Category: CNB CRIME

Grape Street Crips Member Sentenced To Life

In Prison For Murder Of Bystander And Related Drug-Trafficking Charges

NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Grape Street Crips gang was sentenced today to life in prison for murder in aid of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute heroin, and other drug crimes, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Khalil Stafford, a/k/a “Stod,” a/k/a “Homicide,” 35, of Newark, was previously convicted following a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. Stafford had been acquitted of the murder charge following a 2013 state jury trial in Essex County.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

On June 19, 2010, during a family cookout on Garside Street in Newark, Stafford – a long-time member of the Grape Street Crips – confronted an individual about a drug debt. Stafford and several other gang-members left the cookout to retrieve firearms and later returned. They fired more than a dozen shots at the person whom Stafford originally confronted. A woman who was not involved in the dispute was standing on a nearby porch, and was shot and killed. Two other people were wounded and survived.

Stafford sold heroin and cocaine at the James Baxter Terrace housing complex from 2003 until it was demolished in 2009. After Baxter Terrace was torn down, Stafford continued to distribute heroin and cocaine at the Wynona Lipman public housing complex. In 2014, Stafford and a conspirator sold to DEA confidential informants nearly $20,000 worth of heroin in separate transactions.

Stafford was charged – along with 13 other defendants –with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid racketeering, conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute one kilogram of more of heroin. All 14 defendants have now been convicted.

Another 66 members and associates of the Grape Street Crips who were arrested in a coordinated takedown in May 2015 were separately charged with drug-trafficking, physical assaults, and witness intimidation, and all have been convicted. These individuals include:

• Corey Hamlet, a/k/a “C-Blaze,” 41, of Newark, sentenced to life in prison;

• Kwasi Mack, a/k/a “Welches,” 30, of Newark, sentenced to 45 years in prison and five years’ supervised release;

• Tony Phillips, a/k/a “Blue,” 28, of Newark, sentenced to life in prison;

• Ahmad Manley, a/k/a “Fresh,” 32, of Summit, New Jersey, sentenced to 35 years in prison and five years’ supervised release;

• Rashan Washington, a/k/a “Shoota,” 31, of Newark, sentenced to 30 years in prison and ten years’ supervised release;

• Justin Carnegie, a/k/a “Dew Hi,” 31, of Newark, sentenced to 25 years in prison and ten years’ supervised release;

• Ahmed Singleton, a/k/a “Gangsta Mu,” 30, of Newark, sentenced to 19 years in prison and five years’ supervised release;

• Eric Concepcion, a/k/a “Wax,” 33, of Newark, sentenced to 18 years in prison and five years’ supervised release;

• Hakeem Vanderhall, a/k/a “Keem,” 34, of Newark, sentenced to 18 years in prison and five years’ supervised release;

• Hanee Cureton, a/k/a “City,” 34, of Springfield, New Jersey, sentenced to 12 years in prison and five years’ supervised release; and

• James Gutierrez, a/k/a “Bad News,” 27, of Newark, sentenced to 11 years in prison and five years’ supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, and the Essex County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura, for their assistance with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Osmar J. Benvenuto, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit within the Criminal Division in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Ramsay of the Appeals Division in Newark.

This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

Defense counsel: John McMahon Esq., West Orange, New Jersey

STUDY: PA Spends More Per Prisoner Than Most States

By Todd DeFeo |

The Center Square

Pennsylvania spends $286 for every resident to incarcerate prisoners, 11th most among the 50 states, and the commonwealth imprisons 473 people for every 100,000 residents, 26th most, according to a new examination of incarceration nationwide.

CNBNews.net Graphic files

The

analysis from HowMuch.net

found Pennsylvania incarcerates fewer people than the nearby states of Ohio (567 per 100,000), West Virginia (492) and Virginia (560). However, it imprisons more than New York (314 per 100,000), New Jersey (278) and Maryland (407).

The site’s review also found the Keystone state spends less than New York ($335 per capita), Virginia ($310) and Maryland ($317). However, Pennsylvania’s spending outpaces Ohio ($181 per capita), New Jersey ($227) and West Virginia ($195).

The state’s Department of Corrections’ 2018-19 fiscal year budget was about $2.3 billion, according to its website. That is up slightly from the nearly $2.2 billion in 2013-14, and it is also lower than the $3.7 billion budget

HowMuch.net

used in its analysis.

In 2016, the state spent $42,700 per inmate for incarceration, which was more than the $35,300 per inmate the state spent in 2006, according to state numbers. While that was less than the national average of $45,400 per inmate, it was more than Ohio ($33,700) and West Virginia ($42,000) spend.

Pennsylvania’s prison population stands at approximately 47,300 inmates, which represents a decrease of more than 4,300 inmates over the past 6½ years, according to state numbers. The prison population peaked in June 2012, when the population reached 51,757.

Pennsylvania officials also point to declining crime rates for the reduction in the state’s prison population. The state’s crime rate dropped by 4.7 percent in 2017, the most recent numbers available, which was 1.4 percentage points more than the nationwide crime drop.

In generating its analysis,

HowMuch.net

incorporated data from the U.S. Census for 2017 and numbers from the U.S. Department of Justice. The study found that Southern states tend to have higher rates of incarceration, while those in the northeast tend to put fewer people in prison on a per capita basis.

Nationally, Louisiana incarcerates the most people per capita (942 per 100,000), followed by Oklahoma (931) and Mississippi (812). Alaska spends the most on prisons per capita ($436), followed by California ($370) and New Mexico ($346).

Meanwhile,

a recent poll

from Gallup revealed a majority of Americans (52 percent) say crime is an “extremely” or “very serious” problem. While that is up slightly from

48 percent a year earlier

, the rate is down from 2015-2017 when the numbers ranged between 59 percent and 60 percent, according to Gallup.

published here with permission

FBI Seeking Person of Interest

December 4, 2019

Who May Have Information Regarding the Identity of a Child Sexual Assault Victim

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is seeking the public’s assistance with obtaining identifying information regarding an unknown female who may have critical information pertaining to the identity of a child victim in an ongoing sexual exploitation investigation. Photographs and an

informational poster

depicting the unknown individual, known only as

Jane Doe 37, are being disseminated to the public.

Initial videos of the unidentified female, Jane Doe 37, shown with a child were first recorded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in June 2014. The EXIF data embedded within the video files also indicated that the files were produced in April 2012. In addition, audio from the animated film

The Land Before Time

can be heard in the background of the videos.

Jane Doe 37 is described as a white female with brown hair and wearing dark-framed glasses. Due to the age of the images, it is possible that the individual’s appearance may have changed over the years.

Information regarding this individual was originally released in late 2016 under a John Doe title. However, further investigation has led the FBI to determine the gender of this individual is female and not male. Therefore, this individual is now known as Jane Doe 37.

UNKNOWN INDIVIDUAL – JANE DOE 37

Anyone with information to provide should

submit a tip online

or call the FBI’s toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). The public is reminded no charges have been filed in this case and that the pictured individual is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

This individual is being sought as part of the FBI’s Operation Rescue Me and Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) initiatives, both of which represent strategic partnerships between the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Operation Rescue Me focuses on utilizing clues obtained through in-depth image analysis to identify the child victims depicted in child exploitation material, while ECAP seeks national and international media exposure of unknown adults (referred to as John/Jane Does) who visibly display their faces and/or other distinguishing characteristics in association with child pornography images.

Another NJ-Base Pharmaceutical Co. Admits to Price Fixing

Rising Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Pay Over $3 Million in Criminal Penalty, Restitution, and Civil Damages Related to Hypertension Drug

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain and the Department of Justice announced that Rising Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Rising), a generic pharmaceutical company headquartered in New Jersey, was criminally charged for conspiring to fix prices and allocate customers for a generic hypertension drug, and in a related enforcement action, reached a civil settlement for violations of the False Claims Act, subject to bankruptcy court approval.

According to a one-count felony charge filed today in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, from about April 2014 until at least September 2015, Rising participated in a criminal antitrust conspiracy with a competing manufacturer of generic drugs and its executives to fix prices and allocate customers for Benazepril HCTZ, a medicine used to treat hypertension. This charge is the fourth in the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division’s ongoing criminal investigation into the generic pharmaceuticals industry; previously, two executives were charged and pleaded guilty to criminal antitrust violations, and a corporation, Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc., was charged and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Antitrust Division in May 2019.

U.S. Attorney McSwain and the Antitrust Division also announced a deferred prosecution agreement resolving the charge against Rising, under which the company admits that it conspired to fix prices and allocate customers for Benazepril HCTZ. Under the deferred prosecution agreement, Rising agrees that $1,543,207 is the appropriate amount of restitution it owes to victims of the Benazepril HCTZ conspiracy. To account for Rising’s separate agreement with the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, which requires Rising to pay approximately $1.1 million in civil damages for False Claims Act violations predicated on Rising’s antitrust conduct, the deferred prosecution agreement calls for an offset of Rising’s restitution, to $438,066. The deferred prosecution agreement also requires Rising to pay a $1.5 million criminal penalty, reduced from the fine of approximately $3.6 million called for under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, as a result of Rising’s inability to pay a larger fine without impeding its ability to pay restitution and in light of its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings that will result in liquidation. Both the deferred prosecution agreement and civil settlement agreement are pending approval in the bankruptcy court. Once approved, the deferred prosecution agreement will be filed in district court.

In addition, under the deferred prosecution agreement, Rising has agreed to cooperate fully with the Antitrust Division’s ongoing criminal investigation. To allow Rising to comply with the agreement’s terms, the United States will defer prosecuting Rising for three years, or until its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings become final, whichever comes first. The agreement will not be final until accepted by the court.

The Antitrust Division entered into this deferred prosecution agreement with Rising based on the individual facts and circumstances of this case. Among those facts and circumstances, the agreement specifically identifies the company’s substantial and ongoing cooperation with the investigation to date, including its disclosure of information regarding criminal antitrust violations involving drugs other than those identified in the criminal charge and the agreement. According to the agreement, this cooperation has allowed the United States to advance its investigation into criminal antitrust conspiracies among other manufacturers of generic pharmaceuticals. Other facts and circumstances identified in the agreement include Rising’s agreement to pay restitution, and the fact that a conviction (including a guilty plea) would result in substantial delay to Rising’s ongoing bankruptcy proceeding and liquidation. The agreement ensures that Rising is held accountable for its criminal conduct and preserves the United States’ ability to prosecute the company should material breaches occur.

In the separate civil resolution, Rising has agreed to pay $1.1 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act related to the price-fixing conspiracy, subject to bankruptcy court approval. The government alleged that between 2013 and 2016, Rising paid and received remuneration through arrangements on price, supply, and allocation of customers with another pharmaceutical manufacturer for certain generic drugs in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, and that its sale of these drugs resulted in claims submitted to the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

“My Office is proud to announce our next round of enforcement actions in this criminal and civil investigation with the Antitrust Division and the Civil Division,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “We and our partners at the Antitrust and Civil Divisions remain heavily focused on price-fixing and market allocation in generic drugs and addressing the impact on federal healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid. These criminal and civil resolutions with Rising, if approved by the bankruptcy court, are yet another important accomplishment in that area.”

“Hypertension medicines are vital for patient health, and engaging in schemes to price fix these generic medicines is illegal and could potentially be dangerous, as some patients may have an inability to pay for the medicines they need,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of companies engaging in actions that put the public and the Medicare program at risk.”

“Today’s charge, like the previous corporate and individual charges announced in this investigation, publicly affirms the Antitrust Division’s steadfast commitment to prosecuting the companies and executives who fixed prices of generic pharmaceuticals,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Rising and its co-conspirators exploited patients that rely on Benazepril HCTZ as a low-cost alternative to brand-name medications to treat high blood pressure. The deferred prosecution agreement is an important step in restoring integrity to the generics industry. It will require from Rising not only an admission of guilt, a criminal penalty and cooperation in the ongoing investigation, but also restitution to the direct purchasers that bought Benazepril HCTZ at artificially inflated prices.”

“The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General appreciates the opportunity to assist in these critical generics industry antitrust investigations,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Pierce. “Aggressively pursuing those companies and executives who foster behavior related to price fixing, bid rigging and market allocation helps to ensure an open process by which generic pharmaceuticals can be competitively priced and sold. Working closely with the Department of Justice and our counterparts at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General stands ready to support these vital efforts going forward.”

“The FBI is proud to join our partners in this effort to uncover companies and individuals who attempt to exploit necessary medicines to cheat the economic system and illegally amass wealth,” said Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “Today’s announcement shows the FBI’s level of commitment to investigating allegations of antitrust violations and illuminating criminal behavior so that the perpetrators can be held accountable.”

The criminal charge is the result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the generic pharmaceutical industry, which is being conducted by the Antitrust Division with the assistance of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Anyone with information on market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct related to the generic pharmaceutical industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at

1-888-647-3258

or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.

The civil settlement was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with support from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. Except for those facts admitted to in the deferred prosecution agreement, the claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Genovese Crime Family Member Convicted Of Racketeering And Extortion Offenses

FRANK GIOVINCO was close with Capo Alphonso Allie \”Shades\” Malangone

photo courtesy

of Pinterest

NEW YORK,NY–Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that FRANK GIOVINCO was convicted yesterday of conspiring to commit extortion and racketeering offenses with members and associates of the Genovese Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra following a six-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.  The jury found the defendant responsible for acts involving extortion, honest services fraud, and unlawful kickback payments related to the Genovese Crime Family’s control of two local chapters of a labor union.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “For years, Frank Giovinco, as a member of the Genovese Crime Family, instilled fear in victims and propagated kickback schemes to tighten the Family’s stranglehold over two labor unions.  Now, a jury has held Giovinco accountable for his crimes.”

According to the Indictment, documents previously filed in the case, and evidence introduced at trial:

La Cosa Nostra, also known as the “Mob” or the “Mafia,” operates through entities known as “Families.”  The largest of the families operating in the New York City area is the Genovese Crime Family.  In the early 1990s, GIOVINCO was inserted by the Genovese Crime Family into a scheme to control the waste carting industry in New York City, and as far back as the late-1990s, GIOVINCO was a member of the Genovese Crime Family.

In more recent years, and continuing until 2017, GIOVINCO conspired with other members and associates of the Genovese Crime Family to commit a wide range of crimes to enrich themselves and the Genovese Crime Family, including multiple acts of extortion, honest services fraud, and bribery.  GIOVINCO’s activity for the Genovese Crime Family was centered on two local chapters (the “Unions”) of a labor union.  GIOVINCO participated in a host of schemes designed to manipulate and siphon money from the Unions for the benefit of the Genovese Crime Family.  Among other things, GIOVINCO extorted a financial adviser (the “Adviser”) and a labor union official (“Official-1”) for a cut of commissions made from union investments.  Audio recordings captured GIOVINCO planning to “rattle the cage” of a victim, and to have another victim’s “feet held to the fire.”  When Official-1 failed to pay the commissions demanded by GIOVINCO and other members of the Genovese Crime Family, Official-1’s life was threatened by GIOVINCO and his co-conspirators.  GIOVINCO further plotted to profit from union investments by paying kickbacks to Official-1 and others, in exchange for a cut of future commissions.  GIOVINCO also participated in the long-running extortion of a union president (“Official-2”) for annual tribute payments of more than $10,000, and sought a job at the union for the purpose of exerting control over Official-1 on the Genovese Crime Family’s behalf, and threatening to replace Official-1.

*                *                *

GIOVINCO, 52, of Syosset, New York, was convicted of one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, which also carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  Sentencing before Judge Rakoff is scheduled for March 11, 2020.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General and Office of Labor-Management Standards, the New York City Police Department, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly J. Ravener, Jason A. Richman, and Justin V. Rodriguez are in charge of the prosecution, assisted by Paralegal Specialist Hannah Harney.

Third Defendant Pleads Guilty in “Paying it Forward” GoFundMe Scam

Agrees to repay restitution to victims, five-year prison term

BURLINGTON CITY NJ–Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that the remaining defendant behind the fictitious GoFundMe campaign pled guilty today to participating in the fraudulent scheme that

misled donors into contributing more than $402,000 to a fabricated cause.

Mark D’Amico, 40, of Florence, pled guilty in Superior Court to Misapplication of Entrusted Property (Second Degree). The Hon. Terrence R. Cook, P.J.Cr. scheduled sentencing for April 24, 2020.

“We are pleased that this defendant accepted responsibility for his role in this scam,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “He will be required to make full restitution to GoFundMe and the donors – the true victims in this case – and has agreed to a five-year term in New Jersey state prison.”

D’Amico was charged late last year along with his girlfriend at the time, Katelyn McClure of Bordentown, and Johnny Bobbitt of Philadelphia, with concocting a feel-good story that compelled more than 14,000 people to contribute money believing it would go to help Bobbitt, who was homeless and living on the streets of Philadelphia.

Bobbitt pled guilty in March to Conspiracy to Commit Theft by Deception (Second Degree), and was admitted into the Superior Court’s drug court program when sentenced in April. The program allows those with addiction problems to seek treatment instead of being incarcerated. However, if Bobbitt fails to adhere to the tightly-structured regimen of treatment and recovery services, which includes frequent testing for drug use, he could be sentenced to five years in state prison.

Under the terms of an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office, McClure admitted that she concocted the gas story at D’Amico’s direction, and pled guilty in April to Theft by Deception (Second Degree) in exchange for a four-year term in state prison. She has not yet been sentenced.

As part of their plea agreements, both McClure and Bobbitt also agreed to make restitution in the amount of $402,706.

The trio’s “Paying it Forward” GoFundMe campaign was created on November 10, 2017, soon after D’Amico took a picture of McClure and Bobbitt standing in front of the Girard Avenue exit ramp on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia. The fairy tale narrative that accompanied the photo indicated that McClure had run out of gas, and Bobbitt spent his last $20 to help her get back on her way.

The campaign listed a goal of $10,000 to provide Bobbitt with rent for an apartment, a reliable vehicle and six months of living expenses, among other things. But the incoming funds far exceeded their expectations, and were quickly spent by McClure and D’Amico on casino gambling and personal items such as a BMW, a New Year’s trip to Las Vegas, a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon and Louis Vuitton hand bags.

Within a few months of the campaign’s creation, all of the donated funds had been spent. Once he realized the money had been squandered, Bobbitt took civil action against D’Amico and McClure. He alleged in August 2018 through his attorneys that he had only received approximately $75,000 of the funds raised on his behalf.

“Today’s proceeding presents an opportunity to remind the public during the holidays to be cautious when considering making a charitable contribution,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “Do your research, and make sure you are donating to a worthwhile cause.”

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs encourages individuals to visit its website (

https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/charities

) for tips on avoiding charity scams, and to notify the agency about suspicious activity.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Andrew McDonnell, supervisor of the BCPO Financial Crimes Unit, and Assistant Prosecutor Saurabh Singal. The investigation was conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit and High-Tech Crimes Unit, with assistance from the Florence Township Police Department.

Evesham Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography

Evesham Township NJ (Dec. 6, 2019)–Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a 62-year-old Evesham Township man has pled guilty to possession of child pornography.

Scott J. Lucas, of Sheffield Drive, faces incarceration when sentenced March 4, 2020 on one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Third Degree). Lucas was employed by the Evesham Township Municipal Utilities Authority at the time of his arrest in March 2019.

The investigation began after the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit received information regarding Lucas’s online activity from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The investigation, which included the execution of a search warrant at his residence, revealed that Lucas would use online search engines to locate pictures of nude pre-pubescent girls.

The investigation was conducted by the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit, with assistance from United States Homeland Security Investigations – Cherry Hill Office, and the Evesham Township Police Department.

Lucas is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Steve Eife, supervisor of the Special Victims Section of the BCPO Major Crimes Unit.

The lead investigator was BCPO Detective Kevin Sobotka. The High-Tech Crimes Unit is a member of the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the New Jersey State Police Cyber Terrorism Task Force.

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

CC Prosecutors Office High Tech Crimes Unit Meets with Public

CHERRY HILL new jersey—The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit and Cherry Hill Police Department visited the Cherry Hill Mall yesterday

afternoon and manned a table near the Apple Store to share information with anyone interested in purchasing electronic devices for the holidays. While members of the High Tech Crimes Unit shared pamphlets on internet safety and spoke to dozens of interested parents, Sergeant Chris Robinson spoke to a local news station about the importance of a parent’s role in making sure their children are safe in the online world.

The CCPO High Tech Crimes Unit and Cherry Hill Police Department will be in the Cherry Hill Mall near the Apple Store to answer questions on cyber safety on December 12th and December 19th from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Cyber-Safety-Tips-for-Children_Philadelphia-565808112.html

Philadelphia Tax Return Preparer Admits to Preparing False Tax Returns

PHILADELPHIA PA–On December 5, 2019, JOSE SANTIAGO (SANTIAGO), 48, of Philadelphia, PA, pled guilty to six counts of preparing false income tax returns.

SANTIAGO owned and operated Santiago Tax Service in Philadelphia, PA. While operating his tax preparation business, SANTIAGO prepared and filed numerous fraudulent tax returns. SANTIAGO inflated his clients’ unreimbursed employee business expensees and charitable donations; causing his clients to receive tax refunds that they were not entitled to. SANTIAGO’S actions caused a loss of approximately $914,635 to the IRS.

“Tax preparers have a duty to their clients to prepare tax returns that comply with the law and are complete and accurate,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “Mr. SANTIAGO failed to uphold this duty; instead he blatantly ignored the tax laws by preparing false tax returns.”

SANTIAGO’S sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2020, before United States District Judge Joshua D. Wolson. SANTIAGO faces a statutory maximum sentence of 18 years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $914,635.00.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Schlessinger.

Pennsylvania AG and other Attorney Generals File Amicus Brief in Transgender Discrimination Case

December 2, 2019 | Topic:

Rights

Press Release

HARRISBURG PENNSYLVANIA – Attorney General Josh Shapiro and a coalition of 22 other Attorneys General are standing up for transgender rights by filing an

amicus brief

supporting an anti-discrimination lawsuit against the Gloucester County School Board in Virginia.

Gavin Grimm, a former student at Gloucester High School, sued the local school board in 2015 — when he was still a student — for discrimination that banned him from using the common male restrooms at his high school. The coalition filed an amicus brief in the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in support of Grimm in the case of

Gavin Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board.

“Discrimination for any reason is an offensive way to treat another human being, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is lending its voice and legal might to this important case to make sure transgender people have the right to basic human services,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said, who noted there are an estimated 44,000 Pennsylvanians who are transgender.

In a 2015 U.S. Transgender Amicus Brief of Pennsylvania residents, 77 percent of those who were perceived as transgender at some point between kindergarten and 12

th

grade said they experienced verbal harassment, being prohibited from dressing according to their gender identity, were disciplined more harshly than others, or were physically or sexually assaulted because people thought they were transgender.

Twelve percent of the Pennsylvania respondents faced such severe mistreatment as a transgender person that they left a K–12 school.

Grimm not only sued to challenge the Gloucester County School Board’s policy of banning him from using the common male restrooms at his high school, but also the board’s refusal to update his educational records to correspond with his updated birth certificate that reflects his male gender. The federal district court in Virginia ruled in Grimm’s favor in August 2019, finding that the school board’s actions discriminated against Grimm on the basis of his sex in violation of Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The coalition of attorneys general — led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson — argue, first and foremost, that transgender individuals have the right “to live with dignity, be free from discrimination, and have equal access to education, employment, housing, public accommodations, and other necessities of life.”

They also argue that policies that prevent transgender individuals from using gender-segregated facilities consistent with their gender identity cause stigma, isolation, and exclusion. The brief highlights how policies that allow students and members of the public to use gender-segregated facilities consistent with their gender identity promote safe and inclusive communities, workplaces, and schools, and benefit the people of the states without harming personal privacy or safety interests, or without incurring any substantial costs.

Finally, the brief highlights that the school board’s restroom policy preventing transgender people from using common restrooms consistent with their gender identity and its refusal to update Grimm’s school records do nothing to further legitimate governmental interests and only serve to stigmatize transgender persons in violation of the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.

Nearly 1.5 million people in the United States — including approximately 150,000 teenagers — currently identify as transgender.

AG Shapiro joins the Attorneys General of New York, Washington, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and the District of Columbia in filing the brief.