Tag:

Corruption

Alleged Bribes, Illegal Campaign Cash: Feds Lay Out Case Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams Alleged Bribes, Illegal Campaign Cash: Feds Lay Out Case Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams
Alleged Bribes, Illegal Campaign Cash: Feds Lay Out Case Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams Federal authorities released the indictment against New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday, Sept. 26, laying out their case for corruption, bribery, and misuse of public funds, reports said.  Federal investigators have charged the 64-year-old Democrat with five counts, including conspiracy to receive illegal foreign campaign contributions, wire fraud, and bribery, said Damian Williams, the US. attorney for the Southern District of New York in a news conference.  Click here to read the complete indictment from the SDNY. Here is what those allegations are as summari…
Retired Orange County Judge Commits Suicide As FBI Moves In To Arrest Him, Officials Say Retired Orange County Judge Commits Suicide As FBI Moves In To Arrest Him, Officials Say
Retired Orange County Judge Commits Suicide As FBI Moves In To Arrest Him, Officials Say A retired Hudson Valley judge and former assistant district attorney shot himself during an FBI raid at his home, according to multiple published reports. The incident occurred in Orange County early Tuesday, Sept. 24, in Campbell Hall. Law enforcement sources told ABC News 7 that Stewart Rosenwasser, a retired Orange County judge and former executive assistant district attorney of Campbell Hall, was being charged in a corruption case for allegedly taking bribes. The FBI released the following statement regarding the incident: "The FBI is reviewing an agent-involved shooting that occu…
Correctional Officer Who Conspired With Inmate In Fairfax ADC, Gets Prison Time Correctional Officer Who Conspired With Inmate In Fairfax ADC, Gets Prison Time
Correctional Officer Who Conspired With Inmate In Fairfax ADC, Gets Prison Time The former Fairfax County Sheriff's deputy who conspired with inmates to distribute contraband at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center will be spending years on the other side of the steel bars. Robert Theodore Sanford, Jr., 37, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison after accepting bribes at the facility and for sexually trafficking a woman out of an apartment he rented, "for his own financial gain and sexual gratification," federal authorities announced this week. Between May 2021 and June 2023, Sanford was a correctional officer at the Adult Detention Center, and during…
Edgewater Real Estate Developer Fred Daibes Pleads Guilty To Bank Fraud Edgewater Real Estate Developer Fred Daibes Pleads Guilty To Bank Fraud
Edgewater Real Estate Developer Fred Daibes Pleads Guilty To Bank Fraud Fred Daibes, a 67-year-old real estate developer previously convicted of bribing disgraced New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, pleaded guilty to bank fraud on Thursday, Sept, 5, authorities said. The former CEO and chairman of the board of directors at Mariner's Bank pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to making false entries in connection with a $1.8 million loan from his bank in 2008, US Attorney Phillip Sellinger said. Daibes said the line of credit was for someone else, when it was actually for his benefit, Sellinger said. The loan said the source of repayment would be from the p…
Ousted Nassau Rep. George Santos  Likely To Face Prison After Pleading Guilty In Fraud Case Ousted Nassau Rep. George Santos  Likely To Face Prison After Pleading Guilty In Fraud Case
Ousted Nassau Rep. George Santos Likely To Face Prison After Pleading Guilty In Fraud Case Former Republican Congressman George Santos admitted to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a federal court on Monday, Aug. 19, authorities announced.  The 36-year-old former inhabitant of New York's 3rd Congressional District seat on Long Island was facing 23 felonies, and a trial set to begin next month.  A federal judge will sentence Santos on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said. According to federal sentencing guidelines, aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year minimum sentence.&n…
Gov. Murphy Appointing Jersey City Native To Senate Seat: Report Gov. Murphy Appointing Jersey City Native To Senate Seat: Report
Gov. Murphy Appointing Jersey City Native To Senate Seat: Report George Helmy is expected to be named New Jersey's next senator, replacing Sen. Bob Menendez, D-NJ, Politico reported. Gov. Phil Murphy will be appointing his former chief of staff, a Jersey City native, to serve as a temporary replacement for Menendez, who resigned after being convicted of numerous felonies in a federal corruption trial.  Helmy previously served as Murphy's chief of staff and was also a former aide to New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. After leaving the governor's office in 2023, Helmy joined RWJBarnabas Health as an executive, according to his Linkedin. Menendez's resig…
Speakers Filled With Millions In Meth, Cocaine From Cali Found In Bucks Co.: DA Speakers Filled With Millions In Meth, Cocaine From Cali Found In Bucks Co.: DA
Speakers Filled With Millions In Meth, Cocaine From Cali Found In Bucks Co.: DA Six men were charged with trafficking millions of dollars in methamphetamine and cocaine by concealing them inside Bluetooth karaoke speakers and shipping them from California to Bucks County, authorities said. This multifaceted investigation by the Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Attorney General’s Office resulted in the dismantling of the Byrne Drug Trafficking Organization, led by Matthew James Byrne, 43, of Broomall in Delaware County, Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn announced on Wednesday, Aug. 7. The Charged Suspects …
NJ First Lady Murphy Won't Accept Senate Appointment NJ First Lady Murphy Won't Accept Senate Appointment
NJ First Lady Murphy Won't Accept Senate Appointment As speculation swirls over who Gov. Phil Murphy will pick to replace Sen. Bob Menendez, who announced his resignation, one prominent Garden Stater is already saying "no thanks." Tammy Murphy, the wife of the governor who ended her Senate campaign earlier this year, said on Tuesday, July 23, she would not accept the temporary appointment. "I am completely focused on the critical work of boosting infant and maternal health, combating climate change, and uplifting the voices of those in greatest need," New Jersey's First Lady said. "I am confident the Governor will appoint a&nbs…
Sen. Bob Menendez Announces Resignation Sen. Bob Menendez Announces Resignation
Sen. Bob Menendez Announces Resignation New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez submitted his letter of resignation on Tuesday, July 23. Menendez's planned resignation, set for Aug. 20, comes one week after his conviction on felony corruption charges.  A jury found the Democrat guilty on all 16 counts after prosecutors accused him of giving secret information and military aid to Egypt in exchange for various favors, according to a release by the US Department of Justice.  Calls for Menendez's resignation had reached a fever pitch following his conviction and the Senate Ethics Committee was preparing an investigation that could…
Essex County Correctional Officer Took Bribes To Smuggle Contraband To Inmates: Feds Essex County Correctional Officer Took Bribes To Smuggle Contraband To Inmates: Feds
Essex County Correctional Officer Took Bribes To Smuggle Contraband To Inmates: Feds A 36-year-old Jersey City resident and former Essex County correctional officer admitted on Wednesday, July 17, to accepting $14,000 in bribes to smuggle in tobacco and a cell phone to inmates, authorities said. In January 2023, Efrin Wade, who worked at the jail for three years, began communicating with an individual whom he believed was seeking to smuggle in contraband to sell to other inmates, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. The individual was actually an undercover FBI agent, Sellinger said. Wade agreed to smuggle in tobacco and cell phones, prohibited for inmates at the facil…
NJ Sen. Bob Menendez Convicted Of Corruption NJ Sen. Bob Menendez Convicted Of Corruption
NJ Sen. Bob Menendez Convicted Of Corruption New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was convicted on corruption charges Tuesday, July 16. The jury found Menendez, a Democrat, guilty on all 16 counts after prosecutors accused him of giving secret information and military aid to Egypt in exchange for various favors, according to a release by the US Department of Justice. Menendez, a power broker in Hudson County and former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had professed his innocence. The senator, first appointed in 2006, had already ruled out running as a Democrat in this year's election but said he was considering an independen…
Ex-Deputy Mayor Of Newark Admits Taking $25K Bribe In Restaurant Bathroom: Feds Ex-Deputy Mayor Of Newark Admits Taking $25K Bribe In Restaurant Bathroom: Feds
Ex-Deputy Mayor Of Newark Admits Taking $25K Bribe In Restaurant Bathroom: Feds Carmelo Garcia, who previously served as deputy mayor of Newark and one term in the state General Assembly, admitted to taking $25,000 in bribes, federal authorities said.  Garcia, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiring with two Newark business owners to obtain corrupt payments intended to influence and reward him for assisting them with the acquisition and redevelopment of various city-owned properties while serving on the Newark Department Economic and Housing Development, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Between 2017 and 2019, Garcia sought and received significant mone…
Westchester Correction Officers, Employees Smuggled Contraband Into County Jail In Valhalla: DA Westchester Correction Officers, Employees Smuggled Contraband Into County Jail In Valhalla: DA
Westchester Correction Officers, Employees Smuggled Contraband Into County Jail In Valhalla: DA Six correction officers and civilian employees face charges after allegedly accepting bribes and smuggling contraband to inmates at two jails in Westchester, officials announced.  Five of the defendants, including three Westchester County corrections officers and two civilian employees, were arrested on Tuesday, June 11, and arraigned in Mount Pleasant Justice Court on Thursday, June 20, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced.  According to the DA's Office, the five defendants allegedly smuggled contraband to inmates at the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla.…
Embattled Senator Bob Menendez Announces Wife Has Breast Cancer Embattled Senator Bob Menendez Announces Wife Has Breast Cancer
Embattled Senator Bob Menendez Announces Wife Has Breast Cancer Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who is facing federal corruption charges said his wife, Nadine, is battling breast cancer. “Nadine is suffering from Grade 3 breast cancer, which will require her to have mastectomy surgery,” Menendez said. “We are of course, concerned about the seriousness and advanced stage of the disease. She will require follow up surgery and possibly radiation treatment.” Like her husband, Nadine Menendez is facing corruption and bribery charges. While the senator's trial is currently underway, her trial was pushed back due to medical concerns. Her trial is currently schedu…
Jersey City Mayor Ditches Murphy, Endorses Kim In NJ Senate Race Jersey City Mayor Ditches Murphy, Endorses Kim In NJ Senate Race
Jersey City Mayor Ditches Murphy, Endorses Kim In NJ Senate Race Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop has seen enough from Tammy Murphy's Senate campaign. Fulop announced he is switching his endorsement to Rep. Andy Kim, saying he made a mistake in endorsing Murphy, the wife of Gov. Phil Murphy.  "Clearly I made one here and this convention season has demonstrated he is the better candidate to represent NJ," Fulop, who is running for governor in 2025 said. "The backbone of our party volunteers and activists have spoken loudly and we should listen to them." The Jersey City mayor initially endorsed Murphy last year, but said on Reporters Roundtable on Frid…
Long Island Pawn Shop Owner Gets Prison For Running $2M Retail Theft Ring Long Island Pawn Shop Owner Gets Prison For Running $2M Retail Theft Ring
Long Island Pawn Shop Owner Gets Prison For Running $2M Retail Theft Ring The owner of a Long Island pawn shop will spend years in prison and lose his business license after leading a multimillion-dollar retail theft ring. Carlos Ulloa, age 51, of Patchogue, was sentenced to three to nine years behind bars in Suffolk County Court on Friday, Feb. 2, after pleading guilty to corruption and related charges. According to prosecutors, between May 2020 and August 2022 Ulloa regularly received stolen goods from Suffolk County retailers at his business, EZ Cash Pawn & Jewelry in Brentwood. Earlier Report: 4 Nabbed In Million-Dollar Suffolk County Retail Theft…
‘Golden Mess’: Mass State Troopers Took Bribes For Commercial Drivers Licenses, Feds Say ‘Golden Mess’: Mass State Troopers Took Bribes For Commercial Drivers Licenses, Feds Say
‘Golden Mess’: Mass State Troopers Took Bribes For Commercial Drivers Licenses, Feds Say Two current and two former Massachusetts State Police troopers are among six people charged in a 74-count indictment related to an alleged conspiracy to falsify records and give passing scores to Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants in exchange for bribes, officials said. Those applicants include people who failed or did not take the CDL skills test, according to Acting US Attorney Joshua Levy for the District of Massachusetts. Related: Man Turned Massachusetts College Jobs Into An Illegal Fortune, Now He's Going To Prison: Feds The following people were charged on three coun…
Correctional Officer Charged With Taking Bribes To Smuggle Drugs, Tobacco, More Into NJ Jail Correctional Officer Charged With Taking Bribes To Smuggle Drugs, Tobacco, More Into NJ Jail
Correctional Officer Charged With Taking Bribes To Smuggle Drugs, Tobacco, More Into NJ Jail A New Jersey correctional police officer pocketed thousands of dollars in bribes from inmates in exchange for smuggling drugs, tobacco and other contraband into the Mercer County jail, authorities charged. Tyree L. Hobbs, 39, of Hamilton, was on the take for nearly five years, beginning in 2017 -- less than a year after he joined the Mercer County Department of Corrections, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. And although he paid some inmates in cash, others paid the $300 to $2,500 fee per delivery through mobile apps, the attorney general said. A grand jury in Trenton ind…
Ethics Chair Asks House To Expel Santos After Finding 'Substantial Evidence' Of Lawbreaking Ethics Chair Asks House To Expel Santos After Finding 'Substantial Evidence' Of Lawbreaking
Ethics Chair Asks House To Expel Santos After Finding 'Substantial Evidence' Of Lawbreaking The third time may be the charm for federal lawmakers hoping to oust embattled New York Rep. George Santos from office. House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest, a Republican from Mississippi, filed a resolution to expel Santos from Congress on Friday morning, Nov. 17. Members are expected to vote on the resolution the week after Thanksgiving.  Earlier Report: LI Rep Santos Won't Run For Re-Election: 'Substantial Evidence' Of Lawbreaking, Committee Says The rare move came just one day after the committee, made up of five Republicans and five Democrats, released a report sayi…
Sen. Cory Booker Says Bob Menendez Should Resign Sen. Cory Booker Says Bob Menendez Should Resign
Sen. Cory Booker Says Bob Menendez Should Resign Senator Cory Booker has joined the chorus of New Jersey politicians calling for Sen. Bob Menendez's resignation after Menendez and his wife were indicted on federal bribery charges last week. Booker said the trust and faith New Jerseysians had in Menendez have been shaken in light of the recent indictments, which he called "shocking" and said were "hard to reconcile with the person I know." "Senator Menendez fiercely asserts his innocence and it is therefore understandable that he believes stepping down is patently unfair," Booker said. "I believe this is a mistake. "Stepping down is not a…
3 More Men Arrested In Convicted Hacker's $2 Million Scheme At Pennsylvania Banks: AG 3 More Men Arrested In Convicted Hacker's $2 Million Scheme At Pennsylvania Banks: AG
3 More Men Arrested In Convicted Hacker's $2 Million Scheme At Pennsylvania Banks: AG Three more men have been taken into police custody inconnection to with a $2 million bank scheme, according to an updated release by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.  Less than one week ago, we reported that Carl Gonzalez, 19 of Highspire and Tyreese Lewis, 22, of Harrisburg, had been arrested for allegedly impersonating Pennsylvania bank employees and customers. Now, Jaire Amari Cotton, 22, of Harrisburg; Lavon Whittaker, 22, of Harrisburg; and Zyaire Monserrat, 22, of Steelton, join them in the Dauphin County Prison on the following changes.  Corrupt organizations Id…
Corrections Officer, Inmate Get Time For Bribery, Drug Smuggling Scheme At DC Jail Corrections Officer, Inmate Get Time For Bribery, Drug Smuggling Scheme At DC Jail
Corrections Officer, Inmate Get Time For Bribery, Drug Smuggling Scheme At DC Jail A former corrections officer is heading to prison and an inmate will face more time for their roles in a bribery scheme at a DC jail, federal authorities announced. Inmate Andre Gregory, 31, of Washington, DC, and Officer Beverly Williams, 52, of Upper Marlboro were sentenced this week to time behind bars after admitting to smuggling drugs into the District of Columbia Central Detention Facility. Gregory got 42 months in prison, while Williams was sentenced to 18 months. A third co-conspirator, Keywaune McLeod, 28, is still awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty earlier this year. K…
Dirty Cop: Baltimore County Officer Gets Prison Time For Accepting Bribes For Handgun Licenses Dirty Cop: Baltimore County Officer Gets Prison Time For Accepting Bribes For Handgun Licenses
Dirty Cop: Baltimore County Officer Gets Prison Time For Accepting Bribes For Handgun Licenses Former Baltimore County Police officer William Johnson, Jr. is set to spend time behind bars with some of the people he helped lock up. Federal officials announced that the Baltimore native has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after he admitted to accepting thousands of dollars worth of bribes and kickbacks in exchange for handgun qualifying licenses they never earned. The 34-year-old pleaded guilty in April to a federal charge of honest services wire fraud for falsely certifying applicants for Maryland handgun qualifying licenses and …
Former Detective, 4 Other Men Nabbed For Robbing Homes In Westchester, Rest Of Country Former Detective, 4 Other Men Nabbed For Robbing Homes In Westchester, Rest Of Country
Former Detective, 4 Other Men Nabbed For Robbing Homes In Westchester, Rest Of Country A former New York City Police Department detective and four other men have been charged as members of an organized crew that conducted residential robberies across the country, including Westchester.  The unsealing of the five suspects' indictments was announced on Thursday, June 8 by the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  The five men charged with participating in the string of violent armed robberies are:  Bronx resident Dagoberto Soto-Ramirez, age 41, also known as "Pito"; Queens resident Saul Arismendy De La Cruz, age 31, also known as "Nene" a…
$135K Spent At Strip Clubs: Westchester Government Contractor Admits Hiding Expenses $135K Spent At Strip Clubs: Westchester Government Contractor Admits Hiding Expenses
$135K Spent At Strip Clubs: Westchester Government Contractor Admits Hiding Expenses A Westchester County government contractor and its manager from Fairfield County have admitted to trying to hide tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money spent at strip clubs.  City Carting of Westchester, Inc. and its manager, 37-year-old Christopher Oxer of Darien, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, June 6 to submitting false financial records that hid more than $100,000 in company money that was spent at strip clubs, according to the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.  According to the DA's Office, City Carting held an annual $20 million contract with the county …
Inmates, Drones, Hospitals Used In Elaborate Contraband Smuggling Conspiracy At MD Prison: AG Inmates, Drones, Hospitals Used In Elaborate Contraband Smuggling Conspiracy At MD Prison: AG
Inmates, Drones, Hospitals Used In Elaborate Contraband Smuggling Conspiracy At MD Prison: AG More than a dozen people are facing charges for a trio of different prison contraband conspiracies that have plagued officials at the Roxbury Correctional Institution (RCI) in Hagerstown for months. On Thursday, May 25, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced that 15 people have been charged in connection to several elaborate schemes that involved drones, hospitals, and even a staff member at the jail. Officials said that the investigation was launched in April last year after contraband was found smuggled into the facility after an inmate returned from a hospital visit. “The in…
Supreme Court Reverses Conviction Of Ex-Cuomo Aide From South Salem Supreme Court Reverses Conviction Of Ex-Cuomo Aide From South Salem
Supreme Court Reverses Conviction Of Ex-Cuomo Aide From South Salem The country's top court has reversed the wire-fraud conviction of a Northern Westchester County resident and former top aide to ousted New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has already served years of prison time for the offense. In a decision on Thursday, May 11, the US Supreme Court unanimously ruled to reverse the fraud conviction of Joseph Percoco, of the hamlet of South Salem in the town of Lewisboro, who was sent to federal prison on corruption charges in 2018.  Percoco, age 54, had been accused of accepting over $300,000 in bribes from an energy company in 2014 while he had been …
'Down In Flames': Business Owner On Long Island Bribed Official For $1M In Federal Contracts 'Down In Flames': Business Owner On Long Island Bribed Official For $1M In Federal Contracts
'Down In Flames': Business Owner On Long Island Bribed Official For $1M In Federal Contracts The owner of a Long Island company could spend over a decade behind bars after admitting that he bribed a federal official in order to secure nearly $1 million in federal contracts. Michael Montenes, age 61, of St. James, pleaded guilty to bribery charges in federal court in Central Islip on Wednesday, May 3. Montenes is the owner of Hauppauge-based M.S. Hi-Tech, Incorporated, a distributor of electronic components. According to the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District, between December 2017 and December 2020 Montenes paid a Procurement Officer employed at the Department of Energy…
Last Of His Kind: Powerbroking Former Passaic County Sheriff Edwin Englehardt Dies At 93 Last Of His Kind: Powerbroking Former Passaic County Sheriff Edwin Englehardt Dies At 93
Last Of His Kind: Powerbroking Former Passaic County Sheriff Edwin Englehardt Dies At 93 He was the last of a bygone breed, a no-nonsense New Jersey political kingpin whose blessing or disapproval made or broke careers. Former Passaic County Sheriff Edwin “Eddie” Englehardt was heavy-handed, for sure – “this is not a country club,” he said of the jail he ran with an iron fist for nearly three decades. And he was, by nature, politically motivated in virtually all things. A Republican in a Democrat-denominated county, Englehardt nonetheless received deference, if not outright allegiance, from those on the other side of the political aisle. He also withstood a barrage of fed…
$52M Scheme: 10 Charged By Feds In Fraud Case Targeting Westchester-Based Company $52M Scheme: 10 Charged By Feds In Fraud Case Targeting Westchester-Based Company
$52M Scheme: 10 Charged By Feds In Fraud Case Targeting Westchester-Based Company Ten people have been charged in connection with a massive scheme to defraud a leading cargo airline based in New York of tens of millions of dollars in revenue and the services of its employees, federal authorities announced. The 10 charged are: Connecticut resident Abilash Kurien, age 45, of Wilton in Fairfield County; Hudson Valley resident Carlton Llewellyn, age 55, of Highland Mills in Orange County; Long Island resident Robert Schirmer, age 58, of Port Jefferson Station; Queens resident Patrick Lau, 43, of Flushing; Lars Winkelbauer, age 47, of Bangkok, Thailand; Skye …
Essex Jail Officer, GF Stung By FBI In Scheme To Smuggle In Tobacco, Cell Phones: Feds Essex Jail Officer, GF Stung By FBI In Scheme To Smuggle In Tobacco, Cell Phones: Feds
Essex Jail Officer, GF Stung By FBI In Scheme To Smuggle In Tobacco, Cell Phones: Feds A corrections officer and his girlfriend were busted for smuggling tobacco and cellphones into the Essex County Jail from a source who turned out to be an undercover FBI agent, federal authorities said. Efrin Wade, 34, and Yairisa Lizardo, 29, both of Jersey City, accepted $14,000 for the illegal acts and apparently were counting on another $30,000 when they were busted, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip Sellinger said following their arrests on Tuesday, March 14. Wade, who’d worked as a corrections officer at the Essex County Correctional Facility (ECCF) in Newark since February 2020, be…