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‘Reverend CEO’ Crypto Scheme Promoters To Pay Nearly $6M — Including Two LI Men, AG Says
A group of crypto scammers, including two from Long Island, who boosted a self-proclaimed “Reverend CEO” will cough up nearly $6 million as part of a settlement with state authorities, officials said.
Frantz Ciceron, of Farmingdale, owes $2.05 million and James Corbett, of Mastic Beach, owes $750,000, the New York Attorney General’s office announced Thursday, Oct. 22.
Ciceron and Corbett were part of the NovaTech FX scheme, which preyed on Haitian communities and religious groups in New York City and across the country, according to investigators.
NovaTech founders Eddy and Cynthia Petion …
LI Driver Who Recorded Himself Doing 121 MPH Moments Before Deadly Crash Gets Prison: DA
A Long Island man who recorded himself driving recklessly at 121 mph before causing a deadly crash was sentenced to prison Friday, Oct. 23, authorities said.
Felix Pantaleon, 24, of Lindenhurst, was sentenced to four to 12 years behind bars for the Southern State Parkway crash that killed Reynaldo Collado, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said. His sentence was in line with a plea deal he took Friday, Sept. 4.
Pantaleon was driving a 2014 Honda Civic westbound on the highway in North Babylon on Sept. 22, 2024, around 10:30 p.m., prosecutors said.
He cut off vehicles and weaved…
LI Predator Sexually Abused 6-Year-Old, 14-Year-Old Victims: Police
A Long Island man suspected of sexually abusing two children, including a 6-year-old, was arrested Thursday, Oct. 22, police said.
Jose L. Mejia Albarracin, 58, of East Hampton, continued his abuse of his younger victim for more than 18 months, the East Hampton Town Police Department said.
Mejia Albarracin targeted one victim, who was 14 years old, beginning in February 2016 and continuing through April 2016, investigators said.
He started abusing the second victim in February 2018, when they were only 6 years old, and continued the abuse until September 2019, according to authorities.
Th…
NY Man Attacks, Restrains Woman In Car Until Westport Crash Lets Her Escape: Police
A woman escaped a car crash near Interstate 95 in Westport after her former partner struck her and kept her from leaving his car, police said.
Vanderval Ferreira, 28, of Port Chester, New York, faces kidnapping and attempted assault charges stemming from the Thursday incident, according to Westport police.
The woman agreed to meet Ferreira and got into his BMW, police said. He had called and texted her repeatedly after their relationship ended, including sending threats to kill her, authorities said.
Ferreira drove “extremely erratically” through Westport, police said. When the woman tried…
Nassau County Synagogue Targeted By Would-Be Arsonist, Cops Say
A would-be arsonist tried to start a fire inside a Long Island synagogue, but his efforts failed and he ended up burning a bush, police said.
Azzm Khan, 29, of Lakeview, was arrested following the incident outside Young Israel of West Hempstead late Wednesday night, Oct. 21, the Nassau County Police Department said.
Cops initially responded to a criminal mischief complaint around 11:30 p.m. on Hempstead Avenue, where a Nassau County Police Department auxiliary vehicle’s side mirror had been damaged, police said.
While officers searched for the suspect, another man stopped them and reported…
Drug Dealer Caught Slinging Coke From LI Auto Shop Found Guilty, Authorities Say
A Long Island drug dealer who was selling cocaine from his auto repair shop was convicted Thursday, Oct. 22, authorities said.
Uriel Rose, 43, of Bay Shore, had an extensive criminal history even before he was found guilty on more than a dozen charges at his bench trial, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Cops began investigating Rose’s Deer Park auto shop, Beema Boyz, in June 2024, and an undercover detective bought cocaine from Rose seven times during the 10-month probe, authorities said.
The investigation culminated in a raid on April 10, 2025, officials said. Rose was …
Virginia Dem, 82, Charged In $4.5M Marijuana Empire With Family
An 82-year-old Virginia senator allegedly saw one last opportunity to build generational wealth, and federal prosecutors say she was willing to use her political power to get it, even as she helped run a $4.5 million marijuana trafficking operation involving her own family.
L. Louise Lucas, a powerful Portsmouth Democrat who chairs the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, was among seven people named in an eight-count federal indictment unsealed on Thursday, Oct. 22, accusing her of leading a criminal enterprise that distributed marijuana, laundered money, and used political influenc…
Cops ID Retired Nypd Detective Now Charged With Manslaughter In GWB Fatal Shooting
UPDATE: A retired NYPD detective was charged with manslaughter after appearing in court for the fatal shooting of a Hudson Valley, NY father of two on the George Washington Bridge, authorities said.
Victor Romero, 62, of Haverstraw, NY, was arrested on Wednesday, Oct. 21, in connection with the shooting death of fellow Rockland County resident Koran Irvine, 46, of Valley Cottage, ABC7 reported.
Romero, a retired NYPD narcotics detective, voluntarily reported to the department's 33rd Precinct in Manhattan for questioning Wednesday morning after investigators identified him as a p…
Ex-Home Of Long Island Serial Killer Who Slaughtered 17 Sold For Double 2011 Price
The former home of notorious Long Island serial killer Joel Rifkin has sold after several months on the market.
Buyers closed for $670,000 on Rifkin’s former East Meadow residence on Wednesday, Oct. 21, Newsday reported.
The 1,675-foot home on Garden Street was built in 1951 and previously sold for $320,000 in 2011, according to Realtor.com. It was listed again in April for $850,000, but the price came down in the ensuing months.
Rifkin killed 17 women between 1989 and 1993, targeting his victims at random but selecting mostly sex workers, according to investigators. Several of the killing…
Here Comes The Bribe: Woman Sold Sham Marriages For Immigration Status, Feds Say
A Fall River woman made millions arranging fake marriages for immigrants seeking legal status, federal prosecutors allege.
Jennifer Gonzalez, 43, ran the operation for more than a decade, charging $38,000 to $40,000 per marriage, the US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts announced Wednesday. Investigators say she earned more than $100,000 a year during the 10-year scheme.
Five other people were also arrested and charged with taking part in the scam marriage scheme.
Erica Daniels, 29, of Fall River;
Chreise Alejandro, 39, of Fall River;
Amara Pugh, 31, of Fall River;
Je…
Killer Sought To Avenge Girlfriend’s Dad In Nassau Motel Murder, Gets Decades In Prison: DA
A gunman who shot and killed a man while seeking revenge for his girlfriend’s father was sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Sgroilin Santana, 23, of Tamaqua, PA, got 23 years to life for gunning down Jorge Vazquez outside a Long Island motel, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office said.
The trouble began on April 2, 2025, when the 35-year-old Vazquez, of Tampa, FL, got into an altercation with Alexander Garcia at a construction site in Nassau County, NY, they were both working on, according to investigators. Garcia, 40, was the father of Santana's girlfriend, authorities said.
Santana the…
Ford Mustang Passenger, 60, Killed In Nassau County Car Crash, Cops Say
A 60-year-old passenger was killed in a two-car crash Tuesday evening, Oct. 20 at a Long Island intersection, police said.
The deceased victim was riding as a passenger in a 2007 Ford Mustang traveling westbound on Windsor Parkway in Hempstead, the Nassau County Police Department said.
As the Mustang was crossing Long Beach Road around 5:30 pm. Tuesday, it was struck by a 2026 Jeep Wrangler, police said. The Wrangler was traveling southbound, according to investigators.
The Jeep driver, a 39-year-old woman, and the Mustang driver, a 34-year-old woman, both suffered minor injuries in the cr…
Long Island Police Department Mourns Second Officer In One Week
A second Suffolk County police officer has died suddenly in a week, devastating family and friends and leading to an outpouring of support.
Christopher J. Durham, 32, died Monday, Oct. 19, according to an obituary from Massapequa Funeral Home.
"Chris was a dedicated police officer, a beloved son, fiancé, family member, and friend," organizer Carolyn Infantas wrote in a GoFundMe for Durham's family. "He was deeply loved by so many, and his unexpected passing has left his family, friends, and everyone fortunate enough to know him devastated."
Before joining the Suffolk County Police Departme…
Queens Woman Cashed Fake $30K Check In Nassau County, Police Say
A Queens woman deposited a counterfeit $30,000 cashier’s check at a Long Island credit union and withdrew all the money, police said following her arrest on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Nathalie A. Desouza, 30, of Queens Village, deposited the fake Citizens Bank cashier’s check into her personal account at Navy Federal Credit Union, located at 300 Steamboat Road in Kings Point, according to Nassau County police.
She withdrew the entire $30,000 between Tuesday, Sept. 5, and Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, detectives said.
An extensive investigation led detectives to Desouza in New York City, where she was ar…
