NewzIntel.com

Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI USA: High-Ranking Member of Violent Mexican Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: US State of California

    A Mexican national and high-ranking, violent member of the Los Zetas cartel pleaded guilty today to conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the United States.

    According to court documents, Jaime Gonzalez-Duran, also known as Hummer, 49, was an original member of Los Zetas, a drug trafficking organization comprised of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Los Zetas later formed an alliance with the Gulf Cartel, and they collectively operated under the name “The Company.” Gonzalez-Duran, a high-ranking member of Los Zetas, served as a plaza boss in the city of Miguel Aleman, Mexico, controlling the Company’s drug-trafficking activities in and through that area, and, later, as a regional commander in the cities of Nuevo Laredo, Miguel Aleman, and Reynosa, Mexico, supervising dozens of Los Zetas members in the region. In his roles, Gonzalez-Duran bribed law enforcement officers to ensure drug loads would not be disturbed; maintained weapons, explosives, and ammunitions caches; and committed acts of violence against rival drug trafficking groups during conflicts for control over drug plazas and trafficking routes. Gonzalez-Duran was personally responsible for the importation into the United States of more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana.

    Gonzalez-Duran pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine and marijuana for unlawful importation into the United States from Mexico. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Field Division made the announcement.

    The DEA Houston Field Division investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and October 2022 extradition of Gonzalez Duran.

    Trial Attorneys Tara Arndt and Jayce Born and Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

    The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 strength of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: High-Ranking Member of Violent Mexican Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Mexican national and high-ranking, violent member of the Los Zetas cartel pleaded guilty today to conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the United States.

    According to court documents, Jaime Gonzalez-Duran, also known as Hummer, 49, was an original member of Los Zetas, a drug trafficking organization comprised of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Los Zetas later formed an alliance with the Gulf Cartel, and they collectively operated under the name “The Company.” Gonzalez-Duran, a high-ranking member of Los Zetas, served as a plaza boss in the city of Miguel Aleman, Mexico, controlling the Company’s drug-trafficking activities in and through that area, and, later, as a regional commander in the cities of Nuevo Laredo, Miguel Aleman, and Reynosa, Mexico, supervising dozens of Los Zetas members in the region. In his roles, Gonzalez-Duran bribed law enforcement officers to ensure drug loads would not be disturbed; maintained weapons, explosives, and ammunitions caches; and committed acts of violence against rival drug trafficking groups during conflicts for control over drug plazas and trafficking routes. Gonzalez-Duran was personally responsible for the importation into the United States of more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana.

    Gonzalez-Duran pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine and marijuana for unlawful importation into the United States from Mexico. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Field Division made the announcement.

    The DEA Houston Field Division investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and October 2022 extradition of Gonzalez Duran.

    Trial Attorneys Tara Arndt and Jayce Born and Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.

    The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 strength of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: D.C. Man Convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, and Drug Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – Deangelo Lorenzo Lewis, 28, of Washington D.C., was found guilty today of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 30, 2025.

                The conviction was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and United States Marshal Robert A. Dixon, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean T. Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division,

                According to court documents, Deputy U.S. Marshals arrested Lewis on October 3, 2023, in an apartment that he had rented using a stolen identity.  After securing Lewis and the apartment, Deputy U.S. Marshals applied for, received, and executed a search warrant on the apartment where they discovered more than $150,000 worth of checks that appeared to have been stolen from the U.S. mail, a check printer, and blank check stock, as well as driver’s licenses and social security cards issued to persons other than Lewis. Deputy U.S. Marshals also discovered a Century Arms, Micro Draco 7.62 x 39mm semi-automatic assault pistol, two 9mm handgun magazines, and approximately 1 ½ pounds of marijuana packaged for distribution.  The Micro Draco was loaded with 26 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.

                The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service with assistance from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson, Justin F. Song, Jacqueline O. Yarbro and Paralegal Specialist Jenna Lee.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eight Gang Members Arrested in Operation Targeting Area Known as “Dead End”

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Eight gang members were arrested Tuesday in ATF-led  “Operation Blue Laces,” announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.

    Monday’s takedown, which occurred in the Wheatley Place Neighborhood in South Dallas, resulted in the apprehension of eight members of the 42 Oakland Crips street gang. They made their initial appearances Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee H. Toliver.

    Those charged in three separate indictments include: 

    • Kendrick Jamal Young, aka “Peanut,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, felon in possession of a firearm (a Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol, a Ruger 9mm pistol, and a FedArm AR-15 style pistol), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
    • Christopher Jamiel Love, aka “Black,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, felon in possession of a firearm (a Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol, a Ruger 9mm pistol, and a FedArm AR-style pistol) and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
    • Alex Jerome Bowman, aka “Big A,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
    • Victor Scott Wingham, aka “Johnny Joe,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
    • Joshua Jimond Wheatley, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
    • Travion Williams, aka “Traa Savage,” charged with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence (a Taurus 9mm pistol and a Glock 9mm pistol)
    • Jihadd Thies Gorree Thomas, charged with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence (a Taurus 9mm pistol and a Glock 9mm pistol)
    • Jamarian Augustus Hewitt, charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substances, felon in possession of a firearm (a Ruger 9mm pistol), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime , and using a communication facility (cell phone) to facilitate a drug felony

    At a detention hearing on Friday, prosecutors said defendants had been dealing drugs on a daily basis on Dallas’ Casey Street, in an area known as the “Dead End.” Phone records introduced into evidence showed that several members of the conspiracy texted to warn one another about upcoming law enforcement raids, sent young people in to look for missing dope following the raids, and went right back to dealing drugs after the raids concluded.

    Many of the arrestees had extensive criminal histories, with rap sheets that included drug and gun crimes.

    During the takedown, agents seized 14 firearms, more than a kilogram’s worth of methamphetamine pills, as well as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, alprazolam, marijuana, TXC wax, hash, and more than $47,000 in cash. They also seized six vehicles, several pieces of Crips -themed jewelry, and a caiman alligator, which was transported to the Dallas Zoo. 

    Indictments are merely allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

    If convicted, some defendants face up to life in federal prison. 

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Dallas Police Department, Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, IRS – Criminal Investigative Division, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Game Wardens. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assisted with care and transportation of the seized alligator. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis County Felon Who Shot at Police Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Friday sentenced a convicted felon who shot at St. Louis County Police Department officers in 2020 to 25 years in prison.

    On Sept. 1, 2020, Dexter McKinnies shot at police, including officers who were members of the FBI Violent Crime Safe Streets Task Force, as they were trying to arrest him. Police had been trying to locate Dexter McKinnies during an investigation of multiple violent crimes and learned that his brother, Lawton McKinnies, had an active felony arrest warrant for three counts of first-degree assault and three counts of armed criminal action.

    Officers arranged a meeting as a ruse. The McKinnies went to the meeting believing that they would be performing maintenance work on a property. When Lawton McKinnies arrived, officers arrested him and discovered that he was armed with a 9mm pistol. Dexter McKinnies was across the street and fired multiple shots at officers with a 9mm pistol, striking an FBI truck. Officers returned fire and struck McKinnies.

    Both McKinnies are convicted felons and are thus barred from possessing a firearm.

    Dexter McKinnies, now 34, pleaded guilty in November to five felonies: one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts each of assault on a federal officer and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

    Lawton McKinnies, now 36, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to three years in prison. In March, he was sentenced to another year for violating his supervised release.

    The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald Boyce and Nichole Frankenberg prosecuted the case.

    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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Co-Leader of Transnational Drug Trafficking Organization Arrives in the U.S. to Face Federal Narcotics and Murder Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – An alleged leader of a transnational drug trafficking enterprise co-helmed by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been sent to the United States from Mexico to face federal charges alleging that he ran a continuing criminal enterprise, committed murder and attempted murder, and conspired to possess, distribute, and export cocaine, the Justice Department announced today. 

    Andrew Clark, 34, a Canadian citizen who was residing in Mexico, was arrested by Mexican authorities in October 2024 and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in United States District Court in Phoenix on charges contained in a 16-count superseding indictment out of the Central District of California. Alongside Wedding, Clark allegedly controlled a billion-dollar drug enterprise with supply routes that transported ton-quantities of cocaine from Colombia to Canada by way of Mexico and Southern California.

    From March to August 2024, Wedding and Clark allegedly conspired with others to export, possess, and distribute more than 1,800 kilograms of cocaine. In addition, using a network of virtual currency wallets, Wedding, Clark, and their co-conspirators transferred approximately a quarter of a billion dollars from April to September 2024. In one day, investigators seized more than $3 million dollars from one cryptocurrency wallet. 

    “The defendant, as described in the superseding indictment, played a key role in running a violent, international drug trafficking organization that was responsible for multiple murders,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “We are grateful to have him in the United States where he will face justice. When law enforcement officials around the globe work together, there is nowhere criminals can hide.”

    The superseding indictment alleges that Wedding and Clark, whose aliases include “The Dictator,” directed the November 20, 2023, murders of two individuals and the attempted murder of a third victim in Ontario, Canada. Wedding and Clark also allegedly ordered the murder of a fourth individual on May 18, 2024. Clark and another co-defendant are also charged with the April 1, 2024, murder of a fifth individual in Ontario, Canada.

    Clark is the second-named defendant in the superseding indictment that charges a total of 16 defendants. With Clark’s expected court appearance, a total of eight defendants will have been arraigned in this case. Clark’s co-conspirators are scheduled to begin trial on May 6.

    An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

    If convicted, Clark would face a mandatory minimum penalty of life in federal prison on the continuing criminal enterprise charge. The murder and attempted murder charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The drug trafficking charges carry mandatory minimum penalties of 10 years in prison.

    The FBI investigated this matter with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Federal Policing. In addition, significant assistance was provided by U.S. law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations – Detroit and United States Customs and Border Protection – Buffalo; Canadian law enforcement partners, including Niagara Regional Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Service, and Peel Regional Police; Mexican law enforcement partners, including the Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la República) and the Criminal Investigation Agency (Agencia de Investigación Criminal); and Colombian law enforcement partners, including Colombian National Police – Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol, Special Interagency Investigation Group (Policía Nacional de Colombia – Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol, Grupo Especial de Investigación Interagenciales). This investigation was conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).

    Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Maria Jhai of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Ryan Waters of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.

    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. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: BERKS COUNTY – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis to Highlight 2025-26 Proposed Budget Investments in Safer Communities

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    March 03, 2025 – Reading, PA

    ADVISORY – BERKS COUNTY – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis to Highlight 2025-26 Proposed Budget Investments in Safer Communities

    Lt. Gov. Austin Davis will discuss the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s proposed 2025-26 budget and its investments to make Pennsylvania communities safer on Monday, March 3, at 1 p.m. at Reading Hospital, 420 S. Fifth Ave., West Reading.

    The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which Davis leads, recently approved $45 million in Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grants. This program supports a wide range of models focused on reducing community violence and relies on community groups that are most in tune with specific local needs. Reading Hospital is receiving more than $600,000 to expand and enhance its Violence Recovery Program.

    The proposed 2025-26 budget includes a $10 million increase for the VIP program, as well as $10 million more for the Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time program, which provides funding for afterschool programs that help keep kids safe and give them enrichment opportunities.

    WHO:
    Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, state Sen. Judy Schwank, state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams, representatives from Reading Hospital and Safe Berks

    WHAT:
    Roundtable conversation about gun violence prevention and the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s proposed state budget

    WHEN:
    Monday, March 3, at 1 p.m.

    WHERE:
    Reading Hospital, 420 S. Fifth Ave., West Reading

    RSVP:
    Members of the news media who are interested in attending must RSVP to Kirstin Alvanitakis at kirstinalv@pa.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former State Official and State Representative Charged with Offenses Related to Cancelled State Audit of Medicaid Provider

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an 18-count indictment charging KONSTANTINOS “KOSTA” DIAMANTIS, 68, of Farmington, and CHRISTOPHER ZIOGAS, 73, of Bristol, with various offenses related to the cancelling of a state audit of a Medicaid provider who engaged in health care fraud.

    The indictment was returned on February 25, 2025.  Diamantis and Ziogas each appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport, entered pleas of not guilty to the charges in the indictment, and were released on $500,000 bonds.

    As alleged in the indictment, between January and June 2020, Diamantis, while serving at Deputy Secretary of the State of Connecticut’s Office of Policy and Management (OPM), and Ziogas, who served as a State Representative for Connecticut’s 79th Assembly District, engaged in a scheme in which Diamantis solicited and received corrupt payments and benefits from Helen Zervas, an optometrist and owner of Family Eye Care in Bristol, in exchange for official acts concerning a State of Connecticut audit of Zervas’s and Family Eye Care’s Medicaid overbilling.  Diamantis and Ziogas then took steps to conceal their conduct.

    As part of the alleged scheme, in January 2020, an official with Connecticut’s Department of Social Services (DSS) provided notice that it would perform an audit of Zervas’s and Family Eye Care’s Medicaid billing.  Zervas, who has been charged separately, knew that she had fraudulently overbilled Medicaid for medical services that she had not provided, or that were not medically necessary.  Zervas sought assistance from Ziogas, who was her fiancée, to prevent the DSS audit from proceeding.  Ziogas, in turn, sought help from Diamantis.  In exchange for payments from Ziogas and Zervas, Diamantis undertook official acts, and pressured other state officials to undertake official acts, aimed at favorably resolving the DSS audit.

    As alleged in the indictment, on March 4, 2020, Ziogas made a bribe payment to Diamantis in the amount of $20,000.  On that date, Zervas’s attorney emailed a DSS official with a settlement offer to resolve DSS’s audit.  The next day, Zervas reimbursed Ziogas with a $25,000 check from Family Eye Care.  On March 12, 2020, Ziogas made a $10,000 bribe payment to Diamantis, and was subsequently reimbursed by Zervas.  After having been advised and pressured indirectly by Diamantis through officials at OPM and DSS, the DSS official cancelled the DSS audit and, on May 1, 2020, accepted Zervas’s settlement proposal.

    The indictment further alleges that, on May 12, 2020, Diamantis and Ziogas delivered a check from Family Eye Care in the amount of $599,810 to DSS.  On May 15, 2020, Ziogas, through Zervas, made a final bribe payment of $65,000 to Diamantis.

    The indictment also alleges that Diamantis and Ziogas made multiple false statements when interviewed by the FBI during the investigation of this matter, and that Diamantis failed to include the $95,000 in corrupt payments on his 2020 federal tax return.

    Finally, the indictment alleges that Ziogas, an attorney, separately committed bank fraud.  Ziogas was the trustee of a client trust, identified in the indictment as “Trust-1.”  In November 2019, Ziogas prepared and caused to be negotiated a check from Trust-1 in the amount of $5,500 made out to “Kosta Diamantis.”

    The indictment charges Diamantis and Ziogas with extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; bribery, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and conspiracy to commit bribery, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

    The indictment also charges Diamantis with seven counts, and Ziogas with two counts, of making false statements, which carries maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count; Diamantis with one count of filing a false tax return, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years; Ziogas with three counts of making illegal monetary transactions, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count; and Ziogas with one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and David E. Novick.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Armed Career Criminal Charged With Weapons Possession And Trafficking Fentanyl, Heroin, And Methamphetamine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was charged today with (i) being a felon in possession of a firearm, (ii) possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, and (iii) possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Michael Weaver, 38, of Irvington, New Jersey was charged today by superseding indictment with the above-referenced charges, and his arraignment will be scheduled before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court.

    As a result of Weaver’s significant and violent criminal history, which includes numerous convictions in Essex County for robbery, aggravated assault, unlawful weapons possession, and drug trafficking, he was charged under the Armed Career Criminal Act.  That charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison.  In total, as a result of all the charges in the Superseding Indictment, Weaver faces a total mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of imprisonment of life in prison.  Each offense carries a maximum fine of $250,000.  

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Chief Mitchell G. McGuire, and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director Emanuel Miranda, with the investigation.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.

    The charges and allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ross River — Ross River RCMP recover stolen firearms

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Ross River RCMP investigators have recovered several stolen firearms and charged two adult males following separate and unrelated investigations.

    On November 26, 2024, Ross River RCMP received a report of a break and enter at a residence where two rifles were stolen. Through the course of the investigation, police were able to recover the firearms and Robert Power, was arrested and charged with:

    • Possession of a weapon obtained by crime;
    • Unauthorized possession of a firearm;
    • Weapons trafficking;
    • Possession of property obtained by crime.

    On November 30, 2024 police received a report of a rifle that was stolen. Police have since recovered this firearm and have charged Michael Bondarchuk with weapons trafficking and unauthorized possession of a firearm.

    Mr. Bondarchuk and Mr. Power were arrested on February 19, 2025 and held in custody for court on February 20. They were both released on Release Orders with conditions including a court appearance for March 6, 2025 in Ross River.

    Ross River RCMP request that anyone with information about these incidents to contact Ross River RCMP at 867-969-5555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘A litany of human suffering’ in Myanmar, warns UN rights chief

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    Human Rights

    Myanmar is mired in one of the world’s worst human rights crises, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday, describing conditions there as “a litany of human suffering.”

    Addressing the Human Rights Council on Friday, he detailed the devastating toll of the ongoing conflict and economic collapse on civilians – many of whom have been displaced by the fighting.

    Earlier in the day the Council discussed the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, having heard a report from rights investigators serving on the Commission on Human Rights in the country.

    “Conflict, displacement and economic collapse have combined to cause pain and misery across Myanmar and civilians are paying a terrible price,” Mr. Türk said.

    The number killed in violence last year was the highest since the military coup in 2021. Over 1,800 civilians were killed in 2024, many in indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery shelling, with attacks on schools, places of worship and healthcare facilities having become routine.

    Mr. Türk condemned the military’s brutal tactics, including beheadings, burnings, mutilations, and the use of human shields. He also noted that nearly 2,000 people have died in custody since the coup, most due to summary executions and torture.

    Deepening humanitarian crisis

    Fighting between the junta forces and opposition armed groups has fuelled a humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 3.5 million people displaced and 15 million facing hunger – two million of whom are at risk of famine.

    In Rakhine state, clashes between the military and the Arakan Army have intensified, with thousands of civilians killed and Rohingya communities caught in the crossfire.  

    Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in 2024, despite border restrictions. More than 8,000 fled by sea – an 80 per cent increase over 2023 – but at least 650 people, nearly half of them children, perished on the dangerous journey.

    Economic collapse

    Myanmar’s economic collapse has fuelled corruption and crime, with one global tracker ranking it the world’s biggest nexus of organized crime. It remains the top producer of opium and a major manufacturer of synthetic drugs.

    Furthermore, scam centres in eastern Myanmar have become notorious for human trafficking, where victims are coerced into cybercrime and subjected to torture, sexual violence, and forced labour.

    Military conscription

    Mr. Türk also condemned the junta’s activation of military conscription laws, which have led to arbitrary arrests and forced recruitment, particularly targeting young men and women. Fear of conscription has driven many to flee the country, exposing them to trafficking and exploitation.

    “Given the humanitarian, political and economic impacts fuelling instability across the region, the international community must do more,” Mr. Türk underscored.

    He reiterated his call for an arms embargo, coupled with targeted sanctions – including on jet fuel and dual-use goods – to better protect the people of Myanmar.

    He also stressed the need for accountability, citing efforts at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to hold Myanmar’s military leaders accountable for atrocities.

    © WFP/Eulalia Berlanga

    Displaced South Sudanese people arrive at a camp in Upper Nile State. (file)

    South Sudan: Leaders failing their own people

    The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan presented its latest report to the Human Rights Council earlier in Geneva, detailing widespread violations, including extrajudicial killings, forced recruitment of children and systematic sexual violence.

    Despite South Sudan winning independence over a decade ago and repeated commitments to peace during years of civil war, the Commission found that the same patterns of abuses persist, often implicating high-ranking officials.

    “It is unconscionable that so many years after its independence, political leaders continue their violent contestations across the country and are abjectly failing the people of South Sudan,” said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission.

    Extreme ethnic violence

    The report described the situation in Tambura, where armed forces and militias inflicted extreme violence along ethnic lines in 2024, reigniting tensions from the 2021 conflict.

    Political elites at both local and national levels have actively fuelled this violence while remaining in power despite past crimes.

    The Commission also raised alarms over the “Green Book” law introduced in Warrap State in 2024, which authorizes extrajudicial executions for suspected cattle raiding and communal violence.

    Address corruption

    South Sudan’s leaders agreed in September 2024 to extend the transitional political arrangements by two years, citing funding constraints.

    The Commission’s report noted that the government generated $3.5 billion in revenue between September 2022 and August 2024, while essential institutions – such as courts, schools, and hospitals – remain underfunded and civil servants go unpaid.

    “Financing essential services and rule of law institutions requires an end to the corruption. The theft of national wealth robs citizens of justice, education, and healthcare,” said Commissioner Carlos Castresana Fernández.

    “Without addressing this systemic looting, no peace agreement will ever translate into meaningful change,” he added.

    The Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council. First established in March 2016, it has been renewed annually since. Its three Commissioners are not UN staff, they are not paid for their work and serve in an independent capacity.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Colorado Dentist Pleads Guilty to Multiple Tax Evasion Charges

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Colorado dentist pleaded guilty today to six counts of tax evasion related to his use of an illegal tax shelter.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, since 2014, Ryan Ulibarri owned and operated Ulibarri Family Dentistry in Fort Collins, Colorado. In 2016, Ulibarri purchased an abusive-trust tax shelter for $50,000. The tax shelter involved concealing income and creating false tax deductions through the use of a so-called business trust, family trust, charitable trust and a private family foundation, all of which Ulibarri created and controlled. From 2017 through 2022, Ulibarri used this tax shelter to conceal from the IRS over $3.5 million in income he earned from his dental practice.

    To set up the tax shelter, Ulibarri, as the purported trustee, signed trust instruments purporting to create the three trusts and foundation, and he opened bank accounts in the name of each. He further recruited friends to falsely sign his trust instruments as the purported creators of the trusts. Ulibarri then transferred majority ownership of his dental practice to the business trust. Ulibarri did this despite having been warned by attorneys and CPAs that, in Colorado, a trust could not own a dental practice.

    He then transferred over $3 million he earned from his dental practice into the bank accounts of the various trusts and foundation to create the illusion that the funds belonged to those entities. In reality, Ulibarri retained complete control over the funds and used the funds to pay for personal expenses including his home mortgage, credit card bills, boats and professional baseball season tickets. Finally, he filed false tax returns for himself, his dental practice, the trusts and foundation that falsely reported the income he earned from his dental practice as income of the trusts. On those tax returns Ulibarri also claimed fraudulent deductions for his personal living expenses which he disguised as trust expenses and charitable donations.

    In total, Ulibarri is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1 million.

    Ulibarri is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Special Agent in Charge Amanda Prestegard of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Denver Field Office made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Amanda R. Scott and Lauren K. Pope and Assistant Chief Andrew J. Kameros of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson announces Greer women charged with exploiting vulnerable adult, fraud, and other chargesRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) has arrested Caitlyn Danielle Morgan, 32 years old, of Greer, S.C., and Debra Jones Howard, 69 years old, of Greer, S.C. Morgan was charged with one count of Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult {43-35-0085 (D)}, one count of Forgery, value $10,000 or more {16-13-0010(A)}, one count of Criminal Conspiracy {16-17-0410}, and two counts of Medical Assistance Provider Fraud {43-07-0060}. Howard was charged with one count of Forgery, value less than $10,000 {16-13-0010(A)}, one count of Criminal Conspiracy {16-17-0410}, and one count of Medical Assistance Provider Fraud {43-07-0060}.

    An investigation by VAMPF alleges that, between January 27, 2021 and December 19, 2024, Morgan and Howard conspired together to make or cause to be made false claims for payment to South Carolina’s Medicaid program. Specifically, it is alleged that Morgan, as a personal care attendant employed at various times by Care Givers on Demand and the Charles Lea Center, signed and submitted false time sheets indicating that she had rendered care to a Medicaid beneficiary when she had not. It is further alleged that Morgan caused or required a vulnerable adult to engage in activity or labor which is improper, unlawful, or against the reasonable and rational wishes of a vulnerable adult by submitting the false timesheets with the victim’s knowledge for services never rendered.

    Howard is alleged to have conspired with Morgan by signing off on Morgan’s false timesheets indicating that she had witnessed Morgan rendering care.

    This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office. 

    Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. Conspiracy is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000. Forgery, value $10,000 or more, is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine at the discretion of the court, or both. Forgery, value $10,000 or less, is a felony and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine at the discretion of the court, or both. Medical Assistance Provider Fraud is a class A misdemeanor and, upon conviction, has a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.   

    Pursuant to federal regulations, VAMPF has authority over Medicaid provider fraud; abuse and neglect of Medicaid beneficiaries in any setting; and the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of individuals residing in assisted living facilities or nursing homes. 

    Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

    The South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, dba VAMPF, receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $2,889,252 for federal fiscal year 2025. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $963,084 for FFY 2025, is funded by South Carolina.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Colorado Dentist Pleads Guilty to Multiple Tax Evasion Charges

    Source: US State of California

    A Colorado dentist pleaded guilty today to six counts of tax evasion related to his use of an illegal tax shelter.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, since 2014, Ryan Ulibarri owned and operated Ulibarri Family Dentistry in Fort Collins, Colorado. In 2016, Ulibarri purchased an abusive-trust tax shelter for $50,000. The tax shelter involved concealing income and creating false tax deductions through the use of a so-called business trust, family trust, charitable trust and a private family foundation, all of which Ulibarri created and controlled. From 2017 through 2022, Ulibarri used this tax shelter to conceal from the IRS over $3.5 million in income he earned from his dental practice.

    To set up the tax shelter, Ulibarri, as the purported trustee, signed trust instruments purporting to create the three trusts and foundation, and he opened bank accounts in the name of each. He further recruited friends to falsely sign his trust instruments as the purported creators of the trusts. Ulibarri then transferred majority ownership of his dental practice to the business trust. Ulibarri did this despite having been warned by attorneys and CPAs that, in Colorado, a trust could not own a dental practice.

    He then transferred over $3 million he earned from his dental practice into the bank accounts of the various trusts and foundation to create the illusion that the funds belonged to those entities. In reality, Ulibarri retained complete control over the funds and used the funds to pay for personal expenses including his home mortgage, credit card bills, boats and professional baseball season tickets. Finally, he filed false tax returns for himself, his dental practice, the trusts and foundation that falsely reported the income he earned from his dental practice as income of the trusts. On those tax returns Ulibarri also claimed fraudulent deductions for his personal living expenses which he disguised as trust expenses and charitable donations.

    In total, Ulibarri is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1 million.

    Ulibarri is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Special Agent in Charge Amanda Prestegard of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Denver Field Office made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Amanda R. Scott and Lauren K. Pope and Assistant Chief Andrew J. Kameros of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Suspected bank robbers arrested in Belgium

    Source: Eurojust

    28 February 2025|

    Eurojust coordinated the collaboration between French and Belgian authorities that led to the arrest of 12 gang members on 26 February. The criminals are suspected of attempting to rob cash transports for banks. Due to the swift cooperation between the authorities, the criminals were stopped before committing a robbery.

    Two High Value Targets specialised in armed robbery were part of the criminal group. One of the suspects is known as the ‘escape king’ due to him escaping from prison multiple times. In the course of their investigation, the French authorities noticed the two High Value Targets travelling regularly to Belgium. They suspected the targets were planning to commit a crime. After their investigations showed that the members had links with Belgian suspects, cooperation with the Belgian authorities was quickly set up through Eurojust. 

    A joint investigation team was set up at Eurojust to allow the Belgian and French authorities to work together swiftly and efficiently, exchanging information and evidence in real time. To stop the criminals, a joint operation was planned at Eurojust. 

    In the late hours of 26 February, the Belgian authorities arrested 12 suspects. The authorities know several of the people arrested. Following the arrests, several searches were carried out in France and Belgium. Investigations into the robbers are ongoing. 

    The following authorities carried out the operations: 

    • France: JIRS PARIS inter regional specialised jurisdiction; OCCLO National Police Organised Crime unit  
    • Belgium: PPO Brussels; Investigative Judge Brussels; Judicial Police Brussels (PJF Bruxelles); Special Units Belgian Federal Police (DSU)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Collingwood Corner — Cumberland County District RCMP appeals for information as investigation continues

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Cumberland County District RCMP is appealing to the public for information in regards to a snowmobile crash as it continues its investigation.

    On February 21, at approximately 10:20 p.m., RCMP, fire services and EHS responded to a report of a snowmobile crash on Wyvern Rd: RCMP investigates fatality following snowmobile crash | Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

    The investigation into all aspects of the incident is continuing, and investigators are appealing to the public for information pertaining to the hours leading up to, and including, the time of the snowmobile crash.

    Anyone with information who has not yet spoken with police is asked to contact Cumberland County District RCMP at 902-667-3859. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    Our thoughts continue to be with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.

    File #: 2025-234808

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Minneapolis Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan was arrested yesterday and charged by criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

    As alleged in the criminal complaint, in December 2024, Hassan attempted to travel from Minnesota to Somalia to join ISIS on two occasions, neither of which were successful. Hassan attempted to disguise the purpose of his travel as visiting family despite having none in Somalia and was traveling with his birth certificate, naturalization certificate, and high school diploma. The FBI’s investigation established that Hassan publicly supported ISIS on social media through multiple posts and communicated with a Facebook account for the Manjaniq Media Center, which encouraged individuals to travel to join ISIS and touts itself as a media organization of the Islamic Caliphate. The investigation further revealed that Hassan praised Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the perpetrator of the ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 1. On Feb. 21, Hassan also posted a video of himself driving while holding a small ISIS flag inside the vehicle, as well as another video of himself driving with an open knife on his lap. On Feb. 26, FBI observed Hassan driving while again holding the ISIS flag.

    Hassan was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. He made his initial appearance in the District of Minnesota today and was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing which will take place at a later date.

    The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorneys Ryan White and Charles Kovats Jr. of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 02/28/2025, 17-19 (Moscow time) the values of the upper limit of the price corridor and the range of market risk assessment for the security RU000A104TQ2 (EDR 1P-08) were changed.

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    02.28.2025

    17:19

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC) on 28.02.2025, 17-19 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 100.18) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 1078.43 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 12.5%) of the security RU000A104TQ2 (EDR 1P-08) were changed.

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

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

    HTTPS: //VVV. MOEX.K.M.M.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Stabbing at Prospect

    Source: South Australia Police

    A man is in hospital after an incident at Prospect.

    About 11.50pm on Friday 28 February, police and ambulance crews were called to a house in Charles Street after reports that a man had been stabbed.

    No one else was at the man’s house when police arrived.

    Paramedics took the 40-year-old man to hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

    Anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or seen suspicious activity in Charles Street or Princess Street is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Unexplained death, Morningside

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Allan:

    An investigation has been launched after the death of a woman at a Morningside address last night.

    Police were called to the Don Croot Street property about 9.15pm, after a report of a woman being found unconscious.

    CPR was performed, however unfortunately the woman was not able to be revived.

    Her death is currently being treated as unexplained, and Police are working to establish the full circumstances of what has occurred.

    A scene examination will be carried out at the property today.

    Anyone who has any information about this incident encouraged to call Police.

    You can do so through our 105 service, quoting reference number 250228/6990.

    Information can also be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Newton Man Charged with Federal Firearm Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Newton man has been charged in federal court in Boston with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

    James Welch, 29, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Welch will appear in federal court at a later date.

    According to the charging documents, on Feb. 28, 2025, during a search of Newton’s residence, two firearms—a pistol and a rifle— and ammunition were recovered. Welch is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions.

    The charge of possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of a $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah Foley and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The Newton Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Johnson County Man Sentenced for Production of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Debord, Ky., man, Dustin Newsome, 35, was sentenced on Friday to 35 years in prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for production of child pornography. 

    According to his plea agreement, in August 2023, the parent of the minor victim called law enforcement and reported that she had located THC vape cartridges in her child’s room.  The minor victim stated that he received the cartridges and a cellphone from a mail carrier, later identified as Newsome, in exchange for nude images and sexually explicit videos.  Law enforcement discovered nine minor victims that reported having produced sexually explicit images and videos at Newsome’s request.

    A search of Newsome’s residence revealed devices that contained numerous sexually explicit images, videos, and recordings of live chats between Newsome and at least four of the minor victims. In addition to the images and videos he produced, there were several hundred images and videos of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct that Newsome had obtained from the internet and stored on his electronic devices.  These images and videos were obtained over many years beginning in 2013. 

    Under federal law, Newsome must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. Newsome was also ordered to pay $105,000 in restitution. 

    Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.

    The investigation was conducted by FBI and KSP.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    – END –

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Committing International Child Exploitation Pleads Guilty in Miami Federal Court

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – An Italian national living in Miami who used social media and money to entice minors, including four United Kingdom girls ages 14 to 16, to make and send him sexually explicit images of themselves has pled guilty to producing child sexual abuse material and committing international promotional money laundering in furtherance of his child exploitation crimes.

    During a court hearing in the Southern District of Florida, Marco Pagano, 41, admitted the following: From about March 2023 to April 2024, Pagano engaged in illegal online exchanges with minors, including four girls living in the United Kingdom. As to those four minors, Pagano used his online payment system accounts more than 180 times to send thousands of dollars from the United States to the girls abroad. In exchange, Pagano demanded that the four minors produce illegal pornographic photographs and videos and send those to him through a social media application. These included images of the minor girls performing sexual acts on one another.

    Sentencing is set for June 9, at 9:00 a.m., in Miami before United States District Court Judge Robert N. Scola. Pagano faces up to life in prison.

    United States Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement.

    FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller is prosecuting it.

    This case 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 the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    Anyone with information relating to child sexual exploitation or abuse is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20360.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Minneapolis Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

    Source: United States Attorneys General 2

    Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan was arrested yesterday and charged by criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

    As alleged in the criminal complaint, in December 2024, Hassan attempted to travel from Minnesota to Somalia to join ISIS on two occasions, neither of which were successful. Hassan attempted to disguise the purpose of his travel as visiting family despite having none in Somalia and was traveling with his birth certificate, naturalization certificate, and high school diploma. The FBI’s investigation established that Hassan publicly supported ISIS on social media through multiple posts and communicated with a Facebook account for the Manjaniq Media Center, which encouraged individuals to travel to join ISIS and touts itself as a media organization of the Islamic Caliphate. The investigation further revealed that Hassan praised Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the perpetrator of the ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 1. On Feb. 21, Hassan also posted a video of himself driving while holding a small ISIS flag inside the vehicle, as well as another video of himself driving with an open knife on his lap. On Feb. 26, FBI observed Hassan driving while again holding the ISIS flag.

    Hassan was charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. He made his initial appearance in the District of Minnesota today and was ordered to remain in custody pending a formal detention hearing which will take place at a later date.

    The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Minneapolis Joint Terrorism Task Force.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorneys Ryan White and Charles Kovats Jr. of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fall River — Man wanted on province-wide arrest warrant

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment is seeking information on the whereabouts of a man currently wanted on a province-wide arrest warrant.

    Aleksandr Chabinevitch, 33, from Fall River, is wanted and facing charges of Uttering Threats and Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited or Restricted Weapon.

    Chabinevitch is described as 5-foot-11, 165 pounds and has black hair.

    At this time investigators believe he may be driving a grey 2005 Acura TL bearing Ontario licence plate CXDD060.

    Police have made several attempts to locate Chabinevitch, and are requesting assistance from the public.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Aleksandr Chabinevitch is asked to refrain from approaching him and to call police at 902-490-5020. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    File #: 23-117965

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rafael Caro Quintero “Narco of Narcos” and Murderer of DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, Former Leader of the Juarez Cartel, Expelled to the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Both Defendants Face Mandatory Life Imprisonment, and Could Face the Death Penalty, if Convicted

    Rafael Caro Quintero (Caro Quintero) and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes (Carrillo Fuentes), both citizens of Mexico, were arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn today for crimes committed as leaders of Mexican drug cartels, which were responsible for significant drug trafficking into the United States and acts of extreme violence—including, with respect to Caro Quintero, the 1985 kidnapping, torture, and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena—over a period of decades.  Caro Quintero was arraigned on a third superseding indictment charging him with four counts: one count of leading a Continuing Criminal Enterprise, which includes ten violations, including a murder conspiracy; two counts of international narcotics distribution conspiracy; and one count of unlawful use of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Carrillo Fuentes was arraigned on a superseding indictment charging him with seven counts: one count of leading a Continuing Criminal Enterprise, which includes six violations, including a murder conspiracy; four counts of cocaine distribution conspiracy; one count of unlawful use of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking; and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Both Caro Quintero and Carrillo Fuentes were arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy after being expelled from Mexico to the Eastern District of New York.  

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations New York (HSI) announced the arraignments.

    “For decades, Rafael Caro Quintero and Vicente Carrillo Fuentes have flooded the United States and other countries with drugs, violence, and mayhem, killing so many in their quest for power and control, including in RCQ’s case the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Camarena,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “Today the next step in the American legal proceedings against these two cartel leaders—Caro Quintero, the “Narco of Narcos,” and Carrillo Fuentes, the head of the Juarez Cartel—are finally underway, and we are one step closer to justice being served.  My Office continues to be steadfastly focused on the vital work of protecting people of this district, and of all of those in the United States, from the destruction that cartels wreak on our communities.”

    “Today marks a day which will be remembered in the history of the DEA. For nearly four decades, the men and women of the DEA have pursued Rafael Caro Quintero, the man responsible for the kidnapping, torture, and death of fallen DEA Special Agent Kiki Camarena, and the leader of one the most notorious and violent drug cartels. Today, Rafael Caro Quintero will finally face the consequences for the crimes he committed” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “No matter how long it takes, or where you hide, the DEA remains patient and committed in our global pursuit to targeting those individuals who have brought violence and destruction to our communities. The DEA will make sure justice is delivered.”

    “Make no mistake: the world is undoubtedly a safer place with these men in custody in the United States. Carrillo-Fuentes and Rafael Caro Quintero are merciless terrorists who used fear as a tactic to intimidate their rivals and the public. ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents and personnel with our El Dorado Task Force have dedicated years to investigating the alleged crimes and bloodshed at the hands of these defendants,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso.

    Rafael Caro Quintero

    Caro Quintero was first indicted in the Eastern District of New York in 2015, and a third superseding indictment was returned against him in 2018. As alleged in the indictment and other public filings, Caro Quintero’s involvement in drug trafficking and violence is extensive, ruthless, and notorious.  Known as the “Narco of Narcos,” Caro Quintero started cultivating marijuana as a teenager in Mexico in the 1960s and developed transportation and distribution networks and routes that enabled him to move that marijuana into the United States.  Caro Quintero also manufactured and trafficked heroin and methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States.  Caro Quintero then joined with Colombian cocaine manufacturers to use his networks and routes to traffic cocaine from South America, through Central America and Mexico, into the United States.  By the 1970s, Caro Quintero’s organization became known as the Guadalajara Cartel, which ultimately joined the syndicate known as the “Sinaloa Cartel” (or Mexican “Federation”), the largest drug trafficking organization in the world.

    In 1985, Caro Quintero ordered the kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA Special Agent Camarena.  Caro Quintero believed Camarena was responsible for leading the Mexican government to seize Caro Quintero’s largest ranch in Chihuahua, Rancho Buffalo.  Caro Quintero’s men abducted Camarena and took him to a location where he was tortured and interrogated for approximately two days, after which Caro Quintero and his men killed Camarena.

    Later in 1985, Caro Quintero went to prison in Mexico. Nevertheless, from 1985 to 2013, while in prison, Caro Quintero continued operating his drug trafficking organization (the “Caro Quintero DTO”), using family members and associates on the outside to assist him.  The Caro Quintero DTO trafficked large quantities of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin into the United States.  After his release from prison in 2013, Caro Quintero went into hiding and continued running the Caro Quintero DTO from various locations in the mountains of Sinaloa.  The Sinaloa Cartel provided Caro Quintero with protection during this time.   

    Caro Quintero and the members and associates of his organization carried firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities, including pistols and AK-47s.  Caro Quintero himself carried a Colt .38 Super pistol with a diamond encrusted handle and “R-1” written in gold.

    Vincente Carrillo Fuentes

    Carrillo Fuentes was first indicted in the Eastern District of New York in 2009, with superseding charges filed in 2019.  As alleged in the indictment and other public filings, Carrillo Fuentes and his brother, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, led the infamous Juarez Cartel for more than two decades.  Under the leadership of Carrillo Fuentes, the Juarez Cartel dominated and controlled drug trafficking through the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez corridor and used its control of the Texas-Mexico border to deliver multi-ton shipments of cocaine throughout the United States, including to locations in New York, Texas, California, and Illinois.

    Until approximately 2004, Carrillo Fuentes and the Juarez Cartel were aligned with the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the largest transnational criminal organizations in the world.  The two organizations worked collectively, partnering in drug shipments and sharing infrastructure as they trafficked tons of cocaine into the United States.  Throughout this partnership, Carrillo Fuentes and his associates corrupted public officials and taxed other drug-trafficking organizations as they asserted their control over the all-important El Paso-Ciudad Juarez corridor.  When this partnership finally splintered—and Carrillo Fuentes and the Juarez Cartel split from the Sinaloa Cartel and realigned with the rival drug traffickers such as the Zetas—Mexico was plunged into a decade of war and bloodshed.  Carrillo Fuentes was at the center of this chaos, initially as the commander of the Juarez Cartel’s sicarios (the Spanish term for contract killers) and soldiers, and then later as the leader of the entire Juarez Cartel.

    * * * * *

    The government’s cases against Caro Quintero and Carrillo Fuentes are part of the operations of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF).  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.

    The charges in the indictments are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  Both defendants face mandatory life sentences and, if convicted, could face the death penalty.

    The government’s cases against Caro Quintero and Carrillo Fuentes are being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Saritha Komatireddy, Francisco J. Navarro, Erin Reid, and Andrew Wang are in charge of the prosecution of Caro Quintero, and Assistant United States Attorneys Erik D. Paulsen and Miranda Gonzalez are in charge of the prosecution of Carrillo Fuentes.  Asset forfeiture matters for both cases are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brendan King.  Paralegal Specialists Melissa Bennett and Huda Abouchaer provided assistance on both cases.  

    The Defendants:

    RAFAEL CARO QUINTERO
    Age: 72
    Sonora, Mexico

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-208 (FB)

    VICENTE CARRILLO FUENTES
    Age:  62
    Sinaloa, Mexico

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 09-CR-522 (JMA)

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Social Security Administration Employee Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Induce a Social Security Beneficiary for Prostitution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A former Social Security Administration (SSA) employee pleaded guilty yesterday to attempting to persuade a Social Security beneficiary to cross state lines to engage in prostitution.

    Dae Sung Kim, 36, of Auburn, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to induce a person to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2025. Kim was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in October 2024 and subsequently charged by Information in December 2024.

    In March 2024, Kim handled an in-person visit at the Gardner SSA field office from an individual seeking Social Security benefits after losing her job. After redirecting the individual to another SSA field office near her residence in another state, Kim called the individual, using the phone number he obtained from SSA’s computer system. Kim indicated that he understood she was in a difficult situation and stated that maybe they could “work something out” that would benefit them both.  

    During a call monitored by law enforcement later that month, Kim again stated to the individual that they could “help each other out” and proposed giving the individual money in exchange for sex. In several subsequent text messages, Kim suggested that the individual travel to Massachusetts to meet him, offering to pay $100 to have sex in a car at a hotel parking lot. When Kim traveled to the hotel parking lot to meet the individual in October 2024, he was confronted by law enforcement.

    The charge of attempting to induce a person to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fitchburg and Gardner Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan D. O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
     

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Gulf Shore — Missing youth: Help the RCMP find Makenna Robichaud

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Cumberland County District RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 15-year-old Makenna Robichaud, who was last seen February 26 at 6:30 p.m. on Mathesons Cove Rd. in Gulf Shore.

    Robichaud is described as 5-foot-3 and 110 pounds. She has black hair, blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black coat, jeans, and black shoes.

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

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Makenna Robichaud is asked to contact the Cumberland County District RCMP at 902-667-3859. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office collects nearly $2 million in civil and criminal actions in fiscal year 2024

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office collected $1,996,578.60 in criminal and civil actions in fiscal year 2024. Of this amount, $1,740,383.23 was collected in criminal actions and $256,195.37 was collected in civil actions.

    All U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting on civil and criminal debts owed to the United States, and for restitution owed to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid out to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

    In the District of Wyoming, collection efforts are conducted through the U.S. Attorney’s Office Financial Litigation Program (FLP). The program is under the direct supervision of the Civil Chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office; however, the Civil and Criminal Divisions work together to pursue effective recovery for crime victims.

    Civil Chief, Levi Martin, stated, “This office is committed to aggressive collection efforts for fraud committed against the United States and for restitution owed to the victims of criminal cases. The FLP is rather efficient in locating debtors and their assets in order to satisfy the judgment amounts they owe as a result of their unlawful actions.”

    One case example of a large recovery from 2024 is Defendant William Dean Decker (Case No. 1:24-cr-00028-SWS). Decker was convicted of one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Decker was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment, $139,701.55 in restitution, and a $5,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act. As a result of the diligent efforts of the FLP and Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recovered the entire $144,901.55 owed under the judgment within fourteen days of its imposition.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: South Texan sent to prison for meth distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAREDO, Texas – A 41-year-old Donna resident has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Rafael Leal pleaded guilty April 11, 2023.

    U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now ordered Leal to serve 135 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

    In October 2020, law enforcement conducted an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that was attempting to distribute a significant amount of liquid meth from the Rio Grande Valley area to Dallas. During that time, authorities conducted a traffic stop and apprehended Leal as he attempted to transport the narcotics.

    Leal will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs Border and Protection and Texas Department of Public Saftery. 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney James Sturgis prosecuted the case.

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