Tara Alexis Sykes was taken into custody on Friday and charged with attempted murder while engaged in aggravated child abuse, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post on Monday.

An arrest report alleged that Sykes communicated with her 10-year-old daughter on the online gaming platform Roblox and instructed the girl “on various methods to kill the infant.” The court documents said Sykes is related to the 2-month-old.

“Sykes instructed the 10-year-old to drown the infant in the bathtub, burn the infant with scalding water, and drop the infant on the floor to kill the infant,” the sheriff’s office said.

On Thursday, the sheriff’s office was contacted by Gulf Coast Kids House about a 2-month-old infant who had suffered serious injuries after being dropped on the kitchen floor by the 10-year-old. Gulf Coast Kids House is a child advocacy center where forensic interviews and medical exams of children suspected of abuse are conducted.

The arrest report alleged that the 10-year-old picked up the infant “after he became fussy and was walking into the kitchen with him to find an adult” when the baby fell. The foster father picked up the baby and took him to the hospital where doctors said he had a skull fracture.

Morgan Lewis, a spokesperson with the sheriff’s office, said the 2-month-old is expected to survive.

The 10-year-old allegedly said during a forensic interview that she dropped the baby “on the floor at the direction of her mother,” the arrest report stated. The girl said she was “terrified of her mother and felt that if she did not follow through with the instructions, Sykes would harm or kill her as well,” the report said.

An investigation into the incident also revealed that Sykes had allegedly instructed the 10-year-old on “how to kill the adults the 10-year-old was temporarily living with by cutting their throats with a knife while they slept and burning their house by dousing bed sheets with aerosol spray and setting them on fire,” the sheriff’s office said.

The 10-year-old allegedly doused the sheets but was not able to carry out the instructions, according to authorities.

Sheriff Chip W. Simmons said he was “truly disturbed” by the allegations “and the thought that anyone could think like this, let alone instruct these acts to be carried out.”

“I have been in Law Enforcement for over 40 years and have never seen anything quite like this,” he said in a statement. “There is something really wrong with her.”

Sykes is being held without bond. The sheriff’s office spokesperson said they do not foresee the 10-year-old being charged. The case remains under investigation.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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In a decision released Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Litman ordered Giuliani to transfer personal property “including cash accounts, jewelry and valuables, a legal claim for unpaid attorneys’ fees, and his interest in his Madison Avenue co-op apartment to a receivership” within seven days.

Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss filed an action to seize the former New York City mayor’s assets in August in an effort to begin collecting on the $146 million in damages they were awarded last year after a judge found Giuliani liable for repeatedly defaming them. Giuliani had falsely accused the pair of election fraud after the 2020 presidential election.

NBC News reached out to a representative for Giuliani for comment.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

• Meta bans jet-tracking accounts that post updates on Trump, Musk and Zuckerberg
• Florida woman used Roblox to instruct 10-year-old to kill infant by dropping him on floor, officials say
• Some Juul users are receiving thousands of dollars as part of a $300M class action settlement

The news of his arrest comes one year after BBC News published an explosive report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted. That report said 12 men described attending or organizing events that included sex acts for Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith, and those events took place from 2009 to 2015. Some of the men who spoke to BBC said they were exploited or didn’t participate willingly. 

They are expected to appear in federal court in Florida and Wisconsin today, and arraigned on a later date in the eastern District of New York. 

Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told NBC News on Tuesday in response to the arrest: “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse — not the media.”

Read the full indictment below:

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673.

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Jeffries has been arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two other associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were also arrested in connection with sex trafficking charges.

They are expected to appear in federal court in Florida and Wisconsin today, and arraigned on a later date in the eastern District of New York. 

Jeffries was the CEO of the popular clothing brand from 1992 to 2014. 

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson each face a single count of sex trafficking as well as 15 counts of interstate prostitution tied to 15 alleged victims. 

A federal indictment alleges Jeffries — along with Smith, his romantic partner, and Jacobson, who was described as a recruiter — operated an “international sex trafficking and prostitution business” from 2008 to 2015. 

It alleges that they organized “sex events” in England, France, Italy, Morocco, St. Barts and New York for Jeffries, Smith and “others.” They “employed coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with the recruitment, hiring, transportation, obtaining, maintaining, solicitation and payment of the men to engage in commercial sex.”

The men who attended the events allegedly were led to believe that it could lead to modeling opportunities or help their careers or “that not complying with requests for certain acts during the Sex Events could harm their careers.”

The men were required to sign non-disclosure agreements and surrender their wallets and cell phones during the events.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson also allegedly recruited, hired and paid an exclusive set of household staff to “facilitate and supervise the sex events.” The staff provided Jeffries, Smith and the men who attended alcohol, muscle relaxants known as “poppers,” lubricant, Viagra and condoms, among other items. Either Jacobson or the staff paid the men for attending the sex events, the indictment said. 

Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a news conference that Jeffries and Smith spent millions on the sex trafficking enterprise — from paying staff, paying for travel and paying to maintain secrecy.

Peace said the operation used a referral system and interview process, during which the men that were allegedly preyed upon were not informed about the details of the sex events before attending. During those “tryouts” of potential candidates, Jacobson typically had candidates first engage in commercial sex acts with him, the indictment said. 

At the events, the men were pressured to drink and consume poppers, and “on more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of these men by subjecting them or continuing to subject them to invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects,” Peace said.

“Powerful individuals, for too long, have trafficked and abused for their own sexual pleasure young people with few resources in a dream, a dream of securing a successful career in fashion or entertainment,” Peace said. He warned anyone who thinks they can exploit or coerce by using the “so-called casting couch system” that they should “prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison.”

Peace said his office became aware of the alleged crimes through media reports. 

The news of Jeffries’ arrest comes one year after BBC News published an explosive report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted. That report said 12 men described attending or organizing events that included sex acts for Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith, and those events took place from 2009 to 2015. Some of the men who spoke to BBC said they were exploited or didn’t participate willingly. 

Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told NBC News at the time that Jeffries would not comment on reports about his personal life. Abercrombie & Fitch said the company was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations in the BBC report. 

Bieber told NBC News on Tuesday in response to the arrest: “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse — not the media.” 

Shortly after that report, Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged misconduct. That civil suit alleged he sexually abused numerous men after luring them with the promise of coveted modeling contracts, CNBC reported.

“Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals,” attorney Brittany Henderson, who is representing victims from that class action lawsuit, said in a statement Tuesday. 

“Their fight for justice does not end here,” the statement said. “We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again.”

When asked if the alleged sex trafficking enterprise possibly continued after 2015, Peace said the investigation is ongoing, and encouraged any victims or any witnesses to come forward.

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673.

Lewisville police responded to an ‘active shooter’ call Thursday afternoon, Oct. 17, at Allegiance Trucking on Lakeway Drive.

Officers responded quickly and on foot because the police department’s temporary building shares a parking lot with the trucking accessory company.

Employees immediately identified the shooter, who surrendered to police without incident.

The victim, identified by police as Tahmara Collazo, suffered five gunshot wounds and died at the hospital.

Travis Merrill, 51, is charged with murder and is in the Denton County Jail on a $10 million bond.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Merrill agreed to speak with the detective on the case.

Merrill allegedly confessed to the attack, telling police he was ‘obsessed with Collazo’ and became increasingly angry over her long unauthorized breaks and her ‘not paying any attention’ to him.

The affidavit did not mention specific dates or a timeline of events, but at one point, Collazo reported Merrill’s behavior to the administration.

He was made to speak with a counselor on the phone before being allowed back at work.

Upon returning to his job, Merrill told police he felt like his colleagues probably considered him ‘a psychopath.’  When Collazo began intentionally avoiding him, he said it fueled his anger, so he started to purchase guns.

Merrill allegedly went on to say his co-worker ‘had caused him pain, and he wanted her to feel pain, so he intentionally planned to shoot her at work with everyone there,’ according to the affidavit.

Merrill said he contemplated taking action on at least two occasions, including driving to work on his day off and sitting in the parking lot.

Merrill allegedly admitted to following Collazo out to the parking on her lunch break last Thursday, ‘readied his guns,’ waited, and followed the unsuspecting woman to her cubicle, “ambushing her” in front of horrified co-workers.

It’s unclear if Merrill has obtained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ‘acts of violence’ are the third leading cause of deadly work injuries in the U.S.

Crime is always a hot button issue in a presidential race.

But with contradicting claims about crime rates from both sides, it can be difficult to discern whether crime rates are truly up or down. 

According to a Harvard-CAPS Harris Poll, crime is the number four most important issue for voters in the upcoming election.

Nationally, both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been adamant that crime rates have declined under their administration. The White House released a statement last month saying violent crime is at a near 50-year low, according to new FBI data. 

But former President Donald Trump has pushed back against the Biden-Harris administration with claims that crime has risen since his time in office. In his September debate with Harris, Trump claimed “Crime here is up and through the roof.”

Trump has previously cited statistics to support his claims. At a rally in Philadelphia in June, Trump said “According to the much better National Crime Victimization Survey, there has actually been a 43% increase in violent crime since I left office.”

Both sides are citing statistics from credible sources, so how can they draw such different conclusions?

Politicians tend to cherry pick statistics

Trump and Harris have each cited statistics from national crime reports — the BJS’s National Crime Victimization Survey and the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. These two resources are considered the standard for national crime data, but the numbers they collect vary slightly.

The FBI’s UCR relies on crime reports submitted from police agencies across the country, while the BJS’s NCVS relies on survey participants to report crimes committed against them. 

And although there are year-to-year disparities between the NCVS and UCR, both sources show generally the same trend: crime has steadily declined since the 1990s. 

Regardless of that clear national trend, politicians often highlight statistics that benefit their campaign.

"Depending on where you stand, the campaign has decided which prime reporting method you’re interested in," says Jeff Asher, a crime analyst and co-founder of AH Datalytics.

The 2023 NCVS and 2023 UCR were released in September, and neither shows an increase in crime from 2022 to 2023. The NCVS shows crime remained mostly unchanged, while the UCR shows a 3% decrease in violent crime.

Although new data contradict Trump’s comments on the rise in crime, he has disregarded the need for data entirely, preferring instead to cite what comes down to "feelings." 

“You don't have to know anything about numbers. If you live in this country, you know crime has gone up," Trump said at a campaign event in Pennsylvania on Sept. 23.

Kevin Drakulich, associate director of criminology and criminal justice at Northeastern University, says that although many politicians take data out of context, Trump's claims about crime are particularly harmful.

"I would hate to have to draw a false equivalency between how both campaigns are approaching the data in each of [Trump's] elections," Drakulich says. "It's not cherry picking to purely make up things."

Crime data is complicated

Politicians may take numbers out of context, but it's surprising that both sides can find reliable data to back their different agendas.

The reason behind these conflicting statistics may have to do with the data sources themselves. Although both the NCVS and UCR are considered credible sources for crime data, each has benefits and drawbacks.

The NCVS covers a wider breadth of crime than the UCR, as many crimes go unreported to the police. But murder is not included in NCVS results, as victims cannot respond to the survey. It also has a significant margin of error.

The UCR offers reliable estimates of crimes reported to the police. But in 2021, the FBI changed how it collects crime data. Many agencies were unable to submit data to the FBI and only 65% of the United States’ population was covered by the 2021 UCR. 

Since 2021, the FBI has solved this problem. In 2022, 93.5% of the population was covered by the UCR and in 2023, 95.2% was covered.

It's not uncommon for the two reports from different samples to differ in year-to-year crime rates.

Presidents don't command local police departments

Candidates on both sides can use complex crime data to debate how their administrations handled crime. But experts say the federal government isn't the only influence on crime trends.

"The Department of Justice can provide money that basically goes to local police departments," says Drakulich. "The federal government can influence that, but local police departments are not under the jurisdiction of the presidency."

Violent crime trends are driven by a variety of factors. Socioeconomic changes can cause crime to rise or fall. Between the Trump and Biden administrations, murder rates that spiked in 2020 were likely influenced by the pandemic.

Because there are so many factors that influence crime, different cities experience their own ebbs and flows in crime rates. Mark Bliss, a deputy chief of the Detroit Police Department, explains that the federal government can't cater to all police departments.

"Each department and each location has different wants and needs," says Bliss. "If the federal government is in line with that, then that's great. But if it's not, then we will continue to push what we have to do to keep our specific community safe."

Detroit, which once had a crime-ridden reputation, has seen a massive decline in violent crime. Bliss credits some of this decline to resources provided by the federal government.

He says federal agencies like the FBI, DEA and and ATF often assist investigations, and federal grants have enabled the Detroit Police Department to purchase equipment they otherwise couldn't.

But these federal institutions don't change much from one president to the next.

"I think it would be fair to say that, you know, who's the president or political party, it really has very, very little to do with [federal resources for local policing] whatsoever," Bliss says. "It doesn't stop what I call 'the basics of policing.'"

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Jeffries has been arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two other associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were also arrested in connection with sex trafficking charges.

They are expected to appear in federal court in Florida and Wisconsin today, and arraigned on a later date in the eastern District of New York. 

Jeffries was the CEO of the popular clothing brand from 1992 to 2014. 

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson each face a single count of sex trafficking as well as 15 counts of interstate prostitution tied to 15 alleged victims. 

A federal indictment alleges Jeffries — along with Smith, his romantic partner, and Jacobson, who was described as a recruiter — operated an “international sex trafficking and prostitution business” from 2008 to 2015. 

It alleges that they organized “sex events” in England, France, Italy, Morocco, St. Barts and New York for Jeffries, Smith and “others.” They “employed coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with the recruitment, hiring, transportation, obtaining, maintaining, solicitation and payment of the men to engage in commercial sex.”

The men who attended the events allegedly were led to believe that it could lead to modeling opportunities or help their careers or “that not complying with requests for certain acts during the Sex Events could harm their careers.”

The men were required to sign non-disclosure agreements and surrender their wallets and cell phones during the events.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson also allegedly recruited, hired and paid an exclusive set of household staff to “facilitate and supervise the sex events.” The staff provided Jeffries, Smith and the men who attended alcohol, muscle relaxants known as “poppers,” lubricant, Viagra and condoms, among other items. Either Jacobson or the staff paid the men for attending the sex events, the indictment said. 

Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a news conference that Jeffries and Smith spent millions on the sex trafficking enterprise — from paying staff, paying for travel and paying to maintain secrecy.

Peace said the operation used a referral system and interview process, during which the men that were allegedly preyed upon were not informed about the details of the sex events before attending. During those “tryouts” of potential candidates, Jacobson typically had candidates first engage in commercial sex acts with him, the indictment said. 

At the events, the men were pressured to drink and consume poppers, and “on more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of these men by subjecting them or continuing to subject them to invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects,” Peace said.

“Powerful individuals, for too long, have trafficked and abused for their own sexual pleasure young people with few resources in a dream, a dream of securing a successful career in fashion or entertainment,” Peace said. He warned anyone who thinks they can exploit or coerce by using the “so-called casting couch system” that they should “prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison.”

Peace said his office became aware of the alleged crimes through media reports. 

The news of Jeffries’ arrest comes one year after BBC News published an explosive report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted. That report said 12 men described attending or organizing events that included sex acts for Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith, and those events took place from 2009 to 2015. Some of the men who spoke to BBC said they were exploited or didn’t participate willingly. 

Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told NBC News at the time that Jeffries would not comment on reports about his personal life. Abercrombie & Fitch said the company was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations in the BBC report. 

Bieber told NBC News on Tuesday in response to the arrest: “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse — not the media.” 

Shortly after that report, Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged misconduct. That civil suit alleged he sexually abused numerous men after luring them with the promise of coveted modeling contracts, CNBC reported.

“Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals,” attorney Brittany Henderson, who is representing victims from that class action lawsuit, said in a statement Tuesday. 

“Their fight for justice does not end here,” the statement said. “We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again.”

When asked if the alleged sex trafficking enterprise possibly continued after 2015, Peace said the investigation is ongoing, and encouraged any victims or any witnesses to come forward.

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673.

Lee Lor, 39, is accused of sending more than 350 separate emails over the course of six months stating he would commit a shooting at Shoal Creek Elementary School in the Carmel Mountain neighborhood.

Lor remained in custody without bail for the 10 months following his December 2023 arrest, but earlier this month, San Diego Superior Court Judge Aaron Katz dismissed the criminal threats charges against Lor, ruling the charges concerned Lor’s neighbors rather than anyone connected with the school.

Prosecutors argued the alleged threat regarding the school originated out of the defendant’s belief that his neighbors were angered by him smoking outside his home and that he sent the threat because he mistakenly believed the neighbors had children attending Shoal Creek Elementary.

While the emails Lor sent mentioned the school, they did not reference his neighbors in any way, and Katz ruled the law requires the threat be specific toward the person allegedly threatened.

According to preliminary hearing testimony, none of the emails was sent directly to the school.

District Attorney’s Investigator Yanci Blackwell testified during that hearing that through a review of the defendant’s emails, it was discovered these messages were sent out in seemingly random replies to numerous spam emails he received in his inbox.

One of those emails landed in the spam folder of a woman in Beverly Hills, who alerted police. Lor was arrested and the ensuing police investigation revealed that he lived less than a mile from the school.

After the case was dismissed, Lor was released from custody, but was re-arrested two weeks later on a new criminal threats count. He is being held without bail following Friday’s arraignment.

This time, the criminal-threats count names Shoal Creek’s principal as the victim.

Lor’s defense attorney, Deputy Public Defender Lucas Hirsty, argued in court that Lor never made any direct threat toward the principal and said prosecutors have filed various charges against his client, naming different penal codes and victims, the most recent of which was dismissed by a judge.

At the preliminary hearing, Hirsty said his client was essentially “ranting online” by sending out the copy-pasted emails, which the attorney described as “making a cry for help, however horrendous this court may feel it was.”

Hirsty argued for a supervised release from custody, saying Lor is a veteran, has no other criminal history and has taken steps to improve himself while in jail. Hirsty also argued that after Lor’s release, he did not send any communications or messages regarding the school or his neighbors.

In arguing for increased bail, Deputy District Attorney Savanah Howe said Lor represents a “significant threat to our community” and said he admitted to investigators following his initial arrest that he researched the school’s layout and that he “thought about committing a mass shooting approximately every month and he thought through how he would carry out that threat.”

Howe said students, parents and teachers have lived in fear since the threats were made and have had to decide between attending their school and preserving their safety.

“These are not decisions that teachers, staff or parents should have to make,” the prosecutors said. “If there’s one place our school staff, teachers, parents and students should feel safe, it’s inside the four walls of their own schools.”

Officers responded to a home in the 8700 block of Sylvan Drive, in the Arlanza neighborhood, after a resident disappeared for several days. According to the police report, neighborhood resident Richard Thomas Martinez made statements claiming he killed his roommate during the investigation. Martinez was detained, and a search of the property revealed a potential crime scene in the backyard.

Officers deployed cadaver dogs, who alerted them to freshly disturbed soil in the backyard. Police say as detectives began digging, they found human remains in freshly disturbed dirt.

The Riverside Sheriff-Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 31-year-old Bradley Minder, of Riverside.

Detectives arrested 48-year-old Martinez. He was later booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center for murder, and is currently being held without bail. 

Police say the men, who were roommates, had an altercation ending in the suspect killing Minder before burying his body in the backyard of their home. Details about the altercation were not immediately available.

Martinez was charged with murder, according to the county prosecutor’s office. His first court appearance was scheduled for Friday afternoon.

Michael DiGiorgio was set to be arraigned Friday in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom. The crimes occurred between May 2019 and November 2021, according to a news release announcing the charges this week from District Attorney’s Office.

The name of the woman who died from the alleged drugging was not immediately available.

DiGiorgio is charged with one count each of murder, forcible rape, rape of an unconscious person and oral copulation by use of a drug, along with two counts each of sodomy by use of a drug, forcible sexual penetration and furnishing a controlled substance, three counts of rape by use of a drug and five counts of sexual penetration by use of a drug, according to a news release from the District Attorney’s Office.

DiGiorgio was arrested Thursday morning by Redondo Beach police and remains in jail. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted as charged, prosecutors say.

It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney.

Investigators believe there are more victims. Anyone with information is asked to call the Redondo Beach Police Department’s hotline at 714-863-2859. 

A Barrow County grand jury indicted 14-year-old Colt Gray on 55 counts, including four counts of malice murder and four counts of felony murder, in the Sept. 4 shooting on the campus in Winder, Georgia, according to court records.

He is being charged as an adult in the case. He is accused of fatally shooting two students and two teachers, and wounding nine others.

The teenager was also indicted on charges including first-degree cruelty to children and aggravated assault.

His father, Colin Gray, was indicted on 29 counts, including second-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to children, involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct, according to records from the Barrow County District Attorney’s Office.

The father and son were indicted separately.

Two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News last month that Gray gave his son an AR-15 style rifle as a gift.

Gray gave his son the weapon at some point after they were interviewed by law enforcement officials in May 2023 in connection with reported online threats to carry out a school shooting, the sources said.

Both are scheduled to appear for arraignment on Nov. 21, when each would formally enter a plea. Colin Gray is being held in the Barrow County jail and his son is being held in a juvenile detention center in Gainesville. 

Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith said last month Colin Gray’s charges marked the first time in state history a parent of a suspected school shooter was charged.

Killed in the shooting were Mason Schermerhorn, 14; Christian Angulo, 14; Richard Aspinwall, 39; Cristina Irimie, 53.

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A man from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been charged after his 61-year-old wife was reported missing and then found dead inside their home.

65-year-old Vladimir Lushevskiy was taken into custody and charged with Abuse of a Corpse, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.

Lushevskiy’s charges were upgraded to homicide, strangulation and tampering with evidence and obstruction, according to the District Attorney’s Office on Friday, Oct. 18.

Léelo en español aquí.

On Sunday, October 13, 2024, at 12:33 a.m., officers responded to a missing person report along the 9000 block of Diplomat Place in the Bustleton section of Northeast Philadelphia.

Officers spoke with witnesses who reported that they last spoke to their friend, 61-year-old Lola Karabaeva, around 2:30 a.m. on October 12, 2024.

Authorities allege that Lushevskiy killed his wife sometime after she arrived to the couple’s home on Saturday.

Surveillance video from 2:38 a.m. shows the woman at the front door and struggling to unlock it for several minutes before the video ends. It was the last time she was seen alive in public.

Later that morning, the same surveillance camera picked up a man who neighbors identified as Lushevskiy outside of the home. He appeared calm as he moved to her car.

On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, detectives returned to the home to continue investigating the missing person case. During their search of the property, they discovered the body of Karabaeva wrapped in plastic inside a closet. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:13 a.m., police said.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.

The cause of death has yet to be determined.

Lushevskiy was arrested in Westhampton Township, NJ, in relation to a gun charge on Wednesday, officials said. He is still in New Jersey and it’s unclear when he will be extradited back to Philadelphia.

Neighbors honor Lola Karabaeva

Neighbors gathered outside of the home where Lola Karabaeva lived with her husband Vladimir Lushevskiy on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The group held balloons and placed flowers in front of a smiling picture of the 61-year-old woman.

“She was a beautiful woman and a beautiful soul. Very kind, very smiling person,” one neighbor said.

Neighbors told NBC10 that Oct. 12, the day Lola was allegedly killed by her husband, is the same day as their late son’s birthday. They said that he died several years ago.

Neighbors at Saturday’s balloon release described the relationship between Lola and her husband as strained.

“She would never come out with him. She was always more stuck in the house than he was. He was always coming out,” Felipe explained.

Friends explained that the couple does not have any family living in the United States and they are raising money for Lola’s funeral services.

This is a developing story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.

Deputies responded to the south Orange County bank at about noon after a report of an armed robbery in progress. One shot was fired during the robbery, but it was not immediately clear whether the robber or a security guard fired the round.

No injuries were reported.

A detailed description of the robber, who left the bank, was not available. Authorities were searching a nature area near the bank with weapons drawn and at least one K-9 unit.

No arrests were reported Friday morning.

Retired Judge Gregory Weeks on Tuesday called for the release of Daniel Green, who was sentenced to life in prison for the fatal shooting of James Jordan, a North Carolina Department of Corrections communication officer confirmed. Green and his co-defendant, Larry Demery, were convicted of killing the basketball legend’s father on July 23, 1993, during a botched robbery. Both were 18 years old at the time of the murder.

Details about Weeks’ petition were not available as parole commission hearings in North Carolina are confidential and not open to the public. Weeks and Michael Jordan did not return requests for comment.

Prior to the murder in 1993, James Jordan was sleeping in his red Lexus along a North Carolina highway when he was shot. The car was gifted to him by his son, who at the time had led the Chicago Bulls to the first three of his six NBA titles.

His body was found in a South Carolina swamp days after the killing and was identified through dental records.

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Green was found guilty of murder during the commission of a robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, according to The Associated Press. Demery testified that Green pulled the trigger and killed James Jordan. Demery pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, and like Green, received a life sentence.

Green has always said he did not kill James Jordan but admitted to helping dispose of the body.

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While the sisters of Jose and Kitty Menendez believe their nephews, Lyle and Erik, shot and killed their own parents out of fear of their father, Kitty’s brother has taken the entirely opposite stance on the issue.

Milton Andersen, Kitty Menendez’s 90-year-old brother, said through an attorney that his nephews’ “cold-blooded actions shattered their family.”

“Mr. Anderson believes that the reason that his nephews murdered Kitty and her husband was because of greed,” said Kathy Cady, Andersen’s attorney, adding that the brothers had learned that their father, Jose, was planning to take them out of the will. 

“He prefers that (the Menendez brothers) stay in prison because he believes that’s what justice requires,” Cady said. 

Andersen’s sister, Joan Andersen VanderMolen, was among a dozen people who gathered in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday to hold a news conference, expressing support for their release from prison.

Crime and Courts Oct 15

Family of Lyle and Erik Menendez plead for brothers' release from prison

Crime and Courts Oct 16

Decision on Menendez brothers' case expected in about 10 days, DA says

On the controversial question over whether the Menendez brothers were sexually molested by their father, Milton Andersen also sided with previous prosecutors’ opinion that rape never happened.

Les Zoeller, the Beverly Hill Police Department detective who investigated Jose and Kitty’s murders, also said previously that there was no evidence of rape and sexual molestation.

“It is a big fairy tale,” Zoeller, who died in 2021, told NBC Los Angeles in 2017. “They murdered the best witnesses we had.”

The Menendez brothers’ uncle also blasted Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, saying the decision to consider the possible release of the brothers from prison is politically motivated. 

“(Gascón) is certainly concerned that it’s not about justice,” Cady said. “This case is in a court of law. It’s not in a court of public opinion.”

Cady claimed previous Los Angeles district attorneys, including “the previously assigned prosecutor” kept Andersen up to date with any developments on the Menendez case until Gascón took office.

“To hear about what’s going on in your sister’s murder case, essentially from the media, is really inappropriate. and it lacks complete and utter respect for victims’ rights,” Andersen’s attorney said. 

Gascón said Wednesday a decision on the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez could be coming “within the next 10 days or so.”

A new hearing is scheduled for Nov. 26.

“Mr. Andersen is now 90 years old. He’s lived through many, many years without his sister. And he certainly deserves that whatever decision is made that it be done for the right reasons,” Andersen’s attorney said. 

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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said Wednesday a decision on the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez could be coming in days — just hours after family members of the brothers added their voices to a new push for the brothers’ release.

Gascón said he hopes to have the decision “within the next 10 days or so.”

A new hearing is scheduled for Nov. 26, the District Attorney said.

Prior to Gascón’s statement, about two dozen Menendez family members gathered in front of a downtown Los Angeles court building Wednesday afternoon with attorney Mark Geragos to make emotional pleas. The brothers have been serving a life prison sentence for the murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, inside their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989.

They have claimed they were sexually abused by their father and feared for their lives.

Crime and Courts Oct 4

Author describes how he found key evidence that could free Menendez brothers 

Crime and Courts Oct 3

Menendez brothers' attorney hopes to bring them home by end of year

Attorney Mark Geragos said the afternoon news conference represented a display of unity as Los Angeles County’s top prosecutor is conducting a review of new evidence in the case, the subject of the recent Netflix true-crime drama “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

He said relatives flew to Los Angeles from across the country.

“Over time, it became clear there were two other victims on that day, my cousins Lyle and Erik,” said Anamaria Baralt, Jose Menendez’s niece. “They became victims of a culture that was not ready to listen.”

Family members expected to speak included Baralt; Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of the brothers’ mother Kitty Menendez; Brian A. Andersen Jr., nephew of Kitty Menendez; and the brothers’ attorneys. Comedian and TV personality Rosie O’Donnell, a vocal advocate for the Menendez brothers, also is expected to speak.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has not announced a timeline for a decision on his office’s review. Geragos said. Gascón, who is running for re-election in the Nov. 5 election, announced Oct. 3 that the review was launched after attorneys for 53-year-old Erik Menendez and 56-year-old Lyle Menendez asked a court to vacate their convictions.

“The DA has said that he’s taken it seriously. He hasn’t made a decision, yet,” Geragos said Monday night. “I take his at his word because he’s been honest with us all the way along.

“They’re cautiously optimistic.”

Geragos said the legal path forward for the brothers has two tracks. Attorneys have filed for the conviction to be overturned and, at the same time, are asking for a review and possible re-sentencing, he said.

The review hinges on a letter that Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin that his attorneys said corroborates claims of sexual abuse by his father just nine months before their parents were killed. The brothers have said they killed their parents out of self-defense. Their attorneys have argued that the brothers may not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole if the trial was held today.

The brother’s attorneys said family members believed the brothers should have faced a lesser charge of manslaughter instead of murder during the trial that led to their convictions at ages 21 and 18.

“They were children who could’ve been protected and were instead brutalized,” said Joan Andersen VanderMolenm, sister of Kitty Menendez. “In the years since their conviction… society’s understanding of sexual abuse has grown significantly.

“In their case, if it were tried today, the evidence of their father’s abuse would not only be admitted in court, but it would provide essential context for why they acted as they did.”

Prosecutors at the time argued there was no evidence of molestation. They said the brothers killed their parents for their multimillion-dollar estate.

Jurors rejected a death sentence in favor of life without parole.

Geragos said the family members planned to meet Wednesday afternoon with the district attorney’s office.

The case gained new attention after Netflix streamed the true-crime drama “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” In a statement on X posted by his wife, Erik Menendez called the show a “dishonest portrayal” of what happened that has taken them back to a time when prosecutors “built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experience rape trauma differently from women.”

Gascón has said he believes that the topic of sexual assault would have been treated with more sensitivity if the case had happened today.

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The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has reached a historic $880 million settlement over hundreds of child sex abuse claims.

The agreement in principle announced Wednesday settles 1,354 child sexual abuse claims, the plaintiffs’ attorney said in a news release. It is the largest single child sex abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese.

The lawsuits were filed under California Assembly Bill 218, which lifted the statute of limitations and provided a three-year window for the revival of civil claims of past sexual abuse involving minors. The settlement is for remaining claims filed against the Archdiocese under the bill passed in 2019.

“The massive amount of this settlement reflects the amount of grievous harm done to vulnerable children and the decades of neglect, complicity and cover-up by the Archdiocese which allowed known serial predators to inflict this harm. I encourage other religious institutions within the Catholic Church to meet their responsibilities and take accountability,” said victims’ attorney and Liaison Committee Member Morgan A. Stewart.

Archbishop José H. Gomez issued a statement on behalf of the archdiocese.

“I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart,” Archbishop Gomez said. “My hope is that this settlement will provide some measure of healing for what these men and women have suffered.”

“I believe that we have come to a resolution of these claims that will provide just compensation to the survivor-victims of these past abuses while also allowing the Archdiocese to continue to carry out our ministries to the faithful and our social programs serving the poor and vulnerable in our communities.”

The settlement could signal a close to ongoing legal battles in which the Archdiocese had previously paid hundreds of millions of dollars to victims.

In 2007, the Archdiocese of LA settled child sex abuse lawsuits with 500 victims for $660 million. As with that settlement, the Archdiocese’s administrative office will take financial responsibility for the most recent settlement, drawing from reserves, investments, loans and other Archdiocese assets and payments.

No designated donations to parishes or schools will be used to finance the settlement, the archdiocese said in a statement issued after the settlement announcement.

Daril Martin Gonzales, 55, was charged last Wednesday with one count of possession and attempted possession of child pornography and one count of possession and attempted possession of obscene visual representation of a child, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Prosecutors said Gonzales, a janitor for the Anson ISD in Anson, Texas, also served as a school sports and cheerleader photographer, taking free pictures of middle and high school students.

Without the children’s knowledge, the DOJ said Gonzales would use artificial intelligence to replace the faces of adult subjects in sexually explicit videos or AI-generated nude subjects with the faces of female students.

A police report admitted into evidence at the detention hearing said Gonzales allegedly described his crimes as a “power trip” and admitted to viewing child pornography for up to six hours per day for the past 20 to 25 years.

“I felt disgusted, embarrassed, and scared. I was worried that photos of me could be posted or sold somewhere,” said another victim. “I was embarrassed ’cause I didn’t want people to think of me in this way when I hadn’t done anything.”

The DOJ did not provide any details about how they learned of the altered photos and did not say whether the material had been posted or shared online.

“I know I can’t do anything about what he did,” said a third. “I don’t think I did anything wrong. He’s in the wrong.”

If convicted, Gonzales could face up to 20 years in federal prison followed by a possible lifetime of supervised release. It’s unclear whether the defendant has legal representation at this time. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Ohlhausen is prosecuting the case.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Division, the Abilene Resident Agency, the Abilene Police Department, the Texas Rangers, and the Anson Police Department.

Anson is located in Jones County, about 20 miles north of Abilene and about 150 miles west of Fort Worth.

The number of victims continues to grow in a federal investigation involving child pornography and exploitation at San Jose’s Valley Christian High School.

Investigators now believe as many as five teenage boys were victims of Todd Baldwin, the school’s former director of operations as well as teaching assistant and school coach.

Court documents show Baldwin, 44, admitted to San Jose police that he received pornographic images and videos from four male students and sold them online. That confession came after he was arrested in August 2023.

But an FBI investigation claims there’s at least one more victim.

The documents allege that, starting in October 2022, Baldwin made a deal with a 17-year-old at Valley Christian and a 16-year-old at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, convincing them to film and photograph themselves for pornographic purposes and send him the files over Snapchat and email. Investigators claim Baldwin then sold their content online and paid the students over Venmo and Cash App. Investigators found payments to students totaling more than $6,000.

“Once somebody’s image, a child’s image, is out on the internet, it’s out there forever, and the child is going to suffer continuing damage forever,” legal analyst Dean Johnson said. “These cases are treated very seriously and prosecuted relentlessly, and the consequences of being convicted are extremely serious.”

According to the criminal complaint, Baldwin filmed at least one of the students in his office on school grounds.

San Jose attorney Lauren Cerri, who represented survivors of child sexual abuse in schools, including a prior case involving Valley Christian’s former basketball coach, wonders what responsibility Valley Christian bears in this case.

“What did they know? What should they have known if they were properly supervising their employee and the students entrusted to their care?” she said.

Cerri and investigators are urging anyone with information to come forward to investigators so that all victims are known and receive justice.

When killer Stephan Smerk confessed to fatally stabbing a Fairfax County, Virginia, wife and mom, he seemed almost eager to tell detectives about the terrible crime he committed nearly three decades earlier.

Robin Lawrence was found in her home stabbed 49 times in 1994.

Lawrence’s 2-year-old daughter was at home at the time of the horrific killing. Her husband was out of town. After he wasn’t able to contact his wife, he asked a family friend to check on her. The friend found Lawrence’s body, as well as the couple’s toddler. Left alone for days, the little girl was dehydrated but otherwise not physically harmed.

In a confession on video, Smerk said he knew he was going to kill someone.

“It was 100% intentional,” Smerk said.

In November 1994, Smerk left his Army barracks at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall — known then as Fort Myer — and drove to a West Springfield neighborhood where he’d partied with friends. He says he picked the house next door — not knowing who would be inside — driven by an overwhelming urge. He told detectives he used a stick to jimmy open a sliding glass door and went to the victim’s room, cutting the phone cord when she reached for it. Then he began stabbing her using what he called “his combat training.”

“Something came over me,” Smerk said. “I’m not going to say I heard voices in my head. I didn’t, like, hear somebody actually talking to me, but it was like this overbearing thought in my brain that I need to kill somebody. I just had to kill somebody. I can’t explain it to you.”

Smerk said the victim begged him not to kill her and tried to stop him.

At the time, Smerk was worried his DNA might be under the victim’s fingernails.

“I know she clawed at my face,” he said. “I have a little bit of a scar here; I was worried she had some DNA under her finger.”

After committing the murder, Smerk drove back to the barracks, tossing the knife off a bridge and throwing away his clothes. His deadly secret was kept for nearly three decades, until last fall. Cold case detectives Jon Long and Melissa Wallace were able to use advance DNA technology to identify Smerk as a likely suspect. When detectives arrived at his New York home, Smerk confessed.

Smerk said that if he hadn’t been surrounded by family, he may have had more victims.

“I honestly believe if it wasn’t for my wife and kids, I’d probably be a serial killer,” he said. “I am a serial killer who’s only killed once.”

When detectives asked if he would like to apologize to the family of the victim, Smerk seemed to show no remorse.

“I don’t feel anything for the family,” he said.

Smerk pleaded guilty earlier this month and will be sentenced March 7. He faces up to 70 years in prison.

A years-long investigation revealed that between October 2019 and June 2024, Suffolk County Police Officer George Trimigliozzi and Islip teacher Steven Arey were part of an alleged criminal enterprise that hired sex workers, collected money known as “house fees” from the workers and posted ads looking for patrons for the workers’ services, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Tuesday.

“It is a sad day in law enforcement when a public servant is arrested. However, I made a commitment to this County that no one is above the law, and that includes those who are supposed to embody the best of public service,” said Tierney.

Trimigliozzi and Arey worked as managers for Frank Saggio, the alleged leader of the enterprise, at a building on Sunrise Highway in Holbrook that was known as the American Girls Spa. At the same building were two other brothels that the DA said were run by Saggio: Spa and Reiki for Healing. Dana Ciardullo, who was Saggio’s girlfriend and the fourth person involved in the illicit business, was the manager at a location in West Babylon known as the Tunnel of Love, on Gleam Street.

The DA said that workers at the businesses were paid in tips, and in return for the ability to work, had to kick money back to the managers in the form of “house fees.”

Prosecutors say the operation came to light and started to unravel in March 2021 when Trimigliozzi got a call about a customer getting robbed at the American Girls Spa. One of the sex workers at the alleged brothel told Trimigliozzi that officers would be coming to the business after the customer’s 911 call, so the on-duty officer bailed on his assigned post and sped at 90 mph over to the location, according to the investigation.

Trimigliozzi falsified paperwork by failing to inform the police department that he went to the brothel unauthorized, and that he was serving as a manager there, the DA said.

Trimigliozzi worked with the Suffolk County Police Department for 18 years and had been named “cop of the month” six times over the years, Newsday reports.

Arey had worked with the Islip School District since 1998.

Aside from the enterprise corruption and promoting prostitution charges that all four suspects now face, Saggio faces an additional two counts of sex trafficking. Trimigliozzi was also charged with falsifying business records, official misconduct and offering a false instrument for filing.

Saggio was held on $500,000 bond, while the others were held on $50,000 bond. The next court appearance for all four was scheduled for Dec. 9. Each faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Attorney information for Saggio, Trimigliozzi, Arey and Ciardullo was not immediately available.

A woman who was traveling out of New York City’s LaGuardia Airport on Monday was found to be carrying a “samurai sword” in her carry-on bag, according to officials.

The woman, who has not been identified, put her bags to be screened at a security checkpoint, a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said. The bag was pulled for further inspection after a TSA officer saw what appeared to be some kind of sword inside the bag when it was being x-rayed.

Sure enough, when the bag was opened, a samurai sword was inside, the TSA said. Port Authority Police were notified immediately after.

The weapon was confiscated by police, the TSA spokesperson said. The woman was issued a summons for a court appearance later this year.

Family members of Lyle and Erik Menendez added their voices Wednesday to a new push for the brothers’ release after more than three decades in prison for the killings of their parents.

About two dozen Menendez family members gathered in front of a downtown Los Angeles court building with attorney Mark Geragos to make emotional pleas. The brothers have been serving a life prison sentence for the murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, inside their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989.

They have claimed they were sexually abused by their father and feared for their lives.

Crime and Courts Oct 4

Author describes how he found key evidence that could free Menendez brothers 

Crime and Courts Oct 3

Menendez brothers' attorney hopes to bring them home by end of year

Attorney Mark Geragos said the afternoon news conference represented a display of unity as Los Angeles County’s top prosecutor is conducting a review of new evidence in the case, the subject of the recent Netflix true-crime drama “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

He said relatives flew to Los Angeles from across the country.

“Over time, it became clear there were two other victims on that day, my cousins Lyle and Erik,” said Anamaria Baralt, Jose Menendez’s niece. “They became victims of a culture that was not ready to listen.”

Family members expected to speak included Baralt; Joan Andersen VanderMolen, sister of the brothers’ mother Kitty Menendez; Brian A. Andersen Jr., nephew of Kitty Menendez; and the brothers’ attorneys. Comedian and TV personality Rosie O’Donnell, a vocal advocate for the Menendez brothers, also was expected to speak, but was not at the news conference.

In the hours after the news conference, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said a decision on his office’s review would come in about 10 days. Geragos said. Gascón, who is running for re-election in the Nov. 5 election, announced Oct. 3 that the review was launched after attorneys for 53-year-old Erik Menendez and 56-year-old Lyle Menendez asked a court to vacate their convictions.

“The DA has said that he’s taken it seriously. He hasn’t made a decision, yet,” Geragos said Monday night. “I take his at his word because he’s been honest with us all the way along.

“They’re cautiously optimistic.”

Geragos said the legal path forward for the brothers has two tracks. Attorneys have filed for the conviction to be overturned and, at the same time, are asking for a review and possible re-sentencing, he said.

The review hinges on a letter that Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin that his attorneys said corroborates claims of sexual abuse by his father just nine months before their parents were killed. The brothers have said they killed their parents out of self-defense. Their attorneys have argued that the brothers may not have been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole if the trial was held today.

The brother’s attorneys said family members believed the brothers should have faced a lesser charge of manslaughter instead of murder during the trial that led to their convictions at ages 21 and 18.

“They were children who could’ve been protected and were instead brutalized,” said Joan Andersen VanderMolenm, sister of Kitty Menendez. “In the years since their conviction… society’s understanding of sexual abuse has grown significantly.

“In their case, if it were tried today, the evidence of their father’s abuse would not only be admitted in court, but it would provide essential context for why they acted as they did.”

Prosecutors at the time argued there was no evidence of molestation. They said the brothers killed their parents for their multimillion-dollar estate.

Jurors rejected a death sentence in favor of life without parole.

Geragos said the family members planned to meet Wednesday afternoon with the district attorney’s office.

The case gained new attention after Netflix streamed the true-crime drama “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” In a statement on X posted by his wife, Erik Menendez called the show a “dishonest portrayal” of what happened that has taken them back to a time when prosecutors “built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experience rape trauma differently from women.”

Gascón has said he believes that the topic of sexual assault would have been treated with more sensitivity if the case had happened today.

“We have not decided on an outcome. We are reviewing information,” Gascón said in early October.

A hearing was scheduled for Nov. 29.

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Neither Glenn Chin nor relatives of the Michigan victims made statements at his sentencing in Livingston County Circuit Court in Howell, northwest of Detroit.

“I know that Mr. Chin hopes that this sentencing will bring at least some closure to their friends and family,” defense attorney Bill Livingston said in court. “He’s always been open with his attorneys about his deep and genuine grief that he feels for the people affected by this.”

Chin, 56, pleaded no contest in August to involuntary manslaughter in the 11 Michigan deaths.

He already is serving a 10 1/2-year federal sentence for racketeering, fraud and other crimes connected to the outbreak, following a 2017 trial in Boston. The Michigan sentence also will be served in federal prison. He will get more than 6 1/2 years of credit for time already served.

Chin supervised production at New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts, which shipped steroids for pain relief to clinics across the country. Investigators said the lab was rife with mold and insects.

More than 700 people in 20 states were sickened with fungal meningitis or other debilitating illnesses, and dozens died, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Michigan has been the only state to prosecute Chin and his boss, Barry Cadden, for deaths related to the scandal. Chin supervised production for Cadden, whom he referred to as the “big boss,” prosecutors said in court filings.

Cadden “commanded Chin to send out untested medications to fulfill the large increase of orders without consideration of the safety of the patients they pledged to protect as pharmacists,” prosecutors said.

Judge Matthew J. McGivney told Chin Friday that evidence showed he caused or encouraged employees to fail to properly test drugs for sterility, failed to properly sterilize drugs and failed to properly clean and disinfect clean rooms. Evidence also showed that Chin directed or encouraged technicians to complete clean logs even though the rooms had not been cleaned, McGivney said.

“There could be no doubt that you knew the risks that you were exposing these innocent patients to,” the judge added. “You promoted production and sales, you prioritized money, sacrificing cleaning and testing protocols that kept the medication safe for patients. Your focus on increased sales, increased margins cost people their lives.”

Cadden, 57, pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in Michigan earlier this year and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. His state sentence is running at the same time as his 14 1/2-year federal sentence, and he’s getting credit for time in custody since 2018.

Jeffries has been arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two other associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were also arrested in connection with sex trafficking charges.

They are expected to appear in federal court in Florida and Wisconsin today, and arraigned on a later date in the eastern District of New York. 

Jeffries was the CEO of the popular clothing brand from 1992 to 2014. 

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson each face a single count of sex trafficking as well as 15 counts of interstate prostitution tied to 15 alleged victims. 

A federal indictment alleges Jeffries — along with Smith, his romantic partner, and Jacobson, who was described as a recruiter — operated an “international sex trafficking and prostitution business” from 2008 to 2015. 

It alleges that they organized “sex events” in England, France, Italy, Morocco, St. Barts and New York for Jeffries, Smith and “others.” They “employed coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with the recruitment, hiring, transportation, obtaining, maintaining, solicitation and payment of the men to engage in commercial sex.”

The men who attended the events allegedly were led to believe that it could lead to modeling opportunities or help their careers or “that not complying with requests for certain acts during the Sex Events could harm their careers.”

The men were required to sign non-disclosure agreements and surrender their wallets and cell phones during the events.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson also allegedly recruited, hired and paid an exclusive set of household staff to “facilitate and supervise the sex events.” The staff provided Jeffries, Smith and the men who attended alcohol, muscle relaxants known as “poppers,” lubricant, Viagra and condoms, among other items. Either Jacobson or the staff paid the men for attending the sex events, the indictment said. 

Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a news conference that Jeffries and Smith spent millions on the sex trafficking enterprise — from paying staff, paying for travel and paying to maintain secrecy.

Peace said the operation used a referral system and interview process, during which the men that were allegedly preyed upon were not informed about the details of the sex events before attending. During those “tryouts” of potential candidates, Jacobson typically had candidates first engage in commercial sex acts with him, the indictment said. 

At the events, the men were pressured to drink and consume poppers, and “on more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of these men by subjecting them or continuing to subject them to invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects,” Peace said.

“Powerful individuals, for too long, have trafficked and abused for their own sexual pleasure young people with few resources in a dream, a dream of securing a successful career in fashion or entertainment,” Peace said. He warned anyone who thinks they can exploit or coerce by using the “so-called casting couch system” that they should “prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison.”

Peace said his office became aware of the alleged crimes through media reports. 

The news of Jeffries’ arrest comes one year after BBC News published an explosive report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted. That report said 12 men described attending or organizing events that included sex acts for Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith, and those events took place from 2009 to 2015. Some of the men who spoke to BBC said they were exploited or didn’t participate willingly. 

Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told NBC News at the time that Jeffries would not comment on reports about his personal life. Abercrombie & Fitch said the company was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations in the BBC report. 

Bieber told NBC News on Tuesday in response to the arrest: “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse — not the media.” 

Shortly after that report, Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged misconduct. That civil suit alleged he sexually abused numerous men after luring them with the promise of coveted modeling contracts, CNBC reported.

“Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals,” attorney Brittany Henderson, who is representing victims from that class action lawsuit, said in a statement Tuesday. 

“Their fight for justice does not end here,” the statement said. “We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again.”

When asked if the alleged sex trafficking enterprise possibly continued after 2015, Peace said the investigation is ongoing, and encouraged any victims or any witnesses to come forward.

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673.

A U.S. soldier was sentenced to more than a decade in prison after admitting to trying to help ISIS plan attacks on New York City landmarks — including the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan — as well as help the terrorist group carry out more deadly attacks on American troops in the Middle East, according to court documents.

Cole Bridges was sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and attempting to murder U.S. military service members, said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams on Friday. The 24-year-old had previously pleaded guilty in June.

Bridges, a private first class in the U.S. Army who joined around Sept. 2019, had been searching and consuming online material that promoted jihadists since before his time in the military, a criminal complaint stated. He also would use social media to express his support for ISIS and jihad.

In Oct. 2020, about a year after joining the Army, Bridges began communicating over an encrypted messaging app with someone he believed to be an ISIS supporter, but was actually an FBI undercover agent. In those messages, he expressed frustration with the U.S. military and his desire to help ISIS take out American soldiers, according to the criminal complaint.

In addition to providing the undercover officer with portions of an Army training manual and guidance about U.S. military tactics, federal prosecutors said Bridges offered advice on how best to carry out attacks, including as it related to potential targets in New York City. When he was asked about the most effective way to conduct an attack, Bridges allegedly responded, “Striking the heart of the enemy, and setting a statement and a clear message to the leaders.”

In a later exchange, Bridges offered to come to New York to meet with the ISIS fighter with whom he thought he had been in contact. At that point, the conversation steered to potential targets in New York City, officials say.

In mid-November, the undercover agent sent Bridges photos of federal, local and foreign government buildings in and around the New York City area. That agent claimed “everything is so heavily guarded, I don’t know that it’s even possible to do an operation in NYC.”

Bridges, who was also known as Cole Gonzales, allegedly advised the agent “choose your targets wisely” and inquired about other potential targets under consideration. It wasn’t immediately clear which government buildings were the follow-up topic of conversation, but Bridges allegedly said there was “not enough firepower” for those. That was when the subject of the 9/11 Memorial was broached, the criminal complaint stated.

In December, Bridges began to supply the “ISIS” agent with instructions on how ISIS fighters could attack and kill U.S. forces in the Middle East. That included diagramming specific military maneuvers that would help terrorists carry out deadlier attacks on soldiers.

Bridges gave advice on the best way to fortify an ISIS encampment against an American attack, including by wiring certain buildings with explosives intended to kill U.S. troops, the complaint stated. In Jan. 2021, he provided a video of himself in body armor standing before an ISIS flag and made a symbolic gesture of support for ISIS.

About a week later, Bridges sent a second video in which he used a voice manipulator to narrate a propaganda speech in support of an anticipated ISIS ambush on U.S. troops

Searches of key words like “us soldier shooting” and “badass jihadi” found on his computer via warrant date back to Dec. 25, 2019, according to the criminal complaint. He allegedly updated his Facebook profile and background to reflect his views in Aug. 2020. Images of the changes were included in the complaint (see below).

Ryan Salame, who helped expose FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried of stealing more than $8 billion in customer money that was supposed to be safely stored in the cryptocurrency exchange, on Thursday updated his LinkedIn profile to inform his professional network that he was starting a new position as he begins doing time Friday for fraud and conspiracy charges.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Inmate at FCI Cumberland!,” Salame’s post read.

The former co-CEO of FTX’s Bahamian subsidiary, FTX Digital Markets, also added “cleaning and whittling” as a skill in his new position.

Last year, Salame pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions and defraud the Federal Election Commission, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. He later attempted to void the plea, claiming prosecutors didn’t live up to their promise to drop their criminal probe against his romantic partner and former New York congressional candidate Michelle Bond.

Bond ran to represent the state’s 1st Congressional District in the 2022 Republican primary, and she lost to Nicholas LaLota by 5,000 votes. She was indicted in August this year with charges of violating campaign finance laws.

“Michelle Bond and her co-conspirator romantic partner attempted to fund her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives by illegally using hundreds of thousands of dollars from corporate coffers, among other sources, and then lying to Congress and others to cover it all up,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said.

The pair met in June 2021, according to prosecutors, and they have a young child together.

Williams accused them of orchestrating “a sham consulting agreement” between Bond and FTX, in which the failed crypto exchange paid her $400,000. The money was allegedly then used to illegally finance her campaign.

Salame later dropped his attempt to void his guilty plea, and he was still sentenced to 90 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $6 million in forfeiture and more than $5 million in restitution, CNBC reported.

The judge ordered Salame to surrender to prison by Oct. 11 after officials realized that the prior surrender date of Oct. 13 would fall on a Sunday.

“It happened right before I went into the turn. A car passed me never went into the turn, the rock was directly for the driver right above the cluster it broke the steering wheel ring,” recounted Franko Martinez, who was the passenger in the vehicle.

Martinez said he was able to steer the car to the shoulder but there was nothing he could do to help Rodriguez.

“All I can do is pray right now. It’s hard to sleep,” said Martinez.

CHP continues to investigate the tragedy and at least one other similar incident that happened two days before Rodriguez was killed, where a large rock was thrown at another car’s windshield.

“I didn’t get to say goodbye to her and I didn’t get to tell her how much I loved her because I do. I did. I always will,” said Sylvia Perez, sister to Rodriguez.

The heartbroken family asks anyone on the road that day who may have seen something to come forward to help keep other drivers safe and bring justice to Rodriguez.

“There is a killer on this road and we have to find this person,” said Drew Harrity, uncle to Rodriguez. “There was a whole life behind this story that was cut short and a promising future that she had. I can promise you if anyone out there met her they would love her too. That’s who she was.”

A variety of local law enforcement officials say arrests and investigations traditionally prosecuted by the LA County District Attorney’s Office, including certain drug, gang, and gun cases, are being re-routed more frequently by police to federal prosecutors in efforts to obtain harsher penalties.

Some of the most visible examples, the officials said, have been in fentanyl death investigations, where, until recently, DA George Gascón had said he did not support filing murder charges against drug suppliers responsible for overdose deaths, and said through a spokesman in 2021 that increased penalties for drug offenses do not save lives.

Los Angeles County Aug 28

George Gascón discusses Sherman Oaks break-in, stance on handling crime

Decision 2024 Oct 6

NewsConference: George Gascón reflects on time in office amid reelection battle

Now, members of a local task force who specialize in drug supplier death investigations are often going directly to federal authorities.

“They no longer had confidence after meeting with upper management, and they have not brought any more cases to the District Attorney’s office,” said Brian Schirn, a 30-year veteran prosecutor and the Head Deputy of the narcotics unit at the DA’s office, speaking to the I-Team as a private citizen, not as a representative for the office.

Multiple law enforcement sources confirmed Schirn’s account, and said there were more than 2 dozen locally-investigated fentanyl cases moving through the federal court system as of September.

Schirn said the October, 2022 accidental fentanyl overdose death of an 18-year-old in Santa Clarita named Jax Markley was a turning point, after one of Gascón’s executives overruled the recommendations of prosecutors to file a second-degree murder charge against the supplier who sold Markley counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.

According to an internal DA’s office memo, Chief Deputy District Attorney Sharon Woo directed the case be filed as an involuntary manslaughter instead, which generally carries a maximum penalty of up to four years in prison.

“We all thought it was an incredibly strong case,” said Schirn, who said he agreed that the case should have been filed as a second degree murder.

Detectives then presented the same information to the US Attorney’s Office, where the drug supplier, Skylar Mitchell, was indicted on a federal charge of distributing fentanyl resulting in death.

LAPD Jan 14, 2022

DA Denies Sheriff's Accusation That Office Refused to Enhance Charges in LAPD Officer Murder

California Jul 16

Mother of twins faces murder charges after allegedly exposing them to fentanyl

“They plead guilty right away, because it was such a strong and compelling case,” Shirn said of the evidence against Mitchell, who is scheduled to be sentenced in December and faces no less than 10 years in prison, according to federal prosecutors.

Tiffiny Blacknell, Gascón’s Chief of Staff, said Thursday characterized Schirn’s statements as gossip, and also said Schirn openly supported Gascón’s challenger in November’s election.

She said that the federal charge filed in the Markley case, distributing fentanyl resulting in death, is not available in state court, that the decision not to file a murder charge was discretionary and based on the evidence in the case, and that it was a member of the DA’s office senior management who suggested detectives present the case to federal prosecutors.

She added that she was unaware of any other fentanyl related death investigations that were taken to the federal government originating from Los Angeles County, other than 2, “isolated,” incidents over 4 years, and said, “this is not a pattern.”

Mitchell’s defense attorney did not immediately return a request for comment.

A spokesperson for Gascón said in an email earlier this week, “Knowingly selling illegal fentanyl can amount to an act of callous disregard for human life. That’s why our office treats illegal fentanyl sales with the utmost seriousness. We are committed to prosecuting those who illegally distribute fentanyl and other dangerous substances.”

Gascón’s approach shifted recently.

After dismissing drug supplier murder prosecutions as an ineffective strategy in 2021, Gascón’s office filed 3 such cases in 2024, including against Jestice James, a mother accused of child abuse and murder for the deaths of her twins, who authorities said were exposed to fentanyl.

Blacknell said there was no recent policy change in the office that allowed the more recent fentanyl overdose murder prosecutions against the alleged drug suppliers, and said the decision and circumstances of the Markley case were an isolated incident.

“We’re here to talk about how the LA County District Attorney’s Office failed us,” said Matt Markley, Jax’s father, when he sat down with the I-Team to discuss the DA’s charging decisions.

He said he was angry when he learned of the DA’s decision to file a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, and personally appealed to DA Gascón to reconsider.

“I was a little flabbergasted because we hold drunk drivers responsible, why are we not holding this addict accountable for killing other people,” said Markley, who said he voted for Gascón in 2020 and supported some of his justice reform policies.

Markley said he was further frustrated when he learned the DA’s office had filed fentanyl-supplier murder cases in recent months, and questioned why the approach had shifted.

“Why the change? Just before an election cycle, I wonder? And that’s why I’m angry enough to sit here in front of you and share this,” Markley said.

Other local law enforcement officials said the recent federal prosecutions of the alleged gang members responsible for the murder of LAPD Officer Fernando Arroyos, which was also initially discussed with the DA’s office, and a new effort to prosecute local firearms arrests in federal court are also instructive.

“What we’re doing here is expanding the number of cases that we bring federally,” US Attorney Martin Estrada said at a news conference in March announcing a gun crime enforcement partnership with the LAPD and the LA County and Ventura County Sheriff’s Departments, in which officers, deputies, and detectives would receive training on how to recognize cases that could be brought under federal, rather than local, statutes, and how to present them to federal prosecutors.

Estrada said the firearms program was being done in concert with local prosecutors, although Gascón did not appear at the event.

As to the Arroyo murder case Blacknell said the defendants could have received lengthier prison terms of up to 50-years-to-life had they been tried and convicted of murder in state court, and said they received less time when they were sentenced on federal RICO charges as members of a street gang.

A spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office said it was difficult to assess how many local cases have been presented for federal consideration as the office does not keep statistics that capture that information.

Recent news releases have highlighted federal prosecutions of watch and store robberies and carjackings, cases investigated by local police.

Schirn, the narcotics prosecutor, said the cases being shifted to US District Court, where only certain categories of locally-investigated crimes can be prosecuted under federal law, appears to be a response to some of Gascón’s policies that restricted the use of gang, gun, and narcotics sentencing enhancements, which have had the effect of reducing penalties for a variety of serious crimes.

Blacknell said there was not a complete prohibition on enhancements, and that the office has filed some 11,000 gun enhancements under Gascón’s initiatives.

“The reason I agreed to come on camera, despite the fact that I’m very nervous, is because for 30 years I’ve asked victims and witnesses to come to court and have the courage to be honest and truthful,” Schirn said.

“And who am I as a prosecutor when I know awful things are happening that I don’t have the courage to do this?”

Detroit police charged Ahmed Al-Alikhan, 17, with first-degree murder, felony murder and unlawful driving away in an automobile, alleging he fatally stabbed Howard Brisendine, 64, and then stole his car after they met on a dating app.

Al-Alikhan targeted Brisendine because he was a gay, police alleged Tuesday in a statement on social media. He then stabbed Brisendine at his house on Sept. 24, took his car keys and left with his vehicle, police said.

It’s not clear which dating app Al-Alikhan used or whether he shared his real information when he connected with Brisendine. Most of the largest dating apps, including Grindr, Tinder, Hinge and OK Cupid, require users to be at least 18, though the age of consent in Michigan is 16.

Luis Mandujano, who lives across the street from Brisendine and owns Gigis, a gay nightclub where Brisendine worked as a doorman, went to Brisendine’s house on Sept. 29 after he didn’t show up for work and saw that his car wasn’t at his house, according to NBC affiliate WDIV of Detroit. Mandujano said he entered Brisendine’s house, discovered his body and then called police, who found that he had multiple stab wounds. 

Police in nearby Dearborn arrested Al-Alikhan and turned him over to Detroit authorities on Oct. 1, Detroit police said in a statement.

Brisendine’s brother, Harvey Brisendine, told WDIV he could identify his brother only by a tattoo on his arm because his face was unrecognizable. 

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Al-Alikhan will be tried as an adult because he is weeks away from turning 18 and because of “the heinous nature” of the crime.

“It is hard to fathom a more planned series of events in this case,” Worthy said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the set of alleged facts are far too common in the LGBTQ community. We will bring justice to Mr. Brisendine.”

Hate crimes against LGBTQ people have risen in recent years, according to the FBI’s annual crime report. In 2022, anti-LGBTQ hate crimes rose 19% over 2021, according to FBI data released last year.

Maria Miller, an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, said in an email that Al-Alikhan hasn’t been officially charged with a hate crime under the facts of the case so far. 

Asked why he thought his brother was killed, Harvey Brisendine didn’t hesitate to say he thinks it was a hate crime.

Detroit Police Sgt. Rebecca McKay told WDIV that the investigation “is heading in that direction,” saying that “there is some evidence that indicates that this could have been a hate crime.

Detroit police didn’t reply to a request for additional comment, and it wasn’t not clear whether Al-Alikhan had legal representation. 

As the investigation continues, Mandujano has started a GoFundMe campaign that will go toward funeral expenses and Brisendine’s remaining bills. Any leftover money will be donated to local LGBTQ nonprofit groups to combat hate, he said. 

“Howard was a talkative person with a warm laugh who welcomed you to our venue at the door with laughable comments,” Mandujano said in an email. “We don’t want to take advantage of the gofundme generosity but primarily want people to know that Howard was a victim of a brutal murder hate crime for being gay.”

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Auto theft detectives say the online instructions are relatively easy to follow, and with a device meant for professional locksmiths, they enable thieves to create new electronic keys to unlock and start the cars in minutes.

Dozens of videos of takeovers posted on a variety of social media platforms in recent weeks show people spinning-out Infinitis in intersections around LA.

LAPD Deputy Chief Don Graham, who supervises the city’s effort to stop and prevent street racing and street takeovers, said the Infiniti trend is not unlike the recent thefts of certain Kia and Hyundai models, where instructions on how to bypass the theft prevention system were shared online.

Kia and Hyundai have been retrofitting cars with improved security systems at no charge.

He said the Street Racing Task Force was in another part of the city on Saturday when the Valley takeovers began but said officers were able to gather information about the groups involved and thwarted another series of events planned for the following night by a group that had traveled to LA from San Francisco.

“The response to this can’t just be a police response, we need the community’s assistance,” Graham said, urging people to dissuade teenage family members from participating or taking away their cars.

Five cars were burned and destroyed at Foothill Boulevard. and Paxton Street another was burned on Laurel Canyon, and another was burned on Woodley Avenue in Van Nuys. All had been stolen.

South LA Sep 3

Street takeovers end with cars set on fire in two areas of Los Angeles

Los Angeles Sep 3

2 street takeovers end in fires in LA

Infiniti did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the weekend thefts, but previously said, “an increase in auto thefts is an issue affecting many communities, and as thieves become more sophisticated, we are working to improve the security systems in our vehicles.”

Most of the cars involved in the Valley takeovers were G36, G37, and G80 models from many different years, and authorities estimated their loss at more than $250,000.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was arrested after the FBI discovered that he had been stockpiling automatic weapons and had taken steps to liquidate his family’s assets.

After he was arrested, the Justice Department said, Tawhedi told investigators that he had planned an attack for Election Day that would target large gatherings of people.

Madison Bergmann is facing 10 felony charges for allegedly starting an inappropriate relationship with her fifth-grade student, according to NBC affiliate KARE. 

Among the charges are child enticement, sexual misconduct by school staff, and use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, according to the amended complaint filed against her on Aug. 15.

Bergmann was arrested and charged in May after the principal of River Crest Elementary called Hudson police to report possible inappropriate conduct between a teacher and one of her fifth-grade students, according to NBC affiliate KARE.

Investigators were shown screenshots of a text conversation between Bergmann and the boy, with her talking about how much she enjoyed the child touching her and the pair “making out,” according to NBC affiliate KARE.

The school resource officer, Traci Hall, who interviewed the victim, took the stand Monday. She told the district attorney that Bergmann and the boy would talk every day. He also told Hall that the two kissed several times after school or during lunch break, according to NBC affiliate KARE.

Prosecutors say a forensic search of the two cell phones also revealed 33,000 text messages between Bergmann and her student.

Judge Nordstrand ruled the state proved there was enough probable cause and the case will continue. Bergmann is expected to be arraigned on Nov. 7.

“Jose Luis Huizar is currently in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Lompoc II,” the Federal Bureau of Prisons said Monday.

Huizar had previously been ordered to self-surrender on Aug. 30 but was granted a five-week continuance for “good cause.”

Papers filed in federal court show that Huizar based his continuance request on “a new, unexpected, and extraordinary event,” apparently connected to undisclosed medical reasons. The government did not object, documents show.

Huizar, 56, pleaded guilty in January 2023 to felony charges of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and tax evasion.

Along with the 13-year prison term, Huizar was ordered to pay nearly $444,000 in restitution to the city of Los Angeles and almost $39,000 to the Internal Revenue Service. A court filing in February signed by the judge indicates Huizar paid the latter amount in full.

As of Monday morning, Huizar was not yet listed in the BOP’s online inmate locator. His attorney declined comment.

Los Angeles City Council Aug 30

José Huizar's start of prison sentence delayed

LA City Council Jan 26

‘It's not who I am.' After corruption case sentence, ex-LA Councilman Huizar asks for forgiveness

Huizar’s co-defendant, former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan, was sentenced on Friday to 12 years in federal prison for acting as the intermediary in Huizar’s $1.5 million City Hall pay-to-play scheme with downtown high-rise developers.

Chan, 68, of Monterey Park was convicted in March by a jury in Los Angeles federal court of a dozen felony counts: one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, seven counts of honest services wire fraud, three counts of bribery and one count of making false statements to a federal government agency.

U.S. District Judge John Walter ordered him to pay $752,457 in restitution to the city of Los Angeles, and self-surrender to the BOP no later than Jan. 6 to begin his sentence.

Huizar represented Council District 14, which includes downtown Los Angeles and its surrounding communities, from 2005 until his resignation in 2020. According to his lawyers, Huizar was “an evangelist for robust development” in efforts to ensure Los Angeles was befitting of a “world-class city.”

Huizar admitted to operating a pay-to-play scheme in which he and others unlawfully used his office to give favorable treatment to real estate developers who financed and facilitated cash bribes, campaign donations and other illicit benefits.

Federal prosecutors said Huizar monetized position and leveraged his political clout for over $1.5 million in cash bribes, gambling chips, luxury trips, political contributions, prostitutes, extravagant meals, services, concerts and other gifts.

“If anyone dared rebuff his call to pay bribes, he punished them and their city projects, threatening developers with indefinitely delayed projects and financial peril,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Chan acted as the intermediary who orchestrated bribes to Huizar from developers, lining his own pockets with at least $750,000 in the process. A letter to the court from the City Attorney’s Office said that “the reputational damage Mr. Chan caused (to local government) is deep and not easily overcome.”

Federal prosecutors said that while Huizar “may have been the face of the pay-to-play scheme, (Chan) was the brains that devised some of the most sophisticated aspects” of the conspiracy.

For example, Chan arranged what prosecutors called “the single largest bribe payment obtained in the scheme” — the secret funneling of $600,000 from a billionaire real estate developer which Huizar used to confidentially settle a pending sexual harassment lawsuit from a former staffer. Structured by Chan, the bribe “was shrouded in layers of
concealment,” according to court papers.

The developer, Wei Huang, was also charged in the case but is considered a fugitive believed to be in China.

Chan worked for the city for more than three decades, much of it at the Department of Building and Safety, where he became general manager. In 2016, he was hired by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve as deputy mayor over economic development, supervising the Planning Department, Building and Safety, and other city agencies.

Members and associates of the scheme included lobbyists, consultants and other city officials and staffers, who sought to personally enrich themselves and their families and associates in exchange for official acts. They included George Esparza, Huizar’s former special assistant, real estate development consultant George Chiang, political fundraiser Justin Jangwoo Kim, and lobbyist Morrie Goldman, among others. Each pleaded guilty and agreed to
cooperate with the government’s investigation.

Before Huizar pleaded guilty to federal charges, he and Chan were scheduled to go on trial together. A mistrial was declared in Chan’s first trial last year due to a defense attorney’s medical emergency.

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Jeffries has been arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two other associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were also arrested in connection with sex trafficking charges.

They are expected to appear in federal court in Florida and Wisconsin today, and arraigned on a later date in the eastern District of New York. 

Jeffries was the CEO of the popular clothing brand from 1992 to 2014. 

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson each face a single count of sex trafficking as well as 15 counts of interstate prostitution tied to 15 alleged victims. 

A federal indictment alleges Jeffries — along with Smith, his romantic partner, and Jacobson, who was described as a recruiter — operated an “international sex trafficking and prostitution business” from 2008 to 2015. 

It alleges that they organized “sex events” in England, France, Italy, Morocco, St. Barts and New York for Jeffries, Smith and “others.” They “employed coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with the recruitment, hiring, transportation, obtaining, maintaining, solicitation and payment of the men to engage in commercial sex.”

The men who attended the events allegedly were led to believe that it could lead to modeling opportunities or help their careers or “that not complying with requests for certain acts during the Sex Events could harm their careers.”

The men were required to sign non-disclosure agreements and surrender their wallets and cell phones during the events.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson also allegedly recruited, hired and paid an exclusive set of household staff to “facilitate and supervise the sex events.” The staff provided Jeffries, Smith and the men who attended alcohol, muscle relaxants known as “poppers,” lubricant, Viagra and condoms, among other items. Either Jacobson or the staff paid the men for attending the sex events, the indictment said. 

Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a news conference that Jeffries and Smith spent millions on the sex trafficking enterprise — from paying staff, paying for travel and paying to maintain secrecy.

Peace said the operation used a referral system and interview process, during which the men that were allegedly preyed upon were not informed about the details of the sex events before attending. During those “tryouts” of potential candidates, Jacobson typically had candidates first engage in commercial sex acts with him, the indictment said. 

At the events, the men were pressured to drink and consume poppers, and “on more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of these men by subjecting them or continuing to subject them to invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects,” Peace said.

“Powerful individuals, for too long, have trafficked and abused for their own sexual pleasure young people with few resources in a dream, a dream of securing a successful career in fashion or entertainment,” Peace said. He warned anyone who thinks they can exploit or coerce by using the “so-called casting couch system” that they should “prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison.”

Peace said his office became aware of the alleged crimes through media reports. 

The news of Jeffries’ arrest comes one year after BBC News published an explosive report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted. That report said 12 men described attending or organizing events that included sex acts for Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith, and those events took place from 2009 to 2015. Some of the men who spoke to BBC said they were exploited or didn’t participate willingly. 

Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told NBC News at the time that Jeffries would not comment on reports about his personal life. Abercrombie & Fitch said the company was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations in the BBC report. 

Bieber told NBC News on Tuesday in response to the arrest: “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse — not the media.” 

Shortly after that report, Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged misconduct. That civil suit alleged he sexually abused numerous men after luring them with the promise of coveted modeling contracts, CNBC reported.

“Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals,” attorney Brittany Henderson, who is representing victims from that class action lawsuit, said in a statement Tuesday. 

“Their fight for justice does not end here,” the statement said. “We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again.”

When asked if the alleged sex trafficking enterprise possibly continued after 2015, Peace said the investigation is ongoing, and encouraged any victims or any witnesses to come forward.

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673.

Video showed people carrying stacks of clothes as they ran for the exit at the mall’s Nordstrom store in the west San Fernando Valley store. The thieves left in a black Audi.

No arrests were reported.

A similar theft was reported in August of last year at the store. Video from that crime showed waves of masked thieves smashing display cases and grabbed merchandise.

The jury returned its verdict against Calvin Darden Jr. on Friday afternoon after a trial in New York City. Darden was also convicted of cheating former NBA forward Chandler Parsons in a separate ruse.

Howard — one of the NBA’s most dominant centers during the prime of his 18-year professional career — testified during the trial that Darden fooled him into giving him $7 million by convincing him that it was an investment toward the purchase of the Dream. In reality, a three-member investor group that included former player Renee Montgomery bought the team in 2021.

When a prosecutor asked him if he got anything in return for his $7 million, Howard testified that he got “a slap in the face.”

Prosecutors said Darden also teamed up with a sports agent to fool Parsons, who had a 9-year NBA career, into sending $1 million that was supposed to aid the development of James Wiseman, who currently plays in the NBA.

Darden’s conviction came eight years after he was sentenced to a year in prison for impersonating his successful father in a failed bid to buy Maxim magazine. In that case, Darden got leniency by cooperating with prosecutors against others charged in the case.

This time, though, Darden turned down two offers by the government to plead guilty and went to trial.

Prosecutors believe he will face between 11 years and 14 years in prison when he is sentenced early next year.

After the conviction, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Meade sought to have Darden immediately taken into custody, saying he had not learned his lesson since the case in 2016, but Judge Vernon S. Broderick ruled that he could remain free on bail for now.

Howard was an eight-time All-Star and three-time defensive player of the year. He played for seven franchises, most notably the Orlando Magic — who took him with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2004 draft — and the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won his lone NBA title during the pandemic-affected 2019-20 season. Parsons played with Houston, Dallas, Memphis and Atlanta.

The Atlanta Dream had been co-owned by former Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, but she was pressured to sell after clashing with players over her opposition to the league’s racial justice initiatives. Dream players urged people to vote for her Democratic opponent, now U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.

During closing arguments Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Thompson said the proof that Darden “committed these crimes is overwhelming.”

The prosecutor said Darden spent at least $6.1 million of the $7 million he got from Howard. That included spending $500,000 on two cars; $110,000 on a piano; $765,000 for a down payment on a $3.7 million home; $90,000 on luxury watches and another half-million dollars for home upgrades in addition to hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on art.

Prosecutors said they planned to seize all of Darden’s assets, including his Atlanta home, along with luxury automobiles, art and jewelry.

Darden’s lawyer insisted his client won’t commit additional fraud and is needed by his family.

Darden’s father, Cal Darden, is a former senior vice president for operations at Atlanta-based United Parcel Service Inc. who has sat on the boards of several major companies. Darden’s lawyer Xavier Donaldson argued that his client never impersonated his father with the athletes and accused prosecutors of trying to get jurors to use “guesswork, speculation, unreasonable inference” to reach a guilty verdict.

Robert Rand, the author of “the Menendez Murders,” said Thursday that a letter that he found in 2018 was what Erik sent to his cousin Andy Cano nine months before the murders, complaining about ongoing sexual abuse from his father. Erik Menendez was 17 years old when the letter was written and sent.

“I found the letter in a dresser full of Andy Cano’s paper in 2018 when his mother Marta let me go through his room, and she said, ‘If you can find anything, great.’ I found that letter and realized it was a major piece of new evidence,” said Rant. 

Los Angeles Oct 3

What the new evidence means for the Menendez brothers and their case

Los Angeles Oct 3

DA Gascón to consider resentencing Menedez brothers

Crime and Courts Oct 3

Menendez brothers' attorney hopes to bring them home by end of year

That letter is now one of the two pieces of evidence that Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is reviewing for the possible request for resentencing of the brothers, who were convicted for murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez at their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. They were both sentenced to life in prison in 1996.

The second piece of evidence, according to the brothers’ defense attorney Mark Geragos, is a signed declaration from a member of the band Menudo who said that he too was molested in the house by Jose Menendez. 

Another avenue for their release that Gascón is considering would be resentencing them if he believes they repaid their dues for the killings. 

Rant, who said to be speaking with the brothers regularly, said that this new development has made the brothers “cautiously optimistic” that their release is possible. 

James Craig, a dentist who is accused of killing his wife in 2023, allegedly tried to have one of his former inmates recruit women who would claim that Craig’s wife found out about an affair and wanted to use them to frame him for a crime, according to KUSA, who obtained the court records via their partner, The Denver Gazette.

The scheme was all written out in a letter detectives say was sent by Craig to a former inmate’s mother, but instead the letter was sent back to the jail due to a wrong address, according to KUSA.

In the letter, Craig also detailed code names his former inmate would use to say if he had found anyone willing to lie on the stand at Craig’s murder trial. Craig instructed the man to say “Harry Potter” if he found one woman and “Captain America” for two women, according to KUSA.

Court records say Craig offered the former inmate free dental work for his mother in exchange for the help, and offered $5,000 to women who were willing to back his story.

“He mentioned, ‘We’re family now. Family takes care of each other. This dental work can cost 30- to $60,000,’ and he would help them out and do that for [the mother],” transcripts said, according to KUSA.

Officials say this was the second time Craig has been caught trying to have one of his former inmates help him in his case. A different inmate has previously told police that Craig tried to have him place letters at his house that would appear to be written by his wife that say she was suicidal.

Craig also offered free dental work to this inmate for his help, according to KUSA.

Craig’s murder trial is set to begin in November.

A resentencing hearing is set for Nov. 29.

Here’s what attorney Mark Geragos said while speaking with NBC Los Angeles’ Colleen Williams. 

Is there new evidence?

There is. 

We filed both pieces of evidence, one which was a letter that predates the killings, from Eric to his cousin Andy, who tragically died over 20 years ago. 

In that letter, he describes the abuse by his father and how it was weighing on him as you can imagine. 

The second piece of evidence is a declaration by one of the members of the band Menudo, who came forward bravely decades after it happened, signed a declaration saying, unbelievably as it may seem, that he too was molested and at the home, which was one of the points that was raised, at least in the first trial, that Jose Menendez felt so comfortable or so safe in the home where he had molested his own kids that he thought he could bring in a third party.

Was the evidence not admissible before?

Neither of those items of evidence were available during the trials. 

They’ve been in custody for 35 years. Their case has languished. Basically, they had no appellate rights for the last almost 20 years after they exhausted all appeals.

These were found almost by happenstance somewhere in the neighborhood less than 10 years ago, and the declaration was brought forward within the last two years.

Did new TV shows on the brothers play a role?

There’s been about four treatments or re-examinations of this case in the last couple of years.

The Netflix documentary has been playing for the last week. There’s another one that drops next week. There was a previous one that had played out months ago back in February. 

We filed this writ back in May. The DA has been taking this seriously all alone. We’ve done a number of things in terms of turning over evidence to them. 

We’ve now presented the idea of, alternatively, from setting the conviction aside to just have them re-sentence.

We’ve done conditional examinations. 

And I think most importantly, 24 of the family members have signed a letter asking the DA to re-sentence them and let them come home. 

Crime and Courts Oct 3

Los Angeles County reviewing the case of Menendez brothers. Here's what it means.

Streaming series Sep 21

Erik Menendez reacts to Ryan Murphy's Menendez brothers series

What could happen now? 

A re-sentencing is something that certainly is what the DA talked about Thursday and what we have sent over in terms of a petition for resentencing supported by the family. 

That is one option where the sentence would be technically recalled. They’d be re-sentenced by a judge. And presumably, they would get time served. 

The other option is to set aside the conviction. That’s what the habeas is. If you set aside the conviction, they can get a new trial. 

But that doesn’t seem to make a lot of economic sense in a challenging economy in California when you’re cutting back on the court expenditures.

How are Lyle and Erik?

They’re both now housed together at Donovan State Prison. I’ve been down there. 

They’re doing an amazing job of a project called the Green Space Project, which is a Norwegian model about trying to reduce recidivism. 

Lyle is engineering or is vital to putting the project together. 

Erik is a very talented artist who is decorating the space itself

In order to give people the idea that eventually 90% of these people who are incarcerated are going to be let back into the community, the idea is to get them the opportunity to learn the skills to re-assimilate.

What is the timetable?

I’d like to get them home before the end of the year. 

The DA has indicated that all times in the last year and a half when I’ve worked with this office, they have been very serious and diligent in following up on things.

Either one, I just want to get them home under any terms and conditions. These are two people that I would venture to say you’re never going to have to worry about re-offending.  

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A hearing is set for Nov. 29, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

New evidence  

While the Menendez brothers’ previous appeals did not work out in their favor, the District Attorney’s Office said it’s decided to hold a resentencing hearing due to new evidence.

Gascón said his office has received a photocopy of a letter that was allegedly sent by one of the brothers to another family member, discussing sexual molestation by their father, Jose Menendez. 

The DA added the brothers’ attorneys also submitted another piece of evidence that may be linked to the claim their father had sexually molested them. 

The defense attorneys are alleging the new evidence would have change the outcome of the case.

However, the Beverly Hills Police Department, which was the investigating agency at the time of the murders, said it has not been contacted by the DA’s Office regarding the new developments.

Gascón, who is running for reelection, said he is be more open to “reviewing things that other prosecutors may not.”

Streaming series Sep 21

Erik Menendez reacts to Ryan Murphy's Menendez brothers series

Crime and Courts Apr 18, 2023

Former Member of '80s Boy Band Menudo Says He Was Drugged and Raped by Father of Menendez Brothers

Rehabilitation

Under California law, a prosecutor can evaluate whether someone has been rehabilitated and ask the court to determine resentencing. 

Lyle Menendez was 21 years old, and Erik was 19 when they murdered their parents.

If the court determines whether the brothers were rehabilitated and paid their dues to society while maintaining good behavior in prison, they could be resentenced.

But the resentencing hearing does not mean the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office will decide whether the previous trial and verdict were wrong. 

The new evidence also has yet to be reviewed by the DA’s office, Gascon said. 

What happens after resentencing?

The Menendez brothers could walk out based on what the court decides.

They could also be given a shorter sentence.

Another possible outcome is having a new trial.

Jeffries has been arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two other associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were also arrested in connection with sex trafficking charges.

They are expected to appear in federal court in Florida and Wisconsin today, and arraigned on a later date in the eastern District of New York. 

Jeffries was the CEO of the popular clothing brand from 1992 to 2014. 

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson each face a single count of sex trafficking as well as 15 counts of interstate prostitution tied to 15 alleged victims. 

A federal indictment alleges Jeffries — along with Smith, his romantic partner, and Jacobson, who was described as a recruiter — operated an “international sex trafficking and prostitution business” from 2008 to 2015. 

It alleges that they organized “sex events” in England, France, Italy, Morocco, St. Barts and New York for Jeffries, Smith and “others.” They “employed coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with the recruitment, hiring, transportation, obtaining, maintaining, solicitation and payment of the men to engage in commercial sex.”

The men who attended the events allegedly were led to believe that it could lead to modeling opportunities or help their careers or “that not complying with requests for certain acts during the Sex Events could harm their careers.”

The men were required to sign non-disclosure agreements and surrender their wallets and cell phones during the events.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson also allegedly recruited, hired and paid an exclusive set of household staff to “facilitate and supervise the sex events.” The staff provided Jeffries, Smith and the men who attended alcohol, muscle relaxants known as “poppers,” lubricant, Viagra and condoms, among other items. Either Jacobson or the staff paid the men for attending the sex events, the indictment said. 

Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a news conference that Jeffries and Smith spent millions on the sex trafficking enterprise — from paying staff, paying for travel and paying to maintain secrecy.

Peace said the operation used a referral system and interview process, during which the men that were allegedly preyed upon were not informed about the details of the sex events before attending. During those “tryouts” of potential candidates, Jacobson typically had candidates first engage in commercial sex acts with him, the indictment said. 

At the events, the men were pressured to drink and consume poppers, and “on more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of these men by subjecting them or continuing to subject them to invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects,” Peace said.

“Powerful individuals, for too long, have trafficked and abused for their own sexual pleasure young people with few resources in a dream, a dream of securing a successful career in fashion or entertainment,” Peace said. He warned anyone who thinks they can exploit or coerce by using the “so-called casting couch system” that they should “prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison.”

Peace said his office became aware of the alleged crimes through media reports. 

The news of Jeffries’ arrest comes one year after BBC News published an explosive report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted. That report said 12 men described attending or organizing events that included sex acts for Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith, and those events took place from 2009 to 2015. Some of the men who spoke to BBC said they were exploited or didn’t participate willingly. 

Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told NBC News at the time that Jeffries would not comment on reports about his personal life. Abercrombie & Fitch said the company was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations in the BBC report. 

Bieber told NBC News on Tuesday in response to the arrest: “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse — not the media.” 

Shortly after that report, Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged misconduct. That civil suit alleged he sexually abused numerous men after luring them with the promise of coveted modeling contracts, CNBC reported.

“Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals,” attorney Brittany Henderson, who is representing victims from that class action lawsuit, said in a statement Tuesday. 

“Their fight for justice does not end here,” the statement said. “We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again.”

When asked if the alleged sex trafficking enterprise possibly continued after 2015, Peace said the investigation is ongoing, and encouraged any victims or any witnesses to come forward.

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673.

Steven Phipps, 22, is the second Black man killed by an Omaha officer in the past two months.

Omaha police Chief Todd Schmaderer told reporters that police pulled Phipps over for expired plates during a traffic stop Saturday and he ran away. Two officers chased him. Schmaderer said Phipps had a gun, which he legally owned, as he scaled a fence.

The firearm was pointed at Officer Noah Zendejas as Phipps fell from the fence, and body camera video stills show the gun in his right hand as he fell, police said. Zendejas, who is Hispanic and has worked for Omaha police for three years, then shot Phipps. Police released a compilation of video and audio from the shooting.

Schmaderer said Zendejas first spotted a heavy weight in Phipps’ hoodie as he ran.

Crime and Courts Oct 2

Police delivered a ‘beatdown' that killed Tyre Nichols, prosecutor says in trial closing

Steven Phipps’ aunt, Angela Phipps, was with the family when police showed them the full video and audio from the shooting, which wasn’t all released at Wednesday’s news conference. She said she heard Phipps repeatedly say “don’t shoot me” after he hit the ground while holding his hands and one leg up “like a Heisman pose but laying on the ground.”

But Omaha Police Lt. Neal Bonacci said that isn’t accurate because the body camera video shows most of the shots were fired while Phipps was in midair. Bonacci said Phipps did say something after he landed, but that was after he had already been shot. He said Phipps didn’t drop the gun until after he landed.

Asked by reporters whether Phipps’ gun was accidentally pointed at officers because he was falling, Schmaderer said that was “entirely possible.” But he questioned why Phipps still had possession of the gun and had not thrown it to the side. Schmaderer said Zendejas was also concerned about the risk to a public transit stop nearby.

“We really don’t know what Mr. Phipps’ intent was,” Schmaderer said. “But when that gun started to be pointed to him and he had it in his hand, that officer’s authorized at that point to defend himself.”

Zendejas has not previously been disciplined for any use-of-force violations, Bonacci said.

Police said an autopsy shows Phipps was not shot in the back, and they showed a photo of his back to the family. A copy of the autopsy was not immediately provided to reporters.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine will review the investigation and decide whether to file charges, and the shooting will later be reviewed by a grand jury under Nebraska law. Kleine’s office did not immediately say when he will announce his decision on any charges.

Phipps’ family, who said his father was killed four years ago in California, is distraught over losing him. They said Phipps got off work shortly before the shooting and had his little brother in the car with him.

“I’m so broken that I don’t know what to say. It was just wrong. It was wrong,” said Gail Phipps, his aunt.

Schmaderer said that had Phipps stayed in the car and told officers he had a gun, “he would have been issued a ticket for expired plates.” But his family said he had tried that in the past and was still arrested for having a concealed weapon.

Schmaderer pointed to a recent rise in the number of guns officers are finding in the community and said it’s important for people to follow police orders.

“When somebody runs from a law enforcement officer, they’re trained to go after them,” he said. “We’re attempting to reduce crime. The minute I say as chief, ‘We’re no longer going to go after law violators,’ is the minute crime starts going up.”

Last month Schmaderer fired another officer who fatally shot an unarmed man while serving a no-knock warrant, a policy that has since been suspended in the city.

Omaha Police Officer Adam Vail was part of a SWAT team serving a search warrant during a drug and firearms investigation Aug. 28 when he fired the single shot that killed 37-year-old Cameron Ford, prosecutors said. Vail said Ford, who was Black, charged at him without his hands visible.

Kleine declined to charge the officer, but Schmaderer said an internal investigation found Vail violated department procedures.

Schmaderer said he is working to rebuild trust with residents after both shootings and planned to attend another community meeting Wednesday afternoon.

___

Ballentine reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.

“They wanted it to be a beatdown. That’s what it was,” prosecutor Kathryn Gilbert told jurors in the federal trial of Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who are accused of violating Nichols’ civil rights and of trying to cover up the beating.

Prosecutors have argued the beating reflected a common police practice known in officer slang as the “street tax” or “run tax.”

Gilbert noted that Emmitt Martin, one of two officers to take a plea deal, testified that Nichols was not a threat when police beat him. She showed the jury a photo of a smiling Nichols wearing a vest, a tie, a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and hands in his pockets.

She said the officers laughed and bragged about hitting Nichols, then lied to their supervisor and medical personnel to protect themselves.

“They chose their own comfort and convenience over Mr. Nichols’ life,” she said.

Haley’s lawyer, Stephen Leffler, said his client only kicked Nichols once on the arm to help get him handcuffed. He also blamed Martin for falsely suggesting Nichols tried to grab Martin’s weapon at the traffic stop.

“He was affected by that to his detriment, and the detriment of Tyre Nichols,” Leffler said.

Bean’s attorney, John Keith Perry, told jurors that Nichols ignored commands such as “give me your hands” and said his client, the youngest of the officers, followed department policies. Perry said Bean did not know whether Nichols had a weapon but still ran after him and tackled him.

“The force was not excessive,” Perry said. “It just wasn’t.”

Bean only hit Nichols in his hands to try to cuff him, Perry said, despite statements made by an FBI agent who testified Bean told him he punched Nichols in the head. Perry noted that the agent’s interview with Bean was not recorded and he questioned the truthfulness of his statements.

Martin Zummach, Smith’s lawyer, said Smith was blinded by pepper spray and did not see Martin and Haley kick Nichols. He only learned about the kicks after an internal affairs interview days after Nichols died. Smith called his supervisor to report that he had learned about the kicks, according to Zummach. Smith also had previously reported that an officer, who no longer works for Memphis police, had hit a handcuffed teenager, Zummach added.

“He does not cover up excessive force,” Zummach said.

Zummach also noted that Smith told EMTs Nichols’ oxygen appeared low, and he blamed Nichols for not allowing the officers to handcuff him.

None of the officers on trial testified in their defense. They each called experts to try to combat prosecutors’ arguments that the officers used excessive force against Nichols, didn’t intervene, and failed to tell their supervisors and medical personnel about the extent of the beating.

Both Martin and the other former officer who pleaded guilty and testified for prosecutors, Desmond Mills, lied to investigators about what happened, said Perry, who warned the jury of playing a “game of changing words and semantics.”

Police video shows five officers, who are all Black, punched, kicked and hit Nichols, who was also Black, about a block from his home as he called out for his mother.

Outside the courthouse, supporters of Nichols’ family stood in a circle for a prayer from Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson while holding hands. They ended the prayer with a chant of “Justice for Tyre.” Pearson sat next to Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, in court during the closing arguments, putting his hand on her back and rubbing gently to comfort her.

Nichols died Jan. 10, 2023, three days after the beating. An autopsy report shows Nichols — the father of a boy who is now 7 — died from blows to the head. The report describes brain injuries, and cuts and bruises on his head and elsewhere on his body.

The officers used pepper spray and a Taser on Nichols during the traffic stop, but the 29-year-old ran away, police video shows.

All five officers were fired. They were with the Scorpion Unit, which looked for drugs, illegal guns and violent offenders. It was disbanded after Nichols’ death.

Haley, Bean and Smith pleaded not guilty to federal charges of excessive force, failure to intervene, and obstructing justice through witness tampering. They face up to life in prison if convicted. The jury was expected to begin deliberating Thursday.

The five officers have pleaded not guilty to separate state charges of second-degree murder. A trial date in that case has not been set. Mills and Martin are expected to change their pleas.

Jeffries has been arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two other associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were also arrested in connection with sex trafficking charges.

They are expected to appear in federal court in Florida and Wisconsin today, and arraigned on a later date in the eastern District of New York. 

Jeffries was the CEO of the popular clothing brand from 1992 to 2014. 

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson each face a single count of sex trafficking as well as 15 counts of interstate prostitution tied to 15 alleged victims. 

A federal indictment alleges Jeffries — along with Smith, his romantic partner, and Jacobson, who was described as a recruiter — operated an “international sex trafficking and prostitution business” from 2008 to 2015. 

It alleges that they organized “sex events” in England, France, Italy, Morocco, St. Barts and New York for Jeffries, Smith and “others.” They “employed coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with the recruitment, hiring, transportation, obtaining, maintaining, solicitation and payment of the men to engage in commercial sex.”

The men who attended the events allegedly were led to believe that it could lead to modeling opportunities or help their careers or “that not complying with requests for certain acts during the Sex Events could harm their careers.”

The men were required to sign non-disclosure agreements and surrender their wallets and cell phones during the events.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson also allegedly recruited, hired and paid an exclusive set of household staff to “facilitate and supervise the sex events.” The staff provided Jeffries, Smith and the men who attended alcohol, muscle relaxants known as “poppers,” lubricant, Viagra and condoms, among other items. Either Jacobson or the staff paid the men for attending the sex events, the indictment said. 

Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a news conference that Jeffries and Smith spent millions on the sex trafficking enterprise — from paying staff, paying for travel and paying to maintain secrecy.

Peace said the operation used a referral system and interview process, during which the men that were allegedly preyed upon were not informed about the details of the sex events before attending. During those “tryouts” of potential candidates, Jacobson typically had candidates first engage in commercial sex acts with him, the indictment said. 

At the events, the men were pressured to drink and consume poppers, and “on more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of these men by subjecting them or continuing to subject them to invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects,” Peace said.

“Powerful individuals, for too long, have trafficked and abused for their own sexual pleasure young people with few resources in a dream, a dream of securing a successful career in fashion or entertainment,” Peace said. He warned anyone who thinks they can exploit or coerce by using the “so-called casting couch system” that they should “prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison.”

Peace said his office became aware of the alleged crimes through media reports. 

The news of Jeffries’ arrest comes one year after BBC News published an explosive report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted. That report said 12 men described attending or organizing events that included sex acts for Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith, and those events took place from 2009 to 2015. Some of the men who spoke to BBC said they were exploited or didn’t participate willingly. 

Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told NBC News at the time that Jeffries would not comment on reports about his personal life. Abercrombie & Fitch said the company was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations in the BBC report. 

Bieber told NBC News on Tuesday in response to the arrest: “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse — not the media.” 

Shortly after that report, Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged misconduct. That civil suit alleged he sexually abused numerous men after luring them with the promise of coveted modeling contracts, CNBC reported.

“Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals,” attorney Brittany Henderson, who is representing victims from that class action lawsuit, said in a statement Tuesday. 

“Their fight for justice does not end here,” the statement said. “We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again.”

When asked if the alleged sex trafficking enterprise possibly continued after 2015, Peace said the investigation is ongoing, and encouraged any victims or any witnesses to come forward.

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673.

Jeffries has been arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two other associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were also arrested in connection with sex trafficking charges.

They are expected to appear in federal court in Florida and Wisconsin today, and arraigned on a later date in the eastern District of New York. 

Jeffries was the CEO of the popular clothing brand from 1992 to 2014. 

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson each face a single count of sex trafficking as well as 15 counts of interstate prostitution tied to 15 alleged victims. 

A federal indictment alleges Jeffries — along with Smith, his romantic partner, and Jacobson, who was described as a recruiter — operated an “international sex trafficking and prostitution business” from 2008 to 2015. 

It alleges that they organized “sex events” in England, France, Italy, Morocco, St. Barts and New York for Jeffries, Smith and “others.” They “employed coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with the recruitment, hiring, transportation, obtaining, maintaining, solicitation and payment of the men to engage in commercial sex.”

The men who attended the events allegedly were led to believe that it could lead to modeling opportunities or help their careers or “that not complying with requests for certain acts during the Sex Events could harm their careers.”

The men were required to sign non-disclosure agreements and surrender their wallets and cell phones during the events.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson also allegedly recruited, hired and paid an exclusive set of household staff to “facilitate and supervise the sex events.” The staff provided Jeffries, Smith and the men who attended alcohol, muscle relaxants known as “poppers,” lubricant, Viagra and condoms, among other items. Either Jacobson or the staff paid the men for attending the sex events, the indictment said. 

Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a news conference that Jeffries and Smith spent millions on the sex trafficking enterprise — from paying staff, paying for travel and paying to maintain secrecy.

Peace said the operation used a referral system and interview process, during which the men that were allegedly preyed upon were not informed about the details of the sex events before attending. During those “tryouts” of potential candidates, Jacobson typically had candidates first engage in commercial sex acts with him, the indictment said. 

At the events, the men were pressured to drink and consume poppers, and “on more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of these men by subjecting them or continuing to subject them to invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects,” Peace said.

“Powerful individuals, for too long, have trafficked and abused for their own sexual pleasure young people with few resources in a dream, a dream of securing a successful career in fashion or entertainment,” Peace said. He warned anyone who thinks they can exploit or coerce by using the “so-called casting couch system” that they should “prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison.”

Peace said his office became aware of the alleged crimes through media reports. 

The news of Jeffries’ arrest comes one year after BBC News published an explosive report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted. That report said 12 men described attending or organizing events that included sex acts for Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith, and those events took place from 2009 to 2015. Some of the men who spoke to BBC said they were exploited or didn’t participate willingly. 

Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told NBC News at the time that Jeffries would not comment on reports about his personal life. Abercrombie & Fitch said the company was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations in the BBC report. 

Bieber told NBC News on Tuesday in response to the arrest: “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse — not the media.” 

Shortly after that report, Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged misconduct. That civil suit alleged he sexually abused numerous men after luring them with the promise of coveted modeling contracts, CNBC reported.

“Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals,” attorney Brittany Henderson, who is representing victims from that class action lawsuit, said in a statement Tuesday. 

“Their fight for justice does not end here,” the statement said. “We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again.”

When asked if the alleged sex trafficking enterprise possibly continued after 2015, Peace said the investigation is ongoing, and encouraged any victims or any witnesses to come forward.

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673.

Here are six new laws that aim to reduce crime across the Golden State.

Tougher penalties for robberies

A new law targets large-scale thefts, including sledgehammer crimes, flash-mob attacks, smash-and-grab robberies. 

Prosecutors will be required to impose harsher sentences again for those who damage or destroy property valued at more than $50,000 while committing a felony. 

A similar law expired in 2018. The new law will sunset by 2030.

While shoplifting has been a growing problem, large-scale, smash-and-grab thefts, in which groups of individuals brazenly rush into stores and take goods in plain sight, have become a crisis in California and elsewhere in recent years. Such crimes, often captured on video and posted on social media, have brought particular attention to the problem of retail theft in the state.

The new law is part of a bipartisan legislative package of about a dozen bills aiming to crack down on thefts, making it easier to go after repeat shoplifters and auto thieves and increase penalties for those running professional reselling schemes.

Gun control

People convicted of animal cruelty will be banned from owning a firearm for at least 10 years under the 2024 Gun Violence Prevention Act.

Animal cruelty acts include maliciously and intentionally maiming, mutilating, torturing or wounding an animal, or maliciously or intentionally killing an animal.

Supporters, including the California District Attorneys’ Association, said the law is “much-needed” because of the link between violence against animals and violence against humans. 

Riverside State Senator Richard Roth and Burbank State Senator Anthony Portantino, who initially proposed the law, cited a domestic violence study that showed the overwhelming number of women in abusive relationships reported their animals were threatened, harmed or killed by their abusers. 

PCH speed cameras

The city of Malibu will be allowed to add up to five speed cameras on a dangerous stretch of Pacific Coast Highway.

Among the 60 people who died on PCH in the last 15 years were four Pepperdine University students, who were fatally struck in October 2023. 

The new law will allow the installation of automated speed cameras on the 21-mile stretch of the roadway.

The law goes into effect in January 2025.

Forensic services

The California Justice Department will be able to continue to provide forensic DNA services by extending funding for Prop 69, the DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act, which was passed by voters in 2004. 

The new law will also extend the sunset date for Prop 69.

At the same time, criminal fines will continue to go toward funding crime-solving DNA programs at the state Department of Justice and local law enforcement agencies.

Domestic violence

Newsom’ signing of a bipartisan package of bills means the state will establish a restitution fund for domestic violence victims while forcing restraining orders applications to be processed without delay. 

Newsom’s office said the new law will help domestic violence survivors to rebuild their lives by providing them financial help through the restitution fund. 

Fines and fees from white-collar criminals will go toward domestic violence victims’ restitution fund. 

As another way of protecting victims, California will also require automakers to protect drivers’ data privacy. 

For one, drivers will be able to terminate remote access to their cars, which will prevent abusers from tracking their victims and controlling their vehicles.

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Soliciting minors

The penalty for soliciting and buying sex from minors under 16 will be raised to a felony.

Current state laws limit the penalties for soliciting a minor to a misdemeanor charge. In addition to making it a felony if the victims were under 16, the new law would also allow prosecutors to charge repeat offenders with a felony if the victims were at least 16 years old.

But the California legislation doesn’t go as far as laws in other states. In Texas, for example, an adult would be charged with a felony for soliciting a minor under 17 and could face harsher penalties if the victim was under 14.

Release of sexual predators

When the state decided to release a sexually violent predator known as the Pillowcase Rapist into Southern California’s Antelope Valley last month, community members, law enforcement officials and political leaders voiced their concerns and outrage. 

“While I understand that the state performs a comprehensive study and assessment before proposing a site, nothing takes the place of the real-world perspectives that only community members can offer. I want to ensure my constituents are kept informed about this process and have every opportunity to weigh in on this decision,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Katheryne Barger, who represents the Antelope Valley area, said. 

The releases of sexually violent predators are more common in rural communities across the state often without involving local authorities in the decision-making process.

Now a new law that aims to increase transparency in criminals’ releases will ensure law enforcement agencies are better informed and involved in placements.

The law also promises to provide more information about criminals and give communities more time to prepare. 

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The teens were booked on suspicion of robbery at the Northeast, 77th, and Southwest stations, and Assistant Chief Blake Chow said the surrenders were a direct result of the department last week publicizing the images from a number of the thefts.

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“We’re still taking tips in, and hopefully we’ll get more information regarding the individuals who are engaging in the flash mob,” Chow told the Board of Police Commissioners.

The teens were released while the evidence is evaluated by prosecutors, he said.

“It’s interesting to hear that parents themselves were active in getting their children to be held accountable for those and to face consequences,” said Commissioner Rasha Gerges Shields, who is vice-president of the panel.

At least 14 different 7-Eleven stores in LA have targeted since July by organized mobs of thieves, who often arrive on bicycles and overwhelm store employees while stealing food and other items, and destroying shelves, appliances, and fixtures.

The LAPD last week shared photos and video clips from some of the robberies in the hope of identifying the participants.

Jeffries has been arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two other associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were also arrested in connection with sex trafficking charges.

They are expected to appear in federal court in Florida and Wisconsin today, and arraigned on a later date in the eastern District of New York. 

Jeffries was the CEO of the popular clothing brand from 1992 to 2014. 

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson each face a single count of sex trafficking as well as 15 counts of interstate prostitution tied to 15 alleged victims. 

A federal indictment alleges Jeffries — along with Smith, his romantic partner, and Jacobson, who was described as a recruiter — operated an “international sex trafficking and prostitution business” from 2008 to 2015. 

It alleges that they organized “sex events” in England, France, Italy, Morocco, St. Barts and New York for Jeffries, Smith and “others.” They “employed coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with the recruitment, hiring, transportation, obtaining, maintaining, solicitation and payment of the men to engage in commercial sex.”

The men who attended the events allegedly were led to believe that it could lead to modeling opportunities or help their careers or “that not complying with requests for certain acts during the Sex Events could harm their careers.”

The men were required to sign non-disclosure agreements and surrender their wallets and cell phones during the events.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson also allegedly recruited, hired and paid an exclusive set of household staff to “facilitate and supervise the sex events.” The staff provided Jeffries, Smith and the men who attended alcohol, muscle relaxants known as “poppers,” lubricant, Viagra and condoms, among other items. Either Jacobson or the staff paid the men for attending the sex events, the indictment said. 

Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a news conference that Jeffries and Smith spent millions on the sex trafficking enterprise — from paying staff, paying for travel and paying to maintain secrecy.

Peace said the operation used a referral system and interview process, during which the men that were allegedly preyed upon were not informed about the details of the sex events before attending. During those “tryouts” of potential candidates, Jacobson typically had candidates first engage in commercial sex acts with him, the indictment said. 

At the events, the men were pressured to drink and consume poppers, and “on more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of these men by subjecting them or continuing to subject them to invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects,” Peace said.

“Powerful individuals, for too long, have trafficked and abused for their own sexual pleasure young people with few resources in a dream, a dream of securing a successful career in fashion or entertainment,” Peace said. He warned anyone who thinks they can exploit or coerce by using the “so-called casting couch system” that they should “prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison.”

Peace said his office became aware of the alleged crimes through media reports. 

The news of Jeffries’ arrest comes one year after BBC News published an explosive report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted. That report said 12 men described attending or organizing events that included sex acts for Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith, and those events took place from 2009 to 2015. Some of the men who spoke to BBC said they were exploited or didn’t participate willingly. 

Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told NBC News at the time that Jeffries would not comment on reports about his personal life. Abercrombie & Fitch said the company was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations in the BBC report. 

Bieber told NBC News on Tuesday in response to the arrest: “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse — not the media.” 

Shortly after that report, Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged misconduct. That civil suit alleged he sexually abused numerous men after luring them with the promise of coveted modeling contracts, CNBC reported.

“Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals,” attorney Brittany Henderson, who is representing victims from that class action lawsuit, said in a statement Tuesday. 

“Their fight for justice does not end here,” the statement said. “We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again.”

When asked if the alleged sex trafficking enterprise possibly continued after 2015, Peace said the investigation is ongoing, and encouraged any victims or any witnesses to come forward.

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673.

At least nine people died of narcotics poisoning between August 2023 and June 2024 after consuming the counterfeit pills, according to an indictment unsealed in federal court in Manhattan.

The indictment charges that the leader of the enterprise, Francisco Alberto Lopez Reyes, orchestrated the scheme from the Dominican Republic, directing co-conspirators to set up dozens of online pharmacies that mimicked legitimate e-commerce sites. The sites lured customers into buying synthetic opioids — in some cases methamphetamine — disguised as prescription drugs such as Adderall, Xanax and oxycodone.

The counterfeit pills were sold to tens of thousands of Americans in all 50 states and to customers in Puerto Rico, Germany and Slovenia, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said at a news conference announcing the indictment.

”The websites the defendants made and the pills they distributed looked very real,” he said. “But they were not.”

Williams said 18 people including Lopez Reyes have been charged with crimes including participating in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death. It was not clear whether Lopez Reyes had a lawyer who could comment. No attorney was listed in online court records.

Authorities said the fake pills were manufactured in New York using fentanyl smuggled from Mexico.

Members of the enterprise ran basement pill mills in the Bronx and Manhattan, where they used custom molds to press powdered narcotics into pills at rates of up to 100,000 pills every 12 hours, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement officers raided one pill mill in Manhattan on May 31, 2023, and seized more than 200,000 pills as well as bricks, bags and buckets filled with powdered narcotics, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors said that after the orders were delivered, the conspirators bombarded customers with calls and texts urging them to buy more drugs. One customer had to block 30 phone numbers to stop the aggressive marketing.

One victim, a 45-year-old Army National Guard veteran identified as Holly Holderbaum, purchased what she thought were oxycodone pills in February 2024, according to the indictment.

Holderbaum received the pills in the mail on Feb. 20 and died five days later with 46 of the counterfeit pills by her bedside, prosecutors said.

The pills were made of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl, an analog of fentanyl, and Holderman’s cause of death was acute fentanyl intoxication, prosecutors said.

Recent years have seen a surge in fentanyl deaths, including among children, across the U.S. The most recent figures from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 78,000 people died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids between June 2022 and June 2023, accounting for 92% of all opioid overdose deaths during that period.

Anne Milgram, the administrator of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, who joined Williams at Monday’s news conference, called fentanyl “the most addictive and deadly drug threat that we have ever faced as a nation.”

“Fentanyl is cheap,” Milgram said. “It is easy to make, and even tiny amounts can be highly addictive and deadly.”