NEW YORK (AP) — The founder and former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network could face decades in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to federal fraud charges, admitting that he misled customers about the business. Alexander Mashinsky , 58, of Manhattan, entered the plea in New York federal court to commodities and securities fraud. He admitted illegally manipulating the price of Celsius’s proprietary crypto token while secretly selling his own tokens at inflated prices to pocket about $48 million before Celsius collapsed into bankruptcy in 2022. In court, he admitted that in 2021 he publicly suggested there was regulatory consent for the company's moves because he knew that customers “would find false comfort” with that. And he said that in 2019, he was selling the crypto tokens even though he told the public that he was not. He said he knew customers would draw false comfort from that too. “I accept full responsibility for my actions,” Mashinsky said of crimes that stretched from 2018 to 2022 as the company pitched itself to customers as a modern-day bank where they could safely deposit crypto assets and earn interest. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a release that Mashinsky “orchestrated one of the biggest frauds in the crypto industry” as his company's assets purportedly grew to about $25 billion at its peak, making it one of the largest crypto platforms in the world. He said Mashinsky used catchy slogans like “Unbank Yourself” to entice prospective customers with a pledge that their money would be as safe in crypto accounts as money would be in a bank. Meanwhile, prosecutors said, Mashinsky and co-conspirators used customer deposits to fund market purchases of the Celsius token to prop up its value. Machinsky made tens of millions of dollars selling his own CEL tokens at artificially high prices, leaving his customers “holding the bag when the company went bankrupt,” Williams said. An indictment alleged that Mashinsky promoted Celsius through media interviews, his social media accounts and Celsius’ website, along with a weekly “Ask Mashinsky Anything” session broadcast that was posted to Celsius’ website and a YouTube channel. Celsius employees from multiple departments who noticed false and misleading statements in the sessions warned Mashinsky, but they were ignored, the indictment said. A plea agreement Mashinsky made with prosecutors calls for him to be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison and to forfeit over $48 million, which is the amount of money he allegedly made by selling his company's token. Sentencing was scheduled for April 8.

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Timberwolves didn’t turn to small ball to close last game, and those lineups don’t seem to be on the horizonA primary school student has dodged an as police search for a man in a white van. or signup to continue reading A composite image of the man has been released and police have urged witnesses or those with CCTV footage to contact investigators. The 11-year-old boy was walking home from school in , at 3.45pm on November 18 when a man approached him, Victoria Police said. The boy told investigators the unknown man pulled his van onto the wrong side of the road and rolled down the window. The man allegedly said the boy's mother had asked him to drive the 11-year-old home. The boy declined the ride and the van drove away. The boy's mother reported the alleged abduction attempt to police when her child returned home. Police have released photos of a van spotted on CCTV in the area as the investigation continues. Anna Houlahan reports on crime and social issues affecting regional and remote Australia in her role as national crime reporter at Australian Community Media (ACM). She was ACM’s Trainee of the Year in 2023 and, aside from reporting on crime, has travelled the country as a journalist for Explore Travel Magazine. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au Anna Houlahan reports on crime and social issues affecting regional and remote Australia in her role as national crime reporter at Australian Community Media (ACM). She was ACM’s Trainee of the Year in 2023 and, aside from reporting on crime, has travelled the country as a journalist for Explore Travel Magazine. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementPercentages: FG .444, FT .864. 3-Point Goals: 7-24, .292 (Lowe 4-7, Austin 1-4, Cummings 1-5, Leggett 1-5, Corhen 0-1, G.Diaz Graham 0-2). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 6 (G.Diaz Graham 4, Corhen, Leggett). Turnovers: 12 (Lowe 4, Leggett 3, Dunn 2, Austin, Corhen, Cummings). Steals: 10 (Leggett 5, Lowe 3, Austin, Cummings). Technical Fouls: Lowe, 00:04 first. Percentages: FG .373, FT .700. 3-Point Goals: 5-21, .238 (V.Miller 2-3, Fountain 1-1, Reed 1-1, Sears 1-4, Collins 0-1, R.Miller 0-1, Givens 0-2, Bailey 0-3, Carter 0-5). Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 1 (Reed). Turnovers: 15 (Sears 6, Carter 2, Givens 2, V.Miller 2, Bailey, Chest, Fountain). Steals: 5 (Bailey 2, Sears 2, V.Miller). Technical Fouls: Carter, 5:01 second. A_1,112 (2,000).

The Air Force has given industry the green light to start working on and submitting proposals for a potential five-year, $750 million professional services contract vehicle focused on U.S. Central Command’s headquarters. Bids for the multiple-award contract known by the acronym of CHIPS are due no later than 10 a.m. Eastern time on Jan. 9. Questions must be submitted no later than 10 a.m. Eastern time on Dec. 20, the Air Force said in a . Air Force officials plan to award approximately 20 positions on the vehicle, which is reserved for companies with the service-disabled veteran-owned and 8(a) distinctions. The service branch is also eyeing an even split of awards between both groups. Offerors must declare to which small business designation they are proposing, in this case either SDVOSB or 8(a). Work under the CENTCOM Headquarters IDIQ will primarily take place at the location indicated, or in this case at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. CENTCOM’s area of responsibility includes 21 countries that are mostly in the Middle East. The contract covers support for CENTCOM directorates, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff and other Defense Department components. Awardees will compete for task orders to carry out program management services, management and program analysis, assessment, monitoring, and evaluation, information technology, data science, logistics management, operational contract support, vendor threat mitigation, acquisition management, and intelligence services. CHIPS is a brand new requirement with no incumbent. The period of performance is one initial base year with up to four individual option years.Drones for commercial and recreational use have grown rapidly in popularity, despite restrictions on who can operate them and where they can be flown. No-fly zones are enforced around airports, military installations, nuclear plants, certain landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, and sports stadiums during games. Not everybody follows the rules. Sightings at airports have shut down flights in a few instances. Reported sightings of what appear to be drones flying over New Jersey at night in recent weeks have created anxiety among some residents, in part because it is not clear who is operating them or why. Some state and local officials have called for stricter rules to govern drones. After receiving reports of drone activity last month near Morris County, New Jersey, the Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary bans on drone flights over a golf course in Bedminster , New Jersey, that is owned by President-elect Donald Trump, and over Picatinny Arsenal Military Base . The FAA says the bans are in response to requests from “federal security partners.” The FAA is responsible for the regulations governing their use , and Congress has written some requirements into law. With a 2018 law, the Preventing Emerging Threats Act, Congress gave certain agencies in the Homeland Security and Justice departments authority to counter threats from unmanned aircraft to protect the safety of certain facilities. New drones must be outfitted with equipment allowing law enforcement to identify the operator, and Congress gave the agencies the power to detect and take down unmanned aircraft that they consider dangerous. The law spells out where the counter-drone measures can be used, including “national special security events” such as presidential inaugurations and other large gatherings of people. To get a “remote pilot certificate,” you must be at least 16 years old, be proficient in English, pass an aeronautics exam, and not suffer from a ”mental condition that would interfere with the safe operation of a small unmanned aircraft system.” Yes, but the FAA imposes restrictions on nighttime operations. Most drones are not allowed to fly at night unless they are equipped with anti-collision lights that are visible for at least 3 miles (4.8 kilometers). Over the past decade, pilots have reported hundreds of close calls between drones and airplanes including airline jets. In some cases, airplane pilots have had to take evasive action to avoid collisions. Drones buzzing over a runway caused flights to be stopped at London’s Gatwick Airport during the Christmas travel rush in 2018 and again in May 2023 . Police dismissed the idea of shooting down the drones, fearing that stray bullets could kill someone. Advances in drone technology have made it harder for law enforcement to find rogue drone operators — bigger drones in particular have more range and power. Some state and local officials in New Jersey are calling for stronger restrictions because of the recent sightings, and that has the drone industry worried. Scott Shtofman, director of government affairs at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, said putting more limits on drones could have a “chilling effect” on “a growing economic engine for the United States.” “We would definitely oppose anything that is blindly pushing for new regulation of what are right now legal drone operations,” he said. AirSight, a company that sells software against “drone threats,” says more than 20 states have enacted laws against privacy invasion by drones, including Peeping Toms. Will Austin, president of Warren County Community College in New Jersey, and founder of its drone program, says it's up to users to reduce public concern about the machines. He said operators must explain why they are flying when confronted by people worried about privacy or safety. “It's a brand new technology that's not really understood real well, so it will raise fear and anxiety in a lot of people,” Austin said. “We want to be good professional aviators and alleviate that.” Associated Press reporter Rebecca Santana in Washington, D.C., contributed.