$83K Salary, $7.1M Lifestyle: Virginia Man Lived Large On Employer's Millions, Feds Say $83K Salary, $7.1M Lifestyle: Virginia Man Lived Large On Employer's Millions, Feds Say
$83K Salary, $7.1M Lifestyle: Virginia Man Lived Large On Employer's Millions, Feds Say Ricardo Fontanilla was making about $83,000 a year in Virginia. He was spending like he had hit the jackpot. Luxury brands. Premium flights through the Caribbean and Asia. Millions in credit card bills. Hundreds of thousands toward mortgages, loans and investments. The problem, federal prosecutors say, was that the money wasn't his. Fontanilla, 66, of Fairfax, has agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud after investigators say he spent years secretly funneling more than $7.1 million from his employer into a personal bank account, according to federal investigators on Tuesday, Aug. 11. And F…
Rabies Alert Issued After Infected Bat Turns Up In Maryland Neighborhood Rabies Alert Issued After Infected Bat Turns Up In Maryland Neighborhood
Rabies Alert Issued After Infected Bat Turns Up In Maryland Neighborhood A close encounter with a bat could come with serious consequences in Maryland. Health officials issued a rabies alert on Tuesday, Aug. 11 after a bat found two days earlier tested positive for the deadly disease in Pasadena, according to the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. The bat was found outside on Almondbury Drive on Sunday, Aug. 9, prompting officials to seek anyone who may have come into contact with the infected animal. Residents who had contact with the bat, or whose pets may have encountered it, are being asked to contact the Department of Health. Parents and guardians …
Teen Helped Plan Robbery That Ended With Him Dead, 4 More Arrested In Virginia: Police Teen Helped Plan Robbery That Ended With Him Dead, 4 More Arrested In Virginia: Police
Teen Helped Plan Robbery That Ended With Him Dead, 4 More Arrested In Virginia: Police The 16-year-old killed in a Virginia shooting wasn't just caught in the middle of a deadly confrontation; police now say he helped arrange it. Prince William County Police announced four additional arrests on Tuesday, Aug. 11, while revealing that the teen and two acquaintances allegedly arranged to confront and rob Damon Jamon Atwater, 25, before shots rang out in the 16700 block of Blackjack Oak Lane in Woodbridge on July 5. The alleged robbery never happened. Instead, the 16-year-old wound up dead. Investigators say the teen from Triangle went to the area with Janaiya Lolita Talley…
Driver 'Sightseeing' At Crash Scene Slams Head-On Into Virginia EMS Supervisor: Fire Officials Driver 'Sightseeing' At Crash Scene Slams Head-On Into Virginia EMS Supervisor: Fire Officials
Driver 'Sightseeing' At Crash Scene Slams Head-On Into Virginia EMS Supervisor: Fire Officials One crash nearly became two tragedies on a Virginia roadway Tuesday morning. A Stafford County Fire and Rescue EMS supervisor was attempting to reach the scene of a motor vehicle crash on Tuesday, Aug. 11, when another driver reportedly took their eyes off the road to look at the original wreck, according to the Stafford Volunteer Fire Department. Then came the impact. The approaching vehicle slammed head-on into the supervisor's emergency vehicle, leaving both with heavy front-end damage. A photo released by the department shows just how violent the collision was, with the front of the o…
Maryland Man Dies After Walking Into SUV's Path During Possible Medical Emergency: Police Maryland Man Dies After Walking Into SUV's Path During Possible Medical Emergency: Police
Maryland Man Dies After Walking Into SUV's Path During Possible Medical Emergency: Police A possible medical emergency turned deadly on a Maryland roadway. Tesfaye Fugago Liranso, 67, of Gaithersburg, died on Saturday, Aug. 8, more than two weeks after he was struck by an SUV on West Deer Park Road, Montgomery County Police announced on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The crash happened at approximately 2:34 p.m. on Friday, July 24, near Hermosa Place in Gaithersburg. City police officers responding to the scene found Liranso suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was rushed to an area hospital in critical condition, where he remained until his death. Investigators now believe there …
Should've Listened To Mom: Maryland Man Rules Out $1M Powerball Win, Then Checks Should've Listened To Mom: Maryland Man Rules Out $1M Powerball Win, Then Checks
Should've Listened To Mom: Maryland Man Rules Out $1M Powerball Win, Then Checks Sometimes, Mom really does know best. A Maryland man learned that lesson in million-dollar fashion after brushing off his mother's hunch that he was holding a winning Powerball ticket, only to discover days later that she had called it all along. The Anne Arundel County man, a Bowie State University graduate playing under the alias "Powerball Bulldog," first got wind of the $1 million mystery when his mother texted him about a winning ticket sold at an Odenton store he frequents. She sent along a photo of the lucky retailer, knowing her son regularly plays the Lottery. He took a look and …
DC Vet Says She Picked Up 'Trash' From Reflecting Pool, Then US Marshal Put Her In Handcuffs DC Vet Says She Picked Up 'Trash' From Reflecting Pool, Then US Marshal Put Her In Handcuffs
DC Vet Says She Picked Up 'Trash' From Reflecting Pool, Then US Marshal Put Her In Handcuffs She thought she was doing the responsible thing. Then came the handcuffs. Dr. Sophie Dennison-Gibby says she was walking beside the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC, late last month when she spotted what looked like trash floating in the water and reached down to pick it up. Seconds later, according to the longtime veterinarian, a US marshal approached. “I answered truthfully that I had and explained that I had done so to retrieve a floating piece of trash,” Dennison-Gibby said in a statement detailing the encounter. She handed over the loose piece of blue material. “Th…
Frederick Man Killed, Child Among 5 Hospitalized In Crash Near Virginia Border Frederick Man Killed, Child Among 5 Hospitalized In Crash Near Virginia Border
Frederick Man Killed, Child Among 5 Hospitalized In Crash Near Virginia Border A Saturday morning drive turned deadly on a busy stretch of Maryland roadway. Harold Christopher Christner, 67, of Frederick, has been identified as the man killed in a two-vehicle crash outside Damascus on Saturday, Aug. 8, Montgomery County Police announced on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The crash was reported at approximately 7:22 a.m. in the 24000 block of Ridge Road, where officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel found a gray 2023 Ford Transit van and black 2024 Chrysler Pacifica with significant damage. Christner was a restrained passenger sitting in the second row of the Pacifica.…
DC Men Busted In $500K Retail Theft Ring That Hit 100-Plus Businesses: Police DC Men Busted In $500K Retail Theft Ring That Hit 100-Plus Businesses: Police
DC Men Busted In $500K Retail Theft Ring That Hit 100-Plus Businesses: Police More than $500,000 in merchandise. More than 100 businesses. Six suspects in custody. And Maryland investigators say they aren't finished yet. The sprawling organized retail theft investigation began in Prince George's County in February 2025 before eventually stretching across Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Washington, DC, according to local police. Six suspects are now in custody, police announced on Tuesday, Aug. 11: Daryl Michael Jackson, 30, of Washington, DC;  Cyan Rocke, 25, of Capitol Heights; Marco Morgan, 37, of Washington, DC; Tia Courtney, 31, of Capitol …
2 Killed In Head-On Crash Near Hersheypark: Police 2 Killed In Head-On Crash Near Hersheypark: Police
2 Killed In Head-On Crash Near Hersheypark: Police Two people were killed in a head-on crash near Hersheypark on Tuesday morning, Aug. 11, Derry Township police announced. The crash involving a minivan and sedan happened at West Hersheypark Drive and North Hockersville Road at approximately 8:53 a.m., according to police. The minivan driver was pronounced dead at the scene, while a passenger was taken to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where they later died from their injuries, police said. The sedan driver was also taken to Hershey Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Preliminary findings indicate the sedan was…
He Served In WWII, Made It To 100, Now 'Pop Mac' Is Fighting To Keep His Home He Served In WWII, Made It To 100, Now 'Pop Mac' Is Fighting To Keep His Home
He Served In WWII, Made It To 100, Now 'Pop Mac' Is Fighting To Keep His Home Pop Mac Locklear has made it through 100 years and a World War. Now his Maryland family is fighting to keep a roof over his head. The World War II veteran is facing eviction from the assisted living home where he has settled near his family after a significant rent increase left his loved ones struggling to cover the added monthly cost, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched by his daughter-in-law, Glen Burnie resident Rita Hendrickson. At 100 years old, another move is the last thing his family wants for him. "This situation is heartbreaking because Pop Mac is already in a place where …
Photos Reveal Charred Aftermath Of Deadly Fire Inside Maryland Home (UPDATED) Photos Reveal Charred Aftermath Of Deadly Fire Inside Maryland Home (UPDATED)
Photos Reveal Charred Aftermath Of Deadly Fire Inside Maryland Home (Updated) What was once a kitchen inside a Maryland home was left charred and blackened after an early-morning fire turned deadly. New photos released by the Reese & Community Volunteer Fire Company show the aftermath inside the Finksburg home where a 64-year-old man was fatally injured and a 77-year-old woman was hurt on Monday, Aug. 10. The fire broke out at approximately 5:23 a.m. in the 1800 block of Old Westminster Pike. Firefighters and emergency personnel from Reese and surrounding departments rushed to the home, where crews battled the flames while providing emergency care to the two occ…
Fake Stops, Real Smoothie: Maryland Cop Indicted After Undercover Sting Fake Stops, Real Smoothie: Maryland Cop Indicted After Undercover Sting
Fake Stops, Real Smoothie: Maryland Cop Indicted After Undercover Sting A Baltimore Police officer accused of logging fake traffic stops to dodge service calls was secretly followed by investigators who say they caught him sitting idle and handling personal business while his records told a very different story. On Monday, Aug. 10, Maryland prosecutors announced that Officer Dequwan Houchins had been indicted on four counts of false entry in a public record and five counts of misconduct in office following an undercover investigation into his traffic enforcement. And investigators weren't just checking paperwork. They were following him. The investigation beg…
Convicted Murderer, Mom Break 4-Year-Old Boy's Bones, Burn Him: Affidavit Convicted Murderer, Mom Break 4-Year-Old Boy's Bones, Burn Him: Affidavit
Convicted Murderer, Mom Break 4-Year-Old Boy's Bones, Burn Him: Affidavit A convicted murderer and the mother of a 4-year-old boy are accused in a disturbing child abuse case that left the child with broken bones, burns, bruises, and injuries doctors ultimately categorized as "torture," according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Tuesday, Aug. 11. Raheem Akbar Shabazz Floyd, 38, who was on parole for a North Carolina murder conviction, and the boy's mother, Brianna Nichole Nolte-Maple, 32, were arrested in Harrisburg following an investigation into the child's extensive injuries on Friday, Aug. 7, according to the affidavit. The investigation began af…
6 Kilos Of Pure Crystal Meth Lead Feds To Alleged Cross-Country Drug Pipeline 6 Kilos Of Pure Crystal Meth Lead Feds To Alleged Cross-Country Drug Pipeline
6 Kilos Of Pure Crystal Meth Lead Feds To Alleged Cross-Country Drug Pipeline A contact saved as "Blindman" helped expose a massive meth pipeline stretching across the country and into Maryland, federal prosecutors say. Three men are now facing federal charges in a California-to-Maryland drug conspiracy involving nearly six kilograms of pure crystal methamphetamine, approximately 10 kilograms of meth pills, cocaine, fentanyl and an illegally sold handgun. Samir Footman, 38, of Halethorpe; Kenny Guyton, 44, of Glen Burnie; and Marcus McDaniel, 45, of Stockton, California, were charged in a superseding indictment announced by the US Attorney's Office for the District o…
Government Insider Turned Unemployment System Access Into Her Own Payday, Feds Say Government Insider Turned Unemployment System Access Into Her Own Payday, Feds Say
Government Insider Turned Unemployment System Access Into Her Own Payday, Feds Say Katrina McCant had the kind of access most fraudsters could only dream about. Working inside Maryland's unemployment system, the 41-year-old Baltimore woman could approve documents, remove fraud holds and make changes to claims. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal prosecutors say she used those privileges to line her own pockets. McCant pleaded guilty on Monday, Aug. 10, in Maryland federal court to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after admitting she exploited her job with a state contractor to steal unemployment benefits and help others get fraudulent claims paid.…
Restaurant Bathroom Ambush Ends With Accused Attacker Arrested In DC: Police (UPDATED) Restaurant Bathroom Ambush Ends With Accused Attacker Arrested In DC: Police (UPDATED)
Restaurant Bathroom Ambush Ends With Accused Attacker Arrested In DC: Police (Updated) The man accused of turning a trip to a Maryland restaurant bathroom into a bloody ambush has been caught. Mark Reginald Melton, 34, was arrested in Washington, DC, weeks after investigators say he followed a man into the restroom at The Angry Jerk in Silver Spring and stabbed him multiple times, Montgomery County Police officials announced on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The victim was left fighting for his life. The attack happened around 10:34 p.m. on Friday, July 10, at the restaurant in the 8200 block of Georgia Avenue, where investigators say Melton walked into the men's bathroom, attacked the v…
Woman Catches Man With Phone Under Her Bathroom Stall At Virginia Hotel: Police Woman Catches Man With Phone Under Her Bathroom Stall At Virginia Hotel: Police
Woman Catches Man With Phone Under Her Bathroom Stall At Virginia Hotel: Police A trip to the bathroom took a disturbing turn when a phone suddenly appeared beneath the stall. An 18-year-old woman was inside a restroom at the Tempo by Hilton hotel at in the 9800 block of Discovery Boulevard in Manassas on Monday, Aug. 10, when she spotted the device and realized someone may have been filming her, according to the Prince William County Police Department. She didn't stay inside the stall. The woman came out and confronted the stranger, police said. Following a brief encounter, the man walked out of the bathroom and fled the hotel through a side door. He was gone by th…
Teen Shot Dead During Fight At Virginia Quinceañera, Shooter Still At Large (UPDATED) Teen Shot Dead During Fight At Virginia Quinceañera, Shooter Still At Large (UPDATED)
Teen Shot Dead During Fight At Virginia Quinceañera, Shooter Still At Large (Updated) A celebration meant to mark a milestone ended with a 16-year-old boy dead and his killer on the run. Samuel Ojeda, of Triangle, has been identified as the teen fatally shot during an altercation at a quinceañera in Virginia on Saturday, Aug. 8, according to the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office. The shooting happened at a rural property at 11770 Bowery Lane near Catlett, where deputies arrived at approximately 9:30 p.m. after callers reported a noisy outdoor party and the sound of gunfire. When deputies got there, they found a large crowd celebrating a quinceañera. They also determined the…
5-Year-Old Girl Dead, Man Airlifted After Maryland Shooting: State Police (DEVELOPING) 5-Year-Old Girl Dead, Man Airlifted After Maryland Shooting: State Police (DEVELOPING)
5-Year-Old Girl Dead, Man Airlifted After Maryland Shooting: State Police (Developing) A 5-year-old girl is dead. A man was airlifted with gunshot wounds. Now Maryland State Police are trying to determine what happened inside a home before dawn. Troopers were called to a residence in the 3900 block of Ocean Gateway in Linkwood at approximately 2:17 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, where they found the girl and a 30-year-old man suffering from suspected gunshot wounds. The child did not survive. The man was flown by a Maryland State Police Aviation Command helicopter to a trauma center for treatment. His condition was not immediately released. What led to the shooting remains unclear…
Second Child Abused Just One Week Before DC Man's Arrest: Feds Second Child Abused Just One Week Before DC Man's Arrest: Feds
Second Child Abused Just One Week Before DC Man's Arrest: Feds The youngest was just 8 years old. And prosecutors say the alleged abuse continued until days before an arrest. Antonio Simpson, 31, of Washington, DC, was indicted on 12 counts on Monday, Aug. 10, in a child sexual abuse case involving two children who were 8 and 9 years old when the alleged abuse began, federal prosecutors announced. The allegations span more than a year. And according to the indictment, Simpson allegedly had access to one of the children through someone responsible for her care. Prosecutors say Simpson was the partner of an adult who had a duty or responsibility for th…
Virginia Inmate Dies After Medical Emergency Behind Bars, Officials Say (DEVELOPING) Virginia Inmate Dies After Medical Emergency Behind Bars, Officials Say (DEVELOPING)
Virginia Inmate Dies After Medical Emergency Behind Bars, Officials Say (Developing) An emergency call from inside a jail cell ended with an inmate dead at a Virginia hospital. Tyrone Hines, 62, died Monday, Aug. 10, after suffering what officials described as an apparent medical emergency while being held at the Arlington County Detention Facility. It started at approximately 7:49 a.m., when a deputy was alerted by an emergency call button activated from inside Hines' cell. The deputy went to check on him and found Hines experiencing an apparent medical emergency, according to the Arlington County Sheriff's Office. Medical staff were immediately summoned and began emerge…
Atlantic Ocean Wasn't Big Enough To Save DC Shadow Fleet Captain From Coast Guard Atlantic Ocean Wasn't Big Enough To Save DC Shadow Fleet Captain From Coast Guard
Atlantic Ocean Wasn't Big Enough To Save DC Shadow Fleet Captain From Coast Guard Turns out the Atlantic Ocean wasn't quite big enough to get away. Avtandil Kalandadze, 47, was sentenced in Washington, DC, to 10 months in federal prison after leading the US Coast Guard on a weeks-long pursuit while captaining a shadow fleet tanker used to transport sanctioned oil, federal prosecutors announced. When he's finished serving his sentence, he'll be deported. Kalandadze, of the Republic of Georgia, was the master of the motor tanker Bella 1, which transported approximately 1.8 million barrels of Iran-origin oil to Asia between September and late December 2025, according to hi…
Black Eye To Molotov Cocktail: DC Dad Hit With 30-Count Indictment Black Eye To Molotov Cocktail: DC Dad Hit With 30-Count Indictment
Black Eye To Molotov Cocktail: DC Dad Hit With 30-Count Indictment A protective order was supposed to keep him away. Prosecutors say the violence only got worse. District resident Tavante Robinson, 26, was ordered held on Monday, Aug. 10, after being arraigned on a sweeping 30-count indictment tied to an alleged campaign of violence that stretched from March 2025 through July 2026. And according to prosecutors, it started with a black eye on a 4-year-old boy. The child's mother returned home on March 14, 2025, and noticed that her son had the injury, according to court documents. A witness told investigators that Robinson became upset with the 4-year-old…
DC Teacher Recorded Sex Abuse On Student's Phone After Sneaking Into Bedroom: Feds DC Teacher Recorded Sex Abuse On Student's Phone After Sneaking Into Bedroom: Feds
DC Teacher Recorded Sex Abuse On Student's Phone After Sneaking Into Bedroom: Feds The allegations were disturbing.  Now, the teacher from Maryland accused of sneaking through a student's bedroom window at night has admitted to the federal crime. John Aaron Gass, 35, of Hyattsville, pleaded guilty on Monday, Aug. 10, in Washington, DC, to coercion and enticement of a minor stemming from the sexual abuse of a 16-year-old student, US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced. Gass was a history teacher at District of Columbia International School, a charter school in Northwest DC, until November 2025, according to court papers. The abuse began months earlier. Beginnin…
WATCH: Workers Cling To Scaffolding As It Swings 9 Stories Up In Maryland WATCH: Workers Cling To Scaffolding As It Swings 9 Stories Up In Maryland
Watch: Workers Cling To Scaffolding As It Swings 9 Stories Up In Maryland Two construction workers suddenly found themselves along for a terrifying ride nine stories above Maryland. The workers were on scaffolding outside Washingtonian Towers at 9701 Fields Road in Gaithersburg shortly after 4:10 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10, when wind and rain hit the area, and the rig became unsecured, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson David Pazos. Then it started flying around. Video shared by Pazos shows the workers clinging to the scaffolding as it swung away from the high-rise, leaving them dangling high above the ground during the storm. 9…
First Rabid Beavers, Now Kids May Have Played With Possibly Viral Bat At Park Near VA Border First Rabid Beavers, Now Kids May Have Played With Possibly Viral Bat At Park Near VA Border
First Rabid Beavers, Now Kids May Have Played With Possibly Viral Bat At Park Near VA Border Apparently, two rabid beavers weren't enough wildlife drama for one corner of Maryland. Days after two separate people were attacked by two separate beavers that both tested positive for rabies, Frederick County health officials are now warning that children may have played with a potentially rabid bat at Riverwalk Park in Frederick. And no, officials say the bat and the beavers aren't connected. The latest wildlife scare surfaced on Monday, Aug. 10, when the Frederick County Health Department announced that rabies testing on a bat found at the park on Schifferstadt Boulevard came back inc…
Chris Hansen Is Back: Third Maryland ‘Takedown’ Sting Nets Several Arrests, Sheriff Says Chris Hansen Is Back: Third Maryland ‘Takedown’ Sting Nets Several Arrests, Sheriff Says
Chris Hansen Is Back: Third Maryland ‘Takedown’ Sting Nets Several Arrests, Sheriff Says Apparently, twice wasn’t enough to get the message across. Chris Hansen returned to Maryland for a third “Takedown” sting with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and this time, investigators say some of the alleged predators were coming from their own backyard. The weeklong operation wrapped up after Hansen and his team again partnered with Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler’s investigators to target adults allegedly seeking children online. Harford County Sheriff Harford County Sheriff Several adults were arrested during the sting, according to the sheriff’s office. “We had hoped the messa…
He Thought He Was Meeting 14-Year-Old Girl, But Deputies Were Waiting: Sheriff He Thought He Was Meeting 14-Year-Old Girl, But Deputies Were Waiting: Sheriff
He Thought He Was Meeting 14-Year-Old Girl, But Deputies Were Waiting: Sheriff He thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl in Maryland. Instead, deputies were waiting. Laurence B. Purser, 31, of Aberdeen, was arrested after investigators say he engaged in explicit communications with an undercover detective posing as a teenage girl, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler announced on Monday, Aug. 10. And investigators say Purser knew exactly how young the girl was supposed to be. Throughout the investigation, Purser was repeatedly told that the person he was communicating with was 14 years old, according to the sheriff. That allegedly didn't stop him. Purser ultim…
Innocent Woman Shot As Domestic Disputes Spiral Out Of Control Hours Apart: Prosecutors Innocent Woman Shot As Domestic Disputes Spiral Out Of Control Hours Apart: Prosecutors
Innocent Woman Shot As Domestic Disputes Spiral Out Of Control Hours Apart: Prosecutors Semaj Ames fled hundreds of miles after a wild domestic dispute involving multiple family members in Maryland. Now, he's heading to prison. The 20-year-old Salisbury man was sentenced in Wicomico County to 50 years in prison, with half of the term to actively serve, after admitting earlier this year to a strange conflict involving his girlfriend, the father of his girlfriend's child, and later his child's mother. All within an hour. On the evening of July 20, 2025, Ames and his girlfriend got into a conflict with the father of her child, prosecutors said. Ames and his girlfriend then dro…
Street Takeover Turns Ugly As Teen Assaults Officers In Maryland, Police Say Street Takeover Turns Ugly As Teen Assaults Officers In Maryland, Police Say
Street Takeover Turns Ugly As Teen Assaults Officers In Maryland, Police Say Another illegal car rally in Maryland ended with flashing lights, an arrest, and a fresh warning from police. Yohan Ramirez, 18, of Woodland, was arrested following a street takeover in Temple Hills on Saturday, Aug. 8, after police say he assaulted officers who responded to break up the gathering, according to the Prince George's County Police Department. Police announced Ramirez's arrest on Monday, Aug. 10. Few details about the alleged assault have been released, including what led up to the confrontation, whether any officers were injured, or what charges Ramirez is facing. But police…