Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, pleaded not guilty to extortion and fraud charges in a Birmingham courtroom on Friday. He is accused of attempting to extort money from Holloway's mother and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Van der Sloot is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence in Peru after confessing to killing a Peruvian woman in 2010. A trial date has not yet been set.
Posts tagged as “Charge of FBI”
Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on federal criminal charges, prompting him to shake up his legal team and replace attorneys Jim Trusty and John Rowley with Todd Blanche, Esq. and a firm to be named later. The case has been assigned to Judge Aileen Cannon, a former federal prosecutor nominated to the bench by Trump in 2020, and Trump has expressed his disapproval of the charges on his Truth Social platform. This is the first time a former president has been charged with a federal crime, and the public is sure to be closely watching the case as Trump's legal team prepares to make a statement regarding their strategy.
Austin real estate developer Nate Paul was arrested by the FBI on Thursday in connection to a scandal involving Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The scandal began when Paxton involved his office in the investigation, leading to a chain of events that resulted in his historic impeachment. Paul was arrested on an unspecified federal felony charge, and the outcome of the investigation remains to be seen.
House Republicans have backed down from their threat to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress after viewing an unverified tip on a form known as an FD-1023 in a secure room on Capitol Hill. The form purportedly contains an allegation that Joe Biden was involved in a bribery scheme when he was vice president, but the allegations have not been verified and the FBI has not commented on the document. House Republicans have continued to accuse Biden and his family members of bribery and corruption.
Jay Johnston, a Hollywood actor known for his roles in popular television shows, has been arrested in California and charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Johnston was identified by online sleuths and is facing felony obstruction of officers during civil disorder as well as several misdemeanor offenses. He is currently being held in Los Angeles and is expected to appear in court soon.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee, chaired by Rep. James Comer, is pushing forward with a resolution to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress for failing to hand over a document detailing unconfirmed allegations of a bribery scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden. The document, known as a FD-1023 form, allegedly describes a criminal scheme involving Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions. If the resolution passes, it would be the first time in history that a sitting FBI director has been held in contempt of Congress.
Taylor Budowich, former spokesperson and aide to former President Donald Trump, testified before a federal grand jury in Miami, Fla., as part of special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Trump's records retention. In response, Budowich criticized the investigation as a "bogus and deeply troubling effort" and Trump himself has denied any wrongdoing. The investigation is ongoing and is part of a larger inquiry into Trump's business dealings and potential ties to Russia.
Peter Moloney, a Long Island business owner, was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday and charged with eight counts in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He is accused of spraying insecticide at police officers and targeting members of the news media, and is facing up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The FBI has charged more than 300 individuals in connection with the attack and is seeking more information.