Miami, FL
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.
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.
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.
Two North Korean nationals, Jin Sung-Il and Pak Jin-Song, were indicted for illegally obtaining remote information technology work with U.S. companies. With co-conspirators, they generated over $860,000 in illegal revenue for the North Korean government: https://t.co/PEzFOf1wTR pic.twitter.com/Uqj5nsQRcN
— FBI (@FBI) January 23, 2025
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
Miami, FL
Shooting in northwest Miami-Dade leaves man in critical condition, sheriff’s office says
An investigation is underway at a northwest Miami-Dade apartment complex after the sheriff’s office said a man was shot by his girlfriend after a “heated dispute” early Wednesday morning.
Few details have been released, but the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said the incident took place at an apartment complex located off Northwest 7th Avenue.
The sheriff’s office said that a man became involved in a “heated dispute” with his girlfriend, and she shot him in the right arm.
He was rushed to a hospital by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue in critical condition.
The woman is in custody.
The identities of those who were involved have not yet been released.
No other information was available.
Miami, FL
Miami Heat-Brooklyn Nets Injury Report, Betting Lines, How to Watch, Lineups & More
Game date, time and location: Tuesday, Mar. 3, 7:30 p.m. EST, Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Sun, YES Network (Brooklyn)
Radio: 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida), WFAN 101.9 FM/660 AM (Brooklyn)
VITALS: The Miami Heat (32-29) and Brooklyn Nets (15-45) meet for the second of three regular season matchups. Earlier this season, Miami recorded a, 106-95, win in Brooklyn on December 18 and has now won four of the last five overall against the Nets.
It also marks the first of consecutive games against Brooklyn with the teams facing each other again on Thursday. The Heat are 83-61 all-time versus the Nets during the regular season, including 44-26 in home games and 39-35 in road games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Davion Mitchell
G Tyler Herro
C Bam Adebayo
F Pelle Larsson
F Andrew Wiggins
NETS
G Nolan Traore
G Terance Mann
C Nic Claxton
F Michael Porter Jr.
F Noah Clowney
INJURY REPORT
HEAT
Davion Mitchell: Questionable – Shoulder
Norman Powell: Out – Groin
Nikola Jovic: Out – Back
Trevor Keels: Available – G League
Jahmir Young: Available – G League
Vlad Goldin: Available – G League
Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team
NETS
Nic Claxton: Probable – Thumb
Egor Demin: Out – Foot
QUOTABLE
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra: “Regardless of the scheme is, I always go back to that, it’s just about committing to doing hard things. We were really moving in the zone, taking away airspace and scrambling to challenge shots at the rim. In a lot of these losses in the last month we’ve just been giving up shots at the rim and threes.”
For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.
Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
Miami, FL
Orlando 2-4 Miami (2 Mar, 2026) Game Analysis – ESPN
ORLANDO, Fla. — Lionel Messi scored twice in a four-goal second half, defender Telasco Segovia added a goal and two assists and defending champion Inter Miami CF rallied to beat Orlando City SC 4-2 on Sunday night, winning for the first time at Inter&Co Stadium.
Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to tie it 2-2, and Segovia scored unassisted in the 85th for the lead. Messi put the finishing touch on the victory when he scored off a free kick in the 90th.
“The victory belongs exclusively to the players,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game. “In the second half, they were a championship team. There were no tactics, nothing like that. There was heart, courage, possession, resilience, commitment. I think the team came out because they were champions last year.
“In the end, the players showed it. This victory is theirs.”
Messi’s first two goals of the season give him 52 in his first 55 regular-season MLS matches — 51 of them in his past 49 appearances. It also brought the reigning MLS MVP to 898 career goals scored, including 672 for Barcelona and 115 for Argentina.
“He’s the best player to ever play this sport. He’s a leader, and as a leader, he inspires others, but he also often needs to be inspired himself,” Mascherano said of Messi. “When he was driving forward, he had more attacking options, and with so many opportunities, he clearly has the ability to create chances like no one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”
Marco Pašalić took a pass from Iván Angulo and scored in the 18th minute to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead. Pašalić has scored in four straight matches against Inter Miami.
Defender Griffin Dorsey set up Martín Ojeda for a goal six minutes later for a 2-0 advantage that stood through halftime.
Inter Miami cut it to 2-1 four minutes into the second half on Mateo Silvetti’s first career goal. Defenders Segovia and Facundo Mura had assists as the 20-year-old forward found the net in his fifth career appearance.
Segovia had eight goals and six assists as a rookie last season, while Mura collected his first assist in his first season.
Dayne St. Clair, the reigning goalkeeper of the year, turned away three shots — all in the second half of his second start with Inter Miami, but let in a soft goal for Orlando’s first.
Maxime Crépeau had four saves in his second start for Orlando City.
Teenager Colin Guske, 19, will miss Orlando City’s next match after the rookie picked up two yellow cards in his first start — the second one led to his exit in the 88th minute.
Inter Miami, which had never won in its previous nine trips to Orlando, was coming off a 3-0 road loss to LAFC.
Orlando City swept Inter Miami during the regular season last year and leads the all-time series 8-7-4.
Inter Miami plays D.C. United on Saturday at Audi Field. Orlando City is also on the road with a match against New York City FC.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.
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