(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Two bank robberies are under investigation in the Pittsburgh area yesterday

The first one happened at the PNC Bank on Washington Road in South Strabane Township. Robbers did not get away with any cash.

The second robbery happened at the Brentwood Bank in South Fayette where officers said money was taken from the bank.
One person of interest was taken into custody during a traffic stop near the McKees Rocks about 20 miles from the Brentwood Bank.
A second person of interest has been identified, but has not yet been arrested. The FBI is not releasing their identities at this time. The FBI also said no injuries were reported.

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today to one count of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 23, of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS in relation to his plan to attack a church in Pittsburgh.

“The defendant, motivated by ISIS’s call to violence and hate, plotted a terrorist attack targeting a church in Pittsburgh,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “With today’s guilty plea, he will be held accountable for his crimes. The Department of Justice is committed to identifying, disrupting and holding accountable individuals who seek to engage in such attacks. I commend the agents, analysts and prosecutors who identified the threat posed by this defendant and took action to protect the public from his plans.”

“Inspired by ISIS, Mustafa Alowemer devised and intended to carry out a deadly attack on a house of worship and its congregation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “If not for the tireless, multi-faceted investigation by the FBI and our partner agencies, the true depth of his determination to commit violence in the name of ISIS may not have been exposed until his deadly plans were achieved.”

“The guilty plea today by Mustafa Alowemer leaves no question about his intention to commit an act of terrorism against a place of worship,” said Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office. “Mr. Alowemer will now face the consequences of his elaborate plan to inflict harm on innocent people. I’m proud of FBI Pittsburgh and all of the personnel who worked countless hours to protect the community, and I want to thank all of the agencies that participate in the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Together, we combine our resources to identify and disrupt threats to protect our communities and the nation.”

According to court documents, Alowemer plotted to bomb a church located on the north side of Pittsburgh using an explosive device. His stated motivation to conduct such an attack was to support the cause of ISIS and to inspire other ISIS supporters in the United States to join together and commit similar acts in the name of ISIS. Alowemer also targeted the church to “take revenge for our [ISIS] brothers in Nigeria.” Alowemer was aware that numerous people in the proximity of the church could be killed by the explosion.

In furtherance of the plot to bomb the church, in May 2019, Alowemer distributed multiple instructional documents related to the construction and use of explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to an individual Alowemer believed to be a fellow ISIS supporter, but who was in fact an FBI employee. Alowemer distributed these documents with the intent that the information be used in the assembly of a destructive device and in furtherance of conducting an attack in support of ISIS. In or around June 2019, Alowemer purchased several items, including nails and acetone (nail polish remover) with the belief that they were necessary to assemble a destructive device and with the intention they be used to construct the explosives that would be detonated in the vicinity of the church.

Between April 16 and June 11, Alowemer met four times in person with an FBI Undercover Employee (UCE) and/or an FBI Confidential Human Source (CHS). At the June 11 meeting with the UCE and CHS, Alowemer provided additional details about the bomb plot and provided the materials, including boxes of nails, he had purchased for construction of the device. Alowemer provided printed copies of detailed Google satellite maps, which included hand-written markings identifying the church and routes of arrival and escape. Alowemer also wrote and provided a 10-point handwritten plan outlining details related to his plot to personally deliver explosives in a backpack. Alowemer expressed a desire to meet one more time to conduct planning and coordination prior to carrying out the attempted bombing in July 2019. That meeting was later scheduled for June 19 in the Pittsburgh area, at which time Alowemer was arrested.

Alowemer is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2022. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, or both, and a lifetime term of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Alowemer remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song of the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Brenda Sue Thornton of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force members who were directly involved in this investigation include: FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania State Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Port Authority Police, Allegheny County Probation, University of Pittsburgh Police Department and UPMC Police Security.

The Department of Justice announced today that the Madoff Victim Fund (MVF) began its seventh distribution of approximately $568 million in funds forfeited to the U.S. government in connection with the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS) fraud scheme, bringing the total distributed to over $3.7 billion to nearly 40,000 victims worldwide.

In this distribution, payments will be sent to nearly 31,000 victims across the globe, bringing their total recovery to 81.35%. This distribution represents the seventh in a series of payments that will eventually return over $4 billion to victims as compensation for losses they suffered from the collapse of the BLMIS. More than 2,600 victims will receive their first payment from MVF in this distribution.

“This distribution provides nearly 31,000 victims additional financial recovery from the egregious crimes committed by Bernard Madoff,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department’s continued efforts to ensure justice for victims of crime is demonstrated through the ongoing Madoff remission process and the billions given back to innocent victims worldwide.”

“This office continues to seek justice for victims of history’s largest Ponzi scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss for the Southern District of New York. “The additional payment of more than $568 million by our Office and the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section represents the seventh in a series of distributions that will leave victims with compensation for more than 81 percent of their losses. But our work is not yet finished, and the Office’s tireless commitment to compensating the victims who suffered as a result of Madoff’s heinous crimes continues.”

According to court documents and information presented in related proceedings, for decades, Bernard L. Madoff used his position as chairman of BLMIS, the investment advisory business he founded in 1960, to steal billions from his clients. On March 12, 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 federal felonies, admitting that he had turned his wealth management business into the world’s largest Ponzi scheme, benefitting himself, his family and select members of his inner circle.

On June 29, 2009, then-U.S. District Judge (now U.S. Circuit Judge), Denny Chin sentenced Madoff to serve 150 years in prison for running the largest fraudulent scheme in history. Of the approximately $4.05 billion that will be made available to victims, approximately $2.2 billion was collected as part of the historic civil forfeiture recovery from the estate of deceased Madoff investor Jeffry Picower. An additional $1.7 billion was collected as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. and civilly forfeited in a parallel action. The remaining funds were collected through a civil forfeiture action against investor Carl Shapiro and his family and from civil and criminal forfeiture actions against Bernard L. Madoff, Peter B. Madoff and their co-conspirators.

The MVF’s payouts would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI in the prosecution of Madoff’s crimes and the recovery of assets supporting the forfeiture in this case.

The MVF is overseen by Richard Breeden, former Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in his capacity as Special Master appointed by the Department of Justice to assist in connection with the victim remission proceedings. The Department of Justice also acknowledges the sacrifice of numerous individuals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, who worked in challenging conditions to ensure that this distribution occurred and remained on schedule.

More information about MVF and its compensation to victims of BLMIS is available on the MVF website at www.madoffvictimfund.com, such as eligibility criteria, process updates, and frequently asked questions. Further questions may be directed to the MVF at 866-624-3670 or info@madoffvictimfund.com.

Pennsylvania liquor stores put 2-bottle limit on some booze
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state-run liquor system is rationing sales of a few dozen products in response to what it describes as supply shortages beyond its control. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board notified license holders on Thursday that two-bottles-per-day purchase limits for customers at state stores as well as well for bars, restaurants and other license holders goes into effect Friday and will remain in place indefinitely. The PLCB says “sustained supply chain disruptions and product shortages” are prompting the restrictions on certain types of alcohol. The 43 items on the list of restricted products also will not be available through store-to-store transfers starting Friday. The list of rationed booze contains specific types of champagne, bourbon, tequila, cognac and whiskey.

Man accused of trying to run over 6 nonuniformed troopers
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — State police say a Harrisburg man is accused of trying to run over nonuniformed state troopers who were attending a promotional exam in the city. Forty-five-year-old Jamal Kimani Crummel faces six counts of aggravated assault. He is also charged with reckless endangerment, driving under the influence and motor vehicle offenses. The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon. Police say Crummel accelerated toward the troopers and drove his vehicle into the grass off the street. The troopers, who were in business attire, were able to dive out of the way and no one was hurt. Crummel doesn’t have a lawyer listed in court records. He’s jailed with bail set at $150,000.

Americans have little trust in online security: AP-NORC poll
By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer
A poll shows that most Americans don’t believe their personal information is secure online and they aren’t satisfied with the federal government’s efforts to protect their digital privacy. The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MeriTalk shows that about half of Americans believe that their private text conversations lack security, and they’re even less confident about the security of their social media activity or physical location. Nearly three-quarters of Americans say they support establishing national standards for how companies can collect, process and share personal data.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits moved up last week to 332,000 from a pandemic low, a sign that worsening COVID-19 infections may have slightly increased layoffs. Applications for jobless aid rose from 312,000 the week before, the Labor Department said Thursday. Jobless claims, which generally track the pace of layoffs, have fallen steadily for two months as many employers, struggling to fill jobs, have held onto their employees. Two weeks ago, jobless claims reached their lowest level since March 2020.

Contest winners, health worker orbiting world in SpaceX 1st
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The four people on SpaceX’s first private flight are fairly ordinary, down-to-Earth types brought together by chance. Two are contest winners. One is a childhood cancer survivor who works as a physician assistant. The sponsor of the trip struck it rich with the payment-processing business he started in his parents’  basement in his teens. The four rocketed into orbit Wednesday night from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. They’ll circle Earth for three days at an unusually high altitude before splashing down this weekend off the Florida coast.