NewzIntel.com

Category: Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • MIL-OSI Security: Duxbury Man Charged With Distribution of Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Duxbury man was arrested and charged on April 14, 2025 for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    Daniel Debreczeni, 34, was charged with one-count of possession of child pornography. Debreczeni was arrested at his place of employment and made his initial appearance in federal court in Boston. He has been detained pending a detention hearing on April 23, 2025.

    According to the charging document between Nov. 29, 2023 and Dec. 12, 2023, Debreczeni distributed three videos containing child pornography by posting the videos on a file sharing site. The children in the three videos appeared to be between approximately two, three and eight years old.

    The charge of possession of child pornography, and distribution of child pornography, provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Duxbury and Quincy Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

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

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

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

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

    DONELL ALLICK, JR., also known as “D-Nice,” 26, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent New Haven street gang and a murder in September 2022.

    Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, investigated a gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city.  The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven.  Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.

    The investigation revealed that Allick and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders.  Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence.  Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.

    On August 1, 2024, Allick pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including acts of violence, narcotics trafficking, and gun sales, and specifically admitted that, on September 16, 2022, he and others shot Kenneth Cloud, 46, who was sitting on the porch of an Atwater Street residence in New Haven.  The victim was paralyzed as a result of the shooting and died approximately three months later.  Forty-three shell casings were found at the scene of the shooting.  Ballistics analysis revealed that 19 had been fired from a handgun later found in Allick’s vehicle, and 24 had been fired from a handgun later found inside Allick’s residence.

    Allick has been detained since his arrest on November 10, 2022.  On July 15, 2024, Judge Bolden sentenced him to 115 months of imprisonment in a separate federal case.  Allick’s 240-month sentence will run concurrently with his 115-month sentence.

    This investigation was conducted by the ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis and Rahul Kale.

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

    PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

    Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities.  Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of Detroit Gang Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Money Laundering

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

    DETROIT – A 34-year-old Shelby Township man, Martaze Davis, was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for trafficking methamphetamine and laundering drug proceeds, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.

    Beck was joined in the announcement by Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration, Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Charles E. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Detroit Field Divisions.

    Davis was a leader in a Detroit gang, 42 Hustle Boys. The 42 Hustle Boys and a rival gang, the Seven Mile Bloods, engaged in a longstanding and deadly feud. This investigation and prosecution, which began in 2023, focused on Davis’s leadership of a drug conspiracy that sent members to California to purchase methamphetamine brought into the United States from Mexico and transport it across the United States for distribution in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Tennessee.

    On October 24, 2023, Davis and codefendant Alexander Polanco, 28, conspired to load a rental car occupied by codefendants Taneeya Richard, 25, and Dejon Howard-Henderson, 24, with 38.9 kilograms of methamphetamine. The following day, officers stopped the rental car in Texas and seized the methamphetamine. Davis also laundered drug proceeds through his personal and business bank accounts intending to conceal the nature and source of the proceeds.

    “Our office vigorously pursues drug traffickers, including gang leaders and members, who push dangerous drugs like methamphetamine into our communities with indifference to the tragedy it inflicts. Thanks to the outstanding teamwork among the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Attorney’s Office, a dangerous drug trafficker and money launderer has been removed from our streets,” stated Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck.

    “Bringing members of violent street gangs to justice is one of our top operational priorities in the DEA Detroit Division. Mr. Davis and his 42 Hustle Boys co-conspirators are responsible for fueling untold suffering by funneling massive amounts of methamphetamine into areas already hard-hit by the opioid crisis.  Today’s sentence sends another clear message to drug trafficking organizations that their criminal behavior will not be tolerated and will be met with consequences,” said Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration.

    “Today’s sentencing of Martaze Davis represents a significant victory in our ongoing fight against organized crime and drug trafficking in Detroit,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “This case underscores the powerful collaboration between the FBI, DEA, and Detroit’s IRS Criminal Division. Together, we remain steadfast in our mission to disrupt criminal networks, dismantle money laundering operations, and protect our communities. The removal of Mr. Davis, a dangerous Detroit gang leader, from the streets is a pivotal step in safeguarding Michigan and ensuring the safety of all its residents. Our combined efforts reflect our unwavering commitment to keeping Detroit and the surrounding areas free from criminal activity.”

    “The laundering of illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug traffickers as the very distribution of their illegal drugs. Without these ill-gotten gains, the traffickers could not finance their organizations,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “We will continue to be relentless in our mission to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and bring the criminals who run them to justice.”

    The Honorable Sean F. Cox sentenced Davis to 20 years in prison.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by AUSA Paul Kuebler.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Florissant Sex Offender Admits New Child Pornography Offense

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

    ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from Florissant, Missouri on Wednesday admitted possessing child sexual abuse material.

    Christopher A. Wheetley, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. He admitted that 470 images and one video containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were found on his computer, as well as internet searches consistent with an interest in CSAM. The computer also contained 1,081 images and four videos in which children appeared to be depicted but their ages could not be determined.

    The CSAM was found on the computer after a St. Louis County Police Department detective conducting an online “peer-to-peer” investigation discovered CSAM on Sept. 12, 2023, that was linked to an IP address that traced back to Wheetley’s home. That home was the subject of an earlier investigation after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Nov. 10, 2020, received a cyber-tip that 40 files containing CSAM had been uploaded to Kik in October from an IP address matching Wheetley.

    The day before the tip was received, Wheetley pleaded no contest to one count of possession of child pornography in California Superior Court in Pomona. When detectives arrived at his Florissant address to investigate the tip, he was in California to complete his term of probation for the child pornography conviction.

    Because Wheetley was previously convicted of distribution of child pornography, he faces at least 15 years in prison for the crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Wheetley’s lawyer will recommend 15 years at the time of his sentencing, which is set for July 17.

    The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice 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 exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Trafficking 230 Pounds of Methamphetamine and Five Pounds of Fentanyl

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

    FRESNO, Calif. — Isaac Abraham Sandoval Lopez, 36, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff to four years and nine months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, on June 26, 2024, officers stopped Sandoval Lopez for a traffic infraction while driving northbound on Interstate 5 in Fresno County. A subsequent search of his car revealed several bags, suitcases, and backpacks throughout the car containing different types of narcotics. In total, officers seized approximately 230 pounds of methamphetamine, 5 pounds of fentanyl, and 2 pounds of heroin.

    This case was the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JAHAZ LANGSTON, also known as “Haz,” 25, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 188 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent Bridgeport street gang.

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

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

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

    The investigation also determined that Langston and fellow O.N.E. member Amire Newsome conspired to murder rival gang members and, on March 7, 2021, shot and severely injured the mother of two rival gang members as she drove her vehicle on I-95.

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

    Langston has been detained since his arrest on July 20, 2021.  On September 13, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.

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

    Newsome pleaded guilty on August 16, 2023, and awaits sentencing.

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

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

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

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

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

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Danville Man Sentenced to 30 Years In Prison for Fentanyl Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony D. Bressi, age 53, of Danville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on April 15, 2025, to 30 years’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, from 2016 through June 2019, Bressi manufactured over 150 kilograms of fentanyl at a lab in East Buffalo Township, Union County, PA. Bressi would then distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogues to two distributors: Terry Harris, in Philadelphia, PA and Damonico Henderson, in the Cleveland, Ohio area.  Bressi, Harris and Henderson developed their drug conspiracy in federal prison where Bressi had been serving a 20-year sentence for manufacturing methamphetamine and explosives.

    Bressi was convicted by a jury on November 4, 2024, after a week-long trial.  Harris and Henderson previously pleaded guilty to their role in the conspiracy. Both Harris and Henderson were sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant United States Attorneys Geoffrey MacArthur, Jeffrey St. John, and Alisan Martin prosecuted the case.

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

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: How DHS is Combating Child Exploitation and Abuse

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Fact Sheet: How DHS is Combating Child Exploitation and Abuse

    very day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leads the fight against online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA)

    As part of the Department’s critical mission to combat crimes of exploitation and protect victims, we investigate these abhorrent crimes, spread awareness, collaborate with interagency and international partners, and expand our reach to ensure children are safe and protected

    “At the Department of Homeland Security, our mission is to protect the American people, and that includes protecting our children

    The internet has completely changed how we connect, but it has also opened new doors for predators who want to harm our kids,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

    “It’s a topic that should unite all of us, and I appreciate the opportunity to highlight the work of Homeland Security Investigations and all that they do to combat online child exploitation

    ”
    DHS battles online CSEA using all available tools and resources department-wide, emphasizing its commitment to the Department’s homeland security mission to “Combat Crimes of Exploitation and Protect Victims

    ” In recognition of President Trump’s proclamation designating April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, DHS is committed to raising awareness of these heinous crimes, preventing child exploitation and abuse, and bringing perpetrators to justice

    As part of the Department’s ongoing work in this area, today DHS is celebrating the one-year anniversary of Know2Protect, the U

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    government’s first prevention and awareness campaign to combat online CSEA

     
    Between April 2024 and February 2025:

    DHS launched Know2Protect®, a first of its kind national public awareness campaign to combat online CSEA

    The campaign enhances the Department’s capabilities to combat online CSEA by partnering with the private sector to deliver its awareness messaging and coordinating federal efforts to confront and prevent this growing epidemic

    The Department has successfully entered into over 20 Know2Protect® Memoranda of Understanding with leading technology companies, national and international sports leagues, youth-serving organizations and nonprofits, and other private sector partners to raise awareness of this crime and help children stay safer online

    DHS increased the footprint of law enforcement partners at the DHS Cyber Crimes Center (C3) to enhance coordination across all DHS agencies and offices to combat cyber-related crimes and further the Department’s mission to combat online CSEA

    Several partners are collocated and work together every day at the DHS C3, including the United States Secret Service (USSS), U

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    Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the United States Marshals Service (USMS),      U

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    Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS)

     
    The Blue Campaign, part of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, hosted 170 national trainings on the indicators of forced labor and sex trafficking and how to report these crimes with more than 24,000 participants from the federal government, non-governmental organizations, law enforcement, and other external stakeholders

    DHS identified and rescued 1,567 child victims of online CSEA through the work of HSI and made 4,460 arrests for crimes involving online CSEA

    Learn more in the U

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     Immigration and Customs Enforcement Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report
    HSI and ERO have instituted a collaborative operational initiative to locate unaccompanied alien children (UAC) released from the care and custody of the U

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    Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS-ORR)

    The UAC initiative   identifies and locates UACs to ensure immigration obligations are met, and investigate any potential indicators of forced labor, sex trafficking, or other exploitation

    To accomplish this work, DHS coordinates with law enforcement at home and abroad to enforce and uphold our laws, protects victims with a victim-centered approach that prioritizes dignity and respect, and works to stop this heinous crime through public education and outreach

    Enforcing Our Laws
    DHS works with domestic and international partners to enforce and uphold the laws that protect children from abuse

    The Department works collaboratively with  Department of Justice prosecutors, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U

    S Marshals, INTERPOL, Europol, and other international law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute perpetrators

    DHS increased U

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    government and law enforcement efforts to combat financial sextortion, a crime targeting children and teens by coercing them into sending explicit images online and extorting them for money

    From FY22 to FY24, HSI received more than 4,900 CyberTipline reports related to sextortion predators from Côte dʼIvoire

    From these reports, 652 children have been identified and supported by HSI

    In an effort to combat this crime, HSI sent special agents to Côte d’Ivoire to provide online CSEA training to local law enforcement and supported local law enforcement efforts in locating and apprehending offenders residing there

    The CCHT works alongside the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to identify and pursue the recovery of underage victims of sex trafficking

    The CCHT emphasizes victim identification operations which allows HSI field offices to rescue these children while implementing a victim centered approach

    The CCHT supports HSI field operations throughout the investigation and prosecution of these traffickers and their networks

    DHS partnered with 61 regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces to investigate people involved in the online victimization of children, including those who produce, receive, distribute and/or possess child sexual abuse material, or who engage in online sexual enticement of children

    DHS researched and developed modern tools and technologies that equip domestic and international law enforcement partners with advanced forensic capabilities to accomplish their mission to identify victims and apprehend child sexual abusers

    The Science and Technology Directorate developed StreamView, a digital forensics and data analytics tool designed to assist law enforcement in effectively addressing child exploitation cases

    By aggregating, organizing, and analyzing investigative leads, StreamView enables investigators to determine crime locations, identify victims, and bring perpetrators to justice more efficiently

    Since May 2023, StreamView has identified and rescued over 133 child and adult victims, dismantled more than 29 criminal networks, generated over 600 leads and referrals, and arrested of over 120 criminal actors

    The platform has also contributed to 10 convictions and 8 life sentences, significantly improving Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) investigations

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    Secret Service provides forensic, technical, and investigative assistance to NCMEC and state/local/tribal law enforcement in cases involving missing and exploited children

     Support includes polygraph examinations, age progression/regression, composite sketches, audio/image/video enhancement, speaker identification/recognition, questioned document analysis, fingerprint development and examination, geospatial information mapping system, digital forensics

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    Customs and Border Protection screens all undocumented unaccompanied children and other arriving minors for indicators of abuse or exploitation, human trafficking, extraterritorial sexual exploitation of children, sexual predators involved in crimes of exploitation, and all suspected criminal cases are referred to HSI

    Transportation Security Administration (INV) Special Agent Polygraph Examiners provide their expertise to advance investigative and prosecutorial efforts in support of child sexual exploitation investigations

    INV developed evidence of child sexual exploitation and/or abuse in 15 criminal specific and pre-employment examinations

    INV Special Agent Polygraph Examiners, assigned to its Special Operations Division, conduct examinations on behalf of INV, HSI, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, federal and local law enforcement agencies

    In a case involving a child victim, an INV Special Agent Polygraph Examiner administered a specific issue polygraph examination, which resulted in the arrest of an individual attempting to solicit a child and identified six other victims ranging in age from 5-16 years of age

    Protecting and Supporting Victims

    The Angel Watch Center (AWC) within DHS C3 proactively identifies U

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    persons traveling abroad who have been convicted of sexual crimes against children

    By using travel related information and publicly available state sex offender registries, the AWC notifies destination countries of these individuals’ pending arrivals to help prevent potential child sex tourism and other forms of exploitation

    The HSI AWC sent over 4,800 travel notifications to foreign governments on convicted, registered U

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    child sex offenders, leading to over 900 denials of entry

    These efforts build international cooperation to ensure all countries are safe from sexual predators

    In July 2023, HSI launched the first U

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    -based international victim identification surge, “Operation Renewed Hope (ORH)

    ” To date, there have been three yearly operations: ORHI, ORHII, and ORHIII, to identify and rescue child victims of online exploitation

    In these operations, HSI and its domestic and international partners work on child sexual abuse material contained in HSI holdings, teams expertly comb through and analyze unidentified series of child sexual abuse material to identify children and offenders and create lead packages for appropriate investigative partners in furtherance of associated law enforcement actions

    In the Spring of 2025, HSI conducted ORHIII, which resulted in 386 probable identifications and 56 victims who have been identified and rescued

    Once victims of child exploitation are identified and/or rescued, the HSI Victim Assistance Program (VAP) supports them and their non-offending caretaker(s) by using highly trained forensic interview specialists to conduct victim-centered and trauma-informed forensic interviews

    In addition, VAP’s victim assistance specialists provide resources to victims such as crisis intervention, referrals for short and long term medical and/or mental health care and contact information for local social service programs and agencies to assist in the healing process

    HSI provides short-term immigration protections to human trafficking victims, including victims of child sex trafficking

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    Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) grants immigration benefits to eligible child victims of human trafficking, abuse, and other crimes, including T nonimmigrant status, U nonimmigrant status, and immigrant classification under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

    Educating and Increasing Public Awareness

    The Know2Protect® campaign has garnered over 518 million impressions across various media platforms, in large part due to donated advertising from signed partners and other partner activations

    The top visited pages on Know2Protect

    gov are Take Action, How2Report, and Know the Threats

    Project iGuardian is the official in-person educational program of the Know2Protect campaign

    Led by HSI, Project iGuardian offers in-person presentations designed to inform children, teens, parents, and trusted adults on the threat of online CSEA, how to implement preventive strategies, and report suspected abuse to law enforcement

    Since the start of FY24, more than 400 special agents have been trained to give Project iGuardian presentations

    In FY24, HSI gave more than 1,100 presentations to more than 122,000 children, teens, parents, and teachers domestically and internationally

    These presentations yielded more than 75 victim disclosures and 77 investigative leads for online CSEA

    So far in FY 25, HSI has given more than 760 iGuardian presentations to over 69,000 children and adults, which have yielded more than 41 victim disclosures and 13 investigative leads

    In April 2024, the Blue Campaign announced a partnership with rideshare company Lyft to train their drivers, who interact with millions of riders per year, on how to recognize indicators of human trafficking among their passengers, and how to report it

      From July to September 2024, Blue Campaign collaborated with NCMEC to promote human trafficking awareness across various social media platforms, targeting both minors and those who work with minors

    The campaign garnered more than 2 million impressions on Twitch, 14 million on Facebook, 3million on Snapchat, and 4 million through display ads

    The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) covers child sexual exploitation and abuse awareness in its Human Trafficking lesson plan

    In FY2024, FLETC trained nearly 4,400 individuals in human trafficking awareness

    USSS Childhood Smart Program Ambassadors educated more than 112,000 children, parents, and teachers across 31 states and the District of Columbia about how to prevent online child sexual exploitation and child abduction

    The Childhood Smart Program provides age-appropriate presentations to children as young as five as well as to adults

    Presentations focus on internet and personal safety as well as other topics such as social media etiquette and cyber bullying

    The HSI Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center trained more than 800 individuals across the interagency on female genital mutilation or cutting, a severe form of child abuse and a crime under federal law when done to individuals under the age of 18

    The Blue Campaign Blue Lightning Initiative, part of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, trained more than 260,000 aviation personnel to identify potential traffickers and victims of forced labor and sex trafficking, to include child sex trafficking, and report their suspicions to law enforcement in FY 2023

    The Initiative added 31 new partners this past year, raising its total partners to 136 aviation industry organizations, including its first two official international partners

    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency administers SchoolSafety

    gov, an interagency website that includes information, guidance and resources on a range of school safety topics

    SchoolSafety

    gov includes a child exploitation section that houses more than 60 resources to help school communities identify, prevent and respond to child exploitation

    Since its launch in January 2023, child exploitation section has been viewed more than 35,600 times

    What You Can Do and Resources Available

    Visit  www

    Know2Protect

    gov to access free resources to understand the threats of online CSEA and learn preventative strategies to stop future victimization

    Request an educational presentation tailored for school children and trusted adults:

    Visit SchoolSafety

    gov for resources to help educators, school leaders, parents, and school personnel identify, prevent, and respond to child exploitation

    Learn more from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

    Visit https://www

    dhs

    gov/blue-campaign for resources about how to prevent, identify and report human trafficking

     
    How to report suspected online child sexual exploitation and abuse in the United States:
    Contact your local, state, campus, or tribal law enforcement officials directly

    Call 911 in an emergency

    If you suspect a child has been abducted or faces imminent danger, contact your local police and the NCMEC tip line at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)

    If you suspect a child might be a victim of online child sexual exploitation, call the HSI Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423 and report it to NCMEC’s CyberTipline

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Who Cyberstalked More Than a Half Dozen Women Over the Course of 16 Years Pleads Guilty

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendant used 62 accounts across nearly 30 online platforms to harass and impersonate victims; Posted thousands of fake, AI-generated, or photoshopped pornographic images of the victims and their personal information

    BOSTON – A Plymouth, Mass. man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to cyberstalking more than a half dozen Massachusetts women between 2008 and 2024. Two of the victims were minors when the defendant began cyberstalking them. The defendant preyed on women in his life, exploiting their relationships and going to great lengths to betray and terrorize them.

    James Florence Jr., 37, pleaded guilty to seven counts of cyberstalking and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for July 23, 2024. Florence was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2024 and has remained in custody since.

    Beginning as early as 2008, Florence engaged in elaborate, sustained online harassment campaigns that included hacking into victims’ personal accounts, creating more than 60 accounts across nearly 30 platforms which he used to disseminate thousands of doctored or AI-generated sexually explicit images.

    According to court filings, Florence targeted women he knew personally, as well as acquaintances, stealing photos from their accounts, digitally altering them to appear nude or engaged in sexual acts and then posting them publicly alongside their names, home addresses and other identifying details. For nearly all seven victims, Florence’s cyberstalking campaigns included:

    • Creating “imposter” social media accounts designed to appear as if they were operated by the victims themselves;
    • Posting sexually explicit, AI-generated or photoshopped images of victims, often tagging the victims’ real accounts to maximize exposure;
    • Publishing victims’ personal information, including driver’s license photos, home addresses and professional affiliations, with messages urging others to humiliate and expose them;
    • Using hacked and compromised personal accounts to surveil victims and gain access to additional private content;
    • Attempting to sell doctored nude images of one victim online; and
    • Setting up notifications to monitor any changes to victims’ online biographies.

    Florence often prompted strangers to contact the victims directly – with some unknown senders demanding that the victims produce real sexually explicit content under threat of distributing the doctored images to friends, family and professional contacts. For one of the victims, Florence used the name, image and other personal identifying information to program at least three AI-driven chatbots to interact with strangers across multiple platforms in sexually explicit conversations and disclose how to contact or find the victim. For another victim, he created a false online persona describing her sexual preferences, fabricated stories about sex toys and equipment in her home and posted her home address inviting strangers to contact her for sex. Florence also designed a collage of digitally altered images depicting one victim nude, which he posted to a website alongside her full personal information, encouraging viewers to “Post & Share Her Everywhere. Make The Whore Famous.”

    Many of Florence’s victims continue to receive harassing and threatening messages from unknown individuals who encountered the content he created and distributed online.

    Additionally, the following items were uncovered during a search of Florence’s residence in Plymouth in September 2024:

    • Dozens of pairs of women’s underwear and socks stolen from his victims;
    • A custom phone case featuring the image of one of the victims;
    • At least 11 digital wallpapers of his victims stored on his phone; 
    • At least one photo of a victim taken when she was a minor; and
    • 62 images and four videos of child sexual abuse material, depicting minor female victims between the ages of approximately eight and 15 years old.

    According to court filings, Florence has significant knowledge of computers having previously been employed at software companies as well as at an emerging technology organization where he performed work for the United States government. With this knowledge, he employed a variety of tactics to evade law enforcement – via VPN services, anonymous overseas “revenge porn” websites and encrypted foreign email providers that do not respond to U.S. legal process or retain identifying records.

    If you or someone you know is a victim of cyberstalking, please visit: Office for Victims of Crime | What can I do if I am a victim of stalking?

    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 up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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 James Crowley, Acting 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 –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Investment Firm Owner Admits Defrauding Approximately 47 Victim Investors Over Three Decades

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TRENTON, NJ. –  A New Jersey man admitted to a decades-long scheme to defraud approximately 47 victim investors out of more than $6.9 million, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Vincent Dispoto Jr., 67, formerly of Belmar, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud. 

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

    Dispoto owned and operated Giddeon Financial Services, a purported investment services firm, and Liberty Mortgage Services, an alleged mortgage company. Beginning in or around 1988, Dispoto raised money through these and other entities by falsely claiming to victims, many of whom were elderly, that he would invest their money in low-risk investment products with guaranteed rates of return, including municipal bonds and certificates of deposits. Dispoto also told some victims that he was using their investments to fund loans and mortgages for medical professionals, which would generate long-term returns through interest payments. To perpetuate his fraud, Dispoto mailed victims false and fraudulent financial statements that purported to show significant increases in the value of their investments.

    In reality, Dispoto did not invest the victims’ money as promised. Instead, he used it to make Ponzi-like payments to other victims, which he falsely claimed to be “returns” on investments. He also misappropriated victim money to fund his gambling and other personal expenses. Dispoto’s scheme collectively resulted in more than approximately $6,990,635.62 million in losses to victims.

    The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.   Sentencing is scheduled for August 26, 2025.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

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

                                                               ###

    Defense counsel:  Areeb Salim, Esq. and John Yauch, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defenders, Newark

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sixteen charged in East Texas federal methamphetamine conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BEAUMONT, Texas – A federal indictment in the Eastern District of Texas has resulted in the arrest of 16 individuals charged with various violations related to a wide-spread methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

    The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on April 2, 2025, in the Eastern District of Texas, charges the defendants with federal drug and gun violations.  A multi-agency law enforcement action was held on April 16, 2025, resulting in those arrests.  Since the investigation began in November 2022, law enforcement has seized over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and 14 firearms.  Those in custody began making initial appearances in federal court on April 16, 2025, in Beaumont.

    According to information provided in court, the following individuals are alleged to have been involved in the methamphetamine conspiracy in the Angelina, Nacogdoches, and Polk counties area:

    •    Albert Lopez, 39, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;

    •    Adaryl Douglas, 45, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;

    •    Hector Gomez, 40, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;

    •    Oscar Padilla, 44, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;

    •    Leanna Jean Busby, 45, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;

    •    Amanda McBride, 43, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;

    •    John Christopher Rios, 53, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;

    •    Jose Pedro Guzman Jr., 34, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;

    •    Lorene Michelle Baker, 44, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;

    •    David Davis, Jr., 48, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;

    •    Penny Ann King, 51, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;

    •    Jodi Calvin Sparkman, 53, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;

    •    Christopher Dewayne Harvey, 51, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;

    •    Gary Mills, 65, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm;

    •    Clifton Collin-Dakota Smith, 32, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; and

    •    Corey Mullan, 39, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

    If convicted, defendants face from 10 years to life in federal prison.

    As part of the operation, Eduardo Barajas-Macias, 32, a close associate of the criminal conspiracy, was also arrested and charged with unlawful reentry by a removed or deported alien.

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

    The case is being investigated by the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; FBI; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; Lufkin Police Department; Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office; Texas Department of Public Safety; and U.S. Marshals Service.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter.

    A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Afghan National Pleads Guilty to Obtaining Firearms in Connection with Plot to Conduct ISIS-Inspired Election Day Terrorist Attack

    Source: United States Attorneys General 8

    Abdullah Haji Zada, 18, a native and citizen of Afghanistan and U.S. lawful permanent resident, pleaded guilty today to a criminal information charging him with knowingly receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive a firearm and ammunition to be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism.

    According to court documents, Zada and a co-conspirator received two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, knowing that the firearms and ammunition would be used in connection with a terrorist attack on Election Day in November 2024 on behalf the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Zada was arrested with co-conspirator Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, also a citizen of Afghanistan, in October 2024.

    Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and will be sentenced as an adult. At sentencing, Zada faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

    As part of the plea agreement, Zada stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Zada acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status. Zada also waived his right to appeal the conviction except in limited circumstances or seek any form of appeal or relief from his removal and deportation, including but not limited to, seeking asylum.

    Tawhedi is currently awaiting trial for conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and receiving, attempting to receive, or conspiring to receive a firearm to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, if convicted. An indictment is merely an allegation and Tawhedi is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.

    The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Edmond Police Department, the Moore Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma City Community College Police Department, and the Oklahoma City University Police Department, is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry and Matt Dillon for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Afghan National Pleads Guilty to Obtaining Firearms in Connection with Plot to Conduct ISIS-Inspired Election Day Terrorist Attack

    Source: US State of California

    Abdullah Haji Zada, 18, a native and citizen of Afghanistan and U.S. lawful permanent resident, pleaded guilty today to a criminal information charging him with knowingly receiving, attempting to receive, and conspiring to receive a firearm and ammunition to be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism.

    According to court documents, Zada and a co-conspirator received two AK-47-style rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, knowing that the firearms and ammunition would be used in connection with a terrorist attack on Election Day in November 2024 on behalf the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Zada was arrested with co-conspirator Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, also a citizen of Afghanistan, in October 2024.

    Zada, who was 17 at the time of his arrest, entered his guilty plea as an adult and will be sentenced as an adult. At sentencing, Zada faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

    As part of the plea agreement, Zada stipulated to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States to Afghanistan following his term of incarceration. Zada acknowledged that the order of removal would terminate his lawful permanent resident status. Zada also waived his right to appeal the conviction except in limited circumstances or seek any form of appeal or relief from his removal and deportation, including but not limited to, seeking asylum.

    Tawhedi is currently awaiting trial for conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and receiving, attempting to receive, or conspiring to receive a firearm to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, if convicted. An indictment is merely an allegation and Tawhedi is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division made the announcement.

    The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Edmond Police Department, the Moore Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma City Community College Police Department, and the Oklahoma City University Police Department, is investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Perry and Matt Dillon for the Western District of Oklahoma, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Doctor Found Guilty of Unlawfully Dispensing and Distributing Opioids

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIAMI – A former South Florida doctor has been found guilty of charges of illegally distributing opioids at his pain management clinic.

    A federal jury sitting in Miami, Florida found Daniel Alberto Carpman, 72, of Miami, guilty of the unlawful dispensing and distribution of oxycodone at his pain management clinic, Daniel Carpman MD Medical Center. Carpman was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute opioids and four counts of illegally distributing opioids. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. United States District Court Judge Melissa Damian scheduled defendant’s sentencing for June 22, 2025.  Carpman was remanded to custody following the jury verdict.

    The evidence at trial established that Carpman illegally issued prescriptions for over two million doses of maximum strength, immediate release oxycodone to patients who later resold the medication to drug distributors.

    U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Miami Regional Office, made the announcement.

    Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark and Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole S. Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.

    You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

    Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20175

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Suburban Chicago Man Charged With Preparing and Filing More Than 50 Fraudulent Tax Returns

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been charged in federal court with preparing and filing more than 50 fraudulent tax returns for himself and others.

    An indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago accuses CEDRICK TAYLOR of preparing and assisting in the preparation of 45 individual tax returns on behalf of numerous individuals for the calendar years 2018 to 2023.  Taylor helped prepare returns that fraudulently overstated and misrepresented tax credits, deductions, and expenses in order to fraudulently reduce the individuals’ tax liabilities and claim refund amounts to which they were not entitled, the indictment states.  Taylor also filed several individual tax returns for himself that misrepresented tax credits and underreported his income, the indictment alleges.

    Taylor, 40, of Winfield, Ill., is charged with 45 counts of willfully preparing a false tax return for others and six counts of filing false tax returns for himself.  Each count is punishable by up to three years in federal prison.  Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.

    The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ramsey Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Snell.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New England Doctor Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – A New England doctor was sentenced on April 14, 2025 to eight months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiring to illegally distribute buprenorphine, a prescription opioid. The Court also ordered the forfeiture of $75,000, which reflects the proceeds Khan collected as a result of prescribing high-dose opioids over the course of the conspiracy, and a fine of $20,000. Additionally, as a result of this investigation, Khan has relinquished his medical license and DEA registrations. This was the first joint prosecution of a doctor by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the United States Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Health Care Fraud Unit’s New England Strike Force.

    According to court documents, in November 2024, Adnan S. Khan, M.D., 49, of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to illegally distribute opioids through his business, New England Medicine and Counseling Associates (NEMCA), which operated a network of clinics in New England. Khan admitted that he and others agreed to require cash for purported office visits and falsify medical records to justify his illegal prescribing practices.

    During the conspiracy, Khan emailed a co-conspirator a press release from the United States Department of Justice (“USDOJ”), announcing the creation of the New England Strike Force. In response, the co-conspirator stated that it is “clear that ‘making profit off of patients’ is geared towards folks like us. Curious where this will lead.” Khan then emailed NEMCA staff and stated that, “I have been informed that there is a new task force . . . [for the New England states] on the lookout for medical professionals who are prescribing scheduled meds [irresponsibly], etc.” In light of this, Khan warned his staff that, “It is not a matter of if someone from such a task force will visit NEMCA but rather a matter of time.” Khan then ordered his staff “NOT to engage or discuss anything [with the USDOJ’s New England Strike Force] about NEMCA, what we do, what we offer, fees, etc.”

    Under the plea agreement, Khan admitted that he and a co-conspirator required patients—many of whom were economically disadvantaged—to pay $250 cash in exchange for opioid prescriptions.  Khan then diverted funds that he earned from these patients for his personal use and benefit, including by purchasing an airplane and multiple properties in New England. Khan would also personally deposit the cash that he received from patients, including deposits in excess of $10,000, at his bank. If a patient could not afford the full cash payment, Khan agreed to lower the dosage of that patient’s prescription.

    Khan also admitted that he and a co-conspirator discussed their concern that, because pharmacies were no longer willing to fill the prescriptions, NEMCA might lose “dishonest” patients, who were “selling their meds.” Khan said that their “honest patients” were “the smaller part of [NEMCA’s] clientele” and urged a co-conspirator, “it’s the diverters [of the drugs that] we need to try to figure out a way to retain.” A co-conspirator emailed Khan, suggesting that they give $100 “scholarships” to patients who owed them money. Khan responded, “Stuck on ‘who’ should get them. Shitbag patients owe me so much that $100 won’t even put a dent on their account and they probably won’t appreciate it. Maybe the borderline ones who are just over the $250 threshold? They would probably get on their knees in gratitude.”

    Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher for the District of Vermont made the announcement. The Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Vermont Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit, investigated the case.

    Trial Attorneys Thomas D. Campbell and Danielle H. Sakowski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Gilman for the District of Vermont prosecuted the case.

    The Fraud Section partners with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    Anyone needing access to opioid treatment services can contact HHS-OIG’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 24/7 National Helpline for referrals to treatment services at 1-800-662-4359. 
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Prison for Sex Trafficking Offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TRENTON, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 210 months in prison on charges of sex trafficking and prostitution-related offenses, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Amin Sharif, 50, of Newark, was convicted by a jury in July 2024 of one count of attempted transportation of a victim with intent to engage in prostitution, one count of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of use of an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity, one count of transporting a victim with intent to engage in prostitution, and one count of persuading a victim to travel to engage in prostitution, following an eight-day trial before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court.

    According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

    In January 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating Sharif for sex trafficking offenses. Sharif recruited four females, including one minor victim, from states across the country—New York, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Utah.  Sharif used multiple social media accounts and assumed aliases and false identities to recruit and entice victims.  He made promises of housing stability, payment of bills and living expenses, and promises that the victims could make up to thousands of dollars per day by working for him.  Sharif advertised the minor victim online, offering her for 32 sexual services.

    Sharif was previously convicted of transporting a minor to engage in prostitution in federal court and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Sharif to 20 years of supervised release.

    “Amin Sharif is a dangerous sex offender who has repeatedly preyed on vulnerable young women and minors in our society.  The Court’s sentence will prevent Sharif from harming additional victims and will send a strong signal to would-be traffickers that sex trafficking will not be tolerated in the District of New Jersey and will result in serious sentences.”

    –U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

    “Disguised with multiple names and social media profiles, and promising help financially, Sharif instead sexually exploited his victims for his own monetary gain. Sharif ignored the physical and psychological trauma he was causing these vulnerable women and minors.  FBI Newark Special Agents, Analysts, and Task Force Officers will stop at nothing to get heinous criminals off the streets, phones, and computers from where they lurk and put them behind bars where they belong,” stated FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly. 

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to this sentencing.  She also thanked the FBI’s Rochester, New York Office and the Dansville Police Department for their assistance.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farhana C. Melo and Chelsea D. Coleman of the Criminal Division in Newark.

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel: Laurie M. Fierro Esq., Kinnelon, New Jersey; Mary F. Khellah, North Bergen, New Jersey

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: H Block Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution and Firearm Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug distribution and firearms charges.

    Jerry Gray, 28 of Roxbury, pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2025.

    Gray was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation of H-Block beginning in 2021 in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. According to court documents, over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation.

    In February 2024, Gray, a long-time H Block gang member, sold crack cocaine to a cooperating witness, and then subsequently stole “buy” money from the cooperating witness during an additional controlled purchase in March of 2024. During Gray’s arrest in August of 2024, a Glock pistol, along with numerous rounds of various calibers of ammunition, were located in his residence. At the time of the charged offenses Gray was on probation in Suffolk Superior Court for two separate firearm-related convictions.

    According to the charging documents, the H Block Street Gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H Block. Current members of H Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation.

    The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    Gray is the fifth defendant to plead guilty in the case.
        
    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Andrew Murphy of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office; James Crowley, Acting  Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Depart of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases.

    The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fact Sheet: How DHS is Combating Child Exploitation and Abuse

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Every day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leads the fight against online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). As part of the Department’s critical mission to combat crimes of exploitation and protect victims, we investigate these abhorrent crimes, spread awareness, collaborate with interagency and international partners, and expand our reach to ensure children are safe and protected.

    “At the Department of Homeland Security, our mission is to protect the American people, and that includes protecting our children. The internet has completely changed how we connect, but it has also opened new doors for predators who want to harm our kids,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “It’s a topic that should unite all of us, and I appreciate the opportunity to highlight the work of Homeland Security Investigations and all that they do to combat online child exploitation.”

    DHS battles online CSEA using all available tools and resources department-wide, emphasizing its commitment to the Department’s homeland security mission to “Combat Crimes of Exploitation and Protect Victims.” In recognition of President Trump’s proclamation designating April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, DHS is committed to raising awareness of these heinous crimes, preventing child exploitation and abuse, and bringing perpetrators to justice.

    As part of the Department’s ongoing work in this area, today DHS is celebrating the one-year anniversary of Know2Protect, the U.S. government’s first prevention and awareness campaign to combat online CSEA. 

    Between April 2024 and February 2025:

    • DHS launched Know2Protect®, a first of its kind national public awareness campaign to combat online CSEA. The campaign enhances the Department’s capabilities to combat online CSEA by partnering with the private sector to deliver its awareness messaging and coordinating federal efforts to confront and prevent this growing epidemic. The Department has successfully entered into over 20 Know2Protect® Memoranda of Understanding with leading technology companies, national and international sports leagues, youth-serving organizations and nonprofits, and other private sector partners to raise awareness of this crime and help children stay safer online.
    • DHS increased the footprint of law enforcement partners at the DHS Cyber Crimes Center (C3) to enhance coordination across all DHS agencies and offices to combat cyber-related crimes and further the Department’s mission to combat online CSEA. Several partners are collocated and work together every day at the DHS C3, including the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the United States Marshals Service (USMS),      U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).  
    • The Blue Campaign, part of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, hosted 170 national trainings on the indicators of forced labor and sex trafficking and how to report these crimes with more than 24,000 participants from the federal government, non-governmental organizations, law enforcement, and other external stakeholders.
    • DHS identified and rescued 1,567 child victims of online CSEA through the work of HSI and made 4,460 arrests for crimes involving online CSEA. Learn more in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report
    • HSI and ERO have instituted a collaborative operational initiative to locate unaccompanied alien children (UAC) released from the care and custody of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS-ORR). The UAC initiative   identifies and locates UACs to ensure immigration obligations are met, and investigate any potential indicators of forced labor, sex trafficking, or other exploitation.

    To accomplish this work, DHS coordinates with law enforcement at home and abroad to enforce and uphold our laws, protects victims with a victim-centered approach that prioritizes dignity and respect, and works to stop this heinous crime through public education and outreach.

    Enforcing Our Laws

    DHS works with domestic and international partners to enforce and uphold the laws that protect children from abuse. The Department works collaboratively with  Department of Justice prosecutors, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S Marshals, INTERPOL, Europol, and other international law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute perpetrators.

    • DHS increased U.S. government and law enforcement efforts to combat financial sextortion, a crime targeting children and teens by coercing them into sending explicit images online and extorting them for money. From FY22 to FY24, HSI received more than 4,900 CyberTipline reports related to sextortion predators from Côte dʼIvoire. From these reports, 652 children have been identified and supported by HSI. In an effort to combat this crime, HSI sent special agents to Côte d’Ivoire to provide online CSEA training to local law enforcement and supported local law enforcement efforts in locating and apprehending offenders residing there.
    • The CCHT works alongside the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to identify and pursue the recovery of underage victims of sex trafficking. The CCHT emphasizes victim identification operations which allows HSI field offices to rescue these children while implementing a victim centered approach. The CCHT supports HSI field operations throughout the investigation and prosecution of these traffickers and their networks.
    • DHS partnered with 61 regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces to investigate people involved in the online victimization of children, including those who produce, receive, distribute and/or possess child sexual abuse material, or who engage in online sexual enticement of children.
    • DHS researched and developed modern tools and technologies that equip domestic and international law enforcement partners with advanced forensic capabilities to accomplish their mission to identify victims and apprehend child sexual abusers.
      • The Science and Technology Directorate developed StreamView, a digital forensics and data analytics tool designed to assist law enforcement in effectively addressing child exploitation cases. By aggregating, organizing, and analyzing investigative leads, StreamView enables investigators to determine crime locations, identify victims, and bring perpetrators to justice more efficiently. Since May 2023, StreamView has identified and rescued over 133 child and adult victims, dismantled more than 29 criminal networks, generated over 600 leads and referrals, and arrested of over 120 criminal actors. The platform has also contributed to 10 convictions and 8 life sentences, significantly improving Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) investigations.
    • The U.S. Secret Service provides forensic, technical, and investigative assistance to NCMEC and state/local/tribal law enforcement in cases involving missing and exploited children. Support includes polygraph examinations, age progression/regression, composite sketches, audio/image/video enhancement, speaker identification/recognition, questioned document analysis, fingerprint development and examination, geospatial information mapping system, digital forensics.
    • U.S. Customs and Border Protection screens all undocumented unaccompanied children and other arriving minors for indicators of abuse or exploitation, human trafficking, extraterritorial sexual exploitation of children, sexual predators involved in crimes of exploitation, and all suspected criminal cases are referred to HSI.
    • Transportation Security Administration (INV) Special Agent Polygraph Examiners provide their expertise to advance investigative and prosecutorial efforts in support of child sexual exploitation investigations. INV developed evidence of child sexual exploitation and/or abuse in 15 criminal specific and pre-employment examinations. INV Special Agent Polygraph Examiners, assigned to its Special Operations Division, conduct examinations on behalf of INV, HSI, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, federal and local law enforcement agencies. In a case involving a child victim, an INV Special Agent Polygraph Examiner administered a specific issue polygraph examination, which resulted in the arrest of an individual attempting to solicit a child and identified six other victims ranging in age from 5-16 years of age.

    Protecting and Supporting Victims

    • The Angel Watch Center (AWC) within DHS C3 proactively identifies U.S. persons traveling abroad who have been convicted of sexual crimes against children. By using travel related information and publicly available state sex offender registries, the AWC notifies destination countries of these individuals’ pending arrivals to help prevent potential child sex tourism and other forms of exploitation. The HSI AWC sent over 4,800 travel notifications to foreign governments on convicted, registered U.S. child sex offenders, leading to over 900 denials of entry. These efforts build international cooperation to ensure all countries are safe from sexual predators.
    • In July 2023, HSI launched the first U.S.-based international victim identification surge, “Operation Renewed Hope (ORH).” To date, there have been three yearly operations: ORHI, ORHII, and ORHIII, to identify and rescue child victims of online exploitation. In these operations, HSI and its domestic and international partners work on child sexual abuse material contained in HSI holdings, teams expertly comb through and analyze unidentified series of child sexual abuse material to identify children and offenders and create lead packages for appropriate investigative partners in furtherance of associated law enforcement actions.
      • In the Spring of 2025, HSI conducted ORHIII, which resulted in 386 probable identifications and 56 victims who have been identified and rescued. Once victims of child exploitation are identified and/or rescued, the HSI Victim Assistance Program (VAP) supports them and their non-offending caretaker(s) by using highly trained forensic interview specialists to conduct victim-centered and trauma-informed forensic interviews. In addition, VAP’s victim assistance specialists provide resources to victims such as crisis intervention, referrals for short and long term medical and/or mental health care and contact information for local social service programs and agencies to assist in the healing process.
    • HSI provides short-term immigration protections to human trafficking victims, including victims of child sex trafficking. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) grants immigration benefits to eligible child victims of human trafficking, abuse, and other crimes, including T nonimmigrant status, U nonimmigrant status, and immigrant classification under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

    Educating and Increasing Public Awareness

    • The Know2Protect® campaign has garnered over 518 million impressions across various media platforms, in large part due to donated advertising from signed partners and other partner activations. The top visited pages on Know2Protect.gov are Take Action, How2Report, and Know the Threats.
    • Project iGuardian is the official in-person educational program of the Know2Protect campaign. Led by HSI, Project iGuardian offers in-person presentations designed to inform children, teens, parents, and trusted adults on the threat of online CSEA, how to implement preventive strategies, and report suspected abuse to law enforcement.
      • Since the start of FY24, more than 400 special agents have been trained to give Project iGuardian presentations.
      • In FY24, HSI gave more than 1,100 presentations to more than 122,000 children, teens, parents, and teachers domestically and internationally. These presentations yielded more than 75 victim disclosures and 77 investigative leads for online CSEA.
      • So far in FY 25, HSI has given more than 760 iGuardian presentations to over 69,000 children and adults, which have yielded more than 41 victim disclosures and 13 investigative leads.
    • In April 2024, the Blue Campaign announced a partnership with rideshare company Lyft to train their drivers, who interact with millions of riders per year, on how to recognize indicators of human trafficking among their passengers, and how to report it.  From July to September 2024, Blue Campaign collaborated with NCMEC to promote human trafficking awareness across various social media platforms, targeting both minors and those who work with minors. The campaign garnered more than 2 million impressions on Twitch, 14 million on Facebook, 3million on Snapchat, and 4 million through display ads.
    • The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) covers child sexual exploitation and abuse awareness in its Human Trafficking lesson plan. In FY2024, FLETC trained nearly 4,400 individuals in human trafficking awareness.
    • USSS Childhood Smart Program Ambassadors educated more than 112,000 children, parents, and teachers across 31 states and the District of Columbia about how to prevent online child sexual exploitation and child abduction. The Childhood Smart Program provides age-appropriate presentations to children as young as five as well as to adults. Presentations focus on internet and personal safety as well as other topics such as social media etiquette and cyber bullying.
    • The HSI Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center trained more than 800 individuals across the interagency on female genital mutilation or cutting, a severe form of child abuse and a crime under federal law when done to individuals under the age of 18.
    • The Blue Campaign Blue Lightning Initiative, part of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, trained more than 260,000 aviation personnel to identify potential traffickers and victims of forced labor and sex trafficking, to include child sex trafficking, and report their suspicions to law enforcement in FY 2023. The Initiative added 31 new partners this past year, raising its total partners to 136 aviation industry organizations, including its first two official international partners.
    • The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency administers SchoolSafety.gov, an interagency website that includes information, guidance and resources on a range of school safety topics. SchoolSafety.gov includes a child exploitation section that houses more than 60 resources to help school communities identify, prevent and respond to child exploitation. Since its launch in January 2023, child exploitation section has been viewed more than 35,600 times.

    What You Can Do and Resources Available

    • Visit  www.Know2Protect.gov to access free resources to understand the threats of online CSEA and learn preventative strategies to stop future victimization.
    • Request an educational presentation tailored for school children and trusted adults:
    • Visit SchoolSafety.gov for resources to help educators, school leaders, parents, and school personnel identify, prevent, and respond to child exploitation.
    • Learn more from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.Visit https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign for resources about how to prevent, identify and report human trafficking.  
    • How to report suspected online child sexual exploitation and abuse in the United States:
    • Contact your local, state, campus, or tribal law enforcement officials directly. Call 911 in an emergency.
    • If you suspect a child has been abducted or faces imminent danger, contact your local police and the NCMEC tip line at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
    • If you suspect a child might be a victim of online child sexual exploitation, call the HSI Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423 and report it to NCMEC’s CyberTipline.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Barr, Deepfakes and the AI Arms Race in Bank Cybersecurity

    Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve

    Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.1 In the past, a skilled forger could pass a bad check by replicating a person’s signature. Now, advances in AI can do much more damage by replicating a person’s entire identity. This technology—known as deepfakes—has the potential to supercharge identity fraud. I’ve recently spoken about the importance of recognizing both the benefits and the risks of generative AI (Gen AI).2 Today, I’d like to focus more on the darker side of the technology—specifically how Gen AI has the potential to enable deepfake technology, and what we should be doing now to defend against this risk in finance.
    Escalating Threat of Gen-AI Facilitated CybercrimeCybercrime is on the rise, and cybercriminals are increasingly turning to Gen AI to facilitate their crimes. Criminal tactics are becoming more sophisticated and available to a broader range of criminals. Estimates of direct and indirect costs of cyber incidents range from 1 to 10 percent of global GDP.3 Deepfake attacks have seen a twentyfold increase over the last three years.4
    Cybercrime with deepfakes involves the same cat and mouse game common to sophisticated criminal activity. Both cybercriminals and financial institutions are constantly trying to outdo each other. Criminals develop new attack methods, and companies respond with better defenses. Here, the same technological innovations that enable the bad actors can also help those fighting cybercrime. However, there is an asymmetry—the fraudsters can cast a wide net of approaches and target a wide number of victims, and they only need a small number to be successful. Their marginal cost is generally low, and individual failures matter little. Conversely, companies must undergo a rigorous review and testing process to mount effective cyber defenses and will thus be slower in developing their defenses. A single failure is very costly. As we consider this issue from a policy perspective, we need to take steps to make attacks less likely by raising the cost of the attack to the cybercriminals and lowering the costs of defense to financial institutions and law enforcement.
    Anatomy of a DeepfakeDeepfake attacks are those in which an attacker uses Gen AI to create a doppelganger with a person’s voice or image and uses this doppelganger to interact with individuals or institutions to commit fraud. Deepfake technology is a particularly pernicious vehicle for cybercrime.5 The process begins with voice synthesis, where Gen AI models can synthesize the speech of their victim not only in words, but also in phrase patterns, tone, and inflection. With just a short sample audio, for example, criminals assisted by Gen AI can impersonate a close relative in a crisis situation or a high-value bank client, seeking to complete a transaction at their bank.6
    Criminals can also use Gen AI-generated videos to create believable depictions of individuals. For videos, Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) are the core technology behind most deepfake systems.7 GANs consist of two competing models, the generator and the discriminator, which compete with and improve each other. This competition results in increasingly realistic, indistinguishable fake images and videos.8
    Deepfake technology can also be augmented by other AI tools; for instance, criminals can use AI to extract and organize extensive multimodal personal data to facilitate identity verification. Attackers can also turn to “dark web” tools, such as jailbroken versions of popular large language models, where the guardrails have been removed, to learn the deepfake trade and improve their attacks.9
    Deepfakes in ActionI expect that many of you can recall examples of how deepfakes of politicians and prominent business executives have fooled the public and spread disinformation. Deepfakes are also being used to commit payment fraud. In one case in 2024, a sophisticated deepfake of the chief financial officer for British engineering and architectural firm Arup was reportedly deployed in a video meeting and convinced an Arup financial employee to transfer $25 million to thieves.10
    In another case, an attacker attempted to undertake a highly convincing audio deepfake of the chief executive of Ferrari, down to mimicking his southern Italian accent.11 The recipient of the attack—another Ferrari executive—tested the caller with a personal question only the chief executive would know, which thankfully exposed the fraud.
    And these institutions and individuals are not alone—a 2024 survey finds that over 10 percent of companies reported experiencing deepfake fraud attempts, and few steps have been taken to mitigate the risks.12
    Particularly since COVID, we conduct much of our professional and personal lives over video. When we see realistic and interactive video images of a loved one in trouble, we are disposed to trust them and do what we can to help. Identity verification standards at banks often use voice detection, which may become vulnerable to Gen AI tools. If this technology becomes cheaper and more broadly available to criminals—and fraud detection technology does not keep pace—we are all vulnerable to a deepfake attack. These attacks can have significant financial costs to the victims of the crime and can also pose costs to society, eroding trust in communications and in institutions.
    Defending Against DeepfakesSo what should we do? As I mentioned above, we should take steps to lessen the impact of attacks by making successful breaches less likely, while making each attack more resource-intensive for the attacker.
    Let me start with ways to make successful breaches less likely. A key step is to recognize the importance of strong, resilient financial institutions in preventing attacks. Banks are frontline defenders against deepfake-enabled fraud due to their direct involvement with financial transactions and customer data. To verify payors, banks maintain identity verification processes, including multi-factor authentication and account monitoring practices. To the extent deepfakes increase, bank identity verification processes should evolve in kind to include AI-powered advances such as facial recognition, voice analysis, and behavioral biometrics to detect potential deepfakes. Other techniques focus on assessing the probability that AI has been used in audio or video based on underlying metadata and then flagging the identity or transaction for further review using other verification. These technical solutions can detect subtle inconsistencies in video and audio that human observers may miss.
    Banks have two points of control over the transaction—confirming not only the sender’s identity, but also the legitimacy of the recipient address. They can scrutinize the recipients of large or unusual transactions, employing advanced analytics to flag suspicious patterns that could indicate fraudulent activities, and perform additional reviews before authorizing a payment to a recipient that raises flags. Banks also invest in their human controls by maintaining up-to-date training for staff on the emerging risks and incorporating the necessary security measures to mitigate the damages from breaches when they occur. And they are engaging with other financial institutions to help define the threat and identify appropriate controls and mitigants.13
    Customers should do their part, enabling multi-factor authentication on their accounts and verifying unusual requests through a separate channel, even if the person making the request seems genuine. They should seek out education for themselves and their loved ones to help them detect and prevent fraud before it occurs.14 And customers should value strong security practices at their financial institutions, including those which may add some friction to the user experience. The customers that may be the highest-value targets for criminals are often those with the largest digital presence, and thus most susceptible to deepfakes. They are also the customers who may prefer the most frictionless user experience, making detecting deepfakes more difficult. When it comes to protecting our money, we ought to expect and appreciate a little friction.
    Regulators can help to reinforce the importance of cyber defenses in safe and sound banking through appropriate updates to guidance and regulation. As with all rules, we should be mindful of the impacts on smaller institutions and help ensure that rules are right-sized for the risk. In addition, we can work with core providers to understand the extent to which they are incorporating AI advancements in their products and services to help smaller banks defend against deepfakes and other emerging risks from the technology. Last, we can also highlight research and development for cybersecurity startups and research into tools to combat deepfakes and Gen AI-based fraud.
    Regulators should consider how we could leverage AI technologies ourselves, including to enhance our ability to monitor and detect patterns of fraudulent activity at regulated institutions in real time. This could help provide early warnings to affected institutions and broader industry participants, as well as to protect our own systems.
    In addition to preventing attacks, we should also explore ways of making attacks more costly. These may include coordination with domestic and global law enforcement, internationally consistent laws against cybercrime, and continued improvement on sharing threat intelligence and insights in real-time. The official sector and banks should continue efforts to improve fraud data sharing within the financial sector and help institutions respond more quickly to emerging Gen AI-driven threats. This will make it far harder for fraudsters to operate undetected, increasing the complexity and cost of their activities. But the sharing is only as good as the data, and banks must do their part. We should help ensure that banks and other regulated institutions meet their duties to report cyber incidents in a timely way, and regulators should too.15
    Another way to disrupt the economics of cybercrime is by increasing penalties for attempting to use Gen AI to commit fraud and increasing investment in cybercrime enforcement. This includes targeting the upstream organizations that benefit from illegal action and strengthening anti-money-laundering laws to disrupt illicit fund flows and freeze assets related to cybercrime. The fear of severe legal consequences could help to deter bad actors from pursuing AI-driven fraud schemes in the first place.
    ConclusionDeepfakes are only one of many new techniques to facilitate cyberattacks, but they feel particularly salient because they are so personal. And they are on the rise.
    We will need financial institutions to adapt, collaborate, and innovate in the face of these emerging threats.
    Thank you.

    1. The views expressed here are my own and are not necessarily those of my colleagues on the Federal Reserve Board or the Federal Open Market Committee. Return to text
    2. Michael S. Barr, “Artificial Intelligence: Hypothetical Scenarios for the Future” (speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York, NY, February 18, 2025); Michael S. Barr, “AI, Fintechs, and Banks” (speech at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, April 4, 2025). Return to text
    3. International Monetary Fund, Global Financial Stability Report, chapter 3 (October 2024), See also, World Economic Forum, Why We Need Global Rules to Crack Down on Cybercrime (January 2023). Return to text
    4. “Fraud attempts with deepfakes have increased by 2137% over the last three years,” Signicat, February 20, 2025, https://www.signicat.com/press-releases/fraud-attempts-with-deepfakes-have-increased-by-2137-over-the-last-three-year#:~:text=Evolving20AI2Dbased20techniques20pose,AI2DDriven20Identity20Fraud20report. Return to text
    5. Federal Bureau of Investigation, “Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud,” public service announcement, December 3, 2024. Return to text
    6. See note 5. Return to text
    7. Tianxiang Shen, Ruixian Liu, Ju Bai, and Zheng Li, “Deep Fakes” Using Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) (PDF). McAfee, Beware the Artificial Impostor (May 2023), https://www.mcafee.com/content/dam/consumer/en-us/resources/cybersecurity/artificial-intelligence/rp-beware-the-artificial-impostor-report.pdf. Return to text
    8. “What is a GAN?” AWS, https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/gan/#:~:text=A20generative20adversarial20network20(GAN,from20a20database20of20songs. Return to text
    9. KELA, The State of Cybercrime 2025 Report (February 2025), https://www.kelacyber.com/resources/research/state-of-cybercrime-2025/. Return to text
    10. Kathleen Magramo, “British Engineering Giant Arup Revealed as $25 Million Deepfake Scam Victim,” CNN Business, May 17, 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/16/tech/arup-deepfake-scam-loss-hong-kong-intl-hnk/index.html. Return to text
    11. Sandra Galletti and Massimo Pani, “How Ferrari Hit the Brakes on a Deepfake CEO,” MIT Sloan Management Review, January 27, 2025. Return to text
    12. Chad Brooks, “1 in 10 Executives Say Their Companies Have Already Faced Deepfake Threats,” business.com, June 28, 2024, https://www.business.com/articles/deepfake-threats-study/. Return to text
    13. See, for instance, FS-ISAC’s report on deepfake threats and risk management at https://www.fsisac.com/hubfs/Knowledge/AI/DeepfakesInTheFinancialSector-UnderstandingTheThreatsManagingTheRisks.pdf. Return to text
    14. There are a variety of public and private resources that can help. See, for example, the National Security Agency/Central Security Service at https://www.nsa.gov/Press-Room/Press-Releases-Statements/Press-Release-View/Article/3523329/nsa-us-federal-agencies-advise-on-deepfake-threats/; and the National Cybersecurity Alliance at https://www.staysafeonline.org/articles/why-your-family-and-coworkers-need-a-safe-word-in-the-age-of-ai. Return to text
    15. “Computer-Security Incident Notification Requirements for Banking Organizations and Their Bank Service Providers,” 86 Fed. Reg. 66,424 (November 23, 2021). Return to text

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: North Ridgeville Doctor Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

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

    Scheme billed Medicare more than $14M for unnecessary medical equipment and lab tests

    CLEVELAND – An Ohio doctor has pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy that prescribed medical equipment and lab tests for patients who did not need them and then submitted claims to Medicare to receive payment. Medicare is a federal health benefit program administered under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and most notably covers beneficiaries aged 65 and older.

    According to court documents, Timothy Sutton, 43, of North Ridgeville, Ohio, admitted that he and other co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to fraudulently bill more than $14.5 million in payments from Medicare. Sutton was employed by two telemedicine companies; Real Time Physicians, LLC, based in Nevada, and 24 Hour Virtual MD, LLC, based in Florida. The companies provided Sutton with pre-completed orders for durable medical equipment (DME), such as braces, and/or cancer genetic testing (CGX) for him to approve and digitally sign. In doing so, he affirmed that he had examined patients using a telemedicine platform and determined that they needed DME or that CGX testing was necessary. In truth, he never examined any of the patients who resided throughout Ohio and Florida.

    Once Sutton prescribed the equipment or ordered testing, Real Time Physicians and 24 Hour Virtual MD furthered the conspiracy by forwarding the orders to companies under their control or sold the orders to other medical entities to provide DME or conduct the lab testing. Sutton defrauded Medicare by submitting claims that were not reasonable and necessary for medical treatment and did not comply with Medicare rules and regulations or applicable federal laws.

    On April 4, 2025, Sutton pleaded guilty to attempt and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, false statements related to health care matters, and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 27 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July 26, 2025.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI Cleveland Division. In the Northern District of Ohio, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Om Kakani and Rebecca Lutzko are prosecuting the case.

    About the Northern District of Ohio

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio covers the 40 northern-most counties in the state of Ohio, which is home to nearly six million people. The office operates from its main headquarters in Cleveland, with additional branches in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown. The U.S. Attorney serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the District and oversees the prosecution of federal crimes and protect victims’ rights. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Haven Man Admits Distributing Methamphetamine Pills and Crack While on Supervised Release

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

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DONALD OGMAN, also known as “Mainey-O” and ”Manny O,” 43, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to methamphetamine and cocaine distribution offenses.  A trial in this matter was scheduled to begin this morning.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Ogman has been a leader of the Grape Street Crips (GSC), a violent New Haven gang.  In 2012, the FBI arrested Ogman for offenses related to his role in GSC, including drug trafficking.  He pleaded guilty to narcotics offenses and, on March 10, 2015, was sentenced to 188 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release.  In August 2022, a federal judge granted Ogman’s motion for compassionate release, reduced Ogman’s sentence to time served, and he was released from prison. 

    Ogman resumed his drug trafficking activity while on federal supervised release, distributing multi-colored pills containing methamphetamine in and around New Haven.  The investigation included surveillance, trash pulls, and controlled purchases of methamphetamine pills from Ogman in March and April 2024.

    Ogman was arrested on May 9, 2024.  On that date, searches of his person and residence revealed additional quantities of methamphetamine, as well as crack cocaine.

    Ogman pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine; three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine. 

    Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for July 9.  Due to Ogman’s prior conviction for a serious drug felony, he faces a prison term of at least 10 years.  He also faces additional penalties for violating the conditions of his supervised release.

    Ogman has been detained since his arrest.

    This matter has been investigated by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department and the Hamden Police Department.  The NHDO Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Nathan J. Guevremont through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Level Three Sex Offender From Chicopee Arrested and Charged for Transferring Obscene Material to a Minor

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

    Defendant previously convicted of attempted rape of a minor and unlawful contact with a minor

    BOSTON – A Chicopee man has been arrested and charged for transferring obscene material to a minor female victim who he believed to be 12 years old.

    Carl Norton, Jr., 37, is charged with one count of transferring obscene material to a minor. Norton was arrested on April 11, 2025 and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield, was detained pending a hearing scheduled for April 16, 2025.

    According to the charging documents, from February through June 2024, Norton exchanged numerous Snapchat messages, images and videos with the minor victim. It is alleged that Norton sent the minor victim media files that depicted adult pornography many of which appeared to be self-produced. On multiple occasions, Norton allegedly asked the minor victim to send him nude photos and videos of herself. Norton also allegedly requested to meet the minor victim numerous times – offering to pay for her travel and arrange hotel rooms. Throughout the messages, Norton allegedly described in explicit detail the sexual acts the two would engage in upon meeting.

    Norton is a Level 3 sex offender with prior convictions for attempted rape of a minor and unlawful contact with a minor.

    The charge of transferring obscene material to a minor provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Barnico, Jr. of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

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

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition

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

    BOSTON – A self-admitted gang member from Brockton, who was previously convicted of killing a 17-year-old outside a Roxbury high school, pleaded guilty today to drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

    Andre McNeil, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2025. McNeil was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024.

    On Feb. 2, 2024, a series of searches were executed on McNeil’ vehicle and several associated residences. As a result, approximately 31 grams of cocaine, three handguns, two high-capacity magazines, five other magazines, approximately 101 rounds of 9mm ammunition and approximately $17,406 dollars, along with numerous cellular devices were seized. Numerous items used in drug trafficking, including scales, a money counter, baggies and a drug ledger were also observed at the search locations.

    McNeil is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2014 manslaughter conviction in Suffolk Superior Court for shooting and killing a 17-year-old boy outside a Roxbury high school, for which he was sentenced to more than 12 years in state prison.

    The charge of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute provides for sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

    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. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Brockton, Foxboro and Taunton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

    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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Kyle Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Causing a Death on the Pine Ridge Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on April 10, 2025.

    Jeremy Red Owl, 29, was sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release on each count. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. Red Owl was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and restitution to the family of the victim.

    Red Owl was indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in November of 2024. He pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025.

    Along with other passengers, Red Owl was riding in the backseat of a moving vehicle while he was under the influence of cocaine. He was in possession of a loaded firearm as well. Red Owl told law enforcement that he leaned over causing the firearm in his possession to inadvertently discharge, striking and killing the driver.

    This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.

    This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.

    Red Owl was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Sixteen Defendants Arrested for Alleged Involvement in Drug Trafficking within the Pine Ridge Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RAPID CITY, SD – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that a multi-agency law enforcement operation has resulted in 16 federal arrests in Rapid City, South Dakota, and within the Pine Ridge Reservation. Operation Snowy Ridge was organized by the FBI to clear outstanding warrants related to federally indicted drug trafficking cases. The operation began on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, and continued through the morning of Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

    “Operation Snowy Ridge brought together vast resources from federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies for a two-day takedown of alleged drug traffickers living within the Pine Ridge Reservation and Rapid City, South Dakota,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Thanks to law enforcement’s sophisticated planning and extraordinary collaboration, the operation accomplished its intended goal—improve public safety in tribal communities by removing individuals who drive violence and facilitate drug addiction in Indian country.”

    “This operation disrupted the networks fueling violence and trafficking deadly drugs on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Through strong and sustained partnerships with our federal, state, tribal, and local counterparts, we are committed to holding violent offenders accountable and protecting our communities.”

    “The success of this operation reflects the strength of our partnerships and our shared dedication to protecting the people of Pine Ridge,” said Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Chief of Police Danielle Means. “By targeting violent offenders and drug trafficking networks, this effort directly addressed the threats impacting our community. We are appreciative for the unified effort and remain committed to working together to ensure safety for our community.”

    As a result of the operation, the following individuals were arrested: Echo Winters (35, Pine Ridge, SD); Esther Winters (43, Pine Ridge, SD); Garren Wilson, Sr. (42, Pine Ridge, SD); Gabriel Gibbons (52, Pine Ridge, SD); Michaela Peoples (44, Pine Ridge, SD); Reed Brown (68, Wanblee, SD); Jackie Black Bear (60, Pine Ridge, SD); Skyler Red Cloud (31, Wounded Knee, SD); Theodore Coomes, Jr., a/k/a TC (38, Pine Ridge, SD); Abe Marshall (39, Batesland, SD); Laquetta Rouillard (34, Pine Ridge, SD); Anja Little Hawk (35, Pine Ridge, SD); Lisa Mills (33, Pine Ridge, SD); Demitre Ecoffey (30, Wounded Knee, SD); Tucker Fischbach (29, Rapid City, SD); Sesalie Red Owl (41, Rapid City, SD). Federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office have charged each of these individuals for their involvement in various drug conspiracies.

    “The combined effort of law enforcement agencies involved in this operation allowed for the removal of life-threatening substances including cocaine and methamphetamine,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei said. “For DEA, the goal at the end of the day is to keep our communities safe from the harm associated with these drugs.”

    “This operation reflects the very best of what sustained, strategic partnership between law enforcement can accomplish,” said Acting U.S. Marshal Stephen Houghtaling. “Together, we targeted those driving violence and drug trafficking on the Pine Ridge Reservation and we did so with one goal in mind—to protect the community. We are proud of the successful outcome of this operation and remain committed to the pursuit of justice.”

    “This operation exemplifies the power of collaboration and the effectiveness of agencies uniting their resources toward a shared goal,” said Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services Deputy Bureau Director Richard “Glen” Melville. “BIA-OJS remains steadfast in its commitment to Indian Country and its mission to combat the drug crisis gripping tribal communities.” Director Melville also praised the Oglala Sioux Tribe for their unwavering dedication and partnership in this large-scale operation. “The success of this initiative is a testament to the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s willingness to work in partnership with other law enforcement agencies including FBI, DEA, US Marshal’s Service, and BIA Division of Drug Enforcement to protect their communities. Their cooperation was instrumental in making this operation possible.”

    The operation was spearheaded by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Task Force (Task Force), which is comprised of agents from the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Division of Drug Enforcement (BIA DDE), the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the Martin Police Department. In executing this takedown, the Task Force received critical assistance from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

    Investigations are currently underway to determine if any of those arrested in this operation will be charged with additional crimes. Charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Tarbay and Meghan Dilges.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Colorado Woman Sentenced to 11 years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Denver, Colorado, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on April 14, 2025.

    Patricia Rae Pacheco a/k/a Patty Pacheco, age 35, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

    Pacheco was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in August 2020. She pleaded guilty on January 15, 2025.

    Between January 1, 2015, and January 1, 2020, Pacheco conspired with several other persons to distribute methamphetamine obtained from Colorado to her family members and others in South Dakota, specifically in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. 

    This case was investigated by the FBI, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Valentine (NE) Police Department.

    Pacheco was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Kansas City Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars From Employer

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

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman plead guilty in federal court today to a fraud scheme in which she embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer.

    Jennifer L. Cabral, 51, plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana Counts to one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering.

    By pleading guilty today, Cabral admitted that she stole approximately $306,034.28 from her employer’s bank account and used those funds for her personal benefit and use. As part of the scheme, Cabral accessed her employer’s accounting software and directed payments to her own personal bank accounts through the employer’s online account at a local financial institution.  Cabral used those funds for various personal benefits including vehicle payments toward the purchase of her car, which was forfeited as part of the plea agreement.

    Under federal statutes, Cabral is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole on the bank fraud count and up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering count. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Grandview, Mo. Police Department.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Four Sentenced for Roles in Morgantown-Area Drug Trafficking Operation

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

    CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Four people were sentenced for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization that stretched from Philadelphia to Detroit to Morgantown, West Virginia.

    Those sentenced today were:

    • Charles Johnson, 33, of Detroit, Michigan, sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison;
    • Sandra Tennant, 55, of Morgantown, West Virginia, sentenced to 51 months;
    • Stephanie Miller, 48, of Charleston, West Virginia, sentenced to 84 months in federal prison; and
    • Jordan Spadafore, 34, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced to five years of probation.

    According to court documents, Johnson, Tennant, Miller, and Spadafore were distributors for the operation that was selling methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.

    This case was investigated by the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; the WVU Police Department; the Granville Police Department; and the Star City Police Department.

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

    Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: 30 Year Prison Sentence for Convicted Killer

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the brutal killing of a man on the Navajo Nation in 2020.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, between February 6, 2020, and February 14, 2020, Tyran Begay, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, helped confine and torture John Doe alongside Camille Damon and Ronald Belone by binding and beating the victim, and leaving his body exposed to frigid weather in a remote area near Smith Lake, New Mexico.

    Upon his release from prison, Begay will be subject to five years of supervised release.

    Damon and Belone remain in custody pending trial, which has yet been scheduled.

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

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco and Meg P. Tomlinson are prosecuting the case. 

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