Posts Tagged: felony charges

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One thousand Georgia residents caught double-voting in primaries may face felony charges

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1,000 Georgia residents who were caught double-voting in Georgia's primary could face felony charges and jail time.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday that his office would investigate and, if appropriate, bring charges against anyone who voted twice in June.

Residents who were caught double-voting had cast their vote by mail and then in person on the day of the election.

"A double voter knows exactly what they’re doing, diluting the votes of each and every voter that follows the law," Raffensperger told reporters on Tuesday. "Those that make the choice to game the system are breaking the law. And as secretary of state, I will not tolerate it."

Raffensperger, a Republican, said there weren't enough double-votes to change the outcome of the primary elections.

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President Trump and other Republicans warned of the potential for voter fraud with mail-in ballots. But Scott Hogan, executive director of the Democratic Party of Georgia, dismissed any suggestion of voter fraud.

Hogan said voter fraud is rare and he accused Raffensperger of wasting the taxpayer's time investigating double-voters.

"It is clear that rather than do his job of promoting the safety and security of our voting process, the secretary of state is instead pushing the GOP’s voting conspiracy theories and disinformation," Hogan said.

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Cop who killed George Floyd facing felony tax evasion charges after he and his wife underreported $400K in income

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Minneapolis PD, Facebook

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who is already facing charges in the death of George Floyd, is also facing multiple felonies after he and his wife underreported their income for years.

According to CBS Minnesota, Derek and his wife Kellie - who are in the midst of divorce proceedings - were charged with nine counts of felony tax evasion.

The Chauvins reportedly worked multiple side jobs over the years - and earned over $400,000 between them. But their side hustle income was not reported according to the feds.

Kellie filed for divorce following Chauvin's arrest on murder charges in May. The action was likely taken to protect the couple's assets.

Investigators began looking into the Chauvins in June, 2020 for failing to file Minnesota individual income tax returns on time from 2016 to 2019, and for fraudulently filing tax returns from 2014 to 2019.

The investigation began after the feds overheard recorded jail phone calls between the two.

In one call, Derek was overheard telling Kellie someone was looking into their tax returns. He suggested she contact the person who handled their taxes. That person turned out to be his father.

According to the complaint, the Chauvins failed to file income tax returns or pay state income taxes. They also allegedly underreported and underpaid taxes on income from various employments each year.

The Chauvins own homes in Minnesota and Florida. They also own a 2019 BMW that was registered in Florida - where there are no state taxes - but the car was serviced 10 times in Minnesota.

The felony tax evasion charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Department of Revenue and the Oakdale Police Department. The couple faces a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison and/or a $90,000 fine each.

Washington County Attorney Pete Orput noted: "When you fail to fulfill the basic obligation to file and pay taxes, you are taking money from the pockets of citizens of Minnesota.

"Our office has and will continue to file these charges when presented. Whether you are a prosecutor or police officer, or you are a doctor or a realtor, no one is above the law."

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Rayshard Brooks’ alleged girlfriend arrested on first-degree arson charges

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Rayshard Brooks’ girlfriend, Natalie White, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly burning down the Wendy's restaurant in Atlanta where Brooks was fatally shot by police.

White is reportedly the girlfriend of Brooks, who was married to Tomika Miller, the mother of 3 of his four children.

White was arrested Tuesday, the same day Brooks was laid to rest in Atlanta.

Pictures and videos allegedly show White holding an aerosol can which was used to spread the flames.

Brooks mentioned a "Natalie White" as his girlfriend in police body cam footage before he died.

"Natalie White, she's my girlfriend," Brooks told the officers.
 

The attorney for White claims she was "close friends" with Brooks, but the attorney for Brooks' family say they are unaware of any connection between them.

A bond hearing for White is set for today, June 24.

Brooks, 27, was gunned down after stealing a police taser and firing it at a pursuing officer after he ran while resisting a DUI arrest on June 12.

Both officers were fired from the police force and charged in Brooks' death.

A group of about 50 people protested Tuesday night outside the Fulton County Jail demanding White's release. Bloggers are raising money to pay her bond.
 

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Man who recorded Ahmaud Arbery’s execution arrested for murder

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The man who recorded Ahmaud Arbery's fatal shooting in Brunswick, Georgia has been arrested and charged with murder.

William "Roddie" Bryan, 50, was arrested Thursday, May 21, on felony murder charges and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment, the Associated Press reports.

Arbery, 25, was killed as he ran down a street in the Satilla Shores neighborhood on Feb. 23. He was pursued by Travis McMichael, 34, and his father, retired cop Gregory McMichael, 64, who rode in the bed of a pickup truck armed with a .357 magnum.

Arbery was shot three times during a struggle over Travis's shotgun. Bryan was in a second vehicle and recorded the life and death struggle on his cell phone.

Gregory McMichael leaked the video to a radio station because he thought the footage would vindicate him and his son. But the video footage caused outrage on social media and sparked reactions from President Trump and former vice president Joe Biden.

The McMichaels were finally arrested two months after the shooting. Both were charged with felony murder and aggravated assault. They are in the Glynn County jail awaiting trial.

Bryan, through his attorney, claimed he received death threats and was in hiding because he feared for his life.

His arrest comes two days after Arbery's family attorney, S. Lee Merritt, called for him to be charged.
 

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Actor Jason Mitchell ARRESTED On Felony Drug and Weapons Charges

Photo by WENN.com

Actor Jason Mitchell's dramatic fall from grace continues. Mitchell was arrested in Mississippi on felony weapons and drug charges on Wednesday, April 22.

According to TMZ, the 33-year-old New Orleans native was booked into Harrison County Jail, and is facing two felony charges for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, plus two felony charges for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

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Mitchell, who played Eazy-E in the film Straight Outta Compton, was busted with 2 guns, including a Glock 19 pistol and a mini Draco AK47 semi-automatic pistol, according to records obtained by the publication.

The news comes as Mitchell struggles to resurrect his career after he lost his lead role in season three of Lena Waithe's TV drama The Chi and he was dropped from the cast of Netflix movie Desperados after he was accused of sexual misconduct with two female co-stars.

Mitchell has denied any wrongdoing and blamed misunderstandings for both incidents.

Source: WENN.com

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Wife beating cop arrested while on duty; Uniform cut off of him (Video)

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Screen grab: YouTube.com

A New Mexico cop was arrested in full uniform while on duty, and charged with aggravated battery on his wife.

According to the arrest warrant, former Officer Jeffrey Wharton beat his wife so badly, she was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage and multiple facial injuries.

Some of the violence was captured on the couple's Ring doorbell camera.

When Wharton arrived to work, he was met by Rio Rancho police detectives with a felony warrant for his arrest.

Female officers systematically stripped Wharton of his police issued weapon, gun belt and gear. The entire arrest and booking were captured on body cam video.

The video, dated Feb. 22, shows Wharton surrounded by officers before the change of shift. He was advised that they had a warrant for his arrest for domestic violence.

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Screen grab: YouTube.com

To further humiliate him -- and to drive home the point that he is a disgrace to his uniform -- another officer took a pair of scissors and cut Wharton's uniform off of him while his hands were cuffed behind him.

Wharton was transported to the Sandoval County Detention Center and booked on 2 felony counts of aggravated battery on a household member, kidnapping first-degree, aggravated battery against a household member (strangulation or suffocation), tampering with evidence and negligent use of a deadly weapon (unsafe handling).

Wharton resigned from the police force shortly after his arrest. He is awaiting trial.
 

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Jussie Smollett pleads not guilty to felony charges in court appearance

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Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty during his arraignment hearing on charges of disorderly conduct stemming from a hate crime hoax in Chicago.

Smollett, 37, pleaded not guilty to six felony counts of disorderly conduct at the Cook County Courthouse on Monday.

Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

Abel Osundairo and Ola Osundairo, the two Nigerian brothers who say Smollett paid them to attack him, also appeared in court with their attorney Gloria Schmidt.

"They are here because they want the truth to be told," Schmidt told reporters. The brothers will testify at Smollett's trial.

Smollett lost his job on Fox TV's Empire after he staged a hate crime and blamed Trump supporters for assaulting him, tying a noose around his neck and pouring bleach on him.

A judge set Smollett's next hearing for March 18. He faces 30 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

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Georgia College Dean Among 14 Arrested in Child Porn Sting

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A well-respected college dean is among 14 people busted in a child porn sting, the Lowndes County Sheriff's Department said Monday.

Dr. Keith Walters, 44, was charged with three counts of obscene Internet contact with a child and one count of sexual exploitation of children using a computer device to seduce, entice or solicit a child.

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Walters was placed on administrative leave and stripped of his title as Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, the Valodosta Daily Times reported.

Walters and 13 other men were arrested on Feb. 6 and February 9 as part of Operation Broken Arrow, a joint operation between 18 law enforcement agencies, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

The operation targeted men in chat rooms and other online websites. Lindsay Marchant, assistant special agent for the GBI, said "Every individual arrested during the operation believed they were going to a location to meet with a child and engage in prearranged sex acts."

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Ex bank employee faces life in prison for stealing $88K, posting photos of cash on social media

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Photos: Instagram.com

A former bank employee is accused of stealing more than $88,000 from a North Carolina bank, then posting photos of the stolen loot on social media.

Arlando Henderson, 29, was arrested by the FBI in San Diego, California on Dec. 4. A criminal indictment was unsealed in federal court in Charlotte, NC following his arrest.

According to the indictment, Henderson was employed by the financial institution in Charlotte, and had access to the bank vault.

On 18 separate occasions, Henderson stole cash from customer deposit boxes in the bank's vault.

Henderson then posted photos of himself flashing the cash on social media. Henderson reportedly used the cash for personal expenses and to make a $20,000 down payment on a new Mercedes-Benz.

The indictment also alleges Henderson committed fraud by falsifying documents to obtain a car loan at another bank for the balance owed on the Mercedes.

Bank officials became suspicious after Henderson - by then an ex-employee - posted photos of himself flashing stacks of cash on his Facebook and Instagram accounts.

The aspiring rapper also posted photos of himself posing next to a white 2019 Mercedes-Benz.

Henderson captioned one photo: "I make it look easy but this... really a PROCESS."

"Throughout July and August 2019, Henderson used a social media account to post several pictures of him holding large stacks of cash," the indictment reads.

The feds allege Henderson "destroyed certain documents" and "made, or caused others to make, false entries in the bank's books and records to cover up the thefts."

Henderson had an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gallo, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California earlier this month.

He is charged with two counts of financial institution fraud, 19 counts of theft, embezzlement and misapplication, and 12 counts of making false entries.

The felony charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count. He is also charged with transactional money laundering, which carries additional penalties of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
 

Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the photograph(s) used in this post. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use” of photographs for purposes such as parody, criticism, commentary, news reporting, education, and research.

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Rapper Tekashi69 pleads with judge for mercy ahead of his sentencing

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Rapper Tekashi69 isn't confident of his chances at next Wednesday's sentencing hearing. The 23-year-old New York native, real name Daniel Hernandez, reached a plea deal with prosecutors to turn on his gang associates in exchange for a lighter sentence.

Hernandez was arrested in November 2018 on RICO and weapons charges. Additionally, he was charged with conspiracy to murder and armed robbery. He pleaded guilty to nine felony charges in February 2019.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Image

The rapper sang like a canary in open court, giving prosecutors all the evidence they needed to send 2 of his Nine Trey gang associates to prison for a minimum of 20 years each.

Hernandez, who is being held without bond, hopes his snitching will sway the judge to go easy on him.

He penned a groveling letter to the judge who will hand down his sentence on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

In the letter obtained by TMZ, Hernandez said he is "overwhelmed with emotions" and "it honestly feels like my world is crashing down."

"I'm sorry to the victims who were affected by my actions, to my fans who look up to me and were misled, to my family who depends on me and to this courtroom for this mess that I contributed to."

He continued:

"I'm truly sorry for the harm that I've caused. If given a second chance, I will not let this Court down and I will dedicate a portion of my life to helping others not make the same mistakes that I've made."

Hernandez faces a minimum sentence of probation or a maximum sentence of 47 years in prison.

He has been labeled a snitch and will require 24/7 security to protect him for as long as he lives.
 

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Credit: TMZ

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Tekashi69 Signs Multi-Million Dollar Record Deal From Prison

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Instagram.com

Incarcerated rapper Tekashi69 is a rich jailbird. The 23-year-old reportedly signed a multi-million dollar record deal from behind bars.

Tekashi's problems may be over after he agreed to snitch on his former 9 Trey Gangsta Bloods associates in exchange for a significant decrease in his prison sentence.

Prior to snitching on his gang associates, Tekashi faced a minimum of 47 years in prison on charges of attempted murder, weapons possession, kidnapping and racketeering.

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Execs at Tekashi's former record label - 10K Projects - are so confident that he will be released soon, that they offered him a record deal worth more than $10 million!

According to TMZ, Tekashi is looking at a 2020 prison release with credit for time served.

In addition to shelling out $10 million to the "FEFE" rapper, the record label may be forced to foot the bill for the rapper's 24/7 security.

Tekashi declined to enter the government's witness protection program after snitching on his gangsta pals. His life is in danger the moment he walks out of prison.

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Lawyer for rapper Offset wants ‘disgraceful’ felony charge dismissed

A lawyer representing Atlanta rapper Offset is in communication with the Sandy Springs police on behalf of the rapper who is wanted on a felony criminal destruction of property charge. Sandy Springs police confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that an arrest warrant was issued for the 27-year-old rapper, whose real name is Kiari Cephus.

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