A woman who lied to a federal grand jury about her cousin’s involvement in two homicides in Buffalo, New York, has pleaded guilty to making false declarations before a grand jury and obstruction of justice, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Shanna Smith, 25, of Buffalo, apparently lied to the grand jury to protect her cousin Dalvon Curry from criminal prosecution. She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 16, 2020.
A purported businessman who allegedly falsely claimed to have hundreds of employees in an attempt to secure $20 million in COVID-19 loans was arrested last week, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Muge Ma, aka “Hummer Mars”, 36, of Manhattan, was charged with bank fraud, wire fraud, making false statements to a bank, and making false statements to the Small Business Administration (SBA), among other charges. The most serious charge carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
A key member of an international burglary crew that targeted jewelry stores and banks has been sentenced to 27 months in prison, according to court records.
Elvis Cirikovic, aka “Gorilla”, 37, of Queens, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on January 10, 2020.
Judge Marrero also ordered Cirikovic to pay $2.5 million in restitution.
A postal worker who admitted to stealing valuable items from the mail and selling them for cash at pawn shops has been sentenced to time served, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.
John R. Elbayeh, 44, of Albany, NY worked as a mail processing clerk at the U.S. Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center in Albany for 6 years. According to court records, Elbayeh was targeted for surveillance because of allegations that he was stealing mail.
Three people who allegedly kidnapped a mail carrier they believed stole a package containing drugs have been indicted for kidnapping, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The alleged kidnappers are Mark Rogers, 36, Joseph Way, aka Gus, 34, and Tashara Levans, 35, all of Rochester, New York. The incident occurred in the City of Rochester on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Kidnapping carries a sentence of up to life in prison.