National Roundup

Washington
U.S. sanctions money network tied to the Yemen Houthi rebels
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. on Thursday imposed sanctions on a group of money exchange services from Yemen and Turkey alleged to help provide funding to Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who have been launching attacks on commercial shipping vessels in the southern Red Sea.

Included in the sanctions are the head of a financial intermediary in Sana’a, Yemen, along with three exchange houses in Yemen and Turkey. U.S. Treasury alleges that the people and firms helped transfer millions of dollars to the Houthis at the direction of sanctioned Iranian financial facilitator Sa’id al-Jamal.

The sanctions block access to U.S. property and bank accounts and prevent the targeted people and companies from doing business with Americans.

Thursday’s action is the latest round of financial penalties meant to punish the Houthis.

Earlier this month, the U.S. announced sanctions against 13 people and firms alleged to be providing tens of millions of dollars from the sale and shipment of Iranian commodities to the Houthis in Yemen.

Brian E. Nelson, Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Thursday’s action “underscores our resolve to restrict the illicit flow of funds to the Houthis, who continue to conduct dangerous attacks on international shipping and risk further destabilizing the region.”

Nelsons said the U.S. and its allies “will continue to target the key facilitation networks that enable the destabilizing activities of the Houthis and their backers in Iran.”

The Houthis have sporadically targeted ships in the region in the past, but the attacks have increased since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, spiking after an Oct. 17 explosion at a hospital in Gaza killed and injured many. Houthi leaders have insisted Israel is their target.

In December, the White House also announced that it was encouraging its allies to join the Combined Maritime Forces, a 39-member partnership that exists to counter malign action by non-state actors in international waters, as it looks to push back against the Houthis.

The attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have scared off some of the world’s top shipping companies and oil giants, effectively rerouting global trade away from a crucial artery for consumer goods and energy supplies that is expected to trigger delays and rising prices.

Pennsylvania
Jan. 6 rioter who was sentenced in secret provided information to authorities, court papers say
A Pennsylvania man who was sentenced in secret for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot cooperated with authorities investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and an unrelated case, according to court documents unsealed this week.

The documents provide insight into the unusual secrecy in the case of Samuel Lazar, who had been released from federal custody in September after completing his sentence in his Capitol riot case. His case remained under seal even after his release, so there was no public record of a conviction or sentence.

The records unsealed this week show that Lazar, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, admitted to spraying a chemical irritant at police officers who were trying to defend the Capitol and to using a bullhorn to encourage other rioters to take officers’ weapons as he yelled, “Let’s get their guns!” He pleaded guilty to assaulting officers using a dangerous weapon and was sentenced to 30 months in prison during a sealed hearing last March.

More than 1,200 people have been charged with Jan. 6-related crimes, and hundreds of them have pleaded guilty. But it is rare for records of a guilty plea and sentence to be sealed, even in cases involving a defendant’s cooperation. Court hearings and records are supposed to be open and available to the public unless there’s a compelling need for secrecy.

The documents show that prosecutors asked the judge last year to sentence Lazar to a prison term below the federal guidelines range, citing Lazar’s “fulsome” cooperation with the government. That included providing “valuable information” to authorities investigating the Jan. 6 attack, prosecutors said in court papers.

An attorney for Lazar declined to comment on Thursday. She told the judge that her client’s behavior on Jan. 6 “was completely out of character for him as he is extremely respectful, law abiding citizen who has deep respect and appreciation for law enforcement.”

“He blindly followed President Trump’s cry to ‘fight like hell to take back the country,’” lawyer Hope Lefeber wrote in a court filing.

The documents were unsealed last Wednesday after a coalition of news outlets, including The Associated Press, moved to publicly release records in his case. The documents, however, were then removed from the court docket after lawyers said they objected to the release of all of the documents and wanted the court to post only blacked-out versions.

Arkansas
Man charged with possession of live pipe bombs, and accused of trying to flee country
BELLA VISTA., Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas man was arrested after police said six homemade pipe bombs were found at his home.

Lawrence Hickman, 52, was arrested last week on six counts of criminal possession of explosive materials or a destructive device. He is being held at the Benton County Jail on a $1 million bond, jail records show.

Available court records did not indicate if Lawrence has an attorney to speak on his behalf. He did not have an attorney present at his initial court appearance last week.

Court records indicate the bombs were found when law enforcement officers came to his Bella Vista home to investigate a woman’s harassment complaint.

An investigator wrote in a statement included in court records that the pipe bombs were X-rayed and found to be live.

Court records indicate a neighbor told investigators that Hickman wanted to kayak to the Philippines, where he said his new wife lived, and planned to start the journey by kayaking through the Bering Sea. The neighbor told investigators that Lawrence said the pipe bombs were for defense against sharks and pirates and that he was also bringing liquor for Russians.

Lawrence was apprehended at a pier with two inflatable kayaks in the state of Washington, court records indicated. The investigator wrote in an affidavit that authorities believe Hickman was trying to flee the country to avoid an upcoming trial in Texas, the station reported. It did not disclose the nature of the Texas trial.