NewzIntel.com

Category: Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 to commence on Monday

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Hong Kong Legal Week 2024, an annual flagship event of the legal sector and the Department of Justice (DoJ), is one of the most anticipated legal and dispute resolution events in the region and beyond. Themed “Hong Kong Common Law System: World-Class Springboard to China and Beyond”, the five-day event will start Monday (November 4) and run until November 8. The Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in a series of professional and insightful discussions and exchanges with prominent experts, practitioners, government officials and academics on a wide spectrum of topics from international law, developments in alternative dispute resolution, opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, to the rule of law in the region and beyond.

         Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 will open on Monday with the Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit, co-organised by the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law and the DoJ. The Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy, one of the policy initiatives set out in the 2023 Policy Address, will also be officially launched on the last day of this year’s Hong Kong Legal Week.

         In addition to the insightful events, there will be an exhibition at the venue highlighting the achievements in the construction of the rule of law by the country in the modern era, and the role played by Hong Kong in contributing to the developments.

         A series of international and important events to be featured at the Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 are as below:

    November 4
    * Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit 2024

    November 5
    * The Second Legal Forum on Interconnectivity and Development

    November 6
    * Beyond Litigation: The Vibrant Landscape of Alternative Dispute Resolution of Hong Kong
    * 2024 Hong Kong Mediation Lecture

    November 7
    * Joint Contribution to the Construction of Rule of Law in the GBA

    November 8
    * Rule of Law: The Best Business Environment

         For more details on Hong Kong Legal Week 2024, please visit the dedicated website at www.legalweek.hk. Live broadcasts will be available on the dedicated website and at webcast.info.gov.hk.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Legal Week set to open

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 will begin on Monday, with “Hong Kong Common Law System: World-Class Springboard to China & Beyond” as its theme.

    An annual flagship event for the Department of Justice (DoJ), it will run until Friday, and will allow participants to interact with experts, practitioners, government officials and academics on topics including international law, alternative dispute resolution and opportunities in the Greater Bay Area.

    The schedule will begin with the Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit, co-organised by the DoJ, and will conclude with the official launch of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy.

    There will also be an exhibition highlighting achievements in the development of China’s rule of law in the modern era, and the role of Hong Kong in contributing to it.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Jersey Resident Pleads Guilty to Helping Russia’s Defense Sector Evade U.S. Export Controls

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Defendant Facilitated Russia’s Acquisition of Millions of Dollars of U.S.-Made Dual-Use Electronics Used in Radar, Surveillance, and Military Research and Development

    Vadim Yermolenko, 43, a dual U.S.-Russian national and resident of New Jersey, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States for his role in a transnational procurement and money laundering network that sought to acquire sensitive dual-use electronics for Russian military and intelligence services.

    “This defendant joins the nearly two dozen other criminals that our Task Force KleptoCapture has brought to justice in American courtrooms over the past two and a half years for enabling Russia’s military aggression,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This defendant admitted to playing a central role in a now-disrupted scheme with Russian intelligence services to smuggle sniper rifle ammunition and U.S. military grade equipment into Russia. The Justice Department will never stop working to aggressively disrupt and prosecute both the criminal networks and the individuals responsible for bolstering the Russian war machine.”

    “The illegal export of sensitive, dual-use technologies in support of Russia’s war effort poses a significant threat to the United States and its allies and must not be tolerated,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The defendant in this case played a key role in exporting U.S. technology that in the hands of our adversaries could pose great danger to our national security. The FBI and its partners will continue to focus on protecting strategic innovation at home and hold accountable anyone who facilitates illegal transfers to hostile nations like Russia.”

    “To facilitate the Russian war machine, the defendant played a critical role in exporting sensitive, dual-use technologies to Russia, facilitating shipping and the movement of millions of dollars through U.S. financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “This plea highlights my Office and our law enforcement partners continued commitment to use all tools available to prosecute those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology to send to Russia.”

    According to court documents, the defendant was affiliated with Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC, Moscow-based companies that operate under the direction of Russian intelligence services to procure advanced electronics and sophisticated testing equipment for Russia’s military industrial complex and research and development sector. Serniya and Sertal operated a vast network of shell companies and bank accounts throughout the world, including the United States, that were used in furtherance of the scheme to conceal the involvement of the Russian government and the true Russian end users of U.S.-origin equipment.

    The defendant and his co-conspirators unlawfully purchased and exported highly sensitive, export controlled electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing and other military applications. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) levied sanctions and imposed additional export restrictions on Serniya, Sertal, and several individuals and companies used in the scheme, calling them “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.”

    Sertal was licensed to conduct highly sensitive and classified procurement activities by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s principal security agency and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union’s KGB. The Serniya network’s Russian clients included State Corporation Rostec, the state-owned defense conglomerate; State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (Rosatom); the Ministry of Defense; the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR); and various components of the FSB, including the Department of Military Counterintelligence and the Directorate for Scientific and Technological Intelligence, commonly known as “Directorate T.”

    To carry out the scheme, the defendant helped set up numerous shell companies and dozens of bank accounts in the U.S. to illicitly move money and export-controlled goods. During the period charged in the indictment, more than $12 million passed through accounts owned or controlled by the defendant. These funds were used in part to purchase sensitive equipment used in radar, surveillance and military research and development. In one instance, money from one of the defendant’s accounts was used to purchase export-controlled sniper bullets, which were intercepted in Estonia before they could be smuggled into Russia.

    Co-defendant Alexey Brayman previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and is awaiting sentence. The case against co-defendant Vadim Konoshchenok, a suspected FSB operative, was dismissed after Konoshchenok was removed from the United States as part of a prisoner exchange negotiated between the United States and Russia. Defendant Nikolaos Bogonikolos’ case remains pending. Defendants Boris Livshits, Alexey Ippolitov, Svetlana Skvortsova, and Yevgeniy Grinin remain at large.        

    The FBI, BIS, and IRS are investigating the case.

    The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and Estonian authorities provided valuable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell, Andrew D. Reich, and Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

    Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture and the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. 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.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Madison Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Tyez D. D. Boyd, 27, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 3 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Boyd pleaded guilty to this charge on August 14, 2024.

    On November 17, 2022, Madison Police Department officers stopped a vehicle in Madison on suspicion that its occupants were engaged in drug trafficking. Officers had intercepted a phone call earlier in the day between the front seat passenger, Davonte King, and a known fentanyl pill dealer setting up a drug deal. Tyez Boyd was a passenger in the rear seat.

    Officers took King out of the vehicle and found he was in possession of fentanyl pills, cocaine, and over $1,000 in cash. Officers also found a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun under the front passenger seat where King had been seated. King is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction.

    Officers searched Boyd after he got out of the vehicle and found a loaded Kahr .45 caliber handgun in his pocket. Boyd is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of multiple prior felony convictions. At the time of the stop, Boyd was on state probation for two cases, one involving a strangulation conviction and one involving a domestic violence conviction. Boyd also had three open criminal cases at the time, each of which involved acts of violence. Boyd had two active warrants for his arrest as well. His state probation has since been revoked and he was sentenced to 18 months in state prison on January 27, 2023.

    At sentencing, Judge Peterson said Boyd’s possession of a firearm was dangerous by itself, especially when he was carrying it into a dangerous situation with a drug trafficker. Judge Peterson found Boyd’s case was aggravated by his criminal history, which included instances of domestic violence, as well as his history of noncompliance while on supervision. Finally, Judge Peterson said this crime deserved a 4-year sentence but reduced that sentence for time he had already served on his multiple state revocation sentences.

    Co-defendant Davonte King pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl intended for distribution and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced by Judge Peterson on September 5, 2024, to 7 years in federal prison.

    The charges against Boyd and King were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigations, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and Dane County Narcotics Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also investigated the case. The task force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. The Dane County District Attorney’s Office assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.

    This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Helps Secure $49.1 Million from Drug Companies over Illegal Coordination to Inflate Prices

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a bipartisan multistate coalition of 50 attorneys general in announcing settlements with Heritage Pharmaceuticals (Heritage) and Apotex Inc. (Apotex) totaling $49.1 million for their roles in a massive, long-running scheme to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and restrict trade for dozens of generic prescription drugs. The companies in the scheme, some of which increased prices by 1,000 percent, manufactured essential medications to treat diseases ranging from diabetes to cancer to ADHD. As part of the settlements, both companies have agreed to cooperate in ongoing multistate investigations against 30 corporate defendants and 25 individual executives. Both companies have also agreed to implement internal reforms to ensure fair competition and compliance with antitrust laws. 

    “Affordable generic drugs are a lifeline for millions of New Yorkers who rely on them every day to treat everything from diabetes to heart conditions,” said Attorney General James. “The companies involved in this scheme engaged in a massive conspiracy to illegally coordinate prices, driving up costs for consumers as much as 1,000 percent. These two settlements will help enable the victims of this scheme to get compensation, and will hopefully ensure this type of illegal price fixing will not happen again. I thank my fellow attorneys general for their hard work and collaboration to protect consumers from this unfair anticompetitive conduct.” 

    The settlements are the result of two lawsuits filed by the Office of the Attorney General and a coalition of attorneys general against some of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical companies. The first complaint, filed in 2016, included Heritage and 17 other corporate defendants, two individual defendants, and 15 generic drugs. Two former executives from Heritage Pharmaceuticals, Jeffrey Glazer and Jason Malek, have since entered into settlement agreements and are cooperating with the states’ investigations. The second complaint was filed in 2019 against Teva Pharmaceuticals and 19 of the nation’s largest generic drug manufacturers. The complaint names 16 individual senior executives as defendants. The third complaint was filed in 2020 against Sandoz and 18 other of the nation’s largest generic drug manufacturers, in addition to 10 individual defendants.

    The lawsuits allege these companies engaged in a broad, coordinated, and systematic conspiracy to fix prices, avoid competition, and rig bids for more than 100 different generic drugs. The companies maintained an interconnected web of industry executives where these competitors met with each other during industry dinners, “girls’ nights out,” lunches, cocktail parties, and golf outings, and communicated via frequent telephone calls, emails, and text messages that sowed the seeds for their illegal agreements. Defendants used terms like “fair share,” “playing nice in the sandbox,” and “responsible competitor” to describe how they unlawfully discouraged competition, raised prices, and enforced an ingrained culture of collusion. 

    The drugs included in the scheme span all types, including tablets, capsules, creams, and ointments; and classes, including antibiotics, anti-depressants, contraceptives, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They treat a range of diseases and conditions from basic infections to diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, HIV, ADHD, and more. In some instances, the coordinated price increases were over 1,000 percent. Digoxin, an essential heart medication manufactured by Heritage, tripled in price, causing patients to pay hundreds of dollars more for the drug. 

    The cases stem from an investigation built on evidence from several cooperating witnesses at the core of the conspiracy, a massive database of over 20 million documents, and a phone records database containing millions of call detail records and contact information for over 600 sales and pricing individuals in the generics industry. 

    A motion for preliminary approval of the $10 million settlement with Heritage was filed yesterday in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut in Hartford. A settlement with Apotex for $39.1 million is contingent upon obtaining signatures from all necessary states and territories and will be finalized and filed in the U.S. District Court.  

    Consumers who purchased a generic prescription drug manufactured by either Heritage or Apotex between 2010 and 2018 may be eligible for compensation. To determine your eligibility, call 1-866-290-0182, email info@AGGenericDrugs.com or visit www.AGGenericDrugs.com.

    Joining Attorney General James in announcing the settlements are the attorneys general of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

    These settlements are the latest example of Attorney General James taking action to stop companies from engaging in anticompetitive conduct and harming New Yorkers. In May, Attorney General James joined 40 other states and the Department of Justice in suing Live Nation and Ticketmaster for monopolizing the live music industry. In October 2023, Attorney General James secured $4.5 million from one of the nation’s largest title insurance companies for using illegal no-poach agreements with competitors to keep employees from switching jobs. Attorney General James has now ended the use of no-poach agreements by the five largest commercial underwriters in the United States, including First American, Fidelity, Old Republic, Stewart, and Amtrust. In 2022, Attorney General James sued a ski resort company in Syracuse for buying its main competitor and shutting it down in order to monopolize the local market. 

    New York’s investigation has been led by Assistant Attorneys General Bob Hubbard and Saami Zain and Legal Assistant Arlene Leventhal of the Antitrust Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Amy McFarlane and Bureau Chief Elinor Hoffmann of the Antitrust Bureau. The Antitrust Bureau is part of the Division for Economic Justice, overseen by Chief Deputy Attorney General Christopher D’Angelo and First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI St. Louis Election Command Post

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

    In keeping with our standard Election Day protocol, FBI St. Louis has stood up an Election Command Post in preparation for the election on November 5. The command post is staffed 24 hours a day to provide a centralized location for assessing election-related threats in our area of responsibility. The FBI has a duty to plan for a host of potential scenarios related to election fraud, voter suppression, foreign malign influence, malicious cyber activity against election infrastructure, and threats to election workers. We are committed to protecting the American public’s right to a fair and safe election. 
      
    For decades, the FBI has served as the primary agency responsible for investigating allegations of federal election crimes, including campaign finance violations, ballot/voter fraud, and civil rights violations. In close partnership with Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI established the Election Threats Task Force to identify and address reported threats targeting election workers. 
      
    The FBI takes our responsibility very seriously, and works closely with our federal, state, and local partners to identify and stop any potential threats to public safety. We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason, including due to concerns about the election. 
      
    It is vital the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the public work together to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. The FBI takes all threats of violence seriously, including threats targeting those who do the critical work of administering free and fair elections throughout the U.S. 
      
    The Justice Department has long recognized that the states—not the federal government—are responsible for administering elections, determining the validity of votes, and tabulating the results, with challenges handled by the appropriate election administrators, officials, legislatures, and courts.  The Department’s role is limited to investigating and prosecuting violations of federal election laws and deterring criminal conduct. 
      
    FBI St. Louis encourages citizens to report allegations of election fraud and other election abuses. You can reach the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI El Paso to Stand Up Election Command Post

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

    In keeping with our standard Election Day protocol, FBI El Paso has stood up an Election Command Post in preparation for the November 5 election. The command post is staffed 24 hours a day to provide a centralized location for assessing election-related threats in our area of responsibility. The FBI has a duty to plan for a host of potential scenarios related to election fraud, voter suppression, foreign malign influence, malicious cyber activity against election infrastructure, and threats to election workers. We are committed to protecting the American public’s right to a fair and safe election. 

    For decades, the FBI has served as the primary agency responsible for investigating allegations of federal election crimes, including campaign finance violations, ballot/voter fraud, and civil rights violations. In close partnership with Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI established the Election Threats Task Force to identify and address reported threats targeting election workers. 

    The FBI takes our responsibility very seriously, and works closely with our federal, state, and local partners to identify and stop any potential threats to public safety. We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason, including due to concerns about the election. 

    It is vital the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the public work together to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. The FBI takes all threats of violence seriously, including threats targeting those who do the critical work of administering free and fair elections throughout the U.S. 

    The Justice Department has long recognized that the states—not the federal government—are responsible for administering elections, determining the validity of votes, and tabulating the results, with challenges handled by the appropriate election administrators, officials, legislatures, and courts.  The Department’s role is limited to investigating and prosecuting violations of federal election laws and deterring criminal conduct.

    FBI El Paso encourages citizens to report allegations of election fraud and other election abuses to FBI El Paso directly at (915) 832-5000.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Las Vegas Election Command Post

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

    In keeping with our standard Election Day protocol, FBI Las Vegas has stood up an Election Command Post in preparation for the election on November 5. The command post is staffed 24 hours a day to provide a centralized location for assessing election-related threats in our area of responsibility. The FBI has a duty to plan for a host of potential scenarios related to election fraud, voter suppression, foreign malign influence, malicious cyber activity against election infrastructure, and threats to election workers. We are committed to protecting the American public’s right to a fair and safe election.

    For decades, the FBI has served as the primary agency responsible for investigating allegations of federal election crimes, including campaign finance violations, ballot/voter fraud, and civil rights violations. In close partnership with Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI established the Election Threats Task Force to identify and address reported threats targeting election workers.

    The FBI takes our responsibility very seriously and works closely with our federal, state, and local partners to identify and stop any potential threats to public safety. We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason, including due to concerns about the election.

    It is vital the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the public work together to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. The FBI takes all threats of violence seriously, including threats targeting those who do the critical work of administering free and fair elections throughout the U.S.

    The Justice Department has long recognized that the states—not the federal government—are responsible for administering elections, determining the validity of votes, and tabulating the results, with challenges handled by the appropriate election administrators, officials, legislatures, and courts. The Department’s role is limited to investigating and prosecuting violations of federal election laws and deterring criminal conduct.

    FBI Las Vegas encourages citizens to report allegations of election fraud and other election abuses. You can reach the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by SJ at Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit 2024 (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following are the welcome remarks by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit 2024 under Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 today (November 4):Commissioner Cui (Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Cui Jianchun); Professor Ignacio Tirado (Secretary-General of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law), Consuls General, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,     A very good morning. For those joining us from different time zones, perhaps I should say good afternoon and also good evening. I am truly delighted to welcome you to the opening of the Hong Kong Legal Week 2024, and to the Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit 2024.Hong Kong Legal Week 2024     The Hong Kong Legal Week is an annual flagship event of the Department of Justice. Since its inception in 2019, the Hong Kong Legal Week has served as a dynamic forum where legal professionals, scholars, judges and experts come together to discuss critical legal issues that resonate not only within Hong Kong but throughout the wider Asia-Pacific region and beyond.     The theme of this year is “Hong Kong Common Law System: World-Class Springboard to China and Beyond”. It emphasises Hong Kong’s unique role as a gateway between China, the Asia Pacific and the world. Under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction within China. Our strong legal foundation, coupled with our close ties with and support from the Mainland, positions us as a critical hub for legal and economic collaboration across the region and beyond.Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit 2024     We begin this week with today’s Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit 2024. Building on the success of the inaugural Summit in 2022, the Department of Justice once again partners with the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) to organise this Summit under the theme “Springboard to Opportunities: Utilising International Private Law and Technology to Facilitate Access to Credit, Investment, and Sustainable Development in the Asia-Pacific Region”.     The Asia-Pacific region is home to enormous economic potential and encompasses a diverse array of legal systems. While this diversity enriches our legal and cultural landscape, it also introduces complexities and uncertainties for businesses navigating cross-border transactions. To unlock the region’s full economic potential and ensure long-term sustainable growth, harmonisation and modernisation of private law across the region is essential.     Recognising this need, today’s summit gathers leading legal minds from across the Asia Pacific, together with experts from UNIDROIT, to explore how the unification and co-ordination of various areas of private law can support economic growth and facilitate smoother cross-border interactions throughout the region. We will be hearing from them on how international private law and emerging technologies can unlock new opportunities for sustainable economic growth across the region, and how Hong Kong may contribute in this regard.Department of Justice’s collaboration with UNIDROIT     In the past few years, the Department of Justice has closely collaborated with UNIDROIT to promote the development, implementation, and deeper understanding of private international law and international commercial law across the Asia-Pacific region.     In addition to these collaborative efforts, we are grateful for UNIDROIT’s strong support to the Department of Justice’s secondment programme, offering Hong Kong’s legal professionals from both the public and private sectors the valuable opportunity to work at the UNIDROIT Secretariat in Rome. This experience not only deepens their expertise in international legal issues, but also bolsters Hong Kong’s capacity in foreign-related legal matters.     I am very pleased to note that one of our former secondees will be moderating a panel later this morning, which testifies to the success of the secondment programme.Capacity building     The secondment programme is one of the Department of Justice’s many policy initiatives providing professional development opportunities to our legal talents. To further strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a leading international legal and dispute resolution services centre in the Asia-Pacific region, the Department of Justice places great importance on nurturing legal talents with a global perspective and proficiency in foreign-related legal affairs. We are committed to establishing Hong Kong as a leading centre for capacity building in international law.     As outlined in our Chief Executive’s Policy Address 2023 and 2024, the Department of Justice is setting up the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. The Academy will regularly organise practical training courses, seminars, international exchange programmes and more to promote exchanges among talent in regions along the Belt and Road. It will also provide training for talent in the practice of foreign-related legal affairs for the country, and nurture legal talent conversant with international law, common law, civil law and the country’s legal system.     A dedicated office and an expert committee have already been set up to facilitate the establishment of the Academy. We are grateful to have Professor Tirado as a member of the expert committee, and I am pleased to see many of our committee members participating in today’s Summit.     To officially mark this new initiative, I am excited to announce that the launch ceremony for the Academy will take place on the final day of the Hong Kong Legal Week. I warmly invite all of you to join us for this significant occasion.Other events     I also warmly welcome you to participate in an array of other events this week. Tomorrow, we will have the Second Legal Forum on Interconnectivity and Development co-organised with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR. At the Legal Forum, we are very pleased to have the General Counsel of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank deliver a keynote address on promoting good governance and high-quality development under international law. Legal experts will also share their insights on Hong Kong’s role in China’s institutional opening up, and rule of law as a risk management mechanism to safeguard sustainable development.     On Wednesday, we will host events under the theme “Beyond Litigation: The Vibrant Landscape of Alternative Dispute Resolution of Hong Kong”. The day will explore three topical issues – the role of mediation in promoting a culture of mutual respect, harmony and inclusiveness, use of artificial intelligence in alternative dispute resolution, as well as the resolution of sports disputes. There will also be the 2024 Hong Kong Mediation Lecture in the evening, exploring the unique challenges and opportunities involved in the use of mediation in deals relating to natural resources.     Thursday’s programme will focus on strengthening the rule of law in the Greater Bay Area. We will hear from experts on the proof of Hong Kong law and foreign law in the Mainland, the arrangement on mutual legal assistance in civil and commercial matters between the Mainland and Hong Kong, as well as legal services and juridical relations to facilitate and protect trade and social interactions between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The day will also feature a mock mediation session led by mediators from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, and a discussion on the Greater Bay Area mediation platform.     On Friday, apart from the launching ceremony of the Academy in the afternoon that I have just mentioned, we will explore how the rule of law in Hong Kong, together with different components of Hong Kong’s legal and judicial system, are essential to provide the best business environment from the perspectives of our legal services profession and our enterprises, and how our legal professionals can play an important role along the Belt and Road.     Alongside this week’s discussions, we are also featuring a special exhibition on the achievements in the construction of the rule of law of the People’s Republic of China in the modern era, co-organised by the Ministry of Justice of China and the Department of Justice, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of People’s Republic of China. The exhibition highlights key milestones in China’s legal evolution, both domestically and in foreign-related areas, over the past 75 years. You are most welcome to visit the exhibition during the breaks or after the Summit. It is just in the exhibition hall adjacent to this conference room.Conclusion     Ladies and gentlemen, as we look ahead to the discussions that will follow, I hope today’s Summit will inspire all of us to explore new ideas and opportunities. Let’s make the most of this moment to engage in meaningful exchanges and drive forward the future of international law.     On this note, I wish today’s Summit every success and extend my sincere appreciation to all of you for joining us, whether online or in person. A special thanks to UNIDROIT for their unwavering support, and heartfelt gratitude to all my colleagues at the Department of Justice and our dedicated partners, whose hard work has made Hong Kong Legal Week 2024 a reality.     Thank you very much.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man who Provided Guns to Shooter of Two Jewish Community Members in California Sentenced to Prison

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

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eric Celaya, 30, of Phoenix, was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to eight months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. On May 15, 2024, Celaya pleaded guilty to making a Material False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm.

    On January 19, 2023, Celaya purchased two firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in Tempe. Celaya completed the Firearms Transaction Record, known as ATF Form 4473, and stated that he was the actual purchaser. However, Celaya knew he was purchasing the firearms on behalf of Jamie Tran. After Celaya submitted the ATF Form 4473 to the FFL, he purchased and left with the two firearms. Subsequently, Celaya provided the firearms to Tran. On February 15, 2023, and February 16, 2023, Tran used the firearms to shoot two Jewish community members in California, offenses charged as hate crimes in the United States District Court, Central District of California, Case Number 2:23-CR-00098-GW. Celaya had no prior criminal history and there was no evidence to show that Celaya was aware of Tran’s intentions or beliefs.

    This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Addison Owen, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:                  CR-23-01456-PHX-MTL
    RELEASE NUMBER:           2024-149_Celaya

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Strong Introduces Legislation to Expedite Deportation of Non-Citizen Voters

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dale Strong (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON— Today, Representative Dale W. Strong (R-AL) introduced the Deport Illegal Voters Act to expedite the removal of aliens convicted of voting illegally.  

    Specifically, the legislation adds unlawful voting to the defined list of aggravated felonies under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and provides for the expedited deportation of convicted individuals. 

    “Anyone who is not an American citizen and casts a ballot in this election should be first in line to be deported. We must secure our elections and ensure participation in our elections is reserved for American citizens and American citizens only,” said Congressman Dale W. Strong.  

    Under the Biden-Harris Administration, we have seen record numbers of border crossings and illegal immigration into the United States. Additionally, there have been numerous cases of voter registration forms issued to non-citizens and numerous cases of non-citizen voting across the country, including Alabama. In September, the Department of Justice charged a Guatemalan national residing in Alabama with fraudulently using a U.S. identity to vote in multiple elections including the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. This week, charges were filed against a Chinese national who cast a vote in the 2024 Presidential election in Michigan.  

    Interference in our elections undermines the rights of American citizens and sets a dangerous precedent that could further erode the trust and credibility of our electoral system. The integrity of our election system must be safeguarded to ensure only eligible and lawful voters are permitted to participate. 

    “People should stop and think twice before interfering in our elections. The Deport Illegal Voters Act sets a consequence fitting for those committing a federal offense,” said Strong.  

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Magaziner and Rep. Bennie Thompson Urge Federal Agencies to Take Action to Prevent Election Violence

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Ranking Member for the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Intelligence and Law Enforcement, is partnering with Ranking Member for the Homeland Security Committee Bennie Thompson (MS-02) to lead 13 Members of Congress in raising concerns to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) about the potential for violence surrounding the 2024 election.

    “With the 2024 election coming up in a matter of days, we must take steps to ensure that the U.S. government is prepared to thwart violent attacks on the democratic process like that which occurred on January 6, 2021,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Ranking Member for the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Intelligence and Law Enforcement. “Ranking Member Thompson and I are outlining a series of actions we believe the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice should take to ensure a safe and secure election and peaceful transfer of power.”

    The Members of Congress outline important objectives that include, but are not limited to:

    • Ensuring that Federal agencies are aligned and attentive to the needs of election officials, and provide any requested assistance to state and local election officials.
    • Protecting state and local election offices from cyber attacks and providing them with services to defend election infrastructure.
    • Bolstering DHS’s efforts to raise awareness of the physical security services available to state and local officials through federal resources to protect election officials and infrastructure. 
    • Combating foreign influence campaigns by Russia and other malign actors, and combating election misinformation on social media platforms that seek to undermine the legitimacy of the election and trust in the American government.

    Donald Trump and his allies have been laying the groundwork to question the legitimacy of the 2024 election results, and have been spreading dangerous conspiracy theories about the vote counting process at the state and local levels. Trump has repeated lies of widespread voter fraud and suggested that the only way he can lose to Vice President Harris is if Democrats cheat. This is particularly concerning in light of a recent poll by the Associated Press that found two-thirds of Republicans polled trust Donald Trump and his campaign for accurate information about election results, but only 51 percent of Republicans polled would trust the government’s certification of election results.

    Trump has also declined to pledge to respect the outcome of the 2024 election and refused to publicly say that he would back a peaceful transfer of power. In 2020, Trump refused to acknowledge his election loss, spread lies about extensive voter fraud and incited a violent mob to attack the Capitol in an effort to overturn the results of a fair and secure election.

    Foreign malign influence operations also pose a threat to the 2024 election. The Justice Department recently disrupted a covert Russian government-sponsored foreign malign influence operation, which in part used AI-generated content and social media influencers, to spread disinformation about the 2024 election, sow discord and influence voters.

    Furthermore, threats against election officials have intensified. Nearly one in three election workers have reported being harassed, abused or threatened because of their job as a result of Trump’s rhetoric. This has caused high levels of turnover among election workers over concerns for their safety and the safety of their families, leading to increased strain on those responsible for facilitating our elections. 

    This letter builds upon Rep. Magaziner’s efforts to ensure a fair and secure election in 2024. This week, he joined his colleagues in urging the DOJ Election Threats Task Force to take stronger action in coordination with local law enforcement to protect election workers on and around Election Day.

    Rep. Magaziner also hosted a “Protecting our Democracy” roundtable with Rep. Thompson to bring attention to concerted efforts to question the legitimacy of the 2024 election results.

    Full text of the letter is below. A PDF copy of the letter is available HERE.

    Dear Secretary Mayorkas and Attorney General Garland:

    We understand that both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) have undertaken significant efforts to support the safe, secure administration of elections this November. We write to document those activities and to learn about any additional actions you will undertake between now and January 20, 2025, to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.

    Four years ago, State and local election officials across the country administered the most secure elections in history under exceptionally challenging circumstances. Nevertheless, confusion about voting and tabulation procedures, a politically polarized public, and a nationwide pandemic created a breeding ground for misinformation and conspiracy theories to flourish. As a result, a violent mob bent on preventing the peaceful transfer of power attempted to interrupt the certification of election results on January 6, 2021. Although the insurrection was ultimately unsuccessful, its legacy endures, notably though the targeting and harassment of election officials, baseless allegations that voter fraud will result in an illegitimate election result, and suggestions by public officials that they may not accept the election outcome.

    We applaud the efforts your agencies have already undertaken to support the safe, secure administration of elections, and encourage ongoing engagement with appropriate partners at the State and local levels in the weeks and months ahead.

    Coordination with State and Local Partners

    Election officials on the ground are the individuals who best understand the challenges of administering elections in today’s environment. It is important that Federal programs designed to secure elections are aligned to the needs of State and local election officials.

    • Attorney General Garland and Secretary Mayorkas, what processes are in place to receive feedback from election stakeholders to ensure your Departments are meeting the needs of election officials? How have your Departments incorporated stakeholder feedback into election security policies and programs? Please provide specific examples.
    • Attorney General Garland and Secretary Mayorkas, have resource constraints in any way limited the ability of your Departments to provide assistance requested by State and local election officials? If so, how?

    Last year, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced it would establish dedicated election security advisors in each of the agency’s ten regions.

    • Secretary Mayorkas, how do election security advisors complement the work of existing cybersecurity and protective security advisors? Please provide details about the priorities of election security advisors and describe the specific activities they have undertaken to help state and local election officials prepare for the 2024 election.

    Election Cybersecurity

    CISA offers a range of no-cost cybersecurity services to election offices across the country, including cyber hygiene scans and risk and vulnerability assessments.

    • Secretary Mayorkas, please describe the services that DHS offers directly to State and local election officials and the efforts DHS has undertaken to promote these services. To what degree have State and local election offices adopted the services DHS offers? 
    • Secretary Mayorkas, DHS, through CISA, supports the Center for Internet Security, which houses Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC). The EI-ISAC provides State and local election officials with a range of additional services to defend election infrastructure from cyber attacks. Please describe the election security- related activities DHS funding supports at the EI-ISAC.
    • Secretary Mayorkas, how is the Department working with State and local election officials to ensure resilience in the event of a cyber incident on or near election day?

    As the Sector Risk Management Agency for the Election Infrastructure Subsector, DHS, through CISA, is responsible for engaging with a range of stakeholders involved in the administration of elections, including election technology and equipment vendors.

    • Secretary Mayorkas, please describe how the Department has worked with election technology and equipment vendors to improve security.

    Physical Security

    Recent swatting incidents and white powder mailings targeting election officials, along with disturbingly frequent social media threats, have highlighted the physical security threats facing election officials. Ensuring State and local officials are aware of the services available to them and have access to the resources necessary to improve their security will be critical to protecting election officials and infrastructure before, during, and after the election.

    • Secretary Mayorkas, please describe the physical security services DHS offers directly to State and local election officials and how DHS is increasing awareness of Federal resources available to protect the physical security of election infrastructure and officials. To what degree have State and local election officials utilized the physical security services DHS offers?
    • Attorney General Garland and Secretary Mayorkas, how are DOJ and DHS ensuring that they have relevant expertise on staff to support physical security services and outreach?
    • A security threat in one jurisdiction may suggest a heightened risk of similar situations in other jurisdictions. Attorney General Garland and Secretary Mayorkas, how are you ensuring that timely and actionable threat information based on recent incidents is shared with election officials nationally as threats emerge?
    • In the absence of Federal funding dedicated to improving the physical security of elections, State and local jurisdictions may struggle to implement security recommendations. Secretary Mayorkas, how is DHS supporting State and local election officials’ efforts to implement recommendations provided by CISA’s security assessments? How does CISA assist election officials in prioritizing cost-effective solutions to issues identified by the assessments?

    The January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol demonstrated that election security risks do not end on Election Day. We are particularly concerned that similar violence could take place during the counting and certification of election results this cycle.

    • Attorney General Garland and Secretary Mayorkas, with a heightened risk of violence in the post-election period, what plans are in place to support election officials in the aftermath of the November election? What specific resources will be deployed following the election to support State and local election officials should threats develop?

    Mis- and Disinformation

    Public reporting indicates that foreign adversaries continue efforts to influence U.S. elections, and election misinformation has the potential to undermine the public’s confidence in election results and could fuel election-related violence. It is our understanding that the Federal government has modified its approach to combatting misinformation compared to the previous presidential election.

    • Attorney General Garland and Secretary Mayorkas, what are your current policies regarding engagements with social media companies on the threats posed by election- related misinformation? Please describe current activities related to combatting foreign influence and election misinformation.

    A recent poll by Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USAFact found that two-thirds of Republicans polled trust Donald Trump and his campaign for accurate information about election results, but only 51 percent of Republicans polled would trust the government’s certification of election results. Donald Trump has already begun to suggest the election will be rigged against him.

    • Attorney General Garland and Secretary Mayorkas, how will your Departments work to build confidence in the election outcome in the event a candidate, without evidence, attempts to call into question the legitimacy of the election outcome?

    Recent indictments by DOJ allege that Russian intelligence used American media influencers to unwittingly promote Russia’s foreign influence campaigns.

    • Attorney General Garland, does DOJ have policies in place to alert Americans who may be unwittingly amplifying illegal foreign influence campaigns?

    Many Republican officials have publicly claimed that non-citizens are voting in large numbers and could impact the outcome of the November election. The Texas Attorney General recently announced he was investigating whether organizations were purposefully registering non-citizens to vote, despite there being no indication that it is happening.

    • Attorney General Garland and Secretary Mayorkas, is there any evidence that non-citizens vote in large numbers in the United States? Is there any evidence that organizations are deliberately registering non-citizens to vote?

    Mis- and disinformation can lead to voter suppression. The Secretary of State of Alabama, for example, recently deactivated the registration of more than 3,000 people, including some naturalized citizens who must now update their records before they can vote. Some of them have expressed reluctance to register to vote again.

    • Attorney General Garland and Secretary Mayorkas, how are your Departments countering mis- and disinformation that may disproportionately affect naturalized citizens or target communities of color?

    Rapid advances in AI technological development have the potential to shift how foreign and domestic actors seek to shape public opinion and Federal efforts to secure elections must reflect the latest technological landscape.

    • Attorney General Garland and Secretary Mayorkas, what is your current assessment of the impact of AI-generated content in foreign influence campaigns and how are your Departments increasing awareness regarding the threat of AI-generated content in disinformation efforts?

    By and large, the most reliable sources of accurate election information are the official communications and websites of State and local election officials responsible for administering elections. The Federal government’s greater media visibility can play an important role in directing Americans to reliable sources of information and amplifying the voices of state and local officials.

    • Secretary Mayorkas, how is DHS amplifying efforts by State and local election officials to promote accurate election information and to respond to false rumors about the integrity, security, or accuracy of election systems and results? What are CISA’s plans to increase such communications closer to Election Day and following the election?

    Thank you for your attention to this letter. We look forward to your response and to continuing to work with you to ensure a safe, secure election next month.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Transporting and Possessing Child Pornography Nets District Man More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison

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

                WASHINGTON – Stephen Rattley Johnson, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 7.5 years in prison for uploading and possessing videos in 2020 depicting the rape and sadistic sexual abuse of prepubescent girls.

                The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

                Johnson was found guilty by a federal jury on April 17, 2024, of five counts of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. On the possession count, the jury further found that the child pornography involved minors under 12 years of age, an aggravating circumstance that doubles the statutory maximum sentence. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered Johnson to pay $52,600 in restitution and special assessments. Upon release from his prison term, Johnson will be required to serve 10 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender.

                According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, on September 21, 2020, and October 1, 2020, Johnson uploaded hundreds of child pornography files to his Google Drive cloud storage account. Google identified 220 of the files as known child pornography and closed Johnson’s account. Consistent with its statutory obligations, Google reported the material to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which in turn referred the matter to law enforcement. As part of its investigation, investigators obtained the contents of Johnson’s Google account, which included hundreds of child pornography files.

                Law enforcement arrested Johnson on October 7, 2021, and searched his then-residence in the H Street Corridor of Northeast Washington. Among other evidence, law enforcement seized his cellphone and the laptop Johnson had used to upload the child pornography. Although Johnson deleted the child pornography from his computer after Google closed his account, digital forensics experts were able to recover artifacts showing that Johnson had downloaded many of the files as early as April 2020 and that he had opened and watched them. Many of the files are videos depicting the rape and sadistic sexual abuse of prepubescent girls. In addition, Johnson’s web browser history showed that he had navigated to child pornography online—including several of the files he later uploaded to Google—and evidence from his cellphone showed that he continued to seek out child pornography even after Google closed his account.

                The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force; the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

                This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

                Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Janani Iyengar and Jocelyn Bond.

    22cr176

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Miami-Dade Corrections Officer Pled Guilty to $150,000 COVID-19 Fraud

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

    MIAMI – Yesterday, Daniel Fleureme, 56, of Miami-Dade County, a former Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department (MDCRD) Corrections Officer, pled guilty to wire fraud for defrauding a COVID-19 relief program by fraudulently obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

    The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act were Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions. These EIDLs were provided directly to borrowers by the SBA.

    On July 27, 2020, Fleureme, while he was employed full-time by MDCRD as a Corrections Officer, submitted to the SBA a false and fraudulent EIDL application claiming to be the 100% owner of a sole proprietorship operating under the company legal and DBA names of “Daniel Fleureme.” In this fraudulent application, Fleureme claimed that he had owned the business since its creation on Feb. 15, 2017, and stated that the business had three employees as of Jan. 31, 2020. Fleureme’s EIDL application also falsely certified that for the 12-month period prior to Jan. 31, 2020, his sole proprietorship had gross revenues of $450,000 and a cost of goods sold of only $97,000. As a result of this fraudulent EIDL application, Fleureme received approximately $150,000 in EIDL proceeds from the SBA.

    He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in Miami. Fleureme faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conviction. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (M-DC OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region, made the announcement.

    The FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the M-DC OIG, working in conjunction with SBA OIG, investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case.

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

    On Sept. 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud.  The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20407.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Jersey Resident Pleads Guilty to Helping Russia’s Defense Sector Evade U.S. Export Controls

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

    Defendant Facilitated Russia’s Acquisition of Millions of Dollars of U.S.-Made Dual-Use Electronics Used in Radar, Surveillance, and Military Research and Development

    Vadim Yermolenko, 43, a dual U.S.-Russian national and resident of New Jersey, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States for his role in a transnational procurement and money laundering network that sought to acquire sensitive dual-use electronics for Russian military and intelligence services.

    “This defendant joins the nearly two dozen other criminals that our Task Force KleptoCapture has brought to justice in American courtrooms over the past two and a half years for enabling Russia’s military aggression,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This defendant admitted to playing a central role in a now-disrupted scheme with Russian intelligence services to smuggle sniper rifle ammunition and U.S. military grade equipment into Russia. The Justice Department will never stop working to aggressively disrupt and prosecute both the criminal networks and the individuals responsible for bolstering the Russian war machine.”

    “The illegal export of sensitive, dual-use technologies in support of Russia’s war effort poses a significant threat to the United States and its allies and must not be tolerated,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The defendant in this case played a key role in exporting U.S. technology that in the hands of our adversaries could pose great danger to our national security. The FBI and its partners will continue to focus on protecting strategic innovation at home and hold accountable anyone who facilitates illegal transfers to hostile nations like Russia.”

    “To facilitate the Russian war machine, the defendant played a critical role in exporting sensitive, dual-use technologies to Russia, facilitating shipping and the movement of millions of dollars through U.S. financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “This plea highlights my Office and our law enforcement partners continued commitment to use all tools available to prosecute those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology to send to Russia.”

    According to court documents, the defendant was affiliated with Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC, Moscow-based companies that operate under the direction of Russian intelligence services to procure advanced electronics and sophisticated testing equipment for Russia’s military industrial complex and research and development sector. Serniya and Sertal operated a vast network of shell companies and bank accounts throughout the world, including the United States, that were used in furtherance of the scheme to conceal the involvement of the Russian government and the true Russian end users of U.S.-origin equipment.

    The defendant and his co-conspirators unlawfully purchased and exported highly sensitive, export controlled electronic components, some of which can be used in the development of nuclear and hypersonic weapons, quantum computing and other military applications. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) levied sanctions and imposed additional export restrictions on Serniya, Sertal, and several individuals and companies used in the scheme, calling them “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.”

    Sertal was licensed to conduct highly sensitive and classified procurement activities by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s principal security agency and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union’s KGB. The Serniya network’s Russian clients included State Corporation Rostec, the state-owned defense conglomerate; State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (Rosatom); the Ministry of Defense; the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR); and various components of the FSB, including the Department of Military Counterintelligence and the Directorate for Scientific and Technological Intelligence, commonly known as “Directorate T.”

    To carry out the scheme, the defendant helped set up numerous shell companies and dozens of bank accounts in the U.S. to illicitly move money and export-controlled goods. During the period charged in the indictment, more than $12 million passed through accounts owned or controlled by the defendant. These funds were used in part to purchase sensitive equipment used in radar, surveillance and military research and development. In one instance, money from one of the defendant’s accounts was used to purchase export-controlled sniper bullets, which were intercepted in Estonia before they could be smuggled into Russia.

    Co-defendant Alexey Brayman previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and is awaiting sentence. The case against co-defendant Vadim Konoshchenok, a suspected FSB operative, was dismissed after Konoshchenok was removed from the United States as part of a prisoner exchange negotiated between the United States and Russia. Defendant Nikolaos Bogonikolos’ case remains pending. Defendants Boris Livshits, Alexey Ippolitov, Svetlana Skvortsova, and Yevgeniy Grinin remain at large.        

    The FBI, BIS, and IRS are investigating the case.

    The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and Estonian authorities provided valuable assistance.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell, Andrew D. Reich, and Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

    Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture and the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Washington Resident Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Loan Fraud

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

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of wire fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

    Walter Holt III, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.

    In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about March 12 and May 27, 2021, Holt prepared and submitted falsified Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) COVID-19 relief loan applications for Charleroi, Pennsylvania, borrowers, for which he took a fee.

    Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for January 31, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Holt.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Press Release on Special Campaign 4.0

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 01 NOV 2024 4:14PM by PIB Delhi

    Under the guidance of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), the Department of Justice implemented the Special Campaign 4.0 for clearing pendency and focusing on Swachhata of the Office premises. As in previous years, this year too, this campaign spanned over two phases, with Phase-I (from 16/09/2024 to 30/09/2024) being the identification phase, wherein various pending matters, like reference from Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Assurances, References from the State Governments, Inter Ministerial references, Public Grievances and also, sites requiring sprucing, cleaning and beautification were to be identified. Phase-II from 02/10/2024 to 31/10/2024 was to be devoted to the clearance of the identified pendency, cleaning/sprucing up and beautification of identified sites/areas.

    During the first Phase of the campaign from 16/09/2024 to 30/09/2024, 03- References from MPs and 281 Public Grievances were identified for disposal, 272 physical files were earmarked for review and subsequently for weeding out, 138 e-files were also selected for review /closure. Besides, 06 Parliamentary Assurances, 01 Reference from the State Government, 01 Inter Ministerial reference, were also identified for disposal. Apart from this, 4 sites requiring sprucing, cleaning and beatification were also earmarked within the office premises of the Department. Department of Justice actively participated in the identification drive and the pendency was also uploaded on the SCDPM portal, on a daily basis.

    In the second Phase-II of the Special campaign, from 2nd October, 2024 to 31st October, 2024, efforts were made by the Department to clear the pendency identified in the first phase of Campaign. A Special drive was also launched to clean the premises, corridors, lawn, as well as the respective branches of the Department. The Department of Justice successfully cleared all the identified pending matters within the stipulated time. Besides, 69 items which were identified as scrap which was ripe for disposal, were disposed off through auction. A sum of Rs.1,36,000/- was received from the auction of these redundant items and duly deposited into the government treasury. This exercise also led to freeing up of some space in the department. Daily Report of Phase-II from 02/10/2024 to 31/10/2024 was also uploaded on the SCDPM portal regularly. To give wide publicity to this campaign, tweets and PIB releases, including before and after photographs of various events/best practices were also issued/uploaded from time to time.

    On the concluding day of the Special Campaign 4.0 i.e. on 31.10.2024, Shramdaan was organized in a befitting manner by cleaning the front lawn/premises of Jaisalmer House. This was led by Secretary (Justice) and Officers/staff of the Department actively participated in this to successfully mark the end of the campaign.

    ******

     

    SB/DP/ARJ

    (Release ID: 2070150) Visitor Counter : 43

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Violent Sex Traffickers Sentenced to Combined 39 Years

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    RALEIGH, N.C. – D’Angelo Taborn, of Durham, was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Following an FBI sting operation in Jacksonville, NC, Taborn and his co-defendant, Imani Franco, were arrested for using threats to coerce women into sex trafficking. Taborn, 31, pled guilty to the charge on July 24, 2024. Franco, 30, pled guilty on April 25, 2024, and was sentenced on September 23, 2024, to 12 years.

    “Our Human Trafficking Task Force brings agencies together to expose traffickers, rescue victims, and dismantle the illicit networks that traffic in human beings for sex or labor,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “These defendants treated their victims like animals, deprived them of food, and threatened them with violence if they did not comply.  Thankfully the FBI, NCIS, and local law enforcement acted swiftly, to hold the traffickers accountable and help put the survivors on their path of healing.”

    “It is difficult to hear these victims literally felt “caged” by these offenders. To be forced into sex trafficking, to have to ask for food, those are deplorable conditions for any human being to endure,” said Robert M. DeWitt the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina. “The FBI and our local law enforcement partners will never stop working to combat human trafficking.”

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, on August 12, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Human Trafficking Task Force conducted a proactive sting operation in Jacksonville, based on online advertisements for commercial sex. An undercover officer responded to an advertisement and was directed to a hotel in Jacksonville. The undercover officer encountered a young female depicted in the advertisement, later identified as Victim 1.

    A short time later, law enforcement observed the defendants step out of a hotel room just down the hall. When they saw law enforcement, Taborn and Franco attempted to leave, but they were detained while officers obtained search warrants for their hotel room and vehicle.  Taborn and Franco carried three phones between them, and when officers called the number listed in the commercial sex advertisement for Victim 1, one of the phones rang.

    When Taborn and Franco were arrested, Victim 1 became visibly relieved. She explained that Taborn and Franco had recruited her a month earlier and that they expected her to engage in commercial sex to make money for them. Taborn required Victim 1 to perform oral sex on him twice to ensure she was a “good product.”  Taborn and Franco controlled all aspects of the commercial sex operation and took all the money that Victim 1 earned.  They transported Victim 1 to different cities—Jacksonville, Charlotte, Durham, and Danville, Virginia—to find additional customers for commercial sex.  Investigators located numerous commercial sex advertisements and obtained hotel receipts and surveillance footage that confirmed Victim 1’s account.

    Victim 1 described how she feared Taborn and felt “like an animal in a cage.”  She was not allowed to leave her room and had to request food and water from Taborn and Franco. When officers recovered her, it had been more than 24 hours since she had last eaten—a meal that consisted of four leftover chicken wings from Taborn’s and Franco’s dinner.  On one occasion, Victim 1 witnessed Taborn and Franco recruit another female victim, Victim 2, who they picked up in South Carolina and transported back to North Carolina.  Victim 2 had not known they wanted her to engage in commercial sex in North Carolina. When Victim 2 said she did not want to participate, Taborn threatened her with his black handgun in front of Victim 1.  Officers found a firearm with an extended magazine and laser matching the description in the glovebox of Taborn’s car.

    Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) undertook this investigation as part of “Operation Cross Country,” a nationwide sex-trafficking enforcement campaign, with assistance from the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Police Department, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.

    This case was part of our Human Trafficking Task Force created to expose and prosecute anyone who exploits North Carolinians for sex or forced labor. Our victim-centric approach focuses on stabilizing victims, getting them resources, and helping them through the court process.  If you have a tip about trafficking, text 233733.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-cr-0092-D.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Reinstating Expanded Global Gag Rule, Targeting Reproductive Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. — Tonight, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement on President Donald Trump reinstating the expanded Global Gag Rule or “Mexico City Policy,” from his first term—which had detrimental effects on women, providers, and public health partners around the world. The Global Gag Rule prevents foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing information, referrals, or services for legal abortion or advocating for access to abortion services in their country—even with their own money.

    Trump also issued a second executive order tonight that rescinds President Biden’s Executive Orders 14076 and 14079, which were issued to protect reproductive health in the U.S. following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Executive Order 14076 directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Department of Justice (DOJ) to take and consider steps to protect reproductive health care services and access, including expanding access to contraceptives. Executive Order 14079, which took further steps to protect access to reproductive health care, including providing technical assistance for providers and directing the Secretary of HHS to advance access through Medicaid for patients traveling across state lines for care.  

    “It is unsurprising, but extremely telling, that some of the very first moves of Donald Trump’s second administration prioritize attacking reproductive health care and targeting vulnerable women and girls around the world.

    “When we invest in a safer and healthier world, that pays dividends for America. Make no mistake: this dangerous policy prevents NGOs from using their own resources to provide lifesaving reproductive health services, and it forces organizations to make impossible choices that restrict access to care for some of the most desperate people across the globe.

    “There is nothing ‘pro-life’ about reinstating a policy that, during Trump’s first term, undermined lifesaving public health work, caused widespread fear and confusion among health workers, and led to worse health outcomes and more unsafe abortions. And in the wake of the Dobbs decision here at home, the Trump administration is also pulling back important executive orders that directed agencies to protect access to reproductive health services.”

    “These are just some of the first of many attacks on reproductive health care we can expect to see from the Trump administration—Democrats will fight back every way we can, but we need everyone to raise their voices to prevent these blatant attacks from going unnoticed, or worse, becoming normalized.”

    Senator Murray has long pushed to repeal the Global Gag Rule, and is a longtime cosponsor of the bipartisan Global Health, Empowerment and Rights (HER) Act, which would permanently repeal the rule, put an end to the back-and-forth between administrations, and provide stability for global health NGOs and the women around the world who rely on them for critical health services. As the top Democrat on the HELP Committee from 2015-2022, Senator Murray spoke out forcefully against the expanded Global Gag Rule Trump issued at the beginning of his first administration.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Americans own guns to protect themselves from psychological as well as physical threats

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nick Buttrick, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

    Many gun owners cite protection as a reason to carry a firearm. RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

    Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Tim Walz and JD Vance all have something in common. All four of them, along with an estimated 42% of American adults, have lived in a home with at least one gun.

    Gun ownership in the United States is widespread and cuts across all sorts of cultural divides – including race, class and political ideology. Like all mass experiences in American life, owning a gun can mean very different things to different people.

    One thing that American gun owners tend to agree on, no matter their differences, is that guns are for personal protection. In a 2023 Pew survey, 72% of gun owners reported that they owned a firearm at least in part for protection, and 81% of gun owners reported that owning a gun helped them to feel safer. This perspective contrasts to that of gun owners in other developed economies, who generally report that guns are more dangerous than safe and that they own a gun for some other reason.

    I’m a psychologist who studies contemporary society. In the lab, my colleagues and I have been investigating this feeling of safety that American gun owners report. We’re trying to get a more complete sense of just what people are using their firearms to protect against. Our research suggests it goes much deeper than physical threats.

    Social scientists are exploring the motivations and effects of owning a gun.
    Cécile Clocheret/AFP via Getty Images

    Protection goes beyond the physical

    By combining social-scientific research on firearms ownership with a raft of interviews we’ve conducted, we’ve developed a theory that gun owners aren’t just protecting against the specific threat of physical violence. Owners are also using a gun to protect their psychological selves. Owning a gun helps them feel more in control of the world around them and more able to live meaningful, purposeful lives that connect to the people and communities they care for.

    This sort of protection may be especially appealing to those who think that the normal institutions of society – such as the police or the government – are either unable or unwilling to keep them safe. They feel they need to take protection into their own hands.

    This use of a deadly weapon to provide comfort and solace may come at a cost, however, as firearms often bring a heightened sense of vigilance with them. Firearm instructors frequently teach owners to be especially aware of their environment and all the potential dangers and threats within. When gun owners look for danger, they often are more likely to find it.

    Gun owners may end up perceiving the world as a more dangerous place, institutions as more uncaring or incompetent, and their own private actions as all the more important for securing their lives and their livelihoods.

    How gun owners feel during daily life

    What does this cycle of protection and threat look like in everyday life? My colleagues and I recently ran a study to investigate. We’re still undergoing peer review, so our work is not final yet.

    We recruited a group of over 150 firearms owners who told us that they regularly carry their guns, along with over 100 demographically matched Americans who have never owned a gun. Over two weeks, our research team texted the participants at two random times each day, asking them to fill out a survey telling us what they were doing and how they were feeling.

    To get a sense of how guns change the psychological landscape of their owners, we divided our gun-carrying group into two. When we texted one half of the group, before we asked any other questions, we simply asked whether they had their gun accessible and why they’d made that decision. For the other half of our gun-owning participants, and for our non-gun-owning control group, firearms and firearm carrying never came up.

    When subtly reminded of guns in general – regardless of whether their gun was accessible – our participants reported feeling more safe and in control and that their lives were more meaningful. Thanks to our random-assignment procedure, we can be pretty confident that it was thinking about guns, as opposed to any differences in the underlying groups themselves, that caused this particular increase in psychological well-being.

    About half of the times that we texted, the gun owners told us that they had a gun accessible at that moment. When a gun was handy, our participants told us that they were feeling more vigilant and anxious, and that their immediate situation was more chaotic. This result didn’t seem to be driven by owners choosing to have guns available when they were putting themselves into objectively more dangerous situations: We found the same pattern when we looked just at moments when our participants were sitting at home, watching television.

    Raising fear and promising rescue

    Contemporary American gun ownership may have conflicting messages embedded within it. First, a gun is a thing you can use to bolster your fundamental psychological needs to feel safe, to feel in control and to feel like you matter and belong. Second, having a gun focuses your attention on the dangers of the world.

    By both fueling a sense of danger and holding out the promise of rescuing you from the fear, messaging around guns may end up locking some owners into a sort of doom loop.

    A sense of responsibility goes along with gun ownership for the vast majority of Americans who own a firearm.
    Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    My collaborators and I are currently exploring whether stressing other parts of gun ownership may help owners to move beyond this negative spiral. For instance, while owners often talk about “danger,” they also talk frequently about “responsibility.”

    Being a responsible gun owner is central to many owners’ identities. In one study, 97% of owners reported that they were “more responsible than the average gun owner,” and 23% rated themselves as being in the top 1% of responsibility overall. This, of course, is statistically impossible.

    To more fully understand the many ways responsible firearm ownership can look, we are in the process of interviewing gun owners from all around the state of Wisconsin, a notably diverse state when it comes to gun ownership. We’re tapping into as many of the ways of owning a gun as we can, talking with protective owners, hunters, sport shooters, collectors, folks in urban areas, folks in rural areas, men, women, young people, old people, liberals, conservatives, and, of course, trying to capture the complex ways that race shapes ownership.

    Who do gun owners feel they are responsible for? What kinds of actions do they think responsible owners take?

    We hope to learn more about the many different ways that people conceptualize what a gun can do for them. American gun cultures are complex and distinct things. By exploring the worldviews that support firearm ownership, we can better understand what it means to live in the U.S. today.

    Nick Buttrick receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

    – ref. Americans own guns to protect themselves from psychological as well as physical threats – https://theconversation.com/americans-own-guns-to-protect-themselves-from-psychological-as-well-as-physical-threats-239363

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: COVID Select Refers Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for Criminal Prosecution

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Wenstrup (OH-02)

    Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) sent a criminal referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ) recommending former New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo be charged with making false statements to Congress. In an apparent effort to shield himself from accountability, evidence suggests Mr. Cuomo knowingly and willfully made false statements to the Select Subcommittee on numerous occasions about material aspects of New York’s COVID-19 nursing home disaster and the ensuing cover-up.

    Overwhelming evidence uncovered by the Select Subcommittee proves that Mr. Cuomo reviewed, edited, and even drafted portions of a purportedly independent and peer-reviewed New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Report that was used to combat criticism of his Administration’s pandemic-era nursing home policies. This Report low-balled nursing home fatalities and blamed nursing home staff for causing excess COVID-19 deaths. During Mr. Cuomo’s transcribed interview in June, he testified (1) he was not involved in the review or drafting of this Report, (2) he did not have any discussions about a peer-review of the Report, and (3) he did not have any knowledge of individuals outside the NYSDOH reviewing the Report. Each of these statements are demonstrably false. The Select Subcommittee recommends the DOJ review the evidence laid out in the criminal referral and immediately evaluate criminal charges against Mr. Cuomo.

    “Andrew Cuomo repeatedly lied to Congress, and he must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Both witness testimony and new documents serve as evidence that the former Governor made false statements to the Select Subcommittee during our COVID-19 nursing home investigation. This deliberate and self-serving attempt to avoid accountability for the thousands of lives lost in New York nursing homes during the pandemic will not stand. If his prior criminal activity is any reflection, Andrew Cuomo is not a man of principle, and his willingness to lie to the Select Subcommittee is unfortunately a continuance of this behavior. Plain and simple, making false statements to Congress is a federal crime. We look forward to cooperating fully with the Justice Department’s investigation into Andrew Cuomo’s wrongdoings,” said Chairman Wenstrup.

    Read the full criminal referral here and an additional supporting transcript here.

    Review former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s transcribed interview transcript here.

    Relevant Nursing Home Investigation Timeline:

    • March 25, 2020: The Cuomo Administration recklessly directed New York nursing homes and long-term care facilities to admit COVID-positive and potentially COVID-positive patients. As a result, New York’s most vulnerable population was recklessly exposed to COVID-19.
    • July 6, 2020: The NYSDOH released a Report alleging nursing home staff — not the March 25 Directive — caused excess COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes. According to witness testimony and new documents revealed in the Select Subcommittee’s referral, Mr. Cuomo personally drafted and edited portions of this purportedly independent and peer-reviewed report.
    • January 28, 2021: New York State Attorney General Letitia James released an investigative report claiming, in part, that Mr. Cuomo and his team undercounted the total number of nursing home deaths by as much as 50 percent.
    • May 19, 2023: The Select Subcommittee began its investigation into New York’s pandemic response and the disastrous March 25 Directive.
    • As a part of this investigation, the Select Subcommittee conducted transcribed interviews with notable former New York State officials, such as Dr. Howard Zucker, Dr. Eleanor Adams, Dr. James Malatras, Mr. Gareth Rhodes, Ms. Linda Lacewell, Ms. Elizabeth Garvey, and Ms. Melissa DeRosa.
    • December 1, 2023: The Select Subcommittee requested Mr. Cuomo appear for a transcribed interview.
    • December 22, 2023 – March 5, 2024: The Select Subcommittee engaged in the negotiation and accommodation process with Mr. Cuomo and his legal team in an effort to secure his testimony.
    • March 5, 2024: After months of unjustified and unreasonable delays, the Select Subcommittee was forced to announce a subpoena for Mr. Cuomo’s testimony.
    • June 11, 2024: Mr. Cuomo appeared for a transcribed interview. During this interview, he testified that he was not involved in drafting the NYSDOH’s July 6 Report and that he did not review the Report prior to its public release. New evidence demonstrates these statements to be false.
    • September 9, 2024: The Select Subcommittee released a nearly 50-page memo presenting evidence that Mr. Cuomo and his team were involved in the decision to issue New York’s disastrous March 25 Directive, and then, acted repeatedly to downplay the tragic aftermath of their decision.
    • September 9, 2024: Mr. Cuomo’s attorney expressed her objections regarding the above-mentioned memo. In an effort to address those objections, the Select Subcommittee sent a series of additional questions to a former witness concerning his recent communication with Mr. Cuomo. (See September 25, 2024 for further information)
    • September 10, 2024: Mr. Cuomo appeared for a hearing, at which he was held publicly accountable for his role in New York’s pandemic-era failures.
    • September 10, 2024: The Select Subcommittee announced a subpoena for current New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Her administration has continued to withhold documents related to the Cuomo Administration’s nursing home disaster.
    • September 25, 2024: The Select Subcommittee released evidence suggesting Mr. Cuomo attempted to inappropriately influence a witness.
    • October 30, 2024: Mr. Cuomo was referred to the Justice Department for making false statements to Congress.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Missouri Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years on New Child Pornography Charge

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced a registered sex offender who was caught with child pornography to 10 years in prison.

    James Darrick Beeler, 53, of Glenwood, Missouri, had more than 200 videos containing child sexual abuse material on a laptop and more than 200 videos on two thumb drives. On June 29, 2022, the Missouri State Highway Patrol discovered that someone was sharing two videos of child pornography on a peer-to-peer file sharing program. They traced the videos to Beeler’s home. Beeler later admitted to investigators that he used his laptop to search for and download child sexual abuse material.

    Beeler pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in May to one count of possession of child pornography. In 2007, he was convicted in Schuyler County of abuse of a child.

    The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case. 

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rockledge Man Pleads Guilty To COVID-19 Fraud

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

    Orlando, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robert William Burns, III (44, Rockledge) has pleaded guilty to COVID-19-related wire fraud. Burns faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

    According to the plea agreement, in 2021, Burns applied for three Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans to support two of his businesses – RB3 Ventures LLC and The Social Wizards. In all three applications, Burns made false statements to obtain the loans. In one instance, he inflated his company’s income to obtain a larger payout and supported the application with false or fictitious tax documents. In total, Burns fraudulently obtained $57,186 in PPP funds. Burns then spent all the funds on non-business purposes.

    As part of his plea agreement, Burns has agreed to forfeit $57,186 and make full restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

    This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: United States Files Suit for Unpaid Duties and Penalties for Alleged Failure to Pay Duties on Imported Chinese Bedroom Furniture

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    The United States has filed a civil lawsuit against Lawrence Bivona, who was the President of LaJobi Inc., a Delaware corporation that imported Chinese-manufactured children’s bedroom furniture into the United States. The lawsuit alleges that Bivona made false statements to customs officials and, as a result, avoided paying antidumping duties owed on the imported furniture.

    At the time merchandise is entered into the United States, the importer is responsible for providing all information necessary to enable Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess the applicable duties owed on the goods, including any antidumping duties applicable to the merchandise. Antidumping duties are trade remedies that help protect domestic industries from unfair trade practices by foreign businesses and countries, such as government subsidies or below market sales.

    The United States’ complaint contends that Bivona caused LaJobi to misrepresent the identity of the manufacturers of the children’s furniture imported from China. In particular, the United States alleges that Bivona falsely represented that the furniture was manufactured by Chinese entities subject to duty rates of approximately 7% or less, and failed to disclose that the furniture was actually manufactured by entities subject to duty rates of 216%.

    “Anti-dumping duties play an important role in countering illegal foreign trade practices and protecting U.S. manufacturers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to pursue those who seek to gain an unfair advantage by violating our trade laws.”

    “These civil penalties support the seriousness of CBP’s trade mission and protect the U.S. economy, while maintaining fair trade and preserving American jobs from predatory practices,” said Executive Director Susan Thomas of CBP’s Cargo and Conveyance Security, Office of Field Operations. “CBP’s antidumping and countervailing duties enforcement aims to mitigate harm by anti-competitive behavior and supports a level playing field for U.S. companies injured by unfair trade practices.”

    “We take very seriously our role in protecting the U.S. economy from illegal and predatory trade practices,” said Assistant Director Ivan J. Arvelo of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Global Trade Investigations. “HSI is committed to working alongside CBP and partners to stop those who engage in fraud to circumvent U.S. trade laws.”

    The complaint seeks the recovery of over $7 million in import duties and over $15 million in civil penalties.

    HSI Newark led the investigation with CBP Trade Regulatory Audit Newark, CBP Associate Chief Counsel New York, CBP Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising (CPMM) Center of Excellence and Expertise. CBP and HSI are the agencies responsible for enforcing U.S. laws related to the importation of merchandise into the United States, including the collection of duties and assessment of penalties.

    Trial Counsel Daniel Hoffman of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, National Courts Section, is handling the case.

    The case is filed in the Court of International Trade and captioned United States v. Lawrence Bivona No. 24-00196.

    To combat trade fraud, including avoidance of import duties, the Justice Department created a Trade Fraud Task Force. The Task Force partners with CBP and other law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with U.S. trade laws.

    The claims in the complaint are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: “Booker” for High-End Brothel Network Pleads Guilty

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    BOSTON – A Dedham, Mass., man who served primarily as the “booker” for an interstate prostitution network that operated sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston. 

    Junmyung Lee, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; and one count of money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Feb. 12, 2025. Junmyung Lee was arrested and charged in November 2023 with co-defendants Han Lee, 42, of Cambridge, Mass. and James Lee, 69, of Torrance, Calif. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. Han Lee pleaded guilty on Sept. 27, 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 20, 2024.

    From at least January 2022 through and including November 2023, Junmyung Lee knowingly conspired with Han Lee and, allegedly, James Lee to operate an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia designed to entice women to travel interstate to engage in prostitution. Junmyung Lee and his alleged co-conspirators also knowingly conspired with one another, and others, to launder the proceeds of the prostitution network by concealing that the money was derived the prostitution conspiracy.

    Junmyung Lee was recruited to work for the prostitution network in approximately late 2021 through early 2022, as the business expanded. His main role in the conspiracy was that of the appointment “booker” and assisted with various tasks to maintain the prostitution network. In exchange, Han Lee paid Junmyung Lee $6,000-$8,000 per month.

    As “booker,” Junmyung Lee was responsible for vetting sex buyers, booking appointments, as well as communicating directly with vetted customers via at least two cell phones – for Massachusetts and for Virginia, respectively. These brothel cell phones each contained over 2,800 verified customers of the prostitution business. An additional known cell phone containing additional contacts for the Virginia brothel was never recovered. Junmyung Lee also helped transport women to and from the airport, with some women working at the brothel locations on multiple occasions and in multiple states.

    The defendants allegedly rented high-end apartments in Massachusetts and Virginia to serve as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. In June 2022, Junmyung Lee leased one of the brothel locations in Cambridge, Mass. under his own name. In exchange for the lease, Junmyung Lee received a large cash payment of prostitution proceeds from Han Lee. A portion of the cash payment went towards the purchase of a Corvette.

    Additionally, Junmyung Lee collected the cash proceeds from the various brothel locations at the direction of Han Lee. Junmyung Lee would then conceal the proceeds via structured deposits into personal bank accounts. Additionally, it is alleged that the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at the brothel locations.

    Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

    The charge of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of funds laundered, whatever is greater. 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.

    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central District of California and the Eastern District of Virginia; the U.S. Postal Service; and Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye, of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Presses Department of Justice on Failure to Hold TD Bank Executives Accountable, “Legal Gymnastics” That Allowed Bank to Escape “Death Penalty”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    October 31, 2024

    $670 million laundered through TD Bank

    “These charging decisions represent absurd legal gymnastics by DOJ that ultimately have allowed the bank and its top executives to avoid full responsibility for their actions. This is not an acceptable outcome.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, questioning them on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) “legal gymnastics” that allowed TD Bank to escape the bank death penalty — and DOJ’s failure thus far to hold any top executives accountable for egregious crimes. DOJ’s recent settlement with TD Bank over money laundering and other charges did not include any of the bank’s high-level executives, and appears to be intentionally structured so that the bank can escape the full scope of penalties for its failures.

    “The way that DOJ structured the plea agreement ensures that TD Bank will not face the full range of penalties that Congress has enacted for banks that engage in criminal money laundering,” wrote Senator Warren.

    Senator Warren noted that TD Bank’s crimes hurt hundreds of thousands of people. Top executives allowed the bank to act as a criminal slush fund, knowingly presiding over a criminally deficient anti-money laundering program while growing the bank such that its “risk profile increas(ed) significantly.”

    “These shocking failures enabled three separate money laundering syndicates to launder more than $670 million through the bank between 2019 and 2023. The magnitude of the dollar value of these illicit transactions is dwarfed only by the obviousness of the criminal activity,” wrote Senator Warren.

    The letter highlights past comments from Deputy Attorney General Monaco which emphasized the importance of “individual accountability” and the need to “identify the most serious wrongdoers, whether individuals or companies” and hold them accountable. Senator Warren noted that the TD Bank settlement does not meet DOJ’s own apparent standards.

    Though the penalties against TD Bank appropriately include an asset cap and a $3 billion fine, “(u)ntil and unless those executives who presided over TD Bank’s institutionalized money laundering are held accountable, banks will continue to factor enforcement fines into the cost of doing business, rather than approaching compliance with our money laundering laws with the seriousness it requires,” wrote Senator Warren.

    The structure of DOJ’s settlement also enables TD Bank to evade the full scope of bank regulators’ consequences for its misdeeds. Specifically, the charges shift responsibility for the hundreds of millions of dollars in money laundering from TD Bank to its holding company, which precludes the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) from invoking the bank “death penalty” provision.

    “These charging decisions represent absurd legal gymnastics by DOJ that ultimately have allowed the bank and its top executives to avoid full responsibility for their actions. This is not an acceptable outcome,” wrote Senator Warren.

    Senator Warren has fought to hold corporations and their executives accountable for lawbreaking:

    • In October 2024, Senators Warren and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, urging DOJ to investigate Boeing executives following years of promoting short-term profits over passenger safety. 
    • In October 2023, Senator Warren sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, calling on the DOJ to immediately reverse its newly unveiled “safe harbor” policy that would provide a get-out-of-jail-free card for mergers involving corporate white-collar criminals.
    • In August 2022, Senators Warren and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) sent a letter to Attorney General Garland and Deputy Attorney General Monaco urging DOJ to use its authority to ban corporations that commit misconduct from government contracting.
    • In May 2019, Senator Warren and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) released a new report: Rigged Justice 2.0: Government of the Billionaires, by the Billionaires, and for the Billionaires. The report is the second in a series on the failure of the federal government to hold corporate and white-collar criminals accountable and highlights how enforcement hit a 20-year low under the Trump administration.
    • In April 2019, Senator Warren introduced the Corporate Executive Accountability Act, which holds executives of large corporations criminally responsible when their companies commit crimes, harm large numbers of Americans through civil violations, or repeatedly violate federal law.
    • In March 2018, Senator Warren introduced the Ending Too Big to Jail Act to hold big bank executives accountable when the banks they lead break the law. 
    • In January 2016, Senator Warren released a report: Rigged Justice: How Weak Enforcement Lets Corporate Offenders Off Easy. The report highlights 20 of the most egregious civil and criminal cases during the past year in which federal settlements failed to require meaningful accountability to deter future wrongdoing and to protect taxpayers and families.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Holds Beverly Hills Accountable for Preventing Reproductive Health Clinic from Opening, Failing to Protect California’s Constitutional Right to Abortion

    Source: US State of California

    Today’s first-of-its-kind stipulated judgment will ensure Beverly Hills comes into full compliance with the law and provides a benchmark for local governments to align with state reproductive healthcare laws

    The City to abide by robust injunctive measures including mandated training and reporting

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the filing of a stipulated judgment with the City of Beverly Hills resolving allegations that the City violated the California Constitution, Article I, sections 1 and 1.1, and the Reproductive Privacy Act, Health and Safety Code. In September 2022, DuPont Clinic (Dupont), an abortion provider in Washington, D.C., sought to open a clinic in Beverly Hills, California. However, despite their public position of support for abortion rights, Beverly Hills officials actively implemented barriers, which prohibited Dupont from opening its reproductive health clinic in the City. Today’s stipulated judgment requires Beverly Hills to abide by robust injunctive measures including, among other things, requiring training about the state and federal protections for reproductive healthcare clinics and requiring reporting of compliance with the stipulated judgment to the Attorney General’s office.

    “At a time when access to abortion care is under attack across this nation, it is now more critical than ever to double down on our commitment to protect those seeking reproductive healthcare in our state,” said Attorney General Bonta. “It is troubling that, even here in California where access to reproductive healthcare is a constitutional right, Beverly Hills officials have taken actions reminiscent of those in extremist red states by illegally interfering with, and ultimately preventing a new reproductive healthcare clinic from opening. Today’s first-of-its kind agreement will ensure that the City abides by comprehensive training and education of reproductive healthcare laws. The agreement also serves as a benchmark for local governments to evaluate their healthcare policies and services, guaranteeing that they not only comply with the law, but also fulfill California’s broader commitment to reproductive healthcare access. At the California Department of Justice, we believe that reproductive healthcare is a fundamental right and will ensure that this right is upheld, free from political interference, and hold accountable those who break the law.” 

    In September 2022, Dupont signed a lease for a medical suite, owned and managed by Douglas Emmett, in Beverly Hills. DuPont spent $2.5 million to renovate the leased medical suite and applied for required City permits in early February 2023. Beginning in late 2022 and continuing into Spring 2023, anti-abortion protestors began to engage in protests outside and around the building and to lobby City officials against the opening of the DuPont clinic through objections at council meetings and private meetings. Through its investigation, DOJ found that the City unlawfully interfered with DuPont’s opening by improperly delaying the issuance of approved building permits and actively engaged in a pressure campaign against the property owner and manager Douglas Emmett, resulting in the termination of DuPont’s lease. For instance, City leadership, including the City Manager, Police Chief, City Attorney and the former Mayor, inaccurately claimed that a new DuPont Clinic would cause security threats against the building’s other tenants, going so far as to say that the building would be subject to violent protests, bomb threats, and “lone-wolf” active shooters. In fact, the City had no evidence or intelligence of any such threats. The City then claimed they would be so overwhelmed by this fictitious threat that they would be unable to provide resources to the landlord and building — threatening to abandon their sworn responsibility to uphold public safety. When these manipulation tactics didn’t work, City leadership threatened to send a letter from the Beverly Hills Police Department to all of Douglas Emmett’s other tenants in the building, warning them about the threats posed by the clinic, continuing to mount pressure until Douglas Emmett decided to end its contract with DuPont Clinic.

    The stipulated judgment is the result of the DOJ’s investigation highlighted above, and as part of the stipulated judgment, which is subject to court approval, enjoins the City from violating the California Constitution, Article I, sections 1 and 1.1, and the Reproductive Privacy Act, Health and Safety Code section 123460, and requires the City, among other things:

    • To procure or develop training materials that provide information about the California FACE Act, federal FACE Act, and California’s legal protections and access to all forms of reproductive healthcare, within 90 days after the stipulated judgment is entered.
    • To conduct comprehensive training for City employees about the state and federal protections for reproductive healthcare clinics within 150 days after the stipulated judgment is entered, and every two years thereafter.
    • To publicly post its training resources about state and federal protections for reproductive healthcare clinics.
    • To develop a complaint procedure for potential violations of state and federal laws protecting reproductive rights and reporting those complaints to DOJ.
    • To appoint a Reproductive Compliance Officer who will be responsible for developing the required training materials and ensuring that the relevant employees and elected officials receive the required training.
    • To annually report for the five-year reporting period the City’s compliance with the stipulated judgment.

    A copy of the complaint, stipulation for entry of judgment, and the court judgment are available here and here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: H.R. 9151, Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act of 2024

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    H.R. 9151 would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a unit within its criminal division to investigate and prosecute trade-related crimes, including the evasion of sanctions, tariffs, or duties; trade-based money laundering; and smuggling. The bill also would require DOJ to report annually to the Congress on the unit’s activities. 

    Based on the costs of similar programs and activities, CBO estimates that DOJ would need 10 people, at an average annual cost of $250,000 per person in 2025, and $8 million annually in administrative costs to implement the bill’s requirements. Accounting for anticipated inflation, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 9151 would cost $50 million over the 2025-2029 period. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

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

    BECKLEY, W.Va. – Demetrius Terrell Burns, 32, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base. Burns admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2024 Burns received fentanyl from a supplier in Beckley that he used to supply Tilford Joe Bradley Jr., a co-defendant. Burns admitted that on April 12, 2024, he told Bradley by phone that he had received a shipment of “raw” fentanyl. Burns further admitted that he offered to sell Bradley $1,800 worth of raw fentanyl, and they discussed adding cutting agent to the fentanyl to make a larger profit when it was sold. Burns also admitted that he knew Bradley intended to redistribute these drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.

    Burns is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

    Burns is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. Burns is also among four defendants who have pleaded guilty. The charges against Bradley and the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.

    United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case.

    The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

    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. 5:24-cr-90.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Announces Cooperation Agreements and Settlements with Generic Drug Manufacturers Heritage and Apotex for $49.1 Million

    Source: US State of California

    Today’s agreements and settlements will resolve allegations against these companies over conspiracies to inflate prices and limit competition

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 50 states and territories in announcing two significant cooperation agreements and settlements with Heritage Pharmaceuticals and, in the near future, Apotex totaling $49.1 million to resolve allegations that both companies engaged in widespread, long-running conspiracies to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and unreasonably restrain trade on numerous generic prescription drugs. As part of the settlement agreements, both companies have agreed to cooperate in the ongoing multistate litigations against 30 corporate defendants and 25 individual executives. Both companies have further agreed to a series of internal reforms to ensure fair competition and compliance with antitrust laws. A motion for preliminary approval of the $10 million settlement with Heritage was filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut in Hartford. A settlement with Apotex for $39.1 million is contingent upon obtaining signatures from all necessary states and territories and will be finalized and filed for approval in the U.S. District Court soon. 

    “When drug prices are inflated, it often forces patients to make impossible choices between essential medications and basic necessities, while undermining our healthcare system, which is meant to work for individuals, not corporations,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I am proud to stand with 50 states and territories to hold Heritage and Apotex accountable for their unconscionable action of raising drug prices in order to line their own pockets. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to root out anti-competitive practices that manipulate drug pricing to ensure a fair market and consumer access to affordable, life-saving medications.”

    The three cases against these companies stem from a series of investigations built on evidence from several cooperating witnesses at the core of the different conspiracies alleged in each case, a database of over 20 million documents, and a separate database containing millions of call detail records and contact information for over 600 sales and pricing individuals in the generics industry. Each complaint addresses a different set of drugs and defendants and shows how an interconnected web of industry executives meant to be competitors met up for industry dinners, “girls’ nights out,” lunches, cocktail parties, golf outings, and communicated through frequent telephone calls, emails, and text messages, sowing the seeds for their illegal agreements. Defendants used terms like “fair share,” “playing nice in the sandbox,” and “responsible competitor” to describe how they unlawfully discouraged competition, raised prices, and enforced an ingrained culture of collusion. Among the records obtained by the coalition is a two-volume notebook containing the contemporaneous notes of one of the coalition’s cooperators that memorialized his discussions during phone calls with competitors and internal company meetings over a period of several years.

    The first complaint included Heritage and 17 other corporate defendants, two individual Defendants, and 15 generic drug manufacturers. Two former executives from Heritage Pharmaceuticals, Jeffery Glazer and Jason Malek, have since entered into settlement agreements and are cooperating. The second complaint was filed Teva Pharmaceuticals and 19 of the nation’s largest generic drug manufacturers. The complaint names 16 individual senior executive defendants. The third complaint, which will be tried first, focuses on 80 primarily topical generic drugs that account for billions of dollars of sales in the United States and names 26 corporate defendants and 10 individual defendants. Six additional pharmaceutical executives have entered into settlement agreements with the coalition and have been cooperating to support the coalition’s claims in all three cases.  Connecticut led a coalition of nearly all states and territories in filing the three antitrust complaints, starting with the first in 2016.

    If you purchased a qualifying generic prescription drug between 2010 and 2018, you may be eligible for compensation. To determine your eligibility, call 1-866-290-0182 (Toll-Free), email info@AGGenericDrugs.com, or visit www.AGGenericDrugs.com.

    Attorney General Bonta joined the attorneys general of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.

    MIL OSI USA News –