Former Mayor of Charlotte, NC Pleads Guilty to One Charge of Wire Fraud After a meteoric and much-applauded rise to power and fame, and a short 6 month stint in the mayor’s office, former Charlotte, NC Mayor Patrick Cannon has pleaded guilty to one federal charge of wire fraud. His single guilty plea in federal court was to one count of honest services wire fraud, which carries a potential sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Cannon was arrested in March on federal charges for wire fraud, bribery, and extortion. An FBI … [Read more...]
Uber, Lyft Face Racketeering Charges in Connecticut
May 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Ridesharing Services Uber and Lyft Charged with Racketeering by Cab Companies In Connecticut, two booming ridesharing services, Uber and Lyft, face charges of racketeering in a lawsuit filed by cab and livery companies, which allege that the two ridesharing services “prey parasitically” on established businesses. The Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) gives the government discretion to investigate and prosecute the operation of an illegal business or enterprise, including a fraudulent scam, for an individual or … [Read more...]
Ringling Bros Racketeering Lawsuit Settled
May 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Humane Society Agrees to Settle Racketeering Lawsuit Against Ringling Bros Circus On Thursday, May 15th, the Humane Society of the United States has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed 14 years ago against Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, for $15.75 million. In retaliation, Feld filed a racketeering lawsuit against the animal rights groups. The Humane Society, along with other animal rights groups, filed a lawsuit against the entertainment company primarily because of unsubstantiated … [Read more...]
Man Sentenced for Sending Ricin Letters to President
May 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Man Receives Federal Sentence for Sending Ricin Letters to President Obama After extensive wrangling with his plea deal, James Everett Dutsche was sentenced on Tuesday, May 20th, to 25 years in federal prison, after a one year trial, for sending ricin-laced letters to President Obama. The 42-year-old Dutsche was a martial arts instructor before his arrest. Prosecutors said that he attempted to frame another man for the ricin letters, which he sent to the president, a senator, and a judge. He changed his story several times in the last week, … [Read more...]
6th Person in SCSU Federal Corruption Trial Pleads Guilty
May 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Sixth Defendant Pleads Guilty in SCSU Federal Corruption and Kickbacks Trial A sixth defendant in the Jonathan Pinson and South Carolina State University federal corruption and kickbacks trial has pleaded guilty. Edwin Givens, a former attorney and chief of staff at the university, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, May 13th, to one charge of misprision of a felony. Givens allegedly played a small role in the federal corruption scheme at SCSU. The FBI planted wire taps on several phones for years, listening to a recording conversations between … [Read more...]
Federal Theft Charges Against School Leader
May 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Head of Defunct School Charged with Federal Theft of Government Property The former director of a controversial charter school in the Midlands now faces federal theft charges over government property, according to the US Attorney’s Office. Benita Dinkins-Robinson has been charged with two counts of theft of government property while she ran the Mary L. Dinkins Higher Learning Academy, in Sumter and Beaufort. Allegedly, Dinkins-Robinson took government grants from the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Education and used … [Read more...]
WWII Vet Sentenced in Federal Conspiracy Cocaine Case
May 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Elderly Man Who Ran Cocaine Receives Sentence in Federal Conspiracy Case On his 90th birthday, an elderly Indiana resident who pleaded guilty last year to serving as a drug mule for a cocaine cartel has been sentenced for federal conspiracy charges. Leo Sharp, 90 years old on May 7th, was sentenced to three years in prison for smuggling more than 1 ton of cocaine into Michigan on behalf of a Mexican drug cartel. "All I can tell you, your honor, is I'm really heartbroken I did what I did," Leo Sharp told a judge. "But it's done." Sharp … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Clarifies Mortgage Fraud Restitution
May 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Supreme Court Sets Down Rules for Mortgage Fraud Calculations and Restitution On Monday, May 5th, the Supreme Court clarified rules for how restitution is calculated in mortgage fraud cases. In a unanimous decision, the justices agreed that restitution to a bank that has been defrauded must be calculated on the value of the property when the property is sold, not the value of the property when it has been foreclosed upon. The decision centers on a case of a fraudulent loan application for two houses in WIsconsin, for $470,000, filed by … [Read more...]
Two Face Federal Charges in $17 Million Drug Scam
May 12, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Two Men Indicted on Federal Charges for $17 Million Drug Scam The two operators of a drug supply company in Great Neck, New York, were arrested on federal charges on Wednesday, April 30th, for their roles in a multimillion dollar medical device and drug scam. William Scully, 45, and Rodi Lameh, 40, were charged for selling more than $17 million worth of misbranded or counterfeit medical devices and drugs, including fake cancer drugs and birth control. Both men pleaded not guilty to the federal charges stemming from the 73-count … [Read more...]
Illinois Lawmaker Faces Federal Child Pornography Charges
May 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Graphic Federal Complaint Against Former Illinois Lawmaker Leads to Child Porn Charges An Illinois state lawmaker resigned his seat in March of this year and on Monday, April 28th, received formal charges in a federal child pornography case. Former Representative Keith Farnham, 66, was charged with having two child pornography videos on his computer at his state office and another computer from his home, which were seized on March 13th as part of the federal investigation. The complaint also details extensive and graphic communications … [Read more...]
