Friday, January 2, 2026

Somali Pirates of Minnesota

Fraud Exposed 

'Legit fraud,' Nick? Fraud is not 'legit.' You may be examining alleged fraud, but let's be honest. You're mugging for a camera and choosing vulnerable targets. You're not getting to the fraudsters. You are talking to the wives and toadies of pirates.

Thursday, January 1, 2026

A Global Challenge of Fraud

Universal Vulnerability in Covid Crisis Response



Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reports from 2020–2022 note that COVID exacerbated corruption universally, with no clear ideological divide. Risks were highest where pre-existing weak institutions, emergency waivers, and limited oversight coincided—common in crises across regimes.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted governments worldwide to deploy unprecedented financial aid to save lives and stabilize economies. This urgent response, while necessary, often involved relaxed safeguards to accelerate distribution, creating systemic vulnerabilities exploited by opportunists. Fraud and corruption emerged not as isolated incidents tied to specific political systems, but as a shared challenge reflecting human and institutional frailties under pressure.

In the United States, estimates suggest hundreds of billions of dollars in relief funds were lost to fraud across programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP),
 
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and Unemployment Insurance. As of December 2024, the Department of Justice had charged over 3,000 defendants, securing convictions for more than 2,500 and recovering over $1.4 billion through forfeitures and settlements. High-profile cases, such as Minnesota's Feeding Our Future scandal—involving alleged theft of $250–300 million from child nutrition programs—have seen ongoing trials and convictions into 2025, with dozens pleading guilty and key figures like the nonprofit's founder convicted on multiple counts.

Similar patterns appeared internationally. In the United Kingdom, a 2025 report estimated £10.9 billion lost to fraud and error in schemes like furlough and Bounce Back Loans, with much deemed beyond recovery despite arrests and clawbacks. Other nations, from South Africa (PPE and relief package abuses) to Italy (EU recovery fund scandals), faced procurement irregularities and organized scams, often amplified by rushed emergency measures.

Evidence from diverse contexts—democratic and authoritarian, left- and right-leaning—shows these breaches stemmed primarily from structural factors: massive spending, bypassed bidding processes, and temporary oversight reductions. Transnational organized crime further exploited digital weaknesses, targeting aid across borders.

This suggests the need for systemic reforms: stronger real-time audits, digital verification tools, and balanced emergency protocols that preserve accountability. Ongoing investigations (U.S. DOJ, national anti-corruption bodies, perhaps an international body such as the Hague or Interpol is involved) continue to hold individuals accountable across jurisdictions, with thousands of prosecutions worldwide emphasizing deterrence and recovery.

To conclude, evidence points to shared human and institutional vulnerabilities in crisis, with no partisan or ideological monopoly. A thorough, non-partisan inquiry would focus on strengthening safeguards for future emergencies to protect public resources equitably.

Prepared by Grok by xAI under direction of McColl Magazine's Mack McColl

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

The Dieppe Double Homicide and Conspiracy Case

Dieppe NB is a crossroads in eastern Atlantic Canada

Here's what makes this case quietly ominous.

Dieppe sits at the literal and figurative crossroads of Atlantic Canada:

Sunday, November 30, 2025

Condescension vs. Psychopathic Devaluation

  Condescension, Gaslighting & NPD

Author: Grok (built by xAI) | Advisor: McColl Magazine


You’re not imagining it. The coworker who “explains it like you’re five” feels different from the partner who whispers, “No one will ever love you like I do.”

One is condescension — a narcissistic flex to feel superior.
The other is psychopathic devaluation — a predator’s scalpel to break your will.

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

The Tragic Death of Carter Spivak-Villeneuve:


A Calgary Community in Mourning




On the morning of August 1, 2025, the Abbeydale neighbourhood in northeast Calgary woke to devastating news: 16-year-old Carter Spivak-Villeneuve had been killed in a local park and sports field. What police have described as a targeted attack—rooted in an “ongoing dispute” among a small group of youths—ended a young life far too soon and left an entire city grappling with grief.

Carter was a typical teenager: he loved hockey, had a wide circle of friends, and was remembered by those who knew him as kind-hearted and full of potential. A makeshift memorial quickly grew at the scene—flowers, hockey sticks, jerseys, and handwritten notes from classmates and strangers alike. Hundreds attended a candlelight vigil in the days that followed, a quiet testament to how deeply his loss was felt.

Calgary Police moved swiftly. Within weeks, investigators identified suspects, all youths themselves:

Three 15-year-old boys were arrested and charged with first-degree murder (one on Muskowekwan First Nation in Saskatchewan with RCMP assistance, the others in Calgary).

On November 19, 2025, a fourth youth, a 16-year-old boy, was taken into custody and also charged with first-degree murder.

Police have stressed that this was not a random act and that they are not seeking any additional suspects. The four accused are currently in custody, and the case is proceeding under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which protects their identities.

Staff Sgt. Sean Gregson of the Calgary Police Homicide Unit spoke solemnly about the case: “The fact that a 16-year-old lost his life, and the individuals believed responsible are themselves youths, is deeply troubling. Disputes that may seem insignificant can escalate quickly and tragically.”

Notably, investigators have not linked this homicide to firearms. In a year when many Canadian cities (including Calgary) have actually seen a decline in gun-related violence among youth—gang shootings in Western Canada are down significantly from 2023–2024 peaks—this incident stands apart as a knife-involved tragedy born out of a personal conflict rather than organized crime or broader turf wars.

For the Spivak-Villeneuve family, the pain is immeasurable. Carter’s mother has spoken publicly about wanting her son to be remembered for the light he brought into the world, not the violent way he left it. Community members have rallied with fundraisers for the family and calls for more youth supports—counselling, mentorship, and safe spaces—so that other families might be spared similar heartbreak.

This is, at its core, a story of profound individual loss rather than a symptom of some wider wave. It’s a reminder of how fragile life can be, even in a city and a country where serious youth violence, particularly involving guns, has been trending downward. Abbeydale and Calgary are mourning one of their own, and the hope now is that justice, healing, and prevention efforts can honour Carter’s memory.

Written by Grok 4.1 by xAI / Produced and Presented by Mack McColl

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Talk about cold cases in summer (UPDATED WITH SOLVED CASES)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED Nov 1, 2007  (As of 2025 some of the following cases have been solved, as detailed below)

Occasionally media catches a 'cold case' angle that is strangely interesting, like recently, when the mad trapper of Rat River made the news again. The case was revived this summer on CTV NEWS because it continues as an unknown identity case once was a major sensation. In Jan/Feb 1932 an alleged US fugitive became a cop-killer tentatively identified as  Albert Johnson.

Johnson exploded without much provocation on other Yukon trappers during the first winter he was there, and trappers were ranging near his cabin with complaints about Johnson stealing animals from the traps. A conflict began when the RCMP went to investigate and an amazing chase across a frozen winter landscape lasted five weeks, beginning when the police tried to dynamite him out of his bunker-style abode, and he escaped to wander into the wilderness and attempt his getaway.

Murder of Iryna Zarutska: Atrocity on a train in North Carolina

Originally published Sep 10, 2025 and  Updated

Iryna Zarutska

A Refugee’s American Dream Ended in 4 Minutes

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Criminal justice elusive in society

When a Killer Walks Free, the Crime Doesn’t End

McColl Magazine Public Safety | November 13, 2025

It’s the system telling certain families their dead don’t matter as much.