A former British Army soldier facing terrorism charges has escaped from a London prison, prompting a massive manhunt. Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, was reported missing from Wandsworth prison and is believed to have crawled under a delivery van wearing chef's garb. He is accused of planting fake bombs at a military base and violating the Official Secrets Act. Police are conducting checks at airports and have appealed to the public for help, but no information has been released on Khalife's whereabouts.
Posts published in “Crime”
A 2013 bribery and fraud case against defense contractor Leonard Francis and dozens of military officials has been dealt a major setback after a U.S. District Judge vacated the felony convictions of four former Navy officers due to prosecutorial misconduct. The judge noted that the misconduct had “tainted the entire prosecution” and that the men had been denied their right to a fair trial. The government has recovered more than $35 million in fines and restitution, but it remains to be seen how they will proceed in light of the latest development.
President Joe Biden has refused to approve certain conditions sought by defense lawyers in a possible plea bargain for the five defendants accused of planning and aiding the 9/11 attacks, complicating negotiations and raising questions about the success of the agreement. The terms under discussion would have spared the defendants from solitary confinement and provided care for the trauma of their torture in CIA custody. The plea agreement would allow the defendants to plead guilty to the charges against them in exchange for a reduced sentence.
On August 31st, Shawndre Delmore was found unresponsive in the Fulton County Jail and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he passed away on September 3rd. The Atlanta Police Department and the Fulton County Sheriff's Office have launched an investigation into the incident, and the county medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death. The jail is already under investigation for potential civil rights violations.
Former top aide Jeff Mateer testified in the historic impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, providing insight into why Paxton was using his power in ways that are now at the center of the trial. Mateer believes an extramarital affair Paxton had with a donor’s employee was “relevant” to the accusations, and that it helped connect the dots about why Paxton was using his power in the ways he was. If convicted, Paxton will be removed as attorney general and could be barred from running for office again. The Texas Senate is expected to make a decision on the articles of impeachment in the coming days.
A federal judge in Austin, Texas has ordered the state to remove a large floating barrier from the middle of the Rio Grande River, following protests from the U.S. and Mexican governments. The U.S. government argued that the buoys violated the federal government's exclusive authority to regulate navigable waters, and Judge Ezra found that the buoys interfered with the federal government's ability to manage the river and caused environmental damage. The ruling is the latest development in the Biden administration's efforts to address the ongoing migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
A federal judge in Delaware has been informed by special counsel David Weiss that prosecutors intend to seek a grand jury indictment of Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, before the end of September. The filing was made in the criminal action tied to a pretrial agreement with the government over the possession of a gun while someone is using narcotics. A tentative plea deal between the government and Hunter Biden's attorneys over taxes and diversion agreement on a firearms charge fell apart this summer, and it is unclear what charges Hunter Biden may face and if he will be able to avoid prison time if the indictment is returned.
Ruby Franke, the mother of six behind the family YouTube channel "8 Passengers," has been charged with six counts of felony child abuse by the Washington County Attorney in Utah. The investigation is ongoing, but Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were arrested last week after Franke's malnourished son ran to a neighbor's house asking for help. If convicted, they could face up to life in prison.