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US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

$100M Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Known As 'Magician' Nabbed In One Of Largest Ever Frauds $100M Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Known As 'Magician' Nabbed In One Of Largest Ever Frauds
$100M Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Known As 'Magician' Nabbed In One Of Largest Ever Frauds A New York man known as "the Magician" has been charged in connection with one of the largest-ever tax fraud schemes by a tax preparer, federal officials announced. Northern Westchester County resident Rafael Alvarez, of Cortlandt Manor, has been charged in connection with a $100 million tax fraud scheme involving tens of thousands of federal individual income tax returns with false information, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Monday, April 15.  According to federal officials, from 2010 to 2020, Alvarez, also known as "the Magi…
Rockland Drug Dealer Directed Multiple 'Vicious' Attacks: Here's His Sentence Rockland Drug Dealer Directed Multiple 'Vicious' Attacks: Here's His Sentence
Rockland Drug Dealer Directed Multiple 'Vicious' Attacks: Here's His Sentence A Hudson Valley marijuana dealer from Northern Westchester will spend nearly two decades in prison for directing multiple violent attacks, including a brutal beating that left a man naked and bloody in a pile of snow, officials announced.  Hawthorne resident Wayne Hicks, age 32, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for charges related to the attacks and drug trafficking, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Thursday, April 4.  According to federal officials, Hicks, a Rockland County marijuana dealer also known as "Weez," directed two separate …
Hudson Valley Man Sexually Assaults Boy Outside His Home: Here's His Sentence Hudson Valley Man Sexually Assaults Boy Outside His Home: Here's His Sentence
Hudson Valley Man Sexually Assaults Boy Outside His Home: Here's His Sentence A 35-year-old man from New York will spend decades in prison for enticing a teenage boy to engage in sexual activity with him at his Connecticut home, officials announced.  Westchester County resident Leland Robinson, of Mount Vernon, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for enticing a 14-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity with him, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Friday, March 8.  According to federal officials, in February 2019, when Robinson was 31 years old, he posed as a high school student on a social media application a…
Armed Robbery: Correction Officer, Man Break Into Hudson Valley Home, Feds Say Armed Robbery: Correction Officer, Man Break Into Hudson Valley Home, Feds Say
Armed Robbery: Correction Officer, Man Break Into Hudson Valley Home, Feds Say A duo from Westchester, including a correction officer, face charges after breaking into a Hudson Valley home, restraining the occupants inside, and stealing cash and marijuana, federal officials said. Mount Vernon residents Recaldo Fray and Kaheem Palmer, both age 31, have been charged in connection with an Orange County armed robbery that happened in Newburgh in early December 2023, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Wednesday, Jan. 24.  According to federal officials, on Monday, Dec. 4, Palmer and Fray, a correction officer at …
Man Poses As Nurse On Dating App, Then Assaults Several Women In Hudson Valley, NYC: Feds Man Poses As Nurse On Dating App, Then Assaults Several Women In Hudson Valley, NYC: Feds
Man Poses As Nurse On Dating App, Then Assaults Several Women In Hudson Valley, NYC: Feds A 30-year-old man faces kidnapping and cyberstalking charges after posing as a nurse on a dating application and brutalizing several women he met in Westchester and New York City, federal officials announced.  An eight-count indictment charging New Jersey resident Herman Brightman of West New York, also known as "Nazir Griffiths" and "Nazir Luckett," with kidnapping, cyberstalking, and more has been returned by a grand jury, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Monday, Dec. 11.  According to federal officials, between January 2022 and Septemb…
Former NYPD Officer From Hudson Valley Admits Helping Gang Leader Escape Justice: Feds Former NYPD Officer From Hudson Valley Admits Helping Gang Leader Escape Justice: Feds
Former Nypd Officer From Hudson Valley Admits Helping Gang Leader Escape Justice: Feds A former New York City Police officer from Northern Westchester has admitted to warning gang members about a federal investigation into their activity as well as helping the group's leader escape arrest for murder, federal officials said. Mohegan Lake resident Gina Mestre, a 33-year-old former NYPD officer, has pleaded guilty to charges relating to her obstructing a federal investigation into the Shooting Boys gang and helping the group's leader evade justice for murder, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Thursday, Dec. 7. Earlier Report -…
Hudson Valley Man Sold Fentanyl To Victim Who Died In Burning Car After Taking It: Feds Hudson Valley Man Sold Fentanyl To Victim Who Died In Burning Car After Taking It: Feds
Hudson Valley Man Sold Fentanyl To Victim Who Died In Burning Car After Taking It: Feds A 37-year-old Northern Westchester man faces possible prison time after selling fentanyl to a victim who died in a car fire shortly after taking the drugs, federal officials announced.  Mohegan Lake resident Perry Freeman has been charged with distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a victim, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Monday, Dec. 4.  According to federal officials, on Nov. 10, 2021, Freeman sold fentanyl to the victim. A short time after this, police responded to a burning car in a parking lot in Mohegan Lake, onl…
Teacher From Hudson Valley Caught With Child Porn, Trying To Hack Teen's Social Media: Feds Teacher From Hudson Valley Caught With Child Porn, Trying To Hack Teen's Social Media: Feds
Teacher From Hudson Valley Caught With Child Porn, Trying To Hack Teen's Social Media: Feds A 27-year-old teacher from Northern Westchester faces decades in prison after authorities discovered his possession of child pornography and an attempt to hack into a student's social media account, officials said. Yorktown resident and teacher Giuseppi Micciari, age 27, was arrested on child pornography charges and presented in White Plains federal court on Wednesday, Nov. 1, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal officials, Micciari's arrest followed a review of his cell phone conducted by authorities that revealed th…
Police Officer, Hudson Valley Man Nabbed For Planning To Distribute Fentanyl, Heroin: Feds Police Officer, Hudson Valley Man Nabbed For Planning To Distribute Fentanyl, Heroin: Feds
Police Officer, Hudson Valley Man Nabbed For Planning To Distribute Fentanyl, Heroin: Feds A police officer and a Westchester man face years in prison for conspiring to distribute narcotics, officials announced.  New York City Police Officer and Bronx resident Grace Rosa Baez, age 37, and Yonkers resident Cesar Martinez, age 43, were both arrested on narcotics distribution charges, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Friday, Oct. 20. According to federal officials, between Monday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 19, Baez and Martinez had several conversations about wholesale narcotics trafficking with a "confidential source" worki…
Man Sends Bomb Threats To Over 150 Schools, Synagogues, Airports In NY, Other States: Feds Man Sends Bomb Threats To Over 150 Schools, Synagogues, Airports In NY, Other States: Feds
Man Sends Bomb Threats To Over 150 Schools, Synagogues, Airports In NY, Other States: Feds A 33-year-old man faces federal charges after sending bomb threats to over 150 school districts, synagogues, airports, hospitals, and malls in several states, including New York and Connecticut, officials announced. Peru resident Eddie Manuel Nunez Santos, age 33, was arrested by Peruvian authorities on Tuesday, Sept. 26 after allegedly placing a string of bomb threats in New York, Connecticut, Arizona, and Alaska in retaliation against teenage girls for them refusing to send him sexually explicit photos, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  A…
Duo Accused Of Running Prostitution Ring Out Of Hudson Valley Massage Parlors: Feds Duo Accused Of Running Prostitution Ring Out Of Hudson Valley Massage Parlors: Feds
Duo Accused Of Running Prostitution Ring Out Of Hudson Valley Massage Parlors: Feds A husband and wife face charges after allegedly running an extensive prostitution business out of multiple New York massage parlors, including several in the Hudson Valley.  Putnam County residents Hong Ru Lin, age 50, and Kena Zhao, age 45, both of Putnam Valley, were arrested on Thursday, Sept. 14 for allegedly running a prostitution business out of numerous massage parlors in Putnam, Westchester, Queens, and Manhattan, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced. According to federal officials, Lin and Zhao started running the prostitution ring in Septem…
High School Teacher From Greenburgh Sends Sexual Pictures To Undercover Agent: Feds High School Teacher From Greenburgh Sends Sexual Pictures To Undercover Agent: Feds
High School Teacher From Greenburgh Sends Sexual Pictures To Undercover Agent: Feds A 34-year-old high school teacher from Westchester faces child pornography charges after sending sexually explicit pictures to an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl, federal officials said. Hartsdale resident Kostas Fekkas, age 34, was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 14 on child pornography charges and presented in White Plains federal court, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal officials, before his arrest, Fekkas, also known as “Constantine Fekkas" and “C.J. Justice" had been a teacher at a public c…
22-Year-Old Nabbed For Making 'Ghost Guns' At Hudson Valley Home: Police 22-Year-Old Nabbed For Making 'Ghost Guns' At Hudson Valley Home: Police
22-Year-Old Nabbed For Making 'Ghost Guns' At Hudson Valley Home: Police A 22-year-old man faces numerous felony weapon charges after authorities discovered that he was manufacturing "ghost guns" at his Northern Westchester home, police said.  Cortlandt resident Nicholas Zito, age 22, was arrested on Tuesday, Aug. 15 at his home on Langeloth Drive, Westchester County Police announced.  According to the department, Zito's arrest was the result of a multi-agency investigation conducted with the help of the New York State Police, FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, and the…
Sergeant Indicted After Tasing Handcuffed Victim 7 Times in 2 Minutes In Hudson Valley: Feds Sergeant Indicted After Tasing Handcuffed Victim 7 Times in 2 Minutes In Hudson Valley: Feds
Sergeant Indicted After Tasing Handcuffed Victim 7 Times in 2 Minutes In Hudson Valley: Feds A Westchester Sergeant faces federal charges after tasing a handcuffed victim seven times in the span of two minutes and violating their rights in the process, officials said.  Brooklyn resident Mario Stewart, age 44, a Sergeant with the Mount Vernon Police Department, has been indicted on federal charges after allegedly using excessive force against a handcuffed individual in a March 2019 incident, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Thursday, July 20.  According to federal officials, at the time of the incident, Stewart had been …
Enticing Minors Online: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Illegal Sexual Activity Enticing Minors Online: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Illegal Sexual Activity
Enticing Minors Online: Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Illegal Sexual Activity A Hudson Valley man will spend decades in prison for using the internet to entice minors to engage in sexual activity, federal officials said.  Putnam County resident Marcelo Marin Vargas, age 45, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday, May 9 after pleading guilty to enticing minors to engage in illegal sexual activity over the internet, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  According to federal officials, Vargas used a computer and the internet to persuade, entice, and coerce three underage girls to send him images and videos o…
Ex-Teacher From Hudson Valley Gets Prison Time For Sexually Abusing Children Ex-Teacher From Hudson Valley Gets Prison Time For Sexually Abusing Children
Ex-Teacher From Hudson Valley Gets Prison Time For Sexually Abusing Children A former teacher from Westchester will spend decades in prison for sexually abusing a young child who he had been tutoring in their own home, federal officials said.  Tuckahoe resident John Mueser, age 72, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for enticing a seven-year-old child that he had been tutoring to engage in sexual activity, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Wednesday, April 19.  Earlier Report - Westchester Tutor Charged With Sexually Exploiting Minor, Transporting Child Porn According to federal officials, Mueser, who had be…
$8M Fraud Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims $8M Fraud Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims
$8M Fraud Scheme: Hudson Valley Man Billed Millions In False Transportation Claims A Westchester man will spend years in prison after billing more than $8 million in false transportation service claims as part of a multi-million-dollar Medicaid fraud scheme.  Yonkers resident Julio Alvarado, age 63, was sentenced to 95 months in prison on Wednesday, March 29 for leading the scheme which ended up defrauding Medicaid out of millions of dollars, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  According to federal officials, Alvarado was responsible for billing more than $8 million in fraudulent transportation services for Medicaid…
Bankruptcy Fraud: Ex-Attorney From Hudson Valley Lied To Keep Home, Sports Car, Officials Say Bankruptcy Fraud: Ex-Attorney From Hudson Valley Lied To Keep Home, Sports Car, Officials Say
Bankruptcy Fraud: Ex-Attorney From Hudson Valley Lied To Keep Home, Sports Car, Officials Say A former attorney from Westchester faces possible prison time after allegedly submitting false bank records to bankruptcy court in an effort to keep his multi-million dollar home and Aston Martin sports car, federal officials said.  Bronxville resident John Roesser, age 52, was arrested on Tuesday morning, March 28 on charges that he allegedly lied to bankruptcy court and the Internal Revenue Service about receiving millions of dollars in order to receive bankruptcy protections while still keeping his assets and not paying his bills, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Souther…
Hudson Valley Youth Baseball Coach Sentenced For Having Sex With 16-Year-Old Player Hudson Valley Youth Baseball Coach Sentenced For Having Sex With 16-Year-Old Player
Hudson Valley Youth Baseball Coach Sentenced For Having Sex With 16-Year-Old Player A Westchester County baseball coach has been sentenced to prison for having sex with a 16-year-old player. Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah announced that 31-year-old Mount Vernon resident Robert Pope was sentenced on Thursday, Sept. 22, to the maximum term of four years in state prison for engaging in sexual activity with a 16-year-old. In April 2021, Pope, the owner and head coach of Mount Vernon Baseball, an independent  organization, communicated with the victim through text messages and expressed his desire to see the victim, the DA's Office said. Pope, who …
Man Sentenced For Having Sex With Minor In Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Having Sex With Minor In Hudson Valley
Man Sentenced For Having Sex With Minor In Hudson Valley A man was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting that he traveled to Westchester County to have sex with a 15-year-old. Christopher Nunez, age 27, of Florida, received the maximum sentence allowed Tuesday, July 12, after previously pleading guilty to third-degree rape, a felony. Nunez admitted to traveling from his home in Miami to North Salem in May 2021 to engage in sexual activity with the teen, according to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. He had spent three months chatting with the teen online and eventually persuaded the victim to meet him, prosecutors sa…
Gang Member Sentenced For Fatal Shooting Of Teen Basketball Star In Area Gang Member Sentenced For Fatal Shooting Of Teen Basketball Star In Area
Gang Member Sentenced For Fatal Shooting Of Teen Basketball Star In Area The fourth member of a Westchester street gang has been sentenced for his role in the fatal shooting of a promising teenage basketball standout. Sincere Savoy, age 25, a member of the Mount Vernon Goonies street gang, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for his participation in the 2016 murder of Shamoya McKenzie on New Year’s Eve in 2016 in Westchester. On Dec. 31, 2016, Savoy and three other suspects who are alleged members of the Goonies gang attempted to murder a rival gang member in broad daylight by firing multiple bullets at him near the intersection of Tecumseh Avenue and Thir…
Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Fatal Shooting Of Teenage Basketball Star Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Fatal Shooting Of Teenage Basketball Star
Hudson Valley Man Sentenced For Fatal Shooting Of Teenage Basketball Star A purported street gang member in Westchester will spend decades behind bars for his role in the fatal shooting of a promising teen basketball player who was struck by an errant bullet meant for a rival. David Hardy, age 26, of Mount Vernon, was sentenced to 31 years in prison on Tuesday, Sept. 21 for the shooting death of 13-year-old Shamoya McKenize on New Year’s Even in 2016 in Westchester. On Dec. 31, 2016, Hardy and three other suspects who are alleged members of the Goonies gang attempted to murder a rival gang member in broad daylight by firing multiple bullets at him near the inters…
Ex-Trump Strategist Steve Bannon Was On Yacht Off CT Coast When Arrested For Defrauding Donors Ex-Trump Strategist Steve Bannon Was On Yacht Off CT Coast When Arrested For Defrauding Donors
Ex-Trump Strategist Steve Bannon Was On Yacht Off CT Coast When Arrested For Defrauding Donors Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist for President Donald Trump, was aboard a yacht off the Connecticut coast when he was arrested and taken into custody for allegedly defrauding hundreds of thousands of donors. Bannon was on the yacht named "Lady May" off Westbrook, in Middlesex County, Connecticut on Thursday morning, Aug. 20 when six federal agents representing the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and a member of the United States Coast Guard who were aboard a Coast Guard marine unit arrived to serve Bannon his s…
FBI Captures 'Bomb Carrying' Park Ridge, Rockland Bank Robber, Authorities Confirm FBI Captures 'Bomb Carrying' Park Ridge, Rockland Bank Robber, Authorities Confirm
FBI Captures 'Bomb Carrying' Park Ridge, Rockland Bank Robber, Authorities Confirm UPDATE: A 29-year-old Airmont man captured by a team of law enforcement agents on Tuesday robbed four banks in Bergen, Rockland and Dutchess counties of $233,000 in all, often by claiming to have a bomb and once by pointing what appeared to be a weapon, authorities said. Yosef Ziegler was taken into custody in Airmont early Tuesday by a team of federal agents and law enforcement officersfrom the jurisdictions where the banks were robbed -- among them, investigators from the FBI and Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. Ziegler held up the four banks in the two states over a 10-month period be…
DA Joins FBI Probe Of Area Company, Major Cuomo Donor DA Joins FBI Probe Of Area Company, Major Cuomo Donor
DA Joins FBI Probe Of Area Company, Major Cuomo Donor The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has joined the FBI probe into a Hudson Valley healthcare company that received more than $25 million in grants after donating to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s campaign. Orange County-based Crystal Run Healthcare, which received $25.4 million in taxpayer money after doctors and administrators gave more than $400,000 in funds to the campaign in 2013, is being probed, first by a grand jury, then by the FBI.  A report from the Albany Times Union stated that Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler’s office is providing personnel to assist in the …