Police/Fire

Watertown Man Sentenced to Prison for African Sports Ponzi Scheme

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The following announcement was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts:

A Watertown man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for defrauding investors who believed they were financing lucrative sports ventures in Africa. Adrian Kawuba, 34 was sentenced by United States Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Kawuba was also ordered to pay restitution of more than $625,000, forfeiture of more than $2.2 million and to pay a special assessment of $400. In December 2023, Kawuba pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud. 

Kawuba told his victims that he would invest their money in short-term financing of youth sports ventures in Africa and elsewhere and that he would personally guarantee their investments. In fact, Kawuba did not invest any of the victims’ funds.

Police/Fire

Watertown Man Pleads Guilty to African Sports Ponzi Scheme

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The following information was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts:

A Watertown man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to defrauding investors who believed they were financing lucrative short-term sports ventures in Africa. Adrian Kawuba, 33, pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud. United States District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2024. Kawuba was arrested and charged in November 2022. Kawuba told his victims that he would invest their money in short-term financing of sports ventures in Africa and elsewhere overseas and that he would personally guarantee their investments.

Police/Fire

US Attorney Announces Arrest of 28 in Connection to Prostitution Ring that Used Apartments in Watertown

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Twenty-eight people have been charged for their involvement with the prostitution ring that used, among several locations, three apartments in Watertown, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. The charges were filed in the Cambridge District Court, but no names have been released by the U.S. Attorney’s office. Along with the three apartments located at Arsenal Yards, the ring also used locations in other parts of Massachusetts, as well as Virginia and California. Levy released the following statement:

“Our office made it clear when we announced charges of a commercial sex ring case on Nov. 8, 2023, that the investigation was ongoing and that there would be accountability for the buyers who fuel the commercial sex industry.

Police/Fire

U.S. Attorney Warns Against Scams, Other Crimes Related to Coronavirus

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U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling warned that District of Massachusetts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will of Justice will aggressively pursue anyone committing scams and other crimes related to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Lelling sent out the following statement:

“As our communities take extraordinary measures to confront the coronavirus outbreak, some may view this as an opportunity to prey on the public’s fears and anxieties. The Department of Justice is now focused on cybercrime, sale of counterfeit goods, treatment scams and other healthcare and investment scams arising from the pandemic. My office will aggressively prosecute anyone engaged in this kind of activity,” said U.S. Attorney Lelling. “With the outbreak of COVID-19, scammers have found a platform that preys on people’s fears and could make them more likely to be victimized,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We want you to avoid falling prey to these scams and help us stop them by reporting it at ic3.gov.”

Massachusetts residents who believe they are victims of fraud or other criminal activity related to the pandemic should contact the United States Attorney’s Office at USAMA.victimassistance@usdoj.gov or call 1-888-221-6023 and leave a message. Members of the public can also contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by visiting www.IC3.gov. If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911.

Police/Fire

Watertown Man Pleads Guilty to Running Interstate Prostitution Ring

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A Watertown man and Georgia woman have agreed to plead guilty in connection with their roles in a long-running interstate prostitution ring. 

The following information was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts:

Jineok Kim, 38, of Watertown, and Susan Bashir, a/k/a “Susan Redmon,” a/k/a “Susan Redmond,” 41, of Stone Mountain, Ga., agreed to plead guilty today to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce individuals to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution and one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. On March 15, Kim and Bashir were charged and arrested along with Yoon I. Kim, 36, of Haymarket, Va.; Taehee Kim, a/k/a “Hyunsook Kim,” 46, of Haymarket, Va.; and Kyung Song, 52, of Lexington, Mass. According to the charging documents filed today, Kim participated in an interstate prostitution network from spring 2016 to December 2017, and Bashir worked for the prostitution network from at least 2013 until March 2018. The prostitution network had multiple brothels in high-end apartments in Cambridge, Mass.; Atlanta, Ga.; and eastern Virginia. They advertised appointments with Asian women primarily on three websites: www.bostonasiandolls.com, www.exoticasiansatlanta.com, and www.redhotflowers69.com.