FBI Philadelphia Warns Of Increase In Sextortion Incidents, More Schemes Targeting Boys

The FBI in Philadelphia released the below information:

FBI Philadelphia is warning parents and caregivers about an increase in incidents involving the sextortion of children.

Sextortion begins when an adult contacts a minor over any online platform used to meet and communicate, such as a game, app, or social media account.

In a scheme that’s recently become more prevalent, the predator (posing as a young girl) uses deception and manipulation to convince a young male, usually 14 to 17 years old, to engage in explicit activity over video, which is secretly recorded by the predator. The predator then reveals that they’ve made the recordings and attempts to extort the victim, demanding money or additional explicit images, or else they’ll post the recordings online.

The same criminal approach is used to target minor girls, as well.

In some cases, the perpetrators will use deceit in soliciting high school boys to share photos of female classmates, thus increasing the victimization of these offenses.

To be clear: sextortion is a crime. The coercion of a child by an adult to produce what is considered Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) carries heavy penalties, which can include up to a life sentence for the offender.

The embarrassment children feel from the activity they were forced to engage in is what typically prevents them from coming forward. Know that sextortion offenders may have hundreds of victims around the world, so coming forward to help law enforcement identify the offender may prevent further sexual exploitation of that victim and others.

“Using the anonymity of the Internet, these criminals are creating age-appropriate personas to lure young people in and, unfortunately, they’ve gotten very good at it,” said Jacqueline Maguire, FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge. “We want to educate the community about this insidious crime, to prevent more kids from falling victim to sextortion. We ask adults to talk to the kids in your life about this — and we ask anyone who may have been victimized to let us know. The FBI and our partners are doing everything we can to bring these predators to justice.”

Some tips to stay safe:

1. Be selective about what you share online, especially your personal information and passwords. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to learn a lot of useful information about you.
2. Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
3. Remember that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that a person is who they claim to be.
4. Be suspicious if you meet someone on a game or app and they ask you to start talking to them on a different platform.
5. Report suspicious behavior to a trusted adult.

If you believe you or someone you know is the victim of sextortion:

1. Contact your local FBI field office, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1-800-THE-LOST or CyberTipline.org).
2. Don’t delete anything before law enforcement is able to review it.
3. Tell law enforcement everything about the encounters you had online; it may be embarrassing, but the details can be a big help as we work to find the offender.

More information on sextortion and resources for parents and caregivers can be found at fbi.gov/sextortion.

$300 Million Yacht Of Sanctioned Russian Oligarch Suleiman Kerimov Seized By Fiji At Request Of United States

 The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

Fijian law enforcement executed a seizure warrant freezing the Motor Yacht Amadea (the Amadea), a 348-foot luxury vessel owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. Fijian law enforcement, with the support and assistance of the FBI, acted pursuant to a mutual legal assistance request from the U.S. Department of Justice following issuance of a seizure warrant from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which found that the Amadea is subject to forfeiture based on probable cause of violations of U.S. law, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), money laundering and conspiracy.

The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Kerimov as part of a group of Russian oligarchs who profit from the Russian government through corruption and its malign activity around the globe, including the occupation of Crimea. In sanctioning Kerimov, the Treasury Department also cited Kerimov as an official of the Government of the Russian Federation and a member of the Russian Federation Counsel.

According to court documents, Kerimov owned the Amadea after his designation. Additionally, Kerimov and those acting on his behalf and for his benefit caused U.S. dollar transactions to be routed through U.S. financial institutions for the support and maintenance of the Amadea.

“This ruling should make clear that there is no hiding place for the assets of individuals who violate U.S. laws. And there is no hiding place for the assets of criminals who enable the Russian regime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to hold accountable those who facilitate the death and destruction we are witnessing in Ukraine.”

“Last month, I warned that the department had its eyes on every yacht purchased with dirty money,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “This yacht seizure should tell every corrupt Russian oligarch that they cannot hide – not even in the remotest part of the world. We will use every means of enforcing the sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine.”

“This seizure demonstrates the FBI's persistence in pursuing sanctioned Russian oligarchs attempting to evade accountability for their role in jeopardizing our national security,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, along with our international partners, will continue to seek out those individuals who contribute to the advancement of Russia’s malign activities and ensure they are brought to justice, regardless of where, or how, they attempt to hide.”

“This seizure of Suleiman Kerimov’s vessel, the Amadea, nearly 8,000 miles from Washington, D.C., symbolizes the reach of the Department of Justice as we continue to work with our global partners to disrupt the sense of impunity of those who have supported corruption and the suffering of so many,” said Director Andrew Adams of Task Force KleptoCapture. “This Task Force will continue to bring to bear every resource available in this unprecedented, multinational series of enforcement actions against the Russian regime and its enablers.”

“The U.S. Marshals Service will continue to contribute our expertise in support of Task Force efforts to take possession of seized assets of Russian oligarchs during these forfeiture operations,” said Director Ronald L. Davis of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

The seizure was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

Upon receipt of a mutual legal assistance request from the United States, Fijian authorities executed the request, obtaining a domestic seizure warrant from a Fijian court.

The Amadea, International Maritime Organization number 1012531, is believed to be worth approximately $300 million or more. The yacht is now in Lautoka, Fiji.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with assistance from the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Canberra, Australia, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji.

Trial Attorney Andrew D. Beaty of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorney Joshua L. Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are handling the seizure. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance. The United States thanks the Fijian authorities for their cooperation in this matter.

A Little Humor: The Gator In The Pool

 A wealthy, eccentric man threw a large party at his mansion.   

He took his guests outside and showed them his large pool and the huge alligator swimming in it. 

Like the proverbial genie, he announced to his guests that anyone who would dare jump in the pool, swim across and avoid getting killed by the alligator would be granted three wishes, regardless of the cost. 

He had no takers, as the guests saw the huge, fierce-looking alligator swimming back and forth in the pool.   

Then the wealthy man heard a splash.  

A man swam across the pool like crazy, somehow avoided the alligator, and came out of the pool on the other side. 

The wealthy man and the other guests clapped and cheered.

The host slapped the man on the back. 

"Good job. So, what are your three wishes?"

The man, soaking wet and shaking, replied, "Number one, give me a shotgun. Number two give me some shells, and number three, point out the asshole who pushed me in the pool."

Federal Charges Filed Against Philadelphia Man Who Allegedly Shot PPD SWAT Officer In February

The U.S. Attorney Office in Philadelphia released the below information:

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Kristian Reyes, 35, of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested today by federal agents and charged by criminal complaint with firearms and drug offenses in connection with an incident earlier this year, during which a Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) officer was shot while executing a warrant for the arrest of the defendant.

The defendant is charged with using a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. According to the publicly filed complaint, Reyes was the subject of an active arrest warrant for state probation and parole violations. On February 11, 2022, Philadelphia Police SWAT Officers went to arrest the defendant at a property on the 100 block of West Lehigh Avenue in the Fairhill section of the city. After announcing themselves and receiving no response, officers breached the front door and went up a narrow stairwell to attempt to enter the third-floor apartment. The officers once again announced themselves as they made their way up the stairs. While they waited for equipment to gain access to the apartment, the leader of the SWAT entry team heard multiple popping sounds from inside the apartment and then felt a stinging sensation in his chest. When he looked down, he realized he had been shot.

The PPD SWAT officer was rushed to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Law enforcement officers later determined that the ceramic plate in the SWAT officer’s ballistics vest prevented more serious injury and likely saved his life.

Ultimately, the defendant was apprehended after attempting to escape by jumping from a third-floor window onto the roof, with a gun in his hand. Investigators recovered a Glock 9mm pistol from the roof. Ballistics comparison later confirmed that the gun was used in the shooting. Investigators also obtained a search warrant for the third-floor apartment and recovered fired cartridge casings, nearly 100 additional rounds of ammunition, and an enormous inventory of alleged narcotics including over 3,500 fentanyl pills, heroin, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, cocaine, and nearly $3,000 cash.

“As we have said many times since launching the All Hands On Deck initiative, our Office and our federal partners are doing everything we can to support the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecute cases federally when appropriate,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Here, as alleged in the complaint, the defendant brazenly and recklessly fired a weapon through a wall at law enforcement officers in the middle of the day in busy neighborhood; an offense that certainly meets the criteria for federal prosecution. We are committed to bringing the full might of the federal justice system to this battle against criminals in our city.”

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison with a thirty-five year mandatory minimum sentence.

The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Martin.

This case is part of the DEA’s new initiative, Operation Overdrive, aimed at combatting the rising rates of drug-related violent crime and overdose deaths plauguing American communities. Operation Overdrive, which launched February 1, 2022, uses a data-driven, intelligence-led approach to identify and dismantle criminal drug networks operating in areas with the highest rates of violence and overdoses. DEA, working in partnership with its fellow federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, has mapped the threats and initiated enforcement operations against those networks in 34 locations across 23 states.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

A Little Humor: I Laughed When I Read A 19-Year-Old Student Demanded The University Provide Him And Other Students With A 'Safe Place' On Campus

 

Scientist Convicted By Federal Jury Of Conspiracy To Steal Trade Secrets Belonging To GlaxoSmithKline

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia released the below information:

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Gongda Xue, 52, formerly a resident of Allschwil, Switzerland, a legal permanent resident of Switzerland and citizen of China, was convicted after trial of charges related to his participation in a conspiracy to steal trade secrets from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) pertaining to biopharmaceutical products under development from January 2010 to January 2016.

During the offense conduct, Gongda Xue worked as a scientist at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (“FMI”) in Switzerland, which is affiliated with Novartis. His sister, Yu Xue, worked as a scientist at GSK in Pennsylvania. Both the defendant and his sister conducted cancer research as part of their employment at these companies.  Their research was sensitive and confidential.  Consequently, GSK and FMI required Yu Xue and Gongda Xue respectively to sign confidentiality agreements as part of their employment.  While the defendant performed basic research for publication in journals, the defendant’s sister performed research relating to GSK’s anti-cancer drugs under development. Evidence presented at trial showed that the defendant knew that GSK’s research could prove incredibly valuable, and that it was proprietary and confidential. 

While working for their respective entities, the defendant and his sister betrayed their employers and shared confidential information for their own personal benefit.  Gongda Xue created Abba Therapeutics AG in Switzerland and Yu Xue and her associates formed Renopharma, Ltd., in China. Both companies intended to develop their own biopharmaceutical anti-cancer products.  Renopharma received direct funding and support from the government of China.  Gongda Xue stole FMI research into anti-cancer products and sent that research to Yu Xue.  Yu Xue, in turn, stole GSK research into anti-cancer products and sent that to Gongda Xue.  Yu Xue also provided hundreds of GSK documents to her associates at Renopharma.  Renopharma then attempted to re-brand GSK products under development as Renopharma products and attempted to sell them for billions of dollars. Renopharma’s own internal projections showed that the company could be worth as much as $10 billion based upon the stolen GSK data. 

Fortunately, in January 2016, the FBI arrested Yu Xue and her Renopharma associates, seized e-mail accounts containing the stolen GSK data, and seized the funds in a Renopharma bank account in order to prevent Renopharma from achieving its goals and monetizing the stolen GSK information.  Gongda Xue was charged in 2018 and extradited from Switzerland to the United States in December 2019. 

Two former GSK employees, Yu Xue and Lucy Xi, have pleaded guilty for their roles in sending GSK trade secrets to Renopharma.  Yu Xue's sister, Tian Xue, pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy for agreeing to launder the substantial ill-gotten gains which Renopharma expected to receive.  One of the directors of Renopharma, Tao Li, also pleaded guilty for his role in conspiring to steal GSK trade secrets.  The other director of Renopharma, Yan Mei, is a fugitive who currently resides in China. 

“This defendant illegally stole trade secrets to benefit companies controlled by himself and his sister, one of which were financed by the Chinese government,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “The lifeblood of companies like GSK is its intellectual property, and when that property is stolen and transferred to a foreign country, it threatens thousands of American jobs and disincentivizes research and development. Such criminal behavior must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“When a company like GSK spends billions on research and development to bring new drugs to market, the theft of valuable trade secrets poses a significant operational threat,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “When those secrets are stolen on behalf of a global adversary, it also endangers the security of our nation and the stability of our economy. The FBI will continue to bring all our investigative resources to bear to hold accountable criminals like Xue and his codefendants who steal intellectual property to benefit themselves and the Government of China. Our relationships with private sector partners like GSK are critical to disrupting such costly activity and bringing those responsible to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. Livermore and J. Jeanette Kang.  Extradition assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs.  The U.S. Attorney would also like to thank GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis for their extraordinary cooperation on this important investigation.

Ian Fleming’s Lost James Bond Screenplay Reveals A Very Different 007

Dalya Alberge at the Observer offers a piece on Ian Fleming’s lost Moonraker screenplay, which was different than the screenplay for the silly Moonraker film that starred Roger Moore as James Bond. 

Jon Gilbert, an expert in Fleming literature, told the Observer: “This is the very first screenplay written by Fleming imagining Bond for the big screen. It is his only attempt at a film script, so it’s hugely important. It is a very Bondian scenario – a megalomaniac who wants to see the downfall of Britain.”

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

Ian Fleming’s lost James Bond screenplay reveals a very different 007 | Ian Fleming | The Guardian