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GOP House candidate in Indiana arrested on eve of election

homesafetytechpros — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:11:39 +0000

Inset: Jim Schenke (Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Jim Schenke campaigning in Indiana (Jim Schenke/Facebook).

A Republican running for an Indiana House of Representatives seat was arrested early Monday morning on the eve of Election Day for commenting on a Facebook post made by someone who has a protective order against him, according to police.

GOP candidate Jim Schenke, who is running to unseat District 26 House Rep. Chris Campbell, was booked on a preliminary invasion of privacy charge at 6:10 a.m. Monday, according to the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office. Records show he was released after paying a cash bond of $250.

The arrest marks Schenke’s second brush with the law since September, when he was charged with “operating a motor vehicle without financial responsibility” for a motor home crash he allegedly caused — sending his campaign RV into a light post — while the vehicle was uninsured, per local reports and court records. That case was dropped on Oct. 22.

Schenke’s arrest on Monday also marks the second time that the 54-year-old has been accused of violating a no-contact order in Indiana, with him being arrested in 2016 and later convicted, according to the Lafayette Journal & Courier. That conviction, however, wound up being reversed by the Indiana Court of Appeals in 2019 and then sealed from public record in August 2023 as part of an expungement order, the Courier reports.

Schenke has at least two protection orders currently against him from a local Indiana attorney and their staff, per the Courier, and one that he reportedly placed on a West Lafayette man who lives in Schenke’s neighborhood.

Tippecanoe Chief Deputy Terry Ruley told Law&Crime on Monday that the order Schenke violated was against an individual who also has one against him as well, though he couldn’t confirm which person it was specifically.

“It’s a weird situation,” Ruley said. “They each have one against each other.”

According to Ruley, the sheriff’s office received a complaint on Sunday, Nov. 3, at approximately 8:35 p.m. from the alleged victim, who stated that Schenke was violating his order of protection against him by commenting on his Facebook page.

“Our officers looked into it, did a bit of an investigation, and determined there was probable cause to believe there was a violation under an Indiana state statute called invasion of privacy, and that would be a person violating an order of protection,” Ruley said.

While he didn’t know what Schenke wrote on Facebook, Ruley did confirm that it wasn’t a threat or an offensive statement, just a violation of the order’s no-contact clause.

“The victim did not respond back to him, or he’d be in violation too and would go to jail,” the deputy chief noted. “It’s a class A misdemeanor.”

Indiana’s District 26, which includes parts of Benton County and West Lafayette, has seen Campbell — a Democrat — as its incumbent since 2018.

Court records show that Schenke, on top of everything else he’s been dealing with, also has a civil case pending against him that was filed in July by the Tippecanoe County Election Board over his use of political ad disclaimers. He is accused of not disclosing the financing behind his motor home properly, with it being decked out with large campaign ads and just three small handwritten disclaimers that are hard to read.

Schenke has argued that state law requires disclaimers to be written out in at least 7-point type, and his motor home ones are larger than that, he says.

Attempts by Law&Crime to reach him and Campbell for comment were unsuccessful.

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‘MAGA Candidate’ caught stealing ballots in Indiana: Police

homesafetytechpros — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:38:39 +0000

Inset: Larry Savage Jr. (Madison County Jail). Background: Savage allegedly stealing election ballots during a test of county voting machines (Madison County Election Board).

A 51-year-old former Republican congressional candidate in Indiana was arrested this week for allegedly stealing ballots during a public test of the state’s ballot card voting system. Larry Savage Jr., an elected precinct committeeman, was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with one count of felony destroying or misplacing ballots and one count of misdemeanor theft, authorities announced.

In May, Savage came in 6th place in the Republican primary for Indiana’s Fifth District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, garnering 1.9% of the vote. On his campaign’s Facebook page, Savage writes, “I am a MAGA Candidate for U.S. Congress 2024” and that one of his reasons for running is to bring back “fair, transparent elections.”

According to a news release from the Indiana State Police, the incident took place during a test of the Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) at the Madison County Government Center on Oct. 3, 2024.

“The test requires manual entry of a pre-audit group of ballots marked to record a predetermined number of valid votes for each candidate and on each public question,” police explained in the release.

“After the testing process, the ballots used are treated as if they were used on election day. Before the ballot card voting system can be used in an election, the machines are required to be tested openly to representatives of political parties, candidates, media, and the public.”

The Oct. 3, test involved four voting machines and 136 “actual candidate ballots marked for testing,” investigators said. Following the test, officials said they discovered that two ballots were missing from the initial ballot tabulation. An investigation revealed several videos that allegedly showed Savage being instructed on the validity of the test ballots and then “folding and placing both ballots in his pocket.”

The test was livestreamed on the Madison County, Indiana, government website. Savage can allegedly be seen rolling up two of the ballots and stuffing them in his pocket about 12 minutes and 45 seconds into the footage.

A judge granted a search warrant for Savage’s home and the missing ballots were located inside his vehicle.

According to a report from Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN, shortly after putting the ballot in his pocket, Savage allegedly approached a woman in attendance and, unprompted, said, “f—ed up ballots.” That woman, who was reportedly streaming the test on Facebook Live, subsequently went over to the election officials to ask if any of the test ballots were missing.

In fact, Savage reportedly commented on the woman’s livestream, essentially admitting to taking the ballots.

“3 ballots short!!! lol,” he wrote, per screenshots of the feed obtained by WXIN.

“Dont take anything,” Savage added.

Savage appeared to post a third comment on the feed, but the text is cut off in the screenshot.

As he was leaving the building, the station reported that Savage was seen outside the building showing another man the ballots he had allegedly pocketed. The other man reportedly patted Savage on the back a few times in response.

Footage of the police confronting Savage at his home was posted online and appears to show him claiming to officers that he asked an election official if the ballots used for the test were “real ballots.”

“She said ‘No, they’re sample ballots.’ So, when she said that, I rolled one up, put it in my pocket,” Savage tells officers. “I didn’t know we couldn’t take the thing. They even say ‘sample’ on them.”

Savage tells the officers that he was 10 minutes late to the meeting and that he may have missed any direct warning against taking ballots. WXIN reported that after being told that footage from the event showed that Savage never asked permission to take the ballots, he admitted he did not, but maintained that he believed he was allowed.

“If you got to Payless, or go wherever, it says sample and you usually can take a sample,” Savage says. “So that is the way I took it. I thought they were fake f—ing ballots.”

After an officer reads him the warrant, Savage appears to say, “They’re coming after us patriots. They don’t want us to be Americans anymore.” A short while later he reportedly told police “This is all political bulls—.”

Court documents reportedly show that when police searched his phone they found text messages clearly showing that Savage was fully aware that it was a crime to take the ballots from the facility.

Following his arrest, Savage was released on $500 bond. His first court date has not yet been scheduled.

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Congressional candidate threatened to kill opponent: Feds

homesafetytechpros — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 01:16:31 +0000

Left: William Braddock looks through papers during a June 2021 hearing, Tuesday, in Clearwater, Fla. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File). Right: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., arrives before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Wilmington International Airport, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Wilmington, N.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).

A former candidate for Congress in Florida has been charged with threatening to kill his opponent — and eventual winner — U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna in the 2021 Republican primary, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

William Robert Braddock III, 41, faces up to five years in prison if convicted, according to the feds. Although prosecutors don’t name Luna in the press release, she has previously filed for a protection order against Braddock. The defendant on June 8, 2021, allegedly threatened to injure and kill Luna and an associate during a phone call. Prosecutors say he said he was going to “call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” and make her disappear.

After making the threats Braddock allegedly fled to the Philippines where he was arrested and recently deported back to the United States.

Luna and Braddock were running for Florida’s 13th Congressional District to replace then-U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist after he vacated his seat for his unsuccessful bid for governor. Luna won the primary and then the general election. She filed an injunction against Braddock in June 2021 after he made the alleged threatening call and had been stalking her, the Associated Press reported.

“I do not feel safe and I am currently in fear for my life from Mr. Braddock,” Luna reportedly said in her petition.

Luna declined to comment on the indictment to Fox News but a spokesperson issued a statement that said she had been a target of numerous threats in general.

“Female members of Congress are disproportionately targeted for stalking, violence, and harassment compared to their male counterparts,” Luna’s spokesperson said. “This alarming trend points to a broader and more disturbing issue of violence in the political arena. Violence must never be tolerated.”

Braddock faces a charge of interstate transmission of a true threat to injure another person. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force which aims to address threats of violence against people in the political arena whether they be elected officials or election workers.

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State House candidate put his hands on neck of boy: Cops

homesafetytechpros — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 21:32:05 +0000

Brian Ormes (Mug shot from the Kenton County Jail; Walmart screenshot from WCPO/YouTube)

A Republican candidate for a Kentucky state representative seat has been arrested after he was allegedly caught on a Walmart surveillance camera putting his hands on the neck of a 17-year-old boy who nearly hit his son with a ball in a store aisle.

Brian Ormes, 53, faces charges of first-degree strangulation, menacing and assault in the fourth degree, online jail records show.

The Monday night incident allegedly started after the teen played with a ball in a store aisle that nearly hit Ormes’ son. Surveillance footage allegedly caught Ormes following the teen, getting in his face, chest to chest, before pushing him against a shelf and placing his hands on his neck, reported the Lexington Herald-Leader, citing a police report.

The paper said police wrote the teen had “clear and visible red marks and a scratch on the back of his neck.”

Ormes allegedly admitted to putting hands on the teen, saying he was upset about the ball almost hitting his son, Cincinnati ABC affiliate WCPO reported.

Ormes was booked into the Kenton County Detention Center and released on $2,500 bond, records show. He was ordered not to contact the alleged victim and stay out of all Walmarts, the Herald-Leader reported.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Ormes had not responded to a phone call or Facebook message request for comment.

Ormes is running for an open seat in Kentucky District 67 in Campbell County in northern Kentucky.

His challenger, fellow Republican Terry Hatton, said he should drop out of the race.

“First off, my heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to the victim and their family,” he posted on Facebook. “I stand by my statement, Brian Ormes NEEDS to drop out of this race, as house district 67 deserves someone who will not put the youths safety at risk in our community. After his actions last night, it is obvious that he has some personal issues that MUST be addressed, before he is able to serve the public.”

Campbell County Republican chairman Dave Slater said in a statement to WCPO that the party firmly supports Ormes’ and “every American citizen’s Constitutional right to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law.”

WCPO reported Campbell County Democratic Party Chair Melissa Whalen called the incident “sad.”

“I don’t know how we devolved to this point,” she said. “Obviously, none of us are perfect, but there’s a bottom line you should be able to cross.”

Ormes is an electrician by trade, according to his Facebook page. His former company, Boss Construction, was dissolved for damaging a retaining wall gas pipeline in 2020, according to the Kentucky Public Service Commission.

Ormes is set to appear in court on April 16, online court records show.

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Ex-council candidate, anti-vaxxer faces charges for Jan. 6

homesafetytechpros — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 03:11:44 +0000

Mitchell Bosch is seen in a photo confronting officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. (Photos from court documents)

A one-time New York City Council candidate and anti-vaxxer confronted officers during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, then bragged to a witness it was “men being men,” authorities said.

Mitchell Bosch, 44, is charged with felony offenses of civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

He’s also charged with several misdemeanors, including entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in any restricted building or grounds, engaging in any act of physical violence against any person or property in any restricted building or grounds, and engaging in an act of physical violence in the Capitol building or grounds.

Bosch traveled to Washington, D.C., to join thousands of Donald Trump supporters protesting Congress certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral win, authorities said.

Bosch can be seen pushing against officers and assisting and encouraging rioters to oppose police as they chant “U.S.A. U.S.A.” At one point, Bosch allegedly pushed his body into a police shield with other rioters, authorities said. At one point, he gestured and shouted at the crowd behind him, shouting, “hold the line!” as he charged into officers.

Bosch is seen on police body-worn camera footage moving up in the crowd, bracing himself against a rioter before rushing to the front as another mob-police confrontation began. Bosch is seen again later pushing into the police line, officials said.

When police pushed him back, he again pushed into the line before retreating into the crowd but remaining in the restricted perimeter on the east side of the Capitol grounds for some time, authorities said.

Bosch, arrested on Wednesday by FBI agents in Brooklyn, was to the incident through a search warrant served on Google through two devices associated with the names “Mitchell Bosch” and “Men Instant Advice” and two Gmail addresses present at the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, court documents said.

Authorities also reviewed open-source images allegedly posted by Bosch on Instagram. In one post, on Jan. 19, 2021, a photo showed a hamburger and restaurant menu with the caption, “Enjoying my last meal before the FBI comes for me.”

He also allegedly posted photos on Twitter showing him on the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021, wearing “a red hat and/or a red beanie, a black/dark green jacket, and black gloves.” Photos and videos on Twitter depicted Bosch and others pushing against police officers outside the U.S. Capitol building.

Last March, the FBI received a tip that an individual matching his description was visible in similar photos and video. Last July, an individual identified in court documents as Witness 1 — once a former close friend of Bosch, identified him to the FBI. In that interview, Witness 1 recalled Bosch suggested Jan. 6, 2021, was a “beautiful day” and it was “men being men.”

In an interview with agents the following month, Bosch admitted he attended the rally, saying he drove there by himself. During that Aug. 27, 2021, interview, Bosch became agitated when investigators inquired about his travel to Washington, allegedly saying, “[law enforcement’s] efforts should be on what’s going on in Afghanistan, and not what happened in D.C.”

“Bosch voiced his displeasure with the purpose of the interview and stated there were not enough ‘men like him around’ that will ‘challenge leadership,”” he allegedly said, according to court documents.

The New York Post wrote about the one-time New York City Council candidate’s arrests outside restaurants and other locations in 2021 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as he protested vaccine mandates.

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