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(NEW YORK) — One of the highest-ranking FBI agents to ever face criminal charges is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday.

Charles McGonigal, a former counterintelligence leader in the FBI’s New York field office, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and has asked for no prison time.

The former FBI counterintelligence chief in New York deserves five years in prison, federal prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum after accusing him of abusing the skills and influence his country entrusted him with by secretly working for a sanctioned Russian oligarch.

He served as the special agent in charge of the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s New York field office. In that position, McGonigal supervised and participated in investigations of Russian oligarchs, including Oleg Deripaska, to whom he provided impermissible services.

“McGonigal knew full well that Deripaska was sanctioned,” prosecutors said in their sentencing memorandum. “McGonigal also cannot claim that he was unaware that he was selling his services to a scoundrel working against America’s interests.”

Despite that knowledge, they said McGonigal sought to gather derogatory information about a rival oligarch, Vladimir Potanin, and Potanin’s interest in a corporation that he and Deripaska were vying to control.

Prosecutors cast it as a serious crime that deserves a serious punishment.

“Although the first task Deripaska assigned his new recruit may not have appeared particularly nefarious, McGonigal was hoping to do millions of dollars in future work for the oligarch,” prosecutors said.

“McGonigal was selling something just as useful to America’s enemies as military grade technology: The ‘erosion … in any rule of law’ that ensues when a nation’s counterintelligence professionals begin ‘operating at the behest of the highest bidder,’ to use McGonigal’s description of his own crimes,” prosecutors said.

In a letter to the court earlier this month, McGonigal’s attorneys said he deserved no prison time for conspiring to help a sanctioned Russian oligarch.

Defense attorneys urged the judge to balance McGonigal’s “extraordinary service” to the country during his 22-year career in law enforcement and counterintelligence. The defense argued “a non-custodial sentence is sufficient to serve the ends of justice.”

“[J]ust punishment may be imposed upon Mr. McGonigal without the need for a lengthy term of incarceration. His fall from grace has been precipitous, having lost his job, his reputation and the peace of his family life,” defense attorney Seth DuCharme said.

McGonigal faces sentencing early next year in a separate case brought in Washington, D.C. that accused him of concealing a payment from an Albanian intelligence official while on the job.

In a pre-sentencing memorandum, defense attorneys conceded McGonigal provided impermissible services to Deripaska but argued the information McGonigal provided to Deripaska about a rival oligarch aligned with the interests of the United States.

“It was wrong, and he admits that. But it is critically important that the Court appreciate, in imposing a just punishment, that Mr. McGonigal understood that the work he agreed to do was consistent with, not in tension with, U.S. foreign policy in the sense that it was in furtherance of potentially sanctioning another Russian oligarch,” DuCharme said.

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(NEW YORK) — The New York City Fire Department said 17 people sustained minor injuries on Wednesday afternoon after some papers were set on fire and extinguished in the lower Manhattan courthouse hosting former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial, though a source told ABC News the incident did not appear to be related to the case or its participants.

The small fire led to three floors of the courthouse being evacuated, according to a spokesperson for the Office of Court Administration.

The injuries are believed to have been caused due to exposure to the irritants from the fire extinguisher, sources said.

Two of the injured — a sergeant and a court officer — were transported to New York Downtown Hospital for observation, the spokesperson said. The other 15 individuals, 14 of whom were court officers, refused medical attention on the scene, according to the FDNY. The two taken to the hospital have been released.

The incident remains under investigation, according to the Office of Court Administration.

“Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 4:15 pm today, an individual depressed a fire-extinguisher on the fourth floor at 60 Centre Street to douse a fire he had set to papers,” Office of Court Administration spokesperson Al Baker said in a statement. “The New York Fire Department responded. Three floors of the courthouse were evacuated. There are no serious injuries reported. The incident is being investigated and the individual is in custody.”

FDNY said it was alerted to the incident with a report of a suspicious odor. The fire extinguisher was discharged and there were fumes.

An individual who set papers on fire was taken into custody but no information was immediately available on their identity or any potential charges.

An attorney who was appearing on the third floor during the incident, Marcy Katz of Pryor Cashman LLP, said she heard screaming and smelled smoke before a court officer instructed everyone to rush down the stairs and out of the building.

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(TUCSON, Ariz.) — Police said Wednesday they are searching for a suspect after three female University of Arizona students recently reported being grabbed, followed, or groped near the Tucson campus.

The incidents were reported within the span of one week, and occurred within a mile of each other, according to the Tucson Police Department.

On Dec. 7, a woman reported an attempted abduction in the area of Eighth Street and North Mountain Avenue around 8 p.m., police said. The victim noticed a vehicle following her as she walked, according to Tucson Police Assistant Chief Christopher Dennison.

“At some point, a male suspect parked the vehicle, got out and grabbed her from behind,” Dennison told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday. “The victim, while being physically restrained, dropped to the ground and started screaming. The suspect released the victim and ran to his vehicle before driving away.”

The victim was uninjured in the incident, police said.

After authorities released information about the attempted abduction, a second victim reported to Tucson police that she was followed by a man in a vehicle around 11 a.m. on Dec. 6 near North Campbell Avenue and East Third Street, police said. The woman was able to safely leave the area, Dennison said.

Both victims provided police with similar suspect and vehicle descriptions, Dennison said.

In the most recent incident, on Monday, the victim told the University of Arizona police department that she had been groped in the area of East Seventh Street and North Vine Avenue, Dennison said. She was uninjured, police said.

“The suspect description and circumstances were similar to the incidents on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7,” Dennison said.

The suspect was described by police as a possibly Hispanic man in his 30s to 40s, between 5’10” and 6′ with a medium to heavy-set build and close buzzcut.

The suspect vehicle was described as a four-door dark-blue passenger car, possibly an early 2000s Toyota Camry or Corolla, with a dented front bumper, tinted windows and an Arizona plate which may be faded or flaking.

“We are actively pursuing both investigative and forensic leads,” Dennison said.

The FBI, U.S. Marshal Service, University of Arizona Police Department, and Oro Valley Police Department are assisting in the investigation, he said.

Dennison said police are exploring creating a sketch of the suspect. He also urged residents to share their doorbell camera videos.

University of Arizona Police Chief Chris Olson said they will have enhanced patrols in the surrounding areas “to provide a higher level of visibility and engagement.”

“What’s important for us is that our community feels a sense of safety,” Olson told reporters Wednesday.

Olson said they are working with the facility management and transportation services at the university “to be vigilant and to report any suspicious vehicles or people.” He advised against walking alone, especially during dark hours, and said students can call the University of Arizona Police Department to request an escort if needed.

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(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The Ohio Senate passed a bill restricting certain transgender rights for minors in the state on Wednesday.

House Bill 68 is comprised of two acts: the “Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act,” which bans transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming care and the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” which prevents transgender girls from taking part in girls’ and women’s sports.

The bill was passed by the Senate Oversight Committee earlier Wednesday before passing 24-8 in the Senate. The bill passed the House of Representatives in June, but it headed back to the chamber for a second vote Wednesday evening over approving the amendments made by the Senate. The House approved those in a vote of 61-27.

The bill will then head to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk, but it is not clear if he will sign or veto the bill. DeWine has previously expressed opposition against anti-trans sports bans, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Currently, under its transgender policy, the Ohio High School Athletic Association says, “Transgender student athletes should have equal opportunity to participate in sports.”

For a transgender female to participate, she must either complete a minimum of one year of hormone treatment or demonstrate that she did not possess physical or physiological advantages over genetic females.

For a transgender male to participate, he must demonstrate that his muscle mass developed as a result of testosterone treatment and does not exceed muscle mass typical of adolescent genetic males. Hormone levels are then monitored every three to six months.

A bill that would have banned transgender athletes from sports that correspond with their gender identity, which also included an overhaul of the State Board of Education’s powers, failed in the Ohio legislature last year. The Senate amended and passed the bill, but House representatives voted against it.

Tristan Vaughn, co-founder of Cincinnati transgender support group Transform Cincy, told local ABC News affiliate WCPO-TV she fears the legislation banning gender-affirming care will lead to increased complications for young people diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

“It’s a sad space,” Vaughn said. “And this is why we continue to do the work, because that side, it doesn’t look great.”

Meanwhile, supporters of the bill say it protects children from unnecessary medical treatment.

“This bill protects children. Children who deserve to have a natural childhood,” Matt Sharp with Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group, testified before the oversight committee on Wednesday, according to WCPO.

This year, there have been 26 bills passed into law in 20 states restricting health care for LGBTQ Americans, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Several of these states are having their bans challenged in court.

According to the Movement Advancement Project, an independent nonprofit think tank, there are 24 states with laws or regulations that ban transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity.

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(NEW YORK) — Six more schools are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) for reports of alleged discrimination on their campuses.

Rutgers University in New Jersey, Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, California’s Stanford University, the University of California-San Diego, University of Washington-Seattle, and the University of California-Los Angeles have been added to the list of schools with open investigations.

The DOE’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released the list as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to take action amid the “alarming nationwide rise in reports of antisemitism, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and other forms of discrimination” on both college and K-12 school campuses since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, according to a statement released last month that initially announced the investigations.

The Office for Civil Rights informed the schools in question that opening an investigation does not imply any finding of responsibility. The Department of Education did not disclose the type of alleged discrimination that prompted the investigations.

A spokesperson for Rutgers University told ABC News the school received notice of the investigation based on the university’s response to two alleged incidents, one in October and one in November.

“The notice provides no further details, but we will certainly fully cooperate,” the spokesperson said.

“Rutgers stands against antisemitism and against hate in all its pernicious forms,” the statement continued. ‘The university strives to be a safe and supportive environment for all our students, faculty, and staff. We reject absolutely intolerance based on religion, national origin, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, or political views.”

The University of California-San Diego said in a statement to ABC News that it “takes all allegations of discrimination seriously” and encourages anyone experiencing harassment or discrimination to reach out to UC San Diego’s Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination.

Whitman College is “cooperating fully” with the investigation by “providing the information requested and learning about the reported incidents,” the school told ABC News.

The statement further said it has not been made aware of the specifics of the allegations, and that Whitman College is “committed to our ongoing work to combat antisemitism and bias of any kind, and welcome insights the OCR may bring to those efforts.”

A Stanford University spokesperson said the college is cooperating with the investigation.

“Stanford is fully committed to a campus environment free of discrimination and harassment, and one in which students of all backgrounds, national origins, and religions are supported and have the opportunity to thrive,” the university representative said in a statement to ABC News.

In response to the investigation, the University of Washington told ABC News it “is committed to the safety and security of all students, faculty and staff, and the UW takes all investigations seriously” and that it will fully cooperate with the investigation.

The University of California-Los Angeles did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

These schools join at least 15 others, representing both K-12 and higher education, that are under investigation concerning Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the 1965 law that, in part, “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.”

School administrators, including college presidents, have come under recent scrutiny for how they are handling reported hate incidents on their campuses.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona told ABC News in a past interview that there will likely be more investigations into schools and universities as incidents continue to surface across the country.

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(NEW YORK) — Air travel for passengers with autism, especially younger flyers, can be stressful and nerve-wracking, according to Alan Day.

Day, a former travel agent who has a son on the autism spectrum, said the long check-in procedures, the noise of the terminal and other aspects of the procedure make trips more difficult.

“I saw how many other issues came up and it’s people with much greater struggles than him that still needed lots of extra help to be able to travel. And that’s always inspired me,” Day said.

Day co-founded Autism Double-Checked, which has pushed to raise awareness among airlines, hotels and other travel businesses on the issues that autistic travelers face. The organization also trains hospitality staff to be more accommodating.

The company runs a special program at Bradley Airport in Connecticut that gives parents a practice run. Day said that this has helped the young flyers on the spectrum get more accustomed to the protocols at their own pace.

“They’re going to come in. They’re going to check in. They will get a gate pass just like a boarding pass for a real flight that will go through an actual TSA line. They will have to be screened, go through the metal detector, then they’ll come to the gate, they’ll wait at the gate and they will be called,” Day said.

Kristen Catino, whose son Jake is on the autism spectrum, participated in an event and said she saw a major difference in a future trip.

“As soon as he stepped into the airport…he said he was nervous, but he walked through. He handled it like a champ,” Catino said of her son.

Day said other airports and airlines, including Breeze Airways, have expressed interest in holding these events and have been great partners. Tom Doxey, the president of Breeze Airways, said he hopes the program can grow.

“So our hope with this is that the more we do this and the more other airlines see us doing this, and it’s not just airlines, it’s hotels and airports,” Doxey said. “And it’s the entire sort of travel ecosystem that it really catches on.”

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