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☆ Greg Lindberg, Insurance Entrepreneur, Faces New Criminal Charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Jennifer S. Forsyth | Mark Maremont | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Greg Lindberg, pictured in 2018, was sent to federal prison in 2020 before an appeals court in June overturned his conviction and ordered a new trial. A federal grand jury indicted North Carolina insurance entrepreneur Greg Lindberg , alleging that he directed a criminal scheme to defraud policyholders of hundreds of millions of dollars in part to finance his lavish lifestyle. The new charges, handed up in the Western District of North Carolina, are the latest salvo in a roller-coaster legal fight that has lasted for several years. Mr. Lindberg was sent to federal prison in 2020 on charges related to the bribing of a public official before a federal appeals court in June overturned his conviction and ordered a new trial. The additional charges revealed Friday are separate from that coming trial.

☆ Merrick Garland's stonewalling about multiple investigations is annoying lawmakers on both sides of aisle ahead of his Capitol Hill visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Warren Rojas | Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle want Merrick Garland to debrief them about DOJ investigations. Garland is scheduled to join the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 1 for a general oversight hearing — his first of the 118th Congress. In early February, both Durbin and his Republican counterparts leading the House Judiciary Committee requested briefings about McGonigal. The Senate letter requested information from Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray; the House letter was addressed to Wray but not Garland. "Everything is on the table," a staff member from House Judiciary told Insider.

☆ 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.

☆ Federal workers not entitled to COVID hazard pay -U.S. appeals court
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 14 (Reuters) - A divided U.S. appeals court on Tuesday said federal workers are generally not entitled to extra pay for being exposed to COVID-19 through their jobs. In a 10-2 decision with potentially "far-reaching" ramifications, the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against 188 current and former correctional employees at a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. But the appeals court said the government's Office of Personnel Management, the human resources agency for more than 2.1 million federal workers, had no regulations affording extra pay for exposure in most settings to contagious diseases. Circuit Judge Jimmie Reyna dissented, saying the prison employees plausibly alleged they deserved extra pay for exposure to "unusually" hazardous conditions. The decision is Adams et al v U.S., U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, No.

☆ Jeffrey Dahmer copycat sentenced to 45 years in prison after using Grindr as a 'hunting ground' to lure, kidnap, and attempt to kill an 18-year-old gay man
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chance Seneca of Louisiana was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison on Wednesday, DOJ said. In June 2020, Seneca used Grindr, a gay dating app, to lure and kidnap an 18-year-old. "Seneca intentionally targeted gay men, as Dahmer had done. Seneca told authorities in an interview that he saw the dating application as a "hunting ground," according to a complaint. "It's not what I asked for," White told The Times.

A Louisiana man was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay teen as part of a broader hate crime scheme targeting men on an LGBTQ dating app, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. His decadeslong sentencing rested on a variety of factors, the Justice Department revealed, including that Seneca intentionally targeted the teen and other gay men because of their sexual orientation. Within days of his assault on White, Seneca allegedly attempted to kidnap a different man and allegedly kidnapped another, the Justice Department said in a previous statement. The Louisiana case is one of several where people have used Grindr, a dating app founded in 2009 that is predominantly used by gay men, to target LGBTQ people around the world. In 2018, it was widely reported that Egyptian authorities and residents were using Grindr and other dating apps to entrap and persecute gay men.

☆ Chinese engineer sentenced to 8 years in U.S. prison for spying
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A former Chicago graduate student in electrical engineering was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison for spying for the Chinese government. Ji Chaoqun, 31, a Chinese national, was convicted last year of acting as an agent of China's Ministry of State Security and making a material false statement to the U.S. Army. Chinese engineer Ji Chaoqun. During the meetings, he said he could use his military identification to visit and take photos of "Roosevelt-class" aircraft carriers, the Justice Department said. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Federal government drops charges against ex-Afghan soldier who crossed border into Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julia-Ainsley-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julia Ainsley | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Abdul Wasi Safi crossed the southern border illegally in late September, after, he said, he had passed through multiple countries to reach the U.S. and seek asylum. The Justice Department has given little explanation for charging Wasi Safi or for dropping the charges. In court filings charging Wasi Safi, Justice Department lawyers did not argue that Wasi Safi was a flight risk or a threat to national security, which are typical reasons prosecutors may argue a migrant should be held without bond. In its filing dropping the charges, Justice Department said it was “in the interest of justice” to “dismiss the information” it had filed against Wasi Safi. “Everyone says, ‘You’ve illegally crossed [the border],’ but no one hears my reason,” Wasi Safi said on the phone from the federal prison where he has been held.

☆ Trump poses for photograph with convicted mob boss, in a flashback to controversial dinner with white nationalist Nick Fuentes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump was pictured with a man who is a convicted mob boss, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. The ex mob boss, Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, said Trump wasn't aware of who he was. Trump, Merlino, and a third unidentified man are pictured in the photograph giving thumbs-ups while at the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach in Florida. The photo was widely shared online on Monday, prompting questions as to whether Merlino and Trump knew each other. "President Trump takes countless photos with people," a campaign spokesperson told The Inquirer.

A jury on Monday convicted four members of the extremist group the Oath Keepers of seditious conspiracy. The trial, which started Dec. 12, included testimony from Brian Ulrich, a member of the Oath Keepers’ Georgia chapter who had pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding. ... I’m not afraid and I’m ready to f---ing go.”The four defendants were charged as part of the same seditious conspiracy case involving Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes that went to trial in October. Rhodes and Kelly Meggs, the leader of the group’s Florida chapter, were convicted of seditious conspiracy in November. The maximum sentence for seditious conspiracy — a rarely used Civil War era statute — is 20 years in federal prison.

☆ FTC calls on federal court to hold ‘pharma bro’ Martin Shkreli in contempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —The Federal Trade Commission on Friday called for a federal court to hold “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli in contempt after Shkreli allegedly flouted a recent FTC investigation into his business dealings and failed to make a $64.6 million payment he owed for his prior wrongdoings. The FTC’s contempt motion follows what the agency described as its an unsuccessful attempt to verify whether Shkreli has violated a court order barring him from ever working in the pharmaceutical industry again. Shkreli also infamously raised prices for the life-saving medication Daraprim by 4,000% while he was head of Turing Pharmaceuticals. When the FTC emailed Shkreli to get documents from him and to schedule an interview about the matter, Shkreli repeatedly missed deadlines and allegedly slow-walked his responses, according to an FTC court filing Friday. The FTC also said Shkreli had been ordered to make his multimillion-dollar payment — representing a refund of his ill-gotten Daraprim gains — by March 6, 2022.

☆ Court asked to void verdict against Derek Chauvin in George Floyd's murder
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

An attorney for Derek Chauvin asked an appeals court Wednesday to throw out the former Minneapolis police officer’s convictions in the murder of George Floyd, arguing that legal and procedural errors deprived him of a fair trial. But Neal Katyal, a special attorney for the state, said Chauvin got “one of the most transparent and thorough trials in our nation’s history. ... Chauvin’s many arguments before this court do not come close to justifying reversal.”Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22 1/2 years after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. “Judge Cahill managed this trial with enormous care, and even if Chauvin could identify some minor fault, any error is harmless,” Katyal said. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin addresses the court as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides over Chauvin's sentencing on June 25, 2021, at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis.

☆ How China planted an FBI mole who was discovered only after gutting the CIA's vast spy network
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( James Bamford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

At the time, four years after the handover from Britain to China, much of Hong Kong remained a world of neon and noise. "Five years ago, everyone looked down on you if you spoke Mandarin," said a Beijing executive living in Hong Kong. As soon as the Hong Kong Arts Festival ended, the Hong Kong International Film Festival began. In February 2006, Alex Ma, China's mole in the FBI, sent David photos he received from his handlers of five suspected human sources. Born in Hong Kong like Alex, Lee grew up in Hawaii and became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of the reality TV franchise "Chrisley Knows Best," reported to federal facilities Tuesday to begin their years-long prison sentences after their fraud convictions, officials said. Todd Chrisley surrendered to the Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Pensacola in Florida, while Julie Chrisley arrived at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Lexington in Kentucky, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years, wife Julie Chrisley got 7 years. The downfall of Todd and Julie Chrisley came at about the same time as "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah faced federal prosecution before she pleaded guilty to wire fraud. "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" is on Bravo, which is also an NBCUniversal property.

☆ Jailed Navalny vows to keep resisting the Kremlin as campaign to free him launches
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Tuesday used the second anniversary of his incarceration to reinforce his promise to keep opposing the Kremlin, as his family and allies launched a campaign to free him. I'm not going to surrender my country to them, and I believe that the darkness will eventually fade away." And now they're tormenting him and depriving him of any connection with the outside world in order to silence him," said Navalnaya. Russia's federal prison service, FSIN, has defended Navalny's conditions in the past, while the authorities say his incarceration is legally sound. The campaign to secure his release is designed to marshal support in Russia, and to publicise his fate and seek financial support abroad.

☆ Brazilian authorities brace for possible repeat of uprising
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

It was unclear how large or violent such demonstrations might shape up to be, but skittish authorities took no chances. Citing the call to action on social media, a Supreme Court justice ordered local authorities in cities across Brazil to prevent protesters from blocking roads or occupying public spaces and buildings. A police officer carries away part of a vandalized sculpture Tuesday at the Supreme Court building in Brasília. Carl De Souza / AFP - Getty ImagesJustice Minister Flávio Dino told local press this week that authorities have identified some of the protest’s financiers. In November, the Supreme Court froze 43 bank accounts of people accused of having financed roadblocks that disrupted highway traffic in the wake of Lula’s victory.

There’s no parole in the federal prison system and good behavior credits are in short supply compared to most states. More likely, Shah would be told a date, at least a month out, to surrender herself at a federal facility. Her best hope would be to be deemed most appropriate for a minimum security camp. “A minimum-security camp, I mean even moving up to next level, which is still ‘low security’ that’s a huge difference. If you’re eligible for a camp, you’ll go to Alaska if you can go to a camp.” Share this -Link copied

The country’s leading experts on pardons have called out the president for his “cowardice” in granting mercy to only a handful of the over 130,000 federal prisoners. By commuting the sentences of some of the nonviolent Jan. 6 rioters, Biden would push his primary critic, Donald Trump, into a corner. Second, while Democrats have lost full control of Congress, Biden can act unilaterally to reduce the federal prison population. The power to pardon or commute federal sentences is a prerogative of the executive branch. Finally, by commuting the sentences of some of the nonviolent Jan. 6 rioters, Biden would push his primary critic, Donald Trump, into a corner.

☆ A January 6 rioter who pleaded guilty and served prison time announces his bid for Congress on the anniversary of the insurrection
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A former Capitol rioter announced his run for Congress on the two-year anniversary of the January 6 insurrection. Derrick Evans, who served three months in federal prison, is running in West Virginia's 1st Congressional District. His website says he'd work with pillow entrepreneur Mike Lindell to "fight for election integrity" if elected. art piece, former Capitol rioter Derrick Evans on Friday announced his plans to run for Congress on the Republican ticket. It says that if elected, he'd work with pillow entrepreneur Mike Lindell, among others, to "fight for election integrity."

Mexican security forces captured Guzman, the 32-year-old son of jailed kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, in the early hours of Thursday morning, prompting hours of unrest and shootouts with gang members, the minister said. THE EXTRADITION QUESTIONThe United States has sought Guzman's extradition for years. Guzman, known by the nickname "The Mouse," has been charged in the United States with conspiracy to traffic cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States. Surging flows of the synthetic opioid fentanyl into the United States, where it has fueled record overdose deaths, have heightened pressure to capture Guzman. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers the Sinaloa Cartel, along with one other gang, to be responsible for most of the fentanyl inside the United Sates.

☆ At least 29 killed during Mexico capture of El Chapo's son
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mexican security forces on Thursday captured Guzman, a son of jailed kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Members of the Sinaloa Cartel and their associates went on a rampage, fighting security forces, setting vehicles on fire and blocking roads across the Pacific coastal state. Ovidio Guzman, 32, was arrested in the early hours of Thursday, prompting a shootout with gang members, Sandoval said. Guzman was then extracted by helicopter from the house where he was caught and flown to Mexico City, the minister added. Ovidio's latest capture comes before a North American leaders' summit in Mexico City next week, which U.S. President Joe Biden will attend.

[1/6] Burning vehicles are seen blocking a road after drug lord Ovidio Guzman's capture, in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico January 5, 2023. Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval told a news conference that security forces had captured the 32-year-old senior member of the Sinaloa Cartel. Ovidio, a fugitive since the previous arrest attempt, was now being held in the capital Mexico City, Sandoval said. The city's airport was caught up in the violence, with Mexican airline Aeromexico (AEROMEX.MX) saying one of its planes had been hit by gunfire ahead of a scheduled flight to Mexico City. "It's very important the government bear in mind that the weakening of the Sinaloa Cartel may also bring about an even greater expansion, a greater presence of the Jalisco Cartel."

MEXICO CITY, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Mexican drug cartel leader Ovidio Guzman, a son of incarcerated kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, has been arrested by Mexican authorities, five officials familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. The United States had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Ovidio. Local government urged people to stay indoors and said schools and administrative offices were closed due to the violence. "We ask the citizens of Culiacan not to leave home due to the blockades that have occurred in different parts of the city," Culiacan Mayor Juan de Dios Gamez wrote on Twitter. Joaquin Guzman, 65, was convicted in New York in 2019 of trafficking billions of dollars of drugs to the United States and conspiring to murder enemies.

☆ Former Colorado funeral home owner sentenced to 20 yrs for selling body parts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( John Shiffman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 3 (Reuters) - A former Colorado funeral home owner was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Tuesday for defrauding relatives of the dead by dissecting 560 corpses and selling body parts without permission. Sheoperated a funeral home, Sunset Mesa, and a body parts entity,Donor Services, from the same building in Montrose, Colorado. "Hess and Koch used their funeral home at times toessentially steal bodies and body parts using fraudulent andforged donor forms," prosecutor Tim Neff said in a court filing. The federal case was triggered by a 2016-2018 Reuters investigative series about the sale of body parts in the UnitedStates, a virtually unregulated industry. But selling body parts such as heads, arms and spines –which is what Hess did – for use in research or education is notregulated by federal law.

[1/5] Federal prison officers take position in front of federal police headquarters during an action by Federal Police and agents of the Civil Police of Brasilia, to serve arrests and seizure warrants issued by the Federal Supreme Court in Brasilia, Brazil, Brazil December 29, 2022. REUTERS/Adriano MachadoBRASILIA, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Brazilian police said they arrested four people and carried out nationwide raids on Thursday in investigations into an alleged coup attempt during riots by supporters of defeated far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. Brazilian authorities, led by the Supreme Court, have been cracking down on a small but committed minority of Bolsonaro supporters who refuse to acknowledge leftist President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's election victory and are calling for a military coup. The federal police said on Thursday they were serving 32 search and arrest warrants in eight states under Supreme Court orders. Two arrest warrants were served in the northwestern state of Rondonia, one in Rio de Janeiro and one in Brasilia, Mazzotti said in a press conference.

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