New York

For most of the world, the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 marked a time to come together and have each other’s backs. For others, such as dual New York and Florida resident, Gregory Blotnick, it signaled an opportunity to try and make a quick...

Sean Okrzesik, 34, of Syracuse, N.Y., was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of aggravated identity theft and theft of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. SSI is funded by general tax revenue and helps the elderly and disabled,...

When a physician takes the Hippocratic Oath, they vow to uphold certain ethical standards. Dr. Konstantinos Zarkadas, 47, of Long Island, N.Y., seems to have conveniently forgotten what that promise was all about. The deceptive doctor applied for multiple small business loans under the...

Ibrahim Aksakal (aka Dennis), 50, of East Patchogue, N.Y., coordinated the transportation and birthing care of Turkish women who were fraudulently entering the U.S. using tourist and business visas. The women hid their pregnancies with the end goal of obtaining birthright citizenship and medical...

COVID-19 shut down our world for nearly two years, but it opened a world of opportunity for fraudsters of all kinds. While vaccines were becoming required for active and reserve military members and for citizens attending activities like concerts and sporting events (because metal...

When Joe Walsh wrote the song, “Life’s Been Good,” he said his Maserati did 185.  We’re not positive if Jamie Johnson’s Maserati could go that fast, but one thing is for sure, she used hers to drive around to Capital Region area banks in...

There are harmless diversions and then there are harmful ones. An example of a harmless diversion is when your child is having a temper tantrum in the middle of the check-out line at the grocery store, and you offer them a binky, favorite toy,...

The New York Workers’ Compensation Board requires virtually all employers in the state to provide workers’ compensation coverage for their employees. Consolidated NY Services, Inc. of Brooklyn kind of complied with that requirement, but the labor broker neglected to provide a few key details...

When considering the purchase of a yacht, there are some important details to think about: Do you have the funds for a down payment and can you handle the monthly payments? Can you dock it behind your house, or do you need to store...

One would think that a former government employee would know better than to break the law. This wasn’t the case for Sean Okrzesik, 34, of Syracuse, N.Y., who recently pled guilty to charges of theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. The Syracuse resident...