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California man sentenced to nearly 20 years for firebombing UC Berkeley patrol car and targeting Oakland federal building

26Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

California

California man sentenced to nearly 20 years for firebombing UC Berkeley patrol car and targeting Oakland federal building

OAKLAND, CA – Casey Robert Goonan, 35, of Oakland and Pleasant Hill, was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison on Sept. 23 after pleading guilty to a series of arson attacks and attempted firebombings targeting law enforcement and government facilities in June 2024. According to court records, Goonan admitted to placing six Molotov cocktails under a University of California Police Department patrol vehicle near the UC Berkeley campus on June 1, 2024, and setting the car on fire. He also attempted to firebomb the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on June 11, 2024, by throwing rocks at the building and trying to ignite Molotov cocktails. Security officers interrupted the attempt, and Goonan fled, leaving the explosives burning in a planter nearby. ...

Texas pharmacy owner and three pharmacists sentenced for selling opioids through pill mill in Houston

26Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Texas pharmacy owner and three pharmacists sentenced for selling opioids through pill mill in Houston

HOUSTON, TX – A Missouri City pharmacy owner and three Houston pharmacists were sentenced for running a pill mill operation that illegally sold over half a million opioid pills, including hydrocodone and oxycodone, to drug traffickers and paid straw patients. According to the Department of Justice, Arthur Billings, 61, owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Health Fit Pharmacy, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison and ordered to forfeit $2.6 million. Billings admitted to operating the Houston-based, cash-only pharmacy as part of a four-year conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and to submitting false disability benefit claims. Court documents reveal that Health Fit Pharmacy repeatedly filled prescriptions—many fraudulent and issued under stolen physician id...

Woman arrested for murder after man found dead in Amarillo home

26Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Woman arrested for murder after man found dead in Amarillo home

AMARILLO, TX – A 33-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with a man’s death in the 1100 block of Bluebell. File Photo (August 2025) According to the Amarillo Police Department, officers were dispatched around 2 p.m. on September 25, 2025, and found a deceased male who has since been identified as 57-year-old Paluku Valantin, inside a residence. Investigators noted signs of assault on the victim. Alline Ndayishimiye was taken into custody and booked into the Potter County Detention Center. The victim’s name is being withheld pending family notification. The Amarillo Police Department Homicide Unit continues to investigate. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Homicide Unit at 806-378-9468.

26Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Arkansas

ASP: Brussel Brothers found safe

FAULKNER COUNTY, AR - Colt Ryder Brussel, 8, and Bradley Browning Brussel, 5, of Faulkner County have been safely located, according to the Arkansas State Police. A Missing/Endangered Advisory was issued at the request of the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office after the boys earlier this morning. Their photos have since been removed for privacy.

Cybertip leads to Bensalem man’s arrest for child pornography on Kik app

25Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Pennsylvania

Cybertip leads to Bensalem man’s arrest for child pornography on Kik app

Joseph Ibbetson, 43, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania was arrested, after police linked him to child pornography activity on the messaging app Kik. According to Bensalem Police, on June 10, 2025, they received a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reporting that a Kik account was used in May to upload and share child pornography. Detectives reviewed the tip and found multiple files showing prepubescent females performing sex acts with adult males, as well as sexual conversations with users who claimed to be underage females. Investigators traced the account to Ibbetson, obtained a search warrant for his residence on Bristol Road, and made contact with him. He admitted to using the account to trade child pornography. He was taken into custody a...

Eleventh Circuit upholds conviction in racially motivated road-rage case

25Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Georgia

Eleventh Circuit upholds conviction in racially motivated road-rage case

ATLANTA, GA – The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Jordan Patrick Leahy, who was found guilty of violating federal civil rights law after using his vehicle to terrorize a Black family on a Pinellas County road in 2021. According to court records, Leahy, a white man, repeatedly tried to run a car off the road while yelling racial slurs and making gun gestures at the driver, his girlfriend, and his four-year-old daughter. At a red light, Leahy exited his vehicle and attempted to attack the driver, who subdued him until police arrived. Officers reported that Leahy made additional racist remarks at the scene, stating, “[T]hese guys [Black people] are animals, you know what I’m saying? Y’all have to maintain these people, keep them in their—in their areas”. ...

New Castle man arrested in stabbing at Amazon delivery center

25Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Delaware

New Castle man arrested in stabbing at Amazon delivery center

NEW CASTLE, DE – Delaware State Police have arrested 35-year-old Taamir Smith in connection with a stabbing that occurred last month at an Amazon delivery center. According to investigators, troopers responded around 11:00 a.m. on August 28, 2025, to the Amazon facility located at 2421 Bear Corbitt Road for a reported stabbing. A 23-year-old man was found with multiple stab wounds. Troopers provided first aid until emergency medical services transported the victim to a local hospital with serious injuries. Detectives later identified Smith as the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant. On September 23, 2025, Delaware State Police, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals, located Smith in the area of 24th Street in Wilmington. He was taken into custody and transported to Troop 2, w...

Pinon Hills man arrested for animal cruelty and illegal firearms after cockfighting evidence found

25Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

California

Pinon Hills man arrested for animal cruelty and illegal firearms after cockfighting evidence found

PINON HILLS, CA – A 30-year-old man was arrested after investigators uncovered evidence of cockfighting and illegal firearms during a search warrant in Pinon Hills. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department, investigators with the Rural Crimes Task Force served a warrant on September 24, 2025, at a residence in the 11500 block of Pinon Hills Road as part of an ongoing animal cruelty investigation. During the search, investigators located 35 game cocks believed to have been used in illegal cockfighting. At least one bird had injuries consistent with recent fighting. Items commonly associated with cockfighting were also recovered. In addition, investigators seized multiple firearms, including three AK-47 style rifles determined to be noncompliant with Califo...

Court rejects RNC lawsuit over Michigan voter rolls

25Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Ohio

Court rejects RNC lawsuit over Michigan voter rolls

CINCINNATI, OH – The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee (RNC) that challenged Michigan’s maintenance of its voter rolls. File Photo (2024) The RNC alleged that Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Bureau of Elections Director Jonathan Brater failed to make a reasonable effort to remove ineligible voters, including individuals who no longer lived in the state, in violation of the National Voter Registration Act. The lawsuit pointed to counties where the number of registered voters appeared to exceed the voting-age population. The district court dismissed the case for lack of standing, and the appeals court agreed. Judges ruled that the RNC had not shown an imminent or “certainly impending” injury...

Court upholds insurance payout dispute tied to Memphis studio arson

25Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Tennessee

Court upholds insurance payout dispute tied to Memphis studio arson

MEMPHIS, TN – A federal appeals court has affirmed a lower court ruling in a dispute over a multimillion-dollar insurance payout following a 2015 fire and arson at the House of Blues recording studio in Memphis. According to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the fire caused extensive damage to the studio and its equipment, which had been insured by Hanover American Insurance Company. Music producer Christopher C. Brown, through his company Tattooed Millionaire Entertainment, held the policy covering the premises and recording gear. Separate insurance coverage had also been obtained by musician John Falls, who leased and operated one of the studios. Court records show that Brown submitted forged receipts to Hanover for equipment lost in the fire. The jury later determined that F...