When I first reported about local lawyer Kevin A. Luibrand’s involvement in the stranger-than-fiction claim of TU Senior Editor Bob Port that the Albany Police Department’s raid of his wife’s local jack shack was done in retaliation to the TU’s publication of negative stories about the Albany County Sheriff’s former drug unit, I had no idea that NXIVM’s former mouthpiece has a long history of being involved in Chinese-related matters. But, as it turns out, Mr. Luibrand was also involved back in 2006 in defending local microbiologist and Chinese national Jun Wang (HERE).Just like the TU’s non-coverage of the prostitution arrest of Mia Liu, a woman who worked at the Green Garden Asian Spa, which is owned by Port’s wife Cheng Bin, Wang’s arrest and prosecution by the federal government received scant coverage from the TU. Makes you wonder if Port also has a hand in the sale of military secrets to foreign governments, doesn’t it?
By the way, a special shout out to my fellow blogger at the Citizen One blog http://www.newyorkcitizenone.com/index.php/home/7881-liar-liar-pants-on-fire which uncovered the fact that the Times Union apparently mis-stated the name of the woman who was arrested for prostitution (The TU referred to her as Mia Lin) and the name of Port’s wife (The TU referred to her as Bin Cheng). Seriously, guys, did you think that little ploy was going to get by everyone? Also according to Citizen One the now infamous Green Garden Asian Spa will try to reopen.HERE
In any event, now that TU Editor-in-Chief Rex Smith has made it clear that the TU’s new policy is to “Go with what you’ve got” (HERE), we should assume that there won’t be any more instances of “non-coverage” of important local stories by the TU. HERE
And while we’re on that topic, here are a few more stories that I look forward to reading in the TU someday soon: (My thanks to “Albany Lawyer” who posted a couple of these suggestions as comments on the SoaresSpot blog: http://soarestruthandtips.typepad.com/):- How Albany County DA P. David Soares and his girlfriend, Stacey Quackenbush, managed to get around the Secret Service screening procedure and have their picture taken with President Obama.
See my prior post on this topic HERE.
- How much money Albany County has spent to hire Special Prosecutors because Soares has had to recuse himself from criminal cases involving his girlfriend’s siblings.
- How much money Soares’ office has spent on investigations and prosecutions regarding the Florida steroid case.
- Why Soares demoted Christopher Banes, the Assistant Albany County DA who oversaw the work of NXIVM-insider Kristin Keeffe when she was working at the DA’s office.
- Why Soares hasn’t endorsed Lee Kindlon’s suggestion that the Attorney General conduct a thorough examination of Keeffe’s work at the DA’s office. .
- Why Soares hasn’t done anything to shut-down NXIVM’s Ponzi scheme/ tax evasion scheme/indentured servitude scheme/money laundering scheme/illegal immigrants scheme/illegal restaurant operation/etc., which is based at 455 New Karner Road in Albany.
- And, most importantly, why Soares hasn’t undertaken an investigation concerning Bob Port’s ludicrous conspiracy charges concerning Albany Mayor Jennings, the Albany City Police Department and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office – or, alternatively, why Soares hasn’t moved to have Port committed to the Capital District Psychiatric Center for observation and evaluation.
In times past, I’ve focused most of my attention on issues and events that affected my hometown of Saratoga Springs. But now that I’ve opened a satellite office on Lark Street in Albany, I’ll be keeping an eye on what’s going on down there down there too.
14 comments:
JT,we are hoping that Slugger Finneran through her many avenues of applying pressure hasn't chased you away from the Big Fish...that being the continual grudge campaign and power grab by that cult group saratoga citizen.
I really loathe people in authority who abuse their "power". Its no wonder many of many lawyer friends left the practice of law.
I wonder how the hell Odato was allowed to run the NXIVM story. Seems like the Times Useless is living up to its nickname.
Print newspapers will eventually be going the way of the dinosaur and Smith and Port will be replaced. My writer friends with integrity keep being forced to take pay cuts because some new grad will work for peanuts this is not only happening in print media but also for my paid blogger friends.
To 8:25. Not at all I should have a Saratoga story Sunday unless of course somethings breaks. And I will be at the City Council pre-agenda Monday and the City Council meeting Tuesday night. I'm just working out of the Daily Grind on Lark for the day.
you know "so much scum so little time"
I heard Finneran was going to open a Keehniac massage garden spa. I hear she needs money for Val's triumphant return.
The thought of Eileen and "happy ending" is just creepy
As it turns out, Luibrand also has some local ties:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19870605&id=NRAhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y3IFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3968,1004739
Hey SID, I'm looking for ya on Lark...big haps in the Soares Campaign today!
God I love this stuff!
Here's a link to the documentation on the names of the Port Geishas
http://bit.ly/LT7kDR
Hey Sid, I think I just misplaced my comment.
Anyway, ACO here, I thought you'd like "proof" of the incorrect names used by the TU regarding the Geishas.
http://bit.ly/LT7kDR
Thanks
Fingernan can be spotted daily at the Price Chopper, cruising the ice cream sales.
The shopping cart is filled, and her sales slip says she can get $3.oo off per gallon of gas.
I'm wondering if the good doctor takes care of her cavities? It's a toxic area down there on Rt. 50 in the ice cream aisle.
@2:11 PM
Too funny -- Did you notice that in the same class - A.C. Dake ? And she was employed at McGinn, Smith & Co ?
Think she was still married to Bill Dake at the time - TU had Dake losing one million and Stewarts losing three (+) million with that firm. Another Ponzi scheme - and Smith is from Saratoga Springs.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19870605&id=NRAhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Y3IFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3968,1004739
JT, I like how you raise important issues. Just a few things to say.
I bet if you look into it you will find that Kevin Luibrand represents a lot of people of different nationalities and religious and cultural beliefs. Courts often ask him to do that, assigning him, and other people hire him. So what?
In my work, I find a lot of mistakes on police reports. Police are human. Also, the info on police reports comes from the people they interview, which could be wrong. So I am guessing it's hard to figure out the right names. The TU can make the same mistakes.
Until you are in Albany longer -- and thanks for doing that!!! -- keep an open mind on police conspiracies. It happens A LOT, and the people who will tell you are the good cops. I can tell you stories and I don't even have the best ones.
Be well! And thanks for the conversation.
What year did A.C. Dake work for Mcginn, Smith & Co.and why was she working there? They must have been used her good name to lure clients to the greed fest..but in the end mmmmmmmm!
I remember the Jun Wang case well. Are you suggesting the federal government is part of your Luibrand conspiracy theory? WTF. You also said the Times Union gave 'scant coverage" of the Jun Wang story? I worked with the guy at HRI. The Times Union broke that story and a simple search reveals by my count they wrote six stories and most where on the front page. We all read them with great interest and watched as the government got egg on their face. Looks like SID needs a little fact checking. What other mistakes do you make?
BRENDAN LYONS Staff Writer
Publication Date: March 21, 2006 Page: A1 Section: Main Edition: 3
ALBANY - A Chinese immigrant who works as a research scientist for the state Health Department has been indicted on federal charges that accuse him of purchasing highly sophisticated guidance systems for the Chinese military.
The guidance systems were purchased from U.S. defense contrac tors and can be used to steer missiles, torpedoes and unmanned aircraft, federal authorities said. The investigation broke open late last week when federal agents raided the home and offices of 36-year-old Jun Wang, a microbiologist, and his wife, Yu Zhao, who works for a local accounting firm. Wang was arrested on two counts of conspiracy and arms trafficking in violation of U.S. export laws, records show.
"This is very serious," Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Capezza said Monday at Wang's detention hearing in U.S. District Court in Albany. "He is facing a serious charge. ... and the charges, if anything, will become stronger."
U.S. Magistrate Judge Randolph F. Treece reserved decision on whether to set bond for Wang, saying he wanted to obtain more information about his job status and whether he might be fired because of the charges.
In court Monday, Capezza described Wang as a highly intelli gent scientist who sought to avoid detection by U.S. authorities. He said Wang did this by purchasing low-frequency guidance systems that wouldn't garner as much attention from authorities, and by using money transfers of under $10,000.
"It shows the state of mind of the parties and their willingness to try to sidestep the law," Capezza said.
The guidance systems cannot be legally exported to certain countries, including China, without permission from the U.S. State Department. Wang had them sent to his home in Guilderland and then mailed them to China through the U.S. Postal Service, authorities said.
Wang has lived in the United States for several years and is here on a work visa, according to federal authorities and public records. He and his wife have a 6-month-old baby and live in a home off Western Avenue, not far from Crossgates Mall, that they purchased last year for $275,000, records show.
Yu Zhao, whose office computer and work area were searched by federal agents Friday, has not been charged in the case, although federal authorities on Monday said she had assisted her husband in some of the transactions.
Outside court, Zhao, 34, admitted they sent the items to Wang's brother, Yong Wang, in China. But she said the couple believed what they were doing would not get them in trouble.
Tears streamed down Zhao's face as she explained that the couple did not intend to flee the United States and planned to carve out a life and raise their child here.
"We purchase these items. It's legal," she said. "We told them everything we knew. For the first couple of years, we'd get nothing for doing this."
And the rest of that first story from Time Union -
On Friday morning, U.S. Department of Commerce agents who arrested Wang sat down with Zhao at the couple's home during the raid. They said she waived her rights and gave a written statement allegedly acknowledging what had taken place.
"I'm aware of my husband's purchases of navigation electronics that might be used for research on airplan (sic)," Zhao said in a copy of the handwritten statement that was obtained by the Times Union. "I suspect this research is Chinese government research, maybe the military, based on my husband's word."
She said Yong Wang, whom federal authorities describe as an unindicted co-conspirator, promised her husband a 5 percent commission on the purchases.
Federal authorities said the payoffs took place between June 2001 and this month.
In all, nearly $400,000 flowed into Jun Wang's U.S. bank account from the transactions, most of it through overseas wire transfers from China, authorities said.
It's still not clear how Wang purchased the tiny guidance system devices, which can fit in the palm of a hand.
But one purchase, from Honeywell International Inc. in Plymouth, Minn., appears to indicate that Wang told the company the instrument would be used for research and development at a Chinese university, and not by "any military entity in China," according to a copy of the February 2005 order.
Federal authorities said they intend to seize Wang's home, which they contend was paid for with the help of the alleged arms transactions.
Meanwhile, Wang's status at his $42,000-a-year job as a research scientist for the state is in jeopardy. State officials said he is not a state employee, but works under a research fellowship at the state's Center for Medical Science Building on New Scotland Avenue in Albany, where he is involved in a study of tuberculosis, according to a colleague.
However, federal authorities said they expect Wang will be terminated from his job because they can show he used his office's computer and fax machines to research the guidance systems and make purchases, Capezza said at Monday's hearing.
"Pending the court action, we are reviewing Mr. Wang's employment status," said Health Department spokesman Robert Kenny.
The case is under investigation by the Commerce Department, Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Wang remains in custody pending a decision by Treece on the government's request that he be held without bond. The judge is expected to issue a decision today.
Arthur R. Frost, Wang's attorney, said Wang's only criminal history is an arrest on assault charges in Maryland six years ago. He told the judge Wang is not a risk of flight and that "this is not a crime of violence."
"This is the closest we get to a victimless crime," Frost said. "If you were going to try and hide what he was doing, why do it through the United States Post Office?"
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