Victoria Police have arrested and charged four people who are accused of scamming Melbourne residents, as they allegedly attempted to escape the country undetected after the fact.
Key points:
Four men have been arrested and charged in relation to a roofing scam
Police allege the scam netted more than $640,000
Police believe more than 20 Melbourne residents were affected by the scam
Police allege the group scammed more than 20 Melbourne residents by posing as workers from a legitimate roofing company, collecting more than $640,000 after telling home owners their roofs needed urgent repairs.
A 21-year-old Irish national allegedly involved in the scam was detained at Tullamarine Airport on July 28 after allegedly trying to board a flight to Ireland with his brother’s passport.
Police say the accused man charged an 81-year-old Kew resident $99,000 for repair works on his roof between May and June 2022 and ultimately left it in worse condition, with the owner “forced to use pots and pans inside the house” to combat leaks.
Pair attempts to leave country days after first arrest
Police later arrested three males on July 31 in connection to a further $540,000 worth of alleged roofing scams this year.
Two of the men were also caught by Australian Border Force (ABF) officials attempting to board a flight out of the country at Tullamarine Airport, while a 20-year-old female traveling with the pair was released after questioning.
ABF Superintendent Nicholas Walker said the two British nationals and the Irish national had tried to make their escape when they were arrested.
“These were deliberate attempts to slip out of the country undetected and the decisive action of the ABF officers who stopped them should serve as a warning to anyone else looking to do the same,” Superintendent Walker said.
“The ABF targets traveling with men who seek to exploit vulnerable people. We are working with state police to identify and disrupt the criminal activities of traveling with men through Operation Suddenblaze.”
A 35-year-old male was also arrested in Oakleigh later that day and subsequently charged with deception offenses and dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Police say homes were often left in states of disrepair or with unfinished work.(ABC News: Nicolas Perpitch)
Subsequent independent inspections of residents affected by the scam identified that works quoted for were never required, incomplete or were of poor workmanship, with amounts quoted deemed excessive.
It follows the jailing of a separate trio of men who targeted elderly Victorians with an elaborate roofing scam in 2020.
Senior Constable Lachlan Balazs from the Boroondara Crime Investigation Unit said crimes such as the roofing scam often affected vulnerable Victorians the most.
“Sadly, it is often some of the more vulnerable or elderly members of our society who are most impacted. For many the emotional distress and loss of confidence and trust in others is just as damaging as the financial fallout,” Senior Constable Balazs said.
Police said a Toorak resident who found the group through an internet advertisement was advised by the scammers she required over $31,900 in roof repairs, which she paid for.
An independent roof inspector later advised that the only work conducted appeared to be the replacement of a downpipe, which was valued at $350 worth of work.
Senior Constable Balazs said it was likely there were still more victims affected by the scams who had not come forward.
“There is a possibility that further members of the community have been affected by similar activity and we are urging anyone who suspects they may have fallen victim to illegitimate building work of this nature to come forward.”
Comancheros bikie boss Mark Buddle has been deported from Turkey and is in police custody in Australia.
Buddle is suspected of being involved in major drug shipments to Australia and is a person of interest in the 2010 murder of NSW security guard Gary Allibon.
SEE THE ARREST FOOTAGE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE
Buddle left Australia in 2016 and has been living in various locations in the Middle East since then.
He is expected to face court on Wednesday.
Footage has emerged of Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle being frogmarched into a police station in handcuffs. Credit: Australian Federal Police/Australian Federal PoliceThe nation’s most wanted man was apprehended by Australian Federal Police over alleged drug importation after he touched down in Darwin on Tuesday morning. Credit: Australian Federal Police/Australian Federal Police
Buddle is suspected of having moved to Northern Cyprus to avoid extradition to Australia, where he faces questioning about his alleged involvement in drug and murder investigations.
Northern Cyprus is not officially recognized by any country other than Turkey and does not share an extradition treaty with Australia.
Buddle took over as head of the Comancheros in 2009 following the jailing of former boss, Mahmoud ‘Mick’ Hawi. Credit: Supplied
Buddle took over the leadership of the Comancheros in 2009 when former boss Mahmoud “Mick” Hawi was jailed over a fatal brawl at Sydney Airport.
Hawaii was later shot dead outside a gym in Sydney.
Buddle fled Australia in 2016 after being named a person of interest in the murder of a security guard and has evaded authorities ever since.
In 2010, 59-year-old Gary Allibon was shot in the back during the early-morning robbery of a cash-in-transit van on Sydney’s Sussex Street.
It is understood he had handed over a cash box and had his hands in the air when he was shot.
Buddle is believed to have been one of the focus points of police investigations — although no charges have been laid.
It is understood Buddle has spent the past several years in different countries with partner Melanie Ter Wisscha and their two children. Credit: Supplied
For several years, Buddle lived with long time partner Melanie Ter Wisscha and their two children in Dubai.
Last year, video surfaced of Buddle in an altercation with tourists at a Dubai pool.
Soon after, he left the country and the Sydney-born fugitive is believed to have traveled to Turkey, Greece and Iraq, before finally settling in Northern Cyprus.
In 2021, Cypriot newspaper Kibris Gercek reported Buddle had been granted residency by high-ranking politicians until August 6, 2022.
The reason for the residence permit was reported to be his “high income”.
A statement by the interior ministry said police had later determined Buddle’s presence was “inconvenient in terms of public peace and security”.
The man accused of murdering an alleged home intruder near Katherine earlier this year, will likely plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, a court has heard.
Key points:
Kim Kellett, 38, will likely plead guilty to a charge of manslaughter
Prosecutors have withdrawn the earlier murder charge
Mr Kellett is accused of shooting dead an alleged home intruder in March
Kim Kellett has been in prison sincely alleged shooting a 26-year-old man on his property at the Cutta Cutta Caves National Park in March.
The 38-year-old appeared in the Darwin Local Court on Wednesday via video link from the local correctional centre, dressed in a red prison-issued T-shirt which usually indicates the inmate is held under maximum security conditions.
Senior Crown Prosecutor, Marty Aust, told the court the original murder charge would be withdrawn and replaced with the lesser charge of manslaughter.
“The Crown will be relying on a reckless manslaughter charge,” he said.
“The facts that make out that charge have been reduced to writing and there is agreement between the parties as to the facts in full, for plea in the Supreme Court.”
A set of agreed facts was given to the judge, but not read in open court.
The court heard the man is likely to plead guilty. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)
Mr Kellett’s lawyer, Peter Maley, told the court his client would likely plead guilty when the matter reached the Supreme Court next month.
“It will be ultimately a plea of guilty to an amended count two, for recklessly causing the death,” he said.
Despite indicating a guilty plea, the charge Mr Kellett faces is too serious to be dealt with by the Local Court.
“I am satisfied the evidence is sufficient to put the defendant on his trial in respect of count two [manslaughter],” Judge John Neill said.
“I direct he be tried at the Supreme Court in Darwin.”
Manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Mr Kellett’s case will be mentioned in the Northern Territory Supreme Court on September 1.
Comanchero boss Mark Buddle is in Australian custody, after being deported by Turkish authorities.
Key points:
The Comanchero boss was arrested at Darwin Airport this morning after being deported to Australia
The AFP will allege he imported more than 160 kilograms of cocaine into Melbourne last year
He will appear in court today where police will apply for him to be extradited to Melbourne
The 37-year-old faced court in Darwin this morning, accused of importing more than 160 kilograms of cocaine into Melbourne in May 2021.
The judge granted a request for him to be extradited to Victoria.
The court heard Mr Buddle did not appear in person due to security concerns from police, and instead appeared via an audio link.
“Normally, of course, someone appearing in court would be either present in court or on the video from the prison, Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris told Mr Buddle.
“But the court’s received information that the police have some security concerns, and that’s why you’re on the telephone from the Palmerston watch house.”
Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan said the drugs had a street value of more than $40 million.
Mark Buddle was escorted on a charter flight to Darwin. (Supplied: AFP)
Commonwealth lawyer Naomi Low told the court police wanted until August 10 to extradite Mr Buddle to the Melbourne Magistrates Court, to make arrangements to mitigate security concerns.
“Mark Buddle is to be secured and kept in custody in NT Corrections until no later than the tenth of August, 2022, by which time he is to be transferred into the custody of [the AFP] … to then appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on or before the tenth of August 2022,” Chief Justice Morris said.
She told Mr Buddle he would be kept in prison until arrangements were made to transfer him to Melbourne in the custody of police.
Mr Buddle was deported to Turkey from Northern Cyprus last month, and taken into police custody in the capital, Ankara.
He had been living in the self-declared republic after being granted a residence permit in August 2021.
Mark Buddle became president of the Comanchero Outlaw Motorcycle Gang in 2010.(Dean Lewins, file photo: AAP)
Assistant Commissioner Ryan said the AFP had been working to “build a brief of evidence” against Mr Buddle since mid-2021.
“When it comes to this alleged offender, we have been patient and thorough, and we have done what the AFP does best – we have used our capability, intelligence and international networks to ensure we have a warrant and a finalized brief of evidence so the alleged offender can face the justice system,” he said.
“However, let me be clear: this alleged offender has been a target of the AFP-led Transnational Offshore Disruption Taskforce, known as Operation Gain, since 2021.”
Assistant Commissioner Ryan said today was the first time the existence of Operation Ironside South-Britannic had been made public.
“[The taskforce] targets Australia’s biggest organized crime threats offshore, disrupts their criminal activities and ultimately ensures these alleged criminals face prosecution.”
The Sydney apartment where two sisters were found dead under mysterious circumstances has now been listed for rent, with a disclaimer for any prospective tenants.
In early June, two Saudi-born sisters Asra, 24, and Amaal Alsehli, 23, were found dead in separate beds inside their Canterbury unit in “unusual circumstances”.
They were believed to have been dead for up to a month before their bodies were found inside the inner-west apartment on June 7.
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The cause of death is still unknown, with Detective Inspector Claudia Allcroft saying the deaths were “suspicious in nature in that we don’t know the cause of death”.
Now, the Canterbury Road apartment where the two sisters were found is up for rent again for $520 a week, with the listing informing those interested of the deaths early last month.
“This property has found two deceased person on 06/07/2022, crime scene has been established and it is still under police investigation,” the listing said.
“According to the police, this is not a random crime and will not be a potential risk for the community.”
The sisters’ apartment is now up for rent again. Credit: Domain Mystery continues to shroud the deaths of the two sisters, who arrived in Australia from Saudi Arabia as teenagers in 2017. Credit: Domain
The apartment – which is available now – is described as a “newly renovated modern 2-bedroom apartment with timber flooring in the bedroom” that “ensures a life of seamless and luxurious comfort”.
Mystery continues to shroud the deaths of the sisters, who arrived in Australia from Saudi Arabia as teenagers in 2017.
A worker with access to the apartment claims two crucifixes were found inside the Sydney unit after the sisters’ bodies were removed, the ABC reported.
It has been reported that the pair renounced Islam and changed their names after arriving in Australia.
The sisters both seemed to be extremely nervous and paranoid, with those who knew the sisters saying they seemed to live in fear and were “very afraid of something”.
A plumber who attended the apartment told building manager Michael Baird he was never going back to the apartment again.
“When (he) came out of that unit, he said that he was concerned that there was something untoward happening in the apartment. He got a very bad vibe,” Baird told the ABC.
Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and her sister Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23. Credit: NSW Police
The women also claimed a suspicious man had been lurking outside their unit in the months before their deaths.
When building management checked CCTV, a man was spotted, however he was not deemed suspicious due to the busy location.
“That spot is busy. There is a burger shop there and Uber Eats drivers coming and going all the time. He could have been anyone,” an employee from the building management company told The Daily Mail.
“We couldn’t determine why he was there, but he didn’t look like he was doing anything untoward, so there was no need to chase it up further.”
The sisters also allegedly had concerns that someone was tampering with their food deliveries and contacted building management in January, but surveillance cameras again found no evidence.
Burwood detectives have established Strike Force Woolbird to investigate the women’s deaths.
“As the investigation is ongoing, police continue to appeal for information in relation to the death of the two women,” NSW Police told 7NEWS.com.au on Tuesday.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Aussie sprinter benefits from rivals’ big mistake.
Aussie sprinter benefits from rivals’ big mistake.
An elderly California liquor store owner who flipped the script on armed gunmen during an attempted robbery said Tuesday that he had no choice but to open fire on one of the assailants, insisting it was “either him or me.”
Craig Cope, 80, said he feared for his life as four would-be thieves drove up early Sunday to Norco Market & Liquor in Norco, where he was behind the counter when one of the assailants busted in with a rifle and yelled at him to freeze.
“I got a long gun pointing directly at me,” Cope told The Post. “It was either him or me and I was a little bit faster.”
Cope said he knew something was off when he saw a dark BMW SUV pull up alongside the store instead of into several nearby open parking spaces. They also “backed in” as they approached, which was another “red flag” for the quick-thinking owner.
“I got a long gun pointing directly at me,” Cope told The Post Tuesday, adding that he feared for his life. “It was either him or me and I was a little bit faster.”Fox 11Surveillance footage from inside the store shows Cope firing the shotgun just seconds after the gunman announced the robbery.Fox 11
“And then I saw them getting out of the car in masks and with guns,” Cope continued. “So, I figured what was going to happen. I just knew they were armed and masked and that they were coming in, so I was ready for them.”
At one point, three of the suspects hopped out of the SUV, while a fourth man stayed behind to act as a getaway driver, Cope said.
Surveillance footage from inside the store shows Cope firing the shotgun just seconds after the gunman announced the robbery, wounding the would-be robber in the arm.
“He was screaming that I shot his arm off,” Cope recalled. “That’s what he said.”
Cope, who suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital after the shooting, is recovering at his Riverside home.
He said he intends to keep working at the store, but may soon cut back on his hours. That has nothing to do with Sunday’s attempted heist, which has characterized as a “terribly isolated” incident.
“I’ll be a presence one way or another,” he said.
Cope first purchased the store in 1976 and ran it for 19 years before selling it. He then bought it back about seven years ago. He declined to say whether Monday’s incident marked the first time the store had been targeted by criminals.
“I’m not going to release that one,” Cope said, adding the store had not been robbed during his most recent ownership stint.
Norco in Riverside County is not known as a “high-crime area,” Cope said. Many of the city’s residents own horses and the community is largely conservative.
“It’s not a good area for robbers to come,” Cope said flatly. “Many of the homeowners are conservatives and probably armed. These guys didn’t do their homework.”
Authorities tracked down the four suspects at a Southern California hospital, where one had a gunshot wound consistent with a shotgun blast, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
At one point, three of the suspects hopped out of the SUV, while a fourth man stayed behind to act as a getaway driver, Cope said.Fox 11
Three suspects being held on $500,000 bond were identified as Justin Johnson, 22, of Inglewood, Calif., Jamar Williams, 27, of Los Angeles, and Davon Broadus, 24, of Las Vegas.
Sheriff’s officials praised Cope for preventing a “violent crime” while ensuring his own safety as he was confronted by multiple armed suspects.
Cope — who grew up in Illinois, where he hunted for food as a child — said he doesn’t regret his actions.
“It’s not going to be on my mind or keep me from doing anything,” he told The Post. “It’s not going to change how I operate. I’m already alert and pay attention to my surroundings at all times.”
The random box-cutter attack on an Asian woman in Times Square was a hate crime, cops said Tuesday – as they busted and charged the suspect in the case.
Anthony Evans, 30 was allegedly caught on shocking video slashing the 59-year-old seamstress Sunday morning as she was walking along Seventh Avenue near West 42nd Street in Manhattan.
The 30-year-old suspect was arrested around 8:45 am Tuesday and now faces raps of assault as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon.
Police could not immediately say what specifically raised the case to hate-crime status. The NYPD had released Evans’ photo Monday evening and named him as a suspect.
Anthony Evans, 30, has been linked to the random slashing of a woman in Times Square early Sunday.NYPD
The victim – who has lived in the city for decades – was pulling a shopping trolley down the block when the suspect walked up behind her, raised the weapon in the air and slashed the blade down on her right hand, footage previously released by police shows .
Evans fled the scene afterward, cops said.
The victim’s 23-year-old daughter, who asked that her name not be used, told The Post on Monday that the assault left her mother “traumatized.
Footage shows the moment the alleged slasher, identified as Anthony Evans, 30, attacked the 59-year-old woman without provocation on Seventh Avenue near West 42nd Street.NYPDThe 59-year-old victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was listed in stable condition.Paul MartinkaThe victim’s daughter said she was left traumatized by the event.
“It was a very violent event, a very violent thing to do,” the daughter said. “I wouldn’t wish this upon anybody — even my worst enemies.
“I hope it wasn’t for malicious reasons,” the daughter said.
“I just want to make sure that it’s clear that we don’t know what is the motivation behind the attack,” she added. “If it’s mental health-related, I hope [the suspect is] find and receive[s] the necessary treatment. If the perpetrator had malicious reasons, I hope they’re found and prosecuted.”
While little remains known about Saudi-born sisters Asra and Amaal Alsehli, the pair were “scared of something”.
Their tragic deaths continue to be shrouded in mystery as more questions than answers remain.
But as bizarre twists begin to emerge, it is growing clearer the two young women were worried.
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If someone knocked on the door of their Canterbury unit in Sydney’s inner west, the sisters were reportedly reluctant to answer, instead staying “tucked in the corner like two little sparrows”, according to one person who tried to help.
From their nervousness about visitors to a tradesman’s “uneasy” feeling while working in the unit, there were signs something was wrong.
Here are eight of the strangest twists in the case so far.
Crucifixes found inside
Two crucifixes were found inside the Sydney unit after the sisters’ bodies were removed, a worker with access to the apartment claims.
The worker said the religious symbols were discovered on the floor of one of the bedrooms, the ABC reports.
7NEWS.com.au was unable to independently verify the claim, with NSW Police unable to comment.
It has also been reported the pair renounced Islam and changed their names after arriving in Australia.
It is not clear whether the crosses were a sign the pair had converted to Christianity or if they belonged to the women at all.
Younger sister Amaal Abdullah Alsehli. Credit: NSW Police
Their car had been keyed
Those who knew the sisters say they seemed to live in fear and were “very afraid of something”.
Apartment building manager Michael Baird, of Transparent FM, said his first interaction with the women was when their car was keyed earlier this year.
“We believed that it was not a personal attack on them because they’d parked their car in an unusual position. And somebody’s obviously taken offense to it,” Baird told the ABC.
He said he was aware the sisters were concerned about their safety.
“I think the girls were very, very scared,” Baird said.
“And we’re not sure whether it was something or someone, they didn’t tell us.”
Older sister Asra Abdullah Alsehli. Credit: NSW Police
a strange man
The women had claimed a suspicious man had been lurking outside their unit in the months before their deaths.
“They made a report that they saw a man ‘acting weird’ outside the building – standing between two cars and acting strange,” an employee from the building management company told The Daily Mail.
“We checked the CCTV and saw there was a man there.
“But that spot is busy. There is a burger shop there and Uber Eats drivers coming and going all the time. He could have been anyone.
“We couldn’t determine why he was there, but he didn’t look like he was doing anything untoward, so there was no need to chase it up further.”
The sisters also had concerns someone was tampering with their food deliveries and contacted building management in January, but surveillance cameras again found no evidence.
The plumber’s bad vibe
The eerie reports continue, with a plumber who attended the apartment also raising concerns about the sisters.
“When (he) came out of that unit, he said that he was concerned that there was something untoward happening in the apartment. He got a very bad vibe,” Baird told the ABC.
“He was pretty shaken up. He said, ‘I’m never coming back to that apartment again’.”
Baird asked the local site manager to reach out to police, adding that he understood the women subsequently told officers they were fine.
“The girls did not want to open the door; they did not want to participate in any sort of conversation,” another worker told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“The cops said, ‘We’re worried. Can we help you?’ They said no.
“I took one look at those girls, and thought, ‘You are hiding something.’ These girls were very secretive. They kept a very low profile.”
A police van is seen near an apartment block where two women were found dead in Canterbury, Sydney, Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi) NO ARCHIVING Credit: BIANCA DE MARCHI/AAPIMAGE
A mysteriously dropped AVO
The eldest sister Asra had applied for an apprehended violence order against a man in 2019, but it was withdrawn and dismissed.
The man at the center of the AVO told The Daily Telegraph he had a “small fight” with the sister, which caused her to be fearful and contact police to take out an AVO.
“We went to court, the three of us and I told the judge what happened. Amaal explained it was just an argument and Asra was frightened but there was no problem anymore,” he said.
He said he was not romantically involved with Asra and had not been in contact with the sisters for about two years, and was “shocked” to hear of their mysterious deaths.
Family’s photointervention
At a press conference last week, Burwood detective inspector Claudia Allcroft said police were in contact with the women’s family, who was cooperating with authorities.
She said there was “nothing to suggest” the family were suspects, nor that the women had fled Saudi Arabia.
But it has since been revealed the sisters were asylum seekers who each had an active claim for ongoing asylum with the Department of Home Affairs and had engaged with settlement service providers in Sydney.
In another bizarre twist, the sisters’ family did not want police releasing images as part of their appeal for information.
Police contacted relatives in Saudi Arabia asking for permission to release images of the sisters, but they refused, according to The Telegraph.
However, a coroner investigating the deaths overruled the decision.
Forensic finger print dust is seen on an external door frame at the alleged apartment where two women were found dead in Canterbury, Sydney, Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi) NO ARCHIVING Credit: BIANCA DE MARCHI/AAPIMAGE
Shrouded in secrets
When the sisters arrived in Australia in 2017, they lived in Sydney’s western suburbs for about 18 months while they attended the local TAFE.
Rita was their neighbor and shared an insight into the sisters.
“(Amaal and Asra) were just really good people. They did nothing harmful,” Rita told the ABC.
“They moved to this house because it was like closer to their TAFE. And they usually stayed up all night and only slept in the morning.”
A man who had developed a friendship with Asra conceded he knew very little about the woman he “met on the street” in 2019, despite them hanging out together.
“She told me nothing about her life like that… I did not go to her home, I meet her out, you know, not in the house,” the man told The Telegraph.
By 2020, the sisters decided to move out and relocated to their Canterbury apartment.
The sisters lived in this apartment building in Canterbury. Credit: domain.com.au
The neighbors at the sisters’ Canterbury address also knew very little about the pair, telling 7NEWS they kept to themselves.
One neighbor said they “feel a bit scared” not knowing what happened to the pair so close to their own home, despite not knowing the women well.
“Every time when I walk past here, it’s always on, it’ll always be on my head,” another said
Police said the pair lived a quiet life since arriving in the country and did not have many known connections in Sydney.
The women do not appear to have been a part of any Saudi dissident networks and had almost no online presence or public photographs.
They stopped paying rent
As the tragic tale deepens, it has also been reported an eviction notice was filed weeks before the sisters’ bodies were discovered in June.
Rental agent Jay Hu said the women had been good tenants since they began the lease two years ago, but something changed earlier this year.
“They stopped paying rent, so my colleague contacted them… they said the money would be coming soon,” Hu told The Telegraph.
“But it still didn’t come… a few more weeks went by and still not paid.”
Hu said the sisters were given a notice to vacate the unit around May.
Burwood detectives have established Strike Force Woolbird to investigate the women’s deaths.
“As the investigation is ongoing, police continue to appeal for information in relation to the death of the two women,” NSW Police told 7NEWS.com.au on Tuesday.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Examination of the substance in vape cartridges WNBA star Brittney Griner’s carried in February at a Moscow airport did not comply with Russian law, a defense expert testified Tuesday as her drug-smuggling trial in Russia continues amid US efforts to negotiate a prisoner swap for her release .
Among the violations is that results of the examination do not contain the amount of THC in the substance investigators tested, Griner’s lawyer, Maria Blagovolina, said after the hearing.
“The examination does not comply with the law in terms of the completeness of the study and does not comply with the norms of the Code of Criminal Procedure,” forensic chemist Dmitry Gladyshev testified for the defense during the roughly two-hour session.
The defense also interrogated prosecution expert Alexander Korablyov, who examined Griner’s cartridges taken from her luggage.
Griner’s appearance in the Khimki city courthouse marked her seventh hearing as Russian prosecutors accuse her of trying to smuggle less than 1 gram of cannabis oil in her luggage. She has pleaded guilty to drug charges – a decision her lawyers hope will result in a less severe sentence – even as the US State Department maintains she is wrongfully detained, and she faces up to 10 years in prison.
Supporters of the two-time Olympic gold medalist and Phoenix Mercury center who plays in Russia during the WNBA offseason have called for her release over fears she is being used as a political pawn amid Russia’s war on Ukraine. US officials face immense pressure from Griner’s family, lawmakers and the professional basketball community to bring her home, and Griner wrote to President Joe Biden pleading with him to do everything in his power to facilitate her release from her.
The 31-year-old sat Tuesday inside the defendant’s cage in the courtroom. The charge d’affaires of the US embassy in Moscow, Elizabeth Rood, attended Tuesday’s hearing and afterward said the US would “continue to support Miss Griner through every step of this process and as long as it takes to bring her home to the United States safely.”
Griner’s next hearing is set for Thursday.
At trial, Griner has testified that she has a doctor’s prescription for medical cannabis and had no intention of bringing the drug into Russia. Following her arrest of her in February, she was tested for drugs and was clean, her lawyers previously said.
Amid public pressure and after months of internal debate, the Biden administration proposed a prisoner swap with Russia, offering to release a convicted Russian arms trafficker in exchange for Griner and another American detainee, Paul Whelan, people briefed on the matter have told CNN.
Russian officials countered the US offer, multiple sources familiar with the discussions have said, requesting in addition to arms dealer Viktor Bout the US also include a convicted murderer who was formerly a colonel with the Russian spy agency, Vadim Krasikov.
US officials did not accept the request as a legitimate counteroffer, the sources told CNN, in part because the proposal was sent through an informal backchannel. Krasikov’s release would also be complicated because he is in German custody.
“It’s a bad faith attempt to avoid a very serious offer and proposal that the United States has put forward and we urge Russia to take that offer seriously,” Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby told CNN, later adding, “We very much want to see Brittney and Paul come home to their families where they belong.”
Meantime, Griner’s trial carries on, with her legal team expected to continue questioning more witnesses before moving to closing arguments, during which the lawyers will elaborate on why they believe Griner’s detention was handled improperly. Closing arguments are expected in coming weeks.
Griner’s attorneys have already laid out some arguments claiming the basketball player’s detention was not handled correctly after she was arrested February 17 by personnel at the Sheremetyevo International Airport.
Her detention, search and arrest were “improper,” Alexander Boykov, one of her lawyers, said last week, noting more details would be revealed during closing arguments.
After she was stopped in the airport, Griner was made to sign documents that she did not fully understand, she testified. At first, she said, she was using Google translate on her phone from her but was later moved to another room where her phone from her was taken and she was made to sign more documents.
No lawyer was present, she testified, and her rights were not explained to her. Those rights would include access to an attorney once she was detained and the right to know what she was suspected of. Under Russian law, she should have been informed of her rights within three hours of her arrest.
In her testimony, Griner “explained to the court that she knows and respects Russian laws and never intended to break them,” Blagovolina – a partner at Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin & Partners – said after last week’s hearing.
The detained player testified she was aware of Russian laws and had no intention of bringing the cannabis oil into the country, noting she was in a rush and “stress packing.”
Griner confirmed she has a doctor’s prescription for medical cannabis, Blagovolina said, which she uses to treat knee pain and joint inflammation.
“We continue to insist that, by indiscretion, in a hurry, she packed her suitcase and did not pay attention to the fact that substances allowed for use in the United States ended up in this suitcase and arrived in the Russian Federation,” Boykov, of Moscow Legal Center, has said.
Griner’s family, supporters and WNBA teammates continue to express messages of solidarity and hope as they wait for the conclusion of the trial and look forward to the potential of her release.
Before trial proceedings last week, the WNBA players union tweeted, “Dear BG … It’s early in Moscow. Our day is ending and yours is just beginning. Not a day, not an hour goes by that you’re not on our minds & in our hearts.”
This story has been updated with additional developments Tuesday.
correction: A prior version of this story missed Brittney Griner’s first name.
ANDERSON, Ind. — A man accused of fatally shooting an Indiana police officer during a traffic stop had made a song about killing an officer, investigators said Monday.
Carl Boards II was charged with murder and other crimes, a day after Elwood Officer Noah Shahnavaz was gunned down in the wee hours Sunday in Madison County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.
The 24-year-old officer was shot in the head after stopping Boards’ car. Investigators found 36 rifle bullet casings and damage to the patrol car’s hood, windshield and driver’s door.
Shahnavaz’ gun was still in its holster when he was taken to a hospital, Richard Clay of the Indiana State Police said in a court filing.
Boards, 42, owns a barber shop in Marion, Indiana. Police went to the shop and interviewed a man who lives in an apartment above the business.
The man indicated that Boards “made a recorded song making statements that if he was ever caught by police that he would kill them,” Clay said.
Boards was released from parole a year ago. His criminal record of him goes back to 1999 and includes convictions involving guns and drugs, Clay said.
It wasn’t immediately known if Boards has an attorney yet who could comment on the allegations.
Shahnavaz served in the US Army for five years before becoming a police officer about a year ago.
“His dream was to serve others and we are proud of what he has accomplished in such a short time, both in the military and with Elwood police,” Fishers High School Principal Jason Urban said. “The entire FHS Tiger family grieves this tragic loss of such a promising young man full of talent and potential.”
