Former World Cup referee Byron Moreno pleaded guilty to heroin smuggling charges

Former World Cup referee Byron Moreno pleaded guilty to heroin smuggling charges, the US attorney's office said.
Ecuador's Moreno, who is being held without bail, admitted one count of heroin smuggling, spokesman Robert Nardoza said, and faces more than five years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.
Moreno, 41, gained notoriety after officiating a 2002 World Cup match between Italy and hosts South Korea.
Italy were eliminated in extra time, and several controversial calls by Moreno angered Italy, including a debatable penalty to South Korea and the sending off of Francesco Totti with a second yellow card for diving.
In September 2002, Ecuadorean football officials suspended Moreno for 20 games after he added a dozen minutes of stoppage time to a match between two domestic clubs without properly recording it.
He was suspended again the following year and shortly thereafter resigned.
Moreno was arrested last September at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport after arriving on a commercial flight from Ecuador with bags of heroin attached to his body, US prosecutors said.
According to a complaint filed in US court, Moreno "became visibly nervous" during a routine inspection and customs agents found plastic bags of heroin attached to various places on his body.DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

Hassan "Sam" Ibrahim, was gunned down in an attack in Sydney's south-west last night, in the latest act of a war between rival gangs.

eldest of the Ibrahim brothers, Hassan "Sam" Ibrahim, was gunned down in an attack in Sydney's south-west last night, in the latest act of a war between rival gangs.

Mr Ibrahim, 45, was shot twice in the legs at close range outside his parents' home in Holdsworth Street, Merrylands, about 6.45pm. He was taken to Westmead Hospital, and was discharged about 11pm.

A light-coloured car carrying at least two people slowly drove by and several shots were fired, police said. It is understood Mr Ibrahim was bleeding heavily.

Police at the scene of the shooting. Photo: Gordon McComskie
His brother, the nightclub entrepreneur John, arrived soon after the shooting but quickly left.

Sam Ibrahim was taken to hospital by ambulance. Police were guarding the entrance of the hospital's emergency wing.

The Holroyd Local Area Commander, Brett McFadden, said police were investigating the number of shots fired and were calling on anyone with information to come forward. Anonymity would be respected, he said.



Mr Ibrahim has been living off and on at his parents' home since being bailed over an alleged kidnapping last year.
He is the eldest of four brothers, who include John, shooting victim Fadi and Michael, who has been convicted of manslaughter.

In June 2009 Fadi Ibrahim, 35, was shot five times as he sat outside his Castle Cove home with Shayda Bastani-Rad, now his wife. She was shot as well.

He and his youngest brother Michael have since been charged with conspiracy to murder relating to an alleged plot to kill the man they thought was behind the shooting, a Sydney man, John Macris.

The main suspects in last night's shooting will be members of the Comanchero Motorcycle Club, who have been engaged in an escalating war with the Ibrahim family and the street gang linked to them, Notorious.

The head of the Comanchero, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is understood to be a staunch opponent of the Ibrahims. In the past several days a tattoo parlour linked to Notorious has been trashed, the home of a senior member been shot at, and another senior member had his leg broken.

Although Notorious is officially led by Alen Sarkis and his right-hand man, "Crazy Dave" Lima, police believe Mr Ibrahim is an important figure in the gang.

Last night police sources indicated that even if Mr Ibrahim did not control Notorious, its members would perceive an attack on him as an attack on the gang.

And, regardless of who is behind the attack, gang members will undoubtedly blame the Comanchero. Mr Ibrahim is a life member of the Nomads Motorcycle Club.

A prominent figure in the Kings Cross criminal milieu in the 1990s, he was president of the Nomads' Parramatta chapter in the early 2000s.

He was charged over the knee-capping of two men in Newcastle in 2004 and over a late 1990s cocaine distribution ring involving the Nomads. He was acquitted on both matters.

Rumours have been circulating among the underworld that Mr Ibrahim has been trying to reform the Parramatta Nomads with him again the president.

In late November one of Mr Ibrahim's sisters, Armani Stelio, was at home when her Ryde apartment was sprayed with more than 20 bullets in a drive-by shooting.

A day later, Notorious's sergeant-at-arms, Sabre Murad, was shot at his Doonside home. His home was also the target of a drive-by attack on Tuesday.DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.