Maryland
Iranian man, 2 Canadians charged in plot to kill 2 Maryland residents
By ERIC TUCKER (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — An Iranian man who federal prosecutors say operates a criminal network that targets dissidents and activists abroad has been charged alongside a pair of Canadians with plotting to kill two people, including a defector from Iran, who had fled to the United States.
The criminal case unsealed Monday is part of what Justice Department officials have described as a troubling trend of transnational repression, in which operatives from countries including Iran and China single out dissidents and defectors for campaigns of harassment, intimidation and sometimes violence.
In this case, prosecutors say, Naji Sharifi Zindashti conspired with two Canadian men between December 2020 and March 2021 to kill two Maryland residents. The intended victims of the murder-for-hire plot were not identified in an indictment, but prosecutors described them as having fled to the United States after one of them had defected from Iran.
The plot was ultimately disrupted, the Justice Department said.
“To those in Iran who plot murders on U.S. soil and the criminal actors who work with them, let today’s charges send a clear message: the Department of Justice will pursue you as long as it takes — and wherever you are — and deliver justice,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the Justice Department’s top national security official, said in a statement.
The Justice Department has previously charged three men, in a plot they say originated in Iran, to kill an Iranian American author and activist who has spoken out against human rights abuses there, and also brought charges in connection with a failed plot to assassinate John Bolton, the former Trump administration national security adviser.
The latest case is being disclosed at a time of simmering tension between the U.S. and Iran, including after a weekend drone strike in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border that killed three American troops and that the Biden administration attributed to Iran-backed militias. On Monday, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the enemy drone may have been confused with an American drone returning to the U.S. installation.
Zindashti is believed to still be living in Iran. U.S. officials described him as a narcotics trafficker who, at the behest of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, operates a criminal network that has orchestrated assassinations, kidnappings and other acts of transnational repression against perceived critics of the Iranian regime, including in the U.S.
In a separate but related action, the Treasury Department on Monday announced sanctions against Zindashti that will bar him and his associates from engaging in business transactions in the U.S. or with a U.S. person.
He’s alleged to have coordinated his efforts with Damion Patrick John Ryan and Adam Richard Pearson, using an encrypted messaging service to recruit potential assassins to travel into the United States to carry out the killings.
Prosecutors say Ryan and Pearson are currently imprisoned in Canada on unrelated charges.
Court records do not identify attorneys for any of the three men, who are all charged in federal court in Minnesota — one of the defendants was “illegally” living there under an assumed name while the plot was being developed — with conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 27, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 27 drawing
18-31-33-36-62, Powerball: 03, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 27 drawing
Midday: 8-0-7
Evening: 2-4-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 27 drawing
Midday: 6-6-2-1
Evening: 2-5-6-3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 27 drawing
Midday: 7-0-5-0-2
Evening: 9-9-9-1-8
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 27 drawing
9 a.m.: 06
1 p.m.: 10
6 p.m.: 08
11 p.m.: 12
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Bonus Match 5 numbers from April 27 drawing
08-16-34-38-39, Bonus: 04
Check Bonus Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MultiMatch numbers from April 27 drawing
01-15-17-41-42-43
Check MultiMatch payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 27 drawing
20-31-33-44-65, Powerball: 19
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Keno
Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Maryland Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes above $600, winners can claim by mail or in person from the Maryland Lottery office, an Expanded Cashing Authority Program location or cashiers’ windows at Maryland casinos. Prizes over $5,000 must be claimed in person.
Claiming by Mail
Sign your winning ticket and complete a claim form. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID and a copy of a document that shows proof of your Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number. Mail these to:
Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center
1800 Washington Boulevard
Suite 330
Baltimore, MD 21230
For prizes over $600, bring your signed ticket, a government-issued photo ID, and proof of your Social Security or Federal Tax ID number to Maryland Lottery headquarters, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. Claims are by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This location handles all prize amounts, including prizes over $5,000.
Winning Tickets Worth $25,000 or Less
Maryland Lottery headquarters and select Maryland casinos can redeem winning tickets valued up to $25,000. Note that casinos cannot cash prizes over $600 for non-resident and resident aliens (tax ID beginning with “9”). You must be at least 21 years of age to enter a Maryland casino. Locations include:
- Horseshoe Casino: 1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD
- MGM National Harbor: 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD
- Live! Casino: 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD
- Ocean Downs Casino: 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD
- Hollywood Casino: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, MD
- Rocky Gap Casino: 16701 Lakeview Road NE, Flintstone, MD
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Maryland Lottery.
When are the Maryland Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 11 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 Midday: 12:27 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12:28 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
- Pick 3, 4 and 5 Evening: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
- Cash4Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash Pop: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
- Bonus Match 5: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
- MultiMatch: 7:56 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
- Powerball Double Play: 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Maryland editor. You can send feedback using this form.
NASA calls Artemis II mission ‘just the beginning’
The Artemis II crew landed safely back on Earth after a 10-day mission around the moon. NASA said it was the first moon mission “of many more.”
Jessica Watkins, who has already made NASA history, is now set for a second trip to space.
The astronaut from Gaithersburg, Maryland, was announced last week as the spacecraft commander for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission expected to launch later this year.
Here’s what to know about Watkins.
Who is Jessica Watkins?
Watkins was born in 1988 in Gaithersburg, Maryland, located about 25 miles northwest from downtown Washington DC.
It was in Maryland where she first had dreams of going to space. While attending an after-school program at Judith Resnik Elementary School in Gaithersburg as a 9-year-old, she learned the school was named after the second American woman who went to space.
“I learned that you could go into space as a career, and I was definitely hooked,” she told Stanford Magazine in 2022.
She later moved to Lafayette, Colorado, which she considers her hometown, according to NASA.
After graduating with her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, Watkins received her doctorate from UCLA in 2015.
“Jessica Watkins has been shaping the future of space exploration since her days at UCLA,” the university said.
What experience does Jessica Watkins have with NASA?
A geologist by training, Watkins was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017 after working on Mars rover science teams.
She first left earth in 2022 as the mission specialist on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission, logging 170 days in space.
It was a historic mission for Watkins, who became the first Black woman to live and work at the International Space Station.
“I think it really is just a tribute to the legacy of the Black women astronauts that have come before me, as well as to the exciting future ahead,” Watkins said during an NPR interview.
NASA said her mission duties included “maintaining the space station and contributing to science experiments that not only might improve life on Earth, but also allow researchers to learn more about the effects of long duration spaceflight on the human body.”
In addition to her spaceflight experience, Watkins was named to NASA’s Artemis team, a group of astronauts eligible for future missions to the Moon.
Her experience will now bring her back to the ISS. Watkins will join Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk and Sergey Teteryatinikov to replace the Crew-12 mission at the space station.
NASA said the mission is targeted for September.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 26, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 26 drawing
Midday: 8-5-2
Evening: 4-8-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 26 drawing
Midday: 5-5-4-6
Evening: 5-1-3-1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 26 drawing
Midday: 9-1-7-9-1
Evening: 6-9-5-7-7
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 26 drawing
9 a.m.: 03
1 p.m.: 07
6 p.m.: 09
11 p.m.: 11
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Bonus Match 5 numbers from April 26 drawing
02-11-13-25-39, Bonus: 34
Check Bonus Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Keno
Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Maryland Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes above $600, winners can claim by mail or in person from the Maryland Lottery office, an Expanded Cashing Authority Program location or cashiers’ windows at Maryland casinos. Prizes over $5,000 must be claimed in person.
Claiming by Mail
Sign your winning ticket and complete a claim form. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID and a copy of a document that shows proof of your Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number. Mail these to:
Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center
1800 Washington Boulevard
Suite 330
Baltimore, MD 21230
For prizes over $600, bring your signed ticket, a government-issued photo ID, and proof of your Social Security or Federal Tax ID number to Maryland Lottery headquarters, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. Claims are by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This location handles all prize amounts, including prizes over $5,000.
Winning Tickets Worth $25,000 or Less
Maryland Lottery headquarters and select Maryland casinos can redeem winning tickets valued up to $25,000. Note that casinos cannot cash prizes over $600 for non-resident and resident aliens (tax ID beginning with “9”). You must be at least 21 years of age to enter a Maryland casino. Locations include:
- Horseshoe Casino: 1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD
- MGM National Harbor: 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD
- Live! Casino: 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD
- Ocean Downs Casino: 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD
- Hollywood Casino: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, MD
- Rocky Gap Casino: 16701 Lakeview Road NE, Flintstone, MD
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Maryland Lottery.
When are the Maryland Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 11 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 Midday: 12:27 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12:28 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
- Pick 3, 4 and 5 Evening: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
- Cash4Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
- Cash Pop: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
- Bonus Match 5: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
- MultiMatch: 7:56 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
- Powerball Double Play: 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Maryland editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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