Eric Harroun, a U.S. Army veteran from Arizona, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly fighting alongside an Al Qaeda front in Syria, and then boasting about it online. Harroun, who served in the U.S. army from 2000 to 2003, told the FBI in Turkey that he hates al Qaeda and was only trying to help topple the Assad regime in Syria when he fought alongside rebels. He was arrested upon his return to the U.S. The criminal complaint against him claims Harroun conspired to use a weapon of mass destruction." Harroun remains in custody pending a preliminary hearing in April.

ABC News:

Throughout his ordeal, Harroun appears to have posted pictures of himself online in military fatigues with his fellow fighters and weapons, including a rocket-propelled grenade. In one post, he reportedly claimed to have downed a helicopter. He also appeared in online videos threatening Syria’s President Bashad al-Assad, court documents said.

The court documents say Harroun admitted online and to the FBI agents that he had fought with the al-Nusra Front, but claimed that he hates al Qaeda and was only trying to help topple the Assad regime. The U.S. government has repeatedly called on Assad to step down and recent news reports allege the U.S. is helping the rebels acquire weapons from friendly regional governments.

In an interview with Fox News earlier this month, Harroun said he was welcomed by al-Nusra.

“Getting into al-Nusra is not rocket science,” he said, according to Fox News. “It just takes balls and brains.”

I think there is a lot more that is not being said about this case, otherwise, I suspect that Mr. Harroun's "balls and brains" would've had a close encounter with a U.S. drone. Not saying I agree with or condone drone strikes -- particularly on American citizens -- but this sounds like precisely the type of activity that the current policy for drone strikes was written for.

South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius was arrested Thursday after a woman was found shot to death in his home in Pretoria. Pistorius, 26, a double-amputee Olympic sprinter known as "Blade Runner," was taken into custody early Thursday after police responded to a call about a shooting at his home.

According to the the Associated Press, the woman killed was 30-year-old Reeva Steenkamp, a self-described “cover girl for FHM Models.” South African media reported that Steenkamp was Pistorius’s girlfriend and that he allegedly shot her after mistaking her for a burglar, an allegation that has not been confirmed. Officials apparently found a 9mm handgun in Pistorius’s home. He is expected to appear in court later Thursday.

The South African Paralympian -- a fan favorite -- took home two gold medals and a silver at the 2012 London Olympics.

Via:

Pistorius made history in London last year when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete in the Olympic Games. He is one of South Africa's and the world's most famous athletes.

Having had both his legs amputated below the knee before his first birthday because of a congenital condition, he campaigned for years to be allowed to compete against able-bodied athletes. Having initially been banned because of his carbon fiber blades — which critics said gave him an unfair advantage — he was cleared by sport's highest court in 2008 and allowed to run at the top events.

He competed in the 400 meters and on South Africa's 4x400 relay team at the London Games, making history after being have his selection confirmed on South Africa's team at the very last minute. He also retained his Paralympic title in the 400 meters in London.

This photo and song montage, presented by Occupy Wall Street, is "dedicated to every occupier who has been arrested fighting for justice, or who will in the years to come."

It's Friday the 13th, and this Peregrine Financial Group CEO seems to be having terrible luck. Russell Wasendorf Sr. was arrested today for making false statements to regulators from 2010 to July 2012, according to the agency. The statements concerned his Iowa-based company, Peregrine Financial, that filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday. The CFTC and the National Futures Association have accused Wasendorf of misappropriating over $200 million in customer funds. These allegations were brought to light after Wasendorf tried to kill himself on Monday in the parking lot of Peregrine headquarters. He is set to appear in federal court later today.

Via:

Wasendorf had been hospitalized at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after attempting suicide outside the company's headquarters in Cedar Falls on Monday by hooking up a tube to his car's tailpipe.

His company filed for bankruptcy Tuesday, the same day the industry's top regulator filed civil fraud charges alleging the firm misused customer money and falsely claimed a bank account contained more than $220 million when it actually had about $5 million. The money in that account belonged to customers, and was supposed to be kept separate from Peregrine's own money.
...
An affidavit by FBI agent William Langdon, made public with the criminal complaint, says authorities found Wasendorf unresponsive Monday in his vehicle, along with a suicide note addressed to his wife and a signed statement in which he detailed his fraud.

"Through a scheme of using false bank statements I have been able to embezzle millions of dollars from customer accounts at Peregrine Financial Group, Inc. The forgeries started nearly twenty years ago and have gone undetected until now. I was able to conceal my crime of forgery by being the sole individual with access to the US Bank accounts held by PFG," he wrote in the note, according to court documents.

Wasendorf said that he faced "a difficult decision" when his access to capital was limited earlier in his career.

"Should I go out of business or cheat? I guess my ego was too big to admit failure," he wrote. "So I cheated, I falsified the very core of the financial documents of PFG, the bank statements."

It's difficult to feel any sympathy for the man, he did know exactly what he was getting into and how wrong it was. I do feel badly for his family. They'll no doubt carry the shame that Wasendorf should have felt.