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Politics
Not Laughing: George Santos Sues Jimmy Kimmel For 'Deceiving' Him Into Making Cameo Videos Not Laughing: George Santos Sues Jimmy Kimmel For 'Deceiving' Him Into Making Cameo Videos
Not Laughing: George Santos Sues Jimmy Kimmel For 'Deceiving' Him Into Making Cameo Videos Disgraced former New York Rep. George Santos is taking his beef with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to federal court. In a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York on Friday, Feb. 16, the ex-Republican lawmaker accused Kimmel of copyright infringement and fraud for a series of personalized videos the talk show host commissioned from him on the website Cameo. The 35-year-old Santos began selling video shout outs on the site following his historic ouster from Congress amid federal criminal charges. Earlier Report: US House Expels Nassau Rep. George Santos In Historic Vote K…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
29-Year-Old From Connecticut Focus Of Netflix Documentary On His Mom's Mysterious Death On Boat 29-Year-Old From Connecticut Focus Of Netflix Documentary On His Mom's Mysterious Death On Boat
29-Year-Old From Connecticut Focus Of Netflix Documentary On His Mom's Mysterious Death On Boat A 29-year-old from Connecticut who was accused of killing his mother and grandfather is the focus of a new Netflix documentary on the mysterious deaths.  Netflix said earlier this month the documentary will explore the mysteries surrounding Middlesex County native Nathan Carman, of Middletown, who was accused of killing his mother Linda Carman while on a fishing trip in 2016, and his grandfather, John Chakalos. three years earlier in 2013. Carman, who died while in police custody last year, allegedly killed his mother while fishing off the coast of Rhode Island on the family boat.…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Massachusetts Woman Alters, Cashes CT Resident's Checks: Police Massachusetts Woman Alters, Cashes CT Resident's Checks: Police
Massachusetts Woman Alters, Cashes CT Resident's Checks: Police A Massachusetts woman has been arrested after she was allegedly caught altering and cashing a Connecticut resident’s checks years prior. Isis Serrano, a Boston resident, was arrested on Wednesday, Feb. 7 for the Fairfield County incident, according to police. The 24-year-old woman is accused of fraudulently altering and cashing checks from a resident of the town of Wilton in 2019. She was 20 at the time of the reported crime. It is unclear for how long Serrano continued the alleged activity. She was extradited from Chicopee Massachusetts Women's Correctional Facility on an arrest warr…

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by Sophie Grieser
Police & Fire
Ex-Mass Detective Who Scammed Multiple Landlords For Years Avoids Jailtime: Feds Ex-Mass Detective Who Scammed Multiple Landlords For Years Avoids Jailtime: Feds
Ex-Mass Detective Who Scammed Multiple Landlords For Years Avoids Jailtime: Feds A former Stoneham police officer who admitted to scamming his former landlords for more than a decade will not go to prison for his crimes, federal authorities announced on Thursday, Jan. 4.  Robert Kennedy, 54, of Stoneham, was sentenced to two years of probation and 90 days of home confinement after he pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in September, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He must also repay $14,275 to his victims.  Investigators said Kennedy defrauded three landlords from February 2020 through June 2023. The scheme played out similarly each time. H…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Conman Steals $200K In Gold Coins From Western Mass Estate, Feds Say Conman Steals $200K In Gold Coins From Western Mass Estate, Feds Say
Conman Steals $200K In Gold Coins From Western Mass Estate, Feds Say A Connecticut man is facing federal charges for allegedly swindling a Western Massachusetts estate out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold coins. William Dawson, age 51, was indicted on fraud charges by a federal grand jury in Worcester on Wednesday, Oct. 18. According to prosecutors, Dawson met with an employee of a home cleanout business in January 2023 after the company was hired by an estate in Shrewsbury. The employee reportedly found 170 Queen Elizabeth II Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins inside the home, collectively worth around $290,000. With approval from the estate, the em…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
$874K Scheme: Former Postmaster From Mass Defrauded Postal Service, Solicited Bribes: Feds $874K Scheme: Former Postmaster From Mass Defrauded Postal Service, Solicited Bribes: Feds
$874K Scheme: Former Postmaster From Mass Defrauded Postal Service, Solicited Bribes: Feds A 50-year-old Massachusetts man who once served as postmaster for a Fairfield County post office has admitted to defrauding the US Postal Service out of over $874,000 as part of a bribery, kickback, and embezzlement scheme that he operated, officials announced. Former Brookfield resident Ephrem D. Nguyen, age 50, pleaded guilty to a fraud offense related to his scheme on Friday, Oct. 13, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced.  According to federal officials, Nguyen, who now lives in Quincy, Massachusetts in Norfolk County, had been employed b…

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by Ben Crnic
News
Agawam Officer Suspended Over Alleged $87K Workers' Comp Fraud: Police Agawam Officer Suspended Over Alleged $87K Workers' Comp Fraud: Police
Agawam Officer Suspended Over Alleged $87K Workers' Comp Fraud: Police The agency responsible for policing standards has suspended a man who was an officer in Connecticut and Massachusetts and who lives in Massachusetts after he was charged with illegally receiving nearly $87,000 in workers' compensation benefits while working in Connecticut.  Matthew Hubbard, age 55, of Agawam in Hampden County, was one of four officers suspended by Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training.  Hubbard had worked as a corrections officer at a Connecticut prison and claimed he was hurt responding to a call on Aug. 7, 2020, the Connecticut Division of…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Police Say She Swindled Nearly $3K From West Springfield Bank; Do You Know Her? Police Say She Swindled Nearly $3K From West Springfield Bank; Do You Know Her?
Police Say She Swindled Nearly $3K From West Springfield Bank; Do You Know Her? Police in Hamden County are asking for the public's help to find a woman they say stole $2,800 from a West Springfield Bank last month.  The woman used a fake ID to withdraw cash from the bank on Feb. 17 fraudulently. Police did not name the bank.  These types of scams are becoming more popular and cost customers and banks hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.  Related: Woman Tried To Withdraw Cash From Fairfield County Bank Using Fake ID West Springfield detectives ask anyone who recognizes this woman to contact them at 413-263-3210 ext. 229. You can also text…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Hartford County Finance Employee Gets Years In Prison For Stealing Over $700K Hartford County Finance Employee Gets Years In Prison For Stealing Over $700K
Hartford County Finance Employee Gets Years In Prison For Stealing Over $700K A woman from Hartford County faces years in prison for stealing more than $700,000 from both her former employer and third-party lenders over the span of nearly four years.  Windsor resident Margaret Boisture, age 51, was sentenced to 33 months in prison on Tuesday, Jan. 10 for fraud, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Connecticut District.  Boisture was once the chief financial employee of ZoneFlow Reactor Technologies, a company developing a new technology to make hydrogen production more efficient. In this role, Boisture defrauded Zoneflow, PayPal, and the third…

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by Ben Crnic
News
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…

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by David Cifarelli
News
Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims To Get $372M More In Distributions, Feds Announce Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims To Get $372M More In Distributions, Feds Announce
Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims To Get $372M More In Distributions, Feds Announce Thousands of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme victims will be receiving their portions of the latest distribution of more than $370 million. US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams announced that the Madoff Victim Fund will be distributing approximately $372 million to 40,000 victims worldwide who were involved in the fraud scheme. Earlier Report: Madoff Ponzi Scheme Victims To Get Nearly $500M More In Distributions To date, approximately $4 billion has been distributed to Madoff’s victims. Williams said that this eighth payment will bring the victims’ total re…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
CT Man Sentenced For Scams That Defrauded Hundreds Of Victims Across US Out Of Millions CT Man Sentenced For Scams That Defrauded Hundreds Of Victims Across US Out Of Millions
CT Man Sentenced For Scams That Defrauded Hundreds Of Victims Across US Out Of Millions A Connecticut man who took part in a massive scheme defrauding elderly victims out of millions of dollars is heading to federal prison. Rodney Thomas, age 31, of New Haven, was sentenced to six years behind bars Tuesday, Aug. 23 in federal court in Bridgeport after a jury convicted him of multiple charges stemming from the scheme. Federal prosecutors said Thomas and several others bilked 200 elderly victims across the country out of more than $5 million through bogus lottery and romance scams carried out between August 2015 and March 2020. Some unsuspecting victims were duped into sendin…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Decomposed Body Found In Connecticut Home ID'd As Ponzi Swindler, Jeffrey Epstein Mentor Decomposed Body Found In Connecticut Home ID'd As Ponzi Swindler, Jeffrey Epstein Mentor
Decomposed Body Found In Connecticut Home ID'd As Ponzi Swindler, Jeffrey Epstein Mentor A body found in a Connecticut home during a welfare check has positively been identified as Steven Hoffenberg, a longtime mentor of Jeffrey Epstein. Hoffenberg, the one-time owner of the New York Post and businessman who spent 18 years in prison for a $460 million Ponzi scheme, was found in the New Haven County home around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 23, in the city of Derby. According to the Derby Police, the medical examiner's office confirmed on Friday, Aug. 26, that the badly decomposed body was that of Hoffenberg.  An initial autopsy did not find signs of trauma on the body, the…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Boston Food Truck Owner Charged With Stealing $1.5M In COVID Funds: Feds Boston Food Truck Owner Charged With Stealing $1.5M In COVID Funds: Feds
Boston Food Truck Owner Charged With Stealing $1.5M In COVID Funds: Feds A 55-year-old Boston food truck owner faces up to 20 years in prison after he has was charged him with lying to get $1.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday, July 20. Loc Vo, who owns Smart Gourmet, is accused of fraudulently filing loan applications from April 2020 until July 2021 for programs under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the U.S. Attorney in Boston said. The programs were to help businesses stay afloat during the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic.  But federal authorities said Vo used the money to invest…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Massachusetts Man Admits To Attempting To Buy $83K Sports Car Using Stolen IDs Massachusetts Man Admits To Attempting To Buy $83K Sports Car Using Stolen IDs
Massachusetts Man Admits To Attempting To Buy $83K Sports Car Using Stolen IDs A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty to attempting to buy an $83,000 Chevrolet Camaro using two victims' stolen identities. Worcester County resident Brandon Brouillard, age 28, of Worcester, made the plea on Thursday, April 8, said the US Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts.  According to court documents, in February 2021, Brouillard used the identity of a New Hampshire resident to open a bank account at Avidia Bank by wiring $108,000 from another individual’s Bank of America account.  Brouillard also fraudulently obtained a New Hampshire driver’s license in the …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Former Official In Massachusetts Sentenced For $2.3 Million Fraud Scheme Former Official In Massachusetts Sentenced For $2.3 Million Fraud Scheme
Former Official In Massachusetts Sentenced For $2.3 Million Fraud Scheme A former employee of a Massachusetts city's housing development office was sentenced for her role in a $2.3 million property development fraud scheme. Jacklyn Sutcivni, age 48, of the Middlesex County town of Dracut, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release for wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and false claims, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Monday, March 28. She was convicted of the charges on Aug. 4. Sutcivni was an employee of the City of Worcester’s Housi…

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by Nicole Valinote
News
Man From Region Admits Defrauding His Grandparents Of $679K Man From Region Admits Defrauding His Grandparents Of $679K
Man From Region Admits Defrauding His Grandparents Of $679K A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing some $679,000 from his grandparents. Leonard Boyle, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Hartford County resident Douglas Senerth, age 32 of South Windsor, plead guilty to the fraud on Wednesday, Feb. 23. According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2011 and 2019, Senerth defrauded his grandmother and his late grandfather by falsely claiming to be a college student and inducing them to give him approximately $419,000 to pay for nonexistent college tuition and other related expenses…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Man From Region Sentenced For Fraud, Identity Theft Offenses Man From Region Sentenced For Fraud, Identity Theft Offenses
Man From Region Sentenced For Fraud, Identity Theft Offenses A Connecticut man has been sentenced to 60 months in prison for fraud and identity theft offenses stemming from involvement in a scheme to use stolen identities to lease and purchase vehicles and motorcycles. Hartford County resident, Jamie Pinto, age 45, of Manchester, was sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 27 to prison time followed by three years of supervised release, said Leonard C Boyle, acting US Attorney for the District of Connecticut, According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in late 2017, Pinto, Domingo St. Hilaire Rosario, and another individual conspired …

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam
Don't Fall For It: Police Issue Alert For Social Security Scam Alarm bells are sounding for law enforcement agencies as a new Social Security scam continues making the rounds as opportunistic fraudsters look to exploit the elderly. An alert was issued by police agencies in New York after they received multiple reports of scammers impersonating Social Security Administration (SSA) employees over the phone requesting personal information or money. Police said that some of the imposters have made threats or demanded immediate payment to help their victims avoid arrest or potential legal action. Officials noted that SSA employees will never threaten anyon…

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by Zak Failla
News
Alert Issued Following Recent Rise Of Fraudulent FEMA Claims Alert Issued Following Recent Rise Of Fraudulent FEMA Claims
Alert Issued Following Recent Rise Of Fraudulent FEMA Claims With many still seeking federal assistance in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Ida, some law enforcement agencies have reported an uptick in fraudulent FEMA claims. An alert was issued by police agencies cautioning about a rise in fraudulent FEMA claims filed in the name of people who did not experience disaster-related damage and who did not file any legitimate claim. According to police, companies have been contracted by fraudsters to appear at individuals’ homes or to contact people about the claims to collect personal information or compensation. It is believed that the …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams COVID-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams
Covid-19: Alert Issued For Child Tax Credit Payment Scams Opportunistic fraudsters have taken advantage of some consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic, this time targeting child tax credit payments that have been sent out to assist families. The IRS recently issued an alert after it began sending tens of millions of dollars to families, though scammers have been attempting to pull a fast one over on some to steal thousands of dollars in federal benefits. According to the IRS, scammers have been reaching out to families using emails, text messages, and through social media, asking to verify personal information to receive the child tax credit payme…

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by Zak Failla
News
Don't Fall For It: Beware Of 'Boss Scam,' Authorities Say Don't Fall For It: Beware Of 'Boss Scam,' Authorities Say
Don't Fall For It: Beware Of 'Boss Scam,' Authorities Say Officials are cautioning about “boss scams” that have been making the rounds in the region as fraudsters target vulnerable employees as the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic surges. New York Attorney General Letitia James issued an alert warning of “boss scams,” which involve scammers using text messages and emails to pose as employers and request gift cards for alleged work emergencies. James said that the scam has been on the rise during the pandemic as many employees have been working remotely for months, some more than a year. According to James, “an employee receives a text or an …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Scammers Spoofing Massachusetts State Police Number Scammers Spoofing Massachusetts State Police Number
Scammers Spoofing Massachusetts State Police Number Massachusetts State Police are warning residents to be careful about scammers spoofing state police phone numbers. On Tuesday, Aug. 24, the department tweeted about the calls, telling residents the calls were fraudulent. The tweet.Massachusetts State Police A state police spokesman said this type of thing pops up everything three or four months and they are always warning residents not to respond to the callers or give out personal information. "Our phone numbers come up as blocked when we call a resident," the spokesperson said. The department realized they had been "spoofed" again w…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Former Massachusetts Official Convicted of Fraud Charges Former Massachusetts Official Convicted of Fraud Charges
Former Massachusetts Official Convicted of Fraud Charges A former housing official in Massachusetts has been convicted in connection with a $2.3 million fraud scheme. Worcester County resident Jacklyn Sutcivni, age 47, of Dracut, was convicted of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and false claims, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Wednesday, Aug. 4.  The district attorney's office said Sutcivni used her position as an employee of the City of Worcester’s Housing Development Office and Executive Office of Economic Development for the scheme.  S…

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by Nicole Valinote
Police & Fire
Police In Western Mass Issue Alert To Residents After Reports Of Callers Posing As Cops Police In Western Mass Issue Alert To Residents After Reports Of Callers Posing As Cops
Police In Western Mass Issue Alert To Residents After Reports Of Callers Posing As Cops Police agencies in Western Massachusetts are cautioning that opportunistic fraudsters have been running a scam using “spoofed” phone numbers to pose as cops. The Northampton Police Department issued an alert following reports from city residents that they have been receiving calls from (413) 587-1100, the department’s non-emergency number. According to investigators, the scammers pose as police and claim that there has been an identify theft, or an outstanding warrant, and the only way to clear up the issue was to pay through gift cards exchanged over the phone. “The number is able to show…

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by Zak Failla
News
NY Man Indicted In $700,000 Investment Scheme NY Man Indicted In $700,000 Investment Scheme
NY Man Indicted In $700,000 Investment Scheme A New York man has been indicted for scamming investors out of more than $700,000, authorities announced. Long Island resident Matthew Gallagher, age 37, of Rocky Point, used various investment schemes to scam 24 victims over a period of about four years, according to an investigation by Suffolk County Police and Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini. “We have 24 people here who gave their savings to this defendant with the promise of sound investments only to be lied to and swindled out of their hard-earned money,” Sini said. “He was allegedly selling them on investing in b…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
NY Man Accused Of Scamming Investors Of Over $700K NY Man Accused Of Scamming Investors Of Over $700K
NY Man Accused Of Scamming Investors Of Over $700K A New York man has been accused of scamming investors of more than $700,000 over the past year and a half, authorities announced. Long Island resident Matthew Gallagher, age 37, of Rocky Point, used investment schemes in fraudulent startup business ventures and insurance-related frauds to scam 16 victims between November 2019 and April 2021, according to an investigation by Suffolk County Police. Gallagher was arrested just before 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 28 at the Seventh Precinct in Shirley, according to police. He was charged with: Two counts of first-degree schemi…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Ex-Exec At Connecticut Company Admits To $9.5M Consumer Scam, DOJ Says Ex-Exec At Connecticut Company Admits To $9.5M Consumer Scam, DOJ Says
Ex-Exec At Connecticut Company Admits To $9.5M Consumer Scam, DOJ Says A New York man who was an executive at a company in Connecticut has admitted to causing more than $9.5 million in losses to consumers across the country. Northern Westchester County resident Norman Newman, age 74, of Croton-on-Hudson,  pleaded guilty today to supplying lists of consumers’ names and addresses for use in schemes that targeted vulnerable victims, according to court documents filed by the United States Department of Justice. From 2005 to 2016, Newman worked as a list broker and senior vice president at Macromark Inc., a Fairfield County-based direct mail services firm…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Eversource Warns Customers Of New, 'Finetuned' Scams Eversource Warns Customers Of New, 'Finetuned' Scams
Eversource Warns Customers Of New, 'Finetuned' Scams Eversource is cautioning its East Coast utility customers to be wary of fraudsters who have recently been targeting consumers in Connecticut and Massachusetts. This week, Eversource issued an alert after receiving reports of "scam artists aggressively targeting utility customers.” Officials said that new tactics are being used as scammers continue fine-tuning their techniques, including phony caller IDs that display “Eversource” and scripts that sound like a legitimate company representative threatening to disconnect their electric or gas service because of an unpaid bill.  …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers
New Warning Issued For Con Artists Posing As Amazon Workers Local law enforcement agencies are cautioning area residents to be wary following recent reports of opportunistic fraudsters posing as Amazon employees over the phone to gain access to personal information. Officials said that con artists have been posing as Amazon employees claiming to need verification about their account or that something is wrong with an order, allowing them to attempt stealing their victims’ identities. According to police, once a call is answered, a recorded message will claim to be from Amazon stating there is a problem with their account. Messages included claims …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Beware Of These Five New Scammer Tactics, Utility Companies Warn COVID-19: Beware Of These Five New Scammer Tactics, Utility Companies Warn
Covid-19: Beware Of These Five New Scammer Tactics, Utility Companies Warn With the United States crossing a grim milestone as the COVID-19 death toll topped 500,000, utility companies are cautioning about new scams that have arisen in the past year as opportunistic fraudsters look to take advantage of the pandemic. Utility companies across the country have issued alerts regarding new scams as they seek to allow their customers to protect themselves from scammers exploiting the COVID-19 outbreak. According to officials, one of the largest threats involves scammers aggressively threatening to disconnect service, claiming that bills are past due, unless a payment is…

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by Zak Failla