NewzIntel.com

Category: Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Labrador Joins Coalition Asking Supreme Court to Expedite Virginia Voter Registration Case

    Source: US State of Idaho

    [BOISE] – Attorney General Raúl Labrador joined attorneys general from 26 states in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow Virginia to remove non-citizens from its voter roll.
    “It is gravely concerning that the Biden-Harris Department of Justice and liberal activists are fighting so hard to keep non-citizens on the voting rolls, especially this close to an election,” said Attorney General Labrador.  “We cannot permit the ongoing erosion of trust in our most critical freedom, the right to vote, and I’m asking SCOTUS to intervene immediately.”
    The brief argues that a preliminary injunction that halted the state of Virginia from removing self-identified non-citizens from its rolls undermines a states’ authority to determine voter qualifications. Virginia’s law provides mechanisms to protect election integrity, while ensuring only U.S. citizens remain on voter rolls.
    “The upcoming election is hotly contested and has caused division around the country. Perhaps the division would be lower if the federal government were not interfering with the election via last-minute attacks on state efforts to police voter qualifications,” the amicus brief reads.
    The Eastern District of Virginia Court’s recent decision to temporarily stop Virginia from removing non-citizens from its rolls will result in Congress forcing a state to allow non-citizens to vote in an election over the objection of that state.
    It converts Virginia’s statute into a federal mandate that forces states to allow non-citizens to vote in an upcoming election in violation of state law and federal law itself when a non-citizen is discovered on the rolls within 90 days of an election, according to the brief.
    “Non-citizens are not eligible voters. They were not eligible voters before Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act, they were not eligible when Congress passed the NVRA, and they are not eligible today,” the amicus reads.
    In addition to Idaho and Kansas, attorneys general from 25 other states joined the brief. They include attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
    Read the amicus brief here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CAREER ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY TO LEAD DOJ ELECTION DAY PROGRAM IN THE DISTRICT OF NORTH DAKOTA

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Rick L. Volk will lead the efforts of the Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Volk has served as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of North Dakota for the past 20 years, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the Office’s handling of Election Day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington.

    “Lawfully casting a vote without interference or discrimination and having that voted counted in a fair and free election is a fundamental right in North Dakota and across the country,” Schneider said. “There is a history in the District of North Dakota of election officials and staff serving their critical roles without being subject to unlawful threats or violence, and the Department of Justice will do its part to uphold that tradition and protect the integrity of the election process. With an experienced career federal prosecutor as a point of contact on Election Day, our Office stands ready to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns or election fraud in real time while the polls are open.” 

    Volk has led the Office’s Election Day efforts since 2004 and has served as DEO during five presidential elections. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Volk will be on duty while the polls are open in the District of North Dakota.  He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 701-530-2420 and/or 701-297-7400.

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The relevant FBI field office for the District of North Dakota can be reached by the public at 763-569-8000.

    Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.  The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Attempting to Meet a Minor for Sex

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

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Jefferson County man was sentenced today on a charge of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

    U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Robert Elton Trimble, 38, of Kimberly, to 120 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release.  In June, Trimble pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to coerce or entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. 

    According to court documents, on October 16, 2023, Trimble made contact with an individual he believed was a 15-year-old girl on a social networking app. After learning her age on day one, Trimble continued to communicate with the “child,” asking her questions about school, telling her about his work, and requesting photos.  Within two weeks, Trimble turned their conversation sexual by asking the “child” about her sexual experiences and discussing plans to meet her. On November 21, 2023, Trimble arrived for the meeting and was arrested.  Only then did he discover that he actually had been communicating with an undercover officer.  

    FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the National Children’s Advocacy Center have partnered and released a digital series to educate parents and caretakers about sextortion and how they can help prevent kids and teens from being victims. This series offers three-to-five-minute videos about current online safety topics and provides essential information about the true dangers of online activities.

    The videos can be accessed from the following locations:

    https://www.nationalcac.org/sextortion-prevention/

    https://www.youtube.com/@nationalcac

    If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children or online at www.cybertipline.org.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: US Attorney Announces District Election Officer for Alaska Ahead of Election Day

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

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – United States Attorney S. Lane Tucker announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Morgan J. Walker will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Walker has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Alaska, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

    United States Attorney Tucker said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

    United States Attorney Tucker stated that: “The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote can exercise that right if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Walker will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.”

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The public can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov, or contact the local FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    United States Attorney Tucker said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Los Angeles County Man Sentenced to 12 Years and Nine Months in Prison for Child Exploitation Conspiracy with Yuba County Man

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brothers From New York Arrested for Assaulting Law Enforcement with a Weapon and Other Charges During January 6 Capitol Breach

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

                WASHINGTON — Two brothers from New York were arrested today for allegedly assaulting law enforcement with a weapon and other charges related to their alleged conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Their alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                Reynold Robert Voisine, 47, of Nicholville, New York, and Roger Alyre Voisine, Jr., 48, of Canton, New York, are each charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with felony offenses of civil disorder; assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

                In addition to the felonies, the two brothers are also charged with misdemeanor offenses of disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings, and act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

                The FBI arrested the two men today in Plattsburgh, New York, and they will make their initial appearance in the Northern District of New York.

                According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, the Voisine brothers, Roger and Reynold, attended former President Trump’s rally in Washington, D.C., before marching toward the Capitol building and eventually arriving on the West Front of the Capitol grounds. Roger Voisine, distinguishable by a GoPro mounted on a stick, a tripod tucked in his jacket, and a camouflage-patterned backpack, donned a paintball mask as he approached the Lower West Plaza. Reynold Voisine, also present in the area, was seen wearing a paintball mask on his head during the riot.

                By the afternoon, the situation on Capitol grounds had escalated, and it is alleged that both brothers played active roles in the day’s violence. At approximately 3:20 p.m., Reynold Voisine was seen among the crowd as rioters viciously assaulted an officer, dragging the officer from the Lower West Terrace Tunnel and into a mob of rioters. As the attacks continued throughout the day, Reynold remained in the vicinity, using a handheld radio to communicate while the mob assaulted officers inside the Tunnel. The Tunnel was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement that day.

                By 4:25 p.m., Reynold Voisine made his way to the mouth of the Tunnel, where rioters were launching a variety of weapons at the police, including a crutch, a hockey stick, a baton, and multiple poles. It is alleged that Reynold participated in these attacks against officers, first by throwing a crutch at the officers and then by hurling a blue pole that struck police officers. After throwing the pole, he threw the crutch again, which ricocheted off another rioter and hit the officers. Later, Reynold used a stolen riot shield to ram into the police line.

                Around the same time, it is alleged that Roger Voisine was also engaged in direct assaults on police. Court documents say that Roger threw a length of pipe at the officers, pushed into their shields alongside other rioters, and attempted to drag one officer into the crowd. It is further alleged that Roger continued his violent actions by throwing a black rod at the police, hitting one officer’s shield, and later throwing three shoes at various officers. At one point, Roger picked up a wooden table leg with protruding nails, swung it twice at officers, and then aggressively threw it at another officer.

                In addition to these physical assaults, Roger allegedly used a spotlight to shine directly into the eyes of police officers, further hindering their ability to defend themselves against the mob. Throughout the chaos, Roger remained at the front lines of the mob, holding his GoPro in a manner that suggested he was documenting the event.

                This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.

                This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Albany and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the Tampa FBI, U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.                                                     

                In the 45 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,532 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 571 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

                Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

                A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Matt Gaetz Introduces “JAIL for Alien Voters Act” to Punish Illegal Alien Voters with Felony Charges

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Matt Gaetz (1st District of Florida)

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) will introduce the “Judicial Action to Impose Liability for Alien Voters Act,” also known as the JAIL for Alien Voters Act, following President Donald Trump’s warning to illegal aliens: “[i]f you vote illegally, you are going to jail!” The legislation, if enacted, would make voting by an illegal alien a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison or a $10,000 fine, which is in line with the criminal penalty for U.S. citizens unlawfully voting.

    Earlier this month, in response to the Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) suing the Commonwealth of Virginia for removing illegal aliens from its voter rolls, Rep. Gaetz introduced the “National Motor Voter Clarification Act,” which would ensure that states can remove illegal aliens from their voter rolls at any time. These two pieces of legislation would help to secure U.S. elections against voting by the tens of millions of illegal aliens who have entered illegally through the U.S.-Mexico border during the Biden-Harris administration.

    The legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Andy Ogles (TN-5), Andy Biggs (AZ-5), Mike Collins (GA-10), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), and Barry Moore (AL-02).

    “President Donald Trump is right: illegal aliens who vote in our elections should be in jail. It is unacceptable that illegal aliens get lighter sentences for defrauding our elections than U.S. citizens. My legislation, the JAIL for Alien Voters Act, will create parity in punishment for those who commit voter fraud, regardless of immigration status. It’s common sense that U.S. citizens should be the only ones voting in U.S. elections.” said Congressman Gaetz.

    Full text of Congressman Gaetz’s bill can be found HERE. Additionally, exclusive coverage of the bill by Fox News can be found HERE.

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    For updates, subscribe to Congressman Gaetz’s newsletter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Appoints Election Officer for the Eastern District of Kentucky

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

    LEXINGTON, Ky. – United States Attorney Carlton S. Shier, IV, announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Kate Smith will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Smith has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of Kentucky and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

    United States Attorney Shier said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election.  Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).   

    United States Attorney Shier stated that:  “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Smith will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number:  859-685-4884.”

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (502) 263-6000.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    United States Attorney Shier said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate.  It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

    — END — 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USAO-KS Announces Election Day Program

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

    KANSAS CITY, KAN. – United States Attorney Kate E. Brubacher announced that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Jared Maag will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Maag has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Kansas, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

    U.S. Attorney Brubacher said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election.  Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.  The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).  

    U.S. Attorney Brubacher stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Maag will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (785) 295-2850.

    In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 816-512-8200.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

    U.S. Attorney Brubacher said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate.  It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Burlington Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Charges

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

    DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.

    According to public court documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Edward Allen Billheimer, 64, had uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement located electronic devices at Billheimer’s Burlington residence and a search of those devices revealed approximately 100 videos and 400 images of child sexual abuse material, including content of toddlers and infants.

    After completing his term of imprisonment, Billheimer will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Billheimer was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution. In addition, Billheimer will be required to register as a sex offender.

    United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Burlington Police Department.

    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 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schakowsky, Casten, Nadler Introduce Legislation to Help Ensure Safe Access to Reproductive Health Clinics

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)

    Full Text of Bill (PDF)

    EVANSTON – Today, U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Sean Casten (IL-06), and Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) introduced the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Study (FACES) Act of 2024, legislation to study barriers to enforcement of existing protections for access to reproductive health clinics.

    “Since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, we have seen an alarming increase in violence and threats directed toward patients and abortion providers. Federal law prohibits this type of intimidation, yet the problem persists. We need answers,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “Access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including safe, legal, and accessible abortion, is a human right. That is why I’m joining Reps. Casten and Nadler in introducing the FACES Act to determine what further steps must be taken to best protect individuals seeking reproductive care, and the workers who provide the care. For me, the fight to protect reproductive freedom is more than just policy and politics; it’s about human dignity and justice.”

    “Individuals seeking reproductive health care, and the workers responsible for delivering this care, should not face violence or intimidation when entering health clinics,” said Congressman Sean Casten. “While there are theoretically protections in place to ensure this does not happen, enforcement is infrequent and inconsistent. The FACES Act helps us to get to the bottom of why this happens and what Congress can do to ensure safe access to reproductive health centers.”

    “Under the FACE Act, patients are protected under the law from intimidation and violence when they are seeking reproductive healthcare,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler. “Despite these protections, enforcement of the law is inconsistent, contributing to an alarming rise in violence outside of abortion clinics. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the FACES Act to better understand and overcome the barriers to enforcement so Americans across the country can freely access the care they need.”

    In the early 1990s, Congress enacted the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act to protect the rights of patients to safely access reproductive health services in response to violence at abortion clinics and against abortion providers. The FACE Act prohibits violence, threatening, damaging, and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimidate, or interfere with an individual’s ability to seek, obtain, or provide reproductive health services. However, the law is sporadically and inconsistently enforced.

    The FACES Act, introduced by Reps. Casten, and Nadler would study the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) criteria for enforcing the FACE Act, barriers to enforcement, data about variations in enforcement across the country, plans to overcome variations and barriers to enforcement, steps the DOJ can take to communicate best practices to state and local police, and legislative options available to Congress to ensure more fulsome enforcement of the FACE Act.

    The National Abortion Federation reported a significant increase in violence and disruptions against abortion providers in 2022 compared to 2021. The findings showed a 229% increase in stalking, a 231% increase in burglary, and a 25% increase in invasions targeting abortion clinic staff, patients, and providers. In the past decade, abortion clinics experienced a 100% rise in anthrax and bioterrorism threats. Furthermore, the number of clinic blockades more than doubled in recent years, and incidents of picketing at facilities have been growing exponentially for years.

    In July, Reps. Schakowsky, Casten, and Nadler led 51 colleagues in a letter urging the Department of Justice to fully enforce the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and protect safe access to reproductive health care facilities. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Nadler, Casten, Schakowsky Introduce Legislation to Help Ensure Safe Access to Reproductive Health Clinics

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Sean Casten (IL-06), and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) introduced the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Study (FACES) Act of 2024, legislation to study barriers to enforcement of existing protections for access to reproductive health clinics.

    “Under the FACE Act, patients are protected under the law from intimidation and violence when they are seeking reproductive healthcare,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler. “Despite these protections, enforcement of the law is inconsistent, contributing to an alarming rise in violence outside of abortion clinics. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the FACES Act to better understand and overcome the barriers to enforcement so Americans across the country can freely access the care they need.”

    “Individuals seeking reproductive health care, and the workers responsible for delivering this care, should not face violence or intimidation when entering health clinics,” said Congressman Sean Casten. “While there are theoretically protections in place to ensure this does not happen, enforcement is infrequent and inconsistent. The FACES Act helps us to get to the bottom of why this happens and what Congress can do to ensure safe access to reproductive health centers.”

    “Since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, we have seen an alarming increase in violence and threats directed toward patients and abortion providers. Federal law prohibits this type of intimidation, yet the problem persists. We need answers,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “Access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including safe, legal, and accessible abortion, is a human right. That is why I’m joining Reps. Casten and Nadler in introducing the FACES Act to determine what further steps must be taken to best protect individuals seeking reproductive care, and the workers who provide the care. For me, the fight to protect reproductive freedom is more than just policy and politics; it’s about human dignity and justice.”

    In the early 1990s, Congress enacted the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act to protect the rights of patients to safely access reproductive health services in response to violence at abortion clinics and against abortion providers. The FACE Act prohibits violence, threatening, damaging, and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimidate, or interfere with an individual’s ability to seek, obtain, or provide reproductive health services. However, the law is sporadically and inconsistently enforced.

    The FACES Act, introduced by Reps. Casten, Nadler, and Schakowsky would study the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) criteria for enforcing the FACE Act, barriers to enforcement, data about variations in enforcement across the country, plans to overcome variations and barriers to enforcement, steps the DOJ can take to communicate best practices to state and local police, and legislative options available to Congress to ensure more fulsome enforcement of the FACE Act.

    The National Abortion Federation reported a significant increase in violence and disruptions against abortion providers in 2022 compared to 2021. The findings showed a 229% increase in stalking, a 231% increase in burglary, and a 25% increase in invasions targeting abortion clinic staff, patients, and providers. In the past decade, abortion clinics experienced a 100% rise in anthrax and bioterrorism threats. Furthermore, the number of clinic blockades more than doubled in recent years, and incidents of picketing at facilities have been growing exponentially for years.

    In July, Reps. Casten, Nadler, and Schakowsky led 51 colleagues in a letter urging the Department of Justice to fully enforce the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and protect safe access to reproductive health care facilities. 

    Text of the FACES Act can be found here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Company Charged with Conspiring to Sell Misbranded N95 Masks to Hospital in Early Months of COVID-19 Pandemic

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

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

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    October 29, 2024

    This is the second company charged in connection with the scheme; three individuals also charged with misbranding N95 masks

    BOSTON – A California company, and three individuals who owned and managed the company, have been charged and have agreed to plead guilty to charges relating to the shipment of facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.  

    Advoque Safeguard LLC (ASG) was charged with one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Jason Azevedo, 33, of Cedar Creek, Texas; Paul Shrater, 51, of Simi Valley, Calif.; and Andrew Stack, 52, of Santa Cruz, Calif., were charged with one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce. Plea hearings have not yet been scheduled by the Court.  

    Earlier this month, a second company, JDM Supply LLC (JDM), and two individuals, Daniel Motha and Jeffrey Motha, were charged and agreed to plead guilty in connection with this investigation. In addition, in August 2023, another individual, Jason Colantuoni, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging.  

    According to the charging documents, in the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, ASG and JDM conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. It is alleged that one hospital, identified as “HOSPITAL 1,” accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by ASG and sold to HOSPITAL 1 by JDM.  (HOSPITAL 1 did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to ASG.) It is further alleged that ASG and JDM misled the hospital into believing that the ASG masks were NIOSH-approved N95s, when in fact they were not. In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the ASG masks that had been shipped to HOSPITAL 1. All 10 ASG masks tested between 83.94% and 93.24% filtration efficiency, and thus fell under the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators.  

    The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation.  The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal 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; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are 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 augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud. 
        
    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

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

    HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Nehmiah Allen-Griggs, also known as “Newski,” 23, of Dallas, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Allen-Griggs admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 1, 2023, Allen-Griggs distributed approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a Huntington parking lot in exchange for $2,000.

    On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Highlawn Avenue residence in Huntington and seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Teck .22-caliber pistol, and various rounds of ammunition. Allen-Griggs admitted that he and others used the residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

    Allen-Griggs is scheduled to be sentenced on February 10, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.

    Allen-Griggs is among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.

    Allen-Griggs is also among 22 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the 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 Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.

    United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are 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. 3:23-cr-180.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by SJ at plenary session of 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference in Singapore (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the speech by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the plenary session of the 14th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference in Singapore today (October 29):Mr Chairman, Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,     To begin with, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Your Excellency Mr Lucien Wong, SC, for organising this year’s conference.Urgent call for co-operation in the fight against financial crimes     The theme of this year’s conference is “Fostering Co-operation on Combating Financial Crimes”. The definition of financial crimes is very wide. In Hong Kong, they cover a broad range of money-related criminal activities including money laundering, terrorists financing, fraud, theft, market misconduct as well as corruption and irregularities in the financial market. There is, however, very often a common element: that is they involve transboundary elements.     In recent years, we have witnessed an alarming rise in financial crimes. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that money laundered globally in one year is 2-5 per cent of global gross domestic product, that is approximately US$800 billion to $2 trillion. Hong Kong, which ranks No. 1 in the 2024 Economic Freedom of the World Report compiled by the Fraser Institute, is not immune to these challenges. According to the latest statistics released by the Hong Kong Police Force, over 19 000 cases of deception were registered in the first half of 2024, accounting for around 44 per cent of the total number of crimes and resulting in the loss of HK$4.48 billion.     There is, therefore, no wonder why there is consensus that international co-operation to combat financial crimes is both essential and imminent. In May this year, the Heads of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the UNODC and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) issued an unprecedented joint call for actions to be taken across sectors and at the global level to target the huge illicit profits generated by transnational organised crimes that facilitate conflicts, fund terrorism and negatively impact vulnerable populations.     Hong Kong is committed to engaging in international co-operation to combat financial crimes proactively. This is both required and made possible by the principle of “one country, two systems”. In the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Article 109 gives Hong Kong the mandate to provide an appropriate economic and legal environment for the maintenance of the status of Hong Kong as an international financial centre. Under Articles 96 and 152 of the Basic Law respectively, Hong Kong may make appropriate arrangements with foreign states for reciprocal juridical assistance, and representatives of Hong Kong may participate in international organisations or conferences as members of delegations of the People’s Republic of China or in other appropriate capacity.     Hong Kong has been adopting a four-pronged approach in combating financial crimes with international elements: first, espousing international regulatory standards; second, establishing a collaborative network for effective prosecution and asset recovery; third, embracing technologies as our new tools; and, lastly, encouraging knowledge and experience sharing.Espousing international regulatory standards     Let me begin with espousing international regulatory standards. While different jurisdictions have diverse legal landscapes and different financial systems, it is essential to ensure that the local legal and regulatory frameworks would comply with international standards. I am proud to say that Hong Kong has so far successfully achieved this objective.     Owing to the fact that, in practice, it is very often difficult to identify, catch and bring participants of financial crimes to justice and that the loss and damage caused by such crimes are in many cases untraceable and irrecoverable, the Hong Kong law in this respect focus very much on effective prevention and early detection of suspicious transactions. Our Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615) (AMLO) sets out the requirements on financial institutions regarding customer due diligence and record keeping; and other legislations impose statutory obligations for reporting suspicious transactions. Earlier this year, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal in a landmark judgment known as Tam Sze Leung & Ors v Commissioner of Police (2024) 27 HKCFAR 288 upheld the validity of the “letters of no consent” scheme under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 455), which aims at assisting financial institutions to consider how to deal with, or not to deal with, funds known or suspected to be proceeds of crime.     On the other hand, the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong publishes alert list to provide early warnings to investors on suspicious investment products and virtual asset trading platforms. Very recently in August this year, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Police Force and the Hong Kong Association of Banks, extended the coverage of the Suspicious Account Alert to physical branches and Internet banking transactions.     Hong Kong has been a member of the FATF, an intergovernmental organisation which sets global standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, since 1991. In the fourth round of FATF mutual evaluation in 2018-19, Hong Kong’s anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) system has been assessed to be compliant and effective overall, making it the first jurisdiction in the Asia-Pacific region to have achieved an overall compliant result. The FATF also adopted Hong Kong’s follow-up report and recognised Hong Kong’s efforts in strengthening its AML/CFT regulatory regimes last year.     That said, Hong Kong does not remain complacent. Hong Kong is also one of the founding members of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), an autonomous FATF-style regional anti-money laundering body, founded in 1997. The APG published annual reports to assist governments and other stakeholders to have a better understanding about the nature of existing and emerging threats. The 2023 report includes a chapter on threats and trends related to virtual assets and virtual asset service providers. Hong Kong took the initiative to introduce a licensing regime for virtual asset service providers under AMLO, which came into effect in June 2023. To further strengthen the virtual assets regulatory framework in Hong Kong, we consulted the public on a regulatory regime for stablecoins earlier this year and had received overall support.Establishing a collaborative network for effective prosecution and asset recovery     Let me turn to establishing a collaborative network across jurisdictions to enable effective prosecution of financial crimes and asset recovery.     Hong Kong has established a comprehensive co-operation regime for the mutual legal assistance and surrender of fugitives. The Department of Justice of Hong Kong published various practical step-by-step guidelines, such as “Guide to Asset Recovery in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” and “Guidelines for Making Applications under the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance (Cap. 525)”, with a view to assisting our foreign counterparts in understanding the procedures in relation to international legal co-operation in criminal matters in Hong Kong and the wide range of legal assistance that may be provided by Hong Kong, such as taking of oral evidence, obtaining materials under production orders, enforcement of external confiscation orders and restraining of dealing in property which may be subject to external confiscation orders, etc.     Over the years, the Department of Justice has been providing effective and timely assistance to various foreign jurisdictions, including our ASEAN and Asia-Pacific partners. Let me share with you some examples. Recently, pursuant to a request made by an East Asian country, we have successfully obtained from the High Court a restraint order freezing assets in the form of cryptocurrencies of a total value of more than US$20 million, which are suspected to be proceeds of a massive fraudulent scheme. In another case regarding a request received from Indonesia, we have restrained over US$8 million worth of assets, representing proceeds of offences of fraud and money laundering, with a view to repatriating the confiscated funds back to the victim of crimes in Indonesia eventually. Singapore is one of our most valued and top legal co-operation partners. Thanks to the tireless effort of the Attorney General’s Chambers of Singapore, a fugitive was successfully surrendered back to Hong Kong earlier this month to face justice in court for offences relating to a securities fraud. In another case involving offences of money laundering and corruption, Hong Kong is working very closely with Singapore in our collaboration to repatriate US$13 million of proceeds of crime back to the victim in Mainland China. In yet another example, with the joint effort of Interpol and following extensive information sharing and joint investigations by the police from Singapore and Hong Kong, a transnational syndicate allegedly involved in laundering ill-gotten gains derived from tech support scams, including around HK$33 million from the victims in Singapore, has recently been crippled in August this year, resulting in the arrest of eight persons in Singapore and Hong Kong.     Another significant development in 2024 is that, on June 26, 2024, Hong Kong has officially joined the South East Asia Justice Network (SEAJust), which was established in 2020 with the support of the UNODC. This enables Hong Kong to make use of this important platform to facilitate co-operation in criminal matters with other members, including all my friends here today.     I feel obliged to take this opportunity to register my disappointment that, due to geopolitical reasons, some Western countries have unilaterally suspended their mutual legal co-operation arrangements with Hong Kong, which is plainly against common interests. Geopolitical considerations should not be allowed to hinder international co-operation in fighting financial crimes.Embracing technologies as our new arsenal of tools     Let me move on to embracing technologies as our tools. In this digital age, technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace. It is unfortunate that it has been misused to enable financial crimes to transcend borders and get “bigger” in terms of quantity and complexity, and allow the culprits to hide their identities in the virtual world.     To counter such misuse, we should consider how to deploy technological advancements as our ally. In particular, we should proactively explore the possibilities of leveraging powerful artificial intelligence (AI) tools for detecting and disrupting financial crimes at an early stage. For example, AI-powered systems may facilitate real-time online transaction monitoring and individual behavioural analysis, and alert unusual transaction patterns with speed and accuracy that human beings cannot duplicate. AI-assisted automation may also play a pivotal role in enhancing the efficiency of investigations. AI technology is able to analyse vast amounts of data at lightning speed. Automating some repetitive but essential tasks throughout the investigation process enables investigation officers to dedicate their time and energy to developing strategies in higher-impact cases.     On September 9, 2024, with a view to accelerating the use of AI in monitoring money laundering and terrorist financing risks, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority published a circular on “Use of Artificial Intelligence for Monitoring Suspicious Activities”. The HKMA observed that AI-powered systems take into account a broad range of contextual information focusing not only on individual transactions, but also the active risk profile and past transaction patterns of customers in determining whether the activity of a customer should be flagged for further investigation. These enhanced systems have proved to be more effective and efficient than conventional rules-based transaction monitoring systems.Encouraging knowledge and experience sharing     Lastly, let me say a few words on encouraging knowledge and experience sharing.     Last month, a dedicated team of prosecutors who specialise in prosecuting sophisticated and syndicated high-tech crimes in the Prosecutions Division of the Department of Justice of Hong Kong paid a visit to Guangdong Provincial People’s Procuratorate, the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou Internet Court. The sharing sessions with Mainland judges and procurators were greatly beneficial to deepening the mutual understanding of the latest trends of deception cases and the handling of cryptocurrency cases.     And, of course, international symposiums and conferences provide an excellent forum for free flow of ideas, which assist in gathering and accumulating a general pool of knowledge, and stimulating new and innovative ideas to combat financial crimes. This successful conference is, by itself, a perfect example.     In this aspect, I am very pleased to inform you that, next month between November 27 and 29, Hong Kong will organise the 11th Asia and Pacific Regional Conference of the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) under the theme of “Effective Prosecution Service in the Technological Age”. I look forward to welcoming you to Hong Kong.     Lastly, I am also very pleased to inform you that the Department of Justice of Hong Kong will formally establish the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy very soon. The Academy will organise practical training courses, seminars, and international exchange programmes to promote exchanges among legal professionals coming from different jurisdictions. This may serve as an additional platform for capacity building and experience sharing in the area of international co-operation on combating financial crimes.Concluding remarks     To conclude, while the challenges we face in our fight against financial crimes are daunting and are likely to be ongoing, they are ones that we can and must overcome – together. In this war that we cannot afford losing, let us remain steadfast to our commitment to align with international regulatory standards, work closely via various collaborative networks, make better use of emerging technologies, and share knowledge and experience. In co-operation lies our strength, and in action lies the promise of a secure financial environment where trust and integrity flourish.     On this note, may I once again thank the Attorney-General’s Chambers of Singapore for giving me and other members of the Hong Kong delegation such a fruitful experience at this successful conference, and to all the distinguished speakers and friends from the Mainland and ASEAN countries for their sharing of valuable insights and experiences. Thank you very much.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Syracuse Man Sentenced to Over 21 Years for Receiving Child Pornography from Multiple Minors via Snapchat

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – William Futrell, age 31, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve over 21 years (262 months) in federal prison following his previous conviction for ten counts of receipt of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Buffalo Field Office, and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.

    As part of his previous guilty plea, Futrell admitted that he used Snapchat to communicate with minors from across the country. In some instances, Futrell would offer to pay the minor children to entice them to send explicit images to him, but with no intention of ever paying them. On at least the 10 occasions charged, Futrell obtained, directly from minor children, images depicting the children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Futrell is a registered sex offender with a previous conviction for possession of child pornography in New York.

    Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also ordered that Futrell serve a 15-year term of post-incarceration supervised release. Futrell will be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.

    United States Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation with the assistance of the NYSP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the NYSP Troop D Computer Crime Unit. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck prosecuted Futrell as part of Project Safe Childhood. 

    Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).  Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: FACT SHEET: President Joe  Biden Announces $3 Billion to Strengthen Port Infrastructure, Create Good-Paying and Union Jobs, Bring Cleaner Air to  Communities

    Source: The White House

    President Biden will travel to the Port of Baltimore to announce $147 million in awards, which will support up to 2,000 good-paying and union jobs at the Port

    Today, President Biden will travel to the Port of Baltimore to announce a $3 billion investment from his Inflation Reduction Act to improve and electrify port infrastructure, support an estimated 40,000 good-paying and union jobs, reduce pollution, and combat the climate crisis.  The announcement includes $147 million in awards for the Maryland Port Administration, which will support over 2,000 good-paying and union jobs by enabling the purchase and installation of zero-emission port equipment, charging infrastructure, and power improvements. During the visit, President Biden will highlight how his Investing in America agenda is making an historic impact on communities and workers in Baltimore and across the country.

    $3 Billion Investment to Strengthen Port Infrastructure

    Today, President Biden is announcing $3 billion in Environmental Protection Agency Clean Ports grants, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, to 55 selectees across 27 states and territories, including $147 million in implementation and planning grants for the Maryland Port Administration. The nation’s ports are the lynchpin of our nation’s supply chains and employ over 100,000 union workers across the United States.

    This funding will protect and create good-paying and union jobs and better working conditions by upgrading port operations and infrastructure to cleaner equipment, while ensuring cleaner air for port workers and nearby communities. The Clean Ports program will support an estimated 40,000 jobs across the economy, including over 6,500 manufacturing jobs, and is expected to increase demand for American manufactured electric cargo handling equipment at least six-fold over the life of the program.

    While a major economic driver, our nation’s ports are a major source of pollution for workers and surrounding communities. Communities living near ports and other transportation corridors are exposed to toxic pollution which can cause respiratory and cardiovascular harm, especially in children. The Clean Ports program will improve air quality at ports across the country by installing clean, zero-emission freight and ferry technologies along with associated infrastructure, eliminating more than 3 million metric tons of carbon pollution over the first ten years of implementation, equivalent to 391,220 homes’ energy use for one year. The funds announced today will support the purchase of battery-electric and hydrogen-powered human-operated and human-maintained equipment, including over 1,500 units of cargo handling equipment, 1,000 drayage trucks, 10 locomotives, and 20 vessels, as well as shore power systems for ocean-going vessels, battery-electric and hydrogen vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure, and solar power generation. The Clean Ports program advances the President’s Justice40 Initiative and aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal for a zero-emission freight sector.

    Investing in the Port of Baltimore

    President Biden will announce the funding at the Port of Baltimore in Maryland. The Port of Baltimore is one of the busiest ports on the East Coast and is a major hub for the import and export of vehicles. More than 20,000 workers support daily Port operations, including unionized longshoreman and truckers. Each day the Port’s economic impact represents $192 million or more than $70 billion a year, representing 13% of Maryland’s gross domestic product.

    The Maryland Port Administration’s Equipment Electrification and Terminal Decarbonization project has been selected to receive over $145 million to purchase zero-emission cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks and facilitate the transition of the port to a zero-emission facility, as well as a nearly $2 million planning grant to help the port chart a path to greater emissions reductions in the future, delivering cleaner air for the port and neighboring communities. The port is a major economic engine for the region, providing thousands of jobs and contributing billions of dollars to the local economy—and this new investment will support over 2,000 jobs, including more than 350 manufacturing jobs.

    Creating Good Paying, Union Jobs in Baltimore and Across the Country

    President Biden is the most pro-union president in history. He’s the first and only president to walk a picket line, and under his Administration, unions have secured historic labor wins. Last month, President Biden signed an Executive Order that calls on agencies to promote strong labor standards such as family-sustaining wages, workplace safety, and the free and fair choice to join a union, and encourages agencies to implement these standards through their Investing in America programs. This builds on a record of pro-worker accomplishments throughout the Biden-Harris Administration. For example:

    • Workers are filing for union representation at twice the rate they were at the start of the Biden-Harris Administration—the first Administration in five decades to have an increase in union petitions. In Maryland, union petitions increased by 55% percent. The National Labor Relations Board has met this historic moment by reducing unnecessary delays in union representation elections and by expanding remedies available to workers when their employers engage in unionbusting.
    • The vast majority of Investing in America programs require grantees to pay Davis-Bacon prevailing wages for workers. The Administration also published the first update to Davis-Bacon prevailing wages in nearly 40 years, which will increase pay for one million construction workers over time.
    • The Department of the Treasury finalized a rule implementing prevailing wage and apprenticeship bonus credits for certain clean energy projects funded by the President’s Inflation Reduction Act to ensure clean energy workers are paid good wages and that these projects create equitable pipelines to these good jobs.

    Building on Historic Investments in Maryland’s Infrastructure and Economy

    Today’s announcement builds on a historic investment in the state of Maryland under the Biden-Harris Administration. To date, the Investing in America agenda has delivered over $13 billion for over 970 projects in Maryland, spurring over $3 billion in private sector investments.

    This includes a number of projects in Baltimore, for example:

    • $4.7 billion for Amtrak’s Frederick Douglass Tunnel—which will replace the 150-year-old Baltimore and Potomac tunnel that is currently one of the largest rail bottlenecks on the Northeast Corridor;
    • $213 million to replace the Maryland Transit Administration’s entire fleet of 52 aging light rail vehicles with new, modern rail cars;
    • $80 million for interchange improvements at the I-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel;
    • $68 million for upgrades at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall airport;
    • $43 million to identify and replace toxic lead pipes across Maryland;
    • $31 million to rehabilitate a section of the Dundalk Marine Terminal at the Port; and
    • $9 million to Baltimore City Public Schools for clean school buses.

    Baltimore was also named an Investing in America Workforce Hub, where the Administration is bringing together industry, government, educators, non-profits and unions to help workers in Maryland access good jobs created by private and public sector investments in the state. In November 2023, Hub partners announced new efforts to train and hire local residents to support major infrastructure projects. These commitments include one from the State of Maryland to incorporate a Project Labor Agreement in the bidding process for nine projects covering $9 billion in investment and 11,000 jobs—including 7,000 construction jobs. One of these commitments includes Amtrak promising to invest at least $5 million in funding received through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to create recruitment and training programs for new jobs for Baltimore residents as part of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program.

    The Department of Commerce also awarded the Maryland Department of Labor $23 million through the Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge to create a new apprenticeship model for the growing offshore wind industry in Maryland, working with leading employers and local unions to develop a training model focused on underserved populations. The Maritime Administration is further supporting the Maryland offshore wind industry through a $47 million grant to Sparrows Point Steel to retool, a former Bethlehem Steel mill in Baltimore, to establish an offshore wind logistics and manufacturing hub in partnership with the United Steelworkers.

    The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has also unleashed $3 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in Maryland, including:

    • A $350 million investment by United Safety Technology in Baltimore to produce critical medical supplies, including personal protective equipment.
    • A $300 million investment by AstraZeneca in a state-of-the-art facility in Rockville to launch life-saving cell therapy platforms for cancer trials.
    • A $230 million investment by Catalent to expand its advanced gene therapy manufacturing campus in Harmans.

    The Administration’s Investing in America agenda continues to make critical investments that will improve the lives and futures of all Marylanders.

    The Biden-Harris Administration’s Ongoing Support for Baltimore

    President Biden was last in Baltimore in the immediate aftermath of the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge, which claimed the lives of six construction workers and closed ship traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore. There, he said his Administration would move heaven and earth to reopen the Port of Baltimore as quickly as possible to support Maryland’s workers and economy. A Unified Command led by the United States Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers cleared 50,000 tons of wreckage from the channel, allowing the Port to fully reopen 78 days after the bridge collapse. The Department of Labor and Small Business Administration mobilized quickly to support workers and small businesses impacted by the port closure, including thousands of Longshoremen and Teamsters who rely on the port for their livelihood. And the Department of Transportation and the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force worked to limit supply chain disruptions, keep costs down, and ensure cargo quickly returned to the Port once it reopened. Today, port workers are back on the job, once again moving more than 100,000 tons of cargo per day.

    The President also committed to rebuilding the bridge as quickly as possible. Thanks to close collaboration with the Department of Transportation, Maryland is on the fast track to rebuild the bridge. In July, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Categorical Exclusion, allowing the project to clear a critical permitting milestone. And in August, Maryland selected a contractor to design and build the new bridge.  Immediately following the bridge collapse, President Biden called on Congress to fully fund the replacement bridge and his Administration reiterated this request in July.

    The Biden-Harris Administration also committed to holding the owners of the DALI cargo ship accountable for the disaster. Just last week, the Department of Justice announced a settlement of over $100 million with the owners of the DALI to cover federal government costs incurred in responding to the collapse. While the State of Maryland continues to pursue a separate lawsuit for damages incurred to the local economy, community, and families impacted by the collapse, the Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to working with Baltimore and the State of Maryland to ensure the city’s long-term recovery and success.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: November 2024 General Election

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal, Southern District of Iowa, announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Amy Licht will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.  AUSA Licht has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of Iowa, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

    United States Attorney Westphal said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election.  Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

    The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.  The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

    Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).   

    United States Attorney Westphal stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Licht will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 515-473-9300.”

     In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 515-223-4278.

    Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

     United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate.  It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

    Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rockford Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for sex trafficking.

    TRAVIS THOMAS, 34, was convicted in June of sex trafficking, including multiple counts of coercing and transporting the victim across state lines to engage in prostitution.  U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. imposed the sentence Friday during a hearing in federal court in Rockford.

    The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  The Rockford Police Department, Hoffman Estates, Ill. Police Department, and Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincenza L. Tomlinson and Jessica S. Maveus, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica V. Mallory.

    In 2017 and 2018, Thomas targeted the victim, supplied her with crack cocaine that kept her dependent on him, and manipulated her drug addiction to force and coerce her to engage in commercial sex acts for Thomas’s financial benefit. Thomas transported the victim to hotels in Rockford, Wisconsin, and Texas for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts.  Thomas also used and threatened physical violence against the victim to force and coerce her to continue to engage in commercial sex.  Thomas then kept all of the proceeds and spent it on himself and others, including a new vehicle, gambling, clothing, and food.

    In addition to the commercial sex, Thomas also used fraud and financial coercion to take the victim’s credit cards, file fraudulent tax returns and insurance claims in her name, empty her bank accounts, and sell her belongings.  The victim was finally able to escape in April 2018, with the help of an individual who took the victim to a hospital after she was severely beaten by Thomas.  While at the hospital, a trained nurse identified her as a victim of sex trafficking and called law enforcement.

    If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1 800-843-5678.  The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Boston Pizzeria Chain Sentenced to More than Eight Years in Prison for Forced Labor

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    BOSTON – The owner of Stash’s Pizza, a pizzeria chain in Massachusetts, was sentenced on Oct. 25, 2024 for forced labor charges. The defendant forced or attempted to force six victims to work for him and comply with excessive workplace demands through violent physical abuse; threats of violence and serious harm; and repeated threats to report the victims to immigration authorities for deportation.

    Stavros Papantoniadis, a/k/a “Steve Papantoniadis,” 49, of Westwood, Mass., was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 102 months in prison, one year of supervised release and ordered to pay a $35,000 fine. At a jury trial in June 2024, Papantoniadis was convicted of three counts of forced labor and three counts of attempted forced labor. Papantoniadis has remained in custody since his arrest on March 16, 2023.

    “Labor trafficking exploits the vulnerable through fear and intimidation, all in pursuit of the almighty buck. That is what Stavros Papantoniadis did when he violated the rights of the people working in his restaurants. He deliberately hired foreign nationals who lacked authorization to work in the United States and then turned their lack of immigration status against them, threatening them with deportation and violence to keep them under his control,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “I commend the bravery of the victims here for speaking out and taking a stand against their trafficker. I hope that their strength to speak out sends a message to others whose rights are being abused that the federal government will not tolerate labor trafficking. The stiff sentence imposed on Mr. Papantoniadis demonstrates that there are grave consequences for employers who engage in this type of conduct.”

    “Stavros Papantoniadis exploited and abused his employees, denying them the basic dignity every person deserves. Today’s significant sentence sends a message to employers — employees deserve to work in safety, free from harassment and abuse and exploitative employers will be held to account,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations, New England. “Labor exploitation targets the disenfranchised in our society but we want employees to know that they have a voice and HSI is working with our partners to uphold and enforce labor laws.”

    “Stavros Papantoniadis used threats of arrest, deportation, reprisals, and physical violence to ensure his employees worked for wages lower than required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Today’s sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to work with our law enforcement and Wage and Hour Division partners to aggressively investigate labor trafficking by individuals who enrich themselves through coercion or force,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

    Papantoniadis forced or attempted to force five men and one woman to work for him through violent physical abuse, threats of abuse, and repeated threats to report victims to immigration authorities to have them deported. Papantoniadis thinly staffed his pizza shops, and purposely employed workers without immigration status to work behind the scenes, for 14 or more hours per day and as many as seven days per week. To maintain control of those undocumented workers, he made them believe that he would physically harm them or have them deported. He monitored the workers with surveillance cameras, which he accessed from his cell phone, and constantly demeaned, insulted and harassed them. When Papantoniadis learned that one victim planned to quit, he violently choked him, causing that victim to flee the pizza shop and run to safety in the parking lot. When other victims separately expressed their intentions to quit, Papantoniadis told one victim that he would kill him and call immigration authorities; and he threatened another worker by telling him he knew where the victim lived. When another worker tried to leave and drive away from one of Papantoniadis’ pizza shops, Papantoniadis chased the victim down Route 1 in Norwood, Mass., and falsely reported the victim to the local police in an effort to pressure the victim to return to work at the pizza shop.

    Papantoniadis is the owner and operator of Stash’s Pizza, a chain of pizzerias with locations in Dorchester and Roslindale, and previously had pizzerias in Norwood, Norwell, Randolph (d/b/a Boston Pizza Company), Weymouth (d/b/a Pacini’s Italian Eatery), and Wareham, Mass.

    Members of the public who believe they are a victim of labor trafficking or have information about labor trafficking, please call 888-221-6023, Option 5 or send an email with contact information to USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, HSI SAC Krol and DOL-OIG SAC Mellone made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, the Boston Police Department, and the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy E. Moran, Chief of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit, and Brian A. Fogerty of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit prosecuted the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada  

    The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

    Lisa A. Wannamaker, Assistant Crown Attorney at the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario in Peterborough, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Lindsay. Justice Wannamaker replaces Justice D.S. Gunsolus (Lindsay), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective March 28, 2022.

    Robin A. Bellows, a sole practitioner in Huntsville, is appointed a Judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Parry Sound. Justice Bellows replaces Justice J. Stothart (Parry Sound), who will be transferred to Sudbury upon the appointment of a new Judge. Due to internal court transfers by the Chief Justice, the vacancy is located in Parry Sound.   

    Quote

    “I wish Justices Wannamaker and Bellows every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve Ontarians well as members of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario”.

    —The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

    Biographies

    Justice Lisa A. Wannamaker was raised in Peterborough. She received an honours degree in political science and economics from the University of Waterloo after which, she travelled and lived abroad in Ireland.  She later attended law school at Queen’s University. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2005.

    Justice Wannamaker worked for Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and the Ontario Securities Commission. She joined the Etobicoke Crown Attorney’s Office in 2006 and joined the Peterborough office in 2012. She has handled complex prosecutions in both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice including homicides, sexual assaults, and dangerous offender proceedings.  She was frequently involved in education and training for other crowns and presented to police services across the province on search issues, expert issues and statements. She was an annual director for the crown attorney school on expert evidence. She also taught in the forensic science program at Trent University.

    Justice Wannamaker is highly committed to her community. She was on the board of Big Brothers and Big Sisters Peterborough and worked as a manager and game day announcer with the Peterborough Wolverines Football Organization and the Kinsmen Minor Football League. She was an articling principal and a mentor to junior lawyers. She has volunteered for student moots, and with the Ontario Justice Education Network.

    Justice Wannamaker enjoys travel with friends, and spending time between the lake and the football fields, with her two wonderful children and her dog.

    Justice Robin A. Bellows was born in Toronto and spent most of her formative years in Newfoundland. She began her undergraduate degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College at the University of Toronto in 2003 before obtaining her Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2006. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2007.

    Justice Bellows started her criminal defence practice in Muskoka in 2007, where she worked as a sole practitioner and as duty counsel for 10 years. In 2017, she became the Agent for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada for Parry Sound. In 2023, she was appointed as a per diem Deputy Judge of the Small Claims Court.

    Justice Bellows served on the Board of the Muskoka Law Association since 2008 and became President in 2020. Additionally, she has been the President of the Parry Sound Law Association since 2021. For several years, she had the joy and privilege of coaching the Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School mock trial team. Outside of her legal pursuits, she shared her creative talents with the Muskoka theatre community, creating costumes and props for local productions.

    Justice Bellows is also a watercolor artist, a keen player of high-strategy board games, and a loving mother to two bright and caring children.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Nova Scotia

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada 

    The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

    The Honourable D. Shane Russell, Associate Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia in Sydney, is appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in Sydney. Justice Russel replaces Justice R. Gogan (Sydney), who was elevated to the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal effective February 19, 2024.

    Quote

    “I wish Justice Russell every success as he takes on his new role. I am confident he will serve the people of Nova Scotia well as a member of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.”

    —The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

    Biography

    Justice D. Shane Russell was bom and raised in North Sydney. He graduated from the University of Manitoba Robson Hall Law School in 2003 and has a Bachelor of Science Advance Major Psychology from Dalhousie University. He was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 2004

    Justice Russell was appointed Associate Chief Judge of the Nova Scotia Provincial Court in February 2024. Prior to his appointment as Judge of the Nova Scotia Provincial Court in 2021, he practiced law for 17 years, all of those as a Crown Attorney at the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service. He served as co-counse! with the Desmond Fatality Inquiry. While serving as Senior Crown Counsel, he routinely carried many complex and high-profile prosecutions involving, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, home invasion, and homicide.

    Justice Russell had served as a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society’s bar council, Gender equity committee, and Provincial Court Liaison Committee. He is also the past president of the Cape Breton Barristers’ Society and the Nova Scotia Crown Attomeys’ Association.

    Justice Russell is happily married to Nicole Russell, also from North Sydney. He is the proud older brother of two siblings, Trevor Russell and Nadine Russell-Wadden.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of British Columbia

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada  

    The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointments under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

    The Honourable Peter H. Edelmann, a Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, is appointed a Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia in Vancouver. Justice Edelmann replaces Justice P. Willcock, who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective June 19, 2024.

    Scott Morishita, Associate Counsel at Rice Harbut Elliott LLP in Vancouver, is appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver. Justice Morishita replaces Justice P.H. Edelmann (Vancouver), who was elevated to the Court of Appeal for British Columbia effective October 25, 2024.

    Quote

    “I wish Justices Edelmann and Morishita every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve the people of British Columbia well as members of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia and the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

    —The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

    Biographies

    Justice Peter H. Edelmann is fluently bilingual and was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2019. He received an undergraduate degree in French literature and philosophy from the University of Toronto and went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of British Columbia. In 2004, he received both LL.B. and Civil Law degrees from McGill University. He was called to the bar of British Columbia in 2005.

    Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2019, Justice Edelmann was a partner at Edelmann and Company, a recognized immigration and refugee law firm in Vancouver. He had begun his career as a sole practitioner primarily focused on criminal defence, in a practice that came to encompass national security, extradition, immigration and refugee law.

    Justice Edelmann appeared before all levels of the federal and provincial courts, as well as the various divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board. He was an active member of the Immigration Section of the Canadian Bar Association and sat on the litigation committee for the Canadian Council for Refugees. He appeared regularly before Parliamentary committees and before the Supreme Court of Canada.

    Justice Scott Morishita was born and raised in Richmond. He is Japanese Canadian and a proud member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and an LL.B. from the University of Victoria. He was called to the British Columbia bar in 2007.

    Justice Morishita was Associate Counsel at Rice Harbut Elliott LLP, where he acted for plaintiffs in personal injury claims. Prior to that, he was Legal Counsel at the Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia, where he defended local governments in various types of liability claims. He spent his career as a civil litigator, representing a diverse range of clients, including individuals, insurance companies, and local governments.

    Justice Morishita is a passionate volunteer and a strong advocate for lawyers’ mental health. He dedicated his time to numerous legal organizations, serving as President of the Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia (B.C.) Branch for the 2023-24 term, and as a Law Society of B.C. appointee to the Transitional Board of Legal Professions B.C. He was also a past board member of the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C. and an active member of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (B.C.).

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment to the Tax Court of Canada

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 28, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada  

    The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

    Laurie A. Goldbach, Partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Calgary, is appointed a Judge of the Tax Court of Canada. Justice Goldbach replaces Justice A. Pelletier, who was appointed Associate Chief Justice of the Tax Court of Canada on December 14, 2023.

    Quote

    “I wish Justice Goldbach every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve Canadians well as a member of the Tax Court of Canada.”

    —The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

    Biography

    Justice Laurie A. Goldbach was raised in Arva, a hamlet near London, Ontario. She received a B.A. Hons (1995) from Huron College at the University of Western Ontario and a LL.B. from University of Victoria (1998). She clerked with the Court of Appeal for Ontario before being called to the Ontario Bar in 1999, and the Alberta Bar in 2000.

    Justice Goldbach has lived and worked in Calgary for the past 25 years. She began her litigation career with Bennett Jones LLP before moving to a tax litigation boutique within Deloitte LLP in 2014. She joined Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in 2017 where she led the national tax disputes practice and served as regional group manager of the specialized business group. She has appeared before courts from coast to coast: the Supreme Court of Canada, all levels of courts in Alberta and Quebec, the Federal Courts, the Tax Court of Canada, and courts in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia.

    Justice Goldbach chaired the Tax Court Bench and Bar Committee of the Canadian Bar Association, was a Governor of the Canadian Tax Foundation, and a regular speaker at professional development programs and conferences. She has been invested in mentoring students and lawyers and supporting mental health and wellness in the legal community. She is a long-time supporter of ASSIST and co-chaired a task force on mental wellness amongst dispute lawyers.

    Justice Goldbach and her spouse, Brett, are proud parents of one remarkable teenage daughter.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sorensen Announces More Than $350,000 to Prevent Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Against Children

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    PEORIA, IL – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) announced a $359,034 grant to the Young Women’s Christian Association of McLean County (YWCA) to support families impacted by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.   

    “Every child deserves to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment, free from any form of violence,” saidSorensen. “But when a child does go through such a deeply traumatic experience, we need to step up as a community and make sure that child has our support. This important funding coming to the YWCA of McLean County will ensure that local organizations, that already do so much to help our neighbors, have the resources they need to prevent and respond to crimes against our kids. I look forward to working with local leaders to deliver federal investments in the future that will keep our communities safe.”  

    “Being awarded this grant truly shows our dedication to building a safer community,” said Jennifer Golliday, Director of YWCA Stepping Stones. “With this additional support, we will be able to expand our reach and provide sexual violence prevention lessons to youth throughout McLean County. Our goal is to empower them with the knowledge and resources needed to recognize, prevent, and respond to instances of sexual violence, strengthening the community as a whole.” 

    The $359,034 in grant funding comes from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women’s Grants to Prevent and Respond to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, and Sex Trafficking Against Children and Youth Program. With this funding, YWCA will expand current prevention education services and direct services for children and youth ages 11 to 24 who have been impacted by domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and/or sex trafficking.  

    In collaboration with Project Oz, a non-profit in Bloomington, the YWCA will:  

    1. Hire two prevention coordinators to provide sexual violence prevention education lessons and trainings to schools, community organizations, and businesses. 
    1. Partner with Project Oz to offer services to their children and youth clients who are high at-risk youth. 
    1. Provide stipends for after-hour, on call personnel at the hotline and hospital. 

    Congressman Eric Sorensen serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sorensen Announces $400,000 to Prevent Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)

    ROCK ISLAND, IL – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) announced a $400,000 grant to Augustana College to support efforts to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campus.   

    “No student should ever feel unsafe on campus,” saidSorensen. “It is our responsibility to provide our colleges and universities with the tools they need to create a safe environment where our future leaders can learn. This important funding will allow Augustana College to access even more resources to develop peer education and bystander intervention trainings to keep every student safe from domestic violence and sexual assault. I look forward to working with our schools to deliver federal investments in the future that will ensure our campus communities can thrive.”  

    “We’re truly grateful to receive this continuation grant from the Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program,” said Farrah Roberts, Assistant Dean and Director of Student Well-Being at Augustana College. “This support helps us build on what we’ve already achieved, allowing us to enhance our trauma-informed education and support services. We’re dedicated to fostering a safer, more inclusive campus environment, and with this funding, we can continue to work together as a community to tackle these important issues and support our students. Our Peer Educators program, which is funded by the grant, has been incredibly successful by empowering a diverse group of students to lead Bystander Intervention education, each year, they reach hundreds of their peers, fostering a culture of awareness and support on our campus. Peers are given the opportunity, in a safe space, to brainstorm ways that they would intervene in various situations to create safety for one another.” 

    The $400,000 in grant funding comes from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women’s Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program.  

    The Campus Program helps develop campus-based coordinated responses among campus survivor services, campus law enforcement, health care providers, housing officials, administrators, student leaders, faith-based organizations, student organizations, and disciplinary boards to enhance survivor safety, assistance, and hold offenders accountable. 

    Congressman Eric Sorensen serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for nearly 20 years. His district includes Illinois’ Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HKSAR Government strongly condemns US lawmakers’ attempt through a so-called “bill” to intimidate HKSAR personnel safeguarding national security

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (January 25) strongly condemned those United States (US) lawmakers again requesting a review, through a so-called “bill”, of including a number of HKSARG officials, and a number of judges and prosecutors, in a so-called list of “sanctions” in an attempt to intimidate the HKSAR personnel concerned who safeguard national security, as well as the unfounded and biased remarks which deliberately misled the public and smeared the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL). 

         A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said, “It is the constitutional duty of the HKSAR to safeguard national security. In accordance with international law and international practice based on the Charter of the United Nations, safeguarding national security is an inherent right of all sovereign states. Many common law jurisdictions, including western countries such as the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Singapore, have enacted multiple pieces of legislation to safeguard national security. Turning a blind eye to the fact and making exaggerated remarks, the US politicians have demonstrated typical political hegemony and hypocrisy with double standards.”

         “While the ‘black-clad violence’ and the Hong Kong version of ‘colour revolution’ back in 2019 severely damaged the social stability of Hong Kong, the implementation of the NSL in the past four years has enabled the livelihood and economic activities of the Hong Kong community at large to swiftly resume as normal and the business environment to be restored and improved continuously. In the Economic Freedom of the World 2024 Annual Report, Hong Kong ranks as the world’s freest economies among 165 economies. In the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024, Hong Kong’s ranking improved by two places to fifth globally. However, those US politicians insist on turning a blind eye to all these facts, and even clamour for so-called ‘sanctions’ against the HKSAR personnel who dutifully safeguard national security. The HKSAR Government strongly condemns their political grandstanding rife with ill intentions, which have been seen through by all.

         The spokesperson pointed out, “The HKSAR despises any so-called ‘sanctions’ and shall never be intimidated. It shall continue to resolutely discharge the responsibility of safeguarding national security. The HKSAR Government strongly urges the US politicians concerned to discern facts from fallacies, and immediately stop acting against the international law and basic norms of international relations and interfering in Hong Kong matters, which are purely China’s internal affairs.”

         The spokesperson also pointed out that, “Since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, human rights in the city have always been robustly guaranteed constitutionally by both the Constitution and the Basic Law. The legal framework in safeguarding national security in the HKSAR is in line with relevant international human rights standards. The NSL and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) clearly stipulate that human rights shall be respected and protected in safeguarding national security. The rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents under the Basic Law and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applied to the HKSAR are protected in accordance with the law.”

         “The HKSAR law enforcement agencies have been taking law enforcement actions based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law in respect of the acts of the persons or entities concerned, which have nothing to do with their political stance, background or occupation. The Department of Justice of the HKSAR is in charge of criminal prosecutions under Article 63 of the Basic Law, with all prosecution decisions made based on an objective analysis of all admissible evidence and applicable laws.

         “The Judiciary of the HKSAR exercises judicial power independently in accordance with the law, and everyone charged with a criminal offence has the right to a fair hearing. The courts decide cases strictly in accordance with the evidence and all applicable laws. Cases will never be handled any differently owing to the profession, political beliefs or background of the entities involved. The prosecution has the burden to prove beyond reasonable doubt the commission of an offence before a defendant may be convicted by the court.
          
         “The judicial system of the HKSAR has always been highly regarded by international communities. Any attempt by any country, organisation, or individual to interfere with the judicial proceedings in the HKSAR by means of political power is a reprehensible act undermining the rule of law of the HKSAR. Making any statement with the intent to interfere with or obstruct the course of justice, or engaging in conduct with the same intent, is very likely to constitute the offence of criminal contempt of court or the offence of perverting the course of justice.”

         The spokesman reiterated, “The HKSAR steadfastly safeguards national sovereignty, security and development interests, and fully and faithfully lives up to this top priority of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle. The HKSAR Government will, as always, resolutely, fully and faithfully implement the NSL, the SNSO and other relevant laws safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, to effectively prevent, suppress and impose punishment for acts and activities endangering national security in accordance with the law, whilst upholding the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people in accordance with the law, so as to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of the principle of ‘one country, two systems’.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Windsor Mill Woman Sentenced to More Than Five Years’ Imprisonment in Connection with Conspiracy Involving Fraudulently Obtaining and Attempting to Obtain More Than $3 Million in COVID-19 Cares Act Loans

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

    Glenn Used COVID-19 CARES Act Funds to Pay for a Vacation to Jamaica, a Mercedes-Benz, Luxury Jewelry, including a 31 Carat Diamond Necklace and items from Luis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Dior, Cartier, Gucci, Chanel and Hermes.

    Baltimore, Maryland – On October 23, 2024, Tomeka Glenn, a/k/a “Tomeka Harris” and “Tomeka Davis,” age 47, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, was sentenced by United States District Judge Richard D. Bennett to 65 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release in connection with her conviction on conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to the submission of millions of dollars in fraudulent COVID-19 CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications.  Judge Bennett also directed Glenn to pay restitution in the amount of $3,016,275.62.

    Glenn’s co-defendant Kevin Davis, age 43, also of Windsor Mill, Maryland, pleaded guilty on January 25, 2024 to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  Judge Bennett on May 22, 2024 sentenced him to 24 months’ imprisonment.

    The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. Delbagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department.

    Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program, administered through the Small Business Administration (“SBA”).  The SBA also offered an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations.  An EIDL advance did not have to be repaid, and small businesses could receive an advance, even if they were not approved for an EIDL loan. The maximum advance amount was $10,000.

    According to Glenn’s plea agreement, beginning in June 2020 and continuing through March 2021,  Glenn and various co-conspirators prepared numerous false and fraudulent EIDL and PPP loan applications for various businesses (including some that did not exist in any legitimate capacity)  that included false information concerning, among other things, number of employees, monthly payroll costs, and revenue.  The PPP applications also routinely included false and fraudulent Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) tax forms and bank statements, which were submitted by Glenn to substantiate the false representations made in the applications. 

    Glenn admitted that she received kickback payments from the loan borrowers in exchange for her assistance in connection with the submission of fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications, ultimately receiving more than $400,000 in kickbacks in connection with the scheme.  These kickbacks typically amounted to 10% to 20% of the loan amount.  In total, the kickback scheme resulted in the disbursement of at least $2,715,649.12 in fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL funds in connection with 23 fraudulent PPP and EIDL loans.

    According to Glenn’s plea agreement, Glenn and Davis, received $300,726.50 in PPP/EIDL funds for various entities that they controlled, and Glenn attempted to obtain $601,511.20 in additional fraudulent PPP and EIDL funds too. 

    Glenn used the fraudulently obtained funds to pay for a luxury vacation at a resort in Jamaica, to purchase a 2021 Mercedes-Benz S580 sedan valued at $148,171.60, to buy thousands of dollars in luxury jewelry, as well as numerous other luxury goods, including items from Luis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Dior, Cartier, Gucci, Chanel, and Hermes.

    At the time of her scheme, neither Glenn nor Davis had any legitimate source of income, and in May 2020, each applied for unemployment insurance benefits in the State of Maryland.  In addition, as detailed in Davis and Glenn’s plea agreements, on January 6, 2023, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at their residence.  Davis and Glenn were present at the residence at the time of the search and were arrested in connection with the fraudulent COVID-19 CARES Act loans.  According to Davis’s plea agreement, during the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement found and seized four firearms loaded with ammunition—a 9mm firearm, and three .40 caliber firearms.  Later investigation revealed that  one of the .40 caliber firearms had earlier been reported stolen by its owner.  As further detailed in Davis’s plea, the firearms were hidden by Davis in the air ducts of the residence: two firearms were hidden in the main bedroom air duct where Davis slept and kept his personal effects; the other two firearms were in the air duct of the bathroom closets to the main bedroom.  Moreover, two of the firearms were further stuffed in socks in an attempt to hide them.  Davis admitted that he possessed and secreted the firearms in the air ducts of his home (and in the socks) in an attempt to conceal them from law enforcement after learning that federal agents had a warrant to search his home.  As admitted to at his plea, Davis’s concealment of the firearms constitutes attempted obstruction of the administration of justice with respect to the investigation.  Each of the four firearms recovered from Davis’s home on January 6, 2023 were later found to have his DNA on them.  A later review of Davis’s iCloud account revealed the existence of, among other things, a series of videos depicting Davis handling firearms, including a shotgun and an assault rifle.  Davis knew that his previous felony conviction prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition.

    As part of their plea agreements, Glenn and Davis will be required to forfeit their interest in any assets derived from or obtained by them as a result of, or used to facilitate the commission of, their illegal activities. Specifically, Glenn is required to forfeit a money judgment in the amount of at least $700,726.50; the 2021 Mercedes-Benz; cash in bank accounts she controlled that were held in the names of business entities; and jewelry, including her 3.03 carat yellow diamond engagement ring, Rolex, Cartier and Breitling watches, and a Diamond Miami Cuban Link Chain with 31.5 carats of VS1 diamonds.  Davis must forfeit the firearms and ammunition.

    The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

    For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  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.

    U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, the SBA-OIG, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who is prosecuting the case.  He also recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber and Paralegal Specialist Juliette Jarman. 

    For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md.

    # # #

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts Mexican National of $4.7 Million Methamphetamine Heroin Conspiracy

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

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national who worked with a drug-trafficking organization tied to the Cárteles Unidos cartel in Michoacán, Mexico, was convicted by a federal trial jury today of his role in a $4.7 million conspiracy to distribute more than 335 kilograms of methamphetamine and 22 kilograms of heroin in the Kansas City, Mo., metropolitan area and throughout the United States.

    Luis Eduardo Pineda-Zarao, 29, a citizen of Mexico residing in Lebanon, Tennessee, was found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin from Feb. 28, 2020, to June 1, 2022.

    The indictment alleges the conspiracy involved the distribution of more than 335.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, with an average street price of $300 per ounce, and more than 22.1 kilograms of heroin, with an average street price of $1,500 per ounce.

    During the investigation, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations conducted two undercover bulk cash pickups totaling $308,775 and seized $610,400 in bulk cash, over 56 kilograms of methamphetamine, 5.5 kilograms of heroin, 2.6 kilograms of marijuana, and at least eight firearms, two of which were stolen. Law enforcement officers also seized $277,863 during a vehicle stop and $114,863 while executing search warrants at four Kansas City, Mo., residences.

    Pineda-Zarao is among 44 defendants charged in this case. Nine co-defendants have been sentenced and 34 co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

    Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for less than an hour before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Monday, Oct. 21.

    Under federal statutes, Pineda-Zarao is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and Megan Baker. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Olmsted County, Minn., Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI, the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

    Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

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

    KC Metro Strike Force

    This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Physician Charged in Scheme to Illegally Sell Cancer Drugs

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

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

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Friday, October 25, 2024

    Detroit – A Royal Oak physician was charged in an Indictment for his role in a multi-million-dollar scheme to illegally sell and divert expensive prescription cancer drugs, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.

    Joining Ison in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Special Agent in Charge Ronne Malham, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    Charged in the Indictment is Dr. Naveed Aslam, age 51, of West Bloomfield, Michigan.

    The charges against Dr. Aslam include one count of conspiracy to illegally sell or trade prescription drugs and 10 counts of illegally selling or trading prescription drugs.

    According to the Indictment, by early 2019, and continuing through August 2023, Dr. Aslam, a licensed physician, worked with others to buy and sell expensive cancer drugs for profit and with the intent to defraud and mislead. The other individuals Dr. Aslam worked with identified customers interested in buying prescription cancer drugs, and they communicated with Dr. Aslam about what cancer drugs were requested. Dr. Aslam used his access to certain cancer drugs through his medical practice, Somerset Hematology and Oncology, P.C., to order and purchase the cancer drugs from his supplier. He then sold the cancer drugs to and through the other individuals’ company to the eventual customer. During this scheme, Dr. Aslam acquired and sold more than $17 million in prescription cancer drugs, and personally profited more than $2.5 million.

    “The safety and integrity of our country’s prescription drug supply lines – particularly for cancer drugs – is an important part of our health care system,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “As alleged, Dr. Aslam used his role as a physician to violate that integrity and divert prescription cancer drugs away from treating patients. My office is committed to prosecuting medical professionals who seek to profit, rather than protect, our health care system.”

    “Our agency is dedicated to ensuring that medical providers follow laws designed to protect both the integrity and solvency of Federal health care programs, as well as the beneficiaries they serve,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work closely with our Federal law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate allegations of fraud.”

    “Having the authority to prescribe medication is a privilege that comes with a profound responsibility. Physicians must safeguard against drug diversion,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Dr. Aslam’s alleged participation in this scheme not only allowed him to profit unlawfully from the sale of cancer drugs, but it also posed a serious threat by potentially placing these medications into the wrong hands. This breach of trust is inexcusable, especially considering the critical nature of the drugs involved. The FBI is unwavering in its commitment to hold medical professionals accountable for exploiting their positions for personal gain and endangering community safety.”

    “Introducing diverted prescription drugs into the supply chain and selling them to unsuspecting consumers undermines the FDA safeguards designed to protect the public,” said Ronne Malham, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Chicago Field Office‎. “We remain committed to bringing to justice those who place their personal gain over the health of American consumers.”

    “A physician’s ethical responsibility is to their patients, not to selling cancer drugs under the table for profit,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “We will protect patients against fraud, especially from those in positions of public trust who choose greed over public safety.”

    An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Lievense. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica A. Nathan of the Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Unit is handling related forfeiture matters. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the FBI, HHS-OIG, HSI, and the FDA.

    MIL OSI USA News –