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Hadari Oshri’s Gaya Ventures site claims she’s joined forces with convicted businessman Orlando Birbragher in new biz venture

Aitana Vargas — Sun, 14 May 2023 05:28:46 +0000

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: On June 22, 2021, Hadari Oshri –Marc Lubaszka’s business partner– filed a civil harassment restraining order (CHRO) against Investor News reporter Aitana Vargas to stop the publication of her investigative series “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar crime,” and any subsequent installments or future media coverage. On August 3, 2021, Vargas filed an anti-SLAPP motion to strike Oshri’s CHRO petition. In a hearing held on September 13, 2021, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Doreen Boxer granted Vargas’s anti-SLAPP motion and denied Oshri’s civil harassment petition for failure to sustain the applicable burden of proof. Oshri will now have to pay Vargas’s attorney’s fees for filing a frivolous case. The Israeli entrepreneur also declined to go on a recorded interview or provide statements via email.

Hadari Oshri’s Gaya Ventures site claims she’s joined forces with convicted businessman Orlando Birbragher in new biz venture

Los Angeles (CA) – Self-described “successful” entrepreneur Hadari Oshri has made both an online and a business comeback.

After her long list of demonstrated business failures, including Xehar, Trade Safe Pro and Hadari Online, the Israeli-American entrepreneur has finally launched her latest business website, www.gayaventures.com, an acquisitions and consulting firm combining AI and wellness that she’s started to publicize online.

Indeed, just this week Nasdaq.com released an article written by “guest contributors” referencing Oshri’s latest pet project. The author, Jenny Q Ta, sadly, got Oshri’s company name wrong…Luckily, we’re here to get it right. Gaya, not Gava.

Why Gaya Ventures LLC now?

Public records show that Gaya Ventures LLC was formed by Hadar Oshri in Florida in 2022 following the demise of her partnership with LA-based conman Marc Lubaszka, who’s been under investigation by the FBI and the SEC for his involvement in alleged business schemes, including defrauding gold IRA investors across the country and trying to sell nonexistent PPE and imaginary private jets.

Court records and exclusive documents and testimonies obtained by this outlet show that both Lubaszka and Oshri joined forces during the pandemic to sell nonexistent PPE through the former’s now-defunct private jet company: Fly Private X.

Also during the COVID-19 emergency, Oshri was involved in PPE sales through her Florida-based company Trade Safe Pro, LLC.

Additionally, in 2021, Oshri filed and lost an embarrassing SLAPP case against reporter Aitana Vargas in a desperate attempt to stop the publication of “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar Crime,” a multi-part series that went on to win an LA Press Club award in 2022. Oshri will have to pay mandatory attorney’s fees to the reporter for filing a frivolous case.

*Read here the court’s anti-SLAPP ruling in favor of the reporter.

In 2022, Oshri and A1A Management, a corporation she co-managed with entrepreneur Patrick Seller, aka the “Crypto King,” were sued for $250.000 for failure to deliver promised PPE. In their social media accounts, both Oshri and Seller bragged about the beachfront Malibu property they held parties at. Photos of them together have been deleted since.

According to Oshri’s public IG account, the Malibu parties continue to this date…

Who’s behind Gaya Ventures?

According to the company website (https://www.gayaventures.com), four people may be involved in the project. Oshri is listed as the CEO, whereas Gregory Witherspoon (Oshri’s former Xehar investor, who withdrew his support following widespread mismanagement claims by former workers and contractors) is listed as the company CFO. Witherspoon’s LinkedIn profile names Plan Bravo Partners as his most recent position and makes no mention of Gaya Ventures. Then, there’s realtor Darla Stuart, whose LinkedIn profile mentions the company. Lastly, the site lists Orlando Birbragher –a Florida-based businessman born to Panamanian parents– as the CIO.

Who’s Orlando Birbragher?

According to court records, Birbragher was ordered detained without bond in 2007 pending the resolution of criminal matters in a 31-count indictment, which included charges for conspiracy to distribute drugs through his company, Pharmacom.

2010 court documents state that “Orlando Birbragher conditionally pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(D), 841(b)(1)(D)(2), 846, 856(a)(1), and 861(a)(1), and conspiracy to launder money from the drug conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956(a)(1)(A)(i), 1956(a)(1)(B)(i), 1956(h), and 1957. The district court sentenced Birbragher to 35 months imprisonment to be followed by a two-year term of supervised release. The court also entered a preliminary forfeiture order of $2,465,209.92.”

In 2010, the 8th Circuit of the US Court of Appeals denied Birbragher’s request to dismiss his indictment.

However, several sympathetic columns posted by author David F. Bienvenu on Medium claim that the businessman was exonerated.

Fast forward to 2022, and Birbragher and his companies, including BBV International Consulting, were sued for civil theft.

Hadari Oshri has acquired two Instagram accounts with fake/bought followers

To obtain clout and notoriety, one of Oshri’s latest acquisitions is her @hadari_oshri_israel Instagram account, featuring over 10.6K followers. This impressive accomplishment is, however, followed by an even more impressive one, @gaya_ventures, an Instagram account with over 7.4K followers, four posts and a handful of likes.

It all looks like a fresh, promising start for the entrepreneur.

At the time of this publication, Mr. Witherspoon has not replied to a media request for comments.

Updates:

Story originally published on May 14, 2023.

May 11th, 2023: Following the publication of this piece, Oshri has hidden her personal IG account from public view and her @hadari_oshri_israel IG is no longer available.

*This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

**To contact the newsroom, send an email to: info@investornews.io. For news tips and story ideas, please contact investigative reporter Aitana Vargas at aitana_investigations@protonmail.com.

***After this reporter survived in 2021 an anti–SLAPP motion against Ms. Oshri, as a matter of policy, this outlet no longer reaches out to Ms. Oshri and her then-attorney, John Tamborelli, for comment. But we remain fully committed to hearing and sharing their opinion should they decide to reach out to us by email: Aitana_investigations@protonmail.com

The post Hadari Oshri’s Gaya Ventures site claims she’s joined forces with convicted businessman Orlando Birbragher in new biz venture appeared first on Investor News.

CEO of dozens of companies charged in estimated $1B fraud & counterfeit scheme

Administrator — Sat, 16 Jul 2022 12:00:54 +0000

CEO of Dozens of Companies and Entities Charged in Scheme to Traffic an Estimated $1 Billion in Fraudulent and Counterfeit Cisco Networking Equipment

A federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey returned an indictment last week charging a resident of Florida with running a massive operation over many years to traffic in fraudulent and counterfeit Cisco networking equipment with an estimated retail value of over $1 billion.

According to the indictment, Onur Aksoy, aka Ron Aksoy, aka Dave Durden, 38, of Miami, allegedly ran at least 19 companies formed in New Jersey and Florida as well as at least 15 Amazon storefronts, at least 10 eBay storefronts, and multiple other entities (collectively, the “Pro Network Entities”) that imported tens of thousands of fraudulent and counterfeit Cisco networking devices from China and Hong Kong and resold them to customers in the United States and overseas, falsely representing the products as new and genuine. The operation allegedly generated over $100 million in revenue, and Aksoy received millions of dollars for his personal gain.

According to the indictment, the devices the Pro Network Entities imported from China and Hong Kong were typically older, lower-model products, some of which had been sold or discarded, which Chinese counterfeiters then modified to appear to be genuine versions of new, enhanced, and more expensive Cisco devices. As alleged, the Chinese counterfeiters often added pirated Cisco software and unauthorized, low-quality, or unreliable components – including components to circumvent technological measures added by Cisco to the software to check for software license compliance and to authenticate the hardware. Finally, to make the devices appear new, genuine, high-quality, and factory-sealed by Cisco, the Chinese counterfeiters allegedly added counterfeited Cisco labels, stickers, boxes, documentation, packaging, and other materials.

The fraudulent and counterfeit products sold by the Pro Network Entities suffered from numerous performance, functionality, and safety problems. Often, they would simply fail or otherwise malfunction, causing significant damage to their users’ networks and operations – in some cases, costing users tens of thousands of dollars. Customers of Aksoy’s fraudulent and counterfeit devices included hospitals, schools, government agencies, and the military.

As set forth in the indictment, between 2014 and 2022, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized approximately 180 shipments of counterfeit Cisco devices being shipped to the Pro Network Entities from China and Hong Kong. In response to some of these seizures, Aksoy allegedly falsely submitted official paperwork to CBP under the alias “Dave Durden,” an identity that he used to communicate with Chinese co-conspirators. To try to avoid CBP scrutiny, Chinese co-conspirators allegedly broke the shipments up into smaller parcels and shipped them on different days, and Aksoy used at least two fake delivery addresses in Ohio. After CBP seized a shipment of counterfeit Cisco products to Aksoy and the Pro Network Entities and sent a seizure notice, Aksoy allegedly often continued to order counterfeit Cisco products from the same supplier.

According to the indictment, between 2014 and 2019, Cisco sent seven letters to Aksoy asking him to cease and desist his trafficking of counterfeit goods. Aksoy allegedly responded to at least two of these letters by causing his attorney to provide Cisco with forged documents. In July 2021, agents executed a search warrant at Aksoy’s warehouse and seized 1,156 counterfeit Cisco devices with a retail value of over $7 million.

Aksoy is charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods and to commit mail and wire fraud; three counts of mail fraud; four counts of wire fraud; and three counts of trafficking in counterfeit goods. Aksoy was charged by a criminal complaint filed in New Jersey on June 29 and was arrested in Miami the same day.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna of the District of New Jersey; Acting Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Bryan Denny of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Western Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Floyd Martinez of the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General (GSA-OIG), Southeast and Caribbean Division; Special Agent in Charge Peter Tolentino of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Economic Crimes Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of the HSI Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Molina of the HSI Newark Field Office made the announcement today.

The CBP Electronics Center of Excellence; the CBP Los Angeles National Targeting and Analysis Center; and the CBP Office of Trade, Regulatory Audit and Agency Advisory Services, Miami Field Office provided valuable assistance.

If you believe you are a victim of Aksoy or the Pro Network Entities, please visit www.justice.gov/largecases or https://edit.justice.gov/usao-nj/united-states-v-onur-aksoy-pro-network for more information.

The Pro Network Entities include at least the following:

Pro Network Companies	Approximate Month and Year of Formation	State of Formation
Pro Network LLC	August 2013	New Jersey
Netech Solutions LLC	November 2016	Florida
Target Network Solutions LLC	January 2017	Florida
Easy Network LLC	April 2017	New Jersey
ACE NETUS LLC (aka Ace Network)	April 2017	New Jersey
My Network Dealer LLC	April 2017	New Jersey
1701 Doral LLC	May 2017	New Jersey
Maytech Trading LLC	August 2017	Florida
NFD Trading LLC	September 2017	Florida
Kenet Solutions LLC	September 2017	Florida
Team Tech Global LLC	January 2018	New Jersey
Tenek Trading LLC	January 2018	Florida
The Network Gears LLC	February 2018	Florida
All Networking Solutions LLC (aka All Network)	April 2018	Florida
San Network LLC	October 2018	Florida
Pro Network US Inc.	January 2019	Florida
Jms Tek LLC	August 2019	Florida
Renewed Equipment LLC	August 2021	Florida
Pro Ship US LLC	August 2021	Florida

Pro Network Amazon Storefronts	Approximate Date of Earliest Known Activity
Albus Trade Hub	January 2014
EasyNetworkUS	March 2014
Get Better Trade	July 2015
Mercadeal	February 2017
Netech Solutions	February 2018
Netkco LLC	September 2014
NFD Trading LLC	January 2018
Palm Network Solutions	June 2017
Renewed Equip	August 2017
Servtaur	August 2019
Smart Network	July 2017
SOS Tech Trade	August 2017
Target-Solutions	September 2020
TeamTech Global	March 2016
TradeOrigin US	August 2015

Pro Network eBay Storefronts	Approximate Date of Earliest Known Activity
connectwus	March 2014
futuretechneeds	July 2017
getbettertrade	July 2017
getontrade	April 2016
maytechtradingllc	October 2017
netechsolutions	April 2017
netkco	September 2014
nfdtrading	February 2018
smartnetworkusa	January 2014
tenektradingllc	May 2018

HSI, DCIS, GSA-OIG, NCIS, and CBP are investigating the case.

Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly and Senior Trial Counsel Barbara Ward of the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Press release distributed by the DOJ.

Featured image: by Got Credit is marked with CC BY 2.0.

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Serial Fraudster Previously Extradited from Mexico Pleads Guilty to Multiple Investment Fraud Schemes

Administrator — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 16:26:13 +0000

A California man was extradited from Mexico on March 8 and pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering charges for two high-yield investment fraud schemes.

According to court documents, Daniel Thomas Broyles Sr., aka Dan Thomas, aka Daniel Cruz Torrez, 64, of Malibu, participated in a high-yield investment fraud scheme involving a sham company named Niyato Industries Inc. Broyles admitted to conspiring with Niyato’s CEO, Robert Leslie Stencil, 65, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and others to defraud Niyato investors. Broyles admitted that, together with Stencil and others, he falsely portrayed Niyato as a business engaged in electric vehicle manufacturing and converting vehicles to run on compressed natural gas. In reality, Broyles knew, or intentionally avoided learning, that Niyato was merely a sham company that lacked any operational facilities or proprietary technology, and virtually all investor funds were being disbursed among the co-conspirators and not used to promote Niyato’s business. In June 2016, after Broyles learned that federal law enforcement agents were investigating Niyato, he relocated to Mexico. Broyles admitted that, when he learned in August 2016 that he had been indicted, he moved to a new address in Mexico and began using the alias “Daniel Cruz Torrez” to hide from federal law enforcement agents and to obstruct the federal government’s prosecution.

In addition, according to court documents, Broyles separately pleaded guilty for his role in a second high-yield investment fraud involving EarthWater Limited. Broyles admitted to conspiring with EarthWater’s CEO, Cengiz Jan Comu, 61, of Dallas, Texas, and others to sell EarthWater stock. Broyles also admitted that he and others made numerous false and misleading representations, including that EarthWater used the money raised from victim investors to develop and operate the company’s business. In truth, Broyles, Comu, and their co-conspirators had agreed to use the invested victim funds largely for their personal benefit.

Broyles pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of money laundering in connection with the Niyato scam. Broyles also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in connection with the EarthWater scheme. He is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. Broyles faces up to 10 years in prison for the money laundering count, up to 20 years in prison for the mail fraud count, and up to 30 years in prison for each of the conspiracy counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Seven other defendants have previously been convicted in connection with the Niyato scam, including Stencil, who was convicted following a three-week jury trial and sentenced to 135 months in prison.

Eight other defendants have pleaded guilty in connection with the EarthWater fraud, including Comu, who is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7. Three other defendants are awaiting trial in the EarthWater case on charges set forth in a superseding indictment filed on Nov. 6, 2019, in the Northern District of Texas. The trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 3.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham for the Northern District of Texas; Inspector in Charge Tommy Coke of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Atlanta Division; and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement.

The Government of Mexico, including the Fiscalia General de la Republica (FGR), provided significant assistance in the extradition of Broyles to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Broyles.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating this case. The U.S. Marshals Service transported Broyles from Mexico to the United States.

Trial Attorney Christopher Fenton of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting both cases. Trial Attorney Theodore Kneller of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case involving EarthWater.

Press release distributed by the DOJ.

Featured image: Got Credit is marked with CC BY 2.0.

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Synchronoss Technologies and senior employees charged with accounting-related misconduct

Administrator — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 20:24:32 +0000

SEC Charges New Jersey Software Company and Senior Employees with Accounting-Related Misconduct

Synchronoss Technologies to Pay $12.5 Million to Settle Charges, Former CEO to Reimburse Company

Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Bridgewater, NJ-based Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. and seven senior employees, including the former CFO, in connection with their roles related to long-running accounting improprieties that ran from 2013 to 2017. In addition, the company’s founder and former CEO, Stephen Waldis, while not charged with misconduct, agreed to reimburse the company for more than $1.3 million in stock sale profits and bonuses as well as to return previously granted shares of company stock pursuant to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX).

The SEC filed a complaint in federal district court in Manhattan against former CFO Karen Rosenberger and former Controller Joanna Lanni. Among other things, the SEC’s complaint alleges that Rosenberger engaged in fraud through her role in improperly recognizing revenue on multiple transactions and that she also misled Synchronoss’s auditor about multiple transactions. The SEC alleges Lanni was involved in improper accounting for one transaction.

“Investors are entitled to rely on financial statements that are free of accounting improprieties, and when an issuer and its executives and employees engage in accounting gimmicks, we will use every available tool, including significant corporate penalties and individual accountability, to address such misconduct,” said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “Today’s action should also put public company executives on notice that even when they are not charged with having a role in the misconduct at issue, we will still pursue clawbacks of compensation under SOX 304 to ensure they do not financially benefit from their company’s improper accounting.”

In a July 2018 SEC filing, Synchronoss, a technology company that primarily provides products, software, and services to telecommunications companies, announced a restatement of its audited financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016 and restated selected financial data for the fiscal years ended 2013 and 2014 totaling approximately $190 million in revenues. Synchronoss acknowledged that during this period it had accounted for numerous transactions improperly and thus filed with the Commission materially misleading financial statements along with having material weaknesses in its internal controls over financial reporting.

As alleged in the various charging documents filed today, Synchronoss’s improper accounting primarily concerned three categories of transactions: (1) transactions for which there was not persuasive evidence of an arrangement; (2) acquisitions/divestitures in which Synchronoss recognized revenue on license agreements rather than netting those purported amounts against the purchase prices; and (3) license/hosting transactions, in which it improperly recognized revenue upfront, instead of ratably over the term of the multi-year arrangement. In addition, the SEC alleged that certain Synchronoss employees entered into “side letter” arrangements, concealing facts indicating that the revenue that Synchronoss recognized upfront was in fact contingent on future events. The impact of the improper accounting was material and in many instances allowed the company to meet earnings targets.

Without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, Synchronoss agreed to cease and desist from violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and other provisions of the securities laws, and to pay a civil penalty of $12.5 million. The following parties also agreed to settle:

Ronald Prague, the company’s former general counsel, settled charges stemming from his involvement, along with others, in misleading the company’s auditors regarding two transactions and to pay a civil penalty of $25,000 and to be suspended from appearing and practicing before the SEC as an attorney for 18 months; and
Clayton “Charlie” Thomas, Marc Bandini, Daniel Ives, former senior employees of the company, along with current employee, John Murdock, settled charges from their participation in at least one side letter agreement that concealed the revenue that Synchronoss recognized upfront was in fact contingent on future events and to pay civil penalties ranging from $15,000 to $90,000.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by James Burt IV, Kenneth Gottlieb, Theresa Gue, Desiree Marmita, Lindsay S. Moilanen, and Richard Primoff, and supervised by Lara S. Mehraban and Sheldon Pollock. The investigative team appreciates the assistance of Eduardo Martinez of the Office of Market Intelligence. The litigation against Rosenberger and Lanni will be led by Ms. Gue, Ms. Moilanen, and Mr. Primoff under the supervision of Mr. Pollock. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

Press release distributed by the SEC.

Featured image: by PeterThoeny is marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

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Nominan la serie de investigación de Aitana Vargas sobre el presunto entramado fraudulento de Hadari Oshri

Editor — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 14:09:43 +0000

Nominan la serie de investigación de Aitana Vargas que destapa el presunto entramado fraudulento de Hadari Oshri

Los Ángeles (CA) – En junio de 2021, la empresaria israelí Hadari Oshri pidió una orden de alejamiento contra la corresponsal española Aitana Vargas. Su objetivo era frenar en seco e impedir cualquier cobertura mediática de la periodista, cuya serie de investigación distribuida en este medio destapa un presunto entramado corporativo fraudulento en el que Oshri y Marc Lubaszka estarían implicados y a través del cual habrían tratado de vender equipamiento de protección personal (PPE en inglés) por más de 370 millones de dólares y del cual carecían.

El día que Oshri presentó la querella mordaza, no debió medir bien sus acciones y, en septiembre de 2021, acabó sucumbiendo al sistema judicial californiano, que protege celosamente la Primera Enmienda de la Constitución Estadounidense y custodia la libertad de expresión, incluyendo el ejercicio periodístico, en particular toda información difundida en “interés público” (anti-SLAPP en inglés).

La guinda al pastel la colocó hace unos días el Club de Prensa de Los Ángeles, que nominó el trabajo de la reportera a un premio y reconfirmó por qué la serie de Vargas merece estar en la palestra pública.

Hadari Oshri y el Efecto Streisand

En 2021, la jugada judicial le salió tan mal a Oshri que, además de ser desestimada, la empresaria está obligada a pagar todos los gastos legales de la periodista madrileña. La factura, según documentos judiciales, asciende a más de 23.000 dólares.

Pero las acciones de Oshri acarrean implicaciones de mayor envergadura. Aunque la israelí lograra posponer la publicación de la cobertura mediática durante tres meses (que ya de por sí no debiera haber ocurrido), su modus operandi es un ejemplo idílico del llamado Efecto Streisand: Cuando un individuo trata de silenciar o encubrir un hecho, logra el objetivo contrario, no sólo generar mayor interés sino también una mayor cobertura mediática.

La vergonzosa denuncia de Hadari Oshri con acusaciones incomprensibles, indemostrables y bochornosas contra la periodista

Durante la vista, la jueza recalcó que la declaración jurada que Oshri presentó el 22 de junio de 2021 contra la periodista “no era clara”. De hecho, la magistrada le recriminó a los abogados de la empresaria que ni siquiera habían “incluído pruebas” y que, de haberlo hecho, éstas “carecían de fundamento” y eran inadmisibles.

En su denuncia escrita, Oshri se cubrió de gloria y le dedicó todo tipo de perlas a la galardonada periodista, incluyendo calificativos como “Mis Vergas” y “Señorita Vergas”. También la acusó de ser una “mujer muy peligrosa”, “desesperada” y una “reportera corrupta” sin ninguna prueba, e incluso identificó a Vargas como un miembro de la inexistente raza “española”. Pero las acusaciones de Oshri también incluyeron otras declaraciones incomprensibles y memorables como:

“(Vargas) está cavando en lugares que no están aquí ¡¡ no es AUTÉNTICA, NO ES EL FBI NI LA CIA, que puede perseguirme así por todas mis cuentas en las redes sociales, perseguir mis artículos en las redes sociales, y contactar con todos los implicados ¡¡¡”

“Mis Vergas es tan peligrosa, que está hablando de la situación públicamente en aquí su FB, diciendo que ella es un SLAPP y que la ley la protege, Mis Vargas no es el FBI y no es la CIA, sus historias sobre mí son mentira, y no tiene motivo para contactar con nadie en mi red”.

“Aitaina Vergas es una periodista corrupta, no es auténtica, HAY QUE PARARLA YA!!!”

“Un vistazo rápido a su post reciente en su página de Facebook es una evasión para aquí proceso de pensamiento y aquí urgencia”.

“Mi abogado le envió una sesión de espiritismo y desistir, y ella siguió”.

“¡Deja de escribir sobre mí y contactar con mi red! ¡Suspensión de su licencia de periodista para que no pueda hacerle esto a nadie más!”

Hadari Oshri pidió medidas cautelares contra la periodista porque ésta se negó a retirar su serie de investigación

Court documents show that Hadari Oshri instructed her attorney, John Tamborelli, to silence news reporter Aitana Vargas.

Documentos judiciales –entre otros– demuestran que, desde febrero de 2021, la periodista ha estado sometida a constantes presiones legales dirigidas a impedir la publicación de su serie de investigación, cuya primera entrega se difundió el 30 de mayo de 2021.

Vargas estaba a punto de publicar la segunda parte de su serie de investigación –en la que lleva meses trabajando y que implica a Oshri en un entramado dedicado a la venta de equipamiento de protección médico (PPE en inglés) junto a Marc Lubaszka– cuando Oshri emprendió acciones legales contra la periodista a finales de junio de 2021.

El exabogado de Hadari Oshri, John Tamborelli, presionó a la periodista para que cesara cualquier cobertura mediática

Antes de que Oshri solicitara medidas cautelares ante un juzgado de Los Ángeles, Vargas ya había reiterado en las redes sociales que no renunciaría a su investigación como resultado de la presión que Oshri y su anterior abogado, John Tamborelli, estaban ejerciendo sobre ella.

La periodista se negó a acatar las exigencias legales de Tamborelli, las cuales éste también incorporó en un acuerdo extrajudicial que mencionaba a Vargas y del que ésta ni formaba parte ni había firmado. En dicho acuerdo, el abogado de Oshri exigía a una de las fuentes de la periodista que ésta retirara cualquier artículo que mencionara al letrado (Tamborelli), a Oshri o a Lubaszka.

Hadari Oshri’s former attorney, John Tamborelli, tried to silence reporter Aitana Vargas’s media coverage and online complaints about the legal pressure she was enduring.

A finales de junio de 2021, el Sindicato Nacional de Escritores (NWU en inglés) le envió una carta a Tamborelli exigiéndole que cesara todo intento de intimidación hacia la corresponsal.

“El NWU se toma cualquier intento por silenciar o amenazar a un periodista, especialmente a una mujer, de forma muy seria”, decía la carta. “También nos gustaría recalcar que, aunque cualquier fuente confidencial pueda retractarse en cualquier momento, incluso bajo coacción, ésta no tiene un derecho legal para exigir la retirada de un artículo. Te pedimos que ceses cualquier acto de intimidación contra nuestro miembro”.

Hadari Oshri cuenta con varias querellas legales

La empresaria israelí se ha enfrentado a varios procesos legales en el pasado, y algunos exsocios o antiguos trabajadores que han obtenido sentencias contra ella aún están tratando de recaudar sus respectivas indemnizaciones.

En 2020, Oshri y Tamborelli se enfrentaron a una querella vinculada a un accidente de tráfico ocurrido en Los Ángeles. En la audiencia contra Vargas, los abogados de Oshri negaron la existencia de dicha querella a pesar de estar judicialmente documentada.

En la actualidad, Oshri es la directora ejecutiva de Trade Safe Pro y de A1A Management. Al frente de esta última compañía también está el exmodelo Patrick Seller. Hasta 2019, Oshri fue la directora ejecutiva de Xehar, Inc., una compañía de modelos de talla grande (o “hadas de la moda”) que naufragó y se fue a pique en 2018.

Screenshot of a promotional video of Xehar University, one of Hadari Oshri’s many defunct business projects.

Al inicio de la pandemia, Oshri se asoció con Marc Lubaszka, un empresario que está acusado de estafar dos millones de dólares a decenas de personas que invirtieron en sus planes de pensión y que ha sido investigado por el FBI. Lubaszka es el presidente de la compañía de jets privados Fly Private X, cuya página web se encuentra “en construcción” desde que Vargas publicó la primera entrega de su serie de investigación. En los últimos meses, Lubaszka ha reanudado la venta de oro a través de Buy Gold Brightly.

La corresponsal española está representada por Michael Creamer, con oficinas en el condado de Orange.

Desde julio de 2021, Oshri está representada por Veronica Barton y Paul Adkins, con oficinas en los condados de Los Ángeles y Orange.

**Esta historia se va actualizando conforme se recibe información adicional. Last update: March 20, 2022.

***Investor News provides on demand Spanish-language content to readers. Please contact the newsroom if you’d like to read specific stories in Spanish, and we’ll do our best to accomodate your needs promptly.

Have you been SLAPPED? Contact the newsroom at info@investornews.io and share your story with us.

Send your news tips to: aitana_investigations@protonmail.com. All emails are checked for legitimacy, malware and malicious scripts and reported to law enforcement if necessary.

RELATED COVERAGE

Read Aitana Vargas’s exposé on Hadari Oshri nominated for journalism award.

Read 2019 court case against Hadari Oshri exposes her dodgy, aggressive legal maneuvers.

Read Hadari Oshri sued for copyright infringement in 2017.

Read Hadari Oshri’s losses mount up as she fails again to silence her victims.

Read The Legal Bullies Club – The SLAPPers: Featuring Hadari Oshri.

Read Hadari Oshri loses anti-SLAPP court battle against journalist Aitana Vargas.

Read Hadari Oshri deactivates LinkedIn account following PPE exposé.

Read “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar Crime (Part I): Marc Lubaszka, the ultimate white-collar conman on the run: From a Hollywood Hills mansion to Venezuela’s illegal gold mines and back.”

Read “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar Crime (Part II): Marc Lubaszka’s nonexistent private jets failed to deliver PPE amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Read “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar Crime (Part III): Pursuing flash money, rapper Dylan Raw partners with conman Marc Lubaszka and becomes his patsy.”

Read “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar Crime (Part IV): Hadari Oshri allegedly linked to attempted $370M nonexistent PPE COVID-19 scheme.”

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SCWorx Corp. and former CEO misled investors about COVID-19 test kits

Administrator — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 11:46:28 +0000

Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged New York-based SCWorx Corp. and its former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Marc S. Schessel, with making false and misleading statements about SCWorx’s plans to distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits in April 2020. SCWorx has agreed to settle the SEC’s charges and will pay a $125,000 civil penalty.

The SEC’s complaint alleges that, with SCWorx struggling financially, Schessel and SCWorx issued a press release on April 13, 2020, falsely stating that SCWorx had a “committed purchase order” from a purported buyer to purchase two million COVID-19 rapid test kits. The press release further stated that the purchase order included a “provision for additional weekly orders of 2 million units for 23 weeks, valued at $35M [million] per week.” Following the issuance of the press release, SCWorx’s stock price surged 425% from the prior trading day on volume of 96.2 million shares, which was more than 900 times the prior three-month average daily volume.

The SEC alleges that Schessel and SCWorx issued this press release despite having neither a legitimate supplier of COVID-19 test kits nor an executed purchase agreement with a buyer. The complaint further alleges that Schessel and SCWorx publicly repeated the false and misleading statements about the distribution of COVID-19 rapid test kits over the course of April 2020.

At the time, the SEC ordered that trading be suspended temporarily in the securities of SCWorx between April 21, 2020, and May 5, 2020, because of questions and concerns regarding the adequacy and accuracy of publicly available information in the marketplace concerning SCWorx.

“We allege that the defendants engaged in an age-old fraud—lying about their business prospects—to capitalize opportunistically on the COVID pandemic,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. “As the challenges from the pandemic continue, investors should be vigilant about COVID-related claims. The SEC will continue to root out fraud and prosecute those who attempt to use the surge of uncertainty from the pandemic to defraud the investing public.”

“As alleged in our complaint, Schessel and SCWorx repeatedly made false representations to the investing public about the distribution of COVID-19 rapid test kits at a time when the need for truthful disclosures was especially critical,” said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “Today’s filing is a testament to the resilience and dedication of the SEC staff who during the height of the pandemic uncovered the alleged fraud and expeditiously suspended trading in the securities of SCWorx soon after the first alleged misstatement.”

The SEC’s complaint, filed in federal district court in New Jersey, charges Schessel and SCWorx with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. The SEC’s complaint seeks from both defendants permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, and civil penalties. The complaint also seeks an officer and director bar against Schessel. Without admitting or denying the allegations, SCWorx has agreed to a settlement, subject to court approval, that includes permanent injunctions, the payment of a $125,000 penalty, and disgorgement of $471,000 with prejudgment interest of $32,761.56. SCWorx is expected to satisfy its obligation to pay the disgorgement and prejudgment interest by contributing stock, valued at $600,000 at the time of issuance, to harmed investors in a private class action settlement in Yannes v. SCWorx Corp., et al., 1:20-cv-03349 (S.D.N.Y.).

In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division today announced criminal charges against Schessel.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Michael Brennan, with assistance from Robert Nesbitt, Howard Kaplan, Sachin Verma, and Peter Rosario, and supervised by Kevin Guerrero and Jennifer S. Leete. The litigation will be led by James Connor under the supervision of Olivia Choe. The SEC appreciates the assistance of Nasdaq’s Enforcement Department.

The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy issued an alert urging investors to look out for false and misleading claims about purported COVID-19 related products.

To learn more about how the SEC can help you avoid scams, please visit: https://www.sec.gov/Protecting-You.

Press release distributed by the SEC.

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SEC Proposes Rule Changes to Prevent Misleading or Deceptive Fund Names

Administrator — Thu, 26 May 2022 19:51:24 +0000

Washington D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission this week proposed amendments to enhance and modernize the Investment Company Act “Names Rule” to address changes in the fund industry and compliance practices that have developed in the approximately 20 years since the rule was adopted. A fund’s name is an important marketing tool and can have a significant impact on investors’ decisions when selecting investments, and the Names Rule addresses fund names that are likely to mislead investors about a fund’s investments and risks. The proposal follows a request for comment the SEC issued to gather public feedback on potential reforms to the rule in March 2020.

“A lot has happened in our capital markets in the past two decades. As the fund industry has developed, gaps in the current Names Rule may undermine investor protection,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. “In particular, some funds have claimed that the rule does not apply to them — even though their name suggests that investments are selected based on specific criteria or characteristics. Today’s proposal would modernize the Names Rule for today’s markets.”

The Names Rule currently requires registered investment companies whose names suggest a focus in a particular type of investment (among other areas) to adopt a policy to invest at least 80 percent of the value of their assets in those investments (an “80 percent investment policy”). The proposed amendments would enhance the rule’s protections by requiring more funds to adopt an 80 percent investment policy. Specifically, the proposed amendments would extend the requirement to any fund name with terms suggesting that the fund focuses in investments that have (or whose issuers have) particular characteristics. This would include fund names with terms such as “growth” or “value” or terms indicating that the fund’s investment decisions incorporate one or more environmental, social, or governance factors. The amendments also would limit temporary departures from the 80 percent investment requirement and clarify the rule’s treatment of derivative investments.

The proposing release will be published in the Federal Register. The comment period will remain open for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

Press release distributed by the SEC.

Featured image: by ccPixs.com is marked with CC BY 2.0.

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Aitana Vargas’s exposé on Hadari Oshri nominated for journalism award

Administrator — Mon, 23 May 2022 23:29:10 +0000

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: On June 22, 2021, Hadari Oshri –Marc Lubaszka’s business partner– filed a civil harassment restraining order (CHRO) against Investor News reporter Aitana Vargas to stop the publication of her investigative series “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar crime,” and any subsequent installments or future media coverage. On August 3, 2021, Vargas filed an anti-SLAPP motion to strike Oshri’s CHRO petition. In a hearing held on September 13, 2021, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Doreen Boxer granted Vargas’s anti-SLAPP motion and denied Oshri’s civil harassment petitionfor failure to sustain the applicable burden of proof. Oshri will now have to pay Vargas’s attorney’s fees for filing a frivolous case. The Israeli entrepreneur also declined to go on a recorded interview or provide statements via email.

Oshri tried to stop the release of Vargas’s series exposing her alleged participation in a $370M PPE scheme

In June 2021, Investor News reporter Aitana Vargas was served with court papers to stop the release of her months-long investigative series exposing entrepreneur Hadari Oshri’s participation in an alleged multimillion-dollar PPE scam with conman Marc Lubaszka.

In September 2021, Oshri’s meritless legal effort to silence Vargas’s investigative series was thrown out by a Los Angeles judge, and Oshri will have to pay the journalist’s legal fees as ordered by California’s powerful anti-SLAPP statute, which protects First Amendment rights.

But things weren’t quite over for the American-Israeli businesswoman: The following months saw the release of Vargas’s work (more to come). And this week, the reporter’s in-depth series exposing Oshri’s and Marc Lubaszka’s alleged COVID-19 scams has been nominated for an LA Press Club award.

“This nomination is a step in the right direction, but it falls way short of expectations for Oshri’s and Lubaszka’s victims, who are still demanding accountability. They want law enforcement to resolve their years-long grievances,” the journalist said.

“Leslie Lawson, one of Lubaszka’s victims, just told me that all she wants is for her $215,000 IRA to be returned. This is a good time for law enforcement to reach out again to their many victims across the US.”

Hadari Oshri’s frivolous case delayed the release of Vargas’s exposé

Vargas’s multi-part investigative series, “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar Crime,” was first released in May 2021. But Oshri’s frivolous case against the reporter delayed the release of the next installments several months.

In Oshri’s non-sense petition against the award-winning correspondent, the Israeli accused the reporter of being a “desperate,” “very dangerous woman” and “a corrupted reporter” without any proof. Oshri also referred to the journalist as “Miss Dicks” (Miss Vergas) and “My Dicks” (Mis Vergas) and fabricated a baseless theory that didn’t fly with the court.

“Oshri’s and her attorneys’ arguments sounded like a low-budget Hallmark movie script,” the reporter said. “Their arguments were simply pathetic. This is not about assigning symbolism to specific calendar dates. This is about widespread accusations of fraud, and there’s evidence of alleged fraud all over the place.”

Vargas, who is represented by the law offices of Michael Creamer in her anti-SLAPP case against Oshri, is still waiting for the judge to enter a $23,000 legal fees judgment against the entrepreneur for filing a meritless case.

Vargas was pressured by Hadari Oshri’s attorney, John Tamborelli, into quitting her investigative series

According to court documents, during 2021, the Spaniard was pressured multiple times into quitting her investigative work. Investor News had access to a cease-and-desist email that Oshri’s former attorney, John Tamborelli, sent her in February 2021 demanding that she stop reaching out and talking to sources. The email also threatened legal action against the reporter and one of her sources did they fail to comply.

Tamborelli was following orders from Oshri, whose email featured some memorable statements to the reporter and her source:

“You (Aitana) are putting your hands in places that is not belong to you !!!!!

You (Aitana) GOT to stop !!!!!

Also you you cucumber !!”

In a second email that Oshri sent to Vargas and her source the same day, the entrepreneur stated:

“This is officially !!! Attaching my new business as an opportunity what the fuck you contacting this guy Robert 80 years old Man that is doing my taxes !!!

You are crossing all the lines

Where should I serve your lawsuit Ariana

And Qucomber !!”

The journalist didn’t reply to any emails that Oshri and Tamborelli sent that day.

Exclusive documents obtained by this outlet also show that in June 2021, Tamborelli wanted one of Vargas’s sources (Fergal Furlong) to instruct her to remove all the information related to Oshri or Tamborelli and any articles mentioning Tamborelli, Oshri and Lubaszka, including the first part of Vargas’s exposé, which gave a voice to the victims of one of Lubaszka’s prior gold schemes for which he was never prosecuted by law enforcement nearly a decade ago.

The reporter took to social media to announce that she was not a party to the settlement agreement and would not be taking down any content. About two weeks later, Oshri filed against Vargas.

Hadari Oshri’s former attorney, John Tamborelli, tried to silence reporter Aitana Vargas’s media coverage and online complaints about the legal pressure she was enduring.

In response to Tamborelli’s cease-and-desist email and continued demands, the National Writers Union (NWU) sent him a letter demanding that he stop all intimidation attempts towards the female reporter.

“Hadari Oshri cornered me in every single possible way she knew how. Yet she failed,” Vargas said. “Fear tactics only work for so long, don’t they?”

Read the NWU letter here.

Read the notice of ruling on the anti-SLAPP motion here.

**This story is being updated as more information becomes available.

Read here Part I, Part II, Part III and Part IV of “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar Crime.”

Send your news tips to: aitana_investigations@protonmail.com. All emails are checked for legitimacy, malware and malicious scripts and reported to law enforcement if necessary.

Have you been SLAPPED? Contact the newsroom at info@investornews.io and share your story with us.

RELATED COVERAGE

Read “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar Crime (Part I): Marc Lubaszka, the ultimate white-collar conman on the run: From a Hollywood Hills mansion to Venezuela’s illegal gold mines and back.”

Read “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar Crime (Part II): Marc Lubaszka’s nonexistent private jets failed to deliver PPE amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Read “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar Crime (Part III): Pursuing flash money, rapper Dylan Raw partners with conman Marc Lubaszka and becomes his patsy.”

Read “A Special Report: The Harrowing Impunity of White-Collar Crime (Part IV): Hadari Oshri allegedly linked to attempted $370M nonexistent PPE COVID-19 scheme.”

Read 2019 court case against Hadari Oshri exposes her dodgy, aggressive legal maneuvers.

Read Hadari Oshri’s losses mount up as she fails again to silence her victims.

Read Hadari Oshri loses anti-SLAPP court battle against journalist Aitana Vargas.

Read The Legal Bullies Club – The SLAPPers: Featuring Hadari Oshri.

Read La reportera Aitana Vargas pide 23.000 dólares en honorarios tras pulverizar la querella mordaza de Hadari Oshri.

Read Hadari Oshri deactivates LinkedIn account following PPE exposé.

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US Leads Seizure of One of the World’s Largest Hacker Forums and Arrests Administrator

Administrator — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 15:57:40 +0000

The Department of Justice today announced the seizure of the RaidForums website, a popular marketplace for cybercriminals to buy and sell hacked data, and unsealed criminal charges against RaidForums’ founder and chief administrator, Diogo Santos Coelho, 21, of Portugal. Coelho was arrested in the United Kingdom on Jan. 31, at the United States’ request and remains in custody pending the resolution of his extradition proceedings.

Court records unsealed today indicate that the United States recently obtained judicial authorization to seize three domains that long hosted the RaidForums website. These domains were “raidforums.com,” “Rf.ws,” and “Raid.lol.” According to the affidavit filed in support of these seizures, from in or around 2016 through February 2022, RaidForums served as a major online marketplace for individuals to buy and sell hacked or stolen databases containing the sensitive personal and financial information of victims in the United States and elsewhere, including stolen bank routing and account numbers, credit card information, login credentials and social security numbers.

“The takedown of this online market for the resale of hacked or stolen data disrupts one of the major ways cybercriminals profit from the large-scale theft of sensitive personal and financial information,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This is another example of how working with our international law enforcement partners has resulted in the shutdown of a criminal marketplace and the arrest of its administrator.”

“Our interagency efforts to dismantle this sophisticated online platform – which facilitated a wide range of criminal activity – should come as a relief to the millions victimized by it, and as a warning to those cybercriminals who participated in these types of nefarious activities,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Online anonymity was not able to protect the defendant in this case from prosecution, and it will not protect other online criminals either.”

“The seizure of the RaidForums website – which facilitated the sale of stolen data from millions of people throughout the world – and the charges against the marketplace’s administrator are a testament to the strength of the FBI’s international partnerships,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office said. “Cybercrime transcends borders, which is why the FBI is committed to working with our partners to bring cybercriminals to justice – no matter where in the world they live or behind what device they try to hide.”

“This global investigation signifies the remarkable dedication of the U.S. Secret Service and highlights our partnerships with our foreign law enforcement counterparts essential to disrupting sophisticated networks of cyber criminals,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason D. Kane of the U.S. Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This case exemplifies teamwork at all levels of law enforcement to stop these cyber criminals from defrauding citizens of the United States and in our partner countries.”

Prior to its seizure, RaidForums members used the platform to offer for sale hundreds of databases of stolen data containing more than 10 billion unique records for individuals residing in the United States and internationally. At the time of its founding in 2015, RaidForums also operated as an online venue for organizing and supporting forms of electronic harassment, including by “raiding” – posting or sending an overwhelming volume of contact to a victim’s online communications medium – or “swatting” – the practice of making false reports to public safety agencies of situations that would necessitate a significant, and immediate armed law enforcement response.

The seizure of these domains by the government will prevent RaidForums members from using the platform to traffic in data stolen from corporations, universities and governmental entities in the United States and elsewhere, including databases containing the sensitive, private data of millions of individuals around the world.

In addition, a six-count indictment against Coelho was unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia charging him with conspiracy, access device fraud and aggravated identify theft in connection with his role as the chief administrator of RaidForums. According to the indictment, between Jan. 1, 2015, and on or about Jan. 31, 2022, Coelho allegedly controlled and served as the chief administrator of RaidForums, which he operated with the help of other website administrators. As administrators, Coelho and his co-conspirators are alleged to have designed and administered the platform’s software and computer infrastructure, established and enforced rules for its users, and created and managed sections of the website dedicated to promoting the buying and selling of contraband, including a subforum titled “Leaks Market” that described itself as “[a] place to buy/sell/trade databases and leaks.”

To profit from the illicit activity on the platform, RaidForums charged escalating prices for membership tiers that offered greater access and features, including a top-tier “God” membership status. RaidForums also sold “credits” that provided members access to privileged areas of the website and enabled members to “unlock,” and download stolen financial information, means of identification, and data from compromised databases, among other items. Members could also earn credits through other means, such as by posting instructions on how to commit certain illegal acts.

According to the indictment, Coelho also personally sold stolen data on the platform, and directly facilitated illicit transactions by operating a fee-based “Official Middleman” service. For the Official Middleman service, Coelho allegedly acted as a trusted intermediary between RaidForums members seeking to buy and sell contraband on the platform, including hacked data. Notably, to create confidence amongst transacting parties, the Official Middleman service enabled purchasers and sellers to verify the means of payment and contraband files being sold prior to executing the transaction.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Special Agent in Charge Jason D. Kane of the U.S. Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Assistant Director Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.

Senior Trial Attorney Aarash Haghighat of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina A. Cuellar for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case against Coelho. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance throughout the criminal investigation.

The law enforcement actions against RaidForums and Coelho are the result of an ongoing criminal investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Secret Service. The department also thanks the support provided by Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (Europol), National Crime Agency (UK), Swedish Police Authority (Sweden), Romanian National Police (Romania), Judicial Police (Portugal), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Federal Criminal Police Office (Germany) and other law enforcement partners.

Anyone that has any information regarding Coelho or RaidForums should file a complaint at ic3.gov with #RaidForums in the description.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Press release distributed by DOJ.

Featured image: by Ecole polytechnique / Paris / France is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.

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Former DHS Employee Convicted of Scheme to Defraud the US

Administrator — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 23:48:17 +0000

Charges Involved Theft of Proprietary Software and Sensitive Databases from U.S. Government

A former Acting Branch Chief of the Information Technology Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS-OIG) was convicted today by a jury of multiple federal charges stemming from the theft of proprietary software and sensitive databases from the U.S. government.

Murali Y. Venkata, 56, of Aldie, Virginia, was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, theft of government property, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and obstruction. Venkata, along with co-conspirators Charles K. Edwards, who previously served as the Acting Inspector General of DHS-OIG, and Sonal Patel, another official at DHS-OIG, executed a scheme to steal confidential and proprietary software from the government along with the personally identifying information (PII) of hundreds of thousands of federal employees. Venkata worked for DHS-OIG from June 2010 until he was placed on administrative leave in October 2017 following the charges in this case, including serving for a period as an Acting Branch Chief in the Information Technology Division. Before he joined DHS-OIG, Venkata worked at the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). At both agencies, Venkata had access to software systems, including one used for case management and other systems holding PII of federal employees.

Edwards pleaded guilty in January 2022 and Patel pleaded guilty in April 2019 to stealing property from the U.S. government for the purpose of developing a commercial version of a case management system to be offered for sale to government agencies. Venkata was convicted for his role in the conspiracy, which included exfiltrating proprietary source code and sensitive databases from DHS-OIG facilities, as well as assisting Edwards in setting up three computer servers in Edwards’s residence so that software developers in India could access the servers remotely and develop the commercial version of the case management system.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari of DHS-OIG, and Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb of USPS-OIG made the announcement.

Senior Litigation Counsel Victor R. Salgado and Trial Attorney Celia Choy of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine M. Macey, of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Kent, also of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section for the District of Columbia, provided significant assistance in the investigation of this matter.

Press release distributed by the DOJ.

Featured image: by Ecole polytechnique / Paris / France is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.

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