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Showing posts from October, 2014

LAPD officer was flashing more than his badge

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On October 29, 2014, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) announced that one of its officers was arrested as the Huntington Beach flasher. Off-duty LAPD Officer Ryan Galliher, 33, was caught in a police sting by the Huntington Beach Police Department, which was set up in response to victim complaints. Female joggers were startled by a man exposing himself, prompting Huntington Beach Police to start closely watching the area near the wetlands at Bolsa Chica Street, south of Los Patos Avenue. Police caught Galliher red-handed, as they witnessed him exposing his genitals to an unsuspecting female jogger. He was arrested shortly thereafter. The long arm of the law grabbed the immodest flasher in the early morning hours on October 23, 2014. The LAPD officer was booked on suspicion of a lewd act in public. Continue reading:  http://www.examiner.com/article/lapd-officer-was-flashing-more-than-his-badge

NATO intercepts 19 Russian military aircraft, fighter jets scrambled in response

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NATO detected and monitored four groups of Russian military aircraft, conducting significant military maneuvers in European airspace on October 28 and 29, 2014. These sizable Russian flights took place over the Baltic Sea, North Sea/Atlantic Ocean and Black Sea. These activities represent an unusual level of air activity over European airspace. Fighter aircraft from Norway, Britain, Portugal, Germany and Turkey were scrambled in response. Tensions between Russia and NATO countries have soared over the Ukraine crisis. Russia initially denied that its military played a part in the unlawful annexation of Crimea. Putin later admitted that the Russian military did indeed participate in the incursion. Similar denials are now being uttered with respect to Russia’s Hamas-like activities in Ukraine, while the deaths of Russian soldiers are being willfully concealed . As the West continues to press on with sanctions against Russia, the wounded bear is attempting to assert its might with milita

Former Department of Homeland Security officer sentenced for bribery, fraud

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On October 20, 2014, Billy Louis Nelms Sr., 54, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison . Nelms worked as an immigration officer in the Fraud Detection and National Security unit, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security ’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). One of his duties involved investigating marriage fraud on applications for an immigration benefit. Nelms was taking bribes from Cambodian immigrants, who were present in the United States without legal status, in exchange for immigration benefits. He managed to defraud not only the government, but also the immigrants who bribed him. Nelms promised them permanent legal status, in exchange for a bribe of $5,000 in cash. Instead, the stamps he used on the immigration documents in question provided their bearers with only a temporary legal status in the United States. Nelms attempted to cover up his crimes by using stamps that belonged to other government officials, or us

Taser-happy cops plead guilty to using excessive force against a woman

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On October 27, 2014, two former police officers pleaded guilty in federal court in Florence, South Carolina to using excessive force against a woman with mental disabilities. Eric Walters, 39, and Franklin Brown, 35, formerly police officers with the City of Marion Police Department in South Carolina, each pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law for using unreasonable force. Walters and Brown repeatedly tased the female victim, in spite of the fact that she posed no threat to either officer. In the course of detaining the woman, Walters tased her. This caused the victim to fall to the ground and injure her head. Once on the ground, Walters continued to tase the woman multiple times. The woman was then restrained in handcuffs and seated on the curb, surrounded by law enforcement officers. Brown arrived on scene and decided that it was a great idea to tase a sitting, handcuffed woman yet again. In court, Walters and Brown admitted there was no legitima

California cop gets 25 years for sex crimes against prostitutes

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On October 27, 2014, a former San Bernardino police officer Jose Jesus Perez, 47, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for forcing prostitutes to have sex with him, while he was on duty. In May of this year, he was convicted of two felony counts and one misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law for sexual assaults. In 2011, San Bernardino Police Department’s Vice unit conducted “a citywide anti-prostitution program targeting those seeking to solicit females in violation of PC 647(b).” Perez served in the Vice unit, investigating prostitution. He was charged for assaulting the women during the same year. Perez blamed his crimes on being a sex addict. In a handwritten letter to U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips, Perez said that he began attending weekly Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings after the investigation began. Continue reading:  http://www.examiner.com/article/california-cop-gets-25-years-for-sex-crimes-against-prostitutes

LAX flight cancelled because of a WiFi network named after terror group

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On October 27, 2014, American Airlines Flight 136 to London is set to depart at 7:50 p.m., after Sunday’s flight out of Los Angeles International Airport was cancelled . A passenger's phone picked up a WiFinetwork named "Al-Quida Free Terror," prompting massive overreaction. After the passenger informed the flight crew, the plane was returned to the terminal at a remote part of the airport. LAX police officers boarded the plane and investigated the incident, telling passengers to turn off their electronic devices. Passengers were initially told that it was a maintenance issue. An hour later, they were informed that “there was a security threat” and the plane didn’t have clearance to take off. Passengers were kept onboard for several hours, only to find out that the flight was being delayed until the next day. Officials determined that no crime had been committed and no further action will be taken, LAX Police Sgt. Karla Ortiz said. "Passengers were interviewed

Ukraine elections force Communist party out of Parliament

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According to the exit poll data and the first results unveiled by Ukraine’s Central Electoral Commission , as of October 27, 2014, the Communist party has been expelled from the Ukrainian Parliament. The outcome of the elections is in line with the democratic values, for which Ukrainians fought and died during the popular revolution on the Maidan . The nation’s heroes did not die in vain. Ukrainians have voted for a Parliament that significantly limits President Poroshenko’s block in its influence and includes previously underrepresented groups into the Verkhovna Rada. Pro-European parties are likely to take up to two-thirds of seats in Parliament. Poroshenko’s Bloc, People’s Front and Self-Help are newly-established pro-reformist parties, headed by young leaders (Klytchko, Yatseniuk and Sadovy respectively). They include civil-society activists, military men and volunteers. These are the people brought into the fold of Ukrainian politics by the Maidan and the conflict stirred up b

Cops swap nude photos of female arrestees and dead victims as a ‘game’

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On October 23, 2014, Contra Costa, CA prosecutors held a meeting to discuss possible felony computer theft charges against 35-year-old California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Sean Harrington, who admitted accessing nude photos of a DUI suspect and covertly sending them from her cellphone to his own. In additional court documents, obtained by San Jose Mercury News on October 24, 2014, Martinez confessed to stealing explicit photos from the cellphone of another Contra Costa County DUI suspect in August 2014. He forwarded those images to at least two CHP colleagues and called it a "game" among officers . Harrington told investigators he had done the same thing to female arrestees a "half dozen times in the last several years." He sent bikini shots of a 19-year-old female DUI crash victim to another CHP Officer, Robert Hazelwood, while the woman was at a hospital to have X-rays taken after the crash. Accompanying text message said: "Taken from the phone of my 10

LAPD officer videotaped kicking restrained suspect's head like a football

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A Los Angeles police (LAPD) officer is under investigation for allegedly beating and kicking a suspect, who was being held down by other officers. On October 24, 2014, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck released a statement that he was “extremely concerned about this particular use of force.” The victim, Clinton Alford, 22, was taken to a hospital for stitches and a head scan. In an interview with the LA Times , he reported being in fear for his life during the encounter. “I was just praying that they wouldn’t kill me. I just closed my eyes and tried to hold on,” Alford said. Alford was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk, when a car pulled up behind him. He heard a man shouting a command to stop, without first identifying himself as a police officer. When someone grabbed the back of his bike, Alford jumped off and ran. After a short foot pursuit, two LAPD officers caught up to him. Footage from the security camera on an industrial building nearby captured Alford voluntarily lying down and placin

Army official sold the public trust for a half-million dollars in bribes

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On October 24, 2014, In Seon Lim, a former contracting official for the U.S. Department of the Army, was sentenced to four years in prison by the Honorable Leonie M. Brinkema in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Lim, 48, of Fairfax Station, Virginia, pled guilty to three offenses in July 2014 : conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services wire fraud; bribery; and attempting to interfere with and impede tax laws. Lim accepted more than $490,000 in benefits from companies, in exchange for helping them win favorable treatment and millions of dollars in federal government contracts. He is one of 18 individuals and one corporation, Nova Datacom, LLC, to plead guilty to federal charges in the largest domestic bribery and bid-rigging scheme in the history of federal contracting cases. Participants in the scheme stole over $30 million in government money through inflated and fictitious invoices. Lim admitted that he used his official position to enrich himself

CHP officer forwards nude photos from DUI suspect's phone

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On October 23, 2014, Contra Costa, CA prosecutors have met, considering felony computer theft charges against 35-year-old California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Sean Harrington. The District Attorney Investigator has recommended that criminal charges be filed against Harrington, who is suspected of accessing nude photos of a DUI suspect and covertly sending them from her cellphone to his own. On Aug. 29, 2014, Harrington and a second CHP officer pulled over a 23-year-old San Ramon, CA woman for allegedly making an unsafe lane change. She reportedly showed signs of intoxication, failed field sobriety tests and was taken to County Jail. Investigators say that Harrington asked the woman for a password to her cellphone, in order to find contact information for the person she wanted to call from jail. After unlocking the phone, Officer Harrington looked through the photo folder, where he found explicit photos of the woman. He then forwarded six of those pictures to his own cellphone. The

Department of Homeland Security issues a warning about fake Halloween contacts

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On October 23, 2014, the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning to consumers against counterfeit decorative contact lenses. With Halloween rapidly approaching, ‘Operation Double Vision’ is underway to seize fake contacts from store shelves. As a result of the operation, this year alone there have been 74 seizures with a total of more than 20,000 pairs of counterfeit and decorative contact lenses being seized by the DHS. Decorative and colored lenses are a hot ticket item, especially during autumn holidays. Agencies involved in the operation are working to seize counterfeit contact lenses, illegally imported decorative lenses, and lenses unapproved by the FDA. Blood-drenched vampire eyes, glow-in-the-dark lizard lenses or oversized doll-eye contacts can certainly add a spooky, eye-popping touch. They can also bring real horror into your life, since there is no such thing as a "one size fits all" with contact lenses. Contacts that are not properly fitted may scrat

Department of Homeland Security raids the store, confiscates panties as evidence

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On October 20, 2014, agents with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) marched into Kansas City’s underwear store, Honig’s Birdies Panties shop . Peregrine Honig, the shop’s owner, asked one of the unwelcome visitors what size he was looking for. In response, he surprised Ms. Honig by flashing his badge and escorting her outside. Apparently, the DHS was deeply perturbed by the Lucky Royals boyshorts that were set to go on sale Tuesday. The owner of Birdies Panties designed the undies to help celebrate the hometown team. The panties featured a hand-drawn design, with “Take the Crown” and “KC” printed across the bottom. Homeland Security officials said that by connecting the “K” and the “C” in her design, Ms. Honig allegedly infringed on major league baseball copyright. DHS agents proceeded to confiscate the few dozen pairs of underwear, placing them into the evidence bag with the agency’s insignia. Ms. Honig was told to sign a statement, stating that Birdies Panties wouldn’t use th

Fatal attraction: woman tries to break into the house, gets stuck in the chimney

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On October 19, 2014, Genoveva Nunez-Figueroa tried to break into a Thousand Oaks, California home , by sneaking in through the chimney. Much to the woman's surprise, she got stuck. The Woodside Drive residents called the police during early morning hours, reporting that a female was heard crying nearby. Ventura County emergency responders were able to locate Nunez-Figueroa, firmly lodged inside the chimney. In order to free her, authorities had to carefully dismantle the fireplace. The homeowner called it a case of "fatal attraction," having met Nunez-Figueroa online. The two briefly dated, the woman reportedly had become obsessed. After the break-up, she was caught prowling on his roof. Continue reading:  http://www.examiner.com/article/woman-tries-to-break-into-the-house-gets-stuck-the-chimney

FBI agent took bribes in exchange for internal law enforcement documents

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The Department of Justice announced that on October 17, 2014 two Connecticut men pleaded guilty to bribery charges , admitting that they participated in a scheme to obtain confidential, internal law enforcement documents and information from a former Special Agent with the FBI in White Plains, New York. Johannes Thaler, 51 and Rizve Ahmed, aka “Caesar,” 35, admitted to bribing Robert Lustyik, who was at the time serving as a Special Agent with the FBI’s counterintelligence squad. According to the guilty plea, between September 2011 and March 2012, Thaler and Lustyik solicited bribes from Ahmed. In return for the bribes, Lustyik promised to provide internal law enforcement documents and other confidential information to Ahmed. Ahmed, a native of Bangladesh, wanted to access confidential law enforcement information, including a Suspicious Activity Report, pertaining to a Bangladeshi political figure who was affiliated with a political party opposing Ahmed’s views. Ahmed admitted that he

Pimp known as ‘King Kong’ branded minor victims with demeaning tattoos

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On October 17, 2014, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced that Bruce Kelcy Gordon, 30 was sentenced to a total of 27-years-to-life in state prison. He pleaded no contest to human trafficking and a number of related crimes, including assault with a firearm, lewd act upon a child, human trafficking to commit another crime and sodomy by use of force. Gordon admitted to committing crimes reported by his multiple victims. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Daviann Mitchell ordered that Gordon be registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Since August 2003, Gordon was operating as a pimp, using the moniker “King Kong.” He forced one of his underage victims into prostitution. Gordon sexually abused the girl for more than seven years. He branded the victim with demeaning tattoos, including one on her face that said "King Kong." In the pimp subculture , which is nothing less than modern-day slavery, victims are marked with tattoos of gang moniker

Akba Jihad Jordan pleads guilty in terrorism case

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On October 16, 2014, Akba Jihad Jordan, 22 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, planning to travel overseas “ for purposes of violent jihad .” Jordan, along with his accomplice and co-defendant, Avin Marsalis Brown, were planning to fight side by side with terrorist groups in Yemen and Syria. Brown and Jordan engaged in numerous discussions with an FBI confidential source, expressing their fervent desire to travel overseas to fight the “kuffar” (non-Muslims) and “munafiq” (Muslims considered to be hypocrites). They were willing to join groups such as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS), and jabhat al-Nusrah (JAN). In preparation for their trip, Jordan was acting as a fitness guru to Brown, as well as his homegrown firearms and tactical training instructor. The duo frequently discussed the use of weapons in fighting the kuffar, both overseas and in the United States. Jordan asserted that he would not

FedEx delivers package with cocaine, heroin, meth to the wrong address

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On October 15, 2014, Harris County sheriff's officials in Texas reported that three people have been arrested, after a FedEx package containing illicit drugs was delivered to the wrong address . The unintended recipient opened the box and found cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. The resident notified authorities. Instead of the FedEx package full of drugs they were expecting, a Texas trio received an unwelcome visit from the police . Search of the premises unearthed approximately $100,000 worth of drugs, described as “a hodgepodge of cocaine, heroin, LSD, steroids, assorted prescription drugs and a whole bunch of guns," including an AR-15 rifle with a full 30-round clip and a military-grade night scope. Scales, baggies and other drug paraphernalia were also found at the scene. Continue reading:  http://www.examiner.com/article/fedex-delivers-package-with-cocaine-heroin-meth-to-the-wrong-address

Bulgarian child rapist finally deported from the US after two decades

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On October 14, 2014 Romeo Mihov Ruskov, 48 was deported from the U.S. back to his native Bulgaria by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE). Ruskov brutally raped a minor in Bulgaria in 1993, illegally entered the U.S. in 1995 and managed to hide from justice for nearly two decades. His case exemplifies the inexcusable shortcomings of our lax immigration system. Ruskov was removed from Chicago via commercial aircraft, arriving in Sofia, Bulgaria on Oct. 15, 2014. He is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice (an arrest warrant or court order issued by the judicial authorities in the country concerned). Ruskov was convicted for gang raping a minor in Bulgaria, using threats and force. For this heinous crime, Ruskov was sentenced to four years in prison. An appellate decision issued by the Bulgarian Pazardzhik District Court on Nov. 8, 2012 upheld the conviction and sentence. After committing the rape in 1993, Ruskov escaped justice by flying to Mexico City. Once ther

Second health worker in US contracts Ebola, CDC fails to accept responsibility

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On October 15, 2014, another female hospital worker in Dallas, Texas has tested positive for Ebola , after treating Ebola’s ‘Patient Zero,’ Thomas Eric Duncan. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to obfuscate the facts, while failing to acknowledge that its guidelines are grossly inadequate, providing only minimum level of protection. Ebola is highly infectious. At the peak of illness, an Ebola patient can have 10 billion viral particles in one-fifth of a teaspoon of blood, making it more contagious than hepatitis A, B and C, as well as H.I.V. Researchers can study bubonic plague at level 3, but Ebola and other transmissible and incurable viruses must be quarantined at Biosafety level 4 . Protective gear recommended by the CDC provides only level 2 of protection – grossly inadequate for protecting health workers and other patients. On October 14, 2014, Sudanese Ebola patient died in German hospital . He was the third Ebola patient to arrive in Germany in re

ISIS recruits Western teens, justifies sex slavery

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In the new edition of its digital magazine, ISIS attempts to justify kidnapping non-Muslim women and turning them into sex slaves. The article, " The Revival of Slavery Before the Hour ," claims that forcing women to become concubines and sex slaves is acceptable in the days leading up to the Judgment Day. CNN reports that the rationalization for a return to slavery coincided with the release of a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on crimes committed by ISIS, which describes the Islamic State’s brutality towards their captives. A litany of horrific crimes includes forced marriage, sexual assault and slavery, with children amongst the victims. The twisted publication of the group's English-language digital magazine called "Dabiq" threatens, “We will conquer your Rome, break your crosses, and enslave your women." ISIS claims that “enslaving the families of the [infidels] and taking their women as concubines is a firmly established aspect of Shariah th

D.C. police officer was moonlighting as a pimp

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On October 9, 2014 Linwood Barnhill, 48, a former officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD),  was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of pandering minors for prostitution and one count of possession of child pornography. His short sentence was secured by the plea agreement. Judge Rosemary M. Collyer coddled the disgraced police officer , telling him: “You have served this community so well … It is sad for me to have to sentence you today. I hope you recover.” Continue reading:  http://www.examiner.com/article/d-c-police-officer-was-moonlighting-as-a-pimp

Robot that kills Ebola and Enterovirus D68 showcased at IDWeek 2014

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A 5-foot-5 superbug-slaying robot is being featured at IDWeek 2014 in Philadelphia from October 8 to 12, 2014 . IDWeek is a combined meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the HIV Medicine Association and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. This futuristic-looking machine, known as TRU-D SmartUVC, emanates UVC light at a particular frequency known to kill Ebola particles. The study, entitled, "Sensitivity to Ultraviolet Radiation of Lassa, vaccinia and Ebola viruses Dried on Surfaces," found that Ebola virus is vulnerable to UVC light emitted from low-pressure mercury UVC bulbs. UVC light works to eliminate Ebola and other deadly pathogens, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Enterovirus D68, by scrambling DNA of these organisms and thereby compromising their ability to reproduce and spread. Continue reading:  http://www.examiner.com/article/robot-that-kills-ebola-a

Fort Hood soldiers charged after attempted alien smuggling on September 11

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On October 9, 2014, the seven-count indictment was unsealed against three Fort Hood soldiers for smuggling, transporting and harboring illegal aliens. It charges active-duty U.S. Army soldiers Eric Alexander Rodriguez, 20, Brandon Troy Robbins, 20, and Christopher David Wix, 21. The indictment was unsealed upon the arrests of Rodriguez, Robbins and Wix at Fort Hood in Texas. All three soldiers are privates , serving in the 1st Cavalry Division's 215th Brigade Support Battalion. Eric Alexander Rodriguez is an ammunition specialist, Christopher David Wix is an automated logistical specialist and Brandon Troy Robbins is a vehicle transport operator. They are facing criminal charges for one count of conspiracy to transport and harbor aliens, and six counts of transporting aliens. Continue reading:  http://www.examiner.com/article/fort-hood-soldiers-charged-after-attempted-alien-smuggling-on-september-11

ICE smartphone app helps locate child predators and rescue their victims

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On October 7, 2014 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that Operation Predator app is now available for Android smartphones . It’s also available in Spanish for both Apple and Android versions. The Spanish language versions of the app are built-in to the iOS and Android applications. Users who already have the iOS version should update the app or download it fresh from the Apple Store or iTunes. The award-winning Operation Predator app is the first U.S. federal law enforcement app, designed to seek the public's help with fugitive and suspected child predators. It allows users to receive alerts about child predators, share the information via email and social media tools and provide information to ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) by calling or submitting an online tip. It also showcases news about arrests and prosecutions of child predators, as well as other resources related to child exploitation. Continue reading:  http://www.examiner.com

Department of Homeland Security official took bribes in cash and egg rolls

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A U.S. immigration officer was sentenced on October 3, 2014 to two and a half years in federal prison, for accepting bribes in the form of cash and egg rolls from applicants seeking citizenship and green cards. Mai Nhu Nguyen, 48, served with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Santa Ana for eight years. She pleaded guilty to receiving bribes as a public official between July 2011 and May 2013. As an immigration service officer, Nguyen had the authority to approve or deny immigration applications. In one of the instances of bribery, Nguyen called a vendor to order 300 egg rolls. She then told an immigration applicant to pay for the $150 food order and deliver it to her workplace. Once the task was performed, Nguyen proceeded to approve the immigrant's paperwork. Continue reading:  http://www.examiner.com/article/department-of-homeland-security-official-took-bribes-cash-and-eggrolls