Massachusetts
Man convicted of drug charges must forfeit cryptocurrency
BOSTON (AP) — A man convicted of drug charges in federal court in Boston has been ordered by a judge to forfeit about $2 million worth of Bitcoin, the first judicial forfeiture of cryptocurrency in the federal District of Massachusetts, prosecutors said.
Binh Thanh Le, 25, of Brockton, described by prosecutors as the leader and organizer of a sophisticated drug trafficking operation that did its business on the dark web, was also sentenced last week to eight years in prison, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston.
Le was indicted in June 2019. According to court records, he received large quantities of drugs in the mail from international sources, including ecstasy, Ketamine and Xanax. The drugs were sold on the dark web and shipped to customers throughout the U.S., prosecutors said.
Le was arrested in March 2019 when he met with undercover agents at a Norwood hotel to exchange $200,000 worth of Bitcoin for cash. More than 19 kilograms (42 pounds) of ecstasy, almost 7 kilograms (15.5 pounds) of Ketamine, nearly a kilogram (2 pounds) of cocaine and more than 10,000 counterfeit Xanax pills were seized during the investigation. He pleaded guilty in September.
Arizona
Officials urge court to reject GOP early ballot suit
PHOENIX (AP) — Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich and Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs both urged the state Supreme Court Friday not to accept a petition filed by the Arizona Republican Party asking to strike down early voting laws used by 90% of voters.
Brnovich and Hobbs laid out their arguments in separate filings with the Supreme Court.
Brnovich said the court has no jurisdiction to take on the question but did not take a position on the GOP’s argument that early voting is unconstitutional. Lawyers for Hobbs defended the early voting laws, writing, “Arizona’s early voting system is secure, efficient, and complies with the Arizona Constitution.”
The Arizona Republican Party and its secretary, Yvonne Cahill, filed the Supreme Court petition last month. It asks the justices to get rid of all early voting or at least eliminate the no-excuse absentee balloting system Arizona adopted in 1991 and steadily expanded ever since.
The GOP lawsuit also argues that Hobbs erred by failing to include procedures for early ballot signature verification in the elections procedure manual and by including rules for ballot drop boxes.
Brnovich sidestepped that question and asked the justices to decide instead whether the 2019 elections procedure manual is valid.
North Carolina
Court orders new trial for man convicted in death as teen
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina Supreme Court decision on Friday will allow a man convicted as a teenager in the death of a cab driver more than 25 years ago to have a new trial.
Associate Justice Anita Earls, writing the majority opinion, reversed a Court of Appeals declaration that a lower court judge had erred when ordering a new trial for Utaris Mandrell Reid based on newly discovered evidence.
Reid, now 40, was convicted of first-degree murder and common law robbery for the assault and ultimate death of John Graham in late 1995. Reid was 14 at the time of the attack in Sanford and was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1997. Charges against three other juveniles were ultimately dismissed.
Court documents that Reid filed in 2011 included an affidavit from a childhood friend who said he was at his mother’s house with Reid the night of Graham’s assault. The friend also said that another person had confessed to him that he and two others — all named — had robbed and assaulted Graham.
Superior Court Judge C. Winston Gilchrist ordered a new trial in 2018 based on what he said was “credible” and “newly discovered evidence as defined by law.” The decision was overturned by the Court of Appeals.
Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote in a dissenting opinion that the Court of Appeals decision should stand because Reid had failed to persuade that he had taken reasonable steps though his attorney to locate the childhood friend’s testimony before his trial.
Ohio
Judge sets 2023 bribery trial date for ex-speaker
CINCINNATI (AP) — A federal judge on Friday set a January 2023 trial date for the former Ohio Houser speaker facing a 2 1/2-year-old racketeering conspiracy charge in an alleged $60 million bribery scheme.
Ex-GOP Speaker Larry Householder is accused of leading the scheme secretly funded by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. to win legislative approval of a $1 billion bailout of two Ohio nuclear plants. The plants were operated by a wholly-owned FirstEnergy subsidiary when the bailout bill was approved in 2019.
Householder has pleaded not guilty and asked federal Judge Timothy Black to dismiss the July 2020 charge against him, saying prosecutors didn’t provide “essential facts” for an indictment and that the alleged bribes were in fact constitutionally protected campaign contributions. Prosecutors oppose the motion.
Jury selection will begin Jan. 20 and the trial on Jan. 23, Black said in a court order.
Nevada
Vegas officer held on federal charges in 3 casino robberies
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A U.S. magistrate judge has ordered a Las Vegas police officer held in federal custody pending another hearing on charges stemming from armed robberies that authorities say netted about $164,000 from three area casinos since November.
Caleb Mitchell Rogers’ appointed federal public defender did not immediately respond Friday to an email seeking comment following Rogers’ appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.
Rogers, 33, was tackled by a security guard and arrested Feb. 27 at the Rio hotel-casino, where police and the FBI say he was seen on security video robbing a cashier of about $79,000 while displaying a police-issued handgun.
Federal court documents allege that Rogers also robbed the Red Rock Resort on Nov. 12 and the Aliante Casino Hotel Spa on Jan. 6.
Rogers also faces criminal charges in Nevada state court.
He could face up to life in federal prison if he is convicted of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and 20 years on a federal robbery charge. His next court date is March 24.
Rogers has been a Las Vegas officer since 2015. Police Officer Larry Hadfield, a department spokesman, said Rogers is on administrative leave pending the outcome of criminal and internal affairs investigations.
