Wild attacks on luxury cars puzzle insurance officials — until wildlife expert notices something odd about 'bear' on video



Authorities were baffled by a series of supposed “bear attacks” on luxury cars in California earlier this year.

There were deep claw marks on the interiors of the vehicles and even video evidence of the alleged beast doing damage. However, investigators soon realized that the "bear attacks" were not what they seemed.

The three insurance companies claimed they were defrauded of $141,839 because of the alleged insurance-fraud scheme.

An insurance claim was made regarding an alleged "bear attack" on a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost on Jan. 28 in Lake Arrowhead — an unincorporated community in the San Bernardino mountains. The reported animal was said to have caused interior damage to the vehicle.

The California Department of Insurance said in a statement that there were two other insurance claims on the same date of loss and in the same location. The "bear" was said to have attacked a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350.

This raised eyebrows with insurance officials.

The people who made the claims included surveillance video of the alleged "bear" attacks.

Investigators reviewed the videos and noticed the bear looked rather peculiar.

The California Department of Insurance asked a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to review the three alleged "bear attack" videos — and the biologist quickly got to the bottom of it.

“Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume,” the California Department of Insurance wrote.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant, and detectives found the bear costume in one of the suspect's homes. The bear costume included metal claws that reportedly were used to damage the luxury cars.

The California Department of Insurance, the Glendale Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol ascertained that four suspects were involved in the alleged insurance fraud scam.

Police arrested Ruben Tamrazian — a 26-year-old from Glendale; Ararat Chirkinian — a 39-year-old from Glendale; Vahe Muradkhanyan — a 32-year-old from Glendale; and Alfiya Zuckerman — a 39-year-old from Valley Village. All four suspects have been charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy.

The three insurance companies claimed they were defrauded of $141,839 over the alleged scheme.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

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Does​ 'Iceman' Wim Hof have blood on his hands?



Wim Hof, often referred to as "The Iceman," has built a cult-like following around his extreme breathing techniques and cold exposure practices.

The impish Dutchman's claims of superhuman feats — such as running a marathon in the desert without water or swimming under ice for long periods — have captivated those eager to push their physical and mental limits.

The shaggy sexagenarian once gave himself an enema using the jet of a public fountain in Amsterdam, an incident that resulted in a severe injury requiring surgery.

Influencers ranging from Gwyneth Paltrow and Jesse Itzler to Andrew Huberman and Tim Ferriss have been enthused about Hof and his methods.

However, the recent suspension of a Hof biopic after allegations of domestic violence could be the beginning of the end for the 65-year-old.

Reports of physical and verbal abuse over 13 years cast a harsh light on his carefully crafted image as a wellness guru and spiritual guide. These accusations don’t just dent his reputation — they threaten to bring his entire empire crashing down. And if it does come crashing down, it won’t be a minute too soon.

You see, the Iceman is also a stone-cold con man.

Zero method to the madness

The Wim Hof Method revolves around controlled breathing and cold exposure. Hof's breathing technique involves deliberate hyperventilation, which reduces carbon dioxide levels in the blood. This disrupts the body's natural urge to breathe, creating the illusion of being able to hold one's breath longer.

However, while it might seem to improve breath-holding, it comes with serious risks. When carbon dioxide drops too low, blood vessels tighten, cutting down oxygen flow to the brain and raising the chance of fainting.

The danger is even greater when Hof encourages practicing this technique in cold water, where it can lead to blackouts and even death. More on this later.

The Hof hype hustle

Despite these dangers, Hof's empire thrives on grand promises of improved physical and mental well-being through his method and his method alone. For just under $5,000, followers can become certified Wim Hof instructors.

Aside from the steep price, there's a bigger issue. Specifically, the lack of solid scientific evidence supporting his philosophies and practices. Hof’s charisma is undeniable; he’s a master salesman who knows how to work a room, bypassing critical thinking with his rugged charm and bombastic energy.

Perpetually bare-chested and shoeless, he struts around like a modern-day shaman, preaching the gospel of extreme resilience. His unpolished, primal persona draws people in, making the absurd seem attainable and the dangerous feel like a dare worth taking.

It’s all part of the hustle — a grizzled prophet luring followers with promises of transcendence while he cashes in on their craving for the extraordinary. Think Tony Robbins meets Bear Grylls with a generous serving of QVC.

Stiffing the softheaded

Hof’s story is rooted in personal tragedy. After his wife’s suicide in 1995, he claims to have found solace and salvation through plunging into cold water and practicing extreme breathing.

While this backstory elicits sympathy, it also casts him as a martyr, a role he skillfully uses to draw followers into his program.

The real tragedy, however, is that countless people are spending thousands to get certified in what is essentially glorified pseudoscience.

Hof's persona and tragic past cloak his glaring lack of medical or scientific expertise, dressing up his method as a revolutionary breakthrough when it’s nothing of the sort. More hot air than hard ice — hype that quickly melts away when analyzed objectively.

Hof, as you can probably tell, is a truly bizarre being. Among his many strange feats is the claim that he can control his erections at will — a skill he seemingly puts to use in stiffing gullible followers out of hard-earned money.

The shaggy sexagenarian once gave himself an enema using the jet of a public fountain in Amsterdam, an incident that resulted in a severe injury requiring surgery. True to his anti-medicine stance, he refused antibiotics during recovery, opting instead to rely on his body's supposed natural healing abilities.

Milking the masses

While Big Pharma poses a serious threat, one of the biggest issues with anti-medicine hacks like Hof is their relentless drive to monetize their influence. If they're not peddling questionable supplements or dubious techniques, they're hawking products like books, clothing, and pitiful playlists.

Hof is no exception. His official website offers a wide array of products, further underscoring the commodification of his brand over any serious commitment to improving people’s health. For Hof, it’s less about enlightenment and more about making money.

But it gets worse. Hof’s reckless advice has arguably contributed to multiple deaths. This is according to author Scott Carney, who initially set out to debunk Hof but ended up adopting the method himself.

Carney, a former skeptic turned devoted follower, has now become Hof's most outspoken critic, revealing how the Iceman's contradictory advice and inadequate training have led to preventable deaths.

Cold hands, cold heart

Despite warnings on Hof’s website not to combine breathwork and water submersion, he frequently demonstrates and encourages exactly that in his videos and teachings, leading to confusion among followers.

This dangerous mix of hyperventilation and cold exposure has claimed at least 21 lives, with many survivors recounting near-death experiences from blacking out in water. One such tragedy was the drowning of 27-year-old Andrew Encinas, who died after practicing Hof’s method in his brother's pool.

The combination of hyperventilation and water exposure significantly increases the risk of shallow water blackout — a deadly condition where the body fails to signal the need to breathe, leading to unconsciousness underwater. Hof’s persistent failure to clearly separate his breathing exercises from cold immersion has fostered a dangerously lethal environment for his followers.

Worse still, he has shown a disturbing lack of accountability for the lives lost. In one case, as Carney notes, a grieving father filed a $67 million lawsuit against him. Hof, however, remained dismissive.

How long Hof and his followers can ignore the mounting death toll linked to his practices is another matter. The empire built on withstanding the cold is increasingly feeling the heat.

‘Work hard, scam harder’ — New Blaze Originals documentary exposes how fraudsters cashed in on BILLIONS in COVID relief program



A series of crimes defined the COVID-19 pandemic — most of them having to do with gross government overreach. However, there was one scandal where it was the government that got duped.

And that scandal was called PPP loans.

The Paycheck Protection Program was meant to be a COVID relief initiative designed to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic, but the solution backfired horribly.

What happened?

$200 billion dollars vanished overnight when scammers saw an opportunity to game the system. The heist put even the Bernie Madoff case to shame.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

While you were just trying to keep your head above the water, twelve figures of your tax dollars were going “to jewelry, exotic cars, first class tickets, fancy restaurants, and trips to South Beach,” says BlazeTV's Alex Stein, who traveled across the country to learn how this widespread robbery was pulled off from experts like Peter Schiff, Representative Thomas Massie, and even a former FBI agent.

While scammers were treating the program “like their own personal piggy bank,” they certainly aren’t the only ones to blame. The government’s rules regarding the PPP were loose at best. It made the mistake of leaving the parameters up to the banks, which profited billions of dollars on the loans.

And because the government was footing the bill, reducing the credit risk to 0%, banks, thrilled with the guaranteed profit, were approving loans at unprecedented rates. From fake farms on the beach to globally known corporations, nobody was above or below receiving a PPP loan.

People were essentially just signing up for free cash — and they were doing it unabashedly.

“The program became a viral sensation. People posted Instagram pictures with PPP-financed luxury cars” and “fake LLCs popped up around the country,” says Stein.

But now, the government is cracking down on these fraudsters.

Former FBI agent Jeff Danik, who spent decades working on fraud cases in Miami’s FBI field office, says that these scammers can't hide for much longer.

“A tidal wave is coming,” he warns.

On Wednesday, September 4, “Scamdemic: How Fraudsters Cashed In On Billions” drops on BlazeTV for subscribers. Join the Pimp on a Blimp as he dives into the murky world of PPP loans to find our lost money. And of course, it wouldn't be a Primetime 99 special without an original rap track featuring Forgiato Blow.

If you're not already a subscriber, head over to blazetv.com and use promo code SCAMDEMIC for a seven-day free trial plus $30 off an annual subscription.

Brazilian woman caught on camera puppeteering dead man to sign for a loan: 'Uncle, are you listening?'



A woman was arrested Tuesday after wheeling a corpse into a South American bank and attempting to take out a loan in the decedent's name.

Brazilian police indicated 68-year-old Paulo Robert Braga had long been dead when Érika de Souza Vieira Nunes, 42, rolled him into a Rio de Janeiro bank in a wheelchair, talked to him as though he were still among the living, then attempted to puppeteer a signature out of him for a $3,234 loan.

According to the Brazilian news outlet G1, bank employees quickly became suspicious of Nunes' behavior. There were, after all, a few dead giveaways that something was amiss.

In footage of the incident captured by bank employees, Nunes can be seen attempting to keep Braga's head upright and engaging in a clearly one-sided conversation.

"Uncle, are you listening? You need to sign. If you don't sign it, there's no way," Nunes can be heard saying in her native tongue. "I can't sign it for you. I'll do what I can do."

"You hold your chair very strong there," Nunes says to the corpse. She proceeds to ask one of the tellers, "Didn't he hold the door there just now?"

Feigning frustration with Braga's lack of cooperation, Nunes says, "Sign so you don't give me any more headaches. I can't take it anymore."

According to a translation provided by USA Today, one teller says in the video, "I don't think this is legal. He doesn't look well. He's very pale."

Nunes, who claimed to be the dead man's niece, says, "He is like this."

The grim borrower then suggests to Braga, whose mouth is wide open and eyes are glassy, "If you are not well, you will go to the hospital."

Bank attendants ultimately called the police who promptly detained Nunes.

Police chief Fábio Souza of the 34th Police Station confirmed to CNN Brazil that Nunes was charged with attempted theft by fraud and abuse of a corpse. If convicted of the latter, then Nunes could face up to three years in prison and a fine.

Nunes reportedly expressed no remorse in her interviews with police and told officials that Braga had expired while in the bank. Police are not buying her story in part because medical examiners found indications the elderly man had been dead for at least two hours prior to his posthumous banking experience.

Authorities are reportedly still waiting to confirm Braga's cause of death, indicating they will open a homicide investigation if they suspect foul play.

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Black Lives Matter activist on trial for fraud; accused of using George Floyd's death to buy real estate, guns, and luxuries



Tyree Conyers-Page, a middling 35-year-old albino actor who calls himself Sir Maejor Page, appears to be another Black Lives Matter activist who realized that George Floyd's death could be exploited as something more than just an excuse for wanton destruction — it could also serve as a means to self-enrichment.

Page, previously arrested on multiple occasions for impersonating a police officer, decided to impersonate a philanthropist in 2020, "fraudulently utilizing a Black Lives Matter non-profit organization by way of misrepresentations," according to the FBI.

Although based in Toledo, Ohio, Page created a Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta fundraising campaign, bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars. He allegedly used that cash to live the high life, buying himself tailored suits, guns, a security system, and a "new cribo-o" that Page's defense lawyer suggests might have been opened to battered women.

The BLM activist went on trial this week, and it quickly became clear that his defense lawyer faces an uphill battle.

High life

The FBI Cleveland Division announced Page's arrest on Sept. 25, 2020. The bureau indicated that investigators were alerted by a complaint to the social media page for Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta, which had been set up by Page as a nonprofit organization.

Contrary to Page's suggestions online, BLMGA lost its tax-exempt status as a charity in May 2019. The IRS revoked its status on account of Page's failure to submit IRS Form 990 for three consecutive years.

Page allegedly failed to notify Facebook of this change, such that the social media company continued to list BLMGA as a nonprofit organization with a donation button until September 2020. BLMGA was also listed as a nonprofit with GoFundMe.

A bank account named "Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta, Inc." was reportedly opened in 2018 with Page being the only signatory on the account. There was little activity in the account until the weeks immediately following George Floyd's death in May 2020. By June, BLMGA had received more than $36,493 in donations. By July 2020, it had brought in well over $370,000.

According to the FBI, all of these donations were transferred into the bank account for which Page was the only signatory.

Page allegedly told donors and other inquiring minds that the funds had been donated for use in the "fight for George Floyd" and that none of "the funds have been used for personal items."

In his supposed fight for George Floyd, Page allegedly lived luxuriously, treating himself to fine dining, tailor-made suits, new furniture, a home security system, and some new real state, according to the FBI. Page even allegedly transferred funds from the BLMGA account to his personal account to buy two rifles and a pistol.

Despite telling critics that everything was aboveboard, he reportedly bragged on social media about his exploits, showing off his new cuff links, $150 ties, and penthouse suite. In one instance, he even boasted about his "room way up at the top ... at the top top ... they put the bottom feeders on these floors."

The FBI suggested "Page has spent over $200,000 on personal items generated from donations received from the BLMGA social media page with no identifiable purchase or expenditure for social or racial justice."

Following the alleged fraudster's arrest, GoFundMe indicated it would refund donations.

Indictment

A federal grand jury in Cleveland indicted Page with three counts of money laundering and one count of wire fraud in March 2021.

"These allegations involve fraudulent misrepresentations that the donations received would support Black Lives Matter (Atlanta, Georgia) when, as stated in the indictment, those funds were actually used by the defendant for personal expenses he incurred in Toledo and elsewhere," said U.S. District Judge Bridget Brennan, then the acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

"Page is accused of using unprecedented tensions and uncertainty due to widespread civil unrest and a global pandemic to fill his own bank account," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Smith. "Page allegedly purchased homes, traveled, and spent other people's money to buy luxury items for himself, all on the backs of hardworking people believing they were donating to a worthy cause. The FBI will continue efforts to root out fraudsters who victimize our fellow citizens for personal gain."

Page was accused of defrauding roughly 1,000 donors collectively out of more than $467,000.

Trial

The Toledo Blade reported that during his testimony in Page's trial this week, FBI agent Matthew Desorbo detailed how Page had blown the donation money on himself. For instance, the agent claimed Page made multiple purchases at the Pyramid Lounge in Toledo, buying 16 blue suits using money transferred over from the BLMGA account.

Desorbo noted that Page's defunct charity received a great deal of money in the summer of 2020 and that its expenses in July included a $108,499.83 wire transfer to a Toledo title agency for the purchase of a house.

Page's defense lawyer Charles Boss claimed the house was not intended for his client's use but rather for charitable use as a BLM "community House," possibly for sheltering homeless people or as a battered women's shelter.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Melching greatly undermined that narrative by playing video of Page celebrating his new "crib-o" and luxury outfits, reported the Blade.

Other activists testified Wednesday, suggesting they had fallen for Page's con, reported the Blade.

"I assumed Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta was operating as part of Black Lives Matter," said Mike Johnston of Watsonville, California. "I assumed it was operating there and was a nonprofit."

The defense attempted to suggest that Page had not personally solicited charitable donations by way of advertising or direct contact. Desorbo noted that Page "did mislead donors by not providing answers to their questions" after they had coughed up money.

A pattern

Page is not the only leftist to have allegedly used BLM as a vehicle for self-enrichment.

In November, BLM activist Xahra Saleem was sentenced to more than two years in jail for similarly defrauding donors. She raised more than $40,000 in donations, promising to help BLM protesters and to send excess funds to a youth charity. Instead, she blew the money on herself.

Blaze News previously reported that BLM activists Monica Cannon-Grant and her husband, Clark Grant, were charged with 18 federal counts in connection to their nonprofit organization, Violence in Boston. They apparently raised more than $1 million but spent a significant portion on themselves, on everything from personal travel and hotel reservations to nail salon appointments. Cannon-Grant's trial is scheduled for Dec. 2 in Boston.

The National Desk reported last year that only 33% of the national Black Lives Matter group's donations ultimately went to charity: $22 million reportedly went to expenses; $1.6 million went to BLM cofounder Patrisse Cullors' father for security service; and $2.1 million went to BLM board member Shalomyah Bowers for consulting.

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Families were promised an exhilarating 'Willy Wonka' experience. What they got instead was a 'shambles of an event.'



Parents shelled out roughly $44 per ticket over the weekend to take their kids to "Willy Wonka: The Chocolate Factory Experience" in Glasgow, Scotland.

They were promised a "world of enchantment" where "dreams take flight and every corner holds a delightful surprise." They were instead met with a dreary event space littered with a handful of slapdash exhibits and no chocolate in sight.

Disbelief and disappointment soon turned to rage, prompting Scottish police to swing by and the organizers to grant over 800 refunds.

The pitch

The official website for the event, which was not officially related to the Wonka franchise, showcased various elaborate AI-generated images of candy-covered landscapes and "wondrous creations."

According to the event listing on What's On Glasgow, families would be able to immerse themselves in "visually stunning and intricately designed settings inspired by Roald Dahl's timeless tale. From the iconic Chocolate Room to the whimsical Inventing Room, each space promises a visual feast."

Extra to the promise of eye candy, Billy Coull's House of Illuminati promised an "exhilarating" adventure down the so-called Tunnel of Fear; live performances featuring Oompa Loompas; an "interactive spectacle that captivates all ages"; chocolate fountains; "delectable treats"; and a day "filled with surprises."

The organizer failed to make good on most of his promises but made sure to give families at least one big surprise.

The delivery

Footage and photos taken at the event indicate the "visual feast" at the Box Hub venue in Glasgow was actually a grim display of mismatched props strewn across a largely empty room. A few backdrops were clumsily pinned to walls, ostensibly for photo ops. At the back of the main room was a small bouncy castle and picnic benches.

— (@)

The live entertainment was apparently also a letdown.

Jenny Fogarty, 25, one of the women hired to play an Oompa Loompa, told the Scotsman that she received a 15-page script the night before the opening of the event and was given a "sexy" version of the iconic costume.

"I was hired as an Oompa Loompa. I didn't get a costume until Saturday morning, about an hour before people started to arrive," said Fogarty. "I noticed that the costumes we were given — all of them were female and were given the sexy version as opposed to the traditional ones."

Fogarty noted further that the wigs handed out came out of an "Amazon box that probably arrived that morning."

Paul Connell, the actor who was apparently hired to play Wonka at the event, quipped on TikTok that "people who wanted Timothee Chalamet ... got Timothy charlatan."

Connell claimed he was cast for the role on Thursday, just days ahead of the event, and told to learn 15 pages "pretty much of AI-generated gibberish."

The response

Stuart Sinclair, a father who drove his three children two hours to the event, said it was "an absolute shambles of an event."

Sinclair told the New York Times, "There was maybe 20 chairs, a couple of tables, and a half-inflated bouncy castle."

"The children got two jelly beans each," said Sinclair. "And then they got half a cup of lemonade."

Sinclair indicated that as soon as families walked in the door, "They were like, 'wow,' just shaking their heads and totally in disbelief of how bad it was."

"The worst part of all," added Sinclair, "there was no chocolate."

The Scotsman reported that one mother waited in line outside the venue for 40 minutes before being ushered inside, where she had to wait some more. That's when the real vexation began.

"Underwhelming was an understatement," said the mother. "Embarrassing doesn't even cut it. I paid for Willy Wonka and got Billy Bonkers."

"I can laugh about it now, but initially I just thought it looked ridiculous," Alana Lockens told the Times. "It was so poorly done considering how much the tickets had cost us."

Police officers were reportedly sent to the scene around the time parents began raging and complaing about what they figured for a scam. However, it was determined that the officers were not needed. After all, the organizers ultimately indicated they would give full refunds.

The House of Illuminati suggested in a Tuesday Facebook post that it had refunded at least 850 tickets.

The event was shut down Saturday afternoon.

The organizer stated, "I am truly sorry for any upset and disappointment caused at the weekend. Refunds have been issued and will continue to do so."

The organizer added, "This was an event gone wrong[.] The house of illuminati will NOT be holding any other event in the foreseeable future."

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Texas woman who allegedly stole $103 million from Army got to retire with full benefits



A 57-year-old San Antonio woman allegedly stole over $103 million from from the U.S. Army by regularly drawing funds via a fake children's development entity that she controlled. Janet Yamanaka Mello reportedly blew the funds on herself, buying 80 high-end vehicles, 100 head of cattle, 31 homes, and various luxury items.

Although Mello was indicted last month and slapped with 10 charges related to the alleged fraud scheme, she was permitted to retire with full benefits from the Army.

The con

Mello, a native of Guam, worked as a civilian Army employee at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston where she supposedly helped administer the 4-H initiative via the Army's Child and Youth Services Division, according to court documents.

Sidelong to her work for the Army, she created a shell company called Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development in 2016. She included CHYLD in her 2017 personal tax forms, indicating she earned a profit of $483 on a revenue of $2,152 for training consultations, reported the San Antonio Express-News.

Court documents indicate that Mello "used her knowledge of funding procedures and her ability to approve the distribution of funds to various entities to direct funds from CYS program fund accounts to be paid to CHYLD, an entity MELLO formed and controlled. Without disclosing the fact that she owned and controlled CHYLD, MELLO approved the payment of government funds to CHYLD."

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service reportedly sent over 40 payments to Mello's outfit over the course of the alleged scam. Mello allegedly spread the ill-gotten gains through various bank accounts she controlled, failing to report any of this income on her tax returns for tax years 2017 through 2022.

While Mello claimed that CHYLD provided 4-H services to military personnel and their families, the Department of Justice indicated the company did not provide any services. Instead, Mello has been accused of using over $103 million on "high-end retail goods, jewelry, luxury automobiles, air travel, and high-end real estate throughout the country."

ArmyTimes reported that Mello's purchases included a roughly $3.1 million, eight-bedroom, 55-car garage 58-acre estate in Maryland as well as a $1.1 million home in San Antonio.

Mello allegedly managed to buy a fleet of vehicles, including a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS, a '66 Chevrolet Chevelle SS, a '66 Ford Mustang, a '54 Chevrolet Corvette, a 1935 Plymouth Sedan, and various cars that usually run upward of $100,000 to $200,000.

Extra to cars and mansions, Mello allegedly bought various luxury condos, spent $24.3 million on "retail," took trips around the globe, and purchased 100 head of cattle.

Caught

The Express-News indicated that upon noticing a discrepancy between Mello's multimillionaire lifestyle and what would otherwise be affordable on her under $130,000 annual salary, the IRS began digging. The agency soon launched a criminal probe in concert with Army investigators, resulting in her December indictment.

Mello was arrested in December and charged with five counts of mail fraud, four counts of engaging in a monetary transaction over $10,000 using criminally derived proceeds, and one count of aggravated identity theft, according to the DOJ.

Mello was charged with identity theft because Mello allegedly forged her supervisor's digital signature, reported the Express-News. She also appears to have invented a "financial analyst/reimbursable coordinator" named Kathy Johnson to lend greater credibility to the alleged fraud scheme.

The alleged con-woman faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each fraud charge, up to 10 years in prison for each spending statute charge, and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for the identity theft charge.

Cushy retirement, notwithstanding

Despite allegedly ripping off the Army and squandering taxpayer money for her own amusement, Mello was allowed to retire with full benefits.

A spokeswoman for the Army's Installation Management Command told the Express-News that Mello was permitted to retire during the investigation into her alleged fraud scheme.

"The command has no authority to impact Ms. Mello's retirement," said the spokeswoman. "In accordance with 5 U.S. Code Section 8312, an individual may be denied an annuity or retired pay on the basis of the service of the individual, if the individual is convicted of treason, rebellion or insurrection, or other similar offenses. There is no similar statutory authority for denying retired pay based on a conviction of other offenses."

Albert Flores defended Mello's decision to retire and collect additional benefits from the taxpayer, claiming, "She earned it."

"I don't see how one thing is related to the other," added Flores.

Although Mello pleaded not guilty in December, her lawyer indicated Mello has blown and or possessed the stolen assets.

"We expect a large portion of the assets will be recovered," said Flores. "In other words, a lot of the money was spent on tangible assets that the government can (recoup) — real estate, cash, vehicles, properties, things of that nature. We're being very cooperative in anything we can to turn that over."

The DOJ is now working to seize 31 parcels of land Mello acquired in various states along with cash and 78 personal cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas reportedly is awaiting a decision on whether the alleged fraudster will strike a plea deal or go to trial.

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Ohio mother shaved her little girl's head and faked cancer diagnosis for years: 'She liked the support'



An Ohio mother was arrested Monday for passing her little girl off as a moribund cancer patient for years in order to scam anyone keen to help, according to the Noble County Sheriff's Office. Pamela Reed of Pleasant City has been charged with theft by deception, a felony of the fourth degree.

The NCSO and Noble County Children's Services received a tip on Jan. 4 concerning the con. The elementary school nurse at the victim's school tipped off detectives after she discovered Reed's daughter was not blind in her right eye as Reed had claimed, reported the New York Post.

The nurse contacted the child's provider who revealed, "AR did not have cancer or leukemia, and she never had cancer or leukemia."

Sheriff Jason Mackie, detectives, and Noble County Children's Services subsequently launched an investigation into the claim, discovering the child was cancer-free.

In addition to providing the school with false medical documents, charging documents alleged that Reed shaved the victim's head, subjected her constant blood tests, fed her anti-seizure medication, and caused her to miss over 280 hours of school in the 2023-2024 year already. Even the victim's sister appears to have been misled into thinking the girl had cancer.

Among Reed's many shakedowns was a hog roast and bake sale on Oct. 21, claiming all proceeds would go to benefit her 7-year-old daughter's supposed "Acute Myeloid Leukemia journey." Reed also raised money through a since-deleted GoFundMe campaign.

Investigators later discovered that one local organization had provided the family with roughly $8,000 to help with medical bills.

Reed has been posting to social media about her daughter's fake condition since at least October 2017, drumming up sympathy and donations and even going so far as to sell merchandise in her daughter's name. In one instance, she prompted the now-8-year-old victim to say in a video that she hated cancer.

In September, Reed claimed, "Due to all the horrible chemotherapy Addey has a few discolored teeth....and was made fun of by a few kids for them."

"Today has been a rough day mentally for our warrior and the last few days have had some new pains that we are hoping is just that, pain and no more spread," Reed wrote in a Dec. 31 post.

"Tuesday starts another 10 weeks of an even harder treatment and so many other medicines," Reed wrote just before her arrest. "No child should have to fight his hard for anything,u as parents are the ones who handle all the hard stuff."

On numerous occasions, Reed claimed her daughter was receiving treatment at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

The 41-year-old mother was arrested on Jan. 8, then taken to the Noble County Jail where the NCSO indicated she admitted "that she had exaggerated and fabricated medical conditions to receive monetary donations from local organizations."

Reed reportedly told authorities she kept up the scam "because she liked the support given as a result."

The Post indicated it remains unclear whether Reed's husband was in on the scheme, but noted her two children were removed from the home.

Judge Jennifer Arnold of the Noble County Court set Reed's bond at $50,000.

"We are extremely proud of the Children’s Services staff along with law enforcement collaborative efforts to quickly act for safety these children," Mackie and Noble County Children's Services said in a joint statement. "Child abuse and neglect isn't always cut and dry, cookie cutter scenarios. If you as a professional or as a member of our community feel like something just isn’t quite right, don't hesitate, make the report."

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Amateur poker player admits to lying about having terminal cancer to raise $10,000 buy-in for poker tournament



A poker player crowdsourced tens of thousands of dollars on GoFundMe, having told sympathetic souls he was dying of stage 4 colon cancer and wanted to fulfill his dream of playing at the World Series of Poker's main event before shuffling off this mortal coil.

It turns out, however, it was all a hoax.

Rob Mercer of Vallejo, California, admitted to the Las Vegas Review-Journal Tuesday — which he had previously fooled — that he does not have terminal colon cancer.

"I did lie about having colon cancer. I don't have colon cancer. I used that to cover my situation," said Mercer, who had attended the poker tournament with his dad. "What I did was wrong. I shouldn't have told people I have colon cancer. I did that just as a spur-of-the-moment thing when someone asked me what kind of cancer I had."

Mercer suggested that he lied about having colon cancer because he was embarrassed to admit that he had breast cancer, another grievous condition there is reportedly no evidence that he has.

The fake story helped Mercer bag donations estimated to be valued between $30,000 and $50,000.

$2,500 came from Cody Daniels, a chronically ill poker player from Arizona who also entered the WSOP's No-limit Hold'em World Championship that ran July 3-17.

Daniels noted on X, "I learned a $2500 lesson. Sadly, my kindness was taken for weakness once again. Just a shame. That's all I can say."

A screenshot of the GoFundMe page obtained by the New York Post reveals how Mercer framed his plea.

"Hey Everyone, my name is Rob, I am a 37 year old semi professional Poker Player with Terminal Cancer, I found myself going back and forth wondering if I was ever going to do this because my pride means a lot to me and I never like asking people for help, But my dream has always been to play the World Series of Poker Main Event," wrote Mercer.

The fraudster added, "I was conflicted on whether I would ever play it in my lifetime, but in August of last year I was diagnosed with Terminal Cancer and I was told that my timetable wasn't very promising, anywhere from 6 months to 18 months depending on how rapidly it progresses, Ive [sic] been fighting hard for months now and my body is definitely doing its best but I can feel the sickness draining on me physically and mentally."

GoFundMe announced Wednesday it would be providing refunds to those who were scammed by Mercer. However, not all donors helped out via the crowdsourcing platform.

The Review-Journal indicated that extra to the $12,500 he raised from GoFundMe and the donations he received privately, Mercer also received a free suite at Bellagio during the tournament.

Mercer told the Review-Journal he has no intention of paying anyone back, suggesting he might have cancer after all.

Nick Vertucci, the creator and producer of the "Hustler Casino Live" poker stream, was among the donors who helped get Mercer to the WSOP table.

Vertucci spoke the Review-Journal about Mercer's entry before the 37-year-old's scam was exposed, saying, "I was so overwhelmed, I just got on the speaker and said, 'Hey, it's booked. I got you.' ... It chokes me up because we walk around so blessed and we don't realize it. This kid's fighting for his life, so I'm just so happy he gets to play."

After learning of the deception, Vertucci wrote on X, "Breast cancer my a**! And the lies continue. Next will be I don't have breast cancer, I was too embarrassed to say I have testicle cancer. The only cancer is you Rob!"

Vertucci told the Review-Journal, "I don’t want the kid to have cancer. Ultimately, I'd rather him just be a bad person."

"They're making me out to be some kind of monster, like this vindictive villain who planned this months in advance," said the fraudster, who reportedly feigned to get a doctor's note for the benefit of the poker community and maintained the charade for several weeks."It's just crazy. But I understand. I get it."

Mercer may be adept at lying, but he doesn't appear to be any good at poker, having been eliminated from the WSOP main event just a few hours into the tournament.

Here is one of the pleas made on Mercer's behalf by a donor who fell for his scam:

Living The Dream: Poker Community Rallies for Rob Mercer's WSOP Journeyyoutu.be

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City of Newark humiliated after signing trade deal and holding sister city ceremony with Hindu nation that doesn't exist



The Democrat-run city of Newark, New Jersey, recently formalized its sister city partnership with the Hindu nation of Kailasa. Evidently, city officials did not consult a map before doing so.

The "United States of Kailasa" does not exist. It is the invention of an accused rapist who has been on the run from Indian authorities since 2019 for child abduction and other crimes.

Newark residents have spoken out about Democrat officials' failed foray into foreign policy, questioning whether anyone at City Hall is capable of performing a simple Google search.

A sisterhood of deception

According to its website, the so-called nation of Kailasa "is the home and refuge for the international Hindu diaspora. ... The nation of KAILASA stands as the world's sole beacon of genuine Hindu self-governance and autonomy."

The population of the fictitious realm that Newark had a fleeting relationship with is allegedly "100 million Adi Shaivites; 2 Billion practicing Hindus."

The fake nation has its own flag, emblem, national anthem, constitution, and passport.

India Today reported that Swami Nithyananda, the 45-year-old con man behind Kailasa, is a self-proclaimed god-man wanted in India on several charges of rape and sexual assault.

Nithyananda is believed to have escaped justice to a private island near Trinidad and Tobago in 2019.

The accused child rapist refers to himself as a "Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism" keen on "giving superconscious breakthrough to humanity, which is physically demonstrable through various power manifestations."

Nithyananda noted on his website that in January, "the United States of KAILASA and the City of Newark, New Jersey, USA, entered into a protocol bilateral agreement."

Unlike other claims, the accused rapist was not lying about the agreement, having included a host of images of Democrat Mayor Ras J. Baraka and other city officials celebrating the occasion in the company of purported Kailasa dignitaries at Newark City Hall.

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Nithyananda said in his announcement of the agreement, "Today indeed marks an important beginning of collaboration between the United States of KAILASA and the City of Newark to further advance the broader bilateral agenda for a greater vision of world peace. With this protocol bilateral relations KAILASA looks forward to bringing its humanitarian services to the city of Newark and serve its community."

During the ceremony, Mayor Baraka said, "I pray that our relationship helps us to understand cultural, social and political development and improves the lives of everybody in both places, and helps us to understand where we are and who we are and our connectivity to one another, and helps us to become better people in this process — better people individually and as cities and nations."

Newark and United States of Kailasa become Sister Cities youtu.be

Sisters no more

Susan Garofalo, press secretary in the city's communications department, told the Press Trust of India that after "we learned about the circumstances surrounding Kailasa, the City of Newark immediately took action and rescinded the sister city agreement" on Jan. 18.

"Based on deception, the ceremony was groundless and void," added Garofalo. "Although this was a regrettable incident, the City of Newark remains committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures in order to enrich each other with connectivity, support, and mutual respect."

Newark resident Jacob Rosario told WCBS-TV that the incident was "very embarrassing for the city."

"I truly don't even have words for it," said resident Atiyah Harris.

Resident Amaris Mitchell said, "I'm really sorry for the city that they got duped in that way."

"Whose job was it to do a simple Google search? No one in City Hall, not one person did a Google search, so maybe we need a transformation of City Hall 'cause not one person said, let me go and Google and figure out this was a fake city," Newark resident Shakee Merritt told WCBS-TV.

Matt Friedman pointed out in Politico that "Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is often mentioned as a potential candidate for governor in 2025. If he actually wants to run, this embarrassment won’t help him."

TheBlaze recently reported that the prospective gubernatorial candidate celebrated the installation of a monument Thursday honoring abolitionist trailblazer Harriet Tubman. The monument took the place of a statue of Christopher Columbus that Baraka and other iconoclasts had taken down.

At the time of the Columbus statue's removal, Barakas said, "The removal of this statue should not be perceived as an insult to the Italian-American community. It is a statement against the barbarism, enslavement, and oppression that this explorer represents."

In Columbus' travels, never did he encounter Kailasa.

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