Feds Recover $154 Million Allegedly Stolen by Sony Insider
More than $154 million in funds stolen from Sony Group Corp., the electronics giant based in Tokyo, was recovered after an insider allegedly embezzled money and converted it to bitcoin, the U.S. Department of Justice reports. The U.S. government has filed a civil action lawsuit in federal court to return the funds to Sony.
Following an investigation by the FBI, authorities allege that Rei Ishii, 32, a former employee of the subsidiary Sony Life Insurance Co. – also known as Sony Life – diverted millions through Silvergate Bank, based in La Jolla, California.
Harvard Chemistry Professor Found guilty of Hiding Ties to China
A jury in U.S. District Court in Boston found the professor, Charles Lieber, guilty on two counts of lying to federal authorities, two counts of falsifying tax returns and two counts of failing to report foreign finances.
Lieber, a former chair of Harvard’s chemistry department, had for three years worked as a “strategic scientist” at the Wuhan University of Technology in China as part of Beijing’s Thousand Talents recruitment program. As part of his contract from 2012 to 2015, according to an affidavit, the university in Wuhan paid Lieber a salary of as much as $50,000 per month, $150,000 in annual living expenses and grants of more than $1.5 million to create a research lab at the Chinese university.
AbbVie Allegations of Trade Secret Misappropriation by Alvotech hf.
Earlier this year, AbbVie Inc. and AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd. filed a Complaint against Alvotech hf. in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois alleging theft of trade secrets relating to adalimumab. In October, AbbVie’s complaint was dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction. AbbVie has appealed that ruling.
Former Employee Charged with Embezzling from Gus’s Carryout in Hartland Township
A former Gus’s Carryout employee is accused of stealing more than $20,000 from the restaurant’s Hartland Township location
Alec Atwood, 24, used his position as manager to embezzle approximately $25,000 from the restaurant, Det. Marc King of the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office testified in a hearing that led to charges earlier this month.
Feds Allege Woman Stole $15 Million from Employer
A Taylorsville woman is accused of embezzling more than $15 million from her employer that she used to fund an extravagant lifestyle and to fund personal businesses run by her and her family. This revelation came in a Bill of Information filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Friday, December 17, 2021, in U.S. District Court, Western District, Statesville Division. The filing was made by Dena J. King, United States Attorney, and Maria K. Vento, Assistant United States Attorney.
Donna Osowitt Steele, of Taylorsville, was named as the alleged embezzler. The U.S. Attorney charges that from as early as 2013 through January 2020, Steele executed a scheme to defraud her employer, referred to as “Victim Company A” in the filing. According to corporation papers filed with the N.C. Secretary of State’s Office, Steele was listed as Vice President of Tigra USA, Inc. The company was organized and based first in Ashe County and more recently, in Hickory. Tigra USA is a subsidiary of a European company that manufactures carbide products used in saw blades for the woodworking industry. The owners of Tigra USA and its parent company live overseas.
Former Hazel Park Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement, Ordered to Pay $68K in Restitution
Sean Boucher, a resident of Warren who was employed at the Hazel Park Police Department had been in charge of the funds collected from cars forfeited in drunk driving cases. He was accused of stealing $68,000 last February and was charged with three felonies.
“He was one of the most trusted and respected members of the police department and that’s why he was in the position that he was,” said Chief Martin Barner in 2017. He said the funds were meant to go into the evidence room before being periodically transferred to the treasurer’s office.