Trump Confirms Khamenei Is Dead, Claims Regime Seeking Immunity

Fox News reports that President Trump confirmed that the top Iranian leaders are dead after the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. 

President Trump confirmed on Saturday afternoon Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, claiming the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are seeking immunity from the U.S.

"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS."

Trump said the supreme leader was "unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do."

"This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country," the president wrote. "We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us. As I said last night, 'Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!'"

Trump said he hopes the IRGC and police will "peacefully merge" with Iranian patriots to stabilize the country.

"That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated," he wrote. "The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!"

My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column On Free Parking, Frequent Crime In South Philly

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column on free parking and frequent crime in South Philly today.  

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Davis: Free parking, frequent crime in South Philly - Philly Daily

Parking is difficult in South Philadelphia as there are far more cars than parking spaces.

I recall going on a ride-along with a young policewoman from the 3rd district in South Philadelphia some years ago. The policewoman, like me, was born and bred in South Philadelphia. She told me that she chewed out another cop who gave out a string of parking tickets in a South Philly neighborhood late one Saturday night.

“He’s not from South Philly,” she said to me. “He doesn’t know what it is like to come home at night and not be able find a parking space. I told him this is South Philly and we park where we can, and traditionally we cops kind of look the other way when South Philly people get creative about parking.”

One South Philly neighborhood is lucky to have an area of free parking. One can park free on Front Street underneath I-95 in the Pennsport section of South Philadelphia. But one local resident reached out to me and told me that although there are free parking spaces under I-95 when he comes home late in the evening from work, he never parks there.

“It is dark and deserted under I-95 and it looks like a mugger’s dream area,” he said. “I would rather drive round for an hour or so looking for a parking space.”

He also noted that cars were not safe in the lot from thieves.

In this usually low-crime South Philadelphia neighborhood, residents have become alarmed about a rash of late-night muggings as well as auto-related crimes in the lot under I-95. Those who do park free under I-95 are angry and quite vocal about the rash of stolen cars, stolen wheels, and car break-ins.

One can see the broken glass from smashed car windows and cars that have had their tires stolen underneath I-95 in Pennsport. Discovering that your car is gone, or has smashed windows, or it is parked without wheels and engine parts, is a rough way to start your day.   

“So many cars in the lot have been stolen or broken into. The thieves will break a car window just to steal the small change a driver has left in the car,” the local resident told me. “I love South Philly and this neighborhood, but lately we see more and more crime.

“For the first time in my life I’m fearful of walking the couple of blocks from my parked car to my house. I never worried about being robbed here. I have a license to carry a gun, and I keep my hand on the gun as I walk home.”      

He went on to say that his neighbors are also concerned about the uptick in crime. He said he and his neighbors all think the police, the district attorney and the courts should do more to rid the neighborhood of the criminals who are terrorizing the residents. That’s why, he noted angerly, they pay taxes. Public safety should be the number one priority of the city government.      

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel spoke to the angry neighborhood residents earlier this month at a Community Crime Meeting. He addressed the rash of strong-armed muggings that has angered the residents.

Bethel noted that two juveniles were arrested for their role in the muggings, and the police are looking for other juveniles they suspect are committing the strong-arm muggings.   

Strong-arm robbery is defined as a criminal offense that involves the taking of property from another person by means of force or intimidation, without using a weapon.

Bethel assured the angry residents that the police were increasing their presence in the area. The increased patrols will deter thieves or catch them in the act of committing crimes.

"I'm confident that the chief inspector and captain can get this under control," Bethel told the residents.

Bethel told reporters that the police strategy to improve safety in South Philadelphia and other parts of the city is to strengthen community policing. He said that he learned over the years in his police career that a major part of community policing was getting out and meeting the community residents and hearing their concerns.

Hopefully, the increased police presence and the alertness of the angry residents will quell the rise in crime in South Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Police ask that those with information on the muggings in South Philadelphia call the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-TIPS (8477).

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.

Note: You can read my other Philly Daily Crime Beat columns via the link below:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Philly Daily Crime Beat Columns

The Declaration At 250: Examining The Historical And Contemporary Relevance Of The Grievance Section

Philly Daily, where my Crime Beat column appears each week, reports that the National Constitution Center announced that the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School Journal of Constitutional Law in partnership with the National Constitution Center will present a symposium that will explore the historical and contemporary relevance of the grievance section of the Declaration of Independence on Friday, February 27^th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Declaration at 250: Examining the Historical and Contemporary Relevance of the Grievance Section - Philly Daily

“Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar of the National Constitution Center, will moderate a panel on the legislative power of the purse from 9:45-10:45 a.m. Julie Silverbrook, vice president of civic education at the National Constitution Center, moderates a conversation with Jack Rakove, William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies and professor of political science, Stanford University, beginning at approximately 12:30 p.m.,,” the National Constitution Center stated. .

“The symposium also features scholars from the Center’s Interactive Declaration of Independence, including Rosemarie Zagarri, distinguished university professor of history at George Mason University, and Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science, Yale Law School.”

The symposium will take place in person at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and virtually via Zoom.

You can register via the link below:

The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School JCL Symposium 2026 Signup

Note: Attendees seeking CLE credit must register for CLE credit via the online CLE registration link. If you have any questions regarding obtaining CLE credit or the CLE registration process, please email cle@law.upenn.edu.

 

Former General Manager For U.S. Defense Contractor Sentenced To 87 Months For Selling Stolen Trade Secrets To Russian Broker

 The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:

Peter Williams, 39, an Australian national, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 87 months in prison for selling his employer’s trade secrets — sensitive and protected cyber-exploit components — to a Russian cyber-tools broker, announced the Department of Justice. In addition to the 87-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge AliKhan for the District of Columbia ordered Williams to serve three years of supervised release with special conditions, to forfeit a money judgment of $1.3 million, cryptocurrency and property to include a house, and luxury items such as watches and jewelry. The Court also set a restitution hearing for May 12, 2026.

“Williams exploited his senior role at a U.S. defense contractor to enrich himself at the expense of the United States and his employer,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The tools he compromised were intended to protect this Nation; instead, he auctioned them off to a Russian bidder. We are committed to ensuring that those who abuse their access to sensitive information and thereby harm our national security face severe consequences.”

“Peter Williams stole a U.S. defense contractor’s trade secrets about highly sensitive cyber capabilities and sold them to a broker whose clients include the Russian government, putting our national security and countless potential victims at risk,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The FBI and our partners remain unwavering in our commitment to protecting America’s critical technologies, and we will ensure any who attempt to profit at our nation’s expense face the full weight of the criminal justice system. Let this be a clear warning to all who consider placing greed over country: If you betray your position of trust and sell sensitive American technology to our foreign adversaries, the FBI will not rest until you’re brought to justice.” 

You can read the rest of the information via the link below:

Office of Public Affairs | Former General Manager for U.S. Defense Contractor Sentenced to 87 Months for Selling Stolen Trade Secrets to Russian Broker | United States Department of Justice 

Mark Twain On Reading

You can read my Philadelphia Inquirer review of Chasing the Last Laugh: Mark Twain's Raucous and Redemptive Round-The-World Comedy Tour via the link below:

 Paul Davis On Crime: My Philadelphia Inquirer Review of 'Chasing the Last Laugh: Mark Twain's Raucous And Redemptive Round-The-World Comedy Tour'                    

My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column On The Tragic, Urgent And Terrifying Missing Persons Cases

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column on missing persons cases today.

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Davis: Tragic, urgent, and terrifying missing persons cases - Philly Daily

In my many years of working the crime beat as a reporter and columnist, I’ve covered stories ranging from murder to sex crimes, but I’ve never covered a missing person case.

I recently visited the Philadelphia Police Department’s Crime Blotter website. I saw a large number of notices of missing persons. My heart goes out to the listed missing people, especially the young ones, and their grieving families.

(The Philadelphia Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in locating missing juvenile Princess Outlaw (seen in the above photo). Princess was last seen February 16, 2026, at 7:27 PM, on the 20xx block of Monmouth St. Princess may be in the area of the 29xx block of N 7th St. She is 14 years-of-age, 4’9″, 130 lbs., and her clothing description is unknown. Anyone with information regarding Princess’s whereabouts is urged to contact the East Detective Division at 215-686-3243.)

I reached out to Gary Capuano, a retired Philadelphia Police sergeant, and asked him about missing person cases.

"I worked as a detective in Southwest Philadelphia from 2005 to 2014,” Capuano said. “During that time, I handled countless missing person cases. The hard truth? Most involved juveniles who failed to come home from school—if they went at all.

“In more than a few cases, parents waited days before reporting their child missing. While police treat every report seriously and follow strict protocol, seasoned investigators can often recognize when a case is likely a runaway rather than an abduction. Many of these situations reflected a lack of supervision, structure, and accountability at home. There is no licensing exam for parenthood—but perhaps there should be.”

Capuano noted that one case stood out to him. A grandmother reported her granddaughter missing but didn’t know the child’s legal name -only a stage name, “Sexual Chocolate.” That moment captured, for him the deeper dysfunction behind many of these missing person reports.

“To be clear, genuine missing person cases exist. Some are tragic, urgent, and terrifying. When a report comes in, officers immediately search the home and surrounding area. Detectives check hospitals, the morgue, and custody records, broadcast alerts, enter information into national databases, and coordinate with specialized units when necessary. These cases consume enormous time and manpower—resources that are already stretched thin.

“Police will always do the job. But law enforcement cannot, and should not, be expected to replace responsible parenting. For families caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Down syndrome, or other cognitive impairments should consider programs such as SafetyNet by LoJack, which provides tracking bracelets equipped with GPS technology to help locate individuals who wander. Families should research enrollment procedures and associated costs."

I asked Capuano how detectives work missing person cases.

"When a missing person report is taken, officers immediately search the home and surrounding areas, including garages, abandoned vehicles and homes, containers, alleys and other nearby places,” Capuno explained. “Children under 10 years old who go missing are classified as "tender age," which increases the urgency of the response. After an officer takes the initial report, the assigned detective then has many tasks to complete such as interviewing the person who filed the missing persons report, ensure that a photograph of the missing individual is obtained, and that a message to police radio is sent so that police dispatchers can broadcast the missing person's information such as identifying and background information so all officers are made aware of who to look for.

“Investigators will check local hospitals, the morgue, as well as a police custody records to see if the missing person has been recently arrested. After these things are completed, the missing individual will be entered into the NCIC/PCIC systems. There are also the missing endangered who are missing under suspicious, unexplained or involuntary circumstances or has an issue such as poor health or a physical or mental disability. Then there are Amber Alerts for abducted children. PA State Police work with the PPD with Amber Alerts and the Missing Endangered. An investigator on every tour for the first 24 hrs. will keep in contact with the family and then again within 3 days.”

Capuano (seen in the above photo in front of a sketch of his father-in-law attorney Charles “CP” Mirarchi in federal court back in May of 1983) explained that reinterviews are also done. If the person is still missing, contact will be made weekly with the family. All missing people who have returned are interviewed by the assigned detective regarding the circumstances of their absence. Crime scene logs are kept, Command Posts are set up, Public Affairs is notified so that they can have a line of communication with the media, and specialized units such as Aviation, Canine, Special Victims and the Marine Unit are notified.

"There are calls you never forget. A missing child is one of them,” Capuano said. “I have worked many cases in my career, but few compare to standing in front of parents whose child has vanished. As a father of three, those scenes hit differently. I see not just victims - I see myself. I see my own family. And I cannot begin to imagine the depth of terror they are feeling in that moment. But as investigators, we do not have the luxury of breaking down. We must remain calm, focused and methodical. 

“Parents of a missing child are living through every parent’s worst nightmare. Their emotions are raw and unpredictable, such as panic, grief, anger, confusion, even guilt. In those moments, we are not just detectives. We become part investigator, part counselor, part emotional anchor. We answer the same questions over and over. We offer reassurance when we ourselves are still searching for answers. We try to steady people whose world has just collapsed. And sometimes, they turn on us. They believe we are not doing enough. Not moving fast enough. Not treating the case with the urgency it deserves. That anger is not personal - it is fear looking for somewhere to land.

“When your child is missing, time feels like the enemy, and anyone who cannot produce immediate results feels like an obstacle. There are also difficult moments when a parent’s reaction does not match what most people expect. Some appeared detached, calm, or even indifferent. Trauma manifests differently in every person. As investigators, we cannot rely on emotion to guide us, only the facts. What makes these cases uniquely difficult is the balance we must strike. Even as we empathize, we must remain cautious. Every possibility must be considered. Every fact, verified. Every timeline, scrutinized. We cannot allow emotion — our own or theirs — to cloud the objectivity the investigation demands.”

Capuano stated that it was uncomfortable to admit, but detectives look at everyone with a careful eye, including the parents.

“Not because we want to, but because we have to. These investigations are races against time. There is tremendous uncertainty, and every decision carries consequences. Leads must be prioritized. Resources allocated. Information filtered carefully. And all the while, we know that if the outcome is tragic, every step we took will be dissected and second-guessed.

The “Monday morning quarterbacking” begins before the case is even closed. That pressure is real. What the public rarely sees is that investigators carry these cases home. We replay interviews in our minds. We revisit timelines. We question whether we missed something. A missing child case demands more than procedure. It demands resilience, compassion, discipline, and emotional control — often simultaneously. It requires us to steady others while containing our own fears. At the end of the day, beneath the badge, many of us are parents too. And we know exactly what is at stake."

We should look out for, and pray for, the missing people.

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached via pauldavisoncrime.com.

Note: You can read my other Crime Beat columns via the link below:

Paul Davis On Crime: My Philly Daily Crime Beat Columns

National Constitution Center In Philadelphia Opens ‘America’s Founding’ Gallery

Philly Daily, where my Crime Beat column appears each week, reports that the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia announced the opening of its newest permanent gallery. America’s Founding.

“America’s Founding takes visitors on a journey from the colonies’ growing tensions with Great Britain through the drafting, ratification, and adoption of the Constitution and Bill of Rights,” the National Constitution Center stated.

“The gallery will bring this pivotal era to life through rare artifacts, immersive environments, and digital interactives that reveal how the founding generation defined—and debated—the principles of liberty, equality, and government by consent”. 

You can read the rest of the piece via the link below: 

National Constitution Center Opens ‘America’s Founding’ Gallery - Philly Daily

Mexican National In Philadelphia Sentenced To 14 Months In Prison For Using A Vehicle To Assault, Resist, Oppose, Impede, Intimidate, Or Interfere With A Federal Agent

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia released the information below:

United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Cristian Geovanni Rojas Benitez, 37, a Mexican national who overstayed his visa and remained illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 14 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with an officer of the United States, while using a deadly or dangerous weapon — specifically, a motor vehicle — while the officer was engaged in the performance of official duties.

Rojas Benitez was charged by indictment in August of last year and pleaded guilty in October. During his plea hearing, the defendant admitted that he intentionally drove his pickup truck in the direction of a federal agent.

As detailed in court filings and statements, on the morning of June 23, 2025, that Homeland Security Investigations ("HSI") agent and other federal officers were attempting to locate Rojas Benitez and take him into administrative custody after he had violated conditions of his immigration release, including a 2024 conviction in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas for false identification to law enforcement, operating a vehicle without ignition interlock, knowing and intentional possession of a controlled substance, and driving an unregistered vehicle.

Based on information they had received, the federal officers surveilled a residence in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. At approximately 8:30 a.m., a man matching the description and photograph of Rojas Benitez exited the residence and got into a pickup truck. When the defendant started to drive away, the federal officers quickly conducted a vehicle stop.

Rojas Benitez did not comply with the federal officers’ commands to get out of the vehicle or roll down his window. During this encounter, the HSI agent moved to the front of the vehicle to maintain visibility of the driver. The law enforcement officers told Rojas Benitez that if he did not comply, his window would be broken, and when Rojas Benitez continued not to comply after multiple warnings, one of the federal officers broke the rear driver’s side window of the truck.

The defendant then put the vehicle in drive and drove over the sidewalk in the direction of the HSI agent, who had to push off the truck with his hand and jump out of way to avoid being struck. The defendant also narrowly avoided hitting a passing school bus.

Rojas Benitez then fled the state and was ultimately located by the U.S. Marshals Service on July 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The case was investigated by HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.                                                    

My Philly Daily Crime Beat Column: Carjacker Sentenced To Prison For Two Armed Carjackings Days Apart

Philly Daily ran my Crime Beat column on carjacking today. 

You can read the column via the link below or the following text:

Davis: Carjacker sentenced to prison for two armed carjackings days apart - Philly Daily  

 When one is young, one often sows the proverbial wild oats.  

When I was 20-years-old back in the summer of 1972, I was attending Penn State at the main campus in State College, Pennsylvania on a special program for Vietnam veterans. I was the youngest of the group of vets, having previously served as a teenager on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War. 

I had a wild time in the Navy and afterwards my time attending classes during the day and partying at night at Penn State was another adventure. 

Richard Pridgen embarked on a different kind of adventure at 20. He became an armed carjacker. 

On February 5, 2026, David Metcalf, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, announced that Richard Pridgen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 214 months’ imprisonment, five years’ supervised release, and $11,709.82 in restitution for committing two carjackings in the city just days apart.

Pridgen pleaded guilty in October of 2025 to two counts of carjacking and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the first carjacking was on July 3, 2023, when Pridgen carjacked a victim who had been sitting in his parked blue Jeep, at gunpoint. Pridgen had at least one co-conspirator who drove him there in a separate vehicle.

“Then, on July 6, 2023, Pridgen and two co-defendants, Raheem Bivens and Raheim Brown, used the first victim’s blue Jeep to carjack a second victim of his white Jeep. Both Pridgen and Bivens pointed firearms with extended magazines at the victim, demanding the car and keys. Pridgen and Bivens then fled in the second victim’s white Jeep, with Bivens behind the wheel,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. “Philadelphia police located both Jeeps quickly and pursued all three men. Bivens crashed the white Jeep into several other cars, and Brown, who was driving the blue Jeep, crashed into another car. All the men ran, but all were apprehended, and police recovered both guns. Pridgen had the second victim’s identification on him when he was apprehended.

“Pridgen carried out these carjackings right after his release from juvenile state custody for committing several violent gunpoint commercial robberies in 2021.”

Both Bivens and Brown pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. They were each sentenced to 14 years in prison and five years of supervised release, with Bivens also ordered to pay $11,709.82 in restitution.

This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Shulman and Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.

A while back the Philadelphia Police Department released a guide to help people avoid becoming carjacking victims. 

Below are some key tips provided by the police to enhance safety and prevent carjacking:

·         Be aware of your surroundings: Know where you are, who is near you, and who is approaching you. If you feel uncomfortable or notice an unwelcome stranger approaching your vehicle, leave the area.

·         Enter and exit your vehicle swiftly: Always enter your vehicle swiftly and without hesitation. Park your car in well-lit areas and avoid parking near walls, bushes, or dumpsters.

·         Keep your vehicle locked: Always keep your vehicle locked and windows shut. Avoid taking streets with frequent stops and intersections.

·         Use anti-theft devices: Consider using anti-theft devices like a steering wheel lock or a gearshift column lock to deter thieves.

·         Keep your valuables hidden: Use anti-theft devices like a steering wheel lock or a gearshift column lock to deter thieves.

·         Avoid being alone in high-crime neighborhoods: Don't sit in your car with the door unlocked or the windows rolled down in high-crime neighborhoods and isolated roads.

·         Know your vehicle identification (VIN) number: This will assist the police in recovering your car if it is stolen.

·         Give up your car immediately: If you are approached by a carjacker, give up your car and leave the scene. Avoid verbal or physical confrontations with the carjacker.

·         Let the carjacker know if there’s a child onboard: If there’s a child in the vehicle, make that clear to the carjacker so they don’t drive away with the child.
These tips are designed to help residents stay safe and reduce the risk of becoming a carjacking victim. 

·          

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.

Department Of Defense Employee Indicted For Moonlighting As A Money Mule And Laundering Millions Of Dollars For Overseas Scammers

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia released the information below:

United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Samuel D. Marcus, 33, of Oreland, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, six counts of illegal monetary transactions, and one count of money laundering – illegal concealment, arising from his alleged role as a money mule for a group of Nigerian-based scammers, in which he received, concealed, and laundered millions of dollars in fraud proceeds.

The indictment alleges that, from approximately July 2023 to December 2025, while employed as a Logistics Specialist with the Department of Defense, the defendant was in direct and regular contact with a group of Nigeria-based fraudsters, who operated under the aliases “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray,” among others. These fraudsters engaged in a variety of wire fraud schemes that targeted victims based in the United States, including romance fraud, cyber fraud, tax fraud, financing fraud, and business email compromise schemes, to which victims lost millions of dollars.

The fraudsters employed a network of money mules in the United States to help launder the fraud proceeds, and instructed victims to transfer funds to financial accounts opened and operated by various money mules, including those controlled by Marcus.

The indictment alleges that, under the direction of fraudsters, the defendant and other money mules conducted a series of rapid financial transactions to convert fraud victim funds deposited into their accounts into cryptocurrency and to move those funds into foreign accounts. Marcus personally deposited and transferred millions of dollars of fraudulently obtained money into and through his personal and business accounts, while fully aware that “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray” were scammers who carried out sophisticated fraud schemes. Marcus also affirmatively misled and lied to his financial institutions and law enforcement officers about the laundered funds, to include sending fraudulent invoices to make the transactions appear legitimate.

In fact, the indictment alleges that the defendant continued to work as a money mule for the fraudsters after being informed by FBI agents that the money passing through his accounts had been stolen from other people and that his monetary transfers were consistent with money laundering.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 100 years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and a $2 million fine.

The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel S. Dalke.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.                                                                                    

Musicians From Marlboro To Perform At Perelman Theater In Philadelphia

Philly Daily, where my Crime Beat column appears each week, reports that the Musicians from Marlboro will perform at the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center on Tuesday, February 19, 2026, at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $30.

Musicians from Marlboro are presented annually in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.

“Musicians from Marlboro, the touring extension of the renowned Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont, features exceptional young musicians from the summer festival together with seasoned artists in chamber music programs of rarely heard works and masterpieces of varied instrumentation. Each year, more than 25 outstanding artists take time from their regular activities to bring Musicians from Marlboro concerts to cities around the country”

You can read the rest of the piece via the link below:

Musicians From Marlboro To Perform at Perelman Theater - Philly Daily 

On This Date 56 Years Ago, I Enlisted In The U.S. Navy

On this date 56 years ago, I enlisted in the United States Navy.

I was 17 years old.

On February 9, 1970, I raised my hand and swore an oath to the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia, PA. 

I boarded a train to Chicago and then took a bus to the Naval Recruit Training Center at Great Lakes, Illinois.

You can read a fictional account of my time in Boot Camp via the link below:

Paul Davis On Crime: Boots On The Ground

Third Coconspirator In Fatal Benghazi Attacks In U.S. Custody, Charged In Washington D.C. With Murder and Terrorism Counts

On Friday, February 6, 2026, the U.S. Justice Department announced that Zubavar Al-Balkoush was charged with multiple charges concerning the Benghazi Embassy attack in Libya in 2012:

Zubayar Al-Bakoush, an armed coconspirator in the 2012 attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, was charged in an eight-count indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court on multiple terrorism and murder counts.

Bakoush, who is in federal custody, is expected to make his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya for the District of Columbia.

“The terrorist attack on our Benghazi Embassy was a dark and tragic day for our nation that robbed us of four American heroes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Now, thanks to our brave federal agents, one of its alleged key participants will be prosecuted in an American courtroom on American soil. Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice will never rest in our mission to Make America Safe Again and deliver swift, severe justice to our enemies.”

"The FBI and our U.S. government partners have worked tirelessly to hold accountable those responsible for the heinous terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the deaths of the U.S. Ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The latest result of our efforts is bringing  Zubayar Al-Bakoush  to the U.S. to face charges for his alleged role in the attacks against our citizens and our facilities in Libya. You can be assured that no matter how long it takes, or where you are located, the FBI remains steadfast in our duty to see justice served against those who harm our citizens. I’m grateful to the men and women of the FBI for their unrelenting efforts to bring us to where we stand today – this defendant will be prosecuted on U.S. soil.”

“Today’s indictment against Zubayar Al-Bakoush is indicative of President Trump’s resolve to hold accountable anyone who harms Americans, no matter where,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Al-Bakoush is now on U.S. soil, because the FBI and Department of Justice never forgot those Americans who were seemingly forgotten in that outpost in Benghazi, Libya. President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, FBI Director Patel, and I will do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes, to pursue justice for the victims and their families.”

“Over thirteen years have passed since the 2012 attack in Libya, and over eight since the last arrest in this case, but the Department of Justice’s resolve has not wavered,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We never forgot those four Americans who were killed in service of our Nation, and we will continue to seek justice for them, their families, and for the United States.”

“In September 2012, Zubayar Al-Bakoush allegedly facilitated the terrorist attack on the United States Mission and Annex in Benghazi in which four Americans – including an ambassador – were murdered in an effort to incite additional violence against our country’s presence in Libya” said James Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge of New York Field Office. “This bloody campaign waged unnecessary brutality against Americans and forever altered the lives of the victims’ families. May today’s significant disruption send a clear message: the FBI New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will never cease its tireless pursuit of any terrorist involved in the massacre of our nation’s citizens, regardless of when or where the onslaught occurred.”

The indictment charges Bakoush with:

• Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
• Providing Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
• Murder of an Internationally Protected Person
• Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States (Two Counts)
• Attempted Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States
• Arson and Placing Lives in Jeopardy Within the Special Maritime and Territorial

Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same

• Maliciously Destroying and Injuring Property and Placing Lives in Jeopardy within the Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same

The charges stem from the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and nearby CIA Annex that killed Ambassador Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty.

According to the indictment, Bakoush was a member of Ansar Al Sharia (AAS), an Islamist extremist militia in Benghazi, which had the goal of establishing Sharia law in Libya.

On the evening of Sept. 11, 2012, a group of more than 20 heavily armed men – including Bakoush assembled outside the main gate of the U.S Special Mission in Benghazi.  They were armed with assault rifles, other firearms, and explosive devices.  At about 9:45 p.m., the group of armed men violently breached the main gate of the Mission. Upon entry, the men fanned out across the Mission complex, setting fires to building within the Mission compound.

When the attackers could not gain entry to the secure area of Villa C, the Ambassador’s residence, they set fire to it.  Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith suffocated from the thick, black smoke that enveloped the residence. Diplomatic Security Services (DSS) Special Agent Scott Wickland, who had tried to guide Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith to safety, was injured and repeatedly took small arms fire while trying to rescue the two Americans.

The extremist group also attacked the Quick Reaction Force building, which was occupied by local Libyans serving as guards for the Mission.

About 10 p.m., Bakoush entered the Mission compound with other conspirators, and conducted surveillance of the Tactical Operation Center and the Villa. After Bakoush attempted to gain entry to vehicles belonging to Mission staff, he and his co-conspirators temporarily retreated to an area just outside the Mission.

About 11:15 p.m., conspirators assembled outside the southern gate and launched a second violent attack on the Mission using AK-type assault rifles, grenades, and rocket-propelled grenades. After 30 minutes, the group entered the compound and plundered the Mission’s office of documents, maps, and computers containing sensitive information about the location of the CIA Annex.

At 12:30 a.m., conspirators attacked the Annex with small arms, assault rifles, and rocket-propelled grenades.

Following the attack at the Mission, in the early hours of September 12, 2012, the violence continued at the CIA Annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar attack. While defending the Annex, Mr. Woods, Mr. Doherty, DSS Special Agent David Ubben, and CIA security specialist Mark Tiegen were hit by a precision mortar attack, leading to the deaths of Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty. Special Agent Ubben and Mr. Tiegen were seriously wounded but survived.

The Department of Justice previously charged and convicted two leaders in the Benghazi attack on federal terrorism charges and other offenses. Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah was sentenced in June 2018 to 22 years in prison and resentenced in September 2024 to 28 years in prison. Mustafa al-Imam was sentenced in January 2020 to nearly 20 years.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from the Department of War, the CIA and the Department of State. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section provided additional assistance.

The case is being prosecuted by the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.                                                                           

Benghazi Terror Suspect Extradited To Face US Charges: Zubayr Al-Bakoush Has Been Charged With Murder, Terror And Arson, All In Relation To The 2012 Attack

Fox News reports that the U.S. has arrested Zubayr Al-Bakoush, alleged to be one of the leaders of the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi: 

Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the arrest on Friday. Bondi said that Al-Bakoush was charged with charges of murder, terror and arson, all related to the 2012 attack.

"Zubayr Al-Bakoush will now face American justice on American soil. We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law," Bondi said on Friday. "Let this case serve as a reminder: If you commit a crime against the American people anywhere in this world, President Trump's Justice Department will find you. It might not happen overnight, but it will happen. You can run, but you cannot hide."

Bondi also took a swipe at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who infamously said "what difference does it make?" when asked in a hearing about the cause of the deadly attack. 

Patel said that Al-Bakoush was arrested "overseas," but did not give details on the exact location where the alleged terrorist was apprehended.

"I'm extremely thankful to the CIA and Director Ratcliffe and our other law enforcement partners for making sure that the world knows that if you kill an American citizen in an act of terrorism, we will hunt you down," Patel said on Friday.

The FBI director credited President Donald Trump's support for law enforcement, saying that the president "has given law enforcement the resources we need to take the fight across the world." Patel noted the department's success in capturing individuals on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

 

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Suspect allegedly behind 2012 Benghazi attack arrested, extradited to US | Fox News