May 25, 2021 Project Safe Childhood Bun

Rhinelander Man Indicted for Child Related Sex Crimes

… from July 3 through July 5, 2019, Osterman solicited the child for sex in exchange for money, in violation of Title … commerce (MeetMe) to persuade, induce, and entice the child to engage in illegal sexual activity, in violation of … for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex with the child, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section …

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr/rhinelander-man-indicted-child-related-sex-crimes

Man Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child Under 12

A man who sexually abused a young child starting in 2003 pleaded guilty Monday in federal … Stewart admitted to making sexual contact with a child under 12 years of age between June 2003 and September … Oklahoma decision. The resulting trauma associated with child sexual abuse can be long lasting. There are agencies …

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/pr/man-pleads-guilty-abusive-sexual-contact-child-under-12-0

Wolcott Man Arrested, Charged With Receipt And Possession Of Child Pornography

… and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors and receipt of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum … of the computer recovered 69 images and 13 videos of child pornography. The images included the sexual abuse of …

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/wolcott-man-arrested-charged-receipt-and-possession-child-pornography

Former East Helena police chief suspected of distributing child pornography appears in court

… today on a criminal complaint accusing him of distributing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said. … that William Daly Harrington, 42, of Helena, distributed child pornography. The crime has a mandatory minimum penalty … and Clark County Sheriff’s Office as part of the FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. U.S. …

https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/former-east-helena-police-chief-suspected-distributing-child-pornography-appears-court-0

Lee County Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison For Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images And Videos

… According to court documents, Baryla knowingly possessed child sexual abuse images and videos that he had obtained … Baryla was convicted on federal charges of transporting child pornography in New Jersey. “Thanks to HSI special agents, this child predator will have a decade to think about his …

https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/lee-county-convicted-sex-offender-sentenced-10-years-federal-prison-possessing-child

Purlear, N.C. Man Is Sentenced To 25 Years For Production And Possession of Child Pornography

… today to 25 years prison for production and possession of child pornography, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. … established that Ebert also used the minor to produce child pornography photographs of the minor, and that he … a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by …

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/purlear-nc-man-sentenced-25-years-production-and-possession-child-pornography

Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve More Than 27 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sex Trafficking

… was sentenced to more than 27 years in federal prison for child sex trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Robert … Indictment against Houston that charged him with child sex trafficking, production of child pornography, and transportation of child pornography. …

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdok/pr/oklahoma-city-man-sentenced-serve-more-27-years-federal-prison-child-sex-trafficking

Madisonville Man Sentenced For 50 Years In Prison For Production Of Child Pornography

… District Judge, to serve 50 years in prison for producing child pornography. In February 2020, a federal jury convicted Gilbreath of two counts of production of child pornography. The evidence presented at trial … photographed his sexual molestation of an eight-year-old child. Following his imprisonment, Gilbreath will be …

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtn/pr/madisonville-man-sentenced-50-years-prison-production-child-pornography

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Northern District of Illinois

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Federal Indictment Charges 22 Individuals With Purchasing and Using Payment Cards Stolen From National Retail Chain

CHICAGO — Twenty-two individuals have been indicted on fraud and identity theft charges for allegedly purchasing and using credit, debit, and gift cards that were stolen in a cyber attack from a national retain chain.

According to an indictment unsealed in the Northern District of Illinois, the cyber attack occurred in 2016 and 2017 when an individual installed a malicious software program on multiple computers of the retail chain, which is headquartered in the Chicago area. The malware allowed the co-schemer to capture data from more than three million payment cards, including credit cards, debit cards, and gift cards, that had been used at more than 400 of the company’s retail stores. The co-schemer then sold the card data for $4 million in bitcoin to another individual, who in turn sold it online to thousands of others, including the 22 charged defendants, the indictment states.

The defendants used data from the cards to purchase items at businesses throughout the country, including restaurants, gas stations, and hotels, the charges allege. At least 80 people were victimized by the defendants’ conduct, the indictment states.

Twenty defendants were arrested this month and have begun making initial appearances in federal courts throughout the country. Two defendants remain at large and are believed to be residing overseas. The investigation remains ongoing.

The indictment and arrests were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter M. Flanagan and Thomas P. Peabody.

Charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft are BARRY SHI, 35, of Rosemead, Calif.; ANDREW DARIEN MCLEOD, 26, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; JAMEL T. WILLIAMS, 30, of Raleigh, N.C.; SAAQUAN RAM, 33, of Grand Rapids, Mich.; JAMES B. GIBBS, 32, of South Carolina; YI LIU, 32, of Temple City, Calif.; CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON, 38, of Monroe Township, N.J.; DAJUAN GEE, 32, of Redmond, Mich.; YANG SONG, 34, of Rosemead, Calif.; JAYVON A. PUGH, 23, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; KADEEM DEAN, 28, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; ENPING QU, 26, of Calif.; CAN JIANG, 27, of San Gabriel, Calif.; ESRON A. MURRELL, 30, of Jamaica, N.Y.; ZANPENG CHEN, 27, of Los Angeles, Calif.; JEFF MURAT, 41, of Miami, Fla.; CHRISTOPHER T. THOMPSON, 32, of Woodland Hills, Calif.; JOHN LIU, 37, of West Covina, Calif.; SADIKIFU NAWAB SHABAZZ, 42, of Atlanta, Ga.; BYRON HICKMAN, 32, of New York, N.Y.; CLIVE BAKER, 26, of New York, N.Y.; and DAVIN SMART, 31, of Spotsylvania, Va.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/federal-indictment-charges-22-individuals-purchasing-and-using-payment-cards-stolen

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-bank-executives-charged-conspiring-launder-hundreds-millions-dollars-through-us-financial

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Two Bank Executives Charged for Conspiring to Launder Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Through U.S. Financial System in Connection with Odebrecht Bribery and Fraud Scheme

An Austrian man was arrested today in the United Kingdom on criminal charges related to his alleged participation in a conspiracy to launder hundreds of millions of dollars through the U.S. financial system as part of a scheme to pay bribes around the world and defraud the Brazilian government.

The indictment unsealed today was previously returned by a federal grand jury in Brooklyn, New York, and charges Peter Weinzierl, 55, and Alexander Waldstein, 73, both of Austria, for their role in a massive money laundering scheme involving Odebrecht S.A. (Odebrecht), a Brazil-based global construction conglomerate. Weinzierl was arrested today in the United Kingdom pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States. Waldstein remains at large.

Weinzierl served as chief executive officer and Waldstein as officer of an Austrian bank, and both served as board members of an Antiguan bank. According to the indictment, between approximately 2006 and 2016, Weinzierl and Waldstein conspired with Odebrecht and others to launder money in a scheme to defraud Brazil’s tax authority of more than $100 million in taxes and to create off-books slush funds used by Odebrecht to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes for the benefit of public officials around the world.

According to the indictment, Weinzierl, Waldstein, and their co-conspirators used fraudulent transactions and sham agreements to move more than $170 million from bank accounts in New York held in the name of Odebrecht, through the Austrian bank, to offshore shell company bank accounts secretly controlled by Odebrecht. As part of the scheme, Odebrecht used the slush funds funneled to the offshore shell company bank accounts to pay bribes. Odebrecht falsely recorded the hundreds of millions of dollars in international wire transfers sent to the Austrian bank as legitimate business expenses and deducted the fraudulent payments from the overall profits that it reported in Brazil, thus reducing its tax liability and evading more than $100 million in taxes. Shell company bank accounts involved in the scheme and used to pay bribes to foreign officials were held at the Antiguan bank that Weinzierl, Waldstein, and their co-conspirators controlled and used to promote the scheme. Weinzierl and Waldstein also caused millions of dollars in criminal proceeds to be transferred from the Antiguan bank to a brokerage account located in the United States to purchase U.S. Treasury securities and corporate stocks and bonds on U.S. exchanges. In exchange for their role in the scheme, Weinzierl and Waldstein collected substantial fees for the benefit of the Austrian and Antiguan banks.

On Dec. 21, 2016, Odebrecht pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to a criminal information charging it with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for its involvement in the bribery and money laundering scheme.

Weinzierl and Waldstein are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of international promotional money laundering. Weinzierl is also charged with one count of engaging in a transaction in criminally derived property. If convicted of all counts, Weinzierl and Waldstein would face a maximum penalty of 70 and 60 years in prison, respectively. A federal district court judge in Brooklyn will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Mark J. Lesko for the Eastern District of New York; and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI’s International Corruption squad in New York is investigating this case.

Trial Attorney Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorney Michael B. Redmann of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Nestor of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and UK authorities provided significant assistance.

The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.

1. S.1792 — 117th Congress (2021-2022)

A bill to establish certain requirements for the small refineries exemption of the renewable fuels provisions under the Clean Air Act, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE] (Introduced 05/24/2021) Cosponsors: (5)

Committees: Senate - Environment and Public Works

Latest Action: Senate - 05/24/2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (All Actions)

1. S.1790 — 117th Congress (2021-2022)

A bill to ensure that the Federal Communications Commission does not approve radio frequency devices that pose a national security risk.

Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] (Introduced 05/24/2021) Cosponsors: (1)

Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Latest Action: Senate - 05/24/2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (All Actions)

1. S.1787 — 117th Congress (2021-2022)

A bill to amend title 28 of the United States Code to prevent the transfer of actions arising under the antitrust laws in which a State is a complainant.

Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT] (Introduced 05/24/2021) Cosponsors: (1)

Committees: Senate - Judiciary

Latest Action: Senate - 05/24/2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions)

1. S.1775 — 117th Congress (2021-2022)

A bill to address gun violence, improve the availability of records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, address mental illness in the criminal justice system, and end straw purchases and trafficking of illegal firearms, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] (Introduced 05/20/2021) Cosponsors: (2)

Latest Action: Senate - 05/24/2021 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 62. (All Actions)

1. S.Res.231 — 117th Congress (2021-2022)

A resolution expressing support for the designation of May 17, 2021, as "DIPG Pediatric Brain Cancer Awareness Day" to raise awareness of and encourage research on diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma tumors and pediatric cancers in general.

Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] (Introduced 05/24/2021) Cosponsors: (7)

Latest Action: Senate - 05/24/2021 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S3382; text: CR S3338) (All Actions)

1. S.Res.230 — 117th Congress (2021-2022)

A resolution congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of charter schools across the United States for making ongoing contributions to education, and supporting the ideals and goals of the 22nd annual National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 9 through May 15, 2021.

Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC] (Introduced 05/24/2021) Cosponsors: (21)

Latest Action: Senate - 05/24/2021 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S3382; text: CR S3337-3338) (All Actions)

US denounces Syrian presidential election

The Hill on MSN.com|3 hours ago

Syrian presidential election won't be 'free nor fair' warn US, Europeans

France 24 on MSN.com|3 hours ago

Syria presidential election won't be fair, say Western countries

Gulf News|4 hours ago

When Assad wins the Presidential election Syria loses its future

.|4 hours ago

US, Europeans Warn Syria Vote Neither 'Free Nor Fair'

International Business Times|4 hours ago

Syria's sham election guarantees 1 thing — Bashar Assad will win

Deutsche Welle|12 minutes ago

Syrian presidential elections send a strong message to the West

CGTN|20 hours ago

Russia deploys nuclear-capable bombers to Syria for training

The Telegraph|42 minutes ago

Syria prepares over 12,000 polling stations for presidential elections

Xinhua|7 hours ago

Syria Presidential Election on 26 May: Quint Statement

gov.uk|4 hours ago

Western Governments Denounce Syria's Elections

Voice of America|1 hour ago

Former rebel stronghold in Syria prepares to vote

The Jerusalem Post Blogs|11 hours ago

As Assad tightens grip on Syria, many refugees lose hope

Reuters on MSN.com|9 hours ago

Russia reveals deployment of nuclear-capable bombers to Syria airbase

Al-Monitor|6 hours ago

Russia Deploys Nuclear-Capable Bombers to Syria

Voice of America|4 hours ago

Syrian election neither 'free nor fair', Western leader say

City AM on MSN.com|4 hours ago

Syria elections: Western countries condemn voting process as illegitimate

dw.com on MSN.com|15 minutes ago