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Louisiana Appeals Court Rules Execution of Death Row Inmate Todd Wessinger Will Proceed

Louisiana Appeals Court Rules Execution of Death Row Inmate Todd Wessinger Will Proceed

The execution of Louisiana death row inmate Todd Kelvin Wessinger is set to move forward after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit denied his latest request to overturn his death sentence. Wessinger has been on death row for 29 years following his conviction in 1997 for the 1995 murders of Stephanie Guzzardo and David Breakwell during a robbery at the Calendars restaurant. According to the attorney general’s office, Wessinger shot the victims as they pleaded for their lives and then fled with approximately $7,000. A third person was also shot but survived. Wessinger's most recent appeal sought to overturn his death sentence based on a claim of ineffective trial counsel, an argument he had previously made. Nine years prior, the Fifth Circuit had reversed a district court's grant of habeas relief on a similar claim regarding his counsel's failure to present mitigating evidence. The appeals court ruled that presenting the same claim with additional evidence did not constitute a new claim that coul...

Orange County Investor Denied Bail in $100 Million Fraud Case Amid Death Threat Allegations

Orange County Investor Denied Bail in $100 Million Fraud Case Amid Death Threat Allegations

Orange County Investor Denied Bail in $100 Million Fraud Case Amid Death Threat Allegations

Prosecutors Allege Political Targeting in Charlie Kirk Murder Case, Citing Engraved Bullet and Note

Prosecutors Allege Political Targeting in Charlie Kirk Murder Case, Citing Engraved Bullet and Note

Prosecutors are asserting that the murder of Charlie Kirk was politically motivated, presenting evidence that includes a bullet engraved with the words "Hey Fascist! CATCH!" and a handwritten note from the accused, Tyler Robinson. The note, allegedly left for Robinson's roommate, Lance Twiggs, stated, "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it." Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and has not yet entered a plea. The prosecution contends that Kirk's opposition to same-sex marriage and gender-affirming care contrasted sharply with Robinson's reported romantic relationship with Twiggs, who had considered gender transition. This evidence is central to the prosecution's argument for aggravating factors that could make Robinson eligible for the death penalty. Defense attorneys have questioned the strength of the evidence for political motivation, particularly regarding a text message attributed to Robinson, and have also argued against a sentence enhancement for endangering others, sta...

Dallas Man Indicted in Alleged $20 Million Bank and Wire Fraud Scheme

Dallas Man Indicted in Alleged $20 Million Bank and Wire Fraud Scheme

Dallas Man Indicted in Alleged $20 Million Bank and Wire Fraud Scheme

Guatemalan Woman Arrested in Oklahoma for Alleged 17-Year Identity Theft

Guatemalan Woman Arrested in Oklahoma for Alleged 17-Year Identity Theft

Candelaria Gutierrez-Lopez, a Guatemalan woman, has been arrested in Jackson County, Oklahoma, on charges of identity theft. Authorities allege that Gutierrez-Lopez used another woman's identity for 17 years to work in Altus. She reportedly admitted to purchasing the victim's identity documents upon her arrival in the U.S. and subsequently maintained bank accounts under both her own name and the victim's name. Furthermore, she is accused of receiving SNAP benefits and filing tax returns using both identities. Gutierrez-Lopez is currently detained in the Jackson County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court later this week.

Fairfax County Officials Face Scrutiny After Accused Murderer Flees U.S. During Release

Fairfax County Officials Face Scrutiny After Accused Murderer Flees U.S. During Release

Fairfax County officials are facing intense scrutiny and a lack of clear answers after an accused murderer, Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda, an illegal immigrant, fled the country during a 48-hour release. Residents were not informed of his escape for over a month. 7News has been investigating the situation, but inquiries to various agencies, including Fairfax Police, the Department of Behavioral Health, the Falls Church Community Services Board, and the Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney's Office, have resulted in finger-pointing and a lack of direct answers. The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health cited federal and state privacy laws for not discussing individual cases but provided general information on community pass processes for Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity patients. The Department of Homeland Security stated Toshpulodzoda 'self-departed back to his home country of Tajikistan' in compliance with a final removal order. Experts have expressed concern over the timeline of events and the ability of an accused...

New Braunfels Man Convicted of Smuggling Thousands of Firearms to Mexico

New Braunfels Man Convicted of Smuggling Thousands of Firearms to Mexico

Chandler Britain Bradford, a New Braunfels man, has been found guilty on seven counts related to smuggling thousands of firearms and firearm parts from the United States to Mexico. The Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced the verdict following a week-long trial. According to U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons, Bradford was convicted of four counts of aiding and abetting the smuggling of goods from the United States, one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States, one count of conspiracy to transfer firearms for use in a felony, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The scheme involved Bradford receiving over $3.5 million and utilizing 'dead drops' at storage units in Laredo and McAllen, where drivers for his Mexican buyer would transport the gun parts across the U.S.-Mexico border. Prosecutors stated that the parts sold by Bradford were sufficient to assemble 5,700 AR-15 rifles.

Felony Vandalism Charges Dismissed Against Clermont County Man for Damaging Flock Camera

Felony Vandalism Charges Dismissed Against Clermont County Man for Damaging Flock Camera

Felony vandalism charges against Cody Morelock, a Clermont County man accused of destroying a Flock camera in Union Township, have been dismissed. Morelock was alleged to have damaged the camera system on Mount Carmel-Tobasco Road near Glenrose Lane on June 13. According to Union Township police, investigators claimed Morelock removed bolts securing the camera, causing the camera, solar panel, and support pole to fall, and subsequently destroyed the equipment. Surveillance footage from other nearby cameras reportedly helped identify Morelock as the suspect. The Flock camera is leased by the Union Township Police Department, and the estimated damage exceeded $1,000. However, a Clermont County grand jury ultimately declined to indict Morelock on the felony charges.

Grand Jury Indicts Inmate in Gouverneur Prison Homicide

Grand Jury Indicts Inmate in Gouverneur Prison Homicide

A St. Lawrence County grand jury has indicted Savon O’Neal, 32, in connection with a homicide at Gouverneur Correctional Facility. The indictment charges O’Neal with second-degree assault. The incident occurred in April when O’Neal and his cellmate, Shaun Bennett, 45, were involved in a fight. State police reported that corrections officers found Bennett unresponsive on the floor of his cell. Despite life-saving measures administered by officers and medical staff at the prison infirmary, Bennett died. O’Neal was subsequently taken to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities have ruled Bennett’s death a homicide, attributing the cause to cardiorespiratory arrest resulting from a closed head injury.

Phoenix Man Sentenced for Misusing Over $1 Million in PPP Loans

Phoenix Man Sentenced for Misusing Over $1 Million in PPP Loans

Jamar Johnson, a 54-year-old man from Phoenix, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of probation, for wire fraud. Johnson admitted to submitting false applications to obtain more than $1 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Prosecutors stated that Johnson's applications falsely claimed his company had 73 employees and over $4.8 million in payroll expenses, despite the company having zero employees and no payroll. He received $1,007,650 through two loans and subsequently used the funds for personal expenditures, including purchasing cryptocurrency, a car, and cosmetic dentistry. As part of his sentence, Johnson is required to repay more than $1 million to the Small Business Administration (SBA). The PPP loans were designed to provide emergency financial aid to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Luigi Mangione state murder trial postponed amid double jeopardy claim

Luigi Mangione state murder trial postponed amid double jeopardy claim

Luigi Mangione's New York murder trial was postponed after the 28-year-old pleaded guilty to separate federal charges.

Accused Murderer Flees U.S. on Weekend Pass from Virginia Mental Health Facility

Accused Murderer Flees U.S. on Weekend Pass from Virginia Mental Health Facility

An individual accused of a 2019 murder, Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda, has left the United States on a one-way international flight to Tajikistan via Istanbul. This occurred while he was on a weekend pass from the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute, where he had been committed in 2022 after being found not guilty by reason of insanity. Court documents from August 5 reveal that Virginia law permits mental health facilities to grant committed individuals, including those accused of serious crimes, unescorted day or weekend passes. Despite a judge reaffirming in June that Toshpulodzoda should not be released without court order, he was allowed to travel to Washington, D.C., in 2024 to obtain a passport, a move supported by the Commonwealth's Attorney. On July 6, he boarded the flight from Dulles Airport.