Wednesday, February 4

Author: Houston Stringer

Peruvian national David Cornejo sentenced to 80 months for role in $3M fraud scheme targeting Spanish-speaking U.S. consumers
30Sep By Houston StringerNo Comments
Florida

Peruvian national David Cornejo sentenced to 80 months for role in $3M fraud scheme targeting Spanish-speaking U.S. consumers

MIAMI, FL – David Cornejo Fernandez, 36, of Lima, Peru, was sentenced today to 80 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $3 million in restitution for his role in a transnational fraud scheme that targeted more than 8,800 Spanish-speaking victims across the United States. Cornejo pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. He was extradited from Peru in November 2024 to face charges related to a years-long scheme involving fraudulent Peruvian call centers that impersonated U.S. officials to extort payments from vulnerable consumers. These call centers falsely claimed victims owed money for English-language learning products they never ordered and threatened legal action if they failed to pay. According to court documents, Cornejo provided the tec...
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Remains of missing Mira Monte woman Zyanya Valora found in Ventura Riverbed
30Sep By Houston StringerNo Comments
California

Remains of missing Mira Monte woman Zyanya Valora found in Ventura Riverbed

OJAI VALLEY, CA – Human skeletal remains discovered in the Ventura Riverbed south of Baldwin Road have been identified as Zyanya Valora, a Mira Monte woman reported missing in 2024, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. On September 24, 2025, at approximately 10:27 a.m., a local conservancy group clearing invasive plants in the area located the suspected remains. Deputies from the Ojai Patrol Station, along with detectives, members of the Major Crimes Bureau, the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office, and additional support units including Search and Rescue, UAV, and CSI teams, responded to the scene. Due to the condition of the remains, immediate identification was not possible. On September 26, 2025, the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the remains...
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Motorcyclist killed in Victorville crash at Bear Valley and Mesa View
30Sep By Houston StringerNo Comments
California

Motorcyclist killed in Victorville crash at Bear Valley and Mesa View

VICTORVILLE, CA – A 30-year-old motorcyclist was killed in a collision Monday evening at the intersection of Bear Valley Road and Mesa View Drive. The crash occurred around 5:16 p.m. on September 29, 2025. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department, Charles Gilmore, 76, of Victorville, was driving a brown Buick Lacrosse eastbound on Bear Valley Road and attempted to turn north onto Mesa View Drive. As Gilmore made the turn, he crossed into the path of a westbound black Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle driven by Fidelmar Duran Perez, 30, also of Victorville. The motorcycle broadsided the vehicle in the intersection. Duran Perez sustained major injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Gilmore remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators. D...
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Man dies from injuries sustained in August 11 Wilmington shooting
30Sep By Houston StringerNo Comments
Delaware

Man dies from injuries sustained in August 11 Wilmington shooting

WILMINGTON, DE – A man who was critically injured in a shooting on August 11 has died from his injuries, the Wilmington Police Department confirmed. The victim, identified as Lee Morr Harris, succumbed to his injuries on September 17. According to the Delaware Division of Forensic Sciences, Harris’s death was the result of injuries sustained in the shooting, which occurred around 6:10 p.m. in the 500 block of West 9th Street. Police had found Harris, a 32-year-old male, suffering from gunshot wounds and transported him to the hospital in critical condition. The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Michael Hayman at (302) 576-3963 or submit tips to Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or delawarecrimestoppers.com.
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DOJ: New York auto finance company to pay $120K for illegal repossessions from servicemembers
30Sep By Houston StringerNo Comments
Washington D.C.

DOJ: New York auto finance company to pay $120K for illegal repossessions from servicemembers

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that New City Funding, a regional auto finance company based in Stony Point, New York, will pay over $120,000 to resolve allegations it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by repossessing vehicles owned by active-duty military personnel without the required court orders. According to the Department, New City Funding repossessed at least five vehicles from servicemembers without first determining their military status, as mandated under federal law. In some instances, the company allegedly proceeded with repossessions even after being informed that the vehicle owners were on active duty. “By repossessing these vehicles, New City Funding disregarded the law and the duties it owed to members of our Armed...
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DOJ secures settlement with TekisHub over discrimination against U.S. workers in recruiting practices
30Sep By Houston StringerNo Comments
Washington D.C.

DOJ secures settlement with TekisHub over discrimination against U.S. workers in recruiting practices

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has reached a settlement with TekisHub Consulting Services, LLC, a Delaware-based IT staffing and recruitment company, over allegations that it unlawfully restricted job opportunities to individuals holding H-1B visas, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). According to the DOJ, TekisHub limited recruitment for certain positions to non-citizen workers on H-1B visas, excluding qualified U.S. citizens and other workers with legal work authorization. The Department alleged this practice constituted unlawful discrimination based on citizenship status. Under the settlement agreement, TekisHub will: Pay $200,000 in civil penalties to the United States Revise its employment and recruiting ...
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Latvian national pleads guilty in conspiracy to illegally export U.S. avionics to Russia after invasion of Ukraine
30Sep By Houston StringerNo Comments
Washington D.C.

Latvian national pleads guilty in conspiracy to illegally export U.S. avionics to Russia after invasion of Ukraine

WASHINGTON, DC – Oleg Chistyakov, also known as Olegs Čitsjakovs, 56, of Latvia, pleaded guilty today in federal court for his role in a years-long conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws by unlawfully sending controlled U.S.-origin avionics equipment to customers in Russia, including after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. According to court documents, Chistyakov conspired with U.S. citizens Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 62, and Douglas Edward Robertson, 58, both of Kansas, to purchase and export sophisticated avionics equipment to Russian entities, including the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Both Buyanovsky and Robertson were arrested in March 2023 and have since pleaded guilty. Despite tightened U.S. export restrictions following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukrai...
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DOJ sues Minnesota, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Hennepin County over sanctuary city policies
30Sep By Houston StringerNo Comments
Washington D.C.

DOJ sues Minnesota, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Hennepin County over sanctuary city policies

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today against the State of Minnesota, the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Hennepin County, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna S. Witt, challenging sanctuary city policies that allegedly obstruct federal immigration enforcement. The complaint asserts that these policies violate federal law and have resulted in the release of individuals subject to removal, including non-citizens convicted of aggravated assault, burglary, and drug and human trafficking offenses. “Minnesota officials are jeopardizing the safety of their own citizens by allowing illegal aliens to circumvent the legal process,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will continue to b...
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Nigerian man extradited to Florida, charged in inheritance fraud scheme targeting U.S. seniors
30Sep By Houston StringerNo Comments
Florida

Nigerian man extradited to Florida, charged in inheritance fraud scheme targeting U.S. seniors

MIAMI, FL – Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, 43, of Nigeria, made his initial appearance in federal court in Miami today after being extradited from the Republic of Poland to face charges related to a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that targeted elderly Americans. Nnebocha was arrested in Poland in April 2025 and has remained in custody since. According to court documents, he and others are accused of running a scheme that spanned more than five years, during which they mailed deceptive letters to seniors in the United States. These letters falsely claimed the recipients were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances from deceased relatives in Spain. Before receiving the fabricated inheritance, victims were instructed to send money for various fictitious fees, including deliv...
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DOJ sues Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over delays in concealed carry permits
30Sep By Houston StringerNo Comments
California

DOJ sues Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department over delays in concealed carry permits

LOS ANGELES, CA – The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division filed a landmark lawsuit today against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, alleging a systemic violation of the Second Amendment through prolonged delays in issuing concealed carry weapon (CCW) permits to law-abiding citizens. This is the first affirmative Second Amendment lawsuit brought by the Justice Department. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, follows a civil rights investigation launched on March 27, 2025, in response to widespread complaints of unreasonable CCW permitting delays. According to the complaint, the Civil Rights Division analyzed records from more than 8,000 CCW applications and found that only two had been approved during the ...
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