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Illinois sheriff’s deputy charged with murder shot Sonya Massey in the face after ordering her to move a pot of water

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois sheriff’s deputy accused of murdering a Black woman shot her in the face during a tense standoff over a pot of water in her home, then discouraged his partner from trying to save her, authorities said Thursday.

The details were in a court document filed to support keeping fired Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson in custody without bail. County District Judge Ryan M. Cadagin agreed, denying Grayson pretrial release at a hearing Thursday in Springfield.

In the courtroom, which was guarded by a dozen sheriff’s deputies and with three more patrolling the courtroom, Cadagin described the actions of which the former deputy is accused as “such a huge departure from the expectations of civil society.”

Sonya Massey, 36, was killed in her home in the Illinois capital, about 200 miles (322 kilometers) south of Chicago, after officers responded to her 911 call about a possible burglar in the early morning hours of July 6.

Prosecutors said that after Grayson allowed Massey to move a pot of water heated on the stove and set it on the counter, Grayson “aggressively yelled” at Massey over the pot and pulled out a 9 mm handgun. Massey put her hands up, said “excuse me” and ducked before she was shot in the face. Grayson also discouraged the other deputy from taking his medical kit, prosecutors said.

“The second deputy continued to provide aid and stayed with Ms. Massey until medical assistance arrived,” wrote Mary Rodgers, an assistant state’s attorney. Grayson “did not attempt to provide aid to Ms. Massey at any time.”

Grayson, 30, who’s white, has been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and abuse of authority. He pleaded not guilty during his initial court appearance Thursday.

More than 30 members of Massey’s family and their supporters sat in the courtroom Thursday, several of whom declined to comment.

No one has challenged the state’s contention that the body-worn camera footage supports the first condition of Grayson’s detention — that there may be a strong presumption that the conduct alleged in the indictment occurred. Authorities have said they plan to publicly release the body-worn camera footage on Monday.

“At no point did the defendant demonstrate anything but callousness towards human life,” Rodgers said.

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Defense attorney Dan Fultz argued for Grayson’s release, saying the state’s case was inadequate when weighed against other arguments. Fultz said Grayson posed no threat to the community because he was compliant and turned himself in to police inside a half-hour of the warrant being issued.

He said the Army veteran owns a home in Riverton, a community east of Springfield, with his fiancée, whom he plans to marry in the fall. His retention could be a burden on the county, he said, because of Stage 3 colon cancer diagnosed last fall that requires special treatment.

Fultz requested Grayson’s release on the conditions that weapons be faraway from his home, that he undergo a mental health evaluation and that he be placed on 24-hour electronic monitoring.

Cadagin concluded that Massey, who weighed about 110 kilos (50 kilograms), posed no threat to Grayson, who was 6-foot-3, 240 kilos (190 centimeters) tall and 240 kilos (103 kilograms), who was armed and accompanied by one other deputy, and who refused to render aid after being shot.

Sheriff Jack Campbell said Wednesday that Grayson was fired since it is obvious the deputy “did not conduct himself in accordance with our standards or in accordance with our training. … We assume a tremendous amount of responsibility with our badge, and if that responsibility is abused, there should be consequences.”

Ben Crump, a lawyer for the Massey family, said the charges were “a step towards justice for Sonia’s loved ones, especially her children, who have endured unimaginable pain and suffering since learning of this tragedy.”

About 200 people gathered at the NAACP headquarters in Springfield on Wednesday to show support for Massey and her family.

“I am outraged that another innocent black woman has lost her life at the hands of a police officer,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said after the arraignment.

Grayson is due back in court on Aug. 26. Fultz said he has been with the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department for about 18 months, after serving as an officer for about seven years with several other police agencies in central Illinois.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Sean “Diddy” Combs faces five new sexual assault trials

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Several more plaintiffs got here forward this week accusing rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual abuse. On November 19, three men and two women filed separate complaints against the Bad Boy Records founder through Tony Buzbee, a lawyer who previously said he would represent greater than 100 clients accusing Combs of misconduct.

“For years, Combs and his companies have engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of violence against women, men and minors,” the entire complaints read: in keeping with People magazine. “This abuse was at times verbal, emotional, physical and sexual. As part of his pattern of molestation, Combs manipulated both men and women into participating in highly orchestrated performances of sexual activity, with both prostitutes and unsuspecting partygoers.”

The new plaintiffs include an unidentified man who claims the rapper sexually assaulted him when he was 39 years old. At a house party in New York in 2022, the plaintiff alleged that he was given a drink that left him feeling disoriented and uncontrolled. his body, which ultimately caused him to lose consciousness.

Lawyers for Sean

When he regained consciousness, he recalls being in a “dark bedroom with black walls, on a bed with black sheets”, where he realized that Combs was “sodomizing him”. The plaintiff claims he fought with the rapper before leaving the party.

Other male plaintiffs, including an unnamed former actor, remember feeling disoriented, passing out and waking up as Combs sexually assaulted them. With allegations dating back to 2001, all five complaints said Combs’ alleged abuse was “shockingly typical” since the star believed he was “above the law.”

“That said, Mr. Combs vehemently and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors,” attorney Erica Wolff added in a press release. “He looks forward to proving his innocence and defending himself in court where the truth will be determined by evidence, not speculation.”

Combs is currently in federal custody awaiting trial on criminal charges including sex trafficking and racketeering. The star’s trial is scheduled to happen in May 2025.

Prosecutors say Sean

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Founder of an AI Tech startup accused of fraud and combining numbers with investors

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Joanna Smith-Griffin, 33, CEO of startup AllHere Education, Inc. dealing with AI education accused of defrauding investors.

The Southern District of New York prosecuted Smith-Griffin securities fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The grand jury indictment alleged that Smith-Griffin lied concerning the education platform’s funds and posed as a financial consultant to supply false information to investors. While acting as a financial consultant for AllHere Education, Smith-Griffin is accused of falsifying the corporate’s financial records mislead potential investors and inflate the worth of her company and its revenues.

AllHere Education is an AI-powered learning platform utilized in primary and secondary schools. Smith-Griffin has had little success integrating the K-12 platform into individual school districts in California and Georgia. However, the principal didn’t secure long-term contracts with school districts. She used these short-term partnerships to misrepresent to investors the reach and financial success of AllHere Education.

Smith-Griffin told potential AllHere investors that AllHere generated about $3.7 million in revenue in 2020, about $2.5 million in money and has major school district customers similar to New York City Department of Education (“NYC DOE”) and Atlanta Public Schools. In fact, AllHere generated roughly $11,000 in revenue in 2020, had roughly $494,000 in money, and had no contracts with many of the clients it represented, including the NYC DOE and Atlanta Public Schools.

Smith-Griffin continued to boost capital to support the startup, raising one other $10 million in funding. When the corporate collapsed financially, Smith-Griffin allegedly used the money injection to pay for an extravagant three-day wedding in Florida and a residence in North Carolina.

FBI Deputy Director James E. Dennehy commented on Smith-Griffin’s decision to prioritize her personal aspirations over the needs of an educational platform.

“Her alleged actions impacted the potential to improve the learning environment in core school districts by selfishly prioritizing personal expenses,” he said.

Smith-Griffin faces a compulsory two years in prison for the identity theft charge and a maximum of 20 years for every fraud charge. AllHere Education is currently in Chapter 7 bankruptcy.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Prosecutors say Sean “Diddy” Combs is trying to obstruct justice by heading to prison

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NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs was trying to reach potential witnesses and influence public opinion while in prison in a bid to influence potential jurors in an upcoming sex trafficking trial, prosecutors said in a court filing during which they urged a judge to deny his latest bail request.

The government charges were filed Friday evening in federal court in Manhattan, which opposed the music mogul’s latest offer of $50 million bail. A bail hearing is scheduled for next week.

Prosecutors wrote that a review of recorded phone calls Combs made while in prison shows that he asked relations to contact potential victims and witnesses and urged them to create a “narrative” to influence the jury pool. They say he also encouraged the use of promoting strategies to influence public opinion.

“The defendant has demonstrated time and time again – even while in custody – that he’ll flagrantly and repeatedly disregard the foundations so as to improperly influence the consequence of his case. In other words, the defendant has demonstrated that he can’t be trusted to abide by the terms and conditions,” prosecutors wrote in a press release containing redactions.

Prosecutors wrote that from his behavior it might be inferred that Combs wanted to blackmail victims and witnesses into remaining silent or providing testimony helpful to his defense.

Combs’ lawyers didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Whoopi Goldberg says she can't afford to take a break from work

Prosecutors said Combs, 55, began breaking the foundations almost immediately after being taken into custody Metropolitan Prison Center in Brooklyn after his September arrest.

He pleaded not guilty to the costs brought against him he abused and molested women for years with the assistance of a network of collaborators and employees, while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings.

Two judges found he was a danger to the community and a flight risk.

His lawyers recently filed a 3rd bail application after rejecting two previous attempts, including a $50 million bail offer.

In their motion, they cited modified circumstances, including latest evidence, that they believed justified Combs’ release so he could higher prepare for his May 5 trial.

However, prosecutors said defense lawyers created the most recent bail proposal based on evidence provided to them by prosecutors, and the brand new material was already known to defense lawyers after they submitted previous bail applications.

In their presentation to the judge, prosecutors said Combs’ behavior in prison shows he must remain locked up.

Mary J. Blige and Giuseppe Zanotti announce a new release from their boot collaboration

For example, they said, Combs asked relations to plan and execute a social media campaign around his birthday “with the intent of influencing a potential jury in this criminal proceeding.”

He encouraged his children to post a video on their social media accounts of them gathering to have a good time his birthday, he added.

He then monitored statistics on the jail, including audience engagement, and “explicitly discussed with the family how to ensure the film would have the desired impact on potential jury members in this case,” they said.

The government also alleged that Combs made clear in other conversations that he intended to anonymously publish information that he believed would help him defend against the costs.

“Defendant’s efforts to impede the fairness of these proceedings also include his persistent efforts to contact potential witnesses, including victims of violence, who could provide strong testimony against him,” prosecutors wrote.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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