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The lead story this week is the sentencing of former U.S. senator Bob Menendez on Wednesday to 11 years in prison, per this report from the Washington Post. Menendez, 71, a longtime New Jersey lawmaker, was convicted last year in federal court of bribery and extortion, among other charges. He is the first public official in the United States to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent. Menendez has given notice of appeal. Read on for more criminal law news.
UNC Bagel Shop Gunman Sentenced. Mickel Harris, 28, pleaded guilty on Monday in Orange County to assault and firearms charges, according to this story from the N&O. In September 2023, Harris was working part-time as a UNC housekeeping employee. On September 13, 2023, he pulled a gun and threatened a supervisor at Alpine Bagel shop on UNC’s campus. No shots were fired, but campus was placed on lock-down while police investigated the incident. Harris was sentenced to 120 days in jail and ordered to participate in a Restorative Justice program.
What a TV Dinner Feels Like. John Mathew Nigh, 37, has escaped from the Craven County Jail in New Bern, North Carolina, as reported by ABC News and NBC News. Neigh was arrested in June 2024 after allegedly shooting at officers in Onslow County. He was charged with three counts of attempted murder. Detention officers realized he was missing from his cell Sunday afternoon. Nigh had removed a ceiling grating and escaped through the ventilation system, leaving a stuffed mattress behind to give the impression he was sleeping in his cell. Agents with the State Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshals Service are assisting in the manhunt.
Mail Carrier Carries Away Sports Memorabilia. Shelby Dozier, 34, of the Bronx, pled guilty this week to a charge of mail theft by a Postal Service employee, per this story from the NYT. Dozier was working as a sorting clerk at a post office in Clifton, New Jersey, about 15 miles west of New York City, when numerous parcels addressed to a consignment auction house went missing. The auction house specializes in the sale of trading cards and sports memorabilia. According to prosecutors, Dozier stole at least 10 parcels containing, among other things, more than two dozen Michael Jordan trading cards, an autographed photo of Rafael Nadal, and a Mickey Mantle trading card, which he then sold. The items were collectively estimated to be worth more than $100,000.
Felon Disenfranchisement Left Undisturbed. The United States Supreme Court has denied review of a lower court decision that upheld a Mississippi law disenfranchising some felons, as reported by the AP. Challengers argued the state law depriving certain felons of their right to vote amounted to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the federal constitution. The Fifth Circuit rejected that argument in July 2024. To regain voting rights in Mississippi, a person convicted of a disenfranchisement-eligible felony must receive a pardon from the governor or obtain permission from two-thirds of the state legislature. No Supreme Court justice dissented from Monday’s order.
Trooper Allegedly Shot Himself. Long Island state trooper Thomas J. Mascia, 27, was charged on Monday with falsifying evidence and lying to law enforcement after he allegedly shot himself in the leg and claimed he had been shot by a suspect during a traffic stop, per this story in the NYT. According to the criminal complaint, Mascia was on patrol on Oct. 30 when he pulled over on the Southern State Parkway and placed several .22-caliber shell casings on the ground. He drove away and shot himself in the leg. Returning to the staged crime scene, Mascia reported over his police radio that he had been shot by a suspect driving a black Dodge Charger. Police closed the roadway, blocking traffic for miles. Mascia was applauded by friends and family when he was rolled out of Nassau University Medical Center in a wheelchair, but his story quickly began to unravel. The Nassau County district attorney said Mascia’s motives were unclear.
Florida Officer Sentencing for Stealing Drugs. Florida police officer James Darrell Hickox, 39, was sentenced Monday to more than 17 years in prison for stealing drugs, cash, and firearms from federal investigations. The AP and local News4Jax have the story. Hickox, a sergeant with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, and Joshua Earrey, a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper, were part of a DEA-led task force in Jacksonville when they were arrested in 2023 on charges of possession with intent to sell drugs. As part of his plea agreement, Hickox admitted to receiving more than $420,000 for selling marijuana, cocaine, and other drugs seized as part DEA operations and then claiming the evidence had been destroyed. During a search of Hickox’s house, authorities found cocaine, methamphetamine pills, and fentanyl in a converted garage labeled “Gator’s Man Cave.”
Connecticut Driver Speeding to See His Cat. A 28-year old man from Norwich, Connecticut, was pulled over Sunday while driving more than 130 mph on a highway, as reported by the N&O. A state trooper stopped the driver around 1 a.m. in a southbound lane of I-395. Asked why he was driving so fast, the man said he was rushing home to see his cat. The man failed field sobriety tests. He was arrested on charges of reckless driving and driving while impaired. He was released on a $500 bond. Further information about the housecat was not immediately available.
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