Tag:

Brooklyn, NY

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…
Rite Aid Announces Additional NY Store Closures After Declaring Bankruptcy Rite Aid Announces Additional NY Store Closures After Declaring Bankruptcy
Rite Aid Announces Additional NY Store Closures After Declaring Bankruptcy Rite Aid has announced new store closures after the struggling pharmacy chain filed for bankruptcy in the fourth quarter of 2023. Shortly after declaring bankruptcy, Rite Aid announced 154 store closures, with 20 in New York, and 14 on Long Island. In a filing on Tuesday, April 9, the company said 17 more stores, including three in New York (with two on Long Island) are now slated for closure. Rite Aid currently has 2,000 stores and about 44,000 employees. The Long Island stores slated for closure (with the newly announced closures in bold) are: 283 West Jericho Turnpike, Huntingto…
NY Men 'Poisoned' Prominent Transgender Activist, 'Pose' Star Who OD'd: Feds NY Men 'Poisoned' Prominent Transgender Activist, 'Pose' Star Who OD'd: Feds
NY Men 'Poisoned' Prominent Transgender Activist, 'Pose' Star Who OD'd: Feds Two New York men are facing federal charges in the death of a prominent transgender activist, performer, and author. Long Island resident Antonio Venti, age 52, of West Babylon and Michael Kuilan, age 44, of Brooklyn, were arraigned on a four-count indictment in Brooklyn federal court on Monday, April 1. Prosecutors said Venti and Kuilan sold heroin laced with fentanyl to Cecilia Gentili. NYPD officers responded to the 52-year-old’s Brooklyn home on Feb. 6 following a 911 call from her partner. Gentili was found dead in her bedroom. An autopsy determined that she died from the combined eff…
Duo Gunned Down 'Fun-Filled' 16-Year-Old After Breaking Into Area Home, Jury Finds Duo Gunned Down 'Fun-Filled' 16-Year-Old After Breaking Into Area Home, Jury Finds
Duo Gunned Down 'Fun-Filled' 16-Year-Old After Breaking Into Area Home, Jury Finds Two of three defendants have been convicted for their roles in the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy from the region. A Rensselaer County jury found Ramel Gulley, age 29, of Schenectady, and William Webb, age 30, of Brooklyn, guilty of second-degree murder on Friday, March 22, in the killing of Christopher Anthony. Prosecutors said Gulley, Webb, and a third defendant forced their way into Anthony’s Troy home, located near River Street and Glen Avenue, on Jan. 5, 2022. Earlier Report: Trio Charged In Killing Of 16-Year-Old In Troy They shot the boy multiple times in the torso and onc…
Husband-Wife Duo Behind New Pasta Shop In Region ‘Completely Floored’ By Support Husband-Wife Duo Behind New Pasta Shop In Region ‘Completely Floored’ By Support
Husband-Wife Duo Behind New Pasta Shop In Region ‘Completely Floored’ By Support Steve Gonzalez and Kate Galassi are feeling the love. A week after opening their new pasta shop in Greene County – Via Ravioli on Route 9W in Coxsackie – the husband-and-wife duo says the outpouring of support they’ve received from community members has left them “completely floored.” Despite the rain, more than 100 people showed up Wednesday, March 6, for the grand opening of their business. Gonzalez had to make a second batch of ricotta ravioli to keep the shelves stocked. “We are glad to know we live amongst so many true ravioli lovers,” the couple said on Facebook. The heart of their …
These NY Pizzerias Rank Among Top 100 In Nation These NY Pizzerias Rank Among Top 100 In Nation
These NY Pizzerias Rank Among Top 100 In Nation It's hard not to think of New York when discussing the most delicious pizza. More precisely, New York City. So it should come as no surprise that in brand-new rankings of the Top 100 pizza spots in the US for 2024, all 10 of the selections from NY are from within the five boroughs. And even more precisely yet, Manhattan, where nine of the 10 are located. (The other is in Brooklyn.) The top-ranked pizzeria in New York, and third overall nationally, is Lombardi's in Manhattan's Little Italy, which opened in 1905 and is recognized by the Pizza Hall of Fame as “America’s first pizzeria." Lom…
Dutchess Woman Nabbed After Chase In Stolen Vehicle On Hudson Valley: Police Dutchess Woman Nabbed After Chase In Stolen Vehicle On Hudson Valley: Police
Dutchess Woman Nabbed After Chase In Stolen Vehicle On Hudson Valley: Police Two people face a long list of charges after leading troopers on a chase in a stolen car on a busy parkway in the Hudson Valley and crashing into a police vehicle in the process, authorities said. Brooklyn resident Justin Bumpers, age 28, and Dutchess County resident Jada Joseph of Poughkeepsie, age 23, were arrested on Saturday, Dec. 30 in connection with an incident that happened in Putnam County earlier on the same day, New York State Police announced on Wednesday, Jan. 3.  The events leading up to the arrests began around 12:15 a.m. when troopers patrolling the Taconic State Parkwa…
Fatal Christmas Morning Crash: NY Woman ID'd As Victim In 2-Vehicle Connecticut Collision Fatal Christmas Morning Crash: NY Woman ID'd As Victim In 2-Vehicle Connecticut Collision
Fatal Christmas Morning Crash: NY Woman ID'd As Victim In 2-Vehicle Connecticut Collision A New York woman was killed in a Christmas morning crash in Connecticut. It happened around 9:05 a.m. in Middlesex County on the I-91 northbound Exit 20 onramp in Middletown. A 2007 Toyota Corolla veered into the center lane and hit a 2019 Chrysler 300, according to state police. Both vehicles rolled into the grassy median. A 2019 Chrysler 300 was traveling near on-ramp in the center lane of three and a 2007 Toyota Corolla was traveling in the right lane to the right of the Chrysler.  For an unknown reason, the Corolla veered into the center lane and collided with the Chrysler,&…
Seen Him? Missing 16-Year-Old Could Be In Hudson Valley Seen Him? Missing 16-Year-Old Could Be In Hudson Valley
Seen Him? Missing 16-Year-Old Could Be In Hudson Valley A missing 16-year-old boy who hasn't been seen in a week may be in the Hudson Valley. The NYPD is seeking the public's assistance in locating Kinje Mann who was last seen leaving his Brooklyn home on Thursday, Nov. 30 around 11 a.m., said the NYPD. Mann is described as having a light complexion and curly blonde hair. He is approximately 5-foot-8 and 147 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white sweater and dark-colored jacket and was carrying two black backpacks.  His mother, Bristol Fahran, said on Facebook the teen may be camping in the Hudson Valley or elsewhere in the NYC…
Jackpot! $4M Lottery Prize Claimed By LLC In Region Jackpot! $4M Lottery Prize Claimed By LLC In Region
Jackpot! $4M Lottery Prize Claimed By LLC In Region Someone’s holiday season just got significantly brighter. An Albany-based limited liability company (LLC) has claimed a $1,000 a Day for Life prize for matching all six numbers in the CASH4LIFE game. Claiming the whopping prize was the Pinkey Esmond LLC, which opted to receive the cash value of the annuitized prize in a single lump-sum payment. The LLC scored a total of $4,285,683, New York Lottery officials said. The top-prize was from the drawing held on Monday, Aug. 14. Lottery officials said the lucky ticket was purchased in Brooklyn, at the Church Blue Sky Deli located on Churc…
Hochul Signs Controversial ‘Clean Slate’ Law Sealing Most Criminal Convictions Hochul Signs Controversial ‘Clean Slate’ Law Sealing Most Criminal Convictions
Hochul Signs Controversial ‘Clean Slate’ Law Sealing Most Criminal Convictions Millions of New Yorkers will soon have their criminal convictions sealed under new legislation meant to better help them find jobs and housing. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the “Clean Slate Act” into law during a ceremony in Brooklyn on Thursday, Nov. 16. Under the new law, those with misdemeanor convictions will have their records sealed three years after their release from incarceration, while felony convictions will be sealed after eight years. Earlier Report: Suffolk County DA Accuses Lawmakers Of 'Protecting Criminals' With Proposed 'Clean Slate' Bill Class A felonies, which include m…
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…
Fugitive Accused Of Murdering Judge Over Custody Ruling Has Ties To New York, Police Say Fugitive Accused Of Murdering Judge Over Custody Ruling Has Ties To New York, Police Say
Fugitive Accused Of Murdering Judge Over Custody Ruling Has Ties To New York, Police Say A wanted fugitive suspected of gunning down a Maryland judge in his own driveway has ties to New York. Pedro Manuel Argote, age 49, is the primary suspect in the killing of Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson, who was shot multiple times outside his Hagerstown, Maryland home on Thursday night, Oct. 19. Wilkinson was rushed to a hospital where he later died, according to Washington County Sheriff’s officials. Earlier Report: Suspected Judge Killer's Mercedes Found In Williamsport, Sheriff Says (DEVELOPING) On Friday, Oct. 20, investigators announced that Argote was th…
Rite Aid Announces 20 NY Stores Slated For Closure After Declaring Bankruptcy Rite Aid Announces 20 NY Stores Slated For Closure After Declaring Bankruptcy
Rite Aid Announces 20 NY Stores Slated For Closure After Declaring Bankruptcy Rite Aid has announced specific store closures just days after the struggling pharmacy chain filed for bankruptcy. Of the 154 closures nationwide announced on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 20 are in New York, 14 of which are on Long Island. Rite Aid currently has 2,100 stores and about 45,000 employees. The Long Island stores slated for closure are: 2 Whitney Ave., Floral Park 3131 Hempstead Turnpike, Levittown 3199 Long Beach Road, Oceanside 198 West Merrick Road, Valley Stream 836 Sunrise Highway, Bay Shore 2784 Sunrise Highway, Bellmore 901 Merrick Road, Copiague 577 Larkfield Road, East Nor…
New Update: Band Director, Retired Teacher ID'd As Victims In Horrific Hudson Valley Bus Crash New Update: Band Director, Retired Teacher ID'd As Victims In Horrific Hudson Valley Bus Crash
New Update: Band Director, Retired Teacher ID'd As Victims In Horrific Hudson Valley Bus Crash Tributes have begun pouring in for the victims of a deadly high school bus crash in New York that claimed the lives of two educators, including a beloved band director, and left several students hospitalized. Latest update - Double-Fatal Update: 5 Students In Critical Condition After Bus Crashes Down Embankment On I-84 The Orange County crash happened at around 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, on I-84 in the town of Wawayanda, near Exit 15. A charter bus carrying marching band members from Farmingdale High School, in Nassau County on Long Island, was heading to Greeley, Pennsylvania for ba…
Violent Gang Members Nabbed Stealing From Dutchess County Home Depots, Police Say Violent Gang Members Nabbed Stealing From Dutchess County Home Depots, Police Say
Violent Gang Members Nabbed Stealing From Dutchess County Home Depots, Police Say Three men who are part of a violent street gang have been charged with stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise from Home Depot stores on several occasions in the Hudson Valley. The three men, all from Brooklyn, were busted in Dutchess County around 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29 in the village of Wappingers Falls. According to Wappingers Falls Police Commissioner Paul Italiano, the police department received a call of a larceny in progress at the Home Depot store located at 1570 Route 9, Imperial Plaza in the village of Wappingers Falls. Three men had filled garbage bags with electri…
NY-Based Ice Cream Company Recalls All 91 Products Due To Possible Listeria Contamination NY-Based Ice Cream Company Recalls All 91 Products Due To Possible Listeria Contamination
Ny-based Ice Cream Company Recalls All 91 Products Due To Possible Listeria Contamination A popular New York-based ice cream company has recalled nearly all 100 of its products due to possible Listeria contamination. Click here for a related story - New Ice Cream Recall Issued Due To Undeclared Ingredient The Ice Cream House, located in Brooklyn, is voluntarily recalling all 91 of its dairy ice cream products and non-dairy (parve) frozen dessert products, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recall is related to the Soft Serve on the go cups which had been previously recalled by Real Kosher Ice Cream, Inc. where two cases of illnesses have been r…
'Nightmarish' Shark Attack At Coastal NY Beach: Support Swells For Victim 'Nightmarish' Shark Attack At Coastal NY Beach: Support Swells For Victim
'Nightmarish' Shark Attack At Coastal NY Beach: Support Swells For Victim The victim of a shark attack along the New York coast has undergone five surgeries in just over a week, with no end in sight, according to her family. “She…was eagerly anticipating her retirement, when she could — for the first time in her life — take a break.” Tatyana Koltunyuk was bitten by a shark on the left leg on Monday, Aug. 7 while swimming at Rockaway Beach in Queens, setting her forth on a life path her family could not anticipate. The 65-year-old woman was close to retirement, meant to be a promise of rest after a “grueling” life, as her daughter describes in a GoFundMe set up…
'High Risk, High Reward': Santos Staffer Impersonated Speaker's Aide To Fundraise, Feds Say 'High Risk, High Reward': Santos Staffer Impersonated Speaker's Aide To Fundraise, Feds Say
'High Risk, High Reward': Santos Staffer Impersonated Speaker's Aide To Fundraise, Feds Say A campaign staffer who worked to elect New York Rep. George Santos impersonated a high-level Congressional aide in order to raise money for the then-aspiring lawmaker, a scheme that Santos was well aware of, federal prosecutors allege. Samuel Miele, age 27, is charged with wire fraud and identity theft as part of a five-count indictment that was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Aug. 16. Miele was a fundraiser for Santos’ congressional campaigns in both 2020 and 2022, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District. Earlier Report: Trio Of Schemes T…
Hospitalizations Lead To Ice Cream Recall In 19 States, Including NY: FDA Hospitalizations Lead To Ice Cream Recall In 19 States, Including NY: FDA
Hospitalizations Lead To Ice Cream Recall In 19 States, Including NY: FDA Hospitalizations have led a New York-based company to recall its packages of soft-serve ice cream — in 19 states, according to the Food and Drug Administration.  Two people have reported becoming ill in New York and Pennsylvania after consuming Soft Serve On The Go by Real Kosher Ice Cream of Brooklyn, according to the FDA recall notice issued on Wednesday, Aug. 9.  "Both individuals were hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported to date," the FDA said. After the first patient in Pennsylvania became ill, the state's Department of Agriculture tested samples of the product and found Li…
16-Year-Old Boy Drowns After Jumping From Waterfall In Region 16-Year-Old Boy Drowns After Jumping From Waterfall In Region
16-Year-Old Boy Drowns After Jumping From Waterfall In Region A teenager has died after jumping from a popular waterfall in the region. The Greene County incident happened at around 3:20 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, at Fawn’s Leap, located near the hamlet of Haines Falls in the Town of Hunter. Greene County Sheriff’s officials said a group of teens, all from Brooklyn, was swimming in Kaaterskill Creek when a 16-year-old boy and a friend jumped from a ledge at the top of the falls. Both teens landed in the water at the base of the falls where the current proved to be too strong for them to swim out of. Another swimmer noticed they were struggling and was ab…
'Something Is Biting Me': Shark Attack Survivor Recounts Harrowing Injury At NY Beach 'Something Is Biting Me': Shark Attack Survivor Recounts Harrowing Injury At NY Beach
'Something Is Biting Me': Shark Attack Survivor Recounts Harrowing Injury At NY Beach It's a tale not many people can tell: surviving a real-life shark attack, but that’s exactly what happened to New Yorker Lyudmila Emag. The 47-year-old  Brooklyn resident was swimming with friends on Long Island coast about 20 yards off Fire Island on Tuesday, July 4, when she felt something bite into her upper left thigh. “I screamed to my friends, ‘something is biting me.’ I felt like I was in a trap, it was holding onto me,” Emag said at a press conference at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore on Thursday, July 20. Fortunately, she managed to get her hands inside the shark’s …
Gunman Guilty Of 'Execution-Style' Murder Of 18-Year-Old Woman In Region, Jury Finds Gunman Guilty Of 'Execution-Style' Murder Of 18-Year-Old Woman In Region, Jury Finds
Gunman Guilty Of 'Execution-Style' Murder Of 18-Year-Old Woman In Region, Jury Finds Nearly four years after an 18-year-old woman was found shot to death in the middle of a street in the region, a jury has convicted her killer. Isaiah Williams, age 25, of Brooklyn, was found guilty of second-degree murder in Rensselaer County Court on Friday, July 21, in the death of Beyonce Wint. The New York City teen was found shot to death in the early hours of Sunday, Sept. 17, 2019 in Troy’s Lansingburgh neighborhood, in the middle of 111th Street near Fourth Avenue. She had been shot once in the head in an “execution-style” killing, according to Troy Police. Two accomplices to the …
Duo Nabbed For 'Brazen Double Shooting' In Hudson Valley: DA Duo Nabbed For 'Brazen Double Shooting' In Hudson Valley: DA
Duo Nabbed For 'Brazen Double Shooting' In Hudson Valley: DA Two men have been charged in connection with a broad daylight double shooting that left one victim dead and another paralyzed in the Hudson Valley, officials said.  Brooklyn residents Dwayne Hines, age 39, and Romaine McRae, age 39, were both arrested on Wednesday, July 12 on murder charges in connection with an Orange County double shooting that happened on Monday, April 24 in Newburgh, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced on Friday, July 14.  According to Hoovler and Newburgh Police Commissioner José Gomérez, on the day of the "brazen doubl…
Head-On Crash: Hudson Valley Woman Killed After Failing To Negotiate Curve, Police Say Head-On Crash: Hudson Valley Woman Killed After Failing To Negotiate Curve, Police Say
Head-On Crash: Hudson Valley Woman Killed After Failing To Negotiate Curve, Police Say A 79-year-old woman from the region was killed after she allegedly failed to negotiate a curve and hit a Dodge Ram 1500 head-on. According to Trooper Steven Nevel, the crash took place in Ulster County around 6 p.m., Friday, June 23 at Routre 28 and Bridge Street in the town of Shandaken. Nevel said an investigation found that a 2002 Subaru Outback, driven by Anna C. Maguire, age 79, from Woodstock, was traveling eastbound on Route 28 in the area of Bridge Street in Phonecia when she failed to negotiate a curve and crossed over into the westbound lane and struck a 2019 Dodge Ram 1500 head-o…
$100M Fraud: NY 'Lottery Lawyer' Gets 13 Years For Scheme Targeting Jackpot Winners $100M Fraud: NY 'Lottery Lawyer' Gets 13 Years For Scheme Targeting Jackpot Winners
$100M Fraud: NY 'Lottery Lawyer' Gets 13 Years For Scheme Targeting Jackpot Winners A New York lawyer will spend more than a decade behind bars for helping to defraud lottery jackpot winners out of more than $100 million. Long Island resident Jason Kurland, age 49, of Dix Hills, was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison in US District Court in Brooklyn on Thursday, June 15. It followed his July 2022 conviction for wire fraud, honest services wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. According to prosecutors, Kurland was a partner at a Long Island law firm between 2018 and 2020, and built a reputation for representing lottery…
New York DA Accuses Lawmakers Of 'Protecting Criminals' With Proposed 'Clean Slate' Bill New York DA Accuses Lawmakers Of 'Protecting Criminals' With Proposed 'Clean Slate' Bill
New York DA Accuses Lawmakers Of 'Protecting Criminals' With Proposed 'Clean Slate' Bill A local prosecutor in New York is blasting state lawmakers over proposed legislation that would automatically seal most criminal convictions. The so-called “Clean Slate Act" was introduced by State Senator Zellnor Myrie, a Democrat whose 20th Senate District includes parts of Brooklyn. According to the bill text, criminal convictions would be automatically sealed after three years for misdemeanors and seven years for felonies. If approved, the law would make it an “unlawful discriminatory practice” to inquire about someone’s arrest or criminal accusations when it comes to licensing, housi…
Arrest Made In Gruesome Killing Of Dutchess County Man Stabbed In Head Arrest Made In Gruesome Killing Of Dutchess County Man Stabbed In Head
Arrest Made In Gruesome Killing Of Dutchess County Man Stabbed In Head Police have made an arrest in the case of the Hudson Valley man who was found with a knife in his skull and later died. Andrew Alex Fraser, age 32, was arrested on Monday, June 5 in Brooklyn with the assistance of the New York City Police. The homicide of 24-year-old Dontay McKarl Brown, of Poughkeepsie, took place around 12:30 p.m., Sunday, June 4 at 25 South Grand Avenue in Poughkeepsie. Earlier report: Gruesome Broad-Daylight Homicide: 24-Year-Old Found Stabbed In Head In Hudson Valley Brown, of Poughkeepsie, was found by police stabbed once in the head and bystanders performing …
Cold Front Will Bring Shift In Temperatures After Warm, Bright Memorial Day: 5-Day Forecast Cold Front Will Bring Shift In Temperatures After Warm, Bright Memorial Day: 5-Day Forecast
Cold Front Will Bring Shift In Temperatures After Warm, Bright Memorial Day: 5-Day Forecast An approaching cold front will lead to a change in temperatures after a bright and warm Memorial Day. Temperatures will be warmest on Monday, May 29 late in the morning and early afternoon, with highs in the upper 70s, according to the National Weather Service.  Temperatures will begin to cool in the late afternoon to evening as the backdoor cold front ushering in cooler air takes hold, the weather service said. Wind speeds will also pick up in the afternoon, with gusts up to around 20 miles per hour in some spots. For those at or heading to beaches along the coast, a Rip Current…
Van Leeuwen Recalls 4,000 Ice Cream Pints Due To Undeclared Ingredient Van Leeuwen Recalls 4,000 Ice Cream Pints Due To Undeclared Ingredient
Van Leeuwen Recalls 4,000 Ice Cream Pints Due To Undeclared Ingredient More than 4,000 pints of ice cream are being recalled by a New York-based manufacturer due to an undeclared ingredient. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream of Brooklyn says frozen 14-ounce pints of its French Ice Cream product "Brown Sugar Chunk” may contain an undeclared allergen, walnuts.  "People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to walnuts run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products," according to the FDA. The recalled products are distributed nationally in retail stores.  The product comes in a reddish-brown package with black le…
NY Rep. George Santos Criminally Charged By Federal Prosecutors, Report Says NY Rep. George Santos Criminally Charged By Federal Prosecutors, Report Says
NY Rep. George Santos Criminally Charged By Federal Prosecutors, Report Says Updated story: George Santos Now In Custody, Facing 13 Federal Counts Embattled New York Congressman George Santos has been charged with at least one federal crime, CNN reports. The Republican lawmaker, whose 3rd District represents parts of Nassau County and Queens, is expected to be arraigned on the sealed charge or charges in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday, May 10, according to the outlet, which cited three sources familiar with the matter. It was not immediately clear what crime or crimes Santos, age 34, is being accused of, but the federal probe is believed to center around ca…