Stupid people of the week

Former Guardsman charged with trying to provide weapons to al-Qaida

A 25-year-old former Army National Guardsman has been charged with attempting to provide al-Qaida with 3D-printed weapons, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

Former Spc. Andrew Scott Hastings is charged with attempting to provide material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations and illegal possession or transfer of a machine gun, according to a DOJ release.

In June 2024, FBI agents learned that Hastings, then serving in the Guard as an aircraft powertrain repairer, was on the social media platform Discord, allegedly discussing acts of violence against U.S. citizens in “furtherance of global jihad,” according to DOJ.

Court documents claim the Tulsa, Oklahoma, man controlled a Discord server called “Army of Muhammed.”

Over the course of several months of online discussions, Hastings allegedly offered to provide more than 500 pages of notes and U.S. Army manuals related to tactics and weapons manufacturing, according to DOJ. He also claimed he’d made a firearm and was interested in creating a nuclear weapon.

In late January and early March 2024, Hastings allegedly told people on the Discord server that he supported the establishment of a caliphate in the United States, according to court documents. Authorities claim he advocated that the group online develop cyberspace skills and surface warfare skills and begin a physical training regimen for fighters.

He began communicating with an undercover agent who claimed to have contacts in al-Qaida, according to DOJ. Authorities say they discussed 3D-printed firearms, machine gun conversion devices called “switches” and drones.

Hastings allegedly provided the undercover agent with a link to a website where he offered 3D-printed switches for sale. Surveillance footage showed Hastings twice arriving at a postal facility to ship boxes that held more than 100 3D-printed switches, two 3D-printed lower receivers for a handgun, one handgun slide and various handgun parts to be supplied to al-Qaida to use in terrorist attacks.

As the investigation was pending, Hastings agreed to voluntarily discharge from the Guard in June, according to DOJ.

“The successful arrest of this soldier is a testament to the strong partnership between Army Counterintelligence Command and the FBI,” said Brig. Gen. Sean F. Stinchon, command general of Army Counterintelligence Command, in a statement.

Through the investigation, agents learned some of Hastings’ alleged terrorist leanings predated the investigation. According to court documents, in September 2019, the Tulsa Police Department received a complaint that Hastings, then working at a restaurant, was talking about making explosive devices.

Hastings told police he was misunderstood, and he simply had an interest in chemistry and rockets, according to court documents.

Hastings served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard with a date of rank of September 2023, National Guard Bureau officials told Army Times. He had no deployments. His awards include the National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Aviation Badge, officials said.

Source; Army Times

Fed-up school bus driver busted after blasting heat to 100 degrees, threatening to ‘cook’ young children: cops

A fed-up school bus driver allegedly blasted the heat up to 100 degrees, threatened to “cook” the children on board and vowed to bring a paddle to beat them while driving the youngsters home, according to police.

Harvey Sliker, 75, is facing charges after police in Sugarcreek — located about 90 miles north of Pittsburgh — received multiple complaints of children who got off the bus on Wednesday “crying and extremely sweaty,” cops said.

Sliker forced the children, who were between 5 and 12 years old, to close the bus windows and set the heater on high “to punish the children for their behavior,” raising temperatures on the bus to between 95 and 100 degrees, police said.

He also allegedly told the children, “I am going to cook you all,” and also threatened to bring a paddle the following day, police said.

The Valley Grove School District confirmed to KDKA-TV the driver cranked the heat as “a disciplinary action.”

District officials said the bus contractor immediately replaced the Sliker.

“We take the safety of our students and school community very seriously, and we appreciate the parents who reached out to bring this matter to our attention,” district officials said.

“The contractor has assured us that the individual will no longer be driving for them, and a new driver began Thursday morning.”

Sliker is charged with simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, which are both misdemeanors.

He’s additionally barred from school property.

Actual video of the driver:

Source; NY Post

College student expelled after alleged video of her celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death went viral

A college student in Texas was expelled after a video of her publicly celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death went viral.

In the viral video, 18-year-old Camryn Giselle Booker can be seen allegedly jumping around and yelling at students paying tribute to Kirk.

“F–k y’all homie dead, he got shot in the head,” she allegedly says in the video.

Following the incident, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shared an image of Booker being handcuffed.

“This is what happened to the person who was mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Texas Tech. FAFO,” Abbott said.

According to court documents, an officer patrolling the free speech area on campus saw Booker arguing with a man holding a sign that said “Rest in Peace Charlie Kirk.”

The officer reported seeing Booker hit the man in the head before he made contact with both people. The man did not press charges.

Due to Booker allegedly hitting him in the head in the officer’s presence, she was arrested and charged with assault. She has since bonded out of jail.

Abbott said in another post that she “definitely picked the wrong school to taunt the death of Charlie Kirk.”

Texas Tech confirmed Booker is no longer enrolled at the university.

“Any behavior that denigrates victims of violence is reprehensible, has no place on our campus, and is not aligned with our values. Federal law prevents Texas Tech University from commenting on individual student conduct matters. We take all reported violations seriously and address them under university policy and the law,” the university said in a statement.

Kirk, a conservative activist, was shot on September 10, while speaking at Utah Valley University during one of his many campus stops.

Source; KPTV

D.C. officer charged with DWI, sexual battery after trying to grab Alexandria officer’s gun

A D.C. police officer was charged with multiple crimes Sunday after allegedly assaulting two Alexandria officers and attempting to grab one of their weapons while in custody at a local hospital, NBC Washington reported.

Officer Trevon King, a five-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department, was initially arrested for drunken driving following an 8 p.m. crash on Russell Road, according to Alexandria police. Police transported King to a hospital, where he allegedly attacked the officers and tried to disarm one of them.

King was charged with driving while intoxicated, operating a vehicle on a suspended license and sexual battery after he tried to grope one of the officers, according NBC Washington sources. The suspect was subdued and no one was injured.

The Metropolitan Police Department placed King on administrative leave and launched an internal investigation, according to an MPD spokesperson. Officials confirmed King remained on active duty despite having a suspended driver’s license.

King faces prosecution in Virginia courts and potential termination from MPD.

Read the full story at nbcwashington.com.

Source; ALX Now

Category: Crime, Police, Stupid Criminals