Category: Crime

MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Domestic Abuser Sentenced to Federal Prison for Violently Attacking His Girlfriend

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

pokane, Washington – On October 23, 2024, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced James Edward Kensler, age 45, of Spokane, Washington, to 60 months in prison for violently assaulting his girlfriend. Judge Rice also imposed 3 years of supervised release. At the time of the offense, Kensler was on federal supervised release. As a penalty for the supervised release violation, Judge Rice imposed a penalty of 18 months which will be served consecutively to the 60-month sentence imposed in this case.

According to court documents and information presented during proceedings in the case, Kensler was with his girlfriend at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino in May 2024. Kensler, who is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, grabbed his victim by the back of the head and threw her on the ground with such force that the impact of her head hitting the couch moved two couches and a table forward.

Kensler then chased his victim through the resort. When Kensler caught his victim, he again threw her to the ground, attempted to stomp on her face, punched her in the face, slapped her, and hit her with his knee. When Kensler’s victim attempted to escape a second time, he again pursued her and threw her into a closed elevator door.

In the resort parking lot, Kalispel Tribal Police Officers apprehended Kensler and provided aid to his victim. Officers noted the victim’s face was swollen and that she had multiple scrapes.

“Mr. Kensler violently and repeatedly assaulted his victim, causing her severe injuries. Furthermore, Mr. Kenlser had a history of domestic violence offenses and was on federal supervised release at the time of this latest assault,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “Focusing our prosecutions on repeat offenders and those with prior domestic violence convictions is one of our strategies to support community safety and address the root causes underlying the MMIP crisis. My office is committed to working with our partners in Tribal and Federal law enforcement to secure justice for all victims and to build safer and stronger communities on Tribal lands and throughout Eastern Washington.”

“When Mr. Kensler was taken into custody, he was treated respectfully.” said Kelly M. Smith, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “The same cannot be said of how he treated his girlfriend. This case demonstrates successful partnerships, as in this case with the Kalispel Tribal Police, we can help reduce violent crime on our state’s reservations.”

“We are committed to the safety and security of our guests,” said Police Chief Rodney Schurger of the Kalispel Tribal Police Department. “Our officers responded swiftly to this violent incident and worked closely with the FBI to ensure that justice was served.”

“The safety of our guests, Tribal Members, and team members is our top priority,” said Kalispel Tribal Council Vice Chair Curt Holmes. “Domestic violence and other violent crimes are growing concerns across the nation and in the Spokane region. We are thankful for the prompt actions of our Tribal Police Department and the FBI’s involvement in this case. We also appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their dedication to prosecuting violent offenders like Mr. Kensler and helping to keep our communities safe.”

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Kalispel Tribal Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Ellis.

2:24-cr-00074-TOR

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Myanmar: Rohingyas face worst violence since 2017 – new testimony

Source: Amnesty International –

Rohingya face persecution from rebel Arakan Army and Myanmar military

Bangladesh has forcibly returned more than 5,000 Rohingyas this year

Refugee camps desperately short of essential supplies and services

‘We quickly hid in the mud, sitting down in the muddy water, and then another bomb exploded, killing my parents, sisters and many others’ – 18-year-old woman

‘Those lucky enough to make it to Bangladesh do not have enough to eat, a proper place to sleep, or even their own clothes’ – Agnès Callamard

Newly arrived Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh need urgent access to food, shelter and medical attention after enduring the worst violence against their communities since the Myanmar military-led campaign in 2017, Amnesty International said today.

New testimony gathered by Amnesty shows how Rohingya families forced to leave their homes in Myanmar have been caught in the middle of increasingly fierce clashes between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, one of many armed groups opposing the junta. Hundreds of thousands of people have been internally displaced and upwards of tens of thousands of Rohingya have crossed the border or are waiting to cross the border to seek refuge in Bangladesh.

The recent escalation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State started in October 2023 with the launch of a rebel counter-offensive by the Arakan Army and two other armed groups that has posed the biggest threat to military control since the 2021 coup. Myanmar’s military has responded by stepping up indiscriminate air strikes that have killed, injured and displaced civilians.

The impact on Rakhine State, where many of the more than 600,000 Rohingya in Myanmar still live, has been severe with towns transformed into battlegrounds.

In Bangladesh, authorities have been pushing Rohingya fleeing the conflict back into Myanmar, while those who reached the Bangladesh camps told of a desperate shortage of essential supplies and services there.

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:

“Once again, the Rohingya people are being driven from their homes and dying in scenes tragically reminiscent of the 2017 exodus.

“We met people who told us they lost parents, siblings, spouses, children and grandchildren as they fled fighting in Myanmar. But this time, they are facing persecution on two fronts, from the rebel Arakan Army and the Myanmar military, which is forcibly conscripting Rohingya men.

“Those lucky enough to make it to Bangladesh do not have enough to eat, a proper place to sleep, or even their own clothes.

“The interim Bangladesh government and humanitarian relief organisations must work together so that people can have access to essential services such as food, adequate shelter and medical care.

“Bangladesh must also ensure that it does not forcibly return people to escalating conflict. Meanwhile, the international community needs to step up with funds and assistance for those living in the refugee camps.”

First-person accounts of killings

In September, Amnesty interviewed 22 people in individual and group settings who recently sought refuge in Bangladesh, joining more than one million Rohingya refugees, the majority having arrived in 2017 or earlier.

The new arrivals said the Arakan Army unlawfully killed Rohingya civilians, drove them from their homes and left them vulnerable to attacks, allegations the group denies. These attacks faced by the Rohingya come on top of indiscriminate air strikes by the Myanmar military that have killed both Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine civilians.

Many Rohingya, including children, who were fleeing the violence to Bangladesh drowned while crossing by boat.

Bangladesh blocks Rohingya seeking safety

The people Amnesty interviewed in Bangladesh had recently fled Maungdaw Township in northern Rakhine State, which the Arakan Army tried to capture from the Myanmar military after seizing Buthidaung Township in May.

Many were survivors of a drone and mortar attack that took place on 5 August on the shores of the Naf River that divides Myanmar and Bangladesh.

All those interviewed stressed that their urgent priority now was access to basic services in the camp, including aid, shelter, money, security, food and healthcare.

They were also terrified of being sent back to Myanmar. But Amnesty International found that Bangladeshi border authorities have forcibly returned Rohingya people fleeing the violence, in violation of the international law principle of non-refoulment, which prohibits returning or transferring anyone to a country where they are at risk of serious human rights violations.

A 39-year-old Rohingya man told Amnesty that he fled Maungdaw with his family on 5 August and on the early morning of following day when they were near the Bangladesh shore their boat started taking on water before tipping over.

He said he passed out and woke up on the beach to see dead bodies washed ashore. He later discovered that all six of his children, aged between two and 15, had drowned. He said his sister also lost six of her children.

He said: “The border guards were nearby, but they did not help us.” Residents told him later that Bangladeshi border guards prevented them from helping.

Instead, the Bangladesh border guards detained him and he and the others who were with him were sent back to Myanmar the next evening; they found another boat and returned. According to one credible estimate, there have been more than 5,000 cases of refoulement this year, with a spike following the 5 August attacks.

“Sending people back to a country where they are at real risk of being killed is not only a violation of international law; it will also force people to take greater risks while making the journey to avoid detection, such as traveling by night or on longer routes,” Callamard said.

Denied essential support in refugee camps

The Rohingya who made it to the refugee camps are living off the generosity of relatives there. New arrivals in particular expressed concern that they were unable to register with the UN refugee agency for essential support. As a result, many are going without meals, and are afraid to venture out for fear of deportation, even when in need of medical care.

Interviewees also mentioned the deteriorating security situation in the camps, due mainly to the presence of two Rohingya armed groups: the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Myanmar’s shifting conflict dynamics in Rakhine State have meant that some Rohingya militants have aligned with the junta in Myanmar. As a result, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh fear that they or their family members could be snatched and forcibly taken back and conscripted to fight there.

A 40-year-old woman said:

“We are constantly afraid of moving from one place to another because we don’t have any documents. We are newcomers here, and we have also heard about people being abducted.”

In a meeting with Amnesty, Bangladesh officials rejected the allegations of refoulement but said border guards “intercept” people trying to cross the border. They also stressed that the country cannot accommodate any more Rohingya refugees.

The vast majority hoped for resettlement in a third country.

Trapped between the Arakan Army and Myanmar military

The Myanmar military has persecuted Rohingya for decades and expelled them en masse in 2017. It is now forcing them to join the army as part of a nationwide military service law. The Myanmar military has also reportedly reached an informal “peace” pact with the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation, an older Rohingya armed group that has reemerged as a force in recent months. These complex developments have further inflamed tensions between the Rohingya and the ethnic Rakhine, whom the Arakan Army purports to represent.

The rise in fighting nationwide has also resulted in mounting allegations of abuses by armed groups fighting against the military. Many Rohingya described the fatal consequences of being trapped between the two sides.

“Every time there is a conflict, we get killed,” one Rohingya interviewee told Amnesty.

A 42-year-old shopkeeper said that on 1 August, a munition of unknown origin landed outside his house in Maungdaw, killing his four-year-old son. On 6 August, the Arakan Army – who he identified by their badges – entered his village in Maungdaw and relocated all the Hindu and Buddhist families to another area they said was safe, while the Rohingya families were left in place.

“They began causing unrest [using it as a base to launch attacks] in the village, which forced us, the Muslim families, to leave on 7 August. We were the only ethnic group left in the village. It seemed like they did this intentionally,” he said.

When he later took shelter in downtown Maungdaw on 15 August, he said he saw Arakan Army “snipers” shoot two Rohingya civilians. “I witnessed the Arakan Army kill a woman right on the spot with gunfire while she went to a pond to collect water … there was another man who was sitting and smoking in front of his house and he too was shot right in his head and killed.”

On 13 October, in response to Amnesty’s questions, the Arakan Army said these allegations were unsubstantiated or not credible. It said it issued warnings for civilians to leave Maungdaw ahead of its operations and helped evacuate people, that it instructs its soldiers to distinguish between civilians and combatants, and that in case of breaches, it takes disciplinary action.

Since late last year, Amnesty has separately documented Myanmar military air strikes that have killed civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure in Rakhine State. This year, the impact of the Myanmar military conscripting Rohingya has added to the historical, systemic discrimination and apartheid already experienced by Rohingya.

“I felt really bad that they were involving us in their fight, even though we had nothing to do with it. It felt like they were laying the foundation to get us killed,” a 63-year-old cattle trader said.

Families wiped out

On 5 August, the intensity of bombardments and gunfights between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army forced scores of people from Maungdaw to seek shelter in sturdier homes near the Naf river border with Bangladesh.

Recalling that day, the Rohingya cattle trader said the Arakan Army was:

“getting closer to our village, capturing the surrounding villages … they flew drones in the sky, holding them there for about an hour, and could drop bombs from the drones whenever and wherever they wanted with remote control. They killed so many people”.

That afternoon, many recounted seeing a drone and hearing multiple blasts. The cattle trader said he heard eight to 10 blasts, and that bombs were exploding “before even touching the ground”. He saw a small unmanned aerial device flying near the crowd that looked like a “rounded-shaped drone” with something attached underneath.

He said his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and two of his grandchildren were killed, while the youngest grandchild, aged one, was seriously injured and later had her lower left leg amputated at the knee in Bangladesh.

One 18-year-old woman from Maungdaw said she lost both parents and two of her sisters, aged seven and five, during the blast. At the time of the attack, her father was carrying one of her sisters while her mother carried the other. When they reached the Maungdaw shore in the afternoon in search of boats to cross to Bangladesh, an explosion occurred.

“We quickly hid in the mud, sitting down in the muddy water, and then another bomb exploded, killing my parents, sisters and many others,” she said. “I saw it all with my own eyes – my parents and sisters were killed when the bomb shrapnel hit them.”

She said she saw about 200 bodies on the shore, a figure cited independently by another interviewee.

Almost everyone who Amnesty spoke to said they lost at least one relative while trying to flee Myanmar. Medical records shared with Amnesty from the days after the attack show treatment for bomb blast injuries after arriving in Bangladesh. Since August there has been a dramatic increase in treatment of war wounds from those fleeing Myanmar.

In its response to Amnesty, the Arakan Army said that the Myanmar military or aligned armed groups were likely those most responsible and that eyewitnesses or survivors may be affiliated with militant groups.

Callamard said:

“The Arakan Army must allow an independent, impartial and effective investigation into possible violations carried out during their operations. Both the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military must abide by international humanitarian law.

“We continue to call on the UN Security Council to refer the entire situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.”

The 2021 military coup in Myanmar has had a catastrophic impact on human rights. Myanmar’s military has killed more than 5,000 civilians and arrested more than 25,000 people. Since the coup, Amnesty has documented indiscriminate air strikes by the Myanmar military, torture and other ill-treatment in prison, collective punishment and arbitrary arrests.

MIL OSI NGO –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Deer Lake — Deer Lake RCMP investigates theft of two Sea-Doos and boat trailer

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Deer Lake RCMP is investigating the theft of two Sea-Doos and a boat trailer that were stolen from a residential property in Deer Lake on the morning of October 23, 2024.

The theft is believed to have occurred around 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning. The Sea-Doos, which were loaded onto a boat trailer, were stolen while parked on a residential property on Garden Road. A white SUV was observed that morning in Deer Lake with the trailer and Sea-Doos in tow.

The trailer is a double galvanized Sea-Doo trailer. The Sea-Doos are both 2011 Sea-Doo GTX Limited models. See the attached image.

The investigation is continuing.

Anyone having information about this crime, including information on the white SUV, those responsible for the theft, or the current location of the stolen property is asked to contact Deer Lake RCMP at 709-635-2173. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced For Drug and Firearm Crimes

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – HARRY BANKS (“BANKS”), age 23, of New Orleans, was sentenced on October 22, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion to 97 months incarceration, five (5) years of supervised release and, payment of a mandatory $300 special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(b)(1)(C) and Title 21, United States Code, Section 846; conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).

According to court records, on December 6, 2022, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Agents saw Jerome Shaquille Wilson driving a white Dodge Challenger in the 1900 block of Frenchmen Street in New Orleans, with a passenger, Gerroy Toca. Agents subsequently saw Toca, Wilson, and BANKS engaged in apparent illegal narcotics transactions, while in possession of firearms. Agents later saw BANKS enter the white Dodge Challenger and exit with a pistol that he concealed in his waistband. Thereafter, New Orleans Police Officers detained Toca and BANKS. BANKS was found with 6.7 grams of fentanyl and a Smith & Wesson Model M&P 40 2.0M, .40 caliber pistol, concealed in his waistband.

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 track 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, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New Orleans Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Mike Trummel of the Violent Crimes Unit.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: Website investment-pte.com: BaFin warns about Investment PTE LTD and Performance Investment PTE LTD

Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) warns consumers about Investment PTE LTD and Performance Investment PTE LTD and the services they are offering. BaFin suspects these operators of the website investment-pte.com of offering consumers financial and investment services without the required authorisation.

The operators of the website appeal under the name Investment PTE LTD and Performance Investment PTE LTD. They claim to have their registered office in Singapore and to be regulated in St Vincent and the Grenadines. However, there is no supervision of the operator in this country.

Anyone conducting banking business or providing financial or investment services in Germany may do so only with authorisation from BaFin. However, some companies offer these services without the necessary authorisation. Information on whether particular companies have been authorised by BaFin can be found in BaFin’s database of companies.

Theinformation provided by BaFin is based on section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG).

Please be aware:

BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.

MIL OSI Global Banks –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: capital-imc.net: BaFin investigates the company IMC-Capital Ltd

Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) warns consumers about the company IMC-Capital Ltd and the services it is offering. BaFin has information that the company is offering banking business and/or financial services on its website capital-imc.net without the required authorisation. The company is not supervised by BaFin.

Financial services may only be offered in Germany if the company providing these services has the necessary authorisation from BaFin to do this. However, some companies offer these services without the required authorisation. Information on whether a particular company has been granted authorisation by BaFin can be found in BaFin’s database of companies.

Theinformation provided by BaFin is based on section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG).

Please be aware:

BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.

MIL OSI Global Banks –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Musquodoboit Harbour — RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment confirms weapons-related threats at school to be unfounded

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment determined that threats to a school were unfounded, and were in fact related to a planned event involving foam dart guns.

On October 23, at approximately 8:30 a.m., officers attended a school in Musquodoboit Harbour related to a report that a student made threats involving a weapon. The student was detained upon arrival at the school and was not in possession of weapons.

Further investigation found that the comments perceived as threats were related to an upcoming event involving foam dart guns. The student was released by police and there will be no charges.

The Nova Scotia RCMP takes school safety concerns seriously, and threats of violence are investigated thoroughly. Anyone with information or knowledge of threats to school communities is asked to contact their local police or 911 in an emergency so police can establish if a threat is credible. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Upper Sackville — RCMP traffic stop results in seizure of handgun and drugs
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

A traffic stop by the Nova Scotia RCMP’s Southeast Traffic Services (SETS) on Highway 101 has resulted in numerous charges and the seizure of a restricted firearm, drugs, illegal tobacco, and cash.

On October 23 at approximately 1:55 p.m., an officer with SETS was conducting traffic enforcement on Highway 101 in Upper Sackville and queried the license plate of a passing Dodge Ram, showing it to be unregistered. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was determined to have a revoked driver’s license.

During the course of the Motor Vehicle Act investigation, the officer observed a quantity of unstamped tobacco cigarettes in the vehicle, and the driver was arrested under the Excise Act. The officer subsequently searched the vehicle and located more unstamped tobacco, bags of suspected methamphetamine pills, a significant quantity of cash, a 9mm handgun with the serial number removed, and two high capacity magazines.

The driver, 37-year-old Jacob Netherton of Mount Uniacke, has been charged with numerous offences including, but not limited to:
- Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking
- Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm
- Firearm Possession Contrary to Prohibition Order
- Tampering with Firearm Serial Number
- Possession of a Prohibited Device (over-capacity magazines)
Netherton was held in-custody pending an initial court appearance on October 24, 2024 at Halifax Provincial Court.

MIL Security OSI –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Los Angeles County Man Sentenced to 12 Years and 9 Months in Prison for Child Exploitation Conspiracy with Yuba County Man

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Pedro Luis Millan, aka Peter Millan, 38, of Montebello, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to 12 years and nine months in prison for conspiracy to sexually exploit a child, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in May 2021, Millan conspired with Brent Hooton, 51, of Marysville, to produce an image of a severely autistic child who was under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Hooton produced the image and then sent it to Millan and other users over the Kik messaging app. Millan received that image, as well as additional sexual abuse images of the same child victim, from Hooton over the Kik app.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow prosecuted the case.

On Aug. 27, 2024, Hooton was sentenced to 27 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography.

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

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Long Island Child Therapist Charged with Distribution of Child Pornography

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Earlier today, Renee Hoberman, a licensed social worker, was arrested on charges of distribution of child pornography. The defendant was arraigned this afternoon at the federal courthouse in Central Islip before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay on a complaint and ordered detained.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI) and Patrick Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department announced the charges.

“As alleged, Hoberman distributed heinous and disturbing child pornography, including videos showing infants being restrained and raped. Additionally, while posing as a man, Hoberman, who is a therapist serving children, claimed to have produced child pornography and offered others the opportunity to sexually abuse children,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Our investigation into Hoberman is ongoing, and we urge anyone with information to contact HSI’s tip line. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will relentlessly pursue predators who victimize children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

“This case is an example of the vital work our investigators do every day in cooperation with our dedicated partners in federal law enforcement,” said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. “The hard working and diligent detectives of the Nassau County Police Department will continue to work tirelessly to protect the innocent, and we will never stop fighting to bring those who victimize children to justice.”

As set forth in the complaint, between June 2024 and October 2024, Hoberman allegedly used social media messaging apps to upload digital videos depicting one or more minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including several videos of infants six months to one year of age being physically restrained and raped by an adult male, as the infants cried and frantically screamed for the duration of the videos. As recently as on or about October 16, 2024, the defendant uploaded child pornography and engaged in multiple chats concerning child sexual molestation. In these chats, the defendant, purporting to be a man, claimed to have multiple minor children and stated that “he” would have anal sex with the children and would punish them by getting naked, stripping the children naked, and spanking them while the other children watched. The defendant invited another user to visit “his” family in New York to spank the children. In addition, the defendant described sexually abusing “his” children and their friends, and then sent two videos containing child sexual abuse material, claiming that these videos depicted the user’s own children.

According to public records and as alleged in the complaint, Hoberman works as a therapist with an organization based in Melville, New York and serves children aged 0-17.

Anyone with information about sexual exploitation by the defendant is asked to contact HSI at HSI’s tip line: (866) 347-2423 or via HSI’s website: https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form.

The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Hoberman faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys James R. Simmons and Russell Noble are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

Renee Hoberman, also known as “Rina Hoberman”
Age: 36
Plainview, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-MJ-588

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Sixteenth Defendant Sentenced for Prison Drug Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Gulfport, Miss. – A Long Beach, Mississippi man was sentenced to 99 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Johnson Tran, 47, was sentenced on October 17, 2024, in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.

According to court documents and information presented to the Court, in 2018, agents with the DEA received information from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that drug laced letters and greeting cards were being sent to inmates in the Bureau of Prisons from the Southern District of Mississippi. The drug laced letters and cards were intercepted at prisons in Illinois, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

DEA and BOP officials were able to determine that inmates were ordering the drug laced letters and cards from Johnson Tran via prison email accounts and jail calls. The inmates would typically order the drugs using coded language. The letters or greeting cards were laced with FUB-AMB and 5F-MDMB-PICA, which are Schedule I controlled substances and synthetic cannabinoids. Many of them were sent through the postal service in Gulfport, Mississippi, and Tran’s base of operation was Harrison County, Mississippi.

Agents were also able to determine through the review of financial records that Tran would ultimately receive payment for the drugs that he sent into prison via U.S. Department of Treasury checks drawn from the inmate’s prison accounts and/or peer-to-peer money transfers from associates or family members of the inmates. When Tran’s associates would receive funds on Tran’s behalf, Tran would give them a portion of the funds they received as payment for their services.

In addition to Johnson Tran, fifteen other defendants have been sentenced in the case:

Chaze Lowery and William Hernandez previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Lowery was sentenced to 48 months in prison and Hernandez was sentenced to 87 months in prison.

Jermaine Jones pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced to 62 months imprisonment.

Jorge Pena, Trae Short, Bobby Huneycutt, Clarence Plato, Ryan Douglas, Salomon Ayala, Stanley Spriggs, Corderius Trammell, Jonathan Estrada, Marcus Thames, and Allen Butler all pled guilty to conspiring to commit an offense against the United States by conspiring to introduce contraband to a federal correctional facility. Their sentences ranged from time served to 52 months in prison.

Ryan Schmittaur pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced to 4 years of probation and a $3,000.00.

A seventeenth defendant, Ashley Magee, pled guilty to engaging in an unlicensed money transmission business by accepting and transferring money on behalf of Johnson Tran and the inmates. She will be sentenced on January 7, 2025, and faces a maximum of 5 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Todd Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Buckner.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Prisons.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Teacher Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography with Hidden Cameras

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a former St. Louis County, Missouri teacher to 20 years in prison for producing child pornography with hidden cameras.

Judge Autrey also ordered Joseph R. Gutowski to pay $86,500 in restitution to his victims, including those who appeared in the child sexual abuse material he collected.

Gutowski hid cameras in his office at Lafayette High School in Wildwood and in his home. He secretly filmed a minor and traded some of the images with others online. He was a member of an underground child pornography group on the cloud storage service Mega. He also traded videos he’d secretly recorded of an adult in the “Club Creep” group on Mega.

Gutowski, 42, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in July to one count of producing of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography.

The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department Special Investigations Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’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 –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Santa Maria Man Charged with Weapon of Mass Destruction Offense in Connection with Bomb Attack in Lobby of County Courthouse

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

LOS ANGELES – A three-count federal grand jury indictment returned today charges a Santa Barbara County man with committing a bomb attack at a courthouse in Santa Maria in which several people were injured.

Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, of Santa Maria, was charged with one count of using a weapon of mass destruction, one count of maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive, and one count of possessing unregistered destructive devices. McGuire has been in custody since his arrest in September, shortly after the attack.

McGuire’s arraignment is scheduled for October 25 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

“The facts alleged in the indictment are disturbing,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “The new charge of using a weapon of mass destruction underscores how seriously we are treating this misconduct and my office’s determination to hold accountable those who seek to bring violence upon our courts, law enforcement personnel, and the public.”

“Any time an individual commits such an act of terror, victims are traumatized and there is a potential for tragic consequences” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “If convicted, Mr. McGuire faces significant prison time thanks to the combined efforts of our local and federal law enforcement partners.”

“We are grateful that the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have taken this serious case to the grand jury, and that they have returned an indictment,” said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown. “This crime shocked our entire community and we are pleased to see that the suspect in this case is being held accountable.”

According to the indictment and criminal complaint, on September 25, McGuire entered a courthouse of Santa Barbara County Superior Court and threw a bag into the lobby. The bag exploded and McGuire left the courthouse on foot. The explosion injured at least five people who were near the bomb when it exploded.

Shortly thereafter, McGuire was apprehended and detained by law enforcement officials as he was trying to access a red Ford Mustang car parked outside the building. McGuire allegedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel.

Inside the car, a deputy saw ammunition, a flare gun, and a box of fireworks. A search of the car revealed a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails. Law enforcement later rendered the bomb safe. McGuire told law enforcement he intended to re-enter the courthouse with the firearms in order to kill a judge.

A search of McGuire’s residence revealed an empty can with nails glued to the outside, a duffel bag containing matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive material.

An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

If convicted of all charges, McGuire would face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, and Santa Maria Police Department are investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Takla and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the Counterterrorism Section in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced For Possession of a Machinegun

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TOBURREN LINDSEY (“LINDSEY”), age 23, of New Orleans, was sentenced on October 22, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry to 18 months incarceration after previously pleading guilty to possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o). Judge Guidryalso ordered that LINDSEY be placed on supervised release for three (3) years and pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

According to court records, on February 21, 2023 (Mardi Gras Day), the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) patrolled the 300 Block of Bourbon Street and saw LINDSEY and O’Marion Armstrong walking down Bourbon Street together. NOPD approached LINDSEY and asked him for identification and when doing so, saw a firearm protruding from LINDSEY’s waistband. LINDSEY attempted to flee but was detained and, a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter semi-automatic handgun was recovered from his person. The loaded firearm contained 30 rounds of ammunition in an attached magazine, as well as one live round in the chamber.

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 track 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. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crimes Unit.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Celebrating Bioenergy Day 2024 With a Research Retrospective

Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Over the past year NREL researchers made critical advancements for the bioeconomy including recyclable wind turbine blades, converting carbon dioxide to formic acid, biobased and biodegradable polyesters, and wastewater resource recovery using algae. Photos by NREL

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) bioenergy research empowers the decarbonization of our nation’s industrial and transportation sectors and a circular bioeconomy through development and deployment of sustainable fuel, chemical, and polymer technologies.

NREL researchers have been uncovering secrets about interesting methods and technologies such as biodegradable plastics, phosphorus-eating algae for resource recovery, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and converting carbon dioxide (CO₂) to value-added chemicals.

With National Bioenergy Day 2024 upon us, NREL reflects on some of the team’s scientific discoveries over the past year that have helped strengthen the bioeconomy.

Bioenergy Research Highlights From Fiscal Year 2024

Building Bridges Through Relationships and Photosynthesis Research

How do you bring together long-time research friends and help develop STEM collaboration with historically marginalized institutions and a DOE national laboratory all in a way that ignites passions and furthers bioenergy research? Through the DOE Office of Science Visiting Faculty Program (VFP) of course! Check out how the VFP brought together old friends and new, while mentoring a new generation of STEM students to understand the energy-generating mysteries of blue-green algae.

An NREL scientist holds small cubes of renewable biomass resin that can be used in wind turbine blades and can be recycled. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL

Advancing Methods for Recyclable, Plant-Based Wind Turbine Blades

Researchers at NREL see a realistic path forward to the manufacture of wind turbine blades derived from renewable biomass. The chemical recycling process allows the components of the blades to be recaptured and reused again and again, allowing the remanufacture of the same product. This method has the potential to end the current practice of old blades winding up in landfills at the end of their useful life.

Tools To Investigate How Organisms Control Energy at the Electron-Level

In NREL’s Advanced Spin Resonance Facility there is a special technical capability called electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy that provides insight into the most basic energy carrier and unit, the electron. Demystifying the fundamental processes of how organisms control energy at the level of electrons is key to advancing the applied research and development of systems for generating sustainable low-carbon fuels, chemicals, and electricity.

New Device Architecture Enables Streamlined Production of Formic Acid From CO₂ Using Renewable Electricity

Formic acid is a potential intermediate chemical with many applications, especially as a raw material for the chemical or biomanufacturing industries and potential input for biological upgrading into SAF. A research team led by NREL developed a conversion pathway to produce formic acid from CO₂ with high energy efficiency and durability while using renewable electricity. Analysis confirmed that this pathway is economically viable at scale and with use of commercially available components.

The novel perforated cation exchange membrane (CEM) architecture in a CO₂ electrolyzer to achieve energy-efficient and durable formic acid production has a patent by K.C. Neyerlin and Leiming Hu pending. Illustration by Elizabeth Stone, NREL

NREL Biomass Refining Technology a Cornerstone of SAFFiRE Renewables Biofuel Pilot Plant

SAFFiRE Renewables LLC broke ground in August 2024 on its biofuel pilot plant in Kansas to turn agriculture residue into a scalable biofuel business. The company has licensed an NREL technology that uses an alkaline bath and mechanical shredder to prepare corn stover for ethanol fermentation—essential steps for accessing the energy-dense sugars locked inside. The new plant will not only help DOE with its SAF goals, but using lignocellulosic corn leaves, stalks, and cobs can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 88% to 108% on a life-cycle basis compared to conventional jet fuel.

WaterPACT Project To Quantify and Reduce Plastic Waste in U.S. Rivers

With more than a million tons of plastic debris entering ocean-bound rivers, creeks, and sewer drains every year, it is essential to intercept this waste before it enters the ecosystems, communities, and ocean. To help solve this problem, the NREL-led Waterborne Plastics Assessment and Collection Technologies (WaterPACT) project is on a mission to develop renewable-energy-powered technologies that detect, quantify, and collect plastic from U.S. waterways.

The WaterPACT research team collected plastic and water samples near the mouths of the Columbia, Delaware, Los Angeles, and Mississippi rivers. Each river has a unique watershed (the area of land that drains water to it) and volume of plastics emissions. Illustration by Elizabeth Stone, NREL

The North Face Taps NREL-Led BOTTLE Consortium To Scale Biodegradable Polyester Alternative

Polyester-based clothing sheds and disperses tiny microplastic fibers throughout homes, soils, and waterways, taking centuries to degrade. One potential solution is replacing today’s petroleum-derived polyester with a nontoxic, biodegradable alternative made from polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). A team of BOTTLE consortium scientists from NREL and Colorado State University have developed a portfolio of PHAs that behave like conventional polyester but are biobased, biodegradable, and easier to recycle. In conjunction with The North Face, the BOTTLE team is scaling the process to produce several pounds of PHA fiber, which The North Face will test and evaluate for use in its product lines.

$15 Million Multilaboratory Effort To Advance Commercialization of CO₂ Removal

Carbon dioxide removal technologies have potential to help mitigate climate change by addressing existing carbon emissions and removing them from the atmosphere. To achieve this goal, scientists must first establish robust scientific frameworks and methodologies to account for these efforts—giving governments and private buyers a unified approach to tracking the climate impacts of their investments. In support of this, DOE tapped NREL to support a new $15 million research effort to improve the measurement, reporting, and verification of CO₂ removal technologies.

On the Ground in Colorado, NREL Is Simulating SAF Combustion During Flight

Public and private investments are helping accelerate production and use of SAF, an energy-dense, renewable fuel seen as essential for decarbonizing flight. Adopting SAF means proving the fuel is as safe and reliable as current fuels while being fully compatible with existing jet engines. NREL has developed computer simulations to predict how SAF performs during flight and provide insights on how to maximize its safety and performance. These simulated SAF combustion tests could determine if new fuels meet requirements before industry invests millions of dollars to produce large volumes for ASTM engine tests.

The Dynamics of Jet Fuel Combustion—Researchers from NREL’s Computational Science Center look at a detailed simulation of sustainable aviation fuel as it combusts in a “virtual jet engine.” Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL

NREL Researchers Produce First Macromolecular Model of Plant Secondary Cell Wall

Lignocellulosic biomass has potential as a feedstock for low-carbon biobased fuels and chemicals. However, this biomass type is difficult to break down during the conversion process due to three layers of biopolymers. NREL scientists quantitatively defined the relative positioning and structure of the three biopolymer layers in Populus wood using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and molecular modeling. Having a computer model of the interplay of these three biopolymers will help design more efficient deconstruction approaches to convert renewable lignocellulosic biomass into better biobased materials.

NREL Research Quantifies Losses From Cardboard, Paper Waste

Of the estimated 110 million metric tons of paper and cardboard waste tossed out across the United States in 2019, approximately 56% was landfilled and 38% was recycled. This category of waste includes everything from newspapers and magazines to books and napkins, from junk mail and photographs to pizza boxes and milk cartons. New research from NREL showed that the estimated value for recovered postconsumer paper and carboard from landfills is $4 billion. Understanding this value can guide policymakers toward sustainable waste management practices and help researchers study the impact of implementing new waste-management technologies.

Newly Identified Algal Strains Rich in Phosphorous Could Improve Wastewater Treatment

Phosphorus in wastewater is a major contributor to harmful algal blooms in water bodies around the globe, with the potential to harm wildlife, livestock, and humans. To prevent this, wastewater treatment plants often rely on chemical- and energy-intensive techniques to remove phosphorus before it can impact downstream water bodies. NREL researchers developed the Revolving Algal Biofilm system for phosphorus removal from wastewater by maximizing the ability of algae to harness solar energy to efficiently accumulate and remove phosphorus from water.

A close-up of algal biofilm on a RAB system is shown on the left. On the right is a dried algal fertilizer product produced from the system. Photos from Gross-Wen Technologies

Pick Your Polymer Properties and This NREL Tool Predicts How To Achieve Them With Biomass

Petroleum-based polymers form the building blocks of plastics. Plastics can be made out of renewable biomass and waste resources, but identifying the right chemistry to make biobased polymers more sustainable and higher performing is the challenge. An NREL machine learning tool, PolyID™: Polymer Inverse Design, makes it easier to identify biobased polymers for use in plastics. Using artificial intelligence, the tool can screen millions of possible biobased polymer designs to create a short list of candidates for a given application.

Learn more about NREL’s bioenergy research.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Larsen and Kuster Introduce Bill to Enhance Federal Response to Close Substance Use Care Gap and Save Lives

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Annie Kuster (NH-02) introduced the Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act to expand access to lifesaving, community-based harm reduction initiatives and services and enhance the federal response to the opioid and fentanyl epidemic.

“The opioid crisis is devastating Northwest Washington. This bill helps close the gap between members of our community who want treatment for substance use disorder and those who actually receive it,” said Larsen. “Congress must stay focused on breaking down barriers to effective community-based solutions that meet people where they are, prevent overdoses and save lives.”

“At a time when overdose deaths are finally falling in New Hampshire and across the country, it’s essential we keep our foot on the gas pedal and use every tool at our disposal to help save lives,” said Kuster. “I’m pleased to help introduce legislation that bolsters access to community-based harm reduction services, overdose reversal medications, and medication-assisted treatments so that we connect more communities with the treatment and recovery services they need to heal and recover.”

What Does the Bill Do?

The Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act would provide community-based organizations with more resources to administer life-saving harm reduction programs and services to people struggling with substance use. The bill would provide grant funding to support low-barrier health care options like naloxone (an overdose reversal medication), fentanyl test strips and low-threshold buprenorphine initiation to treat addiction. It would also provide funding to organizations to establish procedures and mechanisms for connecting individuals with evidence-based treatment and recovery support services.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) identifies harm reduction as a key pillar of its Overdose Prevention Strategy, and the White House National Drug Control Strategy argues harm reduction is vital for providing resources to people at the highest risk of overdose or poor health outcomes. Despite the demand and effectiveness of harm reduction services, they remain substantially underfunded at the state and federal level.

For a fact sheet on the bill, click here.

What Stakeholders Are Saying About the Bill

Representatives from stakeholder organizations emphasized the importance of the Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act to combat the opioid epidemic.

National

National Association of EMS Physicians President José Cabañas‎, MD, MPH, FAEMS:

“EMS clinicians and medical directors are on the front lines of the opioid crisis in our country, caring for our most vulnerable patients and responding to the urgent needs of our communities. There is an ongoing need for federal support to enhance harm reduction programs and to ensure early access to addiction treatment for those suffering from substance use disorders. This bill is a vital step forward in addressing these issues, and NAEMSP fully advocates for federal support as we work together to combat this crisis.”

National Rural Health Association Chief Executive Officer Alan Morgan:

“The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) endorses the Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act, which reauthorizes and expands SAMHSA’s Harm Reduction Grant Program to support harm reduction services and opioid treatment programs. Access to proven treatments, including medications for opioid use disorder (OUD), is required to reduce opioid-related fatalities. However, rural communities face significant barriers to treatment, with 72% lacking a buprenorphine provider and over 90% without an opioid treatment program. NRHA supports Representatives Larsen and Kuster’s steps to improving outcomes for rural Americans living with OUD.”

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chief Advocacy Officer Hannah Wesolowski:

“As we work towards overcoming the opioid epidemic in our country, we must ensure communities have all the resources they need to support people who are impacted. NAMI thanks Reps. Larsen and Kuster for introducing the Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act to help ensure communities have vital lifesaving harm reduction resources. NAMI is proud to support the Closing the Opioid Treatment Gap Act to turn the tide on our nation’s opioid crisis.”

American Nurses Association President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN:

“Nurses care for patients impacted by substance use disorders every day and see firsthand how essential harm reduction programs are—not only saving lives but creating pathways to treatment and recovery for those not yet ready to stop using. The American Nurses Association (ANA) stands in support of the Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act. This legislation supports and expands access to critical programs and services—ensuring nurses specializing in substance use disorder treatment can bridge the treatment gap and connect individuals battling substance use disorders to needed care, especially for those in rural and underserved communities. ANA commends Representatives Larsen and Kuster for introducing this important bill and urges Congress to pass it swiftly.”

American College of Physicians President Isaac O. Opole, MBChB, PHD, MACP:

“The American College of Physicians supports evidence-based harm reduction strategies. These measures have been shown to prevent overdose, reduce transmission of infectious diseases, encourage safe use protocols, and save lives. As physicians, we see patients every day experiencing significant health issues due to substance use disorder. Expanded federal funding for harm reduction strategies, as proposed in the Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act, could greatly help to improve the health and safety of those patients.”

Association of American Medical Colleges Chief Public Policy Officer Danielle Turnipseed, JD, MHSA, MPP:

“Evidence-based harm reduction strategies, such as overdose prevention programs, play an important role in preventing deaths, reducing spread of infectious diseases, and connecting people to treatment. While no single intervention on its own will fully resolve the challenges that individuals with substance use disorders face in accessing treatment, Rep. Rick Larsen and Rep. Annie Kuster’s bill would take an important step forward to continue and enhance SAMHSA’s support for harm reduction work across the country.”

This legislation is also supported by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the Overdose Prevention Initiative at Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).

Local

Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers:

“Washington is fortunate to have Representative Larsen working at the federal level to combat the opioid epidemic and ensure federal resources are being delivered where they are most needed. I support the Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act because it is a powerful tool to help fund key components of Snohomish County’s life-saving efforts, including Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), overdose reversal medication, and addiction prevention.”

Whatcom County Health and Community Services Health Officer Dr. Amy Harley:

“Access to federal grant funding for harm reduction services is essential for our community’s health. In Whatcom County the opioid overdose death rate is 5 times higher than 5 years ago. Programs that provide harm reduction services are a critical part of our comprehensive response to the overdose crisis. In our county, these programs provide overdose prevention education and opioid overdose reversal medications, as well as health screenings, supplies, and referrals – we help individuals avoid life-altering infections and get connected to care. Through Whatcom County’s Safety and Support program, we’ve distributed thousands of doses of life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications in the past year. These services are vital engagement points on the path to recovery, fostering community and increasing hope and resilience. Restoring funding opportunities through the Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act will ensure the stability of these vital programs, and is especially important given current resource limitations at the local level and the severity of the crisis.”

San Juan County Council and the San Juan County Board of Health:

“The San Juan County Council and the San Juan County Board of Health are grateful to Representative Larsen for introducing the Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act. Like every other County in America, we feel the effects of the opioid crisis in the damage it does to our communities and in the loss of precious lives, including those of our children. We support Harm Reduction as a scientifically sound public health strategy and a vital tool in helping people struggling with Substance Use Disorder stay alive to start on the road to recovery.”

The Board of Island County Commissioners:

“The Board of Island County Commissioners endorses Representative Larsen’s legislation, Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act, which will benefit our citizens affected by the opioid epidemic by expanding their access to harm reduction programs and services. We ask Congress to pass this legislation.”

Sound Pathways Executive Director Shannon Goforth:

“At Sound Pathways, we believe that harm reduction is crucial for connecting individuals with the services they need, empowering them to make informed, autonomous choices regarding drug use, mental health and recovery. Increasing grant access to support these services would bolster our capacity to improve the care we currently offer.”

Washington State Medical Association President John Bramhall, MD, PhD:

“The Washington State Medical Association (WSMA), representing physicians practicing in every specialty and corner of the state, applauds Congressman Rick Larsen’s introduction of the Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act. The WSMA supports policies that facilitate and improve access to evidence-based harm reduction efforts. This measure will save lives by directly engaging with people who use drugs to prevent overdoses and infectious disease transmission while establishing connections for ongoing care and treatment.”

Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer:

“The Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act is a critical step towards ensuring that people struggling with substance use have access to the care and support they need. Harm reduction is a proven strategy to prevent overdoses and life-threatening infections. This bill will help patients across Washington access evidence-based treatment and recovery support services. The Washington State Hospital Association applauds Congressman Larsen’s leadership on this issue.”

Washington State Association of Counties Interim Executive Director Derek Young:

“Counties are on the front line in the opioid epidemic. Our members know that strong federal partners are essential to closing the treatment gap and saving lives. We’re grateful for Representative Larsen championing these efforts.”

University of Washington’s Harm Reduction Research and Treatment (HaRRT) Center Co-Directors Susan Collins, PhD, and Seema Clifasefi, PhD, LICSW:

“The Closing the Substance Use Care Gap Act will ensure the availability of federal funding for evidence-based and life-saving harm-reduction services and treatment programs. It is critical that this reauthorization will support community-led and grassroots harm-reduction agencies and organizations, who work on the frontlines of the overdose epidemic. Funds will bolster services provided by state, Tribal, local and territorial governments to reduce substance-related harm and improve health and well-being for their citizens, families and communities. By investing in these essential harm-reduction services and more inclusive treatment approaches, this bill will better meet the needs of individuals and lift them up in their recovery journeys.”

The legislation is also supported by the Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials (WSALPHO).

Larsen Focused on Combating Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis

Larsen continues to focus on supporting local efforts to combat the opioid crisis and save lives. Earlier this year, he introduced a districtwide opioid report that outlines a four-pillar framework to combat the crisis. Larsen has introduced three additional bills aimed at combating the crisis:

·       In July, Larsen introduced the Workforce Opportunities for Communities in Recovery Act to create employment opportunities for people in recovery and support communities impacted by widespread opioid use.

·       In August, Larsen introduced the bipartisan Protection for Reservation Occupants against Trafficking and Evasive Communications Today (PROTECT) Act to give Tribal courts and law enforcement more tools and resources to combat the opioid epidemic.

·       In September, Larsen introduced the End Fentanyl Trafficking with Local Task Forces Act to establish a dedicated federal funding stream to help multi-jurisdictional drug task forces combat opioid trafficking in Washington state and across the country.

###

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Maidstone — Update: Maidstone RCMP seek information about suspicious person
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

As a result of continued investigation, Maidstone RCMP identified the adult male who approached and spoke to a young child at a playground at Sandy Beach Regional Park on August 27, 2024.

Further investigation determined the male was on court-ordered peace bond conditions not to be at a playground.

On October 16, 2024, officers arrested the adult male at a residence in Radisson, SK.

Officers located and seized three loaded, unsecured firearms during a search warrant executed at the residence.

As a result of continued investigation, 47-year-old Sir Brent Habetler from Radisson is charged with:
- one count, disobeying an order of court, Section 127(1), Criminal Code;
- one count, unauthorized possession of a firearm, Section 91(1), Criminal Code;
- three counts, unsafe storage of a firearm, Section 86(2), Criminal Code;
- one count, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, Section 88(1), Criminal Code; and
- one count, possession of a firearm knowing possession is unauthorized, Section 92(1), Criminal Code.
He was remanded into custody and appeared in North Battleford Provincial Court on October 22, 2024.

He was released by the courts on conditions that include the following, among others:
- Staying inside his approved residence 24 hours a day. This condition will be electronically monitored as per his conditions.
- Not attend any area that children (below the age of 16) are typically present for the purposes of schooling or recreation.
- Not possess any firearms.
He is next scheduled to appear in North Battleford Provincial Court on November 26, 2024.

Saskatchewan RCMP’s Battleford General Investigations Section, High Risk Offender Unit, Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team, Crime Reduction Team and Federal Support Services assisted with this investigation, along with Saskatchewan Highway Patrol and Wilton Police Service.

MIL Security OSI –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Saskatchewan — UPDATE – Saskatchewan RCMP: subjects of AMBER Alert found safe, investigation continues

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

October 17, 2024
Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan

News release

Saskatchewan RCMP’s Prince Albert General Investigation Section (GIS) took carriage of the investigation into the incident that resulted in an AMBER Alert being issued on the afternoon of October 17.

After subsequent investigation, it has been determined that no charges will be laid at this time in relation to the incident.

“The immediate police response and resulting AMBER Alert helped us locate the baby quickly – and ensure his safety,” says Insp. Ashley St. Germaine from Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes. “This situation is testament to the power of the Saskatchewan AMBER Alert program. We sincerely thank members of the public and our news partners for their assistance with this investigation, which thankfully had a positive outcome.”

We are unable to provide additional details about the incident – or the child – as there is no current court process attached to it and to be mindful of the privacy of the baby.

Officers from Waskesiu/Montreal Lake RCMP, Big River RCMP and many other units and detachments from across the province assisted in this investigation.

Because we have received an inquiry, we would like to confirm that the adult male named in the AMBER Alert appeared in Prince Albert Provincial Court this morning on one charge of assault and one charge of assault by choking in relation to a recent incident on Montreal Lake Cree Nation. The victim was an adult female, who reported non-life-threatening injuries to police. To maintain the privacy of the victim, no further details will be provided at this time, including naming the charged male.

–30–

Backgrounder

Saskatchewan RCMP: subjects of AMBER Alert found safe, investigation continues

2024-10-17

On October 17, 2024 just before 2 p.m., Waskesiu/Montreal Lake RCMP received a report that a five-day-old baby had been taken from a residence on Montreal Lake Cree Nation.

Waskesiu/Montreal Lake RCMP immediately responded. Investigation determined the baby had been taken by his father.

Subsequent investigation led to Saskatchewan RCMP determining the incident met the criteria for the issuance of an AMBER Alert. The alert was issued at approximately 5:08 p.m.

Note that the alert stated the baby was taken from the health clinic. This information, gathered during the initial response, was incorrect.

Shortly after, the father turned himself in without incident at the Big River RCMP detachment.

Officers assessed the baby, who appeared healthy and safe. EMS was called to assess him as a precaution.

The investigation continues.

We thank our media partners and the public for their assistance with this investigation.

CANCELLED: Amber Alert Child Abduction Notification

2024-10-17

The baby has been located in Big River. He appears safe and will be assessed by EMS. The suspect is in custody.

Thank you to the media and the public for their assistance in this investigation. Please remove their names and photos from circulation, including social media. Thank you for your cooperation.

The investigation is ongoing. We will provide more information as soon as we are able to.

Please report any information to 310-RCMP.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Myanmar/Bangladesh: Rohingya community facing gravest threats since 2017 – Amnesty International
Source: Amnesty International

Rohingya say Arakan Army drove them from their homes and killed civilians

Urgent need for international support and humanitarian aid as thousands of new arrivals seek protection in Bangladesh

Bangladesh must refrain from sending Rohingya back to Myanmar, where indiscriminate military air strikes also killing civilians.

Newly arrived Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh need urgent access to food, shelter and medical attention after enduring the worst violence against their communities since the Myanmar military-led campaign in 2017, Amnesty International said today.

Testimony shows how Rohingya families forced to leave their homes in Myanmar have been caught in the middle of increasingly fierce clashes between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, one of many armed groups opposing the junta. Hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced and upwards of tens of thousands of Rohingya have crossed the border or are waiting to cross the border to seek refuge in Bangladesh.

“Once again, the Rohingya people are being driven from their homes and dying in scenes tragically reminiscent of the 2017 exodus. We met people who told us they lost parents, siblings, spouses, children and grandchildren as they fled fighting in Myanmar. But this time, they are facing persecution on two fronts, from the rebel Arakan Army and the Myanmar military, which is forcibly conscripting Rohingya men,” Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said.

“Those lucky enough to make it to Bangladesh do not have enough to eat, a proper place to sleep, or even their own clothes.”

The 2021 military coup in Myanmar has had a catastrophic impact on human rights. Myanmar’s military has killed more than 5,000 civilians and arrested more than 25,000 people. Since the coup, Amnesty has documented indiscriminate air strikes by the Myanmar military, torture and other ill-treatment in prison, collective punishment and arbitrary arrests.

The recent escalation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State started in November 2023 with the launch of a rebel counter-offensive by the Arakan Army and two other armed groups that has posed the biggest threat to military control since the 2021 coup. Myanmar’s military has responded by stepping up indiscriminate air strikes that have killed, injured and displaced civilians.

The impact on Rakhine State, where many of the more than 600,000 Rohingya in Myanmar still live, has been severe, with towns transformed into battlegrounds.

In Bangladesh, authorities have been pushing Rohingya fleeing the conflict back into Myanmar, while those who reached the Bangladesh camps told of a desperate shortage of essential supplies and services there.

In September 2024, Amnesty interviewed 22 people in individual and group settings who recently sought refuge in Bangladesh, joining more than one million Rohingya refugees, the majority having arrived in 2017 or earlier.

The new arrivals said the Arakan Army unlawfully killed Rohingya civilians, drove them from their homes and left them vulnerable to attacks, allegations the group denies. These attacks faced by the Rohingya come on top of indiscriminate air strikes by the Myanmar military that have killed both Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine civilians.

Many Rohingya, including children, who were fleeing the violence to Bangladesh drowned while crossing by boat.

Bangladesh pushbacks deepen woes of Rohingya

The people Amnesty International interviewed in Bangladesh had recently fled Maungdaw Township in northern Rakhine State, which the Arakan Army tried to capture from the Myanmar military after it seized Buthidaung Township in May.

Many were survivors of a drone and mortar attack that took place on 5 August on the shores of the Naf River that divides Myanmar and Bangladesh.

All those interviewed stressed that their urgent priority now was access to basic services in the camp, including aid, shelter, money, security, food and healthcare.

They were also terrified of being sent back to Myanmar. But Amnesty International found that Bangladeshi border authorities have forcibly returned Rohingya people fleeing the violence, in violation of the international law principle of non-refoulment, which prohibits returning or transferring anyone to a country where they are at risk of serious human rights violations.

A 39-year-old Rohingya man told Amnesty International he fled Maungdaw with his family on 5 August 2024. In the early morning of 6 August, their boat was near the Bangladesh shore and started taking on water before tipping over. Residents told him later that Bangladeshi border guards prevented them from helping.

“The border guards were nearby, but they did not help us,” he said.

He said he passed out and woke up on the beach to see dead bodies washed ashore. He later discovered that all his six children, aged between two and 15, had drowned. He said his sister also lost six of her children.

Bangladesh border guards detained him. The next night he and the others with him were sent back to Myanmar, where they found another boat and returned. According to one credible estimate, there have been more than 5,000 cases of refoulement this year, with a spike following the 5 August attacks.

“Sending people back to a country where they are at real risk of being killed is not only a violation of international law; it will also force people to take greater risks while making the journey to avoid detection, such as traveling by night or on longer routes,” Agnès Callamard said.

The Rohingya who made it to the refugee camps are living off the generosity of relatives there. New arrivals in particular expressed concern that they were unable to register with the UN refugee agency for essential support. As a result, many are going without meals, and are afraid to venture out for fear of deportation, even when in need of medical care.

Interviewees also mentioned the deteriorating security situation in the camps, due mainly to the presence of two Rohingya armed groups: the Rohingya Solidarity Organization and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Myanmar’s shifting conflict dynamics in Rakhine State have meant that some Rohingya militants have aligned with the junta in Myanmar. As a result, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh fear that they or their family members could be snatched and forcibly taken back and conscripted to fight there.

The vast majority hoped for resettlement in a third country.

“We are constantly afraid of moving from one place to another because we don’t have any documents. We are newcomers here, and we have also heard about people being abducted,” a 40-year-old woman said.

“The interim Bangladesh government and humanitarian relief organizations must work together so that people can have access to essential services such as food, adequate shelter and medical care,” Agnès Callamard said.

“Bangladesh must also ensure that it does not forcibly return people to escalating conflict. Meanwhile, the international community needs to step up with funds and assistance for those living in the refugee camps.”

In a meeting with Amnesty International, Bangladesh officials rejected the allegations of refoulement but said border guards “intercept” people trying to cross the border. They also stressed that the country cannot accommodate any more Rohingya refugees.

Arakan Army and Myanmar military abuses

The Myanmar military has persecuted Rohingya for decades and expelled them en masse in 2017. It is now forcing them to join the army as part of a nationwide military service law. The Myanmar military has also reportedly reached an informal “peace” pact with the Rohingya Solidarity Organization, an older Rohingya armed group that has reemerged as a force in recent months. These complex developments have further inflamed tensions between the Rohingya and the ethnic Rakhine, whom the Arakan Army purports to represent.

The rise in fighting nationwide has also resulted in mounting allegations of abuses by armed groups fighting against the military. Many Rohingya described the fatal consequences of being trapped between the two sides.

“Every time there is a conflict, we get killed,” one Rohingya interviewee told Amnesty.

A 42-year-old shopkeeper said that on 1 August, a munition of unknown origin landed outside his house in Maungdaw, killing his 4-year-old son. On 6 August, the Arakan Army – whose fighters he identified by their badges – entered his village in Maungdaw and relocated all the Hindu and Buddhist families to another area they said was safe, while the Rohingya families were left in place.

“They began causing unrest [using it as a base to launch attacks] in the village, which forced us, the Muslim families, to leave on 7 August. We were the only ethnic group left in the village. It seemed like they did this intentionally,” he said.

When he later took shelter in downtown Maungdaw on 15 August, he said he saw Arakan Army “snipers” shoot two Rohingya civilians. “I witnessed the Arakan Army kill a woman right on the spot with gunfire while she went to a pond to collect water … there was another man who was sitting and smoking in front of his house and he too was shot right in his head and killed.”

In response to questions by Amnesty International, the Arakan Army said on 13 October that these allegations were unsubstantiated or not credible. It said it issued warnings for civilians to leave Maungdaw ahead of its operations and helped evacuate people, that it instructs its soldiers to distinguish between civilians and combatants, and that in case of breaches, it takes disciplinary action.

Since late last year, Amnesty International has separately documented Myanmar military air strikes that have killed civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure in Rakhine State. This year, the impact of the Myanmar military conscripting Rohingya has added to the historical, systemic discrimination and apartheid already experienced by Rohingya.

“I felt really bad that they were involving us in their fight, even though we had nothing to do with it. It felt like they were laying the foundation to get us killed,” a 63-year-old cattle trader said.

Families wiped out

On 5 August 2024, the intensity of bombardments and gunfights between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army forced scores of people from Maungdaw to seek shelter in sturdier homes near the Naf river border with Bangladesh.

Recalling that day, the Rohingya cattle trader said the Arakan Army was “getting closer to our village, capturing the surrounding villages … they flew drones in the sky, holding them there for about an hour, and could drop bombs from the drones whenever and wherever they wanted with remote control. They killed so many people.”

That afternoon, many recounted seeing a drone and hearing multiple blasts. The cattle trader said he heard eight to 10 blasts, and that bombs were exploding “before even touching the ground”. He saw a small unmanned aerial device flying near the crowd that looked like a “rounded-shaped drone” with something attached underneath.

He said his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and two of his grandchildren were killed, while the youngest grandchild, aged one, was seriously injured and later had her lower left leg amputated at the knee in Bangladesh.

One 18-year-old woman from Maungdaw said she lost both parents and two of her sisters, aged seven and five, during the blast. At the time of the attack, her father was carrying one of her sisters while her mother carried the other. When they reached the Maungdaw shore in the afternoon in search of boats to cross to Bangladesh, an explosion occurred.

“We quickly hid in the mud, sitting down in the muddy water, and then another bomb exploded, killing my parents, sisters and many others,” she said. “I saw it all with my own eyes – my parents and sisters were killed when the bomb shrapnel hit them.”

While she didn’t see a drone, she said the “big bomb” that killed her family members “came flying”. The sound has haunted her ever since. She said she saw about 200 bodies on the shore, a figure cited independently by another interviewee.

Almost everyone Amnesty spoke to said they lost at least one relative while trying to flee Myanmar. Medical records shared with Amnesty International from the days after the attack show treatment for bomb blast injuries after arriving in Bangladesh. Since August there has been a dramatic increase in treatment of war wounds from those fleeing Myanmar.

In its response to Amnesty International, the Arakan Army said that the Myanmar military or aligned armed groups were likely those most responsible and that eyewitnesses or survivors may be affiliated with militant groups.

“The Arakan Army must allow an independent, impartial and effective investigation into possible violations carried out during their operations. Both the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military must abide by international humanitarian law,” Agnès Callamard said.

“We continue to call on the UN Security Council to refer the entire situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.”
MIL OSI – Submitted News –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Graham: ICC Prosecutor Misconduct Allegations, Timeline Cast Moral Cloud Over Israeli Arrest Warrant Applications

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

WASHINGTON – Following media reports that International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan is facing allegations of misconduct, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) is calling for the immediate release of records pertaining to these allegations. Senator Graham points out that the harassment allegations surfaced in early May, just a few days prior to Prosecutor Khan canceling his scheduled trip to meet with Israeli officials, and instead abruptly announcing he applied for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.

Graham wrote, “In the weeks before Prosecutor Khan applied for warrants, I worked with a bipartisan group of United States Senators to urge Prosecutor Khan to adhere to the Rome Statute in conducting his investigation. Specifically, on a May 1, 2024 phone call, this bipartisan group urged Prosecutor Khan to respect the principle of complementarity and to engage in good faith with Israeli officials before making any decision as to how to move forward against the State of Israel.”

He concluded, “It has now come to my attention through media reports that Prosecutor Khan was facing allegations of misconduct around the same time, and the resolution of this matter remains a mystery. The abrupt decision to cancel this visit to Israel, along with these contemporaneous allegations needs to be explained, and I request full transparency on the matter to ensure there is no conflict of interest. These media reports are disturbing, and I call for a release of the records pertaining to these allegations, including any decision not to open an investigation, and for an update on where this matter stands. Until such transparency is satisfactorily achieved, another cloud—a moral one—hangs over Prosecutor Khan’s abrupt decision to abandon engagement with Israel and seek arrest warrants.”

To read the full letter, click here.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police appeal to public following fatal Onehunga bus attack

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Police have launched a homicide investigation following the death of a woman in Onehunga yesterday.

Auckland City Relieving District Crime Manager Acting Detective Inspector Alisse Robertson, says Police were notified of an incident onboard a bus travelling through Onehunga at about 2.30pm.

“Police received a report that a person had been stabbed on a number 74 bus and upon arrival, a woman was located with multiple wounds.

“Tragically, despite the best efforts of medical personnel and members of the public, she died at the scene.

“Our thoughts are with her whānau at this time, and we are doing everything we can to support them.”

Acting Detective Inspector Robertson says Police are making urgent enquiries to locate the offender and have identified a person of interest.

“Our teams have been working through the night to find this person, who we believe is responsible for killing this woman.

“We are following positive lines of enquiry and have been speaking to a number of people who have been assisting us in attempting to track him.”

Acting Detective Inspector Robertson says Police are now seeking the public’s assistance to locate Kael Leona, who was last seen in the Mount Wellington area.

Mr Leona is in his late 30s and was last seen wearing dark coloured pants, a black jumper with white writing on the front and white shoes.

He also had a green t-shirt on his head and was carrying a black backpack.

“We are now appealing to the public for any information on the whereabouts of Mr Leona.

“We advise he is not be approached and anyone who sees this man is urged to contact Police immediately via 111.”

She says the investigation is still in the early stages and Police are working to understand why the victim was the target for this attack.

“We know the community will be understandably alarmed by what has occurred, and we are doing everything we can to locate this person and hold them to account.”

An increased Police presence will remain in the Onehunga and Mount Wellington areas today while further enquiries are carried out.

A post-mortem examination and formal identification of the victim will be carried out over the coming days.

Anyone with information regarding Mr Leona’s whereabouts is urged to contact Police on 111.

Information can also be provided to Police by making an online report at 105.police.govt.nz using “Update Report” or by calling 105.

Please reference the file number 241023/8926.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Florence Man Sentenced to Over 31 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Pills Containing Fentanyl in Watertown and Sisseton Areas

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Florence, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 21, 2024.

Heath Kelvin Hagen, a/k/a Rem, age 37, was sentenced to 31 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.

Hagen was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He was convicted at trial on July 30, 2024.

The conviction stemmed from Hagen’s involvement in a large fentanyl trafficking organization over the course of the Fall of 2021 into the Spring of 2022. Hagen knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. Hagen obtained pills containing fentanyl from a co-conspirator in Minneapolis. Hagen then re-sold the pills to sub-distributors and drug customers in Watertown and Sisseton. Following a search of Hagen’s residence, investigators recovered 60 fentanyl pills hidden in a fake tea can. Investigators determined Hagen was involved in the distribution of over 20,000 pills containing fentanyl.

“This defendant was repeatedly identified as the biggest fentanyl dealer in the Watertown area, responsible for peddling thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “His sentence of over thirty-one years not only reflects the seriousness of his crime, but the relentless, collaborative efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to identify and investigate drug traffickers so that my office can prosecute and put away reckless criminals looking to profit off vulnerable and unsuspecting South Dakotans.”

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Hagen was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury finds Mission Man Guilty of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Canku Martinez, age 22, of Mission, South Dakota, was found guilty of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping following a four-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 18, 2024.

Each charges carries a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2024.

At trial, the evidence established in the early morning hours of October 29, 2024, in the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Martinez agreed to give a juvenile a ride home from a party near Rosebud, South Dakota. Rather than give her a ride home, however, Martinez drove her to a secluded area outside of Rosebud and made sexual advances. When the juvenile rejected his advances, Martinez produced a knife and forced her to engage in sexual activity. Martinez subsequently dropped the victim off at her residence, told her not to tell anyone what he had done, and left the area shortly thereafter.

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

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

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Winner (SD) Police Department. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has not been set. Martinez was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Rosebud Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting Fellow Inmate and Possessing a Sawed-Off Shotgun

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on October 21, 2024.

Kobe Ryan Running Bear, a/k/a Kobe Running Bear-Espinoza, age 21, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Running Bear was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2023. He pleaded guilty on July 24, 2024.

The convictions stem from two separate incidents which occurred in July of 2023 within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On July 4, 2023, Running Bear was driving a vehicle faster than the posted speed limit in Mission, South Dakota. A law enforcement officer observed Running Bear and initiated a traffic stop, but Running Bear accelerated and attempted to flee. During the pursuit, Running Bear threw a short shotgun from his vehicle. The shotgun was recovered by law enforcement and Running Bear was subsequently apprehended. The short shotgun had a barrel of less than eighteen inches in length and was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Running Bear will forfeit ownership of the firearm to the United States.

On July 29, 2023, Running Bear was an inmate at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility. At one point, Running Bear and another man attacked a fellow inmate and assaulted him with a pencil.

This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

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 Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.

Running Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Four Cases Brought by Election Threats Task Force

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force (ETTF) announced developments this week in four cases involving interstate transmissions of threats to election personnel and other victims.

Teak Brockbank, 45, of Cortez, Colorado, pleaded guilty today to threatening a Colorado election official, and admitted to making other threats to an Arizona election official, a Colorado state judge, and federal law enforcement agents between September 2021 and July 2024.

Brian Jerry Ogstad, 60, of Cullman, Alabama, was sentenced on Monday to 30 months in prison for sending messages threatening violence to election workers with Maricopa County Elections in Phoenix on Aug. 2-4, 2022, during and immediately following the Arizona primary elections.

Richard Glenn Kantwill, 61, of Tampa, Florida, was charged on Monday for allegedly sending a threat on Feb. 9 to an election official in addition to already pending charges for threats made to three other victims based on their political commentary in 2019 and 2020.

John Pollard, 62, of Philadelphia, was charged on Monday for allegedly threatening on Sept. 6 to kill a representative of a Pennsylvania state political party who was recruiting official poll watchers.

“As we approach Election Day, the Justice Department’s warning remains clear: anyone who illegally threatens an election worker, official, or volunteer will face the consequences,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Over the past three and a half years, the Justice Department has been aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who threaten the public servants who administer our elections, and we will continue to do so in the weeks ahead. For our democracy to function, Americans who serve the public must be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives.”

“Threats to election workers are threats to our democratic process,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “No one should face violence or threats of violence simply for doing their job. The actions announced today make clear that we will not tolerate those who use or threaten violence in an effort to undermine our democratic institutions. To carry out their essential work, election officials must be free from improper influence, physical threats, and others forms of intimidation.”

“Our elections are made by possible by the hard work and patriotism of election workers in communities across the country who are also our neighbors, relatives and friends, and they deserve to do this important work without being subjected to threats,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The fact that election workers need to be worried about their security is incomprehensible and unacceptable. While these four cases are examples of the kinds of threats election workers are unfortunately facing, these cases also represent the FBI’s dedication in holding accountable those who undermine our democracy with this conduct. The FBI and our partners on the ETTF will work tirelessly to charge and arrest those callous enough to make these threats and make sure they are held accountable. Free, fair, and safe elections are critical to our country and our democratic ideals.”

“These defendants made serious threats of violence against members of the election community. Threats like these strike at the very heart of our democracy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The cases announced today underscore the Criminal Division’s commitment to defending our democracy, safeguarding our elections, and protecting all election workers. Through the ETTF, the Department will vigorously investigate and prosecute all criminal threats against members of the election community.”

The four cases were all brought by the ETTF. Created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they join the task force in its critical work.

Under the leadership of the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

United States v. Brockbank (District of Colorado)

According to court documents, Brockbank admitted to using three social media accounts to post messages threatening Colorado and Arizona election officials between September 2021 and July 2024.

On Sept. 22, 2021, Brockbank posted the following message on social media:

“[Election Official-1] . . . needs to- No has to Hang she has to Hang by the neck till she is Dead Dead Dead. There will be accountability for these peoples actions in Communist Colorado and it won’t be judges and it won’t be weakmided cops that bring it!!! It will be Me it will be You it Will be every day people that understand that there life does not matter anymore with the future our country has laid out before it.”

As part of his plea, Brockbank also admitted to posting a message on Aug. 4, 2022 referring to election officials in Arizona and Colorado, stating: “Once those people start getting put to death then the rest will melt like snowflakes and turn on each other. . . . This is the only way. So those of us that have the stomach for what has to be done should prepare our minds for what we all [a]re going to do!!!!!! It is time.”

In addition, Brockbank admitted to posting a message threatening a Colorado state judge on Oct. 2, 2021: “I could pick up my rifle and I could go put a bullet in this Mans head and send him to explain himself to our Creator right now. I would be Justified!!! Not only justified but obligated by those in my family who fought and died for the freedom in this country. . . . What can I do other than kill this man my self?”

Brockbank further admitted to threatening federal law enforcement on July 13, 2024, posting: ““I believe every single FBI agent deserves to go explain themselves to our creator right away!!!! I am more than willing to send any/All of you there.”

Finally, Brockbank admitted to illegally possessing multiple firearms and ammunition.

“The security and sanctity of the American election system is core to the foundation of our Democracy,” said Acting United States Attorney Matt Kirsch for the District of Colorado. “We will prosecute people who threaten elections, election officials, or election workers to the fullest extent of the law.”

Brockbank pleaded guilty today to interstate transmission of a threat. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 3, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Denver Field Office is investigating the case.

Acting Deputy Director Jonathan E. Jacobson of PIN’s Election Crimes Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado are prosecuting the case.

United States v. Ogstad (District of Arizona)

According to court documents, on or about Aug. 2, 2022, Arizona held primary elections for federal and state officeholders, including a gubernatorial primary election that received nationwide media coverage. From the day of the election through on or about Aug. 4, 2022, Ogstad sent multiple threatening direct messages to a social media account maintained by Maricopa County Elections. For instance, on or about Aug. 3, 2022, Ogstad stated: (1) “You did it! Now you are f*****.. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes”; (2) F*** you! You are caught! They have it all. You f****** are dead”; (3) “You are lying, cheating m****** f******* . . . you better not come in my church, my business or send your kids to my school. You are f****** stupid if you think your lives are safe”; and (4) “You f****** are so dead.” On or about Aug. 4, 2022, Ogstad also stated, “[Y]ou people are so ducking stupid. Everyone knows you are lots, cheats, frauds and in doing so in relation to elections have committed treason. You will all be executed. Bang f******!” ” In the course of his messages to the recipient, Ogstad transmitted an image of the character “Woody,” from the Toy Story film franchise, lying face down with an unidentified projectile in its back.

“In this election season we honor and respect those public servants who enable Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “And we seek to protect all election workers from intimidation and harassment. Threats of violence, whether conveyed by words or deeds or pictures, will be met in this District with robust prosecution.”

Ogstad was sentenced on Monday to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $1,000 fine, after pleading guilty on July 25 to one count of interstate transmission of a threat.

The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the FBI Birmingham Field Office.

Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.

United States v. Kantwill (Middle District of Florida)

According to court documents, from September 2019 to July 2020, Kantwill, a dentist, sent over 100 threats to various public figures via Facebook and Instagram messages, email, and text. As charged in the superseding information filed on Monday, those threats included a threat sent via email to an author, a threat sent via text to a religious leader, and a threat sent via Instagram to a television personality. From April 2022 to April 2024, Kantwill also sent at least seven additional threats to four public figures via Facebook, including a threat to an election official in another state on Feb. 9, when Kantwill wrote: “You are a degenerate c***. and you are now the target of our own investigation. Take note because liberal t***s like you get raped in alleys, by really big black guys that serve our cause. So, you t*** are going to get raped by at least 5 n*****s, and do nothing. You are the number 1 target, you degenerate t***.”

“If you threaten someone with violence, we will take you at your word,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Law enforcement officers and members of my office will work together to hold accountable and federally prosecute individuals who threaten to injure or kill others.”

Kantwill is charged with four counts of interstate transmission of a threat. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Aaron L. Jennen of PIN and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail K. King for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado.

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

United States v. Pollard (Western District of Pennsylvania)

According to the indictment, on Sept. 6, Pollard sent threatening text messages to Victim 1, a resident of the Western District of Pennsylvania. Victim 1 had previously posted online, in Victim 1’s capacity as an employee of a state political party, that Victim 1 was recruiting volunteers to “help[] observe at the polls on Election Day” and included Victim 1’s phone number. Pollard allegedly texted Victim 1 that he was “interested in being a poll watcher” and included Victim 1’s first name. Pollard then allegedly texted three threats to Victim 1: (1) “I will KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME!”; (2) “Your days are numbered, B****!”; and (3) “GONNA F***ING FIND YOU AND SKIN YOU ALIVE AND USE YOUR SKIN FOR F***ING TOILET PAPER, YOU F***ING KKK**T!”

“Threats of violence have no place in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “This is no less true when those threats of violence are directed at individuals associated with our electoral process — in this case, someone seeking to organize poll watchers. This conduct will not be tolerated in our district, and we will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to prosecute these offenses with the full weight of the law.”

Pollard was arrested on Monday and appeared in federal court in Philadelphia. He is charged with one count of interstate transmission of a threat. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Jacob R. Steiner of PIN and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole A. Stockey for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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

*****

To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New data laws unveiled to improve public services and boost UK economy by £10 billion
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

New Bill to unlock the secure and effective use of data for the public interest has been introduced into Parliament.
New government Bill will unlock the power of data to grow the economy and improve people’s lives

Measures will free up 1.5 million hours of police time and 140,000 NHS staff hours every year, potentially saving lives

The legislation will also support the creation of a national map of the UK’s underground infrastructure, reducing excavation accidents causing traffic jams and safety hazards on our streets

A new Bill which will harness the enormous power of data to boost the UK economy by £10 billion, and free up millions of police and NHS staff hours has been introduced to Parliament today (Wednesday 23rd October).

The Data Use and Access Bill will unlock the secure and effective use of data for the public interest, without adding pressures to the country’s finances. The measures will be central to delivering three of the five Missions to rebuild Britain, set out by the Prime Minister:

kickstarting economic growth

taking back our streets

and building an NHS fit for the future

Some of its key measures include cutting down on bureaucracy for our police officers, so that they can focus on tackling crime rather than being bogged down by admin, freeing up 1.5 million hours of their time a year. It will also make patients’ data easily transferable across the NHS so that frontline staff can make better informed decisions for patients more quickly, freeing up 140,000 hours of NHS staff time every year, speeding up care and improving patients’ health outcomes.

The better use of data under measures in the Bill will also simplify important tasks such as renting a flat and starting work with trusted ways to verify your identity online, or enabling electronic registration of births and deaths, so that people and businesses can get on with their lives without unnecessary admin.

Vital safeguards will remain in place to track and monitor how personal data is used, giving peace of mind to patients and victims of crime. IT systems in the NHS operate to the highest standards of security and all organisations have governance arrangements in place to ensure the safe, legal storage and use of data.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

Data is the DNA of modern life and quietly drives every aspect of our society and economy without us even noticing – from our NHS treatments and social interactions to our business and banking transactions.

It has the enormous potential to make our lives better, boosting our National Health Service, cutting costs when we shop, and saving us valuable time.

With laws that help us to use data securely and effectively, this Bill will help us boost the UK’s economy, free up vital time for our front-line workers, and relieve people from unnecessary admin so that they can get on with their lives.

The Bill, delivered by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, has three core objectives: growing the economy, improving UK public services, and making people’s lives easier. The measures will be underpinned by a revamped Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s independent authority responsible for regulating data protection and privacy laws, with a new structure and powers of enforcement – ensuring people’s personal data will be protected to high standards.

Improving public services

The Bill will unlock the power of data to relieve front-line workers in the NHS and police forces across the country from bureaucracy and enable them to better serve the public.

Police officers across the country will benefit from measures that will remove unnecessary manual logging requirements whenever accessing personal data to work on a case, for example every time an officer needs to look up a suspect or person of interest on the police database, freeing up to 1.5 million hours of valuable police time for our officers, so that they can be on the streets fighting crime rather than being bogged down by admin. This will help save around £42.8 million in taxpayers’ money every year.

The legislation will also ensure that healthcare information – like a patient’s pre-existing conditions, appointments and tests – can easily be accessed in real time across all NHS trusts, GP surgeries and ambulance services, no matter what IT system they are using. It will require IT suppliers for the health and care sector to ensure their systems meet common standards to enable data sharing across platforms. The measure will free up 140,000 hours in NHS staff time every year, providing quicker care for patients and potentially saving lives.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

The NHS is broken, but imagine its enormous potential if each part of the system communicated properly with each other.

That starts with sharing vital medical records between healthcare providers, because it shouldn’t be the patient’s responsibility to join the dots for their doctor.

How can a GP diagnose a problem without knowing about someone’s recent hospital surgery?

This Bill and our Ten Year Health Plan will ensure important data flows safely and securely through the NHS, freeing up staff time and speeding up patient care.

I know people worry about Big Brother, which is why data will only be shared to the most relevant staff and anybody using data must comply with strict security protocols.

Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, Dame Diana Johnson said:

It is vital police officers are able to dedicate their time to protecting the public on the beat, not in the office.

Freeing up this valuable resource will see more officers out on our streets, making a real difference in fighting and solving crime.

As part of our mission to make streets safer, this government will bring back neighbourhood policing, ensuring thousands of additional police and community officers are out patrolling our towns and communities.

Vin Diwakar, National Director of Transformation at NHS England, said:

This Bill is a significant step in creating a more responsive and efficient healthcare system. As an NHS doctor myself, I know it is vital that NHS staff have quicker access to more accurate and comprehensive data, giving them more face-to-face time with patients who need it most.

These changes will lay the foundations for patient information to flow safely, securely and seamlessly, which will improve clinical outcomes, make decision-making more informed and speed up the delivery of care. By simply using data more efficiently, we can save time and money, and create a modern, digital NHS that continues to improve care for patients.

Growing the economy

The Bill is expected to generate approximately £10 billion towards the UK economy across ten years by legislating on data sharing to generate a host of benefits for both consumers and businesses.

Delivering on a key government manifesto commitment, the Bill will create the right conditions to support the future of open banking and the growth of new smart data schemes, models which allow consumers and businesses who want to safely share information about them with regulated and authorised third parties, to generate personalised market comparisons and financial advice to cut costs.

This will pave the way for the model to expand in sectors such as energy, which could give customers the ability to compare utility prices, find better deals, and reduce their energy use, as well as foster tech innovation and boost competition, which will ultimately grow the UK economy. This potential has already been demonstrated in open banking, where 82 firms alone have raised over £2 billion of private funding and created over 4,800 skilled jobs in the financial year 2022-2023.

The Bill will also help reduce the risk of accidents on underground water and energy pipes and broadband cables, which currently amount to 60,000 every year and cause prolonged disruption of roadworks and access to key amenities like energy and broadband to homes.

The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) will be put on a statutory footing, mandating that owners of underground infrastructure, such as water companies or telecoms operators, register their assets on the NUAR, which is a complete map of underground pipes and cables.

The use of the Register will mean that companies will know exactly where any underground asset is placed, reducing the risk of accidents on pipes and cables, making construction safer for workers and reducing the disruption – and hazards – caused by holes being dug up in the streets. This will generate approximately £400 million a year, boost construction and tackle accidental damage currently costing the economy £2.4 billion a year.

Davey Stobbart, Water Networks Regional Manager, Northumbrian Water:

Our field crews have found the way information is presented in NUAR to be more useful than anything they have seen or used before. It has reduced the time taken for crews to understand what lies below the ground where they are about to dig.

In the field, we frequently find the precise point of excavation needs to be made not-quite where our office-based planners predicted and previously in this case the job would have been delayed whilst a new plan pack was prepared. Now with NUAR, our crews are simply able to pan and zoom to that point instantly, seeing everything they would have seen on all those individual plans without the back-office cottage industry and without these delays. In fact, they will be seeing more because we’re now able to easily access information from local authorities through NUAR too, such as street lighting, highways gulleys and tree preservation orders all in one place.

We have found NUAR to be a great additional tool in the toolbox to help us reduce the likelihood of high potential utility strikes.

Making people’s lives easier

The rules proposed in the Bill will make Britons’ day-to-day lives easier, by simplifying important tasks such as renting a flat, starting work, or registering births and deaths, so that people and businesses can get on with their lives rather than being bogged down by admin.

The Bill will legislate on digital verification services, meaning companies who provide tools for verifying identities will be able to get certified against the government’s stringent trust framework of standards, and receive a ‘trust mark’ to use as a result. As well as increasing trust in the market, these efficiency gains will boost the UK economy by £4.3 billion over the next decade.

The trust mark will be a new logo to show digital verification services are approved by the new Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA) within Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

The Bill will help make sure digital verification services are inclusive, secure and privacy-preserving, and will make it easier for people to know which services they can trust.

The Data Bill will pave the way towards modernising the registration of deaths in England and Wales from a paper-based system to an electronic birth and death register – in turn supporting people at one of the most challenging times in life. The new law will enable registrations, which are required by local authorities, to be carried out over the phone, removing the need for face-to-face registration while retaining that choice.

Access to data for research into online safety

The Bill will also boost the UK’s approach to tackling online harms through a power to create a researcher data access regime.

This will support researchers in accessing data held by online platforms so they can conduct robust and independent research into online safety trends. The move will boost transparency and evidence on the scale of online harms and the measures which are effective in tackling them.

Further details on the specific measures can be found below:

Growing the economy

Improving public services

Making people’s lives easier

DSIT media enquiries

Email press@dsit.gov.uk

Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 300

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 24 October 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Mayo — Update to the Mayo, Yukon October 15, 2024 investigation

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Content warning: The following news release contains information about a sexualized assault which may be distressing.

On October 15, 2024 Mayo RCMP Detachment initiated an investigation into a home invasion, sexualized assault and theft of motor vehicle. On October 19, Yukon RCMP advised that the perpetrator believed to have committed these offences, was arrested.

William Dean Ryan Vaneltsi, 34 years old, of no known address, was arrested in Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, and has been charged with the following offences: Sexual Assault, Forcible Entry, Kidnapping, Unlawful Confinement, Assault with a Weapon, Assault Cause Bodily Harm, Break, Enter and Commit Indictable Offence, and two counts of Breach of Probation.

Shortly after being arrested, Mr. Vaneltsi became sick, and was taken to the hospital. This individual was remanded in Yellowknife on the evening of October 22. Mr. Vaneltsi received a six-day remand order and remains in the hospital in the custody of the North Slave Correctional Center. Yukon RCMP expect to return Mr. Vaneltsi to Whitehorse for a court appearance, once he is cleared medically to fly.

The name of the victim will be under a publication ban. Yukon RCMP continue to investigate the theft of the vehicle from Mayo. If you have any information about this crime or any other crimes please contact Mayo RCMP at (867) 996-5555. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Our thoughts are with the victim at this time. Please consider the following supports available in the Yukon if you or someone you know may be in need.

SART: The Yukon’s Sexualized Assault Response Team (SART) provides a safe and confidential network of services focused on the needs and choices of individuals. SART is available to people of all genders, ages, and sexual orientations who have experienced sexualized assault.

Website: https://yukon.ca/en/sartyukon/home

Phone: 1-844-967-7275 (available 24/7)

Victim Services: Victim Services provides services and help for victims of sexualized violence and all other crimes, regardless of whether or not the victim has reported the crime, a charge has been laid, or there has been a conviction.

Website: https://yukon.ca/en/legal-and-social-supports/supports-victims-crime/find-out-about-victim-services

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Hit and runs – Darwin

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Northern Territory Police are calling for information after two suspicious hit and runs this morning.

Around 6am, police received a report that a small silver hatchback had struck a motorcyclist on McMinn Street, Darwin City, before fleeing the scene.

The 30-year-old male rider suffered serious grazing to his leg and was conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital for treatment.

A short time later, police received report that a small silver hatchback had struck another rider on Iliffe Street, Woolner.

In this instance, the occupants of the vehicle allegedly attempted to rob the fallen rider before being confronted and fleeing the scene.

The 43-year-old male rider suffered minor grazing and was also conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital.

Police deployed to the area but the vehicle is yet to be located.

Detectives from Serious Crime are currently investigating and police believe the hit and runs were intentional.

Police urge anyone who witnessed the incidents, or who has dash cam or CCTV footage, to contact police and quote reference number P24293700.

Anonymous reports can also be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

MIL OSI News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Suspect Who Shot 3 Women on Philadelphia SEPTA Bus Captured in Delaware

Source: US Marshals Service

Philadelphia, PA — Members of the U.S. Marshals Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force arrested Raphael Ezeamaka,18, at an apartment complex in the 400 block of Ramunno Drive in Middletown, Delaware. Ezeamaka was wanted by the Philadelphia Police Department for three counts of Attempt to commit Criminal Homicide in relation to a shooting that took place October 8th on a SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) bus in the 700 block of S. 57th Street. After exiting the route G bus, Ezeamaka turned and fired multiple rounds into the bus, striking 3 women. On April 10th, a warrant was issued for Ezeamaka’s arrest and the fugitive warrant was delegated to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.

On October 23rd, investigators from the Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Philadelphia developed information Ezeamaka was presently in an apartment in Middletown, Delaware. Marshals from the Philadelphia and Wilmington offices proceeded to the apartment and upon knocking and announcing, Ezeamaka attempted to flee from the second-floor rear balcony. Ezeamaka was then approached by investigators and apprehended in a rear bedroom without incident. Ezeamaka is being held at the Howard Young Correctional Institution where he awaits extradition to Philadelphia.

“The arrest of Ezeamaka should assure the citizens of Philadelphia that violent crime fugitives will be aggressively pursued no matter where they flee” said Robert Clark, Supervisory Deputy Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

The Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force is a team of law enforcement officers led by U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent crime fugitives. Membership agencies include the Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Parole Officers, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General Agents, Immigration Customs Enforcement, Chester Police Department, Bucks County Sheriff’s Office, and Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Scam alert: Bulk email extortion scam

Source: Australia Scam Watch

Background
Criminals are emailing people and falsely claiming they have hacked into their computers or webcams and have access to compromising images and videos of them. These criminals are threatening people by saying they will release the images and videos unless they’re paid. They include personal details such as birth dates and addresses in the emails to intimidate people into sending them money.
These personal details are most likely from previous public data breaches. Anyone receiving this scam email should know that there is no evidence that the criminals sending these emails really do have access to people’s webcam or computer.
There have been hundreds of reports recently of people who have been targeted this way.

How to spot the scam
You receive an unexpected contact from someone claiming to have compromising sexual information about you.
The scammer threatens you and tells you to pay money or the information will be released.
You are pressured to act quickly to avoid embarrassment and reputational damage

How the scam works
Scammers send you an email falsely claiming that your computer or webcam has been hacked and that compromising sexual images or videos of you have been recorded.
The scammers threaten to release these compromising images or videos if they aren’t paid cryptocurrency to a specified address.
The emails include your birth date, full name and, in some cases, mobile number and home address. This makes them seem more real.

What you should know
If you receive emails like this, don’t respond and don’t pay any money.
There is no evidence that the scammers who send these emails have access to your webcam or computer.
The personal details contained in the emails have most likely come from previous public data breaches.

Find out more
This scam is a type of threat and extortion scam.
In these kinds of scams, criminals threaten you so you will pay them money. Speak up and report before handing over money to someone who threatens you

Stay protected
STOP – Don’t give money or personal information to anyone if unsure. Delete the email.
CHECK – Contact a computer specialist if you have concerns about the security of your device.
PROTECT – If a scammer has taken your money or personal details, contact your bank or card provider immediately to report the scam. Ask them to stop any transactions. Information on how to avoid scams after a data breach is available on the Scamwatch website. Report scams to Scamwatch.

If you’ve been affected
There is no shame in getting emails like this. It can happen to anybody.
If you’ve had personal information stolen or need help to recover from a scam, contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160.
If you’re feeling distressed and need to talk about it, reach out to Lifeline or Beyond Blue.
When you report your scam, the people who read your report understand how you are feeling. You are not alone. Contacting support services can help you understand what happened but also tells authorities about scam activities so they can work on making it harder for scams to succeed.
If you’re worried about your safety or someone else’s, call the police or go to your nearest police station.
Help others by reporting scams to Scamwatch.

MIL OSI News –

January 25, 2025