Former Trump adviser’s legal troubles mount as FBI seizes evidence in probe
The FBI’s raid on John Bolton’s home and office is tied to an investigation that reaches beyond his controversial book, a source told Fox News Digital, fueling speculation that the former Trump adviser could face criminal charges.
The scope of any potential charges against Bolton, who served under President Donald Trump before falling out of favor with him in 2019, is uncertain, but legal experts tend to agree that Bolton has some legal exposure.
Prominent D.C.-based attorney Mark Zaid, who specializes in national security, said that while there are many unknowns about the Department of Justice’s investigation into Bolton, his memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” could be an area of vulnerability for him.
“With respect to Bolton’s book, he is potentially vulnerable if he maintains any copies of early drafts which were determined to contain ‘voluminous’ amounts of classified information when it was first submitted to the White House for review,” Zaid told Fox New Digital. “Those drafts were likely disseminated, per normal course of business, to his literary agent, publisher and lawyer.”
THE HISTORY OF HOW TRUMP AND BOLTON’S RELATIONSHIP FELL TO TATTERS
Zaid added that those transmissions could be unlawful under the Espionage Act, a serious set of charges used throughout history to punish spies and leakers of government secrets.
During the first Trump administration, Attorney General Bill Barr opened an investigation into Bolton and brought a civil lawsuit against him over the book days before it was set for release.
The DOJ alleged in the lawsuit that Bolton skipped over normal prepublication review processes and allowed his publisher to move forward with printing a book that contained several passages of classified national security information.
In court papers, Bolton said he did not initially believe his memoir contained classified information, but then he edited some information out of the book after consulting with the National Security Council. Bolton never received a final signoff from the National Security Council before moving forward with publishing. He argued in court papers that the Trump administration’s refusal to approve the memoir’s contents violated his First Amendment rights and that the National Security Council’s review process “had been abused in an effort to suppress” the book, which contained harsh criticisms of Trump.
DEMOCRATS OPPOSED JOHN BOLTON FOR YEARS — UNTIL THEY SOUGHT HIM AS AN ALLY AGAINST TRUMP
Judge Royce Lamberth, a D.C.-based Regan appointee, denied the Trump DOJ’s request to block publication of Bolton’s book because, among several reasons, it had already been exposed to publishers. Still, Lamberth faulted Bolton.
“Defendant Bolton has gambled with the national security of the United States,” Lamberth wrote in an order at the time. “He has exposed his country to harm and himself to civil (and potentially criminal) liability.”
Lamberth found it was likely Bolton “jeopardized national security by disclosing classified information” in violation of various nondisclosure agreements he signed as part of his national security role.
The DOJ never brought charges against Bolton, and the investigation was closed under the Biden administration. The Biden DOJ dismissed the civil lawsuit against Bolton over his book in June 2021.
JD VANCE INSISTS FBI SEARCHING BOLTON HOME ‘NOT AT ALL’ ABOUT POLITICAL RETRIBUTION
While Bolton’s book controversy has been at the forefront since the raids at his home and office, one well-placed source familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital on Monday the investigation is far more expansive than the book.
The search warrants, which were authorized by a judge, were based on evidence collected overseas by the CIA, the New York Times reported.
Critics note Bolton is the latest target of the Trump DOJ, which despite pledging to end “weaponization” has pursued several of the president’s political rivals. The department has launched grand jury probes into New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and is examining Obama-era national security officials who Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says tried to undermine Trump’s 2016 victory. Trump has also urged an investigation of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, citing “criminal acts” tied to the George Washington Bridge lane-closure scandal.
Former U.S. Attorney John Fishwick of Virginia suggested the line between honest scrutiny of potential wrongdoing and political revenge has become blurred.
“Trump DOJ targeting enemies of Trump — Letitia James, Adam Schiff, Federal Reserve Governor [Lisa] Cook and now John Bolton. Trump appears to want them harmed for personal/political reasons but if they broke the law are the investigations justified?” Fishwick told Fox News Digital in a statement. “That question is putting an incredible stress test on our legal system.”
Zaid noted that Bolton could bring claims of a selective or vindictive prosecution if he were indicted but that those are difficult to prove.
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Attorney Jason Kander, an army veteran and former secretary of state of Missouri, said on the podcast Talking Feds that even if the DOJ does not secure a conviction against Bolton, the legal process itself is punishment.
“It’s not just harassment. It’s potential financial ruin,” Kander said. “When they come after you like this it doesn’t matter if there isn’t a scintilla of evidence. It’s a minimum half a million bucks in legal fees in a situation like this.”
Trump pranks Democrats into opposing something they’ve always claimed to support
President Donald Trump wants to drive down crime in some of our most dangerous cities. Democrats are furious, coming down hard — once again — on the wrong side of an issue that affects millions of Americans.
Why would the leaders of high-crime cities like Washington and Chicago object to the president helping to make their streets safer? They are panicked that Trump will succeed, exposing them as the inept, corrupt leaders they truly are.
For decades, Democrats have struggled to overcome GOP accusations that they were “soft on crime.” In 1994, trying to combat that charge, President Bill Clinton signed into law the most sweeping anti-crime bill in history. It funded the hiring of 100,000 new police officers, authorized the construction of new prisons and introduced a “three-strikes” law mandating lengthy jail terms for repeat offenders.
TRUMP’S WEEK SHAPED BY CRIME AGENDA, POTENTIAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO CHICAGO
That was Democrats’ high-water mark for cracking down on crime. In recent years, party leaders, including former President Joe Biden, have apologized for the 1994 crime bill, now considered by the left to be racist and overly harsh. Especially in the post-George Floyd era, Democrats have adopted policies such as defunding the police and no-bail reform, which have made our cities more dangerous and favor criminals over citizens.
President Trump is trying to reverse course. He is threatening to send troops to violence-prone cities and has just signed an executive order to eliminate cashless bail, a policy that sends criminals back onto the streets, often to offend again.
Just as they did decades ago, Democrats are walking into a trap, resisting what most citizens applaud. In recent months, they have championed criminals in the country illegally, protested President Trump’s deportation policies and now they are opposing safe streets.
It doesn’t get dumber than that.
CHICAGO MAYOR CALLS TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD PLAN ‘MOST FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF OUR CONSTITUTION’
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson greeted speculation that President Trump may soon send National Guard troops to the Windy City with an X post calling the move “the most flagrant violation of our Constitution in the 21st Century.” He further boasted: “The City of Chicago does not need a military occupation.”
Actually, it does. One headline from this summer says it all: “At least 55 people shot, 8 fatally, in 4th of July weekend.”
Chicago, once a prosperous and orderly city, has descended into lawlessness, with a murder rate that keeps people sheltering in their homes at night. Though the number of killings has declined this year, Chicago still ranks among the most murder-prone cities in the U.S. By mid-August, Chicago had suffered 254 homicides. In New York City, with a population nearly three times larger, there were only 201 murders in the same timeframe.
During the last mayoral race in 2023, a poll showed that two-thirds of the city’s residents didn’t feel safe from crime. Asked to rank which issues were most important in choosing the next mayor, 44% said crime and public safety — by far the top issue. The economy and jobs came in at just 12%.
CHICAGO’S CRIME CRISIS IS A NATIONAL DISGRACE — TRUMP MUST STEP IN NOW
Continuing high crime is one reason polls show Johnson has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the United States, at 26%. Johnson, two years into the job, is underwater with every racial and income group. Despite making a big show of welcoming illegal immigrants and defying President Trump’s ban on sanctuary cities, Johnson is unpopular with Hispanics, earning only 26% approval from that group.
Though he has prioritized programs catering to minority residents, Johnson, who is Black, also falls short with African Americans, of whom only 38% approve of the job he’s doing.
Black voters may dislike Johnson because the crime targeted by President Trump occurs mainly in their neighborhoods. The Chicago Crime Lab reports that “Black residents [are]…22 times more likely to be killed compared to white residents.” They also note, “neighborhoods with the highest homicide rates experience approximately 68 times more homicides than those with the lowest rates.”
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Johnson dismisses concerns about crime and said in an interview with NPR that President Trump sending in the National Guard would be “not Democratic, illegal, and costly.” He also argued it would not bring Chicago’s crime down and touted recent declines in violent offenses in the Windy City.
But across the U.S., crime has dropped from post-pandemic levels; Chicago’s gains are not unique. And cities like Washington, Chicago and Baltimore — another possible target mentioned by Trump — are not safe.
Sending in federal troops makes them safer, and it isn’t only President Trump who has shown that to be true. In March 2024, New York Governor Kathy Hochul deployed 750 National Guardsmen into New York City’s subways to stem a deadly wave of people being pushed in front of trains and other offenses.
Subway crime dropped, and Hochul appears to have no plans to remove the soldiers still patrolling the stations and trains. She explained, “I think people will tell you … they feel much safer.” No kidding.
That hasn’t kept her from criticizing the president, calling his initial deployment of 800 troops into D.C. a show of “abusive power.” She maintains that her situation was different because she had the cooperation of local officials.
It is true that Washington’s Mayor Muriel Bowser has not supported Trump’s efforts to bring down crime in the District. In its earliest days, she sounded positive about the beefed-up law enforcement presence, saying, “What I’m focused on is the federal surge and how to make the most of the federal officers that we have.”
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Pushed by political allies to follow the anti-Trump playbook, her optimism evaporated as she urged residents to “make sure we elect a Democratic House so that we have a backstop to this authoritarian push.” An authoritarian push that has seen crime in Washington plummet.
President Trump is betting that the residents of cities plagued by violence and theft will welcome his assault on crime. He’s probably right. Democrats should wise up.
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Political violence strikes at officials’ houses as harassment and attacks skyrocket
Political violence is surging in America, and it’s hitting lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
From mayors and state legislators to the 535 members of Congress, public officials are increasingly finding themselves and their families in the crosshairs.
In 2024 alone, U.S. Capitol Police investigated more than 9,000 threats against lawmakers, marking more than an 18% increase from the year prior and part of a trend of growing threats against public officials, according to police records.
LAW ENFORCEMENT’S RESPONSE TO FATAL SHOOTING OF STATE LAWMAKERS RAISES QUESTIONS
In Utah, Democrat State Sen. Stephanie Pitcher said that she and her colleagues have faced an “uptick” in digital harassment, menacing emails, and even stalking serious enough to require highway patrol officers to monitor lawmakers’ homes.
“Certainly, people feel empowered online and the worst versions of people tend to come out online where there’s little accountability, and you can even mask your identity,” she told Fox News Digital. “I’ve had colleagues that have experienced or have had people stalking them who’ve had to get our Utah Highway Patrol involved to help patrol their neighborhood and do surveillance on their homes. I think that’s terrifying and very scary.”
“It’s not for a lack of laws,” Pitcher said. “What we once thought of as innocuous online threats, we now take very seriously. Some of it is certainly the nature of politics, but it has gotten worse over the past year or two.”
On June 16, Raleigh, North Carolina, Mayor Janet Cowell described being jolted awake at 3 a.m. by her cat, only to spot a pickup idling outside her home, headlights blazing.
Just days earlier, a Minnesota gunman had shot two Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, killing two people and leaving investigators scrambling over a reported “hit list” of dozens of targets.
That same week, a man was charged with threatening to kill 41 North Carolina lawmakers over a dispute about a shrimping bill, the News & Observer reported.
“It all hit home,” Cowell told the News & Observer. “And, so then, two nights later [after the Minnesota shootings], to have a car in front of your house at the same time of the night was just disturbing.”
She called 911, requesting law enforcement to check out the suspicious activity. Before officers arrived, the idling vehicle left her suburban neighborhood.
AFTER MINNESOTA KILLINGS, CAPITOL HILL REPRESENTATIVES FACE STARK REALITY ABOUT FAMILY SAFETY
In Minnesota, the suspect, later identified as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, allegedly carried out the deadly attack against state lawmakers. On June 14, Boelter disguised himself as a member of law enforcement and traveled to the homes of Democratic elected officials with “the intent to intimidate and murder,” according to the Department of Justice.
Early that morning, Boelter, authorities allege, traveled to the Hoffmans’ home in Champlin, Minnesota. By posing as a police officer, Boelter allegedly compelled the Hoffmans to answer their door. He is accused of repeatedly shooting Sen. John A. Hoffman and Yvette Hoffman, and attempting to shoot their daughter, Hope Hoffman.
Boelter then traveled to the homes of two other Minnesota elected officials, only to find that no one at those locations was home, authorities said. He then allegedly drove to the home of Speaker Emerita and Representative Melissa Hortman.
There, authorities allege, Boelter repeatedly shot, and killed, Rep. Hortman and her husband, Mark. Following a two-day manhunt, law enforcement arrested him near his family residence in Green Isle, Minnesota.
“Vance Boelter planned and carried out a night of terror that shook Minnesota to its core,” acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson said. “He carried out targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen in Minnesota.”
Boelter is facing federal charges, including: six felony charges, including two counts of murder, two counts of stalking, and two firearms offenses. In Hennepin County, a grand jury has also indicted Boelter.
The state charges include two counts of first-degree murder for the killings of Melissa and Mark Hortman and four counts of attempted first-degree murder for allegedly trying to kill State Sen. Hoffman, his wife Yvette Hoffman, their daughter Hope Hoffman and State Rep. Kristin Bahner.
Minnesota does not have the death penalty, so the maximum penalty for the state charges is life in prison. The federal charges could potentially carry the death penalty, though.
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS ACCUSE TRUMP OF LEGITIMIZING POLITICAL VIOLENCE THAT LED TO MINNESOTA SHOOTINGS
In Washington, members of Congress benefit from the U.S. Capitol Police. The agency’s mandate extends beyond guarding the Capitol itself to investigating threats against lawmakers and coordinating with local police when danger arises in members’ home districts. Since the January 6 riots, the agency has expanded its intelligence and threat-monitoring operations.
WATCH:
To address security at home, Congress approved funding for lawmakers to install surveillance cameras, alarm systems and reinforced doors at their personal residences.
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Most state lawmakers do not have their own protective service like the Capitol Police. Instead, responsibility falls to state police or highway patrol units, which can provide escorts or home surveillance when threats are deemed credible.
Fatal crashes tied to illegal immigrants spark new arrests across the country
Authorities in different parts of the country have announced the arrests of multiple illegal immigrants accused of fatally striking drivers, pedestrians and even a teen on a bicycle in recent days, according to authorities and local reports.
“It seems to be almost a daily occurrence where an illegal alien driving kills innocent Americans,” Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “All of these deaths are preventable because these illegal aliens should have never been in our country.”
In Louisiana, 31-year-old Juan Alfredo Chavarria Lezama is accused of slamming into a bicycle-riding 15-year-old boy in Livingston Parish on Thursday at around 7 p.m.
The unnamed child victim was airlifted to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries, according to the sheriff’s office. Chavarria faces charges of vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated, driving without a license and other charges. He was the subject of a detainer request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, authorities said.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF KILLING 3 IN FLORIDA HIGHWAY CRASH CROSSED BORDER INTO CALIFORNIA IN 2018: DHS
Around 1 p.m. Friday in Lewiston, Maine, 31-year-old Lionel Francisco allegedly drove up a curb in a 2013 Buick and hit a Massachusetts woman who was walking at the edge of a park, according to the Lewiston Police Department.
Francisco, who was driving with a learner’s permit, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators – however, he was also subject to an ICE detainer and is from Angola, authorities said.
ICE said in a statement that his tourist visa expired on July 30, but he remained in the country illegally.
ILLEGAL ALIEN ACCUSED OF CAUSING FATAL SEMI TRUCK CRASH THAT KILLED 3 PEOPLE: ‘SHOCKING AND CRIMINAL’
Also in Maine, another illegal from Angola was accused of killing a 64-year-old female pedestrian in New Gloucester on Aug. 16.
Mukendi Mbiya arrived in the U.S. with a tourist visa in December 2018, according to ICE. It expired in June 2019, but he never left.
DHS SCOOPS UP CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECTED OF KILLING MAN ON LAWNMOWER: ‘SENSELESS TRAGEDY’
In Florida, an alleged illegal immigrant from India named Harjinder Singh is accused of making an unlawful U-turn near Port St. Lucie and causing a crash that killed three people riding in a minivan.
Singh allegedly failed to recognize three out of four highway traffic signs and answered just two questions out of 12 correctly in an English proficiency assessment delivered by transportation officials, Fox News Digital reported previously. Despite laws preventing illegals from obtaining full commercial driver’s licenses, Singh received one from Washington state in 2023. He later received a limited license from California.
ILLEGAL MIGRANT WITH DUI RAP SHEET FACING VEHICULAR HOMICIDE CHARGES AFTER HEAD-ON CRASH KILLS MOM, DAUGHTER
He entered the U.S. illegally in 2018, was rejected for work authorization under the first Trump administration, and allegedly fled to California after the crash. Police arrested him in Stockton.
And in late July, Wisconsin police arrested 30-year-old Noelia Saray Martinez-Avila, accused of driving the wrong way before slamming into two high school sweethearts, killing them near Madison, Wisconsin Public Radio reported.
According to the outlet, she had a previous conviction for drunken driving in 2020.
President Donald Trump campaigned heavily on fighting migrant crime, and a nationwide crackdown has been underway since he returned to office in January.
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“Hallie Helgeson and Brady Heiling had their whole lives ahead of them—and they would still be alive today if it weren’t for Noelia Saray Martinez-Avila—a criminal illegal alien from Honduras,” McLaughlin said.
She said that ICE had filed a detainer request that was not honored due to local sanctuary policies.
Fan favorite quarterback shown the door as Giants move forward with Wilson, Winston
The New York Giants will waive quarterback Tommy DeVito as Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline neared, according to multiple reports.
The Giants didn’t appear to have any intention of carrying four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. The team signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in the offseason and used a first-round draft pick to select Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss.
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It made DeVito the odd man out, ending his mythical run with the Giants.
DeVito, a New Jersey native, rose in popularity when he was thrust into the starting role for six games amid the slew of injuries at the quarterback position in 2023. He helped the team to a win in Week 11 against the Washington Commanders, throwing three touchdown passes.
BUCS TO WAIVE DESMOND WATSON, LEAGUE’S HEAVIEST PLAYER, REPORTS SAY
DeVito was nicknamed “Tommy Cutlets” and captivated fans with an Italian hand gesture. He was 3-3 as a starter in 2023 and 0-2 as a starter in 2024. He never really made the same impact on the field as he did culturally on social media or on Giants fans.
It was going to be difficult for DeVito to make the 2025 roster with the team’s shrewd offseason moves. He was rumored to be a trade candidate in the days following the team’s preseason finale but New York never pulled the trigger on a deal.
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DeVito will be able to find himself a new team or, potentially, land back on the Giants’ practice squad.
Country legend’s wife refused to ‘pull the plug’ after doctors advised her to
Randy Travis’ wife believes there was “never a doubt” in her husband’s head that he would make it through his debilitating stroke, even though doctors advised her to “pull the plug.”
During an interview with Fox News Digital, Mary explained a crucial moment in Travis’ two-and-a-half-year health battle that stood out to her, and that was the moment doctors told her to end her husband’s life.
“I think Randy, there was never a doubt in Randy’s mind that he could make it through it. It was that magical moment that I went to his bedside when they said, ‘We need to pull the plug. He’s got too many things going against him at that point.’ He had gotten a staph infection and three other hospital-born bacterial viruses like Serratia, Pseudomonas, one thing after another, and the doctors were just saying, ‘He just doesn’t have the strength to get through this,'” Mary said.
Mary was told that Travis’ vitals weren’t doing well, his blood cell count was low, and she was told it was time to say goodbye.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD’S TRIBUTE TO RANDY TRAVIS MOVES GRAND OLE OPRY AUDIENCE TO TEARS
“That’s when I went to him. That was the moment that I knew that Randy Travis was gonna make it because he squeezed my hand and a tear went down his face. And I said, he’s still fighting,” Mary recalled.
“I think Randy, there was never a doubt in Randy’s mind that he could make it through it. It was that magical moment that I went to his bedside when they said, ‘We need to pull the plug. He’s got too many things going against him at that point.'”
Mary went full “mama bear” on the doctors and told them that her husband wasn’t done fighting, and they were “going to fight with him.”
“And I meant that, and Randy meant it. And I knew at that point in time, because he had every odd in the world against him, and he wasn’t giving up. And I was so encouraged by that, to be honest. He was my inspiration,” Mary said.
WATCH: Randy Travis’ wife defied medical advice to ‘pull the plug’ during country star’s stroke recovery battle
Travis’ life-altering stroke occurred in 2013. Prior to his stroke, the musician was hospitalized for congestive heart failure tied to viral cardiomyopathy.
Over the past decade, Travis has turned to artificial intelligence, which has allowed him to continue to make music and go on tour.
“Randy and I are both on stage. I give a little bit of background as far as the music, the musicians, Randy, the stroke, a song, the AI, of course,” Mary told Fox News Digital. She explained that she and Randy made a trip to Washington D.C. to discuss the positive sides of AI, and how we need to embrace it because it’s here to stay.
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“And then we show videos of Randy’s historical past, as far as some of his joke-telling, which allows people to see the humor that Randy has. And all the way back to his childhood and working with horses in some of the Westerns that he was in, the funny things along the way. So it gives you a whole, like I said, biographical sketch of Randy Travis. And then James Dupre is singing all of the songs, and it’s just kind of a magical night really,” she said.
WATCH: Randy Travis honored with ACM Milestone Award
Travis was recently honored with the ACM Milestone Award, which Mary believes perfectly highlights her husband’s life.
“Well, the Milestone Award, I guess just the terminology itself ‘milestone’ means a lot of different things based on the roads that Randy has traveled, the things that he’s done, the things he’s accomplished, and the things he’s been through as far as his viral cardiomyopathy living through that, the massive stroke living through, there’s just a whole lot wonderful milestones in Randy Travis’s life,” Mary said.
The couple were greeted by a standing ovation when they took to the stage to accept the award. Jamey Johnson also performed Travis’ song, “Three Wooden Crosses.”
In addition to accepting the ACM Milestone Award, the duo also just kicked off the “More Life Tour.”
Mary anticipates that Randy will continue to use AI and make more music in the future.
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“I think there’ll be more songs. I think that Randy’s interested in doing more songs. You know, the first one was ‘Where That Came From,’ the second one being ‘Horses in Heaven’ and there is another one that will probably be coming up pretty soon. We have folders of music that Randy has written. You know, music or songs that Randy’s written. And perhaps one of those will see the light of day,” she said.
Mary explained how they use AI to create new songs: “AI will be able to use Randy’s vocal from the stems and create a whole new song from a song that may not be completed. And it may work with another artist to co-write, to finish it. And I think the sky’s the limit and AI is a wonderful tool if used correctly, just like the telephone, the computer, everything else in life that we use every day now and take for granted, at one point in time, it was as frightening as AI is today.”
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Florida sheriff wears alleged dealer’s $50K ‘bling’ while announcing drug bust
Sheriff Grady Judd, a no-nonsense Florida sheriff known for his tough talking and showmanship, announced the takedown of a drug-trafficking gang by donning the ringleader’s gold chain and bracelet during a press conference.
The Polk County sheriff wore the jewelry to drive home what he called the deadly consequences of so-called “low-level” drug dealing. He also held up seized guns to underline his point that dealers are armed and dangerous.
“I got their drip. I got their body. We got their guns. We got their dope,” Judd said Friday, unveiling the results of a yearlong investigation that led to the arrests of 32 suspects in Bartow.
Judd identified Nathaniel “Nate” Donald, a repeat offender, as heading the network and said a member of his ring sold cocaine to 65-year-old Irene Anderson on a Saturday night last year. Anderson collapsed and died hours later as she was on her way to church.
FLORIDA SHERIFF RIPS ‘REPREHENSIBLE’ LAKE BRAWL AFTER 8 ARRESTED
“She was walking out of her house to church when she collapsed. So, she died so Nate could have this drip,” Judd said. “Did you hear what I said? He’s buying this drip from selling drugs to people on the streets, one of which died.”
Judd said law enforcement carried out six wire intercepts and eight search warrants in Bartow last November, which uncovered $50,000 worth of jewelry.
COCKY FUGITIVE’S SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGE TO SHERIFF BACKFIRES IN SPECTACULAR FASHION
“But I want you to imagine this for a minute. People continue to tell you that drugs are low-level and nonviolent,” Judd said. “They’re anything but low-level and nonviolent. Where you see $50,000 in drip, where you see that ‘not-so-dangerous’ drug of cannabis, you see guns and you see first-degree murder from overdose.”
Detectives identified Donald, Bryan “B” Myrick and Isaiah “Bubba” Donald as key members of the network. Myrick, who was released from prison in 2021 for cocaine trafficking, now faces dozens of new counts, including conspiracy to sell cocaine and trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl and MDMA.
Troy Walker, supplied by Myrick, sold the cocaine to Anderson and has since been indicted for first-degree murder in her overdose death.
In total, investigators seized thousands of grams of illegal drugs with a combined street value of $150,000. Arrests included suspects already on probation or pre-trial release, and several firearms were recovered from convicted felons. Detectives said the suspects’ combined criminal histories add up to 554 felonies and 394 misdemeanors.
Judd said the only place for drug dealers is in prison, because when they are released they quickly reoffend — often with deadly consequences.
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“They’re a menace to society. They’ve got to stay in prison, or people die,” Judd said. “Whoever tells you that narcotics is low level and nonviolent — they’re crazy.”
The investigation, dubbed “Operation Capital City Crack Down,” began in August 2024. It was led by PCSO’s Tactical Drug Unit, Organized Crime Unit and the HIDTA Task Force with support from the State Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, FDLE, FBI, the Bartow Police Department, and other partners.
Pop star hits back at claims she looks unrecognizable after weight loss
Meghan Trainor is clapping back at fans who said they couldn’t recognize her after her recent weight loss.
The “Made You Look” singer posted a TikTok of herself doing the stiletto challenge – a social media trend in which people balance on random objects on one foot while wearing high heels. In her version of the challenge, Trainor can be seen balancing on two large dumbbells while dressed in black workout gear and a high ponytail.
“Dude.. I did not recognize her at first.. What happened!?” one fan wrote in the comments section, while another added, “Don’t even recognize her anymore.”
MEGHAN TRAINOR’S SMILE MAKEOVER IS LATEST CELEBRITY PLASTIC SURGERY DISASTER
A third added, “When you used to sing all about that bass and now you’re barely a soprano.“
Not long after the original TikTok was posted, Trainor took to the social media app again, seemingly responding to the critics in the comments section of her first post.
In the second post, Trainor gave fans a more close-up look at her makeup, as she mouthed the lyrics to Megan Thee Stallion’s song, “Her.” She captioned the post, “Glam team really did that.”
“I don’t care if these b—-es don’t like me,” she mouthed. “‘Cause, like, I’m pretty as f—.”
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Not all the comments on the original post were negative. Some of her followers complimented her new look, while others came to the singer’s defense and called on others to stop body-shaming her.
“Omg you look like sporty barbie,” one fan wrote, while another added, “People are allowed to change.”
“Are people really skinny shaming her rn omg let her be,” another wrote. “We’re allowed to change and still be supportive of not talking about other people’s bodies and empowerment. Move one.”
Trainor showed off her slimmed-down figure in March 2025 while walking the red carpet at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music event, when she posed for photos in a black dress with a sheer skirt.
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Following the event, the Grammy Award-winning singer took to social media to express frustration over the fact that “so many of the questions (and comments) were focused on my body” and not on her music – she also admitted to taking weight-loss medication.
“No, I don’t look like I did 10 years ago. I’ve been on a journey to be the healthiest, strongest version of myself for my kids and for me,” she wrote in the caption. “I’ve worked with a dietician, made huge lifestyle changes, started exercising with a trainer, and yes, I used science and support (shoutout to Mounjaro!) to help me after my 2nd pregnancy. And I’m so glad I did because I feel great.”
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Discovery of treasure in heart of Europe called ‘unprecedented’ by archaeologists
Archaeologists unearthed a massive trove of gold coins in the Czech Republic, minted by a long-lost civilization — with the site described by officials as “exceptional.“
The discovery was announced by the Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové. The Celtic settlement was found along the route of a future highway, the July release said.
The site dates back to the La Tène period, with archaeologists finding that the settlement peaked in roughly the second century B.C.
ANCIENT ROMAN SOLDIER’S MONTHLY PAYCHECK UNEARTHED IN PRISTINE CONDITION IN COUNTRYSIDE
It served as a “supra-regional trade and production center” that linked Central Europe to far-flung corners of the ancient world.
The La Tène period marked the height of Celtic power in Europe, shortly before Roman expansion into the region.
Gold and silver coins were discovered at the site, along with amber and “proof of luxury pottery production.”
Excavators also found numerous metal objects, along with ceramic vessel fragments and remnants of dwellings, production facilities and one or two “likely” sanctuaries.
“It represents one of the largest assemblages of artifacts ever discovered in the Czech Republic.”
Researchers took everything they found – and walked away with over 22,000 bags of artifacts, one of the largest archaeological hauls in the country’s history.
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The haul, according to officials, represents “one of the largest assemblages of artifacts ever discovered in the Czech Republic,” the museum said in a statement translated from Czech to English.
“These include everyday objects as well as extraordinarily rich collections of jewelry.”
The museum added that the site is “unprecedented” in the Czech Republic, in both scale and character – and that the location was “entirely exceptional.”
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Archaeologists said they were stunned by how many artifacts were packed into the soil.
The top layer of soil even held more artifacts than the preserved structures below.
“According to archaeologists, the site’s importance is comparable to the most significant central agglomerations known from the Middle Danube region and southern Germany,” the statement read.
“Remarkably, the settlement was unfortified.”
This isn’t the first time the Czech Republic has been the setting of exciting recent archaeological finds.
Earlier this spring, the Museum of Eastern Bohemia announced that a hiker came across a mysterious gold-filled treasure trove in an overgrown field.
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Last year, a woman stumbled upon 2,150 medieval silver coins while walking in the Central Bohemian Region.