Ayaz Qureshi, 55, was charged in September 2022 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and pleaded guilty the next month.

Charging documents accused Qureshi of obtaining Paycheck Protection Program loan funds for Yazee Inc. in March 2021 and paying $75,000 to a person initially only identified as “A.S.” in exchange for submitting the PPP loan application.

“A.S.” was later identified as Baltimore resident Ahmed Sary, who in April 2022 was charged with wire fraud and money laundering for orchestrating pandemic loans for Qureshi as well as a handful of fake businesses. The case is ongoing, according to court records.

The loan application from Yazee Inc. claimed the company had over $100,000 in monthly payroll expenses with a total of 16 employees in 2019, prosecutors said, when in reality the company did not pay any wages to any employees. Sary also fabricated a false unemployment tax form, claiming that Yazee Inc. paid over $1.2 million in wages to employees in 2019, while the company never paid unemployment tax or withheld any federal income tax for an employee.

Qureshi said in court in September 2022 that he did not know he was committing a crime and was scammed by Sary.

“I was an idiot; I trusted him,” Qureshi said.

An attorney who represented Qureshi did not respond to a request for comment Monday night.

Franklin Smith, 34, of Catonsville, received a nine-year sentence, while Davon Dorsey, 30, of Gwynn Oak, was sentenced to 15 years.

The defendants were charged with 12 counts in April 2022, including kidnapping, according to court documents. In July, Smith pleaded guilty to carjacking and using a gun in a violent crime. In March, Dorsey pleaded guilty to carjacking.

In May 2021, Smith, Dorsey and two others posed as police officers with lights on their car, vests and badges and pulled over an employee of Check Cash Depot in Northwest Baltimore on her way home from work, according to court documents. Smith set up a detour to direct the woman down a side street where two other defendants brandishing guns removed her from her car, handcuffed and blindfolded her while demanding access to the cash checking business, according to court documents. The defendants then left the woman in the trunk of her own car and covered it with a tarp. She was able to make her way out and call for help, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office.

Later in May 2021, the defendants again used police lights to pull over a man around midnight in Edgewood, according to court documents. The defendants told the victim he had a warrant and was under arrest before handcuffing, blindfolding and bounding him while demanding $10,000, according to court documents. The defendants eventually released the victim in Baltimore City after 5 a.m.

In August 2021 the defendants carjacked a woman outside an Ace Cash Express in Cockeysville by posing as police officers and blindfolding her in the back of a car, according to the indictment. The defendants demanded access to the check cashing business and safe codes, detaining the victim for nearly six hours before releasing her near Edmonson Village, according to court documents.

In all three cases, the defendants threatened the victims with guns and assaulted them with blow torches while demanding money and keys to the businesses, according to court documents. Court documents do not say that the defendants were ever successful in accessing or robbing one of the check cashing businesses.

The two other defendants in the case did not take plea deals, according to court documents. Dennis Hairston, 34, of Windsor Mill, and Donte Stanley, 33, of Rosedale, were convicted by a jury in June of kidnapping, gun and carjacking charges. They both have sentencing hearings scheduled for November.

The 33-year-old African penguin, who made a “tremendous contribution” to the survival of his endangered species by fathering 230 chicks, was euthanized for age-related declining health, the Maryland Zoo said. He is survived by his lifelong mate Mrs. Greedy.

“This one bird was incredibly important to the continued existence of African penguins throughout the world,” Maryland Zoo bird curator Jen Kottyan said in a Sept. 5 news release. “It’s tough to lose an animal who has been such a welcome presence at our Zoo for three decades, but all of us are proud that he is survived by five generations of offspring.”

Kottyan added the median life expectancy of African penguins is 18 years, and Mr. Greedy was the oldest penguin in the zoo’s colony. Both Mr. and Mrs. Greedy hatched in 1991 and arrived in Baltimore in 1992.

“They had been paired up from the time they hit reproductive age in 1994,” Kottyan said.

Zookeepers are monitoring Mrs. Greedy, and if she shows interest, will pair her with a single male in the colony as a companion, according to the release.

The couple’s oldest offspring is 28 years old, and several of the pair’s chicks still live at the Maryland Zoo, including a fifth-generation descendant named Olive, according to the release.

Based in Baltimore, Maryland Zoo is home to the largest colony of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) in North America, according to the release, and has bred more than 1,000 chicks.

The zoo’s Penguin Coast exhibit is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and offers private visits with a zookeeper and photo opportunities.

At least 100 people, most of them young, gathered Sunday evening in Edgewood to remember the 15-year-old, who was fatally shot Friday during a fight at Joppatowne High School.

Through tears, attendees released blue balloons for his favorite color. Some wore shirts that said, “Gone too soon,” as they embraced on the neighborhood basketball court where Grant spent many afternoons.

“He was chill and laid-back and he did not bother nobody,” classmate Natalia Hardy said after the vigil. “He loved basketball. I grew up with him.”

Several people spoke during the vigil and many were crying. Their sentiments were unified. A woman stepped forward and urged the gathered young people to go to school and be successful because that’s what Grant would have wanted everyone to do.

“He kept my son out of trouble. He loved my family, and we love him. We will never forget him. He’s the last person I would ever expect this to happen to,” Viateria Lyons said after the vigil, noting that her son and Grant were close friends.

Vigil for Joppatowne High School student | PHOTOS

The vigil came as Harford County Public Schools decided to close five of its schools for part of the week in response to the shooting and offer counseling services for students.

Joppatowne High will be closed Monday to Wednesday, with the school district saying: “It is our intention to have students return on Thursday.”

The nearby Magnolia Elementary, Magnolia Middle, Joppatowne Elementary and Riverside elementary schools will be closed Monday. Before- and after-school care and activities are canceled at each of the schools but will resume when students return, the system said.

Parents were informed of the closures Saturday evening with Harford County Public Schools writing that “the tragic events of Friday have taken an emotional toll on this community and there is a need for time and space to heal.”

On Sunday evening, HCPS said on its website that school counselors, school psychologists, social workers or other supporting central office staff would be available for students at three locations in Edgewood starting at 10 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until midafternoon: Windsor Valley Community Center, 570 Meadowood Drive; Edgewood Boys and Girls Club, 2002 Cedar Drive; and Edgewood EPI Center, 1918 Pulaski Highway.

The shooting occurred during a fight between two students in a first-floor bathroom at the high school. The 16-year-old suspect allegedly drew a handgun and shot Grant in the chest. Grant was airlifted to an area hospital, where he later died.

Police said the suspect fled school grounds but was later reported to the police for allegedly attempting to break into a house. Responding officers apprehended the suspect.

The suspect is being charged as an adult with murder, first- and second-degree assault, and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony/crime of violence. He is being held in the Harford County Detention Center, awaiting an initial appearance before a judicial officer.

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office said it believes the suspect and victim knew each other and that there isn’t an outstanding suspect or threat to the community.

Dion Guthrie, the councilman for District A, which includes the school, said he plans to evaluate options to improve school safety across the county, but aside from the potential cost of something like metal detectors, he said there are a lot of logistics involved as well.

“Say you put in metal detectors, you have numerous entrances at each school and over 50 schools in the county,” Guthrie said. “Figuring that out and how to pay for it is a lot, so I am looking into all the options we have available.”

Sitting at his home in Joppatowne, as the helicopter carrying Grant flew above the school Friday, Guthrie reflected to when his kids, now adults, were students at Joppatowne High, he said Sunday.

“I think back to when they were there, and sure, things could have happened, but it just seems these things have been happening more frequently across the country,” Guthrie said. “It is certainly a difficult time for everyone, and my thoughts are with the family, the school and the community.”

On Sunday morning, the high school campus was quiet, but a handful of visitors stopped by to pay respects. Some people have left flowers or other tributes. A police car was stationed at the school and moved to different locations around the area about every 20 minutes.

After the vigil, Lyons lamented a lack of spaces in Edgewood for teenagers.

“There is nothing in Edgewood for the kids. There is no programs. There is no nothing. What is there for them to do?” Lyons said. “All we have is empty buildings. What is there for the kids? Where is the boys and girls club out here? Go to Bel Air, go to Fallston go to Aberdeen, there are things for kids to do. Where can kids in Edgewood go and talk and hang out and get a positive message from somebody?

A Facebook post from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office announcing the arrest had drawn more than 530 comments as of Sunday afternoon, with many providing words of sympathy and concerns surrounding gun control and school safety.

“Two lives ended yesterday when they had just barely started. Violence is never the way,” one reads.

Many commenters said they feel the school system should install metal detectors, while others said the solution is responsible gun ownership.

Students from the high school as well as Magnolia, Joppatowne and Riverside elementary schools and Magnolia Middle can pick up bagged lunches at Magnolia Middle and Mariner Point Park, between noon and 1 p.m. Monday, the Harford County Public Schools said Sunday evening. On Tuesday, Joppatowne High students can pick up two-day meal kits at the high school and the Windsor Valley Community Center between noon and 1 p.m.

If a Joppatowne High student needs to collect personal belongings before returning to school Thursday, a school safety liaison will be available to escort them at noon Monday.

Baltimore Sun photographer Lloyd Fox contributed to this article. 

[Get the latest weathercast from FOX45 News]

Tuesday is expected to be sunny with a high around 83 before dropping into the upper 50s at night.

The Pride of Baltimore II in Havre de Grace | PHOTOS

Wednesday afternoon is predicted to be sunny with a high near 84. Wednesday night should be clear with a low in the upper 50s.

Thursday is expected to be sunny with a high around 82. Temperatures will drop into the 60s under cloudy skies at night.

Wine on the Water 2024 | PHOTOS

Friday, Saturday and Sunday are expected to be mostly sunny in the afternoon with temperatures in the 80s and cloudy at night with temperatures in the 60s.

Firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire in the 500 block of Shamrock Lane and rescued a resident from the home, the Baltimore County Fire Department said around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Crews responded to the home at around 9:25 p.m. for the report of a dwelling fire with a rescue, according to a Thursday news release from the fire department. About four minutes later, units saw fire coming from the home when they arrived and entered the home to search for the resident. Firefighters found the victim in a second-floor bedroom suffering from cardiac arrest, removed him and EMS personnel began resuscitative efforts.

He was taken to the hospital, and the fire was under control by 10:20 p.m., the department said.

The victim, identified as Thomas Poe, was taken to Northwest Hospital where he was declared dead, according to the fire department. A female victim was able to escape the fire unharmed.

Baltimore County Police Department fire investigators ruled the fire an accident due to an electrical malfunction, the fire department said. This marks the 10th fire fatality this year, according to the department.

Baltimore Sun reporter Kiersten Hacker contributed to this article.

Fire crews responded at about 3:44 a.m. to the 3000 block of Dunleer Road for a report of a dwelling fire and saw the blaze on the first floor of the home. Crews found an 8-year-old boy suffering from life-threatening injuries inside, the department said.

The child was treated on the scene by EMS personnel and taken to a local hospital. In addition, a man and four other children escaped with minor injuries. They were taken to hospitals by EMS.

Jose Hernandez, 60, lives across the street. He said fire crews were still outside when he left for work around 6:30 a.m.

“The fire department came very quick. They all got out of the house, but one family member was stuck, and the fire department came and rescued them and rushed them to a hospital,” Hernandez said.

The house in a residential neighborhood has a large side yard and an alley around back. Neighbor Dave Kropowski said firetrucks pulled up to both the front and back of the home, and firefighters climbed ladders to break second-story windows.

“There was a whole lot of smoke,” Kropowski said.

The fire displaced seven residents who all lived in the home.

The fire department is investigating the cause of the fire.

Friday was mostly cloudy during the day and reached a high near 80. Temperatures cooled off into the low 70s and mid-60s through the night.

[Get the latest weathercast from FOX45 News]

A cold front made its way across the region Saturday, bringing some showers in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

The sun is forecast to come back out Sunday, with a high near 75 and an evening low around 57.

Monday will be sunny with temperatures warming to a high around 81, dropping into the 60s at night.

Dry and sunny conditions are expected to remain next week with temperature highs in the upper 80s on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Ade Salim Lilly, 35, pleaded guilty in May to interstate communication of a threat for an October 2021 call to a congressional office and a charge of repeated phone calls for over 200 calls to one member of Congress in February 2023.

Lilly was charged with eight counts in an indictment from November 2023 for a death threat and thousands of calls. In total, his telephone harassment campaign included approximately 12,000 telephone calls over the span of 19 months to more than 50 offices for members of Congress, according to prosecutors. He was arrested in Howard County in December 2023 and had arrest warrants in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties, according to court records.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly sentenced Lilly to 13 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release, according to online court records.

“On October 21, 2022, defendant Lilly called from the State of Maryland into a Congressional office in Washington D.C. An employee of a member of Congress answered the phone. During this phone call, Defendant Lilly told the victim words to the effect of ‘I will kill you, I am going to run you over, I will kill you with a bomb or grenade’,” federal prosecutor Matthew Graves said in court documents.

Prosecutors recommended sentencing Lilly to 18 months of incarceration, arguing for a need to deter others from engaging in similarly threatening behavior. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger testified last year that threats against members of Congress had increased by approximately 400% over the previous six years. Prosecutors also asked that Lilly be barred from contacting a Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville, the Maryland chair of the Health and Government Operations, the Maryland speaker of the House of Delegates and 911 emergency services in Howard County.

“This is an election year, and more and more often, criticism of a political position or viewpoint crosses the First Amendment line and leads to true threats of violence,” prosecutors wrote. “The pervasive rise in threats against elected officials creates a real risk that expressions of violence will become normalized.”

Lilly moved from Maryland to Puerto Rico during his harassment campaign, which lasted from roughly February 2022 until November 2023. He called one lawmaker’s Washington office more than 500 times over a two-day period in February 2023, prosecutors said. An attorney representing him did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

“As a government, we don’t beta test,” said Chris Martin, acting director of information and technology for Baltimore County. “We don’t put our constituents and our customers in that position where the technology changes course, and we’re not sure where it’s going. That is a headache in the long run.”

In January, Gov. Wes Moore issued an executive order that says artificial intelligence can be “a tremendous force for good,” while acknowledging potential privacy and data breaches. The order also created an artificial intelligence subcabinet chaired by Maryland Secretary of Information Technology Katie Savage and including other cabinet heads and department directors to oversee governance of the technology in the state.

From voting rolls to medical histories, Savage said she is concerned with protecting the state’s data.

“The most important element of this technology is the underlying data,” Savage said. “What rights do people have? Are we putting protections in place? What are the third-party terms and conditions?”

In March, Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott issued an executive order that requires the disclosure of the use of generative AI for any city government report, document or communication and prohibits uploading private information into an application such as ChatGPT.

“Disclosing information to an artificial intelligence tool, website or program constitutes releasing that information outside of the city agency,” Scott said in his executive order. City officials declined an interview request about the implementation of the executive order.

Dr. Kofi Nyarko, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Morgan State University said AI is a buzzword for machine learning, which is not a new field of study, but just one that has been heavily invested in since Amazon’s Alexa came out in 2014.

“Traditional machine learning has been able to classify, this is spam or not spam, fraud or not fraud, but generative AI is giving you information back,” Nyarko said. “We haven’t quite learned how to make it as dependable and accurate as other forms of machine learning.”

Some of Nyarko’s graduate students engineered an airport wheelchair that could one day help make large public spaces more accessible by scanning tickets and rolling to the right gate.

Nyarko said governments, which house troves of personal data, must be cautious with the information artificial intelligence can collect. For example, he said, a camera tracking traffic patterns or school security could be mining other data without a government agency’s knowledge.

“They need to be worried. The public has put a certain amount of trust in the government,” Nyarko said. “The danger, I think, is the accessibility in tools like ChatGPT. It’s very easy for a government employee to think, ‘I can just shove some data in here to read some report or overview some course of action,’ but you are now sharing really sensitive information with open AI in a way the public didn’t agree to, so it is really, really tricky.”

Nyarko said he recommends storing data on internal servers instead of contracting out cloud space. Savage said the state manages “several” data centers that host government applications and a wireless network for state government agencies, and has contracts with Google and Microsoft for cloud storage and other web services. She said her department also guides procurement on any state information-technology contracts.

“Whether it is a pilot or full-blown procurement, there is that negotiation around third-party terms and conditions,” Savage said. “If it is a third-party where the application is stored on their own servers, we want to make sure the state’s data is protected.”

Jack Martin, chief information officer for Anne Arundel County, said he manages more than 200 buildings on a wireless network and emergency call systems. He said the county does not have its own data servers and contracts cloud services out of Northern Virginia.

Martin said the timing of generative AI is different from previous technological leaps, such as Google search.

“Companies don’t usually release beta software. They usually wait until it’s complete. Clearly, [AI] is not fully cooked. It has a ton of potential, but something that is different about this compared to the original release of Google is that we didn’t get the beta of Google,” Martin said.

Martin said that like Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County government agencies looking to use generative AI must register with his office and agree to surveys about how it is working. He said the technology has helped to summarize and classify 311 requests and to make feedback surveys, but an attempt to set up a database to help contractors figure out which permits they needed failed.

Nishant Shah, a senior adviser for AI in Savage’s office, said the state is also exploring how to use AI to shorten the turnaround time of permit applications.

Martin said the unpredictable outputs are still a red flag.

“Since the beginning of time you build software to have a completely predictable answer. When users perform a certain transaction, they are getting a very specific answer each time — that’s engineering” Martin said. “This is completely different than what we’re used to.”