Whistleblower News From The Inside -- November 4, 2016
By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team
Former Napa Valley winemaker arrested for fraud scheme — Federal prosecutors have brought eight fraud charges against Jeffry James Hill, a former Napa Valley winemaker and vineyard manager who had been accused of stealing grapes and deceiving customers about the source and type of grapes in the wines he sold. NYT
Ex-Christie aides convicted in George Washington bridge case — Two former aides to Gov. Chris Christie were convicted over a bizarre scheme to close access lanes to the George Washington Bridge as punishment against a mayor who declined to endorse the governor’s re-election. The two defendants, Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni, were each charged with seven counts of conspiracy and wire fraud, including misusing the resources of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and violating the rights of the citizens of Fort Lee, N.J., to travel without government restriction when the closings gridlocked their town over five days in September 2013. NYT
Wells Fargo facing SEC probe that could focus on disclosures — Wells Fargo & Co. disclosed the SEC probe Thursday in a regulatory filing. The SEC review adds to regulatory headaches for the bank, which has faced a barrage of criticism and calls for closer scrutiny since agreeing in September to pay $185 million over claims that employees opened as many as two million unauthorized accounts. Bloomberg
Penn State fined $2.4M over handling of Sandusky case — The U.S. Department of Education levied a fine against Penn State of nearly $2.4 million — the largest ever assessed for violations of the Clery Act, a 1990 law that covers how schools report on-campus crimes — in connection with the school’s handling of sexual assault allegations against former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. WSJ
World Medical Association president attends court hearing in corruption case — A doctor recently installed as president of the World Medical Association, the global medical-ethics body, appeared in a New Delhi courthouse on Friday to attend a hearing in a case where he faces charges of corruption for allegedly being involved in a conspiracy to obtain a bribe of 20 million rupees from a medical college. Reuters