Republican Crime Blotter -- Human Trafficking And Prostitution Edition

 

Scratch a Republican, get a perv:

Authorities on Friday arrested state Representative Brett Easterbrook, a Republican who represented House District 65 for the past eight years, on charges of first-degree human trafficking and prostitution as part of a sting that led to the arrests of at least a dozen other men.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office confirmed over the weekend that the arrest stemmed from a multiday operation that also led to the arrests of at least two other public officials in the area: Satsuma City School Board President Kory Wesley faces charges of first-degree human trafficking and attempting to elude law enforcement, and Orange Beach Public Works Director Timothy Tucker faces a prostitution charge.

Authorities say more information is forthcoming but have yet to provide details of the sting that would explain the nature of the individual charges. First-degree human trafficking is a Class A felony punishable by life in prison, while prostitution—meaning the solicitation of a prostitute—is a misdemeanor.

First-degree human trafficking indicates that the victim was subjected to labor or sexual servitude through coercion or deception, or that a minor was involved.

The worst people always seem to be part of the worst party/cult.

(Photo: angry MAGAt mug shot / Escambia County Sheriff's Office)

Republican Crime Blotter: MAGA Fraudsters

 

It's hard to miss all the MAGA crime and corruption on the main stage in Washington, DC, but there's plenty going on further down the MAGA Republican food chain.  Two Republicans, two crime sprees.

Utah:

State Representative Trevor Lee has been charged with multiple felonies after allegedly taking thousands of dollars from a local company in cash advances in order to submit false income statements. He has since announced his resignation.

Lee has been charged with one count of communications fraud over $5000, one count of mortgage fraud over $5000 (both second-degree felonies), and one count of forgery (third-degree felony). He is also charged with possessing a forgery device (third-degree felony).

According to court documents, Lee requested cash advances from a company to show increased income and told the company CEO that he would make them “whole” by securing the company a government contract with Hill Air Force Base.

Lee also allegedly forged the company’s CEO’s signature in order to obtain a housing loan. The loan, which was $1,000,000 required multiple documents showing Lee’s salary. However, he allegedly submitted fraudulent documents to the loaning company, a forged employment contract and a loan application that included $93,000 in cash advances.

He also submitted an employment offer letter that “he knew did not reflect genuine employment or payable income,” court documents state.

Lee has served District 16 since 2023 and was set to leave office in 2027 after losing re-election. However, in a statement released today, the legislature confirmed that Lee would be resigning from the House of Representatives effective immediately.  [snip]

Lee first came under scrutiny for alleged financial misdeeds earlier this year, when several individuals created a website titled stoptrevorlee.com. The website highlighted numerous accusations from local companies against Lee.

According to that website, Lee received numerous checks from a pest control company and would cash them using his bank’s mobile deposit feature. Then, he would alter the check number and deposit it again.

Allegedly, Lee defrauded the pest control company of $3,100. However, the company said they would not press charges but told him they never wanted to see him in the public eye. Lee has not been criminally charged in relation to this incident....

In addition to the sticky fingers, he's also got MAHA and homophobe bigot in his DNA:

The Utah Republican sponsored/cosponsored multiple bills while in office, including one that would allow licensed pharmacists to sell or dispense human-approved ivermectin over the counter without a prescription or healthcare provider consultation, which failed and was opposed by the Utah Medical Association and the Utah Nurses Association over risks of improper use and drug resistance.

Another bill would have renamed Harvey Milk Blvd. in Salt Lake City to Charlie Kirk Blvd., a thing which would not help his constituents put food on the table, but it would have owned the libs, right? ...

He seems nice.  Don't forget to pack the soap-on-a-rope for the slammer!

California:

Gaea Powell echoed a core idea from the Make America Great Again movement when she ran for San Luis Obispo County clerk-recorder earlier this year, arguing for new voter ID rules to improve “election integrity” in the Central California county. 

But it turns out this conservative candidate wasn’t following election laws herself. 

A county jury found Powell guilty on nine counts of election fraud last week, including lying about her residence, unlawfully registering to vote and fraudulently voting. The charges stem from 2022 and 2024 elections, when Powell ran for mayor of Arroyo Grande, a small town near Pismo Beach. [snip]

Powell’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 19, according to the district attorney’s office for San Luis Obispo County. The office said in a news release that it was still determining a sentencing recommendation, and it did not state the maximum penalty she could face. Powell told SFGATE by text message that she is facing as much as eight years in jail.  [snip]

Powell is a frequent public commentator at local meetings, and in 2023, she helped organize a rally for Moms for Liberty, a group associated with President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement, against diversity initiatives at nearby schools. Powell’s mayoral opponent in 2024 criticized her for bringing graphic “pornography” to a public meeting, which Powell said she found at a high school library.

Powell’s conviction relates to her activities in 2022 and 2024, when she ran for mayor in Arroyo Grande. The charges filed in April accused her of registering to vote and run for office while knowingly living outside of city limits. The charges also accused her of violating campaign finance laws...

Not surprisingly, she sounds like a mental case -- in other words, like a committed MAGAt.  In their alternate universe, Democrats are always cheating (they're not), so it's perfectly fine for Republicans to cheat (they do).  Their cult leader even told them as much.  With their cult leader and Republicans in general, you can bet that every accusation is a confession.

Republican Crime Blotter -- Child Sexual Molestation Edition

 

The adjudicated sexual abuser Malignant Fascist's party/ cult seems to harbor more than its share of pedophiles, doesn't it?

A former Florida lawmaker and political ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis was arrested Tuesday and accused of molesting a young boy at the child’s home, on fishing excursions and while on a family cruise, arrest records show.

Michael Caruso, a 67-year-old Republican whom DeSantis appointed as Palm Beach County’s clerk of courts and comptroller a year ago, was taken into custody by local police and officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

“Being in a position of public trust provides no shield from accountability,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement Tuesday.

After the arrest was announced, DeSantis suspended Caruso from his post and noted in an executive order that the allegations include lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, kidnapping, child abuse causing mental injury, and luring or enticing a child.

Caruso had regular and unsupervised access to the child, a probable cause affidavit released by the governor’s office said.

Caruso is accused of preying on the boy more than half a dozen times since Thanksgiving 2024, sometimes under the guise of playing “tickle monster,” according to the affidavit...

Also, he was proud to support the crime-fighting (except for pedophilia) Malignant Fascist:

It's as if a large sieve was placed over America and all of the pervs, fascists, crackpots, criminals, liars, etc., were collected, and they called themselves "MAGA / Republicans."

MAGAt Influencer, Jan. 6 Insurrectionists Caught In Human Trafficking Sting

 

No wonder there's such a strong affinity between these slugs and their cult leader:

Florida’s Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd took aim at MAGA influencer and Jan. 6 riot participant Craig Long on Friday after the pro-Trump figure was caught in a human trafficking sting operation.

The sheriff laughed at a press conference that the arrest would provide the influencer with “some content for his social media.”

“Then there's Craig Long we arrested – some of you may recognize him,” Judd said, speaking during a press conference announcing that the sting operation had yielded 266 arrests. 

“He's an influencer, he also owns Craig Long Fitness in Tampa, [Florida] – he was [soliciting]. Did I tell you that he's married? That he's got 125k followers on Instagram, 560k followers on TikTok? Well, I'm gonna give him some content for his social media today.”

According to CBS-affiliate 10 Tampa Bay, Long, 41, was a participant in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and is an influential MAGA influencer and strong supporter of President Donald Trump. He was sentenced to six months in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, but was released after Trump signed a blanket pardon for those who stormed the capitol on his first day back in the White House.

When announcing Long’s arrest, Judd didn’t hold back in criticizing Long for his apparent appreciation for law enforcement.

“He was a previous felon who straightened up – really, what we want to see in life. Now he's an influencer, he moves in big circles, even with the president. This is a photograph of the president and his son not long ago,” Judd said, holding up what appeared to be a photo of Trump with Long.

“We like the fact that he likes the cops – heck, he liked them so much, he got caught up in a sting and got to be rubbing up and real close with the cops. He appreciates law enforcement – well, there you go, he got arrested in a human trafficking sting – influence that for a while.”  (our emphasis)

That's some pretty good (and fair) trolling there, Sheriff!

They also caught fellow January 6 insurrectionist Ryan Yates in the same sting.  Here's the Sheriff holding up his mug shot:

We'll say it again just for emphasis:  the Malignant Fascist and his most devoted cultists represent the lowest form of humanity -- ignorant, violent, predatory sociopaths.

(Screenshots via Yahoo News)

Republican Sex Blotter -- Is Soliciting Teen Sex A Mental Illness, Too?

 

Another day, another hypocritical Republican MAGAt following in his cult leader's felonious footsteps:

Minnesota State Sen. Justin Eichorn is not having a good week.

After the pro-Donald Trump Republican introduced a bill on Monday to add “Trump derangement syndrome” (“TDS”) to the state’s statutory definition of mental illness, he was arrested for attempting to solicit sex from someone he thought was a teenage girl, police say.

According to the Bloomington Police Department, the teen was actually a detective who had arranged to meet the 40-year-old Eichorn at a public location. The politician was arrested shortly after he showed up in a pickup truck.

Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges mentioned Eichorn’s age in a release about the arrest, but did not say he was a state senator.

“As a 40-year-old man, if you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone’s child, you can expect that we are going to lock you up,” he said.

Eichorn had not been officially charged as of Tuesday afternoon, but the Bloomington Police Department said felony charges of soliciting a minor to practice prostitution are pending.

Eichorn’s office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

Meanwhile, many of Eichorn’s Republican colleagues are calling for his resignation, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.

Eichorn and other GOP politicians are seeking to add “Trump derangement syndrome” — a MAGA-world insult — to a list of definitions related to mental health care in Minnesota, CBS News reported...  (our emphasis)

After so many years of so many of these mentally and morally bankrupt Republican slugs showing their true, felonious selves, there's nothing more for us to add except: you get and you are who you vote for.

Republican Crime Blotter: Another Republican DUI Hire

 

Former Fox couch shouter, white Christian nationalist, and current Secretary of Defense (!) Pete Hegseth can take comfort in knowing he's not the only publicly - exposed DEI DUI hire in the Malignant Fascist's orbit:

The chief of staff for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was arrested on drunk driving charges just hours after President Donald Trump concluded his address to Congress, NBC News reported on Wednesday.

Hayden Haynes, who has served on Johnson's staff since 2017 and in the chief of staff role since 2023, "hit a Capitol vehicle around midnight and was arrested and released with a citation to appear in court," said the report.

Capitol Police told NBC News in a statement, “A driver backed into a parked vehicle last night around 11:40 p.m. We responded and arrested them for DUI.”...

Too much "Jesus juice" celebrating the Golden Calf/ Malignant Fascist's triumphant SOTU, eh!?  We might be more sympathetic if it weren't for the destructive hypocrisy of these holier- than- thou guardians of public morality (their cramped, perverse version of it, that is).  

The story notes that the case is under the jurisdiction of the D.C. Office of Attorney General, and therefore can't be ignored by a corrupt U.S. Attorney's Office in the person of ex- Trump attorney Ed Martin covering for Republican miscreants. 

(Image:  DUI Haynes and his boss, white Christian nationalist Speaker Mike "Moses" Johnson / AP)

Republican Crime Blotter: Michele Fiore Edition

Another MAGAt scammer bites the dust, in this case Las Vegas's former Republican city councilwoman and Trump cultist Michele Fiore.  From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

"Prosecutors accused Fiore of raising tens of thousands of dollars through her charity and political action committee for a statue honoring Metropolitan Police Department officer Alyn Beck, who was shot and killed with his partner in 2014. But instead of using the money for the statue, prosecutors said Fiore spent the donations on rent, plastic surgery and payments on her daughter’s wedding.

Fiore 'used a tragedy to line her pockets,' federal prosecutor Dahoud Askar told the jury Thursday.

As the guilty verdict was read Thursday afternoon, Fiore looked straight ahead, her hands clasped in front of her. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey scheduled sentencing for Jan. 6." (our emphasis)

You couldn't ask for a more perfect example of a Trumper and a venal scammer than Fiore.  Siphoning funds for a tribute to a police officer for her own personal benefit (like her mentor the Malignant Loser did with his "charities"). Also, the sentencing date of January 6 is ironic and appropriate for this greedy hack, who would like to see our republic turned into a lawless, Trumpist dictatorship.

(photo: Bang bang, you're done/ Michele Fiore)

Republican Crime Blotter: Embezzlement, Sexual Assault On The Side

 

The day after voters in a Michigan special election voted in two Democrats to the State House of Representatives, flipping the chamber and giving Dems the majority, we see more of the rot of the Malignant Loser's/ Don Snoreleone's Christofascist cult:

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's (D) office has charged former state representative Lee Chatfield (R) — who was speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives in 2019 and 2020 — with 13 felonies after a lengthy investigation.

Local news site MLive reported that Chatfield and his wife, Stephanie, have both been charged with embezzlement, conducting a criminal enterprise and various other financial crimes. Nessel said the charges were filed as the result of a years-long investigation that began in 2021.

"Our investigation has uncovered evidence that Lee Chatfield used various different schemes to embezzle, steal and convert both private and public monies to fund a lavish lifestyle that a state salary could not possibly afford," Nessel said during a press conference.

Nessel's office uncovered the alleged crimes while probing both Chatfield's campaign accounts as well as a nonprofit "dark money" organization called the Peninsula Fund. Both Chatfield and his wife allegedly used Peninsula's account to pay for opulent vacations and excursions, including a $32,000 trip to the Bahamas, a family vacation to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and purchases of luxury items.

"The evidence shows that Stephanie Chatfield made payments to Lee Chatfield’s personal credit cards directly from Peninsula Fund accounts," Nessel said.

According to CBS News, the charge of conducting a criminal enterprise carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The four counts of embezzlement of funds from a nonprofit organization (between $1,000 and $20,000) each come with a maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years and/or a $15,000 fine. The three charges of embezzlement by a public officer of more than $50 each carry a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years along with a $10,000 fine. 

Chatfield is also facing one charge of conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a nonprofit organization — punishable by up to 10 years in prison — three counts of embezzlement and one felony count of violating the Charitable Trust Act. The latter two alleged crimes are each punishable by up to five years in prison.

In addition to Chatfield and his wife, Nessel also charged Anné and Rob Minard in the investigation, who worked as Chatfield's political director and chief of staff, respectively. Both are charged with more than a dozen counts of embezzlement for allegedly raiding those same accounts to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  [snip]

"That the egregious, and blatant embezzlement of taxpayer dollars and nonprofit funds for personal enrichment were able to go undetected for so long underscores a failure of our current laws to prohibit corruption in state government,” Benson told reporters. “This culture of corruption must end. Our citizens deserve better than this.”

Nessel's investigation into Chatfield began after his sister-in-law accused him of repeated sexual assaults for roughly a decade, though Chatfield denied those allegations and described it as a consensual affair. Nessel credited her for being the catalyst of the investigation, but said the investigation into those allegations had been closed, saying "we cannot reach the appropriate proofs required as it relates to the allegations of sexual assault."

To such felonious felons, the world in general, government in particular, and even charities are all just a giant open cash drawer, there for the grubbing and grabbing because, well, they're entitled!  The added (alleged!) sexual hijinks and perversion only add a patina of Biblical hypocrisy so common among these crumb-bums. 

It truly is the Malignant Loser's / Don Snoreleone's party / cult.

(Image:  Chatfield and ... you know)

Republican Crime Blotter -- Momma, Don't Raise Your Sons To Be Felons

 

Maybe -- hear us out -- maybe the mother of this felonious delinquent should be paying more attention to her family, and not engaging in a carpetbagging run for Congress, or fondling dates in dark theaters:

The 18-year-old son of far-right Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) was arrested on Tuesday afternoon following “a recent string of vehicle trespass and property thefts” in Rifle, Colorado, said police.

Tyler Jay Boebert faces 22 charges.

They include four felony counts of criminal possession of ID documents, one felony count of conspiracy to commit a felony and 15 misdemeanor and petty offenses, Rifle Police Department wrote on Facebook. [snip]

On the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office website, Tyler Boebert on Wednesday morning remained listed as a current inmate at Garfield County Jail.

No bond has been set for his release.

Tyler Boebert became a father for the first time last year.

His Boebert genes already being passed on at the age of 17!  He's following in his mother's footsteps (she became a "mother" at 18)!  Republican family values, Boebert style!

BONUS:  Karma is also a bitch.

(Image:  the mug shot / Rifle Police Department)

Republican Crime Blotter: Police Investigating Ziegler

Florida's Republican Chairman and adulterous party boy Christian Ziegler may have thought his scandalous behavior with his Christofascist book banning wife Bridget and another female would go away if he rode it out. It appears now that in addition to he and his wife violating their supposed religious beliefs, he may have broken the law when he secretly videotaped his encounter with the female who says he raped her. Sarasota, FL, authorities are investigating: 

"Sarasota authorities are expanding their investigation into Florida Republican Chair Christian Ziegler to probe whether he broke any laws when he allegedly recorded a sexual encounter with a woman accusing him of rape, according to a search warrant affidavit. [snip]

The new revelation adds to the mounting problems for Ziegler, who has insisted that the Oct. 2 sexual encounter was consensual and has refused to step down from his role with the GOP despite Gov. Ron DeSantis and other top Florida Republicans urging him to resign. The party’s executive board members stripped Ziegler of his power and salary during a meeting in Orlando on Dec. 17.

Ziegler’s wife Bridget Ziegler, who co-founded the conservative parents group Moms for Liberty, has also faced accusations of hypocrisy in part because she told police during the probe that she had a consensual sexual encounter with the victim and her husband about a year ago. Bridget Ziegler has pushed traditional family values and was an outspoken supporter of Florida’s law that bans teachers from instructing students on sexual orientation and gender identity, known by opponents as 'Don’t Say Gay.'”  (our emphasis)

The videotape should corroborate the victim's story about Ziegler forcing himself on her. He's quite the misogynist thug, and a moron at that for taping his alleged crime. He'll go far in Republican politics. 

 

Republican Crime Blotter: Dillinger Schillinger

 

This nice Republican gangsta lady just wanted to defy COVID restrictions keep kids in schools, you know, for political reasons the kids' sake.  And nothing says caring about the kids more than supplying alcohol and duking it out with them:

A former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor candidate and outspoken voice in the conservative “parental rights” school movement has been charged with punching a teenager while hosting an underage drinking party at her Bucks County home in September. 

Clarice Schillinger, 36, is facing criminal charges of assault, harassment and furnishing minors with alcohol during her daughter’s birthday party, according to the case filed in late October. Her attorney has denied all charges and said she will fight them in court.

Schillinger made an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor as a Republican last year and has played an instrumental role in a political action committee that has poured more than $800,000 into Pennsylvania school district races since 2021. The PAC has focused on supporting school board candidates who opposed COVID-19 lockdowns and argue left-wing ideologies are invading the education system.

In the recent criminal case, Schillinger is accused of punching a partygoer several times in the face during a series of alleged outbursts by drunken adults at her home on Liz Circle in Doylestown, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The documents state that during the event — which started Sept. 29 and went past midnight — Schillinger’s then-boyfriend allegedly grabbed a 16-year-old by the neck for intervening in a fight between the couple and hit a 15-year-old in the face during an argument over football. According to the allegations in court papers, her intoxicated mother also punched the older teen in the eye and chased him around the kitchen island. Police said they had cellphone recordings of some of these reported events.

To escape the unruly adults, several minors started making their way out of the home, even as Schillinger ordered them to stay, court documents allege.  [snip]

Schillinger had been throwing a 17th birthday party for her daughter that night, hosting about 20 teens in her basement, where there was a bar stocked with New Amsterdam vodka and Malibu Bay Breeze rum, police wrote in the affidavit. In addition to supplying the underage group with alcohol, she allegedly poured liquor for the teens, asked them to take a shot with her and played beer pong with them, witnesses later told authorities.

State law makes it illegal to serve or allow minors to drink alcohol.  [snip]

Dissatisfied with school closures that followed the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Schillinger created a political committee to help fund school board candidates who made strict adherence to in-person education their top campaign promise.

That PAC, Keeping Kids In School, focused more closely to school districts near Schillinger’s former home in Ambler, Montgomery County, by giving out thousands of dollars to smaller PACs backing slates of candidates running on an “open schools” platform.

Bucks County venture capitalist and Central Bucks parent Paul Martino took notice of Schillinger’s PAC before the municipal primary in May 2021, and the two created Back To School PA later that summer... (our emphasis)

As we've always said, scratch a Republican, get a hypocrite. There's more from the police report at the link, if you need more proof.

(Image:  only the best people! / screenshot via Twitter)

Republican Crime Blotter -- The Anti-Choice Groomer

A garden variety Republican "pro-life" predator.   Shocked not shocked:

An Alabama Department of Education employee who formerly chaired a pro-life group in the state has been fired after he was arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.

Marty Decole Wagner, 32, was indicted by a Montgomery grand jury on June 30 and arrested Wednesday, according to court documents and local media reports. His arrest came after he allegedly subjected a child under the age of 12 to "sexual contact."

"The allegations against Mr. Wagner are serious, tragic and shocking," the Alabama State Department of Education said in a statement Thursday. "While he was employed by our department for only a few months, Mr. Wagner has been terminated effective immediately. No further information is available at this time as the investigation is ongoing."

Wagner, according to Alabama Political Reporter, had been employed by the state department of education in government relations up until his arrest.

In 2018, the outlet reported that Wagner had been selected to chair the anti-abortion committee Alliance for a Pro-Life Alabama, working "with a variety of Republican lawmakers and rightwing organizations to raise money and garner sponsorship."...

See, you need to have those babies born in order have someone to sexually abuse later on in life.  It's like supply- side economics, right?!

(Photo:  Wagner, in Trump orange /Montgomery, AL, Police Department)

Republican Crime Blotter: The Constitushonal Sheriff

 

 

Crackpot Republican sheriff gets busted in Virginia:

A Virginia sheriff who prosecutors say offered police badges and gun permits in exchange for payments or political contributions has been indicted on bribery charges.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Culpeper County Sheriff Scott H. Jenkins (R) accepted at least $72,500 in cash and campaign contributions beginning in 2019 from donors he agreed to appoint as “auxiliary deputy sheriffs,” according to a 38-page indictment unsealed Thursday. In prosecutors’ telling, Jenkins schemed to enrich himself while at the same time using his office to expand access to firearms in the suburban Virginia county.

Jenkins, 51, was first elected in 2011 and is running for a fourth term in November. Staff at the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to questions about the indictment Thursday. Jenkins and three co-defendants were scheduled to appear in federal court in Charlottesville on Thursday afternoon. All four were in custody, court records show.

“Scott Jenkins not only violated federal law but also violated the faith and trust placed in him by the citizens of Culpeper County by accepting cash bribes in exchange for auxiliary deputy badges and other benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia, whose office is prosecuting the case with the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section. “Our elected officials are expected to uphold the rule of law, not abuse their power for their own personal, financial gain.”

Following a mass killing in Virginia Beach in May 2019, Culpeper County officials voted to become a “Second Amendment Constitutional County” and established the auxiliary deputies, who are unpaid volunteers with some police powers and firearms-carrying privileges that go beyond what those who don’t work in law enforcement can get.  [snip]

Prosecutors said Jenkins charged between $5,000 to $21,000 to would-be auxiliaries, including three Virginia men who were indicted alongside him: Rick Tariq Rahim, 55, of Great Falls; Fredric Gumbinner, 64, of Fairfax; and James Metcalf, 60, of Manassas. They were charged with conspiracy, fraud and bribery and could face up to decades in prison. No lawyer was immediately listed for the men in court records.

Jenkins let each of them know the badge and identification card issued by the sheriff’s office authorized them to carry a concealed firearm in any state without obtaining another permit, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Jenkins also accepted bribes from others who were not named in the indictment, including two undercover FBI agents. One of the undercover agents gave Jenkins an envelope with $5,000 immediately after being sworn in as an auxiliary deputy and receiving a badge, the indictment says. The second undercover agent posed as a convict. Federal law generally bars people convicted of felonies or domestic violence from possessing firearms. The agent gave Jenkins an envelope with $10,000 after being sworn in as an auxiliary deputy, according to the indictment. [snip]

“I appreciate what support you've given me, but you didn't do it for nothing,” Jenkins said about Rahim in a 2022 conversation quoted in the indictment. “You got a … a clean slate to carry a, not only carry a gun, we followed it up with swearing you in. Name another sheriff in the whole state of Virginia that would do that.”...

Well, hopefully, you're unique in Virginia at least, Scotty boy.

Meanwhile, wtf Culpeper voters?  The guy's not only a crook but one of those "constitutional sheriffs" who are basically Posse Comitatus flakes with a badge (which he'd be happy to sell to you, of course), named by the Anti-Defamation League as an anti- government extremist group.  Just the kind of person you want keeping the peace.

(Photo:  Ok, we'll go there -- oink -- / via Twitter/@mgreen7762 and @LynneVogt09)

 

Republican Crime Blotter: Ohio Racketeer Sentenced

The former Republican speaker of Ohio's House of Representatives Larry Householder was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in Federal prison for directing a $60 million bribery scheme involving an energy provider and a former chair of the Ohio Republican party Matt Borges. The two were convicted earlier this year on a single racketeering charge. The Associated Press reports:

"Jurors found that Householder orchestrated and Borges participated in a $60 million bribery scheme secretly funded by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. to secure Householder’s power, elect his allies, pass legislation containing a $1 billion bailout for two aging nuclear power plants owned by a FirstEnergy affiliate and then to use a dirty tricks campaign to stifle a ballot effort to overturn the bill.

Federal prosecutors had recommended Householder receive 16 to 20 years, holding in a sentencing memo that he 'acted as the quintessential mob boss, directing the criminal enterprise from the shadows and using his casket carriers to execute the scheme.' That strategy, they said, gave Householder 'plausible deniability.'” (our emphasis)

He checks all the boxes for leadership in the MAGA cult party: hypocrisy, greed, dishonesty, lawlessness, betrayal of trust, etc. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Timothy Black saw through Householder's pretense of being a good family man with some potty-mouth quotes from him:

".... Black threw back at Householder evidence counter to the family man image he had presented. He quoted Householder’s own statements, presented at trial, saying: “If you’re going to f—- with me, I’m going to f—- with your kids,” “we can f— with him later” and “f—- him ’til he’s dead.”

Black called Householder 'a bully with a lust for power' whose scheme marked an 'assault on democracy, the betrayal of everyone in Ohio.' That included the Ohioans who donated to, campaigned for and voted for Householder, the judge said.

'That wasn’t their way of just saying I like you or I support you. What they were saying is I’m choosing to trust you,' said Black. 'They trusted you to do right by them, and you betrayed their trust.'”  (our emphasis)

There's every reason to believe that Householder will appeal the sentence, because as a MAGA cultist, he also believes rules and laws are for other people.

(photo: Republican racketeer Householder/ Nick Swartsell, WVXU)

 

Republican Sex Predator Crime Blotter

Far-right Texas State Representative Bryan Slaton resigned from the state legislature just before his colleagues were to vote him out for having sex with a 19 year old staff member. A committee concluded in a 16 page report that Slaton, 45, had engaged in "inappropriate sexual conduct" with the aid on April 1 of this year. The Texas Tribune has the details:

"Slaton was among the most socially conservative lawmakers in the chamber and had been one of this session’s loudest voices for cracking down on drag shows and decrying drag artists as 'groomers' who want to sexualize kids.

The committee report said Slaton had invited the 19-year-old woman to his Austin apartment late March 31 and gave her a large cup of rum and coke, then refilled it twice — rendering her unable to 'effectively consent to intercourse and could not indicate whether it was welcome or unwelcome.'

In other questionable actions, Slaton also provided alcohol to the aide and another woman under the age of 21 on several occasions, the report said.

The report also alleged that after Slaton and the woman had unprotected sex in the early hours of April 1, Slaton drove her home, and she later went to a drugstore to purchase Plan B medication to prevent a pregnancy. Slaton, a staunch abortion opponent, later tried to intimidate the woman and her friends into not speaking about the incident, the report said."  (our emphasis)

Isn't it always the loudest self-righteous Christofascist voices that prove to be utter hypocrites and worse? Here's an excerpt from his official biography:

"Bryan Slaton is a proud East Texan with values and principles that represent the great people of East Texas. These values were formed as he grew up regularly participating in church and family gatherings. Bryan attended Ouachita Baptist University, where he earned a double major in Youth Ministry/Speech Communication. He then attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and earned a Masters of Divinity with Biblical Languages. He served in the ministry as a Youth and Family Minister for 13 years." (our emphasis)

Fox meet chicken coop. This creep paraded around as a defender of kids and a family man, all the while preying on young legislative staffers. The Texas Tribune reports that his resignation statement was also typically repulsive:

"Slaton did not address the inappropriate relationship that led to his downfall in his resignation letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, saying instead that he looked forward to spending more time with his young family. He was not on the House floor Monday."  (our emphasis)

We're sure his wife will be delighted to spend more time with him. 

(photo: "Can we leave my name out of the report?" Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune)

 

Republican Crime Blotter: Incest Groomer Edition

A former Republican candidate for state Senate in South Dakota was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fines after being convicted for felony incest with his underage daughter. Joel Koskan had been sexually abusing her as a child for years, exposing her to "sexual grooming" behaviors and not using contraceptives. He later put pressure on her not to come forward. Under a plea bargain agreement, charges of rape were dropped in exchange for Koskan's guilty plea of felony incest. 

With his record, we're certain that he'll be a rising star in South Dakota's reactionary Republican Party once he gets out of the South Dakota State Penitentiary. 

BONUS:  In more Republican groomer news, a Missouri State Senator supports 12-year-olds getting married.

(photo: Koskan in cuffs/ Shannon Marvel, Capitol Journal, Pierre, SD)

 

Republican Crime Blotter: Santos To Admit Guilt In Fraud Case

 

 

Justice, of a sort, has come for Republican pathological liar (no, not the Malignant Loser) Rep. George "Devolder / Kitara" Santos (Trumper-NY) in ... Brazil:

Prosecutors in Brazil have agreed to a deal with Rep. George Santos in a case in which he is accused of defrauding a Rio de Janeiro area clerk of $1,300 over clothes and shoes in 2008, documents obtained by CNN show.

A petition from Santos’ attorney requesting a deal says Santos would agree to formally confess to the crime and pay damages to the victim, a Rio de Janeiro area clerk, as is required under Brazilian law.

A memo from prosecutors agreeing to the deal last week asked the defense for assurances they have the ability to contact the victim to repay him before the deal is finalized.

In a statement to CNN, the prosecutors’ office acknowledged the memo but stressed that the deal is not final until all conditions are met.

The petition from Santos’ attorney, filed in January, requests a non-prosecutorial agreement in lieu of a trial for his client, arguing that Santos is now gainfully employed and “re-socialized.” The petition also requested permission for Santos to be contacted by the court via email or phone, and participate in the proceedings via videoconference.

You may recall, in an interview in December with Rupert's New York Post, Santos claimed he hadn't committed any crime "in Brazil, or in any jurisdiction in the world."  You could have taken that to the bank (maybe SVB)!

Santos still faces criminal investigations by the State of New York and by the Federal Government (including an investigation by the the House Ethics Committee).  We'll see if the "rule of law" means something more in Brazil than it does here.

(Photo:  Would he lie to you?/ Jonathan Ernst, Reuters)

Republican Crime Blotter: Shoot 'Em Up Solomon

 

 

Just your typical election- denying Republican/ Seditionist/ criminal candidate:

Police in Albuquerque, N.M., arrested Solomon Peña, a former Republican candidate for the state House of Representatives, on Monday in connection with multiple shootings at local Democratic politicians’ homes, authorities said.

Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said Peña is accused of conspiring with and paying four other men to shoot at the homes of two county commissioners and two state legislators. He was arrested after a brief standoff with a local SWAT team.

The department has been investigating at least six shootings, which occurred between Dec. 4 and Jan. 5. Four of those have been linked to Peña, police said, and two others are still under investigation.

“It is believed that he is the mastermind behind this,” Medina said at a news conference Monday, per NBC News.

During one attack on Dec. 11, at least 12 bullets were fired at a county commissioner’s home, the Albuquerque Journal reported. During another shooting on Jan. 3, multiple shots were fired at state Rep. Linda Lopez’s home, including three bullets that went through her 10-year-old daughter’s bedroom.

Peña launched an unsuccessful bid for New Mexico’s 14th House district in 2022, losing by 47 percentage points to his Democratic opponent, state Rep. Miguel Garcia. The Albuquerque Journal notes that Peña has continued to dispute the results of the race, claiming election fraud.

He faced criticism during his bid after Garcia filed a suit to disqualify him from office over a 2008 conviction for stealing in a “smash and grab” robbery. He served seven years in prison, but a judge ruled that local laws barring convicted felons from office were unconstitutional.  (our emphasis)

When your response to losing an election by 47 points is to claim election fraud, and then proceed to "mastermind" at least six shootings at Democratic officeholders' homes, you definitely have a future in MAGA world (after you complete your latest time in the slammer, that is).

(Screenshot:  Peña in his MAGA regalia/ Solomon Peña Twitter)

Republican Crime Blotter: The Pill Pilfering Pol

 

Ho-hum.  Another upstanding law- and- order Republican politician's shady side exposed, again only after an election:

A Republican arrested after winning his race for a seat in the Georgia House has decided to step aside instead of facing a possible suspension as soon as he was sworn into office later this month,

The decision by Danny Rampey means a special election will be held on Jan. 31 to choose the new representative for the House seat based around Winder, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Rampey, 67, was arrested last month after investigators said he stole prescription narcotics at the retirement complex he manages.  [snip]

Rampey was charged in Barrow County with six counts of obtaining drugs by misrepresentation or theft, six counts of exploiting an elder or disabled adult, five counts of burglary and one count of drug possession.

Rampey and his family own a chain of personal care homes in northeast Georgia. Authorities said they began investigating him after missing prescription narcotics were reported.

Since Rampey won his election in November without Democratic opposition, he'll be replaced by another upstanding law- and- order Republican by the benighted voters of his deep- red district, who value nothing more than the "R" after a candidate's name, because it means sticking it to the rest of us.

(Photo:  A face only a Republican could love/ Barrow County Sheriff's Office)

Republican Crime Blotter -- "In God We Trust," But Not In This Dude

The promising career of another Christofascist Republican hits a speed bump:

Michael Capps, a former Kansas lawmaker who once sponsored a bill to put the words “In God We Trust” in every federal building, has been found guilty of committing COVID relief fraud and money laundering.

His career wasn’t supposed to end this way. In 2018, the Republican was appointed to the Kansas State House and won his own election bid later that year. Like other members of his party, he used his time in office to push Christianity on everyone. That’s why, in addition to his anti-trans and anti-abortion bills, Capps sponsored a bill to put “In God We Trust” in public buildings, including public schools.

Capps even defended the bill by citing former president John Adams: “Statesmen may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand.”

That bill eventually died in committee, but Capps’ point was clear: It was necessary to promote religion and morality because, in his mind, those two things were synonymous.

The Wichita Eagle picks up the illegal particulars of the story:

Michael Capps, a 44-year-old Wichita business owner, was found guilty Wednesday of 12 felony charges for lying on applications for federal COVID-19 relief aid while he was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives. 

A federal jury announced the decision at 4 p.m. Wednesday after deliberating more than eight hours over multiple days. The FBI began investigating Capps after a 2020 Wichita Eagle investigation found Capps inflated payroll information, revenues and employee numbers to maximize federal awards to three entities under his control — Midwest Business Group, Krivacy and the nonprofit Fourth and Long Foundation.

Krivacy and Fourth and Long are both defunct. Midwest Business Group, which Capps co-owns with Uber driver and former Wichita City Council member James Clendenin, recently closed its downtown office. A federal grand jury indicted Capps in September 2021. His trial focused on 18 felony charges related to COVID-19 fraud. He was found guilty on multiple counts of making false and fraudulent statements, bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering.

Capps defrauded Emprise Bank, U.S. Small Business Administration and Kansas Department of Commerce out of $355,550 in COVID-19 recovery funds, the jury found. He then transferred the money through business and personal accounts, including some money that went into investment funds. 

Capps remains out on bond while he awaits his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for March 10. He could face millions of dollars in fines and decades in prison. 

You may recall the case of another Christofascist Republican lawmaker recently caught up in Covid relief fraud.   Then there were those January 6 seditionists who happily took Covid relief funds then stormed the Capitol where those relief funds were authorized. 

You might say it's a pandemic.

(Photo:  goodbye grift, hello prison/ screenshot from Only Sky)