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u.s. news Diasabra 5 september 2020

Undercover drug detective, informant killed; 3 are arrested

details of the shooting, but city of Cleveland and the en-
who was not authorized to tire law enforcement com-
speak publicly, told The As- munity." "It takes a special
sociated Press that Skernivitz kind of courage to be a police
was working undercover as officer," Barr said. "Our men
part of a drug operation and and women in blue put their
that Dingess was a police in- lives on the line day after
formant. day in order to keep us safe.
Jeff Follmer, president of the We will not forget Detective
Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Skernivitz and his life of ser-
Association, said there were vice and sacrifice."
no other officers in the area Gov. Mike DeWine ordered
when the two men were shot. the U.S. and state flags to
Officials have not said wheth- be flown at half-staff at pub-
er Skernivitz was working lic buildings in Cuyahoga
Thursday night as part of County and at the Statehouse
the federal task force or as in Columbus.
a member of the Cleveland U.S. Attorney Justin Herd-
police gang unit to which he man said Thursday that 54
was normally assigned. defendants have been charged
Skernivitz was a 25-year vet- criminally, including 39 peo-
This Friday, Sept. 4, 2020 photo shows flowers placed as a memorial at a playground where a eran. Williams at Friday's ple for drug-related offenses,
car driven by a slain Cleveland police detective came to rest after being shot the night before in briefing called him a "police- since Operation Legend got
Cleveland. man's policeman." underway in Cleveland on
Associated Press Skernivitz and other law July 29.
enforcement officers were It has been more than 10
By MARK GILLISPIE man on Thursday night. An emotional Police Chief sworn in Wednesday at the years since an on-duty Cleve-
Associated Press Cleveland Safety Director Calvin Williams did not pro- Cleveland FBI office to be- land police officer was fatally
CLEVELAND (AP) — A Karrie Howard said at a news vide details about the shoot- come members of the FBI's shot.
Cleveland police detective briefing Friday afternoon that ings during the briefing. Violent Crime Task Force in Patrol Officer Derek Owens,
who had just joined a federal two juveniles and an adult "It could have been random, support of Operation Leg- 36, was killed in February
violence task force was shot taken into custody for unre- it could have been targeted," end, a Justice Department ef- 2008 while chasing a suspect.
and killed in his unmarked lated arrest warrants are be- Williams said. "We don't fort to crack down on violent Owens caught up to the man,
car along with a police infor- ing questioned. Their names know. We're still investigat- crime in a number of U.S. who turned and shot Owens
mant during a drug opera- have not been released. ing." cities, including Cleveland, in the abdomen below his
tion, officials said Friday. Scott Dingess, 50, has been Skernivitz and Dingess were FBI spokesperson Vicki An- bulletproof vest.
Three people have been ar- identified by the Cuyahoga shot around 10 p.m. Thurs- derson. The man was found guilty of
rested in the shooting that County Medical Examiner's day on the city's west side. U.S. Attorney General Wil- aggravated murder and was
killed Detective James Office as the other man killed A Cleveland police official liam Barr called Skernivitz's sentenced to life in prison
Skernivitz, 53, and another inside Skernivitz's car. knowledgeable about some death "a very sad day for the with no chance for parole.q

Judge OKs extradition for men

accused of aiding Ghosn escape

By ALANNA DURKIN Ghosn said he fled because vict them.
RICHER he could not expect a fair Michael Taylor, a former
Associated Press trial, was subjected to unfair Green Beret, ran a private
BOSTON (AP) — Two conditions in detention and security business initially fo-
American men accused of was barred from meeting cused on private investiga-
smuggling Nissan Motor Co. his wife under his bail con- tions, but their caseload grew
Chairman Carlos Ghosn out ditions. Ghosn has denied through corporate work and
of Japan while he was await- allegations that he underre- unofficial referrals from the
ing trial on financial miscon- ported his income and com- State Department and FBI,
duct charges can be extra- mitted a breach of trust by including parents whose chil-
dited, a federal judge ruled diverting Nissan money for dren had been taken overseas
Friday. his personal gain. by former spouses. This Dec. 30, 2019 image from security camera video shows
U.S. Magistrate Judge Don- Bank records show Ghosn In 2012, federal prosecu- Michael L. Taylor, center, and George-Antoine Zayek at pass-
ald Cabell issued a ruling wired more than $860,000 tors alleged Taylor had won port control at Istanbul Airport in Turkey.
approving the extradition of to a company linked to Peter a U.S. military contract to Associated Press
Michael Taylor, a U.S. Army Taylor in October 2019, pros- train Afghan soldiers by us- the company as well as con- fiscated vehicles.q
Special Forces veteran, and ecutors said in court docu- ing secret information passed
his son Peter Taylor, but the ments. Ghosn’s son also made along from an American offi-
final decision rests with the cryptocurrency payments to- cer. When Taylor learned the
State Department. taling about $500,000 to Peter contract was being investigat-
The Taylors are wanted by Taylor in the first five months ed, he asked an FBI agent and
Japan so they can be tried of this year, prosecutors say. friend to intervene, prosecu-
on charges that they helped The Taylors have been locked tors charged.
Ghosn flee the country last up in a Massachusetts jail The government seized $5
year with the former Nissan since they were arrested in million from the bank ac-
boss tucked away in a box May. Their attorneys never count of Taylor’s company.
on a private jet. The flight denied the allegations, but ar- Facing 50 charges, he spent
went first to Turkey, then to gued they can’t be extradited 14 months in jail before
Lebanon, where Ghosn has because they say their actions agreeing to plead guilty to
citizenship but which has no don’t fit under the law with two counts. The government
extradition treaty with Japan. which Japan is trying to con- agreed to return $2 million to