Tag: November 2016
Gorham Therapist Paulo Braga Pleads Guilty to MaineCare Fraud
Gorham man Paulo D. Braga, 66, admitted in federal court today to orchestrating a years-long health care fraud scheme that bled MaineCare for over $5,000 by billing for counseling sessions that never took place. Braga, a licensed clinical professional counselor, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of health care fraud, capping a…
Patrick Hauck, David Smith sentenced on federal gun, drug charges
Two armed felons from West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle are headed to federal prison after being sentenced for illegally possessing weapons and, in one case, stockpiling chemicals used to cook methamphetamine. The convictions mark the latest enforcement action in a region plagued by gun violence and rural drug production. Patrick Hauck, 34, of Wellsburg, West Virginia,…
Nandu Thondavadi Arrested in $30M Fraud Scheme
CHICAGO — Nandu Thondavadi, 62, of North Barrington, the CEO of publicly traded Quadrant 4 System Corp., has been arrested and charged with orchestrating a multi-year financial fraud scheme designed to mislead investors and inflate his company’s stock price. Federal prosecutors allege Thondavadi systematically falsified financial records, concealing liabilities and fabricating cash flow data in…
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty in 7-Eleven Armed Robbery
A 21-year-old Rochester man has admitted his role in a violent armed robbery at a 7-Eleven store and possession of a firearm stolen in a burglary that later turned deadly. Joseph Lowry pleaded guilty Thursday to Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, stemming from the August…
Kansas Men Plead Guilty in Hate Attack on Somali Men
Armando Sotelo, 24, of Dodge City, Kansas, pleaded guilty today to a federal hate crime for the brutal June 19, 2015, assault on M.H.D., a black Somali man sitting peacefully outside the African Market. With fists and slurs, Sotelo and two others cornered the victim, unleashing a racially charged attack that left M.H.D. injured and…
Dariusz J. Prugar Sentenced for Hacking ISP After Firing
Dariusz J. Prugar, 32, of Syracuse, New York, is going to prison for hacking into the computer network of his former employer, Pa Online, an internet service provider based in Enola, Pennsylvania. After being fired in June 2010, Prugar launched a calculated digital attack that crippled the company’s operations, erased critical data, and knocked service…
Wilkes-Barre Teen Guilty in Straw Gun Purchase
Wilkes-Barre, PA — A 19-year-old city man has admitted to orchestrating a straw purchase of a semi-automatic pistol, lying to a federally licensed dealer and exploiting loopholes in the gun control system. Ruben Rosario pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito, Jr., to making false statements during the acquisition of a .22…
Anton Demetrius Matthews Sentenced in Wheeling Drug Case
Anton Demetrius Matthews, 33, of Cleveland, Ohio, was hit with 71 months in federal prison for pushing crack cocaine on Wheeling Island, dangerously close to Madison Elementary School. The sentence, handed down today in Wheeling, West Virginia, marks the end of a federal case targeting narcotics distribution in protected zones. Matthews pled guilty to one…
Moore Gets 63 Months for Stolen .40 Caliber
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Brandon S. Moore, 24, of New Cumberland, West Virginia, will spend the next five years and three months behind bars after being sentenced for possessing a stolen .40 caliber pistol. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey, reflects a clear message: illegally possessing stolen firearms carries serious…
Firas Majeed, Shatha Abbas Pay $18K for Holding Worker Hostage
Firas Majeed, 45, and Shatha Abbas, 39, are walking free — but not unscathed — after being sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $18,270 in restitution for holding an Indonesian woman in forced labor at their El Cajon home. The couple admitted to seizing the victim’s passport and forcing her to…
