Category: Crime & Public Safety
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Brooklyn Medicaid Fraud Case Exposes How $68 Million Meant for the Vulnerable Was Looted
Two Brooklyn marketers pleaded guilty to a Medicaid fraud scheme that stole over $68 million aimed at aiding seniors and disabled individuals. Manal Wasef and Elaine Antao conspired to receive illegal kickbacks, leading to phantom service billing. They face up to 10 years in prison and have agreed to forfeit about $1 million.
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When Algorithms Become Evidence: A Warning on AI Deepfakes and Due Process
A Pennsylvania-linked case shows how unverified AI-generated text messages sent an innocent woman to jail, exposing dangerous gaps in due process as courts struggle to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology.
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New York Ends Anonymous Child Abuse Hotline Calls — A Long-Overdue Check on Weaponized Reporting
New York is ending anonymous child abuse reports to restore accountability and protect families. The Anti-Harassment in Reporting Act mandates that callers provide their identities, addressing concerns about false reports and harassment. The reform seeks to balance child safety while minimizing government overreach into family life, fostering genuine protection without unnecessary intrusions.
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Bronx Car Fire Homicide Marks New York City’s First Killing of 2026
New York City marked the first hours of 2026 with tragedy after a 55-year-old rideshare driver was found shot to death inside a burning SUV in the Bronx. No arrests have been made, raising urgent questions about safety for gig workers and the city’s crime narrative heading into the new year.
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Brooklyn Family Court Ends Compulsion — But an Autistic Child Remains Missing
A Brooklyn Family Court ruling has relieved Jacqueline Pritchett of further obligations regarding her missing son, Jacob, an autistic boy last seen in 2025. Despite constitutional protections upheld, child safety remains at risk, and authorities lack information or leads in a case raising concerns about parental accountability and systemic failures in child welfare.
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Tipsy Justice: New Jersey Mandolin Thief Returns $9,000 in Instruments With a Handwritten Apology
A Teaneck man who stole nearly $9,000 in vintage mandolins from a North Jersey music shop returned them days later with a handwritten apology blaming alcohol and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas—turning a routine theft into one of the strangest feel-good stories of the holiday season.
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A Tragic Reminder of Hidden Danger Inside the Home: New Jersey Reckons With Domestic Violence After Imani Dia Smith’s Death
The killing of former Broadway child star Imani Dia Smith is a tragic reminder that the most dangerous threats often exist behind closed doors. As New Jersey confronts another case of intimate partner violence, the focus must shift beyond headlines to accountability, prevention, and the lasting trauma faced by children left behind.
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Brown University Shooting Leaves Two Students Dead, Raises Hard Questions About Campus Safety and Rushed Narratives
Two students are dead and nine others injured after a mass shooting inside a Brown University classroom during finals week — a tragedy that has shaken the campus and exposed hard questions about security, mental health failures, and the rush to politicize violence before the facts are known.
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NYC’s Crime Decline Is Real — But It’s Hanging by a Thread
New York City’s crime numbers are finally falling after years of chaos — thanks to the Adams–Tisch crackdown. But without stronger laws, mental-health interventions, and continued NYPD support under the new administration, these gains could vanish overnight. Here’s why NYC’s safety turnaround is real, but fragile.
New York Bay News 