NewzIntel.com

Category: FBI

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Plea from Albuquerque Man for Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man pleaded guilty to federal charges of production of child sexual abuse materials, admitting to creating illicit content and using social media to lure minors for sexual exploitation.

    According to court documents, Kevin Vallo, 40, used the social media messaging app Telegram to communicate with a 13-year-old victim. Vallo created multiple profiles on Telegram under different names and personas, misrepresenting his age as 16 when he was actually 39 years old.

    Vallo admitted to engaging in sexually explicit chats with the victim and repeatedly inviting her to his residence. On or about February 19, 2024, Vallo persuaded the victim and two other minors to come to his home in Albuquerque for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.

    Vallo further admitted to recording four separate videos of himself engaging in sexual activity with the victim using his cellular phone, which he then sent to the victim. These videos constitute child pornography under federal law.

    Vallo will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Vallo faces 15 to 25 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Vallo will be subject to a minimum of 5 years and up to life of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

    If you have reason to believe you or your child may be a victim of Vallo, or if you have information about this ongoing investigation, please call the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or submit their tips online at tips.fbi.gov.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Miami-Dade Correctional Officer Indicted for Service in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – On Dec. 18, Vernell Syrethia Lawson, 33, a former Miami-Dade Correctional Officer, and Gabrielle Nicole Bess-Mills, 35, made their initial appearance in court on a previously sealed indictment containing charges related to a continuing criminal enterprise led by co-defendant Terrance Carter, 31.

    According to the indictment, Carter led a drug trafficking organization which relied on the corruption of Lawson and other Miami-Dade Correctional Officers, along with drug trafficking associates, to introduce narcotics and other contraband for sale into Miami-Dade County jail facilities.

    Lawson and Bess-Mills are charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, participating in a conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, and racketeering promotion through bribery and drug trafficking. Lawson is also charged with Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right conspiracy. The indictment also charges Carter with operating the continuing criminal enterprise and use of interstate facilities to commit violence in furtherance of racketeering.

    The defendants are residents of Miami-Dade County.

    U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Stephanie Daniels, Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), Sherea Green, Director of the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department, Special Agent in Charge Jefferey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Division,  Deanne L. Reuter, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Dr. Judith Bernier, Chair of the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust made the announcement.

    This case was investigated by a Task Force formed by the Miami-Dade Police and Corrections Departments, with the support of federal, state, and local partners, to combat drug trafficking organizations operating in the Miami-Dade correctional facilities with the assistance of corrupt public officials. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Department of Corrections provided significant assistance.

    Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ignacio J. Vázquez, Jr. and Trial Attorney Melanie G. Wegner are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.

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

    An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

    Individuals with information about corruption should contact the FBI Miami Area’s Task Force at https://tips.fbi.gov/. Anyone with information related to possible ethics violations is asked to contact the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust at 786-314-9560 or ethics@miamidade.gov.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20543.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Attempted Robber Who Shot Elderly Man on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation Sentenced To More Than 13 Years In Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DURANGO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Lovell Cassius Benallie, age 27, of Kirtland, New Mexico, was sentenced to a total of 166 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence on the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation. The prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.

    According to the plea agreement and information presented at sentencing, on August 24, 2023, Benallie and an associate traveled from New Mexico to the Ute Mountain Ute Casino. After gambling, Benallie went to the nearby Ute Mountain Ute Travel Center and approached an elderly Navajo man preparing to use the laundry facility. In an interaction that lasted about eighteen seconds, Benallie said, “give me all your money” and pointed a 9mm gun at the man. When the man replied, “what money” Benallie aimed and fired the gun at the man’s leg. Benallie fled the scene. The victim was airlifted to Grand Junction for medical treatment and suffered serious and enduring injuries.    

    Benallie had several prior felony convictions, including a conviction for aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon in Farmington, New Mexico.

    “The defendant acted callously and purposelessly,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “Gun violence will not be tolerated on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation and our office reaffirms our intention to vigorously violent crimes on our reservations.”

    “This defendant coldly and callously shot a total stranger during an attempted robbery. Any such act of violence on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation gets the full attention of FBI Denver,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “In this case we were assisted by the Farmington, New Mexico, Police Department. We will continue to support the Bureau of Indian Affairs and those who live on the reservation by investigating criminal acts and removing the perpetrators from the community.”

    United States District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher sentenced the defendant on December 16, 2024.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Durango conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey K. Graves handled the prosecution.

    Case Number: 1:23-cr-00383-GPG-JMC-1

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Corcoran Correctional Officer Charged With Conspiring With An Inmate To Assault Another Inmate

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against Raquel Mosqueda, 36, of Porterville, California, and Jimmie L. Carter, 44, charging them with conspiring to violate the constitutional rights of another inmate at California State Prison-Corcoran, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. 

    Mosqueda was a Correctional Officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Carter was an inmate.  According to court documents, on or around April 20, 2022, Mosqueda, while serving as a correctional officer at California State Prison-Corcoran, agreed with Carter to permit Carter to “get rid of” the victim.  Mosqueda facilitated an assault of the victim by permitting Carter and other inmates to enter the victim’s cell and assault him.  The assault caused bodily injury to the victim.

    Mosqueda is additionally charged with depriving the victim of his constitutional right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment, which includes the right to be reasonably protected from the threat of violence by fellow inmates.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Office of Internal Affairs.  Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice are prosecuting the case.

    If convicted, Mosqueda and Carter face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy charge.  Mosqueda faces an additional 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of deprivation of constitutional rights. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Extradited Canadian National Sentenced To Life In Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Paul Creighton (67, Ontario, Canada) to life in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material and enticement of a minor. Creighton entered a guilty plea on August 19, 2024.

    According to the plea agreement and evidence presented at sentencing, between 2012 and 2017, Creighton coerced and enticed minor children throughout the United States, including Florida, Virginia, Georgia, and California to create images and videos of themselves performing sexual acts.

    One such victim, a 14-year-old girl living in Osceola County, was coerced by Creighton via social media applications. In April 2017, the victim confided in a friend about the relationship she engaged in with Creighton. The friend notified a high school guidance counselor, who notified the victim’s parents, who then immediately called law enforcement. After being discovered, Creighton advised the victim on what to say to her parents, to reset her phone, reformat her hard drive, and delete messages between them. Creighton later threatened the victim, and told her he would share her images and videos if the victim did not continue to speak to him.

    In October 2017, FBI agents seized various electronic devices from Creighton. Agents obtained search warrants and conducted forensic reviews of those devices, which revealed photographs of the minor victim, online searches for the victim and their family, as well as numerous searches for other minor children throughout the United States.

    On or about October 24, 2017—at the same time that Creighton was flying to

    Washington, DC from Toronto—detectives with the Niagara Regional Police in coordination with the FBI, executed a Canadian search warrant at Creighton’s residence in Ontario. In his home, agents recovered hundreds of images of minor children, including images of child sexual abuse of the minor victims. 

    Creighton was indicted in 2018 and was taken into custody by Canadian authorities on November 12, 2020. On February 8, 2024, Creighton was extradited to the United States, and has been in custody since that date.

    “The life sentence will guarantee no other child falls victim to this man’s horrific abuse,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor. “Our special agents and analysts work these tough investigations with compassion and commitment to ensure justice is served and the innocent are protected from predators.”

    This investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tampa Field Office. Significant assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service and the Niagara Regional Police. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Creighton to the United States. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI Announce Second Superseding Indictment, Bringing Additional Kidnapping and Assault Charges Against Serial Murderer, Kidnapper, and Sexual Abuser Labar Tsethlikai

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – Federal prosecutors have filed six additional charges against Labar Tsethlikai for kidnapping and assault with a dangerous weapon.  The additional charges are part of a larger series of violent crimes committed by Tsethlikai against Native American men across New Mexico between 2022 and 2024.  The added charges correspond to 5 additional victims.

    Labar Tsethlikai, 51, an enrolled Member of Zuni Pueblo, now faces a 17-count second superseding indictment charging him with five additional counts of kidnapping and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon as follows:

    • Count 5: Kidnapping of John Doe 3 on or about May 19, 2023, in Indian Country, McKinley County, New Mexico
    • Count 11: Kidnapping of John Doe 6 on or about August 24, 2023, in Indian Country, McKinley County, New Mexico
    • Count 12: Assault with a dangerous weapon (baseball bat) against John Doe 6 on or about August 24, 2023, in Indian Country, McKinley County, New Mexico
    • Count 13: Kidnapping of John Doe 7 on or about September 7, 2023, in Indian Country, McKinley County, New Mexico
    • Count 14: Kidnapping of John Doe 8 on or about September 15, 2023, in Indian Country, McKinley County, New Mexico
    • Count 16: Kidnapping of John Doe 10 on or about April 5, 2024, in Bernalillo County, New Mexico

    In total, the second superseding indictment identifies 11 victims of Tsethlikai.  The investigation is ongoing.

    Tsethlikai was initially charged with second degree murder on April 25, 2024. On July 31, 2024, a federal grand jury charged Tsethlikai in an 11-count superseding indictment with two counts of kidnapping resulting in death, one count of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree felony murder, four counts of kidnapping, one count assault with intent to commit murder, one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and one count of aggravated sexual abuse:

    • Count 1: On October 22, 2022, Tsethlikai allegedly kidnapped and murdered John Doe 1.
    • Count 2: On January 18, 2024, Tsethlikai allegedly murdered John Doe 2 willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation.
    • Count 3: On January 18, 2024, Tsethlikai allegedly killed John Doe 2 during the commission of a kidnapping and sexual abuse.
    • Count 4: On January 18, 2024, Tsethlikai allegedly kidnapped John Doe 2 and death resulted.
    • Count 6: On June 15, 2023, Tsethlikai allegedly kidnapped John Doe 4.
    • Count 7: On June 15, 2023, Tsethlikai allegedly assaulted John Doe 4 with the specific intent to commit murder.
    • Count 8: On June 15, 2023, Tsethlikai allegedly assaulted John Doe 4, and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
    • Count 9: On July 13, 2023, Tsethlikai kidnapped John Doe 5.
    • Count 10:  On July 13, 2023, Tsethlikai allegedly sexually abused John Doe 5 by force and threats, and the sexual act consisted of contact between the penis of Tsethlikai and the mouth of John Doe 5.
    • Count 15: On February 16, 2024, Tsethlikai allegedly kidnapped John Doe 9 using interstate facilities and instrumentalities.
    • Count 17: On April 11, 2024, Tsethlikai allegedly kidnapped John Doe 11 using interstate facilities and instrumentalities.

    If convicted, Tsethlikai faces a mandatory life sentence or death for the kidnapping resulting in death and first-degree murder charges, up to twenty years imprisonment on the assault with intent to murder charge, up to ten years imprisonment on the assault resulting in serious bodily injury charge, and any number of years up to life for the kidnapping and aggravated sexual abuse charges.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, led by Special Agent Mark Stephenson, is investigating this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department’s Homicide Unit, Sex Crimes Unit, and Air Support Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McGinley and Mark A. Probasco are prosecuting the case, with victim support provided by the FBI’s Victim Services Division, the United States Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Unit, and Utah Navajo Health Systems, Inc., Victim Services. 

    The FBI continues to investigate Tsethlikai’s involvement in crimes against other victims. If you have reason to believe you or someone you know may be a victim, or have information about Tsethlikai, please call the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.

    Labar Tsethlikai is approximately 5’7” and weighs 180 pounds. He is heavyset, has short brown hair, brown eyes, and wears glasses. He sometimes wears a gold bracelet. He is from Zuni, but travels extensively around New Mexico, including Gallup, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. He is believed to work in the Native American jewelry industry and may be a Zuni jewely artist.

    This case is 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.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Jury Convicts Wagoner County Resident of Eight Counts of Child Sexual Abuse

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

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Richard Leroy Osborn III, age 47, of Wagoner County, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of eight counts of child sexual abuse, including five counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and three counts of Abusive Sexual Contact.  Two of the counts of conviction carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

    The jury trial began with testimony on December 9, 2024, and concluded on December 11, 2024, with the guilty verdicts.

    During the trial, the United States presented evidence that Osborn sexually assaulted three children starting in 2011 and continuing until May of 2022, when one of the children first disclosed the sexual abuse.  Additionally, the United States presented evidence that Osborn, already a registered sex offender at the time of the crimes, had previously sexually abused three other victims when they were minors.

    The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    The crimes occurred in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservations, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The Honorable Kea W. Riggs, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court of New Mexico, sitting by assignment, presided over the trial in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and ordered the completion of a presentence report.  Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report.  Osborn will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service until sentencing.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Wagoner Resident Pleads Guilty to Child Neglect

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

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Salasha Fae Bosley, age 25, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to two counts of Child Neglect in Indian Country.

    The Indictment alleged that between September 2023 and June 16, 2024, Bosley failed to provide two children with adequate nurturance, affection, food, shelter, sanitation, hygiene, medical care, supervision, and sanitary living conditions while responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of the children.

    The crimes occurred in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Bove and Caila M. Cleary represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Moore Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearm Charges

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

    MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Charles Daniel Tow, age 34, of Moore, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.

    The Indictment alleged that on June 6, 2024, Tow knowingly and intentionally possessed 40 or more grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, for the purpose of distribution.  The Indictment also alleged that on that same date, Tow knowingly possessed a .380ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol and eight rounds of .380ACP caliber ammunition after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, despite knowing of that conviction.

    The charges arose from an investigation by the District 27 Drug Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Tow will remain in the custody of the U. S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lorenz represented the United States.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Rantoul Man Convicted of Bank Robbery

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

    Urbana, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on December 11, 2024, against Troy Burke, 40, of Rantoul, Illinois, for bank robbery. Sentencing for Burke has been scheduled for May 2, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois

    During the two-day trial, the government presented evidence that on June 20, 2024, Burke walked into the Community Plus Federal Credit Union in Rantoul, Illinois indicating to the teller that he had a gun. He proceeded to remove the plastic partition separating the teller from the customer and threatened to hit her with it. Burke left the bank with more than $9,000 in cash and a GPS device the teller had secured in the stack of currency. Burke was stopped by Rantoul police a few blocks from the Credit Union and was found to be in possession of more than $9,000 cash and the GPS device from the bank.

    Burke was arrested on June 20, 2024, and remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing. 

    Statutory penalties for bank robbery are up to twenty years imprisonment, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

    The case investigation was conducted by the Rantoul Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Timothy Sullivan and Bryan Freres represented the government at trial. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Nationwide Lawsuit Filed in Rhode Island Alleging CVS Knowingly Dispensed Controlled Substances in Violation of the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act

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

    PROVIDENCE, RI – In a civil complaint unsealed today in federal court in Providence, Rhode Island, the Justice Department alleges that CVS Pharmacy, Inc., and various subsidiaries (collectively, CVS) filled unlawful prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs for some of the unlawful prescriptions in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). CVS is the country’s largest pharmacy chain, with more than 9,000 pharmacies across the United States.

    The government’s complaint alleges that, from October 17, 2013, to the present, CVS knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, were not valid, and/or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. Among the large quantities of unlawful prescriptions that CVS allegedly filled were prescriptions for dangerous and excessive quantities of opioids, early fills of opioids, and “trinity” prescriptions, an especially dangerous and abused combination of drugs made up of an opioid, a benzodiazepine, and a muscle relaxant. CVS also allegedly filled large quantities of prescriptions for controlled substances written by prescribers it knew to be engaged in “pill mill practices” – that is, prescribers who issue large numbers of controlled substance prescriptions without any medical purpose. According to the complaint, CVS ignored substantial evidence from multiple sources, including its own pharmacists and internal data, indicating that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions. 

    The complaint alleges that CVS’s violations resulted from corporate-mandated performance metrics, incentive compensation, and staffing policies that prioritized corporate profits over patient safety. CVS set staffing levels far too low for pharmacists to both meet their performance metrics and comply with their legal obligations. CVS also allegedly deprived its pharmacists of crucial information (including by, for example, preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain prescribers) that could have reduced the number of unlawful prescriptions filled. The complaint alleges that CVS’s actions helped to fuel the prescription opioid crisis and that, in some particularly tragic instances, patients died after overdosing on opioids shortly after filling unlawful prescriptions at CVS.

    “Opioid deaths remain a scourge on communities across Rhode Island and the nation, robbing families of loved ones and leaving a path of devastation in their wake,” said Zachary A. Cunha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. “This lawsuit alleges that CVS failed to exercise its critical role as gatekeeper of dangerous prescription opioids and, instead, facilitated the illegal distribution of these highly addictive drugs, including by pill mill prescribers. When corporations such as CVS prize profits over patient safety and overburden their pharmacy staff so that they cannot carry out the basic responsibility of ensuring that prescriptions are legitimate, we will use every tool at our disposal to see that they answer for it.”

    “Our complaint alleges that CVS repeatedly filled controlled substance prescriptions that were unlawful and pressured its pharmacists to fill such prescriptions without taking the time needed to confirm their validity,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The practices alleged contributed to the opioid crisis and opioid-related deaths, and today’s complaint seeks to hold CVS accountable for its misconduct.”

    The government alleges that by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, CVS violated the CSA and, where CVS sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs, also violated the FCA. The complaint alleges that CVS’s actions helped to fuel the prescription opioid crisis. If CVS is found liable, it could face civil penalties for each unlawful prescription filled in violation of the CSA and treble damages and applicable penalties for each prescription reimbursed by federal healthcare programs in violation of the FCA. The court also may award injunctive relief to prevent CVS from committing further CSA violations, including ordering appropriate changes to corporate compliance programs and policies.

    “When lives are destroyed or lost to opioid abuse, it doesn’t matter if the supplier is a street-level dealer, a pill mill, or a nationwide corporation,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Our laws regarding the distribution of opioids and other controlled substances are clear and apply to everyone. We will pursue whatever legal action is necessary to stop any enterprise, regardless of size, that places profit over the safety of our citizens.”

    “CVS is alleged to have dispensed large amounts of highly addictive opioid medications to persons they knew had no medical need for them. Simply put, they put profits over their obligation to keep their customers safe,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “A pharmacy is the final step in the pharmaceutical distribution process that is in place to keep customers safe. In the fight against the opioid epidemic, DEA will continue to be relentless in holding those accountable who violate our drug laws and place our communities in danger whether they are a criminal cartel or large pharmacy chain.”

    “Pharmacies and pharmacists are critical partners to ensure controlled substances are dispensed lawfully and safely to the public,” said Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is committed to holding individuals and entities that dispense these controlled substances improperly and without legitimate medical purpose accountable.”

    “Protecting TRICARE, the healthcare system for military members and their dependents, is a top priority for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Today’s filing demonstrates DCIS’ ongoing commitment to partner with the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to investigate health care providers that submit false claims to TRICARE and put its beneficiaries at risk.”

    Whistleblower Hillary Estright, who previously worked for CVS, filed an action on October 17, 2019, under the qui tam provisions of the FCA. Those provisions authorize private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it has done here.

    The case is captioned United States ex rel. Estright v. Health Corporation, et al., No. 1:22-cv-222 (D.R.I.).

    The United States’ intervention in this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. 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 United States’ enforcement action is being litigated by attorneys from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Rhode Island (First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara M. Bloom and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Love Hubbard and Rachna Vyas), the Justice Department Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Directors Amy L. DeLine and C.B. Buente, Senior Litigation Counsel Donald Lorenzen, and Trial Attorneys Benjamin Cornfeld and Amanda K. Kelly) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Trial Attorneys Claire L. Norsetter, Joshua Barron, and Megan F. Engel), as well as the Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clare Wuerker and John Beerbower), the District of Hawaii (Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sydney Spector and Tracy Weinstein), and the Eastern District of Texas (Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Gillingham and Adrian Garcia).

    The DEA’s Office of Diversion Control, Washington, D.C. Field Division, HHS-OIG, and DCIS conducted the investigation. Several other offices provided substantial assistance in the investigation, including the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of California, the Northern District of Ohio, DEA’s Office of Chief Counsel, DEA’s Office of Diversion Control, Los Angeles Field Division, the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.

    The claims asserted against the defendants are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Russian National Assisted Sanctioned Oligarch in Schemes to Employ an American Citizen to Launch and Operate Russian Television Network

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

    Defendant Also Helped Oligarch Illegally Transfer a $10 Million U.S. Investment to Business Associate

    Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Menno Goedman, the Co-Director of Task Force KleptoCapture, and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging ALEXEY KOMOV with conspiracy and violations of U.S. sanctions arising from his assistance to sanctioned Russian oligarch KONSTANTIN MALOFEYEV, who was previously charged in April 2022.  As alleged, KOMOV conspired with MALOFEYEV to recruit and employ an American citizen, Jack Hanick, who worked for MALOFEYEV in launching and operating a television network in Russia.  KOMOV also conspired with MALOFEYEV, Hanick, and others to illegally transfer a $10 million investment that MALOFEYEV had made in a U.S. bank to a business associate in Greece, in violation of the sanctions blocking MALOFEYEV’s assets from being transferred. 

    U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Alexey Komov facilitated the efforts of Konstantin Malofeyev – an oligarch closely tied to Russian aggression in Ukraine who has been determined by OFAC to have been one of the main sources of financing for the promotion of Russia-aligned separatist groups operating in the sovereign nation of Ukraine – to flout U.S. sanctions.  The unsealing today of the Indictment against Komov is yet another reminder that this Office will continue to hold those accountable that seek to undermine the United States’ national security goals.”

    KleptoCapture Co-Director Menno Goedman said: “The indictment alleges Alexey Komov played an essential role in a multi-faceted scheme to violate and evade U.S. sanctions imposed on a significant financier of Russian aggression in Ukraine.  Task Force KleptoCapture will continue to disrupt schemes perpetrated by Komov and other sanction evaders, whenever and wherever they may hide.”

    FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “Alexey Komov, a Russian national, allegedly conspired with an American citizen and a sanctioned Russian oligarch to develop a Russian cable network to promote anti-Western propaganda. This alleged conspiracy violated laws designed to protect the national security of the United States and our allies. The FBI remains committed to apprehending foreign nationals who employ our citizens to satisfy their odious agenda.”

    According to the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]

    In 2014, the President issued Executive Order 13660, which declared a national emergency with respect to the situation in Ukraine.  To address this national emergency, the President blocked all property and interest in property that came within the U.S. or the possession or control of any U.S. person, of individuals determined by the Secretary of the Treasury to be responsible for or complicit in, or who engaged in, actions or policies that threatened the peace, security, stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of Ukraine, or who materially assist, sponsor, or provide financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to, individuals or entities engaging in such activities.  Executive Order 13660, along with certain regulations issued pursuant to it (the “Ukraine-Related Sanctions Regulations”) prohibits, among other things, making or receiving any funds, goods, or services by, to, from, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked.

    On December 19, 2014, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) designated MALOFEYEV as a Specially Designated National (“SDN”) pursuant to Executive Order 13660.  OFAC’s designation of MALOFEYEV explained that he was one of the main sources of financing for Russians promoting separatism in Crimea, and has materially assisted, sponsored, and provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services to or in support of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, a separatist organization in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk.

    As alleged in the Indictment, beginning in at least 2012, KOMOV assisted MALOFEYEV in recruiting and hiring a U.S. citizen named Jack Hanick to work on a new Russian cable television news network (the “Russian TV Network”) that MALOFEYEV was creating.  As part of KOMOV’s recruitment of Hanick, KOMOV travelled to Manhattan to meet with Hanick and subsequently introduced Hanick to MALOFEYEV in Russia.  With KOMOV’s knowledge, MALOFEYEV negotiated directly with Hanick regarding Hanick’s salary, payment for Hanick’s housing in Moscow, and Hanick’s Russian work visa.  MALOFEYEV paid Hanick through two separate Russian entities through the end of 2018.

    After OFAC designated MALOFEYEV as a SDN in December 2014, MALOFEYEV continued to employ Hanick on the Russian TV Network, with KOMOV’s assistance and input, and in violation of the Ukraine-Related Sanctions Regulations.  For example, prior to the launch of the Russian TV Network on the air in Russia in April 2015, KOMOV wrote an e-mail to MALOFEYEV, Hanick, and another employee, referencing their prior discussion with MALOFEYEV earlier that day and instructing Hanick to create two types of programs and allocate staff. KOMOV further wrote, “Hopefully Konstantin will be providing general direction and guidance for both projects. Looking forward to our long-term co-operation on those exciting endeavors!”  In turn, Hanick requested KOMOV to serve as a moderator for the first broadcast, writing “KM [i.e. MALOFEYEV] and I agree that we need you on this the first show on [the Russian TV Network]!!!”

    With KOMOV’s participation, MALOFEYEV also employed Hanick to assist MALOFEYEV in transferring a shell company that MALOFEYEV owned to a Greek associate of MALOFEYEV (the “Greek Business Associate”).  In 2014, MALOFEYEV, assisted by KOMOV, had used the shell company to make a $10 million investment in a Texas-based bank holding company (the “Texas Bank”).  KOMOV helped set up the deal, emailing a Texas-based attorney (“Individiual-1”), “I plan to come to the US with two of my close friends Konstantin Malofeev [sic] and [another individual] on Feb 4-9, 2014 . . . I’d like the three of us to meet with you to discuss our cooperation, and also joint investment projects (please propose attractive investment opportunities with reliable partners for $50-100 mln participation from our side)”. On or about March 25, 2014, KOMOV wrote to Individual-I, “Konstantin has confirmed today that he goes ahead with the 10 mln investment in the bank project.”

    Beginning in or about March 2015, with KOMOV’s assistance, MALOFEYEV began making plans to transfer ownership of the shell company to the Greek Business Associate, in violation of the Ukraine-Related Sanctions Regulations.  On or about March 4, 2015, KOMOV wrote to Individual-1, “I need to discuss with you several things: previous investment in the bank project (we want to consider selling it)”.  On or about March 17, 2015, KOMOV wrote to Individual-I about the Texas Bank interest, in part, “We want to keep it where it is now, only the owner from our side changes.”  Consistent with that plan, in or about May 2015, MALOFEYEV’s attorney drafted a Sale and Purchase Agreement that purported to transfer the shell company to the Greek Business Associate in exchange for one U.S. dollar.  In June 2015 MALOFEYEV had Hanick physically transport a copy of MALOFEYEV’s certificate of shares in the Texas Bank from Moscow to Athens to be given to the Greek Business Associate.  MALOFEYEV signed the Sale and Purchase Agreement in June 2015, but the agreement was fraudulently backdated to July 2014 to make it appear that the transfer had taken place prior to the imposition of U.S. sanctions.  MALOFEYEV’s attorney then falsely represented to the Texas Bank that the transfer had taken place in July 2014, even though MALOFEYEV and his attorney well knew that the transfer of the shell company was executed in June 2015.

    The U.S. seized and forfeited approximately $5.4 million in the property traceable to MALOFEYEV’s Texas Bank investment, which had been converted by the Texas Bank in 2016 to cash held in a blocked U.S. bank account.  In February 2023, the U.S. Attorney General authorized a transfer of these forfeited funds to the State Department to support Ukrainian veterans.

    MALOFEYEV, of Russia, is believed to be in Russia and remains at large.

    *                *                *

    KOMOV, 53, a Russian national, is charged with conspiracy to violate and substantive violation of International Emergency Economic Powers Act, each of which carry a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.

    The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

    Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and thanked the support and expertise of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs in the conduct of this matter.

    The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vladislav Vainberg, Thane Rehn, Jessica Greenwood, and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Section are in charge of the prosecution. 
     

    [1] The entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Five Men From Grand Strand and Pee Dee Region Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking and Related Gun Crimes

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

    FLORENCE, S.C. — Five men from across the Pee Dee and Grand Strand were sentenced to multi-year terms in federal prison after pleading guilty to a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy operating in and around Horry County and related firearms crimes.

    • Joshua Rodriguez, 33, of Myrtle Beach, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;
    • Derrick Adrien Hooks, Jr., 27, of Chesterfield, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;
    • Christopher Brown, 32, of Pawleys Island, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl;
    • Jonathan Thien Ta, 32, of Myrtle Beach, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition; Ta’s federal sentence will run consecutive to a state sentence he is serving on separate firearms-related conduct; and
    • Neil Alexander Torres, 32, of Myrtle Beach, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition.

    Rodriguez and Brown’s terms of imprisonment will be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. Hook’s term of imprisonment will be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision. Ta and Torres’s terms of imprisonment will be followed by three-year terms of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

    As to Ta and Torres, evidence presented to the court showed that on Nov. 26, 2020, officers with Myrtle Beach Police Department arrived at a restaurant in Myrtle Beach with a warrant to arrest Ta. Officers tried to take Ta into custody, but Ta disobeyed law enforcement commands, reaching into his waistband and pulling out a loaded 9mm handgun, which he passed to Torres before Ta attempted to flee on foot. At the time of the incident, both Ta and Torres were convicted felons who could not legally possess either the firearm or the ammunition with which it was loaded.

    Additional evidence presented to the court showed that from 2018 to 2023, Rodriguez, Hooks, and Brown were involved in trafficking pressed pills containing fentanyl in and around Horry County. Fentanyl is potentially lethal in very small doses.

    Rodriguez, who was a high-level distributor, was accountable for distributing some 14 kilograms of fentanyl over the course of the conspiracy. He frequently possessed firearms in connection with his drug trafficking and threatened to use violence against others.

    On July 1, 2021, law enforcement in Horry County attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a car driven and solely occupied by Hooks. Hooks fled from officers and threw pills and suspected marijuana out of the car during the ensuing chase. Law enforcement then obtained a search warrant for the home in Little River Hooks had come from just prior to the traffic stop. In Hooks’ room at the house, law enforcement found approximately 3.5 kilogram of pills, multiple kilograms of suspected marijuana, a 5.56 caliber firearm, assorted magazines, and ammunition and more than $10,000 in cash. Further investigation revealed that over the course of his involvement in the conspiracy, Hooks was accountable for trafficking 1.6 kilograms of fentanyl.

    Investigation showed Brown was involved as a lower-level distributor within the conspiracy. In approximately five years, Brown was accountable for trafficking 2.7 kilograms of fentanyl. Like Hooks, Brown had a history of fleeing from law enforcement. In 2023, Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Brown in Pawleys Island. Brown fled, reaching speeds of 91 miles per hour while trying to evade law enforcement.

    United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III, sentenced all five men.

    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.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, Myrtle Beach Police Department, Horry County Police Department, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, and the 15th Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn is prosecuting the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Louisville Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Firearms Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced yesterday to a total of 27 years in federal prison for numerous felony offenses, including conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and escape.

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphreys of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

    “This case demonstrates the positive impact that flows from collaborative law enforcement efforts,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. Our federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships in Louisville are key to making the community safer. I commend the work ATF and LMPD, as well as the federal, state, and local agencies from across the country who assisted them. The result in this case – the removal of two violent individuals from the streets for a lengthy period – makes the city safer for all who live, work, and visit here.”     

    According to court documents, Chicoby Summers, 29, was sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by 5 years supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over one kilogram of fentanyl, over 250 grams of heroin, and a mixture of cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack cocaine,” possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and escape. Summers was sentenced to an additional 2 years in prison, to run consecutively with the 25-year sentence for a total of 27 years, for violation of his supervised release.

    Summers and his co-defendant, Jerlen Horton, were convicted following a seven-day jury trial in July of this year.

    In November of this year, Horton was sentenced to serve 29 years and a 6 months, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over one kilogram of fentanyl, over 250 grams of heroin, and a mixture of cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack cocaine,” possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    The ATF and LMPD investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI, DEA, United States Postal Inspection Service, Kentucky State Police, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Long Beach California Police Department, Verdigris Oklahoma Police Department, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter prosecuted the case, with assistance from paralegal Adela Alic.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas title company employee admits to orchestrating $350,000 real estate wire fraud scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 55-year-old McAllen resident has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

    Mayela Saby Cantu admitted she knowingly participated in a scheme that used falsified lien payoff statements, fraudulent warranty deeds and deceptive emails to mislead lenders, title companies and property buyers.

    From November 2020 until her arrest, Cantu defrauded buyers and lenders in multiple property transactions while working at Sierra Title in McAllen. Using her position of trust, she facilitated closings backed by falsified documents. In one notable case, she directed others to create a fraudulent email address resembling that of a legitimate lienholder. Cantu then used the fake account to send false payoff amounts via interstate wires, leading a title company to improperly disburse more than $350,000.

    Cantu facilitated additional fraudulent property transactions, including arranging closing on properties that had already been sold and accepting undisclosed cash payments. By concealing the true nature of these deals, she caused significant financial harm to the affected parties.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane will impose sentencing March 3, 2025. At that time, Cantu faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

    She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

    The FBI, McAllen Police Department and Texas Department of Insurance conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric D. Flores is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jacksonville Technology Architect Sentenced To More Than 12 Years For Attempting To Entice And Meet An 11-Year-Old To Engage In Sexual Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Amol Chandrashekhar Khedkar (59, Jacksonville) to 12 years and 6 months in federal prison for using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Khedkar was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Khedkar was working as an information technology architect for a financial institution when he was arrested on November 29, 2023, in St. Johns County. He has been detained since that time. Khedkar pleaded guilty on August 13, 2024.

    According to court documents and evidence discussed in open court, on November 28, 2023, an undercover FBI agent (UC) in the Jacksonville area was conducting an online undercover operation to identify adults seeking to meet and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the UC posted a notice in a public chat room of a particular online social messaging application (app). Minutes later, an individual using the app name “drbrownee,” who was subsequently identified as Khedkar, contacted the UC online by private message on the app. After being advised of the “child’s” age, Khedkar confirmed that he would “love to see [the ‘child’].” He asked the UC specific questions about access to the “child” and the “child’s” sexual experience, including “[d]oes she suck,” “[d]o you allow fondling?,” and “[w]hat do you charge?” Khedkar and the UC discussed meeting in person the next day at the “child’s” residence. Khedkar stated, “I’ll show up, … [t]hen you can invite me inside.”

    On November 29, 2023, Khedkar and the UC exchanged text messages and arranged to meet at a location in St. Johns County. When Khedkar arrived at the location, he was arrested by FBI agents. During an interview with agents, Khedkar stated that his username was “drbrownee,” that he used his online account to communicate with the UC, and he had asked the UC about sexually abusing the “child.” Khedkar’s cellphone was seized incident to his arrest and a search of its contents revealed at least 25 online conversations between Khedkar and other individuals on the app discussing the sexual exploitation of children, as well as several photos depicting young children being sexually abused.       

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

    It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Police Officer During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

               WASHINGTON – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to prison today after he was previously convicted of assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

               Joseph Pastucci, 50, of New Cumberland, Pennsylvanian, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell to 26 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

               Pastucci previously pleaded guilty to a felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. According to the stipulated facts of this case, Pastucci and co-defendant Jeanette Mangia made plans to travel to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, to protest Congress’ certification of the Electoral College. On Jan. 6, 2021, Pastucci and Mangia traveled from New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, to the Washington, D.C., area to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally. After the rally, the couple walked down toward the U.S. Capitol building. Two minutes after the first breach, they entered the building via the Senate Wing Door and eventually made their way to and entered the Speaker of the House’s Office Suite.

               From there, the couple continued to traverse throughout the Capitol building before making their way into the Senate Chamber. Inside the Chamber, the couple walked on, inspected, and photographed the Senate Dais and rifled through documents. They remained in the Senate Chamber for approximately 14 minutes.

               After leaving the Senate Chamber, between 3:04 p.m. and approximately 3:06 p.m., Pastucci and Mangia confronted police officers near the Senate Carriage Door. During this confrontation, the officers instructed Pastucci and Mangia to leave the building, but they refused. Pastucci was then physically pushed from the Capitol by a police officer. Pastucci resisted this officer’s efforts to push him from the building, including by grabbing a piece of furniture and using it to try and brace against the officer’s efforts. After being ejected from the Capitol and watching Mangia be removed from the Capitol, Pastucci shoved a United States Capitol Police Officer in the chest and shoulder area.

               After being physically removed from the Capitol and assaulting a police officer, at approximately 3:06 p.m., the couple reentered the Capitol via the Rotunda Doors and pushed their way into a crowd of rioters. The couple exited the building at approximately 3:27 p.m.

               The FBI arrested the duo on April 27, 2023, in Pennsylvania.

                Jeanette Mangia is currently awaiting trial for her role in the events of January 6th.

               The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Middle Pennsylvania provided valuable assistance.

               The FBI’s Philadelphia and Washington Field Offices investigated this case. The U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.

               In the 47 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,572 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

    23-cr-288

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nine Quad Cities Men Sentenced to Federal Prison in Violent RICO Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DAVENPORT, Iowa – Nine Quad Cities men, Don Christopher White, Jr., Raheem Jacques Houston, Deaguise Ramont Hall, Michael Linn Cross, Devell Carl Lewis, Lashawn D James Hensley, Simmeon Terrell Hall, Devante Atwell French, and Cortez Deangelo Cooper, Jr., were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a racketeering conspiracy, which engaged in a years-long pattern of violence, including murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking.

    According to public court documents and evidence presented at trials and sentencings, these Fifth Street gang members, also known as the “Arsenal Courts Posse,” “Zone Fifth,” “Fifth Street Mafia,” “Rock Town Money Getters (RTMG),” and “Money Team,” were members and associates of a coordinated violent criminal enterprise based out of Rock Island, Illinois, but engaged in racketeering activity in Davenport and Rock Island, whose purpose was to distribute controlled substances, obtain money and shoot at rival gang members, specifically the 12th Street, Savage Life, and Boom Gang street gangs. Evidence at trial demonstrated the criminal enterprise was connected to dozens of shooting investigations and at least seven homicides over the course of two decades. Some of the activity connected to this enterprise included the following incidents:

    • On August 6, 2006, Andrell Hearn was shot and killed in Rock Island.
    • On August 19, 2006, White and other Fifth Street associates drove by an outdoor family gathering in Davenport where 12th Street members were present and discharged firearms into the group resulting in the death of Vincelina Howard.
    • On August 6, 2011, a shooting outside the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds involving Fifth Street members and members of a rival Davenport group.
    • On September 5, 2012, French and another Fifth Street associate fired shots at a rival gang member in Davenport.
    • On March 31, 2013, several members of a rival Davenport gang were standing in front of the Chorus Line when Fifth Street member Demarko Williams walked into the parking lot and fired multiple shots at the group. In January 2014, Demarko Williams was sentenced to a 100-month federal prison sentence for possessing a firearm as a felon.
    • On September 2, 2015, Fifth Street associate Juwan Johnson shot and killed Lewis Woodson, a rival gang member, in Davenport.
    • On January 3, 2020, officers responded to a shots-fired incident in or near the Davenport parking lot of the Quad City Times building and seized a large number of casings that were later matched to firearms used by Fifth Street members.
    • On May 23, 2020, a dispute over a dice game at a family gathering in Rock Island led to a shootout between Fifth Street associates and others, resulting in the death of Timon Mayfield.
    • Between May 24 and 31, 2020, multiple shootings in the same Rock Island neighborhood where Mayfield was killed left seized casings that were later matched to firearms used by Fifth Street associates.
    • On June 1, 2020, while the City of Davenport was experiencing civil unrest, this criminal enterprise participated in two shootings in Davenport in which they fired in excess of 60 shots and seriously injured two men.
    • Specifically, on June 1, 2020, White, Lewis, Deaguise Hall, Cross, Hensley, and Cooper were present at Necker’s Jewelers to commit a burglary. While there, the group saw a man they had mistaken for a rival gang member. Cooper and others fired 33 rounds from four guns seriously injuring the victim.
    • Just a few hours later, White, Houston, Deaguise Hall, Cross, Hensley, Lewis, and others were in a Davenport alley when a truck occupied by three Davenport police officers entered the alley. Immediately, four Fifth Street associates fired more than 30 rounds at the truck occupied by the officers. Evidence at trial showed Fifth Street members thought the truck was occupied by a rival group. One police officer was struck and injured by the gunfire. One of the officers returned fire. As a result of this exchange, Marquis Tousant died. White, Houston, Deaguise Hall, Cross, Hensley, and Lewis fled the alley shooting in a high-speed car chase through Davenport. They were eventually apprehended. Officers located seven firearms, a large amount of ammunition, large-capacity magazines, including a 50-round drum magazine, face masks, and gloves inside the vehicle. Three of these firearms were later matched to fired casings in the Davenport alley.
    • On December 4, 2021, White and another Fifth Street associate shot at a victim in a vehicle on Middle Road in Davenport.
    • On December 8, 2021, White and another Fifth Street associate were involved in a shooting near the Centennial Bride and River Drive in Davenport. They mistook two men in a vehicle for rivals.
    • On February 25, 2022, White shot a man during a dispute in Moline, Illinois.
    • On March 27, 2022, French shot a victim near the rear door of his residence on Locust Street in Davenport.
    • On April 19, 2022, French shot a victim in the yard of a residence in retaliation for a prior shooting of a Fifth Street associate.

    SENTENCES

    On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, the following defendants were sentenced:

    • Don Christopher White, Jr., 39, was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy, and two charges for felon in possession of a firearm, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. White was also ordered to pay $22,784.20 in restitution.
    • Raheem Jacques Houston, 32, was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy and felon in possession of a firearm, followed by a three -year term of supervised release. Houston was also ordered to pay $16,012.52 in restitution.
    • Deaguise Ramont Hall, 35, was sentenced to 33 years of imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy and for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Hall was also ordered to pay $16,012.52 in restitution.
    • Michael Linn Cross, 32, was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Cross was also ordered to pay $16,012.52 in restitution.
    • LaShawn D. James Hensley, 32, was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Hensley was also ordered to pay $16,012.52 in restitution.

    * * *

    The following defendants were sentenced on December 19, 2024:

    • Devante Atwell French, 31, was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy and felon in possession of ammunition, followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
    • Simmeon Terrell Hall, 36, was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
    • Devell Carl Lewis, 37, was sentenced to 18 1/2 years of imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Lewis was also ordered to pay $16,012.52 in restitution.
    • Cortez Deangelo Cooper, Jr., 31, was sentenced to 13 1/2 years of imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy and felon in possession of ammunition, followed by a three-year term of supervised release.

    * * *

    Previously, on July 11, 2024, Brandon Deshane Branigan, 34, was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment for the same racketeering conspiracy, followed by a three-year term of supervised release.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    * * *

    “Violent crime against our community and attacks on law enforcement will not be tolerated,” said Davenport Police Chief Jeffery Bladel. “These individuals demonstrated a blatant disregard for the safety of our Quad City community; especially in the case of the 2020 ambush and attempted murder of three of our officers. I’m proud of our department’s unwavering dedication to holding criminals accountable and protecting those who serve. My sincere thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their steadfast commitment to justice.”

    * * *

    Two defendants have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing:

    Ricky Lee Childs, Jr., 40, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 23, 2025, for racketeering conspiracy. As part of this investigation, he was also charged with felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to 110 months of imprisonment in case number 3:22-cr-021. Childs faces a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment.

    Timothy Justin Beaver, 30, is scheduled to be sentenced on February 13, 2025, for racketeering conspiracy and for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Beaver faces a maximum sentence of 40 years of imprisonment.

    A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the United States sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    * * *

    Two defendants are awaiting trial. Kylea Dapri Cartwright, Jr., 28, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and felon in possession of ammunition. One of the racketeering acts alleges that on July 5, 2020, Cartwright shot a victim. Rasheem Damonte Bogan, 33, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and felon in possession of a firearm. One of the racketeering acts alleges that on June 1, 2020, Bogan shot a victim. Both are scheduled for a jury trial beginning Monday, February 10, 2025. They each face a maximum of 30 years of imprisonment.

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

    * * *

    United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department and the Rock Island Police Department, with assistance from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Finds Convicted Killer Guilty of Kidnapping and Racketeering

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

               WASHINGTON – Christopher Green, 38, of Washington D.C., was found guilty on Wednesday of racketeering and kidnapping, in connection with a series of violent crimes he committed in early 2017.

               The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Assistant Director, Washington Field Office, David Sunberg, Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince Georges Police Department, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

               Following a 12-day re-trial, the jury found Green, 38, aka “Twin,” guilty of RICO conspiracy and VICAR kidnapping. U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for March 31, 2025. 

               In 2021, Green was found guilty of first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances, assault with a dangerous weapon, and attempted robbery in connection with other offenses committed during the same period.

              According to the government’s evidence, Green was a core member of a criminal organization that operated in the District of Columbia, Prince George’s County, Maryland, and elsewhere, primarily making money through a series of armed robberies. Green’s actions in Southeast Washington on April 9, 2017, led to the death of 25-year-old Zaan Scott. Mr. Scott, a swim coach at the Eastern Market pool, who was on his way home when Green attempted to rob him at gunpoint. Mr. Scott died on May 17, 2017, of a blood clot that the medical examiner determined was a result of the shooting. Green also was found guilty at the initial trial of firing gunshots at another victim on Feb. 23, 2017.

           The kidnapping conviction in the retrial involved an incident on April 8, 2017, in which Green confronted a young man at gunpoint as the man was getting out of his car in a convenience store parking lot.  Green ordered the victim back into the car and robbed him of his ATM card.  He then forced the victim to drive to a nearby apartment complex, where he robbed him of his sneakers and other belongings. 

                Green has been detained since his arrest in April 2017.

               The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar R. Mohanty and Michael Liebman.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Sentenced for Health Care Fraud Violations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a scheme to defraud insurance providers for physical therapy services that were not provided to patients.

    Jeffrey MacEachron, 60, a retired Air Force Colonel and former Inspector General at Hanscom Air Force Base, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three months in prison, to be followed by 27 months of supervised release subject to home confinement. MacEachron was also ordered to pay $335,098 in restitution and a $5,500 fine. In July 2024, MacEachron pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with one count of health care fraud; aiding and abetting.

    MacEachron owned and managed PT4U, Inc., a business that operated physical therapy clinics in Bedford and Lexington, Mass. According to the charging documents, from 2013 through 2021, MacEachron caused insurance companies and TRICARE to reimburse PT4U for physical therapy services that were not actually performed. Specifically, MacEachron edited claim forms to add units of service beyond those actually performed and then submitted them to insurance companies and TRICARE for payment.

    United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Chris Averill, Special Agent in Charge of the Air Force, Office of Special Investigations; Brian J. Solecki, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James D. Herbert and Christopher Looney prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas ‘Proud Boy’ Sentenced to Prison for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

                WASHINGTON – A Texas man was sentenced to prison today after he was previously convicted of felony and misdemeanor offenses related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

                Jeffrey David Reed, 49, of Rosanky, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to 30 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $2,000 in restitution. 

                Reed, a member of the Proud Boys’ Hudson Valley chapter in New York, was previously found guilty of a felony offense of civil disorder and misdemeanor offenses of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

                According to evidence presented during the trial, Reed, a member of the Proud Boys’ Hudson Valley chapter in New York, participated in the January 6, 2021, events in Washington, D.C., as part of the group’s organized efforts. Specifically, Reed was part of the group who broke through metal bike rack barriers, and snow fencing with “Area Closed” signs, to push through a line of officers at the first breach of the restricted perimeter near the Peace Circle.

                This forced police officers, overrun by the numbers of the crowd, to run back up the Pennsylvania Walkway toward the Capitol and regroup, forming a second police line between rioters and the Capitol. As the crowd advanced, Reed ran up to the front of the mob and reached the next set of barricades, consisting of metal bike racks. Capitol Police had erected these barriers to protect the Capitol and keep the crowd at bay. Reed grabbed one of the bike racks with both hands, lifted it, and moved it aside, clearing a path for thousands of rioters to push forward toward the Capitol building. The overwhelmed police officers, outnumbered by the advancing mob, were forced to retreat on the West Plaza.

                Reed continued onward toward the Capitol, confronting a third police line formed by officers behind a metal railing that was part of the construction for the Inaugural Stage. At this point, still at the front of the crowd, Reed was face to face with officers—yelling and pointing at them. Despite law enforcement’s efforts to hold the line for over an hour, they were ultimately overrun. The mob, emboldened by their numbers, surged forward once again, overpowering the police and advancing onto the Capitol’s West Plaza. During the crowd’s efforts to stop the crowd from gaining access to a critical access point—the Southwest staircase—Reed physically pulled another metal bike rack with both hands, using his body weight to try to yank the bike rack away from a police officer. This struggle ended in an officer falling to the ground. The crowd, including Reed, stormed the Southwest staircase and the Inaugural Stage before breaching the Capitol building itself.

                At approximately 2:26 p.m., Reed entered the Capitol through the Senate Wing Door, stepping over broken glass and into the chaos. Once inside, he made his way to the Speaker’s Lobby, just outside the House Chamber. Reed exited the Capitol approximately 16 minutes later, through the East Rotunda Door, at around 2:49 p.m. Once exiting the Capitol, Reed remained on Capitol grounds in the restricted area on the East front—climbing on top of law enforcement vehicles and ripping up a “Police Lives Matter” flag on the East steps of the Capitol.

                This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

                This case was investigated by the FBI’s San Antonio and Washington Field Offices, as well as the New York Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

                In the 47 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,572 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Woman Convicted of Civil Rights Conspiracy Targeting Pregnancy Resource Centers

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Gabriella Oropesa, of Cooper City, Florida, was convicted yesterday for her role in a conspiracy to injure, oppress, threaten or intimidate employees of pro-life pregnancy help centers in the free exercise of the right to provide and seek to provide reproductive health services. The defendant and her co-conspirators selected reproductive health facilities that provided and counseled alternatives to abortion and vandalized those facilities with threatening messages. Caleb Freestone, Amber Stewart-Smith and Annarella Rivera previously pleaded guilty for their participation in the conspiracy.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between May 2022 and July 2022, Oropesa, Freestone, Smith-Stewart and Rivera engaged in a series of targeted attacks on pro-life pregnancy help centers in Florida. The defendants, in the dark of night and while wearing masks and dark clothing to obscure their identities, spray painted the facilities with threatening messages, including “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U” and “We are everywhere.”

    “The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act is clear: no one should have to face threats and intimidation just for doing their job,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to ensure access to the full spectrum of reproductive health services afforded to the public, whether those services include abortion or counseling on alternatives to abortion.”

    “Federal law protects providers who render reproductive health care and those who seek their services,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Threats of violence against pregnancy resource centers or those exercising their rights to care will not be tolerated.”

    A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 19, 2025. Oropesa faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Winter Haven, Hialeah and Hollywood Police Departments.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

    Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services, or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov. For more information about clinic violence, and the Justice Department’s efforts to enforce Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Remarks as Delivered

    Thanks, Nat.

    I am very grateful to be here and have the opportunity to talk to all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement here.

    All of you are the partners that make everything work. You represent people who take risks every single day to keep the people of Oregon safe. I can’t thank you enough, and I very much look forward to hearing your perspectives and ideas for me to take back.

    I am also grateful to have the chance to recognize the extraordinary work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

    For people of this state, this office is the face of the Justice Department. The attorneys and staff here understand that responsibility. And like all of our partners gathered around this table, you do outstanding work on behalf of those you serve.

    Three and a half years ago, the Justice Department launched an ambitious strategy to fight the sharp spike in violent crime that took place during the pandemic.

    We focused our efforts on the most powerful tools we have, which are reflected right here: our partnerships with federal, state, Tribal and local law enforcement.

    We fortified those partnerships with substantial funding from our grantmaking components to help police departments hire more officers, to support our law enforcement task forces, and to invest resources in initiatives aimed at preventing and disrupting violence before it occurs.

    And we brought to bear our unique prosecutorial authorities and new technologies that enable us to zero in on those individuals and gangs that are responsible for the most violence.

    Today, we know that work is starting to pay off.

    Data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association shows a nearly 8% drop in violent crime here in Portland between 2022 and 2023. And recent data shows an additional 4% decline in violent crime in Portland in the first nine months of this year compared to the same time period last year.

    But, of course, there is no acceptable level of violent crime.

    That’s why the Justice Department continues to work with our partners here to fight violent crime, disrupt illegal drug and firearms trafficking, and keep people safe.

    In May, working with the FBI and the Portland Police Bureau, this U.S. Attorney’s Office secured a 14-year sentence for a leader of Portland’s 18th Street Gang. The gang leader conspired to traffic large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the Portland area for redistribution and sale.

    In August, working with the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team and the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, this office obtained a sentence of more than 10 years for a man who sold deadly Oxycodone pills to a 20-year-old woman who died from acute fentanyl poisoning.

    In September, working with the FBI and the Medford Police Department, this office secured sentences of three men for distributing counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills that resulted in the death of a teenage girl.

    In October, working with DEA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, IRS, and the Oregon State Police, and other state and local law enforcement, this office obtained a 57-month sentence for a chief money launderer for a drug trafficking organization operating in the Pacific Northwest and California.

    The defendant laundered more than $4.6 million in drug proceeds and used laundered funds to purchase eight properties. Those properties were forfeited to the government and will ultimately be sold, with proceeds going to support crime victims and law enforcement.

    That same month, in partnership with the FBI, the Klamath Falls Police Department, the Oregon State Police, and half a dozen other law enforcement partners, this office obtained the conviction of a man who brutally victimized two women. The man kidnapped and sexually assaulted both women and held one of them in a cell that he constructed for the purpose in his garage.

    Thanks to the bravery and collaboration of our law enforcement partners, that man is being held accountable for his crimes.

    Just a couple of weeks ago, this office secured a five-year sentence for a man who illegally possessed and manufactured more than 100 semi-automatic firearms and silencers.

    During a search of his residence, investigators found methamphetamine, dozens of weapons, firearm manufacturing tools, and a 3D printer with a partially printed part for an AR15. When the defendant was arrested, he was carrying a semiautomatic pistol without an identifiable serial number.

    That investigation and successful prosecution reflected the joint efforts of this office, ATF, and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office.

    In addition to using our investigative and prosecutorial capabilities, we are also committed to using our grantmaking capabilities to invest in public safety.

    So far this year, the Justice Department has awarded more than $64 million in grants to Oregon.

    These funds will help law enforcement agencies in Oregon to hire more officers.

    And they will help agencies and community partners prevent and combat violent crime and drug trafficking and improve services for survivors of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other crimes.

    The Department of Justice remains committed to providing our law enforcement and community partners with the resources they need to protect their communities.

    The examples I have just shared are just a snapshot of the extraordinary work that this U.S. Attorney’s Office is doing every day to protect people in Oregon and to fulfill the Justice Department’s mission to ensure the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.

    I am extremely proud of the public servants who make up this office and of the extraordinary leader beside me, Natalie Wight. And I am equally proud of the relationships they have developed with the people around this table.

    Your jobs are not easy. They are dangerous, but they are essential. Thanks to you for the many sacrifices you make to keep of this state safe.

    I’m looking forward now to beginning our meeting.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Florida Woman Convicted of Civil Rights Conspiracy Targeting Pregnancy Resource Centers

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Gabriella Oropesa, of Cooper City, Florida, was convicted yesterday for her role in a conspiracy to injure, oppress, threaten or intimidate employees of pro-life pregnancy help centers in the free exercise of the right to provide and seek to provide reproductive health services. The defendant and her co-conspirators selected reproductive health facilities that provided and counseled alternatives to abortion and vandalized those facilities with threatening messages. Caleb Freestone, Amber Stewart-Smith and Annarella Rivera previously pleaded guilty for their participation in the conspiracy.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between May 2022 and July 2022, Oropesa, Freestone, Smith-Stewart and Rivera engaged in a series of targeted attacks on pro-life pregnancy help centers in Florida. The defendants, in the dark of night and while wearing masks and dark clothing to obscure their identities, spray painted the facilities with threatening messages, including “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U” and “We are everywhere.”

    “The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act is clear: no one should have to face threats and intimidation just for doing their job,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to ensure access to the full spectrum of reproductive health services afforded to the public, whether those services include abortion or counseling on alternatives to abortion.”

    “Federal law protects providers who render reproductive health care and those who seek their services,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Threats of violence against pregnancy resource centers or those exercising their rights to care will not be tolerated.”

    A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 19, 2025. Oropesa faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Winter Haven, Hialeah and Hollywood Police Departments.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

    Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services, or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov. For more information about clinic violence, and the Justice Department’s efforts to enforce Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Doctor and Her Wife Sentenced for Fraud and Other Crimes

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

    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A former family practice doctor in Huntsville was sentenced today for drug crimes, health care fraud, and COVID-19 disaster relief fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer, and Special Agent in Charge Tamela Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General Atlanta Region. The doctor’s wife, who owned the medical practice, was also sentenced.

    Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Francene Aretha Gayle, 50, to 87 months in prison on four opioid prescribing charges, one count of health care fraud, and one count of wire fraud. Judge Burke sentenced Schara Monique Davis, 48, to 42 months in prison for one count of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. Each defendant was also ordered to pay $2.2 million in restitution, forfeit $226,815, and pay a fine.

    According to the defendants’ plea agreements, between about 2014 and early 2020, Gayle was a doctor who operated a multi-clinic practice in Huntsville, Athens, and Killen. Davis owned the practice and served as business manager. In 2019, the Killen clinic shut down. In March 2020, the Alabama Medical Licensure Commission revoked Gayle’s license, and the other two clinics closed shortly after that.

    Gayle admitted that she had unlawfully distributed drugs, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone.

    Gayle and Davis both admitted to having conspired to commit health care fraud for several years by billing insurers for office visits under Gayle’s name even when she did not see the patients, was not in the same building, and sometimes was not in the same town. The defendants knew that the billing scheme was fraudulent. In 2015, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama audited the practice and discovered that Gayle was absent, other staff were seeing patients, and yet all office visits were being billed under Gayle’s name. Blue Cross flagged the issue, and Gayle promised it would stop. Instead, the practice continued fraudulently billing insurers for office visits for the next four years. In total, between 2015 and 2020, Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross paid more than $2.3 million for office visits billed under Gayle’s name.

    Gayle and Davis both also admitted to having conspired to commit wire fraud. In March 2020, based on concerns about her prescribing and billing practices, Gayle’s Alabama medical license was revoked.  Months later, Gayle and Davis applied for and obtained more than $450,000 in COVID-19 disaster relief funds through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Those funds were designed to stabilize businesses struggling because of the pandemic. In their funding applications, Gayle and Davis certified that their medical practice needed the money because of economic uncertainty or injury caused by the pandemic. In reality, Gayle and Davis’s practice had closed, and they used COVID-19 funds they received on other things. 

    The FBI, DEA, and HHS-OIG investigated the case. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office provided exceptional investigative assistance after the Alabama Medicaid Agency’s Program Integrity Division initiated the case and referred it. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.B. Ward and Ryan Rummage prosecuted the case. 

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Jordanian National Pleads Guilty to Explosives Threats and Attack on Energy Facility

    Source: US State of California

    Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 44, of Orlando, pleaded guilty today to four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility.

    “With this plea, we are holding this defendant accountable for his threats to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by his desire to ‘warn’ businesses because of their perceived support of Israel,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will fiercely protect the right of every person to peacefully express their opinions, beliefs, and ideas, but we have no tolerance for acts and threats of hate-fueled violence that create lasting fear.”

    “Today, the defendant is admitting he attacked a solar power facility, damaged a number of Florida businesses, and left a series of threatening messages about perceived support for Israel,” said Director Christopher Wray of the FBI. “Violence, destruction of property, and threats are simply unacceptable. The FBI will work with our partners to pursue and hold accountable those who commit illegal and destructive acts and cause our citizens to fear for their safety and livelihoods.”

    According to court documents, beginning around June, Hnaihen targeted and attacked businesses in the Orlando area for their perceived support for Israel. Wearing a mask, under the cover of night, Hnaihen smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind “Warning Letters.”

    In his letters, which were addressed to the U.S. government, Hnaihen laid out a series of political demands, culminating in a threat to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”

    Hnaihen’s attacks escalated. At the end of June, as law enforcement worked to identify the masked attacker, Hnaihen broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, and spent hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays. He smashed panels, cut wires, and targeted critical electronic equipment. Hnaihen left behind two more copies of his threatening demand letter. Hnaihen’s attacks caused nearly $500,000 in damage.

    Following a multiagency effort, law enforcement identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11, shortly after another “warning letter” threatening to “destroy or explode everything” was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.

    Hnaihen faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each threat offense and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the destruction of an energy facility offense. Hnaihen has also agreed to make full restitution to the victims of the offenses. 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 is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Ryan White and George Kraehe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jordanian National Pleads Guilty to Explosives Threats and Attack on Energy Facility

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 44, of Orlando, pleaded guilty today to four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility.

    “With this plea, we are holding this defendant accountable for his threats to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by his desire to ‘warn’ businesses because of their perceived support of Israel,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will fiercely protect the right of every person to peacefully express their opinions, beliefs, and ideas, but we have no tolerance for acts and threats of hate-fueled violence that create lasting fear.”

    “Today, the defendant is admitting he attacked a solar power facility, damaged a number of Florida businesses, and left a series of threatening messages about perceived support for Israel,” said Director Christopher Wray of the FBI. “Violence, destruction of property, and threats are simply unacceptable. The FBI will work with our partners to pursue and hold accountable those who commit illegal and destructive acts and cause our citizens to fear for their safety and livelihoods.”

    According to court documents, beginning around June, Hnaihen targeted and attacked businesses in the Orlando area for their perceived support for Israel. Wearing a mask, under the cover of night, Hnaihen smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind “Warning Letters.”

    In his letters, which were addressed to the U.S. government, Hnaihen laid out a series of political demands, culminating in a threat to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”

    Hnaihen’s attacks escalated. At the end of June, as law enforcement worked to identify the masked attacker, Hnaihen broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, and spent hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays. He smashed panels, cut wires, and targeted critical electronic equipment. Hnaihen left behind two more copies of his threatening demand letter. Hnaihen’s attacks caused nearly $500,000 in damage.

    Following a multiagency effort, law enforcement identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11, shortly after another “warning letter” threatening to “destroy or explode everything” was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.

    Hnaihen faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each threat offense and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the destruction of an energy facility offense. Hnaihen has also agreed to make full restitution to the victims of the offenses. 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 is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Ryan White and George Kraehe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Arizonans Plead Guilty to Fraud Targeting AHCCCS

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – CoEric Riley, 38, of Mesa, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to Healthcare Fraud. His co-defendant, Britney Gooch, 37, of Mesa, also pleaded guilty to Healthcare Fraud on November 21, 2024. Sentencing for Riley and Gooch is scheduled for February 21, 2025, before United States District Judge Krissa M. Lanham.

    Riley and Gooch admitted that they defrauded the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid agency, through their company New Horizons Behavioral Health, a behavioral health clinic in Mesa, Arizona. They further admitted that through New Horizons, they exploited AHCCCS’s American Indian Health Program (AIHP) by falsely billing for services that were not provided to AIHP patients. As a result of the fraudulent billing submissions, Riley and Gooch obtained approximately $3.3 million in illegitimate proceeds from AHCCCS.

    A conviction for Healthcare Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Phoenix Division conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-01794-PHX-KML
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-179_Riley and Gooch

     

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Colorado Man Sentenced To 60 Months In Prison For Assaulting Federal Officer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    DURANGO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Daniel Lehi, 44, of Towaoc, Colorado, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of assaulting a federal officer.

    On April 5, 2024, a Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer responded to the Ute Mountain Ute Casino in Towaoc, Colorado, within the exterior boundaries of the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, on a report of an intoxicated person, later identified as Lehi. Lehi lunged at the officer and struck him in the face. When additional security personnel responded to the incident, Lehi continued to fight until officers were able to subdue him.

    United States District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher sentenced Lehi after considering numerous sentencing factors, including the defendant’s history of assaults on law enforcement officers.

    “Assault on a law enforcement officer is a serious offense, and this defendant received a serious sentence for his actions,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “I want to acknowledge the BIA officer for deftly handling a challenging situation.”

    “This attack on a federal officer simply doing his job is unacceptable. We fully support the officer who is a victim in this case and are steadfast in our commitment to pursuing justice in cases involving assaults on law enforcement officers,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “Such acts will not go unanswered, and we will work tirelessly to ensure accountability.”

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation Durango Field Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Franceware handled the prosecution.

    Case Number: 1:24-cr-00182-GPG

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – David Hullihen, age 41, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to ten counts of receipt of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement.

    As part of his guilty plea, Hullihen admitted that he sent multiple videos depicting child sexual abuse material to another person over the application Wire. Hullihen also possessed child sexual abuse material on his cell phone. Hullihen is a registered sex offender with two previous convictions for child pornography offenses in New York.

    The offenses to which Hullihen pled guilty carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, with a maximum of 40 years imprisonment. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the United States Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.  However, if Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes accepts the parties’ agreed-upon disposition at sentencing on April 23, 2025, Hullihen will receive an prison term of 235 months. Hullihen’s sentence must also include a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of between five years and life, a fine of up to $250,000.00, restitution to the children whose images he distributed and possessed, and he will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. 

    This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Tiffin, Ohio Police Department, the Syracuse, New York Police Department, and the New York State Police. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck prosecuted Hullihen as part of Project Safe Childhood. 

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

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