Justin Fenton
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Investigative reporter at the @BaltimoreBanner. Author of WE OWN THIS CITY, which became HBO miniseries. Support local news
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Articles by Justin Fenton
Sabrina Tapp-Harper wins Baltimore sheriff race as Sam Cogen concedes
Baltimore Sheriff Sam Cogen conceded the race to maintain his job Thursday, cementing an upset victory for Sabrina Tapp-Harper that was all but assured on primary election day.
Baltimore Sheriff challenger Sabrina Tapp-Harper celebrates apparent victory over Sam Cogen
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott joined sheriff candidate Sabrina Tapp-Harper late Tuesday at her election night watch party as supporters celebrated her apparent victory. âNow the work begins,â Tapp-Harper said. âIt is time to unite behind our common purpose: making Baltimore safer, stronger and more for everyone.â Tapp-Harper would become the first female sheriff in Baltimoreâs history if her lead over first-term incumbent Sam Cogen holds.
Man cleared in 2010 Phylicia Barnes killing gets 2 life terms in rape case
Michael Maurice Johnson, who was convicted and later cleared in the high-profile 2010 killing of 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes, was sentenced Monday to two consecutive life terms plus 25 years for raping a young woman. The victim and her family, along with Barnesâ family members and law enforcement officials who handled that case, filled rows of the courtroom as Baltimore County Circuit Judge Jan Alexander handed down the sentence. Johnson, 42, showed no apparent reaction.
Dali engineer appears in court on felony charge; prosecution deferred
Perhaps the only individual who may see the inside of a courtroom for the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster appeared in court, where federal prosecutors said Thursday they would not pursue a conviction if he complies with certain terms.
‘Enough is enough’: Dali crew members ask court to return home
The owner and operator of the container ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge is demanding that its crew members be allowed to leave after more than two years “marooned” in the United States.
Dali’s chief engineer latest to face criminal charges in Key Bridge disaster
Federal prosecutors have filed additional criminal charges in the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster, adding for the first time a crew member who was aboard the Dali container ship at the time of the crash. However, the crew member and the federal government have agreed to defer his prosecution. That means his case will be put on pause, at least for the time being.
Baltimore cop kept his badge 11 years after talking to FBI source about drug dealing
In August 2014, a confidential FBI source met Alexi Correa at a barand heard a shocking storyfrom the Baltimore Police officer. Correa talked about his own involvement in selling cocaine, offered to launder the sourceâs money and gave tips on how to carry a gun without getting caught, according to a summary of the recorded conversation obtained by The Banner.
Specialized police unit in South Baltimore temporarily disbanded amid internal probe
A Baltimore Police operations squad that roams neighborhoods in South Baltimore looking for crime has been out of commission for months amid concerns about a lack of supervision, officials said. The Southern police station’s district action team was “temporarily deactivated” in late March “due to staffing and supervisory changes within the unit,” department spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge said in an emailed statement.
In Baltimore sheriff’s race, a battle at the ballots — and in court
As they crisscross Baltimore ahead of the June primary election, Sheriff Sam Cogen and challenger Sabrina Tapp-Harper have been raising money, knocking on doors and giving their stump speeches. They also recently sat for depositions in the workplace discrimination lawsuit she filed against him. For years, Cogen and Tapp-Harper worked side by side as commanders in the Baltimore sheriff’s department.
Police can no longer stop to search based on sole suspicion of a gun, appeals court rules
Police in Maryland can no longer stop and search someone solely based on their suspicion that the person is carrying a gun, the state’s full appeals court ruled in a sweeping opinion that some law enforcement agencies worry could curtail police practices statewide. The ruling Thursday by the Appellate Court of Maryland was prompted by a case involving Baltimore Police officers who stopped a man only because they believed he had a gun.
San Francisco Police sought to arrest Baltimore Police officers in sexual assault probe
San Francisco Police sought to arrest two Baltimore Police officers for allegedly raping a woman while she said she was unconscious, new records show. The documents shed new light on a case in which a woman alleged she became intoxicated during a night out with the officers. The next day, she told authorities, she learned she had had sex, which she said she could not have consented to given her intoxication.
Can an Indian man and a Singaporean company really face American justice?
Scant remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge provided a dramatic backdrop as federal prosecutors announced a development two years in the making: The operator of the ship that knocked down Baltimore’s bridge, killing six construction workers, faces criminal charges. But securing an indictment is one thing. Handcuffing an employee half a world away and trying to extract potential financial penalties from a foreign corporation is another.
Maryland settled Key Bridge case against Dali companies for $2.25 billion
The companies that own and operate the container ship that destroyed the Key Bridge will pay $2.25 billion to settle with Maryland ahead of an upcoming trial in federal court. Details of the agreement became public Tuesday, hours after federal authorities announced criminal charges against Synergy Marine Group, the Singaporean operator of the container ship Dali. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office first announced the deal in April, describing it as a settlement in principle.
Federal prosecutors charge ship operator, employee in Key Bridge collapse
More than two years after a container ship destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, federal prosecutors brought criminal charges against the ship’s Singaporean operator and an employee, accusing them in an indictment unsealed Tuesday of conspiracy, obstruction and misconduct resulting in death.
How Maryland special agents started investigating the Attar sextortion case
It was just after 9:30 a.m., July 19, 2022 â primary election day â and Joseph âJayâ Attar was at the Fallstaff Elementary polling place when authorities served their warrant. They wanted Attar, the brother of then-Del. Dalya Attar, to hand over his Samsung cellphone. âWhatâs this about?â Jay Attar asked. The agents, with the Office of the State Prosecutor, said they would answer his questions after they completed some paperwork.
4 Baltimore Police officers will not face charges after San Francisco investigation
San Francisco prosecutors declined to bring charges against four Baltimore Police officers who have been under investigation in the California cityafter a woman says she reported a sexual assault that took place there. The officers, including the commander of the Eastern District, have been suspended with pay and assigned to administrative duties by the Baltimore Police Department since November of last year while the Special Victims Unit of the San Francisco Police Department investigated.
Stripe data now available on Databricks via Databricks Marketplace
Analyze payment and business data directly in your Databricks workspace with Delta Sharing for AI-native analysis - no ETL required. by Justin Fenton, Harish Gaur and Matt Napoli Activate Stripe Data Pipeline with Delta Sharing in minutes, instantly enabling AI applications. Share Stripe payment and business data directly into Unity Catalog, creating a single source of truth for all AI and analytics initiatives.
Former McDonogh teacher, Living Classrooms founder accused of abuse in lawsuit
A former student at McDonogh School is alleging in a new lawsuit that a faculty member sexually abused her, which she says she reported to the school nearly 40 years ago. The woman filed the lawsuit on Friday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore against the school and G. Dennis O’Brien According to the lawsuit, O’Brien, who helped found Living Classrooms in 1985, started off by making sexual comments and engaging in inappropriate conduct before his behavior escalated to physical abuse.
Man cleared in 2010 Phylicia Barnes killing convicted of rape and assault in new case
Michael Maurice Johnson — who was cleared in the high-profile 2010 killing of 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes — was convicted Friday of raping and assaulting a woman in Baltimore County. After nearly four hours of deliberations, the jury delivered the verdict, which also acquitted Johnson of first-degree attempted murder. Johnson, 42, was charged two years ago in Baltimore County with attacking a then-19-year-old woman he had been romantically involved with.
Baltimore state’s attorney reported $1.8M in outside income last year
Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates reported $1.8 million in outside income last year as matters from his time as a private defense attorney were resolved and he sold two properties. The details came in Bates’ annual financial disclosure to the State Ethics Commission due at the end of April.
Ahead of Key Bridge civil trial, employee of Dali operator worries about looming criminal charges
As a high-stakes civil trial nears in the Key Bridge disaster, at least one employee of the Dali cargo ship’s operating company has raised concerns about potential criminal charges. Karthik Nair, a technical superintendent for Synergy Marine Group, did not want his deposition in the civil case to be made public because “if he is indicted, then publicity that he personally ‘took the Fifth’” would be prejudicial, his attorneys wrote in a motion originally made under seal.
Man convicted, then cleared of killing Phylicia Barnes on trial in new attack
She was an 18-year-old living in foster care, waiting on Fulton Avenue in West Baltimore for a Lyft one day in 2023 when a man pulled up in a Tesla. He wasnât her ride. He was twice her age. But they hit it off, exchanged numbers and began going on dates and staying together. A year later, she testified Tuesday, she kicked him out of her apartment after an argument and he returned, choking and raping her until she lost consciousness.
Husband charged with murder of Baltimore County woman missing since 2002
The husband of a woman who went missing in July 2002 in Baltimore County and was never found is charged in connection with her murder, according to court documents. The man, Dwight David Rust Jr., 48, was arrested Monday and charged with the first-degree murder of his late wife, Michelle Rust, charging documents said. She was 24 when she disappeared.
Bridging Data Science and Marketing: Adobe and Databricks Launch Delta Sharing for Adobe Experience Platform and Agentic Marketing Workflows
In today’s hyper-competitive landscape, "speed to insight" is no longer the finish line. The new gold standard is speed to activation. For years, a massive gap has separated where customer intelligence is managed and where marketing is executed. Data teams build sophisticated models and metrics in the Lakehouse, from propensity scoring to Customer Lifetime Value (CLV).
Judge: Baltimore has ‘cut off, foreclosed, shut down’ inspector general’s powers
Baltimore’s law department has “cut off, foreclosed, shut down” Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming’s ability to investigate waste, fraud and abuse, the judge overseeing a dispute over her access to records said Friday. Retired Baltimore Circuit Associate Judge Pamela J. White stopped short of ruling at the hearing but appeared to signal her view of the city’s arguments, saying they were minimizing the authority of the Office of the Inspector General under the city’s charter.
Judge: Baltimore has ‘cut off, foreclosed, shut down’ inspector general’s powers
Baltimore’s law department has “cut off, foreclosed, shut down” Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming’s ability to investigate waste, fraud and abuse, the judge overseeing a dispute over her access to records said Friday. Retired Baltimore Circuit Associate Judge Pamela J. White stopped short of ruling at the hearing but appeared to signal her view of the city’s arguments, saying they were minimizing the authority of the Office of the Inspector General under the city’s charter.
Baltimore cops under investigation in San Francisco remain suspended, 6 months later
After more than six months, a group of Baltimore Police officers, including a district commander, remain suspended with pay as a criminal investigation in San Francisco continues. Maj. Jai Etwaroo, the commander of the Eastern District, and three officers — Juan Rivas, Angel Villaronga and Jahmoor Acosta — were suspended in November by Baltimore Police after they were placed under investigation in San Francisco. The Banner first reported on the suspensions and the investigation in November.
Baltimore’s mayor and IG have a court date Friday. Here’s what to expect.
Six years ago, Baltimore’s then-city solicitor said it plainly: The inspector general’s office needed full access to internal systems and data to fulfill its mandate to taxpayers.
Former Dunbar football coach to be sentenced in $215K police overtime theft case
Lawrence E. Smith, the decorated former Dunbar High football coach, will be sentenced Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court for stealing $215,000 in overtime pay as a city schools police officer. Federal prosecutors are seeking two years in prison for the eight-time state championship-winning coach who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in October, calling his conduct âparticularly egregious.â Smithâs defense attorney asked for a sentence of probation with home detention.
A pair of Baltimore firefighters died more than 2 years ago. The city still hasn’t told the public what happened.
The Baltimore Fire Department wasunderstaffed while relying on aging equipment and outdated training standards when two firefighters died in a blaze 2 1/2 years ago, according to an investigative report obtained by The Banner. Acting Capt. Dillon Rinaldo, 26, and Firefighter/EMT Rodney Pitts III, 31, died fighting an October 2023 rowhouse fire in Northwest Baltimore on the 5200 block of Linden Heights Avenue.
Family of autistic man paralyzed in Baltimore County police shooting calls for investigation
Attorneys say the uses of force reflect a broader, problematic trend and should be investigated Advocates for an autistic Baltimore County man who was punched, shot and paralyzed over two encounters last year with Baltimore County Police are calling on the Maryland Office of the Attorney General to look into the incidents, as well as investigate whether there is a broader problem in how the county handles mental health crises.
Family of autistic man paralyzed in Baltimore County police shooting calls for investigation
Advocates for an autistic Baltimore County man who was punched, shot and paralyzed over two encounters last year with Baltimore County Police are calling on the Maryland Office of the Attorney General to look into the incidents, as well as investigate whether there is a broader problem in how the county handles mental health crises. At a news conference Wednesday, attorneys for 27-year-old John Haley, of Essex, played body camera footage from when police arrived after his mother called for help.
Former Maryland Republican Party official indicted on wire fraud, money laundering charges
James Appel, who has worked for the Maryland Republican Party and numerous GOP candidates, was indicted on federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering. Appel routed $100,000 from a politician’s campaign accounts and another $100,000 from a local tennis nonprofit organization into his own accounts in 2024 in order to refinance a loan on a 65-foot Pacific Mariner yacht, according to the indictment.
Maryland Republican Party official indicted on wire fraud, money laundering charges
James Appel, a Maryland Republican Party official, was indicted on federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering, court records show. The indictment was handed up on March 26 and unsealed Monday morning, the records show. Details of the accusations were not immediately available. Appel has specialized in political campaign finance for years and has been the Maryland Republican Party’s comptroller since 2017.
Baltimore Police arrest Tristan King’s great aunt on abduction charges
Baltimore Police arrested the relative they said helped 9-year-old Tristan King evade detectives and federal agents for nearly six months after the formerly-missing boy ran from a case worker. Denise Day, Tristan’s great aunt, was arrested Wednesday evening in the Brooklyn neighborhood, Baltimore Police spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge said.Day, 60, is charged with abduction of a child under age 16 by a relative and with harboring a child, according to a police news release.
Baltimore may have to abandon the fireboat pier it spent $2M to renovate
A dispute between Baltimore and the federal government could cost the city the home for its fireboat fleet and $2 million spent to repair and renovate the facility. For almost a century, the city’s fireboats have been operating from Fort McHenry, using it as a base for marine emergencies. The city leases a pier there from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 2023, Baltimore embarked on rebuilding the pier, which was dilapidated after years of weather damage.
It’s a tiny county with a high crime rate. And almost nobody wants to be its top prosecutor.
The candidate filing deadline came and went. And no one, it seemed, wanted to be the top prosecutor in Dorchester County. One candidate had filed earlier in the process, only to withdraw the very next day. The Republican incumbent, Amanda Leonard, declined to run again. The county’s Democratic Central Committee reached out to a number of possible candidates but found no takers.
Text messages reveal fraud in ABC Capital meltdown, new lawsuit claims
Now There has been rare public resistance to the push to throttle Telegram, Russia's most popular messaging app, with even some pro-Kremlin hawks fearing it could backfire. The Kremlin’s tightening grip on Russian life has a new target: the country’s most popular messaging app. Ordinary Russians and even …
Text messages reveal fraud in ABC Capital meltdown, new lawsuit claims
ABC Capital employees created fake email addresses, forged signatures, falsified wire transactions and faked deeds as part of a scheme to defraud unsuspecting overseas investors seeking to purchase Baltimore real estate, according to the latest lawsuit over the company’s collapse. Text messages and voice memo transcripts included in the complaint, filed Thursday in Baltimore Circuit Court, provide new insight into the company’s inner workings.
Former Gilman School chaplain charged with 1970s child sex abuse
An 81-year-old Connecticut pastor has been indicted on charges in Maryland that he sexually abused a child at the Gilman School in the 1970s. Court records show Laurence LaPointe was indicted late last month on charges of third-degree sex offense for allegedly abusing a child under age 14 on the North Baltimore school campus sometime between July 1976 and May 1977. A second count charges abuse of a minor.
Former DOJ official takes over state’s investigations into police-involved deaths
A longtime Justice Department official who worked as an investigator of civil rights violations is now leading Maryland’s investigations into deaths after encounters with police. Officials with the state Attorney General Anthony Brown’s office confirmed this week that Forrest Christian has taken over as the chief of the office’s Independent Investigations Division. Christian fills a vacancy since October when the unit’s leadership resigned after one of its cases was thrown out in court.
Judge orders competency evaluation for alleged Zizian cult leader
A Maryland federal judge on Thursday ordered a psychiatric evaluation to determine competency to stand trial for Ziz LaSota, the alleged leader of a cultlike group linked to several killings. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar granted the request from LaSota’s defense attorney, who cited ramblings from his client at a prior court appearance to question whether LaSota was suffering from a “mental disease,” or if she is able to assist in the defense of the case.
They covered up a prison beating. Now 6 correctional officers have been convicted.
One correctional officer pummeled the inmate while two others watched and didnât intervene. A sergeant then instructed them to delete video footage of the incidentâs aftermath. Collectively, six officers agreed to lie about what had taken place that day at the Eastern Correctional Institution. No one was supposed to find out what really happened. But nearly five years later, all six have been convicted of crimes for their roles.
Baltimore County man pleads guilty to paying bribes to City Hall employee
A 54-year-old Glen Arm man pleaded guilty Thursday to federal bribery charges for paying a Baltimore City Hall employee in exchange for wiping away city property tax bills. James Carroll Erny Jr. admitted to paying at least $25,000 in bribes, in order to make at least $147,500 in bills owed to the city go away. Some payments were made in cash in the bathroom of the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, prosecutors said.
City leases marina to Harborplace developer for $1 and slice of revenues
Baltimoreâs spending board agreed to lease the cityâs Inner Harbor marina facilities to Harborplace developer P. David Bramble on Wednesday for 20 years in exchange for a small share of revenue. The lease, which the board approved without discussion, gives Brambleâs MCB IHM control of the 125-slip marina along Key Highway and calls for it to manage and operate it as a âfirst classâ facility.
He came to Baltimore for a better life. Police say he was killed by a wanted man.
13 hours ago Legislation changing the way juveniles can be charged advanced on Friday at the Maryland State House. It comes as a Senate committee voted, 10-1, to send the Youth Charging Reform Act onto the full Senate for consideration. The bill repeals five crimes that, under current law, automatically charge juveniles as adults. It's a compromise, and while it doesn't end automatic charging, it shortens the list of crimes eligible.
He came to Baltimore for a better life. Police say he was killed by a wanted man.
Khaled Saleh Mohamed Alshariki wasnât a Baltimore native or even born in the United States, but that never affected his ability to talk to just about anybody who came to the corner store where he worked. Perhaps it was his inviting smile or calm nature that eased customers hurrying in for a cold cut after a long day of work. âThe seven years I knew him, he didnât bother anybody,â said Basheer Alqadri, who owns several convenience stores in East Baltimore.
Inspector general sues Baltimore City over access to government records
Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the city, alleging its government launched an “unprecedented attack” on her office’s independence in a dispute over access to records. The lawsuit filed in Baltimore’s Circuit Court seeks a declaration confirming the Office of the Inspector General’s independence and subpoena authority under the city charter.
Inspector General sues Baltimore City over access to government records
Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the city, alleging an “unprecedented attack” on its independence in a dispute over access to records. The lawsuit filed in Circuit Court for Baltimore seeks a declaration confirming the Office of the Inspector General’s independence and subpoena authority under the city charter.
Maryland sheriffs: Expect ICE ramp-up after state ban Original
A group of Maryland sheriffs said they were told to expect an increase in federal immigration enforcement following the stateâs move to ban local cooperation agreements. The sheriffs met Wednesday during their monthly meetingwith the acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementâs Baltimore field office, Vernon Liggins, one day after Gov. Wes Moore signed a bill fast-tracked by the legislature.
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