Crime

New York City’s NBC affiliate reports: The jury assessing the bribery case of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez has reached a verdict. A court officer sent a short note to media outlets saying a verdict has been reached and “the verdict will be announced shortly.” At closings on Wednesday, Menendez’s lawyer cited patriotism as a reason to acquit his client, …

The Toledo Blade reports: A Lenawee County minister was arraigned Monday afternoon in Lenawee district court on two criminal sexual conduct charges following his arrest Saturday. The second-degree felony charges against Michael Ronald Goble filed in 2A District Court specify victims younger than age 13 and that the specific offenses occurred in November, 2021, court records show. But a statement …

The Associated Press reports:  Prime Day, a two-day discount event for Amazon Prime members, kicks off on Tuesday and runs through Wednesday. The Better Business Bureau reminded consumers to watch out for lookalike websites, too-good-to-be-true social media ads, and unsolicited emails or calls during sales events this month. The Israel-founded cybersecurity company Check Point Software Technologies said more than 1,230 …

Politico reports: U.S. authorities are concerned about possible attacks in retaliation to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security said Monday in a rare joint intelligence bulletin. Violent extremists or others “may attempt follow-on or retaliatory acts of violence” in response to the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally over the weekend in …

NBC News reports: More than a dozen guns were found in a search of the Crooks family home, four senior officials told NBC News. After Crooks opened fire, his father called police to say he was worried that his son and his AR rifle were missing, three senior officials said. Police went to the home after the call. The FBI …

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports: Max R. Smith recalled taking an American history course with Crooks as a sophomore. He did recall Crooks making political statements — but they shed no light on his actions Saturday. “He definitely was conservative,” he said. “It makes me wonder why he would carry out an assassination attempt on the conservative candidate.” Smith recalled a …

ABC News reports: The FBI did not “currently have an identified motive, although our investigators are working tirelessly to attempt to identify what that motive was,” Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek said. The highest priority is being placed on determining motive because the bureau is also looking at the shooting as a “potential domestic terrorism act,” said Robert …

Reuters reports: The FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania as the suspect in Saturday’s attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump at a campaign rally. State voter records show that Crooks was a registered Republican. The upcoming Nov. 5 election would have been the first time Crooks had been old enough to vote in a …

The Christian Post reports: A billionaire who has claimed to be a devout Christian and was one of the Evangelical world’s biggest benefactors was found guilty Wednesday in New York City of massive securities and market manipulation fraud that reportedly wiped $100 billion from the global market. Bill Hwang, who founded the investment firm Archegos Capital Management in 2013, stared …

Via press release from Bergen County prosecutors: Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 74-year-old STEPHEN E. SWEET, a church pastor, who resides in Paramus, NJ on charges of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, aggravated criminal sexual contact and criminal sexual contact. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by …

TechCrunch reports: U.S. phone giant AT&T confirmed Friday it will begin notifying millions of consumers about a fresh data breach that allowed cybercriminals to steal the phone records of “nearly all” of its customers, a company spokesperson told TechCrunch. In a statement, AT&T said that the stolen data contains phone numbers of both cellular and landline customers, as well as …

The Christian Post reports: Just over a week after former Executive Pastor Zachary King was charged with the rape and sexual abuse of a minor, LexCity Church in Lexington, Kentucky, has permanently shuttered because it wouldn’t be “financially viable” to continue. “Today we are writing a letter that no leadership team desires to write. Through thoughtful prayer and heartfelt tears, …

Columbus’s CBS affiliate reports: On Tuesday, 39-year-old Terry Murphree of Oneonta was booked into the Blount County Jail on the following charges: first-degree rape, sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old, nine counts of Clergy-sexual intercourse with a child, electronic solicitation, human trafficking, traveling to meet a child to perform a sexual act, three counts of first-degree …

NBC News reports: Prosecutors in Utah charged a former candidate for attorney general with bribery Wednesday and accused him of offering a job to a political opponent in exchange for the candidate’s endorsement. Frank Mylar was charged with a count of bribery in elections in connection with soliciting fellow Republican Trent Christensen’s endorsement in exchange for a job in his …

From the Justice Department: A Lexington man, Neal Harris, 57, was sentenced on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, to 37 months in prison, for eight counts of wire fraud, for obtaining Economic Injury Disaster Loans under false pretenses. His co-defendant, Kelly Harris, 64, was sentenced on July 2, 2024, to 46 months in prison, also for eight counts …

NBC News reports: Kentrell Flowers, 18, was shot after allegedly pointing a firearm in “an apparent attempt to carjack” two marshals early Friday morning, according to D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department. The shooting occurred on the 2100 block of 11th Street, which is near Sotomayor’s residence. The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed to NBC News that deputies were part of a unit …

From the Justice Department: A former teacher and volunteer leader of a youth ministry admitted to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in federal court today and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for his crime. Christian Baumgarth, 27, of Atlanta and formerly of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography before U.S. District …

The Independent reports: An elderly evangelical pastor is facing federal charges for allegedly assaulting his wife on an airplane because she got upgraded to first class and he didn’t. The ugly physical attack occurred July 2 aboard Alaska Airlines flight 275 from Seattle to Anchorage, after Roger Allan Holmberg Sr., 75, verbally abused his spouse and flipped her the bird …

Law & Crimes reports: A week after a judge deemed Kellye SoRelle mentally competent to stand trial, the former Oath Keepers attorney and onetime girlfriend to convicted seditionist and Oath Keepers leader Elmer Stewart Rhodes has pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election. According to an unopposed motion requesting that the U.S. Marshals Service to …

Pittsburgh’s ABC affiliate reports: A Western Pennsylvania man is accused of murdering and dismembering a transgender teenager. DaShawn Watkins, 29, is facing murder charges in connection with the death of 14-year-old Pauly Likens. On June 25, the Sharon Police Department received a report that Likens had been missing since June 22, a news release from the Mercer County Coroner states. …