NewzIntel.com

Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ramirez Slams Republican Efforts to Benefit the Predatory For-Profit Bail Industry at the Expense of Low-Income People, People of Color, Individuals Seeking Reproductive Care

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Delia Ramirez – Illinois (3rd District)

    Rep Ramirez pointed out the irony of advancing a bill that strengthens the position of the predatory for-profit bond industry one year after Illinois successfully eliminated cash bail

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), the Vice Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, voted “NO” on the Republican H.R. 8205, Detaining the Disadvantaged Act. Ramirez’s decisions came after carefully analyzing that the legislation fails to address public safety or economic inequity, instead benefiting insurers and the corporate for-profit bail industry. 

    “Today marks one year and one week since Illinois eliminated cash bail. The passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act made Illinois the first state to end the practice of holding people in jail simply because they could not buy their freedom. A year later, the preliminary research on Illinois shows that the failure-to-appear rate has not increased, there is no documented increase in crime as a result of defendants being released without posting bond, and approximately $140 million that was posted in bond now remains in the community,” said Congresswoman Ramirez. “Today’s bill is a conservative attack on grassroots efforts to resist and disrupt the predatory for-profit cash bail industry and remove the influence of money on our criminal legal system. That’s why I voted NO on H.R. 8205. Until all states end the unjust practice of pretrial bond, we must protect and defend community bond funds.”

    BACKGROUND:

    According to data by the Center for American Progress, the for-profit bail industry has long profited from the criminal justice system’s targeting of low-income people, people of color, and now individuals seeking reproductive care. In Illinois, the law to end cash bail, the Pretrial Fairness Act, passed the General Assembly in January 2021 with Congresswoman Ramirez’s advocacy and vote. It was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker on Feb. 22. The bill was part of the SAFE-T Act, a broader criminal justice reform package. According to reports of the data analyzed by the Center for Criminal Justice at Loyola University in Chicago, the state has not seen dramatic changes in the security and justice process.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Trafficking of cultural property: UK statement to the OSCE

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Emma Logan, UK Delegation to the OSCE, says that by disrupting cultural property trafficking, we can also disrupt broader Serious Organised Criminal activity.

    Location:
    Vienna
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Thank you Chair for bringing together a set of very interesting speakers today.

    The trafficking of cultural property, be it an antiquity or modern artwork, can be an enabling element to conflict, non-state threats and can facilitate money laundering for Serious Organised Crime (SOC). As today’s panel has illustrated, the protection of cultural property from intentional destruction, looting and trafficking becomes far more complex during times of war.

    I will pick up on three points that have been mentioned today. Firstly, the need for continued cooperation of international organisations, agencies and bodies was recently reaffirmed at the G7 in Naples; with Minister Bryant, Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and- Tourism, representing the UK. Today, we thank the OSCE for continuing the dialogue in this critical area.

    Secondly, I want to add the UK voice to underline the importance of the OSCE’s Heritage Crime Taskforce. The UK Government has invested specifically in the OSCE project establishing the new national Heritage Crime Task Force in Ukraine. We plan to continue this partnership with the OSCE, and invest in the Taskforce beyond this project, as recognition of the critical role that cross-border cooperation plays in combating transnational crime, including the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

    UK organisations are part of that cross-border cooperation. As an example, the Metropolitan Police recently assisted Homeland Security in investigations which revealed new evidence of money laundering by proscribed terrorist organisations through the UK and US art markets.

    We agree with what many of other speakers have said: that by enhancing a collective understanding of the linkages between cultural property trafficking and wider Serious Organised Crime, and by demonstrating opportunities to disrupt broader harms through the cultural property lens, we can expose the harms of cultural property trafficking to a wider group of stakeholders. For example, the UK Department for Culture Media and Sport’s International Cultural Heritage Protection Programme has funded investigations into artefacts known to have been looted from Syria and trafficked through pre-existing networks. Providing information and assistance to law enforcement and prosecutorial authorities, namely the Met Police, OSCE and INTERPOL was integral to this project. Additionally the UK Government is a founding member of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory (ACA) Group, which supports Ukraine against Russia’s war of aggression through its own domestic criminal justice system. Over the last year, ACA has made concerted efforts to engage with national-level officials on issues relating to heritage crime.

    The Met Police plays an important role in tackling the illicit trade in cultural property, with the support of expertise from the museum and antiquities sectors. Earlier this month, the Met played a pivotal role in repatriating the largest antiquity back to Iraq, a stone relief carving depicting a winged genie from the Palace of Nimrud, looted from Iraq after the first gulf war.

    Lastly, every panellist has mentioned recommendations of what more needs to be done. For the UK, we recognise that our museums and art market businesses need to undertake more provenance research and engage more actively in the identification and authentication of looted items. And in cases where looted and illicitly-traded objects cannot be seized, we need to find effective ways within existing legal systems and by cooperating with the trade, so that they can be returned to the country or community to which they belong.

    In conclusion, we should continue making the point that by disrupting cultural property trafficking, wider SOC activity can also be disrupted. This may stimulate engagement and a more effective response across operational, policy, programming, and diplomatic partners. The UK remains committed to being part of this network to combat illicit trade in times of war and peace.

    Thank you, Chair.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    Invasion of Ukraine

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Two years of terror following Russia’s attempted annexation of Ukrainian oblasts: UK statement to the OSCE

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Ambassador Holland calls out Russia’s illegal attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory and the system of violence and terror that accompanies Russian occupation.

    Location:
    Vienna
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Thank you, Madam Chair.  Next week marks the second anniversary of Russia’s illegal annexation attempts in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Russia claims these land grabs, and ten years of control over Crimea, have brought liberty. On the contrary, these years of occupation have brought violence, terror, and occupation. Carried out under the guise of sham referenda and backed by military force, Russia aims to legitimise its aggression and create a false narrative of rightful control over Ukrainian land.

    First implemented in Crimea, the Russian state has expanded to the newly occupied territories a systematic campaign, designed to suppress Ukrainian heritage, history, and language. This campaign goes beyond territorial ambitions; it seeks to dismantle the idea of Ukraine as a distinct nation, stripping away the cultural and national identity of its people.

    We continue to be appalled by widespread reports of violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and violations and abuses of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) within the temporarily occupied territories. As the independent Moscow Mechanism reports have shown, arbitrary detentions, forced deportations, and the persecution of civilians are prevalent. Particularly alarming is the forced deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children. The most recent report details the atrocious conditions faced by both civilians and prisoners of war held in detention, and the widespread and systematic use of torture, as well as sexual violence. In recent weeks, we have also seen media reports of POWs being executed in the most barbaric manner.

    Russia is also deliberately targeting Ukraine’s cultural heritage in the territory it occupies. Museums, religious sites, and historic buildings have been bombed, looted, or appropriated. This systematic destruction of cultural sites not only devastates the physical symbols of Ukraine’s heritage but also attempts to erase crucial elements of its national identity.

    Madam Chair, Russia’s annexation attempts are a clear violation of the Helsinki Final Act, which enshrines the principle of territorial integrity and the inviolability of national borders. As a signatory, Russia committed to respect the sovereignty and independence of all states in the OSCE region, including Ukraine. They made the same pledge more directly in the Budapest Memorandum in the 1990s.  By attempting to seize Ukrainian territory through force, Russia has flagrantly disregarded these principles. Moreover, the purported annexations represent a breach of the Paris Charter of 1990, in which all participating nations, including Russia, reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful relations, the rule of law, and the right of nations to determine their own destiny without external interference.

    Russia’s continued imperialist ambitions destabilise the world, creating insecurity for all. We must call it what it is. And We must stand together to resist this dangerous expansionism. Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, and Crimea are all irrefutably part of Ukraine. The UK will never recognise Russia’s illegitimate claims to these regions. We call upon Russia to immediately cease its unprovoked illegal war and withdraw its forces unconditionally from all of Ukraine. Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    Invasion of Ukraine

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: President  Biden and Vice President Harris Announce Additional Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Save  Lives

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    New Executive Order Directs Federal Agencies to Combat Emerging Firearms Threats andImprove School-Based Active Shooter Drills
    Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris are announcing a new Executive Order directing federal agencies to improve school-based active shooter drills and combat the emerging threats of machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms, as well as additional executive actions that advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s agenda to reduce gun violence and save lives.
    After the prior Administration oversaw the largest one-year increase in murders ever recorded, President Biden and Vice President Harris took action from the start of their Administration to reduce violent crime. The President and the Vice President helped deliver over $15 billion in funding through the American Rescue Plan for law enforcement, community violence interventions, and other public safety strategies. By the middle of 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration had already announced more executive actions to reduce gun violence than any other administration. Then, on June 25, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun violence prevention law in nearly 30 years. On September 22, 2023, to help drive further progress, President Biden established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Harris.
    Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, in 2023 the United States experienced the single largest homicide rate drop in recent history. The reduction in homicide has accelerated this year. Data submitted to the Department of Justice shows that the homicide rate dropped another 17 percent from January through June 2024, compared to the same time period in 2023. Data from the Gun Violence Archive indicates that the number of mass shootings so far this year is 20 percent lower than it was at this time last year.
    Today, as we mark one year since the establishment of the Office, President Biden and Vice President Harris are announcing additional meaningful actions to reduce gun violence and save lives. This announcement builds on the numerous additional life-saving actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken, as detailed in the Office’s Year One Progress Report.
    President Biden is signing an Executive Order to accelerate progress on two key priorities: combating emerging firearms threats and improving school-based active shooter drills.
    Combatting Emerging Firearms Threats: In April 2021, one of the Biden-Harris Administration’s first executive actions to reduce gun violence was to address the emerging threat of firearms without serial numbers, often referred to as “ghost guns.” To expand these efforts, ATF established an Emerging Threats Center. This Center focuses ATF’s resources on identifying developments in illicit firearm marketplaces, including the use of new technologies to make and unlawfully distribute undetectable firearms and devices that convert semi-automatic firearms into illegal machineguns.
    Now, President Biden and Vice President Harris are taking additional action on two emerging firearms threats: machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms.
    Machinegun conversion devices enable semi-automatic firearms, including easily concealable handguns, to match or exceed the rate of fire of many military machineguns with a single engagement of the trigger—up to 20 bullets in one second. From 2017 through 2021, ATF recovered 5,454 of these devices, a 570 percent increase over the previous five-year period. Machinegun conversion devices are illegal to possess under federal law, but we continue to see these devices show up at crime scenes because they are small, cheap, and easy to install. Machinegun conversion devices are often illegally imported or illegally made on a 3D printer from computer code found online. The 3D-printing of a machinegun conversion device costs as little as 40 cents and takes fewer than 30 minutes.
    Unserialized, 3D-printed firearms can be used for illegal purposes such as gun trafficking, unlawful possession by people convicted of felonies or subject to domestic violence restraining orders, or unlawfully engaging in the business of manufacturing or selling firearms. These firearms can be 3D-printed from computer code downloaded from the Internet and produced without serial numbers that law enforcement use to trace firearms recovered in criminal investigations. Some 3D-printed firearms can be made to be undetectable by magnetometers used to secure airports, courthouses, and event spaces, even though these undetectable firearms are illegal to make, sell, or possess under federal law. As 3D-printing technology continues to develop rapidly, the safety threat posed by 3D-printed firearms may suddenly increase.
    In this Executive Order, President Biden is establishing an Emerging Firearms Threats Task Force, consisting of leadership from key federal departments and agencies. President Biden is directing the Task Force to issue a report within 90 days that includes: an assessment of the threat posed by machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms; an assessment of federal agencies’ operational and legal capacities to detect, intercept, and seize machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms; and an interagency plan for combatting these emerging threats. The report will include any additional authorities or funding the federal agencies need from Congress in order to complete this work.
    Improving School-Based Active Shooter Drills: The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to preventing gun violence in schools, including by keeping guns out of the hands of potential school shooters and investing more resources in school safety and violence prevention. The majority of schools are currently using drills to prepare for an active shooter situation. Despite the ubiquity of these drills, there is very limited research on how to design and deploy these drills to maximize their effectiveness and limit any collateral harms they might cause. Many parents, students, and educators have expressed concerns about the trauma caused by some approaches to these drills. Federal agencies need to help schools improve drills so they can more effectively prepare for an active shooter situation while also preventing or minimizing any trauma.
    In the Executive Order, President Biden is directing the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Surgeon General, to develop and publish, within 110 days, information for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education regarding school-based active shooter drills. The information will include a summary of: existing research on active shooter drills and resources for school districts and institutions of higher education on how to create, implement, and evaluate evidence-informed active shooter drills; how to conduct effective and age- and developmentally-appropriate drills; how best to communicate with students, families, and educators about these drills; how to prevent students and educators from experiencing trauma or psychological distress associated with these drills; and how best to serve people with disabilities and those with language-related needs, including by ensuring compliance with federal civil rights laws, when designing and implementing school-based active shooter drills.
    In addition to the Executive Order, federal departments and agencies are taking the following actions:
    Promoting Safe Gun Storage and Red Flag Laws
    Encouraging Safe Storage of Firearms: Today, the Department of Education is providing schools, school boards, and policymakers with a new tool to promote safe gun storage in their communities. Following up on its initial safe storage actions, the Department of Education is publishing an interactive website that highlights examples of state, community, and school district actions across the nation that promote safe gun storage within school communities. The website includes a map with state safe storage laws, examples of how schools are communicating with parents about safe storage, and examples of local policies on safe storage education. This new resource builds on guidance the Department published earlier this year to highlight physical safety measures schools can pursue to help keep students safe in the event of gun violence in schools.
    Clarifying Medicaid Reimbursement for Counseling on Firearm Safety: Health systems, hospitals, and healthcare workers are an essential component of a healthy gun violence prevention and intervention system. By the end of October, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will announce that states may choose to use Medicaid to pay a health care provider for counseling parents and caregivers on firearm safety and injury prevention. This announcement will build off the coverage that Medicaid provides for “anticipatory guidance,” which is health education and counseling to help parents and caregivers understand and improve the health and development of their children. For example, Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines include firearm safety guidance, such as safe storage guidance, as recommended anticipatory guidance for pediatricians to provide to parents.
    Implementing State Red Flag Laws: The Department of Justice is announcing over $135 million in formula awards to 48 states under the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP), which provides funding for the implementation of extreme risk protection order, or “red flag”, programs, state crisis intervention court proceedings, and related programs/initiatives. The implementation of state red flag laws is supported by the National Extreme Risk Protection Resource Center.
    Funding Community Violence Intervention
    Funding Community Violence Interventions: In furtherance of the Biden-Harris Administration’s strategy to invest in community violence interventions as a proven solution to prevent gun violence, the Department of Justice is announcing an additional $85 million in funding through the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI). This funding will help 30 agencies and organizations develop and expand their community violence intervention work, including hospital-based violence intervention, street outreach, and cognitive behavioral therapy. These strategies are essential complements to law enforcement and this investment is part of the $400 million in total funding that the Biden-Harris Administration has secured for CVIPI. CVIPI is only one part of how the Administration funds community violence interventions. This fact sheet lists the full range of federal resources available to address community violence.
    Clarifying Medicaid Reimbursement for Violence Intervention: CMS previously clarified that states may authorize health care providers to be reimbursed by Medicaid for violence intervention programs. In October, CMS expects to proactively raise this clarification with states. CMS will also explore how best to convene state governments and healthcare providers on incorporating Medicaid benefits into violence prevention programs.
    Improving the Gun Background Check System
    Facilitating Enhanced Background Checks for Individuals Under Age 21: The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) established enhanced background checks for individuals under age 21 trying to purchase a firearm. These enhanced checks have already stopped over 900 transactions, keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. But a number of states across the country have privacy laws that prevent state officials from fully responding to enhanced background check inquiries. The Biden-Harris Administration’s Safer States Agenda made fixing this issue a top priority for states, and Connecticut, Vermont, Nevada, Texas, and Kentucky have all recently made necessary changes. Today, the Department of Justice is issuing model legislation that additional states may use to inform their own legislation and allow a carve-out to share juvenile records solely for the purpose of enhanced background checks. In addition, the Justice Department is releasing information on whether state laws permit information-sharing with regard to juvenile records for the purposes of enhanced background checks.
    Maximizing the Enhanced Background Check with Red Flag Laws: Part of the enhanced background check requires requesting records from state and local law enforcement and mental health repositories about potential purchasers under 21.  In these and other circumstances, if a person shows clear signs of being in crisis and a danger to themselves or others, they may qualify for consideration under applicable red flag laws which would generally result in that person being ineligible to possess or receive firearms.  By October 22, the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) National Resource Center will provide training to state and local law enforcement on the ERPO process, including how it intersects with individuals under 21.
    Improving the Federal Gun Background Check System: BSCA’s enhanced background checks for gun purchasers under age 21 and the law’s narrowing of the “boyfriend loophole,” along with the expanding number of states with red flag laws, are placing new challenges on state and local agencies attempting to ascertain what records they need to send to the federal gun background check system. To address these challenges, there needs to be system-wide improvements and a new era of collaboration among various entities engaging with the federal gun background check system. By December 15, the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs will have evaluated the existing grant programs that support improvements to the gun background check system and make any changes needed to support states looking to improve their records systems, which may include lengthening the duration of grants where appropriate. 
    Expanding Data on Gun Violence and Gun Trafficking
    Publishing Additional Data on Ghost Gun Trends and Firearms Trafficking: This winter, ATF will publish the fourth volume of its National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment. This volume will provide an update on ghost gun trends and trafficking investigations, as well as expanded information on machinegun conversion device recoveries.
    Expanding Collection of Gun Violence Data: There is a lack of reliable and timely data on gun deaths and gunshot injuries that show what is happening nationwide and in individual communities. This data is critical to focusing investment and enforcement efforts. Today, the FBI is announcing that it will collect additional detail in its data collection for gunshot injury wounds in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) by June 2025. The FBI will implement a new injury code to reflect a gunshot wound in the NIBRS victim segment. NIBRS will also enable law enforcement agencies to submit additional detail as to how firearms were used in specific crimes, and the nature of the crime at issue.
    Improving Data on Gunshot Injuries: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is improving a data visualization tool to present gun death and injury data faster and at a more local level. Using data from vital statistics and emergency rooms at the local level can help inform prevention strategies and evaluate the effectiveness of programs.
    Supporting Survivors of Gun Violence
    Addressing the Trauma Resulting from Gun Violence: This fall, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will take additional action to support individuals dealing with the trauma that results from gun violence. SAMHSA will release:
    Best practices for local offices of violence prevention to use in addressing trauma resulting from gun violence;A tip sheet for individuals affected by gun violence who may be seeking more information on the behavioral health impacts of gun violence and how to seek help;A report on lessons learned from the federal ReCAST grant program to uplift the voices of communities impacted by violence as well as share strategies other communities can implement to promote healing, recovery, and resiliency; and
    A toolkit for faith-based leaders, educators, and other leaders to help communities affected by the trauma resulting from gun violence.

    Destroying Crime Guns
    Ensuring Appropriate Disposition of Firearms Seized by Law Enforcement: Firearms or firearm parts that were presumed to be destroyed by law enforcement have begun showing up in crimes. Sometimes the guns recovered by law enforcement are sent to a third-party that only partially destroys them. By October 30, the Department of Justice will refresh and clarify best practices for federal law enforcement disposition of seized firearms, including when working in partnership with state and local law enforcement. The Department of Justice will also release a plan to offer new training and education for state and local partners on safe and appropriate firearm disposition.
    Preventing Firearm Suicide
    Facilitating Voluntary Out-of-Home Storage to Prevent Firearm Suicide: Voluntary out-of-home storage of firearms is an effective tactic to saves lives by creating time and space between a person in crisis and a firearm. A number of states, including Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, have developed gun storage maps to show different locations where a gun owner can voluntarily store their firearms. A federally funded program has developed model guidelines, contracts, and standard operating procedures for businesses interested in providing this option. Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs and SAMHSA are using their network of teams committed to preventing Veteran suicide—known as the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and Families—to encourage states to convene federally licensed gun dealers around offering out-of-home storage to our Nation’s heroes and their families.
    Congress must act. While the Biden-Harris Administration’s gun violence prevention actions are saving lives, there is much more to do. President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to call on Congress to enact commonsense gun safety legislation—from a ban on assault weapons and bump stocks to universal background checks to a repeal of gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability—and to enact federal safe storage and red flag laws and fully fund community violence intervention programs and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor says Times Square could provide inspiration for the future regeneration of London’s Oxford Street

    Source: Mayor of London

    • Times Square regenerated with new pedestrian plazas improving public safety, air quality and economic output
    • Sadiq given tour by former New York Transport Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan
    • Mayor says scheme can provide inspiration for his plans to transform Oxford Street

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will today visit Times Square to see at first-hand how the iconic New York landmark could provide inspiration for the future regeneration of Oxford Street.

    Times Square and its surrounding areas have been comprehensively regenerated since 2009 to create a series new and enhanced spaces to walk, sit, and cycle, transforming it from one of New York’s most notoriously congested spacesinto a world-class civic space that has boosted economic activity and improved safety.

    Accompanied by Janette Sadik-Khan, a principal with Bloomberg Associates who was New York Transport Commissioner and the driving force behind the Times Square scheme under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor learnt how the project has doubled the amount of pedestrian space and led to improvements in public safety, air quality, and economic output.  As a result, 93 per cent of visitors said that the pedestrian plaza makes Times Square a more pleasant place to be. The number of pedestrians in Times Square soared by nearly a quarter in just five years, to 482,000 people a day in 2013, helping spur a more than doubling in the value of retail space in Times Square as major retailers opened new stores. Within two years of the project being implemented, Times Square was made the list of the 10 most desirable locations to do business, according to Cushman and Wakefield. 

     In total, more than 110,000 square feet of pedestrian space has been created, leading to a 40 per cent reduction in pedestrian injuries and a 15 per cent drop in road traffic casualties. Crime in the area fell by 20 per cent and more than 80 per cent of visitors said that they feel safer. While it comprises only 0.1 per cent of New York City’s land area, Times Square supported nearly 10 per cent of the city’s jobs before the pandemic, generating 15 per cent of its economic output. 

    Last week, Sadiq set out proposals to transform Oxford Street to ensure it can be a catalyst of London’s economic prosperity for decades to come. These proposals include transforming it into a traffic-free pedestrian boulevard and delivering an enhanced experience for shoppers, residents, employees, visitors and tourists.

    Sadiq believes that Times Square can provide inspiration for the future regeneration of Oxford Street, creating new jobs and economic prosperity.

    The Mayor is in New York this week to encourage US businesses to expand and invest in London, and promote the capital as an unrivalled destination for tourists and sporting events.

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I am delighted to visit Times Square to see how the incredible regeneration here can provide inspiration for our plans for Oxford Street.

    “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform Oxford Street to deliver a safer, greener part of the capital that creates new jobs and boosts growth for London and other parts of the UK.

    “If we can replicate some of the aspects of Times Square on Oxford Street, I am sure we can create a high street destination that will be the envy of the world once again.” 

    Former New York Transport Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan, said: “Great streets make great cities. Bringing new life to old streets like Broadway and Oxford Street offers new possibilities for a city that is healthier and more prosperous for millions of people. Reimagining Broadway showed that this can be done quickly, inexpensively and that it can be wildly popular.”  

    John Dickie, Chief Executive at BusinessLDN, said: “Oxford Street is one of the world’s most celebrated shopping destinations and, like Times Square, needs modernisation to keep it a truly twenty-first century global destination. The Oxford Street Mayoral Development Corporation, working with local stakeholders and learning from other global cities, is a powerful vehicle to deliver the change that Oxford Street needs, to make it cleaner, greener and more attractive to visitors and Londoners alike.” 

    Dee Corsi, Chief Executive of New West End Company, the body representing 600 businesses in London’s West End, said: “The regeneration of iconic spaces like Times Square offers valuable insights as we work towards Oxford Street’s transformation and secure its place as a world-class flagship retail and leisure destination. By learning from successful projects in global cities, including New York, we can ensure that Oxford Street continues to deliver for visitors, residents, and businesses alike. It is crucial that we maintain momentum to deliver this transformation swiftly, realising its benefits for Londoners and the wider UK economy as soon as possible.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: President Ramaphosa to lead homecoming ceremony for struggle heroes

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Thursday, September 26, 2024

    President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to officiate the repatriation and restitution homecoming ceremony for the remains of South African freedom fighters, who lost their lives in Zambia and Zimbabwe during the apartheid era.

    The ceremony is expected to be held at the Freedom Park Heritage Site and Museum in Tshwane on Friday. 

    “Ahead of addressing the homecoming ceremony on Friday… President Ramaphosa will lead a wreath-laying procession at the Wall of Names.

    “The Wall of Names is inscribed with the names of heroes and heroines, who died fighting for humanity and freedom during the major conflicts in South African history, namely: the Pre-Colonial Wars, Slavery, Genocide, Wars of Resistance, the South African War, the First and Second World War and the Struggle for Liberation,” the Presidency said in a statement on Wednesday.

    The repatriation and restitution homecoming ceremony forms part of Heritage Month, observed under the theme: “Celebrating the Lives of Our Heroes and Heroines Who Laid Down Their Lives for Our Freedom”.

    On Wednesday, the South African government received the remains of 49 liberation fighters at Waterkloof Airforce Base in the presence of their families.

    The Presidency explained that the repatriation formed part of the Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route Project (RLHR).

    “The RLHR is a national memory project aimed at commemorating, celebrating, educating, promoting, preserving, conserving and providing a durable testament of South Africa’s road to freedom.

    “The repatriation initiative is part of a broader effort to bring the remains of freedom fighters, who died in exile, to their final resting places. 

    “This is not only a gesture of honour to the individuals and their families but also an effort to strengthen the bonds of friendship, solidarity, and development with the host countries through memorialisation,” the statement read. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Man sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a police officer

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Thursday, September 26, 2024

    The Gqeberha High Court has sentenced Andile Nyoka (30) to life in prison for the murder of a police officer, armed robbery and kidnapping. 

    Nyoka was also given an additional 57 years direct imprisonment.           

    On 3 May 2023, Nyoka was before the Motherwell Magistrate’s Court for another matter, where he approached an on duty police official, Sergeant Mario Nell (40), who was a court orderly at the time. 

    Subsequently, Nyoka, for no apparent reason, started to fight with Nell and disarmed him of his service pistol. Nyoka shot Nell and he succumbed to the bullet wounds. Nell was declared deceased at the scene. Thereafter, Nyoka fled the scene and hijacked a taxi outside the court in an attempt to escape. 

    A few minutes later on the same day, he was apprehended inside the taxi by the Motherwell Visible Policing Unit and appeared before court, where he was remanded in custody. 

    The docket was handed over to the Hawks for a thorough probe. 

    Nyoka made numerous court appearances until his sentencing by the Gqeberha High Court on 20 September 2024 and has been in custody since his arrest. 

    The Eastern Cape Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Provincial Head, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, welcomed the sentence and commended the team for the good work. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women Announces $86.16M in Grants to Support American Indian and Native Alaskan Survivors of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Stalking, and Sex Trafficking

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    The Justice Department announced yesterday more than $86.16 million in grants administered by the Tribal Affairs Division within the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to support survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    The grants provided through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will fund services for victims of these crimes while providing support for Tribal governments, including law enforcement, prosecutors, and Tribal courts, to enhance safety and support Tribal sovereignty. The Tribal Affairs Division within OVW is responsible for the administration of Tribal specific grant programs and initiatives, management of Tribal specific training and technical assistance, and coordination with other federal departments and Justice Department offices on Tribal issues. Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall of OVW made the announcement at the annual Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program Institute, a convening of Tribal officials, victim advocates, and other Tribal leaders, as well as OVW-funded training and technical assistance advisors, who work to support Tribes in developing and improving programs to support survivors of sexual assault.

    “Tribal communities, and particularly American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, have experienced disproportionately high levels of violence for too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This $86 million dollar investment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to working in partnership with Tribal nations to address and prevent gender-based violence and provide safety and justice for survivors.”

    Included in these awards is more than $7.58 million that OVW is awarding under its new Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Program. The program is for Tribal governments that have not previously or recently participated in OVW’s Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program and focuses on capacity building early in the project period. Awardees will receive additional training, technical assistance, and support to implement their programs. Additionally, OVW awarded $45.17 million under the established Tribal Governments Program to support Tribal governments in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities.

    OVW also launched a new grant program this year through its Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative, which was created in response to recommendations made by the Not Invisible Act Commission. OVW awarded $2 million under this initiative to support the creation, training, and sustainability of Healing and Response Teams using a Tribal-based model of care to respond to Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) cases related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    OVW is awarding grants totaling more than $3.57 million to Tribes under its Special Tribal Criminal Grant (STCJ) Program and $1.5 million under its Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative. The programs support Tribes that are preparing to exercise or are already exercising STCJ to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit covered crimes within their communities, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, are held accountable.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.75 million under its Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative to support the collaboration between Tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in their investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, sex trafficking, and stalking cases in Indian country.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling more than $11.11 million under its Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program to support Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal nonprofit organizations in operating sexual assault services programs in Indian country and Alaska Native villages. Additionally, OVW awarded funding totaling more than $8.28 million under its Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to support the development and operation of nonprofit, nongovernmental Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions.

    “We are committed to addressing the disproportionately high rates of violent crime faced by American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls and ensuring everyone can access both safety and justice,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “This funding supports Tribal governments and Tribal organizations’ efforts to provide legal services, housing assistance, medical care, and counseling to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence.”

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.2 million for Tribal training and technical assistance (TA) programs. The TA programs support grantees through in-person and online educational opportunities, peer-to-peer networks, on-site technical assistance, and tailored support to help grantees further develop expertise and targeted strategies to implement their programs successfully.

    “The strength of VAWA is enhancing a coordinated community response,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “These grant programs provide critical support for Tribes to address gender-based violence by fostering essential partnerships among victim services organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders who play a crucial role in supporting survivors and providing pathways for them to access justice, safety, and healing.”

    OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at http://www.justice.gov/ovw.

    View the Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative (STCJ AK) Program Award.

    View the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative Awards.

    View the Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Invitation to Apply Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Awards.

    View the Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments Program Awards.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Awards Nearly $30M to Combat the Rise of Hate and Bias Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer announced today nearly $30 million in grant funding through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) that will be awarded to law enforcement agencies, states, community-based organizations, national civil rights organizations, and other stakeholders to fight the rise in hate and bias crimes and incidents. These awards will help communities improve the investigation and prosecution of hate and bias crimes, solve hate crime cold cases, serve victims of these offenses, and support related research.

    “These grants are vital in helping to ensure law enforcement and community members get the support they need as they continue to strive to keep all communities safe,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Everyone in this country deserves not only to feel safe but to be safe in their communities, and we’re excited about the new grant funding investments made.”

    The funding was announced at the inaugural hate crimes grantee conference organized by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The grants are part of the Justice Department’s wide-ranging efforts to improve community safety, serve victims of crime, support America’s youth, advance science, and promote equal justice. OJP is the largest grantmaking component of the Department and houses its criminal and juvenile justice-related science and statistical units.

    “Freedom from intolerance and from the fear of violence is foundational to community safety and fundamental to the concept of equal justice,” said OJP Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen. “I’m very pleased that OJP is making these important resources available to our community partners and proud of the work we’re engaged in, together, to end hate and bias crimes and incidents in our country.”

    The funding announced today includes:

    • $12 million in grants under BJA’s Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Program to help local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices investigate and prosecute hate and bias crimes, as well as collaborate with community partners on outreach and education to targeted communities.
    • More than $7.6 million in awards from BJA to 11 different community-based organizations and civil rights organizations for projects around the country dedicated to developing and implementing comprehensive hate crimes prevention and response strategies.
    • $1 million for the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, District Attorney’s Office under BJA’s Emmett Till Cold Case Investigation and Prosecution Program to provide resources in cold case homicide cases involving civil rights violations that occurred before 1980.
    • $2.7 million for RTI International and its subrecipients, the Eradicate Hate Global Summit and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, to launch BJA’s new Coordinated Hate Crimes Resource Center.
    • $1.125 million for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office through the Office for Victims of Crime’s Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act State-Run Hate Crime Reporting Hotlines program.
    • $2.5 million through Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act funding for the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ research and analysis project on National Incident-Based Reporting System data and hate crime reporting patterns.
    • $2.5 million in funding from the National Institute of Justice for three research projects on responding to hate crimes with specialized law enforcement units, including LGTBQI+ liaison units to respond to hate crimes against transgender individuals, and addressing the needs of survivors of hate crimes and their communities.

    In addition to these new grant awards, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Mizer announced OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum to provide resources to address hate crimes, bias incidents and identity-based bullying among youth. The curriculum is designed for middle and high school-aged youth and the teachers, counselors and others who work with them. He also announced the Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) is launching a new training on investigating hate crimes, which builds on the training the COPS Office released in 2022 on recognizing and reporting hate crimes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DC Accountant Charged with Mortgage Fraud and Tax Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Defendant Allegedly Did Not File Tax Returns and Falsified Documents to Obtain Mortgage

    A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., returned an indictment yesterday, which was unsealed today, charging a CPA with not filing income tax returns, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    According to the indictment, Timothy Trifilo, of Washington, D.C., was a partner or managing director at several large accounting and finance firms and worked in tax compliance. Nevertheless, Trifilo allegedly did not file federal income tax returns for himself for nearly a decade despite earning more than $7.7 million during that time.

    In February 2023, Trifilo allegedly sought to obtain a $1.36 million bank-financed loan to purchase a home in D.C. and was working with a mortgage company to do so. After the mortgage company allegedly told Trifilo that the bank would not approve the loan without copies of Trifilo’s filed tax returns, Trifilo allegedly provided the mortgage company with fabricated documents to make it appear as if he had filed tax returns and provided copies of tax returns for 2020 and 2021 that Trifilo never filed with the IRS. On these returns and other documents that he submitted to the mortgage company, Trifilo allegedly listed a former colleague as the individual who prepared the returns and uploaded them for filing with the IRS. This individual allegedly did not prepare the returns, has never prepared tax returns for Trifilo and did not authorize Trifilo to use his name on the returns and other documents that Trifilo submitted to the mortgage company. Based on Trifilo’s false representation, the bank allegedly approved the loan and Trifilo purchased the home.

    If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison on the identity theft charge, a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charge, and a maximum sentence of one year in prison on each count of failure to file tax returns. Trifilo also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties and restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Alexandra K. Fleszar of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women Announces $86.16M in Grants to Support American Indian and Native Alaskan Survivors of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Stalking, and Sex Trafficking

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The Justice Department announced yesterday more than $86.16 million in grants administered by the Tribal Affairs Division within the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to support survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    The grants provided through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will fund services for victims of these crimes while providing support for Tribal governments, including law enforcement, prosecutors, and Tribal courts, to enhance safety and support Tribal sovereignty. The Tribal Affairs Division within OVW is responsible for the administration of Tribal specific grant programs and initiatives, management of Tribal specific training and technical assistance, and coordination with other federal departments and Justice Department offices on Tribal issues. Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall of OVW made the announcement at the annual Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program Institute, a convening of Tribal officials, victim advocates, and other Tribal leaders, as well as OVW-funded training and technical assistance advisors, who work to support Tribes in developing and improving programs to support survivors of sexual assault.

    “Tribal communities, and particularly American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, have experienced disproportionately high levels of violence for too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This $86 million dollar investment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to working in partnership with Tribal nations to address and prevent gender-based violence and provide safety and justice for survivors.”

    Included in these awards is more than $7.58 million that OVW is awarding under its new Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Program. The program is for Tribal governments that have not previously or recently participated in OVW’s Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program and focuses on capacity building early in the project period. Awardees will receive additional training, technical assistance, and support to implement their programs. Additionally, OVW awarded $45.17 million under the established Tribal Governments Program to support Tribal governments in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities.

    OVW also launched a new grant program this year through its Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative, which was created in response to recommendations made by the Not Invisible Act Commission. OVW awarded $2 million under this initiative to support the creation, training, and sustainability of Healing and Response Teams using a Tribal-based model of care to respond to Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) cases related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.

    OVW is awarding grants totaling more than $3.57 million to Tribes under its Special Tribal Criminal Grant (STCJ) Program and $1.5 million under its Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative. The programs support Tribes that are preparing to exercise or are already exercising STCJ to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit covered crimes within their communities, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, are held accountable.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.75 million under its Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative to support the collaboration between Tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in their investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, sex trafficking, and stalking cases in Indian country.

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling more than $11.11 million under its Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program to support Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal nonprofit organizations in operating sexual assault services programs in Indian country and Alaska Native villages. Additionally, OVW awarded funding totaling more than $8.28 million under its Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to support the development and operation of nonprofit, nongovernmental Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions.

    “We are committed to addressing the disproportionately high rates of violent crime faced by American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls and ensuring everyone can access both safety and justice,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “This funding supports Tribal governments and Tribal organizations’ efforts to provide legal services, housing assistance, medical care, and counseling to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence.”

    OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.2 million for Tribal training and technical assistance (TA) programs. The TA programs support grantees through in-person and online educational opportunities, peer-to-peer networks, on-site technical assistance, and tailored support to help grantees further develop expertise and targeted strategies to implement their programs successfully.

    “The strength of VAWA is enhancing a coordinated community response,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “These grant programs provide critical support for Tribes to address gender-based violence by fostering essential partnerships among victim services organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders who play a crucial role in supporting survivors and providing pathways for them to access justice, safety, and healing.”

    OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at http://www.justice.gov/ovw.

    View the Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative (STCJ AK) Program Award.

    View the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative Awards.

    View the Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Invitation to Apply Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Awards.

    View the Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative Awards.

    View the Indian Tribal Governments Program Awards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DC Accountant Charged with Mortgage Fraud and Tax Crimes

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Defendant Allegedly Did Not File Tax Returns and Falsified Documents to Obtain Mortgage

    A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., returned an indictment yesterday, which was unsealed today, charging a CPA with not filing income tax returns, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

    According to the indictment, Timothy Trifilo, of Washington, D.C., was a partner or managing director at several large accounting and finance firms and worked in tax compliance. Nevertheless, Trifilo allegedly did not file federal income tax returns for himself for nearly a decade despite earning more than $7.7 million during that time.

    In February 2023, Trifilo allegedly sought to obtain a $1.36 million bank-financed loan to purchase a home in D.C. and was working with a mortgage company to do so. After the mortgage company allegedly told Trifilo that the bank would not approve the loan without copies of Trifilo’s filed tax returns, Trifilo allegedly provided the mortgage company with fabricated documents to make it appear as if he had filed tax returns and provided copies of tax returns for 2020 and 2021 that Trifilo never filed with the IRS. On these returns and other documents that he submitted to the mortgage company, Trifilo allegedly listed a former colleague as the individual who prepared the returns and uploaded them for filing with the IRS. This individual allegedly did not prepare the returns, has never prepared tax returns for Trifilo and did not authorize Trifilo to use his name on the returns and other documents that Trifilo submitted to the mortgage company. Based on Trifilo’s false representation, the bank allegedly approved the loan and Trifilo purchased the home.

    If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison on the identity theft charge, a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charge, and a maximum sentence of one year in prison on each count of failure to file tax returns. Trifilo also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties and restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Alexandra K. Fleszar of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Awards Nearly $30M to Combat the Rise of Hate and Bias Crimes

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer announced today nearly $30 million in grant funding through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) that will be awarded to law enforcement agencies, states, community-based organizations, national civil rights organizations, and other stakeholders to fight the rise in hate and bias crimes and incidents. These awards will help communities improve the investigation and prosecution of hate and bias crimes, solve hate crime cold cases, serve victims of these offenses, and support related research.

    “These grants are vital in helping to ensure law enforcement and community members get the support they need as they continue to strive to keep all communities safe,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Everyone in this country deserves not only to feel safe but to be safe in their communities, and we’re excited about the new grant funding investments made.”

    The funding was announced at the inaugural hate crimes grantee conference organized by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The grants are part of the Justice Department’s wide-ranging efforts to improve community safety, serve victims of crime, support America’s youth, advance science, and promote equal justice. OJP is the largest grantmaking component of the Department and houses its criminal and juvenile justice-related science and statistical units.

    “Freedom from intolerance and from the fear of violence is foundational to community safety and fundamental to the concept of equal justice,” said OJP Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen. “I’m very pleased that OJP is making these important resources available to our community partners and proud of the work we’re engaged in, together, to end hate and bias crimes and incidents in our country.”

    The funding announced today includes:

    • $12 million in grants under BJA’s Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Program to help local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices investigate and prosecute hate and bias crimes, as well as collaborate with community partners on outreach and education to targeted communities.
    • More than $7.6 million in awards from BJA to 11 different community-based organizations and civil rights organizations for projects around the country dedicated to developing and implementing comprehensive hate crimes prevention and response strategies.
    • $1 million for the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, District Attorney’s Office under BJA’s Emmett Till Cold Case Investigation and Prosecution Program to provide resources in cold case homicide cases involving civil rights violations that occurred before 1980.
    • $2.7 million for RTI International and its subrecipients, the Eradicate Hate Global Summit and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, to launch BJA’s new Coordinated Hate Crimes Resource Center.
    • $1.125 million for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office through the Office for Victims of Crime’s Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act State-Run Hate Crime Reporting Hotlines program.
    • $2.5 million through Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act funding for the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ research and analysis project on National Incident-Based Reporting System data and hate crime reporting patterns.
    • $2.5 million in funding from the National Institute of Justice for three research projects on responding to hate crimes with specialized law enforcement units, including LGTBQI+ liaison units to respond to hate crimes against transgender individuals, and addressing the needs of survivors of hate crimes and their communities.

    In addition to these new grant awards, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Mizer announced OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum to provide resources to address hate crimes, bias incidents and identity-based bullying among youth. The curriculum is designed for middle and high school-aged youth and the teachers, counselors and others who work with them. He also announced the Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) is launching a new training on investigating hate crimes, which builds on the training the COPS Office released in 2022 on recognizing and reporting hate crimes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Address by Jean-Noël Barrot Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs UN Security Council Ministerial Meeting on Ukraine at the United Nations Security Council (24.09.24)

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    President,

    Secretary-General,

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    Ukraine has now been exercising its right to self-defence for two and half years with a bravery that can only fill us with admiration and compel us to act. That right that our Charter clearly grants it. The right to defend its freedom, its territory, its independence and its existence.

    I, too, would like to welcome the presence of President Zelenskyy, who is with us here today and who embodies this combat being fought by the Ukrainian people. This combat is also our combat.

    How can we not be outraged by this brutal, illegal, unjustifiable war of aggression that Russia is waging on Ukraine, by this massive and continual violation of the most fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations? By Russia’s obstinacy and refusal to pay heed while we are more than 140 countries condemning it, in our unequivocal votes, at the United Nations General Assembly?

    How can we not be outraged by the systematic and deliberate pounding of civilian targets, by the cold and methodical destruction of energy infrastructure plunging Ukrainians into the cold and darkness? How can we not be outraged by these repeated atrocities and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law? How can we not condemn rape being used a weapon of war? Nothing and nobody are being spared in Ukraine. This must end, the suffering must end.

    How can we not be outraged by the tragic fate of Ukraine’s children? By the young patients undergoing cancer treatment near the ruins of Kyiv’s Children’s Hospital. By the young Ukrainians whose mental health is failing.

    By the orphaned girls and boys. By the children and babies who have been killed in Russia’s strikes. By the thousands and perhaps tens of thousands of children taken from their families and undergoing “re-education” in Russia and Belarus, which is an unspeakably cruel way to be treated. What has happened to them? What will they become?

    France will continue to stand with those who are fighting for Ukrainian children’s return to Ukraine and supports the initiatives under way.

    There can be no impunity for the crimes being committed. The International Criminal Court has already issued six arrest warrants against Russian officials. Russia must be held accountable for its actions.

    No one should be complicit in these crimes against humanity. Let it not be said that supporting Ukraine is the same as supporting Russia: Russia is flouting all the rules and attacking its democratic and peaceful neighbour, while Ukraine is exercising its right to self-defence that laws and moral standards justify. No one should support Russia! France therefore urges all States to refrain from providing Russia with weapons, dual-use goods and components that could fuel its war of aggression, the first being North Korea and Iran. We condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia, which has recently been confirmed. It constitutes significant escalation and directly threatens European security.

    We are especially concerned about Russia’s continuation of its aggressive and dangerous moves on the European continent, which are increasingly bold. The territorial integrity of several European countries has been repeatedly violated this year and Russia is continuing its efforts to destabilize democracies such as Moldova and Armenia – two democratic States whose only error according to Moscow is to have chosen freedom.

    But, ladies and gentlemen, Russia’s war of aggression affects us all, beyond the European continent where it is happening, it is something that concerns the whole world. It is a war against food and energy insecurity. So many States and peoples are impacted by its consequences. And it is not Russia today, but France and its partners, who are enabling Ukrainian grain to be sent to the civilian population in Gaza.

    Lastly, Russia’s war of aggression is a war against the international order.

    To accept Russia’s fait accompli would be to accept the idea that “might is right”. It would leave the door open to other border changes. It would mean abandoning the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including territorial integrity and sovereignty. It would mean abandoning the possibility of establishing collective security. There is no collective security without the United Nations and there is no United Nations without compliance with the Charter, which serves as its foundation. It is our raison d’être, here at the United Nations, that is being attacked.

    For all these reasons, Russia is counting on our fatigue and disengagement, and it is wrong. France will continue to support Ukraine, at every level and over the long term. We will activate all European instruments and ensure Ukraine has a path to the European Union and NATO.

    A path other than that of aggression and devastation is possible.

    A path to just peace, which should be based solely on international law, with respect for its territorial integrity. It cannot take the form of the surrender of those being attacked. Because there are definitely those who are attacking and those who are being attacked. France will continue to provide its support to President Zelenskyy’s peace plan. Ukraine must be free to choose its alliances and its path.

    President,

    If Russia chooses to stop being a source of insecurity and instability, another future can be envisaged.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Nurse Sentenced for Tampering with Oxycodone

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    District of Massachusetts 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Wednesday, September 18, 2024

    BOSTON – A former nurse was sentenced yesterday for tampering with liquid oxycodone syringes at a local rehabilitation center.

    Jaclyn McQueen, 44, of Dedham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to three years of probation. In January 2024, McQueen pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product. McQueen was charged by Information on Dec. 7, 2023.

    From approximately February through May 2020, McQueen worked as a registered nurse at a rehabilitation center in Dedham that provided long-term chronic and post-acute care to patients. In her capacity as a nurse, McQueen had access to oxycodone, a Schedule II narcotic, prescribed to patients at the rehabilitation center.  During her work shifts, McQueen removed liquid oxycodone from syringes intended for use by patients, consumed the oxycodone herself and refilled the syringes with water to avoid detection. McQueen returned the diluted syringes to the medication carts where they could have been administered to patients.  

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Robert H. Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Begg Lawrence, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mississippi Seafood Distributor and Managers Plead Guilty to Conspiracy and Misbranding of Seafood

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    Office of Public Affairs

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Tuesday, August 27, 2024

    Company Agrees to Pay More than $1.1M in Criminal Penalties

    A Mississippi seafood distributor and two company managers pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others to mislabel seafood and to commit wire fraud by marketing inexpensive and frozen imported substitutes as more expensive and premium local species. 

    Quality Poultry and Seafood Inc. (QPS), the largest seafood wholesaler on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, has agreed to pay the United States $1 million in forfeitures and a criminal fine of $150,000. QPS sales manager Todd A. Rosetti and business manager James W. Gunkel, both of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, also pleaded guilty to misbranding seafood to facilitate QPS’ fraud. 

    QPS admitted to participating in this fish substitution scheme from as early as 2002 and continuing through November 2019. The indictment alleges that QPS recommended and sold to its restaurant customers foreign-sourced fish that could serve as convincing substitutes for the local species the restaurants advertised on their menus. QPS also labeled the cheap imports that it sold to customers at its own retail shop and café as premium local fish.

    “QPS and company officials went to great lengths in conspiring with others to perpetuate fraud for more than a decade, even after they knew they were under federal investigation,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Mislabeling seafood harms local wholesalers and fishermen who compete to sell locally sourced, premium fish in a market unfairly flooded with less expensive fish, frozen and imported from overseas.”

    “When imported substitutes are marketed as local domestic seafood, it depresses the value of authentic Gulf Coast seafood, which means that honest local fishermen and wholesalers have a harder time making a profit,” said U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “This kind of mislabeling fraud hurts the overall local seafood market and rips off restaurant customers who were paying extra to eat a premium local product. These convictions should serve as a warning: restaurants and wholesalers will face criminal prosecution if they are not honest with customers about what they are actually buying.”

    “U.S. consumers expect their seafood to be correctly identified. When sellers purposefully substitute one fish species for another, they deceive consumers and cause potential food safety hazards to be overlooked or misidentified by processors or end users,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Fielder of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who put profits above public health.”

    The indictment alleges that even after agents from the FDA executed a criminal search warrant at QPS to investigate its sale of mislabeled fish, QPS continued for over a year to sell frozen fish imported from Africa, South America and India for use as substitutes for local premium species.

    Mary Mahoney’s, which pleaded guilty in May, admitted that between December 2013 and November 2019, it fraudulently sold, as local premium species, approximately 58,750 pounds (over 29 tons) of fish that was not the species identified on its menu. QPS supplied seafood to Mary Mahoney’s and many other restaurant restaurants and retailers.

    QPS, Rosetti and Gunkel will be sentenced on Dec. 11. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations is investigating the case.

    Senior Trial Attorney Jeremy F. Korzenik of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Illegal Depressant Etizolam Over the Internet

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    District of Massachusetts 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Thursday, August 29, 2024

    BOSTON – A California man pleaded guilty today for conspiracy to sell the illegal depressant Etizolam over the internet.

    Paul Z. Lamberty, 52, of Folsom, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of the introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 13, 2024. 

    Lamberty operated websites Encern.com and Ohmod.com and used those sites to sell the drug etizolam to customers throughout the United States, including Massachusetts. Payments for etizolam through those websites could only be made through cryptocurrency and it would be shipped to customers through U.S. Priority Mail.  Encern.com has no corporate records in the State of California and the Encern.com website did not provide a physical address for the business. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved etizolam for use as a drug, and thus it cannot be sold or prescribed in the United States. Despite this, Lamberty purchased drugs from suppliers in China and imported those drugs into the United States and sold the drugs with false labelling stating that the products were sold “For Research Purposes Only” and “Not for Human Consumption.” Based on an analysis of bank and cryptocurrency records, Lamberty and his co-conspirator conducted gross sales of over $550,000 of etizolam through the internet during the course of the conspiracy. 

    According to the charging document, etizolam is a drug known as a thienodiazepine, a class of drugs chemically related to benzodiazepines, which produce central nervous system depression. Physicians may prescribe FDA-approved benzodiazepines to treat insomnia and anxiety, but benzodiazepines and thienodiazepines also carry risks of dependency, toxicity, and even fatal overdose, particularly when combined with other central nervous system depressants.

    The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead provides for a sentence up to three years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Lauren A. Graber of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gate City Pharmacist Sentenced for Tampering with Oxycodone

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    Western District of Virginia

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Monday, August 26, 2024

    Dillon Breeding Will Serve 24 Months in Federal Prison

    ABINGDON, Va. – A Gate City, Virginia pharmacist who tampered with oxycodone and hydromorphone was sentenced last week to 24 months in federal prison.

    Dillon West Breeding, 34, pled guilty in June 2024 to one count of tampering with consumer products.

    “Ensuring the integrity of our prescription drugs is vital to maintaining the public’s confidence in our healthcare system,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “When patients go to the pharmacy, they trust the medicines they receive are legitimate, and prosecutions like this one go a long way towards ensuring that trust. I am grateful to the FDA, Virginia Department of Health Professions, Virginia State Police, and the Gate City Police for bringing this important matter forward.”

    “FDA-OCI remains committed to safeguarding the drug supply chain from individuals who endanger public health and safety by tampering with products,” said George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metropolitan Washington Field Office. “When pharmacists betray their customers’ trust by tampering with narcotic medications, they not only risk causing needless suffering from ineffective substitutes but also put lives at risk by introducing potentially harmful substances into the drug supply chain. The foundational work of the Gate City Police Department and our valued partnership with the Virginia State Police were integral to our efforts in safeguarding public health and safety in this case.”

    According to court documents, Breeding swapped oxycodone tablets with prednisone, a steroid used to treat inflammation, and replaced hydromorphone tablets with leflunomide, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

    Additionally, Breeding would dispense medication to patients and short them pills, keeping the additional pills for himself.

    Because Breeding tampered with these products, a pharmacist could have filled and dispensed the wrong drug to a customer, placing them in danger of death or bodily injury.

    The Food and Drug Administration – Office of Inspector General, the Virginia Department of Health Professions, along with the Gate City Police Department and the Virginia State Police, investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Macon prosecuted the case for the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Injectable Stem Cell Product Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Felony Distribution of Unapproved Drug

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    Office of Public Affairs

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Tuesday, August 27, 2024

    The founder and chief executive officer of a California-based company that marketed stem cell-based products linked to multiple hospitalizations pleaded guilty yesterday to a felony violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

    John W. Kosolcharoen, 53, most recently of Orange County, California, pleaded guilty to introducing an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead. Kosolcharoen is currently in custody serving a sentence for a separate, unconnected conviction. U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II for the Central District of California presided over the hearing pursuant to a plea agreement with the government. The court set Kosolcharoen’s sentencing for Sept. 23.

    According to court documents, beginning in 2016, Kosolcharoen created two companies, Liveyon LLC and Genetech Inc., to manufacture and distribute injectable stem cell products made from human umbilical cord blood. Liveyon marketed the products under different brand names, including “ReGen.” In pleading guilty, Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others misrepresented ReGen as suitable for the treatment of a variety of conditions, such as lung and heart diseases, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and others. Liveyon marketed the products throughout the United States until about April 2019 using advertising materials that contained multiple false and misleading statements about their purported safety and effectiveness.

    In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers that patients seeking cures and remedies for serious diseases and conditions may be misled about unapproved stem cell products that are illegally marketed, have not been shown to be safe or effective, and, in some cases, may have significant safety issues that put patients at risk. Stem cell products are regulated by FDA, and generally they must have FDA approval before being introduced into interstate commerce.

    As part of the plea agreement, Kosolcharoen admitted that to mislead FDA about Liveyon’s activities, he directed Liveyon’s purchase orders to falsely state that the stem cell products were being sold “for research purposes only.” In 2018, FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of patients in multiple states requiring hospitalization for bacterial infections after receiving Liveyon products. Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others fraudulently induced customers into purchasing stem cell-derived Liveyon products by, among other things, misleading the public about the cause and severity of adverse events suffered by Liveyon patients, and falsely reporting and concealing material facts regarding the outcome of an FDA inspection of Genetech. According to FDA records, that inspection documented evidence of significant deviations from good manufacturing and tissue practices.

    “Unapproved stem cell treatments not only endanger public health but also exploit the hopes of patients who seek relief from the most serious of diseases,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to safeguarding the public from these schemes and will vigorously pursue legal action to hold accountable those who unlawfully market and sell these unproven therapies.”

    “This defendant recklessly put people’s lives in danger, giving false hope to patients with serious illnesses,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “Today’s guilty plea shows that we will hold accountable corporate executives and healthcare professionals who put profits over patients.”

    “We are grateful for the work by the Department of Justice to hold accountable establishments that prey upon vulnerable populations by marketing potentially dangerous stem cell products with false and misleading claims about their safety and effectiveness,” said Director Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D. of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

    “When unscrupulous providers offer umbilical cord blood stem cell products and treatments that are both unapproved and unproven, they put consumers’ health at risk, and multiple users of this firm’s products in fact suffered adverse events,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “FDA will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who endanger the public’s health for material gain.”

    “This investigation was a joint effort between multiple federal agencies and state and local health departments to quickly put a stop to the distribution of unsafe, contaminated products,” said Director Michael Bell, M.D. of CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. “The rapid response by our public health system identified products marketed as stem cell treatments to be the source of serious infections in dozens of patients. Our message to all consumers and providers is to heed the warning against the use of unapproved products like these with unproven claims of effectiveness for conditions like joint disease, chronic pain, or COVID-19. Please don’t let products like these put you or your patients’ health at risk.”

    FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, FBI, Amtrak Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor Employment Benefits Security Administration and California Department of Health Care Services investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Aveis and David Chao for the Central District of California, Assistant Director Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Attorneys Meredith B. Healy, Kathryn A. Schmidt and Peter J. Leininger of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Conspiracy and Fraud Charges Added Against Operator of Central California Bio-Lab and His Partner in Connection with Sale of Millions of Dollars in COVID-19 Test Kits

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Department of Justice
    U.S. Attorney’s Office
    Eastern District of California

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Thursday, August 15, 2024

    FRESNO, Calif. — The operator of a Reedley lab, who was indicted in November 2023, faces additional charges of conspiracy and wire fraud after a federal grand jury returned a 12-count superseding indictment today, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

    Jia Bei Zhu, 62, a citizen of China, was previously indicted for distributing adulterated and misbranded COVID-19 test kits in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and making false statements to authorities about his identity and involvement with the biolabs. The superseding indictment also charges Zhu’s romantic and business partner, Zhaoyan Wang, 38, a citizen of China, who operated the biolabs Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI) and Prestige Biotech Inc. (PBI) in Fresno and Reedley along with Zhu. UMI and PBI distributed COVID-19, pregnancy, and other types of test kits.

    According to court documents, from August 2020 through March 2023, Zhu and Wang conspired to defraud buyers of UMI and PBI’s COVID-19 test kits. They imported hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 test kits from Ai De Ltd., which was a company in China that they controlled, and falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were made in the United States. They illegally imported the COVID-19 test kits, which they were not approved to import, by falsely declaring them as pregnancy test kits, which they were approved to import.

    Zhu and Wang also falsely represented to the buyers that UMI and PBI could make up to 100,000 COVID-19 test kits per week in the United States and that the test kits were made in connection with other labs that were certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Finally, they falsely represented to the buyers that the test kits were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Zhu and Wang made over $1.7 million through their fraud.

    When buyers requested to inspect UMI and PBI’s facilities in Fresno and Reedley, Zhu and Wang denied them access and fabricated reasons for the denial. The fabricated reasons included that the facilities were undergoing construction and renovation, and that proprietary and confidential information and technology was inside. In reality, however, they did not want the buyers to know that UMI and PBI were obtaining the COVID-19 test kits from China.

    Zhu is currently detained in custody pending his federal trial. His next status conference is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2024. Wang is not in custody.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arelis Clemente, Joseph Barton, and Henry Carbajal III are prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Zhu and Wang each face maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and wire fraud charges, and an additional three years in prison for the distribution of adulterated and misbranded medical device charges. Zhu also faces another five years in prison for the false statements charge. Any sentences, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations. Zhu and Wang are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    23cr219.sup_.ind_.0815.pdf

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: UPDATE: Man charged with murder following Woolwich stabbing

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives investigating the murder of a teenager in Woolwich have charged a man.

    Police were called at approximately 18:35hrs on Sunday, 22 September to reports of a disturbance in Eglinton Road, SE18.

    Officers attended and found 15-year-old Daejaun Campbell suffering a stab injury.

    Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics at the scene, he sadly died a short time later. His family continue to be supported by specialist officers.

    Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder and taken into police custody.

    One of the men, Jacob Losiewicz, 18 (26.07.06) of Church Manor Way, Abbey Wood, was charged on Wednesday, 25 September, with murder.

    He will appear in custody at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 26 September.

    The second man, aged in his 50s, has been released without charge.

    Detective Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry , who is in charge of policing for the South East Basic Command Unit, said: “The investigation into Daejaun’s murder continues and detectives are working around the clock. Local officers will remain in the area whilst we continue with our investigation. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions, they are there to support you and the community.

    “I want to appeal again for anyone who knows anything about the death of young Daejaun to come forward. Did you see anything suspicious around the Eglinton Road area? Did you see anyone running away from the area? Do you have any footage?

    “If you do, then please contact police; you can upload any footage via a link or you can also remain anonymous by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

    Anyone with information is asked to call police on 020 8721 4005 quoting Operation Baghaze.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City to mark Hate Crime Awareness Week

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property which is motivated by an offender’s hatred of someone because of their race, colour, ethnic origin or nationality, their religion, their gender or gender identity, their sexual orientation, or their disability.

    It can take many forms, from physical attacks such as an assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti and arson, to verbal abuse or insults or the threat of attack, including the sending of offensive letters, emails or texts, abusive or obscene telephone calls or malicious complaints.

    The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership is calling on people to help raise awareness of the issue, and understand the ways that victims of, or witnesses to, an incident can report hate crime, during this year’s national Hate Crime Awareness Week, which takes place from 12 to 19 October. People can:

    • Call police on 101 – or dial 999 if it is an emergency
    • Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via Crimestoppers 
    • Report in person to the police at any police station or one of the Police Hate Crime drop-ins – see StopHateWLV for details
    • Report at any Third-Party Reporting Centre – independent organisations that have been trained to record hate crimes and incidents, offer support and signpost to other help. See StopHateWLV for details
    • Visit Report It and fill in the online reporting form which will be forwarded to police for investigation
    • If an incident occurs on a train or the Midland Metro, text British Transport Police on 61016
    • If the incident is Islamophobic in nature, Tell MAMA by visiting Tell MAMA or calling on 0800 456 1226
    • If the incident is anti-Semitic, it can be reported via Community Security Trust’s website, CST, or by calling 0208 457 9999.  

    Members of the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership will be at Sainsbury’s Wednesfield, Rookery Street, on Saturday 12 October from 11am to 5pm, Tesco Wolverhampton, Marston Road, on Wednesday 16 October from 10am to 12.30pm, Central Library, Snow Hill, on Thursday 17 October from 10am to 12.30pm and Wednesfield Library, Well Lane, also Thursday 17 October from 2pm to 4.30pm, to raise awareness the importance of reporting hate crime, and will also be holding a series of other activities throughout the week.

    Councillor Obaida Ahmed, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Digital and Community, said: “The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership takes hate crime incredibly seriously, and all reports will be fully investigated by police.  

    “We’ll be using Hate Crime Awareness Week to get people thinking about how they can respond to hate crime if they witness or are victims to it.

    “Most importantly, we’ll be encouraging people to report instances of hate crime, which will enable victims to get the support they need and to ensure those committing it are met with justice.”

    People can find out more about hate crime by logging on to StopHateWLV. For details of National Hate Crime Awareness week, please visit #NationalHCAW. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Appeal following sexual assault and robbery in Finchley

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Detectives are appealing for help to identify a man after a woman was sexually assaulted and had her possessions stolen in north London.

    Police were called at 04:35hrs on Friday, 13 September to reports of a robbery on Regents Park Road in Finchley.

    The victim, aged in her 70s, was getting off a bus when she was followed by an unknown man who pushed her into a doorway and sexually assaulted her. He then ran off having stolen her bank cards and roughly £20,000 worth of jewellery.

    The victim suffered several broken ribs and a broken leg as a result of the incident and remains in hospital.

    PC Harry Morrice, from the North West area’s local investigations team, said: “This was an extremely distressing incident which has left an elderly woman in hospital, having suffered serious injuries.

    “We are committed to finding the perpetrator and continue to carry out a number of enquiries in order to hold those responsible to account.

    “We are now releasing an image of a man we would like to identify and are asking for assistance from the public. We are also keen to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time and may have seen the robbery, or a man running off.

    “Any information you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence. Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously.”

    Anyone who knows this man or has information can call police on 101 or message @MetCC on X quoting CAD 838/13Sep.

    Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Criminal damage – Yarrawonga

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Northern Territory Police are investigating an attempted ram-raid incident in Yarrawonga this morning.

    Around 4:00am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report of an abandoned Toyota Troop Carrier next to a damaged business on the Stuart Highway, Yarrawonga.

    Investigations confirmed the vehicle was stolen from a business address in Berrimah earlier in the night.

    Forensics has been completed on the vehicle and investigations are continuing.

    Strike Force Trident are investigating and are urging anyone with information on the matter to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference NTP2400096392 .

    You can also report anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or through https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU to begin classes as part of a practical course for postgraduate students “Fundamentals of Scientific Research”

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Classes within the postgraduate course “Fundamentals of Scientific Research” will begin at Novosibirsk State University on September 26. This course is an integral part of the educational component of the new model of postgraduate study at NSU along with another discipline – “Academic English”. They are mandatory for first-year postgraduate students of all faculties of the university.

    The course program was developed by the head of the laboratory of functional diagnostics of low-dimensional structures for nanoelectronics Physics Department of NSU Pavel Geidt in 2022. The course is designed for one semester. Some postgraduate students study it in the first half of the academic year, the rest in the second. Over 360 young scientists have completed it in two years.

    — This course does not involve mastering the deep theoretical aspects of philosophy, entrepreneurship, communication psychology, natural sciences and other classical disciplines. It is rather a synthesis of several sections of these disciplines that have the greatest practical significance for graduate students at this stage. Its goal is to help young scientists from various sciences undergo postgraduate studies and further engage in independent research activities. The idea of ​​the course comes from a common problem: often university teachers do not tell graduate students in a structured way about a lot of practical information related to scientific activity, about its organizational and reporting aspects, about performance in projects, about the features of preparing grant applications, about etiquette in the scientific community and team , about information retrieval tools, about computer tools for working with data arrays and much more. As a result, graduate students face many difficulties: how to formulate a hypothesis for their research, how to prepare a publication for a scientific publication, how to successfully defend their dissertation and other uncertainties. The knowledge that they will receive as part of the course will help young scientists at the very beginning of their scientific career to build relationships with scientific supervisors, heads of departments and faculties, heads of scientific projects, employees of their laboratory, foundations, monitoring agencies and other structures that they will encounter ,” explained Pavel Geidt.

    The course consists of 8 lectures, including “The Main Aspects of Conducting Research”, “The Role of Management in Scientific Research”, “Financing Scientific Activity”, “Writing Scientific Publications”, “Participation in Scientific Events” and “Methods of Defending Dissertations through the Higher Attestation Commission and the NSU Dissertation Council”. These lectures will be given by Pavel Geidt, as well as Ilya Beterov, Associate Professor of the Quantum Electronics Department of the NSU Physics Faculty, Anna Komarova, Associate Professor of the Political Economy Department of the EF, Leading Researcher of the Laboratory of Empirical Analysis of Industry Markets of the EF, and Natalia Aksenova, Head of the Department of Support and Analysis of Scientific Research at NSU.

    The course includes two practical classes. Unlike lectures, which are a summary of existing knowledge and organized information from various sources, practical classes are original authorial material. The first class, “Michael Faraday’s Principle: Work, Finish, Publish,” was developed by Pavel Geidt.

    — Publication of research results in scientific journals is mandatory for every scientist, but for those who are taking their first steps in big science, this causes many difficulties. Which journal should I send my work to? How to write and format a manuscript correctly? How to respond to reviewers’ comments? Who decides whether to publish an article? What should I do if my manuscript is not accepted for publication? How can I make sure that it is published anyway? And these are far from all the questions that young researchers have at the first stage of their independent, thoughtful scientific work. We tried to recreate the process of preparing an article for publication in a classroom setting so that it would be understandable and “transparent.” The students are divided into 4 groups: a group of authors, the university administration, the editorial board of a foreign scientific journal, and the editorial board of a domestic publication. Each participant in the practical lesson receives their own role: scientist, scientific supervisor, editor-in-chief of a scientific journal, reviewer, and others. In this way, all stages of the process of creating and publishing an article are reproduced, and the roles of the participants in this process acquire meaning, as if they come to life, said Pavel Geidt.

    The second practical lesson “Critical Thinking in Science. TRIZ: Relevance for Technical and Humanitarian Sciences and Further Prospects for the Application of TRIZ for Dissertations” was developed and is being conducted by the Director Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization of NSU Alexander Kvashnin. Teamwork is also important here. Mixed groups of young scientists from different faculties and institutes work together to resolve complex contradictions in science and technology that require a creative approach. Here, graduate students are also given homework: find a way to solve a technical problem within the framework of their dissertation research and describe it in 200 words.

    At this stage, it is expected that graduate students will develop the skills to formulate research problems and systematically design ways to solve these problems in the types of activities that interest them, encourage young scientists to methodologically reflect on their research project, instill a desire for clarity, structure and internal coherence of arguments and reasoning in their written works and oral presentations, and maintain interest in further in-depth mastery of disciplines related to the courses within and beyond the framework of their dissertations.

    — A budding scientist must be prepared for practical scientific work in graduate school and be able to conduct independent scientific research. This requires a clear knowledge of current scientific problems, the ability to analyze the state of the topic of interest and the related field of activity. Graduate students need skills in preparing grant applications, planning the execution of work and completing a project on time. Submitting reports with the publication of the results of intellectual activity, speaking at international conferences and, of course, successfully defending a dissertation are also important. We will teach graduate students to do science independently, as well as to speak about it in an understandable language, — Pavel Geidt summarized.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.nsu.ru/n/media/nevs/science/classes-will-begin-in-the-practical-course-for-graduate-students-fundamentals-of-scientific-research/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Slotkin Highlights Bipartisan Wins in Speech on House Floor

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (MI-08)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-07) took to the House floor today to highlight the passage of three bipartisan bills she championed and call for bipartisan congressional action on additional legislative priorities. This week, the House passed the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Pilot Program Act, IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act, and Building Chips in America Act, which are now set to be signed into law.

    Slotkin also called upon her colleagues to work in a bipartisan way on legislation pertaining to other outstanding legislative priorities. She urged Congress to support the Department of Commerce’s efforts to restrict the import of advanced vehicles manufactured by China and pass a bipartisan Farm Bill and National Defense Authorization Act.

    “These bills are evidence that we do not need to be at each other’s throats. In fact, being at each other’s throats is principally against the mission of what it means to be a Representative. It means you’re not getting work done. It means you’re doing things for political posturing. It means that you care more about making a statement that makes the news or goes viral on Twitter than you are about actually moving the ball down the field for your constituents,” said Slotkin. “I hope that when Congress returns in November, and when a new Congress is sworn in next year, we can learn that basic lesson. We do our best work when we work together – even when it’s hard.”

    Slotkin full remarks on the House floor can be found HERE

    A transcript of Slotkin’s remarks as delivered can be found HERE

    The bipartisan Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Pilot Program Act would cut red tape for companies that transport goods across our borders by allowing more freight and warehouse companies to participate in Customs and Border Protection’s CTPAT program. 

    Through partnership between supply chain leaders and the federal government, the CTPAT program expedites freight through the country, reducing disruptions in international trade and supply chains while keeping the border secure.

    Slotkin introduced the bill, which is co-led by Reps. Rob Menendez (NJ-08), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), and Morgan Luttrell (TX-08). Its Senate companion is led by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), James Lankford (R-OK), and John Cornyn (R-TX). 

    The bipartisan IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act would ensure survivors of human trafficking and law enforcement officers working to combat these terrible crimes receive the resources and support they need.

    The bill would make permanent and expand the Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program that helps provide support and services to individuals impacted by human trafficking. It would also make permanent the Investigators Maintain Purposeful Awareness to Combat Trafficking Trauma (IMPACTT) Program which supports the employees and partners who are exposed to repeated stress through their work combating these crimes. 

    Slotkin is an original co-sponsor of the bipartisan legislation, which is led by Rep. Dave Joyce (OH-14) and co-led by Ann Wagner (MO-02) and Dina Titus (NV-01). Its Senate companion is led by Sens James Lankford (R-OK) and Gary Peters (D-MI). 

    The bipartisan Building Chips in America Act, of which Slotkin is a cosponsor, would streamline approval processes for domestic semiconductor manufacturing projects that receive funding through the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act.

    And on Monday, the Department of Commerce announced a new proposed rule to restrict the import of advanced, connected vehicles manufactured by China that pose a risk to U.S. national security. Slotkin applauded the announcement, and called upon Congress to pass her legislation that would strengthen America’s ability to address the threat posed by these vehicles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Introduce Sarah Davenport for Consideration to Serve on U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    WASHINGTON – Yesterday, before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced Sarah Davenport for consideration to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. Heinrich and Luján strongly recommended Davenport to the Biden Administration and welcomed the announcement of her nomination in August. 

    VIDEO: Heinrich, Luján Introduce Sarah Davenport for Consideration to Serve on U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, September 25, 2024.
    Sarah Morgan Davenport has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico in Las Cruces, New Mexico, since 2009. In that capacity, her practice has focused on prosecuting complex, multi-defendant criminal cases. From 2008 to 2009, Ms. Davenport served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico in Las Cruces. And from 2006 to 2008, she served as an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Law Clerk with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She received her J.D. from the University of New Mexico in 2006 and her B.M. from the New Mexico State University in 1998.  
    In June, Heinrich and Luján commended the Honorable William Paul Johnson, who announced his intention to retire from regular active service as a United States District Court Judge effective in January 2025, after 23 years of distinguished service on the federal bench. The soon-to-be vacant seat on the District Court for the District of New Mexico, which Davenport has been nominated to fill, will be based in Las Cruces, N.M.  
    During the Biden Administration, Heinrich and Luján have worked together to confirm three of the currently sitting federal judges: District Judges Margaret Strickland, David Herrera Urias, and Matthew Garcia.   Earlier this year, the senators also successfully secured the confirmation of David O. Barnett, Jr. for U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico. In 2022, the senators highly recommended and welcomed the confirmation of Alexander M.M. Uballez as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 10-Count Superseding Indictment Charges DuBois City Manager and Employee with Theft and Misappropriation of More Than $1.5 Million in City Funds

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

    JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A federal grand jury in Johnstown has returned a Superseding Indictment that charges two residents of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, with conspiracy, federal program fraud, and money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

    The 10-count Superseding Indictment named John “Herm” Suplizio, 64, and Roberta Shaffer, 59, both of DuBois, as the defendants. The pair was initially indicted and arrested in November 2023 on conspiracy and federal program fraud charges (read the earlier news release here). The Superseding Indictment expands the time frame of the federal program theft conspiracy in the original indictment, with allegations of an additional approximately $700,000 in theft, and also adds money laundering charges.

    According to the Superseding Indictment, from in and around May 2008 to in and around March 2022, Suplizio, the City Manager for DuBois, and Shaffer, the Secretary to the City of DuBois, knowingly conspired to embezzle, steal, convert, and misapply over $1.5 million owned by the city. To accomplish this theft, Suplizio and Shaffer opened bank accounts without the knowledge of the DuBois City Council or auditors, and then funneled fees intended for the city from a waste management company and two oil and gas companies into those secret accounts. Suplizio and Shaffer used the stolen money to, among other things, make large cash withdrawals, write checks to themselves and others, obtain cashier’s checks with themselves listed as payees, and make payments to Suplizio’s personal credit card. The purchases on Suplizio’s credit card included Suplizio’s vacation expenses, utility expenses for Suplizio’s residence, department store purchases, jewelry store purchases, political dinners, and other personal expenses. The Superseding Indictment alleges that many of the transactions in which Suplizio and Shaffer engaged with the proceeds of their theft were over $10,000, which constitutes money laundering under federal law.

    The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to either five or 10 years in prison, a fine of up to either $250,000 or $500,000, or both, on each count. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

    Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt and Special Assistant United States Attorney Summer F. Carroll are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment.

    A Superseding Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stevensville Timber Frame Home Builder Convicted by Federal Jury of Defrauding Customers of More Than $2 Million

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

    MISSOULA — A federal jury convicted a Stevensville timber frame home builder on Sept. 20 of wire fraud and money laundering crimes in an alleged scheme in which he defrauded customers of more than $2 million by obtaining payments to build them homes but instead used the money for personal expenses and to pay other debts, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

    After a five-day trial that began on Sept. 16, the jury found the defendant, Brett Mauri, 61, guilty of four counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. Mauri faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release on the wire fraud counts, and a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction, and three years of supervised release on each count of money laundering.

    U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court set sentencing for Jan. 30, 2025. Mauri’s release was continued pending further proceedings.

    “Mauri stole nearly $2 million from people who trusted him to build their dream homes. He consistently lied to them and made excuses about the lack of progress on each project, some of whom didn’t have anything to show despite paying Mauri thousands and thousands of dollars. They didn’t just suffer monetary losses, but mentally and emotionally, too. I hope his forthcoming federal prison sentence gives them comfort knowing he can’t scam anyone else again,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

    In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that Mauri is the owner and operator of Bitterroot Timber Frames (BTF) and Three Mile Creek Post & Beam, LLC. According to Mauri and the company’s website, BTF built custom timber frame homes across the United States. Mauri claimed credit for large projects in some of America’s most popular ski towns between the 1990s and 2010s. The government alleged that between 2018 and 2022, Mauri defrauded nine individuals who hired him to build their timber frame homes. Many of the agreements were made by written contract, while some were formed by email or over the phone. Mauri obtained payments from these customers and lied to them about his operations and what he was doing with their money. Mauri ultimately provided little to nothing in return.

    The scheme involved Mauri inducing customers to send him funds, which were ultimately deposited into his or his wife’s bank accounts. Mauri, and his wife, Carrie McEnroe, primarily used the money for personal living expenses and to pay other debts instead of building the homes as he promised. What work Mauri did perform on victims’ projects gave his operation the hallmarks of a Ponzi scheme. He frequently solicited new money from a victim and used the funds, in part, to cover past expenses that were often incurred on earlier projects. The scheme resulted in victims paying Mauri more than $2 million. In exchange, Mauri provided very little materials or services, and some victims received nothing at all. Victims had hired Mauri to build homes in the Montana communities of Whitehall, Victor, Corvallis and Missoula, and in New York, Utah, and Louisiana.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Prineville Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Multi-Million-Dollar Drug Treatment Fraud Scheme

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

    EUGENE, Ore.—A Prineville, Oregon woman was sentenced to federal prison yesterday for using stolen identities to submit fraudulent health care claims resulting in over $1.5 million in misappropriated funds from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Medicaid Program and filing false tax returns that failed to report earnings she received.

    Darla K. Byus, 55, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $2,033,315 in restitution to OHA and the IRS.

    “Her crimes betrayed the trust placed in this company as a substance abuse treatment provider in Oregon. We thank the state and federal investigators for their dedication and commitment to ending this scheme,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eugene and Medford Branch Offices. “Business owners who abuse the system to line their pockets at the expense of our communities will be held accountable.”

    “HHS-OIG is committed to protecting Oregon communities and taxpayer funds from schemes targeting Oregon’s Medicaid program, which provides necessary services to vulnerable populations,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG values our continued partnership with the Oregon Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and other law enforcement partners and will continue to investigate those who threaten the integrity of federal and state health care programs and the people served by them.”

    “I am pleased that the joint investigation between our Medicaid Fraud Unit at Oregon DOJ and five federal agencies turned up the evidence needed for the United States Attorney to successfully prosecute this complex case. Oregon’s Medicaid program will get back over a million dollars it is rightfully owed, and those who try to defraud Oregonians and undermine our social safety net programs should be on notice— they will be caught and prosecuted,” said Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.

    According to court documents, from January 2019 to August 2021, Byus used her company, Choices Recover Services (CRS), to overbill the OHA Medicaid Program for substance abuse counseling services and to submit fraudulent reimbursement claims using the stolen identities of Medicaid recipients.

    As an OHA Medicaid Provider for drug and alcohol related counseling services, CRS had access to a provider portal through the Medicaid Management Information System. Byus exploited this access to privileged information to determine a victim’s Medicaid eligibility. She then used their personally identifiable information to submit claims without the victim’s knowledge or authorization. Byus used the stolen identities more than 45 victims, at least a third of which were identified by searching jail roster websites for recent drug or alcohol related offenses.

    Using CRS, Byus submitted over $3 million in false claims to the OHA Medicaid Program and received over $1.5 million in fraudulent proceeds. She used the misappropriated funds to purchase multiple properties in Oregon and to gamble. In addition, Byus knowingly filed false tax returns for herself and CRS, failing to pay approximately $450,438 in taxes.

    On May 13, 2024, Byus was charged by criminal information with heath care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making a false tax return and, on June 20, 2024, she pleaded guilty.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division, and the Oregon Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. It was prosecuted by Joseph H. Huynh and Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

    MIL Security OSI –