Crime

The Birmingham News reports: An Alabama youth pastor is facing sex trafficking charges in Florida after he allegedly sex trafficked a girl in multiple states. Stephen Johnson, 40, whom prosecutors said has volunteered as a youth pastor at an unnamed Birmingham church for more than a decade, met the victim on social media when she was 12 years old and …

From the Justice Department: Two brothers from New York were arrested today for allegedly assaulting law enforcement with a weapon and other charges related to their alleged conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Their alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the …

San Antonio’s ABC affiliate reports: A man was arrested Thursday after he assaulted a 69-year-old elections worker at a Southwest Side polling location, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar. Jesse Lutzenberger, 63, entered a polling location at the Johnston Branch Library around 6:30 p.m. and was wearing a red Make America Great Again baseball cap, according to a preliminary …

Florida Politics reports: A U.S. Mail contract postal worker is accused of throwing 1,000 pieces of mail — including at least one mail-in ballot and 400 political mailings — into the woods Tuesday in Orange County instead of delivering the items just before the Nov. 5 election, according to a new federal criminal complaint. Ottis Nicole McCoy Jr. tossed the …

From the Justice Department: A former Border Patrol agent was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 50 years in prison for 10 counts related to the production, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material. According to court documents, Paul Casey Whipple, 41, of Hondo, was arrested Dec. 19, 2017, during a search warrant at his residence. …

From the Justice Department: A 41-year-old Claremont, California man was convicted yesterday of abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft enroute to Seattle from Burbank, California, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Justin Baker was arrested March 14, 2024, when the Alaska Airlines plane arrived at SEA. Baker was taken into custody again yesterday immediately after the jury returned its guilty …

Law & Crime reports: A North Carolina man facing charges in the Jan. 6 riot is now accused of possessing child sexual abuse material and of sexual exploitation of a minor after authorities said they found evidence on his phone during his Capitol riot arrest. David Paul Daniel, 37, faces charges of child pornography possession and sexual exploitation of a …

Huntsville’s ABC affiliate reports: A former pastor has been found guilty of sodomy after days of testimony. According to court officials, Danny Duane Pitts was found guilty of second-degree sodomy Thursday after a trial in Morgan County. Testimony in the trial began on Tuesday with former Hartselle Police Investigator Amy Crouch. Crouch testified the then-teenage accuser disclosed details about several …

The Roys Report reports: The brother-in-law of Pastor Jeremy Pfeil of Accelerate Church in west Texas has been arrested and charged with sex crimes against minors. Last December, Pfeil made headlines for warning congregants that if they spoke about criminal sex charges against someone else—Pfeil’s pastor friend—they’d be “be sniped and taken out.” On Monday, the Amarillo Police Department (APD) …

Charleston’s ABC affiliate reports: A Darlington County youth pastor allegedly had sexual misconduct with a minor, according to the sheriff’s office. Andrew Payne was arrested and charged with sex/criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the third degree commit/attempt lewd act. At the time of this incident, Payne was the minor’s youth pastor, the sheriff’s office confirmed. Payne turned himself …

Roanoke’s CBS affiliate reports: A candidate in Boones Mill’s mayoral race said he believes the timing of his recent arrest is politically motivated. Donald “Whitey” Taylor was arrested Tuesday afternoon at the Trump Town USA store on Bethlehem Rd. that he owns. He’s charged with three counts of assault and one count of indecent exposure, all of which are misdemeanors. …

Seattle’s ABC affiliate reports: A 38-year-old Bremerton man was arrested Monday in connection with an alleged assault involving two boys, including his biological son, according to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office. Joseph Sweeney faces multiple charges, including second-degree assault and a hate crime. The arrest followed allegations that Sweeney assaulted the two boys on October 20. According to the court documents, …

CNN reports: The Justice Department warned Elon Musk’s America PAC in recent days that his $1 million sweepstakes to registered voters in swing states may violate federal law, people briefed on the matter told CNN. Musk, who has thrown his support behind former President Donald Trump and is spending millions of dollars supporting his candidacy, has publicized the $1 million …

Oklahoma City’s NBC affiliate reports: Benjamin Glaze, a former “American Idol” contestant, was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma, last week after authorities say they found hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on a smartphone in his home. The Tulsa Police Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit says it received a tip about Glaze, 26, back in April 2024, claiming that …

Grand Rapids’ ABC affiliate reports: Daniel Byron DeVries, of Fruitport Township, originally faced six felony counts of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime. This week, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child sexually abusive material and one count of using a computer to commit a …

From the Justice Department: The District One Supervisor on the Orange County Board of Supervisors has agreed to plead guilty to a felony federal charge for accepting more than $550,000 in bribes for directing and voting in favor of more than $10 million in COVID funds to a charity affiliated with one of his daughters, Rhiannon Do, the Justice Department …

The Arizona Republic reports: Tempe police arrested Jeffrey Michael Kelly on Tuesday night in connection with the shooting at three Democratic Party offices in Tempe and leaving bags of white powder on political signs in Ahwatukee Foothills. Kelly, 60, was charged with seven felony counts and three misdemeanor counts relating to the shootings, including terrorism and unlawful discharge, according to …

CNN reports: The federal appeals court in Washington, DC, on Tuesday upheld the conviction of the Cowboys for Trump founder who entered the restricted area of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, saying rioters didn’t have to know the Secret Service was protecting then-Vice President Mike Pence inside when they breached the area. The case is among a handful …

NBC News reports: Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood mogul whose alleged sexual misconduct fueled the #MeToo movement and who was recently indicted on new charges, has chronic myeloid leukemia, two sources told NBC News. The sources added that Weinstein is undergoing treatment in prison at Rikers Island in New York. Chronic myeloid leukemia is an uncommon form of cancer of …

CNBC reports: Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was arrested in Florida and faces sex trafficking-related charges, a spokesman for federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York told CNBC on Tuesday. Two of Jeffries’ associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach, Florida, and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, have also been charged. The criminal case comes a year …