Staff Reports
They came to Charlotte to listen to victims, but what they heard should shame every lawmaker who pretends soft-on-crime is working. Stephen Federico, the grieving father of 22-year-old Logan Federico, delivered an emotional, no-nonsense rebuke at a House field hearing — a reminder that real families pay the price when career criminals are shuffled back onto the streets. This was not political theater; it was a father calling out broken systems while the rest of us try to pick up the pieces.
On May 3, 2025, Logan was visiting friends in Columbia, South Carolina, when a violent intruder allegedly broke into the home, shot her in the chest, and fled; police arrested 30-year-old Alexander Dickey days later after an arson-linked crime spree. Law enforcement moved quickly to lock him up, but the real outrage is that Dickey was on the streets at all despite a long criminal history. Logan was a hard-working young woman studying to teach and holding two jobs — the kind of American family member conservatives fight to protect.
What makes this case infuriating rather than merely tragic is the paperwork and system failures that let a repeat offender slip through the cracks. Investigations show Dickey’s rap sheet was riddled with omissions: fingerprint records weren’t properly entered into the state’s system, prior convictions vanished from the files, and at least one key 2014 sentencing treated him like a first-time offender. That bureaucratic negligence translated directly into a life taken and a family left to mourn — a preventable horror born of incompetence and indifference.
Federico didn’t mince words at the hearing, and neither should anyone with a conscience. He told lawmakers he would not be quiet until the system is fixed and justice is served, joining other victims’ families who put a human face on the consequences of weak sentencing and cashless-bail experiments. Congressional members held the hearing in Charlotte to examine rising violence and repeat offenders, and Republicans on the panel rightly used the spotlight to demand answers and immediate reforms. This isn’t cynical politics — it’s necessary pressure to protect everyday Americans.
Make no mistake: the policies that let dangerous criminals cycle back into communities are a choice, and it’s time to stop acting like they are the inevitable result of complexity. Elected officials who trimmed enforcement, embraced catch-and-release practices, or refused to fund basic record-keeping must be held accountable. Leaders in North Carolina and in Washington are now debating reforms to bail rules, magistrate oversight, and prosecutorial capacity because tragedies like Logan’s expose the cost of lax leadership. If lawmakers refuse to change, voters should.
If we want fewer funerals and more justice, the fixes are straightforward: restore thorough fingerprinting and rebooking procedures, mandate interoperable records so prior convictions don’t disappear, and stop treating repeat violent offenders like paperwork inconveniences. Reporting shows Dickey had been arrested dozens of times and yet served only limited time — a system that undercounts a criminal is a system that emboldens crime. We owe Logan and families like hers real reform, not platitudes.
This is a moment for principled action, not political spin. Honor Logan’s memory by demanding accountability from the bureaucrats and politicians who failed her, vote for leaders who prioritize law and order, and push for concrete changes that keep dangerous people where they belong — behind bars. We are a nation built on work, family, and the rule of law; letting repeat predators roam free is an insult to every hardworking American trying to live in peace.
