Criminal Justice

LA Times Got the Grillo Kidnap Story Wrong

March 6, 2026

The LA Times reported Leo Grillo's arrest but never identified the FBI informant — a bankrupt precious metals dealer facing his own federal fraud investigation who needed to deliver a scalp to save himself.…

Criminal Justice

FBI Setup? DELTA Rescue’s Founder Arrested

by Frank Parlato

March 5, 2026

Leo Grillo is a former client of the author. Frank Parlato has previously published investigative reporting on the civil case underlying this matter. Leo Grillo Arrested in Kidnapping Sting — The Man Who Set Him Up Had His Own Reasons Leo Grillo,…

Criminal Justice

Ask Frank: Why Is My Judge So Biased?

by Frank Parlato

March 5, 2026

I Thought Judges Were Supposed to Be Smart A reader writes: Dear Frank, I’m watching a family member go through the federal court system, and the judge seems completely in the government’s pocket. He interrupts the defense, lets the prosecutors do what…

Criminal Justice·Department of Justice·Duong·General

Oakland Corruption Case: FBI Built Case Against Mayor Sheng Thao on Witness Sued 33 Times — Franks Hearing Could End It

by Frank Parlato

March 2, 2026

THE WORD OF MARIO JUAREZ On Wednesday, a federal judge will decide whether an FBI Agent told the truth when he sought permission to raid an Oakland mayor and businessman’s home. The answer may depend on whether he should have Googled his…

Criminal Justice

Jailed Whistleblower’s Federal Filing Alleges Hochul Affair, Erie County Retaliation

by Frank Parlato

February 22, 2026

ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. — A jailed Erie County man has filed papers in federal court alleging that Gov. Kathy Hochul had a sexual relationship with Tonawanda Democratic Chairman John Crangle when both worked in the Erie County Clerk’s Office, and that local…

Criminal Justice·Family Court

Paul Boyne Spent 18 Months in Jail for Blog Posts. His Trial Starts This Week.

by Frank Parlato

February 22, 2026

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — During the pendency of his case, Paul Boyne has spent 18 months in jail. The state offered a plea deal: time served. He turned it down. His trial starts this week. Boyne, 62, of Springfield, Virginia, faces 18…

Duong·Featured·Legal Issues

The Assassination That Wasn’t: How an FBI Agent Turned a Car Burglary Into a Hit Job to Raid Oakland’s Mayor

by Frank Parlato

February 17, 2026

OAKLAND, Calif. — On June 9, 2024, someone smashed the window of Mario Juarez’s car with a brick. By June 14, FBI Special Agent Duncan Haunold told a federal magistrate judge it was an assassination attempt orchestrated by the Duong family —…

Criminal Justice·Featured

THE CRUCIFIXION OF AMEEN ALAI: Or is it REALLY about Ibogaine?

by Guest View

February 17, 2026

by Troy Smith On September 16th, 2025, Ameen Alai, an innocent father who was a mere witness to a crime, was wrongfully sentenced to 48 months in federal prison. Alai was officially charged with a single count of felony drug distribution, though…

Criminal Justice·General·Sandusky·Wrongful Convictions

The Prosecutors Who Convicted Jerry Sandusky Control Millions Meant for His Accuser

by Frank Parlato

February 9, 2026

The Case Against the Case: Two prosecutors in Centre County, Pennsylvania — Frank Fina and the late Joe McGettigan — didn’t just control the narrative around Jerry Sandusky’s conviction. They controlled the money. Sabastian Paden TRUST A seven-figure trust fund established for…

Family Court·Legal Issues

Dr. Lee Moves to Dismiss Ambrose Defamation Suit, Citing Fraud on the Court — Seeks Criminal Referral for Perjury

by Frank Parlato

February 8, 2026

His Daughter’s Sworn Declaration Dismantles His Poverty Claim Point by Point Dr. Bandy X. Lee, the forensic psychiatrist that Christopher Ambrose sued for diagnosing him with psychopathic traits, has filed a supplemental motion to dismiss his lawsuit with prejudice — not on…

Criminal Justice·Guest Views·Sandusky

Epstein Believed Sandusky Got Railroaded

by Guest View

February 7, 2026

by Ralph Cipriano In an email to a former U.S. Attorney, Jeffrey Epstein compared the Jerry Sandusky case to the Salem Witch Trials Unbeknownst to the public for 14 years, an expert on pedophilia was closely monitoring the trial of Jerry Sandusky.…

Criminal Justice

Dear Frank: An Advice Column for the Legally Perplexed: Honor Killings Have Drawbacks Even Under Sharia Law

by Frank Parlato

January 28, 2026

Firouz Shahbazi: Dear Mr. Frank; I want to shoot my next-door neighbor. How do I get away with it, and will jury nullification help? Dear Aspiring Defendant, First-degree murder is a felony punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty in the…

Criminal Justice

Czech Magnate Living in Ringo Starr’s Mansion Allegedly Built €20 Billion Fortune Looting American Pension Funds, and Using His Own Mother as a Shell Company Owner

by Frank Parlato

January 23, 2026

There are some0 in the media and in politics who are asking, during “Davos” in the Swiss Alps that hosts the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting every January, will Radovan Vitek, the man whom Forbes ranks as the 550th richest in…

Criminal Justice

The Flynn Doctrine, Part 7: No Bail for His Accuser, No Charges for the Priests

by Frank Parlato

January 16, 2026

900 Victims. Zero Prosecutions. The Diocese of Buffalo and the DA Who Protected It Former Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said it at the press conference announcing charges against his political enemy, Steve Pigeon. “I stand with the child.” He said…

Criminal Justice

Ryan Flynn Moved Out of Delta Unit After Coverage; Still Jailed Without Bail

by Frank Parlato

January 15, 2026

Ryan Flynn was moved out of Delta unit. For weeks he had lived without running water in his 5×7 cell. The heat was shut off while the temperature dropped to twelve degrees outside at night. Another inmate threw feces for days. Guards…

Criminal Justice·Featured·Investigations

The Flynn Doctrine, Part 5: Judicial Complaint Filed Against Judge Who Jailed DA’s Accuser

by Frank Parlato

January 12, 2026

Complaint names judge’s prior professional ties to former DA On January 7, 2026, John Rendina filed a formal ethics complaint with the Rochester office of the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct against Judge J. Mark Gruber of the Town of…

Criminal Justice·Featured·Sandusky·Wrongful Convictions

Pennsylvania Prosecutors Respond to Sandusky PCRA — By Ignoring the Evidence

by Frank Parlato

January 12, 2026

Part 1 of a Series: What the Commonwealth Won’t Talk About On December 18, 2025, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office filed its response to Jerry Sandusky’s Post-Conviction Relief Act petition. It was 73 pages. It repeated trial testimony. It cited procedural deadlines.…

Criminal Justice·Department of Justice·Featured·Investigations·Politics

The Oakland Bribery Case — Part 2: The Witness

by Frank Parlato

December 21, 2025

(This is Part 2 of a series. Read Part 1 here.) The federal bribery case against Oakland’s former mayor rests entirely on one man: cooperating witness Mario Juarez. His testimony bought him immunity. This is his history. The Witness He became a…