Rep. Chaka Fattah of Pennsylvania and four associates were indicted by a grand jury today on racketeering conspiracy charges, accused of misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes and charity and campaign funds.
By Steve Neavling tickethewire.com A Philadelphia municipal judge who pleaded guilty last week to mail and wire fraud charges was caught in the act when the FBI invented a defendant, the Associated Press reports. Judge Joseph Waters Jr., who was suspected of corruption, had no idea that the FBI created a bogus defendant, David Khoury,…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The FBI’s argument for resisting an inmate’s Freedom of Information Act request is “transparently implausible,” a federal judge said in admonishing the bureau, the Sacramento Bee reports. The FBI made the bizarre argument that the “FOIA request need not be disclosed because they reside on two CDs and a thumb drive.” The…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A former college professor who was working as an FBI informant investigating mortgage fraud was sentenced to four years and four months in prison Thursdsay for hatching his own mortgage fraud scheme, The Plain Dealer reports. Paul Tomko asked for leniency but got none from U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko. Tomko pleaded…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com When it comes to politics in the small Texas town of Progreso, it’s safe to say the Vela family flexed some muscle. Omar Vela, 35, is the town’s mayor. His brother, Michael Vela, 28 (pictured), is the president of the school board. And their father, Jose Guadalupe Vela, 64, works in management…
By Danny Fenster ticklethewire.com Creativity is one thing that never seems to be lacking when it comes to housing fraud, a pervasive problem. The latest: Five men have been charged in an FBI probe into bid rigging on foreclosed homes at public auction in northern California, a local ABC affiliate reported on Tuesday. A federal…
