SMITH COUNTY – A Smith County man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday following an investigation that revealed he was a member of a crack cocaine distribution network. According our news partner KETK and the Smith County District Attorney’s Office, 64-year-old Charles Miller was found guilty of engaging in organized criminal activity following an investigation conducted by members of the Tyler Police Department.
During the investigations, which lasted for over 20 months, investigators utilized surveillance footage and search warrants to dismantle the drug trafficking organization, which led to the arrest of Miller and 11 others connected to the operation.
An Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel, attached to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command's Task Force 59, conducts surveillance in the Arabian Gulf, Nov. 21. (Pfc. Tyrin Saunders/U.S. Naval Forces Central Command)
(WASHINGTON) -- U.S. military officials said Tuesday that an unmanned drone boat rescued two crew members aboard a U.S. Army Apache attack helicopter that crashed in the waters nears the Strait of Hormuz, which President Donald Trump said Iranians shot down.
U.S. officials are describing the rescue as the first time that an unmanned surface drone has been used to successfully rescue crew members at sea.
The AH-64 helicopter crashed at 7:33 p.m. EDT on Monday, leaving the pilots in the waters off Oman, according to U.S. Central Command.
"The Soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition," according to a CENTCOM statement.
The Navy surface drone -- described by a U.S. official as looking like a speedboat -- located the two Apache crew members, who were then able to board the vessel, which transported them to another location on that water where they were then hoisted up to a helicopter for further transport, according to a U.S. official.
"The surface drone that assisted in last night's rescue of the Apache crew off the coast of Oman was a U.S. Navy Corsair unmanned surface vessel operated by U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59. The task force began fielding these drones in theater in late March," said Capt. Tim Hawkins, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command.
Trump said Tuesday afternoon that the military informed him Iran was to blame for the helicopter crash, vowing that the U.S. must "respond to this attack."
ABC News has reached out to the White House on whether the weekslong shaky ceasefire with Iran is now over.
What is Task Force 59?
Task Force 59 operates a variety of autonomous surface drones in the waters of the Middle East, as well as aerial drones. The task force, established in 2021, uses its unmanned drones to provide quick reconnaissance capabilities and integrate artificial intelligence to share with crewed warships operating in the region, according to the Navy.
With not enough manned vessels to maintain a constant awareness of what is going on in the Middle East's waters, the drones enhance the 5th Fleet's capabilities to detect smuggling and Iranian malign activity, Navy officials said.
"For pennies on the dollar we can put unmanned platforms out there, we can couple it with artificial intelligence … and then, I think critically important, we can use our manned ships much more efficiently, much more effectively,” then-5th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Brad Cooper told reporters in October 2022 following a regional exercise to highlight the task force's capabilities. Cooper is now serving as the commander of U.S. Central Command.
The cost for the boat drone used to rescue the Apache crew is estimateed to be about $1.2 million per drone, according to a report from Sacra, a market research firm. That cost is extraordinarily cheap relative to traditional, manned military vessels.
Artificial intelligence is used to analyze patterns of behavior detected by the sensors aboard the drones, which is then shared with commanders and ships operating in the region.
In addition to the Corsair used in the operation, Task Force 59 uses other notable unmanned surface drones including the T-38 Devil Ray and the Sail Drone.
The Devil Ray is a high-speed autonomously operated unmanned surface vessel that is mainly used to gather intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, according to its manufacturer.
In one exercise in 2024, it successfully fired live munitions at a training target.
The Sail Drone looks just like its name implies, it is an autonomous water platform topped by a sail that provides power through wind and solar energy, according to its manufacturer.
A network of Sail Drones can provide a clearer at-sea situational awareness in hostile environments, according to its manufacturer.
ZAVALLA (KETK) — The City of Zavalla is back to square one with no formal police services after the city council denied a motion to enter an agreement with the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office on Monday.
On May 1 in council members voted to deactivate its police department. The decision came due to a lack of formal police services in the area. The city council met with Angelina County Sheriff Tom Selman, who proposed an agreement to supply the city with regular deputy patrols.
The proposal would include 911 dispatch services, crime scene investigation and detective work in the area while allowing the city to save money, Selman said. The proposal would cost the city $15,000
Previously, the Zavalla Police Department had five members in 2025 and was budgeted $180,397 in the 2023-2024 year, a drop of more than $50,000 from their $234,832 2022-2023 budget. That drop in the department’s budget came as the city reported revenue fell from $1,011,372 in 2022-2023 to $988,928 in 2023-2024.
After receiving the proposal on May 11, the city council requested several changes to the agreement, leaving the decision to be considered at Monday’s meeting.
Alderman Sue Hough motioned to enter the agreement on Monday night, saying the additional services are “badly needed.”
“Our attorneys went over it, I also realize we’re already having to pay $5,000 plus for the dispatch and that is included in that $15,000 so actually, we’re not paying that much more for the added services, and some of those services are badly needed,” Hough said at the meeting.
The agreement ultimately failed after lacking a second the motion, with Alderman Jennifer Copeland saying she’s concerned the city won’t receive additional services from the agreement.
“My problem with the agreement is that we’re not getting anything extra for our money,” Copeland said. “The residents of Zavalla are also Angelina County residents. There is not one extra thing that you’re not already required to do that they’re not already paying taxes on.”
With the proposal dismissed, the city of Zavalla remains without a formal police service entity.
“It was a good-faith effort for us to partner with you,” Selman told council members at the meeting. “To deliver to the citizens out here, for which we were gonna deliver anyway. Y’all were just dumping this in our lap, something we’ve never had to do in the last twenty-something years. I’m disappointed to say the least because this was a very good agreement.”
Though the agreement was shot down, Selman isn’t opposed to revisiting it in the future.
“I think you’ve done a huge disservice to the citizens of Zavalla,” Selman added.
Nick Reiner appears with Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene during his arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court on February 23, 2026 in Los Angeles. (Chris Torres/Pool/Getty Images)
Nick Reiner says he needs money from his trust fund to help pay for his defense team, specifically to rehire famed defense attorney Alan Jackson, according to a new court filing. The petition alleges that Nick Reiner is entitled to the funds in his trust, which were required to be released to him when he turned 30, something he claims did not happen.
Nick Reiner, 32, was charged with the murders of his parents, renowned director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner, in December.
Nick Reiner was previously represented by Jackson, but Jackson abruptly resigned from the case in January for reasons that were not shared at the time.
The petition alleges Nick Reiner's siblings, Jake Reiner and Romy Reiner, had initially agreed to pay Jackson's fees, but in January, "Nick learned that Jackson and his firm were forced to withdraw because the anticipated funding did not materialize, and the Public Defender was appointed to take over Nick's defense."
It is not known why funding from Nick Reiner's siblings was unavailable.
"Since then, Nick has repeatedly asked that Jackson's firm resume its representation if funds become available," the petition states, adding that Jackson "has reaffirmed not only that he 'stands ready, willing, and able to resume [his] representation,' but that he is 'committed to representing' Nick and 'willing to consider reasonable alternatives to the original fee arrangement.'"
"These are not estate assets, and Nick does not seek them from his parents' estate," the petition adds. "They are his own funds. Nick has no other means -- to pay for his legal expenses, or for his basic support needs while incarcerated."
The petition specifically notes that the trust in question was created for Nick Reiner by his parents "more than 30 years ago, when Nick was an infant," and that similar "children's" trusts were also created for his siblings.
The petition argues that these children's trusts were "funded independently" of the larger family trusts that hold the Reiner family's estate, and that the terms of the independent trusts required one half to be paid out when the beneficiary turned 30, with the other half disbursed when they turned 35.
"Nick turned 30 on September 14, 2023 -- more than two and a half years ago -- at which point his right to one-half of the Trust vested and became due to him as a matter of right. But he did not receive his Mandatory Age-30 Distribution then, and he has not received it since," the petition alleges.
The petition claims the "Current Trustee" overseeing Nick Reiner's independent trust "has offered a shifting series of excuses and justifications, none of which can be reconciled with the Trust's plain terms -- most recently, unsubstantiated 'concerns' about Nick's so-called competence to 'manage a trust.'"
It adds, "Nick loved his parents, and he is devastated by their deaths. But the facts about what did and did not happen to them are not at issue in this Trust litigation."
Jackson told reporters in January that he "had to withdraw as Nick Reiner's counsel" due to "circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick's control."
"Sadly, it's made it impossible for us to continue our representation of Nick," Jackson said at the time.
Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, 2025. The night before their deaths, Nick Reiner -- who had been living on his parents' property at the time -- got into an argument with Rob Reiner at a holiday party and was seen acting strangely, sources told ABC News in December.
Nick Reiner was taken into custody in downtown Los Angeles hours after the bodies were discovered. He was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders, to which he pleaded not guilty.
He remains in jail on no bail. His is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing in September.
An Air Canada plane is seen at Pearson International Airport on August 14, 2025 in Toronto, Canada. (Cole Burston/Getty Images)
(TORONTO) -- An Air Canada pilot was arrested Monday after a probe discovered he had been allegedly flying hundreds of flights for at least 17 years without a proper license.
Canadian police officials outlined Geoffrey Wall's alleged fraud, which they said, "read like a movie script."
Since 2009, when Wall was promoted to captain, he has been flying with a fraudulent airline transport pilot license, the credential that would allow him to fly commercial airplanes as a captain, Peel Regional Police said.
Authorities compared Wall to a doctor who is licensed to practice family medicine marching into a hospital to perform brain surgery.
"Licensing requirements exist for a reason. They exist to keep people safe," Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich of the Peel Regional Police said.
Wall's arrest was part of a fraud investigation dubbed "Project Icarus," which started after a random certification check done last year at Pearson International Airport in Toronto turned up "anomalies," investigators said.
Wall, 59, of Barrie, Ontario, is no longer working with Air Canada, the airline said Monday night.
In a news release, Air Canada said it "takes this matter with utmost seriousness."
"Safety was not compromised by this incident because all pilots at Air Canada undergo mandatory recurrent training every six months to validate their flying competency, including a flight check with a certified Transport Canada check-pilot every 12 months," the airline said in a statement.
"However, appropriate licensing is an essential layer of the airline industry’s multi-layered approach to safety, so Air Canada takes this matter with utmost seriousness," it added.
Wall is charged with fraud, public mischief and other offenses. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court later this month.
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) attends a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson are meeting at the White House on Tuesday as the deadline nears for Congress to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Their huddle comes as Trump's choice of Bill Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence slows efforts on Capitol Hill to renew the controversial spy program by end of day Friday, or face the first-ever lapse in the program's legal authorization.
Democrats in both chambers have signaled objections to Pulte, contending the director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency does not have any national intelligence experience.
As he left the Capitol on Tuesday, Johnson told ABC News Correspondent Jay O'Brien that it's up to the president to choose whoever he wants to run the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, rebuffing pressure to change course.
"Is it time for the president to change his mind on Bill Pulte as acting DNI?" ABC's O'Brien asked Johnson.
"It's the president's prerogative," Johnson answered. "I'm going over there right now to visit with him and his team about a number of items."
At the top of that list is FISA's Section 702, which allows the federal government to collect communications of foreigners abroad without a warrant, including when those people are communicating with Americans. The program has been fully reauthorized by Congress three times since the intelligence tool was created by law in 2008.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters that Trump and Johnson are meeting "to finalize this agreement on FISA."
"FISA has been used time and time again to stop terrorist attacks here on our homeland on American soil to prevent terrorist attacks, and that's a critical, critical tool that we need to renew," Scalise said.
Johnson signaled that the House is waiting for the Senate to act on FISA, a feat that will require the bipartisan support of at least 60 senators.
"We passed FISA reauthorization in the House in April. It's still sitting over in the Senate. They're working on another compromise bill," Johnson told ABC News. "We'll pass what they send."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters on Tuesday that he believes Trump is "weighing seriously" naming a permanent nominee to serve as director of national intelligence as Pulte's appointment stalls FISA movement on the Senate floor. Pulte can only serve on an acting basis for up to 210 days without Senate confirmation.
Thune said he has not spoken directly to Trump about Pulte but that he's "been in contact with somebody over there that cares a lot about this."
"I don't think [it's] about replacing Pulte," Thune said when asked about what the White House might be considering as a next step. "I think they're weighing seriously making a long-term pick."
Pulte is best known in the Trump administration for launching probes into several of the president's perceived political enemies over allegations of mortgage fraud and possible misuse of authority. Targets of the investigations include Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. They've all denied wrongdoing.
Before the president announced he was tapping Pulte to lead ODNI in the wake of Tulsi Gabbard's resignation, a bipartisan group of lawmakers was coalescing toward passage of a three-year FISA reauthorization. But Democrats are now balking at a long-term extension over their objections to Pulte.
"This was a bipartisan, bicameral, four-corners deal that everybody had pretty much signed off on, and the naming of Pulte to that position, although the timing arguably wasn't the best, I still don't think it ought to derail something that's this important," Thune said last Friday.
Emma Myers as Pip Fitz-Amobi in 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' season 3. (Courtesy of Netflix)
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is coming back for a third and final season.
The Netflix series, based on Holly Jackson’s bestselling novels, stars Emma Myers as teen detective Pippa Fitz-Amboi.
Jackson, also an executive producer on the series, tells Tudum that she’s “ecstatic” to bring the final book in her series, As Good as Dead, to the screen.
“As Good as Dead is my favorite of the book series, and it’s by far my favorite season of the show too,” she says. “You’ll see Pip as you’ve never seen her before. It’s dark, breathless, horrible, and somehow still manages to be funny. Come on back to Little Kilton for the final time … if you dare.”
Myers says book three is her favorite book in the trilogy as well and tells fans, “Get ready for a crazy time!”
According to Tudum, the four-episode third season has wrapped production and will debut sometime in 2027.
Here’s a great concept! Staying in shape can really pay off! Find David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Sweatcoin Walking Step Counter. You can get Sweatcoin Walking Step Counter in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
Do you have the desire to produce music, but you don’t have the talent? Go get David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Mureka. You can download Mureka in the Apple Store and Google Play below.
Toledo police chief, Michael Trinley speaks at a press conference about the festival shooting, on June 9, 2026, in Toledo, Ohio. (Toledo Police Department)
(TOLEDO, Ohio) -- Investigators are searching for two individuals believed to have opened fire at an Ohio festival last weekend, leaving 12 people shot.
The suspects are believed to be two males between the ages of 18 and 24, Toledo Police Chief Michael Trinley said at a press conference Tuesday.
Several people of interest have been brought in for interviews and investigators have executed several search warrants, but no arrests have been made at this point, Trinley said.
Investigators believe they have "significant leads on who's involved" and are hoping to make arrests "shortly," Trinley said.
The 12 people who were shot are expected to survive, according to Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz. Some of the victims were intentionally targeted, but the majority were innocent bystanders, Kapszukiewicz said.
Investigators believe only three of those shot were part of the activity that happened, Trinley said.
Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute involving two rival groups, Trinley said.
Two groups were "disrespecting each other and it led into a little bit of a foot chase" before one individual assaulted another person. At that point, one person pulled out a firearm and started shooting. Someone from the rival group then pulled out his firearm and started returning fire," Trinley said.
Investigators determined what happened based on reviewing video evidence and conducting interviews, Trinley said.
Investigators are currently processing two guns and comparing them to shell casings found at the scene, Trinley said.
The full-length trailer for the Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle, has been released, and in it, future Harvard grad Elle Woods is navigating a move to a new city in her teenage years.
We see Elle, played by Lexi Minetree, enjoying life in sunny Bel-Air before her parents break the news that they are moving to Seattle, Washington. She immediately struggles to fit in her new high school — a drop of bubble gum pink in a sea of ‘90s grunge plaid.
"We meet her in 1995 as a fish in the tumultuous waters of high school where she encounters tricky friendships, forbidden romance, and questionable fashion choices," according to the show's official description. "Through it all, Elle uses her family as a touchstone, and forms an even tighter bond to her mother, proving that they can get through anything life throws their way as long as they have each other."
The series also stars June Diane Raphael as Elle’s mother, Eva, and Tom Everett Scott as her father, Wyatt. Gabrielle Policano, Jacob Moskovitz, Chandler Kinney and Zac Looker make up the rest of the main cast.
Reese Witherspoon, who originated the role of Elle in the 2001 film, is one of the executive producers on the project.
Elle will debut on Prime Video on July 1. It has already been renewed for season 2.
Nick Reiner appears with Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene during his arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court on February 23, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Torres-Pool/Getty Images)
(LOS ANGELES) -- Nick Reiner says he needs money from his trust fund to help pay for his defense team, specifically to rehire famed defense attorney Alan Jackson, according to a new court filing. The petition alleges that Reiner is entitled to the funds in his trust, which were required to be released to him when he turned 30, something he claims did not happen.
Reiner, 32, was charged with the murders of his parents, renowned director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Reiner, in December.
Reiner was previously represented by Jackson, but Jackson abruptly resigned from the case in January for reasons that were not shared at the time.
The petition alleges Reiner's siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner, had initially agreed to pay Jackson's fees, but in January, "Nick learned that Jackson and his firm were forced to withdraw because the anticipated funding did not materialize, and the Public Defender was appointed to take over Nick's defense."
It is not known why funding from Reiner's siblings was unavailable.
"Since then, Nick has repeatedly asked that Jackson's firm resume its representation if funds become available," the petition states, adding that Jackson "has reaffirmed not only that he 'stands ready, willing, and able to resume [his] representation,' but that he is 'committed to representing' Nick and 'willing to consider reasonable alternatives to the original fee arrangement.'"
"These are not estate assets, and Nick does not seek them from his parents' estate," the petition adds. "They are his own funds. Nick has no other means -- to pay for his legal expenses, or for his basic support needs while incarcerated."
The petition specifically notes that the trust in question was created for Reiner by his parents "more than 30 years ago, when Nick was an infant," and that similar "children's" trusts were also created for his siblings.
The petition argues that these children's trusts were "funded independently" of the larger family trusts that hold the Reiner family's estate, and that the terms of the independent trusts required one half to be paid out when the beneficiary turned 30, with the other half disbursed when they turned 35.
"Nick turned 30 on September 14, 2023 -- more than two and a half years ago -- at which point his right to one-half of the Trust vested and became due to him as a matter of right. But he did not receive his Mandatory Age-30 Distribution then, and he has not received it since," the petition alleges.
The petition claims the "Current Trustee" overseeing Reiner's independent trust "has offered a shifting series of excuses and justifications, none of which can be reconciled with the Trust's plain terms -- most recently, unsubstantiated 'concerns' about Nick's so-called competence to 'manage a trust.'"
It adds, "Nick loved his parents, and he is devastated by their deaths. But the facts about what did and did not happen to them are not at issue in this Trust litigation."
Jackson told reporters in January that he "had to withdraw as Nick Reiner's counsel" due to "circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick's control."
"Sadly, it's made it impossible for us to continue our representation of Nick," Jackson said at the time.
Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner were found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on Dec. 14, 2025. The night before their deaths, Nick Reiner -- who had been living on his parents' property at the time -- got into an argument with Rob Reiner at a holiday party and was seen acting strangely, sources told ABC News in December.
Nick Reiner was taken into custody in downtown Los Angeles hours after the bodies were discovered. He was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders, to which he pleaded not guilty.
He remains in jail on no bail. His is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing in September.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the description of the trust fund in question, which is an individual "children's" trust and not a family trust.
In this Nov. 16, 2023, file photo, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman looks on during the APEC CEO Summit at Moscone West in San Francisco. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, FILE)
(NEW YORK) -- OpenAI, the artificial-intelligence company behind ChatGPT, announced Monday night it had filed confidentially for an initial public offering (IPO), setting up the firm to raise fresh funds as it competes with deep-pocketed tech giants in the fast-growing AI industry.
In a post on X, OpenAI said it had not determined when the company would begin listing on public markets.
"We have not decided on timing yet; it may be a while because there are things we want to do that are likely easier as a private company. But it’s a complicated set of tradeoffs and this gives us the option to go public sooner if that ends up being best," the company said.
The move would subject the privately held company to new scrutiny from public investors and regulators, as well as ongoing financial reporting requirements. OpenAI valued itself at $852 billion after a round of funding in March.
SMITH COUNTY — A woman has died following a reported drowning at Lake Tyler over the weekend. According to a Tyler Police Department news release, Shelly Snow, 35, of Whitehouse, reportedly went under the water around 4:45 p.m Sunday. A Texas Game Warden arrived at approximately 4:50 p.m. and assisted with CPR.
Snow was transported to a local hospital, were she was later pronounced dead.
Jeffrey Epstein is seen in a photo released by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice. (New York State Sex Offender Registry)
(NEW YORK) -- The House Oversight Committee is conducting a closed-door interview Tuesday with a woman so ubiquitous in Jeffrey Epstein's life that a search for her name in the Justice Department's Epstein files returns more than 160,000 results.
Lesley Groff worked as an executive secretary to Epstein in New York for more than 18 years, and was once described by her boss as an "extension of my brain."
Among her job requirements were scheduling Epstein's frequent meetings with celebrities, scientists and politicians, booking Epstein's daily massage appointments when he was in New York, and arranging travel for women linked to Epstein. She was one of four women listed as potential co-conspirators in Epstein's controversial non-prosecution agreement in 2007.
According to federal prosecutors, "numerous victims [of Epstein] had indicated that she was responsible for scheduling massages during which they were sexually abused."
Groff is appearing as part of the committee's ongoing inquiry into the federal government's handling of investigations into Epstein and his alleged co-conspirators, which to date has included interviews with former Attorney General Pam Bondi, Epstein's longtime personal assistant Sarah Kellen, and a prison guard who was on duty the night Epstein died in his jail cell.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer said on his way in Tuesday morning that he believes Groff has "information that is very valuable to our investigation."
"Hopefully, we'll learn more today," Comer said.
The chairman reiterated that the committee is conducting "the most thorough investigation ever of Epstein."
"We're bringing in the most important people in the whole Epstein criminal enterprise that are still alive, and hopefully we'll get the truth to the American people. If there's an opportunity for accountability, we sure want to see that happen," he said.
Groff did not speak to reporters upon her arrival.
Last September at a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol, Epstein survivor Marina Lacerda specifically called out Groff, alleging that Groff had called her so many times to go to Epstein's place for a massage that she dropped out of high school before the ninth grade.
Lacerda -- who was one of the key witnesses that led to Epstein's 2019 indictment for child sex trafficking -- told ABC News in an interview this week that Groff was the conduit to Epstein.
"Anything that had to do with Jeffrey Epstein, " Lacerda told ABC News in an interview, "had to go through Lesley Groff."
Through her attorneys, Groff has denied any knowledge of, or participation in, Epstein's crimes.
Michael Bachner, a lawyer for Groff, declined comment in advance of her appearance on Capitol Hill. He previously told ABC News that Groff "never knowingly booked travel for anyone under the age of 18, and had no knowledge of the alleged illegal activity whatsoever."
"Ms. Groff, a parent herself, is incredibly shocked and deeply upset about the alleged wrongdoings of Mr. Epstein," Bachner said.
After Epstein's arrest in July 2019, federal prosecutors included Groff in a list of potential co-conspirators and sent her a subpoena. Bachner informed the government, just four days after Epstein's arrest, that his client "would invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege against compelled self-incrimination" if called to appear before a grand jury.
Groff, now 59, eventually interviewed with the investigators two years later, telling prosecutors that "making massage appointments was just another appointment she had to make" for Epstein, and said that scheduling massages was "around 1%" of her job.
Groff, who was hired by Epstein in 2001, told the FBI she was immediately struck by Epstein's lifestyle and the company he kept, describing it as "pretty incredible to see all the people Epstein dealt with in politics, television, et cetera."
"Groff felt, 'Wow,'" according to an FBI account of her interview.
Groff was initially paid a salary of $60,000 a year, but saw it doubled to $120,000 by Epstein four years later, DOJ records show.
The New York Times reported in 2005 that Epstein bought Groff a new Mercedes and paid for a nanny to ensure she would keep working for him.
"There is no way that I could lose Lesley to motherhood," Epstein said of Groff, according to the newspaper's account.
Banking records included in the DOJ's Epstein files indicate that Groff also received three payments of $100,000 and one for $110,000 from Epstein companies between 2016 and 2018, though the records do not indicate the reasons for the payments.
Bachner told the government that Groff stayed with Epstein after his first arrest in Florida in 2006 because she believed him when he said that "someone was trying to blackmail him."
When he was again arrested in 2019, she resigned, her lawyer told prosecutors.
"She felt betrayed and disgusted once the indictment came out," Bachner wrote.
According to documents released by the Justice Department in response to the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, one victim -- who was a minor at the time of her alleged abuse -- told the FBI that she felt Groff "knew that the massage appointments were sexual" and "felt it was pretty obvious Lesley knew what was going on," according to the DOJ records.
Federal prosecutors in 2021 informed Groff that she would not be charged, according to a statement from her attorneys.
"After a more than two-year investigation by the Department of Justice into Jeffrey Epstein's conduct, which included lengthy interviews of witnesses and a thorough review of relevant communications, we have been informed that no criminal charges will be brought against Lesley Groff," the statement said.
Lacerda said she hopes the congressional investigators press Groff for answers.
"I just think that she should be honest about it so that we can have some accountability here," she said.
Oversight Committee member Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) said he's heading into the interview with Groff already skeptical of her denials.
"She will argue that she didn't know anything, but I find that to be hard to believe," he said. "I think at best she was blissfully trying to be ignorant, but probably wasn't."
SMITH COUNTY – A Smith County man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday following an investigation that revealed he was a member of a crack cocaine distribution network. According our news partner KETK and the Smith County District Attorney’s Office, 64-year-old Charles Miller was found guilty of engaging in organized criminal activity following an investigation conducted by members of the Tyler Police Department.
