Men accused of torturing rival with hot sauce in Florida & 5 more legal cases
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Thousands of legal cases reach U.S. courts every year. From accusations of mistreatment in prisons to fraud to sexual abuse and beyond, here are some of the latest from across the country.
Sisters spend over $844K on FL company credit cards in years-long scheme, feds say
In Florida, sisters Kimberly Lovitt and Amy Williams were sentenced to prison over embezzling more than $844,000 from their employer using company credit cards, federal prosecutors say. The sisters, who worked for a Pensacola business, used the cards for personal expenses and falsified documents to cover their tracks, according to prosecutors. They have pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering. | Published May 27 | Read More
Jail official forces subordinates to perform free labor at his MA home, feds say
In Massachusetts, Thomas Brady, a former jail official, is accused of forcing employees to perform free labor at his home, according to federal prosecutors. Brady, who was the deputy superintendent of jail operations, is accused of using his position to coerce staff into doing household repairs during work hours. He faces charges of extortion and bribery, with potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors say. | Published May 28 | Read More
Convicted sex offender poses as MLB prospect to steal from VA family, feds say
In Virginia, Janike Dunbar Holt, a convicted sex offender, pleaded guilty to charges related to defrauding a family by posing as a Major League Baseball prospect, according to federal prosecutors. Holt used burner phones to deceive the family into believing he was signing with an MLB team, leading them to sell their cars and give him money, prosecutors say. He also failed to register as a sex offender in Virginia, according to prosecutors. | Published May 28 | Read More
Executives of CA company bribed cartels to smuggle goods into Mexico, feds say
In California, two executives from a Los Angeles shipping company are accused of running a massive smuggling operation. Ralph Olarte and Humberto Lopez Belmonte bribed officials and cartels to smuggle goods into Mexico, avoiding customs duties for over a decade, federal prosecutors say. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include conspiracy and money laundering, court records show. | Published May 29 | Read More
Men bound, tortured rival ‘drug trafficker’ with hot sauce in Florida, feds say
In Florida, three men were sentenced to prison over kidnapping and torturing a rival “drug trafficker,” federal prosecutors say. Mario Espino, Jacob James Guest, and Joey Lawrence Eugene Young held Gadiel Leger captive, pouring hot sauce on him and demanding a ransom, according to court documents. The men were convicted of drug trafficking, kidnapping, and firearm charges. | Published May 30 | Read More
School cop ‘unnecessarily’ body-slams, then arrests 17-year-old, GA lawsuit says
In Georgia, Omauri Stephens is suing his former high school, saying the school’s then-chief of police, Bradley Gober, “unnecessarily” body-slammed and wrongfully arrested him. The incident occurred at Redan High School in Stone Mountain, and Stephens was detained for three days without his family’s notification, his attorney says. Stephens is seeking damages on claims of excessive force and more, the lawsuit says. | Published May 30 | Read More
McClatchy News continues to follow lawsuits and legal cases from around the country. Check back for more legal stories.