Crime
Two former officers convicted of torturing and sexually abusing black men receive sentences of 27 and 10 years in prison
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A federal judge on Thursday accomplished sentencing to prison terms of about 10 to 40 years six white former Mississippi law enforcement officers who pleaded guilty to breaking right into a home with no warrant and torturing two black men in an hour-long attack that included beatings, multiple uses of Tasers and assaults with a sex toy before one of the victims was shot in the mouth.
U.S. District Judge Tom Lee called the perpetrators’ actions “outrageous and despicable” and handed down sentences near the utmost federal guidelines for five of the six men who attacked Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker.
The exception was Joshua Hartfield, 32, a former police officer who didn’t work with others in the sheriff’s department and was not a member of the “Thug Squad.” He was the last of six former officers sentenced over three days this week, months after all of them pleaded guilty.
Before handing Hartfield a 10-year prison sentence Thursday, Lee said Hartfield had no history of using excessive force and was drawn into this violent episode by one of his former deputies, Christian Dedmon, who received a 40-year sentence. Lee, nonetheless, said Hartfield didn’t intervene in the violence and participated in a cover-up.
Brett McAlpin, 53, the fourth-highest rating officer with the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, received a sentence of about 27 years in prison Thursday. McAlpin nodded to his family in the courtroom and apologized before the judge sentenced him.
“It was all bad, very bad. This is not how people should treat each other, much less how law enforcement should treat people,” said McAlpin, who didn’t take a look at the victims as he spoke. “I’m truly sorry that I was involved in something that made law enforcement look so bad.”
Lee sentenced Christian Dedmon, 29, to 40 years in prison and Daniel Opdyke, 28, to 17.5 years in prison Wednesday. He gave about 20 years to Hunter Elward (31) and 17.5 years to Jeffrey Middleton (46). (*10*)Tuesday. All but Hartfield served in the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office near Jackson, the Mississippi state capital.
In looking for a lengthy sentence, federal prosecutor Christopher Perras said McAlpin wasn’t technically a member of the Goon Squad, but “he molded them into the thugs they became.”
Parker told investigators that McAlpin acted like a “mafia don” as he gave instructions to officers throughout the evening. Prosecutors said other deputies often tried to impress McAlpin, and Opdyke’s attorney said Wednesday that his client viewed McAlpin as a father figure.
The younger deputies tried to recollect how they started off “wanting to be good law enforcement officers and turned into monsters,” Perras said Thursday.
“How did these deputies learn to treat one other human being like this? “Your honor, the answer is right there,” Perras said, turning and pointing at McAlpin.
In March 2023, several months before federal prosecutors announced charges in August, an investigation by the Associated Press linked some deputies to no less than 4 violent encounters with black men since 2019, which left two people dead and one with lasting injuries.
The officers made up false accusations against the victims, planted weapons and drugs on the crime scene, and stuck to their cover for months before finally admitting their guilt. that they tortured Jenkins and Parker. Elward admitted to putting a gun in Jenkins’ mouth and firing a shot in what federal prosecutors said was a “mock execution.”
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In an announcement read Thursday by his lawyer, Jenkins said he “felt like a slave” and was “left to die like a dog.”
“If those in charge of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office can participate in this type of torture, God help us all. And God help Rankin County,” Jenkins said.
The terror began on January 24, 2023, with a racist incitement to extrajudicial violence, when a white person complained to McAlpin that two black men were staying with a white woman in a house in Braxton. McAlpin told Dedmon texted a bunch of white deputies asking in the event that they were “available to participate in the mission.”
“No bad mug shots,” Dedmon wrote, which prosecutors say gives a green light to make use of excessive force on body parts that do not appear in the booking photo.
Dedmon also brought in Hartfield, who was instructed to cover the back door of the property in the course of the illegal entry.
Once inside, the officers mocked the victims with racist insults and shocked them with stun guns. They handcuffed them and poured milk, alcohol and chocolate syrup on their faces. Dedmon and Opdyke attacked them with a sex toy. They forced them to strip naked and take a shower together to cover the mess.
After Elward shot Jenkins in the mouth, splitting his tongue and breaking his jaw, they hatched a canopy. Deputies agreed to plant the drugs, and Jenkins and Parker faced false charges for months.
According to prosecutors, McAlpin and Middleton, the oldest men in the group, threatened to kill the opposite officers in the event that they spoke out. In court Thursday, McAlpin’s attorney, Aafram Sellers, said only Middleton threatened to kill the opposite officers.
Sellers also questioned probation officer Allie Whitten on the stand about the small print presented to the judge. When federal investigators questioned the neighbor who called McAlpin, the person testified that he saw “trashy” people in the home, each white and black, Sellers said. This calls into query whether the episode began because of race, he argued.
Federal prosecutors said a neighbor referred to the house’s occupants as “those people” and “thugs.” The information contained in the indictments, which the officers didn’t dispute when pleading guilty, shows that some of them used racist taunts and epithets throughout the episode.
Predominantly white Rankin County lies east of Jackson and is home to at least one of the very best percentages of black residents of any major U.S. city. The officers yelled at Jenkins and Parker to “stay out of Rankin County and go back to Jackson or ‘their side’ of the Pearl River,” the court document said.
Attorneys for several sheriff’s deputies said their clients were caught up in a culture of corruption that was not only allowed but encouraged by sheriff’s office leaders.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, who took office in 2012, released no details about his deputies’ actions when announcing they were fired last June. After they he pleaded guilty in August, Bailey said officers had gone rogue and promised changes. Jenkins and Parker called on him to resign and contributed $400 million civil lawsuit against the school. Last November, Bailey was re-elected unopposed for one more four-year term.
Crime
Diddy allegedly tried to kill a former boyfriend Cassie, prosecutors say in the sexual trade process
The sexual trade process for Sean “Diddy” Combs, 55, founding father of Bad Boy Records and the music mogel began on Monday morning in New York with statements opening each the defense team and the defense of COMPS. The trial has already began with unimaginable claims.
According to New York Daily News, In his comments opening US prosecutor Emily Johnson, he shared with the jury that the anger with the former Girl Cassie and the lack of control over her caused him to consider murder. Apparently, trying out that Cassie was dating one other person, Johnson claimed that Diddy called one in all his bodyguards and went to seek for a boy Cassie (at the moment), with a weapon, intending to kill a man.
“He took the weapon and took his bodyguard – one of his most loyal lieutenants – to wake up one of the employees of the accused in the middle of the night. The accused shouted that he was going to kill a man with whom she was Cassie,” said Johnson. Unable to find a man, Diddy set his view on a brutally assault on Cassa.
“He did what he did countless times earlier. He beat her brutally. Kicking her in the back and throwing her like Ragdoll. All this violence was not enough, but the accused had to make sure that he would have control over Cassie again. So he threatened her,” the accused told Cassie that he would supply you with the option to publicly release sex with sex when he kept her. Nights of her life. ”
Johnson’s opening remarks developed her plan to share twenty years of violence and abuse of each Cassie (Ventura) and other women who allegedly forced sex against their will, and ruthlessly defeated after they didn’t follow, amongst many other crimes. She also claimed that he had a tight ring of fogeys that were aware and complicity in Diddy’s crimes committee.
Diddy’s lawyer, Teny Geragos, said that Combs had committed domestic violence, but he was not at the trial for it, and the movies and data they receive would show consensual, intimate private relations, but no orders of any crimes.
“We accept the full responsibility that in this case there has been domestic violence. Domestic violence is not sexual trade. I want to say it again: domestic violence is not sexual trade. If he was accused of domestic violence, if he was accused of assaulting, he will not be here now,” said Geragos.
She added: “sexual trade, prostitution, tribute, these are federal crimes. Fees for various elements. He is simply not guilty of these crimes.”
Diddy didn’t plead all allegations against him, including sexual trade allegation, racketeers, transport of victims and sexual employees in terms of prostitution and all other related numbers. If he’s convicted, he’ll face prison with a very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very long time.
(Tagstranslat) sean Diddy combs
The federal sexual process of Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose extremely successful occupation was dotted by allegations of violence, began on Monday in New York with the alternative of a jury, which was briefly detained when the hip-hop entrepreneur said he was “a bit nervous” and needed a break in the bathroom.
Three dozen potential jury was questioned by judge Aruna Subramaanian about their response to the questionnaire, which is also to help determine whether or not they is perhaps honest and impartial at the trial through which violent and sexual movies will appear. Opening declarations and the starting of the testimony are scheduled for the next week.
The judge gave a possible sworn to a transient lived description of sexual trade and a conspiracy from tribute to Combs, telling them that he didn’t plead guilty and it was thought that this was not innocent.
At the end of the day, the jury pool was half its size, because some were excluded for personal reasons, resembling the inability to economically endure the process anticipated for two months or because their opinions or previous experience would threaten their objectivity.
The next thirty potential jurors were to be questioned on Tuesday. The jury was not going before Wednesday.
Throughout Monday, Combs, 55 years, sat along together together along together together together along together along together along along together together together together together together along together together along along together along together together together together along along together along along along together along together along along along along together together along together along together together together together together together together along together together together along along together together together together together along together along along together along together along together together together together together along together together together along together along together together together along along along together along along along together along along together along together together together along along along together together along together together together along along along along together together together together together along together along together along together along together along along along along together together together together together together together along along along together together together along together along along along together along together along along together along along together together along together together along together together along along along together together together together along along along together along together together together together along together along along together together along along along together together together together together together along along along along together along together together along along together together along along along together together together along together together together together together along along along along together together together together along together along along together together along together along along along together together together along together together along along together together together along together together along together together along together together along together together together along along together along along together together along along together along along together together together together together together together together together together together along along along along along together together with his lawyers in a sweater above a white shirt with a collar and gray pants that the judge allowed as a alternative of prison clothes. Since his arrest, it took place in a dismal federal blockade in Brooklyn. His hair and goat were almost fully gray because the dye is not allowed in prison.
Unlike the other latest loud celebrity processes, the Combs case won’t be broadcast live, because the federal courtroom doesn’t allow electronic recordings in the middle-what signifies that the artists of the sketch of the courtroom are the eyes of the public in the courtroom.
If he is convicted of all the allegations, he could face the maximum life in prison.
Several potential jury indicated that they saw press reports containing key evidence on this matter: a video with a hip-hop tycoon striking and kicking one amongst his prosecutors in the corridor in the hotel in Los Angeles in 2016. One potential juror described a stationary picture that she saw from the film as “condemning evidence.” This woman was rejected from the consideration.
After releasing one other juror, Combs asked for a break in the bathroom, telling the judge: “I’m sorry your honor, I’m a bit nervous today.”
One potential juror said that she published a “similar” film in social media by a comedian who joked about large amounts of oil for infants found by law enforcement agencies in one amongst the houses of Combs. Has not been released.
The 17-page indictment against Combs-which appears like an accusation document against the mafia leader or the head of the drug gang-he is confirmed that Combs have been involved in twenty years of racketeers of behavior towards women and others, with the help of people in his funeral and employees from his network of corporations.
Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent and every group sex was compatible. They say that there was no effort to force people to do it, and nothing that happened was a criminal rocket.
Prosecutors say that girls were manipulated in sexual ends in sexual results with sexual men, which the Combs called “freaks”. To keep women in a queue, prosecutors say that Combs used a mix of influence and violence: he suggested that he would increase their entertainment occupation in the event that they did what he asked – or breathe or not.
And when he didn’t get what he wanted, the indictment says that Combs and his colleagues resorted to violent deeds, including beating, kidnapping and arson. Once, in accordance with the indictment, he even hung someone from the balcony.
One of the 4 alleged victims of the testimony against Combs may not finally take the position of a witness, on Monday he revealed the assistant to the US prosecutor Maurene Comey. She told Subramanian that a lady’s lawyer had personal problems and it was difficult to get and it was clear if the woman would also appear.
“There is no special number that requires her testimony so that we can bear our burden,” said Comey.
Combs recognized one episode of violence, which is considered a key element of the prosecutor’s case. In 2016, the security camera recorded him that he defeated his ex -girlfriend, R&B Cassie singer, in the corridor of the hotel in Los Angeles. Cassie filed a lawsuit at the end of 2023, saying that Combs gave her years abuse, including beating and rape.
Associated Press normally doesn’t call individuals who claim that they were sexually abused, unless they report in public as Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura.
(Tagstotransate) Diddy
Smokey Robinson was accused of sexual assault by four former employees.
On Tuesday, May 6, a state of $ 50 million was filed within the Supreme Court in Los Angeles against an 85-12 months-old singer by four Jane, accusing him of a sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, genital violence and making a hostile work environment.
In accordance with court documents obtained by People magazineIN The New York PostAND DiversityEach of the explanations was employed as housewives.
In his criticism, the primary Jane Doe claims that his wife, Frances Robinson, had “full knowledge about his earlier activities of improper sexual behavior” and “did not take appropriate repair actions” to forestall his “unnecessary rewind” even after the previous cases of previous cases of sexual assault with other women.
He also claims that the primary sexual assault she experienced took place in March 2023 and that she experienced “repeated sexual assault and sexual harassment” against her.
The second Jane Doe, who said that she worked for a pair in 2014-2020, claims that she was forced to depart after she experienced “repeated sexual assault and sexual harassment” against her, which, he claims, began in 2016.
Jane Doe #3, who said that she worked as a Smokey hostess from 2012 to 2024, also claims that she was forced to resign attributable to repetitive incidents “sexual assault and sexual harassment” as in accordance with the criticism. In addition, he claims within the criticism that Smokey “raped her” from behind “at least 20 times” after forcing her to “lying face down” in a towel.
The fourth hostess within the criticism, who worked for the accused in 2006–2024, said that she was forced to resign after “multiple sexual assault and sexual harassment”, which began in 2007.
The plaintiffs who’re represented by the law company Harris & Hayden are searching for compensation of USD 50,000,000.
At a press conference in the middle of Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, lawyer John Harris described Robinson as a “serial asaulter” NPR Reported. The lawyer added how the Celebrity of the Motown Legend threatened women to silence, especially since they were employees with low salaries “live with payments.” In addition to break, women ask for a trial.
(Tagstranslat) news
