Category: Crime

MIL-OSI USA: Governor Offers $25,000 Reward for Information on Davidson County Murder

Source: US State of North Carolina

Headline: Governor Offers $25,000 Reward for Information on Davidson County Murder

Governor Offers $25,000 Reward for Information on Davidson County Murder
lsaito
Tue, 04/22/2025 – 17:27

Raleigh, NC

Today, Governor Josh Stein announced that the state is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Nancy Grubert-Harvey, age 52.

On January 25, 2013, Nancy Grubert-Harvey was found deceased at the Atlanta Car Company located at 1896 Old US Highway 52 in Lexington.

Anyone having information about this case should contact the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office at (336) 242-2105, Lexington Area Crime Stoppers at (336) 243-2400, or the State Bureau of Investigation at (919) 662-4500.

Apr 22, 2025

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Offers $25,000 Rewards for Information on Guilford County Murders

Source: US State of North Carolina

Headline: Governor Offers $25,000 Rewards for Information on Guilford County Murders

Governor Offers $25,000 Rewards for Information on Guilford County Murders
lsaito
Tue, 04/22/2025 – 17:24

Raleigh, NC

Today, Governor Josh Stein announced that the state is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of John Boone, age 49. The state also is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Jakaylen Chambers, age 14.

On January 26, 2022, John Boone was discovered dead from a gunshot wound near the intersection of Lakewood Drive and Futrelle Drive in High Point. Mr. Boone was deaf and non-verbal.

Anyone having information concerning this case should contact High Point Police Department at (336) 887-7970, Crime Stoppers of High Point at (336) 889-4000, or the State Bureau of Investigation at (919) 662-4500.

On February 1, 2022, officers were alerted to a shooting on McPherson Street in Greensboro. Upon arrival, officers located 14-year-old Jakaylen Chambers, who was suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Anyone having information about this case should contact the Greensboro Police Department at (336) 373-7543, Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at (336) 574-4020, or the State Bureau of Investigation at (919) 662-4500.

Apr 22, 2025

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Chinese Nationals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Participating in a Fraudulent Gift Card Conspiracy Involving the Purchase and Export of Apple Products to China

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

CONCORD – Three Chinese nationals were sentenced in federal court for their roles in a sophisticated Chinese gift card fraud conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

Naxin Wu, 26, a Chinese national unlawfully residing in Nashua, was sentenced by Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 33 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Mengying Jiang, 34, a Chinese national residing in Nashua, was sentenced by Chief Judge McCafferty to 60 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Mingdong Chen, 28, a Chinese national unlawfully residing in Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced by Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 24 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Earlier this year, the defendants each pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. All three defendants face deportation to China after completing their sentences.

“The defendants played a critical role in laundering proceeds of romance and other online scams by purchasing the stolen gift cards and using them to purchase Apple products,” said Acting U.S. Attorney McCormack. “While they may not have committed the initial fraud, the defendants’ actions helped convert stolen funds into tangible goods, enabling a large-scale financial crimes conspiracy. We remain committed to dismantling every link in the fraud supply chain.”

“These individuals were part of a Chinese transnational criminal organization that used a complex scheme to steal and launder millions of dollars through gift card theft. After a sophisticated criminal investigation with our partners, their scheme was uncovered and their crimes brought to light. Now, they’ll serve federal prison sentences and face deportation back to China,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations New England Michael J. Krol.

“The sentences imposed in New Hampshire emphasize the expansive reach of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service when it comes to dismantling criminal organizations. Anytime a criminal uses the U.S. Mail to further their illegal activity, postal inspectors will be there to bring them to justice. I’d like to thank our law enforcement partners involved in this case who, together with postal inspectors, brought these defendants to justice. This collaboration and dedication from law enforcement professionals plays a vital role in protecting the integrity of our communities from those who seek to exploit vulnerable Americans for personal gain,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Boston Division.

According to court documents, organized criminal elements in China acquired well over $100 million in gift cards through multiple fraudulent means. For example, gift card data is obtained by hacking U.S. companies, tampering with physical gift cards, and targeting U.S. citizens through romance and elder fraud schemes. The criminal elements then send the gift card data to multiple cells of Chinese nationals operating in the United States through a Chinese-based messaging platform in exchange for cryptocurrency.

Once U.S.-based cells receive the gift card data, they then spend the gift cards to purchase high-value electronics, principally Apple products. After purchasing the Apple products, cell members consolidate the electronics in warehouses for shipment to China, Hong Kong, or countries in Southeast Asia. The cells primarily operate in states with no sales tax, such as New Hampshire, to maximize their profits.

Wu, Jiang, and Chen were members of one cell in New Hampshire. Wu and Jiang purchased fraudulent gift cards at a discount from their face value. They then either personally used the cards or disseminated them to others, including Chen, to use. Wu was responsible for $1.4 million, Jiang for $3 million, and Chen for $400,000 of fraudulent gift cards.

Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Concord Police Department led the investigation. The Merrimack County Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Illegal alien sent to federal prison for assaulting law enforcement

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican national unlawfully residing in Laredo has been sentenced for assaulting and inflicting bodily harm on a Border Patrol (BP) agent, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Guillermo Osto-Navarrete pleaded guilty Feb. 4.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now ordered Osto-Navarrete to serve 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court noted it was a “miracle” that Osto-Navarette did not get someone seriously injured during the high-speed chase, further commenting about how he fought with law enforcement and later ran from the hospital while handcuffed. In imposing the sentence, Judge Saldaña said he needed to be deterred and should not be in the United States.

“Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect the citizens of our communities, and violence against them will earn the strongest possible response from the Southern District of Texas,” said Ganjei. “Additionally, the citizens of Laredo are fortunate that Osto-Navarrete did not kill or seriously injure any innocent bystanders or other drivers during his failed escape from law enforcement. He will now pay for the danger he put the police and community in.”

On Oct. 14, 2024, Osto-Navarrete picked up several illegal aliens after they exited and ran from the Rio Grande River. Law enforcement attempted to block his vehicle, but he evaded and sped through a residential area without headlights. After running multiple stop signs at an estimated 60 mph, he broadsided a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) unit, causing it to spin 180 degrees.

Nearby law enforcement quickly apprehended three individuals who had tried to flee.

A BP agent rushed to assist Osto-Navarrete and check for injuries. As he approached, Osto-Navarrete exited the vehicle and struck him. The agent wrapped his arms around Osto-Navarette to keep him from running away, but he struck the agent’s face and head several times in rapid succession while the agent was standing and after falling to the ground.

Osto-Navarette fled, but law enforcement quickly located him and took him into custody. After receiving treatment at a local hospital, he escaped again on foot, but authorities soon captured him again.

Osto-Navarrete admitted he was paid $50 for picking up and transporting the illegal aliens.

The agent sustained a black eye, bruising to his head and face, scratches to his chin, lacerations on his hands–including a deep cut to one finger–and a scraped knee. The DPS officer driving the unit Osto-Navarrete struck received medical attention for minor injuries.

Osto-Navarrete has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP, DPS and Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Convicted Sexual Predator from Alabama Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Attempting to Meet a Child in D.C. for Sex

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Graham Daniel Ash, 41, of Pinson, Alabama, was sentenced today to 216 months in federal prison for attempting to sexually abuse a child in the District of Columbia and for distributing child pornography to show that he was serious about his goal. Ash was previously convicted of a sex offense against a minor.

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Ash pleaded guilty on Nov. 26, 2025, to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. In addition to the 216-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered Ash to serve a lifetime of supervised release.

According to court documents, on Aug. 29, 2023, an undercover officer with the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) began communicating with a user of an online messaging platform. The user, who identified themselves as darkmind36, was later determined to be defendant Graham Ash. The undercover agent was based in an office in the District and posed as the father of an 8-year-old girl.

In conversations over the course of a month, Ash said he was actively seeking parents living on the East Coast for the purpose of traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct. To show he was serious, Ash sent the undercover officer a link to 60 files depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Ash also discussed other attempts when he had sought out children to sexually abuse.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ash’s Alabama residence on Oct. 3, 2023. Prior to entering the residence, officers knocked and announced their presence. Ash did not open the door and 11 minutes passed before law enforcement gained entrance. Officers arrested Ash after finding him inside with two phones that had been smashed and pulled apart.

Ash’s guilty plea in this case was the second time he had been found guilty of a sex offense against a minor. On July 22, 2022, he was convicted of electronic solicitation of a child, in violation of Alabama state law, for traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act. Based upon that conviction, Ash was required to register as a sex offender at the time of the offense in this case.

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, in conjunction with law enforcement in the Northern District of Alabama. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Rachel Forman.

23cr0381

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: L.A. Pawn Shop Owner Indicted for Allegedly Conspiring to Sell Stolen Andy Warhol Trial Proof and Lying to the FBI About Its Sale

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LOS ANGELES – The owner of a pawn shop in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles was indicted today for allegedly conspiring to sell a stolen Andy Warhol print trial proof, which was shipped from the Beverly Hills office of an auction house to Dallas, then lying about it to federal agents.

Glenn Steven Bednarsh, 58, of Farmington, Michigan and formerly of Beverly Hills, is charged in a two-count federal grand jury indictment with conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen goods.

He is expected to be arraigned in the coming weeks in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

According to the indictment, in February 2021, Bednarsh knowingly purchased for $6,000 a stolen Warhol trial proof depicting Russian revolutionary and Soviet Union leader Vladimir Lenin, which is worth an estimated $175,000. Bednarsh allegedly asked a co-conspirator, Brian Alec Light, 58, of Hudson, Ohio, and formerly a resident of downtown Los Angeles, to help him sell the stolen Warhol Lenin trial proof. Light then contacted the Beverly Hills of an auction house based in Dallas about selling the Warhol trial proof.

In March 2021, Bednarsh transported the trial proof to the Beverly Hills office of the auction house, which then shipped it to Dallas. Light e-signed an auction house consignment agreement and called the auction house to state he had dropped off the trial proof and to ask about receiving a cash advance for it.

An employee of the auction house in Dallas reached out to the gallery in West Hollywood for its opinion of the piece, according to court documents. The gallery immediately recognized the piece as stolen, then notified the auction house and the FBI.

Later in March 2021, when FBI agents began inquiring about the stolen Warhol trial proof, Light lied to them by saying he bought it at a Culver City garage sale for $18,000 and provided a fake receipt.

In August and September of 2021, Bednarsh lied to FBI agents by telling them Light asked him to store the Warhol Lenin trial proof for him and that he agreed to do so out of friendship and not for financial gain.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Light pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. His sentencing is currently set for May 27, and he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

The FBI’s Art Crime Team is investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Erik M. Silber of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Matthew W. O’Brien of the Environmental Crime and Consumer Protection Section are prosecuting this case.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Cartel cocaine conspirator sentenced to 10 years in federal prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LAREDO, Texas – A Cartel del Noreste (CDN) operative has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a conspiracy to deliver over 10 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Rebeca Guzman-Rios, 39, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, pleaded guilty Aug. 30, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now sentenced Guzman-Rios to 120 months in federal prison. Also sentenced was Rogelio Garcia-Ayala, 65, who illegally resided in Laredo, and received 60 months. Not U.S. citizens, both are expected to face removal proceedings after completing their sentences.

In April 2024, a CDN sicario aka hitman dispatched Guzman-Rios to Laredo to facilitate the sale of 10 kilograms of cocaine. She crossed into Laredo at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge from Mexico and proceeded to downtown Laredo where Ana Maria Escobedo picked her up and drove her to the location of the drug transaction.

Meanwhile, Cesar Gerardo Rodriguez Salazar and Brenda Odet Nery Castro retrieved the cocaine from their residence, which was being used as a CDN stash house, and provided it to Francisco Herrera-Moresco. Garcia-Ayala drove Herrera-Moresco and the drugs to the parking lot where Guzman-Rios and Escobedo were waiting.

Salazar and Castro followed to observe.

Herrera-Moresco was supposed to deliver the cocaine to the buyer Guzman-Rios had arranged, but believed the transaction had fallen through and left the area instead with Escobedo and the cocaine.

Law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Escobedo began to evade and led them on a pursuit, during which time the cocaine was thrown from the vehicle. After hitting a fence, the pair finally came to a stop and tried to flee, but authorities took them into custody as well as Salazar and Castro. They also arrested Guzman-Rios, who remained at the location of the drug transaction. Law enforcement was also able to retrieve the cocaine.

“If you work with, work for, or assist CDN, or any other cartel, you will be arrested and prosecuted to full extent of the law, without exception,” said Ganjei. “The cartels are not welcome in Texas.”

Mexican citizens Salazar, 42, Herrera-Moresco, 42, and Castro 37, were all previously sentenced to 87, 50 and 30 months, respectively, while Escobedo, 33, Laredo, was ordered to serve a 65-month-term of imprisonment.

All remain in custody.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Manuel Cardenas is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

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April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: West Haven Man Who Made and Trafficked Narcotic Pills Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIS TAYLOR, 68, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 138 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for operating a drug trafficking ring involving fentanyl and methamphetamine pills disguised as legitimate prescription medication, as well as other controlled substances.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force targeting the manufacture and distribution of thousands of counterfeit oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall tablets containing methamphetamine, and the distribution of heroin and cocaine, in the New Haven area. The investigation revealed that Taylor coordinated the manufacture and distribution of the counterfeit narcotic pills. Taylor obtained drugs from others, including gang members, and sold them, or pressed them into pills at locations in New Haven, Branford, and Shelton, before selling them. Taylor also arranged counterfeit pill transactions between second and third parties, sometimes being supplied by a co-conspirator.

On October 20, 2022, Taylor was arrested on related state charges when, after having been directed by his girlfriend to clear drugs out of her home, he was stopped in a car and found in possession of more than three kilograms of various narcotics. A subsequent search of his residence revealed additional quantities of narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

The investigation also revealed that an individual overdosed and died at Taylor’s West Haven residence on May 7, 2022.

During the investigation, investigators seized from Taylor and his co-conspirators more than two kilograms of fentanyl, including thousands of counterfeit Oxycodone tablets; approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, including thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills; three kilograms of cocaine and other drugs; four pill-press machines; one industrial mixer; five firearms; and more than $200,000 in cash.

Fourteen individuals were charged as a result of this investigation.

Taylor has been detained since his federal arrest on March 28, 2023. On September 4, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 100 grams or more of heroin, and 500 grams or more of cocaine.

This matter has been investigated by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police, and the East Haven, West Haven, and Hamden Police Departments. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Haven, Hamden, Manchester, Bristol, Fairfield, and Seymour Police Departments. The FBI Task Force includes participants from the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven, West Haven, and Wallingford Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr., Konstantin Lantsman, and Katherine Boyles through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025

MIL-OSI: Baker Hughes Company Announces First-Quarter 2025 Results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

First-quarter highlights

Orders of $6.5 billion, including $3.2 billion of IET orders.
RPO of $33.2 billion, including record IET RPO of $30.4 billion.
Revenue of $6.4 billion, consistent year-over-year.
Attributable net income of $402 million.
GAAP diluted EPS of $0.40 and adjusted diluted EPS* of $0.51.
Adjusted EBITDA* of $1,037 million, up 10% year-over-year.
Cash flows from operating activities of $709 million and free cash flow* of $454 million.
Returns to shareholders of $417 million, including $188 million of share repurchases.

HOUSTON and LONDON, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Baker Hughes Company (Nasdaq: BKR) (“Baker Hughes” or the “Company”) announced results today for the first quarter of 2025.

“Baker Hughes started the year strong, building on the positive momentum from 2024 and setting multiple first-quarter records. Our continued transformation initiatives and strong execution continue to drive structural margin improvement across both segments. The operational transformation and streamlining efforts have created a solid foundation to optimize margins and enhance returns, even in a challenging environment,” said Lorenzo Simonelli, Baker Hughes chairman and chief executive officer.

“In our IET segment, we booked $3.2 billion of orders, including our first data center awards, totaling more than 350 MW of power solutions for this rapidly evolving market. In addition to expanding opportunities for data centers, we have a strong pipeline of LNG, FPSO and gas infrastructure projects that support our order outlook for this year.”

“In OFSE, EBITDA remained resilient as our margins saw noticeable improvement compared to last year even while segment revenue fell. This is a testament to the team’s hard work in changing the way the business operates.”

“Although our outlook is tempered by broader macro and trade policy uncertainty, we remain confident in our strategy and the resilience of our portfolio. We believe Baker Hughes is well positioned to navigate near-term challenges and deliver sustainable growth in shareholder value.”

“I want to thank our employees, whose hard work, dedication and focus have been instrumental to the continued success of Baker Hughes. As we continue to execute our strategy amidst an uncertain macro backdrop, we remain committed to our customers, shareholders and employees,” concluded Simonelli.

* Non-GAAP measure. See reconciliations in the section titled “Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

	Three Months Ended						Variance
(in millions except per share amounts)	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		March 31, 2024		Sequential		Year-over- year
Orders	$	6,459	$	7,496	$	6,542	(14	%)	(1	%)
Revenue		6,427		7,364		6,418	(13	%)	—	%
Net income attributable to Baker Hughes		402		1,179		455	(66	%)	(12	%)
Adjusted net income attributable to Baker Hughes*		509		694		429	(27	%)	19	%
Adjusted EBITDA*		1,037		1,310		943	(21	%)	10	%
Diluted earnings per share (EPS)		0.40		1.18		0.45	(66	%)	(11	%)
Adjusted diluted EPS*		0.51		0.70		0.43	(27	%)	19	%
Cash flow from operating activities		709		1,189		784	(40	%)	(10	%)
Free cash flow*		454		894		502	(49	%)	(10	%)

* Non-GAAP measure. See reconciliations in the section titled “Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Certain columns and rows in our tables and financial statements may not sum up due to the use of rounded numbers.

Quarter Highlights

Baker Hughes expanded its leadership position in liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) in the first quarter, including a liquefaction train award from Bechtel for a project in North America, where the Company will provide four main refrigerant compressors driven by LM6000+ gas turbines and four expander-compressors. This award builds on the previously announced December 2024 award and further demonstrates the strength of the Company’s collaboration with Bechtel to support North America LNG development.

During the quarter, Industrial & Energy Technology (“IET”) signed key strategic framework agreements with LNG operators. The Company agreed to provide gas turbines and refrigerant compressor technology, along with maintenance services, for Trains 4 to 8 of NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG Facility. Baker Hughes also reached an agreement with Argent LNG to provide liquefaction and power solutions and related aftermarket services for its proposed 24 MTPA LNG export facility in Louisiana. The project will employ Baker Hughes’ NMBL™ modularized LNG solution, driven by the LM9000 gas turbine, while also utilizing the Company’s iCenter™ and Cordant™ digital solution, to enhance the plant’s operational efficiency.

Baker Hughes also demonstrated its continuous commitment to critical gas infrastructure projects with a strategic win in the North America pipeline compression market. The award includes the provision of two gas compression stations for a total of 10 Frame 5/2E gas turbines and 10 centrifugal compressors, anti-surge valves and critical spare parts.

In the first quarter, Baker Hughes made significant progress in reliable and sustainable power solutions deployment for data centers. In addition to being awarded over 350 MW of NovaLT™ turbines to power data centers with various other customers, the Company partnered with Frontier Infrastructure to accelerate the development of large-scale carbon capture and storage (“CCS”) and power solutions for data centers and industrial customers in the U.S. This partnership will leverage technologies and services across the Baker Hughes enterprise by providing CO₂ compression, NovaLT™ gas turbines, digital monitoring solutions, well construction and completion services.

In continued demonstration of Gas Technology’s lifecycle offerings in IET, the Company received several aftermarket service awards during the quarter. In Algeria, the Gas Technology Services (“GTS”) team is partnering with SONATRACH to deliver an upgrade solution for the modernization of a key compressor station. In the Middle East, Gas Technology received multiple equipment and services awards to support one of the world’s largest gas processing plants. The scope includes rejuvenation of two existing gas turbines to drive new compressors and the supply of a third compression train to support production expansion.

IET’s Industrial Solutions gained momentum with its Cordant™ Asset Performance Management (“APM”) solution, securing several contracts with customers across multiple regions. ADNOC Offshore will deploy the full APM suite to enhance production availability and efficiency. In the Americas, a large international oil company will conduct a proof of concept across multiple equipment trains, to support a shift from proactive to predictive maintenance. In Australia, the Company signed agreements to develop asset maintenance strategies for new mine sites supporting truck fleet maintenance.

Oilfield Services & Equipment (“OFSE”) received a significant award from ExxonMobil Guyana to provide specialty chemicals and related services for its Uaru and Whiptail offshore greenfield developments in the country’s prolific Stabroek Block, highlighting the differentiated capabilities of our Production Solutions offering. For this multi-year contract, the scope will cover topsides, subsea, water injection and utility chemicals to help ExxonMobil Guyana achieve optimal production.

OFSE continues to leverage the Company’s innovative solutions to help Petrobras unlock Brazil’s vast energy supply. In the quarter and following an open tender, Baker Hughes received a significant, multi-year fully integrated completions systems contract from Petrobras across multiple deepwater fields. A range of Baker Hughes’ technologies, including the new SureCONTROL^TM Premium interval control valve, has been specifically tailored to meet the needs of the country’s offshore developments.

OFSE secured a multi-year contract with Dubai Petroleum Establishment, for and on behalf of Dubai Supply Authority, to provide integrated coiled-tubing drilling services for the Company’s Margham Gas storage project. This follows a third-quarter 2024 IET award for integrated compressor line units for the same project, demonstrating growing commercial synergies across Baker Hughes’ diverse portfolio.

The Company drove growth in Mature Assets Solutions, signing a multi-year framework agreement with Equinor to help establish a new Center of Excellence for Plug & Abandonment work in the North Sea. Based within OFSE’s operations in Bergen and Stavanger, Norway, this hub will ensure economical, reliable solutions are implemented to responsibly abandon each well, allowing Equinor to maximize value of their assets and allocate more resources to exploration and discovery.

On the digital front, OFSE received an award from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (“SOCAR”) to expand deployment of Leucipa™ automated field production solution for all its wells, including those with non-Baker Hughes electric submersible pumps, in the Absheron and Gunseli fields. Leucipa also marked its first deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa through an agreement with the NNPC/FIRST E&P joint venture, which will utilize the platform across its offshore wells in the Niger Delta.

Consolidated Financial Results

Revenue for the quarter was $6,427 million, a decrease of 13% sequentially and up $9 million year-over-year. The increase in revenue year-over-year was driven by an increase in IET and partially offset by a decrease in OFSE.

The Company’s total book-to-bill ratio in the first quarter of 2025 was 1.0; the IET book-to-bill ratio was 1.1.

Net income as determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), for the first quarter of 2025 was $402 million. Net income decreased $777 million sequentially and decreased $53 million year-over-year.

Adjusted net income (a non-GAAP financial measure) for the first quarter of 2025 was $509 million, which excludes adjustments totaling $108 million. A list of the adjusting items and associated reconciliation from GAAP has been provided in Table 1b in the section titled “Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Financial Measures.” Adjusted net income for the first quarter of 2025 was down 27% sequentially and up 19% year-over-year.

Depreciation and amortization for the first quarter of 2025 was $285 million.

Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP financial measure) for the first quarter of 2025 was $1,037 million, which excludes adjustments totaling $140 million. See Table 1a in the section titled “Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Financial Measures.” Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter was down 21% sequentially and up 10% year-over-year.

The sequential decrease in adjusted net income and adjusted EBITDA was primarily driven by lower volume in both segments, partially offset by productivity and structural cost-out initiatives. The year-over-year increase in adjusted net income and adjusted EBITDA was driven by increased volume in IET including higher proportionate growth in Gas Technology Equipment (“GTE”) and productivity, structural cost-out initiatives and higher pricing in both segments, partially offset by decreased volume and business mix in OFSE and cost inflation in both segments.

Other Financial Items

Remaining Performance Obligations (“RPO”) in the first quarter of 2025 ended at $33.2 billion, a decrease of $0.1 billion from the fourth quarter of 2024. OFSE RPO was $2.8 billion, down 7% sequentially, while IET RPO was $30.4 billion, up $300 million sequentially. Within IET RPO, GTE RPO was $11.9 billion and GTS RPO was $15.1 billion.

Income tax expense in the first quarter of 2025 was $152 million.

Other (income) expense, net in the first quarter of 2025 was $140 million, primarily related to changes in fair value for equity securities of $140 million.

GAAP diluted earnings per share was $0.40. Adjusted diluted earnings per share (a non-GAAP financial measure) was $0.51. Excluded from adjusted diluted earnings per share were all items listed in Table 1b in the section titled “Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Cash flow from operating activities was $709 million for the first quarter of 2025. Free cash flow (a non-GAAP financial measure) for the quarter was $454 million. A reconciliation from GAAP has been provided in Table 1c in the section titled “Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Capital expenditures, net of proceeds from disposal of assets, were $255 million for the first quarter of 2025, of which $158 million was for OFSE and $83 million was for IET.

Results by Reporting Segment

The following segment discussions and variance explanations are intended to reflect management’s view of the relevant comparisons of financial results on a sequential or year-over-year basis, depending on the business dynamics of the reporting segments.

Oilfield Services & Equipment

(in millions)	Three Months Ended									Variance
Segment results	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			March 31, 2024			Sequential		Year-over- year
Orders	$	3,281		$	3,740		$	3,624		(12	%)	(9	%)
Revenue	$	3,499		$	3,871		$	3,783		(10	%)	(8	%)
EBITDA	$	623		$	755		$	644		(18	%)	(3	%)
EBITDA margin		17.8	%		19.5	%		17.0	%	-1.7pts		0.8pts

(in millions)	Three Months Ended						Variance
Revenue by Product Line	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		March 31, 2024		Sequential		Year-over- year
Well Construction	$	892	$	943	$	1,061	(5	%)	(16	%)
Completions, Intervention, and Measurements		925		1,022		1,006	(9	%)	(8	%)
Production Solutions		899		974		945	(8	%)	(5	%)
Subsea & Surface Pressure Systems		782		932		771	(16	%)	1	%
Total Revenue	$	3,499	$	3,871	$	3,783	(10	%)	(8	%)

(in millions)	Three Months Ended						Variance
Revenue by Geographic Region	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		March 31, 2024		Sequential		Year-over- year
North America	$	922	$	971	$	990	(5	%)	(7	%)
Latin America		568		661		637	(14	%)	(11	%)
Europe/CIS/Sub-Saharan Africa		580		740		750	(22	%)	(23	%)
Middle East/Asia		1,429		1,499		1,405	(5	%)	2	%
Total Revenue	$	3,499	$	3,871	$	3,783	(10	%)	(8	%)

North America	$	922	$	971	$	990	(5	%)	(7	%)
International	$	2,577	$	2,900	$	2,793	(11	%)	(8	%)

EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization of $226 million, $229 million, and $222 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, and March 31, 2024, respectively. EBITDA margin is defined as EBITDA divided by revenue.

OFSE orders of $3,281 million for the first quarter of 2025 decreased by 12% sequentially. Subsea and Surface Pressure Systems orders were $532 million, down 34% sequentially, and down 16% year-over-year.

OFSE revenue of $3,499 million for the first quarter of 2025 was down 10% sequentially, and down 8% year-over-year.

North America revenue was $922 million, down 5% sequentially. International revenue was $2,577 million, down 11% sequentially, with declines across all regions.

Segment EBITDA for the first quarter of 2025 was $623 million, a decrease of $132 million, or 18% sequentially. The sequential decrease in EBITDA was primarily driven by lower volume, partially mitigated by productivity from structural cost-out initiatives.

Industrial & Energy Technology

(in millions)	Three Months Ended									Variance
Segment results	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			March 31, 2024			Sequential		Year-over- year
Orders	$	3,178		$	3,756		$	2,918		(15	%)	9	%
Revenue	$	2,928		$	3,492		$	2,634		(16	%)	11	%
EBITDA	$	501		$	639		$	386		(22	%)	30	%
EBITDA margin		17.1	%		18.3	%		14.7	%	-1.2pts		2.4pts

(in millions)	Three Months Ended						Variance
Orders by Product Line	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		March 31, 2024		Sequential		Year-over- year
Gas Technology Equipment	$	1,335	$	1,865	$	1,230	(28	%)	9	%
Gas Technology Services		913		902		692	1	%	32	%
Total Gas Technology		2,248		2,767		1,922	(19	%)	17	%
Industrial Products		501		515		546	(3	%)	(8	%)
Industrial Solutions		281		320		257	(12	%)	10	%
Total Industrial Technology		782		835		803	(6	%)	(3	%)
Climate Technology Solutions		148		154		193	(4	%)	(23	%)
Total Orders	$	3,178	$	3,756	$	2,918	(15	%)	9	%

(in millions)	Three Months Ended						Variance
Revenue by Product Line	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024		March 31, 2024		Sequential		Year-over- year
Gas Technology Equipment	$	1,456	$	1,663	$	1,210	(12	%)	20	%
Gas Technology Services		592		796		614	(26	%)	(4	%)
Total Gas Technology		2,047		2,459		1,824	(17	%)	12	%
Industrial Products		445		548		462	(19	%)	(4	%)
Industrial Solutions		258		282		265	(8	%)	(2	%)
Total Industrial Technology		703		830		727	(15	%)	(3	%)
Climate Technology Solutions		178		204		83	(13	%)	114	%
Total Revenue	$	2,928	$	3,492	$	2,634	(16	%)	11	%

EBITDA excludes depreciation and amortization of $53 million, $56 million, and $56 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, December 31, 2024, and March 31, 2024, respectively. EBITDA margin is defined as EBITDA divided by revenue.

IET orders of $3,178 million for the first quarter of 2025 increased by $260 million, or 9% year-over-year. The increase was driven primarily by Gas Technology, up $326 million or 17% year-over-year.

IET revenue of $2,928 million for the first quarter of 2025 increased $294 million, or 11% year-over-year. The increase was driven by Gas Technology Equipment, up $246 million or 20% year-over-year, and Climate Technology Solutions, up $95 million or 114% year-over-year.

Segment EBITDA for the quarter was $501 million, an increase of $114 million, or 30% year-over-year. The year-over-year increase in segment EBITDA was driven by productivity, positive pricing and increased volume including higher proportionate growth in GTE, partially offset by cost inflation.

Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Financial Measures

Management provides non-GAAP financial measures because it believes such measures are widely accepted financial indicators used by investors and analysts to analyze and compare companies on the basis of operating performance (including adjusted EBITDA; adjusted net income attributable to Baker Hughes; and adjusted diluted earnings per share) and liquidity (free cash flow) and that these measures may be used by investors to make informed investment decisions. Management believes that the exclusion of certain identified items from several key operating performance measures enables us to evaluate our operations more effectively, to identify underlying trends in the business, and to establish operational goals for certain management compensation purposes. Management also believes that free cash flow is an important supplemental measure of our cash performance but should not be considered as a measure of residual cash flow available for discretionary purposes, or as an alternative to cash flow from operating activities presented in accordance with GAAP.

Table 1a. Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to Baker Hughes to Adjusted EBITDA and Segment EBITDA

	Three Months Ended
(in millions)	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024			March 31, 2024
Net income attributable to Baker Hughes (GAAP)	$	402	$	1,179		$	455
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		7		11			8
Provision (benefit) for income taxes		152		(398	)		178
Interest expense, net		51		54			41
Depreciation & amortization		285		291			283
Restructuring		—		258			—
Inventory impairment⁽¹⁾		—		73			—
Change in fair value of equity securities⁽²⁾		140		(196	)		(52	)
Other charges and credits⁽²⁾		—		38			30
Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP)		1,037		1,310			943
Corporate costs		85		84			88
Other income / (expense) not allocated to segments		1		—			—
Total Segment EBITDA (non-GAAP)	$	1,124	$	1,394		$	1,030
OFSE		623		755			644
IET		501		639			386

⁽¹⁾ Charges for inventory impairments are reported in “Cost of goods sold” in the condensed consolidated statements of income (loss).

⁽²⁾ Change in fair value of equity securities and other charges and credits are reported in “Other (income) expense, net” on the condensed consolidated statements of income (loss).

Table 1a reconciles net income attributable to Baker Hughes, which is the directly comparable financial result determined in accordance with GAAP, to adjusted EBITDA and Segment EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA and Segment EBITDA exclude the impact of certain identified items.

Table 1b. Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to Baker Hughes to Adjusted Net Income Attributable to Baker Hughes

	Three Months Ended
(in millions, except per share amounts)	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			March 31, 2024
Net income attributable to Baker Hughes (GAAP)	$	402		$	1,179		$	455
Restructuring		—			258			—
Inventory impairment		—			73			—
Change in fair value of equity securities		140			(196	)		(52	)
Other adjustments		—			30			32
Tax adjustments⁽¹⁾		(32	)		(650	)		(6	)
Total adjustments, net of income tax		108			(485	)		(26	)
Less: adjustments attributable to noncontrolling interests		—			—			—
Adjustments attributable to Baker Hughes		108			(485	)		(26	)
Adjusted net income attributable to Baker Hughes (non-GAAP)	$	509		$	694		$	429

Denominator:
Weighted-average shares of Class A common stock outstanding diluted		999			999			1,004
Adjusted earnings per share – diluted (non-GAAP)	$	0.51		$	0.70		$	0.43

⁽¹⁾All periods reflect the tax associated with the other (income) loss adjustments.

Table 1b reconciles net income attributable to Baker Hughes, which is the directly comparable financial result determined in accordance with GAAP, to adjusted net income attributable to Baker Hughes. Adjusted net income attributable to Baker Hughes excludes the impact of certain identified items.

Table 1c. Reconciliation of Net Cash Flows From Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow

	Three Months Ended
(in millions)	March 31, 2025			December 31, 2024			March 31, 2024
Net cash flows from operating activities (GAAP)	$	709		$	1,189		$	784
Add: cash used for capital expenditures, net of proceeds from disposal of assets		(255	)		(295	)		(282	)
Free cash flow (non-GAAP)	$	454		$	894		$	502

Table 1c reconciles net cash flows from operating activities, which is the directly comparable financial result determined in accordance with GAAP, to free cash flow. Free cash flow is defined as net cash flows from operating activities less expenditures for capital assets plus proceeds from disposal of assets.


Financial Tables (GAAP)

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss)

(Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended March 31,
(In millions, except per share amounts)		2025			2024
Revenue	$	6,427		$	6,418
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenue		4,952			4,976
Selling, general and administrative		577			618
Research and development costs		146			164
Other (income) expense, net		140			(22	)
Interest expense, net		51			41
Income before income taxes		561			641
Provision for income taxes		(152	)		(178	)
Net income		409			463
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		7			8
Net income attributable to Baker Hughes Company	$	402		$	455

Per share amounts:
Basic income per Class A common stock	$	0.41		$	0.46
Diluted income per Class A common stock	$	0.40		$	0.45

Weighted average shares:
Class A basic		992			998
Class A diluted		999			1,004

Cash dividend per Class A common stock	$	0.23		$	0.21

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

(Unaudited)

(In millions)	March 31, 2025		December 31, 2024
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	3,277	$	3,364
Current receivables, net		6,710		7,122
Inventories, net		5,161		4,954
All other current assets		1,693		1,771
Total current assets		16,841		17,211
Property, plant and equipment, less accumulated depreciation		5,168		5,127
Goodwill		6,126		6,078
Other intangible assets, net		3,927		3,951
Contract and other deferred assets		1,680		1,730
All other assets		4,368		4,266
Total assets	$	38,110	$	38,363
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	4,465	$	4,542
Short-term debt		55		53
Progress collections and deferred income		5,589		5,672
All other current liabilities		2,485		2,724
Total current liabilities		12,594		12,991
Long-term debt		5,969		5,970
Liabilities for pensions and other postretirement benefits		985		988
All other liabilities		1,356		1,359
Equity		17,206		17,055
Total liabilities and equity	$	38,110	$	38,363

Outstanding Baker Hughes Company shares:
Class A common stock		990		990

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)
	Three Months Ended March 31,
(In millions)		2025			2024
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$	409		$	463
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		285			283
Stock-based compensation cost		50			51
Change in fair value of equity securities		140			(52	)
Benefit for deferred income taxes		(53	)		(24	)
Working capital		218			209
Other operating items, net		(340	)		(146	)
Net cash flows provided by operating activities		709			784
Cash flows from investing activities:
Expenditures for capital assets		(300	)		(333	)
Proceeds from disposal of assets		45			51
Other investing items, net		(55	)		13
Net cash flows used in investing activities		(310	)		(269	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Dividends paid		(229	)		(210	)
Repurchase of Class A common stock		(188	)		(158	)
Other financing items, net		(85	)		(59	)
Net cash flows used in financing activities		(502	)		(427	)
Effect of currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents		16			(17	)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(87	)		71
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		3,364			2,646
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$	3,277		$	2,717
Supplemental cash flows disclosures:
Income taxes paid, net of refunds	$	207		$	108
Interest paid	$	50		$	48

Supplemental Financial Information

Supplemental financial information can be found on the Company’s website at: investors.bakerhughes.com in the Financial Information section under Quarterly Results.

Conference Call and Webcast

The Company has scheduled an investor conference call to discuss management’s outlook and the results reported in today’s earnings announcement. The call will begin at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time, 8:30 a.m. Central time on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, the content of which is not part of this earnings release. The conference call will be broadcast live via a webcast and can be accessed by visiting the Events and Presentations page on the Company’s website at: investors.bakerhughes.com. An archived version of the webcast will be available on the website for one month following the webcast.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release (and oral statements made regarding the subjects of this release) may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (each a “forward-looking statement”). Forward-looking statements concern future circumstances and results and other statements that are not historical facts and are sometimes identified by the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “potential,” “intend,” “expect,” “would,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “overestimate,” “underestimate,” “believe,” “could,” “project,” “predict,” “continue,” “target,” “goal” or other similar words or expressions. There are many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are also affected by the risk factors described in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the annual period ended December 31, 2024 and those set forth from time to time in other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The documents are available through the Company’s website at: www.investors.bakerhughes.com or through the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering and Analysis Retrieval system at: www.sec.gov. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements.

Our expectations regarding our business outlook and business plans; the business plans of our customers; oil and natural gas market conditions; cost and availability of resources; economic, legal and regulatory conditions, and other matters are only our forecasts regarding these matters.

These forward-looking statements, including forecasts, may be substantially different from actual results, which are affected by many risks, along with the following risk factors and the timing of any of these risk factors:

Economic and political conditions – the impact of worldwide economic conditions and rising inflation; the impact of tariffs and the potential for significant increases thereto; the impact of global trade policy and the potential for significant changes thereto; the effect that declines in credit availability may have on worldwide economic growth and demand for hydrocarbons; foreign currency exchange fluctuations and changes in the capital markets in locations where we operate; and the impact of government disruptions and sanctions.
Orders and RPO – our ability to execute on orders and RPO in accordance with agreed specifications, terms and conditions and convert those orders and RPO to revenue and cash.
Oil and gas market conditions – the level of petroleum industry exploration, development and production expenditures; the price of, volatility in pricing of, and the demand for crude oil and natural gas; drilling activity; drilling permits for and regulation of the shelf and the deepwater drilling; excess productive capacity; crude and product inventories; liquefied natural gas supply and demand; seasonal and other adverse weather conditions that affect the demand for energy; severe weather conditions, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, that affect exploration and production activities; Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) policy and the adherence by OPEC nations to their OPEC production quotas.
Terrorism and geopolitical risks – war, military action, terrorist activities or extended periods of international conflict, particularly involving any petroleum-producing or consuming regions, including Russia and Ukraine; and the recent conflict in the Middle East; labor disruptions, civil unrest or security conditions where we operate; potentially burdensome taxation, expropriation of assets by governmental action; cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents or attacks; epidemic outbreaks.

About Baker Hughes:

Baker Hughes (Nasdaq: BKR) is an energy technology company that provides solutions to energy and industrial customers worldwide. Built on a century of experience and conducting business in over 120 countries, our innovative technologies and services are taking energy forward – making it safer, cleaner and more efficient for people and the planet. Visit us at bakerhughes.com.

For more information, please contact:

Investor Relations

Chase Mulvehill
+1 346-297-2561
investor.relations@bakerhughes.com

Media Relations

Adrienne Lynch
+1 713-906-8407
adrienne.lynch@bakerhughes.com

The MIL Network –

April 23, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: BROUSSARD MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN MULTI-STATE VEHICLE THEFT, FIREARM TRAFFICKING, AND IDENTITY THEFT CONSPIRACY IN MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL OPERATION
Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that Christopher Don Byerley, age 45, of Broussard, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle; altering, removing and obliterating a vehicle identification number; possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices; conspiracy to trafficking a firearm and receipt of a trafficked firearm; receipt of a trafficked firearm; and possession of an unregistered silencer.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, between October 2021 and March 2022, Byerley and his co-conspirators, Robert Gregory Brazell, Adrienne Marie King, and Dennis Loyd Sizemore, carried out a coordinated and complex operation extending across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, in which the group stole, and subsequently used or sold the stolen and altered vehicles, including tractors, excavators, forklifts, and a pickup truck, with a total value of over $250,000.

The scheme involved fraudulent documentation, a “chop shop” for equipment disassembly and tampering, a false business front such as “Hevyquip L.L.C.” to sell stolen equipment, altering Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), and the use of surveillance evasion tools, such as GPS signal blockers, vehicle plate flippers, and fake driver’s licenses. To further conceal their activities, the conspirators utilized over 400 identities and access devices to evade detection.

During the investigation, it was determined that Byerley, a convicted felon, used a third party to illegally purchase a firearm, which was later fitted with the unregistered silencer.

In February 2022, an investigation of a shoplifting incident in the Juban Crossing Shopping Center led Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives to uncover items from a stolen pickup truck being operated by Byerley:
- A functional, unregistered firearm silencer;
- A FN Model 509 9mm pistol and ammunition;
- Documentation detailing parts orders for silencers all in Byerley’s handwriting;
- Multiple text messages and photographs pointing to intent to traffic firearms and circumvent federal regulations; and
- Numerous documents, records, emails, text messages and photos that led law enforcement to uncover the conspiracy and far-reaching criminal enterprise.
Acting U.S. Attorney Leon stated, “These guilty pleas reflect the commitment of our office and federal law enforcement in partnership with our state and local law enforcement agencies to dismantle sophisticated criminal organizations and hold accountable those who pose a significant threat to public safety. We commend the prosecutors and investigators for their hard work and relentless pursuit of the members of this criminal enterprise and are appreciative of their efforts in solving these crimes—even with many attempts at evasion—and returned the stolen equipment to their rightful owners.”

“The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office is committed to conducting thorough investigations and to working with our local and federal agencies. This investigation is a great example of detectives working a shoplifting incident and that turning into a major investigation across this state and others,” said Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard.

“Homeland Security Investigations congratulates our law enforcement partners on this important outcome, which was supported by HSI Baton Rouge’s Louisiana Organized Retail Crime Task Force and its partner agencies. The investigations of these sophisticated crimes are most effectively accomplished through the coordination of multiple law enforcement agencies and across several jurisdictional boundaries, such as what occurred in this investigation. HSI remains committed to protecting the American consumer and safeguarding public safety by disrupting criminal networks that drive up prices and endanger our communities,” said Adam Parks, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Louisiana Division, Homeland Security Investigations.

“The ATF is working closely with local and state police agencies to address firearm trafficking by getting guns out of the hands of criminals, such as this individual,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “This guilty plea sends a message to the community that illegal possession of firearms will be held accountable as we work to keep our neighborhoods safe as a top priority to ensure public safety for ATF.”

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (Baton Rouge and Lafayette Field Divisions), Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Louisiana State Police (Latent Print Section and the Bureau of Identification and Information), Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Saint Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, Saint Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Iberia Sheriff’s Department, and Lafayette Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana. To address the firearm trafficking charges, AUSA Thornton was appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Louisiana, where he worked in conjunction with Assistant United States Attorney John Nickel.

MIL Security OSI –
April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Multiple Defendants with Immigration-Related Violations

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments for the following individuals on charges of immigration-related law violations. These are separate cases and are not related.

Ana Alvarez-Limonche, 20, a citizen of Venezuela, was indicted on two charges of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents for having fraudulent permanent resident and Social Security cards. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

Gildardo Alvarez-Rodriguez, 59, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Sept. 24, 2020. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.

Franklin Calix-Romero, 34, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person for possessing a Ruger 9mm semiautomatic pistol and 9mm ammunition. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by a joint FBI/State/Local Task Force.

Jose Cruz-Aguilar, 41, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Feb. 27, 2017. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by a joint FBI/State/Local Task Force.

Carlos Garcia-Garcia, 45, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Feb. 19, 2005. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.

Jhofran Andres Laya-Gutierrez, 28, a citizen of Venezuela, has been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer; destruction, alteration, or falsification or records; fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents; and misrepresentation of a Social Security number. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP and the FBI Toledo Field Office.

Jeyson Martinez, aka, Jayson Martinez-Juarez, 32, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Nov. 23, 2018. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.

Jose Maximiliano Zepeda-Gutierrez, 45, a citizen of Guatemala, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being July 10, 2019. The defendant was previously convicted in 2018 for conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Toledo Field Office.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

A team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the USAO’s criminal division are prosecuting these cases.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: AG Labrador Announces Sentencing of Ada County Man to 25 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Enticement of a Minor

Source: US State of Idaho

Home Newsroom AG Labrador Announces Sentencing of Ada County Man to 25 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Enticement of a Minor

BOISE — Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced that Joseph Michael Przybylski, 31, was convicted of one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child by Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material (Child Pornography) and one count of Enticing a Child Through the Use of the Internet. The Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the Felony Enticement of a Child is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Przybylski was sentenced on April 14, 2025 by Ada County District Judge Patrick Miller.
In June 2024, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit received a priority CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an account belonging to Przybylski contained child sexual abuse material (CSAM). After obtaining search warrants, officers found over 400 files of CSAM on Przybylski’s account. During an interview of Przybylski, he admitted to the possession of the CSAM files on the account and admitted to having a sexually explicit chat with a 12-year-old minor female. The CSAM files found on Przybylski’s account depicted minor females ranging from two (2) years old and up. Many of these files depicted young children being raped by adult men. Przybylski was previously convicted of the Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material in 2019 and placed on 10 years of probation.
Attorney General Labrador stated, “I’m grateful to our Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, local law enforcement, and prosecutors for their unwavering commitment to protecting Idaho’s kids and ensuring this offender is removed from society. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to pursue and prosecute child predators to the fullest extent of the law.”
The State recommended the maximum sentences on both counts. Judge Miller sentenced Przybylski to a total of twenty-five (25) years, ordering that he be eligible for parole after serving fifteen (15) years. Przybylski was also ordered to pay a fine and court costs. Upon release, Przybylski will have to remain on the sex offender registry pursuant to Idaho law.
The investigation of this case was led by ICAC Commander Nicholas Edwards. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Madison Allen.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Bronx District Leader and Former Board of Elections Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Extortion and Fraud

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NICOLE TORRES, an elected district leader in the Bronx and former employee of the New York City Board of Elections, (the “NYC-BOE”), pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit extortion and mail fraud for illegally demanding payments from Bronx residents in exchange for selecting those individuals as poll workers and for agreeing with others to falsify documents to make it appear that certain individuals had worked as poll workers when they had not. TORRES pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil.

Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “For five years, Nicole Torres abused her position of public trust as an elected official and City employee by taking bribes and falsifying records in connection with the selection and placement of poll workers in the Bronx. Today’s plea highlights this Office’s commitment to rooting out corruption in local government, and to protecting the integrity of poll workers and our elections.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:

From at least 2019 through at least 2024, TORRES was a district leader for New York’s 81st Assembly District in the Bronx, New York. In addition, from at least 2016 through at least 2024, TORRES was an employee of the NYC-BOE. While working at the NYC-BOE, TORRES had, at times, been responsible for ensuring that poll workers were paid for their work during early voting and election day. TORRES abused her power as a district leader and a NYC-BOE employee to engage in two illegal schemes.

First, from at least 2019 through August 2024, TORRES agreed to require and required Bronx residents to pay a sum of money, usually $150, either to her or to a local organization (the “Bronx Organization”) in exchange for TORRES selecting those individuals as poll workers for upcoming elections. Both the Bronx Organization and TORRES profited from the scheme. TORRES personally obtained at least approximately $28,000 in illegal payments. TORRES received the payments, often in the amount of $150, through mobile payment applications, money orders, and checks. In certain instances, TORRES received money orders or checks that were written out to the Bronx Organization, and TORRES altered the payee line on those money orders or checks to say “Nicole Torres” so that she could deposit that money into her personal bank account.

Second, from at least 2018 through August 2024, TORRES agreed to falsify the Forms Booklet—which is a NYC-BOE record in which poll workers record their attendance at a particular poll site—to make it appear that certain individuals (the “NoShow Poll Workers”) worked as poll workers during early voting and election day when, in truth and fact, and as TORRES well knew, those individuals did not work on those dates. TORRES often worked with coordinators who oversaw the Forms Booklets at specific poll sites. These coordinators signed in No-Show Poll Workers in the Forms Booklets, frequently at TORRES’s direction. TORRES and her coconspirators then received the salaries for the NoShow Poll Workers—sometimes through the mail—and split the fraudulently obtained salaries among themselves. Based on her participation in the scheme, TORRES personally obtained at least approximately $36,000 in fraud proceeds.

* * *

TORRES, 44, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. TORRES is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Vyskocil on July 8, 2025.

Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Department of Investigation.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin M. Burkett and Rebecca T. Dell are in charge of the prosecution.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Edmond Resident Sentenced for Attempted Coercion and Enticement

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lee Edward Redman, age 52, of Edmond, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Attempted Coercion and Enticement.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On November 7, 2024, Redman pleaded guilty to attempting to use the internet to entice an individual who he believed to be under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity. According to investigators, between October 21 and October 24 of 2022, Redman initiated contact with an account appearing to belong to a young female. That account was actually operated as part of an undercover operation conducted by Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office Investigators. After a conversation in which Redman learned that his intended target was 15 years of age, Redman arranged to meet the account holder for sexual intercourse. On October 24, 2022, deputies arrested Redman in the parking lot of a Muskogee mall where he had arranged to meet the 15 year old intended victim.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Redman will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan A. Muzljakovich represented the United States.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Enfield — Missing person: Help the RCMP find Paul Joseph Freel

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

East Hants District RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 45-Year-Old Paul Joseph Freel, from East Uniacke, who was reported missing on April 13, 2025. He is believed to have been last seen on April 4, 2025.

Freel is described as 5 foot 11 and approximately 250 lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

When someone goes missing, it has deep and far-reaching impacts for the person and those who know them. We ask that people spread the word through social media respectfully.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Paul Freel is asked to contact the East Hants District RCMP at 902-883-7077. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca , or use the P3 tips app.

Note: Photo of Paul Joseph Freel is attached.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Michigan Woman Sentenced to 30 years for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Detroit, Michigan, woman, Chanel Lashae Logan, 25, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves to 360 months in prison, for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to her court records, between March 1, 2024 and June 6, 2024, Logan conspired with co-defendant Saruba Asante Smith to distribute substantial quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Lexington, Kentucky area. In her plea agreement, Logan admitted to selling methamphetamine and fentanyl to an undercover operative on April 23, 2024, followed by an additional larger quantity of methamphetamine to the same undercover operative on May 30, 2024. Both transactions occurred in Lexington. Shortly thereafter, Logan agreed with the undercover operative to sell 10 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 ounces of fentanyl, which she intended to obtain in Detroit. On June 6, 2024, in Shelby County, Kentucky, law enforcement stopped Logan and Smith in Logan’s vehicle as it traveled back from Detroit. Law enforcement located 6.8 kilograms of methamphetamine in the car, along with 76 grams of fentanyl. A search warrant executed at Logan’s and Smith’s Lexington apartment that same day led to the seizure of an additional 4.3 kilograms of methamphetamine and 892 grams of fentanyl.

Logan’s co-defendant, Saruba Smith, was previously sentenced to 92 months in prison.

Under federal law, Logan must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; and Sheriff David Charles, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, Lexington Police Department, and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Defense Contractor’s Longtime Associate Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

Source: US State of Vermont

Note: View Information here.

A longtime associate of a former defense contractor pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States.

The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: from 2009 until approximately 2022, Thomas G. Ehr worked for or on behalf of a co-conspirator, a defense contractor who owned 50% of a business that supplied jet fuel to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Middle East. Ehr was hired to manage several music television and entertainment projects funded with proceeds from this business. Over time Ehr played a role in several of his co-conspirator’s other investments, including a $60 million real estate investment in Tulum, Mexico, and a $50 million fuel infrastructure project.

Ehr understood that the defense contractor was the business’s 50% owner since it was created, and that the contractor controlled hundreds of millions of dollars in profits from it.

Nevertheless, Ehr agreed to conceal the contractor’s ownership and control of the company, primarily by falsely asserting that the contractor’s wife had founded the company, so that the contractor could obstruct the IRS’ ability to assess and collect the contractor’s taxes — including taxes on profits he made from contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense. Ehr acknowledged that because of the conspiracy, the contractor evaded taxes on more than $350 million of income and caused a tax loss to the United States of approximately $128 million.

Additionally, despite making hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in income, Ehr did not file tax returns for years 2010 to 2015, nor make payments on taxes he owed for 2010 to 2023. By doing so, Ehr caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $700,000.

Ehr is the sixth defendant associated with the defense contracting company to plead guilty. Charles Squires pleaded guilty to tax evasion in February 2022, James Robar pleaded guilty to tax evasion in March 2022, Ronald “Ron” Thomas pleaded guilty to tax evasion in April 2022, Zachary “Zack” Friedman pleaded guilty to tax evasion in August 2022, and Robert Dooner pleaded guilty to tax evasion in November 2023.

Sentencing will be set at a later date. Ehr faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy count and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for the tax count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Interim U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case, with assistance from His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom. Assistance was also provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Senior Litigation Counsel Nannette Davis, Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney, and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Defense Contractor’s Longtime Associate Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

Source: United States Attorneys General 1

Note: View Information here.

A longtime associate of a former defense contractor pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States.

The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: from 2009 until approximately 2022, Thomas G. Ehr worked for or on behalf of a co-conspirator, a defense contractor who owned 50% of a business that supplied jet fuel to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Middle East. Ehr was hired to manage several music television and entertainment projects funded with proceeds from this business. Over time Ehr played a role in several of his co-conspirator’s other investments, including a $60 million real estate investment in Tulum, Mexico, and a $50 million fuel infrastructure project.

Ehr understood that the defense contractor was the business’s 50% owner since it was created, and that the contractor controlled hundreds of millions of dollars in profits from it.

Nevertheless, Ehr agreed to conceal the contractor’s ownership and control of the company, primarily by falsely asserting that the contractor’s wife had founded the company, so that the contractor could obstruct the IRS’ ability to assess and collect the contractor’s taxes — including taxes on profits he made from contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense. Ehr acknowledged that because of the conspiracy, the contractor evaded taxes on more than $350 million of income and caused a tax loss to the United States of approximately $128 million.

Additionally, despite making hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in income, Ehr did not file tax returns for years 2010 to 2015, nor make payments on taxes he owed for 2010 to 2023. By doing so, Ehr caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $700,000.

Ehr is the sixth defendant associated with the defense contracting company to plead guilty. Charles Squires pleaded guilty to tax evasion in February 2022, James Robar pleaded guilty to tax evasion in March 2022, Ronald “Ron” Thomas pleaded guilty to tax evasion in April 2022, Zachary “Zack” Friedman pleaded guilty to tax evasion in August 2022, and Robert Dooner pleaded guilty to tax evasion in November 2023.

Sentencing will be set at a later date. Ehr faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy count and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for the tax count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Interim U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case, with assistance from His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom. Assistance was also provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Senior Litigation Counsel Nannette Davis, Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney, and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Enfield — Update: RCMP appeals to public for information in relation to missing person Paul Freel

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

East Hants District RCMP continues to request the public’s assistance in locating 45-year-old Paul Joseph Freel, of East Uniacke, who was reported missing on April 13.

Freel is described as 5 foot 11 and approximately 250 lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes, and tattoos on his arms. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, blue jogging pants, and blue running shoes with yellow and white accents. He is believed to currently have notches shaved or plucked into his eyebrows.

He was last seen on April 4, 2025, at approximately 5:35 pm in the East Uniacke area.

Investigators have located the vehicle that Freel was driving when he was last seen, a grey 2013 Nissan Rogue, abandoned on a logging road off East Uniacke Road.

Officers from East Hants District RCMP and neighbouring detachments, RCMP Ground Search and Rescue Incident Commanders, RCMP Police Dog Services, RCMP Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (drones), and RCMP Air Services have all been engaged in the efforts to locate Freel.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Paul Freel is asked to refrain from approaching him and to contact the East Hants District RCMP at 902-883-7077 or local police. To remain anonymous, contact Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a tip online at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Bradford County Man Sentenced To 292 Months In Prison For Production Of Child Pornography

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Benjamin Wheeler, age 29, of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on April 15, 2025, to 292 months’ imprisonment to be followed by ten years of supervised release by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann on one count of production of child pornography.

According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Wheeler coerced two minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography on four separate occasions in June and July of 2022, in Bradford County.

Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin read a statement from one of the victim’s mothers expressing the devastating impact this crime has had on the victim and the victim’s family.

The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

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MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Florence Tax Preparer Indicted for Tax Fraud

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

FLORENCE, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Florence returned a 43-count indictment against Talisha Cooper, 44, of Coward, for preparing false tax returns.

The indictment alleges that Cooper was a tax return preparer and manager of Tax Fusions, located in Florence. Beginning in 2019 and through 2023, Cooper knowingly filed numerous returns that were fraudulent. The returns reported false fuel tax credits, family and sick leave credits, employee business expenses and Schedule C business profits or losses. The investigation revealed at least 43 instances of false returns with a total loss of $374,349.

Cooper was arrested today and arraigned in federal court this afternoon. Cooper faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison and a fine.

The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case.

All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: White Supremacist Receives Life Sentence in Federal Court for Kidnapping and Murder

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

FAYETTEVILLE – A California man was sentenced yesterday to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for Aiding and Abetting the Kidnapping and Murder of a Northwest Arkansas man. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.

According to court documents, in November of 2021, the defendant, Daniel Paul Blanks, age 46, and his co-defendant, Reginald Baker, age 37, drove to the Springdale apartment of a Northwest Arkansas resident. Per witnesses, the men, armed with a shotgun, forcefully entered the apartment, assaulted and beat the resident, and then dragged his unconscious body down the exterior staircase of the apartment complex and placed him in the back of Blanks’ truck bed. Blanks and Baker then transported the victim from Arkansas to the Mark Twain National Park, located in Barry County Missouri, where Blanks shot the victim numerous times. The victim’s body lay undiscovered for several days until a hunter located him in a heavily wooded logging road.

On November 29, 2021, both Blanks and Baker were charged in the Circuit Court of Washington County, with Capital Murder, Kidnapping, and Residential Burglary. On April 5, 2024, Baker pleaded guilty in Washington County Arkansas Circuit Court to Accomplice to Murder in the 1st Degree, Accomplice to Kidnapping, and Accomplice to Residential Burglary. He was sentenced to a total of 60 years imprisonment. On October 25, 2024, Blanks entered a guilty plea to Aiding and Abetting Kidnapping Resulting in Death, in federal court.

During the sentencing hearing, the Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks cited Blanks’ affiliation with white supremacist groups as an aggravating factor supporting the imposition of a life sentence.

This case involving Daniel Blanks was prosecuted in cooperation with the 4th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.

The Springdale Police Department, Barry County Missouri Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Bentonville Police Department, and the Arkansas Office of Probation and Parole all investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 04/22/2025, 13-01 (Moscow time) the values of the lower boundary of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A101PF9 (ALROSA B04) were changed.

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

04/22/2025

13:01

In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC) on 22.04.2025, 13-01 (Moscow time), the values of the lower limit of the price corridor (up to 100.19) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 980.45 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 7.5%) of the security RU000A101PF9 (ALROSA B04) were changed.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

HTTPS: //VVV. MOEX.K.MO/N89680

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 04/22/2025, 15:59 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A1009L8 (RZhD 1P-15R) were changed.

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

04/22/2025

15:59

In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC) on 22.04.2025, 15-59 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 96.91) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 1016.81 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 12.5%) of the security RU000A1009L8 (RZhD 1P-15R) were changed.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

HTTPS: //VVV. MEEX.K.M.M.

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 04/22/2025, 18-12 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A107PU5 (RZhD 1P-30R) were changed.

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

04/22/2025

18:12

In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC) on 22.04.2025, 18-12 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 108.15) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 1209.75 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 25.0%) of the security RU000A107PU5 (RZhD 1P-30R) were changed.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

HTTPS: //VVV. MEEX.K.M.M.

MIL OSI Russia News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Opens One Hundred and Fifteenth Session in Geneva

Source: United Nations – Geneva

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this morning opened its one hundred and fifteenth session in Geneva, during which it will review anti-discrimination efforts by Gabon, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritius, Republic of Korea and Ukraine under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Committee heard from a representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and adopted the session’s agenda.

Antti Korkeakivi, Chief, Human Rights Treaties Branch, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and representative of the Secretary-General, opening the one hundred and fifteenth session, paid tribute to the important work of the Committee in promoting and protecting the human rights of all people without discrimination. With the Convention marking its sixtieth anniversary this year, it was an opportunity to explore avenues to generate greater political will and concrete action to fight racial discrimination.

Mr. Korkeakivi said a heavy programme of work was before the Committee over the next three weeks, with five major State party reviews; the consideration of five follow-up reports for Croatia, Germany, Morocco, Tajikistan and Uruguay; a half-day of general discussion on reparations for the injustices from the transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans, which would inform a new general recommendation on the topic; consideration of cases under the early warning and urgent action and individual complaints procedures; and meetings with various stakeholders. He wished the Committee a fruitful and productive session.

Michal Balcerzak, Committee Chairperson, congratulated Mr. Korkeakivi on assuming his position, and expressed hope that he could help navigate the treaty body system through the stormy weather it was currently facing. Mr. Balcerzak also said he hoped that, during the session, the Committee would have fruitful interactive dialogues with Ukraine, Mauritius, the Republic of Korea, Gabon and Kyrgyzstan. He thanked the members of the Committee’s secretariat for their help in facilitating Committee Experts’ work during and between sessions.

The programme of work and other documents related to the Committee’s one hundred and fifteenth session can be found here. Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here.

The Committee will next meet in public on Wednesday, 23 April at 3 p.m. to consider the combined twenty-fourth to twenty-sixth periodic reports of Ukraine (CERD/C/UKR/24-26).

Statements

ANTTI KORKEAKIVI, Chief, Human Rights Treaties Branch, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and representative of the Secretary-General, opening the one hundred and fifteenth session, said the international system was going through a tectonic shift, and the human rights edifice that was built up so painstakingly over decades had never been under so much strain. Everyone needed to make an all-out effort to ensure that human rights and the rule of law remained foundational to communities, societies and international relations. Otherwise, the picture would be very dangerous.

The Secretary-General, in his message on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, warned that “The poison of racism continues to infect our world – a toxic legacy of historic enslavement, colonialism and discrimination. It corrupts communities, blocks opportunities, and ruins lives, eroding the very foundations of dignity, equality and justice. Forged amidst the civil rights, anti-apartheid, and decolonisation movements of the 1960s, the Convention sets out concrete steps countries must take to combat racist doctrines, promote understanding, and build a world free from racial discrimination. Today, it remains a beacon of hope to guide us in dark times.”

Mr. Korkeakivi paid tribute to the important work of the Committee to monitor the implementation of the Convention and its significant contributions in promoting and protecting the human rights of all people without discrimination. With the Convention marking its sixtieth anniversary this year, it was an opportunity to explore avenues to generate greater political will and concrete action to fight racial discrimination.

In this connection, several events were held to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the sixtieth anniversary. The Committee Chair, Mr. Balcerzak, participated in person in commemorative events at the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, presenting a joint statement led by the Committee together with 10 other mechanisms. The Office of the High Commissioner would continue to support the Committee in its objectives for the yearlong anniversary campaign. It had created a website on the anniversary, which presented a list of commemorative activities that would be updated throughout the year.

The High Commissioner’s annual report on the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, presented to the fifty-eighth session of the Human Rights Council last month, extensively referenced the Committee’s assessment of the realisation of minority rights and acknowledged the important contribution made by the Committee in advancing the adoption of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation worldwide. Last December, the United Nations Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities organised a community-of-practice on the Committee’s general recommendation 37 to discuss how countries could use it to eliminate racial discrimination in the context of health.

Further, the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in its 2024 study on mechanisms to achieve the United National Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, underscored the relevance of the Committee’s jurisprudence in protecting the political and cultural rights of indigenous peoples. The study highlighted how the Committee’s work reinforced the principles of the Declaration and strengthened the role of international treaty bodies in holding States accountable for respecting the collective rights of indigenous peoples.

In December 2024, the General Assembly proclaimed 2025-2034 as the Second International Decade for People of African Descent, with the theme “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development”. The Office of the High Commissioner had continued consultations to inform the implementation of its agenda towards transformative change for racial justice and equality.

The session of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent in December 2024 also focused on reparatory justice. Their report would be presented at the Human Rights Council session in September 2025. The Working Group organised yesterday a panel to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the Convention. Also, in December 2024, the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent held its first regional consultation on the draft United Nations Declaration on the Human Rights of People of African Descent in Barbados. The fourth session of the Permanent Forum held last week focused on “Africa and people of African descent: United for reparatory justice in the age of Artificial Intelligence”.

Additionally, the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement would hold its fourth session from 5 to 9 May 2025 in Geneva. It would discuss “addressing systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent in the criminal justice system” in preparation of its thematic report on the same topic.

In March 2025, the Office of the High Commissioner organised a regional consultation for Europe on racism in sports in Belgium. The second consultation for the Latin American region would take place in Mexico. The outcomes of these regional consultations would inform the High Commissioner’s report on a world of sport free from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, to be presented at the Human Rights Council’s September session.

The fifteenth session of the Ad Hoc Committee on the elaboration of complementary standards to the Convention was continuing efforts to elaborate an additional protocol to the Convention aiming at criminalising acts of a racist and xenophobic nature. This session would focus on concrete provisions related to the prohibition and criminalisation of such acts, procedural guarantees for indicted persons and the protection of victims. The session also included a commemoration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Convention.

The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance would present two thematic reports on intersectionality from a racial justice perspective, and combatting the glorification of Nazism, as well as a report on her country visit to Brazil, at the fifty-ninth session of the Human Rights Council in June 2025.

The past year had been particularly challenging for the treaty body system. In addition to chronic resource constraints, the liquidity crisis continued to hamper the planning and implementation of the Committee’s work. The Office was doing its utmost to ensure that this Committee and other treaty bodies could implement their mandates, including by highlighting the direct impact that resource limitations had on human rights protection on the ground. Nevertheless, all indications pointed to a continuation of the difficult liquidity situation for the foreseeable future. While all treaty bodies had been able to hold their first sessions, the outlook for the rest of the year remained uncertain, both in terms of plenary meeting and visits. The Office would inform the Committee when it received information regarding its second session for the year.

Despite these challenges, the treaty body strengthening process remained active. It reached a key moment with the adoption in December of last year of the biennial resolution on the treaty body system by the General Assembly, which invited the treaty bodies and the Office to continue to work toward a regularised schedule for reporting and to further use digital technologies. However, the biennial resolution did not endorse the proposal for an eight-year predictable schedule of reviews.

In concluding remarks, Mr. Korkeakivi said a heavy programme of work was before the Committee over the next three weeks, with five major State party reviews; the consideration of five follow-up reports for Croatia, Germany, Morocco, Tajikistan and Uruguay; a half-day of general discussion on reparations for the injustices from the transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans, and the ongoing crimes against people of African descent, which would inform a new general recommendation on the topic; consideration of cases under the early warning and urgent action and individual complaints procedures; and meetings with various stakeholders. He wished the Committee a fruitful and productive session.

MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Chairperson, congratulated Mr. Korkeakivi on assuming his position. The Committee hoped that he could achieve his mandate and navigate the treaty body system through the stormy weather it was currently facing. Mr. Balcerzak expressed hope that, during the session, the Committee would have fruitful interactive dialogues with Ukraine, Mauritius, the Republic of Korea, Gabon and Kyrgyzstan. He thanked the members of the Committee’s secretariat for its help facilitating Committee Experts’ work during and between sessions.

NOUREDDIN AMIR, Committee Expert, said that he had been fighting all forms of racial discrimination for half a century, including as the Committee’s former Chair. Despite his failing eyesight, he would continue to breathe life to the Committee’s struggle against racial discrimination. The world was in a sorry state, Mr. Amir said. The Committee needed to ensure that the international community was fully cognisant of what was happening in the world today. Murders were being committed in Palestine, in Gaza. What could the Committee do to put an end to these crimes against women and children. This situation beggared belief, yet it continued. People needed to be held accountable. The Committee had a responsibility to continue to fight for its mandate.

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Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media;
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

CERD25.001E

MIL OSI United Nations News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Knife attacks – E-002892/2024(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
The European Statistical Office (Eurostat) collects statistics on crime in the Member State s annually on voluntary basis, focusing on criminal offences as set out in the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS)[1]. Data on police-recorded offences are disseminated in the Eurostat database[2].

However, separate data on the number of criminal offences or number of victims of knife attacks are not available. More information on the annual crime data collection is available on the Eurostat website[3].

Insights can be drawn from the EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT), issued annually by the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol).

The TE-SAT provides a situational overview of terrorist-related incidents, including the number of terrorist attacks, arrests, convictions, and penalties for terrorist offences, as reported by Member States to Europol.

While the TE-SAT may include references to stabbing as a modus operandi in terrorist attacks when such information is reported by Member States, its scope is strictly limited to terrorism-related incidents.

Therefore, it does not cover all knife attacks against individuals. The TE-SAT reports are publicly accessible via Europol’s website for further consultation[4].

[1] https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/statistics/iccs.html

[2] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/crim_off_cat/default/table?lang=en&category=crim.crim_off

[3] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/crime/overview

[4] https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-events/main-reports/eu-terrorism-situation-and-trend-report
Last updated: 22 April 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Walgreens Agrees to Pay up to $350 Million for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and for Submitting False Claims to the Federal Government

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co. and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal healthcare programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032.

The government’s complaint, filed on Jan. 16 and amended April 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that from approximately August 2012 through March 1, 2023, Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains, knowingly filled millions of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions. These unlawful prescriptions included prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early, and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a “trinity.” Walgreens pharmacists allegedly filled these prescriptions despite clear “red flags” indicating a high likelihood that the prescriptions were invalid because they lacked a legitimate medical purpose or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice.

The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful. Walgreens’s compliance officials also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and even intentionally deprived its own pharmacists of crucial information, including by refusing to share internal data regarding prescribers with pharmacists and preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.

In light of Friday’s settlement, the United States has moved to dismiss its complaint. Walgreens will also move to dismiss a related declaratory judgment action filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

“Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”

“This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances,” said John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement also underscores our Office’s continued commitment to ensure that all persons and businesses that fill controlled-substance prescriptions adhere to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act that are designed to prevent highly addictive medications from being used for illegitimate purposes.”

“This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing, or distributing activities.”

In addition to the monetary payments announced today, Walgreens has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. Walgreens and DEA entered into a Memorandum of Agreement that requires the company to implement and maintain certain compliance measures for the next seven years. Walgreens must maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions prior to dispensing controlled substances, provide annual training to pharmacy employees regarding their legal obligations relating to controlled substances, verify that pharmacy staffing is sufficient to enable pharmacy employees to comply with those legal obligations, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers whom Walgreens becomes aware are writing illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions. Walgreens has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, which further requires Walgreens to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes written policies and procedures, training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to HHS-OIG related to Walgreens’s dispensing of controlled substances.

The civil settlement resolves four cases brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by former Walgreens employees. The FCA authorizes whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The relators will receive a 17.25% share of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.

The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

The United States’ pursuit of this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Director Amy DeLine and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois (Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy), Middle District of Florida (Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie), District of Maryland (Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran), Eastern District of New York (Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner) and Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower). Fraud Section senior financial analyst Karen Sharp provided support for the matter.

The DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, FBI Chicago Field Office, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Alabama, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, District of Arizona, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, District of Puerto Rico, and Eastern District of Louisiana provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

MIL Security OSI –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India hosts inaugural Capacity Building Programme for Central Asian Republics on combating terrorism financing

Source: Government of India

India hosts inaugural Capacity Building Programme for Central Asian Republics on combating terrorism financing

Senior experts from five Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan participated in knowledge exchange

Posted On: 22 APR 2025 7:38PM by PIB Delhi

The Department of Revenue (DoR), in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), successfully organised the first-ever Capacity Building Programme for Central Asian Republics (CARs) on ‘Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) through Cryptocurrencies, Crowdfunding, and Non-Profit Organisations’. The two-day programme was held on 21^st-22^nd April, 2025.

Bringing together senior experts from five Central Asian countries — Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan — the programme served as a platform for knowledge exchange and regional cooperation in tackling terrorism financing. Participants benefited from a series of sessions led by Indian authorities, including representatives from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Cell of the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND). Additionally, an expert from the Eurasian Group (EAG), a FATF-style regional body (FSRB), contributed valuable insights on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) standards, with a focus on the non-profit and virtual asset sectors.

Customised to the specific needs of the Central Asian region, the programme aimed to build technical capacity and deepen understanding of emerging terrorism financing risks. Through interactive discussions, case studies, and the sharing of operational best practices, the initiative fostered a collaborative approach to addressing key challenges.

Technical sessions explored a broad range of issues, including the use of financial intelligence in terrorism-related investigations, the growing threat posed by the misuse of Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), and the exploitation of crowdfunding platforms. Additional discussions covered the financing of radicalization and the abuse of Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) for terrorist purposes.

This initiative marks a significant step forward in strengthening regional cooperation and resilience against terrorism financing, reflecting India’s commitment to global counterterrorism efforts.

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

April 23, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Guatemalan alien illegally residing in the United States and convicted of sexual battery indicted for fraudulently obtaining custody of an unaccompanied alien child in the United States, following ICE, joint law enforcement partner investigation

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury indicted an illegal alien, April 17, for his alleged role in smuggling an unaccompanied alien child to the United States and for allegedly submitting a sponsorship application with false statements to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement to gain custody of the minor after she entered the United States, following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FBI, investigation.

“This case is a testament to ICE’s commitment to hold predators accountable for the harm they inflict on children,” said ICE acting Director Todd Lyons. “We are making every effort to ensure the safety of children released to sponsors across the United States. This is vital work and through their victim centered approach, ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents are perfectly positioned to uncover any similar crimes by predatory sponsors.”

“The prior administration’s border policies created an environment that enabled human trafficking and allowed bad actors to take advantage of at-risk children,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are committed to protecting children from the scourge of human trafficking and will not rest until we deliver justice for those who suffered during the border crisis.”

According to the indictment, Juan Tiul Xi, 26, a Guatemalan national illegally residing in Cleveland, illegally entered the United States in 2023. Thereafter, Tiul Xi allegedly encouraged and induced a 14-year-old Guatemalan girl to illegally enter the United States and to use the identity of Tiul Xi’s sister as her alias. As a UAC, the Guatemalan girl was placed in the care and custody of ORR. As alleged, Tiul Xi then falsely stated on documents submitted to ORR when he applied to sponsor and obtain custody of the girl that he was the UAC’s brother and that her alias was her actual name. ORR relied on Tiul Xi’s alleged false statements when, on or about Sept. 5, 2023, ORR released the UAC to Tiul Xi’s care.

Tiul Xi is charged with one count of encouraging or inducing illegal entry for financial gain, one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the illegal entry count, a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“The Office of Refugee Resettlement is committed to continuing vital policy changes that promote the safety and welfare of unaccompanied alien children related into the Unites States,” said ORR Acting Director Angie M. Salazar. “We have significantly increased sponsor vetting with the wellbeing of the child at the core of our process. We hope that our commitment is evident by our collaboration with law enforcement to right previous wrongs and help bring these crimes to light.”

The indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 325 U.S. convictions; more than 270 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

The ICE HSI and FBI Cleveland field offices are jointly investigating with assistance from HSI’s Attaché team in Guatemala. Additionally, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. and ORR have provided valuable assistance.

Senior Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Joint Task Force Alpha detailee/Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Acting U.S. Attorney Carol Skutnik and Criminal Division Chief Michael L. Collyer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Individuals across the world can report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Highly trained specialists take reports from both the public and law enforcement agencies on more than 400 laws enforced by ICE.

MIL OSI USA News –

April 23, 2025

Category: Crime

India hosts inaugural Capacity Building Programme for Central Asian Republics on combating terrorism financingSenior experts from five Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan participated in knowledge exchange

India hosts inaugural Capacity Building Programme for Central Asian Republics on combating terrorism financing

Senior experts from five Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan participated in knowledge exchange