Gun Talk Television and Guns & Gear TV are Back!

From the Tom Gresham Truth Squad Newsletter:

Our two television series are on the air right now on Pursuit Channel. If you have Dish or DirecTV, you can get Pursuit. The shows (Gun Talk Television and Guns & Gear TV) also will air on Sportsman Channel beginning in January. Find the schedules, videos, and more at www.guntalktelevision and www.gunsandgeartv.com.

To see them now, just hop over to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/GunTalkTV. With all the smart TVs today, you can watch our shows (and First Person Defender) in HD on your home TV.

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PGA Tour Pro Could be Next Republican Presidential Candidate

Mitt Romney spoke at a GOP fundraiser in New Hampshire where he urged the Republicans to nominate a presidential candidate who hates high taxes and can win. Everybody cheered. Phil Mickelson would be our third left-handed president in a row.

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Marek Leszczynski, A Former Sales Broker Pleads Guilty in New York Federal Court in Connection with Securities Fraud Scheme

Marek Leszczynski, a former sales broker, pleaded guilty in New York federal court to conspiring with others to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, announced Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Along with other individuals, Leszczynski defrauded clients of millions of dollars by misrepresenting the prices at which securities were bought and sold, thereby enabling his former employer to earn undisclosed trading profits and himself and his co-conspirators to be awarded lucrative bonuses. Leszczynski pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John F. Keenan this afternoon.

“Along with his cohorts, Marek Leszczynski sold his firm’s clients a bill of goods by repeatedly misrepresenting the prices of trade executions, all so he could increase firm profits and secure a hefty bonus,” said U.S. Attorney Bharara. “Ultimately, Leszczynski’s lies were exposed, and today’s conviction ensures he’ll be punished for his fraud.”

According to the complaint, the indictment, statements made during the plea proceeding, and other documents filed in Manhattan federal court:

From 2005 through December 2008, Leszczynski worked at a broker-dealer that was headquartered in London, England, with offices in Europe, Asia, and New York, New York (Broker-Dealer 1). Among other services offered, Broker-Dealer 1 bought and sold securities on behalf of institutional clients, such as commercial banks and investment firms, located throughout the United States and in various major European cities. Leszczynski worked as a sales broker for Broker-Dealer 1’s cash equity desk in New York. In that capacity, he was responsible for, among other things, receiving orders to buy or sell securities from Broker-Dealer 1’s clients, relaying those orders to traders who executed the trades, communicating with clients as their orders were being filled, and sending out trading confirmations back to the clients that showed the prices at which securities were bought or sold, including the commissions, if any, that Broker-Dealer 1 charged.

Instead of accurately recording and reporting the actual execution prices of the securities, Leszczynski and his co-conspirators, Chouchane and Condron, who worked alongside Leszczynski at Broker-Dealer 1, misrepresented the prices of trade executions. Where Broker-Dealer 1 received a buy order from a client, Leszczynski and his co-conspirators caused the purchase price of the security that would be reported back to the client to be “marked up” from its actual purchase price. Additionally, where Broker-Dealer 1 received a sell order from a client, Leszczynski and his co-conspirators caused the sale price of the security that would be reported back to the client to be “marked down” from its actual sale price. These markups and markdowns were not disclosed to Broker-Dealer 1’s clients and were separate and apart from the agreed-upon commissions that were disclosed on trading confirmations sent to Broker-Dealer 1’s clients.

As a result of this fraudulent scheme, Broker-Dealer 1 earned millions in undisclosed trading profits to which it was not entitled. Leszczynski and his co-conspirators were paid inflated bonuses.

Leszczynski, 44, of Miami, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. In addition, Leszczynski has agreed to forfeit $1.5 million as part of his guilty plea. Leszczynski is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Keenan on December 19, 2013.

Chouchane, 39, of New York City, pleaded guilty before Judge Keenan on June 12, 2013, to one count of conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Keenan on October 24, 2013.

Condron, 34, of Yorktown Heights, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald on October 5, 2012, to two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of securities fraud. Condron’s sentencing date is pending.

Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI. He also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for their assistance.

This case was brought in coordination with President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, on which Mr. Bharara serves as a Co-Chair of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Working Group. The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory, and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions, and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,900 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, please visit www.StopFraud.gov.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chi T. Steve Kwok is in charge of the prosecution.

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The 20 Critical Moments That Changed the Way We Think About Crime

A website called Top Criminal Justice Schools has published an article about "The 20 Critical Moments That Changed the Way We Think About Crime." The piece offers a fascinating and free look at how law enforcement has evolved over the past century and the resulting impacts on society.

The topics chosen for the article are meant as a resource for students who are interested in criminal justice education. Critical moments on the list include:

• Targeting the Mafia Through Tax Evasion Prosecution When Mafia gangsters ruled the streets, the Supreme Court ruled that their illegal income was taxable. Federal authorities gained a new weapon against organized crime.
• The Failure of Alcohol Prohibition In the 1920s, U.S. authorities learned that some laws can create far more negative impacts than positive. Alcohol prohibition increased organized crime and caused many deaths and injuries from homemade alcohol.
• The War on Drugs The U.S. war on drugs has been one of the most costly, deadly and fruitless attempts at law enforcement.
• Advent of Social Media Social media provides untold advantages for law enforcement. Criminal activity is easier to observe, investigate and prevent.
• Rise in Cyber Crime and the Development of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act Laws against computer-related crimes were developed in the 1980s. The article asserts that further regulations are needed to reduce computer fraud.
• Fight Against School Shootings Strict no-tolerance policies often force unreasonable punishments for minor violations, yet the incidents of school violence have not lessened.
• Megan's Law, Jessica's Law, and the Sex Offender Registry The national Sex Offender Registry gives law enforcement better access to sexual offender information and greater capabilities to find and prosecute sexual criminals.
• The Development of the Department of Homeland Security Several U.S. government and military agencies joined forces after 9/11 to share information and work in unison to avert terrorist attacks.
• The USA Patriot Act The launch of the Patriot Act is another moment that changed the way we think about crime. The new law expanded the powers of domestic law enforcement to search private homes and properties without warrants.
• The Rise of Private Prisons and the Questions of Cash Incentives This topic explores the scandal-ridden practice of privatized prisons. According to the article, prisons-for-profit are the cause of major corruption in the justice system. 
• The Use of Drones in Domestic Law Enforcement The use of remote controlled drones for surveillance has become more and more common in the last decade.  While no known instances exist of weaponized drones in domestic use, the possibility has some American citizens and civil liberty experts on edge.
• The NSA and Passive Data Collection Edward Snowden helped expose the NSA's all-encompassing data collection system that includes phone and Internet records for all American citizens.  The legality of the NSA program is still under question and has resulted in strong public backlash.

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New National Language for the United States

The Department of Education vowed Friday to improve student test scores in public schools, which fell last year. Nothing reflects a country's prestige like the quality of its public education. The national language of the United States is now third-grade English.

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