‘El Chapo’ Guzman

By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com

As expected Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán was found guilty on Tuesday of crimes spanning more than a quarter of a century, NBC News reports.

A federal jury in New York convicted El Chapo, 61, on all 10 count after a trial that lasted almost three months.

After a nearly three-monthlong trial and six days of deliberations, a New York jury found the alleged Sinaloa cartel leader guilty of all counts he was tried on.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

A probation officer in Massachusetts who is accused of mistreating a woman on probation pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to lying to an FBI agent, the Boston Globe reports. 

Lawrence Plumer, 46, reached an agreement with prosecutors that could mean he dodges jail and is instead sentenced to a year of probation.

Plumer is accused of showing pornography to a woman serving probation, among other allegations that have not been made public.

Prosecutors said the “mistreatment” involved the deprivation of the woman’s rights.

In addition to pleading guilty, Plumer agreed to resign from his job as probation officer in Suffolk Superior Court, the Boston Globe wrote.

Brian Terry

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

A jury found two men guilty of murder Thursday in the killing of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry near the Mexican border in 2010, the Arizona Republic reports.

The men, Ivan Soto-Barraza and Jesus Leonel Sanchez-Meza, belonged to a “rip crew” that was searching for drug smugglers to rob when they became engaged in a shootout with Terry and three other agents.

They were convicted of first-degree murder and other charges.

Terry was shot in the back and bled to death.

The shooting brought attention to the flawed federal gun-running sting, “Fast and Furious,” after some of the weapons at the scene were traced to the operation.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

A former Border Patrol agent accused of shooting his estranged wife’s boyfriend in El Paso was found guilty Tuesday of attempted capital murder and one count of continuos family violence, the Associated Press reports.

Alberto Montelongo, 41, is expected to be sentenced today and faces up to 99 years in prison.

Police said Montelongo shot his wife’s boyfriend in the head after getting into an altercation with the couple.

The man survived, and Montelongo took him and his wife hostage, prompting a standoff with El Paso police.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

A former Secret Service agent accused of pocketing $820,000 worth of Bitcoin money while investigating the Silk Road online drug marketplace has pleaded guilty to money laundering and obstruction of justice.

Tech Times reports that then-Secret Service Agent Shaun Bridges admitted Monday to stealing the Bitcoin money and placing it in a personal account.

Bridges said he stole about 20,000 Bitcoin in 2013.

Another federal agent, Carl Force, also admitted to stealing the digital currency several month ago.

“This case shows we will act quickly to hold wrongdoers accountable, no matter who they are,” Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell said.

By Steve Neavling

A Border Patrol supervisor accused of placing a hidden camera in the flood drain of a women’s bathroom pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of making a false statement to a federal officer and seven counts of video voyeurism.

Armando Gonzalez also admitted he lied when asked by superiors why he had placed a camera in the restroom in San Ysidro, Calif.,  saying at the time that he was conducting a drug investigation.

Gonzalez captured video of the women’s private parts between July 2013 and April 2014.

Gonzalez kept the videos at work and destroyed evidence that he had at home.

“These crimes are an assault on the dignity of victims who are left to feel violated, powerless, anxious and unsafe,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “It will always be a priority to protect our federal employees and the public from such despicable invasions of privacy.”

“The conduct in this case involves a violation of trust and common decency committed against the victims in this case,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge, Eric S. Birnbaum. “We believe that today’s plea is the first step in bringing justice and a sense of closure to the victims in this case.”

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

As expected, a federal court jury has found Dzhokhar Tsarnaev guilty in the Boston Marathon bombing, the Washington Post reports.

The same jury will now decide whether he spends the remainder of his life in prison or is executed under a federal death penalty statute.

Tsarnaev stood with his head bowed and his hands clasped as the verdicts were read, the Post reported.

WASHINGTON — Lawyers for David H. Petraeus have reached an agreement with federal prosecutors for the retired general and former CIA director to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge in connection with his handling of classified materials.

As part of the agreement, Petraeus admitted to improperly retaining classified material, according to documents filed Tuesday in federal court in Charlotte. Petraeus has also acknowledged he misled FBI investigators, officials said.

Federal prosecutors will not seek prison time for the retired four-star general but instead will ask a judge to impose a probationary period of two years.

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