Father charged along with son (14) in US school shooting

WINDER - A 14-year-old boy was charged with shooting four people dead at a US high school, while his father was charged with manslaughter, authorities said Thursday, after the country's latest outburst of gun violence.

The teen faces four felony murder counts after allegedly killing two fellow pupils, also aged 14, as well as two teachers at Apalachee High School in the southern state of Georgia on Wednesday.

Nine people -- most of them children -- were wounded in the attack. Authorities have said they are recovering.

The suspect's father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, was in custody and faces four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children, making him the latest American parent to face criminal charges after a child was involved in a mass shooting.

The charges come after Gray "knowingly" allowed his son to possess a weapon, Georgia Bureau of Investigation director Chris Hosey told a press conference.

Citing unnamed sources, CNN reported that the gun used in the shooting -- which it described as an AR 15-style assault rifle -- had been purchased for the teenager by his father as a holiday gift.

The GBI had said the suspect would be charged as an adult. He was scheduled to appear in court on Friday, with more charges expected.

"The investigation into the shooting at Apalachee HS is still active & ongoing," the agency said in a post on X."This is day 2 of a very complex investigation & the integrity of the case is paramount," it continued, adding that all four victims would be autopsied on Thursday. Father charged along with son (14) in US school shooting

Read More........ → September 06, 2024

FCC fines major US operators for illegal data sharing

The fines were first proposed in February 2020

This week, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined major US wireless carriers, including AT&T, Sprint (since acquired by T-Mobile), T-Mobile, and Verizon nearly $200 million for illegally sharing customer location information to third parties without their consent.

According to the FCC, the carriers sold access to their customers’ location information to ‘aggregators’, who then resold the access to this information to third-party location-based service providers.

This allowed “highly sensitive data to wind up in the hands of bail-bond companies, bounty hunters, and other shady actors,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement.

Under the Communications Act of 1934, carriers are required to take “reasonable measures” to protect certain customer information, which includes location information.

“Our communications providers have access to some of the most sensitive information about us. These carriers failed to protect the information entrusted to them. Here, we are talking about some of the most sensitive data in their possession: customers’ real-time location information, revealing where they go and who they are,” said Rosenworcel in a separate press release.

Specifically, the FCC fined T-Mobile $80 million, Sprint $12 million, AT&T $57 million, and Verizon $47 million.

Although the FCC’s fines are significant, they represent just a tiny fraction of the operator’s annual revenues. Verizon’s $47 million fine, for example, is less than 1% of its total 2023 revenue, which was nearly $77 billion.

T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon have stated that they strongly oppose the FCC’s findings, and all three companies intend to appeal the decision. 

“[The FCC’s] decision is wrong, and the fine is excessive,” said T-Mobile in a statement. “We intend to challenge it.”

AT&T similarly claimed that the fines lacked “both legal and factual merit”.

“It unfairly holds us responsible for another company’s violation of our contractual requirements to obtain consent, ignores the immediate steps we took to address that company’s failures, and perversely punishes us for supporting life-saving location services. Source: https://totaltele.com/fcc-fines-major-us-operators-for-illegal-data-sharing/

Read More........ → May 01, 2024

'Rust' armourer found guilty over deadly on-set shooting

NEW MEXICO - The armourer who loaded the gun that killed a cinematographer on the set of the Alec Baldwin movie "Rust" was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. A jury in New Mexico took just over two hours to find Hannah Gutierrez guilty for the death of Halyna Hutchins in October 2021 during filming of the budget Western. A 10-day trial heard how Gutierrez had been ultimately responsible for the use of live rounds on set -- a red line across the industry. The court had also heard how she had repeatedly failed to adhere to basic safety rules, leaving guns unattended, and allowing actors -- including Baldwin -- to wave weapons around. "This is not a case where Hannah Gutierrez made one mistake and that one mistake was accidentally putting a live round into that gun," prosecutor Kari Morrissey told the jury in her closing argument Wednesday. "This case is about constant, never-ending safety failures that resulted in the death of a human being and nearly killed another." Hutchins was hit by a live round fired from the Colt .45 that Baldwin was holding for a scene inside a wooden church on the New Mexico set. Director Joel Souza was wounded by the same bullet. Baldwin has repeatedly denied responsibility, insisting he did not pull the trigger. Ballistics experts have dismissed the claim, saying the gun could not have discharged any other way. His own involuntary manslaughter trial is expected in July. The tragedy sent shockwaves through Hollywood and led to calls for a complete ban on the use of weapons on movie sets. Industry insiders, however, insisted that rules were already in place to prevent such incidents, and that those working on "Rust" had not followed them. 'Rust' armourer found guilty over deadly on-set shooting

Read More........ → March 07, 2024

Two Indian nationals charged in elder fraud gold bar courier scam

Cleveland – Anil Mangukia, 39, of Edison, New Jersey, and Yash Navadia, 25 of Secaucus, New Jersey, who were Indian Nationals, were both indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with money laundering conspiracy for their roles in an elder fraud gold bar courier scam (“Courier Scam”) targeting older Americans. They allegedly stole more than $127,000 and attempted to steal an additional $650,000 from a victim in Warrren, Ohio.

According to court documents, coconspirators posed as a customer service employee at a company or bank. They contacted a victim—typically an elder person—and falsely claimed that the victim’s account was at risk or had been compromised by a hacking event or similar computer intrusion. The purported customer service employee then referred the victim to another perpetrator who posed as a government agent, claiming that the fake government agent would assist the victim in avoiding or mitigating the effects of the account compromise. The fake government agent would discuss the incident with the victim, validate the false story told by the purported customer service or bank employee, and instruct the victim to either (1) move the victim’s money to another account that the perpetrators controlled, or (2) purchase gold or other valuable items and move them to the perpetrators’ account, claiming that the new account was secure and safe from the purported hackers. The perpetrators then used the stolen funds for their own benefit, without the victim’s knowledge or consent.

According to court documents, the defendants caused their victims to engage in several different types of transfers, such as the following: (i) withdrawing currency, converting it to cryptocurrency, and transferring the cryptocurrency to the coconspirators, who claimed they would deposit it into secure accounts; (ii) initiating bank transfers directly from victim’s accounts to acquire things of value that were handed over or otherwise transferred to coconspirators, who claimed that they would then convert those items into funds and deposit them in a secure account for the victim.

According to court documents, the defendants and their coconspirators also obtained proceeds from the Courier Scam directly from victims, traveling to meet victims either at their homes or nearby designated locations. There, the victims would give the defendants and their coconspirators U.S. currency, gold bars, or gold coins under false pretenses, persuaded that the perpetrators would secure the victims’ property.

“Our Office is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who commit financial scams that defraud our elderly citizens of their hard-earned savings,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “Financial fraud schemes of any variety cause serious financial harm to our community members, but those that target the elderly are particularly reprehensible. We encourage all members of the public to remain vigilant against such hoaxes and report suspected scams to law enforcement.”

“The FBI is focused on finding and investigating criminals preying on the trust of older Americans,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “Scams are becoming more complex, with several layers of deceit in their ploy and bad actors working in groups to give the illusion of legitimacy. The FBI will not yield in its pursuit to identify these criminals and dismantle scam and fraud-based networks.”

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). Two Indian nationals charged in elder fraud gold bar courier scam

Read More........ → February 29, 2024

Manager admits to key role in Indian Call Center scam

A 28-year-old Indian citizen recently entered a guilty plea in a years-long international conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud between 2017 and 2020. Zaheen Malvi, who was living illegally in Heber Springs, Arkansas, assisted Indian call centers in a telemarketing scheme that extorted millions of dollars from hundreds of victims in the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani, in a May 15, 2023, press release. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen accepted the plea and set sentencing for Aug. 14. At that time, Malvi faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing. As part of his plea agreement, Malvi will pay restitution to the scheme’s identified victims. Malvi first acted as a runner in the scheme, going to different Target stores in the Chicago area and depleting funds from gift cards that victims had transferred to the call centers. In later years, Malvi managed other runners as they traveled around the country, picking up packages filled with cash that call center victims had mailed. “The Indian call centers perpetrating these scams are relentless,” U.S. Attorney Hamdani is quoted saying in the press release. “They prey on the fears and insecurities of the most vulnerable among us, such as the elderly. But we are relentless too. Today, one more criminal is finally held to account for the many years he helped funnel money from victims into the pockets of overseas scammers…and tomorrow, we keep working.” One common script used in the scheme involved coercing victims into believing federal agents were investigating them. The “agent” on the phone would convince the victim the only way to clear his or her name from investigation was to buy gift cards and transfer the redemption codes to the call center or mail cash in a package to a name and address the call center provided. Runners in the United States would then deplete the gift card funds and pick up the packages.The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), consistently warns people of similar scams. For more information visit https://www.ssa.gov/scam/Manager admits to key role in Indian Call Center scam

Read More........ → November 06, 2023

Convicted lab owner Minal Patel, ordered to forfeit over $187 million in health care fraud proceeds

Exhibit from court record. Provided by Justice Department. PHOTO Justice.gov

MIAMI – On Sept. 22, U.S. District Court Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz, in Miami, ordered the defendant, Minal Patel, to forfeit over $187 million in health care fraud proceeds including over $30 million seized from personal and corporate bank accounts, a 2018 Red Ferrari Spider, a 2019 Land Rover Range Rover, and real property. Minal Patel, 44, of Atlanta, owned LabSolutions LLC (LabSolutions), a lab enrolled with Medicare that performed sophisticated genetic tests. Patel, who has already been convicted, is accused of having conspired with patient brokers, telemedicine companies, and call centers to target Medicare beneficiaries with telemarketing calls falsely stating that Medicare covered expensive cancer genetic tests, the Justice Department press release of October 3, 2023, said. After the Medicare beneficiaries agreed to take a test, Patel paid kickbacks and bribes to patient brokers to obtain signed doctors’ orders authorizing the tests from telemedicine companies. To conceal the kickbacks and bribes, Patel required patient brokers to sign sham contracts that falsely stated that the brokers were performing legitimate advertising services for LabSolutions, when the brokers were deceptively marketing to Medicare beneficiaries and paying kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies for genetic testing prescriptions. Patel knew the telemedicine doctors robo-signed prescriptions for expensive genetic testing even though they were not treating the beneficiaries, often did not even speak with them, and made no evaluation of medical necessity, the Justice Department press release noted.From July 2016 through August 2019, LabSolutions submitted more than $463 million in claims to Medicare, including for thousands of medically unnecessary genetic tests, of which Medicare paid over $187 million. “Patel enriched himself with the fruits of his crimes, including with the purchase of luxury items like a 2018 Red Ferrari Spider,” the press release said. Convicted lab owner Minal Patel, ordered to forfeit over $187 million in health care fraud proceeds

Read More........ → October 05, 2023

Mexico`s ex-governor shot dead in restaurant’s toilet

Aristoteles Sandoval, the former governor of Mexico’s troubled western state of Jalisco was shot dead in a restaurant bathroom in the popular beach resort of Puerto Vallarta on Friday.

State attorney general Gerardo Octavio Solis said that Sandoval was dining with four others when at around 1:40 am he got up from the table and went to the toilet, where the killer shot him in the back. 

Although only one gunman fired at Sandoval, he may have been accompanied by as many as nine accomplices who waited outside the restaurant, Solis said. 

Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that Sandoval did not die immediately, but when his bodyguards tried to evacuate him from the restaurant, their escape was blocked by more gunmen in the street outside, who opened fire, seriously injuring one of the bodyguards. The former governor died soon afterwards at a local hospital. 

According to officials, Sandoval had 15 police bodyguards assigned to him as well as bulletproof vehicles. Two of the bodyguards were present but were outside the restaurant when the attack took place. 

Solis said that staff at the restaurant cleaned the crime scene, removing blood and bullet casings, and erasing video of the attack. “There are no clues - they practically swept the place clean,” Solis told Televisa. He said eight to 10 suspects were involved in the attack but did not indicate who was responsible.

Jalisco is the heartland of one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal gangs, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The gang controls much of the state since it rose to power during the former governor’s term from 2013 to 2018. Mexico has been marred by gang violence for years. More than 34,500 murders were reported last year, but the country already set a new record as during the first six months of 2020 there were more than 17,400 murders - a 1.7 percent increase compared with the same period last year. - Aljazeera, The Guardian Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

Read More........ → December 20, 2020

Gunmen attack in Naigeria school, hundreds missing

Hundreds of students feared missing after unidentified gunmen attacked a secondary school in north-western Nigeria on Friday evening.

No student was injured in the attack, said authority.

Witnesses said that the attackers targeted the Government Science Secondary School - where more than 800 students are said to reside - in Katsina state on Friday evening.

On Saturday, the military said it had located the gunmen's hideout in a forest and exchanged gunfire with them.

The outcome was unclear but officials said there were no reports of students being injured. However, witnesses said they saw a number of students being taken away by the gunmen.

In a statement on Saturday, police said that during an exchange of fire, some of the gunmen were forced to retreat. Students were able to scale the fence of the school and run to safety, they said.About 200 students who had fled - and were initially deemed missing - later returned. One police officer was taken to hospital after being shot and wounded, police said. Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

Read More........ → December 15, 2020