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☆ Japan is sending a 'sugar baby' to prison for 9 years for defrauding men out of $1M and selling a manual on how to do it
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A 25-year-old Japanese 'sugar baby' has been sentenced to nine years in prison. A court ruled that Mai Watanabe defrauded men she met on dating apps out of more than $1 million. AdvertisementA 25-year-old "sugar baby" was handed a nine-year prison sentence for defrauding men she met on dating apps out of more than $1 million, and selling a manual on how to carry out similar scams. Mai Watanabe, also known as "itadaki joshi Riri-chan," which translates as "sugar baby Riri," was sentenced by the Nagoya District Court on Monday, The Japan Times reported. Being a sugar baby can be financially rewarding.

Persons: Mai Watanabe, Watanabe, —, itadaki joshi, they're Organizations: Service, Japan Times, Nippon, Kyodo, Press, Federal Trade Commission, FTC Locations: Nagoya, Tokyo's Kabukichō, swindling

☆ Former New York cop charged with swindling investors in foreign exchange trading fund
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Peace's office said that as Rodriguez, who was arrested Wednesday, lost an increasing amount of money in trading in foreign exchange, he used money from new investors to pay prior investors their promised investment returns. Ex-cop Jason Rodriguez, 37, is accused of falsely promising investors in his fund, Technical Trading Team, that there would be guardrails to protect the trading risks for their money. That included a vow to never put a maximum of 1% of investors' funds at risk at any given time, the indictment says. A former New York City police officer was indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud after he allegedly lied to investors and lost most of the $4.8 million they put into his foreign exchange -focused investment fund, prosecutors said Wednesday. The suit says the defendants lost more than $3 million in trading forex on a leveraged basis, and "misappropriated participant funds for personal use."

Persons: Peace, cryptocurrency, Rodriguez, Attorney Breon, Jason Rodriguez, Benjamin Yaster, Edwin Carrion, Carrion, Danielle Hass, TTT, Defendants Organizations: Attorney, Eastern, of, U.S . Justice, Washington , D.C, Brooklyn U.S, Trading, New York Police Department, NYPD, Attorney's, U.S, Futures Trading Commission, Commodity, CFTC, Investments, CNBC PRO Locations: of New York, Washington ,, New York City, Bellerose , Queens, U.S, Brooklyn, Florida, Colombia, TTT

☆ Prison inmate led scheme swindling U.S. out of $550 million in Covid tax credits, feds say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A California prison inmate locked up on a gang-related murder conviction led a scheme that defrauded the U.S. government out of more than $550 million in Covid-era federal tax credits, prosecutors said. Five other people were charged with Thomas in the alleged drug trafficking scheme. The employee retention credits became a refundable federal tax credit for employers during the Covid-19 pandemic to encourage businesses to retain workers. "But that apparently was not enough: he also conspired to pursue over half a billion dollars in federal tax credits that were meant to help struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic," Talbert said. DEA agents intercepted those calls and also intercepted text messages showing Thomas communicating about the tax fraud scheme, prosecutors said.

Persons: Kristopher Thomas, Thomas, Kettisha Thompson, Dozier, Charmane Dozier, Sharon Vance, Philip Talbert, Talbert Organizations: Main Street Mafia, Attorney's, Eastern, Eastern District of, Drug Enforcement Administration Locations: California, Covid, Kern Valley, Waldorf , Maryland, Hawthorne , California, Los Angeles, Eastern District, Eastern District of California, Las Vegas, U.S, Delano , California, Hawaii

☆ A tenant stopped paying rent and listed his landlord's home on Airbnb. The landlord is now stuck living in his van.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Hannah Getahun | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Washington homeowner says he's living in a van after a man moved into his home and stopped paying rent. And all the media and other attention is great, but it doesn't really do me any good," Jason Roth told Insider. AdvertisementAdvertisementAfter paying just a portion of one month's rent, Roth says Hunter stopped paying anything at all. According to court documents viewed by Insider, Hunter told Roth in an email in July that he wanted to pay his outstanding rent. In California, an Airbnb host could not evict a renter who stayed in a home for 570 days after the tenant stopped paying rent and reported the host to the city.

Persons: —, he's, Jason Roth, Roth, Kareem Hunter, Hunter, I'm, Roth Hunter Organizations: Service, Seattle, Kings County Superior Court, Kroger Locations: Washington, Kings County, Airbnb, California

☆ How the hit podcast 'Scamanda' could become a TV show, according to a leading exec in Lionsgate's audio arm
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

She discussed how her team plans to turn podcasts into TV shows, and how "Scamanda" could be a doc. The show was produced by Lionsgate Sound, the Hollywood giant's new audio division that launched last year. Lionsgate is one of several television companies to start its own audio arm — like Netflix and HBO, which produce audio companions to their TV shows. Pilgrim is a Lionsgate-owned production company that specializes in unscripted TV, and also a minority owner in Lionsgate Sound. Conversely, the podcast division can also leverage the success of existing TV shows and programs by producing companion audio works for them.

Persons: Gretchen Stockdale, you've, Amanda C, Riley, swindling, Pilgrim, Stockdale, Elizabeth Holmes, Jussie Organizations: Lionsgate, Apple, Lionsgate Sound, Hollywood, Netflix, HBO, Pilgrim Media Group, Hulu, ABC, Bloomberg, Fox Nation

lydia polgreenI’m Lydia Polgreen, and this is “Matter of Opinion.” Today, we’re going to do something a little bit different. And the great sort of brilliant twist of the show is at the end, the winner is chosen by the people that the contestants have voted off. Like, that just seems really, really American. I don’t think we need to go that far, but she is the best version of America, like America as it fancies itself to be. And if they happen to come out while I’m outside, I’m like, you!

Persons: michelle cottle, I’m Michelle Cottle, ross douthat I’m Ross Douthat, carlos lozada I’m Carlos Lozada, lydia polgreen, Lydia Polgreen, ross, departmentwide, carlos lozada, ross douthat, polgreen, ross douthat I’ll, Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, it’s, We’d, carlos lozada I didn’t, Lozada, Michelle, there’ll, you’ve, I’ll, ”, I’ve, lydia polgreen It’s, Lydia, — ross, Sue Hawk, winder, — carlos lozada Wow, Richard Hatch, he’s, Rudy, carlos lozada “, carlos lozada “ Survivor ”, Mark Burnett, — carlos lozada There’s, ” lydia polgreen There’s, ” ross douthat, “, — ross douthat That’s, Ross, you’re, Carlos, carlos lozada You, JD Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald, Tom, TD Fitzgerald, Standish, who’s, ” ross, — carlos lozada, ross douthat —, Donald Trump, JD, ” Michelle, I’m, Dolly Parton, lydia polgreen Legend, She’s, scrappy, she’s, “ Jolene, michelle cottle Don’t, Dolly, Dolly Parton’s, michelle cottle I’m, polgreen It’s, It’s, — carlos lozada Oh, lydia polgreen — Henry Grabar, Mother Teresa, Henry Grabar, carlos lozada Ross, we’re, Sienna, Sienna’s, we’re Honda Organizations: New York, ”, Harvard, “, Blacks, Navy, carlos lozada “ Survivor, Trump, Housewives, HBO, America, Survivor, City Hall, DC Locations: United States of America, America, United States, Trump, Utah, Northern California, Adenville, Lydia, Park City , Utah, West

☆ Lawyers, lies and a housewife: American Greed goes inside the story of Tom Girardi
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Personal injury attorney Tom Girardi is a legal legend and courtroom shark. He says he's a champion for the little guy, winning hundreds of millions in settlements for widows, orphans and scores of vulnerable victims. Today, Girardi is facing hundreds of millions of dollars in lawsuits alleging fraud, and his famous namesake law firm has gone bankrupt. Also, Erika had no control over Tom Girardi's firm or finances. Erika turned over her earnings to her husband and his law firm, who handled all finances along with outside accountants."

☆ Alex Murdaugh Testimony, Day Two: State Set to Continue Cross-Examination
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Joshua Jamerson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh was set to take the stand again in South Carolina, with the state expected to continue its cross-examination Friday as prosecutors probe him on the alleged motive in the double-murder trial. Mr. Murdaugh is accused of fatally shooting his wife, Maggie Murdaugh , and son Paul on a rainy summer night in 2021 at the family hunting estate, known as Moselle. He has pleaded not guilty. Mr. Murdaugh has been jailed for more than a year on a total of 99 counts, primarily related to allegedly swindling his personal-injury clients out of $8.8 million during the course of a decade but also related to alleged drug trafficking, money laundering and insurance fraud.

☆ Alex Murdaugh Trial: State Renews Cross-Examination on Second Day of Testimony
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Joshua Jamerson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh took the stand again in South Carolina on Friday to undergo further cross-examination by the state, as prosecutors probe him on the alleged motive in the double-murder trial. Mr. Murdaugh is accused of fatally shooting his wife, Maggie Murdaugh , and son Paul on a rainy summer night in 2021 at the family hunting estate, known as Moselle. He has pleaded not guilty. Mr. Murdaugh has been jailed for more than a year on a total of 99 counts, primarily related to allegedly swindling his personal-injury clients out of $8.8 million during the course of a decade but also related to alleged drug trafficking, money laundering and insurance fraud.

☆ Alex Murdaugh Testimony, Day Two: State Continues Cross-Examination
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Joshua Jamerson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ The Murdaugh Slayings: The Latest on Disbarred South Carolina Attorney Alex Murdaugh’s Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Valerie Bauerlein | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The disbarred South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh is facing trial for the alleged murders of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul. The trial is expected to last from Jan. 23 through late February at the Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., a town of about 5,500. The courthouse is about 20 miles from Moselle, the hunting property where Maggie and Paul were found dead on June 7, 2021. Mr. Murdaugh has been jailed for more than a year and faces a total of 99 felony counts, primarily related to allegedly swindling his clients out of $8.8 million. The 54-year-old Mr. Murdaugh pleaded not guilty to the murder charges and to most of the financial charges against him.

☆ George Santos's elaborate lies has seen the Congressman compared with a 19th-century huckster. History bears that out.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Allegra Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

My obsession is summed up pretty well by a tweet from @blagojevism: "George Santos is essentially a 19th-century character. Media depicting these characters found inspiration from real life: in a time before digital records and facial recognition, opportunity was everywhere. George Santos's brand of full-throated scammery is particularly American, something that belongs to this country as much as Abraham Lincoln and apple pie. The phrase "and if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you" comes from his legendary real-life method. But Santos, so far, has avoided jail time, giving him at least one leg up over the Yellow Kid.

☆ What Trump allies have faced criminal charges?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Here is a look at some of the Trump aides and allies who have faced criminal prosecution. Weisselberg pleaded guilty in 2022 and served as a star witness in the Trump Organization's criminal trial on tax fraud charges. Two other close Trump associates, Mark Meadows and Daniel Scavino, did not face similar criminal charges despite a House vote recommending them. Trump pardoned Broidy. Roughly 570 have pleaded guilty and 78 have been found guilty at trial.

Persons: Steve Bannon, Shannon Stapleton, Donald Trump, Six, Prosecutors, Trump, STEVE BANNON Trump's, Bannon, Joe Biden's, swindling Trump, ROGER, Stone, ALLEN WEISSELBERG, Weisselberg, PETER NAVARRO, Navarro, Mark Meadows, Daniel Scavino, MICHAEL COHEN, Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, Cohen, MICHAEL FLYNN, Flynn, PAUL MANAFORT, Manafort, RICK, Gates, ELLIOT BROIDY, Broidy, Stewart Rhodes, Andy Sullivan, Will Dunham, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: White House, REUTERS, Companies Trump Organization Inc, WASHINGTON, Six Trump, House, . House, Capitol, Trump, Trump White House, U.S, Army, Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, Thomson Locations: New, New York City, U.S, New York, Mexico, Moscow, United States, Russian Ukrainian, Russia

☆ Alex Murdaugh’s Murder Trial: Judge Says Jury Can Hear Alleged Financial Wrongdoing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Valerie Bauerlein | Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WALTERBORO, S.C.—A South Carolina judge ruled Monday that prosecutors can present evidence of alleged financial crimes committed by Alex Murdaugh as part of his continuing double-murder trial. The 54-year-old disbarred lawyer is accused of fatally shooting his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and son Paul at the family hunting estate on the night of June 7, 2021. Mr. Murdaugh has been jailed for over a year on a total of 99 counts, primarily related to allegedly swindling his clients out of $8.8 million but also related to alleged drug trafficking, money laundering and insurance fraud in a failed assisted-suicide attempt over Labor Day weekend in 2021.

☆ Alex Murdaugh Trial: Judge Says Jury Can Hear Alleged Financial Wrongdoing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Valerie Bauerlein | Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Florida woman accused of swindling $2.8M from Holocaust survivor in romance scam
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Phil-Helsel-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Phil Helsel | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A 36-year-old Florida woman used a romance scam to defraud a Holocaust survivor of his $2.8 million life savings, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. She also faked emails pretending to be from TD Bank and faked invoices to give to the victim’s bank to explain the large transfers, the indictment says. It stopped in October 2021 when the man told his son he'd given his life savings to the woman but was promised he'd be repaid and the son said he'd been scammed, according to the indictment. Stergo spent the money on a home, a condo, a boat, trips, cars and Rolex watches, prosecutors said. People lost more than $1 billion in romance scams across the U.S. in 2021, the FBI said in February.

☆ The Fyre Festival fraudster is launching his latest thing, and it looks like a party on an island
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Jake Traylor | Jake Traylor Is An Associate Producer For Msnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

He’s using different words, but he’s selling the same thing,” said Shiyuan Deng, a former product designer at Fyre Media, the company behind Fyre Festival. Deng resigned from Fyre Media shortly before it collapsed. Another former Fyre Media employee who asked to withhold their name out of concerns of retaliation also said PYRT reminded them of Fyre Festival. “The similarities are there around the vague mysterious promotion,’’ said the former employee of Fyre Media. McFarland said he believes PYRT will look considerably different from Fyre Festival.

☆ Fake billionaire Justin Costello could plead guilty in $35 million fraud case, court filing indicates
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A former fugitive accused of falsely telling investors he was a billionaire, a Harvard MBA, and a special forces veteran appears set to plead guilty on Wednesday in connection with an alleged $35 million fraud, a court filing suggests. At the time, authorities said, he was carrying a backpack containing $12,000 worth of gold bars, $60,000 in U.S. currency, $10,000 in Mexican pesos and an ID featuring his photo and someone else's name. Costello later pleaded not guilty in the case. But a court filing says Costello is now scheduled to appear for a change of plea hearing on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Such hearings are typically scheduled when a defendant plans to plead guilty.

☆ Who's afraid of Wells Fargo?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Wells Fargo reached a $3.7 billion deal with regulators over the bank’s “widespread mismanagement” that allegedly hit more than 16 million consumer accounts. KEY CONTEXTSadly, all of this echoes earlier reports about Wells Fargo’s practices that have emerged since 2016, when its fake-accounts scandal made national headlines, my colleague Matt Egan writes. Wells Fargo workers ended up creating millions of bank accounts for customers without their knowledge. Chopra described Wells Fargo as a “repeat offender” and a “corporate recidivist,” adding that Tuesday’s fine is just an initial step toward holding the bank accountable. The web of scandals at Wells Fargo is massive, and after six years of fallout, a lot of folks aren’t convinced the bank can save itself.

☆ The author of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill resigns after being indicted on charges of swindling COVID-relief loans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The author of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill resigned on Thursday after a federal indictment. Florida state Rep. Joe Harding was indicted on charges of fraud worth over $150,000. Federal prosecutors alleged that Harding made fake businesses, bank accounts and pocketed COVID loans. In 2022, Harding sponsored Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay" Bill,which is officially called the "Parental Rights in Education" bill. If found guilty, Harding faces up to 20 years on the wire fraud charges; 10 years related to the money laundering allegations; and five years in prison for allegedly making false statements.

☆ Trump foe Michael Avenatti sentenced to 14 years in prison for stealing millions from clients
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Lawyer Michael Avenatti speaks to the media after he walks out of federal court in New York, New York, U.S., March 25, 2019. The judge also ordered Avenatti to pay more than $10.8 million in restitution to four clients and to the Internal Revenue Service. Michael Avenatti, the brash lawyer who gained notoriety for legal actions involving former President Donald Trump , was sentenced Monday in California to 14 years in prison for stealing about $7.6 million from clients, as well as for tax fraud. For months in 2018, Avenatti was a ubiquitous presence on television news shows, where he delighted in verbally skewering the president and Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen. "He stole millions of dollars from his clients – all to finance his extravagant lifestyle that included a private jet and race cars," the top prosecutor said.

☆ Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin is hosting exclusive invite-only dinner parties at her Manhattan apartment while on house arrest
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Con artist Anna Sorokin is making her way back into the NYC social scene by hosting dinner parties in her apartment, Eater reports. Sorokin was released from ICE custody in October, but remains under house arrest in her Manhattan apartment. Sorokin, now 31, is currently under house arrest in her East Village apartment, but the ankle monitor hasn't stopped her from hosting invite-only dinner parties, Fortune reports. Sorokin is required to wear an ankle monitor during her house arrest, but it hasn't stopped her from expressing her fashion sense. The former fake heiress will remain under house arrest, which includes a social media ban, until her battle with ICE to remain in the US is settled.

☆ Accused fraudster Justin Costello has history of posing as billionaire and threatening cops, police say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Justin Costello yearbook photo"It's easy to be someone you're not, but hard to be yourself," Wisconsin teenager Justin Costello wrote under his senior photo in the Oconomowoc High School yearbook in 1999. Cash and gold bars as detailed in court filing in US District court in San Diego in case of former fugitive Justin Costello. Another San Diego judge then ordered Costello back to Washington state to face trial in DOJ's criminal case in U.S. District Court, court documents show. Costello's recent arrest is not the first time he has run into trouble with the law — or posed as a billionaire, court and police records show. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards FBI Poster for Justin Costello FBI

☆ Fake billionaire, Harvard MBA grad Justin Costello denied bail after judge calls him 'economic danger' to public
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The weight of the evidence is strong," Butcher wrote in his detention order in U.S. District Court in San Diego. Source: FBIButcher wrote that the evidence itself is the least important factor in his decision to keep Costello in jail. Costello, who has ties to Washington, Las Vegas and California, is due in San Diego court later Tuesday for another hearing related to his expected transfer to Washington state to face trial. But he never showed up as agreed at the FBI's office in San Diego, and went on the lam. Cash and gold bars as detailed in court filing in US District court in San Diego in case of former fugitive Justin Costello.

DENVER — The businessman accused of swindling people out of their life savings by promising to build them tiny homes and not delivering is now the target of a police investigation. Matt Sowash, founder of the Colorado-based nonprofit Holy Ground Tiny Houses, has also filed for bankruptcy, court records revealed Wednesday. A 14' tiny home featured on the Holy Ground Tiny Homes YouTube channel. Tiny homes have been touted as a solution to homelessness and an affordable way for many to put a roof over their heads as home prices across the country have skyrocketed. Holy Ground Tiny Homes.

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