Stupid people of the week

A woman clocked in for work at Wells Fargo on Friday at 7 a.m. 4 days later, she was found dead at her desk.

There’s an investigation underway in Tempe after a Wells Fargo employee died while on the job. A new timeline released by police suggests her body was there for four days before being discovered.

“It’s really heartbreaking and I’m thinking, ‘What if I were just sitting there?'” a worker said. “No one would check on me?”

The body was found inside the Wells Fargo corporate office in Tempe. An associate who spoke with 12News anonymously said the situation is troubling.

“To hear she’s been sitting at the desk like that would make me feel sick,” the worker said. “And nobody did anything. That’s how she spent her last moments.”

Tempe police confirmed with 12News that on Aug. 16, 60-year-old Denise Prudhomme scanned into work at the building at 7 a.m. On Aug. 20, building security called authorities after finding an unresponsive worker. Officers arrived and confirmed that Prudhomme was dead.

Another employee who spoke with 12News anonymously said a colleague found Prudhomme dead at her desk in a cubicle while walking around the building.

Prudhomme’s cubicle was reportedly on the third floor and away from the main aisle.

That employee said several people smelled a foul odor but passed it off as faulty plumbing.

They said while most employees at the Wells Fargo office work remotely, the building has 24/7 security and someone should have found Prudhomme sooner.

“That’s the scary part. That’s the uneasy part,” the employee said. “It’s negligence in some part.”

Police say there’s nothing suspicious about the death. The worker said the lack of information from the bank has been especially frustrating.

“I’m just wondering why they didn’t formally address employees about it?” the worker said.

A Wells Fargo spokesperson released the following statement to 12News about the incident:

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague at our Tempe office. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and loved ones during this difficult time. Counselors, through our Employee Assistance Consulting service, are available to support our employees. We are fully cooperating with the Tempe Police Department in their investigation and will direct all further questions to them.”

The worker though said Wells Fargo needs to do more.

“I just feel like they aren’t being transparent with us and somebody needs to acknowledge this,” the worker said. “To the family, I’m sorry for their loss. I feel it because I’m thinking about my mom and my mother-in-law and what if that happened to them.”

The other employee said their direct management addressed the incident, offered the counseling services and told workers the building was thoroughly cleaned.

Police said the initial investigation did not show any signs of foul play. The Tempe Police Criminal Investigations Bureau is working with the Maricopa County medical examiner to determine the cause of death.

Source; 12 News

Wacky Wyoming: Cheyenne Mayoral Candidate Calls Himself ‘Meat Avatar’ of AI System He Wants to Run City

Voters in Cheyenne, Wyoming, faced an unusual choice in Tuesday’s mayoral election — a candidate who describes himself as the “meat avatar” of an AI system he wanted to be put in charge of the city. Candidate Victor Miller conceded the race on Tuesday night as humans will remain in charge — for now.

The Guardian reports that Victor Miller, a mayoral candidate in Wyoming’s capital city, pledged to use a customized ChatGPT bot named Vic (Virtual Integrated Citizen) to assist in governing Cheyenne if he was elected. Miller, who calls himself the “meat avatar” of VIC, claims the AI bot would be capable of processing vast amounts of data and making unbiased decisions to benefit the city.

Voters did not agree with his vision of the city, leading him to concede the race on Tuesday night.

The unusual campaign has sparked debate about the role of artificial intelligence in government and raised legal questions about who or what can actually hold elected office. Miller has described his proposed approach as a “hybrid” model, with the AI bot providing data-driven insights and solutions while Miller would serve as the official mayor to ensure actions are legally executed.

“It’s about blending AI’s capabilities with human judgment to effectively lead Cheyenne,” Miller stated in an interview. He has promised that Vic would handle “100% of the decision-making completely on its own” if voters back his candidacy.

However, the campaign has faced pushback from state officials. Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray launched an investigation earlier this summer into whether an AI bot could legally appear on the ballot. Gray argued that only registered human voters can run for office under state law.

“Wyoming law is clear than an AI bot cannot run for office,” Gray wrote in a letter to Cheyenne’s city clerk. City officials disagreed, countering that Miller himself is still the actual candidate even if receiving direction from an AI assistant.

The dispute was ultimately resolved when Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee announced in July that Miller could continue his campaign, but only his name and not the AI bot’s would appear on the official ballot. Lee cited both legal issues and potential voter confusion in the decision.

Miller’s eccentric campaign approach has drawn national attention as one of the first attempts to incorporate AI directly into political leadership. He has positioned it as embracing future technologies, telling voters “there’s a new intelligence in town” and that it’s “time to get drunk on intelligence.”

Critics have raised concerns about the wisdom and practicality of allowing an AI system to guide government decisions. Questions remain about accountability, transparency, and how to ensure human values and empathy factor into policymaking.

Supporters argue that AI could potentially make government more efficient and data-driven. Miller claims the bot would be free of political affiliations and focused solely on developing practical solutions to benefit the community.

The campaign has also reignited debates about the increasing role of AI across society. Earlier this year, a similar attempt was made in England to have an AI bot run as a parliamentary candidate, though it failed to gain ballot access.

Source; Breitbart

Cops Seize Lamborghini Huracán From Man Who’s Been On Unemployment Since 2019

Abuse of things like unemployment exploded the last few years, especially during the pandemic. This abuse isn’t just specific to the U.S. either it seems. A man in Australia has been busted for owning a Lamborghini despite collecting unemployment for the last five years.

Road & Track reports authorities in New South Wales Australia seized a Lamborghini Huracán and other luxury items from a 39-year-old unemployed man. They discovered he had been collecting unemployment benefits since 2019. With those benefits sole purpose being help while you look for another job, you can see the problem with owning a quarter million dollar supercar. The bust was the result of an investigation that started back in May according to Road & Track.

In May, the State Crime Command’s Organized Crime Squad detectives and the NSW Crime Commission launched an investigation into the unexplained wealth of individuals with alleged links to organized crime networks. Two months later, detectives executed a search warrant at the Lamborghini owner’s home in Parramatta, New South Wales — a suburb of Sydney — where they found the blue Lamborghini as well as the aforementioned watches and motorcycle, the latter clad in a Lambo-matching paint scheme.

The ties to the criminal underground should surprise no one. Authorities say all the items sized had a value of AU $500,000 or just over $335,000 in U.S. dollars. The man has now been charged with “dishonestly possess interfered with unique identifier” and is awaiting a court appearance in early October. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen someone use funds that weren’t theirs for ill-gotten cars. In late 2023 a man used a $180 million check fraud scheme to build an impressive 280 car collection that was ultimately auctioned off.

Source; Jalopnik

Former Pottawatomie County deputy charged with faking pursuit, officer-involved shooting

A former deputy has found himself on the wrong side of the law and is now facing criminal charges after investigators said he faked a high-speed pursuit and officer-involved shooting.

“Everybody’s going to make mistakes. When you cross the line, different story,” said Sheriff Mike Booth of Pottawatomie County.

Sheriff Booth was talking about his former deputy, Taylor Smith.

Body camera footage from September 2021 showed him driving over 100 mph, during an alleged pursuit while on his phone and driving with his knee.

“I can’t make out the name and model. It’s a small red four-door sedan,” Smith said on the radio.

According to court documents, during the chase Smith said he saw “A black male passenger armed with a long gun.” Smith said he followed.

“I’m in a foot pursuit,” he said on body camera footage. “He has a rifle, large back up. It was the front seat passenger. Red shirt, black male.”

Minutes later, backup arrived and took Smith back to his car. Smith then drove over to a nearby gate.

“He said the guy hopped over a fence into this big field,” said Sheriff Booth. “As he approached the fence, this guy started shooting at him so he returned fire.”

Investigators said they never saw the suspect on the body camera footage. They also never heard the suspect’s alleged gunshots, but they heard Smith’s.

“Show me your hands!” said Smith after firing multiple rounds.

McIntyre Law Chopper 4 gave us an overhead look as authorities combed the areas for hours. However, court documents said “There were no obvious signs or tracks to follow” and that they “discovered no evidence to support the presence of the suspect at the location.”

“That’s when I said everybody stop. Everybody come out. Call the OSBI. I want everything roped off. Nobody go from here,” said Sheriff Booth. “I was highly skeptical about what I heard.”

What investigators did find were Smith’s shell casings, along with surveillance footage from nearby buildings that showed Smith’s patrol unit, but no sedan.

Other deputies responding to the scene told investigators they “observed no dust trails or the suspected vehicle.”

“Has anyone come across the vehicle yet?” a dispatcher said over the radio. “Negative,” said a responding officer.

The sheriff said smith resigned during the investigation.

Smith now faces a misdemeanor charge of filing a false report.

News 4 called and messaged Smith, and called his attorney, but we didn’t hear back.

“Of course, as a human being, you wonder ‘Why this’ or ‘Why that’ but you still just follow the facts,” said Booth.

Source; KFOR

Army Chinook takes flight with ‘FUKIRAN’ call sign

It’s nothing new when an Army helo crew throws out interesting call signs before taking flight. Today, a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crew — with a tail number of AE59B1 — plugged in a call sign of “FUKIRAN” when they flew from Wilmington to Fayetteville, North Carolina.

“The 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade acknowledges someone used an unauthorized and inappropriate moniker for one of its helicopters that recently returned from a deployment,” said Lt. Col. César Santiago, an Army spokesman, in a statement to Task & Purpose.

In terms of this specific call sign, the crew seems to have a sense of humor. The spelling for the call sign is off, but it’s very similar to a Japanese orchid flower called the Fuukiran, a type of Neofinetia falcata orchid. The Fuukiran — not “FUKIRAN” — is referred to as a rich and noble orchid because it was historically owned by the samurai and people of similar rank in Japanese society.

Other names for the Fuukiran are “wind orchid” or “blade orchid,” so one of the pilots may be interested in Japanese flowers or culture — or they just wanted to make a statement.

In-flight call signs are an integral part of military and civilian aviation. They are not the nicknames military pilots assign each other, also known as “call signs.” Pilots use their flight call signs when speaking to air traffic controllers, and they program the call signs into their navigation equipment, which civilian flight tracking services can track.

The “FUKIRAN” call sign was leaked to the internet by flight tracker accounts on Instagram and Twitter, and it is the latest in a series of lewd call signs. The Navy recently released a statement in response to a Naval call sign of “IDICK69.”

“Going forward, aircrews are being advised to challenge call signs that may be perceived as unprofessional or inappropriate,” Cmdr. Beth Teach, a Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet spokeswoman, previously told Task & Purpose.

On Aug. 12, the crew of a Navy E-6B Mercury had to change the lewd call sign mid-flight. They started broadcasting “IDICK69” before taking off from Travis Air Force Base in California and changed it to “STOB7” before landing in Texas. But once the internet gets a hold of it, there’s no erasing that knowledge.

Lewd and inappropriate call signs are something the different branches of the military have tried to prevent. Task & Purpose has reported on several other examples of lewd call signs and flight patterns. Everything from “boobies” and “titties” to flight patterns resembling male genitalia.

Though some on social media claimed it could be a case of hacking, it’s highly unlikely that a hacker could access a military aircraft’s computer to change a call sign. Or, it could result from a crew that plays a joke on the replacement crew, changing the call sign before handing it over to the new crew in the hopes they won’t notice.

Punishments can vary when crew members make bad choices on call signs or flight patterns. Some crews are scolded, while others have been fired from their jobs if they have a pattern of poor choices.

“The 82nd Airborne Division is approaching the matter with the utmost seriousness and intends to address the issue,” Santiago said of the most recent example of belligerent callsigns. “This call sign is inconsistent with the professional standards, core values and expectations within the 82nd Airborne Division and the United States Army.”

Source; Task and Purpose

Category: Crime, Police, Stupid Criminals, WTF?