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☆ R. Kelly is appealing his 2021 sex trafficking and racketeering convictions in New York and wants a new trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly is appealing one of his two federal convictions – his September 2021 guilty verdicts on sex trafficking and racketeering charges in New York – and is seeking a reversal of that conviction or a new trial, court documents show. In a brief filed Wednesday, the singer’s attorneys argue at least four seated jurors in the New York case were already familiar with the sex trafficking accusations raised against R. Kelly prior to trial, with some having seen a documentary series about him. R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison in a New York federal court after a jury convicted him of nine counts, including one charge of racketeering and eight counts of violations of the Mann Act, a sex trafficking law. His attorneys allege the prosecution failed to show there was a “collective of individuals who shared any common purpose other than to promote” R. Kelly’s music. The singer’s attorneys are also seeking to vacate those orders and return the funds confiscated from his trust account.

☆ Slutty Vegan, the buzzy $100 million restaurant empire backed by Shake Shack's Danny Meyer, faces wage theft lawsuits in two states
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Three employees are filing a lawsuit against Brooklyn's Slutty Vegan restaurant. The workers claim the restaurant failed to pay bonuses, did not adequately compensate for overtime, and miscalculated paychecks, according to the lawsuit. Founder Pinky Cole is also facing a lawsuit from an employee of her Atlanta restaurant Bar Vegan over alleged wage theft. Slutty Vegan opened its Brooklyn location in September 2022. Cole addressed the lawsuit in an Instagram post, writing "I don't lie, I don't steal and more importantly, I DON'T PLAY WITH PEOPLE'S MONEY."

☆ The Labor Department is suing a healthcare staffing agency, saying it made some workers sign contracts forcing them to repay part of their wages if they quit within 3 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A company told workers they'd have to pay high fees if they quit within three years, the Labor Department said. In a lawsuit against the agency, the DOL said one nurse was asked to pay $24,000 in future profits. Lawyers for the agency, ACS, said the DOL's suit is "unsupported by either the facts or the law." The DOL likened employees' wages to a loan that they may have to repay to the company alongside interest and fees. "To be clear, ACS has never demanded – and no nurse has ever repaid – their earned wages to ACS. "

"Phhhoto has failed in its 69-page amended complaint of 222 paragraphs to allege sufficient facts that cure the untimeliness of all of its federal claims," Matsumoto wrote. The court declined to allow Phhhoto to fine-tune its case and bring another complaint. Phhhoto's lawsuit, filed in 2021, alleged Facebook aimed to "crush" the photo-sharing application, which called itself in court filings "an innovative nascent competitor." Facebook is defending against claims from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., federal court that the company abused its personal social networking dominance. The case is Phhhoto Inc v Meta Platforms, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, No.

[1/3] A security guard walks in the ATM lobby of a Signature Bank branch in New York City, U.S., March 13, 2023. The proposed class action against Signature and its former chief executive officer Joseph DePaolo, chief financial officer Stephen Wyremski and chief operating officer Eric Howell was filed in the federal court in Brooklyn. Silicon Valley Bank is the largest. On Sunday, U.S. regulators decided to make Signature and Silicon Valley Bank depositors whole regardless of how much they held in their accounts. The case is Schaeffer v Signature Bank et al, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, No.

☆ Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson arrested and charged with fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Carlos Watson, the founder and chief executive of the embattled Ozy Media, was arrested and charged with fraud this week, according to federal court records. Watson was accused in a federal indictment of having “engaged in a scheme to defraud OZY’s investors, potential investors, potential acquirers, lenders and potential lenders.”The charges said that Watson committed the fraud “through material misrepresentations and omissions” about Ozy Media, including the company’s finances, investors, business partners, contracts, and potential acquisitions. A spokesperson for Ozy Media did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning. The charges come after The New York Times published an exposé in 2021 pulling back the curtain on some of the alleged deceptive practices Ozy Media engaged in. Semafor reported earlier this month that Ozy Media was attempting a comeback.

Kelly, 56, the Grammy-winning R&B artist, has been convicted in two separate trials of luring multiple underage girls into sex by leveraging his wealth and fame, in some case recording the abuse on video. Prosecutors have argued in a sentencing memo that Kelly is so incorrigible that "the only way to ensure Kelly does not reoffend is to impose a sentence that will keep him in prison for the rest of his life." Defense attorneys say a 56-year-old African American man with diabetes is already facing an effective life sentence with the existing 30-year term. "There was a whole culture around it and so yes I do think there's a disproportionate attention on Mr. Kelly," Bonjean said in a telephone interview. Kelly will not address the judge, Bonjean said, because he still faces prosecution in other jurisdictions and any statement could be used against him.

☆ The Paradox of Prosecuting Domestic Terrorism
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( James Verini | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +52 min

The preventive approach to domestic terrorism goes back even further than the 1990s and it begins with the basic police work and surveillance of the joint terrorism task forces. In fact, there is no section of the U.S. Criminal Code that criminalizes domestic terrorism as such. The absence of clear law around domestic terrorism, and the imperatives of prevention, mean that investigators and prosecutors who work domestic terrorism cases must focus on more common charges: weapons violations, illegal drug possession, burglary, aiding and abetting and so forth. But this was not enough to overrule the fear of domestic terrorism that was gripping the nation and that hung in the courtroom. It reflected the legal paradoxes of the case and domestic terrorism law in general or, maybe more accurately, the absence of it.

☆ Former New York stockbroker convicted of leaving the US to join ISIS as a weapons instructor and sniper
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A New Yorker was convicted on Tuesday of providing material support to the Islamic State in Syria. He abandoned his family and job as a stockbroker in Brooklyn to go to Syria, per AP. Ruslan Maratovich Asainov trained an estimated 100 fighters on how to use weapons, the DOJ said. According to the DOJ, Asainov converted to Islam in 2009. Prosecutors say this man is Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, pictured between June 2014 and April 2015, in Tabqa, Syria.

☆ The FBI is investigating if George Santos scammed a military veteran by taking funds that were raised for his dying dog: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Military veteran Rich Osthoff told Politico he was contacted by two FBI agents on Wednesday. Osthoff in January accused Santos of taking over $3,000 from a fundraiser meant for a dying dog. "I'm glad to get the ball rolling with the big-wigs," Osthoff told Politico. Osthoff told Patch Sapphire died in January 2017 after he could not afford to pay for her surgery. Santos told Steakin he has "no clue" about the DBI investigation, and has "never met" Osthoff.

☆ U.S. to announce international cryptocurrency action -statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department will "announce a major, international cryptocurrency enforcement action" on Wednesday, it said in a statement, adding the U.S. Treasury Department will also make an announcement. "The U.S. Department of the Treasury will also announce an action in this space," the statement said. U.S. officials, including Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, will deliver remarks at 12 p.m. (1700 GMT) in Washington, according to the statement. Other officials will include the associate deputy director of the FBI and the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Susan Heavey, editing by Paul Grant and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Who is DCG's Barry Silbert, the crypto baron in the crosshairs of the Winklevoss twins over 'bad faith' business practices?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Barry Silbert is the CEO of Digital Currency Group, the crypto conglomerate that owns Genesis and Grayscale. In 2015, the 46 year old started Digital Currency Group (DCG), the $10 billion parent company that controls industry giants like crypto brokerage Genesis and digital asset manager Grayscale. The conglomerate also owns trade publication Coindesk, crypto mining firm Foundry Services, crypto index provider TradeBlock, and digital asset platform Luno Global. Cameron Winklevoss blasted Silbert for "bad faith" business practices last week, alleging the crypto baron owes the digital asset exchange's customers $900 million. Prior to launching DCG, Silbert went to Emory University's Goizueta Business School and began his career as an investment banker at Houlihan Lokey.

☆ Watchdog group accuses George Santos of campaign finance violations in FEC complaint
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A national watchdog group has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Republican U.S. Rep. George Santos for allegedly violating numerous campaign finance laws during his successful run for Congress. The Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan campaign watchdog organization, filed the complaint with the FEC on Monday. The group accuses the Santos campaign of allegedly violating three counts of campaign finance laws, including one tied to a $705,000 loan the lawmaker made to his campaign. Santos is under scrutiny by congressional lawmakers and federal authorities for lying and embellishing key elements of his resume during his 2022 campaign for Congress. The Campaign Legal Center claims that the loan he made to his campaign may have come from a straw donor.

☆ Trader Joe's is being sued after tests suggested some of its dark chocolate contains potentially unsafe levels of lead and cadmium
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trader Joe's was hit by two lawsuits over alleged high levels of lead and cadmium in its chocolate. Consumer Reports found that two of its own-brand dark chocolate bars contain potentially unsafe quantities of heavy metals. The lawsuits relate to two of Trader Joe's own-brand products: its 72% cacao dark chocolate and its Dark Chocolate Lover's 85% cacao chocolate. For the Dark Chocolate Lover's 85% cacao chocolate, these levels were 127% for lead and 229% for cadmium. Because dark chocolate contains more cacao than milk chocolate, it generally has higher levels of lead and cadmium as a result.

☆ Brazil is reviving a 2008 fraud case against Rep.-elect George Santos, who has been caught in a string of lies since his midterm victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Brazil is reviving a long-dormant fraud case against George Santos, The New York Times reported. A spokesperson for the Rio de Janeiro prosecutors office told The New York Times that authorities will be reviving a 2008 fraud case, which they dropped more than a decade ago after failing to locate him. Prosecutors in Brazil charged Santos with embezzlement over a decade ago, but the case was archived in 2013 because Santos could not be found to answer a court summons. Santos flipped a Democratic seat in New York to help Republicans clinch a narrow House majority in the November midterms. Santos added that he has never been charged with a crime in Brazil, or anywhere else.

It’s not surprising to see that federal prosecutors, state prosecutors and New York’s attorney general are reportedly looking into Santos’ deception, and much of the public likely wants to see Santos punished for his duplicity. Yet despite the brazenness and provable nature of Santos’ lies, no one should believe that an indictment is guaranteed. Lying to the public, as Santos has, may be despicable and indefensible, but it is not a crime. Santos’ lies could be a goldmine for establishing intent and impeaching him on cross-examination at trial, and, if he is convicted, enhancing his punishment at sentencing. And there are no obvious state violations or other punishments coming for Santos unless state investigators uncover new facts.

☆ Federal prosecutors open investigation into Rep.-elect George Santos over congressional campaign
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Michael-Kosnar-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Michael Kosnar | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Federal prosecutors in New York have opened an investigation into Rep.-elect George Santos, a law enforcement source confirmed to NBC News on Thursday. A spokesperson for Santos did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ABC News first reported the federal investigation into Santos. Last week, the New York attorney general’s office said it is “looking into a number of issues” surrounding him. The office, however, did not confirm whether it had opened an official investigation.

[1/2] A Hershey's chocolate bar is shown in this photo illustration in Encinitas, California January 29, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoCompanies Hershey Co FollowNEW YORK, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Hershey Co (HSY.N) has been sued by a consumer who accused the company of selling dark chocolate that contains harmful levels of lead and cadmium. In a proposed class action filed on Wednesday, Christopher Lazazzaro said he would not have bought or would have paid less for Hershey's Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate, Lily's Extra Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa and Lily's Extreme Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa had Hershey disclosed their metals content. Some studies suggest that the antioxidants and relatively low levels of sugar in dark chocolate could help prevent cardiovascular disease. Hershey's Special Dark bar and Lily's 70% bar were high in lead, and Lily's 85% bar was high in lead and cadmium, the magazine said.

☆ Federal prosecutors are probing Rep-elect George Santos' finances after he admitted to lying about some of his work and education history: reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Lina Batarags | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Federal prosecutors are looking into Rep-elect George Santos' finances, per media reports. Santos has admitted to lying about parts of his work and education history. Santos' most recent financial disclosure shows a $750,000 salary from a company he founded. Santos also lent $705,000 to his campaign through Devolder, per a Federal Election Commission form filed on December 8. On Monday, he admitted that sections of his work history – including the stints at both Goldman and Citigroup — were made up.

☆ The 'world's coolest dictator' rounded up 60,000 people in a crackdown on MS-13. A shrimp farming community is fighting back.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Danielle Mackey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

SISIGUAYO, EL SALVADOR — On the morning that Walber Rodriguez was arrested last May, he was just two minutes from his home in Sisiguayo, El Salvador. Outside El Salvador, Bukele is best known for adopting Bitcoin as a national currency. All around them in Sisiguayo and the surrounding Bajo Lempa valley, people were arrested with no satisfactory explanation. Residents of the Bajo Lempa who'd been touched by the arrests had begun meeting weekly at a nearby retreat center. A meeting of the Bajo Lempa families on June 17, 2022.

☆ The 'world's coolest dictator' rounded up 60,000 people in a supposed crackdown on MS-13. A shrimp farming community is fighting back.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Danielle Mackey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

☆ New Hampshire and New Jersey men accused of smuggling military equipment to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A New Hampshire and New Jersey man have been arrested and charged for their alleged roles in smuggling military equipment to Russia, according to a federal indictment unsealed on Tuesday. Attorneys for Brayman and Yermolenko did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NBC News. Brayman, a lawful permanent resident living in New Hampshire, allegedly shipped the contraband from his Merrimack residence, about 50 miles northwest of Boston, to Germany and Estonia before they were allegedly forwarded to Russia, according to the indictment. And under the alleged direction of Livshits, one of the Russian nationals, Brayman and Yermolenko allegedly “altered or destroyed shipping documents and other business records, as well as facilitated payments in furtherance of illicit transactions." Approximately a month later, the two allegedly discussed sending items to Russia through Germany “by hook or by crook.”And in August, Livshits allegedly asked Brayman to forge a signature on an invoice, according to the indictment.

☆ DOJ charges 7 with smuggling equipment to Russian military
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —The US Justice Department has charged five Russian nationals, one American and an Israeli who is a US permanent resident with allegedly conspiring to violate US sanctions by smuggling US-made equipment to the Russian military, according to a recently unsealed court documents. According to the 16-count indictment, the defendants were associated with two Moscow companies that worked with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to purchase and smuggle sanctioned items – including semiconductors and other electronic equipment – from the US to the Russian military. Konoshchenok, who the Justice Department believes is an officer for the FSB, was allegedly one of their smugglers. The two US nationals, Brayman and Yermolenko, are scheduled to be arraigned in federal court Tuesday. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correctly reflect the nationalities of those charged by the DOJ.

☆ JetBlue and American announced 11 all-new routes as the pair beefs up its controversial Northeast Alliance — see the full list
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

JetBlue Airways and American Airlines announced 11 new routes as part of their Northeast Alliance. Walter Bibikow/Getty ImagesJetBlue will start once-daily flights between New York and Hyannis near Cape Code in the spring of 2023. Just dance/ShutterstockJetBlue will start once-daily flights between New York and Bermuda in the spring of 2023. Aleenah AnsariJetBlue will start once-daily flights between Boston and Vancouver in the spring of 2023. American will start once-daily flights between New York and Knoxville on May 5.

[1/2] The logo of FTX is seen at the entrance of the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, U.S., November 12, 2022. Ellison, who ran trading firm Alameda Research, has hired Washington-based law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr to represent her, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Semafor previously reported Mills' advisory work for Bankman-Fried. FTX secretly transferred customer funds to its affiliate Alameda Research to fill a shortfall at the crypto trading firm, Reuters has previously reported. The Wall Street Journal has previously reported that Ellison and senior FTX officials knew the crypto exchange had dipped into its customer funds to help Alameda meet liabilities.

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