Glen Burnie man convicted of firearms offenses in drug trafficking operation

BALTIMORE, Maryland—Tony Horne Jr., a 43-year-old Glen Burnie resident, was convicted of multiple counts, including illegal sale and possession of a regulated firearm. The verdict follows a lengthy investigation by the Attorney General’s Office into drug trafficking activity in Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City.

Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced that Horne was convicted following a four-day jury trial presided over by Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Yolanda A. Tanner. The charges against Horne stemmed from the illegal sale of a .40-caliber handgun to an associate in October 2022.

Evidence presented during the trial included intercepted communications and surveillance footage showing Horne arranging the sale of the handgun, picking it up at his home and exchanging it for cash in Baltimore City. A subsequent search of the buyer's home recovered the gun.

This case is part of a larger enforcement operation led by the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Unit, in collaboration with local and federal law enforcement. The investigation resulted in significant seizures, including more than 18 kilograms of cocaine, 400 grams of heroin, 360 grams of fentanyl, 67 pounds of cannabis and 21 firearms, highlighting the scope of the criminal network.

Horne, currently being held without bail, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13, 2024. His conviction marks the ninth in a series of ten defendants involved in the massive operation, with the final defendant, Clayton Mooring, scheduled to be tried on July 8, 2024, on charges related to large-scale cocaine trafficking.

Attorney General Brown highlighted the importance of the Organized Crime Unit's work in improving public safety and expressed gratitude to all law enforcement partners for their critical role in the investigation.

Criticism mounts over Biden administration's plan to cull 450,000 barred owls

WASHINGTON DC — America could do much better with $230 million, for example, by spending it on the homeless or veterans.

Key animal rights groups, including Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, have openly criticized the Biden administration’s plan to kill up to 450,000 barred owls. The groups say the plan, which aims to protect the spotted owl, an endangered species in the Pacific Northwest, is impractical, costly and inhumane.

Wayne Pacelle, president of both organizations, called the initiative “the largest raptor cull ever undertaken” and criticized the Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect forest habitats despite spending nearly a quarter-billion dollars on the project. The plan has also been criticized for not considering alternatives and for failing to prevent barred owls from returning and repopulating the areas.

In a recent webinar on the barred owl cull plan, former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife biologist Kent Livezey estimated the cost of the barred owl cull plan at $235,000,000, making it one of the most expensive endangered species management projects ever undertaken.

In one of his dozen peer-reviewed publications on competition between the two species, he noted that no more than 40 raptors have been killed each year to address negative impacts between raptors and other native birds in the United States. But that was in 2010, before the Service began killing barred owls. The EIS proposes killing nearly half a million barred owls, or 12,000 times more than that. “To say this is unprecedented is an understatement,” said Livezey, who has published extensively on spotted owls, barred owls and the range expansion of native bird species in the United States.

The plan has also faced opposition from Hilary Franz, Washington state’s commissioner of public lands, who questions the viability and affordability of the strategy, which spans nearly half a million acres. A webinar featuring Franz and former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Kent Livezey highlighted the unprecedented nature and scale of the cull, noting that the cost and effort far exceed any past raptor management effort in the United States.

A growing coalition of 135 organizations, including 20 local chapters of the Audubon Society, have signed a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland expressing concern and opposition to the plan. Critics say the approach violates ethical standards for treating North America’s native wildlife and are urging that alternative conservation strategies be explored.

WILKES-BARRE, PA—The Wilkes-Barre Police Department reported the arrest of Keith O'Brien, 62, for public intoxication and disturbing the peace. The incident occurred on July 1 at approximately 4:05 p.m. at 140 North Wilkes-Barre Boulevard.

Police were called to the scene after receiving reports that a man had kicked a vehicle. When they arrived, officers found O'Brien, who appeared to be heavily intoxicated, posing a risk to himself and others.

O'Brien was taken into custody to ensure public safety and was held until he sobered up. This incident was recorded under IRC number 240138914.