NewzIntel.com

Category: Department of Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Sarcone Announces Supervisory Appointments

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III today announced two new senior supervisory appointments within the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Lisa M. Fletcher has been appointed Chief of the Criminal Division and Cyrus P.W. Rieck has been appointed Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division. Ms. Fletcher and Mr. Rieck join other senior managers that U.S. Attorney Sarcone has elected to retain in their positions, including First Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon; and Chief of the Civil Division Karen Folster Lesperance.

    “I am pleased to make these appointments which I believe add great depth of experience and perspective to our decision-making to better serve the Northern District of New York and the mission of the Department of Justice,” said United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III.

    Ms. Fletcher joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1999 and prior to her appointment as Criminal Chief served as Deputy Criminal Chief and the Project Safe Childhood Coordinator.  Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ms. Fletcher served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York and Onondaga Counties. Ms. Fletcher is a 1986 graduate of Niagara University and a 1989 graduate of St. John’s University School of Law.

    Mr. Rieck joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2014 and prior to his appointment as Deputy Criminal Chief, served a Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney.  Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Rieck was an associate with Orrick, Herrington, and Sutcliffe, LLP; and a law clerk for Judge Paul A. Crotty of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. Mr. Rieck is a 2005 graduate of Tulane University and a 2008 graduate of the University of Miami Law School.

    Mr. Hanlon joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2008 and prior to his appointment as First Assistant United States Attorney served as Criminal Chief, Deputy Criminal Chief and Narcotics Chief.  Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Hanlon served as an Assistant District Attorney in Rensselaer County. Mr. Hanlon is a 1992 graduate of SUNY Binghamton and a 1996 graduate of Albany Law School.

    Ms. Lesperance joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2012 and prior to her appointment as Civil Chief served as Deputy Civil Chief.  Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ms. Lesperance was an associate with McCabe and Mack LLP and with Testa, Hurwitz and Thibeault LLP. Ms. Lesperance is a 1995 graduate of SUNY Albany and a 1999 graduate of Albany Law School.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: West Valley Man Accused of Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Honduran national living in Utah with federal drug crimes after 171 grams of heroin was seized during executed search warrants.

    Jose Manuel Osorio-Dominguez, 31, of West Valley City, was charged by complaint on April 10, 2025. 
        
    According to court documents, since February 2025, detectives with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force began investigating a drug trafficking organization. On April 8, 2025, a 2014 Toyota Corolla was stopped, and a search warrant was executed on the vehicle. Detectives identified Osorio-Dominguez as the driver and 53 grams of field-tested positive heroin was seized. A subsequent search warrant was executed in Taylorsville, Utah, and an additional 118 grams of field-tested positive heroin and $5,000 was seized. Osorio Dominquez was taken into custody.

    Osorio-Dominguez is charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 18, 2025, at 1:15 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

    Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case is being investigated jointly by the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

    Special Assistant United States Attorney Peter Reichman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Judge Finds a Virginia Man Guilty of Child Pornography Offenses

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Yesterday, a district court judge convicted a Virginia man, who worked for the Department of Commerce, of possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rafferty Daniel Kelly, 40, of Alexandria, worked for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In March 2022, a federal CSAM investigation involving an internet-based peer-to-peer file sharing service, a program used by the defendant to obtain CSAM, led federal agents to execute a search warrant at Kelly’s home, where they seized multiple devices. A review of those devices revealed that, over a period of at least two years, Kelly had downloaded and stored over 50,000 images of CSAM and child erotica, including images of infants and prepubescent children. Kelly also possessed a handbook on how to groom children.

    At the end of the bench trial yesterday, the Honorable Michael S. Nachmanoff found Kelly guilty of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. Judge Nachmanoff will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, United States Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division made the announcement.

    Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Strobbe for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal jury convicts would-be smuggler of three-year-old child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old Laredo woman has been convicted of conspiracy to transport, attempting to transport and bringing in and attempting to bring a minor alien to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    The jury deliberated for approximately 45 minutes before finding Salma Galilea Veliz guilty late April 15 after a two-day trial.

    Law enforcement first encountered Veliz at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo Nov. 14, 2024, with a three-year-old male. At that time, she presented a Texas birth certificate and claimed the minor was her son. 

    Veliz eventually admitted the child was actually not her own and that she had picked him up in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. She claimed she did not know the boy’s name or where she was taking him, just that a person known as “Malandro” was bringing him to her. 

    Veliz planned to have the boy assume the identity of her biological son in an effort to smuggle him into the United States. In exchange, she would be paid $2,500.

    During trial, the jury heard testimony and evidence regarding his true identity, which included the minor child’s original birth certificate indicating Mexico as his place of birth. Testimony also revealed there was no record in existence pertaining to the minor child that would indicate he had ever been authorized to enter the United States.

    The defense attempted to convince the jury the boy had claims to citizenship through an unidentified father. However, evidence revealed the minor is a Mexican citizen and had no claim to enter the county. The jury ultimately found Veliz guilty as charged.

    “This verdict demonstrates that those who think they can make a quick buck by trafficking human beings—particularly children—are sorely mistaken,” said Ganjei. “The facts of this case are a reminder of the tremendous human cost of weak border security. There is no telling who or what awaited that three-year-old boy had he been successfully snuck across the border. Due to the quick thinking and thorough work of law enforcement, that child will be returned to his home, rather than face an uncertain—and possibly dangerous—fate in the hands of unknown persons.”

    U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen presided over trial and will set sentencing at a later date. At that time, Veliz faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation with the assistance of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of State and Department of Health and Humans Services – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa A. Lopez and Tory Sailer prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Judge Finds a Virginia Man Guilty of Child Pornography Offenses

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Yesterday, a district court judge convicted a Virginia man, who worked for the Department of Commerce, of possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rafferty Daniel Kelly, 40, of Alexandria, worked for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In March 2022, a federal CSAM investigation involving an internet-based peer-to-peer file sharing service, a program used by the defendant to obtain CSAM, led federal agents to execute a search warrant at Kelly’s home, where they seized multiple devices. A review of those devices revealed that, over a period of at least two years, Kelly had downloaded and stored over 50,000 images of CSAM and child erotica, including images of infants and prepubescent children. Kelly also possessed a handbook on how to groom children.

    At the end of the bench trial yesterday, the Honorable Michael S. Nachmanoff found Kelly guilty of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. Judge Nachmanoff will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, United States Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division made the announcement.

    Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Strobbe for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Mexican Nationals Charged After Immigration Enforcement Investigation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston today announced the detention of four Mexican nationals following their arrest in the Southern District of West Virginia.

    Maximino Montalvo Salas, 20, Federico Montalvo Salas, 22, and Bernabe Montalvo Salas, 24, are each charged with illegally reentering the United States. Julio Cesar Ruiz-Perez, 21, is charged with deceptive use of a Social Security account number.

    United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn ordered the detention of each today following separate initial appearance, preliminary and detention hearings.

    On March 28, 2025, law enforcement officers interviewed each Salas defendant at the South Charleston restaurant where they worked. Officers determined that all three were in the United States illegally. Further investigation determined that each Salas defendant had previously been deported from the United States, had no identification documents permitting their legal status in the United States, never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States, and did not reenter the United States through legal means.

    On April 11, 2025, officers executed a search warrant at the Charleston residence where the Salas defendants were living and encountered Ruiz-Perez. Officers determined Ruiz-Perez was in the United States illegally and possessed a Social Security account number not assigned to him by the Commissioner of Social Security that he used to obtain employment in the Southern District of West Virginia.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

    “Operation Take Back America and its core enforcement objectives is a top priority of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia,” Johnston said. “I commend U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) for their investigative work in these cases.”

    Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the cases, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America.

    Criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:25-mj-82, 2:25-mj-83, 2:25-mj-84, and 2:25-mj-91.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Sentenced to Over 33 Years for Child Exploitation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – A South Florida federal district judge this week sentenced a 30-year-old Jacksonville, Florida man to 405 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for producing and transporting visual depictions involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    David Wayne Currin Jr. pleaded guilty to the crimes on Jan. 23.

    On Oct. 30, 2024, Currin arrived at the Miami Seaport from The Bahamas aboard a cruise ship. During a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) inspection, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and HSI Jacksonville special agents discovered 260 images and 26 videos of CSAM on Currin’s smartphone, including a sexually explicit video of a minor victim and material depicting the abuse of an infant or toddler. Between March 2024 and Oct. 30, 2024, Currin used his smartphone to record sexually explicit conduct involving a minor.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence.

    HSI Miami and HSI Jacksonville investigated the case with assistance from CBP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilana Malkin prosecuted the case.

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

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20494.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Gambian soldier convicted on torture charges in unprecedented US trial, following ICE investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    DENVER — A former member of the Gambian military was convicted April 15 on torture charges, following his involvement in crimes committed while the West African country’s then-President, Yahya Jammeh, was still in power.

    Michael Sang Correa, 46, was indicted in 2020 and is the first non-United States citizen to be convicted under the U.S. criminal torture law. He was found guilty of inflicting torture on specific individuals as well as conspiring to commit torture against suspected opponents of Jammeh’s while serving in a military unit within the Gambia Armed Forces known as the “Junglers.”

    “Correa’s crimes caught up with him today,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Denver Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen, who also oversees Colorado, Montana and Wyoming. “Correa chose the wrong country to try to escape from justice. HSI actively investigates and apprehends human rights violators who run from their criminal pasts and come here. We have a zero-tolerance policy for human rights violators.”

    “Michael Sang Correa tried to evade responsibility for his crimes in The Gambia by coming to the United States and hiding his past,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “But we found him, we investigated him, and we prosecuted him. The lesson is: if you commit violent crimes — let alone torture or other human rights violations — do not come to the United States. If you do, the Department of Justice, together with its law enforcement partners, will leave no stone unturned to see that your crimes are exposed and justice is served. I thank the jurors for their service and the witnesses for the courage to relive the horror they experienced at Correa’s hands.”

    “The torture inflicted by Michael Sang Correa and his co-conspirators is abhorrent,” said acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado. “Today’s verdict shows you can’t get away with coming to Colorado to hide from your past crimes. The jurors are to be commended for their service throughout this trial and the witnesses for traveling so far to serve the interests of justice.”

    Evidence presented at trial proved that in March 2006, shortly after a failed coup attempt, Correa and his co-conspirators transported the victims to Gambia’s main prison, known as Mile 2 Prison, where they subjected the victims to severe physical and mental abuses.

    For the rest of the month of March and well into April 2006, Correa and his co-conspirators beat, stabbed, burned and electrocuted the victims, among other horrific acts. One victim testified that he had his thigh burned by hot, molten plastic; the Junglers also placed the victim in a large bag, suspended him in the air, and dropped him to the ground. Another victim testified that Correa and his co-conspirators suffocated him with a plastic bag and put the barrel of a pistol in his mouth. In addition to suffocation from plastic bags, another victim testified that Correa and his co-conspirators electrocuted him on his body, including his genitals; hanged him upside down and beat him in that position; and stabbed him in the shoulder. A fourth victim endured electrocution and was hit in the head with a pistol. A fifth victim testified that he had cigarettes extinguished into his skin, experienced electrocution, and that he was struck in the face with a hammer.

    Correa came to the U.S. in December 2016, eventually settling in Denver. Having overstayed his visa, ICE arrested Correa in 2019 and subsequently placed him in removal proceedings.

    Correa faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the five torture counts and the count of conspiracy to commit torture. He will remain in U.S. custody pending his sentencing.

    ICE HSI Denver investigated this case, with support from HSI agents in Dakar, Senegal, as well as personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Banjul and the FBI Legal Attaché in Dakar. The Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center also provided significant support. Established in 2009, the HRVWCC leverages the expertise of criminal investigators, attorneys, historians, intelligence analysts and federal partners to provide a whole of government approach to prevent the U.S. from becoming a haven for individuals who commit war crimes, genocide, torture and other human rights abuses around the globe.

    Currently, ICE has more than 180 active investigations into suspected human rights violators and is pursuing more than 1,945 leads and removals cases involving suspected human rights violators from 95 different countries. The center has issued more than 79,000 lookouts since 2003, for potential perpetrators of human rights abuses and stopped over 390 human rights violators and war crimes suspects from entering the U.S.

    Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are urged to call the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. You can also email HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov or complete the online tip form.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Indicted for Discharging a Firearm in a School Zone

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a previously convicted felon with gun charges after he allegedly possessed and discharged an AR-15 style rifle within a school zone. The defendant is restricted from possessing firearms and ammunition.  

    Carson Moffitt, 40, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was charged by complaint on April 3, 2025. 
        
    According to court documents, on April 2, 2025, South Salt Lake City Police Department officers responded to a call of shots fired at Granite Park Junior High School in South Salt Lake, Utah, at 7:15 p.m. After officers arrived, they discovered AR-15 style shell casings in the middle of the road near the school. Surveillance cameras, provided by Granite School District law enforcement, captured the suspect’s vehicle, a Subaru WRX. Shortly after, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper observed a Subaru WRX speeding more than 100 miles per hour near 6000 South and I-15. UHP attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver, later identified as Moffitt, fled and continued speeding up to 130 miles per hour before exiting Redwood Road and I-215 in Taylorsville. The pursuit was terminated. A run of the vehicles license plate showed the vehicle was registered to Moffitt. UHP troopers responded to the address on the vehicle’s registration and while troopers were working to make contact with Moffit, multiple shots were fired from inside the residence. A witness inside the home advised law enforcement Moffitt had a rifle. Moffitt eventually opened the garage door and fled in the Subaru. A Taylorsville City Police Department Officer intercepted and crashed into Moffitt’s Subaru, disabling the vehicle. Moffit was taken into custody. Officers seized an AR-15 style rifle with a drum magazine and ammunition from inside the vehicle.

    Moffitt is charged with felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm within a school zone, and discharge of a firearm within a school zone. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 17, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.

    Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.

    The case is being investigated by the Utah State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). Valuable assistance was provided by the Granite School District law enforcement, South Salt Lake Police Department, Utah Highway Patrol, and Taylorsville City Police Department.  

    Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tangipahoa Parish Resident Indicted for Fentanyl Distribution Resulting in Death

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the April 9, 2025, unsealing of an indictment against KYRIN HUDSON (“HUDSON”), age 29, of Tangipahoa Parish, charging him with distribution of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, resulting in the death of a victim, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).

    If convicted, HUDSON faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of twenty years and up to a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, at least three years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

    Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT), the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Hammond Police Department.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Sarver and Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Polk County Man Sentenced To 18 Years In Prison For Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Randall Alderman (61, Lakeland) to 18 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production and receipt of child sexual abuse material. Alderman pled guilty on September 16, 2024. 

    According to court documents, beginning in 2021, Alderman engaged in sexually explicit communications with a 13-year-old victim through a social media application. Alderman requested and received child sexual abuse material from the victim. During an interview with the FBI, Alderman admitted to communicating with and receiving sexual abuse material from the victim. The FBI located 10 videos and 7 images of child sexual abuse involving the victim on Alderman’s phone. 

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.

    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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Private Investigator Sentenced to Prison for Interstate Stalking and Harassment of Chinese Nationals on Behalf of the People’s Republic of China

    Source: United States Department of Justice

    Today, in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, Michael McMahon, 57, of Mahwah, New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay an $11,000 fine for acting as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit the same, for his participation in a scheme to coerce repatriation of a U.S. resident to the PRC as part of its international repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” McMahon and co-defendants Zhu Yong, 68, of East Elmhurst, New York, and Congying Zheng, 29, of Brooklyn, were convicted by a federal jury in June 2023 following a three-week trial. In January 2025, Zhu and Zheng were sentenced respectively to 24 months and 16 months in prison.

    As proven at trial, between approximately 2016 and 2019, the defendants and their co-conspirators participated in an international campaign to threaten, harass, surveil, and intimidate John Doe #1 and his family in order to force him and his wife, Jane Doe #1, to return to the PRC to face purported corruption charges. Beginning in 2012, John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 had been targeted for repatriation as part of the PRC’s transnational repression programs known as “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Sky Net.” John Doe #1 and his family had accordingly sought to keep their address out of public records.

    Zhu hired McMahon, a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator, to locate John Doe #1. McMahon obtained sensitive information about John Doe #1, which he then reported back to Zhu and others, including a PRC police officer. McMahon also conducted surveillance outside the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s relative and provided Zhu and PRC officials with detailed reports of what he observed. The operation was supervised and directed by several PRC officials, including a PRC police officer and a PRC prosecutor.

    As McMahon knew, the operation was intended not only to locate John Doe #1, but to coerce him to return to the PRC by exerting pressure on his family members. In April 2017, PRC officials threatened to jail John Doe #1’s sister, who lived in the PRC, in order to coerce John Doe #1’s then-82-year-old father to travel from the PRC to their relative’s home in New Jersey. John Doe #1’s father, who had recently suffered a brain hemorrhage, was so frail that a doctor accompanied him for the trip. McMahon followed John Doe #1’s father from the relative’s New Jersey home, and, by doing so, was able to learn John Doe #1’s address. McMahon immediately provided this information to a PRC operative.

    On Sept. 4, 2018, Zheng and another co-conspirator drove to the New Jersey residence of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 – at the address that McMahon had provided – where they pounded on the front door, attempted to enter the house, and then peered through the windows in the back of the home. They left a note on the front door informing John Doe #1 that his “wife and children will be okay” if John Doe #1 surrendered himself to face a ten-year prison term in the PRC.

    McMahon knew that the subjects of his investigation were wanted by the PRC government, a fact that he texted about with another investigator he contracted to help him. Following his arrest, McMahon acknowledged knowing that his employers wanted to get the victim back to China “so they could prosecute him.” After providing the victims’ address, McMahon told his surveillance partner that he was “waiting for a call” to find out what to do next. McMahon’s partner responded, “Yeah. From NJ State Police about an abduction,” to which McMahon responded “Lol.”  McMahon later suggested to a PRC co-conspirator that they “harass” John Doe #1 by “[p]ark[ing] outside his home and let[ting] him know we are there.” McMahon took other investigative steps designed to harass the victims, such as researching their daughter’s university residence and college major. McMahon was paid more than $19,000 in total for his role in the illegal repatriation scheme. In an apparent attempt to conceal the source, McMahon deposited payments from his PRC clients into his son’s bank account, the only time he had done so with client payments.

    Previously, three co-defendants pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the PRC-directed harassment and intimidation campaign. They are awaiting sentencing.

    Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.

    The FBI New York Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith A. Arfa and Irisa Chen for the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christine A. Bonomo and Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth for the Eastern District of New York provided valuable assistance.

    The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit the FBI’s website.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Former Gambian solider convicted on torture charges in unprecedented US trial, following ICE investigation

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    DENVER — A former member of the Gambian military was convicted April 15 on torture charges, following his involvement in crimes committed while the West African country’s then-President, Yahya Jammeh, was still in power.

    Michael Sang Correa, 46, was indicted in 2020 and is the first non-United States citizen to be convicted under the U.S. criminal torture law. He was found guilty of inflicting torture on specific individuals as well as conspiring to commit torture against suspected opponents of Jammeh’s while serving in a military unit within the Gambia Armed Forces known as the “Junglers.”

    “Correa’s crimes caught up with him today,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations Denver Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen, who also oversees Colorado, Montana and Wyoming. “Correa chose the wrong country to try to escape from justice. HSI actively investigates and apprehends human rights violators who run from their criminal pasts and come here. We have a zero-tolerance policy for human rights violators.”

    “Michael Sang Correa tried to evade responsibility for his crimes in The Gambia by coming to the United States and hiding his past,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “But we found him, we investigated him, and we prosecuted him. The lesson is: if you commit violent crimes — let alone torture or other human rights violations — do not come to the United States. If you do, the Department of Justice, together with its law enforcement partners, will leave no stone unturned to see that your crimes are exposed and justice is served. I thank the jurors for their service and the witnesses for the courage to relive the horror they experienced at Correa’s hands.”

    “The torture inflicted by Michael Sang Correa and his co-conspirators is abhorrent,” said acting U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell for the District of Colorado. “Today’s verdict shows you can’t get away with coming to Colorado to hide from your past crimes. The jurors are to be commended for their service throughout this trial and the witnesses for traveling so far to serve the interests of justice.”

    Evidence presented at trial proved that in March 2006, shortly after a failed coup attempt, Correa and his co-conspirators transported the victims to Gambia’s main prison, known as Mile 2 Prison, where they subjected the victims to severe physical and mental abuses.

    For the rest of the month of March and well into April 2006, Correa and his co-conspirators beat, stabbed, burned and electrocuted the victims, among other horrific acts. One victim testified that he had his thigh burned by hot, molten plastic; the Junglers also placed the victim in a large bag, suspended him in the air, and dropped him to the ground. Another victim testified that Correa and his co-conspirators suffocated him with a plastic bag and put the barrel of a pistol in his mouth. In addition to suffocation from plastic bags, another victim testified that Correa and his co-conspirators electrocuted him on his body, including his genitals; hanged him upside down and beat him in that position; and stabbed him in the shoulder. A fourth victim endured electrocution and was hit in the head with a pistol. A fifth victim testified that he had cigarettes extinguished into his skin, experienced electrocution, and that he was struck in the face with a hammer.

    Correa came to the U.S. in December 2016, eventually settling in Denver. Having overstayed his visa, ICE arrested Correa in 2019 and subsequently placed him in removal proceedings.

    Correa faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the five torture counts and the count of conspiracy to commit torture. He will remain in U.S. custody pending his sentencing.

    ICE HSI Denver investigated this case, with support from HSI agents in Dakar, Senegal, as well as personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Banjul and the FBI Legal Attaché in Dakar. The Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center also provided significant support. Established in 2009, the HRVWCC leverages the expertise of criminal investigators, attorneys, historians, intelligence analysts and federal partners to provide a whole of government approach to prevent the U.S. from becoming a haven for individuals who commit war crimes, genocide, torture and other human rights abuses around the globe.

    Currently, ICE has more than 180 active investigations into suspected human rights violators and is pursuing more than 1,945 leads and removals cases involving suspected human rights violators from 95 different countries. The center has issued more than 79,000 lookouts since 2003, for potential perpetrators of human rights abuses and stopped over 390 human rights violators and war crimes suspects from entering the U.S.

    Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are urged to call the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. You can also email HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov or complete the online tip form.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Paul Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Paying and Directing a Woman in the Philippines to Produce Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – Jason Speed of St. Paul, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 292 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for solicitation and production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, between January 2020 through February 2024, Jason Miller Speed, 42, solicited the production of child pornography over the internet. During that time, Speed conducted an online relationship with an adult woman located in the Philippines. In exchange for money from Speed, and under his direction, the woman produced CSAM content featuring minor victims under the age of 12. Speed was aware the victims were minors. Through cooperation with the FBI’s International Operations division, local authorities were able to rescue the minor victims.

    “Child predators are conniving, creative, and profoundly dangerous. Speed lived in our community and lurked in the dark corners of the internet. From his perch in St. Paul, Speed victimized little children halfway around the world,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “While I am appalled at Speed’s predation, I am extraordinarily proud of the above-and-beyond efforts of law enforcement in this case. Because of the heroic efforts of the FBI and AUSA Will Mattessich, the young victims in the Philippines were rescued from a life of sexual torture.”

    “Speed’s actions were calculated, exploitative, and deeply disturbing,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “He knowingly financed and directed the creation of content that victimized innocent children. The FBI, in close coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who exploit minors. We remain unyielding in our commitment to identifying offenders, dismantling these networks of abuse, and ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice.”

    Speed pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the production of child pornography. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. In handing down the sentence Judge Bryan noted, “What happened to the two minor children is appalling and it is horrific.”

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Maplewood Police Department, St. Paul Police Department, and the Carver County Sheriff’s Office. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, 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.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Honduran National Sentenced for Failure to Depart the United States and Hindering Removal from the United States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Noel Chinchilla-Avilez, age 26, was sentenced to 54 days in prison by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for failure to depart the United States after an order of removal and hindering removal from the United States.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Chinchilla-Avilez was ordered removed from the United States in 2023, but he did not depart within the required 90 days. When Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Chinchilla-Avilez for removal in February 2025, he slipped out of his handcuffs and attempted to escape.

    This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owasso Man Sentenced for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Kyle Jackson Fugate, 28, for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Judge Frizzell sentenced Fugate to 121 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon release, Fugate will be required to register as a sex offender.

    In March 2024, an undercover deputy with the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office was posing as a 15-year-old online. Fugate told the undercover deputy that he smoked methamphetamine and sent sexually explicit photos of himself. Fugate then requested sexually explicit images in return. Fugate made plans to meet the undercover deputy, believing he was going to meet with a 15-year-old and engage in sexual acts. When Fugate arrived at the meeting place, he was taken into custody.   

    During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Fugate had been messaging a minor victim through social media a month earlier. Fugate convinced the minor victim to send sexually explicit photos, and the minor victim complied.   

    Previously released on bond, Fugate was taken into custody following his guilty plea in June 2024. He will remain in custody, pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office investigated it as part of Operation Clean Sweep II. This operation partnered with the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force, which aims to hold child predators accountable throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma. 

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: A.G. Pamela Bondi Announces Enforcement Actions Against the State of Maine for Violating Title IX

    Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)

    Today, Attorney General Bondi and Education Secretary McMahon announced enforcement actions against the State of Maine for failing to protect women and girls in sports. This follows a federal investigation into Maine’s noncompliance with Title IX – a civil rights law that guarantees women and girls equal protection in education and athletics.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGfXKXfz-HE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LUIS GARCIA, also known as “Ebk Lou,” 27, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent Bridgeport street gang.

    Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder, and other acts of violence.  Garcia was a member of the Original North End (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport that committed acts of violence against rival gangs, including the East End gang, the East Side gang, and the PT Barnum gang.  O.N.E. members also robbed drug dealers, customers, and others, sold narcotics, and stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut, often using the cars to commit crimes.  They frequently used social media to promote and coordinate their criminal activities.

    Text messages and social media posts reviewed during the investigation confirmed that Garcia possessed and sold narcotics and firearms, stole vehicles, and was involved in related violent criminal activity alongside other O.N.E. members and associates.

    On August 9, 2018, O.N.E. members stole a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Newburgh, New York, and drove it back to Bridgeport.  In the following days, O.N.E. members conspired to use the car to kill East End gang members and their allies who they had learned through social media were at a deli on Stratford Avenue in Bridgeport.  Although that plan fell through, in the early morning hours of August 13, 2018, Garcia, Ta’Ron Pharr, and Lorenzo Carter drove the stolen Jeep to Stratford and Union Avenues in Bridgeport where they shot and killed Len Smith, 25, who they mistook for a rival East End group member, and shot and seriously wounded Smith’s female companion, both of whom were seated in a parked car.  After the shooting, O.N.E. members transported the Jeep to Indian Wells State Park in Shelton where they burned the vehicle in an effort to destroy evidence of the murder.

    O.N.E. members committed other violent crimes, including murder.

    Garcia has been detained since his arrest on September 8, 2021.  On September 6, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.

    Approximately 47 members and associates of multiple Bridgeport-based gangs have been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which has solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders.

    Pharr pleaded guilty and, on August 30, 2022, was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment.  On November 21, 2023, a jury found Carter guilty of racketeering conspiracy.  He awaits sentencing.

    This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, Waterbury Police Department, and Naugatuck Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick, and Rahul Kale.

    This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

    PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. 

    Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities.  Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.  If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.

    OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Protecting the World’s 5th Largest Economy: Attorney General Bonta, Governor Newsom Sue Trump Administration Over Unlawful Imposition of Tariffs

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    Tariffs threaten California’s economy, people, small businesses 

    STANISLAUS COUNTY — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom today filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s unlawful use of power to impose tariffs and direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) to implement and enforce those tariffs without the consent of Congress. Since early February, the Trump Administration has issued over a dozen executive orders under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) to impose tariffs that have sent shockwaves through financial markets, businesses, and consumers in every corner of the globe. In the lawsuit today, Attorney General Bonta and Governor Newsom challenge the President’s use of the IEEPA to levy those tariffs, arguing that the IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose these tariffs. The emergency tariffs challenged under the lawsuit are projected to, at a minimum, shrink the U.S. economy by $100 billion annually, increase inflation by 1.3%, and cost the average American family $2,100. The economic impact of the President’s unlawful tariffs could have resounding impacts on California’s economy, budget, and consumers. California is a significant and frequent purchaser of goods impacted by the tariffs and the projected increase in cost to the state is significant. 

    “The President’s chaotic and haphazard implementation of tariffs is not only deeply troubling, it’s illegal. As the fifth largest economy in the world, California understands global trade policy is not just a game,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Californians are bracing for fallout from the impact of the President’s choices — from farmers in the Central Valley, to small businesses in Sacramento, and worried families at the kitchen table — this game the President is playing has very real consequences for Californians across our state. I am proud to go to bat alongside Governor Newsom to fight for California’s vibrant economy, businesses, and residents.” 

    “President Trump’s unlawful tariffs are wreaking chaos on California families, businesses, and our economy — driving up prices and threatening jobs,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.“We’re standing up for American families who can’t afford to let the chaos continue.”

    California is the nation’s largest importer and second-largest exporter. The President’s tariffs will impact California’s businesses, including its ports and small businesses that rely on trade. California’s agricultural sector, which exports goods around the world, will also face particularized challenges as other countries impose retaliatory tariffs and decrease trade in response to President Trump’s tariffs. Furthermore, the tariffs directly harm California’s ability to contract, purchase, and sell goods. These effects are already too real: vendors who contract with California have indicated that they will pass their increased costs from President Trump’s tariffs on to the state directly.  

    Claiming authority under the IEEPA, President Trump has issued multiple executive orders to impose, pause, re-start, and modify 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada and a universal 10% tariff on every other U.S. trading partner. Separately and in addition, the President’s actions have goaded China into a full-blown trade war, with tariffs reaching 145% on Chinese goods, and China imposing reciprocal 125% tariffs on U.S. goods. Additionally, President Trump has imposed individualized reciprocal tariffs of up to 50% on nearly 90 specific countries; they are currently paused for 90 days before going into effect. Once the 90-day “pause” expires, the harms will only compound further. And new tariffs are being contemplated or announced nearly every day. 

    To justify his tariffs, the President has declared national emergencies and extended prior declared emergencies beyond the bounds of reason. But with or without emergencies, the President does not have the power to levy tariffs under the IEEPA.   

    The impacts of President Trump’s dizzying array of tariff plans have already wreaked havoc on our financial systems: the U.S. stock market suffered the largest two-day loss in its history in the two days following the announcement of President Trump’s most sweeping tariffs. These actions and the near-daily threats to impose new tariffs have already inflicted and continue to inflict serious financial harms on California. 

    The complaint filed today alleges that the Constitution expressly gives the authority to impose tariffs to Congress, not the President, and the IEEPA does not provide the required congressional authorization for President Trump to impose tariffs — Congress enacted the IEEPA to limit Presidential authority and to prevent Presidential abuse of power — not to give the President these powers. The complaint asks the court to declare that tariff orders made under the purported authority of the IEEPA are unlawful and void and to halt DHS and CPB from implementing and enforcing these orders.  

    A copy of the complaint is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: 11 Defendants Sentenced for Their Role in a Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl from the Mexico Border to Idaho

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Combined Federal and State Investigation Resulted in the Seizure of over 48,000 Fentanyl Pills and Four Pounds of Methamphetamine

    BOISE – A large-scale Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation and prosecution resulted in the conviction of 11 Idaho defendants on federal drug trafficking charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.  The investigation involved the cooperative efforts of 10 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

    According to court records, beginning in early 2023, Idaho State Police (ISP) detectives received a tip that Austin Lee was distributing large quantities of fentanyl in southern Idaho.  In coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other agencies, ISP detectives worked quickly to investigate Lee and identify the source of these drugs. Investigators conducted multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl and methamphetamine from Lee and other co-conspirators, to include Jamie Coltrin, Jenika Johnson, Brandon Dana, Tina Morris, and Daniel Coltrin.

    In July 2023, the investigation expanded to include Lee’s Mexico-based drug supplier and other co-conspirators. The investigation revealed that recent parolees were recruited into the conspiracy prior to their release from prison.  These conspirators helped traffic fentanyl from the United States/Mexico border to distribute in Idaho.  Additional conspirators accepted payment for the drugs.  From this, investigators identified additional co-conspirators Arafat Ramirez, Rosa Ramirez, Laila Ramirez-Martinez, Sammy Martinez, and Rachel Dixon.

    The investigation was extensive and resulted in the seizure of over 48,000 fentanyl pills and four pounds of methamphetamine.  This significantly hindered the flow of fentanyl into Idaho, and the Magic Valley area.

    As part of this OCDETF investigation, the following individuals have been sentenced for federal drug violations:

    • Austin Chad Lee, 29, of Twin Falls, was sentenced to 140 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl;
    • Arafat Ramirez, 43, of Jerome, was sentenced to 140 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;
    • Brandon Aaron Dana, 37, of Leadore, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for distribution of fentanyl;
    • Tina Jane Morris, 46, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 97 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine;
    • Sammy Davey Martinez, 49, of Nampa, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;
    • Jamie Lee Coltrin, 36, of Rupert, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for distribution of fentanyl;
    • Jenika Ann Johnson, 31, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for distribution of fentanyl;
    • Daniel Ross Coltrin, 40, of Paul, was sentenced to 25 months in prison for attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl;
    • Rosa Ramirez, of Jerome, 64, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;
    • Rachel Dixon, 36, of Boise, was sentenced to 3 years’ probation for distribution of fentanyl; and
    • Laila Vanessa Ramirez-Martinez, 35, of Jerome, was sentenced to two years’ probation for false statement.

    “The success of this investigation is the direct result of cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott said.  “Protecting Idahoans from dangerous drugs flowing up from the Mexico border is one of our highest law enforcement priorities, and I commend each of the agencies involved for their outstanding work achieving justice in this case.”

    “We are proud the State of Idaho works so well with our federal partners to protect the public,” said Governor Brad Little.  “The goal of our Operation Esto Perpetua initiative is to equip law enforcement with the training and tools they need to keep Idaho safe.  Today’s announcement about the conviction of 11 drug traffickers demonstrates what Idaho is doing is working.”

    The cases were primarily investigated by the Idaho State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  In addition to the work of these agencies, Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott thanked the following agencies for assisting in the investigations and arrests of the above-named individuals:  Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office, Cassia County Sheriff’s Office, Pocatello Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Garden City Police Department, and the Idaho Department of Correction.

    These indictments are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Town of Southold Employee and Boy Scout Troop Leader Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Damon Rallis was sentenced today in federal court in Central Islip by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 84 months in prison for distribution of child pornography.  As part of his sentence, Rallis, a former Town of Southold employee and scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts, will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison.

    John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.

    “The defendant possessed and distributed horrific images of child sex abuse, including the brutal rape of young children, and the years he will serve in prison will both protect our communities and help to bring justice to victims who were sexually exploited as children,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to prosecute and seek significant prison sentences for individuals like Rallis who contribute to a depraved marketplace that causes the abuse of children to satiate the perverse demand for these disturbing images.”

    “Damon Rallis violated his scoutmaster duty to serve as an ethical and moral leader by supplying obscene pornographic material to a twisted platform,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “His actions perpetuated the sexual abuse of young children without remorse. The FBI remains dedicated to holding accountable those who use the sexual exploitation of minors for personal gratification.”

    As set forth in court filings and during the sentencing hearing, the FBI began investigating Rallis after his participation in a chat group on the Kik messaging app of users who shared child pornography.  An undercover agent who had joined the chat group received numerous images and videos of child pornography from the defendant, whose screenname was “dirtydaddy431.”  The images shared by Rallis included the rape of children as young as approximately five years old.  On February 23, 2021, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Southold and seized several electronic devices, including his cell phone, which contained numerous images and videos of child pornography.  In an unrelated investigation into sexual exploitation of children, law enforcement recovered a series of chats with Rallis from the cell phone of another individual (the Iowa defendant).  In one of these chats, after the Iowa defendant described how he sexually abused his stepdaughter from age 4 to 7, Rallis stated: “She doesn’t remember bro.  You’re good.  The memories don’t really develop until nine or ten.  I would love that opportunity.”

    This prosecution is 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States  Attorney Paul G. Scotti is in charge of the prosecution.

    The Defendant:

    DAMON RALLIS
    Age: 50
    Southold, Long Island

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-150 (JMA)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Neenah Man Sentenced to Five Years’ Imprisonment for Distribution of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on Monday, April 14, 2025, Roberto De La Rosa (age: 45) of Neenah, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by Senior District Judge William C. Griesbach.

    According to court records, in October 2024, law enforcement received a cybertip that De La Rosa possessed and distributed numerous digital images and videos of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”). Further investigation revealed that De La Rosa repeatedly accessed, viewed, collected, and distributed CSAM on numerous occasions.     

    During the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the charge, the need to protect the public, and a strong need for just punishment. Following his release from prison, De La Rosa will spend 7 years on supervised release.  He will also be required to register as a sexual offender.

    This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriffs’ Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.

    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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

    # #  #

    For Additional Information Contact:

    Public Information Officer

    Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov

    414-297-1700

     

    Follow us on Twitter

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Dan Goldman Demands AG Bondi Reinstate DOJ Lawyer Fired for Telling the Truth About Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Unlawful Deportation

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    Firing Makes Clear Admin Expects DOJ Employees to Lie to Judges, a Violation of State Law Governing Courtroom Candor 

     

    Goldman Argues Lawyers Should Not be Forced to Choose Between Their Jobs and Following the Law 

    Members Urge Bondi to Facilitate the Return of Garcia Back to America 

    Read the Letter Here 

    Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today led a letter with 5 of his colleagues urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to reinstate Erez Reuveni, Acting Deputy Chief of the Office of Immigration Litigation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyer who first represented the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Abrego Garcia v. Noem, the federal case concerning the Trump administration’s unlawful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.  

    While representing DHS in court, Mr. Reuveni acknowledged that DHS’s deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia was an “administrative error.” One day later, Deputy Attorney General Blanche placed Mr. Reuveni on indefinite leave and later fired him, citing his failure to “follow a directive from [his] superiors.” Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Mr. Reuveni was suspended for failing to vigorously advocate on behalf of his client. 

    “While an attorney must balance their obligation to persuasively present their client’s case within their duty of candor to the tribunal, under no circumstances may the attorney “allow the tribunal to be misled by false statements of law or fact or evidence that the attorney knows to be false.” Here, Mr. Reuveni had no choice but to abide by his duty of candor to the court,” the Members wrote.

    Under Maryland’s Rules of Professional Conduct, lawyers cannot lie in a court of law or present statements that they know to be untrue or misleading. None of the statements Mr. Reuveni made during the April 4th hearing on the Abrego Garcia v. Noem were false, yet he was fired anyway, making clear Attorney General Bondi has prioritized the administration’s talking points over every attorney’s duty to present the facts as they understand them. 

    “That Mr. Reuveni was fired because he had the human decency to recognize that there was no defense for the Administration’s position underscores the danger that your firing of Mr. Reuveni presents to attorneys throughout the Department, who are now put in a position where they may have to choose between their jobs and their bar license,” the Members wrote. 

    The members also argue that there is no legitimate justification for the administration’s failure to facilitate Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return from the El Salvador prison he was unlawfully and erroneously deported to, as the Supreme Court ruled in a 9-0 unanimous decision. 

    “In order to correct your improper employment action, and to set an appropriate message for other attorneys representing the Department, we request that you immediately reinstate Mr. Reuveni. As the legal advisor for the Executive Branch, we further encourage you to advise the President that he must follow the Supreme Court’s unanimous order to “facilitate” Mr. Abrego Garcia’s safe return from El Salvador, including, if necessary, by stopping payments to El Salvador for Mr. Abrego Garcia’s detention,” the Members concluded.  

     Read the Letter Here or below. 

    Dear Attorney General Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Blanche,  

    We write with grave concern about your removal and firing of Acting Deputy Chief Erez Reuveni of the Office of Immigration Litigation on unethical and improper grounds. Further, we are deeply troubled by the Hobbesian choice you have created for the attorneys in the Department of Justice (DOJ), who may be forced to choose between their jobs and their oath of candor to the courts. We therefore request that you reinstate Mr. Reuveni and clarify that Department attorneys must always be honest and forthright with the court, even if that undermines the Department’s position.

    This specific incident stems from Abrego Garcia v. Noem, a case before Judge Paula Xinis in the Maryland District Court, in which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), DOJ’s client, admitted to the court that it improperly and unlawfully deported Mr. Abrego Garcia, a resident of the State of Maryland and husband to an American citizen, to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador – a prison whose conditions would violate an inmate’s constitutional rights if it were in the United States.

    At a hearing on April 4, Mr. Reuveni admitted error on behalf of DHS, which failed to follow an order prohibiting Mr. Abrego Garcia’s removal to El Salvador. Specifically, Mr. Reuveni made the following statements during the April 4 hearing:

    • “We have nothing to say on the merits. We concede he should not have been removed to El Salvador.” See Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 25: 13-14. 

    • “There’s no dispute that the order could not be used to send Mr. Abrego Garcia to El Salvador.” See Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 25:6–7. 

    • When asked by Judge Xinis why Abrego Garcia was held in CECOT, Mr. Reuveni replied “I don’t know. That information has not been given to me. I don’t know.” See Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 34:25-35:5 

    • “This person should – the plaintiff, Abrego Garcia, should not have been removed. That is not in dispute.” Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, 19:11–13 

    • When asked by Judge Xinis why Mr. Abrego Garcia cannot be returned, Mr. Reuveni replied “Your Honor, I will say, for the Court’s awareness, that when this case landed on my desk, the first thing I did was ask my clients that very question. I’ve not received, to date, an answer that I find satisfactory.” Hr’g Tr., Apr. 4, 2025, at 35–36.

    • “I am also frustrated that I have no answer for you on a lot of these questions. The government made a choice here to produce no evidence.”

    None of these statements were incorrect. In fact, on March 31, Robert L. Cerna, Acting Field Office Director at DHS, submitted a declaration to the court which stated: “Through administrative error, Abrego-Garcia was removed from the United States to El Salvador. This was an oversight.”  Even until today, after the case has gone up to the United States Supreme Court and back to Judge Xinis, the Department has not provided the courts with any legitimate reason why Mr. Abrego Garcia cannot be returned to the United States in light of the government’s error and the fact that the United States is paying El Salvador to keep him in CECOT. 

    Yet the day following the court conference, on April 5, Deputy Attorney General Blanche placed Mr. Reuveni on indefinite leave, citing his failure to “follow a directive from [his] superiors.” The following day, Attorney General Bondi appeared on Fox News Sunday and claimed that Mr. Reuveni’s suspension was justified because he had not vigorously advocated on behalf of his client, stating that “[h]e did not argue. He shouldn’t have taken the case. He shouldn’t have argued it if that’s what he was going to do.”

    Yesterday, public reports revealed that you outright fired Mr. Reuveni, who has spent 15 years dedicating his life to government service and was recently elevated to a supervisory position and commended for his work. 

    Under Rule 19-303.3 (a)(1) of Maryland’s Rules of Professional Conduct regarding candor toward the court, an attorney shall not knowingly “make a false statement of fact or law to a tribunal.” While an attorney must balance their obligation to persuasively present their client’s case within their duty of candor to the tribunal, under no circumstances may the attorney “allow the tribunal to be misled by false statements of law or fact or evidence that the attorney knows to be false.” Here, Mr. Reuveni had no choice but to abide by his duty of candor to the court, which conflicted with a “directive from his superiors.” 

    Further, Maryland’s Rule 19-303.3 (a)(4) prohibits an attorney from offering evidence known by that attorney to be false. The Rules also allow an attorney to refuse to offer evidence that the attorney “reasonably believes” is false under (3.3) (c). In response to the court’s questions, Mr. Reuveni either stated that he did not have answers or that the information provided to him by the Department was not “satisfactory.” In either case, the Rules require Mr. Reuveni to adhere to his obligation of candor to the court.  

    Attorney General Bondi further clarified that “every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States,” and “[a]ny attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences.”  While Ms. Bondi is correct that DOJ attorneys have a duty to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States, that directive must yield to every attorney’s independent obligation to be candid and honest with the court, as required by the rules authorizing that attorney to practice law. In other words, if the Department takes a position that is either unlawful or unsupported by the facts and circumstances of a case, the attorney is prohibited from zealously arguing for that position.

    In this case, however, Mr. Reuveni was improperly suspended, and eventually fired, for doing just that.

    Having admitted error in this case, there is simply no legitimate justification for refusing to request that El Salvador return Mr. Abrego Garcia to his family in Maryland where he can receive due process and proceed through the immigration system according to the law.  That Mr. Reuveni was fired because he had the human decency to recognize that there was no defense for the Administration’s position underscores the danger that your firing of Mr. Reuveni presents to attorneys throughout the Department, who are now put in a position where they may have to choose between their jobs and their bar license. This is unacceptable.

    In order to correct your improper employment action, and to set an appropriate message for other attorneys representing the Department, we request that you immediately reinstate Mr. Reuveni. As the legal advisor for the Executive Branch, we further encourage you to advise the President that he must follow the Supreme Court’s unanimous order to “facilitate” Mr. Abrego Garcia’s safe return from El Salvador, including, if necessary, by stopping payments to El Salvador for Mr. Abrego Garcia’s detention.  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Weapons Offenses

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

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on April 10, 2025, DJOHN BRYANT (“BRYANT”), age 32, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). 

    According to court documents, on or about February 4, 2024, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers observed BRYANT conducting drug transactions.  Upon arresting him, officers found that BRYANT possessed cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, tapentadol, marijuana, and a Glock Model 27, .40 caliber handgun and ammunition.

    As to the drug trafficking charges, BRYANT faces up to twenty years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release.  As to the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger of the Violent Crime Unit.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Members of a Massive International Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Ring Indicted in Atlanta

    Source: United States Department of Justice (video statements)

    On April 1, 2025, seven individuals in Georgia and Mexico were indicted by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia related to a drug trafficking and money laundering ring tied to a Mexico-based trafficker.

    Related: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/members-massive-international-drug-trafficking-and-money-laundering-ring-indicted

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5Q_VV3Boks

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Hate Crime Threats against The Council on American-Islamic Relations (“CAIR”) Michigan Chapter

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Hate Crime)

    DETROIT – Michael Shapiro, 73, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for issuing death threats to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (“CAIR”) Michigan Chapter, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.

    Beck was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Chad Baugh, Chief of the Canton Police Department.

    According to court documents, Shapiro, of West Palm Beach, Florida, placed three separate phone calls to CAIR’s office located in Canton, Michigan, and left voicemails containing the following threats:

    • December 8, 2023: “I’m going to kill you bastards. I’m going to kill you bastards.”
    • December 14, 2023: ““I’m going to kill you mother f*****g bastards. Muslims! I’m going to kill you mother f*****s. I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!”
    • December 15, 2023: “You’re a violent people. Why do you come to America? Why do you come to Europe? Mother f*****s. You’re violent. You’re killers. You’re rapists. I’m going to kill you mother f*****s!”

    Shapiro pleaded guilty on December 3, 2024 to transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. Shapiro also admitted that he intentionally selected CAIR as the victim of his threat because of the actual and perceived religion and national origin of the people who work at and are assisted by CAIR.

    “No one should be able to instill fear on an entire community by threatening violence. Today’s sentence sends a strong message that people who do so, especially when motivated by bias, will be aggressively prosecuted and severely punished, ” Acting U.S. Attorney Beck said.

    “Today’s sentencing of Michael Shapiro highlights the severe consequences of hate-driven threats and sends a strong message to others with similar malicious intentions,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI in Michigan remains committed to investigating and dismantling individuals or groups that sow fear and hatred within our communities. Mr. Shapiro’s sentence serves as a stark reminder of our critical role in investigating federal hate crimes. We are dedicated to fostering positive relationships with our community, including faith-based organizations. In partnership with the Canton Police Department and the successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, we have ensured justice was served by holding Mr. Shapiro accountable for his actions.”

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Canton Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Second Member of San Antonio Gun Theft Ring Sentenced to Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for his role in a gun theft and trafficking conspiracy.

    According to court documents, between January and October 2023, Alcapone Maximus Pena, 23, was involved in the theft of firearms and vehicles in and around the San Antonio area as well as the sale of those stolen firearms. Pena, codefendant Nathan Tyler Padilla, 27, and others repeatedly broke into vehicles which they identified as likely to have firearms and that they believed they would be able to illegally sell.

    A search of Pena’s home on Oct. 25, 2023 resulted in the seizure of 14 firearms. An additional 17 firearms were located in a separate search warrant and determined to be trafficked by Pena. During the course of the conspiracy, Pena was responsible for the knowing and illegal trafficking of 25-99 firearms. The investigation also revealed information that showed Padilla’s cell phone had been present during the theft of several seized firearms. For his work in the firearm thefts, Padilla would receive a share of the proceeds that came from the firearms’ eventual sale to third parties.

    Both Pena and Padilla were named in a seven-count indictment filed Nov. 15, 2023. Pena was charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms, one count of possession of a machine gun, and one count of possession of stolen firearms. Padilla, who had been previously convicted on Aug. 16, 2023 for the offense of evading arrest/detention with a vehicle, was charged in the indictment with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.

    The two codefendants pleaded guilty Jan. 7, 2025. Padilla was sentenced on April 1 to 90 months in federal prison.

    “This case highlights the importance of holding individuals trafficking in firearms accountable for their actions.  Each year, thousands of guns are stolen from vehicles in the San Antonio area, and then many of these are used to commit crimes, including violent crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “We, along with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, remain fully committed to investigating and prosecuting these firearm thefts as part of our commitment to public safety.”

    “This case is a great example of our unwavering commitment to protecting our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Houston Division. “By bringing individuals involved in gun theft and trafficking to justice, we are not only holding criminals accountable but also taking meaningful steps to reduce the kind of violent crime that threatens our neighborhoods. Our community is safer today because of the tireless efforts of our agency and our law enforcement partners.”

    The ATF investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zack Parsons prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fentanyl and Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Federal Prison

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

    Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 11, 2025, Azjuan Meriwether (age: 25) of Milwaukee, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for drug and firearm offenses. 

    According to court records, a proactive law enforcement investigation revealed that Meriwether was the leader of an armed drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing at least 32 kilograms of fentanyl, at least 375 grams of para-fluorofentanyl (a fentanyl analogue), as well as methamphetamine, cocaine, and other drugs.  Meriwether and his organization also engaged in firearms trafficking involving the illegal sale of firearms, machinegun-conversion devices, also known as “switches,” and “ghost guns.” “Ghost guns” are privately made firearms, often assembled from pre-made kits, that do not possess serial numbers or other identifying markings, which make the firearms difficult to trace back to the original purchaser and manufacturer. As part of his plea agreement, Meriwether agreed that he personally and illegally sold 18 firearms and 6 “switches.”  Below is a photograph from the court record of firearms recovered as a result of this investigation.

    As a result of the investigation, Meriwether was arrested in Indiana. Before his arrest, Meriwether led officers on a high-speed chase that lasted approximately 2 hours and involved Meriwether driving his vehicle the wrong way on a highway, endangering civilians and officers. Law enforcement ultimately recovered approximately 375 grams of para-fluorofentanyl combined with heroin, approximately 165 grams of methamphetamine, and approximately 29 grams of cocaine from Meriwether’s vehicle.

    “The conduct at issue in this case presented layer upon layer of danger to the community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “This individual and his organization not only distributed dangerous – potentially lethal — controlled substances but also further endangered others through the sale of switches and ghost guns. The sentence imposed in this case is the direct result of strong partnerships among federal and local agencies, supported by the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA). I commend the agents, task force officers, and support personnel who worked tirelessly to build this investigation and hold Mr. Meriwether accountable for his actions.”

    “Meriwether’s possession and sale of fentanyl and Machine Gun Conversion Devices posed a dual threat to our communities,” stated Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Chicago Field Division Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Amon. “Through the use of NIBIN and collaborations like those seen in the Waukesha County Drug Task Force, law enforcement was able to link firearms possessed by Meriwether to violent acts. 

    Taking him off the streets helps stop the flow of drugs and Machine Gun Conversion Devices into our communities, which reduces crime, protects residents, and fosters safer neighborhoods.”

    “The DEA and their partners from the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department continue to relentlessly pursue dangerous fentanyl traffickers like Meriwether. The DEA is grateful to the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department for their unwavering commitment to dismantle violent drug-trafficking organizations and keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Milwaukee District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge John G. McGarry.

    “This investigation originated in a small Waukesha County community and through the hard work of our local Drug Task Force, and their partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, a criminal organization was dismantled.  These law enforcement relationships are paramount to effectively maintaining safety in our communities,” said Captain Tony Kasta, Waukesha County Drug Task Force.

    This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

               This matter was investigated by ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Waukesha County Drug Task Force, through a coordinated partnership supported by the North Central HIDTA. 

               In addition to the investigating agencies noted above, multiple law enforcement agencies participated in arrests, the execution of search warrants, and other matters related to the case, including the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation (WI DOJ-DCI), the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, the Milwaukee Police Department, the West Allis Police Department, as well as the Indiana State Patrol, Vermillion County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Office, and the Vermillion County District Attorney’s Office. 

               The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine Halopka-Ivery and Patricia Daugherty.

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Increase in amount of damages for bereavement under Fatal Accidents Ordinance proposed

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Secretary for Justice today (April 16) gave notice to the Legislative Council (LegCo) that he will move a resolution at the LegCo sitting on May 14 to increase the statutory sum to be awarded as damages for bereavement (bereavement sum) under the Fatal Accidents Ordinance (Cap 22) to $253,500.
     
          The Government is committed to reviewing the bereavement sum biennially to reflect inflation. The proposed increase reflects the inflation experienced over the period from 2022 to 2024 by making reference to the Consumer Price Index (A).
     
         A spokesman for the Department of Justice said that the Ordinance was enacted in 1986. It allows an action for damages to be brought against a person for the benefit of the dependants of the deceased in respect of that person’s wrongful act, neglect or default which has caused the death of the deceased. An action under the Ordinance may include a claim for damages for bereavement in the sum as prescribed in section 4(3). Section 4(5) of the Ordinance provides that the LegCo may by resolution vary the sum.
     
         Since the enactment of the Ordinance, the bereavement sum was adjusted in 1991, 1997, 2018, 2020 and 2023. The current sum is set at $242,500.
     
         The LegCo Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services, the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Bar Association and the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers have been informed of the outcome of the present biennial review and the Government’s intention to make the proposed adjustments by making reference to the Consumer Price Index (A).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fourth Member of Alleged Chicago Robbery Crew Ordered Detained in Federal Custody Pending Trial

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

    CHICAGO — The fourth member of a robbery crew allegedly responsible for violently robbing multiple liquor stores, convenience stores, and bars in Chicago has been ordered detained in federal custody pending trial.

    XAVIER HARRIS, 26, of Chicago, conspired with his brother and two others to rob or attempt to rob more than a dozen Chicago businesses in 2023 and 2024, according to charges unsealed last month in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  In three of the robberies, Xavier Harris brandished a gun and pistol-whipped victims, including the cashier of a liquor store in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood, according to a government memorandum filed in support of Xavier Harris’s detention.

    Xavier Harris was arrested last month.  Over the government’s objection, a federal Magistrate Judge ordered him released on an unsecured $10,000 appearance bond and location monitoring.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office appealed the release to U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood, who on Monday ordered Xavier Harris to remain detained without bond pending trial.

    The three other defendants – Xavier Harris’s brother, ARDARIES HARRIS, 27, of Chicago, JORDAN FOX, 25, of Chicago, and ROOSEVELT VEAL, 27, of Rockford, Ill. – were previously ordered detained without bond while they await trial.  All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, robbery, attempted robbery, and firearm charges.  The maximum sentence for each of the defendants is life in federal prison. Ardaries Harris, Fox, and Veal each face mandatory minimum sentences of thirty years, while Xavier Harris faces a mandatory minimum of 21 years. 

    A full list of the 15 robberies and attempted robberies can be found here.

    The detention order was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, the Illinois State Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service’s Great Lakes Regional Task Force.

    This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  The case was also conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago (CGIC), a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois.

    “The nature and circumstances of these serious offenses and the weight of the evidence demonstrate the danger posed to the community by Xavier Harris if he is released,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily C.R. Vermylen and Stephanie Stern argued in the government’s detention memorandum.  “Xavier Harris committed these robberies with absolutely no regard for human life or human safety.”

    The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    MIL Security OSI –