Zebulon Police address public interest in fishy "hate crime" | Cary town manager may be charged criminally | Durham judge acquitted of domestic violence
No. 159— Jan. 11-Jan. 17, 2026
A literal Nigerian king who resides in Johnston County plead guilty to defrauding $72k from Medicaid at his therapy practice in Raleigh. (The mainstream media, unsurprisingly, ignored a particular one of these details).
The top Durham County judge has been found not guilty of the domestic violence misdemeanors he was accused of, in a case which managed to make it to trial in just over a month after the charges were filed.
The Zebulon Police have responded to “significant public interest” in the hate crimes levied against the victim of a hit-and-run, attempting to reassure the public that the justice system can be trusted.
The investigation into former Cary town manager Sean Stegall will potentially result in charges, with both the State Auditor and the State Bureau of Investigation on the case.
Anti-ICE protesters continued to protest the shooting of fellow activist Renee Good, with events ranging from tiny to decently sized in Raleigh, Louisburg, and Wake Forest to continue a “weekend of action” on Sunday, as well as with gathering for a candlelight vigil in Raleigh on Wednesday.
A handful of Iranians also gathered in Raleigh in response to the Iranian government’s crackdown on anti-governmental protests, which includes an internet blackout and reported mass killings.
ICYMI: Nigerian king must pay $72k restitution for defrauding NC Medicaid during pandemic
Notice something about the following reporting regarding a local Medicaid fraud conviction?
Garner man pleads guilty to more than $70K in Medicaid fraud - N&O
Garner man convicted of stealing more than $70,000 in Medicaid fraud scheme - CBS17
It’s not just the headlines, both of these news sources entirely omit the foreign background of Ekelekamchukwu Alphonsus Ngwadom, and neither article mentions that he possesses a literal title of nobility in the country of Nigeria.
(Although, being a king in Nigeria is neither analogous in prestige or wealth to the monarch of a nation like England, given that there are reportedly over a hundred “traditional rulers” in the nation, and a king like Ngwadom only appears to “reign” over a kingdom of ten villages).
However, it is newsworthy to mention Ngwadom’s nation of origin for two reasons.
Firstly, crime committed by Americans can be attributed to the nature of the American people, while crime committed by foreigners can be attributed to immigration policy.
Secondly, patterns of misbehavior by foreigners are not consistent across the various nations and cultures of the world; for instance, about 7 out of the 104 names on the NC Medicaid excluded providers list while Hispanic names are practically nowhere to be found, despite all African immigrants making up less than 1% of North Carolina’s population and Hispanics making up 12%.
For all the details of this story, including an adult residential care home also owned by the Nigerian king, which has been repeatedly fined for violating health and safety rules:
Follow-ups
Follow-ups
Durham judge acquitted of domestic violence charges
Durham judge found not guilty on domestic violence charges. What to know. - N&O
Durham County judge found not guilty on domestic violence, assault charges, attorney says - CBS17
Durham County Chief District Court judge found not guilty on domestic violence charges - ABC11
Durham judge cleared of assault, domestic violence charges - WRAL
The domestic violence charges against Durham County Chief District Court Judge Clayton Jones Jr. have been brought to a speedily conclusion with a trial and a verdict in Jones’ favor just over a month after he was charged.
Jones was accused by a woman he had been in a six-year on-and-off relationship with of having grabbed her neck during an argument at an Advance Auto Parts store, apparently over a male friend of hers.
According to reporting by the News & Observer, the alleged victim testified that Jones had grabbed her by the neck and threatened her after she threw his keys on the ground to stop him from leaving.
Although the prosecution presented photos appearing to show “handprints” on her neck and a scratched collarbone, one other witnesses from the auto shop testified to seeing red marks on her neck at the scene, and a Durham police officer testified seeing the “abrasion” when she came in for an interview, none of the witnesses actually saw Jones touch the alleged victim.
In his own defense, Jones testified that he had not assaulted her, but had only heard her say “I can’t believe you put your hands on me” as he was getting into his vehicle after retrieving his keys from where she had thrown them.
The not guilty verdict was delivered following closing arguments by Harnett County Judge O. Henry Willis Jr., who was presiding over the case in Guilford County where the case had been moved to avoid any question of impartiality.
Previous Coverage:
Domestic violence or false allegation? Durham chief district judge charged with assaulting (ex) girlfriend - (No. 154 — Dec. 13, 2025)
Zebulon Police respond to “significant public interest” in hate crime case
The Zebulon Police Department has issued a response to the “significant public interest” over their arrest of Austin Herber for charges including ethnic intimidation, kidnapping, and assault for allegedly using force to prevent two Hispanic passengers from illegally fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run which Herber was the victim of.
The police statement, assuring citizens that the arrest was based on a “thorough and lawful investigation” without the influence of “personal opinions, public sentiment or outside influences,” appears to be in response to the coverage of the story by local podcaster/musician Nick Driver, attracting responses from town residents ranging from skepticism to complete agreement with the police’s charging decision.
The case has also attracted hundreds of thousands of impressions on Twitter/X (initiated by yours truly), with one user creating a fundraiser on Herber’s behalf which has collected nearly $18,000 in donations.
Not much actual information regarding the allegations has surfaced since the previous reporting in the Triangle Trumpet, besides, perhaps, an Instagram story posted on the day of the incident on the account appearing to belong to one of those passengers, named as the victims of the “hate crime,” with text reading “Word f*ck racism but ima get my lick back trust🙏🏼.” (For readers who are not hip to modern slang, “getting one’s lick back” refers to revenge.)
Investigation into Cary town manager heats up w/ potential criminal charges
Wake County DA requests criminal probe into spending of Cary town funds - N&O
State Auditor finds ‘potential criminal activity’ in probe of ousted Cary town manager - ABC11
Initial investigation into the Cary town manager indicates potential criminal activity - WRAL
Criminal investigation into former Cary town manager officially open, DA confirms - CBS17
North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek has announced that “an initial forensic analysis...indicates potential criminal activity by the former town manager of Cary,” while Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman and Cary Police Chief Terry Sult have requested the State Bureau of Investigation to bring its resources to bear.
Although public records have revealed a number of questionable financial decisions made by Sean Stegall, including taxpayer money spent on real estate purchases, tuition reimbursement, luxury hotels, and a self-promotional book, investigators must determine whether any of the conduct rises to the level of criminality.
“For it to be criminal, money must be spent in a way that it was only for personal benefit,” said Freeman.
Boliek’s office did not provide specific details into the fraudulent activity, besides mentioning procurement card transactions.
Protest Watch
Anti-ICE protesters honor fallen comrade
Hundreds in Raleigh protest ICE agent’s killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis - N&O
Hundreds gather in Raleigh for vigil remembering Renee Good, who was shot by ICE in Minneapolis - ABC11
The anti-ICE protests in response to the shooting of Renee Good continued on Sunday with events organized in locations such as Raleigh, Louisburg, and Wake Forest as part of the “Ice Out For Good Weekend of Action” organized by groups including 50501 NC, Indivisible, and General Strike Carolinas following Saturday protests in Durham, Clayton, Carrboro, and Pittsboro.
The attendance does not appear to have been as strong as last year’s protests organized by the same actors against the Trump administration, with a reported attendance of hundreds in Raleigh along Capital Blvd down to less than a dozen apparently present in Louisburg.
A candlelight vigil for Good on Wednesday at Moore Square Raleigh also attracted hundreds of participants. According to reporting by ABC11, many of the participants felt a special sympathy for Good, as they are also activists trained in the observation/obstructionist tactics she was attempting to perform when she hit an ICE officer with her car and was killed.
Iranians hold candlelight vigil for massacred anti-regime countrymen
Government clashes in Iran prompt candlelight vigil in Raleigh - ABC11
On Friday, a handful of Iranian expatriates gathered outside the Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh to mourn the thousands or perhaps even tens of thousands of protesters who have been arrested or shot by the Islamic Republican over the past several weeks.
The organizer of the rally, an Iranian who has been living in Raleigh for 40 years, appeared to call for Western-backed regime change: “We need some outside of the country help, like from the United States and European help...they cannot do it themselves.”
Multiple attendees expressed their concern for relatives in Iran who they have been unable to contact due to an internet blackout over the country beginning on January 8th.