All articles tagged with #concealment
A University of Kentucky cheerleader, Laken Snelling, was arrested for allegedly hiding her dead infant in a closet, wrapped in a towel inside a trash bag, and is expected to face charges related to concealing the birth, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse. The cause of the infant's death is under investigation.
Former top FBI counterintelligence official Charles McGonigal was sentenced to 28 months in prison for concealing a $225,000 payment from an Albanian businessperson with ties to the Albanian government. He admitted to failing to disclose the loan, his travel abroad, and his contact with other Albanian officials. Prosecutors sought a 30-month sentence, emphasizing the abuse of public trust and pure greed. McGonigal had also been sentenced to 50 months in a separate case for conspiring to violate sanctions on Russia and launder money to a Russian oligarch.
A Kansas couple has been charged with fraudulently collecting over $215,000 in retirement benefits on behalf of a deceased relative, while concealing his body in their home for six years. Authorities discovered the body of Mike Carroll, who died in 2016, in 2022 after his son-in-law reported his death. Lynn Ritter and Kirk Ritter continued to deposit and spend from Carroll's bank account, leading family members to believe he was still alive. The couple is due to appear in federal court to face charges, and prosecutors have stated that pension and Social Security payments totaling $216,067 were received after Carroll's death.
Former FBI counterintelligence chief, Charles McGonigal, pleaded guilty for a second time to charges of concealing a $225,000 payment from an Albanian intelligence official while he was supervising counterintelligence at the FBI's New York field office. The Albanian official later became an FBI source in a criminal investigation that McGonigal supervised. McGonigal, who retired from the FBI in 2018, previously pleaded guilty to charges related to his ties to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and is awaiting sentencing in that case. He now faces up to five years in prison for the concealment charges.
North Korea's Worker-Peasant Red Guards paramilitary force showcased a fleet of rocket launchers disguised as civilian trucks during a parade in Pyongyang. The trucks, including box trucks and dump trucks, appeared to have 12 tubes each of 122mm artillery rockets concealed within their roofs. This display highlights North Korea's use of civilian vehicles for military purposes and their emphasis on camouflage and deception tactics. The tactic aims to confuse surveillance capabilities and increase the number of potential targets in the event of a conflict. The development of disguised launchers raises concerns about the potential adoption of similar technology for long-range weapons like nuclear-armed cruise missiles.
Brian Houston, the founder of Hillsong Church, has been found not guilty of concealing his father's child sex crimes by an Australian court. Houston, who resigned from his church roles after being charged, was accused of breaching the Hillsong Pastor's Code of Conduct. The court ruled that Houston had a reasonable excuse for not reporting the offenses to the police, as he believed the victim did not want the abuse reported. The victim expressed disappointment with the verdict, blaming the church for not reporting the abuse. Houston acknowledged his father's crimes and expressed sadness for the victims. Hillsong Church released a statement acknowledging the ruling and hoping for healing for the victims.
Brian Houston, founder of Hillsong Church, has been found not guilty of concealing the sexual abuse crimes committed by his father, Frank Houston. Australian prosecutors argued that Brian Houston tried to cover up his father's abuse of a child in the 1970s. However, the magistrate ruled that Houston had a "reasonable excuse" under the law not to report the abuse to authorities. Houston learned of the abuse in 1999 but did not involve the police because the victim, who was an adult by then, did not want them involved. Houston called the charges a "targeted attack" and expressed relief at being cleared, while the victim expressed disappointment in the court's decision.
Trumpetfish have been observed using other species of fish as camouflage to approach their prey undetected. Researchers from the University of Cambridge created 3D models of trumpetfish and parrotfish to study this behavior. When the model of the trumpetfish was attached to the side of the parrotfish model, the prey fish inspected the models for a shorter duration and fled only when the models were closer. This shadowing behavior allows trumpetfish to reduce detection by their prey and approach closer before provoking an avoidance response. The study provides insights into how animals achieve concealment and highlights the potential impact of coral reef degradation on animal behavior.
A Maine woman has been accused of hiding her husband in her home for nearly a decade to maintain her eligibility for supplemental security income payments and obtain housing subsidy benefits. Andreanna Politano must now pay back nearly $60,000 in restitution for government fraud.