A Fayetteville man who pled guilty to threatening members of a North Carolina mosque has been sentenced to eight months of home confinement.
The U.S. Justice Department says on June 9, 2016, Russell Thomas Langford, 36, repeatedly drove past the Masjid Al Madina Mosque in Raeford, NC, and when he observed a man exiting the mosque, he followed him home.
Later that day, Langford returned to the mosque and pointed a firearm at another member and threatened to kill and bury them on the premises. Then, later that night, Langford returned to the mosque a third time, where upon several members of the mosque stopped him and called local authorities.
The Justice Department says on Nov. 7, 2016, Langford pleaded guilty to one felony count of threatening mosque members in order to obstruct their free exercise of religious beliefs.
Police Involved In Shooting While Serving Warrant
Police in Hickory say an officer has been involved in a shooting while serving a search warrant. Media outlets reported the shooting happened about 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Police spokeswoman Crystal Dieter said she could only confirm there had been a shooting while an officer was serving a search warrant. She did not have details on injuries. She said more information would be released soon.
WSOC-TV reported that the Catawba County district attorney and family members were at the scene. The State Bureau of Investigation has been called in to handle the case.
DSS May Seek Waiver In Fines For System 20 Years Overdue
South Carolina expects to pay nearly $14 million in federal penalties this year because the state still lacks a computer system to track deadbeat parents. But Department of Social Service officials are hopeful the Trump administration may excuse fines as the project nears completion.
The project's manager ensured senators Thursday the system's on track to operate statewide by September 2019. It will rack up fines until then.
The state has been fined more than $130 million since 1997.
Director Susan Alford says "a conversation needs to start" on whether new leaders in Washington "would still require us to pay penalties in the final years."
Lexington Sen. Katrina Shealy says the project's already ridiculously overdue, and she fears that without fines "hanging over their head," DSS would get lax on implementation.
$1M Bond Set For Man Charged In Fatal Shooting From Garage
A judge has set a $1 million bond for a North Carolina man accused of shooting and killing a young black man leaving a neighbor's house party.
Local media outlets report a judge on Friday made that determination for 39-year-old Chad Copley. Copely is charged with murder in the Aug. 7 death of 20-year-old Kouren-Rodney Thomas.
Authorities say Copely fired a shotgun from inside his garage after calling police to complain of "hoodlums" in his neighborhood. Thomas' mother says he was struck while walking with a friend to their car.
Copely, who is white, told a dispatcher he "fired a warning shot" to people "showing a firearm." But the party's host says he didn't see anyone with a gun.
