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A judge in Brooklyn has given the SEC permission to go through Seagal’s U.S. business manager to get the money that is owed. https://t.co/A3alBPjwwj
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 28, 2021
How these Eastern European ‘minor leaguers’ wreaked havoc on Brooklyn’s criminal underworld
A ragtag crew of Eastern European criminals in Brooklyn recently managed to do something they haven’t in years — grab the spotlight from more “sophisticated” gangs, thanks to a daring jail break from Rikers Island, law-enforcement experts say.
The “minor-leaguers,” known as the “KavKaz Nation,” have wreaked havoc in the criminal underworld in southern Brooklyn for nearly a decade by stealing from drug dealers, staging home-invasion robberies and working as cocaine and marijuana traffickers, authorities say.
But the hoods — who consider their turf to be Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach — typically fail to rise to the highest level of ex-Soviet organized crime, whose top leaders are referred to as “Thieves-in-Law,” according to a former Brooklyn federal prosecutor specializing in Eastern European rackets.
“KavKaz Nation gangsters are absolutely violent and dangerous. But most of them are minor-leaguers compared to the more sophisticated Eastern European organized criminals linked to Thieves-in-Law,” said Matt Jacobs, a former assistant US attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Yet KavKaz crew members recently made headlines over a bold jail escape from the city’s floating lockup at Rikers Island, officials say.
Brooklyn federal prosecutors allege that a top-ranking KavKaz member, Roman Nikoghosyan, provided help to a cohort after the escapee shimmied down a rope from his fifth-floor cell at the jail barge, known as the Vernon C. Bain Correction Center, on July 10.
Nikoghosyan had planned to sneak Rikers escapee David Mordukhaev to California, but the cross-country escape plan was eventually foiled, in part because the FBI had wiretapped Nikoghosyan’s phone, authorities say.
Both suspects were arrested by the feds soon after they were caught allegedly plotting how Mordukhaev could steal away to the Golden State.
But even the escape was a stunning coup for the crew, which draws its members from the Eastern European enclave in southern Brooklyn.
KavKaz gangsters have been known to associate with members of the Bloods, the notorious street gang with a strong set in nearby Coney island, federal prosecutors allege.
The crew’s name is derived from the Caucasus region of Eurasia, which includes countries such as Armenia, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Azerbaijan. Some members ink tattoos of the Caucasus Mountains on their bodies to show allegiance to the crew.
As they pulled off robberies and other capers in the past decade, KavKaz gangsters have landed on the radar of the true illicit Eastern European shot-callers in Brooklyn — but often for the wrong reasons.
In 2012, Russian mobster Leonid Gershman — a ruthless Sheepshead Bay gangster serving 16 years in federal prison — suspected KavKaz members of robbing one of his Ocean Avenue marijuana stash houses.
After the robbery, Gershman and two of his cohorts lured KavKaz crew member Misha Azaryev, who they suspected of the break-in, to Ocean Parkway near Avenue Y, federal prosecutors charged.
While it was still light outside on the residential stretch of the thoroughfare, the gangsters confronted Azaryev about the robbery — and one of them pulled a pistol. Azaryev ran off, but was tripped up by the gangsters and viciously beaten.
One of the hoods smashed Azaryev’s face in with the butt of his pistol, sending his teeth flying in the air — all while terrified onlookers ate their dinner on a nearby front lawn, prosecutors wrote in court documents.
In the end, Gershman’s crew let KavKaz members keep the cash they had swiped in the stash house robbery. There had been a mix-up.
“We later found out that Misha [Azaryev] wasn’t the person that did it. They just used his car. He just got beat up basically for nothing,” one of Gershman’s cohorts later testified.
At least one KavKaz leader has been an exception to the notion that the crew is less than sophisticated, rising to a high level in the organized-crime world of southern Brooklyn, Jacobs said.
Natik Nisimov, a KavKaz boss who owned a barbershop on Ditmas Avenue in Kensington, commanded enough respect among Eastern European gangsters that he could influence decisions by someone like Gershman, authorities say.
In 2013, a low-level cocaine courier for Gershman, who was of the same ethnic background as KavKaz crew members, told his boss he had been robbed of his product and cash while making deals, according to prosecutors.
Gershman suspected a set-up and met with the courier, Rufat Zarbailov, in the underground parking garage of his Ocean Parkway building. There, the gangster held a box cutter to Zarbailov’s face and threatened to give him a “150,” or a cut from mouth to ear that would require 150 stitches to close.
After the threat, Zarbailov ran to Nisimov, the KavKaz leader, who was able to convene a sit-down with Gershman to squash the beef. In the end, Gershman agreed not to maim Zarbailov or to extort money from him, but pair also agreed the low-level courier would be “out of the game.”
Despite his rising stature in the underworld, Nisimov met his end because of a seemingly non-consequential beef with another tough in southern Brooklyn.
In 2015, Nisimov was gunned down in the morning hours of March 24 on Ocean Parkway near Quentin Road in Midwood, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.
The gunman, a Brighton Beach resident named Jeffrey McCrae, suspected Nisimov had passed a knife to an attacker who stabbed one of his friends earlier that morning, according to prosecutors.
Evidence later cleared Nisimov of any involvement in the stabbing, authorities said. McCrae convicted of the killing in 2018 and sentenced to 19 years in prison.
In terms of last month’s jailbreak, Mordukhaev pleaded guilty last week to a violation of federal supervised release over it and was slapped with a nearly two-year sentence in Brooklyn federal court, a rep for the US Attorney’s Office said
Nikoghosyan has not been charged in the escape. But he was charged in a five-count indictment last week for allegedly extorting a marijuana dealer who worked for him and for attempting to move luxury cars he fraudulently obtained from California to New York.
The feds also charged him with being a felon in possession of a weapon after they found a Hi-point 995 rifle at a Brooklyn stash house he allegedly controlled.
Nikoghosyan’s lawyer, Don Savatta, said he plans to plead not guilty to the indictment.
“We expect that the evidence as it unfolds will be different from the allegations being made now,” he said.
Brooklyn News Review – 9:45 AM 8/24/2021
News and Opinions – The News and Times
”Our Famous But Incompetent, THE BANANA REPUBLIC FBI: FBI whiffs again … ” – by Howie Carr
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from Michael Novakhov on Inoreader
CBS2’s Lonnie Quinn has your weather forecast for August 20 at 11 p.m.
G sat down with a man who had a front row seat to the action, and wrote a book about it. It’s a G thing.
George Clinton headlines the concert at Forest Hills Stadium.
PIX11’s Magee Hickey reports on vaccine hesitancy among the rank and file of the NYPD.
Hurricane and Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect as Henri threatens to bring strong storm surge, heavy rain, and wind to the area on Sunday.
More details: https://7ny.tv/3k9cLrf
Check out more Eyewitness News – http://7ny.tv/2suJHTd
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A family is in mourning after a mother of four was shot and killed outside a barbershop in Crown Heights on Thursday night.
“My mom was a courageous woman, resilient, loved her kids, she would do anything for us,” said Janse Joseph, the victim’s son. “It’s sad she didn’t know how much I loved her.”
More details: https://7ny.tv/3sBu5ZR
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OUR SOCIAL MEDIA –
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#nyc #crime #brooklyn
Henri is expected to hit the area as a category 1 hurricane. Meteorologist Byron Miranda breaks down the storm.
In day three of R. Kelly’s Brooklyn trial, a clerk went over his marriage license with the late singer; she was just 15 when they married.
Henri is expected to be the first hurricane to make landfall on Long Island in more than three decades.
A pair of runaway dogs in Connecticut ran right into trouble when one of them got stuck in a swamp – but fortunately the other pup managed to find help.
A very good boy named Moose was caught in a very bad spot: stuck in a swamp about a mile away from home.
Moose and his brother had run off into the woods and it was Bubba who ran up to two strangers to let them know there was trouble.
More details: https://7ny.tv/2W58M7a
Check out more Eyewitness News – http://7ny.tv/2suJHTd
NEW HERE? –
Hi! We’re abc7NY, also known as Channel 7 on TV, home to Eyewitness News, New York’s Number 1 news. We hope you love us on YouTube as much as you do on television!
OUR SOCIAL MEDIA –
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TWITTER: https://twitter.com/abc7ny
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Phone: 917-260-7700
Email: abc7ny@abc.com
#dogs #rescue #pets
The Metropolitan Opera will commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with a special performance.
The highlight of New York City’s Homecoming Week is Saturday with a concert in Central Park. CBS2’s Kevin Rincon has a preview of the big music event.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is preparing to take the reins and make history as New York’s first female governor; CBS2’s Dave Carlin reports.
Wires scale the buildings at this NYCHA development like ivy, and answers as to why were few and far between.
Cuomo continues to defend himself through his attorney, taking aim at his accusers.
Her son told PIX11 his message for his mother’s killer.
The new rules seek to make sure licenses to sell cannabis products are fairly distributed to communities previously negatively impacted by marijuana laws.
With students heading back to classrooms this fall after more than a year of remote learning, they’re swapping out sweatpants for the latest styles. Jimmy Carter, vice president of marketing for Lucky Brand, showed the PIX11 Morning News some of the latest fashion trends and back-to-school looks that students and teens can shop for.
Melanoma is one of the most aggressive types of cancer and quickly spreads throughout the body unless it’s caught early. CBS2’s Dr. Max Gomez tells us of a new treatment that uses the patient’s own immune system to fight their cancer.
The plan for congestion pricing in New York City is taking a step forward.
Michael Novakhov’s favorite articles on Inoreader
Hyper-local politics matter and Schneps Media is putting their foot to the pedal with a series of debates in every city council district as well as for each borough president, the Manhattan District Attorney, and the mayor’s and comptroller’s race.
The debates, which start May 3 and run throughout the month, will be hosted as Zoom webinars by Schneps Media’s daily amNY Metro and the largest group of hyper-local news outlets covering every neighborhood in the city.
“These debates, among other things, will focus on each candidates’ vision for the recovery of the city on both the citywide and local neighborhood level,” said Schneps Media CEO Joshua Schneps. “As the largest media company serving the local New York City Metropolitan area, it is our mission to inform residents of the platform and views of candidates seeking to become our public servants.”
Participating candidates in the debates will weigh in on the most issues currently before the city. This will include the role of the police and public safety, education, small business development, senior issues, a tourism plan that will bring visitors to both main attractions and local commercial strips, and the need to bring in both big and small development in growth sectors such as technology.
Schneps Media Political Editor-in-Chief Stephen Witt noted the importance that voters pay attention to their local city council elections as well as the citywide election for mayor and comptroller.
“City council members serve as direct links for voters to city hall. It is the go-to office whether you want a pothole or sidewalk in front of your house fixed, or are seeking access to small business loans through government money allocated for the COVID recovery,” said Witt.
The debates come with a full-court press to educate and engage voters, who are being asked for the first time to rank their choices for the political offices at hand.
Under ranked-Choice voting (RCV) the city requires voters to rank their top five candidates in order of preference on their ballots instead of picking just one. If no candidate takes more than 50 percent of the first choice ballot picks, the count goes on. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and the voters second choice is distributed.
This process goes on until one candidate obtains 50 percent of the vote and is declared the winner.
So throw some popcorn in the microwave and turn on your favorite smart device to help inform you on choosing who will best represent your interests in city hall.
To view the full lineup and schedule of debates as well as register for one or all at no cost visit www.PoliticsNY.com/Debates.
image/jpeg 50519529_s-384×256.jpg image/jpeg bay-news-april-30-2021-302×384.jpgA suspect accused in the shooting of a 5-year-old girl in East New York was arrested … This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Video: Fleeing driver drags NYPD lieutenant in Brooklyn, police say Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW)
Navalny Ally Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison For Reposting Music Video The Moscow Times
“Оппозиция в России” – Google News
Российский ученый, физик Виктор Кудрявцев, обвиняемый в государственной измене, умер в возрасте 77 лет.
Каспаров.Ru
NPR News: 04-29-2021 3PM ET
Вывод американских войск должен завершиться к 11 сентября.
image/jpeg 3082943ec4f6cc834ae4c03d0c3d9492.jpg
image/jpeg 3082943ec4f6cc834ae4c03d0c3d9492.jpgРассмотрение его дела было приостановлено из-за состояния здоровья.
image/jpeg c706f4275ec1d0d154f0efb95fe2d0aa.jpg
image/jpeg c706f4275ec1d0d154f0efb95fe2d0aa.jpgA stationary front will remain draped just to the north of the city Thursday, keeping unsettled weather over much of the region. We can expect mostly cloudy skies Thursday afternoon with scattered showers and thunderstorms possible. Some of these storms may be strong to severe especially west of the city. The high temperature will be 77 in the city, mid 70s in the suburbs. The normal high temperature in Central Park for today is 66 degrees.
New York City will fully reopen on July 1, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday morning.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio holds his daily briefing on the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
#live
#nyc
#COVID
Days after attending the Academy Awards, buzzing actress Zaria spoke with PIX11’s Ojinika Obiekwe about attending the big show and her short film “Two Distant Strangers” winning an Oscar. She also told us all about her look from Hollywood’d biggest night.
Police say a man has stolen more than two dozen laptops from a charter school in the Bronx. Geoff Petrulis reports.
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo updates on the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
#live
#cuomo
#coronavirus
The Food and Drug Administration promised Thursday to issue new rules within a year that would ban menthol in cigarettes and small cigars — a longtime goal of civil rights and anti-tobacco groups, who say aggressive marketing of the products has disproportionately harmed Black communities.
Stars and Stripes
1. US Security from Michael_Novakhov (88 sites)
We asked eight people from around the world what they thought about American health care. It didn’t go well.
NYT > Opinion
Howie Carr: FBI whiffs again on Colorado mass shooting suspect by Howie Carr
https://thenewsandtimes.blogspot.com/2021/03/howie-carr-fbi-whiffs-again-on-colorado.html
So now it turns out that the FBI knew all about the accused Boulder shooter, but paid no attention to the obvious warning signs until police say the rabidly anti-American immigrant from Syria murdered 10 U.S. citizens in the supermarket.
“The suspect’s identity,” the New York Times reported, “was known to the FBI because he was linked to another individual under investigation by the bureau, according to law enforcement officials.”
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
The Famous But Incompetent FBI likewise knew all about accused shooter Ahmad al-Aliwi Alissa’s fellow Muslim immigrants who committed mass murder, like the Tsarnaev brothers — but did nothing until those welfare-collecting “asylees” blew up the Boston Marathon.
The FBI also had early warnings about the Muslim terrorists who shot up the gay nightclub in Orlando, the Christmas party in San Bernardino, Fort Hood, the cartoon-drawing contest in Texas … and yet the G-men sat on their soft hands until scores of Americans were murdered in cold blood.
But it’s not only foreign Muslim terrorists the FBI can’t be bothered lugging. It’s domestic killers as well.
For instance, in 2018 the FBI’s national tip line got a 13-minute-long earful from the aunt of the Parkland High shooter Nikolas Cruz — but did nothing until 17 people were gunned down.
Remember serial killer Gary Sampson? Before he murdered three innocent men in 2001, he called the FBI office in Boston from a pay phone in Abington and offered to turn himself in on some unsolved bank robberies.
But it was a Friday afternoon, so the FBI “disconnected” his call and didn’t bother to pick him up. The next day, Sampson started his two-state carjacking murder spree.
This is Your FBI, as the old radio show used to begin.
But there have been some cases that the FBI has been on top of:
Lady Gaga’s stolen French bulldogs.
Tom Brady’s purloined football jerseys.
The “noose” on NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace’s garage, which turned out to be a door pull rope. (Fifteen agents were assigned to that “hate crime.”)
Taking a knee en masse for George Floyd.
Steve Bannon believed Trump had dementia and plotted to remove him as president, according to new book | Investigation of Donald Trump and Trumpism – trumpinvestigation.net: What role did the retired FBI agents play in Capitol riot? | In new defense, dozens of Capitol rioters say law enforcement ‘let us in’ to building
By Michael Novakhov (Mike Nova) February 20, 2021
Steve Bannon believed Trump had dementia and plotted to remove him as president, according to new book
By Michael Novakhov (Mike Nova) February 20, 2021
Steve Bannon believed Trump had dementia and plotted to remove him as president, according to new book
posted at 09:48:52 UTC
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https://thenewsandtimes.blogspot.com/2021/02/steve-bannon-believed-trump-had.html
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10:14 AM 2/20/2021 – In new defense, dozens of Capitol rioters say law enforcement ‘let us in’ to building
https://news-channels.com/steve-bannon-believed-trump-had-html/
By ALEXANDER MALLIN, ALEX HOSENBALL and OLIVIA RUBIN, ABC News
(WASHINGTON) — As authorities continue to pursue individuals who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol, a growing number of those charged are employing a new defense: blaming the police for letting them in.
At least 29 people arrested for their role in the Jan. 6 events have claimed they thought they were free to enter the Capitol because law enforcement authorities either didn’t stop them from coming in or never told them they were not allowed to be there, according to affidavits and court filings reviewed by ABC News.
“He was not at the front of the lines, he didn’t see barricades being knocked down, he didn’t see officers getting assaulted, he didn’t see anything other than large crowds at the Capitol,” Thomas Mayr, the lawyer for Christopher Grider, one of the people accused of participating in the riot, told ABC News. “He went through an open door.”
Grider, of Texas, is one of dozens of suspected rioters who claimed to be unaware they were not allowed inside — some of whom argued that they were actually ushered in by officers. He now faces multiple charges including violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Jacob Lewis of California told investigators he was never told that he could not enter the Capitol, and that he was “escorted” by police into the building. When reached by ABC News, Lewis said he would be releasing video footage to “back up his story.” He declined to share the video with ABC News. Lewis was indicted on four misdemeanor charges, including disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building.
Even as scrutiny of Capitol police continues to build, experts say it is unlikely such a defense will work in most situations.
“In general, ignorance of the law is not an excuse for criminal behavior,” said Taryn Merkl, senior counsel in the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice and a former federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York.
Many accused rioters also face multiple charges for crimes they allegedly committed once inside the building, which experts say would render their claims of legal entry meaningless.
“Whether or not people knew that it was not lawful to enter the grounds as they did, many are charged with parading, demonstrating, or picketing — and that is prohibited, and no intent is required,” Merkl said.
Brandon Fellows, for example, told investigators he did not think he was going to get in trouble because the police officers seemed to be “on our side,” but he was later seen with his feet up on the desk of Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.
“Even if the officer had permitted him in the rotunda area or somewhere that might conceivably be a public space, anybody knows that breaking into a private senatorial office is wrongful, and would obstruct the administration of government,” Merkl said.
U.C. Berkeley law professor Charles Weisselberg, a former public defender, said the defense might help those charged with crimes where intent is required …
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