Ex-county candidate charged in gaming probe

May 29, 2026

1–2 minutes

Summary

Gregory Muse of New Bern was charged after a multijurisdictional investigation into illegal gaming machines in Craven County.

Why this matters

The case outlines allegations of illegal gambling activity across multiple Craven County properties and businesses. It also shows the scope of a joint financial investigation and the charges and bond conditions Muse now faces.

A former Craven County commissioner candidate faces multiple criminal charges after a multijurisdictional investigation into illegal video gaming and gambling machines in Craven County.

Gregory Muse, 64, of New Bern, was charged Thursday after Alcohol Law Enforcement agents and local authorities executed search warrants at several locations, including properties tied to Muse in the James City area.

According to court documents, Muse was charged with felony operation of five or more video gaming machines, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, operating or possessing slot machines, manufacturing or selling slot machines, and operating video gaming machines.

Investigators alleged that ALE special agents visited businesses in New Bern on Dec. 13, 2024, and March 18, 2026, where they found five or more illegal slot machines operating in violation of state law. Court records said agents played the games and determined they were illegal.

One warrant said Muse admitted ownership and demonstrated “care/custody/control” of the machines during an interview with agents on Dec. 16, 2024.

Authorities also charged Muse with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, alleging he worked “in concert with five or more other persons” in an operation involving illegal gaming violations from which he obtained “substantial income or resources.”

One of the main search locations was a home on Madam Moores Lane in James City near New Bern. Craven County GIS records listed the property owner as Greg and Kelli Muse. Kelli Muse is a former member of the Craven County Board of Education.

Authorities also served warrants at other properties in Craven County, including a warehouse in James City tied to Muse through property records and businesses in New Bern.

At least one person was escorted from one business in handcuffs Thursday afternoon, but authorities did not publicly identify that person or announce additional charges.

Court records showed Muse received a $250,000 secured bond. His release conditions barred him from owning or operating illegal video gaming or slot machines.

More top news

lejeune lead

Hurricanes win Stanley Cup, claim 2nd franchise title

Carolina beat Vegas in six games Sunday night to win its second Stanley Cup title, its first since the 2005-06 season.

Full story +

The Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup on Sunday night, beating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games to secure the franchise’s second championship and first since the 2005-06 season.

Nikolaj Ehlers’ empty-net goal with 1:08 left in the third period gave Carolina a 3-0 lead and sealed the Game 6 victory in Las Vegas.

Carolina rallied from a four-goal deficit in Game 1 before losing in double overtime. The Hurricanes responded in Game 2, when Seth Jarvis scored the overtime winner for the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Final game victory in 20 years.

After the teams split the first four games, Carolina moved ahead in Game 5 at Lenovo Center. Jordan Staal, Andrei Svechnikov, and Sebastian Aho scored as the Hurricanes erased an early deficit and beat Vegas 4-2 to move within one win of the title.

That set up Sunday’s clinching win.

As the final seconds expired, Hurricanes players went onto the ice to celebrate. The championship returned the Stanley Cup to North Carolina after a 20-year wait for the franchise’s fans.

The title followed multiple deep playoff runs under coach Rod Brind’Amour.
North Carolina

Jacksonville man charged after police pursuit

The suspect is scheduled to appear in court Monday, June 15.

Full story +

A Jacksonville man faces multiple charges after police said he led officers on a pursuit that reached 100 mph before entering a home and trying to avoid arrest.

According to arrest records, Johnson Ly, 20, was arrested Saturday, June 13, by the Jacksonville Police Department. He was charged with felony fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, failure to heed a light or siren, reckless driving to endanger, resisting a public officer, speeding, expired registration, and expired or no vehicle inspection.

Charging documents said the incident began at Gum Branch Road and Onsville Road, where Ly allegedly did not stop for an officer who was trying to conduct a traffic stop.

Investigators alleged Ly drove away, reaching speeds of 70 to 100 mph in 35- and 45-mph zones. Court records said he did not stop despite emergency lights and sirens and drove in a way that endangered people and property.

After the pursuit ended, authorities alleged Ly entered a house, opened the door, and then tried to deny driving the vehicle before officers took him into custody.

Ly was taken to the Onslow County Detention Center and was held without bond.
Latin America

UN says 2,300 killed in Haiti gang violence this year

Haiti, a Caribbean nation of 12 million people and the poorest country in the Americas, has faced years of instability, with gangs carrying out killings, rapes, looting, and kidnappings.

Full story +

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said Monday that gang violence in Haiti had killed at least 2,300 people, injured 1,100, and led to 99 kidnappings since the start of the year.

“In Haiti, gang violence has resulted in at least 2,300 deaths, 1,100 injuries and 99 kidnappings since the start of the year,” Turk said at the opening of the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

He called on Haitian authorities to address impunity through judicial measures.

“I urge the authorities to move quickly on the judicial units to tackle impunity.

“The Gang Suppression Force (GSF) is urgently needed and needs to operate in line with international human rights law,” the UN high commissioner for human rights said.

The UN Security Council approved the new international Gang Suppression Force last year to neutralize gangs. It will gradually replace the Multinational Mission to Support the Haitian Police.

The council approved the force at the urging of the United States last September amid concerns that the earlier mission was under-equipped and underfunded.

An initial deployment plan has been approved, within the Security Council’s authorized ceiling of 5,500 troops and police officers. Deployments are set to take place in phases.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will visit Haiti on Tuesday in what his spokesman, Farhan Haq, described last week as “a solidarity visit, during which he will meet men, women and children whose lives have been affected by violence.”
Pendleton, US

2 arrested after Camp Pendleton breach, drug seizure

Investigators found about 51 kilograms, or more than 112 pounds, of cocaine and fentanyl inside a vehicle.

Full story +

Two suspects were arrested after entering Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California during a police pursuit and abandoning a vehicle carrying more than 112 pounds of cocaine and fentanyl, authorities said.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service said the incident began when the suspects, who were fleeing local law enforcement, crashed through a gate at the base. They then abandoned their vehicle in a military housing area and fled on foot, according to the agency.

The breach prompted a temporary shelter-in-place order while authorities searched the installation. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service said about 30 military and law enforcement personnel took part in a six-hour, multiagency search.

According to the agency, investigators used real-time intelligence and tracking support from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Multiple Threat Alert Center and Regional Enforcement Action Capabilities Team.

Authorities said both suspects were taken into custody without incident.

“Thanks to NCIS personnel, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, CA, Camp Pendleton Provost Marshal’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration – DEA, US Border Patrol, and other responding agencies, for your seamless teamwork and dedication to keeping our military installations safe!” the Naval Criminal Investigative Service posted on social media.

Officials did not immediately release the suspects’ identities or say what charges they could face.
Europe

U.K. seizes Russia-linked tanker in English Channel

Putin has described seizures of Russia-linked vessels as “piracy.”

Full story +

British forces seized a Russia-linked oil tanker in the English Channel early Sunday, according to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the U.K. Ministry of Defence.

Starmer said on X that the operation targeted a vessel from Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a term used for ships believed to help move Russian oil despite sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.

The Ministry of Defence said Royal Marine commandos and National Crime Agency officials boarded the Smyrtos, which was sailing under a Cameroon flag, with support from Chinook helicopters, other aircraft, a frigate, and a minehunter. The operation lasted six hours, the ministry said.

“This successful operation ⁠⁠delivers yet another ⁠⁠blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling ⁠[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war in ⁠⁠Ukraine that ⁠⁠we will not let them hide,” Starmer said.

“Operations like this require skill, professionalism and courage. I pay tribute to our Armed Forces personnel and all those involved,” Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said in a statement.

“Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund its conflict in Ukraine and our interdiction delivers a blow to Putin’s illegal war.”

The ministry said the vessel would be “provisionally moved to an anchorage off the South Coast of England and will be monitored for any environmental or safety concerns.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Starmer and the British people on X for their “principled resolve.”

“It was Russia’s hubris, fueled by high oil and gas revenues, that paved the way for this war, and every decision by partners that deprives Russia of money also limits the war itself,” Zelenskyy wrote.

“Europe urgently needs to take legislative steps to enable not only the detention of tankers and restrictions on oil shipments, but also the confiscation of the oil they carry.”

According to MarineTraffic, the Smyrtos left the Russian Baltic port of Ust-Luga on June 5 and was bound for Port Said, Egypt.

In January, French forces impounded another suspected Russian tanker, the Grinch. In March, the Deyna, which sailed from Murmansk under a Mozambican flag, was detained in Marseille.

The Ministry of Defence said Britain had sanctioned more than 500 vessels and that Russia’s oil and gas revenues fell 24% in 2025 from the previous year.
Parris Island lead

Beaufort County bans plastic bags, foam containers

The county banned single-use plastic bags in 2018.

Full story +

Beaufort County Council voted 7-3 this month to ban plastic bags and polystyrene containers used by local businesses.

Under the ordinance, businesses must replace them with recyclable or reusable bags and containers. Plastic straws and cutlery may still be provided if customers request them.

The ordinance cited environmental and infrastructure concerns. According to the measure, plastic products add to landfill waste, harm wildlife, damage recycling machinery when placed in curbside bins, and can clog stormwater systems, contributing to flooding during heavy rain.

The county banned single-use plastic bags in 2018, but the ordinance said reusable plastic bags have had similar effects. It said bags marketed as reusable are often thicker than single-use bags. Council said the measure is intended to phase out plastic products in favor of compostable and recyclable alternatives.

Plastics contain 16,000 chemicals, about a quarter of which are known hazards to human health; an estimated 33,000 pounds of plastic enter the world’s oceans each year.

Plastics can break down into microplastics, which can enter the human body.
Middle East

UNRWA fires 70 Gaza staffers amid Hamas allegations

UNRWA denied being an active collaborator with Hamas but said it must work with governing authorities in Gaza to deliver aid.

Full story +

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said Friday it fired 70 staff members in Gaza, citing security concerns, while saying the move was not an admission of guilt.

“Today, the Commissioner-General ad interim of UNRWA, Christian Saunders, took the decision to terminate the employment of 70 UNRWA staff members in Gaza with immediate effect,” the agency said in a statement.

UNRWA said it acted “to mitigate safety and security risks for the refugees the Agency serves under its mandate and for UNRWA personnel and premises.” It added that the dismissals “are not part of a disciplinary process and does not constitute in any way a validation of the claims made against them.”

The agency said it had “repeatedly asked the Israeli authorities to provide information and evidence to substantiate allegations against individual UNRWA staff members in Gaza but has received no response to date.”

The firings followed a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) investigation published June 5 that referred more than 100 UNRWA staff members for suspension or dismissal. According to the report, some employees were involved in Hamas’ civil and military operations. The findings cited “a deputy school principal serving as an al-Qassam deputy company commander in the Ain Gallout/5th infantry battalion, a deputy school principal serving as squad leader for the Khan Younis Brigade/2nd infantry battalion” and “a teacher with expertise as a sniper for Hamas.” The investigation also said some teachers and principals participated directly in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

Israeli authorities have for years accused UNRWA of ties to Hamas. In January, the Israel Defense Forces said Hamas had used UNRWA infrastructure and that, based on intelligence findings, “among the 12,521 UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip, at least 1,462 (12%) are members of Hamas or other designated terrorist organizations.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected UNRWA’s statement, saying on X that it was “a cynical cover-up.”

UNRWA said it lacks “police or intelligence capacities” and relies on member states, including Israel, “to protect its operations and neutrality amid high risks in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

In April, UNRWA’s Office of Internal Oversight Services said it had investigated 19 employees accused of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack. UNRWA had terminated 12 in January, dismissed one case for lack of evidence, and said six cases remained under investigation.
Tech & Artificial Intelligence

Meta data center taxes fund Richland teacher bonuses

Meta said the data center was expected to cost at least $10 billion and was planned to be its largest to date.

Full story +

Some teachers in Richland Parish, Louisiana, are set to receive bonuses of more than $50,000, funded by tax payments tied to Meta’s new data center.

The payments stem from an older Louisiana tax law applied to the project. In fiscal 2024-25, the Richland Parish Tax Commission reported a little more than $21 million in annual sales tax revenue. A single annual tax payment from Meta totaled more than $22 million.

Under an agreement with Richland Parish, Meta does not have to pay state and local sales taxes on data center equipment for 20 years. Instead, the company pays a 1% sales tax directly to the Richland Parish Tax Commission. The money funds the Richland Parish School Board, the Richland Police Jury, and the parish sheriff’s office.

Louisiana’s combined state and local sales tax rate is 9.56%.

The project has also brought broader changes to Richland Parish. Some residents have objected to the physical and economic effects, including rising home prices, while others said the development could help support the parish.

“Maybe it’s OK for us to grow a data center,” Dustin Morris, a local farmer who received an offer on farmland near the site, said. “Maybe this is how we secure our family’s future.”
Finance & Markets

U.S. stock futures rise after U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal

Oil prices fell more than 5% as supply concerns eased. Brent crude futures dropped below $83 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures fell to about $80 a barrel.

Full story +

U.S. stock futures rose Monday after news of a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran at the start of a holiday-shortened trading week.

Dow Jones Industrial Average futures climbed about 1%, while S&P 500 futures rose 1.2%. Nasdaq 100 futures led the gains, up 1.9%, after Wall Street stocks advanced Friday.

Late Sunday, the U.S. said it had reached a ceasefire deal with Iran. President Donald Trump called the agreement “complete” in a post on Truth Social. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country brokered the deal, said a formal signing ceremony was expected Friday in Switzerland.

Iran signaled that talks on a final peace deal would begin within 60 days. Questions remained about the future of Iran’s nuclear program. Experts said the package could include reconstruction funding, an unfreezing of assets, and eased oil sanctions.

Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen for mine removal after Friday’s signing of the interim pact, restoring traffic on a key oil-shipping route.
US

12 killed in Missouri skydiving plane crash

The plane struggled to climb after takeoff and attempted a turn before crashing.

Full story +

Twelve people died after a skydiving plane crashed in Missouri on June 14, according to Bates County Emergency Management.

Dennis Jacobs, director of Bates County Emergency Management, told USA TODAY that 11 people aboard the plane were skydivers and one was the pilot. The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a Pacific Aerospace P750.

The plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Missouri, about 65 miles south of Kansas City. Jacobs, who is also the airport manager, said it was the deadliest crash in the airport’s roughly 50-year history.

Of the 11 skydivers, nine were experienced and two were participating in tandem jumps, Jacobs said. He said multiple witnesses saw the crash, including relatives of some of those aboard.

“One lady that was there was watching her brother (on the plane), and his wife was there, too, and she was supposed to be on the plane with them,” Jacobs said, adding that the wife was a regular diver who got bumped by a tandem jumper.

The private plane, operated by Skydive Kansas City, departed from Butler Memorial Airport and “turned around for an unknown reason” before crashing near a local highway at about 11:20 a.m. local time, according to Bates County Emergency Management.

The agency said Skydive Kansas City flew numerous trips over the weekend.

“They weren’t able to get over 100 feet off the ground,” Jacobs said. “It very likely will be an engine problem, but we won’t know until the NTSB report,” he added, referring to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said troopers were assisting the Butler Police Department and the Bates County Sheriff’s Office at the scene. Emergency crews and law enforcement, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, were searching the area.

Bates County Emergency Management said no survivors were found along the flight path. The investigation was expected to last several days, the agency said.