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Department of Justice

US House Expels NY Rep. George Santos In Historic Vote US House Expels NY Rep. George Santos In Historic Vote
US House Expels NY Rep. George Santos In Historic Vote In an incredibly rare move, the US House voted to expel New York Rep. George Santos amid mounting accusations of criminality, ending his tumultuous Congressional stint and closing one of the most controversial chapters in American politics. An expulsion resolution brought by California Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia overwhelmingly passed with 311 "yes" votes to 114 "no" votes on Friday, Dec. 1.  The resolution required a two-thirds majority vote in order to pass. Santos – a Long Island Republican whose 3rd District includes parts of Nassau County and Queens – becomes only the sixth fed…
House Gears Up For George Santos Expulsion Vote; Here's Expected Timing House Gears Up For George Santos Expulsion Vote; Here's Expected Timing
House Gears Up For George Santos Expulsion Vote; Here's Expected Timing Members of the US House are preparing for a third floor vote on whether to expel embattled New York Rep. George Santos amid allegations he stole money from donors. The House will vote on an expulsion resolution introduced by Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California on Friday, Dec. 1, NBC News reports. If Garcia’s resolution passes, Santos will become the sixth House member ever removed from office. Earlier Report: Ethics Chair Asks House To Expel Santos After Finding 'Substantial Evidence' Of Lawbreaking The Long Island Republican, whose 3rd District includes parts of Nassau Cou…
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…
George Santos Won't Run For Re-Election: 'Substantial Evidence' Of Lawbreaking, Committee Says George Santos Won't Run For Re-Election: 'Substantial Evidence' Of Lawbreaking, Committee Says
George Santos Won't Run For Re-Election: 'Substantial Evidence' Of Lawbreaking, Committee Says Beleaguered New York Rep. George Santos says he won’t run for office in 2024 after an investigation by the House Ethics Committee found he likely committed federal crimes that have yet to be charged. In a damning report released Thursday, Nov. 16, the committee - made up of five Republicans and five Democrats - said it had unanimously concluded there was “substantial evidence” of lawbreaking and was referring its findings to the Department of Justice. Specifically, the investigation found that Santos, a Long Island Republican whose 3rd District includes parts of Nassau County and Queens: …
21-Year-Old Accused Of Threatening To Shoot, Stab, Rape Jewish Students On Campus At Cornell 21-Year-Old Accused Of Threatening To Shoot, Stab, Rape Jewish Students On Campus At Cornell
21-Year-Old Accused Of Threatening To Shoot, Stab, Rape Jewish Students On Campus At Cornell A student at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York has been accused of threatening to shoot, stab, and rape Jewish students at the Ivy League school. Patrick Dai, a 21-year-old junior originally from Pittsford, New York, was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 31 on a federal criminal complaint charging him with posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications, according to prosecutors in the Northern District of New York. Dai allegedly posted threatening messages to the Cornell section of an online discussion site, including posts calling for the deaths of Jewish peopl…
Child Sexual Abuse: CT Man Sentenced For Recordings Of Girls As Young As 2 Child Sexual Abuse: CT Man Sentenced For Recordings Of Girls As Young As 2
Child Sexual Abuse: CT Man Sentenced For Recordings Of Girls As Young As 2 A Connecticut man who has been detained since 2021 was sentenced for crimes involving homemade videos featuring the sexual abuse of a minor, according to the Department of Justice.  Hartford County resident Mark Roman, of East Windsor, was sentenced to more than 33 years in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release after pleading guilty to charges relating to child pornography, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery said. Roman was arrested in November 2021 after a search of his home found devices containing over 1,000 images and vid…
$52M Scheme: Wilton Resident Among 10 Charged By Feds $52M Scheme: Wilton Resident Among 10 Charged By Feds
$52M Scheme: Wilton Resident Among 10 Charged By Feds 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 …
Repeat Offender From Fairfield County Sentenced For Possessing Child Sex Abuse Images Repeat Offender From Fairfield County Sentenced For Possessing Child Sex Abuse Images
Repeat Offender From Fairfield County Sentenced For Possessing Child Sex Abuse Images A Fairfield County man who was caught possessing child pornography for a second time has been sentenced to another prison term. Former Bridgeport resident Robert Mosley, age 55, was sentenced to 121 months, or just over 10 years, in federal prison on Monday, Nov. 28 for possessing and distributing images depicting the sexual abuse of children, according to US Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.  This is the second sentence Mosley has received for possessing child pornography, as in 2016 he was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for the crime. He was then released on parole in 2018, …
NY Judge Named ‘Special Master’ In DOJ Probe Of Trump’s Handling Of Classified Docs NY Judge Named ‘Special Master’ In DOJ Probe Of Trump’s Handling Of Classified Docs
NY Judge Named ‘Special Master’ In DOJ Probe Of Trump’s Handling Of Classified Docs A veteran New York judge from Long Island will be tasked with reviewing documents that were seized by the FBI from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Raymond Dearie, age 79, a senior federal judge in the Eastern District of New York, was named by a federal judge in Florida as a so-called special master Thursday evening, Sept. 15. Dearie was one of two potential candidates put forward by Trump’s legal team and was also endorsed by the Department of Justice. In his role as special master, he will be responsible for reviewing documents and separating out those that …
Fairfield County Man Sentenced For Engaging In, Filming Illicit Sexual Acts With Child Fairfield County Man Sentenced For Engaging In, Filming Illicit Sexual Acts With Child
Fairfield County Man Sentenced For Engaging In, Filming Illicit Sexual Acts With Child A Connecticut man will spend decades in prison after admitting that he drove hundreds of miles to pick up a 14-year-old girl for sex and then recorded the abuse. Fairfield County resident Wayne Marcell, age 36, of Danbury, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison Tuesday, July 12, in US District Court in Bridgeport. Earlier report: Danbury Man Admits To Child Exploitation Offense It came three months after he pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. Federal prosecutors said Marcell drove from Connecticut to Illinois in June 2021 after paying another person $2,000 to bring the …
CT Man Sentenced For Attempting To Engage In Sex With Minor, Distributing Child Porn CT Man Sentenced For Attempting To Engage In Sex With Minor, Distributing Child Porn
CT Man Sentenced For Attempting To Engage In Sex With Minor, Distributing Child Porn A Connecticut man will spend more than a decade in prison after he was caught trying to pay to sexually abuse a child. Hartford County resident Robert Sellers, age 62, of Bristol, was sentenced in federal court in Hartford on Friday, May 20, to 13 years behind bars. It came three months after he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count of distribution of child pornography, according to the US Attorney’s Office in Connecticut. The FBI began targeting Sellers on the social media app Kik in November 2020 after getting tipped off that he was sh…
New England Man Accused Of Traveling To Meet Minor For Sex New England Man Accused Of Traveling To Meet Minor For Sex
New England Man Accused Of Traveling To Meet Minor For Sex A New England man has been accused of traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, federal authorities in New York announced. Martin Connearney, age 32, of Lenox, Massachusetts, in Berkshire County, was arrested Thursday, May 5 and charged with traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, the Department of Justice's US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and the FBI's Albany Field Office announced. The criminal complaint alleges that between Wednesday, April 6, 2022 and Wednes…
Fairfield County Man Charged In Connection With Multi-Billion Dollar Scheme Fairfield County Man Charged In Connection With Multi-Billion Dollar Scheme
Fairfield County Man Charged In Connection With Multi-Billion Dollar Scheme Federal officials announced that four have been arrested and charged for their alleged roles in the multi-billion dollar collapse of Archegos Capital Management. US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said that the firm’s former CFO, Long Island resident Patrick Halligan, age 45, of Syosset, and New Jersey resident of Bill Hwang of Tenafly in Bergen County, have been arrested in connection to what Williams said was a racketeering scheme to manipulate the prices of publicly traded securities and to defraud global investment banks. Also charged, according to the De…
COVID-19: CDC Issues New Advisory Recommending People Wear Masks In These Settings COVID-19: CDC Issues New Advisory Recommending People Wear Masks In These Settings
Covid-19: CDC Issues New Advisory Recommending People Wear Masks In These Settings The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is calling on the Department of Justice to proceed with an appeal after a federal judge struck down President Joe Biden’s mask mandate for public transportation settings. Following the announcement of the judgment, the CDC issued a statement advising that the agency is continuing to advise that all Americans continue to mask up while using public transportation, despite the ruling. Original story - COVID-19: Federal Judge Strikes Down CDC Mask Mandate For Travel According to the CDC, officials “continue to recommend that people west mask…
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…
COVID-19: Feds Aim To Stop Deceptive Marketing Of Tea Product Advertised As Virus Treatment COVID-19: Feds Aim To Stop Deceptive Marketing Of Tea Product Advertised As Virus Treatment
Covid-19: Feds Aim To Stop Deceptive Marketing Of Tea Product Advertised As Virus Treatment Federal officials are seeking civil penalties after a tea company allegedly advertised that its product could prevent or treat COVID-19. B4B Earth Tea LLC, B4B Corp., and Andrew Martin Sinclair are accused of violating the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, according to an announcement on Thursday, March 3, from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The defendants reportedly advertised that the herbal tea product, Earth Tea, could prevent or treat COVID-19, according to a crimi…
New England Man Accused Of Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Insurrection New England Man Accused Of Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Insurrection
New England Man Accused Of Assaulting Officers During Jan. 6 Insurrection A 60-year-old Massachusetts man is the latest to be charged for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, federal officials announced. Worcester County resident Vincent Gillespie, of Athol, was arrested on Friday, Feb. 18, and charged for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers during the riot and breach at the Capitol. According to court documents from at least 4:11 p.m. to at least 4:25 p.m. on Jan. 6, Gillespie was among rioters in the Lower West Terrance of the Capitol who engaged in pushing, shoving, yelling, and fighting with law enforcement…
Former Harvard Department Chair Found Guilty Of Hiding Ties To China Former Harvard Department Chair Found Guilty Of Hiding Ties To China
Former Harvard Department Chair Found Guilty Of Hiding Ties To China A former Harvard University department chair has been found guilty of charges in connection with lying to federal authorities about his ties to China and failing to report income he received from a university in China. Charles Lieber, age 62, was found guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 21, of: Two counts of making false statements to federal authorities,  Two counts of making and subscribing a false income tax return, Two counts of failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts with the Internal Revenue Service. Lieber is the former chair of Harvard's Chemistry and Che…
Massachusetts Governor Backs Biden Push For Death Penalty In Boston Marathon Case Massachusetts Governor Backs Biden Push For Death Penalty In Boston Marathon Case
Massachusetts Governor Backs Biden Push For Death Penalty In Boston Marathon Case Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is backing the Department of Justice and President Joe Biden as they seek to reinstate the death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. This week, the Department of Justice encouraged the Supreme Court to reinstate the death penalty for Tsarnaev, calling it "one of the worst” acts of terrorism in the US since the Sept. 11 bombings. Though Biden has publicly opposed capital punishment, his administration threw its support behind the DOJ, which filed a 48-page brief to overturn a previous decision from a lower court that vacated Tsarnaev’s dea…
NY Man Nabbed For Role In Capitol Riot After Showing Video At Dentist's Office, FBI Says NY Man Nabbed For Role In Capitol Riot After Showing Video At Dentist's Office, FBI Says
NY Man Nabbed For Role In Capitol Riot After Showing Video At Dentist's Office, FBI Says A New York man was arrested for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol after being heard showing off videos of the pro-Trump riot at an upstate dentist’s office, according to the FBI. Daniel Warmus, of Buffalo, was arrested this week and accused of taking part in the deadly riot after the FBI received a tip from someone who overheard him talking about the incident. The tipster told the FBI that he could hear Warmus playing a video taken from inside the Capitol building on Jan. 6. It is further alleged that Warmus proclaimed that he smoked marijuana while inside the building. …
COVID-19: Cuomo Defends Nursing Home Death Reporting, Calling It 'Political Football' COVID-19: Cuomo Defends Nursing Home Death Reporting, Calling It 'Political Football'
Covid-19: Cuomo Defends Nursing Home Death Reporting, Calling It 'Political Football' Gov. Andrew Cuomo defended his administration’s handling of the counting of COVID-19-related deaths in New York nursing homes, calling it “political” and driven by former President Donald Trump. In his latest public comment on the subject following a scathing report that found his top aides worked for months to obscure the number of virus-related deaths in nursing homes, Cuomo sought to defend his administration while explaining the confusion in the data that was publicly released. Earlier story - Report: Cuomo Aides' Effort To Keep Nursing Home Deaths Secret Greater Than Previously Known …
CT Mom, 41, Tried Meeting With Teen Same Age As Her Own Child For Sex At PA Hotel, Feds Say CT Mom, 41, Tried Meeting With Teen Same Age As Her Own Child For Sex At PA Hotel, Feds Say
CT Mom, 41, Tried Meeting With Teen Same Age As Her Own Child For Sex At PA Hotel, Feds Say A 41-year-old mother of three from Connecticut is facing 14 years behind bars for her alleged attempts to have sex with a 14-year-old boy at a Pennsylvania hotel, authorities said. Sarah Norton, of Jewett City, a borough in New London County, met the teen while “gaming” online, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. Norton then attempted to seduce the boy into engaging in sexually explicit contact through online messaging and cell phone conversations, Williams said. In late 2017, Norton traveled from her home in Connecticut to Pennsylvania to meet with the …
Stamford-Based Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis Role Stamford-Based Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis Role
Stamford-Based Purdue Pharma Admits To Crimes, Facing Billions In Fines For Opioid Crisis Role Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has agreed to pay billions of dollars in fines and will plead guilty to federal criminal charges for its role in the nation’s opioid crisis. The Fairfield County-based Connecticut company agreed to plead guilty in federal court in New Jersey to a three-count indictment that includes one count of dual-object conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and two counts of conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. As part of the agreement, Purdue Pharma, whose headquarters is in Stamford, will…
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Fake Mask Exempt Cards Being Sold Online COVID-19: Alert Issued For Fake Mask Exempt Cards Being Sold Online
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Fake Mask Exempt Cards Being Sold Online While mask-wearing amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has become politicized, federal officials are cautioning of a new scam for fraudulent face mask exempt flyers that have been circulating online. The Department of Justice has issued a warning of a card that has been circulating online which falsely claims its holder is exempt from wearing a mask - contrary to local, state, and federal mandates. The cards are purportedly from the “Freedom to Breathe Agency” - which is not an official federal or state agency - and states that wearing a mask will incur mental or physical risk fo…
Man, 64, Charged With Traveling Abroad From NY For Sex Acts With 13-Year-Old Man, 64, Charged With Traveling Abroad From NY For Sex Acts With 13-Year-Old
Man, 64, Charged With Traveling Abroad From NY For Sex Acts With 13-Year-Old A 64-year-old man has been accused of traveling abroad from New York to engage in sex acts with a minor. Following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the indictment filed with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York accuses Long Island resident Thomas Blaha, of Garden City, with going to the Philippines with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. "The defendant allegedly traveled halfway across the globe to sexually exploit a mino…
Three CT Residents Charged In Elder Fraud Cases Three CT Residents Charged In Elder Fraud Cases
Three CT Residents Charged In Elder Fraud Cases Three Connecticut residents were among those targeted and charged following the “largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. The Department of Justice said that this year, prosecutors charged more than 400 people - up from 260 the year before - for elder scams. In each case, offenders allegedly engaged in financial schemes that targeted or largely affected seniors.  In total, the charged elder schemers caused alleged losses of over a billion dollars. In Connecticut, Torrington resident Lestor Burroughs, a registered securities bro…
Trump Confidant, Norwalk Native Roger Stone Sentenced Trump Confidant, Norwalk Native Roger Stone Sentenced
Trump Confidant, Norwalk Native Roger Stone Sentenced Roger Stone, a Fairfield County native who graduated from high school in Northern Westchester and has been a longtime adviser and confidant of President Donald Trump, was sentenced to prison for lying to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other charges. The 67-year-old Stone was indicted in January 2019 as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into whether Russia colluded with the Trump's presidential campaign. Stone was sentenced to 40 months (three years, four months) in prison by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Thursday, Feb.…
NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website
NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website Men from Connecticut and New York are among those charged in the takedown of the largest Darknet child pornography website. Jong Woo Son, 23, a South Korean national, was indicted this week for his operation of Welcome To Video, the largest child exploitation market by volume of content, officials said. Son has also been charged and convicted in South Korea and is currently in custody serving his sentence in South Korea.   An additional 337 site users residing in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jers…
Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims To Get New $469M Distribution, Bringing Payout To $2.4B Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims To Get New $469M Distribution, Bringing Payout To $2.4B
Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims To Get New $469M Distribution, Bringing Payout To $2.4B Thousands of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme victims will see some more relief as the Department of Justice begins the latest distribution of more than $469 million. This week, the Madoff Victim Fund, which was established by the DOJ, began distributing $469.6 million in additional funds that were forfeited to the government in connection to Madoff's scheme. The money will be distributed to more than 27,000 victims, bringing the total to approximately $2.4 billion. The latest distribution marks the fourth in a series of payments from the Madoff Victim Fund as part of Madoff’s fraud, which tot…
Pharmaceutical Company To Pay $17.5M To Resolve Allegations Of Kickbacks Pharmaceutical Company To Pay $17.5M To Resolve Allegations Of Kickbacks
Pharmaceutical Company To Pay $17.5M To Resolve Allegations Of Kickbacks In a case that originated with the filing of whistleblower lawsuits in Connecticut, a pharmaceutical company has agreed to pay $17.5 million to resolve allegations of kickbacks to Medicare patients and physicians. US WorldMeds LLC, based out of Louisville, has agreed to the settlement after it was determined they were paying kickbacks to improperly induce prescriptions of its drugs, Apokyn and Myobloc, U.S. Attorney John Durham announced this week. Durham said that Congress included copay requirements in the Medicare program, in part, to encourage market forces to serve as a check on health…
Branch Manager Admits To Bid Rigging, Fraud On Contracts Branch Manager Admits To Bid Rigging, Fraud On Contracts
Branch Manager Admits To Bid Rigging, Fraud On Contracts A branch manager at a Connecticut-based insulation business has admitted to bid-rigging and fraud on insulation contracts that bilked his victims out of millions of dollars. Gary DeVoe, the branch manager for the New England division of an insulation contractor pleaded guilty in Bridgeport federal court for his role in schemes to rig bids and engage in fraud on insulation installation contracts. This is the first conviction in an ongoing investigation, the Department of Justice announced, with more expected. “Today’s conviction is the result of a coordinated effort between the Department o…