(WILMINGTON, N.C.) — The three Marines who were found dead inside a vehicle in North Carolina died from carbon monoxide poisoning, the Pender County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Autopsies were performed Wednesday and the medical examiner determined that all three deaths are consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning, authorities said.
The Marine Corps has identified the three Marines who were found dead inside a vehicle in North Carolina over the weekend.
Camp Lejeune identified the men as Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Merax C. Dockery, 23, from Pottawatomie, Oklahoma, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ivan R. Garcia, 23, from Naples, Florida, and Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Tanner J. Kaltenberg, 19, from Madison, Wisconsin.
The Pender County Sheriff’s Office received a call on Sunday morning from Dockery’s mother, who said her son was stationed at Camp Lejeune and did not arrive on his flight in Oklahoma the night before, officials said in a press release.
His mother told a 911 dispatcher that she spoke to a supervisor in Dockery’s unit and that a sergeant was on their way to the location where Dockery’s phone was possibly located.
The Pender County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a call at 9 a.m. on Sunday to look into a report of a missing person.
During their investigation authorities discovered the bodies of the three men inside a car at a Speedway convenience store in Hampstead, North Carolina, Pender County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release on Tuesday.
“My deepest sympathy and condolences are extended to the family, friends and colleagues of Lance Cpl. Kaltenberg, Lance Cpl. Dockery and Lance Cpl. Garcia,” Brig. Gen. Michael E. McWilliams, commanding general of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, said in a press release. “Our focus is providing the necessary resources and support to those impacted by their tragic loss as they navigate this extremely difficult time.”
Garcia entered active duty in July 2019, Dockery in June 2020 and Kaltenberg in May 2021, according to the Marine Corps.
“I am saddened by the timeless and tragic death of these three young men, who served our country honorably,” Pender County Sheriff Alan W. Cutler said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with their families and colleagues during this time.”
The Pender County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident and did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for additional information.
Sgt. Chester Ward of the Pender County Sheriff’s Office said the department had received a missing person report for one of the three Marines, but he declined to share details. No drugs were found in the vehicle, he said.
“We do not suspect anything as far as foul play in that matter,” Sgt. Chester Ward of the Pender County Sheriff’s Office told The Associated Press.
ABC News’ Alexandra Faul contributed to this report.
(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) — More than a week after a 39-year-old woman vanished in North Carolina, her family is desperate for answers.
Allisha Watts was last seen on July 16 leaving a house in Charlotte, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.
According to Watts’ sister, Stephanie Johnson, Watts was last seen with her boyfriend of one year.
The couple met when Watts, who lives in Moore County, North Carolina, would drive to Charlotte to visit her cousin, Gwendolyn Utley, who is the boyfriend’s neighbor, Johnson said. Now, every other Friday, Watts drives to Charlotte for the weekend, her sister said.
Johnson said Utley last saw Watts on the afternoon of July 16. The cousins planned to go to Charlotte’s Bojangles Coliseum for a comedy show, Johnson said, and when Watts didn’t show up, Utley reported her missing.
On July 18, Watts’ 2023 black Mercedes Benz GLC 300 was found in Anson County, North Carolina, police said. Anson County is located southeast of Charlotte.
Watts’ purse was found in her car and her phone was recovered at her boyfriend’s house, according to Johnson. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg police would not confirm.
Johnson described her sister, who works in the mental health field, as a “hard working, independent, reliable, resourceful, loving, kind, attentive person.”
“She advocates for people’s mental health, and right now she needs somebody to advocate for her,” Johnson told ABC News on Tuesday.
“She’s out there somewhere,” Johnson said. “Every day that passes by, we are less likely to bring her home safe.”
James Johnson, CEO of the Racial Justice Network, at a news conference Wednesday criticized the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, accusing the department of not putting enough work into the case and not sharing their information with Watts’ family.
Dearest Price, the Charlotte regional director of the Racial Justice Network, insisted that Police Chief Johnny Jennings meet with them.
“We need to see you today. We need to sit at the table,” Price said in an impassioned statement. “We need to know what’s going on.”
The police declined to comment to ABC News about the news conference, deferring to their Twitter statement on Wednesday that said they’re “following all leads and using all available resources to locate Ms. Watts. Detectives have been in communication with immediate family members of Ms. Watts and their designee to provide updates and request relevant information.”
Police ask anyone with information to call 911. James Johnson said people can also call the Racial Justice Network at 800-694-1981.
“Somebody knows something, and we want them to come forward,” he said.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden is appearing in a Delaware courthouse Wednesday to formally agree to the plea deal he negotiated last month with federal prosecutors, in what could bring a close to the Justice Department’s yearslong probe into the younger Biden’s business affairs.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jul 26, 4:08 PM EDT
McCarthy, more lawmakers weigh in on Hunter Biden
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reacted Wednesday to Hunter Biden’s plea dealing being deferred for the time being.
He reiterated his allegation that the president’s son has received different treatment from prosecutors, which the Department of Justice has pushed back on.
“There shouldn’t be two justice systems in America, and hopefully today that’s what is being done,” McCarthy said.
“So now is the window to show that we have equal justice, and that’s the real question … is it going to be fair as you treat every other American? That will be the question,” McCarthy said as he left the House floor.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said Wednesday that he hoped Hunter Biden will “acknowledge his responsibility for the proceeding” and that the outcome will be “fair and just.”
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin and Lauren Peller
Jul 26, 4:01 PM EDT
White House comments on deferred plea deal
At the top of her briefing on Wednesday afternoon, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre commented on “the news in Delaware today,” as she called it, emphasizing that “Hunter Biden is a private citizen … this was a personal matter for him,” and saying the case was handled by a prosecutor appointed by former President Trump.
“As we have said, the president, the first lady, they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life,” Jean-Pierre said. “This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department.”
-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson
Jul 26, 2:39 PM EDT
Judge said she wouldn’t ‘rubber-stamp’ the deal
Judge Noreika scrutinized nearly every facet of the plea deal before deciding to defer the agreement so the parties could reconvene at a later date.
The hearing was punctuated by multiple recesses, during which lawyers scrambled to negotiate their way out of the deal’s divergent perspectives.
A visibly agitated Hunter Biden spent much of the time shifting between sitting and standing, summoning members of his legal team to discuss developments. Across the room, U.S. Attorney David Weiss appeared to share his demeanor.
Toward the end of the hearing, Noreika herself lashed out, repeatedly saying she felt as though she was being asked to “rubber-stamp” the deal.
In the end, she did not.
Jul 26, 1:47 PM EDT
Judge defers plea deal
U.S. Judge Maryellen Noreika deferred the plea deal negotiated by Hunter Biden’s attorneys and federal prosecutors after a contentious hearing, taking issue with the structure of the arrangement and lamenting on multiple occasions the deal’s “form over substance.”
In the interim, Hunter Biden entered a not guilty plea. Noreika requested additional briefings from the parties in the coming weeks before determining next steps.
“I’m not going to say I’m going to accept the agreement, I’m not going to say I’ll deny it,” she said.
The three-hour hearing featured several turbulent interludes. Noreika’s line of questioning about an immunity agreement exposed fissures between the two parties, with the discussion culminating in prosecutors threatening to bring foreign agent charges, prompting Chris Clark, an attorney for Biden, to say: “As far as I’m concerned, the plea agreement is null and void.”
The parties moved past those disagreements, with both sides stressing their desire to move forward. But Noreika asked the parties to consult and brief her in the coming weeks.
In the understatement of the day, Noreika acknowledged that her probing threw “a little bit of a curveball” into the proceeding.
Jul 26, 1:36 PM EDT
Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to charges after deal falls apart
In a dramatic scene in court, the plea deal struck by Hunter Biden fell apart amid the judge’s concerns over the terms of the agreement.
Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the charges.
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika had raised concerns about the parties linking the tax plea agreement to the deal on the gun charge, and over whether or not a provision in the deal would grant Hunter Biden blanket immunity, meaning that the government would not prosecute him further.
Jul 26, 11:59 AM EDT
Plea deal is in jeopardy of falling apart
A deal between federal prosecutors and Hunter Biden is in jeopardy of falling apart.
There is now a brief recess as the parties try to come to terms.
Jul 26, 10:25 AM EDT
Hunter Biden arrives at courthouse
Hunter Biden has arrived at the federal court in Delaware for this morning’s hearing.
The younger Biden and his legal team arrived shortly before 9:30 a.m.
Jul 26, 7:20 AM EDT
Hunter Biden’s legal team threatened with sanctions
Less than 24 hours before Hunter Biden was expected in federal court, the judge overseeing his case threatened his legal team with sanctions after she found that a staffer might have “misrepresented her identity” in communications with the court clerk.
The bizarre saga played out Tuesday on the court’s public docket, where Ted Kittila, an attorney for the GOP-led House Ways and Means Committee, shared Hunter Biden’s taxpayer information as part of an effort to intervene in the case.
Chris Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, asked Kittila to seal the information, and when Kittila refused, a member of the firm representing Hunter Biden reached out to the court seeking to have it removed from the docket.
Judge Maryellen Noreika wrote late Tuesday that, having “discussed the matter with the relevant individuals,” Jessica Bengels, an attorney with Clark’s firm, “represented that she worked with Mr. Kittila and requested the amicus materials be taken down.”
“It appears that the caller misrepresented her identity and who she worked for in an attempt to improperly convince the Clerk’s Office to remove the amicus materials from the docket,” Noreika wrote.
Noreika asked Hunter Biden’s legal team to explain why she should not level sanctions against them. In response, Matthew Salerno, an attorney for Biden, called it “an unfortunate and unintentional miscommunication,” dispelling Noreika’s suggestion that it might have been a nefarious ploy to have a docket entry suppressed.
“We have no idea how the misunderstanding occurred,” wrote Salerno. “But our understanding is there was no misrepresentation.”
Jul 26, 6:56 AM EDT
Republicans urge judge to block Hunter Biden plea deal
Republicans embarked on a long shot bid in the hours leading up to Hunter Biden’s expected arrival in court to press Judge Maryellen Noreika to consider denying his plea agreement until the court reviews testimony from a pair of IRS whistleblowers.
Those whistleblowers, according to an attorney for the GOP-led House Ways and Means Committee in court documents filed Tuesday, have said the younger Biden “appears to have benefitted from political interference which calls into question the propriety of the investigation.”
Experts said it would be exceedingly rare for the judge to deny a plea deal negotiated in good faith. But Theodore Kittila, the attorney for the House panel, wrote that the judge should “evaluate” the IRS whistleblowers’ remarks before ruling, claiming that “plea negotiations were tainted by improper conduct at various levels of government.”
The judge did not indicate whether she would consider Republicans’ arguments at Wednesday’s hearing.
Republican lawmakers have for weeks publicly decried Hunter Biden’s plea agreement as a “sweetheart deal” and called on the judge to either delay Wednesday’s hearing or reject it outright. Experts have told ABC News that both scenarios are unlikely.
Jul 26, 6:52 AM EDT
Judge will weigh Hunter Biden’s plea deal with DOJ
A federal judge will have the opportunity to either reject or accept the terms of the plea deal Hunter Biden struck with the Justice Department last month.
Judge Maryellen Noreika will preside over the younger Biden’s initial court appearance in the case, set to take place in a Delaware courtroom.
According to the plea agreement, Hunter Biden has agreed to acknowledge his failure to pay taxes on income he received in 2017 and 2018. In exchange, prosecutors will recommend probation, meaning he will likely avoid prison time.
He will also agree to a pretrial diversion on a separate gun charge, with the charge being dropped if he adheres to certain terms.
“I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life,” Christopher Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, said in a statement last month. “He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”
United States District Court, District of Delaware
(WILMINGTON, Del.) — President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden was in federal court on Wednesday as a judge weighed whether to reject or accept the terms of a plea deal he negotiated last month with federal prosecutors.
Judge Maryellen Noreika, who is presiding over the case in Delaware federal court, deferred the plea deal after an hourslong, contentious hearing. She expressed concerns with the structure of the agreement and requested additional briefings from both parties in the coming weeks before determining the next steps.
“I’m not going to say I’m going to accept the agreement, I’m not going to say I’ll deny it,” she said, acknowledging that her probing threw “a little bit of a curveball” into the proceeding.
Noreika was confirmed as a district judge in the District of Delaware in August 2018, following a nomination by former President Donald Trump in December 2017 to fill a seat vacated by Gregory Sleet upon his pending retirement.
Noreika worked in private practice from 1993 to 2018 prior to becoming a federal judge, according to her federal biography.
She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1993. She also holds a graduate degree from Columbia University and a bachelor of science from Lehigh University.
The initial plea deal came following a five-year Justice Department probe.
Federal authorities with the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware, led by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Trump-era appointee, had been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018.
Prosecutors have examined whether he paid adequate taxes on millions of dollars of his income, including money he made from multiple overseas business ventures. They also explored allegations that Hunter Biden lied about his drug use on a gun application form in 2018, despite later acknowledging that he was addicted to drugs around that time.
In June, Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to a pair of tax-related misdemeanors and enter into a pretrial diversion agreement that would enable him to avoid prosecution on one felony gun charge.
After the plea deal fell apart on Wednesday, Hunter Biden entered a not guilty plea to the charges.
Republican lawmakers have for weeks publicly decried the plea agreement as a “sweetheart deal.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s court appearance, Republicans pressed Noreika to consider denying his plea agreement until the court reviews testimony from a pair of IRS whistleblowers.
According to an attorney for the GOP-led House Ways and Means Committee in court documents filed Tuesday, the two whistleblowers have said the younger Biden “appears to have benefitted from political interference which calls into question the propriety of the investigation.”
The White House has repeatedly sought to distance the president from the probe. President Joe Biden has said he and his son never discussed his foreign business dealings and there are no indications that the federal investigation has involved the president in any way.
ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman contributed to this report.
(WILMINGTON, Del.) — A dramatic scene unfolded in federal court in Delaware on Wednesday as a plea deal struck between prosecutors and President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden fell apart — for now — amid the judge’s concerns over the terms of the agreement.
For the better part of three hours, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika scrutinized nearly every facet of the plea deal — prompting shrugs, audible exhales, frantic glances and other expressions of discontent from the government’s attorneys and defense counsel alike.
Noreika acknowledged that her probing threw “a little bit of a curveball” into the proceeding.
Hunter Biden had originally agreed to acknowledge his failure to pay taxes on income he received in 2017 and 2018. In exchange, prosecutors would have recommended probation, meaning he would likely have avoided prison time.
Hunter Biden also would have agreed to a pretrial diversion on a separate gun charge, with the charge being dropped if he adhered to certain terms.
In Washington, Democrats have hailed Biden’s possible plea as a sign of accountability while Republicans panned the details as a “sweetheart deal.”
In court on Wednesday, Noreika, a Trump appointee, raised concerns about the parties linking Hunter Biden’s tax plea agreement to the deal on the gun charge and over whether or not a provision in the deal would grant Hunter Biden blanket immunity — meaning that the government would not prosecute more broadly going forward.
Noreika ultimately deferred the plea deal after the hearing, lamenting on multiple occasions the deal’s “form over substance.”
On several occasions, she took issue with the agreement, including describing it as “atypical” and “not straightforward.”
“I have concerns about the agreement, and that’s why I’m asking these questions,” Noreika said during the hearing, also saying, “I’m trying to exercise due diligence.”
Even if the two sides strike a revised deal, the judge appeared to raise questions about the probation agreement: “I can’t predict if I will agree if that’s an appropriate sentence or not.”
In the interim, Hunter Biden entered a not-guilty plea.
The three-hour hearing featured several turbulent interludes. Noreika’s line of questioning about the possible immunity agreement exposed fissures between the two parties, and the discussion culminated in prosecutors threatening to bring charges under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
That prompted Chris Clark, an attorney for Biden, to say: “As far as I’m concerned, the plea agreement is null and void” — stirring the courtroom into audible gasps.
The hearing was punctuated by multiple recesses, including in the immediate aftermath of Clark’s statement, during which lawyers scrambled to negotiate their way out of divergent perspectives on the immunity deal.
For the next 30 minutes, the parties fell into a pattern of negotiation, consulting in the middle of the courtroom with opposing counsel, retreating to their corners to discuss and repeating.
At one point, a visibly frazzled Clark approached prosecutors with arms stretched wide, threatening to “rip it up” and looking to U.S. Attorney David Weiss, another Trump appointee. “Does anyone want to talk about this?” Clark said.
“Really bad for everyone … no good,” Clark was overheard telling prosecutors moments later.
The dispute seemed to arrive at something of an impasse.
During one recess, as the parties awaited the judge’s return to the bench, Abbe Lowell, a seasoned defense attorney who is handling other matters for Hunter Biden, approached Weiss and introduced himself. “Looks like I’m going to be involved in the fray now,” he said, before shaking his hand and returning to his seat in the gallery.
Meanwhile, a visibly agitated Hunter Biden transitioned from sitting to standing, summoning various members of his legal team to discuss developments, and consulting with Clark. Across the room, Weiss appeared to share Hunter Biden’s demeanor.
At one point, shortly before the judge returned, Hunter Biden chuckled at something his friend and attorney, Kevin Morris, whispered in his ear.
Noreika ultimately requested additional briefing from the parties in the coming weeks before determining next steps.
“I’m not going to say I’m going to accept the agreement. I’m not going to say I’ll deny it,” she said.
Toward the end of the hearing, she herself lashed out at the situation — repeatedly saying she felt as though she was being asked to “rubber stamp” the deal.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden is appearing in a Delaware courthouse Wednesday to formally agree to the plea deal he negotiated last month with federal prosecutors, in what could bring a close to the Justice Department’s yearslong probe into the younger Biden’s business affairs.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jul 26, 7:20 AM EDT
Hunter Biden’s legal team threatened with sanctions
Less than 24 hours before Hunter Biden was expected in federal court, the judge overseeing his case threatened his legal team with sanctions after she found that a staffer might have “misrepresented her identity” in communications with the court clerk.
The bizarre saga played out Tuesday on the court’s public docket, where Ted Kittila, an attorney for the GOP-led House Ways and Means Committee, shared Hunter Biden’s taxpayer information as part of an effort to intervene in the case.
Chris Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, asked Kittila to seal the information, and when Kittila refused, a member of the firm representing Hunter Biden reached out to the court seeking to have it removed from the docket.
Judge Maryellen Noreika wrote late Tuesday that, having “discussed the matter with the relevant individuals,” Jessica Bengels, an attorney with Clark’s firm, “represented that she worked with Mr. Kittila and requested the amicus materials be taken down.”
“It appears that the caller misrepresented her identity and who she worked for in an attempt to improperly convince the Clerk’s Office to remove the amicus materials from the docket,” Noreika wrote.
Noreika asked Hunter Biden’s legal team to explain why she should not level sanctions against them. In response, Matthew Salerno, an attorney for Biden, called it “an unfortunate and unintentional miscommunication,” dispelling Noreika’s suggestion that it might have been a nefarious ploy to have a docket entry suppressed.
“We have no idea how the misunderstanding occurred,” wrote Salerno. “But our understanding is there was no misrepresentation.”
Jul 26, 6:56 AM EDT
Republicans urge judge to block Hunter Biden plea deal
Republicans embarked on a long shot bid in the hours leading up to Hunter Biden’s expected arrival in court to press Judge Maryellen Noreika to consider denying his plea agreement until the court reviews testimony from a pair of IRS whistleblowers.
Those whistleblowers, according to an attorney for the GOP-led House Ways and Means Committee in court documents filed Tuesday, have said the younger Biden “appears to have benefitted from political interference which calls into question the propriety of the investigation.”
Experts said it would be exceedingly rare for the judge to deny a plea deal negotiated in good faith. But Theodore Kittila, the attorney for the House panel, wrote that the judge should “evaluate” the IRS whistleblowers’ remarks before ruling, claiming that “plea negotiations were tainted by improper conduct at various levels of government.”
The judge did not indicate whether she would consider Republicans’ arguments at Wednesday’s hearing.
Republican lawmakers have for weeks publicly decried Hunter Biden’s plea agreement as a “sweetheart deal” and called on the judge to either delay Wednesday’s hearing or reject it outright. Experts have told ABC News that both scenarios are unlikely.
Jul 26, 6:52 AM EDT
Judge will weigh Hunter Biden’s plea deal with DOJ
A federal judge will have the opportunity to either reject or accept the terms of the plea deal Hunter Biden struck with the Justice Department last month.
Judge Maryellen Noreika will preside over the younger Biden’s initial court appearance in the case, set to take place in a Delaware courtroom.
According to the plea agreement, Hunter Biden has agreed to acknowledge his failure to pay taxes on income he received in 2017 and 2018. In exchange, prosecutors will recommend probation, meaning he will likely avoid prison time.
He will also agree to a pretrial diversion on a separate gun charge, with the charge being dropped if he adheres to certain terms.
“I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life,” Christopher Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, said in a statement last month. “He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden is appearing in a Delaware courthouse Wednesday to formally agree to the plea deal he negotiated last month with federal prosecutors, in what could bring a close to the Justice Department’s yearslong probe into the younger Biden’s business affairs.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jul 26, 6:56 AM EDT
Republicans urge judge to block Hunter Biden plea deal
Republicans embarked on a long shot bid in the hours leading up to Hunter Biden’s expected arrival in court to press Judge Maryellen Noreika to consider denying his plea agreement until the court reviews testimony from a pair of IRS whistleblowers.
Those whistleblowers, according to an attorney for the GOP-led House Ways and Means Committee in court documents filed Tuesday, have said the younger Biden “appears to have benefitted from political interference which calls into question the propriety of the investigation.”
Experts said it would be exceedingly rare for the judge to deny a plea deal negotiated in good faith. But Theodore Kittila, the attorney for the House panel, wrote that the judge should “evaluate” the IRS whistleblowers’ remarks before ruling, claiming that “plea negotiations were tainted by improper conduct at various levels of government.”
The judge did not indicate whether she would consider Republicans’ arguments at Wednesday’s hearing.
Republican lawmakers have for weeks publicly decried Hunter Biden’s plea agreement as a “sweetheart deal” and called on the judge to either delay Wednesday’s hearing or reject it outright. Experts have told ABC News that both scenarios are unlikely.
Jul 26, 6:52 AM EDT
Judge will weigh Hunter Biden’s plea deal with DOJ
A federal judge will have the opportunity to either reject or accept the terms of the plea deal Hunter Biden struck with the Justice Department last month.
Judge Maryellen Norieka will preside over the younger Biden’s initial court appearance in the case, set to take place in a Delaware courtroom.
According to the plea agreement, Hunter Biden has agreed to acknowledge his failure to pay taxes on income he received in 2017 and 2018. In exchange, prosecutors will recommend probation, meaning he will likely avoid prison time.
He will also agree to a pretrial diversion on a separate gun charge, with the charge being dropped if he adheres to certain terms.
“I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life,” Christopher Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, said in a statement last month. “He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”
(NEW YORK) — You still have a chance. The Mega Millions jackpot has jumped to $910 million after Tuesday night’s drawing ended without a winner.
The numbers drawn late Tuesday night were: 3, 5, 6, 44, 61 and gold Mega Ball 25.
The next drawing for Mega Millions and its nearly billion-dollar prize is on Friday. It has an estimated cash payout of $464.2 million.
There have been no Mega Millions jackpot winners in 27 consecutive drawings, since the grand prize was last won on April 18. Players must match all five numbers plus the Mega Ball number to claim the jackpot.
The estimated $820 million prize that was offered in Tuesday’s drawing was the fifth-largest jackpot in Mega Millions history, and eighth largest in U.S. lotto history when also factoring in Powerball jackpots.
The previous four times the Mega Millions jackpot crossed $700 million, it grew to over $1 billion, with winners in 2018, 2021, 2022 and January 2023.
Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tickets are $2 for one play.
(WILMINGTON, N.C.) — The Marine Corps has identified the three Marines who were found dead inside a vehicle in North Carolina over the weekend.
Camp Lejeune identified the men as Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Merax C. Dockery, 23, from Pottawatomie, Oklahoma, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ivan R. Garcia, 23, from Naples, Florida and Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Tanner J. Kaltenberg, 19, from Madison, Wisconsin.
The Pender County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a call at 9 a.m. on Sunday to look into a report of a missing person.
During their investigation authorities discovered the bodies of the three men inside a car at a Speedway convenience store in Hampstead, North Carolina, Pender County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release on Tuesday.
“My deepest sympathy and condolences are extended to the family, friends and colleagues of Lance Cpl. Kaltenberg, Lance Cpl. Dockery and Lance Cpl. Garcia,” Brig. Gen. Michael E. McWilliams, commanding general of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, said in a press release. “Our focus is providing the necessary resources and support to those impacted by their tragic loss as they navigate this extremely difficult time.”
Garcia entered active duty in July 2019, Dockery in June 2020 and Kaltenberg in May 2021, according to the Marine Corps.
The Pender County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident and did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for additional information.
Sgt. Chester Ward of the Pender County Sheriff’s Office said the department had received a missing person report for one of the three Marines, but he declined to share details. No drugs were found in the vehicle, he said.
“We do not suspect anything as far as foul play in that matter,” Sgt. Chester Ward of the Pender County Sheriff’s Office told The Associated Press.
(LOS ANGELES) — The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it’s investigating a transgender man’s violent arrest after he and his lawyer released surveillance footage of the February encounter.
Emmett Brock, 23, told ABC News that he was beaten by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy after he gave the middle finger to the officer who Brock alleges was behaving harshly toward a woman on the side of the road. Surveillance footage of the arrest was obtained by Brock’s attorney from a nearby store and released to ABC News.
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department takes all use of force incidents seriously,” the department said in a statement Tuesday.
The statement added, “The Department is investigating the information and allegations brought forward by Mr. Brock and his attorney. Unfortunately, we cannot comment any further at this time due to the pending litigation in this matter.”
Brock said the incident began when he was driving and observed the deputy “just acting in a very domineering, abusive way towards this woman on the street.”
After making the gesture to the deputy, Brock said the same deputy hopped in his car and began following him. Brock said he proceeded to deviate from his route to see if the deputy would keep following him.
Brock said he called 911 and claims he was told “If he doesn’t have lights or sirens on, he’s not pulling you over. If he hasn’t pulled you over, he hasn’t pulled you over. Continue to your destination.”
Brock pulled into a 7-Eleven parking lot when the deputy’s car pulled in behind him and turned his lights on before Brock got out of the car, which can also be seen in the surveillance footage.
As Brock got out of his car, the deputy can be seen in the footage approaching Brock, grabbing him and throwing him to the ground.
“He’s on top of me very quickly,” Brock told ABC News. “I took a step and then immediately was just grabbed, thrown on my head. He punched me, I think, about 10 times with a closed fist on both sides of my head — just beating me and I was bleeding from my ears, and my face was hugely swollen.”
The deputy can be seen in the video hitting Brock while the two were on the ground.
He alleges that officers told him he was arrested for resisting but would not tell him why exactly he was approached by police in the first place.
The deputy has been identified in local news reports as Joseph Benza. Benza’s attorney Tom Yu told ABC-owned station KABC that his client was trying to take control of the situation when Brock apparently tried to walk away from the traffic stop.
“A traffic stop is inherently dangerous,” Yu told KABC. “It evolves very fast, very rapidly. You don’t know if a person is armed. So my client immediately took control of that situation in an attempt to stop Mr. Brock from walking away from that traffic stop.”
Brock says when he revealed in a local jail he is transgender deputies began asking “invasive” questions about his gender identity and genitalia and allegedly made him expose himself to a female officer inside a restroom, after which he says he was placed in a women’s holding cell.
Brock has been charged with two misdemeanor charges, including battery against a police officer and resisting arrest. Brock has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He said he is pursuing legal action against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The sheriff’s department did not release the arresting officer’s name to ABC News.
