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British American Tobacco - Class Action Lawsuit

BTI STOCK NEWS: Investors with Significant Losses Should Contact Robbins LLP for Information About the Class Action Against British American Tobacco PLC. SAN DIEGO, CA (STL.News) Robbins LLP reminds investors that a shareholder filed a class action on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired British American Tobacco PLC (NYSE: BTI) securities between February 9, 2023, and December 6, 2023.  British American Tobacco is a multi-national tobacco company that sells cigarettes (which the Company refers to in its filings as "combustibles" or "sticks" for individual cigarettes) and other tobacco-related products, such as vaping products, chewing tobacco, snus, and heated tobacco products. For more information, submit a form, email Aaron Dumas, Jr., or call us at [phone]. What is this Case About: American British Tobacco PLC (BTI) Failed to Disclose the Risks and Potential Likelihood of an Impairment to its Premium American Cigarette Brands. According to the complaint, during the class period, the defendants failed to disclose that British American Tobacco materially understated the risks and potential likelihood of impairment to its Premium American Cigarette Brands due to various longstanding headwinds. In January 2017, British American Tobacco, which already had a 42% stake in Reynolds American Inc. ("Reynolds"), took over the remaining interest in Reynolds for $49.4 billion dollars, valuing Reynolds at around $86 billion. Reynolds became a subsidiary, and British American Tobacco took control of the Camel, Newport, and Natural American Spirit cigarette brands ("Premium American Cigarette Brands"), among others. On December 6, 2023, British American Tobacco issued a press release announcing that it was taking a 25 billion Pound (or around $31.5 billion USD) impairment on the cigarette brands it acquired from Reynolds. This news caused British American's ADR price to fall $2.68 per share, or 8.88%, to close at $28.86 per ADR on December 6, 2023. What Now: Similarly situated shareholders may be eligible to participate in the class action against British American Tobacco PLC Shareholders who want to act as lead plaintiffs for the class should contact Robbins LLP. Plaintiffs must file their lead plaintiff papers by March 25, 2024. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. You do not have to participate in the case to be eligible for a recovery. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. For more information, click here. All representation is on a contingency fee basis. Shareholders pay no fees or expenses. About Robbins LLP: Some law firms issuing releases about this matter do not actually litigate securities class actions; Robbins LLP does. A recognized leader in shareholder rights litigation, the attorneys and staff of Robbins LLP have been dedicated to helping shareholders recover losses, improve corporate governance structures, and hold company executives accountable for their wrongdoing since 2002. Since our inception, we have obtained over $1 billion for shareholders. To be notified if a class action against British American Tobacco, PLC settles or to receive free alerts when corporate executives engage in wrongdoing, sign up for Stock Watch today. Attorney Advertising.  Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contacts Aaron Dumas, Jr. Robbins LLP 5060 Shoreham Pl., Ste. 300 San Diego, CA 92122 [email protected] Phone: [phone] Website: www.robbinsllp.com Read the full article

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SOJUba Restaurant to Pay Back Wages of $320K

US Department of Labor (DOL) Recovers $320K in Back Wages and Damages for 59 Employees of SOJUba Restaurant in Boston's Fenway Neighborhood. SOJUba also pays $40K in penalties for willful wage violations. BOSTON, MA (STL.News)  A restaurant in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood has paid a total of $320,000 in back wages, liquidated damages and punitive damages to 59 current and former employees to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. The division’s investigation of SOJUba, located at 1265 Boylston St., found the restaurant failed to inform some workers of their cash wage and tip credit, as the FLSA requires.  Further, some ineligible workers were included in the tip pool, resulting in other workers not being paid all the tips they had earned.  Certain workers were denied the federal minimum wage as a result of the invalidation of the restaurant’s ability to take a tip credit. The FLSA permits an employer to take a tip credit toward its minimum wage and overtime obligations for tipped employees if it ensures that the employees receive enough tips from customers and cash wages per workweek to equal at least the minimum wage and overtime compensation required under the FLSA. Investigators also found that SOJUba did not pay at least the minimum wage to front-of-the-house workers for every hour worked, pay employees proper overtime wages for all hours worked over 40 in a work week, or maintain accurate payroll records.  During the division’s investigation, the business told workers what to say to investigators, in violation of the FLSA’s anti-retaliation provision. The investigation has resulted in SOJUba paying the affected workers $147,500 in back wages and $147,500 in liquidated damages, plus $25,000 in punitive damages for the retaliation. The back wages cover the period between August 17, 2019, and August 13, 2022. SOJUba has also paid $40,000 in civil money penalties to the U.S. Department of Labor because of the wage violations’ willful nature. “The Fair Labor Standards Act clearly spells out an employer’s responsibilities to pay proper minimum wage and overtime rates to employees and forbids employers from attempting to coerce workers or tell them not to participate in a Wage and Hour Division investigation,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Carlos Matos in Boston.  “When employers deliberately attempt to ignore the law’s requirements, the U.S. Department of Labor will actively pursue damages and penalties in addition to recouping back wages for employees hurt by such behavior.” SOURCE: DOL Read the full article

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Ryan Young - New Jersey - Sentenced for Fraud

New Jersey Man, Ryan Young, Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar Mass-Mailing Fraud Schemes New York, NY (STL.News) A New Jersey man was sentenced on February 2, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to 72 months in prison and two years of supervised release for committing two separate mail fraud schemes in which he stole more than $50 million from victims throughout the United States by sending letters falsely telling them that they were entitled to receive a large sum of money in exchange for payment of a small fee. According to court documents, Ryan Young, 41, of Upper Saddle River, operated two separate mail fraud schemes. In the first scheme, which Young operated from 2011 through 2016, Young and his co-conspirators sent fraudulent prize notification letters to victims in the United States and numerous other countries.  The letters falsely claimed recipients had won money or valuable prizes, such as luxury cars.  Victims were instructed to send small processing fees – typically $20 or $25 – to claim the prizes.  Many victims received nothing; others received only a cheap piece of jewelry or a report listing unrelated sweepstakes.  In February 2018, Young pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud for his role in this large-scale international mail fraud scheme that stole approximately $50 million from victims. While on release and awaiting sentencing on the first mail fraud scheme, Young operated a second mail fraud scheme from March 2019 through May 2022.  In the second scheme, Young mailed out letters falsely notifying recipients that they were entitled to receive unclaimed funds worth millions of dollars, a portion of a multimillion-dollar legal settlement, or a prize in exchange for payment of a small fee of $30 to $40.  Young did not deliver funds to any of the victims who sent payments in response to these letters.  Instead, Young sent booklets containing publicly available information or flyers about online restaurant coupons.  According to court documents, Young's' second scheme resulted in $1.6 million in losses to victims. ""The defendant in this case defrauded victims through multiple mail fraud schemes, depriving vulnerable Americans of more than $50 million,"" said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department's' Civil Division. ""The Justice Department and its federal law enforcement partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who target vulnerable American consumers for financial gain."" ""The defendant's' conduct is especially egregious.  After pleading guilty and acknowledging his responsibility, Mr. Young decided to revert to what he knew best, which was ripping off Americans," said" Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection ServiService'siinal Investigations Group.  "To "Today'synence sends a clear message to others who think they will not be caught – postal inspectors will find you." About the investigation, prosecution, and sentencing of Ryan Young. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case against Ryan Young. Senior Trial Attorney Ann Entwistle and Assistant Director John W. Burke of the Civil DivisDivision'sumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanisha Payne for the Eastern District of New York is handling asset forfeiture. SOURCE: DOJ Read the full article

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Reliance Staffing of Michigan to Pay $181K in Back Wages

The U.S. Department of Labor Recovered $181K for 70 Nurses and assistants who were Denied Overtime After Michigan Company Reliance Staffing, LLC Misclassified Them as Contractors. (STL.News) The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released the following information on February 5, 2024: Employers: Reliance Staffing LLC - Fahim Uddin, owner Actions: Fair Labor Standards Act consent judgment Courts: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Investigation findings: On February 2, 2024, Judge Sean F. Cox in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan entered a consent judgment requiring Reliance Staffing LLC and its owner, Fahim Uddin, to pay a total of $181,531? representing $90,765 in overtime wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages ? to 70 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that Uddin and Reliance Staffing misclassified their workers as independent contractors when, in fact, they were employees.  By doing so, the employer failed to pay overtime wages at time and one-half their hourly rate of pay for hours over 40 in a pay period. On September 22, 2023, the department filed a complaint in federal court against Reliance Staffing and Uddin, seeking back wages and damages for the employees' violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime provisions. Under terms of the consent judgment, Uddin and Reliance Staffing will make the back wages payments in installments through August 1, 2024, and must also provide employees with Wage and Hour Division fact sheets and verify that the division's workers' rights posters are posted and visible at each of their locations. The Bingham Farms, Michigan, company recruits and employs registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants. Quote: "The resolution of this case will restore hard-earned wages denied to employees of Reliance Staffing who performed demanding care work," explained Wage and Hour District Director Timolin Mitchell in Detroit.  "When employers misclassify workers as independent contractors, they do not pay applicable employment taxes or workers' compensation on their behalf, and they deny them protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act." "The Department of Labor is committed to ensuring workers receive their rightfully earned pay," added Regional Solicitor Christine Heri in Chicago.  "We will use all legal tools necessary to compel employers to abide by the law." SOURCE: DOL Read the full article

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Sasi Thai Market Hosts Thai Street Food Event

Sasi Thai Market Hosts Thai Street Food Event in Maryland Heights, MO - Every Saturday & Sunday. MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO (STL.News) Sasi Thai Market announced its Authentic Thai Street Food event, which will be held every Saturday and Sunday.  They will offer authentic Thai Street Food from several sponsors, including Thai Kitchen and Thai individuals. This event will be held starting tomorrow, January 6 and 7, 2023, beginning at 11:00 am. The owner of Sasi Thai Market is Sasimonthon Ongartsutthikul, who also owns Thai Kitchen and Sasi Wholesale. Thai Kitchen is a locally owned, family-owned Thai restaurant chain with multiple locations around the St. Louis region.  All locations are ranked among the top-rated restaurants in St. Louis by Google based on customers' online reviews.  All locations offer dine-in, carryout, online ordering, and delivery, all back by great online customer reviews. The Thai event attracts Thai consumers from around the area and introduces "authentic Thai cuisine," which may not be available in most Thai restaurants. Sasi Thai Market recently opened to provide authentic Thai food ingredients to local consumers, and Sasi Wholesale supplies restaurants as far as Branson, Missouri. Tbis event is a great family event offering an educational and social perspective. Sasi Thai Market location: 1924 McKelvey Rd Maryland Heights, MO 63043 Phone: [phone] ? Links: - St. Louis Restaurant Review covered this event. Read the full article

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Mexican Barrel House to Open in Creve Coeur

Mexican Barrel House will open soon in Creve Coeur on Olive Blvd. CREVE COEUR, MO (STL.News) St. Louis Restaurant Review published an article about this new Mexican restaurant currently under construction and is slated to open within the next few months.  The remodeling project is a significant project. It appears that the mechanical is new, with a new roof, new rock on the exterior, and a new entrance.  A significant investment is being made in this facility. It is located on Olive Blvd and Mason Rd in the same facility that used to house Houlihan's.  They will serve Mexican food and Mexican BBQ.  I am excited to try the Mexican BBQ. The owner, Alfredo Flores, also owns Casa Juarez Mexican Town, located on Dorsett Rd in Maryland Heights, Missouri. The target opening date has not been set, but efforts are being made to find that information. Mexican restaurants are among consumers' favorites; most are top-rated by food delivery companies. Location: 1085 N Mason Road Creve Coeur, Missouri 63141 ?   Read the full article

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Thai Kitchen - Recent Health Inspection Score - 100%

Thai Kitchen - O'Fallon recently scored another 100% on its Food Establishment Health Inspection. O'FALLON, MO (STL.News) St. Louis Restaurant Review published an article announcing that Thai Kitchen - O'Fallon recently received another 100% score on its Food Establishment Health Inspection conducted on December 27, 2023.  The last two health inspections had been 100%, showing significant hard work and ownership pride. Safety and quality of food served are two of the most essential characteristics that a restaurant can offer to help themselves stand out from their competition. They remodeled this location in December 2022.  It is among the highest-rated Thai restaurants in the St. Louis region. Sasimonthon Ongartsutthikul is the owner of Thai Kitchen.  She is a migrant from Thailand and started her family-owned chain in 1999.  Recently, she opened Sasi Wholesale and Sasi Thai Market in Maryland Heights, MO, importing food-related products from Thailand. We congratulate Thai Kitchen and its staff on a job well done. Thai Kitchen offers multiple locations across the St. Louis region, including: - Florissant, MO - Maryland Heights, MO (will operate as Thai Mama when it opens) - O'Fallon, MO (this location) - St. Charles, MO - St. Louis, MO - Wentzville, MO CLICK to view their Corporate Listing on St. Louis Restaurant Review. Read the full article

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Greenridge Farms to Pay $3M in Back Wages & Damages

US Department of Labor (DOL, Illinois Attorney General recovered $3M in back wages and damages for 283 workers at the Elk Grove processing plant. A joint investigation finds Greenridge Farms Inc. failed to pay overtime. CHICAGO, IL (STL.News) A joint investigation by the US Department of Labor and the Illinois Office of the Attorney General has recovered $3 million in back wages, damages, and interest for 283 workers denied overtime owed under federal and state regulations by an Elk Grove meat processing and packaging plant. In a consent decree filed in state court, Greenridge Farms Inc. agreed to pay the back wages, damages, and interest to resolve a July 2023 lawsuit by the state's Attorney General.  The decree references the settlement agreement Greenridge Farms, owners Michael Madej and Sebastian Madej, and KLC Global Services Ltd. — which performs management and payroll functions for the plant — entered into with the department's Wage and Hour Division. The action follows an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division and the State of Illinois that found the deli products manufacturer paid affected workers one rate for all hours worked.  Investigators learned the employer issued checks to employees for their first 40 hours and then paid cash for all hours over 40 when, in fact, Greenridge Farms was legally required to pay employees time and one-half their hourly rate of pay for hours over 40 in a workweek. The investigation determined the employer failed to pay the legally required overtime wages from at least 2013 to 2022 and that the employer violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Illinois Minimum Wage Law. During the investigation, the state subpoenaed records from Greenridge Farms and discovered the employer sometimes used a second set of books to pay straight time for overtime hours.  In Illinois, an employer may be required to repay the back wages due, triple the amount in liquidated damages, and a 5 percent monthly penalty on unpaid wages.  State law also allows investigators to review payroll periods dating back three years or more. "Working with the State of Illinois, our investigators discovered that Greenridge Farms intentionally denied 283 workers their full-earned wages for seven years," said Wage and Hour District Director Tom Gauza in Chicago.  "The wages recovered for these workers will have a significant impact on these workers' lives.  Many of them may have not understood their rights to overtime." The consent decree signed by Circuit Court Judge Michael T. Mullen of the Cook County, Chancery Division on Dec. 20, 2023, requires Greenridge Farms to pay $3 million in back wages, damages, and interest owed as a result of the federal and state investigations in installments from December 1, 2023, through October 1, 2025.  That amount includes a payment of $1.5 million in back wages and liquidated damages owed to 193 workers from May 24, 2019, through May 24, 2022, the maximum investigative period under federal law.  This payment is required as part of a settlement agreement with the Wage and Hour Division. "The Department of Labor is determined to use all available tools – including working with our partners in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General – to hold employers accountable for depriving employees of their rightful earnings," explained Regional Solicitor of Labor Christine Heri in Chicago. Greenridge Farms Inc. of Northbrook operates the Elk Grove plant that specializes in producing various deli products, such as cooked and smoked hams, sausages, and bacon.  The company purchases meat from farmers in North Dakota and Indiana and sells its goods to stores in the Chicago metro area and to distributors from New York and Texas. SOURCE: US Department of Labor Read the full article

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Tango Argentina Foods Reviews Increase - Update

Tango Argentina Foods Reviews Increase - Update for Business Hours for January 2024. ST. CHARLES, MO (STL.News) Tango Argentina Food is a locally-owned restaurant specializing in serving authentic Empanadas and has done so since 2000.  They are ranked amongst the highest-rated restaurants in the St. Louis region. St. Louis Restaurant Review added DoorDash and GrubHub while revising the Yelp listing as it increased from 4.5 Stars to 4.7 Stars, which deserves special recognition because Yelpers are generally not nice. Now for the bad news: they will close from December 30, 2023, until January 30, 2024, to return to Argentina to visit family and friends. Address, phone, and email: 2418 B West Clay Street St. Charles, Missouri 63301 Phone: [phone] Email: [email protected] Website: TangoArgentinaFood.com Owners: Hector and Stella Aberastury ? Additional resources: - STL.Directory - STL.News Read the full article

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Los Incas Peruvian Restaurant Added to Directory

Los Incas Peruvian Restaurant in O'Fallon, MO, has been added to the business directory on STL.News offering authentic Peruvian cuisine. O'FALLON, MO (STL.News) Los Incas Peruvian Restaurant is a newcomer to the restaurant scene in the St. Louis region.  They offer authentic Peruvian cuisine and many Latin cuisines to customers across the region. They have been added to the online ordering system owned by St. Louis Restaurant Review, known as eOrderSTL. They recently received a 100% health inspection score from the St. Charles County Department of Health. Additionally, they obtained their alcohol license to serve beer, wine, and spirits. While it is a new restaurant, they are doing everything right with high online customer reviews, a perfect health inspection score, and offering live music every Saturday night. Considering all aspects of this establishment, we will continue supporting this location until things change, but they will only improve with time. They are located at 4279 Keaton Crossing Blvd, O'Fallon, MO. Read the full article

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Candicci's Customer Appreciation Party - 12-20

Candicci's Restaurant and Bar announces its 15th Annual Customer Appreciation Party for December 20, 2023. BALLWIN, MO (STL.News) Candicci's Restaurant and Bar has served fine Italian cuisine, holiday buffets, weekly live music, and more to the St. Louis region for over forty years. This year is no different.  As another year begins to close, Candicci's owner and staff once again want to express their appreciation for the support provided by its customers.  The restaurant business has been challenging, especially over the past few years, and the sincerity is more significant than ever before. 15th Annual Customer Appreciation - Holiday Party with Live Music - Wednesday, December 20 - 5:30 – 10:00 - Happy Hour All Night! - Enjoy Complimentary Appetizers from 5:30 – 7:30 * Purchase $100.00 of Gift Certificates in any increment and receive a FREE $15.00 Gift Certificate * *REMINDER * - Make your Reservations for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve! - Christmas Eve Hours: 11 am – 8 pm - New Year's Eve Hours: 11 am – 10 pm The event was covered by: - Candiccis.net - St. Louis Restaurant Review Location: 100 Holloway Road Ballwin, MO 63017 Phone: [phone]  Read the full article

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Wonton King Added to STL.News Directory

Wonton King has been Added to STL.News Directory UNIVERSITY CITY, MO (STL.News) Wonton King is a Hong Kong-style Chinese restaurant in University City that has been serving Chinese cuisine for decades. Additionally, it was added to the business directory on STL.Due to its online reviews and length of time, news under the Restaurant category serves consumers in the community. St. Louis Restaurant Review recently revised its ratings due to increased online customer reviews. It represents the first Hong Kong-style Chinese restaurant to open in the St. Louis region. This establishment is among the best Chinese restaurants in the St. Louis region.  In part due to the family's dedication to the operations.  The owners, William Huynh and Ling Y. Dai, are onsite daily, ensuring the staff satisfies the customers.  They know their customers on a first-name basis and greet them at the door when possible. Wonton King's online reviews as of December 11, 2023, are as follows: - Google – 4.4 Stars with more than 302 online reviews - Facebook – 4.1 Stars with more than 157 votes - Yelp – 3.8 Stars with more than 376 online reviews - TripAdvisor – 5 Stars with more than 50 online reviews - DoorDash – 4.7 Stars with 483 votes - GrubHub – 4.1 Stars with 254 votes - Average Rating – 4.35 Stars across six different platforms Wonton King's Business Hours: - Sunday – 11:00 am – 9:00 pm - Monday – 11:00 am – 9:00 pm - Tuesday – 11:00 am – 9:00 pm - Wednesday – 11:00 am – 9:00 pm - Thursday – 11:00 am – 9:00 pm - Friday – 11:00 am – 9:00 pm - Saturday – 11:00 am – 9:00 pm Restaurant address and phone: 8116 Olive Blvd. University City, Missouri 63130 Phone: [phone] Website: AsianFoodSTL.com CLICK to view its listing on St. Louis Restaurant Review. Read the full article

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Asian Corner Listing Revised on St Louis Restaurant Review

St. Louis Restaurant Review announced an increase in ratings for Asian Corner in Valley Park, MO. VALLEY PARK, MO (STL.News) St. Louis Restaurant Review announced that they have revised the ratings for Asian Corner in Valley Park, Missouri, due to an increase in online customer reviews. The increase in its average rating from 4.7 Stars to 4.8 Stars is due to an increase in Google, Yelp and the addition of Uber's 5-star rating. Many restaurants ignore their online reviews.  However, we believe those tools are the most valuable tools to learn about your customers.  Ignoring online reviews is missing an excellent opportunity to improve your hospitality service.  After all, the restaurant is part of the hospitality industry. St. Louis Restaurant Review notes the facility's cleanliness and the quality of the service and food.  Additionally, they believe that the Asian Corner might be the highest-rated Asian restaurant in the region, but they are doing additional research to verify this. We are sure that more good news will come from this restaurant.  STL.News wants to congratulate and complement the owners and staff for mastering what most restaurants don't get. Location of Asian Corner; 204 Meramec Valley Plaza Valley Park, Missouri 63088  Links: - STL.Directory Listing Read the full article

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Sasi Thai Market Opens in Maryland Heights, MO

Sasi Thai Market Opens in Maryland Heights, Missouri, Offering Authentic Thai Food Products. Maryland Heights, MO (STL.News) Sasi Thai Market is a Thai grocery store that recently opened in Maryland Heights, Missouri, offering authentic Thai food products.  They offer retail and wholesale pricing.  Retail is for consumers, and wholesale is for restaurants and suppliers. The retail is marketed as Sasi Thai Market, while the wholesale is marketed as Sasi Wholesale.  The wholesale division offers free deliveries to customers in the St. Louis region, accompanied by competitive pricing. Sasimonthon Ongartsutthikul is the owner of the popular Thai restaurant chain known as Thai Kitchen.  The new Sasi brand comes from shortening her Thai name. She will open Thai Mama restaurant in Maryland Heights, Missouri, within 60 days.  The reason for a new brand is that there is already a Thai Kitchen in Maryland Heights, which she started in 1999 but then sold to a family member, who has sold it since then.  So she did not want to confuse the consumers.  While it will be a different name, it will be the same menu and recipes that have popularized this family-owned restaurant chain that has grown to locations in: - Florissant, MO - 4.8 Stars by Google - Maryland Heights, MO (Not open yet) - Not yet rated. - O'Fallon, MO - 4.6 Stars by Google - St. Charles, MO - 4.5 Stars by Google - St. Louis, MO (Hampton Avenue) - 5 Stars by Google - Wentzville, MO - 4.7 Stars by Google Thai Kitchen is among the highest-rated Thai restaurants in the St. Louis region. Location: Sasi Thai Market 1924 McKelvey Road Maryland Heights, Missouri 63043 Read the full article

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Cyber Scam Organization Subject to $9M Seizure

Cyber Scam Organization Disrupted Through Seizure of Nearly $9M in Crypto (STL.News) The Justice Department recently announced the seizure of nearly $9 million worth of Tether, a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar.  These seized funds were traced to cryptocurrency addresses allegedly associated with an organization that exploited over 70 victims through romance scams and cryptocurrency confidence scams, which are widely known as “pig butchering.” “Through this significant seizure, we disrupted the financial infrastructure of an organized network of scammers who stole millions from victims across the United States.  These scammers prey on ordinary investors by creating websites telling victims their investments are working to make money.  The truth is that these international criminal actors are simply stealing cryptocurrency and leaving victims with nothing,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “The department hopes this recovery of assets will bring some closure and a sense of justice to the over 70 victims affected by this series of scams.  This seizure should also remind cybercriminals that, although the current landscape of the cryptocurrency ecosystem may seem like an ideal way to launder ill-gotten gains, law enforcement will continue to develop the expertise needed to follow the money and seize it back for victims.” According to court documents, criminal actors worked together to target victims and convince them to make cryptocurrency deposits by fraudulently representing that the victims were making investments with trusted firms and cryptocurrency exchanges.  In reality, the purported firms and cryptocurrency exchanges were non-existent trading platforms.  Agents and analysts from the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) were able to trace those victim deposits and observed that the funds were quickly laundered through dozens of cryptocurrency addresses and exchanged for several different cryptocurrencies, a money laundering technique often referred to as “chain hopping.” These techniques are used to “layer” the proceeds of criminal activity into new cryptocurrency ecosystems, all to obfuscate the nature, source, control, and ownership of those proceeds.  The seized funds were linked to numerous victim reports made via the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Consumer Sentinel Network. “This seizure is the culmination of the exceptional hard work and collaborative partnership between the Justice Department and the United States Secret Service,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California.  “Silicon Valley remains one of the world’s preeminent locations for cryptocurrency firms.  As such, we remain dedicated to using all tools at our disposal to bring justice to the victims of fraud and scams.  Even when money and criminals are abroad, we will work with our partners to seize cyber criminals’ illegal proceeds.” “This seizure exemplifies the Secret Service’s mission to protect the financial infrastructure of the United States.  We remain determined and vigilant to combat cyber-enabled financial fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet of the USSS San Francisco Field Office.  “It is a priority for the Secret Service to protect the financial security that citizens work so hard to obtain.  We want to thank the Justice Department for their partnership, dedication, and outstanding work on this case.” SOURCE: U.S. Department of Justice Read the full article

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Bentley's Pancake House to Pay $110K After Investigation

Federal Judge Orders Bloomingdale Restaurant Operating as Bentley's Pancake House to Pay 28 Employees $110,000 After U.S. Department of Labor Investigation. (STL.News) The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released the following information about Bentley's Pancake House in Illinois accused of violating labor laws.  We publish these articles to help educate small business owners to realize the severity of intentionally or unintentionally violating labor laws. Employers: Poros Inc., operating as Bentley's Pancake House Owners: Pete and Stavroula Giafis Actions: Fair Labor Standards Act consent order and judgment Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Investigation findings: On November 17, 2023, Judge Mary M. Rowland entered an agreed consent order and judgment requiring Poros Inc. – operating as Bentley's Pancake House — and its owners, Pete and Stavroula Giafis to pay a total of $110,000 in tip violations, overtime back wages and liquidated damages to 28 workers.  The Bloomingdale restaurant must also pay $13,000 in civil money penalties for willful Fair Labor Standards Ac violations. In a March 27, 2023 summary judgment, the court ordered the payment of $52,600 for the tip violations.  The consent judgment directs payment of an additional $57,600 in overtime back wages and liquidated damages. After an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division, the department's Office of the Solicitor filed a complaint alleging the restaurant and its owners unlawfully kept servers' tips, paid kitchen staff at their regular rates for hours over 40 in a workweek (instead of the legally required time and a half). They failed to keep accurate pay records from at least February 5, 2018, to February 2, 2022, which is also an FLSA violation. As part of the consent judgment, the company and its owners must also end their practice of partial cash payments and provide employees with checks and payroll stubs showing hours worked, rates of pay, and withholdings.  The court also ordered them not to violate the FLSA in the future. Quote: "Historically, the restaurant industry employs low-paid workers, and for these employees, each dollar earned is significant to them and their family's economic survival," said Wage and Hour District Director Tom Gauza in Chicago. "Every worker deserves to be paid for the hours they work and the overtime they earned.  Employers must know the wage laws that apply to their employees and pay them accordingly." SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor Read the full article

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Exterior Experience to Launch Sawmill in Pacific, MO

Exterior Experience to Launch a State-of-the-Art Technologically Advanced Sawmill in the Pacific, Missouri Area. ST LOUIS, MO (STL.News) Exterior Experience is a leading privacy fence contractor serving the St. Louis region with 5-star reviews on Google and Facebook. Their reviews are based on the quality of their fences and decks to customers. To further enhance the quality, they have taken an unprecedented step to launch their sawmill to ensure they provide quality material to their customers for each fence built. They have purchased land in the Pacific, MO region to locate the sawmill for processing and storing. Most consumers will appreciate that using the best material will result in a better fence or deck. Plans are to provide customized milling services to roofers and fence and deck contractors to provide a quality option for material rather than the big box stores where quality is not a significant concern. The owners of Exterior Experience are Jacob and Noah Smith - Smith Twin Contractors. For a hassle-free estimate, please get in touch with the company directly. Exterior Experience 3407 South Jefferson, Suite 168 St. Louis, Missouri 63118 Business Hours: Monday through Friday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Phone: [phone] Email: [email protected] SOURCE: StLouisFenceDeck.com Read the full article