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Federal Prison

EXCLUSIVE: Duo Poses As Government Agents, Stealing Gold From Victims In 5 States (UPDATE) EXCLUSIVE: Duo Poses As Government Agents, Stealing Gold From Victims In 5 States (UPDATE)
Exclusive: Duo Poses As Government Agents, Stealing Gold From Victims In 5 States (Update) A New Jersey man accused in a sweeping gold-theft scam across five states has entered a guilty plea, his attorney confirmed to Daily Voice on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Bharat Awasarmol and co-defendant Prakashkumar Prajapati were previously indicted for a multistate wire fraud conspiracy that began in March 2023, according to a superseding indictment returned on Thursday, April 3. Prosecutors said the pair and their co-conspirators posed as government officials to trick victims into turning over cash and gold. Victims in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia received telephone cal…
Trump Commutes George Santos’ Sentence After Admitted Fraudster Pens Plea From Solitary Trump Commutes George Santos’ Sentence After Admitted Fraudster Pens Plea From Solitary
Trump Commutes George Santos’ Sentence After Admitted Fraudster Pens Plea From Solitary Admitted fraudster and disgraced ex-Congressman George Santos just got a get-out-of-jail-free card from President Donald Trump. In a stunning announcement Friday, Oct. 17, Trump said he had commuted Santos’ seven-year federal prison sentence, just days after the ousted lawmaker begged him for clemency from solitary confinement. “I just signed a commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Good luck George, have a great life!” The president’s fiery post oddly compared Santos’ admitted crimes to misleading statements Connecticut Sen. Richard B…
HS Teacher From CT Coerced Student, 16, Into Sexual Relationship: Here's Her Fate HS Teacher From CT Coerced Student, 16, Into Sexual Relationship: Here's Her Fate
HS Teacher From CT Coerced Student, 16, Into Sexual Relationship: Here's Her Fate A former Westchester teacher from Connecticut will spend decades in federal prison for coercing a young student into a sexual relationship, prosecutors announced.  Fairfield County resident Sandy Carazas-Pinez of Bethel was sentenced on Friday, Sept. 19 to 25 years in prison for enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. She was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said.  According to court documents, Carazas-Pinez was a teacher at an unnamed Yonkers school that serves kindergar…
CT Man Who Filmed Child Sex Abuse, Hoarded Thousands Of Videos Gets 20 Years: DOJ CT Man Who Filmed Child Sex Abuse, Hoarded Thousands Of Videos Gets 20 Years: DOJ
CT Man Who Filmed Child Sex Abuse, Hoarded Thousands Of Videos Gets 20 Years: DOJ A New Britain man will spend the next two decades in federal prison for recording himself sexually abusing a child and for possessing thousands of child pornography images and videos. Orlando Guzman, 74, was sentenced to 240 months behind bars followed by a lifetime of supervised release, the US Attorney for Connecticut said. Guzman pleaded guilty earlier this year to production and possession of child sexual abuse material.  Prosecutors said Guzman was part of online groups where child sexual abuse material was shared. Investigators linked him to accounts in two of the groups. Between…
‘I’m Going To Kill Trump,’ TikTok Threats Land PA Man Federal Charges ‘I’m Going To Kill Trump,’ TikTok Threats Land PA Man Federal Charges
‘I’m Going To Kill Trump,’ TikTok Threats Land PA Man Federal Charges A Pennsylvania man is facing federal charges for threatening to kill President Donald J. Trump before he was sworn into office, authorities announced on Wednesday, Aug. 6. Jacob Buckley, 22, of Port Matilda (Centre County), made a series of violent statements on TikTok targeting the then-President-elect, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Federal prosecutors say Buckley used an account named “Jacob_buckley” to post the following messages on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2025: “I hate MAGA republicans bro on god I’ll kill all of them”“I’m going to kill Trum…
$17M Scam Funded Shore Mini-Golf Buy, Long Island Homes For Main Line Adviser: DOJ $17M Scam Funded Shore Mini-Golf Buy, Long Island Homes For Main Line Adviser: DOJ
$17M Scam Funded Shore Mini-Golf Buy, Long Island Homes For Main Line Adviser: DOJ A Main Line investment adviser stole millions from clients—including friends, relatives, and retirees—to bankroll a luxury lifestyle and buy into a Jersey Shore mini-golf course, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Saturday, July 5.  Scott Mason, 66, of Gladwyne, was sentenced on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a sweeping fraud scheme that lasted over a decade. The Department of Justice says Mason stole more than $17 million while running his firm, Rubicon Wealth Management LLC, and never reported a cent to the IRS. Inste…
Thousands Of Fake Nurses Uncovered In Massive Diploma Scam; CT Reviewing Licenses: Feds Thousands Of Fake Nurses Uncovered In Massive Diploma Scam; CT Reviewing Licenses: Feds
Thousands Of Fake Nurses Uncovered In Massive Diploma Scam; CT Reviewing Licenses: Feds More than two dozen people across the US now face federal charges for their roles in a major scheme to sell fake nursing diplomas, a scam that investigators say may have put lives at risk in hospitals and clinics across the country, including in Connecticut.  “This is a public safety concern,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe. “It also tarnishes the reputation of nurses who actually complete the demanding clinical and coursework required to obtain their professional licenses and employment.” In Connecticut, the fallout has already started. The state Board of Examiners for Nursing h…
Child Porn Repeat Offender: CT Man Who Had 3,000 Pics, Videos Gets 10 Years In Prison Child Porn Repeat Offender: CT Man Who Had 3,000 Pics, Videos Gets 10 Years In Prison
Child Porn Repeat Offender: CT Man Who Had 3,000 Pics, Videos Gets 10 Years In Prison A Connecticut man will spend the next decade behind bars after federal agents found thousands of disturbing images and videos of child sexual abuse in his home. Joshua Glaeser, 37, of New Britain, was sentenced on Monday, June 9, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, the US Attorney for the District of Connecticut said. The punishment follows a months-long investigation that began in the summer of 2022. Connecticut State Police investigators traced an internet address involved in the distribution of child sex abuse material to Glaeser’s home, authorities…
FBI To Release Epstein Jail Video Proving He Died By Suicide — Not Murder, Agency Deputy Says FBI To Release Epstein Jail Video Proving He Died By Suicide — Not Murder, Agency Deputy Says
FBI To Release Epstein Jail Video Proving He Died By Suicide — Not Murder, Agency Deputy Says In the seven years since Jeffrey Epstein — the notorious and well-connected convicted child sex offender — was found dead in a jail cell, the theory that he was murdered rather than died by suicide, as officials claim, has only gained ground. Now, federal authorities say they will release proof to firmly debunk that idea. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino told Fox News on Thursday, May 29, that the agency will release video evidence showing that Epstein hanged himself at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in 2019. “I just want to be crystal clear on this," he said, per the LA Times. "I am n…
Twice-Jailed Ex-CT Gov. John Rowland Pardoned by Trump: Reports Twice-Jailed Ex-CT Gov. John Rowland Pardoned by Trump: Reports
Twice-Jailed Ex-CT Gov. John Rowland Pardoned by Trump: Reports Former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland, who served two prison terms, has been granted a pardon by President Donald Trump, according to multiple national reports. Rowland’s name appeared on a list of clemency recipients released Wednesday, May 28, which also included reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley of the show Chrisley Knows Best, rapper NBA YoungBoy, and former US Rep. Michael Grimm of New York, according to Politico. The 68-year-old Republican former governor led Connecticut from 1995 until his 2004 resignation amid scandal. He spent 10 months in federal prison after pleading gui…
Repeat Sex Offender Ran Accounts With 100K Followers That Targeted Kids: DOJ Repeat Sex Offender Ran Accounts With 100K Followers That Targeted Kids: DOJ
Repeat Sex Offender Ran Accounts With 100K Followers That Targeted Kids: DOJ A Newtown man with a troubling criminal past is facing serious new charges after federal authorities say he used fake social media profiles to contact minors and collect child sex abuse material. Donald S. Hammalian Jr., 50, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Hartford on multiple child exploitation charges, the US Attorney for Connecticut reported.  Authorities say he managed about a dozen social media accounts and had more than 100,000 followers online, some of whom were underage. Officials allege he posed as a 16-year-old boy while communicating with minors on TikTok, Instagram,…
CT Car Salesman Who Swindled $646K From Banks Gets 2 Years In Prison: DOJ CT Car Salesman Who Swindled $646K From Banks Gets 2 Years In Prison: DOJ
CT Car Salesman Who Swindled $646K From Banks Gets 2 Years In Prison: DOJ A Connecticut man who swindled multiple banks and credit unions out of more than $646,000 through fraudulent auto loans has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, authorities announced. Ronnie Bonner, 64, of Hartford, appeared in court on Wednesday, March 19, where he was sentenced to 24 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut said. Prosecutors say Bonner orchestrated a scheme that involved applying for auto loans—often using the names of friends—without actually purchasing vehicles. Between September 2014 and February 20…
CT Sex Offender Admits To Child Porn Charge, Faces Decade In Prison: DOJ CT Sex Offender Admits To Child Porn Charge, Faces Decade In Prison: DOJ
CT Sex Offender Admits To Child Porn Charge, Faces Decade In Prison: DOJ A registered sex offender in Connecticut admitted to child porn charges this week and faces potentially decades in prison, federal authorities announced.  Travis Tilley, 41, of Naugatuck, pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material on Thursday, March 6, the US Attorney for Connecticut said.  He was convicted of similar charges in 2019 in state court and released in 2022, records show.  Tilley was serving 15 years probation, and during an unannounced visit to his home, his probation officer seized his laptop and found more of the offending material, the federal…
Sex Offender Deported in 2021 Busted Again in CT, Sentenced for Illegal Reentering US: Feds Sex Offender Deported in 2021 Busted Again in CT, Sentenced for Illegal Reentering US: Feds
Sex Offender Deported in 2021 Busted Again in CT, Sentenced for Illegal Reentering US: Feds A Honduran man convicted of sex crimes in Connecticut was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison after he illegally reentered the United States after being deported, authorities said.  Jose Pavon-Fermin, 40, was removed from the country in June 2021 after serving time for sexual assault and unlawful restraint, the US Attorney for Connecticut said.  Pavon-Fermin was accused of harassing a woman on a Norwalk bus in 2016, before taking her to a nearby apartment, where he attacked her, prosecutors said, per the Stamford Advocate.  He was ordered to register as a sex offender f…
Ex-VP Who Stole $1.4M From CT Insurance Firm Sentenced to Prison: Feds Ex-VP Who Stole $1.4M From CT Insurance Firm Sentenced to Prison: Feds
Ex-VP Who Stole $1.4M From CT Insurance Firm Sentenced to Prison: Feds A Pennsylvania man who exploited his role at a Connecticut insurance company to steal more than $1.4 million is heading to federal prison, authorities said.  James Keating, 52, of Paoli, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 20 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding Allied World Insurance Company out of more than a million dollars. U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden also ordered him to pay back over $1.2 million in restitution. Prosecutors said Keating used his position as a surety bond claims handler at Allied World, which operates out of Farmingt…
CT Robber Gets 4 Years In 'Coordinated, Brazen,' Violent Bank Heist: Feds CT Robber Gets 4 Years In 'Coordinated, Brazen,' Violent Bank Heist: Feds
CT Robber Gets 4 Years In 'Coordinated, Brazen,' Violent Bank Heist: Feds A Connecticut man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for his role in a meticulously planned and violent bank robbery that shocked Martha’s Vineyard. Romane Andre Clayton, 22, of New Haven, was sentenced in a Boston federal court after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the November 2022 heist at Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. Clayton was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Federal prosecutors described a chilling robbery where bank employees were ambushed as they opened the building. …
Ex-Mass Officer Busted in $3M Fake Luxury Watch Conspiracy Gets 60 Days In Jail: Feds Ex-Mass Officer Busted in $3M Fake Luxury Watch Conspiracy Gets 60 Days In Jail: Feds
Ex-Mass Officer Busted in $3M Fake Luxury Watch Conspiracy Gets 60 Days In Jail: Feds If you bought a luxury watch from a Massachusetts police officer for a steal, you may have been duped. That’s what former cop Klevis Nako, 24, admitted to in a Connecticut federal court this week, according to federal authorities. Nako was convicted of conspiracy to sell counterfeit goods after he imported fake designer watches from China and sold them across the U.S. through Instagram and Facebook, the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut said. He has been sentenced to 60 days in federal prison, authorities said. His operation unraveled after federal agents intercepted dozens of shipments and con…
Chester IT Manager Who Used Low-Tech Hack to Embezzle $2M From CT Business Going to Prison Chester IT Manager Who Used Low-Tech Hack to Embezzle $2M From CT Business Going to Prison
Chester IT Manager Who Used Low-Tech Hack to Embezzle $2M From CT Business Going to Prison A Connecticut man will spend two years in federal prison after stealing nearly $2 million from his employer and dodging hundreds of thousands in taxes over a seven-year scheme, authorities said. Evan Bobzin, 39, of Chester, was sentenced to 24 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release, after admitting to embezzling $1.9 million from Hoffman’s Gun Center in Newington, where he worked as head of information technology, according to the US Attorney for Connecticut. Prosecutors said Bobzin used his insider access to methodically steal cash receipts from the store's safe …
Former CT Resident Martha Stewart Admits To Cheating On Ex-Husband Former CT Resident Martha Stewart Admits To Cheating On Ex-Husband
Former CT Resident Martha Stewart Admits To Cheating On Ex-Husband Longtime New York and former Connecticut resident Martha Stewart, the homemaking icon casually drops a stunning revelation.  In the trailer for "Martha," an upcoming Netflix film to be released on Wednesday, Oct. 30, Stewart confirms that she cheated on her first husband, Andy Stewart, during their 25-year marriage.  Immediately after, Stewart, age 83, drops another bombshell — her ex-husband never found out.  "Young women, listen to my advice: If you’re married and your husband starts to cheat on you, he’s a (expletive deleted)" Stewart says in the trailer, adding, "Ge…
COVID-19: John Gotti's Grandson Admits To $1M Relief Fraud COVID-19: John Gotti's Grandson Admits To $1M Relief Fraud
Covid-19: John Gotti's Grandson Admits To $1M Relief Fraud A New York man with ties to the Mafia formally confessed to a million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. Long Island resident Carmine Agnello, age 38, of Smithtown, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, Sept. 26. Agnello is the grandson of the late John Gotti, former boss of the Gambino organized crime family. According to prosecutors, between April 2020 and November 2021, he fraudulently applied for, and received, at least three small business loans under the US Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP). The program…
Former CT Resident Martha Stewart Spars With Netflix Over New Documentary: Report Former CT Resident Martha Stewart Spars With Netflix Over New Documentary: Report
Former CT Resident Martha Stewart Spars With Netflix Over New Documentary: Report A new documentary about Martha Stewart produced by Netflix has sparked the ire of the homemaking icon and longtime New York and former Connecticut resident.  The documentary, "Martha" will be released on the popular streaming platform on Wednesday, Oct. 30. However, Stewart has already expressed her displeasure with the film ahead of its release, according to a report by OK Magazine.  During the 2024 Retail Influencer CEO Forum, Stewart, a longtime resident of the Northern Westchester County hamlet of Katonah, called the film "lazy" and "not the story that makes me, me," the magaz…
$1.5M Con: Ex-Employee Admits Defrauding CT Insurance Company $1.5M Con: Ex-Employee Admits Defrauding CT Insurance Company
$1.5M Con: Ex-Employee Admits Defrauding CT Insurance Company A former employee from Pennsylvania admitted to defrauding a Connecticut insurance company to the tune of $1.5 million. James Keating, age 52, of Paoli, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in New Haven federal court on Tuesday, July 30. Prosecutors said Keating – who served as assistant vice president and a surety bond claims handler at Hartford County-based Allied World Insurance Company in Farmington – created a shell company to bill Allied World for unnecessary claims work that was never performed. Between 2017 and 2021, he also solicited and received kickbacks from Allied World…
CT Duo Carjacks NYPD Sergeant While Armed With Machine Gun, Feds Say CT Duo Carjacks NYPD Sergeant While Armed With Machine Gun, Feds Say
CT Duo Carjacks Nypd Sergeant While Armed With Machine Gun, Feds Say Two Connecticut men are facing federal charges after allegedly carjacking an off-duty NYPD sergeant at gunpoint. New Haven County residents Jomar Crespo, age 21, and Jose Rivera, age 20, both of Waterbury, were arrested by federal agents on Tuesday, June 18, on suspicion of carjacking and related charges. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District, Crespo and Rivera donned black clothing and facemasks before approaching the victim’s car from behind in Harlem on Friday evening, June 14. Both men allegedly brandished firearms, including a loaded .40-caliber pistol equipp…