Category Archives: Citizens Duty

N Korean, Park Jin hyok Charged with Global Cyber Attacks

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U.S. CHARGES NORTH KOREAN HACKER

Federal prosecutors charged a North Korean man, Park Jin-hyok, with crimes in connection with a series of costly cyberattacks around the globe, including the WannaCry ransomware attack in 2018, the heist of Bangladesh’s central bank in 2017, and the hack of Sony Pictures in 2014. It is the first time the Justice Department has explicitly charged a North Korean hacker backed by the government. Park was allegedly working as a programmer for a North Korean front company in China called Chosun Expo, which had ties to North Korea’s military intelligence.

Legal analysts say the complaint is the most detailed public accounting yet of North Korea’s cyberattacks against foreign adversaries. The Justice Department has now brought hacking-related charges against North Korea, China, Iran, and Russia. (WSJ, NYT, Reuters, DOJ)

Park Jin Hyok, named by officials as a member of the so-called Lazarus Group hacking team behind last year’s WannaCry global ransomware attack and the 2014 digital attack on Sony, apparently used not only advanced technology, but elaborate reconnaissance work to digitally steal money and sensitive information.

First, Park would obtain a number of email addresses of people affiliated with target businesses from traders dealing in large amounts of personal information. Then he would use the emails to gain an understanding of company employees’ fields of interest and personal relationships.

That would let him craft emails that could pass as genuine messages from major companies in content and style, a tactic known as spear phishing. After spending some time building trust, he would send the malicious links to websites that would infect a target’s computer.

In one case, Park apparently masqueraded as a human resources official at a U.S. defense-linked company to exchange messages with workers at one of the company’s competitors.

Last week’s charges were said to be the first in years against a North Korean hacker related to high-profile attacks linked to the state. The attack on Sony came as the company was preparing to release a movie called “The Interview,” which depicted the assassination of a character resembling North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The group also allegedly stole $81 million from the central bank of Bangladesh in 2016.

A North Korean suspect is wanted by U.S. authorities on suspicion of hacking. (Courtesy of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation)

“We stand with our partners to name the North Korean government as the force behind this destructive global cyber campaign,” Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said in a statement on Sept. 6.

The U.S. Treasury also imposed sanctions on Park and a Chinese business he was affiliated with. “We will not allow North Korea to undermine global cybersecurity to advance its interests and generate illicit revenues in violation of our sanctions,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in his own statement.

Under Kim, the North has consolidated its cyber forces under its Reconnaissance General Bureau, which handles overseas spying. The state has a team of 6,800, according to the South Korean government, and is counted as one of the five cyber powers along with the U.S., Russia, China and Israel.

The core of cyber operations is a team known as “Bureau 121,” established in 1998 by Kim’s father, then-leader Kim Jong Il. Bureau 121 is known for its willingness to commit crimes for the sake of bringing in cash.

“The technology behind North Korea’s cybercrimes is some of the most advanced in the world,” said a source with the U.S. State Department.

Governments and businesses around the world are hurrying to guard themselves from the North’s attacks even as its methods grow more sophisticated. Further cooperation between countries’ cyberdefense authorities may be key to finding effective solutions.

British Airways: The airline said a “very sophisticated” hacker stole credit card details of hundreds of thousands of its customers in recent days. Anyone who lost out financially as a result of the breach would be compensated, BA officials said. (Reuters)

JPMorgan Hacker: A Russian man, Andrei Tyurin, has been extradited by Georgia to the United States on charges that he participated in the 2014 hack of JPMorgan Chase and other U.S. companies. (Reuters)

Care Center Owners Charged with Human Trafficking

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And there are at least 50 criminal counts against the owners…..a sanctuary state eh?

Rainbow Bright Adult Residential Facility in South San Francisco, CA provides Assisted Living services.

The staff at Rainbow Bright Adult Residential Facility provide personalized services designed to meet the needs of every patient. The dedicated health professionals offer the assistance you need while respecting your independence.

Rainbow Bright Adult Residential Facility is a licensed care provider with the State of California. The California Department of Social Services provides a list of registered care providers in California.

CA Family Arrested Charged Running Human Trafficking Ring ...

Owners of senior and child care centers charged with human trafficking

A family of four running several senior and child care centers in San Mateo County has been charged with human trafficking and other labor-related charges, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said Friday.

The defendants — Joshua Gamos, 42; Noel Gamos, 40; Gerlen Gamos, 38; and Carlina Gamos, 67 — are accused of holding employees of the Rainbow Bright day-care centers against their will, failing to pay them minimum wage and overtime pay, and abusing them verbally, physically and psychologically.

The alleged abuse took place between 2008 and 2017, according to the complaint.

The charges are the result of a yearlong investigation by the attorney general’s office’s Tax Recovery and Criminal Enforcement Task Force, which involved the collaboration of multiple agencies including the U.S. Department of Labor and law enforcement departments in Daly City, South San Francisco and Pacifica.

While serving the arrest warrants, officials seized 14 illegal assault weapons, three of which were “ghost gun” rifles without serial numbers, according to a statement released by Becerra’s office.

The Gamoses are charged with 59 criminal counts, including human trafficking, rape and grand theft.

The four family members allegedly targeted Filipinos who were living in the U.S. illegally or otherwise vulnerable by posting ads in a local Filipino newspaper. According to the complaint, employees at multiple Rainbow Bright facilities were promised food and a room to sleep in for their work as live-in caregivers for developmentally delayed adults. They were told they would work eight hours a day for five days a week and receive a monthly salary of between $1,000 and $1,200.

But according to the complaint, employees were made to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week with no increase in pay, sometimes with only a few hours of sleep a night. At times, they were not allowed to communicate with one another.

If the employees didn’t behave properly in the eyes of the owners, according to the complaint, they would be punished, sometimes with a decrease in pay or threats that they would be deported.

The owners also withheld employees’ passports on the pretext that they would help employees with their immigration status, the complaint said. In some cases they kept the passports until the employees were fired or quit.

The complaint also alleges that Joshua and Noel Gamos offered female employees gifts in exchange for sex acts. Joshua Gamos is also accused of raping employees on multiple occasions, according to the complaint.

“No worker in the United States should live in fear or be subjected to violence, abuse or exploitation at the hands of their employer,” Becerra said in a statement. “We must not turn a blind eye to abusive labor practices. Report it, and we will investigate and prosecute.”

More Photos From 9/11, 17 Years Later

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The attack(s) continue to claim victims years later due to developing illnesses. Many may be unaware that post 9/11, illness claimed the lives of 3 FBI agents.

There is a fund with more than a billion dollars that has been available to survivors to have financial aid assisting in medical needs. Congress funded this account and frankly, Saudi Arabia and Iranian al Qaeda supporters should be funding this.

Meanwhile, for those too young to remember, share the following please:

The September 11th attacks took the lives of more than 3,000 Americans, and transformed the US in countless ways.

It sparked the Global War on Terror (which the US is now fighting in 76 countries), and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

It led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Patriot Act.

And it also fundamentally changed New York City.

In honor of the 17th anniversary of the horrific attacks, we compiled 17 photos showing how Manhattan’s Financial District and skyline have changed since 9/11 as the city rebuilt Ground Zero. See for yourself:

Here’s an aerial view of the Twin Towers on a peaceful June day in 1999.

Here's an aerial view of the Twin Towers on a peaceful June day in 1999. Associated Press

But that skyline was horrifically shaken a little more than two years later.

But that skyline was horrifically shaken a little more than two years later. Associated Press

You can see the stark difference between this August 30, 2001 photo and a photo taken from the spot 16 days after the attacks. It would take several months for rescuers to go through the rubble.

You can see the stark difference between this August 30, 2001 photo and a photo taken from the spot 16 days after the attacks. It would take several months for rescuers to go through the rubble. Reuters

In December 2003, a design for the new One World Trade Center was finally unveiled.

In December 2003, a design for the new One World Trade Center was finally unveiled.
An aerial view showing the footprint of the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan, with the Hudson River, left, on Friday Sept. 10, 2004.
Associated Press

In addition to the 1,776 foot One World Trade Center building, the site would also come to include four other World Trade Center buildings, a 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center, a WTC Transportation Hub, and Liberty Park.

Sources: New York City Port Authority, Curbed

But about four years after the unveiling, the site still looked about the same, as construction was hamstrung by lawsuits, budget overruns, design changes, and a recession.

But about four years after the unveiling, the site still looked about the same, as construction was hamstrung by lawsuits, budget overruns, design changes, and a recession.
Photo shows the World Trade Center site, center, surrounded by skyscrapers in New York in Aug. 29, 2007.
Associated Press

Source: Time

In 2009, the 9/11 memorial pools was starting to take shape.

In 2009, the 9/11 memorial pools was starting to take shape. Associated Press

The Freedom Tower was just starting to rise from the rubble.

The Freedom Tower was just starting to rise from the rubble.
Cranes work at the World Trade Center site on Jan. 27, 2009.
Associated Press

In June 2010, the skyscraper was slowly rising.

In June 2010, the skyscraper was slowly rising. Associated Press

By July 2011, the memorial waterfalls were being tested, and One World Trade Center’s facade was beginning to reflect the sky.

By July 2011, the memorial waterfalls were being tested, and One World Trade Center's facade was beginning to reflect the sky. Associated Press

Here’s the Manhattan skyline in August 2011. You can see the unfinished tower beginning to peek over the other skyscrapers.

Here's the Manhattan skyline in August 2011. You can see the unfinished tower beginning to peek over the other skyscrapers.
One World Trade Center towers over the lower Manhattan skyline, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011 in New York. The skyscraper is now 76 floors and will reach 104 floors.
Associated Press

The memorial waterfalls officially opened in September 2011, and the museum, seen on the right, opened in May 2014.

The memorial waterfalls officially opened in September 2011, and the museum, seen on the right, opened in May 2014.
The September 11 Museum entrance pavilion, right, sits next to one of the September 11 Memorial pools, at the World Trade Center Monday, April 14, 2014.
Associated Press

By November 2014, One World Trade Center was completed, as was 4 World Trade Center (left) and 7 World Trade Center (right.) But 3 World Trade Center, seen here with the crane above it, still wasn’t finished.

By November 2014, One World Trade Center was completed, as was 4 World Trade Center (left) and 7 World Trade Center (right.) But 3 World Trade Center, seen here with the crane above it, still wasn't finished.
A construction crane works on top of the rising steel frame of Three World Trade Center, center, November 20, 2014 in New York.
Associated Press

The WTC Transportation Hub, on which the soaring white Oculus was built, was also under construction in late 2014.

The WTC Transportation Hub, on which the soaring white Oculus was built, was also under construction in late 2014.
The WTC Transportation Hub and One World Trade Center as seen from Church Street, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014, in New York.
Associated Press

The hub officially opened in June 2016, when 3 World Trade Center was still under construction.

The hub officially opened in June 2016, when 3 World Trade Center was still under construction.
3 World Trade Center, center, reaches its full height of 80 stories in New York in this June 22, 2016 photo.
Associated Press

The $50 million Liberty Park also opened in June 2016. From there, visitors can get an overhead view of the Ground Zero memorial.

The $50 million Liberty Park also opened in June 2016. From there, visitors can get an overhead view of the Ground Zero memorial.
A visitor to Liberty Park take a selfie, Wednesday, June 29, 2016, in New York. The one-acre, elevated Liberty Park opened to the public Wednesday.
Associated Press

Source: Gothamist

It took 3 World Trade Center another two years to be completed. This June 8, 2018 photo shows 3 World Trade Center, One World Trade Center, 4 World Trade Center, the 9/11 Memorial, and Liberty Park finally complete.

It took 3 World Trade Center another two years to be completed. This June 8, 2018 photo shows 3 World Trade Center, One World Trade Center, 4 World Trade Center, the 9/11 Memorial, and Liberty Park finally complete.
In this June 8, 2018 photo, 3 World Trade Center, second from right, joins its neighbors One World Trade Center, left, and 4 World Trade Center, right, next to the September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York. The center’s latest skyscraper opens Monday.
Associated Press

And the Manhattan skyline was forever changed.

And the Manhattan skyline was forever changed.
New World Trade Center Tower in June 7, 2018.
Associated Press

Then there was the Pentagon:

The FBI released 27 new photos of the Pentagon on 9/11

9 11 Pentagon FBI 6

FBI

The FBI has released 27 new photos of the Pentagon on 9/11 after it was struck by a plane that was hijacked by five terrorists.

Five al-Qaeda terrorists took over American Airlines flight 77, which was traveling from Washington DC to Los Angeles, as it flew over eastern Kentucky. They then turned it back towards Washington, D.C., eventually crashing it into the Pentagon, killing 184 people.

The pictures released by the FBI show debris from the plane, the Pentagon on fire and crews putting out the blaze and cleaning up the damage.

Debris from American Airlines flight 77.

Debris from American Airlines flight 77. FBI

More debris from the flight, which appears to be part of the body of the plane.

More debris from the flight, which appears to be part of the body of the plane. FBI

The red “C” in the American Airlines logo is clearly visible in this picture.

The red FBI

Dark smoke billows up over the flames still burning.

Dark smoke billows up over the flames still burning. FBI

Crews working to put out the blaze.

Crews working to put out the blaze. FBI

Crews use heavy machinery to clean up the damage.

Crews use heavy machinery to clean up the damage. FBI

A large hole in the wall, which appears to have been caused by blowout.

A large hole in the wall, which appears to have been caused by blowout. FBI

A side view of the blowout hole.

A side view of the blowout hole. FBI

Crews inspecting the damage.

Crews inspecting the damage. FBI

Workers using more heavy machinery to clean up the damage.

Workers using more heavy machinery to clean up the damage. FBI

Firefighters gazing down at the wreckage.

Firefighters gazing down at the wreckage. FBI

The Pentagon, seen at a distance, still smoldering.

The Pentagon, seen at a distance, still smoldering. FBI

Crews still going through the wreckage.

Crews still going through the wreckage. FBI

Crews in Haz Mat suits walking near the damage.

Crews in Haz Mat suits walking near the damage. FBI

Workers shoveling up the ash and small debris.

Workers shoveling up the ash and small debris. FBI

Workers holding an American flag near the site.

Workers holding an American flag near the site. FBI

Workers still picking up the debris.

Workers still picking up the debris. FBI

A view inside the Pentagon.

A view inside the Pentagon. FBI

Another view of the inside of the Pentagon.

Another view of the inside of the Pentagon. FBI

A view from inside the Pentagon looking out.

A view from inside the Pentagon looking out. FBI

A view from the top of where the plane struck the Pentagon.

A view from the top of where the plane struck the Pentagon. FBI More here.

 

Middleweight Boxing Champion Led a Crime Syndicate

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The Shulaya Enterprise was an organized criminal group operating under the direction and protection of Razhden Shulaya, a/k/a “Brother,” a/k/a “Roma,” a “vor v zakone” or “vor,” which are Russian phrases translated roughly as “Thief-in-Law” or “Thief,” and which refer to an order of elite criminals from the former Soviet Union who receive tribute from other criminals, offer protection, and use their recognized status as vor to adjudicate disputes among lower-level criminals.  As a vor, Shulaya had substantial influence in the criminal underworld and offered assistance to and protection of the members and associates of the Shulaya Enterprise.  Those members and associates, and Shulaya himself, engaged in widespread criminal activities, including acts of violence, extortion, the operation of illegal gambling businesses, fraud on various casinos, identity theft, credit card frauds, trafficking in large quantities of stolen goods, money laundering through a fraudulently established vodka import-export company, payment of bribes to local law enforcement officers, and the operation of a Brooklyn-based brothel.

The Shulaya Enterprise operated through groups of individuals, often with overlapping members or associates, dedicated to particular criminal tasks.  While many of these crews were based in New York City, the Shulaya Enterprise had operations in various locations throughout the United States (including in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Nevada) and abroad.  Most members and associates of the Shulaya Enterprise were born in the former Soviet Union and many maintained substantial ties to Georgia, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation, including regular travel to those countries, communication with associates in those countries, and the transfer of criminal proceeds to individuals in those countries.

Avtandil Khurtsidze VS Tommy Langford - ITS OFFICIAL - YouTube Not too sure he was not a spy either frankly.

Georgian former boxing champion Avtandil Khurtsidze has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for working as the “chief enforcer” for an “elite” criminal enterprise.

He was convicted in June in New York of racketeering and wire fraud conspiracy.

Prosecutors said the 38-year-old boxer had “substantial influence” in the criminal underworld as part of a Soviet Union crime gang.

They said Khurtsidze used violence in service of the group’s activities.

He and his associates, known as the Shulaya Enterprise, were blamed for crimes across the US including extortion, wire fraud, illegal gambling and operating a brothel in Brooklyn.

Many of the crew’s activities were based in New York but they also operated in other major cities as well as abroad, a justice department statement said.

Officials say most of its members were born in the former Soviet Union, with strong ties to Georgia, where the boxer was born.

Khurtsidze was caught on film twice carrying out assaults, with prosecutors describing him as a “heavyweight enforcer” for the group’s members and leadership.

He was also accused of participating in a complex fraud scheme to predict casino slot machines algorithms, which involved kidnapping a software engineer in Las Vegas in 2014.

Khurtsidze on shoulders with a belt above head
Getty Image
Image caption Khurtsidze was arrested in 2017, scuppering his chances at the WBO middleweight title

On top of his decade federal jail sentence, the Georgian boxer was given two further years supervision on release.

“Thanks to our dedicated law enforcement partners around the globe, Khurtsidze’s reign of extortion and violence has been halted,” US attorney Geoffrey Berman said in a statement.

‘Just a waste’

Khurtsidze held the interim WBO middleweight title in 2017.

His last professional fight was against British boxer Tommy Langford in April 2017, which he won.

A later bout against Billy Joe Sanders was cancelled after Khurtsidze was arrested along with more than 30 others in a swoop against the organised crime syndicate.

Following his conviction, his former promoter Lou DiBella criticised the boxer for squandering his career.

“He let many people down who believed in him, but no one more than himself. Just a waste, and it’s all on him for choosing the dark side,” Mr DiBella told ESPN.

Kamala Harris Led the Disdain for ‘That Book’

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Listening carefully to each of the Democrats during the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearing was quite revealing. Many prefaced their questions with statements challenging Judge Kavanaugh on his fealty to the Constitution. Senator(s) Coons, Booker, Harris, Whitehouse and others proved their hypocrisy and disdain for The Founders, The Federalists, The Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society calling those organizations highly partisan.  The moral standards and beliefs of the Democrats were applied conveniently as a weapon in countless exchanges during the past several days of the hearings.

In fact, The Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society was branded often as contentious organizations, right-winged and in some cases radical. Hummm

About ‘that book’ though: Personally, I was struck how Brett Kavanaugh held his pocket edition of the Constitution almost as a his lifeline and how worn out it was. His loyalty and allegiance to the Constitution was quite refreshing and mostly reassuring.

When it comes to the Federalists, they were a group of supporters to the Constitution that were diligent to the assurance of a decentralized system of government. Many of Judge Kavanaugh’s 300 plus decisions were based on that very concept and applying the law as passed by Congress.

What about those demands for documents?

Oh, what about this?

Or this?

Ahem…

If Senator Coons has know Brett Kavanugh for thirty years….why all the challenge then? Watch this video and tally the statements made by the Senator that turned out to be untrue in 11 minutes.

Outside the mainstream? Exactly what does that mean? Anyone? Uphold or undermind the founding principles? Really?