Cyber Scam Organization Disrupted Through Seizure of Nearly $9M in Crypto

 

The Justice Department announced the seizure of nearly $9 million worth of Tether, a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar. These seized funds were traced to cryptocurrency addresses allegedly associated with an organization that exploited over 70 victims through romance scams and cryptocurrency confidence scams, which are widely known as “pig butchering.”

“Through this significant seizure, we disrupted the financial infrastructure of an organized network of scammers who stole millions from victims across the United States. These scammers prey on ordinary investors by creating websites that tell victims their investments are working to make them money. The truth is that these international criminal actors are simply stealing cryptocurrency and leaving victims with nothing,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The department hopes this recovery of assets will bring some closure and a sense of justice to the over 70 victims affected by this series of scams. This seizure should also serve as a reminder to cybercriminals that, although the current landscape of the cryptocurrency ecosystem may seem like an ideal way to launder ill-gotten gains, law enforcement will continue to develop the expertise needed to follow the money and seize it back for victims.”

According to court documents, criminal actors worked together to target victims and convince them to make cryptocurrency deposits by fraudulently representing that the victims were making investments with trusted firms and cryptocurrency exchanges. In reality, the purported firms and cryptocurrency exchanges were non-existent trading platforms. Agents and analysts from the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) were able to trace those victim deposits and observed that the funds were quickly laundered through dozens of cryptocurrency addresses and exchanged for several different cryptocurrencies, a money laundering technique often referred to as “chain hopping.” These techniques are used to “layer” the proceeds of criminal activity into new cryptocurrency ecosystems, all to obfuscate the nature, source, control, and ownership of those proceeds. The seized funds were linked to numerous victim reports made via the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Consumer Sentinel Network.

“This seizure is the culmination of the exceptional hard work and collaborative partnership between the Justice Department and the United States Secret Service,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “Silicon Valley remains one of the world’s preeminent locations for cryptocurrency firms. As such, we remain dedicated to using all tools at our disposal to bring justice to the victims of frauds and scams. Even when money and criminals are abroad, we will work with our partners to seize cyber criminals’ illegal proceeds.”

“This seizure exemplifies the Secret Service’s mission to protect the financial infrastructure of the United States. We remain determined and vigilant to combat cyber-enabled financial fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet of the USSS San Franscisco Field Office. “It is a priority for the Secret Service to protect the financial security that citizens work so hard to obtain. We want to thank the Justice Department for their partnership, dedication, and outstanding work on this case.”

The USSS San Francisco Field Office investigated this case.

Trial Attorney Georgiana MacDonald of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Kaltsas and Galen Phillips for the Northern District of California are handling the case, as well as the seizure and forfeiture actions.

The department would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets.

If you are a victim of a cryptocurrency scam, or other scam involving the use of the Internet, please file a report with the IC3 at ic3.gov and with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov

Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing Will Pay More Than $23 Million to Address Clean Air Act Violations and Offset Environmental Harm Related to Its Kansas Refinery

 

The Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing LLC and its affiliated companies (CRRM) for violations of the Clean Air Act and a previous consent decree related to operation of its petroleum refinery in Coffeyville, Kansas. These violations resulted in illegal emissions of various pollutants including an EPA estimate of over 2,300 excess tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), a pollutant that can make breathing more difficult, from the refinery’s flares from 2015 to 2017.

The United States and the State of Kansas allege that CRRM violated numerous provisions of a 2012 consent decree and the Clean Air Act. Under the settlement, CRRM will spend at least $1 million on a project to benefit the public and environment of Kansas and implement measures costing up to $9 million to prevent future violations and redress the environmental harm caused by their unlawful conduct. The company will also pay more than $13 million in penalties to the United States and Kansas.

“This settlement demonstrates that the United States will take decisive action to address Clean Air Act violations, to enforce the terms of consent decrees and to promote environmental justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The emissions reductions achieved under this settlement will result in healthier air for a community disproportionately affected by air pollution.”

“The settlement with Coffeyville delivers on the promise of EPA’s new climate enforcement strategy by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in amounts equal to taking 10,000 cars off the road every year,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “In addition, the actions we are taking alongside our state partners in Kansas will reduce harmful air pollution that makes breathing more difficult and causes smog, acid rain and tree and plant damage.” 

“We are committed to protecting people and families in the communities where they live,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “In addition to the emission controls provided in the settlement, this order requires CRRM to invest $1 million in an environmental project to be approved by the state of Kansas, which will directly benefit the citizens of the state.”

Since the United States and Kansas began investigating CRRM’s alleged non-compliance in 2016, CRRM’s efforts to come into compliance with Clean Air Act requirements have already eliminated more than 39,000 tons per year of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from excessive flaring of waste gas, equivalent to using nearly 4 million fewer gallons of gasoline per year. In addition, EPA estimates that the flare gas recovery system required by the consent decree lodged today will further reduce yearly emissions of greenhouse gases by 12,888 tons, equivalent to using 1.3 million fewer gallons of gasoline annually, and will also reduce yearly emissions of SO2 by 1.7 tons and nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 9.57 tons. NOx is a primary contributor to the formation of smog.

In 2020, the United States and Kansas sought more than $6.8 million in stipulated penalties from CRRM because of the company’s alleged violations of the 2012 consent decree – primarily regarding its failure to properly monitor SO2 emissions from flaring. Various refinery processes lead to flaring or burning of waste gases which emit various pollutants into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, methane, and SO2. The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas held CRRM liable for the stipulated penalties and the company appealed the decision. 

Also in 2020, the United States and Kansas alleged additional Clean Air Act violations at the refinery, resulting in excess emissions of SO2 in a community already disproportionately impacted by air pollution. Exposure to SO2 can harm breathing and particularly affects those with asthma, children, and older adults. High concentrations of SO2 can lead to formation of other sulfur oxides and ultimately small particles, which can contribute to particulate matter pollution, acid rain and tree and plant damage.

The consent decree, which the United States filed today, resolves the stipulated penalties demand and violations identified in the complaint. CRRM must:

• Pay more than $6.8 million in stipulated penalties awarded by the court and $183,000 in stipulated penalties for additional violations of the 2012 consent decree;
• Pay more than $6.2 million in additional penalties for Clean Air Act violations alleged in the complaint;
• Spend at least $1 million on an environmentally beneficial project to be approved by the State of Kansas;
• Undertake various measures to facilitate future compliance with the Clean Air Act;
• Reduce NOx emissions from refinery heaters; and
• Build an approximately $9 million flare gas recovery system to reduce the refinery’s flaring.

EPA Region 7, EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment investigated the case.

Attorneys from ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section and the State of Kansas prosecuted the case.

The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Amplify the Voices of the Disability Community on the MTA Board

Legislation S.5069A/A.4504A Ensures at Least One Member of the MTA’s Board Is an Individual Who Is Transit Dependent Due to a Disability

Builds on MTA’s Historic Steps to Improve Accessibility Under Governor Hochul’s Leadership

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation S.5069A/A.4504A to ensure that at least one member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Board will be an individual who is transit dependent due to a disability, advancing equity on the Board of the nation’s largest transit system. This action builds on Governor Hochul’s legacy of ensuring representation for transit dependent riders on the governing boards of regional transit authorities across the State.

“For decades, the disability rights movement has said loud and clear: nothing about us without us,” Governor Hochul said. “I'm committed to improving accessibility across the MTA's network of buses, trains and subways. This new law will ensure the disability community has a voice and a seat at the table in deciding the future of transit in New York."

Governor Hochul appointed Dr. John-Ross Rizzo, a nationally recognized leader in rehabilitation medicine and adaptive technology at NYU Langone, to the MTA Board in June 2023. Having suffered vision loss at a young age, he currently provides a critical voice for the disability community on the Board.

Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, the MTA has taken historic steps to improve accessibility throughout the system. The MTA has completed accessibility upgrades at a record pace, and has allocated $5.2 billion of the 2020-2024 capital plan exclusively to accessibility improvements. Additionally, the MTA appointed the first agencywide Chief Accessibility Officer in 2021, who has led the implementation of policies, initiatives and programs that advance accessibility throughout the system.

 

Sign Up: Telephone Town Hall on November 27

Sign Up: Telephone 

Town Hall on November 27

Join Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for a

telephone town hall on Monday, November 27, 2023, at

5 PM. Guests are asked to register in advance.

Participation is simple: sign up, share your phone number,

and we will give you a call!

REGISTER HERE

The Congresswoman will discuss the latest on Israel and

Palestine, and other updates. She will also take questions

from the audience.

Spanish translation will be available. You can also tune in

online on Facebook and YouTube.

If you have any questions, call us at 718-662-5970.

East Bronx History Forum November Update

 

The November 21st presentation is postponed due to guest speaker’s scheduling conflict.

We will update you via email, website, and all our social media accounts as soon as possible.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Dorothy Krynicki

Secretary 

Los Nutcrackers returns to BAAD! For 20th Year

BAAD!  The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance

BAAD! The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance proudly presents Los Nutcrackers: A Christmas Carajo, written by Charles Rice-González and directed by Chris Rivera. This year marks the play’s 20th year at BAAD!, and the first time that Rivera helms the work. The play interweaves two holiday classics, The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol to create a queer, Latinx play about a couple who go on a psychedelic trip through their lives one Christmas Eve. In-person performances are on December 2, 7, 8, 9, 15, and 16 at 8 pm, with an additional matinee performance on December 9th at 3 pm. All in-person performances are at BAAD!, 2474 Westchester Avenue in the Westchester Square section of the Bronx. Tickets are $25 for in-person performances and $15 for virtual performances that will be simultaneously broadcast only on December 8 and 16 at 8 pm (ET).  To purchase tickets, visit www.LosNutz.BAADBronx.org. BAAD! can be reached via the #6 train to Westchester Square or Zerega Avenue. Call 718-918-2110 for more information.

The play features a talented and vibrant cast of Latinx actors. In addition to Chris Rivera, Joe Perez returns to the production for his second time since 2021. New cast members include Danny Borba, Sijean González, Richard Rivera and Ansi Rodríguez.

Charles Rice-González has written several plays including Pink Jesus, The Artist and I Just Love Andy Gibb published in Blacktino Queer Performance: A Critical Anthology (Duke Press) and produced at Pregones Theater. His lauded debut novel, Chulito, is about a 16-year-old, Latino tough boy coming out in the South Bronx, and he co-edited the anthology From Macho to Mariposa: New Gay Latino Fiction. He has published over two dozen works and has won several awards including the 2014 Emerging Writers Award from the Lambda Literary Foundation, the 2022 PEN America Writing as Activism Fellowship, and a 2022 MacDowell Fellowship where he was named a James Baldwin fellow. He received an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College.

With a background at the Tony award-winning Alley Theatre in Texas, Chris Rivera excels as a director, internationally produced playwright, award-winning actor, and educator at the New York Film Academy. In New York he has directed Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Dog Sees God for What Dreams May Company and Queens Shakespeare. Rivera also directed Chasing Heroes for Two Cherry productions, and his own original plays Our Own Odyssey and Back to You with FUERZAfest. His production company, Turn to Flesh Productions, has produced several one-act plays for The Secret Theater, the Midtown International Festival, and Manhattan Repertory, and recently a few film projects. Rivera appeared in Los Nutcrackers in 2021 and will also perform in this year’s production.

About BAAD!:

The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!) is a nationally recognized arts organization co-founded in 1998 by award-winning dancer/choreographer Arthur Avilés and writer/activist Charles Rice-Gonzalez. Through its arts programming, BAAD! presents cutting-edge works in dance and all creative disciplines that bring a queer perspective to the socio-political/cultural dialogue of The Bronx and New York City to empower women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. BAAD! is home to Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre and the AATT Academy. In 2013, BAAD! moved from Hunts Point to Westchester Square and in December 2023 marks 25 years of being BAAD!