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☆ George Santos pleads guilty, avoiding a looming criminal trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-19 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewSerial liar and former US congressman George Santos pleaded guilty to criminal charges in court Monday, avoiding a criminal trial. Santos ultimately pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts — one count of wire fraud and one count of identity theft — as part of a plea agreement. Advertisement"You trusted me to represent you with honor and to uphold the values that are central to our democracy," Santos told reporters outside court after the hearing. Related storiesCourt filings previously indicated Santos was in talks for a plea deal as early as December. Two associates of Santos — Nancy Marks and Sam Miele — have previously pleaded guilty to fraud charges against them and would have likely testified in Santos' trial.

Persons: —, George Santos, Santos, Joann Seybert, Seybert, Breon, I've, Goldman Sachs, Hannah Montana, Zack, Cody, Tom Williams, Ferragamo, Santos — Nancy Marks, Sam Miele —, Tom Suozzi, Jimmy Kimmel Organizations: Service, Business, Eastern, of, Republican, The New York Times, Citigroup, Baruch College, New York University, Disney Channel, U.S . Capitol, Inc, Getty, Congress Locations: of New York, New York, Long, Queens, The, Brazil, Eastern, OnlyFans, Hermes, United States, New

☆ Man dubbed ‘pirate of the unknown’ is extradited to US on alleged cocaine trafficking conspiracy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Milos Radonjic, 34, arrived in Brooklyn on Friday and is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court Monday, according to federal prosecutors and officials with the Department of Homeland Security and FBI. A federal grand jury indicted him and several other people last year on charges of conspiracy and attempt to violate the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. Ship crew members knowingly took part in the alleged trafficking, court documents say. Radonjic was arrested in October after traveling to Italy to captain a yacht in an international race, authorities said. US authorities have not released the names of other people who were indicted and said they were not in US custody.

Persons: ”, Milos Radonjic, Radonjic Organizations: CNN, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Maritime Drug, Ship, Eastern, of Locations: Montenegro, New York City, Italy, Brooklyn, South America, Europe, Balkans, Colombia, Ecuador, Radonjic, United States, Peace, of New York

☆ Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada: US operation to capture Sinaloa cartel leaders had the help of one of the captured men: a son of ‘El Chapo,’ official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Emma Tucker | Polo Sandoval | Evan Perez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, 76, the alleged co-founder and leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel, was arrested in El Paso, Texas, Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. Another alleged cartel leader, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 38, was also arrested, he said. But Zambada didn’t know US investigators had exploited a rift in the Sinaloa cartel and Guzman Lopez was helping with Zambada’s capture, the official said. Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, left, and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of another infamous cartel leader, after they were arrested by US authorities in Texas, the US Justice Department said Thursday. “Ismael Mario Zambada Garcia is the long-time leader of the Zambada Garcia faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Persons: CNN —, Ismael “ El, General Merrick Garland, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, Guzman, Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman, Zambada, Guzman Lopez, Ismael “ El Mayo ” Zambada, Guzmán, Rosa Icela Rodriguez, “, ” Rodriguez, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s, Rodriguez, Rodriquez, ” Garland, extraditions, “ Ismael Mario Zambada Garcia, Zambada Garcia, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, Anne Milgram, El, ”, Vicente Zambada Niebla, Chapo, “ El, “ El Mayo ” Zambada Organizations: CNN, Ismael “ El Mayo ” Zambada, FBI, Reuters, Ismael “ El Mayo ”, US Justice Department, US Department of State, AP, Mexico’s National Immigration Institute, Cessna, Justice Department, US State Department, Drug, Administration, ”, Sinaloa Cartel, Eastern, of, ” CNN, “ El Mayo ”, Police, Border Patrol Locations: Mexican, United States, Sinaloa, El Paso , Texas, Mexico, El Paso, Santa Teresa, “, Mexico’s Sinaloa, Texas, Hermosillo, Illinois, Chicago, Guatemala, Brooklyn, of New York, Ciudad Juarez, American, Juarez, Columbus , New Mexico

☆ Prosecutors say neo-Nazi ‘murder cult’ leader plotted to give poison candy to Jewish kids in NYC
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year-old man from the Republic of Georgia, was indicted on four charges, including soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a “mass casualty event” for New York City on New Year’s Eve, prosecutors said. “The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities and children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn,” the Department of Justice statement said. He “drafted step-by-step instructions to carry out the scheme” and shared with the undercover officer “detailed manuals on creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases,” the statement said. “For example, and among other things, the handbook encourages its readers to commit school shootings and to use children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass killings targeting racial minorities,” the Justice Department statement said.

Persons: Santa Claus, Michail, Chkhikvishvili, Butcher, ‘, ’, Matthew G, Olsen, Breon, Robert R, Wells, Eve, “, Prosecutors, ” Chkhikvishvili Organizations: Nazi, US Department of Justice, Justice Department’s National Security Division, Eastern, of, FBI’s National Security Branch, New York, Jewish, Department of Locations: Europe, New York City, Republic of Georgia, Nazi, of New York, New, Brooklyn, United States

☆ Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson convicted in New York fraud trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Ozy Media and founder Carlos Watson were convicted of fraud by a Brooklyn federal jury on Tuesday, in a case accusing them of lying to investors about the now-defunct startup’s finances and sham deals with Google and Oprah Winfrey. Watson, a former cable news anchor and investment banker, and Ozy were each convicted of securities fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy, while Watson was also convicted of identity theft. The verdict follows a six-week trial that featured testimony by two former Watson deputies, who pleaded guilty to fraud. Ozy folded shortly after The New York Times reported on former chief operating officer Samir Rao’s impersonation of the YouTube executive. He said prosecutors’ view of Ozy’s finances was simplistic and failed to appreciate the nuances of media industry dealmaking.

Persons: Carlos Watson, Oprah Winfrey, Watson, Ozy, Goldman Sachs, Prosecutors, “, Breon Peace, Samir Rao’s, Rao, Alex Piper, Sundar Pichai, Watson’s, “ That’s, that’s, ” Organizations: Ozy Media, Google, “ Ozy Media, New York Times, YouTube, Ozy Locations: Brooklyn, California

☆ Betting is the ‘Achilles’ heel’ of US sports. Are leagues doing enough?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“But matters affecting the integrity of the game have a chilling effect across the board and governing bodies know this is their Achilles heel,” he warned. Fast forward to 2024 and the gambling industry is engrained in US sports culture with leagues, franchises, players and networks now partnering with betting organizations. “We need legislation to do things like prevent sports betting advertising, and to prevent prop betting. However, it can be often in leagues’ financial interest for betting to increase in popularity. “The sports leagues have turned to sports betting because it increases fan avidity.

Persons: Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani, Tucupita Marcano, Jontay Porter, ” David Carter, ”, Paul Sancya, – it’s, Andrew Zimbalist, Zimbalist, ’ ”, “, William Hill, Mike Segar, Porter, Long Phi Pham, Pham, Breon Peace, Victor Matheson, Matheson, Adam Silver, Robert D, Manfred , Jr, Wayne Gretzky, Bruce Bennett, ’ Zimbalist, LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, Connor McDavid’s, ” Matheson, ” Carter, ” Zimbalist, CNN’s Thomas Schlachter Organizations: CNN, Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball, San Diego Padres, National Basketball Association, Toronto Raptors, NBA, USC Marshall School of Business, MGM Grand Detroit, DC, Super, American Gaming, Smith College, Monmouth, Reuters, Authorities, Supreme, College of, NFL, MLB, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Madison, Garden, “, NCAA, National Council Locations: Brooklyn, Michigan, Detroit, Washington, Oceanport , New Jersey, U.S, Porter , Brooklyn, New York City

☆ Brooklyn man arrested in connection with illegal betting scheme involving former NBA player Jontay Porter, authorities say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Rob Frehse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The complaint refers to the player as “Player 1,” though after a review of court documents, CNN has determined the player is former Toronto Raptors big man Jontay Porter, who two months ago was banned for life from the NBA. As alleged, the defendant and his co-conspirators, as well as an NBA player, participated in a brazen, illegal betting scheme that had a corrupting influence on two games and numerous bets,” US Attorney Breon Peace said. Porter was banned by the NBA in mid-April, with the league saying an investigation found Porter had violated betting rules. NBA said it investigated unusual betting patterns around PorterThe NBA announced in March it had opened an investigation into anomalies involving bets pertaining to Porter after unusual betting patterns around the player emerged. Porter had “violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games,” NBA officials said.

Persons: Long Phi Pham, Pham, Jontay Porter, Pham –, Australia –, Michael Soshnick, Porter, Breon Peace, “, rico ”, Adam Silver, ” Silver Organizations: CNN, NBA, Toronto Raptors, of, rico, FBI Locations: Brooklyn, New York, Australia, Eastern, of New York

☆ Cecilia Gentili death: 2 men charged with distributing drugs that caused death of transgender activist, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Michelle Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Two men in New York have been charged with distributing fentanyl-laced heroin that allegedly caused the death of transgender activist Cecilia Gentili in February, prosecutors announced Monday. “Cecilia Gentili, a prominent activist and leader of the New York transgender community was tragically poisoned in her Brooklyn home from fentanyl-laced heroin. Medical examiners determined she died from “acute intoxication caused by the combined effects of fentanyl, heroin, xylazine, and cocaine. Prosecutors accuse Venti of selling the laced heroin, allegedly supplied by Kuilan, to Gentili on February 5, citing text messages, cell site data, and other evidence. Venti’s attorney, Joseph Turco, referred to Gentili’s death as an “accident” in a statement and said, “We’re sorry for Cecilia’s death.”“Our hearts and prayers go to the activist’s family.

Persons: Cecilia Gentili, “ Cecilia Gentili, ”, Michael Kuilan, Antonio Venti, Kuilan, Gentili, Venti, Joseph Turco, “, ” Turco, Howard Greenberg, ” Greenberg, CNN’s Elizabeth Wolfe Organizations: CNN, New, Eastern, of, Patrick’s, Roman Catholic Archdiocese, Prosecutors, US, Office Locations: New York, Brooklyn, of New York, St, Gentili, America, “

☆ 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

☆ Jam Master Jay killing: 2 men found guilty of murder in 2002 killing of Run-DMC’s DJ
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Eric Levenson | Jeff Winter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Two men were found guilty of murder Tuesday in the 2002 killing of Jam Master Jay, the pioneering DJ of the groundbreaking hip hop trio Run-DMC, in a case that for decades frustrated detectives and music fans alike. Ronald Washington, Jay’s childhood friend, and Karl Jordan Jr., Jay’s godson, were convicted of murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking and firearm-related murder. G. Paul Burnett/APThe verdict comes more than 20 years after Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizell, was fatally shot at a recording studio in Jamaica, Queens, on October 30, 2002. They know who killed Jam Master Jay. How Jam Master Jay pioneered a new soundThe trial comes four decades after Jam Master Jay teamed up with Queens friends Run (Joseph Simmons) and DMC (Darryl McDaniels) to form the hip hop group Run-DMC.

Persons: Jay, Ronald Washington, Karl Jordan Jr, Jay’s, “ Y’all, ” Washington, Jordan, “, ”, Carlis Thompson, “ It’s, “ Jason, I’m, ” Jordan, Jason Mizell, Paul Burnett, Jay Bryant, Bryant, Breon Peace, Uriel Rincon, Artie McConnell, “ Jay Bryant, Michael Hueston, Susan Kellman, Washington’s, they’d, Mizell, Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, Aerosmith, Tricky, “ King Organizations: CNN, Garden, Eastern, of, WABC, Queens, Adidas, Stone, Duo, Hall of Fame, MTV, of Fame Locations: Washington, New, Jamaica, Queens, of New York, Jay

☆ A man accused of stealing missile-tracking secrets had applied to 'talent programs' run by the Chinese government, DOJ says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A man in California was charged with stealing trade secrets from a defense contractor. The Justice Department said the secrets involved information on missile-tracking technology. The man had previously applied to serve the Chinese government, prosecutors said. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Gong, a native of China, is a resident of San Jose and has been a US citizen since 2011, the DOJ said.

Persons: —, Chenguang Gong, Gong, Martin Estrada, Breon Organizations: Justice Department, Service, DOJ, US Department of Defense, Central, Central District of, FBI, Eastern, of, Department of Justice Locations: California, China, San Jose, Malibu , California, Central District, Central District of California, People's Republic of China, Iran, of New York, of Iran

☆ Man pleads guilty in $1 billion scheme to dodge money laundering rules in New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A man described as an "experienced anti-money laundering specialist" pleaded guilty on Wednesday to illegally funneling more than $1 billion in lucrative, high-risk transactions through small financial institutions, the U.S. Department of Justice said. The man, 56-year-old Gyanendra Asre of Greenwich, Connecticut, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to one count of failing to maintain an anti-money laundering program in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, meanwhile, on Wednesday assessed a $100,000 civil penalty on Asre and banned him from participating in any financial institution's affairs for five years. He had previously been employed as a senior vice president at a domestic bank, and was "experienced in international banking and trained in anti-money laundering compliance and procedures," the DOJ said. Asre "represented to the NYSEFCU that he and his businesses would conduct appropriate anti-money laundering oversight as required by the Bank Secrecy Act," according to the DOJ.

Persons: Asre, Attorney Breon Peace Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, DOJ, U.S . Department, Network, U.S, Attorney, New York, Employees Federal Credit Union, Bank Locations: Greenwich , Connecticut, Brooklyn

☆ Pornhub’s parent company admits it profited from sex trafficking
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-22 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Aylo, Pornhub’s parent company, will pay a $1.8 million fine and compensate the sex trafficking victims as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. The company pleaded not guilty to the government’s charge of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions involving sex trafficking proceeds, although it acknowledged the illegal material was posted on its site and said it regrets that fact. The government did not accuse Aylo itself of violating any federal sex trafficking laws, but said the company should have known it was doing business with a group that was engaging in sex trafficking. And Aylo became aware of a federal lawsuit against the production company in 2017, court documents show. In a statement, Aylo, which is under new management since the alleged incidents occurred, said it “deeply regrets” that Pornhub hosted the content.

Persons: Pornhub, Aylo, “, ”, James Smith, Solomon Friedman, ” Friedman Organizations: Washington CNN, Eastern, of, FBI, Aylo Holdings, CNN, Ethical Capital Partners Locations: Peace, of New York, Canada

A former fundraiser for U.S. Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal wire fraud charge, admitting he impersonated a high-ranking congressional aide while raising campaign cash for the embattled New York Republican. Miele is the second campaign aide to Santos who took a plea deal in a federal probe. Federal prosecutors say Santos wired some of the money to his personal bank account and used the rest to pad his campaign coffers. Santos has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and has vowed to clear his name. Santos also recounted what he believed was an attempt by Miele last summer to try to rejoin Santos' campaign.

Persons: George Santos, Sam Miele, Dan Meyer, Kevin McCarthy, Meyer, Miele, Santos, “, Kevin Marino, Marino, ” Miele, Nancy Marks, Marks, ” Santos, Prosecutors Organizations: U.S . Rep, New York Republican, Republican, Federal, U.S, Eastern, of, Federal Elections Commission, Republican Party, Associated Press Locations: Santos, Peace, U.S, of New York, Queens, Long, —

☆ Three charged with sending Russia over $7 million in electronics to aid war on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Three people were arrested in New York City on Tuesday on charges of illegally smuggling millions of dollars' worth of electronics to Russia in order to aid the country's invasion of Ukraine. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn accused Nikolay Goltsev, Salimdzhon Nasriddinov and Kristina Puzyreva of evading sanctions in order to send Russia equipment used in their precision-guided missile systems. The defendants allegedly dispatched hundreds of shipments of restricted items, worth nearly $7.2 million, to Russia over the course of a year. The complaint alleges that the defendants used two corporate entities to source and purchase dual-use electronics from U.S. manufacturers and distributors, and then secretly export them to Russia. Some of the same types of components were found in Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment that were seized in Ukraine, prosecutors alleged.

Persons: Nikolay Goltsev, Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, Kristina Puzyreva, Nick Stevens, Matthew Olsen Organizations: Attorney, Eastern, of, Prosecutors, United Arab, Justice Department's National Security Division Locations: Brooklyn, New York City, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, of New York, Tajikistan, Goltsev, Montreal, Manhattan, Russian, Turkey, Hong Kong, India, China, United Arab Emirates, Vitebsk

Rep. George Santos, the embattled freshman Republican known for fabricating large portions of his resume, was charged Tuesday on 10 new criminal counts, including conspiracy, falsification of records, aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud. Federal prosecutors filed a 23-count superseding indictment that comes after Santos pleaded not guilty to 13 charges from the Justice Department in May, which included fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and false statements. Although Santos has repeatedly rebuked the calls for his resignation from the chamber, he stepped down from his committee assignments earlier this year. Still, Santos announced he would seek reelection to represent New York's 3rd Congressional District in 2024. And although McCarthy had pledged to remove Santos should the committee determine he had broken a law, after his ouster as speaker, the future is uncertain.

Persons: George Santos, Santos, “, ”, “ Santos, he’s, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy Organizations: Republican, Justice Department, Eastern, of, New York Republican, New, Congressional District Locations: of New York

☆ George Santos accused of stealing campaign donors' credit card information and paying his own campaign in new superseding indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Erin Snodgrass | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Federal prosecutors say the New York Republican stole donor credit card information to pay his own campaign. AdvertisementAdvertisementRep. George Santos on Tuesday was hit with 23 new charges of conspiracy, wire and credit card fraud, falsification of records, and aggravated identity theft. In the superseding indictment, officials for the US Attorney's Office Eastern District of New York said the New York Republican stole donor credit card information to pay his own campaign. Officials in the indictment detailed two different schemes they allege Santos used to present his campaign as more financially viable than it actually was then later steal credit card information from donors to pay for his campaign. "On one occasion, Santos charged $12,000 to the Contributor's credit card, ultimately transferring the vast majority of that money into his personal bank account."

Persons: George Santos, Santos, —, Breon Peace, Nancy Marks Organizations: New York Republican, Service, US Attorney's, of, United Locations: Eastern, of New York

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Rep. George Santos stole the identities of donors to his campaign and then used their credit cards to ring up tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges, according to a new indictment filed Tuesday. In the updated indictment, prosecutors accuse Santos of charging more than $44,000 to his campaign over a period of months using cards belonging to contributors without their knowledge. Santos’ personal and professional biography as a wealthy businessman began to unravel soon after winning election to represent parts of Long Island and Queens last year, revealing a tangled web of deception. Santos was not initially charged in the criminal complaint against Marks, but was identified in court papers as a “co-conspirator." Because the unauthorized charges exceeded contribution limits under federal law, Santos listed the additional payments as coming from his own unwitting relatives, prosecutors allege.

Persons: George Santos, Santos, Attorney Breon Peace, “, ”, Santos ’, — Santos, Nancy Marks, Marks, Long, Sam Miele, Miele, Kevin McCarthy, Kevin Marino, Farnoush Amiri Organizations: — U.S . Rep, New York Republican, Federal Elections Commission, Republican Party, Attorney, U.S Capitol, Queens, Republican, Prosecutors, GOP Rep, Press Locations: ” U.S, Long Island, Santos, Washington

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., arrives to the U.S. Capitol for a procedural vote on a motion to vacate against Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. Federal prosecutors hit Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., with 23 additional charges Tuesday, including allegations of identity theft and that he charged a supporter's credit card in excess of their contribution and then transferred the money to his personal bank account. He's also alleged to have been involved in a credit card scheme where the campaign would charge contributors' credit cards repeatedly and above FEC individual contribution limits. On another occasion, he allegedly "charged $12,000 to the Contributor's credit card, ultimately transferring the vast majority of that money into his personal bank account." Marks pleaded guilty last week to some of the same conduct involving false FEC filings that Santos was charged with Tuesday.

Persons: George Santos, Kevin McCarthy, Prosecutors, Santos, Nancy Marks, Marks, He's, texted Santos Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Federal, Commission, United, Eastern, of, Republican Party, Santos, Prosecutors, United States House, Representatives, NBC News Locations: United States, of New York

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - A former Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) investment banker, who was charged in April with misappropriating funds from investors he wooed with promises of big returns from cryptocurrency trading, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, the U.S. Justice Department said. Rashawn Russell faces up to 30 years in prison when sentenced, the Justice Department said in a statement. As part of his plea agreement, Russell will be required to pay restitution in the amount of more than $1.5 million. Russell was an investment banker from July 2018 through November 2021 at a financial institution that was not identified in his indictment. His LinkedIn profile stated that he became a Deutsche Bank investment banking analyst in July 2018 and was promoted to associate in July 2020.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Rashawn Russell, Russell, Breon, Deutsche, Kanishka Singh, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Deutsche Bank, U.S . Justice Department, Justice Department, United, Prosecutors, U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ US judge throws out two soccer bribery convictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge has thrown out the convictions of a former Fox executive and an Argentine sports marketing company for attempting to bribe soccer officials in exchange for lucrative broadcasting contracts. In a Friday night decision, U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn said the March 9 convictions of Hernan Lopez and Full Play Group could not stand because the federal law governing honest services wire fraud did not cover foreign commercial bribery. The judge also voided Lopez's and Full Play's money laundering convictions, because they were predicated on the fraud convictions. David Sarratt, a lawyer for Lopez, said: "We are obviously pleased with Judge Chen's thorough and correct decision. At least 31 people and corporate entities pleaded guilty, and two soccer officials were convicted in a 2017 jury trial.

Persons: Hernan Lopez, Brendan McDermid, Pamela Chen, Joseph Percoco, Andrew Cuomo, Chen, Lopez's, Attorney Breon, David Sarratt, Lopez, Chen's, Carlos Ortiz, Ortiz, Prosecutors, Carlos Martinez, Alejandro Burzaco, Torneos, Jonathan Stempel, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Century Fox, Court, REUTERS, Fox, U.S, New, Attorney, Saturday, U.S . Department of Justice, FIFA, Fox International, South, CONMEBOL, Copa Libertadores, North, CONCACAF, Argentine, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn New York City, U.S, Argentine, Brooklyn, U.S ., South American, North American, New York

The logo of Swiss bank UBS is seen at the company's office at the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich in this July 1, 2009 file photo. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File PhotoWASHINGTON/NEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters) - UBS (UBSG.S) agreed to pay $1.435 billion to settle U.S. charges that the Swiss lender misled investors into buying troubled mortgage securities, concluding an industrywide probe into a root cause of the 2008 global financial crisis. The largest settlement, $16.65 billion, was reached in 2014 with Bank of America (BAC.N), which had bought mortgage specialist Countrywide Financial six years earlier. Credit Suisse, which UBS bought in June, reached a similar $5.28 billion settlement in 2017. In a press release, UBS said it previously set aside reserves to cover the $1.43 billion payout.

Persons: Arnd, RMBS, Attorney Breon, Kanishka Singh, Jonathan Stempel, Mark Porter, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Swiss, UBS, WASHINGTON, U.S . Department of Justice, Bank of America, Countrywide Financial, Credit Suisse, U.S, Attorney, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Brooklyn, Washington, New York

☆ UBS to pay $1.4 billion for selling toxic mortgages prior to the Great Recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —The Justice Department announced on Monday that UBS has agreed to pay $1.4 billion in penalties for allegedly defrauding investors by selling mortgage-backed securities that blew up during the Great Recession. The settlement resolves the final case brought by the DOJ to investigate the role of Wall Street firms in the 2008 financial crisis. In a statement, UBS described the agreement as a settlement of a “legacy matter” and said it has been fully provisioned in prior periods. Other Wall Street firms including Barclays, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs were previously hit by even larger fines to reach toxic mortgage settlements with the US government. All told, prosecutors say they leveled more than $36 billion in fines for conduct that fueled the 2008 financial crisis, including from banks and ratings firms.

Persons: ”, Ryan Buchanan, Goldman Sachs Organizations: New, New York CNN, The Justice, UBS, DOJ, Wall Street, Eastern, of, Northern, Northern District of, Barclays, Deutsche Bank Locations: New York, of New York, Wall, Northern District, Northern District of Georgia

☆ UBS to Pay $1.4 Billion to Settle Financial-Crisis Fraud Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Matthew Goldstein | More About Matthew Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Swiss-banking giant UBS agreed on Monday to pay $1.4 billion to settle U.S. claims that it misrepresented bonds backed by mortgages sold in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, a sign that the legacy of the turmoil that engulfed the global financial system continues to haunt Wall Street. The settlement with UBS is the last action brought by a Justice Department task force that was set up in 2012, during the Obama administration. It investigated the role of big banks and other financial firms in selling flawed and predatory mortgage products that contributed to the collapse of the U.S. housing market, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said in a news release. “The substantial civil penalty in this case serves as a warning to other players in the financial markets who seek to unlawfully profit through fraud that we will hold them accountable no matter how long it takes,” said Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. UBS said in a statement on its website that it had reached the settlement with federal prosecutors to resolve “a legacy matter,” adding that the money had already been accounted for in previous financial statements.

Persons: Obama, ” Organizations: UBS, Justice Department, Eastern, of Locations: Swiss, Brooklyn, U.S, of New York

☆ Accused Russian intelligence officer pleads not guilty to US smuggling charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - An alleged Russian intelligence officer pleaded not guilty on Friday to U.S. charges of smuggling U.S.-origin electronics and ammunition to Russia to help its war against Ukraine. Vadim Konoschenok, who was extradited on Thursday from Estonia, entered the plea at a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn. U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes ordered Konoschenok detained pending trial, after prosecutors called him a flight risk. Konoschenok was initially charged last September, as U.S. authorities sought to ramp up enforcement of export controls and sanctions designed to hamper Moscow's war effort. Reporting by Luc Cohen; editing by John Stonestreet and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vadim Konoschenok, Judge Ramon Reyes, Konoschenok, Sabrina Shroff, Luc Cohen, John Stonestreet, Sandra Maler Organizations: YORK, Ukraine, U.S, Attorney, Thomson Locations: Russian, Russia, Estonia, Brooklyn . U.S, Brooklyn, U.S, Washington

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