THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS
September 21 to September 25, 2015
TOP HEADLINES
Continuing The Crack-Down On Ghost Guns
The Attorney General announced a 32-count indictment alleging two Long Island individuals sold untraceable “ghost guns” in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Ghost guns are manufactured cheaply without the serial numbers that are critical in helping law enforcement trace crime, representing a new frontier in illegal firearm trafficking. Defendants Thomas Weber and Anthony Himonitis, who were both arrested in June, allegedly devised the plan to assemble and sell the weapons while they were in prison. The defendants allegedly sold dozens of weapons to undercover officers, including AR-15s, and could face up to 25 years in prison. These arrests mark the first time a state law enforcement agency has arrested individuals on charges of assembling and selling ghost guns.
Bringing Tax Fraudsters To Justice
The Attorney General has arrested an Australian businessman accused of diverting more than $18 million to a Congolese mining operation in order to escape paying his fair share of taxes. By allegedly investing taxable income from his energy business into the mining company Gemico, Gary Mole was able to avoid paying more than $700,000 in taxes. Mole allegedly diverted the money from 2006 to 2008, instructing his subordinates to wire money to bank accounts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, South Africa, and China. The Attorney General firmly believes there is one set of rules for everyone, no matter how rich or how powerful, and those who would allegedly hide millions of dollars in income to evade taxes must be held accountable.
Protecting The Integrity Of Medicaid
A Rochester-area nurse has pleaded guilty to stealing almost $4,000 from Medicaid. Tara Poles billed for hours of care she did not provide to a special needs young adult over a three-month period. As part of the guilty plea, Chimino will receive three years of probation and will pay restitution in the amount of $3,841. The Attorney General will continue fighting to root out Medicaid fraud and bring dishonest medical professionals to justice.
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In Other News…
The Attorney General announced that his office would launch an investigation into Volkswagen after troubling reports that Volkswagen cars employed software to cheat on pollution tests.
Staff from the Office of the Attorney General discussed tactics to prevent senior scams at the Westchester Police Academy’s New Recruit Training.
The Attorney General joined Pope Francis in East Harlem at Our Lady Queen of Angels School, sharing in his message of charity and equality.
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