FBI’s Top Ten News Stories for the Week

Portland: Man Convicted in Plot to Bomb Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Mohamed Osman Mohamud was found guilty of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction in connection with a plot to detonate a vehicle bomb at the annual ceremony. Full Story
Louisville: Former Iraqi Terrorists Sentenced for Terrorist Activities

Mohanad Shareef Hammadi received life in prison and Waad Ramadan Alwan received 40 years in prison for using improvised explosive devices against U.S. soldiers in Iraq and for attempting to send weapons and money to al Qaeda in Iraq for the purpose of killing U.S. soldiers. Full Story
New Orleans: BP Exploration and Production Inc. Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to Pay $4 Billion for Crimes Surrounding Deepwater Horizon Incident

The company admitted to illegal conduct leading to and after the 2010 disaster and was sentenced to pay the largest criminal resolution in U.S. history. Full Story
Los Angeles: Man Arrested in Sextortion Case Involving More Than 350 Women

Karen "Gary" Kazaryan is accused of hacking into hundreds of Facebook, Skype, and e-mail accounts to extort women into showing him their naked bodies. Full Story
Philadelphia: Nine Elected Judges and Three Others Indicted for Traffic Court Fraud Conspiracy

The defendants allegedly participated in a widespread culture of giving breaks on traffic citations to friends, family, the politically connected, and business associates. Full Story
El Paso: Thirteen Former Prison Employees Indicted for Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Smuggling Contraband into Federal Detention Facility

Twelve former Ector County Correctional Center guards and a food service worker are alleged to have smuggled in cell phones, chargers, tobacco, and marijuana in exchange for cash. Full Story
Los Angeles: Inland Empire Child Exploitation and Prostitution Task Force Conducts Two-Night Operation

The operation resulted in the recovery of two minor girls and multiple arrests on charges of prostitution, pimping, pandering, and trafficking violations. Full Story
Omaha: Peregrine Financial Group CEO Sentenced for Fraud, Embezzlement, and Lying to Regulators

Russell R. Wasendorf Sr. received 50 years in prison for stealing more than $215 million in customer funds from his commodity futures business. Full Story
Miami: Woman Sentenced in $205 Million Community Mental Health Fraud Scheme

Nichole Eckert, a former therapist at American Therapeutic Corporation, received 48 months in prison for participating in a scheme to defraud Medicare. Full Story
Honolulu: Former Waianae Couple Sentenced to Prison for Operating Gambling Business and Structuring More Than $100,000

Lloyd Robert Marshall and Nitta Mitsuko Marshall were sentenced to 36 months and 18 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in an illegal gambling operation involving cockfighting, dice tables, and card games. Full Story