FBI.gov | News - October 7, 2009

FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending October 2, 2009

1. Chicago: 18 Alleged Latin Kings Gang Leaders Indicted on Federal Charges

A Chicago man alleged to be a “Corona” of the Latin Kings, making him the highest-ranking leader outside of prison and responsible for overseeing the illegal activities of all factions of the powerful Chicago street gang, is among 18 defendants charged in a sweeping new federal indictment against the gang’s alleged hierarchy. Augustin Zambrano, the alleged leader of the Almighty Latin King Nation in the Chicago area, and other alleged leaders of the 26th Street Region of the Latin Kings were charged with racketeering conspiracy for allegedly running a criminal enterprise to enrich themselves and others through drug trafficking and preserving and protecting their power, territory and revenue through acts of murder, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, extortion, and other acts of violence. All 18 defendants—six newly charged and 12 who were initially indicted a year ago—were charged in a 48-count superseding indictment. Full Story

2. New Orleans: Man Indicted in Connection with Cross-Burning

Daniel Earl Danforth was indicted by a federal grand jury for hate crime violations and obstruction of justice charges stemming from a cross-burning in Athens, Louisiana last year near the home of an interracial couple. Full Story

3. New York: Former Political Fundraiser Sentenced for Ponzi Scheme, Campaign Finance Crimes

Former political fundraiser Norman Hsu was sentenced to 292 months in prison campaign finance violations and for wire and mail fraud in connection with his operation of a Ponzi scheme. As the managing director of two companies, Components Ltd. and Next Components Ltd., Hsu solicited investments by promising guaranteed short-term, high returns. After making some payments intended to perpetuate the scheme, Hsu swindled his victims out of at least $80 million. Hsu also violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by making contributions to various political campaigns in the names of others. Full Story

4. Cincinnati: Third Defendant Pleads Guilty to Assault in Drive-By Shooting Involving FBI Agent

Deante Martell pled guilty to one count of assault on a federal officer and one count of discharging a firearm in connection with a federal crime. The charges stem from a March 25, 2009 shooting where assailants fired approximately 15 shots into the car of an FBI agent. Full Story

5. Oklahoma City: Man Sentenced for Bomb Threat at Federal Building

Roderick Lamar Robinson was sentenced to serve 14 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for making a bomb threat at the Federal Building, located at 301 NW 6th Street in Oklahoma City. He was also ordered to pay $30,860.80 in restitution to the federal agencies inside the Federal Building for the lost work time of their evacuated employees. Robinson must also reimburse local and county law enforcement $14,559 for their response and investigation costs related to the bomb threat. Full Story

6. New Haven: Two Romanian Citizens Extradited to Face Charges Related to Phishing Scheme

Two Romanian citizens were extradited to the United States to face charges stemming from an alleged Internet phishing scheme that victimized individuals, financial institutions, and companies. Petru Bogdan Belbita and Cornel Ionut Tonita were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with access devices, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Full Story

7. Buffalo: Four Indicted for Racketeering and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering

A federal grand jury in Buffalo returned a 17-count indictment charging Thamud Eldridge, Kashika Speed, and Kevin Allen with racketeering, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, robbery, distribution and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and causing the death of a person through use of a firearm in furtherance of violent crime. Galen Rose was charged with distribution and conspiracy to distribute marijuana, robbery, and causing death of a person through use of a firearm in furtherance of violent crime. Full Story

8. San Francisco: CEO of Biotech Firm Convicted of Wire Fraud

W. Scott Harkonen, M.D., the former CEO of InterMune, Inc., was convicted of wire fraud for the creation and dissemination of false and misleading information about the efficacy of InterMune’s drug Actimmune (Interferon gamma-1b) as a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Full Story

9. New York: Westchester Man Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Financing and Investment Fraud

Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari pled guilty to charges of terrorism financing and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Alishtari facilitated the transfer of $152,000 to fund training for terrorists. He also admitted to stealing millions of dollars from victims through his fraudulent operation of a loan investment program he called the “Flat Electronic Data Interchange.” Full Story

10. Los Angeles: Man Sentenced to 100 Years in Prison for $60 Million Ponzi Scheme

Richard Monroe Harkless, the mastermind of a Riverside-based Ponzi scheme that collected well over $60 million from hundreds of investors and caused more than $39 million in losses, was sentenced to 100 years in federal prison. Full Story

10/06/09	Indictment in West Virginia Charges 55 Members, Associates of Motorcycle Gang
10/05/09	Former Mayor Pro Tem, Others Guilty in Dallas City Hall Corruption Case
10/05/09	Florida Residents Convicted in $51 Million HIV Infusion Fraud Scheme
10/05/09	Texas Woman Indicted for Stealing 401(k) Plan Money
10/05/09	Execs of Financial Service Firms Sentenced in Mortgage Fraud Scheme
10/05/09	Mortgage Fraud Scheme Leader Sentenced in Maryland
10/05/09	Kansas Bank Employee Sentenced for Theft
10/05/09	Chinese Nationals, Companies Charged with Exporting Defense Info to China
10/05/09	Fugitive Bank Robber Arrested in Ghana
10/05/09	California Mortgage Broker Pleads Guilty to Mortgage Fraud
10/05/09	Texas Credit Union Manager Sentenced for Fraud and Tax Evasion
10/05/09	Texas Man Sentenced on Child Pornography Charges
10/05/09	Oregon Men Appear in Court on Heroin Distribution Charges
10/05/09	Florida Man Convicted in $1.1 Million Georgia Health Care Fraud Scheme
10/03/09	Louisiana Doctor, Wife, Former Employee Convicted in Prescription Fraud Scheme
10/02/09	Texas Stockbroker Sentenced for Stealing from Clients
10/02/09	Three Texas Gang Members Plead Guilty to Murder, Conspiracy Charges
10/02/09	Top-Ranking Members of the Mexican Mafia Sentenced in Texas
10/02/09	New York Man Convicted of Armed Robbery, Auto Theft, Drug Charges
10/02/09	Thirty-Nine Charged with Conspiring to Bribe Chair of D.C. Taxicab Commission
10/02/09	Stock Promoter Pleads Guilty in New York to Bribery Scheme
10/02/09	Maryland MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced in Racketeering Conspiracy
10/02/09	Sixty-Five Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Indicted in Puerto Rico
10/02/09	Rhode Island Woman Pleads Guilty to $1.7 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme
10/02/09	Michigan Executive Indicted in $200 Million Ponzi Scheme

FBI.gov | FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending September 25, 2009

1. New York: Najibullah Zazi Indicted for Conspiracy to Use Explosives

Najibullah Zazi, a resident of Aurora, Colorado and legal permanent resident of the United States from Afghanistan, was indicted in the Eastern District of New York on a charge of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction (explosive bombs) against persons or property in the United States. Full Story

2. New York/Denver: Three Arrested in Ongoing Terror Investigation

FBI agents in Colorado arrested Najibullah Zazi and his father, Mohammed Wali Zazi, for making false statements to federal agents in an ongoing terror investigation. In addition, FBI agents in New York arrested Ahmad Wais Afzali on the same charges. Full Story

3. Dallas: FBI Arrests Jordanian Citizen for Attempting to Bomb Skyscraper

Hosam Maher Husein Smadi was arrested and charged in a federal criminal complaint with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Smadi, who was under continuous surveillance by the FBI, was arrested near Fountain Place, a 60-story glass office tower in downtown Dallas, after he placed an inert/inactive car bomb at the location. Full Story

4. Charlotte: Superseding Indictment Charges Defendants with Conspiring to Murder Military Personnel, Weapons Violations

A federal grand jury returned a superseding criminal indictment in the Daniel Patrick Boyd matter. The superseding indictment includes all of the charges alleged in the original July 22, 2009 indictment and also includes new charges against Boyd, Hysen Sherifi, and Zakariya Boyd. Charges include conspiring to murder U.S. military personnel at Quantico, Virginia, and various weapons violations. Full Story

5. Springfield: Man Arrested in Plot to Bomb Courthouse and Murder Federal Employees

Michael C. Finton was arrested on charges of attempted murder of federal employees and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction (explosives) in connection with a plot to detonate a vehicle bomb at the federal building in Springfield, Illinois. Full Story

6. New York: Brooklyn Resident Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Murder Overseas and Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Terrorists

An indictment was unsealed charging Betim Kaziu, a U.S. citizen and resident of Brooklyn, with conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. Kaziu allegedly devised a plan to travel abroad for the purpose of joining a radical foreign fighter group and to take up arms against perceived enemies of Islam. Full Story

7. San Francisco: Five Charged in Scheme to Defraud Government Lending Agency

Donald Daniels, Martin William Washburn, Irina Rebegeneau, and Tapani Koivunen were charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and substantive money laundering counts. Sergei Shkurkin was also charged in a related extortion conspiracy. The charges relate to a scheme to defraud the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a government lending agency, in connection with a $9.4 million loan. Full Story

8. Philadelphia: Former National Lampoon CEO Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud

Daniel Laikin, the former CEO of National Lampoon, Inc., pled guilty to his role in a conspiracy to manipulate the company’s stock price from March through June 2008. National Lampoon is a company based in Los Angeles that is involved primarily in media projects including feature films, television programming, online and interactive entertainment, home video, and book publishing.Full Story

9. Anchorage: Former Alaska State Representative Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Bribery

Former Alaska State Representative Beverly Masek was sentenced to six months in prison by U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline in Anchorage, Alaska. Masek pled guilty earlier this year to conspiring with former Alaska businessmen Bill J. Allen and Richard L. Smith to commit bribery. Allen was the chief executive officer of VECO Corporation (VECO), a now-defunct multinational oil field services company, and Smith was a VECO vice president. Both pled guilty to multiple federal corruption charges in May 2007 and are awaiting sentencing. Full Story

10. Miami: Six Charged in South Florida Corruption Probe

Federal corruption and other criminal charges were filed against Broward County Commissioner Josephus “Joe” Eggelletion, Broward County School Board Member Beverly Gallagher, former Miramar City Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman, Bahamian attorney Sidney Cambridge, and Florida businessmen Joel Williams and Ronald Owens. A long-term undercover corruption investigation led by the FBI resulted in the filing of three separate complaints, charging the defendants with honest services mail and wire fraud, extortion under color of official right, bribery, and money laundering conspiracy. Full Story

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NY FBI.gov | Money Manager Arrested and Charged with Securities Fraud for Operating 30-Year Ponzi Scheme

Brooklyn-Based Defendant Induced Hundreds of Individuals Throughout the United States to Invest More Than $40 Million

A criminal complaint was unsealed this morning in federal court in Brooklyn charging Philip Barry, a money manager based in Bay Ridge, New York, for operating a long-standing and large-scale Ponzi scheme.¹ The defendant’s initial appearance is scheduled to be held later today before United States Magistrate Judge James Orenstein at the United States Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York.