Great Falls

A former Great Falls town council member was charged for allegedly placing unauthorized tracking devices on vehicles with a former town administrator and police chief. The devices, placed in Chester County in May 2025, were tracked using Tracki, paid for by a town credit card, and reimbursed for $1,212.94. The council member faces charges including misconduct in office and criminal conspiracy.

A Great Falls council member is accused of tracking vehicles alongside the police chief and town admin by SLED. McManus was released on July 2 after posting a $46,000 bond.

A 32-year-old Waxhaw man, Slava Pak, was charged with first-degree murder after his mother was found shot dead in Union County and with attempted murder following a shooting in Chester County, South Carolina. Pak turned himself in to police and waived his right to an attorney, with court proceedings scheduled for North Carolina next month.

The body of Nazir Bell, a 20-year-old Towson University student, was recovered from the Potomac River near Great Falls after he went missing following a swimming attempt from Maryland to Virginia. Search crews from Montgomery and Fairfax counties participated in the operation, which concluded with the recovery of his body on Tuesday.

Zachary Taylor Cortez, 28, from Great Falls, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He faces 5 to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, four years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

A Mexican national, previously deported, pleaded guilty to possessing a forged permanent resident card while living in the U.S. illegally. The case was addressed in a court in Great Falls.