The Chicago Syndicate
The Mission Impossible Backpack

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Patrick M. Curley Convicted of Extortion

United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty, II announced that Patrick M. Curley, 50, of Passaic, New Jersey, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to extortion. Curley was indicted on March 21, 2013.

According to court documents, in March 2010, Curley applied online for a job with Vescom, a Hampden, Maine-based security firm. On April 21, 2010, Curley met Vescom’s senior vice president for a job interview in New York. In e-mails and a voice message left after the interview, he expressed ongoing interest in the job. On April 27, however, he e-mailed Vescom’s senior vice president and falsely accused her of sexual harassment and discrimination and threatened to sue. In the months that followed, both he and an attorney representing him contacted Vescom employees and staff counsel threatening to sue and take his claims to the media if they could not reach a financial settlement. Curley’s claims of sexual harassment and discrimination were false and were intended to extort money from Vescom.

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Book Launch Reception for A History of Violence: An Encyclopedia of 1,400 Chicago Mob Murders

From Chicago's original gangsters to the Outfit's decline in recent years, Dr. Wayne Johnson is well-versed in the organized crime that long ensnared the city.

After 25 years with the Chicago Police Department - his last assignment supervising a unit within the Organized Crime Division - Johnson was appointed Chief Investigator for the renowned Chicago Crime Commission.

Now coordinator of Harper College's law enforcement programs and widely considered a top authority on organized crime, Johnson has written "A History of Violence:: An Encyclopedia of 1400 Chicago Mob Murders.1st Edition." The 300-plus page tome is the product of painstaking research into newspaper articles, police reports, coroners' reports and other archives over a 14-year period.

"Coming from someone who has fought in the trenches against Chicago's wise guys, Johnson's new contribution will be the go-to reference on Outfit violence for years to come," said Gus Russo, author of "The Outfit" and "Supermob."

Harper will host a public reception celebrating Johnson's book launch at noon Tuesday, April 15, in the lower level of the library on the College's main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine. Johnson will give a presentation on the state of organized crime in Chicago followed by a brief question-and-answer session and book signing.

Johnson, who also served as the only Superintendent of Police/Inspector General for the town of Cicero before entering academic fulltime, credited two Harper students for their contributions. Daniella Boyd designed the cover art for "A History of Violence" by reproducing in charcoal a real morgue photo of Sam Giancana, one of the most notorious mob bosses in history. Jackie Cooney wrote a research paper that led Johnson to discover a group of killings that fit the criteria for the book.

"I really wanted to dig in on this because every one of these cases deserves to be investigated and solved," Johnson said. "To let them just disappear into history would be a disservice to everyone involved."

Harper student Daniella Boyd designed the graphite drawing cover art for "A History of Violence" by reproducing a real morgue photo of Sam Giancana, one of the most notorious mob bosses in history.

Wayne A. Johnson served on the Chicago Police Department for 25 years and in his last assignment, supervised the Analytical Unit of the Intelligence Section, Organized Crime Division. He was then appointed Chief Investigator for the legendary Chicago Crime Commission, holding the position originally created by celebrated criminal investigator Virgil Peterson.

Johnson investigated and monitored the Chicago Mob during his five years at the Commission. The national recognition he received led to his recruitment as the only Superintendent of Police/Inspector General for Cicero.

Johnson earned his Doctor of Education degree from Northern Illinois University and Master of Science degree in Criminal-Social Justice from Lewis University in Romeoville. He is as an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Law Enforcement Programs at Harper College.

Johnson is a nationally recognized investigative and educational consultant for law enforcement and the security industry and has lectured extensively on organized crime, homicide investigations, criminal profiling, violence in the workplace and gang crimes.

Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow

In recent years, while continuing to learn more about strengths, Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People FollowGallup scientists have also been examining decades of data on the topic of leadership. They studied more than 1 million work teams, conducted more than 20,000 in-depth interviews with leaders, and even interviewed more than 10,000 followers around the world to ask exactly why they followed the most important leader in their life.

The results of that research are unveiled in Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow. Using Gallup’s discoveries, authors Tom Rath and Barry Conchie identify three keys to being a more effective leader and use firsthand accounts from highly successful leaders — including the founder of Teach For America and the president of The Ritz-Carlton — to show how each person’s unique strengths can drive their success.

A new leadership version of Gallup’s popular StrengthsFinder assessment helps readers discover their own special gifts and specific strategies for leading with their top five strengths. Filled with novel research and actionable ideas, Strengths Based Leadership will give you a new road map for leading people toward a better future.

Monday, April 07, 2014

Russell Adler Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Federal Election Campaign Act

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announce that Russell S. Adler, 52, of Ft. Lauderdale, pled guilty before United States District Judge James I. Cohn to one count of conspiracy to violate the Federal Election Campaign Act and to defraud the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. The defendant was a shareholder of the former Ft. Lauderdale law firm of Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler P.A. (RRA).

Sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. in Ft. Lauderdale. At sentencing, the defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to five years in prison.

In connection with his guilty plea, the defendant admitted that, in order to circumvent campaign finance laws setting limitations on the amounts which donors can contribute, RRA Chairman and CEO Scott W. Rothstein enlisted some of the attorneys and administrative personnel of RRA, and other persons associated with RRA, including Adler, to make political contributions to various political campaigns which were unlawfully reimbursed to them by RRA.

I-55 Bandit, Andrew Maberry, Sentenced on Bank Robbery Charges

Andrew Maberry, 20, O’Fallon, Illinois, who the FBI referred to as the I-55 Bandit, was sentenced to 60 months in prison on bank robbery charges, including the July 2, 2013 robbery of the Commerce Bank in Jefferson County, Missouri. He entered his guilty plea last December and was sentenced by United States District Judge Catherine D. Perry, in St. Louis.

According to court documents, on July 2, 2013, Maberry robbed the Commerce Bank in Arnold, Missouri. He also admitted with his plea agreement to nine other robberies in five states: May 15, 2013, US Bank in Crystal City, Missouri; May 21, 2013, First State Community Bank in Cape Girardeau, Missouri; May 6, 2013, Scott Credit Union in Edwardsville, Illinois; June 5, 2013, Harford Bank in Bel Air, Maryland; June 9, 2013, TD Bank located in Essex, Maryland; July 19, 2013, Wells Fargo Bank in Bel Air, Maryland; July 24, 2013, Susquehanna Bank in Ocean City, Maryland; July 30, 2013, Huntington National Bank in Hurricane, West Virginia; and August 14, 2013, Bank of Jackson in Jackson, Tennessee.

On September 10, 2013, a multi-state press release was issued that included bank security camera photographs of the robber who had been dubbed the I-55 Bandit. The FBI in St. Louis and in other districts received numerous phone calls from individuals stating that they know Andrew Maberry. On the same date, FBI in St. Louis was contacted and told that the I-55 Bandit wanted to turn himself in, and on September 11, 2013, Andrew Caleb Maberry turned himself in to the FBI in St. Louis.

Irene Carrera Charged in #ShadyBandit Bank Robbery Case

A woman believed to be the robber who wore a pair of dark sunglasses during a series of robberies at TCF Bank branches on the north side of Chicago is facing a federal charge in connection with one of those robberies. The charge was announced by Robert J. Holley, 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.

Irene Carrera, 51, of the 8200 block of South Ingleside Avenue in Chicago, was charged in a criminal complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court with one count of bank robbery, a felony offense. She is currently being held on an unrelated state charge, and no federal court date has been set.

Although Carrera was charged with only one count, for a February 11, 2014 heist that occurred at the TCF branch located at 4355 North Sheridan Road in Chicago; the complaint includes details of three additional TCF robberies that Carrera allegedly committed. Those robberies occurred on May 21 and November 20, 2013, at 3531 North Broadway, and on March 6, 2014, at 5516 North Clark.

During each robbery, a woman later identified as Carrera approached a bank teller, presented a demand note for money, and made verbal demands for “large bills” or “big bills,” according to the complaint. Bank surveillance video from each robbery showed an individual wearing dark sunglasses, which led to the Shady Bandit moniker, and FBI agents later recovered sunglasses resembling those shown in the videos during a search of Carrera’s apartment.

Alleged #MagnoliaStreetSteelers Gang Member Arrested for Drug Trafficking #OperationWhiplash

A Lynn man who is allegedly a member of the Magnolia Street Steelers gang was arrested for drug trafficking in North Andover. The arrest marks the 44th individual charged in the multi-phase investigation dubbed Operation Whiplash.

On September 25, 2013, Tyrone Shepherd, a/k/a Pooh, 30, was indicted on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and four counts of distribution of cocaine base. Operation Whiplash was a wide-ranging FBI Gang Task Force investigation of several gangs in and around Lynn and Revere. Operation Whiplash is the successor investigation to Operation Melting Pot which, in 2010, resulted in 62 Lynn gang leaders, members, and associates of the Avenue King Crips, Bloods, Gangsta Disciples, Deuce Boyz/Soldiers, and Latin Kings being charged in federal and state court. More than 40 guns were seized.

The goal of Operation Whiplash was to target the gangs and gang members who remained in and around Lynn, before they were able to fully reconstitute and seize power in the vacuum created by Operation Melting Pot. Operation Whiplash has resulted in state and federal charges against 44 leaders, members, and associates of the Money Over Broken Bitches (M.O.B.B.) street gang in Lynn, the Bloods in Revere, and other gangs. These individuals, including 27 federal defendants, face drug, firearms, and witness tampering charges. Operation Whiplash also resulted in the seizure of 16 firearms.

According to the detention affidavit filed today, Shepherd is a member of the MIC (Magnolia, Intervale, and Columbia) Street Gang, also known as the Magnolia Street Steelers. Shepherd has a tattoo of the insignia of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is also a symbol of the gang. On September 25, 2013, the FBI issued an arrest warrant and offered a reward of $5,000 for information leading directly to his arrest.

If convicted, Shepherd faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison; a mandatory minimum term of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release; and a $5 million fine on the charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. If convicted on the charge of distribution of cocaine base, Shepherd faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum term of three years, and up to a lifetime of supervised release; and a $1 million fine.

Gang Violence Spills into Albuquerque

On March 31, 2014, the United States Marshals Service’s South West Investigative Fugitive Team (SWIFT) fugitive task force arrested Maria Cathy Tercero on a warrant charging her with Attempted Homicide. Tercero was charged on August 1, 2012, in Victorville Superior Court in California. The attempted homicide occurred during an incident between rival gangs. Allegedly, Tercero and three additional gang members held down several victims from a rival gang and stabbed them multiple times. Tercero’s three accomplices were apprehended but Tercero fled California.

United States Marshals in central California developed leads that Tercero relocated to Albuquerque, NM. Deputy Marshals in Albuquerque were able to track Tercero to the 4000 block of Glen Canyon Court in northeast Albuquerque, NM. A team of law enforcement officers from the Marshal’s SWIFT task force located and arrested Tercero without incident. Tercero was transported and booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center.

Aman Ziadeh Arrested on Sexual Assault of Minors Charges

United States Marshal Martin J. Pane announced that the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Fugitive Task Force arrested Aman Ziadeh, a 53-year old man, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

United States Marshal Pane stated, “The U.S. Marshals Service takes a very active, aggressive approach in locating and arresting fugitives charged with serious felony offenses such as sex crimes against children. Although the District Justice released Ziadeh on unsecured bail, it is my sincere hope that the victims will find some measure of comfort knowing the alleged attacker has been brought to justice.”

In July of 2013, the Lower Paxton Township Police Department began investigating allegations of sexual misconduct on two minors. It is alleged that Ziadeh had inappropriate contact with the minors on multiple occasions. On March 24, 2014, Lower Paxton Township Police obtained an arrest warrant from Magisterial Judge William Wenner, charging Ziadeh with the following offenses:


  • 2 counts of Corruption Of Minors – Defendant Age 18 or Above
  • 2 counts of Unlawful Contact With Minor – Sexual Offenses
  • 2 counts of Indecent Assault - Person Less than 13 Years of Age

After the issuance of the arrest warrant, the Lower Paxton Township Police Department requested assistance of the USMS Fugitive Task Force in the Middle District of Pennsylvania to locate and apprehend Ziadeh.

On April 1, Ziadeh was arrested by Task Force members without incident in the 1600 block of Colonial Road in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was taken before Magisterial Judge Wenner. Ziadeh was released on $50,000 unsecured bail, and his travel was restricted to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Ziadeh was also required to surrender his Egyptian passport and to be under pre-trial supervision pending the final disposition of this case.

The USMS worked jointly in this investigation with officers from Lower Paxton Township Police Department.

12 Indicted in Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy, 2 Charged with Distribution Resulting in Death

TERENCE TAYLOR, a/k/a “Peezy,” a/k/a “Sonny,” 35; ARTHUR MCKINNIS, a/k/a “Notchy,” 23; NOEL JONES, a/k/a “Skinny,” a/k/a “Noe,” 26; TERRELL DYER, a/k/a “T,” 29; PERCY DEPRON, a/k/a “Doo,” 27; ERNEST DIAZ, a/k/a “E.O.,” 24; MALCOLM BOLDEN, a/k/a “Little Mac,” 19; TERRELL DAVIS, a/k/a “Fest,” 22; MELVIN SMITH, a/k/a “Mel,” 29; THEODORE GRIFFIN, a/k/a “Old Timer,” a/k/a “Nokie,” 59; NARCISSE TROTTER, a/k/a “Nerk,” 43; and AARONISHA LEWIS, a/k/a “Molly,” 24, all residents of New Orleans, were indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday, March 27, 2014, for conspiring to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin in the New Orleans area from January 2011 to the present, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr.

TAYLOR and BOLDEN are also charged with distribution of heroin on or about July 26, 2013, resulting in the death of Kevin Ryan. Several of the defendants are charged with additional counts of distributing heroin and using telephones in furtherance of heroin trafficking. According to the indictment, GRIFFIN faces an additional charge of maintaining a drug-involved premise for allowing a residence located at 4848 Deanne Street in New Orleans to be used for drug-related activities.

“The arrests made today are part of DEA’s response to the addiction, crime, violence, and despair brought on by the growing threat of heroin,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Brown. “Heroin is a killer that does not discriminate. It destroys lives, families, and hope in every segment of society; and the individuals who sell heroin are spreading potential death in every foil package sold on the streets of this country. DEA, working shoulder to shoulder with law enforcement agencies across the New Orleans area, is fully committed to stopping the spread of this deadly drug and to bringing to justice those who profit from the misery created by heroin.”

“The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office has a long-standing and proud partnership with our federal law enforcement partners. The work we do together is helping remove life-threatening drugs from our communities and making sure that those who would supply these drugs to others face the consequences of their actions,” stated St. Tammany Sheriff Jack Strain.

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