by Staff Reporter | Oct 5, 2026 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
A former leader of a fraternity at Northern Arizona University (NAU) will serve two months in jail for the hazing that resulted in the death of a pledge earlier this year.
Coconino County Superior Court sentenced Carter Thomas Eslick, 20, to two months in jail and three years of supervised probation on Wednesday.
Conditions of his probation include creating and delivering 305 anti-hazing presentations, and maintaining sobriety.
That amount of jail time is a fraction of the mitigated sentencing attached to the charge Eslick originally faced.
Eslick was indicted for felony hazing in March, a class four offense which carries a sentence range of one to nearly four years in prison. Eslick had originally pleaded not guilty to the charge but later amended his plea to guilty in August as part of a plea deal which left jail time up to the court’s discretion.
Eslick was the new member educator, or pledge master, for the Theta Omega chapter of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity at NAU. In that role, Eslick oversaw the activities that resulted in the alcohol poisoning that killed 18-year-old Colin Daniel Martinez on Jan. 31, 2026.
Martinez and three fellow Delta Tau Delta pledges were forced to consume vodka until they vomited as part of a “Spring Rush ’26” party at an off-campus Delta Tau Delta house. “Rush” refers to the fraternity recruitment process for new members.
Records reflect that Martinez was choking and gagging in his sleep, and that nobody present at the house called emergency services for nearly six hours.
Martinez had a blood alcohol level of 0.425%. Any level over 0.40% is considered potentially fatal, while levels from 0.30% to 0.40% are considered alcohol poisoning and potentially life threatening. The legal limit for driving in Arizona is 0.08%. An autopsy confirmed Martinez died from alcohol poisoning.
In addition to Eslick, fellow Delta Tau Delta chapter leaders Ryan Wiley Creech and Riley Michael Cass, both 20, were arrested. Neither Creech nor Cass were indicted; court records reflect that both of their cases were closed within days of their arrests.
The national Delta Tau Delta organization closed the NAU chapter following Martinez’s death.
Martinez’s father, Chris Martinez, told the court during sentencing that his son died for a lack of courage among the young men present that night in January.
“Courage. I use this word courage because that’s what’s required when fear, self-protection, or group loyalty or convenience tempt us to inaction instead of doing what another human being desperately needs us to do. What my son needed that night,” said Chris. “Courage that night would have meant stopping what was happening. Courage would have meant recognizing that a fraternity ritual was never more important than a human life.”
Martinez graduated from the Arizona Conservatory for Arts & Academics last May. Martinez planned to major in hotel and restaurant management at NAU, like his father. In an Instagram post, Martinez said he enjoyed photography, watching movies and sports, playing music, and collecting vinyls. Martinez also had an affection for animals, especially his pets.
Martinez is survived by his parents, Chris and Lindsey, and two sisters, Caitlyn and Malena.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 5, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
An Arizona cryptocurrency company is under a temporary cease and desist order for allegedly violating the Arizona Securities Act.
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) Securities Division issued the injunction order on Friday against Arizona resident Christopher Michael Maxon and IVT Media Group LLC, a company registered in Wyoming, for allegedly offering and selling unregistered securities in violation of the Arizona Securities Act. Maxon is IVT Media Group’s founder and CEO. Maxon’s wife, Laura Maxon, was also named in the order.
The ACC alleged that Maxon and IVT solicited investors to buy Iron Vault Tokens, or IV-SOL, along with royalty position and real estate acquisition returns as part of a three-phase stablecoin. Maxon and his company allegedly marketed the investments as having no risk and indefinite generative returns. IV-SOL was scheduled to launch on Oct. 1, 2026.
The tokens impose a 6% transaction fee purported to generate token revenue and liquidity while creating residual income for the investors and company.
IV-SOL is hosted on the Solana blockchain; it was created in March of this year with an initial supply of 250 billion tokens. According to the ACC order, IVT sought to raise $5 million by selling five billion IV-SOL tokens at the price of $0.001 per token to 10,000 participants, with a minimum investment of $250, or 250,000 tokens, per participant.
Then, as part of a second phase, IVT promised that investors would enjoy “life-changing passive income” manifesting as royalty positions and real estate acquisitions. In a third phase, IVT promised that it would create a high-volume digital currency ecosystem with more than $25 million in daily trading volume, a price increase to $1 per token, and royalty positions valued at $1 each. Additionally, IVT would introduce a secondary stablecoin backed by commercial real estate assets.
As part of the third phase, IVT alleged that investors would become millionaires receiving daily passive income for generations to come.
The ACC reported that at least 143 wallets held IV-SOL tokens as of Sept. 29, 2026, and approximately 11 investors purchased IV-SOL tokens.
The latest advertisement from IVT released in June promoted an “Iron Vault Education Platform” for investors to receive “exclusive training” on crypto and IV-SOL.
Maxon was accused of withholding important information about himself from investors, such as his being a lien debtor for more than 20 years, failure to disclose the past complaints against him alleging scamming related to his consumer cash businesses, and his past evictions in 2022 and 2023.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Oct 5, 2026 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) announced its endorsement of six Arizona congressional candidates ahead of the November general election, citing their positions on policies affecting small businesses and economic growth.
The endorsements include two Republican candidates seeking seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and four incumbent Republican congressmen seeking reelection.
The organization endorsed:
- Jay Feely (AZ-01)
- Eli Crane (AZ-02)
- Mark Lamb (AZ-05)
- Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06)
- Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08)
- Paul Gosar (AZ-09)
“Arizona small businesses are the foundation of our state’s economy,” stated NFIB Arizona State Director Chad Heinrich. “The candidates we have endorsed have a deep understanding of the small business landscape and will be reliable pro-Main Street voices in Congress. We are eager to work with them to ensure that Arizona small businesses can continue to effectively operate and create jobs.”
The NFIB regularly participates in federal and state policy debates involving taxation, government regulations, labor requirements, and other issues affecting business owners.
The organization said its endorsements reflect its assessment of the candidates’ commitment to advancing policies that support small businesses.
The endorsements were issued through NFIB FedPAC, the organization’s political action committee, which is funded through voluntary contributions from NFIB members beyond their membership dues. According to NFIB, endorsement decisions are made through a member-driven grassroots evaluation process.
“We are proud to endorse a slate of candidates who have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to advancing the interests of Arizona small businesses,” stated Louis Bertolotti, NFIB Political Director. “Small business owners deserve representatives who understand the issues that matter to them and will consistently advocate for policies that promote economic growth. We look forward to working with these pro-small business leaders in Washington.”
The congressional endorsements came the same day the NFIB’s Arizona political action committee announced its support for 52 candidates seeking state offices, reflecting the organization’s involvement in both state and federal elections ahead of November.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 4, 2026 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
An Arizona State University (ASU) student who inspired Tempe to create a police oversight board is facing criminal charges for attacking an officer.
Tempe police arrested ASU student Eryn Bonner in July after she refused to comply with law enforcement and charged at the officers arresting two males that she knew.
After officers twice pushed Bonner away for refusing to comply with orders to “back up,” Bonner confronted an officer who had twice pushed her away, striking him multiple times in the head and attempting to kick him away as he worked to arrest her.
Body camera footage showed the arresting officer punch Bonner once in the face to subdue her after Bonner punched him multiple times; five or six strikes and some scratching, by Tempe police’s account in court records. Benjamin Taylor, a civil rights attorney representing Bonner, disputed Bonner’s violence and has claimed to the public and city officials that Bonner was punched more than once as well as “groped” by the officer.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell declined to bring felony charges of resisting arrest and aggravated assault against Bonner.
Now, Bonner faces two misdemeanor charges in Tempe Municipal Court: disorderly conduct classified as fighting and hindering/interfering with police.
Taylor said in a statement responding to these latest charges against his client that Bonner was the victim of political prosecution. Taylor claimed to the Phoenix New Times that the city police union was pressuring the city to charge his client.
“Instead of showing accountability and transparency — accountability to their officers for their wrongdoing and transparency to the community — what they’re trying to do is cover up for the wrongdoing of their officers,” said Taylor. “It has the smellings of politics behind it when you have charges brought two months later after the county attorney decided not to bring charges. It’s very political and is basically to avoid potential civil liability and to try to cover up for their officers’ wrongdoing.”
Taylor also said that Bonner suffered “emotional trauma” in addition to physical injuries, and claimed officials were “victimizing the victim.”
According to court records, Bonner has also racked up four speeding tickets across March, April, and July. The first ticket from March also came with charges of using a cell phone while driving; the speeding portion of the charges was dropped.
Bonner’s arrest prompted the Tempe City Council to launch the Public Safety and Community Oversight Council Subcommittee, an exploratory body to discuss the creation of a police oversight board.
Taylor, a recent president of the State Bar of Arizona, has appeared before the subcommittee. Taylor addressed the subcommittee during its most recent meeting on Tuesday, claiming Bonner’s arresting officer inappropriately touched and committed excessive use of force against his client.
Shoving and punching qualify as permitted uses of force under certain circumstances to maintain control of a scene and make arrests.
Taylor also questioned the appropriateness of Tempe police appointing Sergeant Kevin Ameiss to oversee the internal affairs investigation into Bonner’s case, citing Ameiss’s 2020 suspension for his oversight of the Trevonyae Cumpian case. Ameiss was in a supervisory role for an officer who held a Black hotel worker at gunpoint while in pursuit of an armed white male suspect.
A pre-trial conference for the disorderly conduct and police interference charges is scheduled in Bonner’s case for Nov. 4, 2026.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 4, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover attempted to secure a plea deal that would have allowed an accused murderer to walk free based on time served.
65-year-old Blain Beckham is charged with the 2019 murder of 71-year-old Fernando Broyles. Broyles was found deceased in his home by a neighbor, bludgeoned to death by a claw hammer.
A judge rejected the plea deal during a hearing on Monday.
Broyles’ sister Yolanda Broyles-Gonzales called the plea deal “outrageous” in an interview with KVOA and expressed gratitude for the judge’s decision.
“We are grateful that justice is working at this time,” said Broyles-Gonzalez. “It’s not over yet, but at least this outrageous plea deal is off the table.”
Broyles had invited Beckham to stay in his home, something Broyles-Gonzales told KVOA that her brother often did for the homeless and those down on their luck.
“My brother was a good Samaritan. Take in the stranger, feed the poor, provide shelter for those who were in need of shelter,” said Broyles-Gonzales. “If you see a hardened criminal getting a light sentence for having killed a good Samaritan, I think the rest of the community would think twice before doing good deeds because they say this is what can happen.”
Beckham may either accept the judge’s decision on the plea deal or request another judge to reconsider the plea deal at his next hearing scheduled in about two weeks.
Beckham has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple past instances of assault over the past decade and failure to register as a sex offender.
Earlier this summer, Conover successfully implemented another controversial plea deal when her office arranged for a nurse charged with sexually abusing a female patient to serve 30 days in jail and three years of probation.
48-year-old Jadd Sarah, former nurse with the Banner Health University Medical Center in Tucson, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a female patient who was incapacitated from seizures in February.
Records reflect that footage shows Sarah entering the patient’s room and sexually abusing her. A probable cause statement said that the patient appeared to have a seizure as Sarah abused her — even then, Sarah did not stop the sexual contact.
Sarah originally faced multiple charges in addition to sexual abuse, including aggravated assault. Altogether, the sentencing range for those charges would have been six months to more than two years in prison.
Conover defended the plea deal in a video interview with KOLD, saying that Sarah didn’t sexually abuse the patient so much as commit the sort of “unwanted touching” that might occur in a place like a bar.
“It sounded like a sex assault had occurred, a rape, a molestation — and this was a touching,” said Conover. “I’m not minimizing this, but I think, you know, unfortunately in the world women are living in, I think it’s happening like in every bar across America every night. Like unwanted brief touching. Totally unacceptable, but you can see how if we had taken him to trial and we convicted him, maybe a six-month sentence for improper touching, and then he’s free to go about his life after that.”
Conover conceded that Sarah may have faced more time if they had taken the case to trial, but that the plea deal arrangement was better because Sarah would have long-term oversight through the probation process and was made to give up his nursing license.
Sarah may reapply for his nursing license in three years, though the county attorney’s office stated that Sarah promised in writing and to a judge that he would never work in the medical field again.
Conover later issued a statement saying that the arrangement of the plea deal ensured “a lifetime of community protection” from Sarah.
“Our highly experienced veteran team of special victims prosecutors ensured that the plea agreement would protect our community from this individual ever serving in the medical profession again,” said Conover. “[W]e traded one month for six months and negotiated a complete withdrawal from the medical field altogether to protect future patients for years to come.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Oct 4, 2026 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
American consumer spending increased in August as inflation remained above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target and the personal savings rate declined, according to the latest economic updates released by Congress’ Joint Economic Committee (JEC).
The JEC’s August Monthly Expenditures Update reported that the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, a key inflation measure used by the Federal Reserve, increased 0.31% from July to August.
Core PCE inflation, which excludes the more volatile food and energy categories, increased 0.25% during August.
Over the past year, headline PCE inflation reached 3.42%, remaining above the Federal Reserve’s annual target of 2%. Core PCE inflation registered 3.01% over the same period.
Despite continued inflationary pressures, consumer spending increased during August. Inflation-adjusted personal consumption expenditures rose 0.55%, representing an increase of approximately $92.82 billion.
Spending on goods accounted for much of the increase, rising 1.33%, or $76.44 billion, while spending on services increased 0.20%, or $22.27 billion. Within the goods category, spending on durable goods rose 1.93%, while spending on nondurable goods increased 1.02%.
Several major household expenditure categories also recorded increases during August.
Spending on gasoline and other energy goods increased 4.32% from July and 23.55% compared to August 2025. Motor vehicles and parts expenditures rose 2.53% for the month, while transportation services increased 1.66%.
Housing and utilities remained one of the largest household spending categories, accounting for approximately $4 trillion in annualized expenditures, an increase of 4.51% from the previous year. Health care expenditures reached approximately $3.86 trillion, representing a 6.76% annual increase.
Meanwhile, the report indicated that Americans saved a smaller portion of their income during August.
The personal savings rate declined by 0.5 percentage points to 4.1%, while personal income increased 0.24%, or approximately $66.65 billion.
Real disposable personal income per capita declined 0.05%, indicating that inflation-adjusted after-tax income fell slightly during the month.
The JEC also released its third estimate of second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP), reporting that the U.S. economy expanded at an annualized inflation-adjusted rate of 2.22%.
The latest estimate represents an upward revision of 0.74 percentage points from the previous estimate.
Current-dollar GDP increased at an annualized rate of 8.49%, with the annualized dollar value of economic output reaching approximately $32.56 trillion during the second quarter, up $656.8 billion from the first quarter.
Consumer spending was a major contributor to economic growth during the quarter, adding approximately 2.5 percentage points to real GDP growth.
Nonresidential fixed investment contributed another 1.2 percentage points, while changes in private inventories and net exports reduced overall growth by approximately 0.5 and 1.1 percentage points, respectively.
The updated figures show that consumer spending continued to support economic activity during the second quarter and into August, even as inflation remained elevated and households devoted a smaller share of their income to savings.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
