dispute: man claimed that declining [his offer of] cocaine was 'offensive to his culture' eventually shooting up apartment(s)
title: "Scottsdale man said declining cocaine was 'offensive to his culture' before shooting up apartments, police say" url: "https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/scottsdale-man-said-refusing-cocaine-was-offensive-his-culture-before-shooting-up-apartment-police-say" author: "Elias Weiss"
Samuel Ellery Sedgwick, 49, is accused of a cocaine-inspired shooting in Scottsdale. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, FOX 10 File)
A Scottsdale man unleashed a hail of gunfire at an apartment building in broad daylight after neighbors refused to do cocaine with him and smashed him in the face with a hammer during the melee that followed, according to court documents.
What we know:
Samuel Ellery Sedgwick is accused of multiple felonies, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and firing a gun at a building, following the Thursday morning rampage near Miller and Osborn roads A Maricopa County judge set his bond at $100,000.
‘Culture’ clash ends in hammer blows
Timeline:
According to court documents, Scottsdale police were initially dispatched to the apartment complex around 10:45 a.m. on Oct. 15 for an active assault. Investigators said Sedgwick entered a neighbor's unit uninvited while in what appeared to be an altered state and offered cocaine to the people inside. When the residents turned him down, Sedgwick reportedly claimed the refusal was "offensive to his culture," tore off his shirt and began beating one of the men with his fists and feet.
The attack escalated when police said a second occupant, fearing the victim was going to be killed, grabbed a claw hammer and struck Sedgwick twice in the face. Police said Sedgwick then pulled a 9mm Glock handgun from his backpack, threatened to murder the occupants, pistol-whipped the injured man across the head and sprayed mace across the apartment before running out the door.
'No one chips his tooth and gets away with it'
Sedgwick fled to his nearby apartment, where court records show he looked in the mirror, realized the hammer blows had chipped his tooth and flew into a rage, declaring that "no one chips his tooth and gets away with it." Armed with the handgun, police said Sedgwick hopped on a bicycle and rode back to the scene to carry out his revenge.
Investigators said Sedgwick fired 10 rounds from the complex's north alleyway. While he believed he was shooting into the apartment where the fight began, the gunfire instead tore through a covered parking structure and struck a neighboring unit. One bullet pierced a window and lodged into the ceiling of that apartment, whose resident was not home at the time.
Responding Scottsdale officers arrived just as shots were ringing out and spotted Sedgwick pedaling away on his bicycle. Multiple units converged on the area and arrested Sedgwick within minutes at a neighboring community. "Sedgwick was quickly apprehended by responding police officers, including patrol officers, Bike Unit officers, Street Crimes Unit detectives, K9 units and Special Assignments Unit detectives," said Officer Aaron Bolin.
Dig deeper:
Along his path of flight, officers recovered a loaded Glock 45 9mm semi-automatic handgun discarded next to a dumpster.
Sedgwick, who reportedly admitted to arresting officers that he was not allowed to possess a gun because of past felony convictions, was treated at a local hospital for facial injuries before being booked into Maricopa County jail. A search warrant served at his apartment turned up matching ammunition, pepper gel spray and a plastic bag containing a white powdery substance.
One victim was taken to the hospital for treatment of a head injury and possible broken ribs.
What we don't know:
Investigators haven't clarified Sedgwick's exact relationship to the victims beyond noting that they already knew each other.
What's next:
Sedgwick remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 26.
Area where the incident occurred:
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from a Scottsdale Police Department statement and Maricopa County court documents, including a police probable cause affidavit and a court release order.
Members Of Tucson Gang Sentenced For RICO Conspiracy and various charges
title: "Members Of Murderous Tucson Gang Sentenced For RICO Conspiracy" url: "https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2026/10/07/member-of-murderous-tucson-gang-sentenced-for-rico-conspiracy/" author: "ADI Staff Reporter, 14678 Articles"
Evo A. DeConcini Federal Courthouse [Photo by GSA]
A Tucson gang member, David Kapone Williams, has been sentenced to 335 months in prison after previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity.
Williams’ prison sentence is to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the Department of Justice, Williams admitted to being a member of the Western Hills Bloods (WHB) criminal street gang that operated in Tucson. The WHB was an organized group of individuals involved in a pattern of racketeering activity, including narcotics trafficking, possessing firearms, witness intimidation, and committing violent crimes, including murder, on behalf of the gang.
According to court documents, on May 15, 2015, along with other WHB members, David Williams murdered a rival gang member in the parking lot of the La Quinta Hotel near the Tucson International Airport. WHB members also participated in the October 2014 homicide of an individual near Fremont Street in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to the violence, Williams engaged in trafficking narcotics in Tucson, and throughout the United States, on behalf of the WHB.
Several of Williams’ Western Hills Bloods co-defendants were previously sentenced in this case, including:
Marcell Demetrius Gray pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity. Gray was sentenced on May 27, 2026, to 335 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Shawmaine Eustace Ardell Moore pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity. He was sentenced on Dec. 3, 2025, to 240 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Samuel Lee Berrelle Rakestraw III pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity. Rakestraw was sentenced on May 28, 2025, to 240 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Michael Anthony Williams pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity. He was sentenced on Mar. 26, 2025, to 262 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Jermaine Lamar Maxwell pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Participate in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity. He was sentenced to 240 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Cliffton Martinez pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. Martinez was sentenced on Dec. 7, 2022, to 78 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Labarr Martinez pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. He was sentenced on July 19, 2023, to 50 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
“With Williams’ sentence, this long-fought battle to bring members of the violent Western Hills Bloods to justice finally comes to an end,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “But that doesn’t mean we are anywhere close to ending our mission to bring safety to Tucson’s streets. The persistence of law enforcement and prosecutors in this case should stand as a warning to other gangs and violent offenders out there – we won’t tire in seeking justice.”
“This significant sentence is part of an over ten-year effort to hold members of the Western Hills Bloods, a violent criminal street gang, accountable for their acts of violence and intimidation which they inflicted on the citizens of Tucson,” said A.J. Gibes, Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Phoenix Field Division. “This years-long effort by ATF and our partners with the Tucson Police Department and Arizona Department of Public Safety is indicative of our unwavering commitment to protecting the public from violent armed offenders and armed drug traffickers.”
TSA stops man possesing cocaine, ketamine, at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport:
title: "TSA stops repeat drug felon with cocaine, ketamine stash at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport: state" url: "https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/tsa-stops-repeat-drug-felon-013158878.html" author: "Elias Weiss"
The Brief
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A traveler bound for San Diego was arrested at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after TSA officers discovered ketamine and cocaine in his possession.
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Hayden Cole Hidalgo was booked into jail on two felony counts of possession for sale after Phoenix police tested the seized drugs at the checkpoint.
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Prosecutors requested a $75,000 cash bond, citing Hidalgo's decade-long record of Arizona drug convictions, though a judge ultimately set bond at $25,000.
PHOENIX - A traveler bound for San Diego, California, was arrested at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Saturday after TSA screeners discovered illegal drugs in his possession, authorities said.
What we know
Hayden Cole Hidalgo, 32, was booked into Maricopa County jail on two felony counts of possessing narcotic and dangerous drugs for sale after police seized 70 grams of ketamine and 10 grams of cocaine during a security checkpoint screening.
'Flight' risk
In court on Sunday, Deputy Maricopa County Attorney Ashley Stetson said that Transportation Security Administration officers intercepted Hidalgo around 9 a.m. on Sept. 26 as he attempted to clear security for his outgoing flight. TSA officers alerted the Phoenix Police Department, whose officers conducted field tests on the seized substances and took Hidalgo into custody.
During Hidalgo's initial court appearance, prosecutors argued that traveling out of state with a drug stash makes him a significant flight risk. Stetson requested a $75,000 cash-only bond and asked that Hidalgo be ordered to turn in his passport. The judge set his bond at $25,000.
Dig deeper
State records indicate Hidalgo has spent nearly 10 years in prison for drug-related offenses. His prior record includes 2014 and 2015 Maricopa County convictions for marijuana sales, narcotics sales, and possession of manufacturing equipment, as well as a Pima County conviction for solicitation to promote prison contraband that carried a one-year prison sentence.
What's next
Hidalgo remains in custody ahead of an Oct. 1 hearing at the Maricopa County Superior Court in downtown Phoenix.
Location of the arrest:
The Source
Information in this report was gathered from Maricopa County Superior Court records.
Feds bust Sinaloa Cartel-linked ring using Phoenix to move fentanyl into Kansas
title: "Feds bust Sinaloa Cartel-linked ring using Phoenix to move fentanyl into Kansas" url: "https://www.azfamily.com/2026/09/26/feds-bust-sinaloa-cartel-linked-ring-using-phoenix-move-fentanyl-into-kansas/" author: "Brian Petersheim"
PHOENIX, AZ (AZFamily) — Federal authorities have dismantled a Sinaloa Cartel-linked drug ring that used Phoenix as a pickup point to funnel fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine into Kansas.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas announced Tuesday that 15 people have pleaded guilty to charges tied to the operation, which authorities say distributed the drugs across Kansas on behalf of the Mexican cartel.
How the operation worked
Court documents show that every few weeks, traffickers drove from Wichita to Phoenix and other locations to pick up large quantities of drugs before returning to Kansas for distribution.
Ringleader Euriel Talavera, 32, of Wichita, stayed in regular contact with cartel members in Mexico throughout the operation, investigators said.
The case was built by a Homeland Security Task Force that began investigating the ring in December 2022. The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and Wichita Police Department worked together to trace the pipeline back to the Sinaloa Cartel.
Federal officials say 15 people pleaded guilty in a Sinaloa Cartel drug ring that used Phoenix as a pickup point to funnel fentanyl into Kansas.(United States Drug Enforcement Administration)
A major bust
In one operation highlighted by prosecutors, investigators learned of a plan to bring 160,000 counterfeit Percocet pills laced with fentanyl into Wichita.
Law enforcement reportedly set up surveillance, watched the exchange take place, and intercepted the drugs following a traffic stop.
“HSTF’s mission is to save lives by arresting transnational drug dealers and confiscating the poison they peddle before it reaches our communities,” U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser said in a written statement.
Sentences handed down
Talavera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 228 months, or 19 years, in federal prison.
Fourteen other people, none from Phoenix, also pleaded guilty in connection with the case, with sentences ranging from probation to more than 11 years in prison:
- Jonathan Gutierrez-Diaz, 30, a Mexican national living in the U.S. illegally: 136 months
- Joe Louis Washington, 33, of Wichita: 120 months
- Aron Garcia-Campa, 36, of Wichita: 96 months
- Alexis Ortega-Ramos, 29, a Mexican national living in the U.S. illegally: 72 months
- Shelan D. Peters, 24, of Wichita: 60 months (firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking)
- Jermel L. Goines, 44, of Wichita: 60 months (firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking)
- Breili Osmani Sermeno-Hernandez, 42, a Guatemalan national living in the U.S. illegally: 48 months
- Heiu Kevin Nguyen, 33, of Wichita: 24 months
- Katia Nevarez, 29, of Wichita: 12 months and one day (money laundering)
- Richard Oral Mathie, 60, of Elmendorf, Texas: pleaded guilty but absconded before sentencing
- Santiago Rodriguez, 25, Angel Garcia, 26, Dominitrix M. Jones, 33, and Alonso Pacheco-Tabullo, 23, all of Wichita: sentenced to probation
It is unclear if anyone from Phoenix was arrested in connection with this case or charged with helping funnel the drugs through the city.
University of Arizona students warned about new street drug cychlorphine
title: "University of Arizona students warned about new street drug cychlorphine" url: "https://www.kold.com/2026/09/26/university-arizona-students-warned-about-new-street-drug-cychlorphine/" author: "Payton May"
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - Health officials at the University of Arizona are warning students about cychlorphine, a new synthetic opioid recently found in California’s drug supply.
The drug is more potent than fentanyl and is responsible for dozens of deadly overdoses across the country.
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy issued a warning in April that the drug has been found in the illicit drug supply and was recently involved in fatal overdoses in California and Nevada.
“What we’re concerned about is it coming to Arizona through the illicit drug trade and getting into things it shouldn’t be in,” said Jack Boylan, Captain of Public Information and Outreach for the University of Arizona’s Emergency Medical Services.
EMS posted a public health alert about cychlorphine on Wednesday, Sept. 23, warning students about the drug’s presence in California.
“We often see substance issues being a primary reason that we get dispatched and we have to either administer Narcan or get people to the hospital for monitoring and supervision, so we want to make sure that this isn’t something that they’re encountering and possibly reacting the wrong way,” Boylan said.
Boylan said they also needed to address claims that Narcan, used to reverse the effects of an overdose, isn’t effective against the drug.
“That’s untrue; Narcan is used for any type of opioid,” said Aditya Rohilla, president of the Team Awareness Combatting Overdoses club on campus.
Rohilla said Narcan is still effective but may require multiple doses.
“A lot of people only carry like one to two doses of Narcan, and sometimes that may not be enough for this drug,” Rohilla said.
Rohilla’s organization has placed Narcan in every AED cabinet on campus and has worked alongside EMS to educate students about drug safety.
“Not only do we provide people with the supplies needed in case of an overdose, but we’re also educating people on what these drugs are, what their effects are, how to use them safely,” Rohilla said.
Boylan said despite concerns about cychlorphine entering the state, they are doing what they can to prepare students before it arrives.
“All we can ask for is people to be informed, stay up to date, look for new information, and be aware of where they’re able to find Narcan on campus,” Boylan said.
Narcan is available for free in every AED cabinet throughout the U of A’s campus, as well as every Pima County pharmacy and library.
To see where Narcan is available near you, go HERE.
Did you know 13 News has podcasts? Here’s the link to see the lineup.
Arizona Realtor Arrested After Violent Outburst on American Airlines Flight; Passengers Use Zip Ties and Duct Tape to Restrain Him
title: "Hero who duct-taped violent Arizona realtor to plane seat speaks out after suspect fired from Tucson firm" url: "https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/hero-who-duct-taped-violent-arizona-realtor-plane-seat-speaks-out-after-suspect-fired-from-tucson-firm" author: "Elias Weiss"
Tucson man arrested after flight crew duct tapes him to seat
Layne Arthur Lundeen, a 67-year-old Arizona man, is making national headlines after a image captured him taped head-to-toe by American Airlines crew and passengers after allegedly making racist and misogynist comments.
An Arizona real estate agent was fired after an alleged violent, slur-fueled outburst aboard an American Airlines flight forced hero passengers to zip-tie and duct-tape him to his seat midair.
What we know:
The Sept. 3 flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark was forced to make an emergency landing in Baltimore after 67-year-old Tucson resident Layne Arthur Lundeen allegedly attacked a seatmate, bit rescuers and hurled racial and homophobic slurs. Maryland Transportation Authority Police arrested him upon landing, and his employer fired him shortly after.
‘Everything was fine, until it wasn't'
The backstory:
Local store manager Richard Olenick was flying home from a work convention with his coworker, retired police officer Juan Mejia, when chaos broke out about two hours into the flight. Olenick said the cabin was quiet until the suspect suddenly began shouting obscenities and slurs at a flight attendant.
"Everything was fine, until it wasn't," Olenick told FOX 10.
The verbal abuse quickly turned physical when Lundeen allegedly grabbed the neck of the passenger sitting next to him and began strangling him. When a woman stepped in to stop the attack, Lundeen reportedly hit her, prompting Olenick and Mejia to rush down the aisle to intervene.
"When you're on a plane, it's different than when you are on the ground, you can't retreat, there's not a lot of options," Olenick explained.
Mejia pulled the victim to safety while Olenick squeezed between the seats to hold the thrashing suspect down. As the man fought back aggressively, leaving visible bite marks on Mejia, flight attendants handed over zip ties and rolls of duct tape. To protect Lundeen's airway, Mejia declined a crew member's suggestion to tape his mouth shut, choosing instead to wrap duct tape around his chest, arms, hands and head to stop the biting and kicking.
Featured
American Airlines passenger duct-taped to seat after alleged midair outburst
A passenger on an American Airlines flight was restrained to his seat with duct tape and zip ties after a midair outburst, forcing the plane to be diverted.
Olenick, left covered in Lundeen's blood from earlier cuts during the scuffle, said he was proud the team de-escalated the situation safely, adding, "I truly hope this gentleman gets the help that he needs."
‘We do not tolerate violence’
What they're saying:
Following news of the arrest, Long Realty — the agent's real estate firm — fired him immediately. In a public statement, the company said the agent's actions were "wholly inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion, and respect for others" that it expects from its team.
American Airlines commended the crew and passengers for taking swift action, stating that "the safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we do not tolerate violence." The FBI confirmed it is interviewing witnesses to determine whether federal charges will be filed alongside state offenses.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Richard Olenick, American Airlines, Maryland Transportation Authority Police and Fox News reporting.
YSK True Detective season 1 oddly mirrors several real crimes linked to a former New Orleans police officer, who repeatedly escaped justice for several decades, and a shadowy network of pedophiles
cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/51645044
New Orleans unsolved is a podcast that began in 2020 examining the unsolved murder of a young boy, Eddie Wells, in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans during the 1980s. Eddie's life was full of hardships, and when his body was pulled from the Mississippi river, he was depicted as a "hustler," or male prostitute in the French Quarter, despite only being 17 years old at the time of his death. However, the term "hustler," downplays the reality that Eddie was a victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking starting at an early age.
What began as a podcast about one unsolved case soon turned into a podcast about several similar cases which could all be linked back to one man, former NOPD child abuse detective, Stanley Burkhardt.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/04/new-orleans-stanley-burkhardt-bail-reduction-denied
https://www.scsaorg.org/stanley_burkhardt
Recently, stories about the payouts to survivors of sexual abuse by the New Orleans Archdiocese, and documentaries, such as Scout's Honor, have touch on some of the overlap between victims of these child abuse networks. However, their connection to Burkhardt, as well as many of the details uncovered by the podcast have received frustratingly little attention.
Despite the clear danger of doing so, Burkhardt was released from prison in 2024, and recently re-arrested for once again violating his parole this past summer. To my own horror, despite listening to this podcast for the past few years, and following updates about Burkhardt, I learned after the fact, that before he was re-arrested, Burkhardt had been working at the local grocery store in my neighborhood.
Had I known this, I definitely would have taken more precautions considering my own child frequently visited the store while he was working there. However, it turns out when Burkhardt's own coworkers were asked if they had been informed about his dangerous history with children and his abuse of his position of authority, even they were completely unaware.
The podcast has been self-funded by the host and donations from listeners throughout its entirety, and somehow, despite all the evidence uncovered by local journalists and the host of the podcast, as well as the wild twists and turns she's discovered while investigating these murders, such as the undeniable overlap between the plot of the TV show True Detective and several cases related to Burkhardt, (It turns out, in addition to being a narcissist and a pedophile, writings left behind in Burkhardt's prison cell after his release in 2024, indicated he also enjoyed writing "fiction." However, in his fictionalized version of events, the detective was usually the hero who made the big break and saved the day.), it remains relatively unknown.
It's a bit convoluted trying to re-explain how eerily so many details behind decades of forgotten cold cases line up with a "fictional" TV show that aired years ago, but I highly recommend listening to this podcast (as a warning, some of the content is very graphic and very upsetting to hear). Much of the information uncovered has been added the long list of evidence against Burkhardt, but it still continues to receive very little attention, even at a local or state level. However, it's important to note, even when these crimes were being actively committed, many attempts to seek justice by survivors of Burkhardt's abuse and family members of the deceased victims, led to dismissal by authorities (often due to stigma at the time regarding sexual abuse and rumors which may have intentionally been spread about the lifestyles of the murder victims), missing evidence, and several other mysterious dead ends.
To give you an example of how unknown this podcast and the very serious charges against Burkhardt have somehow remained even at the most local level, I mentioned it while getting a haircut a few months ago when Burkhardt was most recently re-arrested. The lady cutting my hair had never heard of the podcast, or the connection between the murders, but she had grown up in the same neighborhood outside of the French Quarter, and actually knew Stanley Burkhardt when he was a detective working the Quarter.
That's just to say, please feel free to share the podcast, and information about these murders and Stanley Burkhardt, wherever you feel is appropriate. The victims and their families deserve justice. Even if Burkhardt is finally locked away for good this time, and unable to hurt anymore children, there seems to be no reason to believe that all the powerful networks he was involved with ever stopped commiting crimes. More likely they've just gotten better at hiding in plain sight.
https://www.neworleansunsolved.com/Open linkView original on sh.itjust.works
