New Hampshire
Judge orders the release of an immigrant with ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A Brazilian woman with family ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will be released from ICE custody while she fights potential deportation, an immigration judge ruled Monday.
Bruna Ferreira, 33, a longtime Massachusetts resident, was previously engaged to Leavitt’s brother, Michael. She was driving to pick up their 11-year-old son in New Hampshire when she was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Revere, Massachusetts, on Nov. 12.
Ferreira later was moved to a detention facility in Louisiana, where an immigration judge ordered that she be released on $1,500 bond, her attorney Todd Pomerleau said.
The Department of Homeland Security previously called Ferreira a “criminal illegal alien” and said she had been arrested for battery, an allegation her attorney denied. Neither the department nor the White House press secretary responded to requests for comment Monday.
Pomerleau said his client came to the U.S. as a toddler and later enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era policy that shields immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. He said she was in the process of applying for a green card.
Karoline Leavitt grew up in New Hampshire, and made an unsuccessful run for Congress from the state in 2022 before becoming Trump’s spokesperson for his 2024 campaign and later joining him at the White House.
Georgia
State Rep.?indicted for theft of federal funds
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia state House member is accused of lying about her employment to collect federal unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
Rep. Sharon Henderson, a Covington Democrat, has been indicted on two counts of theft of government funds and ten counts of making false statements, prosecutors announced Monday.
Henderson was arrested at her home Monday by federal agents. Led into a federal courtroom in Atlanta in leg shackles, she pleaded not guilty in an initial appearance. She declined comment to The Associated Press after she was released from custody on $10,000 bail.
Henderson is accused of illegally collecting $17,811 in unemployment benefits. U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said in a statement that Henderson falsely claimed in 2019 that she was entitled to benefits as a laid off substitute teacher in Henry County, southeast of Atlanta. But Hertzberg said Henderson hadn’t worked for the school system since 2018 and her contract included an acknowledgment that substitute teachers aren’t entitled to unemployment payments.
Prosecutors say Henderson falsely claimed that she had worked for the school system throughout 2019 and into 2020 and then submitted weekly certifications, including eight in June 2021, after she had won election and was sworn into office in House District 13, which covers parts of Newton County.
The federal government paid special unemployment benefits during the pandemic, using state unemployment systems, to people who lost their jobs due to COVID-19. As with regular unemployment benefits, applicants had to certify every week that they remained unemployed to claim benefits.
State and federal agencies investigated the case.
Under the state constitution, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp must now appoint a review commission composed of the attorney general, one member of the Senate and one member of the House to determine whether Henderson should be suspended from office after the indictment.
If the commission, after a hearing, recommends suspension, Kemp must suspend Henderson without pay until her charges are resolved. If Henderson isn’t convicted, she would be reinstated to office.
After losing primary bids for the House in 2016 and 2018, Henderson defeated incumbent Pam Dickerson in a primary in 2020. She won the general election without Republican opposition in 2020 and won reelection in 2022 and 2024.
New York
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier pleads not guilty to sports betting charges
NEW YORK (AP) — Miami Heat player Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he helped gamblers placing bets on his performance in NBA games.
The 31-year-old point guard formally entered the plea during his arraignment in Brooklyn federal court on federal wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges. Prosecutors say Rozier conspired with friends to help them win bets on his performance in a March 2023 game when he played for the Charlotte Hornets.
Rozier was released on $3 million bond secured by his home in Florida. He was also instructed by Magistrate Judge Clay Kaminsky not to gamble, have firearms or to have any contact with victims, co-defendants and witnesses in the case.
Rozier additionally surrendered his passport and was restricted to traveling between Florida, Ohio and New York unless granted prior approval.
Rozier, who was wearing a gray suit, didn’t speak in court other than to answer the judge’s “yes” or “no” questions.
He was expected to join his five other co-defendants, their lawyers and prosecutors for a pretrial hearing later Monday.
Rozier previously appeared before a federal judge in Orlando on Oct. 23, when prosecutors first announced the indictment.
More than 30 people have been arrested in the sprawling federal takedown of illegal gambling operations linked to professional sports, including several Mafia figures. Portland Trail Blazers coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups has pleaded not guilty in a separate scheme to fix high-stakes, Mafia-backed illegal poker games.
Prosecutors say Rozier informed the bettors that he intended to leave the game against the New Orleans Pelicans early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to place wagers earning them tens of thousands of dollars.
Rozier played the first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the game before leaving, citing a foot issue. He did not play again that season.
The other NBA figure ensnared in the investigation is Damon Jones, who pleaded not guilty last month to charges he provided sports bettors with nonpublic information about injuries to stars LeBron James and
Anthony Davis while serving as an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season. Jones, a former NBA player, is also indicted along with Billups and others in the separate poker
scheme.
Both Billups and Rozier have been placed on unpaid leave from their teams as their court cases play out.
Judge orders the release of an immigrant with ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A Brazilian woman with family ties to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will be released from ICE custody while she fights potential deportation, an immigration judge ruled Monday.
Bruna Ferreira, 33, a longtime Massachusetts resident, was previously engaged to Leavitt’s brother, Michael. She was driving to pick up their 11-year-old son in New Hampshire when she was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Revere, Massachusetts, on Nov. 12.
Ferreira later was moved to a detention facility in Louisiana, where an immigration judge ordered that she be released on $1,500 bond, her attorney Todd Pomerleau said.
The Department of Homeland Security previously called Ferreira a “criminal illegal alien” and said she had been arrested for battery, an allegation her attorney denied. Neither the department nor the White House press secretary responded to requests for comment Monday.
Pomerleau said his client came to the U.S. as a toddler and later enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era policy that shields immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. He said she was in the process of applying for a green card.
Karoline Leavitt grew up in New Hampshire, and made an unsuccessful run for Congress from the state in 2022 before becoming Trump’s spokesperson for his 2024 campaign and later joining him at the White House.
Georgia
State Rep.?indicted for theft of federal funds
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia state House member is accused of lying about her employment to collect federal unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
Rep. Sharon Henderson, a Covington Democrat, has been indicted on two counts of theft of government funds and ten counts of making false statements, prosecutors announced Monday.
Henderson was arrested at her home Monday by federal agents. Led into a federal courtroom in Atlanta in leg shackles, she pleaded not guilty in an initial appearance. She declined comment to The Associated Press after she was released from custody on $10,000 bail.
Henderson is accused of illegally collecting $17,811 in unemployment benefits. U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said in a statement that Henderson falsely claimed in 2019 that she was entitled to benefits as a laid off substitute teacher in Henry County, southeast of Atlanta. But Hertzberg said Henderson hadn’t worked for the school system since 2018 and her contract included an acknowledgment that substitute teachers aren’t entitled to unemployment payments.
Prosecutors say Henderson falsely claimed that she had worked for the school system throughout 2019 and into 2020 and then submitted weekly certifications, including eight in June 2021, after she had won election and was sworn into office in House District 13, which covers parts of Newton County.
The federal government paid special unemployment benefits during the pandemic, using state unemployment systems, to people who lost their jobs due to COVID-19. As with regular unemployment benefits, applicants had to certify every week that they remained unemployed to claim benefits.
State and federal agencies investigated the case.
Under the state constitution, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp must now appoint a review commission composed of the attorney general, one member of the Senate and one member of the House to determine whether Henderson should be suspended from office after the indictment.
If the commission, after a hearing, recommends suspension, Kemp must suspend Henderson without pay until her charges are resolved. If Henderson isn’t convicted, she would be reinstated to office.
After losing primary bids for the House in 2016 and 2018, Henderson defeated incumbent Pam Dickerson in a primary in 2020. She won the general election without Republican opposition in 2020 and won reelection in 2022 and 2024.
New York
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier pleads not guilty to sports betting charges
NEW YORK (AP) — Miami Heat player Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he helped gamblers placing bets on his performance in NBA games.
The 31-year-old point guard formally entered the plea during his arraignment in Brooklyn federal court on federal wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges. Prosecutors say Rozier conspired with friends to help them win bets on his performance in a March 2023 game when he played for the Charlotte Hornets.
Rozier was released on $3 million bond secured by his home in Florida. He was also instructed by Magistrate Judge Clay Kaminsky not to gamble, have firearms or to have any contact with victims, co-defendants and witnesses in the case.
Rozier additionally surrendered his passport and was restricted to traveling between Florida, Ohio and New York unless granted prior approval.
Rozier, who was wearing a gray suit, didn’t speak in court other than to answer the judge’s “yes” or “no” questions.
He was expected to join his five other co-defendants, their lawyers and prosecutors for a pretrial hearing later Monday.
Rozier previously appeared before a federal judge in Orlando on Oct. 23, when prosecutors first announced the indictment.
More than 30 people have been arrested in the sprawling federal takedown of illegal gambling operations linked to professional sports, including several Mafia figures. Portland Trail Blazers coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups has pleaded not guilty in a separate scheme to fix high-stakes, Mafia-backed illegal poker games.
Prosecutors say Rozier informed the bettors that he intended to leave the game against the New Orleans Pelicans early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to place wagers earning them tens of thousands of dollars.
Rozier played the first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the game before leaving, citing a foot issue. He did not play again that season.
The other NBA figure ensnared in the investigation is Damon Jones, who pleaded not guilty last month to charges he provided sports bettors with nonpublic information about injuries to stars LeBron James and
Anthony Davis while serving as an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season. Jones, a former NBA player, is also indicted along with Billups and others in the separate poker
scheme.
Both Billups and Rozier have been placed on unpaid leave from their teams as their court cases play out.
