In a disturbing breach of trust, former corrections officer Ghislaine Barrientos has been arrested and charged with multiple offenses for allegedly orchestrating a drug smuggling scheme at New York City’s Rikers Island. The 37-year-old was taken into custody on Wednesday and now faces serious charges, including conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, conspiracy to distribute…
US Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has been convicted of bribery offenses and conspiracy to act as a foreign agent following a month-long trial. The verdict, delivered on Tuesday, found Menendez guilty on all 16 counts, including bribery, honest services wire fraud, extortion, and obstruction of justice. Businessmen Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, and Jose Uribe, who…
The Supreme Court sided on Wednesday with a former mayor of an Indiana city who faced a bribery conviction, delivering a ruling that could make it harder for federal prosecutors to bring corruption cases against state and local officials. The justices ruled 6-3 to reverse a lower court’s decision that had upheld the corruption conviction…
In a significant decision, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, invalidated a key provision of a federal anti-corruption law. That provision in the law previously criminalized state and local officials accepting gifts exceeding $5,000 from donors who had benefitted from prior governmental actions. By a 6-3 vote, the justices overturned the conviction of…
A Puerto Rico legislator and her husband faced sentencing on May 17 for their involvement in a complex scheme involving theft, bribery, and kickbacks spanning several years. María Milagros Charbonier-Laureano, known as Tata, a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, received an eight-year prison sentence, while her husband, Orlando Montes-Rivera, was sentenced to…
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 15, 2024, unveiled a new pilot program aiming to shield whistleblowers from prosecution when they come forward with information on corporate wrongdoing. The initiative, titled “Pilot Program on Voluntary Self-Disclosures for Individuals,” aims to encourage individuals to report criminal activities involving corporations, such as financial crimes, bribery,…
On Wednesday, federal prosecutors requested a postponement of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez and his wife’s corruption trial by at least two months. This plea came after Nadine Menendez’s legal team revealed her urgent medical condition necessitating surgery. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein, prosecutors urged for a rescheduling from the original…
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