₦airaland Forum

Two 23-year-old Southern California men have been indicted for allegedly defrauding investors out of more than $22 million in cryptocurrency, according to authorities. Gabriel Hay of Beverly Hills and Gavin Mayo of Thousand Oaks are accused of collecting investments for nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, and digital asset projects with no intention of sticking around to see those efforts realized, prosecutors said.

The U.S. attorney’s office says that from May 2021 to May 2024, they and an unnamed co-conspirator collected $22.4 million from multiple “rug pull” schemes — in which a token or project creator collects investor funds, but then abandons the project while keeping the money. The indictment alleges Hay and Mayo falsely claimed one NFT project, called Vault of Gems, would be the first “to be pegged to a hard asset,” telling investors that the project would work with jewelers around the world and had “already started making [its] own exchange” for jewelry retailers to use. “What’s happening?” asked a November 2021 post by the Vault of Gems X account. Confusion and frustration followed in the replies, which included the allegation that Hay and Mayo had deleted parts of a community Discord channel where investors gathered. “What’s happening is that you pulled and stole over a million dollars,” one person commented.

Prosecutors allege Hay and Mayo repeated similar “rug pull” schemes several times, with projects titled Faceless, Sinful Souls, Clout Coin, Dirty Dogs, Uncovered, MoonPortal, Squiggles and Roost Coin. “Fraudsters take advantage of new technologies and financial products to steal investors’ hard-earned money,” Principal Deputy Assistant Atty. Gen. Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in a statement. “The department is committed to protecting investors and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraud involving cryptocurrency and other digital assets and bring offenders to justice.”

In a separate charge, prosecutors allege Mayo and Hay stalked and harassed one of their project managers after he publicly connected them to a fraudulent project. When their unnamed project manager revealed them to be the true creators, the indictment says Mayo and Hay sent threatening emails, texts and social media messages to him and his parents, posing as lawyers threatening legal action and investors to force him to take down and recant his messages. One email threatened to falsely accuse his parents of lewd sexual behavior, according to the indictment. An Instagram message sent to the project manager nearly two years later in September 2023 read: “Don’t think we forgot about you... Get ready to get destroyed,” the indictment states.

Mayo and Hay are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud and one count of stalking. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison on each conspiracy and wire fraud count, and a maximum of five years for the stalking count.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-12-21/southern-california-men-indicted-in-22-million-crypto-fraud-case

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl6MPryUPxg

A statewide sting operation focused on human trafficking led to 132 arrests of people trying to buy sex, including 22 seeking s** with [minors], Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Monday.

Additionally, 73 survivors of trafficking were offered social services.

The sting involved 100 law enforcement agencies in 19 counties. Officers raided nine locations that had been linked to human trafficking, including massage parlors and a motel.

Among those arrested:

-Charles Arnold, 55, of Dayton, who is a chief fire inspector for the Ohio Department of Commerce.
-Jeffrey Startzman, 68, of Brookville, a former prosecutor and magistrate who serves on the Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug, Addiction and Mental Health Services board.
-John Hughes, 35, who works for the state treasurer's office and referees high-school sports.

The operation didn't snag any human traffickers − those who profit off the sale of sex between two others. Yost said arrests of human traffickers typically involve longer-term investigations. "We need to work up the food chain. Rest assured, we will," he said.

Law enforcement officials said human trafficking occurs in nearly every community, across all demographics. What should people look for? "Look for things that don't seem right," Yost said. Signs may include: a couple checking into a hotel or motel without luggage, someone carrying multiple hotel key cards or cellphones, someone with an inconsistent or well-rehearsed story about where they live, someone who doesn't control their IDs or money.

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/crime/2024/10/14/ohio-human-trafficking-sting-nets-132-arrests-for-trying-to-buy-sex/75671612007/

They released the names of all the johns arrested:
https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/October-2024/132-Arrested-as-Operation-END-OHHT-Targets-Those-S

.

You know, people work hard, and they deserve to go and get their toys, whatever that may be.

Still I can't help but feel a way that him and Burna, and other black artists, are filling the pockets of oyinbos, and some of them end up broke. Black artists should be off that. People wised up in the 90s, but then went right back not long after.

And IMHO when you have money like that, building stuff, opening a bunch of businesses, and big charities are more impressive. But no shade if you don't. It's not for everyone.

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/hundreds-of-nigerians-to-take-free-evacuation-from-south-africa-idUSKCN1VV0ZY/
Hundreds of Nigerians to take free evacuation from South Africa

At least 640 Nigerians have signed up to take free flights home from South Africa after xenophobic attacks on foreigners, a spokeswoman for Nigeria's president said on Tuesday. The flare-up in violence directed against mainly African foreigners has been widely condemned by South Africa's neighbours and has caused a diplomatic dispute between Nigeria and South Africa, the continent's top two economies. Private Nigerian airline Air Peace plans to operate two flights with Boeing 777 aircraft, the first leaving Lagos late on Tuesday to return on Wednesday with evacuees. The plane can carry about 300 passengers. President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday called for the immediate voluntary evacuation of all Nigerians wanting to return home, and Air Peace offered free flights last week. "A private citizen who owns an airline has offered to evacuate Nigerians from South Africa who want to leave, and obviously there are immigration rules that go with that, so its a process," Ayanda Dlodlo, South Africa's Minister of State Security, told reporters in Cape Town.

Zimbabwe's Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo told reporters in the capital Harare that the government planned to evacuate 171 people from South Africa, including the bodies of two people. Moyo added that Harare would "escalate" the evacuation if the situation deteriorated and he was seeking support from international organisations to help those affected. In the latest outbreak of xenophobic violence in South Africa, deadly riots last week in Pretoria and Johannesburg killed at least 12 people including two foreigners, and targeted foreign-owned businesses.

The root causes of the latest series of attacks are unclear, although analysts suggest stubbornly high unemployment and grinding poverty were fuelling criminality. In Katlehong, a township around 35 kilometres south east of commercial hub Johannesburg, 755 foreign nationals including 228 children are being cared for at community centres after fleeing violence. "While there has been a significant decline in the number of incidents, police forces remain on high alert and are closely monitoring hotspots to ensure further violence does not erupt," Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said. Police have arrested 653 people in connection with the attacks, mostly South African but including foreigners, police minister Bheki Cele said.

South Africa does not know how many undocumented foreigners are in the country of 58 million people. Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh and Ethiopia topped the list of countries where people applied for asylum or refugee status in 2018. Nigeria placed seventh with 948 people applying for refugee status and zero accepted, said Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi. Retaliatory attacks in Nigeria forced South African businesses to shut down for several days, and South Africa temporarily closed its embassy on safety fears. Buhari will visit South Africa next month to address the attacks and seek a solution.

Get Millie Black

It's awesome. But they clearly don't know their audience given the amount of certain characters that appear on the show (really odd decision). A lot of people aren't going to watch because of that. And it's a shame because this might be one of the best shows I've seen set in the Caribbean. The writing isn't amazing, but it's a solid show. I also wish they didn't cast the Indian.

Salah and his...cousin-wife.

U.S. authorities arrested dozens of members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua during recent operations in two major American cities. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said 16 suspected gang members were nabbed Tuesday in Aurora, Colorado, after the criminals were linked to a home invasion and kidnapping at an apartment building that Tren de Aragua had taken over. That came less than two weeks after federal agents handcuffed 22 suspected gangsters in New York City during raids in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain did not share the suspects’ identities, but said they are all Venezuelan nationals who took part in an attack on a man and woman that he described as “torture.”

The police chief said the victims were bound, pistol-whipped and terrorized by the armed gangsters who took the victims out of one unit at the Edge of Lowry apartments and hauled them off to another one. Chief Chamberlain said the victims were also Venezuelan immigrants, and the man was stabbed during the violent abduction. “Individuals involved in this type of activity, they victimize their own race and their own ethnicity, and the reason they do that is because they know, because of their status, they will not come forward to police.” Chief Chamberlain said at a press conference last week. ICE officials said the suspects will remain in federal custody while their court proceedings play out.

Tren de Aragua’s caught-on-camera takeover of the Edge of Lowry this summer thrusted the gang into the national consciousness and emphasized how poorly the U.S. southern border was being managed by the Biden administration. President-elect Donald Trump mentioned the gang during his lone debate against Vice President Kamala Harris in September, shortly after surveillance video was released showing armed men going door-to-door in the building. Local leaders shot back at Mr. Trump and denied his claim that the Edge of Lowry had ceded control to the violent transnational gang. City officials and the company that runs the apartment building agreed this month to close down the beleaguered complex.

In New York City, federal agents arrested several Tren de Aragua members on Dec. 5 after following one ankle-monitor-wearing suspect to his apartment hideout, according to the New York Post. Police said seven suspected gang members were taken into custody during the Bronx raid. Many of those arrested in the New York City operations had multiple arrests, largely for shoplifting and other theft-related offenses. Suspect Jhonaiker Alexander Gil Cardozo, 24, had been arrested four times, according to the Post. Three of those arrests came in New York City over the summer on larceny, reckless endangerment and robbery charges. The other was a shoplifting charge in June in Greenville, South Carolina. Mr. Cardozo crossed into the U.S. illegally in 2022 near Eagle Pass, Texas. Some of the gang members had active deportation orders as well, yet were able to evade authorities after not being kept behind bars.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/dec/22/tren-de-aragua-gang-members-arrested-colorado-new-/

A health insurance provider in western New York will have to pay $98 million after it submitted invalid diagnoses to Medicare to increase its payments. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Dec. 20 that Independent Health Corporation, a Buffalo-based insurance provider, violated the False Claims Act when it searched medical records and queried doctors to raise patients “risk scores” and receive a larger payment from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The risk scores are associated with Medicare Advantage, which uses per-person plans based on demographic information and diagnoses. A beneficiary with more expensive diagnoses to treat typically has a higher risk score and a larger risk-adjusted payment.

The settlement requires Independent Health to make guaranteed payments of $34.5 million, with contingent payments of up to $63.5 million on behalf of the company and its now-defunct subsidiary, DxID. Former DxID founder and chief executive Betsy Gaffney will be required to pay $2 million. The settlement also requires Independent Health to enter a five-year agreement to make several changes, including the hire of an independent review organization to sample Medicare Advantage patients’ medical records and internal controls for appropriate risk adjustment payments.

“To protect the integrity of Medicare and other federal health care programs, my office is committed to ensuring that each and every dollar meant for Medicare beneficiaries is spent appropriately and in accordance with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York. “As this settlement makes clear, we will diligently pursue those who defraud government programs.”

The original complaint was filed in September 2021, a month after DxID ceased operations. The U.S. alleged DxID submitted diagnosis codes not included in the patient’s medical record from a visit or encounter. Those unsupported diagnosis codes, the government argued, inflated those risk scores and Independent Health did not take corrective action once the codes were discovered. DxID pressured providers to sign off on diagnoses the company suggested were assessed during a health care encounter, but were not adequately documented in medical records. Those conditions, the complaint says, include those on problem lists or from lab results that DxID “predicted that a patient should have based on its algorithm or simply Gaffney’s say so.” Chronic kidney disease was added to most requests for addendum to the diagnosis codes because “Gaffney believed that ‘[p]retty much everyone over age 70 has some level of CKD,’” the complaint said.

DxID received up to 20% of the additional revenue from those unsupported diagnoses. The guaranteed payments will be paid out annually between 2024 and 2028, with the first $6.1 million and subsequent payments $7.1 million. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/2024/12/23/independent-health-fined-for-medicare-fraud-in-us-settlement/77179183007/

6 Charged in Fraud Scheme Accused of Staging Fake Robberies in Effort to Help ‘Victims’ Obtain US Visas

A group of people is accused of staging fake robberies at various restaurants and businesses in and around Chicago in an effort to help make the purported “victims” eligible for U.S. visas.

Bhikhabhai Patel, Nilesh Patel, Ravinaben Patel and Rajnikumar Patel are accused of paying Parth Nayi and Kewon Young to stage multiple robberies with the Patels posing as victims, because it would allow the Patels to apply for nonimmigrant status (known as a “U-visa”), which is set aside for the victims of certain crimes.

All six have now been charged in Chicago’s federal court with conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Ravinaben Patel is also charged with making a false statement in a visa application.

According to a federal indictment, the Patels paid Nayi thousands of dollars to participate in the scam.

Nayi and Young allegedly recruited and paid others to pose as robbers, who would brandish items that appeared to be firearms, approach the purported victims and demand their money and property.

“At the direction of Nayi and Young, the individuals acting as robbers, on certain occasions, struck purported victims to make the staged robbery appear real,” the indictment states. “The individuals acting as robbers took items from the purported victims and fled the scene.”

According to the indictment, after the “robberies,” the purported victims would submit specific forms to their local police departments and request that law enforcement certify they had indeed been the victim of a “qualifying crime.”

After receiving that certification, the purported victims would allegedly submit fraudulent U-visa applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services predicated upon their alleged status as a robbery victim.

Federal prosecutors said the staged robberies occurred between 2022 and 2023 at Subway restaurants, coffee shops, liquor stores and gas stations in Chicago as well as the suburbs of Lombard, Elmwood Park, St. Charles, Hickory Hills, River Grove, Lake Villa and South Holland. Other fake robberies were allegedly carried out at restaurants in Rayne, Louisiana, and Belvidere, Tennessee.

According to prosecutors, the conspiracy charges are punishable by up to five years in federal prison, while the false statement charge is punishable by up to 10 years.

https://news.wttw.com/2024/05/17/6-charged-fraud-scheme-accused-staging-fake-robberies-effort-help-victims-obtain-us-visas

mamagee3:
[color=deeppink]From your perspective, it would make sense for her to hang out with her siblings instead of her mother…

A married young lady who goes everywhere with her mother and rarely with her husband is not the norm, that’s all I’m saying.[/color]

As hard as it is for you to accept, some people have the same friendship with family members that some people have with their bff. Some people go everywhere with family, and hang out, drink, whatever. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has filed a lawsuit against Zelle and three banks that own it — Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase — claiming they failed “to protect consumers from widespread fraud.” Zelle is a payment network designed to compete with payment platforms like Venmo and Cash App, but the CFPB says the banks “rushed” it to market, enabling fraud that’s cost consumers more than $870 million since it launched in 2017.

The lawsuit cites Zelle’s designs and features, including a “limited” identity verification process that involves assigning a “token” to a user’s email address or mobile phone number that they can use to verify their account with a one-time passcode. This setup makes it easier for scammers to take over accounts, as well as hide their own identities or pretend to be other institutions, the CFPB alleges.

One of the most common Zelle scams involves bad actors impersonating a financial institution or a federal agency, who then trick customers into sending them money. After facing pressure from the CFPB, the banks backing Zelle started issuing refunds to victims of this type of scam last year. This latest lawsuit follows other CFPB actions to tighten regulation around digital wallet apps and payment networks.

The CFPB accuses Zelle and the banking trio of failing to track and quickly stop criminals on the platform, as they allegedly didn’t relay information about known fraudulent transactions with other institutions in the payment network. It also alleges Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo didn’t properly address the risk of fraud despite the “hundreds of thousands” of complaints they received.

Zelle pushed back on the lawsuit in a statement published on Friday. “The CFPB’s attacks on Zelle are legally and factually flawed, and the timing of this lawsuit appears to be driven by political factors unrelated to Zelle,” Zelle spokesperson Jane Khodos said. “The CFPB’s misguided attacks will embolden criminals, cost consumers more in fees, stifle small businesses and make it harder for thousands of community banks and credit unions to compete.”

The CFPB is asking the court to stop Zelle’s parent company, Early Warning Services, and the banks from violating consumer protection laws, and compensate users, among other penalties.

https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/20/24325923/cfpb-zelle-lawsuit-widespread-fraud

korexes:
Plantain looking good

That crispy slice at the bottom is mine.

His legal defense fund finally passed 200K. I hope he gets a million. People need to support this kid. This case represents so much. And I think it's fair to say that this case is even bigger than America. The 1% has global impact. A victory will give people more confidence to fight back instead of feeling powerless or like these people have too much power to be stopped.

https://www.givesendgo.com/legalfund-ceo-shooting-suspect/donate

Look how much kale (superfood) you can grow in a pot:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN1bfLxpx7Q


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jFaovdiHwY

https://gardenerspath.com/plants/vegetables/grow-kale-containers/

Baltasar should probably be at the top of that list. lol

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5c/b1/11/5cb1114e4f1a94c33812a2c332da0c3a.gif

This couldn't be an accident, or maybe it's just more evidence of how messed up America is.

A 2023 financial disclosure report reveals thousands in stock from various healthcare companies, as well as spousal earnings that include a pension collected from Pfizer.

The judge presiding over pre-trial hearings for Luigi Mangione has come under scrutiny for her financial and familial ties to the healthcare industry.

According to her 2023 financial disclosures, Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker owns substantial stock in healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, where her husband, Bret Parker, previously served as Vice President and assistant general counsel, journalist Ken Klippenstein reported.

Judge Parker's financial holdings include somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 in Pfizer stock, and her husband, who left Pfizer in 2010, collects a pension through the company's Senior Executive Retirement Plan. In addition to the couple's profits from Pfizer, Judge Park has investments in other healthcare companies including Abbott Laboratories, Viatris, and Intellia Therapeutics.

"The judge's ties to the healthcare business are a stark reminder of how pervasive the for-profit industry is in American life — a point made by Mangione himself," Ken Klippenstein wrote.

Mangione pleaded not guilty on Monday to terror and murder charges in New York related to the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. An alleged manifesto rails against healthcare insurance companies who profit off of denied claims, stating, "These parasites had it coming." The crime has led to increased criticism of privatized healthcare.

These financial disclosures spark questions about potential conflicts of interest, particularly given the nature of Mangione's case. While no allegations of impropriety have been made, the judge's investments may add a layer of complexity to an already high-profile legal proceeding.

https://www.latintimes.com/judge-luigi-mangione-case-married-ex-pfizer-executive-owns-thousands-healthcare-stock-report-570201

Uh, maybe because they actually like their family members and get along. Maybe because the mother helps with the children and they prefer family to watch their kids instead of strangers. Maybe her and her husband also look after her mother, and don't want her doing a miserable job for peanuts if they have the means to give her a comfortable lifestyle.

This is such a bizarre question. You're like, "Why does she like her family?" lol

It's not hard to grow your own in a container:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4wNpwPQRa8

Sepukku:
She go soon fade no worry. The Americans have already detected the bullshit.

The industry is pushing her hard.

The good thing is that all these clowns are on their way out. All these vile industry plants and their shitty music are failing hard.

MrJames007:
I know Gunna, who's Tyla

She's a talentless, trans-looking, nonblack racist from SA who insists on trying to make a living making black music marketed to black people.

Judolisco:
Who are this people?

They're not worth knowing.

Nonsense. Go get your girl.

This person is likely lying about her education, or scammed her way through her programs with 5 people actually doing her work. Cheating and scamming is basically Indian culture. But more significant, influencers and online personalities can be so lucrative that people will do all sorts of things to create a marketable persona. Furthermore, they may be scamming the onlyf**s too by using someone else in the photos, AI, and/or laundering money. People don't talk about it, but money laundering is big on onlyf**s. It's only a matter of time before it gets shut down.

What likely happened is that they wanted to create this character to make money off, but that failed. Then they decided to use the shock value of them doing onlyf**s to make money. But I don't believe they're making much if any money on onlyf**s. I think it's money laundering.

No one with that education would walk away from it to do p**n. They would walk away because they got an amazing job offer from a big tech company, research firm, or some multinational. And someone like that would have plenty of options for doing fairly light work remotely, and making a really good salary by any standard. The kind of person that even pursues that is typically bookish, focused, and ambitious. They're more likely to be creating software on the side or contributing to a large project with a small group of developers, and making a significant amount of money or doing something that will get them noticed. This person is full of sh**.

Gerrard59:
I have seen luxury cars parked by the roadside and such cars being fuelled, but I have never seen a jerrycan here let alone being used to re-fuel an extremely high-end car.

But hey, luxury class and elite lifestyle in Nigeria.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Pentagon007:
Dysfunctional country. See how they are fueling the car from a Jerry can via a rubber tube like Keke.

~Zoo

What's the point of insulting people just trying to make a living? They're not harming anyone and they're not criminals. This kind of shaming is part of why people choose to do the wrong thing.

And if you have a problem with this practice, you can always open a gas station. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Not a doctor.

The amount you drink is medically considered heavy drinking. If you had let's say a few servings a week, that still wouldn't be healthy or safe, but you'd have a far lower risk of health problems. You really need to stop now before you reach a point that you can't recover from.

Alcohol affects every part of your body--all your organs, your bones, and your brain. It can cause:
-Dementia
-Bone death
-Cancer
-Heart disease
-Liver disease
-Stroke
-Pancreatitis
-GI inflamation and bleeding
-Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and respiratory infections
-Gout
-Wernicke's encephalopathy
-Korsakoff syndrome

Just leave it alone, or only drink (light or moderate) on special occasions (holidays, engagements, weddings, promotion, etc.).

Find a healthy alternative if you want to relax at the end of the day:
-Find a new hobby. Do you like building stuff? Think of a project, or work on a car. Maybe paint or make pottery. Do you play an instrument? Music can be very healing.
-Maybe get the muscles working, and get some endorphins flowing. Play soccer, lift weights, go swimming, or go for a long walk with a friend. Or maybe go out and dance with some beautiful women.
-Do you like video games? Maybe join a league and compete.

Is there something that really bothers you? Have you been using alcohol to deal with it? Explore healthy options for working on it. Join a support group, or connect with a therapist.

koladata:
Yes I think "mentally conquered" is the perfect word to describe them. I swear southafrican's needs serious therapy, I'm sure the last thing a Nigerian parent will reject their children's spouse for is dark skin color. For God's sake we are supposed to be dark, we are Africans !!!!!!!. the Samantha125 girl was even ready to defend her story.

I don't think they deserve to be acknowledged or heavily analyzed honestly. They want to be losers, let them. Focus energy on people who are worth it.

I don't get why Nigerians keep discussing them and giving them attention. Bizarre. If you want to go to SA and get money, do so, but ignore them and don't date them (be polite though). If you have to deal with them in business, be respectful, but don't get involved with them.

These "migrants" are likely inmates and random criminals. The governments of those countries seem to be working with NGOs to transport them to the border.

But even before this wave of migrants, there has always been a steady flow of Mexican and other Central American criminals. The gang issues in California are a direct result of this. The other thing about these people is that Central Americans are possibly the most depraved criminals. They sit around inventing new ways to harm and terrorize people.

And these are the people getting free 5-star hotels, housing, healthcare, legal services, transportation, and etc. When they're done collecting those handouts, they sit on public assistance forever, and tell their children to do the same.

Step 1: Buy her a Birkin bag or Maserati.
Step 2: Live happily ever after.

koladata:
Can you imagine , she doesn't even know what they did is wrong... I just pity Nigerians living in south africa, if they can do this to their own , imagine what they can do to you.

They have no power in their own country (and apparently like it that way), so their views are irrelevant. And they have so much mixed blood that their ethnicities basically don't exist, they're cosplaying. And they're so mentally conquered that it's surprising their languages even survived.