Woman tied to 'animal crushing' back in jail after being found with dogs in Fountain Square
A woman who spent time in prison for extreme animal cruelty was arrested in Indianapolis on June 27 after prosecutors say she violated the terms of her supervised release.
Krystal Cherika Scott, 24, was sentenced to 30 months' incarceration in 2021 as part of a plea deal after posting online videos of herself hanging and skinning cats and dogs. She was then transferred to five years of supervised release.
Though the court ordered that Scott have no further contact with animals through 2028, she and two others were cited for animal neglect on June 21 after authorities found a dozen animals living in squalor in their rented U-Haul van.
None of the animals had access to food or water and were "forced to stand" in a pile of feces, according to the animal control officer's report. The inside of the van smelled "like a deceased animal," the officer wrote, though all were alive.
Animal control took the animals. Authorities couldn't figure out who owned each animal, so all three were cited. Each citation carries a fine between $25 and $200. No criminal charges were filed, sparking outrage and disbelief from animal advocates throughout Indianapolis.
More: Woman on federal probation for 'animal crushing' found with dogs, cats in Fountain Square
Documents recently filed in Scott's federal case don't specify how she allegedly violated the terms of her release, but the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said before her June 27 arrest that her parole officer was aware of the animal care citation.
A warrant for her arrest was issued by a federal judge on June 25, online court records show.
Scott was the first person charged under a 2019 law that grants the federal government jurisdiction over extreme animal torture cases, according to a sentencing memorandum filed in her case. The FBI began investigating her in June 2020 after she posted a kitten torture video on Instagram.
Federal agents raided the property and arrested Scott in July 2020. The FBI recovered "animal parts and skulls that were consistent with the size of cats and dogs," according to court documents.
"(Scott) claims that her 'good side' loves cats and dogs, but that her 'bad side' tells her to commit acts of animal cruelty, including killing animals by strangulation and other means," an FBI agent wrote. In a custodial interview, Scott admitted to killing a kitten on video and uploading to Instagram.
She later pleaded guilty to two counts of animal crushing, which refers to intentionally torturing live animals, often on video. Scott was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison on Nov. 10, 2021. She was released on June 29, 2023, according to the Bureau of Prisons' database.
Her release was followed by five years of supervised release, which banned "non-incidental" contact with animals. The terms of her probation were modified twice after her initial sentencing, but the changes are not available to the public.
A revocation hearing is scheduled for July 29.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
FBI, DHS warn of lone wolf attacks on July 4 in NYC and San Francisco
NEW YORK — The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have said lone wolf attacks pose the biggest threats to July 4 celebrations this year in New York City and San Francisco. Intelligence bulletins sent out ahead of the holiday warn of copycat attacks and homegrown extremists, according to ABC News. 'We are concerned about the potential threat of copycat attacks inspired by the 2025 New Year's Day vehicle-ramming attack in New Orleans and continued messaging (from foreign terrorist organizations, or FTOs) calling for attacks against Western targets,' two such bulletins read. Officials warn that attackers in New York City and San Francisco could be motivated by a broad-range of grievances, with particular concern over outrage tied to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. 'Of these actors, U.S.-based violent extremists supporting FTOs and (domestic violent extremists) not linked to FTOs represent two of the most persistent threats,' the bulletins say. 'Lone offenders, in particular, remain a concern due to their ability to often avoid detection until operational and to inflict significant casualties.' The agencies specifically cite worries of 'malicious actors and violent extremists' entering July 4 event areas and First Amendment-protected demonstrations with 'weapons, chemical irritants, bodily fluids or other hazardous materials.' Drones could also pose a threat, authorities say. The warning comes weeks after an Egyptian man in Boulder, Colorado used Molotov cocktails to attack a march in support of Israeli hostages, leading to at least one death. A lone shooter killed seven and wounded dozens of others during a 2022 Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, while the New Year's Day attack in New Orleans claimed the lives of 14 victims. _____
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
2 Chinese nationals charged with spying inside the US for Beijing, Justice Department says
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Chinese nationals have been charged with spying inside the United States on behalf of Beijing, including by taking photographs of a naval base, coordinating a cash dead-drop and participating in efforts to recruit members of the military who they thought might be open to working for Chinese intelligence. The case, filed in federal court in San Francisco and unsealed Monday, is the latest Justice Department prosecution to target what officials say are persistent efforts by the Chinese government to secretly collect intelligence about American military capabilities — a practice laid bare in startling fashion two years ago with China's launching of a surveillance balloon that U.S. officials ultimately shot down over the coast of South Carolina. 'This case underscores the Chinese government's sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement announcing the case. 'The Justice Department will not stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country – we will expose foreign operatives, hold their agents to account, and protect the American people from covert threats to our national security.' Officials identified the defendants as Yuance Chen, 38, who arrived in the U.S. on a visa in 2015 and later became a lawful permanent resident, and Liren 'Ryan' Lai, 39, who prosecutors say lives in China but traveled to Texas this past spring and was part of an effort to supervise clandestine espionage operations on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security or MSS. The two were arrested on charges of secretly doing China's bidding without registering as foreign agents with the Justice Department, as required by law. It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said he had no information about the specific case but asserted that allegations against China 'have no facts or evidence' and that 'the U.S. has never stopped its espionage activities against China.' According to an FBI affidavit filed in connection with the case, investigators believe Lai had been developing Chen to be a Chinese intelligence asset since at least mid-2021. Their activities, the FBI says, included coordinating on a dead-drop of at least $10,000 in cash to another person who was operating at the direction of the MSS. They also participated and arranged surveillance of a Navy recruiting station in California and Navy base in Washington state, including through photographs that Chen is accused of taking and that investigators believe were transmitted to Chinese intelligence. Authorities say Lai and Chen also discussed recruiting Navy employees to work for China, with Chen at one point obtaining names, hometowns and programs of recent recruits. Many listed China as their hometown and investigators believe the information was sent to China, the FBI affidavit says. The affidavit recounts conversations aimed at assessing whether individual Navy employees would make for good recruits for Chinese intelligence. In one instance, the FBI said, Chen sent Lai the name of a Navy employee and wrote: 'I found out. His mother is Chinese. His father and mother did not get along and the mother was given custody when he was 8 years old. That is why he uses his mother's last name.' The case is one in a series concerning Chinese intelligence-gathering, sometimes related to the U.S. military. In August 2023, for instance, two Navy sailors were charged with providing sensitive military information to China, including details on wartime exercises, naval operations and critical technical material. 'Adverse foreign intelligence services like the PRC's Ministry of State Security dedicate years to recruiting individuals and cultivating them as intelligence assets to do their bidding within the United States,' Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg, the head of the Justice Department's National Security Division, said in a statement. _____ Associated Press writer Didi Tang in Washington contributed to this report.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Former Spartanburg County sheriff, chaplain could face charges following SLED investigation
Former Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright and the department's former chaplain are under investigation and may be facing multiple charges. According to a letter sent from Attorney General Alan Wilson to the Seventh Circuit Solicitor's Office, Wright could soon be charged with misconduct of a public officer, use of official position for financial gain, obtaining certain drugs, devices, preparations, or compounds by fraud or deceit, and breach of trust with fraudulent intent. Chaplain Amos Durham could be facing a charge of breach of trust with fraudulent intent. More: Interim sheriff says 'Operation Rolling Thunder' to be phased out; Wright's son resigns More: After 20 years, Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright resigns, interim leader named In a letter written on June 12 from Wilson's office, it outlined four potential charges investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division against Wright and one against Durham. The Spartanburg County Solicitor's Office asked to transfer Wright's possible prosecution due to conflicts of interest. According to the documents, the 10th Circuit Solicitor's Office, serving Anderson and Oconee counties, will handle the potential prosecution of the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been investigating the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office. Wright resigned from the Sheriff's Office on May 23 amid controversy, including allegations of improper use of a county credit card, as well as an ethics investigation involving Wright's hiring of his son. Wright took a leave of absence on April 1, with reports being that he had checked into rehab. Durham stepped down from his role as chaplain on May 5. Wright was the sheriff for more than 21 years. He was first elected sheriff in November 2004. This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Ex Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright, chaplain could face charges
