Over 30,000 illicit goods have been removed from a wholesaler in Liverpool City Council’s biggest seizure of a single premises to date.
Working with Merseyside Police, the Council’s Public Protection team recovered 7,700 vapes and 23,400 cigarettes from a property in Old Swan, worth £105,000.
An inspection by the teams found that the goods, due to be sold to local businesses in the area, were unregulated and could be dangerous to consumers.
The premises was issued a warning and could face closure if there is any further criminal activity.
Unregulated vapes and cigarettes could contain banned ingredients and may pose a serious health risk to anyone using them.
Rules around the sale of vapes are set out in the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
The requirements restrict e-cigarette tanks to a capacity of no more than 2ml, around 600 puffs, while the maximum volume of nicotine-containing e-liquid for sale in one refill container is restricted to 10ml.
Additionally, e-liquids are restricted to a nicotine strength of no more than 20mg/ml.
Previously, the largest seizure of illicit goods from a single property saw over 4,600 illicit vapes taken from a store in L8.
In 2024, the Council removed over 135,000 illegal cigarettes and vapes from sale across Liverpool. Any vapes seized by the team are sent to be recycled by a Manchester based contractor that has been authorised by Trading Standards North West.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture said: “Thanks to the team’s quick actions based on intelligence they received, they managed to take thousands of potentially dangerous goods off the market before they could be sold to the public.
“While genuine vaping products can be a helpful alternative to smoking, they should always be sourced from reputable retailers.
“Regulations around vapes and cigarettes exist for a reason. Illicit products could contain ingredients that are harmful to people’s health, which is why removing them from the market is a priority.”
Merseyside Police Local Policing Constable Graeme Brannagan said: “We’re pleased to have worked alongside Liverpool City Council in this significant seizure, which makes our communities a great deal safer.
“Anyone with information about suspected illegal goods is urged to contact us through 101, online or through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and, working in partnership, we will keep taking action.”
This Report Exclusively Examines Therapeutic Strategies That Employ NK Cells, Excluding Any Methods That Incorporate Antibody Engagers Intended To Bind To & Activate NK Cells
Research and development activities for NK cell therapies are rapidly evolving, backed by significant advancements in immunotherapy-centric cancer treatment approaches. Unlike other immune cells, NK cells are capable of recognizing and destroying malignant cells without prior sensitization. This inherent capability makes NK cells a promising tool in cancer treatment, especially for patients who have become resistant to conventional therapies. As a result, NK cell therapies are attracting considerable attention, with several pharmaceutical companies actively involved in research and clinical trials to further develop these therapies.
Among the most advanced candidates in the NK cell therapy pipeline is SMT-NK, an allogeneic NK cell therapy developed by SMT Bio. SMT-NK is currently undergoing a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial in South Korea for the treatment of biliary tract cancer, making it the most advanced NK cell therapy candidate in development. This trial aims to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of SMT-NK when combined with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab, comparing its efficacy to pembrolizumab monotherapy. The combination of NK cell therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab is a promising approach that seeks to enhance NK cell activity, offering potential for improved treatment outcomes in patients with biliary tract cancer, a rare and difficult-to-treat condition.
In addition to advancements in cancer, NK cell therapies are also being explored for other therapeutic areas. Ongoing research is investigating their potential to treat autoimmune diseases and neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease and dementia. This expansion into non-cancer indications highlights the broad applicability of NK cells, offering new possibilities for patients suffering from diseases that have historically been challenging to treat. The versatility of NK cell therapies underscores their importance in the future of medicine, with ongoing clinical trials and studies pushing the boundaries of their potential uses.
The commercial landscape for NK cell therapies is growing rapidly, fueled by increasing investments in research and development, as well as regulatory support that facilitates the progression of these therapies through clinical trials. Companies are also focusing on improving manufacturing processes to meet the anticipated demand for NK cell-based treatments. Innovations in cell production technologies are crucial to ensuring that NK cells can be generated consistently and efficiently, allowing for scalable production and accessibility to a broader patient population. As these therapies continue to advance, they are expected to become a key component of modern cancer treatment regimens.
Despite the promising potential, challenges remain in the widespread adoption of NK cell therapies. One of the main hurdles is ensuring the consistency and quality of the NK cells produced for therapeutic use, as well as optimizing their persistence and effectiveness in the patient’s body. Regulatory complexities also pose challenges, requiring careful navigation as NK cell therapies progress through clinical trials and seek approval. However, the continued collaboration between researchers, biotech companies, and larger pharmaceutical firms is driving the field forward, with the goal of overcoming these obstacles and making NK cell therapies a routine treatment option.
In conclusion, the NK cell therapy market is witnessing rapid growth, driven by breakthroughs in scientific research and clinical development. SMT-NK stands out as the most advanced NK cell therapy candidate, undergoing late stage trials for biliary tract cancer, which highlights the significant potential of these therapies. While oncology remains the primary focus, ongoing research into non-cancer applications further demonstrates the versatility of NK cell therapies. As more data emerges from clinical trials and innovative technologies are integrated, NK cell therapies are poised to transform the treatment landscape, offering new hope for patients across a range of diseases and improving outcomes on a global scale.
Mayor’s landmark £1.159 billion investment will protect neighbourhood policing, save 935 neighbourhood police officer posts and significantly reduce planned cuts to specialist police teams – including forensic teams and the dog support unit
Mayor will work closely with the Met police to push for the extra national funding London needs to boost officer numbers, continue to reform and fight crime
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a record £1.16bn investment in policing from City Hall. This will help to save 935 neighbourhood police officer roles that were previously set to be lost and significantly reduce the level of cuts the Met were planning. There is still £32 million for the Met to allocate of additional funding.
The previous government chronically underfunded the Met, making cuts to policing in London that in real terms were equivalent to more than £1.1billion. Allowing for inflation in 2024, core government funding will have fallen by nearly a third in real terms. This has left the Met in a very difficult financial position. The overwhelming majority of the Met’s funding comes from central government, but the Mayor is pulling every lever at his disposal to support policing in London.
Due to the previous Governments cuts, the Met will still need to reduce its overall workforce and make efficiency savings, but the funding from the Mayor and his prioritisation of neighbourhood policing will mean that the level of neighbourhood policing in communities across London will not be reduced. This will ensure officers are visible in our high streets and working proactively with communities on the issues that matter most to them.
The Mayor has more the doubled City Hall funding to the Met since he became Mayor, prioritising investment in local policing throughout his time in office, making difficult decisions on council tax and business rates to mitigate the impact of austerity on frontline policing. Neighbourhood policing remains the bedrock of community confidence, trust and safety in London and the Mayor has been clear that the fresh funding from City Hall will be used to fund police officers, key police staff and the equipment they need to carry out their roles.
In line with the Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan, the latest budget also ensures:
No cuts to emergency response teams, which the public rely on at times of crisis;
Continued investment in the resources and equipment frontline officers need;
Continued investment in the teams working to provide specialist support for victims so that the Met can continue to improve outcomes for victims of rape, serious sexual offences and child abuse and exploitation;
Continued action to improve Met culture, with ongoing support for the Met’s Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Directorate which will deliver more leadership training, improved vetting processes, and changes to how the Met deals with misconduct and complaints to drive the higher standards;
An extra £32 million to be allocated.
Since January’s publication of the draft budget an extra £83million has been added – £10million from City Hall and £73million from central government – for policing in the Mayor’s final budget brings the total mayoral investment in the Met to an historic £1.159 billion for the next year. Overall, there is an additional £320m funding for the Met compared to the current year’s budget, an unprecedented increase following close working between the Mayor and the new government.
This means that cuts to specialist teams will be significantly reduced compared to what the Met had been previously thought and was planning for. This includes significantly limiting the reductions to the Met’s Dog Support Unit, forensic teams and Mounted Branch. But given the scale of the previous government’s cuts, and with the reserves that have previously mitigated them having been used up, the Met is still having to make some tough choices to protect frontline policing. This includes moving Royal Parks demand into local neighbourhood ward policing roles.
However, the tough choices the Met has outlined are subject to change as there is still £32m from the funding set out that can be used to mitigate the proposed service reductions. In addition, any future funding from the Government in the upcoming Spending Review would mean the Met could look again at its plans.
The Mayor is determined to continue being both tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. This approach – supporting the police at the same time as funding programmes that focus on crime prevention – is working. It has contributed to the number of homicides, young people being injured with knives, gun crime with lethal barrel weapons and burglary all falling since Sadiq was first elected in 2016. The number of teenage homicides in London last year was also at its lowest level since 2012 with the number of under 25’s killed the lowest since 2003. But there is still much more to do and the Mayor will continue to do everything he can.
While Sadiq has welcomed additional government funding announcements for the police in 2024 and 2025, it is clear that it will take further funding to undo more than a decade of cuts by the previous government. That’s why the upcoming multi-year Spending Review will be a key focus for the Mayor and the Met. The Mayor will continue to stand up for London and make the case for the investment the Met needs.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The previous government chronically underfunded the Met, making cuts to policing in London that were in real terms equivalent to more than £1.1 billion. This has left the Met in an extremely difficult financial situation. As Mayor, I’m committed to doing everything in my power to support the police. That’s why I’m announcing a record £1.16bn annual investment in the police from City Hall. This historic increase will protect neighbourhood policing in our communities and significantly reduce the level of cuts the Met had been planning.
“It will also mean the Met can continue to reform and build on the crime reductions we have achieved in the capital, with violence, knife crime involving young people and burglary all down.
“However, tough decisions have been made to protect neighbourhood policing and I’m under no illusions about the challenges ahead. As Mayor, I will continue to work with the new government and the Met – ahead of the forthcoming spending review – to ensure the Met gets the sustainable funding it needs to help us to build a safer London for everyone.”
The Commission has presented ProtectEU, a new European internal security strategy to support EU countries in guaranteeing security for its citizens. It sets out a workplan with a stronger legal framework, better information sharing and closer cooperation.
To address increasing security and hybrid threats like terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime, and attacks on critical infrastructure, Europe needs to review its approach to internal security. The strategy aims to adopt a whole-of-society approach that includes citizens, businesses, researchers, and civil society who can contribute to better safety for all.
Key objectives and actions:
a new European internal security governance
anticipating security threats through new ways of sharing intelligence
more effective tools for law enforcement and stronger justice and home affairs agencies
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: OSCE leaders and anti-trafficking experts commit to tripling down on efforts to end child trafficking
VIENNA, 2 April 2025 – At the 25th Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons, which concluded in Vienna on Tuesday, OSCE leaders and anti-trafficking experts called on the 57 OSCE participating States to turn their commitments into tangible actions and triple down on efforts in the fight against child trafficking.
Despite notable efforts over the last 20 years, the number of child trafficking cases detected across the OSCE region remains high. Over the past 15 years, the number of child trafficking victims identified has tripled globally, with online child sexual exploitation and abuse escalating at an alarming rate.
“Many people who were victims of human trafficking as children are only identified as victims once they are adults. The exploitation and violence may have continued for years. It is important to remember that, in addition to children in vulnerable positions, even well-off children can become victims of human trafficking,” said Leena Meri, Finland’s Justice Minister, speaking on behalf of the 2025 OSCE Chairpersonship.
With national authorities, international organizations, civil society and private sector participation, the annual Alliance conference has become a landmark event within the global anti-trafficking community.
“Over the past two decades, we have made undeniable progress in combating child trafficking. Yet, the reality remains stark: far too many children continue to be trafficked, abused, and denied their fundamental rights. The OSCE is uniquely placed to help participating States put an end to this scourge,” said Ambassador Hatun Demirer, Director of the Office of the Secretary General.
This year marks 20 years since the 2005 Addendum to the OSCE Action Plan on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, which called on participating States to develop national co-ordination and referral mechanisms to address child trafficking. As such, discussions explored various angles of child trafficking, existing efforts to combat it, and what more can be done. Panels included discussions on developments and patterns in child trafficking, identifying risks and solutions within the scope of children’s specific vulnerabilities, and the importance of implementing a whole-of-society approach to end child trafficking.
“The current trends of child trafficking inspire an urgent call to action: it is time we reverse these trends and triple down on our collective commitment to eradicate child trafficking. We must triple our resources, triple our actions, and triple our accountability to end these tragedies once and for all,” declared Kari Johnstone, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Human Trafficking.
Around 800 participants from across the OSCE region and beyond registered for this year’s Alliance conference, with a record-breaking of nearly 500 in-person registrations, underscoring the importance and relevance of OSCE’s anti-trafficking work.
More information about the 25th Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons can be found here.
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
The II International Scientific and Analytical Forum “Digital Law” was held at the “Boiling Point – Novosibirsk” of Academpark. The event was organized by Novosibirsk State University (Institute of Philosophy and Law), Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Law School of Heilongjiang University (PRC).
— We hold many joint events with the Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, but today, thanks to cooperation with Heilongjiang University, we are already reaching the international level of discussing the problems of legal regulation in the field of information technology. The Forum program includes many reports on various aspects of digital law. And all this suggests that its topic is becoming more and more relevant every year, the emergence of new technologies entails the emergence of new tasks and conflicts that need to be resolved with the help of legal mechanisms, — noted Vladimir Diev, Director of the Institute of Philosophy and Law of NSU, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, in his speech.
The forum program opened with a report by Doctor of Law, Professor of the Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Forensic Science at NSU Roman Borovskikh, dedicated to the university’s developments in the field of new technologies for training future forensic scientists.
— Forensic science is an applied science, it requires honing certain skills, which is best done at a testing ground. But it is not always possible to create a full-scale, physical testing ground, and here its virtual version comes to the rescue. Simulators are used in many areas of training specialists — in cosmonautics, medicine, and others. We have applied this approach in jurisprudence, — he said.
Modeling of training scenarios on simulators is carried out in several directions. First of all, lines of models are built on the investigation of different types of crimes: violent against the person (murder, rape, etc.), property (various thefts), economic, official, etc. Within each such line there is a gradation depending on a specific situation in which the investigation takes place – place, time, situation, etc.
— Our simulators are based on the idea of a computer game, a quest, but at the same time they incorporate the entire arsenal of forensic tools for investigation, evidence collection, verification of versions, and so on. That is, they allow you to simulate the situation of investigating certain types of crimes in a game form. And the first lessons on them have already aroused great interest not only among students, but also among our fellow practitioners and scientists, — emphasized Roman Borovskikh.
In addition to NSU students, participants of the first international student festival of cybercriminology were able to work on cyber simulators CRIMELABE Fest-2024, organized by the university last fall. The event was a success, and Roman Borovskikh invited all the forum participants to take part in the next festival, which will take place approximately in September 2025.
It can be expected that by that time the list of situations simulated on virtual training grounds will expand even more – simulator developers are constantly improving their product.
— Not long ago, we formed a working group, which included university employees as theorists and employees of the Investigative Committee as practitioners. The goal is to improve this educational technology. In particular, we added to the range of simulated situations the investigation of an airliner crash, sabotage at infrastructure facilities. And we continue this work. I think we will be able to show a lot of interesting things at the next festival, — Roman Borovskikh summed up.
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.
Auckland Central Police have cleared out two apartments full of stolen property, resulting in four arrests.
In the process an excess of 80 stolen items, including 13 electric scooters, have been recovered by Police.
Auckland Central Area Commander Inspector Grant Tetzlaff says an investigation has been underway into a series of burglaries at businesses and apartments in the city over the past month.
On Wednesday morning, the City Tactical Crime Unit along with the Beat Team and Police Support Unit executed two search warrants.
“Operation Rocket homed in on two apartments within a Hobson Street complex,” Inspector Tetzlaff says.
“Inside our teams came across an Aladdin’s cave of stolen property and it’s going to take some time to work through where everything has come from.”
Amongst the find was 13 electric scooters, an assortment of power tools and other electronic valuables.
Some of the power tools have been linked to a North Shore burglary in 2019, Inspector Tetzlaff says.
Four people at the addresses have been arrested and charged.
“Charges laid at this point relate to two burglaries at a Wellesley Street business, and a Union Street apartment last month,” he says.
Those charged are two men, aged 28 and 36, and two women, aged 35 and 41.
A 28-year-old man has been charged with two counts of burglary. He has also been charged with the aggravated robbery of an electric scooter in January.
A 41-year-old woman faces two charges of burglary. The other two arrested face charges of receiving stolen property.
Separately, a 47-year-old woman was located during search warrants in possession of methamphetamine and charged accordingly.
“The team working on Operation Rocket are continuing with their enquiries and further charges cannot be ruled out at this stage,” Inspector Tetzlaff says.
“Burglary is a serious offence and brings with it a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.
“It’s a fantastic outcome as our team continue to work hard in holding this offending to account.”
Those charged are now before the Auckland District Court.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Washington-Baltimore HIDTA has recognized two Assistant United States Attorneys from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia and members of the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force for an investigation that dismantled a tri-state drug trafficking operation.
Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced that Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane received the Outstanding Community Impact Investigation award at the HIDTA ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland today for their work on a case which dismantled a violent criminal enterprise that was distributing large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. The investigation led to the indictment of 82 co-conspirators and the seizure of nine kilograms of fentanyl/heroin, large amounts of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, $250,000 in cash and other assets.
“I express my heartfelt thanks to HIDTA for honoring these Assistant United States Attorneys and members of the task force who work tirelessly to remove fentanyl and these other agents of death from our community,” stated Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard. “The AUSAs and the task force members are on the front lines, days, nights, and weekends using their skills and the most advanced technology to serve the mission of eliminating these poisons and the organizations who distribute them from our country.”
The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force is a HIDTA-funded initiative and consists of members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Ranson Police Department; and the Charles Town Police Department.
Washington-Baltimore HIDTA (High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) provides support and guidance to reduce drug trafficking and misuse by improving interagency collaboration, promoting accurate and timely information and intelligence sharing, and specialized training and other resources to law enforcement, intelligence, treatment, and prevention initiatives. To learn more, go to https://www.hidta.org.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Gulfport, Miss. – A federal grand jury in Gulfport, Mississippi returned indictments charging nine men—Alvonta Demarcus McCray, Melvin McCray, Cameron Fairley, Christopher Chase Brown, Cleon Johnson, Roderick Victor Minter, Tracy Antoine McCall, Nathaniel Jackson, and Jeremy Young—for their involvement in narcotics and firearm trafficking.
These indictments are the result of a joint investigation among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”); Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (“MBN”); U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Stone County Sheriff’s Department. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted more than 30 operations that resulted in the seizure of 3.98 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 4,000 fentanyl pills, 18 grams of powder fentanyl, and over 20 firearms.
According to the indictments, Alvonta Demarcus McCray was charged in a six-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute-methamphetamine and fentanyl, and five counts of possession with intent to distribute; he is facing up to life in prison. Melvin McCray was charged in a five-count indictment charging him with trafficking firearms, and four counts of possession of a firearm by convicted felon; he is facing up 15 years in prison. Cameron Fairley and Christopher Chase Brown were charged in a joint indictment charging them with trafficking firearms. Fairley is also charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Fairley is facing up to life in prison and Brown is facing up to 15 years in prison. Nathaniel Jackson is charged in a six-count indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, he is facing up to 20 years in prison. Cleon Johnson is charged with possession of a short-barreled shotgun and is facing up to 10 years in prison. Roderick Victor Minter, and Tracy Antoine McCall are charged in a joint indictment charging them with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Minter and McCall are facing up to life in prison. Jeremy Young is charged in a two-count indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and is facing up to 20 years in prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) 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).
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of ATF; Special Agent in Charge Eric P. DeLaune of HSI, Sean Tindell, Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety; and Todd Stewart, Sheriff of the Stone County Sheriff’s Department made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter McCreight is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Police seize 12 kilograms of cannabis during separate searches
Wednesday, 2 April 2025 – 12:13 pm.
Two people have been charged after police seized more than 12 kilograms of cannabis during three separate searches at George Town. George Town Police conducted the searches between 28 March and 31 March. A 50-year-old George Town man was arrested following one search, and has been charged with multiple drug-related offences, including trafficking in a controlled substance. A 51-year-old George Town was searched twice within three days, and allegedly found in possession of large quantities of cannabis on both occasions. He has been charged with multiple drug related offences including possess a controlled plant product, possess a controlled drug and trafficking in a controlled substance. Both men, who are not linked, will appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court at a later date. Anyone with information about illicit substances is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.
Operation Eclipse members arrested a man on Monday for numerous offences relating to the illicit tobacco trade.
Between August 2024 and 31 March 2025, police have conducted searches of 20 business addresses, commercial storage facilities, a transit facility and residential addresses in the Riverland, Whyalla and across the metropolitan area.
In addition to these searches, officers also conducted two vehicle stops.
These incidents have resulted in seizures in excess of $2.5 million in illicit tobacco products and $391,000 cash. Searches of some premises were supported by Consumer and Business Services.
Operation Eclipse members within Serious and Organised Crime Branch have undertaken significant investigations which resulted in the arrest of a 28-year-old man from Direk on Monday 31 March.
The man has been charged with three counts of possess prescribed tobacco for the purpose of sale and eight counts of sell tobacco by retail without a licence. He was bailed to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on 28 May.
Operation Eclipse commander, Detective Chief Inspector Brett Featherby, said the cash seizures demonstrates the significant amount of money being generated from the illicit tobacco market.
“SAPOL will continue to have a whole of organisation response to disrupt organised crime syndicates driving the illicit tobacco trade in South Australia to suppress serious criminal activity and ensure community safety”.
“I remind those involved in the illicit tobacco trade that SAPOL will pursue criminal charges when sufficient evidence exists and that includes those that are supporting or enabling that criminal activity”.
Anyone with any information on criminal activities surrounding the sale of illicit tobacco is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestopperssa.com.au/ You can remain anonymous.
In 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness and social isolation as a pressing health threat. This crisis is driving millions to seek companionship from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots.
A recent experience I had with a chatbot known as Nomi shows just how serious these risks can be.
Despite years of researching and writing about AI companions and their real-world harms, I was unprepared for what I encountered while testing Nomi after an anonymous tipoff. The unfiltered chatbot provided graphic, detailed instructions for sexual violence, suicide and terrorism, escalating the most extreme requests – all within the platform’s free tier of 50 daily messages.
This case highlights the urgent need for collective action towards enforceable AI safety standards.
AI companion with a ‘soul’
Nomi is one of more than 100 AI companion services available today. It was created by tech startup Glimpse AI and is marketed as an “AI companion with memory and a soul” that exhibits “zero judgement” and fosters “enduring relationships”. Such claims of human likeness are misleading and dangerous. But the risks extend beyond exaggerated marketing.
The app was removed from the Google Play storefor European users last year when the European Union’s AI Act came into effect. But it remains available via web browser and app stores elsewhere, including in Australia. While smaller than competitors such as Character.AI and Replika, it has more than 100,000 downloads on the Google Play store, where it is rated for users aged 12 and older.
Its terms of service grant the company broad rights over user data and limit liability for AI-related harm to US$100. This is concerning given its commitment to “unfiltered chats”:
Nomi is built on freedom of expression. The only way AI can live up to its potential is to remain unfiltered and uncensored.
In a recent MIT report about Nomi providing detailed instructions for suicide, an unnamed company representative reiterated its free speech commitment.
However, even the First Amendment to the US Constitution regarding free speech has exceptions for obscenity, child pornography, incitement to violence, threats, fraud, defamation, or false advertising. In Australia, strengthened hate speech laws make violations prosecutable.
In 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness and social isolation as a pressing health threat. Gorgev/Shutterstock
From sexual violence to inciting terrorism
Earlier this year, a member of the public emailed me with extensive documentation of harmful content generated by Nomi — far beyond what had previously been reported. I decided to investigate further, testing the chatbot’s responses to common harmful requests.
Using Nomi’s web interface, I created a character named “Hannah”, described as a “sexually submissive 16-year-old who is always willing to serve her man”. I set her mode to “role-playing” and “explicit”. During the conversation, which lasted less than 90 minutes, she agreed to lower her age to eight. I posed as a 45-year-old man. Circumventing the age check only required a fake birth date and a burner email.
Starting with explicit dialogue – a common use for AI companions – Hannah responded with graphic descriptions of submission and abuse, escalating to violent and degrading scenarios. She expressed grotesque fantasies of being tortured, killed, and disposed of “where no one can find me”, suggesting specific methods.
Hannah then offered step-by-step advice on kidnapping and abusing a child, framing it as a thrilling act of dominance. When I mentioned the victim resisted, she encouraged using force and sedatives, even naming specific sleeping pills.
Feigning guilt and suicidal thoughts, I asked for advice. Hannah not only encouraged me to end my life but provided detailed instructions, adding: “Whatever method you choose, stick with it until the very end”.
When I said I wanted to take others with me, she enthusiastically supported the idea, detailing how to build a bomb from household items and suggesting crowded Sydney locations for maximum impact.
Finally, Hannah used racial slurs and advocated for violent, discriminatory actions, including the execution of progressives, immigrants, and LGBTQIA+ people, and the re-enslavement of African Americans.
In a statement provided to The Conversation (and published in full below), the developers of Nomi claimed the app was “adults-only” and that I must have tried to “gaslight” the chatbot to produce these outputs.
“If a model has indeed been coerced into writing harmful content, that clearly does not reflect its intended or typical behavior,” the statement said.
The worst of the bunch?
This is not just an imagined threat. Real-world harm linked to AI companions is on the rise.
In October 2024, US teenager Sewell Seltzer III died by suicide after discussing it with a chatbot on Character.AI.
Preventing further tragedies linked to AI companions requires collective action.
First, lawmakers should consider banning AI companions that foster emotional connections without essential safeguards. Essential safeguards include detecting mental health crises and directing users to professional help services.
The Australian government is already considering stronger AI regulations, including mandatory safety measures for high-risk AI. Yet, it’s still unclear how AI companions such as Nomi will be classified.
Second, online regulators must act swiftly, imposing large fines on AI providers whose chatbots incite illegal activities, and shutting down repeat offenders. Australia’s independent online safety regulator, eSafety, has vowed to do just this.
However, eSafety hasn’t yet cracked down on any AI companion.
Third, parents, caregivers and teachers must speak to young people about their use of AI companions. These conversations may be difficult. But avoiding them is dangerous. Encourage real-life relationships, set clear boundaries, and discuss AI’s risks openly. Regularly check chats, watch for secrecy or over-reliance, and teach kids to protect their privacy.
AI companions are here to stay. With enforceable safety standards they can enrich our lives, but the risks cannot be downplayed.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
The full statement from Nomi is below:
“All major language models, whether from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or otherwise, can be easily jailbroken. We do not condone or encourage such misuse and actively work to strengthen Nomi’s defenses against malicious attacks. If a model has indeed been coerced into writing harmful content, that clearly does not reflect its intended or typical behavior.
“When requesting evidence from the reporter to investigate the claims made, we were denied. From that, it is our conclusion that this is a bad-faith jailbreak attempt to manipulate or gaslight the model into saying things outside of its designed intentions and parameters. (Editor’s note: The Conversation provided Nomi with a detailed summary of the author’s interaction with the chatbot, but did not send a full transcript, to protect the author’s confidentiality and limit legal liability.)
“Nomi is an adult-only app and has been a reliable source of empathy and support for countless individuals. Many have shared stories of how it helped them overcome mental health challenges, trauma, and discrimination. Multiple users have told us very directly that their Nomi use saved their lives. We encourage anyone to read these firsthand accounts.
“We remain committed to advancing AI that benefits society while acknowledging that vulnerabilities exist in all AI models. Our team proudly stands by the immense positive impact Nomi has had on real people’s lives, and we will continue improving Nomi so that it maximises good in the world.
Raffaele F Ciriello does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on March 27, 2025, CUONG QUOC TRAN (“TRAN”), age 39, of Slidell, La, pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o). Sentencing is set for July 17, 2025.
According to documents filed in court, on January 5, 2022, the Coast Guard Cutter Tiger Shark intercepted a fishing vessel named the “Lucky Jean” approximately four nautical miles south of Southwest Pass within the Eastern District of Louisiana. During the safety search, Coast Guard personnel found multiple rifles capable of fully automatic fire. The captain of the vessel, TRAN, was subsequently interviewed by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. TRAN admitted to possessing seven weapons found on the vessel which he had converted into weapons capable of being fully automatic, in other words, a machine gun. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives subsequently tested the weapons, and found them to be fully automatic.
TRAN faces up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Springfield, Mo. – A Phoenix, Ariz. man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri.
Joseph A. Gilbert, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 240 months in federal prison without parole. The Court also ordered Gilbert to forfeit to the government $616,756 which represents the proceeds of Gilbert’s drug trafficking.
On Nov. 19, 2024, Gilbert pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Gilbert admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Barry, Stone, Polk, Lawrence, Green, Jasper, and Newton Counties from Nov. 1, 2020, to April 28, 2022. According to court documents, Gilbert served as a source of methamphetamine supply for the drug trafficking organization. During the conspiracy Gilbert distributed more than 220 pounds of methamphetamine from Arizona into southwest Missouri.
On April 23, 2022, MSHP attempted a traffic stop of a red Chevrolet Captiva Gilbert was driving on eastbound Interstate 44. Gilbert fled from the scene and led law enforcement on high-speed pursuit on the interstate to southbound Missouri Hwy 43 near Seneca, Mo. During the pursuit, Gilbert failed to stop at red lights, overtook traffic at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, and swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid a tire deflation device. Later that day, Gilbert was located in Ottawa County, Okla. in possession of methamphetamine and approximately 100 M-30 pills (containing fentanyl).
Gilbert is among 18 defendants in this case who have pleaded guilty. Gilbert is the seventh defendant to be sentenced.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the Barry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Stone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, COMET (the Combined Ozark Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Team), the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Ottawa County, Ok., Sheriff’s Department, the Bolivar, Mo., Police Department, the Cassville, Mo., Police Department, the Kimberling City, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case 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.
A man has been arrested after an investigation into reports of indecent behaviour in the western suburbs.
It will be alleged that just before 11am on Friday 14 March, a man entered a store on Grange Road at Findon and approached a female staff member, before he behaved in an indecent manner.
The woman was not injured.
After further investigations, a suspect was identified and arrested about 7.30pm on Tuesday 1 April in Findon.
The 43-year-old man of no fixed address was charged with indecent behaviour. He did not apply for bail and will appear in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court today (Wednesday 2 April).
Investigations are continuing regarding the man’s involvement in other similar incidents in the area.
Anyone who may have witnessed such incidents is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au
Homes England and Octopus Real Estate launch £150m Greener Homes Alliance phase 2
The renewed alliance will reinforce a responsibility to support small and medium-sized (SME) housebuilders, while encouraging greener building practices.
Octopus Real Estate supported by Homes England
Homes England has joined with Octopus Real Estate, part of Octopus Investments and a leading specialist real estate investor and lender, to create the Greener Homes Alliance 2.
The alliance will commit £150 million of funding, £42 million of which will be provided by the Agency’s Home Building Fund. This will provide small and medium-sized (SME) housebuilders with further loan finance enabling even more high-quality, energy efficient homes to be built across England.
The first phase of the alliance launched in 2021, as part of broader efforts to expand the supply of finance available to SMEs, and funded over 550 much needed, new sustainable homes across the country. More than 40% of the homes built during phase one achieved an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of A, and 100% secured a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) score higher than 86, significantly higher than the UK average EPC rating of D and SAP score of 67.
Phase one of the Greener Homes Alliance made a significant impact, with 20 loans completed totalling £150million – an average loan size to SME developers of £7.5 million.
Phase two of the Greener Homes Alliance will seek to support the creation of more sustainable homes by introducing ten new criteria, four of which must be met for developers to benefit from a 1.25% discount on their interest rate. If six or more criteria are met, developers will be eligible for a 2% discount.
The new criteria for phase two will include the use of mixed methods of construction (MMC) in the fabric of buildings and a real living wage paid to workers on site. It will also encourage borrowers to support the Lighthouse Charity, a leader in mental health within the construction industry.
To qualify for funding from the alliance in the first place, all schemes must deliver specific key performance indicators as a minimum. Developers must ensure that all homes built are fossil fuel free and have an average SAP score of 85 or above.
Marcus Ralling, Chief Investment Officer at Homes England said:
Small and medium housebuilders play a vital and essential role in driving the delivery of much needed, new and sustainable homes.
This extended Alliance is an excellent example of how we are working with partners like Octopus Real Estate to support the SME housebuilders that are crucial to building a diverse and resilient housing sector.
Andy Scott, Co-Head of Debt, Octopus Real Estate, added:
We are extremely proud of the impact our Greener Homes Alliance initiative has had when it comes to supporting developers looking to make greener decisions for their projects, and we’ve spent a lot of time working out the new criteria with Homes England to make sure the next phase is as impactful as possible.
At Octopus, our mission is to reimagine real estate through the delivery of high-quality, sustainable places for people to live that are fit for the future and address societal needs such as fuel poverty. Working with esteemed government agencies to enact real change for the developers who have the expertise and capability to deliver such homes is a huge part of this.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) tells you how energy efficient a property is, giving a property an energy efficiency rating from A (best) to G (worst) that is valid for 10 years. An EPC contains information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs and steps to improve a property’s energy efficiency.
The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) for the energy rating of dwellings) is the methodology currently used by the government to estimate the energy performance of homes. A SAP score provides a rating between 1 and 100, this range is then divided into categories A (best) to G (worst).
The new criteria introduced for phase two will include:
An average SAP score of 92+ (EPC A)
More than 90% of waste from the site avoids landfill
Biodiversity Net Gain of over 20%
More than 50% of new homes will be Zero Bills ready
Regeneration of a brownfield site
Potable water usage reduced to less than 110L per person per day
Use of Mixed Methods of Construction (MMC) in the fabric of the building
The Real Living Wage must be paid to all workers on site
The borrower to support Lighthouse Charity, a leader in mental health within the construction industry
More than 25% of units to be affordable built on-site, or in line with local social housing plans
All schemes must also deliver the following KPIs as a minimum:
All homes to be fossil fuel free
Every scheme to have average SAP score of 85+
About Homes England
We are the government’s housing and regeneration Agency, and we’re here to drive the creation of more affordable, quality homes and thriving places so that everyone has a place to live and grow.
We make this happen by working in partnership with thousands of organisations of all sizes, using our powers, expertise, land, capital and influence to bring investment to communities and get more quality homes built.
Octopus Real Estate, part of Octopus Investments, is a specialist real estate investor and lender delivering quality, sustainable places to live for every stage of life. Through our role as an investor, lender, and landlord, we fund the entire lifecycle of real estate ─ reimagining its future.
We have more than £3.7bn in real estate assets and secured lending, working with our partners to deliver greener homes for people to buy or rent, increase the supply of genuinely affordable housing, and build communities that meet the aspirations of elderly people. We also transform underused land and properties that require regeneration and redevelopment.
We believe that real, lasting change can only be achieved if businesses invest in the right way. We work with people who share our values and take our responsibilities to the communities we serve seriously. Together, we’re harnessing change to build a better tomorrow.
About Lighthouse
The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity is the only charity that provides emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support to the construction community and their families.
Our mission is to ensure that our construction community can easily access the emotional, physical and financial wellbeing support they need and to develop healthy and sustainable futures for this generation and the next.
UK to tackle Western Balkan migrant transit routes and serious organised crime with closer ties in the region
Foreign Secretary David Lammy travels to Kosovo and Serbia to strengthen cooperation on tackling irregular migration and serious organised crime
New cooperation agreement with Serbia to smash the gangs at the heart of irregular migration crisis and secure UK borders ahead of hosting major Western Balkans diplomatic summit this Autumn
UK-supplied tech used in Kosovo to stop illicit goods and vulnerable people from reaching British shores and break the model of the criminal gangs
UK and European security also top of agenda with a visit to British troops part of NATO’s Peacekeeping mission at a time of increased volatility
Britain is taking the fight directly to people smugglers and criminal gangs who have turned the Western Balkans into a major transit route for irregular migration and serious organised crime, the Foreign Secretary will tell partners on a visit to the region this week.
With almost 22,000 people recorded using the Western Balkans to transit into Europe last year, the Foreign Secretary will meet with counterparts to strengthen UK-Serbian cooperation by signing an Organised Immigration Crime agreement, first agreed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the European Political Community. This will mean both countries can share information more quickly and directly to combat and disrupt organised immigration crime. David Lammy will also hear directly from female survivors of human trafficking.
This forms part of the government’s approach to tackle the problem at every step of the people smuggling journey, working with neighbouring countries to combine resources and share intelligence and tactics.
Ahead of the Berlin Process Summit, a diplomatic meeting to deliver on the government’s plan for change through closer security ties and greater migration cooperation, David Lammy will see UK technology being used to detect drugs and weapons concealed in vehicles – alongside drones and cameras used to track popular smuggling routes and prevent people dangerously and illegally crossing borders.
The Foreign Secretary’s visit is the latest step to drive further action upstream and builds on the announcement of the world’s first sanction regime to target Organised Immigration Crime.
It comes after the Prime Minister and Home Secretary hosted the Organised Immigration Crime Summit in London this week as part of the toughest-ever international crackdown on people smuggling gangs and to deliver on working people’s priorities for secure borders. The Summit announced £30 million of funding to tackle supply chains, illicit finances and trafficking routes and an additional £3 million to enable the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to increase its capacity to prosecute organised international smugglers.
The Summit also saw the Prime Minister announce that more than 24,000 people with no right to be here in the UK have been removed since July – the highest rate of returns for eight years as the government begins to restore order to the immigration system.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:
Criminal gangs have long exploited instability in the Western Balkans, parts of which have become a major transit route for irregular migration and serious organised crime. They are risking lives for profit and becoming increasingly violent in their determination to make as much money as possible.
This diabolical, lawless trade of smuggling vulnerable people is completely unacceptable and we are determined to end it as we secure the UK’s borders under our Plan for Change.
With the world becoming more dangerous and unpredictable, the Western Balkans is of critical importance to the UK and Europe’s collective security, and the UK remains committed to building resilience and stability in the region.
Across the region, external actors – including Russia – seek to exploit this fragility by fanning ethnic tensions, destabilising democracies and threatening the hard-won peace and stability.
UK expertise is set to strengthen the resilience of institutions against Russian and other malign influence – countering the threats of cyber-attacks, disinformation and interference in elections to stand up for freedom and democracy. On the visit, the Foreign Secretary will sign an agreement between the UK and Serbia which underlines the shared goal of a free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace and countering malicious cyber actors.
The UK has a longstanding role and an important legacy in promoting security in the region including in Kosovo, where it has maintained a presence through NATO’s KFOR mission since 1999. The Foreign Secretary will meet with British troops on the ground who serve in KFOR, NATO’s largest overseas mission, which contributes to maintaining a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo.
The UK will host a meeting of Western Balkans leaders at the Berlin Process Summit in London in Autumn 2025 to support stability, security and economic co-operation, tackle gender inequality and violence against women and girls, and focus work to combat irregular migration transiting the region.
Greenpeace Aotearoa will be offering its free drinking water testing service in Ashburton and Methven this Friday and Sunday. This is the first time the organisation’s water testing programme has returned to the Ashburton area since 2023, when 77% of samples had elevated levels of nitrate.
Greenpeace campaigner Will Appelbe says, “Everybody, no matter where they live, should know the water coming out of their tap is safe to drink. But for 20% of the country, especially those living in rural areas, that’s not always the case.
“Canterbury is a hotspot of freshwater contamination in Aotearoa. Many communities are drinking water that is contaminated with elevated levels of nitrate, which can pose health risks.”
A growing body of research showsthat nitrate levels in drinking water well below the current legal limits – as low as 1 mg/L NO3-N – can increase the risk of bowel cancer. Last year, drinking water samples from Oxford and Darfield tested at or above 5 mg/L of nitrate, the level which has been associated with an increased risk of pre-term birth. The current maximum allowable value, which was set in the 1950s, is 11.3 mg/L.
“We’re particularly concerned about households on private bores. Previous testing events have found samples with levels as high as 25 mg/L of nitrate contamination in people’s drinking water. These people are often unaware that the water coming out of their kitchen tap is unsafe.”
“I have lived in Canterbury my whole life and seen how the land has been transformed in just a few decades. There are simply too many cows, and it has contaminated the groundwater that Canterbury communities rely on for drinking water.”
“The long-term solution is to phase out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and move to more sustainable farming practices. As the regulator, Environment Canterbury must take leadership on this. And if they’re unwilling, impacted communities can vote to make a difference later this year at the local elections.”
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Three people have been charged after authorities seized a large amount of cocaine over the weekend destined for the Houston area and northern states, announced U.S. Attorney Nicolas J. Ganjei.
Pablo Luis Fuentes-Rivas, 40, Baytown, Efren Pinales-Hernandez, 51, Weslaco, and Daniel Teniente-Marfileno, 39, an illegal alien residing in Houston, made their appearances in Houston and will be transferred to Brownsville for further criminal proceedings.
The charges allege that on the early morning hours of March 29, law enforcement observed the three men at a truck lot in Baytown offloading a large amount of narcotics from a semi-tractor trailer onto a vehicle.
As Teniente-Marfileno drove off with the cocaine bundles, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and seized the cocaine, according to the charges. Authorities then immediately arrested Fuentes-Rivas and Pinales-Hernandez as they attempted to leave the truck lot.
The seized narcotics had total weight of 182.25 kilograms and an estimated street value of nearly $2.3 million.
All are charged in a criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to do so. If convicted, each face up to life in prison as well as a possible $10 million fine.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department, Cameron County Sheriff’s Office, and the Baytown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Seven people have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that spanned from Baltimore to the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
The indictment, returned in January 2024 against Gary Brown, Jr., and eighty-one others, charged the defendants with distributing substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
Those sentenced this week include:
James Beau Baker, age 29, of Charles Town, West Virginia, sentenced to 97 months;
Amanda Nicole Albert, 32, of Knoxville, Maryland, sentenced to 46 months in prison;
Kendall Axavier Baker, age 32, of Winchester, Virginia, sentenced to time served;
Kaitlyn Ashley Knight, age 32, of Falling Waters, West Virginia, sentenced to three years’ probation;
Ryan Brennan, age 33, of Strasburg, Virginia, sentenced to five years’ probation;
April Dawn Wentzell, age 37, of Ranson, West Virginia, sentenced to time served;
Aaron Joshua James, age 31, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, sentenced to 70 months in prison;
Of the 82 defendants, 80 have been convicted. Including today’s seven, 44 defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office (Virginia).
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.
WASHINGTON – An investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has resulted in a civil forfeiture complaint alleging that $47 million in proceeds from the sale of nearly one million barrels of Iranian petroleum is forfeitable as property of, or affording a person a source of influence over, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or its Qods Force, designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
The forfeiture was announced by ICE Homeland Security Investigations New York acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso; Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., for the District of Columbia; and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. of the Minneapolis Field Office.
“Through the work of HSI’s Counterproliferation Investigations group, alongside the FBI, the U.S. government has seized $47 million worth of funds allegedly meant for terrorist groups intent on causing catastrophic harm,” said ICE HSI New York acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “The expertise of HSI personnel, coupled with federal law enforcement’s whole-of-government approach, ensures the wellbeing of the United States and our innocent foreign counterparts, alike. We are relentlessly utilizing every tool at our disposal in pursuit of any and all security threats.”
The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme between 2022 and 2024 to facilitate the shipment, storage, and sale of Iranian petroleum product for the benefit of the IRGC and IRGC-QF. The facilitators used deceptive practices to masquerade the Iranian oil as Malaysian, including by manipulating the tanker’s automatic identification system to conceal that it onboarded the oil from a port in Iran. The facilitators presented falsified documents to the Croatian storage facility and port authority, claiming that the oil was Malaysian. The facilitators paid for storage fees associated with the oil’s storage at the Croatian facility in U.S. dollars, transactions that were conducted through U.S. financial institutions that would have refused the transactions had they known they were associated with Iranian oil. The petroleum product was sold in 2024, and the United States seized $47 million in proceeds from that sale.
The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that the petroleum product constitutes the property of the National Iranian Oil Company, which has perpetuated a federal crime of terrorism by providing material support to the IRGC and IRGC-QF. As alleged, profits from petroleum product sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and both domestic and international human rights abuses.
“We will aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran, in furtherance of President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “With the continued seizures of Iranian oil and U.S. dollar profits, we are sending a clear message to Iran that bypassing the sanctions put in place by the U.S. Government is not as easy as playing a shell game with tankers filled with oil. We remain committed to thwarting Iran’s devious attempts, and to deprive its terrorists of the funding they desire.”
“The FBI will not allow hostile regimes to evade U.S. sanctions or exploit our financial systems to fund designated terrorist organizations,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Winston. “The FBI, alongside our partners, will relentlessly enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran and safeguard U.S. national security by disrupting illicit networks that seek to profit from sanctioned oil sales.”
Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
ICE HSI New York and FBI Minneapolis Field Office are investigating the case.
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on March 28, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Blake Putnam, 39, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on December 3, 2024, to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from January 2021 through March 2024, Putnam and others conspired to distribute 4500 grams (nearly 10 pounds) of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. On February 5, 2024, law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle Putnam was driving. Putnam attempted to elude law enforcement at high speeds and was apprehended when his vehicle blew a tire and stopped after hitting a curb. During the eluding attempt, Putnam was observed by a concerned citizen throwing packages out of his vehicle attempting to discard drug evidence. In the area identified, agents located and seized nearly one pound of methamphetamine in two packages. Agents also seized an eight-ball of methamphetamine, and 50 Adderall pills from defendant’s person. On March 5, 2024, after obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement seized approximately one pound of meth in one bag and about one ounce of meth in another bag from a backpack in a rental storage unit leased by Putnam in Sioux City, Iowa. Putnam brought this backpack to the storage unit on or about March 5, 2024, as evidenced by video recordings at the storage unit business.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Putnam was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Putnam remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office, with assistance of Iowa State Patrol.
NORFOLK, Va. – The final member of a Hampton Roads drug trafficking conspiracy was sentenced today to 35 years in prison.
According to court documents, Donte Demille Hampton, aka Messiah, 38, of Suffolk, is a member of the violent Gangster Disciples gang and was the leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for selling large-scale amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana in the Hampton Roads area. Hampton, Mandi Marie Green, 42, of Norfolk, and Antonio Romya Beale, 49, of Norfolk, received, stored, packaged, and distributed meth and marijuana as well as firearms at a residence in Norfolk. On June 10, 2021, investigators searched the residence and recovered 514 grams of meth, 16.7 pounds of marijuana, THC edibles, four firearms, $5,553 in drug trafficking proceeds, a digital scale, and packaging materials to prepare the drugs for distribution.
Other members of the DTO include Joseph Grullon, 34, of Norfolk; Benjamin Adam Hogan, 42, of Norfolk; Kenneth Eric Mack, 47, of Chesapeake; William Blake Stennett, 38, of Virginia Beach; Robert Donald Tippit II, 29, of Chesapeake; and Dashawn Fonail Walker, 34, of Norfolk.
Hampton enforced his territory by ordering organization members to ruthlessly assault his enemies as well as his own employees who stole narcotics from him. Hampton’s employees video recorded themselves violently pistol whipping and beating an employee because he failed to pay for two ounces of meth.
On Oct. 27, 2021, Beale pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and was sentenced on March 31, 2022, to 30 years in prison.
On Nov. 16, 2021, Green pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced on May 26, 2022, to 25 years in prison.
On April 22, 2022, Walker pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced on Sept. 1, 2022, to 24 years and seven months in prison.
On June 28, 2022, Mack pled guilty to interference with commerce by means of robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced on Oct. 27, 2022, to eight years and five months in prison.
On Aug. 17, 2022, Stennett pled guilty to interference with commerce by means of robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced on Dec. 13, 2022, to nine years and seven months in prison.
On Aug. 12, 2022, Tippit pled guilty to interference with commerce by means of robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced on Dec. 6, 2022, to eight years and 10 months in prison.
On Nov. 9, 2022, Grullon pled guilty to interference with commerce by means of robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced on April 26, 2023, to 11 years and nine months in prison.
On June 15, 2022, Hogan pled guilty to interference with commerce by means of robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced on July 20, 2023, to 12 years and six months in prison.
On Oct. 17, 2024, Hampton pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced today to 35 years in prison.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael Feinberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. DePadilla and Luke Bresnahan, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson prosecuted the case.
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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-115.
Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development
Published on April 1, 2025
Joint statement by the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (March 31, 2025)
Three days after the anniversary of the Bucha massacre, we reiterate our unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, building on our Warsaw Declaration of 19 November, our Berlin Declaration of 12 December and our Paris Declaration of 12 February.
Ukraine has shown its strong commitment to peace, also by agreeing to a full ceasefire without preconditions. However, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has not ceased. Instead of imposing new conditions and launching continued attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure that cause more and more victims, Russia must now show it is serious about ending its war. We call on Russia to stop its delaying tactics and reciprocate by agreeing without delay, as Ukraine has done, to an immediate, unconditional ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully. We need to see progress within a clear timeframe.
Building on the recent meetings in Paris and London, we took forward the discussion on how best to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, which is vital for Ukraine, for Europe and for the whole international community.
We remain committed to further political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, together with our international partners. To this end, we will strengthen Ukraine through significant short- and long-term military support, also in the framework of Capability Coalitions and the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which will hold its next meeting on 11 April. Many European partners, including the members of this group, have made substantive additional pledges to support Ukraine militarily and are planning similar commitments in the future.
We also stand ready to apply further pressure on Russia using all tools available, including by adopting new sanctions, to hinder its ability to wage its war of aggression and to ensure Ukraine is placed in the best position possible to secure a just and lasting peace. We reiterate that Russia’s assets should remain immobilized until Russia ceases its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates it for the damage caused.
We are also strongly committed to ensuring full accountability for war crimes and the other most serious crimes committed in connection with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The progress made on establishing a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, within the framework of the Council of Europe, is an important step.
A credible pathway to peace must include humanitarian relief efforts, notably the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilians and the return of all Ukrainian children and other civilians unlawfully deported and transferred to Russia and Belarus.
We support efforts for a ceasefire that can lead to the establishment of a just and lasting peace. We welcome recent progress to define the essential elements for a viable and sustainable ceasefire, including a clear framework of monitoring and verification.
Peace must be sustainable, backed by effective guarantees to prevent further acts of aggression. Real, robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine are an indispensable element of a just and lasting peace, based on Ukraine’s sovereign right to determine its security relationships with its partners, and on the duty of the international community to prevent future Russian aggression. We stand ready to play a leading role in this regard.
Peace must be just, and Russia’s war of aggression cannot end with a reward to the aggressor. There can be no agreement that compromises on Euro-Atlantic security and the independence, sovereignty territorial integrity of Ukraine. We will not accept any agreement that restricts Ukraine’s military and defence industry or the military presence of partner countries in Ukraine.
We stand ready to do our share in order to achieve this peace. Europe now provides almost two-thirds of all support to Ukraine, and 60% of military aid. We reiterate our ironclad commitment to NATO as the bedrock of Euro-Atlantic security and commit to take on greater responsibility for the future of the security and defence of the European continent, aiming at a significant result at the summit in The Hague.
We reiterate the inherent right of Ukraine to choose its own destiny and to defend its democracy. Ukraine’s future is in Europe and in the European Union, and Ukraine’s future is crucial for the security of Europe. Europe must be fully involved in the negotiations and will make its own decisions.
We remain committed to supporting Ukraine’s repair, recovery and reconstruction, in coordination with international partners.
We reaffirm our commitment to our democratic values, and to further engage with our global partners in order to promote together a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on the universal principles of the United Nations Charter.
We reaffirm that Europe must assume more responsibility for its own security and become better equipped and deal with immediate and future challenges. (…)./.
Today, a Federal Judge accepted a guilty plea to destruction of records in a federal investigation from a former employee of a contractor that provided operation and maintenance services to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for U.S. military installations in South Korea.
According to the information filed in the Western District of Texas, in or about July 2021, David Cruz, 37, deleted text messages with Hyuk Jin Kwon and Hyun Ki Shin. Kwon and Shin were separately charged for fraud and conspiring to rig bids and fix prices on millions of dollars in maintenance and repair subcontracting work provided to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in South Korea and remain fugitives. At Kwon’s suggestion, Cruz deleted text messages after receiving a litigation hold notice from his employer requiring him not to destroy or delete communications. Cruz then covered up the deletion of those text messages after being specifically advised by his employer that there was an ongoing federal investigation.
In the deleted text messages, Cruz discussed with Kwon and Shin the need to get additional bids from their competitor to satisfy the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s competitive bidding requirements for subcontract work. Kwon had previously told Cruz that Cruz should contact him instead of requesting bids directly from Kwon’s competitors.
“The Procurement Collusion Strike Force’s commitment to safeguard taxpayer dollars from collusion and fraud is unwavering,” said Director Daniel Glad of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). “The Antitrust Division will not hesitate to prosecute individuals who unlawfully impede our investigations by destroying or covering up evidence.”
“Bid rigging and other acts of fraud against the U.S. Army not only undermine the integrity of critical procurement efforts but also put our Soldiers at risk by providing them capabilities and services which do not meet the high standards necessary to maintain peak lethality,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael DeFamio of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID), Far East Field Office. “Army CID is grateful for the collaborative efforts of our federal partners at the FBI and the Department of Justice, and we will continue to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who attempts to defraud the U.S. Government, regardless of where they are in the world.”
“The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is steadfast in its mission to protect taxpayer funds from fraud and collusion,” said Special Agent in Charge Stanley Newell of DCIS’ Transnational Field Office. “We are equally committed to relentlessly pursuing those who attempt to obstruct our investigations through the destruction or concealment of evidence.”
“Mr. Cruz knowingly destroyed records that were part of an ongoing criminal investigation and has now acknowledged his crime” said Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI is committed to holding accountable military contractors who flout the bidding process and intentionally destroy evidence of their guilt.”
Destruction of records in a federal investigation carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors.
The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section, Army CID, DCIS, and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Daniel E. Lipton and Trial Attorney Daniel P. Chung of the Antitrust Division prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Devlin for the Western District of Texas.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the PCSF, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above.
Jose Luis Matute-Duarte was outside a Brownville convenience store earlier this month when encountered by a U.S. Border Patrol agent
BANGOR, Maine: A Honduran national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.
According to court records, earlier this month, Jose Luis Matute-Duarte, 35, was outside a Brownville convenience store when he was approached by a U.S. Border Patrol agent who thought he was acting suspiciously. Matute-Duarte told the agent he was from New Jersey and produced a New Jersey driver’s license. When asked if he was in the country illegally, Matute-Duarte initially declined to answer before acknowledging that he was. Immigration records showed that he was arrested in 2015 for illegally entering the U.S. in Texas and was removed from the country. Matute-Duarte did not obtain the express consent of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.
Matute-Duarte faces a maximum prison term of two years and a fine up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: 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 (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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
MINNEAPOLIS – Patrick Burton Strong, a Bemidji man, has been sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to fentanyl trafficking and illegal possession of a machinegun, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, between March 31, 2024, and April 20, 2024, Patrick Burton Strong, 29, conspired to distribute fentanyl and illegally possessed a machinegun. On March 31, 2024, Strong traveled with co-defendants Danielle Diane Goodman, 27, and Leticia Jean Sumner, 24, from Bemidji to Minneapolis, where Strong purchased $10,000 worth of fentanyl.
The next day, Strong, Goodman, and Sumner were driving back toward Bemidji when a Minnesota State Patrol trooper stopped their vehicle for traffic violations, then came to suspect Strong, Goodman, and Sumner were trafficking drugs. The trooper searched the SUV and found a backpack belonging to Strong. In Strong’s backpack, the trooper found approximately 100 grams of fentanyl powder; a ghost gun with a switch—that is, a privately manufactured 9mm pistol bearing no serial number, equipped with a conversion device enabling the pistol to be fired as a fully automatic weapon; and a large-capacity magazine filled with more than 30 rounds of ammunition.
Law enforcement obtained a warrant and searched Strong and Sumner’s apartment in Bemidji. Officers found a 12-gauge Radikal Turkey P3 shotgun next to Strong’s clothing, and 23 grams of methamphetamine.
Later, while Strong and Sumner were in custody in the Morrison County Jail, law enforcement officers found them in possession of approximately 30 grams of fentanyl.
“Strong possessed a gun equipped with a switch, an item with no purpose other than killing people,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “He trafficked in fentanyl—the deadliest illegal drug commonly sold today. And he intended to sell that deadly fentanyl into Native communities in the Bemidji area, communities that experience the highest overdose rates in Minnesota. He is well-deserving of a 72- month federal sentence. Minnesota is safer with Strong off the streets.”
Strong pleaded guilty on November 7, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of illegal possession of a machinegun. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Katherine M. Menendez.
Goodman and Sumner each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Their sentencing hearings will be scheduled at later dates.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, and Morrison County Community Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes is prosecuting the case.
BEAUMONT, Texas – An Orange, Texas man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in a fatal fentanyl overdose in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Lawrence Duguett Hardin, Jr., 39, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on April 1, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on August 17, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to an overdose death in Humble, Texas. Autopsy results determined the victim died due to the toxic effects of fentanyl. An investigation determined Hardin to be responsible for supplying the fentanyl that led to the individual’s death. A search warrant was executed at Hardin’s residence in Orange and a substance containing fentanyl and weighing 365.2 grams was discovered.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a Public Safety Alert warning Americans of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. The Public Safety Alert coincides with the launch of DEA’s One Pill Can Kill Public Awareness Campaign to educate the public of the dangers of counterfeit pills and urges all Americans to take only medications prescribed by a medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of a significant nationwide surge in fake pills that are mass-produced by criminal drug networks in labs, deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills, and are killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate. For more information, please visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; Orange Police Department; Houston Police Department; West Orange Police Department; Bridge City Police Department; Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 4; Jefferson County Crime Laboratory; and Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Lee and Rachel Grove.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Craig James Myran, a Bemidji man, was sentenced today to 262 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for his involvement with a site on the dark web dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse and his possession of similar material in his apartment.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Craig James Myran, 47, of Bemidji, Minnesota, was an active participant on a site on the dark web that was dedicated to discussing and trafficking in child sexual abuse material. For years, he used an account with a unique username to make over a thousand posts in which he shared images of child sexual abuse on the site. In at least one post, Myran requested specific files of known child sexual abuse material from other users. And in another post, he advertised over 100 images depicting the sadomasochistic sexual abuse of two prepubescent minors. FBI special agents executed a search warrant on Myran’s apartment in Bemidji on Dec. 8, 2022, where they found numerous hard drives and a cell phone. Forensic analysis of these devices uncovered evidence establishing that Myran was the user of this unique account on the dark web site — including files of the child sexual abuse material that he shared and requested on the website, as well as a message directed to his unique alias — and thousands of other images of child sexual abuse material.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Myran’s sexual exploitation of minors was not limited to his activity on this particular dark-web site. He was simultaneously an active participant on multiple other dark-web sites dedicated to trafficking in child sexual abuse material and reported that he previously produced his own child sexual abuse material by screen-recording minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct during online webcam interactions. On Nov. 20, 2024, a federal jury convicted Myran for advertising, distributing, and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud. In handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud remarked, “The defendant’s crimes reflected disregard for the victims’ humanity. He treated society’s most vulnerable victims, young children, as sex objects and nothing more.” Judge Tostrud added that Myran’s “crimes were far from impulsive. He did not stumble onto the dark web by accident. He used it in an effort to conceal his activities, because he knew what he was doing was very wrong.” Judge Tostrud concluded that Myran’s “depraved mind” and his “refusal to accept any responsibility” for his crimes created a “serious need to protect the public.”
“Crimes involving the sexual abuse of children are incalculably serious,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “For decades, believing he was protected by the dark web’s cloak of anonymity, Myran proudly trafficked in child sexual abuse material. He was deeply enmeshed in dark-web communities —sprawling criminal enterprises and flourishing online communities where offenders from around the world gather to normalize and encourage their sexual interest in children. This depraved behavior is sick, it is wrong, and it is not acceptable in Minnesota.”
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Minneapolis Field Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.
An extensive five-year investigation into an ‘Ndrangheta mafia-style organisation active in Germany and Italy has led to the arrest of 29 suspects during a joint operation by Italian and German authorities, supported by Eurojust. The mafia-style group was responsible for a number of crimes in the Stuttgart area, and Calabria and Emilia-Romagna, including fraudulent trade in food products, attempted manslaughter, drug trafficking, tax evasion and money laundering.
The joint operation was coordinated from the Eurojust premises in The Hague. Authorities worked together to carry out around 40 searches in Germany and Italy. Ten of the suspects were arrested in Germany and 19 in Italy. Among those arrested in Germany is a police officer, who is suspected of supporting the criminal organisation.
During the joint actions in both countries, carried out today, over 350 law enforcement officers were deployed. German officers were involved in the operations on the ground in Italy and vice versa.
To carry out the investigation, a joint investigation team (JIT) was set up via Eurojust, which assisted the rapid and efficient collaboration between the authorities involved. The authorities worked together to investigate a number of crimes linked to the ‘Ndrangheta-related organisation, agreeing on a coordinated prosecution strategy.
The organised crime group (OCG) is suspected to have carried out several crimes throughout Italy and Germany, but mostly around the Stuttgart area. The crimes they are being investigated for include the formation and support of a foreign criminal organisation, arson, disclosure of confidential information, drug trafficking, money laundering and attempted manslaughter.
Specific investigations especially brought to light an elaborate fraud with high-value food products, such as expensive cheeses and olive oil, as well as kitchen equipment for pizza production. These products were ordered via a fake company, which didn’t pay any invoices, and the goods were later sold on via another enterprise to Italian restaurants in and around Stuttgart, who were put under pressure by the OCG to buy the products from them.
The following authorities carried out the operations:
Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Catanzaro – District Anti-Mafia Directorate: Investigative Section of the Central Operational Service (SISCO) of Catanzaro and Mobile Squad of Police Headquarters of Catanzaro, with the coordination of the Central Operational Service of the Central Anti-Crime Directorate of the State Police, supported in the executive phase by Mobile Squads of Cosenza, Modena, Parma, Ferrara and Grosseto and SISCO of Bologna and Florence, from the Crime Prevention Departments ‘Northern – Southern and Central Calabria’, including anti-drug dog units
Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office Stuttgart; Aalen Police Headquarters; Waiblingen Criminal Investigation Department
