NewzIntel.com

Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Major League Baseball interpreter sentenced to 57 months imprisonment, following HSI Los Angeles, IRS-CI investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    SANTA ANA, Calif. — On Feb. 6, 2025, Ippei Mizuhara, a former Japanese-language interpreter was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for illegally — and without authorization — transferring nearly $17 million from the bank account of Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani to pay off his own substantial gambling debts incurred with an illegal bookmaking operation and for signing a false tax return, following a joint Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS Criminal Investigation probe.

    Mizuahara was sentenced by United States District Judge John W. Holcomb, who also ordered him to pay $16,975,010 in restitution to Ohtani and $1,149,400 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Mizuhara pleaded guilty in June 2024 to one count of bank fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return.

    “Mr. Mizuhara is yet another example of how those in a position of trust can take advantage of a relationship and defraud the government,” said HSI Los Angeles acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “The HSI-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force will leverage all partnerships to locate and bring to justice those who commit financial crimes, especially those who think they can hide in plain sight.”

    Mizuhara was the translator and de facto manager of MLB star Shohei Ohtani. As part of his job duties, Mizuhara regularly interacted with Ohtani’s sports agents and financial advisors — who did not speak Japanese — on behalf of Ohtani, who did not speak English. Although Mizuhara was an employee of the Los Angeles Angels MLB team, for whom Ohtani played from 2018 to 2023, and, later, the Los Angeles Dodgers, for whom Ohtani has played since 2024, Ohtani paid him separately for the additional work of driving him to meetings and interpreting for non-baseball-related activities.

    In March 2018, Mizuhara accompanied Ohtani to a bank in Phoenix to help him open a bank account to deposit his MLB salary. Inside the bank branch, Mizuhara interpreted for Ohtani when the bank employee provided Ohtani the login information for this bank account.

    Beginning in September 2021, Mizuhara began placing sports bets with an illegal bookmaker. Shortly thereafter, Mizuhara began to lose bets and quickly became indebted to the bookmaker. Unable to pay his gambling debts, Mizuhara orchestrated a scheme to deceive and cheat the bank to fraudulently obtain money from the account.

    From no later than November 2021 to March 2024, Mizuhara used Ohtani’s password to successfully sign into the bank account and then changed the account’s security protocols without Ohtani’s knowledge or permission. Specifically, Mizuhara changed the registered email address and telephone number on the account so bank employees would call him — not Ohtani — when attempting to verify wire transfers from the account.

    Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani, using his personal identifying information to deceive the bank’s employees into authorizing wire transfers from the bank account. In total, Mizuhara called the bank and impersonated Ohtani on approximately 24 occasions.

    In addition, in September 2023, Mizuhara needed $60,000 worth of dental work and Ohtani agreed to pay for it via a check drawn on a business account at a different bank. However, Mizuhara provided his dentist Ohtani’s debit card number for the bank account Ohtani had opened in Phoenix, charged $60,000 to that account, then deposited the $60,000 check into Mizuhara’s personal bank account.

    From January 2024 to March 2024, Mizuhara purchased approximately $325,000 worth of baseball cards from online resellers such as eBay from Ohtani’s bank account with the intent to resell them later and for his own personal benefit.

    When Ohtani’s sports agent and financial advisors asked Mizuhara for access to the bank account, Mizuhara lied and said Ohtani did not want them to access the account because it was private. In fact, Mizuhara did not want them to know that he had been stealing from Ohtani and had fraudulently obtained more than $16,975,010 from him.

    In February 2024, he willfully made and subscribed to a false individual federal income tax return for the tax year 2022. On that tax return, Mizuhara falsely claimed that his total taxable income for that year was $136,865 when in fact he knew the amount was substantially higher and he knowingly failed to report additional income of $4.1 million.

    The HSI Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force conducted this investigation collaboratively with the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.

    Anyone with information on illegal gambling are encouraged to call the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP.

    Learn more about HSI’s mission to protect the U.S. economy in your community on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSILosAngeles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Journalism has become a blood sport. It is harder and harder to tell the truth’

    A investigative journalism programme — Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) — that has pubiished exposes about the South Pacific and has not been impacted on by the “freeze” of USAID funding has hit back in an editorial calling for support of independent media.

    EDITORIAL: By the OCCRP editors

    “OCCRP is a deep state operation.
    “OCCRP is connected to the CIA.
    “OCCRP was tasked by USAID to overthrow President Donald Trump.”

    How did we end up getting this kind of attention? Old fashioned investigative journalism.

    We wrote a simple story in 2019 about how Rudy Giuliani went to Ukraine for some opposition research and ended up working with people connected to organised crime who misled him.

    Unbeknown to us, a whistleblower found the story online and added it to a complaint that was the basis of President Trump’s first impeachment. We also wrote a story about Hunter Biden‘s business partners and their ties to organised crime but that hasn’t received the same attention.

    Journalism has become a blood sport. It’s harder and harder to tell the truth without someone’s interests getting stepped on.

    OCCRP prides itself on being independent and nonpartisan. No donor has any say in our reporting, but we often find ourselves under attack for our funding.

    It’s not just political interests but organised crime, businesses, enablers, and other journalists who regularly attack us. What’s common in all of these attacks is that the truth doesn’t matter and it will not protect you.

    Few attack the facts in our reporting. Instead we’re left perplexed by how to respond to wild conspiracy theories, outright disinformation, and hyperbolic hatred.

    At the same time, we’ve lost 29 percent of our funding because of the US foreign aid freeze. This includes 82 percent of the money we give to newsrooms in our network, many of which operate in places [Pacific Media Watch: Such as in the Pacific] where no one else will support them.

    This money did not only fund groundbreaking, prize-winning collaborative journalism but it also trained young investigative reporters to expose wrongdoing. It’s money that kept journalists safe from physical and digital attacks and supported those in exile who continued to report on crooks and dictators back in their home countries.

    OCCRP now has 43 less journalists and staff to do our work.

    No attack or funding freeze will stop us from trying to fulfill our mission. Just in the past week, OCCRP and its partners revealed how Russia’s shadow fleet sources its ships, how taxes haven’t been paid on Roman Abramovich’s yachts, and how Syrian intelligence spied on journalists.

    Next week, we’ll take on another set of powerful actors to defend the public interest. And another set the week after that.

    We are determined to stay in the fight and keep reporting on organised crime and the corrupt who enable and benefit from it. But it’s getting harder and we need help.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Youth arrested as stolen phones and e-bike seized in Camden

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    By building up intelligence around suspects and working at pace, Met officers in Camden arrested a male and recovered 16 stolen phones which are being returned to their owners.

    At around 08:00hrs on Thursday, 6 February, officers were alerted to a phone robbery in Euston. The police helicopter had tracked the suspect to the Belsize Park area of Camden, and utilising the intelligence picture built up by the Met, a nearby address was raided.

    A 16-year-old boy was arrested at the location after around £1,000 in cash was found at the address along with a quantity of cannabis. 16 mobile phones were found nearby. A Surron electric motorcycle found outside the property was also seized. The boy has been bailed pending further enquiries.

    Inspector John Wilde, one of the senior officers policing Camden, said: “This arrest shows what we are doing to deal with theft and robbery offences, including by offenders riding bikes, e-bikes and mopeds.

    “We are constantly building intelligence, linking offences and working to establish who might be responsible. And we are responding to robberies at pace.

    “These tactics, among others, are enabling us to get significant results like this, recovering stolen goods and drugs, and arresting those we suspect of committing offences.”

    If you have been a victim of robbery, please call 999 or, if your phone has been stolen, ask someone nearby to call police urgently. If you have information about those committing robberies or selling stolen good, please call 101, message @MetCC or to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: ICC condemns Trump’s sanctions order

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose sanctions on the international body.

    “The ICC condemns the issuance by the U.S. of an executive order seeking to impose sanctions on its officials and harm its independent and impartial judicial work,” said The Hague-based court in a statement.

    The Netherlands, the ICC’s host country, and the European Union have both voiced regret.

    Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp wrote on social platform X that “the Netherlands regrets the executive order imposing sanctions on the ICC,” as the court’s work is “essential in the fight against impunity.”

    “Sanctioning the ICC threatens the court’s independence and undermines the international criminal justice system as a whole,” European Council President Antonio Costa wrote on X.

    The European Commission, for its part, stressed the ICC’s “key importance in upholding international criminal justice and the fight against impunity.”

    “The EU will be monitoring the implications of the executive order and will assess possible further steps,” said a commission spokesman.

    The U.S. sanctions consist of financial penalties and visa restrictions for people who help the ICC with the investigation into American citizens and U.S. allies. Trump warned of “tangible and significant consequences” for those involved.

    Trump said his sanctions order came in response to the ICC’s arrest warrants issued in November last year against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

    The chamber of the ICC found reasonable grounds that Netanyahu and Gallant each bear criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, according to the ICC.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: All Extradited Distributors of ANOM Hardened Encrypted Devices Plead Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Alexander Dmitrienko of Finland became the last of eight defendants extradited so far to admit participating in the worldwide conspiracy to distribute ANOM hardened encrypted communication devices to criminal syndicates. The ANOM enterprise facilitated drug trafficking, money laundering, and obstruction of justice crimes.

    The eight defendants were among 17 indicted in San Diego in 2021 in connection with Operation Trojan Shield, a first-of-its-kind, international law enforcement effort in which the FBI secretly operated an encrypted messaging network. The ANOM criminal enterprise was responsible for the distribution of more than 12,000 devices in 100 countries. While ANOM’s criminal users unknowingly communicated on the system operated by law enforcement, agents catalogued more than 27 million messages between users around the world whose criminal discussions were covertly obtained and reviewed by the FBI.

    ANOM devices were sold to and used by over 300 criminal syndicates, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, Italian and Balkan organized crime groups, and international drug trafficking organizations. The investigation culminated in a worldwide takedown on June 7, 2021. During the takedown, more than 10,000 law enforcement officers made over 500 arrests and searched over 700 locations around the world.

    Of the 17 indicted in San Diego, eight have been extradited to date. Dmitrienko pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday; defendants Seyyed Hossein Hosseini and Aurangzeb Ayub of the Netherlands and Shane Ngakuru of New Zealand entered their guilty pleas on January 23, 2025; Dragan Nikitovic, Edwin Harmendra Kumar, Miwand Zakhimi, and Osemah Elhassen pleaded guilty between May and September 2024. All pleaded guilty to Count 1 of a superseding indictment charging them with a racketeering conspiracy in connection with the ANOM enterprise.

    Prior to their guilty pleas, the defendants filed motions to dismiss the indictment and a motion to suppress the ANOM evidence. The District Court denied those motions, concluding the Fourth Amendment did not apply to the defendants and the ANOM data collection did not violate the U.S. Constitution.

    In total, the investigation resulted in approximately 1,200 arrests; the seizure of more than 12 tons of cocaine, three tons of methamphetamine or amphetamines; 17 tons of precursor chemicals, 300 firearms, and $58 million in various currencies. Dozens of public corruption investigations, too, have been pursued, and more than 50 drug labs have been dismantled. Further, over 150 threats to life were prevented.

    According to their plea agreements, the defendants promoted the ANOM platform as “Built by criminals for criminals,” and touted security features such as the ability to wipe devices remotely when seized by law enforcement. The defendants admitted that the conspiracy’s purposes included money laundering and laundering with cryptocurrency. As to drugs, specifically, the four defendants who pleaded guilty in January and February 2025—Hosseini, Dmitrienko, Ayub, and Ngakuru—all admitted that they sold ANOM devices knowing that they would be used to traffic at last 50 kilograms of cocaine; Ngakuru also admitted the importation, exportation, and distribution of at least five kilograms of methamphetamine. Based on their plea agreements and other court filings, what these defendants also did as part of the conspiracy included:

    • Hosseini was a part of a team of ANOM distributors, “Team Wijzijn,” based in the Netherlands. He and Dmitrienko discussed the distribution of “90% pure, Peruvian” cocaine, for example, and he and Kumar messaged each other about bringing “kilos” from Belgium and getting drugs to Australia by “Fisher boats.” Hosseini promoted ANOM’s security features and told other distributors about vulnerabilities of competitors SkyECC and No. 1 BC. Hosseini also admitted to obstructing justice through wiping ANOM devices when they were seized by law enforcement.
    • Dmitrienko distributed ANOM devices from Spain. He frequently used ANOM for cocaine and other drug distribution: “5 blocks of colombian coke” and “32 blocks,” he offered in two instances, in addition to conversations about “cook[ing] cocaine.” Dmitrienko wrote about “gateways” and “interesting opportunities” for the enterprise in Russia and Ukraine, including through Latvia and Lithuania. He also promoted money laundering through a company he had in Delaware, telling Hosseini that it involved “0% tax and no book[k]eeping…Yes this is pure moneylaund[e]ring 😂.”
    • Ayub was an ANOM distributor in Europe, who also sold encrypted communications devices in the U.A.E.—and he had been imprisoned in Dubai for distributing these types of platforms. Ayub was involved in cocaine distribution as he talked about “top” (cocaine) from Colombia, and delivery to London, and sending “100k at a time” to pay for the drugs. He promoted ANOM through his own experience and contrasts with Encrochat and SkyECC, both of which were taken down by law enforcement in 2020 and 2021. Ayub, too, admitted to the obstruction of justice through wiping ANOM devices.
    • Ngakuru was based in Thailand, distributing ANOM devices there and in New Zealand and Australia. He used the platform for extensive cocaine and methamphetamine distribution and money laundering. He was tied to two seizures of methamphetamine; discussed quality, repressing, and prices for “rack” and “bird” (cocaine); and detailed in messages how seven kilograms of methamphetamine was concealed in boxes of “full scan proof” “commercial lights.” Among other times he laundered proceeds, Ngakuru coordinated cash pickup in Sydney, Australia and directed deposits into “Thai accounts.”

    “The statistics of this case are staggering,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The FBI led this unprecedented collaboration for years, harnessing the evidence to bring down cocaine, meth, and cash traffickers across the globe. These guilty pleas underscore the impact of international partnerships in dismantling organized crime.”

    “Operation Trojan Shield was a massive, innovative, and unprecedented case having immeasurable implications to criminal organizations across the globe,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “This extraordinary impact came from an investigative strategy that relied on ingenuity, partnerships, and perseverance, designing a blueprint for disrupting organized crime within the United States and abroad. The guilty pleas of all extradited defendants highlight the effectiveness of this strategy and reinforces the FBI’s collaborative approach aimed at dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations worldwide.”

    Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Los Angeles Field Division, said, “The triumph of this vast-scale operation demonstrates the immense value of partnerships, both domestic and international. Expert investigators in the DEA Los Angeles Division, working alongside innovative and exceptionally experienced federal and foreign-based partners, took an intricate investigation to the next level. Our multi-agency alliance managed to infiltrate these transnational criminal organizations, ultimately exposing and pummeling their schemes. DEA will continue to foster this type of unprecedented collaboration and offer a core presence.”

    Elhassen and Zakhimi were previously sentenced to 63 and 60 months in prison, respectively. The other six defendants who have pleaded guilty are scheduled to be sentenced in February, April, and May, 2025. They were extradited to the Southern District of California from Australia (Kumar), Colombia (Elhassen), The Netherlands (Hosseini, Ayub, and Zakhimi), Spain (Dmitrienko and Nikitovic), and Thailand (Ngakuru). Eight other defendants in the case have been arrested in locations outside the United States and are yet to be extradited, and one remains a fugitive.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua C. Mellor, Mikaela L. Weber, and Peter S. Horn.

    For further information on investigations and prosecutions of encrypted communication providers, see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/fbi-s-encrypted-phone-platform-infiltrated-hundreds-criminal-syndicates-result-massive (ANOM), https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/sky-global-executive-and-associate-indicted-providing-encrypted-communication-devices (Sky Global), and https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/chief-executive-communications-company-sentenced-prison-providing-encryption-services (Phantom Secure).

    Operation Trojan Shield is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of the defendants to the United States.

    DEFENDANTS                                 Case Number 21cr1623-JLS                                   

    Seyyed Hossein Hosseini                   Age: 41                       The Netherlands

    Alexander Dmitrienko                        Age: 49                       Finland

    Aurangzeb Ayub                                 Age: 48                       The Netherlands

    Dragan Nikitovic                                Age: 50                       Croatia and Switzerland

     aka Dr. Djek

    Shane Ngakuru                                   Age: 45                       New Zealand

    Edwin Harmendra Kumar,                  Age: 37                       Australia

     aka Edwin Harmendra Valentine

    Miwand Zakhimi,                               Age: 30                       The Netherlands

     aka Maiwand Zakhimi

    Osemah Elhassen                                Age: 52                       Australia

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Count 1: Racketeering Conspiracy – Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d)

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, and fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    Drug Enforcement Administration

    United States Marshals Service

    Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

    Australian Federal Police

    Swedish Police Authority

    Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau

    National Police of the Netherlands

    Office of the Attorney General of Thailand

    Royal Thai Police

    EUROPOL

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Corona Customs Broker Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Clients Out of More Than $5 Million and Evading More Than $1 Million in Taxes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A customs broker pleaded guilty today to defrauding his clients – businesses who ship goods into the United States from foreign countries – out of more than $5 million, including after he had been indicted on fraud charges, and to committing more than $1 million in tax evasion.

    Frank Seung Noah, 64, of Corona, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and two counts of wire fraud.

    According to his plea agreement, Noah owned and operated Comis International Inc., a Cerritos-based logistics and supply-chain company, which offered customs import brokerage services on behalf of businesses. From 2007 to 2019, Comis was a customs import broker for Daiso, a Japan-based variety and value store with stores in the United States, including Southern California.

    During that time, Noah provided Daiso with false customs duty forms and invoices in support of fraudulent requests for reimbursement for duty fees. These forms differed materially from those Noah submitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and inflated the total amounts, resulting in Daiso overpaying Noah nearly $3.4 million.

    After Noah was indicted for defrauding Daiso in 2022, he continued to defraud his other clients out of more than $2 million using a different fraud scheme. Noah defrauded two other client companies by invoicing and receiving funds from the two victim companies, and then simply pocketing the funds instead of paying the customs duties to CBP. After CBP notified the victim clients of their unpaid customs duties, they asked Noah about the unpaid fees, and he sent the victim clients altered bank statements falsely reflecting that he had paid the customs duties. 

    Noah also willfully evaded payment of federal taxes resulting in a loss to the IRS of approximately $2.4 million, with penalties and interest continuing to accrue. After agreeing with the IRS that he owed more than $1 million in taxes in 2014, Noah actively avoided IRS attempts to collect the amount owed. This included paying for two homes in his former girlfriend’s name, using check cashing businesses to avoid IRS levies of his bank accounts, lying to IRS collection agents, and spending thousands of dollars on country club memberships, travel, and golf purchases.

    United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled a May 8 sentencing hearing at which time he will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to five years in federal prison for the tax evasion count.

    IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter with the assistance of United States Customs and Border Protection.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss and Robert J. Keenan of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Army Private Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation Crimes Involving Girls He Met on Snapchat

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A former Army private based at Fort Irwin was sentenced today to 264 months in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting a 14-year-old girl, using Snapchat to receive CSAM of her when she was 13 years old, possessing CSAM featuring her on his iPhone, and for receiving sexually explicit images of a 15-year-old girl via Snapchat. 

    Parker William White, 24, of Johnsonville, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who scheduled a restitution hearing for May 2. Upon his eventual release from prison, White will be placed on lifetime supervised release. White has been in federal custody since February 2023.

    At the conclusion of a five-day trial in August 2024, a jury found White guilty of one count of production of child pornography, three counts of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.

    In January 2022, the Department of Children and Families in Bay County, Florida received a tip that White was engaging in an online, sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl.  Later, investigators found CSAM of her on White’s iPhone as well as CSAM that White had received via Snapchat featuring her and another minor.

    White used Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media platforms to find minor “girlfriends” as young as 13 years old, according to court documents.  White groomed these minor girls by boasting about his military service, telling them that they were “beautiful” and “queens,” and pretending to be in love with them.  In some instances, White deceptively portrayed himself as teenager to earn their trust.  White’s behavior would then escalate to a practice that he called “teasing.”  He would send these children sexually explicit videos and photographs of himself via social media and encourage them to “tease” him back by doing the same.

    Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi C. Allsop of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Laura A. Alexander of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section prosecuted this case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping 13-Year-Old Girl at Gunpoint and Repeatedly Assaulting Her

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Texas man was sentenced today to 420 months in federal prison for kidnapping a 13-year-old girl at gunpoint last year in San Antonio, admitting that he drove her to California, threatened her with a firearm, and sexually assaulted her multiple times before his arrest in Long Beach.         

    Steven Robert Sablan, 63, of Cleburne, Texas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, who also ordered him to pay $1,158 in restitution.

    Sablan pleaded guilty in January 2024 to one count of kidnapping. He has been in federal custody since July 2023.

    “The 35-year sentence imposed ensures this defendant will not have the opportunity to victimize children,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “There is nothing as important as protecting our young people. I commend our federal and local law enforcement partners for their efforts to secure justice here.”

    “Mr. Sablan took this young girl from the safety of her Texas home and repeatedly sexually assaulted her at gunpoint throughout a lengthy drive of terror to California,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will not tolerate sexual deviants who exploit our children at will and – as in this case – will hold these violent offenders accountable.”

    “This sentencing announcement represents a collaborative commitment to holding individuals accountable for victimizing and inflicting trauma upon our children,” said Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish. “I am deeply grateful to our officers and federal law enforcement partners from the FBI and DOJ for their tireless efforts on this case.”

    On July 6, 2023, in San Antonio, Sablan abducted the victim, held her, and transported her in his gray Nissan Sentra to Long Beach, California. The victim told Sablan she was 13 years old. During this ordeal, Sablan used a firearm to threaten and control the victim.

    Sablan confined the victim until she was rescued on July 9, 2023, in Long Beach after a Good Samaritan called 911 after seeing her holding a “Help Me” sign in the window of Sablan’s car.

    During the Texas-to-California journey, he sexually assaulted the victim. At the time of the crime, Sablan had no legal custody or familial relationship to the victim.

    “[Sablan] violently abducted a child and repeatedly sexually assaulted her while driving her thousands of miles from her home,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “And while [Sablan] spent days abusing her for his own pleasure, her parents agonized over their missing child, fearing the worst. The worst was not far from reality.”

    The FBI and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter. The Cleburne (Texas) Police Department and the Fort Worth (Texas) Police Department provided assistance. 

    Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dumfries man pleads guilty to nearly $150,000 fraud of COVID relief program

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

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Dumfries man pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent application for and receipt of funds through a COVID-19 relief program.

    According to court documents, in 2021, Kingsley Apenteng, 40, was the registered owner of Pioneers Real Estate LLC (Pioneers). From at least 2017 through 2021, Pioneers had no employees, transacted no business, and was completely inactive.

    In March 2021, Apenteng completed and signed a loan application seeking $149,740.00 for Pioneers through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a COVID-19 relief program intended to provide loans to certain businesses to help them retain their employees or stay afloat during the pandemic. Apenteng falsely claimed on the application that, during all of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, Pioneers had nine employees and paid them, on average, a combined payroll of $59,896 per month. Apenteng falsely certified on the application that the PPP loan funds he was requesting would be used to pay the wages of those employees.

    Apenteng prepared fraudulent tax return forms to support the PPP application. Apenteng filled out five IRS Forms 941 for Pioneers, one for each quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020. To make these forms appear legitimate, Apenteng falsely claimed that they had been prepared by a professional tax preparer. Apenteng wrote the name of a real tax preparer, forged that person’s digital signature, and entered that person’s business information.

    Apenteng also fraudulently altered a bank account statement. After downloading a PDF of a monthly statement for Pioneers’ bank account, Apenteng used a computer program to alter the date and transaction information on the statement to make it appear that Pioneers paid payroll to employees during the first quarter of 2020.

    On or around March 10, 2021, Apenteng caused the fraudulent PPP loan application, tax forms, and bank statement to be electronically submitted to a lender and to the Small Business Administration (SBA). Based on the false claims in those fraudulent documents, Apenteng’s PPP loan application was approved and Apenteng received PPP loan funds in the amount of $149,740.00 on April 28, 2021.

    On Nov. 2, 2021, Apenteng submitted a loan forgiveness application to the SBA for the Pioneers PPP loan. Apenteng again falsely claimed that Pioneers had nine employees and claimed that he spent all the PPP loan funds on their wages. On Nov. 9, 2021, the SBA approved Apenteng’s loan forgiveness application and reimbursed the lender for the full amount of the loan. Apenteng never repaid any portion of the PPP loan.

    Apenteng is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6 and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey is prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-21.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Feeding Our Future Defendant Sentenced to 43 Months in Prison For Her “Flagrant” Role in $250 Million Fraud Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MINNEAPOLIS – Sharon Denise Ross, 54, of Willernie, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 43 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her role in a $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. Ross was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,434,360. Ross was further ordered to forfeit to the United States all property derived from fraud proceeds, including her house in Willernie.

    Ross was charged in a 12-count indictment on March 7, 2023, with wire fraud and money laundering for her role in devising and carrying out a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program.  On January 10, 2024, Ross pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.

    According to court documents, Ross was the executive director of House of Refuge Twin Cities, a St. Paul-based non-profit which she enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition. Ross claimed that House of Refuge operated distribution sites at a dozen locations throughout the Twin Cities that served food by a vendor called Brava Café, a restaurant in Minneapolis run by Hanna Marakegn. Between September 2021 through February 2022, Ross falsely claimed to be serving thousands of children each day at her House of Refuge sites, which included fraudulently claiming to feed children at multiple area churches.  In total, Ross fraudulently claimed to have served nearly 900,000 meals and she received approximately $2.4 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Ross distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to family members and used the rest of the money to fund her lifestyle, including to pay for vacations to Florida and Las Vegas, to purchase a suite at a Minnesota Timberwolves game, and to purchase her house in Willernie.

    In handing down the sentence today, Judge Nancy E. Brasel commented that Ross “used a position of trust in the community” for her own “flagrant personal gain.” Judge Brasel further noted that Ross’s crime was all the more aggravating because she acquired large amounts of fraudulent money in an “extremely short time span” while Ross was on probation for another fraud.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Man Sentenced for Distributing Cocaine

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Young Woman Died After Using Cocaine Distributed as Part of Trafficking Conspiracy

    A man who conspired with others to distribute large quantities of cocaine that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman was sentenced today to more than 16 years in federal prison.

    Michael Samuel Knight, age 38, from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, received the prison term after a September 10, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of cocaine within 1000 feet of several parks and schools in Dubuque, Iowa, between 2017 and April of 2021, that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman on February 14, 2021.  Knight also pled guilty to personally distributing the cocaine on February 14, 2021, that caused the woman’s death.

    At the plea hearing, Knight admitted he was a member of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the Dubuque area near numerous parks and schools.  He admitted getting cocaine from the individual who brought it from Chicago, and then worked with others to distribute the cocaine to customers in Dubuque.  On February 14, 2021, Knight distributed cocaine to a young woman in Dubuque who went home, used the cocaine and died.

    Knight was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.  Knight was sentenced to 201months’ and 19 days imprisonment and was ordered to make $13,911 in restitution to the victim’s family.  He must also serve a 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    Knight is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 

    Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

    The case file number is 23-CR-01013.

    Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Exploiter of Children Sentenced to 38 Years in Prison by Miami Federal Judge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – Rafael Antonio Saldana, 39, of Miami-Dade County, has been sentenced to over 38 years in prison after a South Florida federal jury found him guilty in October 2024, of various child exploitation crimes.

    In 2023, Saldana solicited sexually explicit images from three minors (aged 14, 16, and 17) and attempted to meet them in person for sex. Ultimately, Saldana coordinated a plan with the youngest of the children: They would meet at a local McDonald’s then go to Saldana’s house for sex. Saldana arrived across the street from the restaurant on the set date and time and directed the minor to meet him, but law enforcement officers were waiting for him. Investigation revealed that Saldana possessed over sixty images of child sexual exploitation. 

    At trial, the jury found Saldana guilty of three counts of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempted production of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors, receipt of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors, and possession of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; and Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.

    HSI Miami and MDSO investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Pence Tomanelli and Arielle Klepach prosecuted the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

    Anyone with information regarding child sexual exploitation and abuse is encouraged to call (877) 4-HSI-TIP [(877) 447-4847].

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20308.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rumford Man Sentenced for Evading Employment Taxes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PORTLAND, Maine: A Rumford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for willfully evading the payment of employment taxes.

    U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jeffrey Richard, 50, to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $910,980.37 in restitution to the IRS. Richard pleaded guilty on July 17, 2023.

    According to court records, between 2013 and 2017, Richard willfully attempted to evade payment of employment withholding taxes owed by his company, Black Bear Industrial, Inc. Despite being aware of the company’s unpaid employment tax liability, Richard took a variety of steps to evade payment. He regularly used funds from Black Bear’s business bank account to make business and personal purchases, all while making no payments toward Black Bear’s tax liability. He also created two nominee companies and took steps to disguise his ownership of the companies. He falsely represented to an IRS revenue officer that he had anything to do with one of the companies. The other company did business and had over $174,000 of business income in 2017, but none of the money was used to pay the IRS. Richard never informed the IRS about the company, and the company never filed any corporate or employment tax returns.

    “Today’s sentencing of Jeffrey Richard sends a strong message to all individuals and businesses that think they are above the law and can evade their obligation to pay their fair share of taxes,” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Richard knowingly chose to steal and cheat from every America taxpayer when he selfishly chose to use business funds for personal purchases and took other steps to evade paying his tax liability. Tax evasion is not a victimless crime, it impacts every American by stealing resources vital to fund schools, maintain public infrastructure and enhance social welfare.”

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton, Boozman, Crapo Introduce Hearing Protection Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    February 7, 2025

    Cotton, Boozman, Crapo Introduce Hearing Protection Act 

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator John Boozman (R-Arkansas) joined Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to introduce the Hearing Protection Act, legislation to help law-abiding gun owners better access suppressors to preserve hearing and safety. The bill would reclassify suppressors and treat them like traditional firearms for the purpose of regulation. 

    The legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-Louisiana), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Roger Wicker (R- Mississippi), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin).

    “Burdensome regulations on firearm suppressors are doing more harm than good to sportsmen and women. Our legislation will ensure law-abiding gun owners can easily access hearing protection without having to navigate bureaucratic red tape or exorbitant taxes,” said Senator Cotton.

    “Increasing access to hearing protection for sportsmen and hunters is common sense, law-abiding, responsible gun owners should not have to fight burdensome regulations to enjoy their hobbies safely and with the accessories that can protect their hearing. I am proud to join my colleagues to update unreasonable limitations on suppressors and stand with shooting sports enthusiasts,” said Senator Boozman.  

    “Federal red tape continues to follow the false Hollywood narrative that suppressors are silent and ignores the reality that they serve a genuine purpose in protecting the hearing of law-abiding American citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights. It is past time Congress removes the burdensome barriers to accessing this equipment for the safety of Idaho’s hunters and sportsmen,” said Senator Crapo. 

    Text of the bill may be found here.  

    The Hearing Protection Act would:

    • Remove suppressors from regulation under the National Firearms Act (NFA);
    • Replace the burdensome federal transfer process with an instantaneous National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background check, making the purchase and transfer process for suppressors equal to the process for a rifle or shotgun; and  
    • Increase funding into state wildlife conservation agencies by taxing suppressors under the Pittman-Robertson Act instead of the NFA.

    On average, suppressors diminish the noise of a gunshot by 20-35 decibels, roughly the same sound reduction provided by earplugs or earmuffs.  The most effective suppressors on the market can only reduce the peak sound level of a gunshot to around 110-120 decibels, which is roughly equivalent to a jackhammer.

    The Hearing Protection Act is endorsed by the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the American Suppressor Association (ASA), Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA).

    “The Hearing Protection Act will increase access to important hearing protection for millions of Americans,” said President of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology Amyn Amlani, Ph.D. “While the use of conventional hearing protection tools, such as earplugs and earmuffs are fundamental for preventing noise induced hearing loss in firearm users, conventional hearing protection alone does not always offer adequate protection from noise exposure. Firearm noise suppressors can be an effective supplement to traditional hearing protection.”

    “These safety devices reduce the report of a firearm to a level that won’t cause instant and permanent hearing damage,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. “Despite Hollywood’s depictions, they do not silence the sound of a firearm. The focus should be on removing barriers to safe and responsible use of firearms and dedicating resources to ensuring firearms are safeguarded from those who should never possess them. Strict regulatory control of firearm accessories, and the parts of those accessories that have no bearing on the function of a firearm, is unnecessary and not the wisest use of federal resources.”

    “It’s absurd that our unrestrained federal bureaucracy requires Americans to jump through hoops to buy simple hearing protection devices. Momentum continues to grow for common sense reforms that would end the stranglehold of government on the rights of her people,” said President and Executive Director of the American Suppressor Association Knox Williams.

    “Gun owners around the world are using suppressors to reduce the impact of noise and hearing loss while using their firearms. Even in countries with the strictest firearms laws, suppressors are often unregulated products that anyone can buy over the counter. However, outdated federal law makes it difficult for Americans to access these useful safety devices,” said Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action John Commerford. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Whitehorse — Police arrest several people in Shipyards Park parking lot

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On February 6, 2025 police officers from the Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) initiated a high-risk arrest of several people in Shipyards Park parking lot after spotting a person holding a handgun.

    On February 6, 2025 just before 6 pm, an on-duty CRU officer observed several people interacting at Shipyards Park around multiple vehicles. During the interaction, one of the people presented a hand gun and cycled the action.

    A high-risk arrest was conducted by CRU members with the assistance of multiple Whitehorse Detachment officers and Police Dog Services. Five males were arrested ranging in age between 17 and 21 years old. Police located and seized an air pistol that was an exact replica of a Glock 9mm pistol.

    All of the involved people were cooperative with police and were released. No charges are anticipated.

    ” This could have been a very different situation had the circumstances not evolved in the way that they did in this case. Replica firearms look exactly like a real firearm and are illegal to possess, as they are prohibited devices in Canada. Replica firearms along with airsoft guns can easily and dangerously be misidentified as a real firearm, which could put both the police and the public at risk. ” – Sergeant Ian Fraser, Supervisor of the Yukon Crime Reduction Unit

    See: Specific types of firearms | Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Member of Drug Trafficking Organization That Distributed Controlled Substances Resembling Heart Shaped Candy Pleads Guilty

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Investigation resulted in what is believed to be one of the largest single-location seizures of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Massachusetts and the region – an estimated 8 million individual doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder

    BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) on the North Shore of Massachusetts. In November 2023, millions of doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder with street value estimated to be over $7 million, were seized from a stash location and clandestine laboratory used by organization.

    Emilio Garcia, a/k/a “6,” 26, of Lynn, of Lynn, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2025. Garcia was arrested and charged along with Deiby Felix and Sebastien Bejin in November 2023.

    In July 2023, an investigation into an overdose death in Salem led investigators to a DTO led by Garcia, with assistance from at least four other individuals, including Bejin and Felix. On Nov. 1, 2023, searches at four locations in Lynn frequented by Garcia and Bejin resulted in what is believed to be, one of the largest single-location seizures of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Massachusetts and the region.

    The seizure included nine kilograms (20 pounds) of pink heart shaped fentanyl-laced pills pressed to look like candy. Additional narcotics and five firearms were also seized. During the course of the investigation over 75 kilograms (198 pounds) of fentanyl and methamphetamine were seized, along with multiple additional kilograms of cocaine and dozens of kilograms of cutting agents, including xylazine, that is used to adulterate controlled substances.

    In total, an estimated eight million individual doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder was seized. The street value is believed to be upwards of $8 million.

    A search of Felix’s residence resulted in the seizure of more than three kilograms (6.6 pounds) of pressed pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl and a firearm. A subsequent search of the residence also revealed a clandestine drug laboratory used by the drug trafficking organization that had been built into a small room in the basement of the building where Felix resided. Multiple industrial pill presses, mixing equipment and other manufacturing paraphernalia and equipment were also recovered that had been used by the organization to manufacture hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills.

    Bejin pleaded guilty on Jan. 15, 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1, 2025. Felix pleaded guilty on Feb. 3, 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025.

    The charge of possession with intent to manufacture and distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and other controlled substances provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to life of supervised release, up to a $10,000,000 fine and forfeiture. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, to be served consecutively to the underlying drug trafficking crime, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the Lynn, Lynnfield and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harvey Man Sentenced For Firearms Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – MIGUEL KEELEN (“KEELEN”), age 36, of Harvey, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon on January 30, 2025 to 75 months imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to violating Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

    According to court documents, KEELEN possessed a firearm on December 11, 2023, while at a Valero Gas Station in New Orleans.  Specifically, KEELEN displayed and drew a pistol from his waistband before then concealing the pistol and fleeing from police.  KEELEN was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his previous felony convictions. 

    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.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger of the Violent Crimes Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Guilty of Narcotics and Firearms Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on February 5, 2025, CARLOS JONES (“JONES”), age 32, a resident of Orleans Parish, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance to narcotics and weapons offenses.

    According to court documents, JONES and co-defendant, Donte Edwards, were charged in an 11-count indictment with violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act and the Federal Gun Control Act relating to narcotics trafficking and weapons offenses in New Orleans from January through June 2022.  Specifically, between January and June of 2022, JONES agreed and conspired with co-defendant, Dante Edwards (“EDWARDS”), to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) within the 7th Ward neighborhood of New Orleans.  JONES pled guilty to Counts 1, 8, 9, and 11 of an indictment charging him with violating 21 U.S.C. § 846, conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances (crack); 21 U.S.C. §§ 846(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance; 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and, 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    As to each narcotics charge, JONES faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and at least 3 years of supervised release. As to the charge for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, JONES faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to 5 years of supervised release.  Finally, as to the felon in possession charge, he faces up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.  JONES will also pay a $400 mandatory special assessment fee. He is scheduled for sentencing on April 7, 2025.  Co-defendant, EDWARDS, previously pled guilty and was sentenced.

    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 and the New Orleans Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 02/7/2025 Blackburn, Blumenthal Probe Amazon & Google After New Report Reveals They Placed Ads on Website that Hosts Child Sexual Abuse Material

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent letters to several digital advertising platforms after a bombshell report revealed they placed advertisements on a website known to host and distribute Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). 

    This report was shared exclusively with the Senators before public release. Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal sent letters detailing the report to AdTech vendors Google and Amazon, ad verification firms DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science, and industry standards bodies Media Rating Council and Trustworthy Accountability Group. Below are excerpts from their letter to Amazon.

    Blackburn & Blumenthal Sound the Alarm on Amazon Tech Being Used to Monetize Websites that Host Child Sexual Abuse Material

    “We write to express our profound concern that Amazon’s technology has been used to monetize websites that have been known to host child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Recent research indicates that Amazon has facilitated the placement of advertising on imgbb.com, a website that has been known to host CSAM since at least 2021, according to transparency reports released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The dissemination of CSAM is a heinous crime that inflicts irreparable harm on its victims. When digital advertising technologies place advertisements on websites that are known to host such activity, they have in effect created a funding stream that perpetuates criminal operations and irreparable harm to our children.”

    Production, Distribution, Sale, or Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material Violates Federal Law

    “Amazon’s actions here—or in best case, inaction—are problematic for several reasons. First, the instances of advertisements being served on a website known to host illegal CSAM via Amazon’s advertising technologies violates Amazon’s own policies. As you are aware, the production, distribution, sale, and possession of materials depicting CSAM violates federal law. Amazon’s own policies further prohibit ads from appearing on websites that host ‘illegal content’ and ‘adult and explicit sexual content.’ It remains unclear, however, whether Amazon has ceased its relationship with the website identified in this report, and it is deeply troubling that you have continued to monetize the website for at least three years since NCMEC first identified the website as a purveyor of CSAM.”

    Amazon Must Take Immediate Action to Ensure It Is Not Funding Heinous Crimes Against Children

    “Many advertisers reportedly cannot readily access page URL-level reports that would allow them to identify which pages their ads have appeared on, including if they had appeared on imgbb.com. Imgbb.com is an anonymous photo sharing website that hosts user-generated content. Without access to the URLs on which their ads appeared, advertisers have no ability to understand whether their ads have appeared on content that violates Amazon’s policies, their own policies, or federal law. It is imperative that your company take immediate and comprehensive action to address this issue and ensure that you are not funding these heinous crimes against children.”

    Click here to read the full letter to Amazon. 

    Click here to read the full letter to Google.

    Click here to read the full letter to DoubleVerify.

    Click here to read the full letter to Integral Ad Science.

    Click here to read the full letter to Media Rating Council.

    Click here to read the full letter to Trustworthy Accountability Group.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI New York Seeking Victim Information in Investigation Into Individuals Charged with Running a Fencing Operation for South American Theft Groups in Manhattan’s Diamond District

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

    The FBI New York Field Office is seeking to identify potential victims of the operators of Big Apple General Buyers. Dimitriy Nezhinskiy and Juan Villar, operators of Big Apple General Buyers—located at 75 West 47th Street, Suite 3A, New York, NY 10036—were recently charged with conspiracy to receive stolen property.

    According to the indictment, between approximately 2020 and 2025, Nezhinskiy and Villar allegedly conspired with others to receive and purchase stolen property, including jewelry, watches, handbags and assorted luxury items that had been stolen outside of the state of New York and transported into New York. As detailed in court filings, Nezhinskiy and Villar regularly served as “fences” for burglary crews based out of South America who traveled around the United States committing burglaries, typically targeting wealthier neighborhoods or jewelry vendors, and stealing luxury accessories.

    If you believe you had property, whether pawned, placed as collateral for a loan, or stolen from you and in possession of Big Apple General Buyers, or have information relevant to this investigation please e-mail us at diamonddistrict@fbi.gov.

    Responses are voluntary but may be useful in the federal investigation and to identify respondents as potential victims. Based on the responses provided, respondents may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Humboldt — Saskatchewan RCMP seizes nearly two kilograms of illicit drugs and 35,000 illegal cigarettes near Humboldt

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Saskatchewan RCMP’s Prince Albert Crime Reduction Team (CRT), Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) and Humboldt Detachment arrested and charged one individual and seized nearly two kilograms of illicit drugs and 35,000 illegal cigarettes after executing a search warrant near Humboldt, SK.

    On February 4, 2025, RCMP officers from Prince Albert CRT and Humboldt Detachment executed a search warrant at a residence northeast of Humboldt in relation to an ongoing investigation.

    While searching the residence, officers located and seized:

    • 1,000 grams of methamphetamine;
    • 801 grams of cocaine;
    • 35,000 illegal cigarettes;
    • four firearms;
    • ammunition;
    • bear spray; and
    • additional drug trafficking paraphernalia.

    Prince Albert RCMP WEST officers located and arrested an adult male and an adult female during a traffic stop near the residence.

    While searching the vehicle, officers located and seized approximately $42,245 in cash, a small amount of crack cocaine, and additional evidence of drug trafficking.

    As a result of investigation, 59-year-old Gaetan Carrier of Humboldt, SK is charged with:

    • one count, possession for the purpose of trafficking – methamphetamine, Section 5(2), Controlled Drugs and Substances Act,
    • one count, possession for the purpose of trafficking – cocaine, Section 5(2), Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and
    • one count, possession of the proceeds of crime over $5,000, Section 354(1)(a), Criminal Code.

    The investigation continues. Further charges are anticipated.

    The adult female was released without charges.

    Gaetan Carrier is scheduled to make his first appearance in Humboldt Provincial Court on March 24, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Thibodaux Woman Guilty of Misprision of a Felony

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that TAMMY THOMPSON (“THOMPSON”), age 56, a resident of Thibodaux, Louisiana, pled guilty on February 4, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Brandon Long to misprision of a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 4.  Judge Long scheduled sentencing for May 13, 2025.  At sentencing, THOMPSON faces up to three (3) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to one (1) year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

    According to court records, law enforcement in Thibodaux, saw  THOMPSON’s son, Earl Henry Jr. (“Henry Jr.”) purchase narcotics from Roy Robinson (“Robinson”) in a parking lot. After the purchase, Robinson placed two bags inside of Henry Jr.’s vehicle.  Henry Jr. then drove directly back to the residence he shared with his mother, THOMPSON.  After a brief visit inside the residence, Henry Jr. left the residence but was quickly detained by law enforcement.  After concluding that Henry Jr. had moved the bags into his mother’s house, officers got a search warrant for THOMPSON’s residence, while also surveilling the house, to prevent THOMPSON from concealing or destroying evidence.  THOMPSON was then seen on camera leaving her home and placing the two bags inside a nearby parked vehicle.  Law enforcement arrived later to execute the search warrant, and seized the that contained approximately 7,227.3 total gross grams of methamphetamine.  By moving the methamphetamine from her residence and into a nearby vehicle, knowing her adult son had already been detained, THOMPSON was concealing evidence of her son’s drug trafficking activities.  In so doing, she committed misprision of a felony.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    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.

    United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Thibodaux Police Department, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Massachusetts State Senator Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for COVID and Tax Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean A. Tran was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for scheming to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and collecting income that he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

    Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to 18 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Tran was also ordered to pay $25,100 in restitution to the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and $23,327 to the Internal Revenue Service, as well as a $7,500 fine and a mandatory assessment of $2,300. In September 2024, Tran was convicted of 20 counts of wire fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023.    

    Tran served as an elected member of the Massachusetts State Senate, representing Worcester and Middlesex Counties from 2017 to January 2021. After Tran’s State Senate term ended in 2021, Tran fraudulently received pandemic unemployment benefits while simultaneously employed as a paid consultant for a New Hampshire-based retailer of automotive parts (the Automotive Parts Company). While working as a paid consultant for the Automotive Parts Company, Tran fraudulently collected $30,120 in pandemic unemployment benefits.  

    In addition, Tran concealed $54,700 in consulting income that he received from the Automotive Parts Company from his 2021 federal income tax return. This was in addition to thousands of dollars in income that Tran concealed from the IRS while collecting rent from tenants who rented his Fitchburg property from 2020 to 2022.

    “When Dean Tran took his oath of office as a Massachusetts State Senator, he willingly entered into a world of being in the public eye. He chose to violate the public’s trust not once, but twice by defrauding the government out of unemployment benefits and willfully omitting his taxable income. His fraud and calculated deception erode the public’s trust in elected officials and diverted money away from those who truly needed it,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out public officials who violate the law and holding them accountable for their actions.”

    “Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran stole taxpayer funds intended for American workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to prioritize and investigate allegations of fraud involving the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) unemployment insurance (UI) program. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who exploit this critical benefit program,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

    “Today’s sentencing of Dean Tran demonstrates that no one is above the law, even elected officials,” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Elected officials are held to a higher standard when they take an oath to serve but to Tran, his oath meant nothing when he chose to steal from the America taxpayers on two separate occasions. Tran stole from a pandemic unemployment program designed to help those most in need. Tran proceeded to harm the American public further when he decided not to report his taxable income, the most basic of principles all Americans are expected to follow.”

    “Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran blatantly defrauded a government program meant to keep businesses and workers afloat during the pandemic, using the money for his own personal expenses, effectively stealing funds from others who needed them,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to crack down on frauds like this because willfully defrauding the government and cheating honest taxpayers is a federal crime.”

    U.S. Attorney Foley, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone, Acting IRS-CI SAC Thomas Demeo and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and John T. Mulcahy of the Office’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions prosecuted the case.

    On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: White Butte — Arrested: White Butte RCMP asks members of the public to report sightings of wanted male

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    February 7, 2025
    White Butte, Saskatchewan

    News release

    On February 6, 2025 at approximately 6:40 a.m., White Butte RCMP located Cynan Fink-Rostad in a parked truck in Emerald Park, SK. Officers approached the vehicle and Cynan Fink-Rostad was arrested on his outstanding warrant. An adult female passenger was also arrested at the scene.

    Investigation determined the truck was previously reported as stolen out of Regina on February 5, 2025. This was a separate incident from the truck that was stolen on January 24, 2025 and later recovered.

    As a result of investigation, Cynan Fink-Rostad was additionally charged with one count, possession of property obtained by crime over $5000, Section 354(1)(a), Criminal Code.

    21-year-old Trysten Bird from Regina, SK is charged with:

    • one count, possession of property obtained by crime over $5000, Section 354(1)(a), Criminal Code; and
    • one count, fail to comply with undertaking condition, Section 145(4)(a), Criminal Code.

    Cynan Fink-Rostad and Trysten Bird appeared in Regina Provincial Court on February 7, 2025.

    –30–

    Backgrounder

    White Butte RCMP asks members of the public to report sightings of wanted male

    2025-01-31

    White Butte RCMP determined two additional crimes were connected to the theft of the truck (see below for background). On January 21, a vehicle was broken into in the community of St. Joseph’s and bank and gift cards were stolen. Also on January 21, a vehicle was damaged in St. Joseph’s.

    As a result of continued investigation, 20-year-old Cynan Fink-Rostad from Regina is charged with:

    – one count, theft of truck, Section 333.1(1), Criminal Code;

    – one count, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, Section 354(1)(a), Criminal Code;

    – one count, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, Section 320.13(1), Criminal Code;

    – three counts, trespass by night, Section 177, Criminal Code;

    – one count, mischief under $5,000 – damage to vehicle; and

    – three counts, theft under $5,000, Section 334(b), Criminal Code.

    A warrant has been issued for Cynan Fink-Rostad’s arrest and White Butte RCMP are working to locate him. They ask members of the public to report all sightings of him and information on his whereabouts.

    Cynan Fink-Rostad is described as approximately 6’3″ and 170 lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo of a rose on his left wrist, numbers on his left hand and a small tattoo under his left eye.

    If you see him, call your local police of jurisdiction. Dial 310-RCMP to reach your local RCMP detachment. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    The investigation into these incidents continues.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Walnut Ridge Man Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Federal Prison For Possession With Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Being A Felon in Possession of 26 Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

          JONESBORO—Terry Duane Qualls, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 262 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed today by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky.

          On September 20, 2024, Qualls, 37, of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of firearms. Qualls was indicted on April 5, 2024, in a superseding indictment, on one count of conspiracy to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of being a felon in possession of 26 firearms, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

          In addition to the sentence, which equals 21 years and 10 months, Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Qualls to five years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

          In the spring of 2021, law enforcement received information that Qualls was a multi-pound distributor of methamphetamine, and also a distributor of marijuana, heroin, fentanyl, LSD, and ecstasy in the northeast Arkansas area. Law enforcement arrested Qualls twice in the following months, finding him in possession of drugs and drug proceeds. Law enforcement also conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Qualls. The investigation led to the execution of a search warrant on sprawling property off Greene 707 Road, which was occupied by Qualls. Law enforcement located several stolen vehicles and a marijuana grow on the property.

          Inside of a camper where Qualls resided, law enforcement located 26 firearms, body armor, 25 additional magazines, and five full cans of ammunition. Law enforcement also located approximately 340 grams of methamphetamine in multiple baggies, over 3,000 grams of marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, suboxone, LSD, mushrooms, alprazolam, clonazepam, THC wax, 60 sudephedrine tablets, and steroids, along with a plastic bin full of syringes, five digital scales, 13 pipes, and a marijuana grinder.

          Qualls was sentenced as a career offender on the drug conviction due to his criminal history that includes three serious drug convictions. Qualls was sentenced as an armed career criminal on the gun conviction due to his criminal history as well.

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

          The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Second Judicial Drug Task Force, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Craighead County Sheriff’s Office, and Jonesboro Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary.

    # # #

    Additional information about the office of the

    United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

    https://www.justice.gov/edar

    X (formerly known as Twitter):

    @USAO_EDAR 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Inside the FBI: Intercepting the South American Theft Group Threat

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)

    On this episode, we’ll discuss why and how the FBI is working to stem the complex criminal threat posed by South American Theft Groups. And Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll will explain why the Bureau refuses to fumble the fight against violent crime.

    More at: https://www.fbi.gov/news/podcasts/inside-the-fbi-podcast-intercepting-the-south-american-theft-group-threat
    —————————————————
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MaDQtIWYlk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Acting Chairman Travis Hill Expresses Support for Enhancing Flexibility with Respect to Customer Identification Program Requirements

    Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

    CategoriesBusiness, Commerce, MIL-OSI, United States Federal Government, United States Government, United States of America, US Commerce, US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC, US Federal Government, US Insurance Sector, USA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Suspicious fires at Penfield

    Source: South Australia Police

    Police are investigating a series of fires in the Penfield area overnight.

    Just after midnight (8 February) police and fire crews responded to reports of a truck fire on Heaslip Road, Penfield, near the Northern Expressway.

    The truck fire was extinguished before it could spread to nearby grass.

    Emergency services were then called to two other grass fires in Robert Road, Penfield Gardens and Argent Road, Penfield.  Again, fire crews managed to quickly extinguish the flames.

    Witnesses reported seeing a vehicle leaving the scene of the fires.

    Following investigations, a short time later Police attended an Elizabeth East address and arrested a suspect.

    The 20-year-old Elizabeth East man was arrested and charged with arson and cause a bushfire.  He was refused police bail and is expected to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Monday.

    Anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area or has any CCTV or dashcam footage that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend Luxembourg for Eliminating the Gender Pay Gap, Ask about Pension Payments for Women and Penalties for Traffickers

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the eighth periodic report of Luxembourg, with Committee Experts congratulating the State on eliminating the gender pay gap, and raising questions about pension payments for women and penalties for human traffickers.

    Ana Peláez Narváez, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, congratulated Luxembourg on becoming the first country in the European Union to have eliminated the pay gap between men and women.  One Expert said Luxembourg’s wage gap was the lowest in the world.

    One Expert called for further efforts to achieve wage equality for women in part-time work and in the informal sector. Almost one-third of women worked part time; this affected the pension gap.  How was the State party working to address this gap?

    A Committee Expert said the State party’s sentences for trafficking were often lenient and judges rarely took away traffickers’ profits.  How would the State party ensure that penalties for trafficking reflected the gravity of the crime?  The Expert said the State party had not identified child trafficking victims for three years.  Would the State party include civil society in efforts to identify child victims?

    Introducing the report, Yuriko Backes, Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Defence, Mobility and Public Transport of Luxembourg, said the Luxembourg Government remained determined to stand up for women’s and girls’ rights, safety, freedom and access to equal opportunities.  The Committee could count on Luxembourg’s determination and support.

    On wage equality, Marc Bichler, Permanent Representative of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said Luxembourg was the only country in the European Union to have eliminated wage inequality, but there was still a pay gap in favour of men for annual wages.  More efforts were needed to address this economic inequality, particularly regarding the high proportion of part-time work among women.  The role of equality officers in private companies with more than 15 employees was particularly important.

    The delegation added that the gender pension gap was large; to address this, a major reform of the pension system was underway.

    On trafficking, the delegation said that training had been provided to State officials and non-governmental organizations to improve the identification of and support for trafficking victims. Victims were officially identified by a specialised unit of the police, but non-governmental organizations could help identify victims.

    In concluding remarks, Mr. Bichler said the dialogue had been a valuable exercise that helped the State party to make progress in implementing the Convention and upholding the rights of women and girls.  There were pushbacks against women and girls’ rights globally, but Luxembourg was resolute in defending these rights.

    In her concluding remarks, Corinne Dettmeijer-Vermeulen, Committee Vice-Chair and acting Chair of the meeting, said that the dialogue with Luxembourg had provided further insight into the situation of women in the State party.  The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and called on it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls of Luxembourg.

    The delegation of Luxembourg consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity; Chamber of Deputies; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees; Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade; Ministry of Education, Children and Youth; Ministry of Internal Affairs; and the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Luxembourg at the end of its ninetieth session on 21 February.  All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. on Monday, 10 February to hold an informal meeting with representatives from non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions from Belize, Congo, Sri Lanka and Liechtenstein, whose reports will be considered by the Committee next week.

    Report

    The Committee has before it the eighth periodic report of Luxembourg (CEDAW/C/LUX/8).

    Presentation of Report

    YURIKO BACKES, Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Defence, Mobility and Public Transport of Luxembourg, said women’s rights, gender equality and diversity were essential to the wellbeing and healthy functioning of society.  Ms. Backes said she tried very hard to make sure that both gender and diversity aspects were considered throughout her Government portfolios.  She was the first woman to hold the positions of Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance in Luxembourg.  This demonstrated that there was work ahead when it came to shaping a world where equality was a reality on all levels. 

    Women and girls were differently and disproportionally affected by climate disasters, armed conflicts and pandemics.  The only way to sustainably change this was to opt for gender-responsive policymaking across all fields.  The empowerment of women and girls and Sustainable Development Goal five needed to be front and centre across all areas of action.  The Luxembourg Government remained determined to stand up for women’s and girls’ rights, safety, freedom and access to equal opportunities.  The Committee could count on Luxembourg’s determination and support.

    MARC BICHLER, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said Luxembourg had had a Ministry in charge of equality issues for 30 years.  It had adapted over time, expanding its mandate to address lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons and diversity.  The 2023-2028 coalition agreement maintained the promotion of equality between women and men as a cross-cutting priority of the Government’s political action.  This work would be guided in the coming years by the national action plan for equality between women and men.

    Luxembourg was currently placed seventh in the European Union in the Gender Equality Index. The proportion of women on the management boards of public institutions was 38.64 per cent, an increase of more than 10 points since 2015.  The rate of women representing the State on these boards stood at 43.61 per cent in 2024, exceeding the initial target of 40 per cent.  The private sector had only 23 per cent women on the boards of large companies, but the trend was upward and indicated improvements to come.  The Government remained firmly committed to continuing its efforts to promote balanced representation.  It was also working with civil society to include men as actors and beneficiaries of equality policies. 

    Luxembourg was the only country in the European Union to have eliminated wage inequality, but there was still a pay gap in favour of men for annual wages.  More efforts were needed to address this economic inequality, particularly regarding the high proportion of part-time work among women. The role of equality officers in private companies with more than 15 employees was particularly important.

    The fight against domestic violence and gender-based violence remained priorities of the Luxembourg Government.  Despite political and legislative progress, this was a daily reality in Luxembourg, affecting women and girls, as well as men and boys in all their diversity.  The total number of victims had increased significantly over the years, from 2,882 in 2015 to 4,793 in 2023.  Women accounted for an average of 71 per cent of victims each year.  In 2023, their number reached 3,218, which represented an increase of more than six per cent compared to 2022.  Luxembourg adopted a strategy in November 2021 to improve the protection against domestic violence and to strengthen the national machinery.  It had created an integrated national centre for victims of all forms of violence, which would facilitate their holistic care, bringing together legal aid, medical aid and psychological assistance.  The centre would open in April and would provide assistance to victims 24/7.

    Luxembourg was in the process of developing a national action plan on gender-based violence, which would support more comprehensive care to victims of different forms of gender-based violence.  It was, in collaboration with civil society, convening several awareness raising campaigns on this topic, including the annual “Orange Week” event, which brought together many actors to stand in solidarity with women and girls who were victims of violence.  A specific system had also been set up to provide consultations and therapeutic care to perpetrators to break the cycle of violence.  Since ratifying the Istanbul Convention, Luxembourg had been firmly committed to monitoring its implementation in a cross-cutting manner.

    A new Grand-Ducal regulation of 2023 strengthened the role of the “Prostitution Commission” to monitor prostitution and to combat pimping and trafficking in human beings. The inclusion of State experts as well as civil society would allow the commission to carry out timely and comprehensive follow-up.  Luxembourg had approved a bill on the prohibition of virginity examinations and certificates, the ban on hymenoplasty, and the abolition of the reflection period for the voluntary termination of pregnancy.  In addition, in 2023, an adaptation to the Penal Code introduced a new definition of rape based on the notion of consent.  The State was currently finalising its second action plan on women, peace and security.

    Luxembourg aimed to uphold a modern and egalitarian society in which every citizen could find their place, regardless of their gender.

    MANDY MINELLA, Deputy Head of the Committee Department, Chamber of Deputies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, said the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg was a crucial actor in combatting discrimination against women.  The Chamber supported Orange Week, lighting its buildings in orange during the week.  Meetings on gender equality were held regularly.  A working group on gender equality had been set up to develop a strategy for promoting gender equality within the Chamber.  The status of members of parliament had been reformed to recognise the status of pregnant members.  The Chamber needed to represent and respect the rights and opinions of all and meet the expectations of its people.

    LAURA CAROCHA, Human and Social Sciences Expert, Consultative Commission of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg on Human Rights, welcomed the efforts made by the Luxembourg State to combat discrimination against women since the last report, while noting persistent shortcomings, including a social system that kept women in a subordinate position to men.  Luxembourg’s policy favoured a “neutral” approach that was not gender sensitive.  Ms. Carocha urged politicians to openly acknowledge this systemic patriarchal domination and to make the deconstruction of this mechanism a priority. 

    It was imperative that the Government implemented the principle of gender mainstreaming in a cross-cutting manner in all its policies.  Luxembourg’s equality efforts lacked an intersectional approach and the Government rarely addressed multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.  To implement such an intersectional approach, it was essential to have detailed data, disaggregated by gender, age, ethnicity, disability and education level.  This would allow the State to identify shortcomings in policies and better understand and target the needs of women.

    Questions by a Committee Expert 

    ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, said that Luxembourg ranked twentieth in the Human Development Index and was the first country in the European Union to have eliminated the pay gap between men and women. The State party had ratified the Istanbul Convention and the International Labour Organization Convention on forced labour, and introduced legislation to combat multiple forms of discrimination over the reporting period.  However, the revised Constitution of 2021 drew a distinction between Luxembourg nationals and non-nationals and lacked protections against forced labour and trafficking.  How did the State party justify the amendments to the Constitution? Would the State party eliminate the distinction between Luxembourg nationals and non-nationals?

    Luxembourg had adopted a law creating the position of a family judge, an act on the provision of legal aid, and an act amending the Criminal Code to strengthen the response to sexual abuse of minors.  The Committee was concerned about the barriers inhibiting access to justice for women.  What measures were in place to overcome these barriers?  Why had the Centre for Legal Treatment not been given the power to initiate legal proceedings on behalf of victims?

    The Committee commended the State party’s national action plan on business and human rights. However, funds deposited in certain banks in Luxembourg may have come from the exploitation of human beings overseas, particularly women.  What rules were imposed on companies domiciled in the State party?  How did the State party address extraterritorial violations?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Luxembourg adopted a neutral approach in its legislation on discrimination. The State believed that women’s rights were human rights.  The neutral approach was grounded on the principle of gender equality.

    Each person in Luxembourg who was subject to criminal proceedings benefited from procedural guarantees, regardless of their residence status or nationality.  These guarantees covered access to a lawyer, the presumption of innocence and, to an extent, legal aid.

    Civil suits could be filed in Luxembourg by victims of discrimination by private enterprises. Luxembourg was transposing European Union guidelines on its supply chains, promoting due diligence for companies and organising public events related to business and human rights. Since 2017, Luxembourg had been working to implement and align with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, conducting consultations with private entities and civil society.  Companies in the banking and insurance sector had provided positive feedback regarding the implementation of the Guiding Principles.  The financial sector was aware of its obligations.  The State was working to address its extraterritorial obligations to provide remedies to the victims of human rights violations occurring overseas.

    The revised Constitution stated that people in Luxembourg were equal before the law. Non-Luxembourg nationals could not vote in legislative elections but could vote in municipal elections.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert commended Luxembourg’s commitment to gender equality, human rights, and to dismantling stereotypes.  The State party had demonstrated its commitment to the women, peace and security agenda through its women, peace and security national action plan.  What was the status of the second iteration of the plan? Was feminism still a part of foreign policy?

    Various sources had criticised the Ministry of Gender and Equality’s neutral approach.  The Committee hoped that its policies would address structural gender inequalities.  There were concerns regarding the depth of the analysis of the Observatory for Gender Equality.  What measures were in place to increase the depth of its analysis?

    ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, said that the State party had established voluntary quotas in some areas, including minimum quotas of 40 per cent representation of one sex on political bodies and 30 per cent representation on the boards of State agencies.  There were concerns that these measures were gender-neutral and not mandatory, and that they did not encourage the representation of vulnerable groups of women.  What efforts were being taken by the State party to improve its temporary special measures and to make its quotas mandatory?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the State party was striving to eliminate gender equality with ad-hoc programmes targeted at underrepresented genders.  There were programmes targeting violence against women and preparing women to defend themselves.  The legal framework was neutral but the actions taken by the Government were not.

    Luxembourg would work proactively on gender mainstreaming in the field of defence. The second iteration of the women, peace and security national action plan would be adopted this year in March. It would promote the role of women in peace and security initiatives.

    If political parties did not meet the 40 per cent representation quota for each sex, their funding was reduced.  The State party was raising the awareness of political parties and candidates on the importance of equality.  A database with profiles of women who wished to become board members of associations would soon be launched to promote women’s representation.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert congratulated the State party on its plan to launch the second iteration of the women, peace and security initiative this March.  No non-governmental organizations from Luxembourg had interacted with the Committee during this review process.  How would the State party encourage civil society to provide alternative reports in future sessions?

    Another Committee Expert said that gender stereotypes in the media had not been sufficiently addressed, and women accounted for only around one fourth of all media workers. How was the Government addressing these issues?  How was the State party conducting gender impact assessments, as recommended by the Committee in 2018?  How did legislation and policies address sterilisation and irreversible medical procedures against intersex children?  Had the State party considered broadening the statute of limitations for rape, which was limited to 10 years?  Did the State party plan to establish psychological violence as a stand-alone crime?  Training on gender-based violence was not provided to judges.  How would the State party improve data collection on court cases involving gender-based violence?  Why had retrospective analysis of femicides not been conducted?

    One Committee Expert said that the State party’s definition of trafficking in persons did not align with international standards.  Would it amend this legislation?  Sentences were often lenient and judges rarely took away traffickers’ profits or granted remedies to victims.  How would the State party ensure that penalties for trafficking reflected the gravity of the crime and ensure that victims received adequate compensation?  What was the timeline for implementation of the national action plan on trafficking in persons?  How would the plan integrate gender-specific aspects of trafficking?  The State party had not identified child trafficking victims for three years.  Would the State party include civil society into efforts to identify child victims, and prevent the inappropriate penalisation of trafficking victims?  The Committee welcomed the State party’s policies addressing prostitution.  Were there plans to decriminalise prostitution?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said that the State party valued permanent collaboration with civil society. The Ministry of Equality paid 80 per cent of its budget to civil society to promote the rights of vulnerable groups, particularly women.  Luxembourg hosted around 100 non-governmental organizations, despite its small population of 600,000, and these groups had contributed to various Government policies. Non-governmental organizations did not always have the resources needed to travel overseas to participate in dialogues with the Committee.

    An internal assessment of the first women, peace and security national action plan had been conducted and lessons learned would be included in the second plan.  The second plan would place greater emphasis on cooperation with civil society.

    The Government was engaging in dialogue with the media sector to improve the representation of women. The Advertising Ethics Commission received complaints related to discrimination and sexism.  Awareness raising campaigns were being carried out on sexism, discrimination and violence in the media.  A working group on hate speech had been set up that cooperated with the police force and associations working with perpetrators.  The digital service act strived to combat illicit content and encouraged platforms to delete such content swiftly.

    The law on femicide was revised in 2023.  There had yet to be any rulings handed down based on this legislation.  There were plans to collect statistics on femicide. The national action plan on gender-based violence was based on the Istanbul Convention and had been developed to strengthen protections and services for victims, as well as training on gender-based violence.  The State party would address psychological violence in the national action plan on all forms of gender-based violence and would consider establishing a law on this form of violence.

    The Government was working to protect the gender identity of intersex persons and was following Council of Europe regulations on the prevention of irreversible medical procedures against intersex persons.

    In Luxembourg, it was enough to prove that a person had the potential of exploiting an individual to hold them criminally liable for trafficking.  Training had been provided to State officials and non-governmental organizations to improve the identification of and support for trafficking victims.  Victims were officially identified by a specialised unit of the police, but non-governmental organizations and the labour inspectorate could help identify victims.  Street walks were carried out to identify victims of trafficking and provide support to women in prostitution.  Sex workers were not criminalised; clients were criminalised if they knew that the sex worker was a minor or a victim of trafficking.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    Another Committee Expert commended the efforts Luxembourg had made to promote gender equality, including its quota of 40 per cent representation in political bodies. Despite high representation at the national level, women’s representation in municipal governments was around 20 per cent.  What measures were in place to bridge the gender gap in municipalities?  The 2022 law aiming to enhance the participation of foreign nationals in elections was note-worthy.  How did the State party ensure that foreigners were meaningfully included in public life?  Were there targeted initiatives encouraging women to pursue careers in Luxembourg’s foreign service?  Women only made up around 12 per cent of Luxembourg’s military.  What measures were in place to increase their representation in security and military sectors?  Women also accounted for just 23 per cent of board members of private companies.  Were there plans to extend quotas to private sector boards?

    One Committee Expert commended the State’s progress in advancing the rights of women and girls in education.  Primary and secondary education was free for all children in Luxembourg, and compulsory education had recently been extended to 18 years.  Could the State party provide disaggregated data on women working in science, technology, engineering and maths fields?  How was the State party encouraging study in these subjects? The Committee welcomed that the State party had endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration.  How was the State party supporting the international community in the effective implementation of the Declaration?  What measures were in place to support vulnerable women in education? How was the State preventing online violence, ensuring the responsible use of digital technology, and working to close the digital gender gap?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said underrepresentation of women in decision making fora was a key challenge for the Government.  Funding was reduced for political parties that did not uphold quotas.  Individuals could nominate themselves to political positions in smaller municipalities; this led to greater gender imbalances. The State party aimed to achieve gender parity in Government, and better representation of women and wage equality in the private sector, and recruitment campaigns for the armed forces targeted at women.  The diplomatic corps was made up of around 150 agents, 76 per cent of whom were men. In recent years, the number of female diplomats had increased and this trend was likely to continue.

    The State had a service providing training for children on cyberbullying.  When it identified sexual harassment material online, it referred the material to legal services.  Raising awareness about online risks was a priority for the Government. 

    Questions by a Committee Expert 

    A Committee Expert commended the State party for eliminating the pay gap between men and women.  Luxembourg’s wage gap was the lowest in the world.  The Committee called for further efforts to achieve wage equality for women in part-time work and in the informal sector. Almost one-third of women worked part time; this affected the pension gap.  How was the State party working to address this gap?  The Committee was concerned that the act on persons with disabilities excluded persons with disabilities who did not meet requirements for support to access the labour market.  Had Luxembourg criminalised workplace sexual harassment and adopted measures to implement appropriate sanctions?  Would it ratify International Labour Organization Convention 190?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Luxembourg considered sexual harassment to be a serious form of violence.  It would be addressed in the national action plan against gender-based violence.  Victims of gender-based violence and discrimination in the workplace could seek support from a specialised service within the labour inspectorate.  Measures were in place to support single parents, who were prioritised in the provision of affordable housing.  The gender pension gap was large; to address this, a major reform of the pension system was underway.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert said Luxembourg had an admirable universal healthcare system.  To access free services, individuals needed to prove their identity and that they had lived in Luxembourg for at least three months. How many applications were objected to and on what grounds?  The Expert welcomed the national programme for the promotion of sexual and reproductive health.  What progress had been made in strengthening this programme?  The Committee welcomed the national action plan on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons, but was concerned that involuntary surgeries continued to be imposed on intersex persons.  When would the State party abolish this practice?

    The high rate of tobacco use among women was a major issue in the State party, leading to various health complications. What public health measures had been taken to discourage smoking, especially for women?

    One Committee Expert commended the State party’s financial support for women and support for women investors. What measures were in place to educate self-employed women on the pension regime?  Were there digital tools that facilitated women’s integration in pension programmes?  More than one in seven workers in Luxembourg was at risk of poverty.  How was the State party addressing this?  Were there measures to help unemployed women to access benefits and training?  Did the State party have regulations on safeguarding women’s rights in investments?  How did the State party ensure adequate reparation for human rights violations by companies?  What steps had been taken to promote women-owned businesses?  What strategies were planned to boost women’s access to financial services, bonds and loans?  What percentage of businesses were owned by women?  How was the State party helping women and girls to strengthen their digital competencies, collecting disaggregated data on access to loans and credit, and providing financial support services that reached women who lacked digital skills?

    The State party was commended for promoting women’s participation in sports entrepreneurship.  What measures were in place to prevent gender stereotypes in sport?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said all individuals in Luxembourg had access to the universal health coverage system.  The Government worked to streamline gender in all healthcare policies.  It was raising awareness amongst healthcare practitioners regarding differences in treatment between men and women.

    The national action plan on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons would address the issue of involuntary sterilisations.  The State party would assess legal provisions that addressed this issue in other countries. A national action plan to prevent smoking that considered the specific needs of women was being drafted.

    Sport was an area in which there was inequality between men and women in terms of renumeration and presence in the media.  The Government was drafting a national strategy on equality in sport.  Violence against women in sport was being addressed by the National Centre for Victims of Violence.

    A gender finance taskforce had been set up to support women to access the finance sector and loans.  Schools were educating girls on the financial sector. The Ministry of the Family funded a project that supported women’s incorporation into business networks and entrepreneurship support programmes.

    Luxembourg had around 20 observatories collecting disaggregated data on various topics.  The Government was stressing the importance of collecting data disaggregated by sex.  A digital gateway had been setup that promoted women’s and girls’ digital skills. An annual day of digital inclusion was also held to promote the inclusion of women and girls in the digital sphere.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert thanked the State party for its legal advocacy on behalf of Afghan women.  Luxembourg was Europe’s first financial centre.  Several businesses in Luxembourg continued to make investments in the fossil fuel industry.  Would the State party adopt stricter environmental regulations for businesses?  The State party had thus far contributed eight million euros to the Loss and Damage Fund.  Investments needed to be made with a human rights approach, including investments in green bonds.  The State party needed to contribute more to the Loss and Damage Fund in a way that addressed the needs of women.

    Women in solitary confinement had meagre access to education and work, despite legislation enshrining the rights of such women to State services.  How would the State party address this?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the financial sector was one of the biggest contributors to Luxembourg’s gross national income.  It was one of the first sectors to implement the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.  The Government had called on the Union of Luxembourg Businesses, which included businesses from the financial sector, to implement the Guiding Principles.  The European Union had adopted a directive on business and human rights that Luxembourg was transposing into law. Employers in the financial sector were aware of regulations related to women’s rights and sanctions that were implemented when those regulations were not respected.

    The Government was committed to supporting climate action in developing countries; it had pledged 120 million euros toward this at a recent Conference of the Parties.  Funds dedicated to climate action included a gender perspective. In 2016, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange decided to open a “green exchange”, which applied stringent criteria for green investment.  This exchange today had over one trillion United States dollars’ worth of sustainable climate assets.  Many sustainable assets addressed the protection of women’s rights.  The Stock Exchange had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with United Nations Women in 2022 to advance projects and investments that promoted women’s empowerment.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert asked how many women had requested the grant provided to women divorcees.  Had the State party conducted studies into the effectiveness of shared custody agreements?  Same-sex couples experienced barriers to accessing adoption services.  How was the State party addressing this?  The practice of surrogacy was not sufficiently regulated.  How did the State party protect surrogate mothers and children?  How did the State party support such children to investigate their origins?

    The legal distinction between “legitimate” and “natural” children created discrimination.  Were there plans to remove this distinction?

    ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Luxembourg, asked how many children of Luxembourg lived in institutions and foster families in the State and abroad.

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said a draft bill on adoption was currently being assessed.  It addressed adoptions by cohabiting couples and investigations into the lineage of children who were abandoned by their parents.  There were around 1,000 children and adolescents of Luxembourg in institutions and foster families, including 76 children and adolescents who had been placed in institutions abroad.  The distinction between legitimate and natural children still existed in legislation but in reality, there was little difference between these.  The draft bill on the right to lineage removed the distinction. Assessments of this bill were still underway.

    Concluding Remarks 

    MARC BICHLER, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the interactive dialogue.  This had been a valuable exercise that helped the State party to make progress in implementing the Convention and upholding the rights of women and girls.  There were pushbacks against women and girls’ rights globally, but Luxembourg was resolute in defending these rights.  The State party would continue to work to implement the Convention.

    MARYSE FISCH, First Government Counsellor, Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, thanked the Committee for its advice, which helped the State party to improve.  Luxembourg highly valued the Convention, which was mentioned in the coalition agreement and the national action plan on equality.

    MANDY MINELLA, Deputy Head of the Committee Department, Chamber of Deputies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, said the Chamber of Deputies was committed to equality and would conduct a gender audit and develop a strategy to promote gender equality, inclusive language, and gender mainstreaming.  The Chamber was discussing issues, including childcare and provisions for breastfeeding women.  There were plans to overhaul the Chamber’s regulations with a gender perspective. The Committee’s recommendations would be carefully reviewed in the Chamber.

    CORINNE DETTMEIJER-VERMEULEN, Committee Vice-Chair and acting Chair of the meeting, said that the dialogue with Luxembourg had provided further insight into the situation of women in the State party.  The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and called on it to implement the Committee’s recommendations for the benefit of all women and girls of Luxembourg.

     

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

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: New milestone in indigenous development of gaseous detector important for mega science FAIR project in Germany

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 07 FEB 2025 5:33PM by PIB Delhi

    Researchers have developed an innovative technique using a radioactive source that can simplify the study of radiation effects on Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors, a crucial step in nuclear and particle physics experiments.

    Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector are particle detectors used as tracking devices in high-energy physics experiments that utilizes a thin, perforated foil with a high electric field to amplify particles produced by ionizing radiation, allowing for precise detection of particles like muons by significantly multiplying the initial signal generated by the particle’s interaction with the gas within the detector.

    They are also strong candidates for diagnostic applications in medical technology because of their good position resolution. First introduced by Prof. Fabio Sauli in 1997, GEM detectors consist of a 50 μm thick Kapton foil, with 5 μm copper cladding on both sides.

    Despite their advantages, the inclusion of Kapton, a radiation-resistant polyimide film with excellent insulating properties, in the active volume makes these detectors sensitive to radiation-induced effects, particularly the charging-up of the dielectric medium. During operation, ionizing radiation deposits energy into the detector, initiating electron avalanche formation.

    This process results in charge accumulation on the Kapton foil, which in turn enhances the electric field within the GEM holes—the primary region for electron multiplication. This increase in the electric field boosts the detector’s gain and efficiency. Over time, a dynamic equilibrium is established, stabilizing the gain and ensuring consistent detector performance.

    India has the full responsibility of building all the GEM chambers that will be used in the future Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR and will be operated at very high radiation environment. For this, it is important to enhance the understanding of the charging-up effect in GEM detectors, a phenomenon that remains inadequately understood.

    Fig 1: Schematic of the charge accumulation on the Kapton foil inside GEM hole. The dynamical accumulation of the charges on the surface of the Kapton increases the electric field thence the gain of the chamber.

    To investigate this phenomenon, Dr. Saikat Biswas and his PhD student, Dr. Sayak Chatterjee along with the other collaborators from the Bose Institute, an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, conducted an in-depth investigation into the charging-up effect on the Kapton foil and its subsequent impact on detector performance.

    The team from Department of Physical Sciences at Bose Institute, developed a specialized experimental setup to study the charging-up effect in triple GEM detectors by studying its gain variation as a function of time.

    Analysis of the charging effect indicated that as either the detector gain (the ratio of the primary charges to the charges detected by the readout board) or irradiation rate increased, the charging-up time decreased significantly. This behavior was attributed to higher particle densities, which facilitated faster charge equilibrium within the GEM holes.

    Fig 2: (a) Variation of the normalized gain as a function of time fitted with a polynomial function to extract the charging-up time (p2) of a DM triple GEM chamber. (b) Variation of charging-up time of the DM triple GEM chambers as a function of the irradiation rates from a Fe-55 source at a fixed detector gain of ~ 5000.

    The findings from this study provide valuable insights for predicting behavioral changes in GEM detectors, critical components in high-rate experiments, when subjected to external radiation. These insights will inform design considerations and operational parameters for GEM chambers in radiation-intensive environments such as the CBM experiment at FAIR, Germany. These results are not only important for CBM experiment only but also for other high-rate experiments where GEM will be used.

    Fig 3: Variation of charging-up time of the DM & SM triple GEM chambers as a function of the gain of the chambers for different irradiation rates using the Fe-55 X-ray source.

     

    The researchers plan to extend their work to investigate the impact of GEM foil geometry on the charging-up effect and to explore behavioral changes under various types of irradiations, extending beyond the capabilities of laboratory setups. The studies published in the Journal of Instrumentation & Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A, are crucial milestones for indigenous gaseous detector development.

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