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Friday, dec 27
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FBI
Police & Fire
$203K Cash, $80K Gold Bars Swindled From Nassau County Woman In Apple Scam
A Brooklyn man is accused of trying to scam an 80-year-old woman out of gold bars in Franklin Square, Nassau County police said on Thursday, Dec. 19. The victim received a text message claiming her Apple ID had been compromised, prompting her to call a phone number provided in the message, police said. She was connected to a man claiming to be a Chase Bank representative working with the FBI. Between Oct. 10 and Dec. 6, the man persuaded her to give him $203,000 in cash and gold bars "for safekeeping," according to investigators. On Thursday, Dec. 19, the man allegedly contacted the victim …
Lifestyle
CEO Murder: ABC To Air New 20/20 Special On Case - Here's When
A shocking crime that has captivated the nation is the focus of a new TV special. ABC News Studios primetime one-hour program, "Manhunt: Luigi Mangione and the CEO Murder – A Special Edition of 20/20" premieres Thursday, Dec. 19, from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST on ABC, with streaming available the following day on Hulu. The program examines the case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's murder on Wednesday, Dec. 4 in Manhattan, a story that sparked national attention and a surprising social media movement hailing suspect Luigi Mangione as a folk hero for some. Featuring a detailed breakdown…
News
Mysterious Drones Spotted Over Long Island Amid Growing Local, State Monitoring Efforts
Mysterious drones that have sparked concerns across New Jersey and New York in recent weeks have now been spotted over Long Island. Local town Facebook and Nextdoor groups were inundated with reported sightings of the so far unexplained aircraft over the weekend, including in Oyster Bay, Huntington Station, Seaford, Northport, West Babylon, and Smithtown. The drones, first reported in mid-November over New Jersey, have caused disruptions and rampant speculation across the region. Notably, operations at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor were halted for nearly an hour on Friday, De…
News
Drones In The Sky: NY, NJ Senators Demand Answers From FBI, DHS, FAA
The senators representing New York and New Jersey are demanding answers about the drones that have been spotted flying in the skies of New York and New Jersey this past month. New York Senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, all Democrats, wrote a letter on Thursday, Dec. 12 to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FAA Director Michael Whitaker demanding an immediate briefing on what they are doing to address the issue. "We are...especially concerned about how these drones may …
News
Ex-Abercrombie CEO Asks Judge To Rule On Mental Fitness Ahead Of Sex Trafficking Trial
Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries is hoping to delay his federal sex trafficking case. An attorney for the 80-year-old Jeffries filed a motion on Monday, Dec. 9, asking a Manhattan judge to schedule a hearing to determine whether Jeffries is mentally competent to stand trial. “[The motion] will be dealt with in court as, and when, appropriate – according to the judge,” Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told Daily Voice. Federal prosecutors are expected to challenge the move, potentially delaying the case by months. An indictment unsealed in October accused Jeffries of pr…
News
FBI Issues Text Message Warning Amid Cyberattacks
Federal authorities are advising Americans to use encrypted messaging applications to protect their communications from potential foreign surveillance. The warning from the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) comes amid recent cyberattacks on major telecommunication companies. The Wall Street Journal reported that China hacked AT&T, Verizon and Lumen Technologies to spy on customers. Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, told NBC News, "Encryption is your friend, whether it's on text messaging or if you have the capaci…
News
LI's Lee Zeldin Among Trump Admin Picks From NY Targeted With Bomb Threats
Several New York politicians received bomb threats as part of a widespread attack targeting President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks and administrative appointees. The attacks, which ranged from bomb threats to prank “swatting” calls meant to dispatch a large number of armed police officers to a target’s residence, were made Tuesday night, Nov. 26, and Wednesday morning, Nov. 27. “Last night and this morning, several of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees and administration appointees were targeted in violent, un-America threats to their lives and those who live with them,” said K…
Politics
Former NY Rep Paralyzed After Horse Accident Receiving Treatment In NJ: Report
Former New York Congressman Michael Grimm has been left paralyzed from the chest down after a severe horse-riding accident during a polo tournament, and is being treated in New Jersey, CBS News reports citing a friend of Grimm's. Grimm, age 54, was thrown from his horse in September and is now undergoing treatment at the renowned Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, which has locations in West Orange, Saddle Brook, Chester, and Marlton. Headquartered in West Orange, Kessler is where actor Christopher Reeve was treated following a similar accident in 1995, and was…
News
Ex-Abercrombie CEO Forced Aspiring Models To Take Part In ‘Sex Events’ In NY, Feds Say
Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries preyed on aspiring models and coerced them into prostitution in order to satisfy his and others’ sexual desires, prosecutors alleged. The 80-year-old Jeffries – along with his life partner Matthew Smith and a third defendant, James Jacobson – are named in a 16-count sex trafficking indictment unsealed in Central Islip federal court on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Prosecutors said the trio relied on Jeffries’ wealth and status, along with a network of employees, contractors, and security professionals, to victimize dozens of men over a seven year peri…
Police & Fire
Retired NY Judge Commits Suicide As FBI Moves In To Arrest Him, Officials Say
A retired Hudson Valley judge and former assistant district attorney shot himself during an FBI raid at his home, according to multiple published reports. The incident occurred in Orange County early Tuesday, Sept. 24, in Campbell Hall. Law enforcement sources told ABC News 7 that Stewart Rosenwasser, a retired Orange County judge and former executive assistant district attorney of Campbell Hall, was being charged in a corruption case for allegedly taking bribes. The FBI released the following statement regarding the incident: "The FBI is reviewing an agent-involved shooting that occu…
Politics
Rally Rage: Uniondale Trump Event's $1M Police OT Bill May Have Broken Finance Laws, Dems Argue
Who should foot the bill – taxpayers or the campaign? Democrats on Long Island are seething after learning that the extra-tight security measures around former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally at the Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday, Sept. 18, cost taxpayers $1 million in police overtime alone. Ahead of the rally – which came just days after what the FBI called an apparent second assassination attempt on Trump’s life in Florida – Nassau County leaders outlined the extensive security measures that were being taken around the arena. Earlier Report: Security Top Of Mind For Trump's …
News
Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know
Authorities are warning the public of a nationwide automated scam in which scammers use people’s email addresses to coerce payments by intimidating them with threats of embarrassment. Victims of the "sextortion" scheme, usually children and teens, are manipulated to photograph or video material for extortionists. "After receiving the sexually explicit content from the child, the offender threatens to release that compromising material unless the victim produces additional explicit material," said the FBI in issuing the warning to parents, educators, caregivers, and children. In a sepa…
News
Trump Rally: False Report Of Bomb Outside Nassau Coliseum Amid Heightened Security Concerns
Reports that explosives were found outside the New York arena where former President Donald Trump will hold a campaign rally were unfounded, police said. On Long Island, Nassau County Police responded to a report that a bomb was found inside a parked car outside the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale on Wednesday morning, Sept. 18. A short time later, Commissioner Patrick Ryder put out a statement saying detectives were questioning a person who may have been training a bomb detection dog near the site. Earlier Report: Security Top Of Mind For Trump's Nassau Coliseum Rally, First Since Att…
News
Suspicious White Powder Sent To Election Offices Across Country — Including NY
A package with a suspicious white substance was intercepted at a United States Post Office in Connecticut earlier this week and could be part of a much larger scheme to disrupt or scare election workers ahead of election day, authorities said. The package was found at a West Hartford post office on Monday, Sept. 16, the Connecticut Secretary of State said in a news release. No one was injured, but the contents were sent to a lab for testing. Election offices in New York, Tennessee, Wyoming, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Massachusetts, …
Politics
Security Top Of Mind For Trump's Uniondale Rally, First Since Attempted Shooting
Security will be extra tight ahead of former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in New York, his first since an apparent second assassination attempt on his life. The Republican presidential nominee, age 78, will address supporters on Long Island at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18. It will mark his first visit to Nassau County since his presidential run in 2016. Earlier Report: Trump To Hold Campaign Rally In NY: Here's Where, When For local leaders, security around the event is top of mind. The Nassau County Police Department …
News
LI Cardiologist, Registered Sex Offender Gets Years In Prison For Possessing Child Pornography
A Long Island cardiologist and registered sex offender will spend years in prison after he admitted to possessing thousands of images depicting child sex abuse. Frank Pollaro, age 55, of Deer Park, was sentenced to four to eight years behind bars in Suffolk County Court on Monday, Sept. 9, after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. According to prosecutors, in September 2023 the Suffolk County Police Department was tipped off that a user was uploading images of child pornography on the website Freechatnow.com. Earlier Report: Long Island Cardiologist Admits Having Thousands…
News
Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide From Manhasset Raked In Millions As Agent Of Chinese Government: Feds
This story has been updated. A former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is accused of acting as an agent for the Chinese government. Long Island residents Linda Sun, age 41, and her husband Chris Hu, age 40, were arrested at their Manhasset home on Tuesday morning, Sept. 3, on charges of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, money laundering, and related charges. According to federal prosecutors, Sun – who served as Hochul’s deputy chief of staff before being fired in 2023 – engaged in numerous political activities at the behest of Chinese government …
News
Bomb Hoaxer Who Targeted Jewish Hospitals On LI Was Motivated By Antisemitism, Feds Say
A man is facing federal charges in connection with a series of bomb threats that were made against Jewish hospitals in New York. Domagoj Patkovic, age 31, of Portland, Oregon, is charged with making bomb threats and related offenses in an indictment that was unsealed in Oregon federal court on Tuesday, Aug. 20. According to prosecutors, Patkovic and others called in bomb threats to Jewish hospitals and care centers in New York City and on Long Island beginning in May 2021. During the calls, they allegedly made violent threats and threatened to detonate explosive devices. Patkovic himself…
Politics
Details Emerge On Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide Whose $3.5M Manhasset Home Was Searched By FBI
A former top aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo whose Long Island home was searched by the FBI earlier this week was fired by the state last year after "evidence of misconduct, according to new reports. According to a report by Politico, Linda Sun was terminated by the Department of Labor in 2023 for “misconduct.” “Immediately upon discovering the evidence of misconduct, the administration referred the matter to law enforcement authorities,” a source told Politico. The 40-year-old Sun's $3.5 million Manhasset home was searched by FBI agents Tuesday morni…
Politics
FBI Conducts Pre-Dawn Search Of Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide's $3.5M NY Home: Report
FBI agents searched the $3.5 million home of a former deputy chief of staff to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who also held a high position under ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a new report says. Click here for a new, updated story: Details Emerge On Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide Whose $3.5M Manhasset Home Was Searched By FBI The red-bricked home of Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, is located on Long Island's North Shore, in a gated community in the hamlet of Manhasset. According to The New York Times, the search was conducted Tuesday morning, July 23. It is unclear what potential crime…
News
'FTC Worker' Scams Long Island Victim Out Of $390K In Gold Bars, Police Say
A scammer posing as a government employee conned a Long Island victim out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, police allege. Nassau County Police arrested Yash Shah, age 25, of Baldwin, on suspicion of grand larceny on Tuesday, July 16. According to detectives, in early June 2023 a 73-year-old New Hyde Park man received a notification on his computer telling him that his device had been compromised and that he needed to contact the phone number shown. When the victim called the number, someone claiming to work for the Federal Trade Commission instructed him to buy six gold bars totaling n…
News
Long Island Cardiologist Admits Having Thousands Of Images Depicting Child Sex Abuse
A Long Island cardiologist and convicted sex offender is facing years in prison for again possessing images depicting child sex abuse. Frank Pollaro, age 55, of Deer Park, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, July 11. According to prosecutors, in September 2023 the Suffolk County Police Department was tipped off that a user was uploading images of child pornography on the website Freechatnow.com. Investigators eventually identified the user as Pollaro and, together with the FBI, raided his Deer Park home in October …
News
Adult Film Actor From NY Accused Of Distributing Child Pornography
An adult film actor who resides in New York has been accused of sending and receiving hundreds of videos of child pornography, federal authorities announced. Justin Heath Smith, who uses the stage name “Austin Wolf.” sent images depicting children as young as infants, "including a ghastly video showing a young child bound, beaten, and raped," said Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. In addition to sharing child pornography via the Telegram app, the 43-year-old Smith was also charged with possessing hundreds of additional videos conta…
News
'Stop Calling Me Names,' Gabby Petito Wrote To Boyfriend Brian Laundrie: FBI Report
Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old Long Island native who was killed by her fiancé Brian Laundrie in 2021, wrote him a letter imploring him to stop calling her names, according to FBI documents. Related: FBI Reveals How Brian Laundrie Took Responsibility For Gabby Petito’s Death The 300-plus documents, recently released by the FBI, outline the investigation and offer a glimpse into what transpired before and after the Suffolk County, Blue Point resident was killed by the man she said she loved in an undated letter included in the release. "You know how much I love you, so (and I'm writi…
News
$1M Scam: NY Man Sentenced For Stealing Federal Funds
A New York man who admitted to turning federal aid into a personal treasure chest of around $1 million has been sentenced. In previously pleading guilty, Asjid Parvez, age 38, of Albany, admitted that in May 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) sent him a US Treasury check for $972,564.61. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act authorized the FSA to financially assist certain distressed borrowers who had fallen behind on repaying their federally guaranteed farm loans. The US Attorney's Office of the Northern District of…
Lifestyle
These NY Locales Among Top 100 Best Places To Live In America, Brand-New Ranking Says
When it comes to putting down your roots, these New York locales are among the best in the nation, according to a brand-new ranking. Four cities in the Empire State made the top 100 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 “Best Places to Live in the US” ranking. Researchers pulled data from a variety of sources, including thousands of public survey responses, the US Census Bureau, FBI crime statistics, and school and hospital rankings to come up with the top 150 American cities. Cities were ranked using four key indicators: value, desirability, job market, and quality of life. The followi…
Police & Fire
23-Year-Old Taiwanese Operator Of $100 Million Dark Web Drug Market Seized By Feds At JFK
Federal agents at JFK Airport seized a 23-year-old Taiwanese national who the Justice Department said owned and operated a dark web drug bazaar that produced well over $100 million in sales. The “Incognito Market” created by Rui-Siang Lin enabled its users to anonymously buy and sell drugs around the globe for nearly 3½ years, US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and other federal officials announced on Monday, May 20. Lin -- also known as Ruisiang Lin, 林睿庠, Pharoah, and faro – mastermineded a clandestine e-commerce network where buyers could browse thousands of listings for heroin, LSD, …
News
Capitol Riot: MTA Worker, Wife From NY Participated In Jan. 6 Breach, Feds Say
A husband and wife from New York are the latest to be charged in connection with the breach of the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Long Island residents Kevin Moore, age 61, and Carol Moore, age 57, of Massapequa, are named in a four-count criminal complaint that was filed in US District Court in Washington, DC on Monday, May 13. According to investigators, the couple attended then-President Donald Trump’s speech at the Ellipse that morning before making their way to the Capitol building. Along the way, Carol Moore was seen draped in a blue Trump flag. Earlier Report: Pot-Smoking NY Rioter …
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