CRIME NEWS
Showing 12 articles
AP
Santos Under Investigation After Betting He Would Not Attend State of the Union","description":"The prediction‑market platform Kalshi flagged suspicious bets by former Rep. George Santos, who had boasted he would attend President Trump’s State of the Union yet then placed a wager that he wouldn’t. This action prompted referrals to the U.S. Justice Department and the CFTC, sparking a fresh probe into potential insider trading.","summary":"Former congressman George Santos is under federal investigation after betting he would not attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, after publicly announcing his intention to be there. Kalshi, an online prediction market, detected suspicious trades and reported them to the Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, both of which are cracking down on insider trading in prediction platforms. Santos has declined to comment on the matter, and the DOJ and CFTC have not yet issued a statement. The case follows his recent 7‑year prison sentence for fraud and identity theft, and the Trump‑approved clemency he received before his expulsion from Congress.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/4bc062b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5151x3434+0+0/resize/1440x960!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F97%2Fbb%2F1d94341e19d95c13fcd921d0857a%2F04b42ab3edb74f57b307389b93f45f31","text":"<p>In a move that drew federal scrutiny, former U.S.\u2019 Representative George Santos was flagged by the prediction‑market platform Kalshi for betting that he would not attend President Donald Trump\u2019s State of the Union address, despite repeatedly announcing he would be there. After noting Santos\u2019 public statements, Kalshi detected what it deemed suspicious trades—bets that the former congressman would be absent from the speech—and promptly referred the activity to the U.S. Justice Department and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, regulatory bodies that are tightening oversight of insider trading in such markets.</p>\n<p>Santos had publicly boasted that he would attend Trump\u2019s February 24 speech, even mentioning the event on his social media channels and on his podcast. Minutes into the speech, he posted on X that he had been delayed at the airport, and his followers quickly accused him of running a new scheme. In the days that followed, Kalshi placed the odds for Santos attending at nearly 75%, before him tipping that he would not participate.</p>\n<p>Kalshi and its rival Polymarket have both said they are reporting suspicious trades to federal regulators, and several investigations have led to criminal charges. A recent high‑profile case saw a U.S. soldier charged for using classified information to profit more than $400,000 on the Polymarket platform when predicting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture.</p>\n<p>In April, the Senate approved a bipartisan resolution aimed at preventing its members from using prediction markets, a move that follows growing concern over the vulnerability of these platforms to insider trading. While the DOJ and CFTC have not yet issued a public response, Santos declined to comment on the investigation, leaving the outcome uncertain. His legal woes—spanning fraud, identity theft, and a 7‑year prison sentence—had already ended when former President Trump granted him clemency bestowing a brief, controversial release before his expulsion from the House.</p>
AP
North Carolina Officer Charged After Doorbell Camera Video Captures Assault","description":"A former police officer was charged following a doorbell camera recording of him repeatedly punching a woman, prompting swift action from the department and the State Bureau of Investigation.","summary":"Officer Karson Hyder, 22, was arrested, fired, and charged after a doorbell camera video showed him punching Cherrie Moore, 34, during a breaking‑and‑entering incident. Hyder turned himself in, was released on a $10,000 bond, and is awaiting trial. The State Bureau of Investigation has opened an inquiry into the case.","image":"https://via.placeholder.com/600x400","text":"<p style=\"font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;margin:0 0 15px 0;\">SHELBY, N.C. — A former North Carolina police officer caught on a doorbell camera repeatedly punching a woman in the face was charged Monday with assault.</p>\n<p style=\"font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;margin:0 0 15px 0;\">The video of Deputy Officer Karson Hyder — 22 — caught pummeling Cherrie Moore on Friday has been widely shared on social media. Hyder turned himself in to the Cleveland County Detention Center on Monday morning and was released on a $10,000 secured bond.</p>\n<p style=\"font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;margin:0 0 15px 0;\">Hyder was suspended Friday and fired Saturday, having responded to a breaking‑and‑entering call when the conflict began. According to a warrant, Moore, 34, fled from the residence on foot and resisted arrest, assaulting Hyder by grabbing and ripping his uniform.</p>\n<p style=\"font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;margin:0 0 15px 0;\">A separate warrant filed on Monday alleged Hyder “unlawfully and willfully did assault and strike Cherrie Moore” by grabbing her by the arm, pushing her to the ground and striking her in the face with a closed fist, inflicting serious injuries including a possible broken nose and busted lip.</p>\n<p style=\"font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;margin:0 0 15px 0;\">Moore was initially charged with breaking and entering, resisting arrest and assault on a public officer, but the last two charges have since been dismissed. She was freed on an unsecured bond. A phone number associated with Moore was disconnected.</p>\n<p style=\"font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;margin:0 0 15px 0;\">The State Bureau of Investigation announced Saturday that it has opened an investigation into Hyder’s conduct.</p>\n<p style=\"font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;margin:0 0 15px 0;\">“The heinous actions of former Officer Karson Hyder will forever negatively impact Ms. Cherrie Moore and her family,” said Moore’s attorney, Ronald Haynes. \"It’s a small relief that city officials responded so promptly to terminate and charge Mr. Hyder.\"</p>\n
AP
Hawaii Man Arrested for Murdering Three Elderly Men on Big Island","description":"A 36‑year‑old man was captured after killing three retired men in the Puna region of Big Island, where police discovered gruesome remains and evidence of a brutal assault.","summary":"Jacob Baker, 36, has been charged with the murders of two 69‑year‑old men and a 79‑year‑old man in Hawaii’s remote Puna community. Prosecutors say the killings were extraordinarily cruel and the victims’ ages should push for a harsher sentence. Police found the victims in a cement pond, a coral reef, and beneath a corrugated roof, with signs of severe violence. Baker exhibited erratic behavior and made threats before being apprehended during a statewide manhunt.","image":"","text":"<p><strong>Honolulu, Hawai\u00ed</strong> – Police apprehended Jacob Baker, 36, after a four‑day search of the Big Island’s eastern Puna district, where three elderly men were found dead under brutal circumstances. The victims, all over 60, included 69‑year‑old Robert Shine, 69‑year‑old John Carse, and 79‑year‑old Frederick Morse. Their bodies were discovered in a concrete pond, an open‑air coral reef, and beneath a corrugated roof, respectively. Autopsies reported extensive injuries: Morse’s body showed severed fingers; Shine suffered fractured ribs and was strangled before being buried in the pond; Carse had cuts to the face, severed neck muscles, a broken jaw, and other wounds.</p>\n\n<p>Prosecutors filed a criminal complaint brimming with detail, characterizing the murders as “exceptionally depraved” and describing them as “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.” The complaint argues the fact that all victims were over 60 should trigger a harsher penalty under Hawaii’s enhanced homicide statutes.</p>\n\n<p>Baker appeared in court on Monday. A judge granted the defense a request that Baker undergo a mental‑fitness examination, with a report due August 4 and a subsequent hearing scheduled for August 11. The court noted that if the jury is persuaded that the suspect intentionally targeted elderly men and acted with particular cruelty, Baker faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.</p>\n\n<p>Police said they first located the three bodies on the evening of the killings: Shine’s body was found face‑down in a concrete fishpond; Morse was discovered face‑down in muddy soil under corrugated roofing in a rural area; and Carse’s body lay near a dirt patch, a few hundred feet from the other victims. The forensic report further details how each victim suffered severe injuries before death.</p>\n\n<p>A witness recounted that Baker was driven by a woman to a Hilo store before the men went missing. While on the drive back, the suspect showed a freshly purchased knife and boasted about “shanking” rapists and “cutting up” anyone who challenged him. He allegedly talked in Spanish about being a hitman, and police seized two brass knuckles from him. He also got a tattoo on the left side of his face at a local shop.</p>\n\n<p>Baker is held without bail. Police anticipate more information from the mental‑fitness assessment. The case has drawn intense scrutiny from the Puna community, which is known for its jungle‑like landscape, lava fields, and close‑knit off‑grid lifestyle.</p>\n
AP
Virginia Bus Driver Indicted on New Charges After Fatal Crash","description":"A Staten Island driver faces additional theft and reckless‑driving charges after a chain‑reaction crash that killed five people on Interstate 95.","summary":"Jing Sheng Dong, 48, previously charged with involuntary manslaughter for a 2025 crash, has been indicted on three extra manslaughter counts and a reckless‑driving charge following a fatal bus collision on I‑95. The incident, involving a motorcoach traveling from New York to North Carolina, killed three Massachusetts residents and one Worcester woman, sparking a NTSB investigation.","image":"https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1685286202305-4c3c7e3fa1ba?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1200&q=80","text":"<p>Jing Sheng Dong, a 48‑year‑old bus driver from Staten Island, New York, faces new accusations after a chain‑reaction crash on Interstate 95 on Friday morning. The incident, which involved a motorcoach traveling from New York to North Carolina, killed five people and injured dozens more.</p><p>Dong was initially charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. On Monday, a Virginia grand jury indicted him on three additional manslaughter counts and a single charge of reckless driving, according to the Stafford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.</p><p>Authorities said Dong was driving the coach when it struck a line of vehicles that had slowed for a work zone. Among those killed were a Massachusetts family of four and a 25‑year‑old woman from Worcester. Dong had earlier been hit with speeding accusations in Colonial Heights, Virginia, in November 2024 and Annapolis, Maryland, in March 2025, where he allegedly drove 72 mph in a 50‑mph zone.</p><p>In addition to the battering charges, Dong was convicted of driving 73 mph in a 55‑mph zone and fined $219 plus court costs. A separate case in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, alleges he trespassed on property in July.</p><p>The bus involved in the crash was operated by E&P Travel Inc. of Kings Mountain, North Carolina. The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the collision.</p><p>No attorney has been listed on the court filings for Dong. Prosecutor Eric Olsen stated the driver will be transferred to jail upon his release from the hospital.</p>
AP
South Carolina Jury Rules Store Owner Not Guilty in 2023 Shooting of 14-Year-Old","description":"After a tense trial, a jury cleared convenience‑store owner Chikei Rick Chow of murder for shooting 14‑year‑old Cyrus Carmack‑Belton, sparking community reactions and plans for a civil lawsuit.","summary":"In Columbia, South Carolina, a jury found store owner Chikei Rick Chow not guilty of murder for shooting 14‑year‑old Cyrus Carmack‑Belton in 2023. The verdict prompted emotional responses from the victim’s family and community members, and the victim’s mother has announced a civil lawsuit against Chow.","image":"","text":"<p>In Columbia, South Carolina, a jury on Monday declared store owner <b>Chikei Rick Chow</b> (61), who is Asian, not guilty of murder in the 2023 shooting of Black teenager <b>Cyrus Carmack‑Belton</b>.</p><p>Chow testified that he fired his .40‑caliber pistol in the back of Carmack‑Belton while he was fleeing from his convenience store, claiming he acted to protect his son. Prosecutors argued Chow was angry because he believed the teen had stolen four bottles of water, but defense lawyers said Chow had to decide quickly after the teen pointed a firearm at him. The jury’s verdict closed a tense debate over the shooter’s mental state and motive.</p><p>The verdict sent waves of sorrow through Richland County’s largely Black community. Azimuth footage shows the family’s sorrow as they sat in the gallery, while Chow remained silent, slowly bowing his head before folding his hands. Defense attorney Jack Swerling expressed both pride in the verdict and empathy for the victim’s family, noting that a 14‑year‑old should not be “roaming the streets of Columbia with a semi‑automatic pistol loaded and ready to fire.”</p><p>Contrasting views emerged in the appeals district: actress and legislator Todd Rutherford, who stood beside Carmack‑Belton’s father, announced that the family would file a civil lawsuit, “to make it clear the child’s life mattered.” Rutherford, who has practiced law nearly 30 years, said the case “no one has ever seen like this” and expressed disbelief over the decision.</p><p>The legal battle highlighted vivid divisions in the case’s narrative. Prosecutors recounted that Chow chased the teenager more than 130 yards (119 meters) from the store, and that the teen’s semi‑automatic pistol fell to the ground during the pursuit. Several witnesses testified they saw no gun in the teen’s hand and did not see him point any weapon as he ran. Defense closed by stating “the case is not about a shoplifter; it is about a father who sees a gun pointed at his son.”</p><p>In the wake of the shooting, the community held vigils and protests outside the store, marking a bottle of water for each victim with the letters of the teen’s name. The city and its residents are now left grappling with questions of safety, conflict resolution, and community healing.</p>
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