More criminal defendants likely in Florida’s largest-ever fraud case

  • On May 27, 2011
Four new defendants were added today, and more are expected, in the federal investigation against participants in the alleged Rothstein Ponzi scheme, the largest fraud case in Florida’s history. The complex fraud scheme allegedly involved a prominent Fort Lauderdale attorney, an unknown number of employees at his law firm, and several business associates. The group […]
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Gwinnett County Drug and DUI Court celebrates ‘National Drug Court Month’

  • On May 25, 2011
May is National Drug Court Month, an event sponsored by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), and the Gwinnett County Drug and DUI Court Program celebrated on Friday, May 20, with a graduation ceremony and an address by U.S. Representative Rob Woodall of Georgia’s 7th Congressional District. First developed over 20 years ago, […]
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ICE agents arrest 18 for drug trafficking in the stimulant khat

  • On May 20, 2011
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 18 people of Somali and Yemeni descent, accusing them of drug trafficking and conspiracy to distribute of khat, a natural, plant-based stimulant. Khat, also known as “Miraa” and “Sallaa,” is consumed by chewing the leaves of a flowering plant known as Catha edulis. While it is […]
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Industry group NICB reports rise in suspected insurance fraud in first quarter

  • On May 18, 2011
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), an insurance industry group, collects nationwide data about questionable insurance claims from its member insurance companies in an effort to estimate the rate and types of insurance fraud occurring in the U.S. In its latest analysis released today, the NICB estimates that property, casualty, commercial, workers’ comp and miscellaneous […]
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Federal appeals court overturns death penalty for DeKalb County man

  • On May 13, 2011
In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta has thrown out the death sentence imposed on a man convicted of the 1987 murders of his grandmother and a cousin. The court found that his criminal defense attorneys had performed such a poor investigation that they failed to […]
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Man lost job over false marijuana growing allegation; never charged

  • On May 10, 2011
A DeKalb County man will not face any criminal charges after being publicly accused by DeKalb County police of operating a marijuana grow house. The allegations were made after his home was destroyed in a fire on April 2. Firefighters discovered unspecified plants, grow lights and other equipment in his basement and leapt to the […]
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Feds seek $1 billion from Deutsche Bank for mortgage and bank fraud

  • On May 6, 2011
The federal government has brought a civil action against mortgage giant Deutsche Bank and its subsidiary MortgageIT, alleging that the companies bilked the Federal Housing Administration out of $386 million in FHA mortgage insurance claims. Regulators allege that the companies committed mortgage and bank fraud by issuing nearly $5 billion in mortgages they knew the […]
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With the Web, an acquittal doesn’t mean criminal charges are over

  • On May 3, 2011
Criminal charges have always been part of the public record, but it used to be that finding out whether someone had ever been arrested or charged with a crime was difficult. If the charges were dropped or the person was acquitted at trial, the personal scandal would eventually blow over. In today’s world, however, public […]
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