Category: Europe

MIL-OSI USA: Canadian Man Arrested and Detained for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy at the U.S.’s Northern Border

Source: US State of North Dakota

Note: View the indictment here and detention letter here.

WASHINGTON — A dual Canadian American citizen was arrested on Sunday, June 15, for his role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River. Oakes was arrested as he attempted to enter the United States via the Massena, New York, Port of Entry.

Timothy Oakes, 34, from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR), Canada, was previously arraigned on numerous human smuggling offenses in the Northern District of New York District Court and had his detention hearing earlier today and will remain detained. Oakes was indicted on April 9 for conspiring with others to engage in alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for profit, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. United States based co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, and Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, Oct. 8, 2024, and March 6, respectively.

“As alleged, Oakes and his co-conspirators profited from a human smuggling operation with a singular, cold-hearted aim: making money by bringing illegal aliens into the United States, regardless of the danger to human life involved,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their greed resulted in the deaths of a mother, a father, and two small children, as well as one of the defendants’ own brothers. The Criminal Division will continue to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and bring justice to smugglers whose actions result in senseless deaths.”

“This case shows the terrible perils of illegally crossing the border,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “Four family members died because a smuggling network put them in harm’s way. My office is proud to partner with Joint Task Force Alpha to continue to combat dangerous human smuggling and trafficking organizations that operate on our northern border.”

“Oakes’ arrest comes as part of our nearly two-year long investigation into a transnational criminal organization responsible for the large-scale smuggling of aliens from Canada into the United States,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan. “ICE HSI leverages its full range of authorities to combat and dismantle the heinous networks of greedy criminals who illicitly sell dangerous, sometimes fatal, passage through our nation’s northern border. We are extremely grateful for a multitude of law enforcement agency partners on the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce who join us in this fight to bring smugglers to justice.”

“Two toddler aged children and their parents were the tragic victims of an alien smuggling attempt gone horribly wrong,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector. “Their deaths were a direct result of callous smugglers who exploited the vulnerable. Due to unrelenting perseverance and investigative efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies, those responsible will be held accountable. Our pursuit of justice persists until justice is served.”

According to court documents, Oakes was a key facilitator in a human smuggling organization (HSO) that smuggled aliens from Canada into northern New York. Oakes, working with the HSO, routinely smuggled aliens into the United States by piloting boats across the St. Lawrence River. Additionally, Oakes used his home as a staging area for aliens before the HSO smuggled them into the United States. Oakes earned approximately $1,000 for every alien whom he smuggled across the St. Lawrence River into the United States.

In March 2023, Oakes housed a Romanian family of four, together with other aliens, for about 24 hours. He then transported the family and a boat to a public boat launch. His brother, Casey Oakes, attempted to use the boat to smuggle the Romanian family into the United States, but the boat capsized, killing all four members of the family, as well as Casey Oakes.

Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that in late March 2023, they were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four — a mother, father, one-year-old boy, and two-year-old girl — from Canada into New York. Specifically, Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on the day of the tragedy — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet another co-conspirator still loaded the family of four into the small boat to attempt to cross the St. Lawrence River.

HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with foreign legal assistance requests.

The defendant’s vehicle with light blue boat in tow on March 29, 2023, at 9:29 p.m., consistent with the boat found in the river during recovery efforts.

The investigation is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating within the Americas that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border, including the Northern District of New York. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 380 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 340 U.S. convictions; more than 290 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud

Source: US State of California

Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History
More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion

The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.

Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.

Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.

“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

“As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”

“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”

“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”

Transnational Criminal Organizations

29 defendants were charged for their roles in transnational criminal organizations alleged to have submitted over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs.

For instance, a nationwide investigation known as Operation Gold Rush resulted in the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department. These charges were announced in the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of California, the Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey against 19 defendants. Twelve of these defendants have been arrested, including four defendants who were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement and seven defendants who were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico, cutting off their intended escape routes as they attempted to avoid capture.

The organization allegedly used a network of foreign straw owners, including individuals sent into the United States from abroad, who, acting at the direction of others using encrypted messaging and assumed identities from overseas, strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies located across the United States. They then rapidly submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment by exploiting the stolen identities of over one million Americans spanning all 50 states and using their confidential medical information to submit the fraudulent claims. As alleged, the organization exploited the U.S. financial system by laundering the fraudulent proceeds and deploying a range of tactics to circumvent anti-money laundering controls to transfer funds into cryptocurrency and shell companies located abroad. The arrests announced today also include a banker who facilitated the money laundering of fraud proceeds on behalf of the organization through a U.S.-based bank.

The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team and its partners detected the anomalous billing through proactive data analytics, and HHS-OIG and CMS successfully prevented the organization from receiving all but approximately $41 million of the approximately $4.45 billion that was scheduled to be paid by Medicare. HHS and CMS intend to seek to return the $4.41 billion in escrow to the Medicare trust fund for needed medical care. The scheme nonetheless resulted in payments of approximately $900 million from Medicare supplemental insurers. To date, law enforcement has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush.

In another action involving foreign influence, charges were filed in the Northern District of Illinois against five defendants, including two owners and executives of Pakistani marketing organizations, in connection with a $703 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries’ identification numbers and other confidential health information were allegedly obtained through theft and deceptive marketing. The defendants allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake recordings of Medicare beneficiaries purportedly consenting to receive certain products. According to court documents, the beneficiaries’ confidential information was then illegally sold to laboratories and durable medical equipment companies, which used this unlawfully obtained and fraudulently generated data to submit false claims to Medicare. Certain defendants controlled dozens of nominee-owned durable medical equipment companies and laboratories that allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for products and services the beneficiaries did not request, need, or receive. Certain defendants also allegedly conspired to conceal and launder the fraud proceeds from bank accounts they controlled in the United States to bank accounts overseas. In total, the defendants caused approximately $703 million in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which paid approximately $418 million on those claims. The government seized approximately $44.7 million from various bank accounts related to this case.

Finally, a defendant based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates who owned a billing company allegedly orchestrated a scheme to prey upon vulnerable individuals in need of addiction treatment by conspiring with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona Medicaid approximately $650 million for substance abuse treatment services. According to court documents, some of the services billed were never provided, while other services were provided at a level that was so substandard that it failed to serve any treatment purpose. As part of the conspiracy, treatment center owners allegedly paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients recruited from the homeless population and Native American reservations. The defendant received at least $25 million of ill-gotten Arizona Medicaid funds as a result of the conspiracy and is charged with a money laundering offense for his alleged use of those funds to purchase a $2.9 million home located on a golf estate in Dubai.

Fraudulent Wound Care

Charges were filed in the District of Arizona and the District of Nevada against seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged, certain defendants targeted vulnerable elderly patients, many of whom were receiving hospice care, and applied medically unnecessary amniotic allografts to these patients’ wounds. Many of the allografts allegedly were applied without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, without proper treatment for infection, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and to areas that far exceeded the size of the wound. Certain defendants allegedly received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent billing scheme.

“Today’s unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that CMS and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We’re not waiting for fraud to happen—we’re stopping it before it starts.”

Prescription Opioid Trafficking

74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases in connection with the alleged illegal diversion of over 15 million pills of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. For example, five defendants associated with one Texas pharmacy were charged with the unlawful distribution of over 3 million opioid pills. As alleged, the defendants conspired to distribute massive quantities of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol, which were subsequently trafficked by street-level drug dealers, generating large profits for the defendants. This coordinated action is a continuation of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s systematic approach to stopping drug trafficking organizations and their pharmaceutical wholesale suppliers, which together have fueled an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse for nearly a decade.

DEA also announced today that in the last six months, DEA charged 93 administrative cases seeking the revocation of pharmacies, medical practitioners, and companies authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances.

“Health care fraud isn’t just theft — it’s trafficking in trust. Today’s announcement shows that when doctors become drug dealers and treatment centers become profit-driven fraud rings, DEA will act,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the DEA. “We’re targeting the entire ecosystem of fraud — from pill mills in Texas to kickback clinics exploiting Native communities. If you abuse your medical license to push poison or pad your pockets, we will hold you accountable.”

Telemedicine and Genetic Testing Fraud

In today’s Takedown, 49 defendants were charged in connection with the submission of over $1.17 billion in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare resulting from telemedicine and genetic testing fraud schemes. For example, in the Southern District of Florida, prosecutors charged an owner of telemedicine and durable medical equipment companies with a $46 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly targeted through deceptive telemarketing campaigns and then fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment and genetic tests for these beneficiaries. The Department continues to focus on eliminating health care fraud schemes that depend on telemedicine, including schemes involving fraudulent claims for genetic testing, durable medical equipment, and COVID-19 tests.

Other Health Care Fraud Schemes

The other cases announced today charge an additional 170 defendants with various other health care fraud schemes involving over $1.84 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits, and treatments that were medically unnecessary, provided in connection with kickbacks and bribes, or never provided at all. For example, in the Western District of Tennessee, prosecutors charged three defendants, including business owners and a pharmacist, with a $28.7 million scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund by allegedly billing for medications for injured United States Postal Service employees that were never prescribed by a licensed practitioner and largely were not dispensed as claimed. And in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of California, prosecutors charged medical providers with allegedly stealing fentanyl and hydrocodone, respectively, that was meant for the providers’ patients, including child patients in need of anesthesia.

“VA’s Integrated Veteran Care Programs provide critical community-based health care to our nation’s disabled veterans and their dependents,” said Acting Inspector General David Case of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “Robust oversight of VA’s health care system is one of VA-OIG’s highest priorities. VA-OIG is committed to holding accountable those who defraud government benefits programs intended to care for our nation’s heroes.”

Breaking Down Silos in the Fight Against Health Care Fraud

In connection with the coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation, the Department is announcing that it is working closely with HHS-OIG, FBI, and other agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to bring together experts from the Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analytics Team; HHS-OIG; FBI; and other agencies to leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to identify emerging health care fraud schemes. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team was established in 2018 to enhance the Unit’s ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute complex health care fraud schemes. Joining forces with data analysts from HHS-OIG, FBI, and other partners will increase efficiency, detection, and rapid prosecution of emerging health care fraud schemes. It will also implement the President’s Executive Order Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos (Exec. Order No. 14243, 3 C.F.R. 294 (2025)) by reducing duplicative data teams, increasing operational efficiency through a whole-of-government approach, and leveraging cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other agency resources.

Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Deputy Chief Rebecca Yuan, Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann, and Data Analyst Elizabeth Nolte, all of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led and coordinated this year’s Takedown. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.

In addition to FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS, HSI, VA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation. The Medicaid Fraud Control Units of California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin also participated in the investigation of many of the federal and state cases announced today.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.

The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:

• Graphics and Resources

• Case Descriptions

• Court Documents

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

MIL OSI USA News –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud

Source: United States Attorneys General

Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History
More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion

The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.

Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.

Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.

“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

“As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”

“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”

“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”

Transnational Criminal Organizations

29 defendants were charged for their roles in transnational criminal organizations alleged to have submitted over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs.

For instance, a nationwide investigation known as Operation Gold Rush resulted in the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department. These charges were announced in the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of California, the Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey against 19 defendants. Twelve of these defendants have been arrested, including four defendants who were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement and seven defendants who were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico, cutting off their intended escape routes as they attempted to avoid capture.

The organization allegedly used a network of foreign straw owners, including individuals sent into the United States from abroad, who, acting at the direction of others using encrypted messaging and assumed identities from overseas, strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies located across the United States. They then rapidly submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment by exploiting the stolen identities of over one million Americans spanning all 50 states and using their confidential medical information to submit the fraudulent claims. As alleged, the organization exploited the U.S. financial system by laundering the fraudulent proceeds and deploying a range of tactics to circumvent anti-money laundering controls to transfer funds into cryptocurrency and shell companies located abroad. The arrests announced today also include a banker who facilitated the money laundering of fraud proceeds on behalf of the organization through a U.S.-based bank.

The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team and its partners detected the anomalous billing through proactive data analytics, and HHS-OIG and CMS successfully prevented the organization from receiving all but approximately $41 million of the approximately $4.45 billion that was scheduled to be paid by Medicare. HHS and CMS intend to seek to return the $4.41 billion in escrow to the Medicare trust fund for needed medical care. The scheme nonetheless resulted in payments of approximately $900 million from Medicare supplemental insurers. To date, law enforcement has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush.

In another action involving foreign influence, charges were filed in the Northern District of Illinois against five defendants, including two owners and executives of Pakistani marketing organizations, in connection with a $703 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries’ identification numbers and other confidential health information were allegedly obtained through theft and deceptive marketing. The defendants allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake recordings of Medicare beneficiaries purportedly consenting to receive certain products. According to court documents, the beneficiaries’ confidential information was then illegally sold to laboratories and durable medical equipment companies, which used this unlawfully obtained and fraudulently generated data to submit false claims to Medicare. Certain defendants controlled dozens of nominee-owned durable medical equipment companies and laboratories that allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for products and services the beneficiaries did not request, need, or receive. Certain defendants also allegedly conspired to conceal and launder the fraud proceeds from bank accounts they controlled in the United States to bank accounts overseas. In total, the defendants caused approximately $703 million in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which paid approximately $418 million on those claims. The government seized approximately $44.7 million from various bank accounts related to this case.

Finally, a defendant based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates who owned a billing company allegedly orchestrated a scheme to prey upon vulnerable individuals in need of addiction treatment by conspiring with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona Medicaid approximately $650 million for substance abuse treatment services. According to court documents, some of the services billed were never provided, while other services were provided at a level that was so substandard that it failed to serve any treatment purpose. As part of the conspiracy, treatment center owners allegedly paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients recruited from the homeless population and Native American reservations. The defendant received at least $25 million of ill-gotten Arizona Medicaid funds as a result of the conspiracy and is charged with a money laundering offense for his alleged use of those funds to purchase a $2.9 million home located on a golf estate in Dubai.

Fraudulent Wound Care

Charges were filed in the District of Arizona and the District of Nevada against seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged, certain defendants targeted vulnerable elderly patients, many of whom were receiving hospice care, and applied medically unnecessary amniotic allografts to these patients’ wounds. Many of the allografts allegedly were applied without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, without proper treatment for infection, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and to areas that far exceeded the size of the wound. Certain defendants allegedly received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent billing scheme.

“Today’s unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that CMS and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We’re not waiting for fraud to happen—we’re stopping it before it starts.”

Prescription Opioid Trafficking

74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases in connection with the alleged illegal diversion of over 15 million pills of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. For example, five defendants associated with one Texas pharmacy were charged with the unlawful distribution of over 3 million opioid pills. As alleged, the defendants conspired to distribute massive quantities of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol, which were subsequently trafficked by street-level drug dealers, generating large profits for the defendants. This coordinated action is a continuation of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s systematic approach to stopping drug trafficking organizations and their pharmaceutical wholesale suppliers, which together have fueled an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse for nearly a decade.

DEA also announced today that in the last six months, DEA charged 93 administrative cases seeking the revocation of pharmacies, medical practitioners, and companies authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances.

“Health care fraud isn’t just theft — it’s trafficking in trust. Today’s announcement shows that when doctors become drug dealers and treatment centers become profit-driven fraud rings, DEA will act,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the DEA. “We’re targeting the entire ecosystem of fraud — from pill mills in Texas to kickback clinics exploiting Native communities. If you abuse your medical license to push poison or pad your pockets, we will hold you accountable.”

Telemedicine and Genetic Testing Fraud

In today’s Takedown, 49 defendants were charged in connection with the submission of over $1.17 billion in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare resulting from telemedicine and genetic testing fraud schemes. For example, in the Southern District of Florida, prosecutors charged an owner of telemedicine and durable medical equipment companies with a $46 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly targeted through deceptive telemarketing campaigns and then fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment and genetic tests for these beneficiaries. The Department continues to focus on eliminating health care fraud schemes that depend on telemedicine, including schemes involving fraudulent claims for genetic testing, durable medical equipment, and COVID-19 tests.

Other Health Care Fraud Schemes

The other cases announced today charge an additional 170 defendants with various other health care fraud schemes involving over $1.84 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits, and treatments that were medically unnecessary, provided in connection with kickbacks and bribes, or never provided at all. For example, in the Western District of Tennessee, prosecutors charged three defendants, including business owners and a pharmacist, with a $28.7 million scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund by allegedly billing for medications for injured United States Postal Service employees that were never prescribed by a licensed practitioner and largely were not dispensed as claimed. And in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of California, prosecutors charged medical providers with allegedly stealing fentanyl and hydrocodone, respectively, that was meant for the providers’ patients, including child patients in need of anesthesia.

“VA’s Integrated Veteran Care Programs provide critical community-based health care to our nation’s disabled veterans and their dependents,” said Acting Inspector General David Case of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “Robust oversight of VA’s health care system is one of VA-OIG’s highest priorities. VA-OIG is committed to holding accountable those who defraud government benefits programs intended to care for our nation’s heroes.”

Breaking Down Silos in the Fight Against Health Care Fraud

In connection with the coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation, the Department is announcing that it is working closely with HHS-OIG, FBI, and other agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to bring together experts from the Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analytics Team; HHS-OIG; FBI; and other agencies to leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to identify emerging health care fraud schemes. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team was established in 2018 to enhance the Unit’s ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute complex health care fraud schemes. Joining forces with data analysts from HHS-OIG, FBI, and other partners will increase efficiency, detection, and rapid prosecution of emerging health care fraud schemes. It will also implement the President’s Executive Order Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos (Exec. Order No. 14243, 3 C.F.R. 294 (2025)) by reducing duplicative data teams, increasing operational efficiency through a whole-of-government approach, and leveraging cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other agency resources.

Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Deputy Chief Rebecca Yuan, Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann, and Data Analyst Elizabeth Nolte, all of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led and coordinated this year’s Takedown. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.

In addition to FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS, HSI, VA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation. The Medicaid Fraud Control Units of California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin also participated in the investigation of many of the federal and state cases announced today.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.

The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:

• Graphics and Resources

• Case Descriptions

• Court Documents

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

MIL Security OSI –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud

Source: United States Attorneys General

Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History
More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion

The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.

Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.

Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.

“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

“As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”

“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”

“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”

Transnational Criminal Organizations

29 defendants were charged for their roles in transnational criminal organizations alleged to have submitted over $12 billion in fraudulent claims to America’s health insurance programs.

For instance, a nationwide investigation known as Operation Gold Rush resulted in the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department. These charges were announced in the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of California, the Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey against 19 defendants. Twelve of these defendants have been arrested, including four defendants who were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement and seven defendants who were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico, cutting off their intended escape routes as they attempted to avoid capture.

The organization allegedly used a network of foreign straw owners, including individuals sent into the United States from abroad, who, acting at the direction of others using encrypted messaging and assumed identities from overseas, strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies located across the United States. They then rapidly submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment by exploiting the stolen identities of over one million Americans spanning all 50 states and using their confidential medical information to submit the fraudulent claims. As alleged, the organization exploited the U.S. financial system by laundering the fraudulent proceeds and deploying a range of tactics to circumvent anti-money laundering controls to transfer funds into cryptocurrency and shell companies located abroad. The arrests announced today also include a banker who facilitated the money laundering of fraud proceeds on behalf of the organization through a U.S.-based bank.

The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team and its partners detected the anomalous billing through proactive data analytics, and HHS-OIG and CMS successfully prevented the organization from receiving all but approximately $41 million of the approximately $4.45 billion that was scheduled to be paid by Medicare. HHS and CMS intend to seek to return the $4.41 billion in escrow to the Medicare trust fund for needed medical care. The scheme nonetheless resulted in payments of approximately $900 million from Medicare supplemental insurers. To date, law enforcement has seized approximately $27.7 million in fraud proceeds as part of Operation Gold Rush.

In another action involving foreign influence, charges were filed in the Northern District of Illinois against five defendants, including two owners and executives of Pakistani marketing organizations, in connection with a $703 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries’ identification numbers and other confidential health information were allegedly obtained through theft and deceptive marketing. The defendants allegedly used artificial intelligence to create fake recordings of Medicare beneficiaries purportedly consenting to receive certain products. According to court documents, the beneficiaries’ confidential information was then illegally sold to laboratories and durable medical equipment companies, which used this unlawfully obtained and fraudulently generated data to submit false claims to Medicare. Certain defendants controlled dozens of nominee-owned durable medical equipment companies and laboratories that allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for products and services the beneficiaries did not request, need, or receive. Certain defendants also allegedly conspired to conceal and launder the fraud proceeds from bank accounts they controlled in the United States to bank accounts overseas. In total, the defendants caused approximately $703 million in alleged fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which paid approximately $418 million on those claims. The government seized approximately $44.7 million from various bank accounts related to this case.

Finally, a defendant based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates who owned a billing company allegedly orchestrated a scheme to prey upon vulnerable individuals in need of addiction treatment by conspiring with treatment center owners to fraudulently bill Arizona Medicaid approximately $650 million for substance abuse treatment services. According to court documents, some of the services billed were never provided, while other services were provided at a level that was so substandard that it failed to serve any treatment purpose. As part of the conspiracy, treatment center owners allegedly paid illegal kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients recruited from the homeless population and Native American reservations. The defendant received at least $25 million of ill-gotten Arizona Medicaid funds as a result of the conspiracy and is charged with a money laundering offense for his alleged use of those funds to purchase a $2.9 million home located on a golf estate in Dubai.

Fraudulent Wound Care

Charges were filed in the District of Arizona and the District of Nevada against seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for amniotic wound allografts. As alleged, certain defendants targeted vulnerable elderly patients, many of whom were receiving hospice care, and applied medically unnecessary amniotic allografts to these patients’ wounds. Many of the allografts allegedly were applied without coordination with the patients’ treating physicians, without proper treatment for infection, to superficial wounds that did not need this treatment, and to areas that far exceeded the size of the wound. Certain defendants allegedly received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent billing scheme.

“Today’s unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that CMS and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We’re not waiting for fraud to happen—we’re stopping it before it starts.”

Prescription Opioid Trafficking

74 defendants, including 44 licensed medical professionals, were charged across 58 cases in connection with the alleged illegal diversion of over 15 million pills of prescription opioids and other controlled substances. For example, five defendants associated with one Texas pharmacy were charged with the unlawful distribution of over 3 million opioid pills. As alleged, the defendants conspired to distribute massive quantities of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol, which were subsequently trafficked by street-level drug dealers, generating large profits for the defendants. This coordinated action is a continuation of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s systematic approach to stopping drug trafficking organizations and their pharmaceutical wholesale suppliers, which together have fueled an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse for nearly a decade.

DEA also announced today that in the last six months, DEA charged 93 administrative cases seeking the revocation of pharmacies, medical practitioners, and companies authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances.

“Health care fraud isn’t just theft — it’s trafficking in trust. Today’s announcement shows that when doctors become drug dealers and treatment centers become profit-driven fraud rings, DEA will act,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the DEA. “We’re targeting the entire ecosystem of fraud — from pill mills in Texas to kickback clinics exploiting Native communities. If you abuse your medical license to push poison or pad your pockets, we will hold you accountable.”

Telemedicine and Genetic Testing Fraud

In today’s Takedown, 49 defendants were charged in connection with the submission of over $1.17 billion in allegedly fraudulent claims to Medicare resulting from telemedicine and genetic testing fraud schemes. For example, in the Southern District of Florida, prosecutors charged an owner of telemedicine and durable medical equipment companies with a $46 million scheme in which Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly targeted through deceptive telemarketing campaigns and then fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare for durable medical equipment and genetic tests for these beneficiaries. The Department continues to focus on eliminating health care fraud schemes that depend on telemedicine, including schemes involving fraudulent claims for genetic testing, durable medical equipment, and COVID-19 tests.

Other Health Care Fraud Schemes

The other cases announced today charge an additional 170 defendants with various other health care fraud schemes involving over $1.84 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits, and treatments that were medically unnecessary, provided in connection with kickbacks and bribes, or never provided at all. For example, in the Western District of Tennessee, prosecutors charged three defendants, including business owners and a pharmacist, with a $28.7 million scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund by allegedly billing for medications for injured United States Postal Service employees that were never prescribed by a licensed practitioner and largely were not dispensed as claimed. And in the Western District of Washington and the Northern District of California, prosecutors charged medical providers with allegedly stealing fentanyl and hydrocodone, respectively, that was meant for the providers’ patients, including child patients in need of anesthesia.

“VA’s Integrated Veteran Care Programs provide critical community-based health care to our nation’s disabled veterans and their dependents,” said Acting Inspector General David Case of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). “Robust oversight of VA’s health care system is one of VA-OIG’s highest priorities. VA-OIG is committed to holding accountable those who defraud government benefits programs intended to care for our nation’s heroes.”

Breaking Down Silos in the Fight Against Health Care Fraud

In connection with the coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation, the Department is announcing that it is working closely with HHS-OIG, FBI, and other agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to bring together experts from the Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section, Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analytics Team; HHS-OIG; FBI; and other agencies to leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to identify emerging health care fraud schemes. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team was established in 2018 to enhance the Unit’s ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute complex health care fraud schemes. Joining forces with data analysts from HHS-OIG, FBI, and other partners will increase efficiency, detection, and rapid prosecution of emerging health care fraud schemes. It will also implement the President’s Executive Order Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos (Exec. Order No. 14243, 3 C.F.R. 294 (2025)) by reducing duplicative data teams, increasing operational efficiency through a whole-of-government approach, and leveraging cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other agency resources.

Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Deputy Chief Rebecca Yuan, Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann, and Data Analyst Elizabeth Nolte, all of the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, led and coordinated this year’s Takedown. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.

In addition to FBI, HHS-OIG, DEA, and CMS, HSI, VA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation. The Medicaid Fraud Control Units of California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin also participated in the investigation of many of the federal and state cases announced today.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.

The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:

• Graphics and Resources

• Case Descriptions

• Court Documents

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

MIL Security OSI –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Head of the Criminal Division Matthew R. Galeotti Announces Results of Health Care Fraud Takedown

Source: United States Attorneys General

Good morning.

Thank you all for joining us today as we announce the largest coordinated health care fraud takedown in the history of the Department of Justice.

Today marks a decisive moment in our fight to protect American taxpayers from fraudsters and to defend the integrity of our nation’s health care system.

We are announcing charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving approximately $14.6 billion in false claims submitted to Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care programs.

In a takedown this large, I can’t possibly describe all of the work that went into dismantling each scheme, but there are four key points that bear emphasizing.

First, let me be clear about what these health care fraud schemes mean for every hardworking American family: These criminals didn’t just steal someone else’s money — they stole from you. Every fraudulent claim, every fake billing, every kickback scheme represents money taken directly from the pockets of American taxpayers, who fund these essential programs through their hard work and sacrifice. And when criminals defraud these programs, they’re not just committing theft — they’re driving up our national deficit and threatening the long-term viability of health care for seniors, disabled Americans, and our most vulnerable citizens.

This enforcement action involves the seizure of cash, as well as luxury vehicles and properties, returning real money to American taxpayers and to our government health care programs.

Second, we are seeing a disturbing trend of transnational criminal organizations engaging in increasingly sophisticated and complex criminal schemes that defraud the American health care system.

As part of this takedown, we’ve identified and charged defendants operating from Russia, Eastern Europe, Pakistan, and other foreign countries who have infiltrated our health care system to steal American taxpayer dollars.

As one example, we dismantled a scheme involving a sophisticated operation run from Russia and Eastern Europe that strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies in the United States and submitted more than 10 billion dollars in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare. To make matters worse, these perpetrators used the stolen identities of more than one million Americans, spanning all 50 states, to submit these false claims.

But I’m pleased to report that federal agents intercepted and arrested key members of that organization at U.S. airports and at the U.S.-Mexico border, cutting off their intended escape routes.

The days of transnational criminal organizations using American health care programs as their personal piggy banks are over.

Third, this takedown resulted in criminal charges against 74 defendants, including medical professionals, who fueled America’s deadly opioid epidemic for personal profit. These are not isolated instances of poor judgment. These are calculated schemes designed to exploit Americans struggling with addiction while enriching the very people who were duty-bound to help them heal.

We charged pill mill operators who prescribed unnecessary opioids. We dismantled networks of corrupt pharmacies that existed solely to distribute drugs to addicts and dealers, feeding the addiction crisis that has devastated so many American communities.

This is not health care; it is a staggering breach of trust. And under my leadership, the Criminal Division will prosecute these criminals as aggressively as we would prosecute any drug dealer — because that’s exactly what they are.

Fourth, many of the defendants charged as part of this takedown specifically targeted some of our most vulnerable citizens: elderly Americans in nursing homes, individuals with disabilities, those battling serious illnesses, and more. For example, our prosecutors charged seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for performing medically unnecessary skin grafts on dying patients as they were seeking to spend their final days with dignity and grace.

That conduct is exactly as callous and disturbing as it sounds. Patients and their families trusted these providers with their lives. Instead of receiving care, they became victims of elaborate criminal schemes.

Today’s takedown marks a historic day. In addition to the tireless work of our Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit, this extraordinary effort would not have been possible without the law enforcement agencies with me here today: Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

And of course, countless other partners across the federal, state, and local law enforcement community and dozens of United States Attorneys’ Offices. Thank you to all who made today possible.

Despite these historic achievements, we aren’t resting on our laurels. We’re making advancements to stay ahead of criminals and their illicit schemes.

That is why, today, I am also announcing that we are working with our partners at FBI, HHS-OIG, and other federal agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to revolutionize how we detect, investigate, and prosecute health care fraud. These efforts will be led by the Criminal Division, specifically, the Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit and comprised of data specialists from the Unit’s Data Analytics Team. The Fusion Center will break down information silos, using coordinated data analysis to enable our investigative teams to quickly identify and dismantle emerging fraud schemes.

This takedown represents the largest health care fraud takedown in American history.

But it’s not the end—it’s the beginning of a new era of aggressive prosecution and data-driven prevention.

Thank you.

I will now turn it over to Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

MIL Security OSI –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Head of the Criminal Division Matthew R. Galeotti Announces Results of Health Care Fraud Takedown

Source: United States Attorneys General

Good morning.

Thank you all for joining us today as we announce the largest coordinated health care fraud takedown in the history of the Department of Justice.

Today marks a decisive moment in our fight to protect American taxpayers from fraudsters and to defend the integrity of our nation’s health care system.

We are announcing charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving approximately $14.6 billion in false claims submitted to Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care programs.

In a takedown this large, I can’t possibly describe all of the work that went into dismantling each scheme, but there are four key points that bear emphasizing.

First, let me be clear about what these health care fraud schemes mean for every hardworking American family: These criminals didn’t just steal someone else’s money — they stole from you. Every fraudulent claim, every fake billing, every kickback scheme represents money taken directly from the pockets of American taxpayers, who fund these essential programs through their hard work and sacrifice. And when criminals defraud these programs, they’re not just committing theft — they’re driving up our national deficit and threatening the long-term viability of health care for seniors, disabled Americans, and our most vulnerable citizens.

This enforcement action involves the seizure of cash, as well as luxury vehicles and properties, returning real money to American taxpayers and to our government health care programs.

Second, we are seeing a disturbing trend of transnational criminal organizations engaging in increasingly sophisticated and complex criminal schemes that defraud the American health care system.

As part of this takedown, we’ve identified and charged defendants operating from Russia, Eastern Europe, Pakistan, and other foreign countries who have infiltrated our health care system to steal American taxpayer dollars.

As one example, we dismantled a scheme involving a sophisticated operation run from Russia and Eastern Europe that strategically bought dozens of medical supply companies in the United States and submitted more than 10 billion dollars in fraudulent health care claims to Medicare. To make matters worse, these perpetrators used the stolen identities of more than one million Americans, spanning all 50 states, to submit these false claims.

But I’m pleased to report that federal agents intercepted and arrested key members of that organization at U.S. airports and at the U.S.-Mexico border, cutting off their intended escape routes.

The days of transnational criminal organizations using American health care programs as their personal piggy banks are over.

Third, this takedown resulted in criminal charges against 74 defendants, including medical professionals, who fueled America’s deadly opioid epidemic for personal profit. These are not isolated instances of poor judgment. These are calculated schemes designed to exploit Americans struggling with addiction while enriching the very people who were duty-bound to help them heal.

We charged pill mill operators who prescribed unnecessary opioids. We dismantled networks of corrupt pharmacies that existed solely to distribute drugs to addicts and dealers, feeding the addiction crisis that has devastated so many American communities.

This is not health care; it is a staggering breach of trust. And under my leadership, the Criminal Division will prosecute these criminals as aggressively as we would prosecute any drug dealer — because that’s exactly what they are.

Fourth, many of the defendants charged as part of this takedown specifically targeted some of our most vulnerable citizens: elderly Americans in nursing homes, individuals with disabilities, those battling serious illnesses, and more. For example, our prosecutors charged seven defendants, including five medical professionals, in connection with approximately $1 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs for performing medically unnecessary skin grafts on dying patients as they were seeking to spend their final days with dignity and grace.

That conduct is exactly as callous and disturbing as it sounds. Patients and their families trusted these providers with their lives. Instead of receiving care, they became victims of elaborate criminal schemes.

Today’s takedown marks a historic day. In addition to the tireless work of our Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit, this extraordinary effort would not have been possible without the law enforcement agencies with me here today: Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

And of course, countless other partners across the federal, state, and local law enforcement community and dozens of United States Attorneys’ Offices. Thank you to all who made today possible.

Despite these historic achievements, we aren’t resting on our laurels. We’re making advancements to stay ahead of criminals and their illicit schemes.

That is why, today, I am also announcing that we are working with our partners at FBI, HHS-OIG, and other federal agencies to create a Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center to revolutionize how we detect, investigate, and prosecute health care fraud. These efforts will be led by the Criminal Division, specifically, the Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit and comprised of data specialists from the Unit’s Data Analytics Team. The Fusion Center will break down information silos, using coordinated data analysis to enable our investigative teams to quickly identify and dismantle emerging fraud schemes.

This takedown represents the largest health care fraud takedown in American history.

But it’s not the end—it’s the beginning of a new era of aggressive prosecution and data-driven prevention.

Thank you.

I will now turn it over to Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

MIL Security OSI –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Coordinated, Nationwide Actions to Combat North Korean Remote Information Technology Workers’ Illicit Revenue Generation Schemes

Source: United States Attorneys General

Law Enforcement Actions Across 16 States Result in Charges, Arrest, and Seizures of 29 Financial Accounts, 21 Fraudulent Websites, and Approximately 200 Computers

The Justice Department announced today coordinated actions against the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) government’s schemes to fund its regime through remote information technology (IT) work for U.S. companies. These actions include two indictments, an arrest, searches of 29 known or suspected “laptop farms” across 16 states, and the seizure of 29 financial accounts used to launder illicit funds and 21 fraudulent websites.

According to court documents, the schemes involve North Korean individuals fraudulently obtaining employment with U.S. companies as remote IT workers, using stolen and fake identities. The North Korean actors were assisted by individuals in the United States, China, United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan, and successfully obtained employment with more than 100 U.S. companies.

As alleged in court documents, certain U.S.-based individuals enabled one of the schemes by creating front companies and fraudulent websites to promote the bona fides of the remote IT workers, and hosted laptop farms where the remote North Korean IT workers could remote access into U.S. victim company-provided laptop computers. Once employed, the North Korean IT workers received regular salary payments, and they gained access to, and in some cases stole, sensitive employer information such as export controlled U.S. military technology and virtual currency. In another scheme, North Korean IT workers used false or fraudulently obtained identities to gain employment with an Atlanta, Georgia-based blockchain research and development company and stole virtual currency worth approximately over $900,000.

“These schemes target and steal from U.S. companies and are designed to evade sanctions and fund the North Korean regime’s illicit programs, including its weapons programs,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners, will persistently pursue and dismantle these cyber-enabled revenue generation networks.”

“North Korean IT workers defraud American companies and steal the identities of private citizens, all in support of the North Korean regime,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI’s Cyber Division. “That is why the FBI and our partners continue to work together to disrupt infrastructure, seize revenue, indict overseas IT workers, and arrest their enablers in the United States. Let the actions announced today serve as a warning: if you host laptop farms for the benefit of North Korean actors, law enforcement will be waiting for you.”

“North Korea remains intent on funding its weapons programs by defrauding U.S. companies and exploiting American victims of identity theft, but the FBI is equally intent on disrupting this massive campaign and bringing its perpetrators to justice,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. “North Korean IT workers posing as U.S. citizens fraudulently obtained employment with American businesses so they could funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to North Korea’s authoritarian regime. The FBI will do everything in our power to defend the homeland and protect Americans from being victimized by the North Korean government, and we ask all U.S. companies that employ remote workers to remain vigilant to this sophisticated threat.”

Zhenxing Wang, et al. Indictment, Seizure Warrants, and Arrest – District of Massachusetts

Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the National Security Division announced the arrest of U.S. national Zhenxing “Danny” Wang of New Jersey pursuant to a five-count indictment. The indictment describes a multi-year fraud scheme by Wang and his co-conspirators to obtain remote IT work with U.S. companies that generated more than $5 million in revenue. The indictment also charges Chinese nationals Jing Bin Huang (靖斌黄), Baoyu Zhou (周宝玉), Tong Yuze (佟雨泽), Yongzhe Xu (徐勇哲 andيونجزهي أكسو), Ziyou Yuan (زيو) and Zhenbang Zhou (周震邦), and Taiwanese nationals Mengting Liu (劉孟婷) and Enchia Liu (刘恩) for their roles in the scheme.

“The threat posed by DPRK operatives is both real and immediate. Thousands of North Korean cyber operatives have been trained and deployed by the regime to blend into the global digital workforce and systematically target U.S. companies,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “We will continue to work relentlessly to protect U.S. businesses and ensure they are not inadvertently fueling the DPRK’s unlawful and dangerous ambitions.”

According to the indictment, from approximately 2021 until October 2024, the defendants and other co-conspirators compromised the identities of more than 80 U.S. persons to obtain remote jobs at more than 100 U.S. companies, including many Fortune 500 companies, and caused U.S. victim companies to incur legal fees, computer network remediation costs, and other damages and losses of at least $3 million. Overseas IT workers were assisted by Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and at least four other identified U.S. facilitators. Kejia Wang, for example, communicated with overseas co-conspirators and IT workers, and traveled to Shenyang and Dandong, China, including in 2023, to meet with them about the scheme. To deceive U.S. companies into believing the IT workers were located in the United States, Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and the other U.S. facilitators received and/or hosted laptops belonging to U.S. companies at their residences, and enabled overseas IT workers to access the laptops remotely by, among other things, connecting the laptops to hardware devices designed to allow for remote access (referred to as keyboard-video-mouse or “KVM” switches).

Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang also created shell companies with corresponding websites and financial accounts, including Hopana Tech LLC, Tony WKJ LLC, and Independent Lab LLC, to make it appear as though the overseas IT workers were affiliated with legitimate U.S. businesses. Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang established these and other financial accounts to receive money from victimized U.S. companies, much of which was subsequently transferred to overseas co‑conspirators. In exchange for their services, Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and the four other U.S. facilitators received a total of at least $696,000 from the IT workers.

IT workers employed under this scheme also gained access to sensitive employer data and source code, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) data from a California-based defense contractor that develops artificial intelligence-powered equipment and technologies. Specifically, between on or about Jan. 19, 2024, and on or about April 2, 2024, an overseas co-conspirator remotely accessed without authorization the company’s laptop and computer files containing technical data and other information. The stolen data included information marked as being controlled under the ITAR.

Simultaneously with today’s announcement, the FBI and Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) seized 17 web domains used in furtherance of the charged scheme and further seized 29 financial accounts, holding tens of thousands of dollars in funds, used to launder revenue for the North Korean regime through the remote IT work scheme.

Previously, in October 2024, as part of this investigation, federal law enforcement executed searches at eight locations across three states that resulted in the recovery of more than 70 laptops and remote access devices, such as KVMs. Simultaneously with that action, the FBI seized four web domains associated with Kejia Wang’s and Zhenxing Wang’s shell companies used to facilitate North Korean IT work.

The FBI Las Vegas Field Office, DCIS San Diego Resident Agency, and Homeland Security Investigations San Diego Field Office are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia, Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Legal Assistants Daniel Boucher and Margaret Coppes. Valuable assistance was also provided by Mark A. Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of California.

Kim Kwang Jin et al. Indictment – Northern District of Georgia

Today, the Northern District of Georgia unsealed a five-count wire fraud and money laundering indictment charging four North Korean nationals, Kim Kwang Jin (김관진), Kang Tae Bok (강태복), Jong Pong Ju (정봉주) and Chang Nam Il (창남일), with a scheme to steal virtual currency from two companies, valued at over $900,000 at the time of the thefts, and to launder proceeds of those thefts. The defendants remain at large and wanted by the FBI.

“The defendants used fake and stolen personal identities to conceal their North Korean nationality, pose as remote IT workers, and exploit their victims’ trust to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “This indictment highlights the unique threat North Korea poses to companies that hire remote IT workers and underscores our resolve to prosecute any actor, in the United States or abroad, who steals from Georgia businesses.”

According to the indictment, the defendants traveled to the United Arab Emirates on North Korean travel documents and worked as a co-located team. In approximately December 2020 and May 2021, respectively, Kim Kwang Jin (using victim P.S.’s stolen identity) and Jong Pong Ju (using the alias “Bryan Cho”) were hired by a blockchain research and development company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and a virtual token company based in Serbia. Both defendants concealed their North Korean identities from their employers by providing false identification documents containing a mix of stolen and fraudulent identity information. Neither company would have hired Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju had they known that they were North Korean citizens. Later, on a recommendation from Jong Pong Ju, the Serbian company hired “Peter Xiao,” who in fact was Chang Nam Il.

After gaining their employers’ trust, Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju were assigned projects that provided them access to their employers’ virtual currency assets. In February 2022, Jong Pong Ju used that access to steal virtual currency worth approximately $175,000 at the time of the theft, sending it to a virtual currency address he controlled. In March 2022, Kim Kwang Jin stole virtual currency worth approximately $740,000 at the time of theft by modifying the source code of two of his employer’s smart contracts, then sending it to a virtual currency address he controlled.

To launder the funds after the thefts, Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju “mixed” the stolen funds using the virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash and then transferred the funds to virtual currency exchange accounts controlled by defendants Kang Tae Bok and Chang Nam Il but held in the name of aliases. These accounts were opened using fraudulent Malaysian identification documents.

The FBI Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samir Kaushal and Alex Sistla for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case.

21 Searches of Known or Suspected U.S.-based Laptop Farms – Multi-District

Between June 10 and June 17, 2025, the FBI executed searches of 21 premises across 14 states hosting known and suspected laptop farms. These actions, coordinated by the FBI Denver Field Office, related to investigations of North Korean remote IT worker schemes being conducted by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices of the District of Colorado, Eastern District of Missouri, and Northern District of Texas. In total, the FBI seized approximately 137 laptops.

Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Connecticut, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Middle District of Florida, the Northern District of Georgia, the Northern District of Illinois, the Northern District of Indiana, the District of Oregon, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Ohio, the Western District of New York, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.

***

The Department’s actions to combat these schemes are the latest in a series of law enforcement actions under a joint National Security Division and FBI Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions effort, the DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative. This effort prioritizes targeting and disrupting the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation schemes and its U.S.-based enablers. The Department previously announced other actions pursuant to the initiative, including in January 2025 and prior, as well as the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint in early June 2025 for over $7.74 million tied to an illegal employment scheme.

As the FBI has described in Public Service Announcements published in May 2024 and January 2025, North Korean remote IT workers posing as legitimate remote IT workers have committed data extortion and exfiltrated the proprietary and sensitive data from U.S. companies. DPRK IT worker schemes typically involve the use of stolen identities, alias emails, social media, online cross-border payment platforms, and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and witting and unwitting third parties located in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Other public advisories about the threats, red flag indicators, and potential mitigation measures for these schemes include a May 2022 advisory released by the FBI, Department of the Treasury, and Department of State; a July 2023 advisory from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and guidance issued in October 2023 by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). As described the May 2022 advisory, North Korean IT workers have been known individually to earn up to $300,000 annually, generating hundreds of millions of dollars collectively each year, on behalf of designated entities, such as the North Korean Ministry of Defense and others directly involved in the DPRK’s weapons programs.

The U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $5 million in support of international efforts to disrupt the DPRK’s illicit financial activities, including for cybercrimes, money laundering, and sanctions evasion.

The details in the above-described court documents are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIL Security OSI –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Canadian Man Arrested and Detained for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy at the U.S.’s Northern Border

Source: United States Attorneys General

Note: View the indictment here and detention letter here.

WASHINGTON — A dual Canadian American citizen was arrested on Sunday, June 15, for his role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River. Oakes was arrested as he attempted to enter the United States via the Massena, New York, Port of Entry.

Timothy Oakes, 34, from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR), Canada, was previously arraigned on numerous human smuggling offenses in the Northern District of New York District Court and had his detention hearing earlier today and will remain detained. Oakes was indicted on April 9 for conspiring with others to engage in alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for profit, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. United States based co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, and Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, Oct. 8, 2024, and March 6, respectively.

“As alleged, Oakes and his co-conspirators profited from a human smuggling operation with a singular, cold-hearted aim: making money by bringing illegal aliens into the United States, regardless of the danger to human life involved,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their greed resulted in the deaths of a mother, a father, and two small children, as well as one of the defendants’ own brothers. The Criminal Division will continue to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and bring justice to smugglers whose actions result in senseless deaths.”

“This case shows the terrible perils of illegally crossing the border,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “Four family members died because a smuggling network put them in harm’s way. My office is proud to partner with Joint Task Force Alpha to continue to combat dangerous human smuggling and trafficking organizations that operate on our northern border.”

“Oakes’ arrest comes as part of our nearly two-year long investigation into a transnational criminal organization responsible for the large-scale smuggling of aliens from Canada into the United States,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan. “ICE HSI leverages its full range of authorities to combat and dismantle the heinous networks of greedy criminals who illicitly sell dangerous, sometimes fatal, passage through our nation’s northern border. We are extremely grateful for a multitude of law enforcement agency partners on the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce who join us in this fight to bring smugglers to justice.”

“Two toddler aged children and their parents were the tragic victims of an alien smuggling attempt gone horribly wrong,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector. “Their deaths were a direct result of callous smugglers who exploited the vulnerable. Due to unrelenting perseverance and investigative efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies, those responsible will be held accountable. Our pursuit of justice persists until justice is served.”

According to court documents, Oakes was a key facilitator in a human smuggling organization (HSO) that smuggled aliens from Canada into northern New York. Oakes, working with the HSO, routinely smuggled aliens into the United States by piloting boats across the St. Lawrence River. Additionally, Oakes used his home as a staging area for aliens before the HSO smuggled them into the United States. Oakes earned approximately $1,000 for every alien whom he smuggled across the St. Lawrence River into the United States.

In March 2023, Oakes housed a Romanian family of four, together with other aliens, for about 24 hours. He then transported the family and a boat to a public boat launch. His brother, Casey Oakes, attempted to use the boat to smuggle the Romanian family into the United States, but the boat capsized, killing all four members of the family, as well as Casey Oakes.

Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that in late March 2023, they were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four — a mother, father, one-year-old boy, and two-year-old girl — from Canada into New York. Specifically, Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on the day of the tragedy — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet another co-conspirator still loaded the family of four into the small boat to attempt to cross the St. Lawrence River.

HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with foreign legal assistance requests.

The defendant’s vehicle with light blue boat in tow on March 29, 2023, at 9:29 p.m., consistent with the boat found in the river during recovery efforts.

The investigation is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating within the Americas that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border, including the Northern District of New York. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 380 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 340 U.S. convictions; more than 290 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.

The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

MIL Security OSI –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Citizens see improvements in justice systems in the EU, finds report

Source: European Union 2

The latest EU Justice Scoreboard reveals that citizens in most EU countries perceive judicial independence as having improved or remained stable compared to 2024. The report records progress in digitalising justice systems, shortening legal proceedings and improving access to justice for all.

MIL OSI Europe News –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two Georgia Men Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Crimes

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

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Reginald Bernard Daniely Jr., also known as “Yo,” 34, and Jacquis Christopher Moody, also known as “Jo,” 30, both of Macon, Georgia, each pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 20, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington apartment where Daniely and Moody had been staying. Officers seized approximately 13.814 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, approximately 38.827 grams of crack, and two firearms during the search. As part of their guilty pleas, Daniely and Moody each admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances. Daniely and Moody each further admitted to possessing the two seized firearms.

Daniely and Moody are scheduled to be sentenced on October 14, 2025, and each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-17.

###

MIL Security OSI –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI: Combined General Meeting of July 22, 2025 Conditions for Obtaining the Preparatory Documents
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

COMBINED GENERAL MEETING
OF JULY 22, 2025

CONDITIONS FOR OBTAINING THE PREPARATORY DOCUMENTS

Bernin (Grenoble), France, on July 1, 2025 – Soitec (Euronext Paris) reminds that the Company’s shareholders are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting to be held on Tuesday July 22, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. (Paris time), in the Auditorium of the VERSO conference Center located at 52 rue de la Victoire, 75009 Paris, France.

The preliminary meeting notice serving as convening notice as provided for in Article R. 225-73 of the French Commercial Code, including the agenda and the draft resolutions to be submitted to the shareholders’ vote during this Annual General Meeting as well as the information on how to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting, has been published in the French legal gazette (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires (BALO)) of June 13, 2025, bulletin No 71.

The convening notice for this Annual General Meeting will be published in the French legal gazette “Les Affiches de Grenoble et du Dauphiné” on July 4, 2025.

All the documents related to this Annual General Meeting are available on the Company’s website (www.soitec.com), in the section Investors/Shareholders & Analysts/Shareholders’ General Meetings/ 2025 Annual General Meeting, in accordance with laws and regulations in force.

In accordance with article R. 225-88 of the French Commercial Code, shareholders may also obtain the documents provided for in articles R. 225-81 and R. 225-83 of the French Commercial Code, on written request made no later than five days before the date of the General Meeting, i.e. no later than Thursday July 17, 2025. This request shall be sent to the Company’s registered office by post, to the attention of the General Secretary, “AG 22 juillet 2025” Parc Technologique des Fontaines – Chemin des Franques – 38190 Bernin – France, or by e-mail to the following address: shareholders-gm@soitec.com. Requests from bearer shareholders must be accompanied by a shareholding certificate delivered by their financial intermediary mentioned in Article L. 211-3 of the French Monetary and Financial Code.

Shareholders are invited to consult regularly the section dedicated to the 2025 Annual General Meeting on the Company’s website.

This General Meeting will be broadcast live on Soitec’s website and will also be available for replay.

# # #

Agenda

First-quarter 2025-2026 revenue: July 22, 2025, after market close.

# # #

About Soitec

Soitec (Euronext – Tech 40 Paris), a world leader in innovative semiconductor materials, has for more than 30 years developed cutting-edge products that combine technological performance and energy efficiency. From its global headquarters in France, Soitec is expanding internationally with its unique solutions. The company occupies a key position in the semiconductor value chain, serving three strategic markets: mobile communications, automotive and industry, and smart devices. Soitec draws on the talent and diversity of its 2,300 employees, of 50 different nationalities, across its sites in Europe, the United States and Asia. More than 4,100 patents have been registered by Soitec.

Soitec, SmartSiC™ and Smart Cut™ are registered trademarks of Soitec.

For more information: https://www.soitec.com/en/

# # #

Investor Relations: Media contacts:

Attachment
- AG 22072025_Soitec PR Availability of AGM preparatory documents
The MIL Network –
July 2, 2025

MIL-OSI: PROACTIS SA – PR ( update on BoD members) 01.07.2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Press release

Evolution of PROACTIS SA Governance

PARIS, France – (1st July 2025) — Under the terms of the Board of Directors of the company PROACTIS SA (ISIN code : FR0004052561) held on the 25th of June, Mr Andrew REARDON has been appointed as Director in replacement of Mr Monsieur Adrian MCSHANE-CHAPMAN, resigning.
Shareholders will be asked to approve this appointment at the next Annual General Meeting called to approve the financial statements.

Andrew Reardon joined the group Proactis in January 2025 as Group Chief Operating Officer. He has considerable experience in the fields of operational leadership, complex transformational change management, large scale project management and revenue growth programs whose leadership skills and management aptitude have been repeatedly tested under the most demanding circumstances.

As a result of these changes, the Board of Directors of PROACTIS SA is now composed as follows:

Member	Functions	Mandate expiry date
Stephen LINE	Chairman of the Board of Directors Chief Executive Officer	Annual General Meeting to approve the financial statements for the year ending January 31, 2028
Lucy FOX	Director	Annual General Meeting to approve the financial statements for the year ending January 31, 2028
Bonnie MITCHELL	Director	Annual General Meeting to approve the financial statements for the year ending January 31, 2030
Andrew REARDON	Director	Annual General Meeting to approve the financial statements for the year ending January 31, 2028

Contacts
Tel: +33 (0)1 53 25 55 00
E-mail: investorContact@proactis.com

* * * *

Attachment

PROACTIS SA – PR ( update on BoD members) 01.07.2025

The MIL Network –

July 2, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Bipartisan Warren, Scott (Fla.) Letter Questions Biden Defense Secretary’s Decision to Launch Lobbying Firm

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
July 01, 2025
Austin publicly promised Warren in 2021 he would not become a lobbyist after leaving government service
“When our highest-ranking government officials and military officers treat their positions as steppingstones to personal enrichment, they corrupt the very institution they swore to defend.”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.), both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote to former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin seeking an explanation and further information on his recent decision to start a strategic advisory firm. Austin had publicly promised Senator Warren during his 2021 confirmation process that he would not become a lobbyist after his government service ended.
On June 3, 2025, Politico reported that Austin was launching Clarion Strategies, along with other former Biden defense and national security officials, to help clients “navigate geopolitical upheaval…, advancements in defense technology…, [and] global trade shifts and emerging alliances among U.S. adversaries like Russia, China, North Korea and China.” This new venture undermines his promises to Senator Warren to “ensure that the public has no reason to question my impartiality” and “[had] no intent to be a lobbyist.”
“The revolving door between the Pentagon and K Street has been spinning for years during both Democratic and Republican administrations. In your case, this move is particularly disappointing because you made a clear promise during your nomination hearing to uphold the public trust,” wrote the senators.
Austin’s pledges helped secure similar commitments from other defense nominees, including Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu, and Under Secretary of the Army Gabriel Camarillo.
Austin appears to have found a loophole by serving as an “adviser” rather than a registered lobbyist.
“[That] undermines the very purpose of the promise that you made to the American people: to close the revolving door of government officials cashing in on their public service by lobbying, advising…” wrote the lawmakers.
The senators demanded clarity on Austin’s new role by July 14, 2025, including whether he’ll register to lobby on behalf of any company; if any current or prospective clients have contracts with the Defense Department; if he’ll work on behalf of any foreign government; if he’ll recuse from any matters involving any companies he worked with as Defense Secretary; and whether any clients would benefit from his security clearance.
As leaders of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Senators Warren and Scott held a hearing on the dangers of the revolving door. Both have also introduced legislation to tackle the revolving door, with Senator Warren introducing the Department of Defense Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act and Senator Scott introducing the Banning Lobbying and Safeguarding Trust (BLAST) Act to ban members of Congress from lobbying.
Senator Warren has long sought to protect servicemembers and national security by pushing defense nominees to resolve their conflicts of interest:
In May 2025, Senator Warren pressed Mr. Michael Obadal, nominee for Under Secretary of the Army, on his refusal to divest from major defense contractors.
In April 2025, Senator Warren secured a commitment from Lieutenant General John D. Caine, President Trump’s nominee to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, not to work for any major defense contractors—or companies affected by his official actions—after leaving government service.
In March 2025, ahead of his confirmation vote, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Deputy Defense Secretary Nominee Stephen Feinberg, urging him to recuse himself from all matters related to Ligado Networks, which has a pending $39 billion lawsuit against the DoD.
In March 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Mr. Emil Michael, nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, with concern over his history of inappropriate behavior at work, his attacks on journalists and public accountability, and his ties to technology companies that may seek contracts with the Department of Defense.
In February 2025, ahead of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Mr. Stephen Feinberg, nominee for Deputy Secretary of the Department of Defense, pressing him to explain his “serious conflicts of interest” and his track record of mismanagement.
In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Mr. Michael Duffey, nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment of the Department of Defense, ahead of his confirmation hearing, with serious concerns about his record, which include violating the law, disregarding Congressional authority, and his involvement in Project 2025.
In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Mr. Pete Hegseth, nominee for Secretary of the Department of Defense, regarding his ethics conflicts ahead of the Senate’s consideration of his nomination. Mr. Hegseth’s household’s ownership of stock in several defense contractors and his unwillingness to commit to the same post-employment restrictions he previously advocated for were particularly troubling for a prospective Secretary of Defense.
In March 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren secured ethics commitments from Douglas Schmidt, ahead of his confirmation to be the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) for the Department of Defense.
In July 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren secured a commitment from General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., President Biden’s nominee to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, not to become a defense industry lobbyist or receive compensation from a defense contractor for four years after leaving government service.
In June 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren and representative Andy Kim reintroduced the Department of Defense Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act, to limit the influence of contractors on the military, constrain foreign influence on retired senior military officers, and assert greater transparency over contractors and their interaction with DoD.
In July 2021, Senator Elizabeth Warren secured agreements to four-year recusals from former clients’ and employers’ party matters from then-Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and then-USD(R&E) Heidi Shyu.

MIL OSI USA News –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens set out alternative to welfare cuts to tackle poverty and give dignity to Disabled people
Source: Green Party of England and Wales

1 July 2025/ 1 July 2025 by Green Party
As the Government struggles to get its welfare reforms through parliament, Green Party MPs have produced a report detailing an alternative approach. They say that the case for “delaying the proposed changes in order to get change right is compelling” and are urging MPs to vote down the reforms later today.

Amongst the proposals Green MPs recommend are:

Withdrawing the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill

Increasing all disability benefits by 5 per cent and Universal Credit and legacy benefits by £40 a week

Working with Disabled people to co-produce a social security system that is fair, humane and accessible – and which joins up the support for Disabled people to help with additional costs

Developing interventions that are genuinely good value, lift people up and take an evidence-based approach to supporting people into work

Learning from the OBR’s assessment and equality impact assessments so any changes deliver on the stated objectives and do not push people into deeper poverty.

Green MP Siân Berry said:

“The Government’s process of bringing forward proposals for change has been marked by chaos. Decision making has been irresponsible, leaving disabled people feeling uncertain and anxious – even terrified. Their voices have not been front and centre of the debate about how to build a better social security system and the proposed changes represent a serious threat to Disabled people’s quality of life, dignity and equality.

“Equalising capital gains tax with income tax would not only help raise funds for welfare payments but also be fairer as currently working disabled people on PIP are paying higher rates of tax on their income than wealthy people living off share dividends.

“Change can be done right if it’s done with Disabled people rather than to them. We urge all MPs to vote against the welfare cuts tonight – let’s work together to create something more compassionate that lifts everyone up and supports the wellbeing of Disabled people.”

Note

The Lifting Up report from the Green MPs was their submission to the ‘Pathways to Work Green Paper’ consultation which closed on 30th June 2025.
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Phil Scott Appoints 83 to Boards and Commissions
Source: US State of Vermont

Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott’s office today announced a range of appointments made in the second quarter of 2025.

Boards and commissions serve an important role in state government, giving Vermonters numerous opportunities to serve their state and communities. The Governor’s office is currently soliciting applications to fill vacancies and upcoming term expirations. All those interested in serving on board or commission should visit the Governor’s website at https://governor.vermont.gov/boards-commissions to apply.

Appointments made in the second quarter of 2025 are listed below.

ACT 264 Advisory Board
- Alice Maynard, Underhill
- Cynthia Smith, Fair Haven
- Heather Freeman, Hyde Park
- Laurie Mulhern, Bennington
Board of Pharmacy
- Kate-lyn Trucott, Lyndonville
- Marvene Martinez, Vergennes
Board of Professional Engineering
- William Nourse, Essex
Building Bright Futures Council
- Dimitri Garder, North Bennington
- Libby Daghlian, Winooski
- Sharron Harrington, Burlington
- Xusana Davis, Montpelier
Caledonia County Sheriff
- Brandon Thrailkill, Lyndonville
Caledonia County Assistant Judge
- Joe Benning, Lyndonville
Capitol Complex Commission
- Jireh Billings, Plymouth
- John Hollar, Montpelier
Clinical Utilization Review Board
- Coleen Horan, M.D., Montpelier
- Jennifer Chambers, Baltimore, MD
Council for Equitable Youth Justice
- Honorable Katherine Hayes, Brattleboro
- Mercedes King, White River Junction
- Peter Brown, Manchester, NH
Department of Financial Regulation Commissioner
- Kaj Samsom, Montpelier
Deaf, Hard of Hearing, And Deaf/Blind Advisory Council
- Amelie Briggs, Shelburne
- Dr. Linda Hazard, Moretown
- Julie Porter, Colchester
- Kate Parrish, Hanover, MA
- Rebecca Lalanne, Vernon
- Sharon Henry, Hinesburg
- Tracy Hinck, Norwich
- Anne Daly, Brattleboro
- Katharina Cahill, Waterbury Center
Franklin County Assistant Judge
- Jay Sweeny, St. Albans
Human Rights Commission
- Aditeei Lagu, Essex Junction
Justice of the Peace
- Krista M Rodrigue, Canaan
- Justin Wright, St. Albans
Northeast Forest Fire Protection Commission
- Jay Hooper, Randolph Center
Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens’ Advisory Panel
- J. Randall Pratt, Wolcott
Parole Board
- Angela A. Chicoine, Essex Junction
Passenger Tramway Board
- Parker Riehle, South Burlington
- Scott J. Reeves, Stowe
State Infrastructure Bank Board
- Dani Delaini, Brattleboro
State Labor Relations Board
- Gwenna Peters, Duxbury
State Rehabilitation Council
- Ana Russo, Middlesex
- Andrea Bacchi, Shaftsbury
- Helena Kehne, Adamant
- Krista Siringo, Bristol
- Laura Flint, Waterbury
- Sarah Launderville, Williamstown
- Sherrie Brunelle, Colchester
- William Garrison Meirs, Essex Junction
State Veterinary Board
- Anne Murphy, Weybridge
- Danielle Teehan, Newport
- Jessica Alexander, Jericho
Substance Misuse Prevention Oversight and Advisory Council
- Amy Brewer, Williston
Vermont Apprenticeship Advisory Board
- Chris Damato, Derby Line
- Greg Gove, Danville
- Jeff Wimette, Fairfax
- Jerry Baake, Pewaukee, WI
- Pam Benoit, Barre
Vermont Aviation Advisory Council
- John Connor, Berlin
- Victor Rivas, Bondville
Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs
- Alana Ojibway, Wilder
- Charles Calley, Newbury
- Linda Savoca, Cabot
Vermont Community Development Board
- David Riegel, Barton
Vermont Economic Development Authority
- Sarah Furman, Rutland
Vermont Economic Progress Council
- Heather Chase, Chester
- Mark Nicholson, West Danville
- Michael Keane, North Bennington
- Mike Donohue, Shelburne
- Rachel Smith, St. Albans
Vermont Humanities Council
- Candace Lewis, Georgia
- Joseph Antonioli, Williston
- Kathryn Santiago, Burlington
Vermont Milk Commission
- Harold Howrigan, Fairfield
- Kiersten Bourgeois, St. Albans
- Nicole Foster, Bridport
- Rob Howe, Tunbridge
Vermont Rail Advisory Council
- Mark McKeon, Chester
Vermont State Board of Nursing
- Andrew D. Kehl, Hinesburg
- Krystal Disorda, Brandon
Vermont Veterans Home Board of Trustees
- Steve Deal, Swanton
Working Lands Enterprise Board
- Stephanie Pope, Bridport
- Susie Walsh Daloz, Middlesex
###

MIL OSI USA News –
July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI: Ageas completes the acquisition of Saga’s Underwriting Business
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Ageas announced today that all necessary regulatory approvals for the acquisition of Acromas Insurance Company Limited (AICL), Saga’s Underwriting Business, have been obtained and the transaction has been completed.

The completion of the acquisition of AICL represents the first milestone towards the establishment of a 20-year partnership with Saga Services Limited (SSL) for the distribution of personal lines Motor and Home insurance products to Saga’s customers, as communicated on 16 December 2024 (read the press release).

The acquisition and the distribution agreement with Saga, the UK specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50, aligns perfectly with Ageas’s Elevate27 strategy, to capitalise on its robust Non-Life presence across Europe, while accelerating solutions targeted at an ageing population, a rapidly expanding customer segment where the Group and Ageas UK already have real strength and expertise. Furthermore, it presents Ageas with the opportunity to enhance its position as a leading personal lines insurer in the UK.

The overall consideration for the acquisition is approximately GBP 67 million – consistent with prior communications, and to be paid out between acquisition and the operational start date of the partnership. The overall Solvency II impact, including the Affinity Partnership, remains aligned with the previously communicated – 5%.

Ageas is a Belgian rooted listed international insurance Group with a heritage spanning of 200 years. It offers Retail and Business customers Life and Non-Life insurance products designed to suit their specific needs, today and tomorrow, and is also engaged in reinsurance activities. As one of Europe’s larger insurance companies, Ageas concentrates its activities in Europe and Asia, which together make up the major part of the global insurance market. It operates successful insurance businesses in Belgium, the UK, Portugal, Türkiye, China, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, and the Philippines through a combination of wholly owned subsidiaries and long-term partnerships with strong financial institutions and key distributors. Ageas ranks among the market leaders in the countries in which it operates. It represents a staff force of about 50,000 people and reported annual inflows of EUR 18.5 billion in 2024.

Attachment
- PDF version of the press release
The MIL Network –
July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI: Ageas completes the acquisition of Saga’s Underwriting Business
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Ageas announced today that all necessary regulatory approvals for the acquisition of Acromas Insurance Company Limited (AICL), Saga’s Underwriting Business, have been obtained and the transaction has been completed.

The completion of the acquisition of AICL represents the first milestone towards the establishment of a 20-year partnership with Saga Services Limited (SSL) for the distribution of personal lines Motor and Home insurance products to Saga’s customers, as communicated on 16 December 2024 (read the press release).

The acquisition and the distribution agreement with Saga, the UK specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50, aligns perfectly with Ageas’s Elevate27 strategy, to capitalise on its robust Non-Life presence across Europe, while accelerating solutions targeted at an ageing population, a rapidly expanding customer segment where the Group and Ageas UK already have real strength and expertise. Furthermore, it presents Ageas with the opportunity to enhance its position as a leading personal lines insurer in the UK.

The overall consideration for the acquisition is approximately GBP 67 million – consistent with prior communications, and to be paid out between acquisition and the operational start date of the partnership. The overall Solvency II impact, including the Affinity Partnership, remains aligned with the previously communicated – 5%.

Ageas is a Belgian rooted listed international insurance Group with a heritage spanning of 200 years. It offers Retail and Business customers Life and Non-Life insurance products designed to suit their specific needs, today and tomorrow, and is also engaged in reinsurance activities. As one of Europe’s larger insurance companies, Ageas concentrates its activities in Europe and Asia, which together make up the major part of the global insurance market. It operates successful insurance businesses in Belgium, the UK, Portugal, Türkiye, China, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, and the Philippines through a combination of wholly owned subsidiaries and long-term partnerships with strong financial institutions and key distributors. Ageas ranks among the market leaders in the countries in which it operates. It represents a staff force of about 50,000 people and reported annual inflows of EUR 18.5 billion in 2024.

Attachment
- PDF version of the press release
The MIL Network –
July 2, 2025

MIL-OSI: Coface SA: Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares in the capital as at June 30, 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

COFACE SA: Disclosure of total number of voting rights and number of shares in the capital as at June 30, 2025

Paris, July 1^st, 2025 – 17.45

Total Number of Shares Capital	Theoretical Number of Voting Rights¹	Number of Real Voting Rights²
150,179,792	150,179,792	149,327,732

⁽¹⁾including own shares
⁽²⁾excluding own shares

Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.

About Coface

COFACE SA is a société anonyme (joint-stock corporation), with a Board of Directors (Conseil d’Administration) incorporated under the laws of France, and is governed by the provisions of the French Commercial Code. The Company is registered with the Nanterre Trade and Companies Register (Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés) under the number 432 413 599. The Company’s registered office is at 1 Place Costes et Bellonte, 92270 Bois Colombes, France.

At the date of 31 December 2024, the Company’s share capital amounts to €300,359,584, divided into 150,179,792 shares, all of the same class, and all of which are fully paid up and subscribed.

All regulated information is available on the company’s website (http://www.coface.com/Investors).

COFACE SA. is listed on Euronext Paris – Compartment A
ISIN: FR0010667147 / Ticker: COFA

Attachment

2025 06 30 Declaration Shares Voting Rights

The MIL Network –

July 2, 2025

MIL-OSI Video: How pro basketball and theoretical physics shaped one health tech CEO

Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

Non-communicable diseases like stroke and heart disease have swapped spots with infectious diseases as top global killers. Improving health access – whether in the developed or emerging world — can save the lives of billions. CEO Bernd Montag explains how Siemens Healthineers is partnering with providers around the world to deliver technologies and help reduce the complexities that can stand in the way of efficient treatment. He’ll also share his own unique background – as a professional basketball player and later theoretical physicist – and how it shaped how he makes decisions and leads.

This interview was recorded January 2025 at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

About this episode:
https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/

Transcript:
https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/bernd-montag-siemens-healthineers

Related podcasts:
Bridging the gap in women’s health technology, policy and more:

Kearney:
https://tinyurl.com/3jmahwwj

Tackling these surprising blindspots can bridge gender gaps in health, opportunity and more: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0HfUaxq69cJBZfVgGctVMB?go=1&sp_cid=974f0d02895cc3e5dc6ee274371893a7&utm_source=embed_player_p&utm_medium=desktop&nd=1&dlsi=38d6c85af7df484e

The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/
Twitter ► https://twitter.com/wef
LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF

#WorldEconomicForum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECEgJAlM72A

MIL OSI Video –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cabinet set to approve the next chapter for Derby’s libraries

Source: City of Derby

The future of the city’s library service and how it can continue to meet community needs for the next few years is to be considered by Cabinet.

After extensive negotiations and a thorough review of proposed working models, Derby City Council withdrew from a process to appoint Sporting Communities, a not-for-profit organisation, to run Derby’s ten non-statutory community libraries in May.

Now Cabinet members will be updated on the reasons for ending those negotiations and will be presented with fresh proposals on the interim operation of the service when they meet on 9 July.

Council Cabinet approved plans for the city’s ten non-statutory libraries to be run by a Trust last year and a formal process to identify viable proposals was launched in March 2024.

During extensive negotiations, it became clear that outsourcing is not the best or most sustainable way to protect the future of the library service. The proposed transfer was expected to save money for the Council. Negotiations revealed that the financial support needed for a successful transfer would exceed the allocated budget.

The review comes as local authorities across England prepare for significant structural changes, potentially prompting a re-evaluation of how essential public services like libraries are delivered.

Under the Public Libraries & Museums Act of 1964, the Council must provide a full and efficient public library service. The last Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA) in 2017 found that Derby needs five main libraries to meet its legal requirements, while adapting to evolving community needs.

Local government reorganisation, anticipated to unfold over the next three years, could lead to a reconfiguration of library services across a broader region. A potential expansion would require a further SNA to determine statutory library provision for any new authority area.

Cabinet is being asked to approve a recommendation to maintain the current library management structure and defer a full SNA until the future of the authority is clearer.

Councillor Sarah Chambers, Cabinet Member for Cost of Living, Equalities and Communities said:

Our priority is to ensure our library services remain a vital resource for our communities, even as we navigate significant changes in local government.

This review is about making responsible decisions that secure the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of our libraries for all residents.

The Cabinet meeting is on Wednesday 9 July and can be watched live.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kyle Welcomes 20mph Speed Limit for Dunseverick Primary School

Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

Statement by TUV party chairman and Causeway Councillor Allister Kyle:

“I very much welcome the long-overdue introduction of a 20mph speed limit outside Dunseverick Primary School. This is a vital step forward for the safety of our children, their parents, and school staff.

“Having previously written to Dr McMahon, Head of DfI’s Northern Division, and the local PSNI commander, I highlighted the very real dangers posed by vehicles travelling at high speed past this small country school, located on the busy Whitepark Road between Ballintoy and Bushmills. The drop-off area sits on a sweeping bend, with the national speed limit applying — a totally unacceptable situation given the volume of tourist traffic and the vulnerable nature of young children entering and exiting the school grounds.

“I also raised these concerns in relation to William Pinkerton Memorial Primary School in Dervock, where a 30mph limit is currently in place, but where vehicles frequently exceed that speed during busy morning periods.

“I am grateful that these concerns, and those of local parents, were taken seriously and that party leader Jim Allister took the matter directly to the Infrastructure Minister to press for urgent action.

“It is reassuring to see that our combined efforts — along with the persistent voices of local families — have helped deliver this result. While it is regrettable it has taken so long, the decision to implement a 20mph speed limit outside Dunseverick Primary during school hours is a common-sense and necessary measure.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: China’s international image has improved significantly in recent years and is recognized in different parts of the world – Russian expert

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Moscow, July 1 /Xinhua/ — Economic power, international activity and contribution to global development – these factors have a positive effect on China’s image on the world stage, which is recognized in various countries, Nikita Stepanov, a senior researcher at the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a member of the central board of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society, told Xinhua in an interview.

“China’s international image has indeed improved significantly in recent years and is worthy of recognition in various parts of the world. This is due to a combination of factors, primarily its active economic influence and the successful implementation of large-scale international projects, such as the Belt and Road Initiative. China has become an important trading partner for many countries, investing heavily in infrastructure and economic development, which has strengthened trust and respect for it on the world stage,” the expert noted.

As N. Stepanov pointed out, today China plays a key role in the formation of inclusive economic globalization, demonstrating a development model that takes into account national characteristics and needs. The Chinese experience of sustainable growth and successful adaptation of economic reforms has become, in his opinion, an important reference point for many countries, especially for the states of the Global South and developing regions. “China has proven that it is possible to combine an open economy with active state participation, which has caused a wide response and interest in the modern world,” he believes.

According to the Russian economist, China’s Belt and Road initiative strengthens the integration of developing countries into the global economy, stimulating infrastructure and industrial development. By promoting trade, investment and technological exchange, China acts as a stabilizing factor in maintaining the global economic order. “China not only offers alternative models, but also plays a driving role in stimulating growth and reducing the gap between developed and developing countries, maintaining balance and diversity in the global economic order,” he emphasized.

N. Stepanov drew attention to the fact that China demonstrates a desire not only to develop the economy and infrastructure, but also to promote sustainable development and innovation at the global level. China is actively involved in reforming international institutions, stimulating their adaptation to modern challenges and the needs of different countries, especially developing ones. “Thus, China’s role in the global governance system is becoming increasingly significant, contributing to the formation of a more just and inclusive international order,” the expert noted.

The Xinhua interlocutor emphasized that the hegemonic and intimidating behavior of the United States, which manifests itself in the abuse of tariff measures and military interventions without the sanction of the UN Security Council, raises serious concerns, undermines the international order, leads to the escalation of trade conflicts and instability in the global economy. At the same time, according to N. Stepanov, China plays an important role in maintaining the international order and developing the global governance system. “Over the past decades, it has consistently advocated respect for international law and the sovereignty of states, which contributes to strengthening multilateralism in international relations,” the economist recalled, adding that the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind reflects China’s commitment to cooperation, mutual respect and joint development, which is important in the era of global challenges.

According to the Russian expert, the concept of building a community of common destiny for humanity has had a significant impact on the development of world diplomacy and international relations. “This concept emphasizes the need for global cooperation and mutual respect to address common challenges — climate change, pandemics, economic instability and conflicts. It encourages the search for compromises and joint actions, emphasizing the interdependence of all countries regardless of their level of development,” he explained.

N. Stepanov is confident that the concept of a common destiny for humanity has strengthened multipolarity in world politics, supporting the principles of justice and equality. “China is actively promoting this idea through the Belt and Road initiative, promoting economic development and infrastructure cooperation in developing countries. Thus, the concept unites the efforts of different states on the path to sustainable and inclusive development of humanity,” he said.

In addition, cultural diplomacy, as well as the dissemination of the Chinese language and traditional culture through Confucius Institutes, play an important role in improving China’s international image, according to the expert. “This expands the positive perception of the country,” concluded N. Stepanov. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: In the 2024-2025 marketing year, Ukraine reduced the export of grain and leguminous crops by 20.5 percent.

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Kyiv, July 1 (Xinhua) — In the 2024-2025 marketing year (MY, July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025), Ukraine exported 40.6 million tons of grain and leguminous crops, down 20.5 percent from the previous MY, according to data released Tuesday by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.

The department noted that in the specified period, a decline was recorded for all major grain export items. Thus, corn supplies abroad decreased by 25.5 percent to 22 million tons, wheat – by 15.1 percent to 15.7 million tons, barley – by 8 percent to 2.3 million tons.

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy added that, according to the results of 2024-2025 MY, flour exports from Ukraine amounted to 71.1 thousand tons, decreasing by 27.6 percent.

In 2023-2024 MY, Ukrainian farmers supplied 51.1 million tons of grain and leguminous crops to foreign markets. –0–

MIL OSI Russia News –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two Convicted for Their Roles in Multimillion-Dollar Transnational Telephone Scam

Source: US FBI

ATLANTA – Pradip Parikh, 67, of Valley Stream, New York, and Alpesh Patel, 40, of Louisa, Virginia, have been convicted for their roles in a scam that defrauded unsuspecting Americans out of millions of dollars after a five-day jury trial.

“This case involved a scheme to defraud multiple victims – many of whom were elderly – and to callously rob them of their hard-earned savings,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The defendants and their conspirators within and outside the United States enriched themselves through government-imposter scams designed to exploit the public’s inherent trust in federal institutions. The jury has spoken, and Parikh and Patel will now be held accountable for their crimes.”

“These defendants deliberately preyed on some of our most vulnerable citizens—particularly the elderly—by impersonating Social Security officials and exploiting their trust,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit performing the duties of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Inspector General. “This telephone imposter scheme defrauded millions of Americans and caused real harm to individuals who believed they were protecting their benefits. Today’s convictions send a clear message: we will relentlessly pursue those who weaponize fear and deceit to commit fraud, and we thank our law enforcement partners for helping bring these perpetrators to justice.”

“These defendants targeted mostly older adults to cheat them out of their savings,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “This sentencing should make it known to individuals that protecting our most vulnerable community members is critically important, and we will hold accountable those who engage in these sorts of egregious fraud schemes.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2022, Pradip Parikh, Alpesh Patel, and eight others were indicted for running, promoting, and profiting from an India-based call center scam targeting Americans. The fraudsters typically identified themselves as Social Security Administration employees, telling the victims that their Social Security Numbers had been compromised in connection with criminal activity and promising to help “protect” their assets. Upon luring the victims to agree to this offer, the fraudsters directed the victims to send money to bank accounts controlled by Parikh, Patel, and other conspirators.

During the defendants’ trial, a 70-year-old victim from New Jersey testified that one of the conspirators told her that she would be arrested and lose all her assets if she did not transfer funds to accounts that the caller designated. In response, the victim transferred more than $600,000 of her lifesavings to multiple banks accounts, including $150,000 to an account called “JDM Management” that Parikh controlled.

A recently widowed mother of eight testified that she transferred over $300,000 to JDM Management’s account as part of the scheme. Parikh then laundered the funds, retaining thousands for himself and transferring the balance to a conspirator.

Other victims testified that they wired money to an account called “Seven Points Agency” that Patel controlled. Evidence admitted during trial revealed that the Seven Points Agency account was opened just before scam victims began wiring money into it. More than $100,000 was deposited into the account in the span of two days, and Patel immediately diverted those funds to a conspirator after keeping approximately $10,000 for himself.

Pradip Parikh and Alpesh Patel were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two substantive counts of money laundering. The jury convicted Patel of all the counts. Parikh was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two substantive counts of money laundering.

The conspiracy to commit wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment, and the money laundering counts each carry a maximum penalty of ten years of incarceration. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

Sentencing hearings for the defendants will be scheduled at a future date before United States District Judge William M. Ray II.

This case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Angela Adams and Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C. Schulman are prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is part of the Department of Justice Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. The Strike Force focuses on investigating and prosecuting defendants associated with foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. These include romance scams, phone scams, mass-mailing fraud schemes, and tech-support fraud schemes. For further information on these scams, see https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/senior-scam-alert.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

MIL Security OSI –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two Convicted for Their Roles in Multimillion-Dollar Transnational Telephone Scam

Source: US FBI

ATLANTA – Pradip Parikh, 67, of Valley Stream, New York, and Alpesh Patel, 40, of Louisa, Virginia, have been convicted for their roles in a scam that defrauded unsuspecting Americans out of millions of dollars after a five-day jury trial.

“This case involved a scheme to defraud multiple victims – many of whom were elderly – and to callously rob them of their hard-earned savings,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The defendants and their conspirators within and outside the United States enriched themselves through government-imposter scams designed to exploit the public’s inherent trust in federal institutions. The jury has spoken, and Parikh and Patel will now be held accountable for their crimes.”

“These defendants deliberately preyed on some of our most vulnerable citizens—particularly the elderly—by impersonating Social Security officials and exploiting their trust,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit performing the duties of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Inspector General. “This telephone imposter scheme defrauded millions of Americans and caused real harm to individuals who believed they were protecting their benefits. Today’s convictions send a clear message: we will relentlessly pursue those who weaponize fear and deceit to commit fraud, and we thank our law enforcement partners for helping bring these perpetrators to justice.”

“These defendants targeted mostly older adults to cheat them out of their savings,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “This sentencing should make it known to individuals that protecting our most vulnerable community members is critically important, and we will hold accountable those who engage in these sorts of egregious fraud schemes.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2022, Pradip Parikh, Alpesh Patel, and eight others were indicted for running, promoting, and profiting from an India-based call center scam targeting Americans. The fraudsters typically identified themselves as Social Security Administration employees, telling the victims that their Social Security Numbers had been compromised in connection with criminal activity and promising to help “protect” their assets. Upon luring the victims to agree to this offer, the fraudsters directed the victims to send money to bank accounts controlled by Parikh, Patel, and other conspirators.

During the defendants’ trial, a 70-year-old victim from New Jersey testified that one of the conspirators told her that she would be arrested and lose all her assets if she did not transfer funds to accounts that the caller designated. In response, the victim transferred more than $600,000 of her lifesavings to multiple banks accounts, including $150,000 to an account called “JDM Management” that Parikh controlled.

A recently widowed mother of eight testified that she transferred over $300,000 to JDM Management’s account as part of the scheme. Parikh then laundered the funds, retaining thousands for himself and transferring the balance to a conspirator.

Other victims testified that they wired money to an account called “Seven Points Agency” that Patel controlled. Evidence admitted during trial revealed that the Seven Points Agency account was opened just before scam victims began wiring money into it. More than $100,000 was deposited into the account in the span of two days, and Patel immediately diverted those funds to a conspirator after keeping approximately $10,000 for himself.

Pradip Parikh and Alpesh Patel were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two substantive counts of money laundering. The jury convicted Patel of all the counts. Parikh was convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two substantive counts of money laundering.

The conspiracy to commit wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment, and the money laundering counts each carry a maximum penalty of ten years of incarceration. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

Sentencing hearings for the defendants will be scheduled at a future date before United States District Judge William M. Ray II.

This case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Angela Adams and Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C. Schulman are prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is part of the Department of Justice Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. The Strike Force focuses on investigating and prosecuting defendants associated with foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. These include romance scams, phone scams, mass-mailing fraud schemes, and tech-support fraud schemes. For further information on these scams, see https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/senior-scam-alert.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

MIL Security OSI –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson met with the Prime Minister of Spain H.E. Pedro Sanchez on the margins of the #FfD4 conference in Seville

Download logo

AU Commission Chair H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf met with the Prime Minister of Spain H.E. Pedro Sánchez on the margins of the #FfD4 conference in Seville & reaffirm the AU–Spain partnership. He thanked Spain for hosting #FfD4 in Seville and welcomed the opportunity to advocate for reforms to tackle systemic global financial inequalities.

The Chair underscored Africa’s commitment to cooperation under the AU–Spain MoU: peace & security, maritime governance, Agenda 2063, & migration. He called for joint action on conflict prevention, orderly migration, & stronger Africa-EU ties.

He urged Spain to support Africa’s call for a fairer global financial architecture, – stronger trade in key sectors: auto, medtech, textiles, & tourism.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón welcomed AU’s strong participation at #FFD4Sevilla & assured that Spain will support Africa’s priorities within the multilateral framework of the AU-EU cooperation and the UN system.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).

MIL OSI Africa –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Africa: Coalition commits to Action Plan to increase private investment mobilization for developing countries by end of 2027
Download logo

A coalition of governments, international development partners and private sector groups including the UN Capital Development Fund, UN Economic Commission for Africa, African Union Commission, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Norway Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Norad, Switzerland SECO and Convergence Blended Finance, are announcing the development of an Action Plan to increase mobilize private sector capital at scale in developing countries.

The Action Plan, announced at the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FFD4) in Seville, Spain, seeks to tackle poverty, economic growth and climate risks by deploying public sector resources through blended finance to mobilize private investment in underserved markets, which, over the last decade, has remained weak even as global wealth has ballooned. The Action Plan will include a dedicated Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Africa-focused track to advance context-specific blended finance approaches and support scalable investment opportunities in key sectors.

FFD4 is a once-in-a-decade gathering of development partners seeking to build a renewed global financing framework to urgently unlock greater volumes of capital to close the financing gap of developing countries. Government-sourced Official Development Assistance (ODA) declined last year by over 7% compared with 2023, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), one of the co-proposers of the Action Plan.

“The world has the resources – the money we need – to eradicate poverty and ensure every person can live a life free from poverty. Much of those resources lie with the private sector in the world’s most developed nations and they will likely remain there until the real and perceived risks that act as a barrier to investment in underserved markets are tackled head-on,” said Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, Executive Secretary of the UN Capital Development Fund, which provides catalytic and blended finance solutions for underserved markets.

“Blended finance models that are tailored to country needs have the potential to de-risk markets, plug the international development finance gap and transform the lives of hundreds of millions of people living in the world’s underserved markets and Least Developed Countries,” Mr Kurukulasuriya added.

“Bridging Africa’s investment gap demands bold, coordinated action. This Action Plan marks a turning point, a practical blueprint to shift global capital toward sustainable development in countries that need it most. The UN Economic Commission for Africa is committed to ensuring that Africa is not only part of the conversation, but central to the solution” added Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Africa.

“As traditional streams of overseas development assistance dry up, more people than ever are talking about the promise of blended finance,” shared Joan Larrea, Chief Executive Office of Convergence. “At FFD4, with this joint proposal, we have made a significant step towards making that promise a reality.”

“Norway is proud to collaborate with this global coalition on developing the Action Plan to mobilize private investment for sustainable development. Addressing the financing gaps in Least Developed Countries and underserved markets is critical to tackling poverty, hunger, and climate challenges. By leveraging blended finance and fostering innovative partnerships, we aim to contribute to transformative change and create a foundation for equitable and inclusive growth,” said Åsmund Aukrust, Norway’s Minister of Development.

“Mobilization of private capital for financing sustainable development is an integral part of Finland’s foreign and development policy”, says Ville Tavio, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development. “Financing for Development Conference will increase the clarity and formality of private capital mobilization as part of the financing sustainable development for the next decade. We believe that developing a common action plan and standardizing the proven blended finance models will help us scale up private capital mobilization to deliver on the commitments agreed here in Seville.”

While global assets have doubled to $482 trillion over the last decade, private sector investment to and within low- and middle-income countries has remained stubbornly weak. Only 5% of those global assets are invested in developing countries, excluding China, according to the Financial Stability Board, an international body that monitors the global financial system. Of that 5%, only a tiny proportion reaches the most underserved markets and the world’s 44 Least Developed Countries, which are collectively home to some 880 million people.

The world stands at a crossroads for financing sustainable development with an estimated annual financing gap of $4 trillion – up from $2.5 trillion pre-pandemic. The OECD reports that all “official development finance” activity mobilized an average of $57 billion in private investment annually over the last five years – just 1% of the $6-7 trillion needed each year if the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be met.

At the same time, domestic financial resources in developing countries are insufficient and cross-border private investment flows from developed to developing countries has been low over the past decade.

Blended finance has the potential to transform private investment flows and positively contribute to the FfD4 Outcome Document mobilization objectives and to the SDGs.

Signatories of the Joint Initiative have committed to develop an “effective, efficient, fair and practical action plan” through the remainder of 2025 and into 2026 to identify how to use a blend of public sector and philanthropic resources to mobilize and crowd-in larger amounts of private sector finance for development results at scale.

The Action Plan will describe practical measures to mobilize private investment using standardized and replicable blended finance models tailored to country contexts, with an emphasis on alignment with national priorities and global development goals with the following measurable results:
- At least 16 OECD DAC countries will agree to or endorse the Action Plan by March 31, 2026.
- At least 27 African countries and 27 non-African developing countries will also endorse the Action Plan by the same date.
- At least 16 developed and 54 developing countries will commit to implementing the plan starting June 30, 2026.
The Action Plan is one of a series being submitted to conference organisers that seek to turn the objectives outlined in the FFD4 outcome document into a pathway for action.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

MIL OSI Africa –
July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Investigatory Powers Commissioner Reappointment
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

News story

Investigatory Powers Commissioner Reappointment

Sir Brian Leveson appointed for a third term as the Investigatory Powers Commissioner
The Prime Minister has approved the appointment of Sir Brian Leveson as the Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPC) for a third three-year term, with effect from 20th October 2025.

Sir Brian was appointed as the second IPC in October 2019, succeeding Sir Adrian Fulford. Before retiring as a senior judge in 2019, he was President of the Queen’s Bench Division and Head of Criminal Justice for England and Wales.

The IPC is responsible for the independent oversight of the use of investigatory powers, ensuring they are used in accordance with the law and in the public interest. He is supported by a number of Judicial Commissioners, the Technology Advisory Panel and the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO).

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 1 July 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Birmingham Urges Residents to Support National Knife Surrender Campaign to Tackle Weapon-Related Harm

Source: City of Birmingham

Birmingham City Council is backing a national campaign to reduce knife crime by encouraging residents to surrender dangerous weapons anonymously and safely.

As part of the national knife surrender scheme running from 1 to 31 July 2025, residents are urged to dispose of knives and other dangerous weapons using dedicated surrender bins across Birmingham, designated police stations, and a mobile van unit – all without fear of prosecution.

In Birmingham, a mobile weapons surrender van will be stationed at Handsworth Park car park on Wednesday 2 July from 9am to 12pm. Residents can surrender knives and any other dangerous weapons safely and anonymously at this location. Personal information will not be taken, and you will not be asked any questions.

In July, ahead of the new Government’s ban on ninja swords coming into force 1 August, there is a second surrender scheme running across England & Wales to offer safe disposal of ninja swords at designated police stations. These police stations include Bournville Police Station, Stechford Police Station or Sutton Coldfield Police Station from 8am to 10pm, and are only accepting ninja swords, not other weapons.

Throughout the year, at any other time you will also be able to use one of the permanent weapon surrender bins in Birmingham. These bins are provided by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner working in partnership with local Community Safety Partnerships. These bins are regularly monitored and emptied, offering a trusted and confidential way to dispose of knives and sharp items that could otherwise cause harm. Locations of surrender bins in Birmingham can be found here.

Councillor Mick Brown, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, said:

“Every knife taken off our streets is a potential life saved. We are committed to working with partners and our communities to make Birmingham safer. This national surrender scheme provides a vital opportunity to take action, without fear of judgement or legal consequence. I encourage anyone in possession of a dangerous weapon – for whatever reason – to take this chance to do the right thing.”

Councillor Jamie Tennant, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities, said

“Keeping our communities safe is something we all have a role in. This weapon surrender scheme gives people a chance to make a positive choice – to remove a weapon from our streets and help protect their friends, families, and neighbours. It’s about creating safer spaces for everyone, especially our young people. I encourage anyone who has a weapon – or knows someone who does – to make use of this scheme and help build a safer Birmingham together.”

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said: “Preventing and tackling serious violence and knife crime, is an absolute top priority for me as Police and Crime Commissioner. I am pleased to be supporting the installation of the new Ninja Sword surrender bins. Every knife, blade or ninja sword surrendered is potentially a life saved. Each one destroyed, is one less threat to our young people, families and communities. This initiative is not just about removing weapons from our streets, it’s about delivering on our commitment to prevention, promoting public safety and saving lives.”

How to surrender a weapon

• Anonymous disposal: Weapons can be surrendered anonymously via the mobile surrender van (at Handsworth Park car park on Wednesday 2 July from 9am to 12pm) as well as by using one of the permanent surrender bins across the city, of which can be found here.

• Police stations: If you own a ninja sword purchased before 27 March 2025, you may be eligible for compensation. Ninja swords purchased after that date can be surrendered but are not eligible for compensation.

Designated Police stations are ONLY accepting ninja swords, not other weapons. These police stations include Bournville Police Station, Stechford Police Station or Sutton Coldfield Police Station from 8am to 10pm.

• Safe handling: All surrendered weapons must be safely wrapped and transported in a way that avoids harm to others. Items should never be openly carried in public places – use a sealed bag or secure container.

The campaign, led by the Home Office and supported by Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police, aims to reduce the number of dangerous weapons in circulation and promote community safety. Knife crime continues to be a pressing issue nationally, and this campaign is a key step toward preventing violence before it occurs.

For further details on the national surrender scheme, visit: www.gov.uk.

Details about the mobile surrender van and the complete schedule is available here.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 2, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Record poll projects Greens as Holyrood kingmakers

Source: Scottish Greens

01 Jul 2025 Scottish Independence

Scottish Greens set to elect 16 MSPs at ballot box next May.

More in Scottish Independence

Reputable election pollster Ipsos Mori has today released polling for the 2026 Holyrood election, which predicts the largest ever group of Scottish Green MSPs in Holyrood.

The poll marks the highest ever polling for the Scottish Greens in the party’s history, with 15% on the regional list and 9% in constituencies.

If replicated at the election next May, the Scottish Greens would return to Holyrood with 16 MSPs, including likely constituency seats in Edinburgh and Glasgow. This would double the eight Green MSPs elected in 2021, the party’s best result to date.

Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer said:

“People have seen the impact of Scottish Green MSPs, they like it and they want much more of it. At the last election, we were sent to Holyrood with a mandate to deliver for people and planet – and that’s exactly what our MSPs have done.

“We delivered free bus travel for young people, the emergency rent freeze, more free school meals, the upcoming end of peak rail fares, higher taxes on the super-rich and dozens of other transformational changes. Now, with an election less than a year away, our hard work is being reflected in the polls.

“Our MSPs have shown that when voters elect Scottish Greens to Parliament we deliver policies which cut their bills, protect the planet and take on the elites who have rigged the system in their own favour.

“From introducing rent controls to tackle sky-high rents or cutting transport costs by scrapping peak rail fares and delivering free bus passes for young people, it’s clear that if you want Green policies, you have to vote for the Scottish Greens.

“Next year, Scotland will be at a crossroads. With the far-right hoping to enter our Parliament for the first time, it’s more important than ever that we have a strong ecosocialist voice at the heart of our politics, fighting for the people of Scotland and our planet, not for the super-rich who would exploit both.

“The Scottish Greens have proven that when we are in the room, our MSPs put people before profit and deliver for the people of Scotland. Next May you can help us do even more. Vote Scottish Greens.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

July 2, 2025

Category: Europe

Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in HistoryMore than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion

Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in HistoryMore than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion

Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in HistoryMore than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion

Investigatory Powers Commissioner Reappointment

Share this page

Updates to this page

More in Scottish Independence

Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History
More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion

Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History
More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion

Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History
More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion