Tag:

Extortion

Fugitive In Fake Virus Home Invasion Sentenced — Westchester Jeep Clue Cracked The Case: Feds Fugitive In Fake Virus Home Invasion Sentenced — Westchester Jeep Clue Cracked The Case: Feds
Fugitive In Fake Virus Home Invasion Sentenced — Westchester Jeep Clue Cracked The Case: Feds A Romanian man involved in a terrifying 2007 Connecticut home invasion has been sentenced to seven years in prison after evading capture for 15 years, authorities said.  Stefan Alexandru Barabas, 38, was part of a group that terrorized two residents in a scheme that seemed straight out of a nightmare. Just before midnight, Barabas and his accomplices — Emanuel Nicolescu and Alexandru Lucian Nicolescu — broke into a South Kent home wearing masks and wielding knives and fake guns, the US Attorney for Connecticut said.  They tied up and blindfolded two adults, injecting them with a s…
Sibling Sextortion: NY Child Abuser Had Help From Sister In Cyberstalking Scheme, Feds Say Sibling Sextortion: NY Child Abuser Had Help From Sister In Cyberstalking Scheme, Feds Say
Sibling Sextortion: NY Child Abuser Had Help From Sister In Cyberstalking Scheme, Feds Say A New York brother currently serving time in federal prison and sister are facing federal charges for an elaborate cyberstalking and extortion scheme involving explicit images and a fraudulent life insurance plot, federal authorities announced. Fred Mastroianni, of White Plains, and Doreen Mastroianni, of Yorktown Heights, have been charged with cyberstalking, extortion, and conspiracy to commit extortion, according to an indictment unsealed by federal officials. The pair allegedly targeted "Victim-1" by threatening to release sexually explicit photos and videos unless the victim complied w…
Sex Extortion Scam Circulating Through Emails In Region, Sheriff Says Sex Extortion Scam Circulating Through Emails In Region, Sheriff Says
Sex Extortion Scam Circulating Through Emails In Region, Sheriff Says Police in the region are warning of an automated sex extortion scam that is targeting residents through emails. Undersheriff Eric Chaboy of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office said that scammers are acquiring emails and personal information on the so-called “Dark Web” and feeding it into what appears to be an artificial intelligence (AI) program that automatically contacts potential victims. Earlier report - Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know According to Chaboty, the program claims in an email that the victim has been looking at pornogra…
Duo Extorts Thousands From Hudson Valley Business Owner Using Threats Of Libel, DA Says Duo Extorts Thousands From Hudson Valley Business Owner Using Threats Of Libel, DA Says
Duo Extorts Thousands From Hudson Valley Business Owner Using Threats Of Libel, DA Says Two Hudson Valley residents are accused of extorting a business owner out of thousands of dollars. Orange County residents Ally Thueson, age 32, and Elizabeth Sloanhoffer, age 33, both of Montgomery, were arrested by the county’s White Collar Crime Task Force on Tuesday, June 4, on suspicion of grand larceny and coercion. According to prosecutors, Thueson and Sloanhoffer threatened to post false statements about Thueson’s employer online unless they were paid $9,000. The employer reportedly paid the money to avoid harm to their business. Both defendants were arraigned in the Village o…
NY Man Known As 'Sal The Shoemaker' Admits Running Illegal Gambling Operation For Mafia NY Man Known As 'Sal The Shoemaker' Admits Running Illegal Gambling Operation For Mafia
NY Man Known As 'Sal The Shoemaker' Admits Running Illegal Gambling Operation For Mafia An associate of the Genovese organized crime family known as “Sal the Shoemaker” admitted to operating an illegal gambling business associated with La Cosa Nostra. Long Island resident Salvatore Rubino, age 60, of Bethpage, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, April 16, at federal court in Brooklyn to operating the business. Earlier this month, four co-defendant members and associates of the Genovese crime family admitted to various felony charges stemming from their long-running operation of several lucrative gambling operations in New York City. Of the five charged, four are from Long Isl…
Scammers Posing As Police, Telling Victims They Are Guilty Of Sex Crimes In Westchester Scammers Posing As Police, Telling Victims They Are Guilty Of Sex Crimes In Westchester
Scammers Posing As Police, Telling Victims They Are Guilty Of Sex Crimes In Westchester Authorities in Westchester are warning residents to look out for phone scammers who have been calling from a police number and extorting money from victims.  In an announcement on Wednesday, Dec. 13, Yonkers Police warned residents that the scammers have been using a technique called spoofing to cause the number on victims' caller IDs to show a number belonging to the department's 2nd Precinct.  According to the department, the scammers have been telling victims that they have been found guilty of sex crimes. They then proceed to extort money from the victim to rectify the si…
Man's Brother Pretended To Be NY Mobster As Part Of $4M Embezzlement Scheme Man's Brother Pretended To Be NY Mobster As Part Of $4M Embezzlement Scheme
Man's Brother Pretended To Be NY Mobster As Part Of $4M Embezzlement Scheme Henry Hill immortalized the line "as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster."  That mantra didn't work out well for a pair of brothers - one of whom pretended to be a New York mobster - to get a Maryland man to embezzle more than $4 million from his employer in Washington, DC.  New York native Corry Blue Evans, 31, has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in an elaborate fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme that involved several other close-knit co-conspirators who worked to exploit the multi-million dollar scheme. The sentence comes y…
8 NYers Among 16 Gambino Crime Family Members Nabbed In Coordinated US-Italian Takedown: Feds 8 NYers Among 16 Gambino Crime Family Members Nabbed In Coordinated US-Italian Takedown: Feds
8 NYers Among 16 Gambino Crime Family Members Nabbed In Coordinated Us-italian Takedown: Feds A total of 16 people in the United States and Italy have been charged after a two-year investigation that targeted members of New York's notorious Gambino crime family and some of its Sicilian associates. A 16-count indictment was unsealed on Wednesday, Nov. 8 in federal court in Brooklyn detailing the alleged involvement of the 10 Americans -- eight New Yorkers and two New Jersey residents -- in an attempt to dominate the New York carting and demolition industries. The 10 Americans have been charged with racketeering conspiracy, extortion, witness retaliation, and union-related crimes comm…
Northern Westchester Man Among 6 Genovese Crime Family Suspects Sentenced For Racketeering Northern Westchester Man Among 6 Genovese Crime Family Suspects Sentenced For Racketeering
Northern Westchester Man Among 6 Genovese Crime Family Suspects Sentenced For Racketeering Six members and associates of the Genovese organized crime family, including a Westchester man and a Fairfield County resident, have been sentenced on racketeering charges, federal officials said.  The sentencings were announced on Friday, Aug. 4 by US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams.  According to Williams, the six men were associated with the Genovese Organized Crime Family, part of a nationwide criminal organization known by various names such as "La Cosa Nostra" and the “Mafia."  Those sentenced included two "captains," who were r…
Sex Cult Leader At College In Westchester Draws 60-Year Sentence Sex Cult Leader At College In Westchester Draws 60-Year Sentence
Sex Cult Leader At College In Westchester Draws 60-Year Sentence A man who put a group of college students through sexual, psychological, and physical abuse after moving into his daughter's dorm room in Westchester County will spend the rest of his life in prison.  Earlier Report - Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult Leader In Bronxville Found Guilty On All Charges Larry Ray, also known as Lawrence Grecco, was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Friday, Jan. 20 for leading a sex cult out of Sarah Lawrence College located near the border of Bronxville and Yonkers, according to Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. …
3 From Westchester Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family 3 From Westchester Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family
3 From Westchester Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family Five New York men, including three from Westchester County, have been accused of overseeing and operating a 15-year long, large-scale illegal, online gambling business with suspected ties to the Lucchese crime family, federal authorities announced. An indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn Federal Court on Wednesday, Sept. 14 charging them for their roles overseeing and operating a large-scale illegal, online gambling business under the protection of the Lucchese organized crime family. The gambling business known as “Rhino Sports” utilized an offshore website and dozens of bookmakers in …
Alleged Crime Family Members, Associates From Westchester Charged With Racketeering Alleged Crime Family Members, Associates From Westchester Charged With Racketeering
Alleged Crime Family Members, Associates From Westchester Charged With Racketeering Alleged members of the Genovese Organized Crime Family from Westchester and Fairfield counties are facing racketeering charges for their roles within the organization. Federal prosecutors announced that four members and two associates of the family have been charged with racketeering conspiracy involving illegal gambling and extortion. Those charged in Manhattan federal court: Michael Messina, age 69, of New Fairfield, Connecticut; Ralph Balsamo, age 51, of Tuckahoe, NY; Michael Poli, age 37, of Hawthorne, NY; Nicholas Calisi, age 63, of Boca Raton, Florida; John Campanella, age 47, of t…
Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult Leader In Westchester Found Guilty On All Charges Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult Leader In Westchester Found Guilty On All Charges
Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult Leader In Westchester Found Guilty On All Charges Larry Ray, the leader of a sex cult run out of his daughter's dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College in Westchester, will face life in prison after being found guilty by a jury of sexually exploiting and trafficking girls. Ray, now 62 years old following multiple delays in his trial and prosecution, was found guilty of 15 counts that include racketeering, sex trafficking, conspiracy, forced labor, extortion, tax evasion, and other crimes in relation to his scheme. Related story - DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged Clients In Sarah Lawrence Case It reportedly took the jury le…
DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged 121 Clients In Westchester Sex Cult Trial DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged 121 Clients In Westchester Sex Cult Trial
DOJ Accidentally Publishes List Of Alleged 121 Clients In Westchester Sex Cult Trial The trial of a father accused of running an alleged sex cult out of his daughter’s college dorm room in Westchester County took an unexpected twist after federal prosecutors reportedly released a list of former clients tied to the operation. Lawrence Ray, age 62, the man who allegedly ran the cult out of Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville in Westchester, has been on trial in Manhattan for more than a week on charges that include sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and other offenses for running the shady operation at the school. Original story - Father O…
Person Claiming To Be From MS-13 Threatens Northern Westchester Man For Escort Payment Person Claiming To Be From MS-13 Threatens Northern Westchester Man For Escort Payment
Person Claiming To Be From MS-13 Threatens Northern Westchester Man For Escort Payment A person claiming to be an MS-13 street gang member has been terrorizing a Northern Westchester man with a barrage of threats if he fails to pay him after hiring an escort, police said. A Valhalla man reported to the North Castle Police Department on Sunday, Sept. 12 that the previous night he had contacted an escort for the evening, and has since been receiving messages from someone claiming to be her pimp. According to the complainant, after contacting the escort, he began receiving messages from her “pimp” who claimed to be an MS-13 member, demanding $2,000. To further his threat, the a…
14 Colombo Family Members From NY Indicted For Variety Of Crimes, Feds Announce 14 Colombo Family Members From NY Indicted For Variety Of Crimes, Feds Announce
14 Colombo Family Members From NY Indicted For Variety Of Crimes, Feds Announce Fourteen New Yorkers in the Colombo crime family, including 10 Long Islanders, have been indicted on a host of charges that includes labor racketeering, extortion, and money laundering. In federal court this week, a 19-count indictment was unsealed charging the 14, including the entire administration of the Colombo organized crime family, with a variety of offenses. According to federal officials, those arraigned will face charges that include labor racketeering involving multiple predicate acts of extortion conspiracy, attempted extortion and extortion, extortionate collection of credit co…
Woman Accused Of Conspiring With Father In So-Called Westchester College Sex Cult Case Woman Accused Of Conspiring With Father In So-Called Westchester College Sex Cult Case
Woman Accused Of Conspiring With Father In So-Called Westchester College Sex Cult Case A female cohort of the man accused of running a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College in Westchester Countyis facing charges for her role in helping him run the scheme. Staten Island resident Isabella Pollok, age 29, has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, and extortion conspiracy for helping Lawrence Ray manipulate and groom the college students, who the convicted felon met after moving into his daughter’s on-campus room in 2010. Original story - Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her F…
Man Charged In Sex Cult Case At College In Westchester Accused Of Witness Tampering Man Charged In Sex Cult Case At College In Westchester Accused Of Witness Tampering
Man Charged In Sex Cult Case At College In Westchester Accused Of Witness Tampering The father of a former college student in Westchester who allegedly ran a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room for nearly a decade is now reportedly manipulating his victims from his prison cell. Lawrence Ray, 60, who is facing charges that include sex trafficking, extortion, and forced labor, has been allegedly attempting to control at least two of his victims from inside his cell, according to a New York Times report. Ray was released from prison in 2010 and moved into the co-ed dorm of his daughter at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville. It is alleged th…
Genovese Crime Family Member Sentenced For Racketeering Offenses Genovese Crime Family Member Sentenced For Racketeering Offenses
Genovese Crime Family Member Sentenced For Racketeering Offenses A longtime member of the Genovese Crime Family from Long Island has been sentenced for conspiring to commit extortion and racketeering offenses. Frank Giovinco, 52, of Syosset, was sentenced to 48 months in prison after being convicted last December after being found responsible for acts involving extortion, honest services fraud, and unlawful kickback payments related to the Genovese Crime Family’s control of two local chapters of a labor union. In addition to his prison term, Giovinco was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. Giovinco was first inserted into the Genovese C…
Bail Denied For Father Charged With Running Sex Cult At Area College Bail Denied For Father Charged With Running Sex Cult At Area College
Bail Denied For Father Charged With Running Sex Cult At Area College Bail has been denied for the father of a former college student in Westchester who allegedly ran a sex cult out of his daughter's dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College. A judge in Manhattan federal court denied the bail appeal of Lawrence Ray, 60, who pleaded not guilty to nine federal charges for allegedly moving into his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Bronxville and Yonkers and operating a sex cult. Specifically, Ray is charged with: Conspiracy to commit extortion; Extortion; Sex trafficking; Obtaining forced labor; Forced labor trafficking; C…
Father In Westchester Sex Trafficking Case Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Federal Charges Father In Westchester Sex Trafficking Case Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Federal Charges
Father In Westchester Sex Trafficking Case Pleads Not Guilty To Nine Federal Charges The father of a former college student in Westchester has denied that he ran a sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room by manipulating students. Lawrence Ray, 60, has pleaded not guilty to nine federal charges that he’s facing for allegedly moving into his daughter’s dorm at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Bronxville and Yonkers and operating a sex cult. Specifically, Ray is charged with: Conspiracy to commit extortion; Extortion; Sex trafficking; Obtaining forced labor; Forced labor trafficking; Conspiracy to obtain forced labor; Two counts of violating the travel act; Money l…
Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends
Father Of College Student In Westchester Charged With Sex Trafficking Her Friends The father of a former college student in Westchester has been charged with running an alleged sex cult out of his daughter’s dorm room for nearly a decade. Lawrence Ray, 60, who was the subject of a cover story for New York Magazine, has been charged with sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and other offenses, officials announced on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Ray was released from prison in 2010 and moved into the co-ed dorm of his daughter at Sarah Lawrence College near the border of Yonkers and Bronxville. It is alleged that Ray subjected “his victims to sexual and psychological manipulati…
Briarcliff Man Among 12 Gambino Crime Family Members Charged By Feds Briarcliff Man Among 12 Gambino Crime Family Members Charged By Feds
Briarcliff Man Among 12 Gambino Crime Family Members Charged By Feds Seven Westchester residents are among 12 alleged members of the Gambino Crime Family facing charges for a host of crimes that includes racketeering conspiracy, bribery, loansharking, fraud, obstruction of justice and other offenses. Federal officials charged Andrew Campos, an alleged captain in the Gambino organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra; James Ciaccia, George Campos, Vincent Fiore, and Richard Martino, alleged Gambino family soldiers; and Renato Barca, Jr., Benito DiZenzo, Mark Kocaj, Frank Tarul, and Michael Tarul, alleged Gambino family associates for alleged crimes dating back t…
Two From Westchester Among Lucchese Family Mobsters Found Guilty In Brutal Hit Of Gang Leader Two From Westchester Among Lucchese Family Mobsters Found Guilty In Brutal Hit Of Gang Leader
Two From Westchester Among Lucchese Family Mobsters Found Guilty In Brutal Hit Of Gang Leader Four accused mobsters, including two from Westchester, were convicted of murder, conspiracy to commit racketeering, and other felonies that could land them in prison for life. Christopher Londonio, 45, of Hartsdale, and Steven L. Crea, 72, of the Crestwood section of Yonkers were found guilty Friday, Nov. 15 after a six-week jury trial on an assortment of charges, including conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering for the 2013 execution of notorious gang leader Michael Meldish. “The violent and disturbing acts of these four organized crime figures included the brutal murder …
Alec Baldwin Sues Area Business Owner Who Said Actor Beat Him Up Over Parking Spot Alec Baldwin Sues Area Business Owner Who Said Actor Beat Him Up Over Parking Spot
Alec Baldwin Sues Area Business Owner Who Said Actor Beat Him Up Over Parking Spot Alec Baldwin is fighting back against a Hudson Valley business owner who was involved with an altercation with the actor over a parking spot in New York City last year. Earlier this year, Baldwin pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment after being involved with Wojciech Cieszkowski, a 49-year-old construction business owner from Pearl River who got involved in an altercation in Greenwich Village. In a new lawsuit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Baldwin is alleging that Cieszkowski lied about what took place during the incident. “When two New Yorkers get into an argument over a parkin…
Colombo Family Captain's GPS Device Used To Track Girlfriend Leads To Arrests Of 11 Mobsters Colombo Family Captain's GPS Device Used To Track Girlfriend Leads To Arrests Of 11 Mobsters
Colombo Family Captain's GPS Device Used To Track Girlfriend Leads To Arrests Of 11 Mobsters Twenty people, including 11 members of the Colombo crime family, are facing a host of charges that include racketeering, extortion, sports bribery, and loansharking. Federal officials announced that three indictments were unsealed that charged Joseph Amato, an alleged captain in the Colombo organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra, as well as Daniel Capaldo and Thomas Scorcia, alleged Colombo family members; and Joseph Amato, Jr. and Anthony Silvestro, alleged Colombo family associates.  For a rundown of all 20 facing charges, click here. The alleged criminal activities detailed in the…
Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam
Don't Fall For It: Police Warn Of Extortion Scam A new scam is making the rounds, prompting police agencies in the area to issue an alert from scammers attempting to extort doctors. Using spoofed phone numbers that make the call appear to come from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s medical offices, scammers have been targeting medical offices and officials, police said. Police said that some of the callers have spoken broken English and have been threatening to revoke doctors’ licenses and block their ability to prescribe drugs if they don’t comply with extortion requests. The DEA has confirmed that the calls are scams and doctors sho…
Genovese Crime Family Member From Westchester Destroys Evidence, Obstructs Justice, Feds Say Genovese Crime Family Member From Westchester Destroys Evidence, Obstructs Justice, Feds Say
Genovese Crime Family Member From Westchester Destroys Evidence, Obstructs Justice, Feds Say A member of the Genevose Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra already charged with the stabbing death of a Westchester man is now facing new charges for destroying evidence and obstructing justice, prosecutors announced. John Tortora Jr., known as "Johnny T," was arrested in August by FBI agents and Yonkers Police in connection with the 1997 death of 29-year-old Richard Ortiz in Yonkers. Tortora, 61, of Yonkers, had previously been indicted on charges of racketeering conspiracy, murder in the aid of racketeering and murder for hire. He was arrested on Aug. 3 and has been remanded in cus…
Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions
Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions Former New York State Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, have been sentenced for corruption charges. In Manhattan federal court, Dean Skelos was sentenced to 51 months in prison, while the younger Skelos got four years behind bars after being convicted twice of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, three counts of extortion under color of official right, and three counts of soliciting and receiving bribes.   In addition to the prison time, Dean Skelos was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine and sentenced …
Westchester Man Nabbed In Cold-Case La Cosa Nostra Mob Hit Westchester Man Nabbed In Cold-Case La Cosa Nostra Mob Hit
Westchester Man Nabbed In Cold-Case La Cosa Nostra Mob Hit A member of the La Cosa Nostra organized crime family is facing murder charges in the cold-case fatal stabbing of a Westchester man, prosecutors announced. John Tortora Jr., known as "Johnny T," a member of the Genovese Crime Family, was arrested by FBI agents and Yonkers Police in connection with the 1997 death of 29-year-old Richard Ortiz in Yonkers. “The arrest of John Tortora should remind everyone that justice delayed is not justice denied," FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said. "Whether a crime was allegedly committed decades ago or just days ago, the…
Ex-NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Sentenced To Prison In Bribery, Money Laundering Retrial Ex-NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Sentenced To Prison In Bribery, Money Laundering Retrial
Ex-NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Sentenced To Prison In Bribery, Money Laundering Retrial Former New York State Assembly Speaker Shelton Silver is heading to prison after being found guilty of corruption charges for the second time. Silver, 74, was sentenced to seven years in prison a federal jury decided he used his position to obtain nearly $4 million in bribes in exchange for his official acts. He was also found guilty of obtaining another $1 million through a money laundering scheme. In addition, Silver, a Democrat who represented part of Manhattan, was found guilty of two counts of honest service wire fraud, two counts of honest services mail fraud, two counts of extortion …