Category: FBI

MIL-OSI: Northrim BanCorp Earns $10.9 Million, or $1.95 Per Diluted Share, in Fourth Quarter 2024, and $37.0 Million, or $6.62 Per Diluted Share, for the Year Ended December 31, 2024

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Jan. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northrim BanCorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:NRIM) (“Northrim” or the “Company”) today reported net income of $10.9 million, or $1.95 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $8.8 million, or $1.57 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2024, and $6.6 million, or $1.19 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter a year ago. The increase in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2024 is primarily due to an increase in purchased receivable income due to the Company’s acquisition of Sallyport Commercial Finance, LLC (“Sallyport”), which was completed on October 31, 2024. Sallyport and its direct and indirect subsidiaries provide services and products related to factoring and asset-based lending in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, in the fourth quarter of 2024 the Company had an increase in mortgage banking income, primarily as a result of an increase in the fair value of a mortgage servicing portfolio that the Company purchased from another financial institution in the fourth quarter. The increase profitability in the fourth quarter of 2024 as compared to the same quarter of the prior year was largely driven by an increase in mortgage banking income and higher net interest income, as well as an increase in purchased receivable income as noted above, which was only partially offset by higher other operating expenses and an increase in the provision for credit losses.

Net income for the full year of 2024 increased 46% to $37.0 million, or $6.62 per diluted share, compared to $25.4 million, or $4.49 per diluted share, for the full year of 2023. Increased net interest income resulting from loan and deposit growth supported 2024 earnings in the Community Banking segment but were offset by increases in other operating expenses, primarily in salaries and other personnel expense as the Company continued to expand its branch network into new markets in Alaska. An increase in mortgage originations and an increase in the fair value of mortgage servicing rights resulted in net income of $4.4 million in the Home Mortgage Lending segment in 2024 compared to a $2.5 million loss in 2023.

Dividends per share in the fourth quarter of 2024 remained consistent with the third quarter of 2024 at $0.62 per share and increased from $0.60 per share in the fourth quarter of 2023.

“Northrim reported record core earnings in 2024 and record earnings per share in the fourth quarter,” said Mike Huston, Northrim’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are pleased with our results as we continue to focus on profitable growth. In the last five years Northrim’s deposit market share in Alaska has increased from 11% to 16%, loans and deposits have increased by almost 100%, and net interest income has increased by 60%.”

“2024 results were also supported by an improvement in mortgage banking income,” continued Mr. Huston. “We believe the acquisition of Sallyport in the fourth quarter will further diversify fee income and provide attractive risk-adjusted returns to Northrim shareholders.”

Fourth Quarter 2024 Highlights:

Net interest income in the fourth quarter of 2024 increased 7% to $30.8 million compared to $28.8 million in the third quarter of 2024 and increased 15% compared to $26.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis (“NIMTE”)^* was 4.47% for the fourth quarter of 2024, a 12-basis point increase from the third quarter of 2024 and a 35-basis point increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.
Return on average assets (“ROAA”) was 1.43% and return on average equity (“ROAE”) was 16.32% for the fourth quarter of 2024.
Portfolio loans were $2.13 billion at December 31, 2024, up 6% from the preceding quarter and up 19% from a year ago, primarily due to new customer relationships, expanding market share, and to retaining certain mortgage loans originated by Residential Mortgage, a subsidiary of Northrim Bank (the “Bank”), in the loan portfolio.
Total deposits were $2.68 billion at December 31, 2024, up 2% from the preceding quarter, and up 8% from $2.49 billion a year ago. Noninterest bearing demand deposits represented 27% of total deposits at December 31, 2024, down from 29% at September 30, 2024 and 31% at December 31, 2023.
Total assets at December 31, 2024 exceeded $3 billion for the first time.
The average cost of interest-bearing deposits was 2.15% in the fourth quarter of 2024, down from 2.24% in the third quarter of 2024 and up from 2.00% in the fourth quarter a year ago.
Acquired Sallyport for approximately $53.9 million (approximately $47.9 million in cash and $6 million in an earn-out payable over 3 years) on October 31, 2024.


Financial Highlights	Three Months Ended
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Total assets	$3,041,869		$2,963,392		$2,821,668		$2,759,560		$2,807,497
Total portfolio loans	$2,129,263		$2,007,565		$1,875,907		$1,811,135		$1,789,497
Total deposits	$2,680,189		$2,625,567		$2,463,806		$2,434,083		$2,485,055
Total shareholders’ equity	$267,116		$260,050		$247,200		$239,327		$234,718
Net income	$10,927		$8,825		$9,020		$8,199		$6,613
Diluted earnings per share	$1.95		$1.57		$1.62		$1.48		$1.19
Return on average assets	1.43	%	1.22	%	1.31	%	1.19	%	0.93	%
Return on average shareholders’ equity	16.32	%	13.69	%	14.84	%	13.84	%	11.36	%
NIM	4.41	%	4.29	%	4.24	%	4.16	%	4.06	%
NIMTE^*	4.47	%	4.35	%	4.30	%	4.22	%	4.12	%
Efficiency ratio	66.96	%	66.11	%	68.78	%	68.93	%	72.21	%
Total shareholders’ equity/total assets	8.78	%	8.78	%	8.76	%	8.67	%	8.36	%
Tangible common equity/tangible assets^*	7.23	%	8.28	%	8.24	%	8.14	%	7.84	%
Book value per share	$48.41		$47.27		$44.93		$43.52		$42.57
Tangible book value per share^*	$39.17		$44.36		$42.03		$40.61		$39.68
Dividends per share	$0.62		$0.62		$0.61		$0.61		$0.60
Common shares outstanding	5,518,210		5,501,943		5,501,562		5,499,578		5,513,459

^* References to NIMTE, tangible book value per share, and tangible common equity to tangible common assets, (all of which exclude intangible assets) represent non-GAAP financial measures. Management has presented these non-GAAP measurements in this earnings release, because it believes these measures are useful to investors. Please refer to the end of this release for reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures.

Alaska Economic Update
(Note: sources for information in this section are listed on page 13.)

The Alaska Department of Labor (“DOL”) has reported Alaska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in November 2024 was 4.6% compared to the U.S. rate of 4.2%. The total number of payroll jobs in Alaska, not including uniformed military, increased 2.4% or 7,700 jobs between November 2023 and November 2024.

According to the DOL, Construction had the largest growth in new jobs in Alaska through November compared to the prior year. The Construction sector added 2,100 positions for a year over year growth rate of 12.7% in November 2024. The larger Health Care sector grew by 1,500 jobs for an annual growth rate of 3.7%. The Oil & Gas sector increased by 9.2% or 700 new direct jobs. Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities added 1,000 jobs for a 4.5% growth rate. Professional and Business Services increased 700 jobs year over year through November 2024, up 2.5%.

The Government sector grew by 1,200 jobs for 1.5% growth, adding 100 Federal jobs, 800 State and 300 Local government positions in Alaska over the same period. Declining sectors between November 2023 and November 2024 were Manufacturing (primarily seafood processing) shrinking 500 jobs (-6.6%), Information, down 100 jobs (-2.2%), and Retail lost 100 jobs (-0.3%).

Alaska’s Gross State Product (“GSP”) in the third quarter of 2024, exceeded $70 billion for the first time, and is estimated to be $70.1 billion in current dollars, according to the Federal Bureau of Economic Analysis (“BEA”). Alaska’s inflation adjusted “real” GSP increased 6.5% in 2023, placing Alaska fifth best of all 50 states. In the third quarter of 2024 Alaska GSP increased at an annualized rate of 2.2%, compared to the average U.S. growth rate of 3.1%. Alaska’s real GSP improvement in the third quarter of 2024 was primarily caused by growth in the Health Care, Trade, Transportation and Warehousing sectors.

The BEA also calculated Alaska’s seasonally adjusted personal income at $55.7 billion in the third quarter of 2024. This was an annualized improvement in the third quarter of 3.3% for Alaska, compared to the national average of 3.2%. Alaska enjoyed an annual personal income improvement of 3.8% in 2023. The $445 million increase in personal income in the third quarter in Alaska came from a $310 million increase in net earnings from wages, $145 million growth in government transfer receipts (which grew in all 50 states), and a $10 million decrease in investment income.

The monthly average price of Alaska North Slope (“ANS”) crude oil was at an annual high of $89.05 in April 2024 and most recently averaged $72.50 in November 2024. The Alaska Department of Revenue (“DOR”) calculated ANS crude oil production was 461 thousand barrels per day (“bpd”) in Alaska’s fiscal year ending June 30, 2024 and is projected to increase to 467 thousand bpd in Alaska’s fiscal year 2025. The DOR expects production to continue to grow rapidly to 657 thousand bpd by fiscal year 2034. This is primarily a result of new production coming on-line in and around the NPR-A region west of Prudhoe Bay. A partnership between Santos and Repsol is constructing the new Pikka field and ConocoPhillips is reportedly developing the large new Willow field. There are also a number of smaller new fields in Alaska’s North Slope that are contributing to the State of Alaska’s production growth estimates.

According to the Alaska Multiple Listing Services, the average sales price of a single family home in Anchorage rose 6.2% in 2024 to $509,994, following a 5.2% increase in 2023. This was the seventh consecutive year of price increases.

The average sales price for single family homes in the Matanuska Susitna Borough rose 3.9% in 2024 to $412,907, after increasing 4% in 2023. This continues a trend of average price increases for more than a decade in the region. These two markets represent where the vast majority of the Bank’s residential lending activity occurs.

The Alaska Multiple Listing Services reported a 3.4% increase in the number of units sold in Anchorage when comparing 2024 to 2023. There was virtually no change in the number of homes sold in the Matanuska Susitna Borough, with only four fewer homes sold in 2024 than in 2023 or 0.2%.

Northrim Bank sponsors the Alaskanomics blog to provide news, analysis, and commentary on Alaska’s economy. Join the conversation at Alaskanomics.com, or for more information on the Alaska economy, visit: http://www.northrim.com and click on the “Business Banking” link and then click “Learn.” Information from our website is not incorporated into, and does not form, a part of this earnings release.

Review of Income Statement

Consolidated Income Statement

In the fourth quarter of 2024, Northrim generated a ROAA of 1.43% and a ROAE of 16.32%, compared to 1.22% and 13.69%, respectively, in the third quarter of 2024 and 0.93% and 11.36%, respectively, in the fourth quarter a year ago. For the year 2024, Northrim generated a ROAA of 1.29% and a ROAE of 14.70%, compared to 0.94% and 11.17% for 2023.

Net Interest Income/Net Interest Margin

Net interest income increased 7% to $30.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to $28.8 million in the third quarter of 2024 and increased 15% compared to $26.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Interest expense on deposits increased to $10.6 million in the fourth quarter compared to $10.1 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $8.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.

NIMTE^* was 4.47% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 4.35% in the preceding quarter and 4.12% in the fourth quarter a year ago. NIMTE^* increased 12 basis points in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the prior quarter and 35 basis points compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 primarily due to a favorable change in the mix of earning-assets towards higher loan balances as a percentage of total earning-assets, higher earning-assets, and higher yields on those assets which were only partially offset by an increase in costs on interest-bearing deposits. The weighted average interest rate for new loans booked in the fourth quarter of 2024 was 7.23% compared to 7.24% in the third quarter of 2024 and 7.74% in the fourth quarter a year ago. The yield on the investment portfolio increased to 2.84% from 2.80% in the third quarter of 2024 and increased from 2.48% in the fourth quarter of 2023. “We are beginning to see improvements in our net interest margin as a result of lower deposit costs from the recent Fed interest rate cuts, in addition to the benefit of new loan volume and loan repricing driving our net interest margin to 4.47% for the fourth quarter,” said Jed Ballard, Chief Financial Officer. Northrim’s NIMTE^* continues to remain above the peer average of 3.16% posted by the S&P U.S. Small Cap Bank Index with total market capitalization between $250 million and $1 billion as of September 30, 2024.

Provision for Credit Losses

Northrim recorded a provision for credit losses of $1.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, which includes a $125,000 provision for credit losses on purchased receivables, $107,000 benefit to the provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments, and a provision for credit losses on loans of $1.2 million. This compares to a provision for credit losses of $2.1 million in the third quarter of 2024, and a provision for credit losses of $885,000 in the fourth quarter a year ago. The $1.2 million provision for credit losses in the fourth quarter of 2024 is largely attributable to increases in loan and purchased receivable balances.

Nonperforming loans, net of government guarantees, increased during the quarter to $7.5 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $5.0 million at both September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

The allowance for credit losses was 292% of nonperforming loans, net of government guarantees, at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 394% three months earlier and 345% a year ago.

Other Operating Income

In addition to home mortgage lending, Northrim has interests in other businesses that complement its core community banking activities, including purchased receivables financing and wealth management. Other operating income contributed $13.0 million, or 30% of total fourth quarter 2024 revenues, as compared to $11.6 million, or 29% of revenues in the third quarter of 2024, and $6.5 million, or 20% of revenues in the fourth quarter of 2023. The increase in other operating income in the fourth quarter of 2024 as compared to the preceding quarter and the fourth quarter of 2023 is largely the result of higher purchased receivable income due to the acquisition of Sallyport. Additionally, other operating income in the fourth quarter of 2024 as compared to the fourth quarter a year ago increased due to an increase in mortgage banking income arising from higher volume of mortgage activity and an increase in the value of mortgage servicing rights. The changes in mortgage banking are discussed further in the Home Mortgage Lending section below.

Other Operating Expenses

Operating expenses were $29.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $26.7 million in the third quarter of 2024, and $24.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. The increase in other operating expenses in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter a year ago is primarily due to an increase in salaries and other personnel expense, as well as increases in professional fees from one-time deal costs associated with the acquisition of Sallyport and insurance expense due to higher FDIC insurance costs due to the Company’s asset and net income growth.

Income Tax Provision

In the fourth quarter of 2024, Northrim recorded $2.4 million in state and federal income tax expense for an effective tax rate of 17.8%, compared to $2.8 million, or 24.2% in the third quarter of 2024 and $1.7 million, or 20.7% in the fourth quarter a year ago. For the year, Northrim recorded $10.0 million in state and federal income tax expense in 2024 for an effective tax rate of 21.3%, compared to $6.2 million, or 19.7% in 2023. The decrease in the tax rate in the fourth quarter of 2024 as compared to the third quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter a year ago is primarily the result of increased tax benefits related to the Company’s investment in low income housing tax credits and the purchase of renewable energy tax credits.

Community Banking

In the most recent deposit market share data from the FDIC, Northrim’s deposit market share in Alaska increased to 15.66% of Alaska’s total deposits as of June 30, 2024 compared to 15.04% of Alaska’s total deposits as of June 30, 2023. This represents 62 basis points of growth in market share percentage for Northrim during that period while, according to the FDIC, the total deposits in Alaska were up 2.3% during the same period. Northrim opened a branch in Kodiak in the first quarter of 2023, a loan production office in Homer in the second quarter of 2023, a permanent branch in Nome in the third quarter of 2023, and a branch in Homer in the first quarter of 2024. See below for further discussion regarding the Company’s deposit movement for the quarter.

Northrim is committed to meeting the needs of the diverse communities in which it operates. As a testament to that support, the Bank has branches in four regions of Alaska identified by the Federal Reserve as “distressed or underserved non-metropolitan middle-income geographies”.

Net interest income in the Community Banking segment totaled $27.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $25.9 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $24.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Net interest income increased in the fourth quarter of 2024 as compared to the third quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter a year ago mostly due to increased interest income on loans that was only partially offset by higher interest expense on deposits.

The following table provides highlights of the Community Banking segment of Northrim:


	Three Months Ended
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	December 31, 2024	September 30, 2024	June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024	December 31, 2023
Net interest income	$27,643	$25,928	$24,318		$24,215	$24,221
Provision (benefit) for credit losses	771	1,492	(184	)	197	885
Other operating income	2,535	3,507	2,450		2,468	2,741
Other operating expense	19,116	18,723	18,068		17,177	18,158
Income before provision for income taxes	10,291	9,220	8,884		9,309	7,919
Provision for income taxes	1,474	2,133	1,786		1,966	1,604
Net income Community Banking segment	$8,817	$7,087	$7,098		$7,343	$6,315
Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted	5,597,889	5,583,055	5,558,580		5,554,930	5,578,491
Diluted earnings per share	$1.58	$1.26	$1.27		$1.32	$1.14

	Year Ended
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	December 31, 2024	December 31, 2023
Net interest income	$102,104	$95,555
Provision for credit losses	2,276	3,842
Other operating income	10,960	9,130
Other operating expense	73,085	69,253
Income before provision for income taxes	37,703	31,590
Provision for income taxes	7,359	6,175
Net income Community Banking segment	$30,344	$25,415
Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted	5,583,983	5,661,460
Diluted earnings per share	$5.43	$4.49

Home Mortgage Lending

During the fourth quarter of 2024, mortgage loans funded for sale decreased to $162.5 million, of which 89% was for home purchases, compared to $210.0 million and 94% of loans funded for home purchases in the third quarter of 2024, and increased as compared to $79.7 million, of which 96% was for home purchases in the fourth quarter of 2023.

During the fourth quarter of 2024, the Bank purchased Residential Mortgage-originated mortgage loans to hold on the Bank’s balance sheet of $23.4 million of which roughly two-thirds were jumbos and one-third were mortgages for second homes, with a weighted average interest rate of 6.30%, down from $38.1 million and 6.59% in the third quarter of 2024, and down from $27.1 million and 7.05% in the fourth quarter of 2023. Mortgage loans funded for investment has increased net interest income in the Home Mortgage Lending segment. Net interest income contributed $3.3 million to total revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024, up from $2.9 million in the prior quarter, and up from $2.3 million in the fourth quarter a year ago.

The Arizona, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest mortgage expansion markets were responsible for 19% of Residential Mortgage’s $186 million total production in the fourth quarter of 2024, 20% of the $248 million total production in the third quarter of 2024, and 11% of the $107 million in total production in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The net change in fair value of mortgage servicing rights increased mortgage banking income by $873,000 during the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to a decrease of $968,000 for the third quarter of 2024 and a decrease of $1.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Bank purchased an Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) servicing portfolio from another financial institution for $2.3 million. At December 31, 2024, this servicing portfolio was valued at $3.1 million resulting in a $750,000 increase in fair value. Mortgage servicing revenue increased to $2.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 from $2.6 million in the prior quarter and increased from $2.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 due to an increase in production of AHFC mortgages, which contribute to servicing revenues at origination. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company’s mortgage servicing portfolio increased to $294.1 million, which includes the purchase of the AHFC servicing portfolio of $235.6 million, $86.3 million in new mortgage loans, net of amortization and payoffs of $27.8 million as compared to a net increase of $64.8 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $62.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.

As of December 31, 2024, Northrim serviced 6,378 loans in its $1.46 billion home mortgage servicing portfolio, a 25% increase compared to the $1.17 billion serviced as of the end of the third quarter of 2024, and a 40% increase from the $1.04 billion serviced a year ago.

The following table provides highlights of the Home Mortgage Lending segment of Northrim:


	Three Months Ended
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Mortgage loan commitments	$32,299		$77,591		$88,006		$56,208		$22,926

Mortgage loans funded for sale	$162,530		$209,960		$152,339		$84,324		$79,742
Mortgage loans funded for investment	23,380		38,087		29,175		17,403		27,114
Total mortgage loans funded	$185,910		$248,047		$181,514		$101,727		$106,856
Mortgage loan refinances to total fundings	11	%	6	%	6	%	4	%	4	%
Mortgage loans serviced for others	$1,460,720		$1,166,585		$1,101,800		$1,060,007		$1,044,516

Net realized gains on mortgage loans sold	$3,747		$5,079		$3,188		$1,980		$1,462
Change in fair value of mortgage loan commitments, net	(665	)	60		391		386		(296	)
Total production revenue	3,082		5,139		3,579		2,366		1,166
Mortgage servicing revenue	2,847		2,583		2,164		1,561		2,180
Change in fair value of mortgage servicing rights:
Due to changes in model inputs of assumptions¹	1,372		(566	)	239		289		(707	)
Other²	(499	)	(402	)	(320	)	(314	)	(301	)
Total mortgage servicing revenue, net	3,720		1,615		2,083		1,536		1,172
Other mortgage banking revenue	238		293		222		129		99
Total mortgage banking income	$7,040		$7,047		$5,884		$4,031		$2,437

Net interest income	$3,280		$2,941		$2,775		$2,232		$2,276
Provision (benefit) for credit losses	305		571		64		(48	)	—
Mortgage banking income	7,040		7,047		5,884		4,031		2,437
Other operating expense	7,198		7,643		6,697		6,086		5,477
Income before provision for income taxes	2,817		1,774		1,898		225		(764	)
Provision for income taxes	842		497		532		63		(215	)
Net (loss) income Home Mortgage Lending segment	$1,975		$1,277		$1,366		$162		($549	)

Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted	5,597,889		5,583,055		5,558,580		5,554,930		5,769,415
Diluted (loss) earnings per share	$0.35		$0.23		$0.25		$0.03		($0.10	)
¹Principally reflects changes in discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, which are primarily affected by changes in interest rates.
²Represents changes due to collection/realization of expected cash flows over time.


	Year Ended
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	December 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Mortgage loans funded for sale	$609,153		$376,154
Mortgage loans funded for investment	108,045		146,258
Total mortgage loans funded	$717,198		$522,412
Mortgage loan refinances to total fundings	7	%	4	%

Net realized gains on mortgage loans sold	$13,994		$7,828
Change in fair value of mortgage loan commitments, net	172		(102	)
Total production revenue	14,166		7,726
Mortgage servicing revenue	9,155		7,368
Change in fair value of mortgage servicing rights:
Due to changes in model inputs of assumptions¹	1,334		(922	)
Other²	(1,535	)	(1,765	)
Total mortgage servicing revenue, net	8,954		4,681
Other mortgage banking revenue	882		356
Total mortgage banking income	$24,002		$12,763

Net interest income	$11,228		$7,298
Provision for credit losses	892		—
Mortgage banking income	24,002		12,763
Other operating expense	27,624		23,497
Income before provision for income taxes	6,714		(3,436	)
Provision for income taxes	1,934		(943	)
Net (loss) income Home Mortgage Lending segment	$4,780		($2,493	)

Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted	5,583,983		5,661,460
Diluted (loss) earnings per share	$0.86		($0.44	)
¹Principally reflects changes in discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, which are primarily affected by changes in interest rates.
²Represents changes due to collection/realization of expected cash flows over time.

Specialty Finance

On October 31, 2024, the Company completed the acquisition of Sallyport Commercial Finance, LLC in an all cash transaction valued at approximately $53.9 million. Sallyport Commercial Finance, LLC is a leading provider of factoring, asset based lending and alternative working capital solutions to small and medium sized enterprises in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The Company determined that a new Specialty Finance segment was appropriate for the Company upon the completion of the acquisition. The Specialty Finance segment also includes Northrim Funding Services, a division of Northrim Bank that has offered factoring solutions to small businesses since 2004. The composition of revenues for the Specialty Finance segment are primarily purchased receivable income, but also include interest income and other fee income.

The acquisition of Sallyport included $1.13 million in one-time deal related costs which are reflected in other operating expenses for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024 in the tables below. Total pre-tax income for Sallyport for two months of operations, excluding transaction costs was $945,000.

The following table provides highlights of the Specialty Finance segment of Northrim:


	Three Months Ended
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024	June 30, 2024	March 31, 2024	December 31, 2023
Purchased receivable income	$3,526		$1,033	$1,243	$1,345	$1,307
Other operating income	(68	)	—	—	—	—
Interest income	407		158	170	212	235
Total revenue	3,865		1,191	1,413	1,557	1,542
Provision for credit losses	125		—	—	—	—
Other operating expense	3,063		362	429	374	358
Interest expense	489		185	210	212	—
Total expense	3,677		547	639	586	358
Income before provision for income taxes	188		644	774	971	1,184
Provision for income taxes	53		183	218	276	337
Net income Specialty Finance segment	$135		$461	$556	$695	$847
Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted	5,597,889		5,583,055	5,558,580	5,554,930	5,578,491
Diluted earnings per share	$0.02		$0.08	$0.10	$0.13	$0.15

	Year Ended
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	December 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Purchased receivable income	$7,147		$4,482
Other operating income	(68	)	—
Interest income	947		403
Total revenue	8,026		4,885
Provision for credit losses	125		—
Other operating expense	4,228		1,431
Interest expense	1,096		—
Total expense	5,449		1,431
Income before provision for income taxes	2,577		3,454
Provision for income taxes	730		982
Net income Specialty Finance segment	$1,847		$2,472
Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted	5,583,983		5,661,460
Diluted earnings per share	$0.33		$0.44

Balance Sheet Review

Northrim’s total assets were $3.04 billion at December 31, 2024, up 3% from the preceding quarter and up 8% from a year ago. Northrim’s loan-to-deposit ratio was 79% at December 31, 2024, up from 76% at September 30, 2024, and 72% at December 31, 2023.

At December 31, 2024, our liquid assets and investments and loans maturing within one year were $1.01 billion and our funds available for borrowing under our existing lines of credit were $566.8 million. Given these sources of liquidity and our expectations for customer demands for cash and for our operating cash needs, we believe our sources of liquidity to be sufficient for the foreseeable future.

Average interest-earning assets were $2.79 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024, up 4% from $2.67 billion in the third quarter of 2024 and up 7% from $2.61 billion in the fourth quarter a year ago. The average yield on interest-earning assets was 6.02% in the fourth quarter of 2024, up from 5.92% in the preceding quarter and 5.51% in the fourth quarter a year ago.

Average investment securities decreased to $565.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $619.0 million in the third quarter of 2024 and $690.7 million in the fourth quarter a year ago. The average net tax equivalent yield on the securities portfolio was 2.84% for the fourth quarter of 2024, up from 2.80% in the preceding quarter and up from 2.48% in the year ago quarter. The average estimated duration of the investment portfolio at December 31, 2024, was approximately 2.4 years down from approximately 2.8 years a year ago. As of December 31, 2024, $79.0 million of available for sale securities are scheduled to mature in the next six months, $55.8 million are scheduled to mature in six months to one year, and $189.3 million are scheduled to mature in the following year, representing a total of $324.0 million or 12% of earning assets that are scheduled to mature in the next 24 months.

Total unrealized losses, net of tax, on available for sale securities increased by $678,000 in the fourth quarter of 2024 as compared to the prior quarter, and decreased by $9.1 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, resulting in a total unrealized loss of $8.3 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $7.6 million at September 30, 2024 and $17.4 million a year ago. The average maturity of the available for sale securities with the majority of the unrealized loss is 1.5 years at the end of 2024. Total unrealized losses on held to maturity securities were $1.0 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $2.1 million at September 30, 2024, and $3.3 million a year ago.

Average interest bearing deposits in other banks increased to $72.2 million in the fourth quarter from $28.4 million in the third quarter of 2024 due to higher deposit balances and maturing portfolio investments. Average interest bearing deposits in other banks decreased in the fourth quarter of this year compared to $126.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 as cash was used to fund the growing loan portfolio.

Portfolio loans were $2.13 billion at December 31, 2024, up 6% from the preceding quarter and up 19% from a year ago. Portfolio loans, excluding consumer mortgage loans, were $1.86 million at December 31, 2024, up 6% or $99.9 million from $1.76 billion in the preceding quarter and up 14% from a year ago. This increase was diversified throughout the loan portfolio including commercial real estate nonowner-occupied and multi-family loans increasing by $35.1 million, construction loans increasing by $28.7 million, commercial loans increasing $24.9 million, and commercial real estate owner-occupied loans increasing $7.2 million from the preceding quarter. Average portfolio loans in the fourth quarter of 2024 were $2.07 billion, which was up 7% from the preceding quarter and up 18% from a year ago. Yields on average portfolio loans in the fourth quarter of 2024 increased slightly to 6.93% from 6.91% in the third quarter of 2024 and increased from 6.55% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The increase in the yield on portfolio loans in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter a year ago is primarily due to loan repricing due to the increases in interest rates and new loans booked at higher rates due to changes in the interest rate environment. The yield on new portfolio loans, excluding consumer mortgage loans, was 7.40% in the fourth quarter of 2024 as compared to 7.43% in the third quarter of 2024 and 8.07% in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Alaskans continue to account for substantially all of Northrim’s deposit base. Total deposits were $2.68 billion at December 31, 2024, up 2% from $2.63 billion at September 30, 2024, and up 8% from $2.49 billion a year ago. “Our bankers are working hard to continue to bring over new relationships to the Bank, which is helping to magnify normal increases in deposit balances from our customers’ business cycles,” said Ballard. At December 31, 2024, 73% of total deposits were held in business accounts and 27% of deposit balances were held in consumer accounts. Northrim had approximately 34,000 deposit customers with an average balance of $61,000 as of December 31, 2024. Northrim had 26 customers with balances over $10 million as of December 31, 2024, which accounted for $612.9 million, or 24%, of total deposits. Demand deposits decreased by 8% from the prior quarter and decreased 6% year-over-year to $706.2 million at December 31, 2024. Demand deposits decreased to 27% of total deposits at December 31, 2024 compared to 29% at September 30, 2024 and 31% of total deposits at December 31, 2023. Average interest-bearing deposits were up 9% to $1.95 billion with an average cost of 2.15% in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $1.80 billion and an average cost of 2.24% in the third quarter of 2024, and up 13% compared to $1.72 billion and an average cost of 2.00% in the fourth quarter of 2023. Uninsured deposits totaled $1.08 billion or 40% of total deposits as of December 31, 2024 compared to $1.1 billion or 46% of total deposits as of December 31, 2022. As interest rates continued to increase in 2022, Northrim has taken a proactive, targeted approach to increase deposit rates.

Shareholders’ equity was $267.1 million, or $48.41 book value per share, at December 31, 2024, compared to $260.1 million, or $47.27 book value per share, at September 30, 2024 and $234.7 million, or $42.57 book value per share, a year ago. Tangible book value per share^* was $39.17 at December 31, 2024, compared to $44.36 at September 30, 2024, and $39.68 per share a year ago. The increase in shareholders’ equity in the fourth quarter of 2024 as compared to the third quarter of 2024 was largely the result of earnings of $10.9 million which was partially offset by dividends paid of $3.4 million and a decrease in the fair value of the available for sale securities portfolio, which decreased $678,000, net of tax. The Company did not purchase any shares of common stock in the fourth quarter of 2024 and had 110,000 shares remaining under the current share repurchase program as of December 31, 2024. Tangible common equity to tangible assets^* was 7.23% as of December 31, 2024, compared to 8.28% as of September 30, 2024 and 7.84% as of December 31, 2023. The decrease in tangible common equity to tangible assets* was primarily due to $35.0 million of Goodwill booked as part of the acquisition of Sallyport. Northrim continues to maintain capital levels in excess of the requirements to be categorized as “well-capitalized” with Tier 1 Capital to Risk Adjusted Assets of 9.76% at December 31, 2024, compared to 11.53% at September 30, 2024, and 11.43% at December 31, 2023.

Asset Quality

Northrim believes it has a consistent lending approach throughout the economic cycles, which emphasizes appropriate loan-to-value ratios, adequate debt coverage ratios, and competent management.

Nonperforming assets (“NPAs”) net of government guarantees were $11.6 million at December 31, 2024, up from $5.3 million at September 30, 2024 and from $5.8 million a year ago. Of the NPAs at December 31, 2024, $3.0 million, or 26% are nonaccrual loans related to three commercial relationships, $2.8 million, or 24% is related to a Sallyport nonaccrual loan, and $3.3 million, or 28% is related to one purchased receivable relationship.

Net adversely classified loans were $9.6 million at December 31, 2024, as compared to $6.5 million at September 30, 2024, and $7.1 million a year ago. Adversely classified loans are loans that Northrim has classified as substandard, doubtful, and loss, net of government guarantees. Net loan recoveries were $51,000 in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to net loan recoveries of $96,000 in the third quarter of 2024, and net loan charge-offs of $96,000 in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Northrim had $138.0 million, or 6% of total portfolio loans, in the Healthcare sector; $117.0 million, or 5% of portfolio loans, in the Tourism sector; $104.3 million, or 5% in the Accommodations sector; $87.4 million, or 4% in Retail loans; $84.6 million, or 4% of portfolio loans, in the Aviation (non-tourism) sector; $76.5 million, or 4% in the Fishing sector; and $55.1 million, or 3% in the Restaurants and Breweries sector as of December 31, 2024.

Northrim estimates that $99.7 million, or approximately 5% of portfolio loans, had direct exposure to the oil and gas industry in Alaska, as of December 31, 2024, and $1.6 million of these loans are adversely classified. As of December 31, 2024, Northrim has an additional $45.8 million in unfunded commitments to companies with direct exposure to the oil and gas industry in Alaska, and none of these unfunded commitments are considered to be adversely classified loans. Northrim defines direct exposure to the oil and gas sector as loans to borrowers that provide oilfield services and other companies that have been identified as significantly reliant upon activity in Alaska related to the oil and gas industry, such as lodging, equipment rental, transportation and other logistics services specific to this industry.

About Northrim BanCorp

Northrim BanCorp, Inc. is the parent company of Northrim Bank, an Alaska-based community bank with 20 branches throughout the state and differentiates itself with its detailed knowledge of Alaska’s economy and its “Customer First Service” philosophy. The Bank has two wholly-owned subsidiaries, Sallyport Commercial Finance, LLC, a specialty finance company and Residential Mortgage Holding Company, LLC, a regional home mortgage company. Pacific Wealth Advisors, LLC is an affiliated company.

http://www.northrim.com

Forward-Looking Statement
This release may contain “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined for purposes of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are, in effect, management’s attempt to predict future events, and thus are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s views only as of the date hereof. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, regarding our financial position, business strategy, management’s plans and objectives for future operations are forward-looking statements. When used in this report, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” and “intend” and words or phrases of similar meaning, as they relate to Northrim and its management are intended to help identify forward-looking statements. Although we believe that management’s expectations as reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure readers that those expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements, are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from our expectations as indicated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include: descriptions of Northrim’s and Sallyport’s financial condition, results of operations, asset based lending volumes, asset and credit quality trends and profitability and statements about the expected financial benefits and other effects of the acquisition of Sallyport by Northrim Bank; expected cost savings, synergies and other financial benefits from the acquisition of Sallyport by Northrim Bank might not be realized within the expected time frames and costs or difficulties relating to integration matters might be greater than expected; the ability of Northrim and Sallyport to execute their respective business plans; potential further increases in interest rates; the value of securities held in our investment portfolio; the impact of the results of government initiatives on the regulatory landscape, natural resource extraction industries, and capital markets; the impact of declines in the value of commercial and residential real estate markets, high unemployment rates, inflationary pressures and slowdowns in economic growth; changes in banking regulation or actions by bank regulators; inflation, supply-chain constraints, and potential geopolitical instability, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East; financial stress on borrowers (consumers and businesses) as a result of higher rates or an uncertain economic environment; the general condition of, and changes in, the Alaska economy; our ability to maintain or expand our market share or net interest margin; the sufficiency of our provision for credit losses and the accuracy of the assumptions or estimates used in preparing our financial statements, including those related to current expected credit losses accounting guidance; our ability to maintain asset quality; our ability to implement our marketing and growth strategies; our ability to identify and address cyber-security risks, including security breaches, “denial of service attacks,” “hacking,” and identity theft; disease outbreaks; and our ability to execute our business plan. Further, actual results may be affected by competition on price and other factors with other financial institutions; customer acceptance of new products and services; the regulatory environment in which we operate; and general trends in the local, regional and national banking industry and economy. In addition, there are risks inherent in the banking industry relating to collectability of loans and changes in interest rates. Many of these risks, as well as other risks that may have a material adverse impact on our operations and business, are identified in the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, and from time to time are disclosed in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. However, you should be aware that these factors are not an exhaustive list, and you should not assume these are the only factors that may cause our actual results to differ from our expectations. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Northrim does not undertake any obligation to release revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or conditions after the date of this release.

References:

https://www.bea.gov/

http://almis.labor.state.ak.us/

http://www.tax.alaska.gov/programs/oil/prevailing/ans.aspx

http://www.tax.state.ak.us/

http://www.mba.org

https://www.alaskarealestate.com/MLSMember/RealEstateStatistics.aspx

https://www.capitaliq.spglobal.com/web/client?auth=inherit&overridecdc=1&#markets/indexFinancials


Income Statement
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)	Three Months Ended					Year-to-date
(Unaudited)	December 31,		September 30,	December 31,		December 31,		December 31,
	2024		2024	2023		2024		2023
Interest Income:
Interest and fees on loans	$37,059		$34,863	$29,508		$134,739		$108,612
Interest on investments	3,844		4,164	4,677		16,838		18,695
Interest on deposits in banks	883		389	1,743		2,342		4,644
Total interest income	41,786		39,416	35,928		153,919		131,951
Interest Expense:
Interest expense on deposits	10,568		10,123	8,676		39,347		26,511
Interest expense on borrowings	377		451	520		1,389		2,184
Total interest expense	10,945		10,574	9,196		40,736		28,695
Net interest income	30,841		28,842	26,732		113,183		103,256

Provision for credit losses	1,201		2,063	885		3,293		3,842
Net interest income after provision for
loan losses	29,640		26,779	25,847		109,890		99,414

Other Operating Income:
Mortgage banking income	7,040		7,047	2,437		24,002		12,763
Purchased receivable income	3,526		1,033	1,307		7,146		4,482
Bankcard fees	1,148		1,196	946		4,366		3,862
Service charges on deposit accounts	622		605	532		2,348		2,044
Gain on sale of securities	112		—	—		112		—
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable equity securities	(364	)	576	565		465		120
Other income	949		1,130	698		3,602		3,104
Total other operating income	13,033		11,587	6,485		42,041		26,375

Other Operating Expense:
Salaries and other personnel expense	18,254		17,549	15,417		67,847		61,741
Data processing expense	3,108		2,618	2,500		10,986		9,821
Occupancy expense	1,893		1,911	1,783		7,609		7,394
Professional and outside services	1,967		903	802		4,351		3,128
Marketing expense	965		860	933		3,028		2,929
Insurance expense	894		596	675		2,961		2,519
OREO expense, net rental income and gains on sale	2		2	(28	)	(385	)	(794	)
Intangible asset amortization expense	—		—	6		—		17
Other operating expense	2,294		2,289	1,905		8,540		7,426
Total other operating expense	29,377		26,728	23,993		104,937		94,181

Income before provision for income taxes	13,296		11,638	8,339		46,994		31,608
Provision for income taxes	2,369		2,813	1,726		10,023		6,214
Net income	$10,927		$8,825	$6,613		$36,971		$25,394

Basic EPS	$1.99		$1.60	$1.19		$6.72		$4.53
Diluted EPS	$1.95		$1.57	$1.19		$6.62		$4.49
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic	5,509,078		5,501,943	5,513,041		5,502,797		5,601,471
Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted	5,597,889		5,583,055	5,578,491		5,583,983		5,661,460

Balance Sheet
(Dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)	December 31,		September 30,		December 31,
	2024		2024		2023

Assets:
Cash and due from banks	$42,101		$42,805		$27,457
Interest bearing deposits in other banks	20,635		60,071		91,073
Investment securities available for sale, at fair value	478,617		545,210		637,936
Investment securities held to maturity	36,750		36,750		36,750
Marketable equity securities, at fair value	8,719		12,957		13,153
Investment in Federal Home Loan Bank stock	5,331		4,318		2,980
Loans held for sale	59,957		97,937		31,974
Portfolio loans	2,129,263		2,007,565		1,789,497
Allowance for credit losses, loans	(22,020	)	(19,528	)	(17,270	)
Net portfolio loans	2,107,243		1,988,037		1,772,227
Purchased receivables, net	74,078		23,564		36,842
Mortgage servicing rights, at fair value	26,439		21,570		19,564
Premises and equipment, net	37,757		39,625		40,693
Operating lease right-of-use assets	7,455		7,616		9,092
Goodwill and intangible assets	50,968		15,967		15,967
Other assets	85,819		66,965		71,789
Total assets	$3,041,869		$2,963,392		$2,807,497

Liabilities:
Demand deposits	$706,225		$763,595		$749,683
Interest-bearing demand	1,108,404		979,238		927,291
Savings deposits	250,900		245,043		255,338
Money market deposits	196,290		201,821		221,492
Time deposits	418,370		435,870		331,251
Total deposits	2,680,189		2,625,567		2,485,055
Other borrowings	23,045		13,354		13,675
Junior subordinated debentures	10,310		10,310		10,310
Operating lease liabilities	7,487		7,635		9,092
Other liabilities	53,722		46,476		54,647
Total liabilities	2,774,753		2,703,342		2,572,779

Shareholders’ Equity:
Total shareholders’ equity	267,116		260,050		234,718
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$3,041,869		$2,963,392		$2,807,497

Additional Financial Information
(Dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)

Composition of Portfolio Loans
	December 31, 2024				September 30, 2024				June 30, 2024				March 31, 2024				December 31, 2023
	Balance		% of total		Balance		% of total		Balance		% of total		Balance		% of total		Balance		% of total
Commercial loans	$518,148		24	%	$492,414		24	%	$495,781		26	%	$475,220		26	%	$486,057		27	%
Commercial real estate:
Owner occupied properties	420,060		20	%	412,827		20	%	383,832		20	%	372,507		20	%	368,357		20	%
Nonowner occupied and multifamily properties	619,431		29	%	584,302		31	%	551,130		30	%	529,904		30	%	519,115		30	%
Residential real estate:
1-4 family properties secured by first liens	270,535		13	%	248,514		12	%	222,026		12	%	218,552		12	%	203,534		11	%
1-4 family properties secured by junior liens & revolving secured by first liens	48,857		2	%	45,262		2	%	41,258		2	%	35,460		2	%	33,783		2	%
1-4 family construction	39,789		2	%	39,794		2	%	29,510		2	%	27,751		2	%	31,239		2	%
Construction loans	214,068		10	%	185,362		9	%	154,009		8	%	153,537		8	%	149,788		8	%
Consumer loans	7,562		—	%	7,836		—	%	6,679		—	%	6,444		—	%	6,180		—	%
Subtotal	2,138,450				2,016,311				1,884,225				1,819,375				1,798,053
Unearned loan fees, net	(9,187	)			(8,746	)			(8,318	)			(8,240	)			(8,556	)
Total portfolio loans	$2,129,263				$2,007,565				$1,875,907				$1,811,135				$1,789,497

Composition of Deposits
	December 31, 2024			September 30, 2024			June 30, 2024			March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
	Balance	% of total		Balance	% of total		Balance	% of total		Balance	% of total		Balance	% of total
Demand deposits	$706,225	27	%	$763,595	29	%	$704,471	29	%	$714,244	29	%	$749,683	31	%
Interest-bearing demand	1,108,404	41	%	979,238	37	%	906,010	36	%	889,581	37	%	927,291	37	%
Savings deposits	250,900	9	%	245,043	9	%	238,156	10	%	246,902	10	%	255,338	10	%
Money market deposits	196,290	7	%	204,821	8	%	195,159	8	%	209,785	9	%	221,492	9	%
Time deposits	418,370	16	%	435,870	17	%	420,010	17	%	373,571	15	%	331,251	13	%
Total deposits	$2,680,189			$2,628,567			$2,463,806			$2,434,083			$2,485,055

Additional Financial Information
(Dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)

Asset Quality		December 31,		September 30,		December 31,
		2024		2024		2023
	Nonaccrual loans	$7,516		$4,944		$6,069
	Loans 90 days past due and accruing	17		17		—
	Total nonperforming loans	7,533		4,961		6,069
	Nonperforming loans guaranteed by government	—		—		(1,067	)
	Net nonperforming loans	7,533		4,961		5,002
	Repossessed assets	297		297		—
	Nonperforming purchased receivables	3,768		—		808
	Net nonperforming assets	$11,598		$5,258		$5,810
	Nonperforming loans, net of government guarantees / portfolio loans	0.35	%	0.25	%	0.28	%
	Nonperforming loans, net of government guarantees / portfolio loans, net of government guarantees	0.38	%	0.26	%	0.30	%
	Nonperforming assets, net of government guarantees / total assets	0.38	%	0.18	%	0.21	%
	Nonperforming assets, net of government guarantees / total assets net of government guarantees	0.40	%	0.19	%	0.21	%

	Adversely classified loans, net of government guarantees	$9,636		$6,503		$7,057
	Special mention loans, net of government guarantees	$19,769		$9,641		$6,580
	Loans 30-89 days past due and accruing, net of government guarantees / portfolio loans	0.03	%	0.08	%	0.03	%
	Loans 30-89 days past due and accruing, net of government guarantees / portfolio loans, net of government guarantees	0.03	%	0.09	%	0.03	%

	Allowance for credit losses – loans / portfolio loans	1.03	%	0.97	%	0.97	%
	Allowance for credit losses – loans / portfolio loans, net of government guarantees	1.10	%	1.04	%	1.02	%
	Allowance for credit losses – loans / nonperforming loans, net of government guarantees	292	%	394	%	345	%

	Allowance for credit losses – purchased receivables / purchased receivables	4.69	%	—	%	—	%
	Allowance for credit losses – purchased receivables / nonperforming purchased receivables	97	%	—	%	—	%

	Gross loan charge-offs for the quarter	$149		$15		$281
	Gross loan recoveries for the quarter	($200	)	($111	)	($185	)
	Net loan (recoveries) charge-offs for the quarter	($51	)	($96	)	$96
	Net loan (recoveries) charge-offs year-to-date	($215	)	($164	)	($38	)
	Net loan (recoveries) charge-offs for the quarter / average loans, for the quarter	0.00	%	0.00	%	0.01	%
	Net loan (recoveries) charge-offs year-to-date / average loans, year-to-date annualized	(0.01	)%	(0.01	)%	0.00	%

Additional Financial Information
(Dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)

Average Balances, Yields, and Rates
	Three Months Ended
	December 31, 2024				September 30, 2024				December 31, 2023
			Average				Average				Average
	Average		Tax Equivalent		Average		Tax Equivalent		Average		Tax Equivalent
	Balance		Yield/Rate		Balance		Yield/Rate		Balance		Yield/Rate
Assets
Interest bearing deposits in other banks	$72,212		4.72	%	$28,409		5.28	%	$126,174		5.40	%
Portfolio investments	565,785		2.84	%	619,012		2.80	%	690,659		2.48	%
Loans held for sale	83,304		5.97	%	93,689		6.20	%	45,732		6.55	%
Portfolio loans	2,066,216		6.93	%	1,933,181		6.91	%	1,749,732		6.55	%
Total interest-earning assets	2,787,517		6.02	%	2,674,291		5.92	%	2,612,297		5.51	%
Nonearning assets	251,364				196,266				214,934
Total assets	$3,038,881				$2,870,557				$2,827,231

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
Interest-bearing deposits	$1,954,495		2.15	%	$1,796,107		2.24	%	$1,724,409		2.00	%
Borrowings	29,251		3.95	%	43,555		4.07	%	47,964		4.25	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities	1,983,746		2.18	%	1,839,662		2.29	%	1,772,373		2.06	%

Noninterest-bearing demand deposits	738,911				722,000				760,566
Other liabilities	49,815				52,387				63,321
Shareholders’ equity	266,409				256,508				230,971
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$3,038,881				$2,870,557				$2,827,231
Net spread			3.84	%			3.63	%			3.45	%
NIM			4.41	%			4.29	%			4.06	%
NIMTE^*			4.47	%			4.35	%			4.12	%
Cost of funds			1.59	%			1.64	%			1.44	%
Average portfolio loans to average interest-earning assets	74.12	%			72.29	%			66.98	%
Average portfolio loans to average total deposits	76.71	%			76.77	%			70.41	%
Average non-interest deposits to average total deposits	27.43	%			28.67	%			30.61	%
Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities	140.52	%			145.37	%			147.39	%

Additional Financial Information
(Dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)

Average Balances, Yields, and Rates
	Year-to-date
	December 31, 2024				December 31, 2023
			Average				Average
	Average		Tax Equivalent		Average		Tax Equivalent
	Balance		Yield/Rate		Balance		Yield/Rate
Assets
Interest bearing deposits in other banks	$44,913		5.09	%	$91,161		5.02	%
Portfolio investments	623,756		2.82	%	715,367		2.43	%
Loans held for sale	68,790		6.08	%	41,769		6.19	%
Portfolio loans	1,910,156		6.87	%	1,643,943		6.49	%
Total interest-earning assets	2,647,615		5.86	%	2,492,240		5.36	%
Nonearning assets	213,397				198,107
Total assets	$2,861,012				$2,690,347

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
Interest-bearing deposits	$1,802,286		2.18	%	$1,614,386		1.64	%
Borrowings	33,799		3.81	%	51,038		4.24	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities	1,836,085		2.21	%	1,665,424		1.72	%

Noninterest-bearing demand deposits	718,163				749,859
Other liabilities	55,265				47,820
Shareholders’ equity	251,499				227,244
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$2,861,012				$2,690,347
Net spread			3.65	%			3.64	%
NIM			4.28	%			4.14	%
NIMTE^*			4.33	%			4.21	%
Cost of funds			1.59	%			1.19	%
Average portfolio loans to average interest-earning assets	72.15	%			65.96	%
Average portfolio loans to average total deposits	75.79	%			69.53	%
Average non-interest deposits to average total deposits	28.49	%			31.72	%
Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities	144.20	%			149.65	%

Additional Financial Information
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

Capital Data (At quarter end)
	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		December 31, 2023
Book value per share	$48.41		$47.27		$42.57
Tangible book value per share^*	$39.17		$44.36		$39.68
Total shareholders’ equity/Total assets	8.78	%	8.78	%	8.36	%
Tangible common equity/Tangible assets^*	7.23	%	8.28	%	7.84	%
Tier 1 capital / Risk adjusted assets	9.76	%	11.53	%	11.43	%
Total capital / Risk adjusted assets	10.94	%	12.50	%	12.35	%
Tier 1 capital / Average assets	7.68	%	9.08	%	8.72	%
Common shares outstanding	5,518,210		5,501,943		5,513,459
Unrealized gain on AFS debt securities, net of income taxes	($8,295	)	($7,617	)	($17,415	)
Unrealized (loss) on derivatives and hedging activities, net of income taxes	$1,272		$863		$978

Profitability Ratios
	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
For the quarter:
NIM	4.41	%	4.29	%	4.24	%	4.16	%	4.06	%
NIMTE^*	4.47	%	4.35	%	4.30	%	4.22	%	4.12	%
Efficiency ratio	66.96	%	66.11	%	68.78	%	68.93	%	72.21	%
Return on average assets	1.43	%	1.22	%	1.31	%	1.19	%	0.93	%
Return on average equity	16.32	%	13.69	%	14.84	%	13.84	%	11.36	%

	December 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Year-to-date:
NIM	4.28	%	4.14	%
NIMTE^*	4.33	%	4.21	%
Efficiency ratio	67.60	%	72.64	%
Return on average assets	1.29	%	0.94	%
Return on average equity	14.70	%	11.17	%

*Non-GAAP Financial Measures
(Dollars and shares in thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

Non-GAAP financial measures have inherent limitations, are not required to be uniformly applied, and are not audited. Although we believe these non-GAAP financial measures are frequently used by stakeholders in the evaluation of the Company, they have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of results as reported under GAAP.

Net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis

Net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis (“NIMTE”) is a non-GAAP performance measurement in which interest income on non-taxable investments and loans is presented on a tax equivalent basis using a combined federal and state statutory rate of 28.43% in both 2023 and 2022. The most comparable GAAP measure is net interest margin and the following table sets forth the reconciliation of NIMTE to net interest margin.


	Three Months Ended
	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Net interest income	$30,841		$28,842		$27,053		$26,447		$26,732
Divided by average interest-bearing assets	2,787,517		2,674,291		2,568,266		2,558,558		2,612,297
Net interest margin (“NIM”)²	4.41	%	4.29	%	4.24	%	4.16	%	4.06	%

Net interest income	$30,841		$28,842		$27,053		$26,447		$26,732
Plus: reduction in tax expense related to tax-exempt interest income	379		385		378		379		374
	$31,220		$29,227		$27,431		$26,826		$27,106
Divided by average interest-bearing assets	2,787,517		2,674,291		2,568,266		2,558,558		2,612,297
NIMTE²	4.47	%	4.35	%	4.30	%	4.22	%	4.12	%

	Year-to-date
	December 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Net interest income	$113,183		$103,256
Divided by average interest-bearing assets	2,647,615		2,492,240
Net interest margin (“NIM”)³	4.28	%	4.14	%

Net interest income	$113,183		$103,256
Plus: reduction in tax expense related to tax-exempt interest income	1,521		1,576
	$114,704		$104,832
Divided by average interest-bearing assets	2,647,615		2,492,240
NIMTE³	4.33	%	4.21	%

²Calculated using actual days in the quarter divided by 366 for the quarters ended in 2024 and 365 for the quarters ended in 2023, respectively.

³Calculated using actual days in the year divided by 366 for year-to-date period in 2024 and 365 for year-to-date period in 2023, respectively.

*Non-GAAP Financial Measures

(Dollars and shares in thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)

Tangible Book Value

Tangible book value is a non-GAAP measure defined as shareholders’ equity, less intangible assets, divided by common shares outstanding. The most comparable GAAP measure is book value per share and the following table sets forth the reconciliation of tangible book value per share and book value per share.


	December 31, 2024	September 30, 2024	June 30, 2024	March 31, 2024	December 31, 2023

Total shareholders’ equity	$267,116	$260,050	$247,200	$239,327	$234,718
Divided by common shares outstanding	5,518	5,502	5,502	5,500	5,513
Book value per share	$48.41	$47.26	$44.93	$43.52	$42.57

	December 31, 2024	September 30, 2024	June 30, 2024	March 31, 2024	December 31, 2023

Total shareholders’ equity	$267,116	$260,050	$247,200	$239,327	$234,718
Less: goodwill and intangible assets	50,968	15,967	15,967	15,967	15,967
	$216,148	$244,083	$231,233	$223,360	$218,751
Divided by common shares outstanding	5,518	5,502	5,502	5,500	5,513
Tangible book value per share	$39.17	$44.36	$43.52	$40.61	$39.68

Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets

Tangible common equity to tangible assets is a non-GAAP ratio that represents total equity less goodwill and intangible assets divided by total assets less goodwill and intangible assets. The most comparable GAAP measure of shareholders’ equity to total assets is calculated by dividing total shareholders’ equity by total assets and the following table sets forth the reconciliation of tangible common equity to tangible assets and shareholders’ equity to total assets.


Northrim BanCorp, Inc.	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023

Total shareholders’ equity	$267,116		$260,050		$247,200		$239,327		$234,718
Total assets	3,041,869		2,963,392		2,821,668		2,759,560		2,807,497
Total shareholders’ equity to total assets	8.78	%	8.78	%	8.76	%	8.67	%	8.36	%

Northrim BanCorp, Inc.	December 31, 2024		September 30, 2024		June 30, 2024		March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Total shareholders’ equity	$267,116		$260,050		$247,200		$239,327		$234,718
Less: goodwill and other intangible assets, net	50,968		15,967		15,967		15,967		15,967
Tangible common shareholders’ equity	$216,148		$244,083		$231,233		$223,360		$218,751

Total assets	$3,041,869		$2,963,392		$2,821,668		$2,759,560		$2,807,497
Less: goodwill and other intangible assets, net	50,968		15,967		15,967		15,967		15,967
Tangible assets	$2,990,901		$2,947,425		$2,805,701		$2,743,593		$2,791,530
Tangible common equity ratio	7.23	%	8.28	%	8.24	%	8.14	%	7.84	%

Note Transmitted on GlobeNewswire on January 24, 2025, at 12:15 pm Alaska Standard Time.


Contact:	Mike Huston, President, CEO, and COO
	(907) 261-8750
	Jed Ballard, Chief Financial Officer
	(907) 261-3539

The MIL Network –

January 25, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Midlevel leader of drug distribution ring sentenced to 12 years in prison for distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Defendant kept distributing despite knowing fentanyl was causing people to overdose

Tacoma – A 46-year-old Spanaway, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 12 years in prison for his leadership role in a drug distribution ring selling fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Puget Sound region, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Sean Michael Moinette has been in custody since March 2023, in connection with the arrest of over two dozen conspirators, including some with ties to an Aryan prison gangs. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “the impact [of drug trafficking] on our community is almost immeasurable.”

“This defendant was deeply involved in distributing drugs, arranging couriers, and seeking various sources of supply. But when confronted with the information that his fentanyl was too strong and causing overdoses, he did not skip a beat and continued to scheme about moving his poison in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman.

According to records filed in the case, Moinette was identified as a mid-level manager of a drug distribution cell tied to the Aryan Family and Omerta prison gangs. A wiretap investigation in summer of 2022 revealed that Moinette was buying large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, and fentanyl-laced pills multiple times per week. Moinette continued to distribute large quantities of fentanyl powder even after discussions with his supplier that their customers were “dropping like flies.”

In other wiretap calls, he discussed using women as “live shipping containers” to transport fentanyl out of state. In sentencing Moinette, Judge Estudillo said, “Talking about using mules and transportation of drugs through airplanes up to Alaska . . . It’s hard to believe that’s just talk.”

When a drug redistributor was stopped and her car impounded, Moinette was heard on the wire scheming to break into the police impound yard to try to get the drugs out of the vehicle. The break-in did not occur.

Law enforcement arrested members of the drug distribution conspiracy on March 22, 2023, in a coordinated takedown involving ten swat teams and more than 350 law enforcement officers. On that day alone officers seized 177 firearms, more than ten kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona. Those seizures are in addition to the estimated 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 830,000 fentanyl pills, multiple-pound quantities of fentanyl powder, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, $338,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 48 firearms law enforcement seized from members of the conspiracy during the two-year investigation.

Asking for a 13-year prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court that Moinette “continued to distribute fentanyl despite knowing that his fentanyl was having deadly consequences, and he forced his mules to transport this deadly substance using suppositories through the omni-present threat of violence that led one of his couriers to immediately respond “I know” when he threatened to stab her.”

Moinette is the eighth member of the drug conspiracy to be sentenced. Some defendants have received prison sentences of as much at 13 years in prison. Less culpable defendants have been sentenced to 14-50 months in prison. Drug ringleader Jesse James Bailey pleaded guilty last November and is scheduled for sentencing on February 28, 2025.

This case 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.

This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Max Shiner, Zach Dillon, and Jehiel Baer.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Savage Woman Pleads Guilty for Her Role in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud Scheme

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MINNEAPOLIS – A Savage woman pleaded guilty for her role in the fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

According to court documents, Ayan Farah Abukar, 43, and her co-defendants participated in a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program by obtaining, misappropriating, and laundering millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children. The defendants exploited changes in the program intended to ensure underserved children received adequate nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than feed children, the defendants enriched themselves by fraudulently misappropriating millions of dollars in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds.

According to court documents, Abukarwas the founder and executive director of Action for East African People, a non-profit which she enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Sponsor A. Between October 2020 through 2022, Abukar falsely claimed to be serving as many as 5,000 children a day at her various sites in Bloomington, Minneapolis, Savage, and St. Paul. In total, Abukar fraudulently received approximately $5.7 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. As part of the scheme to defraud, Abukar also paid more than $330,000 in kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee. Abukar spent millions on real estate, including a 37-acre commercial property in Lakeville and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase an aircraft in Nairobi, Kenya.

Abukar pleaded guilty today in U.S District Court before Chief Judge Schiltz to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Delaware Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Federal Prison for Second Conviction Involving Child Sexual Abuse Material

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WILMINGTON, Del. – Melvin Janvier, 37, of Newark, Delaware was sentenced on January 23, 2025, to 135 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”), announced Shannon T. Hanson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. Following his time in prison, he will spend 15 years on federal supervised release. U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika pronounced the sentence.

According to court documents, the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Unit, with the assistance of State of Delaware Probation and Parole, arrested Janvier after an FBI Child Exploitation Task Force investigation indicated Janvier was in possession of and sending CSAM from Janvier’s cellphone through the Internet in July 2021.

Law enforcement later found over 2,000 files containing CSAM on Janvier’s phone. The files found on the device included images and videos of prepubescent minors, to include infants and toddlers, and materials portraying bondage and bestiality. Janvier had previously been convicted in 2016 in the State of Delaware for possession of and dealing in CSAM and served four years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Hanson stated, “Our office is committed to protecting children and prosecuting those engaged in the sexual exploitation of minors through the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. I wish to thank the FBI and our Delaware law enforcement partners who tirelessly pursed this case.”

“There is nothing that can excuse Melvin Janvier’s sick behavior. Every one of the more than 2,000 images he possessed re-victimizes a child,” said FBI Baltimore SAC William J. DelBagno. “FBI Baltimore’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force is committed to putting predators like Janvier behind bars where they can no longer hurt others.”

The FBI Baltimore Field Office, with the assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office and the State of Delaware Probation and Parole, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel S. Frey and Briana Knox prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 22-CR-78-MN.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Colombian Narco Trafficker Sentenced to 78 Months for Conspiring to Import Thousands of Kilos of Cocaine into the U.S.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

WASHINGTON – Aldemar Soto-Charry, 64, a highly ranked member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 78 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute thousands of kilos of cocaine for importation into the United States. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia, DEA Special Agent in Charge Eugene L. Crouch of the DEA Andean Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Veltri of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.

Soto-Charry, aka “El Ingeniero” (“the Engineer”), pleaded guilty on October 11, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine for importation into the United States and aiding and abetting in the same. As part of the plea agreement, Soto-Charry acknowledged he was accountable for engaging in a conspiracy on behalf of the FARC to transport over 1,000 kilos of cocaine on a regular basis to a Mexican cartel, ultimately knowing that the cocaine would be transported into the United States.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Soto-Charry to serve four years of supervised release.

According to court documents, in 2018 the DEA commenced a targeted operation against large-scale drug traffickers in Colombia, including those connected to the FARC. In July 2018, the DEA learned that Soto-Charry had claimed that FARC leadership was exploring opportunities to launder proceeds of drug sales, including through the purchase of real estate in Panama. The DEA enlisted confidential sources to meet with Soto-Charry and his co-conspirators.

In October 2018, Soto-Charry was introduced to the CSs, one who posed as an individual with business connections in Panama and the other as a facilitator for large-scale drug transactions with the Mexican Gulf Cartel, which sought thousands of kilograms of cocaine for exportation abroad, including the United States. Soto-Charry detailed the FARC’s illicit business ventures, including laundering $10 million of cocaine proceeds through the construction of a medical clinic in Panama. Soto-Charry said he could organize drug deals using cocaine that was being processed at FARC-controlled cocaine laboratories in the jungles of Colombia. During a later meeting, Soto-Charry said the FARC could provide up to 2,000 kilograms of cocaine every few weeks.

Between October 3, 2018, and July 25, 2019, the CSs regularly met with Soto-Charry and his co-conspirators to discuss the details of a potential deal for significant quantities of cocaine. During the meetings, Soto-Charry discussed FARC-related drug trafficking activities, cocaine pricing, cocaine purity, drug trafficking routes out of Colombia, and other logistical matters related to large-scale cocaine sales. As part of these discussions, Soto-Charry’s co-conspirators ultimately helped deliver a five-kilogram sample of cocaine and discussed how to transport it to the U.S.

Soto-Charry was arrested in Colombia on August 8, 2019, and extradited to the United States on August 9, 2024. In his plea agreement, he accepted responsibility for conspiring to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of cocaine. He has been in custody since the date of his arrest in Colombia.

His co-defendant Mauricio Mazabel-Soto was sentenced to 73 months. Co-defendant Alfredo Molina-Cutiva received a sentence of 70 months.

This case was investigated by the DEA and FBI. The Colombian Attorney General’s Office, specifically the Dirección Especializada contra el Narcotráfico, also provided valuable assistance. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Iris McCranie and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernesto J. Alvarado of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section. Valuable assistance was also provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin L. Rosenberg, who indicted and previously handled the case.

19cr233

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Feeding our Future Defendant Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison For His Role in $250 Million Fraud Scheme

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MINNEAPOLIS – A Bloomington man has been sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,920,514.

“The defendant committed a brazen fraud that shamelessly stole taxpayer money intended to feed children during a global pandemic. He lined his pockets, here and abroad, with millions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “As the Court found, he doubled down on his crimes by obstructing justice. This significant sentence should serve as a clear warning to anyone who would seek to exploit and defraud government programs. You will be held accountable.”

As proven at trial, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff, 34, and his co-defendants devised and carried out a multi-million fraud scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. As the chief executive officer of Afrique Hospitality Group, Shariff obtained, misappropriated, and laundered millions of dollars in program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to children. Their scheme was accomplished by exploiting changes in the nutrition program intended to ensure underserved children received adequate nutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shariff and his co-defendants created and submitted fraudulent meal count sheets purporting to document the number of children and meals served at each site and false invoices purporting to document the purchase of food to be served to children at the sites. The conspirators also submitted fake attendance rosters purporting to list the names and ages of the children receiving meals at the sites each day. These rosters were fabricated and created using fake names.

The Federal Child Nutrition Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a federally funded program designed to provide free meals to children in need. The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers the program throughout the nation by distributing federal funds to state governments. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) administers and oversees the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Meals funded by the Federal Child Nutrition Program are served by “sites.” Each site participating in the program must be sponsored by an authorized sponsoring organization. Sponsors must submit an application to MDE for each site. Sponsors are also responsible for monitoring each of their sites and preparing reimbursement claims for their sites. The USDA then provides MDE federal reimbursement funds on a per-meal basis. MDE provides those funds to the sponsoring agency who, in turn, pays the reimbursements to the sites under its sponsorship. The sponsoring agency retains 10 to 15 percent of the funds as an administrative fee.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the USDA waived some of the standard requirements for participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. Among other things, the USDA allowed for-profit restaurants to participate in the program, and it allowed for off-site food distribution to children outside of educational programs.

Following a seven-week trial in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel in June 2024, Shariff was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering. In handing down the sentence today, Judge Brasel commented that Shariff’s conduct showed a “staggering lack of respect for the law,” and that taxpayers were “outraged by the brazenness of the crime.”

The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Miami-Dade County Woman Pleads Guilty To Providing Contraband To A Coleman Prisoner

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Janai Chanel Stephens (38, Opa Locka) entered guilty pleas to an indictment charging her with making a materially false statement or representation to a federal agency and providing contraband to a federal prisoner. Stephens faces up to five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. A federal grand jury indicted Stephens on May 28, 2024.

According to court records, on March 10, 2024, Stephens entered the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County with a bag containing tobacco cigarettes that she intended to give to a federal inmate. Federal inmates are prohibited from possessing tobacco in prisons, as it threatens the order, discipline, and security of the prison. When entering the facility, Stephens falsely claimed to a corrections officer that she did not have any tobacco products in her possession. Stephens was then permitted to meet with a federal inmate in a visitation room. During that meeting, surveillance footage showed Stephens throwing the bag with the cigarettes that she had smuggled into the prison to the inmate.

This case is being prosecuted as part of a United States Department of Justice (DOJ) task force aimed at rooting out contraband and misconduct in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The task force was led by the BOP and the DOJ – Office of the Inspector General, with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

This case was investigated by the BOP and the DEA. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Louisiana man to spend nearly two decades in prison for sex trafficking runaway child

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

HOUSTON – A 39-year-old resident of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced for transportation of a child to engage in criminal sexual activity and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Isiah Lee Campbell Jr. pleaded guilty July 26, 2024.

Senior U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Campbell to serve 235 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 10 years of supervised release.

During a three-week span in 2019 over the course of several different trips, Campbell drove the then 16-year-old victim from Louisiana to Houston to engage in commercial sex with adult men. Campbell also posted the victim on a website advertising prostitution.

Law enforcement stopped Campbell in Harris County driving a reported stolen vehicle during the early morning hours of June 6, 2019. They found a handgun under Campbell’s seat. The victim was a passenger in the car whom authorities identified as a runaway child from Lousiana.

She described how Campbell threatened to kill her so that she would continue to engage in commercial sex at his direction. Campbell took all the money that the victim earned and also sexually assaulted her several times.

Campbell will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

FBI and Precinct 4 Harris County Constable’s Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Throwing Methamphetamine into Federal Prison Yard

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

FRESNO, Calif. — Garrett Scott Wheelen, 33, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to possessing more than 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, Wheelen arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution Mendota wearing a facemask, baseball cap, and hoodie to conceal his identity. In broad daylight, Wheelen ran to the prison fence and tossed four packages into the prison’s recreation yard. He was quickly apprehended after attempting to flee. The packages contained more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine. Wheelen was on supervised release from a prior federal felony charge at the time.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mendota Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Dhruv M. Sharma are prosecuting the case.

Wheelen is scheduled to be sentenced on May 2, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins. Wheelen faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced to Over 17 Years in Prison for Shooting at Louisville Mayor

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Louisville, KY — A Louisville man was sentenced today to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for firing shots at current Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg during Greenberg’s 2022 mayoral campaign.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.

According to court documents, on February 14, 2022, Quintez Brown, 24, walked into Greenberg’s campaign office and fired multiple shots at Greenberg while he was meeting with four staffers. The staffers were able to close and barricade the door, and Brown was apprehended several blocks from the shooting, carrying the firearm he used in a backpack. As part of his guilty plea, Brown admitted that he acted because Greenberg was running for mayor.

In July 2024, Brown pleaded guilty to interfering with a federally protected activity and using and discharging a firearm in relation with a crime of violence. Brown’s term of imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

The FBI, ATF, and Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division’s Mental Health Litigation Unit and Trial Attorney Jolee Porter of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section provided substantial assistance to the prosecution.

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MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: James C. Thompson Sentenced To Twenty Years For Transportation Of A Minor In Interstate Commerce With The Intent To Engage In Sexual Activity

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI: RYVYL Executes Repurchase and Repayment Agreement with Securityholder to Retire All Outstanding Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and Outstanding Balance of 8% Senior Convertible Note
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

SAN DIEGO, CA, Jan. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RYVYL Inc. (NASDAQ: RVYL) (“RYVYL” or the “Company”), a leading innovator of payment transaction solutions leveraging electronic payment technology for diverse international markets, has executed a Preferred Stock Repurchase and Note Repayment Agreement for the full repayment and termination of an 8% Senior Convertible Note (the “Note) and the redemption of all shares of the Company’s Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”). The Definitive Agreement provides for:
- A first tranche payment of $13.0 million for the redemption of all of the shares of Preferred Stock held by the Securityholder, and payment of a portion of the outstanding balance of the Note so that the remaining outstanding principal balance will be $4.0 million.
- Advancing the maturity date for the remaining balance of $4.0 million due under the Note, following payment of the first tranche, to April 30, 2025.
The Company is required to pay the first tranche payment of $13.0 million on or before January 27, 2025. The first tranche due date may be extended to February 3, 2025, at the sole option of the Company, in consideration for RYVYL’s payment of an additional $50,000.
- Upon payment of the first tranche payment and execution of the Preferred Stock Repurchase and Note Repayment Agreement, certain restrictive covenants contained in the transaction documents pursuant to which the Note and the shares of Preferred Stock were issued will be waived and no additional interest will accrue and be payable, as long as the Company pays the remaining $4.0 million principal balance of the Note ($4,050,000, if the date of the first tranche payment date is extended) on or before April 30, 2025. If the Company fails to pay the remaining balance by such date, the Note will be restored to its terms prior to the first tranche payment, and interest will again accrue and be payable.
- Prior to payment of the first tranche payment, the Securityholder shall retain the ability, subject to certain market limitations, to convert the Note and the Preferred Stock into common stock.
This communication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security and does not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any security in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About RYVYL

RYVYL Inc. (NASDAQ: RVYL) was born from a passion for empowering a new way to conduct business-to-business, consumer-to-business, and peer-to-peer payment transactions around the globe. By leveraging electronic payment technology for diverse international markets, RYVYL is a leading innovator of payment transaction solutions reinventing the future of financial transactions. Since its founding as GreenBox POS in 2017 in San Diego, RYVYL has developed applications enabling an end-to-end suite of turnkey financial products with enhanced security and data privacy, world-class identity theft protection, and rapid speed to settlement. As a result, the platform can log immense volumes of immutable transactional records at the speed of the internet for first-tier partners, merchants, and consumers around the globe. http://www.ryvyl.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes information that constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current beliefs, assumptions, and expectations regarding future events, which in turn are based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding timely payment of the first and second tranches, the benefit to stockholders from the repayment of the note and repurchase of the preferred shares, and the timing and expectation of revenues from the license described herein and are charactered by future or conditional words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate” and “continue” or similar words. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they discuss future expectations and plans, which contain projections of future results of operations or financial condition or state other forward-looking information. By their nature, forward-looking statements address matters that are subject to risks and uncertainties. A variety of factors could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those expressed in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements, including the risk that the licensee understands and complies with various banking laws and regulations that may impact the licensee’s ability to process transactions. For example, federal money laundering statutes and Bank Secrecy Act regulations discourage financial institutions from working with operators of certain industries – particularly industries with heightened cash reporting obligations and restrictions – as a result of which, banks may refuse to process certain payments and/or require onerous reporting obligations by payment processors to avoid compliance risk. These and other risk factors affecting the Company are discussed in detail in the Company’s periodic filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether because of the latest information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable laws.

IR Contact:
David Barnard, Alliance Advisors Investor Relations, 415-433-3777, ryvylinvestor@allianceadvisors.com

The MIL Network –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Columbia Man Indicted on Sex Trafficking and Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges Involving 11 Victims

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to ‘Swatting’ Scheme That Took Over Ring Doorbell Cameras to Livestream Police Response

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

LOS ANGELES – A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty today to participating in a one-week nationwide “swatting” spree that gained access to Ring home security door cameras, placed bogus emergency phone calls designed to elicit an armed police response, then livestreamed the events on social media, sometimes while taunting responding police officers in communities such as West Covina and Oxnard.

Kya Christian Nelson, 23, of Racine, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and two counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information.

Nelson, who is doing time in a Kentucky state prison after being convicted in an unrelated case, has been in federal custody since August 2024.

“Swatting puts innocent lives in danger,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that individuals who engage in this dangerous conduct will be held accountable through federal prosecutions.”

“The defendant’s malicious actions traumatized his victims and put their lives – and the lives of responding officers – at risk,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Swatting hoaxes drain crucial law enforcement resources at the expense of taxpayers and diverts police officers from responding to actual crisis situations. This case is a good reminder for security doorbell users that it’s important to practice strict cyber hygiene by using difficult passwords and by employing two-factor authentication.”

According to his plea agreement, from November 7, 2020, to November 13, 2020, Nelson and co-conspirators gained access to home security door cameras sold by Ring LLC, a Santa Monica-based home security technology company. Nelson acquired without authorization the username and password information for Yahoo! email accounts belonging to victims throughout the United States.

The conspirators then determined whether the owner of each compromised Yahoo! account also had a Ring account using the same email address and password that could control associated internet-connected Ring doorbell camera devices. Using that information, they identified and gathered additional information about their victims.

Then, the conspirators placed false emergency reports or telephone calls to local law enforcement in the areas where the victims lived. These reports or calls were intended to elicit an emergency police response to the victim’s residence. The conspirators then accessed without authorization the victims’ Ring devices and transmitted the audio and video from those devices on social media during the police response. They also taunted responding police officers and victims through the Ring devices during several of the incidents.

For example, on November 8, 2020, Nelson and a co-conspirator accessed without authorization Yahoo! and Ring accounts belonging to a victim in West Covina. A hoax telephone call was placed to the West Covina Police Department purporting to originate from the victim’s residence and posing as a minor child reporting her parents drinking and shooting guns inside the residence. The caller claimed that her parents had multiple firearms and had fired approximately seven gunshots inside the house. Based on this hoax call, West Covina Police Department officers made an emergency response to the house and cleared the residents from the home at gunpoint.

During the police response, Nelson accessed the Ring doorbell camera located at the West Covina residence and used it to verbally threaten and taunt the police officers who responded to the reported incident.

In another incident, on November 11, 2020, Nelson illegally possessed the Yahoo! and Ring login credentials of a victim living in Oxnard. Nelson then used those credentials to access the victim’s Ring account. Nelson or a co-conspirator made a hoax call to the Oxnard Police Department purporting to be coming from inside the victim’s home.

The caller told the police that they were a child whose father was wielding a handgun inside the residence. Nelson made a second hoax call to Oxnard Police to report hearing shots fired at the victim’s residence. Based on these hoax calls, Oxnard Police officers made an emergency response to the house and cleared the residents from the home at gunpoint.

Nelson accessed the Ring doorbell camera located at the Oxnard residence and used it to threaten and taunt the police officers who had responded to the reported incident.

United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt scheduled a May 1 sentencing hearing, at which time Nelson will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.

One of Nelson’s indicted co-conspirators, James Thomas Andrew McCarty, 22, of Kayenta, Arizona, was sentenced in June 2024 to seven years in federal prison both for his role in this case, and on additional charges in the District of Arizona. In connection with the Ring swatting incidents, McCarty pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy as Nelson.

McCarty further admitted to illegally accessing a victim’s Ring camera in Florida and making a call to the North Port Florida Police Department, in which he purported to be the victim’s husband who had just killed her, was holding a hostage, and had rigged explosives at the residence. McCarty then livestreamed the law enforcement response and posted a message on social media taking credit for the swatting incident and stating that he thought it was amusing.

The FBI investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Four SoCal Residents Found Guilty of Participating in an Armed Robbery and Carjacking at Car Repair Shop in San Bernardino County
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

RIVERSIDE, California – Three San Gabriel Valley residents and one San Bernardino County man have been found guilty by a jury of participating in an armed robbery and carjacking of a car repair business last year in Bloomington in which one victim was pistol-whipped into near unconsciousness, the Justice Department announced today.

At the conclusion of a 13-day trial, a federal jury on late Wednesday returned a guilty verdict on all counts against the following defendants:
- Marcos Guerrero, 49, of Glendora;
- Elijah Gafare, 35, of West Covina;
- Cinthia Leal, 39, of Glendora; and
- Vincent Solarez, 58, of Upland.
All four defendants were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of carjacking.

Guerrero, Gafare, and Leal also were found guilty of witness tampering and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of and in relation to a crime of violence. Guerrero further was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

“Violent crime tears at the fabric of our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “The verdict reached in this case highlights our office’s ongoing efforts to root out and punish criminals who use guns to harm innocent people.”

According to evidence presented at trial, Guerrero, Gafare, Leal, and Solarez participated in an armed robbery of a car repair shop in Bloomington in the early morning hours of March 12, 2024. During the robbery, two of the defendants brandished firearms and one of the defendants pistol-whipped one of the victims into near unconsciousness.

The defendants kept the victims hostage and threatened to kill them if the victims did not hand over cash, their car, and if they ever called law enforcement. In total, defendants stole several thousand dollars in cash and the business surveillance system, in addition to the victim’s car and other property.

Law enforcement tracked the defendants down and arrested them in May and June of 2024.

On May 30, 2024, Guerrero illegally possessed a .45-caliber firearm and dozens of rounds of ammunition. He is not permitted to possess firearms and ammunition because his criminal history includes convictions in San Bernardino County Superior Court for home invasion robbery, first-degree residential burglary, false imprisonment by violence, possession of a firearm by a felon, and evading a police officer.

United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal scheduled an April 21 sentencing hearing, at which Guerrero, Gafare, and Leal will face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Solarez will face a statutory maximum sentence of 65 years in federal prison.

The FBI Inland Violent Crimes Suppression Task Force and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua J. Lee and Neil P. Thakor of the General Crimes Section, and Tritia L. Yuen of the Riverside Branch Office, are prosecuting this case.

MIL Security OSI –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Madison Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Jackson, MS – A Madison man was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Reginald Fullwood, Jr., 59, of Madison, participated in a scheme to pay kickbacks to a marketer in exchange for completed doctors’ orders so that he could cause his durable medical equipment company, Jackson Medical Supply, to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans for orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary and/or ineligible for reimbursement. When Medicare initiated an investigation of Jackson Medical Supply, the defendant opened another entity in the name of a nominee owner and again paid kickbacks to a marketer in exchange for doctors’ orders so that the new entity could continue to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans for orthotic braces. Overall, Fullwood caused these entities to bill Medicare and Medicare Advantage approximately $12,441,625.30 and the entities were reimbursed approximately $6,448,092.61 for durable medical equipment that was medically unnecessary and/or ineligible for reimbursement.

Fullwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States on August 28, 2024.

Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General made the announcement.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Strike Force and Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for House Burglary on the Choctaw Indian Reservation

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Jackson, MS – A Philadelphia man was sentenced to three years in federal prison for burglarizing a home in the Tucker community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Reservation.

According to court documents, Sherente Tubby, 23, burglarized the home of a tribal member in December of 2021. Tubby was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2022, and pled guilty in September of 2024. He was sentenced on January 14, 2025.

Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.

The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), a nationwide initiative that was launched in 2001 and works to reduce violent crime and gun violence. It’s a collaboration between federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement, prosecutors, and community leaders. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, please visit http://www.psn.gov.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Bartlesville Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Killing Dewey Couple

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

TULSA, Okla. – U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Lucas Anthony Walker, 22, for two counts of Second Degree Murder in Indian County. Judge Russell ordered Walked to serve 420 months for each count, followed by five years of supervised release.

In January 2023, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies began investigating the disappearance of Deborah and Larry Dutton. After searching the Dutton’s home, deputies found Deborah and Larry deceased in a shallow grave in the backyard. Walker confessed to shooting and stabbing Deborah and stabbing Larry to death.

Walker is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The FBI, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O. Johnston prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Donald Trump is firing out presidential pardons and warnings of retribution. What happens next?

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Quinn, Associate Professor in American and International Politics, University of Birmingham

Donald Trump has now pardoned or commuted the sentences of around 1,500 January 6 protesters, including those who were convicted of crimes against police officers relating to the riot at the US Capitol.

But use of the presidential pardon in the last few days was not restricted to the incoming president. On his last day in office, outgoing president Joe Biden signed a number of pre-emptive pardons in an effort, he suggested, to shield people from possible “retribution” at Trump’s hands.

This included not just members of the House committee that investigated the Capitol riot, but also Anthony Fauci, former chief medical advisor to the president during the COVID pandemic, and Gen. Mark Milley, who retired in 2023 after four years as the nation’s most senior military officer, and whom Trump has previously suggested would have been executed for treason in a previous era.

In December, Biden granted his son Hunter a sweeping pardon, and he extended the same to several other relatives in the final minutes of his presidency. In an accompanying statement he said: “Even when individuals have done nothing wrong — and in fact have done the right thing — and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage reputations and finances.”

Such pardons may be greeted with ambivalence by some recipients. One person who received a pardon was Adam Schiff, now a US Senator and previously a House member who both served on the Jan 6 committee and was lead prosecutor in Trump’s first impeachment. He had previously declared he did not want such a pardon because, first, it was unnecessary since he had done nothing wrong, and, second, it set a bad precedent. We may find out in the months and years ahead whether he was right on either count.

So how did we get here?

A year ago, Trump faced a daunting obstacle course of criminal cases. Among them, he faced trial in New York for falsifying business records. Federal prosecutors had indicted him for trying to steal the 2020 election, and for illegally holding onto classified documents after his presidency ended. He also faced state-level election subversion charges in Georgia.

By the time of his inauguration, however, his legal problems had been almost entirely resolved. He was convicted on the New York charges, but his punishment, an unconditional discharge, is a slap on the wrist. The greatest symbol of Trump’s victory over legal threats, however, is the shelving of the two federal cases against him. Both cases have now been dismissed at the request of the Justice Department because its policy prevents a criminal case against a sitting president. Even if this were not the case, as head of the executive branch Trump would have authority to order them dropped.

Read more:
Nixon’s official acts against his enemies list led to a bipartisan impeachment effort

Trump enters a second term freer of personal legal jeopardy than he has been in years. He is convinced that the cases against him represented a weaponisation of the criminal justice system by his political opponents. Now restored to the highest office, there are widespread fears that he may wield federal power to retaliate against those he believes have wronged him.

In the run-up to the election he spoke often about “retribution” against “the enemy within”. An NPR investigation of Trump’s rallies and social media posts since 2022 found more than 100 instances of his explicitly or implicitly threatening to “investigate, prosecute, jail or otherwise punish his perceived opponents”.

He has repeated that he “would have every right” to go after those he believes have waged “lawfare” against him over the last several years.

If he does decide to try, it is less likely than during his first term that top officials will block or dissuade him. Trump’s current nominee for attorney general, former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, was part of his defence team during his 2020 impeachment, then an active supporter of his campaign to overturn the 2020 election. During her Senate confirmation hearing she refused to say that she would defy pressure from Trump, but she did say that “politics will not play a part” in deciding who to investigate. Few will have felt completely reassured.

Even more concerningly, Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, the leading national criminal investigative agency, has resigned before the usual duration of his tenure, after Trump declared he intended to replace him with Kash Patel. Patel, more than any other senior Trump nominee, has spent his career at the heart of the post-2016 Maga movement. He held junior roles late in the first Trump administration, but in the years since he has advocated using criminal and civil prosecution to root out “conspirators” among journalists and government officials.

Patel even published a book containing a list of “Members of the Executive Branch Deep State” (including both Democrats and Republican appointees), seen by some as an “enemies list”. This is an appointment that some believe suggests restraint is unlikely.

Read more:
Trump’s election interference case may be closed, but it still matters for America’s future

The January 6 rioters and plotters were among the first beneficiaries of the transfer of power. While campaigning Trump had portrayed them as martyrs to his cause and pledged pardons. He made good on that promise on day one by pardoning or commuting sentences. He also ordered the Justice Department to dismiss all pending indictments.

It remains to be seen what approach the new president will take toward those who have worked prominently against him. He had previously said that some who served on the Congressional committee investigating the attack on the Capitol ““should go to jail”, often singling out former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who also received a pre-emptive pardon from Biden. Trump has also suggested that Biden should have issued a pardon for himself.

It is doubtful that targeted investigations could ultimately produce criminal convictions without some plausible case. For the time being at least, US courts and the jury system retain sufficient independence that blatantly groundless and malicious prosecutions would struggle to get that far against targets with the resources to defend themselves.

But as previous federal probes have illustrated – such as those into the Clintons – even an investigation that ultimately stops short of bringing charges against its top targets can last years, impose significant legal expenses on those embroiled in it, and inflict stress and distraction.

The aim of this kind of action may be to instil a climate of anticipatory fear in which outspoken criticism in the future seems, to most, more trouble than it is worth. The US is not there yet. But it is closer to such a state than it has been in any of our lifetimes.

Adam Quinn has previously received research funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Charles Koch Foundation (CKF)

– ref. Donald Trump is firing out presidential pardons and warnings of retribution. What happens next? – https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-is-firing-out-presidential-pardons-and-warnings-of-retribution-what-happens-next-247646

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Plymouth Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to a Decade Long Cyberstalking Campaign Against Multiple Victims and Possession of Child Pornography

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

Defendant allegedly posted digitally altered images of victim to social media accounts and programmed artificial intelligence-driven chatbots to mimic human conversation with other unknown users of social media platforms

BOSTON – A Plymouth, Mass. man has agreed to plead guilty to charges relating to cyberstalking numerous Massachusetts victims through social media, email and various online platforms. The defendant allegedly programmed multiple artificial intelligence-driven chatbots to mimic human conversation through text or voice interactions with unknown users of social media platforms and used generative artificial-intelligence tools to create pornographic images of the victims in order to post them online to websites that focus on shaming and degrading women.

James Florence Jr., 36, has agreed to plead guilty to seven counts of cyberstalking and one count of possession of child pornography. Florence was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2024. According to the charging documents, on or about January of 2014 through September of 2024, Florence engaged in an extensive cyberstalking campaign targeting victims and those associated with them. Florence used a variety of techniques and methods to allegedly harass and intimidate his victims and others in the community, including making fake nude images of the victims, doxing or exposing victims’ personal information, creating vulgar fake accounts in the victims’ names and accessing online accounts without authorization (i.e. “hacking”) the victims’ accounts.

Florence’s cyberstalking campaigns allegedly included obtaining, -and then widely distributing, private information about the victims, such as private photographs or photographs shared amongst friends on social media. These photographs were frequently doctored to appear sexual or pornographic in nature. According to court documents Florence also allegedly accessed online accounts without authorization; created accounts in the name of his victims; and solicitated fantasy sexual encounters on their behalf. In the case of one victim, those fabricated sexual encounters allegedly included building a profile of the victim on an interactive platform with information about the victim’s apparent underwear preference, information that the victim was sexually adventurous, used sex toys and had a sex swing in her home. Florence allegedly listed the victims home address; posed as his victims by creating impersonation accounts in their names and then posted or sent various harmful content from those accounts; encouraged others to extort, shame, defame and intimidate victims for pornographic material; and stole victims’ underwear and used photos of the underwear to both harass those victims or engage with others on the internet to further mutual sexual fantasies.

In addition to having received threatening messages from social media and email accounts believed to be controlled by Florence, the victims also allegedly received harassing and extorting communications that are believed to be from users who messaged the victims as a result of Florence’s posts encouraging them to do so. Florence allegedly created and posted photo collages of one of the victims to a website, including images edited to make her appear nude or semi-nude along with all her personal identifying information and captions that encouraged viewers to “Post & Share Her Everywhere. Make The Whore Famous.”

The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Plymouth Police Department and Plymouth Fire Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Anderson Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm Following Drunk Driving Crash

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

INDIANAPOLIS— Jonathon Jerald Ashley Jr., 30, of Anderson, Indiana, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on October 22, 2023, an Anderson Police Department officer was called to a vehicle crash in the vicinity of 20th and Noble Streets. The officer arrived to find a heavily intoxicated Jonathon Ashley walking away from the accident.

During a search of Ashley’s person, officers located a loaded Glock handgun in his front right pocket. At the time of arrest, Ashley had been previously convicted of domestic battery, resisting law enforcement, invasion of privacy, dealing in a narcotic drug, and pointing a firearm. His felony convictions prohibit him from ever legally possessing a firearm again.

“This defendant has repeatedly demonstrated his utter disregard for the law or the safety of others, including those closest to him,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Many illegally armed perpetrators of gun violence in the home and in the community have a prior history of domestic violence. That’s why our office is working together with the FBI, through the LEATH initiative, to protect the public from these offenders and save lives.”

“This dangerous combination of impaired driving and illegal possession of a firearm had the potential to lead to devastating consequences and this sentence underscores the seriousness of the defendant’s actions,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who show such reckless disregard for the law and the safety of others will be held accountable.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Anderson Police Department and investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon.

Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who prosecuted this case.

This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.

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MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Hudson County Man Charged With Defrauding Elderly Victim Out Of More Than $880,000

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEWARK, NJ. – A New Jersey man was arrested today and charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud an elderly victim investor out of out of more than $880,000, after entrusting him to invest her money on her behalf, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.

Antonio Petrosino, a/k/a Anthony Petrosino, 59, of Union City, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. He is scheduled to have his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

Between March 2018 and March 2024, Petrosino fraudulently induced the victim investor to transfer approximately $916,000 to Petrosino based on his misrepresentations that he would invest those funds in brokerage accounts and other investment products for the benefit of the victim investor. To perpetuate his fraud, Petrosino provided the victim investor with falsified investment statements that purported to show that she had hundreds of thousands of dollars deposited in various investment accounts in her name. Petrosino also provided the victim investor with payments in the approximate range of $4000-$8000 that he claimed was the interest that the victim investor had earned on her investments.

In reality, Petrosino failed to invest the victim investor’s funds for her benefit as promised. Instead, he misappropriated the money to pay for his personal expenses, including gambling, credit card payments, and rent on his luxury apartment unit. Petrosino also caused the transfer of the victim investor’s funds without her knowledge or consent, including transfers directly from the victim investor’s bank account to Petrosino’s landlord. Additionally, Petrosino told the victim investor he would assist her with preparing her tax returns and told her to send him approximately $40,000 that he claimed she owed in taxes, which he misappropriated for his personal benefit. In total, Petrosino stole more than approximately $888,000 from the victim investor.

The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both counts carry a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.

Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kozar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Corporation and Former Chief Executive Officer Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Tax Conspiracy

Source: United States Attorneys General 9

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Corporation and Former Chief Executive Officer Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Tax Conspiracy

Source: US State of California

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Pleas from Two Zuni Men in Armed Assault Case

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ALBUQUERQUE – Two men from Zuni, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon after admitting to committing an armed assault involving four victims.

According to court documents, on April 8, 2023, Kamron Kallestewa, 24, and Kaden Panteah, 20, both enrolled members of the Pueblo of Zuni, armed themselves with pistols and went to a residence within the exterior boundaries of the Zuni Pueblo, where they assaulted four individuals.

There, Kallestewa struck John Doe 1 in the face and head with a pistol, causing bruising, and then pointed the weapon at John Doe 2, placing the muzzle on the back of his head. He further escalated the violence by pointing the pistol at Jane Doe 1’s head and striking Jane Doe 2 in the face, resulting in a cut under her eye.

Panteah participated in the assault by putting the muzzle of his pistol to the back of John Doe 2’s head. Additionally, Panteah discharged a weapon in the direction of all four victims with the intent to cause bodily harm.

Kallestewa and Panteah will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, they each face up to 10 years in prison. Upon their release from prison, Kallestewa and Panteah will be subject to three years of supervised release.

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 Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Mia Ulibarri-Rubin and Jesse Pecoraro are prosecuting the case.

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MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Trump inherits the Guantánamo prison, complete with 4 ‘forever prisoners’

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Lisa Hajjar, Professor of Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara

A control tower overlooks the Camp VI detention facility, at Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

President Joe Biden’s record of handling the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, is decidedly mixed. He succeeded in reducing the detainee population he inherited by more than half, but he compounded problems in the military commissions that the Bush administration had invented in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to try people captured in the “war on terror.” Now all the problems at Guantánamo are again President Donald Trump’s.

When Biden took office in 2021, there were 40 prisoners. Today there are 15, the lowest number since the first 20 Muslim men and boys captured in Afghanistan were airlifted to the base on Jan. 11, 2002.

Biden left Trump four people the U.S. will not release but also cannot put on trial – the so-called “forever prisoners.” He also left intact the troubled military commissions system, with three pending criminal cases against a total of six detainees.

In December 2021, former chief military defense attorney Brig. Gen. John Baker testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee: “It is too late in the process for the current military commissions to do justice for anyone. The best that can be hoped for at this point … is to bring this sordid chapter of American history to an end.” Baker made clear that the only viable option is to resolve the cases with plea bargains for the defendants.

Marine Brig. Gen. John Baker tells U.S. senators that there is no opportunity for justice to be done at Guantánamo.

A chance to make progress

There are three cases that have not yet gone to trial – the 9/11 case with four defendants facing charges for their connections with the attacks, the USS Cole bombing in October 2000 with one defendant and the Bali bombing in October 2002 with one defendant.

The 9/11 and USS Cole cases have been stuck in the pretrial phase since Biden was Barack Obama’s vice president. In the summer of 2024, a breakthrough in the 9/11 case appeared imminent: Prosecutors and defense lawyers for three of the four defendants reportedly reached plea-bargain agreements. Khalid Sheikh Mohammad – the alleged “mastermind” of the attacks – Walid bin Attash and Mustafa Hawsawi agreed to plead guilty and accept life sentences in exchange for the government taking the death penalty off the table. There was no deal for the fourth 9/11 defendant, Ammar al-Baluchi.

The deals were approved on July 31 by the top military officer overseeing the Guantánamo commissions, retired Brig. Gen. Susan Escallier. But two days later, Biden’s defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, stepped into the process and overrode Escallier – whom he had appointed. Austin announced that the plea deals were revoked.

The judge, Air Force Col. Matthew McCall, decided to schedule plea hearings for early January. But after some legal back-and-forth that forced a stay, he had to cancel them. Biden left the case against three 9/11 defendants in limbo.

The basement of this government building in Bucharest, Romania, held a secret CIA prison, one of many across the world.
AP Photo

Witness to the transition

In mid-January 2025, I made my sixteenth reporting trip to Guantánamo. I came for closing arguments on a motion in the 9/11 case that seeks to suppress statements that Ammar al-Baluchi made to the FBI in January 2007. That was four months after he and 13 others were transferred to Guantánamo from CIA black sites where they were held for years. The litigation to suppress those statements started in 2019.

In Chapter 10 of my book, “The War in Court: Inside the Long Fight against Torture,” I detail how the litigation on this suppression motion made public previously unknown details and under-acknowledged horrors of the CIA’s rendition, detention and interrogation program.

These closing arguments were the culmination of six years of litigation on the key question in the 9/11 case: Does torture matter in the pursuit of justice in the military commissions?

A drawing by Guantánamo detainee Abu Zubaydah depicts a person being waterboarded.
Copyright Abu Zubaydah 2019. Licensed by Professor Mark Denbeaux, Seton Hall Law School

Can Guantánamo be closed?

Of the 780 people ever detained at Guantánamo, 540 were released during the presidency of George W. Bush, who established the detention facility. Obama, who signed an executive order on his second day in office pledging to close Guantánamo within a year, released 200.

In his first term, Trump pledged to keep the facility open. The only man to leave Guantánamo during Trump’s first term was Ahmed al-Darbi, who was repatriated to Saudi Arabia in 2018 to serve out the remainder of his sentence from a 2014 plea bargain agreement.

When Biden took office, he said that he supported shutting down the military prison at Guantánamo. In the early years of his presidency, there was a slow stream of transfers, mostly people who had been cleared for release long ago and were freed.

In Biden’s last months, the pace of transfers quickened. In December 2024, a Kenyan detainee, two Malaysian members of al-Qaida who had pled guilty the previous January, and a Tunisian man who had been in Guantánamo since the day the facility was opened were all repatriated to their countries of origin and freed. In January 2024, 11 Yemenis were transported from the prison to Oman to be resettled.

15 men left behind

The Biden administration had also planned to repatriate a severely disabled Iraqi detainee, Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, to serve out his plea-bargained sentence in a Baghdad prison. But a federal judge blocked that transfer, ruling that al-Iraqi would not get necessary medical treatment in Iraq and might be subject to abuse there.

Al-Iraqi is one of the 15 that Biden left behind. Three of them – a Libyan, a Somali and a stateless Rohingya – have long been cleared for release. Their continuing detention without charges highlights a key element of the Guantánamo problem: No one can be released unless the U.S. government finds another country willing to accept them.

One of the remaining detainees, Ali Bahlul, is serving a life sentence for conspiracy to commit war crimes. Six others, including the four 9/11 defendants, are awaiting their trials.

There are also four detainees whom the government refuses to transfer but cannot put on trial for lack of evidence.

The U.S. goverment says it cannot release Abu Zubaydah from Guantánamo because he would disclose classified interrogation techniques critics have labeled torture.
U.S. Central Command via AP

These so-called “forever prisoners” include Abu Zubaydah, a Saudi-born man of Palestinian descent who was taken into CIA custody in 2002 and was used as the guinea pig for the CIA torture program. The government long ago conceded that Abu Zubaydah was not a top leader of al-Qaida – in fact he was not even a member. But he will not be released because he knows how he was treated by the CIA, and that treatment remains highly classified.

The newest forever prisoner is one of the original 9/11 defendants, Ramzi bin al-Shibh; in September 2023, he was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial. Now he is uncharged, unreleased and untreated for his psychological maladies that were caused by the torture he endured in CIA black sites.

The ‘War on Terror’ is not over

When Biden pulled U.S. troops out of Afghanistan in August 2021, he claimed to have ended America’s longest war – and repeated this claim in a January 2025 speech. But the Guantánamo prison remains open, and as long as it is, the “war on terror,” which first put U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2001, is not over.

How Trump will deal with Guantánamo is an open question. If he focuses on the death penalty, he will press ahead with military commission trials like his predecessors, hoping for unanimous guilty verdicts and death sentences. If he prioritizes cutting wasteful government spending, he will release additional detainees and allow the three plea bargain agreements to go into effect.

No one I spoke to during my last trip was willing to predict what a second Trump term might bode for Guantánamo – except that it won’t be closed.

Lisa Hajjar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Trump inherits the Guantánamo prison, complete with 4 ‘forever prisoners’ – https://theconversation.com/trump-inherits-the-guantanamo-prison-complete-with-4-forever-prisoners-247058

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Clinton County Man Indicted For Production Of Child Pornography

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Man Charged with Narcotics Distribution Offenses

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that DARREN EBRON, also known as “D,” 32, of Bridgeport, was arrested yesterday on a criminal complaint charging him with narcotics distribution offenses.

Ebron appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement identified Ebron as a distributor of various controlled substances in and around Bridgeport. Between August 2024 and January 2025, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of distribution quantities of fentanyl from Ebron, intercepted numerous calls and text messages through a court-authorized wiretap during which Ebron coordinated the sale of fentanyl and crack cocaine to others, and observed Ebron conducting narcotics transactions.

The complaint charges Ebron with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and use of a communications facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of four years.

Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Stratford Police Department. The Task Force is composed of personnel from the FBI, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, and Trumbull Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Yuba County Man Charged with Being Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

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

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

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

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

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

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Glen Burnie Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection With Multi-State Dogfighting Conspiracy

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Mario Damon Flythe, 50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, to six months in federal prison and six months of home detention – followed by three years of supervised release; a $10,000 fine, and an additional $2,800 in a forfeiture money judgment, for his involvement in a multi-state dogfighting conspiracy.

Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office- Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service – Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Clinton Fuchs, U.S. Marshal for Maryland; and Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police Chief.

Flythe is affiliated with the same dogfighting enterprise as co-defendant Frederick Douglass Moorfield, Jr. The defendant also operated a kennel under the name “Razor Sharp Kennels,” and used his home to keep, train, and breed dogs for dogfighting for several years.

A review of Flythe’s cellphone records uncovered numerous message exchanges connected to dogfighting — primarily over the instant-messaging applications WhatsApp and Telegram — with members of a group known as the “DMV Board.” In addition to arranging dog fights and wagers, Flythe and the DMV Board discussed the breeding and training of fighting dogs, procuring supplies for the maintenance and feeding of fighting dogs, and law enforcement criminally prosecuting dogfighters. Additionally, Flythe and others discussed indictments of other members of the DMV Board and speculated about the identity of a potential “snitch.”

Flythe’s instant messages also revealed several exchanges arranging or “hooking” dogfights. During these conversations, Flythe identified the weight and sex of the dog he wanted to sponsor in a fight. Other dogfighters then proposed a fight against their own dog or matched Flythe with another contact who had a dog in the same weight class. The dogfighters then agreed on wagers and set a date for the fight, usually six to eight weeks after arranging the match. In addition to stating the winner’s fee for each fight, dogfighters agreed on forfeit or “fit” payments if a dogfighter backed out prior to the fight.

After hooking a fight, Flythe trained his dogs in a process known as a “keep.” Flythe’s typical keep schedule for a dog involved physical training — using treadmills, weighted collars, and other accessories — a diet plan, and steroids. Flythe obtained steroids and other veterinary drugs through various contacts in his dogfighting network instead of obtaining legitimate veterinary prescriptions.

When Flythe sponsored a dog, the fight only ended after a dog died or if the owner forfeited the match by the dog quitting the fight or the owner picking up the dog. Several times between 2019 and 2023, Flythe received monetary payments through CashApp in connection with dogfighting activities. Flythe also sent money to dogfighting contacts related to the dogfighting enterprise.

On September 6, 2023, during a search of Flythe’s home, investigators recovered a total of seven pit-bull type dogs from the premises. Authorities found four dogs chained to posts or poles in fenced-in cages in the property’s backyard, and three dogs in large metal cages in the basement. Flythe acknowledged that he bred and/or trained dogs for the purposes of sponsoring them for dogfights.

U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI; U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Marshals Service; Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County Animal Control; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia for their valuable assistance in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Levin who prosecuted the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025

Category: FBI

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