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…
Woman, Man Accused Of Running Counterfeit CT, NY Scheme Involving Car Titles, Insurance Cards Woman, Man Accused Of Running Counterfeit CT, NY Scheme Involving Car Titles, Insurance Cards
Woman, Man Accused Of Running Counterfeit CT, NY Scheme Involving Car Titles, Insurance Cards Two Connecticut residents are facing charges for an alleged elaborate counterfeiting operation that expanded into New York. An investigation was launched by the Monroe Police Department in February when an area resident purchased a motor vehicle with a fraudulent title. An extensive, multi-agency investigation was launched, which led them to identify Krista Karch and Orlando Dominguez, both residents of Essex, Connecticut, in Middlesex County, as possible suspects. According to police, it was determined that Dominguez allegedly produced counterfeit New York and Connecticut car titles…
Five From Connecticut Among Six Nabbed For Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Bust Five From Connecticut Among Six Nabbed For Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Bust
Five From Connecticut Among Six Nabbed For Fentanyl Trafficking Ring Bust Six people have been nabbed for allegedly being part of a large-scale, elaborate heroin and fentanyl trafficking organization that has been broken up, according to U.S. Attorney for Connecticut John Durham. Durham announced that the six, five of whom are from Connecticut, were arrested on federal narcotics distribution and money laundering charges for their role in the drug distribution ring, which operated throughout the state of Connecticut. Those charged: Domingo Guzman, 43, of Waterbury; Armando Gonzalez, 38, of New Britain; David Cintron, 24, of Manchester; Daniel Estremera, 40, of …
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,…
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…
Man Sentenced After Using Own Private Jet To Distribute Pot From Fairfield County, Feds Say Man Sentenced After Using Own Private Jet To Distribute Pot From Fairfield County, Feds Say
Man Sentenced After Using Own Private Jet To Distribute Pot From Fairfield County, Feds Say A Connecticut man will spend time behind bars for his role in a large-scale marijuana trafficking conspiracy that saw his co-conspirators making regular flights from Fairfield County to California on a private jet to bring the drugs to the area. Robert Capelli, 34, of Milford, was sentenced in New Haven to 95 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release after being found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more or marijuana. Capelli was found not guilty of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and …
Fugitive Wanted For Theft Of Over $25K Apprehended In Greenwich Fugitive Wanted For Theft Of Over $25K Apprehended In Greenwich
Fugitive Wanted For Theft Of Over $25K Apprehended In Greenwich A woman wanted for stealing more than $25,000 has been apprehended in Greenwich, police say. Greenwich Police say they were contacted by the Louisiana Department of Justice Bureau on Tuesday, Oct. 8 around 5:30 p.m. The Bureau requested that the department serve two felony fully extraditable warrants for two Greenwich residents, one of whom was identified as Deadra Bastarache, 61, of Cos Cob, police say. The warrant was confirmed out of Baton Rouge with charges for theft over $25,000, money laundering and criminal conspiracy. Bastarache was taken into custody around 8 p.m. She was process…
CT Contractor Admits Stealing More Than $3.3M From Employees CT Contractor Admits Stealing More Than $3.3M From Employees
CT Contractor Admits Stealing More Than $3.3M From Employees An electrical contractor in Connecticut has admitted to stealing more than $3.3 million from employees as part of a money-laundering scheme. Lee Ferguson, 62, of Farmington, pleaded guilty in Hartford district court to one count of money laundering stemming from a scheme in which he stole money from his employees. U.S. Attorney John Durham said that Ferguson owns and operates Ferguson Electric and Ferguson Mechanical in Plainville. Between 2013 and 2017, Durham said that “Ferguson caused to be deducted approximately $1.60 to $3.15 per hour from each of his employee’s fringe benefits packa…
Milford Man Sentenced For Defrauding Elderly Person Milford Man Sentenced For Defrauding Elderly Person
Milford Man Sentenced For Defrauding Elderly Person A Connecticut ma is going to spend time behind bars after being sentenced for defrauding an elderly man out of $60,000 through a fraud and money laundering scheme. Milford resident Christopher Sakelarakis, 35, has been sentenced to a term of 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for an investment scheme that defrauded his elderly victim out of tens of thousands of dollars. Sakelarakis “held himself out as having the necessary qualifications, experience, and abilities to provide investment services to a victim-investor.” Sakelarakis claimed that he had multiple i…
CT Investment Adviser Found Guilty Of $1.5M Ponzi-Like Fraud Scene CT Investment Adviser Found Guilty Of $1.5M Ponzi-Like Fraud Scene
CT Investment Adviser Found Guilty Of $1.5M Ponzi-Like Fraud Scene A Connecticut jury has found a former investment adviser guilty on all counts of a 21-count indictment accusing him of running a Ponzi-like scheme to the tune of $1.5 million. Leon Vaccarelli, 42, has been found guilty in New Haven district court of numerous fraud and money laundering charges stemming from an elaborate investment scheme that saw him defraud more than a dozen victim investors. U.S. Attorney John Durham said that Vaccarelli, of Waterbury, was a registered representative of The Investment Center, and was an investment adviser with IC Advisory Services, Inc. He also was the own…
Three Admit To Involvement In Large-Scale Marijuana Trafficking Operation Three Admit To Involvement In Large-Scale Marijuana Trafficking Operation
Three Admit To Involvement In Large-Scale Marijuana Trafficking Operation Three men have admitted to their roles in an elaborate, bi-coastal, multi-million dollar marijuana trafficking operation that flooded Connecticut with nearly two tons of the drug. Scott “Pep” Bodnar, of Ansonia, Terrell Givens, of Beacon Falls, and Donald Burns, of Milford, have pleaded guilty to federal offenses in connection to a large-scale marijuana trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney John Durham announced this week. In 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration launched an investigation into a single-engine aircraft, owned by Burns, that made regular flights from Stratford to northern…
Man Sentenced For Stealing Bitcoins In Dark Web Phishing Scheme Man Sentenced For Stealing Bitcoins In Dark Web Phishing Scheme
Man Sentenced For Stealing Bitcoins In Dark Web Phishing Scheme An area man will spend time behind bars for fraud and money laundering offenses in connection to a scheme to steal bitcoins in an online phishing scam. Michael Richo, of New Haven, and formerly of Wallingford, has been sentenced in Hartford federal court to a term of 12 months and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of access device fraud and one count of money laundering. Richo admitted to engaging in an online phishing scheme to steal bitcoins from people on the dark web, U.S. Attorney John Durham announced. Richo carried out…