Latest news with #Korkmaz
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trucking company owner indicted in $2M credit card scam
A San Diego-area owner-operator was arraigned on Tuesday in an 18-count indictment charging him with bank fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft. Hasan Korkmaz, who owns San Diego Logistics Group Inc. based in Santee, California, carried out a credit card 'bust-out' scam in which seemingly legitimate credit card accounts are established and then are 'busted out' by maxing out the credit line with no intention of paying the balance, according to the U.S. attorney's office representing the Southern District of California. Prosecutors allege that Korkmaz obtained names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and other personal information linked to real people and used the information to apply for numerous credit card accounts. After opening the fraudulent accounts, he allegedly used the cards to charge various businesses, including his own trucking company, with some charges as high as $18,500 for a single transaction.'To perpetuate the scheme, Korkmaz also made fraudulent payments, with checks drawn on accounts with insufficient funds or drawn on non-existent accounts, to the credit card accounts, thereby temporarily restoring the available credit limits,' according to the attorney's office. 'Korkmaz would then incur additional charges on the credit card accounts at or near the maximum credit limits for the accounts.' Korkmaz is also alleged to have laundered the bank fraud proceeds, including by transferring them to a Turkish bank account he controlled, causing two banks to lose $2.1 million. According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration registration data, San Diego Logistics Group specializes in hauling refrigerated meat and fresh produce with three tractors and five drivers. It is listed as having an 'inactive' USDOT convicted, Korkmaz faces maximum sentences of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for bank fraud, 20 years and $500,000 for money laundering, and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. South Florida trucking company owner gets long prison term for Ponzi scheme California freight forwarder charged with smuggling billions in goods California trucking company owner pleads guilty to PPP fraud Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher. The post Trucking company owner indicted in $2M credit card scam appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Santee trucking company owner accused in $2 million credit card fraud
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The owner and operator of a trucking company in Santee is accused of bank fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft in a $2 million credit card scheme, per federal officials. Hasan Korkmaz, 44, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was arraigned in federal court Tuesday on an 18-count indictment, the United States Department of Justice said in a news release. Korkmaz, who owns and operates San Diego Logistics Group Inc., allegedly executed a credit card 'bust-out' scheme in 2022 and 2023 by establishing seemingly legitimate credit card accounts and then maxing out the credit line with no intention of paying the balance, according to the indictment. Federal documents on Buona Forchetta ICE raid released 'The indictment alleges that Korkmaz obtained names, dates of birth, social security numbers and other personally identifiable information corresponding with real individuals. Korkmaz then applied for numerous credit card accounts with that information,' the DOJ said. Korkmaz is suspected of using the credit cards to incur charges at various businesses, including San Diego Logistics Group Inc., with some charges as high as $18,500 in a single transaction, prosecutors said. Korkmaz also allegedly made fraudulent payments with checks drawn on accounts with insufficient funds or drawn on non-existent accounts to the credit card accounts, which temporarily restored the available credit limits, per the indictment. 'As alleged in the indictment, Korkmaz laundered the bank fraud proceeds, including by transferring proceeds from the fraud scheme to a Turkish bank account controlled by Korkmaz. In total, Korkmaz caused over $2,103,000 in losses to two banks,' the DOJ said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
What does the end of the PKK mean for Turkey?
After 41 years of armed insurgency against the Turkish state, the Kurdistan Worker's Party ( ) has announced that it will disband. Representatives of the Turkish government and politicians in opposition parties have all greeted the decision and the likely end of a long and bloody conflict, one where an estimated 40,000 people lost their lives. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The PKK's announcement set off celebrations but also brought up many questions. Political experts say that the dissolution of the group, which is classified as a terrorist organization by Germany and other countries, could fundamentally alter the balance of political power in Turkey. How would Turkish politics change? This could well amount to an important turning point in Turkish politics, says , co-director of the Istanbul Political Research Institute, or IstanPol. "The political equations we were talking about a year ago are today completely different," Korkmaz says. "Parties will have to adapt their programs and their discourse." In particular, things might change a lot for the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party, a pro-Kurdish political party known as DEM for short. According to Korkmaz, two main factors will impact Turkish politics over the next three years: How peace with the PKK proceeds and the legal situation around jailed Istanbul mayor . The democratically elected mayor was detained in March while the peace process with the PKK was already underway. Korkmaz notes that 's own party, the Republican People's Party (CHP) is now classified as the Erdogan government's "new enemy." They replace the pro-Kurdish political movement, which was the state's greatest foe in recent years. Supporters chant slogans while holding pictures of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as they gather outside , where a hearing is taking place for one of the multiple cases against him, west of Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, April 11, 2025. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Supporters chant slogans while holding pictures of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as they gather outside Silivri Prison, where a hearing is taking place for one of the multiple cases against him, west of Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, April 11, 2025. There are a lot of Kurdish politicians in prison alongside Imamoglu, including Selahattin Demirtas, the DEM party's former co-chairperson who was jailed on what are considered politically motivated charges of terrorism in 2016. The pro-Kurdish movement now expects some of their politicians will be freed, even as the fate of those prisoners remains unclear. "Discussing the Kurdish question within the constitutional framework now requires, above all, some sort of detente or democratization," argues Mesut Yegen, a political scientist at the Reform Institute, an Istanbul-based think tank. "Essentially, the constitution must be redesigned to create a more democratic model for Turkey. But at the same time, there is a government is unwilling to change a presidential system with authoritarian tendencies. " Many unknowns It's also unclear when, how and to whom the PKK might surrender their weapons. Nobody knows whether this could happen via international observers, or whether it will be a complete and thorough disarming, or if it's just a symbolic gesture. Media reports, citing official sources, suggest these questions may be answered this summer. It appears that the state is working on some kind of plan. Another issue: there's some resistance to the group's dissolution within the PKK itself. Several senior members of the group still need to be convinced. Additionally, there's also been discussion as to whether a new organization might take the PKK's place and what happens to the Kurdish umbrella organization, the Kurdistan Democratic Communities Union, or KCK, now. Turkish Foreign Minister has made it clear that the PKK's renunciation of armed conflict won't be enough. "Putting down weapons alone is not enough," he said during a televised interview on May 9. "It is necessary to eliminate illegal and intelligence structures. An accountable organization model should be developed by taking advantage of the opportunities provided to political parties and NGOs." said he was prepared for a number of different scenarios. PKK members in limbo? Also uncertain is the fate of PKK members, including fighters who have sought shelter in the mountains in northern Iraq as well as activists in the cities. The PKK has an estimated 60,000 supporters, including its fighters, sympathizers and civilian helpers. A general amnesty for PKK members is considered controversial. Potential integration programs are being considered, but a blanket pardon by Turkish President seems unlikely. The risk of it causing social tensions is too significant. Leading members of the PKK won't be able to return to Turkey. Some may be able to travel to third countries, others may stay in northern Iraq. But that too has yet to be decided. Erdogan's government certainly doesn't want to see the PKK's 300-strong leadership, currently living in neighboring Iraq, Syria or Iran, simply be allowed to stay where they are. The impact on those neighboring nations is also being closely monitored. The north of Syria remains under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF. The core of the SDF is the so-called People's Defense Units, or YPG. Turkey considers the YPG an offshoot of the PKK. There is speculation that the SDF fighters could be integrated into Syria's new national army. Any foreigners in the SDF's ranks should return home. At the beginning of this process, Turkey's government had insisted that the YPG should also lay down their weapons. But over time, that demand has become less strident. The Turkish Ministry of Defense has also changed the terminology it uses and now increasingly refers to the SDF instead of the "YPG/PKK." Previously, the Turkish government avoided using the acronym SDF, arguing that it was a euphemism for a terrorist organization. There are also skeptical voices inside Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Former member of parliament, , who was close to Erdogan, warned that besides working out a weapons handover and clarifying the legal situation, what to do with former PKK fighters had to be decided. "This development can't be assessed in isolation from structures in Syria," Tayyar said. "More important than dismantling an outdated PKK is eliminating the threat of the YPG on our border."
Saba Yemen
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Turkish official: Russia-Ukraine talks could continue for several rounds
Ankara - Saba: Halil Korkmaz, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Relations Department of the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP), predicted on Wednesday that the potential negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul would continue for more than one round, indicating that there could be a series of meetings. Russian news agency Sputnik quoted Korkmaz as saying, in response to a question about whether the upcoming meeting in Istanbul on May 15 might not be the final one, that "it is very likely that after the negotiations conclude, an agreement will be reached to continue the process (negotiations) in order to end the conflice." He added, "There may be a second and third meeting. This cannot be ruled out. Everything will depend on the results (of the first possible meeting on May 15)." Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously offered Ukraine to resume direct negotiations without preconditions in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 15, and did not rule out the possibility that the two sides might reach a ceasefire agreement during those negotiations. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is determined to seriously explore ways to reach a long-term peaceful settlement. According to him, the goals of the proposed negotiations with Ukraine are to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and protect Russia's interests. In response, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has once again begun to put forward conditions previously described as unacceptable in Moscow, insisting that Moscow agree to a complete ceasefire starting May 12, and only then will the Kyiv regime sit at the negotiating table. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Secret Fed Filing Regarding Dropped Charges Against NYC Mayor to Be Unsealed This Week
A court has ordered that documents filed under seal that will explain why the federal government dismissed its bribery case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams be available to the public after several New York City newspapers sued for access. The ruling orders that specific filings related to the Trump Administration's refusal to prosecute Adams, a Democrat who was indicted when President Joe Biden was still in the White House by the Southern District of New York City, be unsealed on May 2. The reasons for the Department of Justice's abrupt move to file a nolle prosequi have been shrouded in secrecy. When the charges against Adams were dropped, the acting U.S. Attorney who took over the case, Danielle Sassoon, resigned in protest. In February, before the charges were dropped, the government notified a federal judge that many of the filings in Adams' case would be sealed because the "case will involve information that has been classified in the interest of national security." A draft memo written by Sassoon to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in February expresses outrage at the DOJ, and stated she "wanted no part in the political bargain" Trump made with Adams. That draft was unsealed in late March. Los Angeles reported in November that a Turkish billionaire and reputed CIA asset Sezgin Baran Korkmaz was snuck out of a Utah holding cell where he was awaiting trial on money laundering charges connected to a sprawling green energy scam that bilked the U.S. Treasury out of $511 million dollars. Korkmaz is close to former CIA Director James Woolsey, who worked as a senior advisor to President Trump during his first term, and had been the top spy at the Pentagon under former President Bill Clinton. Korkmaz was indicted in Utah on money laundering charges connected to a scheme run by an LA fuel magnate and a Mormon polygamist cult sect that pilfered a half billion dollars in bogus biofuel subsidies. Prosecutors say Korkmaz helped the unlikely criminal compatriots launder $133 million in stolen taxpayer cash, and when the green energy swindle led to a slew of arrests in L.A. and Utah, the billionaire went on the run. Interpol tracked his movements for years and found him in June 2021 getting a massage at a five-star hotel in Austria. Korkmaz was extradited to Utah in 2022, where a judge ordered him held without bail after the government argued he was "a flight risk," one with 'every incentive to flee the United States' as well as 'the financial means to do so.'But Korkmaz was inexplicably released from a Utah jail and was spotted in New York City last summer as a free man active on social media, despite the litany of criminal charges he continues to face in Utah, and the government's own assertion that he is a flight risk with access to tens of millions of dollars. According to the docket in his federal criminal case, Korkmaz' trial has not yet been set, despite it being four years after his arrest. Korkmaz, who court records call a man with "longrunning entanglements with domestic and foreign governments," has now been identified as "Businessman #3" in the 57-page federal indictment against Adams that has now been nixed. Adams' relationship with Turkish officials and the country's wealthiest occupants began in 2014 when he was elected as Brooklyn's Borough President, federal prosecutors said when they indicted him last year. Over the next decade, according to the indictment, he "sought and accepted improper valuable benefits, such as luxury international travel, including from wealthy foreign business people and at least one Turkish government official seeking to gain influence over him."In exchange, Adams was pressured to ignore Armenian Genocide Day, which falls in April, among other concessions pushed by the Turkish representatives, once he took office, according to the indictment.
