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China

CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds
CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds A Jersey Shore businessman conned state and local law enforcement agencies and others into buying nearly $35 million worth of surveillance cameras that were made in China and then illegally rebranded for sale by his Bergen County company, federal authorities charged. Tamer Zakhary, 49, of Toms River, modified license-plate readers and other cameras, then removed the original company’s logo, an FBI complaint says. He then told the police departments, prosecutor's offices and other buyers throughout the state that they were compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act, U.S. Atto…
Company Won't Offer Fix For Bassinets Sold That Pose Strangulation, Suffocation Risks: CPSC Company Won't Offer Fix For Bassinets Sold That Pose Strangulation, Suffocation Risks: CPSC
Company Won't Offer Fix For Bassinets Sold That Pose Strangulation, Suffocation Risks: Cpsc Federal officials are warning parents to immediately stop using a specific bassinet sold nationwide online that could pose a host of hazards for infants. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued an alert advising that Missouri-based Rev Grace Import is not cooperating with the agency, which is cautioning that the "5in1 Rocker Bassinets" pose a suffocation, strangulation, and fall risk. 5in1 Rocker Bassinet (Packaging)CPSC According to CPSC officials, the bassinets do not meet their requirements for their "infant sleep products rule," though the company refuses to offer a …
Biz Owners Take Pleas After NJ Feds Seize Record $14M Worth Of Cisco Networking Knockoffs Biz Owners Take Pleas After NJ Feds Seize Record $14M Worth Of Cisco Networking Knockoffs
Biz Owners Take Pleas After NJ Feds Seize Record $14M Worth Of Cisco Networking Knockoffs Three North Jersey business owners admitted importing and selling cheap knockoffs of Cisco Systems networking equipment after federal agents seized an unprecedented $14 million worth of the devices from their warehouse in Passaic County. Musa Karaman, 35, of North Arlington, was the last of the trio to take a deal from the government, pleading guilty to trafficking counterfeit goods in U.S. District Court in Newark on Thursday, Aug. 24. Accomplices Sadri Ozturan, 37, of Hawthorne, and Israfil "David" Demir, 38, of Secaucus both pleaded guilty to the same charges on Aug. 8, U.S. Attorney for…
Fiery Deaths Prompt Recall For Millions Of Dehumidifiers: CPSC Fiery Deaths Prompt Recall For Millions Of Dehumidifiers: CPSC
Fiery Deaths Prompt Recall For Millions Of Dehumidifiers: Cpsc After multiple deaths, 450 fires, 2,000 incidents of overheating, and $19 million in property damage – millions of dehumidifiers are being recalled, according to a release by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Aug. 16, 2023.  The dehumidifiers were manufactured by Gree Electric Appliances, of China, and were sold under major brand names: Danby, De’Longhi, Fedders, Fellini, Frigidaire, GE, Gree, Kenmore, Norpole, Premiere, Seabreeze, SoleusAir and SuperClima, the CPSC explained.  "Consumers should stop using the recalled dehumidifiers and contact Gree for a full refund,…
Rockland Woman, Son Sold $4M Worth Of Smuggled, Misbranded Animal Drugs, Pesticides: Feds Rockland Woman, Son Sold $4M Worth Of Smuggled, Misbranded Animal Drugs, Pesticides: Feds
Rockland Woman, Son Sold $4M Worth Of Smuggled, Misbranded Animal Drugs, Pesticides: Feds A 70-year-old Rockland County, NY grandmother and her son illegally sold $4 million worth of misbranded, unregistered, and unapproved animal drugs and pesticides smuggled into the U.S. from China, federal authorities charged. Bien King of Congers and Khalil King, 36, of New York City operate a pet supply company in the Bronx called “Little City Dogs,” which caters to customers who want to avoid the cost of local veterinary clinics and treat their dogs' and cats' common ailments themselves. Both have been in a years-long battle with the government over their practice of formulating de-wormin…
NJ-Bred Fugees Founder Pras Michél Convicted In Federal Foreign-Influence Trial NJ-Bred Fugees Founder Pras Michél Convicted In Federal Foreign-Influence Trial
Nj-bred Fugees Founder Pras Michél Convicted In Federal Foreign-Influence Trial UPDATE: New Jersey-bred rapper and producer Pras Michél, best known as a founding member of the Fugees, was convicted by federal jurors in what the government called a "clandestine foreign influence campaign scheme." The Grammy-winning '90s hip-hop star was found guilty of 10 counts following an influence-peddling trial in Washington, DC, that featured high-profile witnesses such as Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The Justice Department accused Michél, 50, of collecting millions of dollars from Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho to launder money embezzled fro…
El Chapo Sons, Dubbed ‘Pioneers' Of Fentanyl Epidemic, Charged In Massive Sinaloa Cartel Case El Chapo Sons, Dubbed ‘Pioneers' Of Fentanyl Epidemic, Charged In Massive Sinaloa Cartel Case
El Chapo Sons, Dubbed ‘Pioneers' Of Fentanyl Epidemic, Charged In Massive Sinaloa Cartel Case Four sons of notorious druglord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman are among more than two dozen members of Mexico's reigning Sinaloa cartel charged in a massive fentanyl-trafficking offensive announced by federal officials on Friday. The infamous quartet known as the Chapitos – each of whom had $5 million U.S. bounties placed on their heads – were dubbed “the pioneers” of fentanyl’s introduction to American users by DEA Administrator Anne Milgram during an April 14 news conference in Washington, D.C. “Death and destruction are central to their whole operation,” said Milgram, a former New Jersey a…
Online Sting Scheme: Indian National Admits Scamming Elderly In NJ, Around World Online Sting Scheme: Indian National Admits Scamming Elderly In NJ, Around World
Online Sting Scheme: Indian National Admits Scamming Elderly In NJ, Around World UPDATE: An Indian national who participated in an international conspiracy that preyed on senior citizens in New Jersey and throughout the U.S. was sentenced to a plea-bargained 33 months in federal prison, authorities said. Ashish Bajaj, 29, of India, will have to serve out the entire term because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty also sentenced Bajaj to two years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $2.4 million in restitution to his victims. Bajaj lived in different parts of the United States, including New Rochelle, NY, and Anahe…
13 Chinese Nationals Charged With Multiple Acts Of Espionage By Feds In Washington, NJ, NY 13 Chinese Nationals Charged With Multiple Acts Of Espionage By Feds In Washington, NJ, NY
13 Chinese Nationals Charged With Multiple Acts Of Espionage By Feds In Washington, NJ, NY Thirteen people, including members of China’s security and intelligence services, have been charged with trying to recruit professors and others in the United States to act as agents for their country, federal authorities in New York, New Jersey and Washington, DC announced. Tales of international intrigue include allegations that the defendants plotted to steal documents from a federal prosecutor's office to subvert a criminal investigation into a major Chinese company. Some of them are also charged in a spy-versus-spy encounter involving a $41,000 bribe in Bitcoin paid to an American…
Family Of Chinese Nationals Killed By Red Light-Running Driver In Toms River: Police Family Of Chinese Nationals Killed By Red Light-Running Driver In Toms River: Police
Family Of Chinese Nationals Killed By Red Light-Running Driver In Toms River: Police A family of three Chinese nationals were killed when the Maryland driver of the car they were in ran a red light in Ocean County, authorities said. Tina Dung, 21, was stopped for the traffic light, but then went through the red signal and collided with a Legacy Towing flatbed wrecker heading east on Lakehurst Road around 12:25 a.m. Friday, July 22, Toms River police said. The three passengers in Dung’s car, all citizens of China, were killed as a result of the collision. They included a 54-year-old man, 52-year-old woman and 23-year-old man, all from the same family, police said. Neither d…
Cyber-Footsie Scammers From NJ, MD, VA Swindle $7 Million From Mostly Elderly Victims, Feds Say Cyber-Footsie Scammers From NJ, MD, VA Swindle $7 Million From Mostly Elderly Victims, Feds Say
Cyber-Footsie Scammers From NJ, MD, VA Swindle $7 Million From Mostly Elderly Victims, Feds Say Mostly elderly victims across the United States were conned out of a whopping $7 million by a quartet of romance scammers from New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia – all of whom were arrested by the FBI, authorities said. The victims sent the money to the imposters thinking that they were helping out love interests, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. They lost a lot. Arrested this past week, Sellinger said, were: Nana Yaw Marfo, 37, of Virginia, who was accused of receiving at least $4.7 million; Chevon Braxton, 42, of Maryland, who was accused of collecting at least $1.3 million; Will…
Biden Tapping US Petroleum Reserve To Relieve Pump Prices Biden Tapping US Petroleum Reserve To Relieve Pump Prices
Biden Tapping US Petroleum Reserve To Relieve Pump Prices US President Joe Biden will be tapping the country's petroleum reserves in an effort to save American drivers some cash. One million barrels of oil a day will be released for six months, totaling180 million barrels, from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The soaring gas prices are in part caused by the US ban on oil imports from Russia due to its Ukrainian invasion. The national average for a gallon of gas had fallen to $4.18 as of April 4. Gas price comparisonAAA “The upward push on oil prices caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine is meeting stronger downward pressure from the plann…
COVID-19: This Key Factor Could Indicate Whether Stealth Omicron Will Cause New Surge In US COVID-19: This Key Factor Could Indicate Whether Stealth Omicron Will Cause New Surge In US
Covid-19: This Key Factor Could Indicate Whether Stealth Omicron Will Cause New Surge In US With the new “stealth” COVID-19 sub-variant emerging from the shadows in the US and overseas, researchers are concerned that one subset of Americans could potentially lead to a possible new surge of infections. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Omicron, which is known as B.1.1.529, has three sub-variants: the original BA.1 that remains the dominant strain, the “stealth” BA.2, which is picking up steam, and the more elusive BA.3. The new “stealth” variant - named for its difficulty to identify due to a lack of certain genetic characteristics - has been becoming more of a co…
Businessman Admits Laundering $653M In Drug Money Through Banks In NJ, NY, PA Businessman Admits Laundering $653M In Drug Money Through Banks In NJ, NY, PA
Businessman Admits Laundering $653M In Drug Money Through Banks In NJ, NY, PA A businessman admitted laundering what a federal prosecutor called a "staggering" $653 million in drug money by bribing employees in banks and other financial institutions in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Da Ying Sze, 43, of Queens said during a plea hearing in U.S. District Court in Newark on Tuesday, Feb. 22, that he deposited the cash into accounts in the names of shell companies and conspirators. Sze said he laundered the money from 2016 to 2021 by buying bank checks, writing personal and business checks and making international and domestic wires to thousands of individuals an…
Children's Bathrobes Recalled Due To Safety Hazards Children's Bathrobes Recalled Due To Safety Hazards
Children's Bathrobes Recalled Due To Safety Hazards The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled children's bathrobes. The Jan. 12 recall includes the China-based HulovoX 100% micro-polyester children's robes. The bathrobes failed to meet the federal flammability standards for children’s clothing, posing a risk of burn injuries to children. The products were sold in sizes 3T through 12 in 22 multicolored tie-dye and rainbow colors. The 3,500 long-sleeve robes were sold exclusively online at Amazon from January 2021 through May 2021 for about $30. The products have a sewn-in side seam belt, internal but…
Ex-Giants Manning, O'Hara Make Comic's Day At NJ Burger Icon Ex-Giants Manning, O'Hara Make Comic's Day At NJ Burger Icon
Ex-Giants Manning, O'Hara Make Comic's Day At NJ Burger Icon Chris Distefano left White Manna with more than a burger: He's got a photo with former New York Giants Eli Manning and Shaun O'Hara -- and quite a story to tell. "I look like a make-a-wish," he joked on an Instagram photo of the three outside of the River Street burger icon. Distefano went on to rehash the meet-up on hisYouTube channel where he hosts the "Chrissy Chaos" podcast. The comic said that Manning was professional and "kind of a G." "He was launching burgers off my chest and I haven't changed my jersey yet." Watch the full episode below (warning: contains explicit language). …
COVID-19: Feds Charge NYC-Area Pharmacy Owners In $30 Million Health Care Fraud COVID-19: Feds Charge NYC-Area Pharmacy Owners In $30 Million Health Care Fraud
Covid-19: Feds Charge Nyc-area Pharmacy Owners In $30 Million Health Care Fraud The owners of more than a dozen New York City-area pharmacies exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to scam Medicaid out of $30 million, then used the money to buy themselves real estate and luxury items, federal authorities charged. Peter Khaim, 40, and Arkadiy Khaimov, 37, both of Forest Hills, got others to pose as pharmacy owners or supervisors to take advantage of emergency override codes added to the Medicare system during the national state of emergency, an indictment returned by a grand jury in Brooklyn alleges. They used these to submit fraudulent claims for the expensive cancer medicati…
Feds: Chinese Citizen Who Financed $2.25M Exotic Turtle-Smuggling Operation Extradited To NJ Feds: Chinese Citizen Who Financed $2.25M Exotic Turtle-Smuggling Operation Extradited To NJ
Feds: Chinese Citizen Who Financed $2.25M Exotic Turtle-Smuggling Operation Extradited To NJ A Chinese citizen who bankrolled the smuggling of $2.25 million worth of rare, protected turtles out of the United States was extradited from Malaysia to face federal charges in New Jersey, authorities said. Kang Juntao, 24, of Hangzhou City, China, financed a nationwide ring of criminals who smuggled at least 1,500 protected turtles out of the U.S., many of whom were bound with duct tape and stuffed into socks, Justice Department officials said Thursday. “Wildlife trafficking is a serious crime that impacts imperiled species at home and abroad,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Aure…
Feds Charge Jersey Shore Pain Management Doc With Massive $24.6M Billing Fraud Feds Charge Jersey Shore Pain Management Doc With Massive $24.6M Billing Fraud
Feds Charge Jersey Shore Pain Management Doc With Massive $24.6M Billing Fraud A Jersey Shore pain management doctor accused of running a $24.6 million fraud scheme billed insurance plans for more than 24 hours worth of services in a single day no fewer than 900 times, federal authorities said Monday. Morris Antebi, 68, of Long Branch, also billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies frequently on dates when travel records show he was overseas -- including trips to China, Israel, Turkey, the Dominican Republic and across Europe – and at other times when he was otherwise out of state, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Antebi, who specializes in pain ma…
Prosecutor: Carlstadt Silencer Smuggler Had Guns, Ammo, Bullet-Proof Vests, More Prosecutor: Carlstadt Silencer Smuggler Had Guns, Ammo, Bullet-Proof Vests, More
Prosecutor: Carlstadt Silencer Smuggler Had Guns, Ammo, Bullet-Proof Vests, More An ironworker caught smuggling silencers from China had an arsenal of guns, high-capacity magazines and police-issued bulletproof vests in his Carlstadt home, authorities said. Matthew Moran, 48, was released by a judge following his arrest on charges of possessing prohibited weapons and devices – namely: silencers. Matthew Moran, 48, was “identified as a person of interest in receiving shipments of suppressors, also called silencers, meant to reduce the sound and muzzle flash generated from a gunshot,” Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Saturday. Moran was targeted during a joint…
LAWSUIT: Morris County Violinist Lost Job Over 'Racist' Chinese Comment, Sues Montclair State LAWSUIT: Morris County Violinist Lost Job Over 'Racist' Chinese Comment, Sues Montclair State
Lawsuit: Morris County Violinist Lost Job Over 'Racist' Chinese Comment, Sues Montclair State A violin player in a world-renowned string quartet has filed a lawsuit against Montclair State University and his three partners claiming he was kicked out of the university's ensemble because of a social media comment deemed racist toward China -- despite allegedly resigning from the ensemble himself, according to a recent news report. Chinese government officials reportedly organized a social media campaign against Yi-Wen Jiang, a Morristown resident and member of Montclair State's ensemble-in-residence "Shanghai Quartet," because of his alleged comments, NorthJersey.com reports. Jiang, w…
Public Puzzled By Planes Circling State Of Liberty: 'Welcome To Federal State Of New China' Public Puzzled By Planes Circling State Of Liberty: 'Welcome To Federal State Of New China'
Public Puzzled By Planes Circling State Of Liberty: 'Welcome To Federal State Of New China' Some looked on puzzled while others grew concerned when a group of propeller planes circled the Statue of Liberty before dusk Wednesday pulling banners that said: "Congratulations to federal state of new China!" in English and Chinese. What was it about? The stunt was organized by fugitive Chinese billionaire businessman Miles Guo and former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. In a live stream from a boat in New York Harbor on the anniversary of the 1989 anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, Guo said that "from today the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will no longer be the l…
'Murder Hornets': Media-Created Panic Scaring Some Into Killing Essential Insects, Experts Warn 'Murder Hornets': Media-Created Panic Scaring Some Into Killing Essential Insects, Experts Warn
'Murder Hornets': Media-Created Panic Scaring Some Into Killing Essential Insects, Experts Warn Continuing media reports about “murder hornets” have panicked an ignorant public into needlessly killing already-endangered bees and wasps, experts warn. Native bees, for instance, pollinate 75% of fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports. Yet even government beekeepers have announced plans to set traps that will kill some of these extremely essential insects, Doug Yanega, senior museum scientist for the Department of Entomology at UC Riverside, told the Los Angeles Times. SEE: Traps will be set out soon, KY officials say SEE: Ten…
Potential Coronavirus Exposure Temporarily Closes Paramus Private Day School Potential Coronavirus Exposure Temporarily Closes Paramus Private Day School
Potential Coronavirus Exposure Temporarily Closes Paramus Private Day School The Frisch School in Paramus will remain closed until at least Wednesday because dozens of students attended a bat mitzvah last month at a temple at the center of a coronavirus outbreak in Westchester County, officials said. Officials at the Orthodox Jewish school said that visit to Young Israel of New Rochelle potentially exposed the students to the virus, The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported. The students — some of whom since gone on a school trip to Canada — began a self-quarantine period earlier this week,  Principal Eli Ciner said Thursday. One of them developed symptoms and wa…
North Jersey Physician 'Dr. Mike' On What You Need To Know About Coronavirus North Jersey Physician 'Dr. Mike' On What You Need To Know About Coronavirus
North Jersey Physician 'Dr. Mike' On What You Need To Know About Coronavirus The coronavirus may have made its way to Bergen County, but North Jersey physician Dr. Mike doesn't want you to panic. The Union County family care physician and YouTube celeb -- professionally known as Mikhail Varshavski -- is busting myths and answering questions about COVID-19. "There is way too much hype and misinformation surrounding this coronavirus," he said in a BuzzFeed video, "and I want to talk about it."  Varshavski -- who works at health care centers in Chatham and Summit -- maintained all of the information in his video comes from the Center for Disease Control…
Coronavirus Slows Probe Of Impostor Who Scammed Glen Rock Medical Firm Out Of $100,000 Coronavirus Slows Probe Of Impostor Who Scammed Glen Rock Medical Firm Out Of $100,000
Coronavirus Slows Probe Of Impostor Who Scammed Glen Rock Medical Firm Out Of $100,000 The closing of banks in China because of the coronavirus has made it more difficult for authorities to investigate a wire fraud that cost a Glen Rock medical services company $100,000. An accountant with the Harristown Road company reported receiving what appeared to be several legitimate emails from its CEO directing a wire transfer to a bank in China for international business purposes, Glen Rock Police Chief Dean Ackermann said Monday. After realizing it was a fraud, company representatives contacted police. Unfortunately, the money had already been wired, Ackermann said. “Overseas wir…
NJ Woman Hospitalized In Hackensack Tests Negative For Coronavirus NJ Woman Hospitalized In Hackensack Tests Negative For Coronavirus
NJ Woman Hospitalized In Hackensack Tests Negative For Coronavirus UPDATE: A 25-year-old New Jersey woman tested negative for the coronavirus, the state Department of Health said. It turned out she had a cold. The woman was transported to HUMC from Riverside Medical Group at Mariners Plaza on River Road in Edgewater around 6 p.m. Thursday with possible exposure to the mysterious pneumonia-like respiratory illness, borough police said. She was discharged more than five hours later after tests came up negative. "The NJ Department of Heath consulted with the CDC and it was determined patient did not meet CDC criteria for testing for the novel virus," the sta…
ICE Arrests Dozens Of Fugitives In N.J, Elsewhere For Human Rights Violations ICE Arrests Dozens Of Fugitives In N.J, Elsewhere For Human Rights Violations
ICE Arrests Dozens Of Fugitives In N.J, Elsewhere For Human Rights Violations Nearly 40 fugitives from several countries were arrested across the United States last month, including in the Newark and New York areas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Thursday.  The roundup resulted in the arrests of 30 men and nine women wanted for human-rights violations, the agency said. They were arrested in a sweep that took place from Aug. 27 and 29.  The operation was carried out under the agency's National Fugitive Operations Program in coordination with the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center. In addition to Newark and New York, field offices in Atlan…
Millburn High Robotics Team Wins World Championship Millburn High Robotics Team Wins World Championship
Millburn High Robotics Team Wins World Championship The budding engineers and scientists from Millburn High School's Robotics Team beat out thousands of squads from more than 60 countries to win the VEX Robotics World Championship held in Louisville, Kentucky, this weekend.  Millburn won the Science Division to advance to the World Championship Round Robin finals. The Millburn team and their alliance partner from China then faced off against the research division champion alliance, which is also from China, Millburn High said in a statement.  Millburn High won first in two of three matches, becoming the first high school team …
Worth Losing Sleep Over: Spring Forward This Weekend Worth Losing Sleep Over: Spring Forward This Weekend
Worth Losing Sleep Over: Spring Forward This Weekend We'll be springing forward this weekend (QUICK: Which two U.S. states don't follow Daylight Saving Time?). Unless you still have a flip, your cellphone will take care of the change from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. this Sunday. The same for most digital devices. We'll have to take care of traditional clocks and those in older-model vehicles, stoves, microwaves, etc. So long, seasonal affective disorder! ****** If you're having trouble getting to sleep, consider: It's "Daylight Saving," not "Savings"; Benjamin Franklin came up with the idea 235 years ago (1784); When it was established in the U.S.…
Bergen County Brothers Are Saving Americans Millions On Electric Bills Bergen County Brothers Are Saving Americans Millions On Electric Bills
Bergen County Brothers Are Saving Americans Millions On Electric Bills The summers were hurting Elmwood Park's Rose Scolaro the most. Her pool was running eight hours a day. Her air conditioning was on continuously. Her utility bill exceeded $600 -- with 90 percent of it going only toward electric. But Scolaro hasn't stressed over her utility bill since early 2017, when she switched to Phoenix Sun Energy, a solar panel installation company run by a pair of Bergen County brothers. These days, she pays approximately $200 monthly, saving her nearly $5,000 annually. Scolaro is only one example of someone Rochelle Park natives Chris Gordnick, 31, and Justin Gordn…