All articles tagged with #conspiracy
Opening statements in Lil Durk's federal trial feature prosecutors alleging he orchestrated a revenge-style ambush linked to Quando Rondo, while his defense contends a co-defendant used Banks as the supposed “big fish” to gain a lighter sentence, with that co-defendant having pleaded guilty and expected to testify.
Usher publicly shut down online rumors that a body double performed at his New Jersey concert with Chris Brown, quipping “They can’t clone this” and emphasizing the show was a joint tour performance, urging fans to focus on the music rather than conspiracy theories.
Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke was indicted on bribery and conspiracy charges tied to a 2022 scheme with lobbyist Tobi Solidum over a state COVID-19 testing contract; prosecutors say Solidum offered Luke a $35,000 bribe and discussed larger payments, and Luke admitted to two $5,000 checks while denying influence on legislation. The case is part of Attorney General Anne Lopez’s January probe linked to a federal bribery investigation and also involves other defendants, including Solidum and former Hawaii officials; Gov. Josh Green has urged Luke to resign as the matter moves forward.
Former Jackson, Mississippi mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in a federal bribery case tied to a proposed downtown convention center/hotel project after an FBI undercover operation. Prosecutors say Lumumba accepted five $10,000 checks totaling $50,000 and moved the project deadline to gain an advantage for agents posing as developers; the plea follows earlier guilty pleas by others, including ex-Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens II, with Lumumba facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is pending, and co-defendant Aaron Banks is set for trial July 13.
Former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, wire fraud and money laundering, while ex-City Council member Aaron Banks pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in a federal corruption investigation tied to a downtown hotel project; District Attorney Jody Owens also pleaded guilty last week. Sentencing is tentatively set for Oct. 15, with penalties up to five years in prison and restitution, and the pleas avert a highly anticipated trial. The case spotlighted ongoing scrutiny of Black elected officials and broader questions about equal administration of justice.
Michelle Zajko, 33, linked to the Zizians cult, was charged with murder, burglary and conspiracy in the 2022 killings of her parents in Chester Heights, Pa., allegedly arranging the murders on her 30th birthday and being in the home when the shootings occurred. Prosecutors say cellphone data, ballistic evidence and doorbell camera footage, plus shell casings matched to ammunition tied to her Vermont property, point to her planning the crime with unknown co-conspirators. Zajko denies involvement, and authorities say she may have supplied the firearm used in a 2025 killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent as part of related Zizian-linked cases.
Prosecutors say Michelle Zajko, a member of the cultlike Zizians, is charged with murder, burglary and conspiracy in the 2022 killings of her parents in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. They allege she was in the home and coordinated the crime with others, supported by neighbor video, ballistics evidence and cellphone records. Zajko has denied involvement and remains jailed in Maryland on separate charges as authorities pursue related cases tied to the group.
Two additional suspects were arrested in connection with a foiled plan to attack Donald Trump’s UFC event. Investigators recovered high-powered firearms and reviewed encrypted messages among about 20 participants who described drones, a safe house and escape routes; one conspirator distributed cash and facilitated the purchase of a 3D printer and drone parts. Some questioned defendants said they did not intend to carry out violence, aiming instead to observe others, and it remains unclear how close the plot came to fruition as the case continues to unfold.
Federal prosecutors in Minnesota will hold a news conference to announce charges against multiple people accused of conspiring to impede or injure federal officers and violently opposing immigration law enforcement; details about the defendants and specific allegations have not yet been released.
Two NIH scientists, Vincent Munster and Claude Kwe, are charged with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox (mpox) into the United States after returning from Congo with undeclared tubes that later tested positive for mpox DNA; prosecutors say Munster misled border officers by claiming the case contained diagnostics gear, while experts note the inactivated samples could be diagnostic controls, and the case highlights biosafety and border-enforcement tensions in outbreak research.
Late director Adam Marcus blasted the deceased Val Kilmer on social media, calling him the “worst human being I’ve ever known” and defending his on-set criticisms; Kilmer, who died in 2025 after a throat cancer battle, had faced public misgivings from filmmakers in the past, including Joel Schumacher, while Kilmer himself had defended his conduct in 2003. The piece also contextualizes Kilmer’s iconic roles (Heat,Top Gun) and notes the broader celebrity-obsessed angle of the coverage.
Director Adam Marcus of the 2008 film Conspiracy claims Val Kilmer was the 'worst human being I’ve ever known' on set in a Threads post, recounting a difficult experience. Kilmer died at 65 last April, and the piece also notes his notorious on-set clashes and mentions Kilmer's posthumous AI-augmented role in As Deep as the Grave, a project supported by his daughter.
A Miami attorney, Francisco Gonzalez, his influencer daughter Gabriela Gonzalez, and Kai Cordrey are charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and solicitation to commit murder for allegedly plotting to hire a hit man to kill ex-boy band member Jack Avery through the dark web; the FBI, in an undercover sting, intervened after about $14,000 was paid. Gabriela and Avery have a custody dispute, Avery is the target, and Gabriela was arrested with Francisco in Florida while Cordrey’s status remains unclear.
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez abruptly announced presidential elections but gave no date or process, delivering a surreal, hours-long tirade that avoided sporting issues, attacked media and opponents as conspirators, referenced the Negreira case, and claimed broad member support as he vowed to defend the club.
Four people in Florida were convicted in a U.S. federal trial of conspiring in the 2021 assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse.