Rensselaer Man Pleads Guilty to Pandemic-Related Fraud Charges

by DOJ Press March 30, 2022

By: DOJ Press

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Hector J. Sanchez, age 30, of Rensselaer, New York, pled guilty today to defrauding pandemic-related unemployment insurance programs administered by the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). Sanchez also admitted to fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, New York Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG); and Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Sanchez pled guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft with respect to his unemployment insurance fraud scheme. He admitted to soliciting the personal identifying information of other people on social media and using the information to submit false unemployment insurance applications to NYSDOL. He also admitted that he fraudulently obtained a PPP loan by falsely claiming to run a car wash business.

Sanchez agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $131,560 to the State of New York and $12,500 to the PPP lender.

The mail fraud convictions carry maximum terms of 20 years in prison, fines of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. The aggravated identity theft conviction carries a mandatory term of 2 years in prison, to be imposed consecutively to any other term of imprisonment. Sanchez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2022 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

The case was investigated by USPIS, USDOL-OIG, and HSI, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations and the Albany Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Chisholm.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Warwick Man Sentenced for Illegal Unlicensed Firearms Dealing and False Statements in Firearms Purchases

by DOJ Press March 30, 2022

By: DOJ Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Ademola Kayode, Jr., 30, of Warwick, convicted by a federal court jury of being in the business illegally buying and possessing firearms, and selling them on the streets of Rhode Island and elsewhere, was sentenced today to twenty-four months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.

Kayode was found by a jury to have purchased at least sixteen firearms, in each case falsely stating on ATF forms that he was not an unlawful user of controlled substances when, in fact, he was, and thus he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. The jury also convicted Kayode of acting as an unlicensed firearms dealer, selling firearms to persons legally prohibited from possessing a firearm; and found that he repeatedly lied to federal agents when questioned about the whereabouts of sixteen firearms that he illegally purchased.

The government’s evidence showed that Kayode sold at least five of the firearms and that they ended up in the hands of individuals who were legally prohibited from possessing them. Three of the guns were recovered Providence, one in Atlanta, and one in Queens, New York.

The jury convicted Kayode of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, false statement during purchase of firearms, and two counts of false statements to federal agents.

According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, in June 2016, Kayode was surveilled by ATF agents as he left a licensed Rhode Island firearms dealer after taking possession of four firearms. He later told investigators that he had taken those firearms, as well as others he had purchased in Rhode Island, to Georgia. Two of those firearms were later recovered in Providence by Rhode Island State Police and the FBI, from people who were legally prohibited from possessing them.

During a recorded interview with ATF agents played for the jury, Kayode was unable or refused to provide ATF agents with an accounting as to where the guns he had purchased could be located. Kayode stated that he brought the guns to Georgia and that they were in different places; that he used them in a music video; and that he was planning to bring the guns back to Rhode Island. In the same interview, after first denying he sold any firearms at all, Kayode told investigators that he did sell firearms to people he met through Armslist, an online firearms marketplace. According to the government’s evidence, although it appeared that Kayode purchased firearms through Armslist, ATF agents found no evidence that Kayode actually sold any firearms on the website.

Two days after being interviewed by ATF agents, Kayode went to the Warwick Police Station and reported that a storage shed in his yard had been broken into, and a safe containing the firearms he purchased in Rhode Island and Georgia, along with a leaf blower and grass trimmer, had been stolen. A Warwick Police Officer who responded with other officers to Kayode’s residence testified at trial that they found no evidence of the shed having been broken into or of a safe having been in the shed.

ATF agents reviewed thousands of Kayode’s text messages, emails, and other communications, in determining that Kayode regularly resold firearms that he purchased from licensed dealers to others for a higher price than he paid.

At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Kayode to twenty-four months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.

This Project Safe Neighborhoods case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ronald R. Gendron and Lee H. Vilker.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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March 30, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee Appointed to Serve on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Advisory Committee

by DOJ Press March 30, 2022

By: DOJ Press

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.

The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.

“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”

“I am honored to have been chosen to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys,” Darcie McElwee, U.S. Attorney, District of Maine, said. “The work of the AGAC is vital to furthering our priorities of addressing hate crimes, stopping the flow of illegal drugs into our communities, preventing human trafficking and exploitation, and combatting corporate and other white-collar crime. This is a valuable opportunity to ensure that issues facing Mainers every day are heard at the highest level, and I look forward to working with the Attorney General and the committee to help make our country – and Maine – safer.”

A brief bio on each appointee is below:

Damian Williams (Chair)

The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.

Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)

The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.

Darcie McElwee

The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.

Trini Ross

The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.

Sandra Hairston

The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.

Brandon Brown

The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.

Dawn Ison

The Senate confirmed Dawn Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.

Gregory Harris

The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.

Andrew Luger

The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white-collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.

Gary Restaino

The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.

Cole Finegan

The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.

Matthew Graves

The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.

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March 30, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Houma Woman Charged With Theft of Government Funds

by DOJ Press March 30, 2022

By: DOJ Press

NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that NICOLE COCKERHAM (“COCKERHAM”), age 42, of Houma, Louisiana, was charged on March 28, 2022 by a bill of information for Theft of Government Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.

According to the bill of information, from March 2019 to July 2020, COCKERHAM knowingly converted approximately $38,851.00 in Social Security Administration and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES ACT”) funds.

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and the Treasury Inspection General for Tax Administration with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

by DOJ Press March 30, 2022

By: DOJ Press

A Chinese national is charged in a criminal complaint, which was unsealed today in the Southern District of New York, with conspiring to act in the United States as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

According to court documents, Sun Hoi Ying, aka Sun Haiying, 45, of the PRC, from at least February 2017 through February 2022, acted in the United States as an agent of the PRC government, without notifying the U.S. Attorney General as required by law.

“This case demonstrates, once again, the PRC’s disdain for the rule of law and its efforts to coerce and intimidate those it targets on our shores as part of its Operation Fox Hunt,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The defendant allegedly traveled to the United States and enlisted others, including a sworn law enforcement officer, to spy on and blackmail his victims. Such conduct is both criminal and reprehensible.”

“The PRC government launched a campaign dubbed ‘Operation Fox Hunt,’ a global plot to repress dissent and to forcibly repatriate so-called ‘fugitives’ – including citizens living legally in the United States – through the use of unsanctioned, unilateral and illegal practices,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “We allege Mr. Sun, as part of that campaign, attempted to threaten and coerce a victim into bending to the PRC’s will, even using a co-conspirator who is a member of U.S. law enforcement to reinforce that the victim had no choice but to comply with the PRC government’s demands. Today’s charges reflect this office’s continued commitment, working hand in hand with our partners at the FBI, to combat transnational repression and bringing to justice those who perpetrate it.”

“The Chinese government takes advantage of our freedoms — freedoms they deny their own citizens — to advance their authoritarian regime, and calls uncomfortable truths about their behavior rumors and lies,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “There’s nothing false about seeing example after example of the Chinese government’s underhanded and illegal behavior here in the United States. I urge anyone to contact the FBI if you feel you’re a victim of the Chinese government’s illegal Fox Hunt activities.”

“As alleged, Sun Hoi Ying, acting at the direction of the PRC government, engaged in a range of activities designed to pressure individuals in the United States to return to the PRC to face charges brought by the Chinese government,” said Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI’s New York Field Office. “Our commitment to protecting the freedoms enjoyed by all United States residents is steadfast. Today’s action is the latest example of our unwavering determination to combat transnational repression in all its forms.”

According to court documents, the FBI has been involved in an investigation of individuals who, working at the direction of the PRC government, have engaged in an international campaign, known alternatively as “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Skynet,” to pressure individuals located in the United States and elsewhere to return to the PRC to face charges or to otherwise reach financial settlements with the PRC government.

As alleged, from approximately October 2016 through May 2017, Sun conducted operations in the United States on behalf of the PRC government to pressure, threaten and collect personal information regarding victims of Operation Fox Hunt. Among other things, as part of his operations and at the direction of the PRC government, Sun hired private investigators in the United States to gather personal information on Operation Fox Hunt targets, labeled as “fugitives” by the PRC government and provided some of that information to the PRC government.

According to the complaint, Sun provided 35 names to a private investigator (P.I.-1) working at a U.S. company (Firm-1) of individuals described as PRC fugitives, including Victim-1, who is a U.S. citizen that previously lived in the PRC, worked at a PRC-owned company, and was subsequently accused by the PRC government of embezzlement. As alleged, P.I.-1 conducted surveillance at Victim-1’s home and provided a report to Firm-1 and Sun. By June 2018, the PRC government had publicly disseminated personal identifying information of Victim-1 – including case details, a photograph and home address – on PRC-based news media websites.

While Sun was collecting information about Victim-1 for the PRC government, Victim-1’s daughter (Victim-2), who is a U.S. citizen and was pregnant at the time, was held against her will in the PRC for approximately eight months. In or about October 2016, Victim-2, her spouse and her minor child attempted to leave the PRC to return to the United States. However, Victim-2 was told by PRC customs officials and a PRC prosecutor (Prosecutor-1) that she could not leave and was subject to an “exit ban.” While Victim-2’s spouse and minor child were able to return to the United States, Victim-2 was told that, since Victim-1 had committed a crime, the “exit ban” on Victim-2 was a consequence of Victim-1’s fugitive status. The PRC prosecutor further told Victim-2: (1) that she would not be permitted to leave the PRC until she helped cause Victim-1 to return to the PRC to resolve Victim-1’s criminal case; (2) that Victim-2 was not to discuss the “exit ban” with the U.S. government; and (3) that the U.S. Embassy was helpless to address Victim-2’s status in the PRC. When Victim-2 explained to Prosecutor-1 that she was pregnant and wished to deliver her baby in the United States, Prosecutor-1 told Victim-2 she would deliver her baby in the PRC if the conditions were not yet met for the “exit ban” to be lifted.

According to the complaint, on or about Dec. 1, 2019, Sun also sought out, located and met with an Operation Fox Hunt target (Victim-3), in New York City, in coordination with a co-conspirator who is a local U.S. law enforcement officer. During the meeting, Sun threatened and pressured the victim, including by threatening that the PRC government would take certain adverse and retaliatory actions if the victim did not comply with the demands of the PRC government.

Sun is charged with one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J.C. Hellman and Kyle A. Wirshba for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

The FBI’s New York Field Office is investigating the case.

A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Anaconda man sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted coercion, enticement of minor for sex in undercover investigation

by DOJ Press March 30, 2022

By: DOJ Press

MISSOULA — An Anaconda man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, after he admitted he tried to coerce a girl he believed to be a minor into engaging in sex during an undercover investigation, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.

Terry Joseph Jette, 56, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to attempted coercion and enticement.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that on June 21, 2021, Jette initiated a conversation through social media with a 13-year-old user girl who was actually an undercover FBI special agent. From the beginning, Jette was told the girl was 13 years old. Jette continued online communication with the girl until his arrest on July 9, 2021. During the communications, Jette sent the girl an image of his penis and requested nude images of the child. Jette initiated sexually explicit conversations, suggested a meeting and discussed bringing methamphetamine and condoms to the meeting. On July 8, Jette traveled from Anaconda to Missoula to meet the girl and asked her to sneak out of her house. When the girl was unable to meet that day, Jette suggested a meeting the next day in East Missoula. Jette made explicit statements about engaging in sexual intercourse and said he had meth. On July 9, Jette was arrested at the predetermined meeting location. During a search of his vehicle, law enforcement found a condom, meth, Viagra and candy for the girl.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.

This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.

XXX

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Chinese National Charged With Acting As An Unregistered Agent Of The Chinese Government In The United States

by DOJ Press March 30, 2022

By: DOJ Press

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging SUN HOI YING, a/k/a “Sun Haiying” (“SUN”), a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”), with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as an unregistered agent of the PRC Government. SUN is at large in China.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The PRC Government launched a campaign dubbed ‘Operation Fox Hunt,’ a global plot to repress dissent and to forcibly repatriate so-called ‘fugitives’ – including citizens living legally in the United States – through the use of unsanctioned, unilateral, and illegal practices. We allege Mr. Sun, as part of that campaign, attempted to threaten and coerce a victim into bending to the PRC’s will, even using a co-conspirator who is a member of local U.S. law enforcement to reinforce that the victim had no choice but to comply with the PRC Government’s demands. Today’s charges reflect this Office’s continued commitment, working hand in hand with our partners at the FBI, to combat transnational repression and bring to justice those who perpetrate it.”

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “This case demonstrates, once again, the PRC’s disdain for the rule of law and its efforts to coerce and intimidate those it targets on our shores as part of its Operation Fox Hunt. The defendant allegedly traveled to the United States and enlisted others, including a sworn law enforcement officer, to spy on and blackmail his victims. Such conduct is both criminal and reprehensible.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As alleged, Sun Hoi Ying, acting at the direction of the PRC government, engaged in a range of activities designed to pressure individuals in the United States to return to the PRC to face charges brought by the Chinese government. Our commitment to protecting the freedoms enjoyed by all United States residents is steadfast. Today’s action is the latest example of our unwavering determination to combat transnational repression in all its forms.”

According to the allegations contained in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

The FBI has been involved in an investigation of individuals who, working at the direction of the PRC Government, have engaged in an international campaign, known alternatively as “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Skynet,” to pressure individuals located in the United States and elsewhere outside the PRC to return to the PRC to face charges brought by the PRC Government or to otherwise reach financial settlements with the PRC Government.

From at least approximately February 2017 to February 2022, SUN acted in the United States as an agent of the PRC Government, without notifying the U.S. Attorney General as required by law. In particular, SUN conducted operations in the United States on behalf of the PRC Government to pressure, threaten, and collect personal information regarding victims of Operation Fox Hunt. Among other things, as part of his operations at the direction of the PRC Government, SUN hired private investigators in the United States to gather personal information on Operation Fox Hunt targets, labeled as “fugitives” by the PRC Government, and provided some of that information to the PRC Government.

For example, at the direction of the PRC Government, SUN used private investigators to conduct surveillance and collect personal information of a U.S. citizen (“Victim-1”) located in New York City who was a target of Operation Fox Hunt. Personal identifying information of Victim-1 collected by SUN, including Victim-1’s home address and photograph, was later published by the PRC Government in a list of Operation Fox Hunt targets. During the time SUN was collecting information about Victim-1 for the PRC Government, Victim-1’s daughter (“Victim-2”), a U.S. citizen who was pregnant at the time, was held against her will in the PRC for approximately eight months. PRC Government representatives told Victim-2 not to request help from the U.S. Government and that she would not be permitted to leave the PRC until Victim-2 helped cause Victim-1 to return to the PRC.

SUN also sought out, located, and met with another Operation Fox Hunt target (“Victim-3”) in New York City, in coordination with a co-conspirator who is a local U.S. law enforcement officer. During those meetings, SUN threatened and pressured Victim-3, including by threatening that the PRC Government would take certain adverse and retaliatory actions if Victim-3 did not comply with the demands of the PRC Government.

* * *

SUN, 53, of China, is charged with one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division, and thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, for their assistance.

The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J.C. Hellman and Kyle A. Wirshba are in charge of the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

Nine Defendants Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) Offenses for Obstructing Patients and Providers of a Reproductive Health Services Facility

by DOJ Press March 30, 2022

By: DOJ Press

WASHINGTON – Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia today announced a two-count indictment charging Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia; Jonathan Darnel, 40, of Arlington, Virginia, Jay Smith, 32, of Freepart, New York; Paulette Harlow, 73, of Kingston, Massachusetts; Jean Marshall, 72, of Kingston, Massachusetts; John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, New York; Heather Idoni, 61, of Linden, Michigan; William Goodman, 52, of Bronx, New York; and Joan Bell, 74, of Montague, New Jersey, with federal civil rights offenses in connection with an alleged reproductive health care clinic invasion in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020. The defendants were charged with conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense.

The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia, alleges that the nine defendants engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. According to the indictment, as part of the conspiracy, Smith, Harlow, Marshall, Hinshaw, Idoni, Goodman and Bell traveled to Washington, D.C. from various northeast and midwestern states, to participate in a clinic blockade that was directed by Handy and was broadcast on Facebook by Darnel. According to the indictment, Handy, Smith, Harlow, Marshall, Hinshaw, Idoni, Goodman and Bell forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, Darnel live-streamed footage of his co-defendants’ activities. The indictment also alleges that the nine defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.

If convicted of the offenses, the defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York; and FBI Field Offices in Newark, New York City, Boston, and Detroit provided valuable assistance.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

California Marketer Sentenced for Paying Millions in Kickbacks to Unlawfully Induce Prescriptions

by DOJ Press March 30, 2022

By: DOJ Press

INDIANAPOLIS – Manuel J. Bojorquez, 44, of Anaheim, California, was sentenced to 36 months of probation, with 18 months to be served on home confinement, and ordered to pay over $3.3 million in restitution for offering and paying kickbacks to physicians to prescribe compounded medications.

According to court documents, Bojorquez was the owner and operator of MD Medical Distribution LLC d/b/a DynaMD, a California-based company. Beginning in 2013, and continuing through 2016, Bojorquez served as a marketer for various Indiana-based compounding pharmacies. Compounding typically involves the preparation of medication by combining and mixing different types and dosages of ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient and for which there is no equivalent form commercially available.

Bojorquez used his marketing company to funnel millions of dollars to Chicago-based physicians, in exchange for their referral of prescriptions to the Indiana-based pharmacies. Bojorquez and his marketing company received a percentage of the money paid for those kickback-induced prescriptions. The United States Department of Labor – Office of Workers Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP) paid over $8 million for those kickback-induced prescriptions. The DOL-OWCP is a federal health care benefit program that serves a variety of federal employees.

“Paying kickbacks in exchange for the referral of federally covered prescriptions is a serious crime,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “The defendant chose to illegally enrich himself by exploiting our healthcare system. These crimes increase healthcare costs for everyone covered by the programs. The sentence imposed today shows that our office will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to uncover these schemes and hold those who execute them accountable.”

“This sentencing should send a clear message to healthcare providers that the government is vigilantly protecting federal benefit programs from corruption and fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Andre Martin of United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The USPS OIG appreciates our law enforcement partners for their commitment and efforts in this investigation. The USPS OIG will continue to vigorously investigate those who engage in activities to defraud federal benefit programs and the U.S. Postal Service.”

“This sentence sends a clear message that those who commit fraud or pay kickbacks will not get away with their illegal actions,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert Stapleton. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always work together to investigate allegations of health care fraud and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.”

“Mr. Bojorquez committed fraud against an important government healthcare program, and corrupted the objectivity of the physicians involved,” said Justin Campbell, IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office. “The IRS is pleased to join our partners in holding Mr. Bojorquez accountable.”

This case is the last of a series of related civil and criminal compounding medication investigations conducted in this district over the course of the last four years, all investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Internal Revenue Service; and the United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. The results of the investigations include the previous conviction of an Indianapolis chiropractor for paying and receiving kickbacks, and an agreed payment of over $4 million by owners of Indiana-based compounding pharmacies to health care programs.

The Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service also provided invaluable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindy J. Cho who prosecuted this case.

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Department of Justice Press Releases

U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown Appointed to Serve on Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Advisory Committee

by DOJ Press March 30, 2022

By: DOJ Press

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has announced the appointment of U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown of the Western District of Louisiana to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). The AGAC was created in 1973 and advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. Brown, along with 11 other U.S. Attorneys from around the United States, will serve on the AGAC. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.

U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown of the Western District of Louisiana was confirmed by the Senate in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.

Other appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.

“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”

“It is an honor to have been selected to serve on this committee with my fellow U.S. Attorneys from around the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “I take this appointment very seriously and am excited to begin the work of addressing matters and issues affecting the hard work that the men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office do every day to uphold the laws of the Constitution of the United States.”

# # #

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Financial News

Sabre Corp sees travel recovery broadening

by Reuters March 30, 2022

By: Reuters

(Reuters) – Sabre Corp on Wednesday reported continued gains in leisure travel through March and the travel booking software provider said international and corporate bookings have accelerated since the start of the year.

Sabre is the latest company to report improved booking patterns as travelers take summer and spring vacations after the pandemic disrupted previous travel plans.

“We expect the March 2022 recovery versus the same period in 2019 for both international and corporate bookings to be at their highest levels since the pandemic started in mid-March 2020,” the company said in a regulatory filing.

To date, the recovery has broadened, with all regions showing strong improvement from January, it said.

The company reported gross air bookings are up to about 48% in March 2022 compared to the same period in 2019. Net air bookings and passengers boarded also recovered at 50% and 76% respectively. Gross hotel central reservation transactions recovered about 105%.

Sabre also said revenue generated in Russia in 2019 represented a low-single digit percentage of Sabre’s total 2019 Travel Solutions revenue, its travel business unit. The company terminated it’s distribution agreement with Russian airline Aeroflot in early March.

(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo; editing by Anna Driver, Alexandra |Hudson)

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Pennsylvania News Police Blotter

Police Searching for Man Missing for Nearly Two Weeks

by Kristen Harrison-Oneal March 30, 2022

By: Kristen Harrison-Oneal

PHILADELPHIA, PA – A man missing for almost two weeks is being sought by the Philadelphia Police Department. This week, the department requested the public’s assistance in locating a 46-year-old Missing Person Rae Richards. He was last seen at 10:45 P.M., on Sunday, March 20, 2022, on the 12XX block of Taylor Street.

“He is 5’7″, 115 lbs., medium build, brown eyes, black balding hair, light brown complexion. He was last seen wearing a light jacket and ball cap carrying a backpack,” the department said. “Anyone with any information on Rae Richard’s whereabouts is asked to please contact Central Detectives Division at 215-686-3093 or 911.”

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Pennsylvania News Police Blotter

Philadelphia “Cat” Thief Wanted by Police

by Kristen Harrison-Oneal March 30, 2022

By: Kristen Harrison-Oneal

PHILADELPHIA, Pa – The Philadelphia Police Department is seeking to identify a suspect involved in a catalytic converter theft on Tasker Street.

“The Philadelphia Police Major Crimes Auto Squad are attempting to identify the following vehicle, 2011-14 white Hyundai Sonata, and males wearing black clothing pull up on the 200 block of Tasker Street and then proceed to cut off a Catalytic Converter on a Gray Honda Civic then flee the area,” the Philadelphia Police Department said.

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Pennsylvania News Police Blotter

Thief Makes Off with $4,400 in Bogus Apple Pay Withdrawals

by Kristen Harrison-Oneal March 30, 2022

By: Kristen Harrison-Oneal

PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Philadelphia Police Department is searching for a suspect wanted for stealing $4,400 during a phone scam spree using Apple Pay.

According to police, on March 16, 2022, at 6:05 am and March 19, at 9:00am a black male made multiple transactions from various phones using Apple Pay and withdrew the money from the self-checkout at the Giant Store located at 60 N 23rd St. On March 16, 2022, the suspect made 24 transactions and withdrew $2,400. Then on March 19, 2022, the suspect made 20 transactions totaling $2,000. Both transactions totaled $4,400.

If you have any information about this crime or this suspect, please contact:
Central Detective Division:
215-686-3093/3094
Det. Koenig
DC 22-09-008476
DC 22-09-009144

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Financial News

Thais turn to EVs at motor show as petrol prices soar

by Reuters March 30, 2022

By: Reuters

By Jira[censored] Kuhakan and Chayut Setboonsarng

BANGKOK – Thousands attended the Bangkok International Motor Show this week where electric vehicles (EVs) were in the spotlight due to rising petrol prices and a government subsidy taking 15% off the price of some EV cars.

Thailand, along with most other countries in Southeast Asia, has been slow off the blocks to embrace EVs, but demand is starting to gain momentum with Chinese car makers in particular producing cheaper models and increasingly targeting the region.

“I can’t handle paying for the price of gas anymore, so I’m here looking to buy an electric car,” said Natnicha Srimuang, who purchased an EV at the motor show. Thai gasoline prices are around 40 baht ($1.20) per litre, up 50% from last year.

Some see a switch to EVs as a way to save money longer-term.

“I (want) to invest my money in a good electric car that fits my lifestyle,” said Patricia Duangcham, who said she expects to save thousands of baht a month from the purchase.

The combination of energy price concerns and more affordable models will help spur EV adoption, said Michael Chong, general manager of Great Wall Motor Thailand.

This year’s motor show was also the first since government subsidies for EV buyers were introduced.

While many global car makers displayed EVs, there were long queues to take a peek inside Great Wall Motor’s competitively priced ‘ORA Good Cat’ model.

Domestic demand for EVs is a crucial part of a Thai government strategy to preserve its status as a major regional automaker. The government is targeting production of 725,000 EV units a year, or 30% of total vehicle output, by 2030.

Thailand is Asia’s fourth-largest auto assembly and export hub for companies like Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co Ltd.

State-owned energy firm PTT Pcl has teamed up with Taiwan’s Foxconn to produce EVs in Thailand by 2024.

China’s Great Wall Motor also plans to produce EVs in Thailand in two years’ time.

The demand for EVs has been picking up in Thailand, though from a low base. Last year, the number of registered fully electric cars doubled to about 4,000, though that still pales in comparison with total domestic car sales of 759,119 last year.

Despite the hype around EVs, some attending the motor show intend to stick to combustion engines due to concerns about the new technology.

“(The) EV car is only starting, and no one knows what kind of problems are going to happen,” said Ponchai Lertlai, 59.

($1 = 33.35 baht)

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Ed Davies and Karishma Singh)

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Breaking News Pennsylvania News Pets and Animals Police Blotter

Police Volunteers Help to Raise $58,000 for Animal Rescues in Pittsburgh Area

by Ryan Dickinson March 30, 2022

By: Ryan Dickinson

PITTSBURGH, PA – Volunteers in the Pittsburgh area have raised nearly $60,000 to help area pet shelters and pet advocates.

“Officer Christine Luffey and her crew of volunteers raised a total of $58,268.66 at the 24th annual Biscuits Bingo fundraiser held on Saturday, March 26 in the South Side,” the Allegheny Police Department said in a statement.

The proceeds from Biscuits Bingo will benefit the Angel Ridge Animal Rescue, Animal Advocates, Animal Friends, Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, Forever Home Beagle Rescue, Homeless Cat Management Team, Humane Action Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh CAT, and Rabbit Wranglers.

“Officer Tracy Schweitzer called the numbers for the event, while Chief Scott Schubert called one game as well. PBP’s Comfort Dog, Zane, also joined the party,” the department said.

Chief Schubert credited the Biscuits Bingo team, including Officer Christine Luffey, Ann Yeager, DJ Suhoski, Kayla Suhoski, Ashley Boland, Devin Schubert, Officer Tracy Schweitzer, and Erin Esser.

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Financial News

Exclusive-Russia to keep gas contract currency unchanged in rouble switch, sources say

by Reuters March 30, 2022

By: Reuters

(Reuters) – Russia plans to keep the contract currency for gas exports to Europe unchanged but will seek final payment in roubles as one of the options to switch the currency of gas trade, two Russian sources said on Wednesday.

President Vladimir Putin has said Russia, the world’s top natural gas producer, will soon require “unfriendly” countries to pay for fuel in roubles, raising alarm about a possible gas crunch in Europe.

“Only payment currency is changing, the contract currency is not,” one source said. For example, for deals clinched in euros the payment should be made at the official rouble/euro exchange rate set by the Russian central bank, that source said.

The Russian president told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz by phone on Wednesday that nothing would change for European partners and payments would still be made in euros and transferred to Gazprom bank, a German spokesperson said.

They added that Scholz is committed to a G7 agreement that energy supplies from Russia would be paid for only in euros or U.S. dollars.

The proposed scheme is one of the options and is not final, the sources said. According to a third Russian source, Gazprombank, Russia’s third-biggest bank, could serve as an intermediary for transactions between the gas buyers and Gazprom.

The payment should be done in the rouble equivalent on a pre-agreed settlement day, the sources said.

“There is no final decision yet, the work is ongoing,” a financial source involved in drafting the gas payments scheme told Reuters. The central bank, Gazprom and Gazprombank did not reply to a request for a comment.

Moscow has yet to describe how it will go about the switch, which the Kremlin indicated on Wednesday could extend to Russia’s other exports, and the sources offered the first details that investors and customers have been keenly awaiting.

There is no clarity on whether gas buyers from so-called unfriendly countries – those that joined Western sanctions on Russia – will accept the demand to pay in roubles.

Gazprombank is one of the main channels for payments for Russian oil and gas. It was sanctioned by Britain along with some other Russian companies earlier this month.

On Wednesday, Germany triggered an emergency plan to manage gas supplies under which Europe’s largest economy could ration power if a standoff over Moscow’s demand for rouble payments disrupts or halts supplies.

Putin is due to listen to proposals on how to switch the payments to roubles, including from Gazprom and the central bank, on Thursday, and the scheme will be made public, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

The customers will not be obliged to switch to roubles as soon as from Thursday, Peskov said, as “payments and delivery is a time-consuming process.”

Gazprom, which accounts for 40% of European gas imports, does not disclose gas prices country by country, but has planned to charge Western countries an average $296 per 1,000 cubic metres this year, up from $280 in 2021.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Matthew Lewis)

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Breaking News Lottery Winners Pennsylvania News

$960K Fast Play Ticket Sold In Philadelphia

by Kristen Harrison-Oneal March 30, 2022

By: Kristen Harrison-Oneal

MIDDLETOWN, PENNSYLVANIA – A top-prize winning $969K lottery ticket was sold in Philadelphia. The Cash Stampede progressive ticket was sold on March 29th. The Sunoco on Walnut Lane in Philadelphia will receive a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

The Cash Stampede winning ticket is worth $969,680.

According to Lottery Officials, “Cash Stampede is a $10 Fast Play game that offers progressive top prizes starting at $100,000. Fast Play games print on-demand from a Lottery sales terminal or self-service touch-screen vending terminal and are similar to Scratch-Off games, but without the need to scratch a ticket or wait for a drawing. To see if they’ve won a prize, players can review the ticket, or scan it at a Lottery retailer or with the ticket checker feature on the Lottery’s official app. The holder of a top-prize winning Fast Play ticket should immediately sign the back of the ticket and call the Lottery at 1-800-692-7481.”

Here are our latest stories about other lottery winners

March 30, 2022 0 comments

US and World News

Biden says decision coming soon on COVID curbs at border

by Reuters March 30, 2022

By: Reuters

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday a decision will come soon on whether to lift Title 42, the COVID-19 health order that keeps most migrants from seeking asylum in the United States.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Writing by Katharine Jackson; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Breaking News Delaware News Police Blotter

Delaware Woman Charged for Motel Room Burglary, Assault

by Jeff Jones March 30, 2022

By: Jeff Jones

LAUREL, DE – A woman has been charged for her role in a motel room break-in and assault that occurred Sunday night at the Lakeside Motel in Laurel.

The Delaware State Police have announced the arrest of 36-year-old Faedra Parker from Laurel, DE for burglary and related charges.

“The incident occurred on Sunday, at approximately 8:50 p.m. when troopers responded to the Lakeside Motel located at 30931 Sussex Highway in Laurel for a report of an altercation,” the Delaware State Police said in a statement. “Through the investigation it was determined Faedra Parker and her accomplice, 33-year-old Junior Dorvilier of Seaford, forced their way into a motel room, occupied by a 25-year-old victim/acquaintance where they physically assaulted him.”

Police said the victim sustained injuries to his head during the incident but refused medical treatment at the scene. The two suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction in a vehicle belonging to Parker.

DSP said troopers with the assistance of local police agencies attempted to locate the suspects but were unsuccessful. Troopers then obtained active warrants for the arrest of both suspects. On March 28th, 2022, Faedra Parker turned herself into the Laurel Police Department.

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Breaking News New York News Police Blotter

New Yorker Who Killed Wife, Injured Daughter During Stabbing Rampage Gets 19 Years in Prison

by Adam Devine March 30, 2022

By: Adam Devine

NEW YORK, NY – A New York man, Jawad Hussain, 60, has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for fatally stabbing his wife and injuring his daughter in January 2019, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

Court records show that on the afternoon of January 15, 2019, at the family residence, the defendant went at his wife Fatima Jawad, 44, and their 18-year-old daughter with multiple knives.

According to police, Hussain was standing outside the apartment building where he lived with the two victims, holding two knives. He was taken into custody without incident.

“Ms. Jawad was stabbed with at least two knives and suffered approximately 46 stab wounds to her torso and extremities during the defendant’s attack,” according to a police report of the incident. “She sustained puncture wounds to her lung, liver, large and small intestines. The defendant’s daughter was lacerated on her right hand and right leg. The younger woman was able to call 911 for help and told the 911 dispatcher that her father had stabbed her mother. During the call, the defendant grabbed the phone and told the operator in sum and substance that he had trouble with his wife, and he just hurt her.”

District Attorney Katz said, “In pleading guilty, the defendant has now admitted to the stabbing rampage that killed his wife. This brutal outburst also injured his daughter. A woman is dead and her family grieving and now defendant will be held accountable.”

Hussain, of 69^th Avenue in Fresh Meadows, Queens, pleaded guilty earlier this month to manslaughter in the first degree and assault in the first degree before Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth C. Holder. Today Justice Holder sentenced Hussain to 19 years in prison, followed by five years’ post release supervision.

Ms. Jawad succumbed to her injuries, dying at an area hospital on the same day from her extensive injuries. Her daughter required surgery to repair tendons in her hand and other wounds as well as months of subsequent physical therapy to regain use of her fingers.

March 30, 2022 0 comments

US and World News

Biden admin seeks to cut home energy bills with $3.2 billion for efficiency

by Reuters March 30, 2022

By: Reuters

By Nandita Bose and Timothy Gardner

WASHINGTON -The Biden administration will make available nearly $3.2 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law to help Americans lower home energy costs, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Wednesday.

Low-income Americans spend up to 30% of their paychecks on energy. This investment will help them afford improvements to their homes such as switching to better insulation and ventilation, installing energy efficient heating and cooling systems and upgrading lighting and appliances, she said.

“The $3.2 billion we are mobilizing today is about 10 times what we spend on retrofitting homes every year,” Granholm said. The efficiency improvements will have an immediate impact of helping families save hundreds to thousands of dollars per year in energy bills, she said.

The current government program upgrades 38,000 homes annually. The additional amount will push that to 450,000 homes, she said.

The $3.2 billion will be distributed by the Energy Department’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which takes applications from states and tribes and territories for the funding to retrofit low-income homes.

In November, President Joe Biden signed into law a $1 trillion infrastructure bill that would create jobs across the country by disbursing billions of dollars to state and local governments to fix crumbling bridges and roads and by expanding broadband internet access to millions of Americans.

In 2021, the average nominal retail electricity price paid by U.S. residential electric customers rose at the fastest rate since 2008, increasing 4.3% from 2020 to 13.72 cents per kilowatt hour, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51438 (EIA).

Prices for most types of energy commodities rose significantly in 2021, including the cost of power generation fuels, especially natural gas, which helped push electricity prices higher, the EIA analysis shows.

The United States accounted for about 17% of the world’s primary energy consumption in 2019, the EIA said, but had about 4% of the world’s population.

Biden’s public approval rating fell to a new low of 40%, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted March 21 and 22, a clear warning sign for his Democratic Party as it seeks to retain control of Congress in the Nov. 8 election.

The national poll found that 54% of Americans disapprove of his job performance as the country struggles with high inflation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed geopolitical concerns to the fore.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Timothy Gardner in Washington; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Breaking News Maryland News Police Blotter

One Arrested After Police Find Gun, Weed During Routine Traffic Stop

by Jeff Jones March 30, 2022

By: Jeff Jones

HYATTSVILLE, MD – The driver of a vehicle involved in a routine traffic stop was arrested for drug and gun charges on Friday.

“Officers from the Montgomery County Department of Police – 3rd District Station, have arrested and charged 29-year-old Jermaine Robinson of Hyattsville for possessing a firearm and a controlled dangerous substance in his vehicle,” the MCPD said in a statement. “On Friday, March 25, 2022, at approximately 10:37 p.m., officers were patrolling the 3400 block of Gateshead Manor Way when they observed a white 2020 Jeep Compass committing a traffic violation. Officers then conducted a traffic stop on this vehicle.”

Officers approached the vehicle and smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 50 grams of Marijuana and an FN Herstal 5.7x 28mm caliber handgun loaded with armor-piercing ammunition. Officers discovered that Robinson’s firearm was not registered, according to a statement by the department.

Robinson was arrested and transported to the Central Processing Unit, where he has been charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance and firearm-related charges.

277665453_275466164777125_91601250548074

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Breaking News Lottery Winners New York News

TAKE 5 $18K Top-Prize Winner Sold in the Bronx

by Kristen Harrison-Oneal March 30, 2022

By: Kristen Harrison-Oneal

BRONX, NEW YORK – A lottery player in the Bronx won the top-prize winning the TAKE 5 drawing.

The $18,777 ticket was sold at the SJS Pharmacy on East Burnside Avenue in the Bronx.

According to Lottery Officials, “TAKE 5 players with midday and evening draws on the same ticket must check their numbers at nylottery.ny.org to determine if they have the winning numbers for the corresponding midday or evening drawing. TAKE 5 numbers are drawn from a field of one to 39. The drawing is televised twice daily at 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. A Lottery draw game prize of any amount may be claimed up to one year from the date of the drawing.”

Here are our latest stories about other lottery winners

March 30, 2022 0 comments

Financial News

Mediolanum leads Italian investors in Ferretti’s Hong Kong IPO-source

by Reuters March 30, 2022

By: Reuters

MILAN – Italian investors led by Milanese asset manager Banca Mediolanum bought into an Hong Kong initial public offering by luxury yacht maker Ferretti, which saw Chinese investors take the lion’s share, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

Mediolanum declined to comment.

Braving turbulent markets and the backdrop of international sanctions against Russia that led to the seizure of the mega-yachts owned by oligarchs, Ferretti last Friday pulled off an 890 million euro ($993 million) IPO two years after a previous attempt foundered.

After pricing the IPO near the bottom of the range it had indicated, Ferretti said on Wednesday it had pocketed a net HK$ 1.77 billion ($226 million) from the deal.

It will use the cash to broaden its brand portfolio and also strengthen services for owners of its boats, it has said.

Chinese firms Sunshine Insurance, Sanya Development Holdings, Hainan Free Trade Port Fund, Hainan Financial Holdings and Haifa Holding acted as cornerstone investors taking 53% of the offering, Ferretti said.

Of the rest, the top 10 investors took more than half, the source and a second person close to the transaction said.

The two sources said Italian participation had been hindered by the fact that some of the investors who wanted to buy into the IPO lacked Asian share denominated accounts to deal in.

Ferretti, whose brands include Riva, Pershing and Wally, is owned by Chinese conglomerate Weichai Group.

Piero Ferrari, son of the eponymous luxury sports car company’s founder Enzo Ferrari, owns 11% of the company and sits on the board.

The Hong Kong offering was 1.07 times oversubscribed, while demand for the international offering totalled more than twice the amount on sale, the company said.

Shares in Ferretti start trading on Thursday.

($1 = 7.8268 Hong Kong dollars) ($1 = 0.8964 euros)

(Reporting by Valentina Za in Milan and Lucy Raitano in London; Editing by Keith Weir)

March 30, 2022 0 comments

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