Latest news with #Foley
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Man who rented apartments for Mass. high-end brothel network sentenced to prison
A 70-year-old man from California is facing more than two years in prison for his involvement in operating brothels in the Boston area and eastern Virginia. James Lee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; one count of money laundering conspiracy; and one count of wire fraud in February 2025, according to a Thursday announcement from the office of Leah Foley, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. Lee was sentenced to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $569,123 in restitution in connection with fraudulently obtained COVID-19 funds and a money judgment of $63,000 connected to the proceeds he earned as a result of the prostitution conspiracy. From at least January 2022 through November 2023, Lee 'knowingly conspired' with two others, Han Lee and Junmyung Lee, to operate a network with multiple brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia, according to Foley's office. The three individuals, who are not related, worked together with others to launder the proceeds of the prostitution network by hiding the fact that the money was from the conspiracy. The others were not named in Foley's press release on Thursday. James Lee rented several high-end apartments in Greater Boston and eastern Virginia that were used as brothel locations and he was the 'sole and legal' tenant of at least six of these locations. Not only did he use his name to lease the apartments but James Lee would use fraudulent and sometimes stolen identities, Foley's office wrote. He was 'regularly compensated' for both leasing apartments and his travel to and from the brothel locations. Additionally, Han Lee paid James Lee about $1,000 per month for each active lease as a commission. James Lee also served as a liaison between the women working in the brothels and the property managers, fielding calls and coordinating any issues that arose related to maintenance and inspections, according to Foley's office. James Lee and the two others covered up the network's proceeds by depositing 'hundreds of thousands of dollars' into their personal bank accounts and by making peer-to-peer transfers. Additionally, the three people regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash proceeds from the prostitution business to buy money orders to cover up the source of the funds, Foley's office wrote. These money orders were used to pay for rent and utilities at the brothel locations. Starting around March 2020 and continuing through at least September 2021, James Lee submitted fraudulent information in an attempt to obtain pandemic relief loans. He used the personal identifying information of a third party to submit false loan applications and open bank accounts to accept the relief funds, according to Foley's office. James Lee fraudulently obtained at least $580,000 in loans. In March, Han Lee was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay forfeiture for $5,418,572 and restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date, Foley's office wrote. In April, Junmyung Lee was sentenced to one year in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment of about $200,000, which is equal to the amount of proceeds he earned during the conspiracy, according to Foley's office. Han Lee pleaded guilty in September 2024, and Junmyung Lee pleaded guilty in October 2024. Beloved New England gourmet grilled cheese brand opens new Boston spot Mass. weather: More rain coming this weekend. Here's when it's expected to be dry Red Sox prospect's fastball at 95-99 mph during 7 shutout innings Thursday Ex-Boston Red Sox players: 3 starters dominating, Xander Bogaerts has .681 OPS District 7 candidates debate land use, White Stadium at Boston forum Read the original article on MassLive.
Dublin Live
4 days ago
- Business
- Dublin Live
Dublin restaurant worker awarded €17k after being made redundant while pregnant
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A well-known hospitality group on Dublin's northside has been ordered to pay €17,000 to a former assistant manager of one of its restaurants who was made redundant shortly after notifying her manager she was pregnant. The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that McHugh's Restaurants had discriminated against Karen Condell on grounds of gender over her dismissal from her role as assistant manager at McHugh's restaurant in Portmarnock. The WRC found that it had breached the Employment Equality acts 1998-2015 in its handling of the dismissal. The company, which also operates McHugh's restaurant in Raheny and Blackbanks bar and grill in Kilbarrack, is part of a group which also operates a number of off-licences and Centra stores. Ms Condell claimed the redundancy cited as the reason for her dismissal was not genuine. She told the WRC that she informed her employer in June 2024 that she was pregnant. Ms Condell said she was subsequently informed by the group's hospitality manager, Paul Foley, at the end of July 2024 that the restaurant in Portmarnock would be closing but she was reassured that redeployment options would be explored. She gave evidence that no alternative role was found for her over the period she worked out her notice. The company said a decision was taken to close the Portmarnock restaurant on July 30, 2024. Mr Foley gave evidence that attempts were made to find alternative employment for affected staff. He stated employees with over a year of service were subsequently offered roles elsewhere within the group but only one staff member with less than 12 months' service – a chef – was redeployed due to a specific vacancy matching their role. Mr Foley said he had noted that "all our hospitality businesses are worryingly slow" when asked by Ms Condell in August 2024 about another role. He told her on August 27, 2024 that no alternative jobs had been found. Mr Foley said he mentioned that there might be a role in a deli although he had no authority over the group's grocery division, although he thought it might not be suitable given she was pregnant. WRC adjudication officer, Breiffni O'Neill, said he was satisfied that there was prima facie evidence that Ms Condell was discriminated against as the restaurant's owner had failed to source an alternative role for her following the closure of the outlet in Portmarnock. Mr O'Neill contrasted her situation with many of her colleagues from the Portmarnock restaurant who were not pregnant and who were given jobs elsewhere within the group. He highlighted how the company had held no discussions with Ms Condell prior to notifying her she was being made redundant on July 30, 2024. Mr O'Neill said she was also not provided with any opportunity to engage in what would have been a very belated consultation process about her redundancy in advance of her termination date. He specifically pointed to how she had not been asked for any input or questioned about her transferable skills, qualifications or previous experience. The WRC official noted that Mr Foley was unable to say if any other roles had become available within the group during her notice period which had not been offered to other staff from the Portmarnock restaurant. "The respondent did not take sufficient and effective measures to avoid dismissing the complainant on the grounds of redundancy," said Mr O'Neill. Ordering McHugh's Restaurants to pay Ms Condell compensation of €17,000 – the equivalent of 26 weeks' pay – for the negative effects of her discriminatory dismissal, Mr O'Neill said the sanction should be "effective, dissuasive and proportionate." While a higher award might well be justified in the case, he said it took into account Ms Condell's relatively short period of employment and the relatively small nature of the respondent's business. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'I am a human being with medically documented disabilities, not a policy problem': Hospital Torments Man With Suicide Talk
Hospital staff have repeatedly pushed a disabled Canadian man to accept euthanasia. Now, he says, they are repeatedly asking him about suicide while cutting off basic needs like food and water. 'I'm doing my best to hang in, but I truly don't know how much longer my body can hold on,' patient Roger Foley wrote in a message to The Dallas Express. 'I think that there is no hope.' Patient Roger Foley has spinocerebellar ataxia, a neurological disease that makes movement extremely difficult. Foley requires a medical lift to perform basic tasks like eating, drinking, and taking medication. Since Canada's universal healthcare system limits his medical options, he has been at the hospital for nine years. The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) staff previously withheld food and water and pushed 'medical assistance in dying' (MAID) – another term for euthanasia – on Foley, according to The Federalist. He said the hospital stopped asking him about this for several years. But since the end of April, Foley told The Dallas Express, staff have started bringing up suicide 'almost every night.' He also said since he does not consent to bright lighting during treatment – which he says aggravates his neurological symptoms – the hospital again cut off food, water, medicine, and toileting. At the time of publication, Foley said he was on an IV and growing weak. The Dallas Express asked LHSC for comment but did not hear back in time for publication. Foley said he has been surviving on IV fluids for more than two weeks. He said he fears 'if this situation continues, I will die.' 'This has become a matter of survival,' Foley wrote in a recent email to hospital staff, obtained by The Dallas Express. 'I am deteriorating.' Pushing Suicide Questions In recent weeks, Foley told The Dallas Express, staff have been coming by his room 'almost every night' to discuss suicide. '[T]he hospital has not stopped and i [sic] am being harassed all the time and staff won't leave me alone,' Foley wrote in an email. 'I tell them not to ask me those questions.' Foley told The Dallas Express that the staff have asked him suicide questions during routine tasks like bloodwork. He provided recordings of recent interactions with staff to The Dallas Express, eight of which mention suicide. In many of these recordings, nurses enter Foley's room to ask him about a suicide assessment, and he rebuffs them. 'I have repeatedly ask [sic] to not ask me any questions about suicide but the hospital ignores me,' he said. 'I do not want to die, I want to live.' Foley said one instance took place on May 4 at 3:45 a.m. He shared a recording of the interaction with The Dallas Express. JoshZynomirski(Nurse)-ForcesSuicideQuestionsOnRoger-May4th2025At330AM 'Rog, there's just a quick question,' a staff member said. 'Don't ask me if it has anything to do with suicide,' Foley replied. 'The hospital is not to ask me ever about suicide… Do not ask. Do not ask… How many times do I have to tell the hospital?' The staff member continued to push the question. 'Wait Rog, just to make sure, you're refusing …,' the staff member insisted. 'I'm just saying, do you refuse?' 'This has to stop… Just don't ask me,' Foley said. In another recording, he asks Doctor Jaspal Dulay why staff are engaging in 'harassment about the suicide questions.' Dulay replied that Foley 'normally would be high up on concerns around your mental health because of what's going on with your care. You made it clear you're feeling at harm.' DrDulayRefusesToStopSuicideQuestions-May16th2025At926AM Foley asked Dulay if the staff would 'keep on doing the harassment about that.' 'I deny that we're harassing you,' Dulay said. 'You're saying it, I'm saying we're not harassing you.' The Dallas Express contacted Dulay but did not hear back in time for publication. Michael Alexander, an attorney who provides legal advice to Foley, told The Dallas Express that Canada's euthanasia law leaves room for hospital staff to ask questions about suicide. But he said they are bringing it up beyond reason. 'It's not just one nurse doing this, it's become a pattern of conduct on the part of hospital personnel,' Alexander said. 'They're clearly in the wrong.' Alex Schadenberg, executive director of Canada's Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, told The Dallas Express that Foley goes through 'a lot of emotional grief' and has felt suicidal, but hospital workers' continual questions about suicide could be considered pressure. 'It's almost like they're harassing him because it's one thing to say, 'We're concerned about your mental health,' it's another thing to have someone tell you, 'Please stop bringing up suicidality,'' Schadenberg said. 'To have them bringing it up anyway – even if there's some other intention behind it – it seems to me that it's becoming a bit of a coercion situation where he's feeling pressured.' 'You Don't Want Any Care' The hospital recently began requiring brighter lighting when interacting with Foley. He said his disability makes him extremely photosensitive, as bright lights cause him 'extreme pain, temporary blindness, visual scaring [sic] afterwards of blue and purple markings on my vision, and severe pain,' he wrote in an email. The hospital had been using a dim, orange lamp when treating Foley for years, but recently issued a lighting assessment — obtained by The Dallas Express – that requires brighter lighting when interacting with him. He said staff usually come in at all hours of the day and night, so this bright lighting is a frequent occurrence. Hospital staff reportedly cut off Foley's food, water, medications, and toileting when they began requiring brighter lighting on May 7, he said to The Dallas Express. He said he is still 'cut off,' though one nurse helped with these tasks on May 23 by providing ski goggles and reducing the lighting. Foley said the next night, the staff refused to accommodate. 'So far, that one night of access has been the only one,' Foley wrote in an email. 'I'm still on IV fluids and now back to being completely blocked from basic needs. I'm extremely weak, but still trying.' Foley wrote in an email he 'can barely raise mt [sic] head' and fears acidosis – a buildup of acid in the body. He also said he fears for his life. 'They are witholding [sic] food and water, and everything. they won;t [sic] help me unless full lights that they know my eyes cannot tolerate,' he wrote in an email. According to Foley, the hospital recently made some adjustments, removing several lights and replacing others with dimmer bulbs. However, he expressed concern in an email to administrators that 'the hospital shows no urgency and continues to deny me proper accommodation, even if it leads to my death.' He also said that since then, 'the hospital added an additional bright halogen.' 'Staff forcibly waking me, turning on harmful lighting without warning, asking suicide questions, and ignoring available alternatives is not safe or respectful — it is negligent,' Foley wrote officials in an email. 'I am not refusing care — I am being denied the ability to access it due to an environment made hostile by the S[tandard] O[perating] P[rocedure] you enforce.' A History Of Pushing Euthanasia Canada's universal healthcare system limits Foley's medical choices to a home care provider or the hospital. Foley said he first used an in-home care provider, but poor treatment left him suicidal at the time. He was denied the universal healthcare system's self-directed care program, which would allow him to hire his own home care staff. So nine years ago, he opted for care at LHSC, and has been there ever since. Foley has struggled with suicidal thoughts, so early on in his time at the hospital, he requested euthanasia – also known as MAID, according to The Federalist. He soon overcame these thoughts and canceled the appointment. However, hospital staff repeatedly pressured Foley to accept MAID from 2016 to 2018. He provided a recording of one interaction from 2018 with The Dallas Express, in which a staff member suggested ending his life. SamualBodden(nurse)LHSC-PitchingRogerToHaveAssistedDeath-Jan21st2018 'How are you feeling, Rog? Are you feeling like you want to harm yourself or anything like that?' the staff member asks. 'If you were, you could just apply to get an assisted – you don't have to do it in some dramatic manner, you can apply for assisted, you know.' Foley also told The Dallas Express that Doctor Robert Sibbald, the hospital's ethicist who suggested harvesting organs from euthanasia patients before they are dead according to The Federalist, pushed euthanasia on him in 2017. At the time, The Federalist published a partial recording of the interaction. The Dallas Express asked Sibbald for comment but did not hear back in time for publication. LHSC cut off Foley's access to the medical lift in 2018. According to The Federalist, an opinion from an outside doctor that year concluded the hospital's 'care fell substantially below standard for failing to meet Foley's nutritional and hydration needs during the period in question.' The LHSC also allegedly moved Foley into a ward with 'intense lighting' in May 2020, according to a complaint he filed with the hospital. 'At that time, I was confined to an intravenous drip and forced to cover my face with soft pillowcases to block the harmful light,' Foley wrote in the complaint. Alexander told The Dallas Express that Canadian doctors have been known to push euthanasia or withdraw treatment early. 'There are some public hospitals in Canada that will nudge a vulnerable patient towards death by compromising the basic rudiments of treatment,' he said. Foley is currently representing himself in a lawsuit against LHSC for its treatment, and Alexander said he is approaching a major deadline to submit case materials. 'Let me survive long enough to secure the direct funding home care I need to live and do legal work,' Foley wrote officials in an email. Schadenberg told The Dallas Express that Foley is 'really in a bad place.' 'The hospital may not be intentionally saying it per se, but by making certain decisions, they seem to be saying they want him out of there,' he said. Schadenberg suggested a simple solution: give Foley 'self-directed care.' This would allow him to leave the hospital and hire his own in-home caregivers. 'He's been turned down for that, and he's now in this very bad situation,' Schadenberg said. 'He can't live on his own, and he doesn't trust the care that he used to receive in the past.' In Canada, euthanasia is 'being normalized in a bigger and bigger way,' as many doctors 'simply see it as another form of medical treatment,' according to Schadenberg. 'They have totally divorced us from the reality of what it is, just killing somebody,' he said. He said the second main issue in Canada is the treatment of people with disabilities, whose 'needs are massively underfunded.' Schadenberg said disability entitlements have lagged behind post-COVID inflation, so people with disabilities are now 'massively underfunded.' In an email obtained by The Dallas Express, Foley pleaded with hospital officials to consider alternative care approaches. He called the current approach 'systemic neglect and discrimination.' 'I am a human being with medically documented disabilities, not a policy problem,' Foley wrote in an email to hospital officials, obtained by The Dallas Express. 'Stop this cruelty and work with me to survive.'
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Kerry men can avail of free health checks in Killorglin as part of Men's Health Week 2025
The free event will be held as part of Men's Health Week 2025 and is open to all men and anyone who cares about men's health. Those who attend will be able to avail of blood pressure checks and one-hour CPR and defibrillator workshops. Meanwhile, health checks will be held at local pharmacies. The CPR and defibrillator workshops will be held at 10.30am and 12.30pm and must be pre-booked by calling 066-9762933. The health checks will take place at Mulvihill's Pharmacy, Haven Pharmacy and Laune Pharmacy in Killorglin throughout the week. The event has been organised by HSE South West in partnership with several organisations. It will bring together a wide range of healthcare professionals and local community groups. The day will include a performance from the Killorglin Men's Social Club Choir. Michelle Foley, health promotion and improvement officer with HSE South West, said the event will be a wonderful opportunity for men in Kerry to meet with a range of health and community professionals. 'I'd encourage men of all ages, and those who care about them, to come along and learn more about the health issues men face. I'm really looking forward to chatting with everyone and planning future programmes,' Ms Foley said. DJ Moran, rural men's outreach officer with South Kerry Development Partnership, noted that the region has a high population of elderly men living in rural isolated areas. 'Our rural men's group meets regularly and goes on day trips to fight that isolation. Social connection is a huge part of staying healthy. This day in Killorglin will be great for linking up with health supports and others in the community,' Mr Moran said. 'Everyone is welcome. Whether you're coming for a health check, a chat, or just to see what it's all about, this event is a great step toward better health and stronger community ties.'
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Restaurant employee awarded €17k after being made redundant during pregnancy
A well-known hospitality group on Dublin's northside has been ordered to pay €17,000 to a former assistant manager of one of its restaurants who was made redundant shortly after notifying her manager she was pregnant. The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that McHugh's Restaurants had discriminated against Karen Condell on grounds of gender over her dismissal from her role as assistant manager at McHugh's restaurant in Portmarnock. The WRC found that it had breached the Employment Equality acts 1998-2015 in its handling of the dismissal. The company, which also operates McHugh's restaurant in Raheny and Blackbanks bar and grill in Kilbarrack, is part of a group which also operates a number of off-licences and Centra stores. Ms Condell claimed the redundancy cited as the reason for her dismissal was not genuine. She told the WRC that she informed her employer in June 2024 that she was pregnant. Ms Condell said she was subsequently informed by the group's hospitality manager, Paul Foley, at the end of July 2024 that the restaurant in Portmarnock would be closing but she was reassured that redeployment options would be explored. She gave evidence that no alternative role was found for her over the period she worked out her notice. The company said a decision was taken to close the Portmarnock restaurant on July 30, 2024. Mr Foley gave evidence that attempts were made to find alternative employment for affected staff. He stated employees with over a year of service were subsequently offered roles elsewhere within the group but only one staff member with less than 12 months' service – a chef – was redeployed due to a specific vacancy matching their role. Mr Foley said he had noted that "all our hospitality businesses are worryingly slow" when asked by Mr Condell in August 2024 about another role. He told her on August 27, 2024 that no alternative jobs had been found. Mr Foley said he mentioned that there might be a role in a deli although he had no authority over the group's grocery division, although he thought it might not be suitable given she was pregnant. WRC adjudication officer, Breiffni O'Neill, said he was satisfied that there was prima facie evidence that Ms Condell was discriminated against as the restaurant's owner had failed to source an alternative role for her following the closure of the outlet in Portmarnock. Mr O'Neill contrasted her situation with many of her colleagues from the Portmarnock restaurant who were not pregnant and who were given jobs elsewhere within the group. He highlighted how the company had held no discussions with Ms Condell prior to notifying her she was being made redundant on July 30, 2024. Mr O'Neill said she was also not provided with any opportunity to engage in what would have been a very belated consultation process about her redundancy in advance of her termination date. He specifically pointed to how she had not been asked for any input or questioned about her transferable skills, qualifications or previous experience. The WRC official noted that Mr Foley was unable to say if any other roles had become available within the group during her notice period which had not been offered to other staff from the Portmarnock restaurant. "The respondent did not take sufficient and effective measures to avoid dismissing the complainant on the grounds of redundancy," said Mr O'Neill. Ordering McHugh's Restaurants to pay Ms Condell compensation of €17,000 – the equivalent of 26 weeks' pay – for the negative effects of her discriminatory dismissal, Mr O'Neill said the sanction should be "effective, dissuasive and proportionate." While a higher award might well be justified in the case, he said it took into account Ms Condell's relatively short period of employment and the relatively small nature of the respondent's business.
