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Utah man charged with attempted hate crime after alleged threat to 'blow up' synagogue

23 October 2026 at 04:20

A Utah man is facing several charges, including attempting to commit a hate crime, after he allegedly threatened to "blow up" a synagogue.

Skyler AJ Rose, 22, of Ogden, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday, on multiple federal charges, including possession of an unregistered destructive device, threatening to kill or injure people and destroy a building with an explosive, and attempting to commit a hate crime, among other offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah.

"There is no place for hate motivated violence—attempts or otherwise—in our communities. A place of worship should be a refuge of safety, not fear," U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah said in a statement. "Thanks to the dedicated work of the FBI and the outstanding efforts of our local police partners, these alleged threats were identified and stopped before anyone was harmed. Let these charges serve as a clear warning: if you attack or attempt to attack a place of worship, you will face the full force of the federal government."

On Dec. 23, 2025, Rose allegedly made multiple threatening posts on social media, according to court documents.

PENNSYLVANIA MAN ACCUSED OF PLOTTING ISIS ATTACK ARRESTED WITH RIFLE AND 190 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION: DOJ

"I wanna blow up a synagogue," one of the posts read, according to prosecutors.

An investigation was launched and authorities learned that the posts were made from an IP address tracing back to Rose's home. The FBI then contacted the Ogden City Police Department to assist, with a home visit where authorities said they confirmed the social media handle belonged to Rose.

Investigators executed a search warrant and recovered six improvised explosive pipe bombs and one inert device, explosive precursors and components that officials say could be used to construct further improvised explosive pipe bombs, a black Samsung cellphone and two rifles with accompanying magazines and ammunition, prosecutors said.

FLORIDA MAN INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY PLOTTING MASS SHOOTING TARGETING JEWISH EMPLOYEES AT ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION

A subsequent search of Rose’s cellphone revealed that Rose searched online for a synagogue near him in November 2025.

"Today’s indictment stops in its tracks an alleged plan to carry out a violent attack on a synagogue," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a statement. "The Department of Justice will take decisive action to protect American worshippers from violent threats, no matter where they occur."

Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI added that "no one should have to fear for their safety because of their faith."

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"Every person deserves to worship freely, without threats, intimidation, or fear," Bohls said. "The FBI takes every threat seriously. Thanks to the swift, seamless collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we were able to address the threat and protect lives from potential physical harm."

The investigation also allegedly revealed evidence of child sexual abuse material on Rose's cellphone, including hundreds of cached images and screenshots depicting child sexual abuse material, according to prosecutors. Rose was also indicted on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography.

Rose's initial appearance is scheduled for Oct. 23 in federal court in Salt Lake City.

FBI Offers $20,000 Reward for Info on Suspect Who Threw Molotov Cocktail at Atlanta ICE Building

22 October 2026 at 17:28

The FBI has posted surveillance photos and a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of an unidentified male who investigators say threw a “Molotov cocktail-style device” at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday night.

The post FBI Offers $20,000 Reward for Info on Suspect Who Threw Molotov Cocktail at Atlanta ICE Building appeared first on Breitbart.

Federal authorities charge 15 in massive $1.8B Southern California medical fraud sweep

22 October 2026 at 19:17

Federal authorities conducted predawn raids across Southern California on Thursday, busting suspected fraudsters, including a cardiothoracic surgeon, accused of stealing nearly $2 billion through sham substance abuse programs, unnecessary surgeries and phony hospice care.

In total, 15 people, including six medical professionals, were charged over $1. 8 billion in fraudulent claims submitted to government and private health insurance programs, the Justice Department said.

"These charges include the largest sober home fraud scheme the Department has ever prosecuted and a scheme involving unnecessary invasive procedures that was detected through data analytics," said Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. 

FBI ADDS 2 FUGITIVES TO 'MOST WANTED FRAUDSTERS' LIST AMID HISTORIC $6.5B HEALTHCARE TAKEDOWN: PATEL

"Our message is simple: if you steal health care dollars from the American taxpayer or abuse your position to harm patients, we are coming for you — and the data will lead us to you."

Among the defendants are Dr. Harold Tabaie, 78, of Anaheim, a cardiothoracic surgeon, and his business partner, Hany Malek, 61, a Tarzana chiropractor.

Both are charged in an alleged $135 million scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary atherectomies, invasive arterial procedures using a bladed catheter to clear plaque.

Prosecutors allege Malek posed as a medical doctor to diagnose patients with arterial disease and recommend atherectomies, even though the patients did not have the condition.

CALIFORNIA DOCTOR CONVICTED OF $45M MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME THAT FUNDED LUXURY VACATIONS AND A $12K CROSSBOW

Tabaie then performed the procedures, sometimes repeatedly on patients for whom previous operations had already failed, according to officials. Authorities noted that several patients suffered extreme pain and discomfort as a result.

Malek also faces charges for allegedly submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications in 2021. He allegedly fabricated a 25% revenue loss for his business to secure loan funds, which he then spent on personal expenses, family credit cards, other ventures and rare coins.

TOP FEDERAL PROSECUTOR CALLS CALIFORNIA A 'FRAUDSTER'S PARADISE,' WARNS STATE OFFICIALS COULD FACE CHARGES

In a separate case, Nathan Young, 39, and his father, David Young, 71, were charged with operating a $1.6 billion substance abuse scam.

Authorities allege the father-son duo trafficked drug addicts from across the nation to dozens of Los Angeles rehab centers. Federal prosecutors said the vulnerable patients were recruited by "body brokers" Honey Phipps, 42, and Cody Phipps, 36, both of Greenville, Texas.

Body brokerage is the illegal practice of receiving kickbacks to refer insured individuals to specific rehab facilities. Once patients arrived, no actual treatment was provided.

Instead, the Youngs allegedly recycled patients through their facilities to continuously bill insurance companies, even ordering staff to drug patients with sedatives to "knock them out" if they attempted to leave.

VANCE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE SUSPENDS 447 HOSPICES IN LOS ANGELES OVER MORE THAN $600M IN SUSPECTED FRAUD

The duo also allegedly offered drugs to patients, cut them off from communication with family members, prevented them from accessing their belongings and physically blocked them from leaving the facilities to continue billing their insurance policies.

When Nathen Young was informed that a patient wanted to leave detox so he could smoke marijuana, Young instructed that the patient should be given what he wanted, off-site from the detox, to keep him there, prosecutors said.

"It is especially egregious when doctors and other health care professionals, who pledged to do no harm, resort to petty greed and criminality," said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. "Every dollar drained out of our private and public health insurance systems is one less dollar available to those who truly need it."

The sweep also targeted several other major healthcare fraud schemes across the region. In one instance, defendants were charged with stealing more than $140 million by falsely certifying non-terminally ill patients for hospice care.

In a separate prescription fraud scheme, Christina Mareik, 61, of Whittier, was charged for her role in allegedly submitting thousands of bogus prescriptions for high-reimbursement generic drugs to Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program.

FOUR CHARGED IN ALLEGED BILLION DOLLAR HEALTHCARE FRAUD TIED TO RUSSIAN TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION

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Additionally, Dr. Hassan Badday, 48, of Los Angeles, and Dr. Robby Ayoub, 52, of Huntington Beach, were charged with taking illegal kickbacks from a Houston laboratory marketer in exchange for ordering unnecessary Medicare genetic tests.

WATCH: Blanche and Patel announce charges for Democratic Virginia lawmaker Lucas

Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, one of the state's most powerful Democrats, was charged on Thursday in connection with what federal authorities alleged was a role leading a wide-ranging criminal enterprise that acquired and distributed large quantities of marijuana and laundered the proceeds.

Virginia Democrat indicted on federal drug and money laundering charges

22 October 2026 at 16:15

Federal authorities allege state senator L Louise Lucas, a vocal Trump critic, led a ‘criminal marijuana enterprise’

Virginia state senator L Louise Lucas, one of the state’s most powerful Democrats, was charged on Thursday in connection with what federal authorities alleged was a role leading a criminal enterprise that acquired and distributed large quantities of marijuana and laundered the proceeds.

An indictment unsealed on Thursday charged Lucas and six other defendants, including several of her relatives, the Department of Justice said in a statement. Lucas surrendered on Thursday, a justice department spokesperson said.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Ryan M Kelly/AP

© Photograph: Ryan M Kelly/AP

© Photograph: Ryan M Kelly/AP

Alleged sham marriage 'mastermind' caught on video saying sanctuary state is 'best place' for illegals

22 October 2026 at 16:13

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts released a video of alleged sham marriage mastermind Jennifer Gonzalez detailing her pay-for-play scheme which officials say netted her over $6 million.

The U.S. Attorney's Office accused Gonzalez of orchestrating fake marriages between U.S. citizens and illegal immigrants, charging the immigrants up to $40,000 per marriage.

Gonzalez can be seen on a video recorded by a witness cooperating with federal law enforcement explaining how her scheme worked.

FORMER USCIS OFFICIAL, ACCOMPLICE CHARGED IN ALLEGED $960K CITIZENSHIP BRIBERY SCHEME

"They will come, I will present them to the wife, they're like, 'yes, I want them, not a problem, I'll be back in, I don't know, three weeks.' And they would leave and make me hold these girls for months," she explained.

"The payment, it's agreed by both parties, OK? This is the first initial payment for the total amount of $38,000. Now, let me calculate that real quick. So $38,000 minus $3,000," she continued, while using a calculator. "That's going to give us $35,000. And then the day of the wedding, you have to bring me, what? $12,000.

WOMAN EXPOSED RUNNING VISA FRAUD SCHEME SPANNING YEARS, POSING AS IMMIGRATION OFFICER

"You and I are the ones in this contract, not nobody else. Because we don't want to get your wife and yourself into a...putting in paper about a fake marriage. You know what I mean? Does that make sense to you? Because if anything happened, we don't want them to have any proof that this was fake," she said.

Gonzalez also explained to the witness, who she believed to be an illegal immigrant, that Massachusetts was the best place to go for illegal immigrants because of its sanctuary state status.

BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE DEALS TRUMP ANOTHER SANCTUARY CITY DEFEAT IN MAJOR IMMIGRATION FIGHT

"Massachusetts is best place for you to be. That is a fact," Gonzalez said.

"You get health insurance. You get a lot of help as an immigrant here," she explained, adding, "Trump doesn't like this state because...the state defends us very much."

She also revealed that she stopped arranging the marriages around 2025 because of increased federal immigration enforcement.

BIRTH TOURISM SELLS AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP, AND TRUMP IS SHUTTING IT DOWN

Gonzalez further told the witness that she owned multiple properties in the Dominican Republic, which she called "my country," and in Puerto Rico.

"Miss Gonzalez got rich off selling the American dream, all the while investing her money in another country," Leah Foley, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, told reporters during a Wednesday press conference announcing the scheme.

DOJ SAYS 11 MIGRANTS INDICTED IN MULTI-STATE SEX TRAFFICKING, DRUG, FIREARMS CASE

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While prosecutors described Gonzalez as the ringleader of the operation, authorities arrested four other co-conspirators involved in the scheme.

Fox News Digital's James Cirrone contributed to this report.

Ilhan Omar issues stunning admission when confronted with brother marriage rumors

22 October 2026 at 14:51

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., denied Wednesday that she married her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, to commit immigration fraud and pushed back against claims that they are related.

But when asked if there's any familial relation with her ex-husband, Omar admitted, "Not to my knowledge." 

The interview marked the Somali-born congresswoman's first time speaking with the media since federal agents searched her Washington, D.C., residence on Oct. 12. The congresswoman's office has not responded to Fox News Digital's repeated requests for comment regarding the investigations and raid on her home earlier this month.

ILHAN OMAR BELIEVES TRUMP RAID ON HOME WAS MEANT TO 'INTIMIDATE AND SCARE PEOPLE' FROM VOTING

"It all started with the Somali blog," Omar told MS Now host Chris Hayes regarding longstanding rumors that they are siblings. "Somebody put it there, that he had to have been my brother or something to that effect."

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents executed a court-authorized search warrant as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into possible false statements in Omar's immigration and naturalization documents.

The Justice Department has not publicly detailed the allegations.

FEDERAL AGENTS RAID ILHAN OMAR'S DC HOME AMID IMMIGRATION FRAUD INVESTIGATION

U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia approved the warrant, according to court-related reporting.

Omar has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated. She appeared publicly for the first time since last Monday's raid with a video posted to social media from the back of a car where she asked supporters to keep sending her money.

Federal authorities issued more than a dozen grand jury subpoenas, including to members of Omar's family, and seized her cellphone during the investigation, according to The Associated Press.

Fox News Digital reported that Omar's sister, Sahra Noor, spoke with federal investigators last week in the wake of the raid.

ILHAN OMAR RAID SPARKS OMINOUS PREDICTION FROM WATCHDOG: 'THEY PROBABLY GOT THE GOODS'

A separate inquiry from the immigration fraud investigation is examining Omar's campaign finances and financial disclosures. 

That investigation reportedly began during the Biden administration in 2024. The complaint about her massive wealth disparity in her disclosures was dismissed by congressional ethics hawks but is now being investigated by authorities outside the Capitol, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced last week.

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Both investigations remain ongoing.

Homeland Security Lied About Child Porn To Search Activist's Phone

21 October 2026 at 16:47
A locked smartphone | Illustration: Africa Images/Envato (AI-modified)/Flowertiare/Dreamstime

One of the unfortunate quirks of the American system is that you can't lie to the government, but the government can lie to you. Samuel Tunick found himself on the receiving end of this setup last year at Atlanta International Airport. When agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asked for his phone password, he allegedly gave them a self-destruct code that wiped his data. Tunick now faces five years in prison for destroying evidence.

It turns out that the feds were lying to Tunick the entire time. A new court filing, first reported by 404 Media, shows that the DHS had sent out an order to seize Tunick's phone over his involvement in environmentalist protests in Atlanta. When he landed at the airport, however, agents told Tunick that they were looking for "kiddie porn" and he would be allowed to leave with his phone if he cooperated. They also repeatedly denied him access to his lawyer when he asked.

"There can be no real debate that if law enforcement had acted similarly elsewhere in Atlanta, their actions would be unconstitutional. But the government says it was entitled to act this way because Mr. Tunick was returning from an international vacation" in the Dominican Republic, his lawyers wrote in the filing, which includes internal DHS communications and excerpts from his interrogation video.

U.S. law recognizes a "border exception" to Fourth Amendment privacy rights, allowing federal agents to search incoming travelers for contraband. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) claims that this exemption also allows them to hold travelers for questioning and search their electronic data. Tunick's case reveals just how widely the agency stretches this loophole.

A few hours before Tunick landed, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent Travis Mcghie emailed the CBP station in Atlanta with his photo and information, stating that he is under investigation for "suspected terrorist activities." (Tunick is involved in Save the Atlanta Forest, also known as Stop Cop City, a protest movement against a local police training center.) The email asked CBP to "conduct a 100% baggage exam, retain all electronics and collect passcodes," stating that the HSI will be at the airport to conduct an interrogation.

Pulled into the secondary screening room, Tunick "almost immediately" told CBP officers that "I don't really want to speak without a lawyer any more," according to the filing, which cites the interrogation tape. He would ask for a lawyer multiple times.

The agents asked Tunick if he had "kiddie porn" on his phone and stated that "because you're refusing to talk, we have the authority to go through your phone to see what we're looking for." One of them, Latoya Castro, told Tunick that "either you can give us your password so that we can go through it no problem, or you can refuse to do that, unfortunately, we will have to seize your phone."

Both of those statements were a lie, of course. The HSI's email had asked CBP to take Tunick's phone, whether or not he cooperated.

The lie about child porn may not only have been meant to intimidate Tunick. While there are contradictory lower court rulings about the border search exemption, some courts have ruled that the CBP can only search electronics for "digital contraband," or files that are themselves illegal. A search for child sex abuse material would be on stronger legal ground than a search for mere evidence of other crimes.

Tunick was using GrapheneOS, a secure phone system that allows users to set both a real password and a "duress password" that wipes out all data when entered. The interrogation tape shows his phone appearing to reset after he gave the officers a passcode. HSI agent Nathan Burnham and FBI agent Andrea Coble then entered the room.

"You are not under arrest. Once these gentlemen are done with you, pursuant to your entry into the country, you're free to leave," Burnham said, referring to the CBP officers.

Tunick's lawyers argue that the judge should throw out the phone password Tunick provided and everything that resulted from entering it as an "involuntary" response made under "unlawful interrogation," because the CBP agents did not read Tunick his Fifth Amendment rights and ignored his multiple requests to consult with his lawyer before answering their questions.

The CBP claims that secondary screening at the border doesn't count as a criminal investigation, so detainees don't have the same rights as criminal suspects. "Since the international arrivals inspection is an administrative function, CBP policy and federal regs do not permit the presence of lawyers during secondary examinations," a spokesman told Reason earlier this year.

But Tunick's lawyers insist that his experience was "far outside" a normal border crossing: He was accused of a serious crime to his face, faced an investigation for a different serious crime he didn't know about, and clearly could not leave the situation until he gave information to government agents.

"I hope people understand that the charges against me are meant to intimidate people against protecting their data and their privacy, and the government hopes to set a precedent that no one has the right to privacy," Tunick told 404 Media. 

Defend the Atlanta Forest, the movement that Tunick is involved with, has been a major nuisance for authorities in Georgia. Protesters attacked and burned construction equipment throughout 2022, and police shot a protester in 2023 under unclear circumstances, claiming that they were fired at during a raid.

The Trump administration has brought down the federal government against the movement. In June 2026, the Department of Justice brought federal charges against two alleged arsonists, citing National Security Presidential Memo 7, which directs the feds to go after left-wing domestic terrorism.

But beyond the email line about "suspected terrorist activities," there is no indication of what specific crimes the feds suspected Tunick of, or why they suspected him. And the whole setup of the interrogation was designed to hide those answers. In fact, instead of charging Tunick under typical obstruction or evidence-destruction laws, federal prosecutors chose a rarely-used statute that doesn't require them to disclose what the underlying investigation was about.

"Many times the government wants to highlight what it was trying to investigate because that ups the stakes on what the defendant was doing," former prosecutor Daniel Richman told The New York Times. "This is a case where I think they're trying to avoid exactly that by focusing only on the destruction, and not what the investigation was about." 

The post Homeland Security Lied About Child Porn To Search Activist's Phone appeared first on Reason Magazine.

Convicted bank robber returns to old tricks with ‘old man’ mask in Florida heists, feds say

20 October 2026 at 23:45

A convicted bank robber allegedly returned to a familiar disguise while robbing two Florida banks on supervised release, donning an "old man" mask and fleeing in a getaway vehicle tied to his earlier crimes, federal authorities said.

David Sartin Jr., 40, of St. Petersburg, faces two bank robbery charges after investigators say he targeted banks weeks apart while concealing his face behind a prosthetic mask with gray facial hair.

The allegations follow a sentence of more than 10 years in federal prison in a case involving five Texas bank robberies, during which Sartin wore a similar disguise, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by Fox News Digital.

FLORIDA MEN INDICTED IN ARMED HOME INVASION WHERE SUSPECT POSED AS UTILITY WORKER, 13-YEAR-OLD ZIP-TIED: DOJ

His supervised release began in May 2025. Investigators allege he robbed the first Florida bank in August 2026.

"In all of SARTIN JR.’s bank robberies, he used a mask," an FBI special agent wrote in the affidavit.

TWO KENTUCKY BANK EMPLOYEES SHOT AND KILLED DURING ROBBERY, POLICE HUNTING SUSPECT

The first holdup happened Aug. 24 at Valley Bank in Largo, where the suspect entered wearing a straw hat, sports jacket, gloves and a prosthetic face covering, according to investigators.

He approached a teller, demanded money and warned, "no dye packs," the complaint states.

TEEN SUSPECT IN MURDER OF TWO BANK EMPLOYEES IN KENTUCKY LEADS POLICE ON WILD 130 MPH CHASE

As the teller gathered cash and activated a silent alarm, the robber repeatedly urged the employee to hurry, a bank manager told investigators.

"Until we meet again," the suspect said after collecting the money, according to the manager’s account.

THIEF USES WAYMO AS A GETAWAY CAR

Authorities say he escaped with $2,900, wedging a yellow wet-floor sign between the exit doors before fleeing toward a nearby church.

Surveillance video showed the suspect retrieving a bicycle, riding into a nature preserve and leaving the area in a Toyota FJ Cruiser, according to the affidavit.

FLOCK EXECUTIVE DEFENDS CRIME-FIGHTING CAMERAS AS ACLU ATTORNEY QUESTIONS COMPANY'S MOTIVES AMID BACKLASH

Investigators traced the vehicle’s movements through video from surrounding businesses, city trucks, a police cruiser and a school bus. The Toyota was the same vehicle used in several of Sartin’s earlier Texas robberies, authorities said.

On Sept. 15, a similarly disguised suspect entered a Truist Bank in St. Petersburg wearing a flat cap, glasses, a sports jacket and an "old man" mask with a gray mustache and whiskers.

PHILADELPHIA MAN IN 'CHUCKY' MASK ACCUSED OF TERRORIZING CITIZENS NABBED IN LAS VEGAS AFTER MANHUNT

He handed a teller a note demanding cash without dye and fled with approximately $2,554, according to the complaint.

The teller suspected the man was wearing a mask and told investigators he "did not move like an old man would," the FBI agent wrote.

THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA ON YOUR STREET CORNER: LAWFUL SPYING OR CONSTITUTIONALLY PROBLEMATIC?

By then, the FBI was monitoring Sartin’s home with a surveillance camera. Video captured the Toyota leaving before the second robbery and returning afterward, when a man resembling Sartin unloaded a bicycle, according to the affidavit.

The following evening, investigators watched Sartin change the vehicle’s appearance. Investigators said he spray-painted the vehicle’s white roof black.

MASKED SUSPECT CHARGED WITH USING FUEL, FIREWORKS IN WALMART KIDS SECTION AS COVER FOR MASSIVE JEWELRY HEIST

Sartin was arrested Sept. 19 on a warrant for violating his supervised release. Searches uncovered a bicycle and clothing similar to those seen in the robbery video, authorities said.

Agents searching his storage unit found an "old man" mask they said matched the disguise worn during both robberies, along with glasses, clothing and a fake handgun.

In a guest room where Sartin occasionally stayed, investigators also found another mask and a journal identifying him as its author. Its title page included the words, "God’s Best friend is a Bank Robber!" according to the complaint.

Sartin’s previous convictions stretch back nearly two decades. He was convicted of attempted bank robbery in Mississippi in 2008 following a failed holdup involving Halloween masks and disguises.

In 2018, he was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison in the Texas bank robbery case.

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He now faces up to 20 years in prison on each new robbery count if convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

China ties suspected in sprawling California pot operations as GOP urges FBI probe

20 October 2026 at 15:26

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. James Gallagher, R-Calif., urged FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday to crack down on illegal marijuana cultivation operations in Northern California.

Gallagher sent the letter after the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office reported extensive illegal cultivation and illegal immigrant labor in the region. The congressman said the operations have harmed local ranchers, depleted groundwater supplies and raised concerns about potential financing from Chinese organized-crime networks.

"Entire rural properties are now covered with rows of makeshift, plastic-covered greenhouses, known as ‘hoop houses,’ where marijuana is cultivated using groundwater hauled in from nearby wells," Gallagher wrote in a letter exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital. 

LEGALIZING POT DIDN’T KILL THE BLACK MARKET, IT CREATED A MARKETING DEPARTMENT FOR IT

"The consequences have been devastating, with residents facing depleted water supplies and threats to their safety, while local farmers and ranchers contend with increased competition for groundwater and the risk of contamination to their agricultural land," he continued.

The letter cited estimates of as many as 7,000 illegal growers in the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision alone. Gallagher said illegal cultivation has also expanded onto federal lands, including the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

GEORGIA SHERIFF SEIZES 1,800 POUNDS OF SUSPECTED BLACK-MARKET MARIJUANA SHIPPED FROM CALIFORNIA

In 2025, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office reported eradicating 332,871 illegal marijuana plants and seizing 54,070 pounds of processed marijuana.

FORMER TOP COP WARNS OF LOOPHOLE EXPLOITED BY ILLICIT CHINESE VAPE COMPANIES 'TARGETING OUR YOUTH'

Gallagher also raised concerns that Chinese organized-crime networks could be financing or directing some of the operations.

"In Siskiyou County, investigators have traced cultivation properties to individuals residing outside the county, while those managing the grows often have no apparent ownership interest," Gallagher wrote. "These arrangements raise serious concerns about who is actually financing and controlling these operations and whether the ownership arrangements are intended to conceal their involvement."

Gallagher pointed to a 2018 federal investigation in California involving an illegal marijuana growing operation that authorities said was funded with money from China. The investigation led to federal forfeiture actions involving more than 100 properties in the Sacramento area, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.

CHINESE NATIONALS ACCUSED OF SMUGGLING SYNTHETIC DRUGS INTO US PRISONS ON DRUG-SOAKED PAPER

The congressman also cited environmental damage linked to the illegal grow sites, including the use of toxic pesticides.

"Compounding these concerns is the widespread use of highly toxic pesticides, including chemicals banned in the United States and products bearing Chinese-language labels that are suspected of being illegally imported," Gallagher wrote.

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Siskiyou County investigators have identified at least 27 pesticide compounds at illegal grow sites, according to county findings. Officials have warned that the chemicals could pose risks to residents, law enforcement officers and first responders.

Trump puts fraudsters on notice with $25M whistleblower program offering cash for tips that deliver

20 October 2026 at 11:01

EXCLUSIVE - President Donald Trump is putting cash behind his crackdown on taxpayer fraud, offering Americans rewards for tips that help bring fraudsters to justice.

Speaking alongside Vice President JD Vance and independent journalist Nick Shirley in the Oval Office, Trump unveiled the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program and said qualifying tipsters would receive a 1% commission, subject to applicable laws and rules.

"If you turn somebody in and you, let's say report, and you find $1 billion, we are giving a commission to that person of 1%," Trump said.

Fox News Digital exclusively reported plans for the program ahead of Tuesday’s announcement. A White House official initially described a $25 million initiative administered by the Justice Department, with rewards of up to $30,000 for tips leading to a successful fraud conviction or significant federal enforcement action.

TRUMP'S WAR ON FRAUD EXPANDS AS TREASURY LAUNCHES NEW SITE WITH WHISTLEBLOWER INCENTIVES

Trump’s remarks outlined a different payout structure. He said journalists could also participate, subject to applicable rules and approval from their employers.

Americans can report suspected theft of taxpayer dollars through fraud.gov, Trump said.

The president also said he would personally settle disputes over who deserves a reward, describing a process in which he would determine whether competing tipsters should split a payment.

"I'll make that determination. It'll be done expeditiously and fairly," Trump said.

EXCLUSIVE: NICK SHIRLEY FIRES BACK AT MINNESOTA CRITICS: 'NUMBERS DON'T LIE, AND CONVICTIONS DON'T LIE'

Vance said the initiative grew out of a conversation with Trump about recruiting Americans to help investigators uncover fraud.

"If you want to help us stop it, you get to share in the rewards," Vance said.

Shirley drew national attention in December 2025 after publishing a video questioning whether several Somali-run Minnesota daycare centers were operating as legitimate businesses. His video showed apparently empty facilities and included people who said they had not seen children at the locations.

AG BLANCHE UNVEILS FEDERAL CHARGES AGAINST 160 DEFENDANTS IN PANDEMIC RELIEF SWEEP

The White House credited Shirley’s reporting with helping spur a surge of FBI and Department of Homeland Security resources into Minnesota, followed by investigations, arrests and new charges.

One facility featured in Shirley’s video was Future Leaders Early Learning Center, whose former CEO, Fahima Egeh Mahamud, pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

HOUSE GOP BILL MOVES TO CLOSE WHISTLEBLOWER GAPS EXPOSED BY MINNESOTA MEDICAID FRAUD SCANDAL

Prosecutors said Mahamud stole more than $4.6 million through false child care assistance claims and $850,000 through a federal child nutrition program connected to the Feeding Our Future scandal.

Shirley previously pointed to Mahamud’s guilty plea as vindication of his reporting amid efforts to discredit his investigations.

WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE MAP TRACKING BILLIONS IN SUSPECTED FRAUD

"Well, numbers don't lie, and convictions don't lie either," he previously told Fox News Digital.

Trump praised the independent journalist’s work, telling him, "He's done an amazing job."

Shirley said his reporting had drawn threats and scrutiny of him rather than the suspected wrongdoing he sought to expose.

"Instead of the mainstream media investigating the fraud they investigated me," Shirley said.

TRUMP SAYS ANTI-FRAUD EFFORTS ARE UNCOVERING BILLIONS IN WASTE, CLAIMS SAVINGS COULD BALANCE BUDGET

The reward initiative adds a public tip incentive to the administration’s broader campaign against fraud in federal benefits programs.

Trump established the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in March, with Vance serving as chairman. The executive order directed the group to coordinate efforts across federal agencies to uncover fraud, strengthen eligibility checks and prevent improper payments.

Under the new program, submitting an allegation alone would not qualify someone for a reward. The tip must lead to a successful fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action, according to the White House official.

"Every day, President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud is zeroing in on the rampant abuse of taxpayer dollars and giving Americans the accountability they deserve. This administration has zero tolerance for individuals who steal from Americans," White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital.

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The event also brought a separate announcement from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, who said the administration was deferring another $1.2 billion in California Medicaid payments directed toward personal care services.

Oz cited questions about the program’s spending growth and said tips from people inside businesses can help investigators identify wrongdoing.

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, the task force’s vice chairman, also called for Congress to impose mandatory minimum prison terms for benefits fraud and civil liability for state officials who fail to stop fraud they could have prevented.

Fox News Digital's David Unsworth contributed to this report.

FBI agents and analysts who were fired for working on Trump classified files probe sue to get their jobs back

The investigation resulted in a dramatic 2022 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago that recovered classified records and later produced an indictment in federal court in Florida charging then-former President Donald Trump with dozens of felony counts.

AP source: FBI issues actor Selma Blair a summons accusing her of assaults on a plane

The charges listed on the violation notice issued by the FBI are assaults within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, according to a federal law enforcement official who spoke with the AP on condition of anonymity.

The footprint of Los Mayos and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel on Mexico’s concert business

9 October 2026 at 15:01

The music industry has once again been forced to dance to a tune set by drug trafficking. Ismael Zambada Sicairos, the subject of several narcocorridos (a subgenre of corrido, a type of Mexican ballad, that glorifies or narrates the lives of drug traffickers and organized crime), is now accused of being the head of a sophisticated criminal network that, through organizing concerts in Baja California and other front-business activities, allegedly served to launder money generated illicitly across the border by Los Mayos, the Sinaloa Cartel faction he has led for two years.

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© @InHouseEspectaculos

Concert promoted by In House Espectáculos in Baja California, June 2024.

If you fire missiles at me, I’ll cut off your water supply: The cyberattacks attributed to Iran that showed the US is vulnerable

29 September 2026 at 10:15

Water service failed in at least 300,000 Atlanta households on July 27. Taps ran, but only a trickle came out. After receiving several consumer alerts, the water company found that a pumping station had stopped functioning, affecting that city and others in the state. The loss of pressure led authorities to advise boiling water before drinking it to reduce the risk of contamination, sparking some panic among the population. It was not a technical fault: everything points to it having been orchestrated from a computer almost 7,000 miles away, in Iran.

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Message displayed on devices attacked by CyberAv3ngers in Aliquippa (Pennsylvania) during the 2023 campaign.

© Rebecca Cook (REUTERS)

Flint in Michigan, one of the states whose water-supply infrastructures were attacked this summer.

From Tinder to running apps: Cellphones become a front for recruitment, spying, and sabotaging the enemy

22 September 2026 at 14:34

The alarms raised by the relationship between a Spanish NATO commander and a woman of Russian origin he met on Tinder, the dating app, are the latest chapter in a new espionage battleground: web applications. Sharing content on social media, posting your morning run, or looking for love online has become a latent risk for militaries around the world.

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© NurPhoto (NurPhoto via Getty Images)

A Polish soldier checks his cellphone in Kraków on August 5.
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