Michigan man gets 17 years for recording himself sexually abusing a child
DETROIT – A Michigan man has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting children, including recording himself sexually abusing a victim who was under 10 years old, authorities said. Travis Timmons, 33, of Gibraltar, pleaded guilty to using his cell phone to create a video of himself performing a sex act on the child. “This offender engaged in hands-on abuse to create sexually explicit images of a young child,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison, whose office prosecuted the case. He would offer them vape pens in exchange for sexually explicit images and sex acts. When law enforcement closed in on Timmons for an arrest, he jumped out of a window and fled.
mlive.comU.S. Attorney Dawn Ison talks commitment to civil rights, close relationship with Arab American community
U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison – Photo a courtesy of the U.S. Department of JusticeDETROIT — Dawn Ison, nominated by President Biden to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, says she knows the value of community engagement. “It is my great honor and privilege to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a richly diverse district that I’ve called home for a long time,” Ison told The Arab American News. “It is a priority of the U.S. attorney general and I wholeheartedly embrace that priority,” Ison said. Ison’s work in civil rights extends into the local Arab American community, engaging local leaders and border security and law enforcement agencies in discussing treatment of Arabs and Muslims at borders. Ison said travelers have real avenues to file complaints about unfair and discriminatory profiling when traveling.
arabamericannews.comFederal Monitor Neil Barofsky Accuses UAW Of Concealing Misconduct Probe
A monitor appointed by a federal judge in the wake of a United Auto Workers bribery and embezzlement scandal contends that the union has been uncooperative by withholding information on additional misconduct allegations.
detroit.cbslocal.comFeds and Detroit team up against summer gun violence
Another summer surge of gun violence is expected in Detroit. The feds and Detroit Police are teaming up for Project Safe Neighborhoods targeting hot spots in the 8th and 9th Police Precincts. Those are considered urban shootings not mass shootings and are the focus of this plan. We're going to do it unconstitutionally but I'm not going to apologize for locking somebody up with a gun. I'm not I'm not going to apologize for enforcing the law.”This program runs through summer and the Labor Day holiday weekend.
wxyz.com3 letter carriers charged for taking bribes from Farmington Hills man to help him steal credit cards
Three letter carriers have been charged for accepting bribes from a Farmington Hills man to help him steal credit cards from other people and intercept fraudulent COVID unemployment benefits he sent to homes along their routes, officials said.
Farmington Hills man bribes letter carriers to get credit cards, steals COVID unemployment benefits
A 28-year-old Farmington Hills man bribed letter carriers to obtain other people’s credit cards and later expanded his scheme to have those carriers intercept fraudulent COVID unemployment benefits he had filed for and sent to homes along their routes, officials said.
Detroit man sentenced after carjacking woman in front of kids, targeting CPL holder, hiding in bush
A Detroit man who carjacked a woman in front of her children at their home and also failed to carjack a CPL holder at a gas station has been sentenced to 19 years in prison after police found him hiding in a bush.
Former University of Michigan music professor sentenced 5 years for sex crimes
DETROIT - A former University of Michigan music teacher was sentenced on April 14 to serve five years in federal prison on a felony charge of sex with a minor, according to a Thursday United State Attorney’s Office release. Read more: UM violin professor accused of sexual misconductThursday’s sentencing will hopefully bring closure to Shipps’ victims, said James Harris, the Homeland Security Investigations agent who looked into the case. Read more: Sexual misconduct reports up at University of Michigan. The new policies change how UM officials are to address banned conduct, report instances of misconduct and align the university with current Title IX policies. Required oversight of University of Michigan sexual misconduct policies lynchpin of court settlementUpdates to sexual misconduct policy align University of Michigan with new Title IX guidanceUniversity of Michigan to overhaul how it handles sexual misconduct casesRetaliation against individuals reporting misconduct banned at University of Michigan
mlive.comFeds: Dearborn Heights man buys seaside condo with COVID relief money; wife runs $10.6M pharmacy scheme
A husband and wife from Dearborn Heights were arrested in separate criminal cases Tuesday -- one for running a $10.6 million fraud scheme through two pharmacies in Inkster and the other for using $1 million in COVID relief money to buy a seaside condo in Beirut, officials said.
Federal lawsuit filed against Flint Township neurological center, claims ADA violations
FLINT TWP., MI—The U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed a lawsuit against a Flint Township medical center for violating the rights of people with disabilities. Flint Neurological Centre P.C. “No one should be denied meaningful access to health care services, including the ability to exchange critical information with their medical providers.”Attempts to reach the Flint Neurological Centre P.C. The 17-page complaint also puts forth that Flint Neurological Centre did not provide sign language interpreters or any other communication aids to some patients over several years of treatment. This obligation requires the provision of auxiliary aids and services, such as sign language interpreters, when necessary to effectively communicate with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing.
mlive.com‘Yes, I am a monster’: Waterford man exploits at least 10 kids through blackmail, child porn, more
A self-described “sick monster” from Waterford Township has been sentenced to decades in prison after he sexually exploited at least 10 children through means such as blackmail, child pornography and assault.
Detroit man sentenced for kicking in mom’s door, stealing retired officer’s car, firing shots, more
A Detroit man has been sentenced for a crime spree that included kicking in the door of his mother’s home, stealing a car from a retired police officer, firing shots on multiple instances and breaking into a house.
Michigan doctor charged in $17 million opioid distribution conspiracy
DETROIT – A Detroit-area doctor and a patient recruiter have been charged in a $17 million opioid distribution conspiracy, federal officials announced today. The “conservative street value” of the alleged illegal prescriptions was more than $17 million. To maintain an appearance of legitimacy, Kirkpatrick allegedly required each “patient” to have certain records in a patient file before writing a controlled substance prescription. Williams and others allegedly created fraudulent medical records, including MRI reports and Michigan Automated Prescription System (MAPS) reports. Kirkpatrick also allegedly authorized electronic prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances without a medical evaluation.
mlive.comHow a father and son used drug addiction, violence, sex dates to run a Detroit prostitution house
A father and son have been sentenced for using crack cocaine, heroin and threats of violence to force women with addictions to go on sex dates as part of the duo’s drug and prostitution house in Detroit.
President Biden nominates Ison, Totten for Michigan U.S. Attorney posts
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - President Joe Biden announced Friday his nominees to serve as U.S. Gretchen Whitmer since 2019, is the president’s nominee for the Grand Rapids-based Western District of Michigan and Dawn Ison is the nominee for the Eastern District of Michigan. If confirmed by the Senate, Ison will be the first Black woman to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Detroit-based Eastern District. From 2010 to 2014, Ison served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit for her office. “Dawn Ison is a highly-qualified Assistant U.S. Attorney serving in the Eastern District of Michigan.
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