Tag:

Justice Department

South Philly Cheesesteak Proprietors Get Prison Time For Tax Scheme, Feds Say South Philly Cheesesteak Proprietors Get Prison Time For Tax Scheme, Feds Say
South Philly Cheesesteak Proprietors Get Prison Time For Tax Scheme, Feds Say A father-son pair of cheesesteak shop owners were sentenced to prison last week for hiding $8 million in revenue from tax collectors, say federal prosecutors.  Nicholas Lucidonio, 57, and Anthony Lucidonio Sr., 84, the proprietors of Tony Luke's in South Philadelphia, will each spend 20 months behind bars, said the Justice Department in a release.  The Lucidonios, of New Jersey, carried out a "decade-long conspiracy to defraud the IRS" from 2006 to 2016, prosecutors said. The pair only deposited a portion of their earnings into the business's bank accounts and gave "inco…
Montgomery County Cop Who Killed Stabbing Suspect In July Suspended For Role In Jan. 6 Riots Montgomery County Cop Who Killed Stabbing Suspect In July Suspended For Role In Jan. 6 Riots
Montgomery County Cop Who Killed Stabbing Suspect In July Suspended For Role In Jan. 6 Riots The same cop who shot and killed a stabbing suspect months ago in Maryland is now under the microscope for his alleged involvement in the January 6 insurrection in DC. Officer Justin Lee, 25, has been suspended by the Montgomery County Department of Police after he was indicted in connection to the riots at the Capitol, less than three months after he was placed on administrative leave for his role in a shooting involving a stabbing suspect. According to police, in July, the department was advised that Lee was the subject of an FBI investigation, though he was already on leave for the shoo…
NJ-Bred Fugees Founder Pras Michél Convicted In Federal Foreign-Influence Trial NJ-Bred Fugees Founder Pras Michél Convicted In Federal Foreign-Influence Trial
Nj-bred Fugees Founder Pras Michél Convicted In Federal Foreign-Influence Trial UPDATE: New Jersey-bred rapper and producer Pras Michél, best known as a founding member of the Fugees, was convicted by federal jurors in what the government called a "clandestine foreign influence campaign scheme." The Grammy-winning '90s hip-hop star was found guilty of 10 counts following an influence-peddling trial in Washington, DC, that featured high-profile witnesses such as Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The Justice Department accused Michél, 50, of collecting millions of dollars from Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho to launder money embezzled fro…
Massachusetts Air National Guard Member, 21, Arrested In Connection To Leaked Pentagon Papers Massachusetts Air National Guard Member, 21, Arrested In Connection To Leaked Pentagon Papers
Massachusetts Air National Guard Member, 21, Arrested In Connection To Leaked Pentagon Papers The unauthorized release of top-secret Pentagon materials has been connected to a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guard member, officials say.  Jack Douglas Teixeira, a member of the United States Air Force National Guard in Massachusetts, was arrested in the afternoon of Thursday, April 13, according to Attorney General Merrick Garland. Teixeira's arrest is part of the investigation into the unauthorized removal and publication of classified government and military documents.  The FBI reported that they took Teixeira into custody at his home in North Dighton, located in Bristol Co…
Fake Nursing Degrees Sold For $15K, Pair Arrested In South Jersey: Feds Fake Nursing Degrees Sold For $15K, Pair Arrested In South Jersey: Feds
Fake Nursing Degrees Sold For $15K, Pair Arrested In South Jersey: Feds A large-scale scheme to sell fake nursing degrees has been busted up by federal authorities.  Two South Jersey men were charged in the scheme that allowed thousands of prospective nurses to skip time-consuming training and licensing by purchasing credentials for up to $15,000. Those indicted collected more than $100 million peddling the bogus licenses, federal officials said. HHS-OIG, the FBI and Justice Department worked jointly on the operation, dubbed "Operation Nightingale," named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. The overall scheme involved the distribut…
Passaic Woman Conspired To Obstruct Federal Investigation Into Fraudster Dentist Bros: Feds Passaic Woman Conspired To Obstruct Federal Investigation Into Fraudster Dentist Bros: Feds
Passaic Woman Conspired To Obstruct Federal Investigation Into Fraudster Dentist Bros: Feds A 26-year-old Passaic County woman was charged in a federal indictment with conspiring to obstruct a grand jury investigation into a pair of Pennsylvania brothers accused of running a multi-million criminal enterprise, authorities said. Susan Malpartida was named in the 42-count indictment against Bhaskar and Arun Savani, who were charged with racketeering, money laundering, healthcare fraud, and a litany of other felony offenses that could see them locked up for hundreds of years each if convicted, the Justice Department announced. A multi-year investigation into the brother…
'Not-For-Human-Use' Implants Given To Patients By PA Criminal Dentist Brothers: Feds 'Not-For-Human-Use' Implants Given To Patients By PA Criminal Dentist Brothers: Feds
'Not-For-Human-Use' Implants Given To Patients By PA Criminal Dentist Brothers: Feds A pair of Montgomery County dentists are accused of giving patients "no -for-human-use" dental implants — among dozens of other criminal charges — in a sweeping indictment unveiled by federal prosecutors Wednesday, Jan. 25. Brothers Bhaskar and Arun Savani are charged with building a "complex criminal enterprise that amassed millions of dollars through multiple fraud schemes," the Justice Department said in a A multi-year investigation into the brothers' vast and labyrinthine business portfolio revealed a well-oiled criminal machine, prosecutors say. According to the indictment, the Sav…
Yale Medicine Settles With DEA After Ex-Nurse Replaced Fentanyl With Salt Water: Feds Yale Medicine Settles With DEA After Ex-Nurse Replaced Fentanyl With Salt Water: Feds
Yale Medicine Settles With DEA After Ex-Nurse Replaced Fentanyl With Salt Water: Feds Yale University agreed to pay more than $300,000 for violating the Controlled Substances Act after a nurse at a former fertility clinic there admitted to tampering with vials of fentanyl meant for patients, federal authorities said.  Police arrested Donna Monticone, 49, in November 2020 after investigators discovered she had removed the high-powered synthetic opioid from glass vials meant for surgery patients at Yale Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, the DEA said.  She injected herself with the drug and replaced what she used with saline so the vials would appear fu…
11-Year-Old Among Hundreds Of Nationwide Sexploitation Victims Rescued By FBI, Local Agencies 11-Year-Old Among Hundreds Of Nationwide Sexploitation Victims Rescued By FBI, Local Agencies
11-Year-Old Among Hundreds Of Nationwide Sexploitation Victims Rescued By FBI, Local Agencies FBI agents based in New Jersey teamed up with local, county and state authorities to rescue five sexually exploited teenagers who were among hundreds of victims located or identified during a two-week nationwide blitz. The New Jersey joint FBI operation with State Police, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office and police from Newark, Jersey City and Morris Township was part of a nationwide enforcement campaign dubbed “Operation Cross Country.” Across the United States, similar operations the first two weeks in August identified and located a total of 84 minor victims of child sex traffickin…
Uber To Pay Millions For Penalizing Riders With Disabilities, Federal Authorities Announce Uber To Pay Millions For Penalizing Riders With Disabilities, Federal Authorities Announce
Uber To Pay Millions For Penalizing Riders With Disabilities, Federal Authorities Announce Uber will forfeit nearly $1.8 million to more than 1,000 passengers with disabilities and refund double the amount of wait time fees to more than 65,000 others to resolve a federal complaint, authorities announced. Uber will also furnish an additional $500,000 to others harmed by the practice and will also waive wait time fees for certified riders with disabilities going forward, the Justice Department said Monday. The agreement settles federal allegations that the ride-hailing giant violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, authorities said. The double-money-back part of the deal coul…
If You’re Caught In A Mass Shooting, Will Cops Save You? Here’s What NY Agencies Say To Expect If You’re Caught In A Mass Shooting, Will Cops Save You? Here’s What NY Agencies Say To Expect
If You’re Caught In A Mass Shooting, Will Cops Save You? Here’s What NY Agencies Say To Expect As public outrage grows over the delayed police response to the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, many are questioning whether they can rely on law enforcement should they find themselves in a similar disaster. That concern is sure to increase following a bombshell report from The New York Times Thursday, June 9, that heavily armed police officers delayed confronting the 18-year-old gunman in Uvalde, Texas for over an hour - even though supervisors knew wounded students were trapped - out of concern for officer safety. Breaking News: Heavily armed Uvalde officers waited an hou…
Motocross Stuntman Who Traveled Through NJ, NY, PA Charged With Raping Kids, Recording It Motocross Stuntman Who Traveled Through NJ, NY, PA Charged With Raping Kids, Recording It
Motocross Stuntman Who Traveled Through NJ, NY, PA Charged With Raping Kids, Recording It A motocross stunt rider who frequented New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania raped children and made videos of it while barnstorming the country in a traveling circus, federal authorities charged. Ryan Meyung, 30, “engaged six different minor victims in sexually explicit conduct to produce images of child sexual abuse” between 2019 and 2021, the Justice Department said. Meyung had already been charged locally in Georgia with child rape, aggravated kidnapping, tampering with evidence and criminal conspiracy. A federal indictment returned this week accuses him of producing, transporting and p…
10 Dead After Mass Shooting At Buffalo Supermarket 10 Dead After Mass Shooting At Buffalo Supermarket
10 Dead After Mass Shooting At Buffalo Supermarket Updated story: 18-Year-Old Gunman Live-Streamed Mass Shooting At Buffalo Supermarket That Left 10 Dead This story has been updated. Ten people are dead after a gunman opened fire inside a supermarket in Buffalo. A total of 13 people were shot in the incident that happened just after 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at Tops Market on Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said. The three others shot have non life-threatening injuries. The shooter is in custody, the Buffalo Police Department announced on Twitter. The suspect's identity has not yet been released.…
NYC Businessman Indicted For Evading Taxes From $4.1M NJ Company Buyout NYC Businessman Indicted For Evading Taxes From $4.1M NJ Company Buyout
NYC Businessman Indicted For Evading Taxes From $4.1M NJ Company Buyout A shareholder with a New Jersey-based home warranty company ducked more than $250,000 in taxes from the sale of his stock, federal authorities charged. In exchange for his shares, the Edison company agreed to pay David Seruya, 42, of Brooklyn more than $4.1 million, the Justice Department said. The deal included a lump sum payment and installment payments spread out over 24 months, federal authorities said. On three straight tax returns, from 2014 through 2016, Seruya gave his return preparer “false and incomplete income information,” underreporting the income he received from the sale, a…
COVID-19: Oxford Couple Pays $169K To Resolve Claims Of Relief Loan Fraud COVID-19: Oxford Couple Pays $169K To Resolve Claims Of Relief Loan Fraud
Covid-19: Oxford Couple Pays $169K To Resolve Claims Of Relief Loan Fraud A Connecticut couple paid nearly $170,000 to resolve allegations that they allegedly spent thousands in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, federal officials announced. New Haven County residents Janine and Gerard Carbonaro, of Oxford, agreed to pay 169,563.60 as part of an agreement for fraudulently misspending $109,000 in small business loans during the pandemic to purchase new property in Florida. US Attorney Leonard Boyle said that on April 7, 2020, Gerard Carbonaro applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Grant/Advance on be…
NJ Woman In Wheelchair, 74, Among Group Charged By Feds Following DC Anti-Abortion Protest NJ Woman In Wheelchair, 74, Among Group Charged By Feds Following DC Anti-Abortion Protest
NJ Woman In Wheelchair, 74, Among Group Charged By Feds Following DC Anti-Abortion Protest A 74-year-old North Jersey woman in a wheelchair was among a group of anti-abortion activists charged with federal civil rights violations for blocking access to a reproductive health clinic in Washington, D.C. The arrest of Joan Andrews-Bell of Montague and eight other demonstrators was originally live-streamed on Facebook during an October 2020 protest that they dubbed “The Pink Rose Rescue” and federal authorities called an “invasion." Justice Department officials on Wednesday, March 30 announced the return of an indictment charging the defendants with criminally conspiring to “injure, …
Trump Aide From Yorktown Held In Contempt By Jan. 6 Panel Trump Aide From Yorktown Held In Contempt By Jan. 6 Panel
Trump Aide From Yorktown Held In Contempt By Jan. 6 Panel The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol in Washington DC unanimously voted to refer former Trump aides Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino, Jr. to the Justice Department for criminal contempt of Congress charges. Scavino, a Northern Westchester native from Yorktown and former resident of Hopewell Junction in Dutchess County who served as a social media director during the Trump campaign and later worked alongside him in the White House as deputy chief of staff, is officially facing a criminal contempt charge for refusing to comply with subpoenas from the i…
Ex-Trump Aide From Yorktown Held In Contempt By Jan. 6 Panel Ex-Trump Aide From Yorktown Held In Contempt By Jan. 6 Panel
Ex-Trump Aide From Yorktown Held In Contempt By Jan. 6 Panel A top aide for former President Donald Trump who grew up in Northern Westchester and lived in Dutchess County could face charges from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol. Yorktown native and former Hopewell Junction resident Dan Scavino, Jr., who served as a social media director during the Trump campaign and later worked alongside him in the White House as deputy chief of staff, could face criminal contempt charges for refusing to comply with subpoenas from the committee. Related story - Yorktown Native Dan Scavino Gets Post In Donald …
Feds Charge Clifton Doc With Randomly Doling Out Large Doses Of Oxy, Xanax, More Feds Charge Clifton Doc With Randomly Doling Out Large Doses Of Oxy, Xanax, More
Feds Charge Clifton Doc With Randomly Doling Out Large Doses Of Oxy, Xanax, More A Clifton orthopedic surgeon was charged by federal authorities with prescribing high doses of addictive opioid painkillers to patients who abused, sold or otherwise didn't need them. Evangelos Megariotis, 68, prescribed Oxycodone, Xanax, cough syrup with codeine and stimulants “outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Megariotis, who owned and operated Clifton Orthopedic Associates, already has been banned by the state from ever again practicing medicine or prescribing drugs in New Jersey. State au…
Federal Judge In NJ Orders Duo To Stop Selling Supposed COVID 'Cure' Federal Judge In NJ Orders Duo To Stop Selling Supposed COVID 'Cure'
Federal Judge In NJ Orders Duo To Stop Selling Supposed COVID 'Cure' UPDATE: A federal judge has issued a final order to a retired New Jersey lawyer and formerly licensed psychiatrist from Westchester to stop selling unapproved and misbranded drugs advertised as a cure for COVID-19. Ralph Fucetola of Newton and his partner, Rima Laibow, formerly of Croton-on-Hudson, sold a product that they claimed would "cure, mitigate, treat or prevent" the coronavirus, the Justice Department said Tuesday. They claimed that anyone who ingested one capful a day of "Dr. Rima Recommends Nano Silver 10PPM" should have "no fear or concern" about the coronavirus, a complaint on …
Pedophile Gets 50 Years, No Parole, For Soliciting Child Porn From Female Facebook 'Friends' Pedophile Gets 50 Years, No Parole, For Soliciting Child Porn From Female Facebook 'Friends'
Pedophile Gets 50 Years, No Parole, For Soliciting Child Porn From Female Facebook 'Friends' A registered sex offender was sentenced Friday to 50 years in federal prison for getting women he met on Facebook to take and send him sexually explicit photos of pre-teens and even infants. Because there's no parole in the federal prison system, Lorenzo Johnson will have to live to 83 to see freedom again, under the sentence imposed by a U.S. District Court judge in Indiana. Johnson, 33, of Hammond, IN took his chances at a trial rather than accept a plea deal from the government. Jurors, in turn, convicted him in August of two pornography-related counts as well as with being a convicted f…
Long Island Man, 79, Charged in $13M 'Cash Prize' Mail Scam That Duped Seniors Nationwide Long Island Man, 79, Charged in $13M 'Cash Prize' Mail Scam That Duped Seniors Nationwide
Long Island Man, 79, Charged in $13M 'Cash Prize' Mail Scam That Duped Seniors Nationwide A 79-year-old Long Island man and two accomplices scammed mostly elderly victims out of $13 million through a pair of bogus "cash prize" direct-mail scams, federal authorities charged. Hundreds of thousands of mailings claimed the victims were "specially chosen" to receive a large cash prize, the government said. All they had to do was pay a "fee" of from $20 to $40 to collect their prize, a federal indictment says. Many unfortunately fell for it, authorities said. The indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn names Shawn Phillips, 52, of British Columbia, Canada, as the ring…
Ex-Hedge Fund Manager From NY, FL Admits $6.8M COVID-19 Scam In NJ Federal Court Ex-Hedge Fund Manager From NY, FL Admits $6.8M COVID-19 Scam In NJ Federal Court
Ex-Hedge Fund Manager From NY, FL Admits $6.8M Covid-19 Scam In NJ Federal Court A dual New York/Florida resident admitted in federal court in Newark that he schemed to steal more than $6.8 million in COVID-19 payroll protection loans -- $3 million of which the government said he flushed away in the stock market. Gregory J. Blotnick applied to 13 lenders for 21 loans over a period of nearly a year, beginning in March 21, 2020, lying about the number of employees at nine companies whom he supposedly needed to pay, federal authorities said. Blotnick, 34, dumped the money into a personal brokerage account instead, then poured nearly 45% of it into losing stock trades, Acti…
$10 EACH: Pharmacist Charged With Selling COVID Vax Cards On eBay, Feds Warn Against Fakes $10 EACH: Pharmacist Charged With Selling COVID Vax Cards On eBay, Feds Warn Against Fakes
$10 Each: Pharmacist Charged With Selling COVID Vax Cards On eBay, Feds Warn Against Fakes A licensed pharmacist was arrested by federal agents Tuesday for selling COVID-19 vaccination cards on eBay as government warnings against buying cards increased. Tangtang Zhao, 34, of Chicago worked for a pharmacy that distributed and administered vaccines – and with them the vax cards -- at its locations nationwide, Justice Department Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. said. Zhao got his hands on 125 authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccination cards that he sold to nearly a dozen different buyers for $10 each, Polite said. “Knowingly selling COVID vacc…
COVID-19: Cuomo Responds After DOJ Announces It Won't Investigate NY Nursing Home Deaths COVID-19: Cuomo Responds After DOJ Announces It Won't Investigate NY Nursing Home Deaths
Covid-19: Cuomo Responds After DOJ Announces It Won't Investigate NY Nursing Home Deaths New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has issued a statement following the Justice Department's decision not to open a civil rights investigation into the state's COVID-19 response in its nursing homes. Requests for data from the nursing homes had previously been made due to questions about whether New York and other states worsened the COVID-19 death toll by requiring the facilities to accept residents who had been hospitalized for COVID-19. GOP Rep. Steve Scalise reported on Friday, July 23, that the Justice Department sent him a letter saying it would not open the investigation. 🚨🚨 BREAKING—Bi…
COVID-19: DOJ Decision Not To Investigate NY Nursing Home Deaths Draws Criticism From GOP COVID-19: DOJ Decision Not To Investigate NY Nursing Home Deaths Draws Criticism From GOP
Covid-19: DOJ Decision Not To Investigate NY Nursing Home Deaths Draws Criticism From GOP Republican representatives are criticizing the Justice Department’s decision not to open a civil rights investigation into New York's COVID-19 response in its state-run nursing homes. The department sent a letter to GOP Rep. Steve Scalise and other Republicans, saying it would not open the investigation. The department also declined to investigate allegations in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Requests for data from the nursing homes had previously been made due to questions about whether New York and other states worsened the COVID-19 death toll by requiring the facilities to accept residents …
Private Eye From Mahwah Among Group Indicted On Charges Of Stalking NJ Couple For China Private Eye From Mahwah Among Group Indicted On Charges Of Stalking NJ Couple For China
Private Eye From Mahwah Among Group Indicted On Charges Of Stalking NJ Couple For China A former NYPD sergeant turned Bergen County private investigator is among a group of defendants accused in a federal indictment of stalking and harassing an expatriated couple in New Jersey to return to China to face prosecution there. Michael McMahon, 53, of Mahwah helped “gather intelligence about and locate” the husband, who was wanted by People’s Republic of China for “embezzlement, abuse of power [and] acceptance of bribes,” the indictment returned by a grand jury in Brooklyn alleges. Two of the defendants pounded on the couple’s front door the night of Sept. 4, 2018, tried to force th…
Trump Holdover From Northern Westchester Fired By Biden Says He Won't Leave Government Post Trump Holdover From Northern Westchester Fired By Biden Says He Won't Leave Government Post
Trump Holdover From Northern Westchester Fired By Biden Says He Won't Leave Government Post A Westchester County resident who was serving as the Social Security commissioner after being appointed to the post by former President Donald Trump said he won't leave his post, despite being fired by President Joe Biden. The Washington Post reported that Andrew Saul, who had been working remotely from his home in Katonah, said he was blindsided by his firing. His term was set to end in 2025.  Saul's access to agency computers was cut off on Monday, July 12, the day his acting successor, Kilolo Kijakazi, took over, The Washington Post said.  Experts told the Post that …
Clifton Ortho Doc Who State Said Freely Doled Out Opioids Permanently Barred From Practice Clifton Ortho Doc Who State Said Freely Doled Out Opioids Permanently Barred From Practice
Clifton Ortho Doc Who State Said Freely Doled Out Opioids Permanently Barred From Practice UPDATE: A Clifton orthopedic surgeon who prescribed addictive opioid painkillers to patients who abused, sold or otherwise didn't need them was permanently barred from practicing medicine or prescribing drugs in New Jersey, state authorities announced Monday. Evangelos Megariotis – who owned and operated Clifton Orthopedic Associates -- told one patient that "anything that drugs can do on the street, my medications will do better and safer,” state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said. "Just call me,” Grewal quoted him as saying. Megariotis also treated patient complaints of hypertension…
Feds Raid Giuliani's Manhattan Apartment Feds Raid Giuliani's Manhattan Apartment
Feds Raid Giuliani's Manhattan Apartment Federal agents on Wednesday raided the Manhattan apartment of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as part of an investigation into his activities in Ukraine, according to multiple reports. Guiliani, who was ex-President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, didn’t immediately comment, nor did the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in Manhattan. No charges had been filed against the 76-year-old former federal prosecutor as of Wednesday afternoon. Agents earlier in the day seized electronic devices during a warranted search as part of a months-long investigation, acco…
Hudson Valley Assemblyman Calls On Cuomo To Resign Amid Nursing Home, Harassment Scandals Hudson Valley Assemblyman Calls On Cuomo To Resign Amid Nursing Home, Harassment Scandals
Hudson Valley Assemblyman Calls On Cuomo To Resign Amid Nursing Home, Harassment Scandals A Hudson Valley lawmaker is calling on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign amid the latest scandal to hit his administration. On Wednesday, Feb. 24, former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan made a scathing blog post public in which she outlined alleged sexual harassment incidents involving the governor during her time in his administration. Earlier story - New Details Of Cuomo Sexual Harassment Claims Released By Former Aide In response to the allegation, Republican Assemblyman Mike Lawler, who represents District 97, which includes Pearl River and other parts of Rockland County, called for Cuom…