Two men convicted of murdering a teenager in Northeast DC in 2017

WASHINGTON — Two Washington, D.C., men were sentenced to lengthy prison terms Friday for killing 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor in broad daylight and injuring three other people in 2017, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said. Robert Moses, 25, was sentenced to 61 years in prison, while James Mayfield, 25, received a 50-year sentence. Both were given five years' probation.

The couple was convicted in December 2022 on multiple counts, including first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy, and several counts of assault with intent to kill. Moses was also found guilty of obstruction of justice because he was at large at the time of the shooting.

The shooting occurred on August 10, 2017, at the busy intersection of Montana and Saratoga Avenues in Northeast D.C. Armed with firearms, Moses and Mayfield fired over 10 shots indiscriminately across the street, striking Sydnor, who was driving through the intersection with her 12-year-old nephew. Sydnor, the daughter of a retired Metropolitan Police Department detective, was fatally shot in the head, causing her vehicle to crash. Her nephew was injured by shattered glass. Two other bystanders were also injured, including a man who was shot while talking with friends and another who broke his leg while trying to take cover.

In addition to the August shooting, Mayfield is also charged with a series of crimes that occurred throughout 2017. The trial is scheduled to take place in January 2025.

BALTIMORE — A North Carolina man has been charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and investment adviser fraud in connection with a scheme that defrauded at least 50 investors of more than $600,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland announced.

Hunter Haithcock, 23, also known as Hunter Elliott, of Matthews, North Carolina, was charged after a federal grand jury returned a sealed indictment on August 21. The indictment was unsealed after his arrest and Haithcock made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina on Thursday.

Prosecutors allege that Haithcock posed as an investment adviser to a major brokerage firm from September 2019 to October 2022. Instead of investing the funds entrusted to him, Haithcock allegedly transferred investors' money to accounts he controlled and used it for personal expenses, including car payments, airline tickets and entertainment.

Authorities also said Haithcock used the identity of a legitimate Illinois-based investment adviser, including the victim's name and his Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) registration number, to carry out his scheme.

If convicted, Haithcock faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud, a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft, and up to five years for investment adviser fraud. The sentence will be determined by a federal district judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.

NEW YORK CITY, NY – It may not be the worst thing former New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio is accused of, but it is one of the worst.

In the latest twist in the tri-state pizza war, New York City was embarrassingly ousted after former Mayor Bill de Blasio committed what many considered pizza heresy. De Blasio posted a video of himself topping his slice with coconut flakes—yes, coconut—and taking the first bite of the crust. That was enough to send pizza purists into a frenzy, and the internet didn't hold back.

The timing of the scandal surrounding the city's culinary treasures could not have been worse: In the neighboring states of New Jersey and Connecticut, a bitter battle was raging over who really had the best pizza.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently fueled tensions by declaring his state the “pizza capital of the United States,” a claim that New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy quickly refuted.

Murphy countered on social media, claiming, “They're not even the pizza capital of the tri-state area,” and reaffirmed New Jersey's supremacy with its vast selection of pizzas, from thin crust to the legendary Trenton tomato pizza. Meanwhile, New Haven, Connecticut, which boasts the famous “Apizza” style, rallied its troops and declared that nothing tops its legendary pizzas.

New York, once the undisputed king of pizza, is faltering. De Blasio's coconut misstep has further isolated the city in a competition where toppings like clams and upside-down pizzas reign supreme. With New Haven declared the “Pizza Capital of the USA” by Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and New Jersey boasting legendary pizzerias across the country, New York needs more than coconut gimmicks to reclaim its throne.

Who will win the battle for pizza supremacy? One thing is for sure – coconuts are not the answer! And neither is Kamala, according to those who mocked and ridiculed DeBlasio's terrible pizza stunt.

DeBlasio has discredited New York City's pizza gurus.