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United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams

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4 Convicted In PA Sex Trafficking Ring 'The Sevens' 4 Convicted In PA Sex Trafficking Ring 'The Sevens'
4 Convicted In PA Sex Trafficking Ring 'The Sevens' Four members of a sex trafficking ring that ran out of a boarding house in southeastern Pennsylvania have been convicted, federal authorities said. Shaquile Newson, 29, Alexander Malave, 31, Karvarise Person, 33, and James Goode, 47, were convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, the US Attorney’s Office said. Federal investigators linked the quartet to "The Sevens," a "violent gang" that operated out of a 50-room boarding house on South 4th Street in Reading, t…

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by Nicole Acosta
News
Suburban Philly Doctor Pleads Guilty To Running 'Pill Mill' Suburban Philly Doctor Pleads Guilty To Running 'Pill Mill'
Suburban Philly Doctor Pleads Guilty To Running 'Pill Mill' A Pennsylvania doctor has pleaded guilty to running a "pill mill" that flooded his own community with painkillers over the course of four years, federal authorities said. Yutong Zhang, 63, of Berwyn, pleaded guilty to an Information charging four counts of distributing oxycodone outside of the usual course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose, United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said in a Thursday, Feb. 3 release. Zhang is accused of selling medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone to approximately 120 patients at his St. Davids pa…

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by Nicole Acosta
Police & Fire
NYC Probation Official, Lehigh Valley Resident Sentenced In Child Porn Case NYC Probation Official, Lehigh Valley Resident Sentenced In Child Porn Case
NYC Probation Official, Lehigh Valley Resident Sentenced In Child Porn Case A 54-year-old Lehigh Valley resident was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison in a child pornography case, federal authorities announced Tuesday. In March, Robert Costello of Bethlehem pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography, one count of access with intent to view child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Costello, who worked as an assistant commissioner for the New York City Department of Probation, admitted to receiving child porn on the internet and storing it on multiple devices at his …

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by Nicole Acosta
Police & Fire
FEDS: DelCo Man Pleads Guilty To Straw-Purchasing 20+ Handguns Across Southeastern PA FEDS: DelCo Man Pleads Guilty To Straw-Purchasing 20+ Handguns Across Southeastern PA
Feds: DelCo Man Pleads Guilty To Straw-Purchasing 20+ Handguns Across Southeastern PA A Delaware County man pleaded guilty to straw-purchasing over 20 handguns and providing a false address to licensed gun stores across southeastern Pennsylvania, federal authorities announced. Between June and August 2020, Nafez Hutchings, 22, of Upper Darby, bought 23 handguns over 12 separate transactions with several different Federal Firearms Licensees in Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. Hutchings falsely reported his address and declared on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Exp…

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by Nicole Acosta
News
Feds: South Jersey Bookkeeper Stole $2.6M From Philly Corporation, Blew Funds On Luxury Trips Feds: South Jersey Bookkeeper Stole $2.6M From Philly Corporation, Blew Funds On Luxury Trips
Feds: South Jersey Bookkeeper Stole $2.6M From Philly Corporation, Blew Funds On Luxury Trips A former bookkeeper for the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) has been arrested on accusations she stole more than $2.6 million from the corporation over the course of seven years and blew the funds on gambling and luxury vacations, federal officials said. Angela DiPietro-Sabatine, 57, of Pennsauken, NJ, was charged by indictment with ten counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and aiding and abetting, Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said. The DRWC is non-profit, quasi-governmental entity whose m…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Feds: Reading Woman Gets 15 Years In Prison For Sex Trafficking Girls Ages 15, 17 Feds: Reading Woman Gets 15 Years In Prison For Sex Trafficking Girls Ages 15, 17
Feds: Reading Woman Gets 15 Years In Prison For Sex Trafficking Girls Ages 15, 17 A Reading woman was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for sexually trafficking two teen girls in 2017, federal authorities announced Friday. Melissa Madera, 27, forced the 15- and 17-year-old girls into commercial sex and compensated the teens with Ecstasy and cocaine to ensure their compliance, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. Madera had a sexually explicit image of one of the girls and used it on a commercial sex trafficking website, advertising the teen for sex acts at Berks County hotel locations such as the Quality Inn in Wyomissing…

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by Nicole Acosta
Police & Fire
Feds: Philadelphia Market CEO Stole $7.8M From Job To Pay For Pricy Jersey Shore House Feds: Philadelphia Market CEO Stole $7.8M From Job To Pay For Pricy Jersey Shore House
Feds: Philadelphia Market CEO Stole $7.8M From Job To Pay For Pricy Jersey Shore House The former president and CEO of Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market is facing federal charges for stealing $7.8 million from his employer to pay for various personal expenses including $1.9 million in rent on his Jersey Shore house, authorities said. The Information alleges that Caesar DiCrecchio, 60, of Vorhees, NJ, had control over every aspect of the Market, including the expenditure of funds, and was required to report on the Market’s finances to its Board of Directors, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. DiCrecchio defrauded the mark…

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by Nicole Acosta
Police & Fire
Feds: Philadelphia Pair Indicted For Attempting To Set Off Bombs In Wawa During BLM Protests Feds: Philadelphia Pair Indicted For Attempting To Set Off Bombs In Wawa During BLM Protests
Feds: Philadelphia Pair Indicted For Attempting To Set Off Bombs In Wawa During BLM Protests A Philadelphia pair is facing up to 90 years in prison for their alleged attempt to rob a Wawa with multiple explosive devices during last year's widespread Black Lives Matter protests, federal authorities announced. The indictment alleges that Michael Fields, 34, and Desiree Adorno, 65, conspired with other individuals to break into a Wawa store on Richmond Street in Philadelphia, in June 2020, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. In addition to stealing merchandise from the store, the indictment alleges that the pair had explosive devices …

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by Nicole Acosta
Police & Fire
West Philadelphia Lowe's Arsonist Indicted For Blaze Set During BLM Protests West Philadelphia Lowe's Arsonist Indicted For Blaze Set During BLM Protests
West Philadelphia Lowe's Arsonist Indicted For Blaze Set During BLM Protests A man accused of torching West Philadelphia Lowe's during last May's widespread Black Lives Matter protests has been indicted on federal arson charges, authorities announced. The indictment alleges that Derrick Weatherbe, 29, of Philadelphia, damaged and destroyed the Lowe’s Home Improvement store on North 50th Street on May 31, 2020, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. The incident occurred following a series of nationwide protests in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Surveillance tapes showed a man with distin…

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by Nicole Acosta
Police & Fire
Man Facing 8 Years In Prison For Traveling To PA For Sex Agent Posing As Girl, 14 Man Facing 8 Years In Prison For Traveling To PA For Sex Agent Posing As Girl, 14
Man Facing 8 Years In Prison For Traveling To PA For Sex Agent Posing As Girl, 14 A Wilmington, Delaware man is facing eight years behind bars for crossing state lines to Pennsylvania to have sex with whom he believed was a 14-year-old girl but was actually an undercover agent, authorities said. Thomas Traumann, 53, began an online chat relationship through a social media website with the "girl" on Nov. 3, 2018, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams. Traumann repeatedly acknowledged that the “girl” was 14-years-old and made his intentions quite clear that he wanted to have a sexual encounter with her days later, Williams said. He al…

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by Nicole Acosta