Motive unclear in Raleigh resident sentenced for Biden threat | Zebulon hate crime hoax? | Morrisville: Illegal charged with ramming ICE vehicles | Durham chief judge charged with domestic violence
No. 154 — Dec. 7-Dec. 13, 2025
This week’s issue is quite hefty, involving a number of stories involving local government, crime, or both.
First off, we have an update on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and their defiance of the Parents’ Bill of Rights, with Republican legislators on the NC House Oversight committee leaving a hearing unimpressed with the district’s assurances of legal compliance.
In Cary, State Auditor Dave Boliek may get involved after several weeks of confusion and opaqueness after the town manager was put on paid administrative leave, possibly related to the revelation of dubious financial conduct such as giving a town councilmember nearly $40k in tuition reimbursement for a masters degree.
Durham‘s chief district court judge has been arrested on his (ex?) girlfriend’s accusation of domestic violence, though the facts don’t necessarily add up as his lawyer’s say that a neutral witness to the incident confirms that no assault took place.
In a story which is oddly lacking in information for its potentially nationally relevant nature, a Raleigh resident who was arrested making threats against Biden, his children, and a secret service agent just prior to Trump’s inauguration has plead guilty and been sentenced to 27 months, though the exact nature of his threats and his motivation remain a mystery.
In a pair of immigration-related stories, an illegal immigrant has been charged with ramming immigration enforcement vehicles Morrisville, though court documents reveal the twist that the deportable illegal alien they caught wasn’t the deportable illegal alien they were after that morning; and, a Honduran resident of Knightdale with a history of violent criminal charges in New Jersey has been charged with the statutory rape of a 12-year-old girl in Wake County court.
Finally, in a story which seems worthy of further attention, CBS17 has gathered evidence and witness testimony that a man accused of a pile of crimes for allegedly targeting two Hispanics in Zebulon because of their “race, color, nationality, country of origin” may in fact have been merely detaining two occupants attempting to flee after their recklessly-driven vehicle crashed into his truck and caused serious injury to a passenger.
CHCCS superintendent backtracks on defying legislature in hearing
Sparks fly in legislative hearing on school indoctrination - Carolina Journal
NC legislators grill Chapel Hill school officials on ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’ compliance - WRAL
NC House Oversight Committee grills Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools over Parents’ Bill of Rights - WUNC
NC lawmakers hold Chapel Hill-Carrboro school leaders’ feet to fire over comments - N&O
The Chair of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education, George Griffin, testified before the NC House Oversight committee that his district was not in fact in defiance of the Parents’ Bill of Rights at a hearing Wednesday, telling lawmakers “with 100% certainty” that CHCCS was “complying with the law.”
This is in apparent contradiction to Griffin’s statements earlier this year, which triggered the oversight investigation, describing how the board refused to require parental notification for name/pronoun change and refused to prohibit sex/gender identity instruction for K-4 students: “there were two of those 12 items that we determined were just blatantly discriminatory...the board voted to tell the General Assembly ‘No thanks, we’re not doing this.’”
That statement wasn’t just a braggadocious exaggeration, it’s exactly how the board’s policy was reported on at the time, such as the News & Observer covering the story with the following lede: “The Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board defied state law Thursday by not requiring its schools to notify parents when their students ask to be identified by a different name or pronoun at school.”
In addition to the board’s public policy and the prior statements of the chair, the Republicans on the committee brought an email from Griffin explicitly laying out the two “exceptions” to the law excluded from the board policy comprising a “mountain of evidence” in the words of committee member and Wake County Republican representative Mike Schietzelt: “It is offensive for someone to come before this body and say, ‘we are complying with the law’ when there are videos, there are documents, there is a mountain of evidence that you are not.”
In written testimony for the committee, CHCCS superintendent Robert Trice maintained that while the CHCCS Board chose not to implement the two measures from the Parents’ Bill of Rights as board policy, they were nonetheless implemented as district policy and procedure, such as “Staff Guidance” which instructed employees to warn students wishing to change their name or pronouns that parental notice was required by state law:
If a student informs an employee that they would like to be called by a different name or pronoun by school staff, a school employee should have the following guided conversation with the student. Staff may wish to include a school counselor or administrator in this conversation. There is a law in our state that requires that I notify your parents before making this change. Have you already talked to your parents/guardians about this? Do you have any concerns about my notifying them? Tell me about your concerns.
Although the Democrats on the committee appear to be satisfied that the district is in compliance (or of the opinion that civil disobedience is justified), the Republican majority seemed to be less convinced, Rep. Jeff McNeely (R-Iredell) telling the superintendent that “there’s a darn good chance you may not get [state funds]” if the district did not amend its ways.
The hearing also included accusations of grooming, presenting the previously disclosed books recommended by the district for students as young as pre-K designed to normalize nudity, LGBTQ “families,” etc.
Previous coverage:
Orange County school boards still defying Parents’ Bill of Rights (No. 147 — Oct. 25, 2025)
House Oversight Committee investigates Chapel Hill–Carrboro City Schools (No. 148 — Nov. 1, 2025)
Evidence of “wokeness” highlighted ahead of oversight hearing into Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (No. 152 — Nov. 29, 2025)
State Auditor probing Cary after dubious financial transactions come to light amid town manager’s suspension
Town of Cary paid for a council member’s tuition. Why she gave it back. - N&O
Cary mayor says town leaders blindsided by decisions made without council input - N&O
Cary taxpayers express distrust over funding councilwoman’s degree with public money - WRAL
Cary Town Council faces scrutiny over ethics, tuition payments and town manager’s paid leave - ABC11
State Auditor Dave Boliek has revealed that his office will be conducting a probe into the Town of Cary’s policies to determine if an audit is necessary after receiving tips from concerned citizens concerning questionable financial decisions involving town manager Sean Stegall, who is currently on paid administrative leave for undisclosed reasons.
On Friday, November 21, the town confirmed that Stegall had been placed on leave after a closed session at the prior night’s town council meeting.
In an article released December 5, the News & Observer revealed that the town had given $37,397 to reimburse Councilmember Lori Bush’s tuition for a master’s degree in Northwestern University’s Public Policy program, with emails showing that Stegall had been the one to suggest that Bush and he do the program “together.”
On December 9, the town council held its first broadcasted work session with topics including ethics policy; Mayor Harold Weinbrecht clarified that the town could not legally provide details about Stegall’s leave, while revealing the following:
A public meetings request submitted several weeks ago produced receipts, emails, and other documents that revealed certain key information had not been shared with me or with the full council and that decisions were made without council approval.
Although the emails reveal communication between the town’s clerk, payroll supervisor, and human resources director about the reimbursement in 2024, councilmembers including Weinbrecht were not aware until at least November, with Weinbrecht writing his concern that the reimbursement “looks like gifts and favors especially since this is not an option for town employees.”
According to Bush, she paid back the money to “remove any concern or distraction” once it became an issue, despite having “followed the guidance given at the time.”
Records also show that Stegall also spent thousands of town dollars on luxury accommodations for himself while on out-of-state trips, including “over $3,000“ for a four-night stay at a different hotel than the other six town employees attending a conference in Austin, TX, as well as “nearly $2,500“ at a luxury hotel in Boston for a Harvard AI conference in January.
In 2023, Stegall’s total compensation from the town was $359,073.State Auditor probing Cary after dubious financial transactions come to light amid town manager’s suspension
Domestic violence or false allegation? Durham chief district judge charged with assaulting (ex) girlfriend
Durham County judge arrested on assault, domestic violence charges: Warrant - CBS17
Protective order filed against Durham County judge arrested for alleged assault of woman - CBS17
Durham judge facing assault, domestic violence charges - ABC11
Durham County chief district judge arrested, accused of domestic violence - N&O
Durham judge charged with domestic violence had protective order against him - N&O
Durham County judge arrested on domestic violence, assault charges - WRAL
Judge Clayton Jones Jr. was arrested on Monday and charged with two misdemeanors for assault on a female and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence after a woman he dated accused him of grabbing the neck in an incident at a mechanic’s shop on November 29.
Jones’ lawyers deny the allegations, asserting in a statement that an unbiased service professional “unequivocally and consistently told police that Judge Jones did not assault anyone,” and that the police investigation failed to turn up any other eyewitnesses beyond the alleged victim to support the charges.
“Being a judge comes with the public eye and additional scrutiny,” the statement continues. “Judge Jones deeply respects the court process and expects to be quickly vindicated in this matter.”
Two days after the incident, the alleged victim filed for a temporary protection order against Jones, according to documents reviewed by the News & Observer. Although the complaint cites three arguments/incidents between the couple dating back a year, it appears their is some confusion over whether they were in a relationship when the alleged assault occurred: the criminal charges allege that “at the time, the defendant was formerly in recent dating relationship with the victim,” while the protection order complaint describes them driving together to the site of the incident.
The woman claims that she and Jones were arguing about getting her brakes fixed and a mechanic friend of hers, when Jones lunged at her, threatened her “not to ever mention another [expletive] to him again.” (Although I couldn’t find the original document, one can only guess which profane term allegedly used by the judge is censored as “[expletive]” by the N&O and “[man]” by CBS17).
In his response, Jones claimed that the two actually were driving separate vehicles, and that when he physically removed himself from the argument, the alleged victim followed him to his car, threw his keys across the parking lot, and began falsely accusing him of assault.
The case has been transferred from Durham to Guilford to avoid conflict of interest; Judge Jones “Judge Jones deeply respects the court process and expects to be quickly vindicated in this matter.”
Jones was elected as district court judge for Durham County in 2018 after serving as an assistant district attorney and assistant public defender in the county, and is running for reelection in 2026.
Motive unknown for Raleigh resident sentenced to 27 months for threatening Biden
A Raleigh man threatened to kill President Biden. How long he’ll spend in prison - N&O
Raleigh man sentenced to prison for threatening to kill President Biden and Secret Service agent - WRAL
Raleigh Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Threatening to Kill POTUS and U.S. Secret Service Agent - Press Release
Michael James Ferr, 31, of Raleigh, was sentenced in federal court last week to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to making threats against President Biden and a Secret Service agent in January of this year, prior to President Trump’s inauguration.
Although the exact nature of his threats do not appear to be in the publicly available/unsealed court record, the press release from the Eastern District of North Carolina describe that he “posted several disturbing comments” to Twitter/X on January 10, “includ[ing] death threats to then-President Biden.”
When interviewed by Secret Service on January 14, Ferr also threatened to kill the investigating agent, and was arrested by the Raleigh Police for communicating threats by “VERBALLY STATING HE WOULD KILL THE VICTIM TO DIRECTLY TO THE VICTIM,” according to the charging document; this state charge was later dropped after the federal charges were filed.
In addition to the charges Ferr plead guilty to, an additional charge from the indictment for threatening Biden’s children was dropped with the plea deal.
There does not appear to be any publicly available information indicating Ferr’s motivation; North Carolina voter records show his registration as “unaffiliated,” and having only voted in two general elections in 2016 and 2024.
Illegal alien charged with ramming ICE officers in Morrisville wasn’t intended target of raid
Man charged with assaulting, impeding ICE officers in Morrisville not intended target, documents say - ABC11
Man accused of assaulting 3 ICE agents with car in Morrisville: U.S. Attorney - CBS17
Morrisville man faces charges after ramming ICE vehicle and endangering federal agent’s life - WRAL
Man accused of ramming ICE agents’ cars in Morrisville was not intended target - N&O
Illegal Alien Charged with Assaulting and Impeding ICE Officers - Press Release
Milton Ermilo Arreaga Roblero, 23, has been charged with one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers for ramming into two federal vehicles in an attempt to escape an immigration stop, one of which was occupied, and nearly running over a Federal Deportation Officer assigned to the the Immigration Customs Enforcement office in Cary.
However, as court documents reveal, Roblero was not the illegal alien the ICE agents believed they were detaining for a Deportation Order for Removal, though investigation after his arrest revealed that Roblero did indeed have a Final Order of Deportation on his own accord.
According to the charging document, the ICE officers had obtained a removal order for Maynor Godinez-Mendez, and were staking out Chapel Hill Rd in Morrisville on December 2 near Sangam Mart, a grocery store they believed him to frequent.
The agents spotted a red Honda Civic “known to be utilized by Mendez” with a driver matching his description, followed him to the expected parking lot, and were able to box in the stationary car with three federal vehicles.
When the federal agents in visibly marked police gear exited their vehicles and ordered him to stop, the driver rammed into two of the federal vehicles (forcing an officer to get out of the way), hopped a curb, and ultimately crashed into an unrelated parked vehicle, as laid out in the charging document and confirmed by images and video of the crashed vehicle obtained by ABC11.
After exiting the vehicle the driver was discovered not to be Mendez, and was instead identified as Roblero, who was discovered to also have a deportation order.
Honduran charged with statutory rape of 12-year-old girl
Jayson Martinez aka Jayson Martinez Mejia aka Jayson Martinez Rodriguez aka Gaision Rodriguez, 24, a resident of Knightdale, has been charged with one count of statutory rape of a child by an adult and two counts of statutory rape of a child under the age of 15 for crimes against a 12-year-old female.
Wake deputies received the report of the sexual assault in March, according to a press release by the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, with a “thorough investigation” leading to the issuance of a warrant in July, and the arrest of Martinez in Cumberland County on Wednesday.
Martinez is being without bail in the Wake County Detention Center, with a magistrate citing that Martinez is a citizen of Honduras and has a “history of violent charges in NJ.”
As of yet, no ICE detainer has been filed in Martinez’s case.
Witnesses say alleged victims of Zebulon “hate crime” were trying to leave scene of accident
Witnesses dispute hate crime, assault charges against man after weekend crash in Zebulon - CBS17
Austin Thomas Herber, 27, is facing a series of charges in connection with an incident outside of a Zebulon bar/restaurant on Sunday:
two counts of second degree kidnapping
two counts of assault by pointing a gun
two counts of communicating threats
two counts of ethnic intimidation
one count of assault inflicting serious injury
one count of assault and battery
one count of going armed to the terror of the people
According to Zebulon Police, Herber restrained two Hispanic victims “for the purpose of terrorizing” using an H&K CC9 9mm and kicked them in the head because of their “race, color, nationality, country of origin,” causing one to have “SWELLING, BRUISING, PAIN TO THE RIGHT FACE AND JAW, DIFFICULTY MOVING JAW, ABRASIONS TO THE HEAD AND BACK.”
However, surveillance video and eyewitnesses tell a different story, with Herber merely attempting to stop the occupants from leaving after driving their vehicle off the road and slamming into the drivers’ side of his truck, leaving one of his Herber’s passengers bloody and unconscious.
The low quality video of the incident obtained by CBS17 shows a black car driving across grass and throwing up sparks before crashing into Herber’s truck as it left the parking lot of Smash Masters.
Although the video doesn’t appear to show much detail of the interaction between Herber and the two alleged victims, who were the passengers of the at-fault vehicle, it does capture the driver leaving the scene on foot, whom Zebulon Police have identified as Juan Campos and cited for failing to remain at the scene of the accident and failing to reduce speed to avoid a crash.
One of Herber’s passengers told CBS17 she doesn’t remember much besides waking up with blood covering her legs and face and hearing that the men were attempting to flee the scene.
One of the owners of the restaurant says she was shocked at the charges based on what she saw, describing Herber as already out of the car when she arrived with the two men on the ground. Jessica Thompson says Herber did ask where they came from and who they were, and that he put his hand on their shoulders telling them to get back on the ground when they attempted to leave the scene, but said she and other witnesses did not see him with a handgun.
North Carolina law (NC GS § 15A-404) does allow a citizen to make a detention under select circumstances, such as if they have probable cause to believe the detainee has committed a crime in their presence “involving physical injury to another person,” and the detention is “in a reasonable manner considering the offense involved and the circumstances of the detention.”
The driver of a vehicle in a crash resulting in injury who fails to remain at the vehicle until a law enforcement officer arrives may be guilty of a Class H felony (NC GS § 20-166), while a passenger who fails to remain at the scene of a reportable accident may be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor (NC GS § 20-166.2).
According to CBS17, Zebulon Police “did not provide any clarity” when asked about the allegations of ethnic intimidation and going armed to the terror of the people.