Crime

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. …

Youngstown’s NBC affiliate reports: Police in Boardman are trying to identify the man who urinated on sandwiches displayed at a local department store. According to a police report, a customer reported seeing a man urinating on a deli counter full of sandwiches Wednesday night. The report says 65 sandwiches worth more than $500 had to be thrown out and the …

NBC News reports: A veteran comedian with roles on “Mr. Show,” “Arrested Development,” “Bob’s Burgers” and “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” has pleaded guilty in connection with his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Jay Johnston, wearing a gray suit, pleaded guilty to a felony offense of obstructing officers during a civil disorder. “Guilty,” …

NBC News reports: Employment scams surged last year, as criminals leveraged artificial intelligence to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting job seekers, experts said. Consumer reports of job scams jumped 118% in 2023 from the prior year, according to a recent report by the Identity Theft Resource Center. Thieves generally pose as recruiters and post fake job listings to …

Michigan Live reports: It would no longer be legal to argue that someone’s sexual orientation justified assaulting them under a proposed law headed to the governor’s desk. If signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a person charged with a violent crime couldn’t seek to reduce or evade criminal liability on claims that they lost control and reacted violently because …

Nashville’s ABC affiliate reports: Mere days after it was painted and installed, Nashville’s first rainbow crosswalk was defaced by an unidentified driver. Hundreds of volunteers joined together Saturday, June 29 to paint the crosswalk at the intersection of 14th Street and Woodland in East Nashville. The crosswalk is meant to be a celebration of Nashville’s LGBTQ+ community. It’s placed outside …

The Associated Press reports: A court in Romania’s capital ruled Friday that social media influencer Andrew Tate can leave the country but must remain within the European Union as he awaits trial on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The Bucharest Tribunal’s decision to allow Tate, 37, to leave the country was …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: A hacker group claims it has breached the Florida Department of Health and gained access to a large amount of potentially sensitive data on Floridians. The RansomHub ransomware group said in a post on the dark web that it will release 100 gigabytes of department data unless the state pays an undisclosed amount of money. …

ABC News reports: Samuel Woodward, a California man accused of murdering his former classmate in 2018, has been found guilty in the hate crime case. Blaze Bernstein — a 19-year-old gay, Jewish student at the University of Pennsylvania — went missing while visiting his family in Newport Beach during winter break in January 2018. His body was found following a …

The Christian Post reports: Zachary King, a pastor with “significant experience serving in youth ministry” at multiple megachurches, including LexCity Church in Lexington, Kentucky, from which he recently resigned as executive pastor, has been charged with the rape and sexual abuse of a minor. A press release from the office of Attorney General of Kentucky, Russell Coleman, said King, 47, …

From the Justice Department: An Arkansas man was arrested today for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: St. Petersburg police have arrested a man who they say vandalized an LGBTQ+ street mural by doing burnouts on it. Christian Maier, 18, of St. Petersburg was arrested Monday on charges of felony criminal mischief and racing or stunt driving on a public street, the police department said in a news release. The Progressive Pride …