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Delaware man charged with possessing

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Delaware man charged with possessing


A Delaware man is in custody and facing federal charges after several guns were found in his home, along with apparent plans to attack the University of Delaware Police Department, prosecutors and federal court documents say.

Luqmaan Khan, 25, was charged last Wednesday with illegally possessing a machine gun, Acting U.S. Attorney Julianne Murray announced in a news release.

Khan, a University of Delaware student, allegedly drew up the layout of a UDel police station and made comments to investigators about martyrdom, according to Murray and court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Wilmington.

Authorities say Khan was stopped by New Castle County police officers late on the night of Monday, Nov. 24. The officers were in Canby Park West when they spotted a white Toyota Tacoma truck and stopped the vehicle.

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Khan was inside the truck and did not comply with officers’ orders to exit the truck. He was then taken into custody for resisting arrest, Murray said.

Inside the truck, officers found a .357 Glock handgun with a stabilizing brace kit attached, along with more magazines and an armored ballistic plate, and a composition notebook.

A drawing that federal prosecutors allege was part of a notebook found in Luqmaan Khan’s residence. Authorities say this page included a sketch of the layout of a University of Delaware police station.

U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware

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In the notebook, there were notes about more weapons and how they could be used to attack the University of Delaware Police Department.

“The notebook referenced a member of the University of Delaware’s Police Department by name, and included a layout of a building with entry and exit points under which the words ‘UD Police Station’ were printed,” Murray said.

Khan also referenced “martyrdom” in the notebook and stated in an interview with police following his arrest that being a martyr is “one of the greatest things you can do,” and was a goal of his, the affidavit alleges.

University of Delaware Interim President Laura Carlson addressed the charges against Khan in a statement to the university community Tuesday.

Carlson identified Khan as an undergraduate student and said he has been temporarily separated from the university and banned from campus until his legal matters are resolved.

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“There are no known or immediate threats to the University of Delaware community. However, the press release describes evidence of a plan that targeted the University of Delaware Police Department (UDPD). This is frightening to all of us,” Carlson wrote. “The press release contains relevant information about the timeline and the actions of the New Castle County Police, the FBI, the Department of Justice and UDPD. I am incredibly grateful to these teams for their diligent investigation and coordination.”

The FBI and New Castle County police obtained a search warrant and searched Khan’s home in Wilmington on Nov. 25. The search turned up another Glock handgun, which was equipped with a “switch,” also referred to as a “Glock switch.”

This is a modification that can turn a standard semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic one, according to CBS News Philadelphia’s previous reporting. The court documents referred to the Glock with the switch as a “machine gun.”

A rifle was also found in the home, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in court. There are no weapons registered to Khan in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, the document says.

According to the document, Khan is an American citizen who was born in Pakistan. He has no prior convictions on his record.

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Khan is being represented by a federal public defender. Court records show he is in custody pending a detention hearing on Dec. 11, at which time a judge could rule whether to release him on certain conditions or keep him incarcerated until the case is resolved.



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Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

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Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas


Authorities say a Delaware County school employee is accused of traveling to Texas to sexually assault a minor he met online.

What we know:

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Michael Robinson, 43, was taken into custody near Radnor Middle School where investigators say he worked as a paraprofessional.

Investigators believe Robinson traveled to Tyler, Texas in the summer of 2024 to meet a minor he had connected with online.

Robinson, according to U.S. Marshals, allegedly sexually assaulted the teen over the course of a weekend. 

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Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

Prosecutors in Smith County, Texas charged Robinson in December with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 15-years-old.

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Robinson is being held at a Delaware County jail where he is awaiting extradition to Texas.

What they’re saying:

U.S. Marshals in Pennsylvania said Robinson’s arrest shows that “sexual predators will always be pursued relentlessly.”

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The Radnor Township School District said Robinson has been placed on leave and will not have contact with students.

“Parents of the limited number of children to whom the employee was assigned were contacted by the administration immediately.”

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The district said it is cooperating with law enforcement and has “no information indicating misconduct involving district students.”

Crime & Public SafetyDelaware CountyNews



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Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm

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Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm


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Rehoboth Beach has canceled the upcoming 2026 Lewes Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge as the Sussex County resort town continues dealing with the aftermath of last weekend’s snowstorm, organizers of the annual Special Olympics fundraiser said on Feb. 26.

“Rehoboth Beach is navigating significant challenges because of the snowstorm,” a Special Olympics Delaware email announced. “At present, the boardwalk and all beach crossings remain snow covered and many sidewalks throughout downtown Rehoboth are as well.”

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The plunge and 5K had been rescheduled to March 1 after severe weather conditions in late January caused it to be moved from its original Feb. 1 date.

The plunge will not be rescheduled for this year.

Last weekend’s storm brought nearly 2 feet of snow to parts of Sussex, closing hundreds of roads when trees and wires were downed. There were also power outages across the county, including Rehoboth Beach which had to restore power to its wastewater treatment facility.

Plunging for a cause

The polar bear plunge is one of Special Olympics Delaware’s more popular fundraisers, drawing more than 4,000 participants last year.

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In recent years, the event has been bringing in more than a million dollars for Special Olympics Delaware. Last year, plunge events drew $1.3 million, just shy of the record-breaking $1.5 million raised in 2024.

Alex Seymore, Special Olympics Delaware’s director of digital media, said the organization had already raised more than $1 million from this year’s event.

“We expect a small impact,” Seymore told Delaware Online/The News Journal. “But again, we’re showing that we’ve raised over a million dollars.

He added they are reviewing how the cancelation will impact them and their services.

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“It’s been just a couple hours, so we’re not completely positive how it will impact things in the long run,” he said. “We’re thankful for everybody that’s helped raise this money through this time.”

What is still occurring

While the plunge and 5k and been canceled this year, there are other indoor events that will continue as scheduled:

Feb. 27

  • 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Feb. 28

  • noon to 2 p.m. ​Fire & Ice in the Atlantic Sands Ballroom, 1 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach.
  • 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Restaurant chili contest.
  • 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.



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Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?

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Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?


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President Donald Trump touted his Trump Accounts for kids platform during his State of the Union address Tuesday, Feb. 24, months before the savings account program goes live this summer.

Roughly 63% of parents open bank accounts for the newborns and young children according to The Financial Brand, showing that in general, opening a bank accounts for your child is a good idea.

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But what, exactly, are Trump Accounts for kids, and does it make sense for you to open one for your child? Here’s everything you need to know.

Trump Account for kids explained

The IRS explained in a memo Trump Accounts will be available for any children under 18, with $1,000 seed money available for newborns and very young children.

That account will be seeded with federal government funds.

“A Trump account is a type of traditional individual retirement account that is established for the exclusive benefit of an eligible individual and that is designated at its establishment as a Trump account,” read the IRS’ Trump Accounts memo. “Upon an election under the pilot program, $1,000 is paid by the Secretary to the Trump account of an eligible child.

“An eligible child means a qualifying child who is born after December 31, 2024 and before January 1, 2029, who is a U.S. citizen, and for whom no prior pilot program election has been made.”

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The Trump Accounts website confirms parents do not need to make a contribution, but can deposit up to $5,000 a year into the interest-bearing account.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in comments published Jan. 28 a single $1,000 deposit into a Trump Account at birth should grow to an estimated $500,000 by the age of retirement.

When will Trump Accounts for kids lunch, and can I apply in Delaware?

Trump Accounts for kids will go live on Monday, July 5, and parents in Delaware are allowed to apply for the nationwide offering when it opens.

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Until then, you can visit the Trump Accounts website to add your name to the email list to get an update when the service goes live.

The IRS and U.S. Department of the Treasury released Trump Accounts guidance you can read before opening an account.

Problems with Trump Accounts for kids

While opening a Trump Account for your child may seem a good thing, TIME uncovered a few problems with President Donald Trump’s namesake account service.

“The program may be open to every child, but its benefits will flow overwhelmingly to families with the means to contribute thousands of dollars a year. What could have been a leveling tool instead risks becoming a widening wedge between the haves and the have-nots,” read a portion of TIME’s take. “For a family living paycheck-to-paycheck that is unable to add anything beyond the government’s $1,000 seed deposit, the balance reaches just $5,839 by age 18. “

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies echoed much of that sentiment, and said Trump Accounts for kids will have the opposite effect from its stated goals.

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Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.



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