Feds say woman faked immigration kidnapping in Los Angeles & 5 more legal cases
Thousands of legal cases reach U.S. courts every year. From accusations of mistreatment in prisons to fraud to sexual abuse and beyond, here are some of the latest from across the country.
Fake tutor tries to meet child for sex acts, feds say. Florida cops were waiting
In Florida, Kevin Patrick Wilson, 39, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after being accused of attempting to meet a 12-year-old girl for sex acts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida. Court documents say Wilson posed as a tutor in a Facebook group and communicated with an undercover detective posing as the girl's guardian. The sting operation led to his arrest on July 24, 2024,according to federal prosecutors. | Published July 15 | Read More
Off-duty deputy threatens crypto businessman's rival inside CA mansion, feds say
In California, two Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were charged with civil rights violations in connection with their work as private security for a cryptocurrency businessman, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Christopher Michael Cadman and another deputy were accused of intimidating a rival of the businessman, leading to a $25,000 transfer, federal prosecutors say. Cadman agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy against rights and a tax offense on July 14. | Published July 16 | Read More
'I'm gonna go postal.' Mail carrier purposely hits USPS vehicle in VA, feds say
In Virginia, Lolita Brickhouse, 31, pleaded guilty to causing over $42,000 in damage after federal prosecutors say she purposely crashed into a USPS vehicle. The incident occurred after Brickhouse accused her co-workers of stealing her phone, leading to a violent outburst, court filings say. Brickhouse faces up to 10 years in prison for destruction of government property, according to prosecutors. | Published July 16 | Read More
21-year-old Army soldier hacks databases, threatens to leak stolen data, feds say
Cameron John Wagenius, a former U.S. Army soldier, pleaded guilty to hacking and extortion charges after he was accused of accessing data from telecommunications companies, federal prosecutors say. Wagenius and his conspirators attempted to extort $1,000,000 and sold stolen data, according to court documents. He faces prison time, with sentencing scheduled for October, prosecutors say. | Published July 17 | Read More
Woman fakes immigration kidnapping, then is found at CA shopping plaza, feds say
Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, is accused of faking herimmigration kidnapping from downtown Los Angeles to solicit donations, according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors say Calderon and her family falsely claimed she was abducted by masked men, but she was later found at a shopping plaza. Calderon is charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers. | Published July 18 | Read More
Woman in crisis was stripped, strapped to chair at Florida ICE center, suit says
A federal lawsuit in Florida says a woman was mistreated at an ICE facility, where guards stripped her and strapped her to a chair during a mental health crisis. The woman, a human trafficking survivor, was exposed and mocked by officers, according to the complaint. The lawsuit seeks damages and calls for the closure of the detention center. | Published July 18 | Read More
McClatchy News continues to follow lawsuits and legal cases from around the country. Check back for more legal stories.
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New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Heartbreaking video shows family's tearful send-off of teen whose organs were donated after being hit by alleged drunk illegal immigrant
A heartbreaking video shows the final moments of a Wisconsin teen's life that was allegedly taken by an illegal immigrant drunk driver as his family gave their final goodbye before his organs were donated. Tearful family and friends surrounded the lifeless body of 19-year-old Brady Heiling as doctors wheeled him on a stretcher through a hospital hallway, according to a video posted by his mother, Jen Heiling. Draped across the front of the gurney was a sign that read 'DONATE LIFE,' a nod to his organ donation. 'Brady Allen Heiling you are soooooo LOVED!…' his mother wrote in the emotional post. Loved ones bid the teen, who was hooked up to a breathing machine, farewell as they leaned onto his chest and cried out. 4 Brady Heiling's family says goodbye to the beloved teen. Jen Heiling/Facebook 4 Heiling's organs were donated after the tragic wrong-way crash. Jen Heiling/Facebook Heiling, along with his 'love' Hallie Helgeson, 18, tragically died after an illegal immigrant drunk driver hit them while driving the wrong way on an interstate outside Madison, officials said. Honduran national Noelia Saray Martinez-Avila, 30, was drunk and driving her SUV the wrong direction on a highway outside Madison when she allegedly struck a vehicle and killed the two teens on July 20, according to police. Helgeson, who was a passenger in the vehicle, died at the scene, while Heiling, who was behind the wheel, clung to life for five days after he was airlifted from the wreck. He fought through multiple unsuccessful surgeries before succumbing to his injuries. 'Hallie Helgeson and Brady Heiling had their whole lives ahead of them—and they would still be alive today if it weren't for Noelia Saray Martinez-Avila—a criminal illegal alien from Honduras,' DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. 4 Honduran national Noelia Saray Martinez-Avila, 30, was allegedly drunk when she drove her SUV the wrong way on a Madison highway and struck and killed Brady Heiling, 19, and Hallie Helgeson, 18. Dane County Sheriff's Office 'We are weak, weary and heart broken and need to rest,' Jen Heiling posted online following her son's tragic death. She said she hopes her son's harvested organs can save more lives, according to the West Central Tribune. The devastating crash wasn't Martinez-Avila's first time getting in trouble behind the wheel. She already had a drunk driving conviction from November 2020 and has had several other traffic violations since then for driving without a license, speeding, following too closely and inattentive driving, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. 4 Brady Heiling with his mother, father and two sisters. Jen Heiling/Facebook Martinez-Avila's rap sheet required her to have a special device in her car that blocks it from starting if she has alcohol in her system, according to the local news outlet. However, she did not have it installed during the fatal collision. DHS railed against the sanctuary policies in Dane County, where Madison is located. 'Unfortunately, this sanctuary jurisdiction has a history of not honoring ICE arrest detainers often leading to the release of murderers and other heinous criminals,' McLaughlin said. Martinez-Avila has been charged with two counts of felony vehicular homicide and impaired driving. ICE has since lodged a detainer to take the alleged killer into federal custody and pursue her deportation.
4 hours ago
2 customs officers plead guilty to allowing drugs to enter US through their lanes
SAN DIEGO -- Two Customs and Border Protection officers pleaded guilty this month to allowing vehicles filled with illegal drugs to enter the U.S. from Mexico, federal prosecutors said Monday. The pair texted 'a secret emoji-based code' to let Mexican traffickers know which inspection lanes they were manning at the Tecate and Otay Mesa border crossings, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. Prosecutors said when the drug-laden vehicles arrived, the officers would wave them through. Officers Jesse Clark Garcia, 37, and Diego Bonillo, 30, each pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to import controlled substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, the statement says. As part of his plea deal, Bonillo admitted that he allowed at least 165 pounds (75 kilograms) of fentanyl to enter the country, prosecutors said. The defendants 'profited handsomely, funding both domestic and international trips as well as purchases of luxury items and attempts to purchase real estate in Mexico,' the statement says. Garcia's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 26, and Bonillo will be sentenced Nov. 7. They could each face a maximum sentence of life in prison, prosecutors said.
San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
2 customs officers plead guilty to allowing drugs to enter the US through their inspection lanes
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Two Customs and Border Protection officers pleaded guilty this month to allowing vehicles filled with illegal drugs to enter the U.S. from Mexico, federal prosecutors said Monday. The pair texted 'a secret emoji-based code' to let Mexican traffickers know which inspection lanes they were manning at the Tecate and Otay Mesa border crossings, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. Prosecutors said when the drug-laden vehicles arrived, the officers would wave them through. Officers Jesse Clark Garcia, 37, and Diego Bonillo, 30, each pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to import controlled substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, the statement says. As part of his plea deal, Bonillo admitted that he allowed at least 165 pounds (75 kilograms) of fentanyl to enter the country, prosecutors said. The defendants 'profited handsomely, funding both domestic and international trips as well as purchases of luxury items and attempts to purchase real estate in Mexico,' the statement says. Garcia's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 26, and Bonillo will be sentenced Nov. 7. They could each face a maximum sentence of life in prison, prosecutors said.
