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Federico murder case
Federico murder case
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The Federico murder case was a criminal case which took place in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States, in which Josh Federico shot his wife, Sarah, killed her boyfriend Lawrence Howell, and attempted to kill her unborn child. Following his arrest, Federico conspired with family members and friends to hire someone to kill his father-in-law and brother-in-law.[1][2] Five people have been implicated in these crimes.[3]

Key Information

Background

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Josh Federico was a regional sales manager for Commonwealth Home Care, working in Richmond, Virginia. His wife, Sarah, owned and operated a small horse farm, Blackwater Stables, in Chesterfield County. The Federicos, who had been married for six years,[4] separated four months prior to the shooting. Sarah moved out of the family home and filed a protective order against her estranged husband, alleging that Josh had engaged in extreme cruelty and had caused her to crash her car into a tree as the two fought for possession of her cell phone.[5] Josh filed for divorce June 12, 2018, claiming Sarah had committed adultery on multiple occasions with three different men.[6]

Prior to leaving Josh, Sarah had met Lawrence Howell the previous April. Howell left his 3-year-old son and girlfriend in Florida to move in with Sarah in her new home in Chesterfield County;[7] Howell had two other children from a previous marriage and was the father of the unborn child involved in the shooting.[4] The home Sarah shared with Howell was broken into earlier in the same month of the shooting, with her safe, computers and gun being stolen.[4]

Multiple attempted murders

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In the early morning hours of August 24, 2018, Sarah Federico was shot multiple times, critically wounding her and her unborn child. The following day, the incinerated remains of Howell were found in a fire pit on the lot adjacent to Josh's home.[8][5][9] Sarah identified Josh as her attacker.[1]

At trial, Sarah testified that Josh, from whom she had been separated for several months, fatally shot Howell after he took their dogs outside early on the morning of the shooting. Frightened by the gunfire but still not clear as to what was happening, Sarah witnessed Howell stumbling inside the house and collapsing behind the living room couch. At that point, she looked for her gun but it wasn’t in the drawer where she usually kept it.

With her husband now in the house, and dressed in black, she ran to a first-floor bathroom and tried escaping out of a window, but couldn’t get it open. Federico burst in and shot her in the arm; she collapsed on the floor. Sarah testified that her husband then directed her into the hallway, saying “he was going to make it look like Larry and I were fighting.” Wounded, she went out on the front porch with Josh following. Scared about what might come next, Sarah didn’t try to flee as Josh began cleaning up the bloody scene with paper towels and bleach. At one point, Josh directed Sarah to scratch her dead boyfriend’s face to make it appear they had been fighting, then had her fire a gun with her left hand into some paper towels; she was right-handed and had been shot in the right arm.

Josh Federico then went upstairs for a time; when he returned he calmly dragged Howell’s body out the garage door with a tarp and put him in Sarah's GMC Yukon. Sarah Federico was in the kitchen when Josh Federico returned; he went into the living room, grabbed a pillow, and used it to silence the sound of gunfire as he shot her again — this time in the abdomen. Sarah Federico collapsed on the floor and played dead, as Josh Federico put his hand over her mouth to see if she was still breathing.

After hearing him walk toward the garage, Sarah Federico said she got up and took off running through a patch of woods and briars to the home of her nearest neighbors, Richard and Patricia Brigman. Sarah Federico realized that Josh Federico was behind her as she fled, and as she climbed the steps to her neighbors’ second-floor deck, she was shot for the third time — in the back. She was frantically banging on the back door when she was shot, and she fell over the threshold when the Brigmans, who were awakened by their barking dogs and the gunfire, opened the inner door. “She was covered in blood from head to toe,” Richard Brigman testified. As Sarah Federico moaned in pain on the floor, she told the Brigmans that her husband had shot her and killed Howell. [2]

Howell’s remains were found days later in a burn pit on Federico’s farm where a prosecutor said he used tires to basically “cremate” the body.[10]

Manhunt

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The United States Marshals Service joined forces with the local police in a three day search for Federico.[6] A fire department medic spotted the shirtless murder suspect walking near a church and this led to an [11] intense 3 hour, 30-man, ground search consisting of members of the Richmond Police Department SWAT team, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the U.S. Marshals Service’s regional fugitive task-force, and K9 search and rescue dogs.[12] Joshua Federico was found hiding in an abandoned home and arrested and charged with first-degree murder, malicious wounding and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.[5] Federico's friend was also arrested and charged as an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.[13][14] Federico's son, Hunter, was arrested after police found guns and illegal drugs in his home after a manhunt related search.[11]

Solicitation to murder of wife, father and brother

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Chesterfield detectives obtained a wiretap for two phone numbers belonging to Joseph Federico (Josh's brother) after they uncovered evidence that Josh Federico, along with family and friends, was plotting a murder-for-hire scheme to kill Sarah Federico, her unborn child, Edward Grove, Sr. (her father) and Edward Grove, Jr. (her brother).[15]

Phone conversations involving Joshua Federico, Joseph Federico, Wendy Federico, and a family acquaintance Constantine Trikoulis, were recorded in which they discussed how to hire someone to carry out the murders and how much it would cost.[1] Wendy Federico said the family should hire their own "resource" instead of working through Joshua's jail contacts, at one point saying, "If I have to do it, I will."[1] An undercover Virginia State Police agent met with Joseph Federico in late November who told the agent that his brother was set on wiping out his wife and her family members.[1] Law enforcement raided the home of Joshua Federico in December 2018 in connection to a murder-for-hire plot[9] and recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash that was either hidden or buried at the Federico's farm.[1]

Federico was then charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit capital murder, solicitation to commit capital murder, attempted capital murder and two counts of felony obstruction of justice.[3][13][16] Joseph Federico (brother), and Wendy Federico (mother) were both charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit capital murder and two counts of felony obstruction of justice.[3][17] Family acquaintance Constantine Trikoulis was charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit capital murder, two counts of felony obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.[17] Laura Miller, an acquaintance of Joshua Federico, is facing charges as an accessory to homicide after the fact.[15]

Trial

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A preliminary hearing in Chesterfield General District Court was held to decide whether or not the long list of charges against the Federicos and Trikoulis should be certified to the higher court. Judge Keith Hurly certified the three conspiracy charges all three defendants faced to Chesterfield Circuit court. Judge Hurly also certified a solicitation charge leveled against Joshua and Joseph Federico connected to the plot. The judge dismissed several other charges that all three defendants faced, including attempted capital murder and obstruction of justice. All three were held without bond while their case made its way over to Chesterfield Circuit Court.[1]

Four members of the Federico family were indicted by a Chesterfield Grand Jury:

Joshua Federico

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  • One count of solicitation to commit murder (felony)
  • One count of attempting to commit capital murder (felony)
  • Three counts of conspiring with another to commit a felony (felony)
  • Two counts of obstruction of justice (felony)
  • Two counts of attempted obstruction of justice (felony)[18]

In August 2019, Joshua Federico was convicted of murdering Howell, attempting to murder his estranged wife, malicious wounding, multiple weapons violations, and a burglary charge. The jury recommended two life sentences plus 43 years in prison.[19]

In July 2020, Joshua Federico, in a plea agreement, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit capital murder, solicitation to commit capital murder, attempted capital murder and obstruction of justice. In return, several accompanying charges were dropped. In accordance with the agreement Federico was sentenced to 110 years in prison with 100 years suspended. The 10-year active sentence will be tacked on to the two life terms plus 43 years he is serving.[20]

Joseph Federico

[edit]
  • One count of solicitation to commit murder (felony)
  • One count of attempting to commit capital murder (felony)
  • Three counts of conspiring with another to commit a felony (felony)
  • Two counts of obstruction of justice (felony)
  • Two counts of attempted obstruction of justice (felony)[18]

Joseph Federico, 43, pleaded no contest to two counts of conspiracy to commit capital murder, solicitation to commit capital murder and obstruction of justice. Several accompanying charges were dropped. In accordance with the plea agreement, Federico was sentenced to 70 years in prison with 55 suspended, giving him 15 to serve. He had no prior criminal record. [20]

Wendy Federico

[edit]
  • Three counts of conspiring with another to commit a felony (felony)
  • Two counts of obstruction of justice (felony)
  • Two counts of attempted obstruction of justice (felony)[18]

The brothers’ mother, Wendy Federico, 64, also was charged in the plot, but she died of cancer April 16 while awaiting trial. She had been held in the medical tier of Riverside Regional Jail throughout her 16 months of incarceration, but was transferred April 15 to a Hopewell hospital, where she died, due to complications that arose from her regularly scheduled chemotherapy treatments.[20]

Constantine Trikoulis

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The Commonwealth’s Attorney withdrew three counts of conspiracy to commit capital murder for hire and one count of being an accessory after the fact to murder against Constantine “Dino” Trikoulis. Trikoulis, 32, pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of obstruction of justice and was given a 12-month suspended jail term. [21]

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The Federico murder case encompasses a series of violent crimes and conspiracies that unfolded in , beginning in August 2018, when Joshua M. Federico, aged 44, fatally shot Lawrence J. Howell, the boyfriend of his estranged wife Sarah Federico, and severely wounded Sarah herself with multiple gunshots at her home on Second Branch Road, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down; Sarah, who was two months pregnant at the time, survived and later gave birth to a son. Joshua, who had been involved in a contentious with Sarah marked by allegations of , fled the scene, prompting a three-hour manhunt that ended with his ; he was charged with first-degree murder, malicious wounding, and multiple offenses related to the incident. While incarcerated at Riverside Regional Jail awaiting trial, orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot targeting three key witnesses to the shooting, including , using coded language in jailhouse communications and phone calls to enlist family members and associates; his mother, Wendy (63), and brother, Joseph A. (41), were central to the scheme, along with friends Constantine Trikoulis and Laura E. , who were involved in planning and logistics, including discussions of a payment to hitmen. The plot was uncovered through wiretaps, undercover operations by the and FBI, and evidence seized from the Federico family home, leading to the arrests of Wendy, Joseph, Trikoulis, and Miller on , 2018; faced additional charges of three counts of conspiracy to commit and solicitation. In August 2019, a jury convicted Joshua of seven felony counts, including first-degree murder and attempted murder, after Sarah identified him as the shooter and physical evidence, such as ballistics matching his gun, corroborated the prosecution's case; he was sentenced in November 2019 to two consecutive life sentences without parole, plus 43 years, with the judge describing the crimes as "horrific and senseless." In July 2020, Joshua and Joseph were jointly convicted on multiple conspiracy and solicitation charges related to the murder-for-hire plot following a trial that revealed extensive recorded evidence of their coordination. Joseph received a sentence of 110 years in prison, with 100 years suspended, resulting in 10 years of active incarceration for his role, while felony charges against Trikoulis were dropped after he cooperated with authorities, and he received a 12-month suspended sentence for misdemeanor obstruction of justice; Wendy Federico died of cancer in October 2025 while awaiting trial on conspiracy and obstruction charges, effectively closing her portion of the case without resolution. The case drew widespread media attention for its familial involvement and the chilling details of the post-crime conspiracy, highlighting issues of domestic violence and obstruction of justice.

Prelude to Violence

Family Background and Marital Breakdown

Joshua Federico and Sarah Grove Federico married in 2012 under a that valued Joshua's assets at approximately $2 million and Sarah's at around $40,000. Joshua worked as a regional manager. The couple had one son together, Hunter, and Joshua had two children from a previous . The marriage began to deteriorate in early 2018, culminating in their separation in April of that year. moved out by the end of April, and on June 12, 2018, filed for , accusing of . In response, cited 's extreme cruelty, theft of her personal items, and causing a car accident that injured her as grounds for the dissolution. These filings highlighted a bitter and contentious breakdown, marked by disputes over assets and personal conduct. Tensions escalated following Sarah's new relationship with Lawrence Howell, whom she met in shortly before the separation; Howell soon moved in with her and her son Hunter. exhibited jealousy over this relationship, which fueled ongoing conflicts during the proceedings. The Federico family included 's brother, Joseph Federico, and their mother, Wendy Federico, both of whom were part of the close-knit household in , prior to the marital strife. These familial and marital pressures contributed to the violent culmination in August 2018.

Events Leading to the Shooting

Following Sarah Federico's departure from the family home in April 2018, she filed a protective order against her estranged husband, Joshua Federico, citing allegations of extreme cruelty that included causing a car accident, repeated belittling, financial ruin through mismanagement, stealing her money and cell phone, and pressuring her to end the marriage. Sarah's attorney described her as "extremely scared" of Joshua during this period, highlighting the intensity of her fear amid the ongoing separation. In response, Joshua filed for on June 12, 2018, accusing Sarah of ; she had begun dating Lawrence Howell in 2018, who had moved in with her by late . These legal actions underscored the escalating tensions, with Joshua's claims reflecting his resentment toward Sarah's new relationship. Tensions peaked in early August 2018 when Sarah's home on Second Branch Road was broken into on August 3; the front door was removed, and intruders stole over $50,000 in cash along with personal items, a , computers, and a . During the subsequent shooting incident on August 23, Joshua admitted to committing the break-in, indicating his direct involvement in surveilling and intruding upon Sarah's life. This uninvited entry exemplified Joshua's persistent and inability to disengage from his estranged wife in the months leading to the violence.

The Shooting and Immediate Aftermath

The Attack on Sarah Federico and Lawrence Howell

On August 24, 2018, in the early morning hours, Joshua M. Federico, aged 44, arrived uninvited at the home of his estranged wife, Sarah Federico, located in the 13700 block of Second Branch Road in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Sarah, who was pregnant at the time, and her boyfriend, Lawrence J. Howell, aged 38, were residing there together. Federico, motivated by jealousy over Sarah's relationship with Howell, entered the residence and initiated the attack. The assault began with Federico shooting Howell multiple times, inflicting fatal wounds that caused him to stagger into the bedroom where Sarah awoke. Howell collapsed and died from his injuries. Federico then turned on Sarah, forcing her at gunpoint to scratch Howell's face and fire a shot from Howell's gun in an attempt to stage the scene as a mutual shooting between the couple. He subsequently shot Sarah three times—once in the right arm, and twice more, including a shot to her back as she fled toward a neighbor's deck just after 3 a.m.—leaving her critically wounded and paralyzed from the waist down. The weapon used was a , consistent with the evidence recovered at the scene. Sarah was rushed to the hospital, where she underwent emergency treatment; despite the severity of her injuries, she survived, as did her unborn son, who was later born healthy and named Lawrence James, or "L.J.," in honor of Howell. Howell's body was not immediately found at the residence. The following day, August 25, 2018, investigators discovered human remains believed to be Howell's in a burn pit on a property adjacent to the crime scene, specifically on Federico's farm, where he had attempted to dispose of the body by cremating it using tires. Forensic analysis confirmed the remains matched Howell through dental records and other identifiers. After the shooting, Federico fled the area, leaving behind key evidence including the staging attempt and ballistic traces linking the firearm to the wounds.

Manhunt for Joshua Federico

Following the shooting on August 24, 2018, which left Lawrence J. Howell dead and Sarah Federico wounded, Chesterfield County Police issued warrants for Joshua M. Federico on charges of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony later that day. By August 25, 2018, after human remains believed to be Howell's were discovered on a property adjacent to the crime scene, police added a murder charge and activated a multi-agency manhunt involving the Chesterfield County Police Department, Virginia State Police, Richmond City Police, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. Authorities offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to his arrest, emphasizing the suspect's dangerousness and urging the public to report sightings without approaching him. The search spanned several locations in Chesterfield County, with Federico evading capture for over a day as he moved through suburban areas. On August 26, 2018, around 11:21 a.m., police received a report of a sighting in the 13700 block of Hull Street Road near a Publix supermarket in the Harbour Pointe Shopping Center, prompting an immediate response and road closures. Approximately two hours later, at 1:15 p.m., another tip placed him in the nearby Deer Run neighborhood, leading to a heightened search involving K-9 units and additional resources. Federico was ultimately located hiding in an abandoned home in the 7900 block of Spring Run Road, close to the Birkdale golf course, where he had taken refuge after the reported sightings. Federico was taken into custody without incident around 4:00 p.m. on , 2018, following a nearly three-hour operation in the area, with no injuries reported to him or officers. He was transported to Chesterfield County Jail and held without bond on the charges of first-degree murder in the death of Howell, malicious wounding of Sarah Federico, and two counts of use of a in the commission of a . The manhunt, which lasted from the issuance of warrants on August 25 to the on , relied heavily on public tips and inter-agency coordination to end what police described as a high-risk pursuit in a populated residential zone.

The Murder-for-Hire Conspiracy

Uncovering the Solicitation Plot

Following Joshua Federico's and incarceration for the August 2018 shooting, Chesterfield County investigators, with assistance from the and FBI, launched a months-long probe that revealed a murder-for-hire conspiracy targeting his estranged wife Sarah Federico, her father, and her brother. In late 2018, detectives secured wiretaps on two phone numbers linked to a family member, capturing nearly a dozen conversations from September to December 2018 that featured coded language discussing the hiring of a for $100,000. Terms such as "" referred to payment funds, while "sale of the horse" alluded to the arrangement, with participants expressing concerns about police interception of jailhouse calls. Surveillance efforts included monitoring a late November 2018 meeting at a Wawa convenience store in Chesterfield, where an undercover agent, posing as a potential , was offered the $100,000 contract during discussions captured on video. Informants played a key role in facilitating this controlled encounter, providing investigators with direct evidence of intent. Further breakthroughs came from searches uncovering hundreds of thousands of dollars in hidden or buried at a family property on Black Road, corroborating the financial aspects of the plot through transaction records and meeting arrangements. These elements, combined with the wiretap recordings, led to arrests on December 7, 2018, halting the scheme.

Key Conspirators and Their Roles

Joseph Federico, Joshua's brother, played a central role in coordinating the murder-for-hire plot by handling communications and meetings with potential hitmen. He participated in wiretapped phone calls discussing the hiring of assassins and met with an individual at a Wawa convenience store in late November 2018 to negotiate terms, including an offer of $100,000 for the killings. Joseph also managed logistics related to funds, such as hiding cash at a family farm to pay the hitmen. Wendy Federico, Joshua's mother, facilitated the plot through financial and logistical support. She engaged in coded conversations on wiretapped calls, using terms like "" to refer to payment money and "sale of the horse" to denote the murders. Wendy suggested leveraging family resources for hiring instead of relying on Joshua's jail contacts and expressed willingness to take direct action if necessary, stating, "If I have to do it, I will." She was arrested in December 2018 but died of cancer in early October 2025 while awaiting trial. Constantine Trikoulis, a family acquaintance and friend of , served as an intermediary to connect the conspirators with potential hitmen. He was involved in efforts to hire individuals to target witnesses, including Federico's relatives, as part of the broader orchestration by the . Laura Miller, an acquaintance of , had a minor role in the overall events, assisting him immediately after the initial shooting but with limited direct involvement in the subsequent for-hire planning.

Trial and Sentencing of

The trial of M. for the August 2018 shooting of his estranged wife and the murder of her boyfriend Lawrence Howell commenced on July 29, 2019, in Chesterfield County , . The proceedings lasted five days, with a of 10 women and two men deliberating before delivering a verdict on August 1, 2019. The charges against stemmed from the incident in which he allegedly entered the victims' home uninvited and opened fire, resulting in Howell's death and Sarah's paralysis from the waist down. Prosecutors presented compelling evidence, including Sarah 's , delivered from a as she described recognizing her estranged husband as the gunman despite her severe injuries. A close friend of Joshua testified that the confessed to the shootings during a phone call while fleeing authorities, admitting to exchanging gunfire with Howell and paralyzing Sarah. Ballistic analysis linked the firearms recovered to the , supporting convictions on multiple weapons charges, while evidence of 's three-day flight—culminating in a manhunt across Chesterfield County—underscored his consciousness of guilt. The defense argued inconsistencies in witness accounts but failed to sway the jury. Federico faced seven felony counts: first-degree of Howell, attempted first-degree and aggravated malicious wounding of Sarah, statutory , and four counts of use of a in the commission of a . On August 1, 2019, the jury convicted him on all charges after approximately four hours of deliberation. In the subsequent penalty phase, the jury recommended two life sentences plus 43 years' imprisonment and a $100,000 fine, citing the premeditated nature of the attack and its devastating impact on the victims. On November 14, 2019, Chesterfield County Judge Edward A. Robbins Jr. imposed the jury's recommendation, sentencing to two consecutive life terms without parole, plus 43 years. The sentence reflected the severity of the crimes, with the life terms addressing the murder and convictions, and the additional years accounting for the firearm enhancements and . showed no during the hearing, and Sarah's expressed relief at the outcome.

Cases Involving Joseph Federico, Wendy Federico, and Constantine Trikoulis

Joseph Federico, the brother of Joshua Federico, was charged in December 2018 with three counts of conspiracy to commit , to commit capital murder, attempted capital murder, and felony obstruction of justice in connection with the murder-for-hire plot targeting witnesses in the shooting case. In July 2020, he pleaded no contest to two counts of conspiracy to commit , to commit capital murder, and related charges as part of the state proceedings in Chesterfield County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to 70 years in prison with 55 years suspended, resulting in 15 years to serve, for his role in the conspiracy. Wendy Federico, the mother of and , faced state charges of to commit and felony obstruction of justice for her involvement in soliciting hits on key witnesses, including Sarah Federico and Lawrence Howell's family members. She was arrested in December 2018 and held without bond at Chesterfield County Jail pending trial. In early October 2025, Wendy Federico died of cancer while awaiting trial on the charges. Her case was dismissed posthumously by the court. Constantine Trikoulis, a acquaintance and associate of the Federicos, was charged in December 2018 with three counts of to commit and multiple counts of obstruction of justice for his role in facilitating communications and attempts to hire hitmen. In 2020, Trikoulis pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of obstruction of justice in the Chesterfield County proceedings. He received a 12-month suspended jail term and was placed on probation. The proceedings against these conspirators involved both state felony charges in Chesterfield Circuit Court for to commit and obstruction of justice, with no separate federal charges reported. The plot's discovery via wiretaps on Joseph Federico's phone lines provided key evidence leading to the arrests and subsequent resolutions. Hunter Federico, the son of Joshua Federico, was arrested in August 2018 in , shortly after his father's capture in connection with the initial shooting. During a search of a family-associated property, authorities discovered illegal drugs and a , leading to charges against Hunter for possession of a I or II and possession of a while possessing a . These charges were unrelated to the broader murder-for-hire conspiracy uncovered later that year. In July 2019, Hunter was indicted on these drug and offenses as part of the ongoing family investigation, though no further details on resolution or sentencing have been publicly reported as of November 2025. Laura Miller, an acquaintance of Federico, was arrested on December 7, 2018, for her alleged assistance to him in the immediate aftermath of the August 2018 that killed Lawrence Howell and wounded Sarah Federico. She faced charges of being an accessory after the fact to for providing logistical support, such as helping Joshua evade authorities post-attack. Unlike the core conspirators in the subsequent murder-for-hire plot, Miller's role was limited to the events surrounding the initial incident. As of November 2025, her case remains pending sentencing following a guilty to reduced charges, with no reported appeals or releases. The broader investigation into the Federico family yielded additional peripheral outcomes, including the seizure of evidence from multiple properties during December 2018 search warrants, though no major asset forfeitures were detailed in public reports. Some minor related charges against extended associates were dismissed as the focus narrowed on principal figures, but no significant post-2020 developments, such as new arrests or releases in these secondary matters, have emerged as of November 2025.

References

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