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FBI

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A Problem: US, CT Senator Demand Answers On Mysterious Drones It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A Problem: US, CT Senator Demand Answers On Mysterious Drones
It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A Problem: US, CT Senator Demand Answers On Mysterious Drones US Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Connecticut leaders are demanding answers as more people report spotting strange lights in the night sky that appear to be drones. Some were seen over Fairfield earlier this week, following sightings across the Northeast in recent weeks. In a letter to the heads of the FBI, FAA, Homeland Security, and Department of Defense, Blumenthal demanded answers about the drones, stating that leaders need more information because he believes they pose serious safety and national security concerns. Related: Video of mysterious drones above CT shared on X  “The proli…
Ex-Abercrombie CEO Asks Judge To Rule On Mental Fitness Ahead Of Sex Trafficking Trial Ex-Abercrombie CEO Asks Judge To Rule On Mental Fitness Ahead Of Sex Trafficking Trial
Ex-Abercrombie CEO Asks Judge To Rule On Mental Fitness Ahead Of Sex Trafficking Trial Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries is hoping to delay his federal sex trafficking case. An attorney for the 80-year-old Jeffries filed a motion on Monday, Dec. 9, asking a Manhattan judge to schedule a hearing to determine whether Jeffries is mentally competent to stand trial. “[The motion] will be dealt with in court as, and when, appropriate – according to the judge,” Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told Daily Voice. Federal prosecutors are expected to challenge the move, potentially delaying the case by months. An indictment unsealed in October accused Jeffries of pr…
FBI Issues Text Message Warning Amid Cyberattacks FBI Issues Text Message Warning Amid Cyberattacks
FBI Issues Text Message Warning Amid Cyberattacks Federal authorities are advising Americans to use encrypted messaging applications to protect their communications from potential foreign surveillance. The warning from the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) comes amid recent cyberattacks on major telecommunication companies. The Wall Street Journal reported that China hacked AT&T, Verizon and Lumen Technologies to spy on customers. Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, told NBC News, "Encryption is your friend, whether it's on text messaging or if you have the capaci…
DIY Bomb Experiment Gone Wrong Leaves CT Man Badly Hurt; FBI Steps In DIY Bomb Experiment Gone Wrong Leaves CT Man Badly Hurt; FBI Steps In
DIY Bomb Experiment Gone Wrong Leaves CT Man Badly Hurt; FBI Steps In Doctors are attempting to save a Connecticut man's hand after the homemade explosive he and another man built blew up prematurely, authorities said. The FBI is working with Fairfield Police to investigate the incident.  The chaos began just before 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1, when the college-aged man and a friend built four homemade explosives and took them to a secluded area of Pine Creek Marsh to blow them up, Fairfield Police said.  Authorities did not release their names.  Two of the bombs exploded as planned, but the third erupted early, causing serious injuries to th…
Thanksgiving Bomb Threats: 5 CT Democrat Lawmakers Targeted Amid Political Unrest Thanksgiving Bomb Threats: 5 CT Democrat Lawmakers Targeted Amid Political Unrest
Thanksgiving Bomb Threats: 5 CT Democrat Lawmakers Targeted Amid Political Unrest Five Democratic lawmakers in Connecticut were targeted by bomb threat hoaxes on Thanksgiving, marking an alarming escalation in politically motivated attacks. Reps. Jim Himes, Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney, and John Larson all announced that they received bomb threats requiring police intervention early Thursday morning, Nov. 28. Sen. Chris Murphy also received a threat.  Related: Bomb Threats, Swatting Incidents Target Trump Cabinet Picks Rep. Hayes, who represents Connecticut's 5th District, posted on X that police contacted her just before 8 a.m. about the threat.  My …
Low Prices, High Buyers: Police Bust Drug Ring Run Out Of CT Car Dealership, Feds Say Low Prices, High Buyers: Police Bust Drug Ring Run Out Of CT Car Dealership, Feds Say
Low Prices, High Buyers: Police Bust Drug Ring Run Out Of CT Car Dealership, Feds Say A federal investigation dismantled a drug trafficking operation allegedly run out of a Connecticut car dealership, leading to the arrest of 13 people on narcotics distribution charges, authorities said.  Investigators seized more than 10 pounds of cocaine, over 200 grams of fentanyl, 30 grams of heroin, seven firearms, $75,000 in cash, and 26 vehicles during searches of the Supreme Automotive dealership in New Britain and locations linked to those arrested, said the United States District Attorney for Connecticut.  The investigation, led by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Tas…
Racist Texts Sent To CT Students, Kids Across Country Promises Return Of Slavery Racist Texts Sent To CT Students, Kids Across Country Promises Return Of Slavery
Racist Texts Sent To CT Students, Kids Across Country Promises Return Of Slavery Students in Connecticut were not spared a racist text message that has been received by children across the country threatening to put Black and Brown men and women into plantation slavery under the Donald Trump administration.  Authorities in Bloomfield in Hartford County posted a statement on Facebook saying the school system condemns "any and all forms of racism, prejudice, or hate within our community." Racist language, behavior, and rhetoric have no place in Bloomfield, and we are committed to ensuring that every member of our community feels safe, valued, and respected. In c…
Women Claimed Elite Hackers Made Her Life A Nightmare For Years, But She Did It All: Police Women Claimed Elite Hackers Made Her Life A Nightmare For Years, But She Did It All: Police
Women Claimed Elite Hackers Made Her Life A Nightmare For Years, But She Did It All: Police A 63-year-old Connecticut woman told police for years she and another person were the target of an ongoing online harassment campaign that lasted years by an anonymous person who made their lives miserable. But she was sending the messages and threats, police in New Haven County said.  Deborah Ann Calloutas, age 63, of Wolcott, is facing several felonies linked to the alleged faked harassment that went on for years, Connecticut State Police said.  Calloutas first reached out to police in 2021 to say she and her unnamed friend were the targets of hackers who were doctoring their ph…
Ex-Abercrombie CEO Forced Aspiring Models To Take Part In ‘Sex Events,' Feds Say Ex-Abercrombie CEO Forced Aspiring Models To Take Part In ‘Sex Events,' Feds Say
Ex-Abercrombie CEO Forced Aspiring Models To Take Part In ‘Sex Events,' Feds Say Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries preyed on aspiring models and coerced them into prostitution in order to satisfy his and others’ sexual desires, prosecutors alleged. The 80-year-old Jeffries – along with his life partner Matthew Smith and a third defendant, James Jacobson – are named in a 16-count sex trafficking indictment unsealed in Central Islip federal court on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Prosecutors said the trio relied on Jeffries’ wealth and status, along with a network of employees, contractors, and security professionals, to victimize dozens of men over a seven year peri…
Detective Out Of Coma After Brain Surgery As Community Rallies Around His Family Detective Out Of Coma After Brain Surgery As Community Rallies Around His Family
Detective Out Of Coma After Brain Surgery As Community Rallies Around His Family A fundraiser for a Connecticut police veteran who had fallen into a coma following surgery to remove a brain tumor has raised more than $100,000 to support his family.  Greenwich Police Detective Mike Rooney underwent the delicate procedure at Yale New Haven Hospital earlier this month, but, during the operation, he suffered a "tremendous amount of swelling" and fell into a coma, said Peter Schmitt, president of the Greenwich Police Silver Shield Association.  Schmitt called it the "battle of (Rooney's) life. It's a fight that the Marine veteran is beginning to win. …
Rally Rage: NY Trump Event's $1M Police Overtime Bill May Have Broken Finance Laws, Dems Argue Rally Rage: NY Trump Event's $1M Police Overtime Bill May Have Broken Finance Laws, Dems Argue
Rally Rage: NY Trump Event's $1M Police Overtime Bill May Have Broken Finance Laws, Dems Argue Who should foot the bill – taxpayers or the campaign? Democrats on Long Island are seething after learning that the extra-tight security measures around former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally at the Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday, Sept. 18, cost taxpayers $1 million in police overtime alone. Ahead of the rally – which came just days after what the FBI called an apparent second assassination attempt on Trump’s life in Florida – Nassau County leaders outlined the extensive security measures that were being taken around the arena. Earlier Report: Security Top Of Mind For Trump's …
Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know
Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know Authorities are warning the public of a nationwide automated scam in which scammers use people’s email addresses to coerce payments by intimidating them with threats of embarrassment. Victims of the "sextortion" scheme, usually children and teens, are manipulated to photograph or video material for extortionists. "After receiving the sexually explicit content from the child, the offender threatens to release that compromising material unless the victim produces additional explicit material," said the FBI in issuing the warning to parents, educators, caregivers, and children. In a sepa…
Trump Rally: False Report Of Bomb Outside NY Arena Amid Heightened Security Concerns Trump Rally: False Report Of Bomb Outside NY Arena Amid Heightened Security Concerns
Trump Rally: False Report Of Bomb Outside NY Arena Amid Heightened Security Concerns Reports that explosives were found outside the New York arena where former President Donald Trump will hold a campaign rally were unfounded, police said. On Long Island, Nassau County Police responded to a report that a bomb was found inside a parked car outside the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale on Wednesday morning, Sept. 18. A short time later, Commissioner Patrick Ryder put out a statement saying detectives were questioning a person who may have been training a bomb detection dog near the site. Earlier Report: Security Top Of Mind For Trump's Nassau Coliseum Rally, First Since Att…
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, …
Security Top Of Mind For Trump's NY Campaign Rally, First Since Attempted Shooting Security Top Of Mind For Trump's NY Campaign Rally, First Since Attempted Shooting
Security Top Of Mind For Trump's NY Campaign Rally, First Since Attempted Shooting Security will be extra tight ahead of former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in New York, his first since an apparent second assassination attempt on his life. The Republican presidential nominee, age 78, will address supporters on Long Island at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18. It will mark his first visit to Nassau County since his presidential run in 2016. Earlier Report: Trump To Hold Campaign Rally In NY: Here's Where, When For local leaders, security around the event is top of mind. The Nassau County Police Department …
Ex-Aide To 2 NY Governors Raked In Millions As Agent Of Chinese Government: Feds Ex-Aide To 2 NY Governors Raked In Millions As Agent Of Chinese Government: Feds
Ex-Aide To 2 NY Governors Raked In Millions As Agent Of Chinese Government: Feds This story has been updated. A former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is accused of acting as an agent for the Chinese government. Long Island residents Linda Sun, age 41, and her husband Chris Hu, age 40, were arrested at their Manhasset home on Tuesday morning, Sept. 3, on charges of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, money laundering, and related charges. According to federal prosecutors, Sun – who served as Hochul’s deputy chief of staff before being fired in 2023 – engaged in numerous political activities at the behest of Chinese government …
Woman Caught Sharing Child Porn In CT, Greenwich Police Assist In Bust: Feds Woman Caught Sharing Child Porn In CT, Greenwich Police Assist In Bust: Feds
Woman Caught Sharing Child Porn In CT, Greenwich Police Assist In Bust: Feds Police in Connecticut worked with federal investigators to arrest a 23-year-old woman who authorities say shared child sexual abuse material online and discussed wanting to sexually abuse kids on social media.  Westchester County resident Sasha May, of Pelham, is charged with distributing child pornography, the US Attorney for Connecticut said.  May is accused of sending the offending material to an undercover officer between December 2023 and May 2023 through the social media platforms Kik and Whisper. In conversations with the agent, May detailed her sexual interest in chil…
Adult Film Actor From NY Accused Of Distributing Child Pornography Adult Film Actor From NY Accused Of Distributing Child Pornography
Adult Film Actor From NY Accused Of Distributing Child Pornography An adult film actor who resides in New York has been accused of sending and receiving hundreds of videos of child pornography, federal authorities announced. Justin Heath Smith, who uses the stage name “Austin Wolf.” sent images depicting children as young as infants, "including a ghastly video showing a young child bound, beaten, and raped," said Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. In addition to sharing child pornography via the Telegram app, the 43-year-old Smith was also charged with possessing hundreds of additional videos conta…
CT Man Started Explicit Chat With Girl On Day Before Being Sentenced For Sexual Assault: Feds CT Man Started Explicit Chat With Girl On Day Before Being Sentenced For Sexual Assault: Feds
CT Man Started Explicit Chat With Girl On Day Before Being Sentenced For Sexual Assault: Feds Following a months-long investigation, a 26-year-old Connecticut man faces federal child pornography charges after having sexually explicit conversations over the internet with a young girl, officials announced.  Hartford resident Marvyn Escobar was arrested on Tuesday, June 25 in connection with an investigation into child pornography, according to Hartford Police Lieutenant Aaron Boisvert.  According to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut, an investigation conducted by Hartford Police and the FBI found that Escobar used the Discord social media platform…
'Stop Calling Me Names,' Gabby Petito Wrote To Boyfriend Brian Laundrie: FBI Report 'Stop Calling Me Names,' Gabby Petito Wrote To Boyfriend Brian Laundrie: FBI Report
'Stop Calling Me Names,' Gabby Petito Wrote To Boyfriend Brian Laundrie: FBI Report Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old Long Island native who was killed by her fiancé Brian Laundrie in 2021, wrote him a letter imploring him to stop calling her names, according to FBI documents. Related: FBI Reveals How Brian Laundrie Took Responsibility For Gabby Petito’s Death The 300-plus documents, recently released by the FBI, outline the investigation and offer a glimpse into what transpired before and after the Suffolk County, Blue Point resident was killed by the man she said she loved in an undated letter included in the release. "You know how much I love you, so (and I'm writi…
Explosion At Apartment Building Causes Evacuation In Bridgeport Explosion At Apartment Building Causes Evacuation In Bridgeport
Explosion At Apartment Building Causes Evacuation In Bridgeport Police, along with the FBI, are investigating an explosion in the hallway of an apartment complex in Fairfield County that sent residents scrambling for safety. Related: Person Of Interest Arrested In Bridgeport Apartment Explosion The explosion occurred in Bridgeport at around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 13, outside a third-floor apartment unit at 1512 North Ave. According to Capt. Kevin Gilleran of the Bridgeport Police, first responders discovered what appeared to be damage from an explosion that went off in the hallway outside one of the apartments on the third floor. No injur…
These CT Locales Among Best Places To Live In America, Brand-New Ranking Says These CT Locales Among Best Places To Live In America, Brand-New Ranking Says
These CT Locales Among Best Places To Live In America, Brand-New Ranking Says When it comes to putting down your roots, these Connecticut locales are among the best in the nation, according to a brand-new ranking. Two cities in the Constitution State made U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 “Best Places to Live in the US” ranking. Researchers pulled data from a variety of sources, including thousands of public survey responses, the US Census Bureau, FBI crime statistics, and school and hospital rankings to come up with the top 150 American cities. Cities were ranked using four key indicators: value, desirability, job market, and quality of life. The following Conn…
Capitol Riot: MTA Worker, Wife From NY Participated In Jan. 6 Breach, Feds Say Capitol Riot: MTA Worker, Wife From NY Participated In Jan. 6 Breach, Feds Say
Capitol Riot: MTA Worker, Wife From NY Participated In Jan. 6 Breach, Feds Say A husband and wife from New York are the latest to be charged in connection with the breach of the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Long Island residents Kevin Moore, age 61, and Carol Moore, age 57, of Massapequa, are named in a four-count criminal complaint that was filed in US District Court in Washington, DC on Monday, May 13. According to investigators, the couple attended then-President Donald Trump’s speech at the Ellipse that morning before making their way to the Capitol building. Along the way, Carol Moore was seen draped in a blue Trump flag. Earlier Report: Pot-Smoking NY Rioter …