Boxer Verdejo surrenders to police after authorities find body of
‘missing pregnant lover’
3 May, 2021 10:24
Puerto Rican boxing star Felix Verdejo has turned himself in to the authorities to face charges related to the discovery of the body of a missing woman who was allegedly pregnant with Verdejo's child (3rd story on link), officials have said.
According to the FBI, Verdejo is accused of assaulting Keishla Rodriguez and injecting her with an unidentified substance. The complaint also states that Verdejo tied the woman's arms and feet with wire and affixed her to a heavy object before he threw her from a bridge early on Thursday morning. It also states that he shot at the woman's body with a gun from the top of the bridge.
The FBI added that a second unidentified person is suspected of assisting Verdejo in allegedly kidnapping and murder Rodriguez. Her body was subsequently found on Saturday at a lagoon in the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan. Rodriguez's body was identified Sunday with the use of dental records, said Puerto Rico's Institute of Forensic Science.
Verdejo and his legal counsel had previously refused to comment on the issue, with police also saying that the boxer was non-cooperative and refused to answer initial questions.
According to the victim's family, Rodriguez was pregnant with Verdejo's child. Keila Ortiz, the mother of the murder victim, told local media that her daughter had called her on Thursday and told her that she intended to meet Verdejo to show him the results of a pregnancy test.
"I told her, ‘Be careful,’ because he had already threatened her," said Ortiz, who also said that Verdejo had told Rodriguez to not have the baby for fear of potential impact on his career and family.
It was reported that Verdejo - who is married - has known Rodriguez since they were in school together, and that she was first reported missing when she failed to show up for work at an animal grooming business on Thursday.
Verdejo was a competitor at the London Olympics in 2012 before he turned professional in the same year. The 27-year-old has amassed a record of 27-2 but lost his most recent bout by late TKO to Japanese fighter Masayoshi Nakatani last December.
The case involving Verdejo has immediately become a notorious one in Puerto Rico, particularly after another woman was recently found burned to death after filing a domestic violence complaint which was thrown out by a judge.
News of the discovery of Rodriguez's body led to an outpouring of grief in the region, with hundreds of mourners gathering at the bridge near to where her body was found in a bid to demand justice for Rodriguez, as well as other women who have been killed in domestic violence incidents.
Professional golfer Bowling arrested for ‘sexting and proposing to meet up with undercover detective posing as 15yo girl’
7 May, 2021 13:48
PGA golfer Dan Bowling © Instagram / realdrbkid
Police have revealed that pro golfer Dan Bowling has been arrested for sending explicit texts to a detective who was posing as an underage teenage girl, with authorities in Orlando describing him as a "dangerous online predator".
The Canadian, 26, is said to have been chatting up a detective online who he allegedly believed was a 15-year-old since April.
According to Florida police, the conversations "turned sexual in nature" and "intensified quickly” within the first 24 hours of contact between the pair on site AdChat.
The police statement said that Bowling was apprehended in the popular tourist destination "as he arrived to meet up with the decoy" this week.
He was later hit with charges of obscene communication, traveling to meet with a minor and attempted lewd and lascivious molestation, People magazine has claimed.
Commenting on the matter, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force's Jennifer Wing said: "Unfortunately, there are potentially hundreds of predators like Mr Bowling online.
More like thousands, or tens of thousands!
"I hope news of today’s arrest encourages parents to be more proactive in monitoring their children’s lives online."
Yahoo Sports reported that Bowling hasn't competed professionally in golf since 2016 and is also not listed among the Official World Golf Rankings. But his Instagram, where he is known as "The real DRB kid", is littered with photos related to his sport.
In his bio on the platform, he claims to be a "Pro golfer travelling PGA Tour events one Monday at a time". And last week, Bowling posted a video which showed him "Down in North Carolina for the Wells Fargo Monday qualifying".
"Been putting in the work last few weeks with my guys," he wrote in a caption.
=====================================================================================
There are so many high-profile men who would be affected by this case if it ever came to light, that there is simply no possible way these inquiries would open that can of worms.
Jeffrey Epstein didn’t receive special treatment from Florida justice system despite controversial plea deal, probe concludes
11 May, 2021 08:14
Florida prosecutors and law enforcement have been cleared of wrongdoing in their handling of Jeffrey Epstein's case. The infamous sex offender did not use his wealth or connections to secure a lenient sentence, investigators said.
In three separate reports that were part of a two-year probe, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement concluded that Palm Beach County prosecutors and sheriff’s officials had correctly followed protocols while dealing with the high-profile criminal between 2005-2009.
State officials were heavily criticized for the plea deal and cushy prison accommodations that Epstein received after he pleaded guilty to procuring a person under 18 for prostitution in 2008. Under the deal, federal prosecutors agreed to shelve a 53-page indictment they had prepared against Epstein.
Despite the serious nature of his crimes, Epstein was only given 18 months in the Palm Beach County jail system, followed by 12 months of house arrest. He was also required to register as a sex offender.
Florida investigators concluded that there was no evidence that Palm Beach County officials, including sheriff’s deputies, former state attorney Barry Krischer or any of his prosecutors, were “coerced, bribed or engaged in any criminal activity in the performance of their duties.”
The probe also found no evidence that deputies permitted Epstein to have sex with the two young women during his work release program.
Apparently, deputies were not very good at finding evidence. Also, prosecutors did not seem the least bit interested in protecting Palm Beach girls, even while Epstein was in 'jail'. But they certainly protected Epstein from other prisoners. Do they not see anything amiss here?
Although the findings were described as preliminary, investigators noted that even if evidence of wrongdoing was uncovered, the statute of limitation has already expired.
Former South Florida US attorney Alex Acosta had accused Krischer of being ready to “let Epstein walk free” without jail time, but some have alleged that Acosta himself (4th story on list) was at least partly responsible for the sex offender’s lenient sentence.
Florida Governor Ron Desantis ordered an investigation into the matter in August 2019, just days before Epstein allegedly killed himself at a federal jail in Manhattan. The financier had been arrested in July that year and charged with sex trafficking.
Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was arrested last year and is currently facing eight counts and some 80 years in prison over her alleged role in procuring underage girls for sex with Epstein. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Former CBS head Les Moonves won't get $120M severance, ViacomCBS says
Moonves ousted in 2018 after company probe into sexual misconduct allegations
The Associated Press ·
Posted: May 15, 2021 12:16 PM ET
ViacomCBS said Friday that former CBS CEO Les Moonves will not get his $120 million US severance package following his ouster in 2018, ending a long-running dispute over the money.
Moonves was ousted in 2018 after a company investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct spanning three decades found that Moonves violated company policy and did not co-operate with the investigation.
But Moonves challenged the decision, and his $120 million US severance was set aside until the matter could be resolved.
On Friday, New York-based ViacomCBS said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the matter had been resolved, the arbitration dismissed and the $120 million US would be going back to ViacomCBS in its entirety. No further details were provided.
Moonves was one of television's most influential figures, credited for turning around the fortunes of CBS when he took over as entertainment chief in 1995. He had been one of the highest-paid executives in the country, making about $70 million US a year at the end of his run with the company.
He was ousted after allegations from women who said he subjected them to mistreatment, including forced oral sex, groping and retaliation if they resisted. Moonves has denied any allegations of non-consensual sex.
=====================================================================================
No comments:
Post a Comment