Controversial county attorney receives unwanted gift at her home on Valentine's Day
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell told Phoenix police on February 14 that somebody had sent her a package containing a 'squished brown substance' she believed was feces with a white envelope that had her name on it, according to a police report originally obtained by the Phoenix New Times.
'Rachel stated that she and her husband went to dinner last night and when they got home, her husband told her there was a package at the door,' the report states.
'After bringing it inside, she opened it and found the bag.'
The sender was only listed as 'AS Enterprises' from Allison Park, Pennsylvania, which Mitchell said she researched - and found that it is a service that sends feces through the mail.
The company has received numerous complaints to the Better Business Bureau, which notes that it also goes by the name PoopSenders.com, according to the Arizona Republic.
Its website says it will send 'your friend, or enemy, a healthy heap of some of the nastiest, stinkiest, fresh poop packages that anyone has ever seen' and even offers different types of animal feces: cow, elephant and gorilla, as well as a combination 'in one big nasty mess.'
AS Enterprises also assures its clients that the feces looks and smells disgusting - though it is unclear whether the company uses real dung as its website only says the 'mad scientist' who packages it knows the truth.
It also its clients that nothing can be traced back to the sender and even offers a cash payment option to help customers feel more comfortable about their anonymity.
But the senders must agree that their intention is sending the feces is for fun and not to threaten or harass the recipient.
In Mitchell's case, however, police are investigating the suspicious package as 'harassment by communication,' as the county attorney told officers she wants the sender prosecuted.
She provided the cops with footage from her Ring camera, as she shared who she suspected could have sent her the gift.
She said that 'off the top of her head' she suspected it could have come from a 'suspended attorney named Vladimir Gagic' whom she accused of harassing her husband.
He denied any involvement and said he was never even questioned by Phoenix police when contacted by the New Times - as he questioned whether the investigation was warranted.
'She calls the cops for f***ing fake poop. Really?' Gagic said. 'Is that the best use of law enforcement resources in the county?'
Mitchell also suggested the fecal matter may have come from people who were upset at her office for refusing to prosecute an animal abuse case or anti-Israel activists whom she charged with trespassing at Arizona State University's Tempe campus.
The county attorney, meanwhile, is also facing a civil suit for giving a plea deal to a soccer coach accused of sexually abusing an underage girl, according to the New Times.
But authorities told the Arizona Republic on Monday they are still investigating the incident and did not have an update on whether the feces was tested to be genuine.
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Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Israeli settlers burn West Bank's last Christian town
The Israeli settlers crept up to the ancient church perched above the West Bank's last Christian-majority town. As they reached the outer walls, they crouched down to light a ring of fire. Then they revved the engines of their secret weapons brought to fan the flames: garden leaf blowers. Residents watched in horror as the blaze spread closer to the Church of St George, which dates back to the fifth century. The flames were doused, but not for long. That evening, settlers returned to the town of Taybeh with assault rifles. The same happened the next day and three days after that. Bashar Fawadleh, the parish priest, told The Telegraph: 'Each time we called the Israeli police, but they did not come. 'If they attack our sacred site, they can attack anything of ours.' Settler attacks on Palestinians are on the rise across the occupied West Bank, where roughly half a million Israelis live in Jewish settlements among three million Palestinians. Five Palestinians have been killed in the last two weeks in villages and towns not far from Taybeh, including Sinjil where two men, including a dual US citizen, were beaten to death by settlers on July 12, prompting fury from the Trump administration. While most of the violence is directed against Muslims, settlers have started to attack Palestinian Christian villages like Taybeh. The once-flouring Christian community in the West Bank has dramatically shrunk to less than 2 per cent of the population as many emigrated abroad to escape the violence and religious discrimination. The same has happened in Gaza, where its roughly 1,000 Christians are mostly sheltering in the war-battered Strip's last three churches, one of which was attacked by Israeli forces last week, killing three civilians. Walking around the scorched earth that now encircles the Church of St George, Father Bashar warned: 'This is just the beginning. They want to put fear in our hearts to live here. 'These attacks will bleed the town of people as they leave scared. We have lost 10 families already in the past two years.' Emboldened settlers have set up illegal outposts closer to the town. A makeshift sign written in Hebrew erected outside the ancient town in June read: 'There is no future for you here.' David Khoury, the leader of Taybeh's Greek Orthodox Church, also fears an exodus. 'The settlers are making problems for us every day. Assaulting, vandalising, terrorising, terrifying our families, destroying our fields of olive trees, damaging our properties,' he said. There were more than 750 incidents of settler violence recorded in the first half of this year, up from 216 for the whole of 2023, according to the United Nations. The settler community is seizing the moment to annex land Israel has occupied since the 1967 Six Day War, encouraged by hard-Right ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, including Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, who come from settler backgrounds. The Israeli settlers first attacked Taybeh, north east of Ramallah – the de-facto capital of the Palestinian territory – just before the Oct 7 massacre in southern Israel. During the devastating war that followed in Gaza, the situation has grown dire. Visiting Taybeh, the Patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem condemned the most recent violence as 'clearly part of the systematic attacks against Christians that we see unfolding throughout the region'. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel who is an evangelical Christian and staunch advocate of Israeli settlement construction, also toured the blackened church site on Saturday. He called the attacks an 'act of terror' and demanded 'harsh consequences' for the perpetrators. But he did not attribute the attack to settlers. The town is waiting to see if the condemnation will have an effect. The reality, however, is that settlers rarely face any legal consequences. Last week, the settlers grazed their cattle at the church, in what residents said was a desecration of the holy site. Throwing his hands in the air, Suleiman Khouryeh, Taybeh's mayor, said: 'We cannot protect the town, they are armed, we are not.' He believes the settlers are taunting the residents, trying to get them to answer with violence. 'And we will not,' he said. The mayor is on high alert after the recent killings in Sinjil. 'What happened there could at any moment happen to us – the settlers don't care whether we are Christian or Muslim. We are under attack because we are Palestinian.' Affirming what other witnesses had told The Telegraph, he said that Israeli police provided no help. 'We call the Israeli guards for help and no one comes. Who will protect us?' The future of the community is in peril, he warned. 'The youth has lost hope, there is no work, no safety, no life, no future and they want to leave.' Standing on an arid hill above Taybeh, Ramiz Akhoury pointed towards a huge swath of land to the east of the town, which hosts thousands of olive trees, sheep and chicken farms and fields of crops – the lifeblood of the local economy. 'They have taken it all,' the 37-year-old olive oil producer said forlornly. Over the past two years, he estimates that the settlers have seized 3,000 acres, which includes 70 per cent of his own land. 'They steal our farming equipment, cut our trees, burn them…We are all scared,' he said. In an attack last year, his uncle and aunt were badly beaten while working on the land. He showed The Telegraph dozens of videos showing the settlers grazing their cattle through Palestinian land, destroying vegetation and olive trees, as well as gun-wielding settlers burning land. 'Why do they come to us carrying guns. Do they want peace? I do not think so,' he said. In the face of the persistent violence and intimidation, farmers like Mr Akhoury have been forced to surrender most of their best land, ridding many of their livelihoods. Eid Kabnaeh, a 63-year-old Muslim-Palestinian, lives with 100 members of his extended family, creating their own small village on the outskirts of Taybeh. A tightly-wired fence has been erected around their open front room to stop settlers throwing stones at them when they drive-by, sometimes in a Jeep that was stolen from the family in April. They said they have been the target of settler attacks for four years, despite their home being 50 yards away from an Israeli military barracks. The family lives in constant fear of the next attack, not knowing when or how it will come. 'We are scared to move, we do not take our sheep to the valley to graze, they steal our cars, detain our children, behave like the military,' Mr Kabnaeh said. On June 25, dozens of men attacked the family while they prayed. 'We smelt the fires before we felt them,' Mr Kabnaeh said. Footage shows masked attackers setting fire to their cars and then trying to burn their homes. Many of the women and children suffered badly from smoke inhalation. 'It is hard to talk about what happened. The children were the most afraid, now they have nightmares,' Mr Kabnaeh added. Before leaving, the settlers painted a large Star of David on their outside wall. Mr Kabnaeh claimed that Israeli police just stood and watched from their base. The grandfather looked drained; his role as the leader of his household has taken its toll. 'I cannot manage this situation,' he said. If it is not the settlers, he said the Israeli Police harassing the family sometimes daily, often weekly. 'They come at night for checks all the time,' he said, describing how they pulled the house apart and separated the men from the women and children. 'We don't know what they are looking for, they never find anything.' Despite the relentless threats and violence, when asked if he would move, he shook his head and said: 'I will continue to live here, this is my land, this is my home, my future.' Illegal actions given legitimacy A report in December by Peace Now and Kerem Navot, Israel-based rights groups, said that settlers, with the backing of the Israeli military and government, have seized 14 per cent of the West Bank through establishing outposts and driving Palestinian farming communities out. Yonatan Mizrachi, the co-director of Settlement Watch at Peace Now, said the levels of settler violence that has been seen since Oct 7 'cannot happen without government support, indirectly or directly', and the [coalition's decision not to enforce the law'. 'The settlers right now feel strong and that their illegal actions have been given legitimacy by the government,' he added. Israel Police confirmed it had received reports from residents of an arson attack near the church and said a 'thorough investigation' would be carried out. 'If arson is confirmed, justice will be pursued regardless of race or background,' a statement said. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement: 'Contrary to claims regarding the arson of a church in the village area, such incidents are not known to the IDF. Fires near the church are known and were extinguished by Israeli civilians.' It confirmed it had received reports of fires being set in an open area near Taybeh on July 8 and several suspects setting fire to land on July 11. In the latter incident, the IDF said it dispatched forces but 'found no suspects in the act of arson'. It added: 'Regarding the question of military presence around the village, the IDF operates continuously in Judea and Samaria against terrorist activity and to improve the security of all area residents.'
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Asylum seekers ‘gambling away tax-payer funded cash cards' meant for food and clothing ‘on slot machines and casinos'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) OVER 6,000 asylum seekers have used government-issued cards loaded with £50 a week at betting shops and casinos. Pre-paid cards given out to pay for basics including food and clothing are being used in gambling venues, Home Office data reveals. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 An Anti-Migrant Hotel protest was held in Canary Wharf outside the Britannia International Hotel Credit: George Cracknell Wright 9 Over 6,000 asylum seekers have used government-issued cards loaded with £50 a week at betting shops and casinos Credit: PA 9 Growing tension saw chaos erupt outside a migrant hotel in Epping, Essex, last week Credit: Story Picture Agency While attempts to gamble online using the cards had been made, they were blocked each time so they were forced to use them in physical sites, as reported by PoliticsHome. This is because they can only be activated by using the chip and pin. There are currently around 80,000 ASPEN card users in the UK. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp told PoliticsHome: 'It is shocking that over 6,000 illegal immigrants have attempted to use hard-working British taxpayers' money to gamble. "They have illegally entered this country without needing to – France is safe, and no one needs to flee from there. 'The British taxpayer has put them up in hotels, and now they slap us in the face by using the money they are given to fund gambling. "These illegal immigrants clearly don't need the money they are given if they are squandering it at casinos and arcades.' When asylum seekers are placed in fully catered hotels, the ASPEN card is loaded with roughly £9.95 per week. Meanwhile, in self-catered set ups, they are given around £49.18 per week. Data revealed, 227 migrants successfully used the cards to gamble in a week in November last year. Farage fury as cops admit ESCORTING pro-migrant protesters to Essex asylum hotel This month, were 40 incidents is the lowest recorded amount in one week. It is understood the Home Office is working on a solution to prevent this happening. Prepaid Financial Services and the Home Office have been contacted for comment. This comes as we revealed how migrants suspected of illegally working as delivery drivers were nicked by the Home Office yesterday. 9 Outrage was sparked this week after workers were spotted hauling beds into a posh London hotel Credit: SelwynPics 9 It has been confirmed that no asylum seekers are currently living there 9 Housing asylum seekers in hotels costs the taxpayer £5.77million a day Credit: Ray Collins The raid was sparked after the Government gave out the locations of asylum hotels. We revealed how platforms like Just Eat and Deliveroo would be able to block users from taking orders at known asylum accommodation sites. Yesterday Immigration Enforcement officers questioned a number of delivery riders in Wood Green, North London, where at least one man was detained. A photo shows officers talking to the men, including some wearing Just Eat uniforms. One rider suspected of working illegally, who was wearing a beige t-shirt, was searched and placed in the back of a van. And just two weeks ago, there was another Immigration Enforcement raid on the Thistle City Hotel in Islington, Central London, which had been used as a hub for illicit gig economy jobs. When The Sun returned to the hotel on Tuesday we found delivery rider bags and e-bikes were still parked in a fenced-off enclosure outside the three-star hotel. And we saw a steady stream of riders coming and going despite pledges by the Home Office to crack down. Outrage was also sparked this week after workers were spotted hauling beds into a posh London hotel that is set to house hundreds of asylum seekers. Labourers wheeled in the new furniture at the four-star Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf this morning, following an anti-migrant protest outside the property last night. Around 150 activists had surrounded the hotel - in London's eastern financial centre - last night after false reports claimed asylum seekers were being transferred there from another migrant hotel in Epping. The rumours, circulated on X by far-right figure Tommy Robinson, claimed migrants would be moved from The Bell Hotel in Epping to the Canary Wharf building. While the Home Office later debunked these claims, it has been revealed that the hotel - where rooms cost up to £460 a night - will be repurposed as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. A spokesman for the Tower Hamlets Council said: 'We are aware of the Government's decision to use the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. 'It is important that the Government ensures that there is a full package of support for those staying at the hotel. 'We are working with the Home Office and partners to make sure that all necessary safety and safeguarding arrangements are in place.' It has been confirmed that no asylum seekers are currently living there - the Home Office reserves beds in empty hotel rooms in case of a surge in crossings over the summer period. Home Office sources revealed to The Sun that the average cost per night for a hotel room for a migrant is now £118.87, down from £162.16 in March 2023. Housing asylum seekers in hotels costs the taxpayer £5.77million a day. Some 23,534 migrants have already arrived on small boats this year — 48 per cent higher than this time in 2024. GROWING UNREST Chaos was sparked outside the hotel in Epping last week after an asylum seeker appeared in court charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. The unrest saw yobs launching themselves on riot vans, smashing windshields and ripping off wingmirrors in senseless displays of "hooliganism". One thug was even run over while attempting to stop a police van gaining access to the hotel. Another man had his teeth knocked out after riot cops smashed a shield into his face in a brutal clash. Cops arrested two men, aged 36, and 47, on suspicion of violent disorder under Section 2 of the Public Order Act. A 51-year-old has also now been charged with violent disorder. A 34-year-old man remains in custody on suspicion of breaching Section 60AA of the Public Order Act. Meanwhile, two teens aged 17 and 16, were also arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a vehicle and going equipped to cause criminal damage, respectively. The force confirmed eight officers were injured in the clashes. The protest was sparked by a 38-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker who was arrested and later charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who had been living at the Bell Hotel, in Epping, Essex, denies sexual assault. He appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Thursday, July 10, where he denied all charges. His arrest led to multiple protests in the region, culminating in the violent clashes. Since tensions reached boiling point, violent demonstrations have cost the force £100,000. 9 A man jumping on a police riot van in Essex Credit: no credit 9 One protester was knocked down while trying to stop a police vehicle Credit: Newsflare
BBC News
12 hours ago
- BBC News
Newscast Protests Put President Zelensky Under Pressure
Today, we look at protests across Ukraine after President Zelensky signed a new law which critics say weakens the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies. Demonstrations in cities across the country became the largest anti-government protests to take place in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022. Adam is joined by Vitaly Shevchenko, Ukrainecast host, and Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine forum at Chatham House, to discuss Ukraine's history with government corruption and why the new law is so controversial. Plus, two city traders who were found guilty of rigging interest rates have had their convictions overturned. Andy Verity, BBC's financial investigations correspondent, tells Adam all about the case. You can listen back to the Old Newscasts about the 2008 financial crash here: Episode 1 - Episode 2 - You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast'. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@ or send us a whatsapp on +44 0330 123 9480. New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Gray with Anna Harris and Kris Jalowiecki. The social producers were Sophie Millward. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
