Rita Crundwell Assets up for Sale

The U.S. Marshals are auctioning approximately 376 lots, many horse-related, once belonging to Rita Crundwell, the former comptroller of Dixon, Illinois, who was convicted of fraud in 2012 for stealing $53.7 million from the city over two decades. These are items that did not sell in two separate auctions held at the end of 2015, and opening bids have been lowered.

The current online auction runs through Feb. 2 at www.txauction.com. Items for sale include jewelry, show and riding clothing, nine horse-show belt-buckle awards, cowboy boots, horse equipment, a Viking stainless steel grill, household items, artworks and a Yamaha scooter.

“Following the sale of these items we anticipate another restitution payment will be issued to the city of Dixon,” said Chief Inspector Jason Wojdylo with the U.S. Marshals Service Asset Forfeiture Division. “This may be the final opportunity to purchase property from this case.”

The two auctions held in late 2015 yielded $118,832, and a sealed bid auction for Crundwell’s large collection of trophies brought in $5,560.

Crundwell, 63, was one of the leading breeders of quarter horses in the U.S. She was sentenced to more than 19 years in federal prison in 2013 and is serving her sentence at Waseca Federal Correctional Institute in Minnesota.

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Arrest Made after Drug Deal Gone Bad Ends in Murder #LoneStarFugitiveTaskForce

Joshua Eric Williams, 21, was arrested by members of the United States Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force (LSFTF) in San Antonio, TX. An arrest warrant was issued pursuant to an investigation by the Converse Police Department (CPD), where it is alleged that Williams committed Capital Murder.

On December 23, 2015, members of the LSFTF initiated an investigation in locating and apprehending Williams. Through investigative efforts and extensive surveillance, task force officers located Williams hiding out in an apartment complex located in the 2500 block of Babcock Road, on the northwest side of San Antonio. Task force officers observed Williams walking through the parking lot of the apartment complex, identified themselves, made contact, and took him into custody without incident.

On December 1, 2015, Williams allegedly shot and killed a man in the parking lot of an apartment complex located in the 300 block of Converse Center Street, in Converse, TX. Reports stated that Williams and the victim were allegedly involved in a drug deal gone bad that resulted in Williams shooting, killing, and robbing the victim. Williams fled the scene in a getaway vehicle and subsequently struck another vehicle as he exited the apartment complex. After a thorough investigation by CPD Homicide detectives, a warrant was issued for Williams’ arrest. Williams remained a fugitive on the run until he was arrested.

Robert R. Almonte, United States Marshal for the Western District of Texas, stated, “Williams was on the run for quite some time, but our task force officers didn’t give up on the hunt, nor did they let him catch his breath. It was only a matter of time before our task force officers locked in on his location and affected the arrest.”

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Reputed La Cosa Nostra Member Sentenced in #OperationExcalibur Criminal Case

An alleged member of the New England Family of La Cosa Nostra was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Boston for conspiring to traffic over 40 kilograms of marijuana from July 2013 to February 2014.

Louis L. DiNunzio, 29, of Medford, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to 18 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $10,000.  In September 2015, DiNunzio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

In 2013, law enforcement initiated a long-term investigation, known as Operation Excalibur, into drug-trafficking, illegal gambling, extortion, and other criminal activity by the members and associates of the New England Family of La Cosa Nostra (NELCN).  DiNunzio allegedly was a member of the NELCN and is the son of former NELCN Boss Anthony DiNunzio, who is currently in federal prison for RICO conspiracy.  As part of the conspiracy, DiNunzio and others purchased large quantities of marijuana and shipped them via UPS under fictitious names to Massachusetts.

Earlier this month, two other alleged NELCN associates involved in the conspiracy were sentenced.  Joseph Spagnuolo-Kazonis, 30, of Boston, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $10,000.  John Woodman, 43, of Braintree, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, and ordered to pay a fine of $4,000 and to forfeit $5,000.

In additional cases arising from this investigation, Anthony Spagnolo, 67, and Pryce Quintina, 75, both of Revere, pleaded guilty in December 2015 to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by extortion and will be sentenced in March 2016.  On Jan. 13, 2016, John Evans, 68, of Middleborough, and Joseph Petrucelli, 24, of Winthrop, pleaded guilty to conducting an illegal gambling business and will be sentenced in April 2016.

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Cook County Recorder of Deeds Clerk Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribe

A former clerk for the Cook County Recorder of Deeds pleaded guilty to accepting a cash bribe in exchange for preparing a back-dated deed on an Oak Park home and agreeing to record it with her office.

REGINA TAYLOR accepted the $200 bribe from an individual who purportedly wanted to add a relative’s name to the deed of a residence in Oak Park, according to a written plea agreement.  Unbeknownst to Taylor, the individual was actually an undercover law enforcement agent, the plea agreement states.

Taylor, 59, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to one count of honest services mail fraud.  The conviction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greater.

U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 13, 2016, at 10:30 a.m.

According to the plea agreement, the fraudulent quit claim deed was created to add the purported relative as a fourth owner of the Oak Park property.  Taylor directed the undercover agent not to tell anyone that the three other individuals on the deed were deceased, according to the plea agreement.  Taylor then prepared the fraudulent deed and back-dated it by 18 months, confirming the purported relative as a grantee.

After giving the fraudulent deed to the undercover agent to have it stamped at the Village of Oak Park, the undercover agent gave Taylor $200 in cash, according to the plea agreement.  Taylor further directed the undercover agent to bring back the stamped copy of the fraudulent deed so that Taylor could officially file it at the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds.

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Chinese Communist Obtained U.S. Citizenship Unlawfully, Per Indictment

A Naperville man was charged in a federal indictment with obtaining citizenship or naturalization unlawfully, announced Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

Lu Lin, 58, of the 4200 block of Colton Circle, Naperville, Illinois, was indicted Thursday on one count of 18 USC 1425(a), obtaining citizenship or naturalization unlawfully. Lin is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 21, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. in front of U.S. District Judge Edmund E. Chang.

According to the indictment, Lin, a Chinese citizen who became a naturalized United States citizen, reported on his application for naturalization he had never used any other names and had never been a member of or in any way associated with the Communist Party. Lin, however, had received an identification document containing his photograph but with the name Yung Yeung, the identity of which belonged to China’s Ministry of Public Security. Additionally, Lin was a member of the Chinese Communist Party from 1987 to 1997.

According to the indictment, Lin used the Ministry of Public Security identity to enter Hong Kong and obtain information which Lin provided to the Ministry of State Security. The Ministry of Public Security is China’s law enforcement agency and the national police force. The Ministry of State Security is China’s intelligence agency responsible for counter-intelligence, foreign intelligence, and political security.

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