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‘Trusted Lieutenant’ Of NY College Sex-Cult Leader Admits To Conspiracy
A former Westchester County college student who fell under the spell of convicted sex-cult leader Larry Ray has pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money for his illegal dealings.
Isabella Pollok, age 31, a former student at Sarah Lawrence College, located near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville, who was described as Ray's "trusted lieutenant," pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 7 to one count related to Ray's twisted plot in Manhattan federal court.
Ray, now age 62, will be sentenced in December on more than a dozen charges, including extortion, sex trafficking, and racketeering cons…
5 CT Men Indicted For Scheme To Steal, Sell Catalytic Converters
An investigation into stolen catalytic converters across Connecticut has resulted in federal charges against five men accused of running a multi-state trafficking ring.
A federal grand jury in New Haven returned a nine-count indictment Tuesday, Aug. 16, charging the following individuals:
Alexander Kolitsas, age 28, of Wolcott;
Bryant Bermudez, age 31, of East Hartford;
Roberto Alicea, age 30, of New Britain;
Francisco Ayala, age 22, of Ansonia;
Theodore Owens, age 21, of Hartford.
Federal prosecutors said Bermudez began working for Kolitsas in November 2021 at his business, Downpipe D…
CT Resident Sentenced For Defrauding Investors, Ordered To Pay $1.5M
A man from Fairfield County will spend three years in federal prison for defrauding investors.
Samuel Klein, age 66, of Greenwich, was sentenced to 36 months behind bars Tuesday, May 3.
It followed a guilty plea in which Klein admitted to making false representations to an investor in his company, Visual Group LLC, in 2018, the US Attorney’s Office said.
He allegedly told the victim that their $200,000 check would be invested in distressed debt despite knowing that not all of the money would be used for that purpose, prosecutors said.
Distressed debt is another term for bonds that are b…
New Haven Trio Found Guilty In $5 Million Fraud Scheme
Three former Connecticut residents were found guilty of charges related to their participation in scams that defrauded hundreds of victims across the United States of a total of more than $5 million.
Farouq Fasasi, age 27, 31-year-old Rodney Thomas Jr., and 32-year-old Ralph Pierre, all ex-New Haven residents, were convicted on Tuesday, Feb. 15, of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering offenses, according to US Attorney Leonard Boyle.
Between August of 2015 and March of 2020, Fasasi, Thomas and others participated in lottery scams and romance scams to get victims to send them money, gift c…
New Haven Man Accused Of Defrauding Investors
A Connecticut man has been indicted on 17 counts of allegedly defrauding investors of an alcoholic beverage company.
Brian Hughes, 56, of Madison, was indicted on Friday, Jan. 15, following his arrest, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
The indictment alleges that in March 2015, Hughes founded Handcrafted Brands, for the purpose of raising money to purchase Salute American Vodka, an alcoholic beverage company.
After founding the company, Hughes allegedly solicited and received funds from investors for the purchase and development of Salute.
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NY Man Nabbed For Role In Decade-Long $1M Ponzi Scheme
A Westchester County man was arrested this week for his role in a near decade-long Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors in New York and other parts of the country out of more than $1 million.
White Plains resident James Doyle, 72, and Carl Carro, 59, of Walton, Delaware, the purported managing directors of headhunting companies Endeavor Management Solutions and Endeavor Consultancy, have been charged in a 42-count indictment for their roles in the schema.
Specifically, the two were charged with multiple counts of money laundering, grand larceny, securities fraud, and scheme to defraud.
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