New York Paralegal Blog

A Las Vegas woman with a biochemistry degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Latonia Smith, has been found guilty of cyberstalking, following a trial that revealed a pattern of deeply concerning online searches and communications. Smith was accused of sending threatening emails to two judges, Judges Dorsey and Boulware, and her probation officer. What made these communications particularly alarming was the discovery of her extensive online activity. Evidence presented at trial showed she had searched for phrases like "judges die," "how to become a bomb maker," "how to be a mass shooter," "buying a gun," and "ar 15 for sale." Even more disturbing, she watched a compilation of videos from the horrific October 1st mass shooting 13 times in just three weeks. During the same period, she repeatedly looked up the names of her targets, some of their children, and even their home addresses. After deliberating for less than a...

DALLAS — In a ruling issued April 26, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has affirmed a jury’s verdict in favor of a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) disability discrimination lawsuit against Service Temps, Inc. doing business as Smith Personnel Solutions, the federal agency announced on May 10, 2012.

ORLANDO, FL—United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that David A. Smith, (41, a Jamaican citizen) who was living in the Turks and Caicos Islands, today pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and 18 counts of money laundering. The wire fraud counts carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not more than three years. In addition, for each count of wire fraud the fine may be assessed at twice the amount of gross gain or loss. Last year, Smith pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges filed in the Turks and Caicos Islands arising from his investment scam there, and he was sentenced to serve six-and-a-half years in prison.

Employees Used Verbal Abuse and Sexual Harassment to Intimidate Consumers Into Paying Debts Latest Action in Cuomo’s Ongoing Probe into Unlawful Debt Collection Practices BUFFALO, NEW YORK (August 18, 2009) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that his office has filed a lawsuit seeking to shut down a Buffalo-based debt collection operation consisting of 13 debt collection companies run by Buffalo residents Omar Smith, Narvell Benning and Keith Marshall (collectively, the "Benning-Smith Group”). Today’s announcement is the latest action in Attorney General Cuomo’s ongoing investigation of unlawful debt collection practices. According to the more than 850 consumer complaints filed with the Office of the Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau, the Benning-Smith Group's employees violated state and federal law by routinely posing as law enforcement officials and threatening to arrest or to physically harm consumers unless they ...