Twice-Jailed Ex-CT Gov. John Rowland Pardoned by Trump: Reports Twice-Jailed Ex-CT Gov. John Rowland Pardoned by Trump: Reports
Twice-Jailed Ex-CT Gov. John Rowland Pardoned by Trump: Reports Former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland, who served two prison terms, has been granted a pardon by President Donald Trump, according to multiple national reports. Rowland’s name appeared on a list of clemency recipients released Wednesday, May 28, which also included reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley of the show Chrisley Knows Best, rapper NBA YoungBoy, and former US Rep. Michael Grimm of New York, according to Politico. The 68-year-old Republican former governor led Connecticut from 1995 until his 2004 resignation amid scandal. He spent 10 months in federal prison after pleading gui…
Trump Pardons Virginia Sheriff Convicted Of Selling Badges For Bribes Trump Pardons Virginia Sheriff Convicted Of Selling Badges For Bribes
Trump Pardons Virginia Sheriff Convicted Of Selling Badges For Bribes The former Virginia sheriff convicted of accepting bribes in exchange for handing out deputy badges and law enforcement credentials has received a full pardon from President Donald Trump. Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to announce that former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins, 53, had been pardoned after accepting more than $75,000 in bribes. Jenkins was convicted late last year after a jury found him guilty of taking the money — in the form of cash and campaign contributions — from multiple people, including undercover FBI agents.  In return, Jenkins appointe…
Latham Child Sex Offender Tried Coercing 11-Year-Old Into Sexual Activity, DOJ Says Latham Child Sex Offender Tried Coercing 11-Year-Old Into Sexual Activity, DOJ Says
Latham Child Sex Offender Tried Coercing 11-Year-Old Into Sexual Activity, DOJ Says A registered child sex offender from the Capital Region, who once served prison time for trying to coerce a minor into sexual activity, is accused of doing the same thing again to an even younger child. Nathaniel Drescher, 41, of Latham, was arraigned on charges of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in Albany federal court on Thursday, May 15. An investigation found that Drescher attempted to “persuade, induce, and entice” a child he believed to be 11 years old to engage in sexual activity, the US Attorney’s Office said. The charges come more than a decade after Drescher was conv…
Hotel Crack Lab: Feds Nab Man After Fire Leads To Drug Bust At New Rochelle Marriott (UPDATE) Hotel Crack Lab: Feds Nab Man After Fire Leads To Drug Bust At New Rochelle Marriott (UPDATE)
Hotel Crack Lab: Feds Nab Man After Fire Leads To Drug Bust At New Rochelle Marriott (Update) The man allegedly behind a suspicious hotel room fire that uncovered a clandestine drug lab in New York is now facing federal charges, prosecutors said.  Pedro Marte, age 47, of New York City, was presented in White Plains federal court and charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including cocaine and fentanyl, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Thursday, May 15.  Federal prosecutors say Marte used a room at the Residence Inn by Marriott at 35 LeCount Pl. in the Westchester County city of New R…
Sex Offender Fails To Register After Moving From LA To Harrisburg: DOJ Sex Offender Fails To Register After Moving From LA To Harrisburg: DOJ
Sex Offender Fails To Register After Moving From LA To Harrisburg: DOJ A convicted sex offender is facing federal charges for allegedly failing to register after moving from Los Angeles to Harrisburg, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday, May 15. Robert Gene Hiler, Jr., 52, was indicted for failing to update his sex offender registration as required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus said in a statement. Federal officials say Hiler was previously convicted in Pennsylvania of Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse and Indecent Assault stemming from offenses committed in 1994. He was convic…
Homeland Security Uncovers Sham Marriage Ring Paying Marylanders To Marry Immigrants: DOJ Homeland Security Uncovers Sham Marriage Ring Paying Marylanders To Marry Immigrants: DOJ
Homeland Security Uncovers Sham Marriage Ring Paying Marylanders To Marry Immigrants: DOJ A criminal ring that roped Maryland residents into sham marriages for immigration benefits has been busted by federal authorities, prosecutors announced. Four people — three from New York and one from New Jersey — have been indicted for allegedly conspiring to arrange sham marriages between Marylanders and non-citizens living in the United States, according to the US Attorney's Office. Those charged include Ella Zuran, 65, Tatiana Sigal, 74, and Alexandra Tkach, 41, all of New York City, as well as Shawnta Hopper, 33, of Sicklerville, New Jersey. According to the indict…
Four Robberies, Two Shootings: Jersey City Man Learns Fate After Wild Night Four Robberies, Two Shootings: Jersey City Man Learns Fate After Wild Night
Four Robberies, Two Shootings: Jersey City Man Learns Fate After Wild Night A 32-year-old Jersey City man was sentenced to 26 years in federal prison on Wednesday, April 23 after pleading guilty to committing four robberies and two shootings, all in the same evening, authorities said. On Nov. 14, 2021, Rodney Williams robbed a store in Jersey City at gunpoint, US Attorney Alina Habba said. Soon after, Williams, accompanied by Siobhan Chandler, demanded money from a gas station, Habba said. When the attendants did not immediately comply, Williams shot one of the attendants in the chest before fleeing the scene, Habba said. Williams and Chandler then robbed a third s…
NY Prison Guards Admit Beating Inmate, Conspiring To Hide Abuse NY Prison Guards Admit Beating Inmate, Conspiring To Hide Abuse
NY Prison Guards Admit Beating Inmate, Conspiring To Hide Abuse Three New York prison guards formally confessed to beating an inmate and then conspiring to hide the abuse from investigators. Brandon Montanari, 34; Rohail Kahk, 28; and Michael Williams, 38, each pleaded guilty to depriving an inmate of his rights in Syracuse federal court on Wednesday, April 23. The three men admitted to assaulting an inmate at Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy in April 2023. They confessed to punching and kicking the man, causing bodily injury. Following the assault, all three agreed to lie about the attack during an internal investigation, prosecutors said. E…
Bridgehampton Beekeeper Hid Role in Rwandan Genocide to Gain US Citizenship, DOJ Says Bridgehampton Beekeeper Hid Role in Rwandan Genocide to Gain US Citizenship, DOJ Says
Bridgehampton Beekeeper Hid Role in Rwandan Genocide to Gain US Citizenship, DOJ Says A New York beekeeper concealed his role as a leader and perpetrator in the 1994 Rwandan genocide to enter and remain in the United States, federal prosecutors alleged. Faustin Nsabumukunzi, 65, of Bridgehampton, was indicted on charges of visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, April 24. The charges stem from allegations that he lied to US immigration officials for decades in order to obtain refugee status, a green card, and later US citizenship, prosecutors said. Nsabumukunzi served as a “Sector Councilor” in Rwanda during the 1994 genocid…
Newtown Repeat Sex Offender Ran Accounts With 100K Followers That Targeted Kids: DOJ Newtown Repeat Sex Offender Ran Accounts With 100K Followers That Targeted Kids: DOJ
Newtown Repeat Sex Offender Ran Accounts With 100K Followers That Targeted Kids: DOJ A Newtown man with a troubling criminal past is facing serious new charges after federal authorities say he used fake social media profiles to contact minors and collect child sex abuse material. Donald S. Hammalian Jr., 50, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Hartford on multiple child exploitation charges, the US Attorney for Connecticut reported.  Authorities say he managed about a dozen social media accounts and had more than 100,000 followers online, some of whom were underage. Officials allege he posed as a 16-year-old boy while communicating with minors on TikTok, Instagram,…
‘Vow Of Poverty' Friar With White Plains Ties Used Donor Cash For Plastic Surgery, Luxury Life ‘Vow Of Poverty' Friar With White Plains Ties Used Donor Cash For Plastic Surgery, Luxury Life
‘Vow Of Poverty' Friar With White Plains Ties Used Donor Cash For Plastic Surgery, Luxury Life A Manhattan friar from a Catholic religious order headquartered in Westchester will spend years in federal prison for stealing more than half a million dollars in donations through a fake charity, federal prosecutors announced. Paul Bielecki, 48, also known as “Paul HRH Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,” was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty in November to wire fraud for orchestrating a multi-year scheme to solicit donations for fake medical clinics he claimed to run in Beirut, Lebanon.  At the time, Bielecki was a Franciscan friar with the Province of St. Mary of the Capuchin O…
Repeat Sex Offender Caught With Child Porn Days After Release In Maryland: DOJ Repeat Sex Offender Caught With Child Porn Days After Release In Maryland: DOJ
Repeat Sex Offender Caught With Child Porn Days After Release In Maryland: DOJ A convicted sex offender in Maryland is facing at least a decade behind bars after investigators say he was caught with a torrent of child sexual abuse material just one week after registering his new address, federal officials say. Steven Christopher Kelban, 50, of Catonsville, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, the US Attorney's Office announced this week. According to his plea agreement, Kelban had just returned to Maryland from Alabama on November 20, 2023, following a two prior convictions for child porn offenses.  He registered the very next day as a sex offender…