$14M DC Medicaid Scheme Turned Minutes-Long Calls Into Full-Hour Bills, Feds Say $14M DC Medicaid Scheme Turned Minutes-Long Calls Into Full-Hour Bills, Feds Say
$14M DC Medicaid Scheme Turned Minutes-Long Calls Into Full-Hour Bills, Feds Say Millions of dollars. Thousands of claims. And some of the care allegedly never happened at all. A Maryland nurse admitted on Thursday, Sept. 17 to taking part in a sprawling $14 million DC Medicaid fraud scheme involving mental health services for children and teens, federal prosecutors said. Bowie resident Vera Nyiawung, 34, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit health care fraud after prosecutors said workers padded the length of phone calls, recycled patient notes and billed Medicaid for services that were never provided or were grossly inflated. And investigators say …
Teen Pulls Gun On Classmate, Demands Cash In Maryland High School Bathroom: Police (UPDATED) Teen Pulls Gun On Classmate, Demands Cash In Maryland High School Bathroom: Police (UPDATED)
Teen Pulls Gun On Classmate, Demands Cash In Maryland High School Bathroom: Police (Updated) A reported gun inside a Maryland high school bathroom turned out to be part of something much larger. Three teens are now facing charges after police say a 15-year-old Northwest High School student pulled a handgun on another student and demanded money during an armed robbery on Thursday, Sept. 17. Montgomery County Police were called to the Germantown school at approximately 12:35 p.m., initially prompting a search for the armed student and a Secure status that kept students and staff inside. Police now say the incident began when a 15-year-old student was approached by another 15-year-ol…
Accused Killer Of Beloved Soccer Coach Captured After Leaving Maryland Motel (UPDATED) Accused Killer Of Beloved Soccer Coach Captured After Leaving Maryland Motel (UPDATED)
Accused Killer Of Beloved Soccer Coach Captured After Leaving Maryland Motel (Updated) The search for Nicholas Njuki's accused killer is over. A 21-year-old man wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of the beloved soccer coach was arrested in Maryland on Thursday, Sept. 17, four days after the deadly encounter outside a sports bar. Shayan Solimani Damabi, of Gaithersburg, was taken into custody after leaving a motel in the city by Montgomery County Police officers assigned to the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Police said he was arrested without incident. Solimani Damabi had been wanted on charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a v…
New Show Starring Judge Judy's Son 'Adam's Law' Now Airing On CBS New Show Starring Judge Judy's Son 'Adam's Law' Now Airing On CBS
New Show Starring Judge Judy's Son 'Adam's Law' Now Airing On CBS A former Hudson Valley, NY district attorney is following his famous mother, Judge Judy, into the television courtroom.  “Adam’s Law,” starring former Putnam County District Attorney Adam Levy, the son of Judge Judy Sheindlin, premiered its first season on Monday, Sept. 14, according to CBS Media Ventures.  The nationally syndicated courtroom program was created by Sheindlin, who is handing the gavel to her son after building one of television's best-known courtroom franchises. Levy brings more than 25 years of legal experience to the show, including two terms as Putnam Count…
College Volleyball Player Dies Weeks After Blood Disorder Diagnosis: These Were Her Symptoms College Volleyball Player Dies Weeks After Blood Disorder Diagnosis: These Were Her Symptoms
College Volleyball Player Dies Weeks After Blood Disorder Diagnosis: These Were Her Symptoms A Massachusetts college volleyball player has died two months after revealing that a rare blood disorder had left her in critical condition. Amanda Elizabeth Mack died Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 9:16 p.m., according to an announcement posted by her family to her Instagram account. She was 20 years old. Mack, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter who previously played at Eastern Kentucky and attended IMG Academy, announced May 9 that she would continue her career at Holy Cross. Just over two months later, Mack revealed that she had been diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia.  Aplastic anemia is …
Bike Valet Stabbed Co-Worker 12 Times Outside Audi Field Before Soccer Match, Feds Say Bike Valet Stabbed Co-Worker 12 Times Outside Audi Field Before Soccer Match, Feds Say
Bike Valet Stabbed Co-Worker 12 Times Outside Audi Field Before Soccer Match, Feds Say Wali Shabazz did not take kindly to a perceived slight from a co-worker at Audi Field. The 51-year-old District resident was convicted following a stabbing incident involving a co-worker who showed up to work late one afternoon, according to federal authorities. According to prosecutors, Shabazz and Gross were scheduled to work at a bike valet service outside Audi Field on April 27, 2024, just before a DC United match. The two barely knew each other. Gross showed up very late for his shift and attempted to apologize to the other valets. Everyone acknowledged him except Shabazz, prosecutor…
No Lights, No Helmet Before High-Speed Motorcycle Crash Outside Maryland Dunkin': Police No Lights, No Helmet Before High-Speed Motorcycle Crash Outside Maryland Dunkin': Police
No Lights, No Helmet Before High-Speed Motorcycle Crash Outside Maryland Dunkin': Police No lights. No helmet. A 25-year-old motorcyclist was critically injured in Maryland late Wednesday night after police say he was speeding when he slammed into an SUV turning into a Dunkin' location. The crash happened at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 16 near Annapolis Road and Parkside Boulevard in Severn, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Investigators say the 25-year-old Severn man was riding a 2020 Dong Fing CSR motorcycle east on Annapolis Road at a high rate of speed when a 2016 Ford Escape began turning left into the Dunkin' in the 2700 block. The motorcycle…
Speed, Alcohol Eyed After Passenger Ejected, Killed In Maryland Rollover Crash: Sheriff Speed, Alcohol Eyed After Passenger Ejected, Killed In Maryland Rollover Crash: Sheriff
Speed, Alcohol Eyed After Passenger Ejected, Killed In Maryland Rollover Crash: Sheriff One person never made it out alive. A passenger was ejected and killed in a violent Maryland rollover crash on Wednesday evening, Sept. 16, while two others escaped with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, authorities said. Wicomico County Sheriff's deputies and Mardela Volunteer Fire Department crews were called to the area of Norris Twilley Road and Norfolk Drive in Delmar at approximately 5:14 p.m. following reports of an injury crash. Investigators say the vehicle went off the road and overturned multiple times. One of the passengers was thrown from the vehicle dur…
He Was 13 When Junior Burdynski Was Killed, 33 Years Later He Told Police What Happened He Was 13 When Junior Burdynski Was Killed, 33 Years Later He Told Police What Happened
He Was 13 When Junior Burdynski Was Killed, 33 Years Later He Told Police What Happened For 33 years, no one had been charged with killing Junior Burdynski. That changed this week when Maryland investigators said a new sex abuse case led them to a witness who told detectives what happened to the 10-year-old boy on the day he vanished in 1993. Prince George's County Police announced on Thursday, Sept. 17, that 61-year-old Joseph Lynch has been charged with murdering George "Junior" Burdynski Jr., who disappeared while riding his bicycle in his Brentwood neighborhood. Junior Burdynski Prince George's County Police His body has never been found. Junior was last seen on …
Arm Trapped In Industrial Mixer As Helicopter Brings Trauma Team To Maryland (DEVELOPING) Arm Trapped In Industrial Mixer As Helicopter Brings Trauma Team To Maryland (DEVELOPING)
Arm Trapped In Industrial Mixer As Helicopter Brings Trauma Team To Maryland (Developing) A worker got caught in an industrial mixer at a Maryland business on Thursday afternoon. The accident was reported at Omega 3 Nutrition in the 1300 block of East Gude Drive near Southlawn Lane in Rockville on Sept. 17, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer. Firefighters were called to the manufacturing business shortly before 3:30 p.m. for a reported traumatic injury involving a worker whose extremity had become entangled in machinery. Officials later said the worker's arm and hand were actively trapped in what was described as an industrial mixe…
Rideshare Driver Took Teen Passenger To Parking Lot, Raped Her In Maryland: Police Rideshare Driver Took Teen Passenger To Parking Lot, Raped Her In Maryland: Police
Rideshare Driver Took Teen Passenger To Parking Lot, Raped Her In Maryland: Police A rideshare driver who allegedly raped and kidnapped a teenage passenger has been apprehended, police say. Now, members of the Montgomery County Police Department are worried there may be other victims. Lanham resident Abdoulaye Dia is facing a host of charges following an investigation into an alleged sexual assault. According to police, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, first responders were called to an area hospital to investigate a reported rape that occurred earlier in the day. Officers spoke with the victim, a teenage girl under the age of 18, who reported that she had been raped by an Empower…
Belt Buckle Beating Leaves Man Hospitalized After Virginia Restaurant Argument: Police Belt Buckle Beating Leaves Man Hospitalized After Virginia Restaurant Argument: Police
Belt Buckle Beating Leaves Man Hospitalized After Virginia Restaurant Argument: Police Talk about getting belted. A late-night argument inside a Virginia restaurant took a bizarre turn when a patron allegedly pulled off his belt and used the buckle to beat another man before taking off, police said. Officers were called to Almita’s Restaurant at 13418 Occoquan Road in Woodbridge shortly after 1 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 14, after the unusual encounter left a 30-year-old man injured. Police say the victim was inside the restaurant when he was approached by a man he didn’t know. Whatever was said between the two apparently struck a nerve. The verbal altercation escalated, and th…
Maryland Helicopter Crews Train To Pluck Stranded Animals From Places Rescuers Can't Reach Maryland Helicopter Crews Train To Pluck Stranded Animals From Places Rescuers Can't Reach
Maryland Helicopter Crews Train To Pluck Stranded Animals From Places Rescuers Can't Reach Not every rescue comes with two legs. Maryland helicopter crews spent Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Aberdeen Proving Ground learning how to reach and evacuate animals when disaster leaves them stranded somewhere traditional ground crews cannot go. The exercise brought together the Maryland Helicopter Aquatic Response Team, Maryland State Police Aviation Command, Maryland Army National Guard, Maryland Task Force 1 and Harford County Animal Control. The mission was straightforward: prepare for the animals that can get caught in the same floods, storms and other natural or man-made disasters that se…
115 MPH, 115 Months: Maryland Fugitive Gets Matching Prison Term After I-81 Virginia Chase: DOJ 115 MPH, 115 Months: Maryland Fugitive Gets Matching Prison Term After I-81 Virginia Chase: DOJ
115 MPH, 115 Months: Maryland Fugitive Gets Matching Prison Term After I-81 Virginia Chase: DOJ One month behind bars for every mile per hour. A Philly fugitive wanted out of Maryland who hit 115 mph while fleeing police in Virginia will now spend 115 months in federal prison, prosecutors announced on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Corey Frances Potter, 30, was sentenced following a February chase on I-81 that tore through a work zone before ending with his vehicle overturned in the median in Rockingham County. And what investigators found after the crash only made things worse. Potter was heading north from Roanoke toward Winchester when law enforcement caught up with him and attempted a tra…
Driver Gets One Year Behind Bars After 84 MPH Crash Killed Woman Heading Home From Church Driver Gets One Year Behind Bars After 84 MPH Crash Killed Woman Heading Home From Church
Driver Gets One Year Behind Bars After 84 MPH Crash Killed Woman Heading Home From Church Nineteen years of Jesica Argueta's sentence won't be spent behind bars. The 24-year-old Maryland driver who was going more than twice the speed limit when she caused a crash that killed an 85-year-old woman heading home from church has been ordered to serve just one year in prison. Jesica Argueta, 24, of Silver Spring, was sentenced on Wednesday, Sept. 16, to 20 years, with all but one year suspended, following her guilty plea in Montgomery County Circuit Court. The sentence comes more than a year after a violent morning rush-hour crash that left Josephine Gieske fighting for her life. …
Covered In Blood, Dog Hair: Fairfax County Man Stabbed His Dog 14 Times, Sheriff Says Covered In Blood, Dog Hair: Fairfax County Man Stabbed His Dog 14 Times, Sheriff Says
Covered In Blood, Dog Hair: Fairfax County Man Stabbed His Dog 14 Times, Sheriff Says A 34-year-old Virginia man whose dog jumped out of his vehicle in Maryland is facing charges after putting the animal down by stabbing it more than a dozen times. Deputies from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office were met with a grisly scene early on Thursday morning, when they found Reston resident Erfan Behnam on the side of the road covered in blood and dog hair. Shortly before 2 a.m. on Sept. 17, deputies were called to the 7900 block of Hollow Road when a passerby reported a disabled vehicle along the roadside with a driver who claimed he had run over his dog, killing it. The t…
Teen Arrested After Armed Robbery Reported Inside Maryland High School: Police (DEVELOPING) Teen Arrested After Armed Robbery Reported Inside Maryland High School: Police (DEVELOPING)
Teen Arrested After Armed Robbery Reported Inside Maryland High School: Police (Developing) A juvenile was arrested after an armed robbery was reported inside a Maryland high school on Thursday afternoon, police said. Montgomery County Police officers were called to Northwest High School in Germantown at approximately 12:35 p.m. on Sept. 17 for the reported robbery. Around the same time, a student told a staff member that another student had a gun inside a school bathroom and had shown the weapon to another student, according to a message Principal Scott Smith sent to Northwest families. Staff and security responded and contacted the police. As they approached the bathroom, the …
Vehicle Fire, Debris Shut All Eastbound ICC Lanes As Backup Stretches More Than A Mile Vehicle Fire, Debris Shut All Eastbound ICC Lanes As Backup Stretches More Than A Mile
Vehicle Fire, Debris Shut All Eastbound ICC Lanes As Backup Stretches More Than A Mile Drivers were squeezing past trouble on the shoulder of a busy Maryland highway Thursday afternoon. A vehicle fire shut down all three eastbound lanes of the Intercounty Connector past Layhill Road in Montgomery County shortly before noon on Sept. 17, according to Maryland transportation officials. The incident was reported at approximately 11:55 a.m. and involved one vehicle. As responders worked at the scene, MATOC reported debris in the roadway and warned that delays were building with all eastbound travel lanes blocked. Silver Spring, MD - Aerial of the scene of a reported vehicle f…
Gunman Steals DC Artist Shady Rose's Scooter, Leaving Them Without Ride To Work, Shows Gunman Steals DC Artist Shady Rose's Scooter, Leaving Them Without Ride To Work, Shows
Gunman Steals DC Artist Shady Rose's Scooter, Leaving Them Without Ride To Work, Shows A DC artist was left without their main mode of transportation after being robbed at gunpoint of the scooter they relied on to get to work and shows. Shady Rose, known to friends as Nana, had their black Buddy scooter forcefully stolen during what a friend described as a violent robbery. In response, Yousef Karim set up a GoFundMe campaign for Rose, which quickly garnered the community's attention. The fundraiser does not specify when or where the robbery happened, and authorities have not publicly announced an arrest in connection with the theft. For Rose, however, the scooter was more t…
Lexus, Mercedes Torched Outside Maryland Home In Suspected Arson: Fire Marshal Lexus, Mercedes Torched Outside Maryland Home In Suspected Arson: Fire Marshal
Lexus, Mercedes Torched Outside Maryland Home In Suspected Arson: Fire Marshal Someone apparently wanted these cars burned. A Lexus and Mercedes were found engulfed in flames outside a Maryland home early Thursday, Sept. 17, in what investigators believe was an intentionally set fire. The Indian Head Volunteer Fire Department was called to 10 Jameson Court in Charles County shortly before 1:30 a.m., according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal. Waiting for the four responding firefighters were a Lexus LS400 and Mercedes C240 burning in the parking area outside the residence. It took approximately 20 minutes to bring the one-alarm fire under control. Nobody was inju…
Man Faces Murder Charge After Infant Killed With Traumatic Injuries In DC: Police Man Faces Murder Charge After Infant Killed With Traumatic Injuries In DC: Police
Man Faces Murder Charge After Infant Killed With Traumatic Injuries In DC: Police More than a month after 2-month-old Khamyah Honesty was killed, police say they have made an arrest. Demetrius Beatty, 40, was tracked down by members of the Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force on Wednesday, Sept. 16, and arrested on a DC Superior Court warrant, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. The man with no fixed address is now charged with first-degree felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children in Khamyah's death. Police have not said what Beatty's relationship was to the 2-month-old girl, though detectives said the killing had "domestic overtones." First…
Loaded Gun Found In 15-Year-Old's Bag As Students Arrive At Maryland High School (DEVELOPING) Loaded Gun Found In 15-Year-Old's Bag As Students Arrive At Maryland High School (DEVELOPING)
Loaded Gun Found In 15-Year-Old's Bag As Students Arrive At Maryland High School (Developing) A loaded gun didn't make it past the morning arrival rush. A 15-year-old student was caught carrying a loaded handgun into Joppatowne High School in Harford County on Thursday morning, Sept. 17, according to the sheriff's office. Students were arriving for the day when the school's weapons detection system flagged the teen for a possible weapon, prompting a school safety liaison to conduct a search. That search turned up a loaded handgun concealed in the student's belongings, authorities said. A school resource officer who was already on campus detained the teen before deputies took him t…
Measles Alert Issued After Infectious Visitor Stops At Maryland Beach Hotspots Measles Alert Issued After Infectious Visitor Stops At Maryland Beach Hotspots
Measles Alert Issued After Infectious Visitor Stops At Maryland Beach Hotspots A trip to the beach came with an unwanted passenger. Maryland health officials issued an alert after a person infected with measles visited several popular Ocean City destinations while contagious earlier this month. The potential exposures stretch from Wednesday, Sept. 3 through Saturday, Sept. 5, and include an Ocean City hotel, pizzeria, and restaurant, according to the Maryland Department of Health. Contact tracing is underway to identify and notify people who may have been exposed. Officials said anyone who visited these locations during the listed windows may have been exposed: Ca…
Maryland Shopper Got Tired Of Waiting In Line, Then Came Back With A Gun: Sheriff Maryland Shopper Got Tired Of Waiting In Line, Then Came Back With A Gun: Sheriff
Maryland Shopper Got Tired Of Waiting In Line, Then Came Back With A Gun: Sheriff Tiffany Booze does not wait in line. The 38-year-old Fort Washington woman was arrested and released following a strange incident that played out at the Smallwood Village Center in Waldorf, according to the Charles County Sheriff's Office. Earlier this month, officers were called when Booze allegedly became confrontational with a store employee after expressing frustration about waiting in line, prompting a second employee to open another register for her. That wasn't enough. Before leaving, it is alleged Booze punched the first employee in the face. There was a brief physical alterc…
Tiny Bursts Of Sound May Help Brain During Deep Sleep, Study Reveals Tiny Bursts Of Sound May Help Brain During Deep Sleep, Study Reveals
Tiny Bursts Of Sound May Help Brain During Deep Sleep, Study Reveals A barely noticeable sound delivered at exactly the right moment during sleep may give one of the brain’s overnight maintenance systems a boost. MIT researchers found that precisely timed bursts of pink noise strengthened waves of cerebrospinal fluid, the clear liquid that helps remove waste products from the brain during sleep. The findings were published Wednesday, Sept. 9, in Science Translational Medicine. Pink noise contains the full range of frequencies people can hear, but lower pitches are louder and higher pitches are softer. MIT describes the result as a balanced, gentle sound, lik…
Man Jumps From Moving Car After Armed Carjackers Force Him Into Trunk In DC, Feds Say Man Jumps From Moving Car After Armed Carjackers Force Him Into Trunk In DC, Feds Say
Man Jumps From Moving Car After Armed Carjackers Force Him Into Trunk In DC, Feds Say A DC man thought locking his victim in the trunk would be enough. It wasn't. The man popped the emergency release and jumped from the moving car after Dajuane Goode and two others allegedly forced him inside during an armed carjacking in Southeast DC, according to federal prosecutors. More than two years later, Goode has admitted to his role in the ordeal. Goode, 25, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Sept. 15, to carjacking and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia announced. The carjacking b…
'She Deserved Another Birthday': Transgender Woman Sophie Mourned After Maryland Shooting 'She Deserved Another Birthday': Transgender Woman Sophie Mourned After Maryland Shooting
'She Deserved Another Birthday': Transgender Woman Sophie Mourned After Maryland Shooting Sophie should have had decades left. Instead, the 27-year-old transgender woman was shot and killed in Maryland early on Friday, Sept. 11, leaving her family to plan a funeral and those who loved her asking that she be remembered for more than how she died. Baltimore Police were called to the 2300 block of Hunter Street at approximately 1:15 a.m. for a reported shooting and found a woman suffering from gunshot wounds in the 2400 block of North Calvert Street, officials said. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not publicly identified the victim, though Baltimore Safe Haven id…
Fugitive Wanted On Child Sex Charges 1,500 Miles Away Turns Up In Falls Church: ICE Fugitive Wanted On Child Sex Charges 1,500 Miles Away Turns Up In Falls Church: ICE
Fugitive Wanted On Child Sex Charges 1,500 Miles Away Turns Up In Falls Church: ICE A fugitive wanted on child sex charges in Colorado turned up more than 1,500 miles away in Virginia. Jose Saul Canas-Guandique, 49, was arrested by ICE officers in Falls Church after authorities said they learned he was wanted out west on three felony charges involving a child. Canas-Guandique, a Salvadoran national, is charged in Colorado with: Sexual assault on a child by a person of trust; Solicitation of child prostitution; Use of the internet to lure a child with intent to exploit. The arrest raises an obvious question that ICE's Wednesday, Sept. 16 announcement doesn't answer: How d…
Manhunt Underway For 21-Year-Old Accused Of Killing 'Coach Nick' In Maryland (UPDATED) Manhunt Underway For 21-Year-Old Accused Of Killing 'Coach Nick' In Maryland (UPDATED)
Manhunt Underway For 21-Year-Old Accused Of Killing 'Coach Nick' In Maryland (Updated) The search for Nicholas Njuki's killer now has a name and a face. A 21-year-old Maryland man is wanted for murder after investigators identified him as the suspected gunman in the fatal shooting of Njuki outside a Rockville restaurant early Sunday, Sept. 13, according to Montgomery County Police. Shayan Solimani Damabi, of Gaithersburg, remained on the run as of Wednesday, Sept. 16, three days after the 33-year-old Njuki was killed following a confrontation that began inside Quincy's on Seven Locks Road. Police say Damabi may be driving a red 2018 four-door Acura TLX with Maryland license …
Maryland Nurse Took Morphine Meant For 10-Year-Old After Open-Heart Surgery: AG Maryland Nurse Took Morphine Meant For 10-Year-Old After Open-Heart Surgery: AG
Maryland Nurse Took Morphine Meant For 10-Year-Old After Open-Heart Surgery: AG A 10-year-old recovering from open-heart surgery was left in severe pain in Maryland while the nurse entrusted with the child's morphine was diverting the drug for herself, prosecutors say. Kaitlyn Elizabeth Chalmers was working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore when another nurse began questioning why the child's pain wasn't under control, according to the Maryland Attorney General's Office. The child had just undergone open-heart surgery. Chalmers, a registered nurse at the time, was responsible for administering the morphine p…
Search For Missing Virginia Woman Covered 6K Acres Before She Was Found Not Far From Home Search For Missing Virginia Woman Covered 6K Acres Before She Was Found Not Far From Home
Search For Missing Virginia Woman Covered 6K Acres Before She Was Found Not Far From Home Hundreds searched. Thousands of hours were spent. Still, the ending came painfully close to home. Nearly two weeks after 80-year-old Carolyn Taylor disappeared in Virginia, she was found dead by a neighbor on Sunday, Sept. 6, in a densely wooded area not far from her Lincoln-area home, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Now, investigators are detailing just how extensive the search for Taylor became before she was found. Approximately 315 people spent more than 2,400 hours combing over 6,000 acres of rural terrain after Taylor, who had dementia, was reported missing at 1:51 …