Business news in brief
By The Associated Press
‘Wolf of Airbnb’ sentenced to over four years in prison
NEW YORK | A Florida man who boasted that he was the “Wolf of Airbnb” has been sentenced to over four years in prison after defrauding New York City landlords and a federal pandemic-relief government program.
Konrad Bicher of Hialeah, Florida, was sentenced Monday in Manhattan federal court by Judge Lorna G. Schofield. He declined to speak at his sentencing.
The prison term of four years and three months was issued after Bicher pleaded guilty a year ago to a wire fraud charge. Prosecutors say Bicher operated at least 18 Manhattan apartments as “mini-hotels” while using the pandemic as an excuse not to pay the landlords who owned the units.
U.S. investigating some Jeep and Ram vehicles
DETROIT | U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that some Ram pickups and Jeep Wagoneer SUVs can lose power, shift into park and apply the emergency brake. The probe announced Monday covers about 150,000 vehicles made by Stellantis from 2022. All have a 5.7-liter Hemi e-Torque mild hybrid system.
The agency says the system converts energy from braking to power some electrical components. The system has a 48-volt battery pack and a motor generator that sends power to the crankshaft during gear changes.
The agency says it has 80 complaints from owners that the engines can shut down, often at low speeds. Sometimes they can’t be restarted. Investigators will look into how often the problem happens and the cause of the engine stalling. Stellantis says it’s cooperating in the probe.
Safety regulators are investigating another low flight
WASHINGTON | Federal officials are investigating an incident in which a Southwest Airlines jet flew as low as 150 feet over water while it was still about 5 miles from its intended landing spot in Tampa, Florida. The incident happened earlier this month. The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that it’s investigating.
Information from Flightradar24 shows the plane at low altitude over Old Tampa Bay on July 14. Flightradar24 says three previous Southwest flights were much higher, about 1,225 feet, at the same point as they headed toward the Tampa airport. Southwest says it’s in contact with the FAA to understand any “irregularities” with the flight.
—From AP reports
