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New Trump Order Carries 'Long Prison Terms' For Defacing Monuments, NJ Top Fed Leads Task Force New Trump Order Carries 'Long Prison Terms' For Defacing Monuments, NJ Top Fed Leads Task Force
New Trump Order Carries 'Long Prison Terms' For Defacing Monuments, NJ Top Fed Leads Task Force In advance of the Fourth of July, President Trump on Friday signed an executive order that he said promises “long prison terms” for those who vandalize American monuments, memorials and statues. “I just had the privilege of signing a very strong Executive Order protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues - and combating recent Criminal Violence,” Trump tweeted. “Long prison terms for these lawless acts against our Great Country!” In another move, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Craig Carpenito was appointed to co-lead a task force to counter anti-government extremists – specifically,…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
13 Local Law Enforcement Agencies In NJ Get $15.8M In COPS Grants To Hire More Officers 13 Local Law Enforcement Agencies In NJ Get $15.8M In COPS Grants To Hire More Officers
13 Local Law Enforcement Agencies In NJ Get $15.8M In Cops Grants To Hire More Officers A total of 13 police departments and other local law enforcement agencies in New Jersey will get $15.8 million in federal funding to hire 114 additional officers, U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced Tuesday. The Federal Community Oriented Policing (COPS) grants had been suspended since 2018 because of a nationwide injunction that was lifted earlier this year. On Tuesday, Barr announced that the Justice Department was awarding nearly $400 million to 596 law enforcement agencies nationwide to hire 2,732 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. They were chosen from nearly…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
U.S. Supreme Court Overturns 'Bridgegate' Convictions U.S. Supreme Court Overturns 'Bridgegate' Convictions
U.S. Supreme Court Overturns 'Bridgegate' Convictions The nation’s highest court on Thursday unanimously overturned the convictions of two onetime allies of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who played keys roles in the infamous “Bridgegate” case. Bridget Ann Kelly and Bill Baroni didn’t defraud the government of its “property” by closing two local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge over three days in September 2013 as retribution against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled. Kelly and Baroni “could not have violated the federal-program fraud or wire fraud laws” because the plan wasn't intended to obtain mon…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Justice Dept: COVID-Related Directives Can't Treat Religious Groups Differently Than Businesses Justice Dept: COVID-Related Directives Can't Treat Religious Groups Differently Than Businesses
Justice Dept: Covid-related Directives Can't Treat Religious Groups Differently Than Businesses Although state and local governments may issue coronavirus state-of-emergency directives, "there is no pandemic exception to the Constitution and its Bill of Rights," the Justice Department said Sunday. Federal authorities issued the statement in support of a Virginia church whose pastor was charged criminally with conducting a worship service attended by 16 people in a 225-seat sanctuary. But its message extends well beyond the specific case, as federal authorities continue examining state and local emergency orders to see whether they'd stand up to a constitutional challenge. The Lightho…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Israel’s Largest Bank Pays $900 Million In Offshore Tax Evasion Scheme, Soccer Payoffs Israel’s Largest Bank Pays $900 Million In Offshore Tax Evasion Scheme, Soccer Payoffs
Israel’s Largest Bank Pays $900 Million In Offshore Tax Evasion Scheme, Soccer Payoffs Israel’s largest bank and a Swiss subsidiary agreed in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday to pay $874.27 million to the U.S. Treasury, the Federal Reserve, and the New York State Department of Financial Services to settle offshore tax-evasion charges. At the same time, Bank Hapoalim B.M. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Hapoalim (Switzerland) Ltd., agreed to pay more than $30 million to the United States to resolve a federal investigation into their roles in laundering bribes and kickbacks to the world governing body for soccer. As part of the tax-evasion settlement, Bank Hapoalim B.M.&…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Feds Smash Hundreds Of Online Coronavirus Scams -- And Tell You What To Look For Feds Smash Hundreds Of Online Coronavirus Scams -- And Tell You What To Look For
Feds Smash Hundreds Of Online Coronavirus Scams -- And Tell You What To Look For Federal authorities said they've gotten help from domain providers and others in smashing hundreds of online sites exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to commit fraud and other crimes. As of Tuesday, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) had received and reviewed more than 3,600 complaints related to COVID-19 scams, the Justice Department said Wednesday. Many of them “operated from websites that advertised fake vaccines and cures, operated fraudulent charity drives, delivered malware, or hosted various other types of scams,” federal officials said in a release. To attract traffic, t…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Chipotle Paying Feds Record $25 Million Fine For Foodborne Virus That Sickened Customers Chipotle Paying Feds Record $25 Million Fine For Foodborne Virus That Sickened Customers
Chipotle Paying Feds Record $25 Million Fine For Foodborne Virus That Sickened Customers Chipotle Mexican Grill has agreed to pay the federal government an unprecedented $25 million to resolve criminal charges stemming from a foodborne virus outbreak that sickened more than 1,100 customers nationwide, the Justice Department announced. The fine -- the largest ever in a federal food safety case -- is part of a three-year deferred prosecution agreement that will allow the California-based company to avoid a criminal conviction if it complies with an improved food safety program, DOJ officials said Tuesday. Papers filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday charge Chipotle wit…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Feds: 192,000 Respirator Masks, More Seized From Black Market Dealer Sent To NJ, NY Front Lines Feds: 192,000 Respirator Masks, More Seized From Black Market Dealer Sent To NJ, NY Front Lines
Feds: 192,000 Respirator Masks, More Seized From Black Market Dealer Sent To NJ, NY Front Lines A total of 192,000 N95 respirator masks and other personal protective equipment seized from a black market dealer busted by the FBI is being sent to the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus in New Jersey and New York, federal authorities announced Thursday. The distributed equipment also includes 130,000 surgical masks, procedure masks, N100 masks, surgical gowns, disinfectant towels, particulate filters, bottles of hand sanitizer, and bottles of spray disinfectant, they said. The equipment was seized from Baruch Feldheim, 43, who federal authorities said had enough black market…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Western Union Paying $153M In Compensation To Seniors Who Lost Money In Phone Scams Western Union Paying $153M In Compensation To Seniors Who Lost Money In Phone Scams
Western Union Paying $153M In Compensation To Seniors Who Lost Money In Phone Scams Western Union “turned a blind eye” to money transfers made by elderly phone scam victims and is now paying for it to the tune of $153 million to more than 109,000 people in the U.S. and abroad, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. The payment “brings some measure of justice for the elderly and other victims,” Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said. It’s only just a start, though. Before it’s done, Western Union must pony up $586 million, which the government is making available to compensate victims of international consumer …

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by Jerry DeMarco