Teen basketball players accused of stealing from Florida 7-Eleven — and their coach lied to protect them, officials say



Five teenage basketball players from the Washington, D.C., area are accused of stealing from a Florida 7-Eleven — and their coach lied to protect some of them, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

The accused teens — all between 16 and 17 years old and hailing from Maryland and Washington, D.C. — are members of Run It Up, a travel basketball program affiliated with the Amateur Athletic Union, officials said.

The sheriff's office added that the coach works for the Department of Juvenile Services at the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center in Maryland, 'where his responsibilities include assisting and empowering youth.'

Their team was in the area to participate in the Puma NXTPro basketball tournament, and they were staying at a Solterra Resort vacation rental, which is less than a mile from the convenience store in the 3100 block of Ronald Reagan Parkway in Davenport, officials said.

Officials said the theft occurred Thursday around 4:10 a.m. and that the suspects concealed merchandise such as Doritos, gummies, Starburst Minis, a Big Mama sausage, lemonade, and grape and orange Slurpees — with a total value of $37.60.

A clerk confronted the suspects about the thefts, and they fled the store, officials said.

Sheriff's deputies responded to the area and located three of the suspects near the entrance of the Solterra Resort vacation rental after they placed the stolen goods into a backpack and hid it in bushes, officials said.

A detective made contact with the team's coach, Malik Abdul Harvey, 27, of Maryland, and asked if he could identify the remaining two suspects from a security video, officials said.

Later in the morning, the remaining two suspects were located, and they admitted Harvey was their coach, officials said.

Harvey then confessed to lying about not knowing the other two suspects in order to protect them, officials said.

The five theft suspects each were charged with two felonies — conspiracy to commit retail theft and tampering with evidence — as well as two misdemeanors, petit theft, and violation of the county curfew ordinance for juveniles, officials said.

Harvey was charged with felony child neglect as well as three misdemeanors: contributing to the delinquency of a minor, accessory after the fact, and resisting without violence, officials said.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd spoke at length about Harvey:

RELATED: Florida fools charged with felonies after cops say they coordinated theft of food, drinks from a Wawa — totaling about $40

Image source: Polk County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office video screenshot

The sheriff's office added that the coach works for the Department of Juvenile Services at the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center in Maryland "where his responsibilities include assisting and empowering youth."

The basketball trip was not associated with his employment duties, officials said.

Jail records indicate Harvey remained behind bars Friday afternoon; his total bail amount is $10,000.

Believe it or not, the sheriff's office in late June arrested a dozen adults and three juveniles who they said were stealing food and drinks from a Wawa in Davenport — and the total value of the items was about $40.

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Florida fools charged with felonies after cops say they coordinated theft of food, drinks from a Wawa — totaling about $40



Florida sheriff's deputies arrested a dozen adults and three juveniles who were stealing food and drinks late last month from the Davenport Wawa located on Old Lake Wilson Road, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said, adding that a 16th suspect was arrested during the investigation for interfering with deputies while they were detaining the theft suspects.

Store employees contacted the sheriff's office after observing the suspects walking around the store and concealing bottled drinks and food within their clothes on June 26, officials said.

'This is a classic case of people who came to our county, fooled around, and found out.'

The suspects all appeared to know each other and arrived at the store in three vehicles — a BMW, a Tesla, and a Honda Accord, officials said.

The suspects — a mix of young adults and juveniles — were taking turns going into and out of the store during a 15-minute time span, officials said, with some of them eating and drinking the items they stole.

They also coordinated the caper by blocking the clerks' view while accomplices committed thefts, officials said.

The employees gave deputies detailed descriptions of the suspects and their cars, and the suspects were still at the Wawa in the parking lot preparing to leave when deputies arrived, officials said.

Deputies secured all the suspects, interviewed them, recovered some of the stolen items that had not yet been consumed, and collected empty bottles and packages of the items they had consumed, officials said.

All of the suspects admitted to taking the items, the sheriff's office said.

The items that were stolen and/or consumed were: Calypso drinks, Brisk iced tea, a bag of Cheetos, and a Ramen soup — a total value of about $40, officials said.

Deputies retrieved surveillance video from the store as well showing the coordinated thefts, officials said.

RELATED: Blaze News original: Have a laugh at supremely stupid crime suspects who gift-wrapped their arrests for cops — part 1

During the investigation, a male who did not appear to be with or know any of the suspects approached and began yelling at the group of theft suspects to not cooperate with or speak to the deputies, officials said.

Deputies told Jayden Murphy, 18, of Pomona Park to move away or leave the area so the deputies could continue with their investigation — but he refused, officials said.

Murphy was arrested for violating the "Halo Law" and was charged with two counts of harassing first responders and two counts of resisting arrest, officials said.

Florida's Halo Law establishes a 25-foot buffer zone around active law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel, officials said, adding that bystanders who intentionally enter or remain in the buffer area after receiving verbal warnings may be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor.

Officials said the 15 suspects who committed the thefts are:

  • Angel Quintero, 19, of Winter Springs;
  • Genaiya Saintira, 18, of Hollywood;
  • Valencia Saul, 19, of Lantana;
  • Pervaysia Laster, 20, of Boynton Beach;
  • Shenia Smith, 19, of Parkland;
  • Lillian Brown, 19, of Hollywood;
  • Sterllin Hyppolite, 18, of Lauderdale Lakes;
  • Davends Clerge, 21, of Boynton Beach;
  • Garvens Clerge, 18, of Boynton Beach;
  • Schneider Joseph, 22, of Lantana;
  • Richemond Seraphin, 21, of Lantana;
  • William Butler, 18, of Lake Worth;
  • Lorendy Sanon, 17, of Boynton Beach;
  • Berlinda Saul, 17, of Lake Worth; and
  • Janeen Gonzalez — 17 on the day of the arrest, 18 now — of Palm Beach.

"This is a classic case of people who came to our county, fooled around, and found out," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "Now they're all facing charges because they found it perfectly acceptable to go into the Wawa, grab what they wanted, and consume it without paying for it."

All of the adult suspects were taken to the Polk County Jail, and the three juveniles were taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center, officials said.

They all were charged with misdemeanor petit theft and felony tampering with evidence, officials said, adding that the 12 adults also were charged with misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Schneider Joseph also was charged with misdemeanor probation violation, officials said, adding that Angel Quintero, Pervaysia Laster, and Davends Clerge also were charged with possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia, both misdemeanors, after deputies found drugs in the BMW they occupied.

Officials said all 15 theft suspects had been staying in an Airbnb and visiting Polk County from other Florida counties.

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3 females caught on video brutally beating, stealing from victims on Philly street; suspects still at large, police say



Three females were caught on video brutally beating and stealing from victims on a Philadelphia street, police said.

The Philadelphia Police Department's Central Detective Division is seeking the public’s help in identifying the individuals responsible for the attacks, and police provided video and still images showing the suspects.

'Conceal carry. A 9 mm would have resolved this issue.'

Police didn't specify the number of victims in the brutal attacks, but WTXF-TV reported that there were two victims.

The beatdowns occurred around 2:15 a.m. April 18; police posted the notice describing the attacks earlier this month.

Police said the three culprits assaulted the victims along the 1300 block of Chestnut Street. Video shows one attack occurring on the sidewalk against the outside wall of a building; the other attack occurs on the street next to a parked car. The victims are repeatedly kicked and punched while on the ground.

Police said the victims' bags were stolen, and their credit cards were later used fraudulently.

Video shows the street was crowded with pedestrians, but it appears only one person attempted to help the victims.

The victims were hospitalized with significant face and head injuries, police said.

Police offered the following descriptions of the suspects:

  • Suspect #1: Black female, 25 to 30 years old, 5’5″ to 5’7″, 150 pounds, medium build
  • Suspect #2: Black female, 25 to 30 years old, 5’2″ to 5’4″, 130 pounds, medium build, tattoo on right side chest
  • Suspect #3: Black female, 25 to 30 years old, 5’5″, 175 pounds, heavy build

RELATED: Penn State senior shot dead just yards from his family's South Philly home — after thugs apparently stole his phone

Police said if you see the suspects, do not approach — instead call 911 immediately.

To submit a tip by telephone, dial 215-686-TIPS (8477), police said. Tipsters also can use this electronic form to submit a tip anonymously, police said. All tips will be confidential, officials added.

Those with any information about this crime or these suspects also can contact the Central Detective Division at 215-686-3093 or 3094, police said.

More than 600 comments hit WXTF's Facebook post about the beatings, and commenters did not hold back. The following are but a few reactions:

  • "Caught on camera! It’s just a matter of time before they are caught! Good for them!" one commenter exclaimed.
  • "When caught, make an example of them!!" another user declared.
  • "They’re good girls," another commenter wrote sarcastically.
  • "Conceal carry," another user suggested. "A 9 mm would have resolved this issue."

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'Caught on video'

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'I’m pro-piracy all the way'

MLB umpire chases down, fights teen thug who allegedly stole his phone on Philly street: Police sources



A Major League Baseball umpire chased down and fought a teenager who allegedly stole his phone on a Philadelphia street earlier this month, KYW-TV reported, citing police sources.

Multiple law enforcement sources identified the umpire as Brock Ballou, who has been an MLB umpire since 2022, the station said.

'They ended up on the ground, at which time the victim struck his head, causing injury. The male continued his assault, violently punching him.'

Police released surveillance video of the suspect, KYW noted. Police said the suspect is a teenage male with brown complexion wearing a light blue sweatshirt and black pants.

Police said the suspect approached Ballou from behind in the 1600 block of Walnut Street in the downtown section of the city around 7 p.m. April 9, stole Ballou's phone while the umpire was looking at directions, and then ran off, the station reported.

"The suspect approached the male and snatched his cell phone out of his hands," Capt. Jason Smith told KYW. "The victim went chasing after the male, at which time they got involved in a physical altercation at 16th and Walnut."

Investigators told the station that when Ballou tried to take his phone back, the suspect punched him several times in the head. KYW said surveillance video it reviewed shows the suspect repeatedly punching Ballou.

"They ended up on the ground, at which time the victim struck his head, causing injury," Smith added to the station. "The male continued his assault, violently punching him."

The suspect then ran away without the phone, which was returned to Ballou later by someone on the street, police told KYW.

RELATED: Coach for 10-year-old baseball players shoves umpire, knocks him to the ground; injured ump says he's pressing charges

Ballou's injuries were not serious, police added to the station.

Ballou was in Philadelphia to work the Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks series last weekend, KYW said, adding that Ballou umpired at first base the night after the incident and was behind home plate two days later.

KYW said MLB declined to comment.

In addition, police told the station the same suspect about a half-hour previously had entered a 7-Eleven just a few blocks away in the 1200 block of Chestnut Street and allegedly stole several items. Police told KYW that an employee confronted the suspect, after which the suspect punched the employee multiple times before the suspect fled the store.

Police are asking those with information about the crimes to contact the department's central detective division at 215-686-3093/3094, the station said.

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6 thugs just 12 to 14 years old accused of beating up, robbing mentally disabled man riding his bike on Easter night



Darrell Norman Williams told KTRK-TV he was riding his bike on Easter Sunday night in Wharton, Texas, when a group of boys approached him and began throwing objects at him.

"The dudes were just chucking bottles at me and rocks and stuff," Williams, who is mentally disabled, told the station.

'They treated him like a piece of trash.'

Williams told the station the group of boys soon knocked him to the ground.

KTRK added that one of his attackers recorded video of the brutal assault, and it shows them kicking and punching Williams as he tries unsuccessfully to block the blows.

RELATED: Gang of teens caught on video beating up, robbing victim in shopping mall; similar attack happened at same mall last month

"They kicked him all in his head and all in his gut, all of that," Diondre Brown, who's cared for Williams for nearly 15 years, told the station. "They literally took the bottom half of his pants down and ripped them apart."

Brown added to KTRK that "they took his bike, they took his shoes."

Police told the station the video of the attack was sent to them four days later, and on Tuesday, police announced they had identified all six of Williams' attackers — and they're all 12 to 14 years old.

"They treated him like a piece of trash," Brown added to KTRK

Williams noted to the station that "I do nothing to them. I said nothing to them."

Police told KTRK that four of the suspects are being held in juvenile detention while the other two were released to their parents.

They're being charged with aggravated robbery and engaging in organized criminal activity, the station said, adding that their names aren't being released because of their ages.

"I feel so, so sorry," Brown told KTRK, adding that "I was sorry with myself as well because I wasn't there to protect him when he needed me most."

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Tucker Carlson's nicotine shipment hijacked, prompting manhunt, 6-figure bounty



Tucker Carlson's nicotine pouch company has announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of a multimillion-dollar shipment of product that was reportedly hijacked in Southern California.

ALP Supply Co., the brand Carlson launched in 2024 with Turning Point Brands, noted on Wednesday that the shipment contained roughly 378,000 tins of the nicotine product and was headed for a warehouse in Kentucky.

'Redistribute their booty.'

While tracking data initially indicated that the truck was progressing eastbound toward its destination, "communication was suddenly lost," ALP said. Investigators are looking into whether the vehicle's location system was modified to provide false positioning data.

The company — which stressed that the delay of its product was temporary — claimed that the driver of the missing truck had "presented what looked like legitimate credentials at pickup, but those documents have since been determined to be fake."

The Fullerton Police Department told TMZ that a report was taken with regard to the hijacking on Feb. 23.

ALP — short for American Lip Pillow — claimed in a release that it has been working closely with law enforcement authorities and has been in contact with the FBI.

RELATED: Newly revealed documents back Tucker Carlson, Roger Stone's take that Nixon was undone by a 'coup'

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Blaze News has reached out to the FBI for comment.

"We know what it feels like to want an Alp so badly that you could hijack a truck full of it. But come on. That's illegal," Carlson said in a statement. "We're going to find the people who did this and redistribute their booty. Alp for the people."

Amid wild speculation about the motivation of the hijacker and a deluge of related memes, the company shared a playful, AI-generated video with a '90s action-movie aesthetic in which Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — all sporting mullets — discuss the heist, with Kennedy warning that "you're going to f**king die" if you steal someone's ALP pouches.

ALP noted that its $100,000 reward is also good for tips of "credible information" leading to the conviction of those behind the hijacking.

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Minnesota’s fraud scandal has an Arizona sequel



Over the past two months, Minnesota’s widening fraud scandals have drawn national attention. Investigators and watchdogs have uncovered what appear to be major abuses of taxpayer dollars tied to fraudulent day care and health care operations, and Democrat officials who oversaw the programs look, at minimum, asleep at the switch.

Minnesota isn’t alone.

Arizona’s reputation rests on independence and straight dealing. Katie Hobbs and Kris Mayes have replaced that image with stonewalling, favoritism, and excuses.

In Arizona, Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) and Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) have spent the past three years building a record that looks less like competent governance and more like protection for a corrupt status quo. Again and again, their offices have resisted transparency, shielded allies, and resisted oversight — while Republicans in the legislature have tried to drag basic accountability back into view.

Whether in Minnesota, Arizona, or any other jurisdiction across the country, taxpayers deserve better than a government that treats disclosure as optional and oversight as an attack.

Inaugural fund secrecy

Arizona governors often raise private money to cover inaugural expenses and then transfer leftover funds to the state. Hobbs broke that norm. Her office resisted disclosing donor information and withheld more than $1 million that should have gone back to taxpayers, triggering a direct clash with the legislature.

Lawmakers responded by writing the old precedent into law: Future administrations must fully report inauguration fundraising and spending. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support — proof that this wasn’t a partisan gripe. Even Democrats understood that Hobbs had created a mess for herself.

A pay-to-play stench

The most serious cloud over Hobbs’ administration is an alleged pay-to-play scandal involving the Department of Child Safety.

The Arizona Republic reported that Sunshine Residential Homes, a for-profit group home operator with state contracts, received a significant rate increase approved under Hobbs’ administration after donating to Hobbs’ inaugural fund. The same request had been denied under the outgoing Republican administration.

The reporting also noted that Hobbs’ DCS did not approve comparable increases for other group homes. At the same time, the DCS ended contracts with 16 group homes — making Sunshine’s preferred treatment look even more suspect.

Mayes announced an investigation, then tried to push Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell and the Arizona auditor general off the case — even though legislators had asked those offices to investigate. Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee publicly rejected Mayes’ attempt and urged the county and auditor investigations to continue.

Since then, Mayes’ office has offered little public clarity. Nearly two years without meaningful updates invites the obvious question: Was the “investigation” a press release designed to run out the clock?

Hobbs then vetoed a bill last session meant to close loopholes and prevent future executives from gaming the system.

SNAP: Fighting anti-fraud efforts

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program doles out nearly $100 billion a year. It also attracts fraud. The Government Accountability Office flagged $320 million in stolen benefits between October 2022 and December 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2023 estimated that around 12% of SNAP benefits were fraudulent.

That should make anti-fraud measures easy to support.

Instead, Mayes sued the Trump administration over efforts to gather more information from states about SNAP beneficiaries. Hobbs refused to comply with data requests. Whatever one thinks about SNAP’s scope, no serious public servant should block reasonable efforts to root out fraud and protect taxpayers.

When elected officials fight transparency in a program that moves billions of dollars, they aren’t defending the vulnerable. They are protecting a system that invites abuse.

RELATED: Mike Lee reveals the real victims of Somali fraud: ‘It is not the rich people who suffer’

Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A shady operator

Kris Mayes has other problems.

U.S. Rep. Abraham Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) has asked the Department of Justice to investigate allegations of a pay-to-play bribery scheme involving Mayes and outside political groups, claiming she traded official actions for political benefits.

And late last year, a top official in Mayes’ State Government Division was arrested on charges related to controlling and trafficking stolen property. The city of Peoria had reportedly warned Mayes’ office nearly two years earlier about serious allegations involving that official, yet she remained in a position of authority until her arrest.

Arizona’s reputation rests on independence and straight dealing. Hobbs and Mayes have replaced that image with stonewalling, favoritism, and excuses.

Voters should take note. If Arizonans want honest government, they will have to demand it — at the ballot box and through aggressive oversight — before the culture of corruption becomes permanent.

The GOP can’t ‘wield’ the administrative state without being corrupted by it



Many Americans have watched Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy “The Lord of the Rings.” And many have read J.R.R. Tolkien’s books. Some can quote whole passages and trace Tolkien’s deliberate references to the life of Christ and the horror of modern war.

Maybe House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) live in that camp. If not, they should.

The Republicans’ plan cannot be ‘use federal power while we have it, then trust the next guys.’

A crucial scene comes early in the saga. The council debates what to do with the One Ring, the ultimate source of power. Boromir makes an understandable, dangerous suggestion — a perfect expression of fallen man’s temptation: “Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him.”

Aragorn stops him with two sentences rooted in humility and truth: “You cannot wield it. None of us can.”

That is the lesson Republicans must learn now, while they still hold majorities.

Dismantle the machine, don’t borrow it

Many supporters of President Trump want Congress to act boldly. They also want something more important: They want Republicans to roll back the reach and scope of the federal government while they can. If the GOP refuses, Democrats will inherit the same machinery and use it without restraint. Not someday. Soon.

If you think I exaggerate by calling Democrats the enemy or warning that we are doomed, consider a recent message from the second-highest-ranking elected congressional Democrat in the country, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Jeffries posted a video of White House adviser Stephen Miller on X.com and wrote: “Donald Trump will leave office long before the five-year statute of limitations expires. You are hereby put on notice.”

Jeffries did not allege a crime. He did not explain what Miller did wrong. He did not argue facts or law. He issued a threat: We will punish you later because we can.

That is what Republicans keep forgetting. The federal government’s power does not idle in neutral. It exists to be used. If it remains in place, someone will use it — and progressives have already shown what they want to do with it.

Which raises the central point: Nobody can safely wield that power. Not congressional Republicans. Not any administration. The correct move is not to grab the weapon and promise better behavior. The correct move is to destroy the weapon.

Fraud stories shine a bright light

Start with something as basic as fraud.

Look at the unraveling of the Somali day-care scandal in Minnesota and the billions of stolen tax dollars. That story grew so large that it helped end Minnesota Democrat Gov. Tim Walz’s re-election ambitions. Yet the government did not uncover it.

Not the Government Accountability Office. Not the Congressional Budget Office. Not the Office of Management and Budget. Not House or Senate oversight committees. Not the IRS. Not the Small Business Administration. Not the armies of full-time staffers inside federal agencies reporting up to inspectors general whose job description exists for this very purpose.

All that government power — and it did nothing.

RELATED: America now looks like a marriage headed for divorce — with no exit

mathisworks via iStock/Getty Images

The scandal came to light because of the tenacity of a 23-year-old guy with a camera. If the federal machine can miss fraud on that scale, imagine what else it misses.

Fraud saturates the system. Estimates run as high as $500 billion — roughly 7% of the $6.8 trillion federal budget. That budget still reflects COVID-era spending levels. In 2019, Washington spent $4.45 trillion. Why did we never return to pre-COVID levels?

Because money is power. And like Boromir, too many people convince themselves they can wield it.

Ethics are not enough

Energy policy shows the same temptation in real time.

My nonprofit organization, Power the Future, sent another letter to House and Senate oversight committees and to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging investigations into Biden’s energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm. In the final days of the Biden administration, Granholm awarded $100 billion in green-energy grants — more than the previous 15 years combined. Many recipients had previously supported her political campaigns.

Green money poured out of Washington through the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated $60 billion for “environmental justice” — a phrase so deliberately amorphous that it has no fixed meaning. Team Biden spent $1 trillion “going green,” a statistic Vice President Kamala Harris bragged about during her lone 2024 debate with Donald Trump.

That entire structure still stands.

Nothing prevents the current energy secretary, Chris Wright, from spending billions on his favorite projects except his ethics. I believe Wright has ethics in abundance. We should feel grateful. But one man’s ethics do not qualify as a system of government.

The next secretary could be worse than Granholm. If the power remains, someone will use it.

RELATED: Nuke the filibuster or brace for the next impeachment campaign

Viktoriia Melnyk via iStock/Getty Images

Empty the arsenal

Just as in Tolkien’s masterpiece, our enemies do not wait quietly. They scheme. They train. They amass armies of lawyers, activists, operatives, and bureaucrats. They build institutional pipelines that outlast elections. They do not go home after losing once. They plan the return.

Republicans need to plan as well — and their plan cannot be “use federal power while we have it, then trust the next guys.”

One party will not hold Washington forever. When conservatives lose power, they should make sure the left inherits a reduced federal government: weaker, narrower, stripped of the patronage systems and enforcement tools that now function as political weapons.

That is why it is incumbent upon congressional Republicans to do everything in their power — everything — to destroy the Ring.

America’s founders envisioned a weak federal government for this reason. In America’s 250th year, Congress should act like it understands the danger of concentrated power. If Republicans keep the machinery intact, they will regret it. If the Ring finds its next master, it will not spare the people who once held it.