Latest news with #Attorney'sOffice
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Christina Formella case: What are the charges against former Downers Grove teacher
The former teacher of Downers Grove South High School, who is accused of sexually abusing a minor student, has been charged with 55 criminal counts. Christina Formella, 30, is accused of engaging in an extended, manipulative relationship with a student that allegedly began when the boy was just 14 years old. On Tuesday, she was arraigned in DuPage County Circuit Court on 52 additional charges, following the initial three counts she faced after her March arrest. ALSO READ| Christina Formella family: All on the ex-Downers Grove teacher's husband, Michael Formella The new charges include multiple counts of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, indecent solicitation of a child, and grooming. Prosecutors say Formella used her authority and access as a teacher to create a damaging and coercive relationship with the boy, who later came forward with his mother to report the abuse to Downers Grove police. Community High School District 99 said Formella resigned from her position at the school and voluntarily surrendered her teaching license on Monday, the day before her court appearance. Prosecutor Jaclyn McAndrew told Judge Mia McPherson that the abuse lasted nearly two years and that Formella had sex with the student 'at least 45 times, including at school, during school hours and at her home.' '(Formella) knew what she was doing was wrong,' McAndrew said, adding that the former teacher 'is unbelievably conniving and unbelievably controlling.' McAndrew also told the court that Formella manipulated the boy into turning off the location tracking on his phone and made him feel guilty and ashamed about their interactions. She argued that Formella posed an ongoing threat to the victim and the community, especially since she lives near the high school. McAndrew pushed for the judge to revoke Formella's bail and detain her under Illinois' SAFE-T Act, saying, 'no conditions could mitigate the threat that Formella poses.' But Judge Mia McPherson denied that request. While she acknowledged the allegations as 'horrifying in nature,' 'shocking,' and 'appalling,' the judge concluded that the general public was not at risk and that further restrictions could be placed to protect the alleged victim. ALSO READ| Who is Christina Formella? Illinois special education teacher, 30, arrested for allegedly molesting 15-year-old student Formella is now required to wear a GPS ankle monitor, surrender her passport, and cannot leave Illinois without the court's permission. Now, if convicted, Christina Formella faces up to 60 years in prison, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Peoria teen ordered held in custody pending trial on racketeering charges
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — An alleged member of a notorious street gang was ordered held in custody Friday pending the outcome of his case. Kendal E. Patterson, 18, was indicted Tuesday for violating the state's anti-racketeering laws as well as aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon, the latter charge alleged they possessed a loaded machine gun. He was initially scheduled to appear on Thursday, but his attorney asked for a delay of one day to prepare for the hearing, which is allowed under the state's SAFE-T Act. Two more alleged members of the 'Snakes' indicted for RICO violations Patterson is accused in connection with incidents on Feb. 24, 2023, in the 800 block of Gift Avenue, also in Peoria. His prosecution is part of an effort by the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office to combat street violence. Last fall, State's Attorney Jodi Hoos filed the RICO counts against 10 people under the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act which alleges they were affiliated with the 'Snakes' street gang, which prosecutors said is linked to a 'rash of violence that has plagued the area.' At the time, six of the 10 were minors, and Hoos said she planned to ask a judge to transfer the case from the juvenile division to the adult division. Patterson's case was moved to adult court late last month. Of the other nine people, all their cases are still pending. Patterson's trial is set for early July. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Man gets 120 free flights after pretending to be a flight attendant
Tiron Alexander is soon to be sentenced and faces decades in prison after he was caught impersonating flight attendants dozens of times in order to get free flights A canny traveller managed to blag his way onto 120 flights for free by impersonating cabin crew. At the moment, flying is expensive business. A shortage of aircraft due to supply-side issues, and spiking demand post-Covid, has sent ticket prices soaring. In the last year, the consumer price index for airline tickets shot up by 25% in the US, with similar rises in the UK. As heavy on the purse strings as jetting off somewhere nice may now be, not many would-be passengers have gone to the same lengths to save cash as Tiron Alexander. According to a release filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, on June 5 the 35-year-old was convicted of wire fraud and entering into a secure area of an airport by false pretenses. Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@ He did so with the view of securing free flights through the booking system meant for airline employees, and managed to bag 120 using the scheme. "From 2018 to 2024, Alexander booked free flights on an airline carrier's website that were only available to pilots and flight attendants," the Attorney's Office writes. "Over the 34 flights, Alexander claimed through the airline carrier's website application process — a process that required an applicant to select whether they were a pilot or flight attendant and provide their employer, date of hire, and badge number information — that he worked for seven different airlines and had approximately 30 different badge numbers and dates of hire." Tiron managed to secure 120 flights for free by claiming he was a flight attendant working for seven different airlines. It is not completely clear how he managed to repeatedly gain access to the internal systems that flight attendants use with different airlines. Why nonexistent badge numbers were not flagged by at least one of them is not clear either. READ MORE: Flight attendant reveals first thing crew do in an emergency at 30,000ft "The evidence at trial also showed that Alexander posed as a flight attendant on three other airline carriers. Ultimately, Alexander booked more than 120 free flights by falsely claiming to be a flight attendant," the statement from the Attorney's Office adds. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra is scheduled to sentence Alexander on August 25, 2025. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud counts and up to 10 years for entering the airport's secure area, according to the indictment. Although there is no suggestion that he did anything wrong or illegal, Steven Rothstein is another high-profile example of a passenger who loved a free or cheap flight. The New York investment banker bought an American Airlines all-you-can-fly AAirpass in the 1980s and then set about using it to fly around the world, in first class, several times a month for 25 years. American Airlines ended up growing tired of his relentless round-the-world travelling and decided to kick him off it in 2008. Despite his best legal efforts, Steven was unable to get the pass reinstated.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. Seizes Darknet, Internet Domains, Crypto Funds Tied to Illegal Trading in Credit Card Data
The U.S. seized 145 darknet and internet domains as well as cryptocurrency funds linked to BidenCash, a market for buying and selling stolen credit card details and associated personal information, the Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said on Wednesday. The marketplace accumulated revenue of $17 million from supporting over 117,000 customers and traded more than 15 million payment card numbers since it began operating in 2022, the attorney's office said. The information included home addresses and phone numbers. The U.S. has been trying to clamp down on illicit activity with crypto ties. In March, the Financial Technology Protection Act to combat illicit finance on digital asset platforms was reintroduced to the House of Representatives after failing to complete its journey through the Senate before the end of the Congressional session. Criminal activity in crypto is rising. According to a report by Chainalysis $40 billion was received on illicit addresses with crypto ties in 2024 and the number it said is set to increase this year. The U.S. Secret Service's Frankfurt Resident Office, the U.S. Secret Service's Cyber Investigative Section and the FBI Albuquerque Field Office were also involved in the case.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Kewanee man arrested after string of vehicle burglaries
Police in Kewanee have made an arrest in a series of vehicle burglaries in the city. A news release from the Kewanee Police Department say the department investigated a series of vehicle burglaries between May 14th and May 30. After an investigation, officers identified and arrested Zachary Huffman, age 21 of Kewanee, in connection with the crimes. Huffman was issued a Notice to Appear (NTA) under the provisions of the Illinois SAFE-T Act and released from custody. He is accused of committing another vehicle burglary while awaiting a hearing. Kewanee officers found him in connection with a new incident on May 30. During that contact and investigation, Huffman was found with a firearm. Since he was on pretrial release conditions at the time, the Henry County State's Attorney's Office approved taking him into custody and he was taken to the Henry County Jail. Huffman has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm without a valid FOID card, a Class A misdemeanor and burglary without causing damage, a Class 3 felony. Additional charges are pending. A Class 3 felony in Illinois carries a possible sentence of two to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. He has a preliminary hearing in Henry County Court in Cambridge on June 9. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
