Whatever the motivation of a resident of Idaho who tried to cook chicken in a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, he must have already regretted his decision many times. On September 10, two years after the crime, the man pleaded guilty to several charges, including a violation of the rules of conduct in the area of the sources, according to East Idaho News. The defendant and 2 other suspects…

On Wednesday, November 4, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize the possession of hard drugs like heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine — by a vote of 59% to 41%. According to the authorities, the Drug Addicts Treatment and Rehabilitation Act will abandon «punitive» policies towards addicted citizens in favor of a «humane and cost-effective health strategy.» “Health services are more likely to help addicted people heal than criminal punishment. —…

On Monday, a judge issued a preliminary decree barring California Governor Gavin Newsom from issuing coronavirus-related directives that may conflict with state law. Sutter County Supreme Court Justice Sarah Heckman ruled that one of Newsom's executive orders went beyond his mandate and was «an unconstitutional exercise of the legislature.» More broadly, it barred him «from exercising any authority under the California Emergency Services Act that amends or modifies existing statutory…

The Inspector General of Small Business Administration (SBA), according to the report, confirmed that the department could have distributed billions of dollars to fraudulent firms claiming financial distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The report alleges that the SBA relaxed its vigilance to expedite the loan approval process and did not screen illegal applicants. “To speed up the process, the management“ lowered restrictions ”and relaxed internal controls, which significantly increased…

The former police lieutenant-turned-lawyer admitted that he defrauded his fellow officer by embezzling $ 900,000 in compensation for working on the smoldering remains of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks. Gustavo Vila, 62, pleaded guilty to defrauding the US government on Thursday in federal court in White Plains. Vila represented retired colleague John Ferreira in a compensation suit from 2012 to 2019, despite his legal license revoked in…

An impostor nurse who lied about education and work experience was sentenced to 65 months in prison. Sonya Emery fraudulently received from employers more than $ 2.2 million and evaded taxes in the amount of more than $ 697 thousand. The defendant lived in four different states and used several pseudonyms, including «Sonya Lee Robinson». The woman told employers that she has several master's and doctoral degrees from Emory and…

A New Hampshire woman is accused of posing as a prosecutor and falsifying documents in an attempt to prove she was cleared of charges. An indictment, obtained by The New Hampshire Union Leader, alleges that 33-year-old Lisa Landon presented false documents to court officials in three cases last year, claiming that drug possession and stalking charges were dropped. Landon used the government's electronic filing system to create forgeries, according to…

U.S. Marshals in Ohio found 45 missing children in the largest trafficking rescue operation in state history. Operation Autumn Hope was coordinated by the Ohio Organized Crime Commission and Attorney General Dave Yost. Investigators focused on rescuing trafficking victims, missing children, and arresting sex offenders. According to prosecutors, 109 victims of human trafficking, including 45 minors, were saved during the operation. In total, more than 70 cases of missing and…

A Virginia woman who pretended to be a psychologist and «cured» more than 100 patients was sentenced to 11 years in prison. According to the Fredricksburg Free Lance-Star, 44-year-old Sharonda Avery practiced for three years at Pediatric Partners for Attention and Learning in Stafford, where she worked under the guidance of a licensed physician. Over the years, Avery has been making false diagnoses, prescribing prescriptions for her patients — in…

Social workers can now deny services to people with disabilities and LGBTQ + clients in Texas. The State Social Work Council voted unanimously to remove the nondiscrimination clause from the code of conduct. This means that social workers have the right to refuse clients because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. Will Francis, director of NASW Texas, describes the move as «disturbing, even if it was unintentional.» “They…