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FBI Miami investigates remote freelance IT workers using laptop farms

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FBI Miami investigates remote freelance IT workers using laptop farms


MIAMI – The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating a case related to a network of remote freelance IT workers who are defying U.S. sanctions.

According to Bryan Vorndran, the assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division, North Korean agents are pretending to be based in the U.S. “to generate revenue.”

According to Devin DeBacker, a supervisory official of the Justice Department’s national security division, the revenue funds even “weapons programs.”

Federal prosecutors released statements by Vorndran and DeBacker with a 27-page indictment Thursday accusing five of participating in the scheme.

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Two of the five are from North Korea, one is from Mexico, and two are from the United States. According to prosecutors, at least 64 U.S. companies, including a Miami-based cruise line and a staffing agency in Fort Lauderdale, fell for their scheme.

The two defendants from North Korea, Jin Sung-Il and Pak Jin-Song, allegedly used fake identifications and laundered the earnings through a Chinese bank account.

The two from the U.S., Erick Ntekereze and Emanuel Ashtor, allegedly received laptops from U.S. employers and installed remote access software on them.

The FBI raided Ashtor’s North Carolina home and accused him of operating a “laptop farm” that hosted victim company-provided laptops, according to the indictment.

Ashtor, formerly of New York, also co-owned Vali Tech, a staffing agency registered in Florida. Ntekereze, of New York, owned Taggcar, a staffing agency registered in Delaware.

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Pedro Ernesto Alonso De Los Reyes, the Mexican defendant, allegedly allowed the North Koreans to use his identity. He was living in Sweden and was arrested on Jan. 10 in the Netherlands.

The two North Koreans, Alonso, Ntekereze, and Ashtor are facing charges of conspiracy to cause damage to a protected computer, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to transfer false identification documents.

The two North Koreans living in China are also facing charges of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The U.S. Treasury warned about the fraudulent scheme in 2022 reporting that it involved forced labor and human trafficking.

To submit a tip about this or other similar schemes, visit this page and submit a form.

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Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.





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Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza is coming to Miami, led by legendary pizzaiolo chef Bun

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Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza is coming to Miami, led by legendary pizzaiolo chef Bun


If you’re a diehard pizza fanatic in Miami, you’ll soon be able to check another renowned style off your list without leaving home. Arriving in October 2026, Royale Pizza Napoletana will debut at 1680 Meridian Avenue, introducing South Florida to the exceptionally precise world of Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza. This highly anticipated opening marks the monumental stateside arrival of legendary Japanese pizzaiolo Chef Bun, the mastermind behind Tokyo’s genre-defining concept, Savoy.

RECOMMENDED: Where to find the best pizza in Miami

The restaurant is the brainchild of banking entrepreneur and restaurateur Jess Varughese, the innovator behind Miami’s ultra-exclusive, members-only hotspot, Haiku. After experiencing Chef Bun’s “perfect pizzas” during a trip to Japan, Varughese envisioned bringing this science-driven culinary movement to sunny South Florida. To ensure absolute authenticity, Varughese assembled an elite culinary team. Alongside Chef Bun, the kitchen features Haiku Executive Chef Albert Diaz and Chef Dalila Sabatino, a rising pizzaiola talent praised by Bun who previously trained at Los Angeles’ acclaimed Pizzeria Sei.

Photograph: Courtesy Royale Pizza NapoletanaRoyale Pizza Napoletana

What sets Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza apart is its rigorous, chemistry-like execution. At Royale, the dough undergoes a meticulous 30+ hour fermentation process. Varughese and his team spent hundreds of hours adjusting the recipe, combining artisan flours with the Autolyse technique and even altering Miami’s water softness to match Japan’s famously soft water. Pizzas are then baked fresh in an 800-degree oven. The resulting crust achieves an ethereal balance of lightness, chewiness, char and crunch. As Varughese notes, having Chef Bun’s 20-plus years of innovation on board elevates the entire culinary game.

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Royale will be fast-casual, yet polished, with seating for 65 guests including a large community table at its center. Staying true to an accessible vibe, the restaurant will operate on a first-come, first-served walk-in basis with no reservations, though takeout and delivery will be available. You’ll order at a main counter from a carefully curated menu featuring antipasti, two pastas, two mains and seven distinct pizzas—including four traditional options and three specials. This is a pizza spot that deserves the hype, so stay up to date on their progress at @royalenapoletana ahead of the official October launch.





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Girl, 12, shot while sitting in parked car in northwest Miami-Dade, deputies say

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Girl, 12, shot while sitting in parked car in northwest Miami-Dade, deputies say


MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A 12-year-old girl was shot in the arm after gunfire erupted in a northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood early Tuesday morning, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said they responded just before 1 a.m. to the area of Northwest 64th Street and Northwest 21st Avenue in the county’s Gladeview area, where they found three vehicles struck by gunfire, including a silver Hyundai.

“The car was parked outside of the residence. It was occupied by three juveniles, so it was the girl and her two siblings that were in the vehicle. The mom was outside of the vehicle at the time, so this could have been a very different outcome,” MDSO Detective Samantha Choon said.

Authorities said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medics transported the girl to a nearby hospital in stable condition.

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A family member of the victim told Local 10’s Jackie Pascale that the girl is now home and doing OK.

They said neither her siblings nor their mother was injured in the shooting.

According to investigators, no arrests have been made, and detectives have not released any suspect information at this time.

Neighbor Marie Grimes said she was shaken after hearing multiple gunshots.

“I heard the booms — boom, boom, boom, boom — and I said, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’” she said. “Maybe five or six, ’cause look at that right there. I’m just glad the little girl is OK.”

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Investigators asked neighbors to check their surveillance or Ring camera footage from around 1 a.m. and contact authorities with any information.

Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. Anonymous tips are accepted.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.





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South Florida mother arrested for leaving daughter chained to fence, police say

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South Florida mother arrested for leaving daughter chained to fence, police say


A Hialeah woman was arrested and charged with child neglect for leaving her 13-year-old daughter chained to her great-grandmother’s fence in the heat with no shoes or water. CBS News Miami’s Abby Dodge reports from the neighborhood where it all happened.



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