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Customs Officers Plead Guilty to Allowing Cartels to Smuggle Drugs Into US

Customs Officers Plead Guilty to Allowing Cartels to Smuggle Drugs Into US

Epoch Times4 days ago
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers Jesse Clark Garcia and Diego Bonillo pleaded guilty to conspiring with members of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization, federal prosecutors said on July 28.
Garcia and Bonillo admitted to deliberately allowing vehicles carrying drugs to enter the United States without undergoing an inspection.
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Oil baron CEO claims he was subject of ‘sham' swinger rumors so rival could steal his job: lawsuit
Oil baron CEO claims he was subject of ‘sham' swinger rumors so rival could steal his job: lawsuit

New York Post

time2 hours ago

  • New York Post

Oil baron CEO claims he was subject of ‘sham' swinger rumors so rival could steal his job: lawsuit

What a crude awakening. The co-founder and CEO of a wealthy Colorado-based energy firm accused an inner-company rival of spreading 'sham' rumors that he and his wife were swingers at a local country club to steal his job, according to a lawsuit. Michael Duginski, of Sentinel Peak Resources in Denver, was axed by his company in May after being sent a memo that he had allegedly exhibited 'unacceptable behavior in the workplace,' according to the lawsuit obtained by BusinessDen. Michael Duginski claims he was axed by his oil firm after his rival co-founder spread rumors that he and his wife were swingers. Crescent Energy Group Duginksi was placed on leave, but his company board allegedly refused to tell him what he was being accused of. After an ominous investigation and a probe, he was fired by the three other members of the company's board, the lawsuit filed last Monday claimed. The former oil baron said the decision to fire him started from rumors over his sexual proclivities spread by jealous co-founder George Ciotti, who took over his job as CEO when he was ousted, court records stated. In July, Duginski had several 'revealing' conversations at the Glenmoor Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, where he learned that Ciotti spread rumors that he and his wife were swingers and had sexual relationships with others outside their marriage, the filing claimed. Ciotti allegedly launched a 'sham investigation' against Duginski to 'create a vacancy for the role he coveted,' the lawsuit said. 'This accusation is untrue, and Mr. Ciotti knew it was false but wanted to harm Mr. Duginski's reputation,' the document said. Duginski had several 'revealing' conversations at the Glenmoor Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, leading him to learn about the rumors. Instagram Duginski is suing Sentinel Peak Resources for $650,000 in back wages, $3 million that he invested in the company and the value of his company stock — in addition to suing Ciotti for defamation. 'Colleagues within his community and industry now have misconceptions about his character,' the filing alleged. Sentinel Peak Resources is a portfolio company focused on the acquisition and development of oil and gas assets, according to its company website. A representative of the company did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment.

Former CNBC analyst James Arthur McDonald Jr., who betrayed investors, sentenced in multimillion-dollar fraud scheme
Former CNBC analyst James Arthur McDonald Jr., who betrayed investors, sentenced in multimillion-dollar fraud scheme

New York Post

time3 hours ago

  • New York Post

Former CNBC analyst James Arthur McDonald Jr., who betrayed investors, sentenced in multimillion-dollar fraud scheme

A former television financial analyst accused of defrauding investors out of millions of dollars and spending years on the run was sentenced to five years in prison, the Justice Department said Monday. James Arthur McDonald Jr., 53, is also expected to be ordered to pay restitution to his victims following his April 7 guilty plea for securities fraud. 'To his victims, [McDonald] seemed to embody the American Dream,' prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. 'But looks can be deceiving, and as [McDonald's] victims learned, their trust had been betrayed.' McDonald, who frequently appeared as a guest on CNBC as a financial analyst, was arrested in June 2024 at his Florida home after spending years on the run and extradited back to California, where he was the CEO and chief investment officer of Los Angeles-based Hercules Investments LLC, and Index Strategy Advisors Inc. 3 James Arthur McDonald Jr. is expected to be ordered to pay restitution to his victims following his April 7 guilty plea for securities fraud. CNBC Prior to fleeing, McDonald also appeared to have terminated his previous phone and email accounts and told one person that he planned to 'vanish,' according to court documents. In 2020, McDonald 'lost tens of millions of dollars of Hercules client money after adopting a risky short position that effectively bet against the health of the United States economy in the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election,' prosecutors said. He misrepresented how the funds would be used and failed to disclose the 'massive losses' Hercules previously sustained. 3 Prior to fleeing, McDonald terminated his previous phone and email accounts and told one person that he planned to 'vanish'. FBI 'He misappropriated most of those funds in various ways, including spending $174,610 at a Porsche dealership and transferring $109,512 to the landlord of a home McDonald was renting in Arcadia,' the Justice Department said. In total, McDonald lost around $3 million of his clients' money, prosecutors said. With his other company, McDonald allegedly sent clients 'false account statements, including for one client who invested approximately $351,000, later needed the money to make a down payment on a home, was informed by McDonald that much of the money had been lost, and never got his full investment back.' 3 In total, McDonald lost around $3 million of his clients' money, prosecutors said. Hercules Investments In total, the US Securities and Exchange Commission said McDonald 'raised more than $5.1 million from 23 investors and clients, and misappropriated more than $2.9 million of those funds for personal expenses and Ponzi-like payments to earlier investors.' A federal arrest warrant was issued for McDonald in 2022 after he was charged with securities fraud. Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this report.

FIFA condemns Leagues Cup death threats against Mexican referee Katia Itzel Garcia
FIFA condemns Leagues Cup death threats against Mexican referee Katia Itzel Garcia

New York Times

time3 hours ago

  • New York Times

FIFA condemns Leagues Cup death threats against Mexican referee Katia Itzel Garcia

FIFA on Monday joined a growing list of governing bodies that have come out in support of Katia Itzel García, strongly condemning the death threats the Mexican referee received following Monterrey's loss to FC Cincinnati in the first round of Leagues Cup last week. The threats, shared over two days, came from an apparent Monterrey fan who blamed García's officiating for the team's 3-2 loss on Thursday. The alarming messages included threats like, 'you're going to die' and 'we're going to kill your entire family.' Advertisement The 32-year-old referee shared the messages publicly, setting off a wave of support over the weekend, with football governing bodies from Mexico and around the world issuing statements backing her. Screen grabs of García's posts were published by ESPN. 'In Mexico, a country where 10 women are murdered every day, where 91 people are murdered every day (men and women). We cannot normalize violence,' García wrote on Instagram. 'I totally reject violence in all spaces!' Several governing bodies have since pledged to work together to hold the aggressors behind these threats accountable. FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Monday said he was 'dismayed and saddened' by the threats wedged against García. 'Without referees there is no soccer, so we must protect them and respect their role in our sport. In football and in society there is no room for abuse, discrimination or violence of any kind,' Infantino said in a statement on social media. 'At FIFA, we stand in solidarity with the Federation Mexicana de Fútbol and Concacaf to condemn the actions of those who make these unacceptable threats. We offer our unconditional support so that those responsible are accountable.' The outpouring of support began with the Mexican Football Federation (FMF), who on Saturday issued a statement condemning the threats against their match official. FMF said it would assist in filing a formal complaint. Comunicado de la FMF y la Comisión de Árbitros. — Federación Mexicana de Futbol (@FMF) August 2, 2025 'The Mexican Football Federation (FMF), through the Arbitration Commission, strongly condemns the acts of intimidation and threats directed against the referee with FIFA badge, Katia Itzel Garcia, and expresses its full support for the statements and public expressions made by her,' the federation said. 'The Federation will advise and accompany Katia in the complaint process before the corresponding authorities, likewise, the FMF is in permanent communication with CONCACAF as well as with the Organizing Committee of Leagues Cup with the sole objective of guaranteeing the integrity and safety of Katia and all the referees in the tournament.' CONCACAF, too, pledged their support of García, saying it 'fully condemns the disgraceful and unacceptable threats made against her. Concacaf Statement Concacaf stands firmly with referee Katia Itzel García and fully condemns the disgraceful and unacceptable threats made against her. There is absolutely no place in football, or in society, for abuse, intimidation, or violence of any kind, particularly… — Concacaf Media (@ConcacafMedia) August 2, 2025 'There is absolutely no place in football, or in society, for abuse, intimidation, or violence of any kind, particularly against match officials who uphold the integrity of our game. We are committed to supporting Katia, promoting respect across all levels of the sport, and working with regional stakeholders and partners, including the FMF and Leagues Cup, to seek ways to investigate the accounts that posted the threats.' Comunicado a nuestra Afición y a los Medios de Comunicación. 📝#EnLaVidaYEnLaCancha — Rayados (@Rayados) August 3, 2025 Monterrey shared its own rebuke of the threats against Garcia, who was the central referee during their match against Cincinnati. 'At the Monterrey Rayados Soccer Club, we believe that the threats to the integrity of the people who make up the environment of professional soccer, whatever their occupation and level of responsibility, should not have a place under no circumstances,' the club said. Advertisement Echoing Garcia's original statement, they added, 'The aggressions, such as those recently denounced by the Mexican referee Katia Itzel García and any other type of manifestation of violence, are inadmissible and we must all make them visible, denounce them, reject them and avoid normalizing them.'

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