Tag:

Extortion

US Sounds Alarm Over Tourist Crime In Popular Tropical Getaway US Sounds Alarm Over Tourist Crime In Popular Tropical Getaway
US Sounds Alarm Over Tourist Crime In Popular Tropical Getaway A popular Central American getaway spot is under new scrutiny after US officials warned that criminals are increasingly targeting tourists and foreign residents with robberies and extortion schemes. In a security alert issued on Tuesday, Nov. 25, the US Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica, said it is tracking a rise in property crimes, financial crimes, and robberies affecting foreigners across the country, including US citizens.  The alert describes criminal gangs targeting foreign-owned homes and businesses for break-ins and extortion. It also details cases in which foreign residents and…
Scam Targets Airlines As Hacking Group Expands Operations, FBI Warns Scam Targets Airlines As Hacking Group Expands Operations, FBI Warns
Scam Targets Airlines As Hacking Group Expands Operations, FBI Warns A cybercriminal group known for extorting people and companies across the world is now targeting the airline industry. The FBI has issued a warning about Scattered Spider, a hacking group that has  expanded its operations to include major US airlines and their vendors.  The group is known for using convincing impersonation tactics to access corporate networks, often bypassing multi-factor authentication by tricking IT staff into adding unauthorized devices. Scattered Spider impersonates employees or contractors to deceive help desks. "These techniques frequently involve methods …
Stratford Teen Blackmailed Multiple Women, Including 14-Year-Old, To Send Him Nudes: Police Stratford Teen Blackmailed Multiple Women, Including 14-Year-Old, To Send Him Nudes: Police
Stratford Teen Blackmailed Multiple Women, Including 14-Year-Old, To Send Him Nudes: Police A Connecticut teen has been arrested after allegedly blackmailing multiple women — including a 14-year-old — into sending nude photos, police said. Mikel Reyes, 18, of Stratford, is facing several charges after victims — ages 14, 17, 18, and 20 — came forward last month with similar stories, according to Stratford police. The victims told police that Reyes contacted them through an anonymous texting app, threatening to post their nude photos online unless they sent him more explicit images. Investigators say they were able to connect Reyes to all the incidents. Reyes knew the victims pers…
Mayor’s Bodyguard Tied To Crypto Torture Case? NYPD Officers Subject Of Internal Investigation Mayor’s Bodyguard Tied To Crypto Torture Case? NYPD Officers Subject Of Internal Investigation
Mayor’s Bodyguard Tied To Crypto Torture Case? Nypd Officers Subject Of Internal Investigation The bizarre Bitcoin torture saga playing out in a luxury Manhattan townhouse has now reached City Hall. Two members of the NYPD, including an officer assigned to Mayor Eric Adams’ security detail, have been placed on modified duty amid an internal investigation into whether they had any involvement in the kidnapping and torture of an Italian crypto trader, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed to Daily Voice. The detective assigned to Adams’ security detail provided security at the Prince Street townhouse in Nolita where John Woeltz and William Duplessie allegedly tortured the victim for 17 days, …
WATCH: Crypto Hostage Seen Bolting From NYC Townhouse After 17 Days Of Torture, Report Says WATCH: Crypto Hostage Seen Bolting From NYC Townhouse After 17 Days Of Torture, Report Says
Watch: Crypto Hostage Seen Bolting From NYC Townhouse After 17 Days Of Torture, Report Says A surveillance camera captured the dramatic moment a barefoot hostage victim made his daring escape after allegedly being kidnapped and tortured for weeks inside a Manhattan townhouse. Video obtained exclusively by CNN shows the 28-year-old Italian crypto trader sprinting up from the basement of the Nolita home on Prince Street, flinging open a gate, and darting past a stunned pedestrian before flagging down police on Friday, May 23. The man had allegedly been held hostage for 17 days by two business associates, including alleged “Crypto King of Kentucky” John Woeltz, in what prosecutors sa…
Crypto Bros' Danbury Kidnapping Plot Lands Florida Man 11 Years In Jail For Brutal Attack: Feds Crypto Bros' Danbury Kidnapping Plot Lands Florida Man 11 Years In Jail For Brutal Attack: Feds
Crypto Bros' Danbury Kidnapping Plot Lands Florida Man 11 Years In Jail For Brutal Attack: Feds A Florida man has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for his role in a violent kidnapping that played out in broad daylight on a Danbury street. Anthony Pena, 24, of Miami Gardens, was one of several men who ambushed a couple, beat them, and forced them into a van in an attempt to extort their son, who is suspected of a massive cryptocurrency theft, the US Attorney for Connecticut said.  The attack happened on August 25, 2024. Witnesses called 911 after seeing several men assaulting a man and shoving him into a white work van. Danbury Police spotted the van and trie…
US Issues Urgent Travel Warnings Covering 2 Countries: What To Know US Issues Urgent Travel Warnings Covering 2 Countries: What To Know
US Issues Urgent Travel Warnings Covering 2 Countries: What To Know The US State Department is warning Americans against traveling to part of one country and has issued a do not travel warning for one of its neighboring nations. A Level 3 Reconsider Travel Advisory covers these parts of eastern Colombia:  Arauca, Cauca (excluding Popayán), and Norte de Santander departments in Colombia; The Colombia-Venezuela border region. "Violent crime, like murder, assault, and robbery, is common in many areas in Colombia," the advisory says. "In some places, organized crime is rampant. This includes extortion, robbery, and kidnapping." A Level 4  Do No…
Fugitive Who Used Fake Virus In Terrifying CT Home Invasion Sentenced After 15 Years On Run Fugitive Who Used Fake Virus In Terrifying CT Home Invasion Sentenced After 15 Years On Run
Fugitive Who Used Fake Virus In Terrifying CT Home Invasion Sentenced After 15 Years On Run A Romanian man involved in a terrifying 2007 Connecticut home invasion has been sentenced to seven years in prison after evading capture for 15 years, authorities said.  Stefan Alexandru Barabas, 38, was part of a group that terrorized two residents in a scheme that seemed straight out of a nightmare. Just before midnight, Barabas and his accomplices — Emanuel Nicolescu and Alexandru Lucian Nicolescu — broke into a South Kent home wearing masks and wielding knives and fake guns, the US Attorney for Connecticut said.  They tied up and blindfolded two adults, injecting them with a s…
8 NYers Among 16 Gambino Crime Family Members Nabbed In Coordinated US-Italian Takedown: Feds 8 NYers Among 16 Gambino Crime Family Members Nabbed In Coordinated US-Italian Takedown: Feds
8 NYers Among 16 Gambino Crime Family Members Nabbed In Coordinated Us-italian Takedown: Feds A total of 16 people in the United States and Italy have been charged after a two-year investigation that targeted members of New York's notorious Gambino crime family and some of its Sicilian associates. A 16-count indictment was unsealed on Wednesday, Nov. 8 in federal court in Brooklyn detailing the alleged involvement of the 10 Americans -- eight New Yorkers and two New Jersey residents -- in an attempt to dominate the New York carting and demolition industries. The 10 Americans have been charged with racketeering conspiracy, extortion, witness retaliation, and union-related crimes comm…
New Fairfield Man Among 6 Genovese Crime Family Suspects Sentenced For Racketeering New Fairfield Man Among 6 Genovese Crime Family Suspects Sentenced For Racketeering
New Fairfield Man Among 6 Genovese Crime Family Suspects Sentenced For Racketeering Six members and associates of the Genovese organized crime family, including a Westchester man and a Fairfield County resident, have been sentenced on racketeering charges, federal officials said.  The sentencings were announced on Friday, Aug. 4 by US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams.  According to Williams, the six men were associated with the Genovese Organized Crime Family, part of a nationwide criminal organization known by various names such as "La Cosa Nostra" and the “Mafia."  Those sentenced included two "captains," who were r…
5 Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family 5 Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family
5 Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family Five New York men, including three from Westchester County, have been accused of overseeing and operating a 15-year long, large-scale illegal, online gambling business with suspected ties to the Lucchese crime family, federal authorities announced. An indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn Federal Court on Wednesday, Sept. 14 charging them for their roles overseeing and operating a large-scale illegal, online gambling business under the protection of the Lucchese organized crime family. The gambling business known as “Rhino Sports” utilized an offshore website and dozens of bookmakers in …
CT Man Accused Of Smuggling People From Brazil To US For Profit CT Man Accused Of Smuggling People From Brazil To US For Profit
CT Man Accused Of Smuggling People From Brazil To US For Profit By the time he was busted by federal agents in June 2022, Connecticut resident Fagner De Lima told police he had been smuggling humans into the country for two decades. De Lima, age 41, of East Hartford, was indicted by a grand jury Thursday, Aug. 18, on one count of attempted human smuggling in federal court in Worcester, Massachusetts. Prosecutors said De Lima has a history of conspiring with others to illegally smuggle people from Brazil to the United States, making thousands of dollars along the way. He regularly made travel arrangements for clients to illegally enter the country by pl…
CT Man Charged With Attempted Human Smuggling CT Man Charged With Attempted Human Smuggling
CT Man Charged With Attempted Human Smuggling A 41-year-old Connecticut man is accused of running a business to illegally smuggle people from Brazil to the United States and extorting his clients during their journey. Fagner Chaves De Lima, of East Hartford, was charged with one count of attempted human smuggling, according to an announcement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts on Thursday, June 30. “It is alleged that Mr. De Lima orchestrated an elaborate and manipulative human smuggling operation. For a steep price, Mr. De Lima allegedly made arrangements for victims to travel fro…
Alleged Crime Family Member From Fairfield County Charged With Racketeering Alleged Crime Family Member From Fairfield County Charged With Racketeering
Alleged Crime Family Member From Fairfield County Charged With Racketeering Alleged members of the Genovese Organized Crime Family from Westchester and Fairfield counties are facing racketeering charges for their roles within the organization. Federal prosecutors announced that four members and two associates of the family have been charged with racketeering conspiracy involving illegal gambling and extortion. Those charged in Manhattan federal court: Michael Messina, age 69, of New Fairfield, Connecticut; Ralph Balsamo, age 51, of Tuckahoe, NY; Michael Poli, age 37, of Hawthorne, NY; Nicholas Calisi, age 63, of Boca Raton, Florida; John Campanella, age 47, of t…
NY College Sex Cult Leader Found Guilty On All Charges NY College Sex Cult Leader Found Guilty On All Charges
NY College Sex Cult Leader Found Guilty On All Charges Larry Ray, the leader of a sex cult run out of his daughter's dorm room at a New York college located in Westchester County, will face life in prison after being found guilty by a jury of sexually exploiting and trafficking girls. Ray, now 62 years old following multiple delays in his trial and prosecution, was found guilty of 15 counts that include racketeering, sex trafficking, conspiracy, forced labor, extortion, tax evasion, and other crimes in relation to his scheme at Sarah Lawrence College, located near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville. Related story - DOJ Acciden…
FBI Arrests Superintendent Of Schools In New England FBI Arrests Superintendent Of Schools In New England
FBI Arrests Superintendent Of Schools In New England The FBI has arrested a school superintendent in the region for allegedly obstructing the department's investigation into the alleged extortion of a city employee. Western Massachusetts resident Lynn Clark age 51, of Belchertown in Hampden County, was arrested early Wednesday, April 6, said FBI Boston Division spokesperson Kristen Setera. Clark is the superintendent of Chicopee Public Schools. Clark was arrested for allegedly making false statements in connection with sending threatening messages to a candidate for Chicopee chief of police, said US Attorney Rachael S. Rollins …
DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged 121 Clients In Westchester Sex Cult Trial DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged 121 Clients In Westchester Sex Cult Trial
DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged 121 Clients In Westchester Sex Cult Trial The trial of a father accused of running an alleged sex cult out of his daughter’s college dorm room in Westchester County took an unexpected twist after federal prosecutors reportedly released a list of former clients tied to the operation. Lawrence Ray, age 62, the man who allegedly ran the cult out of Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville in Westchester, has been on trial in Manhattan for more than a week on charges that include sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and other offenses for running the shady operation at the school. Original story - Father O…
Woman Accused Of Conspiring With Father In So-Called Westchester College Sex Cult Case Woman Accused Of Conspiring With Father In So-Called Westchester College Sex Cult Case
Woman Accused Of Conspiring With Father In So-Called Westchester College Sex Cult Case A female cohort of the man accused of running a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College in Westchester Countyis facing charges for her role in helping him run the scheme. Staten Island resident Isabella Pollok, age 29, has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and extortion conspiracy for helping Lawrence Ray manipulate and groom the college students, who the convicted felon met after moving into his daughter’s on-campus room in 2010. Original story - Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her F…
College Sex Trafficking Case Dad Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Charges College Sex Trafficking Case Dad Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Charges
College Sex Trafficking Case Dad Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Charges The father of a former college student in Westchester has denied that he ran a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room by manipulating students. Lawrence Ray, 60, has pleaded not guilty to nine federal charges that he’s facing for allegedly moving into his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Bronxville and Yonkers and operating a sex cult. Specifically, Ray is charged with: Conspiracy to commit extortion; Extortion; Sex trafficking; Obtaining forced labor; Forced labor trafficking; Conspiracy to obtain forced labor; Two counts of violating the travel act; Money l…
Father Of Student At Area College Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends Father Of Student At Area College Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends
Father Of Student At Area College Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends The father of a former college student in Westchester has been charged with running an alleged sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room for nearly a decade. Lawrence Ray, 60, who was the subject of a cover story for New York Magazine, has been charged with sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and other offenses, officials announced on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Ray was released from prison in 2010 and moved into the co-ed dorm of his daughter at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville. It is alleged that Ray subjected “his victims to sexual and psychological manipulati…
Four Lucchese Family Mobsters Found Guilty In Brutal Hit Of Gang Leader Four Lucchese Family Mobsters Found Guilty In Brutal Hit Of Gang Leader
Four Lucchese Family Mobsters Found Guilty In Brutal Hit Of Gang Leader Four accused mobsters, including two from Westchester, were convicted of murder, conspiracy to commit racketeering, and other felonies that could land them in prison for life. Christopher Londonio, 45, of Hartsdale, and Steven L. Crea, 72, of the Crestwood section of Yonkers were found guilty Friday, Nov. 15 after a six-week jury trial on an assortment of charges, including conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering for the 2013 execution of notorious gang leader Michael Meldish. “The violent and disturbing acts of these four organized crime figures included the brutal murder …
Alec Baldwin Sues Man Who Said Actor Beat Him Up Over Parking Spot Alec Baldwin Sues Man Who Said Actor Beat Him Up Over Parking Spot
Alec Baldwin Sues Man Who Said Actor Beat Him Up Over Parking Spot Alec Baldwin is fighting back against a Hudson Valley business owner who was involved with an altercation with the actor over a parking spot in New York City last year. Earlier this year, Baldwin pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment after being involved with Wojciech Cieszkowski, a 49-year-old construction business owner from Pearl River who got involved in an altercation in Greenwich Village. In a new lawsuit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Baldwin is alleging that Cieszkowski lied about what took place during the incident. “When two New Yorkers get into an argument over a parkin…
Romanian National Sentenced For Role In CT Home Invasion, Fake Virus Threat Romanian National Sentenced For Role In CT Home Invasion, Fake Virus Threat
Romanian National Sentenced For Role In CT Home Invasion, Fake Virus Threat A Romanian national has been sentenced for his role in a Connecticut home invasion that mirrored the script of a Hollywood film. Alexandru Lucian Nicolescu has been sentenced to 121 months in prison for his role in a 2007 home invasion in South Kent, U.S. Attorney John Durham announced this week. Nicolescu pleaded guilty to one count of attempted extortion and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion. Shortly before midnight on April 15, 2007, Nicolescu, Emmanuel Nicolescu - who are not related - and a third man brandished masks, knives and guns and broke into the South Kent home. The th…
Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam
Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam A new scam is making the rounds, prompting police agencies in the area to issue an alert from scammers attempting to extort doctors. Using spoofed phone numbers that make the call appear to come from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s medical offices, scammers have been targeting medical offices and officials, police said. Police said that some of the callers have spoken broken English and have been threatening to revoke doctors’ licenses and block their ability to prescribe drugs if they don’t comply with extortion requests. The DEA has confirmed that the calls are scams and doctors sho…
Seen Him? FBI Offers Reward For Suspect Wanted In Connecticut Seen Him? FBI Offers Reward For Suspect Wanted In Connecticut
Seen Him? FBI Offers Reward For Suspect Wanted In Connecticut Have you seen him? The FBI is offering a reward and asking the public's help in its search for a 32-year-old man wanted in Connecticut. Stefan Alexandru Barabas, a native of Romania, has an active federal warrant for his arrest on the charges of attempt to interfere with commerce by extortion, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion and possession of a stolen vehicle. He is described as being 6-feet tall, weighing 280 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered by the FBI for information leading to the arrest of Barabas. Anyone who thinks …