Jersey City, NJ
News
NJ-Based Crypto Firm Will Pay SEC, States Unprecedented $100M Penalty NJ-Based Crypto Firm Will Pay SEC, States Unprecedented $100M Penalty
Nj-based Crypto Firm Will Pay SEC, States Unprecedented $100M Penalty A Jersey City-based cryptocurrency company will pay a record $100 million to settle alleged violations of investor-protection laws, state and federal authorities jointly announced. BlockFi Lending LLC neither admitted nor denied any wrongdoing when it agreed to the highest fine ever by a cryptocurrency company, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said on Monday, Feb. 14. However, it did take a different course than many of its crypto rivals by not fighting the fine. Of the total, $50 million will be paid to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and up to $50 millio…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Fort Lee, NJ
News
CRYPTO CRIME: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust CRYPTO CRIME: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust
Crypto Crime: Rapping 'Crocodile of Wall Street,' Husband Nabbed In $4.5 Billion Bitcoin Bust The self-described “Crocodile of Wall Street” and her husband were arrested by federal agents in Manhattan on Tuesday, Feb. 8, on charges of conspiring to launder billions of dollars in cryptocurrency stolen in a bombshell hack of a virtual currency exchange. Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, 34, and Heather Rhiannon Morgan, a 31-year-old business blogger/rapper, weren’t charged in the 2016 theft from Bitfinex of what at the time was $71 million worth of cryptocurrency – now valued at $4.5 billion. They are charged with conspiring to (a) commit money laundering and (b) defraud the United States, …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Gettysburg, PA
News
Nuclear Engineer, Wife Used PA Address To Contact Undercover FBI Agent, Authorities Say Nuclear Engineer, Wife Used PA Address To Contact Undercover FBI Agent, Authorities Say
Nuclear Engineer, Wife Used PA Address To Contact Undercover FBI Agent, Authorities Say Much like a story out of a spy thriller, a Maryland couple was arrested in West Virginia after using a Pennsylvania home address to commit espionage by selling restricted data to an undercover FBI agent. Jonathan, 42, and Diana Toebbe, 45, of Annapolis, Maryland, were arrested in Jefferson County, West Virginia, and charged with violations of the Atomic Energy Act by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service on Saturday. “The complaint charges a plot to transmit information relating to the design of our nuclear submarines to a foreign nation,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Gar…

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by Jillian Pikora
Brentwood, NY
News
Suffolk County IT Supervisor Accused Of Using County Resources To Mine Cryptocurrency Suffolk County IT Supervisor Accused Of Using County Resources To Mine Cryptocurrency
Suffolk County IT Supervisor Accused Of Using County Resources To Mine Cryptocurrency An information technology supervisor was arrested and accused of running a cryptocurrency mining operation out of Suffolk County offices, costing the county thousands of dollars in electricity.  Christopher Naples, age 42, of Mattituck, was arraigned on multiple felony charges Wednesday, Sept. 8, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini. Sini said Naples was charged with the following: Public corruption Third-degree grand larceny  Computer trespass Official misconduct “Mining cryptocurrency requires an enormous amount of resources, and miners have to navigate h…

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by Nicole Valinote
Fair Lawn-Glen Rock, NJ
Lifestyle
‘You Have To Be Dedicated:’ Bergen County Native Hits It Big In Crypto, Opens Smoke Shop At 24 ‘You Have To Be Dedicated:’ Bergen County Native Hits It Big In Crypto, Opens Smoke Shop At 24
‘You Have To Be Dedicated:’ Bergen County Native Hits It Big In Crypto, Opens Smoke Shop At 24 A Bergen County man who hit it big in a cryptocurrency investment and opened a smoke shop at the age of 24 says dedication is the key for aspiring entrepreneurs. Generoso Lombardo graduated from Westwood High School in 2015 before attending Bergen Community College for three years and transferring to Montclair State University, where he studied business administration, he told Daily Voice. While Lombardo didn’t immediately know the specifics, he knew he wanted to own some type of business. Meanwhile, his side job kept him busy — and motivated — in between classes. “I got really motivated…

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by Valerie Musson
Middletown, NJ
News
A NJ FIRST: Monmouth County Prosecutor Seizes $198K In Cryptocurrency A NJ FIRST: Monmouth County Prosecutor Seizes $198K In Cryptocurrency
A NJ First: Monmouth County Prosecutor Seizes $198K In Cryptocurrency The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office is the first law enforcement agency in New Jersey to seize and liquidate cryptocurrency, authorities said.  The unusual assets were seized during an illegal drug bust in Long Branch and cashed in for about $198,237, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni. In 2018, investigators executed search warrants at two Long Branch locations used by 39-year-old Giddel Gonzalez-Estrada, who pleaded guilty in the 2019 drug case and is completing a 10-year state prison sentence, Gramiccioni said. Authorities seized three …

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by Jon Craig
Greenwich, CT
News
COVID-19: Beware Of These Five New Scammer Tactics, Utility Companies Warn COVID-19: Beware Of These Five New Scammer Tactics, Utility Companies Warn
Covid-19: Beware Of These Five New Scammer Tactics, Utility Companies Warn With the United States crossing a grim milestone as the COVID-19 death toll topped 500,000, utility companies are cautioning about new scams that have arisen in the past year as opportunistic fraudsters look to take advantage of the pandemic. Utility companies across the country have issued alerts regarding new scams as they seek to allow their customers to protect themselves from scammers exploiting the COVID-19 outbreak. According to officials, one of the largest threats involves scammers aggressively threatening to disconnect service, claiming that bills are past due, unless a payment is…

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by Zak Failla
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Man Accused Of Converting Profits From Knock-Off 'Gucci' Into Bitcoin Is Indicted Man Accused Of Converting Profits From Knock-Off 'Gucci' Into Bitcoin Is Indicted
Man Accused Of Converting Profits From Knock-Off 'Gucci' Into Bitcoin Is Indicted A Central Mass man has been accused of using Bitcoin to launder profits from the sale of illegal items such as knock-off Gucci bags. On Thursday, March 4, Alan Joseph 32, of Fitchburg, was indicted by a grand jury on the charges of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and 4 counts of money laundering, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Massachusetts, said. From August 2020 to February 2021, Joseph allegedly engaged in 4 financial transactions in which he used money he thought had been obtained through the sale of contraband and turned it into Bitcoin as a way to make the source of…

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by Kristin Palpini
Torrington, CT
News
Bitcoin Scammers Claim To Have Compromising Videos Of Victims Bitcoin Scammers Claim To Have Compromising Videos Of Victims
Bitcoin Scammers Claim To Have Compromising Videos Of Victims Bitcoin scammers have been threatening to expose sensitive videos of their victims if they are not paid off. Fraudsters have been sending spam emails that allege they have recorded video of “you getting yourself off,” which they threaten to expose if they are not paid off. The emails claim that the scammer is from out of the country, and cannot be targeted by local law enforcement. Related story - COVID-19: Cybercriminals Using New Sextortion Tactics Amid Pandemic Scammers allege that based on their potential victims’ visiting “bad” websites that infected computers with malware, they now …

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by Zak Failla
Newark, NJ
Police & Fire
FBI Nabs Alleged NJ Accomplice Of Accused Multi-Million-Dollar Blockchain Swindler FBI Nabs Alleged NJ Accomplice Of Accused Multi-Million-Dollar Blockchain Swindler
FBI Nabs Alleged NJ Accomplice Of Accused Multi-Million-Dollar Blockchain Swindler A notorious hedge fund manager who spent four years in prison for a massive scam in Canada adopted a new identity in New York, where he conspired with an Essex County woman in a $30 million blockchain investment scam that cashed in on the crypto tech boom, federal authorities charged. Edith Pardo, 68, of Bloomfield was arrested Friday by the FBI for her alleged role in the scam that U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said was orchestrated by Boaz Manor, 46, of Toronto. A federal grand jury indicted both on wire and securities fraud and conspiracy charges, Carpenito said. Pardo had an initial a…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Massapequa, NY
News
NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website
NY, CT Residents Among Hundreds Charged In Takedown Of Largest Darknet Child Porn Website Men from Connecticut and New York are among those charged in the takedown of the largest Darknet child pornography website. Jong Woo Son, 23, a South Korean national, was indicted this week for his operation of Welcome To Video, the largest child exploitation market by volume of content, officials said. Son has also been charged and convicted in South Korea and is currently in custody serving his sentence in South Korea.   An additional 337 site users residing in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jers…

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by Zak Failla
Brentwood, NY
News
Long Island Man Charged In Multi-Million Dollar Extortion Scheme Long Island Man Charged In Multi-Million Dollar Extortion Scheme
Long Island Man Charged In Multi-Million Dollar Extortion Scheme A Long Island man was charged for his alleged role in a multi-million dollar extortion scheme to scam a startup cryptocurrency company. Steven Nerayoff, 48, of Great Neck, and Rhode Island resident Michael Hlady, 47, were charged in Brooklyn federal court this week for their roles in the scheme to defraud a Seattle-based startup mobile-based business. It is alleged that Nerayoff, an attorney, and Hlady threatened to destroy a startup cryptocurrency company if they were not paid millions of dollars in the cryptocurrency Ether. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said that the victim specializes …

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by Zak Failla