A Chinese man living in Los Angeles was sentenced to almost two years in federal prison for his role in trying to bribe an IRS official at the behest of the Chinese government.

Earlier this year, John Chen, 71, admitted that he served as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government and tried to bribe who he thought was an IRS agent to revoke the tax-exempt status of Falun Gong, a U.S.-based new religious movement. The scheme was first reported by Seamus Hughes’ Court Watch.

Falun Gong, perhaps best known for the Shen Yun dance performances and news outlet The Epoch Times, opposes the Chinese Communist Party’s control of the country.

Alongside co-conspirator Lin Feng, 44, Chen “worked inside the United States at the direction of the [People’s Republic of China] government … to further the PRC government’s campaign to repress and harass Falun Gong practitioners,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

Using multiple payments of several thousand dollars each and promising at least $50,000 if an audit were opened, Chen and Feng worked with government officials from the People’s Republic of China to “carry out the PRC government’s aim of ‘toppl[ing] . . . the Falun Gong,’” prosecutors wrote.

As a result, Chen was sentenced to 20 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and he’ll forfeit $50,000 as well.

Feng was sentenced in September to a time-served sentence of 16 months in prison.

Each faced a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

An investigation is underway after a smoke and vape shop in San Bernardino County was allegedly vandalized by six people, including two very young juveniles.

Deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of the vandalism at My Generation Smoke & Vape at 14666 7th Street in Victorville at around 7 p.m., officials confirmed to KTLA.  

The shop’s manager, Hasan Zaqqa, explained that an adult female entered the shop to purchase some products before asking for free merchandise.  

Zaqqa said that when the shop’s employees said they couldn’t give away any items for free, the woman exited the store, went to her car and reportedly told around five other people to enter the shop and confront store employees.  

Security cameras captured much of the incident, including at least two children, getting out of the car, entering the store and confronting the employees. As the group was leaving, several of them pushed over display cases on the counter, while another one grabbed an item from the store and threw it.  

That’s when Zaqqa said he grabbed a stick, ran out of the store and tried to get them to leave.  

It appears from security footage that he was swinging the stick at the vandals’ vehicle as it drove forward and then came to another stop as everyone exited the car and headed back to the shop’s entrance where Zaqqa and another employee were seen inside.  

At that point, the woman, as well as the man who had been driving the vehicle, attempted to confront the store’s employees and ultimately began smashing the shop’s doors and windows.  

The suspects fled the area before deputies arrived and remain outstanding.  

The relationship between the group of people who entered and allegedly vandalized the store is unknown at this time.  

Los Angeles Dodgers’ superstar Shohei Ohtani is the 2024 National League Most Valuable Player.

It was a unanimous decision to award the Japanese phenom the 2024 MVP, and in doing so, create another historic moment as he becomes the first full-time designated hitter to win it.

Cementing his legacy as one of the game’s greatest players, Ohtani’s first season as a member of the Dodgers will be remembered as one of the most accomplished single seasons in sports history.

He became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season, finishing with a .310 batting average, 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, and 59 stolen bases. His 1.036 OPS led the National League and was second in all of baseball behind presumptive AL MVP Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees.

The Dodgers signed Ohtani to a record-setting $700 million deal last December, and he immediately delivered on his monumental contract.

In addition to his incredible regular-season numbers, Ohtani played a pivotal role in leading the Dodgers to their first World Series title since 2020. The Dodgers defeated the Yankees in five games, with Ohtani providing key hits throughout the postseason, including a home run in his first-ever playoff game.

While injuries kept him from reaching his regular season greatness, Ohtani’s still delivered playoff heroics and helped silence any remaining doubters.

His unanimous selection as NL MVP follows three previous AL MVP awards, making him the only player in MLB history to achieve such a feat across both leagues.

Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets finished second in MVP voting, while Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte placed third.

After finally making the playoffs and winning a championship in his first year with the Dodgers, Ohtani is poised to return to the mound in 2025 as the game’s most electrifying two-way player.