Conspiracy

Latvian Broker Arrested for Violating US Export Laws in Connection to Russian Aerospace Equipment Sales: Justice Department Indicts Third Individual in Johnson County Conspiracy

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JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. – A Latvian broker has been arrested for violating U.S. export laws in connection with a Johnson County company. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a citizen of the Republic of Latvia is charged with crimes related to a year-long conspiracy to sell avionics equipment to Russian companies, in violation of U.S. export laws. This arrest is the result of a grand jury’s superseding indictment, which also implicates a Johnson County company and two U.S. nationals. The superseding indictment states that Oleg Chistyakov, also known as Olegs Čitsjakovs, conspired with U.S. … Read more

Former Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney and Businessman on Trial for Conspiracy and Bribery Charges

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HONOLULU, Hawaii – More than 70 potential jurors gathered in a federal courtroom on Tuesday for the trial of former Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro, businessman Dennis Mitsunaga, and others. The defendants are facing charges of conspiring to bribe Kaneshiro with campaign contributions in exchange for prosecuting a former Mitsunaga employee. Senior U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess presided over the proceedings, having taken over the case after Judge J. Michael Seabright recused himself. Burgess addressed the jurors and emphasized the importance of impartiality and fair judgment in assessing the evidence to be presented by … Read more

Four Universities, Including Dartmouth, Reach $166 Million Settlement in Class-Action Lawsuit Alleging Financial Aid Conspiracy

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Hanover, New Hampshire – Dartmouth College has reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit that accused the school, along with 16 other universities, of colluding to reduce financial aid for students from working- and middle-class families. According to a memorandum filed on February 23, Dartmouth has agreed to pay $33.75 million as part of the settlement. This comes after three other co-defendants, Rice University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University, also agreed to settlements, bringing the total to $166 million. The lawsuit, filed in 2022, alleged that these universities, all of which claimed to practice need-blind … Read more

Attorney in Pay-to-Play Conspiracy Case Faces Murder-for-Hire Allegations in Honolulu Trial

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HONOLULU, Hawaii – Sheri Tanaka, an attorney charged in a pay-to-play conspiracy case involving former Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro, has appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathaniel M. Cousins. The U.S. Probation and Parole Office requested a review of Tanaka’s release, as a result of information provided by an informant alleging that Tanaka paid someone to kill U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Wheat. Despite these allegations, Tanaka has not been arrested or charged in connection with the murder-for-hire claim. She remains free as she awaits her trial in the conspiracy … Read more