Reputed Underboss Of Philadelphia Cosa Nostra Crime family Pleads Guilty To Racketeering And Other Federal Charges

Steven Mazzone, the reputed underboss of the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra crime family, has plead guilty to racketeering and various other federal charges. 

You can read the Philadelphia Inquirer's report on the plea via the below link:

Reputed Philly mob underboss pleads guilty to racketeering and extortion and will do time in federal prison (inquirer.com)

You can also read my Philadelphia Weekly Crime Beat column on the Fed's takedown of the South Philly mob via the below pages and online link:

Crime Beat | Dec. 3-10 - Philadelphia Weekly 

‘Cryptoqueen’: Ruja Ignatova Added To FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List

 The FBI today announced the addition of Ruja Ignatova to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Ignatova is being sought for her alleged leadership of a massive fraud scheme that affected millions of investors worldwide. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to her arrest.

In approximately 2014, Ignatova and her partner founded OneCoin, a Bulgarian-based company that was marketed as a new virtual currency that would be the “Bitcoin killer.” Ignatova allegedly made false statements and representations about OneCoin to draw people to invest in OneCoin packages. According to investigators, Ignatova and her partner also promoted OneCoin through a multi-level marketing strategy that urged OneCoin investors to sell additional packages to friends and family.

Ignatova capitalized on the excitement surrounding cryptocurrencies to draw in new investors. While the company is said to have used many of the terms associated with virtual currencies, investigators believe that OneCoins were not mined in the way traditional to cryptocurrencies. In addition, the value of OneCoin was determined by the company rather than market demand. 

“OneCoin claimed to have a private blockchain,” said Special Agent Ronald Shimko, who is investigating the case out of the FBI’s New York Field Office. “This is in contrast to other virtual currencies, which have a decentralized and public blockchain. In this case, investors were just asked to trust OneCoin.”

Throughout the scheme, OneCoin is believed to have defrauded victims all over the world out of billions. Shimko said Ignatova targeted individuals who may not have fully understood the ins and outs of cryptocurrencies but were moved by Ignatova’s impressive resume and the marketing strategies used by OneCoin.

On October 12, 2017, Ignatova was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and a federal warrant was issued for her arrest. Investigators believe Ignatova may have been tipped off that she was under investigation by U.S. and international authorities. She traveled from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Athens, Greece, on October 25, 2017, and has not been seen since.

On February 6, 2018, a superseding indictment was issued charging Ignatova with one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and securities fraud.

Shimko hopes that the publicity of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list will bring more awareness to the case. “There are so many victims all over the world who were financially devastated by this,” Shimko said. “We want to bring her to justice.”

U.S. Attorney Romero Announces Arson Charges Against Philadelphia Man For Pizza Shop Fire That Resulted In Death of Firefighter

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

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Al-Ashraf Basem Khalil, 28, of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested on June 24, 2022, after being charged by Criminal Complaint with arson on June 23, 2022.  During a news conference held today with officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the Philadelphia Fire Department; First Assistant United States Attorney Nelson S. T. Thayer, Jr., detailed the charges outlined in the Complaint accusing the defendant of causing the arson at 300 W. Indiana Avenue in Philadelphia on June 18, 2022, which resulted in the death of Philadelphia Fire Lieutenant Sean Williamson. The announcement comes the day after funeral services were held for Lt. Williamson.

Specifically, the defendant has been charged with one count of malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce resulting in death, one count of aiding and abetting and willfully causing the same, and one count of making materially false or fraudulent statements. Khalil was arrested Friday afternoon at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, NY, by United States Marshals who thwarted Khalil’s efforts to leave the United States, getting as far as Jordan, until he was forced to return to face these charges. Khalil made his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of New York, where he was detained and ordered transferred to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

As detailed in the Complaint, voluminous video surveillance recovered by investigators showed two suspects – minutes before the fire began in the early morning hours of June 18 – walk behind a dumpster and enter the basement doors of the property at 300 W. Indiana Avenue. The video surveillance further shows the two suspects leave the location about twenty minutes later, shortly after which smoke can be observed that gradually grows thicker emanating from the area of building.

On June 20, 2022, ATF agents interviewed the defendant, the owner of the property, as part of their federal investigation into the origin and cause of the fire. The Complaint alleges that Khalil provided false information about where he was at the time he learned of the fire, and that he stated that he had no plans to travel outside the U.S. in the next year. While he was being interviewed, agents noted that some of the defendant’s clothing appeared to be similar to one of the two suspects captured on the video surveillance footage.

Further, the following day on June 21, 2022, Khalil again met with investigators at their request, and later that day booked a flight from JFK airport to Amman, Jordan with a layover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. On June 22, 2022, the defendant left the United States on that flight.

“Whenever there is a fire in our city, the brave men and women of the Philadelphia Fire Department put their lives on the line to protect us. Intentionally causing a fire and deliberately putting firefighters and innocent victims in harm’s way is truly unconscionable,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “We are grateful to all of the investigators on this case who moved rapidly to determine the origins of the fire, identify a suspect, and return him to U.S. soil so he can answer these charges before the court. And while we mourn the loss of Lt. Williamson, we are grateful for his life and his service to our city, and hope that by seeking justice in this case we honor his memory.”

“ATF is dedicated to investigating and preventing violent crime,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Arson, just like gun crime, can have serious consequences and as alleged in this case, caused the death of a beloved public servant. Our team of investigators and dedicated prosecutors will continue to seek justice for the victims of these violent acts.”

“The phenomenal effort between U.S. law enforcement agencies and our international partners in quickly capturing this fugitive while attempting to flee to the Middle East demonstrates our global reach and unwavering commitment to justice,” said U.S. Marshal Eric Gartner. “Our hope is that this rapid capture will provide some measure of comfort to the family of Lt. Sean Williamson and the Philadelphia Fire Department.”

“We respond to more than 3,500 structure fires annually, and the majority are unintentional. However, intentional fires are still a problem: last year, more than 650 incendiary incidents were investigated by our Fire Marshal's Office in close partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department and ATF,” said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel. “This incident demonstrates the tragic consequences of arson. Our thoughts remain with Lt. Williamson’s family, friends and PFD colleagues as this case moves forward and justice is served.”

If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of seven years in prison if, as here, personal injury results to any person. If death results to any person, including a public safety officer performing duties, the statute carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty.

The case was investigated by ATF Philadelphia and the ATF’s National Response Team, the Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Philadelphia Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Diplomatic Security Service in Amman, Jordan and Dubai, UAE, and INTERPOL Washington. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeanine Linehan and Sarah Damiani. 

Black Ops CIA Shadow Warrior: My Q&A With Legendary CIA Counterterrorism Officer Ric Prado

Counterterrorism magazine published my Q&A with CIA legend Ric Prado. 

You can read the interview via the below pages or the below text:

My Q&A with CIA Legend Ric Prado

 

Enrique “Ric” Prado is a paramilitary, counterterrorism, and special/clandestine operations specialist, with a focus on international training operations and programs. He is a 24-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), where he served as an Operations Officer in six overseas posts. He was Deputy Chief of Station and “Plank Owner” of the original Bin Ladin Task Force/Issues Station under Senior Analyst Michael Scheuer, as well as Chief of Station in a hostile Muslim country. He also served as Chief of Operations in the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center (CTC) during the September 11th attacks, where he helped coordinate CIA/CTC’s special operations (SPECOPS) activities with the National Security Council and FBI, as well as with elite U.S. military representatives from Delta Force and SEAL-Team Six, then detailed to CTC/CIA. He retired as Senior Intel Service-2 (SIS-2, Major General equivalent at CIA).

 

Ric Prado spent his first ten years at CIA as a paramilitary officer in Special Operations Group/Special Activities Division (SOG/SAD, Ground Branch) which is CIA’s “special operations force.” His service included 36 months in Central America jungles as the first CIA officer living in the anti-Sandinista “Contra” camps. Subsequently running counterterrorism/insurgency operations in Peru and in the Philippines. Other key positions included head of the CIA’s Korean Operations and Chief of CIA Liaison in Seoul, ROK. He is fluent in his native Spanish and once held a 2+ level in Japanese.

 

His military training and qualifications include Airborne, SCUBA, Advance Combat Medical Rescue, S.E.R.E., Mountain Climbing, and Jungle Survival under the auspices of the US Air Force elite Pararescue Teams (1971-1976). CIA training included: Ops/Case Officer certification training (The Farm), Counterterrorist Operations, Advanced Tradecraft Course, Free-Fall parachuting, Draeger close-circuit (Combat Diver’s 1984 and SEALS 2003), Korean Ops, and numerous CT driving and weapons-related courses. Ric Prado is also a graduate of the elite Henk Iverson’s Lone Operator course (2018).

 

Ric Prado retired from the CIA in 2004. He is now co-owner of Camp X, Special Operations Lone Operator Training Group and continues his service training and supporting the “SPECOPS” Community as Subject Matter Expert (SME) at the SWCS’ ASOT (Advanced Special Operations and Techniques) and ASOT Managers Course, Dragon Warrior, Emerald Warrior, among others.

 

Ric Prado is the author of “Black Ops: The Life of a CIA Shadow Warrior.”

 

He was interviewed by Paul Davis.

 

IACSP: I enjoyed reading “Black Ops.” I found it most interesting. Why did you write the book?

Prado: I never thought of being an author, much less a best-selling author. As you know, the book made the New York Times Best Seller list at number seven. I kind of grew weary of the reputation that my agency has, mostly in Hollywood and in most novels. The CIA is the most maligned and misunderstood federal agency in the U.S. Government. My colleagues are always described as immoral and corrupt, and as maniacal assassins like the fictional character Jason Borne. We have 137 stars (representing the death of CIA personnel in the line of duty) on the Wall of Honor at the agency, and we are a small organization compared to the Army the Navy and the Air Force. Some of these people I personally knew. It kind of bothered me that their grandchildren will learn about the agency and their grandpas, not to mention my own grandson, primarily from Hollywood. That was the primary reason I wrote the book. To try to put a realistic spin not only on the kind of operations that we do, but on the kind of people that we have in our ranks. Patriots. People who have dedicated their lives, mostly anonymous, to this country. The second part is communism. I am Cuban born. I lived under communism and my wife lived under communism. We saw what communism did to our first country. So I wanted to write a book about my efforts to counter and fight communism in my different incarnations.

IACSP: For many Americans, the CIA appears to be unapproachable and unknowing. This can lead to misconceptions. As you noted, most people only know about the CIA from spy thrillers. When I was in the Navy and later as a Defense Department civilian employee doing security work, I received CIA training and regular briefings, and as a writer, I’ve interviewed a good number of CIA officers here for the Journal. The CIA officers I’ve known are dedicated government employees serving America. Books like yours, it seems to me, can go a long way to counter misconceptions.

Prado: When I do public speaking, one of the questions I always ask is to name me two movies that represents the CIA in a positive way. There is always one person who will say Jason Borne, and then I’ll say, a maniacal assassin with 17 personalities who is being hunted down by the CIA is a good movie about the CIA?

IACSP: There are terrorist organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and rogue nations, and the Jason Borne movies choose to make the CIA the bad guy. Silly. I thought Tom Clancy’s novels were fairly realistic, would you agree?

Prado: Tom Clancy’s books were always very realistic. I have several of his books and “Without Remorse” is one of my favorite novels.

IACSP: One of my favorites as well. Did you see the poor film adaptation?”

Prado: It was awful.

IACSP: Do you think Cuba will ever be free of communism now that Fidel Castro, the bastard, is dead?

Prado: We have one more bastard Castro, which is Raul. He is retired, but he is still the power. I honestly believe if we play our cards right in this country, we can entice change in Cuba. Stick and carrot. Sanctions, sanctions, sanctions. If you do this, we’ll do that. I want to go back to Cuba and visit my grandfather’s grave, their house. That is one of my dreams.

IACSP: Many people, even today, view the Contras as gun and drug traffickers and brutal thugs. You offer a different view in your book, although you encountered some bad apples. How would you describe the Contras?

Prado: Of all my assignments, I would put my Contra experience as number one for three reasons. The first reason is as a Cuban kid, fresh off the banana boat, working for CIA and now I’m the only man allowed to be at the camps training these folks. Striking back at the very same animal that destroyed my family in my first country. There was a visceral satisfaction of the operations we did. It became politized at home, but the greater majority of the Contras had personal reasons for joining, as they explained to me at campfires – they burned my church down, they kicked out my priest, they raped my daughter, they conscripted my underage son. It was all personal. When I was in front of Congress later on, I was able to voice those opinions and observations. The Contras were a class act of people and I’m still in touch with two or three of them.

IACSP: You also write about your time in the Philippines from 1990 to 1992. I was a frequent visitor to the Philippine during the Vietnam War when I served on an aircraft carrier. The Philippines has a dual threat in the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and the Islamic terrorist organizations, yet one does not read or hear much those threats.

Prado: They are two different animals, but similar in their destructive capabilities. When I was there, the NPA was in Manila and all the major cities, and we were providing incredible training to the Filipinos. I worked with the Philippine Constabulary, the Navy and the Army. I love the Philippines. They are warm, loving people until it is time to fight, and they are pretty good at it. I respect that. When I was there, they were on the brink of losing to the NPA. The Islamic terrorist group Abu Sayyaf down south was just coming up and they have gotten more radical. They are really just a bunch of bandits. We did a lot of damage to the NPA and also to Abu Sayyaf, because we had all kinds of maritime platforms that we gave the Navy to cover 7,000 islands. I was the liaison guy. Going to all these places once a week, I was meeting with commanders, offering training, getting the intelligence, and noting what they needed. It was very rewarding.

IACSP: You later worked in the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center (CTC). Can you give us an overview of the CTC prior to and after 9/11?

Prado: The Counterterrorist Center was started by Dewey Claridge, one of my mentors, in 1986. He was bigger than life. I loved him until the day he died. My first CT assignment was to a Latin American country that I cannot mention, in 1998, two years after the center started. I recruited a terrorist, and I did all kind of stuff. The CTC was small back then, 50-60 people. It kept growing as the need kept growing. I came back in 1995 when they asked me to open up the bin Laden task force, “Alec Station.” I was the deputy chief of station working the bin Laden account and the chief was Michael Scheuer, an analyst. I went back as the chief of operations in May of 2001. The 9/11 attack happened was shortly thereafter.

IACSP: Your account in the book of the CIA officers working around the clock during the attack and post-attack was very interesting. I was stationed at a naval base in Philadelphia on 9/11, and we didn’t know if and where there would be another attack after the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. I recall that it was a harrowing time. Certainly, the CIA was a possible target.

Prado: The CIA was evacuated, but most of the folks at the CTC stayed behind. I slept in my office for the first three days. So did dozens and dozens of my colleagues. After being the chief of operations, I came back with a very robust program, and I briefed Vice President Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice. It was approved, but we were never allowed to deploy. We were hearing all this chatter going on before 9/11. We knew it was al Qaeda and we were seeing their communications diminish and we were seeing people that we had under surveillance disappear. These were all clues that they were planning something big. I told CIA Director Tenet that if I had this program a year before 9/11, I would have gone out and neutralized three different al Qaeda senior support guys. That would be put the brakes on everything because they would have thought they were penetrated. That was the whole concept of the program. When I saw the program wasn’t going to ever really sail, I decided to retire on an operational high note. I spent the last three years in the CIA leading some of the best people I ever worked with, snooping and pooping all over the world, which not too many SIS-2 level guys get to do. Operationally, that was my high. If they weren’t willing to let me do what I do best, which was even approved by the White House, then to hell with it. Maybe it’s time for me to do something else, and I did.

IACSP: The Russian invasion of Ukraine is dominating the news now. You’ve said that the U.S. could do more to help the Ukrainians. What more can be done?

Prado: I think the world needs to do more to help the Ukrainians, not just the United States. Global security should be a team sport. The UN is pretty feckless. What amazes me is that we were “surprised,” quote unquote, that Putin invaded Ukraine. As soon as he took power, he said I am going to reconstitute the Soviet Union. He did two invasions before this one. I was really shocked that no one saw this coming. That’s what communism is. That’s what they did in Cuba, Vietnam and Venezuela. As far as helping the Ukrainians, my belief is that we were helping them for several years before this crisis. We were preparing them militarily, preparing them for stay-behind operations, preparing them for guerilla operations, and training them on the conventional use of missiles and other weapons. The Ukrainians have proven to be incredible fighters, but we should have opened up every warehouse we have with tanks, planes and missiles and ask our allies to do the same. The other thing is to shut down every nickel that goes to Russia. Instead of gradually choking, choking and choking, break their neck, without having to fight them directly.

IACSP: I like to think that our support of Ukraine is a bit of payback for the Soviet support of the Communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.

Prado: I hope that people read my book, because I honestly believe it will help people understand what the most secretive but capable agency does, how well it does it, and the patriotic ethos of the people that we have in our ranks.

IACSP: Thank you for speaking to us and thank you for your service.

Ralph Cipriano: Philly Inquirer Censors The News To Prop Up D.A. Krasner

Ralph Cipriano at Bigtrial.net knocks the Philadelphia Inquirer for the liberal newspaper's censoring news to support Philly's radical DA, Larry Krasner.

At the Philadelphia Inquirer last week, the newspaper marshaled all of its resources to support one of its progressive heroes, District Attorney Larry Krasner.

After a trio of suburban Republicans in the state House of Representatives launched a drive to impeach Krasner, the Inquirer responded last week with a barrage of censorship and propaganda aimed at propping up Krasner, while the shootings and murders in this town continued unabated. 

The Inquirer's multi-pronged attack began on Tuesday when the three house members, joined by state Rep. Martina White, another Republican from Northeast Philadelphia, held a press conference on the steps of the State Capitol in Harrisburg that featured a rainbow coalition of two dozen crime victims protesting against Krasner.

It made for compelling drama. Julio Moran talked about his mother, Gladys Coriano, a religious woman barely five feet tall, and how she was shot to death by an abusive ex-husband who had repeatedly violated a protection order by stalking, harassing and attacking her. 

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

Philly Inquirer Censors The News To Prop Up D.A. Krasner | Big Trial | Philadelphia Trial Blog

Military Contractors Indicted For $7 Million Procurement Fraud Scheme

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

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia returned an indictment charging military contractors with an alleged fraud scheme involving government contracts totaling over $7 million.

The three-count indictment charges Envistacom LLC, its President Alan Carson and a vice president Valerie Hayes, and the owner of another company, Philip Flores, each with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and two counts of major fraud.

“Collusion and fraud undermine competition in the procurement process to the detriment of U.S. taxpayers,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Investigating and prosecuting criminal activity remains a top priority for the Department of Justice and all members of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force.”

“The United States relies upon its contractors to be honest and forthright in their dealings,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “When they allegedly provide false information to obtain contracts, they harm the American taxpayer and the integrity of the system. We will diligently work to bring such companies and their executives to justice.”

“The indictment of these individuals demonstrates the resolve and dedication of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and our investigative partners in protecting the integrity of the Department of Defense contracting system,” said Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “Contractors who circumvent the contracting process for their own personal gain will be thoroughly investigated and held accountable for their fraudulent actions.”

“Such alleged activity by government contractors who provide services to the Army will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s (Army CID) Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “We will continue to investigate allegations of this nature and do everything in our power to see that persons responsible are held accountable and brought to justice.”

According to the indictment, from at least September 2014 through at least November 2016, the defendants and others conspired by preparing and procuring purported “competitive quotes” from other companies, which were sham quotes that were intentionally higher than the proposal prices and/or price quotes from Envistacom and Flores’ company to ensure the sole-source awards. The conspirators also concealed that the defendants prepared the independent government cost estimates and other procurement documents for the award of these contracts and made false statements, representations and material omissions to federal government contracting officials regarding these estimates being legitimate independent cost estimates and the sham quotes being “competitive.”

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to defraud the United States is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The maximum penalty for major fraud is 10 years in prison and a fine of $1 million, or, if the gross loss to the government or the gross gain to a defendant is $500,000 or greater, a fine of $5 million. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors.

The charges are the result of a federal investigation conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Army CID and DCIS.

Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

In November 2019, the Department of Justice created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct related to defense-related spending, go to https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

A Little Humor: An Old Joke That I Used To Act Out For My Kids Many Years Ago