Tag: IS

1…………> Crooked Broker: HSBC

The former head of global foreign exchange cash trading at HSBC Bank plc, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc (collectively HSBC), was sentenced to prison today for his role defrauding an HSBC client through a scheme commonly referred to as “front running.” 

Mark Johnson, 51, a United Kingdom citizen, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York. In addition, Judge Garaufis ordered that the defendant pay a fine of $300,000. A federal jury convicted the defendant on Oct. 23, 2017, following a four-week trial, of one count of wire fraud conspiracy and eight counts of wire fraud. 

“Mark Johnson, an executive at one of the world’s largest financial institutions, cheated his client out of millions and now he’s going to prison for it,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “This sentencing should serve as a warning to those who engage in crooked financial schemes: The Justice Department’s Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners are watching. We are committed to protecting our financial system from harm and we will hold corporate executives accountable for their crimes.” 

Johnson and other traders acting under his direction purchased Pounds Sterling for their own benefit in their HSBC “proprietary” accounts, then caused the $3.5 billion foreign exchange transaction to be executed in a manner that was designed to “ramp,” or drive up, the price of the Pound Sterling, benefiting their proprietary positions and HSBC at the expense of their client. 

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-head-hsbc-s-global-foreign-exchange-cash-trading-sentenced-prison-multimillion-dollar

 

 

 

2…………> IS Attacker: In Prison

Fareed Mumuni, 23, of Staten Island, New York, was sentenced today to 17 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to all counts in an indictment charging him with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, assaulting and conspiring to assault federal officers and attempted murder of federal officers. 

“The women and men of law enforcement put their lives on the line to keep us safe every day. We will not tolerate attacks on them or plots to kill Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “I applaud the tireless efforts of the agents and prosecutors that led to the defendant’s arrest and conviction. The National Security Division remains committed to defending our country and taking action against those who would harm it.”

On June 17, 2015, during the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Staten Island, Mumuni charged at an FBI agent with a kitchen knife as the agents attempted to clear the house. Mumuni stabbed the FBI agent multiple times in the torso, using sufficient force to break off the tip of the knife. The agent was saved from serious injury or death only by his metal magazine carrier, which deflected and chipped the point of Mumuni’s knife while Mumuni was thrusting it into the agent’s side. Fortunately, the agent sustained only minor injuries. 

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-man-sentenced-17-years-prison-attempted-murder-federal-officer

 

 

3…………> Mr. Xi New Ballistic Missile: Dongfeng26 

China is pitting in service a new medium long-range ballistic missile, armed with a conventional or nuclear head. PLA said that it was developed by Chinese scientists and engineers, it is country’s intellectual property, it can precision strike on land and sea, and destroy medium to large naval targets.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-04/27/c_137140552.htm

4…………..> Chinese  Fentanyl Ring: Busted

A total of 28 people were charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and other lethal drugs resulting in deaths and injury, criminals led by Na Chu, 37; Yeyou Chu, 36; Cuiying Liu, 62; and Keping Zhang, 62, all Chinese nationals, who were charged by a superseding indictment returned on Jan. 18, with international money laundering conspiracy, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, announced today.

The charges come as part of “Operation Denial,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of fentanyl and other lethal drugs, and was significantly aided by the national and international coordination led by the multi-agency Special Operations Division (S.O.D.) near Washington D.C. as part of “Operation Deadly Merchant.” The investigation started in North Dakota on Jan. 3, 2015, with the overdose death in Grand Forks of 18-year-old Bailey Henke.

“Fentanyl and its analogs killed more Americans than any other drug in 2016, and the vast majority of it comes from China,” said Attorney General Sessions. “The defendants in this case allegedly trafficked fentanyl from China to 11 states from coast to coast. As a result, Americans died in at least three states. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in North Dakota and Oregon, the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, DEA, HSI, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and dozens more law enforcement officers across the United States and Canada who helped make these indictments possible. Today’s indictments are a step toward dismantling an alleged international fentanyl trafficking operation and eventually ending this nation’s unprecedented drug crisis.”

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/four-additional-chinese-nationals-and-six-additional-us-residents-indicted-north-dakota