Category Archives: Victimless Crimes

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At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7 in HUB 355, the UCR chapter of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) hosted Libertarian commentator and YouTube star Julie Borowski to discuss political correctness, campus free speech and what it means to be a Libertarian. The event, with nearly one hundred people in attendance, began with an introduction by YAL member and first-year political science major Samir Al-Alami and YAL chapter president and fourth-year chemical engineering major Jonathan Potthast.

Borowski is a Washington, D.C. based political commentator who is best known for her YouTube channel garnering over eight million views. She formerly worked as a policy analyst for FreedomWorks, a conservative and libertarian think tank, and her writings have appeared in numerous media outlets like the Washington Examiner, Townhall and Daily Caller.

Borowski began her talk by discussing free speech on college campuses placing particular emphasis on the Wednesday, Feb. 1 riot at UC Berkeley after Milo Yiannopoulos was scheduled to speak. It turned into a violent riot where people were pepper-spraying each other and a lot of these people claim to be anti-fascist but their tactics are fascist by trying to shut down free speech. She elaborated by saying free speech is really important because, as a society; how are we going to pick what the best ideas are if we are not allowed to hear all of them?

Borowski then transitioned into the next part of her talk by saying that since she was a political science major in a very liberal college, she wanted to do something different on this college campus and give an alternative viewpoint to what she deemed as the usual liberal opinion. She then gave a primer on Libertarianism from A to Z listing all of the issues Libertarians stand for in alphabetical order including gun rights, the war in Iraq, taxes, abortion and immigration.

The speech was followed by a Q-and-A with the audience which touched on topics such as vaccines, gun rights in California, hate speech and the future of the United States under the Trump administration.

However, not everyone agreed with Borowski. Nicolai Bonca, a second-year english major, expressed his difference of opinion, especially on Borowskis positive comments about free-market capitalism. I took issue with yeah, if you have an idea, you can innovate, you can make money for yourself. This whole notion of if you have an idea, if you have the willpower you can do whatever you want, I dont agree with that, stated Bonca. To Bonca, individuals are not free and within social structures by force. Femi Adeyamo, a first-year economics major, agreed with Borowski wholeheartedly. Adeyamo, who identifies as a moderate, said I agreed with her on a lot of stuff, especially the drug war and military involvement referencing her critical views on the war on drugs and War in Iraq.

Shortly after the event, the Highlander sat down with Borowski for a brief interview in which she discussed President Trump, immigration, mass media, college Libertarianism and political correctness. The interview follows and is slightly edited for clarity.

Evan Ismail: How do you believe we should handle the Middle East? Should we intervene, leave them alone, and if so, how should we go about it?

Julie Borowski: I believe in non-interventionism where we have to look at is this in the best interest for the United States? Is it self-defense? So, yes I would like the United States to completely leave the Middle East. I think it was a mistake to go in the first place; I would like to bring the troops home and actually focus on the problems here. Intervening overseas, especially with what we have seen with Syria actually makes the problem even worse. So, yes, come home.

Ismail: So based on that, if something happens to an ally for example, would you say leave them alone and let them fend for themselves or do you think in that case, we would help them?

Borowski: It depends on the situation but only if its in the self-defense of the United States because I dont think we should get intertwined in battles overseas that have nothing to do with us. I believe we should be friends with other nations. I believe in free trade, completely, but as opposed to fighting wars for other countries, no I dont think so. I think that costs way too much money and way too many American lives.

Ismail: For immigration, do you think our current policy is adequate or do you agree with Trump and what hes doing with immigration? Weve had some protests, recently, about his immigration policy, specifically, No Ban No Wall, so what is your take on what he is trying to do?

Borowski: Libertarians, like I said, are torn on immigration. I dont believe in the wall myself; I dont think its actually going to do anything because I think most of the problem is that people come here on visas and overstay. As far as the Muslim ban, I think that was implemented so poorly and so messily. It just happened when people were on the plane and they got stranded and even people with green cards were detained. So, I think that should have been better. I do think vetting the refugees is a good idea but opposed to completely shutting down immigration, no I dont think that is a good idea.

Ismail: What do you think could be changed in our current political landscape? Do you think Trump would be open to a Libertarian viewpoint?

Borowski: I think Trump is open to some Libertarian ideas. I think that he would be good in that he would probably repeal Obamacare and audit the Federal Reserve. I think there should be more transparency, lower taxes, less regulation. Trump is not a Libertarian on civil liberties issues which I think could greatly be improved and as for foreign policy, Im still not sure what a Trump foreign policy will be like. So, I think that will be very interesting to see. Hes open on some things but not so open on other things.

Ismail: Id like to go back to your views on police. Weve seen a lot of division and distrust between the police and the people so how do you suggest that civilians and the police can repair their relationship?

Borowski: I think ending the War on Drugs is a good step in the right direction because I think people, especially in the inner cities, are more afraid of police than theyre there to protect me. So I think all those laws against victimless crimes where people are just hurting themselves should be repealed and be dealt with in a different matter to actually help people as opposed to harming them and throwing them in jail and taking them away from their families. I would like to go back to where police are actually protecting people with dont hurt other people and dont take their stuff as opposed to criminalizing plants.

Ismail: Trump has declared a running war on the media so do you think there has been dishonesty in the mainstream media toward Trump? Do you think this shows that Trump is actively trying to silence his critics?

Borowski: The media was extremely unfair towards Trump. The whole elections cycle they were just bashing Trump constantly while they were ignoring all of Hillarys wrongdoings. And there was a lot of wrongdoings from Hillary from a liberal perspective even, so I think the media has been unfair. I think Trump needs to get better at learning how to handle criticism. He tends to lash out on Twitter when anyone says anything bad about him which I think he needs to handle better.

Ismail: We do not have a lot of right-wing or Libertarian speakers on this campus so what do you want tell students at UCR about libertarianism?

Borowski: First of all, I want to tell them to look into it and see what Libertarianism is about. Even if they dont agree with it right away, at least be exposed to a different viewpoint. In college especially because the college I went to, I just heard about the liberal perspective. I think students should learn about other perspectives even if its just to have their own views challenged which I think you should do.

Ismail: Youre not very politically correct, so what do you think about the PC movement and politically correct speech and culture on campuses like UCR?

Borowski: I think political correctness has basically limited free speech to the point where people are afraid to say their own opinions. Like myself as a commentator, compared to a lot of conservative Libertarian speakers, its just unbelievable the kind of backlash I get for not being politically correct and I think Im pretty tame. So I would say that people should speak their minds and let the chips fall as they may. But dont go after somebody calling them racists and sexists over the littlest things.

Ismail: Building on that, do you think the political correctness on college campuses around the country and in our society in general is here to stay? Borowski: I hope not. I think that one of the reasons that Trump was elected is because people are tired of PC culture. I cant predict the future but I think its slowly starting to decline.

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Libertarian commentator Julie Borowski offers an alternative viewpoint at UCR - Highlander Newspaper

Women and Men Against Child Abuse say child pornography has been ignored for too long in South Africa.

Picture: Supplied.

JOHANNESBURG - Woman and Men Against Child Abuse say the sentencing of an East Rand man convicted of rape will expose the widespread threat and production of child pornography.

Warren Troy Knoop, a salesperson from Ekurhuleni, has been handed 32 life sentences and 170 years in prison for crimes including the possession and distribution of child pornography.

Knoop pleaded guilty to 870 charges including rape.

He had admitted that his first victim was a year old when he first fondled her.

Women and Men Against Child Abuses Miranda Friedman says child pornography has been ignored for too long in South Africa.

Child pornography, which has not been seriously seen enough in our country, has been seen as a victimless crime and as a soft-porn image kind of related which does not look at victims and child victims seriously.

She believes the sentence has sent out a strong message to other perpetrators.

We have been monitoring this case, creating pressure and creating social awareness around this case. Were extremely relieved today and think its a powerful sentence which has also sent out a strong message.

Friedman says while Knoop can apply for parole after 25 years, the organisation wants to make sure he never gets out of jail.

At the same time, Childline says the heavy sentence handed down to Knoop is reason to celebrate as such crimes remain among the most under-reported.

Childline's Dumisile Nala says that while sexual crimes against children remain a matter of concern in the country, many cases still go unreported.

Its very important that cases of sexual abuse or abuse of children that are reported are managed properly so that justice can take its course. It doesnt matter, be it one incident.

She says perpetrators deserve the harshest sentences as the scars of abuse in childhood cause the biggest damage in adult life.

The impact of abuse is long lasting. We cannot say it was only a few months-old-baby - they will never know. The impact of that stays on in their being and it may come up one way or another when they grow up.

Nala says while this sentence is a step in the right direction -the battle continues in many households.

(Edited by Winnie Theletsane)

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Hefty sentence for rapist exposes threat of child porn - lobby group - Eyewitness News

It is fly-tipping in Shropshire on a scale that is hardly believable.

This is land owned by Network Rail in Telford, a disused railway line that has become an unofficial dumping ground.

Teddy bears, food packaging and even family photos cover the pathways off the A4169, near Horsehay.

The rubbish continues as far as the eye can see, a mountain that would have taken dozens of lorry loads to fill.

Today police and the Environmental Agency said it is investigating to find out where the mountain of trash has come from so that they can find those responsible. That means searching through the rubbish for clues, including addresses on discarded bills.

The track is near to a signal box run by Telfords Steam Railway, although the line itself is maintained by National Rail.

Simon Masters, a spokesman for the company, said flytipping causes a great amount of misery.

Network Rail is supporting the various authorities investigating these incidents of fly-tipping to establish the circumstances surrounding them and who is responsible, he said.

The investigation is currently ongoing so it would not be appropriate to comment further on these incidents.

However, fly-tipping may appear to be a victim-less crime, but it isnt. It causes a great amount of misery to those who live nearby as well as costing the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds in clean-up costs.

Paul Hughes, chairman of the Telford Steam Railway, said it was during a routine inspection that he and his colleagues came across the mess.

Theres not a lot of flytipping in the area, but someones obviously just seen it as a quiet opportunity and have gone for it.

It has to be a commercial activity. This isnt someone dumping a bit of rubbish or just clearing their garage out theres tons and tons of it.

When we found it, I had a quick look through and it must have been dropped by a proper refuse vehicle. It was the middle of winter and it stunk there was literally steam coming off it.

Shropshire has some beautiful country lanes. With sofa beds dumped in them. Or other dumped items which somebody, somewhere, cant be bothered to dispose of properly.

You can see some of the latest examples of this rural blight in pictures we carry today.

A disused railway line at Horsehay in Telford is taking on the appearance of a council rubbish tip. What would otherwise be a pleasant area of paths among trees is being destroyed by a mountain of trash. The land is owned by Network Rail, which is the immediate victim of this anti-social behaviour.

Paul Hughes, chairman of the Telford Steam Railway attraction not far away, who came across the mess during a routine inspection with his colleagues, says the dumping is on such a scale that it has to be a commercial activity, and he thinks it must have been dropped by a proper refuse vehicle.

If he is right, it elevates this dumping up the scale of seriousness. It is not a lazy slob or two, which would be bad enough, but potentially corporate crime on an industrial scale.

There is a double cost. The first is that it ruins the countryside. The second is the cost of clearing it all up, which ultimately falls back on the public.

So what is to be done? Making an appeal to the better nature of the culprits will probably not work. If they do not care what anybody thinks about what they do, they are not going to care about appeals to them to stop what they are doing.

What they do care about is exposure to public contempt and being hit in the pocket hard, as presumably a lot of the motivation in dumping the stuff in the first place was it was a cheaper and easier option.

The anger and condemnation directed towards those responsible has to be backed up by a serious attempt to detect them and bring them to book. As what they are doing takes place in areas which are quiet, and so there are not likely to be witnesses, the difficulty in catching the dumpers is apparent.

But surely there must be some people who have their suspicions, and the dumped material is itself evidence which may give the culprits away in some cases.

It is a chronic problem but a few cases of bringing people to court in high-profile prosecutions might make some offenders think that responsible disposal is the best option after all.

Paul said that it was disgusting that the cost of the clean-up would now have to be picked up by Network Rail. If the Telford Steam Railway had acquired the track as they plan to, it could have easily been them footing the bill.

This is a completely different scale to anything you usually see, he said.

Network Rail will end up footing the bill for that, but it could have been us. Were trying to negotiate taking over that line, and it could have been us at the charity having to pay to tidy it up. This isnt a victimless crime.

It would have been a significant amount of the charitys funds to clear it through as well.

While the flytipping wont cause any problems for the Steam Railways plans to expand the line down to Doseley, the volunteers have been told to stay away from the area for the time being.

Instead their focus will remain on next years Polar Express event, a follow-up to the hugely successful Christmas show they held for the first time in 2016.

Paul said: Were very deep into planning for this years Polar Express. Tickets will go on sale very shortly.

There have been a number of large incidents of flytipping over the last few months, including an eight-tonne pile of rubble on Back Lane, near Newport.

In the early hours of the morning, a car crashed into the industrial mess, but was luckily unhurt.

Earlier this year, figures revealed that Shropshires two main councils had not issued any fines for fly-tipping since they were given new powers for on the spot penalties.

Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council represent more than half the English local authorities who responded to a Freedom of Information request that had not used the powers which allow them to issue fixed penalty notices for smaller cases of fly-tipping.

Shropshire Council said many individuals have received written warnings for various environmental crimes when witnessed by council officers and that fixed penalty notices would only be issued after further investigation.

Telford & Wrekin Council said it had issued scores of fines for littering and dog fouling over the past year and would look to make use of the new legislation for fly-tipping over the coming months.

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Teddy bears, food packaging and family photos: The huge illegal ... - shropshirestar.com

The Clarion-Ledger Published 5:35 p.m. CT Feb. 9, 2017 | Updated 9 hours ago

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A search of a vehicle driven by Corey Lewis and April Littleton of Jackson revealed over 4,000 tablets of ecstasy, approximately 25 grams of hash, and approximately one ounce of ecstasy powder, and a gun.(Photo: HCSO/ Special to The Clarion-Ledger)

Hinds County special investigations and Morton police officers have made 11 felony arrests in an effort to cripple the drug pipeline on I-20.

The arrests took place over the period of a little more than a week.

"These are not victimless crimes. A large portion of these illegal narcotics are headed to our communities, to the hands of our children," Sheriff Victor Mason said. "I'm not about to sit back and ignore it."

According to a series of releases from the Hinds County Sheriff's Department, on Jan. 27, four people from Pennsylvania with ties to West Africa were apprehended in a tan 2007 Inifiniti for careless driving on I-20 in Morton. Deputies located marijuana and a gun, as well as around three gallons of an unknown chemical in a hidden compartment.Alex Robinson, age unavailable, was charged with felon in possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle.Woryah Kamara, Matthew Sawher, and Willie Besson, all ages unavailable, were charged with possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle.Besson is pending deportation to Liberia, West Africa. They were taken to the Scott County Jail.

MORE HINDS COUNTY NEWS

On Jan. 29,Marion Watts Jr., age unavailable, of Clinton, was stopped for careless driving on I-20 westbound in Morton. Police said he was driving a rental 2017 Chevy Malibu and refused to give consent to a search. AK9 alerted to the trunk of the vehicle where authorities foundfive poundsof high grade marijuana hidden in a box in the trunk. The shipment, according to police, was headed for Clinton.Watts was charged with trafficking a controlled substance.He was booked in at the Scott County Jail.

On Jan. 30, Westly Lara, age unavailable, of Lubbock, Texas,and Jennifer Millar, age unavailable, of California were stopped for a traffic violation on I-20 West in Morton. A K9 alertlead to the discovery of THC in liquid formdesigned for e-cigarettes, 20 grams of high grade of marijuana and a compartment built in the vehicle under the center console containing marijuana and approximately$44,000in cash.Both were charged with possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy to commit a crime. They were booked into the Scott County Jail.

On the same day,Hinds County officers assigned to the Special Investigations Unit stopped a late model SUV rental on I-20 around Edwards for a traffic violation.Officers became suspicious when the odor of marijuana was coming from the vehicle.

SEE ALSO:3 JSU students arrested on drug, counterfeit charges

After a search of the vehicle, officers discovered 2 pounds of hi-grade marijuana hidden in the rear hatch of the SUV.The driver, Lathero Stringer, and passenger Quinton Holly, both ages unavailable, both of Terry, were charged with trafficking a controlled substance.Both subjects were booked in at the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond.

On February 7, police on I-20 west in Morton initiated a traffic stop for careless driving on a Toyota Camry which led to arrest of Corey Lewis and April Littleton, both ages unavailable,both of Jackson for aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance and twocounts of trafficking of a controlled substancewhile in possession of a firearm.

Authorities said a consensual search revealed over 4,000 tablets of ecstasy, approximately25 grams of hash, and approximatelyone ounce of ecstasypowder, and a gun. Police said the drugs were headed to Jackson.Both Lewis and Littleton were booked in the Scott County Jail.

"We are pleased with the results of this joint effort. We always look forward to working with multi jurisdictions in efforts to stop the illegal drug activity coming through our state," said Morton Police Chief Nicky Crapps.

READ: FBI seizes weapons related to multi-state drug network

ContactTherese Apelat 601-961-7236 ortapel@gannett.com.Follow her onFacebookandTwitter.

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Hinds County and Morton police team up on 11 drug arrests - Jackson Clarion Ledger

California authorities are attempting to break up a family-run organized crime ring involving the owners of seven body shops that allegedly bilked insurance companies out of more than $500,000.

Detectives from the California Department of Insurance detectives and investigators with the Auto Insurance Fraud Task Force arrested seven suspects, charged an additional 22 who are self-surrendering, and still are seeking 11 more suspects for allegedly running an organized automotive insurance fraud ring

The state filed more than 230 felony charges against 40 suspects in connection with crimes committed in seven auto body shops across Coach Valley, a region in between Los Angeles and San Diego. The body shops staged up to 40 false insurance claims receiving payouts totaling $560,492 from 10 different insurance companies, including some of the largest auto insurers in the nation, according to authorities.

This was an elaborate conspiracy to rip off insurers to the tune of nearly a half a million dollars, said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime. The cost of fraud is shouldered by consumers who pay higher premiums when insurers pass along their losses.

Investigators from the Department of Insurance initially received information about the crime ring in 2014, as part of a previous bust of suspects allegedly running a similar crime ring. Investigators with the departments Urban Auto Insurance Fraud Task Force allege that the owners of the seven body shops conspired with employees and family who posed as insurance consumers and filed fraudulent claims for collisions that were either staged or never occurred at all.

Two examples of fraudulent claims filed by the conspirators included one claiming substantial bodily injury in which the insurer paid over $100,000. In another, the suspects allegedly staged a collision that targeted an innocent motorist leaving her vehicle with significant damage.

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Family of Collision Repair Shop Owners Allegedly Scammed Insurers Out of $560000 - BodyShop Business

Bitcoin is a freedom currency in a manner that isnt obvious and which is virtually undiscussed. Bitcoin is commonly linked to victimless crime, but the dynamic reaches far deeper than merely freeing individuals to buy goods and services, unsavory or not. Victimless crime is the lifeblood of the surveillance state without which big government could not function. Victimless crime creates the surveillance state.

Also read:Surbitcoin On Hiatus Amid Venezuela Bitcoin Crackdown

The arch enemy of total scrutiny is the privacy and economic anonymity of cash or digital currencies. This means something as tiny as the pseudonymous transfer of one bitcoin is a threat to the states very existence.

Daniel Krawisz of the Satoshi Nakamoto Institute was nothing more than deadpan accurate in a 2014 presentation in which he stated, Someone who promotes bitcoin who is not an anarchist is a crypto-anarchist because bitcoin is inherently anarchistic.

A victimless crime is an illegal act that violates no rights and harms only the people who voluntarily commit it. And, then, the harm is only in some cases like drug use. And, then, only in the opinion of some people who are not necessarily involved. Politically speaking, victimless crimes are also the engine that drives the total surveillance state.

Why is this true? When a crime has flesh-and-blood victims, they almost always contact law enforcement because they want restitution, justice or protection. A mugged man files a police report on the chance of getting his wallet back; a raped woman views a police lineup in the hope of finding justice; a shop owner turns in the video of a theft so that a neighborhood thug wont steal from him again. Law enforcement doesnt need to ferret out such crimes. The police can sit in one place, have victims come to them and only then investigate. If the victims prefer to remain silent, then the police have little incentive to investigate a crime with no report.

Victimless crimes are the antithesis. The criminal acts are either consensual, like prostitution, or they are committed in isolation, like drug use. In either case, the police are neither contacted nor welcomed. No one turns himself in for buying a blow job; no one files a complaint on himself for snorting cocaine. These crimes do not come and knock on the police station door.

To enforce victimless laws, therefore, the authorities must hunt down the hidden scofflaws by monitoring the general population for suspicious behavior. They track the movement of money, create massive databases, eavesdrop on all communications, employ snitches and use a multitude of other intrusive tools of surveillance.

The incredible violation of privacy and personal rights is justified by the politically useful issues of illegal drugs, prostitution, and other moral hot buttons. Actual acts of violence such as child pornography and the funding of terrorism are thrown into the mix. The argument is this: because of a small number of hidden bad actors, everyone everywhere must relinquish their freedom and wealth to the state.

In more basic terms: the further law enforcement moves away from real victims and toward victimless crimes, the more it becomes a police state that relies on total surveillance. The state knows this. And, so, anything that blocks surveillance runs the risk of also becoming a victimless crime. For example, the refusal to fill out a census form is criminalized. Many people are puzzled by why the state penalizes such an innocuous act. They shouldnt be.

In his book Seeing Like a State, James C. Scott commented, If we imagine a state that has no reliable means of enumerating and locating its population, gauging its wealth, and mapping its land, resources, and settlements, we are imagining a state whose interventions in that society are necessarily crude. Imagine a state that could not find your children to draft or your bank account to freeze. That state could not regulate your business or arrest you for peaceful but deviant practices. Acquiring data allowed the modern state to grow. The more data, the more powerful and effective its authority.

It is no coincidence that prison populations within America have risen by close to five times the level of 1980 when the war on drugs heated up. At this point, nearly 86% of federal prisoners are victimless criminals. The surveillance state has grown in pace. Appeals to compassion or common sense regarding prisoners have fallen on deaf ears because victimless crime laws serve their purpose: power and social control, which verge on being synonyms.

The term is no longer fashionable, perhaps because it highlights that people who commit no harm are being punished. The preferred term is now crimes against society. The shift in language casts society in the role of an individual who can be robbed, raped or assaulted and so must be protected by the state. This is why criminal proceedings list the state as the plaintiff even when the real victim is known. The victimization of society occurs whenever an individual peacefully transfers his own money in an unapproved manner because 1) who knows where that money came from or goes, and 2) it is not taxed or otherwise skimmed by the state and banks.

In reality, of course, victimless crimes are not committed against society but against the state. They are a modern version of crimes against the crown that is, a form of treason. The faux crimes are used to justify an ever-expanding surveillance system which forms the core of totalitarianism. They are so essential to state power that actual crimes, such as assault or theft, are often punished lightly compared to the crimes of disloyalty to the state.

Then, into the scene, bitcoin blunders like the proverbial bull in a china shop. Or so it must seem to central planners. To paraphrase John Lennon, bitcoin is what happens when the state is making other plans. The states response is a campaign of slander; bitcoin is child porn, money laundering, human traffickingfill a despicable word into the blank. What is the best response?

Stop apologizing. There are people who use bitcoin to buy immoral goods (whatever that means) just as there are people who use cash to do so. As long as the participants are consenting adults, thats their business. Not yours, not mine. The state is the one who interjects violence and harm when it points a gun at peaceful adults. Stop apologizing.

The attack on bitcoin will be framed in moral terms. It will be cast as a way to protect vulnerable and misguided individuals who use their own bodies in unacceptable ways. Or it will unfold as a campaign of resentment against those individuals who do not pay their so-called fair share toward maintaining the surveillance state.

A moral attack must be met with moral indignation, not an apology. For one thing, an apology is an admission of guilt. The banner of bitcoin should read: No victim. No crime. No apology. If an individual is victimized by fraud or violence connected to bitcoin, then law enforcement should do their job and solve an actual crime.

What do you think about Bitcoins role in victimless crimes? Let us know in the comments below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Bitcoin.com, and Pixabay.

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The post Bitcoin, Stop Apologizing for Victimless Crime appeared first on Bitcoin News.

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Bitcoin, Stop Apologizing for Victimless Crime - Nigeria Today

COACHELLA, Calif. - The Riverside County District Attorney's Office has released information about a large automotive insurance fraud scheme that reportedly led to a loss of more than a half million dollars.

Seven people were arrested for the alleged violations on Tuesday but arrest warrants have been issued for 40 defendants, according to DA Mike Hestrin's release.

The 36 criminal complaints include more than 200 felony counts for crimes committed at seven auto body shops across the Coachella Valley, authorities said. The scheme involved staging up to 40 false insurance claims from which payouts totaled $560,492 from 10 different insurance companies.

Along with the seven people arrested on Tuesday, authorities said about 20 more defendants are in the process of being contacted by law enforcement.

Arrested Tuesday: Isaac Espinoza Villa, DOB: 7-23-84; Luz Virgin, DOB: 12-13-74; Samuel Salvador Gomez, 11-21-74; Moises Saldana Paredes, DOB: 7-30-89; Mauricio Lopez-Castro, DOB: 9-15-87; Jose Manuel Luna, DOB: 5-23-66; and Erika Feliz, DOB: 12-28-80. Authorities released three of the booking photos Tuesday afternoon.

All of them live in the Coachella Valley.

Investigators from the Department of Insurance initially received information about this crime ring in 2014, as part of a previous investigation in which individuals were charged with running a similar scheme.

"Insurance fraud schemes like this one steal from our local communities in the form of higher premiums," Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said. "The insurance fraud perpetrated by these defendants is alleged to have caused a loss of more than $500,000; a cost that ultimately is passed on to consumers. We have to do everything that can be done to stop these criminals from defrauding the public."

The arrests were made by California Department of Insurance detectives and investigators with the Urban Auto Insurance Fraud Task Force, which includes a Riverside County DA's investigator.

"This was an elaborate conspiracy to rip off insurers to the tune of near a half a million dollars," state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said. "Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime. The cost of fraud is shouldered by consumers who pay higher premiums when insurers pass along their losses. The task force is a critical tool in combating the multi-billion-dollar problem of insurance fraud."

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Mark Zubiate of the DA's Insurance Fraud Team. KESQ News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2 will keep you updated as investigators continue to move forward with the case.

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7 arrested for auto insurance fraud scheme - KESQ - KESQ

BURLINGTON - The Burlington Police Department recently met with managers and employees from all six hotels in town to discuss issues in the hospitality industry that affect law enforcement, especially the problems of prostitution and human trafficking.

Over the course of the past two years, Burlington detectives have been engaged with the leadership teams in Burlingtons hotel industry, and have set goals to promote healthy business while eliminating sex crime and quality of life concerns in the community.

Prostitution is not a victimless crime, Police Chief Michael Kent said. More often than not, listings that have historically appeared on websites like Craigslist and Backpage are advertising victims of human trafficking. I applaud our hotel industry in Burlington for working with the police department to address these issues.

At a recent meeting at Grandview Farm, detectives shared a presentation with employees that they previously made at a large conference in Boston for the Human Trafficking Cities Empowered Against Sexual Exploitation (CEASE) coalition.

The following issues were discussed:

Hotel managers advised detectives that human trafficking awareness has become part of their training programs.

Managers were advised to call the police department if they suspect that there is prostitution or possible human trafficking taking place in their hotels.

Hotels were urged to partner with the police department and allow for reverse stings to take place. By reducing the demand, you reduce the supply.

This is important due to the number of robberies, assaults, and even homicides that are taking place in hotels that involve some form of prostitution prostitutes are getting assaulted and robbed and potential Johns are getting assaulted and robbed. In July 2015, a woman was murdered after meeting a man in a hotel in Burlington after she posted an ad on an online classifieds website.

Why this Matters in Burlington

Burlington, with a population of 25,000, is also home to a large and diverse commercial base, with tens of thousands of commuters coming to work here each day. It is also at or near the intersections of three major highways north of Boston and has a large hospitality industry as a result.

The growth of Burlingtons hotel industry -- six hotels online and two currently under construction -- has spurred economic opportunities for the town and its business base, but with this growth has come an increase in crime.

Recently, there have been several assaults and robberies, two confirmed cases of human trafficking and the discovery of a drug lab in a Burlington hotels.

The strong partnership between Burlington Police and the hotel industry has led to two major sex trafficking cases since 2015 and several sting operations targeting customers of prostitutes, resulting in dozens of arrests. Prior to 2015, Burlington Police had never had a human trafficking report.

Homicides have also gone up. Since 2012 there have been three murders (2012, 2014, 2015) and three attempted murders (2013, 2015, 2016), one of which was at a hotel. As a result, hotel leadership has become a vital partner for law enforcement, as they can take a number of preventative measures to help prevent quality of life crime and violent crime from occurring in the first place.

It is important to form partnerships with all of the hotels in Burlington so that investigations and operations aimed at reducing and preventing prostitution and human trafficking will take place in the future, said Burlington Police Detective Lieutenant Steven OMeara, who led the presentation.

Detective Anne Marie Browne, and Detective Jim Tigges also took part in the presentations at Grandview Farm and CEASE (Coalition Engaged in a Smoke-free Effort).

A Regional Issue

The CEASE coalition consists of 11 metropolitan areas across the country that are committed to reducing human trafficking and sex crimes. Burlington is part of the Boston region, and Burlington Police Department detectives have special training in human trafficking and sex crime.

During the meeting with the hotel industry, an inspector from the Division of Professional Licensure was also on hand to demonstrate how individuals routinely access popular online websites where hotel prostitution is advertised. According to the Coalition on Human Trafficking, 70-80 percent of all human sex trafficking happens in hotels.

Ongoing Work

Going forward, the Burlington Police Department will continue planning future operations while working with the local hotels in order to combat human trafficking and sex crime. Burlington Police plan to make these types of meetings a recurring event.

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Police aim to prevent prostitution, human trafficking - Woburn Daily Times

Rabobanks headquarters in Utrecht. Photo: Depositphotos.com

A human rights campaign group wants Rabobank executives to stand trial for being accessories to criminal activities carried out by drug cartels in Mexico, the Volkskrant reported on Thursday

The claim by lawyer Gran Sluiter, who is representing Mexican human rights organisation SMX Collective, states the bank has been involved in complicity to murder and other crimes against humanity and being part of a criminal organisation, the paper writes.

The case comes in the wake of a lengthy American investigation into money laundering at full Rabobank subsidiary Rabobank N.A. in the Mexican border city of Calexico.

Staff at the bank, which has since closed, allegedly held back documents and failed to report suspicious transactions. According to anonymous sources the American justice department now has sufficient proof to charge the bank.

Consequences

If the public prosecutors office agrees to press charges it will be the first time a bank will stand accused not only of money laundering but also for the consequences this has for the Mexican population.

Money laundering is a not a victimless crime. Drug cartels are extremely violent and money laundering is crucial to their operations. Thanks to the banks who let them get away with it they are able to invest millions in their criminal activities, the paper quotes Sluiter as saying.

Rabobank spokesman Hendrik-Jan Eijpe told the paper the bank is cooperating fully with the investigation but refused to confirm or deny if the bank knew of the presence of drug cartels in Calexico, a charge laid firmly at its door by Sluiter who said the bank chose to look the other way.

Impunity

The paper cites the case of British bank HSBC which admitted having laundered 820m for Columbian and Mexican drug cartels. The bank settled out of court and paid a $2bn fine.

According to former head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNOCD) Antonio Maria Costa banks are a law unto themselves. No banker has ever ended up in jail for money laundering. As long as governments protect them they will continue to launder money with impunity, the Volkskrant quotes him as saying.

Sluiter hopes his case will change what has been a trend of banks escaping prosecution and getting away with paying fines.

Chances are that the American investigation will end in a settlement. And the American court is not considering the damage done to the Mexican population. We want the Dutch public prosecutor to fill that gap. This case could be a precedent and help stop these criminal practices, Sluiter said.

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Campaigners say Rabobank should face trial for 'crimes against ... - DutchNews.nl

A Bowling Green woman who died in December after being found unresponsive in a hotel room is one of the countys latest methamphetamine casualties.

A toxicology report recently received by the Warren County Coroners Office shows the 38-year-old died from acute intoxication by the effects of methamphetamine, hydrocodone and gabapentin, Warren County Deputy Coroner Dwayne Lawrence said.

Were seeing a lot more of those things, Lawrence said of methamphetamine-related drug overdose deaths.

While Louisville, Lexington and northern Kentucky are awash in heroin, methamphetamine has flooded the illicit drug market in Bowling Green.

Methamphetamine trafficking arrests increased by 54 percent within the city limits of Bowling Green in 2016 compared to 2015, Bowling Green Police Department spokesman Officer Ronnie Ward said.

When it comes to substance abuse, it depends on what county you are standing in as to what the biggest threat is, Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy Director Van Ingram said.

Statewide, the number of meth trafficking arrests is up 53 percent.

It doesnt surprise me, Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force Director Tommy Loving said. Thats due to the increase we have seen here in crystal meth coming into our region. It originates in Mexico and the Southwest border. It follows the traditional smuggling routes from west to east.

The percentage of task force methamphetamine seizures is up 825 percent in 2016 over 2014. In 2014, task force detectives seized563 grams of meth or about 2.3 cups. Last year detectives seized 5,213 grams or about 22 cups. A typical dose commonly referred to as a hit of meth is one-quarter to one-half of a gram.The number of drug task force undercover methamphetamine buys also spiked from39 in 2014 to 76 last year.

As recently as six years ago the majority of methamphetamine used and sold here was home cooked using ingredients readily available in any supermarket. Meth users have now shifted to crystal meth, which is made in drug cartel-controlled super labs in Mexico and the Southwest. Crystal meth has a higher purity level and packs a more potent high but comes with the risk of fatal overdose not typically found in homemade meth.

Prior to 2015 I had never heard of a death from a meth overdose, Loving said.

I think we already had a strong addict base here for methamphetamine, he said. The supply is following the demand. Its difficult to say if we have more users. Its apparent to me the crystal meth is replacing the locally produced meth. And if there is an upside to that, the dangers from meth labs are decreasing just because of the sheer drop in meth labs.

As home cooked meth decreases in use, the number of meth labs found also decreases. In 2015 there were 59 meth lab incidents in Warren County. Last year the number dropped to 15.

Meth labs are very dangerous to the community if they explode into a fireball in a hotel room or apartment that you are standing next to, Loving said. By reducing meth labs thats the only upside in reducing danger to the public and police officers. The down side with this more pure meth is in all likelihood more people will have the potential to become addicted to it. There are all sorts of long-term health problems that if you dont overdose and die its going to kill you.

Probably 90 percent of your crime is driven by addicts stealing to obtain money to buy more drugs. So whatever your drug problem is in your community, you can pretty well assume that thats driving 90 percent of the crime in your community along with neglected children at best and certainly child abuse at worse, he said. Because when people are addicted to this drug and other drugs many times their children will be their last priority, and to those that would say drug crimes are victimless crimes, maybe they should go with us sometimes and see the children.

Follow Assistant City Editor Deborah Highland on Twitter @BGDNCrimebeat or visit bgdailynews.com.

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Meth arrests, seizures surge in Bowling Green | News | bgdailynews ... - Bowling Green Daily News