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Federal Court

Ex-Abercrombie CEO Asks Judge To Rule On Mental Fitness Ahead Of Sex Trafficking Trial Ex-Abercrombie CEO Asks Judge To Rule On Mental Fitness Ahead Of Sex Trafficking Trial
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…
Trenton Man Sentenced To Life For Violent Carjacking Spree That Seriously Injured 2, Feds Say Trenton Man Sentenced To Life For Violent Carjacking Spree That Seriously Injured 2, Feds Say
Trenton Man Sentenced To Life For Violent Carjacking Spree That Seriously Injured 2, Feds Say A Trenton man will spend the rest of his life in prison nearly seven years after a violent carjacking spree that left two victims with life-altering injuries, authorities said. Cedrick Hodges, 41, received his life sentence in Trenton federal court, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release on Wednesday, Nov. 20. He was found guilty on five counts after a seven-day trial on Thursday, Oct. 24. Sellinger said Hodges "terrorized" Hamilton Township on the night of Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017. "The sentence handed down today will ensure that this violent offender will …
Man Threatens To Kill Reporter, Her Family In Orange County, Feds Say Man Threatens To Kill Reporter, Her Family In Orange County, Feds Say
Man Threatens To Kill Reporter, Her Family In Orange County, Feds Say Anger over an unflattering news article prompted a man to threaten to kill a New York reporter and her family, federal prosecutors alleged. Austin Suman, age 35, now residing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was charged in Westchester County with making a threat involving an explosive and related charges in White Plains federal court. Prosecutors said Suman contacted a Hudson Valley reporter based in Orange County via Facebook messenger on Friday, Nov. 8, threatening to “end” the woman’s family. He allegedly threatened to blow her house “off its foundation” and used multiple racial slurs. …
Franklin Lakes Wife Destroyed Phone To Obstruct Feds In Husband's High-Profile Probe: Officials Franklin Lakes Wife Destroyed Phone To Obstruct Feds In Husband's High-Profile Probe: Officials
Franklin Lakes Wife Destroyed Phone To Obstruct Feds In Husband's High-Profile Probe: Officials Federal authorities have charged the wife of a Bergen County celebrity house flipper with trying to obstruct an investigation into her husband’s alleged multimillion-dollar Ponzi-like real estate scheme. Jennifer Iturralde Pina, 43, of Franklin Lakes, is accused of attempting to stop a witness from cooperating with investigators and destroying one of her phones as federal agents arrived to seize it, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said this week. The alleged obstruction is linked to an ongoing investigation involving her husband, Cesar Humberto Pina, 45, a real estate influencer better kn…
Accused Pelosi Laptop Thief's Dad Convicted Of Child Abuse In Pennsylvania Accused Pelosi Laptop Thief's Dad Convicted Of Child Abuse In Pennsylvania
Accused Pelosi Laptop Thief's Dad Convicted Of Child Abuse In Pennsylvania The father of a Pennsylvania woman who was accused of stealing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's laptop was convicted of sexually abusing a girl on Wednesday, Oct. 30 — just two days after the trial began, according to court documents and the Dauphin County District Attorney's office.  Rickey Williams, 55, — a security guard from Dauphin County — touched the girl when she was between the ages of 8 and 18. Judge William T. presided over the trial.  She came forward about the abuse within two weeks after police allegedly caught him soliciting a video of a 14-ye…
Brooklyn Man Forced NJ Child Into Prostitution: Feds Brooklyn Man Forced NJ Child Into Prostitution: Feds
Brooklyn Man Forced NJ Child Into Prostitution: Feds A 30-year-old Brooklyn man pleaded guilty to forcing a New Jersey girl into prostitution on Tuesday, Oct. 22, authorities said. In 2019, Soauib Butcher brought the girl by train to New York City, where he instructed the victim to perform oral sex for money on a rooftop in Brooklyn, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said.  Several days later, Butcher brought the victim to Elizabeth where, from August 2019 to January 2020, the victim stayed with Butcher and another person in a series of motel rooms, Sellinger said. The conspirator posted advertisements depicting the victim on escor…
Ex-Abercrombie CEO Forced Aspiring Models To Take Part In ‘Sex Events’ In Hamptons, Feds Say Ex-Abercrombie CEO Forced Aspiring Models To Take Part In ‘Sex Events’ In Hamptons, Feds Say
Ex-Abercrombie CEO Forced Aspiring Models To Take Part In ‘Sex Events’ In Hamptons, 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…
Belgian National Tried Breaking Into Cockpit On Flight From Newark Airport To Switzerland: Feds Belgian National Tried Breaking Into Cockpit On Flight From Newark Airport To Switzerland: Feds
Belgian National Tried Breaking Into Cockpit On Flight From Newark Airport To Switzerland: Feds A 43-year-old Belgian national is facing federal charges for trying to break into the cockpit of plane and assaulting flight attendants during a flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Zurich, Switzerland, in March 2024, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Jan Daeninck, 43, was a passenger aboard a Swiss International Airlines flight on March 31 when, shortly after takeoff, he walked up to a female flight attendant, grabbed both of her breasts with his hands, shook her, and began yelling at her, according to witnesses and statements made in court.  After the flig…
COVID-19: John Gotti's Smithtown Grandson Admits To $1M Relief Fraud COVID-19: John Gotti's Smithtown Grandson Admits To $1M Relief Fraud
Covid-19: John Gotti's Smithtown Grandson Admits To $1M Relief Fraud A New York man with ties to the Mafia formally confessed to a million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. Long Island resident Carmine Agnello, age 38, of Smithtown, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, Sept. 26. Agnello is the grandson of the late John Gotti, former boss of the Gambino organized crime family. According to prosecutors, between April 2020 and November 2021, he fraudulently applied for, and received, at least three small business loans under the US Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP). The program…
Smithtown American Airlines Mechanic Who Smuggled $250K Worth Of Cocaine On Flight Gets Prison Smithtown American Airlines Mechanic Who Smuggled $250K Worth Of Cocaine On Flight Gets Prison
Smithtown American Airlines Mechanic Who Smuggled $250K Worth Of Cocaine On Flight Gets Prison An airplane mechanic from New York will spend nearly a decade behind bars for smuggling over 25 pounds of cocaine on an American Airlines plane. Long Island resident Paul Belloisi, age 56, of Smithtown, was sentenced to nine years in prison in Brooklyn federal court on Friday, Sept. 6, for possessing and importing cocaine. Belloisi, a former mechanic for American Airlines, was arrested in February 2020 after US Customs and Border Protection discovered 10 bricks of cocaine in an electronics compartment beneath a plane arriving from Jamaica at Kennedy International Airport in Queens . The c…
UPMC Professor Of Pediatric Radiology Indicted For Child Porn: USDOJ UPMC Professor Of Pediatric Radiology Indicted For Child Porn: USDOJ
Upmc Professor Of Pediatric Radiology Indicted For Child Porn: Usdoj A University of Pittsburgh Doctor and Professor Of Pediatric Radiology has been indicted on child pornography charges, according to a release by the US Department Of Justice on Wednesday, Sept. 4.  Dr. Ashok Panigrahy, 53, of Pittsburgh, was caught transporting "material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor in interstate commerce, as well as possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor," in Nov. 2022, as stated in the USDOJ release.  The material included images of the raping of children under the of 12 and/or prepubescent, according to federal court documents obt…
Union Mailman Found Guilty Of Taking Bribes To Transport Drugs: Feds Union Mailman Found Guilty Of Taking Bribes To Transport Drugs: Feds
Union Mailman Found Guilty Of Taking Bribes To Transport Drugs: Feds A 49-year-old former mailman and Union resident was convicted in federal court on Thursday, Aug. 15 of taking bribes to deliver drugs through the mail, authorities said.  For five years, from 2015 to 2010, Emerson Pavilus received cash payments in exchange for helping individuals intercept packages containing illegal narcotics and other illicit materials while working as a mailman in Flanders, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Pavilus provided his conspirators with addresses for vacant houses along his mail route to which they could ship illegal packages, Sellinger said. P…
Ousted Nassau Rep. George Santos  Likely To Face Prison After Pleading Guilty In Fraud Case Ousted Nassau Rep. George Santos  Likely To Face Prison After Pleading Guilty In Fraud Case
Ousted Nassau Rep. George Santos Likely To Face Prison After Pleading Guilty In Fraud Case Former Republican Congressman George Santos admitted to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in a federal court on Monday, Aug. 19, authorities announced.  The 36-year-old former inhabitant of New York's 3rd Congressional District seat on Long Island was facing 23 felonies, and a trial set to begin next month.  A federal judge will sentence Santos on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said. According to federal sentencing guidelines, aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year minimum sentence.&n…
$1B Scheme: Pair Of CEOs, Including Manhasset Man, Defrauded 10K Investors, Jury Finds $1B Scheme: Pair Of CEOs, Including Manhasset Man, Defrauded 10K Investors, Jury Finds
$1B Scheme: Pair Of CEOs, Including Manhasset Man, Defrauded 10K Investors, Jury Finds A New York resident was one of two CEOs convicted in federal court of a $1 billion fraud scheme involving thousands of investors. Long Island resident David Gentile, age 57, of Manhasset, and Jeffry Schneider, age 55, of Austin, Texas, were found guilty in federal court on all counts of an indictment charging them with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and securities fraud. Gentile, the owner and CEO of GPB Capital Holdings, was also convicted on two counts of wire fraud. The verdict came after an eight-week trial. When sentenced on Thursd…
Man Convicted Of 'Sextorting' Teen Through Snapchat, Sexual Assault At Atlantic County Hotel Man Convicted Of 'Sextorting' Teen Through Snapchat, Sexual Assault At Atlantic County Hotel
Man Convicted Of 'Sextorting' Teen Through Snapchat, Sexual Assault At Atlantic County Hotel A New York City man was convicted of blackmailing a teen into having sex with him at an Atlantic County hotel, authorities said. Zachary Williams, 37, was found guilty in federal court on Monday, July 22 of two counts of interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, production of and possession of child pornography, and coercion and enticement of a minor, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release.  According to court documents and trial evidence, Williams met the victim through Snapchat in September 2020. He told t…
NJ Broker Bought Private Jet, Luxury Caribbean Vacation In $3.4M Insider Trading Scheme: Feds NJ Broker Bought Private Jet, Luxury Caribbean Vacation In $3.4M Insider Trading Scheme: Feds
NJ Broker Bought Private Jet, Luxury Caribbean Vacation In $3.4M Insider Trading Scheme: Feds A former partner at a New Jersey broker-dealer firm was accused of insider trading, making more than $3 million in illegal profits, authorities said. Christopher Matthaei, 44, of Brielle, was arraigned in federal court on Wednesday, July 17, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. A federal grand jury indicted him on Friday, June 21 for two counts of securities fraud conspiracy and seven counts of securities fraud. According to court documents and statements, Matthaei was a partner and senior salesperson at a trading firm based in Charlotte, North Carol…
South Jersey Man Admits Possessing Child Porn Videos, Feds Say South Jersey Man Admits Possessing Child Porn Videos, Feds Say
South Jersey Man Admits Possessing Child Porn Videos, Feds Say A Burlington County man admitted possessing multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse, federal authorities said. Dennis Nerolich, 68, of Burlington, and formerly of New Egypt, pleaded guilty on Thursday, June 20 before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an information charging him with possession of child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From March 2016 to May 1, 2018, Nerolich possessed multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse. Nerolich re…
CPA Firefighting Hero From Bergen Admits Role In $650,000 Tax Dodge CPA Firefighting Hero From Bergen Admits Role In $650,000 Tax Dodge
CPA Firefighting Hero From Bergen Admits Role In $650,000 Tax Dodge 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A decorated veteran Bergen County firefighter admitted in federal court on Wednesday that he and his business partner conducted a blatant tax dodge on behalf of a bunch of construction companies that employed their New York accounting firm. Jack N. Sardis, 66, of Englewood Cliffs admitted that he schemed to con the IRS with his partner, George Sanossian, 70, of Scarsdale, out of a small CPA office in a massive Westchester County shopping center. Sardis also offered to do business elsewhere, telling one client "I can meet you at my firehouse,” according to an IRS complaint. The clie…
Repeat Offender: Previously Convicted CT Man Again Nabbed With Child Porn, Feds Say Repeat Offender: Previously Convicted CT Man Again Nabbed With Child Porn, Feds Say
Repeat Offender: Previously Convicted CT Man Again Nabbed With Child Porn, Feds Say A 40-year-old Connecticut man with a previous conviction faces more charges after he was caught with child pornography, some of which was generated with artificial intelligence, federal officials announced. New Haven County resident Travis Tilley of Naugatuck has been charged in connection with child exploitation offenses, including the possession of artificially generated pornography, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced on Monday, May 13.  According to federal officials, at the time of his latest arrest, Tilley had been serving a 15-year term of pro…
Mass Man Promised 'Better Lifestyle' To Lure 17-Year-Old, Other Sex Trafficking Victims Mass Man Promised 'Better Lifestyle' To Lure 17-Year-Old, Other Sex Trafficking Victims
Mass Man Promised 'Better Lifestyle' To Lure 17-Year-Old, Other Sex Trafficking Victims He promised them a “better lifestyle,” but his victims got anything but. Massachusetts resident Jimall Brown, age 35, of Boston, pleaded guilty to multiple sex trafficking charges in Boston federal court on Monday, April 8. Prosecutors said Brown lured three female victims, including a 17-year-old girl, from out of state and forced them into prostitution between May 2016 and 2022. He admitted to meeting the teen victim on social media and convincing her to fly to Boston from out of state with the promise of a “better lifestyle.” Once she arrived, Brown posted ads of the teen online and arr…
'Father-Figure' From MD Who Repeatedly Raped, Abused Girl Under His Care Gets Life In Prison 'Father-Figure' From MD Who Repeatedly Raped, Abused Girl Under His Care Gets Life In Prison
'Father-Figure' From MD Who Repeatedly Raped, Abused Girl Under His Care Gets Life In Prison A man who repeatedly raped and sexually abused a young girl he helped raise in Maryland has been sentenced to life in prison, federal authorities in DC announced on Wednesday. Waldorf resident Charles Clark, 67, was sentenced on April 3 for sexually abusing a child who was entrusted to his care hundreds of times over the course of several years. According to court documents, beginning in June 2017, Clark targeted a child under the age of 17, subjecting the girl to repeated rape and sexual abuse for five years.  Despite being a “father-figure” to this girl, and despite having helped ra…
Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison
Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison After confessing that he posed as a teenager in order to trick underage girls into sending naked pictures, a man from the region will spend decades in prison. Schenectady resident Thomas Ullman, age 47, was sentenced to 25 years behind bars in Albany federal court on Thursday, March 28. It followed his guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child. Federal prosecutors said Ullman posed as a teenage boy on a dating website for teens and convinced multiple underage girls to text and video chat with him between March 2020 and June 2021. He then instructed the girls, some as young as 13, to en…
Honest Meth Dealer From Capital Region Corrects Federal Agents: ‘21.7 Grams To Be Exact’ Honest Meth Dealer From Capital Region Corrects Federal Agents: ‘21.7 Grams To Be Exact’
Honest Meth Dealer From Capital Region Corrects Federal Agents: ‘21.7 Grams To Be Exact’ You gotta admire his honesty. A Schenectady man is facing years in federal lockup after admitting to selling hard drugs – and correcting agents on the exact amount. Ocyris Morgan, age 36, pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it in Albany federal court on Monday, March 4. Prosecutors said a search of Morgan’s Schenectady residence in June 2023 turned up more than 21 grams of methamphetamine, which he admitted he intended to sell. When he overheard federal agents saying they found between one-half and one ounce of the drug, Morgan corrected them, saying…
District Man Convicted Of Robbing Phone Stores At Gunpoint In Maryland Faces Life In Prison District Man Convicted Of Robbing Phone Stores At Gunpoint In Maryland Faces Life In Prison
District Man Convicted Of Robbing Phone Stores At Gunpoint In Maryland Faces Life In Prison It took a federal jury in Maryland less than an hour to convict a 24-year-old District man who robbed two Baltimore County phone stores in December 2020, authorities announced. Donte Antwaun Herring was found guilty following an eight-day trial for his roles in robberies in Halethorpe and Owings Mills less than a week apart when he and his co-conspirator brandished weapons and stole electronics.  According to prosecutors, on Dec. 17, 2020, the two walked into a phone store in the 3900 block of Washington Boulevard posing as customers before announcing a robbery and breaking out handgun…
PA Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security PA Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security
PA Man Gets Prison Time For Concealing Dad's Death To Collect Social Security A Monroe County man was sentenced to five years in federal prison this week for covering up his father's death and continuing to cash his checks, according to the US Attorney's Office.  Timothy Gritman, 56, of Brodheadsville, pleaded guilty to Social Security and wire fraud in a federal court exactly one year ago, Feb. 14, 2023, Daily Voice reported. This year on Valentine's Day, Gritman was sentenced to five years plus three more of supervised release, prosecutors said in a release.  Authorities have said Gritman's father Ralph was 79 and "in poor health" when he was l…
Thousands Of Child Porn Photos, Videos Found On Capital Region Man's Computer Thousands Of Child Porn Photos, Videos Found On Capital Region Man's Computer
Thousands Of Child Porn Photos, Videos Found On Capital Region Man's Computer A man from the region could spend decades behind bars after being found with thousands of images depicting child sex abuse. Albany County resident Scott Weinbloom, age 49, of Latham, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in Albany federal court on Thursday, Feb. 1. According to prosecutors, a search of Weinbloom’s Latham residence in May 2022 turned up 1,300 photos and 1,500 videos of child pornography that had been stored on a USB flash drive. Investigators also found two computers that had been used to store and view the illicit images. Weinbloom faces up to 20 years in federal…
PA, DE Duo Faked Nuclear Reactor Safety Paperwork, Feds Say PA, DE Duo Faked Nuclear Reactor Safety Paperwork, Feds Say
PA, DE Duo Faked Nuclear Reactor Safety Paperwork, Feds Say Two men who pleaded guilty to submitting false reports related to nuclear power plant safety attended sentencing hearings in a federal court this week, said the US Justice Department in a release.  Miguel Marcial Amaro of Newark, Delaware, and Martin Ramos of Levittown, Pennsylvania are both banned from participation or employment in any Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed activities as part of their plea deals, said federal prosecutors.  Authorities said Marcial Amaro and Ramos both worked for a company that provided acoustic emissions (AE) testing for nuclear power plant…
Two Charged With Killing Rising Maryland Pro Boxer During Robbery In DC: Feds Two Charged With Killing Rising Maryland Pro Boxer During Robbery In DC: Feds
Two Charged With Killing Rising Maryland Pro Boxer During Robbery In DC: Feds Two men have been arrested and charged in connection to the fatal shooting in DC of an up-and-coming pro boxer from Maryland, federal authorities announced. Jayvon Thomas, 20, and Lavar Hunter, 19, have been arraigned for first-degree felony murder while armed for their alleged roles in the November murder of 24-year-old Anwar “The Silent Assassin” Wingate last year. On Nov. 19, 2023, investigators say that Wingate was shot in the neck after trying to fight off the two men, who were able to get the jump on him by catching him off guard in a parking garage in the 21000 block of 8th Stre…
Brockton Man Admits To Sexually Exploiting Children Brockton Man Admits To Sexually Exploiting Children
Brockton Man Admits To Sexually Exploiting Children A Brockton man has admitted in a Boston federal court that he coerced three minors to make child sexual abuse material. Zaire Aquil Lodge, 46, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Jan. 17, to three counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of receipt of child pornography, the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts said. Lodge was first indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023, and his sentencing has been set for April 24. Related: Brockton Man Coerced 3 Kids To Make Pornography: Feds Lodge, on different dates throughout 2021, employed, used, persuaded, induc…
Steelton Man Wanted By US Marshals, Had Ghost Guns During Pursuit: PA State Police Steelton Man Wanted By US Marshals, Had Ghost Guns During Pursuit: PA State Police
Steelton Man Wanted By US Marshals, Had Ghost Guns During Pursuit: PA State Police A man out on bail for a gun shop theft and wanted by the US Marshals Service —  was found fleeing from Pennsylvania State Police with teens and ghost guns, according to a PSP release on Saturday, Jan. 13.  James Timothy Scott Jr., 20 of Steelton, was among the three people arrested following a pursuit by Pennsylvania State Police in Harrisburg on Thursday, Jan. 11, as detailed in the release. Scott was the driver of a 2015 Kia Optima that was stolen from a 29-year-old woman who is a city resident, troopers explained.  Scott —  along with his two teenage passengers …
Salem Man Gets 6 Years For Sharing Child Porn Of Victim Younger Than 12: Feds Salem Man Gets 6 Years For Sharing Child Porn Of Victim Younger Than 12: Feds
Salem Man Gets 6 Years For Sharing Child Porn Of Victim Younger Than 12: Feds A Salem man will serve six years in prison after he pleaded guilty in a Boston federal court to child pornography possession and distribution charges, authorities said.  Andrew Sorrento, 35, had nearly two dozen photos and seven videos saved on his cell phone showing child sexual abuse material, including some images of children under 12 years old, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Investigators identified Sorrento as a person they believed was sending child sexual abuse material in July 2022. Authorities found photos and videos on devices when they searched his Salem home in December 2…