Former Casey Anthony attorney accused of trying to smuggle cocaine into U.S.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- A disbarred California attorney, who once represented Casey Anthony, has been charged with trying to smuggle 1,500 kilograms of cocaine into the U.S.

Todd Macaluso, 54, was arrested in Haiti on Nov. 14 after a month-long investigation into a suspected drug trafficking operation, a criminal complaint filed in New York federal court said.

In 2010, Macaluso represented Anthony, who was found not guilty in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

Macaluso left Anthony’s defense team in February 2010 due to a disciplinary charge by the California Bar Association.

Read more: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/national/former-casey-anthony-attorney-accused-trying-smuggle-cocaine-into/mcxw9enA5wXc3zEKkrwvuI/

Supreme Court rejects financier Stanford's 7 billion Ponzi scheme appeal

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Texas financier Robert Allen Stanford's bid to overturn his conviction and 110-year prison sentence for running what prosecutors called a $7.2 billion Ponzi scheme that bilked investors in 113 countries.

The justices left in place the imprisoned Stanford's appeal of an October 2015 ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld his 2012 conviction and sentence arising from one of the largest such frauds ever uncovered in the United States.

Federal prosecutors said he ran a scam for two decades that defrauded some 30,000 investors and centered on the sale of fraudulent high-yielding certificates of deposit through his Antigua-based Stanford International Bank.

They said he used investor funds to make risky investments, pay bribes and fund a lavish lifestyle including mansions, yachts and private jets. Authorities uncovered the scheme in 2009.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-stanford-idUSKBN13N1I5

Florida to pay prison whistleblowers 800,000 to end lawsuit

TALLAHASSEE — Years after three prison investigators came forward with evidence of inmate abuse and cover-ups at the Florida Department of Corrections, the state has agreed to settle a retaliation lawsuit — and pay them $800,000.

The prison agency also agreed to end lawsuits by three other department whistleblowers, closing a chapter in what has been one of the most tumultuous eras in state prison history.

The agreement, filed in Leon County Circuit Court on Tuesday, exonerates investigators of the FDC inspector general's office, Doug Glisson, Aubrey Land and John Ulm, after they came forward with evidence that they believed an inmate at Franklin Correctional Institution, Randall Jordan-Aparo, had been gassed to death by prison guards. Jordan-Aparo's family has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the state.

The department listed Jordan-Aparo's death as from "natural causes" until the investigators started asking questions and found errors in the way the investigation was handled.

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/florida-to-pay-prison-whistleblowers-800000-to-end-lawsuit/2304498

Nathan Deal: Capping water would be disaster for South Georgia farmers

Gov. Nathan Deal warned that Florida’s attempt to cap Georgia’s water use and set a strict limit of water flowing south across the state line could have dire consequences for the state’s agricultural industry.

In an interview Tuesday as the state’s lengthy battle with Florida over regional water rights neared a critical juncture, Deal said limits on water use could be a “disaster for agriculture” that could force farmers to change the types of crops by restricting irrigation.

“Farmers are allowed to make those calls on their own, based on market prices for the commodities they produce. They should not have an artificial process to grow their crops,” Deal said. “It’s pretty far-reaching.”

The governor said Florida was forced to target Georgia’s agriculture industry in part because of successful water conservation efforts in metro Atlanta. He pointed to data provided by his office that show metro Atlanta is withdrawing 10 percent less water over the past decade despite growing by more than 1 million people.

Read more: http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2016/11/29/nathan-deal-capping-water-would-be-disaster-for-south-georgia-farmers/

Scammers targeting business customers of Georgia Power Company

ATLANTA — Businesses in Georgia are being targeted by financial scammers pretending to be power company officials, the Georgia Attorney General’s Office warned Tuesday.

Attorney General Chris Carr’s office said in a telemarketing fraud scheme, scam artists are posing as representatives of Georgia Power Co. and are threatening to shut off businesses’ power unless an immediate payment is made. The scammer then provides a toll-free number to call to set up the payment.

If a customer dials the number given, a recording mimics the power company’s phone system, which state officials say increases the effectiveness of this scam. When the customer chooses the “billing” option from the automated menu, a live person comes on the line to assign a case number and gives instructions to send funds via a Green Dot MoneyPak prepaid card or a wire transfer.

Carr said consumers can avoid this type of scam by realizing that Georgia Power will never ask a customer for a pre-paid debit card, bank or credit card information over the phone. Anyone who gets a call of this nature should hang up and call Georgia Power directly at 1 (888) 660-5890 to verify, Carr said. A legitimate phone number for Georgia Power can also be obtained from a customer’s most recent billing statement.

Read more: http://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/scammers-targeting-business-customers-of-georgia-power-company/article_4154e1e1-ae51-57c8-9114-a8a39b1799cb.html

Ground broken on new cyber command headquarters at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia

Officials broke ground Tuesday on Fort Gordon’s future headquarters for Army cyber operations.

“Today marks a major leap forward on the road to achieving greater readiness, resilience and strength for Army cyber operations,” Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, commanding general of U.S. Army Cyber Command and Second Army, said at the ceremony. “More importantly, today represents a turning point in our nation’s and our Army’s ability to project power in cyberspace.”

In 2009, the Department of Defense declared cyberspace a new domain of warfare after growing concerns about cybersecurity and an increase in cyber threats. The Army decided in late 2013 to build new cyber command headquarters alongside National Security Agency-Georgia’s facilities at Fort Gordon.

It will be four years before the $180 million, state-of-the-art facility is complete, but Army and local officials are already excited about the opportunities that will result. Nakasone said the benefits from the facility are endless, not only for the nation’s security but for people living in the Augusta area.

Read more: http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/2016-11-29/ground-broken-new-cyber-command-headquarters-fort-gordon

Cross-posted in the National Security & Defense Group.

Ground broken on new cyber command headquarters at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia

Officials broke ground Tuesday on Fort Gordon’s future headquarters for Army cyber operations.

“Today marks a major leap forward on the road to achieving greater readiness, resilience and strength for Army cyber operations,” Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, commanding general of U.S. Army Cyber Command and Second Army, said at the ceremony. “More importantly, today represents a turning point in our nation’s and our Army’s ability to project power in cyberspace.”

In 2009, the Department of Defense declared cyberspace a new domain of warfare after growing concerns about cybersecurity and an increase in cyber threats. The Army decided in late 2013 to build new cyber command headquarters alongside National Security Agency-Georgia’s facilities at Fort Gordon.

It will be four years before the $180 million, state-of-the-art facility is complete, but Army and local officials are already excited about the opportunities that will result. Nakasone said the benefits from the facility are endless, not only for the nation’s security but for people living in the Augusta area.

Read more: http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/2016-11-29/ground-broken-new-cyber-command-headquarters-fort-gordon

Cross-posted in the Georgia Group.

Disaster loans approved for Georgia victims after hurricane

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia residents affected by Hurricane Matthew are eligible for disaster relief assistance after the storm battered the southeast region of the state in October.

The Small Business Administration announced Tuesday that more than $5 million low-interest disaster loans have been approved for businesses and residents. Around 224 loans have been given out so far.

The disaster declaration covers 10 counties in Georgia including Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh and Wayne. Those counties are eligible for both physical and economic injury disaster from the SBA.

Hurricane Matthew left a pattern of destruction in Georgia causing an abundance of falling trees while beachfront homes weathered the storm.

http://goldenisles.news/news/state_news/disaster-loans-approved-for-georgia-victims-after-hurricane/article_a15ad19f-4344-5529-9b48-9b0cda4187ad.html

Spurned Georgia man gets 3.5 years for Florida bomb threats

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Georgia man spurned by a co-worker has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for making hoax bomb threats against an airport and schools in Florida while using the name of the co-worker's boyfriend.

A U.S. Attorney's Office news release says 26-year-old Preston McWaters of Athens, Georgia, was sentenced Tuesday. He pleaded guilty in July to four bomb threat counts. Nine other charges were dropped.

Court documents show that McWaters created false email and social media accounts in the name of a Jupiter man in a relationship with the woman who had rejected McWaters' romantic advances. Prosecutors say McWaters used the accounts over several months in late 2015 and early 2016 to send false bomb threats to Palm Beach County schools, Palm Beach International Airport and private businesses.

http://goldenisles.news/ap/national/spurned-georgia-man-gets-years-for-florida-bomb-threats/article_ae56329f-d953-5c9d-8be7-66928fc9c63a.html

Georgia Democrat files bill to require training for carry permit

The second of two gun bills has been filed for the 2017-2018 Georgia legislative session, and neither have been to expand or protect the Second Amendment rights of Georgians.

Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, state representative Mary Margaret Oliver filed a bill to ban the possession and sale of some “assault weapons” in the state, making it a misdemeanor accompanied with fines.

Monday, state representative Keisha Waites, a democrat who represents parts of Atlanta, followed suit and pre-filed House Bill 11, which would require firearms safety training for anyone seeking a carry permit for a handgun.

Specifically, the bill calls for completion of firearms safety training within three years prior to the application of a Georgia weapons carry permit. “Training” is defined as:

currently serving as a peace officer
currently serving in the US military
currently a member of the armed forces or Georgia National Guard
working as a certified (by the National Rifle Association) firearms training instructor
or providing proof of completion of a course on firearm safety.