State Glance
Feds: Man living in Tucson was member of terrorist group
TUCSON — Federal authorities say an Ethiopian man using a fake identity while living in Tucson was a member of a terrorist group.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday that Mohamed Abdirahman Osman was indicted in federal court on eight counts of making false statements to immigration authorities. Authorities allege his wife, Zeinab Abdirahman Mohamed, also hid his identity. She faces three charges.
An indictment filed this week shows that Osman used a fake Somalian passport to get to the U.S.
He told authorities he sustained injuries in a terrorist attack in Somalia but had actually been hurt while handling explosives, according to the indictment.
Police believe Osman was a member of al-Shabab, a Somali militant group responsible for major attacks that have left hundreds killed.
It’s unclear if Osman and his wife had an attorney to comment.
Ex-Arizona school district business manager accused of theft
PHOENIX — Arizona prosecutors say a state grand jury has indicted the former business manager for the Western Arizona Vocational Education District for allegedly stealing district monies.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office says that between November 2011 and August 2016, Deborah Long is accused of keeping payments made by parents and others to the district, making personal purchases with WAVE credit cards and increasing her salary without authorization.
Investigators say the total loss to WAVE is nearly $140,000. Prosecutors say the 43-year-old Long is facing seven felony charges including one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, five counts of theft and one count of misuse of public monies.
Glendale man who peppersprayed police officers gets prison
PHOENIX — A man accused of pepper-spraying three Glendale police officers last month has been sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison.
Maricopa County prosecutors say 35-year-old Victor Reyes was sentenced Thursday after he pleaded guilty to attempting to commit aggravated assault.
He was arrested in June and originally charged with aggravated assault.
Reyes got a longer sentence because he had a previous felony conviction.
Police went to Reyes’ home in Glendale as they were investigating a report that he pepper-sprayed someone during a fight the previous month.
Reyes reportedly peppersprayed the officers and a SWAT team was called in to arrest him.
Man killed in barber shop where he worked
PHOENIX — Phoenix police say a 26-year-old man is dead after being shot at the barber shop where he worked.
Authorities say Anthony Navarro was found dead inside the barber shop on Thursday. The suspect in the killing knew Navarro.
The suspect, a 32-yearold man, fled but was later caught. He’s in the hospital for treatment to an injury unrelated to the arrest or shooting and will be booked later into jail.