Crime

A United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) official claims that there is an alarming amount of Mexican cartel meth and Fentanyl making its way into Hawaii.

Knewz.com has learned that testifying to the latter, are the growing homeless tent communities on Oahu Island’s beaches.

“It’s alarming,” said Victor Vazquez, second in charge of the DEA’s Hawaii division. “If it wasn’t for the ocean, the drugs would be driven straight to Waikiki.”

The main suspects for the ongoing stream of contraband are the dominant Sinaloa and Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación cartels in Mexico, per USA Today.

These rival organized criminal elements are believed to be targeting the Central Pacific holiday destination for the same reason they do Alaska; the lack of competition and a smaller law enforcement presence.

U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors, also overseeing Hawaii as a jurisdiction, corroborated the latter saying:

“We know it’s cartel-generated drugs because of our interdiction efforts.”

The drugs landing on the island are believed to be making it past the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at airports.

The mules are believed to be achieving this level of success by carrying the contraband on their beings, in their hand luggage, or by posting the drugs via mail to the capital city of Honolulu whereafter they are trafficked to the less central islands.

“We also still see a lot of it coming in through body carry,” Connors confirmed.

A result of the growing drug problem is the contrast between carefree holidaymakers and ground-down islanders.

Vazquez believes the problem is predictable.

“No one should be surprised. Everybody should be aware it affects all 50 states and the territories.”

Connors fears a dark prognosis, “I am very concerned that it is at our door stop and that we will start seeing more tragic consequences in our state amongst our youth,” she was quoted saying.

The drug problem was documented in the island territory in 2023 already when the Honolulu Civil Beat reported a sharp increase in drug overdoses.

“On Kauai, drug overdose deaths have more than quadrupled in 10 years from fewer than five in 2012 to 18 [2022] last year, contributing to an alarming rise in fatal drug use statewide,” the island outlet reported.

The publication went on to say that drug use was the second-largest cause of injury on the territory’s second-largest island, Garden Isle, in 2021.

Dr. Graham Chelius, a doctor serving a town of less than 2,000 people, notes that during the same period, he prescribed medicine to deal with withdrawal symptoms to hundreds of people including inmates at the local jail.

Social worker Michael Miranda however, put the problem down to something else. 

He said: “I think it’s an indicator of the quality of our education system, the cost of living, the lack of housing. People are self-medicating with illicit substances to cope with all the socioeconomic stressors they are facing.”

An escort has died days after she was sexually assaulted and strangled in a Las Vegas hotel room by a man who claimed that he “snapped” after she demanded additional payment from him.

Knewz.com has learned that the man has confessed to his alleged crimes and turned himself in at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Headquarters.

Police booked 35-year-old Jason Kendall on June 21 on charges of open murder, sexual assault, and battery by strangulation to commit sexual assault.

On June 12, the day of the assault, Kendall contacted the police and informed them that a woman was overdosing inside a hotel room at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Security personnel from the hotel responded to the situation and found Larissa Garcia, a 30-year-old Las Vegas escort, on the hotel room floor. Hotel security noticed that she had an injury on her jaw.

Although Kendall had informed the police that Garcia had an overdose, doctors found no traces of drugs or alcohol in her blood when she was taken to the hospital.

According to the police documents viewed by the local news outlet 8 News Now, doctors suspected that the Las Vegas escort was a victim of battery when Kendall’s overdose claim was debunked.

A nurse specializing in sexual assault examinations subsequently determined that Garcia had been strangled and “possibly suffocated,” the documents further mentioned.

Garcia was declared dead at the hospital a few days later, on June 21. On the same day, Kendall reached out to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Headquarters and confessed to a “strangulation and sexual assault.”

Kendall revealed to the authorities that he had paid the Las Vegas escort $2,000 to have sex with her.

“Jason [Kendall] said Larissa [Garcia] requested additional payment and he ‘snapped’… He hit her in the face and ‘choked’ her for ‘ten minutes’ and ‘then had sex with her.’ After having sex with Larissa, Jason wrote he ‘drug her away from the door and left.’ After leaving the hotel he called the police to report an overdose,” the police documents read, via 8 News Now.

It is not clear from the documents whether Kendall was aware of Garcia’s death at the time of his confession.

The local news outlet reported that, according to the documents, video surveillance from the Palms Casino Resort showed Kendall and Garcia meeting in the hotel lobby at around 4 p.m. local time on June 12.

“About an hour later, video shows Kendall leaving the room and the hotel alone with no other person coming to the room or leaving until security arrived. Detectives later located messages between Kendall and Garcia and a web history of Kendall viewing Garcia’s escort advertisement,” 8 News Now wrote, citing police documents.

Sources told the news outlet that Garcia was a mother of two and was putting herself through school while working as a Las Vegas escort. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to raise money for funerary costs and other expenditures.

“At just 30 years old, she was taken from us unexpectedly, leaving a void that can never be filled. She was a bright light in all of our lives, full of love and laughter,” the GoFundMe page read.

“As we grasp this unimaginable loss, Larissa’s mother, Kristie, is faced with the unexpected expenses of funeral costs and the planning of a celebration of life that honors Larissa’s memory.”

“We want to make sure that Larissa has the beautiful and dignified farewell she deserves. One that reflects the love and joy she brought to the world,” the fundraiser campaign added.

The Security Service of Ukraine has arrested a couple that was spying for Russia using their so-called “wedding photoshoot” as a cover.

Knewz.com has learned that the young couple had been reportedly gathering intelligence about the maritime border guard locations under orders from the Federal Security Service of Russia.

The incident occurred in the port town of Odesa in Ukraine, where a 23-year-old local man and his 18-year-old “bride” were exploring the locations of maritime border guard units and clicking photographs “against the backdrop of ‘required’ objects.”

The Security Service of Ukraine issued a press release about the arrest, where it noted that the Federal Security Service of Russia recruited the local man in May 2024 through “anonymous chats on Telegram.”

The Telegram correspondence also reportedly discussed “the issue of evading mobilization.” Shortly after recruitment, the man involved his girlfriend in the covert operation as well, the press release noted.

In the latest mission, the couple was meant to gather intelligence about “the locations of border guards, which are defending the waters of the port city.”

The investigation carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) – under the procedural leadership of the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office – has revealed that Russia intended to use the information gathered by the local spy duo to carry out precise air strikes on Odesa.

It was also revealed that the man was tasked with putting up “100 provocative anti-mobilization leaflets” around Odesa and “setting fire to a local power plant.”

“From the information obtained, the traitor prepared an agent ‘report’ for his curator of the management of the FSB [Russian Federal Security Service] in the Eastern Military District of the Russian Federation,” the press release read.

The identity of the Russian operator pulling the strings behind this mission has also been confirmed by Ukrainian intelligence.

Following the arrest, the SBU tossed the suspects’ apartment, and the search revealed further evidence of their crimes on their mobile phones. “A bank card with money from FSB and a batch of anti-Ukrainian leaflets were also found,” the Security Service mentioned in the press release.

The young couple is currently in custody, each facing eight years to life imprisonment if convicted.

The Ukrainian Security Service and military intelligence wings have been making periodic efforts to thwart Russian espionage and anti-Ukrainian movement on the home turf, as they recently apprehended a group of “provocateurs” attempting to stage a coup.

The arrested individuals had planned an alleged insurrection on June 30, which was intended to begin as a peaceful protest before escalating into a riot aimed at seizing the seat of power and halting its operations.

The SBU published these allegations on its website, saying:

“The group [of provocateurs] was headed by the co-founder of a public organization known for its anti-Ukrainian actions since 2015.”

“Under the guise of holding a so-called ‘party’, the attackers planned to announce the ‘removal from power’ of the current military and political leadership of Ukraine.”

“Then they hoped to seize the building of the Verkhovna Rada [the Parliament] of Ukraine and block its work.”

“In order to gather people,” the report elaborated, “the organizers had to arrange a supposedly peaceful meeting in the center of the capital.”

The accused individuals intended to spread disinformation about “disturbances” throughout the Ukrainian capital, hoping that it would unsettle the population and “shake up the social and political situation” in the embattled nation.

Festivities turned to horror at a wedding reception in Missouri as the groom was shot by masked robbers gatecrashing the party.

Knewz.com has learned that the victim has been rushed to an area hospital and is currently in critical condition.

The incident happened late at night on Friday, June 28, when Manuel and Dulce Gonzalez were celebrating their wedding reception with an intimate backyard party at the 3800 block of Neosho Street, Missouri.

Witnesses told the police that around 1:00 a.m. local time, two masked gunmen broke into the property and yelled for no one to move. They demanded money from the guests.

As one of the gunmen started going through the guests’ pockets, the other one aimed his gun at Manuel’s head and fired several shots.

Both the masked men fled the scene after the shooting, without actually taking any money or valuables from the guests, although robbery seemed like their initial motive at the time.

Yaribeth Pena, the sister of the bride, told local news outlet Fox2 News, “They took nothing, yet they took everything from us.”

Describing the 32-year-old groom, Pena said, “He’s a good father. A good husband to my sister. He’s a hard worker… He’s just an all-around good person that, I don’t know, he didn’t deserve this.”

As of Sunday, June 30, the family stated that police had yet to collect all of the evidence left at the scene and interview all the witnesses. Currently, family members of the victim are requesting the community to submit any available footage of the incident to law enforcement to help with the ongoing investigation.

Police are encouraging anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS, per Fox2 News.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for the newlywed couple to help with their expenses during this time of crisis.

“On Friday 6/28, [Dulce] was getting married with a small family ceremony at her home with their 2 small children. The family was robbed at gunpoint and her husband was shot in the head. He’s alive and in critical condition. We need prayers that he will come through this,” the fundraiser page read.

“The family will need help with expenses, including medical bills and the loss of his income. Any support that can be afforded to this sweet family will be greatly appreciated.”

The GoFundMe page posted an update on Wednesday, July 3, saying that Manuel is still sedated and that the family is waiting for the “swelling to decrease.”

“Otherwise, his vitals are strong. Dulce has been by his side every day,” wrote Jeanie Ratliff, the organizer of the GoFundMe campaign. Ratliff added that the family has been able to raise more than half of the $50,000 goal.

“Please continue to keep the family and the children in your prayers. They have a long road ahead of them. Thank you, and God Bless!”

The incident in Missouri came mere weeks after a series of mass shootings across the United States, the latest being a shooting incident at an Arkansas grocery store.

On June 21, a gunman opened fire at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce, a small town about 70 miles south of Little Rock, Arkansas, leaving three dead and several wounded with significant injuries.

The Arkansas incident followed two mass shootings in Philadelphia and Oakland on June 19. The Oakland shooting happened at a Juneteenth event near Lake Merritt where at least 15 people were shot, one person was assaulted and at least two officers were attacked, according to the police.

“This type of behavior and level of violence is unacceptable… The opportunity to celebrate with your family and friends should never be marred by gunfire,” Oakland police Chief Floyd Mitchell said in a statement to NBC Bay Area on June 20.

On the other hand, the shooting in North Philadelphia left around seven individuals wounded, including a 16-year-old girl. “All of the victims are in stable condition except for the 19-year-old man who was shot in the back. He is currently in critical condition,” NBC10 wrote, citing the police.

A man was killed at a Kentucky gun shop over the weekend when a fellow customer accidentally fired a weapon they were looking at, officials said.

The Kentucky State Police said Monday, July 1, that they are investigating the incident, which occurred at around 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Humphrey Double H Farms Enterprises Inc. in Carrollton, but no foul play is suspected.

Police said an unnamed customer in the store was looking at a firearm for sale and “manipulating it” when a single round discharged, striking 50-year-old Chad Wainscott of Worthville. He was transported to the hospital, where he died of his injuries.

“The individual in physical control of the firearm at the time it discharged is cooperating with investigators,” police said. Police said the investigation is ongoing, but no charges have been filed.

According to Wainscott’s obituary, he had recently become a grandfather, and he was “defined” by his love for the outdoors. For the last several years, he worked as a farmer alongside his father and spent his free time “hunting, collecting guns, hats & knives, searching for four leaf clovers, and capturing the beauty of sunsets and cows through photography.”

—TMX contributed to this report.

Florida authorities on Friday announced 64 arrests after a 3-year operation revealed a bait shop and motorcycle parts shop to be fronts for a fentanyl trafficking ring.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests Friday, following a multiagency investigation with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement dubbed “Operation Rooske, A Family Affair,” which began in 2021.

Organized Crime Unit detectives from the PCSO and FDLE special agents made multiple undercover purchases of fentanyl from the Rooske drug trafficking organization during the course of the investigation. The organization used the Rooske Bait and Tackle Shop and Rooske Motorcycle Parts and Accessories, both in Lakeland, as fronts for drug trafficking and money laundering.

Among the 64 people arrested were the alleged leader of the organization, 43-year old Hector Baez Torres, and his alleged co-conspirators: wife, Pilar Rivera, 41, their daughter, Jeimylee Baez Rivera, 23, and Baez Torres’s alleged right-hand man, 24-year old Miguel Castro Rivera.

Wilfredo Feliciano Velez, 26, and Casimiro Bidot Del Valle, 59, were identified as suspected suppliers of illegal drugs to the Rooske organization.

Feliciano Velez was arrested by PCSO detectives while he was allegedly delivering three kilograms, or about 6.6 pounds, of cocaine to Hector Baez Torres

On June 20, authorities executed five search warrants in Polk County — Rooske Motorcycle Parts and Accessories, Rooske Bait and Tackle Shop, the residence of Hector and Pilar, the residence of Jeimylee and Miguel, and another residence — and one in Osceola County, at Bidot Del Valle’s residence.

During the investigation, authorities seized 742.14 grams of fentanyl; 3,585.42 grams, or nearly 8 pounds of cocaine; 13.08 grams of methamphetamine; 57 grams of oxycodone; and 228.69 grams of marijuana. The sheriff’s office said the estimated street value of the seized drugs is around $475,348.60.

Along with the drugs, authorities seized assets including $12,270 in cash; five vehicles worth $154,000; two personal watercrafts worth $15,000; dirt bikes and off-road vehicles worth $40,000; a trailer worth $4,000; bait store merchandise worth $35,000; motorcycle shop merchandise worth $55,000; jewelry/electronics/firearms/designer apparel worth $67,500; bank accounts holding $40,000; and liens on the residence of Baez Torres and Rivera totaling $200,000. The total value of all of the seized assets came to $604,770.

With the drugs and assets together, the seizures amounted to $1,080,118.60.

“In essence, this fentanyl trafficking organization was the family business. The motorcycle shop and the bait shop were corrupt businesses that were used as a means for money laundering,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. “Their customers weren’t involved; they had no idea what was going on. In fact, the owners tried to project a wholesome facade while conducting their criminal enterprise behind the scenes until it all came crashing down on them, thanks to the fantastic work by our detectives.”

The sheriff’s office said “most of the arrests” were buyers of illegal drugs from the Rooske organization, which investigators used to build a case against members of the organization.

“Florida leads the nation in fentanyl seizures and this case is yet another example of how Sheriff Judd and his deputies are leaders in helping us remove deadly drugs from our streets,” said Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. “Working with Polk County Deputies and FDLE, we were able to seize 742 grams of fentanyl in two counties. That is enough poison to kill 371,000 Floridians, and I have no doubt that this drug interdiction operation saved lives.”

— TMX helped write this article.

A Florida man was arrested this week for allegedly shooting down a Walmart delivery drone over his neighborhood, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday, June 27.

Deputies responded to the Walmart store at 1450 Johns Lake Road in Clermont on Wednesday after representatives of the drone delivery company operating Walmart’s delivery drones reported the shooting. Although the company was not named by authorities, Walmart is currently partnered with DroneUp to conduct deliveries in select cities including nearby Orlando.

Two company representatives were in the Clermont neighborhood to campaign and receive a mock delivery to drum up interest in the service when they saw a man shoot at the descending drone.

The crew returned to Walmart and directed the drone to fly back to the store. There, they saw the payload system had been struck by a bullet, reportedly resulting in $2,500 in damages. After calling law enforcement, they directed deputies to the location of the incident.

The sheriff’s office said deputies made contact with the suspect, 72-year-old Dennis Winn, at his home, and he “admitted to shooting at the drone once with a 9mm pistol.”

Winn was arrested and charged with shooting at an aircraft, criminal mischief damage over $1,000, and discharging a firearm in public or on residential property.

—TMX contributed to this report.

A former Missouri middle school principal was sentenced this week to two consecutive life terms in prison for hiring his friend to murder his pregnant girlfriend, who was a teacher, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced Tuesday, June 25.

Cornelius M. Green, 42, pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of murder-for-hire in the 2016 deaths of 30-year-old Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child, Micah Leigh.

Green was the principal at Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School in St. Louis and was married when he was in a relationship with Peters, a teacher at Mann Elementary. Peters, who believed Green was planning to leave his wife, had already miscarried once and terminated one pregnancy at Green’s urging, but “was determined to keep Micah Leigh,” according to a sentencing memo filed by prosecutors.

Peters did not know that Green was seeing multiple women, including one who was also “duped” into believing they were building a life together.

Green was researching ways to induce an abortion by crushing pills and hiding them in Peters’ oatmeal or yogurt. When the plan failed, he instead stole money from the dance team’s fundraiser at his school to pay longtime friend Phillip J. Cutler, 46, to murder her.

“He literally stole from children to pay for killing his own child,” said Nicole Conaway, the principal of Mann Elementary. She said she had to tell Peters’ class about her murder. “I will never forget the pain in their eyes,” she said. “This trauma will follow them for the rest of their lives.”

After planning the murder in a series of phone calls, Green sent Cutler a UPS package containing $2,500 cash on March 7, 2016. Two weeks later, Cutler traveled to St. Louis, while Green traveled to Chicago to establish his alibi.

On March 24, Cutler drove Green’s Kia Optima to Peters’ apartment, where she was working on baby shower invitations, and used Green’s key to get in. He shot her in the eye using a potato as a silencer. Green had Peters buy the potatoes used in her own murder days before.

When Green returned to St. Louis, he tried to have Peters’ mother go to her apartment to “check on her,” but she was unavailable, so he had to “discover” the scene himself, calling 911 to report her death.

“The depravity of asking a mother to go find Jocelyn’s body, knowing she was dead, can’t be matched,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker said during Tuesday’s sentencing hearing.

Cutler was detained on the same night Peters reported the murder, after he returned to the crime scene at Green’s direction to retrieve the Kia Optima. When he learned he was being arrested, he ate two pieces of paper from his pocket.

“All she ever did was love him,” Peters’ mother, Lacey Peters, said during Tuesday’s hearing, “and she loved that baby so much.”

“Jocelyn had a light around her at all times,” and “touched the heart of anyone she came in contact with,” said her cousin Dedra Peters. She said her cousin’s death left the family “empty and heartbroken.”

“The devastating actions of one depraved individual continue to impact the victims’ family, colleagues, friends and young students,” said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “We are grateful for the resources provided by the U.S. Attorney’s office to help bring closure to this heartbreaking case.”

Cutler was convicted by a jury of the same charges in March. He was also sentenced last week to two consecutive life sentences.

—TMX contributed to this report.

A New York judge has rejected a bid to force the FBI to release a secret trove of documents related to its controversial investigation into billionaire sex pervert Jeffrey Epstein, Knewz.com has exclusively learned.

In a ruling handed down on June 25, United States District Judge Paul G. Gardephe said the files, buried since Epstein’s suicide death in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019, must remain secret because their public disclosure would interfere with the possible retrial of Ghislaine Maxwell, his one-time madam, and girlfriend.

The nation’s top law enforcement organization has asked the judge to keep the files under wraps for fears it would give the former British socialite a head start to appeal her 20-year prison sentence for her involvement in the Epstein conspiracy.

Maxwell and Epstein are former friends of presidents including Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, along with Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, and other famous identities.

In handing down his verdict in response to a freedom of information lawsuit brought against the FBI from the website RadarOnline.com, Judge Gardephe ordered the cache of Epstein files — almost always released upon someone’s death — to remain under lock and key.

“This court concludes that (the FBI) provides sufficient details for the Court to trace a rational link between the information contained in the records and the potential interference with law enforcement proceedings, and the FBI has thus met its burden for withholding disclosure of the records,” the Southern District of New York judge said.

The decision is a climax — at least for now — to a seven-year fight from the online news outlet to compel the FBI to release the controversial files.

It has been claimed the FBI received tips, reports, and complaints about Epstein’s activities from 1996-2006, but the agency didn’t open a case until July 24, 2006.

Even then, Epstein entered into a 2008 sweetheart agreement with the feds in Florida to instead plead guilty to state charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution.

That allowed him to avert a possible life sentence, instead serving 13 months in a work-release program.

Thirty-six girls, some as young as 14 years old, have since been identified as victims of Epstein’s sexual abuse.

A lawyer for RadarOnline.com said the outlet was considering whether to appeal the decision but vowed to “continue to fight for transparency and accountability.”

“The FBI is covering its tracks by using a hypothetical retrial of Ghislaine Maxwell as justification not to release its Epstein files,” Dan Novack, a first-amendment lawyer who acts for the publication, told Knewz.com in an exclusive statement.

Even before Maxwell was prosecuted in 2020, the FBI and the Department of Justice had been relentlessly fighting to keep the majority of the documents from RadarOnline.com and out of the public’s gaze, raising questions about what could be in the files.

In previous filings, the FBI admitted the documents included evidentiary and investigative materials, including “copies of records or evidence, analysis of that evidence, and derivative communications summarizing or otherwise referencing evidence.”

Other material included “internal communications among investigators within the FBI providing updates regarding the status of the investigation, including witness interviews and discussions of evidence gathered during the investigation” and “communications between the FBI and other government agencies regarding the investigation.”

They admitted only a “small fraction” of documents in their possession had ever been made public.

Maurene Comey, the lead prosecutor against Maxwell from the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, told the court the disclosure of the material would impact witness testimony, witness’ willingness to testify, prejudice the jury pool “so as to hinder the government’s ability to present its case in court” and provide Maxwell with greater access “to the investigatory files than she would otherwise have during the criminal discovery process.”

Novack argued the FBI failed to link the documents to any potential harm.

He said the FBI insisted that “these are simply the kinds of documents that would tend to cause harm if released, without engaging the reality on the ground that the target of the investigation has seen millions of records and was convicted in one of the most high-profile trials in U.S. history.”

But Judge Gardephe disagreed, ruling the FBI had proffered to the court specific harms that would result from the public disclosure of the documents.

“For example, the FBI has explained that public disclosure of the Evidentiary/Investigative Materials ‘could influence the testimony of witnesses by providing the opportunity for witnesses to shape their testimony to conform with other evidence gathered during the investigation, including both records and witness statements,” he ruled.

“Disclosure of the Evidentiary/Investigative Materials could also have a chilling effect on witnesses because ‘the public release of this information could lead to the identification and intimidation of witnesses who may decline to cooperate with the parties and be disinclined to testify their personal information is released to the public.”

Judge Gardephe added, “Public disclosure could also cause unfair prejudice to the Government at a retrial, based on the fact that certain documents were available to the Government but not offered at the first trial. Finally, public disclosure would provide Maxwell with greater access to the investigator materials than she would otherwise have.”

As Knewz.com first reported, Epstein avoided federal criminal charges in 2008 in a deal that saw him become a government informant.

An FBI document titled “SYNOPSIS: REQUEST CLOSING OF FORFEITURE SUBFILE FF” included an FBI agent detailing how Epstein started spilling secrets to the federal government.

The document read: “On 9/11/08, case agent advised writer that Epstein is currently being prosecuted by the State of Florida and is complying with all conditions of his plea with the State of Florida. Epstein has also provided information to the FBI as agreed upon. Case agent advised that no federal prosecution will occur in this matter as long as Epstein continues to uphold his agreement with the State of Florida.”

What secrets the disgraced financier divulged to the FBI, which former Trump special prosecutor Robert Mueller ran at the time the agreement was struck, have never been revealed.

Speaking exclusively to Knewz.com last August, Novack suggested the FBI had a hidden motive to keep the files from public view.

“The Department of Justice protected Jeffrey Epstein’s secrets during his life and continues to protect his — and their own — after his death,” he said.

“When Radar first requested these files six years ago, the FBI insisted that Epstein’s privacy outweighs the public’s right to know. They have since abandoned that embarrassing rationale yet still refuse to turn the documents over.”

RadarOnline.com has been engaged in a legal dispute with the FBI since 2017 when it first filed the lawsuit.

The investigative news outlet appeared to be on track for a win in the high-stakes case: last year, a judge ruled that some of the documents must be turned over.

But when Maxwell, 62, filed an appeal in March, arguing that she should be set free under the terms of a previous deal with federal prosecutors, the case hit a roadblock.

Separately, a dozen victims of Epstein sued the U.S. government in February, accusing the FBI of allowing and enabling his sex trafficking for two decades.

“As a direct and proximate cause of the FBI’s negligence, plaintiffs would not have been continued to be sex trafficked, abused, raped, tortured and threatened,” a lawsuit suit read.

“Jane Does 1-12 bring this lawsuit to get to the bottom — once and for all — of the FBI’s role in Epstein’s criminal sex trafficking ring.”

The plaintiffs also alleged that the FBI had evidence of crimes that the agency refused to pursue.

“During the FBI investigation, the FBI was complicit in permitting Epstein and co-conspirators to continue to victimize Jane Does 1-12 and other young women,” the suit read.

“The FBI had photographs, videos and interviews and hard evidence of child prostitution and failed to timely investigate and arrest Epstein in deviation from the FBI protocols.”

“The FBI had a non-discretionary obligation, governed by established policies, procedures, rules, and protocols, to handle and investigate tips concerning potential and ongoing underage child erotica, rape, sex with minors, and sex trafficking in a reasonable manner and to act against Epstein and to prevent him from committing repeated crimes,” it continued.

“Yet, contrary to its own established rules, the FBI failed to take appropriate action and botched and covered up investigations for years.”

For more on Epstein, Maxwell, and their connections to British royal Prince Andrew, read the Knewz.com investigative special report Lust, Lies, & Spies: How The Enormous Power of the British Police Force Provided a ‘Protection Racket’ for Prince Andrew and Covered-Up Epstein & Maxwell’s Criminal Enterprise in Britain

Part 1: Willful Ignorance

Part 2: Police on Trial

Part 3: Information is King

An entire chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club based in Bakersfield, Calif., was arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into kidnapping, robbery and assault.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday, June 25, that five “active, patched members” of the Bakersfield Hells Angels chapter were arrested: Ricardo Alvarez, 42, Armando Villasenor, 55, Joseph Soto Sr., 57, Joseph Soto Jr., 33, and Joshua Zavala, 31.

Two members of the Sons of Hell Motorcycle Club, a “sub-affiliate” that takes orders from the Hells Angels, were also arrested: John Seeger, 57, and Joshua Vaughn, 37. Vaughn was already in police custody on separate charges, the sheriff’s office said.

The arrests followed an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Kern County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol.

The sheriff’s office said all the suspects are charged with kidnapping, first-degree robbery, criminal threats, false imprisonment, assault with a firearm, participation in a criminal street gang, criminal conspiracy, intimidating a witness or victim and elder abuse. They were booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Lerdo Facility.

Eight search warrants were executed in connection with the arrests, across multiple Bakersfield locations, involving more than 150 law enforcement personnel. Authorities seized “approximately 25 firearms, ammunition, multiple high-capacity magazines, and gang affiliate paraphernalia.”

The circumstances of the alleged crimes that led to the arrests were not revealed, as the investigation is ongoing.

Federal authorities alleged the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, which was founded in California following World War II, engages in the trafficking of drugs and firearms.

—TMX contributed to this report.