Tag:

Department of Justice

Would-Be Church Shooter Penned Chilling Letters Before Being Thwarted In Haymarket: DOJ Would-Be Church Shooter Penned Chilling Letters Before Being Thwarted In Haymarket: DOJ
Would-Be Church Shooter Penned Chilling Letters Before Being Thwarted In Haymarket: DOJ A Falls Church man who entered a Prince William County church armed with a gun and dozens of rounds of ammunition was convicted of a federal hate crime after making threats to kill congregants during Sunday services, authorities announced. After a four-day trial, a federal jury found Rui Jiang, 35, guilty on all charges, including attempting to obstruct the free exercise of religious beliefs through an attempted act of violence involving a dangerous weapon, according to the Department of Justice. Jiang was also convicted of transmitting online threats and a firearms violation, prosecut…
Predator Who Stalked, Kidnapped Victims In Alexandria Gets 20 Years: Feds Predator Who Stalked, Kidnapped Victims In Alexandria Gets 20 Years: Feds
Predator Who Stalked, Kidnapped Victims In Alexandria Gets 20 Years: Feds A violent predator who orchestrated two terrifying kidnappings in Virginia and Maryland—one of which ended in gunfire—will spend nearly 20 years behind bars, federal authorities announced. District resident Tyree Eugene McCombs, 29, was sentenced to 228 months in federal prison this week, for his role in the September 2022 abduction and armed robbery of a couple in Alexandria, and the November 2022 kidnapping, robbery, and shooting of a 25-year-old woman in Maryland and DC. McCombs, who was already on supervised release for a previous violent crime at the time of the attacks, pleaded guilty…
Quakertown Man Hid Explosives In Ceiling Tiles Of Schuylkill County Apartment, Sentenced: DOJ Quakertown Man Hid Explosives In Ceiling Tiles Of Schuylkill County Apartment, Sentenced: DOJ
Quakertown Man Hid Explosives In Ceiling Tiles Of Schuylkill County 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…
ICE Arrests Convicted Sex Offender In Brooklyn Following Prison Release ICE Arrests Convicted Sex Offender In Brooklyn Following Prison Release
ICE Arrests Convicted Sex Offender In Brooklyn Following Prison Release U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested a 52-year-old Brazilian national who was convicted in Connecticut of sexual assault, unlawful restraint, and violating a restraining order, authorities said. Emerson Eduardo Ferreira was taken into custody on Jan. 24, in Brooklyn, CT, after being released from state custody, ICE officials said. According to Patricia H. Hyde, acting Field Office Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Ferreira entered the U.S. lawfully on April 27, 1999, but later violated the terms of his admission and "brutally victimized a Connecticu…
North Bergen Pawn Shop Owner Tied To Burglary Of QB Joe Burrow's Home: DOJ North Bergen Pawn Shop Owner Tied To Burglary Of QB Joe Burrow's Home: DOJ
North Bergen Pawn Shop Owner Tied To Burglary Of QB Joe Burrow's Home: DOJ A 43-year-old North Bergen man was arrested and charged this week for serving as a fence for stolen property, including items stolen from the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, authorities said. Dimitry Nezhinskiy along with Juan Villar, a New York resident, ran a pawn shop in the Diamond District that worked with South American theft groups, purchasing stolen watches, jewelry and other luxury items and then reselling them in their store, John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said. Nezhinskiy and Villar regularly served as “fen…
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…
Trump Commutes Sentence Of Former Newburgh Tattoo Shop Owner, Oath Keeper Member Trump Commutes Sentence Of Former Newburgh Tattoo Shop Owner, Oath Keeper Member
Trump Commutes Sentence Of Former Newburgh Tattoo Shop Owner, Oath Keeper Member A former Hudson Valley tattoo shop owner and Oath Keepers militia group member was one of 14 people who had their sentences commuted by President Donald Trump. Roberto Minuta, age 39, currently of Prosper, Texas, was arrested in March 2021 at his Newburgh tattoo shop in Orange County and sentenced in June 2023 to 54 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release for his part in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots. According to the Department of Justice, Minuta, who often worked as a bodyguard for Trump’s longtime advisor Roger Stone, was later seen at the Capitol&n…
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…
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 …
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…
DOJ: Hazleton Discriminates Against Hispanic Voters With 'At-Large System', Suit Claims DOJ: Hazleton Discriminates Against Hispanic Voters With 'At-Large System', Suit Claims
DOJ: Hazleton 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…
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…
US Attorney Matthew Graves To Step Down Days Before Trump Inauguration In DC US Attorney Matthew Graves To Step Down Days Before Trump Inauguration In DC
US Attorney Matthew Graves To Step Down Days Before Trump Inauguration In DC Matthew Graves is stepping down as US Attorney for DC, his office confirmed, announcing that his resignation will be official as of Thursday, Jan. 16, four days before the presidential inauguration.  Graves has been in the role of DC's top prosecutor for more than three years following his confirmation by the Senate on Oct. 28, 2021, days before he was sworn in on Nov. 5, 2021.  “Serving as the US Attorney for the District of Columbia has been the honor of a lifetime,” Graves said, thanking Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, President Biden, and Attorney General Merrick Garland …
Nurse, Fed Pen Lt. Convicted Of Ignoring VA Inmate's Medical Crisis That Killed Him: Officials Nurse, Fed Pen Lt. Convicted Of Ignoring VA Inmate's Medical Crisis That Killed Him: Officials
Nurse, Fed Pen Lt. Convicted Of Ignoring VA Inmate's Medical Crisis That Killed Him: Officials A federal prison lieutenant and nurse in Virginia have been convicted after ignoring an inmate’s medical crisis that led to his death, authorities announced. Former Lt. Shronda Covington, 49, and Registered Nurse Tonya Farley, 53, both of Chesterfield, were on duty at the Federal Correctional Institution in Petersburg on Jan. 9, 2021, when a 47-year-old inmate - only identified as W.W. - began showing clear signs of a neurological emergency. Instead of getting help, Covington and Farley ignored W.W.’s worsening condition — including incontinence, inability to talk, and frequent falls — leav…
Federal Oversight Ends For Yonkers Police Department After Major Reforms Federal Oversight Ends For Yonkers Police Department After Major Reforms
Federal Oversight Ends For Yonkers Police Department After Major Reforms A police department in Westchester has implemented enough major reforms to result in the conclusion of federal oversight after years of monitoring, officials announced. In an announcement on Tuesday, Dec. 3, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York revealed that oversight of the Yonkers Police Department has officially ended following significant reforms made to improve its policies, training, and community engagement. The federal oversight originally stemmed from an investigation that began in 2007 and a subsequent agreement in November 2016 aimed at address…
'Unconstitutional:' Feds Slam Trenton Police For Excessive Force, Illegal Stops 'Unconstitutional:' Feds Slam Trenton Police For Excessive Force, Illegal Stops
'Unconstitutional:' Feds Slam Trenton Police For Excessive Force, Illegal Stops Federal investigators have accused the Trenton Police Department (TPD) of widespread civil rights violations, including excessive force and illegal arrests, calling the department’s practices “unconstitutional” in a damning report released Thursday, Nov. 21. The Department of Justice (DOJ) found that TPD officers routinely stopped and searched individuals without reasonable suspicion, made arrests without probable cause, and escalated encounters with excessive force.  These practices, compounded by poor training, inadequate oversight, and a lack of accountability, have eroded community…
Long Island Man Charged In Montgomery County's First $2.3M Gold Bar Scam, Police Say Long Island Man Charged In Montgomery County's First $2.3M Gold Bar Scam, Police Say
Long Island Man Charged In Montgomery County's First $2.3M Gold Bar Scam, Police Say A Long Island man is accused of orchestrating a $2.3 million gold bar scam that targeted an elderly Montgomery County mother and her daughter, police say.  Montgomery County police have charged 26-year-old Yash Shah of Baldwin, New York, in a government-imposter scam that defrauded an 88-year-old woman and her 61-year-old daughter out of millions worth of gold bars. Authorities said this is the first reported scam of its kind in the county. According to the Montgomery County Department of Police, the scheme began in February 2023, when the victims were contacted by someone claiming to…
Federal Indictment Of Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins Dismissed With Prejudice By Judge Federal Indictment Of Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins Dismissed With Prejudice By Judge
Federal Indictment Of Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins Dismissed With Prejudice By Judge Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins had some strong words after the federal charges against him were dropped, claiming that it was a politically-motivated move that had a major impact on his friends and family. On Tuesday, charges against the sheriff in a federal gun case were dismissed with prejudice after 597 days in what the sheriff called a "malicious" attack on him and his character. "With almost 35 years in law enforcement, I've always believed in the justice system," Jenkins said. "I've never seen anything like this in my life."  Sheriff Chuck Jenkins to address media fo…
Iranian Operative, 2 NY Associates Nabbed In Plot To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says Iranian Operative, 2 NY Associates Nabbed In Plot To Assassinate Donald Trump, DOJ Says
Iranian Operative, 2 NY Associates Nabbed In Plot 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…
It's Now 'Logistically Impossible' For Trump To Serve Any Prison Time, Expert Says It's Now 'Logistically Impossible' For Trump To Serve Any Prison Time, Expert Says
It's Now 'Logistically Impossible' For Trump To Serve Any Prison Time, Expert Says Critics hoping to see former President Donald Trump in a jail cell can kiss that fantasy goodbye following his second White House win. The 78-year-old Trump will almost certainly see his myriad legal troubles vanish now that he’s been declared the winner of the 2024 election against Vice President Kamala Harris, said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor. Trump is currently facing federal charges in Washington, DC, for alleged fraud in the 2020 election, as well as election fraud charges in the state of Georgia. Special Counsel Jack Smith has also appealed a federal judge’s ruling dism…
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…
Virginia Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate Removals Of Voter Registrations Virginia Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate Removals Of Voter Registrations
Virginia Asks Supreme Court To Reinstate Removals Of Voter Registrations Virginia is appealing to the country's highest court to allow the state to remove hundreds of suspected noncitizen voters. Attorney General Jason Miyares announced that on Sunday night, the state filed an emergency stay with the US Supreme Court after a federal judge restored approximately 1,600 voters that had been purged from the voter roll under an order issued by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. It’s commonsense: noncitizens shouldn’t be on our voter rolls. Thank you @JasonMiyaresVA for filing immediately with the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency appeal of the order for Virginia to put over 1…
VA Lawmakers Seeing Red After 'Politically-Motivated Stunt' To Reinstate Hundreds Of Voters VA Lawmakers Seeing Red After 'Politically-Motivated Stunt' To Reinstate Hundreds Of Voters
VA Lawmakers Seeing Red After 'Politically-Motivated Stunt' To Reinstate Hundreds Of Voters Elected officials in Virginia are seeing fire after a federal judge ordered the state to reinstate hundreds of noncitizens back onto voter rolls days before Election Day. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and AG Jason Miyares both issued statements following the ruling, which allows voters previously removed from the rolls to be reinstated following a federal lawsuit. "Let’s be clear about what just happened: only 11 days before a Presidential election, a federal judge ordered Virginia to reinstate over 1,500 individuals–who self-identified themselves as noncitizens–back onto the voter rolls," t…
DOJ Reaches $100M Settlement With Owners, Managers Of Vessel That Destroyed Key Bridge DOJ Reaches $100M Settlement With Owners, Managers Of Vessel That Destroyed Key Bridge
DOJ Reaches $100M Settlement With Owners, Managers Of Vessel That Destroyed Key Bridge The owners and managers of the ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year in Baltimore have reached a settlement exceeding $100 million to offset the government's costs, federal authorities announced late on Thursday. Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, which owned and operated the DALI vessel that struck the bridge earlier this year, has agreed to pay a $101,980,000 settlement to resolve a civil claim filed earlier this year. The crash dismantled the bridge, and caused chaos for the Port of Baltimore and left several workers dea…
Gold Bar Scammer Admits To $230K Scheme Targeting Elderly Man In Silver Spring: Prosecutors Gold Bar Scammer Admits To $230K Scheme Targeting Elderly Man In Silver Spring: Prosecutors
Gold Bar Scammer Admits To $230K Scheme Targeting Elderly Man In Silver Spring: Prosecutors The Maryland scammer believed to be a part of an international organized crime ring targeting elderly residents will face decades in prison, according to the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office. Ravinklejeet Mathon pleaded guilty this week and will face 40 years behind bars after scheming to steal three one-kilo gold bars with an estimated value of nearly $230,000 from an elderly man in Silver Spring. "The scam is believed to be part of an international organized crime ring," prosecutors said. "Similar Gold Bar Scams have been reported here in Montgomery County and across the United…
Clinton Dad Who Killed Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Infant In DC Learns His Fate Clinton Dad Who Killed Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Infant In DC Learns His Fate
Clinton Dad Who Killed Mother, Grandmother In Front Of Infant In DC Learns His Fate The Maryland man who set an apartment on fire with an infant inside and killed his child's mother and grandmother in Southeast DC more than three years ago may spend the rest of his life in prison. Clinton resident Keenan Turner, 35, was sentenced to 68 years in prison in connection to the April 2021 murders of Wanda and Ebony Wright, the shooting of a third victim, and the attempted murder of an infant when he set the fire, federal authorities announced. Prosecutors say that Turner's intention in committing the offenses was "solely to avoid paying child support."  They had been pushi…
Virginia Protester Who Painted 'HAMAS IS COMING' On Statue Outside Union Station Charged: Feds Virginia Protester Who Painted 'HAMAS IS COMING' On Statue Outside Union Station Charged: Feds
Virginia Protester Who Painted 'Hamas IS Coming' On Statue Outside Union Station Charged: Feds A Virginia man who defaced federal property at Columbus Circle with spray paint outside Union Station in Northeast DC during a pro-Gaza demonstration has been arrested, federal authorities announced. Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, was the latest to be charged on Friday for allegedly spray-painting the monument in July. Department of Justice According to court documents, on Wednesday, July 24, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle in Northeast DC, directly in front of Union Station. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. that afternoon, demonstrators i…
Honduran National Convicted Of Assaulting Charles County Resident Back In Custody: ICE Honduran National Convicted Of Assaulting Charles County Resident Back In Custody: ICE
Honduran National Convicted Of Assaulting Charles County Resident Back In Custody: ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Baltimore apprehended a 26-year-old Honduran national in Charles County after he was convicted of assaulting his victim in Maryland, authorities announced. Evin Obdulio Ponce-Guillen was taken into custody in Waldorf late last month after police learned that he made his way into the country illegally following an arrest in September 2023, when he was charged with second-degree assault. Ponce-Guillen was arrested on Sept. 5, 2023, and convicted on the charge on Friday, April 5, when he was sentenced to five years in prison. The court then suspended t…
Maryland Suing Ship Owners, Managers Over Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore: AG Maryland Suing Ship Owners, Managers Over Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore: AG
Maryland Suing Ship Owners, Managers Over Key Bridge Collapse In Baltimore: AG The Maryland Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit seeking damages from the owners and operators of the DALI cargo ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year in Baltimore. On Tuesday, AG Anthony Brown announced that his agency has filed a lawsuit targeting the owners – Grace Ocean Private Limited –and managers – Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. – of the M/V DALI for causing the March collision that dismantled the bridge and caused chaos for the Port of Baltimore. Brown said that since the fatal collapse - which claimed the lives of six people - has impacted Maryl…
OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Ocean County, Feds Say OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Ocean County, Feds Say
OceanFirst Bank Agrees To $15M Settlement For Redlining In Ocean County, Feds Say A Jersey Shore bank will pay more than $15 million in a settlement for racially discriminatory lending practices known as redlining, authorities said. OceanFirst Bank agreed to the settlement to resolve the accusations that date back to 2018, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. The Toms River-based bank was accused of redlining in predominantly non-white neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties. The $15 million settlement came after the Department of Justice launched its Combating Redlining Initiative in October 2021, aiming to s…
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…