Friends and Community Shiawassee County News and Views

10/06/2025

Driver's Ed Teacher Heads to Prison for 1st-Degree CSC with a 15-Year-Old Student.

Corunna, MI - Friends Community News Group, October 5, 2025, 9 pm ET - Shaun Parker, convicted by a jury of three counts of third-degree CSC involving a person 15 years old and two counts of first-degree CSC, stood before 35th Circuit Court Judge Matthew Stewart on Friday for sentencing.

The rest of the story, which was not shared with the jury, was disclosed by all parties involved in court on Friday.

As we heard in court, Friday, is hurt people hurt others, and it has to stop now.

This is the case where the Driver's Ed Teacher offered a student help in private driving lessons. The two then had a s. relationship. Including Parker taking the student to his home for s. and in a barn.

We heard in testimony at the trial that Parker told the student who it was stated at the trial and then again at sentencing was having problems with her father, that he wanted to adopt her and she could live with him.

We learned that Parker had some deep conversations with the victim discussing how he had been s. abused as a child, along with a myriad of other problems he endured.

We heard from the victim, who read an impact statement. It was elegant, heartfelt, and written in a way that showed how much this child has grown in maturity. We don't think it is prudent to share word-for-word her impact statement. She did put across that he shared many personal things as though she was his therapist, how he groomed and then used her. She stated how she has to carry this for the rest of her life.

The Defense Attorney told the court,
that Parker "knows that what he did crossed the line." She stated that in her report, she had talked about his mental status at the time, the fact that he had experienced severe physical and s*xual abuse as a child. "And that he had started therapy, and that in the process of that, he told me that he felt deconstructed."

His attorney continued, "He wanted to help her because she was being abused by her father physically. And he wanted to be a shoulder to cry on. And unfortunately, his poor decisions led that relationship to more ... to a s*xual relationship."

Shiawassee County Elected Prosecutor Scott Koerner told the court,
"Sean Parker is a danger to the children of our society. He never had any good intentions in this matter. He manipulated, he groomed, he took advantage of this young child who looked up to him."

Koerner continued, " You heard the victim in the long-lasting impact of his actions, and I hope he listens loud and clear - prior abuse is no excuse to continue the cycle, and it has to stop. We need to send a message and fashion a sentence that focuses on the punishment."

When it was Parker's turn to speak, he stated he wanted to accept the consequences for his actions. Then, for the next 3 minutes, he talked only about himself, his journey, and how he is now learning about himself with the help of a therapist. He talked about his illnesses and being physically and s. abused. He, of course, regrets his actions, but it doesn't seem that he ever discussed the lasting effects his actions will have on this young girl.

Then it was Judge Stewart's turn to speak, and he said, "Mr. Parker, you were entrusted with the responsibility of educating and guiding young people on how to safely navigate our highways and our roads.
But instead of fulfilling that trust, you exploited your position for your own perverse and criminal desires. What's clear is that you targeted a vulnerable child under the guise of authority, safety, and mentorship. You committed, and it is a violation regarded not only as a law, but also as a basic human decency. Your actions have inflicted profound trauma on a young person.

You've heard her talk this morning. She looked to you for guidance, and she now must carry the weight of your betrayal for the rest of her life. The court will not minimize her pain. Nor the severity of your actions, and it's the duty of this court to protect the most valuable assets, our children, the duty requires that the sentence reflects the seriousness of your offense.

To deter others from doing similar acts and try to provide some measure of justice to the victim and to her family. It's my hope that this sentence today, Mr. Parker serves as a message to those that prey on children, especially for positions of trust that they will be held fully accountable under the law."

After reading off the costs and fines, Judge Stewart then sentenced Mr. Parker to a minimum of 85 to 180 months for the 3rd degree CSC charge.

As to the 1st degree CSC, Shaun Parker was sentenced to serve a minimum of 180 months (15 years), not to exceed 540 months (45 years)

Sentences are running concurrently.

The minimum time Mr Parker has to serve is 15 years.

By: Tom Manke
Photo: Shaun Parker, October 3, 2025.

10/05/2025

BREAKING - Thought the Government Has Publicized Its Arrests of Dozens of Chinese Nationals in U.S. Drug and Money-Laundering Probes — Questions Raised on Why There Are No Mexican Cartel Members Arrested.

Washington — Federal prosecutors and local law enforcement authorities across multiple states this year have arrested and charged scores of Chinese nationals in a string of high-profile investigations into drug trafficking, large-scale ma*****na grow operations, and complex money-laundering schemes.

The cases — spanning Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Alaska, among other jurisdictions — have renewed scrutiny of transnational criminal networks and prompted questions (so far unproven in court) about whether any defendants had formal ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

What the Government Has Publicly Boasted about are:

Ohio: A federal grand jury in Dayton returned an indictment that named 22 Chinese nationals, along with three U.S. citizens and four China-based pharmaceutical companies, in an international drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracy tied to precursor chemicals and cutting agents used in fentanyl production. Prosecutors describe the scheme as transnational and sophisticated.

Massachusetts (and Maine): Federal prosecutors in Boston charged seven Chinese nationals in July 2025 in a multi-million-dollar conspiracy to cultivate and distribute ma*****na across the Northeast using concealed grow houses in single-family homes. The indictment alleges migrant smuggling, passport withholding, money-laundering techniques, and an organized network of properties used for cultivation.

Michigan: Iosco County authorities charged four Chinese nationals after executing a search warrant at a warehouse where investigators say they found more than 5,000 ma*****na plants — one of the largest illicit grow busts in the region. One defendant was later described in reporting as being placed in ICE custody due to immigration status concerns.

Alaska: Federal prosecutors in Anchorage filed a criminal complaint in late September, charging at least one Chinese national allegedly involved in an international drug-trafficking conspiracy that used virtual mailbox services to traffic methamphetamine from Mexico into the U.S. and onward to other countries.

Other states & national actions: In addition to the above, multiple federal and state law enforcement actions in 2025 targeted Chinese-linked money laundering organizations and networks moving drug proceeds, including an IRS criminal investigation that documented a prolific laundering network responsible for tens of millions of dollars. Broader FBI and DOJ operations this year have also targeted China-based chemical and pharmaceutical companies accused of supplying precursor chemicals.

What prosecutors allege — and what the public record shows, prosecutors in these cases portray a pattern that mixes:

Transnational drug supply chains (fentanyl precursors and methamphetamine shipments),

Large-scale illicit cannabis cultivation hidden inside suburban properties and warehouses,

Financial networks (shell companies, layered transfers, and merchant processing schemes) are used to launder proceeds, and

Labor and immigration abuses — prosecutors allege some workers were smuggled into the U.S. and had passports withheld until debts were repaid.

The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s offices have emphasized the cross-border character of many of the schemes and the use of corporate intermediaries or foreign manufacturers to supply chemical inputs or provide cover for illicit commerce.

On allegations of ties to the Chinese Communist Party: Some commentators, witnesses before Congress, and advocacy groups have suggested that specific criminal networks tied to China might have connections to state actors or to political influence channels. Congressional testimony and policy memos have urged scrutiny of foreign-owned property and shell companies that could be exploited to facilitate criminal cultivation and production. But public indictments and court papers in the cases cited so far do not—on their face—prove that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) directed these criminal operations.

Where media reporting or lawmaker statements assert party links, those are frequently based on circumstantial patterns, intelligence assessments not disclosed publicly, or political interpretation rather than explicit, publicly filed evidence.

Experts caution against conflating nationality, involvement in organized crime, or corporate ties with a proven political party direction without clear documentary evidence.

Law enforcement officials say these cases reveal evolving methods that criminals use to hide their supply chains and proceeds, including routing precursor chemicals through commercial shipments, utilizing virtual mailbox services and third-party payment processors, and concealing grow operations inside otherwise normal residential properties.

Prosecutors and federal investigators have signaled they will continue to prioritize (1) disrupting chemical supply chains for synthetic opioids, (2) following the money through international laundering circuits, and (3) pursuing criminal networks that exploit migrant labor.

At the same time, civil-liberties advocates and some policy analysts warn that emphasizing nationality or political-party links can risk scapegoating immigrant communities and may hamper cooperation with victims who may be witnesses to labor exploitation.

They call for careful, evidence-based public statements and due process in prosecutorial presentations.

There is no single public tally that aggregates every arrest of Chinese nationals nationwide for drug trafficking and money laundering in 2025. The count grows as new indictments are unsealed and as investigations expand.

Whether any defendants are formally CCP members or acting at the direction of state actors is not established in publicly filed indictments in the cases cited here. If prosecutors possess classified or intelligence material making that link, it has not been publicly released.

Many arrests name individual defendants and corporate entities; mapping the full commercial and financial networks that connect U.S. proceeds to foreign companies is an ongoing investigative task that will take months of forensic accounting and interagency work.

As the United States hunts down, targets, and arrests Chinese traffickers, there seems to be little if any focus on arresting Mexican Cartel Members. As stated by the DEA in a large bust on the East Coast, only American citizens in their down lines were arrested. This was even after the DEA stated they knew who brought it in and which Cartel it came from.

This year’s investigations reflect a broader U.S. law-enforcement focus on Chinese criminal networks that exploit legal gray areas—whether in chemical manufacturing, cross-border money movement, or the illicit cannabis market.

While dozens of Chinese nationals have been indicted or arrested in high-profile cases in Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Alaska, claims that these operations are directly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party remain, at present, unproven in public filings.

The coming months are likely to yield more indictments, more financial trace evidence, and — possibly — greater clarity on whether these networks are purely criminal enterprises or something more geopolitically complex.

By: Tom Manke

10/05/2025

BREAKING CHICAGO - Trump Authorizes 300 Troops to Chicago Amid Escalating Violence and Local Strain

Washington / Chicago — Friends Community News Group, October 5, 2025, 6 pm ET - In a dramatic escalation of federal involvement in domestic unrest, President Donald Trump on Saturday authorized the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Chicago to assist in restoring order and protecting federal assets.

The decision comes amid heightened confrontations between protesters and federal immigration enforcement agents, raising questions about whether Chicago’s own law enforcement apparatus has been pushed to the limits—and whether federal forces are now required to quell violence.

The Chicago Tribune reported on September 29, 2025, that through September 26, 2025, there had been 317 homicides in the city.

Even with this amount of murders, in September 2025, Democrat Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson stated that "jails and incarceration and law enforcement is a sickness,"

Illinois Governor Democrat J.B. Pritzker has repeatedly stated that Chicago does not need federal military assistance, especially from former President Trump. Pritzker argues such federal intervention is an overreach and that Chicago's elected officials and police are equipped to handle the city's public safety challenges.

Trump's authorization followed a volatile incident in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood involving U.S. Border Patrol agents and a woman the agents say drove into ICE vehicles during a protest. The agents opened fire, wounding her. In the aftermath, protests swelled, raw confrontations erupted, and federal agents faced aggressive crowd pressure.

The White House has characterized the city as enduring “ongoing violent riots and lawlessness” that local officials “refused to step in to quell.” Officials say the troops will protect federal officers, assets, and facilities that are under threat.

Proponents of the deployment argue that the situation in Chicago has evolved beyond what municipal or state law enforcement can manage safely:

Protesters reportedly boxed in federal vehicles, advanced on law enforcement lines, and threw objects—heightening risk to agents and infrastructure.

The conflict sits at the intersection of local policing, immigration enforcement, and federal authority. Chicago’s police are barred from direct federal immigration enforcement, limiting their ability to manage protests directly tied to ICE/Border Patrol operations.

Demonstrators have concentrated protests around ICE, Border Patrol, and other federal sites. Supporters of the deployment warn of threats to those installations that exceed the capabilities of local law enforcement to safeguard.

By: Tom Manke
Photo: CBS

10/05/2025

Live Owosso Speedway ... Last race of the season - Bob Finley Memorial. 42 laps left

10/04/2025

Live at Shiawassee County Fairgrounds for MT Pocket Pullers.
Have you ever seen this horse barn empty of the stalls?
Raw Photo: Tom Manke
October 4, 2025

10/04/2025

Live in Chesaning at the Fairgrounds for the Dead Pedal Dust Up to raise money for children with heart defects. Saturday and Sunday. What a fun event.

10/04/2025

Live Friday Night at the Handmade Music Festival in Chesaning MI, Showboat Park.
Rupple Brothers...October. 3, 2025
Raw Video. Tom Manke

Rupple Brothers. October 3, 2025, Chesaning MI, Handmade Music Festival

10/04/2025

Durand Public Schools posted:
Congratulations to our 2025 Homecoming Royalty!
Queen 👑 Raine Smith
King 👑 Kingsten Kilburn!

10/04/2025

Live @ The Original Owosso Farm Market,
In the Harbor Freight Parking Lot. Owosso, MI.
OPEN SATURDAY 9 -2
Come on down and meet Real Farm Folk, including the Fresh Corn Man, The Honey Bee Lady (she leaves the bees at home), The Organic Veggies Lady, The Ammo Man, The lady with the Fairy houses, The Mushroom Man, The lady with trendy women's wear, The Bird House Man, The Farm Lady with veggies she picked, The 3D Man, The Child with Surprises for sale, The Lady with Collectables, Mr. Green Jeans, A Captain without a Kangaroo, sometimes Tom Terrific and and visit all of the rest of the Original Farm Yard Gang.

360-degree parking. There is No parking blocks away. Pull right up and get in and get out.

Photo: Original Owosso Farm Market.

10/03/2025

Jhamal Earns His 6th All Expense Paid, Including Housing, Food, Clothes, Health Care, and Entertainment, In An Award-Winning Michigan Penitentiary.

Corunna, MI - Jhamal Mingnon Hogan learned about his trip Friday morning when he appeared before 35th Circuit Court Judge Matthew Stewart.

Jhamal not only has amassed enough points for 8 felonies, which earned him 6 trips to prison, but he also earned enough points with 36 misdemeanors to receive 24 jail sentences.

What brought him before Judge Stewart on Friday was racking up a habitual offender 4th after tangling with two police officers and having a controlled substance on him.

With his background, he was even allowed to bond out after being arrested. That didn't last long, and he was picked up, with his bond revoked for not complying with the bond rules.

Today, his attorney told the Judge that Jhamal's life had changed. That he was a new person since he hadn't had drugs or alcohol. Of course, he wanted to go to rehab and be an upstanding citizen.

Judge Stewart reminded Jhamal that this wasn't Jhamal's 1st rodeo, and he had done rehab before.

The State recommended a sentence of 12 months in jail. Judge Stewart told Jhamal that society was not safe with him on the street. Judge Stewart told Jhamal that he would keep him off the street for as long as he was allowed.

Jhamal was sentenced to a minimum of 46 months, with a maximum term of 180 months, and received credit for 111 days served in jail.

Judge Stewart wished Jhamal well and then stated, "I hope you get it figured out."

We have heard terminology that a person like Jhamal, who is sent back to prison and jail over and over, is just serving a life sentence on the installment plan.

By: Tom Manke
Photo: Jhamal Hogan in front of 35th Circuit Court Judge Matthew Stewart, October 3, 2025

10/03/2025

Breaking News: Sean “Diddy” Combs Sentenced to 50 Months in Federal Case

Friends Community News Group, October 3, 2025, ET - Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced Friday to 50 months in federal prison, a decision that stunned observers who expected a far longer term given the severity of the charges.

The sentencing, handed down in a Manhattan federal courtroom, comes after Combs was found guilty earlier this year to charges related to racketeering and s*x trafficking conspiracies. Prosecutors had sought a sentence exceeding 15 years, citing what they called a “pattern of exploitation, violence, and abuse” that spanned decades.

Instead, Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum pointed to Combs’ acceptance of responsibility and what she described as “unprecedented cooperation with federal investigators” in issuing a sentence of just over four years.

“While the court acknowledges the profound harm inflicted on victims, it also recognizes the defendant’s efforts to assist ongoing investigations,” the judge said in her remarks.

The reduced sentence was immediately met with outrage from victims’ advocates. “This is a slap in the face,” said Angela Rodriguez, director of the advocacy group Survivors First. “It sends the message that fame and money still shield powerful men from full accountability.”

Prosecutors echoed that frustration. “We respect the court’s ruling, but this is far less than what justice demanded,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams told reporters after the hearing. “Our commitment to the victims does not end today.”

Combs, dressed in a gray suit, remained silent throughout most of the proceeding, only briefly turning to address the court. “I take responsibility for my actions,” he said. “I am sorry to all those I hurt. I hope to spend the rest of my life making amends.”

The 50-month sentence is likely to reignite debate over sentencing disparities for high-profile defendants. Legal experts note that, given his good behavior and the time he has served since his arrest, Combs could serve less than three years in prison.

The Prosecutor was asking for 11 years, and the State recommended 5 to 7 years. The Judge gives him only 50 months. After crediting his jail time and showing good behavior, Diddy could be released in less than three years.

Civil lawsuits filed against him by multiple women remain active, and federal officials confirmed that additional investigations are ongoing.

By: Tom Manke

10/03/2025

BREAKING - Hamas Signals Partial Acceptance of Trump's Cease-Fire Plan, Seeks Further Negotiations

Washington - Friends Community News Group, October 3, 2025, 4 pm ET - Hamas has conveyed conditional approval of aspects of a U.S.-brokered cease-fire proposal, while making clear it intends to continue negotiating key terms before committing to a full agreement. The mixed response underscores both the urgency of halting months of bloodshed in Gaza and the deep mistrust that continues to stall a lasting truce.

According to officials familiar with the talks, Hamas leaders have agreed in principle to specific humanitarian and security measures, including a phased release of Israeli hostages, the allowance of international aid deliveries into Gaza, and temporary pauses in fighting to enable medical evacuations. However, the group has not accepted the broader framework, which calls for a permanent cessation of hostilities and an international security presence in the territory.

A Hamas spokesman, speaking Thursday from Beirut, said the organization “will not reject every element outright” but stressed that “our people demand guarantees of sovereignty and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces.” He added that Hamas remains wary of what it views as “open-ended occupation under another name” if international troops are stationed in Gaza without firm timelines.

U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators have been pressing Hamas and Israel for weeks to close gaps in the proposal announced last month by President Donald Trump. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly insisted that any deal must secure the complete disarmament of Hamas, a demand the group continues to reject.

At a press briefing in Washington, U.S. Special Envoy Brett McGurk described Hamas’ partial acceptance as “a step, but not enough.” He said, “Every day without an agreement means more civilian suffering and greater risk of escalation. What we are asking for is clarity: will Hamas commit to a permanent cease-fire and release all hostages, or will it continue to stall?”

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani struck a more optimistic tone, telling reporters in Doha that “Hamas’ willingness to engage on the humanitarian and hostage issues is significant. We believe this can form the foundation for a broader understanding if the momentum is not lost.”

Egyptian intelligence officials, who have been central to back-channel talks, urged restraint. “The partial acceptance is not rejection,” said General Abbas Kamel, head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Directorate. “It is a negotiating position. Our task is to build on what has been accepted and narrow the gaps. There is still space for an agreement.”

But Israel’s leadership has shown little patience for half measures. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Israeli media Friday that “Hamas cannot dictate terms while holding our people underground. There will be no partial deals, no half releases. Every man, woman, and child must come home, and only then can we speak about any cease-fire.”

Families of hostages, who have staged near-daily vigils outside the Knesset, voiced mixed feelings. “If Hamas is finally moving, then we need our leaders to meet them halfway,” said Yael Dahan, whose 19-year-old son was taken captive during the October 2024 raids. “My son does not have the luxury of waiting for perfect terms.”

Others expressed frustration. “Partial acceptance means nothing to me,” said Ofer Malka, whose brother has been missing for nearly a year. “Hamas plays for time while our families suffer. The government must keep the pressure until they surrender completely.”

Regional analysts say Hamas’ decision to accept portions of the deal, even while hedging, could mark a subtle shift in its approach. “This is the first time since the war’s outbreak that Hamas has publicly endorsed pieces of a Western-backed plan,” said Lina al-Khatib, director of the Middle East Institute at SOAS University of London. “It suggests internal debate within the movement, and pressure from its external allies, particularly Qatar and Turkey, to show flexibility.”

The United Nations, meanwhile, has warned that humanitarian conditions in Gaza are “beyond catastrophic.” A new report released this week estimated that nearly 1.5 million civilians remain displaced, with hospitals running on dwindling fuel supplies and food scarcity at “famine-like levels.”

Aid Agencies on Standby
Humanitarian groups are preparing contingency plans in case a temporary pause occurs. U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) officials say they have pre-positioned convoys of flour, medical kits, and water purification equipment in Rafah and northern Sinai.

“If even a 72-hour pause is agreed, we will move immediately,” said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General. “Our teams can cross into Gaza within hours with food, fuel, and medical supplies. The bottleneck is not capacity—it’s access.”

Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) confirmed that trauma surgeons are on standby in Egypt to deploy into Gaza City’s Shifa and Indonesian hospitals. “Every day matters,” said MSF field coordinator Nadia Hamdan. “We have patients dying of infections and treatable wounds because we lack antibiotics, electricity, and sterile conditions. A pause would save lives instantly.”

The World Food Programme has also prepared aid drops, stating that famine conditions could be reversed “within weeks” if consistent corridors are established. “We are talking about children who have not had protein for months,” WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa said. “We need sustained access, not one-off convoys.”

International pressure is mounting on both sides to reach a durable truce. Turkey and Egypt have urged Hamas to take the deal as a foundation for broader political talks. At the same time, European Union diplomats have floated the possibility of an international reconstruction fund tied to Gaza’s future governance.

For now, the conflict remains at a critical juncture: Hamas signaling some movement, Israel holding firm, and mediators scrambling to turn partial acceptance into a binding cease-fire. Whether the coming days bring meaningful progress—or another breakdown in talks—may determine not only the fate of civilians in Gaza but also the trajectory of regional stability in the months ahead.

By: Tom Manke