This article tells the story of Patrick Parker Walsh, a fraudster who used stolen COVID-19 relief funds to purchase Sweetheart Island, a two-acre uninhabited island off the coast of a small Gulf Coast town in Florida. Walsh is currently serving a five and a half year sentence in federal prison for his crime, and the Associated Press has documented the story. The article serves as a reminder of the consequences of pandemic-related fraud and the need for greater protection of public funds.
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Dameion Pickett, co-captain of the Harriott II Riverboat in Montgomery, Alabama, was attacked by a group of white boaters on August 5th after he asked them to move their pontoon from the riverboat's usual docking spot. Pickett has now been charged with assault in the third degree and is due in court on November 21st. The incident was caught on video and has sparked outrage and calls for justice, with the Montgomery Police Department continuing to investigate and asking anyone with information to come forward.
Brent Ray Brewer was executed by lethal injection in Texas on Thursday evening, Nov. 9, 2023, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in his case. Brewer had been convicted of fatally stabbing Robert Laminack during a robbery 33 years prior, and his attorneys argued that the false and unscientific expert testimony used to sentence him to death was unconstitutional. His execution has sparked debate among those who oppose the death penalty.
A jury has ordered Robert De Niro's production company, Canal Productions, to pay more than $1.2 million to his former personal assistant, Graham Chase Robinson, after finding the company engaged in gender discrimination and retaliation. The jury found De Niro was not personally liable for the abuse, but ordered Canal Productions to make two payments of $632,142 to Robinson. The verdict serves as a warning to employers that discrimination and retaliation in the workplace will not be tolerated, and is a reminder that employers must take all necessary steps to ensure a safe and equitable workplace.
Former Baltimore state's attorney Marilyn Mosby was convicted of two counts of perjury by a federal jury on Thursday, stemming from her alleged misuse of retirement funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mosby had been indicted by a federal grand jury and is accused of lying about the finances of a side business to improperly access retirement funds, which she used to buy two Florida homes. The jury reached a verdict on Thursday after a trial beginning on Monday, and Mosby awaits sentencing for the perjury charges.
David DePape is on trial for attacking Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with a hammer in October 2022. Defense attorney Jodi Linker argued that DePape was driven by conspiracy theories and intended to go after multiple Democratic officials. Paul Pelosi is expected to take the stand next week, and the trial is expected to last several weeks.
Suspicious letters containing powder have been sent to election workers in multiple states, with some containing baking soda and others containing fentanyl. No one was injured in the incidents, and the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are leading the investigation into the letters. The Secretary of State's Office has urged election workers to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
Alejandro Vidal-Quadras, a veteran Spanish right-wing politician, was shot in the face in broad daylight on a central Madrid street on Thursday. The shooter is believed to have fled the scene on a motorbike, and Vidal-Quadras' life is not in danger. Outrage has ensued in Spain, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemning the attack and calling for an investigation.