Tag:

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Suspicious White Powder Sent To Election Offices Across Country — Including CT Suspicious White Powder Sent To Election Offices Across Country — Including CT
Suspicious White Powder Sent To Election Offices Across Country — Including CT A package with a suspicious white substance was intercepted at a United States Post Office in Connecticut earlier this week and could be part of a much larger scheme to disrupt or scare election workers ahead of election day, authorities said.  The package was found at a West Hartford post office on Monday, Sept. 16, the Connecticut Secretary of State said in a news release. No one was injured, but the contents were sent to a lab for testing.  Election offices in New York, Tennessee, Wyoming, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Massachusetts, …
Mail Theft: Woman Caught Stealing IDs, Checks From Stamford Box, Police Say Mail Theft: Woman Caught Stealing IDs, Checks From Stamford Box, Police Say
Mail Theft: Woman Caught Stealing IDs, Checks From Stamford Box, Police Say A Fairfield County woman has been charged with firearms charges after allegedly being caught stealing mail that included personal checks and identities. The arrest took place on Tuesday, June 20 in Stamford following an investigation by the Stamford Police Department and the US Postal Inspection Service into the theft of mail from the box located on Camp Avenue, said Capt. Tom Scanlon, of the Stamford Police. Scanlon said Kierra Blount, age unknown, of Stamford was charged after officers a 9mm “ghost gun” with a loaded magazine in her home along with: Eight pages containing the names of …
COVID-19: Businessman Admits Stealing $3.2M For Personal Use, Including Buying Nantucket Home COVID-19: Businessman Admits Stealing $3.2M For Personal Use, Including Buying Nantucket Home
Covid-19: Businessman Admits Stealing $3.2M For Personal Use, Including Buying Nantucket Home A man who owns a theme park and restaurant in New York has admitted to stealing over $3 million through federal COVID-19 aid with some of those funds used to buy a home on Nantucket. Long Island resident Donald Finley, age 61, of Roslyn, the owner of Jekyll & Hyde Restaurant in Manhattan and the Bayville Adventure Park in Nassau County, pleaded guilty to disaster relief fraud and wire fraud on Thursday, May 25. As stated in court filings by the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace: Between March 2020 and March 2021, amid the COVID pandemic, Finley fra…
Man Sentenced For $12M Ponzi Scheme That Included Victim From Fairfield County Man Sentenced For $12M Ponzi Scheme That Included Victim From Fairfield County
Man Sentenced For $12M Ponzi Scheme That Included Victim From Fairfield County A New York man was sentenced for his role in a $12 million Ponzi scheme that targeted nearly 50 victims from throughout the region and the nation between 2015 and 2017. Long Island resident Matthew Eckstein, age 52, of Syosset, was sentenced on Monday, July 11 to three-and-a-half to 10-and-a-half years in prison. Eckstein originally pleaded guilty to the charges on September 26, 2019, but later withdrew his plea. A new indictment was secured in August 2020, but court closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic further delayed the case. “This defendant preyed upon seniors and hard-working men…
CT Man Sentenced For Role In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Involving Postal Worker CT Man Sentenced For Role In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Involving Postal Worker
CT Man Sentenced For Role In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Involving Postal Worker A Connecticut man is heading to federal prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking ring that involved a US Postal worker. Kendall Hooks, age 50, of Hartford, was sentenced to more than 5 years behind bars Wednesday, May 11, in federal court in Hartford. It came nearly nine months after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, the US Attorney’s Office said. The charges stemmed from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Hartford and the US Postal Inspection Service that revea…
Three From CT Among Four Nabbed For Trafficking Cocaine Through US Mail Three From CT Among Four Nabbed For Trafficking Cocaine Through US Mail
Three From CT Among Four Nabbed For Trafficking Cocaine Through US Mail Four are facing charges for allegedly trafficking cocaine from Puerto Rico into Connecticut, federal authorities announced. A federal grand jury in New Haven announced the indictment of four suspects with cocaine traffic offenses for their roles in the operation, which lasted months. Those charged: Jean Mangual-Castro, age 34, of West Haven; Jason Spearman, also known as “J” and “Deuce,” age 34, of New Haven; Enid Castro, age 52, of West Haven; Maria Alejandra Perrez Torres, also known as “Alej,” and “Alejandra Perez,” age 21, of Villalba, Puerto Rico. US Attorney Leonard Boyle said that…
CT Man Sentenced For Dark Web Fentanyl Distribution CT Man Sentenced For Dark Web Fentanyl Distribution
CT Man Sentenced For Dark Web Fentanyl Distribution A Connecticut man was sentenced to more than a decade in prison for trafficking drugs on the dark web, leading to a fatal overdose, and firearm charges. Barry Duclos, age 43, of New London County, was sentenced on Tuesday, Feb. 1, to 170 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to Leonard Boyle, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. The US Attorney's Office said Duclos, a resident of Norwich, was found guilty of the following charges on July 30: Seven counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl analogues Po…
Fairfield County Man Sentenced For Dealing Fentanyl, Heroin Fairfield County Man Sentenced For Dealing Fentanyl, Heroin
Fairfield County Man Sentenced For Dealing Fentanyl, Heroin A Fairfield County man has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Anthony Gilchrist, age 32, of Bridgeport, was sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 26, to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to Leonard Boyle, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Saturday, Nov. 20, the US Attorney's Office reported. Authorities have been investigating several gangs based in Bridgeport, including the "Greene Homes Boyz," whose members distribute heroin, crack cocaine, mariju…
Former CT Resident Sentenced For Trafficking Cocaine Through US Mail Former CT Resident Sentenced For Trafficking Cocaine Through US Mail
Former CT Resident Sentenced For Trafficking Cocaine Through US Mail A former Connecticut resident has been sentenced for trafficking kilograms of cocaine through the United States mail. Marcos Mendez, age 31, of Florida, was sentenced on Monday, Oct. 18, to 72 months in prison and four years of supervised release for trafficking cocaine through the mail from Puerto Rico to Connecticut and Massachusetts, according to Leonard Boyle, acting United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. Between July and December 2018, authorities seized five parcels that were mailed to addresses in Bristol, Meriden and Burlington, Connecticut, and in Worcest…
CT Duo Charged In Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy CT Duo Charged In Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy
CT Duo Charged In Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Two Connecticut men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their alleged involvement in a scheme to receive large quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico through the U.S. Mail for distribution in Connecticut and elsewhere. New London County residents Carlos Antonio Crespo-Febus, age 40, of New London, and Steven Collazo, age 30, of Groton, were arrested on Monday, Sept. 20, said Leonard  Boyle, Acting US Attorney for the District of Connecticut. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in April 2021, the US Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and B…
CT Man Involved In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Sentenced To Federal Prison CT Man Involved In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Sentenced To Federal Prison
CT Man Involved In Cocaine Trafficking Ring Sentenced To Federal Prison A Connecticut man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking ring. Alex Negron, age 37, of Hartford, was sentenced on Wednesday, Feb. 10, to prison, followed by three years of supervised release, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation conducted by the DEA's Hartford Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service into a drug trafficking organization that was receiving shipments of cocaine from Puerto Rico and California and di…
Man With Forged Connecticut ID Admits To Breaking Into NY Mailbox Man With Forged Connecticut ID Admits To Breaking Into NY Mailbox
Man With Forged Connecticut ID Admits To Breaking Into NY Mailbox A man who was busted in possession of a forged Connecticut driver’s license admitted to using a postal key to steal undelivered mail from a USPS mailbox in Westchester last year. Bronx resident James Rodriguez, 31, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Sept. 17 in Westchester County Court to a pair of felony charges after he was busted stealing mail in Mount Vernon last year. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino Jr. said that at approximately 12:30 a.m. on May 3 last year, Rodriguez was caught stealing mail from the blue USPS mailbox on East Sandford Boulevard. Scarpino said at the …
Ex-Trump Strategist Steve Bannon Was On Yacht Off CT Coast When Arrested For Defrauding Donors Ex-Trump Strategist Steve Bannon Was On Yacht Off CT Coast When Arrested For Defrauding Donors
Ex-Trump Strategist Steve Bannon Was On Yacht Off CT Coast When Arrested For Defrauding Donors Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist for President Donald Trump, was aboard a yacht off the Connecticut coast when he was arrested and taken into custody for allegedly defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors. Bannon was on the yacht named "Lady May" off Westbrook, in Middlesex County, Connecticut on Thursday morning, Aug. 20 when six federal agents representing the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and a member of the United States Coast Guard who were aboard a Coast Guard marine unit arrived to serve Bannon his s…
Five From Connecticut Charged For Scheme Scamming Victims Of $4M Five From Connecticut Charged For Scheme Scamming Victims Of $4M
Five From Connecticut Charged For Scheme Scamming Victims Of $4M Five men in Connecticut are facing charges for allegedly operating multi-million dollar elderly fraud scams, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. U.S. Attorney John Durham announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an 11-count indictment charging five people for their participation in lottery and romance scams that defrauded elderly victims across the country of millions. Those charged:  Farouq Fasasi, 25, a citizen Nigeria residing New Haven; Rodney Thomas, Jr., 29, of New Haven; Montrell Dobbs, Jr., 27, recently of Ansonia, Hamden, and New Haven; Stanley Pierre, 32,…
Area Tour Company Founder Indicted On Federal Child Porn Trafficking Charges Area Tour Company Founder Indicted On Federal Child Porn Trafficking Charges
Area Tour Company Founder Indicted On Federal Child Porn Trafficking Charges The founder of a nature tour company operating from the Jersey Shore north to Poughkeepsie and southern Connecticut was found with 6,800 photos and 120 videos of child sexual abuse, an indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges. Federal Homeland Security agents arrested Vaughn Tiedeman, 46, of Living Adventure Tours, in February on distributing child pornography charges. A grand jury in Newark added receiving and possession counts, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said Thursday. Between July 2018 and January 2019, Tiedeman, of West Milford, “distributed at least 50 videos a…
Drug Distributor From Fairfield County Sentenced To Six Years In Federal Prison Drug Distributor From Fairfield County Sentenced To Six Years In Federal Prison
Drug Distributor From Fairfield County Sentenced To Six Years In Federal Prison A convicted felon in Connecticut is heading back behind bars after being sentenced for distributing synthetic drugs. Michael Young, 48, of Bridgeport, has been sentenced to six years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after admitting to importing, manufacturing and distributing synthetic cannabinoids. In August last year, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service identified a suspicious package that was shipped from a California business that marketed and sold herbal products for smoking to Young’s Bridgeport residence. A search of the package revealed a leafy plant-like su…
Synthetic Drug Distributor In Fairfield County Pleads Guilty Synthetic Drug Distributor In Fairfield County Pleads Guilty
Synthetic Drug Distributor In Fairfield County Pleads Guilty A drug distributor from Fairfield County is facing 20 years in prison for importing and distributing synthetic drugs and PCP in Connecticut. Bridgeport resident Michael Young, 48, has pleaded guilty in Bridgeport district court to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances for his role in a near two-year scheme. In August last year, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service identified a suspicious package destined for Young’s Bridgeport residence, U.S. Attorney John Durham said. The package had been shipped from a California business that marketed and sold herbal produ…
Connecticut Man Indicted For Threat To Kill Trump, Bomb, Anthrax Hoaxes Connecticut Man Indicted For Threat To Kill Trump, Bomb, Anthrax Hoaxes
Connecticut Man Indicted For Threat To Kill Trump, Bomb, Anthrax Hoaxes A 51-year-old man has been indicted on 16 counts for numerous malicious incidents of intimidation that mentioned the use of explosives and bio-toxins, and for threatening to kill President Donald Trump, John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced on Saturday, May 11. A federal grand jury in New Haven returned a 16-count indictment on Friday, May 10, charging Gary Joseph Gravelle, also known as Roland Prejean, with threatening to kill, injure and intimidate people and explode property in Connecticut and elsewhere. As alleged in the indictment, in September 2…
Feds Charge Tri-State Area Tour Company Founder With Trafficking Child Porn Feds Charge Tri-State Area Tour Company Founder With Trafficking Child Porn
Feds Charge Tri-State Area Tour Company Founder With Trafficking Child Porn The North Jersey founder of a nature tour company operating from the Jersey Shore north to Poughkeepsie and southern Connecticut was arrested by federal Homeland Security agents on charges of trafficking child porn. Vaughn Tiedeman, 46, of Living Adventure Tours, was ordered held without bail by a federal judge in Newark Monday afternoon on a charge of distributing child pornography. Between July 2018 and January 2019, Tiedeman, of West Milford, “distributed at least 50 videos and 100 images depicting the sexual abuse of children via the BitTorrent peer-to-peer network,” U.S. Attorney Craig…
Local Resident Charged With Operating Drug Mill In Westport Local Resident Charged With Operating Drug Mill In Westport
Local Resident Charged With Operating Drug Mill In Westport A tip to the Westport Police Department Detective Bureau that a local resident was receiving narcotics via the mail led to the takedown of a drug mill in Westport. After receiving the tip, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, investigators identified the resident as Zachary Bartolo, 23, of 1177 Post Road East, said the Westport Police. Investigators learned Bartolo had received several packages over the last few months. One of Bartolo’s packages was intercepted and found to contain approximately one ounce of cocaine. Detectives applied for a search warrant for his residence, along with …
Man Charged With Mailing Letters With White Powder To Federal Offices In NY, CT Man Charged With Mailing Letters With White Powder To Federal Offices In NY, CT
Man Charged With Mailing Letters With White Powder To Federal Offices In NY, CT An area man has been arrested for mailing letters with white powder along with a note implying the substance was Anthrax to federal offices in New York and Connecticut. Jason Pantone, 34, of Hyde Park, was arrested Wednesday, Feb. 27, and appeared in court in Albany on Thursday on charges of conveying false information and hoax, said the U.S. Attorney Grant Jaquith. Pantone is accused of using the U.S. mail to send envelopes containing white power to locations in New York and Connecticut. Each envelope contained suspicious white powder and a note indicating, or implying, that the powde…
Suspicious Package Leads To Emergency Response In Westport Suspicious Package Leads To Emergency Response In Westport
Suspicious Package Leads To Emergency Response In Westport A call regarding a suspicious package emitting a foul odor sent Westport police officers and firefighters to a Riverside Avenue address to investigate the situation. The call came in around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, for the package that had been delivered to the address on Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, said Westport Police Lt. Jill Cabana. The building was temporarily evacuated while officials examined the package. "No one who handled the package prior to the arrival of emergency services reported any illness or required medical treatment," she said. The Fairfield County Hazardous Incide…
Man Sentenced For Stealing Credit Card Info Of CT Residents To Charge $64K In Purchases Man Sentenced For Stealing Credit Card Info Of CT Residents To Charge $64K In Purchases
Man Sentenced For Stealing Credit Card Info Of CT Residents To Charge $64K In Purchases A 28-year-old man who racked up almost 64,000 in charges on credit cards obtained through identity theft has been sentenced to two-and-half years in prison. Elijah Chin of Federal Wave in the state of Washington was sentenced Tuesday in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for fraud and identity theft offenses stemming from a credit card fraud scheme, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, between December 2016 and February 2017, Chin was involved in a schem…
Ex-CFO From Area Sentenced, Ordered To Pay $21M Accounting Fraud Ex-CFO From Area Sentenced, Ordered To Pay $21M Accounting Fraud
Ex-cfo From Area Sentenced, Ordered To Pay $21M Accounting Fraud A former chief financial officer of Bankrate Inc. who lived in Fairfield County was given a “significant” prison sentence for accounting and securities fraud and must pay back more than $20 million. Monroe resident Edward DiMaria was sentenced to 10 years prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty in June to conspiracy to make false statements about a public company; falsifying a public company’s books, records and accounts; securities fraud and making false statements to the SEC. DiMaria must also pay $21.23 million in restitution. According to prosecutors, …
Puerto Rico To CT Cocaine Trafficking Ring Probe Nets Seven Indictments Puerto Rico To CT Cocaine Trafficking Ring Probe Nets Seven Indictments
Puerto Rico To CT Cocaine Trafficking Ring Probe Nets Seven Indictments Seven people were indicted on Thursday, April 19 on charges related to alleged smuggling of cocaine via the mail from Puerto Rico to Connecticut, according to U.S. Attorney John H. Durham. Charged in the indictment were: Erick Suarez, 29, of New Britain; Jerry "Bebo" Rodriguez, 28, of Hartford; Luis Gonzalez-Ofarril, 23, of New Britain; Luis Torres, 35, of New Britain; and Gregory Torres, 39, of Hartford. Two additional suspects from Puerto Rico were indicted. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, since December 2017, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Har…