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United States Attorney’s Office

Man Pleads Guilty To Hate Crime, Admits To Threatening CT Restaurant Man Pleads Guilty To Hate Crime, Admits To Threatening CT Restaurant
Man Pleads Guilty To Hate Crime, Admits To Threatening CT Restaurant A 37-year-old man has admitted he committed a hate crime, making threatening telephone calls to a Connecticut restaurant, along with businesses in other states. Joey David George, a resident of Lynnwood, Washington, pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 7, to making interstate threats and a hate crime: interference with a Federally Protected Activity, United States Attorney Nick Brown announced. He has been in federal custody since he was arrested on July 22, Brown said. In his plea agreement, George admitted he made threatening phone calls to grocery stores in Buffalo, New York, restaurants…
Fairfield County Man Admits To Attempting To Transfer Obscene Materials To Minor Fairfield County Man Admits To Attempting To Transfer Obscene Materials To Minor
Fairfield County Man Admits To Attempting To Transfer Obscene Materials To Minor A 63-year-old Fairfield County man admitted to sending sexual messages, pictures, and videos to an FBI agent posing as a 14-year-old girl. Michael Nastu, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Sept. 22, to one count of attempted transfer of obscene materials to a minor, according to Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. Nastu used the Kik social media application in March of 2021 to initiate a conversation with an FBI Online Covert Employee who was posing as a 14-year-old girl from Connecticut, the US Attorney's Office said. Between March 3…
Fairfield County Men Sentenced For Trafficking Counterfeit Oxycodone Pills Containing Fentanyl Fairfield County Men Sentenced For Trafficking Counterfeit Oxycodone Pills Containing Fentanyl
Fairfield County Men Sentenced For Trafficking Counterfeit Oxycodone Pills Containing Fentanyl Two Fairfield County men were sentenced for trafficking counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl. Stamford residents Arber Isaku and Vincent Decaro, both age 32, were sentenced on Monday, Aug. 8, according to Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. Isaku was sentenced to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and Decaro was sentenced to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release, Avery said.  Decaro pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl analogs on June 15, 2…
Fairfield County Gang Member Admits Role In 2019 Murder Fairfield County Gang Member Admits Role In 2019 Murder
Fairfield County Gang Member Admits Role In 2019 Murder A 20-year-old man has admitted to his role in a Fairfield County gang and the murder of a victim in 2019. Tyrone Moore, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, July 5, to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity stemming from his involvement in the "East End gang," according to Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. Avery said in pleading guilty to the charge, Moore admitted that he and another East End member fatally shot Shawn Warren, a member of rival "O.N.E. gang," on July 12, 2019. The US Attorney's Office s…
16 Charged In Takedown Of CT Fentanyl, Heroin Distribution Ring 16 Charged In Takedown Of CT Fentanyl, Heroin Distribution Ring
16 Charged In Takedown Of CT Fentanyl, Heroin Distribution Ring Sixteen people are facing various charges stemming from the gang-related distribution of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Connecticut and other areas in the region.A federal grand jury returned the 27-count indictment charging the defendants on Wednesday, June 8, according to an announcement from Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, on Tuesday, June 28. The US Attorney's Office said the following people were charged: Luis Feliciano, age 38, of East Hartford Jose Tirado, age 41, of Hartford Carl Jones, age 41, of Hartford Luis Robles, age 25, o…
Fairfield County Man Sentenced In Arson, Murder Scheme Fairfield County Man Sentenced In Arson, Murder Scheme
Fairfield County Man Sentenced In Arson, Murder Scheme A 33-year-old man was sentenced for his role in a plan to murder an individual and set fire to a Fairfield County business. George Rivera, of Danbury, was sentenced on Wednesday, June 29, to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon on Saturday, March 25, the US Attorney's Office said. According to the announcement, on April 2, 2018, police tried to pull over a car that was driving with unlit taillights.  The …
Ex-Employee From Connecticut Charged For $575K Corporate Fraud Scheme, Feds Say Ex-Employee From Connecticut Charged For $575K Corporate Fraud Scheme, Feds Say
Ex-Employee From Connecticut Charged For $575K Corporate Fraud Scheme, Feds Say A Connecticut man has been charged in an alleged scheme to defraud his former employer out of more than $575,000. Hartford County resident Ariel Legassa, age 49, of the town of Burlington, was arrested and charged with mail fraud, according to a report from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Legassa made his first appearance in federal court on Wednesday, the report said.  Legassa is accused of orchestrating a scheme to defraud New England Sports Network from December 2020 to January 2022. He allegedly negotiated a le…
CNN Producer Accused Of Luring Minors Worked With Fired Anchor Chris Cuomo CNN Producer Accused Of Luring Minors Worked With Fired Anchor Chris Cuomo
CNN Producer Accused Of Luring Minors Worked With Fired Anchor Chris Cuomo A CNN producer who was charged with enticing underage girls into sexual activity previously spoke about working closely with fired news anchor Chris Cuomo on the show "New Day." Connecticut resident John Griffin, of Fairfield County, was arrested and charged with three counts of using a facility of interstate commerce to attempt to entice minors to engage in unlawful sexual activity, according to an announcement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont on Friday, Dec. 10. Earlier report - CNN Producer From Stamford Charged With Enticing Minors Int…
CT Investment Advisor Sentenced For Stealing More Than $600K From Client CT Investment Advisor Sentenced For Stealing More Than $600K From Client
CT Investment Advisor Sentenced For Stealing More Than $600K From Client A Connecticut man has been sentenced for stealing more than $600,000 from an investment client.  New Haven County resident Matthew Clason, age 40, of Cheshire, was sentenced on Tuesday, Dec. 7, to 30 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for one count of wire fraud, according to an announcement from Leonard Boyle, acting United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. Clason pleaded guilty to the charge on May 12, Boyle said.  The US Attorney's Office said that beginning in 2015, while working as an investment advisor and representative of Linc…
Man Admits To Stealing, Selling Luxury Car Tires, Rims In NY, CT, Other Parts Of New England Man Admits To Stealing, Selling Luxury Car Tires, Rims In NY, CT, Other Parts Of New England
Man Admits To Stealing, Selling Luxury Car Tires, Rims In NY, CT, Other Parts Of New England A man has pleaded guilty to a charge related to a scheme to steal tires and rims from vehicles at luxury car dealerships in Connecticut, New York and more states and sell them across the country.  Michael Farias, age 56, of Providence, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Nov. 10, to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, according to Leonard Boyle, acting United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. Between May 2015 and August 2018, Farias and other individuals stole tires and rims for various luxury vehicles at dealerships in Connecticut…
CT Convenience Store Owner, Worker Charged With Defrauding Government CT Convenience Store Owner, Worker Charged With Defrauding Government
CT Convenience Store Owner, Worker Charged With Defrauding Government The owner of a convenience store in the region and an employee at the store were charged with food stamp fraud offenses for allegedly allowing customers to redeem their food stamp benefits for cash and ineligible items. Javed Saeed, age 52, and Dastgir Saeed, age 68, were arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 29, according to Leonard Boyle, acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Boyle said Javed is the owner of the Hartford County convenience store and Mobil gas station, called Manchester Quick Mart, and Dastgir helped operate the store. The defendants, who are both fro…
Bridgeport Police Chief, Personnel Director Arrested, Accused Of Rigging Hiring Bridgeport Police Chief, Personnel Director Arrested, Accused Of Rigging Hiring
Bridgeport Police Chief, Personnel Director Arrested, Accused Of Rigging Hiring Some of Bridgeport’s top police officials have been accused of rigging the city’s police chief search two years ago and then attempting to cover it up, according to federal authorities. Bridgeport Police Chief Armando Perez and the city’s acting Personnel Director David Dunn were arrested on Thursday, Sept. 10 by federal investigators for allegedly rigging the 2018 search for a new chief to ensure Perez would win. Additionally, Perez and Dunn were charged with making false statements to federal agents during the investigation into the alleged fraud. It is alleged that Perez - who was the a…
Netflix Shelves Movie With Area Native Huffman After She Admits Guilt Netflix Shelves Movie With Area Native Huffman After She Admits Guilt
Netflix Shelves Movie With Area Native Huffman After She Admits Guilt The hits keep coming for Northern Westchester native Felicity Huffman, who had her Netflix film postponed amid her role in the nation’s largest-ever college admissions scam involving her children. Last month, Huffman, 56, who spent much of her childhood in Bedford, was among dozens of prominent celebrities, wealthy parents and coaches who were implicated in “Operation Varsity Blues,” where they paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to get their children into some of the nation’s top colleges and universities. This week, Huffman and 13 others pleaded guilty to the college admissions scandal,…
Convict Admits To Using App To Get Teen Boy To Send Sexually Explicit Photos, Video Convict Admits To Using App To Get Teen Boy To Send Sexually Explicit Photos, Video
Convict Admits To Using App To Get Teen Boy To Send Sexually Explicit Photos, Video A Connecticut convict who already was found guilty of abusing a 14-year-old girl has admitted to using an instant messaging app to exploit a teenage boy into sending sexually explicit photos and video. Manchester resident Luqman Gotti, formerly known as Timothy Pennington, has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges after exchanging photos with a boy, despite his prior conviction. Last June, Gotti, 37, and a teenager began communicating through the Kik instant messaging application. When the boy told Gotti that he was 14 years old, Gotti requested that he send a sexually explicit image …
Man Admits To Enticing Minors To Engage In Sex Through App Man Admits To Enticing Minors To Engage In Sex Through App
Man Admits To Enticing Minors To Engage In Sex Through App A Connecticut man faces life in prison after admitting to sending sexually explicit photos and attempting to entice minors into engaging in sexual activity through online apps. Daniel Fleischauer of North Branford pleaded guilty in New Haven district court to enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. Between 2013 and 2017, Fleischauer communicated with underage girls on Internet applications such as Kik and Cypher.  At times, the conversations involved sexual topics. While speaking with the girls, Fleischauer sent sexually explicit photos to the minors and he requested and r…
Drug Abuse Treatment Providers Settle $1.3M Case For False Psychotherapy Drug Abuse Treatment Providers Settle $1.3M Case For False Psychotherapy
Drug Abuse Treatment Providers Settle $1.3M Case For False Psychotherapy New Era Rehabilitation Center as well as Dr. Ebenezer Kolade and Dr. Christina Kolade have entered into a civil settlement agreement with federal and state governments and pay more than $1.37 million in fines for violating the False Claims Act.  United States Attorney John H. Durham and Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen announced hat the physician couple had agreed to pay a settlement of $1,378,533 to resolve the allegations.  New Era provides behavioral health and substance abuse services to patients at its clinics in New Haven and Bridgeport.  As part of their practice, New Era …