Denish Sahadevan, a 31-year-old social media influencer known as Danny Devan, has pleaded guilty to a series of criminal charges related to money laundering using cryptocurrency. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) revealed that Sahadevan fraudulently obtained over $1.2 million in government relief loans, primarily through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).
Sahadevan's illicit activities involved creating fake tax forms and bank statements to apply for loans under various Maryland-based entities. He also used another person's information without consent to bolster his fraudulent activities. In total, he applied for around 71 PPP loans, potentially amounting to $941,000, and successfully obtained $146,000 in PPP benefits along with $238,000 through 8 EIDLs.
To conceal the origins of the ill-gotten funds, Sahadevan turned to securities and cryptocurrency trading. He attempted to settle personal debts and transferred funds to his girlfriend. However, law enforcement authorities intervened when they executed a search warrant at Sahadevan's residence, leading to the seizure of significant evidence, including multiple driver's licenses and a physical Bitcoin BTC/USD , assumed to hold the private keys.
The maximum federal prison sentence for wire fraud is 20 years, the maximum sentence for money laundering is 10 years, and the mandatory sentence for aggravated identity theft is two years. Sahadevan is currently awaiting sentencing. In addition, he must pay $429,000 in restitution and forfeit his cash and Bitcoin holdings.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of adhering to ethical and legal practices within the cryptocurrency landscape. Sahadevan's actions underscore the need for robust compliance measures to prevent fraudulent activities, especially concerning government relief programs. The DoJ's successful prosecution sends a clear message that such illicit behavior will not be tolerated, aiming to deter individuals from engaging in similar activities and maintain the integrity of financial systems.
A released Israeli hostage told a Hamas crowd he hoped to see his wife and daughters after his release – suggesting he did not know they had been killed on 7 October.
Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy were the latest hostages freed this morning in front of a crowd of heavily armed fighters.
Both Mr Ami, 56, and Mr Sharabi, 52, were taken from Kibbutz Be’eri during the 7 October attack. Mr Levy, 34, was abducted from the Nova music festival.
It was not known if Mr Sharabi was aware his wife and children had been killed by Hamas over a year ago. His Bristol-born wife Lianne Sharabi, along with their children 16-year-old Noiya and 13-year-old Yahel, were killed while Mr Sharabi and his brother Yossi were taken hostage.
Yossi was later killed while in captivity.
Mr Sharabi was paraded on a podium by armed Hamas personnel and interviewed before his release earlier today.
In one of his answers, which was clearly given under duress, he said he was hoping to see his wife and daughters very soon, according to translations provided by our US partner NBC News.
Mr Sharabi also told the crowd he was aware of his brother’s death and said he was “very angry” with the Israeli government.
All three hostages made similar critical comments about Israel while on stage with the armed men.
The comments came as Stephen Brisley, Mr Sharabi’s brother-in-law, told Sky News presenter Anna Jones this morning that he wasn’t sure if he had found out about his family’s fate.
“All the way through this, we’ve wondered whether what’s kept him going is the prospect of being reunited with Lianne and the girls,” he said.
He described his brother-in-law as looking “skinny” and “gaunt”.
“You could see how skinny he is, how pale he is. You wonder how much daylight he’s seen – very gaunt face,” he said.
“I think what struck me the most is that Eli has a very happy face, he smiles with his whole face and smiles with his eyes and it was the lack of light in his eyes that I think is one of the most distressing parts of it.”
Photos after his release showed Mr Sharabi reuniting with his wider family.
Mr Brisley added: “You don’t know what the last 491 days have done to him, but it’s clearly had an incredible impact on him, and it was written all over his face.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We will not accept the shocking scenes that we saw today.”
In return for the captives’ release, 183 Palestinian prisoners were released – some of which were convicted of being involved in attacks that killed dozens of people.
A bus carrying several dozen Palestinian prisoners from Israel’s Ofer prison arrived in the occupied West Bank, where their families and friends were waiting.
And in a statement later on Saturday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “dismayed to see his (Mr Sharabi’s) frail condition and the circumstances of his release”.
He added: “Having met his relatives I appreciate the deep pain they have endured and my thoughts are with them.
“We must continue to see all the hostages freed – these people were ripped away from their lives in the most brutal circumstances and held in appalling conditions.
The ceasefire must hold and all efforts need to focus on full implementation of the remaining phases. This includes the return of further hostages, the continued increase of aid into Gaza and securing lasting peace in the Middle East.”
Some 18 Israeli hostages and more than 550 Palestinian prisoners have been freed since the ceasefire began on 19 January.
Under the deal, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in an initial stage in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Negotiations on a second phase of the deal began this week. It is aimed at returning the remaining hostages and agreeing to a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in preparation to end the war.
It is feared US President Donald Trump’s proposal to move the Palestinian population out of Gaza so the US could take over could complicate the second and more difficult phase of the ceasefire.
Hamas’s cross-border attack into Israel saw around 1,200 Israelis killed and around 250 people taken hostage.
Since then Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 47,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
From the moment they stepped from the Hamas vehicle, to be seen alive for the first time in 15 and a half months, the three hostages were clearly gaunt and in poor health.
Reports in Israel say they have lost up to 30% of their body weight and they are in a bad medical condition.
Like previous hostage releases, they were humiliatingly paraded on stage but this time interviewed in front of the crowd, in a propaganda stunt for Hamas.
Eli Sharabi said he was looking forward to seeing his wife Lianne and two daughters again – he didn’t know that all three of them had been killed on 7 October.
His brother Yossi was also taken hostage but died last year in Gaza.
Israeli media is reporting that Or Levi was unaware his wife had been killed at the Nova music festival.
It has all caused a real feeling of shock and anger in Israel tonight and a new urgency to get all of the hostages home as quickly as possible.
Benjamin Netanyahu has reacted angrily, promising a response. The Israeli president has described it as a crime against humanity and the IDF point man for the hostages has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement.
Any action by the Israeli government could threaten the ceasefire and therefore the release of more hostages. As the hostage families forum and Israel’s president have said, the most important thing is freeing all the captives and getting them home.
Many of the Palestinian prisoners are also returning home looking painfully thin and with stories of being beaten in detention. One prisoner had to be carried off the Red Cross bus by a medic from the Palestinian Red Crescent earlier today.
The Palestinian prisoners released today say they were forced to watch a video of the destruction of Gaza before they were freed.
But there has been a shift in tone and mood after today’s events and it’s unclear what happens next.
At least 41 people have died after a bus and a truck collided in southern Mexico, authorities say.
The bus, with 48 people on board, was travelling between Cancun and Tabasco when the accident happened near the city of Escarcega early on Saturday, according to reports.
Thirty-eight passengers on the bus as well as two of the drivers died, along with the truck driver, said officials in Tabasco state.
They also said that recovery work was continuing.
Images from the scene showed the bus completely burned out following a fire after the collision. Only the metal frame remained.
Bus operator Tours Acosta said on Facebook that it was “profoundly sorry about what happened”.
It added that it was working with authorities to find out what happened and if the bus had been travelling within speed limits.
Javier May Rodriguez, governor of Tabasco, said on social media that the incident took place near Escarcega.
“We are coordinating with federal and Campeche authorities to provide the required assistance,” he said. “The secretary of government is closely following up on the situation.”
Ovidio Peralta, the mayor of Comalcalco, a town in Tabasco, said: “We are attentive to the federal and state authorities to help with whatever they request.”