January 23, 2015
Powerful New York Assembly Speaker Arrested on Charges of Bribery, Conspiracy
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com One of New York government’s most influential and well-known politicians faces serious charges that he used his extraordinary power in return for millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks, The Associated Press reports. The FBI arrested Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who posted $200,000 bail after being charged with federal counts of…
Anonymous-Linked Activist Sent to Prison for Threatening FBI Agent, Sharing Stolen Data
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com An activist tied to the hacking group Anonymous was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of threatening an FBI agent and spreading stolen data. The Business Insider reports that Barrett Brown, who had faced more than 100 years behind bars, read from a lengthy statement before sentencing, saying…
IG: Justice Department Repeatedly Failed to Train Employees on Proper Off-Duty Conduct
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The problems with Justice Department employees getting drunk and acting out 20 years ago have not been sufficiently addressed and are failing to curtail boisterous off-duty conduct, the Inspector General found. The Washington Times reports that the department never followed through on recommendations from as far back as 1996 to adequately…
Are Drones the Drug Mules of the Future? DEA Says It’s Not Cost-Effective
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The recent discovery of a drone carrying methamphetamine near the U.S. border in Mexico has raised some eyebrows. But the DEA said drones will not become tomorrow’s drug mules because they are not cost-effective, the Los Angeles Times reports. “This method will only allow a small amount of drugs to be…
ATF Searches for Clues to What Sparked Mansion Blaze That Killed 6
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The ATF is looking for clues to determine what caused a mammoth fire that gutted an Annapolis mansion and is believed to have killed six people, including four children, on Monday. The Washington Post reports that two more bodies were found in the wreckage Thursday. The mother, Stacey Boone, posted on…