Criminal Network Targets Kids At Home, FBI Says: What To Know About 764
Federal authorities are intensifying efforts against a disturbing online network known as "764," which they describe as a violent extremist group that targets and exploits children through social media and gaming platforms.
Two men have been charged for allegedly leading the enterprise: Leonidas Varagiannis, age 21, a US citizen living in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Prasan Nepal, age 20, of North Carolina.
Varagiannis was arrested on Monday, May 6, in Greece. Nepal was arrested Monday, April 22, in North Carolina and has since made a court appearance. Both are expected to appear in cour…
Speeding BMW Packed With Heroin, Crack Cocaine Busted In Frederick: Sheriff
A speeding BMW led to a massive drug bust in Maryland when a North Carolina man was caught with heroin and crack cocaine, authorities announced.
Xerxus Rashad Belvin, 46, was arrested just after 1:20 a.m. on Friday, April 25, after deputies spotted him flying up Route 15 near I-70 in a white BMW X7, according to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.
Officials say after pulling Belvin over, one deputy returned to the cruiser to run checks, at which point a second deputy spotted him attempting to conceal a large square-shaped object, wrapped in tape, under the driver’s seat.
Durin…
Rep. Norcross Transferred Out Of ICU
Rep. Donald Norcross, D-Cherry Hill, is out of the intensive care unit, his office announced on Tuesday, April 22.
Norcross, who represents New Jersey’s 1st Congressional District, was transferred out of the intensive care unit on Friday, April 18, his office said, as his health continues to improve.
“He has been successfully treated for his infection and has completed his course of antibiotic,” his office said. “The Congressman is on his way to making a full recovery."
Norcross has been hospitalized since Monday, April 7, when he had a medical incident, necessitating his hospitalization …
South American Burglary Crew Captured By Cedar Grove Police
Twelve members of a South American burglary crew were apprehended by Cedar Grove police in Allendale, authorities announced on Friday, April 18.
The criminal crew, composed of Colombian natives, was targeting the homes of Asian business owners throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Cedar Grove police said.
The sophisticated operation, which involved weekly residential burglaries, included wi-fi jammers, GPS devices, police scanners and multiple lookouts, police said. The victims suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses, police said.
Cedar Grove police said…
Lake George Inventor Defrauded Investors, Dodged Taxes While Living Large, Jury Finds
A New York man who promised big returns on patented inventions defrauded investors and failed to file tax returns, a federal jury found.
Michael Conner, 56, of Lake George, was convicted on 22 counts of wire fraud and related charges following an eight-day trial in Albany federal court on Thursday, April 10.
Conner portrayed himself as a successful inventor of household products such as a heated-blade knife, a paint bucket called the “Paint Caddy,” and a rotatable refrigerator shelf. But in reality, he never sold a single patent and hadn’t earned a dime in revenue from any of them, accordin…
Huntington MS-13 Member Who Kidnapped, Stabbed 15-Year-Old Boy Extradited To Suffolk County: DA
An alleged MS-13 gang member who had been on the run for more than a year is back on Long Island, accused in a brutal kidnapping and stabbing of a 15-year-old boy.
Josue Zepeda-Padilla, age 28, of Huntington Station, was extradited from North Carolina and arraigned in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday, April 8, stemming from a brutal 2024 gang attack at the abandoned Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Brentwood.
The teen victim was lured to the Huntington Train Station on the morning of Jan. 6, 2024, by a group of alleged members and associates of the MS-13 Huntington Criminal Locates Salvatrucha,…
