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Trio Of Schemes That Led To Santos Arrest Detailed By Feds; Rep Not Resigning Over 'Witch Hunt' Trio Of Schemes That Led To Santos Arrest Detailed By Feds; Rep Not Resigning Over 'Witch Hunt'
Trio Of Schemes That Led To Santos Arrest Detailed By Feds; Rep Not Resigning Over 'Witch Hunt' Beleaguered New York Rep. George Santos is remaining defiant in the face of numerous federal criminal charges, refusing to resign from Congress and vowing to fight what he decried as a “witch hunt.” The 34-year-old Republican, whose 3rd District represents parts of Nassau County and Queens, pleaded not guilty to all 13 federal charges against him during his arraignment in Central Islip on Wednesday afternoon, May 10. He is charged with: Seven counts of wire fraud Three counts of money laundering Theft of public funds Two counts of making false statements on federal disclosure forms Follo…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
‘Drug Dealer In White Coat’: Pharmacist From Long Island Admits Illegally Distributing Opioids ‘Drug Dealer In White Coat’: Pharmacist From Long Island Admits Illegally Distributing Opioids
‘Drug Dealer In White Coat’: Pharmacist From Long Island Admits Illegally Distributing Opioids A New York pharmacist is facing decades in federal prison after admitting that he made hundreds of thousands of dollars by illegally distributing opioid medications. Long Island resident Daniel Russo, age 44, of the village of Cedarhurst in Nassau County, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiring to distribute and possess oxycodone, in federal court in Brooklyn on Friday, Feb. 17. Federal prosecutors said Russo, who owned and operated Russo’s Pharmacy in Far Rockaway, Queens, conspired with other medical professionals and employees to fill fraudulent prescriptions for oxycod…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
$65M Ponzi Scheme: Former Long Island Hedge Fund Manager Admits To Lending Fraud $65M Ponzi Scheme: Former Long Island Hedge Fund Manager Admits To Lending Fraud
$65M Ponzi Scheme: Former Long Island Hedge Fund Manager Admits To Lending Fraud A former bond trader and hedge fund manager in New York could spend decades in federal prison for defrauding his friends and lending institutions out of over $65 million. Nassau County resident Jeffrey Parket, age 59, of Great Neck, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday, Feb. 15. According to the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District, Parket swindled his victims out of millions of dollars between 2016 and December 2021 by lying about his financial condition and pledging fake collateral in order to obtain short-term loans. He claime…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Drug Dealer Guilty In Man's Overdose Death On Long Island Drug Dealer Guilty In Man's Overdose Death On Long Island
Drug Dealer Guilty In Man's Overdose Death On Long Island An admitted drug dealer already locked up could spend the rest of his life in federal prison for selling heroin to a 24-year-old Long Island man who died from an overdose. James Tunstall, age 48, of Freeport, was found guilty of distributing heroin that led to an overdose death by a federal jury in Central Islip on Tuesday, Feb. 7. The verdict followed a five-day trial over the death of Sergio Niko Alvarez, of Jericho, in October 2018. Federal prosecutors said Tunstall regularly sold cocaine and heroin to customers in Nassau County, and met Alvarez at an outpatient rehabilitation facility i…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Central Islip Man Who Owned LI Check Cashing Companies Sentenced For $9.5M Fraud Scheme Central Islip Man Who Owned LI Check Cashing Companies Sentenced For $9.5M Fraud Scheme
Central Islip Man Who Owned LI Check Cashing Companies Sentenced For $9.5M Fraud Scheme The former owner of several check cashing businesses in New York is heading to federal prison after admitting to a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme. Long Island resident John Drago, age 58, of Central Islip, was sentenced to four years behind bars Friday, Oct. 21, in federal court in Central Islip. It followed his September 2021 guilty plea to fraud charges, in which he admitted to illegally structuring financial transactions and evading payroll taxes at several of his Long Island businesses. Federal prosecutors said between January 2010 and October 2013, Drago told employees to cash multi…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
6 Long Island Members Of Genovese, Bonanno Families Charged, Including PD Detective, Feds Say 6 Long Island Members Of Genovese, Bonanno Families Charged, Including PD Detective, Feds Say
6 Long Island Members Of Genovese, Bonanno Families Charged, Including PD Detective, Feds Say Eight New York members of organized crime families, including six from Long Island, are among nine men who have been charged by federal authorities with racketeering and related offenses. The charging documents were unsealed on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in federal court in Brooklyn, naming the suspects, including a Nassau County police detective, from the Bonanno and Genovese organized crime families, said Breon Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s arrests of members from two La Cosa Nostra crime families demonstrate that the Mafia continues to pollut…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
'Real Housewives' Star Admits To Running Telemarketing Fraud Scheme That Targeted Some NYers 'Real Housewives' Star Admits To Running Telemarketing Fraud Scheme That Targeted Some NYers
'Real Housewives' Star Admits To Running Telemarketing Fraud Scheme That Targeted Some NYers “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jennifer Shah has admitted to running a decade-long telemarketing scheme that tricked thousands of victims, including some New Yorkers, into bogus investment opportunities. Shah, age 48, of Utah, appeared in a federal courtroom in Manhattan on Monday, July 11, where she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. Federal prosecutors said between 2012 and March 2021, Shah trafficked “lead lists” of potential victims that her co-conspirators used to convince victims to pay thousands of dollars for “…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Ex-NY Resident Admits To Multi-State Money Laundering Conspiracy Ex-NY Resident Admits To Multi-State Money Laundering Conspiracy
Ex-NY Resident Admits To Multi-State Money Laundering Conspiracy A former New York man could spend years in federal prison after admitting that he laundered tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits in a scheme involving numerous states. Christopher Vandermark, age 57, formerly of Gansevoort in Saratoga County, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in federal court in Albany on Tuesday, June 28. Federal prosecutors said Vandermark spent more than a year texting a North Carolina woman who directed him to open multiple bank accounts and give her the associated routing numbers. Between June 2020 and April 2021, the …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Supervisor At Long Island Drug Manufacturer Sentenced For Theft Of Products Supervisor At Long Island Drug Manufacturer Sentenced For Theft Of Products
Supervisor At Long Island Drug Manufacturer Sentenced For Theft Of Products A former supervisor at a Long Island drug manufacturer is heading to federal prison for stealing animal medication. Gregory Settino, age 60, of Bethpage, was sentenced to a year and a day behind bars Wednesday, April 20, in federal court in Central Islip. He was also ordered to pay restitution of more than $800,000. Settino had pleaded guilty to stealing approximately $750,000 worth of the drug Adequan from his employer, American Regent, in Shirley. Adequan is an injectable drug typically given to horses and dogs to treat the degenerative effects of arthritis. Federal prosecutors alleged …

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by Michael Mashburn
Business
Here's Why Walmart Is Suing Competitor BJ's Wholesale For Theft Here's Why Walmart Is Suing Competitor BJ's Wholesale For Theft
Here's Why Walmart Is Suing Competitor BJ's Wholesale For Theft A battle is brewing between two of the country's largest big-box franchises. Walmart is suing rival BJ’s Wholesale Club claiming that the retail giant stole technology to launch a self-checkout feature similar to the ones used at the company’s subsidiary Sam's Club, which boasts nearly 600 locations in the US. Walmart alleges that the company worked for years to develop a “Scan & Go” feature that allowed Sam’s Club customers to ring up purchases on smartphones while shopping, eliminating the need for a long checkout line. The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court, alleges that inn…

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by Zak Failla
News
Gambino Family Captain Sentenced For Racketeering, Ordered To Pay $1M Gambino Family Captain Sentenced For Racketeering, Ordered To Pay $1M
Gambino Family Captain Sentenced For Racketeering, Ordered To Pay $1M A high-ranking member of the Gambino organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra living lavishly in Westchester will spend time behind bars and pay a million dollars for his role in a racketeering conspiracy. Scarsdale resident Andrew Campos, age 51, was sentenced in federal court to 37 months in prison for the conspiracy. The court also ordered him to pay $1 million in restitution and a $15,000 fine. In January 2021, Campos pleaded guilty and admitted to participating in various acts of wire fraud and money laundering. US Attorney Breon Peace said that Campos and his co-conspirators carried …

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by Zak Failla
News
Long Island Women Indicted For Assaulting Delta Security Officer At JFK Long Island Women Indicted For Assaulting Delta Security Officer At JFK
Long Island Women Indicted For Assaulting Delta Security Officer At JFK Three women from New York are facing charges for allegedly assaulting a security officer after refusing to leave a jetway at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, federal officials announced. Long Island residents Janessa Torres, age 21, Johanna Zavala, age 44, both of Central Islip, and Bay Shore resident Jordan Nixon, age 21, were charged in federal court for allegedly assaulting the officer and a second employee on Sept. 22, 2021. Prosecutors said that the three women refused to leave the jetway after they were informed that they would be denied boarding for a Delta Airlines s…

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by Zak Failla
News
New Capitol Riot Arrest Made On Long Island New Capitol Riot Arrest Made On Long Island
New Capitol Riot Arrest Made On Long Island A Long Island man has been arrested by FBI agents on a charge of illegally being part of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol. Justin McAuliffe, age 39, of Bellmore, was arrested on Thursday, Jan. 28, for taking part in the riotous insurrection at the capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, according to a complaint filed in federal court.  The complaint filed in Central Islip on Jan. 28, shows a picture of McAuliffe, an accountant on Long Island, sitting in the office of either an unidentified member of the Senate or the House and holding up two fingers in a "Victory" sign.  The FBI was led to McA…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Former Long Island Radio Station Manager Admits To Defrauding Company Of Thousands Former Long Island Radio Station Manager Admits To Defrauding Company Of Thousands
Former Long Island Radio Station Manager Admits To Defrauding Company Of Thousands The former general manager of a Long Island radio station has admitted to making hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal charges on the business account. Stephanie Bitis, of Sag Harbor, pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 16, in federal court to felony access device fraud, according to court documents. Bitis’ crime carries a maximum sentence of imprisonment of 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and forfeiture of any proceeds from her crime. The longtime resident and community activist served as Vice President/General Manager of LIRB from 2015 to 2017. She had previously worked at&nbs…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Queens Pharmacy Operator Accused Of Sending Cocaine To DEA Investigator’s Home Queens Pharmacy Operator Accused Of Sending Cocaine To DEA Investigator’s Home
Queens Pharmacy Operator Accused Of Sending Cocaine To DEA Investigator’s Home A pharmacy owner in Queens is facing charges for allegedly arranging to have cocaine sent to the home of a DEA agent who was investigating his business. Queens resident Dimitrios Lymberatos, 34, turned himself in to the DEA on Friday, Oct. 9 and is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court this afternoon on charges that include obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said that in November last year, a DEA Diversion Investigator conducted a regulatory into Lymberatos’ Queens pharmacy, which delayed the issuance of its registration to d…

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by Zak Failla
News
Long Island Chiropractor Charged With Health Care Fraud Long Island Chiropractor Charged With Health Care Fraud
Long Island Chiropractor Charged With Health Care Fraud A Long Island chiropractor was charged in federal court for health care fraud after submitting false claims with the Department of Labor for services that he did not actually render, according to Acting Eastern District of New York U.S. Attorney Seth Ducharme.  Joseph Stephan of Farmingdale, 50, reportedly billed the department's Office of Worker's Compensation Programs for dates where employees covered under the program did not visit him, or for services that they did not receive when they visited him. A complaint against Stephan was unsealed by a federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday…

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by Christina Coulter
Police & Fire
Former MS-13 Gang Leader Charged In Connection To Fatal Shooting Former MS-13 Gang Leader Charged In Connection To Fatal Shooting
Former MS-13 Gang Leader Charged In Connection To Fatal Shooting A former MS-13 gang leader on Long Island is facing charges for allegedly ordering a hit on a rival gang member. Queens resident Marcelo Esquivel has been charged in federal court with murder in-aid-of racketeering and causing death through the use of a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting of Daniel Licona-Gonzalez on July 2, 2012.  U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said that on the day of the fatal shooting, Esquivel, who was the leader of the Centrales Locos Salvatrucha clique of MS-13, directed two gang members to murder a member of the rival Latin Kings, providing them with a…

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by Zak Failla
News
Man Indicted For Allegedly Causing Overdose Death In Suffolk County Man Indicted For Allegedly Causing Overdose Death In Suffolk County
Man Indicted For Allegedly Causing Overdose Death In Suffolk County An alleged drug on Long Island is facing life in prison after being charged for allegedly selling the fentanyl that caused a fatal overdose. Selden resident Marlon Thompson was charged in federal court in Central Islip with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and heroin from April 2018 through May 2019, and distribution of a controlled substance containing fentanyl resulting in the fatal overdose of a Fredrick Koenig on Dec. 26 last year.   U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said that Thompson, 38, had previously been detained on state charges and is now in federal custody. He was ordere…

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by Zak Failla
News
Ex-Suffolk DA's Obstruction Of Justice Trial Starts Ex-Suffolk DA's Obstruction Of Justice Trial Starts
Ex-Suffolk DA's Obstruction Of Justice Trial Starts The trial for former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and one of his former top aides has begun. Opening statements were heard on Thursday, Nov. 14, at Central Islip federal court, after Spota and his aide, Christopher McPartland, allegedly used their power to help cover up the crime of an associate. It is alleged that Spota and McPartland obstructed justice by covering for former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke, who allegedly abused a suspect, Christopher Loeb, in 2012. Loeb had allegedly stolen a duffel bag from an unmarked police vehicle in front of Burke’s home. Bu…

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by Zak Failla
News
Long Island Man Sentenced For Supplying Heroin To Bloods Gang Long Island Man Sentenced For Supplying Heroin To Bloods Gang
Long Island Man Sentenced For Supplying Heroin To Bloods Gang A Long Island man has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for selling heroin to a Queens-based Bloods gang. Valley Stream resident Stanley Fuller - also known as “Webo” and “Morty” - was sentenced in Brooklyn federal court to t10 years and one month in prison after pleading guilty to a pair of heroin distortion conspiracies involving the gang. He pleaded guilty in April. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said that between April 2013 and July 2015, Fuller, 43, supplied large quantities of heroin to a “set” of the Bloods street gang known as the Paper Chasing Goons, or POV City, based…

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by Zak Failla
News
Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Of Minors In Area Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Of Minors In Area
Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking Of Minors In Area A 23-year-old man from Queens will spend nearly two decades behind bars after being sentenced in Manhattan federal court for his involvement in sex trafficking minors, including one from a residential treatment facility in Westchester. Luidji Benjamin has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for sex trafficking of minor females, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman announced. He was convicted by a federal jury of one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, following a five-day jury trial earlier this year. Following his release from prison, Benjam…

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by Zak Failla
News
Former NYC Resident Accused Of Being High-Ranking ISIS Member Former NYC Resident Accused Of Being High-Ranking ISIS Member
Former NYC Resident Accused Of Being High-Ranking ISIS Member A naturalized American citizen who lived in New York City allegedly traveled to Syria and became a sniper and weapons instructor for ISIS is facing federal charges for supporting the terrorist organization. Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Kazakhstan was charged in Brooklyn federal court for allegedly providing and attempting to provide material support, including training, services, and personnel, to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham. Asainov, 42, who resided in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, traveled to Istanbul, Turkey in December 2013, which is a common transit po…

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by Zak Failla