Tag:

Extortion

US Sounds Alarm Over Tourist Crime In Popular Tropical Getaway US Sounds Alarm Over Tourist Crime In Popular Tropical Getaway
US Sounds Alarm Over Tourist Crime In Popular Tropical Getaway A popular Central American getaway spot is under new scrutiny after US officials warned that criminals are increasingly targeting tourists and foreign residents with robberies and extortion schemes. In a security alert issued on Tuesday, Nov. 25, the US Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica, said it is tracking a rise in property crimes, financial crimes, and robberies affecting foreigners across the country, including US citizens.  The alert describes criminal gangs targeting foreign-owned homes and businesses for break-ins and extortion. It also details cases in which foreign residents and…
Pair Steals $80K From Area Senior In Computer Scam, Police Say Pair Steals $80K From Area Senior In Computer Scam, Police Say
Pair Steals $80K From Area Senior In Computer Scam, Police Say Two downstate residents are accused of scamming a Saratoga County senior out of more than $80,000 in cash and gift cards, then returning to collect another $30,000 before being arrested. Chuncheng Lin, 26, of Brooklyn, and Hui Lin, 40, of Flushing, were arrested Thursday, July 31, following a joint investigation by New York State Police and the US Department of Homeland Security. The case began Monday, June 30, when an elderly Saratoga County resident reported being targeted in a computer scam, according to New York State Police. The victim told troopers they were first two weeks earlier v…
Ex-Police Officer Extorts $9K From Salon Owner In NY: Here's Her Fate Ex-Police Officer Extorts $9K From Salon Owner In NY: Here's Her Fate
Ex-Police Officer Extorts $9K From Salon Owner In NY: Here's Her Fate A former police officer who admitted to extorting thousands of dollars from an Orange County beauty salon has been sentenced, prosecutors announced.  Ally Thueson, 33, was sentenced on Thursday, July 31, to five years of probation in connection with the scheme, the Orange County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday, Aug. 4.  According to the DA's Office, Thueson, a former police officer, had been employed by a beauty salon in Montgomery. In May 2024, she threatened the business's owner that she would make false statements on the internet that would harm the salon un…
Scam Targets Airlines As Hacking Group Expands Operations, FBI Warns Scam Targets Airlines As Hacking Group Expands Operations, FBI Warns
Scam Targets Airlines As Hacking Group Expands Operations, FBI Warns A cybercriminal group known for extorting people and companies across the world is now targeting the airline industry. The FBI has issued a warning about Scattered Spider, a hacking group that has  expanded its operations to include major US airlines and their vendors.  The group is known for using convincing impersonation tactics to access corporate networks, often bypassing multi-factor authentication by tricking IT staff into adding unauthorized devices. Scattered Spider impersonates employees or contractors to deceive help desks. "These techniques frequently involve methods …
Mayor’s Bodyguard Tied To Crypto Torture Case? NYPD Officers Subject Of Internal Investigation Mayor’s Bodyguard Tied To Crypto Torture Case? NYPD Officers Subject Of Internal Investigation
Mayor’s Bodyguard Tied To Crypto Torture Case? Nypd Officers Subject Of Internal Investigation The bizarre Bitcoin torture saga playing out in a luxury Manhattan townhouse has now reached City Hall. Two members of the NYPD, including an officer assigned to Mayor Eric Adams’ security detail, have been placed on modified duty amid an internal investigation into whether they had any involvement in the kidnapping and torture of an Italian crypto trader, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed to Daily Voice. The detective assigned to Adams’ security detail provided security at the Prince Street townhouse in Nolita where John Woeltz and William Duplessie allegedly tortured the victim for 17 days, …
WATCH: Crypto Hostage Seen Bolting From NYC Townhouse After 17 Days Of Torture, Report Says WATCH: Crypto Hostage Seen Bolting From NYC Townhouse After 17 Days Of Torture, Report Says
Watch: Crypto Hostage Seen Bolting From NYC Townhouse After 17 Days Of Torture, Report Says A surveillance camera captured the dramatic moment a barefoot hostage victim made his daring escape after allegedly being kidnapped and tortured for weeks inside a Manhattan townhouse. Video obtained exclusively by CNN shows the 28-year-old Italian crypto trader sprinting up from the basement of the Nolita home on Prince Street, flinging open a gate, and darting past a stunned pedestrian before flagging down police on Friday, May 23. The man had allegedly been held hostage for 17 days by two business associates, including alleged “Crypto King of Kentucky” John Woeltz, in what prosecutors sa…
Former NYC Public Housing Super From Hudson Valley Accepted $32K In Bribes: Here's His Fate Former NYC Public Housing Super From Hudson Valley Accepted $32K In Bribes: Here's His Fate
Former NYC Public Housing Super From Hudson Valley Accepted $32K In Bribes: Here's His Fate A former NYCHA superintendent from Rockland County will spend time in jail for accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for awarding lucrative repair contracts, federal prosecutors announced.  Corey Gilmore, 47, of West Haverstraw, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison after being convicted of bribery and extortion under color of official right, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Wednesday, May 28.  Gilmore, who served as a superintendent at multiple New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments in the B…
US Issues Urgent Travel Warnings Covering 2 Countries: What To Know US Issues Urgent Travel Warnings Covering 2 Countries: What To Know
US Issues Urgent Travel Warnings Covering 2 Countries: What To Know The US State Department is warning Americans against traveling to part of one country and has issued a do not travel warning for one of its neighboring nations. A Level 3 Reconsider Travel Advisory covers these parts of eastern Colombia:  Arauca, Cauca (excluding Popayán), and Norte de Santander departments in Colombia; The Colombia-Venezuela border region. "Violent crime, like murder, assault, and robbery, is common in many areas in Colombia," the advisory says. "In some places, organized crime is rampant. This includes extortion, robbery, and kidnapping." A Level 4  Do No…
High-Ranking MS-13 Leader Arraigned On Terrorism Charges In NY After FBI's 'Most Wanted' Arrest High-Ranking MS-13 Leader Arraigned On Terrorism Charges In NY After FBI's 'Most Wanted' Arrest
High-Ranking MS-13 Leader Arraigned On Terrorism Charges In NY After FBI's 'Most Wanted' Arrest A top leader of the notorious MS-13 gang, who was recently added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, has been arraigned in federal court in New York. Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, 47, was taken into custody in San Diego, California, on Tuesday, March 18, after Mexican authorities located him in Veracruz and expelled him from the country, the US Attorney’s Office said. He had been a fugitive for nearly three years. Roman-Bardales, a founding member of MS-13’s leadership structure known as Ranfla en las Calles, was arraigned in the Eastern District of New York on Wednesday, March 1…
NY Mobster Who Stripped Victim Naked, Enacted Mafia-Style Loan Shakedown Sentenced To Prison NY Mobster Who Stripped Victim Naked, Enacted Mafia-Style Loan Shakedown Sentenced To Prison
NY Mobster Who Stripped Victim Naked, Enacted Mafia-Style Loan Shakedown Sentenced To Prison A New York mobster will spend years in prison for relentlessly extorting a victim—even while under court supervision and after already being convicted of a similar crime. John “Bazoo” Ragano, a 62-year-old member of the Bonanno crime family from Franklin Square, was sentenced to three years behind bars in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday, March 19. It followed his conviction of extortionate collection of credit for forcing a man to continue paying on a $150,000 loan with exorbitant interest rates. The payments, which were $1,800 per week, never reduced the principal of the loan, accordin…
Joseph Nocella Named United States Attorney For Eastern District Of New York Joseph Nocella Named United States Attorney For Eastern District Of New York
Joseph Nocella Named United States Attorney For Eastern District Of New York Joseph Nocella, Jr., a veteran prosecutor and judge with an extensive legal background, has been named the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, according to a statement from former President Donald J. Trump. “Judge Nocella has a strong record of bringing Law and Order to the incredible people of New York,” Trump said in the announcement. “Congratulations, Judge Nocella!” Nocella served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District from 1991 to 1995, prosecuting cases involving racketeering, extortion, and fraud. His work earned recognition from the FBI direc…
Dutchess County Man Charged With Extortion After Digital Scheme Nets $2 Dutchess County Man Charged With Extortion After Digital Scheme Nets $2
Dutchess County Man Charged With Extortion After Digital Scheme Nets $2 A Hudson Valley man faces multiple felony charges after allegedly extorting $22,000 by masquerading as a teenager online and then threatening a local victim with accusations of possessing child pornography. Ian D. Buckley Jr., age 25, of Poughkeepsie, was charged on Wednesday, Dec. 4, following an investigation by New York State Police. Trooper AJ Hicks said the investigation determined that  Buckley, using an alias, engaged in a digital conversation with the victim in which the two exchanged explicit images before meeting in person.  Buckley then informed the victim he was the f…
Sibling Sextortion: NY Child Abuser Had Help From Sister In Cyberstalking Scheme, Feds Say Sibling Sextortion: NY Child Abuser Had Help From Sister In Cyberstalking Scheme, Feds Say
Sibling Sextortion: NY Child Abuser Had Help From Sister In Cyberstalking Scheme, Feds Say A New York brother currently serving time in federal prison and sister are facing federal charges for an elaborate cyberstalking and extortion scheme involving explicit images and a fraudulent life insurance plot, federal authorities announced. Fred Mastroianni, of White Plains, and Doreen Mastroianni, of Yorktown Heights, have been charged with cyberstalking, extortion, and conspiracy to commit extortion, according to an indictment unsealed by federal officials. The pair allegedly targeted "Victim-1" by threatening to release sexually explicit photos and videos unless the victim complied w…