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Companies JPMorgan Chase & Co FollowNEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters) - The young entrepreneur Charlie Javice has been indicted on charges of defrauding JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), the largest U.S. bank, into buying her now-shuttered college financial aid startup Frank. A four-count grand jury indictment made public on Thursday in Manhattan federal court charges Javice with securities fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy. In connection with that, prosecutors were granted more time to have Javice indicted by a grand jury. JPMorgan separately sued Javice and former Frank chief growth officer Olivier Amar in December in Delaware federal court for fraud, saying they inflated Frank's customer base to induce the bank's purchase. Javice countersued JPMorgan, saying it owes millions of dollars after firing her "without valid cause" in November.

☆ 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.

[1/2] Sayfullo Saipov, the suspect in the New York City truck attack is seen in this handout photo released November 1, 2017. Saipov used a Home Depot rental truck to mow down people on a path along the Hudson River on Manhattan's West Side, according to prosecutors. He had hoped to the attack would help him gain membership in Islamic State, or ISIS, they said. Most of the people scheduled to speak at the hearing are traveling from Argentina and Belgium. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York and Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Will DunhamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

NEW YORK, May 9 (Reuters) - Donald Trump must pay $5 million in damages for sexually abusing magazine writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s and then defaming her by branding her a liar, a jury decided on Tuesday. Its six men and three women awarded Carroll $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages, but Trump will not have to pay so long as the case is on appeal. Trump has cited the Carroll trial in campaign fundraising emails as evidence of what he portrays as a Democratic plot. TRUMP MISTAKES CARROLL FOR EX-WIFECarroll testified that she bumped into Trump at Bergdorf's and agreed to help him pick out a gift for another woman. Jurors were tasked with deciding whether Trump raped, sexually abused or forcibly touched Carroll, and were separately asked if Trump defamed Carroll.

The jury deliberated for just under three hours before rejecting Trump's denial that he assaulted Carroll. Trump has cited the Carroll trial in campaign fundraising emails as evidence of what he portrays as a Democratic plot to damage him politically. Jurors were tasked with deciding whether Trump raped, sexually abused or forcibly touched Carroll, any one of which would satisfy her claim of battery. Kaplan, Carroll's lawyer, told jurors during closing arguments on Monday that the 2005 video was proof that Trump had assaulted Carroll and other women. Previously Trump had said he could not have raped Carroll because she was "not my type."

Jurors were tasked with deciding whether Trump raped, sexually abused or forcibly touched Carroll, any one of which would satisfy her claim of battery. The trial featured testimony from two women who said Trump sexually assaulted them decades ago. Carroll's lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, told jurors during closing arguments on Monday that the 2005 video was proof that Trump had assaulted Carroll and other women. Carroll testified that she bumped into Trump at Bergdorf's while he was shopping for a gift for another woman. Trump has cited the Carroll trial in campaign fundraising emails as evidence of what he portrays as a Democratic plot to damage him politically.

Prosecutors have until May 29 to respond to Bankman-Fried's dismissal request, and Kaplan will hear arguments on June 15. EXTRADITIONBankman-Fried has acknowledged that FTX had inadequate risk management but denies stealing funds, and has sought to distance himself from FTX's day-to-day operations. In pleading guilty, Singh admitted to making political donations in his own name that were funded in part by transfers from Alameda. "The campaign finance allegations reveal, yet again, the consequences of the Government's rush to indict Mr. Bankman-Fried," his lawyers wrote. Bankman-Fried has largely been confined to his parents' home since his December arrest in the Bahamas, where he had lived and where FTX was based.

FTX imploded after a flurry of customer withdrawals in the wake of reports it had commingled assets with Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried's crypto-focused hedge fund. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate has pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of fraud and conspiracy. He has acknowledged that FTX had inadequate risk management but denies stealing funds, and has sought to distance himself from FTX's day-to-day operations. Three onetime close associates - former Alameda co-chief executive Caroline Ellison, former FTX technology chief Gary Wang, and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh - have all pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Bankman-Fried has limited access to technology, after prosecutors warned he might tamper with witnesses.

Lawyers for Carroll and the former U.S. president delivered closing arguments on Monday in Manhattan federal court after seven days of a civil trial. Carroll, 79, claims Trump, 76, raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in 1995 or 1996, and then defamed her by denying it happened. Trump opted not to present a defense at trial, gambling that jurors will find Carroll failed to make a persuasive case. Jurors heard from two other women who said Trump sexually assaulted them in separate incidents decades ago. Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told jurors during closing arguments that the haziness of Carroll’s account made it impossible for Trump to defend himself.

☆ Factbox: An overview of Donald Trump’s legal troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Trump denies the allegations and the affair but has admitted to reimbursing Cohen for his payment to Daniels. Trump's reimbursement checks for the suppression payment falsely stated that the money was for a "retainer agreement," prosecutors said. Prosecutors say Trump falsified records in part to cover up the fact that the payment to Daniels exceeded federal campaign contribution limits. U.S. CAPITOL ATTACKThe U.S. Justice Department has an investigation under way into Trump's actions after he lost the 2020 election. NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL CIVIL LAWSUITNew York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump and his Trump Organization last September for fraud.

☆ Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos to face federal charges -CNN
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Santos is expected to appear as soon as Wednesday in federal court in New York's Eastern District, where charges have been filed under seal, CNN reported. The Associated Press reported that in a brief phone interview Santos said he was unaware of the charges. Santos' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and his lawyer could not immediately be reached. CNN reported that the exact nature of the charges against Santos were not immediately clear. Santos' office, through his congressional Twitter account, has previously said he is cooperating with the House Ethics Committee's investigation.

Companies Coinbase Global Inc FollowNEW YORK, May 9 (Reuters) - Ishan Wahi, a former Coinbase Global Inc (COIN.O) product manager, was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in prison in what U.S. prosecutors have called the first insider trading case involving cryptocurrency. U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska sentenced Ishan Wahi, 32, in Manhattan federal court after the defendant pleaded guilty in February to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Nikhil Wahi pleaded guilty in September to a wire fraud conspiracy charge, and in January was sentenced to 10 months in prison. At Tuesday's hearing, Ishan Wahi expressed remorse for his actions and their effect on his friends and family, several of whom were in court. Prosecutors had called for Ishan Wahi to spend more than three years in prison to deter other cryptocurrency insiders from misusing corporate information.

☆ Six notable moments from Trump's civil rape trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Jack Queen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"If you're normally a Bill and you're selected for the jury or even before, you can be John for a couple of days," Kaplan told prospective jurors. -Facing repeated questioning from Trump’s attorney about why she did not scream during the alleged assault, Carroll lost patience and raised her voice. -Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina claimed during his closing argument that Carroll’s lawsuit was a cash grab, publicity stunt and political mission rolled into one. "What E. Jean Carroll has done here is an affront to justice. She has abused this system by bringing a false claim for amongst other things money, status, political reasons," Tacopina said.

Summary Trump's lawyer calls the case an 'affront to justice'Jury due to begin deliberations on TuesdayNEW YORK, May 8 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's absence from a trial where writer E. Jean Carroll accuses him of rape and defamation shows that "he did it," a lawyer for Carroll said on Monday, while Trump's lawyer told jurors the case was "outrageous." "He never looked you in the eye and denied raping Ms. Carroll," lawyer Mike Ferrara told jurors as the civil trial in Manhattan federal court neared the end of an eighth day. Jurors also heard from two other women who said Trump sexually assaulted them in separate incidents decades ago. She said Carroll had been unable to sustain a romantic relationship since the alleged rape, and that Trump's public criticism had harmed her client's reputation. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Will Dunham and Noeleen WalderOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] E. Jean Carroll, former U.S. President Donald Trump rape accuser, arrives at Manhattan Federal Court for the continuation of the civil case, in New York City, U.S., May 8, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' DelgadoSummary 'Grab 'em' remark undermines denials, accuser's lawyer saysJury due to deliberate in rape and defamation case on TuesdayNEW YORK, May 8 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's lawyer on Monday called a rape and defamation case brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll against the former U.S. president an affront to the justice system. She has abused this system by bringing a false claim for amongst other things money, status, political reasons," Tacopina said. Trump accuses Carroll of making up the story to drive sales of a 2019 memoir in which she made her claims public. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is not related to Carroll's lawyer, said he expected jurors to begin deliberating on Tuesday.

[1/3] E. Jean Carroll, former U.S. President Donald Trump rape accuser, arrives at Manhattan Federal Court for the continuation of the civil case, in New York City, U.S., May 8, 2023. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is not related to Carroll's lawyer, said he expected jurors to begin deliberating on Tuesday. "The truth is that E. Jean Carroll, a former cheerleader and Miss Indiana, was exactly Donald Trump's type," Kaplan, Carroll's lawyer, said during closing arguments. "Donald Trump here is a witness against himself." Jurors also heard from two other women who said Trump sexually assaulted them in separate alleged incidents decades ago.

[1/2] E. Jean Carroll, former U.S. President Donald Trump rape accuser, walks at Manhattan Federal Court following a civil case, in New York City, U.S., April 26, 2023. Trump has so far not attended the trial, which began on April 25, but told reporters in Ireland last Thursday that he "probably" would attend. Kaplan has scheduled closing arguments for Monday, with jurors due to begin deliberations after that. Jurors also heard from two other women who said Trump sexually assaulted them in separate alleged incidents decades ago. In a video deposition played for the jury last Wednesday, Trump denied raping Carroll.

☆ Trump will not testify in New York rape, defamation trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Luc Cohen | Hannah Lang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., April 27, 2023. REUTERS/Brian Snyder(Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump will not testify at a civil trial to challenge claims made by writer E. Jean Carroll that he raped her in the 1990s and later defamed her, after letting a Sunday deadline pass without asking the court to appear. In response to a Reuters request for comment, Tacopina said in a statement what Trump’s legal team had already told the court on Thursday, that the former president would not testify in the case. In a video deposition played for the jury on Wednesday, Trump denied raping Carroll. “It’s the most ridiculous, disgusting story,” Trump said in the video, hunched over a conference table as Carroll’s lawyers presented documents to him.

☆ Chinese businessman Guo Wengui appeals bail denial in fraud case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Guo Wengui, once a business associate of former U.S. President Donald Trump's adviser Steve Bannon, was arrested in March. Guo pleaded not guilty to 11 charges including securities fraud, wire fraud and concealing money laundering. The 52-year-old defendant, whose other names include Ho Wan Kwok and Miles Kwok, is a prominent critic of China's Communist Party. He left China in 2014 during an anti-corruption crackdown under President Xi Jinping. Bannon was arrested in a 2020 fraud case while aboard Guo's yacht.

The case could have broader implications for assets that do not fit in to existing regulations preventing investment advisers, brokers and others from trading on material nonpublic information, legal experts have said. "You can't hold Nate to a standard that didn't exist," his lawyer Daniel Filor told jurors in his closing argument on Monday. "Nobody told Nate that he couldn't use or share that information." Prosecutor Allison Nichols said Chastain used anonymous OpenSea accounts to make the illegal trades, showing he knew what he was doing was wrong. "He hid what he was doing," Nichols told the jury in her rebuttal argument.

May 1 (Reuters) - Donald Trump should be able to talk about the evidence in the criminal case against him over a hush payment to a porn star, especially with others free to do so, his lawyers said in a court filing on Monday. The Manhattan district attorney wants to bar Trump from disclosing the material on news or social media platforms without court approval. Prosecutors last week asked for a court order restricting Trump's use of the evidence because of his attacks on people involved in proceedings against him. They said they wanted to reduce the risk of harassment to witnesses and other participants in the case. "Trump cannot be the only interested party in this case whose speech about the evidence in the case is restricted by the court," the lawyers, Susan Necheles and Todd Blanche, wrote.

Companies Ozone Networks Inc FollowNEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - A former employee of OpenSea, the world's largest marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), used inside knowledge of which assets would be featured on its homepage to make "free money," a prosecutor said on Monday as an insider trading trial wound to a close. Prosecutors have called it the first criminal insider trading case involving such assets. Prosecutor Thomas Burnett said in his closing argument that Chastain chose which NFTs to feature, and then profited illegally by selling his tokens shortly thereafter. They have said that his actions were not insider trading, and that the information he accessed was not OpenSea's property and had no inherent value to the company. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China 'police station' case shows U.S. ramping up use of foreign agent laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | 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: +5 min

The Justice Department last year charged at least 25 people with violating or conspiring to violate the law. That was the highest number since at least 2003, according to a Reuters review of Justice Department statements and court records. He added that his office uses the foreign agent statute and other tools to combat the trend. A RARELY TESTED STATUTEWhile once mainly used against traditional espionage, Section 951 cases brought in recent years have targeted "influence operations" and harassment of U.S.-based dissidents. After the acquittal, Justice Department official Jay Bratt told a conference the department would "continue to bring hard cases."

☆ Bannon associate sentenced to more than 4 years for fraud over Trump border wall
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | 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: +2 min

Kolfage, 41, pleaded guilty last year to misappropriating funds meant for the "We Build the Wall" campaign. Andrew Badolato, 58, another former Bannon associate, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison at the same hearing. "The fraud perpetrated by Mr. Kolfage and Mr. Badolato went well beyond ripping off individual donors," Torres told the hearing. He also pleaded guilty to tax charges. In September, Bannon, 69, was indicted in New York state court in Manhattan on money laundering and conspiracy charges over the planned wall.

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