Helly Nahmad Sentenced to 1 Year and 1 Day for Being a Leader of an International, Multi-Million-Dollar Illegal Sports Gambling Business

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that HILLEL NAHMAD, a/k/a “Helly,” was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to one year and one day in connection with his leadership role in the operation of a high-stakes illegal sports gambling business. NAHMAD was also ordered to forfeit $6,427,000 and all his right, title, and interest in the painting Carnaval à Nice, 1937, by Raoul Dufy, to the United States. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “For art gallery owner Helly Nahmad, running a multi-million-dollar illegal sports gambling business came with a steep price, forfeiture of over $6 million and time behind bars—a punishment he likely never pictured.”

According to the indictment, other documents filed in Manhattan federal court, and statements made at various proceedings in this case, including his sentencing:

NAHMAD operates the Helly Nahmad Gallery out of the Carlyle Hotel in New York, New York. NAHMAD and defendant Illya Trincher operated and led a nationwide illegal gambling business in New York City and Los Angeles that catered primarily to multi-millionaire and billionaire clients. As part of this business, the organization ran a high-stakes, illegal sportsbook that utilized several online gambling websites operating illegally in the United States. The organization booked bets that were often in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and at times a million dollars, on a single sporting event. The organization also made millions of dollars of sports bets each year. NAHMAD was the primary source of financing for the illegal gambling business, and he was entitled to a substantial share of its profits.

Twenty-eight defendants in this case have pled guilty, and two have entered into deferred prosecution agreements. The defendants who have pled to date have agreed to forfeit, in total, more than $68 million. The following defendants have pled guilty, and have been sentenced or await sentencing:

• Bryan Zuriff pled guilty to gambling charges on July 26, 2013, and was sentenced on November 25, 2013.
• William Barbalat pled guilty to gambling charges on August 14, 2013, and was sentenced on December 16, 2013.
• Kirill Rapoport pled guilty to gambling charges on August 16, 2013, and was sentenced on December 19, 2014.
• Edwin Ting and Justin Smith pled guilty to gambling charges on September 4, 2013, and were sentenced on January 21, 2014, and January 6, 2014, respectively.
• Dmitry Druzhinsky and David Aaron pled guilty to gambling charges on October 4, 2013, and were sentenced on April 18, 2014, and February 14, 2014, respectively.
• Alexander Zaverukha pled guilty to gambling charges on October 10, 2013, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1, 2014.
• Nicholas Hirsch pled guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud on October 16, 2013, and was sentenced on February 25, 2014.
• Anatoly Shteyngrob pled guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering on October 17, 2013, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2014.
• Yugeshwar Rajkumar pled guilty to gambling charges on October 18, 2013, and was sentenced on March 25, 2014.
• Stan Greenberg pled guilty to conspiring to commit racketeering on October 22, 2013, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2014.
• Arthur Azen pled guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering and conspiring to collect extensions of credit by extortionate means on November 5, 2013, and was sentenced on April 9, 2014.
• Hillel Nahmad pled guilty to gambling charges on November 12, 2013, and was sentenced on April 30, 2014.
• Vadim Trincher pled guilty to conspiring to commit racketeering on November 14, 2013, and was sentenced on April 30, 2014.
• Eugene Trincher pled guilty to gambling charges on November 14, 2013, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2014.
• Anatoly Golubchik pled guilty to conspiring to commit racketeering on November 15, 2013, and was sentenced on April 29, 2014.
• Illya Trincher pled guilty to gambling charges on November 15, 2013, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2014.
• Ronald Uy pled guilty to structuring financial transactions on November 25, 2013, and was sentenced on March 27, 2014.
• Moshe Oratz pled guilty to gambling charges on December 3, 2013, and was sentenced on April 9, 2014.
• Michael Sall pled guilty to interstate travel in aid of an unlawful activity (illegal gambling) and Jonathan Hirsch pled guilty to gambling charges on December 4, 2013. Sall was sentenced on April 18, 2014, and Hirsch is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9, 2014.
• Noah Siegel pled guilty to gambling charges on December 5, 2013, and was sentenced on April 10, 2014.
• Molly Bloom pled guilty to gambling charges on December 12, 2013, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2014.
• Alexander Katchaloff pled guilty to gambling charges on January 16, 2014, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2014.
• Donald McCalmont, John Jarekci, a/k/a “John Hanson,” and Abraham Mosseri pled guilty to making a fraudulent tax statement, failing to file a tax return, and causing a financial institution to participate in a lottery related matter, respectively, on January 24, 2014, and are scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2014, May 28, 2014, and May 21, 2014, respectively.
• William Edler and Peter Feldman entered into deferred prosecution agreements on April 11, 2014.

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638 gang members arrested during #ProjectSouthBound Operation

More than 600 gang members and associates from 145 different gangs were arrested in 179 cities across the U.S. during Project Southbound, a month-long operation executed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which targeted gangs affiliated with the Sureños.

The Sureños, also known as Sur 13, is a transnational criminal street gang that originated in Southern California with hundreds of cliques around the United States. The Sureños and their affiliates pay tribute to the Mexican Mafia and the number “13” is their symbol signifying “M” in the alphabet for Mexican Mafia. Membership and cliques associated with the Sureños are expanding faster than any other national-level gang in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Gang Intelligence Center’s 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment. Sureños gang members are involved in a myriad of criminal activity, including murder, extortion, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution and other crimes with a nexus to the border.

Through Project Southbound, which ran March 12 to April 13, HSI special agents worked with 150 federal, state and local law enforcement partners to apprehend individuals from various gangs affiliated with the Sureños. More than 73 percent of those arrested during this HSI National Gang Unit-led operation were members or associates of the Sureños.

In addition to the 638 gang members and associates, HSI agents also arrested – or assisted in the arrest of – 119 other individuals on federal and/or state criminal violations and administrative immigration violations, for a total of 757 arrests.

“Project Southbound is the largest-ever ICE operation targeting the Sureños gang,” said ICE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Thomas S. Winkowski. “This gang now has more than 30,000 members in the United States and its numbers are growing. Targeting transnational gangs like the Sureños is a top priority for ICE and we will continue to disrupt and dismantle the violence and criminal activities that they inflict upon our neighborhoods.”

Of the 638 gang members or associates arrested: 525 were charged with criminal offenses; 113 were arrested administratively for immigration violations; 414 had violent criminal histories, including seven individuals wanted for murder and five wanted for rape or sexual assault; and 256 were foreign nationals.

Among the Sureños gang members or associates arrested during Project Southbound were:

• Cesar Lisandro Anaya, 27, an El Salvadoran national and an 18th Street gang member, arrested in Dallas, Texas, on immigration-related charges. He is wanted in El Salvador on felony warrants for aggravated homicide, extortion, and illicit groupings (gang activity). 
• Nine MS-13 gang members arrested on RICO charges filed in the District of Maryland stemming from their involvement in multiple criminal acts including murder, assault, extortion and prostitution, in furtherance of MS-13.
• Richard Allen Cotinola, a U.S. citizen and Brewtown Locos gang member, arrested in New Mexico on an outstanding state warrant for violation of parole related to a previous conviction for aggravated burglary with a weapon. He has previous convictions for aggravated burglary with a weapon and armed robbery.
• A father and son arrested in San Francisco on state narcotics and firearms charges following the execution of state search warrants on the father’s property. The father, a Sureños gang associate and previously deported aggravated felon, accused of supplying large quantities of high-quality, commercially-grown marijuana to Sureños and Latin Kings gang members. During these arrests, HSI agents seized 4,669 marijuana plants, 25 pounds of processed marijuana, an AR-15 rifle, a stolen Glock handgun, four diesel generators, four vehicles and $85,635 in cash.   

Those arrested during Project Southbound came from 21 countries in South and Central America, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Of the total 757 arrested, 678 were males and 79 were females.

HSI special agents also seized 54 firearms, 13.36 pounds of methamphetamine, 82.76 pounds of marijuana, 3.075 pounds of cocaine, 1.44 pounds of heroin, more than $166,000 in U.S currency and 10 vehicles during Project Southbound.

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Invest Your Money Wisely: Tips for Consumers

• Be extremely cautious about unsolicited offers to invest.

• Don’t believe everything you’re told. Take the time to do your own research on the investment’s potential…and on the person making the offer.

• Be wary of an investment opportunity that offers unusually high yields.

• Check with federal and state securities regulators to find out if there have been any complaints against the company or person you’re thinking of doing business with.

• Request written financial information—such as a prospectus, annual reports, or financial statements—then compare the written information to what you were told.

• Check with a trusted financial adviser, broker, or attorney about any investments you are considering.

• And if you think you’ve been scammed, report it to the Securities and Exchange Commission, your state’s securities regulator, or a law enforcement agency.

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The Despicable Story of Vernon Matthews and His Defrauding of Military Personnel and Their Dependents

They are our nation’s heroes—often risking their lives abroad to protect us at home. Which makes what one Virginia con man did all the more despicable…defrauding military personnel and their dependents in an investment fraud scheme. But one of his victims came forward and filed a complaint. And after a joint investigation conducted by the Richmond offices of the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)—under the auspices of the Virginia Financial and Securities Fraud Task Force—Vernon Matthews was charged in the scheme, pled guilty, and was recently sentenced to a federal prison term.

Matthews operated a company called First Capital Group (FCG), located in Virginia Beach. He had a license to sell insurance, not to give investment advice or handle securities—but that didn’t stop him from doing so. Starting in 2010 and continuing until early 2013, Matthews solicited members of the military and their families to make investments with FCG.

Often times, he set up booths at establishments known to be frequented by the military—like restaurants located near military bases—and offered promotions, like a free night at a hotel. And when potential victims came to his office to claim the prizes, Matthews would pitch them on an investment. And he lied through his teeth while doing it. Among Matthews’ misrepresentations:

• He received compensation from the U.S. government for his investment advice and services (he did not);
• He would invest his clients’ funds in certificates of deposits, mutual funds, or something similar (Matthews misappropriated all the funds for his own personal or business use);
• FCG was affiliated with several reputable investment companies and funds (it was not);
• The investment provided a good return—anywhere from 4 to 300 percent—and was low-risk or no-risk (it did not and was not).

In one particular instance, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who invested $20,000 with FCG tried withdrawing funds. Matthews mailed a check that bounced. After being notified about it, he mailed another one…and instructed the victim not to deposit the check until he could put the funds into his account. That, of course, never happened.

Matthews received more than $235,600 from victim investors. Only a few of his victims were able to recover any money, so at his sentencing, the judge ordered Matthews to repay the outstanding balance of $204,465 in restitution to his victims.

The Bureau joined the investigation in April 2013. In July 2013—after an extensive review of financial records, documents, and e-mails, along with interviews of dozens of victims and other witnesses—Matthews was arrested.

The Virginia Financial and Securities Fraud Task Force was initially launched in 2010 to establish a partnership between criminal investigators—including the FBI and the USPIS—and civil regulators to investigate and prosecute complex financial fraud cases in Virginia. The state task force is also an investigative arm of the national Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, an interagency group created to wage an aggressive, coordinated, and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. And while law enforcement, civil regulators, and prosecutors are doing all they can to address financial crimes, you should educate yourself and your loved ones on how to avoid becoming a victim of financial fraud.

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3 Chicago Men Indicted for Their Alleged Roles in a Series of Armed Robberies of 10 Retail Businesses in Chicago and Suburbs

Three Chicago men are facing federal charges for their alleged roles in a series of armed robberies of various retail businesses in Chicago and several suburbs late last year and early this year, federal law enforcement officials announced. The indictments charge nine armed robberies and an attempted armed robbery of gas stations, convenience stores, jewelry stores, and others businesses in Chicago, Arlington Heights, Berwyn, Glenview, Hometown, Lincolnwood, North Chicago, Skokie, and Wilmette between October 2013 and February this year.

Two defendants, Tyree Craig, 29, and Jacobi Pickett, 21, were charged together in a 13-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury. They were each charged with one count of robbery conspiracy, eight counts of robbery, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a violent crime, and Pickett alone was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Craig was also charged with Jarryl Williams, 42, in a separate four-count federal indictment involving the January 10 armed robbery, involving four suspects, of James and Williams Jewelers, located at 7020 West Cermak Road in Berwyn. Craig and Williams were each charged with one count of robbery conspiracy, attempted robbery, and brandishing a firearm. Williams, who was shot by a store security officer, was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm with a partially obliterated serial number.

Craig and Williams have each pleaded not guilty to the charges involving the Berwyn attempted robbery. Craig and Pickett are scheduled to be arraigned on May 1 in U.S. District Court. Craig and Williams were initially arrested previously on related state charges but were later transferred to federal custody, where they remain. Pickett has been in federal custody since he was arrested in March on a criminal complaint.

According to the Craig and Pickett indictment returned yesterday, both defendants allegedly participated in the following robberies:

• Dunkin Donuts, 3910 West Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood, on October 20, 2013
• Phillips 66 gas station, 1234 Sheridan Rd., North Chicago, on October 21, 2013
• Shell gas station, 9600 Crawford Ave., Skokie, on Oct. 21, 2013; Shell gas station, 3 East Algonquin Rd., Arlington Heights, on October 31, 2013
• Marathon gas station, 242 Waukegan Rd., Glenview, on October 31, 2013
• Shell gas station, 5055 Touhy Ave., Skokie, on Nov. 30, 2013; and Seven-Eleven, 500 Skokie Blvd., Wilmette, on November 30, 2013
• Craig alone was also charged with the December 13, 2013, robbery of Ted’s Jewelers, 5334 South Archer Ave., Chicago
• Pickett alone was charged with the February 19, 2014, robbery of EZ Pawn store, 4080 Southwest Hwy., Hometown, in which jewelry valued at approximately $73,000 was stolen

According to court documents, the charges stem from an FBI investigation of a series of similar armed robberies and attempted robberies last fall and winter of retail stores and businesses in Chicago, as well as northern and western suburbs. Typically, one or more participants entered each business and brandished a black semi-automatic handgun while demanding money or jewelry and, in some instances Newport cigarettes. The participant or participants attempted to disguise their appearance but video surveillance provided a similar pattern of clothing and appearance.

The investigation is continuing.

Each count of robbery and robbery conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and each count of brandishing a firearm carries a consecutive, mandatory minimum of seven years in prison and a maximum of life. Williams and Picket also faces a maximum 10-year sentence on the felon in possession charges.

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Buffy A. Bastien Indicted on Bank Embezzlement Charges

Buffy A. Bastien, 41, of Murphysboro, Illinois, was indicted on April 8, 2014, on bank embezzlement charges in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury sitting in Benton, Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced.

Bastien was charged in a one count indictment that charges that from about 2010 to on or about February 23, 2014, in Jackson County, Bastien, being an officer and employee of The Bank of Carbondale, a bank whose deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, with intent to injure and defraud The Bank of Carbondale, did willfully embezzle the sum of approximately $229,221.80 of the moneys or funds intrusted to the custody or care of The Bank of Carbondale.

Bastien faces a possible penalty of up to 30 years’ imprisonment, up to $1,000,000 fine, and supervised release of up to five years.

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Sheriff’s Office Deputies, David Benjamin and Jeff Alan Poole, Charged with Conspiracy

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; José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), announce the filing of charges against David Benjamin, 48, of Boca Raton, and Jeff Alan Poole, 47, of Weston, for conspiring to commit crimes in connection with the operation of the former Fort Lauderdale law firm of Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler P.A. (RRA).

In a criminal information filed earlier, Benjamin was charged with conspiracy to commit extortion and to violate civil rights, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. In a separate criminal information, Poole was charged with conspiracy to violate civil rights, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 241. The charges allege that, during the relevant time period, both defendants were employed by the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Benjamin was a lieutenant and served as executive officer to then Sheriff Al Lamberti. Poole was a detective assigned to the Strategic Investigations Division.

The charging documents allege that both defendants agreed to utilize their respective positions within BSO unlawfully to further the interests of RRA, its chairman and CEO Scott W. Rothstein, and other persons associated with Rothstein. Specifically, the charging documents allege that Benjamin received approximately $185,000 in money and other things of value from Rothstein and RRA in return for providing his assistance when needed, including arranging with Poole to arrest the ex-wife of an attorney who was engaged in a child custody dispute with her, arranging to use force and threats of force against the boyfriend of an escort who was threatening to expose the illicit relationship that existed between the escort and one of the partners at RRA, and assisting Rothstein in loading cash and jewelry onto a private airplane that was used by Rothstein to flee to Morocco on October 27, 2009, as the Ponzi scheme being conducted through RRA was beginning to unravel.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer stated, “David Benjamin and Jeff Poole used their official positions as law enforcement officers to commit civil rights abuses to further the interests of Scott Rothstein and others associated with Rothstein. When law enforcement officers betray the trust of the people, it strikes at the very core of our democracy. The informations filed today charging Benjamin and Poole should serve as a reminder that no one is above the law. When law enforcement officers violate the public’s trust, they will be held accountable. Benjamin and Poole are the 19th and 20th accomplices, respectively, to be held accountable in Rothstein’s $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme.”

“When David Benjamin and Jeff Alan Poole began to use their official positions to further the illegal schemes of Rothstein and his cronies, they crossed a very bright line,” said William J. Maddalena, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “Their criminal misconduct undermined the public’s trust in law enforcement. As such, the FBI will continue to work with our partners to remove those law enforcement officers who violate the law. The FBI, in particular, would like to thank BSO for their close partnership investigating this matter.”

IRS-CI SAC José A. Gonzalez stated, “Law enforcement officers and individuals in positions of our citizens’ trust are held to an even higher standard than the general public. It’s a sad day when a lieutenant and a detective of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office who are sworn to uphold the law, allegedly misuse their positions by engaging in criminal acts. IRS-CI, together with its law enforcement partners, will continue to ensure that no one operates above the law and are held accountable for their actions.”

BSO Sheriff Scott Israel stated, “Every time a law enforcement officer is implicated in a crime, it’s a blow to our profession. This indictment tarnishes the image of honest, hard-working law enforcement officers everywhere. My immediate action after taking office was to suspend Deputy Poole and Lieutenant Benjamin based on an ongoing federal investigation. I applaud the diligence and professionalism displayed by our federal partners, and we will continue working closely with them to ensure justice is served.”

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Brandon James Sentenced to 81 Months in IRS Fraudulent Refund Scheme

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; José A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and Daniel C. Alexander, Chief, Boca Raton Police Department, announce that Brandon James, of Miami, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley to 81 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. James was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $382,444 and a special assessment of $300.

According to court documents and statements made in court, James was involved in cashing out fraudulent federal income tax refunds that had been placed electronically onto debit cards. James and his co-conspirators, Laron Larkin and Eric Fussell, attempted to defraud the IRS of more than $862,000 in fraudulent income tax refunds based on at least 121 stolen identities. The IRS paid approximately $382,484 on these refund requests.

James pled guilty earlier to conspiracy to steal government monies, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 (count one), theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641 (count four), and aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A (count nine).

Co-defendant Larkin was sentenced on October 7, 2013, to 36 months and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Larkin pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to steal monies of the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641, the conspiracy being a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A.

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#Chiraq - Gangs Have Turned Chicago into a War Zone, #MurderCapitalUSA, 45 Shot on Easter Weekend, 37 More the Weekend Before

President Obama may have gotten our troops out of Iraq, but the gunfire in his hometown of Chicago is still earning it a searing nickname coined by young people who live there.

Chiraq.

On Easter weekend, 45 people were shot in the city, six of them children. Five youngsters under the age of 15—four girls and a boy—were shot in a playground where they had gone after Easter services at a nearby church.

Witnesses agree that a car pulled up and one of the occupants asked the youngsters if they were in a gang. There is some dispute about whether the youngsters even got a chance to say no before the people in the car started shooting.

The most seriously wounded, 11-year-old Tymisha Washington, was listed in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds. She is expected to survive.

“Prayers Going Up Blessings Coming Down,” read a posting on her aunt’s Facebook page.

A Facebook argument had apparently sparked a completely unrelated shooting at the start of the weekend. Best friends Jordan Means, 16, and Anthony Bankhead, 18, got into the online spat with a man in his 30s. The man is said to have followed his final post by appearing in the flesh and shooting the two teens to death.

Two other men were fatally shot later in the weekend as they sat in a car that was also occupied by two kids, ages 3 and 7. The children were physically unharmed but no doubt will join those who are as mentally scarred by living in Chicago as were some combat veterans who returned from the war in Iraq. And this bloody Easter weekend was preceded by a weekend in which 37 people were shot, four of them fatally.

FBI Director James Comey happened to be in Chicago the following Monday, and he ascribed much of the violence to the gang culture so deeply ingrained in the city. But Comey had little to say about what Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy recognizes as the core problem.

“Until we do something about guns, don’t expect things to change overnight,” McCarthy said at a press conference that same day.

McCarthy noted that Chicago cops have seized 1,500 illegal guns so far this year, but the people caught with the weapons are all too often back on the street all too soon. “It’s like running on a hamster wheel,” McCarthy said of the effort to grapple with the problem. “We’re drinking from a fire hose, seizing these guns, and people are back out on the street. They’re not learning that carrying a firearm is going to have a serious impact on their lives.”

McCarthy invoked the memory of Hadiya Pendleton, the 15-year-old who was killed by a stray round in 2013, just days after performing at Obama’s second inauguration. McCarthy noted that her suspected killer had been at liberty despite having been convicted of illegal gun possession just two months before.

“If he’s not out on the street, Hadiya Pendleton is out there being an honor student and continuing on with her life,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy emphasized that the Chicago Police Department is pursuing a wide range of strategies to stem the violence, much of which is gang-related. And the murder rate is actually down this year. But even the smartest policing by the most dedicated cops can only do so much in the absence of effective gun laws.

“If you don’t go to jail for gun possession, you continue to carry guns,” McCarthy said. “You continue to carry guns, and people get shot.”

Other people who have gotten shot in Chicago in recent days include 17-year-old Ronald Hayes, who was expected to be the first in his family to graduate from high school and who had promised to take his mother to the prom because she never had the opportunity to attend one. He was gunned down in February as he shoveled snow outside a neighbor’s home.

There was also 17-year-old Gakirah Barnes. Her Twitter moniker was @tyquannassassin, apparently in honor of a 13-year-old relative named Tyquann Tyler who was killed by a stray bullet in 2012. Barnes reportedly was allied with the rapper Lil Jay and the late rapper Lil JoJo, who was killed in 2012 by a not at all stray round after releasing video dissing Chief Keef, the rapper. Keef’s 30-year-old cousin Mario “BigGlo” Hess was shot to death on April 9. Barnes tweeted a reference to a Notorious B.I.G. lyric the next day.

“u Nobody until Somebody kill u u dats jst real Shyt.”

A friend quickly responded.

“More bodies BITCH This Chiraq.”

The following afternoon, Barnes was herself shot to death, hit as many as nine times. She was to be buried near her father, who reportedly was shot death on an Easter 16 years and thousands of murders ago.

Her death was followed by the April 15 shooting of Lil Jojo’s 16-year-old cousin Keno Blass. Keef’s cousin was buried on Friday, with the star rapper serving as a pallbearer. But if a rap war of sorts is behind some of the recent killings and gang rivalries are behind many more and a Facebook spat led to two of the murders, the common denominator in all the shootings is guns.

The war that now demands the president’s attention is the one in Chiraq.

Thanks to Michael Daly.

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Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan

Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)is a riveting true-life tale of newspaper noir and Japanese organized crime from an American investigative journalist.

Jake Adelstein is the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police Press Club, where for twelve years he covered the dark side of Japan: extortion, murder, human trafficking, fiscal corruption, and of course, the yakuza. But when his final scoop exposed a scandal that reverberated all the way from the neon soaked streets of Tokyo to the polished Halls of the FBI and resulted in a death threat for him and his family, Adelstein decided to step down. Then, he fought back. In Tokyo Vice he delivers an unprecedented look at Japanese culture and searing memoir about his rise from cub reporter to seasoned journalist with a price on his head.

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