Author: Breaking Local News Report
HARRISBURG, PA—Christopher Van Johnson, 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced on July 17, 2024, to seven consecutive life sentences for his role in the brutal murders of three individuals on June 25, 2016, in Mercersburg, Franklin County. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, who also imposed concurrent 10, 20, and 30-year terms of imprisonment for related robbery, firearms, and conspiracy charges. According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the conviction followed a seven-year investigation into the murders of Wendy Ann Chaney, 39, of Hagerstown, MD; Brandon Cole, 47, of Fayetteville, PA; and…
PITTSBURGH, PA—U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today that twelve individuals from the Pittsburgh area have been charged with various narcotics and firearms offenses. A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh returned a three-count indictment naming Cody Duncan, 33, of Verona; Ronell Cathie, 30, of Pittsburgh; Melvin Gaines, 29, of Oakmont; Curtis Williams, 27, of Pittsburgh; Malik Martinez, 27, of Pittsburgh; Cayce Williams, 22, of Pittsburgh; Devaughn Faulk, 27, of Pittsburgh; and Antonio Arrington, 22, of Pittsburgh. The indictment was unsealed today following their arrests. The defendants are alleged to be members and associates of the Zhoove street gang, which operated…
CONCORD, NH—Walter Velez, 41, of Manchester, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante handed down the sentence following Velez’s guilty plea on April 2, 2024, to four counts of distribution of controlled substances. In April 2023, Velez sold significant quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine to a confidential informant on four separate occasions at his business, Velez Alignment & Auto Services, LLC, located at 416 Lake Avenue in Manchester. The transactions involved over 200 grams…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Joseph Brody, 24, of Springfield, Virginia, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for his role in the January 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Brody, who pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers on February 21, 2024, was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich. Court documents reveal that Brody attended the former President’s rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, with friends and acquaintances. After the rally, they moved to the Capitol building, entering through the Senate…
NEW BALTIMORE, MI—A 56-year-old Macomb County man has set a new record by winning the largest Fantasy 5 prize since the game’s inception in 2004. The anonymous player won an astounding $963,040 jackpot by matching the Fantasy 5 numbers in the June 26 drawing: 04-05-08-22-38. The winning ticket was purchased at Smoker’s Express, located at 51124 D W Seaton Drive in New Baltimore. “I play Fantasy 5 every single day,” the player shared. The day after the drawing, he was at work when he heard about the big win. Curious, he checked MichiganLottery.com to find out where the winning ticket…
CLINTON, NC—Celsa Lopez Paz of Clinton struck it big with a $5 scratch-off ticket, winning a $200,000 top prize. Lopez Paz purchased her winning Red Hot Slots ticket from Tropicana Supermarket on Southeast Boulevard in Clinton. She claimed her prize at lottery headquarters, where after state and federal tax withholdings, she took home $143,001. The Red Hot Slots game, which debuted in May, initially offered five $200,000 top prizes. With Lopez Paz’s win, three of these top prizes remain to be claimed.
CHICAGO, IL—A routine grocery trip turned into a life-changing moment for one lucky Illinois Lottery player who purchased a $2 million winning Powerball ticket. The ticket, bought for the Saturday, July 13 drawing, was sold at Foodsmart, a family-owned grocery store located at 3415 W. Diversey Ave. in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. “We are so excited,” shared the owner of Foodsmart. “When I heard that we sold a $2 million winning Powerball ticket, I thought, ‘What a lucky day for somebody… and for us, too!’” The winner, who remains unidentified, matched all five numbers and added the game’s ‘Power Play’…
ROCKVILLE, MD—On July 20, 2024, at approximately 1:40 AM, Rockville City Police, along with Montgomery County Fire Rescue Services, responded to a report of a shooting in the 1200 block of First Street. Preliminary investigations revealed that an adult victim sustained a minor injury after several rounds were fired. The victim declined medical treatment at the scene. Rockville City Police Department detectives are actively investigating the incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact Corporal Reidy at 240-314-8973 or via email at KReidy@RockvilleMD.Gov. Informants may choose to remain anonymous.
STOKESDALE, NC—Juan Garcia of Stokesdale had an already great month that got even better when he won the first $200,000 top prize in the new scratch-off game Triple Red 777’s. Garcia purchased the $5 ticket at Compare Foods on Silas Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem. “I’ve already had a great month with some stuff in my personal life,” Garcia said. “Now my finances are great too.” Not a frequent scratch-off buyer, Garcia decided to try his luck and was thrilled with the result. “I was scratching it and I’m like, ‘That can’t be right,’” Garcia recalled. “It was crazy.” Excited by…
BISCOE, NC—Rosamaria Munoz took a chance on a $5 scratch-off ticket and walked away with a $250,000 top prize. Munoz purchased her winning Power 5s ticket from the Tobacco & Beverage Outlet located on North Main Street in Candor. Munoz collected her prize at the lottery headquarters on Friday. After the mandatory state and federal tax withholdings, she took home $178,751. The Power 5s game, which debuted in October, originally featured six $250,000 top prizes. With Munoz’s win, two top prizes of $250,000 remain to be claimed. Congratulations to Rosamaria Munoz on her incredible win!