(NEW YORK) — Federal prosecutors in New York officially dropped charges against Tova Noel and Michael Thomas – the two correctional officers on duty when Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a federal lockup there.
In August 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell in the early hours of the morning at the now-closed Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Noel and Thomas allegedly falsified government records and fell asleep on the job according to a November 2019 indictment. Leaders from the federal correctional officers union argued this case was unprecedented and typically would be handled administratively.
In May, the two officers entered into a deferred prosecution agreement – contingent on Thomas and Noel completing community service and having good behavior.
In a Thursday court filing, prosecutors said they were dropping the case, formally ending the prosecution of the two officers.
The Justice Department has yet to release any report regarding the timeframe leading up to Epstein’s suicide or days after.
Documents obtained by ABC News through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in early December from the Bureau of Prisons do shed a little light on what occurred.
“I have no interest in killing myself,” Epstein told a BOP psychologist two weeks before he died by suicide, according to the documents.
Epstein also previously attempted suicide on July 23, according to the records, which were first obtained by the New York Times.
Included in the records was an e-mail from an unnamed inmate who worked in the kitchen at MCC.
“Jeffrey Epstein definitely killed himself. Any conspiracy theories to the contrary are ridiculous,” this inmate wrote to the BOP. “He wanted to kill himself and seized the opportunity when it was available.”
This inmate told BOP officials he heard Epstein ripping up the bed sheet he used to hang himself.
Former Attorney General William Barr told The Associated Press shortly after the suicide that it was the “perfect storm of screw ups” that lead to his death.
Earlier this week, Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Epstein, was convicted on five of six counts related to the abuse and trafficking of underage girls.
Maxwell faced a six-count indictment for allegedly conspiring with and aiding Epstein in his sexual abuse of underage girls between 1994 and 2004.
Prosecutors alleged that Maxwell played a “key role” in a multi-state sex trafficking scheme in which she allegedly “befriended” and later “enticed and groomed multiple minor girls to engage in sex acts with Epstein” and was also, at times, “present for and involved” in the abuse herself.
GETTY/Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post
(COLORADO) — The wildfires that tore through Boulder County, Colorado Thursday afternoon are an unfortunate example of how climate and weather can combine to disastrous effect.
As with many climate change-amplified disasters, the conditions that set the stage for the explosive and fast-moving fires had been developing and intensifying in the months prior.
It has been very dry and very warm across Colorado for several months with various temperature and precipitation records broken in both Boulder and Colorado as a whole. The period of July 1 to Dec. 15, 2021, was the warmest and driest on record for the city of Denver. The city is also on track to have one of their warmest Decembers on record.
Earlier in the month, Denver set a record for its longest stretch without snow, 232 days. When it finally snowed on Dec. 10, it was the latest measurable amount on record, and was two months later than the average first measurable snowfall. Through the end of December, Denver typically sees around 20 inches of snow. On the evening of the fires on Dec. 30, it had only seen 0.3 inches.
The drought monitor released just hours before the fires showed all of Colorado in drought, with over 22% of the state, including eastern Boulder County, in extreme drought.
While strong wind events are common in Colorado, a wind event with gusts over 100 mph, combined with very dry conditions became a recipe for disaster. Strong wind events in Colorado can also be extremely localized due to several microclimates caused by rapid elevation and terrain changes within the state.
Unfortunately, these conditions were the key player for the rapid and erratic spread of the Marshall fire in Boulder County, which has become the most destructive fire ever in Colorado based on the number of structures destroyed. This makes back-to-back years Colorado has seen its most destructive fire ever. Prior to Marshall fire, Colorado’s most destructive fire was the East Troublesome Fire in 2020.
While it is challenging to link climate change to any single event, or a even a couple events over the years, as the parts of the western U.S. become drier and deal with more extreme temperatures, that events like erratic and rapid fire spread will likely become more common.
(NEW YORK) — The brother of Ghislaine Maxwell says that he denies any possibility that his sister is guilty of the sex trafficking crimes she was convicted of on Wednesday.
Kevin Maxwell, in an American television exclusive, spoke to ABC News a day after a jury convicted his sister of conspiring with and aiding serial sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in his sexual abuse of underage girls.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, was convicted Wednesday on five of six counts related to the abuse and trafficking of underage girls between 1994 and 2004.
Kevin Maxwell told ABC News’ James Hill that his sister had been unfairly portrayed as Epstein’s “demon queen” accomplice, and that while accusers’ testimony might have been moving, she should not be pilloried for her longtime associate’s crimes.
“I think that anybody who sat in and listened to the accusers’ testimony — I’m a dad, I’m a brother, anybody, just any normal guy listening to their testimony — is going to have been moved. And I can also understand anger. But that doesn’t mean that I believe for a single second that my sister is guilty of the crimes of which she was convicted,” Kevin Maxwell said.
Epstein, the one-time millionaire financier, died by suicide in jail in 2019.
Ghislaine and Kevin Maxwell are two of the children of controversial British publishing mogul Robert Maxwell, who drowned in the Atlantic Ocean after falling off his yacht in 1991.
Kevin Maxwell sat through his sister’s trial for a substantial portion of the proceedings, often accompanied by her other siblings, Isabel, Christine and Ian. Less than 24 hours after his sister was convicted, he told ABC News that he was “still shocked” at the verdict in what he described as a “tremendous injustice.”
His sister will appeal the verdict, Maxwell said, and he was certain that it would be overturned and that she would be vindicated.
“The reality is that there are myriad jury cases, miscarriages of justice involving juries, where the verdicts have been overturned on appeal. This will just be yet another one,” Maxwell said.
“Because of the, we think, very strong legal grounds and evidential grounds for the appeal, obviously that has to wait for sentencing, so it’s some way off, but the work is already in hand and we’re very confident,” he said.
Though multiple accusers testified that Ghislaine Maxwell had groomed them for Epstein’s abuse — and had at times participated in it herself — Kevin Maxwell pushed back on her role.
“There’s no, simply no, question that there are many victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes,” Maxwell said. “They’re simply not crimes that were committed by my sister.”
Kevin Maxwell would not say if he had anything to tell Epstein’s accusers and those who say Ghislaine Maxwell played a role in abetting Epstein’s crimes.
“I don’t want to use this opportunity to denigrate in any way the evidence that’s been given by those accusers; that’s their evidence,” he said. “As I say, I remain absolutely persuaded of Epstein’s crimes. I’m equally persuaded that my sister will be exonerated on appeal, and these guilty verdicts will be overturned.”
(NEW YORK) — If you were planning to ring in 2022 with a couple dozen of your friends this New Year’s Eve, many officials and health experts are warning against it.
“Omicron and delta are coming to your party,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned at a press conference Monday. “You need to think twice about how many people will be gathered together.”
From London to Tokyo to Paris and Athens, the latest coronavirus surge has already spoiled many annual festivities across the globe.
This week, San Francisco officials canceled their annual celebration, citing concerns over the nation’s latest COVID-19 surge.
“This rise in cases will impact us in a number of ways—including with staffing levels, which led us to make the tough but right decision to cancel New Year’s Eve fireworks. Despite these challenges, we are focused on providing the necessary services to take care of our City,” Mayor London Breed tweeted.
And in Atlanta, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the decision to cancel the city’s Peach Drop on Tuesday, following advice from public health professionals.
Nationwide, the U.S. is facing its worst surge on record, with more Americans testing positive for the virus every day than at any other point in the pandemic.
Federal data shows that as of Tuesday, the U.S. is reporting an average of 277,000 new cases a day, shattering the nation’s previous record average of 250,000 cases reported a day, set last January. In the last week, the U.S. has reported nearly 1.9 million new cases.
Coronavirus-related hospitalizations are also steadily rising. More than 90,000 Americans are hospitalized with the virus — a total that has doubled since early November.
Health experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the White House, have been vocal about their concerns over the nation’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, fearing such events will accelerate viral spread.
“Should you change or cancel your plans? If your plans are to go to a 40 to 50 person New Year’s Eve party with all the bells and whistles and everybody hugging and kissing, and wishing each other a Happy New Year, I would strongly recommend that this year, we do not do that,” Fauci said during a press briefing on Thursday.
Many cities move forward with celebrations, despite ongoing surge
Despite the nation’s record-breaking surge, many cities are still opting to move forward with plans.
Even as New York reported its highest coronavirus cases on record Thursday, with more than 74,000 residents testing positive, thousands of revelers in New York City’s Times Square will welcome the new year with the famous ball drop.
“We want to show that we are moving forward, and we want to show the world that New York City is fighting our way through this,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told NBC Thursday. “It’s really important to not give up in the face of this.”
According to city officials, on average, 58,000 people flock to the annual celebration. However, this year, the festivities will be limited to 15,000 people. The city said it will also require proof of vaccination and attendees will be required to wear masks.
Despite these precautions, Mike Levine, chairman of the New York City Council’s Health Committee, has called for the event to be canceled, tweeting on Wednesday that he “100%” agreed that the city shouldn’t hold its celebration.
However, de Blasio said that there are no plans to cancel the event.
In Nevada, which is now reporting its highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a year, an estimated 300,000 people are expected to attend a New Year’s Eve fireworks show on the Las Vegas Strip.
“We encourage everyone to look out for one another, take personal responsibility and proactively take actions to limit the spread of COVID-19,” said Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft.
Although Chicago will move forward with its annual New Year’s Eve bash, officials are urging prudence, asking residents to stay home if they feel unwell.
“If you think it’s the cold, if you think it’s the flu, it’s probably COVID,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. “We need you to stay home.”
With more than 5,300 people hospitalized across the state, Illinois is now averaging more cases than at any other point in the pandemic.
“I’m not going to be the mom and tell people what they should and shouldn’t do, but I know what I’m going to do,” said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “I’m going to be home watching on my television set and I encourage other people to take advantage of that.”
Officials use New Year’s Eve celebrations to mitigate spread, vaccinate residents
Some cities, like Boston, have announced plans to mitigate the spread of infection at their annual celebrations.
As part of Boston’s First Night event, city workers will distribute 1,000 rapid test kits, and provide a COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots clinic to all people ages 5 and older.
“Welcoming 2022 and gathering to make plans for the new year is an important, healing, joyful ritual and tradition that happens in Boston, and this year, we are making sure that public health leads the way,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said at a press conference Thursday.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, officials will offer on-site COVID-19 testing, and require all guests in attendance to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test.
Fauci stressed on Wednesday that ultimately, small-scale gatherings at home, such as those with close family members and friends, who have all been vaccinated and boosted, are still the safest type of event to hold.
“If you were in a situation with a family setting, in your home, with family, parents, children, grandparents, and everyone is vaccinated and boosted, although the risk is never zero in anything, the risk is low enough that we feel you should continue to go through with those plans,” Fauci said.
Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
(SUPERIOR, Colo.) — The mayor of a Colorado town decimated by sudden and fast-moving wildfires called the situation “very grave” in an interview with Good Morning America.
Hundreds of homes were destroyed and thousands were forced to evacuate in Boulder County on Thursday when wind-fueled grass fires exploded into infernos.
“I spent a couple of hours yesterday driving around in the afternoon with the sheriff’s office and town manager just making an assessment of the situation there on the ground and it’s grave,” Clint Folsom, the mayor of Superior, told GMA. “It’s nothing like I would have ever imagined would have happened.”
Folsom said he was fearful of what emergency responders might find in the coming days after hundreds of homes burned “in a matter of minutes.”
“I hope we don’t have fatalities,” Folsom told GMA.
The mayor said that strong winds were not uncommon in the area, but “this was a wind like I’ve never seen.” Combined with an extraordinarily dry summer and fall, the conditions were ripe for a devastating blaze.
Of the two fires burning, one, the Marshall fire, had “ballooned” into a 1,600-acre behemoth as of Thursday night. Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle, said the blazes were “consuming football-field lengths of land in seconds.”
Superior, a town of 13,000 and Louisville, a town of 20,000 were both asked to evacuate as the fires tore through the area.
Pelle said he believes the fires were likely sparked by downed power lines.
(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 824,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 62% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 30, 11:04 pm
FDA to authorize boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds
The Food and Drug Administration is likely to authorize Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots for 12- to 15-year-olds next week, a source with direct knowledge of the plan told ABC News.
An authorization may come as early as Monday.
-ABC News’ Eric Strauss
Dec 30, 10:08 pm
US pediatric COVID-19 hospital admissions hit all-time high
More COVID-19-positive children in the United States are being hospitalized each day than at any other point in the pandemic, according to newly updated federal data.
On average, just under 380 children with COVID-19 were admitted into the hospital daily between Dec. 22 and Dec. 28, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The country’s pediatric COVID-19 hospital admission rate has nearly tripled in the past month, CDC data shows.
Nationwide, nearly 2,900 children are currently hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 — approximately 1,300 more patients than a month ago — according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Less than a third of eligible children — ages 5 to 17 — in the U.S. are currently fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Three new studies released Thursday by the CDC found COVID-19 vaccines to be safe and effective for children.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 30, 6:23 pm
US marks 3rd day of record new COVID-19 cases
The U.S. recorded more than 486,000 new COVID-19 cases in a day, marking the third straight day of record numbers, according to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new data comes as states are going through their huge backlogs of tests taken during the Christmas weekend.
In the last week, the U.S. has reported more than 2.2 million new cases, which averages out to about 220 Americans testing positive for COVID-19 every minute.
The CDC will not be providing new data updates until Jan. 3, due to the New Year’s holiday.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 30, 4:28 pm
Michigan health officials urge schools to delay sports
Officials from Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services sent a letter to schools across the state urging them to either postpone large gatherings or make them virtual.
“Large gatherings (involving 100 or more people) should be held using remote technology or postponed, if not essential. Large gatherings would include events with large numbers of people from multiple households such as conferences or meetings, sporting events, and concerts,” the letter read.
The state also urged schools to require masks for everyone who enters school buildings and to test students regularly.
(BOULDER COUNTY, Colo.) — Thousands of people are being asked to evacuate immediately and hundreds of buildings have already been lost as winds fuel fast-spreading wildfires in Boulder County, Colorado.
Several small grass fires, sparked by downed power lines amid gusty winds in central Colorado, according to the Boulder County sheriff, have grown into raging blazes Thursday afternoon.
Of two wildfires burning, the most significant — the Marshall Fire — was first reported after 11 a.m. Thursday and has since “ballooned” to approximately 1,600 acres, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle told reporters during a press briefing.
“We’ve been really concerned about the speed of the fire,” Pelle said. “This was consuming football-field lengths of land in seconds.”
Louisville, Colorado, with a population of about 20,000, is being asked to evacuate due to the Marshall Fire, according to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management. The entire city of Superior, Colorado, with a population of about 13,000 people, is also being asked to evacuate due to that fire.
The National Weather Service of Denver/Boulder described the situation in Louisville as life-threatening in an alert on Twitter Thursday afternoon, while urging people to leave immediately.
Centura Health’s Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisville started evacuating its patients, starting with its most critical, a Centura Health spokesperson told ABC News Thursday afternoon.
Hundreds of structures, including over 580 homes, are estimated to have been lost so far due to the fire, Pelle said.
Superior Mayor Clint Folsom told Denver ABC affiliate KMGH at least 200 structures, including residences, in the town have likely been lost.
“This is still a very active, fluid situation,” he told the station.
The town evacuated quickly and Folsom said he was not aware of any injuries or deaths.
Six patients were taken to UCHealth Broomfield, which serves the Boulder area, due to injuries from the fires, a hospital spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.
One officer had a minor injury to his eye due to windblown debris, according to Pelle, who said he was not aware of any other injures or fatalities at this time.
“However, I’d like to emphasize that due to the magnitude of this fire, the intensity of this fire and its presence in such a heavily populated area, we would not be surprised if there are injuries or fatalities,” he said.
Both fires were likely caused by downed power lines, Pelle said.
“We had deputies in the area who confirmed there were downed power lines. So we believe that’s what caused the fire,” he said, adding that authorities will likely determine the exact cause in the next couple days.
Colorado fire officials told ABC News that the high winds are making it difficult to get aerial resources into the area to fight the fires.
Wind gusts topping 100 mph were reported in northern Jefferson County earlier Thursday, while parts of Boulder County saw gusts over 80 mph. The city of Boulder also reported wind gusts over 70 mph Thursday afternoon.
The Boulder area is currently suffering from extreme drought, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Agriculture.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has declared a state of emergency due to the fires in Boulder County, his office said.
“Prayers for thousands of families evacuating from the fires in Superior and Boulder County,” Polis tweeted. “Fast winds are spreading flames quickly and all aircraft are grounded.”
ABC News’ Jeff Cook, Dan Manzo, Jenna Harrison and Dan Peck contributed to this report.
(DENVER) — A truck driver who was sentenced to 110 years in prison for a fatal accident in Colorado has been resentenced to 10 years after an outcry from family and advocates.
Gov. Jared Polis announced the commutation of Rogel Aguilera-Mederos’ sentence Thursday.
“I am writing to inform you that I am granting your application for a commutation,” Polis wrote. “After learning about the highly atypical and unjust sentence in your case, I am commuting your sentence to 10 years and granting you parole eligibility on December 30, 2026.”
Mederos was sentenced on Dec. 13 to 110 years in prison for a 2019 fatal crash on Interstate 70, outside Denver, that killed four people and injured several others — a sentence the judge said he wouldn’t have chosen if he had the discretion. Mederos testified that his brakes failed, but he was driving 85 mph when the speed limit was 45 mph and he drove past a runaway truck ramp before plowing into stopped traffic, police said.
He was found guilty by a Jefferson County jury of 27 counts — the most serious was first-degree assault, a class-three felony.
The number of the charges, mandatory minimum laws and a classification that mandates some sentences be served consecutively resulted in the lengthy sentence.
“The length of your 110-year sentence is simply not commensurate with your actions, nor with penalties handed down to others for similar crimes,” Polis said in his letter. “There is an urgency to remedy this unjust sentence and restore confidence in the uniformity and fairness of our criminal justice system, and consequently I have chosen to commute your sentence now.”
Jefferson County District Attorney Alexis King has filed a motion earlier this month asking for a sentence of 20 to 30 years instead. A hearing to reconsider the sentence had been scheduled for Jan. 13, 2022.
Among those advocating for a lesser sentence were the family members of some of those killed in the accident.
“I think we all can agree that [110 years] is excessive,” Duane Bailey, the brother of William Bailey who died in the crash, told “GMA,” but added that the jury “came to the correct decision to convict [Mederos].”
(BOULDER COUNTY, Colo.) — Thousands of people are being asked to evacuate immediately as winds fuel fast-spreading wildfires in Boulder County, Colorado.
Several small grass fires, sparked by downed power lines amid gusty winds in central Colorado, according to the Boulder County sheriff, have grown into raging blazes Thursday afternoon.
Louisville, Colorado, with a population of about 20,000, is being asked to evacuate, according to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management. The entire city of Superior, Colorado, with a population of about 13,000 people, is also being asked to evacuate.
The National Weather Service of Denver/Boulder described the situation in Louisville as life-threatening in an alert on Twitter Thursday afternoon, while urging people to leave immediately.
Centura Health’s Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisville started evacuating its patients, starting with its most critical, a Centura Health spokesperson told ABC News Thursday afternoon.
Six patients were taken to UCHealth Broomfield, which serves the Boulder area, due to injuries from the fires, a hospital spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.
Colorado fire officials told ABC News that the high winds are making it difficult to get aerial resources into the area to fight the fires.
Wind gusts topping 100 mph were reported in northern Jefferson County earlier Thursday, while parts of Boulder County saw gusts over 80 mph. The city of Boulder also reported wind gusts over 70 mph Thursday afternoon.
The Boulder area is currently suffering from extreme drought, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Agriculture.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has declared a state of emergency due to the fires in Boulder County, his office said.
“Prayers for thousands of families evacuating from the fires in Superior and Boulder County,” Polis tweeted. “Fast winds are spreading flames quickly and all aircraft are grounded.”
ABC News’ Jeff Cook, Dan Manzo, Jenna Harrison and Dan Peck contributed to this report.
(NAPLES, Fla.) — A maintenance worker who entered an unauthorized area of a Florida zoo and was attacked by a tiger could face criminal charges, authorities said. The tiger was shot and killed by responding authorities in order to free the man from the animal’s jaws.
The incident happened Wednesday at the Naples Zoo after it had closed to the public, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said.
A member of a cleaning service contracted by the zoo to clean restrooms and the gift shop, but not the animal enclosures, had “entered an unauthorized area near a tiger that was inside its enclosure,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The man, identified by authorities as 26-year-old River Rosenquist of Naples, was possibly petting or feeding a male Malayan tiger, “both of which are unauthorized and dangerous activities,” when the attack occurred, the sheriff’s office said.
“Initial reports indicate that the tiger grabbed the man’s arm and pulled it into the enclosure after the man traversed an initial fence barrier and put his arm through the fencing of the tiger enclosure,” the office said.
Rosenquist called 911 to request help, according to the sheriff’s office. A deputy responded to the zoo around 6:30 p.m. and found the man with his arm in the tiger’s mouth. The deputy kicked the enclosure in an attempt to get the tiger to release the arm, but was “forced” to shoot the animal, authorities said.
“Our deputy did everything he could do in that situation and he ultimately made the only possible decision he could in order to save this man’s life,” Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said in a statement Thursday. “This was a tragic encounter at our world-class zoo facility. We value our community partnership with the Naples Zoo and their focus on conservation and education.”
The cleaner suffered serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital, authorities said. Lee Memorial Hospital Emergency Department confirmed to ABC News it had received a patient via medical helicopter from Naples with injuries related to a tiger attack.
The Malayan tiger, which is a critically endangered species, was killed in the shooting, according to a spokesperson for the zoo. The animal retreated to the back of the enclosure after it was shot and a drone that authorities flew inside showed it was unresponsive.
A veterinarian sedated the animal and examined it “when it [was] safe to do so,” and determined the tiger had died, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said Thursday it is working with state and federal prosecutors to investigate the “serious encounter” and determine whether criminal charges will be filed against Rosenquist.
The zoo will be conducting its own investigation, officials said.
The 8-year-old tiger, who the zoo confirmed was named Eko, came to the Naples Zoo from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle in December 2019 and was introduced in February 2020. “Eko is a great ambassador for his species. When guests see him, we hope they fall in love and want to learn how they can do their part to save his cousins in the wild,” the zoo says on its website.
The zoo was closed Thursday and will reopen on Friday, according to its website. A conservation fund will be set up in Eko’s honor, zoo officials said.
“[We] thank our community for their understanding and for the messages and words of encouragement and support that have been flowing into us,” the zoo said in a statement.
