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Man convicted of fraudulently seeking $13M in COVID-19 loans
Latest Law Firm Issues |
2022/02/28 10:43
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A Massachusetts businessman has been convicted of fraudulently seeking more than $13 million in federal coronavirus pandemic relief loans, federal prosecutors said.
Elijah Majak Buoi, 40, of Winchester, was convicted Thursday of four counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution following a three-day trial in Boston federal court, according to U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins’ office.
Prosecutors said Buoi submitted six loan applications through the Paycheck Protection Program but misrepresented the number of employees and payroll expenses for his startup company, Sosuda Tech. He also submitted fraudulent IRS tax forms to support his applications, they said.
The loan program was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act that allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive forgivable loans to cover payroll, mortgages, rent and utilities.
Buoi was able to obtain a $2 million loan before he was arrested in June 2020. Rollins’ office said the government has recovered nearly all of the money.
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Flake stokes presidential speculation as court debate rages
Latest Law Firm Issues |
2018/10/02 00:26
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The Republican senator who suddenly sits at the center of the explosive debate over President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick was set to address New Hampshire voters on Monday ahead of a possible run for president.
Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake was scheduled to speak in New Hampshire Monday evening, his second appearance this year in the state that hosts the nation's first presidential primary election.
Three days earlier, Flake single-handedly delayed Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation proceedings by insisting on an FBI investigation as a condition for his support.
Flake told CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday that he believed the woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault and said the conservative judge's nomination would be "over" if federal investigators determine he lied to the committee.
Flake, a 55-year-old lifelong conservative who is retiring from the Senate at the end of the year, has quickly emerged as the centerpiece of a passionate lobbying effort from the right and left.
Organizers said a separate Flake appearance in Boston earlier in the day was moved to City Hall after security concerns emerged about the original location.
Hundreds of liberal protesters, victims of sexual assault among them, pleaded with Flake to block Kavanaugh's nomination outside the venue. A similar demonstration was planned for New Hampshire.
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Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor out with 2 new books
Latest Law Firm Issues |
2018/09/01 23:57
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Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor got some unsolicited health advice the last time she wrote a book.
The justice was diagnosed with diabetes as a child and discussed it as part of her 2013 autobiography, "My Beloved World."
Sotomayor said Saturday in an interview with The Associated Press that prompted a diabetic grandmother to write her. She said she was using newer technology to manage her diabetes. She told Sotomayor: "If I can do it you can do it too."
Sotomayor said that pushed her to explore using the technology she does now, a continuous glucose monitor.
The justice was speaking ahead of the publication next week of two new books she's written: an autobiography for elementary school readers and an abridged version of her memoir for middle school readers. |
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Supreme Court examines Kentucky's medical review panels
Latest Law Firm Issues |
2018/08/08 23:39
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After Ezra Claycomb was born with severe brain damage and cerebral palsy, his mother considered filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. But in 2017, Kentucky's Republican-controlled legislature passed a law requiring all such lawsuits first be reviewed by a panel of doctors.
The law gave the panel nine months to issue an opinion on whether the lawsuit is frivolous — yet section 14 of Kentucky's Constitution says every person has access to the courts "without ... delay."
Claycomb's parents sued to block the new law, making Kentucky the latest state to have its medical review panels challenged in court.
A circuit judge agreed the law was unconstitutional. But Republican Gov. Matt Bevin appealed that decision to the state Supreme Court, which heard arguments Wednesday.
"This is a modern day version of the poll tax," said attorney J. Guthrie True, who represents Claycomb in a lawsuit he says has class action status to represent all patients. "This has one purpose, and that is to obstruct the courthouse door."
Matthew Kuhn, an attorney for the governor, said the state Constitution's ban on delaying access to the courts only applies to the court system itself. It does not apply to the legislature, which he says has the power to impose rules on the court system. He noted Kentucky has other laws that limit when people can file lawsuits. For example, heirs wanting to sue the executor of an estate must wait at least six months after the executor has been appointed before they can do so. Kuhn says that law has never been challenged.
Kuhn said the medical review process is helpful because it gets the two sides talking before a lawsuit is filed, which could jumpstart settlement discussions. It also makes sure both sides have all the evidence collected before they go to a judge.
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City attorney criticizes law used to arrest Stormy Daniels
Latest Law Firm Issues |
2018/07/20 23:59
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An Ohio city attorney has recommended that the state law police cited to arrest porn actress Stormy Daniels should not be enforced.
In a memo to the city's police chief, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein says Wednesday that future charges filed under that law will not be prosecuted. Klein has also dismissed charges brought against two other employees arrested with Daniels.
The law states dancers at "sexually oriented" businesses are prohibited from touching customers and vice versa.
Klein says the law is "glaringly inequitable" because its applicability depends on how regularly the employee performs. He also says employees who touch police are not in violation because on-duty public officials are not legally considered patrons.
Daniels' lawyer says he applauds Klein's decision. Messages seeking comment were left Wednesday for Columbus police. |
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