New York Paralegal Blog

NEW YORK, NY – Six individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a large-scale, unlicensed money transmitting operation that moved over $15 million in a matter of months through an informal system known as "hawala." The sentences, handed down in the White Plains federal court, mark a significant victory for federal investigators in their efforts to curb illicit financial activities. What is a "Hawala"? Essentially, a hawala is a way to transfer money, often across borders, without any physical cash actually moving. It relies on a network of brokers who receive money in one location and then have an associate in another location pay out the same amount to the intended recipient. While not inherently illegal, operating such a service without a license from state and federal authorities is a serious crime, as these networks can be used to launder money for criminal enterprises. The Investigation and Convictions Between February and September of 2023, the group ra...

In the second installment of our series on Affirmative Action, we shift our focus to the arguments underpinning its continued necessity. Proponents assert that the playing field is not yet level, and that systemic barriers and the long shadow of historical disadvantages continue to impede true equality of opportunity for racial minorities. This isn't about ignoring merit, but recognizing that merit is often stifled by deeply ingrained societal inequalities. The Unseen Hurdles: Systemic Barriers Imagine a race where some runners start with hurdles in their lanes while others have a clear path. This is the reality created by systemic barriers. These are not isolated incidents of prejudice, but rather institutionalized practices and policies that, while seemingly neutral on the surface, disproportionately disadvantage minority groups. One stark example lies in the use of credit reports in employment. For many, a credit score is a reflection of financial responsibility. However, due t...

New York - As federal allegations against music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs dominate headlines, it's worth revisiting past cases that highlight the grim realities of sex trafficking. The 2012 conviction of Nicholas Alvarez, a man from Queens, for similar crimes provides a stark, resolved example of the brutal exploitation that prosecutors are now aiming to prove in the high-profile Combs case. Nicholas Alvarez was found guilty in a White Plains federal court in 2012 following a two-week jury trial. The court found that between December 2010 and February 2011, Alvarez lured women with fraudulent promises of financial security and protection, only to force them into prostitution. His cruel reign involved transporting his victims across state lines, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. The methods employed by Alvarez were a horrific blend of physical and psychological abuse. According to evidence presented at his trial, he subje...

  Many remember the powerful story of Erin Brockovich, the tenacious single mother who took on a corporate giant and won. A key figure behind that landmark case was her lawyer, Thomas Girardi. Once celebrated as a champion for the underdog, the 86-year-old disbarred attorney is now facing 87 months in federal prison. Girardi was sentenced for a shocking crime: stealing tens of millions of dollars from the very clients he was supposed to be helping. These weren't just any clients; many were victims of severe accidents, trusting Girardi to fight for them and secure their futures. Instead of delivering their hard-won settlement money, he used it to fund a lavish lifestyle. For over a decade, Girardi ran his prestigious Los Angeles law firm, Girardi Keese, like a personal piggy bank. The court found he operated a Ponzi-like scheme, using new client settlements to partially pay off the clients he had previously stolen from. When clients asked where their money was, Girardi and his team...

The ongoing legal saga of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs has captured public attention, not just for the gravity of the accusations, but for the almost surreal, cinematic quality of the unfolding narrative. The allegations, detailed in a series of lawsuits and criminal charges, paint a picture so vivid and disturbing that it blurs the line between celebrity scandal and a scripted drama, prompting some to dub it "Keeping Up with the Diddys." At the heart of the storm are serious accusations of racketeering and sex trafficking. Multiple women, including his former long-term partner, singer Cassie Ventura, and another accuser identified in court as "Jane," have come forward with harrowing accounts. A recurring and particularly unsettling theme in their testimonies alleges a pattern of behavior where Combs would compel women to engage in sexual acts with others while he watched. This specific allegation has led to the stark and provocative comparison of his alleged de...

Josh Russell / June 5, 2025 MANHATTAN (CN) — Sean “Diddy” Combs gave his fly-in girlfriend ecstasy and molly before sex “every time I saw him,” an ex-girlfriend from the 2020s testified Thursday afternoon in the entertainment mogul’s criminal trial in New York federal court. Testifying under the pseudonym “Jane” to protect her privacy, Combs’ ex-girlfriend said they met during a girls’ trip to Miami in late 2020. “At the time, Sean was romantically involved with one of my girlfriends,” she said. Jane, a professional social media influencer, said Combs offered to put her up at a hotel when she returned to Miami in January 2021, which turned into a five-day “first date” at the Faena Hotel Miami Beach. She testified that Combs sent her a $10,000 bank transfer after their next trip together, a two-week vacation in Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas, where she took ecstasy every other day, “maybe like 10 times,” in each Caribbean location. The soft-spoken Jane choked up on Thursday as she re...

In a significant victory against health care fraud, Gary Cox, the 79-year-old CEO of Power Mobility Doctor Rx, LLC (DMERx), was convicted by a federal jury on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.  Cox was found guilty for his central role in a sophisticated conspiracy that generated false doctors' orders, leading to fraudulent bills to Medicare and other federal health care programs exceeding  $1 billion . According to the Department of Justice, Cox and his co-conspirators operated an internet-based platform, DMERx, which served as the hub for this extensive fraud. The scheme targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries through misleading mailers, television advertisements, and calls from offshore call centers. These tactics were used to obtain beneficiaries' personal information and their agreement to accept medically unnecessary items like orthotic braces and pain creams. Here's how the scheme worked: DMERx connected pharmacies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, a...