The McDonald’s Monopoly sweepstakes fraud - 'McMillions'

Uncle Jerry met Gennaro "Jerry" Colombo, a Sicilian, Brooklyn-raised man who was linked to the Colombo crime family by chance at the Atlanta airport. Days later Jacobson handed Colombo the winning game piece for a Dodge Viper. The mobster recruited his associates, taking a cut for himself. Colombo died in a car accident along the Georgia–South Carolina border.

The story of Uncle Jerry's fraud is in the works, with Ben Affleck set to direct and Matt Damon to star. The scheme is also subject of a new HBO documentary series, 'McMillions.' Head of security Jacobson was under surveillance by an auditor, but she could not follow him to the bathroom. It was there where Jacobson made his drops. A foreign supplier in charge of the tamper-proof seals mistakenly sent him a package of seals directly. Suddenly, he had a way of opening and re-sealing the packages of winning McDonald’s game pieces.

In March 2000, the FBI received a tip about William Fisher, a $1m winner in 1996. Fisher was the father-in-law of a man Jacobson had met in the Atlanta airport. There was a cluster of other big winners. When McDonald’s launched another promotional game in 2001, the FBI was ready with wiretaps. The FBI arrested Jacobson and seven accomplices in August 2001, charging them with felony conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The scam netted a total of more than $24m in cash and prizes. Eventually, more than 50 people in total were convicted of mail fraud and conspiracy.

“Uncle Jerry” was behind an operation to fraudulently acquire tens of millions of dollars from the McDonald’s sweepstakes. Uncle Jerry was Jerome Jacobson, who was director of security and had responsibility of overseeing the production of valuable game pieces required to claim prizes in McDonald’s Monopoly sweepstakes. Jacobson distributed winning game pieces to relatives, friends, and other people he recruited. The operation was successful for over 12 years, before ultimately being broken up by the FBI.

Jerome Jacobson

Jacobson stole his first game piece in 1989. At trial he testified that from 1995 to 2001, he stole most of the games' high-value pieces, selling some to family and friends, who recruited others.

Jacobson was sentenced to 37 months in prison.

$10m in meth, cocaine seized in Calgary

Jacob Cody Neumann, 33, was nailed after a search of his vehicle revealed 46.9 kg of cocaine and 47.5 kg of meth. He was busted Jan. 30 near Dorothy, Alberta — about 90 minutes east of Calgary.

Fake ice cream and Hell’s Angels - ASX scam delisted

The company known as LWP Technologies was delisted from the ASX. The company is infamous for an association with the Hells Angels, a graphene battery business that labelled ice-cream machines as scientific equipment, and fake Russian scientists.

Full patch Vadim Victor Volkov was charged with money laundering.

The company paid $770k and issued 30m shares to finance production of graphene batteries. It was all bullshit. Funds went to Victor Volkov and his son's "personal benefit".

Lauren Bryant, 27, of the Gold Coast, a bikini model who dated Volkov said she doesn't know how $178,690 came to be in her bank account. She did admit that her former boyfriend Vadim Victor Volkov, 33 would give her 'inch-thick' bundles of cash to deposit in a series of bank accounts. During Vadim Volkov's four-year relationship with the model more than $1M passed through her bank accounts.

When police raided Volkov's home in August 2015 they found $1m in cash and a variety of guns including two semi-automatic rifles.

Volkov has argued all his assets were legally acquired by gambling or inheritance. The state argues Volkov bought his properties with dirty money. Bryant claims she found out about her ex-boyfriend's connection with the Hells Angels only after their relationship ended. Bryant is now a 'life coach'.

L’Onorata ­Societa — the Honoured Society

Interpol has launched a massive global initiative to go after the ’Ndrangheta, the Calabrian mafia. The ’Ndrangheta is said to control 80% of Europe’s cocaine trade and is estimated to generate annual revenue of $55bn. It is among the richest and most powerful organized crime groups in the world. Italy’s top anti-mafia prosecutor renewed calls for Melbourne crime figure Frank Madafferi to be deported from Australia when released from jail. The Calabrian has been serving a 10-year sentence for his part in a conspiracy to import 4.4 ­tonnes of ­ecstasy into Australia, and faces extortion and gun charges in Italy.

Pasquale Timothy Barbaro

Other Calabrian-linked crime figures, including local boss Pasquale Barbaro, were also convicted in the ecstasy bust. The Barbaros are a notorious Sydney crime family. Pasquale Timothy Barbaro was killed in 2016. His grandfather, who was also named Pasquale Barbaro, was murdered in a gangland hit in Brisbane in 1990. A cousin — another Pasquale — was murdered in a hit in Melbourne in 2003. His uncle, yet another Pasquale Barbaro is serving his 30 year ecstasy sentence.

See ----->Lobster with a Mobster - Matthew Guy revisited

Narco plane lands on Mexican highway in Quintana Roo - Update

The twin engine plane is a Beechcraft King Air. It landed on a two-lane road in Bacalar.

Drug smugglers landed cocaine on a highway in the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo. The crew had ample time to load a van that was filled with 26 bags containing between 30 to 40 kilos of cocaine.

When the firefight was over the general in charge had been hit, his driver killed, and at least two more soldiers wounded. Two suspects were apprehended nearby. Authorities retrieved some 600 kg (1,320 pounds) of cocaine. Security in Quintana Roo is in short supply of late, as cartels carry out turf wars in areas once safe for tourists.

Mexican troops came under fire from military-grade weapons, including a high-powered .50 caliber sniper rifle.

Nicknamed “El Monstruo” (The Monster), the repurposed dump truck was located in Aguililla.

The army on Friday seized an armored “narco-tank” in Michoacán that belonged to the Viagras crime gang.

Police in Guerrero recently found a war tank that belonged to the leader of the Los Rojos crime gang, Santiago “El Carrete” Mazari Hernández.

DB Services of Victoria has big plans

Three 12-storey towers on a downtown Langford block were recommended for approval by the city’s planning committee last May. The maximum allowable height for the properties would have to be increased to 12 storeys from 11. None of the buildings on Goldstream Avenue in that area exceeds four storeys. Matthew McKay of DB Services applied to consolidate and rezone 10 lots. “We are investigating whether we will increase the size,” he said. “There’s a big jump in costs when you go higher.”

Matthew McKay

The project would be the first of its kind to be built because Langford has signed an agreement with the province to allow for the project to be constructed out of wood. “Put the forest industry in B.C. back to work,” said Langford Mayor Stew Young. “It creates jobs locally and building out of wood is cheaper than steel construction, so it should make it more affordable for our residents.” See ----->DB Services - 6 new builds @ $84m See ----->Langford Mayor Stew Young See ----->DB Services - 3rd world criminal builder

Vincent 'Mad Dog' Coll

At 19 Coll was accused of murder of a speakeasy owner who had refused to sell Schultz booze.

Vincent 'Mad Dog' Coll, an Irish immigrant hitman in the US, died on this date on February 8, 1932. Coll came to the attention of established gangster Dutch Schultz. Coll wasn't afraid to do whatever it took. His aggressive and volatile personality made him a man to be feared. He became one of the prohibition eras most feared enforcers.

Coll was found not guilty. Coll turned freelance and robbed the Sheffield Farms dairy without Schultz’s authorization. Coll had made a mistake with a ruthless enemy. The final break with Schultz came in January 1931. Vincent was arrested and Schultz put up the bail money. Coll failed to attend his trial and the money was forfeited. Coll refused to pay back Schultz. On July 28 1931, Coll attempted to kidnap Joey Rao, a Schultz lieutenant. The attempt failed and a gun battle killed a five-year-old. New York's mayor called Coll a 'Mad Dog'.

Coll was hired by Salvatore Maranzano to murder Lucky Luciano for $50,000. On September 10, 1931, Maranzano called Luciano to a meeting at his office. The plan was for Coll to arrive later and kill Luciano during the meeting. Luciano learned of the plot against him. He sent his own men, who killed Maranzano before Coll turned up. The fleeing assassins saw Coll arrive and informed Luciano he was the intended hitman. Coll's fate was sealed.

Hitman Leonard Scarnici sprayed Coll with two bursts of bullets from a submachine gun. Scarnici checked Coll was dead, then calmly replaced the gun under his coat and left.

On February 8, Coll entered a phone booth in the London Chemists drug store at 314 W23rd Street and placed a call to Owney Madden.