NewzIntel.com

Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dangerous Firearms and Drugs the Focus of 2 Takedowns in Vallejo

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two Vallejo Public Safety Partnership (PSP) investigations have resulted in arrests and federal charges for eight individuals for various gun and drug offenses. The PSP investigations are a part of a larger collaborative effort to address violent crime in the city of Vallejo. Making this announcement are Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith, Chief Jason Ta of the Vallejo Police Department, Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani.

    “The application process to join the U.S. Department of Justice’s Public Safety Partnership Program is competitive, and the United States Attorney’s Office is proud of the Vallejo Police Department’s selection as a participant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “This program is focused on maximizing scarce resources to increase Vallejo’s ability to fight violent crime, especially crime related to gang activity involving gun violence and drug trafficking. Our office is honored to partner with Vallejo through this unique initiative to provide focused, data-driven, and evidence-based resources and expertise to promote public safety in this city. The prosecutions announced today show our commitment to that partnership, as we bring federal resources to bear in the fight make Vallejo safer for all its residents.”

    “Every community member deserves to feel safe and secure in their home,” stated Vallejo Police Chief Jason Ta. “We are overcoming our resource limitations through law enforcement and community partnerships. We must work together as a team to make Vallejo safer.”

    “Today’s announcement is yet another example of the FBI’s commitment to collaborative investigations, leveraging the skills and talents of local, state, and federal partners to disrupt violent criminal networks that threaten the success and safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Drug and weapons trafficking conducted by criminal networks exploits and slowly erodes communities unless law enforcement and the public stand together against it. Every family should have the opportunity to live, work, and thrive in a safe, crime-free community and the FBI remains firmly committed to disrupt and dismantle gangs and criminal networks that endanger neighborhoods and threaten the potential of all citizens.”

    “ATF is proud to be a part of a collective effort to prevent and reduce violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The city of Vallejo is a safer community today because of programs like the National Public Safety Partnership or PSP. This investigation serves as a great example of the effectiveness of this program. ATF continues to stay focused on the commitment that we made to the communities we serve, and we hope to continue to have more investigations like this one.”

    Super 8

    According to court documents, since July 2024 until the present, the ATF’s Oakland Field Office has been investigating members of a loosely affiliated group that was illegally selling dangerous, high-powered weapons in Vallejo using a Super 8 motel on Solano Avenue as the hub of their criminal activity. On Feb. 20, 2025, ATF arrested four Vallejo residents charged with federal firearms offenses. Zuryess Anthony Roberts, 24, was charged with possession and transfer of a machine gun. Taezon Laurece Sanderson, 23, was charged with being felon in possession of a firearm. Divaya James Talley, 18, was charged with transfer and possession of a machine gun. Anderson Thurston, 66, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    Brown Brotherhood (BBH)

    According to court documents, the Brown Brotherhood gang is a subset of the Sureño gang and has been a frequent target of investigations of the Vallejo Police Department and the Solano County Violent Crime Task Force. The primary criminal activities of this gang have included murder, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, burglary, and stolen vehicles. The current investigation began in February 2024 through today’s arrests and takedown. FBI arrested four people today on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.

    Leo Alonso-Medina, 32, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Carlos Higuera-Aldana, 23, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Jeremiah Salanoa, 22, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Doroteo Suastegui, 47, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

    These cases are the product of investigations by the ATF, the FBI, the Vallejo Police Department, and the Solano County Violent Crime Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, R. Alex Cardenas, Nicole Vanek, Douglas Harman, Charles Campbell, and Adrian Kinsella are prosecuting the eight federal cases arising out of this collaborative PSP effort.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Identity Theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Ore.–A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison today for using a stolen identity and financial information to steal more than $426,000 from a victim with an intellectual disability.

    Clinton Wells, 36, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $426,481.14 in restitution to his victim.

    According to court documents, between March 2019 and April 2022, Wells knowingly and intentionally used personal identification and bank account information to steal the victim’s life savings. On March 13, 2019, while working for a national tax preparation company, Wells met the victim and gained access to their personal and financial information. The following day, Wells began transferring money from the victim’s bank account into his own.

    In April 2019, Wells created a user profile through the victim’s online banking system. With this access, Wells completed more than 1,100 transactions including electronic money transfers and online purchases. Wells used the money to fund extravagant trips, personal expenses and online purchases. Wells’ theft went undetected until the victim passed away and family found unopened bank statements showing the unauthorized transactions.  

    On February 13, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Wells with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    On October 30, 2024, Wells pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Meredith D.M. Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Announces 29 Wanted Defendants from Mexico Taken into U.S. Custody

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Today, the United States secured custody of 29 defendants from Mexico who are facing charges in districts around the country relating to racketeering, drug-trafficking, murder, illegal use of firearms, money laundering, and other crimes. The defendants taken into U.S. custody today include leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel).  These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence.

    “As President Trump has made clear, cartels are terrorist groups, and this Department of Justice is devoted to destroying cartels and transnational gangs,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law in honor of the brave law enforcement agents who have dedicated their careers — and in some cases, given their lives — to protect innocent people from the scourge of violent cartels. We will not rest until we secure justice for the American people.”

    “The FBI and our partners will scour the ends of the earth to bring terrorists and cartel members to justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The era of harming Americans and walking free is over.”

    “Today’s actions are a consequence of a White House that negotiates from a position of strength, and an Attorney General who is willing to lead the Department with courage and ferocity,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove. “By prosecuting these defendants to the maximum extent allowable under the law, we honor the memory of Special Agent Camarena, Deputy Sherrif Byrd, and other victims who are far too numerous, as well as decades of hard work in the trenches by our law enforcement partners.”

    “Today, 29 fugitive cartel members have arrived in the United States from Mexico, including one name that stands above the rest for the men and women of the DEA — Rafael Caro Quintero. Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, has spent four decades atop DEA’s most wanted fugitives list, and today we can proudly say he has arrived in the United States where justice will be served,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz. “This moment is extremely personal for the men and women of DEA who believe Caro Quintero is responsible for the brutal torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. It is also a victory for the Camarena family. Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far you run, justice will find you.”

    Many of the defendants were subject to longstanding U.S. extradition requests that were not honored during the prior Administration, but that the Mexican government elected to transfer to the current U.S. government in response to the Justice Department’s efforts pursuant to President Trump’s directive in Executive Order 14157, entitled Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, to pursue total elimination of these Cartels. Federal prosecutors will evaluate whether additional terrorism and violence charges are appropriate based on the policy set forth in Executive Order 14157, and whether capital punishment is available based on Executive Order 14164, entitled Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety, as well as the Attorney General’s Feb. 5 guidance regarding the death penalty.

    • Rafael Caro Quintero, who is alleged to have been among those responsible for the 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena and others.
    • Martin Sotelo, who is alleged to have participated in the 2022 murder of Deputy Sheriff Ned Byrd.
    • Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, who allegedly helped lead CJNG and is reportedly the brother of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho.”
    • Ramiro Perez Moreno and Lucio Hernandez Lechuga, who are alleged to be high-ranking members of Los Zetas.

    A complete list of defendants, as well as districts where they are charged and will appear in federal court in the coming days:

    Mexico Defendants

      Name

    Arraignment

    Jurisdiction

    		 Statutory Maximum
    1 CANOBBIO-INZUNZA, Jose Angel Northern District Illinois Up to life imprisonment
    2. VALENCIA GONZALEZ, Norberto Northern District of Illinois Up to life imprisonment
    3. MARTIN SOTELO, Alder, also known as “Alder Martin-Sotelo” and “Alder Alfonso Marin”

    Middle District of North Carolina

    North Carolina State Court

    Federal: Maximum 10 years imprisonment

    State: Maximum of life imprisonment or death
    4. CRUZ SANCHEZ, Evaristo Southern District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    5. GARCIA VILLANO, also known as “La Kena,” “19,” and “Ciclone 19” Southern District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    6. HERNANDEZ LECHUGA, Lucio Eastern District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    7. PEREZ MORENO, Ramiro Eastern District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    8. RODRIGUEZ DIAZ, Miguel Angel, also known as “Metro” Eastern District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    9. VILLARREAL HERNANDEZ, Jose Rodolfo Northern District of Texas Death or life imprisonment
    10. CARO QUINTERO, Rafael Eastern District of New York Death or life imprisonment
    11. CARRILLO FUENTES, Vicente Eastern District of New York Death or life imprisonment
    12. CABRERA CABRERA, Jose Bibiano District of Arizona Up to life imprisonment
    13. CLARK, Andrew Central District of California Death or life imprisonment
    14. INFANTE, Hector Eduardo Central District of California Up to life imprisonment
    15. LIMON LOPEZ, Jesus Humberto District of Arizona Up to life imprisonment
    16. TAPIA QUINTERO, Jose Guadalupe District of Arizona Up to life imprisonment
    17. TORRES ACOSTA, Inez Enrique Southern District of California Up to life imprisonment
    18. GALAVIZ VEGA, Jesus Western District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    19. MENDEZ ESTEVANE, Luis Geraldo Western District of Texas Death or life imprisonment
    20. MONSIVAIS TREVINO, Carlos Alberto Western District of Texas Up to life imprisonment
    21. ALGREDO VAZQUEZ, Carlos District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    22. LOPEZ IBARRA, Rodolfo District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    23. OSEGUERA CERVANTES, Antonio District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    24. RANGEL BUENDIA, Alfredo District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    25. TREVINO MORALES, Miguel Angel, also known as “Z-40” District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    26. TREVINO MORALES, Omar, also known as “Z-42”) District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    27. VALENCIA SALAZAR, Erick District of Columbia Up to life imprisonment
    28. MENDEZ VARGAS, Jesus Southern District of New York Up to life imprisonment
    29. PALACIOS GARCIA, Itiel Southern District of New York Up to life imprisonment

    Attorney General Pamela Bondi thanked the law enforcement officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, and Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office for their valuable contributions to these investigations.

    The Attorney General also thanked the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and its Office of International Affairs, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, the District of Columbia, Middle District of North Carolina, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Texas, Eastern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas for handling the prosecutions of these cases.

    An indictment 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 New Zealand: Two arrests following Queenstown assaults

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attributable to Inspector Paula Enoka

    Two people have been arrested and charged following a search warrant at a local Queenstown address on Wednesday 26 February.

    The warrant was executed in relation to two assaults in Jardine Park on Sunday 23 and Tuesday 25 February.

    In both assaults, the victims were left with injuries requiring hospital treatment.

    Two young males have been charged with aggravated burglary, threats to kill, assault with a weapon and possession of an offensive weapon.

    Both males have also been charged with burglary following a burglary in the area earlier in February.

    The pair are set to appear in the Queenstown Youth Court on 12 March.

    Police are still seeking any further information in relation to these young people, and appealing to anyone who has been the victim of their offending.

    We are also seeking information in relation to any suspicious activity in the Jardine Park area over the last week.

    Please contact Police on 105, either by calling or making a report online here and quote the reference number 250224/8050.

    Information can be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘He knows how to make sure that there is no evidence’: when your domestic violence abuser is a police officer

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ellen Reeves, Lecturer in Criminology, University of Liverpool

    Traci Hahn/Shutterstock

    People experiencing domestic violence are often urged to report their abuse to police. But what if your abuser is a police officer?

    Our new research, drawing on 17 interviews with victim-survivors from two studies and published in the journal Violence Against Women, examined the challenges faced by victim-survivors in this situation.

    ‘He knows how to make sure that there is no evidence’

    Victim-survivors told us their abusers often initially used their police role to project a “safe” image. Later, however, many perpetrators were able to draw on their police training and skills in control, surveillance and investigation to abuse and entrap their partners. One interviewee said:

    He is a state-funded, trained master manipulator.

    Police also have access to weapons, and importantly, knowledge about how domestic violence evidence is collected. One interviewee said:

    They’re doing things that they believe they can get away with or that they know they can get away with […] Police offenders are smarter than that and they’re looking for these little insidious ways to skirt the system.

    One person who experienced coercive control from her police officer father-in-law said:

    He knows how to make sure that there is no evidence.

    ‘The people coming to interview me are his colleagues’

    Victim-survivors told us they faced many barriers when seeking help.

    Some victim-survivors had moved away from family and friends for the perpetrator’s job and only socialised with other “police families”, leaving them isolated.

    One person said her perpetrator:

    used to bitch about DVs, like just how it’s that victim’s moment of 15  minutes of fame, a moment of attention.

    This made some victim-survivors reluctant to report abuse.

    When they did report abuse, many encountered police reluctance or refusal to take action against “one of their own”. One person said:

    I tried to report his stalking to the local police station. The moment I mentioned the name, I was pretty much told to get the fuck out.

    Other victim-survivors we interviewed said:

    I had to report at the police station where he works, where everybody knows everybody […] So the people coming to interview me are his colleagues […] You can’t trust them, you don’t feel safe, and even the police stations nearby, it’s still regional and they still work with each other.

    They just had a chat to him and he went, “No, that didn’t happen” and then that was it, he just got more and more and more empowered.

    Some victim-survivors in our study felt no amount of evidence was sufficient to see the perpetrator charged or convicted. One told us:

    Every time I spoke to a solicitor, they’d say, “Oh, well. You’ll have such a – you’ll have a far higher threshold to prove anything because he’s a police officer, and magistrates don’t like giving orders against police officers because they get made non-operational.”

    In some cases, the police perpetrator had the victim-survivor arrested or subjected to a domestic violence intervention order. One victim-survivor recounted:

    He’d wake you up all night, he’d break in, he’d destroy property, intimidation. He did do an assault but it wasn’t an assault — it didn’t leave a mark, but then he said that I had dug my fingernails into his hand and that’s what I was charged on the basis of. Minor, minor injury that I actually saw him do […] So I ended up with assault occasioning an actual bodily harm over that.

    What do you do when your abuser is a police officer?
    ymgerman/Shutterstock

    ‘I can call the police now if I want and get you sectioned’

    Some interviewees told us police officers can use police databases to get information (such as location) about the victim-survivor.

    In one case, a fellow police officer drove the perpetrator to the victim-survivor’s “secure” location.

    Police perpetrators can also draw on their knowledge and connection with broader formal institutions. One interviewee told us:

    He was convincing me that I had a mental health issue. He’d get me to a point where I’d be sobbing because he’d tell me everything that was wrong with me and berate me and then say, “I can call the police now if I want and get you sectioned and you have to go to [mental health facility] for the night”.

    Many interviewees expressed frustration that family violence cases where the perpetrator was a police officer are often not referred to Professional Standards Command, an internal police oversight body operating in most state and territory police forces.

    Calls for genuine accountability and independence

    Many victim-survivors interviewed said police perpetrators were not – in their experience – likely to be held accountable. One told us:

    Police sought [an intervention order] for my protection and this was granted for 12 months. He has his weapon taken from him, then returned two weeks later.

    Another said:

    He didn’t get sacked, they let him resign […] and now he’s on a nice cushy pension for the rest of his life.

    Another participant said her perpetrator was simply moved to another location.

    Cases were often handed back and forth between different police stations, Professional Standards Command, and other independent or semi-independent police bodies. There was often no transparency in how decisions were made and little – if any – communication with the victim-survivor about the progression of their case.

    Legal or professional repercussions were rare and minimal. They also often failed to stop the abuse, and allowed the perpetrator to keep their job.

    Some state and territory police forces, including Victoria Police and Tasmania Police, now have specific police officer-involved domestic violence policies.

    For example, Professional Standards Command in Victoria has a Sexual Offences and Family Violence Unit to investigate allegations that involve Victoria Police employees accused of family violence, sexual assault, serious sexual harassment and predatory behaviour.

    Victim-survivors welcomed this but expressed concern these new dedicated teams may remain vulnerable to the “boy’s club mentality” and information leaks.

    Ultimately, broader police responses to gender-based violence cannot improve while a problematic police culture persists.

    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.

    Ellen Reeves has received funding for family violence related research from the Australian Institute of Criminology, the Australian Research Council and Respect Victoria.

    Kate has received funding for family violence related research from a range of federal and state government and non-government sources. Currently, Kate receives funding from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS), the South Australian government, Safe Steps, Australian Childhood Foundation, and 54 Reasons. This piece is written by Kate Fitz-Gibbon in her role at Monash University and is wholly independent of Kate Fitz-Gibbon’s role as chair of Respect Victoria and membership on the Victorian Children’s Council.

    Sandra Walklate has received funding from the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Australian Research Council for family violence relayed research.

    Silke Meyer has received federal and state government funding for research and evaluation. She currently receives research funding from Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS), the Queensland government and non-government organisations.

    – ref. ‘He knows how to make sure that there is no evidence’: when your domestic violence abuser is a police officer – https://theconversation.com/he-knows-how-to-make-sure-that-there-is-no-evidence-when-your-domestic-violence-abuser-is-a-police-officer-250754

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lyons Resident Charged In Connection With Series of Incidents At Loveland Tesla Dealership

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, 42, of Lyons, Colorado, was charged by complaint with one count of malicious destruction of property for a series of incidents at the Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado.

    According to the complaint, on January 29, Loveland Police received a call reporting a fire near a Cyber Truck located at the Tesla dealership. Investigators discovered an incendiary device, commonly referred to as a “Molotov cocktail” next to the vehicle. Additionally, on February 2, Loveland Police received a report of graffiti on the Tesla dealership sign where black spray paint was used to write the word “NAZI.” On February 7, police received a call for graffiti and possible arson at Tesla. During that investigation police found multiple broken bottles consistent with incendiary devices. On February 11, a security guard at the dealership came into contact with a person painting graffiti, which used an expletive, on the front windows of the building. On February 24, police confronted Nelson at the dealership. Inside Nelson’s car, police found a container of gasoline plus a box of bottles and wick material which were similar to the items police recovered after the prior incidents.

    The defendant made an initial appearance in front of Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Denver Field Office, and the Loveland Police Department are handling the investigation.  The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution.

    Case Number: 1:25-mj-00043-NRN

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Louisiana Men Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Armed Robbery of Undercover Federal Agent

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MICHAEL LOTT (“LOTT”), age 51, DIANTA TROPEZ (“TROPEZ”), age 30, and VERNELL WOODARD (“WOODARD”), age 23, all residents of New Orleans, were sentenced on February 18 and 19, 2025, by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle for the armed robbery of an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) special agent that resulted in the agent’s paralysis from the shoulders down, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

    According to court records, VERNELL WOODARD and three other co-defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine to an undercover ATF agent and another individual on August 29, 2023 at a Westbank, New Orleans apartment.  The plan came to fruition when the conspirators sold the undercover ATF agent approximately seven grams of pure methamphetamine.

    After this August 29 methamphetamine distribution deal was completed, VERNELL WOODARD arranged for the undercover ATF agent and the other individual to return to the apartment the following day to purchase more drugs. When the undercover ATF agent and the other individual arrived at the apartment complex the next day, WOODARD told them to return to the same apartment.  As they were coming upstairs, MICHAEL LOTT, armed with an AR-15 style weapon,hid in a closet inside the apartment. Once the undercover ATF agent and the other individual were inside the apartment, DIANTA TROPEZ entered, pointed a Glock pistol at the undercover ATF agent and the other individual, and demanded they get down and hand over their possessions.  Simultaneously, MICHAEL LOTT emerged from the closet, pointed the AR-15 style weapon at them, and demanded they turn over their possessions.

    Other agents monitoring the deal, realized something was wrong and responded.  Once LOTT and TROPEZ heard the law enforcement response, they stopped the robbery, and everyone in the apartment tried to flee.  The undercover ATF agent and the other individual went onto the third-floor apartment balcony and began climbing down to escape.  During their climb, the agent fell and sustained severe injuries, resulting in his paralysis.

    As a result of this criminal conduct, MICHAEL LOTT, DIANTA TROPEZ, VERNELL WOODARD, and three others were charged in an eleven-count superseding indictment with various offense related to the drug trafficking and the armed robbery.

    On September 13, 2024, DIANTA TROPEZ pleaded guilty to several crimes including, conspiring to rob a person of money belonging to the United States, armed robbery of a person of money belonging to the United States, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, assaulting an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  On October 2, 2024, MICHAEL LOTT pleaded guilty to the same charges as TROPEZ.  On November 22, 2024, VERNELL WOODARD pleaded guilty to the methamphetamine conspiracy and distribution charges, as well as all the charges related to his participation in the armed robbery and to maintaining a drug involved premises.

    During three lengthy sentencing hearings, the Court heard from the injured special agent, as well as members of his family and other special agents who had worked with the injured agent.  Judge Lemelle imposed sentences on all three defendants convicted of participating in the robbery that were well above the recommended guidelines ranges.  Judge Lemelle sentenced LOTT to 300 months of imprisonment.  He also sentenced TROPEZ to 284 months of imprisonment, and WOODARD to 209 months of imprisonment.  Each defendant was also placed on a five-year term of supervised release following release from imprisonment and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 per count.

    “Following the lengthy sentences imposed on Michael Lott, Dianta Tropez, and Vernell Woodard, our community is a bit safer,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson.  “We take any violence against law enforcement very seriously.  Although we cannot undo the tragic events in this case ultimately, justice was achieved, not only for the ATF special agent so grievously injured by this crime, but also for, law enforcement professionals and the community at large.  Violent criminals, bent on preying upon our citizens, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “The substantial sentencings of Michael Lott, Dianta Tropez, and Vernell Woodard signifies that each defendant will be held accountable for engaging in violent crime in the community,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson.  “Holding accountable offenders who commit violent crimes against law enforcement, like our Special Agent in this case, and protecting the public are cornerstones of what our agency seeks to accomplish.  No matter how long it takes, we will investigate, arrest, prosecute and ensure accountability for those violent criminals and to remove them from the community as we are working to keep our neighborhoods safe.”

    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.

    The investigation giving rise to the superseding indictment was conducted primarily by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department and Crimestoppers GNO.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator, and Nolan Paige, Chief of the Narcotics Unit.

    *        *       *

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, from April 2020 through January 2022, Abdikadir Ainashe Mohamud, a.k.a. “AK,” 33, claimed to be operating a child nutrition site in Willmar, Minnesota, a small town with a total population of approximately 21,000. Mohamud ran his food site, Stigma-Free Willmar, under the sponsorship of Feeding our Future. In October 2020, Mohamud approached the owner of FaaFan restaurant and offered to pay him monthly so that he could claim the small storefront restaurant as a Stigma-Free Willmar food site. By October 20, 2020, less than a month after registering the Stigma-Free Willmar site, Mohamud claimed to be serving meals to 3,000 children per day, seven days a week from FaaFan. Mohamud created a shell company, Tunyar Trading, and claimed it was a meal vendor for the Stigma-Free Willmar food site. Between November 2020 and December 2021, Mohamud and his co-conspirators claimed to have served approximately 1.6 million meals to children through Stigma-Free Willmar.

    To accomplish their scheme, Mohamud and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted fake meal counts, invoices, and attendance rosters. Mohamud ultimately transferred more than $2.5 million from Tunyar Trading to himself and other co-conspirators. He also created another shell company called Five A’s Projects LLC, where he transferred more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. These proceeds were used to purchase the former location of Kelly’s 19th Hole, a bar and restaurant in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

    According to court documents, Mohamud paid more than $225,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Tunyar Trading LLC to Abdikerm Eidleh, a Feeding Our Future employee who served as the site support manager for the Stigma-Free Willmar site, in exchange for sponsoring and facilitating Stigma-Free Willmar’s fraudulent participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. In exchange, Feeding Our Future received nearly $500,000 in administrative fees for sponsoring the Stigma-Free Willmar site’s participation in the program.  In December 2021, the defendant paid $5,750 to a GoFundMe account for Feeding Our Future created by Aimee Bock.

    In total, Stigma-Free Willmar received over $5.3 million in payments from Feeding Our Future based on fraudulent claims. As part of his sentence, Mohamud was ordered to forfeit the Kelly’s 19th Hole property, and $378,207.20 in fraudulent funds seized from his Tunyar Trading LLC bank account.

    Mohamud pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

    The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Four New Orleans Men Indicted for Selling Fentanyl and Methamphetamine and Multiple Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that SHERWIN WHITE (“WHITE”), age 29, LIONEL WINDING, JR. (“WINDING”), age 20, LORENZO SMITH (“SMITH”), age 19, and ANDRE MILLS (“MILLS”), age 37, were indicted on February 21, 2025, in a 20-count indictment for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts.

    WHITE, WINDING, SMITH, and MILLS are all charged in Count 1 of the indictment with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846.

    WHITE, WINDING, and SMITH are each charged with distributing various quantities of fentanyl in Counts 2 and 3 and distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Counts 4 and 8, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C).  WHITE and MILLS are also charged with distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Count 12, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). WHITE is additionally charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl in Count 16, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A).  WINDING is additionally charged in Count 19 with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D).

    As to their firearms crimes, WHITE, WINDING, and SMITH are each charged in Counts 6 and 10, and WHITE and MILLS are charged in Count 13, with carrying firearms during, and in relation to, a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).  WINDING is charged in Counts 5, 9, and 20, and WHITE is charged in Count 17, with possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).  WHITE is also charged in Counts 7, 11, 14, and 18, and MILLS is charged in Count 15, with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).

    According to the indictment, between November of 2024 and January of 2025, the defendants distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine and conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, those substances.  On January 30, 2025, WHITE and WINDING possessed additional controlled substances with the intent to distribute them.  The indictment also alleges that the defendants carried firearms during three of the drug distributions and that WINDING also possessed a firearm in furtherance of two of the distributions.  The indictment further alleges that, on four different dates, WHITE illegally possessed firearms, after previously being convicted of distribution of heroin, and, on one of those dates, MILLS also illegally possessed firearms, after previously being convicted of distribution of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  In total, the indictment alleges that the defendants committed federal crimes involving 17 firearms.

    As to the conspiracy charge in Count 1, all four defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison up to life, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release up to life. WHITE also faces the same penalties for his possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of methamphetamine charge in Count 16.

    As to the fentanyl distribution charge in Count 2, WHITE, WINDING, and SMITH face up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. WINDING faces the same penalties for his possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana charge in Count 19.

    As to the charge of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl in Count 3, and each of the charges of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Counts 4, 8, and 12, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to 40 years, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release up to life.

    As to each of the charges of carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in Counts 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 17, and 20, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, which must run consecutively to each other and all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.

    As to each of the felon in possession charges in Counts 7, 11, 14, 15, and 18, WHITE and MILLS face up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.

    WHITE is also charged with a sentencing enhancement based on his prior convictions for distributing heroin that raises his mandatory minimum sentence for Count 1 to 15 years in prison.

    Altogether, WHITE faces a cumulative mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years in prison; WINDING faces a cumulative mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison; SMITH faces a cumulative mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison; and MILLS faces a cumulative mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.

    Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

    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.

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Southern California Men Arrested on Indictment Alleging Scheme Targeting Elderly Victims and Causing $10 Million in Losses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Two men living in Southern California were arrested today for allegedly leading a complex money laundering scheme that targeted more than 100 victims, many of whom were targeted because they were elderly, and caused victims more than $10 million in losses.

    Sylas Nyuydzene Verdzekov, 38, of Chino Hills, and Lovert Che, 44, of Lomita, were taken into federal custody today. A third defendant, Mustapha Nkachiwouo Selly Yamie, 29, of Inglewood, is being sought by law enforcement. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    Verdzekov and Che are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

    “As the indictment alleges, these defendants built a sophisticated fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted and preyed on our most vulnerable citizens.  They not only stole the victims’ money, but robbed them of their security and trust,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Let this serve as a clear message: If you defraud members of our community, especially the elderly, we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

    “Financial fraud against our elder population has unfortunately lined the pockets of several transnational criminal organizations,” said HSI Los Angeles Acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “HSI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting our most vulnerable and ensuring the public is informed of the red flag indicators of elder fraud.”

    According to the indictment, from at least November 2021 and continuing to the present, Verdzekov, Yamie, and Che, and their co-conspirators, created fake identification documents of fictitious people, including passports and driver’s licenses. Using these fake documents, the defendants and their co-conspirators created at least 36 shell companies in California, which conducted no legitimate business and were created solely to advance their crimes.

    Verdzekov, Yamie, and Che, and their co-conspirators, opened at least 145 bank accounts and at least 32 private mailboxes across Southern California using the fake identities and sham businesses.

    In one scheme specifically targeting elderly victims using phone calls and email pop-ups, the defendants and their co-conspirators posed as law enforcement personnel or employees with well-known companies attempting to help the victims maintain the security of their accounts. They then allegedly fabricated claims of victim bank accounts or payment accounts being compromised and needing to be resolved quickly.

    The defendants and their co-conspirators convinced the victims of their purported authority through pictures of fake badges and fake job titles, then requested the victims’ personally identifiable information (PII) and bank account information. Victims were told they needed to move money from their corrupted accounts quickly to ensure they kept all their money, and to move it into accounts that Verdzekov, Yamie, and Che, and their co-conspirators, fraudulently opened and controlled. Victims typically moved money via electronic bank transfers, money orders, cashier’s checks, or personal checks into these fraudulent bank accounts or mailboxes. 

    The defendants and their co-conspirators then deposited the ill-gotten gains into the bank accounts they controlled with the intent of disguising the ownership and control of the funds. Verdzekov, Yamie, Che, and their co-conspirators then withdrew large cash amounts to use the stolen funds on personal expenses, including rental payments.

    In a similar scam, the defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly posed as a real estate owner selling property. Using fake identification and credentials, the defendants deceived victims into believing that they were entering into a legitimate sale of the property and tricked the victims into wiring money or mailing a check to an account or mailbox the defendants and their co-conspirators controlled.

    In total, Verdzekov, Yamie, and Che, and their co-conspirators, laundered at least $10 million in funds taken from at least 100 victims. 

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

    If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    Homeland Security Investigations’ Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, the FBI’s Honolulu Field Office, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating this matter.  The investigation remains ongoing.

    If you think you have been a victim of a scam, immediately contact your bank or financial institution to request a recall or reversal as well as a Hold Harmless Letter or Letter of Indemnity and contact local law enforcement. Additionally, file a detailed complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. The Internet Crime Complaint Center is run by the FBI and serves as the country’s hub for reporting cybercrime. 

    Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah S. Lee and Gregg E. Marmaro of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Corona Man Who Sold Stan Lee Memorabilia Agrees to Plead Guilty to Tax Fraud of More Than $1.2 Million in Income

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County man has agreed to plead guilty to filing false income tax returns after selling Stan Lee-signed memorabilia and receiving more than $1.2 million in proceeds which he never reported to the IRS, the Justice Department announced today.

    Mac Martin Anderson, 59, of Corona, has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of willfully subscribing to a false tax return, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for each charge.

    According to his plea agreement, from 2015 to 2018, Anderson had a personal relationship with Marvel Comics publisher Stan Lee and sold Marvel-related items bearing Lee’s autograph to various dealers, brokers and fans at comic conventions.

    In exchange for selling these memorabilia, Anderson received payments from buyers, typically in the form of cash or checks. These payments were considered regular income by the IRS and should have been reported on Anderson’s income tax return each year that he received money.

    For tax years 2015 through 2018, income from the sold memorabilia totaled $289,460, $452,269, $414,166, and $80,590, respectively. In total, Anderson admitted to profiting approximately $1,236,485 in reportable income from the memorabilia sales which resulted in him owing the IRS approximately $482,833.

    As part of his plea agreement, Anderson agreed to pay restitution to the IRS of approximately $482,833.

    The IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Aveis of the Major Frauds Section and Sarah E. Spielberger of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three Defendants Sentenced To Prison For Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RENO – Three individuals were sentenced Tuesday for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in Reno. They all participated in multiple drug buys involving pounds of methamphetamine for thousands of dollars, totaling over 33 kilograms of methamphetamine distributed into Reno. 

    Saul Nolasco (25), of Lodi, California, and Maria Valenzuela (64) and Xochitl Sanchez-Pacheco (38), both of Sinaloa, Mexico, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. United States District Judge Miranda M. Du sentenced Nolasco to 41 months in prison; Valenzuela to 33 months in prison, and Sanchez-Pacheco to 30 months in prison. 

    According to court documents and admissions made in court, from January 20, 2023 to October 8, 2023, Nolasco, Valenzuela, and Sanchez-Pacheco conspired together to distribute 33 kilograms of methamphetamine into the Reno community. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance. 

    Nolasco worked with his brother who was located in Mexico. Nolasco acted as the drug trafficking organization’s boots on the ground in Nevada and California. He collected and handled cash payments; obtained and stored large quantities of methamphetamine at his house; and distributed large quantities of methamphetamine to various buyers in Reno and elsewhere. 

    Valenzuela conducted multiple drug transactions involving pounds of methamphetamine, where she was responsible for the delivery of methamphetamine as well as the collection of cash payments of thousands of dollars behalf of the drug trafficking organization. In November 2023, Valenzuela was caught at the border with her daughter moving 97 pounds of methamphetamine across the U.S.-Mexico border. The van was outfitted with trap compartments used to conceal the drugs.

    Sanchez-Pacheco delivered large quantities of methamphetamine in both Reno and Modesto, California. She collected the money associated with those deliveries, one of which involved $5,500.

    The fourth co-defendant, Bobby Jo Kissel (54), pleaded guilty in October 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.

    Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the DEA Las Vegas District Office made the announcement.

    The DEA investigated the case, along with the Regional Narcotics Unit, Washoe County Sherriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Modesto Police Department, HSI, USMS, Nevada Department of Investigation and Nevada Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Andolyn Johnson prosecuted the case.

    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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man charged with firearms trafficking

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Man charged with firearms trafficking

    Friday, 28 February 2025 – 9:57 am.

    Investigators have charged a 48-year-old Herdsmans Cove man with firearms trafficking and other offences as part of an ongoing police operation.
    Officers from Glenorchy and Bridgewater Criminal Investigation Branches executed a search warrant at a Herdsmans Cove address yesterday, locating several mobile phones, firearms and firearms parts and ammunition.
    The man was arrested at the scene and police will allege he has been trafficking and storing illegal firearms.
    He was charged with unlawful trafficking in firearms and other firearms, drug and family violence offences and is expected to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court this morning.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Work begins on new refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence in Newcastle LGA

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Published: 28 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Homelessness, Minister for the Hunter, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

    The NSW Government is building a safer New South Wales for women and children escaping domestic violence with construction beginning on a new emergency refuge in the Newcastle LGA.

    Home in Place has started building the nine-unit Core and Cluster complex that will feature a central hub of on-site support services to help victim-survivors rebuild their lives and heal from trauma. The site will also have a dedicated yarning space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

    The NSW Government is investing $8.97 million into the construction, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

    The Core and Cluster model promotes independent living by providing a ‘cluster’ of self-contained accommodation located next to a ‘core’ of support including access to counselling, legal assistance, education, and employment support.

    The NSW Government has invested $426.6 million over four years in the Core and Cluster program to ensure support for more than an additional 2,900 women and children fleeing domestic and family violence across the state each year.

    This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s work to address domestic and family violence in the state from every angle – by investing in primary prevention, early intervention, crisis responses and recovery. Making sure women and children have a safe place to go when they escape abuse is crucial to their recovery and helping them rebuild their lives.

    Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said:

    “Women fleeing abusive relationships need a safe and secure place to rebuild their lives, free from violence and the fear that comes with it.

    “Core and Cluster refuges have already made a significant difference giving women and children a secure place to turn to when they need it most.

    “With more Core and Cluster refuges underway—including right here in the Newcastle LGA—the NSW Government remains committed to providing women and children with the safety and support they deserve.”

    Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said:

    “Having a safe place to stay is a crucial element in helping women and children escape domestic violence and recover.

    “We want victim-survivors to know they have somewhere safe to go, with 49 brand new refuges under the Core and Cluster program expected to be operational across the state by 2026. Having services on site also means support is available when they need it most to help them heal, regain their confidence and rebuild their lives.

    “This new refuge in the Newcastle LGA is an important addition to the region, as we work towards building a New South Wales free from domestic and family violence.”

    Minister for Hunter Yasmin Catley said:

    “Domestic and family violence is a huge issue all over NSW, and the Hunter is stepping up to be part of the solution – giving victim-survivors a safe space and a fresh start.

    “We know the hardest part of leaving an unsafe situation is taking that first step, so we’re giving victims the confidence that once they’ve made it, the rest is taken care of – with the solutions they need for the journey ahead, right at their fingertips.”

    Lyndall Robertshaw, CEO Australia of Home in Place, said:

    “With almost four decades of experience in delivering housing projects for people who are most in need in our community, we understand the importance of designing safe spaces that encourage healing and rebuilding.

    “Safe, appropriate housing is a fundamental human right. If you are worrying and organising where you or your family will sleep that night, it is very hard to work, study, raise children, take care of your physical or mental health or contribute to your community.”

    Support:

    If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, call the Police on Triple Zero / 000.

    If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic and family violence, call the NSW Domestic Violence Line on 1800 65 64 63 for free counselling and referrals, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    For confidential advice, support, and referrals, contact 1800 RESPECT or 13 YARN.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Grassley, Heinrich Applaud Senate Committee Passage of Legislation to Combat Illegal Fentanyl

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) applaud the passage of the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. The HALT Fentanyl Act makes permanent the temporary classification of fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The drug’s Schedule I classification is set to expire on March 31, 2025. The HALT Fentanyl Act builds on the momentum of the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues (SOFA) Act introduced by U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI).
    “Chinese fentanyl was pouring into the U.S. under President Biden’s open border. Law enforcement needs every tool possible to combat this,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I am grateful for Chairman Grassley’s quick work to move this through the Judiciary Committee. Let’s make it law.”
    “The Senate Judiciary Committee’s broad, bipartisan passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act is an important step towards ending our nation’s deadly opioid epidemic,” said Senator Grassley. “Congress has a dwindling shot clock to pass this bill before fentanyl-related substances’ Schedule I status runs out. I urge my congressional colleagues to continue moving this legislation forward, so we can make permanent scheduling of fentanyl analogs the law of the land.” 
    “The HALT Fentanyl Act incorporates the permanent scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, which I first introduced in 2017 in the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Act (SOFA). SOFA served as the template for the Trump administration’s temporary scheduling rule in 2018, and it recognizes the admirable devotion of Wisconsinites Dr. Tim Westlake and Lauri Badura. Ms. Badura founded Saving Others For Archie and made it her life’s mission to end the fentanyl crisis after losing her son, Archie, to fentanyl poisoning. I’m pleased SOFA will advance to the Senate floor under the HALT Fentanyl Act,”said Senator Johnson. 
    “I’m pleased that my HALT Fentanyl Act is one step closer to becoming law,” said Senator Heinrich. “My legislation now heads to the Senate floor, and I urge my colleagues to pass it. The HALT Fentanyl Act is urgently needed to help our law enforcement crack down on illegal trafficking, get deadly fentanyl out of our communities, and save lives.” 
    The bill now awaits a vote on the U.S. Senate floor. President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has confirmed that, if Congress passes the bill in its current form, the president will sign it.
    Additionally, the bill has 24 U.S. Senate cosponsors and is supported by 40 advocacy groups, including 25 State Attorneys General, 11 major law enforcement organizations, nine major medical associations and Facing Fentanyl, a coalition of over 200 impacted family groups.
    Background:
    Drug overdoses, largely driven by fentanyl, are the leading cause of death among young adults 18 to 45 years old. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl account for 66 percent of the total U.S. overdose deaths. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023. This was primarily fueled by synthetic opioids, including illegal fentanyl, which are largely manufactured in Mexico from raw materials supplied by China. In 2022, there were over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), more than doubling the amount seized in 2021.
    In 2017, Johnson introduced SOFA in the U.S. Senate following the Wisconsin legislature’s unanimous adoption of a bill that mirrors the HALT Fentanyl Act. In 2019, Cassidy became a cosponsor of SOFA. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Cortez Masto Seek to Boost Investment in Local Police Departments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today reintroduced the bipartisan Invest to Protect Act to increase local law enforcement’s access to training, mental health support, and recruitment and retention resources.

    “Law enforcement in Iowa and across the nation are struggling with low recruitment and retention rates,” Grassley said. “Our bipartisan bill would unlock access to critical resources, allowing local law enforcement to grow and strengthen their forces. As always, I’m proud to back the blue and will continue to protect and support our courageous officers.”

    “Nevada’s small police departments deserve more access to critical funding to keep communities safe,” Cortez Masto said. “I’ll always stand up for our law enforcement, and this bipartisan bill is simple – it gets our police in rural, suburban and Tribal communities the resources they need.”

    Additional cosponsors include Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

    The Invest to Protect Act is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the National Association of Police Organizations, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the National Criminal Justice Association, the National Troopers Coalition, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the National Tactical Officers Coalition, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the United Coalition of Public Safety, the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, the New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police, the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association, the New Jersey State Troopers Fraternal Association, the Port Authority PBA, the NJ State Troopers Non-Commissioned Officers Association and the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers.

    Download bill text HERE.

    Background:

    Most police departments in the U.S. employ fewer than 200 full-time officers. In Iowa and across the country, these departments struggle to compete with larger law enforcement agencies for access to critical resources.

    The Invest to Protect Act establishes a grant program through Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), setting aside $250 million to help local law enforcement agencies invest in their officers and communities. The bill also simplifies the grant application process to boost small agencies’ access to funding.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Judiciary Committee Advances HALT Fentanyl Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today voted to advance the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act. The bipartisan legislation, led by Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), would permanently classify fentanyl-related substances before their temporary Schedule I status expires on March 31, 2025.  

    The HALT Fentanyl Act was passed out of Committee by a bipartisan vote of 16-5. Attorney General Pam Bondi has endorsed the legislation. President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget has confirmed that, if Congress passes the bill in its current form, the president will sign it. 

    “The Senate Judiciary Committee’s broad, bipartisan passage of the HALT Fentanyl Act is an important step towards ending our nation’s deadly opioid epidemic,” Grassley said. “Congress has a dwindling shot clock to pass this bill before fentanyl-related substances’ Schedule I status runs out. I urge my congressional colleagues to continue moving this legislation forward, so we can make permanent scheduling of fentanyl analogs the law of the land.” 

    “Chinese fentanyl was pouring into the U.S. under President Biden’s open border. Law enforcement needs every tool possible to combat this,” Cassidy said. “I am grateful for Chairman Grassley’s quick work to move this through the Judiciary Committee. Let’s make it law.” 

    “I’m pleased that my HALT Fentanyl Act is one step closer to becoming law,” Heinrich said. “My legislation now heads to the Senate floor, and I urge my colleagues to pass it. The HALT Fentanyl Act is urgently needed to help our law enforcement crack down on illegal trafficking, get deadly fentanyl out of our communities, and save lives.” 

    The HALT Fentanyl Act is supported by over 40 major advocacy groups, including a coalition of over 200 impacted family groups. Learn more about the bill’s widespread support HERE. 

    Download bill text HERE and a fact sheet HERE. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fourteenth and Final Defendant Convicted in Federal Dog Fighting Case

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    All 14 defendants in a large-scale federal dog fighting case indicted last year in Albany, Georgia, have now been convicted. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia has accepted the guilty pleas of the following defendants:

    • Tamichael Elijah, 48, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Marvin Pulley, III, 53, of Donalsonville and Jakin, Georgia;
    • Brandon Baker, 42, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Christopher Travis Beaumont, 38, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Herman Buggs, Jr., 57, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Terrance Davis, 46, of Pansey, Alabama;
    • Timothy Freeman, 27, of Bainbridge, Georgia;
    • Terelle Ganzy, 35, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Gary Hopkins, 67, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Cornelious Johnson, 40, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Rodrecus Kimble, 44, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Donnametric Miller, 42, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Willie Russell, 43, of Blakely, Georgia; and
    • Fredricus White, 36, of Panama City, Florida.

    According to court documents filed in this case, the defendants all converged on a property in Donalsonville, Georgia, on April 24, 2022, where they held a large-scale dog fighting event. The defendants and others brought a total of 24 pit bull-type dogs to be fought that weekend in a series of matches. Law enforcement personnel who disrupted the event found numerous dogs inside crates in cars on the property.

    The participants used their cars to store dogs who had already been fought, as well as those whose handlers were awaiting their turn in the fighting pit. Some dogs were kept on chains on the property. Law enforcement rescued a total of 27 dogs, including one found in the pit with severe injuries and which died a shortly thereafter. Dogs in the cars also bore recent injuries and historical fighting scars.

    Under federal law, it is illegal not only to fight dogs in a venture that affects interstate commerce, but also to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase or receive dogs for fighting purposes.

    All defendants but Freeman pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to violate the animal fighting prohibition of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Defendants Beaumont and Miller also pleaded guilty to sponsoring or exhibiting (i.e., handling) a dog in a dog fight. Defendants Baker, Davis, Ganzy, Johnson, Pulley, and White further pleaded guilty to possessing and transporting a dog for purposes of using the dog in an animal fighting venture. Freeman pleaded guilty to spectating at an animal fight. Defendants Miller and Pulley also pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm by a person with a prior felony conviction.

    Russell is set to be sentenced on Feb. 28. The court has not yet set sentencing dates for the other defendants. Each defendant faces maximum penalties of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count of animal fighting charges. Miller also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the firearm charge, and Pulley faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on his firearm charge.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker for the Middle District of Georgia made the announcement.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General and detectives with the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Detectives with the Bay County, Florda, Sheriff’s Office also provided invaluable assistance.

    Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy and Trial Attorney Leigh Rendé of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from Criminal Chief Leah McEwen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrill and Paralegal Kristi Cote for the Middle District of Georgia handled a parallel civil forfeiture proceeding to ensure that the dogs did not have to be returned to the defendants. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Florida and Middle District of Alabama also assisted with the dog rescue operation. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ansonia Man Arrested in Stamford Charged with Fentanyl Trafficking Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that DAQWON GRAHAM, also known as “Seagull” and “Energy,” 30, of Ansonia, was arrested yesterday on a federal criminal complaint charging him with fentanyl trafficking offenses.

    As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Graham as a large-scale fentanyl distributor in and around Fairfield County.  Investigators also connected Graham’s drug trafficking activities to an overdose death of a male victim in Branford in March 2023, and an overdose death of a female victim in Shelton in October 2024.  In January and February 2025, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Graham.

    On February 26, 2025, Graham was arrested on High Ridge Road in Stamford.  It is alleged that Graham possessed approximately 400 grams of fentanyl at the time of his arrest.

    Following his arrest, Graham appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.

    The complaint charges Graham with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and with use of a communications device to facilitate a drug trafficking felony, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of four years.

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

    This matter is being investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.  The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pineville Man Sentenced to More than 27 Years in Prison for His Role in the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Production of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Daniel Perryman Collins, 34, of Pineville, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 325 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on child pornography charges.  

    This case is the result of an investigation into individuals using the dark web to communicate with others regarding exploiting children on the internet and causing them to produce child pornography. From January to November 2023, Collins and his co-defendant, Michael Bo Peacock, both together and individually, for their sexual gratification, caused minor children to produce child pornographic and sexually explicit images and videos of themselves by the use of threats and blackmail. Collins conducted all of this illegal activity in Pineville, Louisiana, while Peacock was located in the Dallas, Texas area. 

    According to information introduced in court, Collins and Peacock both participated in meeting children and coercing/blackmailing the children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to produce videos of that conduct. Peacock would often contact a minor victim online and through various social media platforms, including SnapChat, and he and Collins would convince the minor victim to engage in sexually explicit activity and provide a video of that conduct. Collins and Peacock would then blackmail and threaten the victims to provide additional sexually explicit material. As part of the conspiracy, Collins utilized advanced security measures so that those images and materials could not be traced back to himself or Peacock. 

    Collins and Peacock gave each other access to all of the child pornography they had caused minor victims to produce by obtaining an account with an overseas cloud-based file hosting service, so they could post and share the child pornography images and videos that they had produced or obtained. Both defendants had an encryption key to use to access the material they had posted to the site. Through their investigation, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Child Exploitation Operational Unit determined that Collins and Peacock exploited over 100 child victims and caused them to create child pornography. These images and videos were posted to their shared file hosting account.

    On November 16, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Collins’ residence in Pineville. During the search, law enforcement agents obtained access to the cloud-based file hosting account of Collins and Peacock and were able to download all of the child pornography images and videos which they had created and posted to the account. 

    Collins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity on November 21, 2024. Peacock pleaded guilty to the same charges on December 23, 2024, and will be sentenced at a later date. 

    “The sexual exploitation of minor children and the activities that these men participated in is horrendous and sickening,” said Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “These types of cases are becoming more prevalent in the United States and internationally and can happen in your own neighborhood. We encourage parents to be vigilant in keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity that your children could potentially be exposed to. We will continue to work to uncover this type of illegal activity and protect our minor children from offenders like this.”

    “Through relentless investigations and cutting-edge technology, the FBI works every day to uncover hidden networks, identify victims and bring perpetrators to justice,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough. “Today’s sentencing sends the message that the FBI is committed to protecting vulnerable lives and ensuring no predator can thrive at the expense of our children.”

    The case was investigated by the FBI’s Headquarter-based Child Exploitation Operation Unit, with assistance from the FBI’s New Orleans and Dallas Field Offices, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danny Siefker.

    To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. 

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to Defraud Boone County Schools Out of $3.4 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jesse Marks, 65, of Rush, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Marks admitted to conspiring with Michael David Barker to overbill the Boone County Schools system while Barker was its maintenance director.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Marks was the sole owner and operator of Rush Enterprises when Barker contacted him in November 2019 about Rush Enterprises selling custodial and janitorial supplies to Boone County Schools. Marks agreed and began supplying Boone County Schools with supplies including hand soap, trash can liners, facemasks, face shields, and hand sanitizer.

    Marks admitted that he and Barker entered into the overbilling scheme in November 2019. Barker submitted invoices to Boone County Schools on behalf of Rush Enterprises that significantly inflated the number of products that it was delivering. Boone County Schools relied on the fraudulent invoices and mailed checks to Rush Enterprises using the United States Postal Service.

    As part of the agreement with Barker, Marks deposited the checks from Boone County Schools into the business bank account for Rush Enterprises, wrote himself checks on that account that he cashed at various banks, and personally delivered some of that cash to Barker in manila envelopes. Marks admitted that he and Barker initially agreed to evenly split the proceeds of the overbilling scheme after deducting the cost of the products actually delivered to Boone County Schools. Marks further admitted that their agreement changed in October 2020, when Barker began receiving 55 percent of the fraudulent profits.

    Marks estimated that approximately 80 percent of the total payments received by Rush enterprises from Boone County Schools, or $3,448,571.85 out of $4,310,714.82, was for products never delivered.

    Marks is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Marks also owes restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court.

    A federal grand jury returned an 18-count indictment on December 11, 2024, charging Barker, 47, of Foster, with mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and money laundering. Barker’s trial is scheduled for April 15, 2025. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the West Virginia State Police, and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Department of Education.

    United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price is prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-6.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Indicted for Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

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

    Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the  unsealing of an indictment charging Rigoberto Rios Gallardo (31, Los Angeles, California) with three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted on all counts, Rios Gallardo faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. 

    According to the indictment, on three dates in August and September 2024, Rios Gallardo used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction. Between August and December 2024, Rios Gallardo knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor to engage in sexual activity.

    An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the North Port Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sanford Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Enticement of a Minor

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

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Matthew Reed Dione (37, Sanford) to 20 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Dione will also forfeit two hard drives and a cellphone, which were used to commit the offense. Dione entered a guilty plea on July 2, 2024.

    According to court documents, Dione met a child victim on a teen dating website when Dione was 32 years old. He engaged in inappropriate chats with the child victim prior to picking up the victim from the victim’s home late at night and taking the victim to his home. At his home, Dione sexually abused the child and recorded the activity. 

    In January 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Dione’s home and seized multiple electronic devices. During a forensic extraction of the seized devices, the FBI located numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse. In many of those videos and images, the minors had Dione’s name written on their bodies. The FBI was able to identify three additional child victims from the child sexual abuse material found on Dione’s devices. The evidence on the devices showed that Dione had been targeting teenage girls for more than a decade.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Child Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison

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

    Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Chad Allen Pease (49, Fort Pierce) to 22 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice or induce a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender. A federal jury found Pease guilty on November 20, 2024.

    According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2024, Pease began communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) whom Pease believed to be the father of a 13-year-old girl. Over the course of the conversation, Pease made plans to meet up with the UC and his “daughter” so that Pease could have sex with the child. Pease drove 18 miles to the meeting location and conducted counter-surveillance before fleeing the scene. Law enforcement identified Pease, reconstructed his activities that evening, and later arrested him at his residence.

    Pease was previously convicted of a sex offense in 2008, after sending explicit photographs and traveling to have sex with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. He has been required to register as a sex offender ever since. 

    “This predator intentionally singled out a child, devised a plan, and executed it with the sole purpose of harming the most vulnerable in our community” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI investigators, alongside our partners, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, have successfully removed another predator from the streets.”

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fourteenth and Final Defendant Convicted in Federal Dog Fighting Case

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    All 14 defendants in a large-scale federal dog fighting case indicted last year in Albany, Georgia, have now been convicted. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia has accepted the guilty pleas of the following defendants:

    • Tamichael Elijah, 48, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Marvin Pulley, III, 53, of Donalsonville and Jakin, Georgia;
    • Brandon Baker, 42, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Christopher Travis Beaumont, 38, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Herman Buggs, Jr., 57, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Terrance Davis, 46, of Pansey, Alabama;
    • Timothy Freeman, 27, of Bainbridge, Georgia;
    • Terelle Ganzy, 35, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Gary Hopkins, 67, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Cornelious Johnson, 40, of Panama City, Florida;
    • Rodrecus Kimble, 44, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Donnametric Miller, 42, of Donalsonville, Georgia;
    • Willie Russell, 43, of Blakely, Georgia; and
    • Fredricus White, 36, of Panama City, Florida.

    According to court documents filed in this case, the defendants all converged on a property in Donalsonville, Georgia, on April 24, 2022, where they held a large-scale dog fighting event. The defendants and others brought a total of 24 pit bull-type dogs to be fought that weekend in a series of matches. Law enforcement personnel who disrupted the event found numerous dogs inside crates in cars on the property.

    The participants used their cars to store dogs who had already been fought, as well as those whose handlers were awaiting their turn in the fighting pit. Some dogs were kept on chains on the property. Law enforcement rescued a total of 27 dogs, including one found in the pit with severe injuries and which died a shortly thereafter. Dogs in the cars also bore recent injuries and historical fighting scars.

    Under federal law, it is illegal not only to fight dogs in a venture that affects interstate commerce, but also to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase or receive dogs for fighting purposes.

    All defendants but Freeman pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to violate the animal fighting prohibition of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Defendants Beaumont and Miller also pleaded guilty to sponsoring or exhibiting (i.e., handling) a dog in a dog fight. Defendants Baker, Davis, Ganzy, Johnson, Pulley, and White further pleaded guilty to possessing and transporting a dog for purposes of using the dog in an animal fighting venture. Freeman pleaded guilty to spectating at an animal fight. Defendants Miller and Pulley also pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm by a person with a prior felony conviction.

    Russell is set to be sentenced on Feb. 28. The court has not yet set sentencing dates for the other defendants. Each defendant faces maximum penalties of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count of animal fighting charges. Miller also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the firearm charge, and Pulley faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on his firearm charge.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker for the Middle District of Georgia made the announcement.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General and detectives with the Seminole County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Detectives with the Bay County, Florda, Sheriff’s Office also provided invaluable assistance.

    Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy and Trial Attorney Leigh Rendé of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case with assistance from Criminal Chief Leah McEwen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrill and Paralegal Kristi Cote for the Middle District of Georgia handled a parallel civil forfeiture proceeding to ensure that the dogs did not have to be returned to the defendants. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Florida and Middle District of Alabama also assisted with the dog rescue operation. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Information sought following Naenae fire

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attributable to Detective Sergeant Seamus Doyle

    Hutt Valley Police are seeking witnesses to a fire on Sladden Street, Naenae in the early hours of Tuesday 25 February.

    Shortly after 3am, an occupant of the address woke to see the front porch of the house was on fire.

    Thankfully, they were able to wake everybody else in the house and they all made it out of the house uninjured.

    A scene examination and initial enquiries have determined this fire was deliberately lit.

    We would like to hear from anyone in the Sladden Street area who saw any suspicious activity or vehicles between 3am and 3:30am on Tuesday morning.

    This includes any CCTV or dashcam footage from the area.

    If anyone has any information that could assist Police, please contact us on 105 by calling or online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105

    Please reference file number 250225/0666.

    Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Northwest Arkansas Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Operating an Illegal Money Transmitting Business Using Pandemic Funds

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

    FAYETTEVILLE – A Northwest Arkansas man was sentenced on February 20, to 51 months in Federal Prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay restitution of $725,558.00 on one count of operating an Illegal Money Transmitting Business. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which took place in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

    According to court documents, Richard Harold Stone, age 77, waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business in the State of Arkansas. Stone was the President or Chief Officer of numerous businesses registered with the Arkansas Secretary of State, including: Partex Oman Corp., Renewable Energy Campus Arkansas, Inc., Stonetek Global Corp., and Tires 2 Energy, LLC. Stone also was associated with Environmental Energy & Finance Corp., a Delaware corporation. The advertised purpose of these businesses was developing technology and facilities to repurpose waste materials, such as tires, into useable fuel sources. None of these businesses were registered with the State of Arkansas as a money transmitting business, as required by Arkansas law (Arkansas Code, Section 23-55-806(b)&(c)).

    Between November 2020 and March 2021, Stone received through various bank accounts associated with the above entities and other accounts under his control, deposits of funds from applications made on behalf of unwitting victims for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Economic Impact Disaster Loans (EIDL), and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), totaling more than $600,000. After receiving these funds, Stone immediately transferred most of the funds by wire transfer to parties in locations including Berne, Switzerland; London, England; New York, NY; Chennai, India; and Mumbai, India.

    At the conclusion of Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Stone was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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

    The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Bridges is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Diversified Closes Summit Natural Resources Acquisition and Tenth Asset Backed Securitization Issuance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Bolt-on Acquisition Increases Coal Mine Methane Environmental Credit Cash Flow, Expands Midstream Infrastructure, and Enhances Southern Appalachia Prices

    Strategic Refinance Incorporates 40% Improvement in Cash Flow from New Hedges and an Innovative Master Trust Structure

    Solidifies Diversified as the Leading Issuer of Oil & Gas Securitizations

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diversified Energy Company PLC (LSE:DEC; NYSE:DEC) (“Diversified” or the “Company”) announces the close of its previously announced acquisition of operated natural gas properties and related midstream pipeline infrastructure located within Virginia, West Virginia, and Alabama (the “Assets”) from Summit Natural Resources (the “Seller”) (together with the assets, the “Acquisition”).

    Additionally, the Company closed on an asset backed securitization (“ABS”) refinancing, creating the ABS X note. Diversified will use the proceeds from the ABS transaction to consolidate and repay the outstanding principal of the previously issued ABS I, ABS II and Term Loan I, utilizing those assets plus additional Summit Natural Resources assets as collateral in the new structure. The ABS transaction will also benefit from an improved hedging profile, creating enhanced margins and cash flows. Additional proceeds from this refinancing will be used to reduce outstanding borrowings and for general corporate purposes.

    Acquisition Highlights

    • Acquisition net purchase price of ~$42 million
    • Current net production of ~12 MMcfepd (2 Mboepd)(a)
    • PDP Reserves of 65 Bcfe (11 MMBoe) with PV-10 of ~$55 million(b)
      • Purchase price equivalent of ~PV-16(b)
    • Estimated 2025 Adjusted EBITDA of ~$12 million(b)(c)
    • Existing Coal Mine Methane (“CMM”) volumes with opportunities to extend future production and additional environmental credits
    • Appalachian assets overlap existing operations providing synergies for increased cash margins
    • Strategic midstream pipeline assets facilitate capability to enhance commodity realizations
    • Recent improvements to commodity prices have further-enhanced the transaction economics

    ABS Issuance Highlights

    • $530 million ABS X note structured as a master trust
    • Strategic hedges expected to add ~40% ($38 million) to EBITDA(c) of refinanced assets
    • Significantly oversubscribed (6.5x) with orders from 20 unique investors, reflecting the cash flow quality of our assets and Diversified’s reputation as a responsible issuer
    • Investment grade rated notes with blended fixed coupon of approximately 6.4% in A tranche
    • Improved amortization expected to generate increased cash flows

    Sustainability-Linked

    Sustainable Fitch has again-provided a Second Party Opinion that the instrument’s Key Performance Indicators (the “KPIs”) align with the International Capital Markets Association (ICMA) framework for sustainability-linked bond principles, highlighting Diversified’s commitment to aligning its financing with the Company’s overall sustainability strategy.

    *ratings established by Fitch Ratings,Inc.

    Commenting on the Acquisition and ABS transaction, CEO Rusty Hutson, Jr. said:

    “We are excited to announce the completion of another acquisition of high-quality, bolt-on assets that are uniquely positioned to benefit from the operational expertise of our field teams, capture higher prices with exposure to premium Transco Zone 5 pricing, and are poised to provide additional revenues from the sale of incremental environmental credits with our growth in the production of coal mine methane. We continue to believe there is a sizeable backlog of organic Coal Mine Methane cash flow growth within our current Appalachian portfolio, and this acquisition highlights our ability to leverage existing capabilities, assets, and intellectual capital to grow this segment of our revenue stream.

    Brad Gray, CFO further commented:

    Supported by a growing base of loyal credit investors, we are now a seasoned programmatic issuer, and this ABS transaction achieved record demand with a significant amount of interest from a large group of new participants. This strategic refinance improves asset level cash flow with higher hedge prices and a more refined amortization schedule. Our increasing operational scale, track record of stable asset performance, and strength of our business enable us to attract reliable sources of capital and achieve a lower overall cost of capital. This outcome is a testament to how the financial markets value Diversified’s reliable production and consistent cash flows.”

    On the Securitization: Barclays Capital, Inc. acted as Sole Structuring Advisor and Placement Agent, Mizuho Securities USA LLC, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., and Legado Capital Advisors, LLC acted as Co-Placement Agents.

    Detring Energy Advisors acted as the sell side advisor to Summit Natural Resources.

    Footnotes:

    (a)   Current production based on estimated average daily production for January 2025; Estimate based on historical performance and engineered type curves for the Assets.
         
    (b)   Based on engineering reserves assumptions using historical cost assumptions and NYMEX strip as of October 28, 2024 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2025.
         
    (c)   Adjusted EBITDA is a Non-IFRS measure. As presented for the ABS transaction, represents the twelve months ended February 28, 2026. for more information, see “Use of Non-IFRS Measures”.
         

    For Company-specific items, refer also to the Glossary of Terms and/or Alternative Performance Measures found in the Company’s 2024 Interim Report dated June 30, 2024 and Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

    For further information, please contact:

    Diversified Energy Company PLC +1 973 856 2757
    Doug Kris dkris@dgoc.com
    Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications www.div.energy
       
    FTI Consulting dec@fticonsulting.com
    U.S. & UK Financial Public Relations  
       

    About Diversified Energy Company PLC

    Diversified is a leading publicly traded energy company focused on natural gas and liquids production, transport, marketing, and well retirement. Through our unique and differentiated strategy, we acquire existing, long-life assets and invest in them to improve environmental and operational performance until retiring those assets in a safe and environmentally secure manner. Recognized by ratings agencies and organizations for our sustainability leadership, this solutions-oriented, stewardship approach makes Diversified the Right Company at the Right Time to responsibly produce energy, deliver reliable free cash flow, and generate shareholder value.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These forward-looking statements, which contain the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “seek”, “continue”, “aim”, “target”, “projected”, “plan”, “goal”, “achieve”, “opportunity” and words of similar meaning, reflect the Company’s beliefs and expectations and are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Company’s present and future business strategies and the environment the Company will operate in and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. No representation is made that any of these statements or forecasts will come to pass or that any forecast results will be achieved. Expected benefits of the Acquisition and the ABS transaction, including the impact of the Acquisition and the ABS transaction on the company’s cash flows and cash margins, and the Company’s production of coal mine methane, may not be realized. Forward-looking statements involve inherent known and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond the Company’s ability to control or estimate precisely, including the risk factors described in the “Risk Factors” section in the Company’s Annual Report and Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the risk factors described in Exhibit 99.2 to the Company’s Form 6-K furnished with the SEC on January 27, 2025, in each case filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of their date and neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates or advisers expressly disclaim any obligation to supplement, amend, update or revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, except where it would be required to do so under applicable law. As a result, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

    Use of Non-IFRS Measures

    Certain key operating metrics that are not defined under IFRS (alternative performance measures) are included in this announcement. These non-IFRS measures are used by us to monitor the underlying business performance of the Company from period to period and to facilitate comparison with our peers. Since not all companies calculate these or other non-IFRS metrics in the same way, the manner in which we have chosen to calculate the non-IFRS metrics presented herein may not be compatible with similarly defined terms used by other companies. The non-IFRS metrics should not be considered in isolation of, or viewed as substitutes for, the financial information prepared in accordance with IFRS. Certain of the key operating metrics are based on information derived from our regularly maintained records and accounting and operating systems.

    Adjusted EBITDA

    As used herein, EBITDA represents earnings before interest, taxes, depletion, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA includes adjusting for items that are not comparable period-over-period, namely, accretion of asset retirement obligation, other (income) expense, loss on joint and working interest owners receivable, (gain) loss on bargain purchases, (gain) loss on fair value adjustments of unsettled financial instruments, (gain) loss on natural gas and oil property and equipment, costs associated with acquisitions, other adjusting costs, non-cash equity compensation, (gain) loss on foreign currency hedge, net (gain) loss on interest rate swaps and items of a similar nature.

    EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for operating profit or loss, net income or loss, or cash flows provided by operating, investing, and financing activities. However, we believe such measures are is useful to an investor in evaluating our financial performance because they (1) are widely used by investors in the natural gas and oil industry as an indicator of underlying business performance; (2) help investors to more meaningfully evaluate and compare the results of our operations from period to period by removing the often-volatile revenue impact of changes in the fair value of derivative instruments prior to settlement; (3) with respect to Adjusted EBITDA, is used in the calculation of a key metric in one of our Credit Facility financial covenants; and (4) are used by us as a performance measure in determining executive compensation. We are unable to provide a quantitative reconciliation of forward-looking EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable forward-looking IFRS measures because the items necessary to estimate such forward-looking IFRS measures are not accessible or estimable at this time without unreasonable efforts. The reconciling items in future periods could be significant.

    PV-10

    PV-10 is a non-IFRS financial measure and generally differs from Standardized Measure, the most directly comparable IFRS measure, because it does not include the effects of income taxes on future net cash flows. While the Standardized Measure is free cash dependent on the unique tax situation of each company, PV-10 is based on a pricing methodology and discount factors that are consistent for all companies. In this announcement, PV-10 is calculated using NYMEX pricing. It is not practicable to reconcile PV-10 using NYMEX pricing to standardized measure in accordance with IFRS at this time. Investors should be cautioned that neither PV-10 nor the Standardized Measure represents an estimate of the fair market value of proved reserves.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Fort Cavazos Soldier Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Murder

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DEL RIO, Texas – A former soldier was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 200 months in prison for the attempted murder of another soldier while he was stationed at Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos) in June 2000.

    According to court documents, Allen Houston James, 46, of Suffolk, Virginia, entered the barracks room of another soldier while she was sleeping and attempted to rape her at knifepoint. The victim resisted and was repeatedly stabbed. After James left the room, she escaped and reported the incident before she was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery for stab wounds. Medical records revealed that one of the victim’s neck wounds was within millimeters of her jugular vein and penetrated from the front to the back, nearly reaching her spine. As a result of the stabbing, the victim sustained permanent nerve damage.

    When a DNA profile did not produce a match and a suspect was not identified, the case went cold until 2019. Through new DNA analysis by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory (USACIL), the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) was able to identify James as the perpetrator and locate him while he was stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia in March 2021.

    James was indicted July 13, 2021 for one count of attempt to commit murder and arrested the following day in the Eastern District of Virginia. He was transferred to Waco July 19, 2021, then reassigned to Chief Judge Alia Moses in Del Rio Nov. 13, 2023. James was found guilty by jury trial on Feb. 23, 2024.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    Army CID investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Frazier, Mary Kucera and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Siddharth Dadhich prosecuted the case.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lehigh Acres Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Attempting To Engage In Sexual Activity With A Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Cosme Bejaran (34, Lehigh Acres) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor. The court also ordered Bejaran to forfeit a cellphone used to facilitate the offense. Bejaran pleaded guilty in November 2024.

    According to court documents, beginning on May 17 and continuing through May 18, 2024, Bejaran communicated online with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. After learning of the girl’s age, Bejaran engaged in a sexually explicit conversation, asked the girl for explicit photographs, and sent an explicit photo of himself. Bejaran was apprehended by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office when he arrived at a residence with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. Bejaran later admitted to deputies and the FBI that his intentions with the girl were sexual.

    This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

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

    MIL Security OSI –