Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sean Combs isn't scheduled to leave his Brooklyn jail until his next court date in two months. </li><li>Meanwhile, teams of lawyers and prosecutors, plus a trio of judges, are working on the case.</li></ul>Sean "Diddy" Combs isn't due back in court on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-arrested-grand-jury-indictment-2024-9">his Manhattan sex-trafficking indictment</a> until December 18.Meanwhile, Combs' future is being charted behind the scenes by federal prosecutors, defense lawyers, and a trio of judges tasked over the coming days with drafting possible new charges, a gag order, and a bail decision.Here's what's expected next in the case, which alleges that since 2009, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-business-income-dried-up-ciroc-music-deleon-2024-10">millionaire rap entrepreneur</a> used force and threats to sexually abuse "women and others around him," including at drug-fueled <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-indictment-allegations-freak-off-sex-performances-2024-9">parties called "freak-offs."</a>An attorney for Combs declined to comment on the pending matters. The US Attorney's office in Manhattan did not respond to a request for comment.<div type="image" title="An evidence photo from the Sean Combs sex-trafficking case shows a magazine for an AR-15 loaded with large caliber .233 ammunition. Federal prosecutors allege it was found in Combs' Miami bedroom closet." height="302" width="334" msid="114292368" hostid="261" sizebytes="4698"></div><h2 id="ff8cdb75-43ba-49bb-89a1-227ee1fff66c">Possible new charges: weapons and drugs</h2>Combs maintains his innocence and pleaded not guilty to three federal charges: racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution (for allegedly causing female victims and commercial sex workers to cross state lines). The charges carry a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, and the top possible sentence is life.Twice denied bail on a defense offer of home confinement and a $50 million bond, Combs remains for now in a federal jail in Brooklyn, where he can strategize with his lawyers about <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-judge-gag-order-trial-date-2024-10">his scheduled May 5 criminal trial</a> and a growing number of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-new-allegations-lawsuits-2024-10">sexual abuse lawsuits</a>.Last week, at his third and most recent court appearance, prosecutor Emily Anne Johnson hinted that Combs could be summoned out of jail and back to court at any time before his next date — for a second arraignment."Our investigation is continuing," Johnson told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-new-judge-sex-trafficking-ticketmaster-2024-10">US District Judge Arun Subramanian</a>. "There is a possibility that there will be a superseding indictment."Johnson did not say if a grand jury is hearing new evidence, and she gave no specifics on the potential new charges. Federal prosecutors have signaled they are looking at weapons and drug charges.<div type="image" title="This evidence photo from the Sean Combs sex-trafficking case shows a drum magazine loaded with 59 rounds of large capacity .223 caliber ammunition. Federal prosecutors say it was seized from Combs' Los Angeles home." height="344" width="386" msid="114292369" hostid="261" sizebytes="9802"></div>Prosecutors alleged at a bail hearing last month that federal agents seized three AR-15 rifles with defaced serial numbers when search warrants were executed at Combs' homes and a Florida airport back in March. Two of the weapons were found broken down into parts in the bedroom closet of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/p-diddy-miami-mansion-on-star-island-paid-off-mortgage-2024-9#:~:text=Combs'%20legal%20team%20cited%20a,Island%20Drive%2C%20at%20%2448.5%20million.">Combs' $48.5 million Miami mansion,</a> they said. Two magazines with a total of 29 rounds of high-caliber ammo were also in the closet, they allege.When <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-lawyer-nyc-sex-trafficking-charges-2024-7">defense attorney Marc Agnifilo</a> suggested during bail arguments that the weapons belonged to Combs' security, Johnson, the prosecutor, had this to say:"I don't dispute that Mr. Combs has used armed security," she said. "But it is incredulous that armed security in a professional security company would use defaced AR-15s and store them in pieces in the defendant's personal closet.""That," she added, "is absurd."During the same September 17 bail hearing, Johnson also told the judge that when Combs was arrested at his Manhattan hotel on the previous night — "at a time when he should be on his very, very best behavior" because he knew he was under investigation — agents recovered from his room "bags of pink powder that are visually similar to bags of pink powder that we have seized before from the defendant that have tested positive for ecstasy and other drugs."Combs' indictment alleges he gave ecstasy, ketamine, GHB, and other so-called party drugs to his victims "to keep them obedient and compliant."Agnifilo suggested the drugs were for Combs' personal use, telling the judge that his client had previously checked himself into rehab for drug treatment and, at the time of his arrest, was undergoing "therapy for things that, most respectfully, he needs treatment and therapy for."<div type="image" title="This evidence photo from the Sean Combs sex-trafficking case shows a defaced serial number on an AR-15 rifle. Federal prosecutors say this is one of three defaced weapons seized from Combs in March." height="316" width="476" msid="114292366" hostid="261" sizebytes="9012"></div><h2 id="bec9a333-2f01-4a2a-bcc4-8af66309c481">Possible new defendants: Combs' "associates"</h2>A new, or superseding, indictment, if one comes, could name new defendants, a possibility that prosecutors have also alluded to in court filings and bail arguments.The indictment's racketeering charge alleges the Bad Boy Records founder ran a conspiracy prosecutors call "The Combs Enterprise.""The defendant arranged Freak Offs with the assistance of members and associates of the Enterprise, including employees of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-business-income-dried-up-ciroc-music-deleon-2024-10">his business,</a>" prosecutors wrote in a September 17 bail memo.Over the years, these unnamed assistants used bribes, violence, and threats to keep victims and potential witnesses in line, including "resorting to kidnapping and arson when the defendant's power and control were threatened," the bail memo alleges.Prosecutors say these associates also purchased and distributed drugs, made sure the freak-offs were stocked with lubricants and extra linens, and then cleaned up afterward.Ample supplies were stocked away for future freak-offs, prosecutors allege."Over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and personal lubricant" were seized at one search warrant location, federal prosecutors said in one of the bail memo's most memorable details.<h2 id="a27d9dab-78a9-43e4-b5fe-23973061c2f0">A gag order</h2>Prosecutors and defense lawyers <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-judge-gag-order-trial-date-2024-10">have accused each other </a>of making or condoning potentially jury-tainting public statements. One of the few things they now agree on is that a gag order is a good idea.The judge last month ordered the sides to work together on the wording of such an order for his consideration.In a related matter, the defense has accused prosecutors of looking the other way as Department of Homeland Security agents involved in executing the Combs search warrants in March <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-accuses-doj-grand-jury-leaks-2024-10">leaked explicit and prejudicial details to the press.</a>Prosecutors have countered that they are not involved in any leaks and that Agnifilo has himself made prejudicial statements to the press, including by telling TMZ last month that the Combs prosecution is "the takedown of a successful Black man."The judge has ordered the sides to file briefs on the defense's demand for an evidentiary hearing on the leaks.Agnifilo wants the hearing so that allegedly "leaked" evidence can be excluded from trial. That would include hallway surveillance footage from the Intercontinental Hotel in LA revealed by CNN in May. The footage shows <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-apologizes-video-cassie-ventura-assault-2024-5">Combs punching and kicking his then-girlfriend, singer Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura,</a> after a freak-off in March 2016.<h2 id="6bc431cd-51df-4e23-b890-2330f1a7bc97">A bail decision</h2>On October 2, Combs filed a sealed motion with a federal appellate court in Manhattan seeking to overturn his two lower-court bail denials.Agnifilo argued that Combs and his family members preemptively gave him their passports and that Combs cooperated with prosecutors pending his arrest. He has also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-diddy-combs-attack-cassie-sex-trafficking-case-could-backfire-2024-9">challenged the credibility</a> of key witnesses and argued that the conduct charged in the indictment was consensual."There's 30 million reasons for this to be depicted as a one-sided thing — one for each dollar that he was being sued for," Agnifilo told a magistrate judge at Combs' first court appearance, referring to<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sean-combs-diddy-sex-trafficking-rape-abuse-lawsuit-cassie-venutura-2023-11#:~:text=The%20lawsuit%2C%20which%20was%20reviewed,to%20The%20New%20York%20Times."> a quickly-settled lawsuit</a> filed against him by Ventura in November.In fighting pretrial release, prosecutors have countered that Combs is a flight risk due to his wealth and his access to his private plane. They have also argued that he is a danger to the community due to his volatile temper and past violence, and that he has a history of contacting witnesses. They have yet to file a response to Combs' bail appeal.The appellate court has already denied Combs' request to remain free while a three-judge panel decides the appeal.

What's next in Diddy sex-trafficking case: possible gun and drug charges, a gag order, and a bail decision

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</li></ul>Happy Friday! New trailer alert! <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moviepass-moviecrash-trailer-hbo-2024-5">Check out a preview</a> of the upcoming HBO documentary "MoviePass, MovieCrash" which chronicles the rise and fall of movie-ticket subscription company MoviePass.In today's big story, we're looking at how Zyn nicotine pouches are becoming <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zyn-nicotine-weight-loss-ozempic-health-risk-masculinity-2024-5">the new weight-loss quick fix</a>.What's on deck:<ul><li>Markets: Jamie Dimon thinks we're all <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jamie-dimon-inflation-soft-landing-recession-outlook-china-interest-rates-2024-5">underestimating how bad inflation is</a>.</li><li>Tech: Disney just put Big Tech on notice: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-bob-iger-app-store-fees-apple-google-roku-netflix-2024-5">Give us better app store deals</a>.</li><li>Business: More money leads to more problems for these <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-feel-financially-insecure-wont-stop-luxury-shopping-millennials-genz-2024-5">high-income earners who can't quit their luxury spending</a>.</li></ul>But first, forget Ozempic, I'm on "O-zyn-pic."If this was forwarded to you, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today">sign up here.</a><h3 id="d880a79f-5931-46c8-bf2d-5b920313f014">The big story</h3><h2 id="5005c389-5cc7-487d-ae6f-a33084d9ce5d">Zyn to get slim</h2><div type="image" title="Feet on a scale that reads &quot;Zyn.&quot;" height="1500" width="2000" msid="110214889" hostid="261" sizebytes="180404"></div>Pack a lip, and watch the weight drip.A new weight-loss quick fix is making the rounds just in time for summer's unofficial start (Memorial Day), but this one relies on a highly addictive drug.Zyn nicotine patches — a favorite among <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-streets-underground-drug-abuse-culture-cocaine-adderall-zyn-mushrooms-2024-1">finance bros</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chuck-schumer-nicotine-zyn-republican-right-wing-2024-1">Republican lawmakers</a> — are developing a new fan base among <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zyn-nicotine-weight-loss-ozempic-health-risk-masculinity-2024-5">people looking to drop weight fast</a>, writes Business Insider's Hilary Brueck and Mia de Graaf.Users are touting how the small pouches you tuck inside your lip have suppressed their appetites. However, one doctor Hilary spoke to has concerns about the effects of using nicotine to lose weight.Weight-loss drugs can be tricky in the best of circumstances.GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic have been effective in helping people with metabolic conditions. But they haven't been tested on people who don't need them. And with widespread shortages limiting access, using them to shed a couple of pounds fast isn't realistic for most.Using nicotine to lose weight is a tried (but maybe not true) practice. In the 1920s, cigarette companies marketed themselves as a way to "keep a slender figure."Nicotine pouches like Zyn don't contain some of the harmful ingredients you'd find in cigarettes or vapes, which is why they're considered by some <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zyn-pouches-become-popular-some-workers-2024-3">to be a healthy alternative</a>. But research suggests they increase blood pressure and heart rate.They're also still incredibly addictive, which comes with its own issues. Some friends I spoke to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zyn-nicotine-pouches-office-culture-health-wall-street-republican-lawmakers-2024-3">found it harder it kick Zyns than tobacco products</a>.<div type="image" title="Paddleball and Pickleball" height="1000" width="2000" msid="110214891" hostid="261" sizebytes="163142"></div>Of course, you don't have to rely on a highly addictive drug to lose weight.Physical activity, for one, is usually a good bet. And with the weather getting nice, it might be time to try your hand at a racket sport that's growing in popularity.No, I'm not talking about pickleball.Padel might seem like pickleball's cousin with a trust fund, but there are plenty of differences. BI's Jordan Hart has a rundown on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/padel-isnt-just-rich-people-pickleball-heres-the-difference-2024-5#padel-is-a-blend-of-tennis-and-squash-1">everything you need to know about padel</a>.And yes, padel has definitely caught on with the elite. Since the sport requires a bit more infrastructure than pickleball, exclusive padel clubs have popped up, attracting financiers and former athletes.So not only will playing help you get in shape, you might land your next gig or investment.But if padel is a bit outside your budget, BI's Gabby Landsverk has done a ton of stories on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workout-tip-for-quickly-building-stronger-abs-from-pro-dancer-2024-5">simple workouts</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mediterranean-diet-snacks-to-cut-back-on-processed-foods-dietitian-2024-4">diets</a> that can help you reach your fitness and weight-loss goals.<h2 id="8feba71e-d0c7-4647-8abb-a507d4157f08">3 things in markets</h2><div type="image" title="jamie dimon" height="500" width="1000" msid="110214892" hostid="261" sizebytes="31174"></div><ol><li>Jamie Dimon isn't feeling optimistic about inflation. The JPMorgan CEO sees a slew of factors — green-energy transition, infrastructure buildout, geopolitical remilitarization — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jamie-dimon-inflation-soft-landing-recession-outlook-china-interest-rates-2024-5">keeping prices high</a>. Someone else appears to agree with him, and he's pretty important: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rates-staying-higher-for-longer-no-cuts-powell-inflation-2024-5">Fed Chair Jerome Powell</a>.</li><li>How to tap into your retirement savings without getting knocked for it. If you're thinking about early retirement — lucky you — Rule72(t) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-withdraw-retirement-funds-early-without-penalty-401k-ira-2024-5">allows for penalty-free IRA withdrawals</a>. Pulling cash from your IRA should probably be a last resort, a certified retirement counselor told BI, but strategies like amortization or purchasing an annuity could be a fallback plan.</li><li>Redditors are questioning Roaring Kitty's comeback. This week, the meme stock aficionado posted on X for the first time in nearly three years, sparking a GameStop rally that later fizzled out. But <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/gamestop-keith-gill-roaring-kitty-memes-stocks-gme-reddit-2024-5">inactivity on his other accounts has raised suspicion among some Redditors</a>.</li></ol><h2 id="9e32cf0b-8e87-457d-88e3-9235ecef4560">3 things in tech</h2><div type="image" title="apple logo stepped on" height="1500" width="2000" msid="110214893" hostid="261" sizebytes="109686"></div><ol><li>Disney wants better app store deals. Disney CEO Bob Iger said he's giving too much money to the Big Tech app stores that distribute Disney-owned streamers like Hulu and Disney+. In other words: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-bob-iger-app-store-fees-apple-google-roku-netflix-2024-5/">Apple and Google better watch out</a>.</li><li>Big Tech's spending on AI could surpass $1 trillion in the next five years. Despite cutting costs elsewhere, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-tech-ai-spend-capex-1-trillion-2024-5">tech companies will continue spending big money</a> on the GPUs and data centers needed to support their generative artificial intelligence ambitions, according to a Bernstein research note.</li><li>Microsoft is reportedly offering to relocate 800 workers based in China. The tech giant is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-china-staff-told-consider-relocating-us-tensions-chips-2024-5">offering transfers to workers involved in machine learning or cloud computing</a> to countries like the US, Ireland, and Australia, sources told The Wall Street Journal.</li></ol><h2 id="6f0a2e1a-ddef-461d-bb56-4342f509eb7f">3 things in business</h2><div type="image" title="An illustration of golden handcuffs around a JP Morgan office building." height="1500" width="2000" msid="110214894" hostid="261" sizebytes="324022"></div><ol><li>Escaping JPMorgan's "golden handcuffs." After years working high-paying jobs at Citi and JPMorgan, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-6-figure-jp-morgan-golden-handcuffs-job-money-2024-5">this writer quit the banking industry</a>. She said she enjoyed the prestige of banking, but the job felt like "golden handcuffs" — and she regained her sense of purpose after leaving.</li><li>New acronym just dropped: Meet the HIFIs. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-feel-financially-insecure-wont-stop-luxury-shopping-millennials-genz-2024-5">High-income, financially insecure individuals</a> want to exude wealth but are struggling to keep up with their lifestyle creep. They're predominantly made up of millennials and Gen Zers.</li><li>Career advice (Google's version). A director of engineering for the tech giant, writing for BI, shared <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5-things-to-avoid-for-successful-career-google-executive-2024-5">five things to avoid doing for a successful career</a>. Those aiming for success should avoid pushing for premature promotions and job-hopping, he said.</li></ol><h2 id="4597ac56-7d30-458b-8093-c2a79d4ad21f">In other news</h2><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/a/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=cc53405847e847e18f4a2baf7c451949&amp;_e=2Ha5Kd9c-B3zX1SSnNmGHLnjsBoutDPPoebAYLIrxc8c9A7SL_NzdAnnLU3Lz6ZlrBSIp47RtdlADwx97hgndd7LeR0VpjLOBebDBjttdJ1s4XIcylREObv7KhoU_c9u48dxZdhrQbRKaV2CW5EzAFbLx1FhebPMAJatufg6hDWTHQXdHNV-y2uDmdW_1tYvaquWJVuhN_OeLinm9D1YX1PwnV4ypkR3sfHL92mjay__9jsrM_bws8xFgjtlcRfCWZk0NTe-tmVKyq8f34d2GxlX4TcCR_0qeBVrjx44PDWLu2sBbmjfih9vlZShnpqCVdbt2IZUA4bxadWWImsjFR-Yc5DXQH08UIKzog7tNueqfues-JQHN4flmYKOSfRFICvAvB4-4-qjdLz9YCrdJqN0C1ZhHU8ZieA0MdimLg3e-eV-vflU4YpP6acP9Vy95qnCzvQ37T0V7nUXeVrwawwMwHLMULFU7hYT8Zktd_Q%3D">China just unveiled the strongest remedies yet for its troubled housing market</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-graza-olive-oil-influencer-marketing-strategy-2024-5">How viral olive-oil brand Graza tapped influencers for its largest product launch after slashing its marketing budget</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-little-black-book-contacts-auction-2024-5">Jeffrey Epstein's 'little black book' is now for sale</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-eats-partners-costco-suburbs-expansion-deliveries-2024-5">Uber wants to conquer the suburbs and it's starting with Costco</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trumps-allies-tiptoe-around-gag-order-experts-analysis-2024-5">Donald Trump's allies are doing his dirty work while tiptoeing around his gag order</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-imessage-down-almost-an-hour-facetime-2024-5">They were gonna text back. It's just that iMessage went down for almost an hour</a>.</li></ul>The Insider Today team: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/dan-defrancesco">Dan DeFrancesco</a>, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/jordan-parker-erb">Jordan Parker Erb</a>, editor, in New York. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/hallam-bullock">Hallam Bullock</a>, senior editor, in London. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/george-glover">George Glover</a>, reporter, in London.

The newest weight-loss hack has people turning to a highly addictive drug 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US Department of Justice said 40 people were recently charged in the largest federal <keyword id="1776831" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Racketeering">racketeering</keyword> <keyword id="42979" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="conspiracy">conspiracy</keyword> in <keyword id="52532" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="south-carolina">South Carolina</keyword> history.</li><li>The charges included inmates accused of orchestrating drug and firearms distribution from prison as well as the murder and kidnapping of those accused of tipping off law enforcement.</li><li>The case originally began in 2017 and has involved more than 10 law-enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.</li></ul>Forty people were charged with orchestrating murder, kidnapping, <keyword id="14721" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Drugs">drugs</keyword>, and firearms distribution in the largest federal racketeering conspiracy in South Carolina history, according to a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/40-charged-largest-federal-racketeering-conspiracy-south-carolina-history">press release</a> from the US Department of Justice on Thursday.The <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1344281/download">indictment from a federal grand jury</a> charged the 40 defendants with conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also known as RICO, as well as multiple charges under the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering statute.Of the 40 charged in the federal indictment, four were already serving sentences in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.The <keyword id="99225" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Justice-Department">Justice Department</keyword> said the scheme was operated by members of the Insane Gangster Disciples, a branch of the Folk Nation alliance of street gangs. According to the indictment, the IGD operates both "inside and outside of prisons and jails in South Carolina and elsewhere."The indictment alleges that IGD members ran a drug empire from prison using contraband cellphones. Gang members outside are accused of murdering and kidnapping those who were believed to be covertly tipping off law enforcement or stealing from the organization.The case began in 2017 and was a joint investigation with more than 10 law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. During the investigation, federal agents seized 88 pounds of methamphetamine, 130 firearms, and mixed amounts of heroin and fentanyl.All 40 defendants haven't entered pleas yet, but of those who have, some have pleaded not guilty, while at least one has plead guilty.According to <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2019/11/01/as-meth-use-surges-one-region-tries-to-combat-the-pull">Pew Charitable Trusts</a>, methamphetamine overdoses across the US have risen at much higher rates than in the first decade of the opioid crisis. Pew data shows a fourfold increase in methamphetamine overdoses between 2012 and 2017 - about half the time it took for opioid overdoses to increase by the same amount.Additional data from the <a href="http://justplainkillers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Opioid-Mortality-Data-2019-Executive-Summary.pdf">South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control</a> shows that opioid overdoses in South Carolina most recently increased by 7% between 2018 to 2019.While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to plague the US, federal officials have promised to continue to clamp down on organized crime."Neither pandemic nor prison walls will provide refuge from the full force of the federal government," US Attorney Peter M. McCoy Jr. of the District of South Carolina said in the press release. "Be it in jail or on the outside, organized crime organizations in South Carolina will be sought out as aggressively as the law allows."

40 people were charged with orchestrating murder, kidnapping, trafficking drugs, and selling guns in the largest federal racketeering conspiracy in South Carolina history

The night the Lord of the Skies got away

New Delhi, Feb 19 () Widening its probe into the busting and arrest of the country's first darknet-based narcotics operator, the NCB on Wednesday said it has nabbed three more persons and seized over 135 kg of psychotropic drugs and tablets worth Rs 4 crore. The agency said it has arrested Nagpur-based Sachin Makade (33), who holds a diploma in pharmacy; Tejas Patel (28); and Barun Chauhan (33), an MBA, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after raids were conducted in this 'Orange City' of Maharashtra on February 11. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the federal anti-drugs agency, had on February 2 arrested India's first 'darknet' narcotics operative from Lucknow, Dipu Singh, who allegedly shipped hundreds of psychotropic drug parcels abroad in the garb of sex stimulation medicines. The fresh arrests were made after Singh's interrogation about his alleged illegal activities and contacts, NCB's Delhi zone director K P S Malhotra said. "These people arrested from Nagpur were involved in arranging the drugs shipments from Singapore to USA and UK," Malhotra said. About 135 kg of psychotropic drugs and another 1 lakh such tablets worth Rs 4 crore have been seized as part of the fresh action, he said. Darknet refers to the deep hidden internet platform that is used for narcotics sale, exchange of pornographic content and other illegal activities by using the secret alleys of The Onion Router (Tor) to stay away from the surveillance of law enforcement agencies.The NCB had earlier said that payment gateways of cryptocurrency like Bitcoins and Litecoin were used by these alleged darknet narcotics operators to conceal the transactions from regulatory agencies. The orders were procured from darknet and routed through various wicker identities, WhatsApp and some business-to-business platforms. NES SMN

Darknet drugs racket: NCB widens probe, arrests 3 more from Nagpur

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rapper Young Thug appeared in court on Thursday related to a racketeering charge against him.</li><li>On Wednesday, label mate Gunna entered a guilty plea and was freed from prison.</li></ul>Young Thug appeared in Fulton County, Georgia, court for a hearing on Thursday, days after two of his co-defendants took plea deals, scoring a legal win but not securing pre-trial freedom.The rapper — whose real name is Jeffrey Lamar Williams — appeared in court wearing a black suit, accompanied by two other defendants. Williams was <a href="https://www.insider.com/young-thug-rapper-arrested-criminal-gang-activity-charges-2022-5">arrested in May</a> on a racketeering conspiracy charge and has remained in pre-trial detention since then.Thursday's hearing started after hours of delay and with a naked Zoom bomber, who appeared on the court's internal video feed, flashing the courtroom with a sign that said "Free Young Thug," <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/young-thug-hearing-hours-of-delay-then-naked-zoom-bombing-during-rappers-appearance/654FKOS4DRFN3LAMCSPURWGXMI/">according to the Atlanta-Constitution Journal.</a>During a pre-trial hearing on Thursday, Williams' attorney managed to preclude Georgia investigators from being able to hold on to Williams' and other defendants' cell phones, which were seized during a search at Williams's home in 2015. Specifically, Williams' team was able to convince Judge Ural Glanville that evidence that prosecutors obtained from Williams' home during the 2015 raid — including cellphones — should not be admissible for trial because it was seized without a search warrant. "You didn't have the right to keep that," Glanville told prosecutors during the hearing. "You didn't have the right to keep that particular evidence."Williams' attorneys have also asked for lyrics from Williams and other artists on the label not to be used as evidence in court, arguing that it is "racist and discriminatory." Prosecutors say his record label, YSL, is also an Atlanta street gang called "Young Slime Life" which he helped to found and is affiliated with the national Bloods gang. Williams and 27 others were arrested and charged with various crimes, as prosecutors cracked down on what they described as two rival gangs in the city, YSL and YFN. While some defendants are accused of murder, prosecutors also charged Williams with illegal firearms possession, drug charges, and street racing. Williams' attorney, Brian Steel, told Insider in May that his client was innocent. "Mr. Williams has committed no violation of law, whatsoever. We will fight this case ethically, legally, and zealously. Mr. Williams will be cleared." Williams' attorneys have denied the existence of the gang entirely, saying YSL is a record label and loose alliance of artists called "Young Stoner Life." <h2>YSL label mate Gunna is freed on a guilty plea a day prior</h2>The hearing comes a day after YSL rapper Gunna, real name Sergio Kitchens, pleaded guilty to a racketeering charge and was released from prison. Kitchens took an Alford plea, which is a type of plea deal whereby the defendant maintains their innocence while entering a guilty plea. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with four years suspended. He was allowed to leave prison on Wednesday because his more than six months in jail for pre-trial detainment was counted as time served for his one-year prison sentence. While many on social media labeled Kitchens a snitch, Kitchens said in a statement Wednesday that he did not cooperate with investigators and would not testify at the trial. "While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way," Kitchens said in a statement following his release, according to <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/rapper-gunna-enters-plea-deal-racketeering-conspiracy-charges-sentence-commuted/TCFGAJ45UZHDVKWHL2BFFEPBJE/">WSBTV</a>.Jeff DiSantis, a spokesperson for the district attorney's office, said that Kitchens agreed in court to testify if called upon to do so, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/14/arts/music/gunna-plea-ysl-case.html">The New York Times.</a> However, Kitchens' attorney, Steve Sadow, told The Times said that his client "reserves his right to assert his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination."On Tuesday, another YSL defendant, Water Murphy (aka DK) took a plea deal, prosecutors confirmed to the <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/alleged-ysl-co-founder-negotiates-guilty-plea-in-rico-indictment/AXLK47XBHZAANP2UGWRNCBA5PY/">Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a>. Like Murphy, he pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to violate the racketeer influenced and corruption organization (RICO) act. Murphy's probation included a condition that he "testify truthfully in any further trial as it may become necessary," according to the AJC. Murphy was sentenced to one year in prison and nine years of probation. Like Murphy, his seven months of pre-trial detainment counted as time served. Williams was asked to return to court for a hearing on December 19, with the trial set to begin on January 9, 2023.

Young Thug scored a legal win in the face of racketeering charges during a hearing that kicked off with a naked Zoom bomber

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Young Thug and his co-defendant in the YSL trial are accused of handling drugs in open court.</li><li>Young Thug's lawyer said that he immediately turned over the drugs to deputies. </li></ul>Rapper Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, has been accused of conducting a "hand-to-hand drug deal" with his co-defendant inside a Georgia courtroom, <a href="https://www.fultonclerk.org/DocumentCenter/View/1665/MOTION---AMENDED-01-20-2023-100914-36619008-FE9FC098-4697-4085-AAF3-72C522638E16" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as prosecutors described a public court filing</a>. Prosecutors alleged in a motion filed on Thursday in Georgia's Fulton County Superior Court that Kahlieff Adams — a fellow defendant who's also serving a life sentence for a murder conviction — slipped a Percocet pill into Young Thug's hands during jury selection on Wednesday. Williams' lawyer, Keith Adams, told Insider that the rapper was surprised when he was handed the pill and immediately turned it over to deputies."He didn't want to be in possession of anything that could possibly be contraband," Keith Adams said. "The last thing we need is for anyone to allege that he's committed any sort of crime in the darn court room, in front of cameras."When asked why Kahlieff Adams would have wanted to hand Williams the percocet in the first place, Williams' lawyer said that Williams barely knows Kahlieff Adams."There's kind of a little star factor that we're dealing with where, you know, you got some of these guys who look up to him because he's a star who are trying to impress him," Keith Adams said.An 88-count grand jury indictment brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis accuses Williams, along with 26 other defendants, of running a criminal enterprise. Prosecutors allege that Williams' record label, YSL — short for Young Slime Life — is, in reality, a "criminal street enterprise" that's part of the national Bloods gang.Prosecutors allege YSL is responsible for murder, armed robbery, and a litany of other crimes. Williams <a href="https://www.insider.com/young-thug-scored-legal-win-in-face-of-racketeering-charges-2022-12">was arrested in May 2022 on a racketeering conspiracy charge</a>. Jury selection is currently underway in an Atlanta courtroom ahead of a trial that's expected to last more than six months.In the Thursday motion, prosecutors say the exchange between Kahlieff Adams and Williams was caught on camera."DEFENDANT KAHLIEFF ADAMS stood up from his chair inside Courtroom 1C and walked unattended to where DEFENDANT JEFFERY LAMAR WILLIAMS AKA YOUNG THUG was seated at counsel table next to his attorney," the filing says. "DEFENDANT ADAMS approached DEFENDANT WILLIAMS and extended a closed right hand toward DEFENDANT WILLIAMS. DEFENDANT WILLIAMS extended his open right hand toward DEFENDANT ADAMS' closed right hand and accepted an item of contraband, to wit: PERCOCET."Williams then held the pill under a table to keep it hidden while his attorney sat next to him, prosecutors wrote. He relinquished it when court sheriffs told him to, according to the filing.Afterward, court officers searched Kahlieff Adams and found even more drugs, prosecutors wrote. The kerfuffle delayed the trial proceedings, they noted in the filing."Sheriff recovered from DEFENDANT ADAMS Percocet, marijuana, tobacco, and other contraband, wrapped in plastic and food seasonings to mask the odor of the marijuana," they wrote. "DEFENDANT ADAMS was then taken to Grady Hospital after he appeared to ingest other items of contraband that he held on his person, in an effort to conceal the extent of his crimes within the courtroom."

Young Thug and his co-defendant did in a 'hand-to-hand drug deal' inside a Georgia courtroom, prosecutors allege

<keyword id="6354765" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tollywood" source="Orion">Tollywood</keyword> actor <keyword id="84792" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rana-Daggubati" source="Orion">Rana Daggubati</keyword> on Wednesday appeared before the <keyword id="6357808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Enforcement-Directorate" source="Orion">Enforcement Directorate</keyword> (ED) in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to a 2017 <keyword id="41015" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="drug-case" source="Orion">drug case</keyword>. The 'Baahubali' fame actor reached the ED office here around 10 a.m. and walked in as a posse of security personnel escorted him through a battery of media lensmen vying with each other to capture the moment. Rana is likely to be questioned by ED sleuths about his bank details and financial transactions as part of the probe into suspected links of some celebrities with the accused involved in the case. Rana is the fifth Tollywood personality to appear before ED. Director <keyword id="119412" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puri-Jagannadh" source="Orion">Puri Jagannadh</keyword> and actors Charmee Kaur, <keyword id="621559" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rakul-Preet-Singh" source="Orion">Rakul Preet Singh</keyword> and Nandu were questioned since August 31. The ED had last month issued notices to 10 persons connected to Tollywood and two others including a private club manager as part of a money laundering probe linked to the case related to the smuggling of 'Class A' narcotic substances, including LSD and MDMA. Nandu was questioned for more than eight hours on Tuesday. Main accused in the case Calvin Mascarenhas and two others were also grilled by the ED sleuths on Tuesday. Actors Ravi Teja, Navdeep. Mumaith Khan, Tanish and Ravi Teja's driver Srinivas have also been summoned by the ED in connection the drugs racket which was busted with the arrest of drug peddlers in 2017. Rana and Rakul Preet did not figure in the list of Tollywood celebrities questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana's prohibition and excise department in 2017. However, Rakul Preet was questioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau, Mumbai, last year in an alleged drugs nexus in Bollywood. The drugs racket was busted on July 2, 2017 when customs officials arrested Calvin Mascarenhas, a musician, and two others and seized drugs worth Rs 30 lakh from their possession. They had reportedly told the investigators that they are supplying drugs to film celebrities, software engineers, and even students of some corporate schools. Mobile numbers of some Tollywood celebrities were allegedly found in their contact lists. The excise department had constituted SIT for a comprehensive probe. A total of 12 cases were registered, 30 people were arrested while 62 individuals including 11 people connected with Tollywood were examined by the SIT under section 67 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and section 161 of Criminal Procedure Code. The SIT had collected blood, hair, nail and other samples from some of those who appeared before it for question and sent them for analysis. The SIT filed charge sheet in eight out of 12 cases. It, however, gave clean chit to the film personalities who were questioned as part of the investigation. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/protests-planned-against-apples-controversial-child-safety-features-on-the-eve-of-iphone-13-launch/articleshow/86032670.cms">Protests planned against Apple’s controversial child safety features on the eve of iPhone 13 launch</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/heres-how-to-buy-ola-electric-scooter-s1-and-s1-pro/articleshow/86032630.cms">Ola e-scooters go on sale: Here’s how you can purchase it</a>

'Baahubali' actor Rana Daggubati appears before ED in 2017 drug case

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">ReutersFormer drug company executive Martin Shkreli exits U.S. District Court following the fourth day of jury deliberations in his securities fraud trial in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, U.S., August 3, 2017.</div></div></div><ul><li>On a private Bank of America conference call, one healthcare industry insider explained how secret relationships within the industry contribute to the high cost of pharmaceuticals. </li><li>The relationships he described included a bunch of players, from charitable organizations to pharmacy benefit managers - industry middlemen that are supposed to keep drug prices low.</li><li>Washington is starting to wake up to this, but more importantly, this insider says that payers are starting to hunt down the worst offenders and keep them away from patients.</li></ul>Infamous "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli is in jail, but the egregious drug-price gouging scheme that shocked America and made him a household name in 2016 is still doing just fine. Now you'll recall on that Shkreli is not in jail for price gouging. He's in jail for defrauding investors. But the only reason we know who he is, is that he bought a decades old AIDS-related treatment and then unapologetically raised the price by 5000%. At the time his wasn't the only drug company doing that kind of thing, and that fact remains true today.What has changed though is that the people who pay for these drugs, the insurers and health plans, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rockford-sues-mallinckrodt-over-acthar-price-2017-4">even small cities</a>, are finally starting to do something about it. And, they're starting to explain in detail just how this works and how many different people are involved when a drug's price is hiked. We got the best look at this pushback on Wednesday when Bank of America Merrill Lynch got its clients together for a venerable Wall Street tradition - a call outlining the risks coming in the year ahead. This particular call was about the pharmaceutical industry. And it was a complete and total takedown.BAML's industry expert broke down the secret of how drug-price gouging is perpetuated in the pharmaceutical industry more candidly than we've ever heard before.Spoiler alert: The drug companies aren't doing this alone.<h2>A new poster child</h2>To understand the content of this call, a recording of which was obtained by Business Insider, you have to familiarize yourself with a couple of things first. <ul><li>Acthar: A $36,000 drug of questionable efficacy, according <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/acthar-risks-including-doctors-prescribing-and-efficacy-questions-2017-3">to JAMA</a>, made by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. Though the drug's primary use (or "indication" in pharma speak) is for children, Medicare (a program for old people) spent $500 million on the drug in 2015. It was one of the program's top 20 most expensive drugs. Only 1% of doctors prescribe it. </li><li>Pharmacy benefit managers: Or PBMs, these are the gatekeepers between drug makers and whoever is paying for drugs. They're supposed to keep prices low but critics allege they just inflate prices by taking a cut from every part of the drug pricing process. PBMs manage lists called formularies that say what drugs an insurer will pay for. Drug makers offer rebates to lower their prices and get their products on that list (and to you). The PBMs keep some of that rebate, but no one knows how much because it's a secret. Three PBMs control around 80% of the US market - Express Scripts (the largest), CVS Caremark, and UnitedHealth. </li><li>Charitable assistance programs: Sounds nice, but they've become a huge controversy in the world of pharmaceuticals. The Feds are investigating whether or not pharmaceutical firms are essentially paying charities to steer patients toward their drugs. Plus, in the past, drug companies have used the existence of charities to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/valeant-response-to-clinton-video-2016-3">justify their price hikes.</a> </li></ul>The expert on Wednesday's call was a man named <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-guinther-pharmd-rph-629014a/">Chris Guinther</a>, he's the systems director of PBMs and specialty pharmacy for the Mercy Health System. It's the largest health system in Ohio and the fourth largest employer in the state.According to him, thanks to negative reports in the press, payers are starting to look at the expensive drugs that use charitable programs and are starting to request that those drugs be knocked off their formularies.Guinther himself has excluded Acthar from his formulary about a year ago and went from paying millions of dollars a year to zero, and said he had no patient disruption.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Business Insider</div></div></div><h2>We're not going to take it</h2>More payers are starting to do this to cut costs, but Guinther warned that they may get some pushback from PBMs. That's where a bunch of opaque relationships that keep this system alive come into play. See, Mercy has what's called a "closed formulary." It's designed in-house. Most companies, unfamiliar with the complicated world of pharma, use the "national formulary" - which is designed by the PBM.And some PBMs have really close relationships with the drugs on those formularies. Remember, they get a cut of the rebates. For some drugs, though, it goes even deeper. Express Scripts, the largest PBM, sells Acthar almost exclusively through its in-house specialty pharmacy, Accredo Health. Plus, Acthar's charitable program was managed by United BioSource, a company that Express Scripts sold earlier this month."I think that there needs to be more self-regulation and transparency in terms of how all these relationships work," Guinther said."Express Scripts folks have said Acthar is not a good drug and yet they operate the hub, they are funneling prescriptions through themselves through Accredo, and there are non-disclosed performance rebates between Mallinckrodt and Express Scripts, so I would argue there's a lot of money changing hands...." he said.And most of that money is coming from you.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.americanhealthpolicy.org/Content/documents/resources/December%202015_AHPI%20Study_Understanding_the_Pharma_Black_Box.pdf">American Health Policy</a></div></div></div>The way Guinther tells it, everyone is getting a cut. The charitable foundations are getting paid by the drug companies, and some healthcare providers <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/acthar-risks-including-doctors-prescribing-and-efficacy-questions-2017-3">(like doctors)</a> get paid by drug companies to consult and do speaking engagements."The last I heard from Mallinckrodt they were proudly announcing how they gave away half a billion in Acthar... and I kind of have to laugh because they gave away half a billion because they raised the price that much," he said.This is how the whole thing is perpetuated. It takes a village."For people with Express Scripts, Optum and CVS I think there needs to be a greater call for exposing these relationships and I also think there needs to be a clearer understanding of what happens if you don't have a custom formulary," Guinther explained. "If you have this national formulary where Acthar is on there, how is your PBM going to help you make your decision?" Last month, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mallinckrodt-acthar-payers-are-strengthening-restrictions-2017-11">Mallinckrodt admitted to investors that </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mallinckrodt-acthar-payers-are-strengthening-restrictions-2017-11">something was keeping prescriptions from being filled</a>, but it didn't elaborate that much on what that something was. The stock fell as much as 35% on the news. Then, at a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mallinckrodt-acthar-payers-are-strengthening-restrictions-2017-11">luncheon with investors in New York City</a> a few days later, the company admitted that at least one big payer has started putting severe formulary restrictions on the controversial drug. That's according to a person in attendance.Mallinckrodt declined to comment for this story. <h2>The do-nothings</h2>So far, Washington has been noticeably absent from this story, despite all the talk of punishing pharma for its most egregious abuses. In fact, if you ignored the rhetoric, you might think DC is happy with the industry. The Trump administration has done absolutely nothing on drug pricing, and the industry is elated about the tax break it's about to get.But, people are at least talking about these relationships. Earlier this month the <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/hearings/examining-drug-supply-chain/">House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on the drug supply chain</a> and its impact on pricing. It didn't go well for the industry, and the whole thing devolved into the drug companies blaming the PBMs, the PBMs blaming the drug companies, the pharmacies decrying getting crushed by the drug companies and the PBMs and so on.Frankly, the whole exercise seemed to frustrate legislators."I can't for the life of me figure out what you [PBMs] do," Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va) said to the lobbyist representing the large PBMs. "We've got this black box called a PBM... and they [the drug companies] are saying they've got to raise their prices to pay you."Rep. Diana Degette (D- Co.) started asking about the administrative fees PBMs are collecting from the drug companies. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Il.) wanted to know how much money is going to charitable assistance programs (a question drug companies definitely don't like to answer. We've tried to ask.)None of this is enough on the policy side, and what's happening on the payer side is just a start. But at least someone out there is talking about how deep the scam runs, even if it is on secret Wall Street investor calls. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-gop-tax-bill-impacts-people-at-every-income-level-trump-standard-deduction-2017-12">Here's what Trump's tax plan means for people at every income level from $20,000 to $269,000 a year</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

An industry insider just blew the lid off the racket that makes American drugs so expensive

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A former Baltimore detective was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for lying to the FBI about his role in a drug scheme.</li><li>Ivo Louvado, 47, stole 3 kilograms of cocaine from a drug bust and sold it with two colleagues, according to the DOJ.</li><li>Prosecutors allege that Louvado made $10,000 from selling his cut of the cocaine. </li></ul>A former Baltimore <keyword id="11098" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="police">police</keyword> detective was sentenced to federal prison for his role in stealing and selling 3 kilograms of cocaine from a drug bust and later lying to the FBI, according to the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/former-baltimore-police-officer-sentenced-14-months-federal-prison-making-false">Department of Justice.</a>Ivo Louvado, 47, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and 100 hours of community service for making false statements to federal agents.According to court filings, Louvado and his squad participated in a search warrant against a local drug dealer when the group found a "significant quantity" of cocaine inside of a pickup truck in 2009. By the end of the bust, Louvado's group turned over 41 kilograms of cocaine to the Baltimore Police Department's Evidence Control Unit via a surveillance van.After turning the massive quantity of cocaine over to the department, Louvado and two other officers discovered three additional kilograms of cocaine inside of the surveillance van. Rather than turn the cocaine back to the department, prosecutors allege Louvado and the officers decided to sell it and split the proceeds. According to the DOJ, Louvado received $10,000 for his cut of the cocaine sales.Cocaine abuse was a major problem in Baltimore around the time of the drug heist. A study from the <a href="https://archives.drugabuse.gov/baltimore-city-maryland-washington-dc-0">National Institute on Drug Abuse</a> from 2013 said more adult arrestees tested positive for cocaine in Baltimore than any other drug.Former Baltimore police officer Victor Rivera, 48, was one of the officers involved in the plot to sell the cocaine and was also sentenced to 14 months in federal prison. According to court filings, Rivera was in charge of selling the <keyword id="14721" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Drugs">drugs</keyword> to a confidential informant who was also a drug trafficker.Nearly a decade later in 2017, the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/seven-baltimore-cops-indicted-federal-racketeering-n727716">Baltimore Police Department charged seven members</a> of its Gun Trace Task Force on federal racketeering charges, including one member of Louvado's team that sold the cocaine. Following the filing, the FBI continued to investigate misconduct in the department and Louvado agreed to participate in voluntary questioning.<h4>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-capitol-attack-mob-crimes-fbi-police-law-trespass-sedition-2021-1">These are all the federal crimes Trump extremists could be charged with after their attack on the US Capitol</a></h4>FBI agents inquired about Louvado's role in the drug bust during their questioning. Court records allege that Louvado "falsified, concealed, and covered up material facts" about the distribution of the cocaine and his involvement in the sale, ultimately leading to his arrest.As of February 9, Louvado and his attorney have not appealed the court's decision.

You Searched For "drug racket" and got 10 results

What's next in Diddy sex-trafficking case: possible gun and drug charges, a gag order, and a bail decision

Laura Italiano

The newest weight-loss hack has people turning to a highly addictive drug

Dan DeFrancesco

40 people were charged with orchestrating murder, kidnapping, trafficking drugs, and selling guns in the largest federal racketeering conspiracy in South Carolina history

Madison Hall

The night the Lord of the Skies got away

Noah Hurowitz

Darknet drugs racket: NCB widens probe, arrests 3 more from Nagpur

PTI

Young Thug scored a legal win in the face of racketeering charges during a hearing that kicked off with a naked Zoom bomber

Ashley Collman,Azmi Haroun

Young Thug and his co-defendant did in a 'hand-to-hand drug deal' inside a Georgia courtroom, prosecutors allege

Grace Eliza Goodwin

'Baahubali' actor Rana Daggubati appears before ED in 2017 drug case

IANS

An industry insider just blew the lid off the racket that makes American drugs so expensive

Linette Lopez

A former Baltimore detective sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for lying to the FBI about cocaine he stole from a drug bust

Madison Hall

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides