David Smith, Former Stamford Resident, Killed in New Rochelle
David Smith, a former Stamford resident facing charges in a $1 million DoorDash theft scheme, was found fatally shot in New Rochelle on Monday, January 6, 2025. Police believe the shooting was linked to a personal dispute over money.
Abdumannop Abdurakhmonov Arrested for Large-Scale Fraud Scheme
Abdumannop Abdurakhmonov, the head of “Umid Avto Companies” LLC and several affiliated auto-leasing firms, has been detained on charges of large-scale fraud. The Interior Ministry’s Investigation Department confirmed his arrest to Kun.uz. Abdurakhmonov, along with other company executives, is facing serious charges under multiple articles of the Criminal Code, including Article 168, Part 4(a) (fraud) and Article 188-1 (illegal activities involving the attraction of funds or other property).
Jason Sawicki Arrested for Grand Theft and Burglary in West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Jason Edward Sawicki has been arrested and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on charges of burglary and grand theft following a smash-and-grab incident at a local business. The theft resulted in damages and losses totaling $20,477.
Benjamin Coreas Sentenced to 15 Years for Teen’s Killing in Lake Worth
LANTANA, Fla. (CBS12) — Benjamin Coreas, one of three individuals involved in the death of a teenager during a fight in Lake Worth over two years ago, returned to Palm Beach County courtroom Wednesday to learn his fate.
Inmate Jebea Johnson Accused of Orchestrating Gang-Related Murder
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Jebea Johnson, a 22-year-old inmate at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility in Bunnell, is accused of orchestrating a gang-related murder while incarcerated.
Linda Maria Palacio Arrested for Burglary Involving Teen Son in Miami
MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — Linda Maria Palacio, 39, was arrested on January 7 and charged with felony burglary and grand theft following an alleged theft involving her teenage son in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood.
Cory Kendrick Arrested in Connection to Smash-and-Grab Vehicle Burglaries
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (CBS12) — Cory Kendrick, 24, was arrested by St. Petersburg Police in connection with a series of smash-and-grab vehicle burglaries that occurred between January 2 and January 5, 2025.
Telvin Hill Charged with Two Counts of Burglary in Parma, Missouri
PARMA, Mo. (KBSI) — Telvin Hill, a resident of Parma, has been charged with two counts of burglary following an incident on January 2, 2025.
Aric McCray Arrested for Stealing Lottery Tickets in Waterbury Burglary
WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Aric McCray, a 53-year-old man from New Haven, was arrested after allegedly breaking into a Winner’s store in Waterbury and stealing nonactivated lottery tickets.
Commune Chairman Arrested in Nghe An for Drug Trafficking
NGHE AN, Vietnam — Mua Ba Vu, the chairman of Na Ngoi Commune in Nghe An Province, was arrested on January 9, 2025, after being accused of transporting over 35 kg of drugs. Vu, who had been serving as the commune chairman for two years, was detained along with an accomplice during a police ambush operation.
Nigerian Pastor Arrested for Leading Major Child-Trafficking Syndicate
PLATEAU STATE, Nigeria — Pastor Dayo Bernard, the prominent cleric from the End Time Army Ministry in Bukuru, was arrested for allegedly leading a significant child-trafficking syndicate in Plateau State, Nigeria. In a coordinated operation, authorities successfully dismantled the network and rescued 13 children from its grip.
Nigerian Pastor Arrested for Leading Major Child-Trafficking Syndicate
PLATEAU STATE, Nigeria — Pastor Dayo Bernard, the prominent cleric from the End Time Army Ministry in Bukuru, was arrested for allegedly leading a significant child-trafficking syndicate in Plateau State, Nigeria. In a coordinated operation, authorities successfully dismantled the network and rescued 13 children from its grip.
“Do Hyeong Kwon Charged in $40 Billion Crypto Scam”
In a major development in the world of cryptocurrency, Do Hyeong Kwon, the CEO behind the crypto platform Terraform, has been charged by U.S. federal authorities for allegedly defrauding investors of more than $40 billion. Kwon, 33, was extradited from Montenegro on New Year’s Eve and faces multiple counts of securities and wire fraud following the collapse of Terraform between 2018 and 2022.
Taskin Torlak Charged for $32 Million Venezuelan Oil Smuggling
Taskin Torlak, a Turkish businessman, has been charged with running a sophisticated scheme that helped Venezuela’s sanctioned state-owned oil company, PDVSA, smuggle oil. He was arrested last week while attempting to flee the U.S.
Woman Jailed for Sharing Singpass Details in Phishing Scam
SINGAPORE – A 34-year-old woman, Sakinah Waheeda Abdul Manan, was sentenced to 14 months in prison after her involvement in a $4.8 million phishing scam. She had agreed to share her Singpass details with an individual, promising her a reward of $60,000 annually, as she was in need of money shortly after being released from prison.
Six Charged in Connection to $8 Million Malware Scam in Singapore
SINGAPORE – Six individuals, aged between 20 and 35, appeared in the State Courts on November 4 to face charges in relation to a malware scam that defrauded nearly $8 million. The group is believed to have aided a criminal syndicate by opening bank accounts and providing account details to facilitate fraudulent money transfers.
Man Sentenced to Jail for Sharing Bank Details with Online Scammers
SINGAPORE – A 66-year-old man, Christopher Moh, was sentenced to 21 months in prison on October 16 after he pleaded guilty to charges related to sharing his bank account details with individuals he met online. Despite receiving multiple warnings from the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), Moh’s accounts were later used to facilitate scam activities.
Bernard Chng & Tay Chee Seng Jailed for Laundering $20M
SINGAPORE — Two Singaporean men were sentenced to prison after they unintentionally helped scammers launder nearly $20 million through their roles as nominee directors of shell companies.
The funds came from local and foreign firms, which had fallen victim to scams, including business email compromise and impersonation frauds.
Seven Men Charged Over Money Mule Activities in Singapore
SINGAPORE – Seven men were charged in court on Friday for their alleged involvement in various crimes related to money mule activities, including cheating, money laundering, and facilitating unauthorized access to computer material.
Three Men Charged for Laundering Over $5.4 Million in Scams
SINGAPORE – Three men were charged in court on Friday for their involvement in laundering over $5.4 million for scam syndicates.
Zhang Ming and Yin Junjun Jailed for Laundering Over $900K in Crime Proceeds
SINGAPORE – Zhang Ming and his brother-in-law Yin Junjun were each sentenced to 33 months’ jail on Thursday for conspiring to launder over $900,000 in crime proceeds using foreign workers’ bank accounts.
South Bend Man John Winston Jr. Arrested in Massive Fraud Scheme
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) — A South Bend man, 55-year-old John Winston Jr., has been arrested in connection with a widespread bank fraud scheme that is currently being investigated by a grand jury in Iowa.
Pakistani Man Asif Merchant Arrested for Assassination Plot
HOUSTON – A 46-year-old Pakistani man, Asif Merchant, has been arrested and taken into federal custody, accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme aimed at U.S. government officials, including former President Donald Trump. Merchant, who allegedly has ties to Iran, was arrested in Houston in July following a federal investigation into the plot.
Chitisan Arrested for Scamming Myanmar Migrants in Mule Account Scheme
The Highway Police Division (HPD) has arrested a key suspect connected to a gang that deceived Myanmar migrant workers into opening mule accounts used for fraudulent activities.
Laxit Patel Arrested for Attempted $81,000 Scam in Dodge County
Dodge County authorities arrested an 18-year-old man accused of attempting to scam a local resident out of $81,000. Laxit Devendra Patel, from India, was arrested after he tried to convince a 61-year-old resident in the Town of Lowell to withdraw the large sum of money based on a fake Federal Trade Commission (FTC) phone scam.
Jimmy Norwood Sentenced to 10 Years for 8th DWI Offense
CLovis, N.M. (KFDA) – A man from Clovis, New Mexico, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to his eighth DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) offense. Jimmy Norwood, 61, faced sentencing after his most recent arrest in August 2023.
Nenad Milosevich Charged with Murder Over $20K Rolex Theft
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – A Florida man, Nenad Milosevich, 56, has been charged with murder following the killing of 73-year-old jeweler Anthony D’Amore over a $20,000 Rolex watch Milosevich intended to give to his girlfriend for Christmas.
Arizona Man Arrested After Woman Kidnapped, Boyfriend Found Dead
Pearce, Arizona — Authorities have arrested a man after a 75-year-old woman was kidnapped and her 67-year-old boyfriend was found dead in their home.
Amarillo Drug Trafficker Landis Barrow Sentenced to Life in Prison
AMARILLO, Texas — A Texas man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after being convicted on several serious drug trafficking charges.
Man in Wheelchair Arrested for Stealing Thousands from Palm City Walgreens
PALM CITY, FL — A 39-year-old man, who uses a wheelchair and has no legs, was arrested for stealing thousands of dollars worth of items from a Walgreens in Palm City.
Cory M. Billstrom Arrested in Wilton, WI for Minnesota Bank Robbery
WILTON, Wis. (WFRV) — A Janesville, Wisconsin man was arrested in western Wisconsin after being connected to a bank robbery in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Donald Brubaker Arrested After Attempted Bank Robbery in Grand Rapids
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A 41-year-old man is in custody following an attempted bank robbery at the Bloom Credit Union on Plainfield Avenue NE in Grand Rapids.
Pauline Mbangula Arrested for Smuggling Drugs in Her Body
A 30-year-old woman, Pauline Mbangula, was arrested after an X-ray scan revealed that she had ingested 68 pellets of suspected cocaine, weighing around 850 grams. Mbangula had traveled to Brazil with a man she believed to be her boyfriend, under the guise of a vacation. Upon arrival, he allegedly persuaded her to swallow the drug-filled pellets for smuggling.
Homeless Man Joshua Galarza Arrested for Using Stolen Credit Card
A homeless man, 32-year-old Joshua Galarza, was arrested after stealing a credit card from an unlocked vehicle in The Villages and using it for fraudulent purchases. The victim, a 77-year-old woman, discovered her “Las Vegas” tote bag, containing her iPhone, driver’s license, and credit card, was missing after she and her husband returned from a dinner outing at Beef O’ Brady’s.
Darren Birden Arrested After Standoff in Kidnapping, Robbery Case
Darren Birden, 55, was taken into custody following a brief standoff on January 7. The arrest came after Birden was identified as a suspect in a kidnapping and robbery that occurred on December 17. The incident took place in the early hours of the morning, with Birden and 34-year-old Leah Graham allegedly committing the felonies in Pasco.
Brett Parks Arrested for Stealing Wire in Rome, NY
On January 9, Brett M. Parks, 37, of Blossvale, was arrested after being caught in possession of stolen wire in Rome, New York. The arrest followed a larceny report filed by Verizon employees, who reported a section of wire had been cut from a telephone pole on South James Street.
Norfolk Man Arrested for Robbery and Assault on Light Rail Train
Norfolk Police have arrested Silvero Brown Jr., 32, in connection to a robbery and assault on a Hampton Roads Transit light rail train. The incident occurred on December 27 near the Ingleside Station stop on Mississippi Avenue.
Florida Woman Heather Nelson Arrested for Stealing from 83-Year-Old
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office arrested 29-year-old Heather Nelson on multiple charges after she allegedly assaulted and stole items from an 83-year-old woman. The incident took place earlier this week, and Nelson now faces a range of serious charges, including robbery, fraud, forgery, and aggravated battery.
Windsor Police Arrest Monyke Halabi in Armed Robbery, Search for Others
Windsor police have arrested 28-year-old Monyke Halabi in connection with a violent armed robbery on University Avenue. The incident occurred on January 3 when three men, one carrying a firearm, broke into a home in the 1600 block of University Avenue, demanding property and cash from two victims.
Gregory Collins Arrested for Citizens Bank Robbery in Wilmington
Delaware State Police have arrested 65-year-old Gregory Collins from Wilmington in connection with a robbery at Citizens Bank. The robbery occurred on January 4, 2025, at approximately 10:05 a.m. when a suspect, later identified as Collins, approached a bank teller and demanded money while brandishing an unknown object through his shirt in a threatening manner.
