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Man charged after power line fire at pot growing operation

Man charged after power line fire at pot growing operation

Yahoo29-04-2025
DURYEA, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Drug charges were filed Monday against a Massachusetts man after a burning power line in Duryea led police to a marijuana grow operation back in August of 2024, according to court records.
Police say after investigating arching wires that caused a fire, along with a smell of natural gas, they discovered an alleged marijuana grow operation inside a home in the 200 block of Marcy Street.
The fire department, along with the police department, made forced entry into the home to ensure the safety of anyone potentially living in the residence after a smell of natural gas near the gas meter, according to the affidavit.
Lackawanna DA confirms 3 teens in custody after Olyphant shooting
Police say that when inside the home, they found over 600 marijuana plants growing.
Police, along with members of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, later returned with a search warrant and said they found 'what appeared to be an extensive marijuana grow operation'.
Police say they found heaters, fans, Co2 tanks, and air filtration systems. A PPL representative who responded to the scene said the amount of power being drawn by items in the home is what caused the line to catch fire, according to court records.
According to police, by using evidence found in the home, they identified Minchao Yu, 43, with a last known address of Allston, Massachusetts, as the homeowner and used Yu's bank records to trace various building materials of the grow operation to Yu.
Yu has not been arrested and is facing charges of manufacturing, possessing with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and risking a catastrophe.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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ICE Detains Restaurant Owner Mom for Over Two Months After 21 Years in US
ICE Detains Restaurant Owner Mom for Over Two Months After 21 Years in US

Newsweek

time7 days ago

  • Newsweek

ICE Detains Restaurant Owner Mom for Over Two Months After 21 Years in US

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Kelly Yu, the owner of Kawaii Sushi in Peoria, Arizona, had been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since May following a routine immigration check-in after entering the United States from China illegally decades ago. Newsweek reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security via email for comment. Why it Matters Yu's detention underscores how federal immigration enforcement could affect long-term residents and small-business owners who had built deep ties in their communities, including families with U.S. citizen children—as Yu has children who were born here. Her case has also galvanized lawmakers and advocates across partisan lines, raising questions about how removal orders issued years earlier could affect people who had lived, paid taxes and employed residents for decades. The Trump administration has dramatically cracked down on illegal immigration and touted its efforts as successful, notably massive decreases in crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border since President Donald Trump came into office. However, some Americans remain ambivalent about policy end goals—including detaining non-violent, non-criminal immigrants and federal agents making arrests in schools and places of employment. Police keep watch as protesters with the group Extinction Rebellion hold a rally and march outside the immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on August 11, 2025, in New York City. Police keep watch as protesters with the group Extinction Rebellion hold a rally and march outside the immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on August 11, 2025, in New York To Know Kelly Yu was detained by ICE on May 28 and has since been held at the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona. Homeland Security Investigations told FOX 10 Phoenix that Yu entered the U.S. from Mexico in 2004 and that a federal immigration judge had issued a removal order in 2005, with subsequent appeals denied and a final appellate denial in 2016. Yu fled China in 2004 as a pregnant 18-year-old seeking asylum out of fear of China's "one child" policy. During her 21 years in the country, she has married a U.S. citizen and is a mother to an American citizen and current collegiate student, Zita, who was born shortly after Yu's U.S. arrival and is a legally protected resident. Yu owns the small business Kawaii Sushi in North Peoria. Newsweek reached out to the restaurant via email for comment. "We didn't do anything wrong," Yu said in a video interview from the detention center in July, according to local NBA affiliate 12 News. "We're not criminals." Her asylum case was denied and a federal immigration judge issued a removal order in 2005. Her appeals were later rejected, including a final denial by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2016. Bipartisan Support For Yu Lisa Everett, a self-described lifelong Republican who serves as the chair for GOP Legislative District 29 in Arizona, told Newsweek the following via email on Tuesday: "Recently, I had an experience that reminded me of something our society often forgets: we have far more in common than what divides us." Everett was talking about working alongside Brent Peak, a Democrat activist who heads the grassroots, all-volunteer group Northwest Valley Indivisible in Arizona's 8th Congressional District. The pair has called for Yu's release from detention. "On paper, we should be political opposites," Everett said. "But when we learned about the plight of Kelly both knew this was an issue that transcended party lines. "Kelly is everything we want in an immigrant. She is well loved in her community she gives back to. I am grateful Brent and I came together to help her." Newsweek reached out to Peak and Northwest Valley Indivisible via email for comment. Yu has spent over a decade legally navigating the complex process of becoming a U.S. citizen, Everett added, calling her "respected" and an employer of dozens of workers. She's also given back to the community. Everett said Yu "belongs home with her family in Peoria." The way she and Peak have worked to help free Yu is a lesson that all partisans and politicians can learn from while inhabiting a "polarized" political climate, Everett added. "The truth is, if we start by identifying our shared values, we can build from there," Everett said. "For example, [Peak and I] both agree that if someone is here illegally and commits a violent crime, they should be sent home. That's a starting point for reasonable discussion, not division. "Unfortunately, too many in government are more focused on scoring political points than on serving the people they represent. Somewhere along the way, Washington, state governments, and even local governments, shifted from prioritizing people to prioritizing politics. We need to get back to governing with humanity first." Yu's legal team had filed appeals and community members launched petitions and social media campaigns seeking her release. What People Are Saying ICE, in a post on X on Tuesday: "Business owners: It's time to get right with the law. You know you're not supposed to hire illegal aliens. We're enforcing the law across the board—all businesses in all industries. ICE is not currently visiting businesses that are part of our IMAGE program—we trust that they're compliant." Yu's husband, Aldo, said the following per NBC affiliate 12 News: "Every single day, someone asks us how she's doing or where she is. It's very painful." Brent Peak, co-chair of Northwest Valley Indivisible, to FOX 10 Phoenix: "She has been in the country for 20 years. There's no criminal record. She has a child who was born here and is a citizen. She's built a successful business; she has given back to the community. She is the kind of person we would want in our community." Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat, after meeting with Yu and another detained immigrant on August 7: "Donald Trump is going after people like Kelly Yu and Maria Pelaez who are mothers, grandmothers, members of our communities, instead of using ICE resources to go after criminals. Hearing from them and their families about what they are going through was emotional at times, especially when Maria broke down into tears telling me how proud she was when her son became a Marine. "My team and I will keep fighting for Kelly Yu and Maria Pelaez and their families. Arizonans deserve real solutions for our broken border and immigration system, not what I saw today which was ripping families and communities apart." What Happens Next Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, was expected to meet with Yu on Tuesday at the detention center. Newsweek reached out to his office via email for comment. Senator Mark Kelly visited Yu on August 7, pledging to continue pressing ICE and the Trump administration for answers on detention practices—as well as more transparency at the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona.

Worker at Hochul's hand-picked CDPAP payment firm allegedly siphons off cash meant for participants
Worker at Hochul's hand-picked CDPAP payment firm allegedly siphons off cash meant for participants

New York Post

time15-07-2025

  • New York Post

Worker at Hochul's hand-picked CDPAP payment firm allegedly siphons off cash meant for participants

ALBANY – A worker with the firm at the center of Gov. Kathy Hochul's scandal-plagued Medicaid homecare program allegedly siphoned off cash from potentially thousands of participants. The employee of Public Partnerships, LLC — the company hand-picked by Hochul's administration to act as the sole payment go-between for the state and participants in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program — had been falsifying the direct-deposit information of up to 10,000 participants, sources told The Post. 3 Gov. Kathy Hochul's Medicaid homecare program is faced with yet another scandal. Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul The New York program pays for people to take care of disabled or elderly loved ones and recently hired the company to eliminate the loads of middlemen payment firms and instead funnel everything through it. The company discovered last week that one of its employees was directing homecare participants' paychecks to fraudulent bank accounts, including some overseas, sources said. 'There was an agent who worked on the phones who got fired a week ago, who was misdirecting direct deposits to the wrong accounts and sending money to offshore accounts as well,' a PPL employee told The Post. The source said the FBI was involved, though a rep for the federal agency would not confirm the existence of an investigation when asked by The Post on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear how many assistants have been impacted by the breach, but the number could be upwards of 10,000 people, sources said. It also is not clear how long the scheme has been going on or exactly how much Medicaid cash has been lost, though the figure could feasibly reach hundreds of thousands of dollars since PPL began paying assistants in April. 'It just keeps getting worse,' a PPL worker said of the massive turmoil surrounding Hochul's attempt to consolidate hundreds of payroll middlemen companies under one firm. A rep for PPL confirmed to The Post that an employee was 'terminated for not following the approved procedures' and is being 'investigated' but did not comment further, including to refute the allegations. Hochul's office did not comment on the allegations that funds were being siphoned into fraudulent bank accounts. 3 Hochul and state legislators slipped a provision into last year's state budget to consolidate hundreds of murky payroll middlemen firms for CDPAP into one firm hand-picked by the state. goodluz – The alleged theft is only the latest scandal to taint the program. The firm has already been dealing with a phishing scam using phony Google Ads to target participants into coughing up their personal information, though it says none of its systems have been compromised. 'We have confirmed that fewer than 100 [personal assistants] out of more than 225,000 across New York State were victimized by this scam,' PPL said in a statement. 'We will ensure that every PA is reimbursed for any lost wages.' The governor's office said PPL notified the state of the phishing scam and that it was proof that the move to consolidate the firms was working. 'When PPL reported a recent phishing scam, the State ensured PPL took action to address it,' Hochul spokesperson Sam Spokony wrote in a statement to The Post. 3 PPL President Maria Perrin is resigning within the next 60 days — one of several leadership changes amongst the private equity firm's top ranks in recent weeks. YouTube/Public Partnerships PPL 'This immediate review and response would not have been possible under the old CDPAP system, which was plagued by hundreds of wasteful middlemen.' But Hochul also has been under intense scrutiny from critics on both sides of the political aisle who've accused the state of rigging the bid for PPL and ramming through the transition on an unrealistic timeline, amongst other complaints. The Post was first to report that serious career prosecutors from the DOJ's Consumer Affairs Branch are investigating PPL and the CDPAP transition. Earlier this month, the state reached a legal settlement with the New York Legal Assistance group to push back a deadline for people to register with the new firm. The company source said they believe PPL's president, Maria Perrin, is taking the fall for the breach after she announced her resignation internally over the weekend. 'I think they needed someone to take the fall for that, and Maria happened to be handy, and she just resigned, she's gone,' the employee said. A company rep denied that Perrin's departure had anything to do with the data breaches. Perrin's departure comes amid a slough of resignations at the top of echelons of the private-equity-owned firm's ranks. PPL's head honcho, CEO Vince Coppola, resigned last week, the Albany Times Union said. The Post's well-placed PPL source said Executive Vice President Vicente Armendariz, who helped lead the New York transition, resigned within the past month. The company rep did not comment on Armendariz. 'With the CDPAP transition nearing completion and the operation entering a steady state, Maria is confident that PPL is prepared to succeed when she exits in the fall,' a PPL representative told Politico, which was first to report her resignation Monday. The governor's office and the state Department of Health have been defending the firm for months, claiming that as recently as May 15, 98% of 198,000 fully-onboarded CDPAP assistants at the time had submitted timecards and received paychecks. But Ilana Berger, political director of Caring Majority Rising, a group that has fought to reverse the transition, wrote in a blistering statement. 'Between this breach and a leadership exodus, it's clear PPL is in complete chaos. 'A competent organization would have had systems in place to immediately address a security issue like this – instead, PPL has made a bad situation significantly worse, creating widespread confusion for workers and consumers who depend on CDPAP for their wages and care. This is yet another glaring sign that PPL is fundamentally unfit for the job.'

Member of NY AG Letitia James' security detail cuffs young woman who allegedly clipped his car in NYC, tense video shows
Member of NY AG Letitia James' security detail cuffs young woman who allegedly clipped his car in NYC, tense video shows

New York Post

time20-06-2025

  • New York Post

Member of NY AG Letitia James' security detail cuffs young woman who allegedly clipped his car in NYC, tense video shows

Tense video captures the moment an investigator assigned to New York Attorney General Letitia James' security detail cuffed a young woman who allegedly clipped his parked car in a Manhattan fender-bender this week. The clip — which has racked up more than 4,000 views since a witness posted it on TikTok — shows the woman's bronze Toyota and the investigator's black Ford Expedition touching each other in a V shape after the Wednesday collision. The investigator — identified by law enforcement sources as Nelson Yu, a retired NYPD detective who served for more than 20 years — appeared irate as he confronted the unidentified woman, who allegedly had been driving without a license. Advertisement 'This is my car,' he could be heard saying. 'Get out of the car and show some ID.' The driver did not show any identification when approached by Yu, according to a source familiar with the incident. Advertisement 'Get out of the car!' Yu repeated, before demanding that the woman turn around, handcuffing her behind her back and placing her in the back seat of his car. Attorney General's Office investigator Nelson Yu confronted and handcuffed a young woman after a fender-bender in Manhattan. TikTok/@editionbymisha The woman said something inaudible before Yu could be heard snapping back, 'Get in the car! You're not going anywhere!' Yu then pointed his finger as he spoke to another woman who appeared to know the handcuffed driver. Advertisement The woman's arrest was ultimately voided, the source said. The unidentified woman's arrest was ultimately voided, according to a source familiar with the investigation. TikTok/@editionbymisha 'On Wednesday evening, a civilian vehicle struck a parked car belonging to the Attorney General's security detail,' a spokesperson for James' office said in a statement. 'OAG is investigating this matter internally and will not have further comment at this time.' The black Ford was being used as part of James' security detail for the day, but she was not a passenger at the time and was out and about elsewhere, the source said.

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