Tag: north carolina

History-Making Miss North Carolina USA Stripped of Title After Alleged Racially Insensitive Posts Resurface

A Miss North Carolina USA has lost her title after alleged racist posts from one of her supposed old accounts resurfaced.

Last month, 27-year-old Brittany Boltinhouse of Beulaville won the title of Miss North Carolina USA in Spartanburg, S.C. In the process, she made history as the first person of Honduran descent to win the title.

But now Myla Hadley, who finished as runner-up to Boltinhouse, will take her crown instead.

This news comes as posts allegedly from Boltinhouse resurfaced  from 2017 to 2019.

The NC Beat was the first outlet to obtain these posts, which they say came from a Sosa the Stallion X account owned by Boltinhouse.

In another post, in December 2019, Boltinhouse allegedly bragged about her ‘toxicity.’


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North Carolina Police Officer Arrested For Alleged Illegal Use Of Flock Cameras

A North Carolina officer was arrested by state authorities July 29 after allegedly accessing license plate registration information from Flock Safety cameras and other technology, authorities announced.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Seth Elliot, 25, is facing a misdemeanor charge of illegally accessing a government computer, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Elliot, who started working at the department in 2024, allegedly accessed the Flock system and CJ Leads, a criminal justice database used by law enforcement in North Carolina, one time for non-law enforcement purposes, according to the police department.

The officer was placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said.

A previous unrelated investigation had initially found the evidence that on June 16, Elliot had allegedly improperly accessed the license plate reader systems.

He was then placed on administrative assignment on June 22, and his equipment and access to systems with criminal intelligence information was revoked pending the outcome of the internal investigation.

Police Chief Estella Patterson said the department doesn’t operate any of the Flock cameras or devices but has an agreement with the company to allow officers access to them.

Misuse of the access is not tolerated, Patterson said.

“The public expects and deserves the highest level of integrity from every officer who wears the CMPD badge,” Patterson said in a statement. “Misusing law enforcement technology or accessing confidential information for non-law enforcement purposes is a betrayal of the public’s trust and a violation of everything this profession stands for.”

The Epoch Times was not able to reach Elliott for comment, and it’s unclear if he has an attorney.

The North Carolina case is the latest law enforcement-related allegation of Flock camera misuse.

Earlier this month, Sgt. Kabiru Salawu of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office was arrested after an internal investigation found he allegedly misused the agency’s Flock system. Salawu was fired by the department and charged with a felony violation of oath of office and misdemeanor misuse of license plate data, according to a sheriff’s office statement.

Investigations in Georgia and several other states have also led to arrests over Flock camera access.

People have also destroyed the cameras in some cities, with some incidents occurring this week.

In Upstate New York, police arrested a 25-year-old man July 29 after he allegedly used a saw to cut down a Flock camera.

In Central California, a 40-year-old Pismo Beach man was arrested July 28 for allegedly intentionally tearing down and running over at least three Flock license plate readers, causing thousands of dollars in damage, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Flock Safety, based in Georgia, estimates more than 6,000 communities in 49 states have partnered with the company to install the surveillance systems.

The cameras are powered by artificial intelligence and capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, recording the location, date, and time. The cameras also capture the car’s make, model, color, and other features, such as dents and bumper stickers, to use as data points, according to DeFlock, a community-driven, open-source project that maps the license plate readers.

DeFlock estimates Flock has installed nearly 123,400 cameras throughout the United States.

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Three-Time Deported Illegal Alien Kills 6-Year-Old American Girl After Running a Stop Sign At High Speed — Mother and 4-Year-Old Brother Seriously Injured

A 33-year-old illegal alien who has already been deported from the United States three times is behind bars after he ran a stop sign at high speed and killed 6-year-old Calli Toller in a violent crash.

According to North Carolina State Highway Patrol troopers and court documents, Jaime Santiago Corona of Ayden was driving a 2023 Dodge Ram pickup truck south on Warren Jones Road on Friday, July 3, when he blew through the stop sign at the intersection with County Home Road.

His truck slammed into a westbound SUV driven by 35-year-old Kelli Toller, who had her two young children inside, WNCT reported.

Little Calli Toller was killed at the scene. Her mother and 4-year-old brother were both seriously injured and rushed to ECU Health Medical Center.

Santiago, who lives in Ayden, was arrested later that Friday afternoon by Highway Patrol troopers. He faces charges including misdemeanor death by vehicle, failure to stop at a stop sign, careless and reckless driving, and driving while license revoked. Court records note he has no valid operator’s license.

Here’s the part that should make every American furious: Santiago is a known flight risk who has already been deported three separate times. Documents state it could not even be determined if he is a U.S. citizen. A magistrate ordered him held in the Pitt County Detention Center on a $100,000+ secured bond precisely because of his immigration history and flight risk.

This is the deadly result of years of catch-and-release, failed removals, and a system that treated deportation orders like suggestions.

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Police Stop North Carolina Church Massacre Arresting Man Who Showed Up with Flamethrowers, Crossbows, More Than 500 Rounds of Ammo

Police arrested a man on Sunday who was apparently attempting to execute a mass casualty terrorist attack at a church in North Carolina.  

He faces charges of possession of a weapon of mass destruction and impersonation of a law enforcement officer.

The suspect, 44-year-old William S. Milliken III, was found by police in the parking lot of the Wesley Memorial Methodist Church in High Point, North Carolina, on Sunday morning, after a 911 caller reported an armed man wearing camouflage clothing.

According to authorities, the man was found with a “launcher resembling a handgun, flame throwers, and more than 500 rounds of ammunition.”

“He was wearing a plate carrier, which is a type of body armor. Milliken’s charges include possession of weapon of mass destruction, impersonation of law enforcement officer, and possession of control substance schedule II,” High Point police said in a news release.

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North Carolina Student Wins Massive Legal Settlement After School Accused Her of Vandalism Over Pro-Charlie Kirk Message Painted on Rock

A North Carolina high school student was accused of vandalism and investigated after she painted a pro-Charlie Kirk message on a rock on the school’s campus that has historically been used by students in this way.

Now the student is sitting on top of gigantic pile of money, having won a legal settlement over the way she was targeted for this.

There was absolutely nothing offensive in the messages she painted on the rock. The school only acted because the message was about Charlie Kirk. The student’s First Amendment rights were violated.

FOX News reports:

North Carolina student wins $95K after school accused her of vandalizing spirit rock with Charlie Kirk tribute

A North Carolina high school student has reached a $95,000 settlement with her school district after she was publicly accused of vandalism and told she was under police investigation. The controversy revolved around painting a campus “spirit rock” with a Bible verse and patriotic message in tribute to the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

Fox News Digital has learned that a settlement was reached this week between the family of Ardrey Kell High School student Gabby Stout and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. Under the terms of the agreement, the school board will adopt a new free speech policy, issue a public statement expressing regret, and pay $95,000 to Stout’s legal team at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

The settlement comes six months after the Stouts filed a federal lawsuit alleging rampant violations of the student’s First Amendment rights.

Stout told Fox News Digital the settlement ultimately clears her name.

“This settlement finally reinforces that I did nothing wrong, and the school system has to admit that publicly,” she said. “After I got permission to paint a message sharing my faith in God, school officials accused me of vandalism in front of my whole school and my entire community. Then they put me through an unfair investigation. They never should have treated me this way, and by saying they regret that I had this experience, they are finally acknowledging that publicly.”

This was an expensive lesson for the school.

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Chaotic car chase ends with ICE nabbing alleged foreign terrorist leader accused of holding wife captive

 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a Brazilian illegal immigrant, who authorities say previously served as the commander of two designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, after allegedly attempting to flee a North Carolina traffic stop while preparing to escape to Mexico.

Felipe Linares de Oliveira Dell Aquilla, known as “Don,” was arrested June 5 in Mooresville, North Carolina, after allegedly leading law enforcement on a vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash before his arrest, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release obtained by Fox News Digital.

Federal authorities say Dell Aquilla was wanted in Brazil on charges of criminal association and extortion and had been preparing to leave the United States for Mexico.

Dell Aquilla previously served as a commander within the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), two Brazil-based criminal organizations that were recently designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Trump administration, according to DHS.

“This arrest demonstrates the unwavering commitment of HSI to protect our communities from dangerous international criminals,” Mark M. Zito, special agent in charge of HSI in North and South Carolina, said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital.

“By removing a known leader of violent foreign terrorist organizations — wanted for serious crimes including criminal association and extortion — we have prevented further harm to innocent people here and abroad,” Zito said.

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Jamaican National in North Carolina Indicted for Brazen Sham Marriage Immigration Fraud — Used Fake Union to Fast-Track U.S. Citizenship Then Scam VA Disability Benefits by Claiming Phantom Husband as Dependent

A 26-year-old Jamaican national living in Charlotte has been federally indicted for a calculated, multi-year scheme involving sham marriage immigration fraud, lying under oath to obtain U.S. citizenship, and then using that fraudulently acquired status to improperly claim VA disability benefits by listing her never-cohabitating “husband” as a dependent.

Britney Sherene Curry entered the United States on a six-month B-2 tourist visa on August 27, 2015 and promptly overstayed it by more than a decade. Rather than face deportation, she allegedly paid a third party to arrange a fraudulent marriage to a U.S. citizen.

According to the Department of Justice, Curry and her “husband” met for the first time on their wedding day and never lived together before or after the marriage.

After the sham marriage, Curry became a lawful permanent resident. That status allowed her to enlist in the U.S. Army, which in turn let her apply for naturalization almost immediately, bypassing the normal three-year waiting period for spouses of citizens.

She allegedly lied under penalty of perjury on immigration documents about the legitimacy of her marriage. Once naturalized, she even petitioned for her mother to receive lawful permanent resident status.

Less than two years after enlisting, Curry received a medical discharge from the Army. She then filed for VA disability compensation and listed her sham husband as a dependent to boost her monthly benefits, despite never having lived with him and not having seen him since before she joined the military.

According to the DOJ, “Under federal statutes, Curry is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud and mail fraud charges, up to 10 years in prison on some of the immigration charges, and faces the possibility of being denaturalized. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.”

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BIG WIN IN N CAROLINA: Court Reaffirms “Never Residents” Cannot Vote – While Michigan SOS Benson Continues to Defy Constitution–Allows Individuals To Vote That Never Lived in State

Why are U.S. citizens born overseas to parents eligible to vote in a state where they’ve never lived?

That’s a question every American should be asking their state lawmakers.

Another question Americans should be asking is why would any lawmaker or secretary of state would be in favor of someone voting in their state who’s never lived there? Isn’t voting supposed to be about choosing the candidate who will best represent the US citizen living in their community, state or federal government?

In a significant ruling just days ago, Special Superior Court Judge Hoyt Tessener delivered a major win for election integrity in North Carolina. The court sided with Republican groups who argued that “never resident” voters — individuals born overseas who have never lived in North Carolina — should not be allowed to vote in any elections in the Tar Heel State.

This latest decision builds directly on previous rulings by the North Carolina Supreme Court. In 2025, during the hotly contested Supreme Court race between Democrat Allison Riggs and Republican Jefferson Griffin, the NC Supreme Court ruled 4-2 that “never residents” are not eligible to vote in state and local elections under the North Carolina Constitution. The court made it clear: only actual residents of North Carolina can vote in North Carolina elections.

The new Superior Court ruling goes even further by addressing federal elections, closing the loophole that Benson-style election officials have been exploiting nationwide.

Michigan’s Parallel Fight To Keep Inelligible Voters Allegedly Living in Foreign Countries from Voting In State and Federal Elections

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NC court rules state violated law by allowing nonresidents to vote in federal elections

The Republican National Committee celebrated a recent court ruling Wednesday that determined the North Carolina state board of elections violated the state constitution by allowing non-residents to vote in federal elections.

The Wake County Superior Court sided with the RNC in the ruling Tuesday after the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled last year that people who have never lived in the state cannot vote in state elections. 

The state stopped nonresidents from voting in state elections in the wake of the state Supreme Court ruling, but did not change its policies when it came to federal elections.

“This is a clear win for fair and lawful elections,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement. “The court upheld the North Carolina Constitution and made clear that only North Carolina residents can vote in the state. The RNC will keep fighting to ensure only eligible citizens can vote.”

The court’s ruling does not impact voters who qualify under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, which applies to U.S. citizens who previously lived in a state and are currently serving overseas.

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The White House Intervened to Get a $620 Million Deal for a Company Tied to Donald Trump Jr.

When the Pentagon announced a $620 million loan last year to a small North Carolina startup linked to Donald Trump Jr., defense officials and the company tried to tamp down suspicions of cronyism. 

The president’s eldest son said through a spokesperson that he wasn’t involved. The Pentagon said Trump Jr. played no role in the record-setting deal. And the startup’s founder told reporters that his company, Vulcan Elements, received no political favoritism.

But interviews and Defense Department records reviewed by ProPublica show that the request to loan hundreds of millions of dollars to the firm linked to Trump Jr. was made by Peter Navarro, a White House adviser to President Donald Trump and a friend of Trump Jr.’s.

Of the dozens of companies the Pentagon was considering funding at the time, Vulcan’s was the only deal initiated by a top aide to the president, said an official at the Pentagon who was not authorized to speak publicly.

After defense officials got the White House request, they asked Pentagon staff to move at an unusually rapid pace, said another person who was involved in the deal at the Pentagon but not authorized to speak about it. The staff worked late nights and with little sleep to get the loan through in a matter of weeks, the source said.

“The call came from the White House: We have to get this done,” the person said. 

The deal is one of many actions by the Trump administration that have helped companies in which the Trump family holds stakes. Government contracts and other benefits have gone to various Trump-linked companies, prompting allegations of self-dealing by Democratic lawmakers and good government experts. But ProPublica’s reporting on the Vulcan loan represents the first time the awarding of a contract from a federal agency has been directly linked to White House intervention.

The loan was a massive financial commitment from the Pentagon in its effort to fund companies that could help the U.S. reduce dependence on China’s critical mineral supply chains. The deal was a dramatic win for Vulcan, a North Carolina rare-earth magnet company launched just two years earlier. Estimates of its valuation grew tenfold after the deal was announced. It was also a win for Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm, which took a stake of undisclosed size in Vulcan about three months before the Pentagon announced the deal. 

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