$5M Fraud: Great Neck Twin Financiers Threatened Witnesses, Fabricated Evidence, DOJ Says $5M Fraud: Great Neck Twin Financiers Threatened Witnesses, Fabricated Evidence, DOJ Says
$5M Fraud: Great Neck Twin Financiers Threatened Witnesses, Fabricated Evidence, DOJ Says Twin financiers Adam and Daniel Kaplan, already charged with defrauding elderly and disabled clients out of millions, are now accused of threatening witnesses and fabricating evidence. The 35-year-old Kaplans, hailing from Long Island’s Great Neck, are named in a fresh superseding indictment that was filed in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, Feb. 20, charging them with an additional count of money laundering. Adam Kaplan was additionally charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and obstruction of justice, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District. The new charges pa…
Philly Leader Of Armed Robbery Crew Who Shot Store Employee Sentenced To 32 Years: DOJ Philly Leader Of Armed Robbery Crew Who Shot Store Employee Sentenced To 32 Years: DOJ
Philly Leader Of Armed Robbery Crew Who Shot Store Employee Sentenced To 32 Years: DOJ A Philadelphia man who led a string of six violent armed robberies across the city and nearby counties in February 2021 has been sentenced to 32 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Lawrence McKay, 37, forced cell phone store employees at gunpoint to hand over cash and merchandise during a three-week crime spree, authorities said. In one robbery, McKay shot a store employee in the stomach, and in another, co-conspirator Brenton Holmes shot an employee in the leg. Both victims survived, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. McKay, wh…
Child Porn Distribution: Rockland Man, 52, Now On Home Detention, Officials Say Child Porn Distribution: Rockland Man, 52, Now On Home Detention, Officials Say
Child Porn Distribution: Rockland Man, 52, Now On Home Detention, Officials Say A 52-year-old Hudson Valley man is on home arrest after being accused of distributing child pornography, officials said. Jason J. Traina of Rockland County appeared in court on Friday, Jan. 31, on a charge of distribution of child pornography, Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced on Tuesday, Feb. 4.  Traina was originally charged in Iowa following an investigation conducted by both the Rockland DA's Office and the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa. His arrest was first announced by the Southern District of Iowa. Follow…
Hanukkah Shooting: Gunman Admits Opening Fire Outside Albany Synagogue With Children Present Hanukkah Shooting: Gunman Admits Opening Fire Outside Albany Synagogue With Children Present
Hanukkah Shooting: Gunman Admits Opening Fire Outside Albany Synagogue With Children Present A New York man who fired a shotgun outside an Albany synagogue on the first night of Hanukkah pleaded guilty to federal civil rights and firearm charges. Mufid Fawaz Alkhader, 29, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to obstructing religious freedom by threat of force, unlawfully acquiring a firearm, and brandishing it during the crime in Albany federal court on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The formal confession came more than a year after Alkhader took an Uber from Schenectady to Temple Israel in Albany, where he walked up the synagogue’s steps and pulled a shotgun from a duffel bag on Dec. 7, 2023. He the…
Infant Rape Among Child Porn Made By Philly 22-Year-Old Woman: USDOJ Infant Rape Among Child Porn Made By Philly 22-Year-Old Woman: USDOJ
Infant Rape Among Child Porn Made By Philly 22-Year-Old Woman: Usdoj A 22-year-old Philadelphia woman who raped a one-year-old girl, recorded the abuse, and shared explicit images online has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, Jan. 24. Tyleeya Williams sexually abused the infant in her care, photographed the assault, and distributed the images—including the child’s face—to groups of child sex offenders on the internet, federal authorities said. She also trafficked thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of other children, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “Williams was…
Convicted Sex Offender In MD Sentenced For Illegal Reentry After Deportation To Guatemala: Feds Convicted Sex Offender In MD Sentenced For Illegal Reentry After Deportation To Guatemala: Feds
Convicted Sex Offender In MD Sentenced For Illegal Reentry After Deportation To Guatemala: Feds A Hyattsville man convicted of sexually abusing a minor in Maryland is heading to federal prison after illegally reentering the country following his deportation, officials said. A judge sentenced 48-year-old Erbeth Gomez-Delgado to 24 months in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of reentry after deportation during a three-day trial in November 2024, according to the US Attorney's Office. Gomez-Delgado was first encountered by US Customs and Border Patrol on July 29, 2016, crossing the Rio Grande in Texas without inspection.  Officials deported him to Guatemala the same day,…
Man Who Opened Fire On Father, 6-Year-Old Near DC Playground Learns Prison Fate: Feds Man Who Opened Fire On Father, 6-Year-Old Near DC Playground Learns Prison Fate: Feds
Man Who Opened Fire On Father, 6-Year-Old Near DC Playground Learns Prison Fate: Feds A man who fired two shots at a father and his 6-year-old son near a playground in Southeast DC will spend decades behind bars, federal authorities announced. Deon Cannon, 30, was sentenced Friday to 24 years in prison for a chilling Labor Day weekend attack in 2021, according to the US Attorney's Office this week. The shooting was reported at around 5:40 p.m. on Sept. 5, 2021, on Terrace Road SE in Naylor Gardens, as the father and son walked home from a playground. According to prosecutors, Cannon paced the sidewalk, waiting for his target.  When the father and son approached, Canno…
Landmark NYC Eatery Katz's Deli Violated ADA Regulations, Feds Say: Inside The New Overhaul Landmark NYC Eatery Katz's Deli Violated ADA Regulations, Feds Say: Inside The New Overhaul
Landmark NYC Eatery Katz's Deli Violated ADA Regulations, Feds Say: Inside The New Overhaul The iconic Katz's Deli in Manhattan has agreed to make significant accessibility improvements and pay a $20,000 penalty following a federal lawsuit. The settlement, announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim, resolves allegations that the historic deli violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A consent decree outlining the required changes was entered on Sunday, Dec. 29, by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla. “The corrections and modifications agreed to by Katz’s Deli will give individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy one of New York City’s most pop…
DC Convict Admits To Daytime Murder Of Woman Committed While On Release For Robbery: Feds DC Convict Admits To Daytime Murder Of Woman Committed While On Release For Robbery: Feds
DC Convict Admits To Daytime Murder Of Woman Committed While On Release For Robbery: Feds A Washington, DC man has admitted to gunning down a woman in broad daylight on a busy street in Southeast DC, officials announced. Johnwann Elliott, 31, pleaded guilty on Dec. 16 to second-degree murder while armed and attempted assault with a dangerous weapon for the 2022 killing of 37-year-old Nikia Young, the US Attorney's Office said. Elliott’s plea deal calls for a 21-year prison sentence followed by five years of supervised release, pending court approval.  According to investigators, Elliott exited a Metro bus near Minnesota Avenue and White Place SE at around midnight. on Marc…
Former Hoboken Employee Embezzled City Funds Into His Own Bank Account: Feds Former Hoboken Employee Embezzled City Funds Into His Own Bank Account: Feds
Former Hoboken Employee Embezzled City Funds Into His Own Bank Account: Feds The former Hoboken Director of Health and Human Services admitted on Thursday, Dec. 12 to embezzling money from the city, authorities said. Leo Pellegrini, who also served as director of the Department of Environmental Services diverted payments intended for the city to bank accounts he controlled, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Pellegrini also embezzled money from the city by submitting invoices for his personal business expenses, which the city unknowingly paid, Sellinger said. Pellegrini also pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return in Newark Federal Court. Pellegrini's position …
From Squad Car To Cell: Baltimore Carjacker Learns Fate In Court After Targeting Detective From Squad Car To Cell: Baltimore Carjacker Learns Fate In Court After Targeting Detective
From Squad Car To Cell: Baltimore Carjacker Learns Fate In Court After Targeting Detective A Baltimore man who carjacked a police detective at gunpoint and fled in his unmarked vehicle will spend the next 12 years in federal prison, authorities announced. Trevon Gardner, 23, was sentenced Friday, Dec. 6, by U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher to 12 years behind bars, followed by five years of supervised release, for the armed carjacking of Baltimore Police Department Detective Aaron Cain, according to the US Attorney’s Office. The incident occurred on May 3, 2022, at a 7-Eleven store on South Hanover Street in Baltimore’s Cherry Hill neighborhood.  Surveillance foota…
Registered Sex Offender From Camden Who Trafficked Three Children Sentenced, Feds Say Registered Sex Offender From Camden Who Trafficked Three Children Sentenced, Feds Say
Registered Sex Offender From Camden Who Trafficked Three Children Sentenced, Feds Say A Camden man will spend more than 21 years in prison for sex trafficking three children, authorities said. Semaj Gilmore, 35, was sentenced on Thursday, Dec. 5 to 21 years and eight months in federal prison, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. He previously pleaded guilty to three counts of sex trafficking minors. Gilmore has been in custody since April 2021, when authorities discovered a missing Pennsylvania child was being advertised for sexual services on a website frequently used for prostitution. An undercover federal agent contacted …