, top-of-the-line disaster response efforts in place.”
“In the aftermath of the fires in Los Angeles that have devastated our communities, we are introducing this bipartisan bill to hold the SBA accountable and improve transparency of available disaster funds. With this oversight, we can help ensure those impacted receive the support and funding they deserve in order to swiftly recover and rebuild,” said Senator Schiff.
“Recent natural disasters exposed the need for greater oversight and reform of the SBA’s Disaster Loan Account. The people of Western North Carolina should not be put in a position where the SBA’s account is depleted due to inadequate planning. These loans should follow the same reporting requirements as other agencies, like FEMA, so that funds are available when needed. I’m proud to join Senator Tim Scott to bring accountability to SBA’s disaster loans,” said Senator Budd.
“Communities in Tennessee and across the country that are rebuilding from natural disasters deserve full transparency on how federal dollars are being spent towards recovery. The SBA Disaster Transparency Act would require monthly reporting for the Disaster Loan Account to be open to the public,” said Senator Blackburn.
Senator Rick Scott said, “The American people have every right to know where their tax dollars are being spent and hold their government accountable. I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce the SBA Disaster Transparency Act to bring more transparency to the federal government.”
Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)
Washington, D.C. — Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Tim Scott (R-SC), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced the SBA Disaster Transparency Act.
The bill requires the Small Business Administration to make its monthly reporting requirements for the Disaster Loan Account available to the public. As of 2015, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has followed this transparent reporting model for its Disaster Relief Fund (DRF).
Senator Budd said in a statement:
“Recent natural disasters exposed the need for greater oversight and reform of the SBA’s Disaster Loan Account. The people of Western North Carolina should not be put in a position where the SBA’s account is depleted due to inadequate planning. These loans should follow the same reporting requirements as other agencies, like FEMA, so that funds are available when needed. I’m proud to join Senator Tim Scott to bring accountability to SBA’s disaster loans.”
Senator Tim Scott said:
“When I surveyed the devastation from Hurricane Helene, I knew the road to recovery would be long and difficult, but that South Carolinians are resilient. The SBA Disaster Transparency Act makes simple but necessary reforms to the Disaster Loan Account that will provide increased transparency and ensure Congress is able to act before it’s too late. I am grateful to my colleagues for joining me on this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. I remain committed to working on lasting solutions with President Trump and Congress to ensure we have effective, top-of-the-line disaster response efforts in place.”
Senator Schiff said:
“In the aftermath of the fires in Los Angeles that have devastated our communities, we are introducing this bipartisan bill to hold the SBA accountable and improve transparency of available disaster funds. With this oversight, we can help ensure those impacted receive the support and funding they deserve in order to swiftly recover and rebuild.”
Senator Rick Scott said:
“The American people have every right to know where their tax dollars are being spent and hold their government accountable. I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce the SBA Disaster Transparency Act to bring more transparency to the federal government.”
SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general today in sending a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dick Durbin, urging the Senate to require Kash Patel, President Trump’s nominee for Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director, to return for further questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee in advance of a confirmation vote. The request follows alarming reports of politically motivated firings at the FBI and efforts to compile a list of agents involved in investigating the January 6th Capitol insurrection.
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation plays a critical role in protecting public safety, and they are a crucial partner to state Departments of Justice as we work to tackle fentanyl, organized crime, white collar crime, and security threats to our communities,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The disturbing reports of the Trump administration’s politically motivated firings and retaliation against FBI agents and staff who worked investigations and prosecutions related to the January 6th Capitol riots emphasize the need for answers, and for an objective, nonpartisan FBI Director. President Trump may say that he cares about law and order, but his recent pardon of 1,500 individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol tells a very different story. Not only did those individuals try to stop the peaceful transfer of power, many of them violently assaulted law enforcement officers. Retaliating against FBI agents and staff who did their duty is nothing short of an attack on our law enforcement and public safety. We urge the Senate to demand answers about the pending FBI purge before voting on Mr. Patel’s nomination.”
In the letter, the attorneys general note how critical it is for Patel to address recent reports of politically motivated firings at the FBI. “Shortly after his confirmation hearing, we learned that more than a dozen high-ranking FBI officials were fired and that the FBI is developing a list of all agents and staff who worked investigations and prosecutions related to the January 6th Capitol insurrection. It is critical for Mr. Patel to answer questions about this unprecedented attack on the FBI before Senators vote on his confirmation.”
The letter raises additional concerns over reports that “the Administration plans to fire at least six high-ranking career FBI officials if they do not retire” and that “acting deputy attorney general Emil Bove directed FBI staff to compile a list of all staff who were ‘assigned at any time to investigations and/or prosecutions’ relating to the January 6th insurrection.” The attorneys general state, “If true, this is a purge of FBI employees.”
The attorneys general stress that before any confirmation vote, “the United States Senate should know what Mr. Patel plans to do with the list of FBI agents and staff that is currently being compiled.”
“Purging over 6,000 FBI agents and staff will have disastrous effects on public safety across the country and will make our communities more dangerous. FBI employees and staff protect America from the public safety harms that President Trump listed in his executive orders—fentanyl, the Mexican Cartels, foreign terrorist organizations, and harms to Americans’ pocket books.”
Beyond the FBI purge, the letter condemns additional attacks on law enforcement by the Trump administration, stating, “The President’s efforts to undermine the FBI follow unprecedented attacks on our country’s public safety. In just two weeks, the President has fired United States Attorneys, pardoned insurrectionists who killed and injured Capitol Police Officers, and attempted to defund law enforcement across the country.”
The Administration’s pardoning of over 1,500 Capitol insurrectionists, including those with serious criminal records, as well as its attempts to dismiss pending cases against January 6th insurrectionists, emphasize the need for an objective, nonpartisan FBI Director. At least one judge has already found that the pardons and dismissals will harm public safety and are unjustified.
Now is the time for Congress to act. Over the past two weeks, President Trump has taken actions that make our country less safe. The attorney general believes that Congress must act to protect Americans and hold the Administration accountable. The first step is requiring Mr. Patel to answer questions about the pending FBI purge before a confirmation vote.
Joining Arizona in sending the letter are the attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
A New York man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Albany, New York, to civil rights and firearm charges related to his threatening conduct targeted at a Jewish synagogue.
According to court documents, Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to an information charging one count of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, one count of brandishing a firearm during the commission of this offense, and one count of conspiring to purchase a firearm unlawfully. Alkhader was arrested on Dec. 7, 2023, and has been in federal custody since that date.
“The defendant’s violent, antisemitic and terrifying act targeted the Temple Israel congregation, the larger Jewish community, and the right of every person to practice their religion without fear of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Carla Freedman for the Northern District of New York. “I commend law enforcement for acting swiftly to arrest Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, to investigate his motives and his illegal acquisition of the shotgun, and to bring about today’s guilty plea to a crime carrying a minimum term of seven years in prison.”
“Mr. Alkhader’s plea confirms his deliberate and premeditated intentions to illegally acquire a gun and use it to bring terror to the Temple Israel community as they were preparing to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “Thanks to the swift actions of the Temple Israel community and our law enforcement partners, justice has been served. The FBI remains steadfast in our mission to ensure all our communities can live without fear of hateful violence.”
“This guilty plea shows accountability for unlawfully obtaining a firearm and using it to instill fear. By stopping those who seek to use firearms to threaten and intimidate others, we are sending a message that gun violence will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller of the New York Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “This case demonstrates the dangerous consequences of unlawful gun possession. The cooperation between federal, state and local agencies remains critical in dismantling illegal gun trafficking. The successful resolution of this case was made possible due to collaboration between ATF NY Albany, FBI Albany, Albany PD, NYSP, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
On the afternoon of Dec. 7, 2023, Alkhader took an Uber from his home in Schenectady to Temple Israel Synagogue in Albany. Upon arriving, he walked up the front steps of the synagogue, removed a shotgun from a duffel bag he had been carrying, and discharged two rounds into the air, shouting, “Free Palestine!” Still holding the shotgun, he then attempted to remove an Israeli flag from a flagpole outside of the synagogue before walking away. He was apprehended shortly after by Albany Police Department officers.
Alkhader’s threatening actions forced the daycare operating inside of Temple Israel at the time of his actions to go into lockdown. Alkhader also significantly disrupted activities that the Temple Israel community had planned to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and made congregants afraid to return to their place of worship.
For obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, Alkhader faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years for brandishing a firearm during the commission of his crime. Alkhader faces a maximum of five years in prison for participating in a conspiracy to unlawfully purchase a firearm. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Alkhader is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Albany Field Office investigated the case with assistance from ATF and the Albany Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Belliss and Alexander Wentworth-Ping for the Northern District of New York and Trial Attorney Trevor Kempner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement after voting no during a Senate Finance Committee mark-up on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services:
There are a few issues that Mr. Kennedy and I agree on.
We agree on the need to stop the ultra-processed food industry from getting our kids addicted to unhealthy and dangerous products that cause obesity, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.
We agree on the need to lower the outrageous prices we pay for prescription drugs in this country.
We agree that we should stop Big Pharma from being allowed to flood the airwaves with advertising.
But, despite those agreements, I cannot in good conscience vote for someone who denies and will dilute our public health protections, sow distrust in science and oversee massive cuts to health care programs for low-income people, nursing home care for seniors and long-term care for people with disabilities.
Despite what Mr. Kennedy believes, the overwhelming consensus within the scientific community is clear: Vaccines are safe and effective. Over the past 50 years, vaccines have saved the lives of over 150 million people throughout the world and reduced the infant mortality rate by 40%. Vaccines have not, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, “poisoned an entire generation of American children.”
Vaccines do not, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, cause autism. More than a dozen rigorous scientific studies from around the world involving hundreds of thousands of children have proven that.
The polio vaccine has not killed, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, more people than polio ever did. The scientific community has found that the polio vaccine has saved 1.5 million lives and has prevented more than 20 million people from becoming paralyzed since 1988.
The COVID vaccine was not, as Mr. Kennedy has claimed, “the deadliest vaccine ever made.” The scientific community has found that the COVID vaccine saved over three million lives and prevented over 18 million hospitalizations in the United States alone.
In my view, we should listen to nearly 20,000 doctors who have told us that Mr. Kennedy has “a well-documented history of spreading dangerous disinformation on vaccines and public health interventions, leaving vulnerable communities unprotected and placing millions of lives at risk. His appointment is a direct threat to the safety of our patients and the public at large.”
We should listen to over 900 public health officials in 41 states who have urged us to prioritize science and reject Mr. Kennedy’s “dangerous” nomination.
We should listen to 77 Nobel Laureates who have told us that putting Mr. Kennedy in charge of HHS would “put the public’s health in jeopardy and undermine America’s global leadership in the health sciences, in both the public and commercial sectors.”
A New York man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Albany, New York, to civil rights and firearm charges related to his threatening conduct targeted at a Jewish synagogue.
According to court documents, Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to an information charging one count of obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, one count of brandishing a firearm during the commission of this offense, and one count of conspiring to purchase a firearm unlawfully. Alkhader was arrested on Dec. 7, 2023, and has been in federal custody since that date.
“The defendant’s violent, antisemitic and terrifying act targeted the Temple Israel congregation, the larger Jewish community, and the right of every person to practice their religion without fear of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Carla Freedman for the Northern District of New York. “I commend law enforcement for acting swiftly to arrest Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, to investigate his motives and his illegal acquisition of the shotgun, and to bring about today’s guilty plea to a crime carrying a minimum term of seven years in prison.”
“Mr. Alkhader’s plea confirms his deliberate and premeditated intentions to illegally acquire a gun and use it to bring terror to the Temple Israel community as they were preparing to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “Thanks to the swift actions of the Temple Israel community and our law enforcement partners, justice has been served. The FBI remains steadfast in our mission to ensure all our communities can live without fear of hateful violence.”
“This guilty plea shows accountability for unlawfully obtaining a firearm and using it to instill fear. By stopping those who seek to use firearms to threaten and intimidate others, we are sending a message that gun violence will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller of the New York Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “This case demonstrates the dangerous consequences of unlawful gun possession. The cooperation between federal, state and local agencies remains critical in dismantling illegal gun trafficking. The successful resolution of this case was made possible due to collaboration between ATF NY Albany, FBI Albany, Albany PD, NYSP, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
On the afternoon of Dec. 7, 2023, Alkhader took an Uber from his home in Schenectady to Temple Israel Synagogue in Albany. Upon arriving, he walked up the front steps of the synagogue, removed a shotgun from a duffel bag he had been carrying, and discharged two rounds into the air, shouting, “Free Palestine!” Still holding the shotgun, he then attempted to remove an Israeli flag from a flagpole outside of the synagogue before walking away. He was apprehended shortly after by Albany Police Department officers.
Alkhader’s threatening actions forced the daycare operating inside of Temple Israel at the time of his actions to go into lockdown. Alkhader also significantly disrupted activities that the Temple Israel community had planned to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah and made congregants afraid to return to their place of worship.
For obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, Alkhader faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years for brandishing a firearm during the commission of his crime. Alkhader faces a maximum of five years in prison for participating in a conspiracy to unlawfully purchase a firearm. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Alkhader is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Albany Field Office investigated the case with assistance from ATF and the Albany Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Belliss and Alexander Wentworth-Ping for the Northern District of New York and Trial Attorney Trevor Kempner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
BALTIMORE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended an undocumented Guatemalan alien with criminal charges. Gener Pop-Cuz, 20, was arrested Feb. 1, after the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections declined to honor ICE’s immigration detainer.
The corrections department released Pop into the lobby, instead of safely handing him over to the ICE deportation officer who was waiting for the exchange, and he resisted arrest during the initial encounter. However, Pop was eventually subdued and placed in handcuffs as corrections officers failed to intervene.
“Nobody wins when jurisdictions fail to transfer custody of violent offenders,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Baltimore acting Field Office Director Matthew Elliston. “Cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE is critical to ensuring the safety of our officers, the public, and even the criminal aliens in custody. I strongly encourage our local jurisdictions to evaluate their policies and look forward to the day when we can put aside politics and do what’s best for the people of Maryland.”
The U.S. Border Patrol encountered Pop near Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Nov. 13, 2017, and served him a notice to appear, transferring him to ICE custody on the same date. ICE released Pop on an order of recognizance Nov. 15, 2017.
A Department of Justice immigration judge ordered Pop removed to Guatemala Nov. 16, 2022, after he failed to show for his immigration hearing.
The Laurel Police Department arrested and charged Pop on Feb. 1 with possession of a loaded handgun, illegal possession of ammunition, possession of a firearm, and trespassing on private property. He was released on bond by the Prince George’s County Commissioner’s Office the same date. ICE then lodged an immigration detainer on Pop with the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections in Upper Marlboro.
Pop will remain in the custody of ICE pending removal.
ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. EOIR is a separate entity from DHS and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.
Detainers are critical public safety tools because they focus enforcement resources on removable noncitizens who have been arrested for criminal activity. Detainers increase the safety of all parties involved — ERO personnel, law enforcement officials, the removable noncitizens and the public — by allowing an arrest to be made in a secure and controlled custodial setting as opposed to at-large within the community. Since detainers result in the direct transfer of a noncitizen from state or local custody to ERO custody, they also minimize the potential that an individual will reoffend. Additionally, detainers conserve scarce government resources by allowing ERO to take criminal noncitizens into custody directly rather than expending resources locating these individuals at-large.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our Maryland communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROBaltimore.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
EVANSVILE- 29 defendants have been sentenced to a combined 378 years in federal prison for their roles in a large methamphetamine and fentanyl drug trafficking organization that operated in Southern Indiana.
According to court documents, between January 2020 and November 2021, the following 29 individuals conspired together to distribute a total of nearly 500 pounds of methamphetamine and over three kilograms of fentanyl. This investigation led to the seizure of over 80 pounds of methamphetamine, over 560 grams of fentanyl, and $240,000 in United States currency.
Jeramey Smith served as the leader of the drug trafficking operation. Smith began obtaining multiple pound quantities of crystal methamphetamine from Julian Green in early 2020 until April of 2021 when he changed his source of supply to a cartel linked individual based in Houston, Texas. In June of 2021, Smith was robbed of a large amount of cash and was unable to pay his supplier for the lost product. Smith resorted back to Green to obtain the crystal methamphetamine.
DeJarnett was one of Smith’s top methamphetamine customers, often purchasing up to 20 pounds at a time. After Smith obtained the methamphetamine from either Green or his Mexican source of supply, he then distributed the methamphetamine to mid -level distributors in Indianapolis and Evansville.
In September 2021, Smith branched out to also begin selling large quantities of fentanyl-laced pills. Smith would obtain fentanyl powder from Markey and/or Moore, who would then press the powder into pills. Smith then used his same distributors to distribute the fentanyl throughout Southern Indiana. Law enforcement seized an automated pill press during the course of the investigation. Smith also used violence and intimidation to further his drug business by having his distributors robbed of their drug proceeds at gun point.
Additionally, several members of the drug trafficking used firearms to protect themselves and their profits. In total, law enforcement officers seized over 30 firearms from the defendants during court-authorized searches at multiple locations in Indianapolis and Evansville.
The charges and sentences are described below:
Defendant
Charge(s)
Prison Sentence
Jeramey Smith, 35 Indianapolis, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Obstruction of Commerce by Robbery
240 months (20 years)
5 years supervised release
Julian Green, 36
Indianapolis, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
210 months (17.5 years)
Indianapolis, IN
Hannah Kissel, 28
Indianapolis, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
97 months (8 years)
3 years supervised release
Jordan Wilson, 41
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
216 months (15.7 years)
5 years supervised release
Timothy Rice, 35
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
204 months (17 years)
5 years supervised release
Archilles Johnson, 40
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
180 months (15 years)
5 years supervised release
Deonte Howard, 36
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
180 months (15 years)
5 years supervised release
Julie Hunt, 37
Petersburg, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
60 months (5 years)
3 years supervised release
Torrance Mimms, 34
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
180 months (15 years)
5 years supervised release
Keisha Jewell, 40
Princeton, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
108 years (9 years)
3 years supervised release
Davion Hays, 38
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
144 months (12 years)
5 years supervised release
Jason Mitchell, 43
Henderson, KY
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
204 months (17 years)
5 years supervised release
Denny Taylor, 49
Princeton, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
180 months (15 years)
5 years supervised release
Aaron Hardiman, 42
Princeton, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl
120 months (10 years)
5 years supervised release
Roman Wills, 43
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
180 months (15 years)
5 years supervised release
Michael Sanders, 48
Owensboro, KY
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
168 months (14 years)
5 years supervised release
Gregory Snyder, 62
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
36 months (3 years)
4 years supervised release
Joshua Gahagan, 41
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
180 months (15 years)
5 years supervised release
Gregory Markey, 35
Indianapolis, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
168 months (14 years)
5 years supervised release
L.C. Moore, II, 31
Indianapolis, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
120 months (5 years)
5 years supervised release
Dominique Baquet, 31
Indianapolis, IN
Obstruction of Commerce by Robbery
57 months (4.7 years)
3 years supervised release
Antonio DeJarnett, 36
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
264 months (22 years)
5 years supervised release
Ryan Pinkston, 42
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Felon in Possession of Ammunition
240 months (20 years)
5 years supervised release
Robert Embry, 46
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
60 months (5 years)
5 years supervised release
Becky Edwards, 39
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
120 months (10 years)
5 years supervised release
Edward Meredith, 59
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
120 months (10 years)
5 years supervised release
Joshua Wilson, 33
Evansville, IN
Use of a Communication Facility with the Intent to Commit or Facilitate the Distribution of Methamphetamine
30 months (2.5 years)
No supervised release
Tabitha Seabeck, 32
Henderson, KY
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
180 months (15 years)
5 years supervised release
Zachary Addison, 42
Evansville, IN
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
300 months (25 years)
5 years supervised release
“The members of this conspiracy will spend decades in federal prison for pumping pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl onto our streets,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Drug use devastates so many families and kills hundreds of Hoosiers every year. That’s why we will work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to dismantle armed organizations trafficking in deadly drugs. The sentences imposed in this case demonstrate our continued commitment to protecting the public from these dangerous criminals.”
“Dismantling a major drug trafficking organization that was responsible for distributing multi-hundred-pound quantities of methamphetamine and kilogram quantities of fentanyl onto the streets of Indiana was a big win for law enforcement. Because of the exceptional collaborative efforts by law enforcement, we were able to achieve this remarkable outcome,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Michael Gannon. “This investigation was a wonderful victory for all Hoosiers and sends a crystal-clear message to major drug dealers we will continue working together with our partners to dismantle their illicit operations.”
“This sentencing is a significant victory in the relentless fight against the trafficking of deadly drugs and underscores the FBI’s commitment to pursue those who wreak havoc on our communities through their illegal drug trade,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who endanger public safety and contribute to this crisis are held accountable.”
“I would like to thank the dedicated Evansville Police Officers and Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office Deputies as well as our federal partners in the DEA and US Attorney’s Office for their roles in getting these individuals off our streets. The manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl have brought death and destruction to our communities and have done irreversible damage to families in the worst way possible. This community will not tolerate that kind of behavior and illegal activity, and we will use every resource available to us to stop it and put dealers behind bars.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Evansville Resident Office, with the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Evansville Vanderburgh County Joint Task Force, DEA Indianapolis and Indianapolis Metro Drug Task Force providing valuable assistance. The sentenced were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman.
Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Wheatley and Jeremy Kemper, who prosecuted this case.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage—a tiny amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil. Seven out of ten illegal fentanyl tablets seized from U.S. streets and analyzed by the DEA have been found to contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug.
One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late.
Meza-Flores, also known as “Chapo Isidro,” is the alleged leader of the Meza-Flores transnational criminal organization, which is based in Sinaloa, Mexico. The organization is allegedly responsible for the possession, distribution, and importation of large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana into the U.S.
“For decades, the public has shared information with the FBI that has helped us capture dangerous criminals,” Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan said. “Today, we ask you to help us find Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores so we can bring him to justice and curb the flow of illegal drugs into our country.”
Meza-Flores was originally indicted on May 2, 2012, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. On November 26, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Meza-Flores with drug trafficking violations and possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Meza-Flores allegedly conspired to manufacture and distribute cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana in the U.S. from 2005 to 2019.
As the alleged leader of the Meza-Flores transnational criminal organization, Meza-Flores leads a group of heavily armed gunmen who use violence to maintain control of areas in Mexico used for the production and transportation of narcotics destined for the U.S.
Meza-Flores is 42 years old. He has brown eyes and dark brown hair. He is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He likely resides in Mexico.
The U.S. State Department’s Narcotics Rewards Program is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information that leads to Meza-Flores’ arrest and/or conviction.
If you have information about Meza-Flores, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate or submit a tip via tips.fbi.gov. You can also contact the FBI via WhatsApp at 571-379-3951. WhatsApp is neither a government-operated nor a government-controlled platform.
Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Five Hundred Grams or More of Methamphetamine, Distribute Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine, Distribute One Kilogram or More of Heroin, and Distribute One Thousand Kilograms or More of Marijuana for Importation into the United States; Use and Possession of a Firearm
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
WAYCROSS, GA: A newly unsealed federal indictment alleges dozens of defendants, many of them in prison, participated in an extensive drug trafficking operation spanning several south Georgia communities.
The indictment in USA v. Brinson, et al., names 37 individuals in the Coffee, Atkinson, and Bacon County area as conspirators, charging them with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Oxycodone, and Marijuana, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Conviction on the charge carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison for most defendants, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“This operation makes it clear that rural communities aren’t immune from the scourge of drug trafficking,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. “We applaud the diligent work of our law enforcement partners in this investigation.”
As described in the indictment, the defendants are alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to import and distribute large amounts of illegal drugs in the Douglas, Georgia, community and surrounding counties. Much of the conspiracy was directed from inside Georgia state prisons using contraband cell phones. The 60-count indictment includes the seizure of 21 illegally possessed firearms and more than $17,000.
Those named in the indictment include:
Litarus Brinson, a/k/a “Ben Brokebefore,” 26, an inmate at the Jenkins Correctional Center;
Christopher Brockington, a/k/a “Chris Brock,” 44, of Douglas;
Keevon Bussey, a/k/a “Guado Gettinguap Gomez,” 26, of Douglas;
Stacey Daniels, 32, of Douglas;
Kenneth Davis, 62, being held in the Coffee County Jail;
T’Kiya Eady, 24, of Lagrange, Georgia;
Patrick Ellis, 42, of Atlanta;
Anthony Gaskin Jr., 35, of Pearson, Georgia;
Dacia Gaskins, a/k/a “Sheree Gaskins,” 31, of Douglas, a former Georgia state corrections officer;
Ernest Goodman, 42, an inmate of the Ware County Jail;
Christopher Hawkins, a/k/a “Rayshon Hawkins,” 30, of Douglas;
Qudarious Hawkins, a/k/a “Don Esclobar,” 25, of Douglas;
Breanna Henderson, 34, of Douglas;
Corey Hill, 34, of Ambrose, Georgia;
Demarcus Holland, 32, of Douglas;
Wanda Hollinger, 57, of Douglas;
Zarionna Holloway, a/k/a “Channel Parker,” 23, of Douglas;
Roger Jenkins, 27, a/k/a “Glee Jenkins,” a/k/a “WMG Glee,” of Alma, Georgia;
Marquan Jenkins, a/k/a “Anna Brooke,” a/k/a “Mary Thompson,” 30, an inmate at Macon State Prison;
Richard Jewell, 51, of Douglas;
Aaron Kahn, 49, of Douglas;
James Lander, 35, Douglas;
Jeffrey Maxwell, a/k/a “EBK Kokaine,” 28, an inmate of Wilcox State Prison;
Darien McDaniel, 35, of Waycross, Georgia;
Antarious McTear, 30, of Douglas;
Adrian Munford, a/k/a “Jugg King,” 41, of Waycross
Reginald Powell, a/k/a “Yetti Glock,” 36, of Douglas;
Patricia Raven, a/k/a “Ms. Pat,” 65, of Valdosta, Georgia;
Marcus Reynolds, a/k/a “Marc Marc,” 44, an inmate at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison;
James Robinson, 33, an inmate at Telfair State Prison;
Sedarrien Smith, a/k/a “Slug Da Menace,” 24, of Douglas;
Billy Toombs Jr., 32, of Douglas;
Dequatte Tucker, a/k/a “Deshawn Tucker,” a/k/a “Esco,” a/k/a “Freeband Esco,” 33, an inmate at Wheeler Correctional Facility;
Travis Tucker, 33, of Douglas;
Assyria Watts, a/k/a “Jefe Cain,” 29, of Douglas; and,
Brian Wright, 48, of Alma, Georgia.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners were able to achieve today’s arrests and seizures because all of us never stopped working together, combining our resources, and advocating for a safer place to live for everyone in this community,” said FBI Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Ozden. “And we will not rest until we bring back to our community a sense of security and law and order that is so greatly needed.”
“This operation was only successful because of the collaborative effort of the various agencies,” said Coffee County Sheriff Fred T. Cole. “As the sheriff, it is my mission to eliminate the spread of illegal drugs in our community. This operation highlights the importance of community safety and the lasting effects it has on our community.”
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
The case also was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Agencies conducting the investigation include the FBI, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Southeast Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Douglas Police Department, the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office, the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office, the Waycross Police Department, the Marion County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville (Florida) County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Joshua K. Davis.
Headline: Contemplating the U.S. tariffs and how Canada can weather the storm
Vittoria Bellissimo, president and CEO of CanREA, weighed in on the matter. “The situation is fluid. We are working with our members, the federal and provincial governments and our industry colleagues to understand the full impact of these tariffs on the renewable energy and energy storage sectors,” said Bellissimo. Read more.
The post Contemplating the U.S. tariffs and how Canada can weather the storm appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
An innovative biocontrol project has been launched aiming to reduce the spread of floating pennywort in the Cam Washes, SSSI.
Weevil (Listronotus elongatus)
Led by CABI (www.cabi.org), a not-for-profit inter-governmental organisation specialising in natural solutions for invasive non-native plants, the project is funded by the Environment Agency, working in partnership with CABI scientists.
Floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides), an invasive aquatic weed plant native to South America, has become a major threat to the UK’s waterbodies. It is known for its rapid growth and ability to spread up to 20cm a day, forming dense mats that disrupt ecosystems, causing deoxygenation, blocking flood defences, impacting recreational activities, and contributing to flood risk issues.
The cost of controlling floating pennywort, together with the impact on tourism and recreation is estimated to exceed £25 million annually in the UK. To address this growing problem and reduce the spread of the plant, a South American weevil Listronotus elongatus, was approved for release in the UK in 2021 after a decade of safety testing; this is the fourth weed biological control solution approved for release in the UK.
Unlike traditional control methods such as manual or mechanical removal and herbicide applications, which are costly, labour-intensive, and often ineffective, the biocontrol with the weevil presents a long-term, self-sustaining solution. The weevil has evolved to only feed and develop on floating pennywort, reducing biosecurity issues that can arise from disturbance.
The trial involved the release of weevils on the Cam Washes SSSI. This site was chosen for the weevil release due to the difficulties of controlling floating pennywort using traditional methods and the need to manage the reinfestation of the River Cam.
Prior to the release, the extent of floating pennywort spread was captured using drone footage. It is hoped that continued drone monitoring will help to show how effective these weevils could be as a cost-effective solution to managing this invasive species.
Djami Djeddour, Senior CABI project lead said: “We are thrilled to be able to work in partnership with the Environment Agency to help tackle floating pennywort in the Cam Washes. Biological control of non-native, invasive aquatic weeds using specialist insects has proved highly effective globally, and we are hopeful that these released weevils (beetles) will be the plant’s Achilles’ heel. Once the weevil populations are successfully established, they will play an important role in the sustainable control of floating pennywort, reducing its impact on native habitats and enhancing their biological diversity and function”.
Pippa Keynes, Environment Agency project lead, said “We are very happy to partner with CABI in this important project. Following on from extensive Floating Pennywort control work that has been carried out on the Bedford Ouse, we are keen to explore different ways of controlling this invasive plant which can cause havoc on our waterways.”
For East Anglia press office please contact (24 hours): 0800 917 9250
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Waste including asbestos was burned next to a housing estate and ancient woodland
Burning waste found at the illegal waste site
A man has been fined for operating an illegal waste site near Milton Keynes, following an investigation by the Environment Agency.
Mark Greenhalgh, age 64 of Walnut Tree, Milton Keynes, pleaded guilty to two waste crime charges at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on 31st January. He has been ordered to pay fines, victim surcharges and prosecution costs totalling £20,864.
From 2018 to 2023, Environment Agency officers investigated the site in Woburn Sands which Mr Greenhalgh operated without an environmental permit. Despite repeated visits, he ignored the Environment Agency’s guidance and failed to comply with a notice requiring him to clear the waste from the land. Officers found an increased amount of waste on site with each visit.
Drone image showing part of the illegal waste site
Waste was burned repeatedly including asbestos, plastic, metals, wood, soft furnishings, vehicles, domestic appliances and commercial refrigeration units. Scrap vehicles were also stored and broken on site.
The waste site is surrounded by a housing estate and ancient woodland. The activities of the illegal operation put the neighbouring residents and nature at huge risk of harm.
All types of waste were stored improperly, creating even more fire risk. The local fire and rescue service were called to the site numerous times throughout the years, and in August 2022 there was a significant fire on site. The fire service had to close a road and deploy multiple pumps, using an estimated 800,000 litres of water.
Louis de Quincey, East Anglia Environmental Crime Officer, said:
Waste criminals make their profits by breaking the law and not paying tax. Illegal waste sites such as the one operated by Mr Greenhalgh undermine legitimate businesses which carry out their activities with consideration for the environment.
The Environment Agency works to stop waste criminals and support legitimate business whilst protecting communities and nature from harm. We take illegal waste activity very seriously and will not hesitate to disrupt criminal activity and prosecute those responsible.
Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity should report it to our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060, or anonymously through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111.
Background information
Charges:
Mark Greenhalgh, between 13 September 2018 and 10 July 2023, did deposit controlled waste on land at the north side of Bow Brickhill Road, Woburn Sands, registered under title number BM146933, when there was not in force an environmental permit authorising such a deposit.
Mark Greenhalgh, between 13 September 2018 and 10 July 2023, did knowingly cause or knowingly permit the deposit of controlled waste on land at the north side of Bow Brickhill Road, Woburn Sands, registered under title number BM146933, when there was not in force an environmental permit authorising such a deposit.
Sentence:
Mark Greenhalgh was ordered to pay a total of £20,864.23 within 12 months, after which the debt will be enforced. This total consists of:
Defendant Conspired with Other to Set the Stores on Fire, Robbed a Store, and Went Back Later to Steal Money from an ATM
Greenbelt, Maryland – After a 5-day trial, a federal jury found Stephen Kennedy, 33, of Temple Hills, Maryland, guilty of conspiracy to commit arson, arson affecting interstate commerce, commercial robbery, using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, carrying and explosive device during the commission of a felony, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Defendant was found not guilty as to one count of arson affecting interstate commerce.
The verdict was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Acting Maryland State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray; St. Mary’s County Sheriff Steven A. Hall; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Chief Tiffany D. Green of the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department.
According to the 8-count superseding indictment, from at least January 2021 to January 2022, Kennedy and other conspirators, including co-defendant Donnell Kelly, conspired to commit arsons at 7-Eleven convenience stores so that they could later steal cash contained in ATMs in the stores. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Kennedy and Kelly traveled to 7-Eleven locations while they were open for business and deployed explosive devices to set fire to the buildings, and on at least one occasion, demanded the contents of the cash register. The defendants burned the stores to force their closure and shut off power to the security cameras, which enabled them to return to the unguarded locations to burglarize the ATMs. This resulted in losses to the ATM company of at least $90,000. To conceal the evidence of their crimes, one of Kennedy’s co-conspirators made false police reports regarding stolen license plates.
Kennedy faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the arson conspiracy and for arson affecting interstate commerce; a maximum of 20 years in prison for commercial robbery; a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years and up to life in federal prison for using a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence; a ten year sentence for carrying an explosive during the commission of another federal felony; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Co-defendant Donnell Kelly pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 10 years with supervised release for a term of 3 years, on October 2, 2024 before Judge Peter J. Messitte. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Kennedy on May 30, 2025 at 2:30 p.m.
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.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the ATF’s Baltimore Field Division’s Arson & Explosive Investigations Group, the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the ATF Washington Field Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Alexandria, Virginia Fire and Police Departments for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rosenthal and Christopher Sarma, who are prosecuting the case.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News
I’m Brian Driscoll, and it’s my honor to be representing the men and women of the FBI as acting director.
I want to take a few minutes to share with you some of the important work those men and women have been doing across the country and around the world—every day—to keep the American people safe.
I’ll start with our Top Ten list.
The Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list has been helping the FBI apprehend dangerous criminals for 75 years. In that time, we’ve located or arrested nearly 500 fugitives on the list, including two in just the past week:
Donald Eugene Fields II, who was arrested in Florida on charges of child sex trafficking and child rape; and Arnoldo Jiminez, who was taken into custody in Mexico on murder charges.
I’m grateful to both of these case teams for their work and to our partners for their support in bringing these violent criminals to justice.
You’ve heard the FBI always gets its man, but our work is never done.
Today, we’re announcing the addition of Fausto Isidro Meza-Flores to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
Known as El Chapo Isidro, he’s accused of spending the last 20 years flooding the U.S. with fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other deadly drugs, first as an independent drug trafficker and later as the head of the Meza-Flores cartel.
In addition to the scourge of illicit drugs Meza-Flores and his organization have unleashed into the United States from across our southern border, they’re also accused of heinous crimes ranging from kidnapping and extortion to torture and murder.
The U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and conviction, and we encourage anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the FBI and help us add Meza-Flores to the list of dangerous fugitives we’ve brought to justice together.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the exceptional work the FBI’s been doing lately.
Every day, our men and women are working hard to be there for our partners and keep our communities safe.
That includes all the work we’ve been doing to support the Department of Homeland Security in its immigration enforcement efforts. We’ve got special agents, intelligence analysts, and more supporting DHS teams across the country, from New York and Chicago to El Paso, Newark, and Denver. So far, this work has led to the arrest of dangerous criminals and terrorists all across the country, and we’ve taken illegal firearms off the streets and out of our communities.
At the same time, our people are hard at work with our local, state, and federal partners in the run-up to this Sunday’s Super Bowl. In addition to our team in New Orleans, we’ve deployed scores of FBI employees to surge in support of this effort—from bomb techs to SWAT operators to intelligence analysts—and each one of them is focused on keeping the event safe for everyone.
Our teams have also been working around the clock to respond to the tragic plane crashes in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., in support of recovery efforts.
All of that work is critically important to our partners and to the American people, but it doesn’t even scratch the surface of the work the men and women of the FBI are doing every single day, across the country and around the world, to keep people safe.
We will never take our eyes off of our mission: protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.
Because at the Bureau, we’re focused on the work, the people we do the work with—our partners—and the people we do the work for—the American people.
International donors, the UN, Sudan’s warring parties, and their allies must act now to prevent even more avoidable deaths from malnutrition in Sudan, as an already catastrophic situation is expected to worsen this year, according to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Half of Sudan’s population faces high levels of acute food insecurity (24.6 million people), among whom more than 8 million people face an emergency and more than 600,000 people are experiencing a catastrophe described by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report as a famine.
Exponential increase in aid is essential to address extreme hunger
“Despite this new wake-up call, robust humanitarian and diplomatic mobilization to act on aid deliveries has fallen far short of the needs,” said Stephane Doyon, MSF operations manager. “To provide only those in the most extreme situation with monthly food rations, 2,500 aid trucks per month would be required, whereas only about 1,150 crossed into Darfur in the last six months.”
MSF has released data showing horrific rates of malnutrition in multiple locations, both at the height of Sudan’s lean season last year and as recently as December 2024. The conflict-driven malnutrition crisis has been exacerbated by the continued obstruction of aid by both of Sudan’s warring parties and by the neglectful inertia of the UN and aid system in Darfur. With the seasonal hunger gap coming in May, decisive action must be taken now.
The failure to act is a choice, and it’s killing people
“Parts of Sudan are difficult to work in, but it is certainly possible, and this is what humanitarian organizations and the UN are supposed to do,” said Marcella Kraay, MSF emergency coordinator, speaking from Nyala, South Darfur state.
To provide only those in the most extreme situation with monthly food rations, 2,500 aid trucks per month would be required, whereas only about 1,150 crossed into Darfur in the last six months.
Stephane Doyon, MSF operations manager
“In places that are easier to access, as well as in the hardest-to-reach areas like North Darfur, options like air routes remain unexplored. The failure to act is a choice, and it’s killing people,” Kraay continued.
The malnutrition crisis has been acknowledged for some time, with the UN in October warning that “never in history have so many people faced starvation and famine as in Sudan today.”
The upcoming rainy season creates a race against time
Moving supplies will become an even more difficult task during the upcoming rainy and lean season, when flooded dirt roads become impossible to navigate. A wide-scale humanitarian response must be launched now, including by drastically increasing available funding and logistical capacities, securing food pipelines and prepositioning food stocks in Chad and neighboring countries.
MSF is calling for UN agencies, international organizations, donor countries, and governments with leverage to pursue all options, including air routes, to complement and even replace road access where necessary.
Bureaucratic requirements from the warring parties have long been an obstacle to international organizations’ ability to reach and provide services to people. Rather than reacting to critical needs in a timely manner, permissions to respond are either delayed or denied altogether by the warring parties. This is impeding MSF’s work in South Darfur, with aid trucks stuck in Chad waiting for permissions to move from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their offices. A food distribution in South Darfur was also recently postponed as MSF was refused the necessary travel permits.
Warring parties must grant unhindered access for humanitarian organizations. Access must be defined by lifesaving aid reaching people who need it, not by announcements celebrating piecemeal measures that fall far short. MSF calls on the warring parties, their allies, and influential states to use their leverage to ease the obstacles that are causing deaths and suffering.
An ongoing RSF siege on the state capital El Fasher is starving people and depriving them of lifesaving assistance, while malnutrition also affects people in surrounding areas. MSF teams screened over 9,500 children under 5 years old while conducting a therapeutic food distribution in Tawila locality in December 2024. They found a staggering global acute malnutrition estimate of 35.5 percent, with 7 percent of the screened children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
In September 2024, 34 percent of the 29,300 children screened by MSF during a vaccination campaign in Zamzam camp were found to be suffering from acute malnutrition. Since the beginning of December, repeated shelling has made it impossible for our team to carry out further assessments in the camp and has most likely exacerbated the levels of malnutrition.
Khartoum
MSF teams also see concerning rates of malnutrition outside of Darfur, in areas where displaced people have sought shelter, or in areas closer to the conflict. In Omdurman, Khartoum state, a conflict zone under control of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), MSF carried out a nutritional screening while assisting with a vaccination campaign for children in October 2024, finding 7.1 percent of children screened were severely acutely malnourished.
South Darfur
Even those far from the front lines still face the risk of malnutrition. In October 2024, 23 percent of children under five screened at MSF-supported facilities in Nyala, South Darfur’s capital, and nearby locations were suffering from severe acute malnutrition. In two MSF-supported facilities, 26 percent of the pregnant and breastfeeding women seeking care were acutely malnourished. With World Food Programme (WFP) food distributions lacking, MSF launched a targeted food distribution in South Darfur in December 2024, providing two months’ food to about 30,000 people.
Not the first war for many, but the most devastating
Zahra Abdullah received food for her and her son. They live together in the Al Salam displacement camp outside of Nyala city.
“This is not the first war I have experienced, but it is definitely the most devastating to my life,” said Abdullah. “The living conditions here are harsh, and everything is a daily struggle. The aid we receive has somewhat improved our situation. At least now, we finally have a meal in the morning.”
“But even so, the suffering never ends. It starts with finding clean water to drink, continues with trying to provide enough food, and ends with finding a place to sleep. Sometimes I sit alone and think: is this the life I will live forever?” she said.
For millions of people like Abdullah, the time is now to act to prevent the situation from becoming ever more dire. MSF will continue to do what it can, but the scale is well beyond the organization’s capacity to respond. We need to see a massive response now to prevent more death and starvation.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
February 03, 2025
Durbin’s floor speech comes after the Trump Administration forced out dozens of DOJ and FBI officials this weekend and is now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to January 6 and President Trump
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, outlined his concerns about Pam Bondi, President Trump’s Attorney General nominee. In his remarks, he cited concerns over her ability to act as an independent Attorney General, refusal to acknowledge President Biden won the 2020 election, and echoing President Trump’s calls for prosecuting his political opponents.
Durbin’s remarks also highlighted the Trump Administration’s purge of dozens of senior career civil servants at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—including longtime nonpartisan leaders of the government’s counterterrorism and counterespionage efforts—further exemplifying the need for an independent DOJ.
“This week, the Senate will vote on the nomination of Pam Bondi to serve as Attorney General. Given the Trump Administration’s ongoing purge of Justice Department officials, I urge my colleagues to look very carefully and closely at Ms. Bondi’s nomination,” Durbin said.
“President Trump has repeatedly made it clear that he values loyalty above all else in an Attorney General. Don’t take my word for it. Just look at what happened in his first term. He fired his first Attorney General and forced out his second for insufficient loyalty. And President Trump has said time and again that he expects the Justice Department to seek ‘retribution’ on his behalf. With Ms. Bondi, I’m afraid, the President has finally found someone who passes his loyalty test,” Durbin continued.
Durbin then highlighted his concerns with Ms. Bondi’s nomination.
“It seems that she [Ms. Bondi] is ready to break with bipartisan tradition when it comes to a nonpartisan Department of Justice —one that upholds the rule of law and is free of undue political influence from the White House. I am unconvinced that she [Ms. Bondi] is dedicated to these ideals. She was a leader in the effort to overturn the 2020 election and to this day, she still clings to the basic loyalty oath. She refuses to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the presidential election in 2020. And she has echoed the President-elect’s calls for prosecuting his political opponents—including a pledge that ‘the prosecutors will be prosecuted, the investigators will be investigated.’”
Durbin spoke about the Trump Administration forcing out dozens of DOJ and FBI officials this weekend. The Administration is now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and President Trump. These career civil servants are responsible for coordinating the Justice Department’s fight against international terrorists and foreign spies that would do us harm. The removals substantially diminish the United States’ ability to respond to national security threats.
“The Trump Administration’s purge of these officials is a naked political move. In firing a dozen career prosecutors, the Acting Attorney General issued a memo stating, ‘Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe the leadership of the Department can trust you.’ Line attorneys and agents are similarly being bullied out simply because they were assigned tasks linked to criminal investigations of the President or the January 6 riots,” Durbin said.
“Do we expect the Justice Department to do nothing about the hundreds of people who stormed into the Capitol? We saw it on videotape. Nobody is making this up. They were prosecuted for crimes they committed and many of them were sentenced, many of them pled guilty when they saw the videotapes of what they did on that day. Many of them ended up in jail—some of them with serious sentences for their serious misconduct. Now comes the new President, Donald Trump, and absolves them from criminal guilt. Tells them they’re free to go,” Durbin continued.
Durbin concluded, “The American people deserve an Attorney General who will protect their fundamental rights of this country, demonstrate independence and integrity, and remain faithful to the Constitution, the country, and the rule of law. Ms. Bondi, during the course of her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, was also asked about Kash Patel—the President’s nominee to [lead] the FBI. She made it clear she supports him. I do not… I fear that Ms. Bondi will only protect and remain faithful to one person throughout this whole experience—and that’s the President who has given her this opportunity. I urge my colleagues to look carefully at her record and the record of Kash Patel. They are a team in this effort, and they should be held accountable for what they’ve said and written and positions they’ve taken in support of the President, even when his positions are not consistent, in my mind, with the equal and free administration of justice.”
Video of Durbin’sremarks on the floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
On Jan. 27, 2025, members of the Wetaskiwin Crime Reduction Unit observed a Dodge Durango with a known offender who was a recent suspect in a firearms investigation driving around in Wetaskiwin. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle; however, it fled. Police later observed the vehicle again pulling into a rural driveway off North Boundary Road. RCMP attempted to stop the vehicle however the vehicle rammed the police car and attempted to flee the area. RCMP observed the vehicle become disabled from the earlier contact with the police car and stop. All occupants in the vehicle were arrested. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded sawed off shot gun as well as stolen mail.
RCMP have charged a 25-year-old individual, a resident of Maskwacis, with:
Drive a motor vehicle while prohibited;
Possession of identity documents;
Assaulting a peace officer with a weapon;
Weapons offences (x4);
Possession of property obtained by crime.
The 25-year-old individual was taken before a justice of the peace and remanded into custody with his next court date set for Jan. 28, 2025, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Wetaskiwin.
RCMP have charged a 31-year-old individual, a resident of Maskwacis, with fail to comply with a release order.
The 31-year-old individual was taken before a justice of the peace and remanded into custody with her next court date set for Jan. 28, 2025, at the Alberta Court of Justice in Wetaskiwin.
Washington, DC: On January 24, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation[1] with Grenada.
Through end-June 2024, Grenada’s economy was experiencing sustained strong growth supported by buoyant tourism, moderating inflation, and a narrowing current account deficit. A surge in Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) revenue supported a strong improvement in the fiscal position and reduction in public debt. The financial system remained stable. On July 1, Hurricane Beryl caused damage in excess of 16 percent of GDP on the Grenadian islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, as well as in the northern parishes of the main island. The authorities responded swiftly with a package of fiscal measures, including suspension of fiscal rules to permit temporary deficit spending in support of the recovery and reconstruction.
Grenada’s near-term economic growth is projected to remain resilient at 3.9 percent in 2025, buoyed by limited hurricane damages to tourism infrastructure and the authorities’ large recovery and reconstruction spending. Sizable government savings and triggering of disaster-contingent instruments create fiscal space for these spending needs. Assuming a subsequent timely return to the fiscal rules, public debt is projected to continue falling and reach the debt target of 60 percent of GDP by 2030.
Over the medium-term GDP growth is projected to slow given the tourism sector operates near its peak-season capacity. Key downside risks include the threat of further natural disasters, potential shocks to tourism demand, and the uncertain scale of future CBI inflows, while the domestic non-bank financial system faces rising vulnerabilities from the continued rapid expansion of credit unions and the rising costs of property insurance. Prospective hotel developments and public investment projects represent upside risks to the medium-term growth outlook.
Executive Directors agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They welcomed Grenada’s robust economic performance in 2023 and the first half of 2024, buoyed by strong tourism. Directors also commended the authorities’ swift and prudently tailored response to Hurricane Beryl, which supported disaster-relief and helped mitigate the impact on economic growth. Noting that the medium-term outlook remains subject to risks from natural disasters, uncertain Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) flows, and other external shocks, they encouraged the authorities to exercise continued fiscal prudence and to pursue structural reforms to boost long-term growth and enhance resilience, while leveraging Fund technical assistance.
Directors welcomed Grenada’s commitment to fiscal prudence and debt sustainability and emphasized the importance of a timely return to the suspended fiscal rules. In that context, they noted the need for continued expenditure prioritization and revenue mobilization to create fiscal space for future investment needs, including for climate resilience. Further strengthening public investment management and budget planning processes would also be important. Directors also saw merit in developing a more uniform framework for managing all CBI resources and encouraged continued progress in resolving outstanding official arrears.
Directors welcomed the banking system’s resilience despite repeated shocks. They emphasized the need for vigilance and strengthened oversight in the rapidly expanding credit union sector. Directors encouraged strengthening data collection and regional collaboration in the property insurance sector, given rising premiums. They also agreed that further enhancements in the AML/CFT frameworks are essential, including to safeguard correspondent banking relationships.
Directors commended the authorities’ implementation of Grenada’s Disaster Resilience Strategy including investments in a risk-layering framework of disaster-contingency insurance and financing instruments. Moving forward and noting the risk of future natural disasters, they emphasized the importance of further advancing the energy transition and investment in disaster resilient infrastructure, with support from private financing.
Directors also encouraged sustained structural reform efforts to foster long-term growth, including investing in active labor market policies and continuing efforts to support off-season and niche tourism. Addressing data gaps is also important.
It is expected that the next Article IV Consultation with Grenada will be held on the standard 12-month consultation cycle.
Table 1. Grenada: Selected Social and Economic Indicators, 2019–29
Rank in UNDP Human Development Index
73
Infant mortality rate per ‘000 births (2021)
14.4
out of 189 countries (2021)
Adult illiteracy rate in percent (2014)
1
Life expectancy at birth in years (2021)
75
Poverty rate in percent of population (2019)
25
GDP per capita in US$ (2021)
10,449
Population in millions (2021)
0.13
Unemployment rate (2021 Q2)
11.1
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
Est.
Proj.
National income and prices
GDP at constant prices
0.7
-13.8
4.7
7.3
4.7
3.6
3.9
3.3
2.7
2.7
2.7
GDP deflator
3.3
-0.3
2.8
2.2
2.7
1.4
1.4
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
Consumer prices, end of period
0.1
-0.8
1.9
2.9
2.2
1.2
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
Money and credit, end of period
Credit to private sector
1.4
3.1
3.8
2.1
3.8
3.8
4.2
4.4
4.6
4.5
4.5
Broad money (M2)
2.9
9.1
8.5
9.9
1.4
3.7
5.2
5.4
4.8
4.8
4.8
Central government balances (accrual)
Revenue and grants
26.6
28.1
31.5
32.7
36.9
44.1
30.5
29.3
29.2
28.9
28.8
Expenditure
21.6
32.7
31.2
31.8
28.9
39.5
39.4
33.1
29.6
29.2
28.9
o.w. Capital expenditure
2.6
9.6
8.6
10.2
9.3
11.7
12.2
8.7
6.2
5.8
5.6
Primary balance
6.8
-2.6
2.1
2.6
9.5
8.0
-5.1
-1.2
1.5
1.5
1.5
Overall balance
5.0
-4.5
0.3
1.0
8.0
4.7
-8.9
-3.8
-0.4
-0.3
-0.1
Central government debt (incl. guaranteed) 1/
58.5
71.4
70.0
62.8
60.5
59.3
58.1
53.9
53.2
51.4
49.6
Domestic
14.6
16.2
15.3
12.8
11.3
11.1
9.7
7.8
7.1
6.9
7.0
External
44.0
55.2
54.7
50.0
49.2
48.2
48.5
46.1
46.0
44.5
42.6
Public debt (incl. debt of SOEs and SBs)
62.7
89.5
86.6
78.8
75.2
73.3
71.4
66.5
65.2
62.9
60.6
Savings-Investment balance
-10.4
-16.1
-14.5
-11.0
-9.1
-13.1
-13.8
-10.6
-9.9
-9.1
-9.1
Savings
14.6
16.3
15.6
18.0
30.8
28.3
18.1
17.8
15.8
15.3
14.9
Investment
24.9
32.4
30.1
29.1
39.9
41.5
31.9
28.4
25.7
24.5
24.0
External Sector
Gross international reserves (millions of dollars)
234.1
290.9
324.2
352.6
389.1
435.1
364.5
364.8
390.3
405.6
424.6
(in months of imports)
5.2
5.6
4.9
5.0
4.8
5.2
4.3
4.2
4.3
4.3
4.3
Current account balance, o/w:
-10.4
-16.1
-14.5
-11.0
-9.1
-13.1
-13.8
-10.6
-9.9
-9.1
-9.1
Exports of goods and services
54.6
41.1
47.9
57.8
62.8
63.8
62.5
62.8
63.0
62.6
62.3
Imports of goods and services
55.8
52.2
55.4
64.3
63.7
69.9
68.5
65.6
65.0
63.8
63.4
External debt (gross)
64.7
92.5
94.8
90.0
86.9
85.4
85.4
82.6
82.3
80.5
78.4
Sources: Ministry of Finance; Eastern Caribbean Central Bank; United Nations, Human Development Report; World Bank WDI; and IMF staff estimates and projections.
1/ Includes the impact of the debt restructuring agreement for the 2025 bonds.
[1] Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year. A staff team visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies. On return to headquarters, the staff prepares a report, which forms the basis for discussion by the Executive Board.
[2] At the conclusion of the discussion, the Managing Director, as Chairman of the Board, summarizes the views of Executive Directors, and this summary is transmitted to the country’s authorities. An explanation of any qualifiers used in summings up can be found here: http://www.IMF.org/external/np/sec/misc/qualifiers.htm.
On Jan. 9, 2025, High Prairie RCMP began a project to target offenders on warrant in the area of High Prairie and utilized resources including Faust RCMP, Western Alberta Crime Reduction Unit (WAD CRU), the Provincial Crime Reduction Team (CRT), Alberta’s Emergency Response Team (ERT), High Level and Grande Prairie Police Dog Services (PDS), and RCMP Air Services.
A 28-year-old individual, a resident of Atikameg, Alta., was located with a stolen vehicle in a forested area; all RCMP units were engaged, and the individual fled on foot.
Police Dog Peyak, tracked the individual to a residence. All occupants exited the home safely before the individual was located and then arrested, inside the home, with no further incident.
The individual was charged with 19 offenses, including:
Operating a motor vehicle while prohibited x3
Flight from police officer
Resist/obstruct police officer
Possession of property obtained by crime
Dangerous operation of motor vehicle
Failure to comply with probation order x2
Take motor vehicle without consent
Firearms offences x 12
Additionally, Grey was arrested for his 29 warrants
The individual was brought before a justice of the peace, where he was remanded with a court date of Jan. 20, 2025, at the Alberta Court of Justice in High Prairie.
Additionally, RCMP seized several weapons, a firearm and an assortment of ammunition.
The High Prairie RCMP is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the location of, or sightings of wanted persons or suspicious criminal behaviour in the area. Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to please contact the High Prairie RCMP at 780-523-3378 or your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8377 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.
CINCINNATI – A jury found a local man guilty on all counts for crimes related to two murders in Cincinnati during the summer of 2021.
Jamal Binford, 33, of Dallas and Cincinnati, was convicted of five counts as charged in a second superseding indictment. The verdict was announced yesterday afternoon following a trial that began on Jan. 15 before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Binford purported to manage two co-defendants as boxers, presenting himself as a boxing manager helping young men he wanted to help off the streets. Instead, he directed them to sell fentanyl and marijuana and, after assisting the coconspirators following one murder, he directed a second murder.
Co-defendants Antwan Coach, Jr., 22, of Cincinnati, and Markel Hardy, 23, of Cincinnati, robbed and murdered Kamar Williams on July 5, 2021, in North College Hill. It is alleged Coach and Hardy robbed Mr. Williams of marijuana and a firearm and shot him to death.
In August 2021, all three defendants conspired to murder a second victim, Deonte Nuckols, in St. Bernard in connection with a narcotics conspiracy involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and five kilograms or more of cocaine.
As the government outlined at trial, Binford paid the two other men to kill Mr. Nuckols, who had had been texting Binford that day about Binford paying a drug debt.
Binford was arrested in February 2023 at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
The narcotics conspiracy in this case includes 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.
Binford faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison for participating in the narcotics conspiracy, being an accessory after the fact, murder in connection with the drug trafficking conspiracy, use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and use of a firearm to commit murder.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge; North College Hill Police Chief Ryan Schrand; and St. Bernard Police Chief Michael Simos announced the verdicts. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division also aided during the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley N. Brucato and OCDETF Deputy Criminal Chief Frederic C. Shadley represented the United States in this case.