NewzIntel.com

Category: Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Seeks Civil Forfeiture of Approximately $23 Million in Cryptocurrency Seized from Gotbit

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

    BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover approximately $23 million in cryptocurrency alleged to be proceeds of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud and property involved in a transaction or attempted transaction in violation of one or more specified statutory offenses.

    The government seized USDT (Tether) and USDC (Circle) from un-hosted cryptocurrency wallets controlled by Gotbit Consulting LLC (Gotbit). Tether and Circle are stablecoins, meaning their value is tied to the U.S. dollar.

    On March 21, 2025, Gotbit, a financial services firm known in the cryptocurrency industry as a “market maker,” and its founder, Aleksei Andriunin, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to criminal charges relating to Gotbit’s fraudulent manipulation of cryptocurrency trading volume on behalf of client cryptocurrency companies. As part of Gotbit’s plea agreement, it admitted the cryptocurrency was subject to civil forfeiture and agreed to consent to civil forfeiture of the cryptocurrency.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit is handling the forfeiture matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the criminal case.

    The details contained in the civil forfeiture complaint are allegations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Lánasjóður sveitarfélaga – Undirritun aðalmiðlarasamninga

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Lánasjóður sveitarfélaga ohf. hefur gengið frá samningum við aðalmiðlara í tengslum við útgáfu skuldabréfa Lánasjóðsins og viðskiptavakt á skuldabréfaflokkunum LSS150434, LSS151155 og LSS 39 0303. Markmiðið með samningunum er að styrkja aðgang Lánasjóðsins að lánsfé og efla verðmyndun á eftirmarkaði.

    Frá 1. apríl 2025 hafa fimm fjármálastofnanir heimild til að kalla sig: “Aðalmiðlara með skuldabréf Lánasjóðsins”. Þær eru: Arion banki hf, Íslandsbanki hf., Landsbankinn hf., Kvika banki hf. og Fossar Fjárfestingarbanki hf.

    Helstu atriði samningsins eru:

    • Aðalmiðlarar hafa einir aðgang að útboðum Lánasjóðs sveitarfélaga ohf.
    • Aðalmiðlari skuldbindur sig til að setja fram markaðsmyndandi tilboð í útboðum skuldabréfa lánasjóðsins að lágmarki 100 m.kr. að nafnverði samanlagt í þá flokka sem í boði eru í hverju útboði, að hámarki þó einu sinni í hverjum mánuði.
    • Aðalmiðlarar hafa einir aðgang að sérstökum verðbréfalánum sem Lánasjóðurinn veitir.
    • Aðalmiðlari er viðskiptavaki á eftirmarkaði fyrir þrjá skuldabréfaflokka Lánasjóðsins og setur fram kaup- og sölutilboð að lágmarki (nafnv.) sem hér segir:
      • LSS150434: 40 m.kr.
      • LSS151155: 20 m.kr.
      • LSS 39 0303: 40 m.kr.
    • Aðalmiðlari skuldbindur sig til þess að verðmunur kaup- og sölutilboða hans fari ekki yfir 1% fyrir LSS150434 og LSS 39 0303 en 1,25% fyrir LSS151155.
    • Aðalmiðlara er skylt að endurnýja tilboð sín innan 15 mínútna frá því að þeim hefur verið tekið. Ef aðalmiðlari á viðskipti á einum viðskiptadegi fyrir samtals 200 m.kr. að nafnvirði með þá flokka lánasjóðsins sem viðskiptavakt er með er honum heimilt að víkja út frá hámarksmun kaup- og sölutilboða.
    • Samningarnir gilda frá 1. apríl 2025 til 31. mars 2026.

    Nánari upplýsingar veitir Óttar Guðjónsson, framkvæmdastjóri, ottar@lanasjodur.is / s. 515 4949 

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Latin Music Talent Agency and Its CEO Found Guilty of Violating U.S. Sanctions by Doing Business with Cartel-Linked Concert Promoter

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

    LOS ANGELES – The CEO of a Latin music conglomerate and his talent agency were found guilty by a jury today of conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by conducting business with a Guadalajara-based concert promoter with ties to Mexican drug cartels.

    José Ángel Del Villar, 44, of Huntington Beach, the CEO of Del Records and its related talent agency Del Entertainment Inc., was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers in violation of the Kingpin Act and 10 counts of violating the Kingpin Act.

    Co-defendant Del Entertainment also was found guilty of all 11 counts of which Del Villar was convicted.

    According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, in April 2018, the defendants did business with Jesús Pérez Alvear, a.k.a. “Chucho,” of Guadalajara, Mexico, a music promoter who controlled Gallistica Diamante, a.k.a. Ticket Premier. Pérez promoted concerts for Del Entertainment in Mexico until March 2019.

    The U.S. Treasury Department listed Pérez and his company as “specially designated narcotics traffickers” under the Kingpin Act on April 6, 2018, after concluding he facilitated money laundering for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the Los Cuinis drug trafficking organization. The Kingpin Act prevents people in the United States from conducting business with sanctioned persons and entities.

    Even though Del Villar and Del Entertainment were aware that it was illegal to engage in transactions or dealings with Pérez, they willfully did business with him by continuing to have a Del Entertainment musical artist perform at concerts in which Pérez and Del Entertainment had a financial interest.

    For example, on April 19, 2018, FBI agents approached a well-known musician and explicitly told him about Pérez’s designation under the Kingpin Act and how that prohibited him from conducting business with Pérez and performing concerts that Pérez promoted.

    On April 28, 2018, the musician performed at a music concert which Pérez organized. Del Villar’s credit card was used to pay for a private jet that brought the musician from Van Nuys Airport to the performance in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

    On multiple other occasions in 2018 and 2019, Pérez and Del Villar continued to do business by arranging for the musician to perform at concerts in Mexico – including Mexicali and San José Iturbide, Guanajuato.

    “The defendants here chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Cartels and transnational criminal organizations cause immeasurable harm to our country. We are using every tool to eliminate these organizations and will prosecute those that do business with cartels.”

    “Doing business with government-sanctioned individuals is illegal and can have very serious consequences,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s guilty verdict sends a message to music industry associates and others who engage in business with those sanctioned for laundering money for Mexican drug cartels will not be tolerated by the FBI, nor our partners at the IRS and the United States Attorney’s Office.”

    United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled an August 15 sentencing hearing, at which time Del Villar will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count. Del Entertainment will face a sentence of five years of probation and a fine of $10 million for each count.

    Co-defendant Luca Scalisi, 58, of West Hollywood, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in this case and is scheduled to be tried separately in July 2025.

    Co-defendant Pérez, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers, was murdered in Mexico in December 2024. 

    The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control provided significant assistance in this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Benedetto L. Balding and Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, prosecuted this case, with substantial assistance from the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    This case 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. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Albuquerque Man Sentenced for Armed Robberies Targeting Ross Stores

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

    ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a string of violent armed robberies targeting multiple Ross Dress for Less stores in 2022.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Jason Pete Roper, 46, committed three armed robberies at Ross Dress for Less stores on August 14, August 15, and September 8, 2022. Each time, Roper would approach the register with a small item for purchase, wait for the cashier to open the till, and then brandish a firearm and demand money from multiple registers. At trial, the victims, most of whom were teenagers, testified to the fear and emotional distress they continue to suffer, with some forced to leave their jobs and withdraw from school due to the psychological impact.

    Evidence further revealed that Roper not only committed these robberies himself but also perpetuated the cycle of violence by involving his 12-year-old nephew in his criminal activities. Surveillance footage, witness testimony, and a CrimeStoppers tip linked Roper to additional robberies committed by his nephew at a Ross store, a Walgreens, and an attempted robbery at a Taco Bell.

    Upon his release, Roper will be subject to three years of supervised release.

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

    The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon Stanford and Samuel Hurtado prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Illegal Alien Indicted for Fentanyl, Firearm, and Immigration-Related Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Sarah Maud Jess, 61, of Capitol Heights, Maryland. Jess is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, and reentry of an alien removed after conviction for an aggravated felony.

    Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge William DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD); and Police Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGCPD).

    According to the indictment, Jess engaged in a conspiracy to distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl between November 2023 and October 2024. She also distributed 40 grams or more of fentanyl on specific dates in June and September 2024.  Additionally, Jess is charged with possessing with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl on October 2, 2024; illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition on the same date; and as an alien who was previously removed from the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony.  Jess was found in the United States without receiving permission to reapply for admission into the country as required by law.

    If convicted, Jess faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years for the drug charges; up to 15 years for the firearm charge; and up to 20 years for the aggravated illegal reentry charge.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.

    A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

    U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, DEA, FBI, MCPD, and PGCPD for their work in the investigation.  Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Nicholas Potter who are prosecuting the federal case.

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

    # # #

     

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch, Blackburn, King Introduce Bicameral States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act to Improve Interstate Health Care Workforce Licensing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Angus King (I-Maine) introduced the States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act, bipartisan legislation to improve interstate health care workforce licensing and improve access to care across America by cutting through red tape.  
    Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Tracey Mann (R-KS-01) and Joe Neguse (D-CO-02).  
    “There is no question that the health care industry is facing workforce shortages—and that’s especially true for rural states like Vermont. That’s why it makes no sense that a licensing agency in Vermont can’t see the status of a background check, slowing down valuable time onboarding a new health care provider. The SHARE Act is a good-faith effort to cut through red tape in a commonsense way. This bill would remove a bureaucratic hoop and improve patients’ access to the health care they need while protecting their safety. It is important we find common ground on ways to make Washington work better for working families, which is why I’m pleased to partner with my colleague Senator Blackburn on this bill,” said Sen. Peter Welch. 
    “Bureaucratic red tape is delaying critical healthcare workers from serving rural Tennessee, leaving working families without the timely treatment they need,” said Senator Blackburn. “The SHARE Act delivers a commonsense reform by streamlining background check recognition across states, ensuring patients get proper care while showing Washington can work smarter for everyday people.” 
    “No matter where you choose to live, you deserve access to quality health care — and boosting our medical workforce is a smart way to do that,” said Senator King. “Communities all across Maine — especially those in rural areas — are facing an unprecedented shortage of health care workers, making it difficult to deliver care. The bipartisan SHARE Act would address the health care workforce shortage by allowing health care workers in neighboring states to more easily serve patients across state lines. This is a commonsense way to increase access via telehealth, streamline the hiring and onboarding processes, eliminating the bureaucratic red tape that stands between rural Maine people and their care providers.” 
    “We need flexibility in our health care systems to ensure rural communities like those in the Big First have access to good, quality care,” said Rep. Mann “As hospitals and care giving facilities across rural America navigate the challenges of recruiting and retaining health care providers, Congress should correct this technical error and remove processes that only make that challenge harder. Our bill expedites the licensure process for providers by allowing the FBI to share background checks across state lines and empower health care providers to serve rural communities where care is most needed without being handcuffed by where a state ends or begins. If we want to improve the health of those in the Big First, and in rural areas and communities around the country, we must expand employment opportunities for our rural health care providers.” 
    The States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act amends existing federal law to authorize the FBI to conduct criminal background checks for state licensing agencies and reduce bureaucratic red tape, which can create a barrier to care. Many of these inter-state compacts (or legislatively enacted agreements between states) face a roadblock, as some state regulatory agencies have been denied, or had their authorization revoked, to obtain FBI criminal background checks for verification of a licensee’s eligibility.   
    The legislation ensures criminal history record information is maintained in the same manner as requests for all occupational licenses handled at the state level. In accordance with how compact commissions already operate, the SHARE Act specifies that criminal history record information cannot be shared with any entity other than a state licensing agency which requests the criminal background check. 
    The States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act is supported by the Alliance for Connected Care; American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA); American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Tennessee;  American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); Council of State Governments (CSG); EMS Compact; Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB); Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA); Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC); National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN); Occupational Therapy Compact Commission; and Vermont Board of Medical Practice. 
    “The Alliance for Connected Care believes that one of the most promising capabilities of telehealth is creating health care access where it is currently limited – including through more care across state lines.  We applaud the leaders of the SHARE Act for introducing legislation that would help to reduce barriers to this care,” said Chris Adamec, Executive Director, Alliance for Connected Care. 
    “The American Academy of Physician Associates strongly supports the SHARE Act,” said AAPA CEO Lisa M. Gables, CPA.  “By removing the red tape and administrative burdens on licensure compacts, this legislation will promote workforce development and strengthen the labor market. It will also improve consumer access to highly qualified practitioners and leverage the use of new medical technologies, such as telehealth. The SHARE Act would have a major impact on increasing access to healthcare while allowing states to protect their authority to determine who is eligible to practice in the state.” 
    “The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) strongly supports the SHARE Act. Occupational therapy practitioners are vital to helping individuals live independent, meaningful lives. The SHARE Act will allow practitioners to bring their expertise where it is needed most, ensuring timely access to care for patients and families. We applaud this legislation as a step toward a more flexible and modern healthcare system.” said Katie Jordan, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, CEO, AOTA.   
    “APTA-Tennessee endorses the SHARE Act, and we hope the 119th Congress will approve this bipartisan legislation.  The SHARE Act will provide Tennesseans in medically underserved areas with greater access to physical therapy care by ensuring that PTs and other healthcare providers are quickly enabled to treat patients in multiple states,” said Sarah Suddarth, APTA Tennessee President.   
    “The Council of State Governments has worked to develop professional licensure compacts in coordination with numerous state, federal, and professional partners. These combined efforts have contributed to states gaining greater access to qualified professionals across the nation and the essential services they provide. 52 states and territories have enacted at least one of these compacts with each state enacting at least 6, on average. CSG recognizes the importance of passage of the SHARE Act to ensure states can fully operationalize the licensure compacts they have enacted. The states clearly realize the need for improved licensure portability and increasing their healthcare workforce and as a result recognize the importance of the SHARE Act. CSG stands in support of the SHARE Act and the efforts across the nation to ensure its successful passage by Congress,” said Dan Logsdon, Director, National Center for Interstate Compacts. 
    “The EMS Compact strongly supports the SHARE Act as a critical measure to enhance public safety and strengthen the EMS workforce,” said Donnie Woodyard, MAML, NRP, Executive Director of the United States EMS Compact. “It is essential for public protection that state licensing officials have the ability to review criminal history records for all applicants. This fundamental safeguard ensures that only qualified and vetted EMS clinicians are entrusted with patient care, reinforcing the integrity and reliability of our nation’s emergency medical services.” 
    “The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) strongly supports the SHARE Act as a critical step toward addressing our nation’s healthcare workforce shortage and enhancing patient access to care,” said Humayun J. Chaudhry, DO, MACP, President and CEO of FSMB. “The SHARE Act will ensure state medical boards have the information necessary to make licensing decisions and support the interstate practice of medicine.” 
    “The Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA) encourages enactment of the SHARE Act. The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) enables nurses in compact states to hold a multi-state license which authorizes practice in 43 jurisdictions currently.  This model of licensure makes it possible for nurses to assist in other jurisdictions without any impediments or delays,” said Pam Zickafoose, EdD, MSN, RN, Chair of ICNLCA. “Federal criminal background checks are the gold standard for public protection in occupational licensure and are a requirement for a nurse to obtain a multistate license. The SHARE Act will enable states to continue to implement and advance the NLC, therefore bringing vital nursing services to patients in need,” said the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA). 
    The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC) strongly supports the SHARE Act. The Act is needed so that the FBI will have clear guidance about how the information provided enhances public safety, while supporting the public protection mission of the IMLCC member boards.  Our member boards depend on reliable access to the criminal background information, which at times in the past and currently for 4 of our member boards, that access has been denied.  Our member boards have been maintaining and protecting the information they receive for over 7 years,” said the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC). 
    “The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) stands in strong support of the SHARE Act and looks forward to the 119th Congress’s consideration of this important legislation. The SHARE Act represents a critical step forward in facilitating greater access to care for patients across the country,” said Phil Dickison, PhD, RN, Chief Executive Officer of NCSBN. “The legislation will ensure state boards of nursing can vet applicants for multistate licensure to promote safe cross-border practice.” 
    “The Occupational Therapy Compact Commission (OTCC) supports the SHARE Act because it is a crucial step toward ensuring public safety across states that participate in interstate occupational compacts.  This act fosters a more secure and trustworthy collaboration while strengthening the integrity of professional licensing, promoting accountability, and protecting citizens from potential harm.  For the purposes of making informed licensing decisions, state licensing authorities should be afforded timely and relevant information regarding potential licensees’ criminal history that would affect safe practices within professions,” said Amanda Perry, OTCC Executive Director. 
    “Passage of the SHARE Act will benefit both physicians and patients by supporting greater mobility for physicians and expanding access to care for all Vermonters, especially those in our rural communities.” said David K. Herlihy, Executive Director, Vermont Board of Medical Practice. 
    Learn more about the States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act. 
    View and download the bill text. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dual Pakistani-Canadian National Arrested for Years-Long Scheme to Circumvent U.S. Export Control Laws

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    Defendants Allegedly Smuggled Millions of Dollars’ Worth of U.S. Goods and Technology to Entities Associated with Pakistan’s Military and Weapons Programs

    An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging Mohammad Jawaid Aziz, also known as Jawaid Aziz Siddiqui and Jay Siddiqui, 67, of Pakistan and Canada, with conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws and violating U.S. export laws. Siddiqui was arrested on March 21 in the Western District of Washington while attempting to cross into the United States from Canada. He remains detained, pending transfer to the District of Minnesota.

    As alleged, from as early as 2003 through approximately March 2019, Siddiqui operated an illicit procurement network through his Canada-based company Diversified Technology Services. The purpose of the network was to obtain U.S.-origin goods on behalf of prohibited entities in Pakistan that were associated with the country’s nuclear, missile, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs.

    According to the indictment, Siddiqui, while operating through Diversified Technology Services, procured various goods – including sensitive and restricted items subject to export administration regulations (EAR) and those on the Commerce Control List – from U.S. companies on behalf of the restricted entities in Pakistan. As alleged, Siddiqui and his co-conspirators worked to conceal the true end-users of the goods from U.S. companies, often using front companies and transshipping goods through third countries to evade detection.

    Siddiqui is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison; and violating the Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Homeland Security Investigations Minneapolis, the FBI Minneapolis Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Chicago Field Office are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Endicott for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. They received assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jensen from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington and the Department’s Office of International Affairs.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Stoughton Water Department Employee Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Drinking Water

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

    BOSTON – A former Stoughton Water Department employee pleaded guilty today to tampering with the Stoughton drinking water supply.

    Robert J. Bullock, Sr., 60, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a water system. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2025. Bullock was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 5, 2024, Bullock.

    According to the charging documents, Bullock is a former employee of the Water Department in Stoughton. On the evening of Nov. 29, 2022, Bullock went into one of the Water Department’s pumping stations and turned off the pump that introduces chlorine into drinking water. As a result, insufficiently disinfected water was introduced into the drinking water system.

    The charge of tampering with a water system provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $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; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; and Kathryn Rivera, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Stoughton and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mortgage Broker That Ran a Ponzi Scheme, Fraudulently Acquired CARES Act SBA Loans, and Filed a False Tax Return is Sentenced to Federal Prison

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

    PROVIDENCE, RI – A Rhode Island mortgage broker who ran a Ponzi scheme with investors’ monies causing millions of dollars in losses, who fraudulently obtained more than $160,000 in COVID-19 pandemic-related SBA loans, and who failed to pay more than $140,000 in taxes due the IRS was sentenced today to more than four years in federal prison and was ordered to pay restitution to his victims, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Joseph Giuttari, owner and operator of Hybrid Capital Group, LLC, THE FENS CO., LLC, and Realty Funding Advisors, LLC, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 55 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, Giuttari was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000 and to pay restitution to victims of his Ponzi scheme, to SBA loan programs, and to the IRS totaling $4,579,130.95.

    Mr. Giuttari pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024, to charges of wire fraud, theft of government property, and filing a false tax return.  The day after his guilty plea he engaged in brokerage activities in violation of his condition of release.  Upon discovery of his activities, the Court revoked its order of release and remanded him to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.

    Court documents reflect that Joseph Giuttari purported to match borrowers seeking short-term loans with private lenders seeking secured investments in real estate. As part of the scheme, Giuttari served as the clearing house for funds between the borrowers and the investors. In executing his scheme, Giuttari directed investors and closing attorneys to send all or a portion of the loan proceeds directly to him through his multiple business entities and business bank accounts. Instead of forwarding these funds to borrowers as represented to the investors, Giuttari used the money personally or to repay earlier investors who were seeking a return on their investments.

    Additionally, Giuttari fraudulently acquired $167,800 in COVID-19 pandemic Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for Hybrid Capital Group and THE FENS CO that he was not entitled to receive, and he falsely stated on his 2019 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return that his total income was $22,176, when in fact it was at least $541,000, thus failing to pay $140,102 due the IRS.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.

    The matter was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Avon, New York, Police Trainee Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography and Cyberstalking

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

    ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Casey Medina, 33, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca to possession of child pornography and cyberstalking, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that on August 22, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant on Medina’s cellular telephone. During a forensic extraction and a manual review of the phone, approximately 360 images of child pornography the defendant had received over a social media platform were recovered. At least one image involved a prepubescent child being subjected to violence.

    In addition, between May and August 2024, Medina disseminated and posted sexually explicit photographs that had been edited to falsely depict an individual (victim) engaged in sexually explicit activity to various social media platforms and public websites via the internet. The photographs depicted the victim’s face superimposed on pornographic images made to appear as if she was engaged in sexual intercourse. Beginning in May 2024, over the course of approximately 26 days, and again between June 2024 and July 2024, Medina sent, and recruited others via the internet to send, threatening and harassing text messages to the victim. The messages included threats to kidnap, rape, sexually abuse, and kill her, as well as including the sexually explicit images with her face superimposed on them. In many instances, Medina included identifying information while disseminating the victim’s images, including her hometown and place of work.

    The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Onondaga County, NY, Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Tobias Shelley, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.         

    Sentencing is scheduled for August 4, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., before Judge Vacca.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Financial Advisor Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Fraud Scheme

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

    EL PASO, Texas – A former Morgan Stanley financial advisor in El Paso was sentenced in a federal court today to 144 months in prison for committing a multi-million dollar fraud scheme.

    According to court documents, from May 2018 to August 2021, Jesus Rodriguez de la Cruz, 46, defrauded his financial services employer, Morgan Stanley, and clients of money through materially false pretenses, representations and promises. Rodriguez de la Cruz orchestrated fraudulent transfers of funds from the bank accounts of Morgan Stanley and clients to other bank accounts for his own benefit.

    In one instance, Rodriguez de la Cruz created false communications and documents impersonating a client and submitted them to Morgan Stanley personnel to cause fraudulent transfers on the client’s line of credit account for personal profit. One of these included a form that falsely claimed the client had verbally authorized the transfer of $48,575.36 for the purchase of real estate in El Paso. Relying on the documentation, Morgan Stanley initiated the wire transfer from the client’s account to an account at a separate financial institution belonging to one of Rodriguez de la Cruz’s family members.

    One fraudulent transfer of approximately $125,000 from a client’s account to an account at another financial institution facilitated Rodriguez de la Cruz’s purchase of a Lamborghini.

    Rodriguez de la Cruz committed similar acts using other Morgan Stanley client accounts. In all, Morgan Stanley suffered a total loss of $5,554,968.10 due to Rodriguez de la Cruz’s scheme. Additionally, Rodriguez de la Cruz did not report any of the embezzled funds as income on his tax returns from 2017 through 2021, causing a loss of $408,055 for the IRS.

    Rodriguez de la Cruz was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023 and arrested Jan. 12, 2024. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 5, 2024, to one count of wire fraud, one count of engaging in a monetary transaction over $10,000 using criminally derived proceeds, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making and subscribing a false income tax return.

    “This defendant abused the trust of his clients and his responsibilities as a financial advisory to steal millions of dollars in customer funds in order to enrich himself,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Today’s sentence of more than a decade in federal prison demonstrates that perpetrators of fraud in this district will be investigated and brought to justice.”

    “The defendant exploited his position of trust as a financial advisor to deceive both his clients and employer for personal gain. Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to pursuing those who abuse their positions for financial fraud and ensuring they are held accountable,” said John Morales, FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge. “We are grateful for the invaluable collaboration of our partners at the Internal Revenue Service, whose continued assistance is vital in protecting our communities from greed and financial crimes.”

    “Rodriguez is the epitome of criminals fueled by greed that destroy the trust we place in those who handle our personal finances. He stole from his employer, his clients, and even personally recruited a victim to trust him as her financial advisor so he could hijack her accounts, after stealing her identity,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan, of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “These complex financial schemes are why law enforcement agencies, like IRS-CI and the FBI, team up to help bring justice to victims and deter future criminals, like Rodriguez, from violating your trust.”

    The FBI and IRS-CI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Calve and Adrian Gallegos prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    MIDLAND, Texas – An Oklahoma man was sentenced in a federal court in Midland to 540 months in prison for charges related to sexual exploitation of children.

    According to court documents, on Jan. 30, 2024, Jonathon Chase Russell, 36, of Elk City, posted in a messaging app 15 images that depicted two minor females engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The next day, Russell sent three of the images to an undercover federal investigator, stating that the two minors were three and 11 years old. Further investigation led FBI agents to identify Russell’s IP addresses and locate him at a hotel in Midland. On Feb. 8, 2024, agents executed a warrant on his hotel room, where they discovered pairs of children’s underwear and a green tactical backpack that contained sexual devices. Agents also discovered a smartphone, which had been hidden underneath a refrigerator and which forensic examination revealed contained a substantial collection of images depicting sexual abuse of minor children. 

    The Western District of Texas filed a three-count indictment on Feb. 28, 2024, charging Russell with possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Russell was also indicted in the Western District of Oklahoma on April 3, 2024, for one count of production of visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. His Oklahoma case was transferred to Midland, and on Aug. 19, 2024, Russell pleaded guilty to the count charged in the Western District of Oklahoma indictment and to all three counts charged in the Western District of Texas via a superseding indictment.

    “The lengthy sentence imposed in this case reflects the immense damage this individual inflicted on multiple children, who will be plagued by these experiences for the rest of their lives,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Along with our law enforcement partners and, when necessary, across districts, we will continue to hold accountable the predators who harm the lives of children through illicit sexual crimes.”

    “This defendant’s abhorrent behavior has been put to an end thanks to cooperation between federal prosecutors and law enforcement across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “The lengthy sentence imposed is yet another example of the Department’s focus on protecting children and serving justice to those who seek to target the most vulnerable in our communities.”

    “The significant sentence imposed on Jonathan Chase Russell sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those individuals who exploit children. Russell will serve the next 45 years in federal prison for his incomprehensible acts,” said John Morales, FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge. “We remain committed in working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who victimize the most vulnerable members of our society, our children, from infants to toddlers to young children to teenagers, we will hunt you down and serve justice for these horrendous crimes.”

    The FBI investigated the case with assistance of the Elk City Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Haywood prosecuted the case for the Western District of Texas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz prosecuted the Western District of Oklahoma’s 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ramah Man Faces Federal Charges for Roadside Shooting

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Ramah man is facing charges in federal court for allegedly shooting at a vehicle, injuring one person.

    According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, a vehicle driven by John Doe swerved to avoid a collision with a blue Jeep driven by Leon Garcia, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. After the near-miss, John Doe followed Garcia‘s vehicle to a residence on the Ramah Navajo Reservation. There, Garcia allegedly exited his Jeep armed with a rifle and fired multiple shots at John Doe’s car. As John Doe attempted to turn the vehicle around, Garcia allegedly shot at it multiple times. Garcia also fired again as the vehicle drove away.

    Garcia is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Garcia faces up to 10 years in prison.

    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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah-Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deforest Business Owner Sentenced to Nine Years for Cocaine Trafficking

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

    MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin announced that Luis Angel Rios, 50, of DeForest, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 9 years in federal prison for attempting to distribute a large quantity of cocaine and maintaining a place for storing and distributing cocaine. Rios pleaded guilty to these charges on January 10, 2025.

    In late 2022 and early 2023, investigators with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a cocaine trafficking organization operating in Dane County. During an investigation that included the interception of communications between Rios and other participants in the trafficking, investigators determined that Rios was obtaining and selling multiple kilograms of cocaine, and at times cooperating with another local kilogram-level cocaine trafficker to assist in maintaining a drug supply. On June 1, 2023, as a result of phone interceptions and surveillance, investigators intercepted a half-kilogram delivery of cocaine intended for one of Rios’s customers.

    Rios was the owner of a cleaning and maintenance business in DeForest. During the sentencing, Judge Peterson credited Rios with being a hard-working family man, with no criminal history, but observed that the investigation demonstrated that he also applied his hard-working efforts to managing his ability to secure and distribute large quantities of cocaine. The court found that Rios brought more than 15 kilograms of cocaine into the community in a short period of time, which exploited those who had addictions and served to feed other crimes created by drug use.

    Rios’s co-defendant, Braulio Martinez Salazar, was sentenced by Judge Peterson on March 11, 2025, to 3 years for his role in the cocaine trafficking operation.   

    The charges against Rios were the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Anderson and William M. Levins prosecuted this case.

    The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dual Pakistani-Canadian National Arrested for Years-Long Scheme to Circumvent U.S. Export Control Laws

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Defendants Allegedly Smuggled Millions of Dollars’ Worth of U.S. Goods and Technology to Entities Associated with Pakistan’s Military and Weapons Programs

    An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging Mohammad Jawaid Aziz, also known as Jawaid Aziz Siddiqui and Jay Siddiqui, 67, of Pakistan and Canada, with conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws and violating U.S. export laws. Siddiqui was arrested on March 21 in the Western District of Washington while attempting to cross into the United States from Canada. He remains detained, pending transfer to the District of Minnesota.

    As alleged, from as early as 2003 through approximately March 2019, Siddiqui operated an illicit procurement network through his Canada-based company Diversified Technology Services. The purpose of the network was to obtain U.S.-origin goods on behalf of prohibited entities in Pakistan that were associated with the country’s nuclear, missile, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs.

    According to the indictment, Siddiqui, while operating through Diversified Technology Services, procured various goods – including sensitive and restricted items subject to export administration regulations (EAR) and those on the Commerce Control List – from U.S. companies on behalf of the restricted entities in Pakistan. As alleged, Siddiqui and his co-conspirators worked to conceal the true end-users of the goods from U.S. companies, often using front companies and transshipping goods through third countries to evade detection.

    Siddiqui is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison; and violating the Export Control Reform Act, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Homeland Security Investigations Minneapolis, the FBI Minneapolis Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Chicago Field Office are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Endicott for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. They received assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jensen from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington and the Department’s Office of International Affairs.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Ohio Man Found Guilty of Using His Tax Prep Clients’ Identities to Defraud the Federal Government of Pandemic Funding

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLEVELAND – A federal jury has convicted Mustafa Ayoub Diab, 41, of Ravenna, Ohio, of orchestrating a financial conspiracy that defrauded the U.S. government of pandemic benefits. After an approximately week-long trial, Diab was found guilty on 12 counts of theft of government funds, 12 counts of bank fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, 6 counts of aggravated identity theft, and 1 count each of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and to launder monetary instruments.

    According to court documents, Diab owned and operated a tax return preparation business in Akron, Ohio. Along with his co-conspirator, Elizabeth Lorraine Robinson, 33, of Ravenna, the couple developed a scheme to take advantage of government programs that expanded unemployment and small business benefits that became available during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    One such program, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, was expanded to individuals who otherwise did not qualify for regular benefits. Additionally, the Paycheck Protection Program, was administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration and provided resources and assistance to small businesses to cover payroll, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred which were tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. Diab exploited both of these programs for his benefit.

    From around, June 2020 to August 2021, Diab submitted fraudulent applications for pandemic unemployment benefits and small business assistance for many of his tax preparation business clients. Without their knowledge, he lied about their employment, or about being small business owners, on the applications so they would qualify to receive pandemic funds and benefits.

    Investigators also discovered that Diab opened bank accounts in his clients’ names to receive the pandemic benefit funds via direct deposit, which the clients did not have access to, along with accounts in the names of Robinson and Diab’s sister. When the pandemic relief funds were deposited into these accounts, he immediately withdrew the funds in cash for his personal use. With the cash, Diab bought real estate, cars and took international trips. In evidence presented to the jury at trial, Diab submitted fraudulent applications in the names of nearly 80 victims, causing the federal government to pay out more than $1.2 million in pandemic benefits that were deposited into the various bank accounts that Diab controlled.

    Sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2025. Diab faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Robinson pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud, and theft of government funds in February and is currently awaiting sentencing. She also faces up to 30 years in prison.

    The FBI Akron Division investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vanessa V. Healy and Brenna L. Fasko prosecuted that case for the Northern District of Ohio.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Starkville Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Violating Federal Firearms Laws

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

    Greenville, MS – A Starkville man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for violation of federal firearms laws.

    According to court documents, Antonio Johnson, 49, pled guilty to possession of one or more firearms by a previously convicted felon as well as possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Johnson today to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Johnson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing.

    “The public has every right to expect repeat offenders to receive significant sentences, and this defendant will now have 10 years in a federal prison to reconsider his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Robert Mims and our partners at the FBI, ATF and Starkville Police Department worked seamlessly to bring justice to an individual who earned every day of this sentence.”

    “Protecting the safety of our communities is one of the cornerstones of what ATF seeks to accomplish every day,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “To convicted felons and others making our streets unsafe with gun violence and drugs – law enforcement is here. No matter how long it takes, we will investigate, arrest, prosecute and ensure you are held accountable for your actions.”

    “Mr. Johnson’s sentencing demonstrates a steadfast commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to protect the public from those individuals who illegally possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes,” stated FBI Jackson Field Office Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff. “Criminals possessing and using firearms in the commission of any crime are threats to our communities, for those who seek to threaten and intimidate Mississippians through these egregious crimes will be aggressively pursued by the FBI and brought to justice.  We will continue our collective efforts through the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, to reduce violent crime and gun violence in our communities across Mississippi.”

    “Strong convictions matter; they have a lasting impact and require hard work,” said Chief Mark Ballard of the Starkville Police Department. “Our community is safer as a result of these agencies’ efforts. On behalf of the Starkville Police Department, we are very thankful for our working relationship with FBI Jackson, the ATF New Orleans, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.”

    This case was investigated by the FBI, the Starkville Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Mims 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.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Purpose.  As the Federal capital city, Washington, D.C., is the only city that belongs to all Americans and that all Americans can claim as theirs.  As the capital city of the greatest Nation in the history of the world, it should showcase beautiful, clean, and safe public spaces. 
    America’s capital must be a place in which residents, commuters, and tourists feel safe at all hours, including on public transit.  Its highways, boulevards, and parks should be clean, well-kept, and pleasant.  Its monuments, museums, and buildings should reflect and inspire awe and appreciation for our Nation’s strength, greatness, and heritage.  Our citizens deserve nothing less.

    Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to make the District of Columbia safe, beautiful, and prosperous by preventing crime, punishing criminals, preserving order, protecting our revered American monuments, and promoting beautification and the preservation of our history and heritage. 

    Sec. 3.  Making the District of Columbia Safe by Fighting Crime.  (a)  My Administration shall work closely with local officials to share information, develop joint priorities, and maximize resources to make the District of Columbia safe.  Such coordination shall occur through the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force (Task Force), which is hereby established by this order.  The Task Force shall be chaired by the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor or his designee, and shall otherwise include representatives from the following departments, agencies, or components, selected as such department, agency, or component determines:
     (i)     the Department of the Interior;
    (ii)    the Department of Transportation;
    (iii)   the Department of Homeland Security;
    (iv)    the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
    (v)     the United States Marshals Service;
    (vi)    the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;
    (vii)   the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia;
    (viii)  the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland; and
    (ix)    the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
    The Chairman of the Task Force may also select other departments, agencies, or components to participate as he deems necessary.  Representatives of such other departments, agencies, or components shall be selected as such department, agency, or component determines.
    (b)  The Task Force may, to the extent permitted by law, request operational assistance from and coordinate with the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD), Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, United States Park Police, Amtrak Police, and other Federal and local officials as appropriate. 
    (c)  The Task Force shall coordinate to ensure effective Federal participation in the following tasks:
    (i)     directing maximum enforcement of Federal immigration law and redirecting available Federal, State, or local law enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegal aliens in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area;
    (ii)    monitoring the District of Columbia’s sanctuary-city status and compliance with the enforcement of Federal immigration law;
    (iii)   providing assistance to facilitate the prompt and complete accreditation of the District of Columbia’s forensic crime laboratory;
    (iv)    in collaboration with its leadership and union, providing MPD with assistance to facilitate the recruitment, retention, and capabilities of its police officers and to facilitate work with Federal personnel, resources, and expertise to reduce crime; 
    (v)     collaborating with appropriate local government entities to provide assistance to increase the speed and lower the cost of processing concealed carry license requests in the District of Columbia;
    (vi)    reviewing and, as appropriate, revising Federal prosecutorial policies on seeking pretrial detention of criminal defendants to ensure that individuals who pose a genuine threat to public safety are detained to the maximum extent permitted by law;
    (vii)   collaborating with appropriate local government entities to provide assistance to end fare evasion and other crime within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority system; and
    (viii)  deploying a more robust Federal law enforcement presence and coordinating with local law enforcement to facilitate the deployment of a more robust local law enforcement presence as appropriate in areas in or about the District of Columbia, including in such areas as the National Mall and Memorial Parks, museums, monuments, Lafayette Park, Union Station, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Suitland Parkway, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and ensuring that all applicable quality of life, nuisance, and public-safety laws are strictly enforced, such as those prohibiting assault, battery, larceny, graffiti and other vandalism, unpermitted disturbances and demonstrations, noise, trespassing, public intoxication, drug possession, sale, and use, and traffic violations, including as prescribed by Executive Order 13933 of June 26, 2020 (Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence), which was reinstated by Executive Order 14189 of January 29, 2025 (Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday).
    (d) The Task Force shall report to me as necessary through the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor regarding safety in the District of Columbia, and the tasks set forth in subsection (c) of this section.  As part of this reporting, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Task Force, shall assess whether public-safety circumstances in the District of Columbia require additional executive action. 

    Sec. 4.  Making the District of Columbia Beautiful.  (a)  The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Transportation, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, the Administrator of General Services, the National Capital Planning Commission, and the heads of such other executive departments or agencies and local officials as the Secretary of the Interior deems appropriate, shall develop and implement a program to beautify and make safe and prosperous the District of Columbia.
    (b)  The program under subsection (a) of this section shall include, at a minimum, the following elements as appropriate and consistent with applicable law:
    (i)    a coordinated beautification plan for Federal and local facilities, monuments, land, parks, and roadways in and around the District of Columbia;
    (ii)   restoration of Federal public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties that have been damaged or defaced, or inappropriately removed or changed, in recent years;
    (iii)  removal of graffiti from commonly visited areas, with local assistance;
    (iv)   proposals to ensure Federal buildings or lands adequately uplift and beautify public spaces and generate in the citizenry pride in and respect for our Nation;
    (v)    a coordinated Federal and local approach to ensure the cleanliness of public spaces, sidewalks, parks, highways, roads, and transit systems in and around the District of Columbia; and
    (vi)   the encouragement of private-sector participation in coordinated beautification and clean-up efforts in the District of Columbia. 
    c)  The Secretary of the Interior shall immediately issue a directive to the National Park Service requiring prompt removal and cleanup of all homeless or vagrant encampments and graffiti on Federal land within the District of Columbia subject to the National Park Service’s jurisdiction, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

    Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
     

      
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
     
     
     
     
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        March 27, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Universal City Man Will Spend 60 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – A Universal City man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 720 months in prison for three charges related to sexual exploitation of children.

    According to court documents, Christopher Lee Castano, 44, accessed and transferred child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to and from external devices using his employer’s computer system while at a facility in San Antonio. The employer contacted the FBI in August 2022, after having discovered that Castano possessed files with names associated with child pornography on four removable devices since January 2022. On Aug. 3, 2022, an employee observed the files as Castano connected the external devices to the employer’s computers.

    A federal search warrant led to the search of Castano’s work area and his devices, and an investigation revealed CSAM produced by Castano between 2015 and 2018 when the female child victim in the images was 11-14 years old. FBI personnel also located multiple CSAM images and videos depicting another minor female produced around 2016 when that victim was between the ages of five and 26 months old. A graphic CSAM video of Castano’s was produced using his cell phone on July 21, 2018, depicting the second child victim when she was just over two years old.

    Castano has remained in federal custody since his arrest on Aug. 10, 2022. He was indicted for 13-counts on Sept. 7, 2022 and pleaded guilty to three counts on Oct. 12, 2023.

    In addition to his 60-year prison sentence, Castano was also ordered to pay restitution to two child victims in the amount of $50,000 each and another $5,000 each to five additional victims who were identified through the investigation.

    “Unless he lives well into his hundreds, this child predator is rightfully going to serve what is essentially a life sentence for the heinous crimes he has committed against at least half a dozen children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “I thank Castano’s employer for reporting his actions to our partners at the FBI, who helped us achieve this just sentence. While this does not erase what the child victims endured, we hope that they find some solace in the fact that Castano is no longer a threat to anyone.”

    “Castano heinously abused some of the most vulnerable among us. This sentence properly reflects the seriousness of his crimes and will hopefully provide some semblance of justice for his victims. The FBI is committed to protecting our children and relentlessly pursuing those who would cause them harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their partnership and dedication to this important mission.”

    The FBI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Scott to Host 2nd Annual Jobs Fair

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

    Congressman David Scott is proud to host the Second Annual Thirteenth District Jobs Fair in conjunction with Comcast Cable, UPN Atlanta, and CBS 46. The fair will bring together Georgia’s top employers from the public and private sector. This event will take place at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park right off the I-85 and I-285 Camp Creek Parkway exits near the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Please remember to dress for success and bring copies of your resume because job candidates will have the opportunity to be matched up for interviews right on the spot! Also, remember to bring $1 for parking or take MARTA to the COLLEGE PARK station and catch the #182 bus shuttle. Military officials will be on hand to provide special assistance for veterans who’ve separated from active service within the past 180 days. With proper ID, qualified veterans are eligible for special entry to Congressman Scott’s Jobs Fair.

    WHEN: Friday, May 12, 2006 WHERE: Georgia International Convention Center Exhibit Halls C & D 2000 Convention Center Concourse College Park, GA 30337 (770) 997-3566 TIME: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm CONFIRMED EMPLOYERS: A Perfect Resume Abundant Healing AEI International Affiliated Insurance Group AFLAC AFLAC- Global Market AGL Resources AIG AIG/American General AirTran Airways All (n) 1 Security Services AltaTelecom Ambassador Personnel American General Life and Accident American Heart Association American Intercontinental University – Dunwoody Campus American Red Cross Ameriplan Aramark Aviation Services Atlanta and North Georgia Building and Construction Trades Council Atlanta Job Corps Atlanta Journal Constitution Atlanta Police Department Atlanta Technical College Atlanta Workforce Development Agency Atlantic Southeast Airlines Avon District 1186 Avon Products BB&T Bank Bellsouth Blue Water Security II, Inc. Bobby Dodd Institute Brian Center Nursing Care- Austell Buyers Credit Coach Care Entree’ Central Michigan University Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Chick-fil-A, Inc. City of Douglasville City of Forest Park City of Hapeville City of Smyrna Clayton Career Resource Center Clayton County DOT Clayton County Government- Personnel Department Clayton County Public Schools Transportation Department Clayton County Water Authority Clayton State University CLP Resources Cobb County Board of Commissioners Cobb County Police Department Cobb County School System CobbWorks Coca-Cola College Park Police Department Comcast Cable Computer Mainstream Corporation Concessions/Paschals Country Hearth Suites Cyberwize.com Davita Jonesboro Dialysis Center Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office Department of Aviation Devry University Douglas County Board of Commissioners Douglasville Police Department DreamSan Inc Employment Seeker Enterprise Rent-A-Car Exel Logistics Fayette County Board of Commissioners Fayette County Board of Education, Administration Services Department Fayette County Board of Education, Food Services Department Fayette County Board of Education, Transportation Department Federal Aviation Administration Federal Bureau of Prisons FedEx Ground First Transit Franklin and Wilson Airport Concessions From Concepts to Reality, Inc Fulton County Sheriff Office GA Department of Labor Vocational Rehabilitation Program GAT Airline Ground Support Gate Gourmet GC Services L.P. Georgia Air National Guard Georgia Army National Guard Georgia Department of Corrections Georgia Department of Human Resources Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Military College Georgia Power Georgia State University Goodwill Industries of North Georgia Grady Health System Greystone Power Company Griffin Technical College Griffin-Spalding County School System Gwinnett County Department of Corrections Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services Hands on Atlanta Happiness Habit Harbor Management, Inc Hartsfield Area TMA Hennesy Mazda Pontiac Buick GMC Henry County Fire Department Henry County Government Henry County School System Hertz Rent-A-Car InMotion Entertainment Installation Technology Design Systems Interactive College of Technology/ Interactive Learning Systems Internal Revenue Service JPacker Systems Kodak Dental Systems Kool Smiles Lockheed Martin Loomis, Fargo, and Co Lowe’s Home Improvement Mackey & Associates/ MMG Marketing Group MARTA MBC Concessions, Inc. Mechanical Contractors Association of Georgia Melaleuca MetroPCS HIS Modern Woodmen of Atlanta Morehouse School of Medicine National Lending Corporation National Youth Apprenticeship Collaboration Options Unlimited Personal Touch Tours Travel Agency Popeyes Chicken & Checker Hamburger Prepaid Legal Services Primerica Financial Services Professional Career Development Institute Red Lobster Revelation Consulting Riverdale Police Department Robertson Sanitation/ United Waste Rockdale County Public Schools Rollins, Inc/ Orkin Pest Control Roswell Nursing and Rehab Center Saint Josephs Hospital Securitas Security Services Self Image Success Sheraton Gateway Hotel Shorter College Smyrna Police Department Social Security Administration Southern Regional Medical Center Southside Seafood Company Spherion Staffing Strayer University SunTrust Bank Talent Tree Crystal, Inc The Tensar Corporation, LLC The Wellness Company U.S. Air Force Reserve U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration U.S. Food and Drug Administration U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Navy U.S. Office of Personnel Management U.S. Postal Service U.S. Small Business Administration United Association, Plumbers and Pipe Fitters, Local Union No.72 of Atlanta, Georgia Universal Forest Products University of Georgia Verizon Wireless Waffle House Inc. Wal-mart, Inc. Warm Spirit Wellness Resources International, Inc. Wellstar Health System Wilsons Leather Work-tec WVFJ J93.3 Radio

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Salinas, Balint, Smith Demand RFK Jr. Rescind Harmful Comments on Mental Illness, Anti-Depression Medications

    Source: US Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

    Lawmakers’ demand comes after the HHS Secretary directed the agency to assess the “threat” posed by SSRIs

    Washington, DC – On March 20, 2025, U.S. Representatives Andrea Salinas (OR-06) and Becca Balint (VT-AL), along with U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), led 23 of their colleagues in a bicameral letter demanding that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rescind his past statements that further stigmatize mental health treatment. His comments include misinformation such as falsely linking Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) to school shootings and stating that SSRIs are more addictive than heroin. Both claims have zero scientific evidence behind them and perpetuate harmful stereotypes. SSRIs such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro are some of the leading treatments for depression and anxiety and are used by nearly 32 million Americans each year.

    “Secretary Kennedy’s false statements about certain mental health medications aren’t just unhelpful, they’re dangerous,” said Rep. Salinas. “The stigma around seeking help is bad enough as it is, and we can’t afford more misinformation – much less coming from our federal government. Secretary Kennedy needs to retract these comments, stick to the science, and stop spreading his untrue and unqualified opinions about how to treat mental illness and addiction.”

    “Tens of millions of Americans struggle with mental health challenges. Prescription medication has long been one of the tools that medical providers use to treat illness. Mental health is no different,” said Rep. Balint. “To mischaracterize these medications as a “threat” is deeply dangerous and inflammatory. The Department of Health and Human Services should be a trusted source on all health issues – including mental health, especially as we face a growing mental health crisis in this country. I’m deeply disturbed that Secretary Kennedy continues to make reckless comments that could affect the health of millions of Americans. Medications for disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and substance use can change lives. We should be able to work toward bipartisan mental health solutions rather than tearing down our fellow Americans.”   

    Secretary Kennedy has a long history of pushing harmful stereotypes around mental and behavioral health issues. 

    1. Most recently, he directed the Department of Health and Human Services to assess the “threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, [and] stimulants.” While the focus of this portion of the Commission is making children healthy, the characterization that these medications pose a “threat” will have far-reaching implications for Americans of all ages seeking and accessing mental health treatment and only serves to further stigmatize mental illness.
       
    2. He has implied a link between antidepressants and school shootings and pushed for the issue to be researched, even though a comprehensive analysis of FBI data from 2000-2017 found that the majority of school shooters were not previously treated with psychotropic medications, and of those who were, no direct or causal association was found.
       
    3. He falsely stated that SSRIs are addictive, saying at time they are more difficult to wean off of than heroin. Mental health professionals have widely denounced that characterization, including Keith Humphreys, a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford, characterized antidepressants and heroin as existing in “different universes” in terms of addiction risk. Of course, like any medication, the usage and stoppage of SSRIs should be a decision made between a patient and their provider with continued monitoring and consultation.

    Click here or see below to read the full text of the letter.

    March 20, 2025

    Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary
    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    200 Independence Ave. SW
    Washington, D.C. 20201

    Dear Secretary Kennedy,

    We write to express our deep concerns regarding the Make America Healthy Again Commission’s troubling characterization of mental and behavioral health medication and your recent comments promoting disproven and outright false theories about these important treatments. These statements further stigmatize the mental and behavioral health challenges that one in five Americans live with, and can have a chilling effect on Americans seeking scientifically sound, medically necessary, and appropriate care.

    The Make America Healthy Again Commission, established by Executive Order 14212 on February 13, 2025 and which met for the first time on March 11, 2025, is directed to assess the “threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, [and] stimulants.” While the focus of this portion of the Commission is making children healthy, the characterization that these medications pose a “threat” will have far reaching implications for Americans of all ages seeking and accessing mental health treatment. In other recent statements, you have doubled down on your belief in the link between school shooters and psychotropic drugs and in comments during your Senate confirmation hearing to the Department of Health and Human Services, you compared Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) to heroin.

    Taken together, this paints a troubling picture of your views on mental illness and treatment among children and adults. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, overseeing our nation’s health care system, you are in a position of great power to impact mental health interventions and treatments available to Americans. It is imperative that you follow the well-established and widely accepted scientific and medical consensus about the causes and treatments for mental and behavioral health issues.

    Mental illness is common in the United States and across the world. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that nearly 60 million U.S. adults live with a mental illness. In 2022, nineteen percent of adults who received mental health treatment received prescription medication from their provider. Thirteen percent of U.S. adults received counseling, and twenty three percent of adults received counseling and medication.

    An estimated 49.5 percent of adolescents have had a mental health disorder at some point in their lives, with the most common mental health disorders in adolescence relating to anxiety, depression, attention deficit-hyperactivity, and eating. From 2018 to 2019, the last year for which comprehensive data is available, the CDC reports that 43 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 17 took medication for an emotional, concentrational, or behavioral condition. Youth mental health needs have only increased in the past five years. Given the prevalence of mental illness among youth and adults in the United States, your accusations and inflammatory comments are deeply troubling.

    You have called for research into the possibility of a link between antidepressants and school shootings. In 2019, research analyzing FBI data on ‘educational shootings’ from 2000-2017 found that the majority of school shooters were not previously treated with psychotropic medications. Of those who were, no direct or causal association was found. Additionally, experts at the Columbia Center of Prevention and Evaluation in collaboration with experts from the New York State Psychiatric Institute compiled the world’s largest catalog of reported mass murder (more than three deaths) from 1900-2019. Their research concluded that the vast majority of mass shootings and mass murder are committed by people without mental illness, and certainly not psychotic illness. In fact, in the rare case that someone with a severe mental illness (SMI) commits a mass murder, they are less likely to use firearms.

    In addition to your harmful comment attempting to link psychotropic medications to mass shootings, you also said that SSRIs are addictive. To be precise, you stated during your confirmation hearing, “I know people, including members of my family, who’ve had a much worse time getting off of SSRIs than people have getting off of heroin.” In contrast, Keith Humphreys, a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford, characterized antidepressants and heroin as existing in “different universes” in terms of addiction risk. Of course, like any medication, the usage and stoppage of SSRIs should be a decision made between a patient and their provider with continued monitoring and consultation. 

    These inflammatory statements do nothing to improve public health and safety or help increase access to care for those with mental health issues or with a mental illness. By falsely equating psychotropic drugs with school shootings and falsely comparing SSRIs to heroin, you are reinforcing harmful stereotypes and perpetuating negative stigma aimed at those with a mental health issue or mental illness, and your words are especially impactful as Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

    Fear of judgment and discrimination can cause those living with a mental health condition or illness to delay or avoid care, which will only increase suffering and may lead to deteriorating conditions and increasing symptoms. Negative stereotypes about medication may deter people from exploring treatment options that could help them.

    A mental health illness is exactly as the name says, an illness. Similar to a physical health condition or illness, sometimes medication is necessary for treatment. For individuals with mental illness, it is no different. In addition to therapy, medications may be necessary and appropriate. For individuals living with moderate or severe depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, or other conditions, medication can alleviate symptoms so they can function normally and have improved quality of life.

    We urge you to retract your harmful and false comments on mental illness and the usage of SSRIs. The American people want to see the federal government address the burden of mental and behavioral health challenges, for which there is much more bipartisan work to be done. But it is imperative that in doing so, we follow research and best practice guidance, and that harmful stereotypes and stigma are not reinforced.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas man charged federally with sexual abuse on aircraft flying from Chicago to Seattle

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle – A 54-year-old Allen, Texas man who was flying from Chicago to Seattle was charged federally with abusive sexual contact for his repeated illegal touching of the victim sitting next to him, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Cherian Abraham and the victim were interviewed at SEA airport when the plane arrived on March 18, 2025. Abraham was arrested on Sunday March 23, 2025, and had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Monday, March 24, 2025.

    According to the criminal complaint, Abraham was seated next to the 22-year-old victim on the flight.  On three different occasions, the victim reported that he reached under her arm to touch her breast. The first time the victim thought perhaps it was inadvertent contact. The second time, some five minutes later, the victim looked pointedly at Abraham and he withdrew his hand. Apparently undeterred, the victim felt Abraham again poking her with his hand and she verbally confronted him. The victim got out of her seat, contacted the flight attendant, and was moved to a different seat.

    When interviewed at SEA airport, Abraham denied touching the victim inappropriately.

    An investigation by the responding FBI agent revealed that Abraham had twice before been alleged to have touched fellow passengers inappropriately. On April 24, 2024, a victim reported to the airline’s online customer service portal that Abraham had repeatedly touched her and attempted to put his hand between her thighs. The victim yelled at Abraham but was not able to get the attention of a flight attendant.  On October 9, 2023, Minneapolis Airport Police interviewed Abraham after a victim reported that he had touched her leg with an open hand three times.  The victim told him to stop and contacted the flight crew who put her in a different seat.  When interviewed Abraham denied touching the victim. The victim did not want to pursue charges.

    Abraham was released on bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 7, 2025.

    Abusive sexual contact is punishable by up to two years in prison.

    The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Ravindran.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Houston man guilty of trafficking minors in two cities

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HOUSTON – A 22-year-old man residing in the Houston and Dallas areas has been convicted of two counts of sex trafficking and one count of enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    A federal jury deliberated for a day and a half before returning the guilty verdict against Cristian Morris following a three-day trial.

    From Jan. 1 – June 23, 2023, Morris recruited young teenage girls. He supplied them with drugs, posted sexually explicit advertisements for commercial sex online and forced them to engage in sex acts with clients for money in hotels around the “blade” in Houston and Dallas.

    The blade or “track” is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston and Harry Hines Boulevard in Dallas where pimps and traffickers commonly place their victims to engage in commercial sex.

    During trial, the jury heard from the three victims whom Morris trafficked over the course of several months. They testified he instructed them on how to walk the blade, how much to charge and provided them with condoms. The jury also heard that Morris would transport them between Houston and Dallas to engage in sex acts.

    Morris kept all the proceeds.

    “What this case demonstrates is that if you pimp, traffic, or exploit either women or children, you will be caught, and you shouldn’t expect anything other than the hardest charges that we can bring,” said Ganjei. “This is a great result for victims and will hopefully serve as a warning to other pimps that you’re not just risking state charges, you’ll also have the feds on you as well.”

    Morris was ultimately arrested June 23, 2023, after he had posted commercial sex ads for the youngest victim, a 15-year-old runaway. 

    The defense attempted to convince the jury that the victims were just a group of runaways and school drop-outs engaged in bad behavior. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.

    U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett presided over the trial and set sentencing for July 10. At that time, Morris faces up to life in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

    He has been and will remain in custody until the sentencing.

    FBI and Houston Police Department (HPD) conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA). 

    HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.

    Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Kimberly Leo prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Nevada Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Violent Tesla Arson in Las Vegas

    Source: US State of California

    A Las Vegas resident made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla collision business.

    Paul Hyon Kim, 36, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of arson. Kim was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers on March 26. He remains in federal custody.

    “The Department of Justice has been clear: anyone who participates in the wave of domestic terrorism targeting Tesla properties will suffer severe legal consequences,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will continue to find, arrest, and prosecute these attackers until the lesson is learned.”

    “As promised, acts of violence and vandalism will not be tolerated, and today law enforcement personnel acted quickly to arrest an individual on charges including arson,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Under Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, we will continue to pursue these investigations with the full force of law and will bring to justice anyone responsible for these attacks.”

    “Today’s federal charges demonstrate our strong partnerships and collaboration with law enforcement partners and the joint pursuit to end domestic terrorism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada. “Thank you to the detectives from the Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Center (SNCTC), FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) ARMOR (All-Hazard Regional Multi-Agency Operations and Response) unit, as well as Clark County Fire Department Arson Investigators, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, and the Justice Department’s National Security Division for their hard work and tireless efforts. We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and remain steadfastly committed to working with our enforcement partners to combat acts of domestic violence.”

    According to allegations in the complaint, on March 18, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers responded to an emergency call about a person setting vehicles on fire and hearing gunshots at a Tesla collision business. The Clark County Fire Department arrived to suppress the fires. During the investigation, it was determined that Molotov cocktails and a .30 caliber AR-style firearm were used to damage and destroy five Tesla vehicles, and graffiti was sprayed to write “Resist” on the front of the building.

    On March 26, law enforcement officials executed various state search warrants related to this case, including a search warrant at Kim’s residence. Inside the residence, they found various firearms, including an AR style rifle consistent with the firearm used in the March 18, incident and with a suppressor on it, a black gun belt with a pouch and a small drop of pink paint residue, a black hoodie, face masks, and a handwritten note with what appeared to be an escape plan.

    Attorney General Pamela Bondi for the Department of Justice; Director Kash Patel of the FBI; Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Sheriff Kevin McMahill for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department made the announcement.

    If convicted, Kim faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of 20 years in prison for the arson charge.

    The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the ATF are investigating the case and with significant assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Operskalski for the District of Nevada and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seizes 577 Pounds of Cocaine and 14 pounds of Fentanyl, and Multiple Firearms from Mail Stream in Joint Operation with DEA, Homeland Security, FBI, ATF, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    “Operation Gatekeeper 3.0” protects the U.S.-Caribbean border by targeting drug and arms trafficking through the U.S. Mail

    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico–The United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted and seized 577 lbs. of cocaine, 14 lbs. of fentanyl and three firearms as part of a joint operation with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. From March 10 through March 20, 2025, these federal and state agencies collaboratively conducted “Operation Gatekeeper 3.0,” a domestic interdiction of suspect parcels mailed from San Juan, Puerto Rico to locations throughout the continental United States.

    “We commend the outstanding efforts and collaboration between the federal and state law enforcement agencies responsible for the successful seizure of contraband in this case,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will continue our efforts to eradicate drug trafficking and violent crime in our communities.”

    “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to preventing drug and arms traffickers from using the U.S. Mail in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as an access point for all of America,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary R. Barksdale. “The Postal Inspection Service will continue our work to secure this border and prevent the mail stream from being used to further criminal activity and enrich transnational criminal organizations.”

    As a result of this operation, federal and state authorities were able to seize evidence in several ongoing investigations, as well as identify targets of new investigations that will be worked collaboratively as part of “Operation Take Back America.”

    Puerto Rico Police Department K-9 Officer “Nico”

    This seizure 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.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fresno Man Convicted at Trial for Running Catalytic Converter Theft Ring That Stole Millions of Dollars’ Worth of Converters

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FRESNO, Calif. — Following a four-day jury trial, George Thomas, 72, formerly of Fresno and Clovis, was convicted today of selling thousands of stolen catalytic converters for more than $2.7 million, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    Thomas was also convicted of structuring the money that he received for the converters out of his bank accounts through cash withdrawals to conceal his activities from the government. Generally speaking, banks are required to report cash withdrawals over $10,000 to the government. Structuring is the intentional withdrawal of cash in increments under $10,000 to avoid that reporting threshold.

    “Catalytic converter theft is a nationwide problem that has affected tens of thousands of Californians,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud of its continuing effort to disrupt and dismantle this type of organized criminal activity that impacts so many victims.”

    “This collaboration exemplifies the power of teamwork between local and federal agencies in combating organized crime and ensuring justice for our community. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Deputy District Attorney Adam Kook for his initiative in engaging with federal authorities to drive a coordinated investigation in this case,” said District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp. “Thanks to collaborate efforts of the agencies involved, the ringleader behind the catalytic converter theft operations across the Central Valley is now facing significant fines and jail time for his wrongdoing.”

    “The Fresno Police Department is proud to have participated with our partners, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clovis Police Department, in this investigation and successful prosecution,” said Chief Mindy Casto. “Mr. Thomas’ criminal actions impacted countless members of our communities, both financially and emotionally. Through solid investigations by officers and detectives and the determined prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Thomas will finally be held accountable.”

    According to the evidence presented at trial, between January 2021 and November 2022, Thomas purchased stolen converters from a group of habitual thieves in the Fresno area who cut the converters off of vehicles. The sales occurred in the parking lots of motels, gas stations, and similar places at all hours of the day and night.

    Thomas gave the thieves instructions on the types of converters that he was looking for and how to best cut the converters off vehicles. Thomas also loaned the thieves money to pay for their motel rooms, saws, and bail. The loans were contingent on the thieves continuing to steal converters for him.

    After an initial search warrant was executed at Thomas’ home in mid-2021, Thomas continued with the illegal sales but tried to cover it up. The cover-up included taking a photograph of the thief and an identification card each time he made a sale, requesting a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for the vehicle from which the converter was supposedly cutoff, and having the thief sign a piece of paper stating that the converter was not stolen.

    But Thomas did not actually change anything. For example, Thomas continued doing cash buys in the same places with the same thieves. He allowed the thieves to use fake and stolen IDs and provide him with false VINs. He also completed undercover sales where he said that he did not care where the VINs or converters came from.

    The following is an example of an incriminating photograph taken during the search warrant at Thomas’ home.

    Thomas drove the stolen converters to Oregon where he sold them to a metal recycling company for $2.7 million. The recycling company paid Thomas by wire transfer. He then withdrew the money through 386 cash withdrawals that were each under the $10,000 reporting threshold. He often made the withdrawals on his way to and from Oregon.

    Importantly, after Thomas was arrested in April 2023, reports of converter theft in the Fresno area decreased by more than 60 percent.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Clovis Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Justin Gilio are prosecuting the case.

    Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11, 2025. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of his convictions The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sacramento Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Heroin Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Manuel Greenhalgh, 32, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to three years and 10 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

    According to court documents, Greenhalgh is among eight federal defendants charged with drug trafficking offenses as part of a multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers. In May 2020, Greenhalgh was heard during a wiretap discussing sourcing heroin from Mexico and the difficulties of getting people and drugs across the border. Thereafter, agents watched Greenhalgh meet with a co-defendant and pulled Greenhalgh’s vehicle over after he left the co-defendant’s house. Greenhalgh, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, possessed 1,986.6 grams of heroin that he intended to distribute.

    Co-defendant Albert Gurley was sentenced to seven years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin.

    Co-defendants Delanious Ward, Agustin Gonzalez, Craig Hunter, David Byrd, and Kevin Yancy previously pleaded guilty to various drug trafficking crimes and are scheduled to be sentenced at later dates.

    Charges are pending against co-defendant Jorge Mejia-Nolasco for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute heroin. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and Emily G. Sauvageau are prosecuting the case.

    This prosecution is part of the 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. The Sacramento Strike Force is a 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. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nevada Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Violent Tesla Arson in Las Vegas

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Las Vegas resident made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla collision business.

    Paul Hyon Kim, 36, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of arson. Kim was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers on March 26. He remains in federal custody.

    “The Department of Justice has been clear: anyone who participates in the wave of domestic terrorism targeting Tesla properties will suffer severe legal consequences,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. We will continue to find, arrest, and prosecute these attackers until the lesson is learned.”

    “As promised, acts of violence and vandalism will not be tolerated, and today law enforcement personnel acted quickly to arrest an individual on charges including arson,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Under Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, we will continue to pursue these investigations with the full force of law and will bring to justice anyone responsible for these attacks.”

    “Today’s federal charges demonstrate our strong partnerships and collaboration with law enforcement partners and the joint pursuit to end domestic terrorism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada. “Thank you to the detectives from the Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Center (SNCTC), FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) ARMOR (All-Hazard Regional Multi-Agency Operations and Response) unit, as well as CCFD Arson Investigators and the Justice Department’s National Security Division for their hard work and tireless efforts. We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and remain steadfastly committed to working with our enforcement partners to end acts of domestic violence.”

    According to allegations in the complaint, on March 18, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers responded to an emergency call about a person setting vehicles on fire and hearing gunshots at a Tesla collision business. The Clark County Fire Department arrived to suppress the fires. During the investigation, it was determined that Molotov cocktails and a .30 caliber AR-style firearm were used to damage and destroy five Tesla vehicles, and graffiti was sprayed to write “Resist” on the front of the building.

    On March 26, law enforcement officials executed various state search warrants related to this case, including a search warrant at Kim’s residence. Inside the residence, they found various firearms, including an AR style rifle consistent with the firearm used in the March 18, incident and with a suppressor on it, a black gun belt with a pouch and a small drop of pink paint residue, a black hoodie, face masks, and a handwritten note with what appeared to be an escape plan.

    Attorney General Pamela Bondi for the Department of Justice; Director Kash Patel of the FBI; Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Sheriff Kevin McMahill for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department made the announcement.

    If convicted, Kim faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of 20 years in prison for the arson charge.

    The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the ATF are investigating the case and with significant assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Operskalski for the District of Nevada and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: St. Louis County Man Admits Five Bank Robberies

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted committing five bank robberies and one attempted robbery.

    Derrick Snulligan, now 62, of Velda Village Hills, admitted handing a note demanding money to the teller of a bank in Northwoods, Missouri on April 18, 2023. He did the same thing at the same bank on Aug. 28, 2023. On Oct. 13, 2023, he tried a third time, but a teller activated an alarm and told Snulligan to leave.

    In each robbery, Snulligan was wearing a mask.

    After being thwarted in that robbery, Snulligan decided to make his notes more threatening. On June 24, 2024, he handed a note to an employee of a Hazelwood credit union that read, “I[f] you don’t want to get hurt, go in your drawer and give me 6-one hundred dollar bills, 4-fifty dollar bills, 10-ten dollar bills, and 20-5 dollar bills as quickly as possible,” his plea agreement says. The teller handed cash to Snulligan, who fled.

    Three days later, Snulligan handed a note to the teller of a St. Louis credit union demanding money. After taking cash, he fled in a blue vehicle. That same day, he committed a similar robbery in a Florissant credit union. His note read, “If you don’t want to get shot I suggest you go in your drawer and give me 30 one hundred dollar bill[s], 20 fifty dollar bills, 30, 20 dollar bills and 40, 10 dollar bills as quickly as possible.” Snulligan again fled in a blue vehicle, which was identified as a Buick Encore.

    Investigators traced the vehicle to Snulligan, who admitted committing the robberies and returned some of the money. Snulligan is also known as Derrick Jackson.

    Snulligan, of Velda Village Hills, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday to five counts of bank robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

    The FBI, the Florissant Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Northwoods Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa 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 violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to Transport Contraband into FCI McDowell with Drone

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gamalier Rivera, 33, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the introduction of contraband into a federal prison.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 9, 2024, correctional officers at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell detected a drone flying over the prison facility. The flight path of the drone took it from the fence securing the prison facility to a cell in one of the housing units. Officers searched the cell and found a broken exterior window, numerous cell phones, tobacco, and marijuana within the cell.

    Officers traced the flight path back to the drone’s launch site, where they found and apprehended Rivera and co-defendants Hector Luis Gomez DeJesus and Raymond Luis Saez Aviles. Officer seized the drone, the drone’s remote controller, and contraband consistent with what was found in the cell.

    As part of his guilty plea, Rivera admitted that he, DeJesus, and Aviles participated in the introduction of the contraband into FCI McDowell by using the drone to transport marijuana, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison facility. Rivera further admitted that he expected to be paid for his participation in the contraband introduction.

    Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

    A federal grand jury indicted Rivera, DeJesus, 32, of Sanford, North Carolina, and Aviles, 37, of Poinciana, Florida, and also indicted Arturo Joel Gallegos, 26, Miguel Angel Aleman-Piceno, 22, and Francisco Alejandro Gonzalez, 24, all of Chicago, Illinois, in a separate case. Charges in both cases allege the defendants provided or attempted to provide contraband to FCI McDowell inmates in February 2024. The indictments against the remaining defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    “Today’s guilty plea is the result of the vigilance and dedication of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and the excellent coordination and teamwork between BOP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.

    Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-127.

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –