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Friday, dec 13

Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

zfailla@dailyvoice.com

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Equal parts Lois Lane, J. Jonah Jameson and Vicki Vale, Zak! has traveled from coast-to-coast covering small and big town community news in both in print and online for nearly a decade since his graduation from the award-winning Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in 2010.

Before settling into the Hudson Valley, Zak! previously spent time in the New York Daily News newsroom and worked for hyperlocal digital news outlets on Long Island. He wrote sports for The Ithacan and The Ithaca Journal before taking his talents to the Pacific Northwest, where he served as the sports editor at the Shoshone News-Press until heading back east to work with Daily Voice.

Zak Failla's Contributions

Sports

Alley-Oops! George Mason Basketball Team Duped By Sham Travel Agent In $100K Scheme: Feds The George Mason University men's basketball team planned an exciting summer trip to the Bahamas, but instead, they were left grounded after an Atlanta travel agent allegedly pocketed over $100,000 without booking a single ticket or hotel room. Maurice Eugene Smith, 44, is facing charges of wire fraud for allegedly scamming the Patriots out of their international trip, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. In June 2023, GMU representatives began planning the trip with a company referred to as "Company A" in court records. Smith, operating through…

12/13/2024

Police & Fire

Teen Driver Surrenders After High-Speed Crash That Killed Elderly Vienna Woman: Police A 17-year-old has been charged in connection with a high-speed crash that killed an elderly woman in Oakton last month, police said. The fatal collision occurred on Nov. 9 at the intersection of Hunter Mill Road and Lynnhaven Place, where the teen was reportedly speeding in a Toyota Camry when he struck an Acura attempting to turn left into a shopping center. The crash claimed the life of Brenda Cratty, 77, of Vienna, who was a passenger in the Acura. She was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Following the crash, the teen was also treated and evaluated for injuries …

12/13/2024

News

Abingdon Man Convicted Of Raping Minor On Cruise Faces Life In Prison: Feds A 22-year-old Maryland man is facing a lifetime in prison after being convicted at a two-week trial of sexually assaulting his victim on a cruise. Abingdon resident Jalen Thomas Kelley was indicted last years on charges for an incident on New Year's Day on a Carnival Legend cruise ship that was set to depart out of Baltimore, officials say. On Friday, Dec. 13, federal authorities announced that Kelley was found guilty by a jury of of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and assault within the territorial jurisdiction. According to prosecutors, and evidence presented at trial, while …

12/13/2024

News

Ex-Defense Official Who Electrocuted Dogs Learns Fate For Role In Vicious DMV Dogfighting Ring A Maryland man who used to serve as a Department of Defense deputy chief will spend time behind bars after admitting earlier this to his role in a violent dogfighting ring that involved him electrocuting animals who lost, federal authorities confirmed. Frederick Douglass Moorefield, Jr., 64, pleaded guilty in September to federal charges that include conspiracy to engage in animal fighting, specifically the fighting of dogs, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. On Friday, Dec. 13, officials announced that Moorefield has been sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison,…

12/13/2024

Police & Fire

Driver Killed, Passenger Hurt In Targeted Finksburg Shooting, Sheriff Says (Developing) A deadly shooting in Finksburg is under investigation after authorities responded to reports of gunfire early Friday morning. Deputies from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and first responders from the county’s Department of Fire and EMS found two men with gunshot wounds inside a Chevrolet Silverado near Wesley Road and Patapsco Road just before 8 a.m., officials said. The driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene, while the passenger was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Authorities believe the shooting was not random and emphasized to the public that there is no…

12/13/2024

Business

Big Dogs’ Paradise Has License Revoked After Repeated Alcohol Violations In Mechanicsville A popular spot in St. Mary's County was hit with a setback after multiple alcohol sales violations, according to the sheriff's office. Big Dogs’ Paradise Bar & Liquor, located in the 28000 block of Three Notch Road in Mechanicsville, had its license suspended for 30 days on Thursday, Dec. 12, following a ruling by the Alcohol Beverage Board (ABB) of St. Mary’s County. The license is revoked on the 31st day following the suspension, officials said. Notices of the suspension have been posted at the premises and will remain for the full 30-day suspension. Notices of the revoca…

12/13/2024

Police & Fire

Police ID 27-Year-Old Woman With No Fixed Address Killed By Hit-Run Driver In Oxon Hill New details have been released after a 27-year-old woman was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver earlier this week. Vanessa Stewart-Ferguson, who has no fixed address, has been identified by the Prince George's County Police Department as the pedestrian who was killed early on Wednesday, prompting an extensive investigation that resulted in them identifying a possible driver and locating a suspect vehicle, though no arrests have been made as of Friday, Dec. 13. Officers responded around 6:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11 to Saint Barnabas Road near the Capital Beltway after receiving rep…

12/13/2024

News

District Man Convicted Of Hate Crime After Violent Attack At Taylor Swift Dance Party: Feds A District man has been convicted of a hate crime after a shocking attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party in Northwest DC, authorities announced. The conviction stems from an incident in August, when the man verbally and physically accosted attendees at the event, presumably because of their perceived LGBTQ+ status, officials said, then went a woman in charge of security at the event held at the 9:30 Club on U Street NW. According to prosecutors, on Saturday, Aug. 3, Siate verbally and then physically accosted multiple people outside of the 9:30 Club. First, he approached a line …

12/13/2024

News

Robber With Twisted Nickname Learns Fate In South Asian Virginia Jewelry Store Heist A Washington DC will spend nearly 20 years behind bars for his role in a violent string of armed robberies with very specific targets in multiple states, federal authorities announced. William Hunter, 28, also known as “Ill Will,” was sentenced this week to 228 months (19 years) in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release following a crime spree that saw him and others targeting South Asian jewelry stores in multiple states up and down the East Cost. The scheme - reportedly led by DC rapper Trevor Wright AKA "Taliban Glizzy - landed the 15-member crew millions of do…

12/12/2024

Police & Fire

Eastern Shore Drug Ring Crumbled: Cocaine, Fentanyl, And Firearms Seized: Maryland State Police Nearly 40 people accused of running a large-scale drug-trafficking ring on Maryland’s Eastern Shore were indicted following a massive five-month investigation by local, state, and federal law enforcement, authorities announced. The operation, led by Wicomico Narcotics—a collaboration between the Maryland State Police, Fruitland Police Department, Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration—dismantled a network accused of distributing cocaine, fentanyl, and other drugs across Wicomico, Dorchester, and Baltimore counties. Search warrants executed in Augu…

12/12/2024

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