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$9M Check Fraud Lands Bankrupt LI Bus Boss Behind Bars, Feds Say
A Long Island bus company operator is headed to prison, more than eight years after his company went bankrupt in a $9 million check-kiting scheme, authorities said.
John Mensch, 55, was sentenced Wednesday, July 15 to 18 months in prison for the fraud, the Justice Department said.
Mensch, of Quogue, was owner of East End Bus Lines until the company went under, then in 2024 he admitted to the massive fraud, according to investigators.
Beginning in 2017, with money running short, Mensch came up with a scheme using two of the company’s banks, the feds said. At both banks, East End enjoyed spe…
LI Creep Abused 12-Year-Old Girl He Found On Snapchat: Police
A Long Island man sexually abused a 12-year-old girl after first contacting her over social media, police said.
Jonathan Pak, 33, was arraigned Thursday, July 16 on two counts of first-degree sex abuse, the Suffolk County Police Department said.
Pak, of Hauppauge, contacted the girl over Snapchat with the username “loudesttwhisper,” where he also went by Jason, investigators said.
In December 2025, Pak met the girl in a van in a parking lot on Crooked Hill Road in Commack, where he sexually abused her, police said. After cops received a tip and investigated the case, Pak surrendered at a …
Mike Francesa Sells Nassau Home — See How Much The LI Native Got
Popular sports media talking head Mike Francesa has sold his Long Island home for $7.5 million, according to a report.
Francesa’s 1.5-acre property in Manhasset closed on Wednesday, July 15, according to Newsday. The former WFAN shock jock bought the home for $5.2 million back in 2008.
The house features five bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, a two-car garage, and a guest cottage, according to its page on Realtor.com. It also includes an outdoor basketball court, a pool, and a golf simulator.
Francesa, a Long Beach native, has not publicly commented on the sale.
He retired from his WFAN gi…
Ship Captain Cops To Drugging, Raping Merchant Marine Cadet, 21, Moments Before Trial: Feds
A ship captain pleaded guilty to drugging and raping a U.S. Merchant Marine cadet during her course of study at the Long Island-based academy, authorities said.
John Merrone, 54, copped to five counts of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and abusive sexual contact moments before his trial could start Wednesday, July 15 in federal court in Brooklyn, the Justice Department said.
The Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point has been plagued for years by allegations of sexual abuse related to “sea years.” As part of the program, MMA cadets must complete extended time aboard a commercial vess…
Kardashian Bodyguard Killed In Motorcycle Crash Days Before 53rd Birthday
Celebrity bodyguard Mason Haynes, who worked with high-profile clients including the Kardashians, was killed in a motorcycle crash on July 4, just two days before his 53rd birthday.
A GoFundMe campaign started by Annabel Bass says Haynes was killed in the Saturday, July 4, crash, leaving behind his wife, Fay, and children, Brooke and Noah. Details of the crash were not immediately clear.
As news of his death spread, friends, colleagues, and former clients remembered the man they say made everyone around him feel safe.
"The world has been robbed of that rare thing… a genuinely good man."
Th…
Kids' Biggest Heroes May Come As Surprise, Survey Reveals
The biggest heroes in kids' lives may not need capes, theme music, or superpowers.
Parents are the top role models for children ages 4 to 12, according to a survey published Thursday, July 9, by Talker Research and commissioned by Kiddie Academy.
The survey of 2,000 parents found that children are most likely to look up to people in their everyday lives, according to Talker Research on behalf of Kiddie Academy.
Parents topped the list at 71 percent, followed by teachers at 40 percent, siblings at 37 percent, extended family members at 33 percent, and friends at 31 percent.
Fictional super…
Hazardous Haze Update: How To Protect Yourself, When Skies Will Clear
The eerie veil hanging over the Northeast is not ready to lift, and the health risk beneath it is growing.
Smoke from Canadian and northern Minnesota wildfires continued lowering air quality and visibility on Thursday, July 16, triggering alerts across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and other parts of the eastern US.
The smoke was visible on satellite imagery from the National Weather Service Eastern Region Headquarters as upper-level winds carried it across the region.
Some of the plume looped into southern Virginia, West Virginia, and eastern North Carolina. Visibility …
NY Native Scott Bryce Dies: Daytime TV Star Known For Playing Scheming Characters
A charismatic television presence whose work stretched across generations of daytime and primetime hits has died.
Scott Bryce, best known for originating the role of Craig Montgomery on the CBS soap opera “As the World Turns,” died on Sunday, July 12, following a battle with cancer, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was 68.
Bryce died in New Haven, Connecticut, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
He had been diagnosed with Stage 3 esophageal and stomach cancer in 2024. The cancer later spread to his brain, according to the Los Angeles Times, which cited his son, Jackson Bryce, and agent …
