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feat(sources): Wayback pass, automatic trimming, detention rule, ten cases re-sourced

Browse Source 
Second and third rounds on the dossier pipeline, reviewed locally before commit.

Retrieval
- wayback_pass.py: retries every BLOCKED/DEAD/THIN/ERROR linked source through
  the Wayback Machine; blocks carry the snapshot date, archive URL and the live
  verdict. 143 slots retried: 93 fetched, 37 no snapshot, 12 script shells, 1 PDF.
- fetch_sources.py: fetch_wayback() helper.
- add_extra_sources.py: files staged extra_* finds (web search, not on the DB
  record) into the store with a provenance note.
- Cases re-sourced by web search: 248 (Oslo: Document.no, Avisa Oslo, NRK; the
  linked Le Parisien piece is case 242 and is marked OFF-CASE), 258 Kharkiv,
  260 Singapore, 358 Bangkok, 365 Las Vegas, 388 Verneuil-sur-Seine, 390 Zoersel,
  430 Homestead. 341 of 364 cases now hold a fetched article; 11, 66 and 399
  have no public text source (podcast, police video, direct victim report).

Trimming
- auto_trim.py: case-anchored furniture cut for UNTRIMMED blocks. Finds the body
  run that mentions the case, merges across subheadings and short furniture
  gaps, drops teasers, share bars, date/URL/caption lines and subscription
  pitches; refuses pages with no record term or almost no body. 302 blocks
  trimmed; 16 left on auto-trim-review.md (7 OFF-CASE suspects). Every cut is
  labelled AUTO-TRIMMED, UNREVIEWED in the dossier; the full extract stays in
  staging/. Decisions with anchors in trim-decisions-auto.json.
- build_cases.py / verify_all.py: banners for auto-trimmed and archived blocks,
  staged-file check extended to Wayback blocks, flag legend under the record.

Detention rule
- README "Definitions": the DB field `kidnappings` is the DETENTION violence
  type (victim, guard, staff or relative held to force submission or execute
  the theft), distinct from the Kidnapping scenario (taken away and held).
- detention-flag-review.md / detention-flag-corrections.json: 40 records
  reviewed with evidence; 30 set-to-1 proposals accepted by the owner on
  2026-09-06 (listed in corrections-approved.md), 10 still open.
- apply_detention_wording.py: "Violence Used" in the 70 reviewed summaries now
  names detention explicitly (62 of 70 labelled), supported by the summary's
  own text; idempotent; supersedes the batch scripts' wording.

Worklist and docs
- sofia-worklist.md: 248 decisions, detention rule item replacing the old
  "no abduction" item, fresh-search section for the textless cases.
- README-START-HERE.md: progress notes, run commands, next steps.
- Bug fixed in passing: Wayback blocks stored in-memory text with carriage
  returns; now stored as read back from disk.

verify_all.py PASSES (2321 checks).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5.1 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01GZZENdTLzNGsbNy4DyF1yt
This commit is contained in:
StellarCrow
2026-09-06 19:36:45 +02:00
co-authored by Claude Fable 5.1
parent 499fd61f79
commit 439e83a4cb
588 changed files with 24800 additions and 13190 deletions
Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files
merge-output/sources/449_Unidentified.txt
+77 -6
View File
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ DATABASE RECORD
notes He then laundered the stolen funds through cryptocurrency exchanges.
has_processed_date 0
created_at 2026-05-28 15:40:33
(flag legend: 'kidnappings' is the DETENTION flag — 1 when the victim was held against
their will at any point, tied, locked in, held at gunpoint or taken away; it is NOT the
same as the 'Kidnapping' scenario, which means taken away and held. See README, Definitions.)
AI SUMMARY [generated at bulk import, NOT verified against sources]
**Victims:** Unnamed individual. Winnsboro, Wood County, Texas. Held significant Bitcoin in a physical hardware wallet.
@@ -46,12 +49,80 @@ LINKED SOURCES
[url_3] https://beincrypto.com/gothferrari-crypto-theft-78-month-sentence/
[url_4] https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/7/gothferrari-gets-65-years-role-250m-crypto-theft-conspiracy/
OTHER LINKED SOURCES
[THIN] url None — extractor recovered very little; needs the WebFetch path or a site-specific rule
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/gothferrari-sentenced-78-months-prison-role-massive-cryptocurrency-heist
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FETCHED ARTICLE 1 [AUTO-TRIMMED — UNREVIEWED]
!! Furniture was cut by a script keyed on this case's record, not by a person.
!! It may still carry passages about OTHER cases from a round-up article.
!! The full page extract is kept in staging/ if a cut needs revisiting.
Source justice.gov
URL https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/gothferrari-sentenced-78-months-prison-role-massive-cryptocurrency-heist
Field url
Retrieved 2026-09-05T13:21:19+00:00 via Wayback Machine snapshot 20260715175240, deterministic extraction (HTTP None)
Language unknown
Kept paragraphs headline [0] + 9-32 of 33
Length 6,564 chars
Integrity sha256 54d13d618bb83b617c2127ddf18958d765922c9e4616734ce8685f1f3eea3d6c
Trimmed AUTO-TRIMMED, unreviewed: kept paragraphs 9-32 plus headline [0]; dropped 8 leading and 0 trailing paragraphs. Case-term hits on page: 31.
Note live URL was THIN on the first pass; text comes from an archived copy dated 2026-07-15
Archive http://web.archive.org/web/20260715175240/https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/gothferrari-sentenced-78-months-prison-role-massive-cryptocurrency-heist
Caveat retrieved from a Wayback Machine snapshot, not the live page. The
snapshot date is in the method line; the live URL was unreadable.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ORIGINAL (unknown, verbatim as retrieved)
District of Columbia | ‘GothFerrari’ Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Role in Massive Cryptocurrency Heist | United States Department of Justice
WASHINGTON - Marlon Ferro, 20, of Santa Ana, California, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 78 months in prison in connection with his role in a sprawling social engineering conspiracy that stole well over $250 million in cryptocurrency from victims across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Marlon Ferro served as the criminal enterprise’s instrument of last resort. When his co-conspirators couldn’t deceive victims into handing over access to their cryptocurrency or hack their way into digital accounts, they turned to Ferro to break into homes and steal hardware wallets outright,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This scheme blended sophisticated online fraud with old-fashioned burglary to drain victims of millions of dollars in digital assets. Today’s sentence sends a clear message: cryptocurrency fraud is not a victimless, consequence-free crime carried out safely behind a screen—it is serious criminal conduct that will lead to federal prison.”
Ferro, aka “GothFerrari,” pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, 2025, before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to one count of conspiracy to participate in a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization. In addition to the 78-month prison sentence, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered Ferro to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2.5 million in restitution.
According to court documents, a multi-year federal investigation uncovered a social engineering enterprise that defrauded victims of more than $250 million in cryptocurrency between late 2023 and early 2025. Members of the enterprise — based in California, Connecticut, New York, Florida, and abroad — played specialized roles that included database hacking, target identification, fraudulent phone calls, money laundering, and residential burglary.
Members and associates of the social engineering enterprise used stolen virtual currency to purchase, among other things, nightclub services ranging up to $500,000 per evening, luxury handbags valued in the tens of thousands of dollars which were given away at nightclub parties, luxury watches valued between $100,000 up to over $500,000, luxury clothing valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, rental homes in Los Angeles, the Hamptons, and Miami, private jet rentals for travel, a team of private security guards, and a fleet of exotic cars, ranging in value from $100,000 up to $3,800,000.
The conspiracy’s operatives typically targeted individuals believed to hold significant cryptocurrency holdings. Its members manipulated victims into surrendering access to their digital wallets through elaborate fraud schemes. When victims stored their cryptocurrency in hardware wallets, physical devices that cannot be accessed remotely, the enterprise turned to Ferro.
In February 2024, Ferro traveled to Winnsboro, Texas, broke into a victim’s home, and stole a hardware wallet containing about 100 bitcoin, at the time valued at more than $5 million. He then laundered the stolen funds through cryptocurrency exchanges.
After relocating to California in early 2024, Ferro connected with enterprise members and ingratiated himself with his co-conspirators, including the leaders of the racketeering conspiracy, offering his residential burglary services for future cryptocurrency thefts.
Surveillance photo of Ferro after he used a brick to break into a victim’s home in New Mexico.
In July 2024, Ferro flew to New Mexico, where he surveilled a residence for several days, positioning a cell phone outside the home to monitor the victim’s movements. When co-conspirators tracking the victim’s location through his iCloud account indicated he had left, Ferro broke into the home by smashing a window with a brick and searched for the target hardware wallet. He was captured on the victim’s home surveillance camera.
Ferro was not only the enterprise’s burglar, he was also a key money launderer. He used fraudulent identification documents obtained from a foreign national to open a digital payment card account at a geo-blocked platform, allowing enterprise members to spend stolen cryptocurrency at retail locations and nightclubs in Miami and elsewhere. He purchased more than $255,000 in designer clothing on behalf of his co-conspirators using stolen funds.
One of the Hermès Birkin bags Ferro obtained for a co-conspirator's girlfriend.
After a leader of the conspiracy was arrested and jailed in September 2024, Ferro continued to assist him from the outside. He collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency from other enterprise members, converted it to cash through illicit exchanges, and used the proceeds to pay the conspiracy leader’s attorneys. Ferro also arranged the purchase and shipment of Hermès Birkin bags for the co-conspirator's girlfriend.
Ferro was arrested on May 13, 2025, and found to be in possession of two firearms and a fake identification document.
Law enforcement recovered this 9mm black rifle from Ferro.
The Glock 19 9mm pistol that law enforcement recovered from Ferro.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington Field Office. Significant investigative and operational support was provided by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Miami field offices.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Howland and David Liss. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart provided valuable assistance.
Dominican Republic National Pleads Guilty to Participating in $1 Million Unemployment Fraud Scheme
Karin L. Contreras, 45, a Dominican Republic citizen and U.S. lawful permanent resident, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with a scheme to defraud unemployment programs, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine...
Guilty Plea Unsealed for Former DC Public Schools Administrator Involved in Bribery Scheme
Tracy Hatton, 60, of the District of Columbia, a former administrative officer at McKinley Technology High School, pleaded guilty to bribery in connection with a scheme that caused a loss...
Maryland Resident Pleads Guilty in D.C. Apartment Fraud Using Fake Government Job Offers
Tisha Lee, 38, a former contract employee for the U.S. Government Publishing Office, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in connection with a scheme in which she used her...
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FETCHED ARTICLE 1
FETCHED ARTICLE 2
Source bleepingcomputer.com
URL https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/crypto-gang-member-gets-65-years-for-role-in-230-million-heist/
Field url_2
@@ -98,7 +169,7 @@ They used the stolen cryptocurrency to finance lavish lifestyles, including priv
The criminal group also rented homes in the Hamptons, Los Angeles, and Miami for $40,000 to $80,000 per month, as well as private jets and a fleet of at least 28 cars valued from $100,000 to $3.8 million.
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FETCHED ARTICLE 2
FETCHED ARTICLE 3
Source beincrypto.com
URL https://beincrypto.com/gothferrari-crypto-theft-78-month-sentence/
Field url_3
@@ -141,7 +212,7 @@ Stolen money also bankrolled extravagant spending. Court papers cite nightclub t
Authorities arrested Ferro in May 2025 with two firearms in his possession. He pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering-influenced and corrupt organization
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FETCHED ARTICLE 3
FETCHED ARTICLE 4
Source washingtontimes.com
URL https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/7/gothferrari-gets-65-years-role-250m-crypto-theft-conspiracy/
Field url_4