Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

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Equal parts Lois Lane, J. Jonah Jameson and Vicki Vale, Zak! has traveled from coast-to-coast covering small and big town community news in both in print and online for nearly a decade since his graduation from the award-winning Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in 2010.

Before settling into the Hudson Valley, Zak! previously spent time in the New York Daily News newsroom and worked for hyperlocal digital news outlets on Long Island. He wrote sports for The Ithacan and The Ithaca Journal before taking his talents to the Pacific Northwest, where he served as the sports editor at the Shoshone News-Press until heading back east to work with Daily Voice.

Zak Failla's Contributions

Clarksville, MD
Breaking News
Spyware, Secret Surveillance: Medical Worker From Clarksville Accused Of Targeting 200 Victims Spyware, Secret Surveillance: Medical Worker From Clarksville Accused Of Targeting 200 Victims Spyware, Secret Surveillance: Medical Worker From Clarksville Accused Of Targeting 200 Victims
Spyware, Secret Surveillance: Medical Worker From Clarksville Accused Of Targeting 200 Victims A Maryland medical worker secretly accessed private accounts, installed spyware, and surveilled victims — including recording women pumping breast milk — in an alleged scheme that spanned nearly a decade, federal prosecutors say. The indictment was announced on Friday, May 1, in which Matthew Bathula, 41, of Clarksville, is accused of infiltrating a local medical system’s network and exploiting nearly 200 victims between July 2016 and September 2024, according to the US Attorney’s Office. Bathula worked as a pharmacy clinical specialist at a Maryland-based medical system, where prosecutors …

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by Zak Failla
Sterling, VA
Breaking News
$220K Weed Plot Busted At Dulles: Baltimore Duo Accused In London Smuggling Run: CBP $220K Weed Plot Busted At Dulles: Baltimore Duo Accused In London Smuggling Run: CBP $220K Weed Plot Busted At Dulles: Baltimore Duo Accused In London Smuggling Run: CBP
$220K Weed Plot Busted At Dulles: Baltimore Duo Accused In London Smuggling Run: CBP A London-bound drug run unraveled at Washington Dulles International Airport, where federal officers say a Baltimore man and woman tried to fly more than 57 pounds of marijuana overseas for a massive payday. The bust went down on Wednesday, April 16, at Dulles Airport in Sterling, when US Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted two checked bags packed with vacuum-sealed weed before it could make its way across the Atlantic, according to CBP. Carl Caran Raashad Henson, 31, and Tilesha Kelly Theresa Coles, 31, both of Baltimore, were arrested at the departure gate after officers tr…

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by Zak Failla
Columbia, MD
Breaking News
Months-Long Howard County Burglary Spree Ends With Six Suspects Arrested Mid Break-In (VIDEO) Months-Long Howard County Burglary Spree Ends With Six Suspects Arrested Mid Break-In (VIDEO) Months-Long Howard County Burglary Spree Ends With Six Suspects Arrested Mid Break-In (VIDEO)
Months-Long Howard County Burglary Spree Ends With Six Suspects Arrested Mid Break-In (Video) A months-long burglary spree across Maryland came to a sudden end this week when six suspects were caught in the middle of a break-in, police said. The group was taken into custody while attempting a fourth commercial burglary in Columbia on Tuesday, April 29, according to the Howard County Police Department, which released video of their final gambit. Investigators say the suspects had already carried out three commercial burglaries in Ellicott City earlier that same morning before officers moved in. The arrests followed what police described as a coordinated effort between Howard Coun…

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by Zak Failla
Aldie, VA
Your Community
Romanian National Convicted In Virginia Child Sex Case Rearrested After Early Release: ICE Romanian National Convicted In Virginia Child Sex Case Rearrested After Early Release: ICE Romanian National Convicted In Virginia Child Sex Case Rearrested After Early Release: ICE
Romanian National Convicted In Virginia Child Sex Case Rearrested After Early Release: ICE A convicted child sex offender from Romania who was sentenced in Virginia — but released early — is back behind bars after a new arrest out of state, and federal immigration officials now want her out of the country. Rebeca Fratila-Ilies, 34, was arrested on a probation violation in North Carolina on March 12, 2025, after previously being convicted in Staunton of sexually abusing a middle-school boy, according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Fratila-Ilies was convicted of two counts of carnal knowledge of a child and statutory rape in Staunton Circuit Court and sentenced to 10 ye…

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by Zak Failla
Leonardtown-California, MD
Breaking News
Loaded Gun, Drugs Tossed During California Traffic Stop Escape Attempt, State Police Say Loaded Gun, Drugs Tossed During California Traffic Stop Escape Attempt, State Police Say Loaded Gun, Drugs Tossed During California Traffic Stop Escape Attempt, State Police Say
Loaded Gun, Drugs Tossed During California Traffic Stop Escape Attempt, State Police Say A Maryland man tried to ditch a loaded gun and a stash of drugs while fleeing from a trooper during a chaotic traffic stop before being caught after a short foot chase, authorities said. The trooper stopped 35-year-old Ronnell Tyrone Shields of Lexington Park on Three Notch Road at Oak Crest Drive in California, setting off a strange series of events that ended with him behind bars. When he was told a K9 scan was coming, Shields hit the gas and sped off. No pursuit was initiated, but the escape didn’t last long, according to Maryland State Police officials. A deputy with the St. Mary’…

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by Zak Failla
Cockeysville-Hunt Valley, MD
Breaking News
Man Who Posed As ‘Family Friend’ To Lure Girl Into Car In Cockeysville Arrested, Police Say Man Who Posed As ‘Family Friend’ To Lure Girl Into Car In Cockeysville Arrested, Police Say Man Who Posed As ‘Family Friend’ To Lure Girl Into Car In Cockeysville Arrested, Police Say
Man Who Posed As ‘Family Friend’ To Lure Girl Into Car In Cockeysville Arrested, Police Say A man who lured a young girl in Maryland by pretending to know her family on Thursday morning before driving her around and dropping her off at school has been apprehended. Bladimir Argueta Argueta, 34, is facing serious charges following an abduction that was reported in the area of Vintage Court and Cranbrook Road in Cockeysville, setting off a fast-moving investigation that ended with his arrest. The incident unfolded just before classes began on April 30, when officers were called to Cockeysville Middle School around 7:50 a.m. after the student came forward. She told investigators she …

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by Zak Failla
Gaithersburg, MD
Breaking News
Fatal Ride On Bus Crash Shuts Down Major Montgomery County Roads During Morning Commute Fatal Ride On Bus Crash Shuts Down Major Montgomery County Roads During Morning Commute Fatal Ride On Bus Crash Shuts Down Major Montgomery County Roads During Morning Commute
Fatal Ride On Bus Crash Shuts Down Major Montgomery County Roads During Morning Commute A deadly crash involving a Ride On bus brought traffic to a standstill in Maryland early Friday morning. The collision happened around 4:47 a.m., May 1, on Midcounty Highway in Montgomery County, near Goshen Road, where a vehicle slammed into a county bus, according to police. The impact shut down a busy stretch of roadway in Gaithersburg just as the morning commute was beginning, with Midcounty Highway and nearby intersections closed for hours as crews worked the scene. Midcounty Highway and Woodfield Road in Gaithersburg. Google Maps street view Firefighters were called to th…

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by Zak Failla
Lanham-Seabrook, MD
Breaking News
Teacher Accused Of Assaulting Student At DuVal High School Placed On Leave (DEVELOPING) Teacher Accused Of Assaulting Student At DuVal High School Placed On Leave (DEVELOPING) Teacher Accused Of Assaulting Student At DuVal High School Placed On Leave (DEVELOPING)
Teacher Accused Of Assaulting Student At DuVal High School Placed On Leave (Developing) A staff member at a Maryland high school has been placed on leave after being accused of assaulting a student during an incident inside the building, officials say. The situation unfolded at DuVal High School in Prince George’s County, where officials say the case involves an allegation of inappropriate physical contact between a staff member and a student. School leaders alerted families to the incident on Tuesday, April 29, calling it a “serious incident” and confirming the employee was immediately removed from the classroom. “This type of conduct, if substantiated, is inconsistent with …

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by Zak Failla
College Park, MD
Breaking News
Serial Flasher Targeting UMD Library Stalls Caught On Camera Again, Police Say Serial Flasher Targeting UMD Library Stalls Caught On Camera Again, Police Say Serial Flasher Targeting UMD Library Stalls Caught On Camera Again, Police Say
Serial Flasher Targeting UMD Library Stalls Caught On Camera Again, Police Say New photos have been released of a serial flasher who is wanted following several incidents at the University of Maryland. Police released new details on Thursday, April 30, regarding a repeat offender who has been involved in multiple indecent exposure incidents in recent months. The first incident was reported on Feb. 12 at McKeldin Library, when a man told police he was inside a bathroom stall on the sixth floor when another man entered an adjacent stall, exposed himself, and left the area. Then, on March 25, a second incident was reported on the seventh floor of the library, when a stu…

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by Zak Failla
Laurel, MD
Breaking News
Guns, Fentanyl, Cash Seized As Seven Busted In Major Laurel Drug Operation: Police Guns, Fentanyl, Cash Seized As Seven Busted In Major Laurel Drug Operation: Police Guns, Fentanyl, Cash Seized As Seven Busted In Major Laurel Drug Operation: Police
Guns, Fentanyl, Cash Seized As Seven Busted In Major Laurel Drug Operation: Police A massive drug bust in Maryland ended with seven people in jail and thousands of dollars worth of drugs off the streets, authorities announced on Thursday. Several weapons and a veritable pharmacy of drugs were recovered by investigators with the Anne Arundel County Police Department that ended with several Laurel residents behind bars. According to the department, on Wednesday, April 29, detectives were assisting in executing a search warrant at a residence in the 200 block of Jill Lane in Laurel. During a search of the home, they found multiple weapons and drugs. Investigators seiz…

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by Zak Failla
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