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Thursday, August 16, 2018

22 Charged with Smuggling Millions of Dollars of Counterfeit Luxury Goods from China into The United States

Defendants Trafficked Items that Included Fake Louis Vuitton and Tory Burch Handbags, Michael Kors Wallets, Hermes Belts and Chanel Perfume

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, six indictments and one criminal complaint were unsealed charging a total of 22 defendants with illegally bringing into the United States millions of dollars of Chinese-manufactured goods by smuggling them through ports of entry on the East and West Coasts. The defendants were arrested this morning, and their initial appearances and arraignments are scheduled this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom.

The charges include conspiracy to traffic, and trafficking, in counterfeit goods; conspiracy to smuggle, and smuggling, counterfeit goods into the United States; money laundering conspiracy; immigration fraud and unlawful procurement of naturalization. In addition, the government restrained nine real properties in Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn, New York, belonging to the defendants.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.

“As alleged, the defendants used many forms of deception to smuggle large quantities of counterfeit luxury brand goods from China into the United States, and then profited by distributing and selling the fake merchandise,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office, working with our law enforcement partners, is committed to securing our country’s ports of entry, as well as to protecting the integrity of intellectual property upon which free and fair international trade and markets depend.” Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to the HSI Intellectual Property Group and the HSI Border Enforcement Security Task Force and the NYPD. Mr. Donoghue also extended his thanks to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the New York State Police and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for their assistance.

More:

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/22-charged-smuggling-millions-dollars-counterfeit-luxury-goods-china-united-states

Defunct Nuclear Power Plant On California Coast Is A "Fukushima Waiting To Happen"

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-08-17/defunct-nuclear-power-plant-california-coast-fukushima-waiting-happen

"Deeply Troubling" - Wall Street Journal Implores "What Was Bruce Ohr Doing?"

The Wall Street Journal continues to counter the liberal mainstream media's Trump Derangement Syndrome, dropping uncomfortable truth-bombs and refusing to back off its intense pressure to get to the truth and hold those responsible, accountable (in a forum that is hard for the establishment to shrug off as 'Alt-Right' or 'Nazi' or be 'punished' by search- and social-media-giants).

And once again Kimberley Strassel - who by now has become the focus of social media attacks for her truth-seeking reporting - does it again this morning, as she points out - hours after former CIA Director Brennan threw a tantrum over having his security clearance removed - that while Justice has released some damning documents - particularly on what Bruce Ohr was doing - much of the truth is still classified.

Via The Wall Street Journal,

What Was Bruce Ohr Doing?

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Justice Department have continued to insist they did nothing wrong in their Trump-Russia investigation. This week should finally bring an end to that claim, given the clear evidence of malfeasance via the use of Bruce Ohr.

read more:

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-08-17/deeply-troubling-wall-street-journal-implores-what-was-bruce-ohr-doing

Attorney General Jeff Sessions Delivers Remarks to the Rotary Club of Des Moines AM

Des Moines, IA

~ Friday, August 17, 2018

https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-delivers-remarks-rotary-club-des-moines-am

Pakistan’s MPs elect Khan as new PM

Lawmakers in Pakistan’s lower house of parliament elected former cricket legend Imran Khan as the country’s new prime minister on Friday. The election paves the way for him to form a coalition government. Khan received 176 votes in the 342-seat National Assembly, Reuters reported, citing Asad Qaiser, the speaker of the parliament. Rival candidate, Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), garnered 96 votes. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party swept to power in the July 25 election. However, the party will need support from independents and smaller parties to form a majority government.

Manafort trial - live updates: Robert Mueller 'has over 1,000 pieces of evidence' for next trial as jury begins second day of verdict deliberations

The jury in the trial of Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort head into the second day of deliberations as Robert Mueller and the prosecution prepare for his next trial in Washington DC.

Mr Mueller's team reportedly has more than 1,000 pieces of evidence in the next trial but in the meantime, the jury in the Alexandria, Virginia federal courthouse sent Judge TS Ellis four questions for review.

Among them was a request for the judge to define what "reasonable doubt" in this particular case means.

Legal experts say the jury asking to define this points to the possibility that at least one juror may feel the prosecution did not meet its burden of proof.

The jury also asked Mr Ellis for guidance on the regulations regarding when someone must disclose a foreign bank account to the US Treasury Department and whether the exhibit list could be amended so the jury could see which pieces of evidence corresponded which counts.

The six men and women also asked the judge to clarify the definition of a "shelf company," which is an inactive company often sold to people aiming to bypass the registration process.

If the jury does not reach a verdict on the five counts of filing false tax returns, four counts of failing to disclose his offshore bank accounts, and nine counts of bank fraud today, the trial will carry over into next week.

The former foreign political agent's next trial to take place in the US District Court in Washington DC also includes charges of witness tampering.

Mr Mueller alleged Mr Manafort "repeatedly" contacted two witnesses in an effort to sway their testimony, court documents stated.

The longtime political operative was under house arrest at the time of the suspected contact and as a result, Mr Mueller asked federal judge Amy Berman Jackson to "promptly" reconsider Mr Manafort’s release. She did and Mr Manafort has been in jail ever since the 5 June charge.

FBI Special Agent Brock Domin, in a declaration filed with Mr Mueller’s motion, said Mr Manafort had attempted to call, text, and send encrypted messages in February 2018 to two people from The Hapsburg Group, a firm he had worked with in the past when promoting the interests of Ukraine in the US.

Agents have recovered telephone and text records from Mr Manafort’s iCloud account as evidence of his contact with the two individuals, Mr Domin said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/manafort-trial-live-updates-robert-125100690.html

Tesla getting hammered

https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/DODIG-2018-143_Redacted.pdf