China's Exploitation of Western Academia gatestoneinstitute.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gatestoneinstitute.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Former Randolph man netted $1.7 million from online romance scam. authorities charge wickedlocal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wickedlocal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Standard-Times BOSTON – A former member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) was sentenced Wednesday on drug conspiracy charges. According to a news release from Massachusetts US Attorney s office, Ines Lugo, a/k/a “Queen China,” 42, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (approximately 47 days in prison) and three years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 18 months incarceration. In November 2020, Lugo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. Lugo admitted that she conspired with other Latin Kings members and leaders to possess cocaine base (also known as “crack cocaine”) with the intent to distribute it. Specifically, in August 2019, she conspired with others to obtain cocaine base from members of the Latin Kings in New Bedford for resale. On Aug. 24, 2019, Lugo was captured on video delivering cocaine base to another Latin Kings member in a trap house, the news release said.
Saugus postal worker indicted on mail theft charge Wicked Local The Department of Justice issued the following press release A former U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was arrested on Feb. 10 and charged with stealing mail. Brian Thibodeau, 48, was indicted on one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. Thibodeau was released on conditions following an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler. Beginning in 2001, Thibodeau worked for many years as a letter carrier in the Saugus Post Office. It is alleged that, in 2020, Thibodeau stole customers’ gift cards sent in the mail and spent them for his personal use.
Wicked Local The following is a press release from the office of United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, District of Massachusetts: BOSTON – Four individuals were arrested Feb. 4 and charged in connection with a scheme to defraud an insurance provider for physical therapy services that were not provided to patients. Gyulnara Bayryshova, 55, of Brighton; Anna Barenboym, 45, of Wayland; Slava Pride, 41, of West Roxbury; and Raya Bagardi, 36, of Brighton, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit mail and health care fraud, eight counts of mail fraud and one count of health care fraud. In addition, Barenboym, Pride, and Bagardi were each charged with three counts of making false statements in connection with a health care benefit program. The defendants were set to make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston Feb. 4.
Fitchburg Latin Kings member pleads guilty to federal drug charges BOSTON — A woman who conspired with a member of the Fitchburg Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) could face 20 years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday to drug distribution charges. Sophia Velasquez, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl after being charged following a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.. Velasquez admitted to conspiring with Dairon Rivera, who uses the alias King Mafia, to sell 17 grams of fentanyl to a witness who was cooperating with investigators. That transaction that was recorded on audio and video.
01/28/21 WorkersCompensation.com Boston, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) - A California man pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to federal tax and fraud charges arising from his role with various Worcester-based employment agencies. Julio Lopez, 43, of Los Angeles, Calif., and formerly of Worcester, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiring to defraud the United States. Lopez was charged in December 2020. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for April 27, 2021. Lopez worked for Worcester-based employment agencies Bay State, Prime Labor and UT Services. Bay State misrepresented the number of its employees and the wages earned by such employees and failed to report cash wages to the IRS and to its workers compensation insurance carrier. In 2016, in connection with a client audit, another Bay State employee fabricated payroll documents that falsely showed that deductions were taken from employees paychecks for payroll taxes, and Lopez provided these fabricated documents to the client.
Former New Bedford cop sentenced on child pornography offenses Standard-Times BOSTON – A former New Bedford police officer was sentenced Monday in federal court in Boston for possessing and distributing child pornography, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling s office. Paul Hodson, 44, of Acushnet, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to six years in prison and five years of supervised release. In December 2019, Hodson pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Following an investigation into the use of peer-to-peer file sharing networks for the trade of child pornography, a search was executed at Hodson’s home. Hodson was interviewed on scene and admitted to using peer-to-peer file sharing software to trade child pornography. Hundreds of child pornography files were recovered from Hodson’s computer including at least one file that was distributed to undercover law enforcement in the course of the investigation, the news release said.
Former Randolph man Indicted on firearms trafficking charge Staff reports A former Randolph man was indicted by a federal grand jury on a firearms trafficking charge Jan. 25. Chiweze Ihunwo, 24, now living in Providence, was indicted on one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Ihunwo was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in November 2020 and has been detained since. According to charging documents, Ihunwo acquired numerous firearms in North Carolina and then re-sold them for a profit. In addition, Ihunwo allegedly made arrangements to sell firearms to a person who was soon thereafter arrested in connection with a June 23, 2020, shooting incident on I-95 in Providence. According to the charging documents, Ihunwo also made numerous social media posts referencing firearms or ammunition.
A New Bedford man who was a regional officer for the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation pleaded guilty Thursday to racketeering charges after admitting in court to his part in several instances of gang-related violence. Michael Cotto, known as “King Gordo,” 26, once a member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings, admitted to participating in the gang s illegal drug business and to committing a variety of violent acts. One such act was a February 2018 beating, known as a “termination,” of an associate suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. The victim was found by New Bedford Police bleeding from his injuries and transported to the hospital, according to a news release from the Office of U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling.