Latest news with #FOIA
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Business
- Sunday World
Redacted FOI documents show how FBI opened investigations into Kinahan crime gang in 2018
While much of the information is withheld, it shows that the cartel had been in the crosshairs of the agency for at least seven years A crime blogger has published documents showing how the FBI opened investigations into the Kinahan crime gang as far back as 2018. The well-known 'Plastic Paddy' account published screenshots of the heavily-redacted files online, three years after a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted. While much of the information is withheld, it shows that the crime gang had been in the crosshairs of the agency for at least seven years. In the files related to their investigations into the 'Kinahan Criminal Enterprise' there are references to 'drug trafficking' and 'money laundering', as well as 'potential targets' of the gang. The documents also include a profile of 'Haizum Trading' which we revealed last year to be an umbrella company for three of five companies shut down in the wake of sanctions imposed on the Kinahan cartel by US authorities in April 2022. We reported how a network of front companies had been set up by exiled mob boss Daniel Kinahan and his brother Christopher Jnr to launder their drug money in the United Arab Emirates. News in 90 Seconds - June 17 Just two years after the US imposed sanctions on the cartel, a total of five of the Kinahans' Emirates-based companies had their licences cancelled. Three of the five companies shut down since the sanctions were imposed on April 12, 2022, do not appear on the US sanctions list but can be directly tied to the Kinahans through papers filed with the UAE's Economic Ministry. These three companies operated under the umbrella title 'Haizum Trading'. A profile of Haizum General Trading that appears in the FBI documents describes itself as a 'new trading company based in Dubai United Arab Emirates' 'We're a young company but between our staff we have amassed more than 100 years of trading experience,' it states. The profile reveals how they specialise in commodity trading, 'especially food commodities and we only trade physical commodities' with a 'client base in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.' A trove of documents obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists in 2022 revealed how the ownership of the companies was structured to comply with UAE law which then dictated that a 50 per cent share of companies set up in the UAE must be owned by an Emirati. The documents show how Daniel and Christopher Kinahan Jnr planned to open an import-and-export food business, with a projected profit of $6.8 million, operating out of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC). One of the redacted files A due diligence report showed how authorities in Dubai branded Daniel and Christopher Kinahan Jnr's business plan as 'low risk' adding that it was 'OK to proceed'. The DMCC area of Dubai is a free trade zone that was established in 2002. Another branch of their business, in a separate jurisdiction of the UAE, would trade clothing and textiles. Their business plan described how 'Haizum General Trading Co LLC' would import food from Brazil, Thailand, India, China and East Africa to Persian Gulf countries and beyond. 'We also hope to eventually expand into the trading of edible oil, pasta, and even poultry, if we happen to line up potential leads, prospective clients, and profitable deals for these products,' their business plan read. 'We plan to incorporate the company with a physical office from the get go, as we expect to employ a workforce of seven employees,' it added. They planned to make $6.8 million in the first year, and said that the shareholders had several other 'supporting' businesses in the UAE, and were 'keen on expanding the size and scale of their operations in the coming year.' According to records, the reason they chose to set up operations in the DMCC was to have an 'international sales office, promote the Haizum business and trade in various agro-commodities all over the world.' It also showed that Daniel was to own 30pc of their LLC company, with 19pc owned by Christopher Jnr and the rest by a UAE national, Hadif Al Ktebi. A copy of the contract, obtained by ICIJ, said that the company had a starting capital of approximately $100,000. Haizum International General Trading LLC was registered by the Kinahans with the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai on July 10, 2018, the same year that the FBI opened an investigation into the crime gang. Just one year before, in May 2017, Daniel Kinahan's wedding at the seven-star Burj al Arab in Dubai became a focus point for investigators. Attended by friends and associates of Kinahan, as well as senior underworld figures, the party took place as Dutch police began to investigate claims by a witness called Nabil B who linked underworld mobsters Ridouan Taghi, Ricardo Riquelme Vega, aka El Rico, caged assassin Noufal Fassih and Italian Camorra boss Raffaele Imperiale - who all attended the festivities. On the run Taghi had attended the wedding of Kinahan and it was later heard that when lawyers travelled to Dubai to meet him, undercover police watched as Daniel Kinahan arrived at the hotel reception instead. The manhunt for Taghi only began in early 2018 - six months after the wedding and after officers had started to get a grasp of how Taghi, Fassih and El Rico had joined together as a national force in the Netherlands and as a global force with Kinahan and Imperiale, along with a Bosnian outfit known as the Tito and Dino cartel. Infamous Mocro mafia boss and Kinahan Cartel associate Taghi is currently locked up in a high security prison from where he is appealing his convictions for murder. Dutch criminal Fassih, who was arrested in a Kinahan safehouse on Baggot Street in 2016, was extradited to Holland where he was jailed for various offences including ordering gang hits and political assassinations. Since he was extradited from his desert bolthole in Dubai to his native Italy in March 2022 Imperiale has been spilling the beans on his gangster pals as a super grass, telling investigators how one of them 'gave me 300 kilos of cocaine'. Meanwhile, Daniel Kinahan's right-hand man, Sean McGovern, was returned to Ireland last month, when he was charged with the murder of Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan at the height of the Hutch/Kinahan feud in 2016. The father of two, who was extradited from Dubai in May, was also charged with directing a criminal organisation involved in the conspiracy to murder Hutch associate James 'Mago' Gately.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Federal judge dismisses Shanquella Robinson wrongful death lawsuit against FBI, State Department
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A federal judge Friday dismissed the wrongful death lawsuit made by the family of Shanquella Robinson against a pair of federal agencies. The FBI and State Department had motioned to dismiss the suit in January due to the alleged lack of jurisdiction over claims made against them. Robinson's estate made the amended claims in November 2024 seeking damages from the agencies based on their alleged negligence in relation to her 2022 death in Mexico. The estate also sought immediate release of related records from the FBI. PREVIOUS: Robinson's family pushes for case to be heard in U.S. Robinson, a Charlotte woman, died while vacationing with friends at a resort in Cabo San Lucas. Court documents show the autopsy report done in Mexico showed the cause of death was a severe spinal cord injury and neck trauma. However, when her body was returned home, a second autopsy by the FBI contradicted the report. In November 2022, the FBI informed Robinson's mother, Sallamondra, 'that it opened an investigation into the murder,' but in April 2023 told Sallamondra, her family and the public that the agency was no longer pursuing federal prosecution of the Cabo Six. In Friday's ruling, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. agrees with the agencies argument that the family's Freedom of Information Act claim against the FBI and State Department must be dismissed because 'this Court lacks derivative jurisdiction over Plaintiff's FOIA claim.' 'Because the North Carolina court 'never acquired jurisdiction over either the subject matter [FOIA claim] or the [FBI] as a United States agency,' this Court 'can acquire none from the removal under NC Statute 1442.' The Robinson family still has a civil lawsuit against the members of the Cabo Six, accuses them of lying about Shanquella's death and trying to cover it up. They are pushing for this case to be heard in the United States. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Longtime Newport News treasurer files as an Independent
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Longtime Newport News Treasurer Marty Eubank will seek re-election as an independent. Eubank filed paperwork and qualified with the Department of Voter Registration in May. For nearly three decades, Eubank has served as the Newport News treasurer. In March 2025, Eubank shared exclusively with WAVY-TV 10 that he would not seek re-election. Previous: Longtime Newport News treasurer will not seek reelection; 3 candidates enter race 'I did not have a change of heart. I have worked for the city for 41 years. I've been the longest-serving treasurer of 28 years for Newport News. I'm very proud of that. I very much looked forward to retiring this year,' he said. 'I did everything I could to position myself to run in this campaign for one more term. But after I met Sanu Dieng-Cooper, I talked to her and realized what a perfect candidate she would be to be my successor, which is something I've been looking for the past few years! She impressed me with her ideas, her vision, her knowledge of the office already, and her understanding of what it does. I realized she'd be the perfect candidate to win the Democratic primary. That's when I decided to bow out of the primary. I fully support Sanu. I 100% still endorse being the next Treasurer of Newport News. I'm confident that the voters will see how qualified she is. They will support and vote for her on June 17.' Your Local Election Headquarters on The Newport News Department of Voter Registration confirms that Sanu Dieng-Cooper and Derek Reason are the Democratic candidates for the June primary. There are no Republican candidates. Justin Kennedy, an independent candidate for treasurer, will appear on the November 4th ballot. Eubank told 10 On Your Side he filed as an independent following the 2025 NAACP Newport News Candidate Forum on April 30. 'I am confident she [Sanu] will win the Primary. But you can't predict an election, and that 1% off chance that Sanu might not win. Then I position myself to come back into the general election,' said Eubank. 'After watching the NAACP forum and listening to both sides, I was in the audience. I became concerned that Sanu Cooper has to be elected as our next treasurer. She has to!' Eubank also received a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request regarding the legitimacy of one of the candidates' businesses. WAVY-TV 10 received an independent copy of the FOIA from the Newport News Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue, which states the business in question 'does not hold a City of Newport News business license, as such a license is not required for the type of activity this business performs. The USDOT number associated with this business is currently listed as inactive in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) database. The business's status with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) is also listed as inactive per SCC records.' asked Eubank about 'integrity' following the recent filing. 'I'm doing it for the right reason, not the wrong reason. I'm not going back on my word. I still fully support Sanu. I fully expect her to win. She has my 100% endorsement. Come June 17, I will be by her side celebrating. But I am trying only to position myself [just] in case. Elections can be unpredictable in the event that 1% off the chance the Sanu is not elected. I will be here to protect this office,' said Eubank. Eubank urges residents to watch the candidate interviews and forum to 'judge for yourself.' 'I have always been a Democrat. I will always be a Democrat. I view myself at this point as an Independent-Democrat, but I'm doing what I have to do. I'm doing this for the right reasons. For the citizens of Newport News,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Bloomberg
7 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Secret Service Withholds Comey ‘86 47' Records Due to ‘Enforcement Proceedings'
Happy FOIA Friday the 13th! I got another FOIA denial, this time from the Secret Service, which refused to turn over records related to former FBI Director James Comey's ' 86 47' Instagram post due to ongoing 'enforcement proceedings.' Plus, the most incredible response to a FOIA request I've ever received. And finally, US Customs and Border Protection needs help with a 'surge' in FOIA requests. If you're not already getting FOIA Files in your inbox, sign up here. When it comes to the former FBI director, there are few public figures who've managed to stoke such ire on both sides of the political aisle. Democrats blame Comey for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential election loss. Republicans have their own litany of grievances against him. President Donald Trump, who fired Comey in May 2017, has called for Comey's prosecution many times, alleging he was part of a 'deep state' conspiracy to derail his presidency.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
VIDIZMO Awarded TXShare Contract for Artificial Intelligence Solutions for Public Sector
Government Agencies Across the US Can Now Streamline Procurement of VIDIZMO's Advanced AI Technologies Without the Need for an RFP TYSONS, Va., June 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- VIDIZMO is proud to announce that it has been awarded a contract in the TXShare Cooperative Purchasing Program under Artificial Intelligence Solutions for Public Sector Entities. This contract enables municipalities, counties, public agencies, and non-profits from all 50 states to procure VIDIZMO's artificial intelligence (AI) services and solutions efficiently, bypassing the traditional Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Government agencies across the nation face mounting pressure to keep up with escalating operational demands while contending with limited budgets, administrative strain, and significant workforce shortages. From processing FOIA requests and monitoring infrastructure to managing court records and facilitating citizen services, public entities are expected to deliver efficient, secure, and transparent services under increasing constraints. Through the TXShare contract, participating entities have access to the following VIDIZMO AI solutions: AI-Powered Redaction of faces, license plates, and personal identifiers from videos, audio, documents, and images. Automated Transcription and Translation for meetings, hearings, training materials, and public communication. Anomaly Detection and Video Analytics for real-time surveillance, event monitoring, infrastructure safety, and emergency response. Digital Evidence Management System for secure storage, search, AI powered analysis, and sharing of case evidence with full audit trails. Public Engagement Analysis to extract insights from citizen feedback, call center data, and public meetings. AI-Powered Contextual Search and Retrieval for automated support and information retrieval from HR and IT departments. Summarization and Report Generation to streamline the processing of large datasets and generate documentation automatically. AI-Powered Video Content Management to securely manage, share, stream, transcribe, and analyze video content such as recorded council meetings, election live streaming, etc. Recommendation Engine to offer tailored recommendations based on user preferences, historical data, and user behavior. AI-Powered Inspection Automation for permit management and compliance verification using object detection and anomaly detection to reduce manual site visits and accelerate approvals. The TXShare Cooperative Purchasing Program simplifies the acquisition process for public entities to these solutions by providing access to pre-vetted vendors and competitively sourced contracts, so they can avoid lengthy bidding processes and deploy critical technologies faster. This ensures continuity of services without administrative delays. By leveraging VIDIZMO's offerings through TXShare, agencies can: Save Time and Resources: Eliminate the need for lengthy RFP processes. Access Competitive Pricing: Benefit from pre-negotiated rates. Ensure Compliance: Align with state and local procurement regulations. Deploy Solutions Rapidly: Implement technologies swiftly to meet pressing needs. With this award, VIDIZMO brings its field-tested AI solutions to the fingertips of government entities. These solutions are designed to reduce manual effort, enhance data protection, and improve operational agility. "This TXShare contract award strengthens our dedication to serving the public sector with innovative AI solutions," said Nadeem Khan, CEO at VIDIZMO. "We're excited to support government agencies in enhancing their operations, ensuring data security, and delivering better services to their communities." More information on VIDIZMO's contract can be found on VIDIZMO's TXShare vendor page. About TXShare TXShare is a cooperative purchasing program administered by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), representing a 16-county region that includes 226 cities, 23 school districts, and 38 special districts. The program enables local governments and non-profit entities across all 50 states to access competitively sourced contracts without incurring any membership fees. About VIDIZMO VIDIZMO specializes in delivering video, audio, data, and AI-powered solutions to transform how organizations operate. From advanced AI/ML capabilities like computer vision, NLP, and speech recognition to providing AI-powered enterprise video content management, automated redaction, and intelligent digital evidence management solutions, we've consistently empowered leading Fortune 500 companies and government entities to innovate and scale. Recognized by Gartner, IDC, and Frost & Sullivan, VIDIZMO is backed by partnerships with Microsoft and AWS, ensuring cutting-edge technology and innovation for customers worldwide. To learn more about VIDIZMO and its comprehensive range of solutions and services, visit Media ContactRafay MuneerProduct Marketing View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE VIDIZMO LLC Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
