The U.S. State Department is demanding Russia allow its officials to see Brittney Griner ... as the WNBA star sits in a jail cell awaiting her trial for alleged drug offenses.
In a statement released to AP on Friday, the U.S. State Dept. said it's "insisting" Russia "provide consular access" to Griner -- explaining the request has been repeatedly denied over the last few weeks.
It's all quite notable, considering it's the first time the U.S. State Department has used her name publicly.
You'll recall, when State Dept. Secretary Antony Blinken was asked about her case less than two weeks ago, he declined to get into specifics, saying only, "Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance."
On Friday, though, officials finally acknowledged in their statement that they "are closely engaged on this case." They added they are in "frequent contact with Brittney Griner's legal team."
As we reported, Griner has been detained in Russia since mid-February, after authorities say she went through airport security with hash oil in her luggage.
Griner's legal team asked a court on Thursday to allow her to be released on house arrest ... though officials denied that request. Griner is now expected to remain in detention in Russia until at least May 19, when she's expected to return to court.
The situation with Griner in Russia has been complicated ... as the State Department has "suspended operations" at embassies in Russia near where Griner is being held following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
Our sources say Griner is in good spirits despite it all ... but wants to return back to the U.S. as soon as possible.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities took a Florida man into custody Friday in connection with the mail-bomb scare that earlier widened to 12 suspicious packages sent to prominent Democrats from coast to coast. President Donald Trump promised the man would be prosecuted to the “fullest extent of the law.”
The man was identified by law enforcement officials as Cesar Sayoc, 56, of Aventura, Florida. He was arrested at an auto parts store in the nearby city of Plantation. Court records show Sayoc has a history of arrests for theft, illegal possession of steroids and a 2002 charge of making a bomb threat.
It was not immediately clear whether Sayoc had been formally charged in the current case.
Law enforcement officers were seen on television examining a white van, its windows covered with an assortment of stickers, outside the Plantation auto parts store. Authorities covered the vehicle with a blue tarp and took it away on the back of a flatbed truck.
The stickers included images of Trump, American flags and what appeared to be logos of the Republican National Committee and CNN, though the writing surrounding those images was unclear.
The mail-bomb scare widens as law enforcement officials seized 3 more suspicious packages. Larry Johnson, former head of criminal investigations for the Secret Service, says devices look they were delivered to make "a political statement." (Oct. 25)
The development came amid a nationwide manhunt for the person responsible for a series of explosive devices addressed to prominent Democrats including former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.
Trump, after Sayoc was apprehended, declared that “we must never allow political violence take root in America” and Americans “must unify.” As in comments earlier in the week, he did not mention that the package recipients were all Democrats or officials in Obama’s administration, in addition to CNN, a news network he criticizes almost daily.
Earlier Friday, he complained that “this ‘bomb’ stuff” was taking attention away from the upcoming election and said critics were wrongly blaming him and his heated rhetoric.
The Justice Department scheduled a Friday afternoon news conference in Washington that was to include New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill, whose department investigated the mailings with the FBI.
Law enforcement officials said they had intercepted a dozen packages in states across the country. None had exploded, and it wasn’t immediately clear if they were intended to cause physical harm or simply sow fear and anxiety.
Earlier Friday, authorities said suspicious packages addressed to New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former National Intelligence Director James Clapper — both similar to those containing pipe bombs sent to other prominent critics of Trump— had been intercepted.
A package addressed to former CIA head John Brennan and an explosive device that was sent to CNN's New York office. (ABC News via AP)
Investigators believe the mailings were staggered. The U.S. Postal Service searched their facilities 48 hours ago and the most recent packages didn’t turn up. Officials don’t think they were sitting in the system without being spotted. They were working to determine for sure. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
Online court records show that Sayoc in 2002 was arrested and served a year of probation for a felony charge of threatening to throw or place a bomb. No further details were available about the case.
Sayoc was convicted in 2014 for grand theft and misdemeanor theft of less than $300, and in 2013 for battery. In 2004, he faced several felony charges for possession of a synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid. He also had several arrests for theft in the 1990s.
He filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2012. His name is also listed on business records tied to dry cleaning and catering businesses. Records show he was born in New York and according to an online resume he attended college in North Carolina.
Investigators were analyzing the innards of the crude devices to reveal whether they were intended to detonate or simply sow fear just before Election Day.
Law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the devices, containing timers and batteries, were not rigged to explode upon opening. But they were uncertain whether the devices were poorly designed or never intended to cause physical harm.
Most of those targeted were past or present U.S. officials, but one was sent to actor Robert De Niro and billionaire George Soros. The bombs have been sent across the country - from New York, Delaware and Washington, D.C., to Florida and California, where Rep. Maxine Waters was targeted. They bore the return address of Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.
The common thread among the bomb targets was obvious: their critical words for Trump and his frequent, harsher criticism in return.
The package to Clapper was addressed to him at CNN’s Midtown Manhattan address. Clapper, a frequent Trump critic, told CNN that he was not surprised he was targeted and that he considered the actions “definitely domestic terrorism.”
The devices were packaged in manila envelopes and carried U.S. postage stamps. They were being examined by technicians at the FBI’s forensic lab in Quantico, Virginia.
The packages stoked nationwide tensions ahead of the Nov. 6 election to determine control of Congress — a campaign both major political parties have described in near-apocalyptic terms. Politicians from both parties used the threats to decry a toxic political climate and lay blame.
The bombs are about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long and packed with powder and broken glass, according to a law enforcement official who viewed X-ray images. The official said the devices were made from PVC pipe and covered with black tape.
The first bomb discovered was delivered Monday to the suburban New York compound of Soros, a major contributor to Democratic causes. Soros has called Trump’s presidency “dangerous.”
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Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman, Ken Thomas, Jill Colvin and Chad Day in Washington and Jim Mustian, Deepti Hajela, Tom Hays and Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report.
The story of Yo Gotti artist, Blac Youngsta's, run-in with police after a Wells Fargo bank employee allegedly called the cops following his $200,000 withdrawal has taken an even stranger turn.
As we previously reported, Black, real name Sam Benson, said Atlanta police detained him on January 8, put a gun to his head and confiscated half of the $200,000 he had to find out if it was legitimate.
TheCollective Music Groupartist said he had$1.3 millionin the bank and once his story checked out he was apologized to and released.
"I went in there and got $200,000 out of my account. I come out the bank... I see the police. I'm walking to my car [and] I see one of the pointing to my bag like, 'him'" Youngsta told 11 Alive. “They come bum rushing me at the car, put me on the ground, putting guns to my head, so I’m like ‘What I’d do?' A lady was like I’m not supposed to have…$200,000 on me. I’m like, ‘I’m a millionaire. How can I not have $200,000 on me?’"
According to Benson, the mix up began when he was mistaken for someone who had cashed a bogus check at the location.
"I was finna go buy me a vehicle," he explained. "They got the new Mercedes Benz out, you know like the Maybach. I was finna go get one. I was about to go buy one, cash. Buy they just made me so mad I might go buy me a Ferrari right now. I feel aggressive. I feel fast.. [Bank employees] couldn't believe that I was young, black, handsome and I was getting $200,000 out. I had my Rolex on with all the diamonds in it. On my rich folks stuff. The thing is, I'm a rapper. How I live my life I don't believe in checks. I don't want to go to the car lot with no check. My dream I always dreamed about was going in the bank getting a half a million out and taking the car lot a half a million and putting it on the desk like, 'give me that Ghost right there.' Where I come from we don't believe in taking checks to the car lot. It's still legit. This the check right here."
The Atlanta Police Department and Wells Fargo are now disputing the story.
11 Alive reports that they were told by Atlanta Police Sgt. Warren Pickard that police were called to the bank because a man named Charles Darnell Edward was suspected of cashing a $24,000 bogus check.
Benson happened to be at the bank when they arrived and during the initial confusion, he was temporarily detained until police positively identified the suspect.
Pickard added that Benson had$70,000in cash on him, but it wasn't his money. The funds reportedly belonged to his manager who withdrew the money from his account.
Wells Fargo released the following statement:
Mr. Benson is not an account holder with us. He did not enter our store nor did he make any withdrawals.
A fraudulent incident did occur in the store so in the best interest of our customer, we reported it to law enforcement right away and as a result, a suspect was apprehended and the customer was not the victim of fraud. Mr. Benson was not a party to the fraudulent incident.
We’re confident that our description of the suspect was appropriate. It is documented in the police report. We encourage you to review it.
Ne-Yo ran into a little bit of trouble over the weekend in Oslo, Norway.
According to various reports, Ne-Yo and his crew were having dinner at Emil & Samuel following a concert. The group was having a good time drinking and partying when a patron at the restaurant grabbed a female in the entourage.
That's when things spiraled out of control. A bus boy somehow also became involved after walking over. He was allegedly knocked unconscious after being punched in the face by an unknown person in the crew.
Ne-Yo did not throw a punch or get involved in the scuffle.
After leaving the restaurant, Ne-yo and his associates were detained and searched by Oslo police.
"All in all this is an unfortunate situation involving the artist, Emil & Samuel and the concert management," said the owner of Emil & Samuel.
Expect a lawsuit or two to pop up in the near future.
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