Crime

The Charlotte Observer reports: Hillsborough police are investigating an apparent firebombing of the Orange County Republican headquarters, an incident that one state GOP official called an act of “political terrorism.” Police say the incident occurred when a bottle of flammable liquid was thrown through the front window of the office on Ja-Max Dr. “The office itself is a total loss,” …

Gothamist reports: Jon Girodes, the Republican State Senate candidate who recently came under fire for planning to donate Kool Aid, KFC, and watermelons to his prospective East Harlem constituents, was arrested on Friday for allegedly ripping off 10 people in a Craigslist rent scam. According to the Post, Girodes listed his luxury apartment at 635 W. 42nd for just $1,000 …

The Associated Press reports: The chief executive officer of the website Rentboy.com pleaded guilty Friday to promoting prostitution. Jeffrey Hurant faces up to 21 months in prison when he’s sentenced Feb. 2 in the federal case in Brooklyn. The successful site operated for nearly 20 years in an open and racy way, with male escorts paying for ads to attract …

Politico reports: A hacker persona with alleged ties to the Russian government has posted what the hacker claims are files stolen from the Clinton Foundation. “Hillary Clinton and her staff don’t even bother about the information security,” the hacker calling himself “Guccifer 2.0” wrote in the post revealing the files. “It was just a matter of time to gain access …

CNN reports: Kim Kardashian West was held at gunpoint and robbed in Paris by men dressed as police officers in her private apartment, French officials said. A spokesperson for Kardashian West said the celebrity was “badly shaken but physically unharmed” following the incident, which took place early Monday morning local time. The French Interior Ministry said five men threatened the …

Politico reports: Donald Trump’s brand-new Washington hotel was vandalized Saturday with messages supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, according to D.C. police. The spray-painted slogans appeared on either side of the entrance to the Trump International Hotel, which opened its doors last month. Photos posted on social media indicated that the hotel attempted to cover up the defaced portions of …

The Associated Press reports: An Oregon man faces a charge of disorderly conduct after police say he installed a large speaker on his rooftop and played a “pro-hatred” message on loop as a group rallied against hate crime at a nearby park. Springfield police say the amplified message could be heard from blocks away Thursday, and it attracted about 30 …

The Associated Press reports: A Virginia businessman was convicted Thursday of international parental kidnapping and conspiracy for helping a mother take her daughter out of the country to avoid losing custody to her former partner. A federal jury in Buffalo returned the verdict against Philip Zodhiates, of Waynesboro, on Thursday after hearing during a weeklong trial how he had driven …

Corpus Christi’s NBC affiliate reports: A San Patricio County jury has returned a guilty verdict against David Strickland for the 2012 shootings that killed Mollie Olgin and critically wounded Kristene Chapa. Prosecutors were not pursuing the death penalty, therefore the defendant was given an automatic life sentence. Following the verdict, Kristene Chapa spoke to KRIS 6 News. “I was very …

Houston’s NBC affiliate reports: The gunman who carried out Monday morning’s shooting that wounded nine people was wearing what appeared to be Nazi paraphernalia, two law enforcement sources told Channel 2 Investigates’ Robert Arnold. The shooting was reported just after 6 a.m. near a shopping center on the northwest corner of Weslayan and Bissonnet streets. Interim Houston Police Chief Martha …

DNAinfo Chicago reports: Why are so many police dashcam videos silent? Chicago Police Department officers stashed microphones in their squad car glove boxes. They pulled out batteries. Microphone antennas got busted or went missing. And sometimes, dashcam systems didn’t have any microphones at all, DNAinfo Chicago has learned. Police officials last month blamed the absence of audio in 80 percent …

Tulsa’s Fox affiliate reports: The Tulsa County District Attorney has filed first degree manslaughter charges against Officer Betty Shelby with the Tulsa Police Department. Shelby shot and killed Terence Crutcher on Sept. 16 in north Tulsa. Video released showed Crutcher with his hands up. Tulsa County DA Steve Kunzweiller said a warrant was issued for Shelby’s arrest and arrangements are …

We’ve been following this crime for many years here on JMG. The Associated Press reports: A Virginia businessman was being kind, not condemning homosexuality, when he helped a mother move her daughter out of the country and away from her ex-partner, his lawyer said Wednesday at the start of the man’s parental kidnapping trial. Attorney Robert Hemley denied that Philip …

CNN reports: An employee at the Royal Canadian Mint is accused of smuggling $180K worth of gold in his rectum. There is absolutely nothing funny about that. Stop it. Stop making jokes in your head. Lester Lawrence is accused of transporting several cookie-sized gold pieces (important to note, if you are wondering about the physical logistics) called “pucks” out of …

USA Today reports: Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf told the Senate Banking Committee he was “deeply sorry” Tuesday over allegations the bank opened millions of accounts without customers’ permission in order to meet aggressive sales quotas. Sen. Elizabeth Warren was having none of it. The Massachusetts senator has built a reputation for being tough on shady Wall Street dealings and …

The Tuscon News reports: A controversial street preacher known as Brother Dean has been accused of assaulting a University of Arizona student, authorities said. Rene Hernandez, a spokesperson for the University of Arizona Police Department, said Dean Frederick Saxton was arrested around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20. Saxton has been accused of kicking a woman in the chest and has …

Bloomberg reports: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie knew his top allies were involved in a plan to snarl traffic near the George Washington Bridge to punish a mayor who didn’t back Christie’s re-election, prosecutors told a jury at the start of a trial. Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni deliberately shut access lanes to the bridge to paralyze traffic in …

NBC News reports: One of five devices found in a bag near an Elizabeth, New Jersey, train station exploded early Monday as a bomb squad robot was trying to disarm it, and just hours later heavily armed FBI agents were seen in the city as authorities grew more concerned that there may be an active terror cell in the tri-state …

CNN reports: New York police say they’re looking for 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami in connection with the Chelsea bombing over the weekend. Also on Monday morning, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday the bombs found over the weekend have similarities, suggesting “there might have been a common linkage.” Cuomo said the investigation is ongoing, and he “wouldn’t be surprised …

The Associated Press reports: A law enforcement official says federal investigators have discounted a claim of responsibility for the New York City bombing on the social blogging service Tumblr. The official says investigators looked into it and don’t consider it relevant to the case. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press …