Month: February 2024

Two men have been found guilty on all counts in the Oct. 30, 2002, murder of Jam Master Jay, a member of the pioneering hip-hop group Run-DMC, which was founded in 1983 along with Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons and Darryl McDaniels. Mizell was gunned down in his studio in front of witnesses on Oct. 30, 2002.

The defendants — Karl Jordan Jr., 40, and Ronald Washington, 59, were each charged with one count of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking, as well as one count of firearm-related murder for the fatal shooting of Jam Master Jay (real name was Jason Mizell). Jordan was also charged in August 2020 with one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and seven counts of cocaine distribution.  According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, each defendant is facing a minimum of 20 years to life in prison or the death penalty; both defendants had pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors claimed during the trial hat Mizell was murdered by Jordan and Washington (Mizell’s childhood friend) because Mizell was allegedly going to cut them out of a cocaine distribution deal due to the drug dealer, later identified as Ralph Mullgrav, declining to work with Washington. Mullgrav claimed that Mizell “wasn’t a drug dealer,” but had dabbled in drug sales “to make ends meet” — a claim that the DJ’s family disputes.

Attorneys for Jordan and Washington argued during closing arguments that there was no physical evidence linking their clients to the fatal shooting, and drew attention to a third man who was charged in the fatal shooting, who is expected to face trial in 2025.

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Attorneys for former President Donald Trump filed notice on Monday that they’re appealing the $464 million civil fraud judgment against him and his company. The First Judicial Appellate Division will hear the case to determine whether Trump can have the penalty dismissed.

In the filing, Trump’s attorneys request that an appeals court determine whether New York Judge Arthur Engoron “committed errors of law and/or fact, and whether he abused his discretion and/or acted in excess of his jurisdiction” when he handed down the massive judgment against Trump and his company on January 16th.  The $464 million figure includes the prejudgment interest that accrued on Engoron’s more than $350 million award against Trump and the Trump Organization. The order also bars Trump from running any New York businesses for three years.

Trump attorney Alina Habba said in a statement: “We trust that the Appellate Division will overturn this egregious fine and take the necessary steps to restore the public faith in New York’s legal system.” The appeal was filed along with Trump’s co-defendants – his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., as well as various Trump Organization entities and two executives.

Last week, Judge Engoron refused a requested from Trump’s attorneys to delay enforcing the penalty, which totals $355 million plus interest for 30 days, to protect his appellate rights. Engoron said: “You have failed to explain, much less justify any basis for a stay. I am confident that the Appellate Division will protect your appellate rights.”  In addition, Engoron’s ruling calls for an independent financial monitor for the Trump Organization, and said that the two elder sons of the former president, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, cannot do business in New York for two years and both have been ordered to pay $4 million each in restitution.

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Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel announced on Monday that she will step down next month as chairwoman, after having served as chair of the RNC since 2017. She was the second woman to lead the RNC.

McDaniel, 50, said in a statement that she will step down on March 8 shortly after the Super Tuesday primaries to allow the party’s presidential nominee to select the next head of the committee. The statement read: “Some of my proudest accomplishments include firing Nancy Pelosi, winning the popular vote in 2022, creating an Election Integrity Department, building the committee’s first small dollar grassroots donor program, strengthening our state parties through our Growing Republican Organizations to Win program, expanding the Party through minority outreach at our community centers, and launching Bank Your Vote to get Republicans to commit to voting early. I have decided to step aside at our Spring Training on March 8 in Houston to allow our nominee to select a Chair of their choosing. The RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition.”

McDaniel, the niece of former presidential candidate and Sen. Mitt Romney, was chair of the Michigan GOP in 2016 where she was credited with helping Trump win the state. Trump hand-picked McDaniel after the 2016 election to serve as RNC chair as Reince Priebus left the post to become his first chief of staff at the White House, and she was re-elected to a fourth term in January 2023, defeating challengers California attorney Harmeet Dhillon and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. In her statement McDaniel thanked Trump for “the opportunity to lead our party …It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve the Republican National Committee for seven years as chairwoman to elect Republicans and grow our party.”

McDaniel’s announcement Monday cames on the heels of Saturday’s South Carolina primary where Trump won 59.8% of the vote, defeating Nikki Haley. It also comes less than two weeks after Trump endorsed North Carolina GOP chairman Michael Whatley to be the next chairman of the RNC, his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to be co-chair and top campaign aide Chris LaCivita to be the party’s chief operating officer.

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Federal officials revealed new details on Sunday regarding the suspect charged with the death of an Augusta University College of Nursing student on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (‘ICE’) confirmed that the suspect, Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, of Athens, is a Venezuelan migrant and not a United States citizen. Ibarra was charged in the murder of Augusta University junior Laken Hope Riley, 22, who was found dead on Thursday near a lake on UGA’s campus after jogging nearby.

Athens-Clarke County jail records show that Ibarra is charged with felony murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping and concealing the death of another, and was denied bond Saturday morning. Authorities say there is no evidence Ibarra previously knew the victim and was not a student at UGA  According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the suspect’s brother, Diego Ibarra, 29, is in custody on federal charges of possessing a fraudulent green card and faces up to a decade in prison. Both brothers are undocumented.

According to a statement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Ibarra was arrested by US Customs and Border Protection on Sept. 8, 2022 after entering the United States illegally near El Paso. ICE noted that “he [Ibarra] was paroled and released for further processing.” New York City police also arrested Ibarra last September and charged “with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,” according to ICE, with the agency adding that NYPD released him “before a detainer could be issued.”

Ibarra’s immigration status became a hot topic amongst politicians who are fighting to tighten border security. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp requested confirmation on Saturday of the suspect’s immigration status as well as any information available regarding the asylum claims and release of the suspect’s brother, posting on X: “Laken Riley’s tragic death struck the hearts of Georgians everywhere and has sparked national outrage. Joe Biden’s failed policies have turned every state into a border state, and I’m demanding information from him so we can protect our people when the federal government won’t!  While media reports surrounding this case have relied on sources and leaks from your own federal agencies, the answers to these basic questions must be provided publicly as soon as possible.”

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Police in Kentucky say that a suspect has been arrested in connection to the death of a student who was found dead in his dorm room over the weekend at Campbellsville University. The victim, 18-year-old Josiah Kilman, was discovered unresponsive in his dorm room around 1 a.m. local time Saturday morning. According to a press release from the university, Kilman was transported to Taylor Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Kilman’s cause of death has not been determined, and his body was transferred to the Kentucky Office of the Medical Examiner in Louisville for an autopsy.

According to an update from the Campbellsville Police Department posted to Facebook, authorities were dispatched after receiving a call for a “suspicious male located inside a barn” on the Green County and Taylor County line. The Green County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police announced on Saturday evening that 21-year-old Charles Escalera was arrested at approximately 5:15 p.m. in connection with Kilman’s death; police said Escalera was taken into custody without incident.  According to online records, Escalera is facing murder and burglary charges and is being held in the Taylor County Detention Center.

Campbellsville is a private Christian university that’s about 84 miles southeast of Louisville and approximately 83 miles southwest of Lexington. Dr. Joseph Hopkins, Campbellsville University president, said in a statement: “Campbellsville University is grieving the loss of one of our family. We have lost a student and our hearts are broken. During this devastating time, the continued safety of our students and the residents of our community are our primary concern. With consultation from local law enforcement, we will continue to implement every measure necessary to protect and support students and our community.”

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