Paradise News

Tag: Americas

  • Watchdog group demands answers to US Army training labeling pro-life groups ‘terrorists’

    From Christian Post:

    A watchdog group is demanding answers following a U.S. Army training that labeled pro-life organizations as “terrorist groups,” citing people who counsel women outside abortion facilities or display Choose Life license plates on their cars as potential threats.

    Judicial Watch, a conservative foundation that seeks accountability in government, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense in the District Court for the District of Columbia last week. The foundation says it filed the lawsuit after failing to receive a response to an Aug. 13 request.

    The suit is in response to a briefing titled “Terrorist Groups” at Fort Liberty in North Carolina that went viral earlier this year. One of the slides in the presentation cited the pro-life groups National Right to Life and Operation Rescue as examples of terrorist groups. In addition to sidewalk counseling or supporting pregnancy resource centers through Choose Life license plates, the slides also cited opposition to Roe v. Wade as a potential terrorist trait.

    Read more here…

    Source

  • Oregon man convicted of kidnapping 2 women, holding 1 hostage in cinder block 'dungeon'

    KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (TCN) — A 30-year-old man has been convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two women, as well as locking one of the victims in a makeshift “dungeon.”

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced Oct. 18 that a federal jury found Negasi Zuberi, who also goes by Justin Joshua Hyche, guilty of kidnapping, transporting a victim for criminal sexual activity, and illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Zuberi could face up to life in federal prison for the kidnapping conviction alone.

    According to a news release from the FBI posted by the Klamath Falls Police Department, on July 15, 2023, detectives responded to Sky Lakes Medical Center to speak with a rape victim who worked as a prostitute in Seattle. She reportedly told officials she met a client, Zuberi, and he posed as a police officer. Zuberi allegedly told her she was under arrest and placed her into handcuffs and leg irons. Prosecutors said he used a Taser before detaining the victim and driving her from Seattle to his home in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Along the way, Zuberi reportedly stopped to sexually assault her.

    Once at his home, Zuberi reportedly brought the victim to a small soundproof room in his garage that he had built. Authorities said the room was difficult to escape and had a security screen and exterior door. According to federal prosecutors, the victim “repeatedly banged on the cell door until it broke open, and she escaped.” She obtained a handgun from Zuberi’s car, yelled for help, and a motorist called law enforcement.

    The following day, Reno Police and Nevada State Patrol officers found Zuberi at a Reno parking lot and took him into custody after a brief standoff.

    During the investigation, federal investigators learned Zuberi had kidnapped and sexually assaulted another victim on May 6, 2023. The first victim reportedly saw the stacked cinder blocks in Zuberi’s garage while she was being held. Zuberi later used those blocks to build the cell where he kept the second victim.

    MORE:

    • Jury Convicts Klamath Falls Man Who Kidnapped and Sexually Assaulted Two Women and Held One in Cell – U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon
    • Woman escapes after being kidnapped, sexually assaulted, chained, and locked in cinder block ‘dungeon,’ 8/2/2023 – TCN
    • FBI Portland Seeking Additional Victims After Woman Escaped “Dungeon” in Klamath Falls, OR, 8/2/2023 – FBI Portland via Klamath Falls Police Department

    Source

  • Judicial Watch: Media ‘prepping the battlefield’ for election fraud

    From Washington Examiner:

    “We won’t know who won for days? Well, that’s not normal, that’s not right, and it invites fraud and undermines voter confidence,” said Fitton, the author of the newly released book Rights and Freedoms in Peril, published by Threshold Editions.

    During an interview about his book that Secrets will post later this week, Fitton said his group has been battling for a return to a normal Election Day, but it clearly is not going to happen this year, like it didn’t in 2020.

    As in 2020, when states challenged their constitutions to allow for special voting conditions due to COVID-19, Fitton said some states have changed the rules to allow for days of counting, which many voters are already questioning, especially those who believe that former President Donald Trump will be the victim.

    “It’s one thing to be counting ballots at 3 in the morning. It’s another thing to make a conscious effort to delay the resolution of the election for days past Election Day. I think it’s contrary to federal law,” said Fitton, who has headed the watchdog for 26 years.
    Read more here…

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  • N.D. woman sentenced for poisoning boyfriend’s iced tea with antifreeze over large inheritance

    MINOT, N.D. (TCN) — A 47-year-old woman was ordered to spend over two decades in prison for poisoning her boyfriend’s iced tea with antifreeze because she believed he was going to inherit $30 million in what investigators suspect was a scam.

    Ward County court records show a judge sentenced Ina Kenoyer to 25 years in prison and 10 years of probation on Oct. 16 after she pleaded guilty to the murder of her boyfriend in May. Kenoyer also gets 353 days of credit for time served.

    According to court documents cited by KXMB-TV, Kenoyer and her boyfriend, Steven Riley Jr., had been in a relationship for about 10 years. Riley reportedly received information that he was going to inherit tens of millions of dollars, and once he did that, he planned to break up with Kenoyer. On Sept. 3, 2023, Riley and some friends went to an airport to speak with the attorney who reached out to him about the money and sign the paperwork. However, Riley reportedly began feeling sick and couldn’t walk. Kenoyer reportedly told the friends he had heatstroke and needed to relax.

    Riley became sicker, and on Sept. 5, 2023, one of his friends went to Kenoyer’s house to check in on Riley. She allegedly claimed he went to get medical attention, but the friend checked all health centers in the area and could not locate him. The same day, EMS responded to Kenoyer and Riley’s home after getting a call about an unresponsive male. He was airlifted to a hospital and died that day.

    The coroner reportedly detected fatal amounts of ingredients in antifreeze in Riley’s blood. KXMB reports Riley’s friends told detectives that Kenoyer spoke in the past about poisoning her longtime boyfriend.

    Minot Police Department detectives arrested Kenoyer on Oct. 30, 2023. Police said Riley’s cause of death was ethylene glycol poisoning and that Kenoyer “had financial motives to murder Riley.”

    According to the Minot Daily News, Detectives searched Kenoyer’s home and reportedly discovered antifreeze in a Windex bottle. She said she poisoned his sweet tea the day he planned to go to the airport and that the tea flavor masked the taste of the antifreeze. She reportedly told police she was going to share the money with Riley’s son. Police do not think there was ever an actual inheritance.

    Kenoyer saw herself as Riley’s common-law wife because they had been in a relationship for so many years, but North Dakota does not recognize common-law marriages.

    KXMB reports Riley’s sister, Stephanie Gonzalez, gave a victim impact statement at Kenoyer’s sentencing hearing and called her “an exact reflection of the home that you kept and lived in: vile, filthy, disgusting, embarrassing, gross, full of feces, and pure trash.”

    Gonzalez said, “As so many other families of victims often feel, the punishment should fit the crime. But lucky for you, the Department of Corrections doesn’t serve antifreeze in your iced tea.”

    MORE:

    • State of North Dakota vs. Ina Thea Kenoyer
    • Minot woman who fatally poisoned boyfriend for fake $30M inheritance sentenced – KXMB
    • Kenoyer gets 25 years for poisoning death – Minot Daily News
    • Minot woman changes plea to guilty for fatally poisoning boyfriend over scam $30M inheritance, 5/29/2024 – KXMB
    • N.D. woman pleads guilty to fatally poisoning boyfriend with antifreeze to collect large inheritance, 6/3/2024 – TCN

    Source

  • Calif. man convicted of torturing, killing girlfriend who had 'degrading words' newly tattooed on chest

    THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (TCN) — A 24-year-old man has been convicted of torturing and killing his girlfriend, as well as confining his ex-girlfriend to a closet.

    The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced Oct. 15 that a jury found Saul Nava guilty of nine felony counts, including the first-degree murder and torture of his girlfriend, Alisen Takacs-Escobar. He was also convicted of kidnapping and torturing a previous girlfriend, who survived.

    On Dec. 24, 2021, Nava reportedly called 911 after he had beaten and tortured Takacs-Escobar in their apartment. Deputies responded and found Takacs-Escobar deceased with apparent injuries all over her body. Prosecutors said she sustained severe bruising, a large laceration to the top of her head, and “degrading words were newly tattooed on the center of her chest.” Officials apprehended Nava at the scene.

    According to the district attorney’s office, during a search of the apartment, deputies found tattoo equipment, baseball bats, a hammer, and a screwdriver that were all used on the victim. Investigators reportedly found Nava’s cellphone at the scene and saw that he had recorded videos hours before the victim’s death showing “Nava taunting her and displaying no concern for her worsening condition.”

    During the investigation, prosecutors said officials learned about an ex-girlfriend who had survived Nava’s abuse. The other victim reportedly met Nava when they were both teenagers, and “their relationship escalated quickly.” According to prosecutors, “Nava brought her into his home, confined her to a closet, and beat her.”

    Nava allegedly threatened her with a knife when she tried to escape. At 17 years old, the other female victim reportedly got pregnant, and Nava “punched her in the stomach and convinced her to get an abortion.”

    The district attorney’s office said Nava punched the second female victim in the face, choked her, and also secretly filmed them having sex. Nava began dating Takacs-Escobar in the summer of 2021, and the abuse against the second female victim stopped.

    Senior Deputy District Attorney David Russell said, “Although this result cannot erase the immeasurable pain the defendant inflicted on the victims and their families, we hope that this brings some measure of closure to see him held accountable for his horrific crimes.”

    MORE:

    • Thousand Oaks Man Convicted of 2021 Christmas Murder – Ventura County District Attorney’s Office

    Source

  • A house of lies: Erik and Lyle Menendez’s relatives call for their release

    With more attention on the murders of Kitty and Jose Menendez, family members of Lyle and Erik Menendez are calling on law enforcement officials to reconsider their sentences.

    Source

  • Roommate's arrest breaks 15-year-old cold case wide open

    Anita Knutson was found stabbed to death in her apartment in 2007. The case went cold for 15 years until detectives arrested her roommate in March 2022. “True Crime News” looks back at Knutson’s life and the investigation.

    Source

  • Woman found dead a day after officials identified her deceased newborn found abandoned on freeway in 1993

    GULFPORT, Miss. (TCN) — A woman died by suicide one day after law enforcement announced they were able to positively identify the remains of a newborn who was found abandoned and deceased on the side of the freeway in 1993.

    According to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, a driver discovered a baby on Interstate Highway 10 on Dec. 21, 1993. The child was deceased, and an autopsy showed the girl died from blood loss and exposure, with her manner of death listed as homicide. A local funeral home buried the child, who officials named Mary Josephine.

    Because investigators could not identify her or locate her mother, Mary Josephine’s case went cold.

    Last year, on Dec. 7, 2023, the Harrison County Criminal Investigations Division exhumed Mary Josephine’s body and sent her remains to Othram Inc.’s labs. Scientists at Othram used advanced genetic genealogy testing to help find new leads in the case. The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office received the results on Oct. 10, which listed Mary Josephine’s potential relatives — including the suspected mother. Detectives obtained a warrant for a DNA test on that woman.

    On Oct. 11, Harrison County detectives went to the woman’s residence to speak with her and found her deceased. The sheriff’s office said she left a note “in which the woman claimed to be the mother of Mary Josephine.”

    Her death was ruled a suicide.

    The sheriff’s office did not share Mary Josephine’s birth name, nor did they identify her mother.

    MORE:

    • Cold Case Update – Harrison County Sheriff’s Office
    • Mississippi Office of the State Medical Examiner and Harrison County Sheriff’s Office Team with Othram to Identify 1993 Baby Doe – Othram Inc.

    Source

  • ANOTHER Secret Service Fail!

    Army Documents Designate Pro-Life Organizations as ‘Terrorists’—Judicial Watch Sues for Answers
    Judicial Watch Sues Key Election Office In Arizona
    Judicial Watch Sues for Secret Service Records on Security Breach At Trump Event – Agent Reportedly Left Post to Breastfeed

     

    Army Documents Designate Pro-Life Organizations as ‘Terrorists’—Judicial Watch Sues for Answers

    It’s an unfortunate reality that the radical leftist Biden-Harris administration is trying to set our military against conservative American citizens. Judicial Watch has had to sue after being denied basic records about the Army’s targeting of pro-life Christians and that makes the scandal even worse.

    We filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense for details of U.S. Army training materials that designate pro-life organizations or individuals as “terrorists” (Judicial Watch Inc. v U.S. Department of Defense (No 1:24-cv-02895).

    Judicial Watch filed suit here in DC after the Department of the Army failed to respond to an August 13, 2024, FOIA request for:

    • All documents related to the designation of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) or any other pro-life organizations or individuals as “terrorists” in anti-terrorism training materials used by Fort Liberty as discussed in media reports, such as
    • All emails of Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo, Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, and/or Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus regarding the designation of pro-life groups or individuals as “terrorists.”

    We made a subsequent FOIA request to Special Command Operations, U.S. Army Reserve, Fort Liberty, NC, a component of the Army, for:

    • Records related to the designation of the National Right to Life Committee or any other pro-life organization as “terrorists” in anti-terrorism training materials used by Fort Liberty.
    • All emails of Garrison Commander Col. John Wilcox regarding the designation of pro-life groups as “terrorists” in Army training material.

    A photo which circulated  on social media shows one slide from a presentation used to train soldiers. The slide, titled “Terrorist Groups,” lists several groups, including National Right to Life and Operation Rescue, and “opponents of Roe v. Wade.” The Army responded to the news report, saying the material had not been vetted correctly.

    In my new book Rights and Freedoms in Peril, I detail a long chain of abuses officials and politicians have made against the American people and calls readers to battle for “the soul and survival of America.” The book details how the progressive movement threatens America’s most venerable institutions, undermining the core principles that make this country a beacon of hope to the world.

    Earlier this month we sued the U.S. Department of Defense for records regarding the U.S. Air Force Academy’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plans.

    In June 2024, we sued the Defense Department for records regarding deletion of the words “Duty, Honor, Country” from the United States Military Academy at West Point’s mission statement.

    In March 2023, records we obtained from the Department of Defense showed the Air Force Academy has made race and gender instruction a top priority in the training of cadets.

    In July 2023, we exposed records from the United States Air Force Academy, a component of the United States Department of Defense, which included instructional materials and emails that address topics such as Critical Race Theory, “white privilege,” and Black Lives Matter.

    In July 2022, we sued the Department of Defense for  records related to the United States Naval Academy (USNA) implementing Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the training of naval recruits.

    In June, we received records revealing Critical Race Theory instruction at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point One training slide contains a graphic titled “MODERN-DAY SLAVERY IN THE USA.” [Emphasis in original].

    (Be sure to pick up my new Judicial Watch book at your favorite retailers here: JudicialWatchBook.com.)

     

    Judicial Watch Sues Key Election Office In Arizona

    Judicial Watch just filed an Arizona Public Records Law lawsuit against the Maricopa County Recorder–run by Stephen Richer—for any records about the use of office staff to pursue Mr. Richer’s personal interests, including his personal defamation lawsuit against Kari Lake – Senate candidate and 2022 gubernatorial candidate (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Stephen Richer, in his official capacity as Maricopa County Recorder (No. CV-2024-028791)). (The recorder’s office helps conduct and supervise elections.)

    The suit was filed in the Superior Court for the State of Arizona after Richer failed to respond to a March 25, 2024, open records law request for:

    • Any documents directing the utilization of Maricopa County Recorder Office (MCRO) staff to search for information concerning the personal defamation lawsuit involving Kari Lake.
    • Any information submitted to the Court(s) in official litigation proceedings regarding the personal defamation lawsuit.
    • Any time sheets, invoices, or receipts, indicating MCRO expenses related to obtaining information in the lawsuit.
    • Any documents addressing 1st Amendment rights including articles, op-eds, and/or speeches, generated by Mr. Richer and/or MCRO staff.
    • Any MCRO policies, addressing:
      • Conflict of interest
      • Using County/Office resources for personal use
    • Any documents indicating current MCRO employees from former Senator McSally’s office.

    In November 2022, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake questioned the results of Maricopa County’s electoral procedure. Lake criticized both Richer and her opponent, Democrat Katie Hobbs, who was the incumbent secretary of state in charge of overseeing election operations. In June 2023, Richer filed a defamation lawsuit.

    On March 23, 2024, an article from AZ Free News reported, “Public records revealed that Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer tasked staff with compiling articles and online content pertaining to his personal defamation lawsuit against Kari Lake – Senate candidate and 2022 gubernatorial candidate – as well as topics of personal political interest.”

    Richer recently made the news again for aligning with the left-leaning States United Democracy Center to target election speech.

    It is curious that we’re getting the runaround on the potential use of government resources to target Kari Lake with a defamation lawsuit. I’ll be sure to update you as events warrant!

     

    Judicial Watch Sues for Secret Service Records on Security Breach At Trump Event – Agent Reportedly Left Post to Breastfeed

    The Biden-Harris Secret Service is covering up yet another dangerous security failure in protecting President Trump.

    We filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for details of a U.S. Secret Service agent reportedly breastfeeding her baby while on duty at a Trump rally in North Carolina in August (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:24-cv-02925)).

    We filed the suit after the Secret Service failed to respond to an August 15, 2024, FOIA request for:

    1. All records related to a reported incident on August 15, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina in which a Secret Service agent was found to be breast-feeding her child at a Trump campaign rally site in violation of Secret Service regulations, including but not limited to: All emails and text messages sent to and from members of President Trump’s protective detail concerning the incident, as well as all USSS memoranda, reports, cables, directives and disciplinary records related to the incident.

    2. All emails and text messages regarding the aforementioned incident sent to and from the following USSS officials: Acting Director Ronald Rowe, Chief Operating Officer Cynthia Radway, Asst. Dir. Michael Plati, Asst. Dir. Brian Lambert, Chief Human Capital Officer Denise Walker Hall, Asst. Dir. David Smith, Asst. Dir. Miltom Wilson, Uniformed Division Chief Michael Buck, Chief Counsel Thomas Huse, and Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi.

    The Secret Service denied the request on August 22 and later denied an appeal.

    A few minutes before Donald Trump arrived at the fateful campaign event in Asheville, NC, the agent in charge of security was reportedly doing a sweep of the walking route and found an agent had “abandoned her post … ‘to breastfeed with no permission/warning to the event site agent.’” The report also noted that “a working Secret Service agent on duty is not allowed to bring children to a protective assignment.” The agent at issue also allowed unvetted family members to bypass security.

    The Secret Service’s refusal to disclose records about this scandal is, unfortunately, par for the course from them but we will be insistent in federal court for answers.

    Judicial Watch has done extensive work litigating and investigating Secret Service scandals and secrets.

    We recently sued for Secret Service records about a break-in at a hair salon by Secret Service agents in Pittsfield, MA, during a campaign fundraising visit by Vice President Kamala Harris.

    In September we sued for records regarding potential increased protective services to former President Trump’s security detail prior to the attempt on his life at his July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

    In August, we received Secret Service records that showed the Secret Service has made it a top priority that “diversity and inclusion is not just ‘talked about’ – but demonstrated by all employees through ‘Every Action, Every Day.’” [Emphasis in original]

    We the extensive preparation of local police for the rally at which former President Trump was shot, including sniper teams, counter assault teams and a quick response force.

    In response to a separate open records request, we obtained bodycam footage of the July 13 assassination events from the Butler Township Police Department.

    We reported that the FBI withheld information on a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information about its coordination with the U.S. Secret Service regarding the July 13 Butler, PA, rally.

    On July 31, we reported that the United States Secret Service completely denied multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for documents about the assassination attempt on former President Trump.

    We have more than 25 FOIA and open records currently pending on the shooting of Trump with the Biden administration and local and state officials and agencies in Pennsylvania.

    Source

  • Olympic snowboarder who became alleged drug trafficker and killer wanted by the FBI

    LOS ANGELES (TCN) — A 43-year-old former Olympian faces federal charges for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking operation and orchestrating multiple killings.

    According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Ryan Wedding, a former snowboarder, and 34-year-old Andrew Clark, both Canadian citizens living in Mexico, allegedly conspired with 14 other co-defendants to ship hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Southern California to Canada. They allegedly used a Canada-based drug transportation network operated by 45-year-old Hardeep Ratte and 30-year-old Gurpreet Singh to transport the drugs between January and August 2024.

    The U.S. Attorney’s office said Wedding also goes by “El Jefe,” “Giant,” and “Public Enemy,” and Clark is known as “The Dictator.” Wedding represented Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and came in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom.

    Federal prosecutors said cocaine shipments were sent from Mexico to Los Angeles, and operatives would keep the drugs in stash houses before bringing them to the transportation network couriers to be driven via long-haul semitrucks to Canada.

    According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, the organization allegedly used violence “to achieve its aims.” Investigators allege Wedding and Clark organized the November 2023 slayings of two members of a family in Ontario, Canada, “in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment that passed through Southern California.” Prosecutors said another relative survived the fatal shooting but sustained critical injuries.

    Wedding and Clark allegedly orchestrated the killing of a third individual in May over a drug debt. Prosecutors said Clark and another defendant, 23-year-old Malik Cunningham of Canada, have been charged in the April death of another victim in Ontario, Canada.

    Wedding and Clark were previously charged in an original indictment with running a continuing criminal enterprise, murder, and conspiring to possess, distribute, and export cocaine. Local Mexican law enforcement officials arrested Clark on Oct. 8. Wedding is a fugitive and is wanted by the FBI.

    In a superseding indictment, federal prosecutors said Wedding is charged with eight felonies, including two counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, one count of conspiracy to export cocaine, one count of leading a continuing criminal enterprise, three counts of murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and drug crime, and one count of attempt to commit murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and drug crime.

    Clark faces the same charges, as well as an additional count of murder.

    Authorities reportedly seized more than 1 ton of cocaine, three firearms, dozens of rounds of ammunition, over $250,000, and more than $3.2 million in cryptocurrency.

    Federal prosecutors said in March, the drug organization transported around 646 pounds of cocaine to Ratte and Singh. They allegedly tried to deliver 827 pounds in April, but investigators seized the drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s office said several defendants had 1.8 metric tons of cocaine, which carries a Los Angeles street value of between $23.4 and $25.2 million.

    Multiple defendants will appear in court in Los Angeles, Michigan, and Miami.

    Wedding, Clark, and Cunningham face a mandatory minimum sentence of life in federal prison if convicted on the murder, attempted murder, or continuing criminal enterprise charges. The drug trafficking charges carry minimum sentences between 10 and 15 years in prison. 

    MORE:

    • 16 Defendants Charged in Superseding Indictment Alleging Bulk Shipments of Cocaine to Canada, Four Murders – U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California
    • Wanted by the FBI, Ryan James Wedding – FBI

    Source