LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California woman was sentenced Monday to more than 3 years in prison in a long-running case over a business that helped pregnant Chinese women travel to the United States to deliver babies who automatically became American citizens.
U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner gave Phoebe Dong a 41-month sentence and ordered her immediately taken into custody from his federal court in Los Angeles. Dong and her husband were convicted in September of conspiracy and money laundering through their company, USA Happy Baby.
The sentencing came as birthright citizenship has been thrust into the spotlight in the United States with the return of President Donald Trump to the White House. Since taking office, Trump issued an executive order to narrow the definition of birthright citizenship, a move quickly blocked by a federal judge who called it “blatantly unconstitutional.”
Dong and her husband, Michael Liu, were among more than a dozen people charged in an Obama-era crackdown on so-called “birth tourism” schemes that helped Chinese women hide their pregnancies while traveling to the United States to give birth. Such businesses have long operated in various states catering to people from China, Russia, Nigeria and elsewhere.
[…]
Federal prosecutors sought a more than five year sentence for Dong and argued that she and Liu helped more than 100 pregnant Chinese women travel to the United States. They said the pair worked with others to coach women on how to trick customs officials by flying into airports believed to be more lax while wearing loose-fitting clothing to hide their pregnancies.
Trump Orders Declassification of JFK, RFK, and MLK Assassination Files
by Owen | 0733, 24 Jan 25 | Crime, Culture, Politics | 1 Comment
Enough time has passed that whatever is in there is part of our history that we deserve to know. I suspect, however, that even after they are released, we will still have more questions than answers. Not every fact is always written down. And not everything written down is a fact. But to have a complete historical record to evaluate when trying to get to the truth is vital.
For the record, I think that Oswald killed JFK just like we’ve been told for years. But I also think that his hostile communist radicalism was nurtured by the Soviet Union and ignored (intentionally?) by the CIA for years.
US President Donald Trump has ordered officials to make plans to declassify documents related to three of the most consequential assassinations in US history – the killings of John F Kennedy, Robert F Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
“A lot of people are waiting for this for long, for years, for decades,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. “And everything will be revealed.”
The order directs top administration officials to present a plan to declassify the documents within 15 days. That does not make it certain it will happen, however.
Biden Crime Family Pardoned by… Biden
by Owen | 1253, 20 Jan 25 | Crime, Politics | 2 Comments
In the final minutes of his presidency, Joe Biden pre-emptively pardoned several family members, including his brothers James, Francis and Frank Biden, and sister Valerie Biden Owens.
Biden said the pardons were intended to shield his family from politically motivated attacks and should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment of any wrongdoing.
I would like to see someone challenge preemptive and blanket pardons. It doesn’t seem Constitutional to pardon people for unnamed crimes for which they have not been charged.
Mass Deportations to Begin Forthwith
by Owen | 2020, 18 Jan 25 | Crime, Politics | 0 Comments
Excellent. The People voted for change and reversing Biden’s traitorous dissolution of our national borders is Job #1.
Trump said his administration is planning on executing mass deportations on undocumented immigrants “very quickly” after he takes office, reiterating his desire to “get the criminals out of our country.”
“It’ll begin very early, very quickly,” he told NBC News. “I can’t say which cities because things are evolving.”
“We have to get the criminals out of our country,” he added.
Trump has long previewed plans for mass deportations of immigrants. CNN previously reported the incoming Trump administration will focus at first on deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds in major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Denver and Washington, DC.
Read the Weiss Report
by Owen | 1839, 13 Jan 25 | Crime, Politics | 4 Comments
I encourage you to go read the Weiss Report regarding the investigation and prosecution of Hunter Biden in full. The media is fixating on hoe Weiss claps back at President Biden for slandering the investigators and prosecutors. You get gems like this:
The Constitution provides the President 8 with broad authority to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United 9 States, U.S. Const. art. II, § 2, cl. 1, but nowhere does the Constitution give the President 10 the authority to rewrite history.
But what really sticks out is the sleazy, illegal lifestyle Hunter was leading while spending millions of dollars. Where did these millions come from? Hunter didn’t hold down an actual job. He wasn’t running an enterprise. His lifestyle didn’t allow any time to conduct legitimate business. How was he able to obtain and spend millions of dollars without owning anything or working?
It’s clear as day. He was selling policy and access while kicking up a percentage to the Big Guy. This criminal enterprise makes Gotti look like a lightweight. Not to mention the fact that he did all of this while refusing to pay millions of dollars in taxes. When Joe Biden rails against millionaires not paying their fair share (whatever that means), he’s talking about his own son, and, probably, himself.
The Bidens might be the most corrupt family to ever reach the height of political power in America.
Two Murderers Rejects Biden’s Commutations
by Owen | 2022, 7 Jan 25 | Crime, Politics | 0 Comments
Leave it to Biden to eff up a commutation.
Two prisoners who are among the 37 federal inmates whose death sentences were commuted last month by President Joe Biden — a move that spares them from the death chamber — have taken an unusual stance: They’re refusing to sign paperwork accepting his clemency action.
Shannon Agofsky and Len Davis, both inmates at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, filed emergency motions in federal court in the state’s southern district on Dec. 30 seeking an injunction to block having their death sentences commuted to life in prison without parole.
The men believe that having their sentences commuted would put them at a legal disadvantage as they seek to appeal their cases based on claims of innocence.
DOJ Tyrants Upset with Trump
by Owen | 2228, 5 Jan 25 | Crime, Politics | 1 Comment
Good. This has been a witch hunt and massive misallocation of resources. I hope Trump every DOJ official who participated in seeking out and prosecuting any but the handful of malcontents who deserved it.
CNN —
President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t been sworn in yet, but his looming return has already upended hundreds of pending prosecutions against his supporters who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and has disrupted the ongoing effort to arrest more rioters.
The historic effort by Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents to investigate the deadly Trump-inspired storming of the Capitol has led to more than 1,570 arrests in nearly all 50 states, making it the largest criminal probe in American history. New arrests are slowly still trickling in, four years later, including recent cases against a member of the Proud Boys and a rioter who tried to stab police with a flagpole.
But the political reality has already tanked morale inside the Justice Department division that handles these cases — and is hampering efforts to secure guilty pleas in about 300 pending cases, as defendants balk at negotiations, according to a federal law enforcement official involved in the sprawling investigation.
Madison Police Respond to School Shooting
by Owen | 0730, 17 Dec 24 | Crime | 2 Comments
My prayers go out to the families impacted by the school shooting in Madison yesterday. There is always a flood of wrong information and bad “hot takes” after something like this. I’ve followed the news closely and it appears to be yet another troubled child who lashed out. It looks like there were significant warning signs, but hindsight is always 20/20. I thought the police chief’s press conference yesterday was pure Madison where the most animated he got during the entire time was when he was talking about whether or not the shooter was trans. This part of the story struck me as odd too:
It is not yet confirmed if Rupnow’s family – who are cooperating with the investigation – were gun owners.
Police raided her Delaware Boulevard home on Monday night to find anything she may have left behind. A door appeared to have been battered down and left on the ground and CNN reported that officers had thrown stun grenades into the home.
Barnes said they’re currently speaking with the shooter’s father at one of their facilities and that he’s cooperating.
‘The parents are fully cooperating, we have no reason to believe that they have committed a crime at this time,’ Barnes said, before offering empathy for her father.
If the parents are cooperating, why did they smash in the door and throw grenades? Were they worried about another threat inside? Why? This seems like a ridiculous overreaction if the parents were cooperating.
Biden’s Pardons Punish Victims Again
by Owen | 2026, 14 Dec 24 | Crime, Politics | 0 Comments
These pardons are not grants of clemency for people wrongly punished or an acknowledgement of a life well lived after a grave error. These pardons are for truly vile people, rightfully convicted, who have not paid for their crimes. Is Biden selling these pardons or is he just evil?
Victims of major public corruption cases in Pennsylvania and Illinois are angry that President Joe Biden granted clemency this week to two convicted officials.
The commutations were announced Thursday as part of a historic clemency package for 1,500 convicted criminals who, the White House said, “deserve a second chance.”
The two convicted officials whose cases sparked outrage – a crooked Pennsylvania judge and a notorious Illinois fraudster – both had already been released from prison early and put on house arrest during the Covid-19 pandemic. Biden’s actions now end that punishment.
The president has already faced bipartisan criticism over his highly controversial pardon of his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted earlier this year of 12 tax and gun crimes.
LeBron James Steps Away from Basketball for Personal Reasons
by Owen | 2014, 12 Dec 24 | Crime, Culture | 0 Comments
I’d be interested in seeing how much overlap there is between the Epstein list and the Diddy list.
But concerns grew Wednesday when the 39-year-old also wasn’t spotted at training, with head coach JJ Redick later confirming the prolonged absence.
‘LeBron is not with the team right now,’ Redick said after practice. ‘He’s out for personal reasons, excused absence.’
He added that the veteran is ‘taking some time’ and did not have a timeframe for when James would return to the team.
The news of Lebron’s absence came the same day MMA fighter Colby Covington appeared to call out the NBA star for his past ties to Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs.
FBI Had 26 Informants in January 6th Crowd
by Owen | 1947, 12 Dec 24 | Crime, Politics | 2 Comments
We have video and pictures of that day that has been used to abuse people for years. I want the names of these 26 people and a review of the footage to track their movement that day. I don’t trust the FBI and neither should you.
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said there were more than two dozen confidential human sources in the crowd on Jan. 6, but only three were assigned by the FBI to present for the event, while stressing that none of the sources were authorized or directed by the bureau to “break the law” or “encourage others to commit illegal acts,” Fox News has learned.
[…]
“Today’s report also details our findings regarding FBI CHSs who were in Washington, D.C., on January 6,” the report states. “Our review determined that none of these FBI CHSs was authorized by the FBI to enter the Capitol or a restricted area or to otherwise break the law on January 6, nor was any CHS directed by the FBI to encourage others to commit illegal acts on January 6.”
Attack of the Drones
by Owen | 1938, 12 Dec 24 | Crime, Politics | 4 Comments
The FBI has lost almost all trust. Until they can say what they are, they have no credibility in saying what they aren’t.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that they had seen “no evidence” that mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey and adjacent areas in recent weeks “pose a national security or public safety threat.”
The agencies also said they had no evidence of a “foreign nexus” to the drones.
“Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully,” the agencies said in a statement.
“There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space,” the agencies said.
Monsters Among Us
by Owen | 1918, 12 Dec 24 | Crime, Culture | 19 Comments
The outpouring of support for the unibrow monster, by monsters, is a stain on our nation.
As New York City prosecutors worked Thursday to bring murder charges against Luigi Mangione in the brazen killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, supporters of the suspect are donating tens of thousands of dollars for a defense fund established for him, leaving law enforcement officials worried Mangione is being turned into a martyr.
Several online defense funds have been created for Mangione by anonymous people, including one on the crowdfunding website GiveSendGo that as of Thursday afternoon had raised over $50,000.
The GiveSendGo defense fund for the 26-year-old Mangione was established by an anonymous group calling itself “The December 4th Legal Committee,” apparently in reference to the day Mangione allegedly ambushed and gunned down Thompson in Midtown Manhattan as the executive walked to his company’s shareholders conference at the New York Hilton hotel.
Manslaughter Charge Dropped Against Penny
by Owen | 0821, 7 Dec 24 | Crime | 0 Comments
The only crime in this case is that this hero is being prosecuted. In a world of Floyds, we need more Pennys.
A judge granted a motion from Manhattan prosecutors to dismiss the more serious charge of second-degree manslaughter against Daniel Penny on Friday in his trial over the chokehold death of Jordan Neely on a New York City subway last year.
The ruling clears the way for the jury to consider a remaining lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. It came after a Manhattan jury said they were deadlocked twice on the manslaughter charge and Penny’s defense attorneys renewed their motion for a mistrial.
Over defense objections, Judge Maxwell Wiley agreed with prosecutors, who argued that dismissing the first count of second-degree manslaughter eliminates the defense’s concern about a compromise verdict.
Hackers Hack Government Surveillance System
by Owen | 1851, 4 Dec 24 | Crime, Politics, Technology | 0 Comments
Any system can be hacked. The fact that this exists is a risk to the privacy and security of all Americans. TBF, it poses the same risk even if it wasn’t hacked.
The third has been systems that telecommunications companies use in compliance with the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), which allows law enforcement and intelligence agencies with court orders to track people’s communications. CALEA systems can include classified court orders from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which processes some U.S. intelligence court orders. The FBI official declined to say whether any classified material was accessed.
Biden Pardons Hunter to Protect the Family Business
by Owen | 1942, 1 Dec 24 | Crime, Politics | 3 Comments
We all knew it was coming, but that doesn’t make it any less scummy. The Bidens are dirtbags to the core and prove it again and again.
WashingtonCNN —
President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he has pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing this month on gun crime and tax convictions, marking a reversal as he prepares to leave office.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” the president said in a statement. It is a “full and unconditional pardon,” according to a copy of the executive grant of clemency.
[…]
By pardoning his son, Joe Biden has reneged on a public promise that he made repeatedly before and after dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. The president and his top White House spokesperson have said unequivocally, including after Trump won the 2024 election, that he would not pardon Hunter Biden or commute his sentence.
The pardon means Hunter Biden won’t be sentenced for his crimes, and it eliminates any chance of his being sent to prison, which was a possibility. Once the judges overseeing his cases are notified of the pardon, they’ll likely cancel the sentencing hearings, which were slated for December 12 in the gun case and December 16 in the tax case.
The pardon covers any potential federal crimes that Hunter Biden committed “from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024,” which, importantly, covers his entire tenure on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma. He had faced scrutiny for his controversial foreign business dealings.
Massive Chinese Hack of Networks Threatens National Security
by Owen | 1622, 23 Nov 24 | Crime, Foreign Affairs, Technology | 1 Comment
We shouldn’t have to say it, but China is not our friend.
(CNN) — Top telecom executives met with US national security officials at the White House on Friday as concerns mount over a long-running Chinese cyber-espionage campaign that has targeted some of the most senior US political figures in the country.
The hackers burrowed deep into some major US telecom providers to spy on phone calls and text messages and have proved difficult to kick out of some networks, people briefed on the matter said.
[…]
The hack is shaping up to be one of the biggest cyber and national security challenges facing the incoming Trump administration.
It is “by far” the “worst telecom hack in our nation’s history,” Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia and chairman of the intelligence committee, told CNN.
But the full scope of the hack, who it affects and its impact on national security are still being investigated.
The FBI has notified fewer than 150 victims, most in the Washington, DC, area, according to Warner. But all of those victims have likely called or sent texts to numerous people, meaning the number of records accessed by the hackers is likely far greater. The hackers could listen to the calls of specific targets for certain periods of time, according to Warner.
US officials and private cyber experts are keeping a running tally of the number of telecom firms breached. US broadband and internet providers AT&T, Verizon and Lumen have all been targeted in the hacking effort, CNN previously reported.
Laken Riley’s Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison
by Owen | 2144, 20 Nov 24 | Crime | 0 Comments
A small amount of justice for a murder that would not have happened if we had a secure border. May her family find some peace.
The man accused of killing Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, at the University of Georgia in February was found guilty of murder on Wednesday. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, is a Venezuelan citizen who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in 2022. He was released by border officials while his immigration case was awaiting review, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Source of Racist Texts Unknown
by Owen | 0939, 9 Nov 24 | Crime, Politics | 1 Comment
Law enforcement has already put more effort into trying to find the source of these texts than they have trying to locate and prosecute Epstein’s clients. And I’ll bet you dollars to doughnuts that the people who sent these texts are radical leftists trying to agitate.
The messages “appear to be robotext messages,” and the Nevada’s Attorney General’s Office is working with law enforcement to investigate their source, the office said in a statement on X.
Whoever is sending the racist text messages is using anonymizing software to obscure their location, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill told CNN on Friday. At least some of the messages were sent using an email service routing traffic through Poland, but it does not mean it is where the sender is, the attorney general said.
“They could be coming from Napoleonville, Louisiana, for all we know. We don’t know where they are originating from,” Murrill said.
Murrill said Thursday she directed state investigators “to fully investigate the origins of these disgusting texts that only intend to divide us.” The Louisiana Bureau of Investigations is “still trying to trace where everything is actually originating from,” she told CNN.
Attorneys general in Washington, DC, Virginia, New Jersey, Illinois and Maryland have condemned the messages and urged those who feel under threat to contact law enforcement.
Dutch King Responds to Pogrom in Amsterdam
by Owen | 1943, 8 Nov 24 | Crime, Culture, Foreign Affairs | 0 Comments
There needs to be more than words.
The Dutch king says Jewish people must feel safe in the Netherlands, after violent attacks against Israeli football fans in the centre of Amsterdam.
Willem-Alexander said “our history has taught us how intimidation goes from bad to worse,” adding that the country could not ignore “antisemitic behaviour”.
Youths on scooters had criss-crossed the Dutch capital in “hit-and-run” attacks on Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters who were visiting Amsterdam for a Europa League match, authorities said.
Police said five people were treated in hospital and others suffered minor injuries. At least 62 people have been arrested.