News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
The Justice Department announced two indictments in the Central
District of California charging Ukrainian national Victoria Eduardovna
Dubranova, 33, also known as Vika, Tory, and SovaSonya, for her role in
conducting cyberattacks and computer intrusions against critical infrastructure
and other victims around the world, in support of Russia’s geopolitical
interests. Dubranova was extradited to the United States earlier this year
on an indictment charging her for her actions supporting CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn
(CARR). Today, Dubranova was arraigned on a second indictment charging her
for her actions supporting NoName057(16) (NoName). Dubranova pleaded not guilty
in both cases, and is scheduled to begin trial in the NoName matter on Feb. 3,
2026 and in the CARR matter on April 7, 2026.
As described
in the indictments, the Russian government backed CARR and NoName by providing,
among other things, financial support. CARR used this financial support to
access various cybercriminal services, including subscriptions to distributed
denial of service-for-hire services. NoName was a state-sanctioned project
administered in part by an information technology organization established by
order of the President of Russia in October 2018 that developed, along with
other co-conspirators, NoName’s proprietary distributed denial of service
(DDoS) program.
“Today’s actions demonstrate the Department’s
commitment to disrupting malicious Russian cyber activity — whether conducted
directly by state actors or their criminal proxies — aimed at furthering
Russia’s geopolitical interests,” said Assistant Attorney General for National
Security John A. Eisenberg. “We remain steadfast in defending essential
services, including food and water systems Americans rely on each day, and
holding accountable those who seek to undermine them.”
You can read the rest of the announcement via he below link:
It’s
a sad commentary, but during the holiday season, when most of us are thinking
of family and friends and of goodness and joy, there are heartless crooks
looking to take advantage of one’s goodness by scamming them.
On
December 3rd at a Security Summit, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced
that the 10th National Tax Security Awareness Week hopes to raise awareness
about tax-related identity theft and scams as the holidays and the upcoming tax
season approach.
The
Security Summit is a coalition of the IRS, state tax administrators, tax
software companies, the tax professional community and others in the larger tax
community, organized to combat tax-related identity theft through a
public-private sector partnership that strengthened internal protections and
raised awareness about security threats.
“With
the holiday shopping season underway and tax season quickly approaching, we are
urging taxpayers and tax professionals to take extra steps to protect their
financial and tax information,” said IRS CEO Frank Bisignano. “During this
holiday season, people face the heightened risk of identity theft as criminals
ramp up efforts to trick people into sharing sensitive personal information:
identity thieves might use this information to try filing false tax returns and
stealing refunds.”
The
IRS stated that the work of the Security Summit is to strengthen internal
systems and share information across the tax system about fraudsters continues
to show results. Since its inception, the work of the Security Summit has
helped protect millions of taxpayers against identity theft and prevented
billions of dollars from being wrongly paid out to fraudsters.
The
IRS stated that the work of the Security Summit is to strengthen internal
systems and share information across the tax system about fraudsters continues
to show results. Since its inception, the work of the Security Summit has
helped protect millions of taxpayers against identity theft and prevented
billions of dollars from being wrongly paid out to fraudsters.
As
the IRS and the Summit partners have strengthened their systems, identity
thieves have increasingly turned their attention to stealing underlying tax and
financial information from taxpayers, businesses, and tax professionals in
hopes of slipping authentic-looking tax returns through the defenses.
“There
has been an increase of these activities on social media, including inaccurate
tax advice that continues to mislead taxpayers. To help counter this, many of
the Security Summit partners have joined together to form the Coalition Against
Scam and Scheme Threats. This group will be increasingly active during the
upcoming tax season,” the IRS stated.
“A
key tool in identifying and defending against these identity theft scams is the
Identity Theft Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which was developed by
the IRS and Security Summit partners to better identify and coordinate against
fraudsters. As the group has strengthened defenses inside the tax system to
spot emerging scams, identity thieves continue to look for new ways to obtain
sensitive personal financial information to file fraudulent tax returns, making
tax professionals and the sensitive tax information of their clients a target
for scam artists.”
The
IRS and Security Summit partners want taxpayers, tax professionals and
businesses to be extra aware during the upcoming holiday season for the threats
listed below.
Social media scams: Bad tax advice on social media can mislead taxpayers
about their credit or refund eligibility. Influencers may convince
taxpayers to lie on tax forms or suggest the IRS is keeping a tax credit
secret from them. Social media posts may put taxpayers in touch with
scammers.
Phishing
and smishing: The IRS frequently warns against phishing emails and
smishing texts, which are common tactics used by criminals to steal
personal and financial information. The impersonator wants taxpayers to
send them money. Opening links and attachments may harm their computer.
Protection
for seniors: Scammers target people over age 65 or nearing
retirement for personal or financial information or money. Often, once
seniors give them money, they ask for more. When scammers trick them to
withdraw from their retirement account, it could affect their taxes.
Protection
for businesses and tax professionals: The IRS reminds tax
professionals of their legal obligation to have a Written Information
Security Plan and to use multi-factor authentication. Businesses are also
advised to update their security measures and remain vigilant against
cyberattacks.
Identity
Protection PIN: An identity protection PIN is a six-digit number that
prevents someone else from filing a tax return using a taxpayers Social
Security number or individual taxpayer identification number. If taxpayers
don't already have an IP PIN, they may get an IP PIN as a proactive step
to protect themselves from tax-related identity theft. Anyone with an SSN
or an ITIN can get an IP PIN including individuals living abroad.
·The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also issued
warnings about holiday scams.
·“Scammers are everywhere online –
especially on social media,” the FTC stated. “They sometimes impersonate real
companies and run ads for brand-name products at unusually low prices. But if
you click the link in the ad, it could send you to a “scammy” website designed
to take your money in exchange for a counterfeit item, something that looks
completely different from the picture in the ad, or nothing at all.”
·When you’re shopping online, the FTC stated,
here are some ways to protect yourself during the holidays and year-round:
Do some research. Before you buy, search online for the
seller’s name and the website URL the ad sends you to, plus words like
“review,” “complaint,” or “scam” to see what others have to say.
Pay by credit card, when possible. If you’re charged twice, billed
for something you never got, or get a wrong or damaged item, you can dispute the charge with your credit
card company. And if the seller says you can only pay with a gift card, wire
transfer, payment app, or cryptocurrency, it’s probably a scam.
Keep records. If something goes wrong,having your receipt and
order confirmation number can help you get your money back from the
seller. Also, sellers have to ship your order by the time they or their ads say they will —
or give you the chance to get your money back.
If you think you were scammed,
file a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
The FBI field office in
Philadelphia notes that the holidays are underway, and with charitable giving
and online shopping surging, the FBI reminds communities to stay alert for
schemes designed to steal your money and personal information.
“The holiday season is a time
to bring people together, but scammers are working to separate you from your
money and personal information,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge
of FBI Philadelphia. “Whether you are shopping, connecting with loved ones, or
looking to give back, there are small, but important steps everyone can take to
better protect themselves online: if you didn’t call them, don’t tell
them—never share personal or banking information on an unsolicited call; If the
link is a mystery, the risk isn’t — don’t click unrequested links; use secure
payment methods; and verify charitable organizations before donating. If you
have any doubt, reach out—call the FBI at 1800-CALL-FBI or report it at
IC3.gov.
“If
a deal you find this holiday season seems a little too good to be true, it
probably is.”
Some of the most common holiday
shopping scams reported to the FBI include:
Non-delivery scams, where you, as a buyer, pay for goods or
services you find online, but you never receive your items.
Non-payment scams, where you, as a seller, ship purchased goods or
services, but you never receive payment for them.
Gift card fraud, where a seller asks you to pay with a pre-paid
card.
The FBI
Philadelphia field office also reminds the public of the charity fraud scams
criminals deploy this time of year to cash in on your kindness.
“Charity
fraud schemes seek donations for organizations that do little or no
work—instead your charitable donation goes to the fake charity’s creator.
Scammers can contact you in many forms, from e-mails, text messages, cold calls
and social media,” the FBI stated.
As Christmas approaches, I'd like to once again
offer my short story, Twas a Crime Before Christmas.
Twas a Crime Before
Christmas: My Interview with Santa Claus
By Paul Davis
As a newspaper crime reporter and columnist, I was compelled to
look into a report of a burglary of an unemployed construction worker on
Christmas Eve in South Philadelphia.
The burglar or burglars broke into the home early on the morning of the 24th.
They stole the family’s TV and other household goods. They also took a dozen or
so wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree that were intended for the family’s
two children.
I interviewed the victim, who was so devastated by the burglary that he could
hardly speak. I also spoke to a detective who said he presently had no leads on
the case, but he planned to keep working it. I also spoke to a local priest who
told me that the church was collecting donations for the poor family.
Lastly, I spoke to a man of great wisdom and experience. The jolly old fella
was kind enough to pause during his special night out to talk to me about
crime.
I interviewed Santa Claus as he was packing up his sleigh and getting ready to
head off on his magical trip, bringing toys and goodies to good children around
the world.
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow and the beard on his chin was
white as snow. His eyes twinkled and his dimples were merry. His cheeks were
like roses, his nose like a cherry. He looked like a candidate for a heart
attack.
And he smoked. The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth and the smoke
encircled his head like a wreath (the Surgeon General would not approve). He
was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot (PETA would not approve) and
his clothes were tarnished with ashes and soot (Mrs. Santa would not approve).
With a lumpy sack over his shoulder, he looked like a homeless person.
I asked Santa Claus if the public’s fear of crime had changed how he did his
job.
“The increased use of car and home burglar alarms makes my journey
tougher, I must say,” Santa told me. “As you know, my miniature sleigh and
eight tiny reindeer make such a clatter, they set off every car alarm on the
block.”
Santa also said that home burglar alarms has made his
surreptitious entry, via the fireplace, most difficult. When he slides down the
chimney, he sets off alarms, which wakes the household and brings the
police.
Santa went on to say that the alarms ruin the surprise for the
children, and he is often detained by the responding police officers, who
demand identification and administer alcohol tests.
Fortunately, Santa looks like a right jolly old elf, so the police officers
have to laugh, in spite of themselves. A wink of his eye and a twist of his
head give the people who thought they were being robbed the knowledge that they
had nothing to dread.
“I once had my sleigh and reindeer stolen while I was in a home setting up the
toys, and I must admit that I paused to enjoy the milk and cookies that a child
left me,” Santa said. “But with some kindly police officer’s help, I was able
to recover the sleigh and reindeer rather quickly. You see my lead reindeer has
a bright red nose and we were able to spot him from about three blocks away.”
Santa said his brush with crime made him understand why families were
installing burglar alarms and why they were more concerned about a strange old
fat man in red entering their home in the middle of the night. He told me that
he was looking into some kind of security system for his sleigh as well.
I asked him about the burglary that occurred that morning in South Philly and
he replied he was well aware of the sad incident.
“I plan to visit the house tonight on my rounds and with a little magic I’ll
leave them some special gifts under their tree,” Santa explained. “I also did a
little investigative work to find the crooks, as I have powers the police
lack."
Santa said he discovered who the crooks were, and he tipped the police off. He
also plans to leave the crooks lumps of coal in their stockings, which will be
hung with care in the local jail.
“Don’t they know I’m watching?” Santa asked.” I know when they have been
naughty or good. My surveillance techniques are finer than the FBI’s.”
“This should be a joyful time of year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ,” Santa said. “This should be a time of love, charity and good cheer.”
The interview concluded, he sprang to his sleigh and to his team gave a whistle
and away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all and
to all a good night!”
Note: With apologies to Clement C. Moore, I offer my best wishes for a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.
The
U.S. Justice Department released the below information:
Two
businessmen are now in custody for allegedly violating U.S. export control and
smuggling laws. As part of the overall investigation, a Houston company and its
owner also pleaded guilty to smuggling cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence
(AI) technology out of the United States, and the United States has seized over
$50 million in Nvidia technologies and cash.
“Operation Gatekeeper has exposed a sophisticated smuggling
network that threatens our Nation’s security by funneling cutting-edge AI
technology to those who would use it against American interests,” said U.S.
Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “These chips
are the building blocks of AI superiority and are integral to modern military
applications. The country that controls these chips will control AI technology;
the country that controls AI technology will control the future. The Southern
District of Texas will aggressively prosecute anyone who attempts to compromise
America’s technological edge.”
“Gong and his accomplices allegedly led a complex scheme to
smuggle high-performance graphic processing units to China in violation of U.S.
export laws,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s
Counterintelligence Division. “This case highlights the importance of
interagency cooperation to protect U.S. technology; the FBI, alongside our
partners, will continue to aggressively investigate these violations and bring
those responsible to justice. We ask our private sector partners to remain vigilant
to this increasing threat as our adversaries try to match U.S. artificial
intelligence breakthroughs.”
According to court documents, Alan Hao Hsu, also known as
Haochun Hsu, 43, of Missouri City, Texas, and his company, Hao Global LLC, both
pleaded guilty to smuggling and unlawful export activities on Oct. 10, 2025.
According to now unsealed court documents, between October 2024 and May 2025,
Hsu and others knowingly exported and attempted to export at least $160 million
worth of export-controlled Nvidia H100 and H200 Tensor Core graphic processing
units (GPUs).
The H100 and H200 are high-speed GPUs used for AI applications
and high-performance computing. They are designed to process massive amounts of
data, advancing generative AI and large language models and accelerating
scientific computing. These GPUs are used for both civilian and military
applications.
Hsu and others falsified shipping paperwork, misclassifying the
true nature of the goods and their recipients to conceal the ultimate
destination of the GPUs. Hsu and Hao Global received more than $50 million in
wire transfers that originated from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to
help fund the scheme. The GPUs were ultimately shipped to the PRC, Hong Kong
and other destinations in violation of U.S. export laws.
At sentencing, Hsu faces up to 10 years in prison on Feb. 18,
and Hao Global LLC faces a maximum penalty of twice the gross gain from the
offense and a term of probation.
Also charged in relation to the scheme are two PRC natives.
Benlin Yuan, 58, the chief executive officer of a Sterling, Virginia, IT
services company, which is the U.S. subsidiary of a large PRC IT company based
in Beijing, was arrested in Sterling, Virginia, on Nov. 28 and charged with
conspiring to violation the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) of 2018. Yuan is a
Canadian citizen who resides in Mississauga, Ontario.
Fanyue Gong, also known as Tom Gong, 43, a PRC citizen who
resides in Brooklyn, New York, is the owner of a New York technology company
and was arrested in New York on Dec. 3. Gong was charged with conspiring to
smuggle goods out of the United States.
According to charging documents, Gong and Yuan also
independently conspired with employees of a Hong Kong-based logistics company
and a China-based AI technology company to circumvent U.S. export controls.
The criminal complaint against Gong alleges that co-conspirators
obtained Nvidia GPUs through straw purchasers and intermediaries, falsely
indicating that the goods were for U.S. customers or customers in third
countries that do not require a license to export. The GPUs were shipped to
multiple U.S. warehouses where individuals who worked for Gong removed Nvidia
labels and re-labeled the GPUs with the name “SANDKYAN” – a fake company – and
then prepared the goods for export at his direction. The shipping and export
paperwork for the GPUs allegedly misclassified the goods as generic computer
parts. The charges allege co-conspirators then shipped the goods or attempted
to do so to the PRC and Hong Kong in violation of U.S. laws.
According to the complaint, Yuan helped recruit and organize
individuals to inspect the mislabeled GPUs on behalf of the Hong Kong logistics
company. Yuan allegedly agreed to direct inspectors not to say the goods
were destined for the PRC. The government also alleges Yuan directed
discussions regarding crafting a story his company could use to get GPUs and
other equipment released after federal law authorities detained it. Yuan
allegedly engaged in several conversations about providing false information to
U.S. authorities regarding the ultimate customer of the goods.
As alleged, Yuan also participated in and agreed to direct
actions involving the handling and storage of another export of Nvidia GPUs on
behalf of the Hong Kong logistics company.
If convicted, Yuan faces up to 20 years in prison for conspiring
to violate ECRA and up to a $1 million fine. If convicted, Gong faces up to 10
years in prison for conspiring to smuggle goods out of the United States.
Hsu was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. Yuan and
Gong are currently in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
The Commerce Department’s BIS Office of Export Enforcement
Dallas Field Office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security
Investigations (ICE HSI) Dallas, and FBI New York and Washington Field Offices
are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Marck and Mark McIntyre for the
Southern District of Texas and Trial Attorney Fatema Merchant of the National
Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are
prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance provided by Trial Attorney
Yifei Zheng, also from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt in a court of law.
Philly Daily, where my Crime Beat column appears weekly,
reports that the Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village, based on Charles
Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. has returned for the 2025 holiday season.
You can read about the Wanamaker
Light Show and the Dickens Village via the link below:
As scammers
increasingly use pressure tactics and artificial intelligence to defraud
Americans out of their hard-earned money, the FBI is reminding everyone to
protect themselves and their families from fraud this holiday season.
"If you
feel pressured to act fast, pay money, or turn over personal information—take a
beat. Stop and assess if what you're being told is real. Talk to your families.
Protect each other from scams," said FBI Director Kash Patel.
"Scammers are banking on the fact that you'll feel too embarrassed to come
forward and report the crime to the FBI. Don't let them win."
The FBI
specifically encourages Americans to talk to their loved ones about not sharing
sensitive information with people they have met only online or over the phone.
They also should not send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or other assets.
Cyber-enabled
fraud dominates the scam landscape, accelerated by artificial intelligence
(AI). In the first seven months of 2025, AI accounted for more than 9,000
complaints to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and those AI
complaints spanned all types of scams. Fraudsters use technology to create fake
social media profiles, voice clones, identification documents, and videos with
believable depictions of public figures or even loved ones. Fraudulent or
suspicious activity can be reported to the FBI at ic3.gov.
Tipsters should include information such as:
identifying
information about the person or company which contacted them
methods of
communication used, to include websites, emails, and phone numbers
financial
transaction information, such as the date, type of payment, amount,
account numbers involved, the name and address of the receiving financial
institution, and receiving cryptocurrency addresses
description of the
interaction with the fraudster
The IC3 received
535,314 complaints reporting $13.7 billion in losses last year, an average loss
of $25,700 per victim. Between 2020 and 2024, a total of $50.5 billion in
losses were reported to IC3. People over 60 suffered the most losses and
submitted the most complaints. Victims over 60 who need assistance filing an
IC3 complaint can contact the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline, 1-833-FRAUD-11
(833-372-8311). Learn more about scam prevention at fbi.gov/takeabeat.
As the Christmas season is once again upon us,
I’d like to once again share my short story, A Christmas Crime Story.
The short story originally appeared in TheOrchard
Press Online Mystery Magazine in 2003.
A Christmas Crime
Story
By Paul Davis
To get in the true spirit of the Christmas holiday, some people
go to church, some people go to the homes of family and friends, and some
people go out and shop.
Me? I go to cop bars.
Cops are great storytellers. Perhaps it’s because they observe a segment of
life that’s dramatic, tragic and funny. Perhaps it’s also because they spend so
much time cruising on patrol that they’ve had the time to develop and hone
their story-telling skills.
As a writer, I’ve talked to cops in station houses, in patrol cars, on the
street and in bars. I’ve listened to their concerns, prideful boasts and
sorrowful confessions. I’ve accompanied cops on patrol and witnessed them
handle insane, intoxicated and incongruous citizens. I’ve observed how they
console crime victims and their families. I’ve seen how they cope with the
aftermath of criminal violence and man’s inhumanity to man. And I’ve come to
appreciate their black humor, which like military humor, is a necessary safety
valve to get them through the bad times.
I especially like to frequent cop bars during the holiday season and listen to
cops at their very best. Some cops gather at bars after work to relax, drink
and tell their stories. At this time of year, they are in very good spirits, a
bit happier, a bit giddier and a bit more talkative.
Cops are generally in good spirits despite the fact that the holiday season is
a busy one for them. It’s a sad commentary, but the holiday season is a peak
time for crime.
Criminals certainly love the holiday season, but not for spiritual or
sentimental reasons. It’s simply a time of grand opportunity. And criminals
certainly don’t take a Christmas vacation. As joyous and hopeful people go out
to worship, shop, dine and visit family and friends, criminal predators go out
and pickpocket, shoplift, mug, steal and burglarize.
My recent columns in the local newspaper covered the annual Christmas crime
spree and over the years I’ve reported on and chronicled a good number of
crime stories during the holidays. I recall covering the story of a do-gooder
delivering toys to needy families who was viciously assaulted and robbed.
Another story concerned two kids playing with their Christmas gift, a paint
ball gun, when an irate neighbor came out and shot them with a real gun.
One year while out on patrol with the cops, I came upon a young couple who had
started out drinking and getting high for the holidays and ended up with one
murdering the other. I once covered a story about a man with a car full of
gifts who ran into a store for a pack of cigarettes. He came out to no car, no
gifts and no Merry Christmas for him that year.
I’ve covered an assortment of other stories about armed robberies, thefts, purse
snatchings and other crimes during the holidays as well.
Despite the crime and tragedies I’ve seen, I still love the Christmas season. I
love the lights and decorations, the hustle and bustle and all of the
trimmings. I love Christmas music and often sing along, although admittedly
off-key.
This particular year, even more than others in the past, I was in very good
spirits, having recently recovered from severe spine and nerve damage that
crippled me and caused God-awful pain. I spent several months in the
hospital and convalescing at home. I’ve suffered with a bad back for many
years, dating back to my years as an amateur boxer and playing other
sports, and as a young sailor working on a U.S. Navy tugboat and
an aircraft carrier. The build-up of damage to my poor back finally took its
toll and crippled me.
The doctors at the hospital ruled that I was not a surgical candidate,
determining that any operation would be too risky. As I was deathly afraid
of surgery, this diagnosis suited me fine. So they loaded me up with
wonder drugs and placed me in physical therapy. The physical therapists,
trained by Saddam Hussein’s secret police, I suspect, got me to my feet and ran
me through a series of painful but ultimately beneficial exercises.
When I initially collapsed during the summer in my bedroom, I thought the
searing pain in my groin and back was akin to being shot with a high-powered
rifle. My wife called 911 and the Philadelphia Fire Department’s Rescue
Paramedics rushed me to the hospital. Despite being in great pain, I managed to
joke with the attending doctors and nurses that first night in the hospital.
This is the most painful day of my life, I told them - and I’ve been to
Vietnam.
And I’m married.
And I have a teenage daughter.
I got a few laughs, which helped to lighten my pain, as I am a ham to the
end. In addition to the fine medical professionals who cared for me, it was my
wonderful wife and family - who were often the brunt of my jokes and asides –
who helped me get through the worst time of my adult life.
Within the period of five months, I went from being bed-ridden in great pain,
to twirling around the hospital halls in a wheelchair, to walking a few painful
steps with a walker, to finally walking into a cop’s bar aided by a cane this
fine Christmas season.
I’d recovered sufficiently enough to go out and stop by Johnny Drum’s Bar
& Grill, a great little cop’s bar in South Philly. I had a lot to be
thankful for this year and I visited Johnny’s place expecting to run into some
lively characters that felt likewise.
I was somewhat disappointed to first encounter Sgt. John Snyder at the bar.
Snyder was known as one mean cop. He was of average height, a bit stocky and
had a large, pan-shaped head topped with thinning dark hair. He was an unhappy,
gruff and miserable man. A cop once made the comment that Snyder
"barked" rather than spoke.
I recall previous Christmas seasons when Snyder would be at the end of the bar
by himself, miserly nursing his drink. In addition to being foul-tempered, Snyder
was a notorious cheapskate.
"Merry Christmas, Ebenezer," I’d greet him in jest during those
holiday visits. "Bah, humbug," he’d respond, playing along
begrudgingly with my take on Charles Dickens’ classic holiday story, A
Christmas Carol. I joked around, but in truth he was truly as mean-spirited
as Dickens’s Ebenezer Scrooge.
Sgt. Snyder was widely known as "The Cop Who Busted Santa Claus." As
the often-told story goes, Snyder pulled over a man dressed as Santa
on Christmas Eve a few years back. Observing that the red-suited,
false-bearded man was slightly inebriated, Snyder promptly placed him under
arrest.
He slapped the handcuffs on the man and then had had his car towed. The tow
truck took the car, despite the jolly old soul’s somewhat slurred pleas that
his car – a modern-day sleigh - was full of toys destined for children at an
orphanage. A crowd had gathered on the street and booed the police officer’s
actions. He cursed them and threatened to lock them all up.
"And a Merry, Merry Christmas to you as well," one bystander
sarcastically remarked.
More holiday-spirited police officials quickly released the man dressed as
Santa. The man, outraged by his treatment, promptly called a TV station and
told his story. The mayor, the police commissioner and other police brass were
not happy with the lead news story run on Christmas Day. The national press
picked up the story and this did not help Philadelphia’s image. "The Cop
Who Busted Santa Claus" complemented an earlier story of Philadelphia
sport fans pelting Santa with snowballs at a ball field.
A cop once told me that Snyder had him out walking on South Street on a very
cold and windy Christmas Eve night. Snyder sternly ordered the beat cop not to
hang out in a store, sucking up heat, coffee and merriment. Of course, the
cop quickly escaped the bitter wind and cold and stepped into a shoe store for
hot chocolate and conversation with the store owner and customers.
When the cop looked out through the store window and saw Snyder’s car roll down
South Street, he stepped out and stood in front of the store, shivering.
"Have you been hiding in a store?" Sgt. Snyder barked. "No,
of course not" the cop told him. "Although it is really cold out
here, Sarge."
Snyder placed his bare hand on the cop’s badge and found the metal to be nearly
as warm as the hot chocolate in the beat cop’s stomach.
The chastened police officer told every cop, everybody, the story. "Do you
believe it? The SOB chewed me out on Christmas Eve!"
There were also tales of Snyder locking up kids whose only crime was being
merry. Sgt. Snyder was a one-man crime-fighting machine during the holiday
season, targeting not thieves and crooks, but rather the people whose only
crime was to be too joyous.
To his credit, he still talked to me despite the two negative
stories I wrote about him in the past. One of my columns covered
"The Cop Who Busted Santa Claus" and I wrote another that dealt with
Snyder’s arrest of a honeymooning couple who were visiting the Italian Market.
Their crime? The happy couple, who were married on Christmas Eve, asked the
good sergeant to pose with them for a photo. He didn’t like their attitude and
placed them under arrest for disorderly conduct.
But this year, as I approached him at the bar, I saw that Snyder was clearly a
changed man. Over a few drinks, he told me why.
A day earlier the gruff sergeant responded to the call of a residential
burglary. The victim told the responding officers that among the
stolen valuables were his military awards and other mementos of the Iraq
War. He told Snyder that he had just returned from Iraq as a
medically discharged soldier due to combat wounds.
"Who’d steal this stuff?" he asked Snyder. "Who would steal
children’s toys at Christmas?"
The burglars stole the gift-wrapped presents from under the Christmas tree. The
young former soldier was saddened by the loss of his gifts to his wife and
children. He said he was not insured, and he could not afford to buy new gifts.
Snyder, the well-known mean, jaded and cynical cop, was truly touched by this
young veteran who had just returned from war.
Snyder felt empathy for someone for the first time in many years. He thought
back to his own return from Vietnam so many years before. He recalled how he
then yearned to become a cop. He also yearned to marry his high school
sweetheart and to have kids with her. He accomplished all that he set out to
do, and now, in the midst of a crime scene, he wondered why it had all soured
for him.
He marriage suffered from his penny-pinching, his chronic petty complaints, and
his foul temper. His wife finally drew up the courage to throw him out of the
house one night after he came home drunk, mean and violent. He would never hit
her or the kids, he assured me, but he often gave the inanimate objects in the
house a real good beating.
The kids, grown now and on their own, rarely spoke to him. He thought of them
as he watched the veteran’s children. The sight of these kids, sitting close
together on the couch, perhaps wondering if the crooks would come back, if
Santa were coming now, or whether Jesus still loved them, broke Snyder’s
heart.
Snyder made the rounds of the local veteran’s organizations the next day and
told the story of the veteran who had been victimized. He collected a good bit
of money from the veterans, from his fellow police officers and he personally
donated a large sum himself. Having secured the list of stolen items from South
Detectives, he ventured to the stores and purchased nearly all of the stolen
items.
He also called his wife, sweet-talked her, told her he was a changed man and
asked her to accompany him when, like Santa Claus, he would deliver the
replacement gifts to the veteran and his family.
He was truly beaming as he told me this Christmas crime story. I had never seen
him smile before.
He told me how the veteran’s kids were so happy they cried. The veteran
was embarrassed, but thankful. Snyder explained that his fellow veterans
and the local cops wanted to help him and his family.
By helping the veteran, Snyder recalled the true meaning of Christmas. He felt
the joy of giving and of goodness and loving - even in a cruel and sometimes
evil world.
"I have to run," he said, finishing up his story and beer, "I’m
celebrating Christmas with my wife, my kids and all of my grandkids."
Before he left, Snyder, to everyone’s astonishment but mine, bought a
round for the house.
In November of 1970 I was one
of many young sailors who “manned the rails” on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk as
we passed the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. (See the above photo).
We manned the rails in dress white
uniforms on the edge of the ship as a salute to honor the
sunken battleship USS Arizona and the sailors and Marines who died during the
Imperial Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, “A date,” noted
then-President Franklin Roosevelt, “which will live in infamy.”
The Kitty Hawk made a port of
call at Pearl Harbor just prior to our heading to Subic Bay in the Philippines
and then onto “Yankee Station” in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North
Vietnam during the final years of the Vietnam War.
Like many old surviving
sailors today, I again salute the servicemen who died on December 7, 1941, and I’d like to remind younger readers to never forget the Pearl Harbor attack which drew America into World War II.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is
intensifying its fight against the deadly threat of synthetic opioids with the
launch of Fentanyl Free America, a comprehensive enforcement
initiative and public awareness campaign aimed at reducing both the supply and
demand for fentanyl. This effort underscores DEA's unwavering commitment to
protecting American lives and communities from the devastating impacts of
fentanyl, which claimed nearly 50,000 lives last year according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Through
intensified enforcement operations and heightened intelligence, DEA is applying
unprecedented pressure on the global fentanyl supply chain, forcing
narco-terrorists, like the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG Cartel, to change their
business practices. This has led to encouraging signs of progress. DEA
laboratory testing indicates 29% of fentanyl pills analyzed during fiscal year
(FY) 2025 contained a potentially lethal dose, a significant drop from 76% of
pills tested just two years prior in FY 2023. Additionally, fentanyl powder
purity decreased to 10.3%, down from 19.5% during the same time
period. These reductions in potency and purity correlate with a decline in
synthetic opioid deaths to levels not seen since April 2020.
Aside from
producing less potent fentanyl, the cartels have increasingly diversified their
operations in an attempt to minimize their risks and maximize profits, an
evolution driven by opportunity and greed.
As of December
1, 2025, DEA has seized more than 45 million fentanyl pills, and more than
9,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, removing an estimated 347 million potentially
deadly doses of fentanyl from our communities. DEA intelligence indicates a
shift in cartel operations, with increased trafficking of fentanyl powder and
domestic production of fentanyl pills. The seizure of more than two dozen pill
press machines in October further highlights this trend.
"Fentanyl
Free America represents DEA’s unwavering commitment to save American lives and
end the fentanyl crisis, we are making significant progress in this fight, and
we must continue to intensify efforts to disrupt the fentanyl supply and reduce
demand,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “DEA is striking harder and
evolving faster to dismantle the foreign terrorists fueling this crisis, while
empowering all our partners to join the fight to prevent fentanyl-related
tragedies. Together, we can achieve a fentanyl free America and create a safer
future for generations to come.”
DEA remains at
the forefront of the fight to disrupt trafficking networks and strengthen the
government’s response to this epidemic. Fentanyl Free America represents
DEA’s heightened focus on enforcement, education, public awareness, and
strategic partnerships. The goal of the campaign is clear: eliminate the
fentanyl supply fueling the nation’s deadliest drug crisis. Since 2021,
synthetic opioids have claimed nearly 325,000 American lives.
The Fentanyl
Free America campaign also emphasizes the importance of public
engagement. DEA encourages everyone from community leaders, clergy, educators,
parents, physicians, pharmacists, and law enforcement to take an active role in
raising awareness by protecting others through education; preventing fentanyl
poisonings by understanding the dangers; and supporting those impacted. Free
resources including posters, radio advertising, billboards, and social media
resources are available at dea.gov/fentanylfree.
DEA’s efforts
are part of a larger whole-of-government strategy to dismantle transnational
criminal organizations and protect U.S. communities from fentanyl.
Philly Daily, where my Crime Beat column appears each week,
reports that the Chamber Orchestra of Europe will perform at the Marian
Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center on Wednesday, December 10th at
7:30 PM.
“The Chamber Orchestra of
Europe, one of the world’s most acclaimed chamber ensembles, join forces with
Philadelphia Orchestra Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin for an
unforgettable performance,” the event planners noted. “Experience this dynamic
partnership live in Philadelphia for the first time as they present an
all-Brahms program full of passion and virtuosity.”
You can read the rest of the
piece via the link below:
Like
a good many people I purchase a lot of items online and the items are then
delivered to my home by either commercial shipping companies or the U.S. Postal
Service.
Online
purchases being mailed greatly increase during the Holiday season, so many
people are receiving emails stating that they are from the U.S. Postal
Service.
The
Postal Service warns that these emails are fake.
The
U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) note
that they are well aware of the circulation of fake emails/email scams claiming
to be from the Postal Service officials, including the Postmaster
General.
“Please
know USPS officials would never reach out directly to consumers and ask for
money or Personal Identifying Information (PII),” the USPS explained.
The
Postal Service offers information and tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of
fake emails and other kinds of consumer fraud.
“If you ever receive an
email about a package delivery or unpaid online postage charges, be careful,”
the Postal Service advised. “Some postal customers are receiving bogus emails
featuring the subject line, “Delivery Failure Notification.” These emails
appear to be from the U.S. Postal Serviceand include language
regarding an unsuccessful attempt to deliver a package.
“The
email will prompt you to confirm your personal delivery information by clicking
a button or downloading an attachment, that, when opened, can activate a virus
and steal information—such as your usernames, passwords, and financial account
information. The Postal Inspection Service is working hard to stop these emails
and protect your information.”
(Below is a sample of a fake Postal Service email):
If you receive an email about a package delivery failure, the
Postal Service suggests you forward the email to spam@uspis.gov, and then
delete the email. One should also report non-USPS spam emails to the Federal
Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.
The Postal Service also warns
of identity fraud “phishing.”
Did you receive a luring email
from the Postal Service about a package delivery? Does it contain a link to
click? Don't take the bait! It's a phishing attempt to steal your personal
information.
Did you
receive an urgent email that requires action? Think before you click! Don't put
your personal information at risk. It's probably a phishing attempt.Did you receive an email
from the Postal Service about an attempted or intercepted package delivery?
Don’t click on the link! Bogus emails about delivery failures trick customers
into clicking links that contain viruses.
The
Postal Service also warns that one should not give out personal information via
email. The Postal Service states that they do not notify customers of package
delivery attempts or request personal information via email.
Poor
grammar indicates a fraudulent email, the Postal Service notes. Poor grammar
and spelling errors are a good indication that the email is fake. Also be aware
that if the email requests “immediate action,” it may be a scam.
The
Postal Service also warns of phone calls or voicemail messages from an
unfamiliar number claiming to need to verify sensitive personal information. If
you receive a call or voicemail, don’t respond. Delete the voicemail. This type
of scam is called “vishing.”
“Vishing,
short for voice phishing, is an identity fraud scam utilizing a phone call or
voicemail,” the Postal Service explained. “Scammers will call or leave a
voicemail and impersonate someone they are not, and attempt to elicit sensitive
information, like login credentials, personal identifying information, credit
card numbers or other banking details. These impostors may pretend to be Postal
Inspectors, or other persons in USPS and USPIS positions of authority. They may
attempt to coerce you with threats of arrest or some other punishment.”
If
you ever receive a phone call or voicemail from an individual claiming to be a
Postal Inspector or other law enforcement official- alleging there is an active
warrant out for your arrest, the Postal Service warns you to be careful.
“These
individuals impersonate law enforcement, or other positions of authority, and
will manufacture a threatening situation and sense of urgency in an attempt to
coerce you into sending them money and/or providing your personal information
to steal your identity. They may claim you are the suspect of a criminal
investigation or currently have an outstanding warrant for your
arrest. The impostor’s phone number may be blocked or spoofed/fake, displaying
a number other than the actual number used by the impostor. “The imposter may
even spoof/fake a legitimate number of the person or entity he/she is
impersonating. Postal Inspectors will never demand money from you or threaten
you with arrest for failing to provide personal information over the phone,
text, or email. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is working hard to stop these
impostors.”
The Postal Service and the
Postal Inspection Service know that the recent occurrences of mail customers
receiving calls from individuals impersonating Postal Service and Postal
Inspections Service personnel,
“Please
know that Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service inspectors would never
reach out directly to consumers and demand money or personal information.”
The Postal Service offers the
information below to protect you from this imposter scam.
“If you receive a communication
from someone impersonating a Postal Inspector, please send an email to the
USPIS Cyber Crime Unit at ISCCU@usps.gov. Please include your name and
contact information, the name and any contact information used by the imposter,
and a summary of the phone call or copy of the actual communication with the
imposter.”
For
most of us the holiday season is a time for religious reflection, joy, the
exchange of gifts, fellowship, and love of family and friends. The holiday
season is also prime time for crooks, scammers, and con artists. So be on guard
when receiving emails that look fake.
Delete the emails. Never open
the emails and never respond to the emails. Don’t respond by threatening to
expose them to law enforcement or scold them for being awful human beings. If
you do open the email, don’t call any phone numbers the email asks you to.
Even Santa relies on the Postal Service (his sleigh can only hold
so much), so as you receive your online purchases and gifts through the mail,
be aware that there are Grinch crooks trying to scam via email.
You can read my other Philly Daily Crime Beat columns via
the link below:
The
U.S. Justice Department released the below information:
Mohammad
Dawood Alokozay, 30, a citizen of Afghanistan residing in Fort Worth, Texas,
has been federally charged for threatening to build a bomb, conduct a suicide
attack, and kill Americans and others, in a video shared on TikTok, X, and
Facebook.
“This Afghan national came into America during the Biden
administration and as alleged, explicitly stated that he came here in order to
kill American citizens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The public safety
threat created by the Biden administration’s vetting breakdown cannot be
overstated – the Department of Justice will continue working with our federal
and state partners to protect the American people from the prior
administration’s dangerous incompetence.”
“We have zero tolerance for violence and threats of violence to
kill American citizens and others like those allegedly made by this
individual,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of
Texas. “I applaud the rapid response of our federal and local law
enforcement partners in identifying and apprehending him. Those individuals who
jeopardize the public safety and security of North Texas residents will be
swiftly brought to justice.”
“This arrest demonstrates that the FBI remains steadfast in our
mission to defend the homeland and protect the American people. Thanks to
public reports of a threatening online video, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task
Force apprehended this individual before he could commit an act of violence. We
continue to ask that if you see something, say something,” said Special Agent
in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI's Dallas Field Office.
“Our commitment to keep America safe is unwavering. Online
threats made by those hiding behind a screen will not be dismissed or taken
lightly,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of Homeland Security
Investigations (HSI). “We will use every resource available to make sure these
perpetrators are found, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law.”
Alokozay is charged with transmitting a threatening
communication in interstate commerce related to threats he made on a Nov. 23
video call, which was recorded and posted to multiple social media accounts,
including TikTok, X, and Facebook. According to the complaint, the video shows
Alokozay angrily gesturing and speaking Dari, a language commonly spoken in
Afghanistan, while interacting with at least two other males on a video call. A
screenshot of a social media post that shared Alokozay’s Nov. 23 statements is
below:
As alleged, Alokozay threatened to conduct a suicide attack on
the other participants on the call, as well as “infidels” and Americans.
He claimed he would build a bomb in his vehicle and talked about a particular
yellow cooking oil container favored by the Taliban in building improvised
explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan. Alozokay stated the Taliban were
dear to him and that he came to the United States to kill those on the
call. He also claimed he wanted to conduct a suicide attack on
Americans. According to the complaint, Alokozay stated he was not afraid
of deportation or getting killed.
Alokozay is currently in custody pending an initial appearance
before a U.S. magistrate judge and further court proceedings. If convicted,
Alokozay faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI's Dallas Field Office
through the Fort Worth Resident Agency and the Department of Homeland Security,
with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Fort Worth
Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Mazzurco for the Northern
District of Texas is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All
defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
in a court of law.
Note; Above is one social media post containing Alokzay’s video
from the criminal complaint.
Paul Davis is a writer who covers crime. He has written extensively about organized crime, cybercrime, street crime, white collar crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. His 'Crime Beat' column appears weekly at Philly Daily and Broad and Liberty. He is also a longtime contributor to Counterterrorism magazine and writes their online 'Threatcon' column. Paul Davis' crime fiction appears in American Crime Magazine. His work has also appeared in the Washington Examiner, the Washington Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Weekly and other publications. As a writer, he has attended police academy training, gone out on patrol with police officers, accompanied detectives as they worked cases, accompanied narcotics officers on drug raids, observed criminal court proceedings, visited jails and prisons, and covered street riots, mob wars and murder investigations. He has interviewed police commissioners and chiefs, FBI, DEA, HSI and other federal special agents, prosecutors, judges, public officials, WWII UDT frogmen, Navy SEALs, Army Delta operators, Israeli commandos, military intelligence officers, Scotland Yard detectives, CIA officers, former KGB officers, film and TV actors, writers and producers, journalists, novelists and true crime authors, gamblers, outlaw bikers, and Cosa Nostra organized crime bosses. Paul Davis has been a student of crime since he was a 12-year-old aspiring writer growing up in South Philadelphia. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy when he was 17 in 1970. He served aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War and he later served two years aboard the Navy harbor tugboat U.S.S. Saugus at the U.S. floating nuclear submarine base at Holy Loch, Scotland. He went on to do security work as a Defense Department civilian while working part-time as a freelance writer. From 1991 to 2005 he was a producer and on-air host of "Inside Government," a public affairs interview radio program that aired Sundays on WPEN AM and WMGK FM in the Philadelphia area. You can read Paul Davis' crime columns, crime fiction, book reviews and news and feature articles on this website. You can read his full bio by clicking on the above photo. And you can contact Paul Davis at pauldavisoncrime@aol.com
