Sunday, April 19, 2026

Don’t Be a Precious Metals Fool

(Stuart Englert, Money Metals News Service) Since it’s April 1st, it seems an appropriate time to look at the Top 10 reasons why it’s foolish to own gold and silver.

1) Despite persistently dire and gloomy headlines, all the world’s economic problems and financial woes, including excess currency creation, price inflation, and record indebtedness, have been solved—forever.

2) Acknowledging that charging exorbitant interest on loans is immoral, creditors and lenders around the globe plan to declare a debt jubilee, forgiving all government, corporate, household, and individual debts, totaling $348 trillion. Budgetary bliss and economic utopia will ensue, while financial exploitation and predatory lending will cease.

3) With their debts erased, financially reformed governments worldwide will halt deficit spending, incessant borrowing, and announce a decades-long income tax holiday, lifting the onerous burden on their citizens, who will stop dreading the financial future and wallow in their newfound wealth.

4) Since they’re so deadly, destructive, expensive to wage, and contribute greatly to budget deficits, world leaders will ban all wars and armed conflicts, as well as economic sanctions and trade restrictions. Free enterprise will rule, and the peace dividend will reign. Philanthropy and prudence will prevail over profligacy and war profiteering.

5) With debts forgiven, wars banned, and currency debasement curtailed, monetary inflation will be reduced to the point that the Federal Reserve and other central banks will embrace their irrelevancy. No longer needed to hike interest rates to deflate asset bubbles or combat rising prices, the parasitic institutions ultimately will be dismantled and mothballed.

6) With inflation slayed and across-the-board balanced budgets, fiat currencies will appreciate in value, prompting governments and central banks to unlock their vaults, relinquish their 37,000 tons of gold reserves, and donate the worthless bullion to architectural artists and historical museums, thereby abandoning thousands of years of monetary history.

7) Without depreciating currencies and monetary inflation, owning precious metals as financial assets, economic insurance, or personal savings will become pointless and passé. Gold and silver will become relics of the past as antiquated as dinosaur bones, film cameras, and telephone booths. Gold and silver coins will be repurposed as gaming tokens and poker chips. Bullion bars will be used as construction material, doorstops, and paperweights.

8) As part of the growing trend away from shiny rocks, women in India start collecting Barbie dolls and Beanie Babies for their enduring value rather than gold bangles, earrings, and necklaces.

9) With precious metals falling out of fashion, the anti-gold and silver craze catches on globally among the jewelry-wearing general public. Environmentally-conscious newlyweds in the United States, for example, begin exchanging wooden wedding bands and nose rings made from recycled plastic as symbols of their eternal love.

10) And finally, in addition to declining consumer demand for precious metals, space aliens have taught Chinese scientists how to transform abundant iron pyrite (known as fool’s gold) into gold, convert tin foil hats into silver, and turn scrap aluminum into palladium and platinum, purely for industrial applications, of course.

If you’re naïve enough to believe any of the forementioned nonsense on April Fools’ Day, or any other day for that matter, you’re probably foolish enough not to own gold and silver.


A veteran journalist, Stuart Englert is the author of Rigged: Exposing the Largest Financial Fraud in History, which documents precious metals market manipulation and price suppression. You can visit his Substack HERE.

Trump Pardons Corrupt Nursing Home Owner

(José Niño, Headline USA) President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to nursing home owner Joseph Schwartz in November, erasing his federal prison sentence just three months into a three year term for orchestrating a $39 million payroll tax scheme. The pardon left grieving families unable to collect multimillion dollar judgments awarded after their loved ones died in Schwartz’s facilities, ProPublica reported.

Schwartz had pleaded guilty last April to failure to pay IRS taxes withheld from employees and failing to file a financial report for his employees’ benefit plan. Federal prosecutors said they believed Schwartz still controlled more than $50 million in assets, though not a single asset appeared in his name.

The New York Times reported that Schwartz spent more than $1 million on lobbyists to press the White House, the Justice Department, and Congress on his behalf. Far right activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer also championed his cause, publishing posts on X that falsely claimed Schwartz was not responsible for the tax violations and that he had paid back “every dime.” She accused the sentencing judge of antisemitism against Schwartz, who is Jewish, though she offered no evidence. Loomer said she heard about the case in a group chat with members of an orthodox Jewish outreach movement who asked her to look into it.

The White House claimed that Schwartz “relied on a third-party entity” to manage tax filings, that no funds were used for personal enrichment, and that the sentence was “an example of over prosecution.” But those claims are contradicted by the court record and Schwartz’s own guilty plea, in which he acknowledged responsibility for the unpaid payroll taxes. While he repaid $5 million, that covered only a fraction of what he owed.

Among those left without recourse was the family of Doris Coulson. The retired cardiac nurse had been admitted to Hillview Post Acute and Rehabilitation Center in Little Rock, Arkansas in January 2016 after Parkinson’s disease left her at risk of choking when she swallowed. Her medical records were marked “NPO,” meaning nothing by mouth.

In September 2016, a nursing assistant found Coulson unresponsive and hanging off the side of her bed, her skin ashy and her breathing shallow. She died several days later. The chief cause of death was aspiration pneumonia.

“The doctors said they found scrambled eggs in her lungs,” said her daughter Melissa Coulson.

The family sued Skyline Healthcare and Schwartz, alleging that cost cutting at Hillview left Coulson without necessary care. Schwartz did not contest the case, and a judge in 2020 awarded nearly $19 million in damages. The family has never collected. Schwartz had relinquished all property in Arkansas by that time.

Another family sued after Zelma Grissom, a mother of six, died of sepsis from bedsores at the same facility. Her son LeVester Ivy recalled that one day a wound care nurse showed the family a severe pressure sore that had developed after Grissom had not been turned regularly.

“She started getting infection after infection,” Ivy recalled.

A judge ordered Schwartz to pay Grissom’s family $15.7 million. Schwartz has not paid the judgment.

U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton said at sentencing that she could not understand why prosecutors had agreed to such a lenient sentence. She noted that it remained unclear where much of the money had gone and that “Not a single asset is in your name. Not one.”

Trump’s pardon wiped away Schwartz’s federal prison sentence and likely any IRS effort to recover the remaining stolen taxes. But it did not affect a separate Arkansas state conviction for Medicaid fraud and tax evasion.

The Arkansas Advocate reported that Schwartz owed the state nine months in prison and $1.8 million in restitution. A spokesman for Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said last week that after making some payments, Schwartz owed about $1.2 million, which must be fully repaid by April 2027.

Schwartz reported to an Arkansas prison on December 29, creating an opportunity for lawyers representing families with judgments against him to serve him with court papers and compel him to answer questions under oath about his finances. But the window proved too brief. The Arkansas parole board released Schwartz after just three weeks.

Melissa Coulson said Trump’s pardon reinforced her belief that justice is not applied equally.

“Apparently he’s got money somewhere,” Coulson said. Her lawyer hopes to find it.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

Greg Bovino is Locked Out of Gov Social Media Accounts

(José Niño, Headline USA) The Trump administration terminated three social media accounts that recently retired Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino had converted to his personal brand and declined to relinquish despite them being government property, the Washington Examiner reported.

Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts tied to the Border Patrol’s El Centro, California sector with a combined following of 850,000 users were closed down mid Thursday after functioning earlier that day, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“Chief Patrol Agent Bovino has retired from federal service and no longer has access to official government social media accounts,” a CBP spokesperson wrote in an email to the Washington Examiner.

A senior Department of Homeland Security official verified that the department reclaimed the accounts on the first full day that Secretary Markwayne Mullin took charge.

Bovino was one of 20 chief patrol agents across the country who directed operations in their assigned regions. His role permitted him to upload pictures, videos, and text to the region’s accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X once senior officials at CBP headquarters gave their approval.

The dispute originated in July 2025 when Bovino took a sizable contingent of Border Patrol agents from the El Centro Sector to Los Angeles, where they clashed with activists and rioters demonstrating against federal immigration operations. Bovino started sharing updates from Los Angeles while content about El Centro vanished from the accounts’ feeds.

He gained recognition for eye-catching social media videos showcasing his confrontational style in capturing suspected illegal aliens and boasting about his team’s accomplishments. The spectacles alarmed immigrant rights organizations, immigration lawyers, and even some conservatives who found the growing use of force and its celebration disturbing.

One source with knowledge of exchanges between Bovino, CBP, and DHS wrote that CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott “gave Bovino a direct order to return the pages/accounts names to reflect El Centro Sector and that new accounts would be created” for Bovino in his broader role.

“Bovino refused, arguing that the followers were his, he said he earned the followers and that his followers expected him to post from new cities,” the same person said. “It was all about Greg Bovino getting attention and nothing else.”

A separate DHS official recalled that “When Bovino took those accounts, they told him not to. He said, ‘Those are my followers, so I’m taking them with me.'”

Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign manager who worked under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as a special government employee, shielded Bovino from CBP’s attempts to recover its accounts.

“Corey prevented the Commissioner from taking any action against Bovino, so that just empowered Bovino and his ego even more,” a third official said.

Left without a way to inform the public about arrests and operations, the El Centro Sector launched three new accounts on each platform in early September. Those new accounts have accumulated just 11,000 followers compared to the 850,000 following Bovino commandeered.

Bovino was removed from Minneapolis in January after two fatal shootings of U.S. citizen activists by federal officers. He went back to California before retiring in late March.

During his last weeks, Bovino spoke with the New York Times, which published an extensive account from his viewpoint about directing Border Patrol operations across half a dozen “sanctuary” cities. At the time of the interview, Bovino’s name and his self designated title of commander at large still sat atop his trio of appropriated social media accounts.

Days afterward, those pages and Bovino’s recorded history on each profile had disappeared.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

Eric Swalwell Demands FBI Not Release His Files

(Luis CornelioHeadline USA) Embattled Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who has long demanded that President Donald Trump release the Epstein files, now faces scrutiny as the FBI prepares to release documents tied to its investigation into his alleged ties to a Chinese intelligence operative.

The scrutiny comes after Swalwell demanded Monday that FBI Director Kash Patel refrain from declassifying the potentially damaging files, which could shed light on his relationship with Christine Fang, the suspected Chinese spy also known as “Fang Fang.”

On X, critics highlighted what they called blatant hypocrisy, pointing to Swalwell’s prior demands that Trump release the Epstein files.

One widely shared X post from July 2025 read, “Trump has the files. Why won’t HE release them,” in reference to the Epstein files.

On Sept. 25, Swalwell himself replied to a post from Patel, writing, “Blah blah blah. Where are the Epstein Files?”

On Oct. 7, Swalwell again pressed Patel, adding, “Where are the Epstein Files?”

Just 10 days later, Swalwell escalated further, branding House Speaker Mike Johnson the “pro-pedophile Speaker” and again demanding the Epstein files be released.

Swalwell conveyed his opposition in a cease-and-desist letter to Patel, urging that his own FBI files are not released.

“The congressman has never been accused of wrongdoing in that matter and your attempt to release the file is a transparent attempt to smear him and undermine his campaign for governor of California,” the letter said, as quoted by the leftist Washington Post.

It added, “Your actions threaten to expose you, others at the FBI, and the FBI itself to significant legal liability.”

The Post reported over the weekend that Patel had deployed agents to California to review the documents ahead of a potential public release.

The forthcoming release of the files could provide clarity on the FBI’s investigation into Swalwell’s early political career. He joined Congress in 2013 after serving three years on the Dublin City Council.

The probe centered on Fang’s alleged efforts to act as a Chinese intelligence operative by cultivating relationships with up-and-coming politicians.

Swalwell has not definitively denied having a sexual relationship with Fang. He purportedly cut off contact with her after being briefed by the FBI.

What Swalwell knew about Fang, and what he told the FBI, has largely remained speculative, but that could change if the files were released.

Kristi Noem’s Husband Exposed in Fetish Scandal

(José Niño, Headline USA) Bryon Noem, the husband of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, has been revealed as a secret crossdresser who wore fake breasts and pink shorts while paying adult performers for explicit conversations, The Daily Mail reported.

As his wife oversaw critical national security matters at DHS, Bryon, 56, was dressing up and transferring money to women involved in the “bimbofication” scene, a fetish community where porn performers alter themselves to resemble real life Barbie dolls by injecting massive quantities of saline into their breasts.

The Daily Mail examined hundreds of messages with three women. Bryon showered their surgically altered bodies with compliments, expressed his fascination with “huge, huge ridiculous boobs,” and offered revealing remarks about his 34 year marriage to Kristi.

National security analysts cautioned that his activities may have exposed the former DHS secretary to blackmail risks.

“If a media organization can find this out, you can assume with a high degree of confidence that a hostile intelligence service knows this as well,” warned former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos.

Photos shared with his online contacts show Bryon in a flesh toned crop top and tight pink shorts, apparently with balloons stuffed beneath his shirt to mimic breasts. A separate image depicts him wearing form fitting green leggings and a white top stretched across two prominent bulges. His face is unmistakably visible in both pictures.

Text and WhatsApp exchanges show that Bryon received repeated requests for money throughout the 14 months Noem ran the country’s biggest federal law enforcement agency. He transferred at least $25,000 to his online contacts through Cash App and PayPal.

Jack Barsky, a former Soviet spy who became a US counterintelligence asset, told The Daily Mail the blackmail potential was disturbing.

“It’s astounding that somebody whose spouse is at that level has that kind of bad judgment,” he said.

Polymeropoulos concurred. “Damaging information like this can be a tantalizing lead for a hostile intelligence service. They approach the person and say, if you work with us we won’t expose this, and if you don’t, we will. That’s espionage 101.”

When the Daily Mail contacted Bryon by phone, he did not dispute having explicit exchanges or distributing photos of himself dressed as a woman. Asked whether he had made careless comments about his wife and potentially compromised national security, he answered, “Yeah, I made no comments like that, that would lead to that. I deny the second part of that.” He then ended the call.

“Mrs. Noem is devastated,” a spokesperson for the former DHS Secretary stated. “The family was blindsided by this. They ask for privacy and prayers at this time.”

Bryon operated under the pseudonym “Jason Jackson” when messaging the women, flattering their figures and pledging to worship them. A PayPal account registered to “Jason Jackson” made regular transfers ranging from $500 to $1,000.

One woman recounted accidentally pocket dialing him and hearing a voicemail message stating “Noem Insurance, leave a message.” A brief Google search returned photos of Kristi and Bryon Noem.

“I was completely shocked,” the woman said. “I said, ‘Why are you doing this?’ I didn’t think hot guys did this. He said he didn’t care. I thought, you should care – your wife could lose everything she’s ever worked for.”

The Daily Mail had previously reported on Kristi Noem’s alleged multi year affair with close advisor Corey Lewandowski. During a March 4 congressional hearing, California Democrat Sydney Kamlager Dove questioned the departing DHS Secretary about whether she had sexual relations with Lewandowski. Noem avoided a direct denial, instead firing back, “I am shocked that we’re going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this committee.”

When one of the women inquired about the affair allegations, Bryon responded, “I know. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Trump dismissed Noem from the cabinet in March following bipartisan backlash over her management of the Minneapolis deportation operations during which two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by ICE agents. Markwayne Mullin has since taken over at DHS while Noem transitioned to special envoy for the Shield of the Americas initiative.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino 

Pelosi Yet Again Compares Biden to LBJ 

(Luis CornelioHeadline USA) Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., appears to be trying once again to cozy up to Joe Biden, her former ally and the embattled former president, by publicly praising him and comparing him to Lyndon B. Johnson. 

Pelosi made the comparison during a softball interview with left-leaning MS Now correspondent Ali Vitali, published Tuesday. 

“I wonder if you factor in the way Biden’s campaign ended, when you think about your own legacy. I think that many people credit you or blame you for the way that campaign ended. And I wonder how you think about that now that some time has passed,” Vitali asked. 

Pelosi said in response, ‘“Well, I don’t know – how can I say this in a nice way? The Biden administration accomplished great things. People compared him to LBJ in terms of the amount of quality and quantity of accomplishments.” 

Pelosi went on to claim that while Biden had “achievements,” many people were unaware of them. She also said she had urged Biden’s campaign to diversify the polls they were using and ensure he was fit to serve another term. 

“They didn’t agree with that,” Pelosi recalled. 

Pelosi’s comments come after she publicly compared Biden to LBJ and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, both presidents celebrated for their Great Society and New Deal programs. 

Lawmakers Travel Freely While TSA Goes Unpaid

(Luis CornelioHeadline USA) Members of Congress may not see eye to eye on much, but one thing drew bipartisan consensus: a two-week recess amid a Democrat-led DHS shutdown.

Democrat and Republican lawmakers alike faced backlash after leaving Washington, D.C., this weekend for a 14-day break tied to the Passover and Easter holidays, even as half of all DHS workers went unpaid.

The backlash came as Democrats continued refusing to fund DHS unless ICE is handicapped, fueling a shutdown now in its 44th day.

Among those drawing the most attention were Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who was spotted at a Las Vegas casino, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who appeared at Disney World.

Other lawmakers also drew scrutiny, with Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., seen being escorted through airport security and Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., seen seated on flights

Photos published by TMZ showed Garcia at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, standing near a bar with a friend.

A bystander approached Garcia to ask if he was enjoying himself before being shooed away by two bodyguards.

According to TMZ, Garcia told the guards the photos did not bother him.

Garcia later took to X, claiming he was visiting his parents in Las Vegas: “Actually I don’t mind what tmz is doing here. Like the story says my dad has lived in Vegas for 15 years and I had just finished lunch with him. I try to see him whenever I can.”

He also tried to shift blame to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., saying he “should have never sent us all home.”

The recess, however, had been scheduled in advance.

Graham, for his part, defended his visit to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, calling it a business trip.

It remains unclear whether the recess will continue as President Trump has called on lawmakers to return to Washington and make a deal.

Tiger Woods Pleads Not Guilty to DUI

(Headline USA) Tiger Woods entered a not guilty plea in his driving under the influence case in Florida on Tuesday, hours after a sheriff’s report said he had pain pills and showed signs of impairment at the scene of the crash last week.

The online court docket for Martin County, Florida, showed Woods entered a written plea of not guilty and planned to waive his appearance during an arraignment hearing next month.

Woods’ eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils dilated and he had opioid pills in his pocket when interviewed at the scene of the crash, according to the arrest report released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

Woods’ movements were slow and lethargic, he was sweating as he talked to deputies and told them he had taken prescription medication earlier in the morning, according to the report. Woods told deputies he had been looking at his phone and fiddling with the radio before he clipped a truck in front of him, the report said.

Deputies found two white pills, which were identified as the opioid hydrocodone used to treat pain, in his pocket, the report said.

When asked by a deputy if he took any prescription medications, Woods said, “I take a few.”

Woods’ agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, has not responded to multiple messages seeking comment.

The golfer was traveling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island when his Land Rover clipped the truck and rolled onto its side, according to the sheriff’s office, which noted Woods showed signs of impairment.

The truck had $5,000 in damage, according to the report.

The truck driver and another person helped Woods out of his vehicle, with the golfer needing to climb out from the passenger side. Neither Woods nor the truck driver were injured.

During a field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods limping and that he had a compression sock over his right knee. The golfer explained he had undergone seven back surgeries and over 20 leg operations and that his ankle seizes up while walking. 

Woods, who was hiccupping during the questioning, continuously moved his head during one of the sobriety tests and deputies had to instruct him several times to keep his head straight, the report said.

“Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed that Woods normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle,” the deputy wrote after the tests.

Woods, 50, is the most influential figure in golf and has become as recognizable as any athlete in the world. The first person of Black heritage to win the Masters in 1997, he has captivated golf fans with records likely never to be broken.

But his injuries kept him from accomplishing more, including those suffered in a 2021 car crash that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation.

At this latest crash, Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. He was arrested and released on bail eight hours later.

No one from Woods’ camp or the PGA Tour — he is on the board and is chairman of the committee reshaping the competition model — have commented since his arrest.

Woods, who has been involved in many crashes over the years, is charged with driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He is scheduled for arraignment April 23. Online court records do not list an attorney for him.

Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing a law enforcement officer’s request to take a breath, blood or urine test became a misdemeanor, even for a first offense.

 

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

 

JD Vance Has a New Book About His Religious Faith, ‘Communion,’ Coming Out Later This Spring

(Headline USA) Vice President JD Vance has a new book coming out that will explore his religious faith and his conversion to Catholicism as an adult.

“Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith” comes out June 16, the HarperCollins Publishers imprint Harper told The Associated Press on Tuesday. HarperCollins also released “Hillbilly Elegy,” the million-selling memoir from 2016 that helped make Vance a national figure.

“The story of how I regained my faith, of course, only happened because I had lost it to begin with,” Vance, 41, said in a statement.

“The interesting question that hangs over this book, and over my mind, is why I ever strayed from the path. Why the Christian faith of my youth failed to properly take root,” he wrote.

The announcement Tuesday is likely to ramp up speculation that Vance will seek the presidency in 2028 — a possibility the Republican vice president has said he’s not focused on right now, indicating he’d wait until after the 2026 midterm elections to decide on a campaign.

Presidential hopefuls often, though not always, release books before launching a campaign, giving them a moment in the spotlight before new audiences and a chance to crystallize their message embarking on a campaign. Already, potential 2028 candidates on the Democratic side have published books or are planning to roll them out this year, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Vance wrote the 304-page “Communion” himself, according to his publisher, working on it off and on since 2019, and it will include material on his time in politics. Vice presidents from Walter Mondale to Mike Pence have published books, but Vance would be the first in recent memory to do so while in office.

In 2022, HarperCollins told the AP that Vance had set aside a planned religious memoir. Some of “Communion” is drawn from that project.

Vance has said he evolved from Christianity to atheism to Catholicism. He converted in 2019 and credits his new faith with giving him a sense of purpose he didn’t get through his education at Yale University or working in the financial industry.

“Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance’s memoir about his rural roots, was widely read upon its publication and only grew in popularity after Republican Donald Trump’s stunning presidential victory in 2016, when Democrats sought out the book as a way of understanding Trump’s appeal. Ron Howard adapted “Hillbilly Elegy” into a 2020 movie starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams.

Vance initially was a critic of Trump but became a close ally. He was elected to the Senate as a Republican from Ohio in 2022 and was chosen two years later by Trump as his running mate, becoming the youngest vice president since Richard Nixon served under President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s.

The news about Vance’s book followed Monday’s announcement by his wife, Usha Vance, that she has started a podcast called “Storytime with the Second Lady” to promote reading among children.

The Vances have three young children, and Usha Vance is pregnant with their fourth, a boy due in late July.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

 

Marine Detained with Explosive Round

(Headline USA) A U.S. Marine was detained at a California airport after Transportation Security Administration personnel found a live 25 mm explosive round in his checked baggage, police said.

The round was found during the screening process of checked luggage at Palm Springs International Airport on Monday, the Palm Springs Police Department said in a news release.

The Marine told investigators he found the round “in the field” about a year ago and kept it, thinking it wasn’t live.

“Due to extensive rust and corrosion, the round’s original identifying paint markings were no longer visible, making it difficult to determine whether it was an inert training munition or a live explosive device,” police said in the news release.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team used X-ray technology to confirm that it was a live round. The team took it to a desert area near Interstate 10, where it was destroyed, the news release said. No one was hurt.

Police said they submitted the case to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for a review of potential violations and criminal charges. An email seeking comment was sent to the district attorney’s office Tuesday.

The Marine, who was released to military authorities, could face administrative action by the Marine Corps and a potential civil penalty through the TSA, police said. Emails seeking comment were sent to both organizations.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press