Custom-Built Furniture Was Massachusetts Man's Method Of Smuggling Crack: Feds Custom-Built Furniture Was Massachusetts Man's Method Of Smuggling Crack: Feds
Custom-Built Furniture Was Massachusetts Man's Method Of Smuggling Crack: Feds A Springfield man could face life in prison for his role in a drug trafficking scheme that involved furniture to smuggle four tons of cocaine across international lines, federal officials said. Abel Montilla was convicted for his role in a drug trafficking organization that used custom-built furniture to ship cocaine from Puerto Rico to the United States between 2018 and 2021. The drugs were hidden in more than 70 pieces of cube-shaped coffee tables and other furniture, the US Attorney's Office of Southern New York said on Tuesday, Dec. 20. The organization also lied about the cocaine-pack…
Company Recalls 30K Candles Sold Nationwide Because They May Burn Too Hot, Break Glass Jars Company Recalls 30K Candles Sold Nationwide Because They May Burn Too Hot, Break Glass Jars
Company Recalls 30K Candles Sold Nationwide Because They May Burn Too Hot, Break Glass Jars A company has recalled more than 30,000 candles that were sold across the United States because they may burn at higher-than-usual temperatures, causing the jars to break. The recall includes Good Matters three-wick candles that come in a glass tumbler with a wooden lid, officials announced on Thursday, Dec. 15. Officials said the company received four reports of incidents where the candles caught on fire and cracked or broke apart while in use. One consumer was burned during one of the incidents, officials said.  The candles were sold in 21-ounce tumblers in various colors …
Former FTX CEO, MIT Grad Sam Bankman-Fried Charged With Defrauding Investors Of $1.8 Billion Former FTX CEO, MIT Grad Sam Bankman-Fried Charged With Defrauding Investors Of $1.8 Billion
Former FTX CEO, MIT Grad Sam Bankman-Fried Charged With Defrauding Investors Of $1.8 Billion The former CEO of what used to be one of the world's largest cryptocurrency companies has been charged with defrauding investors of almost two billion dollars, authorities said. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Samuel Bankman-Fried on Tuesday, Dec. 13, with defrauding FTX investors out of more than $1.8 billion.  The SEC alleges that Bankman-Fried raised the funds – including $1.1 billion from 90 US-based investors – by falsely promoting a safe, responsible cryptocurrency since May 2019.  "We allege that Sam Bankman-Fried built a house of cards on a foundation of dece…
Repeat Watertown Lottery Winners Not So Lucky In Federal Court: DOJ Repeat Watertown Lottery Winners Not So Lucky In Federal Court: DOJ
Repeat Watertown Lottery Winners Not So Lucky In Federal Court: DOJ There was no one quite as lucky as the Jaaffar family of Watertown. The father and his two sons cashed in more than 14,000 winning lottery tickets to the tune of $21 million in prize money to make them some of the state's biggest winners every year for nearly a decade. And what was their unbeatable system?  They cheated, a federal court ruled.  Ali Jaafar, 63, and Yousef Jaafar, 29, were found guilty on Friday, Dec. 9, of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and of filing a false tax return, the US Attorney for Massachuset…
New Extension For REAL ID Deadline Announced By DHS New Extension For REAL ID Deadline Announced By DHS
New Extension For Real ID Deadline Announced By DHS You won't have to rush out to get your REAL ID if you haven't already done so, as officials announced plans to extend the full official enforcement deadline for the new form of identification that will be used to board domestic flights. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday, Dec. 5, that it has extended the deadline for the REAL ID by two years, changing it from May 3, 2023, to May 7, 2025. This gives states additional time to make sure their residents have licenses and ID cards that meet security standards established in the REAL ID Act. After the enforcement deadline, f…
Lowell Police Gift $5,000 Check To Retired Officer's Son Battling Cancer Lowell Police Gift $5,000 Check To Retired Officer's Son Battling Cancer
Lowell Police Gift $5,000 Check To Retired Officer's Son Battling Cancer A 17-year-old with an aggressive form of brain cancer received a helping hand from the nonprofit group Cops for Kids with Cancer in the form of a $5,000 check. Sal Mirabella, a board member from Cops for Kids with Cancer, presented the check to the recipient, the son of a former Lowell police officer Lowell Police announced on Friday, Dec. 2.  Money from the Massachusetts-based charity can go towards any expenses the family may have, from medical bills to groceries.  The charity operates through sponsorships from New England police departments, giving checks to New England famil…
'Captain America' Christian Pulisic 'Cleared To Play' At World Cup Following Hospitalization 'Captain America' Christian Pulisic 'Cleared To Play' At World Cup Following Hospitalization
'Captain America' Christian Pulisic 'Cleared To Play' At World Cup Following Hospitalization Christian Pulisic will be returning to the field after he was injured while scoring his first goal at the World Cup during the US game against Iran —  making this the first winning game for the US men's national team.  The US squad now plays in the Round of 16 against the Netherlands in Qatar at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 (FOX-TV).  Captain American will be reporting for duty, the fans are tweeting after the US Men's National Team shared the update on Friday, Dec. 2.  Earlier report: Former Fairfield University Standout Goalie Shuts Out Iran As Team USA Advances In World Cup As protests…
Dominican Man Faces 20 Years In Prison After Sneaking Back Into US After Deportation: Feds Dominican Man Faces 20 Years In Prison After Sneaking Back Into US After Deportation: Feds
Dominican Man Faces 20 Years In Prison After Sneaking Back Into US After Deportation: Feds A 35-year-old Dominican man who recently finished a federal sentence on drug and weapons charges now faces 20 years in prison for violating a deportation order, federal authorities said.  Jonathan Alcequiez-Sanchez was convicted of drug distribution and weapons charges in December 2021 in Lawrence District Court and served a sentence in prison until earlier this month, the US Attorney's Office said. But Alcequiez-Sanchez is not supposed to be in the United States.  The foreign-born man was deported from the US in 2018 after police in New York arrested him for unlawful entry, …
COVID-19: CDC Says It's Now Tracking More Immune-Evasive XBB Variant Growing In Northeast COVID-19: CDC Says It's Now Tracking More Immune-Evasive XBB Variant Growing In Northeast
Covid-19: CDC Says It's Now Tracking More Immune-Evasive XBB Variant Growing In Northeast With more than 300 COVID-19 Omicron sublineages circulating around the globe, a new potentially more contagious variant called XBB is being closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). XBB is considered more immune-evasive than other Omicron variants, Chief White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said last week. But government officials said they don't think XBB will become a threat at the level of Omicron, which first emerged on the global scene almost exactly a year ago. Though XBB now accounts for just over 3 percent of new cases in t…
Ticketmaster Cancels Public On-Sale For Taylor Swift Tour, Citing 'Insufficient' Inventory Ticketmaster Cancels Public On-Sale For Taylor Swift Tour, Citing 'Insufficient' Inventory
Ticketmaster Cancels Public On-Sale For Taylor Swift Tour, Citing 'Insufficient' Inventory It's tough times for Taylor Swift fans who were hoping to purchase tickets for her upcoming tour this week. Ticketmaster has canceled its public on-sale for Swift's "Eras Tour," which was set to open on Friday, Nov. 17. The tour of stadiums across the United States will begin in 2023 and is set to include multiple shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. "Due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand, tomorrow's public on-sale for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour has been cancelled,…
Here Comes Nicole: Powerful Storm's Remnants Will Bring Heavy Rain, Strong Winds To Region Here Comes Nicole: Powerful Storm's Remnants Will Bring Heavy Rain, Strong Winds To Region
Here Comes Nicole: Powerful Storm's Remnants Will Bring Heavy Rain, Strong Winds To Region Just two days after making landfall in the United States as a Category 1 hurricane, Nicole is bearing down on the Northeast, where it will bring drenching rainfall, gusty winds, and dangerous flooding in some spots. The remnants of Nicole, which is now a tropical depression, will interact with a more extensive frontal system, bringing moderate to locally heavy rain, isolated thunderstorms, strong winds, and rough marine conditions as it moves across the region late Friday, Nov. 11 into early Saturday morning, Nov. 12, according to the National Weather Center. A tornado watch has been issued…
Recall Issued For Air Freshener Products Due To Injury, Laceration Hazards Recall Issued For Air Freshener Products Due To Injury, Laceration Hazards
Recall Issued For Air Freshener Products Due To Injury, Laceration Hazards A company has recalled about 67,000 air fresheners due to injury and laceration hazards. Reckitt issued a recall of AirWick Fresh New Day aerosol air fresheners in “Fresh Linen” and “Fresh Waters” scents on Thursday, Nov. 3. The recall includes products with batch code B22077-NJ and date code 18/03/22, which are printed on the bottom of the can. The company said a batch of the products is missing a corrosion inhibitor, which can cause corrosion, rupture of the can, and expulsion of the can's contents. Reckitt said it received five reports of incidents involving the products…