Latest news with #InternalAffairs
Gizmodo
5 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Cop on NYC Mayor's Security Detail Reportedly Linked to Crypto Torture Case
The story of the Italian tourist allegedly kidnapped by crypto businessmen keeps taking wild turns—the latest potentially implicating New York law enforcement in the ordeal. According to a report from local NBC affiliate station News 4 New York, two NYPD officers, including one who was serving as security detail for Mayor Eric Adams, have been linked to two of the people charged for their involvement in the kidnapping case. According to the report, a detective tasked with protecting Mayor Adams was working a private security gig on the side. As a part of that job, the detective worked security at the Prince Street townhouse in the Nolita neighborhood of New York City—the same place where an Italian tourist was allegedly held captive and beaten for over two weeks. He is also believed to have picked up an Italian tourist from the airport earlier this month, and there is currently an Internal Affairs Bureau investigation into whether the detective transported the tourist who was kidnapped to the townhouse. The report did not clarify the other officer's alleged involvement, but two officers have reportedly been placed on modified duty following the details of their potential links to the case surfacing. At issue isn't the fact that the officers worked an off-duty job—that's apparently pretty standard, per News 4, though it's not clear whether the NYPD approved this particular side gig. What is of particular interest is just how much these cops knew about what they were potentially involved in. What happened, either under the officers' noses or not, was that an Italian tourist was allegedly lured to the townhouse on May 6 by two cryptocurrency businessmen, who allegedly tortured the man for 17 days to get him to give up the password to his stash of Bitcoin. During the time that he was held captive, he was allegedly shocked with electrical wires, hit with a gun, forced to smoke from a crack pipe, dangled over a railing five stories high, sawed on his leg, and urinated on. The tourist managed to escape when his attackers went to retrieve his computer and steal his Bitcoin, at which point he flagged down a police officer on the street. (Luckily, he didn't run into one of the cops who may have been involved.) When police entered the townhouse, they reportedly found a slew of evidence including cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor, and night-vision goggles. They also found Polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed at his head, which was probably seen as strong evidence corroborating his story. Two men have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping: John Woeltz, a 37-year-old man who has been identified as the 'crypto king of Kentucky,' and William Duplessie, a 33-year-old Florida man and crypto investor who turned himself into police.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Life sentence for slaying of doctor
Former Akron Police Capt. Douglas E. Prade -- who spent part of his career working to keep other officers honest -- is going to prison for the murder of his ex-wife. But Prade, an officer with the Police Department's Internal Affairs Division from 1993 to 1995, didn't accept his conviction easily or silently. "I didn't do this," Prade said, turning to the spectators in the courtroom rather than to Common Pleas Judge Mary Spicer. "You convicted the wrong man." Prade could spend the rest of his life behind bars after being sentenced to serve at least 26 years for the Nov. 26 murder of his ex-wife, Dr. Margo Prade. Defense attorney Kerry O'Brien said the sentence handed down by Spicer "for a man of 52 years of age might as well be a death sentence." Douglas Prade was found guilty yesterday of aggravated murder, six counts of wiretapping and one of possession of criminal tools. He was sentenced to life for murder, three more years for using a gun, three more on one of the wiretapping convictions and one year for the criminal tools conviction. Those sentences are to run consecutively. He also received 1 1/2 years on each of the remaining five wiretapping convictions, which will be served concurrently with the other terms. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, saying in February when Prade was arrested that the facts of the case did not support the criteria that state law requires for capital cases. Aggravated murder carries a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Margo Prade, 41, was found shot six times the morning of Nov. 26 inside her van in the parking lot of her Wooster Avenue medical office. Loss of control Prosecutors argued that Douglas Prade wiretapped his wife's phone in the last 26 months of their marriage, became obsessed with his loss of control over her, and, after their divorce, became enraged over financial problems he faced because of the divorce. Prade's defense was that he was miles away working out in the gym at his Copley Township condominium complex at the time Margo Prade was murdered. He also contended that their April 1997 divorce was amicable and he did not have financial problems as a result of the divorce. After 12 days of trial testimony that included 52 witnesses and 243 pieces of evidence, the four-man, eight-woman jury deliberated for a total of four hours Tuesday and yesterday to reach its verdicts. After the verdicts were read, Judge Spicer said there was no need for a presentence investigation because she had heard in testimony about Douglas Prade's personal history and the impact of Margo Prade's death on her family and friends. "The word that keeps crossing my mind, in this particular case throughout, the word is 'tragic,' " Spicer said. "This is a tragic loss for so many." Spicer said to Douglas Prade, "The jury has found that you destroyed the life of Margo Prade, and in so doing, you have essentially destroyed your life. "The lives of Kenya and Sahara (Douglas and Margo Prade's 13- and 10-year-old daughters) have been severely damaged. "However, it appears to me and it has been my impression that those two young ladies are exceptionally bright . . . and with the guidance and nourishment of their grandmother (Lillie Hendricks) and their family, I am sure these young ladies will overcome and succeed," Spicer said. Before pronouncing sentence, Spicer asked Douglas Prade if he had anything to say. Prade said yes and turned his back on Spicer to address spectators in the courtroom. "I want to tell the family that I am grieving as much as you are. I didn't do this," he said. Prade called his conviction "the most egregious miscarriage of justice" he had ever heard of. "I am an innocent convicted person," he said. "God, myself, Margo and the person who killed Margo all know I'm innocent. "I absolutely did not kill Margo. I'm not remorseful. I'm grieving," he said. Addressing former fellow police officers who were in the courtroom, Prade said, "You made a very good circumstantial case, and I commend you for it, but I'm telling you, you convicted the wrong man." Defense plans appeal Defense attorney O'Brien told Spicer after the sentencing that he planned to appeal. The jurors declined to comment on their decision. Clutching their personal possessions, they left the courtroom under the glare of television lights and were escorted to their vehicles by sheriff's deputies. In the hallway outside Spicer's third-floor courtroom, O'Brien said that the problem the defense had in the trial was the number of witnesses -- 44 -- called by the prosecution and a case that was completely circumstantial but effective. "You can get a conviction on circumstantial evidence alone if you've got enough of it," O'Brien said. Asked about Prade's statement, O'Brien said it "came from his heart." He had no idea that Prade would make such a statement, he said. Asked if an innocent man had been convicted, O'Brien said, "I believe so." Alison McCarty, assistant Summit County prosecutor, told reporters that she was surprised by how quickly the jury returned its verdicts. McCarty said she had tried in her summation Tuesday to make the jury understand what Margo Prade's murder meant to her family. "It was important for the jury to feel the family's loss," she said. "The jury heard the evidence and made its decision," McCarty said, adding that she was convinced that the right man had been convicted. In a prepared statement, Summit County Prosecutor Maureen O'Connor praised the police department and its investigators and the prosecution team. "Justice was served. I cannot thank the Akron Police Department enough from the chief on down for the truly outstanding work they did on this case. . . . (McCarty and colleague Michael Carroll made) a flawless presentation of the evidence," O'Connor said. "I would like to tell the citizens of this community to focus on the superb police department that we have and not focus on the fact that this defendant (Douglas Prade) was a police officer," she said. Akron Police Capt. Craig Gilbride, who led the investigation, said, "Obviously, we are ecstatic about the outcome of the case. It's been a long 10 months, almost 10 months to the day (of Margo Prade's murder on Nov. 26). "I've never seen a more thorough investigation. It made me proud of each and every one of the investigators who worked this case," said Akron Police Capt. Craig Gilbride. He added: "And I think our guys can be proud to wear that badge again," referring to the tarnish that he said had accrued from a general sentiment that Douglas Prade might get off because he was a police captain. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Life sentence for slaying of doctor
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BSO lieutenant retires after investigation of ‘It's Florida, Man' episode on mermaid feud
After nearly three decades of service to the Broward Sheriff's Office, a lieutenant who found himself the subject of multiple investigations stemming from a former feud with a pod of mermaids has retired after another controversy. Lt. Jeff Mellies submitted an 'irrevocable letter of resignation' after the conclusion of the latest Internal Affairs investigation that centered on an episode of an HBO Max show called 'It's Florida, Man,' on which he appeared with his wife, Mia Mellies. The investigation found that he violated multiple Sheriff's Office policies related to his appearance in the episode. Differing disciplines were recommended by two groups as a result — a 15-day unpaid suspension from one committee while executive command recommended he be terminated, according to records obtained by the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Tuesday through a public records request. Instead, as part of a negotiated settlement agreement, Mellies submitted the resignation letter and waived arbitration. He retired in good standing on May 1, the records showed. The Mellieses said in sworn statements that they were under the impression that the HBO Max show was going to be a documentary focused on witchcraft, according to the Internal Affairs records. Mia Mellies is a witch who practices rituals and casts spells, she says in the episode. Instead, the episode that aired in November rehashed years-old drama between Mellies, his wife and several women who performed in an underwater mermaid show at The Wreck Bar at the B Ocean Resort on Fort Lauderdale beach. Much to the couple's surprise, according to the report, Mia Mellies's witchcraft was just one part of the dramatization, which the lieutenant told Internal Affairs made BSO look 'like s—.' The episode starts with a voice-over: 'What you're about to see may be dangerous, illegal, unethical, petty, misguided, immoral and, most definitely, stupid. But it's also all true. Sort of.' Actor Anna Faris starred as mermaid Whitney Fair, who had a falling out years ago with Mia Mellies when the two swam together in the popular mermaid show at the historic bar tucked inside the boat-shaped hotel. Mellies and his wife both appear personally in the episode, speaking about her pagan beliefs, and were portrayed by actors Steven Ogg and Mary Elizabeth Ellis. Mia Mellies said in her statement to Internal Affairs that she didn't agree to 'a scripted television show with talent' or a show about 'this alleged harassment.' The actors portraying the Mellieses danced around a fire, covered in blood after sacrificing a chicken. In some parts of the episode, the actor portraying Mellies wore a leather thong with a law enforcement star badge over the crotch. A real photo of Mellies in his Sheriff's Office uniform is shown at one point in the episode. The episode details the saga between the Mellieses and Fair, Marina Anderson and Janelle Smiley, who all performed as mermaids at The Wreck Bar. They filed a federal civil lawsuit against Mellies in 2022, alleging he used his access to official law enforcement databases to search for sensitive personal information about them. The mermaids alleged Mellies searched for their information in retaliation because of poolside drama they had with his wife who was fired in 2018 after she and Fair had an argument. Mellies and the mermaids agreed to settle the federal civil lawsuit last year. The Sheriff's Office paid a total settlement of $25,000, according to public records of the agreement previously obtained by the Sun Sentinel. Mellies indicated that he searched for information on the three women for a 'criminal investigation,' but none were under any criminal investigation, Internal Affairs records previously obtained by the Sun Sentinel said. The State Attorney's Office in August 2023 declined to file criminal charges related to the use of the database. Two attorneys who worked with Mellies and the union's president did not respond to emails seeking comment on the outcome of the most recent Internal Affairs investigation. BSO lieutenant under investigation after 'It's Florida, Man' episode on Wreck Bar mermaid drama The internal investigation into the HBO Max episode began on Nov. 4 after someone sent an anonymous complaint to the Division of Internal Affairs, according to the report obtained by the Sun Sentinel. 'BSO should be ashamed of themselves for allowing him to go on this show and talk about his job,' the complaint said, in part. Internal Affairs began investigating Mellies for four policy violation allegations: social media, discretion, off-duty employment and public information all related to the episode. It was alleged that Mellies changed his Facebook profile picture to 'someone wearing boxer briefs' with a BSO lieutenant badge 'in the crotch area' the day after the episode aired. A check for $500 was made out to Mellies for the use of their house on the show, the report said. He did not get permission from his chain of command and the Public Information Office to appear on the show, as is standard procedure. Mellies's wife, whose name is redacted in the report but who the Sun Sentinel has previously identified, told Internal Affairs in a sworn statement that a man from Range Media contacted her in August 2023 'saying that he was interested in doing a documentary on what it's like to be a modern-day spiritualist and what it's like to be a modern-day witch,' according to the report. She gave the investigator the email she received. She told the investigator she thought the episode would be a good way to promote her and her social media ahead of a novel she wrote being published this coming September, according to the report. 'I sat down with the interviewer. We talked for about three to four hours. In that time, we solely stayed on the topic of spirituality, what it's like to be a social media creator on TikTok and Instagram, what that looks like, my beliefs, my beliefs, and my life. At one point towards the end, because they wanted to know what it was like for me to be married to someone who does not share my beliefs, they wanted to sort of get his opinion,' she told Internal Affairs, according to the report. Mellies spoke with the interviewer for about five minutes, and when they thought the cameras had stopped rolling, they got up from the couch and Mellies was asked about his tattoos, the investigation report said. Late into the episode, Fair makes the first mention of Mellies's employment at the Sheriff's Office. It then cuts to a clip of Mellies explaining his sleeves of tattoos. He said he had been in law enforcement for over three decades. His wife talked about casting protection spells on him, his vest and his bullets. Mia Mellies met alone with camera crews at Markham Park in Sunrise a few weeks after her initial interview to film B-roll, 'walking around and just taking shots just to fill in for a documentary,' she said, according to the report. She said that's when the crew brought up the federal lawsuit involving the mermaids. 'I said: 'Yes, I did perform with these women, and unfortunately, I did badly. I don't wish them any harm. I just want to move on from all this,'' she told investigators. 'That was it. I left and didn't hear anything else.' Months later, she said she 'got wind from other social media creators that this documentary would be yet another hit piece' about them, according to the report. 'I would have never agreed to that,' she said, according to the investigation report. 'I would have never wanted to be a part of it. This was done completely behind my back.' Mellies in his sworn statement said the production company came to their home in October 2023 'and his only involvement was to make sure she was safe and nothing nefarious was going on,' according to the report. He sat in his office and listened to the three-hour-long interview with his wife, and nothing related to BSO or what ended up being in the episode was asked. After the interview of his wife, Mellies agreed to talk for about five minutes. He said he never saw the video before it aired, he did not sign any contract and that 'the production company scammed him and believes it was all staged by Fair and her attorney,' according to the report. Attorney Gary Kollin, who represented Fair, Smiley and Anderson in the federal action and appeared in the episode himself, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Tuesday that he 'never got to see the video' before it aired and 'never was told any details about it.' 'It was portrayed to me that HBO were doing this video about the Mellieses and Whitney and they wanted me to explain the law regarding the whole matter, which I did,' he said. 'So my knowledge of the whole matter was very limited. I didn't know the background, I didn't know what they promised them … I had absolutely no idea.' Mellies told Internal Affairs he 'felt disgusted and embarrassed' after seeing the episode and called it 'inaccurate,' according to the report. He didn't ask for permission to appear in the episode 'because he didn't believe he had to because he didn't think it had anything to do with BSO,' the report said. Asked how he thought 'his actions reflected on BSO,' Mellies said, 'It looked like s—,' according to the report, and that he was 'just as infuriated as whoever up top is that started the investigation.' He denied that the Facebook account with his name and the profile picture from the show was his, the report showed. The Professional Standards Committee reviewed the internal investigation in April and determined that Mellies violated two of the four the Sheriff's Office's policies alleged — discretion and off-duty employment, related to the $500 check. That committee recommended he be suspended without pay for 15 days. However, 'upon further review by executive command,' all four allegations were sustained and the recommended discipline was termination, the report on the investigation's final disposition showed. Ultimately, the negotiated agreement involved Mellies submitting his resignation letter and waiving arbitration. His attorney Stephen Melnick told the Sun Sentinel in November that Mellies had no recent complaints against him at the time the internal investigation began last year and called the episode 'totally slanderous.' 'All he discussed was his wife's religious beliefs and that's it,' Melnick previously told the Sun Sentinel. Mellies was hired in 2000 and at the time of his retirement was a lieutenant over Support Services and the Burglary Apprehension Team, a position he held since 2019, according to the IA report. He coordinated the county's Crime Suppression Teams trainings, ensured their policies were current and was in command if any 'regional issue' arose.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
NYPD cop busted for borrowing cash during traffic stop investigated for second episode
An NYPD cop arrested for borrowing $1,700 from a Queens motorist he pulled over during a traffic stop is under investigation for another episode in which he allegedly failed to repay a $4,500 loan for which he used his police shield as a form of collateral, the Daily News has learned. Armando Silvestre, who was suspended without pay following his arrest for official misconduct on May 1, borrowed the money from 56-year-old Vincent Ortiz of Brooklyn, who allegedly loaned him $4,500 nearly three months before he made the illegal traffic stop. 'I'm a victim of one of his schemes,' Ortiz told the Daily News. Police sources confirm the circumstances of the loan are under investigation by the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau. Ortiz, who is paralyzed in one leg and walks with crutches, said a friend introduced Silvestre to him as an NYPD cop in need of a loan to dig himself out of a financial hole. 'I say I'm not really up for it, he says, 'Please do me the favor. I know this kid… he's a police officer and he's in trouble and he's asking for my help,'' said Ortiz. Ortiz agreed to meet Silvestre on Jan. 8 near his home, where he said the cop explained that he'd racked up $4,500 in fines to the DMV for failing to return a license plate registered to his deceased grandmother and that his commanding officer was threatening to fire him if he didn't pay what he owed the state within three days. When Ortiz asked for collateral in the form of jewels, cars or other valuables, Silvestre said he didn't have anything worth $4,500. Thinking on his feet, Ortiz asked the cop to put his shield on the line instead. 'I'm like, 'Would you be willing to give me your badge and I'm going to take this money, I'm going to spread it out, put this badge on it and I'm going to take a picture,'' Ortiz recounted. ''If you don't get my money back, I'm going to take it straight to the precinct and show your sergeant.' Agreeing to the deal, Silvestre left with the money and Ortiz walked away with an outrageous photo of the cop's silver shield surrounded by thousands in cash. His shield number, 24028, is clearly visible in the picture. 'If it wasn't for that badge, I would have never given him that loan,' said Ortiz. 'Your badge, that's your whole identity. It's like your gun. You don't put your gun into somebody else's hand. But he did it.' But Ortiz, who loaned Silvestre cash he received from his father's life insurance policy, said he never saw a cent of that money back. As the months wore on, Ortiz said Silvestre told his creditor he was contemplating suicide due to his financial woes. 'He came and told me, 'I'm embarrassed… I want to pay you, but everything's going wrong for me,' Ortiz said. 'I know you're not believing none of my stories.' Silvestre can't be charged criminally for refusing to pay back a personal loan that he made while off duty. Ortiz was in the process of filing a civil suit against Silvestre when he saw news of the officer's arrest and has since told his story to internal affairs at the NYPD. Silvestre joined the force on Nov. 2 2020 and made $102,972 in 2024, according to SeeThroughNY. The victim in the March 1 traffic stop told The News that he was driving his Toyota Highlander on Hillside Ave. near 160th St. in Jamaica when Silvestre flashed his lights and pulled him to the side of the road. Silvestre told the driver he targeted him because of his nationality, saying 'I saw your flag, so I know you're Dominican, my people,' before feeding him the same story he gave Ortiz, claiming he owed money to the DMV and was in danger of losing his job. 'I felt a little pressured. I've heard stories of cops committing suicide because of problems like that,' said the driver, who asked that his name be withheld for fear of reprisal. 'At the same time, he's a cop, he's got a city job, what could go wrong?' 'Everything went wrong,' the victim added. At no point during the interaction did Silvestri turn on his body-worn camera, as required during car stops, nor did he document the interaction, police said. The driver said Silvestre gave him the run around for more than a month as he tried to recoup on the loan, offering excuses and at times dodging his calls. 'I kept calling him… he wouldn't pick up the phone,' said the driver. 'He would just come up with stupid excuses. One time I was calling, he told me his phone broke while he was making an arrest.' Eventually, the driver turned to his cousin, a cop who formerly served in internal affairs, and the pair decided to turn Silvestre in. Cops charged Silvestre with official misconduct. Messages left with Silvestre's lawyer seeking comment were not immediately returned. With Rocco Parascandola and Thomas Tracy
NZ Herald
30-04-2025
- NZ Herald
More than 1 million NZ child sex abuse online viewing attempts as AI content increases
In 2024, Internal Affairs, Police and Customs received 16,223 referrals from the United States-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children concerning child sex exploitation content. The platform linked to the highest number of referrals (5834) was Snapchat, followed by Facebook (2439) and Instagram (1888). Almost 3000 referrals were assessed by Internal Affairs, including referrals about content involving child abuse, bestiality, and necrophilia. The report referenced one operation that launched in 2020 in response to an offender distributing child sex material on an online messaging platform. It led to the discovery of a network of seven New Zealand-based offenders with 'harmful sexual behaviours towards children'. Two were referred to the police while the remaining five were apprehended on a range of charges, from indecent acts on a child to distributing objectionable material. Two had since died. The operation, which led to the 'safeguarding' of one New Zealand child, uncovered more than 12,000 pieces of child sex material which involved 'infants who were exposed to obvious and intentional suffering'. Across the year, 14 New Zealand children were 'helped to be safeguarded' according to the report. Internal Affairs also identified several emerging harms that could complicate the policing of child sex abuse material, ranging from improved encryption across technology platforms and the growing number of methods to pay electronically for such material. One threat was the rise in 'generative artificial' content. More than 700 reports of such content had been made since 2023. The report said fake images and videos had become 'disturbingly realistic' amid ongoing technological advancement, meaning investigators had to invest more time in determining whether the children visible in the material were real or not. 'This content is becoming easier to generate, normalising this type of offending and encouraging the sexual abuse of children.'
