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Tag: Crime

  • Uber Driver Sues Former Taco Bell Exec over Brutal Attack Gone Viral

    Uber Driver Sues Former Taco Bell Exec over Brutal Attack Gone Viral

    The Uber driver that posted shocking video of a passenger attacking him over the weekend is now filing suit against his alleged attacker.

    Edward Caban, who uploaded the video on October 30th, has filed a civil suit against 32-year-old Benjamin Golden

    In a video, which has now been seen nearly two million times, an Uber driver repeatedly asks a passenger to give him directions, and the passenger can be heard slurring, burping, and generally being unable to give directions. At about two minutes into the video, the driver flips his dashcam around.

    At about 2:30, the driver pulls into a parking lot and says “sorry man, I gotta kick you out.”

    “You’re too drunk to give me directions,” he says.

    The passenger argues with the driver for about a minute, but the driver says he’s already ended the trip and tells the passenger to get out of the car, or he’ll call the police.

    At about 3:20, the passenger starts hitting the driver in the face. About 10 seconds into the attack, the driver is able to turn around and spray the passenger with pepper spray.

    Check it out:

    Shortly after the video picked up steam, the attacker was identified as a Taco Bell executive, a head of “mobile commerce and innovation initiatives”.

    Taco Bell quickly distanced itself from Golden, terminating his position.

    “Given the behavior of the individual, it is clear he can no longer work for us. We have also offered and encouraged him to seek professional help,” the fast food chain said in a statement.

    After initially being charged with misdemeanor assault and public intoxication, Golden has since been hit with more charges – assault on public transportation property, battery on a public transit employee with injury, assault and battery. He could spend up to a year in jail and be forced to pay a $10,000 fine for his actions.

  • Uber Rapist Given Life in Prison in India

    An Indian Uber Driver, who was convicted of rape while endangering the life of a woman, kidnapping, and criminal intimidation last month, has been given a sentence of life in prison.

    Shiv Kumar Yadav was found guilty in Delhi on October 20th. His victim, 26, said she fell asleep in the back of his car and when she woke up she found herself in a “secluded location” with Yadav on her in the backseat.

    The BBC reports that Yadav’s life sentence is the maximum penalty he could’ve received.

    The Delhi Uber rape case was one of the most-publicized in recent memory – not just in India but also in the US. In January, the victim sued Uber in US federal court. Her lawsuit was scathing, calling Uber the “modern day equivalent of electronic hitchhiking.” She demanded damages and called for Uber to institute some passenger safeguards in India, including mandatory in-car video cameras.

    Uber was quick to express its disgust when reports of the crime emerged.

    “This is an abhorrent crime. Our thoughts remain with the victim who has shown tremendous courage under the circumstances,” said Uber’s Saad Ahmed at the time. “Safety is our #1 priority and in India.”

    Uber was then suspended in New Delhi.

    “We are sorry and deeply saddened by what happened over the weekend in New Delhi. Our hearts go out to the victim of this horrible crime. We have been and will continue to do everything in our power to assist the authorities to help bring the perpetrator to justice,” said Uber. “The events of this week have made us reflect on our operations in India and we are immediately undertaking a number of important actions. During this review, we will suspend operations in New Delhi.”

    Uber was later reinstated after applying for the required taxi licenses.

    A few months later, Uber improved its “SOS” button for Indian passengers. When in a dangerous situation, tapping the SOS button on the app will automatically connect you with the police – and the update allowed it to also automatically send GPS info.

    In September, the woman pulled her lawsuit.

  • Uber Driver Records Drunk Passenger’s Brutal Attack

    Uber Driver Records Drunk Passenger’s Brutal Attack

    We’ve reported on plenty of instances of Uber drivers attacking, kidnapping, and raping passengers. Here’s some shocking video from the other side – a drunk passenger brutally attacking a driver.

    In a video uploaded on October 30th, an Uber driver repeatedly asks a passenger to give him directions, and the passenger can be heard slurring, burping, and generally being unable to give directions. At about two minutes into the video, the driver flips his dashcam around.

    At about 2:30, the driver pulls into a parking lot and says “sorry man, I gotta kick you out.”

    “You’re too drunk to give me directions,” he says.

    The passenger argues with the driver for about a minute, but the driver says he’s already ended the trip and tells the passenger to get out of the car, or he’ll call the police.

    At about 3:20, the passenger starts hitting the driver in the face. About 10 seconds into the attack, the driver is able to turn around and spray the passenger with pepper spray.

    You can check out the video below:

    The driver, Edward Caban, tells the story like this:

    It all started when i got a ping while in Newport Beach to pick up a passenger near baja sharkies on the peninsula in Newport, the passenger was incredibly intoxicated and when i pulled up, he came up to the window and asked if I was an uber driver, he appeared to be on the phone with another driver, asking him about what car he was driving. I said yes, and he immediately got in. I confirmed destination, my gps said the black night at the triangle in Costa Mesa, I asked if this was correct, he said yeah, im close to there ill tell you where to go, I asked again if he could just give me his address because I have been down this road before. He refused and insisted on telling me where to trun. We start driving, he begins fading in and out of consciousness while become belligerent and aggressive, and refusing to put his seat belt on, swearing at me, telling me to “fucking turn this piece of shit around” I didn’t feel comfortable when I picked him up and I no longer wanted him in the car at this point. I grabbed the pepper spray from my center console and put it under my right thigh and flipped my camera around and, as i always do when my spidey senses start tingling, made a u-turn, then pulled into a nearby well lit shopping center, and asked him to get out of the car. He insisted on continuing, even though I had already ended the ride. We went back and fourth a bit before I told him if he didnt get out i would call the police. At which point he opened his door and began beating me over the head. I fumbled with the safety on the pepper spray while trying to protect my face with my other arm, I broke free from him grabbing me by the hair on the back of my head, and sprayed his face until he got out of the car, at which point i left the vehicle. Uber drivers don’t get paid enough to deal with this shit.

    Being an Uber driver and dealing with drunks surely sucks, and this is about as bad as it can get.

    6abc reports that the passenger has been identified, and is facing assault charges.

  • Barbara Byrd-Bennett, Chicago Public Schools CEO Guilty… and Sorry

    Barbara Byrd-Bennett, CEO of Chicago Public Schools, plead guilty and then told CPS students and teachers on the courthouse steps. “I’m terribly sorry and I apologize to them. They deserved much more, much more than I gave to them,” She plead guilty, according to various news reports, to charges in an alleged scheme to steer $23 million in no-bid contracts to her former employer, education consulting firm SUPES Academy, for $2.3 million in bribes and kickbacks. According to federal prosecutors, bribes included a college fund for her grandchildren. Barbara Byrd-Bennett is 66 years old.

    She released a full statement via her attorney:

    Today I pled guilty to federal crimes I committed while CEO of the Chicago Public Schools. The people of Chicago as well as CPS, its teachers, staff, and-most especially, its students-deserved more and better from me.

    There is nobody to blame but me, and my failings could not have come at a time of greater challenges for CPS. The issues CPS faces are significant, and the City needs-and the children deserve-leaders who are working without conflicts of interest.

    I have devoted my entire professional life to public education and, while there is no excusing or downplaying my misconduct, I believe I have done a lot of good, including in Chicago. Today, though, all I can say is that I am truly sorry and that it is time for the District and City to move forward.

    Barbara Byrd-Bennett’s courtroom pleading was her first since being indicted October 8. She was never arrested or taken into custody.

    As usual Twitter was buzzing following her guilty plea and apology:

  • Your Passcode Is Protected by Fifth Amendment, Says Court

    Can the police compel you to give up your iPhone passcode?

    Not according to one federal court’s ruling. Doing so would be a violation of your Fifth Amendment rights.

    The case in question involved two insider trading suspects and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s desire to get at evidence it believed was present on the defendants’ work-issued iPhones.

    Unfortunately for the SEC, the phones were protected with passcodes.

    “The SEC argues Defendants, as former Bank data analysts, are corporate custodians in possession of corporate records, and as such cannot assert their Fifth Amendment privilege in refusing to disclose their passcodes. Defendants disagree they are corporate custodians and argue providing the passcodes to their phones is ‘testimonial’ in nature and violates the Fifth Amendment,” says the ruling.

    So, who’s right?

    According to the court, it’s the defendants.

    “Since the passcodes to Defendants’ work-issued smartphones are not corporate records, the act of producing their personal passcodes is testimonial in nature and Defendants properly invoke their fifth Amendment privilege.”

    Your passcode is testimonial, and thus forcing you to reveal it would violate your right against self-incrimination.

    But according to one constitutional scholar, it wouldn’t be wise to think that there’s no feasible way for the government to get around said Fifth Amendment protections.

    “Having the defendant enter in his passcode would minimize the Fifth Amendment implications of the compelled compliance, as it would not involve disclosing the potentially incriminating evidence of the passcode itself. The passcode itself could be independently incriminating, at least in some cases. Imagine a conspiracy case in which members of the conspiracy use a common passcode. Proof that a suspect used that exact passcode on his own phone would be incriminating evidence, as it could help to show membership in the conspiracy,” writes Orin Kerr for the Washington Post.

    “Because the passcode itself could be incriminating, the smart way to limit the Fifth Amendment problem is for the government to ask for an order compelling the target to enter in the passcode rather than to divulge it to the police.”

    And we’re just talking about passcodes. If you use Apple’s Touch ID or any other sort of biometrics to lock your devices, you may be shit out of luck.

  • Uber’s Background Checks Let Murderer, Sex Offenders, and Other Felons Through the Cracks, Say DAs

    Uber’s Background Checks Let Murderer, Sex Offenders, and Other Felons Through the Cracks, Say DAs

    Uber’s background checks are not working, according to two California District Attorneys.

    The district attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles have filed an update to a complaint originally filed in December. The suit’s overarching claim is that Uber has been continually misleading customers over the efficacy of its background checks. The amended complaints now contains specific allegations – most notably that Uber has allowed multiple registered sex offenders, burglars, and a convicted murderer through the cracks.

    Uber calls its background screening “rigorous,” saying “all Uber ridesharing and livery partners must go through a rigorous background check. The three-step screening we’ve developed across the United States, which includes county, federal and multi-state checks, has set a new standard. These checks go back 7 years, the maximum allowable by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We apply this comprehensive and new industry standard consistently across all Uber products, including uberX.”

    But the DAs take issues with this, saying it’s woefully misleading.

    “The statement fails to explain any disqualification criteria, leading consumers to believe that Uber eliminates drivers who have any kind of criminal convictions. The lack of any specific time limits in the statement also amplifies the impression that Uber’s background checks go as far back as legally possible,” they say in the amended complaint.

    “Systemic failures in Uber’s background check process came to light through the
    discovery process in this enforcement action, including the fact that in Los Angeles alone, registered sex offenders, a kidnapper, identity thieves, burglars, and a convicted murderer had passed Uber’s ‘industry leading’ background check.”

    The cities claim that Uber’s background checks are not as effective as the fingerprint-based ones used by traditional taxi companies.

    “Uber’s representations concerning the quality of its background check process are untrue or misleading. Contrary to Uber’s multiple representations concerning the superiority of its background check process, including but not limited to representations that it uses a background check process that “leads the industry,” and that its background check process is ‘often more rigorous than what is required to become a taxi driver,’ Uber’s background check process does not provide the level of security provided by the fingerprint-based background check process employed for performing background checks on taxi drivers in California’s most populous cities.”

    According to the New York Times, one person Uber let through was a man convicted of murder in 1982. He was paroled in 2008 and got a job driving for Uber using an assumed name.

    More from the Times:

    One driver was convicted of felony sexual exploitation of children in Wyoming in 2005, and another of “felony kidnapping for ransom with a firearm” in 1994. Other drivers were convicted of charges like robbery, assault with a firearm, identity theft and driving under the influence. Several were convicted of more minor charges, like welfare fraud.

    San Francisco DA George Gascón says this is “really only scratching the surface.”

    The original complaint lays out a sharply-worded rebuke of Uber’s entire business model:

    “Uber’s business model depends upon convincing its customers it is safe to get into a stranger’s car despite its admission in its terms and conditions through at least April 7, 2015, that its customers ‘may be exposed to situations involving third party providers that are potentially unsafe, offensive, harmful to minors, or otherwise objectionable,’” reads the complaint.

    “In a successful effort to do so, Uber makes a number of representations on its webpages, in communications with customers, and in the media designed to create the impression that Uber does everything it can to ensure its customers’ safety. The representations about safety contain true statements, false statements of fact, and statements that are misleading, either on their own, or when viewed in the context of the rest of Uber’s safety representations.

    “Uber’s false and misleading statements are so woven into the fabric of Uber’s safety narrative that they render Uber’s entire safety message misleading. Viewed separately or together, the representations are likely to mislead consumers into believing that Uber does everything it can to ensure their safety and that Uber’s background check process will capture all of the criminal history of an applicant that would result in that person being disqualified from driving a for-hire vehicle, whether under the criteria from Uber’s regulator imposed by law, or under Uber’s own disqualification criteria, or under the most stringent criteria applied by taxi regulators in any city.”

    Earlier this month a Dallas woman sued Uber for over $1 million, claiming Uber was negligent when they let a driver with a criminal record slip through the cracks. She says he drove her home, followed her inside, hit her in the back of the head, and raped her.

    Image via Uber

  • Man Violates Restraining Order by Liking Facebook Photos

    Man Violates Restraining Order by Liking Facebook Photos

    If you’ve recently been hit with a restraining order, it’s probably best for you to stay off Facebook.

    In today’s reminder that social media contact is still contact, a Pennsylvania man has been arrested and charged with contempt of court after he liked approximately 22 photos and videos on Facebook.

    According to the Times Leader, 26-year-old Justin Bellanco violated a no-contact restraining order when he showed his approval of nearly two dozen posts by 24-year-old April Holland.

    From the Leader:

    Holland, 24, of Pittston, obtained a protection from abuse order against Bellanco on July 28, claiming Bellanco has been stalking and harassing her and her friends, and threatened to shoot her knee cap to watch her suffer, according to her PFA application.

     

    Luzerne County Judge Lesa Gelb on Aug. 4 granted a restraining order against Bellanco, prohibiting him from having any contact with Holland for one year.

     

    Pittston police arrested Bellanco on Monday after Holland alleged he has been “liking” photos and videos she posted to her Facebook page, according to the criminal complaint.

    This is not exactly new ground. Last year, a man was arrested for violating a restraining order after he allegedly sent a Google+ invite to his former girlfriend.

    Image via Facebook

  • Uber Sued for $1M in Dallas Rape Case Involving Driver with Criminal Record

    Uber Sued for $1M in Dallas Rape Case Involving Driver with Criminal Record

    Uber is facing yet another lawsuit – this time from a Dallas woman who says she was raped by one of the company’s drivers last month.

    We recently reported on the case, in which Uber driver Talal Ali Chammout allegedly drove a woman to her Dallas home, followed her inside, hit her in the back of the head, and raped her. Chammout has a criminal record, and served time in prison on federal weapons charges. He was just released in 2012.

    On top of that, Chammout didn’t even have a valid permit.The city of Dallas said it never would’ve allowed Chammout behind the wheel – but somehow Uber did.

    Uber called it a “mistake” and said it was a “terrible situation.”

    Now, the woman who was attacked is suing Uber for “more than $1 million” to cover medical expenses and damages, according to the Dallas Morning News. The lawsuit claims Uber was negligent when it let Chammout slips through the cracks of its background checks.

    “Uber’s actions were akin to letting a tiger loose in a shopping mall. After Uber began pairing Chammout with unsuspecting women, the question was not whether Chammout would strike, but when and against whom,” reads the lawsuit.

    As you’re likely well aware, Uber has had to deal with a plethora of incidents over the years – many of them incredibly violent. Since Uber began to spread across the country and around the world, its drivers have been accused of beating, raping, and stealing from passengers. This has led many to question the company’s background checks.

    Uber calls its background screening “rigorous,” saying “all Uber ridesharing and livery partners must go through a rigorous background check. The three-step screening we’ve developed across the United States, which includes county, federal and multi-state checks, has set a new standard. These checks go back 7 years, the maximum allowable by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We apply this comprehensive and new industry standard consistently across all Uber products, including uberX.”

    Earlier this week, a South Carolina woman said a 39-year-old sixth-grade social studies teacher moonlighting as an Uber driver sexually assaulted her.

    Image via Uber

  • Uber Driver and 6th Grade Teacher Accused of Rape

    Uber Driver and 6th Grade Teacher Accused of Rape

    Another Uber driver has been accused of raping a female passenger.

    This story comes from South Carolina, where 39-year-old Patrick Aiello has been charged with kidnapping and first-degree sexual assault. He’s been denied bail.

    According to police, Aiello drove a woman and her male companion to the latter’s Charleston home. The woman reportedly exited Aiello’s car, but changed her mind and decided she didn’t want to walk home by herself. Police say the woman asked Aiello if he could take her a few more blocks.

    Aiello complied, but instead of driving the woman to her home, he allegedly drove to a secluded area just off a highway.

    The affidavit claims that Aiello demanded sexual favors, and when the woman declined and asked to get out of the car, he attacked and sexually assaulted her.

    It gets worse. As the woman was attempting to flag down help on the highway, she was hit by a car.

    Aiello hasn’t denied engaging in sex acts with the woman, but police are calling it “forcible rape”.

    From the Post and Courier:

    Aiello was arrested just after 6 p.m. Monday at the Charleston Police Department. The arrest affidavit states that he admitted to offering the woman a ride when she was “too drunk,” and said he pulled off Savannah Highway, kissed her, performed oral sex on her and then kicked her out.

     

    Investigators wrote in the affidavit that the woman was having trouble immediately recalling details of the assault but remembers being attacked and Aiello on top of her. The police incident report labeled the crime as “forcible rape.”

    According to WCIV, Aiello is a sixth grade social studies teacher in the area.

    Earlier this month, it was found that an Uber driver accused of rape had a criminal record and used a phony permit to obtain a license.

  • Uber Driver Accused of Rape Had Criminal Record, Used Phony Permit

    Once again, Uber is under fire for allegedly letting a rapist slip through the cracks.

    On July 25th, Uber driver Talal Ali Chammout allegedly drove a woman to her Dallas home, followed her inside, and raped her.

    Chammout has a criminal record, and served time in prison on federal weapons charges. He was just released in 2012.

    And according to a Dallas city spokesperson, Chammout didn’t even have a valid permit.

    So, why was he driving for Uber?

    “We can say with 100 percent certainty that Chammout was not permitted to be a driver in the city of Dallas,” the city spokesperson said. She also said that Dallas allows Uber to use its databases to help verify drivers, but it’s unclear if Uber did so in the case of Chammout.

    And Uber spokesperson called it a “terrible situation” and said the company is “conducting a thorough internal review and working with local officials to gather and sort through all the facts.”

    As you’re likely well aware, Uber has had to deal with a plethora of incidents over the years – many of them incredibly violent. Since Uber began to spread across the country and around the world, its drivers have been accused of beating, raping, and stealing from passengers.

    This has led many to question the company’s background checks. Just who is slipping through the cracks, so to say?

    Earlier this year, a Houston Uber driver accused of raping a passenger was found to have spent 14 years in prison.

    “Either this driver slipped past Uber’s criminal background check or Uber did discover his criminal history and decided it was OK to let him drive. Regardless, this case illustrates how trusting Uber to conduct its own criminal background checks amounts to allowing the company to decide whether or not to put this individual behind the wheel. Houston would not have allowed this now alleged rapist to drive. Uber did,” said Dave Sutton, spokesperson for watchdog group ‘Who’s Driving You?’ at the time of that incident.

    And that appears to ring true of this latest case. The city of Dallas is saying it never would’ve allowed Chammout behind the wheel – but somehow Uber did.

    Uber calls its background screening “rigorous,” saying “all Uber ridesharing and livery partners must go through a rigorous background check. The three-step screening we’ve developed across the United States, which includes county, federal and multi-state checks, has set a new standard. These checks go back 7 years, the maximum allowable by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We apply this comprehensive and new industry standard consistently across all Uber products, including uberX.

    Uber and the city of Dallas are apparently working together to figure out exactly what happened. Chammout is in Dallas County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

  • Uber Sued for $2M over Teen’s Sexual Assault

    Uber is facing yet another lawsuit after one of its drivers assaulted a passenger.

    The mother of a 13-year-old Virginia girl is suing the ridesharing company for $2 million, claiming that Uber and its lax screening processes are responsible for her daughter’s sexual assault.

    The assault itself is not in dispute. In April, 39-year-old former Uber driver Isagani Morin was found guilty of assault and battery in the case and received a six-month suspended sentence. The lawsuit focuses on Uber’s responsibility in the incident.

    According to the lawsuit, the 13-year-old girl used Uber between 10 and 20 times last October and November – mostly for rides to and from school. Most of the time, Morin was the one to pick her up.

    The complaint states that Morin made unwanted and inappropriate advances toward to girl, including Can I buy you a pair of panties for your birthday? and Age doesn’t matter if two people are in a relationship.

    The abuse allegedly culminated in Morin “reaching backward between the seats and rubbed Child Doe’s inner thigh and asking Child Doe if her mother was home.”

    The lawsuit says that the girl gave Morin a low rating on the Uber app, but he continued to be the one to pick her up.

    In asking for damages, the lawsuit admonishes Uber for its screening practices.

    “Uber failed to properly screen and check the background of Morin before hiring him, and this negligence resulted in the hiring of an individual who exhibited overly aggressive sexual tendencies,” says the complaint. “Uber failed to adequately train Morin. Upon information and belief, Defendant became aware of Morin’s ongoing sexually aggressive tendencies and nonetheless retained him as an employee. Uber either knew or should have known of Morin’s propensity to make unwelcome sexual advances, requests and demands for sexual favors, and other verbal and physical conduct of a sexual nature aimed at minor children by various words and acts.”

    “Uber failed to exercise reasonable care and was negligent in hiring and retaining Morin, a dangerous employee who Uber knew or should have known was a dangerous sexual predator, and who was to harm passengers of the carrier, including Child Doe.”

    Uber’s terms of service state that “UBER DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE QUALITY, SUITABILITY, SAFETY OR ABILITY OF THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS. YOU AGREE THAT THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES, AND ANY SERVICE OR GOOD REQUESTED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, REMAINS SOLELY WITH YOU, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.”

    But does this absolve Uber of responsibility for its drivers? The girl’s attorney thinks not.

    “Under Virginia law, employers are liable for their employees,” the mother’s attorney, Jake Denton, told The Daily Beast.

    But are Uber driver employees? Or are they just contractors. Uber says that it’s merely a logistics company – a tech startup that allows ride-wanters to connect with ride-providers. But just this week, a California labor board ruled that an Uber driver was in fact an employee, stating that Uber is “involved in every aspect of the operation.”

    In the case of the 13-year-old Virginia girl, Uber says it is “extremely troubled by these allegations” and it has “cooperated fully with law enforcement.”

    Image via Uber, Facebook

  • Starbucks: Bad Passwords, Not Hackers to Blame for App Thefts

    Starbucks: Bad Passwords, Not Hackers to Blame for App Thefts

    If you use the Starbucks app to pay for your morning coffee, you might want to check your bank account. And then strengthen your password.

    After reports emerged saying hackers had gained access to user accounts and used its app to siphon money away from unsuspecting customers, Starbucks has hit back, saying that these reports are false.

    Blogger Bob Sullivan first reported the issue, telling the stories of multiple victims. What these “hackers” are doing is accessing a Starbucks customer’s account, using the balance to buy a gift card, and waiting for the app to auto-load more money onto the card. This way, they can draw funds directly from someone’s bank account or PayPal account.

    From Bob Sullivan:

    Maria Nistri, 48, was a victim this week. Criminals stole the Orlando women’s $34.77 in value she had loaded onto her Starbucks app, then another $25 after it was auto-loaded into her card because her balance hit 0. Then, the criminals upped the ante, changing her auto reload amount to $75, and stealing that amount, too. All within 7 minutes.

    CNN confirmed that this was happening to other people:

    It happened to Jean Obando on the Saturday evening of December 7. He had just stopped by a Starbucks in Sugar Land, Texas and paid with his phone app. Then while driving on the highway, his phone chimed with a barrage of alerts. PayPal repeatedly notified him that his Starbucks card was being automatically reloaded with $50.

    Then came the email from Starbucks.

    “Your eGift Just Made Someone’s Day,” the email said. “It’s a great way to treat someone — whether it’s to say Happy Birthday, Thank you or just ‘this one’s on me.’”

    He got 10 more just like it — in just five minutes.

    Sounds bad. And it is. But according to Starbucks – this isn’t a hack. This is simply bad password practices.

    “Like all major retailers, the company has safeguards in place to constantly monitor for fraudulent activity and works closely with financial institutions. To protect the integrity of these security measures, Starbucks will not disclose specific details but can assure customers their security is incredibly important and all concerns related to customer security are taken seriously,” said Starbucks.

    “Occasionally, Starbucks receives reports from customers of unauthorized activity on their online account. This is primarily caused when criminals obtain reused names and passwords from other sites and attempt to apply that information to Starbucks. To protect their security, customers are encouraged to use different user names and passwords for different sites, especially those that keep financial information.”

    Starbucks is right in that your passwords do suck. But the company can do more to help prevent this sort of scheme (two-step authentication wouldn’t fix everything but could help). Also, Starbucks doesn’t have a perfect record when it comes to app security.

    Image via Starbucks

  • Man Allegedly Confessed to Murdering Family on Facebook

    “Emily had tried everything to get better but nothing seemed to help her. I took a gun and shot her in the head and now she is migraine free and floating in the clouds on a sunny afternoon, her long beautiful brown hair flowing in the breeze, a true angel.”

    That chilling passage comes from Facebook, where a man allegedly confessed to shooting his daughter, wife, and sister before killing himself.

    CBC reports that police are investigating multiple homicides that are thought to be related to a post from a British Columbia man named Randy Janzen. In the post, he says that he was unable to continue to watch his daughter suffer from depressions an migraines, so he shot her in the head.

    “Then I shot Laurel because a mother should never have [to] hear the news her baby has died. Then a couple of days later my sister Shelly because I did not want her to have to live with this shame I have caused all alone.”

    According to the Canadian Press, “homicide investigators have said several members of one family, including the suspect, are dead at two crime scenes in B.C.’s Fraser Valley. They have not released identities but confirmed the Facebook post is part of their probe.”

    “Now my family is pain free and in heaven,” wrote Janzen. “I have great remorse for my actions and feel like the dirt that I am. I am taking full responsibility for my actions of these murders. So sorry to anyone I have hurt. Rest in peace my little family {kiss emoji} Love Daddio xoxo.”

    According to a friend and co-worker, Janzen himself suffered from depression.

    “It’s brutal. I can’t believe it. Randy was a good buddy, and now he’s gone,” said the co-worker. “I left work today. Honestly, when I heard about it I started crying. I had to go home and see my little girls, because it was too much… He was a funny guy, but he was a roller-coaster too. He was depressed, and then one minute he was up. And then he was down.”

  • Ice Bucket Challenge Leads to Fraud Charge for Cop

    If you tell your boss you’re so sick you can’t possibly come into work, you probably shouldn’t post a selfie of you drinking a beer at the beach.

    Think of this as a much more serious version of that kind of screwup.

    A Pasadena police officer is facing up to six years in prison thanks to her participation in last year’s biggest viral craze – the Ice Bucket Challenge.

    No, the police department has nothing against social media posts for charity, or presumably nothing against dumping large buckets of freezing cold water on your head either.

    That is, of course, unless you’re supposed to be suffering from a debilitating back injury.

    The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office says that 39-year-old Jaime Robison received disability benefits, during which time she posted a video online of her dumping a five-gallon bucket of ice-water on her own head. A five-gallon bucket of ice-water weights somewhere around 42 pounds – and impressive lift and pour for somewhere who can’t work because of back injury.

    Robison is also under suspicion of another instance of insurance fraud. KTLA says it had to do with an injured shoulder – something that would also make lifting a five-gallon bucket of water rather difficult. In all, she reportedly scammed $117,000 from the city.

    She’s been charged for four counts of insurance fraud and has pleaded not guilty.

    If she’d only built a contraption like Bill Gates, she might’ve gotten away with it.

    Image courtesy Anthony Quintano, Flickr Creative Commons (not Robison pictured), h/t The Daily Dot

  • Hostage Asks for Help via Pizza Hut App: ‘Get 911 to me’

    In Florida (where else), a quick-thinking woman and her children are safe after she placed the most important pizza order of her life.

    According to the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, Cheryl Treadway used the ‘additional comments’ section inside the Pizza Hut app to order up some assistance.

    “Please help. Get 911 to me,” she typed. “911hostage help!”

    When the strange order came through to Pizza Hut, the employees recognized her as a frequent customer and called the police.

    “Deputies responded to the Pizza Hut and to the delivery location for the order. Upon arrival at the home, deputies were greeted by a female, Cheryl Treadway, carrying a small child in her arms. She related to deputies that her boyfriend, Ethan Nickerson, was in the home armed with a knife and that her other two children were also in the home with him. After she was escorted to safety, deputies approached the home. Lieutenant Curtis Ludden began to speak with Mr. Nickerson through the closed door of the home. After about 20 minutes, Lieutenant Ludden was able to talk him into coming out peacefully. The other two children were then removed from the home, unharmed,” says a report from the Sheriff’s department.

    Apparently, Treadway and Nickerson had been arguing. When Treadway tried to leave, Nickerson allegedly took her phone and threatened her with a “large knife”. At one point, Treadway convinced him to let her order a pizza.

    WFLA says that police think Nickerson was high on meth. Again, it is Florida.

    Treadway’s quick thinking may have saved her life, and thank god the kids are safe. Nickerson has been charged with aggravated assault, battery, and false imprisonment. No word on whether the pizza was ever delivered.

    Image via WFLA

  • ‘2 Drunk 2 Care’ Tweeter Gets 24 Years for Fatal Crash

    ‘2 Drunk 2 Care’ Tweeter Gets 24 Years for Fatal Crash

    Kayla Mendoza, the Florida woman who sent an infamous string of tweets before causing fatal car crash back in 2013, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison.

    According to police, Mendoza went out for margaritas after work and at approximately 1:45 am, the then 20-year-old drove onto the Sawgrass Expressway in Broward County – driving the wrong way. Soon after, she slammed head-on into another car, killing both people inside.

    The sad story was highlighted by an ominous tweet sent less than three hours before the crash:

    Mendoza pleaded guilty to two counts of DUI manslaughter earlier this year. She actually faced up to 30 years in jail, but was only handed 24. She will also serve six years probation and is never allowed behind the wheel for the rest of her life.

    According to NBC Miami, Mendoza begged for forgiveness during her sentencing.

    “No matter how much time passes they will never leave my heart. I think about them everyday and I regret my choices everyday,” she said. “I don’t remember deciding to drive that night so I can’t even tell you what was going through my mind when I made that decision. I have no excuses for anything I’ve done, I just ask for forgiveness,” she said while reading a prepared letter.

    The families of the two she killed were unforgiving, apparently. They asked for the maximum sentence, saying she ruined their lives forever.

  • Obama’s Police Body Camera Initiative Kicks into Gear

    On the day that Baltimore state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby charged six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, the Obama administration has announced it’s kicking its police body camera initiative into full gear.

    The first step is to spend $20 million on the body cameras, according to the Justice Department.

    According to The Hill, “$17 million would reportedly come in the form of grants for departments to purchase the cameras, while $2 million will go towards training and technical assistance and another $1 million for evaluating the effectiveness of the program.”

    Also, a third of the funding will be spent on “small” police departments.

    “This body-worn camera pilot program is a vital part of the Justice Department’s comprehensive efforts to equip law enforcement agencies throughout the country with the tools, support and training they need to tackle the 21st century challenges we face,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement. “Body-worn cameras hold tremendous promise for enhancing transparency, promoting accountability and advancing public safety for law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.”

    This is the beginning of an initiative announced by the administration in December of 2014. Obama’s “Strengthen Community Policing” plan has three main goals: Advancing the use of body worn cameras and promoting proven community policing initiatives; creating a new task force to promote expansion of the community-oriented policing model, which encourages strong relationships between law enforcement and the communities that they serve as a proven method of fighting crime; and reforming how the federal government equips state and local law enforcement – particularly with military-style equipment.

    The entire plan will be rolled out over three years and cost an estimated $263 million. The specific Body Worn Camera Partnership Program will cost $75 million and the White House hopes to provide 50,000 body cameras to departments across the country.

    Earlier this week presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton said that body cameras should be worn by all police.

  • Hillary Clinton: Body Cameras Should Be Worn by All Police Departments

    Speaking at the David N. Dinkins Leadership & Public Policy Forum, Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called for body cameras to become “the norm”, saying that all police departments in America should have access to the devices.

    “We should make sure every police department in the country has body cameras to record interactions between officers on patrol and suspects,” said Clinton. “That will improve transparency and accountability, it will help protect good people on both sides of the lens. For every tragedy caught on tape, there surely have been many more that remained invisible. Not every problem can be or will be prevented with cameras, but this is a commonsense step we should take.”

    The speech also hit on issues of race, poverty, and injustice, with Clinton making her first public comments about the death of Freddie Gray and the subsuquents protests and riots in Baltimore.

    “There is something wrong when trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve breaks down as far as it has in many of our communities. We have allowed our criminal justice system to get out of balance. And these recent tragedies should galvanize us to come together as a nation to find our balance again,” she said.

    “We should begin by heeding the pleas of Freddie Gray’s family for peace and unity, echoing the families of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and others in the past years. Those who are instigating further violence in Baltimore are disrespecting the Gray family and the entire community. They are compounding the tragedy of Freddie Gray’s death and setting back the cause of justice. So the violence has to stop. But more broadly, let’s remember that everyone in every community benefits when there is respect for the law and when everyone in every community is respected by the law. That is what we have to work towards in Baltimore and across our country.”

    Clinton praised President’s Obama’s task force on policing, calling it a “good place to start”.

    “The President has provided the idea of matching funds to state and local governments investing in body cameras. We should go even further and make this the norm everywhere,” she said.

    In the past, some Senators have proposed tying federal funding to compliance in a body camera initiative.

    A handful of police forces around the country have already begun equipping cops with cameras.

    In one of the first divisions to try it, Rialto, California. the presence of body cameras seemed to produce drastic results. Incidents of ‘use of force’ by police dropped 60 percent, and the number of complaints against officers fell 88 percent.

    But body cameras are no silver bullet to a complex issues. And there are issues beyond their efficacy in preventing civilian/police conflict – specifically privacy.

    Following the events in Ferguson, Missouri, the White House called for increased use of body cameras by police. Part of the White House’s proposal to “Strengthen Community Policing” is a Body Worn Camera Partnership Program, which gives a 50% match in funding to state and local forces the purchase body cameras. The White House said it could help purchase 50,000 body worn cameras over the next three years.

  • Florida Man Shoots Guy for Facebook Messaging His Wife

    It looks like Florida Man needs to get his jealousy in check.

    Florida Man, the world’s worst superhero, is able to change his appearance and identity whenever he sees fit. Florida Man can also alter his gender at any time and become Florida Woman, though it’s a rarer occurrence. This time Florida Man has turned up at 22-year-old Christopher Romoleroux, a repeat criminal offender who is facing second degree murder charges after shooting a guy over Facebook messages.

    According to police, Romoleroux discovered that his wife, Ludwika Duarte, had been exchanging Facebook communications with another man, Clarence Autley. According to Autley, Romoleroux’s wife had contacted him via Facebook – just to catch up. The two had previously known each other but hadn’t been in contact in six years. They exchanged phone numbers and sent some texts.

    It’s unlikely to have mattered to Florida Man, however. According to an affidavit, Romoleroux decided to play the ol’ text switcheroo and asked Autley if he wanted to meet up

    From the Sun Sentinel:

    Assuming the text was from Duarte, Autley replied with his address, the affidavit said. While waiting in his driveway for Duarte to arrive, Autley saw a silver four-door car with tinted windows stopped in the street in front of his house.

    The driver got out of the car, started to punch Autley and yelled, “Why you trying to get with my woman?” The two grappled in the street until Autley’s neighbor intervened.

    The driver walked back to his car, grabbed a small-caliber black handgun, then fired once, striking Autley in his left thigh, the affidavit said. He then drove off in the silver car.

    With the help of Facebook photos, it wasn’t hard for Autley and police to figure out the attacker and his likely motivations.

    Autley suffered a broken femur and various cuts and abrasions.

    Florida Man will be spending some time in jail, and will likely have to pass the face to another.

  • Everyman Cited After Putting 8 Bullets in His Crappy Computer

    In a totally relatable move, a Colorado man took his underperforming computer into an alley behind his house and pumped its guts full of lead.

    Unfortunately for our hero everyman, that’s not exactly legal.

    Colorado Springs Police say that 37-year-old Lucas Hinch was cited for discharging a firearm within city limits – which is against the law in Colorado Springs.

    “Man Kills His Computer,” reads the official summary. “Officers responded to shots fired in the alley of 2200 W Colorado Av. Investigation revealed a resident was fed up with fighting his computer for the last several months. He took the computer into the back alley and fired 8 shots into the computer with a handgun, effectively disabling it.”

    Any regrets, Mr. Hinch? Hell no!

    “It was glorious. Angels sung on high,” he told the LA Times. “It was premeditated, oh, definitely. I made sure there wasn’t anything behind it and nothing to ricochet.”

    You never know when the next blue screen of death will push you over the edge.

    Police took his gun, and he has to go to court to face a possible fine – but at least he’s in better shape than his old Dell. But next time you want to destroy a crappy machine, just opt for the Office Space technique.

    Image via Colorado Springs Police Department, Facebook

  • Uber Driver Pulls Out Shotgun, Shoots Gunman

    Uber Driver Pulls Out Shotgun, Shoots Gunman

    Upon first glance at an “Uber driver pull out gun” headline, your initial reaction was likely oh no not another Uber assault. But this story is a bit different from the recent barrage of “Uber Driver assaults passenger” headlines. This shooting, at least according to prosecutors, was justified.

    NBC Chicago reports that a 22-year-old Chicago man is in the hospital under police custody after he was shot in the knee and lower back by a shotgun-wielding Uber driver.

    According to state attorneys, the Uber driver “was acting in self-defense and in the defense of others.”

    The 47-year-old Uber driver says he dropped off a fare and moments later saw a man firing a handgun in his direction, into a crowd of people. He says he pulled out his shotgun, for which he has a concealed carry permit, and fired six shots. At least two of the shots connected, and police found the gunman bleeding on the sidewalk. He was the only person injured at the scene.

    It is not against Uber rules to store a firearm in one’s car – as long as it complies with all applicable laws.

    Uber has not placed the driver on any sort of temporary suspension.

    While Uber’s not going to throw this guy a hero’s parade, it’s not a black eye for the on-demand car company. It’s had plenty of those as of late.

    On the same day the news broke of the Chicago Uber driver possibly saving the day, an Uber driver in San Francisco was arrested for allegedly running over a cyclist.

    Image via Uber, Facebook