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Category: Farming

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rite Aid Corporation and Elixir Insurance Company Agree to Pay $101 Million to Resolve Allegations of Falsely Reporting Rebates

    Source: US FBI

    The Justice Department announced that Rite Aid Corporation and Rite Aid subsidiaries, Elixir Insurance Company, RX Options LLC and RX Solutions LLC, have agreed to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by failing to accurately report drug rebates to the Medicare Program. As part of the settlement, Elixir Insurance and Rite Aid will pay the United States $101 million, and RX Options and RX Solutions will grant the United States an allowed, unsubordinated, general unsecured claim for a total of $20 million in Rite Aid’s bankruptcy case pending in the District of New Jersey. The settlement is based on the companies’ ability to pay and was approved on June 28 by the bankruptcy court as part of Rite Aid’s plan of reorganization, which is expected to become effective later this summer. In addition to operating one of the country’s largest retail pharmacy chains, Rite Aid offered Medicare drug plans and pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) services through Elixir Insurance, RX Options and RX Solutions.  

    “Participants in Medicare’s drug program must accurately report price concessions, including drug manufacturer rebates, to ensure that the government receives the benefit of those concessions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to hold accountable entities that pursue their own financial interests at the expense of taxpayer programs.”

    “Rite Aid and its Elixir subsidiaries lined their corporate pockets with millions of dollars of manufacturer rebates that should have been reported to Medicare,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Each of those dollars could have been used to benefit Americans with genuine health care needs. Our office will not tolerate deceptive health-insurance practices, and we will vigorously pursue those who violate the FCA.”

    Under Medicare Part D, private entities known as Part D Plan Sponsors offer and administer insurance plans that provide prescription drug coverage to enrolled Medicare beneficiaries. Part D Sponsors must submit annual reports to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with information about rebates and other remuneration the Plans received from drug manufacturers in connection with the Part D drugs provided to beneficiaries, which ensures that the government receives the benefit of any price concessions provided by drug manufacturers to purchasers of the drugs covered under the Part D plan. CMS relies on the reports in the annual reconciliation process that determines payments due to the Plans or CMS at the end of the year.

    The settlement resolves allegations that, between 2014 and 2020, the defendants improperly reported to CMS portions of rebates received from manufacturers as bona fide service fees, even though manufacturers did not negotiate with the defendants to pay such fees. The United States further alleged that Elixir Insurance knew the retained rebates did not meet the regulatory definition of bona fide services fees.

    “Truthful and accurate documentation in the delivery of health care goods or services is crucial to the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Improper submission of manufacturer drug rebates and fees by Part D Plan Sponsors for pharmaceutical products in order to make more money will not be tolerated. Collaborating with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed to preventing and investigating health care fraud in Medicare and other taxpayer-funded health care programs.”

    The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought in 2021 under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by Glenn Rzeszutko, who previously worked for RX Options. The FCA authorizes a private party to sue on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Rzeszutko v. Rite Aid Corporation et al., No. 5:21-CV-574 (N.D. Ohio). The relator’s share of these proceeds has not yet been determined.

    Trial attorneys Christopher Wilson and Dan Schiffer of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson Froliklong for the Northern District of Ohio handled this matter. HHS-OIG and the FBI Cleveland Field Office provided substantial assistance in the investigation. Trial Attorneys Mary Schmergel, Gregory Werkheiser and Ryan Lamb of the Civil Division’s Corporate/Financial Litigation Section are handling the Rite Aid bankruptcy.

    The settlements illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

    Settlement

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CEO of East Bay-Based Internet Companies Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Committing Wire Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    Alan Anderson Sentenced In Connection With Scheme To Raise Money By Creating False Impression of Profitability and Viability for Companies Marketing Child-Friendly Services

    SAN FRANCISCO – Alan Anderson was sentenced today to 88 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution for defrauding investors by lying to them about the profitability of his internet companies, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. Anderson’s sentence was imposed by the Honorable Edward M. Chen, U.S. District Judge.

    Anderson, 61, of Walnut Creek, pleaded guilty on Jan. 4, 2024, to two counts of wire fraud.  In connection with pleading guilty, Anderson admitted that from Apr. 22, 2010, through May 2018, he was the majority shareholder and CEO of three companies: Imbee.com, a Delaware corporation based in Walnut Creek marketed as a child-friendly social media platform; Fanlala, a California corporation marketed as a service providing internet-based music streaming for children; and Fruit Punch, a California corporation marketed as providing music-streaming service for children.  Anderson further admitted that he falsely claimed that the companies were either being acquired or were expanding existing partnerships or contracts with large, well-established companies to induce individuals to invest in his businesses.  To further his falsehoods, and to create an appearance of legitimacy for his false claims, Anderson created false contracts, purchase orders, and other documentation that he sent to investors.  Anderson created and sent these false documents to investors with the intent to deceive or cheat them.

    At sentencing, Judge Chen found that Anderson began lying to investors in September 2011, that his long-running fraud spanned years, and that over the course of the scheme Anderson defrauded investors out of approximately $8.825 million.

    A federal grand jury indicted Anderson on October 13, 2021, charging him with four counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Chen also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered that he pay restitution in an amount to be determined during a further hearing on October 10, 2024.  The defendant will begin serving the prison term on January 6, 2025.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christiaan Highsmith and Sailaja Paidipaty are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Mark DiCenzo.  The prosecution is the result of a multi-year investigation by the FBI.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Las Vegas Police Officer Convicted of Committing Three Casino Robberies

    Source: US FBI

    LAS VEGAS – A federal jury today convicted a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officer of robbing three casinos and stealing approximately $164,000 in total.

    Caleb Mitchell Rogers (33) was found guilty of three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon presided over the trial. A sentencing date has been scheduled for October 12, 2023.

    According to court documents and evidence presented during the four-day trial, Rogers stole approximately $73,810 from a casino in the western part of Las Vegas on November 12, 2021. A few months later, on January 6, 2022, he robbed a casino in North Las Vegas of approximately $11,500. In both robberies, he walked directly to the casino’s cashier cage and demanded money from the cashiers.

    The third robbery occurred on February 27, 2022, in which Rogers ran toward two casino employees in the sportsbook area and yelled: “Get away from the money. I’ve got a gun. I will shoot you!” Rogers climbed over the counter and shoved one of the employees to the floor, before grabbing approximately $78,898 and placing it into a bag. Rogers fled when the employees triggered an alarm. As Rogers ran toward the parking garage, a casino security officer tackled him. Rogers drew a .357 caliber revolver and, with his finger on the trigger, threatened: “I’m going to shoot you!” Security officers were able to disarm Rogers and restrain him until LVMPD officers arrived. The officers arrested Rogers and seized his firearm. Checking the revolver’s serial number, officers learned that it belonged to the LVMPD.

    The statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison for each count of interference with commerce by robbery, and life imprisonment for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

    United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the LVMPD. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Cowhig and David Kiebler are prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three High-Ranking MS-13 Gang Members Plead Guilty to Racketeering Charges in Connection with Nine Murders

    Source: US FBI

    Two Defendants Were the New York Leaders of the Gang’s Hollywood and Sailors Cliques

    Earlier today and on January 16, 2025, in federal court in Central Islip, three members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, pleaded guilty to multiple crimes, including nine murders committed on Long Island and elsewhere between 2016 and 2017.  David Sosa-Guevara, also known as “Risky,” the New York regional leader of the Hollywood Locos Salvatruchas (Hollywood) clique of MS-13, and Victor Lopez-Morales, also known as “Persa,” a high-ranking member of the Hollywood clique, pleaded guilty on January 16, 2025.  Kevin Torres, also known as “Inquieto” and “Quieto,” the New York regional leader of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique of MS-13, pleaded guilty on January 17, 2025.  

    Collectively, the three defendants pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in connection with their respective roles in nine MS-13 driven murders: (1) the April 26, 2016 murder of Samuel Martinez-Sandoval in Freeport; (2) the April 29, 2016 murder of Oscar Acosta in Brentwood; (3) the May 21, 2016 murder of Kerin Pineda in Freeport; (4) the September 4, 2016 murder of Josue Amaya-Leonor in Roosevelt; (5) the September 5, 2016 murder of Marcus Bohannon in Central Islip; (6) the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo in Freeport; (7) the October 14, 2016 murder of Carlos Ventura-Zelaya in Roosevelt; (8) the July 21, 2017 murder of Angel Soler in Roosevelt; and (9) the August 29, 2017 murder of David Rivera in Maryland, as well as narcotics trafficking. Additionally, Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales pleaded guilty to participating in an August 2017 conspiracy to kidnap an individual identified in the superseding indictment as “John Doe #3.”

    The three guilty plea proceedings were held before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst.  When sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack, pursuant to the terms of their plea agreements, Sosa-Guevara and Torres each face up to 65 years in prison, and a minimum sentence of 40 years in prison.  Victor Lopez-Morales faces up to 60 years in prison and minimum sentence of 40 years. 

    Carolyn Pokorny, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Robert E. Waring, Acting Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney, announced the guilty pleas.

    “The defendants have admitted to their participation in numerous murders savagely committed with machetes and guns, all on behalf of the MS-13 and to increase their status in that depraved criminal organization,” stated Acting United States Attorney Pokorny.  “As a result of the guilty pleas, the defendants will be severely punished by serving decades in prison and provide some measure of relief and closure to the families of the many victims.” 

    FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy stated: “MS-13 callously used murder in an attempt to exert control over territory for their ruthless gang operations.   As demonstrated by the guilty pleas of these three, high-ranking MS-13 members for their roles in nine murders, this type of extreme and senseless violence will not go unpunished. The FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to bring to justice members of MS-13 or any other violent gang using violence and murder to terrorize our communities.”

    “These defendants used their rank in the gang to help orchestrate multiple brutal murders and other crimes,” stated SCPD Acting Commissioner Waring.  “We in law enforcement will never stop working to fight the pervasive violence sowed throughout these gangs.”

    “The charges brought forth is a clear example of the results when Law Enforcement Personnel from Federal and Local Agencies combine their efforts and resources,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder.  “Their relentless and continued investigations resulted with the charging of these criminals who were responsible for committing these murders. This combined investigation demonstrates the diligence of the well trained and determined investigators.  The Nassau County Police Department remains committed in working with our law enforcement partners halting any gang activity on our streets and keeping our residents safe.  I would like to thank all of the assisting agencies and their investigators on a job well done.”

    “These defendants carried out vicious and senseless violence to instill fear and assert their dominance. Today’s guilty pleas bring us one step closer to ridding this dangerous gang activity from Nassau County communities,” stated Nassau County District Attorney Donnelly.  “Together with our partners, we remain committed to protecting Long Island from this criminal organization’s brutality and ensuring individuals involved in these devastating acts are held accountable for their crimes.”  

    According to court filings and statements made during the guilty plea proceedings, Torres was the New York regional leader of the Sailors clique, Sosa-Guevara was the New York regional leader of the Hollywood clique, and Lopez-Morales was a high-ranking member of the Hollywood clique.  The defendants admitted to committing the crimes set forth below in order to maintain and increase their membership and status within the gang, and to further the mission of the MS-13.

    April 26, 2016 Murder of Samuel Martinez-Sandoval

    The defendants pleaded guilty to the murder of 20-year-old Martinez-Sandoval, which was carried out in April 2016, by the defendants and other members from the Sailors, Hollywood and Normandie Locos Salvatruchas cliques, who planned a joint operation to lure and kill Martinez-Sandoval because they believed that he was a member of the rival Sureños gang.   

    On April 26, 2016, MS-13 members convinced Martinez-Sandoval to drive with them to a secluded, wooded area near Freeport Lake in Roosevelt, under the guise of smoking marijuana.  Separately, more than a half dozen MS-13 members, including the defendants, armed with machetes and other weapons, had gathered at a designated location along Freeport Lake where it was agreed that the other gang members would bring the victim.  When Martinez-Sandoval arrived, Sosa-Guevara, Torres, Lopez-Morales and the other MS-13 members surrounded and attacked the victim, each taking turns hacking him with a machete and other weapons.  After the victim was killed, the MS-13 members dug a shallow grave and buried the victim.  However, because the initial hole was not deep enough to conceal Martinez-Sandoval’s body, a group of MS-13 members went back the following day, reburied the victim and covered his body with cement and dirt.  Martinez-Sandoval’s body was not found until September 2024.

    April 29, 2016 Murder of Oscar Acosta

    Torres pleaded guilty to the murder of 19-year-old Acosta.  In early 2016, Torres, as leader, ordered a “greenlight” authorizing other gang members to murder Acosta because the gang suspected that he was associating with the rival 18th Street gang after previously aligning himself with the MS-13.  Torres assigned roles as to which members would take the lead in planning and carrying out the murder. 

     On April 29, 2016, MS-13 members met Acosta in a wooded area near an elementary school in Brentwood where he had been lured under the guise of smoking marijuana.  They brutally beat Acosta with tree limbs, knocking him unconscious. They bound Acosta’s hands and feet, wrapped an article of clothing around his mouth to prevent him from making noise and summoned other MS-13 members who arrived in two cars.  The MS-13 members loaded Acosta into the trunk of one of the cars and drove to a more secluded area in Brentwood near the abandoned Pilgrim State Psychiatric Hospital.  The MS-13 members then removed Acosta, who was still alive, from the trunk and carried him deeper into the woods where they took turns hacking him to death with a machete.  The murder was supervised by the local leaders of the Sailors clique who reported back to Torres once completed.  After killing Acosta, the MS-13 members buried his body in a shallow grave.

    Acosta’s body was discovered by law enforcement nearly five months later, on September 16, 2016, during a search for another MS-13 victim.  His cause of death was homicidal violence, including sharp and blunt force injuries to his head and torso.

    May 21, 2016 Murder of Kerin Pineda

    The defendants also pleaded guilty to the murder of 20-year-old Pineda, who, like Acosta, was killed because of his suspected membership in the 18th Street gang. Torres, again, ordered the “greenlight” for Pineda, marking him for death.  In response, MS-13 members from the Sailors and Hollywood cliques, including Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales, devised a plan to kill Pineda.

    On May 21, 2016, MS-13 members, armed with machetes, lured Pineda to a secluded wooded area near the Merrick-Freeport border.  Torres, Lopez-Morales, and Sosa-Guevara acted as lookouts for police and coordinated the attack, staying in contact with the MS-13 members in the woods while they waited for Pineda.  When Pineda arrived, he was surrounded and violently attacked by the group of MS-13 members, each of whom took turns hacking and slashing him with the machetes. Pineda’s body was then buried in a hole that had been dug in the ground the day before, in anticipation of the murder. Before leaving the scene, the MS-13 members contacted the lookouts – Torres, Lopez-Morales, and Sosa-Guevara – who advised them that they could safely come out of the woods and drove them away from the scene.

    September 4, 2016 Murder of Josue Amaya-Leonor

    Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales pleaded guilty for their roles in the murder of 19 year-old Amaya-Leonor on September 4, 2016.  Like the other victims, Amaya-Leonor was lured to a secluded wooded area and killed because of his perceived association with the 18th Street gang.  On the evening of the murder, MS-13 members convinced Amaya-Leonor to venture deep into the Roosevelt Preserve, in Roosevelt, to smoke marijuana.  Sosa-Guevara was in communication with the gang members by cell phone and was directing them on where to bring the victim.  Once there, Amaya-Leonor was surrounded by the MS-13 members who were armed with machetes; he was struck repeatedly, and killed.  Thereafter, Lopez-Morales, who was in the immediate area of the murder looking out for police, arrived on the scene and supervised the other MS-13 members as they dug a hole and buried Amaya-Leonor’s body, which was not found until May 2018 – over a year and a half after the murder had occurred.

    September 5, 2016 Murder of Marcus Bohannon

    Torres pleaded guilty to authorizing the murder of 27-year-old Marcus Bohannon.  On September 4, 2016, members of the Sailors clique met at the house of local clique leaders Alexi Saenz and Jairo Saenz, in Central Islip, where Torres directed the gang members to go out hunting for rival gang members to kill.  The MS-13 members separated into several cars and drove around Central Islip and Brentwood, until one of the cars spotted Bohannon walking along Lowell Avenue in Central Islip in the early morning hours of September 5.  Suspecting that Bohannon was a member of the rival Bloods gang, two MS-13 members, carrying firearms, got out of the vehicle, approached him and started shooting. Bohannon was struck nine times, including in his head, neck, and chest, and died from his wounds.

    October 10, 2016 Murder of Javier Castillo

    Torres also pleaded guilty to the murder of 15-year-old Javier Castillo.  In October 2016, the MS-13 targeted Castillo because he was believed to be a member of the 18th Street gang.  On October 10, 2016, members of the Sailors clique in Brentwood convinced Castillo, who lived in Central Islip, to go with them to Freeport – approximately 30 miles away – to smoke marijuana.  Torres authorized the members of the clique operating in Brentwood to bring Castillo to his territory in Freeport to be killed.  The MS-13 members took Castillo to an isolated marsh area along the water in Cow Meadow Park, in Freeport, where they attacked and killed him, taking turns hacking him with a machete.  Torres also served as the lookout for police in the area during the murder. Thereafter, the MS-13 members dug a hole and buried Castillo’s body, which was not recovered until one year later, in October 2017.

    October 14, 2016 Murder of Carlos Ventura-Zelaya

    Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales pleaded guilty to the murder of 24-year-old Ventura-Zelaya, who had been marked for death by the MS-13 because of his suspected membership in the rival 18th Street gang.  On the day of the murder, Ventura-Zelaya was observed at a deli in Roosevelt by a member of the Hollywood clique. Sosa-Guevara mobilized other members of the clique to kill Ventura-Zelaya and conducted surveillance of the victim until the other gang members arrived.  The gang members tasked with carrying out the murder first drove to pick up a gun from Lopez-Morales.  After obtaining the weapon, the group drove in the direction of the deli to look for and kill the victim.  Once they spotted Ventura-Zelaya walking on Hudson Street in Roosevelt, two MS-13 members got out of the car, approached him and one

    of them fired multiple times, striking and killing the victim.  They then ran back to the car and drove away from the scene.  

    July 21, 2017 Murder of Angel Soler

    Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales also pleaded guilty to the murder of 15-year-old Soler. The MS-13 suspected Soler was an 18th Street gang member, and Sosa-Guevara ordered his murder. Lopez-Morales and other MS-13 members carried out the murder, luring Soler to wooded lot near Milburn Creek in Roosevelt to smoke marijuana.  The group attacked Soler with machetes and a pickaxe, and buried his body in a shallow grave.  The following day, MS-13 members went back to lay cement over Soler’s body, in order to better conceal it.  Soler’s remains were recovered in October 2017.

    August 2017 Conspiracy to Kidnap John Doe #3

    Lopez-Morales and Sosa-Guevara also admitted that, just weeks after the Soler murder, they and other MS-13 members planned the kidnapping, assault, and/or murder of John Doe #3, an MS-13 member who had violated the rules of the gang. Specifically, Sosa-Guevara assigned Lopez-Morales and two other MS-13 members to carry out the kidnapping and attack. Lopez-Morales was instructed that, once they had John Doe #3, to wait for further guidance from MS-13 leadership as to whether to kill or brutally assault him.  On August 6, 2017, Lopez-Morales and the other gang members’ plan to kidnap John Doe #3 was foiled by law enforcement, who had been intercepting the calls arranging the attack, pursuant to court-ordered wiretaps of certain MS-13 members’ cell phones, and Lopez-Morales was taken into custody.

    August 29, 2017 Murder of David Rivera

    Sosa-Guevara also admitted to his participation in the murder of 16-year-old Rivera in Maryland.  To avoid law enforcement in New York, Sosa-Guevara and another Hollywood member from Long Island relocated to Maryland where they connected with the local Hollywood clique.  After arriving, Sosa-Guevara learned of a plan to kill a rival gang member and directed the other Long Island member of his clique to participate.  On August 29, 2017, Sosa-Guevara drove the other gang member to a park outside of Edgewater, Maryland, for him to participate in the Rivera murder.  The victim was brought to that location by other MS-13 members, attacked with machetes and killed.  After the murder, Sosa-Guevara drove the member of his clique away from the scene. Rivera’s body was not found until June 7, 2024.

    Narcotics Trafficking Conspiracies

    Finally, Torres pleaded guilty to conspiring with the members of the Sailors clique to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and Sosa-Guevara and Lopez-Morales pleaded guilty to conspiring with members of the Hollywood clique to distribute marijuana. These charges stemmed from the MS-13 cliques’ street-level sales of cocaine and marijuana on Long Island, the proceeds of which were used to help finance the MS-13’s criminal operations.

                                                                  *          *          *          *

    These guilty pleas are the latest achievements in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization.  The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States.  With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island.  Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults.  Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 70 murders in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in the convictions of dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders.  These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, NCPD, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

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

    The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Jared Rosenblatt of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and Paralegal Specialist Kerry Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello.

    The Defendants:

    VICTOR LOPEZ-MORALES (also known as “Persa”)
    Age:  36
    Roosevelt, New York

    DAVID SOSA-GUEVARA (also known as “Risky”)
    Age:  33
    Roosevelt, New York

    KEVIN TORRES (also known as “Quieto” and “Inquieto”)
    Age:  29
    Freeport, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-251 (S-1)(JMA)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Defendants Plead Guilty in Federal Conspiracies Involving High-End Stolen Vehicle Rings

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two defendants appeared in federal court today and entered guilty pleas for their respective roles in cases involving high-end stolen vehicles worth millions of dollars, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.

    According to filed documents and statements made in court, Andre Lamar Sumner, 41, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to violate federal law, including by transporting and possessing stolen vehicles in interstate commerce, and altering vehicle identification numbers (VINs). Sumner also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen vehicle. According to filed court documents, between 2022 and 2024, Sumner and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to buy and sell high-end motor vehicles that were stolen from car dealerships, rental car companies, and private parties across the United States, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Missouri.

    Sumner operated as a “fence” in the conspiracy, arranging the buying and selling of the stolen motor vehicles. A fence is someone who assists in finding or dealing with buyers for stolen properties. To maximize profits, Sumner sought to fence high-end stolen vehicles such as luxury models made by BMW, Land Rover, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce, as well as trucks and other expensive modes from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and RAM. As court documents show, Sumner and his co-conspirators possessed stolen vehicles with an estimated value well over $2 million.

    According to court records, Sumner sold the stolen cars to buyers at prices significantly below the vehicles’ fair market values. As Sumner admitted in court today, to avoid detection and to maximize the stolen vehicles’ resale values, Sumner and others regularly altered the stolen vehicles’ original VINs and fraudulently registered the stolen vehicles with various state motor vehicle agencies.

    One of Sumner’s co-conspirators, Erren Woodson, 40, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty last Friday, October 18, 2024, to one count of conspiracy and one count of possession of a stolen vehicle.  Court documents show that Woodson purchased stolen vehicles from Sumner. Court documents filed in Woodson’s case show that Woodson regularly communicated with Sumner to discuss the available inventory of stolen vehicles and potential buyers as well as prices for the stolen cars.

    Both Sumner and Woodson also pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. According to court records, the defendants were involved in marijuana trafficking, in part funded by the stolen vehicles scheme.

    In a separate case involving high-end stolen vehicles, Terrick D. Lumpkin, 39, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to violate federal law, including by transporting and possessing vehicles in interstate commerce and altering VIN numbers. Lumpkin also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen vehicle.

    According to documents filed in this case and the plea hearing, between November 2023 and January 2024, Lumpkin conspired with other individuals to steal and possess luxury and high-end models of vehicles worth over $1 million. Lumpkin and his co-conspirators obtained stolen vehicles from various locations throughout the United States, including in North Carolina, Illinois, and New York. In addition, several of the vehicles Lumpkin possessed were stolen from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

    Court documents show that Lumpkin and others mainly sought high-end vehicles made by Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Mercedes, as well as sports utility vehicles, and other expensive models from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, and Jeep. Once they came to possess the stolen vehicles, Lumpkin and his co-conspirators altered or removed the vehicles’ VINs to avoid detection by law enforcement.

    All three defendants are currently released on bond. The conspiracy charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Each charge of possession of a stolen vehicle carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. At sentencing, Sumner and Woodson face a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment. Lumpkin faces a maximum of 15 years of imprisonment.

    Since August 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 11 individuals with conspiracy offenses related to high-end stolen vehicles and other related offenses. Of those charged, nine have pleaded guilty to federal charges. Additional individuals involved in stolen vehicle possession have also been prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for other federal crimes, including illegal gun possession and drug trafficking.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD’s Stolen Car And Recovery Law Enforcement Team (SCARLET) for their investigation of these cases.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are in charge of the prosecutions. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • North-East emerging as organic farming hub, says PM Modi

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday underlined the growing global demand for organic food and said his vision is to see Indian food brands on dining tables across the world. 
     
    Speaking at the Rising North East Summit, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, the Prime Minister said that over the past decade, the scope of organic farming in the region has more than doubled. He noted that the North-East is producing a wide range of high-quality products such as tea, pineapples, oranges, lemons, turmeric, and ginger.
     
    “The exceptional taste and quality of these products have led to increasing international demand,” he said, urging stakeholders to tap into this opportunity and recognize the region as a key driver of India’s organic food exports.
     
    Prime Minister Modi also reiterated the Centre’s commitment to strengthening food processing infrastructure in the North-East. He said that enhanced connectivity is already aiding the initiative, while additional steps are being taken to develop mega food parks, expand cold storage networks, and establish testing lab facilities.
     
    Referring to the recently launched Oil Palm Mission, the Prime Minister highlighted the North-East’s favourable soil and climate for palm oil cultivation. He said this initiative not only offers farmers strong income potential but also reduces the country’s dependence on imported edible oils.
     
    “Palm oil farming in the North-East is a significant opportunity, and I encourage industries and stakeholders to actively participate in harnessing the region’s agricultural potential,” he added.

  • MIL-OSI Russia: There are over 7,000 biological species in Beijing

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) — Beijing has a rich ecological landscape with 7,121 species in 151 natural and semi-natural ecosystems, according to the city’s first-ever white paper on biodiversity.

    These figures, based on field studies conducted between 2020 and 2024, show that Beijing is one of the most biodiverse megacities in the world and highlight the city’s authorities’ significant achievements in preserving biodiversity in the capital.

    The white paper, released on Thursday, was jointly published by the Beijing Ecology and Environment Administration, the Beijing Planning and Resources Commission, the Beijing Agriculture and Rural Affairs Administration and the Beijing Gardening and Greening Administration.

    According to Liu Xianshu, deputy head of the city’s ecology and environment bureau, the field survey recorded 151 types of natural and semi-natural ecosystems, including forests, shrublands, grasslands, marshes and aquatic vegetation.

    The 7,121 species recorded are represented by groups such as algae, higher plants, vertebrates, insects, large fungi and large benthic invertebrates, she added. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: High-Ranking MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Seven Murders, Multiple Attempted Murders, Arson and Firearms Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Jairo Saenz, also known as “Funny,” a high-ranking member of the Brentwood/Central Islip chapter of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in connection with his participation in seven murders, namely, the January 28, 2016 murder of Michael Johnson; the April 29, 2016 murder of Oscar Acosta; the September 13, 2016 murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens; the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo; the October 13, 2016 murder of Dewann Stacks; and the January 30, 2017 murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla.  Saenz also pleaded guilty to his participation in three attempted murders, arson, narcotics trafficking, firearms offenses and a conspiracy to kill Marcus Bohannon, who was murdered on September 5, 2016 by other members of the MS-13.

    Today’s guilty plea proceeding was held before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown.  When sentenced, Jairo Saenz faces up to 60 years in prison, and a minimum sentence of 40 years in prison under the terms of his plea agreement. 

    Carolyn Pokorny, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Robert E. Waring, Acting Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the guilty plea.

    “Today, Jairo Saenz pleaded guilty to seven murders that can only be described as barbaric, and multiple acts of senseless gang violence that had turned parts of Long Island into a war zone, with MS-13 gang members wielding guns, machetes, bats and fire that threatened the safety of our communities,” stated Acting United States Attorney Pokorny.  “I commend my Office’s prosecutors and the Long Island Gang Task Force who are committed to holding MS-13 gang members accountable for the crimes they have committed and harm they have caused.  It is my sincere hope that today’s guilty plea brings some measure of solace and closure to the families of the defendant’s victims who continue to mourn the deaths of their loved ones.”

    According to court filings and statements made during today’s guilty plea proceeding, Jairo Saenz was a high-ranking member of the Brentwood/Central Islip chapter of the Sailors clique of the MS-13 – one of the more powerful, violent and well-established cliques on the East Coast of the United States.  At the time, he was second in command to his brother, Alexi Saenz, who pleaded guilty to the same crimes on July 10, 2024.  Jairo Saenz committed the following crimes in order to maintain and increase his membership and status within the gang, and to further the mission of the MS-13:

    January 28, 2016 Murder of Michael Johnson

    On January 28, 2016, Alexi Saenz and other MS-13 members and associates were at the Jocorena Deli in Brentwood, where they saw 29-year-old Michael Johnson, and claimed to recognize him as a member of the rival Bloods street gang.  At that point, Johnson was marked as their “food” – a reference to their intention to kill him. 

    After receiving the requisite approval from the New York leader of the Sailors clique to commit this murder, Alexi Saenz contacted Jairo Saenz and several other MS-13 members, informed them of the plan to kill Johnson and instructed them to bring weapons, including a machete and a baseball bat, to a wooded area in Brentwood.  Alexi Saenz then lured Johnson to that secluded meeting location under the guise of smoking marijuana.  The MS-13 members and associates, including Jairo Saenz, ambushed Johnson from behind – striking Johnson with the baseball bat, stabbing him with a knife and taking turns hacking him with the machete.  They fled after hearing police sirens in the area.   

    Johnson was reported missing by family members.  Less than one week after his murder, on February 2, 2016, members of the SCPD responded to a 911 call about a body found in the woods by a passerby and recovered Johnson’s body.  An autopsy determined Johnson’s cause of death to be sharp and blunt force injuries.   

    April 29, 2016 Murder of Oscar Acosta

    In early 2016, Alexi Saenz, Jairo Saenz and their fellow Sailors clique members decided to “green light,” or approve, the murder of 19-year-old Oscar Acosta because they suspected that he was associating with the rival 18th Street gang after previously aligning himself with the MS-13.  The New York Sailors clique leader assigned roles as to which members would take the lead in planning and carrying out the murder. 

    On April 29, 2016, MS-13 members met Acosta in a wooded area near an elementary school in Brentwood where he had been lured under the guise of smoking marijuana.  They brutally beat Acosta with tree limbs, knocking him unconscious. They bound Acosta’s hands and feet, wrapped an article of clothing around his mouth to prevent him from making noise and summoned other MS-13 members, including Alexi Saenz and Jairo Saenz, who arrived together.  The MS-13 members loaded Acosta into the trunk of the Saenz brothers’ car, and drove to a more secluded area in Brentwood near the abandoned Pilgrim State Psychiatric Hospital.  At the direction of Alexi Saenz, the MS-13 members removed Acosta, who was still alive, from the trunk and carried him deeper into the woods where they took turns hacking him to death with a machete.  The murder was supervised by the Saenz brothers.  The MS-13 members then buried Acosta’s body in a shallow grave. 

    Acosta’s body was discovered by law enforcement nearly five months later, on September 16, 2016, during a search for another MS-13 victim.  His cause of death was homicidal violence, including sharp and blunt force injuries to his head and torso.

    July 18, 2016 Attempted Murders of John Doe #1 and John Doe #2

    On July 18, 2016, during a Sailors clique meeting at the Saenz brothers’ house in Central Islip, Alexi Saenz instructed the group to hunt for rival gang members who had been disrespectful to the MS-13, in order to attack and kill them.

    Later that evening, Jairo Saenz and other members of the MS-13, who were driving around Brentwood armed with firearms and a machete, spotted a group of men on Apple Street.  Believing these men to be members of a rival gang, three MS-13 members got out of the car driven by Jairo Saenz and attacked the group, firing rounds from two different guns, and then using a machete to hack at one of the men who had fallen to the ground.

    Two individuals were injured as a result of this attack.  John Doe #1 was struck with a bullet, but survived.  John Doe #2 was attacked with a machete, and was permanently disfigured.

    August 10, 2016 Attempted Murders of Suspected Rival Gang Members

    In 2016, members of the MS-13 were engaged in a series of disputes with members of the Goon Squad, a rival gang in Brentwood. 

    On August 10, 2016, Alexi Saenz and another MS-13 member drove through the neighborhood around Lukens Avenue in Brentwood, and spotted several men who they believed were members of the Goon Squad.  They then rallied other members of the Sailors clique, including Jairo Saenz, to come kill the rivals. 

    The MS-13 members divided into two vehicles and drove towards the house where the suspected Goon Squad members had been spotted. The Saenz brothers’ car kept watch for the police, while two other MS-13 members, each armed with a gun, approached the group of suspected rivals and fired numerous shots in their direction. No one was hit, although a stray bullet entered a neighbor’s house and struck the headboard of a bed in which the neighbor was sleeping.

    September 5, 2016 Murder of Marcus Bohannon

    On September 4, 2016, after a Sailors clique meeting at the Saenz brothers’ house in Central Islip, Jairo Saenz, Alexi Saenz and other MS-13 members went out hunting for rival gang members to kill.

    The MS-13 members separated into several cars and drove around Central Islip and Brentwood, until Alexi Saenz’s group spotted 27-year old Marcus Bohannon walking along Lowell Avenue in Central Islip in the early morning hours of September 5.  Suspecting that Bohannon was a member of the rival Bloods gang, two MS-13 members, carrying firearms, got out of the vehicle, approached him and started shooting.  Bohannon was struck nine times, including in his head, neck, and chest, and died from his wounds.

    September 12, 2016 Arson

    During the summer of 2016, Sailors clique members of the MS-13 were regularly having altercations with local gang members based in a neighborhood on Freeman Avenue in Brentwood.

    On September 12, 2016, the MS-13 members retaliated by setting fire to a car parked in the driveway of one of the houses in that rival gang neighborhood.  Alexi Saenz directed other gang members to purchase gasoline and carry out the arson, while he drove around watching for police. Jairo Saenz drove the other MS-13 gang members to that house, where they poured gasoline on a car parked in the driveway, and set it on fire.  The car exploded and set another parked car on fire.   

    September 13, 2016 Murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens

    On September 13, 2016, Sailors clique members brutally murdered 15-year-old Nisa Mickens and 16-year-old Kayla Cuevas, both students at Brentwood High School.

    In the months leading up to the murders, Cuevas was involved in a series of disputes with members and associates of the MS-13.  Approximately one week before the murders, these disputes escalated when Cuevas and several friends were involved in an altercation with MS-13 members at Brentwood High School.  After that incident, the MS-13 members vowed to seek revenge against Cuevas.

    On the evening of September 13, 2016, the Saenz brothers and other members of the Sailors clique of the MS-13 were driving in separate cars around Brentwood in search of rival gang members to attack and kill.  One group of MS-13 members spotted Cuevas and Mickens walking down residential Stahley Street.  Recognizing Cuevas, they called the Saenz brothers and were granted permission to kill the girls.  Several MS-13 members then chased down and attacked both Cuevas and Mickens, wielding baseball bats and a machete, striking each of the girls numerous times in their heads and bodies, while the Saenz brothers’ car drove around watching for police.  After the murders, the group retreated to the Saenz brothers’ home in Central Islip, where they changed clothes and hid the weapons.   

    Mickens, whose body was discovered later that evening on Stahley Street, not far from Cuevas’s home, sustained significant sharp force trauma to her face and blunt force trauma to her head.  Cuevas, whose body was discovered the following day behind a house adjacent to where Mickens’s body was found, sustained significant blunt force trauma to her head and body and multiple lacerations.

    October 10, 2016 Murder of Javier Castillo

    In October 2016, the MS-13 targeted 15-year-old Javier Castillo because he was believed to be a member of the 18th Street gang, one of MS-13’s principal rivals. 

    On October 10, 2016, Jairo Saenz and other members of the Sailors clique convinced Castillo, who lived in Central Islip, to drive with them to Freeport – approximately 30 miles away – to smoke marijuana.  Once there, they met Alexi Saenz and other Sailors clique members.  The group then lured Castillo to an isolated marsh area in Cow Meadow Park, where they attacked him, taking turns hacking him to death with a machete. 

    Afterwards, the MS-13 members dug a hole and buried Castillo’s body, which was not recovered until one year later, in late October 2017.  Castillo was determined to have suffered multiple sharp force injuries to his head, neck, torso and extremities.

    October 13, 2016 Murder of Dewann Stacks

    On the evening of October 13, 2016, the Saenz brothers and other members of the Sailors clique of MS-13 were driving around Central Islip and Brentwood in search of rival gang members to attack and kill.

    That night, they spotted 34-year-old Dewann Stacks and, believing him to be a rival gang member, Alexi Saenz authorized his murder.  While Alexi Saenz drove around watching for police presence, Jairo Saenz drove three MS-13 members, armed with two machetes and a baseball bat, to attack Stacks.  The three armed MS-13 members got out of the car, and beat and hacked Stacks to death on American Boulevard, a residential street in Brentwood.  Stacks sustained severe sharp and blunt force trauma to his face and head, leaving his body nearly unrecognizable.

    January 30, 2017 Murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla

    On the morning of January 30, 2017, Alexi Saenz and other members of the Sailors clique of MS-13 spotted 29-year-old Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla inside El Campesino Deli in Central Islip.  Alvarado-Bonilla was wearing a football jersey bearing the number “18,” which led the MS-13 to conclude that he was a member of a rival gang, and they plotted to kill him.

    After Alvarado-Bonilla was observed in the Deli, Jairo Saenz drove MS-13 members to get a mask and another vehicle, both of which would be used when committing the murder.  Alexi Saenz provided the clique’s 9-millimeter handgun for use in the murder.

    At approximately 10:30 a.m., a masked MS-13 member entered the deli, approached Alvarado-Bonilla from behind, and shot him multiple times, killing him.  One of the bullets pierced through Alvarado-Bonilla’s head and struck the chest of a female employee of the deli, who was standing directly in front of him.  The deli employee survived the gunshot wound.   

    Narcotics Trafficking Conspiracy

    For a year and a half, from approximately April 2016 through March 2017, in order to finance the illegal operations of the Sailors clique, the Saenz brothers obtained wholesale quantities of cocaine and marijuana, which they distributed to other Sailors clique members and associates for street-level sales in Brentwood and its surrounding areas.  After the sales, the profits were turned over to the Saenz brothers, for use in, among other things, purchasing firearms for use by clique members, wiring money to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador and buying additional narcotics for further distribution.     

    Today’s guilty plea is the latest achievement in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization.  The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States.  With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island.  Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults.  Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 70 murders in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in the convictions of dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders.  These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

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

    The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kerry Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello.

    The Defendant:

    JAIRO SAENZ (also known as “Funny”)
    Age: 28
    El Divisadero, Morazán, El Salvador; and Central Islip, New York

    E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-403 (S-8)(GRB)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lincolnshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Lincolnshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Manufacturing and farming in Greater Lincolnshire are set to benefit from the UK’s new trade deals with India, the US and EU.

    • Prime Minister to meet with the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire Andrea Jenkyns
    • Comes as we’ve nailed three trade deals in as many weeks to deliver growth that is a priority for the Plan for Change
    • Delivers welcome boost and security for the manufacturing industry that employs 39,000 workers

    Manufacturing and farming in Greater Lincolnshire are set to benefit from the UK’s new trade deals with India, the US and EU.  

    The deals negotiated by the Prime Ministers deliver long-term certainty for 39,000 jobs in Greater Lincolnshire’s manufacturing sector, including 2,700 steel workers in Scunthorpe. 

    Our deal with the EU will benefit around 100,000 people (including in food retail) that are employed in the county’s food sector. It means less checks and red tape so that farmers and producers who grow food in Lincolnshire now have easy access to the EU, the UK’s biggest trading partners.  

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:   

    These trade deals that we have closed delivers stability for 39,000 workers employed in the manufacturing sector in Greater Lincolnshire. 

    It also will create opportunities for more seamless trade, attracting inward investment that will grow the local economy and make a difference to people’s lives.    

    These changes will be felt everywhere, whether it’s lower food prices at the checkout, more choice for consumers and higher living standards that will improve livelihoods across Greater Lincolnshire.

    The Prime Minister will tell the English Mayors and the Leaders from the Devolved Governments at a meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in London today (Friday 23 May) that his trade deals with India, the United States and the EU will deliver economic growth that will improve people’s lives at home.      

    He will challenge those in attendance to drive economic growth in their local areas to deliver for working people.     

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    The three landmark deals secured this month with the US, India, and the EU have shown this government is serious about striking the deals that our businesses want and need. 

    We are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year as part of our Plan for Change. For businesses in Greater Lincolnshire, these deals will mean stability and jobs protected as they seize new opportunities to sell to some of our biggest trading partners.

    Just weeks after he stepped into support the UK steel industry that was on the brink of collapse, the Prime Minister has negotiated the 25% tariff down to zero, meaning that UK steelmakers, like British Steel in Scunthorpe can carry on exporting to the US.   

    The UK exported £343 million in primary steel products to the US in 2024, so the deal agreed supports the viability of 40,000 jobs in the industry nationwide, including 2,700 workers in Scunthorpe and their families.  

    Lisa Coulson, British Steel’s Interim Chief Commercial Officer, said:  

    Europe is a strategically important market for our business, so we whole-heartedly welcome this agreement and the new working relationship between the UK and EU.  

    It will enable us to deliver more of the high-quality products synonymous with the British Steel name and support our drive to be one of the world’s leading manufacturers of steel.

    In the same week, the Prime Minister agreed a trade deal with India that could see cheaper prices and more choice on products including clothes, footwear, and food products. 

    From this position of strength, we also upheld our red lines on standards including in agriculture, meaning that produce farmed in Greater Lincolnshire has been protected.  

    At today’s meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions the Prime Minister will also lead discussions about spreading AI to help working people access the services that they need in their local areas.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PSI Chairman Johnson Requests Transparency from Biden Cabinet Officials Regarding the Former President’s Cognitive Decline

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (“the Subcommittee”), sent letters to 28 former Biden Cabinet members regarding their knowledge of President Biden’s cognitive and health decline during his time in office and while running for reelection. Chairman Johnson requested that these former public officials appear voluntarily before the Subcommittee for interviews by June 6, 2025.

    A recent book detailing the former president’s cognitive and health decline while in office revealed that members of President Biden’s inner circle were alarmed by the state of his health. One Cabinet secretary was reportedly left “upset and disturbed” after meeting with President Biden due to his “mumbly and incoherent” speech. As the chairman’s letter noted, the reported behind-the-scenes concerns stand in stark contrast to Cabinet officials’ public statements portraying the former president as healthy and mentally sharp.    

    “The discrepancy between what Cabinet officials were telling the public about the former president’s health and what they were apparently witnessing and saying privately is astonishing, particularly considering that the former president was seeking reelection. After years of being lied to and kept in the dark, the public deserves full and complete transparency about what was known and when concerning President Biden’s health,” Chairman Johnson wrote. 

    The letters went out to the following former Biden Cabinet-level members:

    1. Lloyd Austin, former Secretary of Defense;
    2. Xavier Becerra, former Secretary of Health and Human Services;
    3. Jared Bernstein, former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers;
    4. Antony Blinken, former Secretary of State;
    5. William J. Burns, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency;
    6. Pete Buttigieg, former Secretary of Transportation;
    7. Miguel Cardona, former Secretary of Education;
    8. Marcia Fudge, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
    9. Merrick Garland, former Attorney General;
    10. Jennifer Granholm, former Secretary of Energy;
    11. Isabel Guzman, former Administrator of the Small Business Administration;
    12. Deb Haaland, former Secretary of the Interior;
    13. Avril Haines, former Director of National Intelligence;
    14. Kamala Harris, former Vice President;
    15. Ronald Klain, former White House Chief of Staff;
    16. Alejandro Mayorkas, former Secretary of Homeland Security;
    17. Denis McDonough, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs;
    18. Arati Prabhakar, former Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy;
    19. Gina Raimondo, former Secretary of Commerce;
    20. Michael Regan, former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
    21. Julie Su, former Acting Secretary of Labor;
    22. Katherine Tai, former United States Trade Representative;
    23. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations;
    24. Adrianne Todman, former Acting Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
    25. Tom Vilsack, former Secretary of Agriculture;
    26. Janet Yellen, former Secretary of the Treasury;
    27. Shalanda Young, former Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and
    28. Jeff Zients, former White House Chief of Staff.

    The letters from Chairman Johnson can be found here.

    Read more about the chairman’s letters here: Axios, Fox News, and Washington Examiner. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Men Convicted for Operating Major Illegal Streaming Service

    Source: US FBI

    Jetflicks Generated Millions in Revenue at Expense of Television Program Copyright Owners

    LAS VEGAS – A federal jury in Las Vegas convicted five men this week for their roles in running one of the largest unauthorized streaming services in the United States, which generated millions of dollars in subscription revenue while causing substantial harm to television program copyright owners.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, beginning as early as 2007, Kristopher Dallmann, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, Jared Jaurequi, and Peter Huber operated an online, subscription-based streaming service known as Jetflicks. The Jetflicks group used sophisticated computer scripts and software to scour pirate websites for illegal copies of television episodes, which they then downloaded and hosted on Jetflicks servers. The group reproduced hundreds of thousands of copyrighted television episodes without authorization, amassing a catalog larger than the combined catalogues of Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and Amazon Prime. Dallmann and his co-conspirators made millions of dollars streaming and distributing this catalogue of stolen content to tens of thousands of paid subscribers.

    “The defendants operated Jetflicks, an illicit streaming service they used to distribute hundreds of thousands of stolen television episodes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their scheme generated millions of dollars in criminal profits, while causing copyright owners to lose out. These convictions underscore the Criminal Division’s commitment to protecting intellectual property rights by prosecuting digital piracy schemes and bringing offenders to justice.”

    “The defendants conspired to operate an online streaming service that unlawfully reproduced and distributed thousands of copyrighted television programs for their own personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “This case is another example of our steadfast commitment to combat intellectual property theft and to hold accountable those who violate intellectual property rights laws.”

    “The defendants ran a platform that automated the theft of TV shows and distributed the stolen content to subscribers,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “When complaints from copyright holders and problems with payment service providers threatened to topple the illicit multimillion-dollar enterprise, the defendants tried to disguise Jetflicks as an aviation entertainment company. Digital piracy is not a victimless crime. As these convictions demonstrate, the FBI will indeed investigate those who illegally profit from the creative works of others.”

    The jury convicted Dallman, Courson, Garcia, Jaurequi, and Huber of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. The jury also convicted Dallmann of two counts of money laundering by concealment and three counts of misdemeanor criminal copyright infringement. Courson, Garcia, Jaurequi, and Huber each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and Dallmann faces a maximum penalty of 48 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Las Vegas Field Office.

    Trial Attorneys Michael Christin, Christopher Merriam, and Matthew Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Oliva and Edward Veronda for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the CCIPS Paralegal Edie Britman.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK-funded program connects Solomons cocoa producers to UK market

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    World news story

    UK-funded program connects Solomons cocoa producers to UK market

    UK-funded trade mission involving 10 cocoa buyers to Solomon Islands organised by the UKTP Programme forged this connection in September 2024.

    Officials at the launch included H.E Moses Kouni Mose, Cathrine West MP and UK Pacific Regional Trade Advisor Peter Harrington.

    In the growing trading relationship between Solomon Islands and the UK, there is now a first all-female-led business collaboration to grow out of the UK-Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement, which is leading the way for cocoa farmers in the Pacific and championing their resilience and skills.

    That transpired through UK ethical chocolate maker Cocoa Sisters bringing to British consumers premium, single-origin chocolate made from cocoa grown by women farmers in Solomon Islands. This is the result of a successful connection between UK-based ethical chocolate maker, Sarah Payne and pioneering cocoa producers from the Pacific Islands.

    The connection was first made during a trade mission by 10 cocoa buyers to the Solomon Islands organised by the UK-Government funded United Kingdom Trade Partnerships (UKTP) Programme in September 2024.

    In February 2025, UKTP programme supported four Solomon Islands cocoa producers to attend a Cocoa trade fair in Amsterdam, providing another opportunity for them to meet with buyers from the UK and around the world.

    The UKTP Programme, funded by the UK Government and implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC), supports businesses in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to improve export readiness and connect with UK buyers.

    In Solomon Islands, UKTP has worked closely with women-led businesses, cocoa farmers and processors, and export businesses to strengthen quality, packaging, branding, and market access.

    The launch of Cocoa Sisters celebrates the arrival of a product that is as much about empowerment and equity as it is about exceptional flavour. Cocoa Sisters sources directly from women-led cocoa farms, with a commitment to sustainable farming practices and fair returns for producers.

    At the heart of this brand are Agnes Pilopaso from Guadalcanal and Lucy Kasimwane from Makira – 2 female cocoa farmers supported by UKTP through capacity building, trade promotion and market connections.

    At the launch in London last week, His Excellency Mr Moses Kouni Mose, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Solomon Islands Head of Mission to the European Union said:

    I think this is something that needs to be developed and I see the potential not only for cocoa but also other agriculture commodities from Solomon Islands like coffee, palm oil and coconut body products that can have added value. We really appreciate the collaboration that this has realised.

    Managing Director of the Cocoa Sisters brand who is also founder and Creative Director at Cocoa Loco, Sarah Payne remarked:

    So, the idea behind Cocoa Sisters is that we will source directly from female cocoa farmers, supporting them financially and telling their stories. At the same time raising awareness of the imbalances that exist in the cocoa supply chain. But this is more than a chocolate brand, it is a platform that uplifts women and we’re shining a light on their brilliance and of course getting cocoa beans from Pacific Islands remote places is quite challenging, but I’ve been overwhelmed by the support that I’ve had.

    The Cocoa Sisters launch event included tasting the first collection of Cocoa Sisters chocolate made from the cocoa beans of incredible female farmers Agnes and Lucy from Solomon Islands and Delwin from Papua New Guinea and enjoying chocolate martinis and brownies, all crafted using their cocoa.

    Solomon Islands Ambassador to the EU, H.E. Moses Mose and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Indo-Pacific) Catherine West MP also spoke at the event about the importance of global collaboration and women-led enterprise.

    British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and Nauru, His Excellency Paul Turner said there’s huge potential for cocoa and other agricultural commodities from Solomon Islands in the UK. 

    His Excellency Paul Turner remarked:

    Solomon Islands cocoa is a high-end product that is exotic to the British customer. In the UK we are used to getting our cocoa from countries such as Ghana in West Africa. It is great to have a more diversified market, and I look forward to strengthening the commercial ties between the UK and Solomon Islands.

    Recent successes for Solomon Island exporters include:

    Free from Awards

    In 2024 Solomons Gold, from Solomon Islands, won several accolades, including silver and bronze medals for seven of their vegan chocolate varieties. The company produces handcrafted vegan chocolate in a diverse range of flavours. Their chocolates are known for the absence of allergens, including dairy, gluten, nuts, soy, and refined sugar, making them an ideal contender for the Free from Awards.

    As award winners, Solomons Gold, are promoted across Free form’s social platforms and are granted exclusive rights to use the awards’ logo on their winning products. This instantly recognizable and internationally respected mark helps consumers identify safe, quality products. For these two small companies from the Pacific Islands, the awards are a clear recognition that their products satisfy British consumer tastes.

    The UK Great Taste Awards

    Great Taste is the world’s largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme. Championing independent food and drink producers since 1994, the awards are organized by The Guild of Fine Food based on a blind tasting of over 12,500 entrants by more than 500 expert judges.

    The blind-taste evaluation ensures that accolades are awarded based purely on taste, without the influence of branding or marketing. Achieving even one of the possible three stars establishes a food as among the best tasting in the world. In 2024 Solomon’s Gold was the only company to receive two-star recognition for multiple products, winning accolades for both its Dark Orange 70% Cacao, and Dark Nib 75% Cacao chocolates.

    In 2025, we are supporting UK SME bean-to-bar chocolate maker CocoCaravan to enter their two bars made from cocoa sourced from producers in the Solomon Islands. Their 75% Ailali Solomon Islands and 75% Pilopaso Solomon Islands chocolates are handcrafted bean-to-bar products, sweetened with coconut sugar. The cocoa beans were purchased during the UKTP cocoa mission to the Solomon Islands in September 2024. The results of the awards will be announced by end of July 2025.

    Nourish Awards.

    Established in 2017, the Nourish Awards are the UK leading recognition for healthy food, beverages, and supplements, setting the standard for innovation, excellence, and health in the food industry. In 2024 Solomons Gold earned three-star ratings in the Nourish Vegan Awards on top of the ‘Best Vegan Chocolate’ for its Dark Orange 70% Cacao, Dark Caramel 70% Cacao, and Dark Nib 75% Cacao.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Winchester Basics Bank opens new hub at Badger Farm Community Centre with support from Council funding

    Source: City of Winchester


    Winchester Basics Bank has opened up a new hub at Badger Farm Community Centre with funding support from Winchester City Council.

    The new hub provides food, as well as hygiene and cleaning products, to anyone in the local community who is facing financial difficulty, and is the fifth Winchester Basics Bank location now up and running in and around Winchester City.

    The hub has been supported by a £5,000 city council grant, which went towards renovating a room within the community centre and helped the charity to purchase new shelves and fridges to store their stock.

    Speaking about the new hub, Basics Bank Chair Lesley Little said:

    “We already had 4 locations in Winchester and Alresford and they were getting very busy so we felt the need for another hub on this side of the city to serve our clients here.

    The Community Centre have been very welcoming and very helpful and, helped by the city council’s grant, we’ve been able to refurbish what was a bar into a nice room where we can store things. People can park, and the other advantage is that everyone in Sainsburys is walking out with carrier bags, so you don’t stand out so much.

    “We’re not just for people on benefits or those who aren’t working – we’re for people who have an emergency cashflow problem – so if you get a sudden repair bill or perhaps lose some overtime, we’re here for everyone.”

    Winchester City Council Cabinet Member for Community and Engagement Cllr Kathleen Becker said:

    “Winchester Basics Bank’s services provide a vital lifeline for those in Winchester who are struggling financially, and I know that their new hub at Badger Farm Community Centre will be greatly welcomed by the local community. I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to provide some funding to help get the hub off the ground.”

    Badger Farm Community Centre Manager Ali Cochrane said:

    “It’s been a privilege to work with Winchester Basics Bank to support the opening of a new hub in our Community Centre. We’ve worked hard to change some of the layout of the building to make it fit for their purposes and I’m pleased that we’re now able to offer this service to the community and help give people the dignity that they deserve”.

    Local residents can access the hub’s services on Mondays between 10am and 12.30pm. Anyone can be referred through an agency, such as the city council, Trinity Centre or Citizens Advice, or self-refer by visiting the Winchester Basics Bank website: www.winchesterbasicsbank.co.uk

    Organisations interested in applying for a grant from Winchester City Council can visit www.winchester.gov.uk/grants-for-not-for-profit-organisations  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Third Member of Multi-State Gas Pump Skimming Device and Fuel Theft Ring Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges

    Source: US FBI

    Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Deyvis Hernandez (37, Miami) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud. Hernandez faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud count, up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy count, and payment of restitution to the victims he and his co-defendants defrauded. No sentencing date has been set.

    According to court documents, Hernandez and his co-conspirators worked together to install skimmers on gas pumps, including gas stations in Alabama, Louisiana, and Northern Florida. The conspirators used the skimmers to illegally obtain credit and debit card account numbers involved with the purchase of fuel by customers at the gas pump. Using the account numbers stolen by the skimmers, they subsequently made counterfeit credit and debit cards and then, used them to purchase large amounts of diesel fuel.

    During the conspiracy the conspirators drove vehicles that contained a fuel bladder system. This system allowed the conspirators to fake pumping gas into the vehicle’s gas tank when in fact the diesel fuel was being pumped into the fuel bladder system. Analysis by law enforcement of fuel purchases, vehicle tracker data, gas station video surveillance, and real time surveillance of the conspirators determined that the conspirators drove to multiple gas stations throughout Northern Florida. After obtaining the gas, the conspirators offloaded the stolen fuel into 9,500-gallon tanker trucks at a fuel yard. The tanker trucks were arranged in part by Hernandez who was part owner of a gas station in south Florida. Hernandez coordinated the sale of the stolen diesel fuel to locations designated by him to include in south Florida. 

    Deonelky Tabares Cid (36, Tampa) previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy, four counts of wire fraud, six counts of access device fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Luis Edel Trujillo Pena (29, Miami) previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. No sentencing date has been set for either defendant.

    Co-defendants Luis Ernesto Vigil Ochoa (32, Miami) and Isvaldo Guerra Perdomo (38, Jacksonville) are scheduled for trial in May 2025.

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

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI Announce Five-Count Indictment in Violent Crime Spree on Navajo Nation

    Source: US FBI

    ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against Rydell Happy for his alleged involvement in a violent crime spree on April 24, 2024. Happy, who was already in custody awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge, now faces charges for first degree murder, two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence and discharging said firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

    According to court documents, on April 24, 2024, Happy, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly shot John Doe in the head with a revolver and then repeatedly beat his head with a baseball bat, resulting in Doe’s death.

    The indictment further alleges that on the same day, Happy assaulted Jane Doe with a revolver and discharged the firearm during the incident.

    The indictment further alleges that Happy, who was previously convicted of domestic violence, is prohibited from possessing firearms.

    If convicted of the current charges, Happy faces a mandatory life sentence or death for the first-degree murder charge, and 10 to 15 years for the other charges.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.

    This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners.  The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of Indigenous victims and their families.  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • White House ‘MAHA’ report calls out food, chemicals impact on children’s health

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    A commission led by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday issued a report that said processed food, chemicals, stress and overprescription of medications and vaccines may be factors behind chronic illness in American children.

    The report, from the commission named after the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, social movement aligned with Kennedy, is focused on what he says is a national crisis of increasing rates of childhood obesity, diabetes, cancer, mental health disorders, allergies and neurodevelopmental conditions like autism.

    “MAHA is hot,” President Donald Trump said during a press event. “We will not allow our public health system to be captured by the very industries it’s supposed to oversee.”

    Kennedy said there was consensus among the commission’s members to prioritize what he called the ultra-processed food crisis and to work to improve the food American children eat.

    The report also highlighted studies linking health disorders in humans and animals to the weed killers glyphosate and atrazine, but did not call for specific regulatory changes or restrictions on pesticides used in farming. It said the chemicals should be further researched.

    It criticized the U.S. approach to vaccines in children, saying European children are recommended to receive fewer. He called for study of the impact of vaccines on childhood chronic disease and of vaccine injuries.

    Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, has for many years pushed debunked theories about the safety of vaccines contrary to scientific evidence. As head of the agency, he has overseen cuts of about 20,000 of 80,000 employees due to layoffs and departures.

    Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food and health watchdog, said the report recycles longtime concerns of Kennedy, from vaccines to seed oils.

    “To the extent that they come up with good ideas, they’re going to run into the self-inflicted wound of their own decimation of the federal workforce. Many of their better ideas will not be doable,” Lurie said.

    Many of the MAHA activists that surround Kennedy were present in Washington for the release of the report, which they largely applauded as a vindication of their work.

    But, one such activist, Kelly Ryerson, who campaigns against the use of glyphosate-based pesticides, called the report “very cautious on the subject of pesticides,” adding that she’d like to see more Environmental Protection Agency action on the topic.

    Bayer BAYGn.DE, which is involved in thousands of lawsuits surrounding its glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, said some details around pesticides in the report were not “fact based.”

    “We believe a fact and data-driven approach with robust science that follows international gold standards is necessary to support these important initiatives,” Bayer said.

    As an environmental lawyer, Kennedy was associated with three lawsuits related to Roundup, which is owned by Bayer after its acquisition of Monsanto.

    ULTRAPROCESSED FOOD

    The food industry has said that additives in packaged food have been thoroughly reviewed by regulators and help it remain shelf stable.

    The American Soybean Association was critical of the report, which they said was “drafted entirely behind closed doors” and inaccurately suggests that pesticides and soy oils contribute to negative health outcomes.

    “We’re discouraging people from consuming heart-healthy oils and driving them to instead use fats that will make them less healthy and cost them more in the process,” said ASA Director Alan Meadows, a soybean farmer.

    Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, told Reuters the report was “a devastating critique of what’s happened to America’s children.”

    But she said, “to deal with the root causes of the conditions detailed here, this administration will have to take on Big Food, Big Pharma, Big Agriculture, Big Chemical, and get coal-burning plants to clean up their emissions. A lot of this is counter to the MAGA agenda, and the decimation of federal agencies can’t help.”

    The report called for enhanced surveillance and safety research into drugs and childhood health outcomes and clinical studies comparing whole-food to processed-food diets in children.

    The definition of ultra-processed food is hotly debated, while the report describes it as industrially manufactured products.

    The report says that core products of so-called “Big Food”, which typically references companies such as Kraft Heinz KHC.O, Nestle NESN.S and PepsiCo PEP.O, are ultra-processed.

    Kraft Heinz manufactures Heinz Ketchup and Kraft mac & cheese, Nestle produces frozen pizzas and dinners under the Stouffer’s and Lean Cuisine brands, while PepsiCo owns Frito-Lay, a salty snacks business.

    The report also cites infant formula as an ultra-processed food that is concerning.

    FARM LOBBY PRESSURE

    Thursday’s report will be followed by policy prescriptions due in August. Trump signed an executive order in February establishing the commission whose members include Kennedy, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, other cabinet members and senior White House officials.

    Before the report’s publication, farm lobby groups had warned that criticizing specific farm practices could impede collaboration on the administration’s health agenda and put food production at risk.

    According to a source familiar with the matter, the lobby groups had strongly pressured the administration to not mention pesticides in the report.

    EPA head Lee Zeldin said on a call with reporters that farmers are key partners in enacting the MAHA agenda and that any changes to pesticide regulations would need careful consideration.

    REUTERS

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Parliament approves new tariffs on Russian and Belarussian agricultural goods

    Source: European Parliament

    MEPs backed increased tariffs on fertilisers and certain Russian and Belarusian agricultural goods on Thursday, seeking to reduce EU dependency on those imports.

    Plenary has endorsed the Commission proposal to increase by 50% EU tariffs on agricultural products from Russia and Belarus that were not yet subject to extra customs duties. The aim is to reduce EU dependence on the two countries still further. Products to be hit by the new tariffs include sugar, vinegar, flour and animal feed.

    The text also provides for a 6.5% tariff on fertilisers imported from Russia and Belarus, plus duties of between €40 and €45 per tonne for the 2025-2026 period. These tariffs will rise to €430 per tonne by 2028. Income from the sale of Russian and Belarussian fertilisers is considered to be contributing directly to the war against Ukraine.

    The proposed measures will reduce EU imports of the goods concerned significantly, whether they originate in the two countries or are exported directly or indirectly by them. It is expected that this will result in further diversification of EU fertiliser production, currently impacted by the low prices of imports.

    The legislation also tasks the Commission with monitoring price increases and any possible damage to the internal market or the EU agriculture sector, and with taking action to mitigate the impact.

    The regulation was adopted by 411 votes in favour and 100 against, with 78 abstentions.

    Quote

    The standing rapporteur for Russia Inese Vaidere (EPP, LV) said: “The regulation gradually increasing customs duties for products from Russia and Belarus will help to prevent Russia from using the EU market to finance its war machine. It is not acceptable that three years after Russia launched its full-scale war, the EU is still buying critical products in large volumes, in fact, these imports have risen significantly.

    The proposal will boost EU fertiliser production, which has taken a hit from cheap Russian imports, while giving farmers time to adjust.

    Importantly, the proposal also includes monitoring provisions enabling the Commission to follow the fertiliser market closely and take action if prices shoot up.”

    Next steps

    With approval in plenary, Parliament closed its first reading. The regulation must now be adopted formally by the Council and subsequently published in the Official Journal, before it can enter into force. For the remaining agricultural products (listed in Annex I of the proposal), the regulation will apply four weeks after the bill’s entry into force.

    Background

    Imports into the EU of urea and nitrogen-based fertilisers from Russia, already high in 2023, rose significantly in 2024. According to the Commission, imports of the fertilisers covered by this regulation reflect a situation of economic dependence on Russia. If left unchecked, the situation could harm EU food security and, in the case of fertilisers in particular, leave the Union vulnerable to possible coercive measures by Russia.

    It was to address these issues that the Commission presented its proposal to impose tariffs on fertilisers and certain agricultural products originating in Russia and Belarus, on 28 January 2025.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Winners Announced in NASA’s 2025 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition

    Source: NASA

    A team from South Dakota State University, with their project titled “Soil Testing and Plant Leaf Extraction Drone” took first place at the 2025 NASA Gateways to Blue Skies Competition, which challenged student teams to research aviation solutions to support U.S. agriculture.
    The winning project proposed a drone-based soil and tissue sampling process that would automate a typically labor-intensive farming task. The South Dakota State team competed among eight finalists at the 2025 Blue Skies Forum May 20-21 in Palmdale, California, near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. Subject matter experts from NASA and industry served as judges.
    “This competition challenges students to think creatively, explore new possibilities, and confront the emerging issues and opportunity spaces solvable through aviation platforms,” said Steven Holz, assistant project manager for University Innovation with NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and Blue Skies judge and co-chair. “They bring imaginative ideas, interesting insights, and an impressive level of dedication. It’s always an honor to work with the next generation of innovators participating in our competition.”

    Steven holz
    Assistant Project Manager for University Innovation

    The winning team members were awarded an opportunity to intern during the 2025-26 academic year at any of four aeronautics-focused NASA centers — Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, or Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.  
    “It’s been super-rewarding for our team to see how far we’ve come, especially with all these other amazing projects that we were competing against,” said Nathan Kuehl, team lead at South Dakota State University. “It wouldn’t have been possible without our graduate advisor, Allea Klauenberg, and advisor, Todd Lechter. We want to thank everybody that made this experience possible.”
    Other awards included: 

    Second Place — University of Tulsa, CattleLog Cattle Management System
    Best Technical Paper — Boston University, PLAANT: Precision Land Analysis and Aerial Nitrogen Treatment

    Sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, this year’s competition asked teams of university students to research new or improved aviation solutions to support agriculture that could be applied by 2035 or sooner. The goal of the competition, titled AgAir: Aviation Solutions for Agriculture, was to enhance production, efficiency, sustainability, and resilience to extreme weather. 
    At the forum, finalist teams presented concepts of aviation systems that could help the agriculture industry.Students had the opportunity to meet with NASA and industry experts, tour NASA Armstrong, and gain insight into the agency’s aviation mission.
    U.S. agriculture provides food, fuel, and fiber to the nation and the world. However, the industry faces significant challenges. NASA Aeronautics is committed to supporting commercial, industrial, and governmental partners in advancing aviation systems to modernize agricultural capabilities.  
    The Gateways to Blue Skies competition is sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s University Innovation Project and is managed by the National Institute of Aerospace.
    The National Institute of Aerospace has made available a livestream of the competition, as well as information about the finalists and their projects, and details about the 2025 competition.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LaMalfa Applauds House Passage of Budget Reconciliation Package

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Doug LaMalfa 1st District of California

    Washington, D.C.—Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) released the following statement after the House passed the budget reconciliation package.

    “This bill is the course correction we desperately needed. For years, taxpayers have been footing the bill for wasteful programs, unchecked spending, and handouts to people gaming the system,” said Rep. LaMalfa. “It delivers a significant tax cut, providing relief for working families and much needed reforms to government spending. It starts the process of eliminating fraud in programs like Medicaid and SNAP. It also includes major wins for folks in the West, allocating $2 billion to expand water storage, and much needed funding for the Secure Rural Schools program. It’s a big win across the board, and I’m happy to see the House pass this crucial piece of legislation.”

    Background:

    • Tax Relief for Working Americans: Delivers significant tax cuts, cutting tax bills by about 15% for Americans earning $30,000–$80,000. No tax on tips or overtime.
    • Medicaid and SNAP Reform: Ends benefits for 1.4 million illegal immigrants and restores work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving assistance.
    • Support for Farmers: Strengthens crop insurance and conservation tools without adding red tape.
    • Water Storage Expansion: Includes $2 billion to upgrade and expand Bureau of Reclamation surface water storage, helping the West store more water in wet years.
    • Secure Rural Schools: Provides a 3-year reauthorization of SRS to support education in rural areas with large amounts of federal land.
    • Energy and Resource Development: Repeals Green New Deal-style handouts and boosts American oil, gas, and mineral production.
    • Border Security and Immigration Enforcement: Fully funds Trump’s border wall, ramps up deportations, and hires thousands of new ICE and Border Patrol agents.

    Congressman Doug LaMalfa is Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba Counties.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hollywood Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Prison for Fraudulently Seeking Millions of Dollars in COVID Tax Breaks

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – A Hollywood man who admitted to seeking more than $65 million from the IRS by falsely claiming on tax returns that his nonexistent farming business was entitled to COVID-19-related tax credits was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison.

    Kevin J. Gregory, 57, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also ordered him to pay $2,769,173 in restitution.

    Gregory, who has been in federal custody since May 2023, pleaded guilty on January 17 to one count of making false claims to the IRS.

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, Congress authorized an employee retention tax credit that a small business could use to reduce the employment tax it owed to the IRS, also known as the “employee retention credit.”

    To qualify, the business had to have been in operation in 2020 and to have experienced at least a partial suspension of its operations because of a government order related to COVID-19 (for example, an order limiting commerce, group meetings or travel) or a significant decline in profits. The credit was an amount equal to a set percentage of the wages that the business paid to its employees during the relevant time period, subject to a maximum amount.

    Congress also authorized the IRS to give a credit against employment taxes to reimburse businesses for the wages paid to employees who were on sick or family leave and could not work because of COVID-19. This “paid sick and family leave credit” was equal to the wages the business paid the employees during the sick or family leave, also subject to a maximum amount.

    From November 2020 to April 2022, Gregory made false claims to the IRS for the payment of nearly $65.3 million in tax refunds for a purported Beverly Hills-based farming-and-transportation company named Elijah USA Farm Holdings.

    The IRS issued a portion of the refunds Gregory claimed, and Gregory used a significant portion – more than $2.7 million – for personal expenses.

    Specifically, in January 2022, Gregory made a false claim to the IRS for the payment of a tax refund in the amount of $23,877,620, which he submitted as part of Elijah Farm’s quarterly federal tax return. Gregory claimed Elijah Farm employed 33 people, paid nearly $1.6 million in quarterly wages, had deposited nearly $18 million in federal taxes, and was entitled to nearly $6.5 million in COVID-relief tax credits.

    In fact, Gregory knew that Elijah Farm employed nobody and paid wages to no one and had not made federal tax deposits to the IRS in the amounts stated on his tax return.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Williams of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.

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

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF online complaint form.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Allen Leads Georgia Colleagues in Effort to Expand Access to India’s Market for U.S. Pecan Producers

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

    Today, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) led a bipartisan, bicameral group of his colleagues from Georgia in sending a letter to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins seeking a swift solution in expanding access to India’s market for U.S. pecan producers.

    Joining Congressman Allen in sending the letter are Representatives Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Buddy Carter (GA-01), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Austin Scott (GA-08), Rich McCormick (GA-07), and David Scott (GA-13), as well as Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA).

    In the letter, the Members write: “As you may know, India is a significant foreign market for U.S. pecans. In 2022, the United States exported more than $1.3 million of pecans to India, and USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service projects that pecan exports to India could now reach up to $5 million annually. This is a result of successful efforts in advocating for India to cut its tariff on U.S. pecan exports by 70 percent, which opened a market of more than one billion consumers to premium U.S.-grown pecans.

    The Members continue: “While U.S. pecan exporters are now successfully exporting shelled pecans to India, the product purchasers in India have requested the U.S. to export in-shell pecans, which enables the pecans to travel in a more shelf-stable state and allows buyers to finish processing upon arrival in India. However, shipments of U.S. in-shell pecans cannot be completed due to the lack of appropriate plant quarantine code (PQ code) for import into India.

    The Members conclude: “In 2024, the U.S. pecan industry submitted documents to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to begin the process of obtaining a PQ code, and we write to request assistance from USDA in expediting the process…”

    To read the full letter to Secretary Rollins, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Man Sentenced for 20-Year Scheme to Evade Employment Taxes

    Source: US State of California

    Defendant Caused Approximately $60M in Loss to United States Which He Used to Fund a Lavish Lifestyle

    A California man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison and ordered to pay $38 million in restitution for a decades-long scheme to evade employment taxes.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: for more than 20 years, Luis E. Perez was the owner and primary decision-maker for more than a dozen labor staffing companies including Check Mate Inc., BaronHR LLC, BaronHR West Inc., and Fortress Holding Group LLC. Typically, a labor staffing company helps connect job candidates with client-companies looking for temporary employees. The staffing company also usually remains responsible for paying the temporary employees’ wages and complying with associated reporting and tax obligations. Specifically, the companies were responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter. They were also responsible for paying their own Social Security and Medicare taxes. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.

    For nearly as long as Perez was in business, he was noncompliant with his tax obligations. Starting as early as 2001, Perez began not paying over the full amount of taxes withheld from employees’ wages or the full amount of Social Security and Medicare taxes his companies owed. In June 2007, Perez personally owed the IRS taxes related to Check Mate Inc., which the IRS was attempting to collect. By 2017, Perez’s outstanding tax liability had ballooned to nearly $30 million. Between 2007 and 2017, Perez tried to hinder IRS collection efforts in a number of ways. He used BaronHR and Fortress Holding Group’s bank accounts to make personal purchases, such as several luxury items, including automobiles and a boat. He titled the items in the names of several nominees to conceal his ownership from the IRS and to prevent the IRS from seizing them. In addition, he opened a credit card in the name of a nominee and used the card to make personal purchases. He then paid the bills for that credit card from those same business bank accounts. Perez also funneled money from BaronHR and Fortress Holding Group to a nominee, but then used the funds for himself. To further impede IRS collection efforts, Perez lied to IRS revenue officers and submitted false forms to the IRS about his income.

    Perez’s misconduct continued even after he was charged for tax offenses in February 2018. From January 2018 through June 2019, he reported that BaronHR West had paid total wages of approximately $54 million and paid approximately $7 million in total taxes on these wages to the IRS. In fact, BaronHR West paid approximately $185 million in total wages and was required but did not pay approximately $37 million in total taxes to the IRS. Similarly, during the first quarter of 2022, BaronHR West paid about $30 million in wages and was obligated to pay nearly $6 million in taxes. The company paid only $76,000.

    In total, Perez caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $60 million.

    Instead of paying his tax obligations, Perez used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle for himself, including multiple large residences, courtside seats to the Los Angeles Lakers, a private jet, a yacht, and dozens of luxury automobiles, including Bentleys and Lamborghinis.

    In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Kenly Kiya Kato for the Central District of California ordered Perez to serve three years of supervised release and pay $38,052,767 in restitution to the IRS.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Robert Kemins of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brett A. Sagel and James C. Hughes for the Central District of California prosecuted the case

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced for 20-Year Scheme to Evade Employment Taxes

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Defendant Caused Approximately $60M in Loss to United States Which He Used to Fund a Lavish Lifestyle

    A California man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison and ordered to pay $38 million in restitution for a decades-long scheme to evade employment taxes.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: for more than 20 years, Luis E. Perez was the owner and primary decision-maker for more than a dozen labor staffing companies including Check Mate Inc., BaronHR LLC, BaronHR West Inc., and Fortress Holding Group LLC. Typically, a labor staffing company helps connect job candidates with client-companies looking for temporary employees. The staffing company also usually remains responsible for paying the temporary employees’ wages and complying with associated reporting and tax obligations. Specifically, the companies were responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter. They were also responsible for paying their own Social Security and Medicare taxes. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.

    For nearly as long as Perez was in business, he was noncompliant with his tax obligations. Starting as early as 2001, Perez began not paying over the full amount of taxes withheld from employees’ wages or the full amount of Social Security and Medicare taxes his companies owed. In June 2007, Perez personally owed the IRS taxes related to Check Mate Inc., which the IRS was attempting to collect. By 2017, Perez’s outstanding tax liability had ballooned to nearly $30 million. Between 2007 and 2017, Perez tried to hinder IRS collection efforts in a number of ways. He used BaronHR and Fortress Holding Group’s bank accounts to make personal purchases, such as several luxury items, including automobiles and a boat. He titled the items in the names of several nominees to conceal his ownership from the IRS and to prevent the IRS from seizing them. In addition, he opened a credit card in the name of a nominee and used the card to make personal purchases. He then paid the bills for that credit card from those same business bank accounts. Perez also funneled money from BaronHR and Fortress Holding Group to a nominee, but then used the funds for himself. To further impede IRS collection efforts, Perez lied to IRS revenue officers and submitted false forms to the IRS about his income.

    Perez’s misconduct continued even after he was charged for tax offenses in February 2018. From January 2018 through June 2019, he reported that BaronHR West had paid total wages of approximately $54 million and paid approximately $7 million in total taxes on these wages to the IRS. In fact, BaronHR West paid approximately $185 million in total wages and was required but did not pay approximately $37 million in total taxes to the IRS. Similarly, during the first quarter of 2022, BaronHR West paid about $30 million in wages and was obligated to pay nearly $6 million in taxes. The company paid only $76,000.

    In total, Perez caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $60 million.

    Instead of paying his tax obligations, Perez used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle for himself, including multiple large residences, courtside seats to the Los Angeles Lakers, a private jet, a yacht, and dozens of luxury automobiles, including Bentleys and Lamborghinis.

    In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Kenly Kiya Kato for the Central District of California ordered Perez to serve three years of supervised release and pay $38,052,767 in restitution to the IRS.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Robert Kemins of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brett A. Sagel and James C. Hughes for the Central District of California prosecuted the case

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pocan, Bipartisan Colleagues Relaunch Biofuels Caucus, Announce New Co-Chairs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Pocan (2nd District of Wisconsin)

    Washington, DC —Today, Congressional Biofuels Caucus Co-chairs Mark Pocan (D-WI), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Angie Craig (D-MN), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) released the following statements celebrating the launch of the caucus for the 119th Congress and welcoming new Co-chairs Hinson, Fedorchak, and Budzinski. 

    “I am glad to join my colleagues in the Congressional Biofuels Caucus,” said Co-chair Pocan. “Corn growers in Wisconsin deserve to have an even playing field in the market dominated by the oil and gas industry. This Caucus will showcase how biofuels can help us reach our emissions reduction goals while investing in rural jobs and infrastructure.” 

    “American biofuel producers have an untapped ability to power the future of liquid fuels, whether ethanol blends, biodiesel, or sustainable aviation fuel,” said Co-chair Smith. “Advancing sound policy can unlock billions of dollars in savings at the pump and hundreds of thousands of added jobs for the American people. I thank Co-chairs Craig and Pocan and congratulate Co-chairs Hinson, Fedorchak, and Budzinski for joining me to strengthen this bipartisan caucus and continue working to inform our colleagues in the House of the value of biofuels for American energy abundance.” 

    “Increasing the production and availability of homegrown biofuels is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to the all-of-the-above energy policy we need to stay ahead,” said Co-chair Craig. “I’m proud to be relaunching the Biofuels Caucus alongside my bipartisan colleagues this Congress so we can continue our work to lower prices at the pump, create opportunities for local producers and strengthen our energy security.” 

    “Biofuels are key to Iowa’s economy and key to American energy dominance,” said Co-chair Hinson. “Since coming to Congress, I have worked tirelessly to expand access to Iowa biofuels and support Iowa’s biofuels producers by fighting to secure permanent year-round E15, increase biofuels blending targets, and replace foreign energy with homegrown biofuels. I’m honored to co-lead the biofuels caucus and will continue working with President Trump and other caucus members to increase domestic energy production and support Iowa agriculture.” 

    “Biofuels are a growing part of America’s energy strategy and another way North Dakota is helping fuel the world,” said Co-chair Fedorchak. “It’s an honor to serve as a co-chair of this bipartisan caucus to advance policies that will help expand domestic energy production, empower rural America, and deliver practical solutions for North Dakotans.” 

    “I came to Congress to be a strong voice for the people of Central and Southern Illinois—especially our hardworking farmers. Few issues are more critical to their success than strengthening the biofuels industry and expanding market opportunities,” said Co-chair Budzinski. “That’s why promoting the use of homegrown, sustainable biofuels has been a central focus of my work in Congress, and I’m looking forward to continuing that commitment as co-chair of this bipartisan caucus.

    The Congressional Biofuels Caucus advocates for policies which reflect the capacity of American biofuels producers to meet the demand for reliable and affordable liquid fuels while growing rural economies, high-paying jobs, and value-added markets for agricultural commodities. The caucus recognizes biofuels are key to American energy independence and responsible stewardship of our resources. 

    Additional members of the caucus include: Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Jim Baird (R-IN), Scott Peters (D-CA), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Andre Carson (D-IN), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), James Comer (R-KY), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Sam Graves (R-MO), Don Bacon (R-NE), Mike Bost (R-IL), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Marianette Miller Meeks (R-IA), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Mike Flood (R-NE), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), Mark Alford (R-MO), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), Brian Jack (R-GA), and Mark Messmer (R-IN). 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pocan Slams “Big, Beautiful Bill for Billionaires”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Pocan (2nd District of Wisconsin)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) released the following statement after voting against House Republicans’ budget bill:

    “While most Americans were asleep, House Republicans voted to rip healthcare away from 13.7 million people on Medicaid, cut $500 billion from Medicare, and take food away from hungry people—all to give a tax break to their billionaire buddies, like Donald Trump & Elon Musk. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, this will add trillions to the national debt, shutter hospitals, and leave farmers out to dry.”

    “From forcing debate and procedural votes in the dark of night, the entire process has been an attempt to keep this from the public. Even Republican leadership told their members not to hold town halls, they know just how unpopular this bill is with the American public. It must not be allowed to become law and must be stopped by the Senate.”

    Additional background information:

    • CBO confirmed the Republican bill would take from the poorest Americans to hand even more tax breaks to the wealthiest.
    • CBO also found the bill could trigger over $500 billion in automatic cuts to Medicare, under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) law—cuts that many Republicans would be happy to see happen behind closed doors.
    • District-level information on the consequences of the Republican budget bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Potential Effects on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program of Reconciliation Recommendations Pursuant to H. Con. Res. 14

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    A letter to the Honorable Amy Klobuchar and the Honorable Angie Craig concerning Potential Effects on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program of Reconciliation Recommendations Pursuant to H. Con. Res. 14, as Ordered Reported by the House Committee on Agriculture on May 12, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Big Y Foods Recalls Made-To-Order Subs, Wraps and Paninis Sold in Massachusetts and Connecticut Because of Possible Health Risk

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    May 22, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    May 22, 2025
    Product Type:
    Food & BeveragesFoodborne Illness
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Salmonella

    Company Name:
    Big Y Foods
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    Big Y Foods

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    Made-to-order subs, wraps and paninis

    Company Announcement
    Big Y Foods of Springfield, MA is voluntarily recalling some Made-To-Order Subs, Wraps and Paninis sold between 5/20 and 5/21 in some Massachusetts and Connecticut retail stores (listed below), because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
    This recall includes any Made-To-Order Small Sub, Large Sub, 30” Super Sub, Wrap or Panini purchased on 5/20 or 5/21 sold in the following Big Y Stores:

    Address

    City 

    State

    Zip

    1090 St. James Avenue

    Springfield

    MA

    01104

    79 Stonington Rd.

    Mystic

    CT

    06355

    136 North King Street Rt. 5

    Northampton

    MA

    01060

    10 College Highway Rt. 10

    Southampton

    MA

    01073

    802 Williams Street

    Longmeadow

    MA

    01106

    441 N Main St.

    E. Longmeadow

    MA

    01028

    772 North Main St.

    West Hartford

    CT

    06117

    148 West St.

    Ware

    MA

    01082

    200 West St.

    Pittsfield

    MA

    01201

    45 Veterans Memorial Drive

    North Adams

    MA

    01247

    224 Salem Turnpike

    Norwich

    CT

    06360

    141B Storrs Road

    Mansfield

    CT

    06250

    1040 Elm Street

    Rocky Hill

    CT

    06067

    234 Tolland Turnpike

    Manchester

    CT

    06040

    175 University Drive

    Amherst

    MA

    01002

    65 Palomba Drive

    Enfield

    CT

    06082

    1 Kent Road

    New Milford

    CT

    06776

    22 Spencer Plan Rd.

    Old Saybrook

    CT

    06475

    995 Poquonnock Road

    Groton

    CT

    06340

    237 Mohawk Trail, Route 2

    Greenfield

    MA

    01301

    300 Cooley Street

    Springfield

    MA

    01128

    135 West Rd.

    Elington

    CT

    06029

    355 Hawley Lane

    Stratford

    CT

    06614

    2035 Boston Rd.

    Wilbraham

    MA

    01095

    405 Bridgeport Ave.

    Shelton

    CT

    06484

    1313 Hopmeadow St.

    Slimsbury

    CT

    06070

    7 East Hampton Rd. Route 66

    Marlborough

    CT

    06447

    23 Killingworth Turnpike

    Clinton

    CT

    06413

    150 Boston Post Rd.

    Milford

    CT

    06460

    434 Walpole St.

    Norwood

    MA

    02062

    Big Y Foods was notified by Smartcuts that the sliced cucumber distributed to Big Y Foods was impacted by the ongoing Bedner Growers Inc. Cucumber Outbreak investigation. The Smartcuts sliced cucumber is provided as an ingredient option for customers to order when ordering a sub, wrap, or panini at the sandwich service line within the retail Kitchen Department. Big Y Foods ceased operation in all stores listed above, discarded product within the sub, wrap, and panini service line, then thoroughly cleaned and sanitized the service line.
    All Made-To-Order subs, wraps and paninis were produced within the Kitchen Department upon customer request. The subs, wraps and paninis impacted by the cucumber recall were provided for sale to consumers May 20, 2025, and May 21, 2025. These subs, wraps and paninis were not prepackaged for customer self-service.
    No illnesses have been reported to date.
    Consumers who have purchased Made-To-Order subs, wraps and paninis are urged to return the product or show a receipt to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Big Y Foods at wecare@bigy.com, call Big Y Foods at 1-800-828-2688 select Option #7, Monday through Friday from 7am – 4pm, or contact the Smartcuts company at 1-860-525-3237 Monday through Friday from 8am – 5pm.
    Link to FDA Outbreak Advisory

    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    Big Y Foods, Smartcuts
    1-800-828-2688 select Option #7, 1-860-525-3237
    wecare@bigy.com

    Media:
    Aimee Diliberto, Big Y Foods
    1-800-828-2688

    Content current as of:
    05/22/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Topic(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gang Leaders Among 16 Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Firearm Offenses

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

    CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned two multi-count indictments (United States v. Gailliard et al. and United States v. Bailey et al.) charging a total of 16 individuals for their roles in trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl as well as the use of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

    The indictments stem from a lengthy investigation led by the Lowcountry Violent Crime Task Force to address significant drug trafficking in our local communities and the violence associated with such activities.  The individuals charged in these indictments operated primarily out of the North Charleston and West Ashley areas and several are associated with the Gangster Disciple and Fruit Town Piru street gangs.  During the course of this investigation, law enforcement has seized approximately 60 kilograms of cocaine, 1 kilogram of methamphetamine, 24 pounds of marijuana, 600 grams of fentanyl, 500 grams of heroin and thousands of narcotics pills, as well as 12 firearms.

    “These indictments send a clear message that we will not tolerate the proliferation of dangerous drugs and the violence they breed in our communities. The significant quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, along with numerous firearms, underscore the scale and severity of the alleged criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Our local, state, and federal partners demonstrated their commitment to aggressively dismantling drug trafficking networks, particularly those fueling violent street gangs.”

    “These indictments and arrests should provide the community with a sense of reassurance of the FBI’s commitment to work with our state and local partners to make our communities safer,” said Reid Davis, acting special agent in charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “Every resident deserves to live in a safe environment, free from the threats of drugs and violence. The FBI is committed to justice, and we will continue to stand firm in protecting our communities by upholding the rule of law.”

    In the Gailliard et al indictment, the following charges have been filed in United States District Court, according to court documents:

    • Shawntez Gaillard, 32, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as two counts of distribution of cocaine and one count of distribution of 50 gram or more of methamphetamine.
    • Bernard Garland Gregory, 36, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine.
    • Harold Alvin Champaigne, 49, of North Charleston was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, as well as one count of distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine.
    • Dominic Jaquan Mack, 44, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
    • Sharon T. Carter, 53, of Summerville, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, as well as one count of possessing with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
    • Mary Nelly Ayala, 48, of Summerville, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
    • Scott Clayton Hollins, 55, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, as well as one count of possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and quantities of cocaine and fentanyl, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
    • Quentin Rambert, 34, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
    • Levi Cohen, IV, 30, of Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
    • Jabari Cortez Lee, 28, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
    • Marchevis Jefferson, 33, of Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine.

    In the Bailey et al indictment, the following charges have been filed in United States District Court, according to court documents:

    • Jarell Montsho Bailey, 31, of Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, as well as eight counts of distribution of cocaine, four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, three counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
    • DaQuan Hakeem Lee, 33, of Charleston, was charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine.
    • Cleo Williams, Jr, 36, of Summerville, was charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, as well as one count of distribution of cocaine.
    • Meri Elizabeth Sottile, 42, of Charleston, is charged with conspiring to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, as well as one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
    • Amanda Danielle Forth, 34, of Charleston, is charged with conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF

    The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Secret Service, City of Charleston Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, State Law Enforcement Division, North Charleston Police Department, Summerville Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Charleston Aviation Authority and Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Lietzow, Nick Bianchi, and Katie Orville are prosecuting the case. 

    All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Smith, Bipartisan Colleagues Relaunch Biofuels Caucus, Announce New Co-Chairs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

    Washington, DC —Today Congressional Biofuels Caucus Co-chairs Adrian Smith (R-NE), Angie Craig (D-MN), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) released the following statements celebrating the launch of the caucus for the 119th Congress and welcoming new Co-chairs Hinson, Fedorchak, and Budzinski.

    “American biofuel producers have an untapped ability to power the future of liquid fuels, whether ethanol blends, biodiesel, or sustainable aviation fuel,” said Co-chair Smith. “Advancing sound policy can unlock billions of dollars in savings at the pump and hundreds of thousands of added jobs for the American people. I thank Co-chairs Craig and Pocan and congratulate Co-chairs Hinson, Fedorchak, and Budzinski for joining me to strengthen this bipartisan caucus and continue working to inform our colleagues in the House of the value of biofuels for American energy abundance.”

    “Increasing the production and availability of homegrown biofuels is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to the all-of-the-above energy policy we need to stay ahead,” said Co-chair Craig. “I’m proud to be relaunching the Biofuels Caucus alongside my bipartisan colleagues this Congress so we can continue our work to lower prices at the pump, create opportunities for local producers and strengthen our energy security.”

    “Biofuels are key to Iowa’s economy and key to American energy dominance,” said Co-chair Hinson. “Since coming to Congress, I have worked tirelessly to expand access to Iowa biofuels and support Iowa’s biofuels producers by fighting to secure permanent year-round E15, increase biofuels blending targets, and replace foreign energy with homegrown biofuels. I’m honored to co-lead the biofuels caucus and will continue working with President Trump and other caucus members to increase domestic energy production and support Iowa agriculture.”

    “I am glad to join my colleagues in the Congressional Biofuels Caucus,” said Co-chair Pocan. “Corn growers in Wisconsin deserve to have an even playing field in the market dominated by the oil and gas industry. This Caucus will showcase how biofuels can help us reach our emissions reduction goals while investing in rural jobs and infrastructure.”

    “Biofuels are a growing part of America’s energy strategy and another way North Dakota is helping fuel the world,” said Co-chair Fedorchak. “It’s an honor to serve as a co-chair of this bipartisan caucus to advance policies that will help expand domestic energy production, empower rural America, and deliver practical solutions for North Dakotans.”

    “I came to Congress to be a strong voice for the people of Central and Southern Illinois—especially our hardworking farmers. Few issues are more critical to their success than strengthening the biofuels industry and expanding market opportunities,” said Co-chair Budzinski. “That’s why promoting the use of homegrown, sustainable biofuels has been a central focus of my work in Congress, and I’m looking forward to continuing that commitment as co-chair of this bipartisan caucus.

    The Congressional Biofuels Caucus advocates for policies which reflect the capacity of American biofuels producers to meet the demand for reliable and affordable liquid fuels while growing rural economies, high-paying jobs, and value-added markets for agricultural commodities. The caucus recognizes biofuels are key to American energy independence and responsible stewardship of our resources.

    Additional members of the caucus include: Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Jim Baird (R-IN), Scott Peters (D-CA), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Andre Carson (D-IN), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), James Comer (R-KY), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Sam Graves (R-MO), Don Bacon (R-NE), Mike Bost (R-IL), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Marianette Miller Meeks (R-IA), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Mike Flood (R-NE), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), Mark Alford (R-MO), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), Brian Jack (R-GA), and Mark Messmer (R-IN).

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of O.C. Staffing Companies Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Tax Crimes, Admits to Cheating IRS Out of Nearly $60 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RIVERSIDE, California – The owner of Orange County-based temporary staffing companies was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison for willfully evading the payment of nearly $30 million in taxes, penalties and interest, assessed against him to the IRS as well as causing a false tax return to be filed with the IRS as part of defendant’s efforts to conceal nearly $30 million in additional tax liabilities incurred by his staffing companies.

    Luis E. Perez, 56, who has maintained residences in Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda, and Dove Canyon, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kenly Kiya Kato, who also ordered him to pay $38,052,767 in restitution. At today’s hearing, Judge Kato emphasized the “astonishing” period of time defendant engaged in his criminal conduct and the “staggering” amount of money he caused in loss to the government.

    Perez pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of tax evasion and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return.

    According to his plea agreement, Perez’s companies – which include Checkmates Staffing Inc.; Staffaide Inc.; BaronHR, LLC; BaronHR West Inc.; and Fortress Holding Group LLC – were required to withhold taxes from employee wages and to pay the withheld amounts to the IRS on a periodic basis. These withheld taxes, sometimes known as “trust fund taxes,” include income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare.

    From May 2009 to January 2017, Perez’s companies failed to pay the IRS the payroll taxes for the tax years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, including trust fund taxes that Perez’s companies withheld from employees’ paychecks. Beginning in June 2007, the IRS attempted to collect Perez’s outstanding tax liability, including penalties and interest. By February 2017, the outstanding balance had grown to $29,593,378, which included the unpaid taxes, interest and the “Trust Fund Recovery Penalty.”

    Perez attempted to thwart the IRS’s collection efforts by purchasing luxury items from his business bank accounts – including numerous cars and a boat – and concealing his ownership by placing the titles of these items in the names of his businesses and other individuals. Those luxury items included a Ferrari 360 Spider F, a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Duffy D 22 Bay Island boat, a Mercedes-Benz SLS, a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and a Lamborghini Aventador. Perez also evaded the IRS’s collection efforts by obtaining a Visa Black credit card in the name of another person (now his wife) to make personal purchases and paid off the credit card using funds from his business bank accounts.

    As part of his efforts to impede the IRS, Perez lied to IRS revenue officers during interviews and failed to include material information in documents submitted to the IRS. For example, Perez falsely claimed that he received a salary of only $1,000 per week from BaronHR and he did not receive any other funds from the company, when in fact, Perez distributed money to himself from his businesses by making payments to his now wife for his own benefit.

    While on pretrial release for the abovementioned criminal conduct, Perez engaged in additional criminal tax violations. From October 2018 to August 2019, Perez willfully aided and assisted in the preparation of false tax returns that substantially understated the wages paid to the employees of Anaheim-based temporary staffing company BaronHR West from January 2018 through June 2019.  Specifically, Perez admitted in his plea agreement that he caused BaronHR West to underreport employee wages and other compensation paid by the company by approximately $130,879,521, which resulted in the company’s failure to pay approximately $29,633,516 in federal employment taxes.

    Perez has been in federal custody since August 2024, when a federal magistrate judge revoked his bond after a two-day evidentiary hearing finding probable cause to believe that Perez had violated the terms of his pretrial release by committing still more criminal tax violations between 2021 and 2023. In a motion to revoke Perez’s bond filed with the court in August 2024, the government alleged that Perez had willfully caused his staffing companies to fail to pay over $25 million in federal payroll taxes (including over $13 million in federal trust fund taxes withheld from employee wages) since March 2021. 

    “[Perez] is a prolific employment tax cheat who engaged in a decades long pattern of willful non-payment, false statements, and outright evasion,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Perez] has been unrepentant and unwavering in his violations of the internal revenue laws; he continued his pattern of tax fraud despite extensive efforts to halt his behavior.”

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Brett A. Sagel of the Orange County Office, James C. Hughes of the Major Frauds Section, and Robert A. Kemins of the Department of Justice Tax Division prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –