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Creepy ‘sex cult’ leader Keith Raniere found guilty by Brooklyn jury
By Shayna Jacobs
| New York Daily News |
Jun 19, 2019 | 2:51 PM
Alleged sex cult leader Keith Raniere appears in an undated video screen grab. (Obtained by New York Daily News)
NXIVM “cult” leader Keith Raniere, who branded women with his initials and treated them as his“sex slaves” was found guilty of sex trafficking, racketeering and conspiracy by a Brooklyn jury Wednesday.
It took only four hours of deliberations for a jury of eight men and four women to convict the longtime leader and figurehead of the upstate self-help group, ending a twisted, sordid odyssey of sex, blackmail and betrayal.
As the verdict was read, Raniere, 58, who was called "Vanguard” by his brainwashed followers, appeared stoic, whispering to his lawyer while several NXIVM defectors cried and trembled in anticipation
Raniere was accused of helping himself to a harem of women who were recruited for his sexual pleasure into a secret sect called “DOS.” He had pleaded not guilty, and said that his encounters with the alleged victims, some of whom were branded with his initials, were consensual.
Barbara Bouchey, former girlfriend of Keith Raniere who once helped build NXIVM before she fought against it, outside Brooklyn Federal Court following Mr. Raniere's conviction on all counts. Brooklyn, New York, Wednesday, June 19, 2019. (Jesse Ward/for New York Daily News)
Prosecutors said his entire purpose for starting the cult, a secret sub-group under the NXIVM umbrella, was to feed himself an endless supply of sexual partners.
He kept nine “first-line slaves," women who were longtime blind followers of Raniere and NXIVM, prosecutors said.
The NXIVM community, centered in Albany and focused on its self-help teachings, treated him as a god-like figure, even celebrating “Vanguard week” or “V-week" annually in August, a week-long Lake George retreat devoted to Raniere’s birthday.
He’s a “con man, predator and crime boss," prosecutor Moira Penza said in her summation earlier this week in Brooklyn Federal Court.
Raniere made sure to collect nude photos and other embarrassing information from victims to use as blackmail in case they ever wanted to leave.
The prosecutor called out Raniere and his top deputies for using over a 15-year period “tactics that destroyed their victims’ sense of self,” including turning “victims into victimizers.”
Witnesses included Daniela, 33, a former NXIVM devotee who was confined to one room from 2010 to 2012. According to prosecutors, she became Raniere’s sex slave, forced to “sexually perform on the defendant’s demand," and ultimately spy on his enemies, including her older sister, who was in Raniere’s harem. Her older sister was also in a relationship with Raniere.
Meanwhile, their younger sister was groomed to start sleeping with Raniere at age 15, and he was busted with explicit photos of the girl he took at that time,, when he also took her virginity.
One woman who testified said she was tied to a table, blindfolded, and subjected to unwanted oral sex by another “slave,” as Raniere observed and videotaped.
Raniere’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo had argued that Raniere’s abhorrent lifestyle and comments were not criminal.
Related Gallery
(handout)
1 / 15
Timeline of NXIVM sex cult case
“He didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” Agnifilo said.
Jurors decided Raniere’s misdeeds did amount to a conspiracy and that he was responsible for forced labor, exploitation of a child, possession of child pornography, identity theft and other crimes.
Raniere was busted in 2018 while hiding out in a secluded village in Mexico.
Among those who followed his seven-week trial were former NXIVM member India Oxenberg and her mother, actress Catherine Oxenberg. The former “Dynasty” star has written a book about her effort to save her daughter from the group.
The trembling Oxenberg, wearing aviator sunglasses and a white jacket, wept and clutched supporters in the back row of the courtroom as the verdict was announced.
“They saved my daughter,” the overwhelmed mom said. “They saved so many other women.”
As she got onto an elevator, Oxenberg said that Raniere “cant fool one singer person ever again" and that “he’s done.”
“F**king a*****e!” she declared, referring to Raniere.
Oxenberg, who called her daughter outside the courthouse to deliver their good news, said India “is doing amazing considering what she went through.”
[More New York] Knife-wielding gang forces way into Bronx apartment, critically wounds man »
Toni Natalie, a former girlfriend of Raniere’s more than two decades ago, remained an “enemy” of his until his arrest last year.
Richard Donihue, US Attorney for the Eastern District, speaks to the press about the conviction of NXVIM cult founder Keith Raniere. Brooklyn, New York, Wednesday, June 19, 2019. (Jesse Ward/for New York Daily News)
He sued her, harassed her and accused her of bogus crimes. She has been trying to get him held accountable for his prolific scamming and swindling for years.
“He can’t hide anymore,” an emotional Natalie said. “He can’t con anymore. His days of deception are over."
Raniere faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on Sept. 25.
U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue called Raniere a “modern-day Svengali."
“Over the last seven weeks, this trial has revealed that Raniere, who portrayed himself as a savant and a genius, was in fact, a master manipulator, a con man and the crime boss of a cult-like organization involved in sex trafficking, child pornography, extortion, compelled abortions, branding, degradation and humiliation,” Donoghue said.
NXIVM deputies including “Smallville” actress Allison Mack, a Raniere slave herself, and Clare Bronfman, an heiress to the Seagram’s liquor fortune, were also charged and previously pleaded guilty.
Jurors heard evidence that Bronfman bankrolled Raniere’s businesses and care-free lifestyle while Mack recruited her own slaves and ordered them to have sex with Raniere.
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-yor...0190619-uf35bpdcerh3viytbvtnyvfnjy-story.html
By Shayna Jacobs
| New York Daily News |
Jun 19, 2019 | 2:51 PM
Alleged sex cult leader Keith Raniere appears in an undated video screen grab. (Obtained by New York Daily News)
NXIVM “cult” leader Keith Raniere, who branded women with his initials and treated them as his“sex slaves” was found guilty of sex trafficking, racketeering and conspiracy by a Brooklyn jury Wednesday.
It took only four hours of deliberations for a jury of eight men and four women to convict the longtime leader and figurehead of the upstate self-help group, ending a twisted, sordid odyssey of sex, blackmail and betrayal.
As the verdict was read, Raniere, 58, who was called "Vanguard” by his brainwashed followers, appeared stoic, whispering to his lawyer while several NXIVM defectors cried and trembled in anticipation
Raniere was accused of helping himself to a harem of women who were recruited for his sexual pleasure into a secret sect called “DOS.” He had pleaded not guilty, and said that his encounters with the alleged victims, some of whom were branded with his initials, were consensual.
Barbara Bouchey, former girlfriend of Keith Raniere who once helped build NXIVM before she fought against it, outside Brooklyn Federal Court following Mr. Raniere's conviction on all counts. Brooklyn, New York, Wednesday, June 19, 2019. (Jesse Ward/for New York Daily News)
Prosecutors said his entire purpose for starting the cult, a secret sub-group under the NXIVM umbrella, was to feed himself an endless supply of sexual partners.
He kept nine “first-line slaves," women who were longtime blind followers of Raniere and NXIVM, prosecutors said.
The NXIVM community, centered in Albany and focused on its self-help teachings, treated him as a god-like figure, even celebrating “Vanguard week” or “V-week" annually in August, a week-long Lake George retreat devoted to Raniere’s birthday.
He’s a “con man, predator and crime boss," prosecutor Moira Penza said in her summation earlier this week in Brooklyn Federal Court.
Raniere made sure to collect nude photos and other embarrassing information from victims to use as blackmail in case they ever wanted to leave.
The prosecutor called out Raniere and his top deputies for using over a 15-year period “tactics that destroyed their victims’ sense of self,” including turning “victims into victimizers.”
Witnesses included Daniela, 33, a former NXIVM devotee who was confined to one room from 2010 to 2012. According to prosecutors, she became Raniere’s sex slave, forced to “sexually perform on the defendant’s demand," and ultimately spy on his enemies, including her older sister, who was in Raniere’s harem. Her older sister was also in a relationship with Raniere.
Meanwhile, their younger sister was groomed to start sleeping with Raniere at age 15, and he was busted with explicit photos of the girl he took at that time,, when he also took her virginity.
One woman who testified said she was tied to a table, blindfolded, and subjected to unwanted oral sex by another “slave,” as Raniere observed and videotaped.
Raniere’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo had argued that Raniere’s abhorrent lifestyle and comments were not criminal.
Related Gallery
(handout)
1 / 15
Timeline of NXIVM sex cult case
“He didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” Agnifilo said.
Jurors decided Raniere’s misdeeds did amount to a conspiracy and that he was responsible for forced labor, exploitation of a child, possession of child pornography, identity theft and other crimes.
Raniere was busted in 2018 while hiding out in a secluded village in Mexico.
Among those who followed his seven-week trial were former NXIVM member India Oxenberg and her mother, actress Catherine Oxenberg. The former “Dynasty” star has written a book about her effort to save her daughter from the group.
The trembling Oxenberg, wearing aviator sunglasses and a white jacket, wept and clutched supporters in the back row of the courtroom as the verdict was announced.
“They saved my daughter,” the overwhelmed mom said. “They saved so many other women.”
As she got onto an elevator, Oxenberg said that Raniere “cant fool one singer person ever again" and that “he’s done.”
“F**king a*****e!” she declared, referring to Raniere.
Oxenberg, who called her daughter outside the courthouse to deliver their good news, said India “is doing amazing considering what she went through.”
[More New York] Knife-wielding gang forces way into Bronx apartment, critically wounds man »
Toni Natalie, a former girlfriend of Raniere’s more than two decades ago, remained an “enemy” of his until his arrest last year.
Richard Donihue, US Attorney for the Eastern District, speaks to the press about the conviction of NXVIM cult founder Keith Raniere. Brooklyn, New York, Wednesday, June 19, 2019. (Jesse Ward/for New York Daily News)
He sued her, harassed her and accused her of bogus crimes. She has been trying to get him held accountable for his prolific scamming and swindling for years.
“He can’t hide anymore,” an emotional Natalie said. “He can’t con anymore. His days of deception are over."
Raniere faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on Sept. 25.
U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue called Raniere a “modern-day Svengali."
“Over the last seven weeks, this trial has revealed that Raniere, who portrayed himself as a savant and a genius, was in fact, a master manipulator, a con man and the crime boss of a cult-like organization involved in sex trafficking, child pornography, extortion, compelled abortions, branding, degradation and humiliation,” Donoghue said.
NXIVM deputies including “Smallville” actress Allison Mack, a Raniere slave herself, and Clare Bronfman, an heiress to the Seagram’s liquor fortune, were also charged and previously pleaded guilty.
Jurors heard evidence that Bronfman bankrolled Raniere’s businesses and care-free lifestyle while Mack recruited her own slaves and ordered them to have sex with Raniere.
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-yor...0190619-uf35bpdcerh3viytbvtnyvfnjy-story.html
Princeton grad accused of killing millionaire dad also tried to murder his friend by torching his home, pal testifies
By JOHN ANNESE and Trevor Boyer
| New York Daily News |
Jun 19, 2019 | 8:58 PM
Peter Smith, Jr. is seen leaving Manhattan Criminal Court on June 19, 2019 in New York. (Alec Tabak/for New York Daily News)
A Princeton grad accused of killing his millionaire hedge-fund dad also tried to murder a longtime friend by torching his centuries-old Southampton house, the former pal testified Wednesday.
Thomas Gilbert Jr. has long been considered a suspect in the fire that burned Peter Smith Jr.'s Sagaponack house nearly to the ground in September 2014, but he was never arrested. On Wednesday, Smith called the fire one of a number of murder attempts by Gilbert.
“He tried to kill me on several occasions,” Smith said. “He burned down my family’s home because he thought I was in it.”
Gilbert, 34, is charged with killing his father Thomas Gilbert Sr. in a dispute over a steep reduction in his allowance. He is on trial in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Thomas Gilbert is seen in State Supreme Court on May 28, 2019 in New York. (Alec Tabak/for New York Daily News)
Gilbert and Smith were two years apart at the tony Buckley prep school, but they became friends through a mutual interest in surfing at Long Island beaches, Smith testified. In 2011, Gilbert told Smith he had to leave his family home because of his “overbearing” father," Smith recounted.
“Why don’t you come live with me? That’ll probably make a world of difference with that relationship,” Smith said he told Gilbert.
So Gilbert moved into Smith’s Williamsburg apartment for two short stints in 2011 and 2012, and they hung out together at parties, clubs and drum circles.
In early 2012 they went on vacation in the Dominican Republic and it became clear to Smith that his friend was troubled. “He was quiet, aggressive at times. He was more aggressive in the water. He was also sleeping with a lot of prostitutes,” Smith said.
One night, Smith caught his friend speaking to a girl who appeared to be an underage prostitute, Smith said.
When Smith confronted Gilbert about it, Gilbert denied it was him and slammed the door to his room.
In late summer 2012, Smith’s girlfriend replaced Gilbert in the Williamsburg apartment, Smith testified. Their relationship soured, and Gilbert started accusing Smith of stealing from him, using his computer and sneaking into his room, he testified.
In September 2013, Gilbert showed up uninvited to a poker night at one of Smith’s family houses in Sagaponack and grabbed his pal’s pet Weimaraner, Rocket Ship, by the scruff of its neck. They argued, and Smith booted him out, calling him a"loser," Smith testified.
A few weeks later, Gilbert ambushed Smith outside the Williamsburg apartment, grabbing Smith’s head and kneeing it 18 to 20 times, breaking his nose, Smith testified.
Smith said he called police, who caught up with a fleeing Gilbert at McCarren Park. Smith said Gilbert received a desk appearance ticket.
Smith got an order of protection, and Gilbert mostly stayed away, and about a year later, in September, 2014, the two ran into each other at a large gathering by a bonfire at Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponack.
“He said he didn’t care about the restraining order and said we should talk anyway ... I told him I couldn’t," Smith said. “He told me it was the last chance to bury the hatchet,” said Smith.
Days later, Smith’s 350-year-old family house burned.
Gilbert was present in the courtroom in the morning but absent during his former friend’s testimony.
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-yor...0190620-5pi3jwar45g4row4hymxmxvdte-story.html
By JOHN ANNESE and Trevor Boyer
| New York Daily News |
Jun 19, 2019 | 8:58 PM
Peter Smith, Jr. is seen leaving Manhattan Criminal Court on June 19, 2019 in New York. (Alec Tabak/for New York Daily News)
A Princeton grad accused of killing his millionaire hedge-fund dad also tried to murder a longtime friend by torching his centuries-old Southampton house, the former pal testified Wednesday.
Thomas Gilbert Jr. has long been considered a suspect in the fire that burned Peter Smith Jr.'s Sagaponack house nearly to the ground in September 2014, but he was never arrested. On Wednesday, Smith called the fire one of a number of murder attempts by Gilbert.
“He tried to kill me on several occasions,” Smith said. “He burned down my family’s home because he thought I was in it.”
Gilbert, 34, is charged with killing his father Thomas Gilbert Sr. in a dispute over a steep reduction in his allowance. He is on trial in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Thomas Gilbert is seen in State Supreme Court on May 28, 2019 in New York. (Alec Tabak/for New York Daily News)
Gilbert and Smith were two years apart at the tony Buckley prep school, but they became friends through a mutual interest in surfing at Long Island beaches, Smith testified. In 2011, Gilbert told Smith he had to leave his family home because of his “overbearing” father," Smith recounted.
“Why don’t you come live with me? That’ll probably make a world of difference with that relationship,” Smith said he told Gilbert.
So Gilbert moved into Smith’s Williamsburg apartment for two short stints in 2011 and 2012, and they hung out together at parties, clubs and drum circles.
In early 2012 they went on vacation in the Dominican Republic and it became clear to Smith that his friend was troubled. “He was quiet, aggressive at times. He was more aggressive in the water. He was also sleeping with a lot of prostitutes,” Smith said.
One night, Smith caught his friend speaking to a girl who appeared to be an underage prostitute, Smith said.
When Smith confronted Gilbert about it, Gilbert denied it was him and slammed the door to his room.
In late summer 2012, Smith’s girlfriend replaced Gilbert in the Williamsburg apartment, Smith testified. Their relationship soured, and Gilbert started accusing Smith of stealing from him, using his computer and sneaking into his room, he testified.
In September 2013, Gilbert showed up uninvited to a poker night at one of Smith’s family houses in Sagaponack and grabbed his pal’s pet Weimaraner, Rocket Ship, by the scruff of its neck. They argued, and Smith booted him out, calling him a"loser," Smith testified.
A few weeks later, Gilbert ambushed Smith outside the Williamsburg apartment, grabbing Smith’s head and kneeing it 18 to 20 times, breaking his nose, Smith testified.
Smith said he called police, who caught up with a fleeing Gilbert at McCarren Park. Smith said Gilbert received a desk appearance ticket.
Smith got an order of protection, and Gilbert mostly stayed away, and about a year later, in September, 2014, the two ran into each other at a large gathering by a bonfire at Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponack.
“He said he didn’t care about the restraining order and said we should talk anyway ... I told him I couldn’t," Smith said. “He told me it was the last chance to bury the hatchet,” said Smith.
Days later, Smith’s 350-year-old family house burned.
Gilbert was present in the courtroom in the morning but absent during his former friend’s testimony.
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-yor...0190620-5pi3jwar45g4row4hymxmxvdte-story.html
Welsh man sent to jail for blazing down highway at 130 mph with boy, 7, in car
By Tim Balk
| New York Daily News |
Jun 21, 2019 | 10:56 AM
Lucas Needham, 26, of Flintshire, Wales, was driving in a 70-mph zone on a suspended license when he reached blazing speeds while fleeing police in May. (Handout)
A Welsh man was sentenced by a judge Friday to 30 months in jail for driving down a freeway at speeds over 130 mph with a 7-year-old boy in the car, according to local reports.
Lucas Needham, 26, of Flintshire, was driving in a 70-mph zone on a suspended license when he reached the blazing speeds while fleeing police, the Leader reported. He also reportedly turned off his lights at one point during the chase.
“It is difficult to imagine behavior far more irresponsible then shown by you on May 20,” said Judge Niclas Parry, describing it as a “shocking piece of driving,” and adding, "as if that was not serious enough, upon stopping, you violently resisted police who tried to arrest you.”
Needham also crashed into another car while going about 100 mph in January, according to the Leader.
He faces a three-year ban from driving following his release from jail, according to the BBC.
“This was one of the worst cases of driving I have seen in my 20 years of policing,” said Police Officer Pete Doran.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/na...in~welsh-1101a~~1~yes-art~curated~curatedpage
By Tim Balk
| New York Daily News |
Jun 21, 2019 | 10:56 AM
Lucas Needham, 26, of Flintshire, Wales, was driving in a 70-mph zone on a suspended license when he reached blazing speeds while fleeing police in May. (Handout)
A Welsh man was sentenced by a judge Friday to 30 months in jail for driving down a freeway at speeds over 130 mph with a 7-year-old boy in the car, according to local reports.
Lucas Needham, 26, of Flintshire, was driving in a 70-mph zone on a suspended license when he reached the blazing speeds while fleeing police, the Leader reported. He also reportedly turned off his lights at one point during the chase.
“It is difficult to imagine behavior far more irresponsible then shown by you on May 20,” said Judge Niclas Parry, describing it as a “shocking piece of driving,” and adding, "as if that was not serious enough, upon stopping, you violently resisted police who tried to arrest you.”
Needham also crashed into another car while going about 100 mph in January, according to the Leader.
He faces a three-year ban from driving following his release from jail, according to the BBC.
“This was one of the worst cases of driving I have seen in my 20 years of policing,” said Police Officer Pete Doran.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/na...in~welsh-1101a~~1~yes-art~curated~curatedpage
PR crisis! Hollywood social media influencer indicted for stealing Suffolk County woman’s identity
By Stephen Rex Brown
| New York Daily News |
Jun 21, 2019 | 2:18 PM
Christian Aaron (You Tube)
A teenage social media influencer’s brand took a devastating blow Friday when he was indicted for stealing a Long Island woman’s identity.
Christian Aaron, 19, who lives in Hollywood and boasts more than 185,000 followers on Instagram, was arraigned on charges that he spent $19,000 on luxury vacations, designer bags and clothes using his victim’s identity. He also allegedly attempted to run up an additional $31,000 in charges on credit cards in the woman’s name.
“As with all of the financial crimes our office investigates and prosecutes, this was an act of greed, but this defendant wasn’t just after money; he committed these crimes in part to keep up the online persona he has crafted for himself and to get likes on social media,” Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said. “His alleged actions have real-world consequences though, including an extremely negative impact on the victim’s credit."
Aaron appeared on a Dr. Phil episode titled “Insta-Famous to Insta-Lonely.”
“Every move I’ve made, since I was little, I’ve thought about how it would play out on social media,” he said in the segment.
"I’m very much into, like, brand names, designer bags, expensive items, nice cars nice houses, traveling... I’ve spent $1 million or $2 million on my wardrobe.”
The piece shined a light on the dark side of chasing internet fame.
“Everything I do, relies on what people think," he said.
"I’ve basically constructed a social media prison. My own personal hell.”
In December 2017, Aaron and an accomplice used American Express credit cards belonging to a Suffolk County woman to buy plane tickets from New York to Hawaii and made hotel reservations at the Aulani Disney Resort & Spa, prosecutors said. While at the island paradise, Aaron also used credit cards in the victim’s name to scoop up handbags and clothing at designer stores like Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, and Agent Provocateur, according to prosecutors.
Around the same time Aaron also called American Express, posing as the woman to open new credit cards, prosecutors said. The orders were canceled.
Aaron pleaded not guilty and was held on $15,000 bail.
“We expect his family to be able to bail him out in short order,” attorney Mark Muccigrosso said. “We’re denying the allegations.”
The most serious charges against Aaron carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-yor...0190621-qeklaurdazavjitisxyxlt62wu-story.html
By Stephen Rex Brown
| New York Daily News |
Jun 21, 2019 | 2:18 PM
Christian Aaron (You Tube)
A teenage social media influencer’s brand took a devastating blow Friday when he was indicted for stealing a Long Island woman’s identity.
Christian Aaron, 19, who lives in Hollywood and boasts more than 185,000 followers on Instagram, was arraigned on charges that he spent $19,000 on luxury vacations, designer bags and clothes using his victim’s identity. He also allegedly attempted to run up an additional $31,000 in charges on credit cards in the woman’s name.
“As with all of the financial crimes our office investigates and prosecutes, this was an act of greed, but this defendant wasn’t just after money; he committed these crimes in part to keep up the online persona he has crafted for himself and to get likes on social media,” Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said. “His alleged actions have real-world consequences though, including an extremely negative impact on the victim’s credit."
Aaron appeared on a Dr. Phil episode titled “Insta-Famous to Insta-Lonely.”
“Every move I’ve made, since I was little, I’ve thought about how it would play out on social media,” he said in the segment.
"I’m very much into, like, brand names, designer bags, expensive items, nice cars nice houses, traveling... I’ve spent $1 million or $2 million on my wardrobe.”
The piece shined a light on the dark side of chasing internet fame.
“Everything I do, relies on what people think," he said.
"I’ve basically constructed a social media prison. My own personal hell.”
In December 2017, Aaron and an accomplice used American Express credit cards belonging to a Suffolk County woman to buy plane tickets from New York to Hawaii and made hotel reservations at the Aulani Disney Resort & Spa, prosecutors said. While at the island paradise, Aaron also used credit cards in the victim’s name to scoop up handbags and clothing at designer stores like Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, and Agent Provocateur, according to prosecutors.
Around the same time Aaron also called American Express, posing as the woman to open new credit cards, prosecutors said. The orders were canceled.
Aaron pleaded not guilty and was held on $15,000 bail.
“We expect his family to be able to bail him out in short order,” attorney Mark Muccigrosso said. “We’re denying the allegations.”
The most serious charges against Aaron carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-yor...0190621-qeklaurdazavjitisxyxlt62wu-story.html
Hunter Biden (yep, Joe's son)
- worked for Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company at a time when the elder Biden was vice president and a key figure in U.S. policy on Ukraine, getting paid as much as $50,000 to sit on the board.
- in 2017 he divorced his wife of more than 20 years, Kathleen Biden, after a messy split in which she accused him of blowing money on drugs and strip clubs. Hunter had long lived in the shadow of his older brother, Beau, who was attorney general of Delaware, a military veteran and encouraged to run for higher office. Hunter, an attorney, was discharged from the Navy in 2014 after failing a drug test.
- after his divorce from Kathleen, with whom he has three daughters, the Biden family acknowledged he was dating Hallie Biden, Beau’s widow and mother of Hunter’s niece and nephew.
- about a month and 1/2 after breaking up with his late brother Beau Biden’s widow, Hallie Biden, he secretly married a South African woman named Melissa Cohen on May 16.
- Hunter Biden is being sued by an Arkansas woman who claims he is the father of her 10-month-old child. Lunden Alexis Roberts claims she and Biden were in a relationship in which "a child, Baby Doe, was born" in August 2018.
- worked for Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company at a time when the elder Biden was vice president and a key figure in U.S. policy on Ukraine, getting paid as much as $50,000 to sit on the board.
- in 2017 he divorced his wife of more than 20 years, Kathleen Biden, after a messy split in which she accused him of blowing money on drugs and strip clubs. Hunter had long lived in the shadow of his older brother, Beau, who was attorney general of Delaware, a military veteran and encouraged to run for higher office. Hunter, an attorney, was discharged from the Navy in 2014 after failing a drug test.
- after his divorce from Kathleen, with whom he has three daughters, the Biden family acknowledged he was dating Hallie Biden, Beau’s widow and mother of Hunter’s niece and nephew.
- about a month and 1/2 after breaking up with his late brother Beau Biden’s widow, Hallie Biden, he secretly married a South African woman named Melissa Cohen on May 16.
- Hunter Biden is being sued by an Arkansas woman who claims he is the father of her 10-month-old child. Lunden Alexis Roberts claims she and Biden were in a relationship in which "a child, Baby Doe, was born" in August 2018.
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY, N.Y. (WWNY) - It's being called the largest welfare fraud sweep in St. Lawrence County history.
District Attorney Gary Pasqua announced Friday that 13 people were arrested for defrauding the Department of Social Services out of more than $104,000 in the northern New York county.
Four other arrests are pending.
“Here in St. Lawrence County, our welfare benefits provide vital support to genuinely needy families at great cost to honest hard working taxpayers. Those individuals who gain benefits through deception are stealing medicine, groceries, and other necessary provisions from innocent children, vulnerable seniors, working citizens, and others in need,” said Pasqua in a prepared statement.
The following people were arrested:
- Georgeanna L. Aldous, age 47 Lisbon, arraigned on June 14, 2019 in Canton Town Court on a charge of Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony. The defendant is alleged to have received $1,312.00 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Kandy L. Butler, age 29 Ogdensburg, arraigned on June 14, 2019 in Canton Town Court on a charge of Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony. The defendant is alleged to have received $3,906.00 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Brandi David, age 41 Ogdensburg, arraigned on June 14, 2019 in Canton Town Court on a charge of Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony. The defendant is alleged to have received $2,046.00 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Ashley Debiew, age 25, Massena, arraigned on June 14, 2019 in Canton Town Court on a charge of Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony. The defendant is alleged to have received $1,852.00 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Cara E. Dimon, age 25, Massena, arrested on June 14, 2019 on a charge of Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony. The defendant is alleged to have received $1,739.00 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Jessica Driscoll, age 29, Ogdensburg, arraigned on June 14, 2019 in Canton Town Court on charges of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, a class D felony and two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, class E felonies. The defendant is alleged to have received $3,789.80 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Crystal L. Lalone, age 39, Ogdensburg, arraigned on June 14, 2019 in Canton Town Court on charges of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, a class D felony and two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, class E felonies. The defendant is alleged to have received $10,654.00 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Amber Morrill, age 35, Russell, arraigned on June 14, 2019 in Canton Town Court on charges of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, a class D felony and one count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, class E felony. The defendant is alleged to have received $5,108.00 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Kerry M. Pelo, age 36, Newtown Falls, arrested on June 14, 2019 on charges of Welfare Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony and one count of Welfare Fraud in the Fifth Degree, a class A misdemeanor. The defendant is alleged to have received $1,560.00 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Star L. Perrin, age 39, Massena, arrested on June 14, 2019 on charges of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, a class D felony and two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, class E felonies. The defendant is alleged to have received $31,573.94 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Lynn A. Ryan, age 46, Winthrop, arrested on June 14, 2019 on charges of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, a class D felony and two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, class E felonies. The defendant is alleged to have received $15,894.00 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Sherri A. Scott, age 51, Heuvelton, arraigned on June 14, 2019 in Canton Town Court on charges of Welfare Fraud. The defendant is alleged to have received $1,380.50 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
- Nancy G. Sherman, age 27, Richville, arraigned on June 14, 2019 in Canton Town Court on charges of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, a class D felony and one count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony. The defendant is alleged to have received $5,844.00 in Public Assistance Benefits she was not entitled to receive after failing to accurately report income information.
All cases were the result of investigations conducted by the St. Lawrence County Social Services Fraud Unit, the District Attorney Fraud Investigator, and the St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, the Ogdensburg Police Department, the Massena Police Department, the Gouverneur Police Department, and other agencies.
Sheriff Kevin Wells stated that he “is proud of the professionalism and participation of the Sheriff’s Department in carrying out this operation, which is critical to deterring abuse of the taxpayers and ensuring that these critical resources go to those in need.”
The DA noted that citizens may anonymously report incidents of fraud in St. Lawrence County.
To report possible fraud, call 315-379-2145 or go to www.otda.ny.gov/resources/welfarefraud/ to complete the ‘Report Welfare Fraud Online’ form.
https://www.nbc15.com/content/news/13-arrested-in-record-welfare-fraud-sweep-511424542.html
State Troopers Take Guys Phone & Accidentally Record Themselves Plotting What Charges To Make Up!
White men have it made in this town huh...
Woman arrested after asking her bodybuilder husband to clean the house more
Valerie Sanders, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, spent 17 hours in a cell before being charged with 'controlling behaviour'
Elaine McCahill Deputy News Editor
Valerie Sanders was charged with 'controlling behaviour' after asking her husband Michael, 58, to clean more (Image: Facebook)
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A woman was arrested and charged with 'controlling behaviour' after asking her bodybuilder husband to help out around the house.
Valerie Sanders, 58, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, claims all she did was ask Michael, 58, to ditch some of his gym sessions and to Hoover and clean the patio doors.
However, she ended up spending 17 hours in a cell and then faced charges of controlling behaviour.
Her case was thrown out before it went to trial.
Speaking to The Sun, Valerie said she was "treated like a criminal" for asking her other half to clean more.
She claims he spent most of his time at the gym and didn't do anything around the house except wash his car.
Valerie says she left notes for Michael asking him to do chores.
Michael said his wife Valerie would leave him notes about cleaning (Image: Facebook)
Michael and Valerie in happier times (Image: Facebook)
Read More
In April last year, four police vans then arrived at her door and she was charged with “coercive or controlling behaviour”.
Coercive control is when a person with whom you are personally connected, repeatedly behaves in a way which makes you feel controlled, dependent, isolated or scared.
It became a crime in 2015 in order to combat non-physical abuse.
This week the case collapsed just minutes before the trial was due to start.
Valerie said she's had "14 months of hell" and thinks "it's outrageous this ever got to court".
Michael responded saying: “I’m not sure if she should have gone to court or not. That was not my decision – but she was controlling. She was constantly on at me.
“She used to leave the vacuum out or the polish and wanted me to clean every day because of the dogs.”
The coupe wed in 2014 after meeting online two years earlier.
Michael, 58, said Valerie 'was always at me' (Image: Facebook)
Valerie says all she did was leave a few notes around the house (Image: Facebook)
Read More
Editor's Picks
Cleaning boss Valerie said: “He was training all the time. He was eating five or six meals a day and mushing up all his food in the blender.
“We stopped going out for meals. I was working and he was at the gym from early in the morning until late at night. I just didn’t see him.
They wed in 2014 (Image: Facebook)
Read More
"He started to do bodybuilding competitions. It wasn't attractive. It was like cuddling an ironing board. He started to take Viagra, blaming the steroids.
"But when he took the tablets it made him sniffy and snotty so I refused to sleep with him."
Michael said he needed viagra because of a hormone issue and that Valerie had been supportive of his bodybuilding before changing her mind.
Police were called to their home in April 2018 after Jobcentre staff noticed Michael's mood had changed and he blamed it on his home life.
Mr Sanders defended his decision to raise concerns about her behaviour (Image: Facebook)
The case was thrown out shortly before it was due to go to trial at Teesside Crown and County Court (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Read More
Mr Sanders defended his decision to speak about it saying: "She was constantly on at me. She used to leave the vacuum out or the polish and wanted me to clean every day because of the dogs."
But Valerie denied she 'coercive or controlling behaviour' saying: "I'd leave a note asking him to vacuum parts of the house and clean the patio doors. We have two miniature dachshunds. But he would spend four hours cleaning his car - so of course I complained.
"Surely it isn't controlling behaviour otherwise every married couple would be in court?"
The pair are now in the process of divorcing.
The CPS said: “We prosecute cases where there is sufficient evidence of coercive and controlling behaviour. In this case, after a key witness decided to no longer support the prosecution, we concluded there was no longer sufficient evidence."
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/wife-58-arrested-after-telling-17263541
Woman arrested after asking her bodybuilder husband to clean the house more
Valerie Sanders, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, spent 17 hours in a cell before being charged with 'controlling behaviour'
- Share
Elaine McCahill Deputy News Editor
- 05:10, 27 JUN 2019
- Updated12:44, 27 JUN 2019
Valerie Sanders was charged with 'controlling behaviour' after asking her husband Michael, 58, to clean more (Image: Facebook)
Get the biggest daily news stories by email
See our privacy noticeMore newsletters
A woman was arrested and charged with 'controlling behaviour' after asking her bodybuilder husband to help out around the house.
Valerie Sanders, 58, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, claims all she did was ask Michael, 58, to ditch some of his gym sessions and to Hoover and clean the patio doors.
However, she ended up spending 17 hours in a cell and then faced charges of controlling behaviour.
Her case was thrown out before it went to trial.
Speaking to The Sun, Valerie said she was "treated like a criminal" for asking her other half to clean more.
She claims he spent most of his time at the gym and didn't do anything around the house except wash his car.
Valerie says she left notes for Michael asking him to do chores.
Michael said his wife Valerie would leave him notes about cleaning (Image: Facebook)
Michael and Valerie in happier times (Image: Facebook)
Read More
In April last year, four police vans then arrived at her door and she was charged with “coercive or controlling behaviour”.
Coercive control is when a person with whom you are personally connected, repeatedly behaves in a way which makes you feel controlled, dependent, isolated or scared.
It became a crime in 2015 in order to combat non-physical abuse.
This week the case collapsed just minutes before the trial was due to start.
Valerie said she's had "14 months of hell" and thinks "it's outrageous this ever got to court".
Michael responded saying: “I’m not sure if she should have gone to court or not. That was not my decision – but she was controlling. She was constantly on at me.
“She used to leave the vacuum out or the polish and wanted me to clean every day because of the dogs.”
The coupe wed in 2014 after meeting online two years earlier.
Michael, 58, said Valerie 'was always at me' (Image: Facebook)
Valerie says all she did was leave a few notes around the house (Image: Facebook)
Read More
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Cleaning boss Valerie said: “He was training all the time. He was eating five or six meals a day and mushing up all his food in the blender.
“We stopped going out for meals. I was working and he was at the gym from early in the morning until late at night. I just didn’t see him.
They wed in 2014 (Image: Facebook)
Read More
"He started to do bodybuilding competitions. It wasn't attractive. It was like cuddling an ironing board. He started to take Viagra, blaming the steroids.
"But when he took the tablets it made him sniffy and snotty so I refused to sleep with him."
Michael said he needed viagra because of a hormone issue and that Valerie had been supportive of his bodybuilding before changing her mind.
Police were called to their home in April 2018 after Jobcentre staff noticed Michael's mood had changed and he blamed it on his home life.
Mr Sanders defended his decision to raise concerns about her behaviour (Image: Facebook)
The case was thrown out shortly before it was due to go to trial at Teesside Crown and County Court (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Read More
Mr Sanders defended his decision to speak about it saying: "She was constantly on at me. She used to leave the vacuum out or the polish and wanted me to clean every day because of the dogs."
But Valerie denied she 'coercive or controlling behaviour' saying: "I'd leave a note asking him to vacuum parts of the house and clean the patio doors. We have two miniature dachshunds. But he would spend four hours cleaning his car - so of course I complained.
"Surely it isn't controlling behaviour otherwise every married couple would be in court?"
The pair are now in the process of divorcing.
The CPS said: “We prosecute cases where there is sufficient evidence of coercive and controlling behaviour. In this case, after a key witness decided to no longer support the prosecution, we concluded there was no longer sufficient evidence."
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/wife-58-arrested-after-telling-17263541
Arkansas woman must register as sex offender after she tried to frame her husband for rape and child porn possession
By Jessica Schladebeck
| New York Daily News |
Jul 04, 2019 | 12:45 PM
Cherie Renee Bolton (Obtained by New York Daily News)
An Arkansas woman who attempted to frame her husband by downloading child pornography onto his phone and telling authorities he raped a 13-year-old managed to dodge jail time in the case but has been ordered by a judge to register as a sex offender.
Cherie Renee Bolton was also sentenced this week to six years of probation and will have to pay more than $2,000 in fines and court fees for the nefarious plot she orchestrated against her husband.
Bolton first met with detectives in May 2017 to report her husband for child porn possession, according to a probable cause affidavit. She also told officers he raped her teen daughter and showed them images on his cellphone featuring underage children in suggestive clothing and performing sexual acts.
Officers took the phone for forensic testing and interviewed the 13-year-old, who told them that she felt safe with her father and that he never abused her. When officers interviewed Bolton’s husband, who was not identified, he denied having any knowledge of the illicit images on his phone.
Bolton in a later interview with law enforcement said she could not remember finding the child porn or reporting the assault. In a follow-up interview, she added that if her husband said he did not hurt her daughter, it was likely true as he does not lie, according to authorities.
Then “Bolton became visibly upset as her lip was trembling, her eyes were watery, and she placed her head down repeatedly,” according to the affidavit.
Eventually, the mother admitted to downloading child pornography onto her husband’s phone to get back at him for preventing her from seeing their kids after he kicked her out of their apartment. She added that she was using meth at the, according to court documents.
Bolton on Monday pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and filing a false police report. She’s been required to serve the entirety of her six years of probation with no possibility for a shortened sentence.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/cr...0190704-nqr45xgz4ndhnhvtfbeooqrx3q-story.html
By Jessica Schladebeck
| New York Daily News |
Jul 04, 2019 | 12:45 PM
Cherie Renee Bolton (Obtained by New York Daily News)
An Arkansas woman who attempted to frame her husband by downloading child pornography onto his phone and telling authorities he raped a 13-year-old managed to dodge jail time in the case but has been ordered by a judge to register as a sex offender.
Cherie Renee Bolton was also sentenced this week to six years of probation and will have to pay more than $2,000 in fines and court fees for the nefarious plot she orchestrated against her husband.
Bolton first met with detectives in May 2017 to report her husband for child porn possession, according to a probable cause affidavit. She also told officers he raped her teen daughter and showed them images on his cellphone featuring underage children in suggestive clothing and performing sexual acts.
Officers took the phone for forensic testing and interviewed the 13-year-old, who told them that she felt safe with her father and that he never abused her. When officers interviewed Bolton’s husband, who was not identified, he denied having any knowledge of the illicit images on his phone.
Bolton in a later interview with law enforcement said she could not remember finding the child porn or reporting the assault. In a follow-up interview, she added that if her husband said he did not hurt her daughter, it was likely true as he does not lie, according to authorities.
Then “Bolton became visibly upset as her lip was trembling, her eyes were watery, and she placed her head down repeatedly,” according to the affidavit.
Eventually, the mother admitted to downloading child pornography onto her husband’s phone to get back at him for preventing her from seeing their kids after he kicked her out of their apartment. She added that she was using meth at the, according to court documents.
Bolton on Monday pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and filing a false police report. She’s been required to serve the entirety of her six years of probation with no possibility for a shortened sentence.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/cr...0190704-nqr45xgz4ndhnhvtfbeooqrx3q-story.html
Police break up huge 'modern day slavery' ring in UK
GREGORY KATZ,Associated Press 12 hours ago
In this eight photo combo group issued Friday July 5, 2019, by Britain's West Midlands Police, showing members of a modern day slavery ring in the UK. The modern day slavery gang members originally from Poland, convicted shown are, top from left, Ignacy Brzezinski, Wojciech Nowakowski, Jan Sadowski, Marek Chowanic, and bottom from left, Marek Brzezinski, Julianna Chodakiewicz, Natalia Zmuda and Justyna Parczewska. Reporting restrictions were lifted Friday, July 5, 2019, allowing details to be published about the group who have left more than 400 victims.(West Midlands Police via AP)
LONDON (AP) — Details about what prosecutors have called one of Britain's largest-ever modern day slavery rings have emerged with the conviction of eight people originally from Poland.
Prosecutors say more than 400 victims were forced to work for minuscule wages while their masters earned some 2 million pounds ($2.5 million) and lived a luxurious lifestyle. Reporting restrictions were lifted Friday, allowing details to be published.
The group preyed on the homeless, former convicts and alcoholics in Poland and lured them to Britain with false promises of well-paid work. Some ended up being paid less than $1 for a day's work and were held in squalid conditions.
Five men and three women originally from Poland have been convicted of modern day slavery offenses and money laundering.
Jurors in two separate trials at Birmingham Crown Court heard testimony from more than 90 victims, with indications that at least another 350 had been trafficked by the criminal gang.
Victims reported being forced to wash in a canal because they had no access to fresh water, having to plug leaky toilets with their blankets and sheets, and getting food from soup kitchens and food banks because their wages were not sufficient.
The group targeted vulnerable people in Poland for recruitment, including newly released convicts, and placed them in England in cramped, rat-infested lodgings. They were put to work on farms, rubbish recycling centers and poultry factories.
The victims ranged from teenagers to people over 60.
Judge Mary Stacey said at the end of the first trial that the traffickers' "degradation" of fellow human beings had been "totally unacceptable." She imposed prison sentences of up to 11 years.
She said the belief that slavery had been ended in Britain was not true: "The hard truth is that the practice continues, here in the U.K., often hiding in plain sight."
The police investigation and research by the charity Hope For Justice turned up numerous cases of abuse.
In one instance, a man who complained about poor pay and living conditions had his arm broken, was given no medical care, then ejected from the lodgings.
Another was forced to remove his clothes and threatened with the removal of his kidneys if he did not keep quiet about the situation.
In the second trial, which ended in June, 52-year-old Ignacy Brzezinski and Wojciech Nowakowski, 41, were convicted. A third, Jan Sadowski, 26, pleaded guilty.
Convicted at the earlier trial, which ended in February, were chief conspirator Marek Chowanic, Marek Brzezinski, Julianna Chodakiewicz, Natalia Zmuda and Justyna Parczewska.
GREGORY KATZ,Associated Press 12 hours ago- Reactions
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In this eight photo combo group issued Friday July 5, 2019, by Britain's West Midlands Police, showing members of a modern day slavery ring in the UK. The modern day slavery gang members originally from Poland, convicted shown are, top from left, Ignacy Brzezinski, Wojciech Nowakowski, Jan Sadowski, Marek Chowanic, and bottom from left, Marek Brzezinski, Julianna Chodakiewicz, Natalia Zmuda and Justyna Parczewska. Reporting restrictions were lifted Friday, July 5, 2019, allowing details to be published about the group who have left more than 400 victims.(West Midlands Police via AP)
LONDON (AP) — Details about what prosecutors have called one of Britain's largest-ever modern day slavery rings have emerged with the conviction of eight people originally from Poland.
Prosecutors say more than 400 victims were forced to work for minuscule wages while their masters earned some 2 million pounds ($2.5 million) and lived a luxurious lifestyle. Reporting restrictions were lifted Friday, allowing details to be published.
The group preyed on the homeless, former convicts and alcoholics in Poland and lured them to Britain with false promises of well-paid work. Some ended up being paid less than $1 for a day's work and were held in squalid conditions.
Five men and three women originally from Poland have been convicted of modern day slavery offenses and money laundering.
Jurors in two separate trials at Birmingham Crown Court heard testimony from more than 90 victims, with indications that at least another 350 had been trafficked by the criminal gang.
Victims reported being forced to wash in a canal because they had no access to fresh water, having to plug leaky toilets with their blankets and sheets, and getting food from soup kitchens and food banks because their wages were not sufficient.
The group targeted vulnerable people in Poland for recruitment, including newly released convicts, and placed them in England in cramped, rat-infested lodgings. They were put to work on farms, rubbish recycling centers and poultry factories.
The victims ranged from teenagers to people over 60.
Judge Mary Stacey said at the end of the first trial that the traffickers' "degradation" of fellow human beings had been "totally unacceptable." She imposed prison sentences of up to 11 years.
She said the belief that slavery had been ended in Britain was not true: "The hard truth is that the practice continues, here in the U.K., often hiding in plain sight."
The police investigation and research by the charity Hope For Justice turned up numerous cases of abuse.
In one instance, a man who complained about poor pay and living conditions had his arm broken, was given no medical care, then ejected from the lodgings.
Another was forced to remove his clothes and threatened with the removal of his kidneys if he did not keep quiet about the situation.
In the second trial, which ended in June, 52-year-old Ignacy Brzezinski and Wojciech Nowakowski, 41, were convicted. A third, Jan Sadowski, 26, pleaded guilty.
Convicted at the earlier trial, which ended in February, were chief conspirator Marek Chowanic, Marek Brzezinski, Julianna Chodakiewicz, Natalia Zmuda and Justyna Parczewska.
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