Preet Bharara

Glafira Rosales, Master Art Scammer, Busted for Duping IRS and Selling Phony Masters

Here's a little bit of Upper East Side intrigue: a fancy dealer took it upon herself to double down and sharply increase her profit margin by selling phony paintings and duping the Internal Revenue Service out of millions, federal prosecutors tell us. The wily Glafira Rosales allegedly hid $12.5 mi ... More >>

3 NYU Researchers Charged With Giving Away Secrets to China

Forget self-deportation: It appears the feds have stumbled across a case of secret self-outsourcing at New York University. On Monday, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara and the FBI announced charges against three NYU researchers who had been funded by the National Ins ... More >>

New York Lawmaker [Insert Corruption Scandal Here]

And it's happening again. As of this morning, State Sen. John Sampson of Brooklyn has been taken into FBI custody on corruption charges, reports NBC. The shakedown had been expected after prosecutors told reporters last week that former assemblyman Shirley L. Huntley secretly recorded seven polit ... More >>

US Gives Dinosaur Bones Back to Mongolia After They Were Sold at Chelsea Auction

It isn't enough that the United States consumes nearly 23 percent of the world's old, chewed-up dinosaur bones. Nor was it enough for Hollywood to commission Jurassic Park sequels 2, 3, and 4. Clearly, one of us had to go steal a gen-u-ine dinosaur bones from Mongolia to satisfy our collective pre- ... More >>

What's Wire Fraud Again? Everything You Wanted to Know About the John Liu Aide Scandal

On Thursday, two of John Liu's former aides were found guilty in an illegal scheme to raise funds for Liu's mayoral race. Want the simplest breakdown? Read on. So, who are these people? Xing Wu (Oliver) Pan is a real-estate developer and was a campaign fundraiser for mayoral hopeful John Liu, and ... More >>

13 Charged in Sex Trafficking Ring Promised Women a "Better Life in New York," Says US Attorney

On Tuesday, the federal government charged 13 men, nine of whom live in Queens, with crimes related to running an international sex trafficking ring from the rural enclave of Tenancingo, Mexico to New York. Homeland Security Investigations issued search warrants for four brothels in Yonkers, Poughke ... More >>

Assemblyman Nelson Castro Resigns After Ratting Out Eric Stevenson (and Maybe Others)

There's a good chance this week will go down in New York City political history textbooks. And not for the best reasons. If you've watched the news (or Twitter) over the past three days, you've come across the Dan Holleran/Malcolm Smith story that involved bribing and mayoral rigging. Then, of cour ... More >>

Black Market T-Rex: Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Dinosaur Bones

You may want to check the certificate of authenticity for your Stegosaurus skeleton. Yesterday, a Florida man pleaded guilty to illegally smuggling dinosaur skeletons. Don't be alarmed if you were unaware that dinosaur bone-smuggling was an issue because we didn't know either. But yesterday's guil ... More >>

Bank of America Slammed With Federal Lawsuit For "Doing the [Mortgage Fraud] Hustle"

In more long-awaited fallout from the mortgage crisis, Federal prosecutors today sued the Bank of America and Countrywide Financial for a scheme to defraud the government via a program called "The Hustle." Yes, they called it "The Hustle." Its purpose: allegedly to process home loans at high speed ... More >>

Federal Pension Lawsuit Expanded For All City Workers Called to Military Duty After 9/11

All city workers called to military duty after 9/11 will be represented in a lawsuit to recover unpaid pension funds. In early August, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of three retired NYPD officers seeking to recoup pension funds they would've earned had ... More >>

Man Who Threatens Life of Two Pro-Life Advocates Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison

Yesterday, 51-year-old New York native Theodore Shulman was sentenced by Manhattan federal court to 41 months in prison for threatening the lives of two pro-life advocates online after pleading guilty in May. It all started in January 2010, when Shulman, the son of feminist political activist Alix ... More >>

Man Who Threatens Life of Two Pro-Life Advocates Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison

Yesterday, 51-year-old New York native Theodore Shulman was sentenced by Manhattan federal court to 41 months in prison for threatening the lives of two pro-life advocates online after pleading guilty in May. It all started in January 2010, when Shulman, the son of feminist political activist Alix ... More >>

Bernie Madoff Wasn't Alone in His Dirty Work, Five Former Employees Hit With New Charges

The Manhattan U.S. District Attorney and several other government agencies announced new and revised charges yesterday for five former employees who worked for infamous scam artist Bernie Madoff. Daniel Bonventre, Annette Bongiorno, Joann Crupi, Jerome O'Hara, and George Perez were indicted back i ... More >>

Willard Lanham, Former DOE Consultant Who Stole Millions, Hit With Three-Year Prison Sentence

Willard "Ross" Lanham, 58, learned yesterday that embezzling millions of dollars in funds meant to bring Internet access to kids is not only a despicable thing to do, but it will also earn you more than three years in prison. A Manhattan federal court judge sentenced Lanham to 37 months in jail fo ... More >>

Vitaly Borker, A Fraudster in His Own Category, Gets Four Years for Threatening Customers

Online glasses dealer and worst salesman ever Vitaly Borker, who memorably and appallingly threatened his customers when they had the gall to complain about his conduct, got four years in prison for his misdeeds, federal prosecutors said yesterday. Borker, who liked the complaints because it bumped ... More >>

Polina Breyter, Brooklyn Caseworker, Pleads Guilty to Role in Stealing $57 Million from Fund Establish to Aid Victims of Nazi Persecution

In the latest step in what has be one of the most morally repugnant scams in recent history, a caseworker employed by the organization managing reparations to survivors of the Holocaust has pleaded guilty to her role in a 31-member conspiracy to steal $57 million from the settlement fund. The Confe ... More >>

SEEDCO, Nonprofit Bloomberg Admin Fave, Slapped By Feds With Fraud Lawsuit

Federal prosecutors filed a civil fraud case this week against SEEDCO, which ran two job placement centers under contract with the city, for taking million of dollars in government funding without providing much service. The SEEDCO lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan names seven former mana ... More >>

Rare Wine Dealer Arrested for Selling Counterfeit Burgundy

The FBI has entered the the esoteric world of rare wine collecting, arresting a Los Angeles collector who was influential enough to hike up international prices of wine, and accusing him of fraud.

Allied Home Mortgage Nailed By Feds For $800 Million Fraud

​In yet more fallout from the ongoing housing crisis, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is suing one of the country's largest mortgage brokers for defrauding the public and the federal government to the tune of up to $834 million, which has to be one of the biggest mortgage swindles in history. Pro ... More >>

Raj Rajaratnam, Hedge Fund Emperor, Slapped With 11-year Prison Sentence

​One of the more sinister figures in the Wall Street scandals, disgraced hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 11 years in prison today. He was also fined $63 million. Prosecutors described his trail of fraud and deception as the largest hedge fund ins ... More >>

Iran Accused of Sponsoring Plot to Assassinate Adel Al-Jubeir, Saudi Ambassador

​Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have charged two men with conspiracy to assassinate Adel Al-Jubeir, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, in what they allege is an Iranian government-backed plot. The U.S. Department of Justice charged Manssor Arbabsiar and Gholam Shakuri with co ... More >>

Newburgh 4 Terror Case: Judge Sentences Three to 25 Years in Prison, U.S. Constitution Shivers [Updated]

​In what has to be one of the least fair decisions in history, a federal judge has sentenced three of the four men convicted of plotting to blow up synagogues in the Bronx and shoot down a military jet to 25 years in prison. In a case absolutely choking with troubling questions about the beha ... More >>

CityTime Fiasco: Biggest Theft in History, NYC's Taxpayers Screwed

​Well, it's summer in the big city, and the CityTime fiasco just keeps getting worse. It may now be the biggest theft of all time. Federal prosecutors and the city Department of Investigation unveiled a new indictment today that alleges that more than $40 million was stolen by consultants wor ... More >>

John Liu, City Comptroller, Defends Statements in CityTime Scandal

​Comptroller John Liu has issued a response to the feds for asking him to refrain from public comments on the ongoing CityTime scandal investigation. Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, had written Liu last month saying he hoped Liu would allow prosecutors and ... More >>

Gerard Denault, Ex-CityTime Project Manager, Indicted for Taking $5 million in Kickbacks (Updated)

​The private consultant on the CityTime debacle fired this week for failing to keep track of his time sheets has now been charged with taking $5 million in illegal kickbacks, the Department of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney's office said. Gerard Denault, formerly of Science Applications ... More >>

Anthony Palumbo, Genovese Family Capo, Sentenced to 10 Years For Murder Conspiracy

​A plot to kill a member of a Russian crime family got the man known as Tony D. sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 10 years in prison. Anthony Palumbo, a "soldier and acting capo" in the Genovese family, had been running his organization's petroleum interests with Russians since 199 ... More >>

Bronx Corruption Bust: Assemblyman Peter Rivera Ally Charged

Bronx Assemblyman Peter Rivera​Another politically-connected Bronx figure was charged with corruption today, and the case of not-for-profit big David Griffiths could serve as Exhibit One under the heading "Reporters Gets Action." Griffiths, 65, surrendered this morning to federal authorities a ... More >>

Computer Scamsters Took Mayor Mike to Cleaners for $80M

​If you've been reading the Daily News's Juan Gonzalez , the arrest this morning of a quartet of computer scamsters accused of ripping off a city payroll and time-keeping system for $80 million shouldn't be a big shock. Gonzalez has been banging away at the city's hugely inflated "CityTime" pr ... More >>

Google Grifter Vitaly Borker Busted

​For those who read the Times' saga of Internet scamster Vitaly Borker and his self-propelled march through Google Land while peddling faulty eyewear and abusing customers and couldn't understand how he got away with it, authorities now have an answer: He's now under arrest for cyberstalking. ... More >>

Andrew Cuomo Goes to Albany, Where Lobbyists Are Waiting

Hiram Monserrate's Cheating Ways

An ex-rebel's publicly funded self-empowerment program

Hiram Monserrate in Trouble Again: This Time, It's the Feds

​Hiram Monserrate, the already scandal-scarred former Queens pol who spent much of last year as a defendant in the assault case against his girlfriend, is headed back to court today to face corruption charges. The Daily News and NBC NY are reporting that the ex-state senator, ex-city councilm ... More >>

Jury Convicts Four Men in Bronx Synagogue Bomb Plot

​A federal jury has convicted four Newburgh, New York, men for conspiring to bomb two synagogues in the Riverdale section of the Bronx and planning to fire missiles at military planes.

Feds Bust 20-Year Drug Ring for Funneling Pot to New York

​The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York just announced charges against 50 suspects for their roles in a "massive" marijuana trafficking ring that has funneled "ton-quantities" of pot from Florida and California to New York since 1990.

Working Families Party Says No Charges By U.S. Attorney. Now It's Cuomo's Move.

​The Working Families Party says that it received an all-clear last night from the U.S. Attorney's office ending its almost year-long probe of the party's campaign operations, including its Data & Field Services unit, with no charges filed. A spokeswoman for top prosecutor Preet Bharara says ... More >>

City Day Care Scam Ring Busted After One Bribe Offer Too Many

​The good news from today's big fraud case involving a ring controlling more than 30 for-profit day care centers that bribed and scammed their way into $18 million worth of federal day care funds is that they were tripped up when they tried to bribe the wrong city employees. Although the stra ... More >>

Does Cuomo's Favored AG Candidate Have Her Own Pedro Espada Problem?

Rice​It sounds like an exotic Sandra Lee recipe: pigeon and rice. Lee is the Andrew Cuomo gal pal who took time off from her Food Network on-camera cooking duties to appear with him at his gubernatorial announcement and was famously asked by Roseanna Scotto recently on Fox Five when Andrew wo ... More >>

Efrain Gonzalez, That Other Rogue Pol, Looking at Long(er) Prison Stay

​Efrain Gonzalez, the sad sack ex-state senator from the Bronx, has somehow managed to dig himself into a hole deeper than those mysterious house-swallowing chasms up in Canada. Gonzalez was already in a legal pit up to his ample chin, facing between 7 to 9 years in prison after copping to h ... More >>

RoundUp: Crime Doesn't Pay, Unless You're Just Reading About It

​Here's our Tuesday night crime roundup (complete with celebs, pimps, and Gambinos, for all of you who can't wait for your Us Weekly): Michael Douglas' son Cameron was sentenced to five years in prison for dealing meth and coke. Prior to the sentencing, Douglas composed a handwritten letter ... More >>

1968 Hijacker Returns from Cuba, is Arrested

​Louis Armando Peña Soltren, believed to have been part of a crew that hijacked a passenger flight from New York bound for Puerto Rico and redirected it to Cuba 41 years ago, has returned to New York and been arrested at JFK -- where he alleged boarded Pan Am Flight 281 on November 24, ... More >>