Category Archives: crime

Thief’s Roulette

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You arrive in a strange place, surrounded by unfamiliar faces. You and 14 others have been taken and forced to compete for your lives in a series of challenges, hosted by a mysterious woman known only as Lady Luck.

Lady Luck proclaims that these 15 strangers are Thieves, and for that reason, she has brought them here to fight for their survival. To make it out alive, you must complete all of Lady Luck’s Challenges.

Thief’s Roulette is a first-person puzzle game with a mysterious story waiting to be unraveled. At the core of the game lies a series of challenging tasks conducted by Lady Luck herself.

Prepare to face a wide variety of puzzles and obstacles as you navigate through this gripping journey and strive to uncover the truth.
https://www.gamespot.com/games/thiefs-roulette/

Timothy Busfield’s Lawyers Claim Parents of Alleged Sex Abuse Victims Have ‘History of Fraud’

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While requesting Timothy Busfield’s release as he awaits trial for child sex abuse allegations, the director-actor’s lawyers argued that the parents of his underage accusers are motivated by money and revenge, citing their “extraordinarily checkered” pasts.

The West Wing alum, 68, was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse in New Mexico on Tuesday, Jan. 13, after surrendering to Albuquerque police. The warrant for his arrest alleged that he engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with 11-year-old twin boys who were child actors on the set of the FOX series *The Cleaning Lady*, where Busfield served as a director.

Busfield, who is married to actress Melissa Gilbert, has denied all child sex abuse crimes and said in a video obtained by TMZ that he plans to “confront these lies” and “fight.”

In a new opposition court filing submitted on Friday, Jan. 16, Busfield’s lawyers opposed the state’s motion for pretrial detention by, in part, taking aim at the parents of the accusers, Angele LaSalle and Ronald Rodis, citing their “disturbing” histories of alleged fraud, scamming, and more. The filing also claims LaSalle was previously heard stating that she “would ‘get her revenge against Tim Busfield.’”

The filing, obtained by PEOPLE on Saturday, Jan. 17, argues that “the State offers no reliable proof, only allegations advanced by witnesses with documented histories of fraud and financial exploitation, contradicted by a comprehensive studio investigation, and refuted by witnesses and objective risk assessments.”

The state’s case against Busfield, the actor’s lawyers argue in the filing, “rests almost entirely on the accounts” of the “two stage parents,” who “are not neutral observers.”

“Their allegations emerged only after the loss of the twins’ role and only after consultation with civil counsel, creating an obvious financial and retaliatory motive,” the filing states, referring to the child actors’ alleged 2024 recasting in *The Cleaning Lady*, which ran from January 2022 until June 2025. “That motive must be evaluated against the couple’s well-documented history of fraud and dishonesty,” it adds.

### Allegations Against the Accusers’ Parents

First taking aim at the twins’ father, Rodis, the filing claims that his alleged past conduct points to “his willingness to manipulate narratives when money is at stake,” and argues that Rodis is “leveraging a crisis to generate personal financial gain.”

The filing states that Rodis “is a former attorney who was convicted of federal conspiracy and wire fraud and was later disbarred following that prosecution for a multi-million-dollar scheme in which he used his law license to deceive vulnerable victims for profit.” Rodis previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after the scheme, which “defrauded more than 1,500 homeowners of approximately $6 million,” was brought to light, according to the filing.

Additionally, testimony from a director of photography on *The Cleaning Lady* set described Rodis as “pushy and manipulative” and said that he would “frequently encourage and tell the children to hug people on set, including Mr. Busfield.”

The accusers’ mother, LaSalle, has an “equally disturbing history,” the filing states, citing that she “has had multiple civil judgments entered against her for fraudulent and dishonest behavior.” She was sued for “various claims including fraud, conversion, and fraudulent transfer,” including allegedly unlawfully repossessing a Bentley car after selling it and writing bad checks to Las Vegas casinos, according to the filing.

“The fact of the matter is that the parents driving the allegations against Mr. Busfield have an extraordinarily checkered past that casts enormous doubt on the truthfulness of their statements,” the filing states.

Busfield’s lawyers also argue that the parents are motivated by revenge, in addition to money.

PEOPLE was unable to reach attorneys for Rodis and LaSalle.

### Background and Investigations

An investigation into Busfield previously began on Nov. 1, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted police about alleged sexual abuse.

According to the filing, a separate, independent investigation conducted by Warner Bros. Television Studios in 2025 “found not only that allegations against Mr. Busfield were unfounded, but also that Angele LaSalle, after hearing that her children might not be returning for a fourth season, stated to the show’s lead actor that she would ‘get her revenge against Tim Busfield.’”

In a statement to PEOPLE, a Warner Bros. representative said, “The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions. We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action. [We] have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”
https://people.com/timothy-busfield-lawyers-claim-parents-of-alleged-sex-abuse-victims-have-history-of-fraud-11887859

Haverhill 18-year-old charged with murder for September fatal shooting of Lawrence man

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An 18-year-old man from Haverhill was arrested Monday in connection with the murder of a Lawrence man who was shot and killed last September, according to the Essex County District Attorney’s office.

Hector Mota, 18, has been charged with the murder of 27-year-old Hugo Delrosario. Mota was arraigned Monday in Lawrence District Court.

Delrosario was found fatally shot in Lawrence in September, the DA’s office confirmed. In addition to the murder charge, Mota faces one count of carrying a loaded firearm without a license and one count of carrying a firearm without a license, according to court documents.

Mota has been ordered held without bail. He is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause hearing on February 5, 2026.

An attorney representing Mota did not respond to requests for comment Monday night.
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2026/01/12/haverhill-18-year-old-charged-with-murder-for-september-fatal-shooting-of-lawrence-man/

Missing coach wanted on child sex abuse material charges left with gun: Family

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The Virginia high school football coach who went missing on November 20 and was later revealed to be wanted on charges involving child sexual abuse material was last seen walking into the woods with a gun, the coach’s family says.

A statement from a law firm representing the family of Travis Turner, released Friday, said:

“The last known contact the family had with Travis occurred on or about Thursday, November 20, after he left his residence to walk in the woods with a firearm. He is believed to have entered a heavily wooded and mountainous area.”

At that time, the statement from attorney Adrian Collins noted that no warrants had been issued for Turner’s arrest. When Turner did not return home that evening, his wife notified law enforcement.

“She was advised that a missing-person report could not be taken until at least 24 hours had passed,” the attorney’s statement said. “The following day, she filed a missing-person report with the Virginia State Police. The family has cooperated fully with law enforcement in their ongoing efforts to locate Travis.”

Agents with the Virginia State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation Wytheville Field Office were en route to Turner’s home on November 20 as part of an investigation when they were informed he was no longer there, police said.

State police later obtained a total of 10 warrants for Turner, 46, of Appalachia, Virginia, including five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor, authorities confirmed.

Turner is a physical education teacher and head football coach at Union High School, in the Wise County public school district, according to the school’s website.

Amid his disappearance, the football team advanced to the Virginia regional final during a 12-0 season and remains undefeated.

Virginia State Police said earlier this week they are actively searching for Turner.

“Since his disappearance, VSP has utilized a number of assets, including search and rescue teams, drones, and K9s, to assist in the search,” state police said in a statement. “VSP’s main priority is locating Turner safely; he is now considered a fugitive.”

The statement from the Turner family’s attorney added that family members and friends have also been searching the woods.

“These efforts have been limited by weather conditions and with respect for the official operations underway,” the statement said. “It is the family’s prayer that Travis is safe and will have the opportunity to defend himself in a court of law.”
https://abcnews.go.com/US/missing-virginia-football-coach-wanted-child-sexual-abuse/story?id=127971375

Two National Guard members shot in Washington, D.C., AP source says

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Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
https://roanoke.com/news/nation-world/crime-courts/article_a77c609c-ffcf-576a-a1b4-b45bd15d0452.html

Are Pro Sports Gambling Away Their Integrity? – Liberty Nation News

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The sports world was rocked again this week when two pitchers for Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians were arrested on charges related to gambling.

Coming on the heels of the recent indictments of numerous current and former NBA players and a head coach on similarly disturbing allegations in October, the already heated debate about increasingly widespread legal wagering on pro sports has intensified. The overriding concern is about the potential damage it will cause among bettors, not to mention those watching sports simply for pleasure, who will increasingly question whether the games they are wagering on are on the up-and-up.

### The Rich History of Gambling in America

Betting has been a favorite pastime enjoyed by American sports fans for as long as anyone can remember. Until the last decade or so, it was mostly limited to informal bets between individuals, except in gambling meccas like Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

But now, years after the Supreme Court overturned a national ban on betting outside Nevada in 2018, online sports wagering has been legalized in 30 states plus DC, exploding across the land. People can now legally play the odds on almost anything. They are not confined to traditional bets such as whether a team will cover the point spread or the over/under on total points scored in a football game, or the outcome of a baseball or basketball game.

They can now wager on propositions (prop bets) like how many hits a baseball player will get, how many minutes a basketball player will be on the court, or how many passing yards a football quarterback will accumulate. It is these types of wagers that have stirred up the hornet’s nest.

### The Cleveland Pitching Scandal

It was prop bets, the most profitable for online sportsbooks such as FanDuel, Caesar’s, and MGM, that led to the arrests of Cleveland pitchers Emanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. Prosecutors claim that Clase began rigging pitches in 2023, providing information to bettors about the location and velocity of his pitches. Ortiz allegedly joined the scheme in 2025.

The two are accused of manipulating pitches to ensure certain outcomes, such as throwing a ball outside the strike zone, and receiving kickbacks from the bettors.

### Fallout in the NBA and Beyond

Meanwhile, in October, FBI Director Kash Patel ordered the arrest of over 30 current and former NBA figures and Mafia family members in a stunning takedown of two separate illegal gambling-related cases. The scheme reportedly involved using inside information from NBA players to profit from rigged betting on games and high-stakes poker, in which high-profile former pro athletes were used to lure unwitting wealthy victims to the poker table, creating an illusion of a legitimate, high-end game.

Once at the table, the victims played against players and dealers who were in on the scam.

Even a minor sport like wrestling has not been immune to corruption. Fourteen individuals, including two former Rutgers University wrestlers, were charged on November 13 with racketeering and money laundering in a mob-linked, multi-million-dollar illegal sports betting ring not dissimilar to the one uncovered by Patel and the FBI.

### The Tip of a Larger Iceberg?

Are these cases all unique one-offs, or do they represent the tip of a much larger iceberg?

Well, a whopping total of $148 billion was wagered by Americans legally in 2024, and sportsbooks profited to the tune of a record $14 billion. With all that money floating around, the opportunities for corruption are ripe and plentiful.

What makes this even more troubling is that sports franchises are now affiliating with online sportsbooks, in some cases even promoting prop bets during their telecasts. After more than 100 years of warning athletes that gambling is strictly verboten and considered the cardinal sin for competitors, pro sports are teaming up with online gambling sites, rationalizing their partnerships as the best method for keeping a close eye on betting patterns.

But many skeptics have asserted that this is nothing more than a quest for handsome profits.

### MLB’s Response

MLB and its affiliated sportsbooks have responded to the Guardians’ scandal by limiting wagers on pitch-level prop bets (e.g., ball/strike, pitch velocity) to $200 nationwide.

In addition, these “micro-bets” can no longer be included in parlays, in which bettors wager on a combination of propositions. Parlays are widely considered by experts to be sucker bets that are particularly profitable to gambling platforms.

The league stated that these one-off events, which can be determined by a single player and may not affect the game’s outcome, are particularly vulnerable to manipulation.

### The Stakes for Professional and College Sports

These gambling scandals threaten the very integrity of professional and college sports.

When baseball’s infamous Black Sox scandal, in which several members of the Chicago White Sox were paid off by gamblers to fix the 1919 World Series, was unmasked, it almost ruined the sport. The commissioner hired to clean up the game, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, banned eight players for life, even though they had been acquitted in a court of law. Landis understood the damage it had done.

Many will argue that only the emergence of all-time superstar Babe Ruth in 1920 and beyond saved MLB.

If today’s commissioners of the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, and the NCAA—which regulates college athletics—cannot manage to keep their sports clean, they will likely trigger an ugly reckoning that will drive untold thousands of wary fans away from the games they love.
https://www.libertynation.com/are-pro-sports-gambling-away-their-integrity/

Jury deliberations to continue into Wednesday | Inside the Courtroom: Sean Grayson trial – Day 8

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The 12 jurors deliberating in the Sean Grayson trial have been sent home and will resume their discussions Wednesday morning.

After more than six and a half hours of deliberations, the jury is tasked with deciding whether Grayson is guilty of murder.

Further updates will follow as the case progresses.
https://fox2now.com/news/illinois/jury-deliberations-to-continue-into-wednesday-inside-the-courtroom-sean-grayson-trial-day-8/

Joven hispano mató a madre dominicana en pelea afuera de bar en Nueva York: acusación

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**Joven de 28 años arrestado por apuñalar mortalmente a una mujer en El Bronx**

Cristian Moya, un joven de 28 años y residente del condado de El Bronx, fue arrestado anoche por presuntamente haber apuñalado mortalmente a Pamela Almonte Cabrera varias veces en el pecho, afuera de un bar en El Bronx, Nueva York.

Según informó el New York Post, Moya fue acusado por la Policía de Nueva York de homicidio involuntario, posesión ilegal de armas, entre otros cargos. Testigos indicaron que el sospechoso utilizó una botella rota para cometer el ataque mortal y huyó de la escena, hasta ser detenido el martes, más de 48 horas después del incidente.

La víctima, Pamela Almonte Cabrera, de 35 años y madre dominicana, fue apuñalada en medio de una pelea en la que estuvo involucrado su novio. La trifulca estalló alrededor de las 4 a. m. del domingo frente al establecimiento “Mama Dora Bar & Lounge”, ubicado en E. Kingsbridge Road, cerca de Morris Ave. en Kingsbridge Heights, según reportó la Policía de Nueva York (NYPD).

Almonte, residente de Melrose, se encontraba con algunas personas cuando se enfrentaron con otro grupo similar en la acera. Fue entonces cuando recibió aproximadamente cinco puñaladas en el pecho. Hasta el momento, no está claro qué provocó el inicio de la pelea.

Un video de vigilancia captó la conmoción entre la multitud afuera del bar justo a la hora de cierre, justo antes de que Almonte se desplomara en la acera. Fue trasladada por medios privados inicialmente al BronxCare Health System y luego al Hospital Lincoln, donde lamentablemente falleció.

La víctima trabajaba como manicurista en una barbería cercana al lugar donde fue atacada. Una amiga cercana, Wendy, de 52 años, informó que dos de los hijos de Almonte residen en República Dominicana, mientras que su hija de 17 años vive en la ciudad de Nueva York.

Cabe destacar que todos los cargos presentados son acusaciones formales, y se presume la inocencia de las personas procesadas hasta que se demuestre lo contrario en un tribunal de justicia.

A pesar de que Nueva York reporta una cifra histórica a la baja en homicidios y tiroteos, los apuñalamientos continúan causando preocupación en la ciudad, comentó el New York Post en junio. En general, los incidentes de cortes y apuñalamientos permanecen frecuentes.

La tendencia actual muestra una disminución en el número de personas baleadas, pero un aumento en las víctimas de ataques con arma blanca. Hasta finales de septiembre de 2024, más de 65 personas han muerto por heridas de arma blanca, superando las 54 del mismo período en 2023. Esto refleja un promedio en el que cada semana un neoyorquino pierde la vida a causa de ataques con cuchillo.

—

*Fuente: New York Post / Policía de Nueva York (NYPD)*
https://eldiariony.com/2025/10/29/joven-hispano-mato-a-madre-dominicana-en-pelea-afuera-de-bar-en-nueva-york-acusacion/

2 men face sentencing in plot to kill Iranian American journalist

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NEW YORK (AP) — A plot to assassinate Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad at her Brooklyn home came “chillingly near success,” prosecutors told a judge who will sentence two reputed Russian mobsters.

Prosecutors are seeking 55-year prison terms for Rafat Amirov, 46, and Polad Omarov, 41, at their sentencing on Wednesday in Manhattan federal court. Prosecutors said Amirov, of Iran, and Omarov, of Georgia, were crime bosses in the Russian mob.

Lawyers for Amirov argue he should not spend more than 13 years behind bars, while Omarov’s attorneys have called for a 10-year prison sentence.

The men were convicted in a two-week March trial that featured dramatic testimony from a hired gunman and Alinejad, an author, activist, and contributor to Voice of America.

Alinejad said in a message to supporters Tuesday that she planned to be in court to face the men prosecutors say were high-ranking members of the Gulici, a faction of the Russian Mob responsible for murders, assaults, extortions, kidnappings, robberies, and arsons in the United States and abroad.

“They’ll receive their sentence, and I’ll speak my truth in my impact statement,” she said.

Alinejad, 49, led online campaigns encouraging women in Iran to record videos exposing their hair to protest mandatory head covering laws in public.

Prosecutors revealed that Iranian intelligence officials first plotted in 2020 and 2021 to kidnap Alinejad in the U.S. and move her to Iran to silence her criticism.

In July 2022, Iran allegedly offered $500,000 in an attempt to kill Alinejad after efforts to harass, smear, and intimidate her failed, prosecutors said.

Court documents state that Alinejad was targeted by the Iranian government because she “dedicated her life to exposing the cruelty, corruption, and tyranny of the Islamic Republic.”

When Amirov and Omarov were offered the $500,000 bounty, they “appeared completely incurious about who they were plotting to murder and why,” prosecutors wrote. “Amirov and Omarov were interested in one thing only: their own power and wealth.”

Prosecutors emphasized that the plot “came chillingly near success,” interrupted only by Alinejad being out of town while a hired gunman persistently tried to locate her, and because of the “diligence and tenacity of American law enforcement, which detected and disrupted the plot in time.”

Lawyers for Amirov argued in court documents ahead of sentencing that no one was physically hurt and their client’s involvement in the plot was “minimal, if not non-existent.”

Omarov’s lawyers called for leniency, citing threats to his life following the 2020 killing of a relative who was a reputed leader of the “thieves-in-law” criminal organization in Russia and Azerbaijan.

Omarov was extradited to the U.S. in February 2024, a year after his detention in the Czech Republic.

Alinejad testified at the March trial that she came to the United States in 2009 after she was banned from covering Iran’s disputed presidential election and the newspaper where she worked was shut down.

Establishing herself in New York City, she built an online audience of millions and launched her “My Stealthy Freedom” campaign encouraging Iranian women to expose their hair when the morality police were not around.

The investigation remains open. In October 2024, prosecutors announced charges against a senior Iranian military official and three others, none of whom are currently in custody.

Since the assassination plot was uncovered, Alinejad said she has moved nearly two dozen times for her safety.

https://ktar.com/national-news/2-men-face-sentencing-in-plot-to-kill-iranian-american-journalist/5767087/

Padre e hijo arrestados en Texas por contrabando de armas de fuego a México

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El Departamento de Justicia de EE. UU. anunció el arresto en Texas de dos hombres originarios del estado de Alabama, quienes fueron acusados de traficar más de 300 armas, municiones y cargadores con destino a México.

La Fiscal General Pamela Bondi y el Fiscal Federal Nicholas J. Ganjei informaron, mediante un comunicado, que Emilio Ramírez Cortés, de 48 años, ciudadano mexicano que reside legalmente en Estados Unidos, y su hijo, Edgar Emilio Ramírez Díaz, realizaron sus comparecencias iniciales en la corte federal de Laredo, Texas.

Ambos están acusados de contrabando y tráfico de armas de fuego, municiones, cargadores y otros accesorios. Tanto padre como hijo permanecerán bajo custodia en espera de una audiencia de detención fijada para el 31 de octubre.

Las autoridades indicaron que los cargos incluyen contrabando de armas de fuego, municiones, cargadores y otros accesorios, así como tráfico ilícito de armas.

“Interrumpir el flujo ilegal de armas hacia México es fundamental en nuestro enfoque integral para desmantelar los cárteles”, declaró la Fiscal General Pamela Bondi. “Esta importante incautación representa nuestro compromiso de proteger a los estadounidenses de la brutal violencia de los cárteles”, añadió.

Por su parte, el Fiscal Federal Nicholas J. Ganjei puntualizó: “Quienes trafican armas ilegalmente a México empoderan a los cárteles para aterrorizar a inocentes. Esta incautación de una inmensa cantidad de armas de fuego ilustra el enfoque integral del Distrito Sur de Texas para combatir a los cárteles”.

Y sentenció: “Atacaremos cada faceta de sus operaciones hasta que sean erradicados de la faz de la tierra”.

### Llevaban las armas escondidas en dos camionetas

El 23 de octubre, dos vehículos se acercaron al puerto de entrada Juárez-Lincoln en Laredo, según señala la denuncia.

Los documentos oficiales alegan que Ramírez Díaz conducía un Chevrolet Tahoe con placas de Alabama, seguido por su padre en un Chevrolet Silverado con placas de México. Ambos vehículos presuntamente transportaban remolques utilitarios de caja blanca cerrados.

La denuncia penal alega que las autoridades encontraron paredes falsas en ambos remolques, lo que resultó en el descubrimiento de más de 300 rifles y pistolas, así como municiones y cargadores de diversos calibres, compartió el Departamento de Justicia.

“Los hombres estaban contrabandeando armas y artículos relacionados a cambio de pago y lo habían hecho en múltiples ocasiones”, indicaron las autoridades.

### Investigación conjunta de varias agencias

La investigación fue llevada a cabo por el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE), la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional, la Oficina de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos, y la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza.

El Departamento de Justicia enfatizó que este caso forma parte de la Operación “Recuperemos América”, una iniciativa nacional que moviliza todos los recursos del Departamento para repeler la invasión de la inmigración ilegal, lograr la eliminación total de los cárteles y organizaciones criminales transnacionales, y proteger a las comunidades de los autores de delitos violentos.
https://eldiariony.com/2025/10/28/padre-e-hijo-arrestados-en-texas-por-contrabando-de-armas-de-fuego-a-mexico/