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Tag: US Attorney's Office
Covid-19 $14.7M Scheme: Westchester Duo Tried Stealing From Relief Program, Feds Say
Two men from Westchester and a Long Island woman face charges after participating in a more than $14 million scheme to steal from a program created to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal officials said.
New Rochelle resident Glenroy Walker, age 65, Mount Vernon resident Gary Wheeler, age 46, Freeport resident Sherril Baez, age 50, and three others are charged with scheming to steal more than $14 million from the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Tuesday, June 6.
The …
Fairfield County 25-Year-Old Sentenced For Crushing Officer During Jan. 6 Capitol Riot
A 20-something Connecticut man who used a riot shield as a weapon and pinned an officer between doors has been sentenced for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Fairfield County resident Patrick Edward McCaughey III, age 25, of Ridgefield, was sentenced on Friday, April 14, to seven-and-a-half years in prison on nine offenses, said Matthew M. Graves, US Attorney for the District of Columbia.
The 25-year-old McCaughey was found guilty following a bench trial in September 2022 along with co-defendants Tristan Chandler Stevens, age 26, of Pensacola, Flori…
Westchester Man Threatened To 'Crucify' Police, City Mayor, Officials Say
A Westchester man who had expressed support for radical Islamic extremism faces prison time after allegedly making repeated threats to kill police officers and a mayor, officials said.
Yonkers resident Ridon Kola, age 32, was arrested on Friday, March 17, and charged with making threats to kill members of the city's police department and the city's mayor, Mike Spano, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
Kola first allegedly started making the threats on Nov. 19, 2021, when he posted a message in Albanian on a Yonkers PD official social med…
Police In Hudson Valley Help Catch Suspects Of Nationwide 'Felony Lane Gang' Fraud Scheme
Two suspects who admitted to being part of a nationwide fraud scheme were caught with the help of police in the Hudson Valley.
The two men, Joshua Mallory, age 37, and Gary Grier, age 36, both of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 20 to being part of the multi-state "Felony Lane Gang," a fraud scheme involving suspects breaking into cars and stealing debit cards and checkbooks, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York.
Between 2015 and 2020, Mallory, Grier, and several co-conspirators traveled across the country breaking …
Greenwich Man Charged With Child Porn Offenses, Including Possessing Images With Infants
A Fairfield County man is facing charges after investigators found that his laptop contained about 1,000 images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants.
Christopher Bates Jr., age 36, of Greenwich, was arrested on a federal complaint charging him with child pornography offenses on Tuesday, Dec. 13, according to Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Investigators found that an IP address at Bates' home was being used to access the dark web to view images that depicted the sexual abuse of children, Roberts Avery reported.
…
NY Man Admits To Opening Capitol Door, Directing Rioters Inside On Jan. 6
A New York man pleaded guilty to pulling open a door to the US Capitol Building to let rioters inside during the attack on the building on Jan. 6, 2021.
Long Island resident Eric Gerwatowski, age 32, of New Hyde Park in Nassau County, admitted to opening the door after US Capitol Police had closed it to prevent more rioters from entering the building, according to an announcement by US Attorney Matthew M. Graves from Tuesday, Nov. 22.
After opening the door, Gerwatowski turned to his fellow rioters, shouted "let's go!", and directed the mob into the building, disrupting a joi…
'Animal Abuse In Service Of Greed': Hudson Valley Duo Sentenced In Racehorse Doping Case
A veterinarian and racehorse trainer from the Hudson Valley have received their sentences for their role in a racehorse doping scheme.
Orange County Veterinarian Louis Grasso, age 65, of Pine Bush, and trainer Richard Banca, age 47, of Middletown, were sentenced to 50 months in prison, and 30 months in prison, respectively, for producing, distributing, and administering performance-enhancing drugs as part of the doping case, according to an announcement by the US Attorney's Office from Wednesday, Nov. 16.
A third man, 35-year-old trainer Rene Allard of Canada, was also sente…
Ex-Town Employee, Business Owner In Westchester Both Indicted For $1.5M Scheme
A former Northern Westchester town employee and an owner of a landscaping business were both indicted in an illegal dumping scheme that could cost the town up to $1.5 million.
Glenn Griffin, the owner of Griffin's Landscaping Corporation, and Robert Dyckman, the former assistant general foreman with the Town of Cortlandt, were both arrested on Thursday, July 21, according to Damian Williams, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Griffin, age 53, of Cortlandt Manor, and Dyckman, age 51, of Verplanck, are both charged in a scheme to dump hundreds of …
Hudson Valley Duo Sentenced For Violent Beating, Carjacking
A Hudson Valley duo have been sentenced to prison for their part in a brutal carjacking and beating of an area man who was left for dead.
Rockland County residents Dwayne Hicks, age 28, of Spring Valley, and Tnaiya Williams, age 27 of New City, were sentenced on Tuesday, July 5 for the February 2021 crime, according to the Office of the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Hicks was sentenced to 12 years in prison and Williams to 44 months, the US Attorney's Office said.
According to court documents, on Feb. 28, 2021, Hicks lured a victim to a residence in New City. Once the…
Covid-19: Upstate Woman Pleads Guilty To Pandemic Relief Fraud
A woman from the Capital District is facing years in prison after admitting that she took advantage of loan programs meant to help businesses struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Debra Hackstadt, age 67, of Albany, pleaded guilty Thursday, May 19, to fraudulently obtaining 32 government-backed loans, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
The loans were issued to Hackstadt herself, various friends and relatives, and several companies that she controlled, prosecutors said.
In all, investigators said she received more than $1.6 million between April 2020 and June 2021 through two separat…
Man Accused Of Traveling To NY To Meet Minor For Sex, Feds Say
A New England man has been accused of traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, federal authorities in New York announced.
Martin Connearney, age 32, of Lenox, Massachusetts, in Berkshire County, was arrested Thursday, May 5 and charged with traveling across state lines with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, the Department of Justice's US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and the FBI's Albany Field Office announced.
The criminal complaint alleges that between Wednesday, April 6, 2022 and Wednes…
29-Year-Old From Region Sentenced For Distributing, Receiving Child Porn Images, Videos
A man from the region will spend the next decade in federal prison for possessing child pornography.
Ulster County resident Anthony Hadden, age 29, of Modena, was sentenced Friday, April 29 to 121 months behind bars after pleading guilty to possessing, distributing, receiving, and transporting child pornography, the US Attorney’s Office said.
Federal prosecutors said Hadden admitted to using a group messaging app on his phone to send and receive the material.
His phone also contained numerous images and videos showing minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, prosecutors said.
Followin…
Greenwich Resident Sentenced For Defrauding Investors, Ordered To Pay $1.5M
A man from Fairfield County will spend three years in federal prison for defrauding investors.
Samuel Klein, age 66, of Greenwich, was sentenced to 36 months behind bars Tuesday, May 3.
It followed a guilty plea in which Klein admitted to making false representations to an investor in his company, Visual Group LLC, in 2018, the US Attorney’s Office said.
He allegedly told the victim that their $200,000 check would be invested in distressed debt despite knowing that not all of the money would be used for that purpose, prosecutors said.
Distressed debt is another term for bonds that are b…