thank you for joining us. i'm j.c. hayward. former d.c. council member harry thomas jr. is in court where he is expected to enter a guilty plea for stealing more than $350,000 in government

funds and filing false tax returns. we now go to delia gonsalves, she's been following the saga. she's at u.s. district court with more information. delia? >> reporter: j.c., good afternoon. you know, it is pretty amazing, despite the several crews we have covering each of the three doors here at federal court, harry thomas jr. still managed to slip through without being noticed. he is inside. he has been inside for about 45 minutes by now. he is just moments away from receiving his judgment. we know that harry thomas jr. is charged with taking more than $350,000 in government funds, using it to allegedly buy fancy suv and a motorcycle. he's also charged with filing false tax returns for three years in a row. apparently wasting very little time after his 2006 election to office, only getting more bold by not reporting more than $270,000 in 2008. thomas is accused of using that much from his youth baseball

league, like i said for lavish vacations and fancy cars. however, he still has his supporters, some of them, actually came out today and spoke to us and said you know, we should look at his body of work. yet and still, he has admitted the wrong-doings, releasing a statement last night, apologizing to his supporters, apologizing to his family, saying he did the wrong thing, made some misjudgments. he said he's now beginning to make things right. in this day in court for him is his steps in making things right, eventually, the steps to making things right may actually lead him right into a prison cell. the two charges against him carry a permit of up to 1 -- a penalty of up to 13 years behind bars. he may not serve that much time, maybe about three years. it is up to a judge to decide what the exact penalty will be. bruce johnson is inside. he's been monitoring the story. broke the story first earlier this week. he is inside the courtroom and

will come down and break into our news cast if we need to with any developments on this case. stay tuned. we'll have much more on this developing story throughout the day. j.c., back to you. >> thank you very much, delia, reporting live from u.s. district court. >> council chair kwame brown's 2010 campaign has been accused of ethical lapses that include discrepancies involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. bruce johnson talked to him about that last night. >> i have done absolutely nothing wrong, bruce. >> other members of your campaign? your father, your brother? >> i don't think so, bruce, no. i think what we have is that we want to let the investigation run its course. i have all of the confidence in the justice department to carry out their mission. we look forward to having some closure. >> brown added that transparency is the key to d.c.'s city leaders restoring trust of the voters. a man and a woman are

recovering after they were struck by a hit-and-run driver. it happened this morning on route 414 between thompson lane and livingston road in oxon hill, maryland. medics rushed both victims to the hospital. prince george's county police are looking for clues at the scene in order to find the driver of this accident. a d.c. health department report on the conditions at the occupy protest site will hit the mayor's desk today. the city's health director toured the mcpherson square encampment yesterday. there have been complaints that garbage and remnants of food are creating rat problems. some protestors, however, deny the claims. the health department will likely make additional recommendations after the inspection. the grandmother convicted of throwing a 2-year-old granddaughter to her death will be sentenced today. a jury convicted carmella de la rosa in october of fist degree

murder. the jury rejected the defense's claim that de la rosa was insane when she threw anglin ogdoc from a skywalk at tysons corner. a judge could sentence the grandmother to 35 years in prison. with only five days to go before the nation's first presidential primary, the gloves are coming off in new hampshire for the republican candidate. they are all taking shots at mitt romney. meanwhile, danielle nottingham explains why newt gingrich is under scrutiny with african- american voters. >> reporter: mitt romney is enjoying a 20-point lead in new hampshire from campaign stops nearly 800 miles away. >> this president doesn't understand how this economy works. it is time to get a president who does. >> reporter: the republican front runner is in south carolina focusing his attacks on president obama. but romney's rivals are ramping

up their attacks on him. >> romney's economic plan, timid. >> this new ad is from newt gingrich who has all but abandoned his pledge to run a positive campaign. today, he was on the defensive, accused of singling out african americans who use welfare. >> every american of every background should have an opportunity to get a job, not be dependent on food stamps. >> rick santorum is billing himself as the true conservative. $2 million of campaign cash poured in after his strong finish in iowa. and he is starting to get some traction here. but new hampshire voters are more moderate than the social conservatives who helped santorum surge in iowa. still, republicans here take their first in the nation primary seriously and are carefully weighing their options. >> americans are hurting. americans are in crisis. and the least we can do is talk about it. >> jon huntsman is running far behind in the polls but he picked up an endorsement from

"the boston globe." the paper snubbed former massachusetts governor romney for a second time. danielle nottingham, cbs news, nashua, new hampshire. still to come, when 9news now at noon continues, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the titanic. we will give you a peek at some of the treasures pulled from the ship that are now up for auction.

>> we have breaking news. we have just learned that former d.c. council member harry thomas has entered a guilty plea on federal embezzlement and tax fraud charges. let's go right to bruce johnson with more information. >> j.c., guilty as charged. that's what harry thomas jr. told the federal judge today. judge bates, a push appointee back in 2003, the judge asked him many questions, do you understand the charges against him. one count of theft, another count of failing to file the proper, honest income tax returns. he was quite clear in his voice. he said i do understand. he entered two guilty pleas. now sentencing has been set for -- and this is somewhat of a surprise, may 3, 9:30 back here in court. he's giving him six months to remain out on the streets. i can't give you the conditions of his release. that part of the hearing is going on. couple of things -- i just lost my ifb, but a couple of things

i can tell you, under the scene that was laid out in court. we heard the word "kickback" and what has been reveal and what harry thomas referred to is he got kickbacks from people he set up in team harry to help kids with youth baseball. another was some kind of private development firm that he headed. government money, federal money coming through the city went to these two entities and money was kicked back to harry thomas. one example they gave was the luxury audi suv that he bought in 2008. he got $50,000 from one of the entities toward the purchase of that vehicle. i'm told from my sources, he did apply his credit card for the remainder to get that $60,000 to buy that. there was also the motorcycle. lots of trips, golf outings and a number of other things. they weren't detailed but were touched on in court today. harry thomas jr. admitted guilt in all of those instances.

$25,000. he didn't report on his income tax returns in 2007. $278,000 in 2008. $43,000 in 2009. now, what is he looking at come sentencing in may? according to what was outlined here in court, the judge does not have to adhere to this, 37 months to 46 months. he's going to do some time in prison. it is a question of how much. the judge has already pointed out it kicked up to another level because he's a d.c. council member and he had the responsibility as an agent of the city government to watch over the funds so, you can assume he's going to get the minimum 37 and probably more could go up to 46 months. it is going to be a presentence hearing before he is sentenced. right now between now and may, he will be reporting to the probation department. they'll be doing their presentence investigation and they'll report back to the judge. that will go a long way to determine just what that sentence is going to be. i think it is safe to assume

harry thomas jr. is going to walk out of the courthouse and probably won't be incarcerated. there will be some string he want terms for the condition of his release. j.c., i don't have ifb. i can't take your questions. back to you. >> all right, bruce johnson reporting live. there will be a special election held for replacement for former council member harry thomas for ward five. we're going to take a break. when we come back, howard will have the weekend forecast. >> j.c., what a weekend. some folks are going golfing here! golfable weather through the weekend. we'll talk about that. is there a cold front on the way. it is all coming up when 9news now returns.

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we can do this. we can do this together. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee, because everyone deserves a lifetime. april marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the titanic. for the first time, i'ms from the ocean liner will be sold at auction. >> reporter: they're artifacts from the legendary ocean liner titanic. a diamond studded brace let bearing the name amy. a vest from a third class passenger. >> it was in a suitcase that was fully packed with william henry allen's clothes for his new life in america. >> reporter: since the wreckage was discovered in 1985, 5500ite ems have been recovered. all of them from the debris field two and a half miles below the surface of the

western atlantic. a silver mesh purse. the white star line china. a luggage tag. the actual ship considered sacred, has not been touched. ph recovered many of the delicate items himself. his favorite, a little ceramic souvenir. >> i don't know what it was. i saw it on the expedition. i like this object. >> reporter: on april 11th, exactly 100 years to the day of titanic's maiden voyage, all of the items will be auctioned off. there is a catch. everything must be sold to one buyer. a judge ordered the collection estimated to be worth nearly $200 million be kept together to preserve its historic value for the public. >> it is a remarkable collection. it is an honor to work with it. and you really actually sort of, in your research, start thinking of everyone on the ship as a friend. researchers hope to return to the debris field. there are countless more items to recover. manuel gallegus, cbs news, new york. >> there were 2,223 passengers

and crew aboard the titanic. when it departed from southampton, england for new york city. 1,517 people died when the ship sank five days later. well, we don't have snow in the forecast according to howard. but we're thinking about snow because we know sooner or later we will have it. in the district, you're supposed to clear your sidewalks in eight daylight hours after the snow stops falling. d.c. councilman mary shea has proposed a law allowing the city to hand out fines for people who do not shovel their sidewalks. the fine would be $25. all right, let's go to honolulu where the humpback whales appeared in the city harbor for the first time in 15 years! a man working on one of the piers took photos when two whales surfaced. the two stayed in the harbor for awhile. apparently doing circles until they realized how to get back

into the open water. humpbacks migrate from alaska to the waters around hawaii during the winter. and monday is going to mark a new era for the morning news on cbs. the new team, gayle king, charlie rose and erica hill talk to andrea roane and mike hydeck about what we can expect. >> we're very excited. this time, we're thinking we have something very, very special. we can't give you too many details because we would have to kill you but we have new digs, a new set. we've got -- it is not even a new philosophy because cbs stands for great story-telling, great conversation, strong reporting and we intend to carry that on through the morning news starting january 9th. >> i love gail king because i trained her. the cbs new morning show is going to be launched on monday at 7:00 a.m. and we're going to be watching. >> what did she do here? >> she was in our reporter

trainee program. yes. so, we trained -- she got her start right here at channel 9. look where she's landed! my goodness. >> on the network's morning show. >> we're so proud of her. we really, really are. let's get the weekend forecast. >> unbelievable outside. what a day. what a start we had. beautiful sky this morning. lot of pictures sent to me. gotta share this one for you from northeast d.c. this one comes from kelly romananski. the sky was a beautiful red this morning. clouds coming in from the west. the sun rising in the east. absolutely gorgeous. plenty of sunshine. very mild temperatures. we're shooting into the upper 50s this afternoon. maybe even near 60. in fact, every time i look at it, the numbers are coming higher and higher. i'm going 57. 59 by 3:00. maybe a little tough at national due to the water. there will be spots in the low 60s south and west of town.

by 7:00, 49. and by 9:00 p.m., 46. we're dropping into the 30s overnight tonight. our weather headlines, got 50s and 60s today. 50s tomorrow. near 50 sunday. a little bit cooler. showers going to be possible monday. especially south. it will be cooler in the 40s but the next big rain event probably holds off until next wednesday. if you want some cold air, that may not happen until next weekend. there are signs the second half of january could be winter- like. as opposed to what we're dealing with now. plenty of sunshine. still a northwesterly flow. you can see a few clouds here and there and it was a cold morning. we dipped into the 20s and 30s. low 30s across the region. 33. we're now up to 52 at national. 59 in annapolis. offshore breeze. 61 in fredericksburg and culpepper. martinsburg is 60. just an unbelievable afternoon especially when you consider 43 is the ample high. here is our michael and son camera on the white house. what a gorgeous-looking

afternoon going on here in d.c. with 52 degrees. mostly cloudy. these are high, thin clouds. lots of sunshine. a south wind at 11 miles per hour. mild temperatures across much of the country. the jet stream well to the north, a little bit cold across parts of the northeast and new england where it was below zero in caribou, maine but the cold air is way up here. mild air is taking over for today, tonight, tomorrow with a northwesterly flow, the front will be arriving tomorrow afternoon. it comes through without much fanfare. it will cool us down, chill us down a little bit for the time we get to sunday. today, 57, at least some areas in the low 60s south and west. mild, 56. 56 tomorrow. still way above average. sunday, a little bit cooler but above average at 49. by monday, a chance of a shower. if it can be cold enough, northern edge might see a wet flake. wednesday looks wet and 49 and still mild thursday, potentially colder next week. we are going to a commercial. don't go anywhere. we've got a nice looking young

lady talking about something with the girl scouts when we return on 9news now at noon.

i just had it with cable. it just got more frustrating and frustrating. a lot of times, the picture would break up. for the amount of money that i am paying, my cable company should take care of me. [ male announcer ] stop paying for second best. move up to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years. first time we saw tv on fios was amazing! i was just in a trance watching it. i'm discovering new channels every day. [ male announcer ] and here's a special bonus:

sign up now and get $300 back with a two-year contract. fios internet -- the speed, you can't compare. i'm able to take care of things much faster now. [ male announcer ] start saving now. move up to fios for our best price online -- $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years and get $300 back with a two-year contract. or ask us about the option of no annual contract. is change good? in this case, change is very good. [ male announcer ] visit verizon.com/greatprice. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/greatprice. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead.

we're one on one today with the girl scouts! they're getting ready for a big birthday bash celebrating 100th anniversary. i have two special people with me. i have a girl scout cadet and her name is layla williams. so pretty. and then we have murine sullivan, the -- murine sullivan, the daisy girl scout leader. i was a girl scout. now, it is cookie time when girl scouts will be out at major stores and knocking on doors and getting in touch with family and friends to sell girl scout cookies. and you have a new cookie. >> yes. >> the new cookie is savannah

smiles. i like the name savannah smiles. is it good? >> i haven't tried it yet. >> well, let's open it up and try it. it is lemon cookies, right? of course, we have the thin mints. and the significance of the cookie campaign is that when girls sell the cookies, the money that they raise helps their troops. >> yes. >> it is so important. >> yes, definitely. >> and being a scout really is a wonderful foundation for a young girl growing up into becoming a woman. it is so important. >> definitely. >> because they learn so much. they learn sisterhood, they learn how working together is important. they have so many different projects. i remember when i was a girl scout. i think i still carry some of those traits. i hope i do. aren't you happy to be in the troop? >> yes, it is actually a lot of fun doing all of the service projects. >> yes. working with other girls? >> yes. you have a hat. what is that hat for? >> it is the birthday hat that

you wear. >> it is a birthday hat that i should wear? >> yes. >> once you wear it, we will donate a case to your favorite first responders. >> is that so? >> here in the area. >> i'm a hat person so i like this. this is so cute. thank you. >> it has all of the different cookies -- the different varieties. there are eight varieties. >> i like it. now, what are you planning for your birthday bash? anything special? >> we're planning to have 200,000 girls. >> really? what will you be doing? >> we're going to sing songs and share girl scout traditions. >> really? you have a -- what is that that you brought? >> this is the cd from the 95th anniversary of girl scouts. >> oh, really. a sing along. >> and the song book. >> well, congratulations on your 100th anniversary and for selling the cookies. i hope you sell the most in your troop. >> i always do. >> i can tell!

congratulations. thanks for being with us. we're going to open this up so we can taste it. thanks for being with us. >> thank you. >> before you leave us, we want you to stay tuned to 9news for you for our web site, wusa9.com, we'll have the latest information on former d.c. council member harry thomas who pleaded guilty in federal court this morning to stealing more than $350,000.