‘Don’t Tell Lawyer’: Delco Immigration Officer Took Cash In Recorded Bribery Scheme, Feds Say
A former federal immigration officer admitted to taking bribes from immigrants in exchange for promises to fix their status, the FBI announced on Thursday, April 2.
Amara Dukuly, 44, of Woodlyn, Delware County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the bribery of a public official, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said on Wednesday, March 25.
Dukuly, who worked as a fraud detection and national security officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, used his position from approximately 2015 through his arrest in June 2025 to solicit payments from individuals seeking help w…
Retired Navy Admiral Headed To Prison After Swapping Contracts For Cushy Job: Feds
A retired US Navy admiral who once commanded operations across Europe, Russia, and Africa is heading to prison in connection with a federal bribery case.
Admiral Robert Burke, 62, of Coconut Creek, FL, was convicted on Monday, May 19, in Washington, DC, after a five-day trial, the US Attorney’s Office said.
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced that Burke has been sentenced to 72 months in prison for accepting future employment at a government vendor in exchange for awarding that company a government contract.
"Integrity — not cash — is the currency of public servi…
Social Services Clerk From Mount Vernon Extorted Daycare Providers For Cash, DA Says
A Westchester County Department of Social Services employee is facing charges for allegedly demanding cash bribes from daycare providers in exchange for processing reimbursement checks meant to support families in need, prosecutors announced.
Cheryl Spencer, 61, of Mount Vernon, was arraigned Tuesday afternoon, August 5, in White Plains City Court on five counts each of third-degree bribe receiving, fourth-degree criminal solicitation, and official misconduct, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced.
According to the DA's Office, Spencer, a Senior Audit Clerk …
Two People Tried to Get Bribe From Union Township Business Owner: AG
Two people were charged on Thursday, June 5, with trying to get a bribe from a Union Township business owner, claiming a personal connection with an official in the township, authorities said.
Steven Carr, a 54-year-old Staten Island resident, and Whitney DaSilva, a 38-year-old Kearny resident face charges of bribery and conspiracy, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said. Carr also faces charges of theft by deception, Platkin said.
Between February and May 2024, the owner of a Union Township business was involved in administrative proceedings with the township related to his estab…
Retired Navy Admiral Convicted In $500K Federal Bribery Scheme, DOJ Says
A retired US Navy admiral who once commanded operations across Europe, Russia, and Africa is now facing prison time after being found guilty in a federal bribery case, officials announced.
Admiral Robert Burke, 62, of Coconut Creek, FL, was convicted on Monday, May 19, in Washington, DC, after a five-day trial, the US Attorney’s Office said.
Federal prosecutors say Burke abused his rank as a four-star admiral to steer a $355,000 Navy contract to a private company in exchange for a $500,000-a-year job with stock options after he retired.
Burke, who retired in 2022, was found guilty of consp…
CDL Bribery Scam: Ex-Mass Trooper Let Unfit Truckers Drive For Candy, Cash, And Favors
A former Massachusetts State Police sergeant was found guilty of running a years-long bribery and extortion scheme that let unqualified drivers skip commercial license tests and hit the road, putting everyone at risk, federal authorities announced.
Gary Cederquist, 59, of Stoughton, was convicted in federal court of nearly 50 charges, including conspiracy, mail fraud, falsifying records, and taking bribes, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He gave passing scores to applicants who failed — or never even took — the Commercial Driver’s License test, required for tractor-trailer truc…
Dog, Cash, Perks Traded For $52M In Amtrak Project, Philly Contractor Admits: DOJ
A contractor president conspired to bribe an Amtrak project manager in exchange for millions of dollars in additional work on Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, federal prosecutors announced on Wednesday, April 30.
Mark Snedden, 69, of Munster, Indiana, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Federal Program Bribery and Making and Presenting a False Claim before U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone, according to U.S. Attorney David Metcalf of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Snedden was the president and sole owner of a masonry restoration company that had been awarded a $58.4 million…
$5M Fraud: Great Neck Twin Financiers Threatened Witnesses, Fabricated Evidence, DOJ Says
Twin financiers Adam and Daniel Kaplan, already charged with defrauding elderly and disabled clients out of millions, are now accused of threatening witnesses and fabricating evidence.
The 35-year-old Kaplans, hailing from Long Island’s Great Neck, are named in a fresh superseding indictment that was filed in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, Feb. 20, charging them with an additional count of money laundering.
Adam Kaplan was additionally charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and obstruction of justice, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District.
The new charges pa…
Suffolk Co. Employee Took Bribes, Falsified License Applications, DA Says
A Suffolk County employee is facing felony charges after allegedly accepting bribes and falsifying government documents in exchange for cash, prosecutors said.
Brianna Hassett, 33, of Wading River, was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 13, and charged with multiple felonies, including bribe receiving and falsifying business records, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said.
Hassett, who worked as an office assistant in the licensing unit of the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs, is accused of accepting bribes to help falsify home improvement license ap…
Another Doc On Past Mount Vernon Resident Diddy Sets Premiere Date: Here's Where, When To Watch
A new docuseries exploring allegations against music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs is set to premiere this month, shedding light on decades of troubling claims surrounding the New York native.
Investigation Discovery (ID) announced that "The Fall of Diddy," a multi-part docuseries chronicling Combs' meteoric rise in music and entertainment and his allegations of sexual assault, violence, and other misconduct, will air on Monday, Jan. 27, and Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/PT.
Born in Harlem and raised in the Westchester County city of Mount Vernon, Combs, age 55, be…
Former Corrections Officer From Mount Vernon Took Bribes To Smuggle Drugs In Prison: Feds
A Mount Vernon resident and former corrections officer at Rikers Island has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes to smuggle drugs into the jail, federal authorities announced.
Ghislaine Barrientos, age 37, admitted to her role in a scheme to bring narcotics, including cocaine and synthetic cannabinoids, into Rikers Island in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribes, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
Barrientos, formerly employed by the New York City Department of Correction, conspired with others to smuggle cocaine, s…
New Doc On Past Mount Vernon Native Diddy Drops Trailer: 'I Didn't Want To Be Around Him'
An upcoming documentary on New York native Sean 'Diddy' Combs has just released a new trailer, and it already seems like the film will shed new light on the hip hop mogul's alleged dark side.
Peacock's "Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy," which will be released on Tuesday, Jan. 14, dropped its first trailer on Thursday, Jan. 2.
The film will offer a "raw, exclusive look" at the star, according to Peacock, and will also feature "never-before-seen footage and stories from those who know him best."
"Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy sheds light on his childhood, rise to fame, and …
Wyandanch Man Stabs 8 Partygoers After Sexual Advances Rejected, DA Says
A man is facing attempted murder charges following a stabbing spree at a Long Island home that injured eight people.
Moses Brooks, age 50, of Wyandanch, was indicted on nearly two dozen criminal counts in Nassau County Court on Friday, Nov. 22.
According to the charges, Brooks was attending a crowded basement house party on Linden Place in Hempstead in the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 6, when he exposed himself to a 26-year-old woman.
When she walked away, Brooks followed her and rubbed his penis against her arm, prosecutors said. The victim told her friends what happened and they removed …
