Latest news with #LaSota
Hamilton Spectator
09-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Three Zizians face trial together in Maryland amid sprawling federal investigation
CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) — Three members of a violent cultlike group, including its alleged ringleader, will be tried together on charges of trespassing, gun and drug possession after police discovered them camping in box trucks in rural western Maryland. The group known as Zizians , which attracted a fringe contingent of computer scientists who connected online over their shared anarchist beliefs, has been linked to six killings spanning three states in recent years. The Maryland cases were originally scheduled for separate trials, but the defendants requested a joint proceeding despite concerns from their attorneys; a judge granted the request following a court hearing Tuesday afternoon. Jack 'Ziz' LaSota and her associates Michelle Zajko and Daniel Blank were arrested in February after a man told police that 'suspicious' people had parked two box trucks on his property and asked to camp there for a month, according to authorities. The trucks were found in a largely remote wooded area near the Maryland-Pennsylvania line, a mountainous region dotted with small towns. LaSota, a transgender woman who's regarded as the group leader, entered the courtroom Tuesday hoisting a brown paper bag filled with documents. Throughout the hearing, LaSota and Zajko repeatedly interjected to address the judge directly, disregarding conventional courtroom practices and occasionally speaking over their attorneys. The regular interruptions added to the already unusual circumstances of the case, which hinges on the findings of federal investigators despite being prosecuted in state court. The main issue discussed Tuesday was the timeline of the proceedings. After the trio was arrested in February on trespassing and illegal gun possession charges, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment last month with new allegations, including LSD possession. Defense attorneys argued prosecutors are trying to slow-walk the case while federal authorities continue investigating the Zizians. 'Their interest in delaying this trial may be to put something together in another jurisdiction,' said attorney George McKinley, who represents Zajko. Zajko also told Allegany County Circuit Court Judge Michael Twigg that she believes the delays are 'to stop the death penalty from being carried out in another case' — referring to Teresa Youngblut, another alleged group member who was arrested in the January shooting death of a border patrol agent in Vermont. Allegany County State's Attorney James Elliott vehemently denied the accusations that Maryland prosecutors are intentionally dragging their feet. He said federal investigators only recently provided his office with test results confirming the presence of LSD, which prompted the superseding indictment. He also objected to LaSota and Zajko addressing the court, saying it would drag out the proceedings even longer than anticipated. He estimated the joint trial could take at least two weeks. 'This is a motions hearing,' he said, exasperated. 'It isn't everybody gets to participate.' LaSota, meanwhile, claimed there was 'a double standard being applied' in terms of delaying the case. Several times she raised her hand and spoke haltingly, often pausing to search for the right words. At other times, the co-defendants whispered urgently among themselves. LaSota also faces a federal charge of being an armed fugitive. She possessed several firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to federal prosecutors in Maryland. Zajko faces federal firearms charges in Vermont because police allege she purchased weapons recovered in connection with the border patrol agent's killing. In January 2023, police questioned Zajko after her parents were found shot to death in their Pennsylvania home. She hasn't been charged in their deaths, though LaSota was arrested on obstruction and disorderly conduct charges after police again contacted Zajko at a Pennsylvania hotel. Pennsylvania state police records describe Blank as Zajko's housemate in Vermont. It's not clear how the trio ended up in the mountains of far western Maryland, where their presence in the close-knit rural community left locals perplexed. Police said they were wearing black tactical gear. Zajko recently filed a handwritten motion arguing the box trucks actually weren't on private property. It includes a meticulously drawn sketch showing the trucks parked along a public dirt road. She also claimed that the man who reported their presence to police never saw Blank. Blank's attorney, Rebecca Lechliter, argued during Tuesday's hearing that what started as a trespassing case was being blown out of proportion. She said she plans to continue advocating for Blank's release from jail pending trial. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
09-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Three Zizians face trial together in Maryland amid sprawling federal investigation
CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) — Three members of a violent cultlike group, including its alleged ringleader, will be tried together on charges of trespassing, gun and drug possession after police discovered them camping in box trucks in rural western Maryland. The group known as Zizians, which attracted a fringe contingent of computer scientists who connected online over their shared anarchist beliefs, has been linked to six killings spanning three states in recent years. The Maryland cases were originally scheduled for separate trials, but the defendants requested a joint proceeding despite concerns from their attorneys; a judge granted the request following a court hearing Tuesday afternoon. Jack 'Ziz' LaSota and her associates Michelle Zajko and Daniel Blank were arrested in February after a man told police that 'suspicious' people had parked two box trucks on his property and asked to camp there for a month, according to authorities. The trucks were found in a largely remote wooded area near the Maryland-Pennsylvania line, a mountainous region dotted with small towns. LaSota, a transgender woman who's regarded as the group leader, entered the courtroom Tuesday hoisting a brown paper bag filled with documents. Throughout the hearing, LaSota and Zajko repeatedly interjected to address the judge directly, disregarding conventional courtroom practices and occasionally speaking over their attorneys. The regular interruptions added to the already unusual circumstances of the case, which hinges on the findings of federal investigators despite being prosecuted in state court. The main issue discussed Tuesday was the timeline of the proceedings. After the trio was arrested in February on trespassing and illegal gun possession charges, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment last month with new allegations, including LSD possession. Defense attorneys argued prosecutors are trying to slow-walk the case while federal authorities continue investigating the Zizians. 'Their interest in delaying this trial may be to put something together in another jurisdiction,' said attorney George McKinley, who represents Zajko. Zajko also told Allegany County Circuit Court Judge Michael Twigg that she believes the delays are 'to stop the death penalty from being carried out in another case' — referring to Teresa Youngblut, another alleged group member who was arrested in the January shooting death of a border patrol agent in Vermont. Allegany County State's Attorney James Elliott vehemently denied the accusations that Maryland prosecutors are intentionally dragging their feet. He said federal investigators only recently provided his office with test results confirming the presence of LSD, which prompted the superseding indictment. He also objected to LaSota and Zajko addressing the court, saying it would drag out the proceedings even longer than anticipated. He estimated the joint trial could take at least two weeks. 'This is a motions hearing,' he said, exasperated. 'It isn't everybody gets to participate.' LaSota, meanwhile, claimed there was 'a double standard being applied' in terms of delaying the case. Several times she raised her hand and spoke haltingly, often pausing to search for the right words. At other times, the co-defendants whispered urgently among themselves. LaSota also faces a federal charge of being an armed fugitive. She possessed several firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to federal prosecutors in Maryland. Zajko faces federal firearms charges in Vermont because police allege she purchased weapons recovered in connection with the border patrol agent's killing. In January 2023, police questioned Zajko after her parents were found shot to death in their Pennsylvania home. She hasn't been charged in their deaths, though LaSota was arrested on obstruction and disorderly conduct charges after police again contacted Zajko at a Pennsylvania hotel. Pennsylvania state police records describe Blank as Zajko's housemate in Vermont. It's not clear how the trio ended up in the mountains of far western Maryland, where their presence in the close-knit rural community left locals perplexed. Police said they were wearing black tactical gear. Zajko recently filed a handwritten motion arguing the box trucks actually weren't on private property. It includes a meticulously drawn sketch showing the trucks parked along a public dirt road. She also claimed that the man who reported their presence to police never saw Blank. Blank's attorney, Rebecca Lechliter, argued during Tuesday's hearing that what started as a trespassing case was being blown out of proportion. She said she plans to continue advocating for Blank's release from jail pending trial.
Boston Globe
09-07-2025
- Boston Globe
Three Zizians face trial together in Maryland amid sprawling federal investigation
Jack 'Ziz' LaSota and her associates Michelle Zajko and Daniel Blank were arrested in February after a man told police that 'suspicious' people had parked two box trucks on his property and asked to camp there for a month, according to authorities. The trucks were found in a largely remote wooded area near the Maryland-Pennsylvania line, a mountainous region dotted with small towns. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up LaSota, a transgender woman who's regarded as the group leader, entered the courtroom Tuesday hoisting a brown paper bag filled with documents. Throughout the hearing, LaSota and Zajko repeatedly interjected to address the judge directly, disregarding conventional courtroom practices and occasionally speaking over their attorneys. The regular interruptions added to the already unusual circumstances of the case, which hinges on the findings of federal investigators despite being prosecuted in state court. Advertisement The main issue discussed Tuesday was the timeline of the proceedings. After the trio was arrested in February on trespassing and illegal gun possession charges, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment last month with new allegations, including LSD possession. Advertisement Defense attorneys argued prosecutors are trying to slow-walk the case while federal authorities continue investigating the Zizians. 'Their interest in delaying this trial may be to put something together in another jurisdiction,' said attorney George McKinley, who represents Zajko. Zajko also told Allegany County Circuit Court Judge Michael Twigg that she believes the delays are 'to stop the death penalty from being carried out in another case' — referring to Teresa Youngblut, another alleged group member who was arrested in the January shooting death of a border patrol agent in Vermont. Allegany County State's Attorney James Elliott vehemently denied the accusations that Maryland prosecutors are intentionally dragging their feet. He said federal investigators only recently provided his office with test results confirming the presence of LSD, which prompted the superseding indictment. He also objected to LaSota and Zajko addressing the court, saying it would drag out the proceedings even longer than anticipated. He estimated the joint trial could take at least two weeks. 'This is a motions hearing,' he said, exasperated. 'It isn't everybody gets to participate.' LaSota, meanwhile, claimed there was 'a double standard being applied' in terms of delaying the case. Several times she raised her hand and spoke haltingly, often pausing to search for the right words. At other times, the co-defendants whispered urgently among themselves. LaSota also faces a federal charge of being an armed fugitive. She possessed several firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to federal prosecutors in Maryland. Zajko faces federal firearms charges in Vermont because police allege she purchased weapons recovered in connection with the border patrol agent's killing. Advertisement In January 2023, police questioned Zajko after her parents were found shot to death in their Pennsylvania home. She hasn't been charged in their deaths, though LaSota was arrested on obstruction and disorderly conduct charges after police again contacted Zajko at a Pennsylvania hotel. Pennsylvania state police records describe Blank as Zajko's housemate in Vermont. It's not clear how the trio ended up in the mountains of far western Maryland, where their presence in the close-knit rural community left locals perplexed. Police said they were wearing black tactical gear. Zajko recently filed a handwritten motion arguing the box trucks actually weren't on private property. It includes a meticulously drawn sketch showing the trucks parked along a public dirt road. She also claimed that the man who reported their presence to police never saw Blank. Blank's attorney, Rebecca Lechliter, argued during Tuesday's hearing that what started as a trespassing case was being blown out of proportion. She said she plans to continue advocating for Blank's release from jail pending trial.
San Francisco Chronicle
09-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Three Zizians face trial together in Maryland amid sprawling federal investigation
CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) — Three members of a violent cultlike group, including its alleged ringleader, will be tried together on charges of trespassing, gun and drug possession after police discovered them camping in box trucks in rural western Maryland. The group known as Zizians, which attracted a fringe contingent of computer scientists who connected online over their shared anarchist beliefs, has been linked to six killings spanning three states in recent years. The Maryland cases were originally scheduled for separate trials, but the defendants requested a joint proceeding despite concerns from their attorneys; a judge granted the request following a court hearing Tuesday afternoon. Jack 'Ziz' LaSota and her associates Michelle Zajko and Daniel Blank were arrested in February after a man told police that 'suspicious' people had parked two box trucks on his property and asked to camp there for a month, according to authorities. The trucks were found in a largely remote wooded area near the Maryland-Pennsylvania line, a mountainous region dotted with small towns. LaSota, a transgender woman who's regarded as the group leader, entered the courtroom Tuesday hoisting a brown paper bag filled with documents. Throughout the hearing, LaSota and Zajko repeatedly interjected to address the judge directly, disregarding conventional courtroom practices and occasionally speaking over their attorneys. The regular interruptions added to the already unusual circumstances of the case, which hinges on the findings of federal investigators despite being prosecuted in state court. The main issue discussed Tuesday was the timeline of the proceedings. After the trio was arrested in February on trespassing and illegal gun possession charges, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment last month with new allegations, including LSD possession. Defense attorneys argued prosecutors are trying to slow-walk the case while federal authorities continue investigating the Zizians. 'Their interest in delaying this trial may be to put something together in another jurisdiction,' said attorney George McKinley, who represents Zajko. Zajko also told Allegany County Circuit Court Judge Michael Twigg that she believes the delays are 'to stop the death penalty from being carried out in another case' — referring to Teresa Youngblut, another alleged group member who was arrested in the January shooting death of a border patrol agent in Vermont. Allegany County State's Attorney James Elliott vehemently denied the accusations that Maryland prosecutors are intentionally dragging their feet. He said federal investigators only recently provided his office with test results confirming the presence of LSD, which prompted the superseding indictment. He also objected to LaSota and Zajko addressing the court, saying it would drag out the proceedings even longer than anticipated. He estimated the joint trial could take at least two weeks. 'This is a motions hearing,' he said, exasperated. 'It isn't everybody gets to participate.' LaSota, meanwhile, claimed there was 'a double standard being applied' in terms of delaying the case. Several times she raised her hand and spoke haltingly, often pausing to search for the right words. At other times, the co-defendants whispered urgently among themselves. LaSota also faces a federal charge of being an armed fugitive. She possessed several firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to federal prosecutors in Maryland. Zajko faces federal firearms charges in Vermont because police allege she purchased weapons recovered in connection with the border patrol agent's killing. In January 2023, police questioned Zajko after her parents were found shot to death in their Pennsylvania home. She hasn't been charged in their deaths, though LaSota was arrested on obstruction and disorderly conduct charges after police again contacted Zajko at a Pennsylvania hotel. Pennsylvania state police records describe Blank as Zajko's housemate in Vermont. It's not clear how the trio ended up in the mountains of far western Maryland, where their presence in the close-knit rural community left locals perplexed. Police said they were wearing black tactical gear. Zajko recently filed a handwritten motion arguing the box trucks actually weren't on private property. It includes a meticulously drawn sketch showing the trucks parked along a public dirt road. She also claimed that the man who reported their presence to police never saw Blank. Blank's attorney, Rebecca Lechliter, argued during Tuesday's hearing that what started as a trespassing case was being blown out of proportion. She said she plans to continue advocating for Blank's release from jail pending trial.
San Francisco Chronicle
24-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Woman with ties to cultlike group appears in court after border agent's killing
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A woman charged in the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent appeared in a Vermont federal court Tuesday in one of multiple criminal cases linked to a cultlike group known as Zizians. Authorities have said Teresa Youngblut fired the bullet that killed agent David Maland during the January traffic stop. Another agent fired back, wounding Youngblut and killing her companion, Felix Bauckholt, officials have said. The Zizians are a group of followers of Jack LaSota, a computer scientist who has blogged as 'Ziz' on subjects including veganism, gender identity and artificial intelligence. The group mostly consists of computer scientists who met online, shared anarchist beliefs and became increasingly violent. LaSota, who is facing state and federal weapons charges, was taken into custody in February in rural western Maryland with two other followers. Youngblut and Bauckholt were both affiliated with LaSota's group, which authorities have also linked to killings in Pennsylvania and California. Youngblut has pleaded not guilty to charges of intentionally using a deadly weapon towards law enforcement, and using and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon. The Tuesday federal court appearance was a discovery hearing in Burlington. Youngblut entered the courtroom in handcuffs, wearing a face mask, an oversized burgundy shirt and baggy white pants. During the appearance, U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss put forth a proposal for how the pretrial review of case material will be handled, offering to appoint a special master. Defense attorney Steven Barth argued that the defense should have 'first review of pretrial records to determine what is privileged, what is protected and what is not.' U.S. attorney Dennis Robinson argued against the defense getting 'first crack on communications' and expressed support for a special master to review case material. He also stated that the government is still actively developing its case. Reiss ruled that she will be the reviewer and will use a special master if the workload becomes unmanageable for her. Prior to Youngblut's arrest, authorities had been watching her for several days after she and Bauckholt checked into a hotel wearing black tactical gear and carrying guns. Local border patrol agents also were told that Bauckholt was a German citizen with unknown immigration status. Authorities said Youngblut shot Maland after being pulled over. The shootout was one of several violent incidents that has been linked to the Zizians. Members of the group have been tied to the death of one of their own during an attack on California landlord Curtis Lind in 2022, Lind's subsequent killing, and the deaths of a Pennsylvania couple. Prosecutors in Baltimore announced last week that a federal grand jury indicted LaSota on charges of being an armed fugitive. LaSota uses feminine pronouns and in her writings says she is a transgender woman. Authorities said LaSota possessed several firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition when she and two other Zizians were arrested earlier this year after a resident called police to report that a group of people had parked box trucks on his property and asked to camp there. They were charged with trespassing, obstructing law enforcement and illegal gun possession. ___
