LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — Former Los Angeles Police Department officer Edgar Verduzco, 34, pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of murder after a 2017 high-speed DUI crash killed three members…
PAOLI, PA — A Wayne-based dentist pleaded guilty Thursday to simple assault by physical menace after admitting to inappropriately touching a female patient during a 2024 appointment, the Chester County…
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — An urgent call for help is coming out of the Northern Ocean County Animal Facility, where staff say the number of surrendered and abandoned dogs is…
GREENBELT, Md. — A California man who traveled across the country with the intent to assassinate a U.S. Supreme Court Justice pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted murder, the Department of…
JACKSON, NJ — A 12-year-old Border Collie mix named Tommy is urgently in need of rescue after the recent death of his owner left him without a home, according to…
South Amboy Man Pleads Guilty in Fatal Hit and Run Case
**Toms River, NJ** – Mark Carey, Jr., 21, of South Amboy, pleaded guilty on Thursday to leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in death. The plea occurred before the Honorable Kimarie Rahill, J.S.C., in connection to a hit-and-run incident on January 13 in Brick Township.
On January 13, at approximately 9:15 a.m., Brick Township Police responded to a hit-and-run at Route 35 South and Bay Avenue. The victim, Julia Sutton, 56, of Weehawken, was struck and later died at Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center.
Investigations by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and other agencies identified the vehicle as a 1999 Ford Explorer registered to Carey. Authorities took Carey into custody at his South Amboy home, processed him at the Brick Township Police Headquarters, and released him under New Jersey Bail Reform.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer credited the efforts of various law enforcement agencies in handling the case. The state will seek a six-year prison sentence for Carey on June 13.
NEWARK, N.J. — A Newark expediter admitted Wednesday to conspiring to bribe city officials, including former Councilmember Joseph A. McCallum Jr., and to fabricating official city documents for real estate…
Hino Motors Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Fraud Charges
**Detroit, MI** – U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Goldsmith has accepted Hino Motors, Ltd.’s guilty plea to a one-count criminal charge for engaging in a long-term conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and consumers and illegally smuggling goods. The court imposed a $521.76 million criminal fine and a five-year probation period, including a prohibition on importing diesel engines into the United States. A $1.087 billion forfeiture money judgment was also issued against Hino.
Court records reveal that between 2010 and 2019, engineers at Hino Motors submitted falsified applications for engine certification approvals, violating the Clean Air Act. The engineers manipulated emissions test data and submitted fraudulent information, resulting in false fuel consumption values. Over 105,000 non-compliant engines were imported and sold between 2010 and 2022, primarily for heavy-duty trucks.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson expressed that Hino’s actions gave it an unfair advantage and generated over $1 billion in proceeds. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing emissions standards and addressing fraud. Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck emphasized the importance of
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The owner of the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls has pleaded guilty to defrauding federal COVID-19 relief programs out of more than $1.8 million, the U.S. Attorney’s…
Texas Resident Pleads Guilty to Supporting ISIS
**Richmond, TX** – A former Iraqi refugee and legal permanent resident of Richmond, Texas, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Abdulrahman Mohammed Hafedh Alqaysi, 28, acknowledged his involvement in supporting the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). From 2015 to 2020, he utilized his computer skills to assist the ISIS media arm known as the Kalachnikov team.
He provided hacking videos, instructions, stolen credit card data, and fraudulently produced identity documents to ISIS members. U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted Alqaysi’s plea and scheduled sentencing for June 5.
Alqaysi faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He remains in custody awaiting sentencing. The case was investigated by the FBI Houston Joint Terrorism Task Force with support from Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is leading the prosecution, assisted by Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
CAMDEN, N.J. — A Department of Veterans Affairs firefighter admitted in federal court to defrauding the government of nearly half a million dollars in workers’ compensation benefits, authorities said. Richard…
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. — A former Mount Laurel police officer has pleaded guilty to illegally accessing social media accounts and distributing private images of multiple women, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia…
MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. — A former Mount Laurel police officer has pleaded guilty to illegally accessing social media accounts and distributing private images of multiple women, prosecutors announced. Ayron Taylor,…
HOGANSBURG, N.Y. — A New York woman pleaded guilty Thursday for her role in a human smuggling conspiracy that led to the deaths of a Romanian family of four, including…
BUDD LAKE, N.J. — A New Jersey man admitted Wednesday to concealing efforts to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist…
ABSECON, N.J. — A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in a high-speed crash that killed an 8-year-old boy sleeping in a parked car while his father…
Former Navy Sailor Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Attempted Attack
**Chicago, IL** – In a significant development, former Navy sailor Xuanyu Harry Pang has pleaded guilty in a federal court in Chicago to plotting an attack on Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, Illinois, on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The plea was entered on Tuesday in a U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and subsequently unsealed.
Court documents reveal that in the summer of 2021, Pang engaged with a person in Colombia about collaborating with Iranian actors to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, an IRGC Quds Force general killed by the U.S. military in 2020. The FBI, through a covert employee posing as a Quds Force affiliate, initiated contact with the Colombian individual, ultimately connecting with Pang.
The communications focused on potential targets, including Naval Station Great Lakes and other locations in Chicago. In fall 2022, Pang met with an FBI associate, providing photos, videos of the Naval Station, two U.S. military uniforms, and a cell phone intended for use as a detonator test.
Pang remains in custody without bond and awaits sentencing, facing a maximum
Raleigh Businessman Pleads Guilty to Illegal Export to China
**Raleigh, NC** – David C. Bohmerwald, 63, owner of Components Cooper Inc., a Raleigh electronics resale business, pleaded guilty to attempting to export military-use accelerometer technology to China without a license. This action violates the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) and could lead to a maximum of 20 years in prison upon sentencing.
Court records revealed that Bohmerwald purchased 100 accelerometers from a U.S. electronics company, intending to export them to a Chinese company. These devices are significant in fields spanning from research and product development to critical military applications like flight control and missile navigation. A license is necessary for exporting such technology to China.
Upon purchasing the accelerometers, Bohmerwald falsely stated they were for a Missouri-based end user. However, the Missouri company denied any such transaction. After obtaining the accelerometers, Bohmerwald attempted to ship them via FedEx to China. Agents from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security detained the package, uncovering the lack of a proper export license and noting Bohmerwald’s undervaluation of the items.
The investigation is conducted by the Bureau of Industry and Security, FBI
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Scheme
**Jackson, MS** – A Florida resident has admitted guilt in a case involving a decade-long scheme promoting an illicit tax shelter and committing wire fraud. The individual also confessed to aiding in the preparation of false tax returns for clients using the shelter.
Stephen T. Mellinger III of Delray Beach worked as a financial advisor, insurance salesman, and securities broker in various states. Since late 2013, he and his accomplices marketed an illegal tax shelter, encouraging clients to claim inappropriate deductions for “royalty payments” to unlawfully minimize their taxes.
Court documents reveal these royalty payments constituted a deceptive money flow, creating the facade of legitimate business expenses. Clients would transfer funds to accounts managed by Mellinger and his partners, who would return the sum—minus their fee—to an account controlled by the client, allowing them to claim false deductions.
Through the scheme, clients claimed over $106 million in misleading tax deductions, leading to a $37 million tax loss for the IRS. Mellinger and one unnamed co-conspirator reportedly earned approximately $3 million from the operations. They also misappropriated over $2.1 million from clients under investigation, some of which M
Delaware Corporation Pleads Guilty to OSHA Violation in Worker’s Death
**Columbus, OH** – A Delaware corporation with operations in Ohio has admitted guilt in a federal court located in the Southern District of Ohio for breaching an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation. The breach is associated with a fatal incident in which a pneumatic door fatally injured an employee.
Fabcon Precast LLC, operating in Grove City, Ohio, along with other locations, specializes in manufacturing precast concrete panels. Employees, known as batch operators, handle the facility’s sole concrete mixer, with concrete ejected from a pneumatic door. An exhaust valve that neutralizes the door’s pneumatic energy remained unrepaired after its handle broke.
On June 6, 2020, 20-year-old Zachary Ledbetter, a batch operator since January, was present when the discharge door failed post-operation. Unable to secure the door due to the broken valve, Ledbetter was fatally trapped when attempting to fix it. He was later hospitalized where he succumbed to his injuries five days later.
Federal regulations classify the willful disregard of an OSHA safety standard leading to an employee’s death as a class B misdemeanor, the sole federal criminal charge for such
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A Browns Mills man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the 2019 drug-related death of a 29-year-old man at a Toms River motel, authorities…
GOSHEN, N.Y. — A Wallkill man has pleaded guilty to assaulting an MTA train conductor and later fleeing the jurisdiction, Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced Monday. Damarion…
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A Brick Township man pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of animal cruelty after authorities discovered 157 cats and three dogs living in squalid conditions at…
CAMDEN, N.J. — A former Atlantic City council president and longtime political organizer admitted in federal court to orchestrating a scheme to procure, cast, and tabulate fraudulent mail-in ballots in…
NEWARK, N.J. — An Amtrak employee admitted Tuesday to participating in a multi-million dollar health care fraud scheme that defrauded the company’s insurance plan, federal prosecutors said. Anthony Saloka, 44,…