National Roundup

Minnesota
Family of Somali American man killed by police files lawsuit
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The family of a Somali-American man police shot to death during a standoff in Eagan last summer has filed a federal lawsuit alleging the shooting wasn’t justified and the man was targeted because of his race.

Isak Aden was 23 when he died on July 2, 2019, during a standoff with police from multiple agencies in Eagan.

According to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office, Aden had a gun and officers tried to negotiate with him for hours. Finally police threw flash-bang devices at him and fired nonlethal rounds at him. Aden went for his gun, picked it up in his right hand and fired. Officers opened fire, hitting him five times.

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom cleared the five officers  who fired of any criminal wrongdoing in November, saying they believed they were in danger.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports  Aden’s family filed the lawsuit Thursday. The lawsuit names the cities of Bloomington, Burnsville, Eagan and Edina, which supplied police for the operation, multiple officers and Eagan Chief Roger New as defendants and seeks more than $20 million.

The family’s attorney, Matthew Lawlyes, told the newspaper that police video shows Aden picked up his gun after nonlethal rounds were fired, but put it on the ground and raised his left hand in an act of surrender. He fired the gun accidentally after officers shot him, Lawlyes said.

New York
Prosecutors seek Friday court appearance for Epstein friend
New York (AP) — Prosecutors on Sunday asked a judge to schedule a Friday court appearance in New York for Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime associate to face charges she helped him recruit women to sexually abuse.

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, 58, was arrested  Thursday at a $1 million estate on 156 acres that she purchased last December in Bradford, New Hampshire.

She has been detained without bail after agreeing to be moved to New York. Prosecutors have labeled her an “extreme risk of flight” and said they want her jailed until trial.

In a letter to a judge Sunday, prosecutors said they have communicated with Maxwell’s defense lawyer, Christian Everdell, who would like a Friday bail hearing after written arguments are submitted by both sides Thursday and Friday. She will also be arraigned at the hearing.

An email seeking comment was sent to Everdell.

She has previously repeatedly denied wrongdoing and called some claims against her “absolute rubbish.”

Prosecutors said they expect the U.S. Marshals Service to transport Maxwell to New York early this week.

Maxwell has been indicted on multiple charges, including that she conspired to entice girls as young as 14 to engage in illegal sex acts with Epstein from 1994 through 1997 at Epstein’s residences in New York City, Florida, and New Mexico and at Maxwell’s residence in London. Prosecutors say the charges carry a potential penalty of up to 35 years in prison.

Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail last August while he awaited trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss told a news conference Thursday that the investigation is continuing as the government seeks to hold anyone it finds aided Epstein accountable.

The arrest of Maxwell, a citizen of the U.S., France and the United Kingdom, came after she was described by some Epstein’s victims as his chief enabler, someone who recruited and groomed young girls for abuse. Prosecutors say Maxwell had both a personal and professional relationship with Epstein.

Authorities said she sometimes hired girls to give him massages before joining as Epstein tried to engage the girls in sex acts.

Prosecutors last week outlined some arguments to keep Maxwell detained. They cited her wealth, saying she has had access to over $20 million in 15 bank accounts in recent years, along with her extensive international ties and the likelihood of a lengthy prison sentence if she is convicted.

Evidence in the case includes detailed corroborated information from multiple victims, along with documents including flight records, diary entries and business records, prosecutors said.

Since Epstein was arrested in July 2019, Maxwell had been in hiding in locations in New England, sometimes masking her location by changing her phone number and listing her name as “G Max,” prosecutors said.

Idaho
6 men sentenced for poaching 16 elk, 3 mule deer
PRESTON, Idaho (AP) — A judge has sentenced six men in eastern Idaho after they pleaded guilty to poaching 16 elk and three mule deer, authorities said.

Jay Reeder, Brandon Porter, Rick Earl, Jesse Earl, Dustin Hollingsworth and Brian Miller reached plea agreements for killing the 19 animals near Preston in the fall of 2018, including several trophy class animals.

All of the men are from Preston, except Miller who is from Pennsylvania, KBOI-TV reported.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game launched an investigation after multiple animals were poached over several months on “Reeder Ranch” and surrounding property without regard for season, weapon restrictions and tagging requirements.

“Most of the animals were simply shot and left with no attempt to salvage the meat; some with rifles during muzzleloader seasons and others when the seasons were completely closed,” said Cody Allen, regional investigator.

Members of the group also unlawfully killed pheasants, magpies, and wild turkeys baited onto the property, department officials said.

Reeder and Porter each pleaded guilty to four felonies for killing three mule deer bucks and 13 of the 16 elk. They each received lifetime revocations of their hunting privileges, a two year suspended prison sentence and each spent 30 days in jail.

Rick Earl pleaded guilty to one felony and one misdemeanor for killing two elk and illegally possessing three other poached elk and deer. He received a two year suspended prison sentence, five years of felony-supervised probation and a five-year hunting license revocation. He served 10 days in jail.

Reeder, Porter and Rick Earl were also order to 50 hours of community service, pay a combined $72,000 and forfeit their guns and animals.

The other three men involved – Jesse Earl, Miller and Hollingsworth pleaded guilty to misdemeanors for their role in attempting to legitimize the poached elk by taking tags of others to cover the unlawfully taken elk. They each received one-year hunting license revocations and combined fines, civil reimbursement and court costs totaling more than $3,700.