Crime

Charleston’s CBS affiliate reports: A South Carolina priest who served in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston has been charged with federal sex crimes stemming from allegations that he abused an 11-year-old child. Jaime Adolfo Gonzalez-Farias, known in the church as “Father Gonzalez,” was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Miami. A recently unsealed indictment shows Gonzalez-Farias, 68, was …

The Associated Press reports: A New Jersey woman who pleaded guilty to helping her boyfriend spread a feel-good story about a homeless veteran that garnered more than $400,000 in online donations has been sentenced to three years in prison on state theft charges. Katelyn McClure, 32, wasn’t present in the Mount Holly courtroom Friday because she is serving a one-year …

The Los Angeles Times reports: Adult film legend Ron Jeremy has “severe dementia” and will be declared unfit to stand trial on multiple rape allegations later this month.. Jeremy – real name Ronald Hyatt – was first charged in June 2020 with raping four women he met in bars and clubs. The case against Jeremy quickly escalated as dozens of …

Des Moines’ CBS affiliate reports: A former Iowa church pastor is accused of drugging and sexually abusing a child more than a decade ago. Criminal complaints say 68-year-old Mark Benson abused the girl several times at his home in Cambridge from 2009 to 2012. The victim was between the ages of 10 and 13 at the time. She told police …

The Times Of San Diego reports: The former pastor of an Imperial County-based church and his wife were sentenced in San Diego federal court Friday following their guilty pleas to benefits fraud charges, in a case that originally stemmed from allegations that the church’s leaders forced homeless people to surrender their welfare benefits and panhandle to benefit the organization. Victor …

CBS News reports: A 6-year-old student shot a teacher during an altercation at a Virginia elementary school on Friday, police said. No students were injured in the incident at Richneck Elementary School, Newport News police said in a statement. “This was not an accidental shooting,” Police Chief Steve Drew told reporters during an evening press conference. The boy was taken …

The Associated Press reports: “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” cast member Jennifer Shah was sentenced Friday to six and a half years in prison. Judge Sidney Stein said Shah’s role on the RHOSLC played no role in his sentencing decision. “The character your client plays is simply a character,” Stein said. “The Real Housewives franchise involves role playing, editing. …

Houston’s Fox affiliate reports: A former youth pastor accused of sexually abusing 14 girls at a North Texas mega church is scheduled to be released from prison next month. Denton Bible Church youth pastor Rob Shiflet was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison in 2021 for sexually assaulting two girls on church youth trips. Denton Bible Church pastor Tommy …

The Associated Press reports: The homes or offices of four elected Democratic officials in New Mexico have been hit by gunfire over the past month, and authorities are working to determine if the attacks are connected. The attacks began on Dec. 4, when someone shot eight rounds at the Albuquerque home of Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa, police said. Seven …

Vice News reports: Two men set themselves on fire after dumping an accelerant on a California immigration services building and setting it ablaze, video shows. On Monday night, a Ring surveillance camera captured two men dressed in black with masks covering their faces walking up to Servicio de Immigracion in Bakersfield, California. The two men proceed to dump the accelerant …

CNBC reports: New York AG Letitia James sued former Celsius Network CEO Alex Mashinsky on Thursday, alleging that Mashinsky defrauded hundreds of thousands of investors out of billions of dollars at the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange. Mashinsky publicly assured his customers that investing with Celsius was both safer and more lucrative than leaving their investments in a traditional bank. At one …

The New Jersey Advance reports: A youth pastor at a church in Burlington County pleaded guilty this week to blackmailing four underage boys into performing sex acts online, which he recorded for his enjoyment, authorities said Thursday. Sean Higgins, 32, of Palmyra, pleaded guilty Tuesday in New Jersey Superior Court to four counts of endangering the welfare of children in …

CNN reports:   The FBI is now offering $500,000 for information leading to an arrest of the person who placed pipe bombs near the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC, the night before the 2021 US Capitol riot, the bureau announced Wednesday. The announcement represents a sharp increase in the amount of money the government …

Courthouse News reports: Court records unsealed Tuesday revealed federal prosecutors have charged two men for a series of substation attacks in Pierce County, Washington, that left thousands without power on Christmas Day. On New Year’s Eve, the FBI and local law enforcement executed an arrest warrant for Puyallup residents Matthew Greenwood, 32, and Jeremy Crahan, 40, who face federal charges …

Reuters reports: Megan Hess, 46, and Shirly Koch, 69, dissected some 560 corpses between 2010 and 2018, selling parts to medical training companies which did not know they had been fraudulently acquired. Entire bodies were sold in some cases, prosecutors said. Hess was sentenced to 20 years in jail and Koch to 15. Hess – who ran the Sunset Mesa …

Click Orlando reports: More hateful words targeting the Jewish community showed up on the side of a building on New Year’s Eve, this time in downtown Orlando. Cell phone video showed the words “vax the Jews” scrolling across the top of an office building on Orange Avenue at Washington Street. The owner of a restaurant on the bottom floor of …

The Wall Street Journal reports: In the two years since a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, prosecutors have secured guilty pleas from more than half the rioters they have charged, helping lead to a 99.8% conviction rate. Dustin Thompson tried to beat those odds. The 38-year-old Ohioan pleaded not guilty and took the stand to say he was only …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: A newly elected Republican state lawmaker has withdrawn from office after he was charged with swiping prescription narcotics from a retirement complex where he works. Danny Rampey’s decision not to take office triggers a Jan. 31 special election to fill his Winder-based House seat in northeast Georgia. Gov. Brian Kemp signed an order Saturday setting up …

NBC News reports: Three New York City police officers were injured after being attacked with a machete near New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square, authorities said. The incident happened just after 10 p.m. ET at West 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, just outside of the high-security zone where revelers are screened at checkpoints, officials said at a news conference …

Detroit’s Fox affiliate reports: David Shagena was a youth leader at The River Church when minors came forward alleging him of inappropriate behavior, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office said. Shagena was arraigned Dec. 24 on a fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charge and three other counts of crimes against minors. He was given a $10,000 bond, which he has since …