National Roundup

Massachusetts
Woman sues, says eatery stole secret recipe

BOSTON (AP) - The owner of a Massachusetts dumpling restaurant has sued three people she says stole her secret family recipe and opened a nearly identical eatery.

Nadia Liu Spellman, owner of Dumpling Daughter in Weston, says in her lawsuit filed in federal court this week that only three people knew her recipe: herself, her mother and her kitchen manager.

Her suit was filed against the three owners of Dumpling Girl, in Millbury, two of whom once worked for Spellman.

The suit says of 52 items on Dumpling Girl's menu, 41 are identical or virtually identical to dishes on Dumpling Daughter's menu.

The suit alleges misappropriation of trade secrets, unjust enrichment, trademark infringement, and unfair competition.

A man who answered the phone at Dumpling Girl told The Boston Globe the eateries were "totally different," before hanging up.

Indiana
School suspends fraternity in hazing probe

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Indiana University says it has suspended the local chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity while it investigates a sexually explicit video purportedly showing the hazing of a pledge.

School spokesman Mark Land said in a statement Thursday that he can't "confirm the contents" of the video but that the school immediately suspended the fraternity's local chapter Wednesday night "given the seriousness of the allegations and the purported content of the video."

Alpha Tau Omega's national CEO Wynn Smiley says in a statement the video "is highly offensive" and "vulgar" and that if confirmed "swift disciplinary action will be taken" against those involved.

In June, the Indiana State University in Terre Haute suspended the fraternity for violations including hosting unauthorized events, providing alcohol to minors and tampering with fire-suppression equipment.

Oklahoma
Report concludes state used wrong drug in execution

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma used the wrong drug to stop an inmate's heart during an execution in January, according to an autopsy report obtained by a newspaper.

The Oklahoman reported Thursday that corrections officials used potassium acetate - not potassium chloride, as required under the state's protocol - to execute Charles Frederick Warner.

Last week, Gov. Mary Fallin issued a last-minute stay for inmate Richard Glossip after officials discovered that potassium acetate had been delivered on the day of his scheduled execution. All executions in Oklahoma are on hold at the request of Attorney General Scott Pruitt as the state investigates the mix-up.

Potassium chloride, which stops the heart, is the final drug in the state's protocol following a sedative and paralytic.

Items used in Warner's execution were sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which performed an autopsy. The report said the office received two syringes labeled "potassium chloride" but that the 12 vials used to fill the syringes were labeled "single dose Potassium Acetate Injection."

After receiving the first drug in the series, midazolam, Warner said, "My body is on fire," but showed no other signs of distress and was pronounced dead after 18 minutes.

Fallin told the newspaper Wednesday that "it became apparent" during the discussions Sept. 30 about a delay in Glossip's execution that the Corrections Department may have used potassium acetate in Warner's execution.

"I was not aware, nor was anyone in my office aware, of that possibility until the day of Richard Glossip's scheduled execution," she said.

The governor said she supports an inquiry into Warner's execution as well.

"It is imperative that the attorney general obtain the information he needs to make sure justice is served competently and fairly," she said in an email to the newspaper. "Until we have complete confidence in the system, we will delay any further executions."

Last week, the Death Penalty Information Center said potassium acetate had never been used in a U.S. execution.

Warner is the only inmate executed in Oklahoma since the April 2014 lethal injection of Clayton Lockett, who writhed and moaned on the gurney for more than 40 minutes after an intravenous line was improperly placed, causing the drugs to go into his tissue instead of bloodstream.

That case, which cited the sedative midazolam, ended up before the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the use of the drug in June.

Florida
Man charged for setting up fake job interviews

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Police say a Florida man set up fake job interviews and even collected urine samples from potential applicants, so he could access their Social Security numbers, bank information and other personal data.

Gerald Howard Washington was charged with criminal use of personal identification information and organized communications fraud after Tallahassee police say he stole personal information from multiple job seekers.

Authorities said Wednesday that Washington posted online ads claiming he was hiring for 1,100 Tallahassee-based jobs. He set up a temporary office in the state capital and personally met with many of the job seekers. He also allegedly accessed their Social Security numbers, bank information and collected a $25 application fee.

Authorities say Washington told applicants they were hired and gave them a start date, even though the jobs did not exist.

Massachusetts
Nanny charged with stealing $280K from family

BOSTON (AP) - A nanny for a Boston family has been charged with stealing more than $280,000 from her employers and using the money for vacations and luxury jewelry.

Stephanie Fox, of Randolph, Massachusetts, was charged in federal court on Wednesday with three counts of bank fraud and released on $10,000 bond.

Prosecutors say the 30-year-old Fox took checks from the victims' checkbook, made them payable to herself, and forged her employers' signatures to cash them.

Authorities say she used the money for vacations to Hawaii, Aruba, a Disney resort and the Bahamas, as well as Movado watches, a diamond pendant necklace and a down payment on a new vehicle.

In a statement to investigators, Fox blamed her boyfriend's drug addiction. She could not be reached for comment.

Published: Fri, Oct 09, 2015