Latest news with #WilliamFitzpatrick
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Government employee held after attempt to share classified information with foreign country
A government employee in Virginia accused of attempting to share classified information with a foreign country was held pending a detention hearing, and could face up to life in prison, or even death, depending on the details of the case brought against him, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Virginia-based Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick ordered that 28-year-old Nathan Laatsch be held pending a detention hearing scheduled for June 4. Laatsch allegedly attempted to transmit classified national defense information or documents to a foreign government. Depending on the details of the case, Laatsch faces "any term or years, or life…or even death," according to DOJ prosecutor Gordon Kromberg. Us It Specialist Arrested After Attempting To Share Classified Information With Foreign Government: Doj Laatsch, an IT specialist employed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) since 2019, appeared in court on Friday wearing street clothes, which were presumably the same clothes he wore when he was arrested the day before. Read On The Fox News App He was arrested after the FBI received a tip in March that someone was willing to provide classified information to a friendly foreign government. Laatsch was a civilian employee in the DIA's Insider Threat Division and held a top-secret security clearance, according to the DOJ. Former Us Army Intelligence Analyst Sentenced For Selling Sensitive Documents To Chinese National An email to the FBI said that the person — later identified as Laatsch — didn't "agree or align with the values" of the Trump administration and would be willing to share classified information that he could access, including "completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation." Laatsch communicated with an FBI agent, whom he believed to be a foreign government official, multiple times and would confirm that he was ready to share classified information that he transcribed onto a notepad at his desk, the DOJ said. He allegedly exfiltrated the information from his workspace multiple times over a three-day period in preparation. The FBI set up an operation at a northern Virginia park where Laatsch was to deposit classified information "for the foreign government to retrieve," according to the DOJ. He was observed by the FBI on or around May 1 depositing an item at the specified location. Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira Receives 15 Years For Secrets Leak Once he left, the DOJ said FBI agents retrieved a thumb drive from the area found to contain a message from Laatsch and multiple typed documents with information portion-marked for Secret or Top-Secret levels. His message allegedly indicated that he was sharing "a decent sample size" of classified information to demonstrate the types of things he has access to. On May 7, after Laatsch learned that the thumb drive had been retrieved, he allegedly sent a message to the undercover agent appearing to say that he was seeking something in exchange for providing the information. The following day, he specified that he was interested in "citizenship for your country" because he didn't expect things in America "to improve in the long term," the DOJ said. He also allegedly said he was "not opposed to other compensation," but not in a place where he needed "material compensation." Laatsch was told on May 14 by the FBI agent that the "foreign government" was ready for additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, he transcribed more information and began to remove it from the building by folding the notes and hiding them in his clothing. On Thursday, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia to drop the information off to the "foreign country." He was arrested once the FBI received the documents. Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this article source: Government employee held after attempt to share classified information with foreign country
CNN
01-05-2025
- CNN
11 Syracuse high schoolers face charges over an alleged team hazing. Here's what we know about the possible punishment
The legal punishments for each of the 11 Syracuse high school students who surrendered for their alleged involvement in the extreme hazing of five younger lacrosse players could vary, legal experts say. The Westhill High School student athletes – who are not being identified due to their age – are accused of staging an armed abduction of younger members of the school's lacrosse team last week in what 'went way beyond hazing,' Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick has said. Most of the suspects are minors, but at least one is over the age of 18, Onondaga County First Chief Assistant District Attorney Joseph Coolican told CNN Wednesday. The suspects face misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment, Fitzpatrick said. The students turned themselves in within a day after the district attorney on Tuesday raised the prospect of them facing the more serious charge of felony kidnapping if they didn't do so within 48 hours. But their legal outcomes will all depend on each person's age and culpability, experts said. Under New York state law, more leniency is given in the criminal justice system for those aged 19 and under to be eligible for Youthful Offender Status, which seals their criminal record and gives greater discretion to the punishment they face. The Youthful Offender Status is 'designed to give people aged 16 but younger than 19 sort of a second chance to straighten out their lives,' said David Shapiro, lecturer at the City University of New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice. 'It's recognition of the state of mind and the comparative development as a person moves from a child to an adult,' Shapiro said. In any case, the 'fairly young age of the offenders would be considered at sentencing,' he added. The non-juvenile students will be arraigned, while the juveniles will proceed to family court, the district attorney said. There are separate legal tracks that could determine the punishment for each suspect, according to CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson. In New York, the cases of those under 16 go straight to family court, where the consequences are focused on rehabilitation and diversion initiatives such as community service or educational programs, Jackson said. The judge presiding over the case could decide to send an 18-year-old to the Youth Part of the Supreme Court, according to Jackson, where the suspect would be considered a juvenile delinquent and thus treated more gingerly than an adult in their early 20s. This means they don't face prison time and can receive the same services and programs as a juvenile delinquent, Jackson added. However, there are caveats to obtaining the Youthful Offender Status, as the judge has to look at the nature of their offense, whether they have prior felony convictions or are accused of other violent crimes, which may make them ineligible for that treatment. 'The whole essence of this in New York is you're examining there's a distinction when you're young between rehabilitation and punishment,' Jackson said. For the suspects over the age of 18, Jackson said it's likely defense lawyers will ask for their clients to be given Youth Offender Status 'because it's the more favorable treatment in terms of the sealing of their record and the punishment' as opposed to 'getting slammed as an adult.' The incident, which has stunned the community, began last Thursday when some of the suspects tricked the younger lacrosse players after a game into believing they were going to McDonald's, District Attorney Fitzpatrick said Tuesday. The driver of the vehicle claimed he was lost in a remote part of the southern county in a wooded area when 'accomplices' – dressed in black and wielding what appeared to be at least one handgun and at least one knife – jumped out and pretended to be kidnappers, Fitzpatrick said. While some of the victims managed to escape, one of the students couldn't flee, he said. The group put a pillowcase over that teen's head, tied him up and threw him in the trunk of a car before ditching him in another wooded part of the county, Fitzpatrick said. Before he was eventually returned home, there was a period of time when the younger player thought he was 'going to be abandoned in the middle of nowhere,' the district attorney said. Fitzpatrick said he had seen a videotape of what happened which captured reactions from some of the suspects. 'You can hear that some of the individuals found it amusing.' 'It is not a rite of passage. It is not a trivial matter. I don't know how long this young man will be affected by what happened to him,' Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick did not say whether the apparent gun used was real or fake but asserted: 'We're not going to charge anybody with possession of a weapon.' Westhill Central School District said the rest of the varsity boys' lacrosse season has been canceled. Someone familiar with the reasoning behind the decision told CNN there were concerns that teams would not want to play against Westhill. Westhill School Superintendent Stephen Dunham told CNN in a statement Wednesday that it would not provide further comment about the incident because the investigation is ongoing. However, he wrote: 'What I can share, as Superintendent, is that any behavior that endangers the physical safety, mental health, or well-being of our students will always be addressed promptly and in accordance with our Code of Conduct.' Dunham said the school district remains 'committed to addressing serious issues directly and thoughtfully, and we will make the decisions necessary to uphold the values of our school community.' There are varied levels of culpability depending on the facts and the seriousness of the case, along with the age of those involved, according to Shapiro, the John Jay College lecturer. While the district attorney can make a formal request to keep a case in family court or move it to the Supreme Court's Youth Part, ultimately it's the judge's call, according to the law, Shapiro said. 'Once you put a person in the criminal justice system as a convict or delinquent, there's a great probability that you've lost that person for the rest of his or her life,' Shapiro said. 'The law recognizes that, and they allow judicial discretion to say: 'Some individuals still possess hope. Some individuals have not committed crimes so egregious that we cannot sort of give them leniency.'' The 11 student athletes will be exposed to a legal process that addresses the allegations of law violations with sensitivity to their ages, maturity levels, the seriousness of the offense and the underlying assumption the victims were not seriously harmed, Shapiro said. It's not clear how the case will play out in court, and ultimately the punishment 'has to be consistent with, factually, the charges against you,' according to Jackson, a CNN legal analyst. CNN's Holly Yan contributed to this report.
Metro
01-05-2025
- Metro
High school lacrosse players 'abducted at gunpoint as part of hazing prank'
A high school lacrosse player has been left traumatised after a gang of older boys abducted him at gunpoint as part of an initiation prank that 'went way beyond hazing', prosecutors said. All 11 student-athletes involved in the stunt linked to the team at Westhill High School in suburban Syracuse have turned themselves in to face charges. District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said they were part of a 'ruse' in which younger players were invited to watch a match and then go to McDonald's for something to eat. But one of the drivers pretended to get lost and stopped in a remote area where the others were waiting for them. Mr Fitzpatrick said they were armed with at least one knife and what appeared to be a gun. He said at least five of the younger players had been set up as part of the prank but most managed to flee. The one who didn't get away ended up being blindfolded, thrown into the trunk of a car and told he would be abandoned, he added. 'I cannot adequately express to this community the level of stupidity and lack of judgment involved in this case,' Mr Fitzpatrick said. 'This goes way, way beyond hazing.' While the student wasn't hurt physically, 'emotionally, that's going to be long term', Mr Fitzpatrick said. 'This is not lighting a bag on fire on Halloween and sticking it in your driveway, this is criminal activity,' he added. The DA said one of the pranksters could have been shot by police if officers had stumbled across the scene and saw 'a kid with a hood over his head being abducted at gunpoint'. The events were captured on video, and Mr Fitzpatrick said local sheriffs have identified the 11 people — some of 18 years old — whom they believe participated either directly or indirectly. He had given the students until Thursday to come forward voluntarily and face only misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment. Asked if all were members of the boys' lacrosse team, he said it 'appears that way, but I don't know that'. More Trending The prosecutor warned Tuesday that those who did not would be charged with more serious felony kidnapping. He noted reports that the district's superintendent had cancelled the rest of the varsity team's season. Messages seeking comment were left for Westhill School District Superintendent Steve Dunham. In a statement provided to earlier this week, he said: 'Our top priority is always the physical safety, mental health and well-being of our students' and that 'any behaviour that negatively affects any of these aspects for other students will be addressed promptly and appropriately according to our Code of Conduct'. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: First picture of 'lovely, peaceful' man, 39, stabbed to death in London MORE: 'Mushroom killer's' texts to ex-husband before serving deadly lunch revealed MORE: Naked man in girl's bedroom escapes her dad's gunfire only to be busted by drone
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
11 Syracuse high schoolers face charges over an alleged team hazing. Here's what we know about the possible punishment
The legal punishments for each of the 11 Syracuse high school students who surrendered for their alleged involvement in the extreme hazing of five younger lacrosse players could vary, legal experts say. The Westhill High School student athletes – who are not being identified due to their age – are accused of staging an armed abduction of younger members of the school's lacrosse team last week in what 'went way beyond hazing,' Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick has said. Most of the suspects are minors, but at least one is over the age of 18, Onondaga County First Chief Assistant District Attorney Joseph Coolican told CNN Wednesday. The suspects face misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment, Fitzpatrick said. The students turned themselves in within a day after the district attorney on Tuesday raised the prospect of them facing the more serious charge of felony kidnapping if they didn't do so within 48 hours. But their legal outcomes will all depend on each person's age and culpability, experts said. Under New York state law, more leniency is given in the criminal justice system for those aged 19 and under to be eligible for Youthful Offender Status, which seals their criminal record and gives greater discretion to the punishment they face. The Youthful Offender Status is 'designed to give people aged 16 but younger than 19 sort of a second chance to straighten out their lives,' said David Shapiro, lecturer at the City University of New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice. 'It's recognition of the state of mind and the comparative development as a person moves from a child to an adult,' Shapiro said. In any case, the 'fairly young age of the offenders would be considered at sentencing,' he added. The non-juvenile students will be arraigned, while the juveniles will proceed to family court, the district attorney said. There are separate legal tracks that could determine the punishment for each suspect, according to CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson. In New York, the cases of those under 16 go straight to family court, where the consequences are focused on rehabilitation and diversion initiatives such as community service or educational programs, Jackson said. The judge presiding over the case could decide to send an 18-year-old to the Youth Part of the Supreme Court, according to Jackson, where the suspect would be considered a juvenile delinquent and thus treated more gingerly than an adult in their early 20s. This means they don't face prison time and can receive the same services and programs as a juvenile delinquent, Jackson added. However, there are caveats to obtaining the Youthful Offender Status, as the judge has to look at the nature of their offense, whether they have prior felony convictions or are accused of other violent crimes, which may make them ineligible for that treatment. 'The whole essence of this in New York is you're examining there's a distinction when you're young between rehabilitation and punishment,' Jackson said. For the suspects over the age of 18, Jackson said it's likely defense lawyers will ask for their clients to be given Youth Offender Status 'because it's the more favorable treatment in terms of the sealing of their record and the punishment' as opposed to 'getting slammed as an adult.' The incident, which has stunned the community, began last Thursday when some of the suspects tricked the younger lacrosse players after a game into believing they were going to McDonald's, District Attorney Fitzpatrick said Tuesday. The driver of the vehicle claimed he was lost in a remote part of the southern county in a wooded area when 'accomplices' – dressed in black and wielding what appeared to be at least one handgun and at least one knife – jumped out and pretended to be kidnappers, Fitzpatrick said. While some of the victims managed to escape, one of the students couldn't flee, he said. The group put a pillowcase over that teen's head, tied him up and threw him in the trunk of a car before ditching him in another wooded part of the county, Fitzpatrick said. Before he was eventually returned home, there was a period of time when the younger player thought he was 'going to be abandoned in the middle of nowhere,' the district attorney said. Fitzpatrick said he had seen a videotape of what happened which captured reactions from some of the suspects. 'You can hear that some of the individuals found it amusing.' 'It is not a rite of passage. It is not a trivial matter. I don't know how long this young man will be affected by what happened to him,' Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick did not say whether the apparent gun used was real or fake but asserted: 'We're not going to charge anybody with possession of a weapon.' Westhill Central School District said the rest of the varsity boys' lacrosse season has been canceled. Someone familiar with the reasoning behind the decision told CNN there were concerns that teams would not want to play against Westhill. Westhill School Superintendent Stephen Dunham told CNN in a statement Wednesday that it would not provide further comment about the incident because the investigation is ongoing. However, he wrote: 'What I can share, as Superintendent, is that any behavior that endangers the physical safety, mental health, or well-being of our students will always be addressed promptly and in accordance with our Code of Conduct.' Dunham said the school district remains 'committed to addressing serious issues directly and thoughtfully, and we will make the decisions necessary to uphold the values of our school community.' There are varied levels of culpability depending on the facts and the seriousness of the case, along with the age of those involved, according to Shapiro, the John Jay College lecturer. While the district attorney can make a formal request to keep a case in family court or move it to the Supreme Court's Youth Part, ultimately it's the judge's call, according to the law, Shapiro said. 'Once you put a person in the criminal justice system as a convict or delinquent, there's a great probability that you've lost that person for the rest of his or her life,' Shapiro said. 'The law recognizes that, and they allow judicial discretion to say: 'Some individuals still possess hope. Some individuals have not committed crimes so egregious that we cannot sort of give them leniency.'' The 11 student athletes will be exposed to a legal process that addresses the allegations of law violations with sensitivity to their ages, maturity levels, the seriousness of the offense and the underlying assumption the victims were not seriously harmed, Shapiro said. It's not clear how the case will play out in court, and ultimately the punishment 'has to be consistent with, factually, the charges against you,' according to Jackson, a CNN legal analyst. CNN's Holly Yan contributed to this report.
CNN
01-05-2025
- CNN
11 Syracuse high schoolers face charges over an alleged team hazing. Here's what we know about the possible punishment
The legal punishments for each of the 11 Syracuse high school students who surrendered for their alleged involvement in the extreme hazing of five younger lacrosse players could vary, legal experts say. The Westhill High School student athletes – who are not being identified due to their age – are accused of staging an armed abduction of younger members of the school's lacrosse team last week in what 'went way beyond hazing,' Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick has said. Most of the suspects are minors, but at least one is over the age of 18, Onondaga County First Chief Assistant District Attorney Joseph Coolican told CNN Wednesday. The suspects face misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment, Fitzpatrick said. The students turned themselves in within a day after the district attorney on Tuesday raised the prospect of them facing the more serious charge of felony kidnapping if they didn't do so within 48 hours. But their legal outcomes will all depend on each person's age and culpability, experts said. Under New York state law, more leniency is given in the criminal justice system for those aged 19 and under to be eligible for Youthful Offender Status, which seals their criminal record and gives greater discretion to the punishment they face. The Youthful Offender Status is 'designed to give people aged 16 but younger than 19 sort of a second chance to straighten out their lives,' said David Shapiro, lecturer at the City University of New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice. 'It's recognition of the state of mind and the comparative development as a person moves from a child to an adult,' Shapiro said. In any case, the 'fairly young age of the offenders would be considered at sentencing,' he added. The non-juvenile students will be arraigned, while the juveniles will proceed to family court, the district attorney said. There are separate legal tracks that could determine the punishment for each suspect, according to CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson. In New York, the cases of those under 16 go straight to family court, where the consequences are focused on rehabilitation and diversion initiatives such as community service or educational programs, Jackson said. The judge presiding over the case could decide to send an 18-year-old to the Youth Part of the Supreme Court, according to Jackson, where the suspect would be considered a juvenile delinquent and thus treated more gingerly than an adult in their early 20s. This means they don't face prison time and can receive the same services and programs as a juvenile delinquent, Jackson added. However, there are caveats to obtaining the Youthful Offender Status, as the judge has to look at the nature of their offense, whether they have prior felony convictions or are accused of other violent crimes, which may make them ineligible for that treatment. 'The whole essence of this in New York is you're examining there's a distinction when you're young between rehabilitation and punishment,' Jackson said. For the suspects over the age of 18, Jackson said it's likely defense lawyers will ask for their clients to be given Youth Offender Status 'because it's the more favorable treatment in terms of the sealing of their record and the punishment' as opposed to 'getting slammed as an adult.' The incident, which has stunned the community, began last Thursday when some of the suspects tricked the younger lacrosse players after a game into believing they were going to McDonald's, District Attorney Fitzpatrick said Tuesday. The driver of the vehicle claimed he was lost in a remote part of the southern county in a wooded area when 'accomplices' – dressed in black and wielding what appeared to be at least one handgun and at least one knife – jumped out and pretended to be kidnappers, Fitzpatrick said. While some of the victims managed to escape, one of the students couldn't flee, he said. The group put a pillowcase over that teen's head, tied him up and threw him in the trunk of a car before ditching him in another wooded part of the county, Fitzpatrick said. Before he was eventually returned home, there was a period of time when the younger player thought he was 'going to be abandoned in the middle of nowhere,' the district attorney said. Fitzpatrick said he had seen a videotape of what happened which captured reactions from some of the suspects. 'You can hear that some of the individuals found it amusing.' 'It is not a rite of passage. It is not a trivial matter. I don't know how long this young man will be affected by what happened to him,' Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick did not say whether the apparent gun used was real or fake but asserted: 'We're not going to charge anybody with possession of a weapon.' Westhill Central School District said the rest of the varsity boys' lacrosse season has been canceled. Someone familiar with the reasoning behind the decision told CNN there were concerns that teams would not want to play against Westhill. Westhill School Superintendent Stephen Dunham told CNN in a statement Wednesday that it would not provide further comment about the incident because the investigation is ongoing. However, he wrote: 'What I can share, as Superintendent, is that any behavior that endangers the physical safety, mental health, or well-being of our students will always be addressed promptly and in accordance with our Code of Conduct.' Dunham said the school district remains 'committed to addressing serious issues directly and thoughtfully, and we will make the decisions necessary to uphold the values of our school community.' There are varied levels of culpability depending on the facts and the seriousness of the case, along with the age of those involved, according to Shapiro, the John Jay College lecturer. While the district attorney can make a formal request to keep a case in family court or move it to the Supreme Court's Youth Part, ultimately it's the judge's call, according to the law, Shapiro said. 'Once you put a person in the criminal justice system as a convict or delinquent, there's a great probability that you've lost that person for the rest of his or her life,' Shapiro said. 'The law recognizes that, and they allow judicial discretion to say: 'Some individuals still possess hope. Some individuals have not committed crimes so egregious that we cannot sort of give them leniency.'' The 11 student athletes will be exposed to a legal process that addresses the allegations of law violations with sensitivity to their ages, maturity levels, the seriousness of the offense and the underlying assumption the victims were not seriously harmed, Shapiro said. It's not clear how the case will play out in court, and ultimately the punishment 'has to be consistent with, factually, the charges against you,' according to Jackson, a CNN legal analyst. CNN's Holly Yan contributed to this report.
