Article: The Jeffrey Epstein Cover Up: Pedophilia, Lies, and Videotape

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The Jeffrey Epstein Cover Up: Pedophilia, Lies, and Videotape

Nick Bryant, 18 July 2021

The worst form of injustice is pretended justice,” Plato wrote over two millennia ago. The preceding two decades have witnessed Lady Justice repeatedly eschewing her blindfold to dispense pretend justice to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell and also to their cohorts. Numerous procurers and perpetrators who were integral to Epstein and Maxwell’s crimes against children over the course of 25 years have not been indicted, and the charges against Maxwell, which include only one count of child trafficking, are woefully inadequate and a further miscarriage of justice against her victims.

More recently, a report released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) on May 10, 2021 superimposed an additional miscarriage of justice on the myriad of injustices that have already been inflicted on the victims of Epstein, et al. The FDLE report concluded that a Florida grand jury that didn’t indict Epstein on a single count of child abuse was not guilty of malfeasance.

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Article: Dark Web User Known As “The Bull” Charged In Insider Trading Scheme

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Dark Web User Known As “The Bull” Charged In Insider Trading Scheme

Department of Justice, 09 July 2021

Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a criminal indictment and a criminal complaint charging APOSTOLOS TROVIAS, a/k/a “The Bull,” with securities fraud and money laundering in connection with his scheme to solicit and sell stock trading tips and pre-release earnings and deal information regarding public companies.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Today’s charges demonstrate our Office’s continuing commitment to stopping those who pursue and use inside information to gain an illegal edge in the stock market. As alleged, Apostolos Trovias attempted to hide his insider trading scheme behind anonymizing software, screennames, and bitcoin payments. The Indictment and Complaint unsealed today show that committing insider trading using new technologies still produces a decidedly traditional outcome: a criminal indictment.” Continue reading “Article: Dark Web User Known As “The Bull” Charged In Insider Trading Scheme”

Article: U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition And Guilty Plea Of Israeli Securities Trader For Participating In A Global Insider Trading Ring

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U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition And Guilty Plea Of Israeli Securities Trader For Participating In A Global Insider Trading Ring

Department of Justice, 25 June 2021

Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing today of a 15-count superseding indictment charging DOV MALNIK and TOMER FEINGOLD with offenses relating to their roles as securities traders in a wide-ranging international insider trading ring who made millions of dollars in illicit profits by trading based on misappropriated inside information. MALNIK, a citizen of Israel and Lithuania, was arrested in Switzerland on October 7, 2020, was extradited on June 10, 2021, from Switzerland, and pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. FEINGOLD remains at large. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero. Continue reading “Article: U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition And Guilty Plea Of Israeli Securities Trader For Participating In A Global Insider Trading Ring”

Article: Seniors Lost $1 Billion to Cybercrime in 2020: FBI

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Seniors Lost $1 Billion to Cybercrime in 2020: FBI

Nancy Bilyeau, 17 June 2021

People over 60 were the special targets of COVID-19-related Internet schemes and financial fraud in 2020, with 28 percent of the total fraud losses sustained by seniors, according to the FBI.

These Internet fraud schemes reaped approximately $1 billion in losses purely from seniors in 2020, the FBI said in a report released Tuesday.

“This represents an increase of approximately $300 million in losses reported in 2020 versus what was reported by victims over 60 in 2019,” said the report. Continue reading “Article: Seniors Lost $1 Billion to Cybercrime in 2020: FBI”

Article: Indian-Origin Husband Of Ex-Amazon Employee Jailed For Securities Fraud In US

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Indian-Origin Husband Of Ex-Amazon Employee Jailed For Securities Fraud In US

Press Trust of India, 14 June 2021

Washington: The Indian-origin husband of a former Amazon employee has been sentenced to 26 months in prison by a US court for securities fraud and illegally making a profit of USD 1.4 million by using inside trading information from his wife.

Viky Bohra, 37, from Bothell, Washington state, pleaded guilty in November 2020, admitting that between 2016 and 2018, he used Amazon inside information he obtained from his wife, an Amazon finance employee, to place trades in Amazon stock-making a profit of $1.4 million, acting US Attorney Tessa M Gorman said. Continue reading “Article: Indian-Origin Husband Of Ex-Amazon Employee Jailed For Securities Fraud In US”

Article: Husband of Amazon employee sentenced to prison for insider trading in Amazon stock

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Husband of Amazon employee sentenced to prison for insider trading in Amazon stock

SDepartment of Justice, 10 June 2021

Seattle – A 37-year-old Bothell, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 26 months in prison for securities fraud due to his insider trading activity, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Viky Bohra pleaded guilty in November 2020, admitting that between 2016 and 2018, he used Amazon inside information he obtained from his wife, an Amazon finance employee, to place trades in Amazon stock–making a profit of $1,428,264. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted that Bohra had turned his wife and father into criminals and added “I firmly believe white collar crime deserves equal treatment to what we call street crime.”

“This defendant and his wife were earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary and bonuses from their jobs in tech – but he was not content with that – greedily scheming to illegally profit by trading Amazon stock,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “This case should stand as a warning to those who try to game the markets with insider trading: there is a heavy price to pay with a felony conviction and prison sentence.”

According to records filed in the case, Bohra’s wife had access to confidential information regarding Amazon revenue and expenses. Because of that work, Bohra and his wife were subject to blackout periods during which no Amazon stock could be traded. Bohra’s wife was advised of insider trading policies making it clear the responsibility to safeguard confidential financial information. Despite those warnings, Bohra obtained his wife’s confidential information and traded in Amazon stock and options in accounts tied to him and his father. Trades occurred during blackout periods and, from 2016 to 2018, relied in part on information from his wife to make successful trades in advance of Amazon earnings announcements.

“Mr. Bohra knew exactly what he was doing and was driven solely by greed,” said Donald M. Voiret, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Seattle Field Office. “With his nearly unlimited access and knowledge of securities trading, he undermined public trust in our financial markets.”

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Article: Bitcoin’s reputation as a government-free zone is in question after the US snatches $2.3 million from hackers

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Bitcoin’s reputation as a government-free zone is in question after the US snatches $2.3 million from hackers

Harry Robertson, 08 June 2021

Bitcoin’s fans have long argued that its decentralized design makes it a currency free from government control and manipulation. But on Monday, the US Justice Department said it had reached into a bitcoin “wallet” and swiped back $2.3 million that Colonial Pipeline had paid to hackers after a ransomware attack in May.

Analysts said the dramatic move raised questions about just how free from state oversight bitcoin really is.
“The rapid move by US agents in tracing and tracking the ransom paid, then retrieving it after gaining access to a private key to unlock the bitcoin wallet, is a blow to crypto fans who have lauded its untraceable nature,” said Susannah Streeter, senior investment analyst at broker Hargreaves Lansdown. Continue reading “Article: Bitcoin’s reputation as a government-free zone is in question after the US snatches $2.3 million from hackers”

Article: As Ransomware Hackers Sit On Millions In Extorted Money, America’s Military Is Urged To Hack Back

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As Ransomware Hackers Sit On Millions In Extorted Money, America’s Military Is Urged To Hack Back

Thomas Brewster, 05 June 2021

In just two months last year, the FBI watched three companies pay hackers wielding ransomware called NetWalker millions in Bitcoin to get their hacked data back. While that seems like a big win for the cybercriminals, it also gave investigators in the U.S. and elsewhere a new roadmap for tracking and prosecuting them.

Netwalker was a ransomware-as-a-service crew, similar to DarkSide and REvil, whose tools were used in the attacks on Colonial Pipeline and JBS, which led to gas and food shortages across America in the last month. The creators of NetWalker rented it out to other cybercriminals, who would find a way to break into a company and then deploy Netwalker to lock up the victims’ files. Only the key the Netwalker crew controlled could unlock that data. Since it emerged in 2019, its myriad victims included universities, healthcare bodies and government departments, making close to $50 million in that time. Continue reading “Article: As Ransomware Hackers Sit On Millions In Extorted Money, America’s Military Is Urged To Hack Back”

Article: Cleaning House: Combatting Money Laundering

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Cleaning House: Combatting Money Laundering

Martin Cheek, 02 June 2021

Money laundering, for the general public, is the stuff of gritty dramas like Ozark or the notorious dealings of Pablo Escobar and El Chapo. In popular culture, it is depicted as an activity to be done in the dark of night with neatly-stacked wads of cash deposited into duffel bags. The reality, however, is much more banal, with most money laundering occurring in the guise of an unremarkable series of transactions designed to obfuscate the trail for any who might be inclined to investigate.

The real estate sector has long been a favorite of money launderers, as the lack of regulation and use of shell companies have enabled them to “wash” a large quantity of cash through the system in one transaction. The truth is that nobody really knows how much money is laundered through real estate—not least because much of it currently goes undetected. This opacity might serve shady operators well, but it can have catastrophic effects on the rest of the economy, as the 2008 housing crisis demonstrated all too devastatingly. Continue reading “Article: Cleaning House: Combatting Money Laundering”

Article: What Is Megaupload? A Full History of Kim Dotcom’s File-Sharing Website in 2021

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What Is Megaupload? A Full History of Kim Dotcom’s File-Sharing Website in 2021

Aleksander Hougen, 24 May 2021

There have been many dramatic stories over the years involving the internet and copyright infringement, but few are as notorious as that of Megaupload and Kim Dotcom. It’s one hell of a story, but one that’s complicated and often misunderstood. Join us for an answer to the question of “what is Megaupload?” as we look at what happened to the website and what comes next.

Key Takeaways:
Megaupload was one of the leading file-sharing sites on the internet until its takedown in January 2012.
The site’s founder, Kim Schmitz, legally changed his name to Kim Dotcom around the same time he founded Megaupload in 2005.
Dotcom has waged an ongoing legal battle for more than a decade to avoid extradition to the United States for charges of copyright infringement, wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering. Continue reading “Article: What Is Megaupload? A Full History of Kim Dotcom’s File-Sharing Website in 2021”

Article: FBI probing federal contractor’s donations to Sen. Collins’ campaign

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FBI probing federal contractor’s donations to Sen. Collins’ campaign

Dennis Hoey, Portland Press Herald, Maine, 19 May 2021

A Department of Defense contractor with ties to Maine is under investigation by the U.S. government for allegedly making illegal contributions to Sen. Susan Collins’ 2020 re-election campaign.

An FBI search warrant in the investigation names Martin Kao and Clifford Chen. Kao is the former president and CEO of Hawaii-based Navatek — now known as Martin Defense Group — and Chen was Navatek’s chief financial officer at the time the contributions were made. The contractor is based in Honolulu and has offices in Maine, Washington, D.C., Rhode Island, Michigan, Oklahoma, Kansas and South Carolina.

Kao and Chen are accused of making illegal contributions of about $45,000 to Collins’ re-election campaign and $150,000 to the independently operated 1820 PAC, which supported the Republican’s re-election bid. Donations of that nature constitute violations of federal law that prohibit federal contractors from making political contributions, according to FBI Special Agent Michelle Ball, who filed an application for a search warrant on April 7. The warrant, which had to be executed before April 21, was authorized by U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey. Continue reading “Article: FBI probing federal contractor’s donations to Sen. Collins’ campaign”

Article: Disabled San Diego woman targeted in pandemic dating scam, FBI reports thousands of victims in 2020

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Disabled San Diego woman targeted in pandemic dating scam, FBI reports thousands of victims in 2020

Jennifer Kastner, 07 May 2021

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – More people are turning to the internet to find love during the pandemic, but it can come with a high price.

According to the FTC, $300 million was lost to romance scams during 2020. That’s a 50% increase from the year before.

ABC 10News recently met Margie McLellan at Lake Murray. She’s got a hearing impairment and other physical disabilities. She described her hurt and anger.

“It really hurts. I’m very, very angry and very upset,” she said. Last summer, McLellan joined an online dating platform.

The widow was looking for love during the pandemic when she matched with a profile. ABC 10News is not showing the face, since the real man’s identity was likely stolen.

“She was very excited in the beginning, and I was excited for her but then she became very quiet about the relationship by saying, ‘It’s very private and he doesn’t want me discussing it with anyone,'” said close friend Trish Testa who added that McLellan and the new man never met. They only texted.

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Article: Owner of Dog Training School Sentenced for Defrauding V.A. of over $1.5 Million in GI Bill Benefits

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Owner of Dog Training School Sentenced for Defrauding V.A. of over $1.5 Million in GI Bill Benefits

Department of Justice, 30 April 2021

A federal judge in San Antonio today sentenced 49-year-old Bradley Lane Croft, owner of Universal K-9, Inc., to 118 months of imprisonment for scheming to defraud the federal government of more than $1.5 million in Veterans Affairs GI Bill benefits to train service canines and their handlers.

In addition to the prison term, Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra ordered that Croft pay $1,506,758.31 in restitution and be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.

“Today’s sentence demonstrates what can happen to you if you choose to rip off one of the most important benefit programs we have for our veterans. My thanks goes to the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners who worked so hard to see justice served,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. Continue reading “Article: Owner of Dog Training School Sentenced for Defrauding V.A. of over $1.5 Million in GI Bill Benefits”

Article: Five Individuals Charged in Offering Fraud, Stock Manipulation and Money Laundering Schemes

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Five Individuals Charged in Offering Fraud, Stock Manipulation and Money Laundering Schemes

Department of Justice, 14 April 2021

A five-count indictment was filed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Richard Dale Sterritt, Jr., Michael Greer, Robert Magness, Mark Ross and Robyn Straza with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, among other offenses. The charged crimes arise out of a series of securities fraud schemes, including an offering fraud targeted at investors and potential investors in an oil and gas company in Texas and the attempted manipulation of the publicly traded stock of a cannabis company. The defendants were arrested today. Sterritt, Greer and Straza will make their initial appearance in federal court in Dallas, Texas; Magness and Ross will make their initial appearance in Brooklyn. Continue reading “Article: Five Individuals Charged in Offering Fraud, Stock Manipulation and Money Laundering Schemes”

Article: The Number One Threat To Global Finance? Cyber Attacks

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The Number One Threat To Global Finance? Cyber Attacks

PYMNTS, 13 April 2021

Cyberattacks are the greatest threat to the world’s financial system, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in an interview with CBS News this week. Speaking to “60 Minutes” on Sunday (April 11), Powell said the risks posed by cybercriminals are greater than the lending and liquidity troubles that triggered the 2008 financial crisis.

“There are scenarios in which a large financial institution would lose the ability to track the payments that it’s making, where you would have a part of the financial system come to a halt, or perhaps even a broad part,” he said. “And so, we spend so much time and energy and money guarding against these things. There are cyberattacks every day on all major institutions now. That’s a big part of the threat picture in today’s world.” Continue reading “Article: The Number One Threat To Global Finance? Cyber Attacks”

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