Current:Home > MarketsU.S. soldier-turned-foreign fighter faces charges in Florida double murder after extradition from Ukraine -Infinite Profit Zone
U.S. soldier-turned-foreign fighter faces charges in Florida double murder after extradition from Ukraine
View
Date:2025-04-18 05:38:11
A former U.S. soldier has been extradited from Ukraine and is facing charges related to a double murder in Florida and other alleged crimes, officials said Monday. Craig Austin Lang, 34, allegedly committed the double murder as well as armed robbery and aggravated identity theft, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri referred to Lang's alleged actions as an "international crime spree" that was "shocking in its scope and its callous disregard for human life." He had been expected to make his first appearance in Fort Myers on Monday to face charges.
CBS News has reached out to Lang's court-appointed attorneys for comment.
Court documents state that Lang and a co-defendent, Alex Jared Zwiefelhofer, met in 2017 in Ukraine, where Lang had been living and fighting on and off since 2015, according to the BBC. Zwiefelhofer said they were members of a volunteer battalion fighting against Russian separatists, according to the Justice Department. The pair also allegedly traveled to Kenya and planned to fight terrorists. The two were allegedly detained by authorities when they attempted to enter South Sudan, and were deported back to the United States, the Justice Department said.
The pair allegedly reunited in Florida in 2018. They allegedly killed a couple who had planned to purchase firearms that Lang and Zwiefelhofer listed for sale online. The two then allegedly robbed the victims to pay for travel to Venezuela, where they "planned to fight the Venezuelan regime," according to the Justice Department's news release.
Neither man traveled to Venezuela and Zwiefelhofer was arrested a month later, the BBC reported. Zwiefelhofer was convicted in March and is scheduled to be sentenced in August, according to the Justice Department.
In 2018, Lang allegedly traveled to North Carolina where he took part in a plot to acquire a passport under an assumed name. He allegedly traded multiple firearms, a military smoke grenade and about $1,500 in cash with a man named Dameon Shae Adcock in exchange for using Adcock's information on a passport application, the Justice Department says. Lang and another co-conspirator working to travel under a false identity allegedly acquired tickets to travel from Georgia to New York to Ukraine. The others involved in the scheme pled guilty to charges connected to the scheme and were sentenced in 2020.
In 2019, Lang was charged with misusing a passport at the U.S. border in Arizona to obtain a Mexican visa. In total, he faces charges in three states: Florida, North Carolina and Arizona.
Lang was extradited this year after the European Court of Human Rights rejected his claim challenging extradition under the court's convention. If convicted, he faces up to a life sentence in prison.
- In:
- Arizona
- North Carolina
- Kenya
- Ukraine
- Florida
- Crime
- South Sudan
Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
TwitterveryGood! (9)
Related
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- The NBA is making Hornets star LaMelo Ball cover up his neck tattoo. Here's why.
- Kansas school forced 8-year-old Native American boy to cut his hair, ACLU says
- Is college still worth it? What to consider to make the most of higher education.
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- This cursed season should finally put the 'NFL is scripted' conspiracies to rest
- The Pakistani army kills 4 militants during a raid along the border with Afghanistan
- Russell Wilson's new chapter has helped spark Broncos' resurgence from early-season fiasco
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- How Snow Takes Center Stage in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Ranking
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- No. 5 Washington clinches Pac-12 championship berth with win over No. 10 Oregon State
- Love long strolls in the cemetery? This 19th-century NJ church for sale could be your home
- A law that launched 2,500 sex abuse suits is expiring. It’s left a trail of claims vs. celebs, jails
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Cook drives No. 11 Missouri to winning field goal with 5 seconds left for 33-31 victory over Florida
- COMIC: What it's like living with an underactive thyroid
- 'What is this woman smoking?': How F1 turned a pipe dream into the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Recommendation
B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
CBS to host Golden Globes in 2024
The Truth About Those Slaps and More: 15 Secrets About Monster-In-Law
Do snitches net fishes? Scientists turn invasive carp into traitors to slow their Great Lakes push
Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
Cricket-mad India readies for World Cup final against Australia in 132,000-seat venue
Oldest pygmy hippo in US celebrates 50th birthday with a golden-themed party: Watch
'Hunger Games' burning questions: What happened in the end? Why was 'Ballad' salute cut?