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A Guatemalan immigrant whom police accused of helping to plot a mass shooting in Virginia’s capital on July 4 pleaded guilty Thursday to an immigration charge.
A federal judge accepted Rolman Balcarcel-Bavagas’ plea to a charge of reentering the U.S. after deportation and set sentencing for Nov. 10, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. Balcarcel-Bavagas, 38, faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Neither Balcarcel-Bavagas nor a co-defendant, Julio Alvarado-Dubon, have been charged in direct connection with the alleged plot, and a federal prosecutor made no mention of it Thursday, according to the newspaper.
Also read: US: Many reported dead in Washington mass shooting
At a July 6 news conference, police said an Independence Day shooting had been thwarted and announced the men’s arrest. Chief Gerald Smith said a “hero citizen” contacted police after overhearing a conversation about an attack being planned.
Officers seized two assault rifles, a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from the home where police said the men lived.
The U.S. Attorney’s office took over the case earlier this month at the request of Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin.
Also read: US: Shooting during brawl in downtown Orlando wounds 7
According to the government’s statement of facts in Balcarcel-Bavagas’ immigration case, he is a Guatemalan citizen residing illegally in the U.S. who was previously removed twice from the country. He was allowed to depart voluntarily in 2013 and then deported in 2014, according to the court documents.
Alvarado-Dubon has been charged with possession of a firearm by a non-U.S. citizen. Court records do not indicate when he will next be in court.
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Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant disconnected from power grid: Report
Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was completely disconnected from the power grid for the first time in its history on Thursday, according to the country’s nuclear operator. The nuclear power plant is held by Russian forces. In a statement cited by CNN, Energoatom said that the complex was disconnected Thursday due to fires at a nearby ash pit, causing the last remaining power line connecting to Ukraine’s energy grid to disconnect twice.
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WHO: Monkeypox cases drop 21%, reversing month-long increase
Tomato flu linked to Covid or monkeypox? What Centre’s advisory on viral disease says In late July, Tedros declared the unprecedented spread of monkeypox to dozens of countries to be a global emergency, despite a lack of consensus on his expert committee. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday the continent had 219 new cases in the past week, a jump of 54%.
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China lashes out at Indo-US military drill in Oct, says it violates bilateral agreements
China on Thursday strongly opposed the war games scheduled between India and the US near the disputed Sino-India border in October, saying it’s an interference in the bilateral boundary issue and a violation of agreements between New Delhi and Beijing that no military drill will be held near the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border between the two countries.
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Germany hasn’t done enough to stop money laundering: Terror financing watchdog
Germany still hasn’t done enough to prevent money laundering even after a raft of reforms in recent years, according to a global watchdog. With more than 300 authorities responsible for tackling money laundering, the country faces challenges in coordination and doesn’t deal adequately with the risk of large amounts of cash being smuggled across borders, the Financial Action Task Force said Thursday in a report published in Paris.
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As Boris Johnson departs, UK takes stock of his messy legacy
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