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TikTok Uproar, $20K Fundraiser Follow Felony Wiretap Charge In Lebanon Co. Rape Case: Affidavit
A Dauphin County woman is facing a felony wiretap charge and a false report accusation in a controversial case that’s ignited global attention, viral TikTok videos, and a $20,000 fundraiser.
Veronika Rodriguez, 24, went to the Fort Indiantown Gap Police Department on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, to report that she had been raped in a parked car by fellow airman Fahad Pervez three nights earlier. She claimed he withheld her glasses and assaulted her in the rear seat of his vehicle in a gated military lot, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
But investigators later concluded she was lyi…
Trump Moves To Void Biden Pardons, Claiming Autopen Use
President Donald Trump announced he is nullifying last-minute pardons issued by former President Joe Biden, arguing they were executed using autopen technology rather than a personal signature.
In a post on the social media Truth Social platform early Monday, March 17, Trump declared:
"The ‘Pardons’ that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen."
He further claimed that Biden was unaware of the pardons, adding:
"More importantl…
Connecticut Woman Held Stepson Captive For 2 Decades In 'Horrific' Conditions: Police
A Connecticut woman has been arrested after police say she held her stepson captive for over two decades, subjecting him to extreme neglect and abuse before he allegedly set fire to their home in a desperate bid for freedom.
Kimberly Sullivan, 56, of Waterbury, was arrested on Wednesday, March 12, and charged with multiple felonies, including first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons, and first-degree reckless endangerment, police said.
New Report: Stepmom Accused Of Holding Man Hostage Posts Bond; Police Detail Victim's Lif…
NJ Attorney, PA Mom Smuggled Contraband To Inmate In Federal Prison: DOJ
A New Jersey defense attorney and a Philadelphia woman are accused of sneaking contraband—including a cell phone, drugs, and cigarettes—into the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Philadelphia, federal authorities announced on Friday, March 7.
Paul DiMaio, 56, of Turnersville, New Jersey, and Tanya Culver, 55, of Philadelphia, were arrested and charged with providing contraband to an inmate and aiding and abetting, Acting U.S. Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer Jr. said.
On Feb. 4 at 10:53 a.m., DiMaio—who is a practicing criminal defense attorney—was recorded on FDC surveillance video entering t…
NJ Judge’s Son, ‘Fake Cop’ Suspect, Arrested On Gun Charge In PA
John Francis McCarthy IV, the son of a Princeton judge and previously accused of impersonating a police officer in Quarryville, is now facing a weapons charge in Pennsylvania, authorities announced on Friday, March 7.
McCarthy, 39, of Princeton, NJ, was arrested on Thursday, March 6, after an investigation by West Lampeter Township Police revealed he had fired a weapon at Morr Range in Willow Street, PA, in September 2024, despite being legally barred from possessing firearms.
McCarthy was prohibited from owning or using guns due to a protection-from-abuse (PFA) equivalent restraining order…
Juveniles ‘Playing Pranks’ Killed Federally Convicted Bank Robber In PA: DA
Two juveniles who were "playing pranks" on Matthew Hill, a federally convicted bank robber, fatally stabbed him during a struggle inside a Lancaster home, but no charges will be filed, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday, March 6.
Hill, 40, was stabbed in the chest during an altercation inside a home on the first block of West Farnum Street on Jan. 24, according to prosecutors. Investigators determined the stabbing was accidental, and the juvenile responsible will not face charges, authorities said.
Hill had been drinking at a bar earlier that evening an…
PA Teen Convicted Of Murdering Football Player Over Bag Of Chips: DA
An Allentown teenager has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2022 shooting death of 15-year-old Treshawn Tracy at a city park, authorities announced on Wednesday, March 5.
Elijah Patterson, now 19, was found guilty following a three-day trial of First-Degree Murder, Firearms Not to be Carried Without a License, and Possession of a Firearm by a Minor, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
Tracy, a sophomore at William Allen High School and a junior varsity football player, was shot and killed at Stevens' Park, 630 N. 6th Street, on Sept. 25, 2022. He was …
Jaw-Fracturing Attack On In-Laws At Family Barbecue Convicts PA Man: DA
A Lebanon man was convicted of violently attacking multiple female in-laws, fracturing one woman’s jaw and injuring another at a family barbecue, Lebanon County prosecutors announced on Monday, March 3.
Alberto Cruz was found guilty of felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor simple assault, misdemeanor resisting arrest, and summary disorderly conduct by a jury on Friday, Feb. 28, according to the district attorney’s office.
Cruz, who was estranged from his wife and barred from contacting her due to a previous assault, showed up uninvited at a family gathering, authorities said. When told t…
10-Year-Old Raped By 32 Year Old Pennsylvania Man Police Say
A Denver man is behind bars after being charged with the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old child in Lancaster County, authorities announced.
Giovanni Burgos, 32, is accused of raping a child, committing involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, indecent assault of a person less than 13, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, and indecent exposure, according to East Cocalico Township police.
Investigators allege Burgos sexually abused the child, prompting charges to be filed on Feb. 21, 2025, when his whereabouts were unknown.
On …
Drunk Driver Crashes Into Tree, Killing Passenger In Bethlehem: Police
A Pennsylvania man with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit was arrested for causing a fatal crash that killed his passenger last month, Bethlehem Township police announced on Friday, Feb. 21.
Randy Diomar Donato, 32, of Easton, was driving a 2006 Nissan Altima on William Penn Highway near Chipman Road when he lost control and crashed into a tree at 2:07 a.m. on Jan. 5, authorities said.
Nicole Danielle Guzman, 35, of Easton, was in the passenger seat and died at the scene from blunt-force trauma, according to the Northampton County Coroner's Office. Her death was ruled ac…
A$AP Rocky Of PA Found Not Guilty Of Hollywood Shooting, Avoids Prison
Rapper A$AP Rocky has been found not guilty of firing a gun at a former friend on a Hollywood street, dodging more than two decades behind bars, Los Angeles jurors decided on Tuesday, Feb. 18, according to multiple media outlets and court records.
The 36-year-old hip-hop star—whose real name is Rakim Mayers—was cleared of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm after jurors deliberated for just three hours.
A$AP Rocky, who has ties to Harrisburg, PA, and Elmwood Park, NJ, where he spent part of his youth, has long referenced his East Coast roots in his music and ris…
2 Court Staffers Tampered With, Stole By Records, Montco DA Says
Two longtime Montgomery County court employees are accused of stealing thousands of dollars in cash payments for traffic and parking violations while altering court records to cover their tracks, prosecutors announced on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Lisa Anne Shopa, 58, of Havertown, and Patricia Althouse, 54, of Ardmore, worked at Magisterial District Court 38-1-07 in Lower Merion Township, where they allegedly manipulated payment records and pocketed fines, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said in a release.
The alleged thefts surfaced during an internal review that began in S…
Death Row Inmate Tam Le, Who Murdered Brothers, Found Dead In Pennsylvania Prison
Tam Le, a convicted murderer sentenced to death for the brutal killings of two Philadelphia brothers, was found unresponsive in his cell at the State Correctional Institution at Phoenix, officials announced on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
SCI Phoenix Superintendent Joseph Terra said prison staff and medical personnel attempted life-saving measures, but Le, 53, was pronounced dead at 7:23 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Le was sentenced to death in December 2016 for the 2014 killings of brothers Vu “Kevin” Huynh, 31, and Viet Huynh, 28. Authorities said Le, a member of the Vietnamese gang "Born to Kill…
Stalker Who Cut Power, Sent Vulgar Gifts To PA Women Sentenced: DA
A man who stalked women in Bucks and Lehigh counties by attaching GPS trackers to their vehicles, sending obscene gifts, and breaking into a home has been sentenced to prison, authorities announced on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
Matthew Bustin, 33, of King of Prussia, was sentenced to five to 24 months in county prison with three years of probation after pleading guilty to Stalking – Repeatedly Committing Acts to Cause Fear in Lehigh County on Nov. 7, 2024, according to District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
Prosecutors had sought a state prison sentence, but Judge James T. Anthony handed down the s…
PA Man Who Sexually Abused Autistic Child, Fled Sentencing, Captured In Dominican Republic
A Reading man who sexually abused an autistic child and skipped his sentencing hearing was captured in the Dominican Republic and returned to Berks County, authorities announced Friday, Feb. 7.
Rafael Vendrell, 75, pleaded nolo contendere to two counts of Aggravated Indecent Assault in November 2023 after being accused of sexually abusing an autistic juvenile, according to Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams.
Vendrell was released on bail while awaiting his sentencing on Feb. 14, 2024, but failed to appear in court, prompting a judge to issue a bench warrant, authorities said.
On …
Rapist ‘Took My Childhood Away From Me,’ Now 13-Year-Old Victim Says At Sentencing: Bucks DA
A Bristol Township man will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for repeatedly raping a young girl over the course of three years, Bucks County authorities announced on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Carlos Navedo, 52, was sentenced to 35 to 70 years in a state correctional facility after being convicted in October of rape of a child, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, and corruption of minors, prosecutors said.
Navedo began raping the girl in January 2021 when she was just 9 years old and continu…
