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Sixth Circuit upholds sentence for Michigan felon caught with guns and drugs in multiple incidents

10Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Michigan

Sixth Circuit upholds sentence for Michigan felon caught with guns and drugs in multiple incidents

CINCINNATI, OHIO — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has upheld the sentence of George William Henry, a Michigan man who pleaded guilty to two firearms charges related to a drug-trafficking investigation in Kalamazoo. Henry was arrested in January 2023 after police executed a search warrant at his residence and found 30 grams of crack cocaine, distribution paraphernalia, and two loaded firearms, including an AR-15-style rifle with a bump stock. He admitted to possessing the firearms and told investigators he kept them for protection. Later incidents involving Henry included an August 2023 arrest during which officers found crack cocaine packaged for sale and a stolen handgun in a vehicle. In November 2023, Henry was stopped again and found with more cocaine and a lo...

Sixth Circuit upholds 115-month sentence for felon caught with machine gun after gas station incident

10Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Ohio

Sixth Circuit upholds 115-month sentence for felon caught with machine gun after gas station incident

CINCINNATI, OHIO — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has affirmed a 115-month sentence for Jemar Jeresse Simmons, an Ohio man who pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and illegally possessing a machine gun following a 2024 arrest in Cuyahoga Falls. According to court records, Simmons was arrested after a woman called 911 from a gas station and told dispatchers she felt unsafe in a car with him. When police arrived, Simmons was agitated and attempted to flee. During the encounter, officers saw a handgun with an extended magazine fall from his waistband. He was ultimately arrested after resisting officers, one of whom suffered a head injury. The firearm was a Glock 17 modified with a switch to make it fully automatic. Simmons was a...

Sixth Circuit upholds gun conviction and 88-month sentence for felon found with loaded firearm in Benton Harbor

10Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Ohio

Sixth Circuit upholds gun conviction and 88-month sentence for felon found with loaded firearm in Benton Harbor

CINCINNATI, OHIO — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has upheld the conviction and 88-month prison sentence of Darell William Craft Jr., a Michigan man who pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm following a traffic stop in Benton Harbor. Craft, who was on probation at the time, was arrested on July 1, 2023, after officers found a loaded handgun under the front passenger seat of his vehicle. The firearm had been reported stolen and was linked to three earlier shootings. Craft admitted to officers that the gun was in the car. He was charged under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), which prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. Craft moved to dismiss the indictment, arguing the law violated his Second Amendment rights. The district court denied the ...

Sixth Circuit allows lawsuit against Loveland officer over OVI arrest to proceed, reverses some claims

10Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Ohio

Sixth Circuit allows lawsuit against Loveland officer over OVI arrest to proceed, reverses some claims

CINCINNATI, OHIO — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has affirmed in part and reversed in part a lower court’s ruling in a civil rights lawsuit brought by Amanda and Patrick Caton against two Loveland police officers and the City of Loveland, Ohio. The lawsuit stems from a February 2020 incident in which Amanda Caton, an off-duty Cincinnati police officer, was pulled over and arrested by Loveland Officer Jacob Salamon on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. She was later acquitted at trial. After the arrest, the Catons filed suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Ohio state tort law, alleging constitutional violations, malicious prosecution, false arrest, and other misconduct. The district court allowed several claims to proceed, prompting the officers and t...

Sixth Circuit upholds conviction of Michigan man for unlicensed gun dealing

10Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Michigan, Ohio

Sixth Circuit upholds conviction of Michigan man for unlicensed gun dealing

CINCINNATI, OHIO — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has upheld the conviction of Omar Shorter Jr., a Michigan man found guilty of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and making false statements during firearm purchases. According to court records, between July 2020 and December 2022, Shorter purchased 39 firearms, often in duplicate, but registered only two and reported one stolen. ATF agents began investigating after multiple firearms linked to Shorter were later recovered by police at crime scenes or in others’ possession. Evidence presented at trial included surveillance video, Cash App transactions, and Shorter’s own admissions to ATF agents. Shorter acknowledged selling approximately 28 or 29 of the firearms and stated he had “messed...

Sixth Circuit affirms dismissal of lawsuit by Kentucky football players falsely accused in fraternity party incident

10Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Kentucky, Ohio

Sixth Circuit affirms dismissal of lawsuit by Kentucky football players falsely accused in fraternity party incident

CINCINNATI, OHIO — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has affirmed the dismissal of a federal civil rights lawsuit brought by five University of Kentucky football players who were falsely accused of crimes after being racially harassed and assaulted at a fraternity party in Lexington. The plaintiffs, Reuben Jelani Adams, Robert Jutahn McClain, Andru Jackson Phillips, Devito Cyn’cer Tisdale, and Joel Dandre Williams, sued the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and multiple Lexington police officers in their individual capacities, alleging violations of their Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights, as well as state-law claims for malicious prosecution and defamation. The lawsuit stems from a March 2021 incident at a party hosted by the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity...

Governor Abbott activates wildfire and flood response resources across Texas

10Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Governor Abbott activates wildfire and flood response resources across Texas

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Governor Greg Abbott has activated additional state emergency response resources to address heightened wildfire threats across much of Texas and potential flood risks in West Texas through the weekend. The Governor also amended and renewed the state’s wildfire disaster declaration to now include 179 counties. File Photo (August 2025) “Elevated wildfire conditions and flood risk continue to pose a threat across the state of Texas,” Governor Abbott said. “Today, I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy additional resources in preparation for potential wildfires in the eastern half of the state and severe flooding in West Texas. Texas will remain vigilant and continue to provide all necessary resources to protect Texans from wildfire and flood thre...

One suspect arrested, another sought in July homicide on Sherwood Lane

10Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Houston

One suspect arrested, another sought in July homicide on Sherwood Lane

HOUSTON, TEXAS — Charges have been filed in connection with the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Angel Chavira outside an apartment complex at 4603 Sherwood Lane on the night of July 5, 2025. https://youtu.be/48ZLIrdKaOM Octavio Garcia Cruz, 48, has been arrested and charged with murder in the 184th Criminal District Court. He was taken into custody on October 8 by members of the Houston Police Department's Gang Division Crime Reduction Unit and the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force. Cruz has been booked into the Harris County Jail. A second suspect remains at large. He is described only as a Hispanic male seen wearing a Barcelona t-shirt in surveillance video released by investigators on August 27. (shown towards the end of the above video) He is considered armed and danger...

Former store manager arrested in Jasper County burglary investigation

10Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Former store manager arrested in Jasper County burglary investigation

JASPER COUNTY, TEXAS — A former store manager has been arrested in connection with a September burglary at Tackle Addict, a fishing supply retailer located at 3755 Sam Rayburn Parkway. On September 10, 2025, Jasper County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of a burglary at the business. Upon arrival, deputies determined that two small safes containing approximately $8,000 had been taken from the premises. The case was assigned to Investigator Calvin Starkie. Following what authorities described as a “lengthy and thorough investigation,” Investigator Starkie obtained an arrest warrant on October 8, 2025, for Amber Williams, who was employed as the store’s manager at the time of the incident. Williams is charged with Theft of Property valued between $2,500 and $30,000, a stat...

Tenth Circuit revives lawsuit against Salt Lake City School District over disability placement practices

10Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Utah

Tenth Circuit revives lawsuit against Salt Lake City School District over disability placement practices

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has reversed a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit filed by two students with intellectual disabilities and the Disability Law Center against the Salt Lake City School District and its Board of Education. The plaintiffs allege the District’s special education “hub” system violates federal law by failing to make individualized educational placement decisions. File Photo (November 2022) According to the appellate ruling, the District allegedly categorizes students based solely on IQ and assigns them to designated “hub” schools without assessing whether a more inclusive general education setting with supports would be appropriate. Plaintiffs contend this blanket approach disregards the requirements of the Individual...