Tag Archives: crime

From the Justice Department: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the arrest of JUSTIN HEATH SMITH, an adult film actor who uses the stage name “Austin Wolf.” SMITH is charged …

NBC News reports: A Missouri woman is charged with multiple felonies for allegedly spiking her husband’s Mountain Dew with Roundup weed killer and insecticide repeatedly to be “mean” to him, authorities said. Michelle Y. Peters, 47, of Lebanon, is accused of secretly putting Roundup in her husband’s 2-liter bottles of Mountain Dew he stored in a garage refrigerator during May …

The Arizona Republic reports: Officials say a temporary elections employee stole a security fob from Maricopa County’s vote tabulation headquarters last week. Walter Ringfield, a 27-year-old Phoenix resident took the fob on the evening of June 20 from the facility, officials said. In a statement, officials said the fob was recovered and they will reprogram and retest election equipment to …

Miami’s ABC affiliate reports: Vandals targeted row after row of Tesla Cybertrucks stored in a nondescript Fort Lauderdale parking lot in an apparent vendetta against the company’s controversial CEO, Elon Musk. The message spray-painted onto the vehicles? “F— Elon.” “It was just one row and then it was a second row, and then a third row and a fourth row,” …

The Alachua Chronicle reports: Joel Bruce Searby, 43, was arrested this morning and charged with lewd/lascivious conduct, two counts of obscene communication related to luring a minor to meet him for sex, and using a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony. The Alachua County Sheriff’s deputy who wrote the report noted that the account in the chats identified himself …

Newsweek reports: Kyle Rittenhouse’s sister Faith is seeking $3,000 on a crowdfunding website in a bid to prevent the eviction of herself and her mother Wendy from their home, citing her “brother’s unwillingness to provide or contribute to our family.” As of 3 a.m. ET on Friday the fundraiser had received $1,920 of the requested $3,000 from 37 separate donations. …

The New York Daily News reports: A Florida man tossed numerous pieces of furniture and other debris off the roof of a 20-story Midtown Manhattan building, police said. Video circulating on social media first shows a chair being hurled off the building on Fifth Ave. near E. 46th St. on Friday before it crashes into scaffolding and splinters. Pieces of …

From the Justice Department: Donavon Parish, 29, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, pleaded guilty today to one count of cyberstalking and five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device. Parish also admitted to a special finding that he targeted his victims based on their actual and perceived religion. According to court documents, during April and May 2022, the defendant used …

NBC South Florida reports: A man accused of making online threats against members of Wilton Manors’ gay community in the past is now a wanted man in an alleged stalking case. A warrant has been issued for Craig Jungwirth after he was a no-show for a court appearance on a stalking charge, records showed. Wilton Manors Police said Jungwirth’s whereabouts …

NewsBreak reports: The Wilton Manors Police Department is actively searching for Craig Jungwirth, a man known for his history of harassment and scams. Jungwirth has been charged with stalking after making hundreds of appointments with a local barber, effectively shutting down his business. Jungwirth has proven to be adept at evading law enforcement and process servers1. Recently, he has been …

From the Justice Department: A 21-year-old Bremerton, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to three years in prison for four federal felonies stemming from his extensive illegal harassing activity known as “swatting,” announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Ashton Connor Garcia pleaded in January 2024 to two counts of extortion, and two counts of threats …

From the Justice Department: Christopher Arthur, 40, was sentenced today to a total of 300 months’ imprisonment for teaching another individual how to make and use an explosive knowing that the individual intended to use that instruction in the murder or attempted murder of federal law enforcement. In July 2023, he was convicted by a jury on that crime and …

NBC News reports: A Michigan man with a suspended driver’s license joined a digital court hearing about his case from behind the wheel of a vehicle he was driving. Corey Harris did not physically appear in court for his hearing on May 15. Instead, he dialed into the Zoom call — while he was driving, according to video of the …

Miami’s ABC affiliate reports: A South Florida man is facing felony charges after deputies said he threw two mangoes and a rock at his neighbor in a homophobic hate crime. According to a Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest report made public on Wednesday, the tropical fruit-filled crime happened Sunday after the victim went up to his neighbor, Charles Oliver Lovekin, to …

From the Justice Department: Louis LaPolla, age 78, of Utica, New York, pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to mail fraud for soliciting and then stealing donations intended for a scholarship fund in his late wife’s name. In pleading guilty, LaPolla admitted that he set up a scholarship fund in honor of his late wife, Andrea LaPolla, after …

NBC News reports:  Federal authorities said Friday they charged Fat Brands and its chair, Andy Wiederhorn, of committing a brazen scheme that netted him $47 million in bogus loans from the restaurant company that owns Fatburger, Johnny Rockets and Twin Peaks. Wiederhorn, who was convicted two decades ago in a criminal case that involved similar conduct, was separately criminally charged …

Politico reports: Federal prosecutors have charged former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in Washington for allegedly lying to investigators in connection with a campaign finance probe of a foreign billionaire’s political contributions. Fortenberry (R-Neb.) was convicted of the same charges by a jury in Los Angeles in 2022, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the conviction, determining that the …

From the Justice Department: An indictment was unsealed today in the Eastern District of Virginia charging seven men with racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy in connection with their alleged participation in a large-scale gas pump skimming device organization. According to court documents, the defendants, led by Eduardo Rodriguez, also known as Ogbe Bara, 40, …

Las Vegas’s CBS affiliate reports: A man allegedly shot at his neighbors for being gay, saying in part, “I hope you [expletives] die,” according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained Monday. Larry Walraven, 75, faces a charge of assault with a deadly weapon with a hate crime enhancement, records said. On April 25, Walraven allegedly shot at his …

Bloomberg reports: The Swiss Army Knife, the iconic, more than century-old fold-up tool used by whittlers, soldiers and even astronauts, will soon be available without a blade. Victorinox, the company behind the quintessentially Swiss product, is responding to tighter regulations around weapons around the world, Chief Executive Officer Carl Eisner told the Blick newspaper on Monday. Instead, it plans to …