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Civil penalties

Eight NJ Pet Stores Fined $75K For Hiding Puppy Health, Breeding Records: AG Eight NJ Pet Stores Fined $75K For Hiding Puppy Health, Breeding Records: AG
Eight NJ Pet Stores Fined $75K For Hiding Puppy Health, Breeding Records: AG Eight New Jersey pet stores have been hit with more than $70,000 in fines after investigators found they violated the state’s Pet Purchase Protection Act, authorities announced. The stores were cited for failing to provide buyers with required health and breeding information about the animals they sold, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. In total, the stores were ordered to pay $75,448 in civil penalties and costs. Businesses cited include: Bergen Kennel Inc. d/b/a Mama’s and Papa’s Pet Shop, Englewood (Bergen County): $9,538.26 Silver Nickel Puppies at Troy’s Trims &…
Rules To Limit Addictive Social Media Feeds For Kids Proposed By NY AG Rules To Limit Addictive Social Media Feeds For Kids Proposed By NY AG
Rules To Limit Addictive Social Media Feeds For Kids Proposed By NY AG New York Attorney General Letitia James has proposed new rules requiring social media companies to restrict addictive feeds and nighttime notifications for young people under the state’s new SAFE for Kids Act, officials announced. The law, signed in 2024 and championed by James along with Gov. Kathy Hochul, Sen. Andrew Gounardes, and Assemblymember Nily Rozic, requires platforms to limit algorithm-driven feeds for users under 18 unless parents give consent. It also blocks platforms from sending notifications between midnight and 6 a.m. without approval.  The proposed rules, open to pub…
Watch As NORAD Jets Intercept Another Plane Over Trump's Bedminster Golf Club Watch As NORAD Jets Intercept Another Plane Over Trump's Bedminster Golf Club
Watch As NORAD Jets Intercept Another Plane Over Trump's Bedminster Golf Club Another pilot. Another interception. Another headache for NORAD over Donald Trump’s golf club during the Fourth of July weekend. For the second time this weekend, a civilian aircraft violated restricted airspace over Bedminster, NJ, where the president and first lady stayed for the holiday.  On Saturday, July 5, a NORAD fighter jet intercepted a civilian aircraft that violated restricted airspace over Bedminster, NJ, around 2:39 p.m., officials said. The pilot had entered a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zone without authorization. NORAD said its aircraft performed a “headbutt mane…
US Cracking Down On Egg Smuggling From Mexico As Prices Soar US Cracking Down On Egg Smuggling From Mexico As Prices Soar
US Cracking Down On Egg Smuggling From Mexico As Prices Soar With egg prices at record highs, authorities are seeing a sharp increase in smuggling operations attempting to bring eggs across the US-Mexico border. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reported a surge in egg seizures, as rising costs drive some travelers to attempt sneaking in eggs despite strict import bans. The San Diego Field Office said Thursday, Feb. 27, that egg interceptions have increased 158 percent since the start of the 2024 fiscal year. The main culprit behind soaring egg prices? A devastating avian flu outbreak that has affected 166 million birds in the US since …
Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions Of Prescriptions Lacking Legit Medical Purpose, DOJ Says Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions Of Prescriptions Lacking Legit Medical Purpose, DOJ Says
Walgreens Knowingly Filled Millions Of Prescriptions Lacking Legit Medical Purpose, DOJ Says The Justice Department has filed a nationwide lawsuit against Walgreens, alleging the pharmacy chain filled millions of prescriptions without legitimate medical purposes, particularly involving dangerous opioid combinations, over more than a decade. Filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the civil complaint contends Walgreens violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and False Claims Act (FCA) by dispensing prescriptions despite clear red flags and seeking federal reimbursements for these drugs. “This lawsuit seeks to hold Walgreens accountable for the many…
Maryland Home Builders Ordered To Pay Nearly $1 Million For Defrauding Buyers: AG Maryland Home Builders Ordered To Pay Nearly $1 Million For Defrauding Buyers: AG
Maryland Home Builders Ordered To Pay Nearly $1 Million For Defrauding Buyers: AG A Maryland homebuilder and his companies have been ordered to pay over $950,000 after being found guilty of hundreds of consumer protection violations involving unfinished modular homes and misappropriated funds, officials announced. Prince George’s County Circuit Court Judge Krystal Q. Alves affirmed a Final Order against Finish Werks Corp., Finish Werks Custom Builders, Inc., and their owner, William Karl “Harris” Woodward, for violations impacting families in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Montgomery counties, according to Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown. The companies committed…
PA Brewing Co. Owes $184K After Tip Investigation: Feds PA Brewing Co. Owes $184K After Tip Investigation: Feds
PA Brewing Co. Owes $184K After Tip Investigation: Feds Sly Fox Brewing Company owes over $184,000 in back wages, damages, and penalties after federal investigators found the company unlawfully withheld tips from employees, the U.S. Department of Labor announced on Wednesday, Nov. 27. The Wage and Hour Division's investigation revealed that managers at Sly Fox’s Pittsburgh Taphouse at the Point and Pittsburgh Brewery at the Highline were allowed to participate in the restaurant’s tip pool—an action prohibited under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Federal law bans employers or managers from keeping tips for any reason, and such violations nul…
Liberty Doulas Sued For Exploiting New Moms, Pocketing $55K Without Delivering Services: PA AG Liberty Doulas Sued For Exploiting New Moms, Pocketing $55K Without Delivering Services: PA AG
Liberty Doulas Sued For Exploiting New Moms, Pocketing $55K Without Delivering Services: PA AG New moms were left without critical care after paying thousands of dollars to a Philadelphia-area doula service that allegedly failed to provide postpartum support, Attorney General Michelle Henry announced Tuesday, Nov. 26. Liberty Doulas, owned by Sierra Mahoney, collected more than $55,000 in prepayments from parents for childbirth and postpartum services that were never delivered, according to the lawsuit. Families seeking vital help during one of life’s most vulnerable times were reportedly ignored, refused refunds, or misled about the company’s ability to provide care. “Childbirth i…
Bensalem Lab Must Pay $7.3M To NJ After Charging $1,000 For $3 For Drug Tests: Comptroller Bensalem Lab Must Pay $7.3M To NJ After Charging $1,000 For $3 For Drug Tests: Comptroller
Bensalem Lab Must Pay $7.3M To NJ After Charging $1,000 For $3 For Drug Tests: Comptroller A Pennsylvania-based lab has been ordered to pay $7.3 to the state of New Jersey after overcharging New Jersey’s Medicaid program for urine drug testing services, officials said. Atlantic Diagnostic Laboratories (ADL) in Bensalem violated Medicaid regulations when it charged Medicaid as much as $1,035 per drug test while charging other payers as little as $2.38 for the same test, New Jersey's State Comptroller's office (OSC) said citing an audit report. Medicaid paid ADL between $63.40 and $180.40 for these same services. ADL also improperly billed for tests that the physician or …
Bergen County Landlords Among 25 Facing Fines For Considering Tenants' Criminal Histories Bergen County Landlords Among 25 Facing Fines For Considering Tenants' Criminal Histories
Bergen County Landlords Among 25 Facing Fines For Considering Tenants' Criminal Histories Twenty-five landlords are facing fines after state officials said they violated state laws by considering potential tenants' criminal histories. According to NJ Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights (DCR), the notices of violation allege that the housing providers violated the law by, among other things, asking criminal history-related questions on housing applications that are prohibited by the law. The Notices of Violation announced Monday, Sept. 16 were served on housing providers located in 15 municipalities across Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, C…
Racial Discrimination, Sexist Language Rampant Within NJ Ironworkers Union Facing Lawsuit: AG Racial Discrimination, Sexist Language Rampant Within NJ Ironworkers Union Facing Lawsuit: AG
Racial Discrimination, Sexist Language Rampant Within NJ Ironworkers Union Facing Lawsuit: AG A local ironworkers union is facing a lawsuit filed by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office alleging discrimination against Black members. Ironworkers Local 11 — a labor union with a Springfield-based training facility — that operates a hiring hall, is accused of "systematically bypassing Black union members for jobs and giving such workers less desirable assignments," Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said on Monday, June 24. The complaint accuses the union's business manager from 2008 to 2022, Raymond Woodall, its leadership and its members of repeatedly using racist slurs…
Hochul Signs Bill Restricting 'Addictive' Social Media Feeds Targeting Children Hochul Signs Bill Restricting 'Addictive' Social Media Feeds Targeting Children
Hochul Signs Bill Restricting 'Addictive' Social Media Feeds Targeting Children Big changes are on the horizon for those TikTok and Instagram feeds. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed new legislation Thursday, June 20, meant to combat what lawmakers called “addictive” social media algorithms aimed at minors, the first such law in the country. Under the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) For Kids Act, social media companies will be required to display content chronologically for users under 18 unless they get parental consent allowing them to show content that is selected algorithmically instead. Content that is algorithmically curated relies on a user’s behavior and past …
Holiday Traveler Packed Handgun, 30 Rounds In Carry-On: TSA Newark Holiday Traveler Packed Handgun, 30 Rounds In Carry-On: TSA Newark
Holiday Traveler Packed Handgun, 30 Rounds In Carry-On: TSA Newark A local man was seized when he tried to bring not only a loaded gun but also two magazines onto a flight at Newark Airport over the holiday weekend, authorities said. A TSA officer detected the 9mm handgun and the 30 rounds of ammo at they passed through a Terminal A security checkpoint X-ray machine in the Newark resident's carry-on bag on Saturday, May 25, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police were summoned and seized the gun, ammo and traveler, she said. In addition to criminal charges, he faces up to $15,000 in civil penalties, she said…
Newark Airport TSA: Yet Another Traveler Says He Didn't Know He'd Packed A Gun Newark Airport TSA: Yet Another Traveler Says He Didn't Know He'd Packed A Gun
Newark Airport TSA: Yet Another Traveler Says He Didn't Know He'd Packed A Gun A Florida man was arrested after TSA agents at Newark Airport found a loaded pistol in his carry-on, authorities said. It was part of what threatens to be a record year with more than 5,000 guns intercepted at airports throughout the country so far compared with 6,542 for ALL of 2023. The traveler's .38-caliber revolver was spotted in the X-ray machine in Newark's Terminal C, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police seized the weapon and its owner, who "claimed that he did not realize that he was traveling with his loaded gun in his carry-on b…
Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun In Sneakers At LaGuardia Airport Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun In Sneakers At LaGuardia Airport
Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun In Sneakers At LaGuardia Airport A traveler was arrested by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers spotted a handgun and loaded gun magazine concealed inside a pair of sneakers packed inside a checked bag. The incident took place at LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday, Nov. 1. When the checked bag passed through the TSA explosives detection unit, it triggered an alarm, alerting TSA officers to open the bag to get a look at what caused the alarm.  What the officers found inside the luggage was a pair of white Nike high-top sneakers with green trim and inside was a .45 caliber semi-automatic gun in …
Handgun Seized From Traveler At Newark Airport Increases Record 2023 Total, TSA Says Handgun Seized From Traveler At Newark Airport Increases Record 2023 Total, TSA Says
Handgun Seized From Traveler At Newark Airport Increases Record 2023 Total, TSA Says TSA agents at Newark Airport nabbed a Pennsylvania traveler who they said tried to bring a loaded gun aboard a flight in his backpack. The discovery of the 9mm handgun at a security checkpoint X-ray machine in Terminal C on Saturday, Sept. 16 brought the total number of firearm seizures at Newark Liberty International Airport this year to 18, federal officials said. That's four more than were seized all of last year, they said. The agents summoned Port Authority police, who took the Canadensis (Monroe County), PA man into custody, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said. "We are at a point whe…
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Fort Lee Flier, Newark Airport Employee Caught With Loaded Guns: TSA DOUBLE TROUBLE: Fort Lee Flier, Newark Airport Employee Caught With Loaded Guns: TSA
Double Trouble: Fort Lee Flier, Newark Airport Employee Caught With Loaded Guns: TSA TSA agents picked off two guns in a week's time when they caught both a traveler from Fort Lee and a woman who works in a terminal retail shop packing heat. Both weapons were loaded, said Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein. The man was caught with a .380-caliber handgun in his duffle bag as he tried to board a flight on Friday, Aug. 25, Farbstein said. The shop employee from Newark was caught with a 9mm pistol on her way to work (see photo inset above), she said. Both were taken into custody by Port Authority police, who also seized the weapons. The w…
Back-To-Back Guns Seized At Newark Airport From Rockland, Brooklyn Travelers: TSA Back-To-Back Guns Seized At Newark Airport From Rockland, Brooklyn Travelers: TSA
Back-To-Back Guns Seized At Newark Airport From Rockland, Brooklyn Travelers: TSA One day it was a traveler from Rockland -- and before that, one from Brooklyn. Both were armed. The two passengers from New York were each stopped trying to bring loaded 9mm handguns onto flights at Newark Airport on back-to-back days, authorities said. Both now face hefty fines. The incidents at security checkpoints in Terminal B involved a Brooklyn traveler on Wednesday, May 3, and another from Garnerville on Thursday, Transportation Security Administration Spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. The incidents weren't related, she said. "In each instance when a TSA officer spotted the guns in…
Guess Why Southbound Traveler At Newark Airport Said There Was A Gun In His Bag Guess Why Southbound Traveler At Newark Airport Said There Was A Gun In His Bag
Guess Why Southbound Traveler At Newark Airport Said There Was A Gun In His Bag Another traveler gave what TSA officials say has become a familiar excuse after being arrested trying to bring a loaded gun onto a flight at Newark Liberty International Airport. "I forgot," said the airline customer from Georgia after a TSA agent at one of Newark Airport's checkpoint X-ray machines spotted a .38-caliber handgun in the man's carry-on bag. It was loaded with six bullets, Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said on Friday, April 28. Officers alerted Port Authority police, who arrested the Southern man -- and seized the gun, she said. Farbstein…
Hit The Brakes: Maryland Extends Grace Period For Video Tolls Two Weeks Hit The Brakes: Maryland Extends Grace Period For Video Tolls Two Weeks
Hit The Brakes: Maryland Extends Grace Period For Video Tolls Two Weeks Maryland motorists were given a brief reprieve by the Transportation Authority (MDTA), which extended the grace period to pay video tolls by two weeks. Since February, the Customer Assistance Plan has been in place to benefit drivers for nine months, offering a civil penalty waiver for video tolls. That grace period was set to expire, but got a two-week extension and will now end at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14. The grace period initially was set to conclude at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30. Original story - Last Call: Grace Period For Marylanders To Waive Civil Video Toll Pen…
Last Call: Grace Period For Marylanders To Waive Civil Video Toll Penalties Set To End Last Call: Grace Period For Marylanders To Waive Civil Video Toll Penalties Set To End
Last Call: Grace Period For Marylanders To Waive Civil Video Toll Penalties Set To End The clock is ticking for Maryland motorists who only have until just before midnight on Wednesday to pay video tolls within the Transportation Authority’s (MDTA) grace period. Since February, the Customer Assistance Plan has been in place as a brief reprieve for drivers, offering a civil penalty waiver for video tolls. That grace period is up at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30. When the clock strikes midnight, the MDTA will resume referrals of unpaid toll bills and civil penalties to the Central Collection Unit (CCU) and Maryland Department of Transportation MVA (MDOT MVA). During the gra…
Philly Resident Tried To Board Plane With Handgun, TSA Says Philly Resident Tried To Board Plane With Handgun, TSA Says
Philly Resident Tried To Board Plane With Handgun, TSA Says A Philadelphia resident may face civil penalties after trying to board a plane with a handgun in his bag, according to the Transportation Security Administration.  The unnamed man was in the security checkpoint line at Philadelphia International Airport on Tuesday, Nov. 29 when officers saw a 9mm handgun on the X-ray machine, the TSA said in a statement.  The traveler was permitted to return to the airline counter and declare his weapon in his checked luggage, as required under federal guidelines, officials said.  The matter was forwarded to federal aviation authorities, who…
Loaded Gun, Among Weapons Found In Passengers' Carry-Ons At Two Pennsylvania Airports: TSA Loaded Gun, Among Weapons Found In Passengers' Carry-Ons At Two Pennsylvania Airports: TSA
Loaded Gun, Among Weapons Found In Passengers' Carry-Ons At Two Pennsylvania Airports: TSA Officers at two Pennsylvania airports seized guns— one of which was loaded, on Friday, Oct. 21, according to Transportation Security Administration.  A .40 caliber handgun along with a box of ammunition was found in a Duquesne man's carry-on at the security checkpoint on Pittsburgh International Airport.  Allegheny County police were notified and they   confiscated the gun and arrested the man. The U.S. States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania also requested that county sheriffs to rescind a resident’s firearm concealed carry license due to negl…
Local Man Found With Loaded Gun At Airport In Hudson Valley, TSA Says Local Man Found With Loaded Gun At Airport In Hudson Valley, TSA Says
Local Man Found With Loaded Gun At Airport In Hudson Valley, TSA Says A local man is facing a “stiff” fine after he was found trying to board a flight at Stewart International Airport in Orange County with a loaded handgun. The Dutchess County man, identified as a resident of Poughkeepsie, was stopped by police after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers made the discovery Tuesday, July 5, according to the agency. A TSA officer spotted the gun during an X-ray scan of the man’s belongings. It was loaded and accompanied by five bullets, the agency said. The officer immediately notified police, who confiscated the gun and detained the man for qu…
TSA At Newark Airport Picks Off First Gun Of July 4th Weekend TSA At Newark Airport Picks Off First Gun Of July 4th Weekend
TSA At Newark Airport Picks Off First Gun Of July 4th Weekend The July Fourth weekend started off at Newark Airport's TSA security checkpoints with what wasn't exactly a bang but still drew a lot of attention. A TSA officer at a checkpoint X-ray monitor spotted a gun inside a traveler's carry-on bag, agency spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. It was the 10th firearm picked off at a Newark Airport checkpoint this year, she said. The man told officials that he "forgot that he had his loaded gun with him," Farbstein said. Port Authority police were alerted and took him into custody, Farbstein said. “This is lining up to be what is likely the busiest tr…
Jersey Shore Financial Advisors Fined $800K, Licenses Revoked: AG Jersey Shore Financial Advisors Fined $800K, Licenses Revoked: AG
Jersey Shore Financial Advisors Fined $800K, Licenses Revoked: AG A Monmouth County investment firm has been fined $800,000 for hiring an unregistered financial advisor, New Jersey authorities said. The advisor had been barred from the securities industry, according to Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. The New Jersey Bureau of Securities took further action against the Atlantic Highlands investment firm by revoking its registrations, Plotkin said. Acting Bureau Chief Amy G. Kopleton found that Steven Gluckstein and his advisory firm, Seaview Global Advisors LLC, employed Anthony Calascione from approximately 2017 through 2021, and allowed him t…
TSA: Out-Of-State Traveler Nabbed Trying To Tote Loaded Gun Onto Flight At LaGuardia TSA: Out-Of-State Traveler Nabbed Trying To Tote Loaded Gun Onto Flight At LaGuardia
TSA: Out-Of-State Traveler Nabbed Trying To Tote Loaded Gun Onto Flight At LaGuardia A loaded handgun was seized and an Oklahoma traveler arrested after TSA officers caught him trying to carry the weapon onto a flight at LaGuardia Airport, authorities said. A Transporation Security Administration officer spotted the .380-caliber Ruger LCP as the owner's belongings passed through the X-Ray machine at a security checkpoint, Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police arrested the traveler and seized the pocket-carry gun, which was loaded with three rounds, Farbstein said. Travelers cannot carry guns onto planes under any ci…
Number Of Guns Seized At US Airports 'Shot' Up Last Year, TSA Says Number Of Guns Seized At US Airports 'Shot' Up Last Year, TSA Says
Number Of Guns Seized At US Airports 'Shot' Up Last Year, TSA Says The second year of "the new normal" in a world with COVID saw a significant increase not only in the volume of travelers but also in the number of those trying to bring guns aboard planes nationwide, the TSA said Tuesday. With more people traveling last year, Transportation Security Administration officers stopped 5,972 firearms at airport security checkpoints across the country -- up 3,257 from the year before, said Lisa Farbstein, an agency spokesperson for the TSA. Here's the kicker: Last year's amount was also considerably more than the 4,432 detected in 2019 -- even before the pandemi…
Traveler Caught With Gun At Lehigh Valley Airport Checkpoint Traveler Caught With Gun At Lehigh Valley Airport Checkpoint
Traveler Caught With Gun At Lehigh Valley Airport Checkpoint TSA agents nabbed a Texas man as he attempted to board a plane at Lehigh Valley Airport with a gun and a loaded magazine in his carry-on bag, authorities said. The 9mm gun was not loaded, but it was accompanied by a gun magazine containing 15 bullets, the Transportation Security Administration said. Police took him into custody and confiscated the gun, the TSA said. This is the airport's seventh gun confiscation this year, the agency said. The TSA, which didn't identify the man arrested Wednesday, said it "reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun…
Traveler Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Checkpoint Traveler Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Checkpoint
Traveler Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Checkpoint TSA agents grabbed a Florida man as he tried to board a plane at Newark Airport with a gun and a box of ammo in his carry-on baggage, authorities said. The weapon was properly packed in a hard-sided case along with a box that held 35 bullets, the Transportation Security Administration said. But it wasn't supposed to be carried on, the TSA said. Had he declared the gun, the passenger would have been able to include the legally owned firearm with his checked baggage, the agency said. He apparently forgot. Agents held the man for Port Authority police who took him into custody. That makes …
Unruly Airline Passengers Incurred More Than $1 Million In Fines This Year, FAA Says Unruly Airline Passengers Incurred More Than $1 Million In Fines This Year, FAA Says
Unruly Airline Passengers Incurred More Than $1 Million In Fines This Year, FAA Says Unruly airline passengers have incurred more than $1 million in fines in 2021 from the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA announced on Thursday, Aug. 19 that is recommending another $531,545 in civil penalties against 34 passengers for their alleged unruly behavior, bringing the total for 2021 past the $1 million mark. The agency said since the beginning of the year, it has received about 3,889 reports of unruly behavior by passengers. This included about 2,867 reports of passengers who refused to comply with the federal mask mand…