Alabama Woman Sentenced to Prison After Faking Terminal Cancer, Raising Over $260K
An Alabama woman who duped kind-hearted donors into thinking she had cancer is headed to prison, a judge ordered Wednesday.
Jennifer Flynn Cataldo was sentenced to 25 months behind bars for fraudulently raising more than $260,000 by falsely portraying herself as a terminal cancer patient from 2014 to early May 2017, according to KTLA sister station WHNT in Alabama.
Cataldo pleaded guilty in August to one count of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud for using a false claim of terminal cancer to collect money from family and friends by using two GoFundMe accounts, Facebook, emails and text messages.
One of the GoFundMe fundraisers was titled “Mom has Terminal Cancer Disney Trip,” with the stated goal of raising $4,000 to take her young child to visit Disney before she died, according to prosecutors.
U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town called Cataldo’s crime “reprehensible,” saying in a statement:
“For more than two years she engaged in an elaborate scheme that preyed upon the sympathy and generosity of her friends and family. Not only did she fake cancer to take their money, she used her minor child as part of her ruse and allowed the child to believe his mother was dying. She has earned every nickel of her punishment.”
Cataldo fraudulently collected a total of $264,163 in checks and cash deposited into her personal checking account, according to her guilty plea.
“Crimes like this make good people think twice before they are willing to be charitable, and Cataldo’s conduct could have a chilling effect on donations to legitimate accounts set up for people who are truly in need,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. said. “It is hard to understand how anyone could ignore the anguish that their greed- or drug-fueled lie brought to their loved ones every single day.”
A government sentencing document states that throughout Cataldo’s scheme, she was spending part of the money she obtained fraudulently to pay for 30 to 40 non-prescribed Percocet per day.
“The fact that we now know that part of the money was going to fund illegal opioids is yet more evidence of how destructive these drugs can be,” said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall. “It is imperative that we confront such criminal activities and that the offenders are stopped and punished.”
A federal judge also ordered Cataldo to pay $79,629 in restitution to her victims.
via: http://ktla.com/2017/11/08/woman-sentenced-to-prison-after-faking-terminal-cancer-raising-over-260k/
Toddler With Dairy Allergy Dies After New York School Gave Him Grilled Cheese – knowing he was allergic to dairy foods
A New York City school is closing while officials investigate the death of a 3-year-old boy who died after he was allegedly given a grilled cheese sandwich — despite the school knowing he had a severe dairy allergy, according to KTLA sister station WPIX in New York.
Elijah Silvera was in his pre-K class at Seventh Avenue Center for Family Services in Harlem on Nov. 3 when he went into anaphylactic shock after eating the sandwich. The child was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
A family friend wrote on a GoFundMe site, “…he was given a grilled cheese sandwich by an adult at the pre-K, despite them knowing and having documented that he has a severe allergy to dairy.”
The family member also told WPIX that school officials called Elijah’s mother when it happened. It’s unclear why they did not call an ambulance, so his mother rushed Elijah 10 blocks south to Harlem Hospital.
But it was too late.
The family stated online they want to know exactly what happened and if proper protocols were followed — “…at this moment, it is unclear where responsibility for Elijah’s death will fall between the pre-K and the hospital itself.”
“We want to find out exactly where, if any, breakdowns may have occurred at either the school or the hospital,” they wrote.
The money raised on GoFundMe will help pay for an independent autopsy, according to the family.
Michelle Daniels says she attended the school as a little girl.
“I went there when I was a kid,” Daniels said. “That person should be really investigated. Really they should. Because if that was my child, I would be all over the place.”
“If I’m sending my children someplace, and I’m entrusting my children in your care, you’re supposed to follow those guidelines,” Daniels added.
Late Wednesday, the New York City Health Department released a statement announcing the school will close in order to investigate the incident.
“There is nothing more important than the safety of our children and we are deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will get to the bottom of what happened here. In the meantime, we’re closing the Center for Family Services and continuing to aggressively investigate what happened and whether the facility could have done something differently to prevent this tragedy.”
Florida Woman Buys Computer, Other Electronics for $3.70 at Walmart After Allegedly Swapping Barcodes
A Florida woman is accused of paying only $3.70 for nearly $2,000 worth of electronics after she allegedly swapped barcodes at a local Walmart, according to KTLA sister station WPIX in New York. Cheyenne Amber West and another woman entered the store and began taking video game controllers, a computer and other items from the electronics department, a Walmart loss prevention officer said.
The two then allegedly went to the clearance section, where they took out the devices from their boxes and placed clearance price tags on them.
The pair then proceeded to a self-checkout counter, where they allegedly scanned the clearance barcodes and paid a total of $3.70. The electronics cost a total $1,825.20.
According to the arrest affidavit, the 25-year-old said, “I am just trying to get gifts for my son that I cannot afford. The computer is for my husband. Since he just got me a Coach purse, I figured he deserved something nice as well.”
West has been charged with felony grand theft and shoplifting, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
She was released from jail after paying her $3,000 posted bond and is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 13.
Sicko who stored female genitalia in freezer convicted
A Danish sicko who stored female genitalia in his freezer has been convicted in South Africa of a slew of charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and pedophilia, according to reports.
Peter Frederiksen made headlines two years ago after frozen pieces of at least seven sets of female genitalia were found at his South African home.
“I hope I can avoid a sentencing by appealing and going through a mental investigation,” Frederiksen said in the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein after being found guilty of 36 charges.
The court on Tuesday agreed to the 65-year-old’s request for a mental exam and postponed his case to March 12.
Frederiksen was “certainly not a man of high moral standing,” Judge Johann Daffue said Monday, according to the Times Live of South Africa.
“He simultaneously married two women and was involved with people who believed in Satanism,” Daffue told a packed court.
His wife, Anna Matseliso Molise, who turned him in to police after he drugged her and pierced her genitalia, was shot dead outside her Lesotho home while Frederiken was in prison awaiting trial.
Motlatsi Moqeti, a wheelchair-bound convict serving 11 years for attempted murder, told the court that Frederiksen had paid him about $1,500 to arrange a hit on her, according to the International Business Times.
One of Frederiksen’s victims told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet that he gave her a glass of spiked champagne. When she awoke, her genitalia had been sliced off.
“I had a headache like I’ve never had before. And the pain’ I’ve never had such pain’” she said.
A 9-year-old girl told the court via video link that Frederiksen had raped her.
In addition to the genitals, police also found child porn at his home, as well as a diary that included a log of his mutilations and the sexual abuse of the girl.
He wrote an entry titled “Paedophile Pig” on one of the days he abused the girl, who did not have her genitals mutilated.
Frederiksen was convicted of 18 child pornography offenses and the rape of the child.
He also was convicted of assaulting his now deceased wife, conspiracy to commit murder, possession of an unregistered anesthetic drug, xylocaine, and illegal possession of firearms, according to the Independent Online.
But he was acquitted of two counts relating to the alleged rape of Molise.
“I give you the benefit of the doubt on counts five and six,” the judge said.
In September, the judge also dropped 20 charges relating to genital mutilation over a technicality, saying the country’s National Health Act did not indicate the nature of penalties.
The judge recommended that the law be amended as soon as possible to avoid similar oversights in the future.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/11/07/sicko-who-stored-female-genitalia-in-freezer-convicted/
Mom who took son’s dead body onto train charged with murder
CHICAGO — An Illinois woman accused of taking her 6-year-old onto a commuter train to Chicago after his death last summer has been charged with first-degree murder and ordered held without bond, authorities said Tuesday.
Jamie Jones, 29, of Round Lake Beach also was charged with concealment of a homicide in the death of Carl Rice Jr. She’s being held in lieu of $3 million.
Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Scheller told a Lake County judge that an autopsy showed the child was bruised from his face and head to his torso. He also suffered a brain hemorrhage.
“This was a horrific crime involving the death of an innocent child who was beaten to death at the hands of his own mother,” he said.
Scheller said Carl was injured by Jones prior to falling asleep on June 30. He said the boy died between June 30 and July 1.
Scheller said video show Jones, accompanied by her 9-year-old daughter, took the child to the Round Lake Beach Metra station on July 1 to catch a train to Chicago. The child was placed inside the station in a corner seat and was propped up with the help of a backpack.
Jones allegedly carried the dead boy onto a train and video taken at Chicago’s Union Station shows Jones carrying the child over her shoulder as if he is asleep, before getting into a vehicle driven by her father.
Family members became aware the boy was not breathing and called paramedics, who determined he had died. The Cook County medical examiner ruled the boy died from injuries caused by child abuse, Scheller said.
Jones initially told investigators she hit her son several times before his death, prosecutors said. After a four-month investigation, Jones was arrested Saturday on a warrant for failure to appear in court, and then held until murder charges were filed.
Defense attorney Charis Walker declined to comment after Jones’ court appearance Tuesday.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/11/07/mom-who-took-sons-dead-body-onto-train-charged-with-murder/
Drunk dad passes out on lawn while tot drowns blocks away
A Pennsylvania dad faces charges after his toddler son drowned while the man was allegedly passed out drunk on his lawn.
David Gammon, 35, was charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in the death of 2-year-old Anakin Gammon, news station WFMJ reported.
Gammon told police that he had been “sipping” on a Four Loko when he took the tot and his 5-year-old brother outside in September.
A neighbor found Gammon asleep on the lawn after another one of his children came over saying that he couldn’t wake his dad or find the siblings.
he neighbor told police that Gammon reeked of alcohol and had difficulty understanding that his sons had disappeared, news station WKBN reported.
The two boys were reported missing and police found the 5-year-old, who has special needs, a few blocks from Gammon’s home.
But Anakin was discovered unresponsive in a backyard swimming pool about nine blocks away in Masury, Ohio.
Emergency responders attempted to revive the 2-year-old, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The boy’s death was ruled a drowning.
Authorities filed charges against Gammon after investigating the death.
“There is probable cause that David Gammon was reckless in consuming enough alcohol, while caring for his children, that he lost consciousness allowing them to wander from the property” police said in the complaint.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/11/07/drunk-dad-passes-out-on-lawn-while-tot-drowns-blocks-away-cops/
Fake Craigslist ‘doctor’ sexually abused woman under guise of ‘anatomy research’
PROVO, Utah — A man who police say posed as a doctor on Craigslist, lured women to his office and then sexually assaulting them has been charged with 17 felonies.
Borzin Mottaghian, 34, of Provo, was charged Tuesday in 4th Distinct Court with 12 counts of object rape and two counts of attempted object rape, first-degree felonies; two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; and attempted sexual abuse, a third-degree felony.
A court hearing is scheduled for Monday.
Mottaghian, who is the owner of the Cocoa and Coffee Company drink shop and the Cafe On Fire Persian restaurant, both located in Provo, is accused of posting an ad on Craigslist looking for women for medical research. The ad stated he would “pay females over the age of 18 $200 to participate in ‘anatomy research’ for the purpose of developing a new ‘medical device,’” the charges state.
Mottaghain claimed to one woman that he was making a new type of catheter and had her undress from the waist down before performing an “examination,” the charges state.
“(Mottaghian) is neither a doctor nor an engineer, and his claim that he is developing a new ‘medical device’ is false and clearly a guise,” prosecutors wrote in court documents.
A second victim who responded to the ad was allegedly told by Mottaghian that he was developing a new type of tampon. That woman was “examined” twice during the same visit, the charges state.
The first woman contacted police a few days later, fearing she had been deceived. Provo police had a female officer go undercover and make an appointment with Mottaghian. After she arrived at his office and he allegedly told her to take her clothes off, other officers entered the room and arrested Mottaghain.
Bail was set at $250,000.
Mottaghian identifies himself as a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and says he earned a law degree from the University of California.
According to a bio on the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) website, Mottaghian played supporting roles in various movies and television episodes, and was the writer, producer and director for a short film titled “Blue Sweater.”
Father accused of murder ‘would rather have a dead son than a gay son,’ teen’s former foster mom says
HENDERSON, Nev. — A teen was shot and killed last week, allegedly by his own father, according to KSNV.
Wendell Melton, 53, is accused of shooting 14-year-old Giovanni Melton on Thursday.
Sonja Jones, Giovanni’s former foster mom, said the two were arguing and part of that argument was over Giovanni’s sexual orientation.
“He hated the fact that his son was gay,” Jones told KSNV. “I’m sure that inside of his mind, he would rather have a dead son than a gay son.”
Jones said Melton had threatened his son before.
“I’m hearing his dad had caught him with his boyfriend before and pulled out a gun on him,” Jones said.
Melton faces a charge of open murder in addition to other charges, according to Henderson police.
Randolph County mother accused of using kids to break into buildings, posting videos on YouTube
RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. – A Randolph County mother was arrested and charged Friday after the sheriff said she broke into buildings with kids and posted videos of the incidents on YouTube.
Ashley Ball, 22, is charged with one count of misdemeanor breaking and entering and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The sheriff’s office received an anonymous tip that Ball was recording videos of herself breaking into homes and posting them online, oftentimes with a 13-year-old and a toddler in tow.
Sheriff Robert Graves said the 2-year-old girl is her biological daughter and his office believes the 13-year-old is Ball’s sister, or someone she calls “sister.”
“My first reaction was how brazen could this be? You’re televising yourself on YouTube video committing a criminal act,” Graves said. “The second thing that was disturbing to us was that she had children there with her while she was doing this. One was a toddler and didn’t have anything on but a diaper outside.”
Graves said other agencies are looking into the case, too–they believe break-ins also happened in Siler City, Liberty and Chatham County.
“I wish there weren’t neighbors right here, the window is open,” Ball can be heard saying in one of the videos. “We’re gonna go in, I’m just watching for cars—watching for neighbors.”
The sheriff said it’s Ball that directs the 13-year-old to climb through the window and then pulls the toddler through. Ball follows, then she, the two children and another woman proceed to walk throughout the home.
Before they entered, Ball remarked that she believed the home is abandoned. Later, she realized the power was on.
“Maybe they’re fixing it up,” Ball said. “I’ll just be like, I’m sorry, I thought it was abandoned!”
Graves said his office still isn’t sure if anything was stolen, but if there was, more charges will be coming soon.
The 2-year-old is now in the care of the Randolph County Department of Social Services.
Angry wife beats up husband on flight after discovering he’s cheating, forces plane to make emergency landing
A plane headed to Bali had to make an emergency landing after a woman went ballistic and started fighting her husband over his alleged affair.
According to India’s Hindustan Times, the Iranian woman was traveling with her husband and child on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha, Qatar, to Bali, Indonesia, on Sunday when she discovered that her husband was cheating.
The outlet reports that as the husband was sleeping, his wife used his hand to unlock his fingerprint-protected cell phone. As she was going through it, the woman reportedly discovered her husband was being unfaithful.
She then started hitting her husband. Crew members on the flight tried to calm the situation down, but when they couldn’t get the woman to stop attacking her spouse, the pilot decided to land in Chennai, India. Times of India reportedthat alcohol played a factor in the mid-flight brawl.
Officials said the family was kicked off the plane, and the flight continued on to Bali.
“The family spent the day at Chennai airport and was sent to Kuala Lumpur by a Batik Air flight,” the official said. “No police action was taken.”
via: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/angry-wife-beats-husband-flight-affair-article-1.3616700