Tropical Storm Francine tracker: Storm forecast to become hurricane as it approaches Gulf Coast
(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Francine was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane early Tuesday ahead of its expected landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm’s winds remained at about 65 mph just after midnight, the center said in its 1 a.m. CT update on Tuesday.
“Francine will likely become a hurricane today, with significant strengthening expected before it reaches the coast,” the update said.
Weather officials issued a series of hurricane warnings and watches for coastal areas as the storm has churned in the Gulf of Mexico. Strong winds are extending about 140 miles outward from the storm.
Francine is expected to make landfall Wednesday afternoon in southwestern Louisiana as a Category 2 storm with 100 mph winds.
A Storm Surge Warning was in effect for High Island, Texas, to the mouth of the Mississippi River and Vermilion Bay in Louisiana. A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the Louisiana coast from Sabine Pass eastward to Morgan City, officials said.
The storm is expected to bring rain to much of the coast from northeastern Mexico through Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Most areas in the storm’s path will see between 4 inches and 8 inches of rain, with a few areas getting as much as 12 inches.
“This rainfall could lead to considerable flash and urban flooding,” weather officials said.
(LAS VEGAS) — The trial against Robert Telles — the former Nevada county official who allegedly murdered a journalist he blamed for ruining his career and marriage — began Monday with jury selection.
The former Clark County public administrator is accused in the death of 69-year-old Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German, who was found stabbed to death outside his home in September 2022.
Telles, 47, was arrested days later after DNA evidence found in his home tied him to the crime scene, police said. He has been held without bail ever since.
A day before the murder, according to police, Telles was spotted approaching German’s house, where he allegedly had an altercation with him.
The next day, Telles allegedly disguised himself in a straw hat and reflective vest, left his phone at home, then headed to German’s home, where he was accused of stabbing the journalist seven times, according to police.
While executing a search warrant at the local politician’s home, police found the hat, as well as a pair of shoes with blood on them — both of which they said had been cut up, purportedly in an effort to destroy evidence.
His DNA was also found on German’s hands and fingernails, police said.
Police took Telles into custody with what they said were non-life-threatening, self-inflicted stab wounds.
Telles has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and could face life in prison if convicted.
“He’s been looking forward to trial,” Telles’ defense attorney, Robert Draskovich, told The Associated Press. “He wants to tell his story.”
Draskovich did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
Prior to his death, German had published an investigation into the hostile work environment in Telles’ office, which included accusations of bullying, retaliation and an “inappropriate relationship” between Telles and a staffer. Telles denied the allegations.
In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” shortly after his arrest, Rita Reid — one of Telles’ former coworkers — called German a “hero” for exposing the turmoil in Telles’ office, which she said she and colleagues blew the whistle on.
When she first learned of German’s death, Reid said her “first thought was Robert Telles.”
“His death was absolutely devastating to myself and my co-workers, the people that he advocated for,” Reid said of German. “He was our hero.”
Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo previously described it as an “unusual” case, and said that “the killing of a journalist is particularly troublesome.”
“It is troublesome because it is a journalist. And we expect journalism to be open and transparent and the watchdog for government,” Lombardo said. “And when people take it upon themselves to create harm associated with that profession, I think it’s very important we put all eyes on and address the case appropriately such as we did in this case.”
German was the only journalist killed in the U.S. in 2022, with a total of at least 67 journalists killed worldwide that year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
(LOS ANGELES) — Five people have been charged in connection with the ketamine death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry, federal officials in Los Angeles announced Thursday.
Three of the defendants, including a doctor, are in plea agreements for federal drug charges in connection with this death, while two others — including a second doctor and a woman known as “The Ketamine Queen” who is accused of selling Perry the batch of ketamine that killed him, were arrested on Thursday, according to the Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said investigators conducted a wide-ranging investigation following Perry’s death in October 2023 that “revealed a broad, underground criminal network responsible for distributing large quantities of ketamine to Mr. Perry and others.”
Defendants accused of taking advantage of Perry’s addiction
The lead defendants in the case are Jasveen Sangha, 41, allegedly known as “The Ketamine Queen,” and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, 42, a licensed medical doctor known as “Dr. P,” who are expected to be arraigned later Thursday, the DOJ said.
The three others separately charged in the case include Perry’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, 59, who admitted in court documents to administering the ketamine on the day that Perry died; Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, a licensed medical doctor who admitted in court documents to selling ketamine to Plasencia; and Eric Fleming, 54, who admitted in court documents that he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry, the DOJ said.
“These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry’s addiction issues to enrich themselves,” Estrada said during a press briefing on Thursday. “They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, but they did it anyway.”
Estrada said that in the fall of 2023, Perry, who has struggled with addiction in the past, “fell back into addiction, and these defendants took advantage to profit for themselves.”
Plasencia allegedly worked with Chavez to obtain ketamine and with Iwamasa to distribute that ketamine to Perry. Over two months, they distributed approximately 20 viles of ketamine to Perry in exchange for $55,000 in cash, Estrada said.
“Plasencia saw this as an opportunity to profit off of Mr. Perry,” Estrada said, noting that the doctor allegedly wrote in text messages, “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” and that he wanted to be the actor’s “go-to for drugs.”
The vials cost the doctors $12 but they were selling them for $2,000 a vial to Perry, authorities said.
As a doctor, Plasencia “knew the danger of what he was doing” and allegedly told another patient that Perry was “spiraling out of control with his addiction,” Estrada said.
“Nevertheless, he continued to offer ketamine to Mr. Perry,” Estrada said.
The other lead defendant, Sangha, is accused of selling 50 vials of ketamine for approximately $11,000 in cash over two weeks to Perry, working with Fleming and Iwamasa to distribute the drugs to Perry, according to Estrada. She is accused of selling Perry the batch of ketamine that killed him.
Perry died on Oct. 28, 2023, at the age of 54. He was discovered unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home, police said. An autopsy report revealed he died from the acute effects of ketamine.
After his death, some of the co-conspirators allegedly talked about distancing themselves from the actor, according to the indictment. After Perry’s death was reported in the news, Sangha instructed Fleming on Oct. 28, 2023, “Delete all our messages,” according to the prosecutors.
Plasencia allegedly provided altered and falsified medical records, “purporting to show that he had a legitimate ‘treatment plan’ in place for Perry, with the intent to influence the investigation into Perry’s death,” in February and March in response to a request amid the federal investigation, prosecutors said.
The defendants allegedly used encrypted messaging and coded language referring to ketamine as “Dr. Pepper” to distribute their drugs, according to the indictment.
The indictment alleges that the two doctors were the initial sources of Perry’s ketamine supply, but at one point federal officials believe the drugs became too expensive and Perry switched to a new source, including Sangha, a federal source said.
A search of Sangha’s home following Perry’s death revealed a “drug-selling emporium,” including ketamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, scales and ledgers, Estrada said.
An 18-count superseding indictment returned by a grand jury on Wednesday charges Plasencia and Sangha with conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine.
Plasencia is also charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation.
The indictment alleges that Sangha was additionally aware of the danger of ketamine after, years earlier, selling the drug to someone who hours later died from an overdose in August 2019. A family member of the victim sent a message to Sangha, telling her the cause of death was ketamine, according to the indictment.
Plasencia faces a maximum of 120 years in federal prison if convicted, while Sangha faces a maximum of life in prison, prosecutors said.
3 defendants in plea agreements
The three others charged in connection with Perry’s death are in various stages of plea agreements, the DOJ said.
Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, admitting in his plea agreement to selling ketamine to Plasencia, the DOJ said. Estrada said prosecutors filed a plea grant for him on Thursday. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 30 and faces up to 10 years in prison, prosecutors said.
Fleming and Iwamasa have signed plea agreements that have been entered, Estrada said. They face up to 25 and 15 years, respectively, when they are sentenced, prosecutors said.
Fleming pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death, admitting in court documents that he distributed 50 vials of ketamine that he obtained from Sangha to Iwamasa, including the ketamine that killed Perry, the DOJ said.
Iwamasa pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. According to his plea agreement, Perry asked Iwamasa to help him procure ketamine in September 2023 and provided his assistant with “money, or promised to reimburse him, and directed him to find sources from whom to acquire the drugs.”
Prosecutors alleged that Plasencia taught Iwamasa how to inject Perry with ketamine. Iwamasa “admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry with ketamine without medical training, including performing multiple injections on Perry on October 28, 2023 — the day Perry died,” the DOJ said.
Plea agreement recounts Perry’s final hours
Iwamasa’s plea agreement also details the day Perry died.
At Perry’s direction, Iwamasa injected him with a shot of ketamine at approximately 8:30 a.m., then again at 12:45 p.m. while the actor watched a movie, according to the plea agreement.
About 40 minutes later, Perry asked his assistant to prepare the jacuzzi for him and “‘shoot me up a big one,’ referring to another shot of ketamine,” the plea agreement stated.
Iwamasa admitted to administering the shot while Perry was in or near the jacuzzi, then leaving the house to run errands for him, according to the document.
“After returning to the residence, defendant found [Perry] face down in the jacuzzi and deceased,” the document stated.
Perry had high levels of ketamine in his blood, likely lapsed into unconsciousness and then went underwater, according to the autopsy report.
He was reported to have been receiving ketamine infusions for depression and anxiety, with the most recent therapy coming 1 1/2 weeks before his death, according to the autopsy report. However, the medical examiner wrote the ketamine in his system at death could not have been from that infusion therapy, as ketamine’s half-life is three to four hours or less.
The autopsy report also listed drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects as contributing factors not related to the immediate cause of death. The manner of death was ruled an accident.
Prescription drugs and loose pills were found at his home, but nothing near where he was found dead, according to the autopsy report.
Multiple agencies have been investigating in the months since his death, including the DEA, Los Angeles Police Department, United States Postal Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Perry was known for playing Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom “Friends,” which ran from 1994 to 2004.
The actor’s family, which includes his mother, Suzanne Morrison, and his stepfather, Keith Morrison, said in a statement Thursday that they are “heartbroken by Matthew’s death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously. We look forward to justice taking its course.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — A change in the nation’s political landscape means the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money case should be recused, defense attorneys argued in a court filing made public Thursday.
Trump is reviving a longshot effort to have Judge Juan Merchan recused from the case because of an alleged conflict between the judge’s daughter and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
“Your Honor’s daughter has a long-standing relationship with Harris, including work for political campaigns. She has obtained — and stands to obtain in the future — extensive financial, professional, and personal benefits from her relationship with Harris,” defense lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote.
Describing the vice president as Trump’s “presumptive opponent,” defense lawyers argued that Merchan’s daughter has had an “extremely beneficial working relationship” with Harris because her company was a top vendor to Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign.
This is the third time Trump’s lawyers have attempted to have Judge Merchan removed from the case. Last year, New York’s Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics determined that Merchan’s impartiality “cannot reasonably be questioned” based on his daughter’s professional work as a political consultant.
When Trump renewed his motion earlier this year, Merchan determined that defense lawyers failed to prove a conflict, describing their motion as a “series of inferences, innuendos and unsupported speculation.”
In a separate filing made public Thursday, Trump’s lawyers reiterated their argument that the case should be dismissed based on the Supreme Court’s recent landmark ruling that Trump has presumptive immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts taken while in office.
Last week, prosecutors pushed back against the motion by arguing that Trump’s conduct was “entirely personal” with “no relationship whatsoever to any official duty of the presidency.”
Defense lawyers responded by arguing that the introduction of evidence related to official acts at trial caused an irreparable harm that merits the case be dismissed.
“In this case, a politically motivated district attorney violated that immunity by using official-acts evidence in grand jury proceedings and at trial. Therefore, the case must be dismissed, and the jury’s verdicts must be vacated,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.
Trump was found guilty in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Judge Merchan last month postponed Trump’s July 11 sentencing to Sept. 18 so he can consider Trump’s request to toss his conviction based on the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling.