Northeast
SUBURBAN LIFE Your Community Press newspaper serving Blue Ash, Montgomery, Sycamore Township and other Northeast Cincinnati neighborhoods
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020 ❚ BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS ❚ PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
###
At least 776 cards compromised in ATM case Kevin Grasha Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK
Del Hall did a beer-only fast during Lent in 2019. SARAH BROOKBANK / THE ENQUIRER
BEER FAST, ROUND TWO Remember the guy on a beer-only Lenten diet? This time he’s going for a world record
Sarah Brookbank Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK
On Tuesday, Feb. 25, like many Cincinnatians, Del Hall picked up a few boxes of pą czki to share with coworkers and friends. But unlike many Cincinnatians, the fi lled Polish pastry was one of his last meals for a long time. Hall, of Pleasant Ridge, is consuming only beer during lent. Again. Last year, the 44-year-old Army veteran and sales director of Fifty West Brewing Co. lost 44 pounds in 46 days while only drinking beer. This year, he’s aiming for 50 days, adding an additional four days to his fast. Why 50 days? Hall said he’s going for the “all-time world record,” even if Guinness Book of World Records won’t count it. He said he knows of at least one other man who did a beer-only fast. So as a personal goal, Hall wants to go above and beyond. He said the all-or-nothing attitude is just a part of his character. Last year, Hall said, “my pendulum doesn’t swing toward moderation.” He’s keeping up that reputation with the 50-day fast. He said there’s something cool about knowing he could be the only person in the world who has done this. Much like last year, the fast is a personal challenge for Hall. It isn’t about beating a real record, it isn’t about proving people wrong. It’s a “sign of sheer willpower” and something Hall wants to prove to himself. Since last year, Hall has put on about half the weight he lost during his fi rst fast. In December, Hall said he’s going to see if he can replicate the results of last year – losing 40 pounds, gaining some back and still ending up with a net loss for the year.
Del Hall, director of sales at Fifty West Brewing Company, is giving up everything for his Lenten fast. Except beer. PROVIDED/ DEL HALL
As for the extra days, Hall isn’t worried. “I don’t think the extra days are going to be a struggle. The hardest part is the fi rst few days,” Hall said. Last year, at 30 days in, Hall said it was smooth sailing. For those who want to follow him on his journey, Hall will restart his YouTube channel: https:// bit.ly/2Tmp0Ev. He said it also helps keep him accountable for his fast. “Last year, there was a big fear of dying,” Hall joked. Now that he knows he can make it through, he wants to be more active, which he said could help boost his weight loss.
Do you want to have a successful Lent? Del Hall has a tip. “If you’re really going to be successful, you cannot cheat at all. Not even a quasi-cheat,” Hall said. “Really stick to your guns.” For example, if you’re giving up chocolate. That means all chocolate, not just dark chocolate. “You need to pick something cut and dry, something with no gray area,” Hall said. “You need to set hard and fast rules.”
How to submit news
To submit news and photos to the Community Press/Recorder, visit the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Share website: http://bit.ly/2FjtKoF
Contact The Press
News: 513-903-6027, Retail advertising: 768-8404, Classified advertising: 242-4000, Delivery: 513-576-8240. See page A2 for additonal information
A man with apparent ties to Bulgaria faces up to 40 years in prison for his alleged role in installing devices on local bank ATMs that compromised at least 776 card numbers, court documents say. The scheme involved using ATM skimmers to get data from debit cards, then using re-encoded cards to withdraw cash after entering personal identifi cation numbers that had been stolen using video cameras, court documents said. Yordan Kovachev, Kovachev who is not a U.S. citizen, is being held without bond at the Butler County Jail. Federal Magistrate Judge Karen Litkovitz said in court documents that Kovachev, who is 35, “has substantial contacts with a foreign country and could fl ee the United States before trial.” That country is not named in court documents, but a Bulgarian interpreter was present at a Feb. 27 detention hearing in federal court in Cincinnati. Kovachev has no job, court documents say. He was arrested driving a 2015 Mercedes-Benz sedan. His attorney, John O’Shea, did not respond to requests for comment. The ATMs were in Colerain Township, Norwood and Walton, Kentucky. The investigation began after an unnamed local bank reported to law enforcement that skimmers had been found on two of the bank’s ATMs, in Colerain Township and Norwood. Several customers had disputed cash withdrawals from the machines. Withing two days in early September 2019, the skimmer at the Colerain Township ATM compromised 391 credit or debit card numbers, court documents say. The skimmer in Norwood compromised another 218. Video from the Norwood ATM showed a man believed to be Kovachev – wearing a dark hat and grey longsleeve DKNY T-shirt – walk up to the ATM at about 12:50 p.m. on Sept. 7. Kovachev appeared to install a skimmer into the card reader, court documents say. He then inserted multiple cards into the ATM card reader without appearing to receive any cash, the documents say. Minutes later, a second, unidentifi ed person – wearing a black hat and white, long-sleeve T-shirt – walked up to the ATM and installed a camera to capture customer PIN information, the documents say. That person then left. The next day, on Sept. 8, a vehicle that appeared to be a silver MercedesBenz drove through an empty parking lot in front of the Norwood ATM. An unknown person appeared to remove the camera installed to capture the PINs, the documents say. See ATMS, Page 2A
Drivers needed to deliver papers once a week Part-time adult motor drivers are needed to deliver the Press and Recorder newspapers. Drivers must be available on Wednesdays (Ohio) or Thursdays (Kentucky) and have a reliable vehicle. For more information, call 513-5768240 or 859-781-4421.
Vol. 57 No. 1 © 2020 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED $1.00
WFDBHE-23030q