Army Officer Gropes 16-Year-Old on Flight, Then Assaults Another Passenger, Feds Say
A former U.S. Army officer will serve prison time after he was convicted of groping a 16-year-old — and then an 18-year-old — on separate flights to Seattle last year, federal prosecutors said. James Benecke, 42, was a chief warrant officer stationed in Alaska when he sexually assaulted the teen in April 2023 and then […]
Texas National Guard Seizes Section of Southern Border as Feds Appeal to Supreme Court
This article was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. The Texas National Guard and state troopers have blocked U.S. Border Patrol agents from a 2.5-mile stretch of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, preventing […]
Soldier Took 14-Year-Old He Messaged on Discord from Home Twice for Sex Acts, Feds Say
A U.S. Army soldier traveled over a thousand miles to a 14-year-old girl in Maine and took her away from home — twice, federal prosecutors said. He’s accused of doing so to engage in sex acts with her. Christopher Meza was 20 and stationed at Fort Hood in Texas when he met the then-13-year-old on an online gaming platform and started messaging her over […]
Army Major Lost Gold Star Families’ Life Insurance Money While Enriching Himself, Feds Say
An Army Reserve officer was charged Thursday, facing allegations he defrauded Gold Star families by losing $3.4 million while making $1.4 million in commissions. Federal authorities on Friday said that Caz Craffy, who they described as currently a major in the Army Reserve, misappropriated money between 2018 and 2022 that he was supposed to be […]