Lowell man pleads guilty to selling guns, machineguns and fake Adderall pills laced with meth, officials say
Laboratory testing confirmed that the 'Adderall' pills Chan sold were homemade methamphetamine pills mixed with caffeine and made to look like the real pharmaceutical drug, prosecutors said.
Chan trafficked the counterfeit pills with an alleged co-conspirator who was a member of the Asian Boyz gang, a group distributing methamphetamine across the Merrimack Valley region, prosecutors said.
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In February, a 39-year-old man who was a member of the Asian Boyz gang was
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Chan was allegedly recorded saying that he could make devices called 'switches,' which can be installed on pistols to make them fully automatic, prosecutors said.
'I let my boys test the switch,' Chan allegedly said in a message to a police source.
Chan also allegedly sent videos showing how to install the 'switches' and a video of a person using the switch to shoot a fully automatic handgun into the air.
The investigation was a collaboration of local and federal law enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
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'This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone,' a joint statement from Foley's Office, the Boston Division FBI, and Lowell Police Department said.
Sarah Mesdjian can be reached at
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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
‘We are not at war, but neither are we at peace': Chan Chun Sing
SINGAPORE – Singapore has to raise its vigilance in various places given the conflicts around the world, as it is unclear if it could become 'collateral in other people's fight', said Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing. He noted that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is dealing with a range of threats and challenges daily across all four of its services. 'Today, we are not at war in the conventional sense, neither are we at peace in the conventional sense,' he told reporters in an interview on June 25. 'We are always operating somewhere in between, with different gradations. And that's what keeps us on our toes.' Mr Chan cited how the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) and other government agencies deal with thousands of attempts to penetrate Singapore's cyber systems every day, without naming those behind these attacks. 'Sometimes it could be just people fooling around, but often, I think people are doing this very intentionally and probably with malicious intent,' he said. It is a round-the-clock operation to protect Singapore's cyber domain, he added, noting that a breach could mean not just a hit to the country's reputation or the loss of some classified information, but real consequences for its power grid and financial and water systems. There are also constant efforts to secure Singapore's airspace and territorial waters. Mr Chan said the air force responds to hundreds of cases every year, some requiring air defence assets to be scrambled to verify unknown threats. 'For the navy, it is the same thing,' said Mr Chan, who was chief of army before entering politics. 'The number of ships that sail through the narrow Singapore Strait, the number of boardings that we have to (do to) check and verify to make sure that the strait remains safe from threat actors, that goes into the hundreds as well and, in fact, sometimes the thousands.' In the information sphere, people are constantly trying to shape how Singaporeans think – another threat the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) counters daily, he said. 'The type of information operations that people conduct, perhaps directly on us and sometimes indirectly on us, where we are the collateral, is also not something that we will take lightly.' Mr Chan spoke to the media at Mindef's headquarters in Bukit Gombak ahead of SAF Day on July 1, amid rising global tensions fuelled by escalating conflict in the Middle East. Addressing the conflict between Iran and Israel, which also involved the US bombing Iran's nuclear facilities, he said retaliation from Iran may not be limited to targets in America or Israel. 'It could be anywhere else,' Mr Chan said, adding: 'It could also stoke up emotions in the region, and we must be careful that these do not spill into terrorist activities.' There are greater security concerns because of these conflicts, he said, noting that the threats now go beyond conventional terrorism and extend into new areas such as cyberspace. Similarly, the nature of threats that Singapore faces has changed, Mr Chan said. While some technologies, such as computer viruses and drones, are not new, the way and intensity in which they are applied have evolved, he said. The lines between military and civilian use of these technologies have also blurred, he added. Moving forward, security operations will be more decentralised, with troops operating in smaller units, he noted. This plays into the SAF's strengths, Mr Chan said. The SAF has never relied on the size of its troops since 1965, but on technology as a force multiplier, he noted. 'If anything, going forward, the new generations of technology that is coming in across the world will allow the SAF to multiply its manpower capabilities even more.' Another strength is the quality of manpower and leadership it has, he said. Mr Chan said some believe that having full-time national servicemen (NSFs) or national servicemen (NSmen) is a disadvantage for the SAF. 'We never think so, because by having NSF and NSmen, we are able to have the best across society operating our systems, participating in the design of our systems.' This is why the SAF can operate with more decentralisation, he added. There will be more leadership opportunities for these groups going forward, he said, noting that this does not just refer to an increase in the number of soldiers attending SAF leadership schools, he said. It also means more leadership at different levels and more of such opportunities for many NSFs, he said. Mr Chan gave an example from the DIS, the SAF's newest service, where soldiers operate in groups as small as three or five, compared with traditional army companies that can have around 100 men. 'Each and every one of them must be able to take (on) leadership because of the technology that they are using and applying.' Going forward, the SAF will continue to spend prudently and in areas that will 'give us bang for (our) buck', Mr Chan said. It will not simply target a certain amount of expenditure but ensure that spending is sustainable because building new capacities takes many years, he said. 'What we don't want is what we call the 'feast and famine' kind of spending, where you buy a lot of things when you have money, and then you find that you can't maintain it,' he added. 'That's not how we stretch the defence dollar.' Over the last few years, defence spending has hovered around 3 per cent of Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP), Mr Chan noted. This does not include security spending outside Mindef, such as on the Home Team and cyber security. The minister was answering a question on whether Singapore's current spending is sufficient given the global security situation. There have been calls in the region for an increase in defence spending. At the Shangri-La Dialogue in May, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth asked American allies in the Indo-Pacific to raise their defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP. Mr Chan said the SAF has been fortunate to have the public and political support to spend up to 6 per cent of GDP. There will be areas that will require more spending because of the new nature of warfare, he added. 'Today there are also new opportunities for us to look at other low-cost options to complement what we have and what we need,' he said. 'We will continue on that trajectory.' On adopting new technology, Mr Chan said the SAF is constantly looking at emerging tech such as artificial intelligence, but does not want to be caught up in fads. 'We've been looking at many of these technologies for many years. We want to be able to apply them to what we call 'tangible use cases',' he said. 'So, it's not applying things in general, but very specifically how it helps us.' While the SAF constantly tracks changes to warfare, such as the increased use of drones and cyber attacks, its challenge is to predict what new threats will emerge in the future, Mr Chan said. This is so that the SAF can put in place programmes to develop capabilities to counter these threats even before they emerge and be able to deal with them by the time they do. He made the point that the SAF does not build new capabilities just because there is a new defence minister. After a recent Cabinet reshuffle, Mr Chan took over the portfolio from Dr Ng Eng Hen, who was defence minister from 2011 to 2025 and retired ahead of the 2025 General Election. 'Many of the capabilities that the SAF has today are built up through the generations,' he said, including those that were mooted during or before his stint as chief of army from 2010 to 2011. That is why many SAF projects are classified, so the force remains ahead of the curve, he said. 'We don't always publicise all that we do, but at the appropriate time, we will reveal those capabilities to let Singaporeans have the confidence that we are ready,' he said. 'And there'll be many capabilities in the SAF which we will never reveal. The fact that we don't have to reveal them, we don't have to use them by the time they get retired – to us, that is success.' Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
‘Homeless by choice': Tragic last days of Netflix reality show realtor killed in Hamptons hit-and-run
Sara Burack sold luxury homes to the Hamptons' wealthiest buyers — and even appeared on the Netflix reality show 'Million Dollar Beach House' — but at the time of death last week, the golden girl was 'homeless by choice' and suffering from mental health issues, despite an outpouring of family support, sources told The Post. 'She was a real businesswoman. Savvy, smart. She was a really hard worker and a good person,' her close friend and former boyfriend Mike White, a builder from Southampton, told The Post. But she was also, he added, a 'workaholic times 10.' And while that meant that 'she became one of the top agents here,' it also may have fueled a dangerous reliance on pills. 9 Sara Burack, who sold luxury homes to the Hamptons' wealthiest buyers, and appeared on the Netflix reality show 'Million Dollar Beach House,' died last week in a fatal hit-and-run. Sipa USA via AP 'She kept taking Adderall to stay awake and keep working,' White said, 'She was trying to work longer and longer staying up for all types of hours.' It's unknown why Burack was walking on Montauk Highway, near Villa Paul restaurant in Hampton Bays, in the middle of the night when she was struck in a hit-and-run last week. Police found her unconscious around 2:45 a.m. on June 19, and she was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she died. Amanda Kempton, 32, was later charged with leaving the fatal scene, a class D felony punishable by up to four years in prison, according to the Southampton Town Police Department. She pleaded not guilty and was released on $100,000 bail. 9 It's unknown why Burack was walking on Montauk Highway, near Villa Paul restaurant in Hampton Bays, in the middle of the night when she was struck by a car. @luxgrouppalmbeach/Instagram 9 'She was a real businesswoman. Savvy, smart. She was a really hard worker and a good person,' her close friend and former boyfriend Mike White told The Post of Burack. Brian Zak/NY Post White, who said he was by her side in the hospital, believes she was likely looking for a place to stay. 'She was staying in bank foyers,' he said, again stressing that it was by choice. Last year, Burack apparently sold her car and condo. 'She wasn't driving anymore. She didn't lose her apartment, she sold it. She didn't have financial problems at all,' White said. 'She just didn't want to deal with anything anymore.' Her family, he said, 'never gave up' and were distraught over Burack's state. 9 White, who said he was by his friend Burack's side in the hospital, believes she was likely looking for a place to stay on the night of her death. 'She was staying in bank foyers,' he said, stressing that it was by choice. Sipa USA via AP 'Her mom was going to get her an apartment— she didn't want it. She said it was bugged by the US government,' White said. 'Her poor mother did everything. Her mom and her dad are the nicest parents in the world.' A spokesperson for the Burack family told The Post in an emailed statement: 'People say all kinds of things when someone dies. However, the fact remains that our daughter, Sara, was run over and left for dead by a 32-year-old woman who claims she thought she hit a cone. Our family is in deep mourning and we will not comment further as we try to digest the loss of our beloved daughter who was a loving sister and friend to many.' White, 56, met Burack, who grew up in Westchester and graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn., at Hampton Gym Corp in Southampton around 2019. The two briefly dated, and he called her an 'angel' who helped him rent out homes during the pandemic. 9 White told The Post Burack, who appeared on the reality real estate show 'Million Dollar Beach House' in August 2020, had a supportive family who 'never gave up' and were distraught over her state. Entertainment Tonight/YouTube In 2020, she was a cast member on the Netflix reality series 'Million Dollar Beach House,' which followed agents from the luxury brokerage Nest Seekers International as they sold mansions in the Hamptons. The show ended after one season. But White started to notice that Burack's behavior seemed off in early 2022, around the time that she was involved in a $200,000 commission dispute with her employer, Nest Seekers, and Douglas Elliman over the sale of a multi-million dollar property in Southampton. 'She was obsessed with losing her listing and not getting her commission,' said White, adding that he sold the home as the builder. 'We don't comment on pending litigation and given the tragic events over the last week it should not be the focus,' Nest Seekers Hamptons area regional manager Geoff Gifkins told The Post. 9 Driver Amanda Kempton was charged with leaving the fatal scene, a class D felony punishable by up to four years in prison, according to the Southampton Town Police Department. T E McMorrow for NY Post The Post has reached out to Douglas Elliman for comment. Burack, according to White, became suspicious of her colleagues and grew increasingly reclusive. 'She thought there were things going on … that people were trying to put anthrax in her food,' he said. 'She wasn't eating regularly.' Consumed by the court dispute, Burack 'began spending all her time at the library, constantly researching things for no clear reason,' White said. 9 White started to notice that Burack's behavior seemed off in early 2022, around the time that she was involved in a $200,000 commission dispute with her employer, Nest Seekers, and Douglas Elliman over the sale of a multi-million dollar property in Southampton. @luxgrouppalmbeach/Instagram Multiple sources also confirmed that Burack spent 'hours' in the Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton. (The library did not return The Post's request for comment). 'She'd sit on a bench with me for an hour or so and show me all these papers and her business plan,' White said. 'She was needing mental health help for a very long time,' a Southampton source told The Post. 'The last year or two, she was homeless. I would see her walking around with her bag. She was always at the library which was a sad place to go.' White said that he and Burack's family 'tried to get her into rehab. We tried to help her. Her poor mother did everything to help her. Her mom tried everything … she got an interventionist.' 9 White said that he and Burack's family 'tried to get her into rehab. We tried to help her. Her poor mother did everything to help her. Her mom tried everything … she got an interventionist.' Brian Zak/NY Post The Sunday before the accident that took Burack's life, White said, she called him up and said she was in Hampton Bays and wanted to get food. 'I only gave her enough money for food and for the bus,' he said. 'She wasn't destitute. But she didn't carry any money with her. I still don't understand. Maybe she was just tired of it. Sometimes you become a slave to money and your career.' The Southampton source was surprised to hear that Burack had been in an accident out of town. 'When I saw that she got hit in Hampton Bays, the first thing that came to mind was 'what is she doing in Hamptons Bays?' I don't know how she got there. 9 'She had a million friends … She had everything,' White said of Burack. @luxgrouppalmbeach/Instagram 'This was a tragedy – everyone knew what was going on and no one did anything,' the Southampton source added. 'It was only a matter of time before something like this happened.' White believes the tragedy began when people turned away from Burack. 'She had a million friends. She had material things, immaterial things. She had everything,' he said. But once things started going wrong for her, 'They all scattered.'
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Associated Press
Ecuador reveals how notorious gang leader 'Fito' hid in his hometown for 18 months after jailbreak
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ever since Ecuador's most notorious gang leader vanished from his prison cell in January 2024, authorities have been searching the world, offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the capture of Adolfo Macías, alias 'Fito.' It turned out the country's most wanted man was hiding out at a family member's mansion in his own hometown. Ecuadorian security forces recaptured the kingpin Wednesday at an underground bunker beneath a marble-walled house in the port city of Manta, some 260 kilometers (161 miles) southwest of the capital of Quito. In a remarks to reporters Thursday, authorities revealed further details about their efforts to locate Macías and the hiding place where he spent his final weeks of as a fugitive. Authorities had issued an international arrest warrant for who had been serving a 34-year prison sentence for drug trafficking, organized crime and murder in a Guayaquil prison before his shock escape. Macías is also wanted by the United States on accusations of trafficking drugs and smuggling weapons. A month ago, authorities closed in on the drug trafficker's family, arresting several of his relatives, seizing their assets and raiding their businesses. Interior Minister John Reimberg described the crackdown on Macías' family as a 'psychological operation' crucial to security forces' efforts to locate the notorious leader of Ecuador's 'Los Choneros' gang. 'It contributes to a person's conflict, their loss of control,' he said in a press conference Thursday. But what put Ecuadorian intelligence on his trail was the unusual behavior of a municipal transit official in Manta, who stopped showing up to work several months ago. Surveilling the official led intelligence services to Macías' inner circle, according to Víctor Ordóñez, a national police commander. Authorities discovered that this official frequented a swanky three-story building equipped with an indoor pool, well-appointed gym and game room and outfitted with gleaming marble floors and walls. Furniture was wrapped in plastic and flat screen TVs were still in their boxes. All over the house were statues of Saint Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes venerated by Mexican drug traffickers. Los Choneros is believed to have been one of the first from Ecuador to forge ties with Mexican drug cartels. Ordóñez also said that authorities received final confirmation that Macías would be in the house at the time of the 10-hourlong raid from his young daughter. In the predawn darkness Wednesday, hundreds of heavily armed soldiers and security officers stormed the mansion and blocked off the surrounding streets. But Macías was nowhere to be found. Security forces flew drones overhead and noticed that the land around the house appeared uneven, with suspiciously altered vegetation that suggested infrastructure and possible ventilation below the surface. The fugitive was hunkered down in an air-conditioned bunker that could only be accessed through a small hatch, its entrance concealed by a cement and tile floor in the laundry room and openable only from the inside. Police brought in heavy machinery to start excavating, and when the roof above his head began to cave in Macías recognized that capture was inevitable, Minister Reimberg said. The alternative was being crushed to death. 'When this happened, Fito panicked,' he said. 'He opened the hatch where military and police personnel were located and left the hole.' Within moments, Ecuador's most powerful drug lord was writhing on the ground with a gun pointed at his head, forced to repeat his full name out loud. Shirtless and with an unkempt beard, a haggard 'Fito' was shepherded outside by a squad of officers and brought to the country's highest-security prison, known as La Roca, or the Rock, in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city. Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa announced after the capture that the Macías would be extradited to the U.S. to face prosecution. He was indicted in New York City in April on charges of importing and distributing thousands of pounds of cocaine in the U.S. 'We have done our part,' Reimberg said. 'I expect the U.S. extradition request to arrive in the next few hours or at most the next few days.'
