Category: Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: James C. Thompson Sentenced To Twenty Years For Transportation Of A Minor In Interstate Commerce With The Intent To Engage In Sexual Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On January 24, 2025, James C. Thompson, 72, formerly of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, was sentenced to 240 months by the Honorable Travis R. McDonough, District Court Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Thompson was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and to serve three years on supervised release.  In addition, Thompson will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.

    As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Thompson agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with four counts of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in sexual activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(a).

    According to court filed documents, in 2000, Thompson traveled on separate occasions with three different boys and sexually molested them.  Thompson was 48 years old at the time and the young boys were less than 18 years old.  Thompson drove them from the community where they lived, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, to different out-of-state locations.  When Thompson’s conduct was discovered, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation confronted Thompson and he confessed.

    U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, made the announcement. 

    The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Jackson County Alabama Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.  This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Samuel Moore.

    Assistant United States Attorney James T. Brooks and Special Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Minor represented the United States.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

    For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab “resources.”

                                                                                                                 ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Columbia Man Indicted on Sex Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges Involving 11 Victims

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a 22-count indictment against defendant Leon-Bobby Jones-Hubbard, 31, of Columbia, charging him with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; two counts of sex trafficking of a minor; nine counts of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse materials; nine counts of coercion and enticement of a minor into illegal sexual conduct; and one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material.

    The indictment alleges that from at least June 2023 to present, Jones-Hubbard used social media platforms including Facebook to target, recruit, and exploit 10 minor victims who ranged from 5 to 16 years old and were located in Arkansas, Michigan, Alabama, Wisconsin, and Texas. The indictment further alleges the defendant paid money through Cash App, PayPal, and Meta Pay to induce and entice minors into illegal sexual conduct, including sex trafficking and the production of child sexual abuse material.

    An adult with a severe developmental disorder was also targeted and exploited, according to the indictment, by Jones-Hubbard using an intermediary to coerce the victim into sex acts through physical restraint, physical force, and violence in exchange for money.

    Jones-Hubbard faces a penalty of up to life in prison. He also faces mandatory minimum penalties of 15 years, 10 years, and five years in prison on various counts charged.  He faces fines of up to $250,0o0 per count, a special assessment of $5,000 per count, mandatory restitution payable to any victims who suffered loss in connection with criminal conduct, court-ordered supervision of life to follow any term of imprisonment, and federal and state sex offender registration requirements.

    Jones-Hubbard was arraigned in federal court on Jan. 23 and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing before United States Magistrate Judge Paige J. Gossett on Jan. 28 at 2:30 p.m.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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 sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and E. Elizabeth Major are prosecuting the case.

    U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Repeat Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A registered sex offender has pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to child pornography charges.

    Corey Bouchard, 34, of Douglas, pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with accessing with intent to view child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025 in Worcester. Bouchard was charged by complaint in April 2024.  

    During a November 2023 search of Bouchard’s home, a cache file was found on Bouchard’s cell phone, which contained approximately 72 videos depicting child pornography. The file names of approximately 56 of those videos matched the file names from media files shared by others to Kik messenger group chats that Bouchard was in. Bouchard admitted to accessing child pornography with the intent to view it.

    Bouchard has a prior state conviction for possession of child pornography and is a registered sex offender. The charge of access with intent to view child pornography provides for a sentence of a minimum of 10 years in prison and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, an assessment of $5,000, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3014, and assessment of up to $17,000, a mandatory special assessment of $100, restation, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Uxbridge and Douglas Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: Maryland Man Convicted in $20M Insurance Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    A federal jury convicted a Maryland man yesterday for conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, money laundering, filing false tax returns and identity theft.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, James Wilson, of Owings Mills, conspired with others to defraud insurance companies by obtaining over 30 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million.

    Wilson also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that he then used to pay premiums on fraudulently-obtained life insurance policies. To conceal the fraud, Wilson transferred the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. Wilson filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which concealed approximately $5.7 million and $2 million respectively of fraud proceeds.

    Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering; and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return. Wilson also faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.

    IRS-CI investigated the case, with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and Maryland Attorney General.

    Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney and HSI Announce Federal Sex Crimes Involving a Minor Against U.S. Army Soldier

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A U.S. Army soldier has been charged with multiple federal sex crimes involving a minor, including interstate travel for sexual conduct and production of child sexual abuse material, following an investigation by federal authorities.

    The indictment alleges that between November 2022, and May 2024, Victor Barnett Lane allegedly coerced a minor into sexual activity, traveled from South Korea to New Mexico for purposes of sexual activity, and produced child sexual abuse imagery.

    Lane has been ordered to remain in custody pending trialIf convicted, Lane faces a minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.

    Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division and Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

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

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Corporation and Former Chief Executive Officer Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Tax Conspiracy

    Source: United States Attorneys General 9

    The Justice Department announced today that KBWB Operations LLC, which did business as Atrium Health and Senior Living (KBWB-Atrium), and former Chief Executive Officer and Managing Member Kevin Breslin of KBWB-Atrium, both pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of tax conspiracy related to the operation of numerous skilled nursing facilities.

    “Americans rely on skilled nursing facilities to care for themselves, family members and other loved ones, and the operators of these institutions must live up to their obligations and the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to help ensure the safety and dignity of our must vulnerable citizens.”

    Breslin, 58, of Hoboken, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on Dec. 17, 2024. KBWB-Atrium pleaded guilty in the same court on Jan. 21. Breslin is one of six owners of KBWB-Atrium. KBWB-Atrium’s corporate headquarters was located in Little Falls, New Jersey, and its Midwest corporate office was located in Appleton, Wisconsin. KBWB-Atrium operated and owned nursing facilities in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

    On Feb. 1, 2023, a Wisconsin grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against defendants Breslin and KBWB-Atrium (collectively the defendants) charging health care fraud and tax conspiracy, among other charges. According to court documents, from approximately Jan. 1, 2015, to in or about September 2018, KBWB-Atrium operated and owned 23 skilled nursing facilities in Wisconsin, and Breslin was responsible for overseeing all of KBWB-Atrium’s operations. The primary source of income for the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities was federal Medicare and Medicaid funds from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

    According to court documents, the defendants’ alleged health care fraud scheme involved unlawfully diverting CMS funds intended for the operation, management, maintenance, and care of the residents of the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities for other purposes and personal expenses. The defendants allegedly prioritized distributions and guaranteed payments to KBWB-Atrium’s owners regardless of KBWB-Atrium’s financial situation. The defendants’ alleged actions resulted in failing to meet the required federal regulations governing skilled nursing facilities, including not operating the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities in a manner that would enhance residents’ quality of life. According to court documents, the defendants also knew that vendors were not being paid for extended periods of time or some were not paid at all for their services. Additionally, defendants allegedly failed to pay third-party administrators monies deducted from KBWB-Atrium employees’ paychecks for insurance premiums and 401(k) plan contributions.

    As a part of the tax conspiracy alleged in court documents, Breslin, acting on behalf of KBWB-Atrium, directed that income taxes and employment taxes withheld from KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin employees’ paychecks not be paid over to the IRS. This caused employees to prepare tax returns listing those withholdings as having been paid to the IRS, which was false.

    The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on May 7 before U.S. District Judge William M. Conleyfor the Western District of Wisconsin. Breslin faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison for the health care fraud count and five years in prison for the conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States count, along with a period of supervised release. Both defendants face restitution and other monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence of each defendant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.       

    “Healthcare fraud affects every American,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “My office was proud to partner with the Justice Department’s Civil Division to help prosecute these individuals who harmed seniors and exploited our health care benefits programs for personal gain.”

    “This guilty plea demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding individuals accountable who exploit vulnerable populations and defraud the healthcare system for personal gain,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Breslin’s actions not only eroded public trust but endangered the well-being of patients who rely on our health care system. The FBI will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to investigate and bring to justice those who abuse positions of trust.”

    “The guilty pleas of Kevin Breslin and KBWB Operations LLC serve as a reminder that healthcare fraud is not only a direct violation of patient care, but also an attack on the financial systems that underpin public and private trust,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Chicago Field Office. “IRS-CI and its law enforcement partners remain dedicated to investigating and prosecuting individuals and businesses who seek to exploit public and private institutions for personal gain.”

    “HHS-OIG is dedicated to protecting Medicare and Medicaid funds and ensuring that health care providers uphold their responsibility to serve vulnerable populations with integrity,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The actions of those involved in this scheme erode the trust placed in our nation’s health care system, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who misuse public funds for personal gain.”

    “Employers placing profit over upholding their legal fiduciary responsibilities when managing health benefit plans will not be tolerated,” said Regional Director Ruben R. Chapa of the Employee Benefits Security Administration in Chicago. “The Employee Benefits Security Administration remains committed to ensuring that those who knowingly break the law are held fully accountable.”

    The IRS-CI Chicago Field Office; HHS-OIG – Office of Investigations, Milwaukee Field Office; U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, New York and Chicago Regional Offices; FBI Milwaukee Field Office; and the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys with the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.  For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwi.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Corporation and Former Chief Executive Officer Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Tax Conspiracy

    Source: US State of California

    The Justice Department announced today that KBWB Operations LLC, which did business as Atrium Health and Senior Living (KBWB-Atrium), and former Chief Executive Officer and Managing Member Kevin Breslin of KBWB-Atrium, both pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of tax conspiracy related to the operation of numerous skilled nursing facilities.

    “Americans rely on skilled nursing facilities to care for themselves, family members and other loved ones, and the operators of these institutions must live up to their obligations and the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to help ensure the safety and dignity of our must vulnerable citizens.”

    Breslin, 58, of Hoboken, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on Dec. 17, 2024. KBWB-Atrium pleaded guilty in the same court on Jan. 21. Breslin is one of six owners of KBWB-Atrium. KBWB-Atrium’s corporate headquarters was located in Little Falls, New Jersey, and its Midwest corporate office was located in Appleton, Wisconsin. KBWB-Atrium operated and owned nursing facilities in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

    On Feb. 1, 2023, a Wisconsin grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against defendants Breslin and KBWB-Atrium (collectively the defendants) charging health care fraud and tax conspiracy, among other charges. According to court documents, from approximately Jan. 1, 2015, to in or about September 2018, KBWB-Atrium operated and owned 23 skilled nursing facilities in Wisconsin, and Breslin was responsible for overseeing all of KBWB-Atrium’s operations. The primary source of income for the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities was federal Medicare and Medicaid funds from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

    According to court documents, the defendants’ alleged health care fraud scheme involved unlawfully diverting CMS funds intended for the operation, management, maintenance, and care of the residents of the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities for other purposes and personal expenses. The defendants allegedly prioritized distributions and guaranteed payments to KBWB-Atrium’s owners regardless of KBWB-Atrium’s financial situation. The defendants’ alleged actions resulted in failing to meet the required federal regulations governing skilled nursing facilities, including not operating the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin skilled nursing facilities in a manner that would enhance residents’ quality of life. According to court documents, the defendants also knew that vendors were not being paid for extended periods of time or some were not paid at all for their services. Additionally, defendants allegedly failed to pay third-party administrators monies deducted from KBWB-Atrium employees’ paychecks for insurance premiums and 401(k) plan contributions.

    As a part of the tax conspiracy alleged in court documents, Breslin, acting on behalf of KBWB-Atrium, directed that income taxes and employment taxes withheld from KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin employees’ paychecks not be paid over to the IRS. This caused employees to prepare tax returns listing those withholdings as having been paid to the IRS, which was false.

    The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on May 7 before U.S. District Judge William M. Conleyfor the Western District of Wisconsin. Breslin faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison for the health care fraud count and five years in prison for the conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States count, along with a period of supervised release. Both defendants face restitution and other monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence of each defendant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.       

    “Healthcare fraud affects every American,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “My office was proud to partner with the Justice Department’s Civil Division to help prosecute these individuals who harmed seniors and exploited our health care benefits programs for personal gain.”

    “This guilty plea demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding individuals accountable who exploit vulnerable populations and defraud the healthcare system for personal gain,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Breslin’s actions not only eroded public trust but endangered the well-being of patients who rely on our health care system. The FBI will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to investigate and bring to justice those who abuse positions of trust.”

    “The guilty pleas of Kevin Breslin and KBWB Operations LLC serve as a reminder that healthcare fraud is not only a direct violation of patient care, but also an attack on the financial systems that underpin public and private trust,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Chicago Field Office. “IRS-CI and its law enforcement partners remain dedicated to investigating and prosecuting individuals and businesses who seek to exploit public and private institutions for personal gain.”

    “HHS-OIG is dedicated to protecting Medicare and Medicaid funds and ensuring that health care providers uphold their responsibility to serve vulnerable populations with integrity,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The actions of those involved in this scheme erode the trust placed in our nation’s health care system, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who misuse public funds for personal gain.”

    “Employers placing profit over upholding their legal fiduciary responsibilities when managing health benefit plans will not be tolerated,” said Regional Director Ruben R. Chapa of the Employee Benefits Security Administration in Chicago. “The Employee Benefits Security Administration remains committed to ensuring that those who knowingly break the law are held fully accountable.”

    The IRS-CI Chicago Field Office; HHS-OIG – Office of Investigations, Milwaukee Field Office; U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, New York and Chicago Regional Offices; FBI Milwaukee Field Office; and the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys with the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.  For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, visit its website at www.justice.gov/usao-wdwi.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Yarmouth Resident Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A South Yarmouth man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for possessing a firearm and ammunition. Defendant barricaded himself in basement following domestic disturbance.

    Michael Giampapa, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns to 45 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In September 2024, Giampapa pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

    On March 16, 2022, police responded to a call reporting a domestic disturbance at a residence in South Yarmouth involving Giampapa and a family member. Giampapa was barricaded in the basement when police arrived. He spoke by phone with a family member and during that call, stated he has a gun. After a standoff with law enforcement Giampapa eventually exited the residence and was arrested.

    Following a search of the residence where Giampapa was staying a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard loaded .380 handgun was recovered inside a cereal box on open shelving in the basement. Giampapa had previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Chief Kevin Lennon of the Yarmouth Police Department made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit.

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

    This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
     

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Clinton County Man Indicted For Production Of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kyle Grey, age 35, of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, was indicted on January 23, 2025, on four charges of production of child pornography.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Grey produced child pornography three times on or about October 9, 2024, and once on October 29, 2024.

    The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.

    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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit  http://www.usdoj.gov/psc.

    The maximum penalty under federal law for each offense is 30 years of imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

    Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yuba County Man Charged with Being Felon in Possession of a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Ignacio Valencia, 33, of Plumas Lake, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, Valencia was found in possession of a loaded, Glock model 20, 10 mm caliber handgun as well as a magazine containing 25 rounds of 10 mm ammunition. Valencia is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition after being convicted of four felonies: possession of a controlled substance for sale, being a felon in possession of a firearm, evading a peace officer in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, and being a felon or addict in possession of a firearm.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Elk Grove Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Vanek is prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Valencia faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: 22 locals arrested in multi-count money laundering and narcotics indictments

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A total of 29 people are now in custody for money laundering and drug trafficking criminal violations following a major law enforcement operation in Houston and other areas in the United States, announced acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

    The coordinated law enforcement effort spanned multiple jurisdictions and states to include Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina and other parts of Texas.

    Those arrested in the Houston area have begun to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray.

    The charges contained in four different indictments allege crimes occurred between April 2022 and October 2024.

    Houston grand juries returned the indictments in October and November 2024. They allege the individuals engaged in a multi-national trade-based money laundering network operating in the United States and in international markets. Criminal organizations including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) allegedly used the network to launder illicit funds through the purchase and sale of cellular telephones.

    Francisco Jaramillo-Valdovinos aka Chico Jaramillo, allegedly a top CJNG commander, is one of those charged. He is considered a fugitive and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts or any of the other fugitives in the case is asked to contact the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) at 713-693-3000.

    The arrests are the culmination of a 21-month Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation Noch. During the investigation, law enforcement allegedly seized multi-hundred kilograms of cocaine, heroin, meth, marijuana and alprazolam as well as millions of dollars in drug proceeds.

    As part of the arrests, authorities also seized 85 kilograms of meth, 10 kilograms of cocaine, 17 firearms, $481,000 from a bank account and approximately $566,000 of bulk cash.

    If convicted, many charged with drug trafficking offenses face up to life in federal prison and could pay millions in fines. Those charged with money laundering offenses face up to 20 years in federal prison.

    The Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation along with police departments in Houston and Galveston with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and local police departments and sheriffs’ offices throughout the country.

    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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman, Sherin Daniel and Leo J. Leo III are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sioux Falls Man Found Guilty of Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Sex Trafficking of a Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SIOUX FALLS – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Gerber David Santos Gonzalez, age 25, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Sex Trafficking of a Child by Force or Coercion following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls. The verdict was returned on October 23, 2024.

    The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Santos Gonzalez was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2024.

    Santos Gonzalez used his cell phone and the Facebook Messenger app to try to convince who he believed was a 15-year-old girl to have a sexual encounter with him and offered her $100 to do so. The 15-year-old girl was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Santos Gonzalez arranged to meet the 15-year-old girl persona at a park in Sioux Falls, where he was apprehended by authorities and taken into custody.

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

    This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Tea Police Department, Rapid City Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Calera Resident Sentenced To 25 Years For Child Exploitation Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ryan John Capps, age 25, of Calera, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for one count of Coercion and Enticement, and 300 months in prison for one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child/Use of a Child to Produce a Visual Depiction.  Capps was also sentenced to 180 months in prison for one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country.  The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Durant Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    On May 1, 2024, Capps was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury.  According to investigators, in the autumn of 2022, while employed as a teacher and coach at Durant Middle School, Capps enticed a minor student to produce child sexual abuse material and engage in sexual activity.  The crimes occurred in Bryan County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation of Oklahoma, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    “This defendant abused his position of trust as a teacher and coach by sexually exploiting a student he was supposed to protect,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater.  “I’m grateful for the dedicated efforts of the FBI, the Durant Police Department, and the US Attorney’s Office to remove this predator from the lives of innocent children through the justice system.”

    “The defendant violated the trust placed in him as a teacher in order to exploit the victim for his own prurient interests,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.  “The jury’s verdict and the sentences imposed by the Court are a resounding message that those who commit these deplorable acts will be subjected to the justice system and severely punished.”

    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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

    We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement.  You can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)’s website at http://www.cybertipline.com, call 1-800-843-5678, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or call 877-4-HSI TIP.

    The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee.  Capps will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Jessie K. Pippin and Jessica Bove represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal prosecutors stand ready to address voting rights concerns or election fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys will lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) in connection with early voting in Texas, which runs through Nov. 1, and the upcoming Nov. 5 general election, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

    Civil Chief Daniel Hu has been appointed to serve as the election officer for civil matters, while Deputy Criminal Chief Sharad Khandelwal is the criminal election officer. In their capacities, both are responsible for overseeing the SDTX’s handling of election related complaints related to voting rights, such as limiting access to the polls, threats of violence to election officials or staff and election fraud.

    “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said Hamdani. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. My office 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).  

    “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy,” said Hamdani. “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, Khandelwal and Hu will be on duty in this district while the polls are open and can be reached at 713-567-9345 and 713-567-9518, respectively.

    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 main number in Houston is 713-693-5000, while South Texas residents can contact the San Antonio office at 210-225-6741.

    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.

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

    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 USA: Cardin, Van Hollen, Mfume React to Federal Government’s Initial $102 Million Settlement with Dali Owner, Operator

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maryland Ben Cardin

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Kweisi Mfume (all D-Md.), released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) $101,980,000 settlement with the owner and operator of the Dali, the vessel that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The settlement, according to DOJ, will cover federal costs incurred to restore access to the Port of Baltimore.
    “The catastrophic loss of the Francis Scott Key Bridge required a massive and coordinated response from all levels of government and the private sector. Those efforts removed about 50,000 tons of debris from the Patapsco River and cleared the shipping channel faster than anyone predicted. The initial settlement that the U.S. Justice Department reached for cleanup costs is an important step in holding accountable the owner and operator of the Dali, the ship that caused this disaster,” said the lawmakers. “The federal government has properly stepped up to underwrite urgent and essential needs with an expectation that the appropriate parties will be held financially responsible for their actions. Congress should now act quickly to pass the Baltimore BRIDGE Relief Act, which will ensure full federal backing of the bridge replacement costs, while the Justice Department, State of Maryland and other stakeholders keep up their work to reimburse the taxpayers to the fullest extent possible and provide justice for the families of those we lost.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Ross appoints 2024 District Election Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno 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 Bonanno has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Western District of New York, 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 Ross 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 Ross 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 Bonanno will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 716-843-5700.”

    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 716-856-7800.

    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 Ross 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 USA: Mfume, Cardin, Van Hollen React to Federal Government’s Initial $101.9 Million Settlement with Dali Owner, Operator

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Kweisi MfumeSenators Ben Cardinand Chris Van Hollen (all D-Md.), released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) $101,980,000 settlement with the owner and operator of the Dali, the vessel that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The settlement, according to DOJ, will cover federal costs incurred to restore access to the Port of Baltimore.

    “The catastrophic loss of the Francis Scott Key Bridge required a massive and coordinated response from all levels of government and the private sector. Those efforts removed about 50,000 tons of debris from the Patapsco River and cleared the shipping channel faster than anyone predicted. The initial settlement that the U.S. Justice Department reached for cleanup costs is an important step in holding accountable the owner and operator of the Dali, the ship that caused this disaster,” said the lawmakers. “The federal government has properly stepped up to underwrite urgent and essential needs with an expectation that the appropriate parties will be held financially responsible for their actions. Congress should now act quickly to pass the Baltimore BRIDGE Relief Act, which will ensure full federal backing of the bridge replacement costs, while the Justice Department, State of Maryland and other stakeholders keep up their work to reimburse the taxpayers to the fullest extent possible and provide justice for the families of those we lost.”

    ###

     

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott Statement on Federal Judge Ordering Youngkin Administration to Reinstate more than 1,600 Voters to Virginia’s Voter Rolls

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

    Headline: Scott Statement on Federal Judge Ordering Youngkin Administration to Reinstate more than 1,600 Voters to Virginia’s Voter Rolls

    NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), co-chair of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus and Dean of the Virginia Congressional Delegation, issued the following statement on U.S. District Court Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles’ order requiring the Youngkin Administration to reinstate more than 1,600 voters who may have been illegally purged from Virginia’s voter rolls in violation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993:

    “I am pleased that a federal court has reinstated more than 1,600 voters to Virginia’s voter rolls. For the last three election cycles, I have been concerned that Governor Youngkin and his administration have arbitrarily removed eligible voters from the Commonwealth’s voter rolls, and I have been especially concerned that these purges have occurred so close to Election Day.

    “In the two weeks before the 2023 Virginia General Assembly elections, the Youngkin Administration improperly removed 3,400 qualified voters, possibly in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. In his August 7, 2024 executive order, the Governor ordered daily systematic purges of voters resulting in the potential illegal purge of more eligible voters. The National Voter Registration Act requires all states to complete any systematic removal of ineligible voters no later than 90 days prior to a federal election for voters to have adequate time to remedy any improper removal. In its review of these 1,600 voters, the U.S. Department of Justice found multiple instances of incorrect removals due to bureaucratic errors or mistakes made by the individual when filling out forms. Judge Tolliver Giles’ order recognizes that the Plaintiffs in this case are likely to succeed on the merits and would have suffered irreparable harm by denying their ability to exercise their right to vote at the ballot box on November 5th.

    “These efforts by Governor Youngkin and Republicans across the country are squarely within former President Trump’s playbook to undermine confidence in our elections and call into question the results of this November’s election if he does not win. There is no evidence that non-citizens are voting in any meaningful numbers, and to suggest otherwise is dishonest and only serves to undermine faith in our elections. These efforts only disenfranchise actual citizens from being able to exercise their right to vote. I expect the Governor and his administration to immediately reinstate these voters and notify them per the U.S. District Court’s order. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice must vigorously investigate these matters to protect the right to vote for all who are eligible and hold accountable all who violate the law.”

     

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks by Vice President Harris and Liz Cheney at a Campaign Event | Malvern,  PA

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    People’s LightMalvern, Pennsylvania
    11:54 A.M. EDT
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Let’s get to it.
         MS. LONGWELL:  Let’s do it.  Let’s do it.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everyone.
         AUDIENCE:  Good morning.
         AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Happy birthday!
         MS. LONGWELL:  Oh, happy belated birthday.  (Applause.)  Oh, yeah.
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  I appreciate that.  Thank you. 
         MS. LONGWELL:  Audience members showing me up — that’s tough.  (Laughter.)
    Okay.  So, I’ve got to start with the thing that brings us here today, because I’ve got to say it is unusual for somebody who was as high up in the Republican leadership as Liz Cheney was to be out here campaigning with the Democratic nominee for president. 
    And so, maybe — why don’t both of you tell us, but you start: You’ve actually marshaled unprecedented support from Republicans in this election.  Why do you think that is?
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Sarah.  Thank you for being here and for your work.  And the congresswoman, thank you. 
    I — I have said before and it must be repeated each time: There are moments in the history of our country which challenge us, each of us, to really decide do we stand for those things that we talk about, including, in particular, country over party.  And you have been extraordinarily courageous in the way that you have done that.  And I thank you for that.  (Applause.)
    So, you know, I have in my career now — whether it was as the elected district attorney, elected attorney general, and then elected United States senator, and, of course, now vice president — I’ve counted that I have taken the oath of office six times.  And for the elected leaders here, we know it is an oath that one must take sincerely and unequivocally, which is an oath, among other things, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and to understand what those principles represent and what they require of the individual who holds the office and the public trust.
    And let’s not undervalue that point as well.  It is not about the individual.  It is not about what is in their personal interests.  It is about what is for and in the spirit of the public good.     
     And this is a moment in this election that presents a real contrast among how I, as one of the two nominees, and my opponent, the former president, think of that duty.  And it is a duty, by the way.  There are certain things in our lives that we have the choice if we feel like it — (laughter) — and then there are certain things that are just fundamentally a duty, like to raise our children.  Things of that nature.  It is a duty to take seriously that oath and do it for the sake of the public good and in the public trust.
    And I think that at this moment, with the choice that the American people have in this election in — in two weeks and one day, this election is presenting — for the first time, probably, in certainly recent history — a very clear choice and difference between the two nominees.  And I think that is what, as much as anything, is bringing us, as Americans, together, who are understanding that we cannot, with such fundamental stakes being presented, afford to be mired in ideological differences without really staking our claim to the most fundamental ideals upon which our country stands.
    MS. LONGWELL:  Thank you.  And, you know, Congresswoman Cheney, it’s a — sort of the same question to you.  But I got to ask: You know, it’s one thing for Republicans to sign a letter.  You know, we’ve seen that she has — Vice President Harris has been endorsed by 200 Republicans in the national security space, all kinds of people from George W. Bush’s administration.  There’s been a lot of people — they’ll sign letters and maybe they’ll go on T.V., they’ll release a statement.  I was just with Republican Congressman Charlie Dent — former Republican congressman here from the state.  He voted for you in his early voting. 
    But you are out here campaigning.  You are out here holding events.  So, talk about why it’s been so important to you to be as involved as you are in getting Vice President Harris elected.
    MS. CHENEY:  Well, thank you so much, Sarah, for the question.  And — and it’s an honor to be here today with you, Madam Vice President. 
         You know — (applause) —
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.
    MS. CHENEY:  — for me, every — every single thing in — in my experience and in my background has — has played a part in my decision to endorse Vice President Harris. 
    And, you know, that — that begins with the fact that I’m a conservative, and I know that the most conservative of all conservative principles is being faithful to the Constitution.  And you have to choose, in this race, between someone who has been faithful to the Constitution, who will be faithful, and Donald Trump, who it’s not just us predicting how he will act.  We watched what he did after the last election.  We watched what he did on January 6th.
    And so, coming to this as someone who’s been a lifelong Republican, a lifelong conservative, also as someone who spent — I spent time working overseas before I was elected to Congress, and I’ve — I’ve spent time working in countries where people aren’t free and where people are struggling for their freedom, and I know how — how quickly democracies can unravel. 
    And I know that, as Americans, we can become accustomed to thinking, “Well, we don’t have to worry about that here.”  But I tell you, again, as someone who has seen firsthand how quickly it can happen, that that is what’s on the ballot.  That’s absolutely what’s on the ballot.
    I also — I come to this decision as a mother.  I have five children.  And there was a moment right after January 6th when my husband and I were having dinner with our two youngest, our two sons, and I looked across the table at my — my young sons, and I thought to myself, “You know, in the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol, are they going to grow up in a country where we don’t have to worry about the peaceful transfer of power?  Are they going to grow up in a country where that is guaranteed?”
    And — and I believe that every one of us in this election has a duty and an obligation to do what we know is right for the country, and that’s to support Vice President Harris.  So, I’m very honored to be here and to do that.  (Applause.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.
    You know, if I can just echo the congresswoman’s point.  So, I’ve now, as vice president, met over 150 world leaders — presidents, prime ministers, chancellors, and kings — many of them multiple times, to the point we’re on a first-name basis.  And the last few times that I’ve seen them in the relative eve of this election, they are very concerned, our allies.  Because, as you know, when we walk in those rooms around the world representing the United States of America, we have traditionally been able to walk in those rooms chin up, shoulders back, with the self-appointed and earned authority to talk about the importance of democracies and rule of law.
    But as all the role models here know, as a role model, people watch what you do to see if it lines up with what you say.  People around the world are watching this. 
    And I — I tell you, sometimes I do fret a bit about whether we, as Americans, truly understand how important we are to the world.  I hope everyone does really understand that we represent something — imperfect though we certainly are; flawed though we may be — we represent, in terms of our ideals, the — the basis of our Constitution, we represent a gold standard. 
    And when we have someone who has been president, who wants to be president again, who is saying he would be dictator on day one, would weaponize our Department of Justice — one of the principles of our democracy is that we say we have a justice system that is blind, that is not punitive against one’s enemies, they are watching.
    So, this is about direct impact on the American people, and it most certainly will impact people around the world. 
    MS. LONGWELL:  You know, I’m so glad you brought that up.  And I — I — as a follow-up, I would just ask Congressman Cheney too.  We live in a dangerous time.  I mean, I think Americans are watching what’s happening overseas in Ukraine, in Israel.  Republicans — we used to be the party that would be on the side of our democratic allies like Ukraine. 
    Talk to me a little bit and all of us about why, from a foreign policy standpoint, you find yourself able to endorse Democrats, who w- — wouldn’t — it didn’t used to be that way.
    MS. CHENEY:  Well, it — it’s not just able to endorse them.  But — but if you look at the numbers of the most senior officials who served Donald Trump — his own vice president; national security advisors; his chief of staff; you know, the — the leading generals who served him — who’ve all said he’s unfit, and people really need to stop and think about how completely unprecedented that is.
    And the — the idea — when people sort of say, “Well, we might, you know, be tempted, for some reason or another, to vote for Donald Trump” — if the issue is foreign policy, I would just ask everyone: Think about how dangerous and damaging it is to have someone who’s totally erratic — totally erratic, completely unstable — someone who has aligned himself with, who idolizes tyrants.  He idolizes tyrants. 
    You know, the — the — again, the choice here, with respect to national security policy, is a man who has proven — he has absolutely proven that he will not stand up, he won’t defend this nation with respect to our own Constitution and rule of law, and Vice President Harris, who has been clear in terms of support for Ukraine, in terms of recognizing and understanding across the board that America cannot maintain our own freedom and security if we walk away from our allies around the world. 
    And our adversaries know that they can play Donald Trump.  They absolutely know that they can play him.  And we simply can’t afford to take that risk.
    So, as someone who has spent a career on national security issues — again, this was not at all a difficult choice for me — the — the choice here is absolutely clear in terms of the necessity of supporting Vice President Harris.
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And — and if I may emphasize, part of the backbone of our national security is our military.  And let’s please not overlook how someone who wants to be commander in chief and was has talked about our servicemen and women; has talked about an American hero like John McCain, who was a prisoner of war — said he didn’t respect him, didn’t like him because he got caught; has talked about our service members as — as though they are less than the most courageous of us. 
     Those who put on the uniform, who represent the United States of America, who are willing to die for the sake of everything we stand for, and he calls them “suckers” and “losers.”  These things cannot be overlooked. 
    And — and I have said many times publicly, and I’ll say it again: In many, many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of him being president of the United States are brutally serious.  There are things that he says that will be the subject of skits and laughter and jokes, but words have meaning coming from someone who aspires to stand behind the seal of the president of the United States.  These are the things that are at stake.
         MS. LONGWELL:  Couldn’t agree more. 
    So, I do want to ask you another question, though, before we go to the audience.  You know, you talk a lot about a new way forward.  You talk about turning the page.  What’s on the next page?  Talk to us about a —
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  You want a preview.
    MS. LONGWELL:  Yeah.  Give me — a spoiler alert.  You know?  (Laughter.)  Just —
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Right.
    MS. LONGWELL:  — tell us — tell us what’s — what’s in the rest of the chapter.
    THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, I will say that it — it is a metaphor that is meant to also describe my intention to embark on a new generation of leadership.  And needless to say, mine will not be a continuation of the Biden administration.  I bring to it my own ideas, my own experiences.
    But it is also about moving past what, frankly, I think has been the last decade of — of the American discourse being influenced by Donald Trump in a way that has had the effect of suggesting we, as Americans, should point the finger at one another, in a way that has been using the power of the presidency to demean and to divide us.
    I think people are exhausted with that, rightly.  And it, frankly, does not lead to the strength of our nation to tell the American people that we must be suspicious of one another, distrust one another.
    You know, yesterday, I — I did a couple of church services, and there’s a — we — many people here know the — the parable of the Good Samaritan.  And there is an essence — a piece of that, in my own words, that really requires us, I think, to see in the face of a — of a stranger, to see a neighbor.  Right?  That spirit.  And I think we need to get back to that.
    The spirit of the American people is such that, you know, we are an ambitious people.  We are aspirational.  We have dreams.  And that is productive. 
    It is not productive of us to be a nation of people who are pointing fingers at one another, who don’t understand that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.
    So, that’s what I mean about turning the page.  And then a new generation of leadership about being ambitious, about all we have yet to do. 
    Part of my economic policy — I refer to it as an opportunity economy — is about investing in American industries while leaving none of our traditional, wonderful industries behind; repurposing and retooling the factories that have led to America’s success in industry, while at the same time redefining how we are thinking about which worker has the experience and skill to do the — the job and is qualified and understanding we shouldn’t be falling into a trap that suggests only those with a college degree have the skill or the experience to do the job.  So, let’s look at how we redefine and perhaps even reorder. 
    And, in fact, I’m going to start with federal jobs, and then I’m going to challenge the private sector to do the same.  Let’s look at which of those jobs would benefit from a skilled, experienced worker who perhaps went through an apprenticeship program — not a four-year college, but still had a four-year degree, in essence.
         So, these are the kinds of things that are about seeing the opportunity of this moment and investing in it.
         I’ll tell you — and I know this is a controversial topic for many of us — I love Gen Z.  (Laughter.)  Because we have Gen Zs in our lives.  We have kids who are Gen Zs.  It can be complicated, I know.  I love Gen Z.
         These young leaders are so — they’re clear-eyed.  You know, they’ve only known the climate crisis.  They’ve only known active shooter drills.  I mean, we had fire drills.  Not — not our kids, right?
         But they also — they’re — they’re so wonderfully impatient — (laughter) — ri- — no, really, that’s good.  That’s good.  They are ready to get in there.  Let’s invest in them.  Let —
         So, for example, one of my — one piece of my opportunity economy is we got to deal with the reality of where we are right now.  The American dream, for previous generations, was something that people could kind of count on.  Not so much anymore, in terms of homeownership.  We have a housing shortage in America.  We have a supply shortage.
         So, part of my plan is, hey, let’s be clear-eyed about this moment.  Let’s invest in the future.  And as a — a devout public servant, I also know the limitations of government.  I want to work with the private sector.  I have, in my career.  The skills, the breadth, the depth of — of value in those active partnerships benefit us all.
         So, part of my plan for housing is to actively partner with building developers, with homebuilders to create tax credits to increase the supply of housing in America.  My estimate is — I think we can actually do it — by 3 million by the end of my first term.
         Part of my approach that is about a new generation, potentially, of leadership and certainly a different approach: Most of my career was not spent in Washington, D.C.  I say that with pride.  (Laughter.) 
         In that, you know, most of my career was spent as a prosecutor, but I — making decisions that had a direct impact on people’s lives.  You know, I learned at a very young age, as a prosecutor, that the things that I would do with the swipe of my pen could result in someone having their liberty or not.  
         When I was attorney general of California — which is, you know, by estimates, the fifth-largest economy in the world — I was acutely aware the words I spoke could move markets. 
         I like getting things done.  And part of my approach, which is, I think, about a new generation of leadership, is: Let’s cut through the red tape.  Let’s cut through the bureaucracy while still knowing the virtues of the work that we can do in the public sector, be it public education, public health, public safety.
         MS. LONGWELL:  This is a perfect segue into our first audience question, which is going to come from Alexandra Miller from Delaware County.  Main section, right — right there. 
         Hi, Alexandra. 
         Q    Hello.  Hello, Madam Vice President and Representative Cheney.
         MS. CHENEY:  Hi there.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi.
         Q    Thank you for taking my question today.  My name is Alex.  I have a 7-year-old son and a wonderful 72-year-old mother who is suffering from dementia and requires full-time care. 
         My son is in second grade, my mother is in a nursing home, and I work full time.  The costs of childcare and of eldercare are staggering.  But simultaneously, professionals that help care for both our children and our elders are generally underpaid, which makes it difficult for them to support their own families and do the jobs that they need to do. 
         How do you propose to help bridge this gap, making both child- and eldercare more affordable for hardworking families and also retaining and attracting quality talent for this — these essential jobs?
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, first of all, you’re dealing with a lot.  You’re dealing with a lot, and I just wish you strength and support.  You are a part of what we call the “sandwich generation,” which are those parents and children who are right in the middle.  They are taking care of their young children and taking care of their parents as they age.  And it’s a lot.
         And so, I actually plan to address this in a substantial way because I actually bring a personal experience to it as well.  I took care of my mother when she was sick, and that work is the work of trying to cook something that they feel like eating — right? — trying to figure out which clothes will not irritate their skin and help them put on a sweater.  It’s about trying to figure out how you can say something that brings a smile to their face or makes them laugh.  It’s about dignity. 
         Meanwhile, you have a second-grader.  You’re trying to teach that kid how to read — (laughter) — spending time with them, reminding them they are special and can be anything. 
         And in the middle of all of that, if you are working or just to have a minute to breathe, it’s a lot.  It’s a lot. 
         So, what — the way that this plays out for many people is — is one of just a couple of ways.  One, if you have the good fortune of having enough extra money, you can hire somebody to come in.  And then, exactly as you said, you — knowing what you just shared with us about yourself — would pay them the value of their work.  Or someone in this position would have to basically spend down all their savings so they could qualify for Medicaid, which means they pretty much have to get rid of everything.  Or they have to quit their job, which means one less income in their household. 
         And this is a matter — this issue, for me, is a matter of dignity — yours, your parents, and the well-being of your child and you being able to do what you naturally want to do, and which — and the thing that we should value in our society, which is someone like you who is taking on the duty and the responsibility of all of that. 
         So, my plan is that instead of those scenarios I just mapped out, we will restructure it so that Medicare covers the cost of in-home health care for your parent so that they can be at home — (applause) — and you can then have the assistance with someone who can help prepare that meal, help them get dressed, and you can still give that baby of yours all the love that they deserve.  And you can have sanity in the process.  And everyone can have dignity. 
         And so, this is — this is my approach, which is let’s just look at this as an — let’s just come at it from common sense, by the way.  It’s just common sense.  And what makes — what is a — a commonsense, practical approach to doing this, because when you are able to be productive, we all benefit, by the way.  When that child is able to have a parent who is able to help them with their reading and remind that child that they are special, we are all going to benefit from that. 
         So, thank you for raising the subject.  (Applause.)  And you take care of yourself.
         MS. LONGWELL:  Okay.  Next we’re going to call on Ashley Scott, speaking of Gen Z — although I guess I shouldn’t assume I know what generation she’s from, but she is a student from Bucks County.  Hi.
         Q    Hi, Vice President Harris and Congresswoman Cheney.  My name is Ashley Scott.  I’m from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and I am Gen Z.  I’m 22 years old.  (Laughter.)
         MS. LONGWELL:  Nailed it.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good for you.  (Laughs.)
         Q    So, thank you for that compliment.  But yeah, my question is about maternal health.  Specifically, in the United States, maternal mortality is devastating.  The rates are terrible.  And I was wondering if you have a plan to combat the crisis.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Ashley, and thank you for being here and your voice.  It’s a big issue.  So, we have the very, I think, shameful distinction of — of any wealthy nation having one of, if not the highest, rate of maternal mortality. 
         And I’ve studied this issue.  I worked on it was on — when I was in the United States Senate and as vice president.  And the fact is that 90 percent of them are preventable, which tells us we can do something about it, right? 
         And it is an issue — so, Black women are three to four times more likely to die in connection with childbirth; Native women are, like, twice as likely; rural women, one and a half times as likely. 
         One of the common threads that you will see in those demographic populations is a lack of appropriate prenatal care and then care during the term of their pregnancy and then postpartum care.  And we know that when that care is available, they are having a healthier and, by the way, happier experience.  And the long-term impact to all of us as a society, much less to that family, is immense. 
         And so, the work that we have been doing and the work I intend to do going forward is to address that, right?  So, for example, in rural America, the — the way that the system has been structured — the health care system has been structured is a lot of those hospitals and clinics have had to close because of the way we — we reimburse based on population size.  And as people are leaving rural America, then the hospitals and the clinics can’t afford the overhead. 
         I’m oversimplifying but just to make the point.  So, we need to address that in terms of how we’re structuring, how we create incentives and — and give the resources to those health care facilities, be they clinics or hospitals. 
         The other piece that we have to do is really just talk more about the issue around also how, in the health care system, we are treating women and are we taking women seriously when they talk about their health care concerns. 
         So, again, personal experience, my mother had two goals in her life: to raise her two daughters, my sister and I, and to end breast cancer.  My mother was a breast cancer researcher.  And she was so passionate about women’s health care, and I remember it as a young girl and throughout my life. 
         And we still have a lot of work to do to make sure that when she walks into that clinic, that doctor’s office, that hospital, that when — that she’s taken seriously.  And — and that’s also about what we do in terms of training within the profession.  It’s also about what we do in terms of public education to get information to women so that they know that they are not just complaining and they should not suppress or subordinate what their concerns might be about themselves because they’re taking care of everybody else. 
         So, there’s a lot of work to do.  And, of course, there’s a connection between this and what we need to do since the Dobbs decision came down, when we are looking at — I’ve met with a lot of, in particular, OB-GYNs who are concerned that there are kids going through — excuse me, young people going through their medical school who are now feeling deterred from engaging in reproductive health work. 
         And reproductive health work is vast.  It is not only about abortion; it is about a whole array of care.  And we want to make sure that we’re not creating disincentives for people to go into that very, very important profession. 
         And then we also want to make sure that we are, in the whole issue of reproductive care, not suggesting to women or the people who love them that they should be judged, because there is that also when you’re talking about reproductive care, where women sometimes are made to feel or do feel embarrassed to talk about their needs as it relates to their reproductive health.
         And then, of course, I feel very strongly the government should not be telling any woman what to do with her body.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)  And when Congress passes a law reinstating the reproductive freedoms of women, I will gladly and proudly sign it into law, because I strongly believe one does not have to give up or abandon their own faith or beliefs to agree that — not the government telling her what to do.  If she chooses, she will consult with her priest, her pastor, her rabbi, her imam, but not the government. 
         We’ve seen too much harm — real harm — happen to women and the people who love them around our country since that decision came down, including women who have died.  And I don’t think that most people who — before the Dobbs decision came down — who had strong opinions about this — I don’t think most people intended that the harm that we’ve seen would have actually happened.
         MS. CHENEY:  Can I add to this just to — because I — I think it’s such an important point.  And I think there are many of us around the country who have been pro-life but who have watched what’s going on in our states since the Dobbs decision and have watched state legislatures put in place laws that are resulting in women not getting the care they need. 
         And so, I think this — this is not an issue that we’re seeing break down across party lines —
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Right.
         MS. CHENEY:  — but I think we’re seeing people come together to say what has happened to women, when women are facing situations where they can’t get the care they need — where in places like Texas, for example, the attorney general is talking about suing — is suing to get access to women’s medical records — that’s not sustainable for us as — as a country, and — and it has to change.  (Applause.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  Yeah.
         MS. LONGWELL:  So, as we come close to time here, I want to ask you both kind of a final question.  You know, I — I watch the — the conversation in the country and the way that the media covers this election, and it’s often about the race: Who’s up in a poll?  Who’s down in a poll?  And I — I don’t always feel like we’re talking about the stakes enough. 
         And Liz Cheney would not be here if she didn’t think that the stakes were very high.  And frankly, the Republicans wouldn’t be so angry at you if they didn’t think you were an effective surrogate as somebody speaking about the stakes.  (Applause.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Some Republicans.  Some Republicans.
         MS. LONGWELL:  Some Republicans.  Some Republicans.  #NotAllRepublicans.  (Laughter.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Because I’ve seen a lot of Republicans — just I’ve seen it and I know it happens — who thank her constantly. 
         MS. LONGWELL:  I — I know it.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  Yeah.
         MS. LONGWELL:  I know it.
         MS. CHENEY:  They’re going to vote the right way on November 5th. 
         MS. LONGWELL:  That’s right.
         MS. CHENEY:  They might not think public about it, but — but they’ll do what — what they know is right.  (Applause.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  I agree.  I agree.  I agree.
         MS. LONGWELL:  But just to close and — and maybe starting with you, Congresswoman, so you can have the last word.  Talk to me and all of us about the stakes.  Many people in the room here are undecided voters.  What’s — what’s kind of the last pitch that you would make about why this election is so important and why you believe they should vote for the vice president here?
         MS. CHENEY:  Well, I think that in this election, and especially here in Pennsylvania, we have the opportunity to tell the whole world who we are.  And we have the chance to say, you know, we’re — we’re going to reject cruelty.  We’re going to reject the kind of vile vitriol that we’ve seen from Donald Trump.  We’re going to reject the misogyny that we’ve seen from Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.  (Applause.) 
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Right.
         MS. CHENEY:  And we have the chance in this race to elect somebody who you know is going to defend the rule of law.  You know Vice President Harris is going to defend our Constitution. 
         We have the chance to remind people that we are a good country.  We are a good and honorable people.  We are a great nation. 
         And — and in this race, we have the opportunity to vote for and support somebody you can count on. 
         We’re not always going to agree, but I know Vice President Harris will always do what she believes is right for this country.  She has a sincere heart, and that’s why I’m honored to be here and supporting her in this race.  (Applause.)
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I mean, I — exactly.  The — listen, so, in my career as a prosecutor — you’ve heard me say this — I — I never, ever asked a victim or a witness, “Are you a Republican or a Democrat?”  Never.  It wouldn’t have even occurred to me to ask them.  I did, every time, ask, “Are you okay?”
         And I — you know, and I feel very strongly that — for example, in — on the issue of partisanship, yes, we’re going to have disagreements, but I actively invite good ideas from wherever they come.  That’s why I’m going to have a Republican in my Cabinet, by the way — (applause) — because I want good ideas.
         And, by the way, I know it is in our best interest as a nation, in our — the interest of our strength and our future as a nation.  We need a healthy two-party system.  We need a healthy two-party system.  (Applause.)
         We need to be able to have these good, intense debates about issues that are grounded in fact.  (Laughter.)  How about that?
         MS. CHENEY:  Imagine.
    .
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Let’s start there.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)
         Wow.  Can you believe that’s an applause line?  (Laughter.) 
         Oy.  But, you know, it’s — (laughter) — it’s — 
         We have in our grasp in these next 13 days — 13 days, we are — or 15 days, excuse me.  I — I’m just jumping ahead.  (Laughter.)  In these next 15 days, we have in our grasp the ability to determine the course of our country. 
         You know, every election, we’ve said, “This is the one.”  This is the one.  This truly is the one. 
         I mean, to the congresswoman’s point, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff referred to Donald Trump as being “fascist to the core.”  And no one would ever accuse the former chairman of being partisan in any way.  The people who know him best — from the former chief of staff; Defense secretaries, two of them; national security advisor to the former vice president.
         And so, we have in — in our grasp — because we still have a democracy.  As the saying goes, as long as we hold on to it, we still have a democracy, which means in a democracy — and here’s the beauty of it — we each have the power to make a decision about the future of our country through our vote.
         And my request, then, of each of you who have spent time out of your busy lives to be here — and I thank you for that — is please just help us get the word out to your neighbors and friends and family members to just remind them of what is at stake and this conversation. 
         I ask for your vote.  I ask for their votes.  And I promise to be a president for all Americans.  I promise and pledge that.  (Applause.)
         MS. LONGWELL:  All right, everyone.  Congresswoman Cheney and Vice President Kamala Harris.  Thank you so much. 
         Yes, let’s give them another round of applause.  That was wonderful.  (Applause.)
         Thank you so much.
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.
         MS. LONGWELL:  Thank you.  (Applause.)

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Orlando Middle School Employee Arrested For Possessing Child Sex Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Mitchell Regan (36, Leesburg) on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Regan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.   

    According to the complaint, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Regan’s residence on October 17, 2024. During a search of Regan’s cellphone, an HSI computer forensic agent located an image of child sex abuse material in his photo gallery. Regan admitted to agents that he had sent and received child sex abuse material using an online social media application. Regan also advised law enforcement that he is currently employed at a middle school and the Boys and Girls Club and that he teaches chess club and music lessons. 

    A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

    This case is investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

    This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Tax Preparation Company Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Bank Fraud and $2.1 Million COVID Relief Fraud

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

    Defendant fled the United States after being indicted and remained a fugitive for 19 months

    BOSTON – A Lawrence woman was sentenced in federal court in Boston for using stolen identities of taxpayers and businesspeople to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a bank, and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

    Luz Paulino, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 54 months in prison, four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $37,056 in restitution to MetaBank and $456,300 to the Small Business Administration. In June 2024, Paulino pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud conspiracy, one count of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

    Paulino was arrested in December 2020 and indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2021. While on pretrial release, Paulino fled the United States and remained a fugitive for 19 months.  Panamanian authorities ultimately returned her to the United States, where she was arrested for a second time.

    Paulino owned and operated Agape Financial Services, a Lowell-based company that provided tax preparation and notary services. In 2019 and early 2020, Paulino filed false and fraudulent federal tax returns using the stolen identities, names and Social Security numbers of individual victims. The fraudulent tax returns reported false information regarding wages, employers and dependents, among other things, to claim tax refunds. To conceal her involvement, Paulino falsely represented to the IRS that the returns had been prepared by two former employees of Agape. Paulino then used the fraudulent returns to obtain Refund Advance Loans from a bank in the names of her victims.  Paulino and others she recruited then cashed the loan checks using false identification documents and forged signatures.  

    Paulino separately used stolen identities of businesspeople living in California, Michigan, Indiana and elsewhere to apply to the SBA for $2.1 million in COVID-19 Emergency Injury Disaster Loans. Between June 2020 and October 2021, Paulino’s false applications listed fictitious companies that purportedly lost revenue during the pandemic. She used the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds to wire more than $395,000 to the Dominican Republic and to buy a 2020 Cadillac for $86,000, among other purchases.
        
    Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations; and Melix Bonilla, Acting Chief of the Lawrence Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted 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 Justice.gov/Coronavirus and 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 (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall for the Eradicate Hate Global Summit | Pittsburgh,  PA

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    Thank you to each of the speakers, including the survivors, who preceded me. You are each both humbling and inspiring, and I am deeply grateful to have listened to what you have shared with us.
    It is an honor to be here with you at the fourth convening of the Eradicate Hate Global Summit.
    Thank you, Brette for your generous words — and thank you for taking on this vital leadership role. 
    The Summit has convened thousands of experts and developed multiple innovative approaches – including the “Up End Hate” campaign that empowers young people to prevent violence.  And that is just the most recent example of the impact this solutions-oriented Summit has delivered.    
    Sunday, October 27th, will mark the sixth anniversary of the horrific day when a white supremacist who hated Jews and immigrants went to the Tree of Life synagogue here in Pittsburgh and attacked the innocent human beings who were worshipping during morning Shabbat services.
    He murdered eleven people that day, robbing the world of their futures. 
    For each of them, their loved ones still grieve, and in solidarity we each can say:  May their memories be a blessing.
    The phrase is a resonant and powerful one. It invites us all not just to remember those we have lost, but to honor them by continuing to pursue justice and heal our broken world in their names.
    Looking at this week’s agenda and each of you in this room, remembering them is indeed proving to be a blessing, by motivating this hard work to translate ideas into action.
    In the aftermath of that terrible and tragic day, this community and this city have shown that an act of terror should and can unite us rather than divide us. In the Summit, you have shown the world how you have taken the emotions and prayers that arose and the actions you are undertaking and channeled them into meaningful deeds.
    It is in that spirit of moving from hope to action that I come to you today.
    I will speak to you about three topics: the threat we face now, the responses we are pursuing to address that threat, and the actions we are taking to reduce that threat in the future.
    First, we unfortunately have to acknowledge that current forms of domestic terrorism and hate have fueled a dynamic threat landscape that is even more daunting following the savage Hamas attack on Israel one year ago and its ongoing aftermath.
    These threats present a new set of challenges that we must do everything we can to prevent, to disrupt, and to prepare for if they cannot be stopped.  
    Indeed, the Biden-Harris Administration’s response to hate and domestic terrorism is outlined in a series of innovative strategies and implementation plans that harness the full force of the Federal government of the United States. 
    But critically, they depend on intensive, enduring cooperation with civic, religious, private sector and international partners like you to generate a comprehensive response.
    And although it may not feel that way every day, this model is delivering results. I am the first to admit that the challenges are immense, and even growing.  But I also fervently believe that combining our full strengths, we can come together to make a difference. 
    The Normalization of Hate and Violence
    Let me begin with the threat landscape: As the White House Homeland Security Advisor over the past four years, I have seen firsthand that a fundamental threat to our democracy is the normalization of hate-fueled violence.
    Domestic terrorist movements, including racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists, continue to advocate for widespread violence on the premise that it would lead to outcomes they seek, including chaos and societal collapse among other dystopian ends.
    These dark minds celebrate attacks in El Paso, Buffalo, Poway, Colorado Springs, Charleston, and yes, just east of here, in Squirrel Hill — as well as numerous attacks abroad that they ascribe to their twisted worldview.
    The proliferation of these ideologies online reflects this trend, and its purveyors are reaching a growing number of people, including teenagers and even younger children.
    And as this threat has evolved both in the United States and especially online, we have seen its “domestic” dimensions become increasingly global.
    Let me give you one example of what I mean.  On September 9th of this year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice arrested and charged two leaders of the Terrorgram Collective in the United States.
    These two individuals created a global community of white supremacists to communicate online with like-minded people, disseminate violent propaganda, and encourage physical attacks on minority communities and government officials.
    The amplification of hate online has corresponded with a growth in antisemitism and other forms of hate, particularly in the wake of the October 7th Hamas attacks. 
    By just one measure, between October 7th, 2023, and January 30th of this year, the FBI opened over three times more anti-Jewish hate crimes investigations than in the four months prior to the October 7th attacks. I will return to the meaningful outcomes from these investigations in a moment. 
    And October 7th has had ramifications beyond the rise in hate. We have observed terrorist groups from across the ideological spectrum seeking to exploit the attack for their own goals. Images and messaging emerging from the conflict are expanding the pool of individuals susceptible to mobilization to violent acts, and causing terrorist groups that previously disdained each other to form common cause.
    And these effects are likely to persist long after hostilities cease— and will interact with future flashpoints and activating events, which could drive terrorist attacks against the United States and Israel, as well as against Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and other communities.  
    And it is not just terrorist organizations that are of high concern. The behavior of lone actors can have significant ramifications, even when they do not commit mass violence.
    For example, in February 2024, a joint investigation between the FBI and Florida authorities led to the arrest of a 17-year-old for swatting—which is the practice of making false reports to 9-1-1 to induce a law enforcement response at a residence or workplace.
    Over a two-year span, this particular young person targeted a Florida mosque and hundreds of high schools, historically black colleges and universities, and even the homes of FBI agents.
    Swatting distracts and drains valuable law enforcement resources, exposes police to a potentially life-threatening response, and traumatizes citizens, including students and worshippers, who experience these events.
    And as if this wasn’t bad enough, it emerged that the young suspect was selling swatting as a service on Telegram— which is another way in which that platform is being exploited for dangerous purposes.
    Now, some look at today’s threat landscape and assume the worst, and conclude that there is little if anything that can be done to stop the growth of these threats. 
    But I am here today to tell you that, like all of you, we do not see it that way.    
    The Biden-Harris Administration’s Strategic Approach
    Clearly what I have described is not how we wish our world had evolved. But we have come together here to affirm that we are not powerless in the face of hate and violence.
    From day one, President Biden and Vice President Harris have pursued a rigorously calibrated, integrated approach to countering hate and domestic terrorism that is aligned with our values and complements our broader national security interests.
    This is built on their core belief that domestic terrorism and hate strike at the very foundation of our democracy.
    Indeed, President Biden decided to run for the White House back in 2017 after men with tiki torches emerged from the shadows in Charlottesville spewing the same Antisemitic bile we heard in Germany in the 1930s. 
    That’s why, on his first day in office, President Biden directed me to lead a 100-day comprehensive review of U.S. Government efforts to address domestic terrorism.  This resulted in the development and release of the first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism in June of 2021.
    We went to work immediately on implementing that strategy.  And to complement it, recognizing how critical our partners beyond the Federal government would be to our success, in September of 2022, President Biden hosted the United We Stand Summit to mobilize communities to work with us in advancing an inclusive and bipartisan vision for a more united America and to push back against the growing normalization of hate in our society.
    In December of that year, Susan Rice – then the President’s Domestic Policy Advisor – and I launched an initiative to specifically tackle Antisemitism, Islamophobia and related forms of bias and discrimination.
    This led to our releasing, in May 2023, the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. And we have been working to develop a complementary strategy to address Islamophobia. 
    Importantly, our approach not only tackles the threats of today but prepares for emerging and future threats. 
    So I want to focus here on three key elements of the strategy: first, our efforts to hold accountable those who engage in hate-fueled violence and hate crimes; second, our efforts to protect vulnerable communities; and third, our efforts to prevent such acts from occurring in the first place.
    Accountability Measures
    Our Administration has prioritized the use of our legal authorities and tools to expand investigations and prosecutions. 
    As a result, from 2020 to 2022, the number of FBI domestic violent extremism and domestic terrorism investigations more than doubled to over 2,700. 
    In 2022, the Department of Justice also created a specific domestic terrorism unit within its National Security Division to handle these investigations and prosecutions.
    And a similar dynamic is occurring in our efforts to address hate crimes. The FBI has published and widely disseminated information about what constitutes a hate crime and how to report them, and reinforced this by conducting over 70 meetings with faith-based organizations since October 7th.
    These efforts, combined with the FBI’s tireless work to investigate every lead they receive, have delivered results.  Let me describe a few.  
    In November of 2023, a Tampa, Florida, resident was arrested by the FBI for allegedly leaving threatening voicemails at two Jewish organizations in New York.
    In January 2024, a Massachusetts man was arrested for threatening to kill members of the Jewish community and bomb places of worship.
    And just last month, the Department of Justice announced criminal charges against a Pakistani national arrested in Canada who was planning to travel to New York City to attack a Jewish Community Center on the anniversary of October 7th.
    Protection Measures
    We have also driven efforts to enhance the safety and security of Jewish and other communities targeted for hate and violence. For example, President Biden worked with Congress to secure an additional $400 million for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Nonprofit Security Grant Program in February of this year.
    This grant program funds security improvements and training for nonprofits and houses of worship, including campus organizations and community centers.
    For example, the same program paid to install cameras and boost other security measures in Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas—actions that the congregation’s Rabbi credited with avoiding loss of life when a terrorist took hostages in the synagogue in January 2022. 
    We have also worked in partnership with a wide range of state and local leaders and non-governmental partners to help communities and institutions protect themselves against and prevent hate.
    As just one example, this past summer we provided 5,000 campus leaders all across the country with a detailed list of the federal resources available to help them establish safer and more secure learning environments for their students, faculty, and staff.  
    We sent Federal experts to campuses, hosted a variety of convenings to discuss challenges and identify solutions, and released updated toolkits to enhance their preparations for the new academic year that began in August.
    This effort is ongoing, and the fear and anxiety of those who feel threatened on campuses persists. But it is clear that the resources and toolkits we have shared align with the changes that many campuses have successfully implemented this Fall.  
    Prevention
    And this brings me to the third element of our response—the actions we are taking now to prevent hate-fueled violence and domestic terrorism in the future, before they occur. 
    We know that a complex process brings an individual to pursue targeted violence or terrorism. But we also know that there are behaviors and other signs that people see that are clues that an individual might be trending toward or contemplating an act of targeted violence or terrorism.   
    We have elevated the prevention of targeted violence and terrorism as a strategic priority for countering terrorism, antisemitism, and related forms of hate. 
    Our goal has been to build a prevention architecture that supports nation-wide state and local efforts to intervene and “offramp” individuals who appear to be moving toward committing acts of targeted violence and terrorism.
    At the Federal level, we have surged support to state and local behavioral Threat Assessment and Management, or “TAM” teams as we refer to them.
    For example, the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit has embedded specifically trained agents who are called “threat management coordinators” in their field offices and is working to ensure that each of their field offices are participating in the local Threat Assessment and Management teams. Some of these coordinators are here with us today.   
    Likewise, the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center recently released a six-step guide for state and local law enforcement about how they can most efficiently establish a TAM team that can assess and intervene with individuals identified as posing a risk of violence.
    And there is the DHS Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, which I know is well represented here in the room.  Among their many accomplishments, I want to highlight their work creating and curating the online Prevention Resource Finder, which you can Google at that name—literally a one-stop shop that lists all Federal resources available to help state and local governments prevent acts of targeted violence and terrorism. We recently expanded the website, and it now offers nearly 150 resources.
    It’s important to say again here that the Federal government cannot effectively tackle this metastatic challenge alone.
    Indeed, all of the evidence shows that prevention is most effective when led by our state and local partners, who are on the ground, embedded in our communities. This is especially true for TAM teams, which often operate at the county or municipal level.
    The good news is that we know state and local partners can do this quickly and successfully in partnership with Federal expertise and assistance. Let me give you an example.
    In the days and weeks following the appalling May 14th, 2022, domestic terrorist attack at the Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, the state of New York quickly reached out to the Federal Department of Homeland Security and other Federal agencies to explore how to expand existing partnerships and build a statewide prevention effort.
    To be clear, this was led by and implemented by the State of New York, but the Federal government offered substantial assistance to the State of New York.
    And by 2023, New York had launched a statewide targeted violence prevention strategy that included placing at least one TAM team in every county.
    Just two years after the Buffalo attack, New York had established TAM teams in forty-three counties and the City of New York.
    In May, New York noted that their TAM teams were collectively intervening in more than one thousand two hundred cases.
    And, more important, these TAM teams are saving lives, taking action with respect to certain individuals who were clearly planning acts of targeted violence.  
    This is critical, painstaking, lifesaving work, and I am encouraged to see that many more states are responding to our calls to move in this direction.
    This is progress, and if we persist, these efforts will reduce violence in our Homeland.  
    Closing
    In closing, I want to thank each of you for the work you do every day to prevent, to prepare, and to respond to this phenomenon that is tragically impacting so many of our communities and leaving families and neighborhoods devastated. 
    Your partnership with us is vital to stopping the normalization of hate-fueled violence that threatens our democracy. 
    Again, I want commend the work of this Summit. You are the embodiment of what I have spoken about today.  And there is a real feeling of solidarity in a group like this, and we can and must draw strength from one another.
    For a moment, I will take you back to another very dark time in our Nation’s history — the days and weeks after 9/11. Then I had very young children — and to focus them on the positive in a time of terror I would say to them, “look at all the helpers — there are so many people who are helping other people.”
    You are the helpers today, the doers, the healers in these times, and your work to scale up prevention efforts – and to mobilize the youth of our country to be a part of the solution to hate – are two of the numerous examples of how the agenda for the coming three days will build a stronger and safer America for all of us, and set an example for the world. 
    I salute you for all your commitment, your dedication, and everything you are doing — 
    And I will end where I began. While the threats are real and pernicious, we take inspiration from each other and from those we have lost.  
    May each of their memories be a blessing – and may our work together light the way to a brighter and more secure future.     

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pediatric Physician Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

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

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Overland Park, Kansas, pediatric physician pleaded guilty in federal court today to using concealed video cameras to secretly record 13 child victims for the purpose of producing child pornography over a three-year period from Oct. 4, 2020, to Oct. 28, 2023. Aalbers also admitted that he was in possession of child pornography.

    Brian Michael Aalbers, 50, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts to 13 counts of attempting to produce child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

    Aalbers, a pediatric neurologist at Overland Park Regional Hospital in Overland Park, Kan., remains in federal custody without bond.

    Concerns were received by both the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office regarding the potential victimization of patients of Aalbers’s pediatric practice. During the investigation, it was determined there was no evidence to indicate any current or former patients were victimized by Aalbers. To protect and maintain the privacy of Aalbers’s victims, no additional information regarding the victims will be released.

    According to today’s plea agreement, Kansas City, Mo., police officers investigated a report regarding concealed video cameras that had been found on Oct. 28, 2023. A witness later contacted officers to report that Aalbers was sending suicidal text messages. Lenexa, Kan., police officers located Aalbers and transported him to a local hospital to obtain voluntary mental health treatment. The hospital took possession of two laptop computers, two iPad tablets, and a cell phone that were inside a backpack Aalbers brought with him when he entered the facility.

    Investigators obtained search warrants for those devices, as well as other cameras and electronic devices owned by Aalbers. Investigators found more than 50,000 video files associated with the hidden video cameras used by Aalbers, including more than 1,000 videos that contained pornographic depictions of the 13 child victims.

    Investigators also obtained a search warrant for Aalbers’s iCloud account, which contained 1,000 additional images and 163 additional videos of child pornography, which included videos of the identified child victims that had been produced by Aalbers.

    Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and Aalbers are jointly requesting a sentence of at least 20 years, but no more than 30 years, in federal prison without parole. 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. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Lenexa, Kan., Police Department, the Merriam, Kan., Police Department, and the Overland Park, Kan., Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Kansas.

    Project Safe Childhood

    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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Announces 2024 District Election Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Shamoor Anis 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 Anis has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Delaware, 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 Weiss 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 Weiss additionally commented 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 Anis will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number – 302-893-5213.”

    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 410-265-8080.

    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.

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

    U.S. Attorney Weiss concluded, “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.”

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Election Day Program

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SCRANTON – United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced today that Criminal Division Chief Bruce D. Brandler, Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA) Michael Consiglio, Geoffrey MacArthur, and James Buchanan will lead the efforts of this Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election.

    Criminal Chief Brandler has been appointed to oversee and lead the District’s Election Day Program.  AUSAs Consiglio, Buchanan, and MacArthur will serve as the District Election Officers (DEO) for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in our Harrisburg, Scranton, and Williamsport Offices. In that capacity, they are responsible for overseeing the handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of any kind to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

    “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Karam. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of any kind. 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 any kind 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).   

     “The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy, said U.S. Attorney Karam.  “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, our DEOs will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. AUSA/DEO Consiglio can be reached by the public at the Harrisburg Office number: 717-221-4482; AUSA/DEO Buchanan can be reached at the Scranton Office number: 570-348-2800; and AUSA/DEO MacArthur can be reached at the Williamsport Office number: 570-326-1935.

    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 215-418-4000.

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

     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: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Election Day Efforts for the November 2024 General Election

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, Miss. – United States Attorney Todd Gee announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Bert Carraway and Samuel Goff 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.  AUSAs Carraway and Goff have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the Southern District of Mississippi, and in that capacity are 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 Gee 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 Gee 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. 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, AUSAs Bert Carraway and Samuel Goff will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  They can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 601-973-2826 or 601-973-2855.”

               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 601-948-5000.

               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 Gee 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: Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Attempting To Support ISIS

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, also known as ISIS.

    On three occasions in 2019, JASON BROWN provided $500 in cash to an individual with the understanding that the money would be wired to an ISIS soldier engaged in terrorist activity in Syria.  Unbeknownst to Brown, the individual to whom he provided the money was confidentially working with law enforcement, and the purported ISIS fighter was actually an undercover law enforcement officer.

    Also in 2019, Brown trafficked fentanyl and other drugs from California to the Chicago suburbs and illegally possessed several loaded handguns in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.

    Brown, 42, of Lombard, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, one count of distributing fentanyl, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland imposed the sentence on Oct. 16, 2024, during a hearing in federal court in Chicago. Brown has been in law enforcement custody since his arrest in 2019.

    The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, Lombard, Ill. Police Department, Addison, Ill. Police Department, and FBI Field Offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and San Diego.  The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn McCarthy of the Northern District of Illinois and S. Elisa Poteat, Trial Attorney from the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Strengthening support for access to justice services in both official languages in Quebec

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    October 21, 2024—Montréal, Quebec—Department of Justice Canada

    Access to justice is key to increasing Canadians’ confidence in their justice system. By improving the ability of organizations to offer legal services in French and English across the country, the Government of Canada continues to fulfill its commitment to support official language minority communities.

    Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Member of Parliament for Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, on behalf of the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced the allocation of $2,340,855 over five years (2023–2028) through the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund to support Éducaloi in the delivery of services to English-speaking Quebecers.

    The funding announced today supports the “Access to Justice for English-speaking Quebecers: A Capacity Building and Collective Impact Approach” project. These funds help Éducaloi improve services to English-speaking citizens, including vulnerable and hard-to-reach clienteles. Through the development of plain-language legal information tools and educational resources in English, this project addresses the needs of Quebec’s official language minority community. Website accessibility, more active communication on social media, informative workshops, and an advertising campaign will help increase access to justice in both official languages. The funds will also enable Éducaloi—through its network of partners—to strengthen the capacity of other organizations to offer legal information services in English.

    Founded in 2000, Éducaloi develops and provides legal information in all formats and in a way that is easily understood by all audiences. Its mission is to inform Quebec citizens about the law, their rights, and their obligations.

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lancaster Man Sentenced for COVID Relief Fraud

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

    BUFFALO, NY – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Larry Jordan, 45, of Lancaster, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud for his participation in a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, joined the announcement.

    According to court documents, between April and September 2020, Jordan and his brother Sutukh El a/k/a Curtis Jordan a/k/a Hugo Hurt a/k/a Hugo Hermes Hurtington, conspired to submit eight fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies they owned or controlled. Three of the applications were submitted to Evolve Bank & Trust and the other five were submitted to Lendio, a financial technology company based in Utah. The applications contained false statements about the 2019 payroll expenses of each company, which were used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. To corroborate the applications, Jordan and El submitted IRS forms, which had never been filed with the IRS, as well as fraudulent payroll registers that purported to identify the names, personal information, and salary of the employees identified on the PPP applications.

    For example, a PPP loan application was submitted on behalf of 5 Stems Inc to Evolve. The application represented that in 2019, 5 Stems Inc had 194 employees and an average monthly payroll of $242,133.33. In truth, 5 Stems Inc had nine employees in 2019 and paid those employees a total of approximately $57,380 for all of 2019. Evolve approved the application and funded a $605,200 loan. The money was deposited into an account controlled by defendant El. Some of the money was used for the defendants’ own investments, as well as personal expenses and home improvements.

    Sutukh El was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection’s Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Kruly and Grace Carducci for the Western District of New York and Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

    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 at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    # # # #

     

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schakowsky, Warren, Welch Push to Increase Funding for Medical Research, Require Law-Breaking Drug Companies to Reinvest in NIH and FDA

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

    Bill applies to pharmaceutical companies who are found guilty or are accused of breaking the law and settle with the federal government.

    Full Text of Bill (PDF) | One Pager (PDF)

    EVANSTON – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), along with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Medical Innovation Act of 2024 to increase funding for medical innovation by requiring large pharmaceutical companies that are accused of breaking the law and settle with the federal government to reinvest a percentage of their profits into the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    In 2023, the NIH only had funds for 23% of the applications it received, contributing to a huge medical innovation gap. At the same time, pharmaceutical companies have been accused of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid, marketing drugs for unapproved uses, illegally incentivizing doctors to prescribe drugs, lying about the safety of their drugs, and violating other criminal and civil laws. The companies have settled many of these claims with the federal government, treating the fines as a cost of doing business. Most recently, Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed to pay the Justice Department $450 million to settle a set of lawsuits alleging that the company defrauded Medicare and conspired with other drug-makers to illegally inflate the prices of two generic drugs.

    Between 2019 and October 2024, the Department of Justice pursued new actions against or settled cases with at least 40 pharmaceutical companies. 

    The Medical Innovation Act would: 

    • Require pharmaceutical companies accused of breaking the law to reinvest a small percentage of their profits in NIH and FDA. These payments would increase with the severity of the settlement penalty, and would only be required of companies that rely on federally-funded research to develop billion-dollar, “blockbuster” drugs.  
    • Invest in life-saving medical innovation through the NIH and FDA. Payments collected through this bill would be used to develop treatments and diagnostics to address unmet medical needs; support research grants for early career scientists; research diseases that disproportionately contribute to federal health care spending; and advance basic biomedical research, among other uses.
    • Promote sustained investments in biomedical research. To ensure that the Act results in a net increase in funding for medical research, money from the supplemental settlement fees would only be available in years that annual appropriations for NIH and FDA are equal to or greater than appropriations for the agencies in the prior fiscal year.   

    “For too long, drug companies that rely on federally-funded research to develop their blockbuster drugs have gotten away with defrauding consumers and taxpayers,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “The Medical Innovation Act would make it more difficult for these drug companies to game the system by requiring them to provide a share of their profits to increase investments in biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration. We can continue to be a leading force in medical innovation and this legislation will help ensure that we have the means to cure diseases and save lives.” 

    “Big Pharma shouldn’t be able to defraud the federal government and get away with just a slap on the wrist,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “This bill will help us save lives by ensuring giant drug companies that enter into settlement agreements with the federal government chip in to fund the next generation of medical research.”

    “The Medical Innovation Act is a commonsense way to advance more medical research by holding shady pharmaceutical companies accountable when they break the law,” said Senator Peter Welch. “I led this bill as a member of the House and am fighting today with my colleagues Senator Warren and Representative Schakowsky to maintain America’s leadership in biomedical science.”

    This bill is endorsed by the following organizations: National Women’s Health Network, AIDS United, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Society of Behavioral Medicine, Families USA, Public Citizen, and Massachusetts Medical Society. 

    “The Medical Innovation Act reinvests in vital research. This legislation is a crucial step toward holding the pharmaceutical industry accountable while ensuring that taxpayer-funded research leads to tangible advancements in health. With women historically underrepresented in clinical trials, it’s imperative that we close the innovation gap. The Network thanks Senator Elizabeth Warren for her leadership on this issue and we are hopeful that together, we can create a healthier future for all women,” said Denise Hyater-Lindenmuth, Executive Director, National Women’s Health Network.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News