Tag: theft

“Nothing Is 100%”: CZ Warns Bitcoin Holders After $89 Million Coldcard Wallet Exploit

A third wave of thefts against Bitcoin wallets built on flawed Coldcard firmware ran through Saturday morning, lifting observed losses to roughly 1,367 BTC – close to $89 million – drained from 4,585 addresses since Thursday.

As Cyberkendra.com reports, the size is not the interesting part. The third wave is the first one designed to be hard to follow, and that shift tells self-custody holders more about what happens next than any dollar figure does.

Galaxy Research published the wave-three findings early Sunday. Between 12:23 UTC on July 31 and 06:42 UTC on August 1, across blocks 960,396 to 960,471, another 207.73 BTC left 1,912 addresses. That is roughly a tenth of a coin per victim.

Wave one, which opened at 01:10 UTC on July 30 and closed 41 minutes later, took 1,082.65 BTC from 1,195 addresses — nearly a full coin each.

Wave two, on July 31, collected just 76.16 BTC from 1,478 addresses.

Median losses tell the same story more bluntly: 0.270 BTC in wave one, 0.010 in wave two, 0.013 in wave three. The operator is now emptying wallets worth a few thousand dollars apiece and still finding enough of them to spend ten hours sweeping.

Waves one and two were easy to map because the attacker made them easy.

Both funneled coins through a handful of shared collector addresses into P2WPKH holding wallets (pay-to-witness-public-key-hash — plain single-key SegWit outputs, fully visible on chain).

Wave three abandoned that.

Each victim’s coins went to their own destination, and the proceeds now sit in 293 separate P2WSH vaults (pay-to-witness-script-hash, a format that keeps its spending conditions hidden until the first time the coins move). The sweeper also batched an average of 6.37 victims per transaction, where wave one took exactly one at a time, and scanned only the default derivation path instead of testing several branches per seed. Even the fee constant changed — 30 sat/vB in wave one, 50 and 10 in wave two, roughly 200 then exactly 10 in wave three.

That is either the same crew rebuilding after being enumerated in public, or a second crew grinding the same broken key space on its own.

The falling average haul suggests the profitable end of the vulnerable key space is picked over. That is cold comfort. Wave three’s median take of 0.013 BTC is the clearest evidence yet that no balance is now small enough to be beneath the scanner’s notice — and the sweeping had not stopped three days in.

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California Man Arrested After Police Catch Him Stealing Unvoted Ballots in Maricopa County, Arizona

A man from California was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, on felony charges after US Postal Inspectors caught him stealing mail, including unvoted mail-in ballots, from a USPS collection box.

The suspect, 26-year-old Richard Anthony Ramos Jr. of Stockton, California, was arrested on July 21 with several ballots in his car.

Notably, the Primary elections in Arizona were also held on July 21.

The scheme reportedly involved using a cardboard box into the collection bin to trap outgoing mail, which he would then fish out.

It is unclear whether his target was the mail-in ballots and what he intended to do with them.

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Unlicensed Trans Funeral Home Director Accused of Stealing $2.2M Estate and Keeping Organs in Bucket Confronted by Reporters in Court: “Im a Celebrity. Get Out of My Face B*tch”

A Houston funeral home director appeared in court on Friday on multiple felony charges involving a scheme to steal more than $2.2 million from a deceased man’s estate. 

Unique Mica Green-Battle is accused of forging documents to claim he is the spouse and successor of the victim, Lawrence Gammon. The forged documents include a fake will, a falsified death certificate, forged probate documents, and fraudulent filings used to gain control of the estate, according to Fox 26.

Police executed a search warrant of Green-Battle’s business in November 2025 after families accused the funeral home of mishandling corpses and committing fraud.

During a search of the business, investigators reportedly found human organs in a bucket and boxes of cremated remains.

Green-Battle was also operating the business without a license after the license expired in 2021 and was revoked in August 2025.

The apparently trans funeral director appeared in court on Friday, where a judge set bond at $800,000. Green-Battle was released after posting the bond.

“Court documents dating back to 1998 list Green-Battle at different times as male and female. The Chronicle could not confirm Green-Battle’s gender identity or pronouns. Harris County Jail records listed Green-Battle under the name Michael James Green as of Wednesday morning,” the Houston Chronicle reported.

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Taxpayer Millions Couldn’t Stop Seven Save A Lot Grocery Stores From Going Dark In Crime-Ridden Chicago

Save A Lot shuttered seven locations across Chicago’s crime-ridden South and West sides over the weekend, once again exposing the dysfunction of a metro area run by unhinged progressives. City officials poured millions of dollars into the grocery outlets in hopes of improving food access, only to watch the stores remain unprofitable amid persistent theft.

Local outlet ABC 7 reports “frustration, anger, and concern” among the community as Save A Lot shuttered seven stores on Saturday, with many residents saying this would reduce their access to food.

The outlet noted:

Save A Lot began a partnership with retail company Yellow Banana in 2023 in an effort to keep grocery stores open on the city’s South and West sides and combat food deserts.

A company spokesperson cited financial struggles and cuts to SNAP benefits as reasons for the closures. In a statement, the company said, “We are committed to the wellbeing of the communities we serve. We will continue to engage with City and Community leaders to explore ways to provide access to quality food and services for residents, and we are actively supporting impacted Yellow Banana team members throughout the transition.”

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Yellow Banana had a $26 million redevelopment agreement with the city of Chicago and received more than $13 million in taxpayer financing to renovate and reopen Save A Lot locations. The rest of the funding came from federal grants and loans.

Despite the debate on X over whether the seven locations qualified as “government grocery stores,” they were privately owned and operated but supported with taxpayer funding. Even with public backing, the stores failed to turn a profit. Theft was likely a major factor in the shutdowns, although the operator cited broader financial pressures and reductions in SNAP benefits.

Add Save A Lot to the growing list of retailers reducing their exposure to Chicago, alongside Walgreens, Aldi, and Walmart. Walgreens and Aldi explicitly cited theft, burglaries, and violent incidents in certain closures, while Walmart and Save A Lot pointed more broadly to persistent losses and financial headwinds.

The accelerating retail exodus suggests Chicago’s progressive governing model enforced by City Hall is backfiring. Without basic public safety and a commercially viable operating environment, progressives risk even broader food and pharmacy deserts in low-income areas as businesses want no part of lawless neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, socialist politicians gaining power at the local level are promoting taxpayer-funded supermarkets and “free food for everyone.” Yet history offers little evidence that government-run grocery models can remain efficient, financially sustainable, or responsive to consumers without persistent subsidies. But, of course, these politicans pitch ‘this time is different’ … 

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ANOTHER ONE: Indian Illegal Alien Trucker with Valid California CDL Busted Hauling Nearly $3 Million in Stolen Military-Grade Powder – Now in ICE Custody

Here we go again.

An illegal alien from India who possessed a valid California commercial driver’s license is now in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after authorities caught him transporting nearly $3 million worth of stolen tungsten oxide powder.

The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Deepak Kumar, was arrested in Greenfield, Indiana, after police tracked his tractor-trailer traveling westbound on Interstate 70.

The truck was wanted in connection with a massive cargo theft reported in Pennsylvania on June 25.

According to the Greenfield Police Department, Kumar is suspected of using fraudulent documents to obtain nearly 40,000 pounds of tungsten oxide powder valued at a staggering $2,857,500.

The powder was being shipped to Mitsubishi Materials Corporation in Japan.

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Louisiana Pastor Convicted of Stealing Over $340,000 from His Congregations to Fund Gambling, Meals and Lavish Living

A Louisiana pastor known for his social media presence and motivational messaging has been convicted of defrauding his own congregations out of more than $340,000, using church funds to bankroll gambling, dining, and other personal expenses.

Dale Sanders, 56, of Kenner, was found guilty Friday, July 17, 2026, of a 25-count superseding indictment charging him with wire fraud, access device fraud, and obstruction of a federal investigation following a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long. The conviction was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

According to evidence presented at trial, Sanders defrauded two congregations he led, Second New Guide Missionary Baptist Church in Metairie (identified as Church A) and Fifth African Baptist Church in New Orleans (Church B), by withdrawing funds and transferring money from church bank accounts into accounts he controlled.

He also used a church debit card for unauthorized personal transactions, pocketing cash, goods and services totaling over $340,000 that he had no right to.

The money bankrolled his casino gambling, hotel stays, meals and living expenses. The scheme stretched from around 2020 to 2024.

Prosecutors detailed specific transactions in the superseding indictment, including a $5,000 check from the New Orleans church, a $1,172 charge at a Hard Rock Hotel in Florida, $1,300 in charges at a Mississippi casino, and even a $226 veterinary bill in Kenner, among many others, according to NOLA.com.

Sanders was also convicted of obstructing the federal investigation by providing a falsified record in response to a grand jury subpoena.

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Newly Appointed California City Manager Arrested for Luxury Yacht Burglary Just THREE WEEKS After Taking $275K Top Job

The brand-new city manager of upscale Sausalito, California was arrested on felony burglary charges after allegedly breaking into multiple yachts at the Sausalito Yacht Harbor, a mere three weeks into her high-paying gig.

Elaine Forbes, 53, who just started as Sausalito’s city manager on July 1 with a whopping $275,000 taxpayer-funded annual salary, was hauled off by Marin County sheriff’s deputies around 6:50 a.m. on Saturday after responding to a noise complaint, KRON4 reported.

Deputies reportedly found her aboard a vessel she didn’t own, trying to start the boat, leaving behind messes with empty alcohol bottles, sounding the yacht’s loud horns, and even wearing the owner’s clothing. She initially claimed it was her boat and told officers she was having “a bad morning.”

ABC News reported:

Forbes, 53, was taken into custody after Captain Bill Aubrey discovered her aboard the Lisa Marie and called 911.

“She had the horn going, the windshield wipers going, the spotlight going,” Aubrey recalled.

According to Aubrey, Forbes appeared calm when confronted.

“I told her to get off the boat,” he said. “She looked at me and said, ‘Good morning.’ She was very friendly.”

[…]

Boat owner Andy Cunningham said she was shocked by what he found after being contacted by police.

“I came down here, police met me at the boat, and we discovered unbelievable chaos on my boat,” Cunningham said.

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California Grocery Stores Use Facial Recognition Technology To Combat Theft

Faced with a shoplifting epidemic that has battered California retailers for years, Grocery Outlet is fighting back with technology.

Customers are not thrilled about it.

The Emeryville-based discount grocery chain has begun installing facial recognition software called SAFR at a handful of Bay Area stores, including its Pleasant Hill “Bargain Market” location, CBS News San Francisco reported.

Customers walking through the doors will find signs warning them the system is in use, a disclosure the company says is meant to keep shoppers informed.

The rollout comes as California tries to combat a shoplifting problem that has spiraled out of control.

FBI data cited by CBS shows theft in the state has jumped 50 percent since the COVID-19 pandemic, a surge that has forced retailers from big-box chains to neighborhood grocers to spend millions on security measures, or in some cases, shutter stores altogether.

For June Guerrero, who spent years managing a retail store, the new technology is a welcome and overdue response to a problem she saw firsthand.

“I worked for years as a manager of a store and the theft was just unbelievable,” Guerrero told CBS News. “I agree with it.”

Not every customer sees it that way. Barbara Jackson told the outlet she’s uneasy about having her face scanned every time she shops for groceries.

“I do understand, but invading my privacy with my picture, I don’t agree on that,” Jackson said. “You gotta find a better way.”

Shopper Steve Burdette raised a different concern: the risk of the system misidentifying innocent customers as thieves.

“It could lead to a lot of problems, I think for companies and businesses and people,” he said.

SAFR president Charisse Jacques pushed back on the notion that the technology amounts to mass surveillance. She said the company does not maintain a database of every customer who walks through the door, retains information on suspected shoplifters only for a limited window, and does not share data with outside agencies — including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the New York Post.

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Ex-Obama press secretary fired after allegedly swiping credit cards from colleagues to fund kratom habit

A former Barack Obama press secretary was fired from his chief communications role in Minneapolis after allegedly stealing cash and credit cards from city employees to fuel his habit for kratom — a natural drug used to treat opioid withdrawal.

Adam Fetcher, 42, was canned from his role as Chief Communications Officer (CCO) for the City of Minneapolis after just a year on the job amid a police investigation into internal workplace theft and fraud, as well as claims of substance abuse, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

Fetcher, who made nearly $200,000 a year, is accused of stealing cash and credit cards out of the desks and purses of three fellow city hall employees, racking up hundreds of dollars in fraudulent charges at tobacco stores, reported the Star Tribune, citing sources familiar with the investigation.

Security surveillance footage reportedly shows Fetcher using one of the stolen cards to buy $481 of kratom — a herbal supplement often used to manage opioid withdrawal symptoms — at a south Minneapolis smoke shop, reported the outlet.

Under state law, card fraud of that amount would qualify as a felony-level offense if prosecutors decide to charge Fetcher.

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SoCal Education Leaders Stole Nearly $20M From Schools; Report

A new report has revealed that a pair of Southern California school leaders separately stole nearly $20 million from their schools in order to fund lavish personal lifestyles.

According to The New York Post, the report was co-authored by the State Financial Officers Foundation, a watchdog made up of state treasurers and auditors, and OpenTheBooks, a nonprofit focused on transparency in government spending.

The cases of the two Southern California educators were among the most expensive examples of K-12 education fraud documented nationwide.

Jorge Armando Contreras, the former fiscal services director for the Magnolia Elementary School District in Orange County, was charged with altering school checks over several years to funnel $16.7 million into his personal accounts.

Contreras was spending the money on everything from a luxury home and a BMW to designer clothes and pricey tequila and federal investigators found stacks of cash stuffed into a mini-fridge and luxury designer bags at his home.

He was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison in 2024 and order to pay $16.7 million in restitution to the Magnolia School District in Orange County.

Another case highlighted in the report revealed that Janis Bucknor, the head of the Community Preparatory Academy charter school in Los Angeles, stole more than $3 million in taxpayer funds to cover travel, restaurants, shopping and private school tuition for her children.

Bucknor also pleaded guilty to spending more than $220,600 on Disney cruise line vacations, theme park admissions, and other Disney-related expenses.

According to prosecutors, Bucknor admitted in 2020 to stealing the funds, and was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay $2.5 million in restitution.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, State Financial Officers Foundation CEO OJ Oleka said:

All fraud is harmful, but defrauding education dollars meant to help kids learn and succeed is especially hideous. The findings in this report should alarm every family, teacher, and civic leader.

The California cases were part of nearly 90 cases identified by a coalition of auditors over the past six years involving embezzlement, phony invoices, inflated enrollment, bid-rigging and kickbacks, among other crimes.

The report follows the Trump administration’s promise to crack down on government waste, with Vice President JD Vance leading a nationwide “War on Fraud” that has raised new questions about oversight of federal education spending.

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