The Texas woman whose home was turned into a squatter’s “drug den” and sold her furniture in a yard sale said she hired the man as a recommended repairman from TikTok.
Terri Boyette appeared in front of a Texas Senate committee on Wednesday to reveal the horrors she faced while trying to remove the vagrants from her home.
“This is burglary. This is breaking and entering,” said Texas State Senator Paul Bettencourt, the committee chairman, according to Fox 4 Dallas.
“He was selling your possessions on your front lawn. I am outraged. This should not happen in Texas, and it will never happen again after we get this bill passed.”
Boyette’s nightmare started when she fired the worker off the social media platmore last June to make repairs on her home while she cared for her elderly mother in Florida, according to WFAA.
While away, the repairman began squatting in Boyette’s Mesquite home, about 14 miles from Downtown Dallas, and allowed other strangers to do so with him.
A painter had broken in and wrecked the place, leaving crack pipes in her oven and needles in a drawer, Boyette told The Post in March.
The homeowner hired the worker to help fix up her home while she was in Florida helping her elderly mother last summer. ABC 8
For nearly a year, they turned her home into a biohazard zone, with police telling her they were unable to resolve the issue.
In December, a judge finally granted an eviction notice to remove the worker from the home, but with the holidays approaching, the judge extended the squatter’s appeal by 30 days.
“She didn’t want him to be homeless over the holidays, which left me homeless over the holidays,” Boyette told WFAA.
Once the suspected squatter knew he would be evicted from the home, he started selling off her washer, dryer, refrigerator and dining room table.
Terri Boyette said for nearly a year, the squatter and the other vagrants made the inside look like a biohazard zone. ABC 8
The alleged squatter was served with his final eviction notice on Feb. 6 and was formally evicted on March 20.
But as it nears a year since the repairman and others began living in the home, Boyette said she’s still been unable to move back in due to the havoc and disarray left behind by multiple vagrants
Boyette’s Mesquite home was one of 475 such squatter cases in the Dallas-Forth Worth area, according to Bettencourt.
But he and other lawmakers plan to put the issue to rest with new legislation.
The repairman had begun squatting in Boyette’s house and allowed other strangers to do so with him. ABC 8She said in June, she contacted the Mesquite police, who explained to her there was nothing they could do to remove the squatters from her residence. ABC 8
Bettencourt found that Texas, like many other states, does not clearly define a squatter or what a homeowner can legally pursue to define a person as such in court.
He has since launched the committee to find an answer for the legal loopholes many vagrants use to shack up in homes they don’t pay rent on or illegally enter and claim to be tenants.
Sen. Royce West, one of the legislators who sits on the committee, asked Boyette why the Mesquite Police Department wasn’t able to remove the squatters.
Boyette detailed how police left her high and dry for months, and the issue was only resolved after months of back-and-forth in the courts.
As it nears a year since the repairman and others began living in the home, Boyette said she’s still been unable to move back in due to its conditions. ABC 8The Mesquite Police Department said that Boyette’s issue has been resolved, and it was “handled appropriately and professionally, with due regard for existing state law.” ABC 8
“I called the police. They said, ‘How long has he been there?’ I said about two weeks. They said this is a civil matter,” she told the committee.
Boyette revealed the alleged squatter returned to the home in April, banging on the door and demanding to enter.
Boyette appeared in front of the committee to detail her story with the squatters. Fox 4 DallasTexas State Senator Paul Bettencourt. Fox 4 Dallas
The man was later arrested on a criminal trespass complaint.
“It makes no sense. No sense at all. I am starting to get outrageous as well,” West proclaimed. “I want to know from Mesquite PD what they don’t understand about the statute.”
“They said because no one was living there,” Boyette told the senator.
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“That’s a bunch of crap,” he replied about the ineptitude of law enforcement.
Legislators from both parties have demanded answers from the police.
Bettencourt has requested the Mesquite Police Department to attend their next meeting to explain why the man was not removed from the home.
It’s been nearly a year since Kevin Spacey was acquitted on sexual misconduct charges, and stars are coming to the actor’s defense in demanding he be allowed to return to his career in Hollywood.
After the two-part documentary titled “Spacey Unmasked” aired in the UK last week, fellow actors, including Sharon Stone and Liam Neeson, praised Spacey – who was blacklisted after sexual assault claims from various men surfaced – and claimed that the industry “needs him and misses him greatly.”
“I can’t wait to see Kevin back at work,” Stone told The Telegraph.
“He is a genius. He is so elegant and fun, generous to a fault and knows more about our craft than most of us ever will.”
“It’s terrible that [aspiring actors] are blaming him for not being able to come to terms with themselves for using him and negotiating with themselves because they didn’t get their secret agendas,” she added.
Kevin Spacey and Sharon Stone host at the Gorby 80 Gala at the Royal Albert Hall on March 30, 2011 in London, England. Getty Images
Neeson shared the same sentiment and said, “I was deeply saddened to learn of these accusations against him. Kevin is a good man and a man of character. He’s sensitive, articulate and non-judgmental, with a terrific sense of humor. He is also one of our finest artists in the theater and on camera. Personally speaking, our industry needs him and misses him greatly.”
F. Murray Abraham, who won an Academy Award for his role as Salieri in “Amadeus,” said, “I vouch for him unequivocally. Who are these vultures who attack a man who has publicly accepted his responsibility for certain behavior, unlike so many others?”
“He is a fine man, I stand with him, and let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” he added.
Liam Neeson appears at the premiere of the film “Hunt For The Wilderpeople” in London. AP
Ahead of its release, Spacey slammed the documentary as a “one-sided” version of events and stated the seven days given to him by Channel 4 (the UK station first airing the doc) to respond was not a “fair opportunity.”
“I will not sit back and be attacked by a dying network’s one-sided ‘documentary’ about me in their desperate attempt for ratings,” Spacey wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “There’s a proper channel to handle allegations against me and it’s not Channel 4.”
“Each time I have been given the time and a proper forum to defend myself, the allegations have failed under scrutiny and I have been exonerated.”
Over the last week, I have repeatedly requested that @Channel4 afford me more than 7 days to respond to allegations made against me dating back 48 years and provide me with sufficient details to investigate these matters. Channel 4 has refused on the basis that they feel that…
He was acquitted on sexual misconduct charges in July 2023 after four weeks of testimony. Spacey had pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
The jury found him not guilty.
“I imagine that many of you can understand that there’s a lot for me to process after what has just happened today,” Spacey said after court.
pacey addresses the media outside Southwark Crown Court in London, July 26, 2023. AP
“But I would like to say that I’m enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts, carefully, before they reached their decision.”
“I am humbled by the outcome today,” he added. “I also want to thank the staff inside this courthouse, the security, Evan Lowenstein, and all those who took care of us every single day, my legal team… for being here every day.”
Spacey’s latest acting credit is a movie called “Peter Five Eight,” which was released earlier this year.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, it was filmed in September 2021.
He also has a film called “The Contract” that’s currently in production.
Mike Schmidt, the leftist prosecutor in Portland, Ore., is asking voters to give him the opportunity to serve four more years as head of the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.
In an interview with local media last October, he graded himself an “A” for his performance.
But if the past four years of record homicides, decriminalized antifa rioting and surging street overdoses represent Schmidt as his best, Portland may not survive another four years with him at the helm.
Schmidt’s re-election is being challenged by his subordinate, Nathan Vasquez, a senior deputy district attorney and moderate candidate who promises to prosecute crimes and restore the office’s relationship with police, which was broken by Schmidt’s open cop hatred.
Law and order
Vasquez’s law-and-order message to Portland voters is resonating, even in the ultra-left-wing “City of Roses,” where residents have finally grown weary of crime and open drug abuse after tolerating them in 2020 following George Floyd’s death.
The effects of that period of collective insanity can still be seen today.
The population has declined for the first time in decades from outward migration.
From 2020 to 2022, Portland lost around 18,200 residents, or 2.8% of its population.
The decline has continued each year since, according to US Census Bureau data.
The city is a shell of itself, particularly in downtown, where businesses fled after dealing with the triple whammy of the pandemic lockdown, months of nightly rioting by Black Lives Matter-antifa and violent homeless encampments.
Residents want change.
A protester lights an American flag on fire during a demonstration Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. AP
Polling shows Vasquez ahead of Schmidt by nearly 20 percentage points.
Fearing the ignominy of a humiliating election defeat and a death blow to higher-office ambitions, Schmidt is now gaslighting us all about his record by rebranding himself as a “Democrat” prosecutor who was and is tough on crime.
But Schmidt can’t run from his legacy’s trail of blood and misery.
Schmidt won in a landslide election in 2020, winning over 76% of the vote while campaigning as a progressive prosecutor.
He joined a class of new leftist district attorneys — many whose campaigns were supported by George Soros’ money through various political action campaigns — who vowed to use their offices to further a left-wing agenda of not prosecuting crimes because of racial disparities among suspects and convicts.
Despite having limited experience actually prosecuting crimes (he worked for only six years as a lower-level prosecutor in Multnomah County and never handled a murder case), he was given the reins to the most populous county in Oregon.
John Hood smokes methamphetamine with a friend outside a homeless shelter in downtown Portland, Oregon, U.S. February 9, 2024. REUTERS
Heavy consequences
The consequences have been devastating.
Schmidt took power in August 2020 — during the height of the Black Lives Matter-antifa riots.
His office immediately announced that most riot-related offenses were decriminalized.
Interfering with an officer?
Felony rioting?
No problem.
Tents line the sidewalk on Clay Street, Dec. 9, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. AP
Disorderly conduct?
No longer a crime.
Criminal trespass, escape and harassment?
All decriminalized.
During his inauguration speech, Schmidt repeatedly chanted in support of Black Lives Matter.
And just before taking office, Schmidt hinted at his own views on leftist crime when he said in a Facebook livestream that “the foundations of this country were also built on protests that destroyed property, and sometimes it’s necessary to get people’s attention.”
Anti-police protesters rally outside the Portland Police Association building on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. AP
Schmidt’s policies got the attention of antifa.
Antifa’s violence became entrenched and more extreme as rioters felt emboldened to commit crimes with impunity.
For more than 120 nights straight in 2020, antifa smashed up businesses and set fires to buildings and property.
Responding police were assaulted and beaten by coordinated riot brigades armed with melee and projectile weapons.
Those who were arrested were quickly released without bail to return to rioting, sometimes within the same day.
One serial antifa riot arrestee had been arrested at least seven times, having her charges dropped by Schmidt’s office every time.
A clothing store is vandalized as police confront protesters in Portland, Oregon on November 4, 2020, during a demonstration called by the “Black Lives Matter” movement, a day after the US Presidential Election. AFP via Getty Images
Around 90% of the riot-related cases in Portland were dropped by the district attorney’s office in 2020, and none were taken to trial if they involved far-left suspects.
Instead, Schmidt’s office offered the antifa rioters sweetheart plea deals, under which they wouldn’t serve prison time and would often have their convictions expunged following probation.
Antifa member Blake David Hampe, who spent years in prison for a federal child sex crime conviction, was recorded stabbing a black conservative livestreamer during a riot in July 2020.
Schmidt’s office allowed him to plead guilty to only second-degree attempted assault last year and he was sentenced to probation.
The victim was nearly paralyzed in the stabbing.
Schmidt’s legacy isn’t only the mishandling of the deadly riots.
He campaigned for Measure 110, a Democrat-supported ballot initiative that decriminalized the possession of hard drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin.
The initiative passed and what happened next was predictable: record overdose deaths and downtown became an open-air drug market and insane asylum littered with feces and drug paraphernalia.
Between 2018–2022, nearly 600 people died from fentanyl overdoses.
More people died in Multnomah County from drugs than COVID-19.
“He allowed bullying, corrupt managers to run that office, creating all kinds of chaos,” a former Multnomah County prosecutor who worked under Schmidt told The Post.
“Schmidt created an impossible work environment where the only rule was to make him look good in the media.”
The sobering reality
And even the local media could no longer do that in the sobering reality of weekly death on the streets.
Portland broke its all-time homicide records back-to-back in 2021 and 2022.
In 2019, the year before Schmidt took office, there were 36 homicides.
Halfway into his term in 2022, homicides jumped to over 100, among the highest percentage increases in the country.
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Nonfatal shootings also more than tripled during this time in Portland.
Businesses have also fled Portland, often citing theft and public safety as the reasons.
Big brands REI, Walmart, Starbucks, Target, Nike and Cracker Barrel are among those who have downsized or closed all of their Portland locations, joining the dozens of local businesses who shut down earlier.
Schmidt’s scandals may linger beyond his time in office even if he is voted out.
In 2021, Schmidt received a list of incarcerated felony inmates to vet before they were offered clemency by then-Gov. Kate Brown.
Schmidt’s district attorney’s office did not object or raise concern on any of the 14 felony convicts.
One of the men whose sentence was then commutated by Brown, with the blessing from Schmidt, is the person of interest in the serial killing of at least four Portland women.
A secret grand jury is expected to hear the serial murder case next week.
Voters in Multnomah County have an opportunity on May 21 to reject Schmidt.
The outcome is significant beyond Portland.
One person paying attention is George Soros, who has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Schmidt’s campaign through nonprofits Working Families Party of Oregon and the Drug Policy Alliance.
Repudiating Schmidt is repudiating the dangerous political agenda he represents that has killed and harmed too many.
Andy Ngo is a senior editor at The Post Millennial and author of The New York Times bestseller “Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy.”
It sounds a little like Big Brother, but cops say it’ll be a big help.
The city announced a new program Thursday to combat soaring retail crime – and it relies on store owners letting the NYPD tap into their security cameras to gather “real-time intelligence.”
The pilot program will be purely voluntary but those who opt-in to the city’s integration platform will be able to directly share information through their existing survelliance system, according to Mayor Eric Adams’ office.
Mayor Adams announced Thursday a new city program that would let the NYPD tap into retail surveillance cameras — as long as the business agrees to it. Matthew McDermott
“The prerequisite to prosperity is public safety,” Adams said at a press conference announcing the program, which will cost the city $1.5 million but be free to businesses.
“Anything that erodes that feeling of safety is going to get in the way … and nothing erodes it more than going into your local store, and you have to call someone to unlock the toothpaste, unlock the hair shampoo when I had hair, unlock all of the items that we have.”
The administration says the direct access to the closed-circuit systems will help cops catch thieves more quickly and offer a new layer of protection for local businesses.
“New York is saying we’re not sitting back and throwing up our hands —that’s a signal of urban surrender,” Hizzoner continued. “We refuse to surrender to any form of criminality. We’re not going to allow shoplifters and organized crime rings to prey on businesses.”
The move comes as retail theft continues to spike in New York City — larceny rose by 51% between 2017 and 2023, according to Chain Store Age, a retail-focused news website.
Meanwhile, robberies, grand larceny and petit larceny in the Big Apple jumped by 86% during the same period, the outlet said.
Business owners would have to agree to let the NYPD peak through their cameras — but some remained wary that cops will check up on everything they do. meepoohyaphoto – stock.adobe.comA pair of NYPD officers make their rounds and stop by the Adol store on 42nd Street, which has been robbed several times by criminals. Aristide Economopoulos
Adams said the NYPD made 25,480 retail theft arrests last year — and about 542 repeat offenders were responsible for a third of them.
“We’re able to identify them early and take them off the street, they do not become a menace to our retail community,” Adams said. “We cannot keep letting these recidivists back on the streets without consequences. That is our concern.”
Last June, the mayor’s office partnered with the NYPD and Fusus, a third-party camera integration platform, on a smaller, free pilot program in the 109th Precinct in Flushing, Queens, the Adams administration said in a statement.
About three dozen businesses enrolled — meaning New York’s Finest knew where their cameras were, and could access the footage in real-time feeds, it added.
During the first two months, the NYPD traced a citywide burglary spree back to two people allegedly involved in a national retail theft operation, city officials said. They arrested an alleged shoplifter who stole more than $1,000 in merchandise from an eyeglass store, according to officials.
This image, released by the US Attorney’s Office, shows two robbers charging into a Manhattan jewelry store. U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York
“When we look at the 109 Precinct, and we look around that Main Street corridor … we saw, again, a sharp increase in arrests and a decrease in shoplifting complaints,” Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael Lipetri said at the press conference.
Afterward, the NYPD signed a one-year agreement with Fusus, in which the city will spend $1.5 million to expand the program to nine other precincts that were selected because of quality-of-life complaints and crime data, the statement said.
“This is a home run,” Adams said Thursday.
The city’s $1.5 million price tag will go toward installing about 15,000 cameras over the next year — and installing devices in participating stores that will help them connect their security cameras to the NYPD, officials said.
There’s no cost for businesses to join the program.
Security guards and retail managers told The Post they appreciate the help.
“It’s a good idea because crime is so high,” said Rafael Ortiz, a 40-year-old store manager at Home Appliances on East Fordham Road in the Bronx.
“We have 10 cameras in the store, which deters thieves and robbers, but also we have the evidence if anything is taken,” Ortiz told The Post. “There’s a lot of stealing and robbing going on.”
Adams said 542 repeat offenders were responsible for about a third of the city’s 25,000 retail theft arrests in 2023. nuruddean – stock.adobe.com
Shawn Washington, a security guard at jeweler Alex Diamond nearby, agreed with Ortiz.
“It’s a good idea to allow law enforcement better access,” Washington, 50, told The Post. “CCTV solves a lot of crimes … We don’t get a lot of crime in this store because I’m standing here all day, but the crime around here is insane.”
But it’s still only part of the puzzle, he said. Bail reform must also be addressed.
“This is a stunt to get a story in the newspaper saying Adams is tough on crime,” he said. “But think about it: If the judicial system isn’t going to put people behind bars, then what’s the point? It’s like sweeping a dirt floor.”
In the announcement, city officials were careful to say that business owners can choose how and when the NYPD can access their cameras.
Many agreed that the program was a good idea — especialyl in the wake of armed robberies like this, when gun-wielding robbers busted into a jewelry store in Manhattan in broad daylight last June. U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York
But some aren’t convinced, according to Francisco Mata, president of the NY Bodega and Small Business Association.
“I’ve been trying, but some owners are worried [the police] will be checking everything they do,” he told The Post. “Some have been willing to. It’s a good idea, but it’s going to take time for people to understand that the government isn’t watching everything you do.”
Others, like Tom Grech of the Queens Chamber Of Commerce, had fewer concerns.
“Contrary to some people’s perspectives, there are bad actors out there looking to rip people off and hurt small businesses,” Grech said.
“At the end of the day, I’m on the side of law enforcement,” he continued. “The more we can share information among small businesses and the NYPD, the more we can move on from catch and release. If these people are out there and believe they can steal with impunity they will.
“The only way to get to prosperity is public safety,” he went on. “Bad actors are running around in areas and doing whatever they please.”
Businesses interested in participation or seeking further information can visit the NYPD’s Fusus pilot program online to sign up.
The Issue: President Biden and former President Donald Trump agreeing to two presidential debates.
Forget about Ali and Frazier, move over Holyfield and Tyson, the Fight of this century will belong to President Biden and former President Donald Trump (“Rumble is set,” May 16).
Joe Biden, in what can only be interpreted as a moment of clarity — or perhaps desperation — has agreed to not one, but two nationally televised debates with Donald Trump.
Biden’s team is obviously believing the polls and, with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s attempt to put “The Donald” behind bars now looking as likely as getting the truth out of Michael Cohen, the decision has been made that they have nothing to lose by debating.
They must have thought the performance Biden offered at his State of the Union Address was indicative of some spark of life left in an otherwise “sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.” In any case, the fight is on.
Jack Kaufman
Naples, Fla.
In his “debate challenge” video, Clint Eastwood-wannabe President Biden thinks he can afford to infuriate voters with his quip about Trump being free on Wednesdays to debate, a reference to the trial in Manhattan.
Don Whitman
Cross River
Really, former President Donald Trump is going that route again?
The debates are being hosted by two media outlets that will definitely not conduct what I considered to be a fair debate. Just look at their history of covering Trump in the news.
Trump should only agree to a debate that will be run fairly. Why not bring in an independent moderator for a change? I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
Greg Canizio
East Northport
I, for one, am looking forward to the debates between Biden and Trump. But I can’t help wondering if both debates will actually take place. Perhaps Biden will find an excuse to back out. Or maybe Biden won’t be the candidate by Sept. 10.
For all we know, there may be a surprise at the Democratic convention in August. If they do debate, what will it take to give Biden a cognitive boost to get him through?
JoAnn Lee Frank
Clearwater, Fla.
The Issue: The alleged stabbing of a tourist in Times Square by man with 14 prior arrests.
Suspect Cyril Destin was videoed with a knife allegedly lunging at two women in Times Square — yet he had been arrested 14 times previously (“Kin: A Knife’s Enough,” May 14).
Something is terribly wrong with the justice system in New York. It would seem that are few consequences for criminals these days.
Bonnie Giordano
Florham Park, NJ
Leftist “compassionate” perspectives continue to abnegate the most basic and fundamental purpose of government: to protect and serve law-abiding persons.
We need to put these people in prisons or mental institutions.
Anthony Parks
Garden City
I don’t see how anyone can be surprised about the violent crime, mental-health problems, recidivism and danger in New York. It’s time we finally start electing politicians whose No. 1 priority is citizen safety — and not criminal care.
Steve Mormino
Massapequa
Want to weigh in on today’s stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@nypost.com. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.
Headline-chasing Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg’s vanity project of a trial against former president Donald Trump comes at a high cost for New Yorkers.
The time and expense Bragg has devoted to the flimsy-as-a-cobweb Trump charges are indefensible given how many dangerous crimes go unprosecuted.
Criminals roam the streets with little fear of facing jail time.
Manhattan’s crime clearance rate is an abysmal 29.8%.
In 2023, NYC’s 109,303 prosecuted arrests resulted in an imprisonment rate of less than 7%.
While Trump is going to trial and faces six to eight weeks of “embarrassing evidence,” most New York criminal cases summarily plea bargained.
Out of 18,478 cases, 15,053 were plea bargained.
In 2023 in NYC, 12,151 criminal filings (10,924 indictments and 1,227 SCIs) resulted in 10,722 guilty pleas, a guilty plea rate of 88%.
Such unbridled plea bargaining “severely weakens the integrity of the justice system,” says a new report from the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
On the rare occasions that they are convicted, New York’s dangerous criminals are set free time and again.
Two-thirds of persons released without bail with a recent prior arrest were subsequently rearrested within two years.
Between January and May in 2023, a mere 250 people accounted for 2,500 arrests; 70% of the arrestees were repeat offenders.
As my colleague Hannah E. Myers recently reported, recidivism is at its highest rate since 2017.
Recent news stories highlight this uptick in career criminals on the streets. Dantay Moore, who fatally stabbed a 63-year-old grandmother, had 15 prior convictions, yet was let out on the streets to kill.
This April, Alvin Doris tried to steal money and a cellphone from two kids at the Broadway/Lafayette train station.
He punched the 11-year-old and broke his nose.
Doris has nine prior arrests, including four previous assault charges, but he was free to wander the streets.
On a Monday this past January, Rakeem Washington stole a subway passenger’s cellphone, was arrested, and was released without bail.
On Friday of that same week, he attempted to rob another passenger by threatening him with a boxcutter.
Washington’s criminal history is extensive, with prior arrests for assault robbery, attempted robbery, and aggravated harassment.
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Nicole Gelinas reports that this past February, New York City subways saw “76 serious violent crimes: two murders, one rape, 38 robberies and 35 assaults.”
Over the past 14 months, the city has also seen a 72% rise in stabbings of police officers.
The things that make New York special, its parks, subway performers, and world-renowned police and landmarks are under constant attack.
But Bragg is more interested in being a liberal media darling than in doing his job.
Bragg’s waste of resources in pursuit of Trump undermines the rule of law, erodes confidence in the justice system, and delays justice for real victims.
Throughout the state of New York, courts are notoriously backlogged, with more than 453,000 pending cases.
In NYC, as of February 2024, 50,180 people were awaiting disposition of their cases. Some attribute this glut to a shortage of judges and prosecutors.
But what about a six- to eight-week political show trial?
Victims are tired of waiting for justice.
In 2019, 70,000 violent crimes were reported in New York state, yet only 6,140 victims were awarded compensation.
A medic was involved in a road-rage incident when the driver in front of her left his car, approached her, and smashed her in the face with a carjack, breaking most of the molars on the left side of her face.
Her claims for compensation were denied when the Office of Victim Services said that it couldn’t verify that her assailant had caused her dental injuries.
These are just some of the citizens denied justice, even as a politically motivated and costly trial proceeds.
Bragg is so desperate to “get Trump” that he has abandoned the New Yorkers he was elected to serve.
Tim Rosenberger is a legal fellow at the Manhattan Institute. From City Journal.
A Citi Bike-riding brute viciously beat two Orthodox Jewish boys – ages 11 and 13 – playing on a Brooklyn sidewalk Sunday morning in a disturbing caught-on-video ordeal over the weekend, cops and sources said.
Now the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating whether the attack — which saw the man kicking and stomping on one of the youngsters — was an antisemitic assault, law enforcement sources told The Post.
Several kids were playing in front of a condo building on Franklin Avenue near Myrtle Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant just before 9 a.m. Sunday when a stranger stopped his bike mid-block, between two parked cars – and stormed up to the kids, according to the video, obtained by Williamsburg 365 News.
“Get off the sidewalk,” cops say he snarled at the young crew – who were seen in the video wearing traditional Orthodox Jewish clothing.
The boys, 11 and 13, were knocked to the ground and suffered minor cuts on their heads. Williamsburg365
He shoved one kid to the ground before knocking another to the pavement and kicking and stomping on him, according to the clip.
Both boys, 11 and 13, were “pushed” by the menace, according to the official police narrative.
They suffered minor cuts on the back of their heads.
“Get off the sidewalk,” the attacker allegedly snarled at the kids. Williamsburg365
Police did not mention that the aggressor made any anti-Semitic statements.
It’s unclear whether the boys are related to each other.
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the unprovoked violence, sources said. Williamsburg365
The violent bike-rider could be seen pedaling away before the clip cut off.
A demonic dog inspired him to kill, but now he’s driven by a diary.
Son of Sam serial killer David Berkowitz compared his decades behind bars to Anne Frank’s “inspirational” writings – days before the self-proclaimed “father figure” is set to face the parole board.
“My favorite book is the holy Bible. But the most inspirational book for me throughout my years of incarceration is ‘Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl,’” David Berkowitz told The Post this week.
Son of Sam serial killer David Berkowitz is set to face a parole board again. AP Photo/Mike Groll
“Young Anne wrote her diary while in captivity. She shared her heart within its pages,” the 70-year-old wrote from the maximum-security Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill.
“Little did she know the influence her life and her writings would have in the future,” Berkowitz added about the Jewish teen author, whose dairies detailing life hiding from the Nazis were published around the globe after her death during the Holocaust.
“She impacted the lives of millions,” Berkowitz said. “Little Anne changed the world with a pen. So I ask myself, what can I do with my trusty typewriter? Maybe I can change lives, too, with my message of hope in God?”
Berkowitz told The Post that Anne Frank’s diary has been the biggest inspirational book for him during his incarceration. Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesBerkowitz said Frank’s story of hiding from the Nazis made him ask himself about inspiring people with a “message of hope in God.” AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File
The notorious serial killer — whose reign of terror left six dead, seven wounded and a city paralyzed by fear — spoke with The Post as he’s scheduled to appear before the parole board for the 12th time this week for murders in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
His terrifying spree began on July 29, 1976, when the curly-haired Berkowitz, then 23, emerged from the shadows with a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver on a quiet Bronx street and walked up to a car where 19-year-old Jody Valenti sat with her friend Donna Lauria, 18.
He opened fire, killing Lauria and wounding Valenti.
Berkowitz killed six people and injured seven others from 1976 to 1977. New York Post
Less than three months later, Berkowitz struck again — wounding Carl Denaro, 20, as he sat with a date in his Volkswagen Beetle in Flushing, the gunman apparently having mistaken the long-haired victim for a woman.
Over nine months, the deranged killer attacked several more times, with the press dubbing him “The .44 Caliber Killer.”
Then, on April 17, 1977, he left behind a note after killing couple Alexander Esau, 20, and Valentina Suriani, 18.
“I am a monster. I am the Son of Sam,” bragged Berkowitz.
Berkowitz victim Robert Violante being rushed into a hospital after being shot on July 31, 1977. New York Post
“I love to hunt. Prowling the streets looking for fair game tasty meat,” he said of his prey, who were young women with long, dark hair and couples sitting in cars.
Panic spread through the Big Apple, as women cut their hair and wore wigs while discos were left empty and locals braced for the madman to strike again.
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The killer taunted the authorities in the tabloids as the NYPD launched a massive manhunt.
“Hello from the gutters of NYC, which are filled with dog manure, vomit, stale wine, urine and blood … Sam’s a thirsty lad and he won’t let me stop killing until he gets his fill of blood,” he wrote to Daily News columnist Jimmy Breslin.
Berkowitz called himself the “Son of Sam” in notes and letters to newspapers. New York PostA note written by Berkowitz was found in his car. AP
Police finally cracked the case after Berkowitz was ticketed for parking his car near a fire hydrant on the night of his last murder, leading cops to his Yonkers home.
When Berkowitz emerged from his building on Aug. 10, 1977, cops swooped in.
“I am Sam. David Berkowitz,” he told police.
“What took you so long?”
Berkowitz’s apartment where he was finally arrested in 1977. New York Post
Berkowitz later told psychiatrists the bloodbath was ordered by neighbor Sam Carr’s black Labrador retriever.
In June 1978, he was sentenced to 547 years in prison.
Behind bars, Berkowitz found God.
“Jesus has allowed me to survive and thrive,” he told The Post.
Berkowitz became a Christian in prison. CBS News via AP
For years, he’s worked as a chaplain’s clerk and preaches “forgiveness, redemption, and hope,” while acting as a “father figure” to wayward inmates.
“Yes, I have a life sentence to do, but I choose to do it well. I always try to help and encourage the younger guys,” he said.
“Over the years I’ve become something of a father figure or an older brother to the younger men.”
In 2002, Berkowitz became eligible for parole, with a board deciding his fate every two years since.
Berkowitz was sentenced to 547 years in prison. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey
He’s skipped out on some appointments and knows he has no shot of release, but plans on facing the board this time.
“To not attend a hearing can be viewed as being defiant towards authority, and that’s not me,” Berkowitz said.
“Most of all, I attend in order to openly apologize for my past crimes and to express my remorse,” he added.
“And I also attend so that I may share my faith in God, and how He can forgive, heal and restore even the ‘worst’ of offenders.”
Disturbing footage shows the moment an Amazon warehouse security guard trainee tried to shoot his supervisor in the back of the head before he was gunned down during a firefight with police.
Ali Hamsa Yusuf, 22, was captured on surveillance video shuffling into the Amazon facility in West Jefferson, Ohio, where he waved a pistol around on May 12 around 4:40 p.m., video from XSYX showed.
The deranged worker used his keycard to enter the warehouse — where more than 100 employees were working — and appeared behind his unsuspecting supervisor, who sat at his desk.
Ali Hamsa Yusuf is seen walking into the Amazon facility in West Jefferson, Ohio, with a pistol in his hand. West Jefferson Police
Seconds later, Yusuf pointed the gun directly at the head of his supervisor from about three feet away.
Yusuf’s gun jammed as he pulled the trigger, racking back the pistol and aiming again to fire one more shot toward his boss.
The gunman, however, missed both shots.
“He shot at me twice, but he missed,” the contracted security guard told 911 dispatchers, according to the outlet. “He almost executed me.”
No injuries were reported at the facility.
Yusuf points the gun directly at the head of his supervisor from about three feet away and fires a shot. West Jefferson PoliceThe bullet misses his supervisor and he’s able to run for safety. West Jefferson Police
“It appeared that he had a jam, was checking the top rail of the gun, and then ultimately fired the round. It just missed the victim’s head,” West Jefferson’s Police Chief Brandon Smith said Monday.
When officers arrived at the warehouse, Yusuf was already on the lam.
About 90 minutes later, he was spotted in a white Toyota Camry in Columbus, 20 miles from the Amazon warehouse.
Police spot Yusuf in a white Toyota Camry in Columbus, 20 miles from the Amazon warehouse, about 90 minutes later. Columbus police
Multiple police vehicles from Columbus and Franklin Co. Sheriff’s Office swarmed Yusuf’s Camry at a busy intersection, according to dash cam footage.
Yusuf was fatally shot when he opened fire on police and nearby civilians ran for their lives.
The disturbed trainee was taken to Doctors West Hospital but was pronounced dead soon after arriving.
Police opened fire and fatally wound him during a gunfight. Columbus police
The Columbus police officer shot, identified only as a four-year veteran of the department, suffered minor injuries due to his bulletproof vest absorbing the force of the bullet.
“One of our officers was shot in the chest, and by the grace of God, his body armor saved his life,” a statement released by the department read.
The officer was released from Grant Hospital the same day of the shootout and is “doing okay,” Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant said during the press conference Monday.
The Columbus police officer shot, identified only as a four-year veteran of the department, suffered minor injuries due to his bulletproof vest absorbing the force of the bullet. FOP Capital City Lodge #9
The security guard told dispatchers that he’d been training Yusuf for approximately two weeks before he tried killing him in cold blood.
It remains unclear why Yusuf targeted his supervisor.
Police noted that he was not permitted to carry a gun while working and had no known criminal record.
John “Junior” Gotti’s wife and daughter want their assault case dropped as the pair’s lawyer claimed in court Wednesday that the mob family’s name was used against them following a brawl at a Long Island basketball game earlier this year.
Kimberly, 56, and Gianna Gotti, 24, are each facing a third-degree assault charge, a misdemeanor, after they allegedly got into a fight with another parent inside Locust Valley High School gym on Feb. 8 while the Gotti’s son was playing for visiting team Oyster Bay High School.
The mother-daughter duo are accused of punching and pulling the hair of the victim during the melee, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office has said.
The lawyer of Kimberly, Gianna Gotti, moves for dismissal in the LI assault case as he claims the infamous last name hurt the duo following the fight. News12 Long Island
The alleged victim, Crystal Etienne, identified her attackers from what they were wearing, but in depositions recited in court the two defendants were not named until police slapped handcuffs on them, Newsday reported.
Nassau County District Court Judge David Goodsell asked during a bench conference why the supporting depositions are sufficient because “there is no identification,” the newspaper reported.
The Gottis’ defense lawyer, Gerard Marrone, claimed in court Wednesday his clients’ infamous last name put them at a disadvantage.
“It was pointed out by the athletic director, that was John Gotti, and the victim was saying she was attacked by two females,” he said, per Newsday.
“So, the name Gotti was thrown around. The Gotti girls, the mom and the daughter, were arrested. The victim only identified my clients once they were arrested walking out of the gym in handcuffs.”
Kimberly Gotti with John Gotti Jr. John Gotti/Instagram
Marrone reportedly said he planned on requesting both cases be dismissed. He has until June 4 to file the motion.
The Gottis also rejected a second plea deal on Wednesday that would have led to the case being dropped against Gianna if Kimberly pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, News 12 reported.
The mother and daughter were also offered a plea deal in March that would have required them to only attend anger management classes, but the two turned that down.
Gianna Gotti, daughter of John Gotti Jr. giannagotti/Instagram
Meanwhile, the district attorney’s office told Newsday on Wednesday prosecutors intended to move ahead with the case.
Marrone previously blamed the blowup on the alleged victim, telling The Post back in February the other parent threw the first punch and was badgering Kimberly’s youngest son.
It’s alleged Kimberly and Gianna used a gay slur during the game, but Marrone also denied that.
Gianna Gotti and her mother allegedly got into a fight with another parent inside Locust Valley High School gym on Feb. 8 while the Gotti’s son was playing for visiting team Oyster Bay High School. giannagotti/Instagram
While Marrone pointed to Kimberly and Gianna’s last name during the hearing, Junior Gotti said outside the courtroom he didn’t want to lay blame on his notorious last name for the turmoil.
“I don’t want it to do that. It’s a crutch and I never used it as a crutch before and I won’t use it now,” he said, according to Newsday. “However, pay attention to this case.”
Gotti served a 6-year term in federal prison for racketeering, but evaded further jail time when four other trials ended in mistrials between 2004 and 2009.
Junior Gotti is the son of the late mafia boss “Dapper Don” John Gotti — who took over the Gambino crime family by ordering the mob hit of boss Paul Castellano outside Sparks Steak House in 1985.
A 15-year-old boy was stabbed in the head on a Queens street near his school on Wednesday afternoon amid a wave of violence targeting teens in the Big Apple.
The young victim was attacked by a ski mask-wearing assailant moments after leaving August Martin High School around 2:50 p.m., police and sources said.
The suspect snuck up on the teen and plunged a knife into his head and shoulder near Guy R Brewer Boulevard and 112th Avenue in South Jamaica, cops and the sources said.
EMTs rushed the wounded boy to Cohen Children’s Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.
The teen just left August Martin High School when he was stabbed near Guy R Brewer Boulevard and 112th Avenue in South Jamaica, police and sources said. August Martin High School
It’s unclear what led to the bloodshed and the attacker was in the wind as of Wednesday night, police said.
The stabbing came after a brutal day of knifings across New York City Tuesday when four students were stabbed and slashed in three separate incidents on school grounds.
Last week, two teenagers were killed and at least six others were wounded in a rash of citywide violence.
The wounded teen was in stable condition Wednesday night Google Maps
“There is always talk about too many guns on the street, and there are, but it seems like every teen has a knife,” a Brooklyn detective told The Post about the troubling trend of knifings among teens.
“You think you are getting punched and all of a sudden you are bleeding because someone stabbed you in the chest or back.”
A pervy administrator of a Queens public high school was busted Wednesday for inappropriate contact with a 17-year-old student, cops and law enforcement sources said.
The staffer at John Adams High School – whose name is being withheld pending charges – allegedly rubbed the inner thigh of the female student on Monday, the sources said.
Then on Tuesday, he allegedly showed the same teen a video of himself having sex with someone else while creepily telling her, “This could be you,” according to the sources.
The staffer allegedly rubbed the inner thigh of a female student on Monday, law enforcement sources said. Robert Miller On Tuesday, the creep showed the same teen a video of himself having sex with someone else, the sources said. New York Post
The student reported the adult’s vile actions, and he was taken into custody just after 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Rockaway Boulevard school, cops and sources said.
Charges were pending later Wednesday – but he is expected to face a rap for endangering the welfare of a child, the sources said.
“This alleged behavior is reprehensible, and nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students,” Department of Education spokeswoman Jenna Lyle said in a statement. “This employee has been reassigned pending an investigation.”
A teen robbery crew ambushed more than a dozen victims – most around their own age – during a months-long violent mugging spree in and around the Bronx’s Claremont Park, police said this week.
Three boys, 13, 14 and 17, plus an 18-year-old, Sincere Johnson, have been arrested in connection to the string of callous crimes that began back in January, the NYPD said — adding cops are still hunting for at least two more suspects.
Most of the victims — some of whom were punched or threatened with knives during the muggings — were teenagers, as young as 14, though two were middle aged men, cops said.
The most recent stick-up linked to the vicious crew took place Saturday at around 1 a.m. when four thugs stormed up to a 17-year-old girl walking at College Avenue and East 171st Street, ripped her cellphone out of her hands and threatened they’d shoot her if she didn’t keep walking, according to police.
Four teens — the youngest only 13 — have already been busted in the spree that began in January, police said.
Also this month, the 17-year-old suspect who has since been arrested targeted a boy his own age walking inside the park at around 9:20 a.m. on May 7, cops said. He allegedly snatched the victim’s iPhone 11, valued at $500, while pushing him in the chest, cops said.
Police charged him with robbery, criminal possession of stolen property and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, one for intent to sell.
About 24 hours earlier, also inside the park, two muggers grabbed a 14-year-old boy’s iPhone 13 and air pods from his hoodie pockets before pummeling him in the face, cops said.
Two of the thugs demanded money from a 44-year-old man at College Avenue and East 170th Street around 12:30 a.m. April 30, chased him, grabbed his arm and pressed a sharp object against his ribs — before ripping off his wallet holding $250, plus a $40 MetroCard, police said.
The NYPD this week released surveillance images of the two suspects wanted in connection to that case.
Meanwhile earlier that month, five ski-mask wearing muggers – including the now-busted 13-year-old – surrounded a 58-year-old man sitting on a park bench, put him in a chokehold and put a knife to his throat, cops said.
Cops interrupted the broad-daylight robbery and arrested the young suspect — as the other four took off, the NYPD said.
The boy was charged with two counts of robbery, one as a hate crime, and criminal possession of a weapon for the mugging, which took place April 15 at around 11:30 a.m. The NYPD was unable to provide any more details on what led to the hate crime charge.
The vicious spree dates back to Jan. 11, when five brutes came up to two other boys, 15 and 16, from behind in the park, slugging the older teen and then robbing the pair of their cell phones, air pods and $10 in cash, cops said.
Later that month, on Jan. 24, a 15-year-old boy who was walking into the park from Clay Avenue and East 170th Street, was pushed and then put in a chokehold by a stranger — who grabbed his iPhone 14 Plus and Apple Watch from his pockets before demanding at knifepoint that he log out of his phone, police said.
On Feb. 6, one culprit put a 16-year-old boy in a chokehold and placed a knife against his throat while another grabbed his phone at Clay Avenue and East 170th Street inside the park, cops said.
The NYPD released photos of the suspects wanted for violently robbing a 44-year-old man at College Avenue and East 170th Street April 30. dcpi
There were several robberies tied to the crew in March, including one on the morning of March 4, when a mugger demanded a 16-year-old boy’s cellphone — and threatened to shoot him if he didn’t cough it up — before running off toward the park’s basketball courts with the $1,100 device, police said.
In a broad-daylight March 11 heist, two suspects threatened to stab a 14-year-old boy before taking off with his backpack – holding his wallet, $50, a debit card, and Jordan sneakers valued at $200, cops said.
Then on the evening of March 17, three Citi Bike-riding crooks threw a 15-year-old boy to the ground in a tunnel in the park and mugged as if they had a gun before making off with the victim’s $1,200 iPhone 14, plus a purple North Face jacket worth $200, authorities said.
A 14-year-old boy was nabbed in connection to that case and slapped with a second-degree robbery charge, cops said.
Johnson was also busted in this case and charged with first-degree robbery and criminal possession of a loaded firearm, police said.
Two other suspects threatened a 15-year-old boy with knives inside the park just before 3 p.m. March 26 and snarled, “Run your pockets” — before a third mugger slugged the victim in the face, cops said.
The crew ripped off the boy’s $800 iPhone 13, as well as his $120 air pods, police said.
A crew of five is also suspected of robbing a 17-year-old boy at gunpoint as he sat on a bench inside the greenspace at Teller Avenue and East 172nd Street around 12:45 a.m. March 31, cops said.
Three of the menaces allegedly slapped the teen in the face before they ripped $100 out of his hand, police said.
Anyone with information on the series of violent crimes is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Subway musicians say they have something to “fret” about.
Buskers said Wednesday they are sometimes frightened to perform because there’s so much violent crime underground — even as they vied for plum performance spots at MTA-held auditions.
“If you’re doing anything like this, you have to look over your shoulder all the time,” said Joshua Oxyer, 26, who had just crooned a Justin Timberlake song. “We’re targets all the time.”
Alan Zavodsky, who plays drums for the New Orleans-inspired dance band New Thousand, said he’s had to dodge unhinged people.
“There are so many things happening from certain people who aren’t mentally well who are interacting with us,” he said. “We’ve had situations where somebody was really drunk or aggressive and started knocking over our stuff, and he got dealt with.”
Dozens of musicians — ranging from reggae singers to DJs and accordion players — competed Wednesday for placement in the MTA’s “Under New York” music program.
Subway musicians are unnerved by recent violent crime underground. James Messerschmidt
During the annual auditions, officials pick about 25 top-tier artists to play scheduled slots at the city’s most popular subway stations, including Times Square and 34th Street.
But fear over subway attacks has reached a fever pitch in recent months after a slew of violent incidents, including a deadly shooting on a crowded train car in Brooklyn in March.
Overall, crime in the subway has become significantly more violent since the pandemic with the number of felony assaults soaring, according to recent NYPD stats. The number of attacks on trains that left straphangers injured jumped from 373 felony assaults in 2019 to 570 in 2023, an increase of 53%.
Despite safety risks, many musicians at the event said it was worth playing train-side tunes because it affords them money and exposure.
Iain Forrest was attacked while playing his electric cello earlier this year. Aristide Economopoulos for NY Post
“There’s been 100 times as many joyous moments as scary and intimidating moments. The scary and tenuous ones are scary, though. They suck,” said Adrian Jusdanis, who plays violin for the New Thousand. “I think people who are playing alone are more at risk. Women, people of color are more at risk.”
In March, Gov. Kathy Hochul deployed hundreds of National Guard troops into the subway system to help police patrol stations and check commuters’ bags as part of a wider crime-fighting plan. Hundreds of extra cops were also dispatched into the system following a spate of violent attacks.
Jazz band The Outside In auditioned for the MTA’s Music Under New York Program. James Messerschmidt
Following the move, subway crime was down 18. 2% last month, compared to the same time period last year.
On Wednesday morning — just a few hours before the MTA auditions began — a 34-year-old man was stabbed in the neck and lower back at a Lower East Side subway station.
On Saturday, a 30-year-old Bronx man was arrested for attempted murder for allegedly opening fire in a Harlem subway station. In late April, a former federal prosecutor was punched in the face by a crazed man while riding No. 2 train on the Upper East Side.
In February, subway cellist Iain Forrest, 29, said he planned to stop performing after he was struck in the back of the head with a metal water bottle — the second attack he’d suffered in the underground in a year.
The MTA said its Music Under New York program presents musical performances in the transit system to entertain commuters and give musicians a new platform.
The 25 chosen artists are allowed to schedule their performances at the transit hotspots and are given a banner designating them as a special MTA performer.
The agency didn’t immediately respond to The Post’s inquiry about performers’ safety concerns.
After a jury was chosen in the federal bribery trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, opening statements were poised to begin Wednesday afternoon as prosecutors seek to convince a jury that the longtime powerful Democrat was willing to sell his influence to benefit three businessmen in return for cash, gold bars and a luxury car.
The three-term New Jersey senator has insisted since his fall arrest that he is not guilty of charges that he used his influence to aid three New Jersey businessmen, including by providing favors to the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Prosecutors say the men showered Menendez and his wife with gifts to ensure Menendez would help them.
Judge Sidney Stein gave a jury that had been chosen by early afternoon initial instructions on the law before a lunch break. The 12 jurors and six alternates were chosen over three days.
Stein said the first witness would take the stand Wednesday if there is time, and that it will take a couple of weeks for the government to present all of their witnesses. During jury selection on Tuesday, Stein listed off dozens of potential witnesses in the case, including former and current lawmakers and U.S. officials.
The judge ruled that a psychiatrist who evaluated Menendez will not be allowed to testify at his corruption trial about “two significant traumatic events” in his life that his lawyers say explain the hundreds of thousands in cash investigators found in his home. He will allow an accountant to testify about the senator’s cash flow.
Menendez, 70, is on trial in Manhattan federal court with two of the businessmen. A third has pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the other defendants. Menendez’s wife is scheduled to be tried in July due to health issues.
What’s to come in Senator Menendez’s bribery trial
07:15
For the senator, the trial represents the second time he has been criminally charged in a federal court in the last decade.
In 2017, a federal jury deadlocked on corruption charges brought in New Jersey, and prosecutors did not seek to retry him. Those charges were unrelated to the current prosecution of Menendez, who held the powerful post of chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before he was forced from the job after the new charges were revealed last fall.
Since the initial indictment in September, prosecutors have expanded on the charges and allegations in three superseding indictments, bringing the total number of felony charges against Menendez to 16.
Menendez is on trial with Fred Daibes, a New Jersey real estate developer, and businessman Wael Hana. They have pleaded not guilty.
An indictment alleges Daibes delivered gold bars and cash to Menendez and his wife to get the senator to help him secure a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund by acting in ways favorable to Qatar’s government.
The indictment also said Menendez did things benefitting Egyptian officials in exchange for bribes from Hana as the businessman secured a lucrative deal with the Egyptian government to certify that imported meat met Islamic dietary requirements.
Menendez has said he will not be seeking reelection on the Democratic ticket this fall, although he has not ruled out running as an independent.
Incredibly, six of the illegal migrants charged in that vicious Times Square attack on NYPD officers have now been offered plea deals. The message: Progressives just don’t care about lawlessness.
That’s right: Illegally enter the country, illegally flee from the border to Gotham, openly assault cops and you’ll get no more than a slap on the wrist.
And you’ll likely get to stay in America, since New York City refuses to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on handing over illegals who commit crimes.
Yohenry Brito, Darwin Gomez, Wilson Juarez in Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024 for a hearing after allegedly attacking a police officer in Times Square in January. Steven Hirsch
Three of the migrants face a year — a year! — in prison for their literal assault on law and order.
One, Yohenry Brito, turns out to have been rearrested after a lefty priest bailed him out when he was initially nabbed;Brito then was let walk on the second crime, a Macy’s shoplift attempt.
Two of the vile crew face only six months in prison, despite allegedly being members of Venezuela’s feared Tren de Aragua gang.
Worst of all, this is the system working as progs intend.
Remember, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg dragged his feet on going after the migrant cop-beaters until after they’d left town — moving only when an outraged public began to make noise.
His philosophy means that violent crooks get infinite free chances, even when they attack cops, and the deck is now so stacked against actual prosecutions that when a few do face any consequences, they’re meaningless consequences.
That the attack was against police officers only amplifies the horror.
New York’s prosecutorial system is signaling that it’s open season on cops.
And the picture is just as grim nationally as well.
The open-borders freaks driving federal immigration policy (or lack thereof) are ideological comrades of the moral morons behind New York’s criminal justice “reforms.”
Witness the woke El Paso judge who let a migrant mob that bum-rushed border fences and guardsoff the hook.
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That’s why fiscal 2024 encounters are likely on pace to shatter the already-record 2023 numbers.
And why the chaos is set to continue, with the full blessing of the president and his party.
If this is protecting and defending against all enemies foreign and domestic, we’d hate to see what giving up looks like.
A Utah woman who authorities say fatally poisoned her husband, then published a children’s book about coping with grief, will appear in court Wednesday for a hearing that will determine whether state prosecutors have enough evidence against her to proceed with a trial.
Kouri Richins, 33, faces several felony charges for allegedly killing her husband with a lethal dose of fentanyl in March 2022 at their home in a small mountain town near Park City.
Prosecutors say she slipped five times the lethal dose of the synthetic opioid into a Moscow mule cocktail that Eric Richins, 39, drank.
Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three who authorities say fatally poisoned her husband, Eric Richins, in March 2022, then wrote a children’s book about grieving, looks on during a hearing, on Nov. 3, 2023, in Park City, Utah. AP
She previously tried to kill him with a spiked sandwich on Valentine’s Day, charging documents allege.
In the months leading up to her arrest in May 2023, the mother of three self-published the children’s book “Are You with Me?” about a father with angel wings watching over his young son after passing away.
The book could play a key role for prosecutors in framing the crime as a calculated murder with an elaborate cover-up attempt.
Both the defense and prosecution plan to call on witnesses and introduce evidence to help shape their narratives in the case.
Utah state Judge Richard Mrazik is expected to decide after the hearing whether the state has presented sufficient evidence to go forward with a trial.
Prosecutors say she slipped five times the lethal dose of the synthetic opioid into a Moscow mule cocktail that Eric Richins, 39, drank. Kouri Richins/FacebookIn the months leading up to her arrest in May 2023, the mother of three self-published the children’s book “Are You with Me?” about a father with angel wings watching over his young son after passing away. Amazon
Witnesses could include other family members, a housekeeper who claims to have sold Kouri Richins the drugs and friends of Eric Richins who have recounted phone conversations from the day prosecutors say he was first poisoned by his wife of nine years.
Defense attorney Skye Lazaro has argued that the evidence against her client is dubious and circumstantial.
Lazaro has suggested the housekeeper had motivation to lie as she sought leniency in the face of drug charges, and that Eric Richins’ sisters had a clear bias against her client amid a battle over his estate and a concurrent assault case.
She previously tried to kill him with a spiked sandwich on Valentine’s Day, charging documents allege. Facebook / Kouri Richins
A petition filed by his sister, Katie Richins, alleges Kouri Richins had financial motives for killing her husband as prosecutors say she had opened life insurance policies totaling nearly $2 million without his knowledge and mistakenly believed she would inherit his estate under terms of their prenuptial agreement.
Kouri Richins was found guilty on misdemeanor charges Monday of assaulting her other sister-in-law shortly after her husband’s death.
Amy Richins told the judge that Kouri Richins had punched her in the face during an argument over access to her brother’s safe.
In addition to aggravated murder, assault and drug charges, Kouri Richins has been charged with mortgage fraud, forgery and insurance fraud for allegedly forging loan applications and fraudulently claiming insurance benefits after her husband’s death.
A Florida man, who aspired to become a police officer, admitted to sexually abusing his cousin during a police department job interview and now faces life in prison.
Stephen Bodley, 26, was convicted by an Orange County jury last week of sexual battery on a child, the office of State Attorney Andrew Bain said in a news release.
Bodley first mentioned “playing sexual games” in a sworn officer application with the Apopka Police Department.
He again mentioned the crime during an interview.
“The certified voice stress analysis examiner performed a voice stress examination on Bodley,” Bain said.
“During the examination, the examiner asked Bodley to expand on concerning answers he provided in a pre-test questionnaire.”
Bodley described sexually abusing a child years ago and admitted to it when he was asked to expand further.
Detectives tracked down the victim’s mother, who said Bodley and the victim had a close relationship, The Tampa Bay Times reported, citing an affidavit.
Fox News Digital has reached out to prosecutors.
The victim, a female, told the Florida Department of Children and Families about the abuse, saying it took place over several years, from when Bodley was around 14 to when he was about 19, the newspaper reported.
A Florida man, who aspired to become a police officer, admitted to sexually abusing his cousin during a police department job interview and now faces life in prison. Stephen Bodley, 26, was convicted by an Orange County jury last week of sexual battery on a child, the office of State Attorney Andrew Bain said in a news release. Orange County Sheriffs Office
Bodley’s lawyer asked that his confession not be presented during trial, but a judge denied the request.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24.
The conviction carries a sentence of up to life in prison.
Five of the migrants charged with viciously attacking two NYPD officers in Times Square in January were offered plea deals Tuesday as a Manhattan judge revealed one of the accused cop beaters was arrested again while out on bail.
Yohenry Brito, 24 — the only defendant in the case to be remanded after his initial arrest — was nabbed for petit larceny after an activist Brooklyn priest posted his $15,000 cash bail in February, Judge Laura Wood said in Manhattan Criminal Court Tuesday.
“I am furious that Mr. Brito was rearrested and charged with petty larceny while he was out on this case,” Wood fumed as she warned another slip-up would land him behind bars.
“I am very tempted right now to put you in jail. I am telling you right now, if I learn you are rearrested for anything at all between now and this case being finished, I will order a warrant and I will place bail so high you will not get out,” she continued.
“If you jaywalk, if you jump a turnstile, if you do anything at all and I have to issue a warrant, you will not see the light of day until this case is over,” Wood declared.
Yohenry Brito, 24, was rearrested after he made bail, a judge confirmed Tuesday. Steven HirschShocking video captured the moment a migrant mob pounded a pair of cops near Times Square. DCPI
She asked if Brito understood, to which he replied “yes” after the comments were translated to him through an interpreter.
News of Brito’s re-arrest came as he, Ulises Bohorquez, 21, and Andres Gomez-Izquiel,19, were offered plea deals by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Under the proposed deal, the trio would serve a year in jail in exchange for pleading guilty to second-degree assault.
Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel was among the five defendants offered a plea deal this week. Steven Hirsch for NY PostEdgarlis Vegas has not been offered a plea deal from the DA’s office. Steven Hirsch
Two other migrants charged in the cop attack, Kelvin Servita Arocha, 19, and Wilson Juarez, 21, have been offered a separate deal to serve six months in prison for pleading guilty to obstructing a government administration.
The DA’s office has not yet made an offer to Edgarlis Vegas and Yorman Reveron.
The defendants’ attorneys have not yet accepted the plea deals.
Wood ordered they return to court on June 18 where a trial date will be set if no agreement is reached.
The seven migrants were indicted following the shocking caught-on-camera beatdown of the two officers when they tried to break up a rowdy crowd at the Crossroads of the World on Jan. 27.
Video showed the mob kicking the cops in the head and body before running away.
Juarez and Servita-Arocha are alleged members of the notorious Venezuelan street gang “Tren de Aragua,” federal immigration officials told The Post.
LOS ANGELES — The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pleaded not guilty Tuesday to bank and tax fraud, a formality ahead of a plea deal he’s negotiated with federal prosecutors in a wide-ranging sports betting case.
Prosecutors say Ippei Mizuhara stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off sports gambling debts during a yearslong scheme, at times impersonating Ohtani to bankers, and exploited his personal and professional relationship with the two-way player.
Mizuhara signed a plea agreement that detailed the allegations on May 5, and prosecutors announced it several days later.
Ippei Mizuhara, center, the former longtime interpreter for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball star Shohei Ohtani, leaves federal court following his arraignment, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Los Angeles. AP
During his arraignment Tuesday in federal court in Los Angeles, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jean P. Rosenbluth asked Mizuhara to enter a plea to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return.
The expected not-guilty plea was a procedural step as the case moves forward, even though he has already agreed to the plea deal.
Defense attorney Michael G. Freedman said Mizuhara planned to plead guilty in the future.
In the hallway before the hearing, Freedman said they would not comment Tuesday.
Ippei Mizuhara departs federal court after his arraignment in Los Angeles, California, on May 14, 2024. Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Mizuhara, has agreed to plead guilty over charges of illegally transferring nearly $17 million from the baseball star’s bank account in order to pay off gambling debts. AFP via Getty Images
Members of the media were not allowed inside the main courtroom and instead were seated in an audio-only overflow room. The Associated Press and other outlets filed a complaint with the court clerk and chief district judge.
Mizuhara only spoke to answer the judge’s questions, with responses like “yes, ma’am” when asked whether he understood the proceedings.
There was no evidence Ohtani was involved in or aware of Mizuhara’s gambling, and the player is cooperating with investigators, authorities said.
What to know about Shohei Ohtani’s accusations against his former interpreter
Lawyers representing Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani have accused his now-former interpreter and longtime friend Ippei Mizuhara of “massive theft” in a $4.5 million bombshell.
Mizuhara, who followed the two-time AL MVP from the Angels after he signed a 10-year, $700 million deal this offseason, reportedly accrued massive gambling debts he needed to pay off.
Mizuhara first told ESPN Ohtani offered to pay off the debt and later changed his story, insisting the Japanese star was unaware of the eight-nine wire transfers made from his accounts to an alleged illegal bookmaker.
Ohtani’s camp has “disavowed” Mizuhara’s initial story, per ESPN.
He was fired shortly after the Dodgers’ season opener against the Padres in Seoul, South Korea, and Ohtani has yet to publicly address the situation, though his camp is pushing for a law enforcement investigation amid an IRS probe.
“I never bet on baseball,” Mizuhara told ESPN. “That’s 100%. I knew that rule. … We have a meeting about that in spring training.”
All sides claim Ohtani has no involvement in any gambling.
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Mizuhara’s plea agreement says he will be required to pay Ohtani restitution that could total nearly $17 million, as well as more than $1 million to the IRS.
Those amounts could change prior to sentencing.
The bank fraud charge carries a maximum of 30 years in federal prison, and the false tax return charge carries a sentence of up to three years in federal prison.
Ippei Mizuhara allegedly stole millions of Shohei Ohtani’s money. Getty Images
Mizuhara’s winning bets totaled over $142 million, which he deposited in his own bank account and not Ohtani’s. But his losing bets were around $183 million, a net loss of nearly $41 million.
He did not wager on baseball.
He is free on an unsecured $25,000 bond, colloquially known as a signature bond, meaning he did not have to put up any cash or collateral to be freed. If he violates the bond conditions — which include a requirement to undergo gambling addiction treatment — he will be on the hook for $25,000.
Ippei Mizuhara, the former longtime interpreter for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball star Shohei Ohtani, leaves federal court following his arraignment, Tuesday, May 14, 2024 in Los Angeles. AP
The judge set a status conference for June 14.
The Los Angeles Times and ESPN broke the news of the prosecution in late March, prompting the Dodgers to fire the interpreter and the MLB to open its own investigation.
MLB rules prohibit players and team employees from wagering on baseball, even legally.
MLB also bans betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.
Ohtani has sought to focus on the field as the case winds through the courts.
Hours after his ex-interpreter first appeared in court in April, he hit his 175th home run in MLB — tying Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japan-born player — during the Dodgers’ 8-7 loss to the San Diego Padres in 11 innings.