Thanks to KoB and Jeff LPH 3 for providing some (or all) of these.<\/p>\n
A prison guard in South Florida was arrested after allegedly accepting payment and agreeing to traffic an undisclosed amount of cocaine into a correctional facility outside of Miami.<\/p>\n
Dade Correctional Institution Sgt. Travis Thompson has been charged with one count of cocaine trafficking, a first-degree felony, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced Saturday. Bond was set at $25,000.<\/p>\n
He posted bail and remains under house arrest, the Miami Herald reported, citing Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation records.<\/p>\n
\u201cBringing drugs into a prison is like lighting a match near an open container of gasoline, dangerous and foolish,\u201d Fernandez Rundle said in a statement. \u201cDrugged inmates can be totally unpredictable and potentially violent as they relate to other inmates and to guards, placing everyone in danger. I commend the Miami-Dade Police Department and the investigators and prosecutors of our Miami-Dade State Attorney\u2019s Office for aggressively pursuing this investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said Thompson, who has worked for the Florida Department of Corrections since 2015, made contact with an undercover officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department and agreed to accept a cash payment of $3,000 and an undisclosed amount of cocaine \u201cwith the intention of bringing the cocaine into the Dade Correctional Institution premises.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was taken into custody upon taking possession of the cocaine, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
The prison is in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County between Florida City and Homestead. Thompson\u2019s arrest came as the result of a joint investigation by the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Miami-Dade State Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Source; Fox News<\/a><\/p>\n
Peruvian cops dressed as Santa Claus, elf have last laugh in drug raid<\/h3>\n
Police Navidad!<\/p>\n
Peruvian narcs disguised as Santa Claus and his elf were not exactly spreading cheer on a sleigh when they jumped out of an undercover van and broke down the door of a man who made the naughty list, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n
“We are the police! We are the green squad! This is an anti-drug operation!” one of the agents was captured on video yelling at the hapless suspect in the Villa El Salvador district of Lima.<\/p>\n
The crime-fighting Saint Nick and his trusty sidekick \u2013 wearing flak jackets under their costumes \u2014 tackled the alleged cocaine and dope dealer, making sure he will have a less-than-merry Christmas behind bars.<\/p>\n
The suspect had been videotaped selling drugs outside his home near a school, a police spokesman said.<\/p>\n
During the raid, police recovered a bag with hundreds of small bags that appeared to contain drugs, a handgun and a balaclava, he said.<\/p>\n
“With the results we are seeing, a significant amount of drugs has been confiscated, both marijuana and basic cocaine paste in ketes (small packages of drugs), a firearm has also been seized,” said Col. Fredy Velasquez, chief of the Grupo Terna narcotics squad.<\/p>\n
The tactic of launching raids by officers in disguise is a common tactic of Peruvian police to maintain the element of surprise.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Source; Fox News<\/a><\/p>\n
Former state unemployment employee, husband arrested on federal fraud charges<\/h3>\n
A former employee of the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and her husband were arrested in Texas on federal charges that allege they filed fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits.<\/p>\n
Tiffany Pacheco, also known as Tiffany Tavery, 35, was hired by the DUA in April 2020 after being released from federal prison, where she was serving time for an identity theft conviction, according to a statement from US Attorney Andrew Lelling. She is accused of using her job to submit a fraudulent claim on behalf of herself and her husband, Arthur Pacheco, 47, who was incarcerated in Texas until Sept. 4 and not eligible for pandemic unemployment assistance.<\/p>\n
She is accused of submitting an initial claim in June that reflected $0 of income in 2019 and no dependents.<\/p>\n
Lelling said that Tiffany Pacheco obtained access to the computer system in July and changed claim information for herself and her husband to increase the amount of money they would receive.<\/p>\n
“For example, Tiffany allegedly increased the amount of 2019 income for her and Arthur to more than $240,000, and increased the number of their dependents to seven,” Lelling wrote. “Tiffany further used her access to the PUA system to verify the increased reported 2019 income on both claims without the required income verification documents.”<\/p>\n
Both of the Pachecos are also accused of misrepresenting the length of time that Arthur Pacheco was incarcerated when interviewed by officials.<\/p>\n
Lelling’s statement said that a September search warrant of the Pachecos’ New Bedford apartment led investigators to tools used for identity fraud, including an ID laminator, blank ID cards and hundreds of sheets of blank checks.<\/p>\n
“Law enforcement also seized approximately $17,000 cash and a notebook that appeared to contain the personal identifying information of various individuals,” Lelling said.<\/p>\n
Tiffany Pacheco was fired by the state on the next day.<\/p>\n
Both Pachecos face charges of criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Tiffany Pacheco was also charged with one count of wire fraud.<\/p>\n
They were arrested Thursday night in San Antonio, Texas.<\/p>\n
During a Friday afternoon press conference, Gov. Charlie Baker said he was not aware of this case, but said that state officials had been in \u201cconstant contact with federal authorities\u201d about the issues of fraud in the unemployment program during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know much about that specific case but I can tell you that, I would guess that every unemployment operation in America has been in pretty close contact with the feds and with other folks in federal law enforcement \u2013 and state law enforcement \u2013 about the issues associated with fraud on a very regular basis since this was deemed to be a problem back in the spring,” Baker said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Source; MSN.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"