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PA Man Hid Explosives In Ceiling Tiles Of Apartment, Sentenced: DOJ PA Man Hid Explosives In Ceiling Tiles Of Apartment, Sentenced: DOJ
PA Man Hid Explosives In Ceiling Tiles Of Apartment, Sentenced: DOJ A Bucks County man who hid homemade explosives behind ceiling tiles in his Schuylkill County apartment has been sentenced to federal prison, authorities announced. John Joseph Weikel, 50, of Quakertown, was sentenced to 30 months behind bars for possession of an unregistered firearm, United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley ruled on Thursday, Feb. 6, according to the Department of Justice. Weikel manufactured two improvised explosive devices and stashed them in the ceiling of his former apartment before being evicted, investigators said. The devices remained hidden for nearly tw…

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by Jillian Pikora
Politics
Judge Blocks Trump Birthright Citizenship Ban Judge Blocks Trump Birthright Citizenship Ban
Judge Blocks Trump Birthright Citizenship Ban A federal judge has issued an indefinite nationwide preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, marking a significant legal setback for the administration. US District Judge Deborah Boardman in Maryland ruled Wednesday, Feb. 5, in favor of five pregnant undocumented women who challenged Trump’s executive order.  The policy aimed to redefine the 14th Amendment, excluding children of undocumented immigrants from receiving automatic US citizenship at birth. Boardman determined the order directly conflicts with the "plai…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Trump Proclaims ‘Liberation Day,’ Reveals Array Of Planned Actions In Inaugural Address Trump Proclaims ‘Liberation Day,’ Reveals Array Of Planned Actions In Inaugural Address
Trump Proclaims ‘Liberation Day,’ Reveals Array Of Planned Actions In Inaugural Address Donald Trump proclaimed “liberation day” in his inaugural address after being sworn in to a second non-consecutive presidential term in the Capitol Rotunda just after noontime on Monday, Jan. 20. Click here for a new, updated story - Trump Ends All Jan. 6 Cases With Pardons, Commutations, Dismissals, Signs Flurry Of Executive Orders  "America will soon be greater, stronger, and far more exceptional than ever before," said Trump, who at age 78, became the oldest person to ever start a presidential term. In the half-hour long speech, he vowed that “the golden age of America begins rig…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers
American Express To Pay $230M For Misleading Small Business Customers American Express said it will pay $230 million to resolve federal investigations into deceptive sales tactics and recordkeeping violations involving small business credit card and wire transfer products. The credit card company agreed to pay a $108.7 million civil penalty, the Department of Justice said in a news release on Thursday, Jan. 16. The settlement resolved claims against American Express of deceptive marketing and "dummy" account information. American Express was accused of engaging in unlawful sales tactics and falsifying records between 2014 and 2021. "When financial companies …

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by Chris Spiker
News
Maryland Man Who Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced Into Prostitution Gets Prison Time Maryland Man Who Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced Into Prostitution Gets Prison Time
Maryland Man Who Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced Into Prostitution Gets Prison Time A 36-year-old Maryland man who used women's' drug dependency to compel them to participate in commercial sex work for him up and down the East Coast will spend nearly two decades in prison, federal authorities announced. William O’Neil Murray III pleaded guilty in August 2024 to sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion over the course of several months in several states. On Monday, Jan. 13, Murray was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison and also ordered to pay his victims nearly $95,000 in restitution. “This sentencing is a powerful reminder that the FBI Richmond team will tir…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
PA City Discriminates Against Hispanic Voters With 'At-Large System', Suit Claims PA City Discriminates Against Hispanic Voters With 'At-Large System', Suit Claims
PA City Discriminates Against Hispanic Voters With 'At-Large System', Suit Claims The federal government is suing Hazleton, accusing the city of discriminating against Hispanic voters with its at-large system for electing city council members, authorities said. The Department of Justice announced the lawsuit against the City of Hazleton in a news release on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The USDOJ claims Hazleton’s at-large voting system undermines the political influence of the city's growing Hispanic population, which comprises more than 40 percent of Hazleton voters. Despite this s…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Pennsylvania Army Soldier Tried To Join Hezbollah, Expressed Hatred Of Jews: USDOJ Pennsylvania Army Soldier Tried To Join Hezbollah, Expressed Hatred Of Jews: USDOJ
Pennsylvania Army Soldier Tried To Join Hezbollah, Expressed Hatred Of Jews: Usdoj A former active-duty U.S. Army soldier from Pennsylvania attempted to join the foreign terrorist organization Hezbollah and lied to FBI agents about his actions, federal authorities announced on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. Jack Danaher Molloy, 24, a dual U.S.-Irish citizen and former resident of Pittsburgh, has been indicted on charges of providing material support to Hezbollah and making false statements involving international terrorism, according to the Department of Justice. Molloy allegedly traveled to Lebanon and Syria between August and December 2024, attempting to join the designated te…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says
FBI Thwarts Iran-Linked Plan To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says An Iranian operative and two associates living in America have been charged in a murder-for-hire plot targeting United States citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump. Federal authorities have charged Farhad Shakeri, an alleged operative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with two New York City associates in a plot to assassinate a US citizen critical of the Iranian government.  The case highlights the continued threat posed by Iran’s attempts to silence dissidents and even target top US. officials. According to the Department of Justice criminal complai…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Democrat Activists In PA Are Impersonating Election Officials: Trump Campaign Claims Democrat Activists In PA Are Impersonating Election Officials: Trump Campaign Claims
Democrat Activists In PA Are Impersonating Election Officials: Trump Campaign Claims Democrat activists in Philadelphia are wearing fake badges and claiming to be voter protection agents, according to the Trump campaign. "Radical leftists" are impersonating election officials to intimidate voters and "interfere with Pennsylvanians' right to cast their ballots," a Trump campaign news release states.  Three photos are shown in the news release depicting two badges and a T-shirt with "voter protection," "election protection," and "PA Dems Volunteer" printed on them.  The people wearing these shirts and badges "are not election officials and should not interfere with…

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by Merriell Moyer
News
Maryland Man Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced To Become Sex Workers: Feds Maryland Man Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced To Become Sex Workers: Feds
Maryland Man Withheld Drugs From 'Dopesick' Women Forced To Become Sex Workers: Feds A 36-year-old Maryland man who used women's' drug dependency to compel them to participate in commercial sex work for him up and down the East Coast is facing prison time, federal authorities announced. William O’Neil Murray III pleaded guilty on Monday, Aug. 12 to sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion over the course of several months in several states. At least three women were involved. According to court documents, between December 2021 and July 2022, Murray was involved in the multi-state sex trafficking operation, using women he would coerce by using their drug dependency…

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by Zak Failla
News
NY Man Who Drove For Sex With Child In PA Learns His Fate: USDOJ NY Man Who Drove For Sex With Child In PA Learns His Fate: USDOJ
NY Man Who Drove For Sex With Child In PA Learns His Fate: Usdoj A New York man is heading to prison after he was caught coming to Pennsylvania hoping to have sex with a 13-year-old girl, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on Thursday, July 13, 2023.  Stephen Farleigh, 51, of Walton, New York, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment to be followed by 15 years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner "for attempted enticement of a minor," as stated in the release.  Farleigh "used the internet to attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity" between Oct…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Maryland Drug Dealer Sentenced For Selling Heroin, Fentanyl Across Four States Maryland Drug Dealer Sentenced For Selling Heroin, Fentanyl Across Four States
Maryland Drug Dealer Sentenced For Selling Heroin, Fentanyl Across Four States A Baltimore man has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing and distributing controlled substances, officials say. Devin Cunningham, 27, was involved in the selling and distributing of narcotics including fentanyl, heroin, and other controlled substances to Maryland and surrounding states from 2017 until 2020. Specifically, between January 2017 and December 2020, "scores of customers from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia traveled to the Forest Park area of Baltimore and purchased between a half of a gram and several grams of fentanyl or h…

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by Annie DeVoe
News
4,000 Beagles Rescued From Research Facility Approved By Judge For Adoption 4,000 Beagles Rescued From Research Facility Approved By Judge For Adoption
4,000 Beagles Rescued From Research Facility Approved By Judge For Adoption Thousands of beagles who were mistreated at a Virginia breeding and research facility are one step closer to finding a happy home.  The Department of Justice approved the adoption of 4,000 beagles from Envigo, the company that kept the dogs in horrific conditions while using them for research. Adopted BeagleVirginia Coalition For Beagle Protection Facebook Page This story came to light in 2021, when PETA investigated Envigo for its brutal mistreatment of the animals. Some of the mistreatment PETA observed at Envigo included: Puppies and their mothers sprayed with a high pressured hos…

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by AJ Goldbloom
Politics
Trump DOJ Lawyer Forced To Stand Outside In Boxers During Humiliating Raid: CNN Trump DOJ Lawyer Forced To Stand Outside In Boxers During Humiliating Raid: CNN
Trump DOJ Lawyer Forced To Stand Outside In Boxers During Humiliating Raid: CNN Police forced a former Department of Justice lawyer for President Donald Trump to stand outside in his underwear while they raided his home last month, video obtained by CNN shows.  Wearing his underwear and a button down shirt, Jeffrey Clark asked agents at the door of his Fairfax County home if he could call his lawyer, put on pants or stand in his garage, the footage shows. “We’re gonna clear the house, and as soon as we clear the house, we’ll get you talking to your lawyer and we’ll get some pants on, okay?" one of the agents told him in the video. They did allow Clark to stand b…

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by Josh Lanier
News
COVID-19: CDC Issues New Advisory Recommending People Wear Masks In These Settings COVID-19: CDC Issues New Advisory Recommending People Wear Masks In These Settings
Covid-19: CDC Issues New Advisory Recommending People Wear Masks In These Settings The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is calling on the Department of Justice to proceed with an appeal after a federal judge struck down President Joe Biden’s mask mandate for public transportation settings. Following the announcement of the judgment, the CDC issued a statement advising that the agency is continuing to advise that all Americans continue to mask up while using public transportation, despite the ruling. Original story - COVID-19: Federal Judge Strikes Down CDC Mask Mandate For Travel According to the CDC, officials “continue to recommend that people west mask…

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by Zak Failla
News
Gun-Running Jersey Shore Coke Dealer Nabbed In FBI Sting Gets 5 Years, No Parole Gun-Running Jersey Shore Coke Dealer Nabbed In FBI Sting Gets 5 Years, No Parole
Gun-Running Jersey Shore Coke Dealer Nabbed In FBI Sting Gets 5 Years, No Parole A confessed cocaine dealer from Freehold who sold smuggled guns to buyers working for the FBI was sentenced to a plea-bargained five years in federal prison. Enrique Quijada, 25, who was in the country illegally, must serve out the entire term because there's no parole in the federal prison system. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said Quijada – also known as “El Enano 13” and “Kike” -- worked for a crew that sold handguns and a semi-automatic rifle, among other weapons, to what turned out to be FBI operatives in and around Monmouth and Ocean counties. Rather than face trial, he took…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
CRYPTO CRIME: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust CRYPTO CRIME: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust
Crypto Crime: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust The self-described “Crocodile of Wall Street” and her husband were arrested by federal agents in Manhattan on Tuesday, Feb. 8, on charges of conspiring to launder billions of dollars in cryptocurrency stolen in a bombshell hack of a virtual currency exchange. Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, 34, and Heather Rhiannon Morgan, a 31-year-old business blogger/rapper, weren’t charged in the 2016 theft from Bitfinex of what at the time was $71 million worth of cryptocurrency – now valued at $4.5 billion. They are charged with conspiring to (a) commit money laundering and (b) defraud the United States, …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Feds: Defendant In Florida-to-Jersey Shore Gun Running Ring Takes Plea Feds: Defendant In Florida-to-Jersey Shore Gun Running Ring Takes Plea
Feds: Defendant In Florida-to-Jersey Shore Gun Running Ring Takes Plea A fourth defendant admitted Friday that he was part of a ring that sold guns trafficked from Florida to the Jersey Shore to buyers working for the FBI. Enrique Quijada, 24, of Freehold told a federal judge in Trenton via videoconference on Friday that he worked with ringleader Manuel “Chino” Espinosa-Ozoria of Bartow, FL his brother, Waldin “Manin” Espinosa-Ozoria of Freehold and two others. The crew sold handguns and a semi-automatic rifle, among other weapons, to what turned out to be FBI operatives in and around Monmouth and Ocean counties, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. De…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
UNSOLVED: Reward Rises To $2.5M In Federal Prosecutor's Murder UNSOLVED: Reward Rises To $2.5M In Federal Prosecutor's Murder
Unsolved: Reward Rises To $2.5M In Federal Prosecutor's Murder On the 20th anniversary of a federal prosecutor's slaying, the government boosted the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible to $2.5 million. Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco announced Monday the Department of Justice has doubled the $1 million it posted toward the reward, to go with $500,000 pledged by the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys in the targeted killing of Seattle Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Wales. Wales, 49, had Northeast roots. A native of Southborough, Massachusetts, he was graduated from Harvard University and Ho…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Federal Grand Jury Indicts South Jersey Officer Who Pepper-Sprayed Handcuffed Driver Federal Grand Jury Indicts South Jersey Officer Who Pepper-Sprayed Handcuffed Driver
Federal Grand Jury Indicts South Jersey Officer Who Pepper-Sprayed Handcuffed Driver An angry South Jersey police officer doused a drunk driver with pepper spray twice after he’d been handcuffed, then filed a false report about the incident, an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Thursday alleges. Another officer had handcuffed the disruptive driver and was beginning to put him in the rear of a patrol vehicle at a local gas station when Bridgeton Police John Grier III “grabbed a large can of OC spray and pulled out the pin,” Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig said. Grier, 49, of Cedarville, told the officer to “step back,” then asked the driver, “Do you want to …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Penn State Grad Arrested For Capitol Riot; Feds. Seize His LEGO Penn State Grad Arrested For Capitol Riot; Feds. Seize His LEGO
Penn State Grad Arrested For Capitol Riot; Feds. Seize His Lego A 27-year-old Penn State alumnus was recently arrested for his role in the Capitol Riot, he may have used a LEGO set to make his plans, according to newly released documents by the Department of Justice. New documents have been released on the June 21 arrest of Robert Morss, of Pittsburgh, who is charged for his involvement in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. UPDATE: Robert Morss has been convicted and sentenced, you can find all the details here.  Morss was the leader of the Bull-Moose party at Penn State University in 2016, as the Daily Collegian reported at the time. He is al…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Feds: Former MontCo Youth Swim School Employee Planned On Sexually Abusing Her Own Baby Feds: Former MontCo Youth Swim School Employee Planned On Sexually Abusing Her Own Baby
Feds: Former MontCo Youth Swim School Employee Planned On Sexually Abusing Her Own Baby A former employe of a Montgomery County youth swimming school was six months pregnant and told sex offenders online that she planned on sexually abusing her own baby when she gave birth, federal authorities said. Danielle Sebenick, 29, of Glenside, was sentenced to seven years in prison with ten years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Petrese B. Tucker for her distribution and possession of child pornography. Sebenick in 2018 was identified as the administrator of a website dedicated to the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, and used the platform …

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by Cecilia Levine
News
13 STRIKES: Feds Seize Repeat South Jersey Felon After Gun, Ammo Arrest 13 STRIKES: Feds Seize Repeat South Jersey Felon After Gun, Ammo Arrest
13 Strikes: Feds Seize Repeat South Jersey Felon After Gun, Ammo Arrest A 13-time convicted felon from South Jersey was in federal custody after he dropped a loaded handgun while trying to flee local police on a bicycle, authorities said. Officers responding to a 911 shooting call on March 7 spotted Sharif Hallman, 38, of Carneys Point, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. As they grabbed Hallman, a pistol fell to the ground, she said. The gun had a round in the chamber and an extended magazine with 22 more, Honig said. Hallman has an adult criminal history spanning nearly his entire adult life, federal authorities said. These include convictions for …

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
PA Biz Indicted By DOJ For Supplying Hundreds Of Undocumented Workers To Farms, Tax Fraud PA Biz Indicted By DOJ For Supplying Hundreds Of Undocumented Workers To Farms, Tax Fraud
PA Biz Indicted By DOJ For Supplying Hundreds Of Undocumented Workers To Farms, Tax Fraud A labor contractor and four of his employees were indicted on federal charges for a scheme in which they supplied hundreds of undocumented workers to Pennsylvania mushroom farms and failed to file taxes -- having already defrauded the U.S. out of nearly $2 million, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Miguel Morales, 48, of Quarryville -- who owns and operates Morales Contractor --  provided a contracted labor force to various mushroom farms in Chester County, PA, the first indictment says. Morales housed some of the workers in 10 properties that he owns across Lancaster and Chester co…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Police: Officer, Knife-Wielding Suspect Both Dead After Car Rams U.S. Capitol Barricade Police: Officer, Knife-Wielding Suspect Both Dead After Car Rams U.S. Capitol Barricade
Police: Officer, Knife-Wielding Suspect Both Dead After Car Rams U.S. Capitol Barricade An officer was dead, as was a driver who rammed a vehicle into a barricade near the U.S. Capitol building and got out with a knife, authorities in Washington, D.C. said Friday. Officer William Evans, who'd served with the United States Capitol Police for 18 years, was taken to a nearby hospital in a police cruiser but died a short time later, authorities said. Another Capitol Police officer was hospitalized after being stabbed during the encounter – which sent the Capitol into lockdown -- shortly before 1:30 p.m. “The entire Department of Justice mourns with the U.S. Capitol Police and th…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
PA, Delaware, Maryland Sex Trafficker Who Brutalized Victims Gets 35 Years In Fed Pen PA, Delaware, Maryland Sex Trafficker Who Brutalized Victims Gets 35 Years In Fed Pen
PA, Delaware, Maryland Sex Trafficker Who Brutalized Victims Gets 35 Years In Fed Pen UPDATE: A Delaware man was sentenced in federal court in Philadelphia on Monday to 35 years in prison for running a multi-state sex trafficking operation that brutally victimized vulnerable young women and underage girls for years. From 2012 to 2017, Dkyle Bridges, 35, of Claymont, and two accomplices preyed on mostly homeless victims in southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and elsewhere who “needed financial and emotional support in their lives,” Deputy United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen said. Bridges lured victims “into the trafficking circle with false promises of that kin…

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by Jerry DeMarco