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FBI

PA Man Convicted For Torturing Estonian In Iraq: FBI PA Man Convicted For Torturing Estonian In Iraq: FBI
PA Man Convicted For Torturing Estonian In Iraq: FBI A US Army veteran from Stroudsburg will spend the next 70 years in prison for torturing an employee at his illegal weapons facility in Iraq, according to the FBI.  Federal investigators said Ross Roggio directed Kurdish soldiers to kidnap the victim, his own employee, and hold him hostage at a military installation for 39 days.  The employee, an Estonian national, planned to blow the whistle on the illegal activities going on at Roggio's facility in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, according to authorities.  While in captivity, federal investigators said the employee was "…
Fourth Body Recovered From Baltimore Bridge Collapse Fourth Body Recovered From Baltimore Bridge Collapse
Fourth Body Recovered From Baltimore Bridge Collapse A fourth body has been recovered from the scene of the Baltimore's Key Bridge collapse, responders announced. Unified Command said only that the body was that of a construction worker presumed dead in the collapse on Tuesday, March 26. The body was recovered Sunday, April 14. The victim will not be identified at the family's request but was positively identified on Monday, April 15 by the medical examiner. On Friday, April 5, divers located the body of Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, 38, from the Patapsco River, Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott said. The bodies of 35-year-old Alejan…
FBI Takes Down Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Ring: 17 Arrested, 43 Pounds Of Drugs Seized: AG FBI Takes Down Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Ring: 17 Arrested, 43 Pounds Of Drugs Seized: AG
FBI Takes Down Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Ring: 17 Arrested, 43 Pounds Of Drugs Seized: AG A months-long investigation involving the FBI led to the arrest of 17 drug traffickers in the Philadelphia area and the seizure of illegal guns, drugs, and cash. Vincent Lofton, 60, one of the alleged heads of the trafficking network, was arrested, along with 16 other people at various locations after search warrants were executed Tuesday, April 9, Attorney General Michelle Henry, said. He was arraigned Wednesday and bail was set at $1 million. Investigators served more than a dozen search warrants at homes and on vehicles vehicles, and a financial institution. Others arrested include…
2 Rescued, More Missing In Baltimore's Key Bridge Collapse (UPDATES) 2 Rescued, More Missing In Baltimore's Key Bridge Collapse (UPDATES)
2 Rescued, More Missing In Baltimore's Key Bridge Collapse (Updates) A large-scale search and rescue effort was under way Tuesday morning, March 26 in Baltimore following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Multiple cars were sent into the water below, bringing the Coast Guard and emergency response teams to the scene along Interstate 695 at approximately 1:30 a.m., when a cargo ship struck a portion of the bridge. Two people had been rescued as of 10:20 a.m., according to the Washington Post. At least six other construction workers remain unaccounted for, and another hospitalized, the news agency said. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott decl…
Four Caught, PA Man Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside NJ Bar Four Caught, PA Man Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside NJ Bar
Four Caught, PA Man Sought In Brutal Stabbing Death Outside NJ Bar Authorities who’ve charged four men with the brutal murder of a man outside a Garfield bar last month turned to the public for help finding a fugitive gang member from Pennsylvania who sources said repeatedly stabbed the victim in the chest. Ricky “Angel” Vargas, 35, of East Stroudsburg, PA, and his four companions confronted Richard Franceschi, 31, of Hawthorne outside JoJo's Bar & Grill on Monroe Street before dawn this past Feb. 4, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Vargas had a knife and co-defendant Jayson William Rivera, 23, also of East Stroudsburg, had a handgun, the pr…
PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: USDOJ PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: USDOJ
PA Drug Dealer Federally Indicted For Methamphetamine Sales: Usdoj A federal grand jury indicted a Luzerne County man on drug trafficking charges this week, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Benjamin Woytas, 34, of Wilkes-Barre Township, is accused of distributing methamphetamine in Luzerne County in August 2023, said USA Gerard Karam in a release.  The maximum penalty for the charges is a 40-year prison term followed by supervised release and a fine, prosecutors said.  In addition to the FBI, the county Drug Task Force investigated the case.  Woytas was charged with drug possession in Hudson County, New Jersey, in 2020.&nb…
'Fitness Guru' With 'Sex Slave Training Program' May Have More Victims In Philly Area: FBI 'Fitness Guru' With 'Sex Slave Training Program' May Have More Victims In Philly Area: FBI
'Fitness Guru' With 'Sex Slave Training Program' May Have More Victims In Philly Area: FBI A California man is facing federal charges out of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office for a child exploitation scheme, and authorities believe he may have more victims in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. According to the FBI, John Douglas Burch, of Santa Monica, began praying on girls as early as 2014, and has been charged in an indictment with traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct and enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and prostitution, United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs said. …
Foreign Citizen Who Threatened To Assassinate Joe Biden, Donald Trump Goes To Prison In PA Foreign Citizen Who Threatened To Assassinate Joe Biden, Donald Trump Goes To Prison In PA
Foreign Citizen Who Threatened To Assassinate Joe Biden, Donald Trump Goes To Prison In PA A Somalian man living in Pennsylvania threatened to assassinate President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, and now he's in a Pennsylvania Prison, according to a release by the US Department of Justice on March 15, 2024. Mohamed Farah, 34, who was living in Cumberland County, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to three years’ imprisonment on Wednesday, March 13.  Following his release, the Court has also imposed a three-year term of probation.  "The indictment alleges that in January 2022, Farah, who is a citizen of Somalia, threatened to ass…
Pennsylvania Man Who Purchased Human Body Parts On Facebook Sentenced Pennsylvania Man Who Purchased Human Body Parts On Facebook Sentenced
Pennsylvania Man Who Purchased Human Body Parts On Facebook Sentenced A 41-year-old man who purchased human body parts from a woman in Arkansas through Facebook has been sentenced in a Pennsylvania court on Tuesday, March 5.  Jeremy Pauley, originally of Enola, Cumberland County but most recently of Thompson, Susquehanna County, has been sentenced to two years of probation for his role in a national illegal human body parts selling scheme involving a funeral home and the Harvard morgue, as Daily Voice previously reported.  He has been under investigation by local police and the FBI since authorities received a call about "suspicious activi…
FBI Captures Bucks County Carjackers From Philadelphia: Police FBI Captures Bucks County Carjackers From Philadelphia: Police
FBI Captures Bucks County Carjackers From Philadelphia: Police Two Philadelphia men have been arrested in a November 2021 carjacking in Bucks County, authorities said. Jonathan Akubu, 30, and Dean Fosque, 26, both of Philadelphia, approached the victim in his Feasterville driveway around 3:15 a.m. on Nov. 11, 2021, Lower Southampton Township police said Friday, March 1. The men pulled out handguns and physically stole the keys to his 2021 Toyota Venza. One man drove off in the Toyota and the other in a Kia. The FBI charged Akubu and Fosque.
Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds
Drug Dealer Ran 'Large-Scale Trafficking Org' Near Philly School: Feds A city man was dealing drugs wholesale "in the immediate vicinity" of a Philadelphia middle school, a federal court found last week.  Phillip Gillard, 46, was convicted at trial on multiple drug trafficking and firearm offenses, said the US Attorney's Office.  A two-year investigation found the "Gillard drug trafficking organization" was supplying area dealers with wholesale quantities of methamphetamine, PCP, fentanyl, and other narcotics, according to the FBI.  Authorities believe Gillard and others maintained three properties in the city's Port Richmond section for d…
Anti-Jewish AND Muslim Hate Lands Philly Man Federal Charges: USDOJ Anti-Jewish AND Muslim Hate Lands Philly Man Federal Charges: USDOJ
Anti-Jewish AND Muslim Hate Lands Philly Man Federal Charges: Usdoj A Philadelphia man is charged with communicating threats across state lines, according to federal prosecutors.  Yaniv Gola, 50, is accused of threatening to "injure, rape and kill" eight different people over the phone, said the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  Investigators claim Gola used a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service to hide his real phone number from the victims. Investigators believe the calls took place between August 2022 and November 2023.  "You (expletive) Jew, now I know where you are," he allegedly said in one call. "…
Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: USDOJ
Bucks County Man Sentenced For Trafficking Meth In York County: Usdoj A Warminster man was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine in York County, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Matthew Moss, 37, previously pleaded guilty to possessing more than 270 grams of meth for distribution, said prosecutors in a release.  Investigators said they went undercover and purchased 140 grams from Moss in York County in November 2021. He fled when they tried to arrest him and led authorities on a vehicle and foot chase, officials said.  When captured, Moss had an additional 133 grams of 96-percent-pure meth in his …
Reading Man Who Shot FBI Agents Convicted: USDOJ Reading Man Who Shot FBI Agents Convicted: USDOJ
Reading Man Who Shot FBI Agents Convicted: Usdoj Rafael Vega-Rodriguez "sealed his own fate" when he opened fire on three FBI agents in Reading four years ago, says the US Attorney's Office.  The 41-year-old was convicted Friday, Feb. 2 for three counts of attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer and related offenses, federal prosecutors wrote in a release.  Authorities said Vega-Rodriguez was wanted for a state parole violation when the trio of FBI agents spotted him on West Greenwich Street on March 1, 2020.  When the agents tried to stop him, authorities said Vega-Rodriguez drew a handgun from his…
Cyber Attack: Some Parts Of Pennsylvania Courts STILL Shut Down (UPDATE) Cyber Attack: Some Parts Of Pennsylvania Courts STILL Shut Down (UPDATE)
Cyber Attack: Some Parts Of Pennsylvania Courts Still Shut Down (Update) A cyber attack has shuttered parts of the Pennsylvania Court System's website, Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd announced at 10:18 p.m. on Feb. 4. A "denial of service cyber attack" led to the partial shutdown on Sunday, Todd explained citing the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. CISA said that "a denial of service cyber attack occurs when malicious actors flood the targeted host or network with traffic until the target cannot respond or simply crashes, preventing access for legitimate users." The attack affected the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania C…
Skull Found In PA Pond Was That Of 2004 Attempted Murder Suspect, Officials Say Skull Found In PA Pond Was That Of 2004 Attempted Murder Suspect, Officials Say
Skull Found In PA Pond Was That Of 2004 Attempted Murder Suspect, Officials Say A human skull discovered in an Amity Township pond has been identified as belonging to a missing attempted murder suspect, Berks County prosecutors say.  The skull was found by a child in a body of water near Pine Lane in April 2022, the District Attorney's Office wrote in a release Wednesday, Jan. 31. Two follow-up searches of the pond turned up no other human remains, authorities said.  Investigators believed the skull was that of Roger Hart, a former Pottstown resident who went missing in 2004 after he was charged with trying to kill his wife at their home. Hart fled the s…
NJ Man Trying To Meet PA Middle Schooler Gets Prison Time, DA Says NJ Man Trying To Meet PA Middle Schooler Gets Prison Time, DA Says
NJ Man Trying To Meet PA Middle Schooler Gets Prison Time, DA Says A New Jersey man will spend up to a dozen years in a Pennsylvania state prison after authorities say he tried to meet with a middle schooler for sex.  Steven Boutte, 53, of Burlington, was convicted in December for involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, criminal attempt to commit statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and related counts, said the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.  Investigators said Boutte began a conversation with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl on a dating app in December 2022. He engaged in a "very sexual…
'I'm Going To Shoot Up My School,' Said PA Teen On Video Game Chat: Police 'I'm Going To Shoot Up My School,' Said PA Teen On Video Game Chat: Police
'I'm Going To Shoot Up My School,' Said PA Teen On Video Game Chat: Police A 14-year-old in Coaldale Borough is accused of making a violent threat in an online chat, authorities say.  "I'm going to shoot up my school," the teen allegedly wrote to other players in a gaming session.  Borough police said they were notified of the threat by state police and the FBI on Tuesday, Jan. 9 around 3:30 p.m.  Authorities said they tracked the IP address associated with the user account to a house in Coaldale and spoke with the homeowner. The 14-year-old "confessed to the incident" and was charged with making terroristic threats, police said.  "Currently,…
Feds: Leader Of Ring That Flooded South Jersey, Philly 'Burbs With Fentanyl, Meth Gets 18 Years Feds: Leader Of Ring That Flooded South Jersey, Philly 'Burbs With Fentanyl, Meth Gets 18 Years
Feds: Leader Of Ring That Flooded South Jersey, Philly 'Burbs With Fentanyl, Meth Gets 18 Years A drug kingpin who headed a network that slung fentanyl and meth in South Jersey and the suburbs of Philadelphia while he hid from his pursuers was sentenced Thursday to a plea-bargained 18 years in federal prison. Glenn Long, 29, of Philadelphia, must serve just about all of the time he received in U.S. District Court in Camden on Jan. 4 because there’s no parole in the federal prison system. Long – known on the street as “Bless” and “Max” – ran the operation as a fugitive for three years while under a federal indictment for major drug trafficking out of Philadelphia. A second drug conspi…
Men Faked Armed Robberies In PA So 'Victims' Could Get Immigration Protection: FBI Men Faked Armed Robberies In PA So 'Victims' Could Get Immigration Protection: FBI
Men Faked Armed Robberies In PA So 'Victims' Could Get Immigration Protection: FBI Two New York men are accused of staging at least eight fake robberies so the store owners could receive immigration benefits, authorities said.  Long Island resident Rambhai Patel, age 36, of Farmingdale, and New York City Balwinder Singh, age 39, of Queens, are charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud, the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts said. FBI agents said they linked the men to four robberies in Massachusetts, two in Pennsylvania, and one in Kentucky and Tennessee.  The dates and locations of the alleged fake robberies are:  March 22: Richdale Food Shops, Hing…
Suspected Pennypack Park Slasher Has Links To Unsolved Rapes, Murder: Police Suspected Pennypack Park Slasher Has Links To Unsolved Rapes, Murder: Police
Suspected Pennypack Park Slasher Has Links To Unsolved Rapes, Murder: Police The man accused of attacking people with a machete in Pennypack Park has been linked to a string of unsolved rapes and one murder dating back to 2003, according to authorities.  Elias Diaz, 46, was arrested on the park trail on Sunday, Dec. 17, police said previously.  In a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 19, Philadelphia police, District Attorney Larry Krasner, and FBI officials said Diaz's DNA was linked to evidence collected from the scenes of multiple sexual assaults in Fairmount Park from 2003.  He is also said to be linked to the July 13, 2003 murder of 30-year-…
NY Man Who Assaulted Female Passenger On Flight To Newark Gets 2 Years, No Parole NY Man Who Assaulted Female Passenger On Flight To Newark Gets 2 Years, No Parole
NY Man Who Assaulted Female Passenger On Flight To Newark Gets 2 Years, No Parole UPDATE: An upstate New York man who admitted assaulting a fellow passenger on a flight from Denver to Newark must spend two plea-bargained years in federal prison. Ryan Manuella, 30, of Erie County, “moved to a vacant center seat next to a female passenger, who was sitting in a window seat” on the April 16, 2021 flight, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Manuella, who didn't know the woman, then "touched the passenger without her consent," Sellinger said. "The victim then yelled at him and left the row of seats," the U.S. attorney said. Defense attorney Andrew Olesnyck…
Compulsive NJ Bank Robber From PA Heads Back To Fed Pen For 12½ Years, No Parole Compulsive NJ Bank Robber From PA Heads Back To Fed Pen For 12½ Years, No Parole
Compulsive NJ Bank Robber From PA Heads Back To Fed Pen For 12½ Years, No Parole A man who spent eight years in federal prison for robbing banks in Pennsylvania is headed back for another 12½ years for two subsequent South Jersey holdups in three days. Leon I. Stanford, 54, of Wilkes Barre, PA admitted this past March that he handed tellers notes demanding money at both the TD Bank in Oaklyn on Feb. 22, 2020 and at the Republic Bank in Cherry Hill two days later. Witnesses at both banks described seeing the robber flee the area in the same white Saturn SUV, said U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger. Surveillance cameras captured partial license-plate charac…
7 Suspected Drug Dealers With 'Links To Mexican Cartel' Sought By Berks DA 7 Suspected Drug Dealers With 'Links To Mexican Cartel' Sought By Berks DA
7 Suspected Drug Dealers With 'Links To Mexican Cartel' Sought By Berks DA A week after "Operation Knockout" saw 29 accused drug dealers charged in Berks County, prosecutors say seven of them are still on the run.  Roughly $1.5 million in cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other substances were seized by authorities in recent weeks as part of their effort targeting a "large-scale drug trafficking organization" based in and around Reading, officials have said.  The organization, according to the DA's Office, was being supplied by a source who had "direct links to a Mexican cartel." Only 18 of the suspects were in custody when authorities announced "Operation…
Bomb Threat Received By Allentown Synagogue Was Not Credible, Police Say Bomb Threat Received By Allentown Synagogue Was Not Credible, Police Say
Bomb Threat Received By Allentown Synagogue Was Not Credible, Police Say Allentown police responded to a bomb threat at a city synagogue on Thursday, according to the department.  Authorities said the Congregation Keneseth Israel at 2227 Chew Street received a threat about an explosive device around 11:40 a.m. that was "determined to be unfounded."  Allentown firefighters also responded to the scene, police said.  APD and the FBI are continuing to investigate. 
Decomposed Body Could Be Connected To Missing Philadelphia Mom Heading To Atlantic City Decomposed Body Could Be Connected To Missing Philadelphia Mom Heading To Atlantic City
Decomposed Body Could Be Connected To Missing Philadelphia Mom Heading To Atlantic City Human remains found in a Germantown home on Tuesday, Oct. 17 may be those of a missing Philadelphia woman, according to her loved ones.  City police and FBI agents made the grisly discovery in the basement of a residence on the 400 block of East Penn Street, authorities confirmed to Daily Voice.  The victim has not been officially identified, but loved ones say the body was that of missing 39-year-old Javitta Ren Brockington.  Thank you for all who prayed and shared the posts about Javitta. Her body was found 😢. Please pray for her family and... Posted by Courtney Lyneé on Wednesday,…
3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea 3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea
3rd Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, Cops Plea UPDATE: A third member of a burglary ring that targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware has pleaded guilty, authorities confirmed. Kevin Jackson, 57, of Rahway, was part of a second-story crew that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in four states based on “stereotype and opportunity." One of Jackson's associates told detectives that Asians were targeted “because it was believed that the victims kept large sums of currency and jewelry in their residences,” an FBI complaint says. Notes found in the defendants’ cars …
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Cops Plea Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Cops Plea
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA, DE Cops Plea UPDATE: A burglar from a crew that targeted Asian and Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware took a deal from the government rather than risk the outcome of a trial, federal authorities said. James Hurt, 47, of New York, was part of a second-story outfit that the FBI said worked from a hit list of dozens of homes in four states based on “stereotype and opportunity." One of Hurt's associates told detectives that Asians were targeted “because it was believed that the victims kept large sums of currency and jewelry in their residences,” an FBI c…
Danelo Cavalcante: Schools Close For 2nd Day, Report Details How Killer May Have Escaped Danelo Cavalcante: Schools Close For 2nd Day, Report Details How Killer May Have Escaped
Danelo Cavalcante: Schools Close For 2nd Day, Report Details How Killer May Have Escaped Chester County schools are closed for the second day in a row as the search for killer fugitive Danelo Cavalcante continues. Both the Kennett Consolidated School District and Unionville-Chadds Ford School District will remain closed Wednesday, Sept. 6, more than a day after the 34-year-old convicted murderer was captured on a trail camera nearby. Citing a criminal complaint, 6abc says Cavalcante may have escaped the same way as Igor Bolte, another inmate in the county prison, did back in May. Bolte is believed to have scaled the wall near the exercise yard before climbing an exposed beam u…
FBI Seizes Passenger On Newark-Bound Plane For Fondling Female Passenger FBI Seizes Passenger On Newark-Bound Plane For Fondling Female Passenger
FBI Seizes Passenger On Newark-Bound Plane For Fondling Female Passenger An 18-year-old airline passenger was arrested by the FBI for touching a woman's groin and leg after changing his seat to sit next to her during a flight from L.A. to Newark, federal authorities said. A U.S. District Court magistrate judge released Hasan Naser Hussain Alenezi of Kuwait on an unsecured bond -- with home detention and a GPS ankle bracelet -- following an initial appearance in federal court in Newark on Friday, Sept. 1. "While on a Nov. 27, 2022, flight from Los Angeles, California, to Newark, Alenezi sat next to a female passenger, who was seated next to the window, instead of…
UPDATE: Number Of Victims Of Repeat Sex Trafficker Reaches Four In NJ, PA, Authorities Charge UPDATE: Number Of Victims Of Repeat Sex Trafficker Reaches Four In NJ, PA, Authorities Charge
Update: Number Of Victims Of Repeat Sex Trafficker Reaches Four In NJ, PA, Authorities Charge The number of alleged victims of a paroled sex trafficker from New Jersey has reached four, federal authorities said. Amin Sharif, 48, of Newark had been free for a year after serving nearly a decade in federal prison when he returned to pimping women and girls, authorities said. Federal agents seized Sharif on sex trafficking charges in January 2022, and have held him since then, while continuing an ongoing investigation that produced an indictment that cites the additional victims. Sharif "used several social media platforms and profiles to recruit women and minors to engage in sex acts…