US Bank Branch Manager Admits Stealing $5,00,000 From Elderly Customers

Agencies
October 1, 2019

Oct 1: An Alexandria, Virginia, bank branch manager pleaded guilty Monday to stealing more than $500,000 from older customers after gaining their trust to personally handle their transactions.

Fetehi Mohammed, a manager since 2015 at a Wells Fargo Bank branch, reviewed which customers had enough money that his unauthorized withdrawals would not attract notice, got the customers to sign blank withdrawal slips, and told bank tellers that he was obtaining cashiers checks for the account holders, he acknowledged in filings in federal court in Washington.

He used the customers' personal identification information, such as driver license numbers, kept in bank records, according to the filings.

Mohammed had worked for nearly 10 years at the branch, starting as a teller and personal banker. He was charged Aug. 30 in Washington with starting his scheme in about February 2017.

Mohammed "used his position as a branch manager at Wells Fargo to ingratiate himself with elderly bank customers by providing them with personal assistance in their banking matters," he admitted in plea papers.

Mohammed had cashier's checks made payable to Navy Federal Credit Union, where he and his wife had opened a personal account in 2014, he said. Court filings stated that the checking and savings accounts were exclusively used by Mohammed.

Plea papers did not detail what the money was used for, but they said Mohammed spent or used virtually all of it.

Before the scheme began, according to court filings, Mohammed had $193.96 in the credit union account. Thereafter, almost all its savings deposits were fraudulently obtained, he said. Yet at the end of nearly two years in the half-million-dollar fraud, he was left with $3,233.37 in March , according to plea papers.

Mohammed acknowledged that in November 2018, he withdrew funds from ATMs or bought goods and services exceeding $5,000, including an $886 Amtrak ticket. That same month, Mohammed also deposited $100,000 into his Navy Federal account and used $32,450.51 to pay for American Express charges, plea papers said.

He faces up to 10 years in prison after admitting to one count of felony bank fraud and one count of engaging in monetary transactions, according to plea papers.

In a plea deal, Mohammed and U.S. prosecutors in the District of Columbia agreed that after accepting responsibility, he faces a recommended sentence of 41 to 51 months and a fine of up to $150,000 under federal guidelines, and will pay $509,849.95 in restitution.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle of Washington set sentencing for Jan. 8.

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News Network
March 5,2020

New Delhi, Mar 5: The primary classes of all schools in the national capital will remain closed till March 31 to prevent a possibility of spread of coronavirus, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Thursday.

According to Directorate of Education (DoE) officials, while elaborate guidelines have been issued about preventive measures for coronavirus, students of nursery and primary classes are too young to understand the risk, making them more prone to infectious diseases.

Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, tweeted, "As a precautionary measure to prevent the possibility of spread of COVID-19 amongst our children, Delhi Government has directed the immediate closure of all primary schools (Govt/ aided/ private/MCD/NDMC) till 31/3/20(sic)."

A senior DoE official said, "Elaborate guidelines have already been issued. However, students of nursery and primary classes are too young to understand the risks associated with COVID-19. Thus they are more prone to infectious diseases and mingle around with classmates more often."

"It will be good if they are trained in the do's and dont's under the care and supervision of their parents at home. However, students of classes other than primary will continue to come to schools or examination centres for writing their examination as per schedule. The teaching, as well as non-teaching staff, will also attend regular school," the official said.

As of now, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 30, including 16 Italian tourists. The figure includes the first three cases reported from Kerala last month who have already been discharged following recovery.

Alerted by the coronavirus case reported in Delhi-NCR, schools in the region have sent out advisories to parents suggesting that they do not send their wards to attend classes even in case of mild cough or cold, and saying that they may declare holidays if the need arises. A few schools have announced already holidays and others have advanced their spring break.

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News Network
January 8,2020

Meerut, Jan 8: Hangman Pawan Jallad, who officials say is being considered to carry out the execution of the four Nirbhaya gangrape case convicts, on Tuesday said he is ready for the job which will send out a strong message in the society.

He said executing those who were involved in the horrific crime will bring "great relief" to him, Nirbhaya's parents and everybody else.

Earlier in the day, a Delhi court issued death warrants against all the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case and ordered that they are hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar jail.

The death warrant, also known as a black warrant, addressed to the office of the Tihar jail chief, was issued by Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora against Mukesh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31).

"I do not have any information regarding the execution, nobody has spoken to me yet. If anyone approaches me, I am ready to do the job. Earlier, I was asked to be ready for the execution on December 16," Pawan Jallad told reporters here.

"Those who were involved in this brutal incident must be hanged, which will send out a strong message in the society," he said.

"Hanging the Nirbhaya gangrape case convicts will certainly bring great relief to me, her parents and everybody else," he added.

Nirbhaya, a 23-year-old paramedic student, was gang-raped and brutalised on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012, inside a moving bus in south Delhi by the four men, along with two others, before being dumped on the road.

She died on December 29, 2012, at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

Of the six persons convicted, one allegedly committed suicide in jail and another, a juvenile, was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term.

When contacted, Jail Superintendent of Meerut prison V P Pandey said he has not yet received any letter from Tihar authorities.

"Last month, we had received a letter asking us to keep Pawan Jallad ready but there is no fresh communication. The Delhi court warrants were issued this evening, maybe we will get the letter for sending him by tomorrow (Wednesday)," he said.

The gangrape of 23-year-old, who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya', the fearless one, sparked outrage across the country. Repulsed, people took to the streets across the country, demanding justice for her and better safety measures for women.

The case led to toughening of India's rape laws.

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News Network
February 29,2020

New Delhi, Feb 29: Amid the raging communal violence in the entire north-east Delhi earlier this week, there were people who were trying to save persons and families from the "other community" from the fury of the mobs of their own community.

Naeem Ali Pradhan, 34, from Shiv Vihar, helped at least 7-8 Hindus on the night of February 24 -- when the violence was at its peak-- escape to safer locations. Shiv Vihar is one of the worst affected areas in the violence.

According to Naeem Ali, that night mobs attacked dozens of shops on the road and later tried to enter inside the residential areas.

Suddenly, he spotted a group of youth who were looking hassled and frantically asking for directions.

"I saw them. Thye were Hindus who were trying to escape a mob looking to target them. They had lost their way inside the streets of our colony. I along with other Muslim men escorted them to the nearby Hindu locality," Naeem, who is also a member of the Aman Committee constituted by the Delhi police, told ANI.

"Several shops which were on the roads including some showrooms were attacked by a group. These Hindus were worried as a mob which was on the main road was attacking people. They asked me the address of a colony as they were unable to find their way," Naeem said.

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