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Richard Donoghue

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
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Duo Charged In Armed Robbery At Aqueduct Racetrack Duo Charged In Armed Robbery At Aqueduct Racetrack
Duo Charged In Armed Robbery At Aqueduct Racetrack An Aqueduct Racetrack security guard acting as an “inside man” and a co-conspirator are facing charges for an alleged armed heist of more than $280,000, according to federal officials. It is alleged that Lafayette Morrison, a security guard at the track, alerted his friend Lamel Miller, both Queens residents, when and where cash would be taken to a vault following “Gotham Day” races at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, March 7. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said that at approximately 9:45 p.m. on the day of the races, Miller and a third man held up several racetrack employees, including Morr…

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by Zak Failla
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Former Long Island Broker Admits To Her Role In $147 Million Stock Manipulation Scheme Former Long Island Broker Admits To Her Role In $147 Million Stock Manipulation Scheme
Former Long Island Broker Admits To Her Role In $147 Million Stock Manipulation Scheme A former Long Island stockbroker has admitted to her role in a $147 minion stock manipulation scheme. Stephanie Lee, 48, a former broker who worked with Plainview-based Elite Stock Research and Melville-based My Street Research, pleaded guilty in Central Islip federal court to misleading investors into purchasing artificially inflated stock in publicly traded companies. Lee is one of 16 who were charged in July 2017 in connection to the scheme and fourth to plead guilty. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said that she specifically pleaded guilty to: Conspiracy to securities fraud and securit…

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by Zak Failla
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Former Suffolk DA Thomas Spota, Ex-Aide Convicted Of Covering Up Beating Of Prisoner Former Suffolk DA Thomas Spota, Ex-Aide Convicted Of Covering Up Beating Of Prisoner
Former Suffolk DA Thomas Spota, Ex-Aide Convicted Of Covering Up Beating Of Prisoner Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and one of his former top aides have been found guilty of covering up the beating of a former heroin addict in 2012 who broke into his police cruiser in St. James. Spota, 78, and Christopher McPartland, 53, were found guilty following a six-week trial of all charges, including obstruction of justice, witness tampering and acting as accessories to the deprivation of inmate Christopher Loeb's civil rights. The jury deliberated for nearly a full day before returning the guilty verdict. When they are sentenced, Spota and McPartland will face…

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by Zak Failla
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Gang Member From Long Island Among Trio Charged With Attempted Murder Remains At Large Gang Member From Long Island Among Trio Charged With Attempted Murder Remains At Large
Gang Member From Long Island Among Trio Charged With Attempted Murder Remains At Large An alleged 18th Street gang member from Long Island is among three men facing charges for their roles in the murder of a teenager and attempted murder of rivals, U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue announced. Jonathan “Scooby” Zelaya-Diaz, 25, of Hempstead, has been charged in Brooklyn federal court with conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder in aid of racketeering for his alleged involvement in directing the murders of rivals. Donoghue said that Zelaya-Diaz remains at large. Queens residents Junior Zelaya-Canales, 23, a regional leader of the 18th Street gang, was charged with murder…

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by Zak Failla
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LI Corporate Insider Convicted Of Conspiring To Pump, Dump Stock On Unsuspecting Investors LI Corporate Insider Convicted Of Conspiring To Pump, Dump Stock On Unsuspecting Investors
LI Corporate Insider Convicted Of Conspiring To Pump, Dump Stock On Unsuspecting Investors A corporate insider was found guilty in Central Islip federal court of conspiring with others at a Long Island boiler room to “pump and dump” stocks on elderly investors. Michael Watts, a former registered broker, was found guilty at a trial of promoting and manipulating the prices of shares in Hydrocarb Energy Corp. and other companies. Watts, 63, who now lives in Texas, was convicted of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering.  The verdict followed a three-week trial before United Stat…

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by Zak Failla
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Melville-Based Boiler Room Employees Sentenced For Their Roles In $147M Stock Scheme Melville-Based Boiler Room Employees Sentenced For Their Roles In $147M Stock Scheme
Melville-Based Boiler Room Employees Sentenced For Their Roles In $147M Stock Scheme Employees at a Long Island-based boiler room have been sentenced to time behind bars for their roles in a $147 million stock manipulation scheme. Ronald Hardy, 42, of Port Jefferson, a manager at Power Traders Press, My Street Research and other companies located in Melville, and Dennis Verderosa, 67, of Coram, a cold-caller and account executive at the boiler room, were sentenced to 10 and six years in prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. Hardy was also ordered to forfeit the contents of a bank account and two properties he owned in Florida, and Verderosa was ordered to pay…

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by Zak Failla
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Long Island Contractor Agrees To Repay $2.6 Million In Overbillings Long Island Contractor Agrees To Repay $2.6 Million In Overbillings
Long Island Contractor Agrees To Repay $2.6 Million In Overbillings A Long Island subcontractor for the Department of Defense has agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement after admitting to overfilling the government. Westbury-based Arkwin Industries has agreed to pay a $2.6 million settlement to the United States after self-disclosing the overfilling to the government and its prime contractors. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said that Arkwin Industries designs, tests and manufactures precision hydraulic and fuel system components for civil and military fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, spacecraft, turbine engines and other special applications.  …

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by Zak Failla
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Queens Women 'Inspired By Radical Islam' Admit To Plan To Build Bombs For Terrorist Attack Queens Women 'Inspired By Radical Islam' Admit To Plan To Build Bombs For Terrorist Attack
Queens Women 'Inspired By Radical Islam' Admit To Plan To Build Bombs For Terrorist Attack Two women from Queens who were “inspired by radical Islam” admitted to charges that they studied some of the worst terrorist attacks in history to learn how to make bombs for a potential terrorist attack. Noelle Velentzas, 31, and Asia Siddiqui, also known as "Najma Samaa" and "Murdiyyah," 35, pleaded guilty to teaching and distributing information pertaining to the making and use of an explosive, destructive device, and weapon of mass destruction, intending that it be used to commit a crime on U.S. soil. “Inspired by radical Islam, Velentzas and Siddiqui researched and taught each other …

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by Zak Failla
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Ex-Director Convicted Of Stealing Nearly $1M From Long Island Charity Ex-Director Convicted Of Stealing Nearly $1M From Long Island Charity
Ex-Director Convicted Of Stealing Nearly $1M From Long Island Charity The former Executive Director of a not-for-profit organization on Long Island has been convicted of embezzling nearly a million dollars from the charity to live a life of luxury. Wafa Abboud, 56, of Merrick, who once ran Human First, which is based out of Nassau County, was found guilty of embezzling funds, bank fraud and money laundering following a two-week trial in Brooklyn federal court. From January 2011 until she was let go from Health First - which provides services to developmentally disabled people - was the charity’s executive director and was in charge of distributing the organiz…

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by Zak Failla
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MS-13 Member Sentenced For Role In Murders Of Four In Central Islip MS-13 Member Sentenced For Role In Murders Of Four In Central Islip
MS-13 Member Sentenced For Role In Murders Of Four In Central Islip A teenage member of the MS-13 gang has been sentenced to more than five decades in prison for his role in the April 2017 murders of four people on Long Island. Central Islip resident Josue Portillo, 18, a member of the Leeward Locos Salvatruchas clique of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, has been sentenced to 55 years in prison following his guilty plea to racketeering charges for the murders of Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre, and Jefferson Villalobos. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue noted that Portillo is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, and he will face deportation whe…

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by Zak Failla
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Nine Long Island Gas Stations Cited For Environmental Violations Nine Long Island Gas Stations Cited For Environmental Violations
Nine Long Island Gas Stations Cited For Environmental Violations Nine Long Island gas stations were cited for repeated environmental violations that could have put groundwater at risk of contamination. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue announced this week that the United States has filed a civil lawsuit against Genesis Petroleum, Inc., and 20 of its associated companies for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). According to the complaint, the violations allege that each of the gas stations improperly managed 38 underground storage tanks at the gas stations. Donoghue said the tanks typically contain gasoline or diesel fuel and can caus…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Details Emerge In Case Of NYPD Officer From Oceanside's Alleged Murder-For-Hire Plot Details Emerge In Case Of NYPD Officer From Oceanside's Alleged Murder-For-Hire Plot
Details Emerge In Case Of Nypd Officer From Oceanside's Alleged Murder-For-Hire Plot The arrest of an NYPD cop for allegedly attempting to hire a hitman to kill her estranged husband and her boyfriend's 15-year-old daughter is straight out of the pages of a juicy murder mystery or an episode of "Law & Order." On Friday, May 17, NYPD Officer Valerie Cincinelli, of Oceanside, found herself in cuffs for hiring a hitman to kill her husband, Isaiah Carvalho Jr., and the daughter of her "Sugar Daddy" boyfriend, who she said "got in the way," of things, according to a criminal complaint filed in court on Friday. Cincinelli, 34, was even fooled into thinking that the hitman ha…

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by Kathy Reakes
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Long Island Man Admits To Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme Long Island Man Admits To Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme
Long Island Man Admits To Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme A Long Island man has admitted to his role in a multi-million dollar elder fraud scheme that exceeded $30 million. Merrick resident Shaun Sullivan, 37, pleaded guilty in Central Islip federal court to conspiracy to commit mail fraud by sending fraudulent prize-promotion mailings that led recipients, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable, to believe that they could claim large cash prizes in exchange for a modest fee. None of the victims involved in the scheme received any substantial cash prize, U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue noted. Between December 2010 and July 2016, Sullivan and other…

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by Zak Failla
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Merrick Man Admits To Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme Merrick Man Admits To Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme
Merrick Man Admits To Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme A Long Island man has admitted to his role in a multi-million dollar elder fraud scheme that exceeded $30 million. Merrick resident Shaun Sullivan, 37, pleaded guilty in Central Islip federal court to conspiracy to commit mail fraud by sending fraudulent prize-promotion mailings that led recipients, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable, to believe that they could claim large cash prizes in exchange for a modest fee. None of the victims involved in the scheme received any substantial cash prize, U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue noted. Between December 2010 and July 2016, Sullivan and othe…

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by Zak Failla