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(NEW YORK) — A former South Carolina pastor has been indicted on federal charges of cyberstalking his wife, including allegedly posting a nude photo of her online, before she died by suicide in 2024, authorities said.

A federal grand jury in Columbia, S.C., returned a two-count indictment on Thursday, charging 46-year-old John-Paul Miller with cyberstalking and making false statements to federal investigators, stemming from the investigation into his wife’s death.

“This case underscores the seriousness of domestic violence abuse and related offenses and serves as a reminder that such behavior has no place in our society,” Robeson County, North Carolina, Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said in a statement posted on his office’s Facebook page, along with photos of both John-Paul and Mica Miller.

Miller is scheduled be arraigned on Jan. 12 in federal court in Florence, S.C., according to the sheriff’s office.

Miller and his 30-year-old wife were estranged and in the process of getting a divorce at the time of her death.

Mica Miller’s remains were discovered on April 27, 2024, at Lumber River State Park in Robeson County, N.C., about an hour north of Myrtle Beach, S.C., according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.

Robeson County sheriff’s deputies went to the park to conduct a welfare check on Mica Miller after she contacted the Robeson County 911 Communications Center, expressing concern that she might harm herself, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies found Mica Miller at the park, “deceased in the water with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” according to the sheriff’s office, which also said a firearm was found near her body.

The North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her death a suicide.

“During the course of the investigation, Detectives identified information that, while not directly related to the actual cause of death, warranted further review regarding Miller’s husband, John-Paul Miller. That information was believed to be relevant in understanding the broader circumstances surrounding Miller’s death,” according to the sheriff’s office statement.

On May 6, 2024, Wilkins formally requested that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina “investigate allegations that were reported to have occurred outside the jurisdiction of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office,” according to the statement. The FBI also joined the investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.

According to the indictment, federal prosecutors said the investigation found that beginning in November 2022 and up to his wife’s death, John-Paul Miller allegedly sent his wife “unwanted and harassing communications.”

“The harassing behavior included Miller posting a nude photo of the victim online without her consent, causing tracking devices to be placed on her vehicle, and in one instance, contacting her over 50 times in a single day,” the indictment alleges.

The indictment also alleges that John-Paul Miller “interfered with [his wife’s] finances and her daily activities and on one occasion damaged her vehicle tires.”

“Federal investigators interviewed Miller about these allegations and Miller lied in his responses,” the indictment alleges. “Miller said he did not damage the victim’s tires, when in fact he purchased a tire deflation device online and sent messages to others regarding the victim’s vehicle.”

The indictment further states that Miller’s alleged cyberstalking put his wife in “reasonable fear of death and serious bodily injury,” and that his conduct “would be reasonably expected to cause [Mica Miller] substantial emotional distress.”

ABC News attempts to reach John-Paul Miller for comment were unsuccessful. It is unclear if he has hired an attorney.

If convicted, Miller faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the cyberstalking charge and two years in prison for allegedly making false statements to investigators, according to the Department of Justice. He could also face a fine of up to $250,000.

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(NEW YORK) — Dramatic police body-camera video released by officials captured the moment an accused shoplifter allegedly pulled a handgun on a police officer inside a Canton, Ohio, Walmart before he was tackled by a store employee.

The incident unfolded on Thursday after the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Shane C.L. Newman, and a female companion were being held in a back office by an off-duty Canton police officer, who was a working security detail at the store, officials said.

“This incident is a reminder of the ever-present threat of violence against police officers and the gracious provision of God’s protection. Thank you to all who regularly pray with me for our offices and our community,” Canton Police Chief John Gabbard said in a statement.

Police body-camera video showed store employees stopping Newman and a woman he was with on Thursday afternoon at the front door of the Walmart and then escorting them to the store’s loss prevention office.

Inside the office, a police officer, according to the security video, conducted a partial pat-down search of Newman, asking, “Nothing on you that’s going to poke me or stab me?”

After conducting a search, the officers told Newman and his female companion to sit on a metal bench inside the office, the video showed.

As the officer radioed in the names of Newman and the woman to confirm their identities, Newman is seen on security video turning to his side and reaching into a pouch he had on him that the officer apparently missed in his search.

Newman is seen in the video pulling out a handgun and pointing it at the officer, but the gun didn’t fire.

The footage showed a Walmart loss prevention employee lunging for the gun and tackling Newman before he could open fire. After a brief struggle, Newman was handcuffed by the police officer, who immediately called for backup.

In the aftermath of the incident, the officer told a sergeant who responded to the store that the suspect allegedly “pulls out a gun and points it at my head and pulls the trigger. It doesn’t go off. I draw. He ends up giving up,” the officer said, according to the video.

The officer, according to the video, told the sergeant he patted him down, but “didn’t get his pouch he had.”

The officer, according to the video, added, “I was going to release them, that was the thing, like it was just going to be a summons.”

Newman was arrested on charges of attempt to commit murder, felonious assault of a peace officer and possession of drugs.

The 23-year-old woman was taken into custody along with Newman and charged with complicity to commit robbery.

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(LOS ANGELES) — Heavy rain and dangerous flooding left one person dead in Redding, California, the mayor announced on Sunday.

It comes as flood watches are in effect for more than 30 million across California due to the threat of heavy rain and flash flooding in the coming days.

Redding Mayor Mike Littau said in a post on Facebook that local police and fire crews have been out doing water rescues while Public Works and Redding Electric Utility have been working to clear roads and restore power to customers.

Cities across Northern California on Sunday saw roadways inundated with flooding, leaving vehicles stranded.

The deadly flooding is due to repeat atmospheric rivers that continue to swamp the West Coast.

A Flood Watch was announced for much of Northern California, including Redding and Sacramento, on Saturday, with some areas expected to get 4 to 6+ inches.

On Christmas Eve Wednesday, another coastal storm will set its sights on the West Coast, but this time Southern California will bear the brunt.

There is growing concern for potentially significant flash flooding, mudslides and debris flows impacting portions of SoCal, as heavy rain sweeps across the region. The greatest concern will be across wildfire burn scars.

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(WASHINGTON) — A U.S. official tells ABC News that the U.S. Coast Guard is “in active pursuit of a sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion.”

“It is flying a false flag and under a judicial seizure order,” the official added.  

The action comes after the U.S. Coast Guard seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday, just ten days after the seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker.

Unlike that first vessel seized, the tanker seized Saturday is not on any sanctions list maintained by the U.S., EU, U.K. or U.N., according to Kpler, a data firm that tracks transportation and logistics networks.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Saturday’s operation in a post on social media, saying that the Coast Guard “apprehended” the tanker with support from the Department of Defense in a pre-dawn action. She said the tanker had last made port in Venezuela.

“The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” Noem said in the post. “We will find you, and we will stop you.”

Last week, President Trump threatened to impose what he called “a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers” traveling to and from Venezuela – a move that could devastate the Venezuelan economy, since oil exports are the lifeblood of President Nicholas Maduro’s regime.

In response to Trump’s announcement, Maduro said Venezuela would continue to trade oil and that Trump’s “intention” is regime change.

“This will just not happen, never, never, never – Venezuela will never be a colony of anything or anyone, never,” Maduro said.

The U.S. has amassed the largest military presence in the Caribbean in decades, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier.

The Pentagon also has so far struck 28 alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing at least 100 people, without providing any public evidence that the boats were carrying illegal drugs or identifying those killed.

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(NEW YORK) — Repeat atmospheric rivers continue to point relentless streams of rain and gusty wind toward the West Coast.

The current system over the Northwest has diminished, but it is still raining in Washington and Northern California and more significant precipitation is on the way later this weekend.

Another Flood Watch is in effect for parts of western Washington and western Oregon until Saturday afternoon for lingering flooding and some spotty rain that could add to it.

The ground remains saturated in these areas and streams remain elevated. This will lower the threshold for additional flooding in the days ahead.

The next atmospheric river will focus primarily on northern California this time, beginning later Saturday and continuing through Sunday.

A Flood Watch is up for much of Northern California, including Redding and Sacramento. Some areas could get up to 4 to 6+ inches.

The extreme Pacific Northwest won’t see as much rain but won’t be completely spared, with a widespread 1 to 2 inches likely. Mountain snow in the Cascades will also come in the order of feet.

On Christmas Eve Wednesday, another coastal storm will set its sights on the West Coast, but this time Southern California will bear the brunt.

Places like Los Angeles and San Diego are facing the threat of over 4 inches of rain, as well as gusty winds. The Sierra Nevada mountains are also looking at 2 to 4 feet of snow, which would render many mountain passes impassible.

Meanwhile, the Northeast has quieted down after being battered by rain and wind on Friday. This made life difficult for those beginning to travel for the holidays.

Many spots saw wind gusts greater than 60 mph, knocking down trees and power lines as well as causing flight delays.

In the storm’s wake, chilly but quieter weather has moved in. Winds have also eased, making for improved travel conditions.

Much of the holiday week will be well above average temperature-wise across the country, with dry and quiet conditions apart from the West Coast.

Dozens of cities are facing record high temperatures across the center of the country. This list includes St. Louis, Kansas City, Tulsa, Amarillo, Sioux Falls, Amarillo and Albuquerque.

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(NEW YORK) — Attorneys for Luigi Mangione are arguing the death penalty should be suspended from his federal murder case due to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s alleged “conflict of interest,” according to a new court filing.

In an overnight court filing, defense attorneys accused Bondi of failing to disclose her work at the lobbying firm Ballard Partners, which “lists United Health Group as a regular client,” and “that she personally financially profited from Ballard’s lucrative relationship with UHG.”

Mangione is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson in New York City in December 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges that accused him of stalking and murdering Thompson and has been fighting the government’s notice of intent to seek the death penalty if he’s convicted.

The defense called it a conflict of interest that should have stopped Bondi from directing prosecutors to seek the death penalty.

“When Ms. Bondi left Ballard Partners to become the Attorney General in 2025, the very first defendant she personally selected to be executed was the man accused of killing the CEO of her former client,” the defense filing argued.  

“The Attorney General’s financial connection to UHG represents a conflict of interest that should have caused her to recuse herself from making any decisions on this case,” attorneys for Mangione wrote.

The defense argued the pursuit of the death penalty violates Mangione’s due process rights.

“The Attorney General’s past and present financial interest in Ballard Partners, which continues to lobby the government on behalf of UHG and UHC, implicates Mr. Mangione’s due process rights because the very person empowered to seek his death has a financial stake in the case she is prosecuting,” the filing said.

The United States Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York customarily declines to comment on ongoing cases and is expected to file a written response to the defense argument.

Attorneys for Mangione have been fighting to exclude evidence from his forthcoming murder trial in state court. The new defense filing in the federal case used some of the testimony from that suppression hearing to argue the evidence should also be excluded from Mangione’s federal case.

The defense argued the search of Mangione’s backpack was illegal because, at the time, he was handcuffed, separated from his backpack by several feet and was surrounded by Altoona police officers.

“There was no reasonable possibility that Mr. Mangione could have evaded the numerous officers surrounding him and opened his zippered backpack while rear cuffed. Accordingly, law enforcement’s search of Mr. Mangione’s backpack at the McDonald’s cannot be justified as a search incident to a lawful arrest,” the defense wrote.

The pretrial hearing for the state case concluded on Thursday. New York Judge Gregory Carro gave the defense until Jan. 29 to make its final argument about what evidence should be excluded in writing. Prosecutors have until March 5 to respond. The defense then has two weeks to submit a response.

Carro said he expected to issue his decision about what, if any, evidence to exclude on May 18, at which point he would also set a date for trial.

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(NEW YORK) — Blue Origin made history Saturday, sending for the first time a person who uses a wheelchair past the Kármán line, an internationally recognized boundary of space that’s 62 miles above Earth.

Michaela “Michi” Benthaus, who suffered a spinal cord injury after a mountain biking accident in 2018, and her five teammates, who nicknamed themselves the “Out of the Blue” crew, spent several minutes in microgravity before safely returning to Earth with the assistance of parachutes and a retro thrust system. The entire mission lasted about 10 minutes.

During the webcast, Blue Origin said that the launch tower, equipped with an elevator, and the crew capsule did not require any modifications for Benthaus, as they were originally designed to accommodate individuals with disabilities and reduced mobility.

Blue Origin also partners with AstroAccess, “a project dedicated to promoting disability inclusion in human space exploration by paving the way for disabled astronauts,” that is sponsored by the nonprofit SciAccess, Inc.

Benthaus, an aerospace and mechatronics engineer at the European Space Agency, told ABC News this week she was eager to participate, especially because she feels as if she has waited “very long for it.”

“I am excited to show the world that also wheelchair users can go on a suborbital flight, and I’m really happy that Blue Origin is supporting this,” Benthaus told ABC News on Wednesday.

In a Blue Origin profile video of Benthaus shown prior to the launch, she said, “I think there’s was not like this one moment when I realized my dream of going to space was not over.”

“I really, really figured out how inaccessible our world still is and how sometimes socially excluding a wheelchair can be even though now one is actively excluding you,” she added.

In a statement, Blue Origin said the “crew exemplifies the breadth and diversity of people who can now experience spaceflight, from engineers and scientists to entrepreneurs, teachers, and investors from all over the world. Each brings their unique perspective and passion for exploration. Michi’s flight is particularly meaningful, demonstrating that space is for everyone, and we are proud to help her achieve this dream.”

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