Traficant convicted in corruption case

CLEVELAND -- Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. was convicted Thursday of taking bribes and kickbacks from businessmen and his own staff after a raucous and often-farcical trial where the legislator insisted on representing himself.

The nine-term Democrat was found guilty of all 10 federal charges he faced, including racketeering, bribery and fraud.

The jury also ordered him to forfeit $96,000 in ill-gotten gains.

He could also be expelled from the House, something that has happened only once since the Civil War. Outside court, Traficant angrily said he would not resign.

Spare parts contractor charged with fraud

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A defense contractor supplied spare parts for fighter jets and other weapons without hardening the metal properly, a moneysaving shortcut that led to accidents and put lives in danger, prosecutors charged on Thursday.

Parts delivered by now-defunct Damon Industries between 1997 and 1999 without the special hardening treatment were used in F-18 and F-15 fighter jets, C-135 cargo planes, Cobra helicopters, Bradley armored personnel carriers, howitzers, mortars and .50-caliber machines guns, rifles and Navy ships, prosecutors said.

Company director Nestor Daniel Lopez was charged with fraud and making false claims on more than $75,000 in parts orders.

Revenge blamed in officer's shooting spree

DOVER TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- Dominick Galliano was found innocent in court of molesting a young neighbor he was baby-sitting. But he was not cleared in the mind of her father.

Edward Lutes Jr. bragged to neighbors that he beat up Galliano. He posted fliers calling Galliano a pedophile. And he installed a spotlight in his yard with an overlay that spelled out: "Every Dad has his day."

Lutes, a police officer whose marksmanship placed him on the county SWAT team, shot and killed Galliano and four other neighbors Tuesday night before killing himself.

Revenge was the likely motive, a prosecutor said Thursday.

FCC OKs transfer of stations to NBC

WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators approved a plan Wednesday to transfer Spanish language broadcaster Telemundo Communications Group Inc.'s television stations to NBC.

Last November, NBC and Telemundo filed applications seeking the Federal Communications Commission's consent to the transfer of control of corporations holding the licenses of 11 full-power TV stations and 17 low-power and TV translator stations.

The deal will give NBC a strong foothold in Hispanic media, which has attracted the attention of major media conglomerates due to the rapidly growing Latino population.

-- From wire reports