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☆ Two More Oath Keepers Members Receive Sentences for Sedition in Jan. 6 Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Zach Montague | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A federal judge sentenced two members of the Oath Keepers militia to less than four years in prison for seditious conspiracy on Friday, placing a brake on the government’s effort to impose lengthy terms on members of the group for roles in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. The two men, David Moerschel and Joseph Hackett, who traveled from Florida to join the Oath Keepers in Washington on Jan. 6, received terms of three years and three and a half years, respectively. Judge Amit P. Mehta, who has presided over three separate Oath Keepers trials that all have now concluded, diverged from federal guidelines in his decisions in Federal District Court in Washington this week. The judge veered toward leniency with members lower in the Oath Keepers’ hierarchy. Two others convicted of seditious conspiracy were sentenced this week to no more than four and a half years in prison.

Persons: David Moerschel, Joseph Hackett, Amit P, Mehta, Prosecutors, Moerschel, Hackett, Stewart Rhodes, Kelly Meggs Organizations: Court, Mr Locations: Florida, Washington

☆ Two Oath Keepers convicted of sedition in US Capitol attack sentenced to prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Prosecutors said he stayed at a suburban Virginia hotel where the Oath Keepers had staged a "quick reaction force" and stashed firearms to be quickly ferried into Washington if needed. Mehta also ordered Vallejo to serve a year of home confinement after his prison term during a three-year period of supervised release. Minuta told the judge he has since disavowed the Oath Keepers and feels "repulsed" by the lack of remorse shown by Rhodes. In addition to Rhodes, three other co-defendants were sentenced last week to between four and 12 years in prison. Joseph Hackett and David Moerschel, co-defendants in the trial in which Minuta and Vallejo were convicted - are due to be sentenced on Friday.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Judge Amit Mehta, Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, Mehta, Stewart Rhodes, Vallejo, Prosecutors, Minuta, I'm, Trump, Roger Stone, Rhodes . Rhodes, Joe Biden's, Rhodes, Joseph Hackett, David Moerschel, Hackett, Sarah N, Lynch, Will Dunham, Mark Porter Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Vallejo, Republican Trump, Moerschel, Thomson Locations: United States, Virginia, Washington, Minuta

☆ More Oath Keepers convicted of sedition in US Capitol attack face sentencing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Federal prosecutors are asking U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta to sentence Roberto Minuta and Edward Vallejo to 17 years in prison each after they were convicted in January alongside two other Oath Keepers members. If the judge follows that recommendation, those would be the second-longest sentences for any of the 1,000-plus people charged in the Capitol attack that was intended to block Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's November 2020 election victory over the Republican Trump. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, convicted in November of seditious conspiracy and other charges, was sentenced by Mehta last week to 18 years in prison, the longest of any of the sentences. Prosecutors said he stayed at a suburban Virginia hotel where the Oath Keepers had staged a "quick reaction force" and stashed firearms to be quickly ferried into Washington if needed. Joseph Hackett and David Moerschel, co-defendants in the trial in which Minuta and Vallejo were convicted - are due to be sentenced on Friday.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Judge Amit Mehta, Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, Joe Biden's, Republican Trump, Stewart Rhodes, Mehta, Rhodes, Trump, Roger Stone, Minuta, Vallejo, Prosecutors, William Shipley, Matthew Peed, Peed, al, Joseph Hackett, David Moerschel, Hackett, Sarah N, Lynch, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Republican, Minuta, World Trade, Moerschel, Thomson Locations: United States, Virginia, Washington, Vallejo, Minuta

☆ Is indicted Chinese billionaire tycoon Guo Wengui secretly bankrolling George Santos's bail?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

In recent months, he's become supportive of exiled Chinese tycoon and Republican patron Guo Wengui. There's a very strong chance that one person putting up the money — directly or indirectly — is the jailed exiled Chinese billionaire tycoon Guo Wengui. Even Ghislaine Maxwell and SBF didn't get this kind of secrecySantos certainly doesn't want us to know who these bond sponsors are. (An affinity for using multiple names, which are variations of each other, is something Guo shares with George Anthony Devolder Santos.) So, is Guo one of Santos's bail sponsors?

Persons: George Santos's, you'll, Santos, he's, Guo Wengui, —, George Santos, Ghislaine Maxwell, SBF didn't, Joanna Seybert, Jeremy A, Chase, Alexandra Settelmayer, Davis Wright Tremaine, Lokman Vural, Sam Bankman, Larry Kramer, Andreas Paepcke —, Lewis Kaplan, Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Maxwell, Guo, Steve Bannon, Forbes, Miles Kwok, Carlo Allegri, Bannon, Miles Guo, George Anthony Devolder Santos, Cait Corrigan, Santos didn't, Joe Murray, Guo didn't, Santos doesn't Organizations: Service, Rep, Republican, New York Times, US, Federal, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Stanford University, REUTERS, New Federal, Chinese Communist Party, Law Foundation, Law Society, Santos, Justice Department Locations: New York, Long, Santos, Washington, DC, Central Islip, Central Islip , New York, Manhattan, United States, China, New Federal State of China, New Federal State

But the focus on the tapes is the latest effort by Mr. Smith to determine whether Mr. Trump or his aides engaged in any sort of obstructive behavior. There is no indication that Mr. Taveras is a subject of Mr. Smith’s investigation. All three men — Mr. Taveras, Mr. Deoliveira and Mr. Nauta — have been questioned extensively by prosecutors over their roles in handling the boxes and the tapes. Nonetheless, one person briefed on the events said the interactions concerning the security tapes were enough to arouse suspicion among Mr. Smith’s investigators. Moreover, people briefed on witness interviews say, it has become clear that Mr. Smith views a number of people connected to Mr. Trump with skepticism.

Persons: Mr, Taveras, Smith, Trump, Trump’s, Stanley Woodward Jr, Deoliveira’s, John Irving, Deoliveira, Nauta Organizations: Justice Department, National Archives, Mr

☆ Bankman-Fried hints at blame-the-lawyers defense in criminal case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Alison Frankel | Thomson Reuters | Alison Frankel Has Covered High-Stakes Commercial Litigation As A Columnist For Reuters Since A Dartmouth College Graduate | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The plaintiffs' lawyer who filed that case, Kerry Miller of Fishman Haygood, told me on Wednesday that he plans to monitor the Bankman-Fried criminal case for any Fenwick & West documents that might boost the class allegations. Companies are typically reluctant to waive privilege for fear that their lawyers’ documents might be used in other cases. That assertion seems to hint that Bankman-Fried will claim that he can personally waive privilege over some Fenwick & West communications. The strongest defense case, Sandick said, would probably feature testimony from a Fenwick & West witness to bolster testimony from Bankman-Fried about his reliance on advice from FTX lawyers. But contradictory testimony from a law firm witness could undermine Bankman-Fried’s advice-of-counsel defense.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Gresser, Fenwick, Fried, West, FTX, “, ”, Bankman, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Kerry Miller, Fishman Haygood, Cohen, Sullivan, Cromwell, Harry Sandick, Patterson Belknap Webb, Tyler, ” Sandick, Sandick, ‘, ’ ”, Alison Frankel Organizations: Cohen, Fenwick & West, Alameda Research, Silvergate Bank, West, U.S, Prosecutors, Alameda, District, District Judge Lewis Kaplan of, Fenwick &, Manhattan U.S, Companies, Defense, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Fenwick, FTX, Alameda, Manhattan, California, District Judge Lewis Kaplan of Manhattan

Federal prosecutors investigating former President Donald J. Trump’s handling of classified material have a recording of Mr. Trump from 2021 discussing a sensitive military document he had kept after leaving the White House, two people briefed on the matter said. The recording, in which Mr. Trump also indicated he knew the document was secret, could undermine his repeated claim that he had already declassified material that remained in his possession after he left office. Prosecutors are scrutinizing whether Mr. Trump obstructed efforts by federal officials to retrieve documents he took with him after leaving office and whether he violated laws governing the handling of classified material. The meeting was held at Mr. Trump’s club at Bedminster, N.J., where he spends summers. Until now, the focus of the documents investigation has been largely on material Mr. Trump kept with him at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Florida, rather than in New Jersey.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Mark Meadows Organizations: White, Prosecutors, CNN, Mr, Mar Locations: Bedminster, N.J, Florida, New Jersey

☆ Bitter, virtual Trump promises a Manhattan judge he won't harass or attack hush-money witnesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He also shook his head in apparent disgust when told he'll be in contempt if he uses DA evidence to harass witnesses. Trump shook his head "no" in apparent disgust when the judge told his lawyer, Todd Blanche, that he risks sanctions and a finding of contempt if he violates the order. "He is free to do anything that does not violate the specific terms of this protective order," the judge told Blanche. The protective order bars Trump from using the prosecution's most sensitive evidence for anything other than his own defense. "I have less than zero confidence," Cohen told Insider of Trump's ability to abide by the protective order and restrain himself from using sensitive evidence to attack witnesses.

Persons: Trump, he'll, —, Donald Trump, Juan Merchan, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Merchan, Tuesday's, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Catherine McCaw, Michael Cohen —, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels Organizations: Service, New York, Attorney, Trump, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Prosecutors, Trump Organization Locations: Manhattan, United States

Lamond, who supervised the Intelligence Branch of the police department's Homeland Security Bureau, also made false and misleading statements to federal law enforcement agents about his communications with Tarrio, the Justice Department said. According to the indictment, Lamond and Tarrio had been in regular contact since 2019. Lamond wrote, "Hey brother, sad, sad news today. Tarrio pleaded guilty to charges in the Black Lives banner case and in 2021 was sentenced to five months in prison. A jury in a separate case this month convicted Tarrio and other members of the Proud Boys of seditious conspiracy involving the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

☆ Shell company stock hijacker Mark Miller sentenced to year in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Lengeling told Doty it "felt like we got punched in the gut, quite frankly" when he recently learned prosecutors were asking that Miller spend a year in prison for the penny stock scheme. In addition to his prison term, which Miller is expected to start serving in August, Doty sentenced Miller to two years of supervised release after he completes his time locked up. Miller and Jaberian, as well as an unidentified person related to Miller, became the nominal CEOs and presidents of the targeted companies, prosecutors say. Miller voluntarily dropped a suit related to efforts to take over New World Gold soon after CNBC reported his involvement with that company. Doty sentenced him on May 10 to two years of probation.

☆ Bankman-Fried faces long odds of tossing charges despite Supreme Court decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | 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: +4 min

But legal experts said Bankman-Fried's odds of getting the charges dismissed remain slim. Days later, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated that theory known as "right to control" when it overturned the conviction of a Buffalo construction executive accused of bid-rigging. The Court said the theory is "inconsistent with the structure and history of the federal fraud statutes." Officials say Bankman-Fried portrayed FTX as a safe, responsible platform in the volatile sector, even as he was diverting customer funds. Even if the bank fraud count is dismissed, Bankman-Fried would still face 12 other counts at his Oct. 2 trial.

☆ Grocery store employee sues Rudy Giuliani for $2 million, saying the ex-mayor lied to cops to put him in jail
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Plaintiff took a break from his work, walked up to Defendant Giuliani, patted or tapped him on the back, said 'what's up scumbag,' and walked away." Giuliani told police officers who arrived at the store that he wanted Gill to be arrested. He told police officers that Gill "hit" him and that he was in pain, according to the lawsuit. A security camera video shows that Gill patted Giuliani on the back. This is the second lawsuit filed against Giuliani this week.

☆ Rudy Giuliani told an employee not to talk to the FBI and then asked for her help googling obstruction of justice, lawsuit says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rudy Giuliani told an employee not to talk to the FBI and delete her messages with him, according to a lawsuit. He then asked for her help "Googling information about obstruction of justice," the lawsuit says. According to the lawsuit, around May 2019, Giuliani told Dunphy to delete her messages with him. "You've got to be smart enough to know what I have just said," Giuliani told her, according to the lawsuit. "Giuliani asked Ms. Dunphy for help in Googling information about obstruction of justice, among other topics," the lawsuit says.

☆ US charges ex-Army employee at South Korean facility with bribery, fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, May 15 (Reuters) - A former civilian employee at a U.S. Army facility in South Korea has been arrested on charges of receiving $400,000 in kickbacks from military contractors, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said on Monday. Young Beom Kim, 62, was responsible for overseeing construction contracts at the Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey from 2017 to 2021. Kim, a U.S. citizen and resident of South Korea, pleaded not guilty to six counts of wire fraud, bribery and money laundering. Prosecutors also say he received kickbacks from a South Korea-based supplier of parts manufactured by U.S. and Chinese companies. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cash App founder Bob Lee was having an affair with the sister of his alleged killer, friends say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Cash App founder Bob Lee was having an affair with his accused killer's sister, Khazar Momeni, sources told WSJ. Khazar's brother, Nima Momeni, is in jail on murder charges in the fatal stabbing of Lee last month. Sources said Lee and Khazar were both part of "The Lifestyle," an underground San Francisco party scene. Cash App founder Bob Lee, who was stabbed to death last month, was having an affair with the sister of his alleged killer, Nima Momeni, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal. According to witnesses at the scene, Lee told Nima that his sister had not taken any drugs and "nothing inappropriate had happened."

☆ Glass Lewis backs two of Icahn's nominees for Illumina
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 10(Reuters) - Proxy adviser Glass Lewis said on Wednesday Illumina Inc (ILMN.O) shareholders should vote for two of Carl Icahn's nominees to the firm's board, as representatives who can challenge the current board would be beneficial to the company. Glass Lewis added shareholders should vote against the re-election of the current chief Francis deSouza and chair John Thompson, saying they had enough reasons to advocate for a new chair. Icahn, who owns 1.4% of Illumina, began a boardroom battle at the gene sequencing company in March. Glass Lewis said in a report it recommends shareholders support Icahn's nominees, Vincent Intrieri and Andrew Teno, adding the company's $7.1 billion acquisition of cancer-testing firm Grail had been a "costly, distracting, value-crimping millstone" for Illumina. However, it did not extend support to Icahn's third candidate, Jesse Lynn, adding that election of all three candidates was not needed.

☆ Icahn Enterprises fielding enquiries by U.S. prosecutors
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 10 (Reuters) - Icahn Enterprises LP (IEP.O) said on Wednesday it had received inquiries from U.S. prosecutors about its operations on May 3, a day after a short-seller accused it of over-valuing its assets. The disclosure from Icahn Enterprises that it had received inquiries from prosecutors in the Southern District of New York came as the firm posted a surprise quarterly loss, after volatility in markets hit returns on its investments. It added that the prosecutors had not made any claims or allegations against the company or Icahn. Icahn has called the report "self-serving" and said he stands by Icahn Enterprises statements about his finances. Excluding one-time items, Icahn Enterprises reported a loss of 11 cents per share, missing analysts' average estimate of a 19 cents profit, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ Appeals Court Tosses Convictions of Two Parents in Varsity Blues Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

As part of the largest college-admissions scam ever prosecuted, some parents allegedly paid others to create fake photos of their children as top athletes. WSJ finds out just how easy it is to manipulate photos by asking an expert to combine pictures of Tom Brady and Bradley Cooper. Photos illustration: David StarrA federal appeals court vacated the convictions for two parents who were found guilty of fraud in 2021 as part of the Varsity Blues college-admissions cheating case, highlighting the contentious legal claims underpinning the original charges. A jury ruled in October 2021 that Gamal Abdelaziz and John Wilson were guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery involving a school that receives federal funds—in their case, the University of Southern California. Prosecutors alleged they had worked with corrupt college counselor William “Rick” Singer to make illicit payments and pretend their children were star athletes to secure spots for them at top universities.

Here’s what to know about the significance of the charges and what happens next:Three main buckets of chargesThe indictment lays out three main buckets of alleged criminal activity by Santos. The second set of accusations concern Santos’ allegedly false applications for unemployment benefits, resulting in a theft of public money count and two more wire fraud counts. To establish the alleged unemployment fraud scheme, investigators likely have the attestations Santos allegedly made to participate in the public benefits program. The House disclosure documents that Santos allegedly lied on are publicly available documents. There’s also the potential that, instead of a jury trial, Santos seeks a bench trial – i.e.

☆ George Santos was accused of unemployment fraud. The House may vote this week on an unemployment fraud bill that he co-sponsored.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. George Santos is being accused of stealing COVID-19 unemployment aid, among other charges. In March, he co-sponsored a bill that incentivizes states to recoup money lost through unemployment fraud. The indictment contains 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds. Two months before his indictment, Santos co-sponsored a bill, along with 34 Republican lawmakers, that incentivizes states to recoup money lost through COVID-19 unemployment fraud. Spokespersons for Santos and Rep. Jason Smith, the lead sponsor of the bill, did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ These Are the Charges Against George Santos
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Nicholas Fandos | Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Federal prosecutors have charged Representative George Santos of New York with 13 counts of money laundering, stealing public money, wire fraud and making false statements to Congress. Prosecutors said the charges resulted from “fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations” designed to mislead donors, enrich Mr. Santos and win a seat in Congress as a Republican from Queens. The Times reported than Mr. Santos registered a company, RedStone Strategies, in November 2021, the same date noted in the indictment, and told donors it was an “independent expenditure” group, or super PAC. Mr. Santos was also charged with three counts of money laundering in connection to the donor solicitation scheme. Mr. Santos was earning $120,000 a year through his employment at a Florida-based investment company, but prosecutors said he repeatedly told the state he had been unemployed since March 2020.

CNN —A US Army sergeant who was convicted of murdering a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020 was sentenced to 25 years in prison Wednesday morning – even as Texas’ governor pushes to pardon him. In April, a Texas jury convicted Perry of murder but found him not guilty on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The governor can only pardon Perry if the Board of Pardons and Paroles recommends it, according to Texas law. And in a June 1, 2020, social media comment, Perry compared the Black Lives Matter movement to “a zoo full of monkeys that are freaking out flinging their sh*t,” the documents show. CNN reached out to the governor’s office for comment on the social media posts.

☆ George Santos Is Charged With Fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

George Santos is charged with fraudRepresentative George Santos, the New York Republican who campaigned on a life story littered with lies, has been charged by federal prosecutors with 13 counts including money laundering, stealing public money, wire fraud and making false statements to Congress. Santos pleaded not guilty and was released on a $500,000 bond. During a chaotic scene outside a federal court on Long Island this afternoon, Santos said the charges were a product of a “witch hunt” and that he would not resign. “I have to keep fighting to defend my innocence,” Santos said, “and I’m going to do that.”Prosecutors say Santos was involved in three separate schemes, but the bulk of the indictment focuses on allegations that Santos directed a political consultant to solicit contributions to a company that he falsely claimed was a political fund. Prosecutors also accuse Santos of fraudulently claiming more than $24,000 in unemployment payments and lying on financial disclosure forms.

☆ Atlanta Prosecutors Drop Effort to Remove Defense Lawyer in Trump Inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Richard Fausset | Danny Hakim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The Georgia investigation could potentially result in another state-level criminal indictment of Mr. Trump, following his indictment in New York in early April. Ms. Willis indicated late last month that any indictments, initially anticipated in May, would not come until mid-July at the earliest. Ms. Willis also said at the time that Ms. Debrow was representing people who were making accusations against another one of her clients, amounting to an untenable conflict. He was, for a time, Ms. Debrow and Ms. Pierson’s client, but is now represented by Ms. Pierson and another lawyer. Both Ms. Pierson and Ms. Debrow have been paid by the state Republican Party.

☆ U.S. prosecutors look at short selling in bank shares - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Chris Prentice | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, May 10 (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors in Washington are looking into short seller activity around the recent volatility in U.S. bank shares sparked by the failure of three regional lenders since March, a source familiar with the matter said. Short sellers arrange to borrow shares they consider overvalued and sell them in the hopes that if the price drops they can repurchase them for less and pocket the difference. Critics say short sellers hurt companies, but short sellers and advocates say they act as an important check on public firms. Since at least 2021, the Justice Department and the SEC have been investigating potential manipulation by short sellers and hedge funds around the publication of negative research reports. The source did not say whether the latest interest in bank stocks was related to that pre-existing probe.

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