Anand Shah, a Prospect Park councilman, has pleaded guilty to racketeering and money laundering for his role in an illegal gambling operation linked to the Lucchese crime family, forcing his resignation and a lifetime ban from holding public office in New Jersey. Shah’s downfall came after prosecutors revealed he ran an illegal gambling ring across […] The post New Jersey councilman Anand Shah pleads guilty, banned from public office over gambling ring with mob ties appeared first on American Almanac .
Anand Shah, a Prospect Park councilman, has pleaded guilty to racketeering and money laundering for his role in an illegal gambling operation linked to the Lucchese crime family, forcing his resignation and a lifetime ban from holding public office in New Jersey. Shah’s downfall came after prosecutors revealed he ran an illegal gambling ring across several New Jersey counties, pocketing nearly $1 million over six years. The operation, which spanned Morris, Passaic, and Bergen counties from 2017 to 2023, relied on backroom poker games and a network of subagents, with Shah collecting over $900,000 in “rakes”, the cut taken from each game. Authorities said Shah didn’t just break the law for personal gain. He used a significant…Open
A new documentary reveals how comedian Dane Cook's half-brother and business manager looted at least $12 million from his accounts, and stashed bricks of cash inside containers of pasta sauce before vanishing after prison. Darryl McCauley grew up alongside Cook. Both wanted to be stand-up comedians. Cook made it, becoming one of the most commercially […] The post Dane Cook's half-brother stole $12 million, then hid the cash in jars of pasta sauce appeared first on American Almanac .
A new documentary reveals how comedian Dane Cook's half-brother and business manager looted at least $12 million from his accounts, and stashed bricks of cash inside containers of pasta sauce before vanishing after prison. Darryl McCauley grew up alongside Cook. Both wanted to be stand-up comedians. Cook made it, becoming one of the most commercially successful comics of the 2000s. McCauley became a corrections officer. Then Cook handed him the keys to his finances, and McCauley helped himself to a fortune. The full scope of the theft is the subject of "Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story," a documentary set to premiere on September 29 and available to stream on demand. Variety first reported on the film and its details, including…Open
A single mid-level HR executive drained $425,000 from a federally funded aid group over years using nothing more sophisticated than fake invoices and a company credit card — the precise blind spot the USAID inspector general warned about when he reported that the organizations spending taxpayer money were largely the ones deciding whether to report themselves.
Israel is home to droves of international criminals accused or found guilty in a second country of various crimes
Among the most notorious figures protected by Israel is Tomás Zerón, accused mastermind of the kidnapping and murder of 43 Mexican students in Ayotzinapa. This article was originally published by ¡DoNotPanic! and features additional editing by The Grayzone. Israel has become a haven for international criminals. Many are dual-nationals who have taken advantage of their ability to move seamlessly between Israel and their second country of citizenship to commit crimes and, in some cases, evade justice. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The scale of the criminality, and the volume of cases (relative to the population of Israel), is astonishing. Among…Open
Days after standing beside his son in a Utah courtroom, Matthew Robinson climbed into his GMC pickup and drove to work. The unmarked warehouse on the outskirts of St. George, Utah, houses the stone and marble supply business he has run for more than a decade, a business built on word-of-mouth marketing and, if his […] The post Robinson family's lucrative masonry business under new scrutiny as Utah taxpayers face $10M tab for Charlie Kirk murder defense appeared first on American Almanac .
Days after standing beside his son in a Utah courtroom, Matthew Robinson climbed into his GMC pickup and drove to work. The unmarked warehouse on the outskirts of St. George, Utah, houses the stone and marble supply business he has run for more than a decade, a business built on word-of-mouth marketing and, if his own brother's lawsuit is to be believed, some deeply questionable bookkeeping. His son, 23-year-old Tyler Robinson, sits in a jail cell charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. A judge has declared the younger Robinson indigent, and Utah taxpayers are now funding a defense that could exceed $10 million when appeals are factored in. The Robinson…Open
‘Tonight, I am a candidate for the presidential election.’
A French appeals court on Tuesday upheld Marine Le Pen’s conviction for misusing European Union funds but significantly reduced the political penalty against the National Rally leader, clearing the way for her to compete in France’s 2027 presidential election. The ruling marks a major victory for Le Pen after a lower court’s 2025 decision effectively barred her from seeking public office for five years, according to the BBC. However, the appeals court shortened the ban and said they believe the penalty has already been served. French court clears way for Marine Le Pen to run for president in 2027 but orders her to wear electronic tag https://t.co/lWqJDu97es — BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) July 7, 2026 The Associated Press…Open
‘Tonight, I am a candidate for the presidential election.’
A French appeals court on Tuesday upheld Marine Le Pen’s conviction for misusing European Union funds but significantly reduced the political penalty against the National Rally leader, clearing the way for her to compete in France’s 2027 presidential election. The ruling marks a major victory for Le Pen after a lower court’s 2025 decision effectively barred her from seeking public office for five years, according to the BBC. However, the appeals court shortened the ban and said they believe the penalty has already been served. French court clears way for Marine Le Pen to run for president in 2027 but orders her to wear electronic tag https://t.co/lWqJDu97es — BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) July 7, 2026 The Associated Press…Open
Marine Le Pen, leader of France's National Rally party, has declared her candidacy for the 2027 presidential election despite ongoing legal issues and a reduced ban on holding public office.
Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s National Rally party, has declared her candidacy for the 2027 presidential election despite ongoing legal issues. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Marine Le Pen has announced her intention to run for the French presidency in 2027, marking her fourth attempt to win the office. This comes after a court reduced her ban on holding public office, which stemmed from a dubious 2025 conviction for allegedly embezzling European Parliament funds. DETAIL: An appeal court upheld Le Pen’s conviction for misusing approximately $5 million in public funds intended for parliamentary assistants between 2004 and 2016, but reduced her ban from holding public office, leaving only 15 months of ineligibility after crediting…Open