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  • 14 people have been charged in a Penn State fraternity cocaine-trafficking ring

    14 people have been charged in a Penn State fraternity cocaine-trafficking ring

    Fourteen people have been charged in a cocaine trafficking case at Pennsylvania State University, the state attorney general’s office announced Monday.

    The drug ring involved students’ purchasing large quantities of cocaine from Philadelphia and New York, cutting and packaging it at two fraternity houses, and distributing it to their classmates, prosecutors said.

    The alleged ring was active from 2023 to 2024, when all but one of the defendants were students at Penn State. The other defendant is the father of one student, and he was charged with evidence tampering and hindering law enforcement’s investigation. At least four of those charged are still students at Penn State.

    “This was a coordinated and highly profitable drug-trafficking crew revolving around two senior members of the fraternities, other fraternity brothers, and pledges,” said Attorney General Dave Sunday in a statement. “According to the evidence uncovered, cutting and packaging cocaine was, for some pledges, an indoctrination into the fraternities,”

    The State College Police Department began investigating in September 2024, and used informants to purchase drugs on several occasions, according to a criminal complaint.

    The two key suppliers for the group, Agostino Abbatiello, 24, and Thomas Robinson, 23, allegedly made regular trips to Philly and New York to acquire large quantities of cocaine. After Robinson was arrested, he told State College police he purchased cocaine from Abbatiello, including as much as one kilogram for $22,000 at a time, according to the complaint. Abbatiello eventually became known as the main dealer for cocaine on campus, it said.

    The cocaine was packaged for distribution primarily at the off-campus Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternity houses, according to the complaint. Penn State has placed Delta Upsilon on interim suspension while the university’s Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response investigates. Sigma Chi is not a registered student organization and receives no support from Penn State, the university said in a statement.

    “We are horrified by these serious allegations against current and former students,” said Andrea Dowhower, Penn State’s vice president for student affairs. “Criminal activity, including hazing, such as this has no place at our institution, and we will cooperate with law enforcement in any way we can. We will continue to enhance our efforts around health and safety and hazing educational efforts for all our organizations.”

    Abbatiello, Robinson, and three other defendants are charged with felony conspiracy, possession with intention to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, and other related charges. Eight defendants are charged with misdemeanor drug possession. Lawyers for Abbatiello and Robinson were not listed in court records.

    Over the past decade, Penn State’s fraternities and their hazing rituals have been a source of campus misconduct and serious legal violations. In 2024, two fraternity leaders were sentenced to two to four months in prison for their role in the 2017 death of Timothy Piazza, a 19-year old Penn State student who died following a hazing incident while pledging Beta Theta Pi.

    Piazza’s parents helped push for the successful passage of the federal “Stop Campus Hazing Act,” which requires institutions of higher education participating in federal student aid programs to report hazing incidents.

    More recently, in April, Penn State suspended one fraternity for at least four years after it investigated reports of hazing. Since 2017, the university has fully suspended five fraternities, while four others are technically suspended by the university, but continue to operate with the support of their parent organizations.

  • A Bucks County man who allegedly killed his girlfriend, abandoned her body, and fled to Honduras is charged with murder

    A Bucks County man who allegedly killed his girlfriend, abandoned her body, and fled to Honduras is charged with murder

    A Telford man has been charged with murder after, officials say, he stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death inside the apartment they shared and fled the country, hiding out in Central America for months.

    Darwin David Espinal del Cid, 27, was taken into custody during the weekend by officials in his native Honduras in the March 7 death of Maria Popol, Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan said Monday.

    Khan, in announcing the arrest, described Popol as a loving daughter and sister who cared deeply about her family. Espinal del Cid, he said, ended her life in a heartless, violent manner and then furthered her family’s suffering by stealing her cellphone and pretending to be her, in text messages he sent them.

    Maria Popol was found dead in March by police in Telford.Courtesy of Maria Popol's family

    It was an attempt, Khan said, to throw investigators off his trail as he fled the country.

    But investigators were able to track Espinal del Cid’s movements, in part through his cellphone, according to Khan.

    “This was a place where he thought he would be safe, that he could outrun the law, that the Bucks County DA’s office and the authorities wouldn’t catch up to him,” Khan said. “And at a certain point he may have believed that he was successful, but he was wrong.”

    He remains in custody in Honduras, and is awaiting extradition to Bucks County.

    Popol’s body was found on March 15 inside a second-floor apartment on North Main Street in Telford where she previously lived with Espinal del Cid. Her parents had filed a missing person’s report two days earlier, on what would have been her 23rd birthday, Khan said.

    A neighbor, helping the family search for Popol, entered her apartment and found her.

    Her family, in a statement to The Inquirer, said she was in the process of moving to a new apartment nearby, fleeing what they described as an abusive relationship with Espinal del Cid.

    Khan said Espinal del Cid stabbing Popol in the neck with a sharp object and hid her body in a closet as she bled to death.

    Popol’s family told The Inquirer they last heard from her on March 6, after she rode in an Uber with Espinal del Cid. The two were arguing, prosecutors said, about Popol’s decision to end their relationship.

    She texted her mother and told her she was looking for a new apartment, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Epsinal del Cid’s arrest.

    Her brother, Ronaldo, said she was seen hours later in a video from a doorbell security camera carrying luggage while she was moving into her new apartment.

    The last time Maria Popol was seen by her family was in a doorbell camera video from March 7 at her new residence. She was found dead March 15 at her old apartment she had shared with a man, her brother said.Rolando Popol

    A witness told police that, while picking up Popol to take her to her new apartment, Espinal del Cid forced himself into the car, crying and acting hysterical, saying that he “couldn’t afford to lose her,” the affidavit said.

    When Popol returned to the apartment where she lived with Espinal del Cid, the two got into another heated argument, loud enough for neighbors to overhear, according to the affidavit.

    In the days that followed, Espinal del Cid continued to act erratically, asking his former boss for money to buy a plane ticket to Honduras, weeping openly in public and saying, “God forgive me.”

    A friend of Espinal del Cid who drove him to the airport noted he was carrying three cellphones, one of which appeared to be Popol’s, the affidavit said.

    On March 9, Espinal del Cid boarded a plane heading to Honduras by way of Florida at Philadelphia International Airport.

    The entire time, investigators said, Epsinal del Cid texted Popol’s friends and employer, asking for money in messages that they agreed were not written in her usual style of talking.

    Popol moved to Bucks County from her native Guatemala in 2023 to support her parents, who are in declining health, according to her family. She worked as a waitress at Don Leo, a Latin American restaurant not far from her apartment.

    “She had come to this country hoping for a better life,” Ronaldo Popol said, describing his sister as “very affectionate, kind, and patient.”

    Khan said Popol’s death is the latest example of fatal domestic violence in Bucks County. Since he took office in January, nearly all of the murders his office has investigated have been committed by one of the victim’s loved ones.

    “It’s the reason that we are showing this picture of [Espinal del Cid], not to glorify him, but to ask for the public’s help, because while he thought he was smarter than everyone else, the law was catching up to him and we want the public’s help,” Khan said.

  • Police release images of a suspect in the killing of an off-duty Philly officer

    Police release images of a suspect in the killing of an off-duty Philly officer

    Investigators on Monday released images of a suspect in the fatal shooting of an off-duty Philadelphia police officer outside an after-hours nightclub in Southwest Philadelphia early Sunday morning.

    The man, whom police did not identify, was seen on 73rd Street near Buist Avenue, about a block away from the shooting in which 29-year-old Officer Alhassane Barry was killed and another man was critically injured.

    Surveillance images released by the department Monday show the suspect wearing a black hoodie and a blue face mask.

    Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore urged the public to come forward with any video or images that may depict the suspect or others who were outside what a social media account linked to the address called “Nipsey’s Hookah Lounge,” an unlicensed nightclub that city inspectors have repeatedly cited and some neighbors described as a nuisance.

    Gunfire erupted outside the property on the 7200 block of Elmwood Avenue around 4 a.m., sending bystanders running.

    Investigators have not identified a motive for the shooting, and the suspect remains at large.

    “We need answers right now,” Vanore said during a news conference in which he sought the public’s help locating the suspect. “We need to solve this case.”

    Police said the suspect was last seen fleeing south on 73rd Street.

    Investigators recovered a firearm and eight spent 9mm shell casings from the scene, though they said they had yet to determine to whom the gun belongs.

    Barry and the other victim, a 35-year-old man whom police did not identify, were rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where the officer was pronounced dead at 8 a.m. Sunday.

    The second victim, who was struck multiple times, and placed in critical condition, remained in the hospital as of Monday morning. No update on his condition was available.

    During a service for Barry held earlier in the day, a procession of mourners shut down traffic outside a mosque in a bustling Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood, where more than a hundred people gathered at the Fouta Islamic Center.

    More than a dozen uniformed police officers stood in formation as a hearse carrying Barry’s body departed the mosque, located just blocks from the site of the shooting.

    “He was a bright young fellow,” said attendee Amina Sheriff-Comteh, adding that in keeping with Islamic tradition, the burial was being held shortly after the death.

    In honor of Barry, Sheriff-Comteh said, she and other attendees prayed for blessings, forgiveness, and peace.

    “He was an amazing guy,” said a young man outside the service, who declined to offer his name given that police were still searching for Barry’s killer.

    Those who knew Barry spoke proudly of his two-year career with the Philadelphia Police Department, where he was assigned to the 12th District in Southwest Philadelphia, as well as his lengthier tenure in the military.

    Barry enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard as a cavalry scout in 2015 and spent a decade in service, said Heather J. Hagan, a U.S. Army spokesperson.

    He spent two years deployed to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and left the Army as a sergeant, according to Hagan.

    He was awarded multiple medals and ribbons throughout his service, she added.

    Vanore, the deputy commissioner, said police would work tirelessly to locate the suspect.

    He said questions about the business practices of the after-hours lounge would have to wait as police take on the more pressing job of arresting Barry’s killer.

    Property records for the lounge shows a history of failed licenses and inspections investigations going back to 2021, with the most recent inspection filed in January.

    In 2023, L&I inspectors wrote that Nipsey’s owners had not obtained a permit to operate the building as an after-hours lounge.

    They also wrote additional violations for improper use of extension cords, unsecured compressed gas cylinders, and storing materials that were a fire risk in the rear yard.

    Kandyce Stukes, a spokesperson for the Quality of Life division in the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections, said inspectors issued orders to the building’s owner in 2023 and 2024 to cease operations.

    The owner appealed and said they were unaware of the tenant’s conduct.

    The case was sent to the Court of Common Pleas, and the L&I has since been navigating the legal process, Stukes said.

    The cease-operations order remains in effect and any business operating there is doing so illegally, Stukes added.

  • Moro Ojomo contrite about training camp skirmish with Eagles teammate Fred Johnson: ‘You fight with your brothers’

    Moro Ojomo contrite about training camp skirmish with Eagles teammate Fred Johnson: ‘You fight with your brothers’

    Moro Ojomo admits that his fracas with Eagles offensive tackle Fred Johnson in the final moments of last Thursday’s practice was not the defensive tackle’s finest moment.

    Tensions between the two had been festering during team drills. They eventually quarreled on back-to-back snaps, with Ojomo lunging at Johnson’s lower half not long after their teammates attempted to separate them following the second play.

    Football is an aggressive sport, Ojomo said. But he expressed an understanding that he crossed the line.

    “Emotions, and you fight with your brothers,” Ojomo said Monday. “It was just over football. Got a little heated. It was wrong. It’s not a standard that we set out here, and it was a mistake, and I messed up.”

    After three weeks of practicing against his teammates in training camp, Ojomo is ready to direct his aggression at someone else.

    Enter the New England Patriots.

    Moro Ojomo is among the Eagles projected starters ready to hit someone from another team. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The Eagles will head to Foxborough, Mass., for a pair of joint practices against the defending AFC champions on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of Saturday’s preseason game. For Ojomo, the joint practices are welcome opportunities to compete against another team in a controlled environment, especially for the starters who are unlikely to play in the preseason.

    “We’ve been hitting each other so much,” Ojomo said. “We want to kind of create that camaraderie and go versus someone, and ultimately we want to get the train rolling. We’re trying to have a great season, and you start it off with a great joint practice with [the Patriots].”

    Foxborough is familiar territory for the Eagles. The Patriots hosted them for a single joint practice ahead of the 2024 season. On that day, the Eagles defense — in its first summer under Vic Fangio — dominated the Drake Maye-led offense that went on to rank 30th in the NFL in scoring that year.

    Eagles 53-man roster projection 3.0: What changed after the first preseason game?

    This week’s practices should be a little more evenly matched for Ojomo and his defensive teammates. Maye, who finished second in MVP voting last season behind Matthew Stafford, is now headed into his third season and his second under head coach Mike Vrabel. The Patriots have invested in Maye’s supporting cast, from the offensive linemen who protect him to the receivers — including former Eagle A.J. Brown — who catch his passes.

    Brown won’t be the only former Eagle in attendance. Milton Williams, the 2021 third-rounder out of Louisiana Tech, signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the Patriots in the offseason that followed the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory.

    Ojomo had a theory regarding why Williams got paid by the Patriots that year.

    “He had a great, great practice up there,” Ojomo recalled of their joint practice.

    Ojomo acknowledged that the Eagles have a history of defensive tackles, including Williams in 2025 and Javon Hargrave in 2023, playing their way into paydays with other teams.

    He could follow the blueprint that Williams and others set forth. Ojomo, the Eagles’ 2023 seventh-rounder out of Texas, is in the final year of his rookie deal. If Ojomo builds upon a breakout 2025 season in which he registered six sacks, he could be in line for a hefty raise with the Eagles or elsewhere.

    Ojomo said earlier this month that watching Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter sign extensions to stay in Philadelphia this offseason is serving as motivation in Year 4.

    But he is driven by Williams’ trajectory, too, which ultimately landed him with a different team.

    The Eagles offense was not impressive in Sean Mannion’s debut. That’s not surprising … or all that concerning.

    “I think everyone’s encouraged by that,” Ojomo said. “Everyone’s encouraged by seeing when someone [balls] out and ultimately gets to that second contract, which is kind of that big, abstract goal for players as a rookie.”

    That abstract goal will become more tangible for Ojomo once the season gets underway. But first, after weeks of going head-to-head with his own teammates, he’s eager to compete in joint practices with an outside opponent.

    “At the end of the day, that’s a Super Bowl team from last year,” Ojomo said of the Patriots. “You’re not going to get much better competition than that, right? So, we’re very excited, and we’re going to try to give them our best shot. And I feel like, likewise, from their part.”

  • Villanova ranked No. 7 in preseason FCS coaches poll. Montana State at the top.

    Villanova ranked No. 7 in preseason FCS coaches poll. Montana State at the top.

    The American Football Coaches Association released its preseason Top 25 FCS poll Monday, and Villanova comes in at No. 7.

    The Wildcats are coming off a 12-3 season that ended in the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals with a 30-14 loss to Illinois State. Villanova’s 12 wins marked the second most in school history, and included a 7-1 record in the Coastal Athletic Association.

    As of July 1, Villanova became part of the Patriot League. In a conference preseason poll, the Wildcats were selected to finish first in their inaugural season in the league. They received seven first-place votes, with Lehigh, which won the Patriot title a year ago but fell to Villanova in the playoffs, receiving the other three.

    Villanova running back Ja’briel Mace returns for his junior season.Courtesy of Brendan Maloney

    Quarterback Pat McQuaide, an All-America candidate who passed for over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns a year ago, won a court ruling to gain eligibility to return to Villanova this season.

    Running back and rising junior Ja’Briel Mace, junior offensive lineman Chris McCullers, and sophomore Braden Reed, a wide receiver, were all named to the preseason All-Patriot League offensive team. Mace also got a nod on the special teams as a return specialist. Senior defensive lineman Capri Martin and sophomore linebacker Omari Bursey were both named to the preseason defensive team.

    Ohio judge rules that Villanova QB Pat McQuaide will be eligible this season

    Defending FCS champion Montana State tops the poll with 25 first-place votes, while South Dakota State, which comes in third, was the only other team to receive a vote for the top seed (1).

    Villanova’s season starts against William and Mary at home on Aug. 28, at 6 p.m., marking the first game in the Patriot League for both teams.

  • Wawa’s new Phanatic smoothie tastes like a ‘World Series win with a sprinkling of Mets tears’

    Wawa’s new Phanatic smoothie tastes like a ‘World Series win with a sprinkling of Mets tears’

    As Philly guys go, the Phanatic is one suave dude. His gyrating belly, chameleonlike tongue, and ability to burn our opponents without uttering a single word have charmed generations of Philadelphians.

    Now, this smoothie operator has a smoothie all his own and it tastes like the tears of our rivals — sweet, salty, and delicious.

    Kim Rodriguez, Wawa manager, along with the Wawa mascot Wally Goose and the Phillie Phanatic in Philadelphia on Aug. 17, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Wawa debuted its new, limited-edition Phanatic Caramel Curveball Cream Smoothie during an event at the chain’s Penrose Avenue store Monday that was part news conference, part pep rally, and perfectly preposterous.

    Fans packed the store — for what, they weren’t exactly sure — they just knew it would be a chance to “hang with the Phillie Phanatic and Wally Goose,” according to Wawa’s Facebook page for the event.

    The two-birds-one-store offer was enough to bring out a flock of more than 75 people dressed in Phillies, Phanatic, and Wawa gear, including sisters Elizabeth and Jennifer Bertolet of Doylestown. They arrived 90 minutes before the event and decided that whatever was about to happen, it was “going to be awesome.”

    “Wally is going to be here and the Phanatic is going to be here. Why wouldn’t we be here?” Elizabeth Bertolet said.

    Maggie McNulty, who is dressed as Wally Goose, and her father, Glenn McNulty, attend an event at Wawa’s Penrose Avenue store celebrating the partnership between the Phillies and Wawa. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Justin Tichy, chief operations officer for Wawa, announced during his remarks that the smoothie is part of a new partnership between Philly’s hometown baseball team and its hometown convenience store.

    Fans at Friday’s Phillies’ game against the St. Louis Cardinals will receive a Wawa Kyle Schwarber bobblehead, samples of the Phanatic smoothie, and a chance to see Wally Goose throw out the first ceremonial pitch.

    When asked how he’s feeling about taking the mound, Wally shuddered with nervous energy then practiced his pitching wing.

    She Willians, of Job Corps culinary, and the Wawa mascot Wally Goose at Wawa’s Penrose Avenue store Monday. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    Perhaps he’ll throw a curveball like Wawa did by not making its Phanatic smoothie green. A source said it’s because the Phanatic is unlikely to put anything green in his smoothie, which 100% tracks. You don’t get that bouncy belly by drinking kale.

    When asked what he thought about the new drink bearing his name, the Phanatic raised his arms overhead then circled his belly around in approval.

    The smoothie is made with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, whipped cream, salted caramel syrup, and sea salt pretzel pieces. It comes in a limited-edition cup featuring the Phanatic’s eyes and the tip of his snout and it only comes in one size — phanatically large — clocking in at 970 calories.

    The new Phanatic smoothie

    [image or embed]

    — Stephanie Farr (@farfarraway.bsky.social) August 17, 2026 at 1:39 PM

    Zack Sminkey of Woodstown, N.J., who wore a matching red shirt-and-shorts combo featuring repeating patterns of the Phanatic, brought his 7-year-old daughter Zoe to the event. Both approved of the new smoothie in the big green guy’s honor.

    “It’s really good. It’s very ballpark-tasting,” Sminkey said. “I almost feel like it tastes like Cracker Jacks. It’s delicious.”

    Jennifer Bertolet described it another way as she and her sister toasted their free samples of smoothie.

    “It tastes like World Series win with a sprinkling of Mets tears,” she said.

    Phillies ambassador Scott Palmer with a tray of new Wawa limited-edition Phanatic Caramel Curveball Cream Smoothies.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    When Wawa released a limited-edition Gritty Smoothie in the spring in honor of Philly’s prince of chaos, it was only a matter of time before the OG mascot king got one of his own, too.

    The partnership between Wawa and the Phillies solidified Wawa as the team’s official hoagie in June. Wawa hoagies now come wrapped in Phillies-themed paper, and the chain is selling red-and-white striped Phillies doughnuts and Phillies-themed kids meals, which come with stickers of the Phanatic and Wally Goose. A portion of the proceeds from the kids meals go to Philabundance.

    In turn, Wawa has an increased presence at Citizens Bank Park with new advertising and ballpark activations.

    Wally Goose and the Phillie Phanatic represent Wawa and the Phillies at a news conference on Monday about their recently-announced partnership. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    But the Phillies and Wawa were in a situationship long before they made things official this summer. Whenever the Phillies make the playoffs, Wawa brings back its Kyle Schwarber-themed Schwarberfest, a Hoagiefest spinoff featuring discounted hoagies. And in 2024, Bryce Harper was fined by MLB for showing his love for the chain by wearing custom-made Wawa cleats and a headband during a game.

    The Phillies and Wawa collaborations, including the Phanatic smoothie, will be available at stores in the region through Sept. 28.

    No word on if the offers will be extended in the event of a Red October.

    Today while interviewing a woman inside of a Wawa whose baby was dressed like Wally Goose, I was surprise-attacked from behind by the Phanatic, who put me inside of his shirt.

    That is a sentence only a Philly journalist could write – and believe and live through.

    [image or embed]

    — Stephanie Farr (@farfarraway.bsky.social) August 17, 2026 at 1:26 PM

  • Avalon will allow outdoor live music one hour later at Gully’s

    Avalon will allow outdoor live music one hour later at Gully’s

    Avalon has changed its tune.

    Over objections from nearby residents, the affluent Cape May County shore town voted to soften liquor license restrictions for the popular new bar Gully’s, allowing one more hour of outdoor music, until 9 p.m.

    The vote followed an outcry from the town’s locals, old-timers, and music lovers after the band Three and One was told to stop playing at 8 p.m. July 17, two hours earlier than advertised, after complaints from neighbors and a visit from Avalon police.

    The 8 p.m. cutoff for outdoor music was a special condition included in the liquor licenses of Gully’s and other bars in town.

    Avalon shut down a live band at Gully’s at 8 p.m.

    But at its August council meeting last Wednesday, the council adopted new restrictions on Gully’s that gives the bar one more hour for outdoor live music.

    Gully’s had been appealing those conditions to the state’s Division of Alcohol Beverage Control before the resolution’s adoption.

    Councilman Jamie McDermott downplayed the consequences of extending the music one more hour, and said the noise was “part of living within the two blocks of the commercial business district.”

    “It’s a summer disruption,” he said. “We’re talking about eight Saturday nights that are going to go until nine o’clock.

    “For me, for a summer town, that’s not Sea Isle, that’s the seashore at its best,” he said.

    According to the resolution, Gully’s has retained a sound engineer to help with noise volume from its bands.

    “Each band will be given the sound engineer’s phone number so that the engineer can approve the band’s system before it is set up,” the resolution states.

    In addition, “bands will be warned that they will be cut off and not paid if they do not keep the volume reasonable.”

    The council noted that Gully’s space is mostly outdoors, unlike other bars in town with bigger indoor footprints for music, and that the borough itself has outdoor music until 9 p.m. at its public concerts.

    The extension to 9 p.m. was characterized as a temporary solution for the rest of the summer. The issue will be revisited before next summer.

    Gully’s has agreed to withdraw its appeal, for now, Nicole Curio, the municipal solicitor, told the council.

    The hanging candied bacon served over grits and Gully’s blooming potato at Gully’s on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Avalon, NJ.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The resolution requires Gully’s bands to have smaller sound systems, no 18-inch or larger bass speakers, and to monitor their volume. The restaurant announced the change on its Facebook page.

    The resolution also states that concerned neighbors will be given a number to text if they have issues with the volume.

    Gully’s has also agreed to reposition the stage so that bands are facing the building rather than the neighborhood, the resolution states.

    City Council President Greg “Chet” Johnson said at the meeting that the town needed to ensure that all the new people investing in summer homes had places to go once they arrived in Avalon.

    “The town has changed,” Johnson said, addressing residents who had objected to the new regulation. “It’s a more affluent community that’s coming here. You’ve had great appreciation in your property. This is going to continue to grow and boom. People that come down now, they’re not bringing their groceries. They want to go to restaurants. They want entertainment.”

    The popularity of Gully’s, in a space where a previous business had not flourished, showed that it was something the town as a whole supported, he said.

    Larry Hayes, a neighbor who lives about 500 yards away and has complained about the noise, said he was opposed to the new regulations. Others said Avalon was caving to Gully’s.

    Council Vice President Sam Wierman said it was unrealistic for neighbors near Avalon’s commercial district to want “everything shut off” at 8 p.m.

    “That’s the reality of living,” he said. “I don’t think 9 p.m. is unreasonable. It’s a middle ground.”

    Curio, the solicitor, noted that the resolution did not address other events at Gully’s, like its amplified Monday minnow races, which were also receiving attention from PETA, the animal rights group.

    Resident Jody Kyle, meanwhile, noted a noise issue she thought was worse than Gully’s: The noise from the nearby Wawa, which she said went on until midnight or 2 a.m. some nights.

    “It’s underaged kids who belong at home,” she told council.

  • A man who stole $1 million in cryptocurrency was sentenced to seven years in prison

    A man who stole $1 million in cryptocurrency was sentenced to seven years in prison

    A 24-year-old Portuguese man was sentenced Monday to seven years in federal prison for stealing more than $1 million in cryptocurrency from unwitting victims, including a resident of Montgomery County — crimes prosecutors said the man committed while he was associated with an international cybercrime network.

    Ruben Filipe Gabriel Martins pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and identity-theft charges for using sophisticated phishing tactics to obtain victims’ cryptocurrency account information, then stealing their investments.

    Prosecutors said Martins committed his fraud while he was part of a group called “the Com,” a global network of people who use technology to commit a variety of crimes across the world, including extortion, theft, and even incitements of violence.

    Last year, a teen who was associated with a subset of the Com made hoax active-shooter calls targeting Villanova University and other colleges, prosecutors have said, crimes that led to massive police responses and inspired widespread panic.

    Martins, meanwhile, was associated with a subset known as “CryptoChameleon,” a group that uses a variety of deceptive tactics to obtain account information from cryptocurrency holders. In Martin’s case, prosecutors said, he pretended to be a customer support representative for Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange, and told his victims he could offer support for their compromised accounts — tactics he used to get into the accounts and steal the victims’ funds.

    Martins then went on to transfer the proceeds into other cryptocurrencies, prosecutors said, and ultimately spent his ill-gotten gains on luxury goods, traveling, and gambling.

    His scheme began to unravel in 2024, when prosecutors said a man from Towamencin Township told police that more than $60,000 had been stolen out of his cryptocurrency account after he’d replied to text messages and calls about its security. Authorities were ultimately able to link that activity to Martins, who was born in Portugal and went on to live in Scotland.

    Martins’ lawyer said in court documents that Martins had never intended to become “a career criminal.” But after being raised in modest circumstances — including by working in a fish factory as a teenager — Martins was introduced to a host of wealthy benefactors due to his skill in online gaming, his lawyer said, and some of those people then flew him to Paris and recruited him to participate in their digital exploitation operation.

    In court Monday, Martins apologized for his actions, saying he was in debt when he committed his crimes and viewed the scheme as a way to make “really easy money.”

    “I made a mistake when I was really down,” he said, “and I’d just like to have another chance at life.”

    But U.S. District Judge Gerald J. Pappert said it was a significant understatement to describe the crimes as a “mistake ” — saying Martins had used his computer skills and desire for money to turn himself into a “dangerous” person who stopped only when he got caught.

    “Not one thing you did in two years was a mistake,” Pappert said. “You needed money. You saw what for you was an easy way to get a lot of money. … And I don’t know to what extent, if at all, you ever felt bad about it, because these people were all behind a computer, and you never had to look them in the eye.”

    One of Martins’ victims has seven children, Pappert noted, and others were intelligent people who lost significant portions of their life’s savings.

    Martins is expected to be deported to Portugal once he finishes his prison sentence. But Pappert said his victims may never get over the shame and financial hardship he caused them.

    “These were horrible crimes,” Pappert said. “None of these people deserved this.”

  • The inaugural JAB Classic brought a bevy of basketball stars for a showcase to foster unity

    The inaugural JAB Classic brought a bevy of basketball stars for a showcase to foster unity

    Philadelphia natives Marcus Morris Sr. and Markieff Morris showed out in front of a home crowd on Sunday.

    The Morris twins, who put together long careers in the NBA, starred for a team representing Chuck Ellis Workouts in the inaugural JAB Classic Championship — the culmination of a three-day pro-am basketball tournament at the Palestra.

    The final saw their Philly-based team defeat Texas’s Trusted Vision, 106-77. Zid Powell, a former standout at Rocktop Academy while attending Overbrook High, was named the game’s most valuable player.

    Chris DiJulia’s funeral celebrated an indomitable spirit … and Philadelphia’s amazing basketball family | Opinion

    After the final whistle, Chuck Ellis Workouts was awarded a $1 million championship bonus check.

    “I already knew what time it was, man,” Marcus Morris Sr. said after being presented the check. “I already knew. Just show some love. Just show some respect, man. You know what time it is. I’m taking [the check] to the crib, and we know what it is — a million.”

    In 2024, Marcus Morris, then a member of the Sixers, received a key to the city for his philanthropic work. Marcus and Markieff helped found the Family Over Everything Foundation, a program that provides assistance to local children in single-parent households and other underserved communities. For the Morris twins, playing in the JAB Classic was another way to give back to Philadelphia.

    Chuck Ellis Workouts shows off their prize after beating Trusted Vision to win the JAB Classic and the $1 million grand prize at the Palestra on Sunday.Steven M. Falk / For The Inquirer

    “It’s amazing to have people come out,” said Marcus Morris. “Been playing in the NBA for 15 years. And even when I’m not playing, they still come to show love, man. It’s always about Philly.”

    Markieff Morris added: “Felt good, had the city come out. We need more of it.”

    The JAB Classic was centered around fostering unity. JAB founder Jared Armstrong thought to bring the inaugural tournament to Penn after years of campus turmoil following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza, which has killed more than 70,000 people.

    Jared Armstrong wants to create unity through basketball. The JAB Classic is his answer.

    Armstrong, who plays professionally in Israel, has helped fund the renovation of 17 total basketball courts between Israel and Philadelphia. The tournament, which ran from Friday through Sunday, will help fund a new court in the city. The location has yet to be announced.

    “I just think [combating] the rise of hate [is the goal],” Armstrong told The Inquirer last week. “Whether it’s racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia — it’s going to start with the next generation and really educating them.”

    Jared Armstrong, who plays professionally in Israel, started the JAB Classic, he says, as a way to grow the sport both overseas and here in Philly. Jared Armstrong

    The Morris twins were far from the only high-level talent that graced the Palestra’s court. In total, over 35 current and former NBA players were featured on the classic’s eight teams. Other notable names included 76ers forward Dominick Barlow, two-time NBA champion Quinn Cook, former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell, and former Villanova standout Omari Spellman.

    On Friday, Philadelphia rapper Kur performed between Games 3 and 4. Then, during halftime of Sunday’s championship matchup, prominent Chicago emcee G Herbo performed a medley of his hits.

    Despite the evident star power, the JAB Classic failed to pack the Palestra. Sunday’s championship round, the best attended of the tournament’s three days, filled roughly a quarter of the arena. Marcus Morris hopes to help bring in more fans if the event is held again.

    “Next year we want to get [ahead] of it a little bit earlier,” he said. “So we can get more people to come out.”

    Still, the fans who did show up on Sunday made themselves heard.

    In the second half, when Chuck Ellis Workouts began to run away with the lead, a crowd formed on the baseline. One player that fed off the section was Chuck Ellis Workouts guard Josh Sharkey, a graduate of Archbishop Carroll.

    “Man, they gave us a lot of energy today,” Sharkey said. “You know, we [were] trying to promote it and get people in here, and they gave us a lot of energy. So it was good to come out and give them a show in front of the city and to win the money here.”

    “We [had] a very well put-together team,” added Sharkey, who also played in last week’s Danny Rumph Classic. “Shout-out to the [Morris] twins. Shout-out to Chuck [Ellis] for putting us together. And we had a goal, and we had no egos on the team.”

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  • N.J. school athletic director charged in Bucks County with prowling outside young neighbor’s window

    N.J. school athletic director charged in Bucks County with prowling outside young neighbor’s window

    An athletic director at a Mercer County school district has been charged with loitering and prowling after he leered into the bedroom window of his neighbor’s underage daughter, Plumstead Township Police say.

    Winfield “Tripp” Becker, 48, was caught on a surveillance camera Aug. 6 looking into the window, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. The victim’s mother installed that camera after an unidentified man spent months knocking on the window at night and then “fleeing the area,” the document said.

    Neither Becker nor his attorney, Thomas Logan, responded to requests for comment.

    Becker lives one street over from the victim in Pipersville, according to court records, and is known to the girl and her family. He was charged via summons, and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for next month.

    Becker is the athletic director at Hopewell Valley Regional School District, a district north of Trenton that serves about 3,400 students. In a letter sent to parents, Superintendent Rosetta Treece, without naming Becker, said a district employee was the subject of a criminal investigation, and had been suspended until the conclusion of that investigation.

    Treece said the district was working to secure temporary staffing to fill the position.