Tag: crime

‘No one is above the law.’ Former New Haven police chief admitted to stealing at least $10,000, city officials say

The city of New Haven is freezing a police bank account used to fund its confidential informant program after former police chief Karl Jacobson admitted to stealing thousands of dollars from it.

City officials shared new details about the investigation Wednesday.

The scandal began on Monday, when a group of assistant chiefs questioned Jacobson about discrepancies in withdrawals from the city’s confidential informant fund.

Mayor Justin Elicker says the former police chief admitted to stealing $10,000 from the city, but the amount could actually be more.

“Everything I’ve heard from everyone is just how shocked they are,” Mayor Elicker says. “I want to make it clear: we do not know how much money was taken.”

Jacobsen oversaw the account as assistant chief.

Despite calls for him to relinquish control when he was promoted to chief, city officials say Jacobson continued to make authorized routine withdrawals of $5,000 each month from the account to pay confidential informants.

“What the chief had done was basically make it where he would be the sole holder of the money,” acting police chief David Zannelli says, “and what he would say to us commonly is that he was doing that to protect us from any kind of liability.”

The preliminary investigation uncovered two extra $5,000 withdrawals were made by Jacobson at the end of 2025: one in November, and another in December.

Mayor Elicker was originally going to place him on administrative leave, but Jacobson said he was retiring instead.

The confidential informant program has been paused as state investigators work to find out if any other city bank accounts were affected and if any other police officers were involved.

“No one is above the law, and we are all held accountable,” acting police chief David Zannelli says. “We will move forward as a police department.”

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2 ex-NYPD cops sentenced for sexually assaulting passed-out woman, as survivor details trauma: ‘I feel nothing but anger and rage’

Two former NYPD cops were sentenced to probation for sexually assaulting an incapacitated woman after a night out at a Bronx bar — as the survivor of the heinous crime urged others to report their stories, no matter the title of their assailant.

Julio Alcantara-Santiago, 40, and Christian Garcia, 32, were sentenced on Friday at Bronx Supreme Criminal Court after taking a plea agreement for the assault that unfolded on July 9, 2023.

Alcantara-Santiago appeared nervous in an orange blazer and pinstriped pants as he was sentenced to six years of sex offender probation.

Garcia sported a two-piece navy suit and glasses as he accepted one year of probation and was ordered to complete a behavioral treatment program.

On the night of June 8, 2023, the unidentified woman went out with co-workers at Zona De Cuba lounge in Grand Concourse, according to a victim impact statement she read aloud to the courtroom.

After going up to a rooftop area of the establishment and having some drinks, the next thing she recalled was waking up to being sexually assaulted by two men in a stranger’s home.

“The next thing I remember is slightly waking up in someone’s home. And then what hurts more is that I see two men over me and feel hands in certain parts of my body,” she said.

“I start to make movement so that the men can stop. I’m terrified and scared that if I say something or if they notice that I’m awake while they’re doing certain things, they will harm me or even kill me,” she told the courtroom.

She said she continued to lie there and fell asleep, and woke up the next morning, realizing she was still in the strange apartment near the lounge.

After desperately calling her sister and best friend for help, she escaped the home and decided to go to a local Bronx hospital to be evaluated. There, she was given a rape kit and spoke to multiple police officers, the victim said.

The two officers were arrested in April 2024 after surveillance footage helped connect them to the crime. Both cops were suspended without pay, the NYPD said at the time.

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Somali Refugee in Lewiston, Maine Resigns After Controversial Swearing In Despite Active Investigations and Criminal Charges

Last week, Iman Osman, a Somali migrant and community leader, was sworn in as the Ward 5 Councilor despite facing two felony charges related to stolen property, including the unauthorized taking and receiving of stolen firearms from two estates.

The Gateway Pundit previously reported that, according to court documents obtained by WMTW, the alleged crimes involve weapons taken from two separate estates between November 15, 2023, and October 11, 2024.

Although his lawyer initially said he would not resign, in a letter to Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline and City Council President David Chittim, he tendered his resignation.

WMTW-TV reports that in his letter, Osman said he “did not come to the decision lightly.”

The letter reads in part:

“For the betterment of our community and in the best interest of our city, I believe it is time for me to step aside. I hope my resignation serves as a call to action for those who remain — an opportunity to reflect on the values of respect, inclusivity and kindness that should guide our public service,” Osman said.

“I am grateful for the support I have received from my family and friends, my community and my constituents during my time in public office. I remain committed to our city’s progress and will continue to advocate for positive change in Lewiston.”

On Wednesday, Osman was arraigned in Lewiston District Court.

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U-Haul Driver Rams Through Protestors in Los Angeles

A U-Haul truck mowed through a crowd of protesters in Los Angeles on Sunday during a demonstration in support of the Iranian people. 

The number of injured individuals is currently unclear.

Video from the scene shows protesters surrounding the truck and smashing a window before the truck drives through the crowd. Protesters can be heard screaming as the truck makes its way through the crowd.

Aerial footage shows police later surrounding the abandoned U-Haul truck. Authorities have reportedly not identified the driver.

Per NBC 4:

Hundreds of people marched in Westwood to show support for Iranian protesters as the crackdown on demonstrations in the Middle Eastern country resulted in the deaths of hundreds.

At least 583 people have been killed since unrest began in Iran two weeks ago over the economic crisis, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

In Westwood, activists organized a demonstration in support of the Iranian people. At least two people were examined but denied medical attention, according to the LAFD.

Cellphone video showed the driver being punched as a group of people attempted to get him out of the large truck. The vehicle’s windows were also broken.

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Dallas Police Solve 52-Year-Old Missing Person Case, the Oldest in the State of Texas

The Dallas Police Department announced that it has closed a missing persons case that remained unresolved for more than five decades.

The case centered on Norman Prater, who was reported missing to Dallas police on Jan. 14, 1973.

His disappearance launched an investigation that remained active but unanswered, according to the department, which updated the public about the case on Jan. 6.

On July 9, 1973, months after Prater went missing, an unidentified white male died in a hit-and-run on Highway 35 in Rockport, Texas.

At the time, police did not connect the incident to Prater or Dallas.

Despite extensive efforts by local law enforcement and media appeals, the victim remained unidentified.

That changed recently due to renewed interest in the case from Dallas Missing Persons Detective Ryan Dalby.

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Arrest Made in Connection with Murder of Ohio Dentist and Wife

Police have arrested the ex-husband of the Ohio dentist’s wife fatally shot in a double homicide.

Michael McKee was arrested in the Chicago area on Saturday.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for McKee after it was discovered through surveillance footage that his car was near the crime scene on the night of the double murder, 10TV reported, citing court records.

McKee was charged with murder.

Dr. Spencer Tepe, 37, and his wife Monique Tepe, 39, were found shot to death in their home last Tuesday morning after police conducted a welfare check.

Dr. Tepe was shot multiple times, and his wife suffered one gunshot wound to the chest.

Their two children were found in the home crying, but were not physically harmed.

Police were called to conduct a welfare check after Dr. Tepe, who was known for being punctual, failed to show up to work at Athens Dental Depot.

Athens Dental Depot owner, Dr. Mark Valrose, told 911 dispatchers that Dr. Tepe always shows up to work on time.

“He is always on time and he would contact us if there was any issues,” Dr. Valrose told dispatchers, according to WSYX.

“I don’t know how else to say this but we are very very concerned. This is very out of character for him. We can’t get in touch with his wife, which is probably the more concerning thing.”

Video previously released by Ohio authorities appeared to show McKee walking down an alley near the Tepe home at the time of the double homicide.

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Trump Calls to Jail Jack Smith After $20K Bribe Revealed

President Donald Trump is once again calling for Biden administration attack dog Jack Smith to go to prison after reports of a hefty bribe Smith paid to an informant.

Unconstitutionally appointed Justice Department (DOJ) Special Counsel Jack Smith spent years engaging in sketchy campaigns to take down Republican politicians before he became particularly infamous for his aggressive legal campaign against Donald Trump. Now that Trump is president again, and as evidence of Smith’s wrongdoing continues to pile up, the president is right to call for accountability and justice against Smith.

“Deranged Jack Smith should be sitting in prison for all that he has done to disgrace our Country!” the president posted on his Truth Social platform today before quoting a Just the News headline: “Jack Smith team approved $20k payment to informant to snitch on Trump team during Arctic Frost case.”

FBI Director Kash Patel provided new documents to Congress, including the information on the confidential human source who received the hefty payout for betraying Donald Trump‘s team. Patel told Just the News Arctic Frost was an “egregious abuse of power and violation of the law.” The FBI, under Smith’s direction, analyzed phone calls from more than 50 White House-issued phones, including Trump’s.

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Why Insulting Brigitte Macron Online Can Mean Prison Time in France

In the United States, poking fun at politicians online is a birthright. In France, it could land you in jail.

On Monday, a French court found 10 people guilty of cyberbullying France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron. The defendants’ “crime” was falsely claiming on X that the first lady was born male and characterizing her relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron as pedophilic. (The French president met his wife when he was about 16 years old and she was a 39-year-old drama teacher at his high school.)

Defendants denied the charges against them by “saying their posts were either meant in jest or constituted legitimate debate,” reports The New York Times. Unfortunately for them, this argument rang hollow for the court, which handed out a variety of punishments. These included compulsory cyberbullying awareness training, eight suspended prison sentences, one six-month sentence to be served from home, and a six-month social media ban for five of the defendants. The defendants were also fined 600 euros (roughly $700) each and were ordered “to contribute to a total of 10,000 euros—about $12,000—in compensation” to the first lady, reports the Times.

While the thought of someone facing fines and jail time for a social media post may seem strange to Americans (although it does sometimes happen), French constitutional law is much more permissive of speech restrictions than its American counterpart.

The French Constitution holds that “any citizen may therefore speak, write and publish freely.” However, unlike the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, it immediately caveats this right by excluding “what is tantamount to the abuse of this liberty in the cases determined by Law.”

This carveout has allowed the French government to outlaw speech acts like bullying, which it defines as “the act of bullying a person through repeated comments or behavior whose purpose or effect is to degrade their quality of life, leading to an alteration in their physical or mental well-being.” Cyberbullying is defined as bullying through an electronic medium. Both are punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros (nearly $35,000).

Based on the punishment they could have received, the defendants in the Macron case got off practically scot-free. But that doesn’t mean that we should praise the French court for its graciousness. Comparing French and American law reveals just how unlucky the French are when it comes to their free speech rights.

Ari Cohn, a lawyer with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, tells Reason that, while there are laws in the U.S. against cyber harassment, they have been interpreted narrowly by courts to comply with the First Amendment.

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Far-Left Portland Police Chief CRIES Over Two Tren de Aragua Gang Members Who Were Shot After They Tried to Run Over Border Patrol Agents

Far-left Portland Police Chief Bob Day cried over two Tren de Aragua gang members who were shot after they tried to run over Border Patrol Agents.

Federal agents shot two people in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the driver and passenger were affiliated with Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

“At 2:19 PST, US Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted vehicle stop in Portland, Oregon. The passenger of the vehicle and target is a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and involved in a recent shooting in Portland,” the DHS said.

“The vehicle driver is believed to be a member of the vicious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents,” the DHS added.

“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene. This situation is evolving and more information is forthcoming,” the agency said.

The two gang members were wounded and transported to a local hospital.

On Friday, Portland Police Chief Bob Day had to fight back tears as he admitted the DHS was right about the officer-involved shooting.

“They do have some nexus to involvement with TDA. We can confirm that,” Bob Day said as he fought back tears.

Chief Day admitted he didn’t want to disclose there was a gang affiliation with the two shot by Border Patrol.

“I want to speak for just a moment, specifically to my Latino community,” Day said.

“It saddens me that we even have to qualify these remarks because I understand or at least have attempted to understand your voices, your concern, your fear, your anger,” Day said as he wiped away tears.

“This information, in no way, is meant to disparage or to condone or support or agree with any of the actions that occurred yesterday,” Day added.

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‘West Wing’ Actor Accused Of Sexually Abusing 2 Child Actors On Set

An arrest warrant has been issued for Emmy-winning actor and director Timothy Busfield, who is accused of inappropriately touching twin boys who were actors on a TV series he directed, according to reports.

Busfield, known for his roles on “The West Wing” and “Field of Dreams,” is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and an open count of child abuse, according to Albuquerque court documents obtained by KOAT.

According to a police affidavit posted by Variety, the boys’ mother told police that her children disclosed to her that they were “groomed and sexually abused” by Busfield while filming the Fox series “The Cleaning Lady” from November 2022 to spring 2024 in New Mexico.

One of the boys told an investigator that Busfield touched his “private areas” on set when he was 7 years old and again when he was 8, according to Variety.

Additionally, the affidavit describes an investigation conducted by Warner Bros. Following an anonymous complaint made through SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, about Busfield’s conduct on “The Cleaning Lady.”

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