US attorney news stories on Newser

Even Mendocino Crumbling to Feds on Pot

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:12:00 CST

The US county with one of the highest concentrations of pot farms—and tokers—is finally caving in to pressure from the feds. California officials in Mendocino County are snuffing out an innovative medical marijuana program that put pot growers under the supervision of the county sheriff. The program was...

Stolen Moon Dust Found Up for Auction

Kevin Spak — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:44:56 CDT

Investigators from NASA and the US attorney's office in St. Louis have found what could be the government’s tiniest piece of stolen property: a bit of moon dust. The item was up for sale at a local auction house, with a value estimated at $1,000 to $1,500, Time...

Clyburn Says SC Candidate Is a 'Plant'

Kevin Spak — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:36:00 CDT

Jim Clyburn thinks Alvin Greene, the Democrats’ anonymous , allegedly felonious new Senate candidate, is a ringer. “There were some real shenanigans going on in the South Carolina primary,” the House Majority whip told a liberal radio show today, incredulous that the unemployed Greene could muster the $10,000 needed to...

Landrieu Lashes US Attorney's Busted Son

Rob Quinn — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:22:00 CST

Sen. Mary Landrieu says the acting US attorney for western Louisiana should be "terribly disappointed" by his son's arrest in an alleged Watergate-style phone tampering plot at her New Orleans office. It's "very disconcerting" that Robert Flanagan, the son of a top federal official, is among the four men accused,...

Be Like Baucus, Tiger: A Dork

Kevin Spak — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:45:07 CST

Tiger Woods clearly needs some advice on dealing with a sex scandal, and Sen. Max Baucus is just the man to set him straight. The gentleman from Montana doesn’t have a scratch on him after the recent revelations about his sex life—that he slept with a staffer and nominated...

Max Baucus Nominated His Girlfriend for US Attorney

Caroline Miller — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:42:17 CST

Max Baucus was having an affair with a woman he recommended for US attorney last year, the senator's office admitted last night after Roll Call reported the apparent lapse. Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and former state office director Melodee Hanes began their relationship in the summer...

14 Charged as Galleon Insider Trading Case Widens

M. Morris — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:13:31 CST

Two former Galleon Group employees and a Ropes & Gray lawyer were among 14 people charged today in the expanding insider trading case surrounding the hedge fund founded by Raj Rajaratnam, who was busted last month. The traders and lawyers snuck around, communicating in code over throwaway cellphones, but had...

Facebook Trips Up High-Living Fugitive

Kevin Spak — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:40:43 CDT

Fugitives of the world, take note: If you’re having the time of your life hanging out in Cancun, you probably shouldn’t brag about it on Facebook. And you definitely shouldn’t add an ex-Justice Department official as a friend. Take it from Maxi Sopo, a 26-year-old who had spent the last...

Fugitive in '68 Hijack Nabbed at JFK

Jason Farago — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:55:13 CDT

A longtime fugitive who allegedly hijacked a plane in 1968 and diverted it to Cuba was arrested yesterday at JFK Airport in New York and will be arraigned tomorrow. Luis Armando Pena Soltren, now 66, is accused of smuggling weapons inside a diaper bag and terrorizing dozens of passengers 41...