Latest news with #OklahomaAttorneyGeneral'sOffice
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma AG signs letter critical of congressional efforts to prohibit AI state regulation
The entrance to the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office pictured on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma's attorney general is pushing back on a congressional effort to bar states from regulating artificial intelligence for the next decade. Attorney General Gentner Drummond is one of a bipartisan coalition of 40 attorneys general who signed a letter from the National Association of Attorneys General in opposition to an amendment in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that bans state action on the issue. Drummond signed the letter opposing the Republican-led bill because there is no proposed federal regulatory framework to regulate artificial intelligence, said Leslie Berger, his spokesperson. 'Congress should not preclude states from enacting laws on the subject unless Congress itself enacts its own laws,' Berger said in a statement. 'The impact of such a broad moratorium would be sweeping and wholly destructive of reasonable state efforts to prevent known harms associated with AI,' according to the letter. States have passed their own regulations to address the harms associated with artificial intelligence such as prohibitions against AI-generated explicit materials, data privacy and protections for renters against using algorithms to establish rent, according to the letter. Oklahoma lawmakers have also launched efforts to regulate the growing use of artificial intelligence. House Bill 3453 attempts to define artificial intelligence and requires that Oklahomans be informed when they are interacting with AI. The bill passed out of the Oklahoma House, but stalled in the Senate. Lawmakers proposed other measures tackling AI usage include prohibiting spreading information using deepfake media within 90 days of an election and health care insurance providers, which would require insurers to disclose the use of AI based algorithms in their review process. They did not advance through the Senate. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Attorney General not seeking death penalty against Richard Glossip
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office announced on Monday that it is not seeking the death penalty against Richard Glossip in another retrial. Glossip was sentenced to death for the 1997 murder-for-hire of his former boss, Barry Van Treese. Oklahoma City motel worker Justin Sneed admitted to killing Van Treese and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. At trial, Sneed testified that Glossip, who was the manager of the motel, paid him $10,000 to kill Van Treese. In exchange for his testimony against Glossip, prosecutors did not ask for Sneed to be put to death. In 1998, a jury found Glossip guilty for Van Treese's murder. Glossip was retried in 2004 and again found guilty and sentenced to death. RELATED STORY: Supreme Court throws out Oklahoma inmate Richard Glossip's murder conviction and death sentence Glossip's execution has been scheduled nine different times since 2015. His attorneys say he has been served a last meal three different times. Glossip's executions have been delayed due to concerns over Oklahoma's lethal injection drug, and legal challenges from Glossip and his attorneys, who claim Glossip did not have a fair trial. Glossip's attorney, Don Knight, told News 4 prosecutors knew Sneed—their key witness—lied on the stand when he testified against Glossip, but they never told anyone. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond stepped in after his office discovered a box with key evidence inside had been destroyed and never shared with Glossip's defense team before trial. The United States Supreme Court has since ordered a new trial for Glossip. On June 9, 2025, the A.G.'s Office announced it is not seeking the death penalty for Glossip 'because the man who admitted to murdering Van Treese with a baseball bat is serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.' 'While it was clear to me and to the U.S. Supreme Court that Mr. Glossip did not receive a fair trial, I have never proclaimed his innocence,' Drummond said. 'After the high court remanded the matter back to district court, my office thoroughly reviewed the merits of the case against Richard Glossip and concluded that sufficient evidence exists to secure a murder conviction. The same United States Constitution that guarantees our rights also ensures the rights of the accused. Unlike past prosecutors who allowed a key witness to lie on the stand, my office will make sure Mr. Glossip receives a fair trial based on hard facts, solid evidence and truthful testimony.' RELATED STORY: SCOTUS cites 'prosecutorial misconduct' in ruling granting Glossip new trial According to the A.G.'s Office, Drummond is seeking a life sentence for Glossip, who has already served 27 years. 'The Van Treese family has endured grief, pain and frustration since the murder of their loved one, and my heart goes out to them,' Drummond added. 'The poor judgment and previous misconduct of past prosecutors have only compounded that pain and frustration. While I cannot go back 25 years and handle the case in the proper way that would have ensured true justice, I still have a duty to seek the justice that is available today.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oklahoma AG Drummond alerts 23andME customers with tips
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office is alerting Oklahoma consumers in wake of 23andMe bankruptcy filed last month and tips for protection. According to A.G. Gentner Drummond's office, 23andMe a genetic testing company collects and analyzes the genetic code of consumers. 'The implications of 23andMe selling genetic information to the highest bidder are understandably very concerning to Oklahomans who have used the company's services,' Drummond said. 'While the situation is troubling, there are easy steps that consumers can take to proactively safeguard their privacy.' Oklahoma City's budget cuts affecting OKCPD The Attorney General offers tips for interested consumers: To delete genetic data from 23andMe Log into your 23andMe account on its website. Go to 'Settings' in your profile. Scroll to the '23andMe Data' section at the bottom of the page. Click 'View' next to '23andMe Data.' Download your data. If you want a copy of your data for personal storage, select the option to download to your device before proceeding. Scroll to the 'Delete Data' section. Click 'Permanently Delete Data.' You will receive an email from 23andMe to confirm the deletion request. To destroy your 23andMe test sample If you have opted to have your saliva sample and DNA stored by 23andMe but want to change that preference, you can do so on your account settings page, under 'Preferences.' To revoke research consent regarding your genetic data You can withdraw consent in research through your 23andMe account settings, under 'Research and Product Consents.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect on A.G.'s 10 Most Wanted List arrested in Mexico
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – According to the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, a suspect on the A.G.'s 10 Most Wanted List has been arrested in Mexico. Officials say 19-year-old Angel Ibarra was wanted regarding a shooting in February that killed two teens and injured two others. LOCAL NEWS: Attorney General's 10 Most Wanted fugitive arrested in Sulphur A tip led the Mexican Federal Police to Ibarra. He was arrested and is in custody in Fort Worth, Texas. He will be transferred to Tulsa County where he faces charges for the shooting. 'Our collaboration with multiple law enforcement agencies has a been a significant factor in our success with the 10 Most Wanted list and helping to bring fugitives to justice,' A.G. Gentner Drummond said. 'These fugitives pose a serious threat to public safety. We need them off the streets, and we intend to hold them accountable for their actions.' To learn more about the A.G.'s 10 Most Wanted List, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
Pawnee woman accused of laundering of $1.5M from elderly women in online romance scam
The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office filed charges Monday against a Pawnee woman for allegedly laundering an estimated $1.5 million in funds through online romance scams. Christine Joan Echohawk, 54, was arrested and booked into the Pawnee County jail Monday on complaints of unlawful use of criminal proceeds and violations of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act. Online court records did not list an attorney for her. Echohawk is accused of laundering money from multiple victims living in Florida, Texas, and Utah between Sept. 30 and Dec. 26, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit. According to agents with the Oklahoma Attorney General's office, the victims were elderly women ranging in age from 64 to 79. They thought they were sending money to a man with whom they believed they were dating online, according to the affidavit. "These types of scams that target seniors are especially egregious," Oklahoma AG Gentner Drummond said in a news release Tuesday. "I applaud the work of my Consumer Protection Unit to fight for these victims and to hold accountable their alleged perpetrator." More: Nigerian man in OKC sentenced in romance scam involving Alabama woman According to the affidavit, Drummond's office received a referral from MidFirst Bank in January of suspected senior-fraud activity after the bank intercepted a $120,000 transfer from one of the alleged victims. That woman sent $120,000 to Echohawk after allegedly being told the money would pay for fuel to help the male subject's Alaskan tanker, supposedly carrying 700,000 oil barrels, return to shore, according to the affidavit. Another woman was persuaded to pay $250,000 to Echohawk to allegedly help a male subject pay off expenses for a financial portfolio in Syria, also detailed in the affidavit. And another woman sold her paid-off home so that she could send $600,000 to Echohawk, according to the affidavit. The victims sent Apple gift cards, cash and cashiers' checks, and wired money to accounts owned by Echohawk at MidFirst Bank, investigators said. More: Jail trust contracts juvenile housing with Pawnee County Sheriff's Office In January 2024, Pawnee police interviewed Echohawk about suspected criminal activity. After being told she was laundering funds, Echohawk allegedly stopped depositing and moving the funds for a short time, before deciding to start back up again, according to the affidavit. Echohawk told police that she was receiving and transferring the funds on behalf of the male subject, with whom she also believed herself to be in a relationship romantically, according to the affidavit. Echohawk told investigators she would deposit and transfer the funds through various accounts, converting most of the funds to cryptocurrency, and then send the crypto payments to an account under the male subject's name, as detailed in the affidavit. In a news release Tuesday, the AG's office said that suspect has not been identified. Investigators also wrote that Echohawk said she used some of the funds that had not been converted to cryptocurrency for personal gain. They also said she admitted to lying to various banks about the source of the money she'd received, saying that they were from people who'd owed money to her late husband, according to the affidavit. During an interview with investigators last month cited in the affidavit, Echohawk said she has an associate's degree in business and various nursing certifications. She also asked investigators if the issue would "all go away" if she were to pay back the people who'd sent her money, according to the affidavit. She now faces five felony counts that could carry a combined 24 to 62 years in prison and fines of up to $260,000, according to the AG's office. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Pawnee woman charged in alleged $1.5 million laundering scam
