The Thomas Calabrese–restaurant Cordino’s in Vista, California was a modest establishment run by a family. Vito and Elena Cordino were the proprietors and operators of the business, which specialised in Italian cuisine.
The restaurant had made quite a name for itself as the destination of choice for those looking for high-quality cuisine, friendly service, and affordable prices. It could be found on South Santa Fe Drive.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) informed the taxpayer in an official letter that they had discovered inconsistencies in the taxpayer’s tax return for the prior five years.
Vito paid a visit to Marilyn Fitts, a retired employee of the federal civil service who supplemented her income by doing tax returns for people and small companies located in the neighbourhood.
She assuaged the Cordinos’ concerns by explaining that it was really a trivial clerical error and that she would handle it herself. “Don’t worry about it, I’ve got it covered,” the speaker said.
Vito accepted Marilyn at her word. After waiting another three months, Marilyn put her modest home in Oceanside up for sale, cleaned out her bank accounts, and sold everything of worth before vanishing into thin air.
Dozens of her clients were forced to deal with IRS agents, who were ruthless in their persecuting of a large number of innocent victims. Her clients were left to fend for themselves.
Because of the amount that they owed to the government, Vito and Elena had no choice but to liquidate their assets and close their restaurant. It was so devastating that it broke Vito’s spirit, and he was never the same after that.
Due to the lack of any other options, Vito and Elena were forced to move in with their son Anthony, daughter-in-law Katie, and their two children, John and Mary Lou. Elena pitched in to help out around the house while Vito found work in the kitchen.
The Cardinals were a close-knit family, and despite the challenges they endured, they maintained their honour and bravery. Suddenly, Vito passed away while he was at work.
Although the autopsy report claimed that he passed away from a major coronary, people who were familiar with him believed that he passed away from a shattered heart. After another two years, his wife Elena eventually followed him into the ever after.
However, because Anthony Cordino did not want his children to grow up with hatred and mistrust of the establishment, he emphasised to his son John and daughter Mary Lou that they should not condemn everyone for the reckless actions of a few.
Although Anthony Cordino harboured a great deal of resentment toward the IRS for their abuse of power, he did not want his children to grow up with these feelings.
You have to be on the right side of history because there are both good and wicked individuals in this world. If we are unable to forgive one another, our lives will be ruled by an unending cycle of anger and retribution.
The family eventually moved away, and as time went on, young John matured into an adult and joined the Marine Corps. Sergeant Rip Cordino, whose call sign was ‘Rip,’ had been serving with the Marine Special Operations Regiment (MSOR), which is a member of the Marine Corps Special Operations Command and is a special operations element of the United States Marine Corps (MARSOC). Following the completion of his first enlistment and his transfer from the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, he had been serving with them for the past five years.
While Sergeant Cordino was serving in western Afghanistan, primarily in the Badghis and Helmand Provinces, a group of Afghan Commandos were ambushed by insurgents who were holed up in buildings.
The ambush took place during the time that Sergeant Cordino was in Afghanistan. The initial exchange resulted in the injury of three Afghan commandos, and Sergeant Cordino, together with two other Marines, transported the wounded commandos to a safe place, where a medical evacuation helicopter was waiting for them.
After that, Sergeant Cordino went back to the gunfight and engaged the insurgents in a close-quarters battle. He also started throwing grenades down the chimneys, which is where the entrenched insurgents were hiding.
The militants received an additional 25 fighters as reinforcements. After the team sniper was injured, Sergeant Cordino grabbed the Barrett.50 calibre rifle, climbed on top of one of the vehicles and began taking accurate shots at the adversary. He was successful in his mission.
His subsequent plan of action was to seize a Javelin rocket launcher and use it to neutralise a VBIED, which is an acronym for “Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device.”
(A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, or VBIED, is a vehicle that both carries and delivers an explosive device to a target.) that was speeding its way toward his location.
The explosion caused the ground to shake and sent debris flying in all directions. Sergeant Cordino didn’t give up and continued to battle until he received two wounds before reinforcements came.
Because of the severity of his injuries, he had to be sent back to the US via medical evacuation. Because one of the bullets broke his right knee, he was no longer able to serve in the military.
John was medically dismissed from the Marine Corps after he underwent surgery to replace his knee. He went back to the house in Vista that he shared with his parents and immediately started contemplating the next step in his life.
Mary Lou, his sister, had recently received her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of California, San Diego.
She made a rich living as a contractor for various software businesses and travelled quite a bit, and she resided in a detached “granny flat” in the back of the main house.
Mary Lou would work for a company for three months, then take off another two months to travel to either South America or Europe.
She couldn’t contain her joy when she found out that her older brother was on his way back home. Mary Lou was concerned about her brother’s leg after noticing that he was walking with a minor limp.
John brushed off her fears with lightning speed, saying, “I got a little hitch in my get-along, but I’m good.” (A person is said to have a hitch in his get-along when he is handicapped or hampered in some way by an obstacle or other impediment.)
Mary Lou greeted him at the door and said, “It really is lovely to have you home.” She then gave him a hug.
In response, John said, “I couldn’t be more proud of you. Mom and Dad stated you’re really doing great.”
“I’m getting by.”
Where did you go on your most recent vacation…in the French Riviera? It was John who inquired.
Mary Lou replied, “Portofino, it’s on the Italian Riviera. Now that you’re home, I’ll be staying nearby for a bit. I even obtained a new good job.”
What are you doing?
With a sneaky grin, Mary Lou revealed her occupation as being with the Internal Revenue Service. They are going to hire 90,000 agents, and I am going to be one of them.
John was completely taken aback by the question: “What’s their grade, GS-7, 8 or even a 9?” You have far too much experience and knowledge for that role.
Besides, why on earth would you want to work a low-level job such as that, especially in the bureaucracy of a government agency? It’s so out of character for you to do anything like that… Tell it to me straight, what exactly is going on?
You are aware of what the politicians have stated, and you are aware that they want to go after the billionaires. That is complete and utter nonsense, and no reasonable person could ever believe it.
The wealthy can afford the greatest lawyers and accountants, and an untrained auditor has no chance of catching them in the act given their financial resources.
They are going to target families that are working hard and doing their best to make it through the period of rampant inflation.
These families are the low-hanging fruit. Can you recall what happened to our parents and grandparents?
If the government were to adhere to a budget in the same way that the rest of the country does, it would be the optimal answer.
“While the rest of the country is still speaking English, politicians travel to Washington and within a short amount of time learn the coded language of corruption, waste, and abuse,” John remarked.
Mary Lou stated, “Their mathematics also leaves a lot to be desired as well,” adding, “If I can’t change the system, I sure can use it against them.”
John was concerned about his sister, but he could tell that she was adamant about carrying out her plan, so he said, “What can I do to assist?”
“Let me examine the problem first,” Mary Lou said with a smile, “and I’ll have a better understanding of what I’m dealing with.”
“What’s the word, White Hat Hacker…is that what you’re going to be?” “What’s the term, White Hat Hacker?”
“No, that’s not exactly right; a white hat is an ethical security hacker, and the term is meant to convey a wider category than just penetration testing.”
White-hat hackers are those who have the permission of the system’s owner and are trying to find any weaknesses in the system.
On the other hand, a black hat hacker is typically someone who is involved in cybercrime operations and uses hacking for financial gain, cyber espionage purposes, or other malicious motives, such as implanting malware into computer systems. Black hat hackers are known as “hacktivists.”
Because I do not believe that obeying the law is in the best interest of the people living in this country, I am going to engage in illegal hacking activity and wear a grey hat. Does that bother you? Do you have a problem with that?” Mary Lou made the inquiry.
John continued to slowly talk as he wiped his chin and said, “There was this old grizzled civilian contractor who was as rough as they come.”
During my time in Afghanistan, we worked together on a couple different operations. We referred to him as Bone, and he shared with me some wisdom that is particularly pertinent at this juncture. He said that rules are meant for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise people. You are not a fool, my dear little sister.
While on the job, Mary Lou took her time and exercised a great deal of caution in how she moved around. She pretended to be barely adequate at her assigned duties so that her supervisors would leave her alone. She did this so that she could focus on her personal life.
She researched the software that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was using and then constructed a backdoor application that was exceedingly complicated to access confidential information.
(A backdoor is a means of accessing a computer system or encrypted data that circumvents the typical security mechanisms used by the system.) To access an application or operating system to debug or any number of other reasons, a developer may design a backdoor for that programme or system.
It turned out that Mary Lou’s concerns were true; the government was targeting everyone with an annual income of more than 200,000 dollars.
She made use of a complex algorithm (In the fields of mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is defined as a finite series of strict instructions that is often used to solve a class of specialised problems or to carry out a computation.)
Specifications of algorithms can be utilised to carry out computations and processing data.) to undermine audits of working Americans and to deliver reimbursements to families who are having trouble making ends meet.
Mary Lou discovered sensitive information on individuals who supported this overreach of government powers, and she immediately began freezing their bank accounts and taking their assets after she discovered this information.
These influential individuals became irate and dissatisfied, and they promptly lodged a complaint with the administration about the inconvenience they experienced.
The Director of the Internal Revenue Service was summoned to the White House, where he was given a stern reprimand by Chief of Staff Len Holden, who demanded to know, “What the hell is going on?
We should have received millions of dollars from our political opponents by this point, but unfortunately, our most significant funders are experiencing difficulties. What are your thoughts on that?”
Richard Reddington, the director of the IRS, stutteringly said, “Our information technology guys tell me that someone has access to our system.” We are unable to determine whether an outside hacker is responsible or whether it is one of the thousands of employees that we have hired. Whoever it is, is very good. Based on my own observations and evaluations, I believe that they won’t quit unless we do.
“That’s unacceptable. Chief of Staff Len Holden told the departing employee, “I will expect your resignation to be on my desk by the end of the week.”
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) selected Sally Yeager as its new head, and rather than recognising the error of this defective scheme, she doubled down on it.
The previous government made the initial pledge that the Internal Revenue Service would only go after individuals and businesses with annual incomes of at least 400,000 dollars.
When it became clear to the government that they were losing money, they lowered the threshold to $200,000. It was reduced to $100,000 once Yeager became the leader of the company.
When queried about the modification, Mary Lou simply shrugged her shoulders and answered, “I just do what I’m told and let other people worry about the policies.”
Mary Lou did an excellent job playing her part, and when she was questioned about it, she responded by saying, “I just do what I’m told.”
This was exactly what her managers were hoping to hear, and as a result, she was given a promotion. Mary Lou felt terrible about pressuring the other people in her department to uncover little inconsistencies in their tax returns, but it was all for show anyway.
She would present a lengthy list of American citizens who had committed relatively small offences but were potentially subject to severe punishment.
When her superiors received the lengthy list, they would express a sense of elation. Mary Lou would ruin it a month later, which essentially meant that she would give it to someone with one hand and then take it back with the other.
She had first-hand knowledge from the office in San Diego, but there were still dozens of IRS auditors all around the country who were still doing havoc with American citizens.
When Mary Lou was at home, she accessed other computer systems within the IRS to keep tabs on their activities and make any necessary adjustments to taxpayers’ returns. This was done with the assistance of a complex computer system that she used to “bounce” her signal around the world.
The United States Secret Service revealed on Tuesday that criminals have stolen about one hundred billion dollars worth of pandemic relief funds.
The Paycheck Protection Program of the Small Business Administration, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan programme, and a programme that was set up to hand out jobless aid funds countrywide were all targeted by the fraudsters who stole the money and transferred it elsewhere.
According to the agency, more than 100 suspects, ranging from lone individuals to large organised groups, have been apprehended as a result of the recovery of more than $2.3 billion in stolen funds.
The suspects come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in the early year 2020, the government has disbursed around $3.5 trillion in COVID relief funds.
Mary Lou discovered highly classified documentation while searching through the records of the Internal Revenue Service. The document included a list of some very wealthy and influential individuals who had enriched themselves during the COVID lockdown at the expense of the American taxpayers.
When he announced that he needed to halt production because of the pandemic, one prominent film director in Hollywood who is also a major political donor was given a check for $25 million. This person is a high-profile movie director.
Mary Lou’s brother gave the following response when she showed him the list: “I’m outraged, but not shocked. They believe you should never let an emergency go to waste, so always be prepared.
Mary Lou announced that she had a strategy in place to recoup some of the money that had been lost.
John remarked, “That has an appealing ring to it.”
The majority of these individuals were well aware that their actions were, at the very least, unethical and, at worst, unlawful.
The fact that none of the persons on the list was truly in need of financial assistance was the primary factor that incensed John and Mary.
They were able to obtain it as a result of their contacts. If there was any positive news to be taken away from this debacle, it was the fact that the individuals involved would be less likely to report it if it was taken away from them.
To get things started, we were going to send certified letters to the people whose names were on the list. It would bear the letterhead of the Internal Revenue Service and contain a sufficient amount of the recipients’ personal information to persuade them that it was genuine.
The letter would demand that eighty per cent of the money that they had received from COVID be returned, and failure to comply would result in both legal and criminal fines, as well as their names being made public in the media.
They were also informed that this request for repayment was done in this particular way to protect their reputations and avoid negative publicity.
This was done to ensure that they would not receive any criticism. The individuals who broke the law would be offered the choice of paying their fines with a cashier’s check or with cash, and they would be asked to make their checks payable to the COVID Administration Fund.
This was a front company that Mary Lou set up with an account with a financial institution located in the Grand Cayman Islands.
John questioned the tactic that his sister was employing, “Why not ask for all of the money back?”
“My dear brother, the field of psychology. As long as criminals believe that they would obtain something without any consequences or penalties, they will be more eager to carry out the orders given to them.
For illustration, if I give you $200 and then ask for $150 back, rather than asking for the entire amount back, you will be more likely to comply with my request than if I asked for the entire amount back. It’s better to have something than nothing, right?”
“That makes perfect sense to me.”
John arranged to meet with a number of these people’s representatives throughout the following few months to obtain the payoffs.
When he informed them, “I can give you a receipt, but then there will be a paper trail that comes back to you…,” he did a great job playing the part he was supposed to play. Without a receipt, this is where everything comes to an end. It is up to you to decide.” Every one of them turned down the offer.
In the end, Congress made the decision to stop providing funding to the IRS for the additional 90,000 agents, and those agents were fired as a result. Even while no one wanted to admit that the experiment was a complete and utter disaster, that is exactly what it was.
Mary Lou Corlino tendered her retirement from the organisation, and her supervisor, who was a complete moron, gave her nothing but glowing references.
All things considered, it was a very successful venture, and Mary Lou had picked up some extremely useful knowledge during her brief career with the government even though she had only been there for a short time. She was unaware of how quickly she would revert to her previous method of hacking her grey hat.
After another six months, Congress enacted a green energy bill that was worth four hundred billion dollars and provided tens of millions of dollars in subsidies to various businesses operating in the environmental protection and renewable energy sector. In addition to that, it was stuffed full of pork, favouritism, and partisanship.
Mary Lou submitted her resume to the Environmental Protection Agency in hopes of landing a position as an Information Technology Specialist there.
When John applied for a position as a law enforcement agent, he included his veteran’s preference in his application.
Both of the siblings were given jobs, and after they started, they began investigating whether or not the money was actually being spent in the appropriate locations. If it was not, they devised a plan to reroute it to a location where it might be put to use in a manner that would be beneficial to the nation.
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John was a combat veteran who served in the Marine Corps, and Mary Lou worked as a Gray Hat Hacker. They were unanimous in their belief that this should be a government that works for the people, rather than one that works against them.
