fraud

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Head of Huge Organic Food Scheme Dies by Suicide

Farmer Randy Constant was to begin serving a 10-year term in weeks

(Newser) - A 60-year-old Missouri farmer blamed for running the largest organic food fraud scheme in US history has died by suicide, weeks before he was to report to federal prison to begin serving a 10-year term, a coroner said Tuesday. Livingston County Coroner Scott Lindley confirmed the death of Randy Constant...

Epstein's Only Named Client Absolutely Savages Him

'My trust in him was grossly misplaced,' says Leslie Wexner

(Newser) - Jeffrey Epstein is a fraudster as well as a sex offender, according to retail mogul Leslie Wexner. The billionaire founder of L Brands, parent company of Victoria's Secret, was the financier's only named client for many years in an arrangement seen as highly unusual . In a letter to...

Dirt-Filled Boxes Enable $370K Amazon Scam: Report

James Gilbert Kwarteng is accused of sending the online retailer returns in dirt-filled boxes

(Newser) - Talk about audacious: A man in Spain is accused of scamming Amazon out of $370,000 by returning items in dirt-filled boxes, Fox Business reports. According to Spanish newspapers, 22-year-old James Gilbert Kwarteng weighed the refilled boxes to match the product weight and received his refunds. The boxes apparently went...

Cult Leader Pushed Followers to 'Paradise.' Only It Wasn't

Shin Ok-ju jailed 6 years for assault, child abuse

(Newser) - A doomsday cult leader who told followers they could avoid impending war with an escape to Fiji has been jailed for six years. In 2014, some 400 people followed South Korea's Shin Ok-ju to what she claimed was "the only paradise land written in the Bible" and a...

She Ran a 'Love Village' for Kids. Now, 20 Years in Prison

Li Yanxia, who adopted 118 children, was less loving mother, more fraudster, Chinese court found

(Newser) - A wealthy businesswoman who became known as the "Love Mother" in China for adopting more than 100 children has a new label now: convicted fraudster. The BBC reports that 54-year-old Li Yanxia (aka Li Lijuan) was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hebei province after being found guilty...

Boyfriend's Text Came at Exactly the Wrong Time

Woman was trying to prove to immigration agent that her marriage was real

(Newser) - Under normal circumstances, Rhode Island woman Amanda Hames-Whitman might have been pleased to receive a text from her boyfriend saying they had "the best sex ever." At the time the text from "Chriss" arrived, however, her phone was in the hands of an immigration agent trying to...

'Pharma Bro' Files $30M Lawsuit From Prison

Martin Shkreli is upset over ouster from the company he founded

(Newser) - Imprisoned pharmaceutical entrepreneur Martin Shkreli sued three executives at a company he started Friday, saying they illegally ousted him and defrauded the company of millions of dollars, the AP reports. The lawsuit was filed Friday in Manhattan federal court. It seeks unspecified damages. Shkreli, 36, was dubbed the Pharma Bro...

Court: Arrest Warrant Out for Stan Lee's Former Manager

Keya Morgan accused of elder abuse against late comic book legend

(Newser) - It's been just over six months since Stan Lee died , but controversy still swirls around the late Marvel Comics leader's ex-manager and business partner. Reuters reports that the latest in the saga involving Keya Morgan includes five counts of elder abuse filed against him Friday, including charges of...

Fake Heiress Learns Her Fate
Fake Heiress
Learns Her Fate
May 9, 2019 4:32 PM CDT

Fake Heiress Learns Her Fate

Anna Sorokin sentenced to 4-12 years behind bars

(Newser) - Anna Sorokin, the German con artist who passed herself off as a wealthy heiress to swindle banks, hotels, and even close friends as she lived out a high-society, Instagram-ready fantasy in New York, was sentenced Thursday to four to 12 years in prison, the AP reports. The 28-year-old, who had...

NASA Missions Failed Due to Faulty Parts Sold in Scam

Seems Sapa Profiles Inc. knowingly sold bad parts

(Newser) - On the upside, no one got killed. The bad news: An Oregon metals manufacturer lied about test results and sold faulty aluminum parts to NASA and other customers for more than 19 years, according to the Justice Department and NASA . Seems workers at Sapa Profiles Inc—which is now called...

The Hunt for Billions in Long-Lost Gold Is On
Hunt for Long-Lost Gold
Runs Into Major Snag
longform
Apr 28, 2019 11:55 AM CDT

Hunt for Long-Lost Gold Runs Into Major Snag

Dominican authorities are investigating whether it's a scam

(Newser) - Thousands of Dominicans are seeking an immense treasure they believe is rightfully theirs—but it's an ocean away under lock and key, Bloomberg reports. Enter Johnny Portorreal Reyes, a charismatic 65-year-old lawyer who represents many Guzmáns and Rosarios, two families with similar legends of ancestors sending gold to...

Fake Heiress Faces Up to 15 Years in Prison

Anna Sorokin scammed her way into elite NYC circles

(Newser) - A woman who claimed to be a wealthy German heiress has been found guilty of scamming banks, hotels, and friends who funded her lavish New York City lifestyle. Anna Sorokin, 28, was found guilty Thursday of four counts of theft of services, three counts of grand larceny, and one count...

She Led a Crazy-Rich Life in the Big Apple. One Problem

Prosecutors say Anna Sorokin was a fraudster

(Newser) - Anna Sorokin traveled in celebrity circles and tossed $100 tips—all the more reason to believe she was the German heiress worth roughly $60 million she said she was. But behind the jet-set lifestyle and pricey threads, prosecutors say, was a fraudster. Sorokin, 28, lived in luxury New York City...

Treasurer for Slain Officers Stole for Her Son: Police

Lorraine Shanley, 68, faces up to 30 years in prison

(Newser) - The treasurer at a charity for fallen New York City police is accused of stealing about $410,000—including $1,400 for Barbra Streisand tickets, the New York Times reports. Lorraine Shanley, 68, was arrested Thursday and could face 30 years in prison. A volunteer treasurer at Survivors of the...

Woman Who Faked Pregnancy Faces Charges

Virginia's Elizabeth Jones led couple to believe they could adopt her nonexistent baby

(Newser) - A Virginia woman who admitted faking a pregnancy and lying to a couple hoping to adopt her baby now faces criminal charges, reports WCYB . Scott County prosecutors filed felony larceny charges against Elizabeth Jones, who has acknowledged that she tricked Laura and Matt Trayte from Lake Forest, California, into thinking...

Cops: She Set Her Price, Then Cut Off Own Hand

Slovenian woman allegedly stood to gain more than $835K

(Newser) - A woman in Slovenia claims she slipped and accidentally cut off her own hand while sawing branches off a tree. Police, however, say the 21-year-old chopped off her hand on purpose, thinking it would set her up for life. For police, the life and injury insurance taken out in advance...

Hollywood Celebs Accused in College Admissions Scam

Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman among those facing charges

(Newser) - A new scandal has emerged involving Hollywood celebs, but it's one you might not have expected. Actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are among those accused of participating in college-admissions fraud on behalf of their children, reports NBC News . Essentially, wealthy parents used shady tactics including bribes, made-up sports...

Smollett's 'TV Dad' Responds to Allegations

Terrence Howard says his co-actor 'could never even conceive' of faking an attack

(Newser) - "All your lil homies got you. We love the hell outta you." That's Empire star Terrence Howard's caption on an Instagram video of Jussie Smollett playing with a small child—possibly Howard's son, USA Today reports. Howard, who plays Smollett's father on the Fox...

She Insulted Michelle Obama. Now, a Guilty Plea

Pamela Taylor, who called ex-first lady 'ape in heels,' admits taking money from FEMA

(Newser) - "The flood was a natural disaster. Stealing from FEMA is a manmade disaster." Per a DOJ release , that's US Attorney Mike Stuart speaking on the case of Pamela Taylor, a 57-year-old from West Virginia who made headlines in 2016 for calling then-first lady Michelle Obama an "...

Love Seekers Lost $143M to Scammers in 2018: FTC

That's more than any other type of consumer fraud found by the agency last year

(Newser) - If you wanted the Federal Trade Commission's take on Valentine's Day, here it is: Beware of getting scammed seeking love online. The warning comes via the agency's latest revelation, which cites more than 21,000 reports of people getting swindled by internet "paramours" in 2018, NPR...

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