NewzIntel.com

Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fatal crash at Randalls Bay, south of Cygnet

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Fatal crash at Randalls Bay, south of Cygnet

    Tuesday, 10 June 2025 – 1:10 pm.

    Sadly, a 59-year-old man has died following a crash at Randalls Bay on Sunday afternoon.
    Initial inquiries indicate the man was travelling on the Channel Highway between Randalls Bay Road and Lowes Road in a silver Ford Falcon about 4pm, when he lost control of the vehicle and struck a power pole.
    Two passengers in the vehicle received minor injuries, and sadly the driver has since died in hospital.
    It is not believed that any other vehicle was involved in the collision.
    Our thoughts are with the man’s family and loved ones and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
    Anyone with information, or relevant dash cam footage, is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers Tasmania on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au.
    Information can be provided anonymously.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Appeal for information: Aggravated robbery Oxford Terrace

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police are asking for the public’s help after an aggravated robbery on Wednesday 4 June.

    Police were called to the Oxford Terrace store about 8pm on Wednesday, after three males entered the premises and threatened a worker.

    The offenders then fled in a vehicle, after stealing a number of items.

    Thankfully the worker was not physically injured.

    The vehicle used was a Black Mitsubishi Colt, registration KCB102, and was reported stolen prior to this incident.

    Police are requesting the public’s help to identify the individuals pictured, including the male in the 4th picture who was seen with the stolen vehicle 2 days earlier.

    Anyone with information about them, or anyone who witnessed the robbery, is urged to contact Police as soon as possible via 105.

    If you can help, please call 105 and quote reference number 250604/5483.

    You can also provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Orenburgneft’s Environment-Oriented Investments Exceed 3 Billion Roubles in 2024

    Source: Rosneft

    Headline: Orenburgneft’s Environment-Oriented Investments Exceed 3 Billion Roubles in 2024

    Orenburgneft (part of Rosneft’s oil production complex) allocated more than 3 billion roubles to environmental protection activities in 2024, almost 13% more than in the previous year. Funds have been invested in implementing the gas programme, improving pipeline reliability, land remediation, improving the efficiency of industrial waste management, resource conservation, reforestation and water biodiversity conservation.

    As part of the targeted gas programme, in 2024 the main technological equipment was installed at the gas compressor station of the Donetsk-Syrtsky field and the construction of gas pipelines for the Eastern group of fields is being completed. These measures will enable additional volumes of associated gas to be routed to the Buzuluk gas processing plant, where the gas is processed to commercial quality and a large fraction of the hydrocarbons — a valuable raw material for the petrochemical industry — is removed.

    Investments in the implementation of the pipeline reliability improvement programme ensured the planned replacement of pipeline sections, repairs and pipe blocking. The stable operation of the industrial infrastructure is ensured, among other things, by diagnostics using modern equipment.

    The enterprise uses technologies that conserve resources. Last year, Orenburgneft reduced its energy consumption by 6.8 million tonnes of fuel equivalent, helping to improve the environmental performance of its production. Key initiatives included optimising the operation of pumping equipment in reservoir pressure maintenance systems, upgrading downhole oil production equipment and redesigning onshore infrastructure.

    The enterprise provides environmental monitoring of natural components. Air, water and soil are regularly sampled in areas where production activities take place. Methane emissions are monitored using advanced technology.

    Orenburgneft uses modern technologies to dispose of production waste. The by-products obtained are reused in industrial applications. The enterprise’s volunteers help protect the environment. For several years, employees have organised the collection of used plastic and paper. Local students take part in environmental campaigns organised by oil companies. In 2024, more than 12 tonnes of secondary raw materials were sent for recycling through joint efforts.

    Employees carry out voluntary clean-ups in the towns and cities where they work, along the banks of waterways, and organise community clean-up days. Over the past three years, oil workers have planted around 3,000 young pine, fir, lime and birch trees. Together with activists from the Movement of the Firsts, oil workers cleaned up the dendrological garden in the Buzuluk Forest National Park. Previously, with the help of the enterprise’s employees, a tourist trail was created in the reserve, which is integrated into the National Park’s network of ecological trails.

    The enterprise’s environmental efforts have been repeatedly recognised at various levels. In the regional competition Economy Leader, Orenburgneft has been recognised as the winner in the category Environmental Responsibility Leader for over 10 years.

    For reference:

    Orenburgneft, a subsidiary of Rosneft Oil Company, is engaged in production operations in Orenburg, Samara and Saratov regions. Cumulative oil production of the enterprise exceeds 470 million tonnes of oil.

    Department of Information and Advertising
    Rosneft
    April 9, 2025

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: MediPharm Labs’ Founder-CEO Pat McCutcheon Throws his Support behind Apollo Capital as Dissident

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    McCutcheon Agrees with Apollo that Urgent Change is Needed, including Complete Turnover at the Board Level after Years of Value-Destruction

    Apollo Capital Announces Filing of Circular Addendum to
    Reflect McCutcheon’s Endorsement

    SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO VOTE THE GOLD CARD “FOR” APOLLO CAPITAL’S SIX DIRECTOR NOMINEES AND NOT VOTE MEDIPHARM’s GREEN CARD

    TORONTO, June 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Technology Capital Corporation (“Apollo Capital”), one of MediPharm Lab Corp’s (TSX: LABS) (OTCQB: MEDIF) (FSE: MLZ) (“MediPharm”, or the “Company”) largest investors, is very pleased to announce that Pat McCutcheon, a founder, former CEO, director and Chairman of MediPharm, has joined Apollo Capital as a co-dissident in its battle to bring integrity, transparency and prosperity back to MediPharm’s long-suffering shareholders.

    Pat McCutcheon stated: “I have been observing Apollo’s activist campaign from the sidelines, and I can no longer just sit by and watch. I still feel a deep responsibility to the Company, its employees and the shareholders who have invested millions into the vision of MediPharm being the global leader in medical cannabis and cannabis derived pharmaceutical products. Over the past three years, the share price has collapsed while the senior management team has been paid over $10,000,000, a compensation program that should never have been approved by the independent Directors. Management has failed to capitalize on the medical cannabis opportunity and taken the Company away from its founding vision by entering the recreational market, taking on dilutive M&A transactions and recently announcing a return to cultivating cannabis. This is not the MediPharm investors have supported.

    I have gotten to know Regan McGee & his team of proposed directors. The directors have a broad range of relevant experience including medical cannabis experience, turn-around experience, and extensive capital markets experience. Regan has demonstrated himself to be a skilled investor who has been successful in both start-ups and turn-around projects. He’s also overcome great personal adversity, showing that he never backs down from a fight. In terms of the negative statements from MediPharm about Regan, the ones that I have been able to independently verify have turned out to be simply fabrications that appear to be part of MediPharm’s campaign to discredit and defame Regan. I believe the attacks on Regan & his business record are not factual and more importantly hide the real issues that shareholders should be considering such as compensation, dilution & the share price. On each of these fronts, I believe the Apollo directors are a better choice than the directors put forward by the current Board.

    We need to focus on the real issues – who is going to drive the stock price higher. Apollo only makes money when the stock price goes up, as all the shareholders do together. This is why I support the Apollo team. I’m asking shareholders to vote GOLD at this year’s AGM. We do not have time to wait.”

    Apollo notes that its business model with MediPharm is highly aligned with shareholders. As an activist investor, it looks to make investments in poorly managed companies where new governance and management can work to improve the share price for Apollo and all other investors. Apollo’s business model is to buy stock in target companies and work with frustrated shareholders to secure the majority of votes needed to replace board members and executives with ones focused on share value growth. Apollo does not “take over” or otherwise control its target companies, rather it appoints directors who recognize their legal fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of all common shareholders.

    Regan McGee of Apollo Capital commented: “We are immensely proud to welcome Pat McCutcheon as a co-dissident. Pat is responsible for helping to build MediPharm into an absolute powerhouse in the cannabis industry, and I can only imagine how difficult it has been for him to watch the Company he loves so much be mismanaged virtually to the point of insolvency.

    Pat and I want exactly the same thing – to restore value to MediPharm shareholders and to usher in a new era of profitability, good governance and most importantly, accountability. We both believe that if we all come together and take urgent action, the future for the MediPharm will be bright.”

    In connection with the addition of Mr. McCutcheon as a “dissident” within the meaning of applicable corporate laws, an addendum dated June 4, 2025 (the “Addendum”) to the dissident information circular dated May 15, 2025 (the “Circular”) has been filed on www.SEDARPLUS.ca under MediPharm’s profile. Shareholders are encouraged to read the Circular, as supplemented and amended by the Addendum.

    Apollo Capital’s strategic five-pillar plan for MediPharm has been made available in detail at www.curemedipharm.com. With shareholder support, we can turn MediPharm around and transform it into the world’s leading medical cannabis company.

    Apollo Capital urges shareholders to vote for change by voting the GOLD CARD by June 12, 2025. Shareholders are urged NOT to sign or return the green proxy cards sent by the Company.

    Contacts

    For Shareholders:
    Carson Proxy
    North American Toll-Free Phone: 1-800-530-5189
    Local or Text Message: 416-751-2066 (collect calls accepted)
    E: info@carsonproxy.com

    For Media:
    media@curemedipharm.com

    This solicitation is being made by and on behalf of the Concerned Shareholder, who, as of the date of this Circular, beneficially owns or controls, directly and indirectly through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nobul Technologies Inc., 12,491,500 common shares of the Company (“Common Shares”), representing approximately 3% of the total Common Shares issued and outstanding, and not by the management of the Company (“Management”).

    Legal Disclosures

    Information in Support of Public Broadcast Exemption under Canadian Law

    In connection with the annual general and special meeting (the “Annual Meeting”) of shareholders of MediPharm, Apollo Capital has filed an amended and restated dissident information circular dated May 15, 2025 (the “Circular”), as amended and supplemented by an addendum to the Circular subsequently filed by Apollo Capital and Patrick McCutcheon (together, the “Concerned Stakeholder”) dated June 4, 2025 (the “Addendum” and together with the Circular, the “Amended Circular”), each in compliance with applicable corporate and securities laws. The Concerned Stakeholder has provided in, or incorporated by reference into, this press release the disclosure required under section 9.2(4) of NI 51-102 – Continuous Disclosure Obligations (“NI 51-102”) and the corresponding exemption under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), and has filed the Amended Circular, available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The Amended Circular contains disclosure prescribed by applicable corporate law and disclosure required under section 9.2(6) of NI 51-102 in respect of the Concerned Stakeholder’s director nominees, in accordance with corporate and securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations. The Amended Circular is hereby incorporated by reference into this press release and is available under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The registered office of the Company is 151 John Street, Barrie, Ontario, Canada L4N 2L1.

    SHAREHOLDERS OF MEDIPHARM ARE URGED TO READ THE AMENDED CIRCULAR CAREFULLY BECAUSE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and shareholders are able to obtain free copies of the Amended Circular and any amendments or supplements thereto and further proxy circulars at no charge under MediPharm’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. In addition, shareholders are also able to obtain free copies of the Amended Circular and other relevant documents by contacting the Concerned Stakeholder’s proxy solicitor, Carson Proxy Advisors Ltd. (“Carson Proxy”) at 1-800-530-5189, local (collect outside North America): 416-751-2066 or by email at info@carsonproxy.com.

    Proxies may be revoked in accordance with subsection 110(4) of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) by a registered shareholder of Company shares: (a) by completing and signing a valid proxy bearing a later date and returning it in accordance with the instructions contained in the accompanying form of proxy; (b) by depositing an instrument in writing executed by the shareholder or by the shareholder’s attorney authorized in writing; (c) by transmitting by telephonic or electronic means a revocation that is signed by electronic signature in accordance with applicable law, as the case may be: (i) at the registered office of the Company at any time up to and including the last business day preceding the day the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting is to be held, or (ii) with the chair of the Annual Meeting on the day of the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting; or (d) in any other manner permitted by law. In addition, proxies may be revoked by a non-registered holder of Company shares at any time by written notice to the intermediary in accordance with the instructions given to the non-registered holder by its intermediary. It should be noted that revocation of proxies or voting instructions by a non-registered holder can take several days or even longer to complete and, accordingly, any such revocation should be completed well in advance of the deadline prescribed in the form of proxy or voting instruction form to ensure it is given effect in respect of the Annual Meeting.

    The costs incurred in the preparation and mailing of any circular or proxy solicitation by the Concerned Stakeholder and any other participants named herein will be borne directly and indirectly by Apollo Capital. However, to the extent permitted under applicable law, Apollo Capital intends to seek reimbursement from the Company of all expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of its director nominees at the Annual Meeting.

    This press release and any solicitation made by the Concerned Stakeholder is, or will be, as applicable, made by such parties, and not by or on behalf of the management of the Company. Proxies may be solicited by proxy circular, mail, telephone, email or other electronic means, as well as by newspaper or other media advertising and in person by managers, directors, officers and employees of the Concerned Stakeholder who will not be specifically remunerated therefor. In addition, the Concerned Stakeholder may solicit proxies by way of public broadcast, including press release, speech or publication and any other manner permitted under applicable Canadian laws, and may engage the services of one or more agents and authorize other persons to assist it in soliciting proxies on their behalf.

    Apollo Capital has entered into an agreement with Carson Proxy for solicitation and advisory services in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Concerned Stakeholder for the Annual Meeting, for which Carson Proxy will receive a fee from Apollo Capital not to exceed $250,000, together with reimbursement for reasonable and out-of-pocket expenses. Apollo Capital has also engaged Gasthalter & Co. LP (“G&Co”) to act as communications consultant to provide the Concerned Stakeholder with certain communications, public relations and related services, for which G&Co will receive, from Apollo Capital, a minimum fee of US$75,000 in addition to a performance fee of US$250,000 in the event that the Concerned Stakeholder’s nominees make up a majority of the board of directors of MediPharm (the “Board”) following the Annual Meeting, plus excess fees, related costs and expenses.

    No member of the Concerned Stakeholder nor any of their respective associates or affiliates has or has had any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the beginning of the Company’s last completed financial year or in any proposed transaction that has materially affected or will or would materially affect the Company or any of the Company’s affiliates. No member of the Concerned Stakeholder nor any of their respective associates or affiliates has any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting, other than setting the number of directors and the election of directors to the Board.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward‐looking statements. All statements contained in this filing that are not clearly historical in nature or that necessarily depend on future events are forward‐looking, and the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “plan,” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward‐looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of the Concerned Stakeholder and currently available information. They are not guarantees of future performance, involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. All forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date hereof and the Concerned Stakeholder disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur, or of which the Concerned Stakeholder hereafter becomes aware, except as required by applicable law.

    Hashtags: #ShareholderActivism #CorporateGovernance #InvestorProtection #Investor Alert #Investor Fraud #FinancialRegulation #CorporateCrime #FinancialCrime #HomelandSecurity #DHS #OpioidCrisis #OpioidEpidemic #OpioidLitigation #OpioidVictims #BMO #DEA #ONDCP

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Calls for Full Funding of State and Local Law Enforcement Drug Interdiction Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) is asking the Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, which works with state and local law enforcement offices across the U.S. to foster collaboration, share resources, and leverage expertise to keep communities safe.  
    This effort follows the release of President Trump’s FY26 Budget, which calls for a 35% reduction in HIDTA funding, as well as the transfer of the program from the Office of National Drug Control Policy to the Department of Justice. Should this transfer and funding reduction occur, the Midwest HIDTA branch would lose approximately $5 million in annual resources and its ability to tailor strategies to regional needs. Both consequences would undermine the program’s mission to effectively reduce the impact of drug trafficking.  
    “As the son of a police chief, the safety of all Americans will always be one of my top priorities,” said Senator Marshall. “Our local law enforcement officers are the front lines of our battle against drug and human trafficking. The HIDTA program effectively utilizes local, state and federal resources to help law enforcement agencies better understand and combat threats and criminal activity in their communities.” 
    “Continued funding for the HIDTA Program is critical to supporting state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies working to keep our communities safe and to ensuring a response tailored to the unique drug threats in each region,” said Daniel Neill, Executive Director of the Midwest HIDTA. “It is equally important that HIDTA remain under ONDCP to preserve the neutrality, balance, and ability of Executive Boards to address drug threats specific to their communities. We appreciate Senator Marshall’s leadership during this pivotal time.” 
    This effort follows the release of President Trump’s FY26 Budget, which calls for a 35% reduction in HIDTA funding, as well as the transfer of the program from the Office of National Drug Control Policy to the Department of Justice. Should this transfer and funding reduction occur, the Midwest HIDTA branch would lose approximately $5 million in annual resources and its ability to tailor strategies to regional needs – both consequences would undermine the program’s ability to effectively reduce the impact of drug trafficking. 
    “Cutting HIDTA funding will weaken the ability of state, federal and local enforcement operations to stop the influx of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other illicit drugs that fuel addiction and violent crime,” said KBI Director Tony Mattivi. “Without continued support, our communities will face increased risks from the spread of these substances and the influence of drug cartels.” 
    “The Sheriffs of Kansas and the Kansas Sheriffs Association greatly appreciate Senator Marshall’s efforts to fully fund the HIDTA program,” said Scott Braun, Ellis County Sheriff and President of the Kansas Sheriffs’ Association. “HIDTA substantially supports financially numerous drug task forces across Kansas who target the large-scale drug dealers in our State.  This is a unique collaboration with local, state, and federal law enforcement in combating the illicit drug activity across Kansas.” 
    “Midwest HIDTA is a valuable partner in assisting local and state law enforcement in their battle against illicit narcotics, particularly deadly fentanyl,” said Chief Karl Oakman, Kansas City Police. “A budget cut will significantly set back the gains made to reduce fentanyl trafficking in middle America.” 
    “The Midwest HIDTA program is a critical asset in our fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse in Kansas and beyond,” said Courtney Leslie, President of the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police. “It provides essential resources and fosters collaboration among law enforcement agencies to combat the growing threat of illicit drug networks. Senator Marshall’s commitment to fully funding this program highlights his dedication to the safety and well-being of our communities, and to protecting and reducing the flow of dangerous drugs across Kansas.” 
    Background: 

    There are 33 HIDTAs across the U.S. that incorporate counties from all 50 states.  
    The Midwest HIDTA represents over 200 law enforcement personnel in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota.  
    The program operates under the Office of the National Drug Control Policy and helps deliver funding and expertise to local law enforcement agencies to combat domestic and international drug trafficking organizations.  
    The goal of the Midwest HIDTA is to facilitate coordination between regional drug-control efforts to reduce drug trafficking and its harmful consequences. 
    More than 90% of the Midwest HIDTA’s funding is allocated directly to state and local law enforcement agencies.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can Israel still claim self-defence to justify its Gaza war?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University

    On October 7 2023, more than 1,000 Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel and went on a killing spree, murdering 1,200 men, women and children and abducting another 250 people to take back to Gaza. It was the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

    That day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the country, “Israel is at war”. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) immediately began a military campaign to secure the release of the hostages and defeat Hamas. Since that day, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children.

    Israel has maintained its response is justified under international law, as every nation has “an inherent right to defend itself”, as Netanyahu stated in early 2024.

    This is based on the right to self-defence in international law, which is outlined in Article 51 of the 1945 United Nations Charter as follows:

    Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations[…]

    At the start of the war, many nations agreed Israel had a right to defend itself, but how it did so mattered. This would ensure its actions were consistent with international humanitarian law.

    However, 20 months after the October 7 attacks, fundamental legal issues have arisen around whether this self-defence justification still holds.

    Can Israel exercise self-defence ad infinitum? Or is it now waging a war of aggression against Palestine?

    Self-defence in the law

    Self-defence has a long history in international law.

    The modern principles of self-defence were outlined in diplomatic exchanges over an 1837 incident involving an American ship, The Caroline, after it was destroyed by British forces in Canada. Both sides agreed that an exercise of self-defence would have required the British to demonstrate their conduct was not “unreasonable or excessive”.

    The concept of self-defence was also extensively relied on by the Allies in the second world war in response to German and Japanese aggression.

    Self-defence was originally framed in the law as a right to respond to a state-based attack. However, this scope has broadened in recent decades to encompass attacks from non-state actors, such as al-Qaeda following the September 11 2001 terror attacks.

    Israel is a legitimate, recognised state in the global community and a member of the United Nations. Its right to self-defence will always remain intact when it faces attacks from its neighbours or non-state actors, such as Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

    However, the right of self-defence is not unlimited. It is constrained by the principles of necessity and proportionality.

    The necessity test was met in the current war due to the extreme violence of the Hamas attack on October 7 and the taking of hostages. These were actions that could not be ignored and demanded a response, due to the threat Israel continued to face.

    The proportionality test was also met, initially. Israel’s military operation after the attack was strategic in nature, focused on the return of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas to eliminate the immediate threat the group posed.

    The legal question now is whether Israel is still legitimately exercising self-defence in response to the October 7 attacks.

    This is a live issue, especially given comments by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on May 30 that Hamas would be “annihilated” unless a proposed ceasefire deal was accepted.

    These comments and Israel’s ongoing conduct throughout the war raise the question of whether proportionality is still being met.

    A test of proportionality

    The importance of proportionality in self-defence has been endorsed in recent years by the International Court of Justice.

    Under international law, proportionality remains relevant throughout a conflict, not just in the initial response to an attack.

    While the law allows a war to continue until an aggressor surrenders, it does not legitimise the complete destruction of the territory where an aggressor is fighting.

    The principle of proportionality also provides protections for civilians. Military actions are to be directed at the foreign forces who launched the attack, not civilians.

    While Israel has targeted Hamas fighters in its attacks, including those who orchestrated the October 7 attacks, these actions have caused significant collateral deaths of Palestinian civilians.

    Therefore, taken overall, the ongoing, 20-month military assault against Hamas, with its high numbers of civilian casualties, credible reports of famine and devastation of Gazan towns and cities, suggests Israel’s exercise of self-defence has become disproportionate.

    The principle of proportionality is also part of international humanitarian law. However, Israel’s actions on this front are a separate legal issue that has been the subject of investigation by the International Criminal Court.

    My aim here is to solely assess the legal question of proportionality in self-defence and international law.

    Is rescuing hostages in self-defence?

    Israel could separately argue it is exercising legitimate self-defence to rescue the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

    However, rescuing nationals as an exercise of self-defence is legally controversial. Israel set a precedent in 1976 when the military rescued 103 Jewish hostages from Entebbe, Uganda, after their aircraft had been hijacked.

    In current international law, there are very few other examples in which this interpretation of self-defence has been adopted – and no international consensus on its use.

    In Gaza, the size, scale and duration of Israel’s war goes far beyond a hostage rescue operation. Its aim is also to eliminate Hamas.

    Given this, rescuing hostages as an act of self-defence is arguably not a suitable justification for Israel’s ongoing military operations.

    An act of aggression?

    If Israel can no longer rely on self-defence to justify its Gaza military campaign, how would its actions be characterised under international law?

    Israel could claim it is undertaking a security operation as an occupying power.

    While the International Court of Justice said in an advisory opinion last year that Israel was engaged in an illegal occupation of Gaza, the court expressly made clear it was not addressing the circumstances that had evolved since October 7.

    Israel is indeed continuing to act as an occupying power, even though it has not physically reoccupied all of Gaza. This is irrelevant given the effective control it exercises over the territory.

    However, the scale of the IDF’s operations constitute an armed conflict and well exceed the limited military operations to restore security as an occupying power.

    Absent any other legitimate basis for Israel’s current conduct in Gaza, there is a strong argument that what is occurring is an act of aggression. The UN Charter and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court prohibit acts of aggression not otherwise justified under international law.

    These include invasions or attacks by the armed forces of a state, military occupations, bombardments and blockades. All of this has occurred – and continues to occur – in Gaza.

    The international community has rightly condemned Russia’s invasion as an act of aggression in Ukraine. Will it now do the same with Israel’s conduct in Gaza?

    Donald Rothwell receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Can Israel still claim self-defence to justify its Gaza war? – https://theconversation.com/can-israel-still-claim-self-defence-to-justify-its-gaza-war-257822

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Five Men Plead Guilty for Their Roles in Global Digital Asset Investment Scam Conspiracy Resulting in Theft of More than $36.9 Million from Victims

    Source: US State of California

    Five men have pleaded guilty for their roles in laundering more than $36.9 million from victims of an international digital asset investment scam conspiracy that was carried out from scam centers in Cambodia.

    According to court documents, Joseph Wong, 33, of Alhambra, California; Yicheng Zhang, 39, of China; Jose Somarriba, 55, of Los Angeles; Shengsheng He, 39, of La Puente, California; and Jingliang Su, 44, of China and Turkey, were part of an international criminal network that induced U.S. victims, believing they were investing in digital assets, to transfer funds to accounts controlled by co-conspirators and that laundered victim money through U.S. shell companies, international bank accounts, and digital asset wallets.

    As part of the conspiracy, co-conspirators residing overseas would contact U.S. victims directly through unsolicited social media interactions, telephone calls, text messages, and online dating services and gain the victims’ trust. The co-conspirators then promoted fraudulent digital asset investments to the victims. Scammers would tell victims that their investments were appreciating in value when, in fact, those funds were stolen and not invested at all. Instead, more than $36.9 million in victim funds were transferred from U.S. bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators to a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas, opened in the name of Axis Digital Limited. Somarriba, He, and Su directed Deltec Bank to convert victim funds to the stablecoin Tether (USDT) and to transfer the converted funds to a digital asset wallet controlled by individuals in Cambodia. From there, co-conspirators in Cambodia transferred the USDT to the leaders of scam centers throughout the region including in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

    Somarriba and He founded Axis Digital and opened the Deltec Bank account. Su joined Axis Digital as a director and participated in the digital asset conversions and transfers of victim funds.

    Wong managed a network of money launderers in Los Angeles who registered shell companies, opened U.S. bank accounts, and wired victim funds to international bank accounts. Zhang opened and operated two U.S. bank accounts used to launder victim proceeds.

    Zhang and Wong pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Zhang has been in custody since May 2024. He, Somarriba, and Su pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business. He, Somarriba, and Su each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Su has been in custody since November 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Eight co-conspirators have pleaded guilty so far, including Daren Li, a national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis and former resident of Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates who has been in U.S. custody since April 2024, and Lu Zhang, a Chinese national illegally in the United States who managed a network of U.S.-based money launderers, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Nov. 12, 2024 and May 13, 2024, respectively.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, and Special Agent in Charge William Mancino of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

    USSS’s Global Investigative Operations Center is investigating the case. The Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Dominican National Police, and U.S. Marshals Service provided valuable assistance.

    Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Tamara Livshiz of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maxwell Coll, Nisha Chandran, and Alexander Gorin for the Central District of California are prosecuting these cases.

    If you or someone you know is a victim of a digital asset investment fraud, report it to IC3.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Men Plead Guilty for Their Roles in Global Digital Asset Investment Scam Conspiracy Resulting in Theft of More than $36.9 Million from Victims

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Five men have pleaded guilty for their roles in laundering more than $36.9 million from victims of an international digital asset investment scam conspiracy that was carried out from scam centers in Cambodia.

    According to court documents, Joseph Wong, 33, of Alhambra, California; Yicheng Zhang, 39, of China; Jose Somarriba, 55, of Los Angeles; Shengsheng He, 39, of La Puente, California; and Jingliang Su, 44, of China and Turkey, were part of an international criminal network that induced U.S. victims, believing they were investing in digital assets, to transfer funds to accounts controlled by co-conspirators and that laundered victim money through U.S. shell companies, international bank accounts, and digital asset wallets.

    As part of the conspiracy, co-conspirators residing overseas would contact U.S. victims directly through unsolicited social media interactions, telephone calls, text messages, and online dating services and gain the victims’ trust. The co-conspirators then promoted fraudulent digital asset investments to the victims. Scammers would tell victims that their investments were appreciating in value when, in fact, those funds were stolen and not invested at all. Instead, more than $36.9 million in victim funds were transferred from U.S. bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators to a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas, opened in the name of Axis Digital Limited. Somarriba, He, and Su directed Deltec Bank to convert victim funds to the stablecoin Tether (USDT) and to transfer the converted funds to a digital asset wallet controlled by individuals in Cambodia. From there, co-conspirators in Cambodia transferred the USDT to the leaders of scam centers throughout the region including in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

    Somarriba and He founded Axis Digital and opened the Deltec Bank account. Su joined Axis Digital as a director and participated in the digital asset conversions and transfers of victim funds.

    Wong managed a network of money launderers in Los Angeles who registered shell companies, opened U.S. bank accounts, and wired victim funds to international bank accounts. Zhang opened and operated two U.S. bank accounts used to launder victim proceeds.

    Zhang and Wong pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Zhang has been in custody since May 2024. He, Somarriba, and Su pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business. He, Somarriba, and Su each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Su has been in custody since November 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Eight co-conspirators have pleaded guilty so far, including Daren Li, a national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis and former resident of Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates who has been in U.S. custody since April 2024, and Lu Zhang, a Chinese national illegally in the United States who managed a network of U.S.-based money launderers, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Nov. 12, 2024 and May 13, 2024, respectively.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, and Special Agent in Charge William Mancino of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

    USSS’s Global Investigative Operations Center is investigating the case. The Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Dominican National Police, and U.S. Marshals Service provided valuable assistance.

    Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Tamara Livshiz of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maxwell Coll, Nisha Chandran, and Alexander Gorin for the Central District of California are prosecuting these cases.

    If you or someone you know is a victim of a digital asset investment fraud, report it to IC3.gov. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Huntington Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Crime

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Mark Radford, 33, of Huntington, was sentenced today to time served and 15 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography. Radford must also register as a sex offender.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about November 3, 2020, law enforcement officers seized Radford’s cell phone. A forensic examination of the cell phone revealed approximately 22 images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Radford admitted to downloading the images from the internet. Radford further admitted that some of the images depicted prepubescent children engaged in sexual conduct.

    Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Lesley C. Shamblin and Julie M. White prosecuted the case.

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

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-61.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Memphis Man Sentenced to Seventeen Years for Trafficking 17-Year-Old Female to Perform Commercial Sex Acts

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DOMINIQUE PEEPLES (“PEEPLES”), age 28, from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced on May 28, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1), 1591(b)(2), 1594(a), and 2.

    According to court documents, PEEPLES brought a seventeen-year-old female (“Minor Victim”) from Memphis, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Houston, Texas, and required her to engage in commercial sex acts.  During this time, PEEPLES was aware of Minor Victim’s age.  PEEPLES advertised Minor Victim on websites commonly used to advertise sexual services in exchange for money and kept all or most of the proceeds from her work.   PEEPLES waited in a vehicle and watched Minor Victim while she solicited commercial sex “dates.”  Minor Victim worked under PEEPLES’ supervision between August of 2020 and her escape in mid-January 2021.  After Minor Victim ran away, PEEPLES posted a video on social media in which he boasted about exploiting Minor Victim and pointed firearms at the screen.

    U.S. District Court Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced PEEPLES to seventeen (17) years in prison.  PEEPLES was also sentenced to ten (10) years of supervised release after release from prison. Judge Vance further ordered PEEPLES to pay $120,000 in restitution to Minor Victim, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.  PEEPLES will also have to register as a sex offender.

    This case was part of a broader investigation involving defendants JEREMY TALBERT and MACEO ROBERTS, both of whom have pleaded guilty for related sex trafficking crimes.  In February 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ROBERTS to 22.5 years of imprisonment for conspiring to traffic three minors and two adults.  In March 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Lance Africk sentenced TALBERT to 18 years for trafficking a fourteen-year-old minor to New Orleans.

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

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorneys Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit and Jordan Ginsberg, Supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Box Elder Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Committing an Assault within the Pine Ridge Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Box Elder, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on June 2, 2025.

    Samatha Wright, 27, was sentenced to one year and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Wright was indicted for Discharge of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon by a federal grand jury in June 2024. She pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025.

    The charges stemmed from a domestic dispute between Wright and the victim, her then-husband, while they lived within the Pine Ridge Reservation. Wright shot the victim with a handgun, hitting him three times and causing serious bodily injury.

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

    This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Founder of Sexual Wellness Company “OneTaste” and Former Head of Sales Convicted of Forced Labor Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendants Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz Used Deception and Abuse to Obtain Their Victims’ Labor and Services

    Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a federal jury convicted Nicole Daedone, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of OneTaste, Inc. (OneTaste), a sexual wellness education company, and Rachel Cherwitz, the company’s former head of sales, of forced labor conspiracy in connection with their coercive scheme to obtain the labor and services of certain OneTaste employees.  To achieve their goal, the defendants and their co-conspirators subjected the victims to economic, sexual, emotional, financial, and psychological abuse, as well as surveillance, indoctrination, and intimidation.  The verdict was returned after a five-week trial before United States District Judge Diane Gujarati.  When sentenced, Daedone and Cherwitz each face up to 20 years in prison.

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.

    “The jury’s verdict has unmasked Daedone and Cherwitz for who they truly are: grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims by making empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labor and services for the defendants’ benefit,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “I commend the witnesses who testified at trial notwithstanding the trauma that they experienced at the defendants’ direction.  It is my hope that the just conclusion of this process will bring them closure, and that future charlatans think twice about exploiting human beings in this manner.”

    “Today’s verdict sends a clear message— controlling your labor force by relying on lies, manipulation, and abuse is a crime. The victims in this case were offered sexual empowerment and wellness as a pathway to healing past trauma, but instead received various forms of abuse and manipulation on behalf of Daedone and Cherwitz for the financial benefit of OneTaste. The FBI will continue to ensure those responsible for forced labor schemes are made to answer for their crimes,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.

    OneTaste was a privately held company founded by Daedone in 2004.  Its principal place of business was San Francisco, California, and it operated at various locations within New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Austin, and London.  OneTaste promoted itself as a sexually focused wellness education company that offered hands-on classes on “orgasmic mediation” (OM), which involved stroking a woman’s genitals for 15 minutes.  OneTaste generated revenue by providing courses, coaching, OM events, and less-publicized courses in other sexual practices in exchange for a fee.  

    As proven at trial, between 2006 and May 2018, Daedone and Cherwitz obtained the labor and services of multiple young women who had turned to OneTaste for healing and spirituality by coercing them to perform labor, including sexual labor, for the defendants’ benefit.  OneTaste advertised that its courses and teachings could heal past sexual trauma and dysfunction.  Daedone and Cherwitz used abusive and manipulative tactics designed to control OneTaste members by making them emotionally and psychologically dependent on OneTaste, including encouraging them to incur debt by opening lines of credit to finance the expensive courses, subjecting them to constant surveillance in communal homes, collecting sensitive information about their prior trauma and sexual histories, depriving them of sleep, and subjecting them to sexual abuse.

    Once they had secured the loyalty and indebtedness of certain OneTaste members, Daedone and Cherwitz engaged in abusive employment practices.  They directed OneTaste members to work long hours seven days per week with little or no compensation; that work included manual labor and the provision of sexual services.  For example, Daedone and Cherwitz coerced their victims to sexually service OneTaste’s current and prospective investors, clients and employees for the financial benefit of the company.  Three witnesses testified about how they were coerced into becoming a “handler” for OneTaste’s initial investor, who was also Daedone’s boyfriend, which required them to live with him, perform demeaning sex acts at his direction, and cook for him.  Multiple other witnesses testified that they were coerced under threat of termination, demotion, ostracism, and financial and spiritual ruin by Daedone and Cherwitz into performing various sex acts with OneTaste’s potential clients and investors. In 2017, Ms. Daedone sold OneTaste—a company built on the backs of coerced and unpaid or substantially underpaid labor—for $12 million.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Kayla C. Bensing, Kaitlin T. Farrell, Nina C. Gupta, and Sean Michael Fern are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Liam McNett and Marlane Bosler.

    The Defendants:

    NICOLE DAEDONE
    Age:  57
    New York, New York

    RACHEL CHERWITZ
    Age:  44
    Philo, California

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Woman Guilty of Wire Fraud for Fraudulent Vehicle Purchase Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that KENDRA WALKER (“WALKER”), age 41, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on June 5, 2025 before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe on June 5, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. 

    According to court documents, in 2022, WALKER conspired with her father, Kenneth Richmond, to use fake and stolen personal identifying information to make fraudulent vehicle purchases from a local car dealership.  The vehicle purchases were financed through a financial institution, and several of the loans went into default.  WALKER also made three vehicle purchases in her own name using a fake Social Security Number in Georgia.  In total, WALKER caused the financial institution to approve approximately $216,939 in loans for fraudulent applications.  Richmond was also charged in this case and pled guilty for his role in this scheme in May 2025.

    In pleading guilty, WALKER faces up to twenty (20) years in prison and up to three (3) years of supervised release.  WALKER also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

    Judge Ashe set sentencing in this matter for September 25, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Secret Service, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former state worker pleads guilty in scheme to steal nearly $900,000 in state tax dollars

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant abused role as credit card custodian to embezzle money he then failed to report on his income taxes

    Tacoma – A 48-year-old Olympia resident pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud in connection with his scheme to steal nearly $900,000 from his former employer – the State of Washington – announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Matthew Randall Ping pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making and subscribing a false tax return. Ping is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright on September 9, 2025.

    According to the charging information and the plea agreement, Ping began working for the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) in 2009. By 2017 he had been promoted to the role of Management Analyst and served as the department’s credit card custodian. Between 2019 and 2023, Ping used a sophisticated scheme to abuse his credit card access so he could embezzle at least $878,115 from the state agency.

    The plea agreement and charging information detail how Ping hid the fraud from his employer. Ping opened accounts with payment processors and gave the accounts display names that indicated the accounts were associated with legitimate OAH business vendors. Between 2019 and 2021, Ping secretly charged more than $330,000 to OAH credit cards as purported payments to these vendors. In fact, the money went to accounts Ping controlled. In 2021, Ping set up an account via a different payment processor and continued the fraud, stealing approximately $530,000 in additional funds from OAH. Ping also used OAH credit cards to buy $17,359 in personal items from Verizon and Walmart.

    Ping also circumvented state procedures designed to detect credit card fraud. For example, OAH required that Ping’s co-workers review and approve Ping’s credit card transactions, but Ping would provide false or incomplete lists of transactions during that review process. After the review, Ping would add in his fraudulent charges and upload and approve payment himself without the required oversight on his fraudulent transactions. He also took steps to manipulate the accounting data to make it more difficult to determine that he had violated protocol by uploading, reviewing, and approving his own transactions

    In all Ping secretly executed 210 transactions with the phony vendors he created for a total loss to the state of $860,756. The improper charges on his state issued credit card total $17,359, bringing the total loss to the State of Washington to $878,115.

    The embezzlement was first discovered by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. Ping resigned his position in 2023 when the theft was discovered.

    Even as he was embezzling, Ping failed to report the stolen funds on his income tax returns.  For tax years 2020-2023, the resulting tax loss totals $240,247. Ping has agreed to pay full restitution to the state and to the IRS for his tax obligation.

    The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) worked with the Auditors Office on the criminal investigation.

    The case is being Prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police release images in Papakura wounding incident

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police need your help in investigating a cowardly attack on a Papakura man last month.

    Still images are being released of a person that Police is still working to identify, and we need to hear from you today.

    The wounding occurred on Friday 16 May at about 11.40am on Settlement Road in Papakura.

    “A man in his 70s was walking alone in a westerly direction at the time, outside Papakura Intermediate School,” Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Taylor, of Counties Manukau South CIB says.

    “Around the same time a person was walking on the opposite side of the road heading in the other direction.”

    For reasons unknown, this person crossed the road towards the victim.

    “They have approached the victim and lunged towards him, making contact,” Detective Senior Sergeant Taylor says.

    “Immediately after the offender fled the scene, and the victim realised he had suffered a stab wound.

    “The victim required hospital treatment and is recovering from this cowardly and unprovoked attack.”

    Police need to hear from anyone who recognises the person in images being released.

    “People in the community will know who this person is and they need to do the right thing and speak up.”

    Anyone with information can update Police online now or call 105 using the reference number 250516/1021.

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

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Metairie Resident Sentenced for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that CARSON RIESS (“RIESS”), age 41, of Metairie, Louisiana, was sentenced on May 27, 2025, to 60 months imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge  Jay C. Zainey after previously pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1).  Additionally, RIESS was ordered to pay $172,500 in restitution to numerous victims as well as a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

    According to court documents, the case against RIESS stemmed from an online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  On May 20, 2024, HSI special agents, along with members of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, executed two federal search warrants at RIESS’ Metairie home.  HSI agents seized a computer from RIESS’ residence during the search, confirmed this laptop contained Child Sexual Abuse Material, and subsequently arrested RIESS and charged him with the receipt of CSAM.  HSI’s investigation revealed RIESS received images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.

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

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Just Over Ten Years in Federal Prison for Voluntary Manslaughter

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on June 6, 2025.

    Vincent Boesem, age 32, was sentenced to ten years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    A federal grand jury indicted Boesem in March 2023. He pleaded guilty on March 14, 2025.

    Between July 3, 2022, and July 4, 2022, Boesem and his elderly uncle had been drinking together at the uncle’s home within the Pine Ridge Reservation. While intoxicated with alcohol and methamphetamine, Boesem became enraged and beat the victim about his head, face, and body. Although Boesem ultimately called 911 to get medical help, the victim succumbed to his injuries. Boesem acted in the heat of passion, that is, in an uncontrollable rage and with an extreme emotional disturbance.

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

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Rep. Pressley Condemns Trump’s Authoritarian Assault on Harvard, Nonprofits

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    Trump Admin. Weaponizing Tax Laws to Silence Dissent, Attack Nonprofits Providing Essential Services to Vulnerable People

    “This is about Trump and Republicans punishing people who disagree with them. It is about attacking nonprofits of all sizes that serve the vulnerable and marginalized and stand in the gap for our communities. It’s about trying to intimidate every charity and nonprofit in this country and spark a fear that if you speak up – if you do something the Republicans don’t like – you could be next.”

    Video (YouTube)

    WASHINGTON – Today, in a House Oversight Subcommittee hearing, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) condemned Donald Trump’s targeted, authoritarian assault on nonprofit organizations it disagrees with. Congresswoman Pressley discussed the Trump Administration’s efforts to revoke the tax-exempt status of Harvard University as part of Republicans’ broader campaign to punish dissent and attack organizations that serve vulnerable communities.

    A full transcript of the Congresswoman’s remarks is below and the video is available here.

    Transcript: Pressley Condemns Trump’s Authoritarian Assault on Harvard, Nonprofits

    House Oversight DOGE Subcommittee

    June 4, 2025

    REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you to our witnesses for being here today. 

    What we are witnessing from Occupant Trump, his Administration, and Republicans writ-large is not governance – it is a targeted, dangerous assault on the independence of our nonprofit organizations. 

    We’ve seen these attacks take many forms, perhaps most visibly in my own district – the Massachusetts 7th – as the administration continues its unlawful campaign against Harvard University. Trump has threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status, freeze billions in federal funding for scientific research to save lives, might I add, and publicly vilify students and faculty – all part and parcel of his attacks on education. 

    But let me make it plain: this isn’t just about Harvard and it’s definitely not about government efficiency – the name of this subcommittee. 

    This is about Trump and Republicans punishing people who disagree with them. 

    It is about attacking nonprofits of all sizes that serve the vulnerable and marginalized and stand in the gap for our communities. 

    It’s about trying to intimidate every charity and nonprofit in this country and spark a fear that if you speak up – if you do something the Republicans don’t like – you could be next.

    A hospital that provides abortion care. A local food pantry that feeds immigrants. Or an advocacy group that fights for civil rights.

    Donald Trump is weaponizing our tax laws to attack nonprofits at the same time he is pushing for tax cuts for Elon Musk and billionaires.

    Ms. Yentel, can the President or Executive Branch legally revoke a nonprofit’s tax-exempt status simply because it disagrees with that organization’s lawful speech or mission?

    DIANE YENTEL: They can’t. The statute is very clear that that is illegal.

    REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you. Republicans think the answer is yes, but that would mean every nonprofit in America is just one tweet away from being targeted by the federal government.

    I am proud that in the Massachusetts 7th, community-based organizations are speaking up and fighting back against Republican attacks. And I know they are doing it at risk of serious threat.

    Ms. Yentel, can you make plain what are the consequences to charities and nonprofits losing tax-exempt status?

    MS. YENTEL: Well, tax exempt status is given to nonprofit organizations that do essential work to meet needs in their local communities, in exchange for significant transparency and accountability. And if nonprofit organizations lose their tax exempt status, it could create significant challenges for them to be able to do their work related to how and where they get their funding, and it could cause them to have to shut down their work altogether.

    REP. PRESSLEY: Their work which is to the betterment of us all, which is to the collective, our shared constituents. 

    MS. YENTEL: Yes.

    REP. PRESSLEY: Very good. Let’s put this in perspective:

    Trump is firing government workers that administer programs like Head Start and Social Security while also attacking non-profits that provide resources and supports to vulnerable populations.

    Trump and his Republican cult do not care about helping people who are struggling. Instead, they want to make them suffer more.  

    Now, before I yield back, let me ask the Republican witnesses: if you all think Trump is right for revoking tax-exempt status for nonprofits for their political views, raise your hand then if you think the Heritage Foundation – who wrote Project 2025 – should also lose their tax-exempt status? 

    Show of hands, by the logic that is being applied. 

    MR. WALTER: I’m not aware of any nonprofit that’s had its status revoked. 

    REP. PRESSLEY: Again, the question that I’m posing is, would you please raise your hand if you think the Heritage Foundation who wrote Project 2025 should also lose their tax exempt status? 

    Show of hands.

    MR. WALTER: It’s a perfectly a reasonable speech by a nonprofit. 

    REP. PRESSLEY: So none of you, so none of you, none of you.

    The shame and the sham of it all.

    Before I yield back, Ms. Yentel, I know that you have been harangued intensely throughout today’s proceedings. Is there anything that you would like to set the record straight on or respond to in my remaining time? 

    MS. YENTEL: Thank you, Congresswoman. I would like to use the remaining time to remind us all and every member of this committee of the vital, essential work that nonprofit organizations do in each of your communities, for your constituents, and the work that we do to support them in that work. Nonprofit organizations are local. They are transparent and accountable. They are non-partisan, by law and in practice, and they do essential work to meet the needs of all of your communities and all Americans. Thank you.

    REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you. I yield back.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Acting at the Direction of North Korea to Export Firearms, Ammo, and Technology to North Korea

    Source: US State of California

    An illegal alien from China pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, California, and for committing this crime at the direction of North Korean government officials, who wired him approximately $2 million for his efforts.

    Shenghua Wen, 42, of Ontario, California, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Wen has been in federal custody since his arrest in December 2024.

    According to his plea agreement, Wen is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China who entered the United States in 2012 on a student visa and remained in the U.S. illegally after his student visa expired in December 2013.

    Prior to entering the United States, Wen met with officials from North Korea’s government at a North Korean embassy in China. These government officials directed Wen to procure goods on behalf of North Korea.

    In 2022, two North Korean government officials contacted Wen through an online messaging platform and instructed him to buy and smuggle firearms and other goods – including sensitive technology – from the United States to North Korea via China.

    In 2023, at the direction of North Korean government officials, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms out of the Port of Long Beach to China en route to their ultimate destination in North Korea. Wen took steps to conceal that he was illegally shipping firearms to North Korea by, among other things, filing false export information regarding the contents of the containers.

    In May 2023, Wen purchased a firearms business in Houston, paid for with money sent through intermediaries by one of Wen’s North Korean contacts. Wen purchased many of the firearms he sent to North Korea in Texas and drove the firearms from Texas to California, where he arranged for them to be shipped.

    In December 2023, one of Wen’s weapons shipments – which falsely reported to U.S. officials that it contained a refrigerator – left the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong in January 2024. This weapons shipment was later transported from Hong Kong to Nampo, North Korea.

    In September 2024, Wen – once again acting at the direction of North Korean officials – bought approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that he intended to ship to North Korea.

    In furtherance of the conspiracy and at the direction of North Korean officials, Wen also obtained sensitive technology that he intended to send to North Korea. This technology included a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions.

    Wen also acquired or offered to acquire a civilian airplane engine and a thermal imaging system that could be mounted on a drone, helicopter, or other aircraft, and could be used for reconnaissance and target identification.

    During the scheme, North Korean officials wired approximately $2 million to Wen to procure firearms and other goods for their government.

    Wen admitted that at all relevant times he knew that it was illegal to ship firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea. He also admitted to never having the required licenses to export ammunition, firearms, and the above-described devices to North Korea. He further admitted to acting at the direction of North Korean government officials and that he had not provided notification to the Attorney General of the United States that he was acting in the United States at the direction and control of North Korea as required by law.

    Wen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the count of violating the IEEPA and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 18. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.

    The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Founder of Orange County Based Non-Profit Charged in 15-Count Indictment Alleging He Bribed County Supervisor in $12 Million Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    SANTA ANA, California – The founder of a now-shuttered non-profit organization has been indicted on federal charges alleging he bribed then-Orange County Supervisor Andrew Hoang Do to obtain approximately $12 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related funds, pocketed the bulk of that money, then laundered it to avoid detection by law enforcement, the Justice Department announced today.

    Peter Anh Pham, 65, of Garden Grove, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, six counts of concealment money laundering, and one count of bribery.

    Also charged in the indictment is Thanh Huong Nguyen, 61, of Santa Ana, who is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of concealment money laundering.

    Pham is considered to be a fugitive from justice. Nguyen’s initial appearance and arraignment are expected to occur on Monday in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.

    “These two defendants are charged with conspiring with a corrupt politician to pad their pockets while the nation suffered under the weight of COVID-19,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to prosecute individuals who cashed in on government aid intended to help those impacted by the largest public health emergency in a century.”

    “This conspiracy was a house of cards built on lies, betrayal, and insatiable greed,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Today’s indictments are another critical step in ensuring accountability – and consequences – for those who conspired to use the County of Orange’s COVID-19 funds as their personal ATMs – and to return those stolen funds to their rightful owners – the community for which these funds were originally intended.” 

    According to the indictment that was returned on Wednesday and unsealed today, Pham was a friend and associate of Do, 62, of Santa Ana, who served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors from 2015 until his resignation in October 2024. In that role, Do was one of five supervisors on the Board, which is responsible for the county’s $9 billion annual budget.

    Do pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, when he will face a sentence of up to five years in federal prison. 

    From June 2020 to October 2024, Do used his official position as a county supervisor to vote for millions of dollars in county funds to be allocated in his district, subject to disbursement at his sole discretion. Do then steered county contracts and grants to Pham and Nguyen, the indictment alleges. 

    For example, in June 2020, Do voted to approve an agenda item that, in part, allocated $5 million in federal COVID-19 pandemic-relief funding to a county nutrition program. As part of this agenda item, Do authorized himself a budget of $1 million to develop that nutrition program in his district, which he could distribute without further approval from the rest of the Board. Eight days after Do voted to approve the agenda item, Pham founded the Huntington Beach-based non-profit organization Viet America Society (VAS).

    Pham, through VAS, and Nguyen, through a Garden Grove-based group called Hand-to-Hand Relief Organization Inc. (H2H), entered into contracts and beneficiary agreements with the county. In many of these contracts, VAS and H2H falsely represented that they would reimburse the county for any funds not spent for the contract’s intended purpose. In each of the beneficiary agreements, VAS and H2H falsely certified that all funds would be used solely for the grant’s intended purpose.

    In exchange for Pham’s bribes in the form of payments to his two daughters, Do used his official position as a county supervisor to advocate for VAS and H2H so county employees would approve contracts and beneficiary agreements between the county and these organizations. Do and his staff – including his chief of staff – edited the terms of those contracts and agreements to make them more favorable to Pham and Nguyen. Through the influence of Do and his staff, the county wired funds to Pham and Nguyen. 

    After receiving county funds, Pham and Nguyen transferred most of the money to other entities they controlled. They then spent large portions of the funds to pay personal expenses such as rent and bills, to pay off debts owed by their other businesses, and to make personal investments such as purchasing commercial and residential real estate. Pham and Nguyen also used county funds to bribe Do through payments to his daughters.

    Pham also used county money to pay the eventual wife of Do’s chief of staff, under the guise that she was providing consulting services to VAS. Do’s chief of staff then used his position in Orange County’s government to help VAS and H2H obtain county contracts, edited the contracts’ terms to make them more favorable to VAS and H2H, and helped those organizations fulfill reporting requirements and get paid.

    When required to submit invoices to the county to account for how the money was being spent, Pham and Nguyen submitted false documents, claiming to have used all the funds – all solely for legitimate purposes and according to the contracts’ terms.

    To disguise the funds’ source, Pham and an associate caused checks from county funds to be written to a Westminster-based company called D Air Conditioning Co. LLC. This company then issued checks from its corporate bank account to Pham, Pham’s associate, and one of Do’s daughters.

    In total, Pham and Nguyen unlawfully acquired approximately $12 million in county funds through this conspiracy.

    An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime.  Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    If convicted of the charges, Pham and Nguyen would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count, each wire fraud count, and each money laundering count. Pham also would face up to 10 years in federal prison for the bribery count. 

    The FBI, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation, and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.      

    Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss and Rosalind Wang of the Orange County Office, Assistant United States Attorney Tara Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section, and Senior Deputy District Attorney Avery T. Harrison and Deputy District Attorney Anthony J. Schlehner of Orange County District Attorney’s Office are prosecuting this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Acting at the Direction of North Korea to Export Firearms, Ammo, and Technology to North Korea

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    An illegal alien from China pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, California, and for committing this crime at the direction of North Korean government officials, who wired him approximately $2 million for his efforts.

    Shenghua Wen, 42, of Ontario, California, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Wen has been in federal custody since his arrest in December 2024.

    According to his plea agreement, Wen is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China who entered the United States in 2012 on a student visa and remained in the U.S. illegally after his student visa expired in December 2013.

    Prior to entering the United States, Wen met with officials from North Korea’s government at a North Korean embassy in China. These government officials directed Wen to procure goods on behalf of North Korea.

    In 2022, two North Korean government officials contacted Wen through an online messaging platform and instructed him to buy and smuggle firearms and other goods – including sensitive technology – from the United States to North Korea via China.

    In 2023, at the direction of North Korean government officials, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms out of the Port of Long Beach to China en route to their ultimate destination in North Korea. Wen took steps to conceal that he was illegally shipping firearms to North Korea by, among other things, filing false export information regarding the contents of the containers.

    In May 2023, Wen purchased a firearms business in Houston, paid for with money sent through intermediaries by one of Wen’s North Korean contacts. Wen purchased many of the firearms he sent to North Korea in Texas and drove the firearms from Texas to California, where he arranged for them to be shipped.

    In December 2023, one of Wen’s weapons shipments – which falsely reported to U.S. officials that it contained a refrigerator – left the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong in January 2024. This weapons shipment was later transported from Hong Kong to Nampo, North Korea.

    In September 2024, Wen – once again acting at the direction of North Korean officials – bought approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that he intended to ship to North Korea.

    In furtherance of the conspiracy and at the direction of North Korean officials, Wen also obtained sensitive technology that he intended to send to North Korea. This technology included a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions.

    Wen also acquired or offered to acquire a civilian airplane engine and a thermal imaging system that could be mounted on a drone, helicopter, or other aircraft, and could be used for reconnaissance and target identification.

    During the scheme, North Korean officials wired approximately $2 million to Wen to procure firearms and other goods for their government.

    Wen admitted that at all relevant times he knew that it was illegal to ship firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea. He also admitted to never having the required licenses to export ammunition, firearms, and the above-described devices to North Korea. He further admitted to acting at the direction of North Korean government officials and that he had not provided notification to the Attorney General of the United States that he was acting in the United States at the direction and control of North Korea as required by law.

    Wen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the count of violating the IEEPA and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 18. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.

    The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Offender Sentenced to 112 Months for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Redby man with an extensive criminal record, including two prior federal convictions, was sentenced to 112 months’ imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.

    “The pipeline of deadly drugs to Red Lake and Indian Country must end,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Redby trafficked in poison, profiting from the addiction and misery of some of our most vulnerable. He will rightly spend nearly a decade in federal prison.”

    “Fentanyl kills silently, claiming the lives of unsuspecting victims struggling with substance abuse,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “By introducing fentanyl and methamphetamine into the Red Lake community, Donnell preyed on the vulnerable to enrich himself. This sentence demonstrates that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those who use drugs to exploit and attack communities.”

    According to court documents, in September 2024, Bobby Lee Donnell bought approximately 454 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 100 grams of fentanyl from the Minneapolis area. Donnell then drove back toward the Red Lake Nation, where he intended to distribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl.  Fortunately, a Minnesota State Trooper stopped Donnell’s vehicle in Morrison County for a traffic infraction, developed probable cause to search the vehicle, and discovered the methamphetamine, fentanyl, and a digital scale.

    According to court documents, Donnell is a repeat offender with a long history of convictions in tribal, state, and federal court. At the time of this offense, Donnell was on supervised release for 2022 federal convictions of possessing obscene material with the intent to sell.

    Donnell was sentenced in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud to 112 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute. This sentence includes a 12-month concurrent sentence for violating his federal supervised release.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brooklyn Man Convicted of Committing Murder in the Course of Sex Trafficking at “Penn Track” in East New York, Brooklyn

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant Believed to be First in the Nation to be Convicted After Trial on Sex Trafficking Murder Charge for the Fatal Shooting of a Rival Pimp in White Castle Parking Lot

    Omari Scott, also known as “Prince” and “Sir Prince,” was convicted by a federal jury today of murder in the course of sex trafficking and the sex trafficking of Jane Doe 2.  Prior to trial, on May 16, 2025, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of the indictment, charging him with promoting prostitution and sex trafficking of Jane Doe 1. The charges relate to Scott’s trafficking of women at an open-air sex market along a stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn known as the “Penn Track.”  As proven at trial, Scott orchestrated and participated in the May 1, 2023 murder of rival pimp, Cleveland Clay, after a dispute over the control of a trafficking victim.  The verdict followed a two-week trial before United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto. Scott is the first defendant convicted of murder in the course of sex trafficking after a trial.  When sentenced, Scott faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and up to life in prison.

    Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdict.

    “As proven at trial, the defendant is a murderer, sex trafficker, and abuser of women with no regard whatsoever for human life, who now faces punishment for his vicious crimes,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “The Penn Track has been a blight for too long and my Office and our law enforcement partners are working diligently to prosecute violent sex traffickers who promote prostitution by exploiting vulnerable victims and endangering the entire community.”

    “Not only did Omari Scott force women to perform sexual acts, but he murdered those who threatened to steal his twisted source of revenue,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “Scott’s callous actions reflect an apathetic sentiment of human life, treating his victims as property and using them to profit.  May today’s conviction reflect the FBI’s unwavering commitment to dismantling sex trafficking networks which target vulnerable victims and incite violence in our city streets.”

    “Omari Scott didn’t just profit from trafficking women along the Penn Track — he enforced that control through violence, including orchestrating the murder of a rival trafficker,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.  “Today’s conviction holds him accountable for his brutal crimes and makes clear that this kind of violent behavior has no place on our streets. I am grateful to the NYPD investigators, the FBI, and the prosecutors in this case for bringing him to justice and for their commitment to protecting the survivors of these horrific crimes.”

    As proven at trial, in April 2023, Scott learned that Jane Doe 2 was planning to leave his employ to work for Clay, who was also trafficking women on the Penn Track.  Scott was captured on a recorded call bemoaning his loss, telling an associate, “I don’t got no hoes right now.”  Scott further explained that Jane Doe 2 “chose on me,” a reference to leaving one pimp for another.  On April 30, 2023, Scott found Jane Doe 2 on the Penn Track, grabbed her by the hair, dragged her in the street and threw her into his car.  The next morning, Scott was captured on surveillance video engaged in a heated argument with Clay along the Penn Track.  Scott recruited another sex trafficker, Michael Simmons, to murder Clay, which Simmons carried out by shooting Clay multiple times at point blank range in a White Castle parking lot on the Penn Track.  Simmons then returned to Scott, who had been waiting for him in a nearby laundromat parking lot, to report that the job was done. Clay succumbed to his wounds several hours later.  Simmons pleaded guilty in January 2025 to murder in the course of sex trafficking and sex trafficking of Jane Doe 2 and is awaiting sentencing.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Reid, Anna Karamigios, and Miranda Gonzalez are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Eleanor Jaffe‑Pachuilo, and additional assistance from Victim Witness Coordinator Huda Abouchaer, Victim Witness Specialist Kristina Marius, and Paralegal Specialist Paul Padilla.

    The Defendant:

    OMARI SCOTT (also known as “Prince” and “Sir Prince”)
    Age:  44
    Brooklyn, New York

    Defendant Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:

    MICHAEL SIMMONS (also known as “Victory”)
    Age:  41
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-158 (KAM)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazilian National Charged with Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Brazilian national residing in Somerville has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

    Paulo Vinicius Cardozo Pereira, 43, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Cardozo Pereira was arrested by immigration authorities on May 10, 2025 and will appear in federal court in Boston on June 24, 2025.

    According to the indictment, Cardozo Pereira was deported from the United States on July 25, 2014. It is alleged that sometime after his July 2014 removal, Cardozo Pereira illegally reentered the United States without permission.

    The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Founder of Cryptocurrency Payment Company Charged with Evading Sanctions and Export Controls, Defrauding Financial Institutions, and Violating the Bank Secrecy Act

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Defendant Allegedly Laundered More Than $500M Through the U.S. Financial System, Including by Facilitating Transactions with Sanctioned Russian Banks

    A 22-count indictment was unsealed today charging Iurii Gugnin, also known as Iurii Mashukov and George Goognin, 38, a resident of New York and citizen of Russia, with various offenses related to using his cryptocurrency company Evita to funnel more than $500 million of overseas payments through U.S. banks and cryptocurrency exchanges while hiding the source and purpose of the transactions.

    According to court documents, Gugnin is charged with wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, failing to implement an effective anti-money laundering compliance program, failing to file suspicious activity reports, money laundering, and related conspiracy charges. Gugnin was arrested and arraigned today in New York.

    “The defendant is charged with turning a cryptocurrency company into a covert pipeline for dirty money, moving over half a billion dollars through the U.S. financial system to aid sanctioned Russian banks and help Russian end-users acquire sensitive U.S. technology,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to bring to justice those who imperil our national security by enabling our foreign adversaries to sidestep sanctions and export controls.”

    “As alleged, Gugnin came to the United States and set up a money laundering operation under the guise of a cryptocurrency start-up, which he then used to evade sanctions and export controls and defraud U.S. financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s arrest demonstrates that this Office will vigorously prosecute those who abuse the U.S. financial system in furtherance of criminal activity, particularly when it undermines national security.”

    “Gugnin’s cryptocurrency company allegedly served as a front to launder hundreds of millions of dollars for sanctioned Russian entities and to obtain export-controlled technology for the Russian government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Let this serve notice that using cryptocurrency to hide illegal conduct will not prevent the FBI and our partners from holding you accountable.”

    As alleged in the indictment, Gugnin is the founder, President, Treasurer, and Compliance Officer of U.S-based Evita Investments Inc. (Evita Investments) and Evita Pay Inc. (Evita Pay) (collectively, Evita). Gugnin used both companies to enable foreign customers — many of whom held funds at sanctioned Russian banks — to provide him with cryptocurrency, which he then laundered through cryptocurrency wallets and U.S. bank accounts. Gugnin ultimately converted the funds into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies and then made payments through bank accounts in Manhattan on behalf of his foreign customers. In the process, the sources of the funds were obscured, disguising the audit trail and hiding the true counterparties to the transactions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, Gugnin used Evita to facilitate the movement of approximately $530 million through the U.S. financial system, most of which he received in the form of a cryptocurrency stablecoin known as Tether, or “USDT.”

    To effectuate the scheme, Gugnin defrauded various banks and cryptocurrency exchanges through which he converted funds and made wire transfers. Gugnin repeatedly lied to these banks and exchanges, telling them that Evita did not conduct business with entities in Russia and did not deal with sanctioned entities. In fact, many of Gugnin’s customers were located in Russia, and he facilitated payments in funds held at sanctioned Russian banks, including PJSC Sberbank, PJSC Sovcombank, PJSC VTB Bank, and JSC Tinkoff Bank. Gugnin maintained personal accounts at two sanctioned Russian banks, JSC Alfa-Bank and PJSC Sberbank, with which he transacted while residing in the United States. Gugnin also facilitated payments by foreign customers to procure sensitive electronics, including an export-controlled server designed by a U.S. technology company, and laundered funds from a Moscow-based supplier to purchase parts for Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear technology company. To conceal his activities, Gugnin regularly obfuscated invoices by digitally “whiting out” the names and addresses of his Russian customers.

    Gugnin also failed to implement Evita’s own purported anti-money laundering program and failed to file suspicious activity reports, as required under the Bank Secrecy Act. Although Gugnin represented to banks and cryptocurrency exchanges that Evita followed rigorous anti-money laundering and know-your-customer requirements, in practice he flouted those requirements, as well as the requirement to file reports of suspicious activities with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Gugnin ultimately registered Evita Pay as a money transmitter with FinCEN and the state of Florida but did so by making materially false statements to the state of Florida about Evita Pay’s business. Gugnin used that fraudulently obtained state license to induce a cryptocurrency exchange to process transactions on his behalf.

    In the course of his scheme, Gugnin conducted web searches that confirmed his awareness that he was breaking the law, including searches for “how to know if there is an investigation against you”; “evita investments inc. criminal records search”; “Iurii Gugnin criminal records”; “money laundering penalties US”; and “penalties for sanctions violations EU luxury goods.” He also visited website pages titled, respectively “am I being investigated?”; “signs you may be under criminal investigation”; and “what are the best ways to find out if you’re being investigated and what can someone do when they think they might be under investigation.”

    If convicted, Gugnin faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for each count of bank fraud; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the wire fraud, IEEPA, money laundering, and related conspiracy counts; a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for failure to implement an effective anti-money laundering program and failure to file suspicious activity reports; and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Dallas Kaplan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell for the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.

    Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states.

    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 Security: Former Chief Financial Officer Pleads Guilty to Theft in Connection with Health Care

    Source: US FBI

    PORTLAND, Ore.—The former Chief Financial Officer of Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) pleaded guilty Thursday for stealing money from PSMFC’s health benefit trust account.

    Pamela J. Kahut, 67, of Wilsonville, Oregon, pleaded guilty to theft in connection with health care.

    According to court documents, Kahut, as Chief Financial Officer of PSFMC, had access to and controlled PSMFC’s health benefit trust account that was created to pay benefits, fees, and other charges for PSFMC employees covered under its self-funded health care benefit program.

    On September 21, 2020, Kahut wrote a check in the amount of $2,812.85 from the health benefit trust account to pay for her spouse’s participation in PSFMC’s long-term care insurance program.   

    In total, between October 2014 and September 2020, defendant stole approximately $211,083 from PSMFC’s health benefit trust account. Kahut used the funds to pay for her spouse’s long-term care annual premiums, pay off her pension loans, and to pay her credit card bills.

    Theft in connection with health care fraud is punishable up to 10 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.  The charge may also result in a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gains or losses resulting from the offense.

    Kahut will be sentenced on September 3, 2025, before a U.S. District Judge.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Department of Energy Office of Inspector General.  It is being prosecuted by Robert Trisotto, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Drug Supplier From Lowell Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

    Source: US FBI

    Defendant supplied thousands of counterfeit “Adderall” pills containing methamphetamine to Asian Boyz gang

    BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced on June 4, 2025 in federal court in Boston for conspiring with gang members to traffic methamphetamine pills made to look like the legitimate pharmaceutical product, Adderall.

    Brian Gingras, a/k/a “Cheech,” 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to nine years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In January 2025, Gingras pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.

    Gingras was a drug supplier in an extensive distribution network involving Asian Boyz gang member, Bill Phim, a/k/a “Bonez.” Between May 2022 and September 2022, Gingras delivered over 5,000 counterfeit Adderall pills – which were referred to as “Ads,” “Addies,” or simply, “A’s” – to Phim on numerous occasions. Phim then sold the pills to an undercover federal agent for more than $18,000. Chemical testing confirmed that the pills contained a dangerous compound of methamphetamine and caffeine.

    During a search of Gingras’ residence, hundreds of additional counterfeit “Adderall” pills as well as counterfeit “Xanax” pills and a pill press were discovered. The search also revealed that Gingras maintained a storage unit where he kept a loaded firearm and over 30 kilograms of counterfeit “Adderall” pills made with caffeine only, bags of suspected marijuana as well as boxes of THC extract and edible products.  

    Phim was sentenced by Judge Gorton in May 2025 to 10 years in prison.
     
    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Founder of Cryptocurrency Payment Company Charged with Evading Sanctions and Export Controls, Defrauding Financial Institutions, and Violating the Bank Secrecy Act

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    Defendant Allegedly Laundered More Than $500M Through the U.S. Financial System, Including by Facilitating Transactions with Sanctioned Russian Banks

    A 22-count indictment was unsealed today charging Iurii Gugnin, also known as Iurii Mashukov and George Goognin, 38, a resident of New York and citizen of Russia, with various offenses related to using his cryptocurrency company Evita to funnel more than $500 million of overseas payments through U.S. banks and cryptocurrency exchanges while hiding the source and purpose of the transactions.

    According to court documents, Gugnin is charged with wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, failing to implement an effective anti-money laundering compliance program, failing to file suspicious activity reports, money laundering, and related conspiracy charges. Gugnin was arrested and arraigned today in New York.

    “The defendant is charged with turning a cryptocurrency company into a covert pipeline for dirty money, moving over half a billion dollars through the U.S. financial system to aid sanctioned Russian banks and help Russian end-users acquire sensitive U.S. technology,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to bring to justice those who imperil our national security by enabling our foreign adversaries to sidestep sanctions and export controls.”

    “As alleged, Gugnin came to the United States and set up a money laundering operation under the guise of a cryptocurrency start-up, which he then used to evade sanctions and export controls and defraud U.S. financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s arrest demonstrates that this Office will vigorously prosecute those who abuse the U.S. financial system in furtherance of criminal activity, particularly when it undermines national security.”

    “Gugnin’s cryptocurrency company allegedly served as a front to launder hundreds of millions of dollars for sanctioned Russian entities and to obtain export-controlled technology for the Russian government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Let this serve notice that using cryptocurrency to hide illegal conduct will not prevent the FBI and our partners from holding you accountable.”

    As alleged in the indictment, Gugnin is the founder, President, Treasurer, and Compliance Officer of U.S-based Evita Investments Inc. (Evita Investments) and Evita Pay Inc. (Evita Pay) (collectively, Evita). Gugnin used both companies to enable foreign customers — many of whom held funds at sanctioned Russian banks — to provide him with cryptocurrency, which he then laundered through cryptocurrency wallets and U.S. bank accounts. Gugnin ultimately converted the funds into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies and then made payments through bank accounts in Manhattan on behalf of his foreign customers. In the process, the sources of the funds were obscured, disguising the audit trail and hiding the true counterparties to the transactions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, Gugnin used Evita to facilitate the movement of approximately $530 million through the U.S. financial system, most of which he received in the form of a cryptocurrency stablecoin known as Tether, or “USDT.”

    To effectuate the scheme, Gugnin defrauded various banks and cryptocurrency exchanges through which he converted funds and made wire transfers. Gugnin repeatedly lied to these banks and exchanges, telling them that Evita did not conduct business with entities in Russia and did not deal with sanctioned entities. In fact, many of Gugnin’s customers were located in Russia, and he facilitated payments in funds held at sanctioned Russian banks, including PJSC Sberbank, PJSC Sovcombank, PJSC VTB Bank, and JSC Tinkoff Bank. Gugnin maintained personal accounts at two sanctioned Russian banks, JSC Alfa-Bank and PJSC Sberbank, with which he transacted while residing in the United States. Gugnin also facilitated payments by foreign customers to procure sensitive electronics, including an export-controlled server designed by a U.S. technology company, and laundered funds from a Moscow-based supplier to purchase parts for Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear technology company. To conceal his activities, Gugnin regularly obfuscated invoices by digitally “whiting out” the names and addresses of his Russian customers.

    Gugnin also failed to implement Evita’s own purported anti-money laundering program and failed to file suspicious activity reports, as required under the Bank Secrecy Act. Although Gugnin represented to banks and cryptocurrency exchanges that Evita followed rigorous anti-money laundering and know-your-customer requirements, in practice he flouted those requirements, as well as the requirement to file reports of suspicious activities with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Gugnin ultimately registered Evita Pay as a money transmitter with FinCEN and the state of Florida but did so by making materially false statements to the state of Florida about Evita Pay’s business. Gugnin used that fraudulently obtained state license to induce a cryptocurrency exchange to process transactions on his behalf.

    In the course of his scheme, Gugnin conducted web searches that confirmed his awareness that he was breaking the law, including searches for “how to know if there is an investigation against you”; “evita investments inc. criminal records search”; “Iurii Gugnin criminal records”; “money laundering penalties US”; and “penalties for sanctions violations EU luxury goods.” He also visited website pages titled, respectively “am I being investigated?”; “signs you may be under criminal investigation”; and “what are the best ways to find out if you’re being investigated and what can someone do when they think they might be under investigation.”

    If convicted, Gugnin faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for each count of bank fraud; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the wire fraud, IEEPA, money laundering, and related conspiracy counts; a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for failure to implement an effective anti-money laundering program and failure to file suspicious activity reports; and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Dallas Kaplan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell for the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.

    Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Orange County Supervisor Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Bribery Scheme Involving More Than $10 Million in COVID Funds

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SANTA ANA, California – A former politician who served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for accepting more than $550,000 in bribes for directing and voting in favor of more than $10 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds to a charity affiliated with one of his daughters.

    Andrew Hoang Do, 62, of Santa Ana, was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna, who scheduled a restitution hearing for August 11.

    Do pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.

    “Elected officials have a sworn duty to put their constituents’ interests ahead of their own,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Public money intended to assist aging and ailing pandemic victims instead filled the coffers of Do, his family, and insiders. I commend our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their work on this important case and for helping to remove a corrupt politician from his seat of power.”

    “As a county supervisor, Andrew Do transformed the County of Orange into an ATM available to his insiders, his loved ones, and himself, withdrawing millions of dollars to buy houses, lavish dinners, and expensive wine while the elderly, the sick, and the vulnerable who depended on Andrew Do were left to fend for themselves,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “We, along with our federal partners, are continuing to peel back the layers of conspiracy to hold every thief accountable and return those stolen monies to the communities to which they belonged.”    

    “Mr. Do abused his powerful position as a county supervisor to profit personally at the expense of individuals in need, as well as the residents of Orange County, who deserve honest leadership,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to pursue corrupt public officials whose actions erode trust in government.”

    From February 2015 until his resignation in October 2024, Do was one of five supervisors on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, which is responsible for the county’s $9 billion annual budget. As supervisor for the First District, Do represented the cities of Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Rossmoor, Seal Beach, and Westminster.

    Beginning in 2020, in exchange for more than $550,000 in bribes, Do voted in favor of and directed millions of dollars in COVID-related funds to the Viet America Society (VAS), a charity affiliated with his daughter. Do directed and worked together with other county employees to approve contracts with – and payments to – VAS. Do further admitted he acted corruptly and abused his position of trust as a county supervisor.

    Shortly after receiving the COVID-related public funds from the county government – funds that were intended to provide meals to the elderly and disabled – VAS from April 2021 to February 2024 paid a business identified in court documents as “Company #1” $100,000 or more per month, which totaled approximately $3,804,000. In September 2021, VAS increased its payments to Company #1 from $100,000 to $108,000 per month. Company #1 then began paying Rhiannon Do – Do’s daughter – $8,000 per month, totaling by February 2024 approximately $224,000.

    In addition to the $8,000 monthly payments that Company #1 had made to Do’s daughter, in July 2023, Company #1 also transferred a total of $381,500 from the funds it had received from VAS to an escrow company. In July 2023, Do’s daughter used the escrow account funds to purchase a home, in her name, in Tustin for $1,035,000. As part of that transaction, a mortgage for more than $600,000 was obtained by a loan application that contained false information and with fabricated documents. Do’s daughter has admitted in court documents that her conduct was criminal and violated federal and state law.

    The $381,500 from Company #1 that his daughter used to purchase the Tustin house in 2023 was a disguised bribe to Do. An additional $100,000 in payments sent to his other daughter, including three $25,000 checks from Company #2 – an air conditioning company that had been paid by VAS – also were bribes to Do.

    Some of the bribe funds that had been funneled to his daughters were spent for his direct benefit. For example, during 2022, a total of $14,849 of funds that had been funneled to Do’s daughters was used to make property tax payments for properties in Orange County owned by Do and his wife. Approximately $15,000 was used to pay for one of Do’s credit card bills.

    Do knew that VAS was not providing all the meals for which the county had paid VAS. Instead, much of the funds were used for the benefit of insiders, including to buy real estate in the name of both Do’s daughter and Company #1, bribe payments to both of Do’s daughters, payments to other conspirators, payments to other companies affiliated with VAS’s listed officers, and through hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash withdrawals.

    Do forfeited assets connected to the bribery scheme, including the Tustin property his daughter purchased in 2023. As part of his daughter’s related diversion agreement, she forfeited the Tustin property. The plea agreement requires Do to pay full restitution by paying back the bribe money he and his daughters received. In August 2024, the government seized more than $2.4 million from VAS’s and Company #1’s bank accounts.

    Do resigned from the Orange County Board of Supervisors as part of a related agreement with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA). He also agreed to forfeit any pension credit for the time where he participated in the bribery conspiracy.

    The FBI; the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Office of the Inspector General; IRS Criminal Investigation; and the United States Department of Education Office of the Inspector General investigated this matter.

    This matter is being jointly prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office and OCDA. The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss, Rosalind Wang, and Tara Vavere of the United States Attorney’s Office and Senior Deputy District Attorney Avery T. Harrison and Deputy District Attorney Anthony J. Schlehner of the OCDA. 

    Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in Orange County is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s email tip line at https://tips.fbi.gov and/or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: FORMER BATON ROUGE CITY PARISH CONTRACTOR SENTENCED TO 86 MONTHS FOR DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Blake Joseph Steiner, age 37, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 86 months in federal prison following his conviction for distribution of child pornography. The Court further sentenced Steiner to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to complete sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender upon his release.

    According to admissions made during his plea, Steiner initiated a conversation on a mobile application group chat with an undercover agent (“UCA”). Steiner hoped to gain access to a group that was dedicated to sharing and trading child pornography. To gain access, Steiner first sent the UCA a video of himself and the date to verify his identity. In another effort to gain access to what he thought was an online child pornography group, Steiner sent a video of a girl under 12 years old being raped by an adult male.  Steiner further admitted to the UCA that he managed another child pornography group online and that he engaged in hands-on conduct involving a minor. 

    This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief.   

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

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