Watchdog Bytes

Indecent exposure: Male mice not quite as sexy when given chemical BPA

BPA apparently takes the butch out of male deer mice, according to a study by the University of Missouri.
Male deer mice exposed to BPA, a chemical common in our food and beverage cans since the 1960s, were less desirable to female deer mice, according to the university.
Females were far more interested in stranger males that engaged in long bouts of nose-to-nose sniffing (apparently some kind of mouse come on). Females spent more time evaluating her potential partner if it wasn't exposed.
It isn’t clear whether every girl mouse still went crazy over a sharp-dressed BPA-exposed mouse.
“The BPA-exposed deer mice in our study look normal; there is nothing obviously wrong with them. Yet, they are clearly different,” said Cheryl Rosenfeld, associate professor in biomedical sciences.

Also of note, many male mice that had been exposed to BPA early in their development never found the correct exit to a maze when tested. It is unclear whether they asked for directions like real male mice would never do.
The Food and Drug Administration has “some concern” about BPA and countries such as Japan and Canada have considered a BPA product ban. Scientist disagree about the effects in animals and humans. To read more (if you're scientifically interested or have serious issues) visit: BPA-Exposed Male Deer Mice are Demasculinized and Undesirable to Females, New MU Study Finds

-- Darren Barbee

Battle of the Aryans: 'Mojo' helped murder 'Super Dave' and his girlfriend

Apparently money is thicker than the “pure” blood of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas.

A Nacogdoches, Texas, man was recently sentenced to life in prison for his role in a 2007 double homicide of another brotherhood member.

Is there no honor among Aryans?

Charles Cameron Frazier, known as “Mojo,” 29, pleaded guilty on Jan. 14, 2011, to participating in the murders of David Mitchamore aka “Super Dave,” a brotherhood member, and Christy Rochelle Brown, the Justice Department said June 22.

Mojo was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, “a powerful, race-based state-wide organization that operates inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout Texas and the United States,” the department said.

Super Dave and his girlfriend, Brown, were murdered by Brent Stalsby as a result of a “direct order” issued by another Aryan because of Mitchamore’s failure to repay an outstanding debt he allegedly owed to an Aryan Brotherhood general, the feds said. 

The bodies of Mitchamore and Brown were discovered in Nacogdoches County. Stalsby, who sadly doesn’t have a cool nickname, was sentenced to life in federal prison last month.

Maybe he’ll get one now that he's going to prison. 

-- Darren Barbee

We're looking for Third World roads in Tarrant County

 

Got a bad road in your neighborhood? Send us a picture and we'll contact city officials and find out why it looks like it came under artillery fire. 

Send photos (high resolution jpgs, please) and exact street/avenue/etc name to this email address. 

-- Darren Barbee

Texas minister's scam had him living the high life -- while collecting food stamps

The Burro of the Month goes to a lying, thieving uberweasel and Waco minister who ripped off $385,460 by selling stock in a bogus company called Petro America.  

Joseph Harrell, 49, of Waco, told investors the company stock tips were from the heavens. All the while, he was secretly raking in Social Security disability and food stamp benefits, according to the Justice Department.

Harrell acted as the CFO of a Petro and while on the government cheese drove fancy cars, bought himself World Series tickets and rented cars for $423 per week.  

That must have been why he needed food stamps: for beans and cornbread. Except not. Harrell frequently used Petro money to pay for meals at expensive restaurants for himself and others.

Mr. “Liar Liar Preaching the Fire” told 90 investors that the company was worth $284 billion and had assorted gold mines. Harrell couched many of his sales pitches in religious language, saying Petro was a blessing from Gawd.

Not to be outdone, his co-conspirators, The Rev. Edward D. Halliburton, 56, of Kansas City, Kan., purchased – wait for it – a 2004 S500 Mercedes (cue the Janis Joplin) for $20,000. Halliburton also used some of his Petro money to pay off his mortgage ($81,000), buy a tennis bracelet for his wife and himself lots of clothes.

Both men pleaded guilty in separate appearances before a magistrate judge to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. During the scam, Petro and its agents sold unregistered stock to over 12,000 investors in the Missouri, Kansas, and across the United States and Canada.

They were part of a ring of pastors who called themselves the “White Hat Guys.”  

This is one of the many reasons Watchdog prefers the Man in Black. 

-- Darren Barbee

 

A&M professor who scammed $42 million headed from Aggieland to the slam

What do you call a former Texas A&M professor who pays himself $500,000 a year and buys bling such as a $33,000 diamond ring using proceeds from a fraud?

An Aggie license plate maker.

Robert David “The Naughty Aggie”¹ Watson, 50, of Spring, Texas, recently pleaded guilty to scamming 130 investors out of about $42 million, the feds say.

Watson faces 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine when he is sentenced in September, according to the Justice Department. Watson is free on bond pending his sentencing.  Watson was the developer and owner of “Alpha One,” a foreign currency investment model.

The Naughty Aggie admitted that between 2003 and 2009 he deceived and manipulated investors by telling them his Alpha One model had never had a losing month and earned an annualized return of 23.04 percent between 2006 and 2009. Watson actually didn’t make the trades he represented. He created sham account statements for investors and tried to fool the SEC with fake bank statements.

¹ We made that nickname up.

-- Darren Barbee

 

Blowtorch used during rape threats against 15-year-old boy, lawsuit says

A 15-year-old student at a San Antonio religious school had a lit blowtorch waved in his face while fellow students pinned him down and made repeated threats to rape him last year, according to a lawsuit (Download Light em up)obtained by Watchdog. 

From September through early October of last year, the student, identified in court documents as John Doe 102, was also called “gay” and “a Nazi” and he was thrown against a wall, grabbed by the throat and chased into a dorm common room. 

Other attacks included instances when up to six students repeatedly rushed into Doe’s bedroom at night chanting “all for Allah.” Even in Watchdog's warped mind this makes utterly no sense. 

 
The suit, which names Episcopal Diocese of West Texas and the Texas Military Institute of San Antonio, Texas, which does business as TMI The Episcopal School of Texas, was filed by Dallas attorneys Tahira Khan Merritt and Lori Watson. The diocese had no comment, according to this article by the San Antonio Express News.

-- Darren Barbee

Attorney, featured as a player in 'Friday Night Lights,' suspended from law practice

An attorney and former football player featured in the nonfiction classic Friday Night Lights has been suspended from his law practice after pleading no contest last year to burglary of a habitation with intent to commit an assault. 

“It was kind of a domestic dispute kind of gone wild,” said Brian Jose Chavez, who played tight end and defensive end for Permian High School in Odessa.

Chavez was sentenced to five years deferred adjudication and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

The State Bar of Texas suspended him from practicing law for the term of his probation. Chavez, who was sued by the victim, said he couldn't speak about the matter because of a confidentiality agreement. 

Chavez, who went to both Harvard and Texas Tech University and earned a doctor of jurisprudence, is now working as a legal assistant at his family's law practice. 

He said the community had had a wide range of reactions to the case. Some people are “very supportive and there are some people that have distanced themselves,” he said. 

Other bar action: Arlington attorney Terry Rombough, who said his poor handwriting was to blame for disciplinary problems, was disbarred after an evidentiary panel of a district grievance committee found that, in representing a complainant, Rombough neglected the legal matter entrusted to him and failed to keep the complainant reasonably informed about the status of his immigration matter.

Rombough told Watchdog earlier this year that the complaint followed an application he sent with a check for a filing fee. But because of his handwriting, the check looked as if it were dated for 2007 instead of 2008.The bar also announced that, Rombough failed to surrender papers and property to a second complainant. A third complainant said that Rombough neglected the legal matter entrusted to him and failed to keep the complainant reasonably informed about the status of his immigration matter. Upon termination of representation, Rombough failed to surrender papers and property to which the complainant was entitled, the bar said.

 

-- Darren Barbee

 

Seven Texans among dozens of military personnel killed in overseas operations

AIR FORCE
Two airmen died May 26 in the Shorabak district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. Killed were: Staff Sgt. Joseph J. Hamski, 28, of Ottumwa, Iowa, and Tech. Sgt. Kristoffer M. Solesbee, 32, of Citrus Heights, Calif. Hamski was assigned to the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Solesbee was assigned to the 775th Civil Engineer Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

Eight personnel died April 27, at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from gunfire. Killed were: Maj. Philip D. Ambard, 44, of Edmonds, Wash.  He was assigned to the 460th Space Communications Squadron, Buckley Air Force Base, Colo. Maj. Jeffrey O. Ausborn, 41, of Gadsden, Ala.  He was assigned to the 99th Flying Training Squadron, Randolph Air Force 
Base, Texas. Maj. David L. Brodeur, 34, of Auburn, Mass.  He was assigned to the 11th Air Force, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Master Sgt. Tara R. Brown, 33, of Deltona, Fla. She was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Joint Base Andrews, Md. Lt. Col. Frank D. Bryant Jr., 37, of Knoxville, Tenn.  He was assigned to the 56th Operations Group, Luke Air Force Base, 
Ariz. Maj. Raymond G. Estelle II, 40, of New Haven, Conn.  He was assigned to Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. Capt. Nathan J. Nylander, 35, of Hockley, Texas.  He was assigned to the 25th Operational Weather Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Capt. Charles A. Ransom, 31, of Midlothian, Va.  He was assigned to the 83rd Network Operations Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

ARMY

Five soldiers died June 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with indirect fire.  They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan. Killed were: Spc. Emilio J. Campo Jr., 20, of Madelia, Minn.; Spc. Michael B. Cook Jr., 27, of Middletown, Ohio; Spc. Christopher B. Fishbeck, 24, of Victorville, Calif.; Spc. Robert P. Hartwick, 20, of Rockbridge, Ohio; and Pfc. Michael C. Olivieri, 26, Chicago, Ill. 

Two soldiers died June 5, in Khost province, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered as the result of a helicopter crash.  They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. Killed were: Chief Warrant OfficerKenneth R. White, 35, of Fort Collins, Colo., and Chief Warrant Officer Bradley J. Gaudet, 31, of Gladewater, Texas 

Four soldiers died of wounds suffered June 4, in Laghman province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 793rd Military Police Battalion, 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska Killed were: Sgt. Christopher R. Bell, 21, of Golden, Miss.; Sgt. Joshua D. Powell, 28, of Quitman, Texas; Spc. Devin A. Snyder, 20, of Cohocton, N.Y.; and Pfc. Robert L. Voakes Jr., 21, of L'Anse, Mich. 

Three soldiers died May 29, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. Killed were: Capt. Joseph W. Schultz, 36, of Port Angeles, Wash. Staff Sgt. Martin R. Apolinar, 28, of Glendale, Ariz. Sgt. Aaron J. Blasjo, 25, of Riverside, Calif. 

Three soldiers died May 29, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. Killed were: Capt. Joseph W. Schultz, 36, of Port Angeles, Wash. Staff Sgt. Martin R. Apolinar, 28, of Glendale, Ariz. Sgt. Aaron J. Blasjo, 25, of Riverside, Calif. 

Four soldiers died May 23, in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Killed were: Staff Sgt. Kristofferson B. Lorenzo, 33, of Chula Vista, Calif., Pfc. William S. Blevins, 21, of Sardinia, Ohio, Pvt. Andrew M. Krippner, 20, Garland, Texas; and Pvt. Thomas C. Allers, 23, of Plainwell, Mich. 

Two soldiers died May 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the1st Battalion, 63rd Armor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan. Killed were: Sgt. 1st Class Clifford E. Beattie, 37, of Medical Lake, Wash., and Pfc. Ramon Mora Jr., 19, of Ontario, Calif. 

Four soldiers died May 16, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using an improvised explosive device in Zabul province, Afghanistan. Killed were: Staff Sgt. David D. Self, 29, of Pearl, Miss.  He was assigned to the Fires Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany; also, Spc. Bradley L. Melton, 29, Rolla, Mo.;  Pvt. Lamarol J. Tucker, 26, of Gainesville, Fla.; and Pvt. Cheizray Pressley, 21, of North Charleston, S.C.  Melton, Tucker and Pressley were assigned to the Brigade Troops Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Anchorage, Alaska. 

Two soldiers died of wounds suffered April 22, in Numaniyah, Iraq when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.  Killed were: 1st Lt. Omar J. Vazquez, 25, of Hamilton, N.J.Pfc. Antonio G. Stiggins, 25, of Rio Rancho, N.M. 

Five soldiers died April 16, at Forward Operating Base Gamberi, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an Afghan National Army soldier attacked them with multiple grenades. Killed were: Capt. Charles E. Ridgley Jr., 40, of Baltimore, Md.  He was assigned to the 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska; also, Sgt. 1st Class Charles L. Adkins, 36, of Sandusky, Ohio; Staff Sgt. Cynthia R. Taylor, 39, of Columbus, Ga.; Sgt. Linda L. Pierre, 28, Immokalee, Fla.; and Spc. Joseph B. Cemper, 21, Warrensburg, Mo.  They were assigned to the 101st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment 
Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. 

Pfc. Matthew J. England, 22, of Gainesville, Mo., died June 8, in An Najaf province, Iraq, when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Sgt. Jeffrey C. S. Sherer, 29, of Four Oaks, N.C. died June 2, in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. 

Spc. Richard C. Emmons III, 22, of North Granby, Conn., died May, 31, in Logar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket propelled grenade.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La. 

Pfc. Anthony M. Nunn, 19, of Burnet, Texas, died May 30, in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. 

Spc. Adam S. Hamilton, 22, of Kent, Ohio, died May 28 in Haji Ruf, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.  
Pfc. John C. Johnson, 28, of Phoenix, Ariz., died May 27 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. 

Chief Warrant Officer Christopher R. Thibodeau, 28, of Chesterland, Ohio, died May 26 in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his helicopter crashed during combat operations.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

Spc. Brandon M. Kirton, 25, of Centennial, Colo., died May 18, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire and mortar rounds.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. 

Sgt. Robert C. Schlote, 26, of Norfolk, Neb., died May 14, in Omaha, Neb., from a non-combat related medical illness.  He was assigned to the 195th Forward Support Company, Nebraska Army National Guard, Omaha, Neb.   

Spc. Brian D. Riley Jr., 24, of Longwood, Fla., died May 15, in Kunar province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. 

Sgt. Amaru Aguilar, 26, of Miami, Fla. died May 13, at Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit encountered small arms fire.  He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan. 

1st Lt. Demetrius M. Frison, 26, of Lancaster, Pa., died May 10 in Khost province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Knox, Ky. 

Sgt. Ken K. Hermogino, 30, of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., died May 9 in Herat province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related vehicle accident.  He was assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. 

Spc. Riley S. Spaulding, 21, of Sheridan, Texas, died May 4 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat incident.  He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany. 

Cpl. Kevin W. White, 22, of Westfield, N.Y., died May 2 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. 

Sgt. Adam D. Craig, 23, of Cherokee, Iowa, died March 4 at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of a non-combat related illness.  He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Sioux City, Iowa. 

Pfc. Robert M. Friese, 21, of Chesterfield, Mich., died April 29 in Al Qadisiyah province, Iraq, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket propelled grenade.  He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas. 

Spc. Preston J. Dennis, 23, of Redding, Calif., died April 28 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. 

Pfc. Jonathan M. Villanueva, 19, of Jacksonville, Fla., died April 27, in Wardak province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.  

Sgt. Matthew D. Hermanson, 22, of Appleton, Wis., died April 28, in Wardak province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, La.  

Spc. Andrew E. Lara, 25, of Albany, Ore., died April 27, of a noncombat related incident, in Babil province, Iraq.  He was assigned to F Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment. 

Capt. Joshua M. McClimans, 30, of Akron, Ohio, died April 22 at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Khost province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire.  He was assigned to the 848th Forward Surgical Team, U.S. Army Reserve, Twinsburg, Ohio. 

Sgt. 1st Class Bradley S. Hughes, 41, of Newark, Ohio, died April 24 of a non-combat incident, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to the 528th Sustainment Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C. 

Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin F. Bitner, 37, of Greencastle, Pa., died April 23 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. 

Chief Warrant Officer, Terry L. Varnadore II, 29, of  Hendersonville, N.C. died April 23 in Kapisa province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his helicopter went down due to an undetermined cause.  This accident is under investigation.  He was assigned to the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, 
N.Y. 

Staff Sgt. James, A. Justice, 32, of Grimes, Iowa died April 23 at Kapisa province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, Le Mars, Iowa. 

Sgt. John P. Castro, 25, of  Andrews, Texas died April 22 at Paktika province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by small arms fire. He was assigned to1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. 

Spc. Sonny J. Moses, 22, of Koror, Palau, died April 18 in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered as a result of a grenade attack at Forward Operating Base Gamberi, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, April 16.  He was assigned to the 101st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. 

Pfc. John F. Kihm, 19, of Philadelphia, Pa., died April 19 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y. 

MARINES

Sgt. Kevin B. Balduf, 27, of Nashville, Tenn., and Lt. Col. Benjamin J. Palmer, 43, of Modesto, Calif., died May 12 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Balduf was assigned to 8th Communications Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Lt. Col. Palmer was assigned to Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 2, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Cherry Point, N.C. 

Cpl. Matthew T. Richard, 21, of Acadia, La., died June 9 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.  

Cpl. William J. Woitowicz, 23, of Middlesex, Mass., died June 7 while conducting combat operations in Badghis province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, N.C. 

Sgt. Joseph M. Garrison, 27, of New Bethlehem, Pa., died June 6 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.  

Lance Cpl. Peter J. Clore, 23, of New Philadelphia, Ohio, died May 28 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. 

Lance Cpl. Ronald D. Freeman, 25, of Plant City, Fla., died April 28 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. 

Cpl. Adam D. Jones, 29, of Germantown, Ohio, died April 27 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. 

Lance Cpl. Joe M. Jackson, 22, of White Swan, Wash., died April 24 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.  

Sgt. David P. Day, 26, of Gaylord, Mich., died April 24 while conducting combat operations in Badghis province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, N.C. 

Two Marines died April 23 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.Killed were: Sgt. Sean T. Callahan, 23, of Warrenton, Va. Lance Cpl. Dominic J. Ciaramitaro, 19, of South Lyon, Mich. Callahan and Ciaramitaro were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. 

NAVY

Petty Officer 3rd Class Micah Aaron Hill, 27, of Ralston, Neb., died April 19 as a result of a non-combat related incident. Hill was assigned to the USS Enterprise as a machinist's mate.  

Petty Officer 1st Class Vincent A. Filpi III, 41, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., died as a result of a non-combat related incident.  Filpi was assigned to USS Enterprise as an aviation ordnanceman.

-- Darren Barbee

Unabomber’s hoodie and sunglasses sell for $20,025

The U.S. Marshals finished auctioning the personal effects of Ted Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber, raising $232,246 in an online auction that ended Thursday.

The money will compensate Kaczynski’s victims.

Among items sold were:

Mr. Crazy's 20 personal journals, describing in diary fashion Kaczynski’s thoughts and feelings about himself, society and living in the wilderness earned the most money. The diaries include admissions to specific bombings and other crimes. Price: $40,676

The Shining-like typewriter Kaczynski typed his nut job manifesto on. (All work and no play make Ted a dull boy.) Price: $22,003 

Handwritten copy of his manifesto. Price: $20,053

The hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses that were depicted in the infamous FBI "wanted" sketch. Price: $20,025 

Handwritten autobiography. Price: $17,780.

Other items auctioned included his driver’s licenses, birth certificates, deeds, checks, academic transcripts, photos, and his handwritten codes; tools; watches; several hundred books; and more than 20,000 pages of written documents.

 

-- Darren Barbee

 

Witches crew? Three women accused of fraud promised spiritual cash cleansing

In this high-tech age of cloud computing, iPads and 50 mpg (highway), it’s good to know that there are still superstitious idiots victims out there who will pay to have their demons properly laundered. 

Three women, two with ties to Fort Worth, Texas, “falsely represented” that they had the power to detect the presence of evil spirits and get rid of Beetlejuice (or assorted specters and any resulting illnesses) through a religious cleansing, according to the FBI. 

Note: We put falsely represented in quotes because we’re still a bit worried over that May 21 thing.

Watchdog’s favorite part of the federal indictment is the Rolex watch bit.

 Apparently, someone named “L.S.” was told to send money to put a halt to evil spirits causing her problems or that were going to cause her problems. The money, the women said, would be returned. It wasn’t, according to court documents.

Next, “L.S.” was instructed to buy a Rolex with a prism, saying that the watch was needed to be “used as a vortex for demons to return to hell.” 

Sure, you could go with a Timex, but why take the chance?

Alas, the Rolex must have been whisked away to hell with the demons because L.S. never got it back (as promised), the feds say. Not since Salem has there been such a trio of evil busters: Bridgette Evans, Pollie Evans and Olivia Evans.

To the charges of these presumed innocent de-devilers: The three were arrested last month and all made their initial appearances in federal court charged with two counts of mail fraud and 10 counts of wire fraud. Bridgette Evans made her initial appearance in imp-free Fort Lauderdale, Fla., before a magistrate judge. Pollie and Olivia made their initial appearances here in spooky Forth Worth. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison on each count of mail fraud and wire fraud. The three Evanses instructed people to send their money to be cleansed using Western Union and MoneyGram.

Transfers included $7,500 in bewitched cash from “C.W.” in Anguilla to Pompano Beach, Fla. 

-- Darren Barbee