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Tag: criminal investigation

  • Swiss bar where fatal New Year’s fire broke out had last safety inspection in 2019

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    Fire safety inspections hadn’t been carried out for several years at the bar where a fire that broke out at a New Year’s party left 40 people dead and over 100 injured, Swiss authorities said Tuesday.Investigators have said they believe festive sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire at Le Constellation in the resort town of Crans-Montana when they came too close to the ceiling. Authorities are looking into whether soundproofing material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar.Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the bar managers. The two are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire, according to the Valais region’s chief prosecutor.Regional authorities have said that safety inspections were the responsibility of the municipality. On Tuesday, the head of Crans-Montana’s municipal government, Nicolas Féraud, said that there had been inspections of Le Constellation up to 2019.But he told a news conference the local council discovered after consulting documents following the fire that “periodic checks were not carried out between 2020 and 2025.”“We regret this bitterly,” he said, adding that it will be up to judicial authorities to determine what influence that may have had on the chain of events that led to the fire.Féraud said he couldn’t immediately explain why safety inspections hadn’t been conducted for such a long time.He said that, in September last year, an external expert had been asked to carry out a soundproofing analysis and had concluded that the bar complied with anti-noise rules, without making further remarks.The severity of burns made it difficult to identify some victims of the fire that broke out at about 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, requiring families to supply authorities with DNA samples.Investigators finished identifying the 40 dead on Sunday and said on Monday that they had identified all 116 people who were injured.

    GENEVA —

    Fire safety inspections hadn’t been carried out for several years at the bar where a fire that broke out at a New Year’s party left 40 people dead and over 100 injured, Swiss authorities said Tuesday.

    Investigators have said they believe festive sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fire at Le Constellation in the resort town of Crans-Montana when they came too close to the ceiling. Authorities are looking into whether soundproofing material on the ceiling conformed with regulations and whether the candles were permitted for use in the bar.

    Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the bar managers. The two are suspected of involuntary homicide, involuntary bodily harm and involuntarily causing a fire, according to the Valais region’s chief prosecutor.

    Regional authorities have said that safety inspections were the responsibility of the municipality. On Tuesday, the head of Crans-Montana’s municipal government, Nicolas Féraud, said that there had been inspections of Le Constellation up to 2019.

    But he told a news conference the local council discovered after consulting documents following the fire that “periodic checks were not carried out between 2020 and 2025.”

    “We regret this bitterly,” he said, adding that it will be up to judicial authorities to determine what influence that may have had on the chain of events that led to the fire.

    Féraud said he couldn’t immediately explain why safety inspections hadn’t been conducted for such a long time.

    He said that, in September last year, an external expert had been asked to carry out a soundproofing analysis and had concluded that the bar complied with anti-noise rules, without making further remarks.

    The severity of burns made it difficult to identify some victims of the fire that broke out at about 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, requiring families to supply authorities with DNA samples.

    Investigators finished identifying the 40 dead on Sunday and said on Monday that they had identified all 116 people who were injured.

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  • Argentine Court Asked To Arrest The President’s Allies In the LIBRA Scandal

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    A plaintiff in the Argentine criminal case investigating the LIBRA scandal has requested the immediate arrest of two figures close to President Javier Milei, who were associated with the February token launch.

    Recent developments in the investigation also revealed that Milei significantly underestimated the number of Argentine retailers impacted by LIBRA’s price drop.

    Judge Weighs Arrest Request

    The ongoing LIBRA scandal investigation in Argentina continues to complicate the position of figures closely associated with the token launch.

    This week, both the congressional commission and the parallel criminal investigation into the LIBRA scandal saw new developments.

    Martín Romeo, a crypto expert and acting plaintiff in the criminal investigation, requested on Tuesday that federal judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi order the detainment of Mauricio Novelli and Manuel Terrones Godoy, two advisors to the President who were quickly linked to the token launch.

    The request follows a series of disclosures made by the congressional committee. In analyzing this information for the criminal investigation, Romeo concluded that Novelli, Terrones Godoy, and American investor Hayden Mark Davis—who was also linked to the LIBRA launch—made a number of irregular transactions leading up to the scandal.

    Based on this information, Romeo requested that the court order the detention of Novelli and Terrones Godoy, who reside in Argentina. He argued they posed a flight risk because Novelli holds Italian citizenship and Terrones Godoy has permanent residency in Mexico.

    The judge has not yet ruled on the request. Nevertheless, the latest findings present significant evidence against the individuals closely linked to the LIBRA scandal.

    Committee Gathers Wallet Transaction Data

    The congressional committee, led by Representative Maximiliano Ferraro, recently received new information concerning individuals associated with the LIBRA launch.

    “Based on the information requests we made to several crypto exchange platforms, we obtained data that not only directly refutes President Milei’s statements, but also begins to demonstrate the connection between the main players, both inside and outside the country,” Ferraro told BeInCrypto in an interview in Spanish.

    Among the platforms that responded were Binance and Gate.io, which confirmed that Novelli had a virtual wallet with the former, while Terrones Godoy had one with the latter.

    This information enabled the congressional committee and the plaintiffs involved in the criminal investigation to reconstruct the financial circuit before and after the launch.

    Davis Transfers Funds After Milei Meeting

    Romeo, who gained access to the information acquired by the congressional committee, started tracking down the movements of Novelli’s and Terrones Godoy’s wallet addresses around the time of the LIBRA launch.

    He was also able to trace down Davis’s wallet address from when Davis reimbursed Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy the $5 million he lost following the LIBRA launch.

    On January 30, Milei received Davis at the Casa Rosada, the headquarters of the executive branch in Buenos Aires.

    Romeo found that Davis carried out two transfers totaling $1,015,000 USDT to a Bitget account that same day. A few days later, $695,000 worth of those funds was transferred to Novelli’s Binance wallet, while the remaining $320,000 was sent to the Argentine equivalent of a small private bank linked to Novelli and Terrones Godoy.

    “What I don’t know, because I haven’t received that information yet, is who the owner of the BitGet account is,” Romeo clarified to BeInCrypto.

    On February 3, just eleven days before the LIBRA launch, Davis carried out another transaction. He sent $1,991,000 USDT to an unknown BitGet account.

    “$800,000 goes to a hot wallet that I don’t know who it belongs to, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to track that down, and another $1,191,000 goes to the bank [associated with Novelli and Terrones Godoy],” Romeo explained.

    A day later, security cameras recorded Novelli, his mother, and his sister manipulating several safety deposit boxes at a Galicia bank branch in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Martínez. The footage showed Novelli’s mother and sister carrying a backpack and a handbag whose contents were indiscernible.

    According to Ferraro, the congressional committee is currently analyzing a hypothesis about whether the money Novelli and Terrones Godoy received through the private bank was the same money that Novelli presumably stored in the Galicia branch.

    It’s also examining whether Novelli withdrew that money from the safety deposit boxes following the LIBRA launch.

    Beyond the transactions the congressional committee and Romeo were able to track down, the information received from centralized exchanges further complicates Milei’s supposed participation in the LIBRA launch.

    Official Data Contradicts The President’s Claims

    During an interview on national television days after LIBRA’s price plummeted, Milei said that the number of Argentine investors affected by the token launch was in the single digits.

    According to information the congressional committee received from Ripio, a leading centralized exchange in Argentina, the data paints a different picture.

    “Ripio informed us that 1,358 residents in the country purchased the $LIBRA token, when Milei himself had said that “no more than five Argentinians” had been affected. He lied on national television to downplay a massive scam,” Ferraro told BeInCrypto.

    This number doesn’t account for the number of Argentines who used decentralized platforms to purchase the token, nor those who purchased LIBRA overseas.

    He added that Milei has still failed to explain how he obtained the 43-character contract number he posted on his X account to promote LIBRA. Ferraro pointed out that the information was not public before that message.

    Last month, the congressional committee also cited Milei and his sister Karina, who currently acts as the president’s Secretary General, to provide testimony about their alleged participation in the event.

    “President Javier Milei did not respond to the request we sent him twice, which included a fairly simple and concise questionnaire. His sister, Karina Milei, also did not appear to give testimony on the two occasions she was summoned, nor did she offer any cooperation by proposing an alternative date,” Ferraro added.

    Novelli and Terrones Godoy, whom the commission also cited, also failed to appear.

    On Tuesday, the commission approved a formal summons for Milei to testify. It also authorized Ferraro to seek law enforcement assistance to ensure the appearance of his sister, Karina, along with Novelli and Terrones Godoy.

    “If they do not come to testify, we will exercise this authority as soon as the Federal Court rules on our appeal,” Ferraro said.

    Read original story Argentine Court Asked To Arrest The President’s Allies In the LIBRA Scandal by Camila Grigera Naón at beincrypto.com

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  • 2 Framingham police officers on leave amid misconduct investigation

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    2 Framingham police officers on leave amid misconduct investigation

    Two Framingham police officers have been placed on leave amid an internal investigation into alleged misconduct, authorities announced Tuesday.

    The officers, whose names haven’t been released, were put on paid administrative leave after the misconduct allegations were brought to the attention of the command staff, according to Framingham Police Chief Lester Baker.

    “The public can be assured, the department acted swiftly when this information came to light, and this action ensures that police operations remain fully effective and above reproach while the internal investigation is ongoing,” Baker said in a statement.

    Baker didn’t disclose any details on the nature of the allegations against the officers, only noting that the issues under review involve “potential health and wellness concerns.”

    There is a chance charges could be filed against the officers, pending the outcome of the investigation, according to Baker.

    “The department is approaching the matter with the seriousness it deserves,” Baker said. “While no criminal charges have been filed at this time, the department acknowledges that an internal review may reveal conduct that requires further action, including referral for criminal investigation, if appropriate.”

    No additional details were immediately available.

    Last week, a Framingham Public Schools teacher was placed on leave over a social media post about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

    Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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  • NCIS investigating after major general is found dead at Twentynine Palms Marine base

    NCIS investigating after major general is found dead at Twentynine Palms Marine base

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    The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is probing the death of a military officer whose body was found at the Twentynine Palms Marine base, officials said.

    Maj. Gen. William F. Mullen was found dead at the Twentynine Palms base Saturday, according to San Bernardino County coroner’s records.

    Mullen, at one time the commanding general of the base, retired in 2020.

    San Bernardino County sheriff’s spokesperson Mara Rodriguez confirmed that NCIS is investigating the death at the facility, which is the world’s largest Marine Corps training base.

    NCIS is the investigative law enforcement entity of the Department of the Navy. The agency leads criminal investigations and, according to its website, also investigates noncombat deaths of Navy or Marine Corps members.

    NCIS officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    “Major General Mullen’s dedicated service to our nation and the Marine Corps will always be remembered,” said Maj. Gen. Thomas Savage, commanding general of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones.”

    Marine officials confirmed NCIS is investigating the cause of death.

    San Bernardino coroner’s officials are handling the autopsy, Rodriguez said. That investigation is ongoing.

    Before his retirement, Mullen served as commanding general of the Training and Education Command, according to the U.S. Marine Corps. His extensive military background includes tours of duty in the Middle East, leading a counter-narcotics mission in the Los Padres National Forest and serving as Marine aide to President Clinton.

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    Salvador Hernandez

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  • Diddy Is Subject Of Secret NYPD Investigation – Are They Looking For MORE Alleged Sexual Assault Survivors? – Perez Hilton

    Diddy Is Subject Of Secret NYPD Investigation – Are They Looking For MORE Alleged Sexual Assault Survivors? – Perez Hilton

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    [Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]

    It would seem Cassie Ventura is just the start of Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ problems.

    As we covered, the singer, who dated the rapper for a decade until 2018, filed a bombshell lawsuit on Thursday (obtained by The New York Times and other outlets), in which she claimed she’d been trapped in a “cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking” at the hands of the music mogul. The allegations are truly gruesome and include alleged rape, among other things.

    While Diddy’s rep was quick to deny the accusations made by his ex-girlfriend — claiming she was really just out for money — it would appear there’s more legal trouble for the Last Night artist.

    According to TMZ on Thursday night, the 54-year-old artist is apparently the subject of a secret New York Police Department criminal investigation. Law enforcement sources told them there is an open case at the department with the name “Sean Combs” on it. It’s unclear if Cassie or someone else made the criminal complaint, and details are incredibly hard to find since the active case file has been “locked” — meaning it’s a super sensitive investigation and access has been restricted.

    Related: Will Smith Believes He’s ‘Target Of A Smear Campaign’ Amid Rumors

    When pressed further about the investigation, the NYPD suggested it has tons of similarities to Cassie’s lawsuit, saying in a statement:

    “The NYPD takes sexual assault and rape cases extremely seriously, and urges anyone who has been a victim to file a police report so we can perform a comprehensive investigation, and offer support and services to survivors.”

    Whoa. It sure sounds like they are actively looking for other alleged victims of sexual assault. Maybe now that the 37-year-old model has gone public with her allegations, other alleged victims of the Grammy winner will speak out?

    Interestingly, TMZ went ahead and contacted other jurisdictions Cassie mentioned in her suit, like Miami, Beverly Hills, and Los Angeles. They all gave the same reply: no police report has been filed about Cassie or Diddy, and there’s no investigation. That said, back in 2016, per the outlet, Beverly Hills cops were called to the scene of a breakup argument between the couple. A domestic incident report was taken but there was never any legal action started.

    Because some of her accusations could rise to a federal crime, the outlet even checked with federal law enforcement sources, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of NY and the FBI, both of which turned up nothing. So for now, it would seem Diddy’s only been pulled into the one NYC case (plus Cassie’s filing).

    Diddy’s lawyer is still clapping back at the lawsuit, though, telling the outlet that most of Cassie’s claims would be barred from criminal prosecution based on the statute of limitations. Her rape claim could still be pursued in California, if she filed a complaint in the state — which she hasn’t so far. But this might not be entirely true…

    The singer-songwriter’s case is being brought under the Adult Survivors Act, a law in New York that allows sexual abuse victims to file civil suits even after the expiration of the statute of limitations. Per the NYT, the one-year window to bring cases under this law ends next week, and Cassie was very open that’s why they filed the suit in the nick of time, saying alongside the suit:

    “After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships. With the expiration of New York’s Adult Survivors Act fast approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life.”

    So, Diddy’s not getting out of this that easily. Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Let us know (below)…

    If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources. 

    [Image via WENN & Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube]

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    Perez Hilton

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  • Applied Materials Declines After Report of US Criminal Probe

    Applied Materials Declines After Report of US Criminal Probe

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    (Bloomberg) — Applied Materials Inc., the largest US maker of chipmaking machinery, slid in late trading following a report that it faces a US criminal investigation for allegedly violating export restrictions to China.

    Most Read from Bloomberg

    The company is being probed by the Justice Department over dealings with China’s biggest chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., according to Reuters. The department is looking at whether Applied Materials sold hundreds of millions of dollars of equipment without the proper licenses, the news outlet reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the situation.

    The Justice Department declined to comment. Applied Materials declined to discuss details of the case but noted that it previously disclosed a federal review of China deliveries.

    “Applied Materials first disclosed in October 2022 that it received a subpoena from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts requesting information relating to certain China customer shipments,” the company said in an emailed statement. “The company is cooperating with the government and remains committed to compliance with global laws, including export controls and trade regulations.”

    The report overshadowed generally upbeat quarterly results from Applied Materials, which topped analysts’ estimates with its earnings and forecast.

    Shares of Applied Materials, based in Santa Clara, California, fell as much as 7% in extended trading. KLA Corp. and Lam Research Corp., two other US chip-equipment makers, also fell. KLA was down 3.4%, while Lam dropped 1.6%.

    The company and its peers are operating under increasingly strict rules imposed by Washington on exports of chip technology to China. The US has argued such rules are needed to protect national security and requires companies to seek licenses to send certain types of machines or have dealings with particular companies in the Asian nation.

    According to Reuters, Applied Materials produced chipmaking gear in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and then shipped it to a subsidiary in South Korea. It then went to China’s SMIC, the people familiar with the investigation said.

    SMIC was placed on a so-called entity list in December 2020 by the Department of Commerce, which cited alleged links between the chipmaker and China’s military. That means US companies need special permission to sell to the company.

    Applied Materials’ fourth-quarter report coincided with publication of the Reuters story. Earnings in the period amounted to $2.12 a share, excluding some items, the company said. Sales were little changed in the quarter, which ended Oct. 29, at $6.72 billion. Analysts estimated earnings of $1.99 a share and revenue of $6.54 billion.

    Fiscal first-quarter sales will be about $6.47 billion, the company said. That compares with an average analyst estimate of $6.34 billion. Excluding some items, profit will be $1.72 to $2.08 a share in the period, which ends in January. The average projection was $1.84 a share.

    Semiconductor manufacturers order machinery from Applied Materials and its peers well ahead of opening new factories, which can take more than a year to build and equip. That makes the company’s guidance a key indicator of the industry’s confidence in future demand.

    Though the chip industry has been contending with a slowdown in personal computers and smartphones — two of the biggest traditional consumers of semiconductors — Applied Materials Chief Executive Officer Gary Dickerson has argued that artificial intelligence computing will fuel a new surge in demand.

    Semiconductor equipment companies have been hurt by weak demand from memory-chip makers, which are enduring an industry glut that’s wiped out profits and slowed factory expansions. But that’s been offset, to an extent, by the ongoing race to make high-end processors — particularly for AI work.

    China had been one of the fastest-growing markets for chip equipment. But the US restrictions have begun to take a toll on sales. Analysts and investors are still trying to gauge the full impact of the new rules — and how they’re likely to be enforced.

    A recent tightening of the export restrictions won’t have an incremental impact on Applied Materials’ results, the company said Thursday.

    In the fourth quarter, that market provided 44% of overall sales and will remain at an “elevated level” in the current period because of some large shipments to a computer memory customer, the company said. Over time, China will shrink back down to around 30% of sales — its historical level.

    Dickerson said he remains bullish on the outlook for demand for his products overtime.

    “Longer term, the setup is really great,” he said in an interview.

    (Updates with more on results in eighth paragraph.)

    Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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