News Story
Acting DEA Head Michele Leonhart Nominated to Take Post Permanently
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — As expected, President Obama has nominated acting head of the DEA Michele Leonhart to take on the post on a permanent basis. The announcement came in a White House press release issued on Monday. She had been one of four candidates being considered for the job. Ticklethewire.com first reported…
N.Y. U.S. Atty Charges ex-Guatemala Pres. With Money Laundering Stolen Cash
Update Tues: 4:10 p.m.: The U.S Attorney’s Office announced that President Alfonso Portillo, who had been on the run, was arrested this afternoon in the Guatemalan state of Izabal. By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com New York U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said former Guatemala President Alfonso Portillo — who is on the run — had converted the…
Could N.Y. Trial of Pakistani Scientist be Preview of the Pending Trial of 9/11 Suspects?
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com The Manhattan federal trial of a Pakistani scientist accused of trying to shoot U.S. soldiers while being detained in Afghanistan continues to be a reminder of what troubles could lie ahead when suspected 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others stand trial in the Big Apple. The New York Times…
Blago’s Name-Dropping Attorney Invokes the Names of Tony Soprano, Pres. Obama and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com It’s not everyday, within the confines of a five-page court filing, that a defense attorney gets to cram in the names Tony Soprano, President Obama and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. But Sam Adams, who represents the fiesty ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, did just that the other day in a response to a…
Nebraska Man Pleads Guilty to Attacking Scientology Websites
No invite from Cruise/paramount pictures photo By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com Don’t expect to see Brian Thomas Mettenbrink at the next red carpet event for Scientologists Tom Cruise or John Travolta. Menttenbrink, 20, of Grand Island, Nebraska, pleaded guilty Monday in Los Angeles federal court to participating in a ploy to shut down the Church of…
Detroit Area Man Who is Popular Muslim Singer Charged with Lying About Links to Hamas
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com A suburban Detroit man charged with lying about his ties to a Hamas-linked charity, the Holly Land Foundation, is a well-known singer in the Muslim world, the Detroit Free Press reported. The paper reported that Mohamad Mustapha Ali Masfaka, 47, of Farmington Hills, Mich., who is also known as Abu Ratib,…
Detroit Public Corruption Case: Ex-Aide Calls Cong. Conyer’s Wife “Crazy” And Possibly “Beyond Medication”
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com In Detroit– an economically ailing city where routine services are stretched thin, and jobs, like a Detroit Lions victory, are tough to come by — citizens are witnessing another sad chapter in federal court involving public corruption. This times it’s the very talkative and controversial political consultant Sam Riddle, whose trial…
Other Shoe Drops: 2nd NBA Player Jarvaris Crittenton Pleads Guilty of Gun Charge
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — The other shoe dropped Monday in the gun drama involving suspended Washington Wizards’ star Gilbert Arenas. The other figure in the scandal, Wizards player Jarvaris Crittenton, 21, who has been injured all year, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of possession of an unregistered Firearm and was sentenced to…