Jacob Zerkle Arrested on Charges For Assault on Law Enforcement Officers during January 6th Capitol Insurrection

An Arizona man was arrested for assaulting law enforcement during the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Jacob Zerkle, 50, of Bowie, Arizona, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, civil disorder, engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, and related offenses. He was arrested in Tucson and will make his initial appearance in the District of Arizona.

Jacob Zerkle

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, starting at approximately 2 p.m., Zerkle physically engaged on the West Lawn with multiple officers from the Metropolitan Police Department, who were attempting to protect the Capitol grounds. He threw several punches at one officer, pushed at least one other officer, and grabbed the baton of another. At the time, officers were attempting to get to the Lower West Terrace, where they were to provide reinforcements to law enforcement there.

In the 14 months since Jan. 6, more than 775 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 245 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

Tweet

The House That Madigan Built: The Record Run of Illinois' Velvet Hammer

Michael Madigan rose from the Chicago machine to hold unprecedented power as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. In his thirty-six years wielding the gavel, Madigan outlasted governors, passed or blocked legislation at will, and outmaneuvered virtually every attempt to limit his reach.

Veteran reporter Ray Long draws on four decades of observing state government to provide the definitive political analysis of Michael Madigan. Secretive, intimidating, shrewd, power-hungry--Madigan mesmerized his admirers and often left his opponents too beaten down to oppose him. Long vividly recreates the battles that defined the Madigan era, from stunning James Thompson with a lightning-strike tax increase, to pressing for a pension overhaul that ultimately failed in the courts, to steering the House toward the Rod Blagojevich impeachment.

Long also shines a light on the machinery that kept the Speaker in power. Head of a patronage army, Madigan ruthlessly used his influence and fundraising prowess to reward loyalists and aid his daughter’s electoral fortunes. At the same time, he reshaped bills to guarantee he and his Democratic troops shared in the partisan spoils of his legislative victories. Yet Madigan’s position as the state’s seemingly invulnerable power broker could not survive scandals among his close associates and the widespread belief that his time as Speaker had finally reached its end.

Unsparing and authoritative, The House That Madigan Built, is the page-turning account of one the most powerful politicians in Illinois history.

Tweet

Michael Madigan Indictment Details on Charges for Federal Racketeering and Bribery in Connection with Alleged Corruption Schemes

A federal grand jury in Chicago indicted former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives MICHAEL J. MADIGAN on racketeering and bribery charges for allegedly using his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates.

The 22-count indictment accuses Madigan of leading for nearly a decade a criminal enterprise whose purpose was to enhance Madigan’s political power and financial well-being while also generating income for his political allies and associates. The charges allege that Madigan, who served as Speaker and occupied a number of other roles, including Representative of Illinois’s 22nd District, Committeeman for Chicago’s 13th Ward, Chairman of both the Illinois Democratic Party and the 13th Ward Democratic Organization, and partner at the Chicago law firm of Madigan & Getzendanner, used these positions to further the goals of the criminal enterprise. The indictment alleges that Madigan directed the activities of his close friend – co-defendant MICHAEL F. MCCLAIN – and that McClain carried out illegal activities at Madigan’s behest. Madigan and McClain allegedly caused various businesses, including the utility company Commonwealth Edison, to make monetary payments to Madigan’s associates as a reward for their loyalty to Madigan, at times in return for performing little or no legitimate work for the businesses.

Madigan, McClain, and other members of the enterprise allegedly unlawfully solicited benefits from businesses and other private parties. The indictment accuses Madigan of engaging in multiple schemes to reap the benefits of private legal work unlawfully steered to his law firm, including legal work from those with business before the State of Illinois and City of Chicago.

Madigan, 79, of Chicago, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and individual counts of using interstate facilities in aid of bribery, wire fraud, and attempted extortion. McClain, 74, of Quincy, Ill., is charged with racketeering conspiracy and individual counts of using interstate facilities in aid of bribery and wire fraud.

Arraignments in U.S. District Court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled.

The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet S. Bhachu, Diane MacArthur, Timothy J. Chapman, Sarah E. Streicker, Michelle Kramer, and Julia Schwartz.

“Corruption by an elected official and his associates undermines the public’s confidence in our government,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “The indictment alleges a long-term, multifaceted scheme to use public positions for unlawful private gain. Rooting out and prosecuting the kind of corruption alleged in the indictment will always be a top priority for this office.”

“Our elected officials swear an oath to carry out the duties of their office,” said FBI SAC Buie. “When they dishonor that oath, it erodes the trust we have in our officials to do the right thing for our communities, and the FBI and its partners stand ready to stamp out corruption at any level of government.”

“IRS Criminal Investigation provides financial investigative expertise in our work with our law enforcement partners,” said IRS-CI SAC Campbell. “Our hallmark expertise in following the money trail in this type of case shows our agency is committed to rooting out public corruption. Today’s indictment underscores our commitment to this work in a collaborative effort to promote honest and ethical government at all levels, and to prosecute those who allegedly violate the public’s trust.”

Tweet

The Annotated Godfather (50th Anniversary Edition): The Complete Screenplay, Commentary on Every Scene, Interviews, and Little-Known Facts

The Annotated Godfather (50th Anniversary Edition): The Complete Screenplay, Commentary on Every Scene, Interviews, and Little-Known Facts. Hardcover – Special Edition.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Godfather, this authorized, annotated and illustrated edition of the complete, unedited screenplay includes all the little-known facts, behind-the-scenes intrigue, and first-person reflections from cast and crew members on the making of this landmark film.

From its ingenious cinematic innovations and memorable, oft-quoted script to its iconic cast, including Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, James Caan, The Godfather is considered by many to be the greatest movie ever made. And yet, the history of its making is so colorful, so chaotic, that one cannot help but marvel at the seemingly insurmountable odds it overcame to become a true cinematic masterpiece, and a film that continues to captivate its audience decades after its release.

In this annotated and illustrated edition of the complete original screenplay, nearly every scene is examined and dissected, including:

• Fascinating commentary on technical details about the filming and shooting locations
• Tales from the set, including arguments, accidents, and anecdotes
• Profiles of the actors and stories of how they were cast
• Deleted scenes that never made the final cut, and the goofs and gaffes that did
• And much more

Interviews with former Paramount executives, cast and crew members, and and all-new foreword by Francis Ford Coppola, round out the commentary and shed new light on everything you thought you knew about this most influential film. With more than 200 photographs, this a truly unique, collectable keepsake for every Godfather fan.

Tweet

Authorities Endure Freezing Temperatures in Order to Capture Massachusetts Fugitive in Maine #NorthWoodsLaw #Fugitive #Maine #Massachusetts

Snowmobiles and Ice Fisherman were not the only ones out on Embden Pond yesterday. A team of federal, state, and local authorities surrounded a residence in Embden, Maine in order to capture a wanted fugitive.

The U.S. Marshals Service, Maine Violent Offender Task Force announce the arrest of Tylor Santos, 29 of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Santos was being sought by authorities on a warrant issued out of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for Aggravated Assault with a Firearm.

Through a collaborative effort, investigators determined that Santos fled to Maine after being identified as a suspect in a shooting on January 6th, 2022, in New Bedford, MA.

Investigators learned Santos was at a residence on Embden Pond. Authorities were able to safely apprehend Santos early this morning without incident. William Bowring, 39 of Bingham, Maine was also arrested at the scene on a failure to appear warrant for felony theft out of Somerset County, Maine.

The USMS Maine Violent Offender Task Force was assisted by the USMS Massachusetts Fugitive Task Force, Maine State Police Tactical Team, Massachusetts State Police, The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Boston Division, New Bedford Police Department, Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The U.S. Marshals Service Maine Violent Offender Task Force is comprised of members of the U.S Marshals Service, Maine State Police, Maine Department of Corrections, Biddeford Police Department and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

Tweet