Leader of cult-like group linked to killing border agent in Vermont faces federal charges
The charge stems from LaSota's arrest in February in Frostburg, Md., after a property owner complained to police that she and two associates had parked a pair box trucks on his land and refused to leave. Police also arrested the two associates,
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No attorney was listed for LaSota in federal court documents and a date hasn't been set for her first appearance in federal court.
LaSota and her followers, known as Zizians, came to prominence in January after the killing of a
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In that incident, authorities allege Teresa Youngblut shot and killed agent David Maland, using a firearm provided to her by Zajko, who had previously lived in Vermont.
Border Patrol Agent David Maland was shot and killed in Vermont on Jan. 20.
BPA Edward Butron/Associated Press
Youngblut is being prosecuted in federal court in Vermont where she is accused of intentionally using a deadly weapon towards federal law enforcement, and using and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon. She has pleaded not guilty.
Felix Bauckholt, a companion who was driving through Vermont with Youngblut, was killed when another agent fired back during the confrontation.
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The federal indictment against LaSota alleges that she had a black scoped .50 caliber rifle, a black handgun, and more than 450 rounds of ammunition when
At the time, LaSota was a fugitive from justice, having skipped court dates in Pennsylvania where she was accused of obstructing investigators looking into the killings of her associate
The couple, Richard and Rita Zajko, were fatally shot in their home in Chester Heights, Penn., on New Year's Eve in 2022.
No one has been charged in the killing of Zajko's parents, and Zajko has denied she was involved.
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Prosecutors allege LaSota knew he was a fugitive from justice and therefore couldn't legally possess firearms or ammunition. If convicted, LaSota faces up to 15 years in prison, according to the Maryland United States Attorney's Office.
LaSota, Zajko, and Blank also face firearms charges in state court in Maryland, records show.
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Another Zizian follower,
Snyder and Youngblut grew up in Washington state, and applied for a marriage license there last year.
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Laura Crimaldi can be reached at
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Boston Globe
9 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Leader of cult-like group linked to killing border agent in Vermont faces federal charges
The charge stems from LaSota's arrest in February in Frostburg, Md., after a property owner complained to police that she and two associates had parked a pair box trucks on his land and refused to leave. Police also arrested the two associates, Related : No attorney was listed for LaSota in federal court documents and a date hasn't been set for her first appearance in federal court. LaSota and her followers, known as Zizians, came to prominence in January after the killing of a Advertisement In that incident, authorities allege Teresa Youngblut shot and killed agent David Maland, using a firearm provided to her by Zajko, who had previously lived in Vermont. Border Patrol Agent David Maland was shot and killed in Vermont on Jan. 20. BPA Edward Butron/Associated Press Youngblut is being prosecuted in federal court in Vermont where she is accused of intentionally using a deadly weapon towards federal law enforcement, and using and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon. She has pleaded not guilty. Felix Bauckholt, a companion who was driving through Vermont with Youngblut, was killed when another agent fired back during the confrontation. Related : Advertisement The federal indictment against LaSota alleges that she had a black scoped .50 caliber rifle, a black handgun, and more than 450 rounds of ammunition when At the time, LaSota was a fugitive from justice, having skipped court dates in Pennsylvania where she was accused of obstructing investigators looking into the killings of her associate The couple, Richard and Rita Zajko, were fatally shot in their home in Chester Heights, Penn., on New Year's Eve in 2022. No one has been charged in the killing of Zajko's parents, and Zajko has denied she was involved. Related : Prosecutors allege LaSota knew he was a fugitive from justice and therefore couldn't legally possess firearms or ammunition. If convicted, LaSota faces up to 15 years in prison, according to the Maryland United States Attorney's Office. LaSota, Zajko, and Blank also face firearms charges in state court in Maryland, records show. Related : Another Zizian follower, Snyder and Youngblut grew up in Washington state, and applied for a marriage license there last year. Advertisement Laura Crimaldi can be reached at
Los Angeles Times
13 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Man arrested after Utah ‘No Kings' rally shooting is released as investigation continues
A man accused of brandishing a rifle at a 'No Kings Day' rally in Utah — prompting an armed safety volunteer to open fire and accidentally kill a protester — has been released from jail while the investigation continues. Salt Lake County Dist. Atty. Sim Gill's office said Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Arturo Gamboa, who had been jailed on suspicion of murder after the June 14 shooting. Salt Lake City police had said Gamboa brought an assault-style rifle to the rally and was moving toward the crowd with the weapon raised when a safety volunteer for the event fired three shots, wounding Gamboa and killing a nearby demonstrator, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo. Gamboa did not fire his rifle and it is unclear what he intended to do with it. His father, Albert Gamboa, told the Associated Press this week that his son was 'an innocent guy' who was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time.' Utah is an open-carry state, meaning people who can legally own a firearm are generally allowed to carry it on a public street. The volunteer has not been publicly identified as investigators have worked to determine who was at fault. Judge James Blanch said in the release order that Gamboa must live with his father and is forbidden from possessing firearms. The conditions terminate after two months or if criminal charges against him are pursued, Blanch wrote. Gamboa's attorney, Greg Skordas, did not immediately respond to a telephone message left for him seeking comment. Police said the day after the shooting that witnesses reported seeing Gamboa lift the rifle when he was ordered to drop it and that instead he began running toward the crowd. He fled but was arrested nearby, accused of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo's death. Salt Lake City police said in a statement the next day that Gamboa 'knowingly engaged in conduct ... that ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member.' But three days after Gamboa was booked into jail, with no formal charges filed, police acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the shooting remained uncertain. They issued a public appeal for any video footage related to the shooting or Gamboa, and said detectives were still trying 'to piece together exactly what happened.' The volunteer who confronted Gamboa was described by event organizers as a military veteran whose role as a safety volunteer was to maintain order. Experts say it's extremely rare for such individuals, often called safety marshals, to be armed. They typically rely on calm demeanor, communication and relationships with police and protesters to help keep order, said Edward Maguire, an Arizona State University criminology and criminal justice professor. Police said the permit for the protest did not specify that there would be armed security. Protest organizers have not said whether or how the safety volunteer who shot Ah Loo was trained or explained why he was armed. All attendees, including those in safety roles, were asked not to bring weapons, according to Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for the 50501 Movement. Parker's organization on Thursday said it was disassociating from a local chapter of the group that helped organize the Utah protest. The demonstration involving some 18,000 people was otherwise peaceful. It was one of hundreds nationwide involving millions of demonstrators against President Trump's policies — which they likened to the dictatorial actions of a monarch — and his military parade in Washington, which marked the Army's 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump's birthday. Brown writes for the Associated Press.
a day ago
Family of ex-FBI agent presumed dead in Iran hopes talks with US can lead to return of his remains
WASHINGTON -- The family of a retired FBI agent presumed dead after vanishing in Iran 18 years ago is calling for any deal between the United States and Iran to include the return of his remains. Robert Levinson disappeared on March 9, 2007, when he was scheduled to meet a source on the Iranian island of Kish. For years, U.S. officials would say only that Levinson was working independently on a private investigation. But a 2013 Associated Press investigation revealed that Levinson had been sent on a mission by CIA analysts who had no authority to run such an operation. The U.S. government in 2020 said that it had concluded that Levinson had died while in the custody of Iran. The family at the time said that it did not know when or if Levinson's body would be returned for burial but vowed that those responsible for his death would ultimately face justice. "We want to make sure that our dad is not forgotten,' Daniel Levinson, one of Levinson's sons, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Friday. The younger Levinson said that as President Donald Trump signals an interest in diplomacy over Tehran's nuclear program that could avert direct U.S. military involvement in Iran's war with Israel, now is the time for Washington to use its 'leverage to hold them responsible.' The family, he said, still has no answers but believes the Iranian government does. 'We fully believe that they know exactly where his remains would be and what exactly happened to him,' he said. 'We want justice for him. We want to get answers. We have no answers and the Iranian government has lied about it for 18 years.' On Thursday, an account on the social media platform X created to draw attention to Levinson's case posted a message that said: 'Our dad, Bob Levinson, was left behind too many times. This may be the last chance to get answers. Any deal with Iran must finally bring him home to rest on US soil.'
