Category: Public Corruption
8 New Faces at US Attorney’s Office in St. Louis
⏱ 3 min read A new crop of federal prosecutors is descending on St. Louis, Missouri, as the US Attorney’s Office welcomes eight experienced attorneys to its ranks. The hires include a judge, law clerks, and state prosecutors, all of whom are eager to tackle the city’s most pressing crime issues. Among the new recruits…
Smith Johnson, Tax Evasion, California 2020
⏱ 2 min read A six-year tax scam has finally unraveled for former U.S. Treasury manager Edner Escarne, 52. He was arrested at his Washington D.C. residence and charged with four counts of tax evasion and five counts of failing to file a tax return. Escarne earned over $1 million in government salary between 2019…
Delaware State Agency Officials, Federal Obstruction, Delaware 2023
⏱ 2 min read A Delaware Department of Labor showdown with the feds ended with a court-ordered compliance with a federal subpoena. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) issued the subpoena to the department last year as part of an ongoing immigration-related worksite enforcement investigation. But the department refused, sparking a federal lawsuit. Chief Judge Colm F.…
Officer James Johnson, Identity Theft, California 2020
⏱ 2 min read A former Ohkay Owingeh police officer, Justin Aguino, 31, has pleaded guilty to using his position to disclose sensitive information about a federal investigation in New Mexico. On February 26, 2020, Aguino made a phone call to an individual, revealing that a person they knew was cooperating with federal authorities. This…
John Doe, Sewage Theft, Illinois 2020
⏱ 2 min read A toxic tide of untreated sewage has been flowing through East St. Louis, Illinois, for years, polluting the Mississippi River and a local park. The city’s water treatment plant has been spewing hundreds of raw sewage discharges into the community, violating the Clean Water Act. The mess was discovered in December…
Joseph M. Moore, Illegal Gambling Operation, Pennsylvania 2025
PHILADELPHIA – In a shocking turn of events, Joseph M. Moore, a 43-year-old former Philadelphia probation officer, was sentenced to one day in custody and one year of home detention for conducting a years-long illegal gambling operation. Moore, who was a Philadelphia probation officer, owned and conducted the sports wagering business, known as the ‘Moore…
Michael Childers, Falsification of Records, Harold KY 2024
A federal judge has handed down a harsh sentence to a former USP Big Sandy lieutenant, Michael Childers, 47, of Harold, Kentucky, for falsification of records. According to the Department of Justice, US District Judge Robert Wier sentenced Childers to 17 months in prison on February 28, 2024, for falsifying records. Childers, the former lieutenant…
Michael Childers, Falsification of Records, Harold KY 2024
A federal judge in California has delivered a hard blow to the corrupt officials within the United States Bureau of Prisons, handing down a 17-month prison sentence to former USP Big Sandy Lieutenant Michael Childers, 47, of Harold, Kentucky. Childers was convicted of falsification of records, a serious civil rights violation that undermines the integrity…
John Doe, Bribery, South Carolina 2023
⏱ 3 min read A Goose Creek man, Hason Tatorian ‘Tory’ Fields, was busted paying bribes to a North Charleston city councilman to secure support for a rezoning deal. Related Federal Cases Loy Vaught, NCAA Bribery, Washington 2020 · South Carolina Tyson Foods Inc., Willful Violation of OSHA Regulations, AR, 2023 · South Carolina C.M.…
USDA Exec Cashes In on COVID-19 Relief Rewritten: USDA Exec, Embezzlement, California 2020
⏱ 2 min read A former USDA official in Honolulu, Hawaii, cashed in on COVID-19 relief funds, pleading guilty to accepting a $5,000 bribe. Jason Shitanishi, 60, was County Executive Director for the City and County of Honolulu in 2020 and 2021. Related Federal Cases Tony Sullivan, Donut Shop Robberies, Los Angeles CA, 2023 ·…
