Tag:

Conspiracy

Maryland Fugitive Who Fled To Caribbean For 12 Years After Shooting Extradited To US Maryland Fugitive Who Fled To Caribbean For 12 Years After Shooting Extradited To US
Maryland Fugitive Who Fled To Caribbean For 12 Years After Shooting Extradited To US Kervon Noel made it nearly 12 years on the run after helping orchestrate a Maryland robbery that ended with two elderly residents shot in Montgomery County. Now, he's back after spending more than a decade in Trinidad and Tobago. Federal authorities say Noel played a key role in a pair of armed robberies that escalated into gunfire inside a Gaithersburg business in 2014. Police say Noel wasn’t just another suspect — he worked there. Investigators determined Noel, an employee at Sweeney Building Services, helped plan the August 2014 robbery by sharing inside knowledge about how the busines…
Bank Robbery Suspect Behind Bars Days After Deadly Virginia Barricade, Police Say Bank Robbery Suspect Behind Bars Days After Deadly Virginia Barricade, Police Say
Bank Robbery Suspect Behind Bars Days After Deadly Virginia Barricade, Police Say The tale of a Northern Virginia bank robbery keeps growing larger. Days after a barricade that ended one man dead, authorities in Loudoun County announced that Paul Peter Gerardi, Jr., 40, has been arrested and charged for his role in the incident. The Leesburg resident has been taken into custody for his role in a robbery earlier this week that resulted in a deadly barricade and Gerardi behind bars. On April 1, police say a man walked into the Capital One Bank on Gateway Center Drive in Gainesville, jumped over the counter, and demanded money from tellers before fleeing with an undisclose…
Maryland Man Kidnapped, Viciously Beat Girlfriend’s Relative In Dayslong Abduction: Prosecutors Maryland Man Kidnapped, Viciously Beat Girlfriend’s Relative In Dayslong Abduction: Prosecutors
Maryland Man Kidnapped, Viciously Beat Girlfriend’s Relative In Dayslong Abduction: Prosecutors The Maryland man who conspired with his girlfriend to kidnap and terrorize one of her relatives for days has been convicted, authorities announced on Monday. Amar Julio Barrera, 44, was found guilty of home invasion and other offenses in connection with a harrowing incident that could have been taken from a Hollywood script, according to the Charles County State's Attorney's Office. The investigation began on Sept. 25, 2025, when officers from the Charles County Sheriff's Office were called to the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center for a reported assault. Upon arrival, …
Cocaine Kingpin Busted With 75 Kilos At Inner Harbor Sting Learns Prison Fate Cocaine Kingpin Busted With 75 Kilos At Inner Harbor Sting Learns Prison Fate
Cocaine Kingpin Busted With 75 Kilos At Inner Harbor Sting Learns Prison Fate A Baltimore man will spend more than a decade in prison after an episode of "The Wire" played out in real life and he was busted hauling 75 kilos of cocaine in duffel bags during a sting at National Harbor. Desmond Jones, 45, pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances after a yearlong federal investigation into a Baltimore drug trafficking organization. On Wednesday, federal authorities announced that Jones has been sentenced to 13 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. According t…
Vigilante Justice Backfires: Maryland Mom Learns Her Prison Fate After Shooting Teens Vigilante Justice Backfires: Maryland Mom Learns Her Prison Fate After Shooting Teens
Vigilante Justice Backfires: Maryland Mom Learns Her Prison Fate After Shooting Teens Vigilante justice is real. Real bad. A Maryland mother who shot two teens as revenge for allegedly robbing her son is going to prison for decades, authorities announced. Howard County officials announced that Dieneba Sekou Traore, 48, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 30 years, with all but 20 years suspended in connection with a 2024 shooting that left two juveniles wounded. The case stemmed from a violent night on Oct. 12, 2024, around 9:10 p.m., when Howard County Police responded to the 8800 block of Centre Park Drive in Ellicott City for reports of shots fired. Police arrived t…
Maryland ‘Clown’ Who Scammed 80-Year-Old Virginia Woman Out Of $26K Busted In Sting: Sheriff Maryland ‘Clown’ Who Scammed 80-Year-Old Virginia Woman Out Of $26K Busted In Sting: Sheriff
Maryland ‘Clown’ Who Scammed 80-Year-Old Virginia Woman Out Of $26K Busted In Sting: Sheriff An 80-year-old Virginia woman was conned out of more than $26,000 by crooks posing as US Treasury agents — until detectives set a trap that ended with a Maryland man in cuffs, officials said. The suspect, James Smith, 30, of Gaithersburg, was arrested after showing up to grab another $10,000 in cash from the victim, the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office said.  Deputies were waiting. Smith had already squeezed $26,000 from the woman over several days, investigators said.  He and others pretended to be Treasury agents, threatening the woman with “criminal charges” unless she handed…
Locked Up, Still Calling Shots: DC Murder Suspect Ran Criminal Ring From Behind Bars, Feds Say Locked Up, Still Calling Shots: DC Murder Suspect Ran Criminal Ring From Behind Bars, Feds Say
Locked Up, Still Calling Shots: DC Murder Suspect Ran Criminal Ring From Behind Bars, Feds Say He was supposed to be waiting for trial in a jail cell — instead, prosecutors say he was still running things from the inside. A District man already locked up in connection with the killing of his cousin has now been hit with nearly four more years in federal prison after authorities said he orchestrated a brazen contraband smuggling scheme from inside the DC Jail. Darius Robertson, 32, was sentenced to 46 months for conspiring to smuggle weapons, fentanyl, and cell phones into the Central Detention Facility while he was awaiting trial for murder, according to federal authorities. Roberts…
Cocaine Kingpin Busted With 75 Kilos At National Harbor Sting Faces Life: DOJ Cocaine Kingpin Busted With 75 Kilos At National Harbor Sting Faces Life: DOJ
Cocaine Kingpin Busted With 75 Kilos At National Harbor Sting Faces Life: DOJ A Baltimore man could spend the rest of his life in prison after an episode of "The Wire" played out in real life and he was busted hauling 75 kilos of cocaine in duffel bags during a sting at National Harbor. Desmond Jones, 45, pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances after a yearlong federal investigation into a Baltimore drug trafficking organization. According to court documents, Jones wasn’t just dabbling — he was tied directly to a California supplier who helped funnel bulk shipments of cocaine to the East…
‘Slushi Bandit’ Busted After $10K Ninja Slushi Machine Crime Spree In Fairfax County: Police ‘Slushi Bandit’ Busted After $10K Ninja Slushi Machine Crime Spree In Fairfax County: Police
‘Slushi Bandit’ Busted After $10K Ninja Slushi Machine Crime Spree In Fairfax County: Police An alleged criminal in Virginia with a very specific predilection for what she steals is behind bars after a nearly yearlong crime spree, authorities announced. Christine Woodson, 31, who has no fixed address, was wanted on 16 active warrants after she was found responsible for stealing more than a dozen Ninja Slushi appliances from stores across Fairfax County, totaling over $10,000 in theft over the past year. According to the Fairfax County Police Department, an officer on patrol in the area of Russell Road in Hybla Valley spotted a rental van "driving suspiciously" before the drive…
Foreign Nationals Charged In Virginia Walmart Abduction, Armed Robbery: Police Foreign Nationals Charged In Virginia Walmart Abduction, Armed Robbery: Police
Foreign Nationals Charged In Virginia Walmart Abduction, Armed Robbery: Police Talk about a terrifying shopping trip. Three foreign nationals are behind bars after allegedly abducting a woman outside a Walmart in Virginia, forcing her at gunpoint to drive to an ATM, and then to her home before fleeing with stolen cash and property, police announced. The Culpeper Police Department said it happened Wednesday morning, Aug. 27, around 10:30 a.m., when the woman was leaving the Walmart on James Madison Highway. Investigators said the suspects — Luis Felipe Garcia Baez, a resident of Mexico, Claudia Teresa Aldana Restrepo, and Elisa Andrea Espitia Campos, both of Colombia …
Maryland Power Grid Terror Plot: Neo-Nazi Sentenced For Attempt To 'Destroy Baltimore' Maryland Power Grid Terror Plot: Neo-Nazi Sentenced For Attempt To 'Destroy Baltimore'
Maryland Power Grid Terror Plot: Neo-Nazi Sentenced For Attempt To 'Destroy Baltimore' A convicted neo-Nazi terrorist who founded one of the nation’s most violent extremist groups has been sentenced for plotting to destroy Maryland’s power grid — and attempting to “completely lay this city to waste,” federal prosecutors announced. Brandon Clint Russell, 30, of Orlando, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Baltimore and across the Maryland region, according to federal officials. Russell is the founder of Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi organization established in …
Ex-Washington Wizards Star Gilbert Arenas Threw High-Stakes Poker Parties At CA Mansion: DOJ Ex-Washington Wizards Star Gilbert Arenas Threw High-Stakes Poker Parties At CA Mansion: DOJ
Ex-Washington Wizards Star Gilbert Arenas Threw High-Stakes Poker Parties At CA Mansion: DOJ Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas has been arrested and charged in a sprawling federal case accusing him and others of running high-stakes illegal poker games out of his mansion in California. Arenas, 43, who the centerpiece for the Washington Wizards for years, was taken into custody Wednesday, July 30, along with five others, including a suspected high-ranking member of an Israeli transnational organized crime group, federal prosecutors said. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the Woodland Hills resident, also known as “Agent Zero,” is charged with:…
Fourth Detainee Who Escaped New Jersey ICE Facility Captured 2,700 Miles Away Fourth Detainee Who Escaped New Jersey ICE Facility Captured 2,700 Miles Away
Fourth Detainee Who Escaped New Jersey ICE Facility Captured 2,700 Miles Away The fourth and final detainee who escaped from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in New Jersey last month was captured Thursday, July 17, in Los Angeles, more than 2,700 miles away, the FBI said. Andres Felipe Pineda-Mogollon, 25, a Colombian national, escaped from Delaney Hall in Newark following a riot on June 12, as previously reported by Daily Voice. The FBI did not release further details about Pineda-Mogollon's escape. The three other detainees were identified as: Franklin Norberto Bautista-Reyes, a Honduran national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2021, was arreste…
Virginia Man Worked With Georgia Inmate To Flood State With Meth, Feds Say Virginia Man Worked With Georgia Inmate To Flood State With Meth, Feds Say
Virginia Man Worked With Georgia Inmate To Flood State With Meth, Feds Say A Virginia man who helped a Georgia prison inmate flood the state with meth is headed to federal prison. Christopher M. Sullivan, 31, of Bristol, was sentenced to 96 months in prison after a federal jury convicted him of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, authorities announced on Thursday, July 17. Sullivan was found guilty in June following a three-day trial in US District Court in Abingdon. According to federal prosecutors, Sullivan worked directly with Christopher David Johnson, an inmate inside a Georgia state prison, who was running a large-scale meth trafficking operation from…
IRS Scam Busted: $93M COVID Fraud Tied To Attempted Hit On Alleged Mastermind IRS Scam Busted: $93M COVID Fraud Tied To Attempted Hit On Alleged Mastermind
IRS Scam Busted: $93M COVID Fraud Tied To Attempted Hit On Alleged Mastermind It started with a fake business. It ended with a shootout in broad daylight. Four people are facing federal charges in what prosecutors call the largest COVID-19 tax credit fraud scheme ever identified.  This $93 million operation allegedly involved fake companies, kickbacks, and a botched attempt to silence the ringleader. The sprawling indictment, unsealed in Los Angeles, details an alleged conspiracy to defraud the IRS by submitting false claims for Coronavirus Response Credits.  These federal tax refunds were designed to help small businesses cover sick and family leave wage…
Feds ID Four Migrants Who Escaped NJ ICE Facility, $10K Reward Offered Feds ID Four Migrants Who Escaped NJ ICE Facility, $10K Reward Offered
Feds ID Four Migrants Who Escaped NJ ICE Facility, $10K Reward Offered Federal officials are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of four criminal illegal aliens who escaped from Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark on Thursday, June 12, the Department of Homeland Security said. The agency maintained that no widespread unrest occurred at the facility, contradicting various media reports including some saying 50 inmates pushed down a wall after meals were served late.  Officials said Delaney Hall remains “dedicated to providing high-quality services” and maintains 24/7 medical care, visitation, legal access, meals, reli…
Global Swatting Ringleader Who Targeted Congress, Churches, Media Pleads Guilty: DOJ Global Swatting Ringleader Who Targeted Congress, Churches, Media Pleads Guilty: DOJ
Global Swatting Ringleader Who Targeted Congress, Churches, Media Pleads Guilty: DOJ A Romanian man who led a global swatting ring that targeted members of Congress, churches, and even a former US president has pleaded guilty, federal officials announced. Thomasz Szabo, 26, known online as “Plank,” “Jonah,” and “Cypher,” entered his guilty plea in federal court this week, according to the US Department of Justice. Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024 and admitted to running a years-long online conspiracy that involved making fake bomb and mass-shooting threats across the United States, investigators said. He and his crew targeted more than 75 public officials…
Disturbing Viral Video Could Be Linked To Burning Car Murder In DMV: Police Disturbing Viral Video Could Be Linked To Burning Car Murder In DMV: Police
Disturbing Viral Video Could Be Linked To Burning Car Murder In DMV: Police A disturbing video allegedly tied to a horrific homicide case in Maryland is making the rounds on social media — and now police are trying to figure out if it’s real. Detectives with the Anne Arundel County Police Department confirmed on Tuesday, June 3, that they are actively working to authenticate a video alleged to be connected to the murder of 67-year-old Edward Stephen Koza, whose body was found in a burning car last month behind a Davidsonville business. According to Fox Baltimore, Koza's arms and legs were bound, his mouth was covered with tape, and he was placed in the back seat of…
Virginia Man Tied To 2023 Teen Killing Charged With Murder After 2-Year Investigation: Police Virginia Man Tied To 2023 Teen Killing Charged With Murder After 2-Year Investigation: Police
Virginia Man Tied To 2023 Teen Killing Charged With Murder After 2-Year Investigation: Police Nearly two years after a 19-year-old was gunned down in Fredericksburg, a suspect is finally behind bars and facing murder charges, authorities announced on Thursday. Ahmad Haigler, 26, of Spotsylvania, was arrested on May 29, and charged in connection with the fatal 2023 shooting of Antione Fox, according to the Fredericksburg Police Department. Fox was just 19 years old when police say he was shot and killed on June 10, 2023, sparking an intensive investigation that stretched nearly two years. Detectives said they were able to identify Haigler as a suspect through evidence collected over…
Phone Call To Drug Dealer’s Mom Led To Deadly Robbery, Burning Of Body In Virginia: DOJ Phone Call To Drug Dealer’s Mom Led To Deadly Robbery, Burning Of Body In Virginia: DOJ
Phone Call To Drug Dealer’s Mom Led To Deadly Robbery, Burning Of Body In Virginia: DOJ A Virginia drug dealer will spend the next three decades behind bars after robbing his supplier, shooting him dead, then setting his body on fire to cover up the crime, federal officials said. Joseph Richard Walker, 30, of Roanoke, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to the US Attorney’s Office. Walker admitted to robbing and killing a Pennsylvania man known as “E.B.” — his marijuana supplier — during a premeditated setup in April 2023, then dragging the victim’s body…
DMV Teen Admits To Making Bomb, Shooting Hoax Calls Across US: DOJ DMV Teen Admits To Making Bomb, Shooting Hoax Calls Across US: DOJ
DMV Teen Admits To Making Bomb, Shooting Hoax Calls Across US: DOJ A 19-year-old from Maryland who helped run an online “Purgatory” group behind a wave of terrifying swatting calls—targeting schools, airports, casinos, and homes—has pleaded guilty in federal court, authorities announced. Owen Jarboe, of Hagerstown, admitted to conspiracy, cyberstalking, and making interstate threats involving fire and explosives between December 2023 and Jan. 18, 2024, according to the US Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said that Jarboe and his co-conspirators used Telegram, Instagram, and shared spoofing scripts to mask their identities while triggering police responses to…
M&M Factory Fight: Coworker Beaten Outside By 2 Employees, Police Say M&M Factory Fight: Coworker Beaten Outside By 2 Employees, Police Say
M&M Factory Fight: Coworker Beaten Outside By 2 Employees, Police Say A brutal attack outside the M&M Mars factory in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, left one employee with serious injuries, borough police announced in a release on Thursday, April 17. Angel L. Sanchez-Abreu and Wilbert A. Sanchez allegedly beat a fellow coworker at the sweet plant just after noon outside the candy plant on South Brown Street on Thursday, April 3, investigators said. The victim suffered a broken nose and a hairline skull fracture in the assault, which unfolded around 1:31 p.m., police said. Angel L. Sanchez-Abreu has since turned himself in and is cooperating with authoritie…
Sean Kingston, Mom Federally Convicted In $1M Wire Fraud Scheme, Report Says Sean Kingston, Mom Federally Convicted In $1M Wire Fraud Scheme, Report Says
Sean Kingston, Mom Federally Convicted In $1M Wire Fraud Scheme, Report Says Rapper Sean Kingston and his mom Janice Turner have been convicted in a million-dollar luxury goods fraud scheme that prosecutors say involved bogus wire transfers, fake bank documents, and a whole lot of bling they never paid for, officials announced. After more than 3½ hours of deliberation, a Florida jury on Friday, March 28, found Kingston, 34, and Turner, 61, guilty of federal wire fraud, NBC News reports. Kingston was ordered to house arrest with electronic monitoring and must post a surety bond including a home worth $500,000 and $200,000 in cash, NBC said. Turner will remain in fede…
Two From DC Among Five Arrested In Three Hours At Same Safeway, Police Say Two From DC Among Five Arrested In Three Hours At Same Safeway, Police Say
Two From DC Among Five Arrested In Three Hours At Same Safeway, Police Say Shoplifters in Bethesda had a rough day during what police described as a "retail blitz."  Five people were arrested — in three separate incidents — during a three-hour span at the same Safeway store in Montgomery County, police say. The thefts happened back-to-back-to-back on the afternoon of Thursday, March 20 at the Safeway in the 5000 block of Bradley Boulevard. The first arrest came around 12:30 p.m., when a man and woman were spotted stealing from the store, according to Montgomery County Police.  Officers first apprehended 34-year-old Shelon Emmanel Johnson, and…
Virginia Man, Maryland Woman Arrested In Pennsylvania For Hagerstown Shooting: Police Virginia Man, Maryland Woman Arrested In Pennsylvania For Hagerstown Shooting: Police
Virginia Man, Maryland Woman Arrested In Pennsylvania For Hagerstown Shooting: Police A pair of suspects wanted for attempted murder after a shooting in downtown Hagerstown were tracked down and arrested across state lines, police said. Ashley Pennant, 29, of Hagerstown, and Darryl Lee Robinson Jr., 32, of Ashburn, Virginia, were taken into custody on Sunday, March 24, just north of Waynesboro, according to the Hagerstown Police Department. The two were wanted in connection with a shooting that happened one day earlier, on Sunday, March 23, in the unit block of E. Antietam Street in Hagerstown. Investigators said both suspects are facing charges of attempted murder, multipl…
Multi-State Museum Heist Crew Sentenced In Decades-Long Crime: Feds Multi-State Museum Heist Crew Sentenced In Decades-Long Crime: Feds
Multi-State Museum Heist Crew Sentenced In Decades-Long Crime: Feds It took them 20 years to steal it all—but just four weeks for a jury to take it back. Now, multiple members of the Pennsylvania-based museum heist crew are heading to prison. Thomas Trotta, 49, of Dunmore, was sentenced on Friday, March 14 to serve 96 months in prison, followed by supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,759,073 in restitution for his role in the massive multi-state theft operation targeting fine art, sports memorabilia, and historic artifacts worth over $4 million the FBI announced on Tuesday, March 18. Trotta and his co-conspirators carried out a string of museum heists …
Scammers Stole Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tickets In $600K+ Scheme, Prosecutors Say Scammers Stole Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tickets In $600K+ Scheme, Prosecutors Say
Scammers Stole Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tickets In $600K+ Scheme, Prosecutors Say Taylor Swift fans are hoping "Karma" comes to whoever scammed them out of expensive tickets to The Eras Tour. Two people were accused of stealing nearly 1,000 tickets to high-demand events, including the popstar's record-breaking concert tour. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced arrests in the case in a news release on Monday, Mar. 3. Tyrone Rose, 20, of Kingston, Jamaica, and Shamara Simmons, 31, of Queens, NY, were facing charges including grand larceny, conspiracy, and computer tampering.  "These defendants tried to use the popularity of Taylor Swift…
Good Samaritan Killed When Federal Officer's Gun Fires During VA  Brawl Identified: Sheriff Good Samaritan Killed When Federal Officer's Gun Fires During VA  Brawl Identified: Sheriff
Good Samaritan Killed When Federal Officer's Gun Fires During VA Brawl Identified: Sheriff New details have been released by the Stafford County Sheriff's Office after a 61-year-old man was killed by a federal agent's gun that discharged during a dispute with an unruly family. Deputies responded to Stratford Place subdivision around 6:35 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, after an off-duty federal law enforcement officer confronted a motorcyclist riding recklessly through the neighborhood, according to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. The motorcyclist initially left the area but later returned with family members, sparking a heated altercation near the intersection of North Jenny Lynn…
Inmate Plots Wife’s Murder From Prison In Chilling Virginia Murder-For-Hire Scheme: Police Inmate Plots Wife’s Murder From Prison In Chilling Virginia Murder-For-Hire Scheme: Police
Inmate Plots Wife’s Murder From Prison In Chilling Virginia Murder-For-Hire Scheme: Police A Virginia inmate is accused of orchestrating a chilling murder-for-hire plot to kill his 23-year-old wife while behind bars, police said. Lionel Melvin Carter III, 34, incarcerated at Sussex State Prison, allegedly conspired with three other men to lure his wife, Egypt Zapporah Carter of Burlington, NC, to a Woodbridge neighborhood on Feb. 2.  She was ambushed and fatally shot while sitting in her vehicle near Bronson Court and Brickwood Drive, police said. The victim was reportedly drawn to the area under the ruse of picking up prescription narcotics for her husband.  Instead,…
Fairfax County Pair Arrested In Connection To Double Shooting In That Hospitalized Minors: PD Fairfax County Pair Arrested In Connection To Double Shooting In That Hospitalized Minors: PD
Fairfax County Pair Arrested In Connection To Double Shooting In That Hospitalized Minors: PD Alexandria Police have arrested two Fairfax County residents in connection with the double shooting that occurred near the intersection of North Fayette and Wythe Streets in late September, authorities announced. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, authorities announced the arrests of Fitzhugh Godwin IV, 22, and Marcus Elliott, 28 following a weeks-long investigation into a shooting earlier this year.  The arrests stem from the Sept. 28 incident where two juveniles were shot while sitting in a parked car on Wythe Street. Both victims were transported to a local hospital, one in critical condition and…
District Man Sentenced After Attempted Murder Caught On Camera In Maryland (VIDEOS) District Man Sentenced After Attempted Murder Caught On Camera In Maryland (VIDEOS)
District Man Sentenced After Attempted Murder Caught On Camera In Maryland (Videos) A District man will spend decades in prison after pleading guilty mid-trial for an attempted murder that was caught on camera in Maryland, authorities announced. The 22-year-old saw the writing on the wall and admitted his guilt in the middle of a jury trial earlier this year in connection to his role in a shooting in a well-known Silver Spring alleyway following a wild chase in June 2022, according to the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office. He was sentenced to 70 years in prison with all but 30 to serve, followed by five years of supervised probation when he is released. …