Connecticut

Hawthorne Fire remains at 127 acres as other fires spark across Connecticut

Published

2 years ago

November 3, 2024

Hawthorne Fire remains at 127 acres as other fires spark across Connecticut

Crews are tackling fires all across Connecticut as the current dry weather continues to play a role. This includes the large Hawthorne Fire in Berlin, which has been burning for nearly two weeks now.

As day 13 draws to a close at the Hawthorne Fire in Berlin, fire officials on scene say they’ve made good progress with crews tackling hotspots in the southeast part of Lamentation Mountain. The fire is holding steady at 127 acres burned. Officials say there are plans to scale back some operations to begin the mop-up phase and they’re optimistic about fully containing this fire.

“It’s showing solid progress and there’s still a little bit of work to do up there over the next week or so, but all in all, Hawthorne Drive is looking very good,” Chief Jonn Massirio with the Berlin Fire Dept. said.

The dry weather still contributing to conditions ripe for new fires to start. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says it’s monitoring 107 fires across Connecticut. State officials saying there’s no weather relief coming yet.

“As this weather remains dry and windy, these fires are going to continue, and we will likely see this continue until we see some substantial rainfall,” Josh Cingranelli with the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said.

One significant fire burned about five acres at Rocky Neck Park in East Lyme on a hiking trail. DEEP says a contingent from the California Hotshots is there providing help with crews able to navigate the area to tackle any flames they see.

“They are fortunate enough to have the trail system down there at Rocky Neck that they’re using to help manage that fire,” James Fowler with DEEP said.

With the fire danger still present state-wide, they’re asking people to mitigate any risk around their homes or property.

“Clearing the leaf fall that has been coming down and making sure that your yard is clear of that type of debris,” Chief Massirio said.

Fire officials are still urging people to follow the state burn bans that are in place and asking people to not have open flames in their backyards.

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Connecticut

Night forecast for June 2

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9 hours ago

June 3, 2026

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How a carjacking in Connecticut led back to a man known as the crypto ‘Godfather’ in California

Published

20 hours ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

How a carjacking in Connecticut led back to a man known as the crypto ‘Godfather’ in California

On a leafy Connecticut road in the summer of 2024, would-be kidnappers pulled a couple from their Lamborghini SUV, beat them in broad daylight and threw them into a van, only to be arrested shortly thereafter as multiple witnesses, including a passing off-duty FBI agent, called police.

The investigation would lead police to some sensational findings.

The attack turned out to be linked to a $245 million Bitcoin heist the month before involving the couple’s son. And this week, a California cryptocurrency mogul who authorities say called himself “The Godfather” and had previously hired off-duty sheriff’s deputies to strongarm his enemies admitted to orchestrating the attempted abduction to get a piece of the son’s stolen loot.

The California man, 25-year-old Adam Iza, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. Federal prosecutors are seeking a prison term of at least 14 years when he’s sentenced.

Iza’s lawyer, William Paetzold, didn’t immediately respond to Tuesday phone and email messages seeking comment.

The case is part of an increasing trend worldwide of cryptocurrency theft spilling over to violence.

Nightclub fight spawns kidnapping plot

A month before the abduction attempt, one of Iza’s alleged co-conspirators got into a beef with the couple’s son, Veer Chetal, at a Miami nightclub, according to an FBI affidavit. The man, James Schwab, then told an acquaintance to rob Chetal and his friends at their Miami rental home, authorities said. It’s not clear if the robbery happened.

Schwab’s lawyers didn’t immediately respond to phone messages seeking comment.

Then came the Bitcoin heist. A few weeks after the nightclub fight, Chetal and two other men hatched an elaborate online scheme that involved impersonating technical support staff for Google and a cryptocurrency exchange. They managed to steal 4,100 Bitcoins — worth about $245 million at the time — from a Washington, D.C., resident, according to court documents.

The trio lived large after the theft, spending millions of dollars on cars, clothing, jewelry, rental mansions and nightclub parties before being arrested, prosecutors said. Chetal pleaded guilty last November and awaits sentencing, while the two other men have pleaded not guilty.

Iza and Schwab, meanwhile, came up with the idea to take Chetal’s parents hostage in a bid to snatch some of his ill-gotten riches, the FBI said, citing information from informants. Schwab and Iza’s brother, Saif Faiq, also were charged in the kidnapping attempt and pleaded not guilty.

They recruited six other men to go to Connecticut, paying for their travel and lodging, authorities said. A week after the Bitcoin heist, the group surveilled Chetal’s parents hours before the kidnapping, according to court records.

Abduction quickly goes awry

Sushil and Radhika Chetal were driving in the Lamborghini on Aug. 25, 2024, near Danbury High School when they were rear-ended by a car. A white van then pulled in front of the SUV and several men surrounded them, police said.

The men pulled the Chetals out of the SUV and forced them into their van, beating Sushil Chetal with a baseball bat and dragging Radhika Chetal by her hair. The couple were bound with duct tape and the van drove off, according to court documents.

After witnesses called police, officers soon spotted the van and a chase ensued. The van eventually crashed and four of the men got out and fled on foot but were arrested shortly thereafter. The other two men were later found at a home the group had rented in a nearby town. The Chetals were taken to a hospital and released.

The six men, all from Florida, have pleaded guilty in connection with the kidnapping. Two have been sentenced to 11 years in prison and the others await sentencing.

How the ‘Godfather’ went from a Bel Air mansion to federal charges

Before Iza’s arrest in the Connecticut case, he was under investigation by federal authorities in California for extorting money and property from victims in Los Angeles and elsewhere, court records show. He was charged in that case a month after the kidnapping and later pleaded guilty.

Iza, also known as Ahmed Faiq, was living in a mansion in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, calling himself The Godfather while running a crypto trading company, Zort. While stealing millions of dollars and funneling it through shell companies, Iza spent freely on luxury cars and other extravagances, including cosmetic surgery to lengthen his legs, prosecutors said.

Beginning in August 2021, Iza paid around $100,000 a month for his personal protection to a private security firm founded by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy that also employed other deputies, prosecutors said.

Iza, authorities said, hired off-duty deputies to act as enforcers against people with whom he had personal and business disputes. He used the deputies to extort, intimidate, set people up for arrest and abuse the legal process, prosecutors said.

The deputies used law enforcement databases to generate information about Iza’s enemies and obtained search warrants under false pretenses, authorities said. On one occasion, two deputies held a victim at gunpoint inside Iza’s home, pressuring the victim to transfer $25,000 to Iza’s bank account, prosecutors said.

When he pleaded guilty in that case in January, Iza also admitted to stealing more than $37 million by fraudulently accessing the business manager accounts of Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook, and their lines of credit from 2020 to 2022. He awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy against rights and tax evasion.

His attorney in California, Josef Sadat, declined to comment Tuesday.

Several deputies also were charged in the investigation.

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Where to watch Connecticut Sun vs Atlanta Dream on June 2: TV channel, start time and streaming

Published

1 day ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

The WNBA has returned with a brand new collective bargaining agreement and a league full of loaded rosters as the 2026 season tips off.

A rookie class headlined by Dallas Wings top pick Azzi Fudd, Minnesota’s Olivia Miles and Washington’s Lauren Betts is ready to make a mark in the pros while the defending champion Las Vegas Aces look to keep their dynasty alive with a fourth title in five years.

As the the season gets going under a new media rights deal, it can be tough to figure out which channel each team is playing on every night. Here’s everything you need to know to tune in when the Atlanta Dream host the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday.