BOSTON (BNO NEWS) — A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to a charge of foreign economic espionage for exchanging sensitive information with a person who he believed was an Israeli spy, officials said on Tuesday. The man worked for Akamai when he committed the crimes.

Elliot Doxer, 43, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper to a charge of providing trade secrets over an 18-month period from the finance department of Akamai Technologies to an undercover federal agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer.

In 2006, Doxer sent an email to the Israeli consulate in Boston stating that he worked in the finance department of Akamai Technologies and was willing to provide any information that might help Israel. His main desire “was to help our homeland and our war against our enemies,” Doxer said in later communications.

From October 2007 to March 2009, Doxer exchanged information with a federal agent posing as an undercover Israeli intelligence officer. Among this information was an extensive list of Akamai’s customers, its contracts, as well as a list of the company’s employees, including their contact information.

The former Akamai worker also described the company’s security systems and said he could travel to Israel or support special and sensitive operations in his local area if needed. The information was never in real danger of actual exposure because it was disclosed only to an undercover agent.

U.S. District Judge Casper has scheduled the sentencing for November 30 when Doxer could face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release and a $500,000 fine. Doxer’s prosecution is the first in Massachusetts for foreign economic espionage and only the eighth in the United States.

Akamai Technologies is a content delivery network which provides cloud-based services to optimize web and mobile content applications, including HD video and secure e-commerce. It had a revenue of just over a billion U.S. dollars in 2010.

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FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS (BNO NEWS) — Police confirmed on Tuesday that an uncle of U.S. President Barack Obama was arrested in Massachusetts last week, allegedly for driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to a Framingham police report, Onyango Obama was stopped on August 24 after a sport utility vehicle he was driving failed to make a proper stop at an intersection. The arresting officer, Val Krishtal, said the man had red and glassy eyes, slurred speech and appeared unsteady on his feet.

Police said Obama, 67, failed several field sobriety tests and blew a reading of 0.14 percent on a blood-alcohol breath test, which is above the maximum blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent when driving in Massachusetts.

News reports said Obama – who is originally from Kenya – is staying in the United States illegally and had an earlier removal order against him. He is now being held without bail at the request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

According to the police report, Obama was offered a phone call after he had been arrested and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and failure to yield the right way. “I think I will call the White House,” he said, although it was not known if he actually made the call and if so who he spoke to.

Onyango Obama is the half-brother of President Barack Obama’s father, Barack Obama, Sr.

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OAK BLUFFS, MASSACHUSETTS (BNO NEWS) — U.S. President Barack Obama on late Sunday evening said Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his supporters need to recognize that his rule has come to an end.

Obama made the statement after he held a conference call with senior members of his national security team who briefed him on the fast-moving situation in Libya. Obama is currently on an island off the coast of Massachusetts for his annual vacation.

Heavy fighting was reported in parts of the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Saturday and Sunday evening, and continuing into Monday morning. Reports said rebels had taken over significant parts of Tripoli and the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed that the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Seif al-Islam, has been arrested by rebel forces.

“Tonight, the momentum against the Gaddafi regime has reached a tipping point,” Obama said. “Tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant. The Gaddafi regime is showing signs of collapsing. The people of Libya are showing that the universal pursuit of dignity and freedom is far stronger than the iron first of a dictator.”

Obama urged Gaddafi to relinquish his power once and for all to stop the conflict. “The surest way for the bloodshed to end is simple: Muammar Gaddafi and his regime need to recognize that their rule has come to an end. Gaddafi needs to acknowledge the reality that he no longer controls Libya,” he said.

The U.S. leader added that the Transitional National Council (TNC), which the U.S. government has recognized as the legitimate governing authority of Libya, should continue to demonstrate the leadership necessary to steer the country through a transition by respecting the rights of the Libyan people, avoiding civilian casualties, protecting the institutions of the Libyan state, and pursuing a transition to democracy that is ‘just and inclusive’ for all of the people of Libya.

“The future of Libya is now in the hands of the Libyan people,” Obama continued. “Going forward, the United States will continue to stay in close coordination with the TNC. We will continue to insist that the basic rights of the Libyan people are respected. And we will continue to work with our allies and partners in the international community to protect the people of Libya, and to support a peaceful transition to democracy.”

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that Obama, who had also been briefed by counterterrorism adviser John Brennan earlier on Sunday, will continue to be updated as necessary and is scheduled to be briefed on the topic again on Monday morning.

Libya has been engulfed in a civil war since an uprising against Muammar Gaddafi’s regime began in mid-February, leading to UN Security Council Resolution 1973 which authorized its member states to impose a no-fly zone over the North African country and take ‘all necessary measures’ to protect civilians. Since then, NATO forces have carried out hundreds of airstrikes across Libya to aid the rebels.

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OAK BLUFFS, MASSACHUSETTS (BNO NEWS) — U.S. President Barack Obama on late Sunday evening said he will not comment on the fast-moving situation in Libya until he has received full confirmation on what is happening there.

Heavy fighting was reported in parts of the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Saturday evening and Sunday evening, and continuing into Monday morning. Reports said rebels had taken over significant parts of Tripoli and the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed that the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Seif al-Islam, has been arrested by rebel forces.

“We’re going to wait until we have full confirmation of what has happened,” Obama told reporters who asked about Libya. “I’ll make a statement when we do.” Obama is currently on an island off the coast of Massachusetts for his annual vacation.

Earlier on Sunday, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Obama had been briefed on the situation in Libya by counterterrorism adviser John Brennan. He also received information from U.S. teams on the ground in the unofficial rebel capital of Benghazi.

“The national security team will continue to provide updates to the President on this situation, as necessary,” Earnest said. “The United States continues to communicate closely with our allies, partners, and the Transitional National Council (TNC). We believe that Gaddafi’s days are numbered, and that the Libyan people deserve a just, democratic and peaceful future.”

Libya has been engulfed in a civil war since an uprising against Muammar Gaddafi’s regime began in mid-February, leading to UN Security Council Resolution 1973 which authorized its member states to impose a no-fly zone over the North African country and take ‘all necessary measures’ to protect civilians. Since then, NATO forces have carried out hundreds of airstrikes across Libya to aid the rebels.

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LOS ANGELES (BNO NEWS) — FBI Agents on Thursday arrested top ten fugitive James J. “Whitey” Bulger and his companion in California after remaining a high-profile fugitive for 16 years.

Bulger, 81, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, was located with his longtime companion Catherine Greig,60, in Santa Monica, California after a recent publicity, which produced a tip that led FBI agents to their residence early Wednesday evening, according to the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s office in Boston, Richard Deslauriers, and the FBI’s Assistant Director in Charge in Los Angeles, Steven Martinez. 

As the leader of the Winter Hill Gang, Bulger was being sought for his alleged participation in 19 killings, racketeering, extortion, drug trafficking-related charges, conspiracy, and money laundering. A $2 million reward was being offered for tips leading to his arrest. Greig is being charged for harboring a fugitive.

In a highly criticized move, the FBI used Bulger since the early 1970s as an informant, allowing him to continue his alleged criminal activities. According to a report that made Bulger’s relationship with the FBI public, he would provide the FBI with information regarding gang rivals the Patriarca crime family, which operated in the New England area.

In 1995, the FBI was planning to indict Bulger, but FBI agent John Connolly Jr. tipped Bulger who quickly fled, using false identities across the U.S. and Europe and setting up safe deposit boxes to keep cash, jewelry, and passports. Bulger went on to influence the creation of character Frank Costello in Martin Scorsese’s 2006 film ‘The Departed.’

Connolly Jr. was later arrested, and in 2002, he was convicted of racketeering for protecting Bulger as well as another FBI informant, Stephen Flemmi. That same year was the last time federal agents received reliable information regarding Bulger’s location, as a businessman reported spotting him in London.

According to reports, Bulger and Greig had settled down and were living in Santa Monica’s The Princess Eugenia building at the time of their arrest, where they went unnoticed as they were able to blend in normally.

The FBI said the two were arrested without incident and both are currently scheduled for an initial appearance on Thursday in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California in Los Angeles. 

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BOSTON (BNO NEWS) — A U.S. man from Massachusetts whose case led to the discovery of a massive child sex abuse case in the Netherlands has been charged with distributing child pornography, according to court documents unsealed on Friday.

Robert Diduca, 47, was a member of an online forum for those with a sexual interest in children. He came to the attention of law enforcement last year when he sent a pornographic image of a child via e-mail to investigators of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), who alerted Massachusetts State Police.

Diduca was arrested at his home in Milford, a town in Worcester County of Massachusetts, in early November 2010. During a search of his computer storage devices, investigators discovered some 10,000 images and videos of young children engaged in sexual acts.

One of the images recovered from Diduca’s computer showed a two-year-old boy whose diaper had been opened to expose his genitalia, and one video showed an adult man sexually abusing a two-year-old boy. Investigators determined that the photos and videos did not appear to have been made in the United States and shared an edited image on Interpol’s secure system for international law enforcement officials in order to help identify the victim.

As a result, Dutch police soon recognized the material was of Dutch origin and requested additional photos to help in the investigation. An edited photo of the victim was eventually shown on Dutch television on December 7 after which someone recognized the child and called police.

Hours later, police in the Netherlands arrested 27-year-old Robert Mikelsons who confessed to sexually abusing dozens of young children while being employed at two Amsterdam nurseries between February 2007 and January 2010. He also offered his services through several websites. Mikelsons is believed to have abused at least 85 young children.

Diduca, who remains in custody until his detention hearing next Thursday, previously pled not guilty to similar charges. If found guilty, he faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, followed by up to lifetime supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS (BNO NEWS) — A Massachusetts man was indicted on Tuesday for attempting to murder his 83-year-old mother by setting her on fire, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Gary B. Cernak, 57, of Easthampton, Massachusetts, was found standing and eating salsa, and according to masslive.com, when police arrived and asked what had happened, he answered, “I just killed my mother. I poured lighter fluid on her and set her on fire.”

Rescue crews found Dorothy Cernak in a living room chair calling for help, suffering from burns on her upper body and face, while her hair was completely burned off.

According to Dorothy Cernak’s statements, her son was angry at her because she had called police and doctor during the previous day as she was worried about her son’s health.

Records show that police responded to the call, but Gary Cernak stated to be fine and wanted to be left alone.

However, following the incident, Dorothy Cernak has described her son as passive, stating that she is not afraid of him, as authorities instructed her on how to file a restraining order.

Gary Cernak, who was charged with attempted murder, arson of a dwelling, assault and battery on a person over 60, and mayhem, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and is currently being evaluated by doctors at the Bridgewater State Hospital to determine whether he is criminally responsible for his acts. He has no criminal record.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday approved the Selenia Dimensions System, the first X-ray mammography device that provides three-dimensional (3-D) images of the breast for breast cancer screening and diagnosis.

A mammogram is a safe, low-dose X-ray of the breast that is the best tool for early detection of breast cancer. However, with the limitations of conventional two-dimensional (2-D) imaging, about 10 percent of women undergo additional testing after the initial screening exam for abnormalities that are later determined to be noncancerous.

The Selenia Dimensions System, an upgrade to Hologic’s existing FDA-approved 2-D system, can provide 2-D and 3-D X-ray images of the breasts. The 3-D images may help physicians more accurately detect and diagnose breast cancer.

“Physicians can now access this unique and innovative 3-D technology that could significantly enhance existing diagnosis and treatment approaches,” said Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommends women ages 40 and older have a mammogram every one to two years. Nearly 40 million mammograms are performed each year in the United States.

As part of the approval process, the FDA reviewed results from two studies where board-certified radiologists were asked to review 2-D and 3-D images from more than 300 mammography exams. In both studies, radiologists viewing both the 2-D and 3-D images obtained a 7 percent improvement in their ability to distinguish between cancerous and non-cancerous cases as compared to viewing 2-D images alone.

While the combination of the Selenia’s 2-D and 3-D images approximately doubled the radiation dose the patient received, it improved the accuracy with which radiologists detected cancers, decreasing the number of women recalled for a diagnostic workup. There is uncertainty for radiation risk estimates; however, the increase in cancer risk from having both a 2-D and 3-D exam is expected to be less than 1.5 percent compared to the natural cancer incidence, and less than 1 percent compared to the risk from conventional 2-D mammography.

The Mammography Quality Standards Act requires that all health care professionals obtain eight hours of training prior to using new mammography technology on patients. The FDA also requires that the manufacturer provide each facility with a manual clearly defining the tests required for initial, periodic, and yearly quality control measures.

According to the NCI, nearly 200,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. And 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. There is a 98 percent survival rate when breast cancer is detected early and still localized to the breast.

The Selenia Dimensions System is marketed by Bedford, Mass.-based Hologic Inc.

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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS (BNO NEWS) — A Medford, Massachusetts man was convicted on Monday of pointing a laser at a police aircraft, prosecutors said. It is the first such conviction in the state.

Gerard Sasso, 52, is the second person in the nation to be convicted for shining a powerful green laser beam into a State Police helicopter that was escorting a LNG tanker through the Boston Harbor.

The defendant was found guilty of willfully interfering with an aircraft operator with reckless disregard for human life and making false statements. Sasso was sentenced to 36 months, or 3 years, in prison.

The crime happened on December 8, 2007 when a State Police helicopter was escorting a liquid natural gas tanker through the Boston Harbor to the Distrigas Terminal in Everett. At about 9.15 p.m. local time, the aircraft pilots noticed a strange green light coming directly towards them.

The pilots recognized the light as a laser beam which was directed at the cockpit. Despite taking evasive maneuvers, the laser beam hit them and filled the entire cockpit with an intense sparkling green light.

The laser beam was considered a direct threat towards the aircraft, the LNG tanker and the planes landing at nearby Logan Airport. The Coast Guard assisted the helicopter which traced the beam in order to identify its source by flying an “S” shaped pattern.

After striking the helicopter four more times, the pilots found out that the beam was coming from a window in a third-floor apartment in Medford on the Medford/Somerville line. Officers went to the location and interviewed the resident, who was identified as Sasso.

The defendant falsely and repeatedly told the agents that he was not the person lasering the aircraft. However, officers noticed a laser pointer on his bedside table and Sasso then admitted his offense.

Sasso confessed that he had, in fact, lasered the helicopter and that he had hidden the green laser in his baseboard heating system. Police officers seized the laser beam and ten other lasers.

The laser used by Sasso is classified by the Food and Drug Administration as a Class IIIb laser and is at least five to ten times more powerful than an ordinary laser pointer and has a range of at least two miles (3.2 kilometers).

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WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS (BNO NEWS) — The New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday released a study that found that a daily dose of an antiretroviral significantly lowers the risk of HIV infection.

The multinational study was called the Preexposure Prophylaxis Initiative (iPrEx) trial. It was aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy on the prevention of HIV acquisition among men and trans-gender women who have sex with men.

The antiretroviral tested was a preexposure chemoprophylaxis, which is recommended after occupational or nonoccupational exposure to HIV-infected fluids. Investigators combined emtricitabine (FTC) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) into a single tablet (FTC-TDF).

The study found that a daily dose of FTC-TDF taken by HIV-negative gay and bisexual men reduced the risk of HIV infection by 43.8 percent. The antiretroviral had higher rates of effectiveness, up to 73 percent, among those individuals to followed the regime closer.

“I am encouraged by this announcement of groundbreaking research on HIV prevention. While more work is needed, these kinds of studies could mark the beginning of a new era in HIV prevention,” said U.S. President Barack Obama.

Investigators tested 4,905 individuals from July 2007 to December 2009 at 11 sites in six countries. All subjects were born male although 29 people listed their current gender as female. The ages of the subjects ranged from 18 to 67 years.

To best compare results, investigators tested one group with the FTC-TDF tablet and the other group with a placebo tablet. The study was coordinated by the Gladstone Institutes of the University of California in San Francisco.

The Preexposure Prophylaxis protection (or PreP) is the first new form available for men. It is especially designed for individuals who cannot use condoms because they prostitute themselves, are in danger of prison rape, under pressure from partners or lose inhibitions due to alcohol or drugs.

Last summer, an effective microbicide gel was introduced as the newest and most effective form to prevent female HIV infection. Despite results, no HIV prevention method is 100 percent effective but a combination of approaches are necessary ton reduce risk of infection.

The iPrEx trial study was paid by the National Institutes of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

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