Feds say woman faked immigration kidnapping in Los Angeles & 5 more legal cases
Thousands of legal cases reach U.S. courts every year. From accusations of mistreatment in prisons to fraud to sexual abuse and beyond, here are some of the latest from across the country.
Fake tutor tries to meet child for sex acts, feds say. Florida cops were waiting
In Florida, Kevin Patrick Wilson, 39, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after being accused of attempting to meet a 12-year-old girl for sex acts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. Court documents say Wilson posed as a tutor in a Facebook group and communicated with an undercover detective posing as the girl's guardian. The sting operation led to his arrest on July 24, 2024,according to federal prosecutors. | Published July 15 | Read More
Off-duty deputy threatens crypto businessman's rival inside CA mansion, feds say
In California, two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were charged with civil rights violations in connection with their work as private security for a cryptocurrency businessman, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Christopher Michael Cadman and another deputy were accused of intimidating a rival of the businessman, leading to a $25,000 transfer, federal prosecutors say. Cadman agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy against rights and a tax offense on July 14. | Published July 16 | Read More
'I'm gonna go postal.' Mail carrier purposely hits USPS vehicle in VA, feds say
In Virginia, Lolita Brickhouse, 31, pleaded guilty to causing over $42,000 in damage after federal prosecutors say she purposely crashed into a USPS vehicle. The incident occurred after Brickhouse accused her co-workers of stealing her phone, leading to a violent outburst, court filings say. Brickhouse faces up to 10 years in prison for destruction of government property, according to prosecutors. | Published July 16 | Read More
21-year-old Army soldier hacks databases, threatens to leak stolen data, feds say
Cameron John Wagenius, a former U.S. Army soldier, pleaded guilty to hacking and extortion charges after he was accused of accessing data from telecommunications companies, federal prosecutors say. Wagenius and his conspirators attempted to extort $1,000,000 and sold stolen data, according to court documents. He faces prison time, with sentencing scheduled for October, prosecutors say. | Published July 17 | Read More
Woman fakes immigration kidnapping, then is found at CA shopping plaza, feds say
Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, is accused of faking herimmigration kidnapping from downtown Los Angeles to solicit donations, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors say Calderon and her family falsely claimed she was abducted by masked men, but she was later found at a shopping plaza. Calderon is charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers. | Published July 18 | Read More
Woman in crisis was stripped, strapped to chair at Florida ICE center, suit says
A federal lawsuit in Florida says a woman was mistreated at an ICE facility, where guards stripped her and strapped her to a chair during a mental health crisis. The woman, a human trafficking survivor, was exposed and mocked by officers, according to the complaint. The lawsuit seeks damages and calls for the closure of the detention center. | Published July 18 | Read More
McClatchy News continues to follow lawsuits and legal cases from around the country. Check back for more legal stories.
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USA Today
15 minutes ago
- USA Today
Hunting show host from Georgia banned for life from hunting in Kansas
A hunting-show host from Georgia has received a lifetime hunting ban in Kansas for illegally killing deer in that state. Matt Jennings, 35, host of 'The Game,' pleaded guilty to two counts of 'illegal taking of a white-tailed deer in interstate commerce,' according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Jennings, from Bowden, Ga., also admitted to using footage from the hunts on his show. Jennings was sentenced this week to five years probation and banned from hunting or fishing in Kansas for the rest of his life as a result of the case, which originated in 2022. ALSO: Wolf found dead in Rocky Mountain National Park likely killed by cougar On Nov. 11, 2022, Jennings killed an antlered deer near Florence, Kansas, without a valid tag. He then drove the deer to Oklahoma, where he registered the kill using an Oklahoma tag. On Nov. 19, 2022, Jennings killed another antlered deer near Wakeeney, Kansas. He had a valid permit for the area, but violated state law by exceeding the bag-limit of one antlered deer per season. Jennings was ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and a $10,000 fine. He also was ordered to forfeit the antlers from the deer he poached. Additionally, during his probation, Jennings cannot guide, hunt, trap, or fish in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota. The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, with assistance from agencies in other states.
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
7-year-old boy attacked and killed by pack of nine dogs, Alabama cops say
Nine dogs have been euthanized in connection with the killing of a 7-year-old boy in Alabama, according to investigators. The pack included multiple breeds, some weighing up to 60 pounds, and their remains are being sent for 'testing as part of the investigation,' the Chilton County Sheriff's Office said in a news release posted to Facebook. Investigators say the boy was attacked around 6 p.m. July 22 as he rode a four-wheeler, and his grandmother was bitten trying to save him. Details of her injuries were not released. 'The owner of the dogs is cooperating fully,' the sheriff's office said. 'These animals were not stray dogs; they belonged to a local resident and were kept on private property prior to the incident.' The attack happened on a sparsely populated dirt road near Calera, about a 35-mile drive south from Birmingham, officials say. The boy has been identified as Noah Burnett by WBRC, which reports his grandmother was hospitalized with multiple bites but is expected to recover. A fundraiser for the boy's parents says he was 'the life of the party, and he was always dirty; he loved being outside and playing in the dirt.' 'Our hearts are broken for the child and the family affected by this unimaginable loss,' Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon said in the news release. 'We are fully committed to a thorough investigation to determine how this tragedy occurred.' The owner of the dogs lives on the same property as the child's family, WIAT reports. The dogs 'humanely euthanized' as part of the investigation: 6-month-old male shepherd mix, 34.2 pounds6-month-old male pit bull terrier mix, 31.5 pounds6-month-old male shepherd mix, 26.4 pounds1½-year-old female lab mix, 24.6 pounds2-year-old male hound mix, 36.4 pounds6-month-old female lab mix, 28.4 pounds6-month-old female pit bull terrier mix, 23.6 pounds3-year-old female pit bull terrier/Akita mix, 60.2 pounds2½-year-old male shepherd mix, 48.4 pounds
NBC News
7 hours ago
- NBC News
Live updates: DOJ to continue interview with Epstein partner Ghislaine Maxwell; Trump heads to Scotland
The Justice Department is seeking the release of grand jury transcripts from the Jeffrey Epstein case. President Donald Trump visits the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP Updated July 25, 2025, 7:20 AM EDT It was late afternoon on the last Friday in June, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Gordon was in his office in Tampa, Florida, interviewing a victim for an upcoming trial via Zoom. Alongside a special agent, Gordon was preparing the victim to be a witness in a Justice Department case against a lawyer who the Justice Department alleged had been scamming clients. There was a knock at the door, Gordon later told NBC News, and he didn't answer; at the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Middle District of Florida, there was a culture of not just popping in when the door is closed. But the door popped open, and there stood the office manager, ashen-faced. The office manager is in charge of security, and Gordon thought for a moment that something might have happened to his family. Gordon muted the Zoom call, and the office manager handed him a piece of paper. It was a one-page letter signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi. He'd been terminated from federal service. 'No explanation. No advance warning. No description of what the cause was,' Gordon said in an interview. 'Now, I knew why. I knew it had to be my Jan. 6 work.' Gordon had been senior trial counsel in the Capitol Siege Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, which prosecuted alleged rioters involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. His title reflected some of the high-profile cases he'd taken on during the Jan. 6 investigation and the role he played in helping other federal prosecutors. At the time of his firing, Gordon had long been working on other cases back home in Florida. He had recently been assigned to co-lead a case against two people accused of stealing more than $100 million from a medical trust for people with disabilities, as well as injured workers and retirees. Just two days before he was fired, he'd received an 'outstanding' rating on his performance review. Now, along with two other recently fired Justice Department employees, Gordon is pushing back, suing the Trump administration late Thursday over their dismissals. The suit argues that the normal procedures federal employees are expected to go through to address their grievances — the Merit Systems Protection Board — are fundamentally broken because of the Trump administration's actions. Read the full story here. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., today announced an immigration bill that would broaden pathways to obtain legal status and citizenship for longtime residents of the U.S, including Dreamers, highly skilled workers and asylum seekers. The bill, called the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929, would make immigrants who have been living in the United States continuously for at least seven years eligible for permanent legal status. This would update an existing statute that was last amended in 1986, which set the cut off date for eligibility at 1972. It would also provide a pathway for Dreamers, asylum-seekers and high-skilled workers with H-1B Visas to obtain green cards. Padilla first introduced the bill in 2022 but it never got passed the Judiciary committee. A version was introduced in the House by Rep. Zoe Lofgren and similarly languished in committee. Both versions will be reintroduced on Monday, Padilla said. 'We believe this is the first step,' he said, adding that changing public opinion is the key ingredient this time. According to a recent Gallup poll, 79% of Americans say immigration is a good thing compared to 64% in 2024. Support for allowing undocumented immigrants to become U.S. citizens has increased to 78% compared to 70% last year. 'What we're seeing in practice is not what people signed up for,' he said of Trump's immigration directives. 'The overreach, how extreme and cruel the administration has become about immigration enforcement, has shifted public opinion about Donald Trump and his policies.' Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said last night that he plans to continue his conversation with Epstein's longtime accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell today. The two spoke for several hours yesterday as the administration seeks to probe Maxwell for additional information about Epstein's case. Attorney General Pam Bondi chose Blanche to speak with Maxwell in an attempt to 'pursue justice' after a decision by the Justice Department to no longer release information from the federal investigation into Epstein roiled Trump's base. 'President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,' Bondi said this week on X.
