The Marshals Service has been diligently working with state and local law enforcement officers to arrest violent fugitives in all 33 counties in New Mexico. Operation Desert Snow has five phases which have already been implemented throughout the entire state of New Mexico. The operation is building partnerships between state, county, local and tribal agencies in order to develop an emergency response strategy throughout the entire state. Phases I and II have already been completed. Phases III, IV and V will be implemented on an established schedule throughout 2015.
Phase I began in the Farmington, New Mexico Four-Corners Area which extends to the Arizona border and encompasses the Navajo Nation. From December 11-14, 2014 the Marshals Service and several of its law enforcement partners began serving warrants in this region. During the two-day operation, law enforcement officers endeavored to serve more than 60 warrants. They were successful in arresting 22 fugitives. All of these fugitive cases targeted violent fugitives.
Phase II of the operation continued February 19-22, 2015, in the Southwest corner of the state, which includes Luna County, Sierra County, Dona Ana County, Otero County and Lincoln County. The Marshals Service and combined local law enforcement task force members endeavored to serve over 100 warrants. They were successful in arresting 24 violent fugitives and clearing 33 warrants in this two- day operation.
Phase III will soon commence throughout the Northern New Mexico area. This operation will focus on the violent offenders who continue to evade apprehension which will make the area safer by protecting the public from these repeat offenders. This opportunity will also offer the entire taskforce an advantage to gain a better understanding of the area’s critical infrastructure, and to survey nearby areas of national interest for potential threats.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Friday, February 27, 2015
Vito Corleone's Home from "The Godfather" is for Sale.
The Staten Island movie home of Vito Corleone in “The Godfather” is for sale.
Rated as one of the best movies of all time, “The Godfather,” the blockbuster crime film produced in 1972, ran away with the Oscars winning Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. The portrayals of an extended New York crime family by its cast of Marlon Brando, then unknown Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton showed the personal lives of the Mafia during their heyday years of the 1940s and 50s. Most of the movie’s scenes were filmed in New York City locations including Bellevue Hospital, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Calvary Cemetery and a 1930 Tudor that was the stately home of Vito Corleone.
The movie home chosen for Vito Corleone
, played by Marlon Brando, was the longtime family home of Edward and Mary Norton in the Todt Hill neighborhood of Staten Island. It was recommended by Gianni Russo who grew up in the area and played the role of Vito’s traitor son-in-law, Carlos Rizzi. The Norton home was large, but unpretentious enough to blend in seamlessly with five neighboring homes to look like one big compound on movie screens during the 18 months of the film's production. “Godfather” fans will probably remember the home best for the movie’s opening garden party wedding reception for Vito’s daughter, Connie Corleone, while bobby-sox pop singer Johnny Fontane pleaded for the Godfather’s help to land a coveted Hollywood movie role. The home was also a good place for the Corleone family and associates to hunker down during the Mafia Wars.
Now for sale after a complete renovation in 2012, the 6,248-square-foot natural stone Tudor is sited on over a half acre of lawns, mature trees and landscaping that invites any size garden party and now enhanced further with an in-ground saltwater pool and infrared grill. No longer is the kitchen the small 1940’s-style where the cauldron of “Sunday gravy” simmered, but is now a modern day cook’s kitchen and breakfast room where friends and family gather in comfort. With five bedrooms and seven baths, the house is perfect for a large family and their guests with entertaining made easy in the formal rooms. There are also two offices, gym, playroom and two fireplaces. The basement features an English pub and man cave area with a game room, storage room with bath and four-car garage. Also a sound system, intercom, radiant heat, natural gas generator and, of course, a state-of-the-art security system.
The Staten Island home of the fabled Vito Corleone, seen around the world in the film “The Godfather” that grossed $245 million, is for sale after a complete renovation priced at $2.895 million. The listing agent is Connie Profaci of Profaci Realty in Staten Island, New York.
Rated as one of the best movies of all time, “The Godfather,” the blockbuster crime film produced in 1972, ran away with the Oscars winning Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. The portrayals of an extended New York crime family by its cast of Marlon Brando, then unknown Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton showed the personal lives of the Mafia during their heyday years of the 1940s and 50s. Most of the movie’s scenes were filmed in New York City locations including Bellevue Hospital, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Calvary Cemetery and a 1930 Tudor that was the stately home of Vito Corleone.
The movie home chosen for Vito Corleone
, played by Marlon Brando, was the longtime family home of Edward and Mary Norton in the Todt Hill neighborhood of Staten Island. It was recommended by Gianni Russo who grew up in the area and played the role of Vito’s traitor son-in-law, Carlos Rizzi. The Norton home was large, but unpretentious enough to blend in seamlessly with five neighboring homes to look like one big compound on movie screens during the 18 months of the film's production. “Godfather” fans will probably remember the home best for the movie’s opening garden party wedding reception for Vito’s daughter, Connie Corleone, while bobby-sox pop singer Johnny Fontane pleaded for the Godfather’s help to land a coveted Hollywood movie role. The home was also a good place for the Corleone family and associates to hunker down during the Mafia Wars.
Now for sale after a complete renovation in 2012, the 6,248-square-foot natural stone Tudor is sited on over a half acre of lawns, mature trees and landscaping that invites any size garden party and now enhanced further with an in-ground saltwater pool and infrared grill. No longer is the kitchen the small 1940’s-style where the cauldron of “Sunday gravy” simmered, but is now a modern day cook’s kitchen and breakfast room where friends and family gather in comfort. With five bedrooms and seven baths, the house is perfect for a large family and their guests with entertaining made easy in the formal rooms. There are also two offices, gym, playroom and two fireplaces. The basement features an English pub and man cave area with a game room, storage room with bath and four-car garage. Also a sound system, intercom, radiant heat, natural gas generator and, of course, a state-of-the-art security system.
The Staten Island home of the fabled Vito Corleone, seen around the world in the film “The Godfather” that grossed $245 million, is for sale after a complete renovation priced at $2.895 million. The listing agent is Connie Profaci of Profaci Realty in Staten Island, New York.
Vikings Exhibition Opens Today at the @FieldMuseum, Only US Stop on International Tour
What does the word Viking bring to mind? Ruthless warriors and merciless invaders? Or prosperous farmers, enterprising merchants, and caring families? Vikings, the latest exhibition at The Field Museum, explores the truth behind Scandinavia’s ancient—and infamous—seafaring raiders.
Opening February 27 and running through October 4, The Field Museum’s presentation of Vikings is the only US stop on an international tour. The exhibition was organized by the Swedish History Museum in Sweden, in partnership with Museums Partner in Austria. Major sponsors: Discover, Viking Cruises.
The exhibition transports visitors to the Viking Age (8th-11th centuries) brought to light through modern archaeological discoveries. Nearly 500 ancient artifacts—many never before seen outside of Scandinavia—reveal new insights into the legendary people characterized as heartless marauders.
Artifacts on display in the exhibition reveal glimpses into family and community, religion and rituals, travel and trade, aristocracy and slavery and the roles of women. The exhibition provides insight into the significance of Norse craftsmanship, the power of their mythology, and the symbolism of their ships. A highlight of the exhibition is the Krampmacken, a replica Viking ship from Sweden based on historical and archaeological sources.
The exhibition will also explore some of the misconceptions surrounding these early Scandinavians. Though there is a Viking helmet replica in the exhibition, visitors won’t find any horned helmets on display. In fact, no Viking helmet has ever been discovered with horns; this image emerged in the 19th century, popularized by authors and artists who romanticized Norse culture. Another myth is that the Vikings called themselves “Vikings.” Generally, the people of early Scandinavia named themselves after the farm, village, or region in which they lived. The word “Viking,” derives from Old Norse, and meant a trade ship or a raid. During the Viking era, people were not always out on these expeditions; most lived as farmers, merchants, and craftsmen.
Striking examples of Viking craftsmanship are on display including exquisitely wrought brooches, depictions of Norse gods, as well as gold and silver pendants—including the oldest known Scandinavian crucifix, highlighting the transition between Old Norse religious practices and Christianity. Viking Age swords and other weapons will also be on display, highlighting the Vikings’ exceptional metal working technologies.
Vikings features a number of interactives, allowing Museum visitors to take part in the excavation of a virtual boat grave, spell a name in runes, explore Norse mythology, and play an early Scandinavian board game. Visitors can pick up an accurate replica of a Viking Age sword and test the weight and balance between handle and blade, discovering the skill it takes to master sword handling.
Vikings brings a new appreciation for the people remembered mainly for their plundering ways. And while raiding and pillaging were mainstays of their culture, Viking society was much more complex and multifaceted; Vikings were skilled craftsmen, successful merchants, and hard-working farmers. Like society today, no one thing defined the Vikings, and research continues to teach us how nuanced these northern people were.
Opening February 27 and running through October 4, The Field Museum’s presentation of Vikings is the only US stop on an international tour. The exhibition was organized by the Swedish History Museum in Sweden, in partnership with Museums Partner in Austria. Major sponsors: Discover, Viking Cruises.
The exhibition transports visitors to the Viking Age (8th-11th centuries) brought to light through modern archaeological discoveries. Nearly 500 ancient artifacts—many never before seen outside of Scandinavia—reveal new insights into the legendary people characterized as heartless marauders.
Artifacts on display in the exhibition reveal glimpses into family and community, religion and rituals, travel and trade, aristocracy and slavery and the roles of women. The exhibition provides insight into the significance of Norse craftsmanship, the power of their mythology, and the symbolism of their ships. A highlight of the exhibition is the Krampmacken, a replica Viking ship from Sweden based on historical and archaeological sources.
The exhibition will also explore some of the misconceptions surrounding these early Scandinavians. Though there is a Viking helmet replica in the exhibition, visitors won’t find any horned helmets on display. In fact, no Viking helmet has ever been discovered with horns; this image emerged in the 19th century, popularized by authors and artists who romanticized Norse culture. Another myth is that the Vikings called themselves “Vikings.” Generally, the people of early Scandinavia named themselves after the farm, village, or region in which they lived. The word “Viking,” derives from Old Norse, and meant a trade ship or a raid. During the Viking era, people were not always out on these expeditions; most lived as farmers, merchants, and craftsmen.
Striking examples of Viking craftsmanship are on display including exquisitely wrought brooches, depictions of Norse gods, as well as gold and silver pendants—including the oldest known Scandinavian crucifix, highlighting the transition between Old Norse religious practices and Christianity. Viking Age swords and other weapons will also be on display, highlighting the Vikings’ exceptional metal working technologies.
Vikings features a number of interactives, allowing Museum visitors to take part in the excavation of a virtual boat grave, spell a name in runes, explore Norse mythology, and play an early Scandinavian board game. Visitors can pick up an accurate replica of a Viking Age sword and test the weight and balance between handle and blade, discovering the skill it takes to master sword handling.
Vikings brings a new appreciation for the people remembered mainly for their plundering ways. And while raiding and pillaging were mainstays of their culture, Viking society was much more complex and multifaceted; Vikings were skilled craftsmen, successful merchants, and hard-working farmers. Like society today, no one thing defined the Vikings, and research continues to teach us how nuanced these northern people were.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Details on the Insufficient Evidence, Exonerating George Zimmerman from Civil Rights Charges
The Justice Department announced that the independent federal investigation found insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman for the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. Prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, officials from the FBI, and the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service met today with Martin’s family and their representatives to inform them of the findings of the investigation and the decision.
“The death of Trayvon Martin was a devastating tragedy. It shook an entire community, drew the attention of millions across the nation, and sparked a painful but necessary dialogue throughout the country,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “Though a comprehensive investigation found that the high standard for a federal hate crime prosecution cannot be met under the circumstances here, this young man’s premature death necessitates that we continue the dialogue and be unafraid of confronting the issues and tensions his passing brought to the surface. We, as a nation, must take concrete steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.”
Following the shooting, a team of some of the department’s most experienced civil rights prosecutors and FBI agents conducted a comprehensive, independent investigation of the events of Feb. 26, 2012. The federal investigation was opened and conducted separately from the state of Florida’s investigation of the shooting under local laws. Once the state initiated the second-degree murder prosecution, federal investigators began monitoring the state’s case and halted active investigation in order not to interfere with the state’s trial. Federal investigators provided reports of interviews and other evidence they obtained to the state’s prosecution team.
Shortly after Zimmerman’s acquittal in state court on July 13, 2013, federal investigators resumed active investigation. Federal investigators reviewed all of the material and evidence generated by the state of Florida in connection with its investigation and prosecution of Zimmerman, including witness statements, crime scene evidence, cell phone data, ballistics reports, reconstruction analysis, medical and autopsy reports, depositions, and the trial record. Federal investigators also independently conducted 75 witness interviews and obtained and reviewed the contents of relevant electronic devices. The investigation included an examination of police reports and additional evidence that was generated related to encounters Zimmerman has had with law enforcement in Florida since the state trial acquittal. In addition, federal authorities retained an independent biomechanical expert who assessed Zimmerman’s descriptions of the struggle and the shooting.
The federal investigation sought to determine whether the evidence of the events that led to Martin’s death were sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman’s actions violated the federal criminal civil rights statutes, specifically Section 3631 of Title 42 of the U.S. Code or Section 249 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, as well as other relevant federal criminal statutes. Section 3631 criminalizes willfully using force or threat of force to interfere with a person’s federally protected housing rights on account of that person’s race or color. Section 249 criminalizes willfully causing bodily injury to a person because of that person’s actual or perceived race. Courts define “willfully” to require proof that a defendant knew his acts were unlawful, and committed those acts in open defiance of the law. It is one of the highest standards of intent imposed by law.
The federal investigation examined whether Zimmerman violated civil rights statutes at any point during his interaction with Martin, from their initial encounter through the fatal shooting. This included investigating whether there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman violated Section 3631 by approaching Martin in a threatening manner before the fatal shooting because of Martin’s race and because he was using the residential neighborhood. Investigators also looked at whether there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman violated Section 3631 or Section 249, by using force against Martin either during their struggle or when shooting Martin, because of Martin’s race.
“Although the department has determined that this matter cannot be prosecuted federally, it is important to remember that this incident resulted in the tragic loss of a teenager’s life,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division. “Our decision not to pursue federal charges does not condone the shooting that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin and is based solely on the high legal standard applicable to these cases.”
After a thorough and independent investigation into the facts surrounding the shooting, federal investigators determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt a violation of these statutes. Accordingly, the investigation into this incident has been closed. This decision is limited strictly to the department’s inability to meet the high legal standard required to prosecute the case under the federal civil rights statutes; it does not reflect an assessment of any other aspect of the shooting.
“The death of Trayvon Martin was a devastating tragedy. It shook an entire community, drew the attention of millions across the nation, and sparked a painful but necessary dialogue throughout the country,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “Though a comprehensive investigation found that the high standard for a federal hate crime prosecution cannot be met under the circumstances here, this young man’s premature death necessitates that we continue the dialogue and be unafraid of confronting the issues and tensions his passing brought to the surface. We, as a nation, must take concrete steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.”
Following the shooting, a team of some of the department’s most experienced civil rights prosecutors and FBI agents conducted a comprehensive, independent investigation of the events of Feb. 26, 2012. The federal investigation was opened and conducted separately from the state of Florida’s investigation of the shooting under local laws. Once the state initiated the second-degree murder prosecution, federal investigators began monitoring the state’s case and halted active investigation in order not to interfere with the state’s trial. Federal investigators provided reports of interviews and other evidence they obtained to the state’s prosecution team.
Shortly after Zimmerman’s acquittal in state court on July 13, 2013, federal investigators resumed active investigation. Federal investigators reviewed all of the material and evidence generated by the state of Florida in connection with its investigation and prosecution of Zimmerman, including witness statements, crime scene evidence, cell phone data, ballistics reports, reconstruction analysis, medical and autopsy reports, depositions, and the trial record. Federal investigators also independently conducted 75 witness interviews and obtained and reviewed the contents of relevant electronic devices. The investigation included an examination of police reports and additional evidence that was generated related to encounters Zimmerman has had with law enforcement in Florida since the state trial acquittal. In addition, federal authorities retained an independent biomechanical expert who assessed Zimmerman’s descriptions of the struggle and the shooting.
The federal investigation sought to determine whether the evidence of the events that led to Martin’s death were sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman’s actions violated the federal criminal civil rights statutes, specifically Section 3631 of Title 42 of the U.S. Code or Section 249 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, as well as other relevant federal criminal statutes. Section 3631 criminalizes willfully using force or threat of force to interfere with a person’s federally protected housing rights on account of that person’s race or color. Section 249 criminalizes willfully causing bodily injury to a person because of that person’s actual or perceived race. Courts define “willfully” to require proof that a defendant knew his acts were unlawful, and committed those acts in open defiance of the law. It is one of the highest standards of intent imposed by law.
The federal investigation examined whether Zimmerman violated civil rights statutes at any point during his interaction with Martin, from their initial encounter through the fatal shooting. This included investigating whether there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman violated Section 3631 by approaching Martin in a threatening manner before the fatal shooting because of Martin’s race and because he was using the residential neighborhood. Investigators also looked at whether there is evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman violated Section 3631 or Section 249, by using force against Martin either during their struggle or when shooting Martin, because of Martin’s race.
“Although the department has determined that this matter cannot be prosecuted federally, it is important to remember that this incident resulted in the tragic loss of a teenager’s life,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division. “Our decision not to pursue federal charges does not condone the shooting that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin and is based solely on the high legal standard applicable to these cases.”
After a thorough and independent investigation into the facts surrounding the shooting, federal investigators determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt a violation of these statutes. Accordingly, the investigation into this incident has been closed. This decision is limited strictly to the department’s inability to meet the high legal standard required to prosecute the case under the federal civil rights statutes; it does not reflect an assessment of any other aspect of the shooting.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Revolutionary New Shooting Technology now Available in USA
UTM RBT has announced the new Civilian Target Ammunition and Kit are now available to the public on their website www.utmworldwide.com, after revealing the new consumer product at SHOT Show, Las Vegas, NV in January. The CTA product line product utilizes core technology only previously available to Military, Law Enforcement and Professional Training Organizations.
UTM Reality Based Training (UTM RBT) has made the Civilian Target Ammunition (CTA) Target Shooting Kit and Ammunition for AR-15 Style weapons available for pre-orders on their website. “Due to the demand we expected and have seen since making the product available, customers may not receive their ammunition and kits for up to 60 days, although we are striving to ensure that orders are delivered as soon as possible, with many having already been delivered,” says Tony Lambraia, UTM RBT, USA Chief of Operations. “We feel that this is a product that will revolutionize the industry because of its realism, educational and training benefits for novice to professional shooters across the board. For nearly a decade, the U.S. Military, Special Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies have been using our products for training, in their operational weapons and making this core technology available to all consumers will address many of the issues facing the Firearms and Shooting industries today, such as safety, accurate and reliable alternatives to live fire, ammunition shortages and environmental concerns - it just seemed like a natural step.”
“Most people know us as the manufacturer of the safest, most accurate and reliable Force-on-Force (FOF) products and innovative training solutions for Law Enforcement and Military. The Civilian Target Ammunition is based on the same basic core technology used in all of our training ammunition, to include the UTM RBT Man Marker Round (MMR), but is designed entirely for Target use ONLY. It is not designed or intended for Force-on-Force (shooting opponents) like the MMR. We replaced the soft plastic energy dissipating cruciform dome, containing the marking compound in the MMR projectile, with an aluminum projectile covered with a hard plastic dome - making the CTA unsuitable for FOF. The 5.56/.223 CTA round is perfect for short range target use with an accuracy of 1.18in at 32 yds. The round is only powered by primers, making it quiet (113db) - allowing you to practice with your own AR-15 style weapon without the restrictions of a live fire range. It is a great tool for training new shooters on the AR/M4 platform as a practice aid or as a prelude to live fire. For more experienced shooters, they are able to train with their own converted weapon on more advanced skills that are not typically permitted on a public live fire range, like the use of 360° targets, moving and shooting, shooting steel, immediate action drills etc. It is a great training tool for any level of shooting enthusiast - from simple target shooting fun to complex gun competitions or CQB (Close Quarter Battle) type training on targets,” says Steven Didier, UTM RBT, International Chief of Operations.
UTM Reality Based Training (UTM RBT) has made the Civilian Target Ammunition (CTA) Target Shooting Kit and Ammunition for AR-15 Style weapons available for pre-orders on their website. “Due to the demand we expected and have seen since making the product available, customers may not receive their ammunition and kits for up to 60 days, although we are striving to ensure that orders are delivered as soon as possible, with many having already been delivered,” says Tony Lambraia, UTM RBT, USA Chief of Operations. “We feel that this is a product that will revolutionize the industry because of its realism, educational and training benefits for novice to professional shooters across the board. For nearly a decade, the U.S. Military, Special Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies have been using our products for training, in their operational weapons and making this core technology available to all consumers will address many of the issues facing the Firearms and Shooting industries today, such as safety, accurate and reliable alternatives to live fire, ammunition shortages and environmental concerns - it just seemed like a natural step.”
“Most people know us as the manufacturer of the safest, most accurate and reliable Force-on-Force (FOF) products and innovative training solutions for Law Enforcement and Military. The Civilian Target Ammunition is based on the same basic core technology used in all of our training ammunition, to include the UTM RBT Man Marker Round (MMR), but is designed entirely for Target use ONLY. It is not designed or intended for Force-on-Force (shooting opponents) like the MMR. We replaced the soft plastic energy dissipating cruciform dome, containing the marking compound in the MMR projectile, with an aluminum projectile covered with a hard plastic dome - making the CTA unsuitable for FOF. The 5.56/.223 CTA round is perfect for short range target use with an accuracy of 1.18in at 32 yds. The round is only powered by primers, making it quiet (113db) - allowing you to practice with your own AR-15 style weapon without the restrictions of a live fire range. It is a great tool for training new shooters on the AR/M4 platform as a practice aid or as a prelude to live fire. For more experienced shooters, they are able to train with their own converted weapon on more advanced skills that are not typically permitted on a public live fire range, like the use of 360° targets, moving and shooting, shooting steel, immediate action drills etc. It is a great training tool for any level of shooting enthusiast - from simple target shooting fun to complex gun competitions or CQB (Close Quarter Battle) type training on targets,” says Steven Didier, UTM RBT, International Chief of Operations.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Leadership of the Devils Diciples Motorcycle Gang Convicted of Racketeering and Drug-Trafficking Charges
After a four-month trial, a federal jury in the Eastern District of Michigan convicted six members of the Devils Diciples Motorcycle Gang, including the national president, national vice president and national warlord, for their participation in various criminal acts, including violent crimes in aid of racketeering, methamphetamine production and trafficking, illegal firearms offenses, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling and other federal offenses.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan and Special Agent in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office made the announcement.
“For too many years the Devils Diciples spread fear and violence throughout Michigan and the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “This outlaw motorcycle gang thrived on intimidation and its ability to avoid prosecution – but no longer. Through these convictions, we have decimated the gang and its leadership and helped secure justice for the communities they harmed.”
"These defendants were responsible for violence and trafficking in methamphetamine in Macomb County and across the country,” said U.S. Attorney McQuade. “We are grateful for the work of the investigating agencies and the jury to bring them to justice."
“The defendants in this case perpetrated a broad range of violent criminal activities in support of their illegal enterprise,” said Special Agent in Charge Abbate. “Today’s convictions, which targeted the leadership of this criminal organization, reflect the hard work and dedication of federal, state and local law enforcement, the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.”
Devils Diciples national President Jeff Garvin Smith, aka “Fat Dog,” 60, of Mt. Clemens, Michigan; National Vice President Paul Anthony Darrah, aka “Pauli,” 50, of Macomb Township, Michigan; and National Warlord Cary Dale Vandiver, aka “Gun Control,” 56, of Sand Mountain, Alabama, were all found guilty by a jury of engaging in a RICO conspiracy, methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct justice, violent crimes in aid of racketeering and various substantive charges. Another prominent leader, Vincent John Witort, aka “Holiday,” 64, of Fontana, California, and a methamphetamine cook, Patrick Michael McKeoun, aka “Magoo,” 60, of Birmingham, Alabama, were found guilty of engaging in a RICO conspiracy and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. David Randy Drozdowski, aka “D,” 38 of Fair Haven, Michigan, was found guilty by a jury of committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Scott William Sutherland, aka “Scotty Z,” 49, of Redford, Michigan, was acquitted by the jury of various charges, but previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date before U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland of the Eastern District of Michigan.
According to evidence presented at trial, the Devils Diciples (which is intentionally misspelled) is a motorcycle gang with its national headquarters in Clinton Township, Michigan. The Devils Diciples operated regional chapters in cities throughout Michigan, Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and elsewhere, and engaged in criminal activities for financial gain.
Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that membership in the Devils Diciples is based in part on successful completion of a probationary period, followed by formal approval by one or more members or leaders. Members, commonly referred to as “full patched members,” are required to own Harley Davidson motorcycles and are required to follow orders from the gang’s leadership, including orders to assault, threaten and intimidate others, to transport and distribute drugs, to lie to law enforcement and to hide or destroy evidence. Members are also required to follow the Devils Diciples by-laws and attend regular meetings referred to as “church.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Smith was the National President and Darrah was the National Vice President of the gang. In those roles, they were responsible for overall management of the activities of the other Devils Diciples members and chapters, including giving final approval to any activity generally affecting the gang as a whole. Vandiver was the National Warlord – or enforcer – of the gang. With other gang members, the leaders also participated directly in criminal activities both for financial gain on behalf of the Devils Diciples, and to protect the gang and its members.
Specifically, the evidence showed that in late 2007, Smith and Darrah were involved in the shooting of a Devils Diciples member who failed to abide by the gang’s rules. And, in August 2008, Smith violently assaulted the girlfriend of another Devils Diciples member because he believed she disrespected him and the gang.
Additionally, the evidence showed that Smith possessed state and federal law enforcement manuals regarding outlaw motorcycle gangs marked “For Official Use Only” and “Law Enforcement Sensitive,” and numerous documents related to criminal matters involving members of the Devils Diciples, including police reports, search warrants, affidavits, indictments and witness interview transcripts. The evidence showed that the documents were used for the purposes of counter-surveillance and to identify suspected informants.
The other defendants were also full patched members of the gang, who committed several other acts of violence.
For example, in August 2003, Witort and other gang members robbed, kidnapped and attempted to murder members of the gang’s Arizona Chapter for violating the gang’s rules. Inside the Arizona clubhouse, the victims were bound with duct tape and zip ties, and severely beaten with firearms, tasers, knives, and other weapons. The victims were then loaded into the bed of a pick-up truck, driven out into the desert, dumped into ravines, and left to die. The evidence showed that Witort and Smith helped to plan the beatings and that Smith later congratulated one of the participants, telling him in a letter that the Devils Diciples were “all proud of you.”
Additionally, the evidence demonstrated that in 2012, at a bar in Chesterfield Township, Michigan, Drozdowski and another Devils Diciples member assaulted a perceived rival motorcycle gang member for being present in Devils Diciples territory. The victim was knocked unconscious and suffered multiple fractures to his face and jaw. Drozdowski and the other Devils Diciples member then ripped the leather vest off of the unconscious victim.
In addition to the defendants convicted today, 21 members and associates of the Devil’s Diciples have been pleaded guilty to various crimes as result of this investigation. The investigation further resulted in the seizure of more than 60 firearms and more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition and the dismantling of eight methamphetamine manufacturing laboratories across the country.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan and Special Agent in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office made the announcement.
“For too many years the Devils Diciples spread fear and violence throughout Michigan and the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “This outlaw motorcycle gang thrived on intimidation and its ability to avoid prosecution – but no longer. Through these convictions, we have decimated the gang and its leadership and helped secure justice for the communities they harmed.”
"These defendants were responsible for violence and trafficking in methamphetamine in Macomb County and across the country,” said U.S. Attorney McQuade. “We are grateful for the work of the investigating agencies and the jury to bring them to justice."
“The defendants in this case perpetrated a broad range of violent criminal activities in support of their illegal enterprise,” said Special Agent in Charge Abbate. “Today’s convictions, which targeted the leadership of this criminal organization, reflect the hard work and dedication of federal, state and local law enforcement, the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.”
Devils Diciples national President Jeff Garvin Smith, aka “Fat Dog,” 60, of Mt. Clemens, Michigan; National Vice President Paul Anthony Darrah, aka “Pauli,” 50, of Macomb Township, Michigan; and National Warlord Cary Dale Vandiver, aka “Gun Control,” 56, of Sand Mountain, Alabama, were all found guilty by a jury of engaging in a RICO conspiracy, methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct justice, violent crimes in aid of racketeering and various substantive charges. Another prominent leader, Vincent John Witort, aka “Holiday,” 64, of Fontana, California, and a methamphetamine cook, Patrick Michael McKeoun, aka “Magoo,” 60, of Birmingham, Alabama, were found guilty of engaging in a RICO conspiracy and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. David Randy Drozdowski, aka “D,” 38 of Fair Haven, Michigan, was found guilty by a jury of committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Scott William Sutherland, aka “Scotty Z,” 49, of Redford, Michigan, was acquitted by the jury of various charges, but previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date before U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland of the Eastern District of Michigan.
According to evidence presented at trial, the Devils Diciples (which is intentionally misspelled) is a motorcycle gang with its national headquarters in Clinton Township, Michigan. The Devils Diciples operated regional chapters in cities throughout Michigan, Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and elsewhere, and engaged in criminal activities for financial gain.
Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that membership in the Devils Diciples is based in part on successful completion of a probationary period, followed by formal approval by one or more members or leaders. Members, commonly referred to as “full patched members,” are required to own Harley Davidson motorcycles and are required to follow orders from the gang’s leadership, including orders to assault, threaten and intimidate others, to transport and distribute drugs, to lie to law enforcement and to hide or destroy evidence. Members are also required to follow the Devils Diciples by-laws and attend regular meetings referred to as “church.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Smith was the National President and Darrah was the National Vice President of the gang. In those roles, they were responsible for overall management of the activities of the other Devils Diciples members and chapters, including giving final approval to any activity generally affecting the gang as a whole. Vandiver was the National Warlord – or enforcer – of the gang. With other gang members, the leaders also participated directly in criminal activities both for financial gain on behalf of the Devils Diciples, and to protect the gang and its members.
Specifically, the evidence showed that in late 2007, Smith and Darrah were involved in the shooting of a Devils Diciples member who failed to abide by the gang’s rules. And, in August 2008, Smith violently assaulted the girlfriend of another Devils Diciples member because he believed she disrespected him and the gang.
Additionally, the evidence showed that Smith possessed state and federal law enforcement manuals regarding outlaw motorcycle gangs marked “For Official Use Only” and “Law Enforcement Sensitive,” and numerous documents related to criminal matters involving members of the Devils Diciples, including police reports, search warrants, affidavits, indictments and witness interview transcripts. The evidence showed that the documents were used for the purposes of counter-surveillance and to identify suspected informants.
The other defendants were also full patched members of the gang, who committed several other acts of violence.
For example, in August 2003, Witort and other gang members robbed, kidnapped and attempted to murder members of the gang’s Arizona Chapter for violating the gang’s rules. Inside the Arizona clubhouse, the victims were bound with duct tape and zip ties, and severely beaten with firearms, tasers, knives, and other weapons. The victims were then loaded into the bed of a pick-up truck, driven out into the desert, dumped into ravines, and left to die. The evidence showed that Witort and Smith helped to plan the beatings and that Smith later congratulated one of the participants, telling him in a letter that the Devils Diciples were “all proud of you.”
Additionally, the evidence demonstrated that in 2012, at a bar in Chesterfield Township, Michigan, Drozdowski and another Devils Diciples member assaulted a perceived rival motorcycle gang member for being present in Devils Diciples territory. The victim was knocked unconscious and suffered multiple fractures to his face and jaw. Drozdowski and the other Devils Diciples member then ripped the leather vest off of the unconscious victim.
In addition to the defendants convicted today, 21 members and associates of the Devil’s Diciples have been pleaded guilty to various crimes as result of this investigation. The investigation further resulted in the seizure of more than 60 firearms and more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition and the dismantling of eight methamphetamine manufacturing laboratories across the country.
Friday, February 20, 2015
Superseding Indictment Against Westbank Gang Members Returned by Grand Jury
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced the return of a second superseding Indictment charging members of a violent Westbank gang associated with the Harvey Hustlers with violating federal drug and firearm laws, including multiple murders and shootings. A federal grand jury returned the second superseding Indictment against Harry Smoot, 30, Frankie Hookfin, 23, Ray Woodruff, 21, Andre Addison, a/k/a “Dooda,” 23, Lance Singleton, a/k/a “Life Taker,” 24, Terrance Kelley,a/k/a “Streets,” 28, Isaac Smith, a/k/a “Ike,” 21, Joequell Lewis, a/k/a “Blow,”27, Chris Brown,a/k/a “Ten,” 32, Richard Thomas, a/k/a “Stizzle,” 39, Terrell Wade, a/k/a “T-Dog,” 39, andClifford Sonnier a/k/a “Dut,” 25, all of Jefferson Parish. This Indictment is a product of an ongoing investigation into the violent acts in furtherance of the drug trafficking by this violent Westbank gang.
The second superseding Indictment charges all defendants with conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin and over 280 grams of crack cocaine, six defendants with three counts of murder in furtherance of drug trafficking activities, four defendants with two counts of discharging firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, as well as multiple counts of other firearms violations. All defendants are presently in custody pending trial.
If convicted of any of the murders in furtherance of drug trafficking, the defendants will face a maximum sentence of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. If convicted of any additional shootings in furtherance of drug trafficking, the defendants face a mandatory sentence of 10 years of imprisonment to be served consecutive with any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. All defendants are facing 10 years to life, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release if convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine.
The second superseding Indictment charges all defendants with conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin and over 280 grams of crack cocaine, six defendants with three counts of murder in furtherance of drug trafficking activities, four defendants with two counts of discharging firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, as well as multiple counts of other firearms violations. All defendants are presently in custody pending trial.
If convicted of any of the murders in furtherance of drug trafficking, the defendants will face a maximum sentence of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. If convicted of any additional shootings in furtherance of drug trafficking, the defendants face a mandatory sentence of 10 years of imprisonment to be served consecutive with any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. All defendants are facing 10 years to life, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release if convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine.
Leader of Hells Angels Pleads Guilty to Federal Crimes in Connection with Brutal Assault
The leader of the Salem Chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to criminal charges in connection with the assault and maiming of a former member of the Red Devils Motorcycle Club.
Sean Barr, 50, of Lynn, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to conspiring to commit violent crimes in aid of racketeering, maiming in aid of racketeering, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and assault resulting serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering. On Feb. 5, 2015, three co-defendants, Marc Eliason, 37, of Lynn; Robert DeFronzo, 47, of Saugus; and Brian Weymouth, 42, of Danvers, pleaded guilty to similar charges. Eliason and DeFronzo were members of the Salem Hells Angels and Weymouth was a member of the Red Devils. The Red Devils Motorcycle Club is a support club of the Hells Angels.
Barr, Eliason, DeFronzo and Weymouth were involved in luring the victim, who was targeted for failing to follow orders issued by the Salem Hells Angels, and assaulting the victim. The victim was targeted because he failed to assault a former member of the Salem Hells Angels, who had been “put out bad” from the Hells Angels. At the Byfield clubhouse, the victim was surrounded by the defendants and beaten. During the assault, Barr used a ballpeen hammer, a favored weapon of the Hells Angels, to maim the victim by breaking a number of bones in the victim’s hand. Eliason and Weymouth then stole the victim’s motorcycle.
The charging statutes provide a sentence of no greater than three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on the charge of conspiring to commit violent crimes in aid of racketeering; 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on the charge of maiming in aid of racketeering; 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on the charge of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; and 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on the charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering. Pursuant to their respective plea agreements with the government, and pending acceptance by the district court at sentencing, Barr and Eliason have each agreed to sentences of 97 months in prison, and DeFronzo and Weymouth have each agreed to sentences of 57 months in prison.
Sean Barr, 50, of Lynn, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to conspiring to commit violent crimes in aid of racketeering, maiming in aid of racketeering, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and assault resulting serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering. On Feb. 5, 2015, three co-defendants, Marc Eliason, 37, of Lynn; Robert DeFronzo, 47, of Saugus; and Brian Weymouth, 42, of Danvers, pleaded guilty to similar charges. Eliason and DeFronzo were members of the Salem Hells Angels and Weymouth was a member of the Red Devils. The Red Devils Motorcycle Club is a support club of the Hells Angels.
Barr, Eliason, DeFronzo and Weymouth were involved in luring the victim, who was targeted for failing to follow orders issued by the Salem Hells Angels, and assaulting the victim. The victim was targeted because he failed to assault a former member of the Salem Hells Angels, who had been “put out bad” from the Hells Angels. At the Byfield clubhouse, the victim was surrounded by the defendants and beaten. During the assault, Barr used a ballpeen hammer, a favored weapon of the Hells Angels, to maim the victim by breaking a number of bones in the victim’s hand. Eliason and Weymouth then stole the victim’s motorcycle.
The charging statutes provide a sentence of no greater than three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on the charge of conspiring to commit violent crimes in aid of racketeering; 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on the charge of maiming in aid of racketeering; 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on the charge of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; and 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on the charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering. Pursuant to their respective plea agreements with the government, and pending acceptance by the district court at sentencing, Barr and Eliason have each agreed to sentences of 97 months in prison, and DeFronzo and Weymouth have each agreed to sentences of 57 months in prison.
Two Street Gang Leaders Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm Charges #OperationConcord
Alexis Hidalgo and Jonathan DaSilva, the respective leaders of two Boston street gangs—the Hendry Street Gang and the Woodward Avenue Gang—pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and firearm charges.
Hidalgo, 34, and DaSilva, 31, both of Boston, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, and oxycodone, as well as firearm related charges. In January 2013, Hidalgo and DaSilva were two of 29 defendants charged with drug trafficking and firearm charges arising out of Operation Concord, a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations that focused on gang violence and drug dealing in the Henry Street and Woodward Avenue areas of Boston. During the course of Operation Concord, law enforcement officials seized approximately $400,000 in cash, guns, jewelry, gold and silver bars, and several luxury vehicles.
From August 2011 through January 2013, Hidalgo and DaSilva, the respective heads of the Hendry Street and Woodward Avenue gangs, ran a lucrative drug trafficking business distributing crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, and oxycodone which was in turn distributed in Boston, Brockton, and Maine.
Hidalgo and DaSilva operated their drug business out of two primary locations: a house at 37 Hendry Street in Boston and a house known as “the Trap” at 36 Woodward Avenue in Boston. Customers seeking crack and marijuana would go to 37 Hendry Street to purchase drugs from gang members who stored the drugs and cooked cocaine into crack in the second floor apartment. In August 2012, 37 Hendry Street was shut down by the City of Boston as a result of numerous neighborhood complaints of drug and gang activity.
“The Trap” at 36 Woodward Avenue, which was run by DaSilva, operated as a round-the-clock distribution center for crack, oxycodone, cocaine and marijuana. When 37 Hendry Street was shut down, Hidalgo transferred his crack business to 36 Woodward Avenue.
Hidalgo and DaSilva used gang members to distribute and store drugs, drug proceeds, and to carry out gang-related missions. For example, on Oct. 23, 2012, DaSilva directed gang member Patrick “Pistol” Gomes to obtain a firearm and go to Roxbury District Courthouse to assist a fellow gang member who was “trapped” by a rival gang member. Gomes asked DaSilva if he had a “greenlight” to shoot if necessary and DaSilva gave Gomes the go-ahead. Investigators had Gomes stopped in his rental car by the police outside of the Roxbury courthouse where officers seized a fully loaded Ruger P89 semiautomatic handgun from the glove box. On Feb. 4, 2015, Gomes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The charging statutes provide a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to a lifetime in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $10 million on the charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $10 million on the charges of distribution of controlled substances; no greater than 10 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 on the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Pursuant to their respective plea agreements with the government, and pending acceptance by the district court at sentencing, Hidalgo has agreed to a sentence of 144-168 months in prison and DaSilva has agreed to a sentence of 120-168 months in prison. Both defendants also agreed to the forfeiture of cash, jewelry, and luxury vehicles.
Hidalgo, 34, and DaSilva, 31, both of Boston, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, and oxycodone, as well as firearm related charges. In January 2013, Hidalgo and DaSilva were two of 29 defendants charged with drug trafficking and firearm charges arising out of Operation Concord, a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations that focused on gang violence and drug dealing in the Henry Street and Woodward Avenue areas of Boston. During the course of Operation Concord, law enforcement officials seized approximately $400,000 in cash, guns, jewelry, gold and silver bars, and several luxury vehicles.
From August 2011 through January 2013, Hidalgo and DaSilva, the respective heads of the Hendry Street and Woodward Avenue gangs, ran a lucrative drug trafficking business distributing crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, and oxycodone which was in turn distributed in Boston, Brockton, and Maine.
Hidalgo and DaSilva operated their drug business out of two primary locations: a house at 37 Hendry Street in Boston and a house known as “the Trap” at 36 Woodward Avenue in Boston. Customers seeking crack and marijuana would go to 37 Hendry Street to purchase drugs from gang members who stored the drugs and cooked cocaine into crack in the second floor apartment. In August 2012, 37 Hendry Street was shut down by the City of Boston as a result of numerous neighborhood complaints of drug and gang activity.
“The Trap” at 36 Woodward Avenue, which was run by DaSilva, operated as a round-the-clock distribution center for crack, oxycodone, cocaine and marijuana. When 37 Hendry Street was shut down, Hidalgo transferred his crack business to 36 Woodward Avenue.
Hidalgo and DaSilva used gang members to distribute and store drugs, drug proceeds, and to carry out gang-related missions. For example, on Oct. 23, 2012, DaSilva directed gang member Patrick “Pistol” Gomes to obtain a firearm and go to Roxbury District Courthouse to assist a fellow gang member who was “trapped” by a rival gang member. Gomes asked DaSilva if he had a “greenlight” to shoot if necessary and DaSilva gave Gomes the go-ahead. Investigators had Gomes stopped in his rental car by the police outside of the Roxbury courthouse where officers seized a fully loaded Ruger P89 semiautomatic handgun from the glove box. On Feb. 4, 2015, Gomes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The charging statutes provide a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to a lifetime in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $10 million on the charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $10 million on the charges of distribution of controlled substances; no greater than 10 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 on the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Pursuant to their respective plea agreements with the government, and pending acceptance by the district court at sentencing, Hidalgo has agreed to a sentence of 144-168 months in prison and DaSilva has agreed to a sentence of 120-168 months in prison. Both defendants also agreed to the forfeiture of cash, jewelry, and luxury vehicles.
Gang Member Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Heroin Trafficking #OperationWhiplash
A gang member was sentenced to 10 years in prison for heroin trafficking.
Jairo Fernandez, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to ten years in prison and four years of supervised release. In November 2014, Fernandez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and distributing heroin. At that hearing, Fernandez admitted responsibility for over 100 grams of heroin.
The case was part of Operation Whiplash, an investigation of several street gangs in and around Lynn and Revere. Over the past two years, Operation Whiplash has resulted in federal and state charges against 47 leaders, members and associates of gangs, including Money Over Broken Bitches (MOBB), the Crips and Deuce Boyz in Lynn and the Bloods in Revere. As part of the investigation, law enforcement identified Fernandez as a member of the Deuce Boyz gang.
Jairo Fernandez, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to ten years in prison and four years of supervised release. In November 2014, Fernandez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and distributing heroin. At that hearing, Fernandez admitted responsibility for over 100 grams of heroin.
The case was part of Operation Whiplash, an investigation of several street gangs in and around Lynn and Revere. Over the past two years, Operation Whiplash has resulted in federal and state charges against 47 leaders, members and associates of gangs, including Money Over Broken Bitches (MOBB), the Crips and Deuce Boyz in Lynn and the Bloods in Revere. As part of the investigation, law enforcement identified Fernandez as a member of the Deuce Boyz gang.
Is the Mafia Still Alive Today?
In mid-1950s, the Italian-American criminal organization known as Cosa Nostra was enjoying the peak of its political influence and economic success. At the time, many questioned the organization’s presence. J. Edgar Hoover completely denied its existence for years. And unfortunately for the criminals describing themselves as “businessmen,” their reign atop the criminal underworld was swiftly coming to a close. Why did the power of Cosa Nostra begin to decline? Is this decline indicative of the death of the mob? And what does today’s mob look like?
The factors that led to this near cessation of overwhelming power are numerous, but two stand out as the most influential. The first is the death of omertà , the code of silence, and the resulting convictions. The second factor involved other criminal organizations pushing Cosa Nostra to the periphery as a result of competition. In spite of these factors, though, the mafia is still very much alive.
A Death in the Family
The downsizing of the mafia began in 1959 with the arrest of Joe Valachi
. Valachi was associated with the Genovese family of New York, which was prominent in Cosa Nostra. Offered a deal in which he could either testify about the mafia or face the death penalty, Valachi decided to talk. In an interview with the HPR, Jeffrey Robinson, author of The Merger: How Organized Crime is Taking Over the World, claimed that this was a pivotal point in the history of the Italian mob: “He broke omertà . That’s really a very important moment because until then nobody talked … the FBI realized that they could get inside Italian organized crime.” According to Robinson, FBI agents began approaching mob figures and offer protection from prosecution in exchange for information on other mobsters. It was an overwhelmingly successful approach.
This strategy leveled serious blows to the structure of Cosa Nostra, culminating in the Mafia Commission Trials of 1987 that indicted each head of New York’s Five Families. In 1992, even John Gotti, known as “Teflon Don” because charges never seemed to stick to him, was convicted on charges related to his organized crime activities. Omertà was dead for Cosa Nostra. According to Robinson, so many people flipped that the Sicilian mafia was able to enter the scene and take control of three of the Five Families of New York. They have maintained control to this day.
Ending an Illegal Monopoly
Cosa Nostra’s peaceful cooperation with other criminal organizations also contributed to the group’s decline. Traditionally, moving onto another group’s territory ensured a war. But according to Robinson, as Russian fraudsters relocated to Miami (Colombian territory)—followed by Italians interested in the heroin market—nobody was being killed. Law enforcement soon came to believe that this was because of collaboration between the organizations. When crack cocaine became readily available, many new criminal organizations got involved, and their quickly expanding influence muscled Cosa Nostra into the periphery. This loss of total power, coupled with the end of omertà , forced the Cosa Nostra into a largely successful effort to downsize.
Several criminal organizations, such as the Russian mob and the Mexican cartels, have filled Cosa Nostra’s power void in the United States.
New York University professor Mark Galeotti told the HPR that Russian operations in the United States consist mainly of fraud, including schemes that target the U.S. government. He explains, “There are millions upon millions [of dollars] being looted from Medicare and Medicaid [by Russian organized crime].” Similarly, law enforcement has largely failed in stopping the Mexican drug cartels. In an interview with the HPR, Ioan Grillo, author of El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency, argued that despite efforts by law enforcement to stop the cartels, “you still have a drug industry, you still have thousands and thousands of people working for organized crime, you still have millions of consumers of drugs, and you still have high levels of violence.” Grillo also acknowledged the success of other organizations in exporting their gangs to the United States, particularly Colombian gangs and Jamaican “posses.” These organizations may have supplanted the former power and influence of Cosa Nostra. However, despite their reduced influence, the Italians continue to operate.
Into the Modern Era
In the wake of September 11, the FBI’s focus on organized crime has decreased sharply in favor of counterterrorism operations. In a government document titled “10 Years After: The FBI After 9/11,” the FBI acknowledged that it shifted resources from criminal matters to counterterrorism. The document notes that the number of counterterrorist intelligence analysts has doubled. According to current New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton in a 2007 Policing article, “As law enforcement reacted to the aftermath of 9/11, and the United States’ federal dollars and priorities shifted, organized crime groups were able to exploit the reduction in law enforcement attention and moved aggressively to establish new ‘trade routes’ and alliances.” In a 2011 interview with CUNY TV, former New York Times reporter Selwyn Raab claimed that there were once 500 members of law enforcement working on organized crime in New York City. Now, he said, there are around 50, enabling the survival of Cosa Nostra.
According to Robinson, Italian-American organized crime has found a niche role in construction, extortion and protection rackets. In the construction industry, he explains, Cosa Nostra profits by winning bids to do contract work and then fraudulently collecting revenue for unnecessary or absent employees. According to a close friend of Robinson’s who is now in the witness protection program, five percent of all construction funds in the city of New York go to the mafia. Joseph Pistone, a former FBI agent who infiltrated Cosa Nostra in New York, told Quebec’s Charbonneau Commission, which was investigating construction bid corruption, that the mob controls the construction industry via unions. He said that the mafia bosses control unions and subsequently threaten to strike if the company doesn’t relinquish a “fee.” Robinson adds that the mafia still operates protection rackets, in which a business owner will be threatened and then asked to pay a fee for “protection” from this threat.
Despite its reduced influence, Italian-American organized crime is unquestionably alive. The death of omertà , combined with a crowded criminal market, resulted in a downsizing of Cosa Nostra’s criminal operations. It has transformed from a monopoly on the criminal underworld to another small player in a global network. Despite its diminished influence, it has successfully downsized its operations, paving the way for a sustainable, albeit smaller, operation. Cosa Nostra is not dead, and won’t be anytime soon.
Thanks to Jack Boyd.
The factors that led to this near cessation of overwhelming power are numerous, but two stand out as the most influential. The first is the death of omertà , the code of silence, and the resulting convictions. The second factor involved other criminal organizations pushing Cosa Nostra to the periphery as a result of competition. In spite of these factors, though, the mafia is still very much alive.
A Death in the Family
The downsizing of the mafia began in 1959 with the arrest of Joe Valachi
. Valachi was associated with the Genovese family of New York, which was prominent in Cosa Nostra. Offered a deal in which he could either testify about the mafia or face the death penalty, Valachi decided to talk. In an interview with the HPR, Jeffrey Robinson, author of The Merger: How Organized Crime is Taking Over the World, claimed that this was a pivotal point in the history of the Italian mob: “He broke omertà . That’s really a very important moment because until then nobody talked … the FBI realized that they could get inside Italian organized crime.” According to Robinson, FBI agents began approaching mob figures and offer protection from prosecution in exchange for information on other mobsters. It was an overwhelmingly successful approach.This strategy leveled serious blows to the structure of Cosa Nostra, culminating in the Mafia Commission Trials of 1987 that indicted each head of New York’s Five Families. In 1992, even John Gotti, known as “Teflon Don” because charges never seemed to stick to him, was convicted on charges related to his organized crime activities. Omertà was dead for Cosa Nostra. According to Robinson, so many people flipped that the Sicilian mafia was able to enter the scene and take control of three of the Five Families of New York. They have maintained control to this day.
Ending an Illegal Monopoly
Cosa Nostra’s peaceful cooperation with other criminal organizations also contributed to the group’s decline. Traditionally, moving onto another group’s territory ensured a war. But according to Robinson, as Russian fraudsters relocated to Miami (Colombian territory)—followed by Italians interested in the heroin market—nobody was being killed. Law enforcement soon came to believe that this was because of collaboration between the organizations. When crack cocaine became readily available, many new criminal organizations got involved, and their quickly expanding influence muscled Cosa Nostra into the periphery. This loss of total power, coupled with the end of omertà , forced the Cosa Nostra into a largely successful effort to downsize.
Several criminal organizations, such as the Russian mob and the Mexican cartels, have filled Cosa Nostra’s power void in the United States.
New York University professor Mark Galeotti told the HPR that Russian operations in the United States consist mainly of fraud, including schemes that target the U.S. government. He explains, “There are millions upon millions [of dollars] being looted from Medicare and Medicaid [by Russian organized crime].” Similarly, law enforcement has largely failed in stopping the Mexican drug cartels. In an interview with the HPR, Ioan Grillo, author of El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency, argued that despite efforts by law enforcement to stop the cartels, “you still have a drug industry, you still have thousands and thousands of people working for organized crime, you still have millions of consumers of drugs, and you still have high levels of violence.” Grillo also acknowledged the success of other organizations in exporting their gangs to the United States, particularly Colombian gangs and Jamaican “posses.” These organizations may have supplanted the former power and influence of Cosa Nostra. However, despite their reduced influence, the Italians continue to operate.Into the Modern Era
In the wake of September 11, the FBI’s focus on organized crime has decreased sharply in favor of counterterrorism operations. In a government document titled “10 Years After: The FBI After 9/11,” the FBI acknowledged that it shifted resources from criminal matters to counterterrorism. The document notes that the number of counterterrorist intelligence analysts has doubled. According to current New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton in a 2007 Policing article, “As law enforcement reacted to the aftermath of 9/11, and the United States’ federal dollars and priorities shifted, organized crime groups were able to exploit the reduction in law enforcement attention and moved aggressively to establish new ‘trade routes’ and alliances.” In a 2011 interview with CUNY TV, former New York Times reporter Selwyn Raab claimed that there were once 500 members of law enforcement working on organized crime in New York City. Now, he said, there are around 50, enabling the survival of Cosa Nostra.
According to Robinson, Italian-American organized crime has found a niche role in construction, extortion and protection rackets. In the construction industry, he explains, Cosa Nostra profits by winning bids to do contract work and then fraudulently collecting revenue for unnecessary or absent employees. According to a close friend of Robinson’s who is now in the witness protection program, five percent of all construction funds in the city of New York go to the mafia. Joseph Pistone, a former FBI agent who infiltrated Cosa Nostra in New York, told Quebec’s Charbonneau Commission, which was investigating construction bid corruption, that the mob controls the construction industry via unions. He said that the mafia bosses control unions and subsequently threaten to strike if the company doesn’t relinquish a “fee.” Robinson adds that the mafia still operates protection rackets, in which a business owner will be threatened and then asked to pay a fee for “protection” from this threat.
Despite its reduced influence, Italian-American organized crime is unquestionably alive. The death of omertà , combined with a crowded criminal market, resulted in a downsizing of Cosa Nostra’s criminal operations. It has transformed from a monopoly on the criminal underworld to another small player in a global network. Despite its diminished influence, it has successfully downsized its operations, paving the way for a sustainable, albeit smaller, operation. Cosa Nostra is not dead, and won’t be anytime soon.
Thanks to Jack Boyd.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
3 MS-13 Members Sentenced to Prison for a Gang-Related Murder and Shooting
Three MS-13 gang members were sentenced to federal prison for violent crimes that they committed on behalf of the gang, including the 2006 murder of a rival gang member and 2008 shooting of a teenage boy, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Horn of the Northern District of Georgia.
Miguel Guevara, aka Blacky, 31, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Irvin Mejia Cruz, aka Triste, Lil Triste, 24, of Duluth, Georgia; and Walter Aldana, aka Goofy, 24, of Norcross, Georgia, were sentenced to 30 years in prison, nine years in prison, and 10 years in prison, respectively. U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story of the Northern District of Georgia imposed the sentences. The defendants each pleaded guilty in October 2013 to RICO conspiracy, and Guevara also pleaded guilty to using a firearm in relation to the commission of a crime of violence.
According to admissions made in connection with the defendants’ guilty pleas, the charges and other information presented in court, Mara Salvatrucha 13, or MS-13, is an international gang that originated in El Salvador and Honduras and spread to the United States. MS-13 members are organized into regional “cliques” within the larger gang. Each clique has a leader, often referred to as “the first word,” who conducts weekly meetings. At these meetings, members discuss their crimes and their plans to retaliate against rival gang members. The clique leaders collect dues from the gang members, which they use to buy guns and post bail for jailed gang members. Clique leaders often send money back to MS-13 leaders in their home countries, and report back to the same leaders about the clique’s activities on behalf of the gang.
MS-13 has operated in the greater Atlanta area since at least 2005. The gang staked out Gwinnett and DeKalb Counties as their home territory, where they committed murders, attempted murders and armed robberies, among other crimes.
According to admissions in connection with his guilty plea, Guevara was a member of MS-13, but in 2006, he decided to become less active in the gang and sought permission to “calm down” from the leader of his clique, Miguel Alvarado-Linares, aka Joker. Alvarado-Linares discussed this with other members at a meeting of the clique on Dec. 23, 2006, and the other gang members agreed that Guevara would have to shoot at a suspected rival gang member before he could become inactive. Guevara admitted that he and other gang members went to a nightclub in the early morning hours of Dec. 24, 2006 to hunt for rival gang members. Guevara admitted that he saw two rival gang members walk out of the night club and get into a car. Guevara and the other MS-13 members then followed the rival gang members. As the rival gang members exited the freeway, the MS-13 gang members pulled alongside, and Guevara fired multiple shots at the rival gang members. Guevara killed one of the gang members and wounded the other.
In connection with their guilty pleas, Cruz and Aldana admitted that they belonged to the same MS-13 clique. They further admitted that Mejia Cruz advised Aldana to shoot someone if he wanted to earn more respect within MS-13, and, on Aug. 21, 2008, Mejia Cruz gave Aldana a gun for the task. Aldana admitted that he left Mejia Cruz’s house with the gun, and encountered a group of teenagers, some of whom were playing basketball. Aldana challenged the teenagers, “Who do you claim,” asking to which gang they claimed allegiance. He then started firing into the crowd and struck a 14 year-old boy in the back. Aldana called out “Mara Salvatrucha” as he fled on foot. He later returned the firearm to Mejia Cruz.
Miguel Guevara, aka Blacky, 31, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Irvin Mejia Cruz, aka Triste, Lil Triste, 24, of Duluth, Georgia; and Walter Aldana, aka Goofy, 24, of Norcross, Georgia, were sentenced to 30 years in prison, nine years in prison, and 10 years in prison, respectively. U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story of the Northern District of Georgia imposed the sentences. The defendants each pleaded guilty in October 2013 to RICO conspiracy, and Guevara also pleaded guilty to using a firearm in relation to the commission of a crime of violence.
According to admissions made in connection with the defendants’ guilty pleas, the charges and other information presented in court, Mara Salvatrucha 13, or MS-13, is an international gang that originated in El Salvador and Honduras and spread to the United States. MS-13 members are organized into regional “cliques” within the larger gang. Each clique has a leader, often referred to as “the first word,” who conducts weekly meetings. At these meetings, members discuss their crimes and their plans to retaliate against rival gang members. The clique leaders collect dues from the gang members, which they use to buy guns and post bail for jailed gang members. Clique leaders often send money back to MS-13 leaders in their home countries, and report back to the same leaders about the clique’s activities on behalf of the gang.
MS-13 has operated in the greater Atlanta area since at least 2005. The gang staked out Gwinnett and DeKalb Counties as their home territory, where they committed murders, attempted murders and armed robberies, among other crimes.
According to admissions in connection with his guilty plea, Guevara was a member of MS-13, but in 2006, he decided to become less active in the gang and sought permission to “calm down” from the leader of his clique, Miguel Alvarado-Linares, aka Joker. Alvarado-Linares discussed this with other members at a meeting of the clique on Dec. 23, 2006, and the other gang members agreed that Guevara would have to shoot at a suspected rival gang member before he could become inactive. Guevara admitted that he and other gang members went to a nightclub in the early morning hours of Dec. 24, 2006 to hunt for rival gang members. Guevara admitted that he saw two rival gang members walk out of the night club and get into a car. Guevara and the other MS-13 members then followed the rival gang members. As the rival gang members exited the freeway, the MS-13 gang members pulled alongside, and Guevara fired multiple shots at the rival gang members. Guevara killed one of the gang members and wounded the other.
In connection with their guilty pleas, Cruz and Aldana admitted that they belonged to the same MS-13 clique. They further admitted that Mejia Cruz advised Aldana to shoot someone if he wanted to earn more respect within MS-13, and, on Aug. 21, 2008, Mejia Cruz gave Aldana a gun for the task. Aldana admitted that he left Mejia Cruz’s house with the gun, and encountered a group of teenagers, some of whom were playing basketball. Aldana challenged the teenagers, “Who do you claim,” asking to which gang they claimed allegiance. He then started firing into the crowd and struck a 14 year-old boy in the back. Aldana called out “Mara Salvatrucha” as he fled on foot. He later returned the firearm to Mejia Cruz.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Patronage, Cronyism, and Criminality is stuffed into Corrupt Illinois #WheresMine
Public funds spent on jets and horses. Shoeboxes stuffed with embezzled cash. Ghost payrolls and incarcerated ex-governors. Illinois' culture of "Where's mine?" and the public apathy it engenders has made our state and local politics a disgrace.
In Corrupt Illinois: Patronage, Cronyism, and Criminality, veteran political observers Thomas J. Gradel and Dick Simpson take aim at business-as-usual. Naming names
, the authors lead readers through a gallery of rogues and rotten apples to illustrate how generations of chicanery have undermined faith in, and hope for, honest government. From there, they lay out how to implement institutional reforms that provide accountability and eradicate the favoritism, sweetheart deals, and conflicts of interest corroding our civic life.
Corrupt Illinois lays out a blueprint to transform our politics from a pay-to-play–driven marketplace into what it should be: an instrument of public good.
"Corrupt Illinois is the most comprehensive account of corruption in our state ever published. It proposes cures, which will take decades to implement fully, but which deserve our attention now."--Governor Jim Edgar, from the foreword
"Gradel and Simpson have chronicled corruption in Illinois for decades. Here they sum up their findings in distressing, damning detail. The authors propose important steps to tamp down this corruption."--James A. Nowlan, former state representative and co-author of Fixing Illinois: Politics and Policy in the Prairie State
"Corrupt Illinois documents the vast scope and depth of corruption in Illinois politics, which is a monumental achievement in itself. Of equal importance, it explores the underlying roots of that corruption, building an understanding of its dynamics and the policy changes necessary to address it."--Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science, University of Illinois at Springfield
Thomas J. Gradel spent 35 years as a media consultant and served on the staff of Governor Dan Walker. He is a freelance writer and political researcher. Dick Simpson is a professor, former head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, former Chicago alderman and congressional candidate. His books include Rogues, Rebels, And Rubber Stamps: The Politics Of The Chicago City Council, 1863 To The Present (Urban Policy Challenges), and The Struggle for Power and Influence in Cities and States.
In Corrupt Illinois: Patronage, Cronyism, and Criminality, veteran political observers Thomas J. Gradel and Dick Simpson take aim at business-as-usual. Naming names
, the authors lead readers through a gallery of rogues and rotten apples to illustrate how generations of chicanery have undermined faith in, and hope for, honest government. From there, they lay out how to implement institutional reforms that provide accountability and eradicate the favoritism, sweetheart deals, and conflicts of interest corroding our civic life.Corrupt Illinois lays out a blueprint to transform our politics from a pay-to-play–driven marketplace into what it should be: an instrument of public good.
"Corrupt Illinois is the most comprehensive account of corruption in our state ever published. It proposes cures, which will take decades to implement fully, but which deserve our attention now."--Governor Jim Edgar, from the foreword
"Gradel and Simpson have chronicled corruption in Illinois for decades. Here they sum up their findings in distressing, damning detail. The authors propose important steps to tamp down this corruption."--James A. Nowlan, former state representative and co-author of Fixing Illinois: Politics and Policy in the Prairie State
"Corrupt Illinois documents the vast scope and depth of corruption in Illinois politics, which is a monumental achievement in itself. Of equal importance, it explores the underlying roots of that corruption, building an understanding of its dynamics and the policy changes necessary to address it."--Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science, University of Illinois at Springfield
Thomas J. Gradel spent 35 years as a media consultant and served on the staff of Governor Dan Walker. He is a freelance writer and political researcher. Dick Simpson is a professor, former head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, former Chicago alderman and congressional candidate. His books include Rogues, Rebels, And Rubber Stamps: The Politics Of The Chicago City Council, 1863 To The Present (Urban Policy Challenges), and The Struggle for Power and Influence in Cities and States.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Fugitive for 6 years Arrested in Switzerland
Wander Junior Vargas Canela, aka Wallis Torres, an inmate who escaped the Massachusetts Department of Correction and fled to Switzerland, has been turned over to United States authorities following his arrest in Switzerland.
Special agents from the FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force escorted Canela from Switzerland to Logan International Airport. The FBI worked with the Massachusetts Department of Correction’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit (FAU) to locate Canela and bring him back to Massachusetts.
An arrest warrant had been issued for Canela, under his assumed identity of Wallis Torres, out of West Roxbury District Court on September 17, 2008, the day after he escaped from the Boston Pre-Release Correctional Center. He was serving a four- to seven-year sentence for possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute.
Investigators developed information which indicated Canela had fled the United States and was traveling within Europe, specifically in the areas of Spain and Switzerland. They also learned that Canela was using an assumed name, Wallis Torres, while in Massachusetts.
On December 13, 2013, a federal arrest warrant was issued out of the United States District Court in Massachusetts for Canela on a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution which holds a maximum imprisonment of five years.
FBI Boston and members of FAU developed several leads in Spain, the Dominican Republic, and Switzerland relative to the activities of Canela. With the assistance of the FBI’s legal attaché offices in these respective countries, it was determined that he was residing in Switzerland.
On April 15, 2014, Canela was arrested by the Canton Aargau Police (Switzerland) for possession of cocaine and was held in Swiss custody on a provisional arrest warrant generated by FBI Boston/FAU seeking extradition back to Massachusetts.
Upon arrival, Canela will return to the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Correction where he will serve the remainder of his outstanding sentence; four years and four months. He will also face additional charges relating to his escape and unlawful flight.
“This is a great example of multiple government agencies and nations working together to bring fugitives like Canela back to the United States to face justice,” said Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “I want to thank the government of Switzerland for its excellent cooperation, as well as the Massachusetts Department of Correction’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Massachusetts State Police, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.”
Massachusetts Department of Correction Commissioner Carol Higgins O’Brien added, “We extremely pleased with the law enforcement and interagency partnerships that allowed this fugitive to be returned to Massachusetts to serve out the remainder of his sentence.”
Canela, aka Torres, 29, had been a fugitive for six years.
Special agents from the FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force escorted Canela from Switzerland to Logan International Airport. The FBI worked with the Massachusetts Department of Correction’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit (FAU) to locate Canela and bring him back to Massachusetts.
An arrest warrant had been issued for Canela, under his assumed identity of Wallis Torres, out of West Roxbury District Court on September 17, 2008, the day after he escaped from the Boston Pre-Release Correctional Center. He was serving a four- to seven-year sentence for possession of a Class B substance with intent to distribute.
Investigators developed information which indicated Canela had fled the United States and was traveling within Europe, specifically in the areas of Spain and Switzerland. They also learned that Canela was using an assumed name, Wallis Torres, while in Massachusetts.
On December 13, 2013, a federal arrest warrant was issued out of the United States District Court in Massachusetts for Canela on a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution which holds a maximum imprisonment of five years.
FBI Boston and members of FAU developed several leads in Spain, the Dominican Republic, and Switzerland relative to the activities of Canela. With the assistance of the FBI’s legal attaché offices in these respective countries, it was determined that he was residing in Switzerland.
On April 15, 2014, Canela was arrested by the Canton Aargau Police (Switzerland) for possession of cocaine and was held in Swiss custody on a provisional arrest warrant generated by FBI Boston/FAU seeking extradition back to Massachusetts.
Upon arrival, Canela will return to the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Correction where he will serve the remainder of his outstanding sentence; four years and four months. He will also face additional charges relating to his escape and unlawful flight.
“This is a great example of multiple government agencies and nations working together to bring fugitives like Canela back to the United States to face justice,” said Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “I want to thank the government of Switzerland for its excellent cooperation, as well as the Massachusetts Department of Correction’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Massachusetts State Police, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office.”
Massachusetts Department of Correction Commissioner Carol Higgins O’Brien added, “We extremely pleased with the law enforcement and interagency partnerships that allowed this fugitive to be returned to Massachusetts to serve out the remainder of his sentence.”
Canela, aka Torres, 29, had been a fugitive for six years.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Boston Mob Wives Reality Show Casting Call
Are you a woman with a personality that pops and a connection to Boston’s criminal underworld?
Boston Mob Wives, a new reality show in production, could be your big break. The first casting call is scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 22 at the Four Points Sheraton in Revere.
Henry “Nacho” Laun, Jenna DeRose, and Timothy Baker are looking to cast the new Boston-based reality show. Laun is a former member of Mark Wahlberg’s original real-life entourage. He has had bit parts in numerous Wahlberg films, including The Departed, The Fighter, Ted, and Ted 2. He plays himself on Wahlburgers.
DeRose is a mom of two who lives in Revere. Her husband, Timothy Baker, is also involved in the project.
The original Mob Wives series first aired on VH1 in 2011, but DeRose wasn’t a fan of the original. “I was disgusted. They don’t act classy. The women I know from Boston who have ties to the mob act way classier than that,” she said.
So, what does it take to become a cast member of Boston Mob Wives? You don’t need to have a current connection to organized crime in Boston, nor do you need to be a wife, DeRose told Boston.com.
“If their personality pops and they have mob ties from the past—their grandfather or great uncle—that works,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to think it’s about the mob that’s going on now. It’s about peoples stories from the past.”
DeRose said the people she grew up with who were involved in organized crime were “good guys just trying to make a living.”
“When you say ‘mafia’ to me I think of guys trying to protect their city,” DeRose said. “If they left the mafia alone, Boston would be a safer city.”
DeRose made several claims to her mob pedigree. “Whitey [Bulger] actually taught me how to ride a bike. I grew up around this,” she said.
Bulger was convicted in November 2013 for multiple murders, drug trafficking, racketeering and other charges.
DeRose also told Boston.com she’s the niece of Bernard “Bennie” Zinna, was involved in organized crime.
Zinna was charged in the 1966 gangland murder of boxer Rocco DiSeglio, but was later acquitted. In 1969, he died after being shot multiple times in his Cadillac. His body was found in Revere, just two miles from where the casting call is set to take place.
Would the producers be open to casting someone who is married to an individual who is currently active in organized crime? The answer is yes, according to DeRose, who explained that if the “wife” was discussing a “current situation,” producers would have to shield the identity of the “husband.”
“His name would have to be Joe Black or something.”
Presumably Bitey Wulger could also work.
Thanks to Hilary Sargent.
Boston Mob Wives, a new reality show in production, could be your big break. The first casting call is scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 22 at the Four Points Sheraton in Revere.
Henry “Nacho” Laun, Jenna DeRose, and Timothy Baker are looking to cast the new Boston-based reality show. Laun is a former member of Mark Wahlberg’s original real-life entourage. He has had bit parts in numerous Wahlberg films, including The Departed, The Fighter, Ted, and Ted 2. He plays himself on Wahlburgers.
DeRose is a mom of two who lives in Revere. Her husband, Timothy Baker, is also involved in the project.
The original Mob Wives series first aired on VH1 in 2011, but DeRose wasn’t a fan of the original. “I was disgusted. They don’t act classy. The women I know from Boston who have ties to the mob act way classier than that,” she said.
So, what does it take to become a cast member of Boston Mob Wives? You don’t need to have a current connection to organized crime in Boston, nor do you need to be a wife, DeRose told Boston.com.
“If their personality pops and they have mob ties from the past—their grandfather or great uncle—that works,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to think it’s about the mob that’s going on now. It’s about peoples stories from the past.”
DeRose said the people she grew up with who were involved in organized crime were “good guys just trying to make a living.”
“When you say ‘mafia’ to me I think of guys trying to protect their city,” DeRose said. “If they left the mafia alone, Boston would be a safer city.”
DeRose made several claims to her mob pedigree. “Whitey [Bulger] actually taught me how to ride a bike. I grew up around this,” she said.
Bulger was convicted in November 2013 for multiple murders, drug trafficking, racketeering and other charges.
DeRose also told Boston.com she’s the niece of Bernard “Bennie” Zinna, was involved in organized crime.
Zinna was charged in the 1966 gangland murder of boxer Rocco DiSeglio, but was later acquitted. In 1969, he died after being shot multiple times in his Cadillac. His body was found in Revere, just two miles from where the casting call is set to take place.
Would the producers be open to casting someone who is married to an individual who is currently active in organized crime? The answer is yes, according to DeRose, who explained that if the “wife” was discussing a “current situation,” producers would have to shield the identity of the “husband.”
“His name would have to be Joe Black or something.”
Presumably Bitey Wulger could also work.
Thanks to Hilary Sargent.
Catholic Priest Pleads Guilty to Passing Messages for Convicted Mob Hit Man Frank Calabrese Sr.
In a case that reads like a movie script, a Catholic priest on Wednesday pleaded guilty to trying to help a convicted mob hitman recover a purported Stradivarius violin hidden in the wall of a house.
Eugene Klein, who had been a federal prison chaplain, admitted to conspiring in 2011 to defraud the United States by passing messages from mobster Frank Calabrese to an unnamed associate on how to get the violin out of Calabrese`s Wisconsin home.
If found and authenticated as made by 18th-century instrument maker Antonio Stradivari, such a violin would have been worth millions of dollars. Calabrese had also claimed the violin had once been owned by pianist Liberace, according to local media accounts.
Calabrese, also known as "Frankie Breeze," was serving a life sentence at the federal prison in Springfield, Missouri, in connection with more than a dozen gangland slayings.
Federal authorities were selling his property to compensate the families of victims, and he wanted the violin recovered before the house was sold, court documents said.
Klein, 66, had been permitted to meet with Calabrese regularly to provide religious ministries, like giving communion. He knew that he was not supposed to pass messages to and from Calabrese, prosecutors said. But Klein agreed to be a messenger, the plea agreement said. The communications included a letter concealed in religious reading materials and passed to Klein through a slot in the door of Calabrese`s prison cell, the plea agreement said.
The letter had instructions on how to find the violin, and how to get into the home. Klein didn`t turn over the letter but admitted to telling the unnamed person what it said.
Federal authorities had found paperwork about a 1764 violin in another of Calabrese`s homes. A certificate describing the violin bore an emblem with the word "Stradivari," but it said the violin was made by Giuseppe Antonio Artalli, court documents said.
No violin was found.
Thomas Durkin, Klein`s attorney, questioned whether the violin ever even existed, and he compared the hunt for it to "looking for a unicorn," according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Durkin was not immediately available for comment.
Klein, of Springfield, Missouri, faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on June 23.
Calabrese died in prison in 2012.
Eugene Klein, who had been a federal prison chaplain, admitted to conspiring in 2011 to defraud the United States by passing messages from mobster Frank Calabrese to an unnamed associate on how to get the violin out of Calabrese`s Wisconsin home.
If found and authenticated as made by 18th-century instrument maker Antonio Stradivari, such a violin would have been worth millions of dollars. Calabrese had also claimed the violin had once been owned by pianist Liberace, according to local media accounts.
Calabrese, also known as "Frankie Breeze," was serving a life sentence at the federal prison in Springfield, Missouri, in connection with more than a dozen gangland slayings.
Federal authorities were selling his property to compensate the families of victims, and he wanted the violin recovered before the house was sold, court documents said.
Klein, 66, had been permitted to meet with Calabrese regularly to provide religious ministries, like giving communion. He knew that he was not supposed to pass messages to and from Calabrese, prosecutors said. But Klein agreed to be a messenger, the plea agreement said. The communications included a letter concealed in religious reading materials and passed to Klein through a slot in the door of Calabrese`s prison cell, the plea agreement said.
The letter had instructions on how to find the violin, and how to get into the home. Klein didn`t turn over the letter but admitted to telling the unnamed person what it said.
Federal authorities had found paperwork about a 1764 violin in another of Calabrese`s homes. A certificate describing the violin bore an emblem with the word "Stradivari," but it said the violin was made by Giuseppe Antonio Artalli, court documents said.
No violin was found.
Thomas Durkin, Klein`s attorney, questioned whether the violin ever even existed, and he compared the hunt for it to "looking for a unicorn," according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Durkin was not immediately available for comment.
Klein, of Springfield, Missouri, faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on June 23.
Calabrese died in prison in 2012.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
CBS Newsman Bob Simon's Forty Days
In Forty Days, the late celebrated CBS newsman
, Bob Simon, recalls the trauma of the forty days he spent in an Iraqi prison during the Persian Gulf War and reveals how he relied on the memories of his life and family to pull him through.Will @MSNBC Suspend @TheRevAl Over Purported Lies Related to Work as a FBI Mafia Informant?
With its swift and severe punishment of Brian Williams, NBCUniversal declared yesterday that it will not stand for on-air talent lying to viewers.
Now that the media conglomerate has delineated that bright line, when does the Rev. Al Sharpton’s suspension without pay begin?
In the wake of last year’s lengthy TSG report about Sharpton’s secret work as a paid FBI Mafia informant, the MSNBC host sought to blunt the story’s disclosures with a series of lies told at a pair of press conferences, on his nightly “Politics Nation” program, and in a report on Williams’s own NBC Nightly News (which was rebroadcast on NBC's Today show).
Sharpton, 60, cast himself as a victim who first ran into the FBI’s warm embrace when a scary gangster purportedly threatened his life. He was “an American citizen with every right to call law enforcement” for protection, Sharpton told his MSNBC audience. His sole motivation was to “try to protect myself and others.”
He needed the FBI’s help, Sharpton claimed, because his relentless advocacy on behalf of African-American concert promoters had angered wiseguys with hooks in the music business. “I did the right thing working with the authorities,” Sharpton assured viewers. As for being branded an informant, that was a label for others to worry about. “I didn’t consider myself, quote, an informant. Wasn’t told I was that,” said Sharpton.
These claims, broadcast by NBCUniversal, were demonstrably false.
Sharpton was, again, lying about when, how, and why he became a government informant. This historical rewrite was intended to cast his cooperation in the most favorable--even heroic--light possible. The true story, however, was grimier and far less commendable.
Sharpton was once an organized crime associate who got caught up in an FBI sting and immediately agreed to join Team America to stay out of prison. The street-smart preacher’s decision to become an informant was borne out of fear and a desire for self preservation, a calculus not unique when someone is cornered by men with badges.
Now, if NBCUniversal cared to examine the televised claims Sharpton has made about his work as an informant, the company’s newly formed internal affairs division could review hundreds of pages of FBI documents chronicling Sharpton’s work as “CI-7,” short for confidential informant #7, and they could track down members of the FBI-NYPD organized crime task force for which Sharpton surreptitiously recorded his meetings with gangsters. And company brass would certainly want to review the first story to expose Sharpton as a snitch, a January 1998 Newsday piece authored by a Murderers Row of reporters: Bob Drury, Robert Kessler, Mike McAlary, and Richard Esposito. If that last guy’s name rings a bell, well, it is probably because Esposito--now senior executive producer of NBC's investigative unit--is heading the network’s review of Williams’s Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina claims.
Could there be a better man to head the Sharpton Task Force? Luckily, Esposito’s memories of Sharpton’s FBI activities remain clear, as evidenced by a article (“Rev. Al Sharpton and Me”) he wrote for the NBC News web site the day after TSG published its Sharpton story last April.
As detailed by TSG and Esposito and his Newsday colleaugues, Sharpton agreed to become an informant after he was secretly videotaped discussing a possible cocaine deal with an undercover FBI agent.
Sharpton was “flipped” on a Thursday afternoon in June 1983 when he showed up at a Manhattan apartment expecting to meet with a former South American druglord seeking to launder money through boxing promotions (like those handled by Sharpton pal Don King). The role of "druglord" was played by undercover FBI Agent Victor Quintana.
After Sharpton entered the apartment, FBI Agents Joseph Spinelli and Kenneth Mikionis emerged from the bedroom. They then played Sharpton a videotape of a prior meeting with Quintana during which cocaine was a topic of conversation. While the agents were unsure whether Sharpton had said enough to warrant a criminal prosecution, the civil rights activist had no doubt he was in trouble. Sharpton agreed on the spot to begin working as an informant.
The following day, at Spinelli’s direction, Sharpton recorded the first of several conversations with King, a major FBI target. Sharpton, of course, has repeatedly lied when asked whether he made such consensual recordings for his FBI handlers.
Over the next several years, Sharpton worked with FBI agents and NYPD detectives as they put together criminal cases against leaders of the Genovese organized crime family. For example, he used a briefcase outfitted with a hidden recording device to tape ten meetings with a Gambino crime family figure named Joseph Buonanno.
In sealed court filings, federal investigators lauded “CI-7” as a reliable, productive, and accurate source of information about mobsters. The FBI noted that its informant gathered information about La Cosa Nostra matters through his contact with members of four of New York’s five mob families and via “conversations with LCN members from other parts of the United States.”
About nine months into his work as an informant
, Sharpton was purportedly threatened by Salvatore Pisello, a mob associate affiliated with MCA Records in Los Angeles. Pisello, Sharpton claimed in his autobiography, Go and Tell Pharaoh, was angry that the activist was agitating to have African-American promoters included in the “Victory Tour” starring Michael Jackson and his brothers. Presumably, such involvement by these promoters would have cut into Pisello’s piece of the lucrative tour.
The reported threat, however, amounted to nothing but talk. Sharpton, however, has cast the incident--for which he is the sole witness--as the motivation for him approaching FBI agents for some federal succor.
While Sharpton’s sleight of hand when it comes to matters temporal and factual is well established, he chose to boldly use the airwaves of NBCUniversal--his employer--to broadcast lies about his tawdry past.
Unlike Williams, however, viewers should not expect an apology--even a mangled one at that--from Sharpton.
Thanks to TSG.
Now that the media conglomerate has delineated that bright line, when does the Rev. Al Sharpton’s suspension without pay begin?
In the wake of last year’s lengthy TSG report about Sharpton’s secret work as a paid FBI Mafia informant, the MSNBC host sought to blunt the story’s disclosures with a series of lies told at a pair of press conferences, on his nightly “Politics Nation” program, and in a report on Williams’s own NBC Nightly News (which was rebroadcast on NBC's Today show).
Sharpton, 60, cast himself as a victim who first ran into the FBI’s warm embrace when a scary gangster purportedly threatened his life. He was “an American citizen with every right to call law enforcement” for protection, Sharpton told his MSNBC audience. His sole motivation was to “try to protect myself and others.”
He needed the FBI’s help, Sharpton claimed, because his relentless advocacy on behalf of African-American concert promoters had angered wiseguys with hooks in the music business. “I did the right thing working with the authorities,” Sharpton assured viewers. As for being branded an informant, that was a label for others to worry about. “I didn’t consider myself, quote, an informant. Wasn’t told I was that,” said Sharpton.
These claims, broadcast by NBCUniversal, were demonstrably false.
Sharpton was, again, lying about when, how, and why he became a government informant. This historical rewrite was intended to cast his cooperation in the most favorable--even heroic--light possible. The true story, however, was grimier and far less commendable.
Sharpton was once an organized crime associate who got caught up in an FBI sting and immediately agreed to join Team America to stay out of prison. The street-smart preacher’s decision to become an informant was borne out of fear and a desire for self preservation, a calculus not unique when someone is cornered by men with badges.
Now, if NBCUniversal cared to examine the televised claims Sharpton has made about his work as an informant, the company’s newly formed internal affairs division could review hundreds of pages of FBI documents chronicling Sharpton’s work as “CI-7,” short for confidential informant #7, and they could track down members of the FBI-NYPD organized crime task force for which Sharpton surreptitiously recorded his meetings with gangsters. And company brass would certainly want to review the first story to expose Sharpton as a snitch, a January 1998 Newsday piece authored by a Murderers Row of reporters: Bob Drury, Robert Kessler, Mike McAlary, and Richard Esposito. If that last guy’s name rings a bell, well, it is probably because Esposito--now senior executive producer of NBC's investigative unit--is heading the network’s review of Williams’s Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina claims.
Could there be a better man to head the Sharpton Task Force? Luckily, Esposito’s memories of Sharpton’s FBI activities remain clear, as evidenced by a article (“Rev. Al Sharpton and Me”) he wrote for the NBC News web site the day after TSG published its Sharpton story last April.
As detailed by TSG and Esposito and his Newsday colleaugues, Sharpton agreed to become an informant after he was secretly videotaped discussing a possible cocaine deal with an undercover FBI agent.
Sharpton was “flipped” on a Thursday afternoon in June 1983 when he showed up at a Manhattan apartment expecting to meet with a former South American druglord seeking to launder money through boxing promotions (like those handled by Sharpton pal Don King). The role of "druglord" was played by undercover FBI Agent Victor Quintana.
After Sharpton entered the apartment, FBI Agents Joseph Spinelli and Kenneth Mikionis emerged from the bedroom. They then played Sharpton a videotape of a prior meeting with Quintana during which cocaine was a topic of conversation. While the agents were unsure whether Sharpton had said enough to warrant a criminal prosecution, the civil rights activist had no doubt he was in trouble. Sharpton agreed on the spot to begin working as an informant.
The following day, at Spinelli’s direction, Sharpton recorded the first of several conversations with King, a major FBI target. Sharpton, of course, has repeatedly lied when asked whether he made such consensual recordings for his FBI handlers.
Over the next several years, Sharpton worked with FBI agents and NYPD detectives as they put together criminal cases against leaders of the Genovese organized crime family. For example, he used a briefcase outfitted with a hidden recording device to tape ten meetings with a Gambino crime family figure named Joseph Buonanno.
In sealed court filings, federal investigators lauded “CI-7” as a reliable, productive, and accurate source of information about mobsters. The FBI noted that its informant gathered information about La Cosa Nostra matters through his contact with members of four of New York’s five mob families and via “conversations with LCN members from other parts of the United States.”
About nine months into his work as an informant
, Sharpton was purportedly threatened by Salvatore Pisello, a mob associate affiliated with MCA Records in Los Angeles. Pisello, Sharpton claimed in his autobiography, Go and Tell Pharaoh, was angry that the activist was agitating to have African-American promoters included in the “Victory Tour” starring Michael Jackson and his brothers. Presumably, such involvement by these promoters would have cut into Pisello’s piece of the lucrative tour.The reported threat, however, amounted to nothing but talk. Sharpton, however, has cast the incident--for which he is the sole witness--as the motivation for him approaching FBI agents for some federal succor.
While Sharpton’s sleight of hand when it comes to matters temporal and factual is well established, he chose to boldly use the airwaves of NBCUniversal--his employer--to broadcast lies about his tawdry past.
Unlike Williams, however, viewers should not expect an apology--even a mangled one at that--from Sharpton.
Thanks to TSG.
Radio Talk Show Host Attorney Sentenced to 70 Months for Stealing $2.34 Million in Clients’ Funds
A suburban real estate attorney and radio talk show host was sentenced today to 70 months’ imprisonment for stealing approximately $2.34 million from her clients. The defendant, KATHLEEN NIEW, 59, of Burr Ridge, was also ordered to pay restitution of $2.34 million to the victims of her fraud and forfeit assets related to the crime. “The sentence must promote respect for the law . . . something has to be done when a case like this comes up.” U.S. District Court Judge Harry Leinenweber said in imposing the sentence. Judge Leinenweber also ordered three years of supervised release, and Niew is to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons on April 14, 2015.
Niew operated Niew Legal Partners, LLC, in Oak Brook. She was charged with 10 counts of wire fraud by a federal grand jury in August 2013 and pled in June 2014 to all counts of the indictment. She was disbarred in 2013.
According to court records, the victims, a husband and wife, who were Niew’s clients, transferred approximately $2.34 million into Niew’s attorney escrow account to be used for closings on commercial real estate transactions. Niew used the funds for her own benefit, contrary to the false representations she made to the couple. Without the victims’ knowledge, Niew used their funds to finance the purchases of various gold mining operations and not to purchase any commercial property for the victims as originally intended. Further, as part of the fraud scheme, Niew arranged to receive a 20 percent finder’s fee for herself from mining operation investments in exchange for providing approximately $1.5 million in funds that belonged to her clients.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Leinenweber also found Niew responsible for defrauding another client out of $500,000. Niew falsely told that victim that she needed to borrow $500,000 to help buy assets in her upcoming divorce proceeding. Niew, however, was not divorcing her husband, and she sent the victim’s funds to one of the same investment operations where she had sent previous victims’ money.
“Niew blatantly stole $2.8 million of her clients’ money, and then lied to cover up the scam. When confronted and caught, Niew undertook acts that can only be described as shocking for an attorney licensed by the bar—creating false cover-up documents, lying to her clients, and lying under oath (once again) to the ARDC,” argued Assistant United States Attorney Sunil Harjani in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
Niew operated Niew Legal Partners, LLC, in Oak Brook. She was charged with 10 counts of wire fraud by a federal grand jury in August 2013 and pled in June 2014 to all counts of the indictment. She was disbarred in 2013.
According to court records, the victims, a husband and wife, who were Niew’s clients, transferred approximately $2.34 million into Niew’s attorney escrow account to be used for closings on commercial real estate transactions. Niew used the funds for her own benefit, contrary to the false representations she made to the couple. Without the victims’ knowledge, Niew used their funds to finance the purchases of various gold mining operations and not to purchase any commercial property for the victims as originally intended. Further, as part of the fraud scheme, Niew arranged to receive a 20 percent finder’s fee for herself from mining operation investments in exchange for providing approximately $1.5 million in funds that belonged to her clients.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Leinenweber also found Niew responsible for defrauding another client out of $500,000. Niew falsely told that victim that she needed to borrow $500,000 to help buy assets in her upcoming divorce proceeding. Niew, however, was not divorcing her husband, and she sent the victim’s funds to one of the same investment operations where she had sent previous victims’ money.
“Niew blatantly stole $2.8 million of her clients’ money, and then lied to cover up the scam. When confronted and caught, Niew undertook acts that can only be described as shocking for an attorney licensed by the bar—creating false cover-up documents, lying to her clients, and lying under oath (once again) to the ARDC,” argued Assistant United States Attorney Sunil Harjani in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
Monday, February 09, 2015
Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable, and What We Can Do About It
From one of the world's leading authorities on global security
, Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It, takes readers deep into the digital underground to illuminate the alarming ways criminals, corporations, and even countries are using new and emerging technologies against you and how this makes everyone more vulnerable than you ever thought possible.
Technological advances have benefited our world in immeasurable ways, but there is an ominous flip side. Criminals are often the earliest, and most innovative, adopters of technology, and modern times have led to modern crimes. Today's criminals are stealing identities, draining online bank accounts, and erasing computer servers. It's disturbingly easy to activate baby monitors to spy on families, to hack pacemakers to deliver a lethal jolt of electricity, and to analyze a person's social media activity to determine the best time for a home invasion.
Meanwhile, 3D printers produce AK-47s, terrorists can download the recipe for the Ebola virus, and drug cartels are building drones. This is just the beginning of a tsunami of technological threats. In Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It, Marc Goodman rips opens his database of hundreds of real cases to give readers front-row access to these impending perils. Reading like a sci-fi thriller, but based in startling fact, Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It, raises tough questions about the expanding role of technology in our lives. The book is a call to action for better security measures worldwide, but most importantly it will empower readers to protect themselves against looming technological threats before it's too late.
, Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It, takes readers deep into the digital underground to illuminate the alarming ways criminals, corporations, and even countries are using new and emerging technologies against you and how this makes everyone more vulnerable than you ever thought possible.Technological advances have benefited our world in immeasurable ways, but there is an ominous flip side. Criminals are often the earliest, and most innovative, adopters of technology, and modern times have led to modern crimes. Today's criminals are stealing identities, draining online bank accounts, and erasing computer servers. It's disturbingly easy to activate baby monitors to spy on families, to hack pacemakers to deliver a lethal jolt of electricity, and to analyze a person's social media activity to determine the best time for a home invasion.
Meanwhile, 3D printers produce AK-47s, terrorists can download the recipe for the Ebola virus, and drug cartels are building drones. This is just the beginning of a tsunami of technological threats. In Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It, Marc Goodman rips opens his database of hundreds of real cases to give readers front-row access to these impending perils. Reading like a sci-fi thriller, but based in startling fact, Future Crimes: Everything Is Connected, Everyone Is Vulnerable and What We Can Do About It, raises tough questions about the expanding role of technology in our lives. The book is a call to action for better security measures worldwide, but most importantly it will empower readers to protect themselves against looming technological threats before it's too late.
Sunday, February 08, 2015
17 Yr Old Charged with Attempted Murder of a Police Officer After Firing Shot at State Trooper
Illinois State Police (ISP) officials are investigating a shooting that occurred near the Shell gas station located at 55th and Wells, next to the Dan Ryan Expressway at 8:55 p.m., Saturday, February, 7, 2015.
An ISP trooper identified an occupied stolen vehicle at the Shell gas station through a license plate check. The trooper initiated a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Shell gas station. The trooper attempted to make contact with the sole occupant, the front seat passenger, a 17 year old male juvenile. The suspect passenger exited the stolen vehicle and fled the scene on foot. The trooper chased the suspect in a foot pursuit for approximately 1000ft north on Wells, during which time the suspect fired a single shot at the trooper. The trooper returned fire once. The suspect fell to the ground and was taken into custody by the trooper. The suspect's gun was recovered. No injuries were reported as a result of the gun fire.
The Cook County State's Attorney's Office was contacted and approved charges of Attempted Murder of a Police Officer, Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm, Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Criminal Trespass to a Vehicle and Aggravated Assault. The suspect was transported to Cook County Juvenile Detention and will appear for a bond hearing on Monday, February 9, 2015.
The identity of the driver of the stolen vehicle is still pending investigation.
An ISP trooper identified an occupied stolen vehicle at the Shell gas station through a license plate check. The trooper initiated a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Shell gas station. The trooper attempted to make contact with the sole occupant, the front seat passenger, a 17 year old male juvenile. The suspect passenger exited the stolen vehicle and fled the scene on foot. The trooper chased the suspect in a foot pursuit for approximately 1000ft north on Wells, during which time the suspect fired a single shot at the trooper. The trooper returned fire once. The suspect fell to the ground and was taken into custody by the trooper. The suspect's gun was recovered. No injuries were reported as a result of the gun fire.
The Cook County State's Attorney's Office was contacted and approved charges of Attempted Murder of a Police Officer, Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm, Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Criminal Trespass to a Vehicle and Aggravated Assault. The suspect was transported to Cook County Juvenile Detention and will appear for a bond hearing on Monday, February 9, 2015.
The identity of the driver of the stolen vehicle is still pending investigation.
Alleged Black P Stones Gang Leaders Taken Down #OperationTangledWeb
A joint investigation by law enforcement officials helped take down a North Side drug operation that crossed into Evanston and Skokie and netted about $2.5 million over the course of the investigation, police said.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Tangled Web, targeted Black P Stones gang leaders on the North Side and focused on drug trafficking that involved gang members in Chicago and the northern suburbs of Evanston and Skokie, police said.
Law enforcement officials used court-ordered wiretaps that ultimately revealed the multimillion-dollar operation. The wiretaps focused on the dealings of Black P Stones leaders Craig "Chop" Johnson and Henry "Mix" Wiggins, who ran the operation, police said.
Their operation was found to also supply gangs outside of the Black P Stone Nation that deal drugs on the North Side.
At least 22 people were charged with calculated criminal drug conspiracy, including Melvin Foote, an original ranking member of the Black P Stones, police said.
Officials seized eight vehicles, about $58,000 in cash, 377 grams of crack cocaine and a 9 mm gun during a search warrant.
Wiggins also was charged with possession of a defaced firearm in addition to the conspiracy charge, which carries up to a 30-year prison sentence if convicted.
The Chicago Police Department's Bureau of Organized Crime, the Chicago Police Gang Investigation Unit and the FBI Joint Task Force on Gangs were a part of the sting.
Thanks to Deanese Williams-Harris.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Tangled Web, targeted Black P Stones gang leaders on the North Side and focused on drug trafficking that involved gang members in Chicago and the northern suburbs of Evanston and Skokie, police said.
Law enforcement officials used court-ordered wiretaps that ultimately revealed the multimillion-dollar operation. The wiretaps focused on the dealings of Black P Stones leaders Craig "Chop" Johnson and Henry "Mix" Wiggins, who ran the operation, police said.
Their operation was found to also supply gangs outside of the Black P Stone Nation that deal drugs on the North Side.
At least 22 people were charged with calculated criminal drug conspiracy, including Melvin Foote, an original ranking member of the Black P Stones, police said.
Officials seized eight vehicles, about $58,000 in cash, 377 grams of crack cocaine and a 9 mm gun during a search warrant.
Wiggins also was charged with possession of a defaced firearm in addition to the conspiracy charge, which carries up to a 30-year prison sentence if convicted.
The Chicago Police Department's Bureau of Organized Crime, the Chicago Police Gang Investigation Unit and the FBI Joint Task Force on Gangs were a part of the sting.
Thanks to Deanese Williams-Harris.
Thursday, February 05, 2015
DEA Contemplated Using License Plate Readers to Track Gun Show Attendees
Recent revelations about a proposed federal law enforcement program might have some friends and families drawing lots to decide who drives to the next gun show.
Criminals rarely obtain guns from gun shows. A Department of Justice survey of state and federal inmates, found that only 0.7 percent of those polled had acquired a firearm that they possessed at the time of their offense from a gun show. Unfortunately, this didn’t stop at least one federal official from suggesting that the sophisticated tools of the modern surveillance state be turned on unsuspecting gun show attendees.
Documents obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the American Civil Liberties Union reveal that, in 2009, the Drug Enforcement Administration contemplated using License Plate Readers (LPRs) to track vehicle traffic from gun shows. A highly redacted email from an unknown DEA official suggests the program was past infancy, and stated, “DEA Phoenix Division Office is working closely with ATF on attacking the guns going to [redacted] and the guns shows to include programs/operation with LPRs at the gun shows.”
ACLU correctly points out the danger of such technology in an article on their website, explaining, “An automatic license plate reader cannot distinguish between people transporting illegal guns and those transporting legal guns, or no guns at all; it only documents the presence of any car driving to the event. Mere attendance at a gun show, it appeared, would have been enough to have one's presence noted in a DEA database.”
The proposed program is even more disturbing when placed into the larger context of the Justice Department’s ongoing general license plate tracking program. A January 26 article from the Wall Street Journal explains the broad contours of DOJ LPR surveillance. The piece states, “The Justice Department has been building a national database to track in real time the movement of vehicles around the U.S., a secret domestic intelligence-gathering program that scans and stores hundreds of millions of records about motorists.” The authors go on to explain the wide availability of the collected data, writing, “Many state and local law-enforcement agencies are accessing the database for a variety of investigations… putting a wealth of information in the hands of local officials who can track vehicles in real time on major roadways.” They further note that this national database “allows any police agency that participates to quickly search records of many states for information about a vehicle.”
According to a January 27 Wall Street Journal article focusing specifically on the gun show surveillance proposal, DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart told the paper, “The proposal in the email was only a suggestion. It was never authorized by DEA, and the idea under discussion in the email was never launched.” Further, the article stated that DOJ officials were quick to deny any BATFE involvement in the LPR scheme. However, as has been made clear by the events of the last two years, public statements by federal officials regarding the scope of federal surveillance activities should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.
DEA’s proposed indiscriminate gun show surveillance places an unacceptable burden on the privacy of law-abiding citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights and even smacks of firearm registration. Further, such tactics infringe upon rights protected by the First Amendment. Gun shows are far more than just shopping opportunities for gun buyers. They are also community gatherings that often serve as venues for political expression and organizing. As such, they are subject to the First Amendment’s rights of freedom of association and to peaceably assemble and should be free from government activity that could chill free and open participation.
In recent years, the unfettered growth of the surveillance state has become an increasing threat to the privacy of gun owners, and NRA recognizes this challenge. That’s why in early 2014 NRA filed a friend of the court brief in a case challenging the National Security Agency’s mass surveillance of phone and internet data. The brief contended that the data collection program is unconstitutional on First Amendment freedom of association grounds, and that it violates statutory prohibitions against compiling gun ownership records. Likewise, NRA is investigating the recent DEA revelations and will continue to work in this area to ensure the privacy of all gun owners.
Thanks to the NRA-ILA.
Criminals rarely obtain guns from gun shows. A Department of Justice survey of state and federal inmates, found that only 0.7 percent of those polled had acquired a firearm that they possessed at the time of their offense from a gun show. Unfortunately, this didn’t stop at least one federal official from suggesting that the sophisticated tools of the modern surveillance state be turned on unsuspecting gun show attendees.
Documents obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the American Civil Liberties Union reveal that, in 2009, the Drug Enforcement Administration contemplated using License Plate Readers (LPRs) to track vehicle traffic from gun shows. A highly redacted email from an unknown DEA official suggests the program was past infancy, and stated, “DEA Phoenix Division Office is working closely with ATF on attacking the guns going to [redacted] and the guns shows to include programs/operation with LPRs at the gun shows.”
ACLU correctly points out the danger of such technology in an article on their website, explaining, “An automatic license plate reader cannot distinguish between people transporting illegal guns and those transporting legal guns, or no guns at all; it only documents the presence of any car driving to the event. Mere attendance at a gun show, it appeared, would have been enough to have one's presence noted in a DEA database.”
The proposed program is even more disturbing when placed into the larger context of the Justice Department’s ongoing general license plate tracking program. A January 26 article from the Wall Street Journal explains the broad contours of DOJ LPR surveillance. The piece states, “The Justice Department has been building a national database to track in real time the movement of vehicles around the U.S., a secret domestic intelligence-gathering program that scans and stores hundreds of millions of records about motorists.” The authors go on to explain the wide availability of the collected data, writing, “Many state and local law-enforcement agencies are accessing the database for a variety of investigations… putting a wealth of information in the hands of local officials who can track vehicles in real time on major roadways.” They further note that this national database “allows any police agency that participates to quickly search records of many states for information about a vehicle.”
According to a January 27 Wall Street Journal article focusing specifically on the gun show surveillance proposal, DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart told the paper, “The proposal in the email was only a suggestion. It was never authorized by DEA, and the idea under discussion in the email was never launched.” Further, the article stated that DOJ officials were quick to deny any BATFE involvement in the LPR scheme. However, as has been made clear by the events of the last two years, public statements by federal officials regarding the scope of federal surveillance activities should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.
DEA’s proposed indiscriminate gun show surveillance places an unacceptable burden on the privacy of law-abiding citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights and even smacks of firearm registration. Further, such tactics infringe upon rights protected by the First Amendment. Gun shows are far more than just shopping opportunities for gun buyers. They are also community gatherings that often serve as venues for political expression and organizing. As such, they are subject to the First Amendment’s rights of freedom of association and to peaceably assemble and should be free from government activity that could chill free and open participation.
In recent years, the unfettered growth of the surveillance state has become an increasing threat to the privacy of gun owners, and NRA recognizes this challenge. That’s why in early 2014 NRA filed a friend of the court brief in a case challenging the National Security Agency’s mass surveillance of phone and internet data. The brief contended that the data collection program is unconstitutional on First Amendment freedom of association grounds, and that it violates statutory prohibitions against compiling gun ownership records. Likewise, NRA is investigating the recent DEA revelations and will continue to work in this area to ensure the privacy of all gun owners.
Thanks to the NRA-ILA.
Monday, February 02, 2015
#MafiaCops Cost City $5,000,000 Settlement
The City of New York on Friday agreed to pay $5 million to the family of a man killed after being mistaken for a mobster with the same name — thanks to information the killers gleaned from two former police detectives later convicted of moonlighting as hit men for the mob.
The city Law Department called Nicholas Guido’s 1986 death tragic in a statement Friday and says settling is in the city’s best interest.
The family’s lawyer did not immediately return a call from the Associated Press.
The 26-year-old Guido was shot outside his mother’s home on 17th Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn on Christmas Day 1986, according to a New York Daily News report.
Federal prosecutors said the gunmen had Guido had no ties to organized crime, but happened to share a name with an associate of the Gambino crime family who was part of a team of hit men that tried to kill Lucchese family underboss Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso three years earlier.
Casso who paid two detectives – Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa — to help in eight murders, according to the Daily News report. They were accused of carrying out two of those killings themselves.
Eppolito and Caracappa were both sentenced to life in prison.
Thanks to CBS New York.
The city Law Department called Nicholas Guido’s 1986 death tragic in a statement Friday and says settling is in the city’s best interest.
The family’s lawyer did not immediately return a call from the Associated Press.
The 26-year-old Guido was shot outside his mother’s home on 17th Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn on Christmas Day 1986, according to a New York Daily News report.
Federal prosecutors said the gunmen had Guido had no ties to organized crime, but happened to share a name with an associate of the Gambino crime family who was part of a team of hit men that tried to kill Lucchese family underboss Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso three years earlier.
Casso who paid two detectives – Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa — to help in eight murders, according to the Daily News report. They were accused of carrying out two of those killings themselves.
Eppolito and Caracappa were both sentenced to life in prison.
Thanks to CBS New York.
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