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New Port Richey Resident Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison In Connection With Tax Impersonation Scheme

Source: United States Attorneys General

Headline: New Port Richey Resident Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison In Connection With Tax Impersonation Scheme

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Andrew Corrigan (24, New Port Richey) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to commit extortion and money laundering. As part of his sentence, the Court also ordered restitution to the victims and entered a money judgment in the amount of $870,652, representing the proceeds of conspiracy.

Corrigan pleaded guilty on October 25, 2017. 

According to court documents, Corrigan and his co-defendant, David Owen, used individuals to open bank accounts (straw account owners) into which victims of tax impersonation calls deposited money. This money was extorted from the victims by falsely representing that the victims owed federal income tax to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), to Canadian tax authorities, or other financial obligations. As part of the scheme, victims were threatened that if they failed to pay these obligations, either they or their family members would face arrest, prosecution, or other legal consequences. 

Provided with online access by the straw account owners, Corrigan and Owen monitored the victims’ deposits to ensure timely withdrawals by the straw account owners. In order to make the withdrawals at the bank, the defendants provided the straw account owners with the victims’ names, locations, and deposit amounts. Corrigan and Owen then directed the straw account owners to withdraw the funds in cash, and turn it over to them, often minus a payment to the straw account owner for opening the account or conducting the transaction. Victims were also directed to pay via money transfers and prepaid debit cards, which were collected and deposited by Corrigan and Owen.

Owen pleaded guilty on October 25, 2017. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1, 2018.   

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Largo Police Department, the Gulfport Police Department, the Toronto Police Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.

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Appeal to trace missing 15-year-old boy from Bexley

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: Appeal to trace missing 15-year-old boy from Bexley

Police in Bexley are appealing for the public’s help to find a missing 15-year-old boy from Erith.

Rio Walsh-Watson was last seen at about 15:30hrs on Wednesday, 24 January at his home address in Galleon Close, Erith. He said he was popping out to the shop but did not return.

He is a black male, 5ft 8ins – 5ft 9ins, of athletic build, with shoulder length dreadlocks.

There was a possible sighting of Rio in Brighton near the train station at about 13:20hrs on Tuesday, 30 January.

At the time of his disappearance he was wearing a blue tracksuit and black Nike trainers.

He is known to frequent the Abbeywood, Thamesmead and Woolwich areas.

Officers are increasingly concerned for Rio’s wellbeing and would urge anyone with information on his whereabouts to call Bexley’s Missing Persons Unit on 07595 009 008 or 101 or Missing People on 116000.

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Officer dismissed following misconduct hearing

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: Officer dismissed following misconduct hearing

A serving Detective Constable has been formally dismissed from the Metropolitan Police Service following a misconduct hearing.

DC Darren Stedman attached to the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command faced allegations that his conduct amounted to a breach of the Met’s standards of professional behaviour in respect of ‘confidentiality’, ‘duties and responsibilities’ and ‘discreditable conduct’.

He was dismissed at a misconduct hearing held on Thursday, 25 January.

It was alleged that in 2009, DC Stedman had a sexual relationship with a woman who was a suspect in a domestic abuse case, having investigated her in 2008 for an assault on her child.

It was also alleged that he accessed crime reports on 23 January 2011 and 17 July 2013 relating to this woman, not for a legitimate policing purpose but for the purpose of providing information to her.

Furthermore, in two unrelated matters it is alleged he took and retained a scenes of crime album;

edited confidential ABE interviews of three victims at his home address without authorisation.

The Chair, having considered all of the evidence found the case of gross misconduct proven and that he had breached the standards of professional behaviour.

He was subsequently dismissed without notice.

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Man charged with violent Hackney robberies

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: Man charged with violent Hackney robberies

A man has been charged with throwing acid and robberies in Hackney.

Peter Brown, 28 (06.04.89) of Hope Avenue, Stanford-Le-Hope, Essex, was charged on Monday, 30 January as follows.

1) Attempted robbery on 10 March 2017, at a supermarket in Mare Street, E8.

2) Throwing or casting a corrosive fluid with intent on 10 March 2017, at a supermarket in Mare Street, E8.

3) Robbery on 10 March 2017, at Hassett Road, E9.

4) Throwing or casting a corrosive fluid on 10 March 2017, at Hassett Road, E9.

He is in custody to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 28 February.

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Man charged in Hackney violent Hackney robberies

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: Man charged in Hackney violent Hackney robberies

A man has been charged with throwing acid and robberies in Hackney.

Peter Brown, 28 (06.04.89) of Hope Avenue, Stanford-Le-Hope, Essex, was charged on Monday, 30 January as follows.

1) Attempted robbery on 10 March 2017, at a supermarket in Mare Street, E8.

2) Throwing or casting a corrosive fluid with intent on 10 March, at a supermarket in Mare Street, E8.

3) Robbery on 10 March, at Hassett Road, E9.

4) Throwing or casting a corrosive fluid on 10 March, at Hassett Road, E9.

He is in custody to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 28 February.

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A Man tried and sentenced in his absence has now been arrested and jailed

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: A Man tried and sentenced in his absence has now been arrested and jailed

Police were appealing for the public’s help to trace a man who was wanted for failing to appear at court.

James Bennett, 32 (12.09.85) of no fixed abode was due to face trial at Inner London Crown Court on Monday, 11 December charged with 17 counts of fraud.

He was found guilty in his absence on Wednesday, 13 December and he was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment on Friday, 15 December for the fraud offences.

A warrant was issued and Bennett was arrested by officers on Friday, 26 January.

He appeared at Inner London Crown Court later that afternoon and was sentenced to a further month’s improsonment to run consecutively for failing to appear at court.

Between late 2015 and December 2016, Bennett made numerous listings on the Spareroom.com website advertising rooms for rent at four separate properties in Brixton, Walworth, Elephant & Castle and Tooting.

Bennett obtained more than £10,000 by conning prospective tenants out of deposits for flats he had no right to let

In each case he had no permission to rent out those rooms and was in the process of being evicted. In all 17 cases he took holding deposits of up to £725 each from people desperate to obtain accommodation. In total he obtained more than £10,000.

Bennett made no attempt to hide his identity and gave tenancy agreements to each victim. He also willingly provided copies of his passport and other documents to prove his identity in order to dupe his victims who had all made reasonable attempts to ensure he was genuine.

Many of the victims only found they had been defrauded when they turned up on the agreed day to move in. This led to huge inconvenience for people who could ill-afford the loss of such a large sum of money, and in more than one case left the victim homeless. One victim had to spend Christmas in a hostel.

Bennett was arrested in November 2016 and initially denied the offences. When confronted with further evidence in May 2017, he made a full admission in interview.

He was charged with 17 offences but, despite his full admissions in interview, pleaded not guilty at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court.

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Appeal to find 11-year-old girl missing from Newham

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: Appeal to find 11-year-old girl missing from Newham

Police are appealing for help to find an 11-year-old girl who is missing from Newham.

Janna Sylla was last seen when she went to school yesterday morning but did not return to her home address at 16:30hrs as expected.

Janna is not believed to be carrying any money, an Osyter card or a mobile phone.

Her disappearance is extremely out of character and her family and officers are very concerned.

Janna may be wearing a black head scarf with a red lining, full black floor length hijab, with black shoes, and small earings.

It is not known where she might have gone.

Anyone who has seen Janna is asked to contact Newham police on 101 or call 999.

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Appeal one-week on from man’s disappearance

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Headline: Appeal one-week on from man’s disappearance

One-week on from the disappearance of a man from Greenwich, detectives are renewing appeals for information to trace his whereabouts.

Seyed Khan, 49, who is from Thamesmead was last seen at work in A-Z Carpets at 717-719 High Road in Ilford at approximately 17:00hrs on Wednesday, 24 January.

He left the shop to take a phone call and has not been seen or heard from since.

Mr Khan’s family, and officers, are growing increasingly concerned for his welfare as his disappearance is out of character.

His eldest son, Khalil, said: “My father is a kind and well respected man; he is much loved by his family and friends. We are all in great grief, especially my five-year-old brother. All we want is for our dad to come back to us.”

Mr Khan is an Asian man, around 5ft 9ins tall, of medium build with short black hair. At the time of his disappearance he was wearing blue jeans, a black jacket and grey trainers.

He is known to frequent the Thamesmead, Plumstead, Woolwich and Ilford areas.

The Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command is leading the investigation into his disappearance and is continuing to work closely with colleagues in Greenwich and Redbridge Boroughs.

Detective Inspector Richard Leonard, said: “It has now been a week since Mr Khan left his place of employment to answer his phone. We would like to speak with whomever placed that call, or anyone who saw where he went. Somebody must have seen him.

“His family are desperate for information and I would urge anyone who is yet to speak with officers to come forward.”

Anyone who has information should call the incident room on 020 8721 4622, via 101 or tweet @MetCC.

To remain anonymous call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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N-DEx Assists with Campus Crime Prevention

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

Headline: N-DEx Assists with Campus Crime Prevention

On February 7, 2017, officers with the University of Southern Mississippi Police Department responded to a report of a suspicious person who had chased a female student near a residence hall. Authorities made contact with the subject and discovered the man was a transient passing through the area. Because the university promotes an open campus, law enforcement officers make every attempt not to ban persons from the campus unless they have shown some behavior of concern to the campus community. However, a search of the subject’s information against the FBI’s National Data Exchange (N-DEx) System revealed multiple arrests and law enforcement contacts across multiple states for thefts and threatening behavior. Due to this pattern of behavior and the authorities’ concern for the safety of the students, faculty, and staff members, the subject was escorted off campus and was issued a trespassing warning. A captain with the police department stated, “We don’t generally get credit for the crimes we prevent, and it’s hard to quantify them, but this certainly seems to qualify.”

For more information about how your agency can use various searches of the N-DEx System to assist with subject searches, contact the N-DEx Program Office at ndex@leo.gov or call 304-625-0555.

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CJIS Link

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News

Headline: CJIS Link

Get the latest news in the CJIS Link, a long-running newsletter for law enforcement that is now an online-only publication. The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division operates programs and services for the law enforcement, national security, and intelligence communities 24/7. The CJIS Link provides information about:

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