Federal Bureau of Investigation - Press Release
For Immediate Release
August 7, 2009Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week Ending August 7, 2009
1. Washington Field Office: Former Congressman William J. Jefferson Found Guilty
After hearing evidence for more than one month in a federal court in Alexandria, Va., a jury found Jefferson guilty on 11 charged counts, including solicitation of bribes, honest services wire fraud, money laundering, racketeering and conspiracy. Jefferson was acquitted on three counts of honest services wire fraud, an obstruction of justice charge and of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Full Story
2. Los Angeles: Three Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Exporting Highly Sensitive U.S. Technology to China
In two separate cases, three men have been sentenced to federal prison for attempting to transport sensitive and advanced U.S. technology to the People's Republic of China (PRC). The defendants in the two cases were charged under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR) for procuring and illegal exporting sensitive technology in violation of United States export laws. Full Story
3. Chicago: Chicago Man Arrested for Interfering with Operation of CTA Trains and Busses
Marcel Carter, age 20, was arrested by officers of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and subsequently turned over to members of the Chicago FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF conducted additional investigation resulting in the filing of a criminal complaint charging Carter with Interfering with the Operation of a Mass Transit Vehicle, which is a felony offense. Full Story
4. New York: Ten Charged in Carpenters Union Corruption Case
An indictment was unsealed Aug. 5, 2009, charging the head of the Carpenters Union District Council in New York City and seven other Carpenters Union officials, one construction contractor, and a contractors’ representative, with a series of offenses stemming principally from a scheme by which Carpenters Union officials, in return for bribes, allowed construction contractors to avoid full payment of union wages and benefits at various job sites in New York City. Full Story
5. Las Vegas: USA Capital President Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud
Joseph D. Milanowski, the owner of a Nevada investment company, who misappropriated over $50 million of client monies to fund loans for his own pet projects, pled guilty on Aug. 4th, 2009, to wire fraud. Full Story
6. Los Angeles: New York Rabbi Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Defraud I.R.S.
Grand Rabbi Naftali Tzi Weisz, the Grand Rabbi of Spinka, a religious group within Orthodox Judaism, pled guilty this morning to a criminal conspiracy charge, admitting that he worked with others to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service by soliciting charitable donations with secret promises to refund donors the vast majority of the money they “donated.” Full Story
7. Newark: FBI Arrests Two in Foreclosure Scheme
Garth Celestine and Phil A. Simon – better known collectively as “Home Savers Consulting Corporation” – were arrested and charged with attempt and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a home foreclosure scheme. Celestine and Simon caused lenders to fund more than $10 million worth of fraudulent loans and stole $1.5 million worth of equity from the properties. Full Story
8. Washington Field Office: Husband of Former Army Officer Pleads Guilty to Laundering Money Stolen From Iraq
William Driver, a New Jersey accountant, pled guilty to laundering portions of more than $300,000 stolen from the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in the Republic of Iraq and brought back to the United States by his wife, a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. Full Story
9. Albany: Three Charged in Wire Fraud Involving Kickback Scheme
A federal grand jury returned a 29- count indictment charging defendants Joseph Queri, Jr., Benjamin Viloski, and Gary Gosson relating to a conspiracy and scheme from 1998 through 2005 to receive and conceal kickback payments in connection with the development of new Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. stores. The indictment alleges that there were approximately $2 million in kickbacks paid. Full Story
10. Atlanta: Former Polk County Jail Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Charges
Joshua David Lowe, a former sergeant at the Polk County Jail, pled guilty in federal court to a civil rights charge of using excessive force against an inmate in his custody. Lowe admitted during the guilty plea hearing that he abused his authority as a law enforcement officer when he unnecessarily and repeatedly struck an inmate in his head and face while the inmate was strapped in a restraint chair. Full Story
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August 8, 2009
Federal Bureau of Investigation - Press Release
commercialappeal.com
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Photo by buyitnow
The only thing predictable about Elvis is that he's unpredictable. On Tuesday, December 4, 1956, Carl Perkins (second from left) was cutting some new records at Sam Phillips' Sun Record studio on Union at Marshall. Elvis Presley dropped in. So did Johnny Cash (right). Jerry Lee Lewis (left) was already there. Elvis headed for the piano, and an old-fashioned barrelhouse session with barbershop harmony resulted. Accompanying Elvis was his houseguest (not pictured) Marilyn Evans, 19, a dancer at the New Frontier in Las Vegas. (The Commercial Appeal files)
Pitchfork: R.I.P. Willy DeVille
Pitchfork: R.I.P. Willy DeVilleR.I.P. Willy DeVille
The Associated Press reports that Willy DeVille, founder and frontman for the veteran punk band Mink DeVille, died last night in New York City. The 58-year-old suffered from pancreatic cancer.
DeVille formed Mink DeVille in the mid-70s; they made their recorded debut on the infamous Live at CBGB's compilation in 1976. Their first album, 1977's Cabretta, was produced by Jack Nitzsche. The song "Spanish Stroll" became a hit in Britain. After six albums with Mink DeVille, Willy DeVille launched a solo career in 1987. His 1987 album Miracle featured the song "Storybook Love", which was nominated for an Academy Award after its inclusion in the movie The Princess Bride.
Mink Deville: "Spanish Stroll"
Posted by Amy Phillips on August 7, 2009 at 1:40 p.m.
A Thank You To Willy DeVille - Blogcritics Music
It was on May 17 that I received the e-mail that broke my heart. Willy DeVille's wife Nina wrote to let me know that Willy had been diagnosed with Stage Four Pancreatic cancer. At the time she had asked me to keep it to myself, but as she's since gone public with the information at Willy's website I'm free to talk about it. We knew Willy was sick earlier in the year, but at the time the doctors thought it was Hepatitis C, and it was only when they were testing him, prior to beginning treatment, they discovered the cancer. It doesn't look like there's much they can do for him aside from ensuring his comfort, and Nina assures me that they have hospice people in making sure he's not feeling too much pain and that he's being well looked after.
I came to know Willy outside of his music first back in 2006 when I interviewed him (Part one and part two ) for the site just after the release of his first ever DVD Live In The Lowlands and his first studio recording in a number of years, Crow Jand Alley. It was an amazing experience as we talked for well over two hours about art, music, and life. If there was ever a performer who had every right to be bitter it is Willy, as his music career has been marked by record company stupidity and indifference. Capitol, his first label, didn't know what to do with his music - in fact they shelved Le Chat Blue, an album Rolling Stone called the fifth best of 1980, and music historian Glenn A Baker has called the tenth best rock album of all time, until sales of the French import version became so high they were embarrassed into releasing it.
Yet, in spite of a career where stuff like that was the norm, and a personal life marked by hardship and sadness (his second wife committed suicide and overcoming addictions) he still retained his passion and love for music and life. I had a great time with Willy, but I figured that was the end of that, and I would treasure the memories of that conversation for the rest of my life. However, in December of 2007 I received an e-mail from the German edition of Rolling Stone asking me if I was interested in updating the original interview for publication in their February 2008 edition. They were planning a special feature on Willy prior to a mini tour of Europe he was doing that spring to publicize his 2008 release Pistola. Instead of merely updating the interview I took the opportunity to get in touch with Willy again and do a whole new interview (part one and part two) which I then combined with the first, and wrote a couple of side bar articles, all of which ended up in the magazine. When combined with photos the special "Willy DeVille" section ended up being around fifteen pages long.
So Willy was responsible for my first paying writing gig, and it was a big one. He and Nina were really happy with what I had written, and we've been keeping in touch since then. In fact, Nina was able to direct some more work my way by recommending me for the job of writing the liner notes for a new DVD of Willy's, Live At Montreux in '94. Coincidentally, it was only shortly there after that I was offered the contract to write the book I have coming out this fall. I wrote Nina and told her that she and Willy were my good luck charms as the DVD liner notes had led to bigger and better wealth.
It was shortly after that we were writing a press announcement about Willy having to cancel his touring and recording plans for 2009 because of having to be treated for Hepatitis C. Unfortunately, all that's changed for the worse now, and when Nina contacted me in May it was to ask if I would write something for after he went, and I still will do that. However, I wanted to do something for him while he was still alive that would let him know what he's meant to people all over the world and how much his music has impacted those who've listened and appreciated what he offered.
Willy released sixteen albums either under his own name or under the Mink DeVille banner; there have also been fourteen compilation albums of his material released by various labels around the world; four DVDs of concerts that he performed; and at least three live albums that I know of, including the great Willy DeVille Acoustic Trio recording Live In Berlin, which featured some of the most soulful music you'll ever hear. His music has been used in three movies including Princess Bride (for which he garnered an Academy Award nomination for the song "Storybook Love"), Cruising, and Death Proof; and he's appeared on tribute albums for people as diverse as Edith Piaf and Johnny Thunders.
According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio, for a performer to be considered for induction it must have been at least twenty-five years since they released their first recording and they must have made a significant contribution to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll. Well as far as I can see Willy meets all those criteria as his first recording was released in 1977 and he's been producing some of the best, and most soulful, rock and roll ever since. His album of New Orleans music, Victory Mixture, alone should qualify him for the job it did in bringing the music of that city to a whole new audience in North America and Europe.
Yet for some reason, while his contemporaries from CBGBs, the Ramones, have been inducted, Willy DeVille has not. In an attempt to redress this inequity and in an effort to create a lasting memorial to his great talent, I've started a petition asking that Willy be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame. If you're interested in supporting this effort please sign the petition and ensure that this great singer and songwriter is not forgotten after he's gone.
While this hardly seems adequate when compared to how much enjoyment Willy has provided people over the years with his music it's at least a tangible way to show our appreciation. It's a start anyway, and perhaps, like many other artists before him, his reputation will continue to grow after he's no longer with us and more and more people will come to know, what I've known for years, just how special he is. It's only a pity that it will mean him being taken away from us for him to receive the appreciation he deserves. In a perfect world he'd still be with us and be able to show up for his own induction ceremony.
I know that I would trade all the signatures in the world for the chance to see him perform live, or even to hear his voice coming down through my telephone wire a year from now, but barring a miracle neither of those events are going to be happening. My heart is a lot heavier these days knowing Willy is not going to be with us for much longer, and while this effort won't keep him around, it's a start in saying thanks. I'm not ready to say good bye yet so thanks will have to do for now.