California
Singer D4vd loses prominent lawyers defending him in killing of girl, 14
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Singer D4vd lost his high-profile private lawyers Monday at a hearing where he entered a new not guilty plea to charges that he killed, sexually abused and dismembered 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
It’s not clear why Blair Berk and her colleagues Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter parted ways with the indie-pop singer whose legal name is David Anthony Burke. They were replaced by a lawyer from the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office.
The defense attorneys said in a statement only that the judge granted their request to withdraw after finding that Burke qualified for a court-appointed lawyer.
“We continue to support David and his defense against these serious charges,” the statement said. The lawyers would not answer specific questions about their departure outside the courtroom.
Burke earned at least $10 million through his music from 2023 through 2025, according to testimony from his money handlers at a previous hearing. It’s not clear how he financially qualifies for a public defender whose job is to defend clients who lack the money for a lawyer.
Without providing details, the Public Defender’s Office said in an email that it had completed a thorough financial evaluation and found he was eligible.
Deputy Public Defender Walid Kandeel took over the defense. Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo denied his first request as the singer’s lawyer to delay the arraignment. Olmedo demanded a plea Monday instead, and scheduled a status conference for October. No trial date has been set.
Olmedo ruled after a five-day evidentiary hearing in July that there was enough evidence for Burke to stand trial on charges of murder, continuous lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
A second arraignment and plea, like Burke gave Monday, is standard practice after such a hearing and finding. He is eligible for the death penalty, but District Attorney Nathan Hochman said after Monday’s hearing that his office is still deciding whether to pursue it.
Hochman said the new lawyers will make no difference in how his office pursues the case, though the switch may delay the process. He said regardless of the timing, his office is “ready to prove all three charges beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Outgoing attorney Berk has for years been among the go-to lawyers for A-list clients. They’ve included Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Harvey Weinstein and the late Ozzy Osbourne.
New attorney Kandeel said in a statement that “We recognize the loss of life underlying the allegations and extend our sympathies to those who are grieving. At the same time, David Burke is entitled to a defense that takes his circumstances seriously and carefully examines the evidence.”
Nick Reiner, charged with killing his parents, the director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, recently lost a similarly prominent private lawyer in favor of a public defender because his source of money was cut off. He’s now seeking access to a trust so he can rehire the attorney, Alan Jackson.
Authorities allege Burke stabbed Rivas Hernandez to death in April of last year after she threatened to expose sexual abuse that began when she was 13 and crater his rising career just days before his debut album dropped.
“i will end ur career and ur life,” she told him in a text message sent the night before her death.
Prosecutors said the following night Burke sent an Uber for her and stabbed her when she entered his house. They presented evidence that her phone went permanently silent at that moment.
Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered and decomposing body was found in the trunk of Burke’s Tesla in the Hollywood Hills in September while he was on tour.
Prosecutors argued at the July hearing that the “mountains of evidence” they presented were overwhelming. Burke’s lawyers argued that the evidence of murder was insufficient.
D4vd (pronounced “David”) became an online musical phenomenon as a teen with a blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He had huge followings on TikTok, SoundCloud and Spotify, where his top songs, including his 2022 breakthrough “Romantic Homicide,” have more than a billion plays.
In 2024, he played the Coachella music festival and released his first full-length album, “Withered,” two days after authorities say Rivas Hernandez was killed.
South Korea
Unification Church leader sentenced to 2 years for corruption
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court sentenced Hak Ja Han, the 83-year-old leader of the Unification Church, to two years in prison on Monday for bribing the wife of ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol and other corruption charges.
The Seoul Central District Court convicted Han, widow of church founder Sun Myung Moon, of violating the political funds act, bribery and embezzling church funds, the court said in a statement.
Han was arrested in September 2025 and later charged with colluding with church officials to give then-first lady Kim Keon Hee luxury goods when Yoon was in office, in pursuit of political favors. Han was also charged with giving lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, a Yoon loyalist, 100 million won ($73,000) months before Yoon’s inauguration in May 2022.
Earlier this year, Kim received a four-year prison term at an appeals court for receiving a Graff diamond necklace and two Chanel bags from the Unification Church, and stock price manipulation, a charge that is unrelated to the church. On Monday, the Seoul court sentenced a church official to six months in prison and gave two other church officials suspended terms over their involvement in Han’s case. Kwon received a two-year sentence at the Supreme Court, the top court in South Korea, in July.
Han is revered by followers as ‘True Mother’
Despite Monday’s verdict, Han was out of prison because the Seoul court earlier accepted her request to suspend her arrest due to health issues until Sept. 2. A team of investigators led by special prosecutor Min Joong-ki earlier requested a 13-year prison term for Han.
Revered as “True Mother” by followers, Han is the top leader of the Unification Church, which is officially called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.
The organization said in a statement Monday that it deeply apologizes for causing “big concerns and disappointment to the people.” But it said it cannot accept the ruling against Han and will appeal it.
The Unification Church, widely known for mass weddings, was founded in 1954 by Moon, a self-proclaimed messiah who preached new interpretations of the Bible and conservative family values. He built the church into an international movement with extensive business interests worldwide. Moon died in 2012 at age 92.
In a blow to the church’s branch in Japan, a Tokyo court last year ordered a revocation of its legal status after the government accused it of manipulative fundraising and recruitment tactics that sowed fear among followers and harmed their families. The order came after a man, who admitted to killing former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, had said he was motivated by a desire to expose Japanese politicians’ ties to the Unification Church.
Probe of church ties began after Yoon’s martial law debacle
South Korean investigations of the church-involved scandal started after Yoon was removed from office following a Constitutional Court ruling in April 2025 over his imposition of martial law that threw the nation into turmoil. His successor Lee Jae Myung, a liberal, appointed three special prosecutors to investigate Yoon’s martial law and other allegations during his presidency.
In February, Yoon was sentenced to life in prison for rebellion in connection with his martial law enforcement.
On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon abruptly imposed martial law and sent troops and police officers to the National Assembly, saying he aimed to eliminate “anti-state forces” and “shameless North Korea sympathizers.” The martial law lasted six hours as he was forced to lift it after the assembly unanimously voted it down.
Yoon has defended his action, calling it a desperate attempt to draw public support for his fight against the liberal opposition Democratic Party that obstructed his agenda.
Arizona
Influencer pleads guilty to criminal impersonation for viral pranks
PHOENIX (AP) — A social media influencer known for posting viral videos of pranks has pleaded guilty to criminal impersonation in Arizona for posing as an employee of businesses in a Phoenix suburb and orchestrating brief but chaotic takeover attempts.
The outcome was welcomed by observers who said it could serve as a reminder to seekers of viral fame that stunts that cross the line legally can lead to serious ramifications.
Heston James Cobb, who posts as “Heston James,” was arrested in July 2025 after police in Tempe say he and others went into businesses posing as workers, entered employee-only areas and refused to leave when asked to do so. He entered his plea Friday.
In one video Cobb, wearing a Chipotle Mexican Grill shirt, told restaurant staff he was going to “clean house” before a group of men wearing dark shirts flooded into the eatery and ignored requests to leave. One man posing as an employee cleaned a tabletop with a mop.
Investigators said the videos had millions of views and potentially generated large amounts of income.
Vicki Lopez, an attorney representing Cobb, declined to comment Saturday. The Associated Press left a message with Cobb’s TikTok account seeking comment.
Steve Chucri, president of the Arizona Restaurant Association, said he hopes Cobb’s punishment is “severe” to deter copycats.
“There’s no place for it,” Chucri said. “That’s the last thing we need to put up with in the restaurant industry. The amount of money it takes to operate today is expensive.”
Chucri said the association does not offer any formal training or advice to restaurants on dealing with social media pranksters, and he hopes it does not come to that.
“We’re a society of civility,” Chucri said. “We shouldn’t have to.”
Matthew Pittman, a social media professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, hopes the arrest will be a warning to influencers about boundaries when creating prank or satirical content.
Pittman said he and others who teach aspiring content creators generally stress that “real world norms and laws” extend into the digital world.
“So doing something that is illegal in real life would also be illegal on social, even if you are doing it for content,” he said. “This is a clear case of going beyond what the law allows.”
Among the recent cases he cited was an influencer in Long Island, New York, who was arrested last year after a series of pranks. They included videos of him going to eateries; pouring food such as raw eggs or beans over his head; and then running off, leaving the mess to be cleaned by others.
“Every few years a YouTuber, influencer or prank content creator goes a little too far, gets in trouble, and reminds the rest of us creators that digital actions can have real world consequences,” Pittman said.
Cara Hawkins-Jedlicka, a communications professor at Washington State University who teaches about content creation, said it’s not enough for influencers to stay within the law. They also need to have basic empathy.
“When is it pulling a prank, and when it is being cruel?” Hawkins-Jedlicka said. “Before anything else, this is truly kind of unkind. This influencer was really only thinking about himself and how can I take advantage of this community.”
Singer D4vd loses prominent lawyers defending him in killing of girl, 14
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Singer D4vd lost his high-profile private lawyers Monday at a hearing where he entered a new not guilty plea to charges that he killed, sexually abused and dismembered 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.
It’s not clear why Blair Berk and her colleagues Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter parted ways with the indie-pop singer whose legal name is David Anthony Burke. They were replaced by a lawyer from the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office.
The defense attorneys said in a statement only that the judge granted their request to withdraw after finding that Burke qualified for a court-appointed lawyer.
“We continue to support David and his defense against these serious charges,” the statement said. The lawyers would not answer specific questions about their departure outside the courtroom.
Burke earned at least $10 million through his music from 2023 through 2025, according to testimony from his money handlers at a previous hearing. It’s not clear how he financially qualifies for a public defender whose job is to defend clients who lack the money for a lawyer.
Without providing details, the Public Defender’s Office said in an email that it had completed a thorough financial evaluation and found he was eligible.
Deputy Public Defender Walid Kandeel took over the defense. Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo denied his first request as the singer’s lawyer to delay the arraignment. Olmedo demanded a plea Monday instead, and scheduled a status conference for October. No trial date has been set.
Olmedo ruled after a five-day evidentiary hearing in July that there was enough evidence for Burke to stand trial on charges of murder, continuous lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.
A second arraignment and plea, like Burke gave Monday, is standard practice after such a hearing and finding. He is eligible for the death penalty, but District Attorney Nathan Hochman said after Monday’s hearing that his office is still deciding whether to pursue it.
Hochman said the new lawyers will make no difference in how his office pursues the case, though the switch may delay the process. He said regardless of the timing, his office is “ready to prove all three charges beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Outgoing attorney Berk has for years been among the go-to lawyers for A-list clients. They’ve included Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Harvey Weinstein and the late Ozzy Osbourne.
New attorney Kandeel said in a statement that “We recognize the loss of life underlying the allegations and extend our sympathies to those who are grieving. At the same time, David Burke is entitled to a defense that takes his circumstances seriously and carefully examines the evidence.”
Nick Reiner, charged with killing his parents, the director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, recently lost a similarly prominent private lawyer in favor of a public defender because his source of money was cut off. He’s now seeking access to a trust so he can rehire the attorney, Alan Jackson.
Authorities allege Burke stabbed Rivas Hernandez to death in April of last year after she threatened to expose sexual abuse that began when she was 13 and crater his rising career just days before his debut album dropped.
“i will end ur career and ur life,” she told him in a text message sent the night before her death.
Prosecutors said the following night Burke sent an Uber for her and stabbed her when she entered his house. They presented evidence that her phone went permanently silent at that moment.
Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered and decomposing body was found in the trunk of Burke’s Tesla in the Hollywood Hills in September while he was on tour.
Prosecutors argued at the July hearing that the “mountains of evidence” they presented were overwhelming. Burke’s lawyers argued that the evidence of murder was insufficient.
D4vd (pronounced “David”) became an online musical phenomenon as a teen with a blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. He had huge followings on TikTok, SoundCloud and Spotify, where his top songs, including his 2022 breakthrough “Romantic Homicide,” have more than a billion plays.
In 2024, he played the Coachella music festival and released his first full-length album, “Withered,” two days after authorities say Rivas Hernandez was killed.
South Korea
Unification Church leader sentenced to 2 years for corruption
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court sentenced Hak Ja Han, the 83-year-old leader of the Unification Church, to two years in prison on Monday for bribing the wife of ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol and other corruption charges.
The Seoul Central District Court convicted Han, widow of church founder Sun Myung Moon, of violating the political funds act, bribery and embezzling church funds, the court said in a statement.
Han was arrested in September 2025 and later charged with colluding with church officials to give then-first lady Kim Keon Hee luxury goods when Yoon was in office, in pursuit of political favors. Han was also charged with giving lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, a Yoon loyalist, 100 million won ($73,000) months before Yoon’s inauguration in May 2022.
Earlier this year, Kim received a four-year prison term at an appeals court for receiving a Graff diamond necklace and two Chanel bags from the Unification Church, and stock price manipulation, a charge that is unrelated to the church. On Monday, the Seoul court sentenced a church official to six months in prison and gave two other church officials suspended terms over their involvement in Han’s case. Kwon received a two-year sentence at the Supreme Court, the top court in South Korea, in July.
Han is revered by followers as ‘True Mother’
Despite Monday’s verdict, Han was out of prison because the Seoul court earlier accepted her request to suspend her arrest due to health issues until Sept. 2. A team of investigators led by special prosecutor Min Joong-ki earlier requested a 13-year prison term for Han.
Revered as “True Mother” by followers, Han is the top leader of the Unification Church, which is officially called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.
The organization said in a statement Monday that it deeply apologizes for causing “big concerns and disappointment to the people.” But it said it cannot accept the ruling against Han and will appeal it.
The Unification Church, widely known for mass weddings, was founded in 1954 by Moon, a self-proclaimed messiah who preached new interpretations of the Bible and conservative family values. He built the church into an international movement with extensive business interests worldwide. Moon died in 2012 at age 92.
In a blow to the church’s branch in Japan, a Tokyo court last year ordered a revocation of its legal status after the government accused it of manipulative fundraising and recruitment tactics that sowed fear among followers and harmed their families. The order came after a man, who admitted to killing former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, had said he was motivated by a desire to expose Japanese politicians’ ties to the Unification Church.
Probe of church ties began after Yoon’s martial law debacle
South Korean investigations of the church-involved scandal started after Yoon was removed from office following a Constitutional Court ruling in April 2025 over his imposition of martial law that threw the nation into turmoil. His successor Lee Jae Myung, a liberal, appointed three special prosecutors to investigate Yoon’s martial law and other allegations during his presidency.
In February, Yoon was sentenced to life in prison for rebellion in connection with his martial law enforcement.
On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon abruptly imposed martial law and sent troops and police officers to the National Assembly, saying he aimed to eliminate “anti-state forces” and “shameless North Korea sympathizers.” The martial law lasted six hours as he was forced to lift it after the assembly unanimously voted it down.
Yoon has defended his action, calling it a desperate attempt to draw public support for his fight against the liberal opposition Democratic Party that obstructed his agenda.
Arizona
Influencer pleads guilty to criminal impersonation for viral pranks
PHOENIX (AP) — A social media influencer known for posting viral videos of pranks has pleaded guilty to criminal impersonation in Arizona for posing as an employee of businesses in a Phoenix suburb and orchestrating brief but chaotic takeover attempts.
The outcome was welcomed by observers who said it could serve as a reminder to seekers of viral fame that stunts that cross the line legally can lead to serious ramifications.
Heston James Cobb, who posts as “Heston James,” was arrested in July 2025 after police in Tempe say he and others went into businesses posing as workers, entered employee-only areas and refused to leave when asked to do so. He entered his plea Friday.
In one video Cobb, wearing a Chipotle Mexican Grill shirt, told restaurant staff he was going to “clean house” before a group of men wearing dark shirts flooded into the eatery and ignored requests to leave. One man posing as an employee cleaned a tabletop with a mop.
Investigators said the videos had millions of views and potentially generated large amounts of income.
Vicki Lopez, an attorney representing Cobb, declined to comment Saturday. The Associated Press left a message with Cobb’s TikTok account seeking comment.
Steve Chucri, president of the Arizona Restaurant Association, said he hopes Cobb’s punishment is “severe” to deter copycats.
“There’s no place for it,” Chucri said. “That’s the last thing we need to put up with in the restaurant industry. The amount of money it takes to operate today is expensive.”
Chucri said the association does not offer any formal training or advice to restaurants on dealing with social media pranksters, and he hopes it does not come to that.
“We’re a society of civility,” Chucri said. “We shouldn’t have to.”
Matthew Pittman, a social media professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, hopes the arrest will be a warning to influencers about boundaries when creating prank or satirical content.
Pittman said he and others who teach aspiring content creators generally stress that “real world norms and laws” extend into the digital world.
“So doing something that is illegal in real life would also be illegal on social, even if you are doing it for content,” he said. “This is a clear case of going beyond what the law allows.”
Among the recent cases he cited was an influencer in Long Island, New York, who was arrested last year after a series of pranks. They included videos of him going to eateries; pouring food such as raw eggs or beans over his head; and then running off, leaving the mess to be cleaned by others.
“Every few years a YouTuber, influencer or prank content creator goes a little too far, gets in trouble, and reminds the rest of us creators that digital actions can have real world consequences,” Pittman said.
Cara Hawkins-Jedlicka, a communications professor at Washington State University who teaches about content creation, said it’s not enough for influencers to stay within the law. They also need to have basic empathy.
“When is it pulling a prank, and when it is being cruel?” Hawkins-Jedlicka said. “Before anything else, this is truly kind of unkind. This influencer was really only thinking about himself and how can I take advantage of this community.”
